Marginalia1556. Iune.and then resident at his takyng, in the Citie of London, and of the age of xxviij. yeares or thereaboutes.

MarginaliaHenry Adlingtō.Henry Adlington was a Sawyer, and of Greenested in the Countie of Sussex, and of the age of. xxx. yeares.

MarginaliaIohn Routh.Iohn Routh was a Labourer, and of the Parish of Wyekes in Essex, and of the age of xxvj. yeares.

MarginaliaElizabeth Peper.Elizabeth Peper was the wife of Thomas Peper Weauer, of the Parish of S. Iames in the Towne of Colchester, & of the age of xxx. yeares or thereaboutes.

MarginaliaAgnes George. MarginaliaEx Regist.Agnes George was the wife of Richard George husbandman of West Barefold in the Countie of Essex, and of the age of xxvj. yeares. This Richard George had an other wife burned beside her  

Commentary     Close

This was Christian George who was burnt at Colchester on 28 May 1558.

When these xiij. were condemned, and the day appointed they should suffer, which was the xxvij. day of Iune. an. 1556. they were caried from Newgate in London the sayd day, to Stratford the Bowe (which was the place appointed for their Martyrdome) and there diuided into two partes, in two seuerall chābers. MarginaliaA practise of policie in the Shiriffe of London.Afterward the Sheriffe who there attended vpō them, came to the one part, and told them that the other had recanted, and their lyues therfore should be saued, willyng and exhortyng them to do the like, and not to cast away them selues.

Vnto whom they aunswered, that their faith was not builded on man, but on CHRIST crucified. Then the Sheriffe perceauing no good to be done with them, went to the other part, and sayd (like a lyar) the like to them, that they whom he had bene with before, had recāted, & should therfore not suffer death, coūsellyng thē to do the like, and not wilfully to kill them selues, but to play the wise men &c. Vnto whom they aunswered as their brethren had done before, that their fayth was not builded on man, but on CHRIST and his sure word &c. Now when he saw it booted not to persuade (for they were, God be praysed, surely grounded on the rocke IESVS CHRIST) he then led them to the place where they should suffer, and beyng all there together, most earnestly they prayed vnto God, and ioyfully went to the stake and kyssed it and embraced it very hartely. MarginaliaTwo women standing at the stake vnbound.The eleuen men were tyed to iij. stakes, and the two women lose in the middest without any stake, and so were they all burnt in one fire, with such loue to ech others, and constancie in our Sauiour CHRIST, that it made all the lookers on to maruell. The Lord graunt vs þ^e like grace, in the like neede, accordyng to the good pleasure of his will, Amen.

MarginaliaThese iii. were dispensed withall by the Cardinall.In the company of these foresayd xiij. were three more condemned to dye,  

Commentary     Close

The writs authorizing the executions of Freeman, Stannard and Adams, dated 13 June 1556, survive (pro c/85/127/21).

Thomas Freman.
William Stannard, and
William Adams.

Which three aunswered to those Articles that were propounded vnto the sayd xiij. in effect as they did. And beyng thus in the handes of the secular power, Cardinall Poole sent his dispensation for their lyues, by what occasion I cā not safely say, but by meanes therof they then escaped. The copy of which dispensatiō because it is exemplified in our former impression,  

Commentary     Close

This dispensation was printed in the 1563 edition and then deleted, almost certainly to save paper. Foxe copied the dispensation from the copy in Bishop Bonner's register (Guildhall Libray, MS 9531/12, fo. 430r-v).

The Sonday after these foresayd xvj. were condēned, Fecknam Deane of Paules preached at Paules Crosse, where he declared, that they had as many sondry opiniōs, as there were sondry persons. MarginaliaThe sclaūders of Fecknam reproued.At the hearing wherof, they drue out their fayth, and set to their hands as hereafter foloweth, and directed the same to their frendes, and the faithfull congregation, as followeth.  

