Marginalia1555. Septemb.fatall storme, but some good Martyrs or other there shed their bloud. And first to begyn with þ^e Dioces of Lichfield & Couentry, there we finde these ij. to be condemned, & also burned about the middest of þ^e sayd moneth of September at the towne of Lichfield: MarginaliaThe Martirdome of Thomas Hayward, and Iohn Goreway, at Lichfield. An. 1555. September.whose names were Thomas Hayward, and Iohn Gorway.

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MarginaliaThe story of Master Rober Glouer Martyr, and of M. Iohn Glouer his brother.VNto this present tyme and moneth of September pertaineth also the memorable Martyrdome of M. Robert Glouer Gentleman, in the Dioces of Lichfield and Couentry. Of whose apprehension and troubles, because I can not well entreate but I must also intermixt some mention of hys brother Iohn Glouer, forsomuch as this priuy cōmission was chiefly sent downe for the said Iohn, and not for Robert Glouer (albeit it pleased almighty God, that Iohn escaped, & Robert in hys steede was apprehended) I thought therefore in one story to comprehend them both, in describing some part of their vertuous institution and order of life, and first to begin with Iohn the eldest brother. Who beyng a Gentleman borne, and heyre to hys father, dwellyng in the towne of Mancetor, was endued wyth fayre possessiōs of worldly goodes, but yet much more plentifully enryched wyth Gods heauenly grace and inward vertues. Which grace of God so working in hym, MarginaliaIohn Glouer, Robert Glouer, William Glouer. 3. godly brethren & zelous professours of the Gospel.he wyth hys two other brethren Robert and William, not onely receiued and embraced the happy light of CHRISTES holy Gospell, but also most zelously professed, and no lesse diligently in theyr lyuing and conuersation followed þ^e same: much vnlike vnto our tablegospellers now a daies, Virtutem qui verba putant, vt lucum ligna,  

as Horace sayth.  

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And as touching this foresayd Iohn Glouer (who through his manifold afflictions semed to haue a deeper tast & contēplation of spirituall things, ioyned w^t mortification from all worldly cares more thē the other had) although sufficient relation be made before in our former edition to be seene, pag. 1277.MarginaliaTouching further mention of Master Iohn Glouer, read in the former edition pag. 1277. yet as concernyng hys spirituall conflictes, and the Lordes gracious working in hym, because the consideration thereof is both worthy of memory, and the example may worke experience peraduenture to the comfort of the godly, it shal not be hurtfull to rehearse some part of the same. So it pleased God to lay hys heauy hand of inward afflictiōs and greuous passions vpon thys man, that though hee suffered not þ^e paynes of þ^e outward fier, as hys brother & other Martyrs did: MarginaliaThe inward conflictes and exercises of M. Iohn Glouer.yet if we consider what inwardly in spirite and mynde this man felt and suffered, and that of so long tyme, he may well be counted wyth hys brother Robert for a Martyr, being no lesse desirous wyth hym of the same martyrdome: yea and in comparison may seeme to be chronicled for a double Martyr.MarginaliaIohn Glouer a double Martyr.

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For as the sayd Robert was speedely dispatched wyth the sharpe and extreme tormentes of the fire in a shorte tyme: MarginaliaA heauy crosse of inward tormentes layd vpon Iohn Glouer.so thys no lesse blessed Saynt of God, what and how much more greuous pāges, what sorrowfull torments, what boyling heates of the fier of hell in hys spirite inwardly hee felt and susteyned, no speech outwardly is able to expresse.  

