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answered his treatise, asserted ; adding, that he was not the author, but rather the penner of that blasphemous book. If you will have some further character of him, take it from Bale, (who lived in, and had good intelligence of, these times, and the men of them,) making some allowance for his homely way of writing : " The subtile summoner of " Barkshire, the clerk protector of the Pope's sodomites " under Winchester, a wise and a politic gentleman, and " one that can weigh with all winds : when the gospel " reigned, he Avas a great gospeller, and wrote thereabouts " many epistles to my Lord of Canterbury, thinking then 169 " to profit that way. The epistles are yet to be seen, as wit- Bale's De- " nesses of the same. And moreover, oft desired of his ar ' p " 37 ' " familiar friends, to report to the said Lord of Canterbury, " how painful a man he Was in matters of that religion, to " set the matter somewhat forward. He played once " the fool of Christmas in the New college of Oxford. But, " I promise you, he is a shrewd knavish fool. Take good " heed of him, my masters ; for when you have well fatted " him, if the world change again, he is clearly gone from ?¦' you. We are not ignorant whence his newly peppered " divinity cometh, with his guileful glorying of his old * l doctors, Martin, that valiant champion, being jWinches- " ters own voice." There was a testimony in Latin given of this Dr. Martin by Franciscus Baldwinus, LL. D. and public reader at Bourges in France, concerning the bad life 268
MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
CHAP.
XX. Anno 1554 In his De- clar. of Bonner's Articles. Martin in his book censures Hoper, chap. 10. of this man, when he sojourned at that University, where . he took his degree : which testimony Bale hath taken care • to preserve. But from the man, let us proceed to take some view of his book. In one place thereof he tells us of a dispute held between Bishop Hoper (whom he styles Sir John Hooper) and others in the Fleet ; and that he was not long ago, be- fore thirty persons, charged with a passage in a book of his, that the husband being divorced from the wife, might marry with another in the former wife's lifetime ; and that he was pressed to answer to that doctrine of his; and parti- cularly they urged to him two places of Scripture out of St. Paul ; viz. 1 Cor. vii. and Rom. vii. And Martin re- presents him, as though he found no other shift, but to say that Paul could not mean as he was taken : for that in his time the civil law was used ; and the civil law made adul- tery death, as it is plain, said he, in the title Ad Leg-em Ju- liani de Adulteriis. But it was replied to him on the con- trary, that one Claudius being condemned of adultery, yet afterwards married ; which was not the usage of dead men : and that Ulpian made mention of some that were banished in his time for the said offence : (which punishment in Ti- berius's time was proclaimed, and by Trajan and other princes continued.) And that in the civil law the pain of death was not read of before Constantine's days, or at least before the constitutions of Alexander Severus and Diocle- tian, which were made above two hundred years after St. Paul's epistle was writ to the Romans. Then Hoper an- swered, he spake not of the civil law written, but of the civil law unwritten. Thus representing Hoper as run down, and put to miserable shifts. And yet Dr. Martin, by what he adds after, seems to vindicate Hoper 1 s assertion. For he acknowledgeth, there was the lex Julia, made by Augus- tus, that made adultery death ; and that Juvenal cried out, with relation thereto, of the adultery of the times, Ubi nunc lex Jidia ? Dormis ? So that by these words it seems, the law was not taken away, but only slept for want of good execution. And, he saith, the law was mitigated by Tibe-
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 269 rius, and discontinued by other emperors, and banishment CHAP, used instead of death. xx - The said Martin, in another place of his book, censures Anno 1554. Coverdale's translation of the Bible, where the high priest And Co_ said to David, If thy servants he clean, maxime a mulieri- c hap. 11. bus, especially from women ; saying, that Coverdale read it, filthy -women : to the intent, saith Martin, that no argu- ment should be gathered thereof against the marriage of priests : whereas, as he adds, all the Hebrews understand by the same place, as St. Hierom writ, the proper wives of 1 *JO David's train and company that came with him. But it is a sign Martin took up things upon hearsay, and made not use of his own eyes : for I have consulted Coverdale's Bible, and Tindale's too, in two several editions, and none of them read as Martin pretends; but thus, If the young men had abstained only from women ; without addition of filthy, either in text or margin. In another place of his book, the more to vilify the priests And vilifies in King Edward's reign for their marriage, he chargeth 1 "^^ them, that for haste some of them took common strumpets, some of them widows, and some of them other men's wives ; throwing his dirt, without regard whence he had his re- ports, or whether they were true or false. But Ponet, late bishop of Winton, now in exile, excel- Answered lently answered this scurrilous book, with great learning y and clearness, in two parts. One part whereof came forth in the year 1556, as we shall see when we come to that year.