Commentary     Close

John Strype printed a copy of this apology in his Ecclesiastical Memorials (III, 2, pp. 469-71). He states that it came from Foxe's manuscripts; however, it no longer survives.

MarginaliaA Letter or Apologie of the Martyrs, purging them selues of the false sclaunder of M. Fecknam.BE it manifest to all, vnto whom thys our certificate shall be sene, that where vpon Saterday, beyng the xiij. day of Iune, at Fulham before the bishop of Londō, xvj. of vs (whose names here vnder are subscribed) were condemned to dye for the most pure and sincere truth of CHRISTES veritie: which most godly truth hath bene frō the beginning, with the wicked aduersaries thereof continually defaced, and is by the deuill and his impes euen at this present likewyse dayly sclaundered. Vpon which occasion, dearely beloued brethren, wee are moued, yea constrained, in the eares of all men to manifest our beliefe, and also briefly the articles wherefore we are condemned, for the auoyding of false reportes and sclaunderous tounges, which might happen by the most vngodly and vncharitable sermon, late preached at Paules crosse the. xiiij. day of the said moneth, being Sonday, by M. Fecknā, now Deane of the same church: where hee in that most worthy audience defamed vs to bee in. xvj. sundry opinions, which were a thing preiudiciall to al Christian verity: and for a true testimoniall thereof, this here vnder written shall aunswer our cause, and therefore wee pray you that are of God to iudge.

MarginaliaVniforme agreement in their fayth.The fyrst, we beleue we were baptised in the fayth of CHRISTES church, and incorporate vnto hym, and made members of hys church, in the which faith we continue. And although we haue erred for a certayne tyme, yet the roote of faith was preserued in vs by þ^e holy ghost, which hath reduced vs into a full certaintie of þ^e same, & we do persist, & will by Gods assistance to þ^e end. Now marke, that although the Minister were of the church malignant, yet his wickednes did not hurt vs, for that he baptised vs in the name of the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost.

MarginaliaThe profession of their Baptisme.There was both the word and the element, and our Godfathers and Godmothers renouncing for vs the deuyll and all his workes, and confessing the articles of the Christian faith for vs, & also witnesses that we were baptised, not in the faith of the church of Rome, but in the fayth of CHRISTES church.

MarginaliaSacramentes of the Church.1 Item, there are but two Sacramentes in CHRISTES church, that is, the sacrament of baptisme, and the Lords supper. For in these are contayned the fayth of CHRIST hys church: that is, the two Testamentes, the law and the Gospell. The effect of the law is repentance, and the effect of the Gospell remission of synnes.

MarginaliaThe visible Church.2 Item, we beleue that there is a visible church, wherin the word of God is preached, and the holy Sacraments truly ministred: visible to the wicked world, although it be not credited, and by the death of Saintes confirmed, as it was in the time of Helias þ^e Prophet, aswel as now.

MarginaliaThe Sea of Rome.3 Item the sea of Rome is the sea of Antichrist, the congregation of the wicked. &c. whereof the Pope is heade vnder the Deuill.

MarginaliaThe Masse.4 Item, the Masse is not onely a prophanation of the Lordes supper, but also a most blasphemous Idoll.

MarginaliaTransubstantiation denyed.5 Item, God is neither spiritually nor corporally in the sacramēt of the aultar, and there remaineth no substance in the same, but onely the substance of bread and wyne.

For these the articles of our beliefe, we being cōdemned to dye, do willingly offer our corruptible bodies to be dissolued in the fire, all with one voyce assenting and consenting thereunto, and in no one poynt dissenting or disagreing from any of our former articles.

Apparant also let it be and knowen, that being of the former articles before the bloudy bishop examined, the sayd day & tyme, we affirmed to beleue all that he or they would approue by the scriptures. But hee sayd that hee woulde not stand to proue it with heretickes, but sayd, they thē selues were the holy church, and that we ought to beleue thē, or els to be cut of like withered branches.