wishe youth in them selues to make aunciēt, and the aged to make honorable, in feare and reuerence to the holy name of the Lord. Amē.

One Crosmans wife of Tibnam long rowe in Norfolke in quene Maries time, for not going to churche, was sought for at her house by one Barbour of the said towne, then Constable of the hundreth, who when he came to her house, the said Crosmans wife being at home with a child sucking in her harmes, stept into a corner on the one side of the chimney, & they seking the chambers, the child neuer cryed (althoughe before they came, it did) as longe as they were there, and so by this meanes the Lord preserued her.

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MarginaliaThe storye of a godlye congregation at Stok in Suffolk  

THere were some likewise that did auoyde the violent rage of the aduersaries by meanes there were a greate number of them together, and such mutuall concord of godlynes, þ^t without much ado non wel could be troubled, whereof we haue example in a certayne town of Suffolke called Stoke. for iii. sharpe yeres of Quene Maries persecution were past, whē the inhabitantes of the same, especially þ^e women that dwelt ther, came not to their church to receiue after the popishe maner, the sacrament. If there had bene but few of them, they coulde by no meanes haue escaped imprisonment. But because there were so manye, the papistes thought it not best to lay handes vpon them. Onelye they appoynted them. xvi. dayes respite after Easter, wherein as manye as, would should receiue the sacrament: those that would not, should stand to the perill that would follow. And as there were many that fauoured the cause of truth, vnder hand, so the chiefe doers in this company were these:

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MarginaliaConfessorsEaue, an old mother of lx. yeres.Alice Coker her daughter.

Elizabeth Foxe. Agnes Cutting. Alice Spenser. Henry Cauker.

Ione Fouke. Agnes Spaulding. Ihon Steir & his brother. Ihon Foxe.

Therefore when this order was taken for the not cōinge to the churche, those that I haue spoken of, layde their heades together, & tooke aduisement among them selues what was best to be done, and at length concluded by promise one to an other, that they woulde not receiue at al. And yet some of them afterwarde being perswaded with faire promises, that the Communion should be ministred vnto them according to king Edwardes booke, gat them vnto the parish priest (whose name was Cotes) and asked him after which sort he would minister the sacrament. He answered to such as he fauoured, that he would geue it after the right sort, the rest shoulde haue it after the papisticall maner. To be shorte, none dyd communicate so, but onely Iohn Steyre and Iohn Foxe, of which one gaue hys wyfe

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leaue to do as she thought best, thother went about to compell her with threates, sayinge that otherwise he would diuorce him self from her. As for the rest, they dyd withdrawe them selues from church, resorting to their wonted company. Onely Foxes wyfe taryed styll at home, all in her dumpes and heauines, whose husbande practised wyth the Curate in the meane tyme, that the next day after he should geue her the sacrament, which was the. xvii. day after Easter. And the verye same day, vnknowing vnto her husbande, she gat her selfe secretly to her companye, and with teares declared how violently her husband hadde delt with her. The other women bad her not with standing to be of a good chere, and sayde that they woulde make their earnest prayers vnto the Lord, both for her and her husband, and in dede when they had so done, the matter tooke verye good successe. MarginaliaThe effecte of christian prayer.For the nexte day after, goodman Foxe came of his own accord vnto them, a farre other man then hee was before, and bewayled his own headynes & rashnes, praying them that they woulde forgeue hym, promisynge euer after to be more stronge in fayth, to the great reioycing both of them and his wyfe. Then about half a yeare after this, the bishop of Norwich sendeth forth certayne of his officers or Apparitours thether, whych gaue them warning euery one to come to the church the nexte sondaye followinge. If they woulde not come, they shoulde appere before the Commissarye oute of hande, to render accompt of their absence. But the women, hauinge secrete knowledge of this before, kepte them selues out of the way for the nonce, to auoyde the summons or warning. Therefore when they were not at the church at the daye appoynted, the Commissary dyd first suspend them, according to the bishop of Romes law, and within three weekes did excommunicate them. Therefore when they perceyued that an officer of the towne was set to take some of them, they conueighing them selues priuely out of the towne, escaped al daunger.

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NO lesse maruelous was the preseruatiō of the congregation in London, which from the firste beginninge of Quene Mary, to the later ende thereof continued, not withstanding, what so euer the malice, deuise, searching and inquisitiō of men or streightnes of lawes could worke to the contrary. Suche was the merciful hand of the Lord, according to his accustomed godnes, euer working with his people. Of this great bountiful goodnes of þ^e lord many and great examples appeared in this cōgregation, which now I speake of. How oft, and in what greate daungers dyd he deliuer them.

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First at Blackfriers, when they shuld haue resorted to sir Thomas Cardens house, wher