The. xxiii. daye of the same moneth next after, the Byshop sent againe for Tyms & Drakes, and Ex officio did obiect vnto them certaine articles, the some and maner whereof ye shall see in the discourse of þe historie of Bartelet Grene and other his fellowe martyrs. Pag. 1451. And the xxvi. daye of the same moneth, he sent for thother fower, ministring vnto them also the same generall articles. Vnto the whiche they all in effect aunswered in matters touching their faith, as did þe said Bartlet Grene & the rest, which appeareth in the next page, following the same articles. Other apearings they had, as the byshops cōmon maner of proceding was, more (as I haue often saide) for order and forme of lawe sake, then for any zeale of iustice. But in conclusion, the xxviii. daye of this moneth of Marche, they were all sixe, with others brought vnto the bloudy seate of the Cōsistorie,
Note how Foxe toned down this description. In 1563, this was the 'bloody seat of Bonner's consistory'.
his heresies (as he learned thē) and to reforme hym selfe vnto the church of Rome. To which Tyms aunswered: I will not reforme my self therevnto. And I thanke God of this daye. for I trust he wyll turne your cursyngs into blessinges. Then the Byshop seyng his constaunt boldnes, pronounced the sentence definitiue vpon hym, and gaue hym ouer vnto the secular power. And after calling for Robert Drakes, vsed towardes him the lyke maner of exhortation that he did before, to whom Drakes said: as for your churche of Rome, I vtterly defie & denye it, with all the workes thereof, euen as I denie the Deuill and all his workes.
[Back to Top]Then vsing their acccustomed orders of law, with their exhortations, at last the Byshoppe gaue hym the lyke blessyng that Tyms had, and so charged the Sherife with him. Thomas Spurge beinge nexte demaunded if hee would retourne to the catholique churche, said as followeth: as for your churche of Rome, I doe vtterly denye it: but to the true catholyque churche I am content to retorne and continue in the same, whereof I beleue the churche of Rome to be no part or member. Then in fyne callyng the rest in their courses, and vpon the lyke demaundes receiuing the lyke answeres, Bonner gaue vnto eche of them their seruall iugements. And so rydding his bloudy hands, committed them vnto the custody of the Sherifes of Londō, who sent them vnto Newgate, whether they went all most ioyfully, abydyng there the Lordes good tyme, wherein they should seale this their faith with the sheading of their bloude. Whiche they moste stoutlye and wyllingly performed the xxiiii. daye of Apryll,
The correct date is 24 April and is only found in 1563. A printing error caused it to be rendered as 14 April in the 1570 and subsequent editions.
About this tyme or somewhat before, came down certain Commissioners assigned by the Quene and Counsell, to Norfolke and Suffolke (as to other countreis els besydes) to inquyre of matters of religion, vnto the whiche Commissioners, there was a supplication then exhibited by some good and well disposed mā, (as by the booke may appeare) dwelling about those parties. Whiche booke as I thoughte it not vnworthy to be redde, bearyng the date as prynted this present yeare,
While the copy of the document Foxe saw may have been dated 1556, Nicholas Tyacke has argued that this letter should be dated to 1555 (England's Long Reformation, 1500-1800, ed. Nicholas Tyacke [London: 1998], p. 21).
MarginaliaA supplication exhibited to the cōmissioners in NorfolkIN most humble and lowly wyse we beseche your honours ryght honourable maisters Commissioners, to tender and pitie the humble suite of vs poore men and true faithfull and obedient sub-