Marginalia1556. May.cession nor be confessed to a Priest.

7. Item, that they affirmed no mortall man to haue in him selfe free will to do good or euill.

For this doctrine and Articles aboue prefixed, these three (as is aforesayd) were condemned by Doct. Dunnyng, and committed to the power secular, Syr Iohn Silliard beyng the same tyme highe Sheriffe of Northfolke and Suffolke. MarginaliaExecution of burning in Northfolke, done without a writte.And the next day folowyng vppon the same, they were all burnt together in the sayd towne of Beckles. Wherupō it is to be thought, that þ^e writte De comburendo, was not yet come down, nor could not be,  

the Lord Chauncelour B. Heath, beyng the same tyme at London. Which if it bee true, then it is playne, that both they went beyond their Commission, that were the executioners, & also þ^e Clergy which were the instigatours therof, can not make good that they now pretend: saying, that they did nothyng but by a law. But this let the Lord find out, when he seeth hys tyme.

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In þ^e meane tyme, while these good men were at the stake, & had prayed, they sayd their beliefe: & when they came to the recityng of þ^e Catholicke church, Syr Iohn Silliard spake to them. MarginaliaSyr Iohn Silliards wordes.That is well sayd Syrs, quoth he. I am glad to heare you say, you do beleue þ^e Catholicke Church. That is the best word I heard of you yet.

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To which his sayinges, Edmond Pole aunswered, MarginaliaEdmund Pole refuseth the Popes church.that though they beleue the Catholicke Church, yet do they not beleue in their Popishe Church, which is no part of CHRISTES Catholicke Church, and therfore no part of their belefe.

When they rose from prayer, they all went ioyfully to the stake, and beyng bound thereto, and the fire burnyng about them, they praysed God in such an audible voyce, that it was wonderfull to all those which stoode by and heard them.

Then one Robert Bacon,MarginaliaRobert Bacon an enemy. dwellyng in the sayd Beckles, a very enemy to Gods truth, and a persecutour of his people, beyng there present within hearyng therof, willed the tormentours to throw on Fagots to stop the knaues breathes, as he termed them: so hotte was his burnyng charity. But those good men not regardyng their malice, confessed the truth, and yelded their lyues to the death for the testimony of the same, very gloriously and ioyfully. The which their cōstancy in the like cause, the Lord graunt we may imitate & folow vnto the end, whether it be death or lyfe to glorifie the name of CHRIST, Amen.

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And for asmuch as we haue here entred into þ^e persecution of Northfolke & Suffolke, it cōmeth therfore to mynd by occasiō hereof, briefly to touch by the way, some part (for the whole matter can not be so exprest as it was done) touchyng the troubles of the Townes of Wynson and Mendlesam in Suffolke, rasied and stirred vp by the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell and other Iustices there of the like affinitie.  

The sūme and effect of which briefly is thus signified to me by writing.

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BY the procurement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight & other of his Colleagues, MarginaliaPersecutiō at Winson and Mendlesam in Suffolke.there were persecuted out of the Towne of WynsonMarginaliaWynson or Wynston. in Suffolke these persons hereafter folowyng. an. 1556.

Mistres Alyce Twaites Gentlewoman, of the age of
lx. yeares and more, and two of her seruantes.
Humfrey Smith and his wife.
William Katchpoole and his wife.
Iohn Maulyng and his wife.
Nicholas Burlingham and his wife.
And one Rought and his wife.

MarginaliaThe names of good men persecuted in Suffolke Mendlesam.Such as were persecuted & driuen out of the towne of Mendlesam, in the County of Suffolke.

MarginaliaGods people persecuted.
Symon Harlston  

and Katherine hys wife, with his
fiue children.
William Whityng   and Katherine his wife.
Thomas Dobson   and his wife.
Thomas Hubbard and his wife.
Iohn Doncon and his wife and his mayde.
William Doncon.
Thomas Wodward the elder.
One Konnoldes wife.
A poore wydowe.
One mother Semons mayde.  

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Besides those that were constrayned to do agaynst their conscience, by the helpe of the Parishe Priest, whose name was Syr Iohn Brodish.

MarginaliaThe faith and doctrine of these confessours.1. FIrst, they did hold and beleue the holy worde of God to be the sufficient doctrine vnto their saluation.

2. Secondly, they denyed the Popes vsurped authoritie, and did hold all that Church of Antichrist to bee CHRISTES aduersaries: & further, refused the abused Sacramētes, defied the Masse and all Popishe seruice and ceremonies, saying they robbed God of his honor, and CHRIST of his death and glory, and would not come at the Church, without it were to the defacing of that they did there.

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3. Thyrdly, they did hold, that the Ministers of the Church, by Gods word might lawfully marry.

4. Fourthly, they held the Queene to be as chief head: and wicked rulers to be a great plague sent of God for sinne. &c.

5. Fiftly, they denyed mans free will, and that the Popes Church did erre, and many other in that point with them, rebukyng their false confidence in workes, and their false trust in mans righteousnes. Also when any rebuked those persecuted for goyng so openly, and talking so freely, their answere was: they knowledged, cōfessed, & beleued, and therfore they must speake: and that their tribulation was Gods good will and prouiuidence, and that his iudgementes were right, to punish them, with other, for their sinnes: and that of very faithfulnes and mercy God had caused them to be troubled: So that one heare of their heades should not perish before the tyme: but all thinges should worke vnto the best, to them that loue God: and that CHRIST IESVS was their lyfe and onely righteousnes: and that onely by faith in him, and for his sake, all good thynges were freely geuen them: also forgiuenes of sinnes, and lyfe euerlastyng. MarginaliaWitnessed by the faithfull report of Suffolke men.

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Many of these persecuted, were of great substance, and had possessions of their owne.

Geue God the prayse.

¶ For so much  

we are now in the moneth of May, before we ouerpasse the same, and because the story is not long, & not vnworthy peraduenture of noting, it shall not greue the studious reader, a litle to geue the hearing thereof, wherby to learne to maruayle and muse at the great workes of the Lord. They that go downe (sayth the PsalmeMarginaliaPsal. 106.) into the sea, labouring vppon the water, haue seene the workes of the Lorde, and his mighty wonders vpon the deepe. Psal. 106. &c. The truth whereof may well appeare in this story followyng: which story as it is signified and written to me by relation of the party him selfe, which was doer thereof, called Thomas Morse, so I thought to purport the same as followeth.

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MarginaliaA story of Gregory Crow marueilously preserued vpon the sea, with his new Testament.VPon Thursday after Whitsonday, which was þ^e 26. day of May, in this present yere. 1556. (or els, as he rather thinketh, in the yeare next before, which was 1555.) a certain poore man, whose name was Gregory Crow, dwelling in Malden, went to the Sea, mynding

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