Marginalia1556. Iune.litle before the Sunne going downe, by the Constables of the sayd towne, MarginaliaGeorge Reuet Thomas Mouse Syr Iohn Tyrrell, persecutors.George Reuet, and Thomas Mowse, at the commaundement of Sir Iohn Tirrel of Gipping hall in Suffolke knight, because he would not go to church and heare Masse, and receaue at Easter, except he might haue it after CHRISTES holye ordinance. When they came for hym, they tolde hym he must go with them vnto the Iustice. Vnto whom Adam Foster sayd: for CHRISTES cause, and to saue hys conscience he was well contented: and so they led hym to Sir Iohn Tyrrell, and he sent hym to Aye dungeon in Suffolke, from whence at length he was sent to Norwich, and there condemned by bishop Hopton.

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MarginaliaGods stroke vpō wilful persecutours.Now after this takyng, the sayd Tho. Mowse and George Reuet were stricken with a great feare and sicknes, whereby Mowse pined and consumed away euen vnto death, although he was a man of a yong and lustye age. But George Reuet, who was the sayd Mowses fellow, and a great reader of the scripture, or (as a man may terme it) a talkatiue Gospeller, would not be premonished by the workes of God, but set hys sonne to helpe the Priest say Masse, and to be Clarke of the same towne of Mendleshā for lukers sake: yet was there a fayre warnyng geuen him of God, although he had not the grace so to consider it: the which thing was this. MarginaliaA younge man parish Clarke against his conscience.A young man of the same Parish newly maryed, called Robert Edgore, beyng of a rype wytte & sound, was Clarke in the sayd Church before the sayd Reuet set his sonne in that rowme, and executed the office a litle, yea, alas to long, agaynst his owne conscience: wherby at length the Lord so tooke away his wits, that many yeares after, his poore and wofull wife, good woman, was compelled to keepe hym cheyned & bound continually, lest he should vnwares do him selfe or some other, some mischiefe, as many tymes (þ^e more pitie) he was ready enough to do.

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This (as I said) woulde not admonishe Reuet, but needes he must persist in his wicked purpose. Notwithstanding at the length, as many mē were offended wyth hym in the parishe, so honest women especially (being mightely grieued at his vngodly doinges) came to hym and sayd: neighbour Reuet, are ye not afrayd to let your sonne helpe the naughty priest to say masse, and to serue that abominable Idoll? and hee sayd no. Then sayd they, we feare not to go to church and heare Masse, seing you being a man, that so much professe Christianity, will let your sonne helpe the Priest say Masse &c. MarginaliaReuet prayed for a straunge token.At which wordes Reuet waxed angry, and in his rage immediatly made his prayer vnto God after this maner or w^t such like wordes, saying: O Lord, if it be not thy will that my sonne should so do, then I besech thee send some straunge token to let me vnderstād what thy good pleasure is therin &c. So, according to his petition, within short space after his neighbors Bull came into his pasture, and there he hauyng a very proper geldyng which was his felicitie aboue any thyng he had, the Bull runnyng vppon hym, did so wound and gore him, that immediatly therof his geldyng dyed, and he therby nothyng amended. MarginaliaReuet confessed the Lordes hand against him, and yet cōtinued in his sinne.For although he knew and confessed, that it was the Lordes hand vppon him, for the sufferance of his sonne in that wicked vocatiō: yet would he not take him from it, but permitted him still to vse and frequēt the same agaynst his owne conscience. MarginaliaReuet died of a straunge sicknes. MarginaliaThe Lordes hand vpon Reuet.At the last the Lord iustly sent vppon him a great swellyng in his legges, which did so greuously vexe and trouble him by reason it swelled vpward, that at length hauyng therby brought vppon him a very straunge sicknes, he died most miserably, in so impatient maner, that it terrified all good hartes to heare therof. The Lord graūt, for CHRISTES sake, that we may obserue his iudgemētes better, to his glory and our comfort, Amen. Ex testimonio quorundam Suffolcensium.  

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MarginaliaIune. 30. MarginaliaRobert Lawson, Martyr.RObert Lawson was a single man, of the age of xxx. yeares, and by vocation a linnen Weauer, who

was apprehended in the night by one MarginaliaRob. Keretch a persecuter.Robert Kereth, at the commaundement of Syr Iohn Tyrell of Gypping hall in Suffolke Knight, and so was immediatly caried to Aye Dungeon in Suffolke, where he remayned a certaine time, and after was led to Bery. The cause of his takyng was, for that hee would not go to Church to heare Masse, & receiue their Popish Idoll.

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MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Roger Bernard, Adam Foster, Robert Lawson, at Bury. An. 1556. Iune. 30.When these three foresayd Martyrs were caried to their deathes, videl. Roger Bernard, Adam Foster, & Robert Lawson at Bery, after they had made their prayer, beyng at the stake, & the tormentors attendyng the fire, they most triumphantly ended their lyues, in such happy & blessed condition, as did notably set forth their constancie, and ioyfull end, to the great prayse of God, and their cōmendation in him, and also to the encouragement of others in the same quarell to do the like. The Lord of strength fortifie vs to stand as his true souldiours in what standing soeuer he shall thinke it good to place vs, Amen.

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¶ In the examination of Roger Bernard, ye heard a litle before, how he was cōpared by the priestes there, to Iohn Fortune, and called his scholer. This Iohn Fortune, otherwise called Cutler, of Hintlesham in Suffolke, was by his occupatiō a Blackesmith, whom they had before them in examination a litle before the 20. day of Aprill. In spirite he was zelous and ardent, in the Scriptures ready, in CHRISTES cause stoute & valiant, in his aunsweres marueilous, & no lesse pacient in his wrongfull sufferyng, then cōstant in his doctrine. Whether he was burned, or dyed in prison, I cā not certeinely finde: but rather I suppose that he was burned.   Certeine it is, how soeuer he was made away he neuer yelded. What his aunsweres and examinations were before D. Parker & the Byshop, ye shall heare hym, although not with his owne mouth speakyng, yet with his owne hand you shall see written, what he dyd say, as foloweth.

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MarginaliaThe examination of Ioh. Fortune before Doct. Parker and M. Foster.FIrst Doct. Parker asked me how I beleued in the Catholicke fayth.

And I asked him which fayth he ment: whether the fayth that Steuen had, or the fayth of them that put Steuen to death.

D. Parker beyng moued, sayd: what a naughty fellow is this? you shall see anon he will deny the blessed Sacrament of the aultar.

M. Foster. Then sayd M. Foster: I know you well enough. You are a busie marchaunt. How sayest thou by the blessed Masse?

Fort. And I stode still and made no aunswere.

Fost. Then sayd M. Foster: why speakest thou not, and make the Gentleman an aunswere?

Fort. And I sayd: silence is a good aunswere to a foolish question.

Park. Then sayd the Doctour: MarginaliaThe Sacrament of the altar.I am sure he will deny the blessed Sacrament of the altar also.

Fort. And I sayd: I know none such, but onely þ^e Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord IESVS CHRIST.

Park. Then sayd he: you deny the order of the seuen Sacramentes. And why doest not thou beleue in the Sacrament of the aultar?

Fort. And I sayd: because it is not written in Gods booke.

Park. Then sayd he: you will not beleue vnwritten verities.

Fort. And I sayd: I will beleue that those vnwrittē verities that agree with þ^e writtē verities, be true: but those vnwritten verities that be of your own makyng, and inuented of your owne brayne, I do not beleue.

Fost. Well sayd M. Foster: MarginaliaM. Foster threatneth Iohn Fortune to be whipped.you shalbe whipped and burned for this geare, I trow.