tin bablinges and apyshe ceremonyes, who like cruell Wolues spared not to murther all suche, as any thyng at all, but once whispered against their Poperye. As for all the Godlye preachers whiche were in kinge Edwards tyme, they were eyther fledde the Realme, or elles, as the Prophetes dyd in kynge Achabs dayes, they were priuilye kepte in corners.
See 1 Kings 18: 4.
See Isaiah 53: 7 and Romans 8: 36.
When Doctour Tailour was come into the prison, called the Kynges Benche, he found therin the most vertuous, and vigilāt preacher of Goddes woorde, maister Iohn Bradforde, whiche manne, for his innocent and godly lyuing, his deuoute, and vertuous preachynge, was worthily counted a miracle of our tyme, (as euen his aduersaries must nedes confesse.) Finding this man in prisō, he began to exhort him to faith, strength, and patience, and to perseuer constant vnto the end. Maister Bradford hearing this, thanked god that hadde prouided him suche a comfortable prison felow: & so they bothe together lauded god, and continued in prayer, reading, and exhorting one the other: Insomuche that Doctour Tailoure tolde hys frendes that came to visite him, that God had moste gratiously disposed for hym, to send him to that prison, where he founde suche an Angell of god, to be in his company to coumforte him.
[Back to Top]¶ After that Doctoure had lien in prison a while, he was cited to appeare in the arches, at Bowe Church,
The Court of Arches at St Mary-le-Bow. This was the consistory court for the province of Canterbury.
You doe me wrong then (quod Doctor Tailour,) and alledged many lawes, and constitutions for himself: but all preuayled not. For he was againe caried into prison, and his liuings taken awaye, and geuen to other. As for Hadley benefice, it was geuen or solde, I wote not whether, to one mayster Newealle,MarginaliaSeldom cōmeth a better. whose greate vertues were altogether vnlyke to Doctoure Tayloure his predecessoure, as the poore parishioners full well haue proued.
John Newall, Taylor's successor, preached a sermon the day after Taylor's execution, denouncing Taylor as a false martyr who died out of stubborness and pride. A copy of this sermon survives in Foxe's papers (BL, Harley 425, fos 119r-120r). Newall also sought to suppress protestants in Hadleigh (Craig, p. 173).
[Back to Top]After a yeare and three quarters, or theraboute, in the whiche tyme MarginaliaThe papistes rule and reignethe Papistes gotte certayne olde Tyrannous lawes, whiche were putte downe by King Henry the eighte, and by King Edwarde, to bee agayne reuyued by Parliamente: so that nowe they might ex officio cyte whome they woulde, vpon their owne suspicion, and charge hym with what articles they lusted: and excepte they in all thinges agreed to theyr purpose, burne them. When these lawes were once stablished, they sente for Doctour Tayloure, and others, to appeare afore the Lorde Chauncelloure, and diuers other Byshoppes. Where was profered vnto them, MarginaliaA pardon from thrift and al goodnes.that if they would returne to holye Churche, (for so termed they the receauyng agayne of the Popes vsurped power) the Queenes maiestye woulde of her clemencye pardone, and forgeue all that was paste, and the holye Father the Pope shoulde assoile them of all suche penalties, as they hadde incurred in the tyme of this Schisme vnder king Edwarde.
[Back to Top]At this Doctoure Taylour, not lyke a prysoner, but as one that boldely came to professe the truthe, MarginaliaD. Taylor boldly resisteth Antychrist.constantly denied to submitte hymself to the Romayne Byshoppe, affirming and prouing by Scriptures, Doctors, Lawes, and Decreees, that the Romaine Byshop hathe no ryghte to claime any suche autoritie ouer any Churche, but oughte to content himself wyth the office of a Bishop, which he oughte to execute with preaching, and not vsurpynge an office and dignitie, not belongyng to hym, persecute his brethren, and shed innocent bloud. For these are the woorkes of Antichriste, an enemye to goddes people, and not of a Bishop that shoulde fede the flockes of Christ. He alledged also his othe,MarginaliaThe othe of supremacye. made vnto kinge Henrye the eight, and vnto king Edwarde, whiche he woulde with goddes grace kepe, for as muche as the same was a good, and lawfull othe, that no Christian man ought to breake, vnder pain of damnation: and stoutly he rebuked his aduersaries for the breaking of that othe, and betrayinge of the Realme into the power of the Romayne Byshoppe. When they sawe they could not bryng him to approue theyr turnyng from truthe to the Romayne Byshoppe, they committed him agayne to prison.
[Back to Top]Foxe obtained some of the details of the condemnation and sentencing of Taylor from a copy of these documents, taken from a now lost act book. The copy is BL, Harley 421, fos. 41v-42r. There is also an account of Taylor's final examination, which took place just before his condemnation, which survives in Foxe's papers (BL, Harley 590, fos. 64r-68r). Foxe never printed or even alluded to this account. This is somewhat mysterious as the account was penned by a sympathetic observer and Foxe was normally anxious to print such materials. It may be that Foxe felt that this examination which was rancorous, chaotic and disgressive, with accusations of horsestealing and discussions of the world's population in biblical times, did Taylor insufficient credit.
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