forth also this year another book, to serve the same turn, against the It was entitled, A Discourse, wherein is debated, whether jf Scriptures be expedient that the Scripture should be in English, for all men to read that zoill. Printed at London, by Robert Ealie. This book consisted of a great mass of proofs, thirty and upwards, why the Scripture was not to be allowed in the English tongue. And some of his proofs were such as these : " That the reading of the Scripture in English tended " to the people's spiritual destruction. That by this damn- 270 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. « able liberty, as he styled it, all holy mysteries had been despised, and the people had utterly condemned every Anno 1554. thing that was not expressed in the letter of their English " Bibles. That it was the occasion of many heresies ; and " that it ministered occasion to the common sort to fall into " error, since the rude ignorant sort were ever prone per- " versely to wrest the Scripture. That the universal Church " of Christ did never allow nor approve the Scripture to be " in the vulgar language, weighing the manifold inconveni- " ences that issued thereof; but ever, from time to time, " among other errors, did tread that down, and suppress it. " That like as God appointed the old law to be written in Jer. xxxi. « stone, tables, or books, so did he appoint (as Jeremie wit- " nessed) the new to be written only in the heart of man. " Why should the writing in books then be so highly re- " garded ? But this carnal, this fleshly regarding, by no " means, as he added, can be so well extenuate, or rather " quite taken away, as by taking the Scripture forth of the " vulgar tongue, and forth of the handling of the lewd " ignorant." Here also we read, " that as the people had " the Scripture in their own handlings these dozen years " past, so it was to their utter spiritual destruction." He produced also that of our Saviour, That zvhieh ye have heard in secret places, shall be preached on the tops of the houses : which he made this use of: " He said not, it shall " be written in your churches, (as it was Jewishly used of " late here in England,) nor written in Bibles, to be read " of every one in his mother tongue, and set up for that " purpose in every church. He could not but marvel, that " men, to their own confusion, were so desirous to have the " Scripture in their mother tongue. Therefore, away, said " he, with the English damnable translation, and let them " learn the mysteries of God reverently by heart, and learn " to give as much credit to that which is not expressed in 1 7 1 " Scripture ; knowing, that in three points the authority of " the Church is above the authority of the Scripture : one " is, in fortifying verities, not written, to be necessary to sal- " vation," &c. And, finallv, as he concluded, " seeing that
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 271 " by no means, so soon as by the Scriptures in English, CHAP. " heresies did both spring daily, and were also maintained, xx " wherein should good men be more diligent, than in the Anno 1554. " extirpation thereof?" This was the doctrine that in Queen Mary's reign was published and allowed for Catholic.
John Procter, translated Vincentius Lirinensis to this pur- cn ° k es no w pose, and in October printed his translation ; which he called, , ft ; rth > viz - The Way home to Christ and Truth, leading from Antichrist home to* and Error : made and set forth in the Latin tongue by that Christ - famous Clark Vincent, Frenchman, born above xi. hun- dred years past, for the comfort of all Christian men, against the most pernicious and detestable craft of here- tics ; which in his time, by at subtil ways, devised to ob- scure and deface the doctrin and religion of the universal Church. And now the same work is Englished, and by the Queen's Highnes authorized to be set furthe for the relief qf divers English menne, which yet stand in doubt, whether they may go to heaven in the peace and unity of Chris fs universal Church, or to hel in the dissension and confusion qf heretics. All this carried the title-page. The translator dedicated his book to the Queen, thus bespeaking her in the beginning : " We have, with our great harms, long tried, " nothing to be more perilous than wicked folly armed with " princely authority. Blessed be the heavenly God, most " gracious Mary, we now savour what inestimable good " thing is godly wisdom coupled with power imperial, 11 &c. His prologue he writes to his dear brethren, and natural countrymen of England: wherein he thus tells them, in his entrance, "that in this new and miraculous reign of merciful " Mary, their new and most lawful Queen and governess, " wherein they saw so many good old orders newly restored, " and so many new erroneous novelties antiquated and " made old, he had a vehement desire to exhibit unto them " some new gift and token, whereby to witness the great " gladness newly engendered in his heart on so many new " occasions. And among all other gifts that might com- " mend the giver, and advantage the receiver, found none
272 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. « either fitter for him to give, or better for them to receive, '. — " or more agreeable to this present time, than if he should Anno 1554. a renew som e old treasure, and present them with some " ancient jewel ; the use whereof might both increase know- " ledge in them to discern the value of old and ancient " jewels of late days not regarded, and expel also from " them blind and gross ignorance, to the utter defacing of " such new pelfrie and counterfeit trash, as lately had been " esteemed.''''
