1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 2174 
CloseThis examination, first printed in the 1563 edition, was never changed in subsequent editions. It was printed considerably out of chronological order in the 1563 edition - inserted among the events of the summer of 1557, a sure sign that Foxe acquired this material while the 1563 edition was being printed.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaExamination of Iohn Iackson before D. Cooke.FIrst when I came before him, he rayled on me, and called me heretike. I aunswered and saide: I am no heretike.
Cooke. Yes, quod he. For master Read
CloseI.e., Thomas Read, the martyr. Remember that Read may not have actually called Jackson a heretic; he may, for example, have praised his zeal for the gospel, which, in this context, Cook would have interpreted as indicating that Jackson was a rank heretic.
Iack. I said, I knew him not.
Cooke. No, quod he? Yes, he examined thee at the kinges Bench.
Iack. I answered him, & said: he examined fiue other, but not me.
Cooke. Then aunswer me: What saiest thou to the blessed sacrament of the altar? Tell me.
Iack. I answered: it is a diffuse question to aske me at the first dash, you promising to deliuer me.
Cooke. What an heretike is this, quod he?
Iack. I said: It is easier to call a man heretike, then to proue him one.
Cooke. Then he said: What Church art thou of?
MarginaliaThe Church.Iack. What church, quod I? I am of the same Church that is builded on the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles, Iesus Christ beyng the head corner stone.
Cooke. Thou art an heretike, quod he.
Iack. Yea, quod I? how can that be, seing that I am of that Church? I am sure you wil not say that the Prophetes and Apostles were heretikes.
Cooke. No, quod he. But what sayest thou to þe blessed sacrament of the altar again? Tell me.
MarginaliaSacramēt of þe altar.Iack. I answered him and said: I finde it not written.
Cooke. No, quod he? Keper, away with him.
Iack. Yet I taried there longer, & dyd talke with him, & I said: Sir, I can be content to be tractable & obedient to the word of God.
Cooke. He answered, and said to me, that I knew not what the woorde of God mente, nor yet whether it were true or not.
Iack. I answered and said to him, yes that I doe.
Cooke. Wherby, quod he?
Iack. Hereby said I. Our sauiour Christ sayth: MarginaliaIohn. 5.search the scriptures, for in them you thinke to haue eternall life. For they be they that testifie of me, sayth Christ.
Cooke. This is a wise proofe, quod he.
Iack. Is it so, quod I? What saye you then to these wordes that the Prophet Dauid sayd? Whatsoeuer he be that feareth the Lorde, he will shew him the way that he hath chosen: his soule shall dwell at ease, and his sede shal posseße the land. The secretes of the Lord are among them that feare him, and he sheweth them his couenaunt &c.
[Back to Top]Cooke. Wel, quod he, you shal be rid shortly one way or other.
Iack. Then I sayd vnto him: My life lieth not in mās handes: therfore no man shall doe more vnto me then God will suffer him.
Cooke. No, quod he? thou art a stubborne and a noughtie fellow.
Iack. You can not iudge me, quod I, except you did see some euil by me.
MarginaliaAlthough they call you Papistes, yet they iudge you not to death.Cooke. No, quod he? Why maye not I iudge thee as well as thou and thy fellowes iudge vs, and call vs Papistes?
Iack. Why, quod I, that is no iudgement, but Christ sayth: If you refuse me, and receaue not my worde, you haue one that iudgeth you. The worde that I haue spoken vnto you now, shall iudge you in the last day.
Cooke. I pray thee tell me, who is head of the congregation?
MarginaliaHead of þe Church.Iack. I aunswered and sayde: Christ is the head.
Cook. But who is head in earth?
Iack. I sayd: Christ had members here in earth.
Cooke. Who are they, quod he?
Iack. They, quod I, that are ruled by the word of god.
Cooke. You are a good fellow, quod he.
Iack. I am that I am, quod I.
Cooke. Then he sayde to my keeper, haue him to prison agayne.
