Marginalia1557. Iune.sters wil and do it not, shalbe beaten with many stripes. Oh, do not we perceiue that now is the acceptable tyme that Christ speaketh of? yea euen now is the axe put to the rootes of the trees, MarginaliaMath. iij.so that euery tree that bryngeth not forth good fruites now, must be hewed downe and cast into the fire.

Now is the Lord come with his fanne in his hand, to trie the wheate from the chaffe. The wheat he will gather into his barne, and the chaffe he will burne as is aforesayd. Now is the tyme come, MarginaliaMat. xxv.that we must go meete the bridgrome with oile in our lampes. We are also bidden to the feast: let vs make no excuses. Yea, our maister hath deliuered his talentes vnto vs: God geue vs grace to occupy them well, that at his comming he may receiue his owne with vauntage. Yea now is the Lord come to see if there be any fruite vpō his trees,MarginaliaLuk. xiij. so that if the Lord come and find none, he will serue vs as he did the wild figge tree, that is, neuer fruite shall grow on him more. Also, if we go to mete the bridgrome without oyle in our lampes, and should go to bye: the doubt is, we should be serued as was the foolish virgines: that was, God sayd to them: MarginaliaLuk. xiiij.depart, I know you not. Or if we shoulde make excuses to come to the feast, other shall be bidden in our rowmes. If we occupy not our talentes well, MarginaliaMat. xxv.they shalbe taken away from vs and geuen to other, and all such vnprofitable seruauntes shalbe cast into prison in hell, where shalbe weepyng and gnashing of teeth.

Oh good God, what a sort of fearefull sayinges are here contained? what Christian hart will not harken diligently hereto? Oh, may not all people well perceaue now that this is the tyme that our maister Christ speaketh of, MarginaliaMat. x.that the father should be agaynst the sonne, and the sonne agaynst the father, and one brother agaynt an other: that the brother shall deliuer the brother to death: MarginaliaMat. v.yea & that the wicked shall say all maner of euill sauings agaynst vs for his names sake? the which I haue well found be experience, I prayse God therefore, that hath geuen me strength to beare it. For I thinke there can no euill be deuised but it hath bene imagined agaynst me,MarginaliaRichard Woodmā vexed of hys owne frendes. and that of my familiar frendes, as Dauid sayd: but I prayse my Lord God, they are not able to proue any of their sayinges true, but that they go about to fiude fault in them that God hath chosen, because they themselues list not to take vp their crosse and follow Christ, and therefore they speake euill of the thing that they know not: the which shall geue account for it before hym that is ready to iudge both the quicke and the dead.

But my trust is, that all the people of God wil be ruled by the counsell of S. Iohn saying: MarginaliaIohn. x.My sheepe will heare my voyce, straungers they will not heare: meaning thereby that ye should not beleue straūgers, counting thē straungers that goe about to subuert the Gospell. Wherefore marke well what they be, and try them well or euer you geue credite to them, according to S. Iohns counsell in his epistle, saying: Marginaliaj. Ioh. iiij.Beleue not euery spirite, but try the spirites whether they bee of God or not: meaning thereby that they that be not of God, will speake good of none but of them that be as they be. Wherefore (deare sister) be of good cheere, & geue no credite to such people, what so euer ye heare them say. For I haue no mistrust, by Gods helpe, but that all the worlde shall see and know that my bloud shall not be deare in myne owne sight, when so euer it shall please God to geue my aduersaries leaue to sheede it. I do earnestly beleue, that God which hath begon thys good worke in me, will performe it to the ende, as he hath geuen me grace, and will alway, to beare this easy yoke and light burden: the which I haue alwayes fouud, I prayse my Lord God.

MarginaliaThe manifolde troubles which Woodmā hath passed through.For whē I haue bene in prison, wearing other while boltes, other while shakels, other while lying on the bare ground, sometyme sitting in the stockes, sometyme bound with cordes, that all my body hath bene swollen, much like to be ouercome for the payne that hath bene in my flesh, sometyme fayne to lie without in the woods & fieldes, wandring to & fro, few I say, that durst to keepe my company for feare of the rulers, sometyme brought before the Iustices, Sheriffes, Lordes, Doctours, and Bishops, sometime called dogge, sometime deuill, hereticke, whoremonger, traytour, thefe, deceauer, with diuers other such like: MarginaliaPsal.yea & euen they that dyd eate of my bread, that should haue bene most my frends by nature, haue betrayed me. MarginaliaWoodmā comforted in his troubles.Yet for all this I prayse my Lorde God that hath separated me from my mothers wombe, all this that hath happened to me hath bene easy, light, and most delectable and ioyfull of any treaure that euer I possessed: for I prayse God they are not able to proue

one iote or title of their sayings true. But that way that they call heresy, I serue my Lord God, & at all tymes before whō so euer I haue ben brought, God hath geuē me mouth and wisdome, whereagaynst all my aduersaries haue not bene able to resist, I prayse Gode therefore.

Wherefore deare sister, be of good comfort, with all your brethren and sisters, MarginaliaLuke. xxj. Mat. x.and take no thought what you shall say, for it shall be geuen you the same hower, according to the promises, MarginaliaExperience of the Lord to keepe promise with hys people.as I haue alwayes found, and as you and all other of Gods elect shall well find when the time is full come. And where as I and many other haue hoped, that this persecution would haue bene at an ende ere this tyme: now I perceaue, God wyll haue a further tryal to roote out all dissemblers, that no mā should reioyce in hymselfe: but he that reioyceth, shall reioyce in God. Marginaliaj. Cor. xiij.Wherefore if prophecy should fayle, and tounges should cease, yet loue must endure. For feare hath painefulnes, but a perfect loue casteth out all feare: which loue I haue no mistrust but God hath poured it vpon you so aboundantly, that nothing in the world shalbe able to separate you from God. MarginaliaRom. viij.Neither high nor low, rich nor poore, life nor death, shal be able to put you from Christ: but by him I trust you shall enter into new Ierusalem, there to liue for euer, beholding the glory of God with the same eyes that you now haue, and other all other faythful people that continue to the ende. Geue all honour and glory to God the father, God the sonne, and God the holy ghost, three persons and one God, to be honoured now and euer, Amen.

After these examinations thus had and commensed betwene Richard Woodman and the Bishops, he was (as is afore tolde) iudged by sentence of condemnation, and so depriued of his life: with whom also was burned 9. other, to wit, fiue men and foure women, which were taken not past two or three dayes before their iudgement. The names of all which beyng also before expressed, here agayne follow in this order. Richard Woodman, George Steuens, W. Maynard,  

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Quite possibly this is the William Maynard whose arrest for unlicensed preaching had been ordered by the privy council in April 1555 (APC V, p. 110).

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Margery Morris and James Morris and John Ashdon are all mentioned in a later list of those persecuted in the diocese of Chichester: see 1563, pp. 1633-34; 1570, p. 2220, 1576, p. 1917 and 1583, p. 2024.

These persones here aboue named, and blessed Martyrs, were put to death at Lewes, the xxij. of Iune.

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This was the largest number of martyrs attempted in a small cut (this of Type 1) and the designer has not tried to convey so many individuals in the crowded space, though there is a suggestion of perhaps more than three stakes.

Of the which number the viij. last were apprehended (as is sayd) eyther the same day, or the second or third day before, and so with the sayd VVodman & Steuens were together committed to the fire: in which space no writte could come downe from London to the Iustices, for theyr burning.  

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It was illegal to execute a person for heresy without a writ from the lord chancellor authorizing the execution.