Being younge I remember I was once or twyse with hym,   whom partly by hys talke I perceiued, & partly by myne own eyes saw to be so worne and consumed by the space of v. yeares, that neither almost any brooking of meate, quietnes of sleepe, pleasure of lyfe, yea and almost no kynde of senses was left in hym. And doubtles I haue greatly wondred oftentimes at the marueilous works and operation of CHRIST shewed vpon hym, who vnlesse he had relieued betimes his poore wretched seruant so farre worne, with some opportune consolatiō,

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now and then betwixt, it could not possible be, that hee should haue sustayned so vntolerable paynes and tormentes. And yet the occasion thereof was not of so great moment and weight. MarginaliaThe better conscience, the sooner disquieted.But thys we see common among holy and blessed men, how the more deuout and godly they are, hauing the feare of God before theyr eyes, the more suspicion and mistrust they haue of them selues: whereby it commeth to passe, that often they are so terrified and perplexed wyth small matters, as though they were huge mountaynes: where as cōtrary other there bee, whom most haynous and very sore crimes in deede doe nothing touch or styrre at all. MarginaliaThe first occasion of Iohn Glouers inward affliction.The occasion of this was, that he beyng first called by the lyght of the holy spirite to the knowledge of the gospell, & hauing receaued a wonderous sweete feelyng of CHRISTES heauenly kingdome, hys minde after that falling a litle to some cogitation of hys former affayres belonging to hys vocation, began by and by to misdoubt hym selfe, vpon the occasion of these wordes wrytten in the. vij. to the Hebrues: MarginaliaHeb. 7.For it cannot be that they which were once illumined, and haue tasted the heauenly gift. &c. Vpon the consideration of which wordes he fully perswaded hym selfe, that he had sinned verely against the holy Ghost: euen so much, that if hee had bene in the deepest pyt of hell, he could haue dyspayred no more of hys saluation. Here readely euery good man may iudge of hym selfe, what terrours, boylynges, and conuulsions tormoyled in the meane time in hys wofull brest: although it bee hard for any man to iudge the greuousnes thereof, vnlesse he which hath experience of the lyke.

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In comparing nowe the tormentes of all Martyrs wyth hys paines, I pray you what paynes, punishmēt, and flames woulde not hee wyllingly haue suffered, to haue had some refocillation  

and tyme of refreshing? MarginaliaNo greife like to the greife of conscience.Who in such intolerable griefes of mynd, although he neyther had nor could haue any ioye of hys meate, yet was he compelled to eate agaynst hys appetite, to the end to differre the tyme of hys damnation, so long as he might, thinking with him selfe no lesse, but that hee must nedes be throwen into hell the breath being once out of the body. Albeit CHRIST he thought did pitye his case, and was sory for him: yet he could not (as he imagined) helpe, because of the veritie of the worde, which sayd: It can not be. &c.MarginaliaHebr. 7.

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And this I rehearse of hym, not so much to open his woundes and sorowes, as for that by hys example all we wyth hym may glorify the sonne of God, MarginaliaChrist a mercifull helper in tentations and hard distresses.who suffereth none to be tempted aboue his strength, but so tempereth and seasoneth the asperitie of euylles, that what seemeth to vs intolerable, not onely hee doth alleuiate the same, that we may beare it, but also turneth it to our further cōmodity then we can thinke. Which well appeared in this good seruaunt of God, in no man more. Who albeit (as we haue sayd) suffered many yeares so sharpe temptations and strong buffetynges of Satan: yet the Lord, who gratiously preserued him all the whyle, not onely at last dyd ryd him out of al discomfort,MarginaliaIohn Glouer by the grace of Christ restored agayne to perfect tranquilitie. but also framed hym thereby to such mortification of lyfe, as the lyke lightly hath not bene seene, in such sorte as hee being lyke one placed in heauen alredy and dead in this world, both in worde and meditation led a lyfe altogether celestiall, abhorryng in hys mynde all prophane doinges. Neyther was hys talke any thing discrepant from the fruites of his lyfe, throwing out neuer any idle, vile, or vayne language. The most part of hys lands he distributed to the vse of hys brethren, and committed the rest to the guiding of hys seruantes and officers, whereby the more quietly he might geue hym selfe to hys godly study, as to a continuall Sabboth rest. This was about the latter ende of kyng Henryes reigne, and continued a great part of the tyme of kyng Edward. 6.

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After thys in the persecutyng dayes of Q. Mary, as soone as the Bishop of Couentry heard the same of