Iack. I am contented with that, quod I: and so we departed. I aunswered no further in this matter, because I thought he shoulde not haue my bloude in a corner. But I hope in the liuing God, that when the time shall come before the congregation, I shall shake their building on an other maner of fashion. MarginaliaThe building of þe Papistes be but daubed walles.For they builde but vppon sande, and theyr walles bee daubed with vntempered morter, and therfore they cannot stand long.
[Back to Top]Therfore good brothers and Sisters, be of good chere, for I trust in my God, I, and my other prison fellowes shall go ioyfully before you, praysing God most hartely, that we are coūted worthy to be witnesses of his truth. I pray you accept my simple aunswere at this time, committing you vnto God.
¶ Of this Iohn Iackeson, besides his foresayd aunsweres and examination before Doctour Cooke one of the Commissioners, no more as yet came vnto our handes.
CloseThis is flatly disingenuous. Foxe had a number of letters to Jackson which revealed that Jackson was opposed to predestination and held other opinions which Foxe regarded as heretical (see BL, Additional MS 19400, fos. 62r-63r and ECL MS 260, fos. 27r, 239r-v and 244r-245v.
Partly because of Foxe's reticence we do not know whether Jackson survived Mary's reign or not.
CloseThis material was only introduced in the 1570 edition and considerably out of chronological order, indicating that Foxe obtained these documents while the edition was being printed. Interestingly, Foxe never tried to integrate these materials with his earlier narrative of Newman's martyrdom until the 1583 edition and this attempt was bungled, creating a confusing repetition of documents.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaReferre thys to the pag. 1864.IOhn Newman first was apprehended in Kent, dwellyng in the town of Maydstone, & there was examined before. D. Thornton
CloseFoxe earlier claimed that Newman and John Denley was arrested in Essex when they were intercepted by Sir John Tyrell when the two were carrying a letter to the martyr John Simpson. If that account is correct, the question arises: when was Newman examined by Thornden whose jurisdiction was in Kent, not Essex? One possible explanation was that Newman had been arrested in Kent before his final arrest in Essex and had been released; possibly because he had recanted. If this is the case, Foxe may well not have wanted to mention this initial recantation.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe copie of Ioh. Newmās wordes in writing to D. Thornton.IT may please you to vnderstand, that for the space of all the time of kyng Edwards raigne, we were diligētly instructed with continuall Sermons made by such mē whose faith, wisedome, learning & vertuous liuing, was commended vnto all men, vnder the kynges hand and seale, and vnder the handes of the whole Coūsell. These men taught diligently a long time, persuading vs by the allegations of Gods word, that there was no transubstantiation, nor corporall presence in the Sacrament. Their doctrine was not beleued of vs sodenly, but by their cōtinuall preaching, & also by our continuall prayer vnto God that we might neuer be deceaued: but if it were true, that God would incline our hartes vnto it: and if it were not true, that we might neuer beleue it. We wayed that they laboured with Gods word, and we asked the aduise of our frendes: neither could we finde that they preached false doctrine. We considered also, as we did learne, that the kynges grace and his Counsell, and the most part of the whole Realme, beleued as they taught, because no man preached the contrary. Also we know that the preachers were cōmaunded by the kyng and lawess of the Realme, to preach vnto vs such doctrine, as was to the authoritie of Gods word, agreable and no other. And by their diligent settyng forth of it, by the kynges commaundement, and the whole consent of the whole Counsell, and by the authoritie of the Parlament, we embrased it, and receiued it, as a very infallible truth taught vnto vs, for the space of seuen yeares. Wherfore, vntill such tyme as our consciences are otherwise taught and instructed by Gods word, we cannot with sauegarde of our consciences, take it, as many suppose at this tyme. And we trust in God that þe Queenes mercyfull highnes, neither yet her most honorable Coūsell will in a matter of faith vse compulsion, nor violēce, because fayth is the gift of God, and commeth not of mā,
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