dresseth himself to them : " Oh ! dear brethren and friends, " it much pitieth me, and I trust it now repenteth you also, " to consider how ill you have been of late taught; how " unnaturally you have been entreated, since ye left this " good and loving mother ; how many diseases and infirmi- " ties have grown upon you, since your departing from this " comfortable leche ; how owgle and carrion-lean ye are to " se, since you chaunged this necessary nourse : with how " great tempestuous storms ye have ben beaten, since you " first let loose from this faithful haven. Wo worth that " false harlot that hath deceived you ! I mean, that malig- 17^" nant and cursed church. It is she that by her flattering " means and deceitful allurements, hath inticed you to come " from so sweet and amiable mother's lap into her whorish " arms. From church to church, I grant; but not from " like to like : from an heavenly church, to a malignant " church : from a loving mother, to a flattering harlot : " from the condition of grace, to the state of perdition : " from the unity of Christians, to the diversion of here- " ticks : from the light of pure knowledge, to the darkness " of foul ignorance : from the truth of antiquity, to the " falshood of novelties : from faithful believing, to carnal " reasoning," &c. Then he fell foul upon the late preachers, calling them ministers of the devil, and preachers of Antichrist, nay An- tichrist ; and adding, u that those Antichrists had born a " great stroke here a long time in England : in whom was " no constancy, no stay, no stedfastness of religion and doc-
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 273 " trine: howbeit they al agreed wel in some things. They CHAP. " would be as proud, as heady, as false and subtil as the. " devil their father, wherehence they came. They al would Anno L554. " have wives, long berdes ; [whereas the Popish priests were " to be close shaven ;] and, finally, no old truth or fashions, " but all new knacks and fancies, &c. In their stout coun- " tenances they seemed warriors ; in their light apparel, " courtiers; in their familiar talk, rybawds ; in their ges- " ture, wantons ; in their living, ryotous," &c. Then he falls as fiercely upon the laity, their disciples : " And how much have yee, their disciples and scholars, " profited under them, and by their example in godlines of " life, in honesty of behaviour, in charity towards your " neighbours, since ye first went from your mother the " Church, and left the antient orders and customs of reli- " gion, and became gay gospellers, after the guise of your
" as ye have grown in this new religion : insomuch, that " there was never such unthrif tines in servants, such un- " naturalnes in children, such unrulines in subjects, such " fiercenes in enemies, such unfaithfulnes in friends ; again, " such beastlines of minds, such disdainfulnes in hearts ; " finally, such falsehood in promises, such deceitfulnes in " bargains, such greedy extortion, such insatiable covetous- " ness, such intolerable pride, as therefore ye are become a " fable amongst al nations. Howsayyou? Is not this true? ,1 &c. But enough of this zealous Catholic and his book.
both religions, set forth this year an exhortation to one a book; Margaret, wife of John Burges, clothier, of Kingswood in the county of Wilts, printed by John Cawood. The sum of this seems to have been to persuade her to comply with the Popish religion, the better to shew the sincerity of his own coming about. Printed in 8vo.
the deanery of Norwich, published also an exhortation upon topherson. S " occasion of the late insurrection $ directed to all men to take
274 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, heed of rebellion: wherein were set down the causes that commonly move men to rebel ; and shewing, that there was Anno 1554.no cause that ought to move a man thereunto. Printed in 8vo, by Cawood. 1 73 The Queen now made choice of two great men, to intrust broke^nd" two g reat °ffi ces >vith them. For on March 12, a commis- Lord Ha- sion was made, appointing William Earl of Pembroke her Queen's 8 lieutenant general, in the parts beyond the seas. And by lieutenants, another commission William Lord Haward was made lieu- tenant general for the seas.
