Thematic Divisions in Book 11
1. The Martyrdom of Rogers 2. The Martyrdom of Saunders 3. Saunders' Letters 4. Hooper's Martyrdom 5. Hooper's Letters 6. Rowland Taylor's Martyrdom 7. Becket's Image and other events 8. Miles Coverdale and the Denmark Letters 9. Bonner and Reconciliation 10. Judge Hales 11. The Martyrdom of Thomas Tomkins 12. The Martyrdom of William Hunter 13. The Martyrdom of Higbed and Causton 14. The Martyrdom of Pigot, Knight and Laurence 15. Robert Farrar's Martyrdom 16. The Martyrdom of Rawlins/Rowland White17. The Restoration of Abbey Lands and other events in Spring 155518. The Providential Death of the Parson of Arundel 19. The Martyrdom of John Awcocke 20. The Martyrdom of George Marsh 21. The Letters of George Marsh 22. The Martyrdom of William Flower 23. The Martyrdom of Cardmaker and Warne 24. Letters of Warne and Cardmaker 25. The Martyrdom of Ardley and Simpson 26. John Tooly 27. The Examination of Robert Bromley [nb This is part of the Tooly affair]28. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes 29. Letters of Haukes 30. The Martyrdom of Thomas Watts 31. Mary's False Pregnancy32. Censorship Proclamation 33. Our Lady' Psalter 34. Martyrdom of Osmund, Bamford, Osborne and Chamberlain35. The Martyrdom of John Bradford 36. Bradford's Letters 37. William Minge 38. James Trevisam 39. The Martyrdom of John Bland 40. The Martyrdom of Frankesh, Middleton and Sheterden 41. Sheterden's Letters 42. Examinations of Hall, Wade and Polley 43. Martyrdom of Christopher Wade 44. Martyrdom of Carver and Launder 45. Martyrdom of Thomas Iveson 46. John Aleworth 47. Martyrdom of James Abbes 48. Martyrdom of Denley, Newman and Pacingham 49. Richard Hooke 50. Martyrdom of William Coker, et al 51. Martyrdom of George Tankerfield, et al 52. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Smith 53. Martyrdom of Harwood and Fust 54. Martyrdom of William Haile 55. George King, Thomas Leyes and John Wade 56. William Andrew 57. Martyrdom of Robert Samuel 58. Samuel's Letters 59. William Allen 60. Martyrdom of Roger Coo 61. Martyrdom of Thomas Cobb 62. Martyrdom of Catmer, Streater, Burwood, Brodbridge, Tutty 63. Martyrdom of Hayward and Goreway 64. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Glover 65. Cornelius Bungey 66. John and William Glover 67. Martyrdom of Wolsey and Pigot 68. Life and Character of Nicholas Ridley 69. Ridley's Letters 70. Life of Hugh Latimer 71. Latimer's Letters 72. Ridley and Latimer Re-examined and Executed73. More Letters of Ridley 74. Life and Death of Stephen Gardiner 75. Martyrdom of Webb, Roper and Park 76. William Wiseman 77. James Gore 78. Examinations and Martyrdom of John Philpot 79. Philpot's Letters 80. Martyrdom of Thomas Whittle, Barlett Green, et al 81. Letters of Thomas Wittle 82. Life of Bartlett Green 83. Letters of Bartlett Green 84. Thomas Browne 85. John Tudson 86. John Went 87. Isobel Foster 88. Joan Lashford 89. Five Canterbury Martyrs 90. Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer 91. Letters of Cranmer 92. Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield 93. Persecution in Salisbury Maundrell, Coberly and Spicer 94. William Tyms, et al 95. Letters of Tyms 96. The Norfolk Supplication 97. Martyrdom of John Harpole and Joan Beach 98. John Hullier 99. Hullier's Letters 100. Christopher Lister and five other martyrs 101. Hugh Lauerocke and John Apprice 102. Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thacknell, et al 103. Thomas Drury and Thomas Croker 104. Thomas Spicer, John Deny and Edmund Poole 105. Persecution of Winson and Mendlesam 106. Gregory Crow 107. William Slech 108. Avington Read, et al 109. Wood and Miles 110. Adherall and Clement 111. A Merchant's Servant Executed at Leicester 112. Thirteen Burnt at Stratford-le-Bow113. Persecution in Lichfield 114. Hunt, Norrice, Parret 115. Martyrdom of Bernard, Lawson and Foster 116. Examinations of John Fortune117. John Careless 118. Letters of John Careless 119. Martyrdom of Julius Palmer 120. Agnes Wardall 121. Peter Moone and his wife 122. Guernsey Martyrdoms 123. Dungate, Foreman and Tree 124. Martyrdom of Thomas More125. Examination of John Jackson126. Examination of John Newman 127. Martyrdom of Joan Waste 128. Martyrdom of Edward Sharpe 129. Four Burnt at Mayfield at Sussex 130. John Horne and a woman 131. William Dangerfield 132. Northampton Shoemaker 133. Prisoners Starved at Canterbury 134. More Persecution at Lichfield
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2141 [2102]

