Marginalia1555. February.kyng agaynst hym. Wherupon MarginaliaMaister Hooper forced to auoyde the house of Syr Tho. Arundell.M. Hoper leauyng M. Arundels house, and borowyng an horse of a certaine frend (whose lyfe he had saued a litle before from the gallowes) tooke hys iourney to the Sea side, to go to Fraunce, sendyng backe the horse agayne by one, which in deede did not deliuer him to the owner. M. Hooper being at Paris, taryed there not long, but in short tyme returned into England againe, and was retayned of M. Sentlow, tyll the tyme that he was againe molested and layd for: wherby hee was compelled (vnder the pretence of being Captaine of a ship going to Ireland) MarginaliaMaister Hooper flyeth agayne out of England.to take the seas,
This second flight from England can be dated to around 1544 (Newcombe, p. 26).
Apparently Foxe means by this that she was from Bruges, or that she was Burgundian. (The Low Countries were part of the old Duchy of Burgundy). Anna Hooper was from Antwerp.
Hooper returned to England in 1546 to obtain funds; he was back in Switzerland by the end of that year (Newcombe, pp. 31-36).
At length when God saw it good to stay the bloudye tyme of the. vj. Articles, and to geue vs King Edward to raygne ouer this realme, with some peace and rest vnto his Gospell, amongest many other Englishe Exiles, which then repared homeward, M. Hooper also, moued in conscience, thought not to absent himself, seing such a time and occasion offered to helpe forward the Lords worke, to the vttermost of his habilitie. And so comming to M. Bullinger, and other of his acquaintance in Zuricke (as duty required) to geue thē thanks for their singular kindnes and humanity toward hym manifold wayes declared, with like humanitye agayne purposed to take his leaue of them at hys departing, and so did.
Hooper left for England in 1549 (see OL, I, pp. 48-49).
MarginaliaThe aunswere of Maister Hooper to Maister Bullinger.Whereunto M. Hoper aunsweryng agayne, first gaue to M. Bullinger and the reast right harty thākes, for that their singulare good will, and vndeserued affection, appearyng not onely now, but at all tymes towardes hym: declaryng moreouer that as the principall cause of hys remouyng to his countrey was the matter of Religion: so touchyng the vnpleasantnes and barennes of that countrey of theirs, there was no cause therin, why he could not find in his hart to cōtinue his lyfe there, as soone as in any place in þe world, and rather then in his owne natiue countrey, if there were nothyng els in his conscience that moued him so to do. And as touching the forgettyng of his old frēdes, although (sayd he) the remembraunce of a mans coun-
[Back to Top]trey naturally doth delight hym, neither could he deny, but God had blessed his countrey of England with many great cōmodities: yet neither the nature of coūtrey, nor pleasure of cōmodities, nor newnes of frends should euer induce him to þe obliuion of such frendes & benefactours, whom he was so intierly bound vnto: and therfore you shall be sure (sayd he) from tyme to tyme to heare from me, and I will write vnto you as it goeth with me. MarginaliaM. Hooper prophesyeth of himselfe.But the last newes of all I shall not be able to write: for there (sayd he, takyng M. Bullinger by the hand) where I shall take most paynes, there shal you heare of me to be burned to ashes: and that shalbe the last newes which I shall not bee able to write vnto you, but you shall heare it of me. &c.
With a young, protestant, and apparently healthy Edward VI having just ascended the throne, this would have been a remarkable prophecy, if Hooper actually made it.
To this also may be added an other lyke propheticall demonstration, foreshewyng before the maner of hys Martyrdome wherewith he should glorifie God, which was this: MarginaliaA note of M. Hoopers Armes presignifying hys Martyrdome.Whē M. Hoper beyng made B. of Worcester and Glocester should haue his Armes giuen hym by the Harold, as the maner is here in England, euery Bishop to haue his armes assigned vnto hym (whether by the appoyntment of M. Hoper, or by the Harold I haue not certeinly to say) but the Armes which were to him allotted was thys: a Lambe in a fiery bush, & the Sunne beames frō heauē descendyng down vpon the Lambe, rightly denotyng (as it semed) the order of hys sufferyng, which afterward folowed.
[Back to Top]But now to the purpose of our story agayne: MarginaliaM. Hooper returning agayne into England.Thus when M. Hoper had take his farewel of M. Bullinger and his frendes in Zuricke, he made his repayre agayn into England in the reigne of kyng Edward. 6. where he commyng to Londō vsed continually to preach, most tymes twyse, at least once euery day, and neuer fayled.
This is confirmed in letters to Bullinger from Anna Hooper and from Micron (OL, I, pp. 108 and 557). An interesting passage in the Rerum, which was never reprinted, states that at first Hooper did not preach because the bishops refused to grant him a licence due to his opposition to vestments, but that he received permission to preach from the duke of Somerset (Rerum, p. 279).
[Back to Top]Moreouer, besides other hys giftes and qualities, thys is in hym to be marueled, that euen as he began, so he continued styll vnto hys liues ende. For neyther could his labour and paine taking breake hym, neither promotion chaunge him, neither daintye fare corrupt hym. MarginaliaThe singular vertues of M. Hooper described.Hys life was so pure and good, that no kinde of sclaūder (although diuers went about to reproue it) could fasten any fault vpon him. He was of body strōg, hys health whole & sound, hys wit very pregnant, his inuincible patience able to sustain what soeuer sinister fortune & aduersitie could do. He was cōstant of iudgement, a good Iusticer, spare of dyet, sparer of wordes, and sparest of tyme. In housekeeping very liberall, and somtime more free then his lyuing would extend vnto. Briefly, of all those vertues and qualities required of S. Paule in a good bishop in his epistle to Timothe, I know not one in this good bishop lacking. He bare in coūtenaunce & talke alwayes a certayne seuere & graue grace, which might peraduenture be wished somtimes to haue bene a litle more popular & vulgarlike in him: but he knew what hee had to doe best him selfe. Thys by the way I thought to note, for that there was once an honest Citizen, and to me not vnknowen, which hauing in him a certayne conflict of conscience, came to his doore for counsell: but being abashed at his austere behauiour, durst not come in, but departed, seeking remedy of hys troubled mynde at other mens handes, which he afterward by the helpe of almightie God did finde and obtayne. Therefore in my iudgement, such as are appointed and made gouernours ouer the flocke of Christ, to teach & instruct them, ought
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