CHAP. XXI. The misfortunes and lamentable ends of some eminent pro- fessors of the Gospel; Sir James Hales, William Ford, Richard Wever, William Thomas, esq.
and disasters that this year befell several men of eminency ; who were noted in the last reign to have patronized or ear- nestly professed the Reformation. Judge Sir James Hales of Kent, knight, a pious and good man,
Act, and Edward, (whose history is related at large by Fox,) was 1392 P ma de a prisoner in the King's Bench last year by the Bi- shop of Winchester, lord chancellor; and thence was re- moved to the Counter in Bread-street ; and from thence to the Fleet. Here one Foster, a gentleman of Hampshire, laboured to persuade him to embrace the Popish doctrine by this argument, that the error was without danger, but the truth full of peril. When it was known that Hales was inclinable to relent, Day, bishop of Chichester, and Portman, a judge, came to him, (it being then the month of Recants. April,) and did so earnestly deal with him, that they over- came him at last, after his having lain three weeks in that prison of the Fleet. But the trouble that arose in his con- science for what he had done filled him with great terror,
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 275 and overwhelmed him with sorrow: so that he attempted, CHAP, in the absence of his servant, to kill himself with his pen- knife: for being ill, and lying sobbing and sighing, he sent Ann ° 1554. down his servant upon an errand, and in the mean time wounded himself in divers places of his body : but his ser- Wounds vant came in on the sudden, and at that time prevented his limse •' death.
Star-chamber, to blaspheme the doctrine of the gospel, " j""^ calling it, the doctrine of desperation, and the professors of ll i 1011 - it, desperate men. Whereas, indeed, the blame of Judge Hales 1 s doing was not to be laid upon the true religion, but upon the forsaking of it : for he did this act after he had, in effect, renounced the religion. For the vindication therefore Region, of religion, it was thought convenient, that a treatise should vindlcated - be composed concerning this matter : wherein the blame of this action was retorted upon the Papists themselves. This treatise, as I met with it among the Foxian MSS. I have cast into the Catalogue. It was written by Bishop Hoper, N°. XXIV. as may appear by one of his letters preserved in the volume of the Martyrs 1 Letters, to this tenor :
" be with you. I have sent you letters for my wife, who * Iope !;' s t . le ^" " is at Frankford, in High Almain ; I pray you, convey thereto. " them trustily and speedily, and seal them close after the " merchants 1 fashion, that they be not opened. William " Dounton, my servant, hath the first copy of that I wrote " concerning Master Hales 1 hurt. I would Master Brad- " ford did see it ; and then the copy to be well kept, lest " any man of malice should add any thing more and worse " than I have made it. I pass not of that may come of it, " I thank God ; and my conscience bears me record, that " I did it of zeal to the word of God, which that Bishop of " Winchester called, the doctrine of desperation. Not only " my heart, but also my mouth, my pen, and all my powers, " shall be against him, even till death, (by God's help,) in " this cause. Let God do with the matter as it pleaseth t 2 276 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " his high Majesty. To whom I commend you, 29 April, XXL " 1554. Anno 1554. « Your's, John Hoper." Whence we learn the author of this vindication, and the care and zeal this pious Bishop had for preserving the credit and reputation of the reformed religion. Hales But to return to this unhappy gentleman, Mr. Hales ; himself. sadder yet was his conclusion. For after his recantation, being dismissed home unto his own country and habitation, conquered with grief and despair, he drowned himself in a shallow pond near his own house, which is shewn to this day. Others Besides this sad instance, others I meet with, who being troubifof f° rmel *ly serious professors of the gospel, and through fear, mind for G r some other cause, having gone to mass, fell into great mass. despairs, and into such a disconsolate state, as made them
I shall relate, that happened in these sad Marian days. Will. Ford. The one is of Mr. William Ford, sometime scholar, and after usher of Wickham college beside Winchester; who being at length, by the labour and pains of John Loud, of the same college, brought from the Popish doctrine, became at last a great enemy to Papism in Oxford, being there fel- low and civilian, (as Mr. John Philpot was about that time in Wickham college,) and afterward being usher under Mr. John White, schoolmaster, in that college. There were many golden images there in that church ; the door whereof was directly over against the usher's chamber. One day Mr. Ford tied a long cord to the images, linking them all in one cord, and being in his chamber after midnight, he plucked the cord's end, and at one pull all the golden gods came down. It wakened all men with the rush : they were amazed at the terrible noise, and also dismayed at the griev- Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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