Quene Mary. The Examination and death of Iohn Careles.

MarginaliaAn. 1556. July.Marshal. Yea in deede Careles, Master Doctour hath Commission to examine you or any other of your felowes.

Mart. Yea mary haue I, I tell the truth of it.

Carel. Then let your Scribe set his pen to þe paper, and you shall haue it roundly euen as the truth is. I beleue that almighty God our most deare louyng father of his great mercy and infinite goodnes, did electe in CHRIST.

Mart. Tush, what neede all that long circumstance? write, I beleue that God elected, & make no more ado.

Carel. No, not so M. Doctour. It is an high mistery, & ought reuerently to be spoken of. And if my wordes may not be written as I do vtter thē, I will not speake at all.

Mart. Go to, go to, write what he will. Here is more busines then needeth.

Carel. MarginaliaCareles opinion of Gods election.I beleue that almighty God our most deare louyng father, of his great mercy and infinite goodnes (though IESVS CHRIST) did elect and appoint in him before the foundation of the earth was layd, a Church or congregation, which hee doth continually guide and gouerne by his grace and holy spirite, so that not one of them shall euer finally perishe. When this was written, Master Doctour tooke it in his hand and read it, saying.

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Mart. MarginaliaD. Martyn alloweth Careles iudgement of Gods election.Why? who will deny this?

Carel. If your Mastershyp do allow it, and other learned men when they shall see it, I haue my hartes desire.

Mar. And do you hold none otherwise, then is there written?

Carel. No verely, nor neuer did.

Mart. Write that he sayth, otherwise he holdeth not. So that was written. It was told me also that thou doest affirme, that CHRIST did not dye effectually for all men.

Carel. What soeuer hath bene told you it is not much materiall vnto me. Let the tellers of such tales come before my face, and I trust to make them aunswere. For in deede I do beleue that CHRIST did effectually dye for all those that do effectually repent and beleue, and for none other: so that was written also.

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Mart. Now Syr, what is Trewes  

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John Trew was the leader of the freewillers in the King's Bench and Careless's determined opponent over the issue of predestination; see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Dissenters from a Dissenting Church: The Challenge of the Freewillers, 1550-1558' in The Beginnings of English Protestantism, eds. Peter Marshall and Alec Ryrie [Cambridge: 2002], pp. 137-39.

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fayth of predestination? he beleueth that all men be predestinate, and that none shalbe damned. Doth he not?

Carel. No forsooth, that he doth not.

Mart. How then?

Carel. Truly I thinke he doth beleue as your Mastershyp and the rest of the Clergy do beleue of predestination, MarginaliaA wrong fayth of predestination, beleuing to be elected in respect of good workes.that we be elected in respect of our good workes, and so lōg elected, as we do them, & no longer.

Mart. Write that he sayth, his fellow Trew beleueth of predestination as the Papistes do beleue.

Carel. Ah Master Doctour, did I so terme you? Seyng that this my confession shall come before the Coūsaile, I pray you place my termes as reuerently as I spake them.

Mart. Well, well. Write that Trew is of the same fayth as the Catholickes be.

Carel. I did not so call you neither. I wonder what you meane.

Marshal. You said the Clergy, did you not Careles?

Carel. Yes forsoth did I. So then it was written, of the Clergy.

Mart. Now Syr, what say you more?

Ca. Forsoth I haue no farther to say in this matter.

Mart. Well, Careles I pray thee proue thy selfe a wise man, and do not cast away thy life wilfully.

