Marginalia1556. Iuly.Then sayd he: how can that bee false which is spokē in the Scripture? And I sayd, CHRIST said: I am the bread, and you say the bread is he. Therfore your doctrine is false, sayd I.
And he sayd: doest thou not beleue that the bread is he? And I sayd, no.
Bysh. I will bryng thee to it by the Scriptures.
Fort. Holde that fast my Lorde: for that is the best Agrument that you haue yet.
Bysh. Thou shalt be burned like an hereticke.
Fort. Who shall geue iudgement vpon me?
Bysh. I will iudge an hundred such as thou art, and neuer be shriuen vpon it.
Fort. Is there not a law for the spiritualtie as well as for the temporaltie? and Syr Clement Highā sayd: yes, what meanest thou by that?
Fort. When a mā is periured by the law, he is cast ouer the barre, and sitteth no more in iudgement. MarginaliaThe B. of Norwich charged with periury.And the Byshop is a periured mā, and ought to sit in iudgement of no man.
Bysh. How prouest thou that?
Fort. Because you tooke an oth by kyng Henryes dayes to resist the Pope. So both spiritual and temporall are periured, that here can be no true iudgement.
Bysh. Thinkest thou to escape iudgement by that? no, for my Chauncellour shall iudge thee. He tooke no oth, for hee was out then of the Realme.
M. Hygham. It is tyme to weede out such felowes as you be, in deede.
Bysh. Good felow, why beleuest not thou in the Sacrament of the aultar?
Fort. Because I find it not in Gods booke, nor yet in the Doctours. If it were there, I would beleue it with all my hart.
Bysh. How knowest thou it is not there?
Fort. Because it is contrary to the secōd commaundement: and seyng it is not written in Gods booke, why do you then robbe me of my life?
Then the Byshop hauyng no more to say, commaūded the Bailiffe to take him away.
And thus much touchyng the examinations of this man. MarginaliaThe death of Iohn Fortune.Now whether he dyed in fire, or otherwise preuēted with death, as I sayd before, I am vncerteine.
In the Registers of Norwich this I do find, that his sentence of condemnation was drawen and Registred,
The condemnation is among Foxe's papers: BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 164r-165r. Fortune's replies to his articles are also in Foxe's papers (BL, Harley 421, fos. 161r-162r) but, typically, Foxe preferred to use the martyr's account of his examinations rather than the official record.
Although Careless was one of the most important of the Marian martyrs, he died in prison without a trial, leaving Foxe only an account of his examinations and some of his many letters to memorialize him. The examination of Careless, in fact the entire account of Careless, was first printed in the 1563 edition. Nothing was added to it, but a considerable amount was deleted from this examination. The reason for this was that the deleted sections of the examination revealed far too much about the doctrinal squabbling among protestant prisoners, particularly over the issues of free will and the liturgy. The charge that there was no doctrinal unity among protestants was one that was frequently levied by catholic polemicists and was especially used by Foxe's great critic Nicholas Harpsfield in attacking the credibility of Foxe's 1563 edition (see Nicholas Harpsfield, Dialogi sex contra summi pontificatus, monasticae vitae, sanctorum sacrarum imaginum oppugnatores et pseudomartyres [Antwerp, 1566], pp. 802-17). Once this compromising material had been deleted, there were no further changes made to this account.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIuly. 1. The death of Iohn Careles prisoner in the Kinges Bench.ABout this time, the first day of Iuly, amongest diuers other prisoners which dyed the same yeare in þe Kings Bench, was also one Ioh. Careles of Couētrie, a Weauer. Who though he were by the secret iudgement of almighty God preuented by death, so that hee came not to the full Martyrdome of his body, yet is he no lesse worthy to be counted in honour and place of CHRISTES Martyrs, thē other that suffered most cruell tormētes, aswell for that he was for the same truthes sake a long tyme imprisoned, as also for his willyng mynd and zelous affectiō he had therunto, if þe Lord had so determined it, as wel may appeare by his examination had before Doct. Martin.
Note that abuse of Martin, 'a iolye stirer in these matters', was removed in the 1570 edition.
whole, but onely to excerpt so much, as perteinyng to the question of predestination, may bryng some fruite to the reader.
MarginaliaThe effect of Iohn Careles examination.FIrst, Doct. Martin calling Iohn Careles to hym in his chamber, demaunded what was his name. To whom when the other had aunswered, that his name was Iohn Careles, then began Doct. Martin to descant at his pleasure vppon that name, saying: that it would appeare by his conditions, by that tyme he had done with hym, that he would be a true careles man in deede. And so after other bytalke there spent about much nedeles matter, then he asked him where hee was borne.
At this point, the portion of the Careless examination reprinted in the 1570 edition, and all subsequent editions, begins.
Carel. Forsooth, sayd he, at Couentry.
Mart. At Couētrie? what so farre, mā? How camst thou hether? Who sent thee to the Kynges Bench to prison?
Carel. MarginaliaHow Ioh. Careles was brought to the Kinges Bench.I was brought thether by a writte, I trow, what he was I can not tell. I thinke M. Marshall can tell you.
Marshall. In good faith I can not tell what the matter is: but in deede my Lord chief Iustice sent him frō the barre.
Mart. Well Careles, I would wishe, thou shouldest play the wise mans part. Thou art a handsom man: And it is pitie but thou shouldest do well, and saue that which God hath bought.
Carel. I thanke your good mastershyp most hartely: And I put you out of doubt, that I am most sure and certaine of my saluation by IESVS CHRIST: so that my soule is safe already what soeuer paynes my body suffer here for a little time.
Mart. Yea mary, you say truth. For thou art so predestinate to life, that thou canst not perish, in what soeuer opinion thou doest dye.
Carel. MarginaliaIohn Carles examined vpon predestination.That God hath predestinate me to eternall life in IESVS CHRIST, I am most certaine, and euen so am I sure that his holy spirite (wherewith I am sealed) will so preserue me from all heresies and euill opinions, that I shall dye in none at all.
Mart. Go to, let me heare your fayth in predestination. For that shalbe written also.
Carel. Your mastershyp shall pardō me herein. For you sayd your selfe erewhile, that you had no Commission to examine my conscience. I will trouble my selfe with aunsweryng of no mo matters thē I nedes must, vntill I come before them that shall haue more authoritie farther to examine me.
Mart. MarginaliaD. Martyn declareth his Commission.I tell thee then I haue Commission: yea, and commaundement from the Counsell to examine thee for they deliuered me thy Articles.
Carel. Yea, I thinke in deede that your mastershyp is appointed to examine me of my Articles which you haue there in writyng, and I haue told you the truth. I do confesse them to be myne owne fact and deede: but you do now examine me of predestination, wherof my Articles speaketh nothyng at all.
Mart. I tell thee yet agayne, that I must also examine thee of such things as be in controuersie betwene thee and thy felowes in the Kynges Bench, whereof predestination is a part, as thy felow N. hath confessed and thy selfe doest not deny it.
Carel. I do not deny it. But he that first told you that matter, might haue found him selfe much better occupyed.
Mart. Why? what if he had not told me? thinkest thou I would not haue knowen it? yes, or els thou shouldest haue withstand my Commission. MarginaliaWhy Doct. Martyn would not examine him of the Sacrament.For I tell thee truth, I may now examine thee of the blessed Sacrament, or any other thyng that I list, but that I would shew thee fauour, and not bee to hasty with thee at the first.
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