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.
[Back to Top]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.
[Back to Top]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.
[Back to Top]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?
[Back to Top]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.
[Back to Top]Mart. By my trouth thou art a pleasaunt felow as euer I talked with of all the Protestantes, except it were Tomson.
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.
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.
[Back to Top]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.
[Back to Top]¶ 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