Carel. Now the Lord he knoweth, good Master Doctour, I would full gladly lyue, so that I might do the same with a safe conscience. And your Mastershyp shall right well perceiue that I will be no wilfull man, but in all thynges that I stand vppon, I will haue a sure grounde.

Mart. MarginaliaDoctour Martyn pretendeth fauour to Careles.Nowe the Lorde knoweth, good Careles, that I would gladly make some meanes to preserue thy lyfe: but thou speakest so much of the Lord, the Lord. Wilt thou be content to go with my Lord Fitzwater into Ireland? me thinkes thou art a goodly tal felow to do the Queene seruice there. How sayest thou?

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Carel. Verely Master Doctor, whether I be in Ireland, Fraunce, or Spayne, or any place els, I am ready to do her grace the best seruice that I can, with body, goodes, and lyfe, so long as it doth last.

Mart. That is honestly sayd. I promise thee euery mā will not say so. How say you M. Marshall, this man is meete for all maner of serurice. In deede thou art worthy Careles, to haue the more fauour.

Careles. In deede Syr, I hope to be meete and ready vnto all thinges that pertaineth vnto a true Christian subiect to do. And if her grace or her officers vnder her do require me to anythyng contrary vnto CHRISTES Religion, I am ready also to do my seruice in Smithfield for not obseruyng it, as my bedfelow and other brethren haue done, praysed be God for them.

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Mart. By my trouth thou art a pleasaunt felow as euer I talked with of all the Protestantes, except it were Tomson.  

Commentary   *   Close

This may be a reference to Harold Thomson, a priest who was arrested along with Edward Crome, John Hooper and John Rogers on 22 January 1555 (The Diary of Henry Machyn 1550-1563, ed. J. G. Nichols, Camden Society, 42 [1848], p. 80). More likely the martyr Thomas Tomkins is meant.

I am sory that I must depart with thee so soone: but I haue such busines now, that I can tary with thee no longer. Well, yet thou canst not deny, but you are at iarre amongest your selues in þe Kynges Bench, and it is so thorow out all your congregation: for you will not be a Church.

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Carel. No Master Doctour, that is not so. MarginaliaMore varietie in the Popes Church, then is amongest the Protestantes.There is a thousand tymes more varietie in opinions among your Doctours, which you call of the Catholicke Church, yea and that in the Sacrament, for the which there is so much bloudshed now a dayes. I meane of your latter Doctours and new writers: as for the old they agree wholy with vs.

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Mart. No Careles, that is not so: there thou art deceiued.

Carel. Verely it is so, Master Doctour. I am not deceiued therein any thyng at all, as it hath bene, and is euidently proued by such as God hath endued with great learnyng. Then he turned to the Marshall, and whispered with him a while.

Mart. Turnyng vnto me agayne, sayd: MarginaliaDoctour Martyn taketh his leaue gently of Careles.Farewell Careles, for I can tary no longer with thee now, my busines is such.

Carel. God be with you, good Master Doctour. The Lord geue your Mastershyp health of body and soule.

Mart. God haue mercy good Careles: and God keepe thee from all errours, and geue thee grace to do as well as I would wishe my selfe.

Carel. I thanke your good Mastershyp. I pray God I may do alwaies that is acceptable in his sight. Wherunto they all sayd, Amen. And so I departed with a glad hart: God onely haue the whole prayse, Amen.

It appeareth by examination of the foresayd Iohn Careles, that he endured prisoner the space of ij. whole yeares, hauyng wife and children. In the which his captiuitie, first beyng in Couentry Iayle, he was there in such credite with his keeper, that vpon his word hee was let out to play in the pageant about the Citie with other his companions. And that done, kepyng touch wt his keeper, he returned again into prison at his houre appointed. And after that beyng brought vp to Londō, he was indued with such pacience and constant fortitude, that he longed for nothyng more earnestly, then to come to that promotion to dye in the fire for the professiō of his fayth: and yet it so pleased the Lord to preuent him with death, that he came not to it, MarginaliaIohn Careles died in prison, and was buried in the fieldes.but dyed in the prison, and after was buryed in the fieldes in a dounghill.

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¶ In the meane tyme while he was in prison in the Kynges Bench, it chaunced he was in great heauines and perturbation of mynde and conscience, wherupon

he