Marginalia1557. Septemb.For the better vnderstanding of this article, I haue also here inserted the copy of the letter mencioned in the same: which letter he wrote (by his owne confession) vnto Richard Roth, then in daunger of the subtill snares of that bloudy Wolfe Boner.

MarginaliaA letter of Rafe Allerton.THe angell of God pitch his tent about vs, and defend vs in all our wayes. Amen, Amen.

O deare brother, I pray for you, for I heare say that you haue bene diuers times before my Lord in examination. Wherefore take hede for Gods sake what the wise man teacheth you, and shrinke not away when you are entised to cōfesse an vntruth, for hope of life, but be ready alwayes to geue an answere of þ^e hope that is in you. For whosoeuer confesseth Christ before men, hym will Christ also confesse before hys father. But he that is ashamed to confesse hym before men, shall haue his reward with them that do deny him. And therefore deare brother go forward: ye haue a redy way, so fayre as euer had any of the Prophetes or Apostles, or the rest of our brethren, the holy Martyrs of God. Therefore couet to go hence with the multitude, while the way is full. Also deare brother vnderstand that I haue seene your letter, and although I cannot read it perfectly, yet I partly perceiue your meaning therin, and very gladly I would copy it out, wyth certayne comfortable aditions thereunto annexed. The which as yet will not be brought to passe for lacke of paper, vntyll my Lorde be gone from hence, and then your request shalbe accomplished, God willing, without delay. Thus fareye well in God. Our deare brother and fellow in tribulation Robert Allen saluteth you, and the fellowship of the holy ghost be with you, Amen.

Rafe Allerton.

MarginaliaPost scriptum.Do ye suppose that our brethren and sistern are not yet dispatched out of thys world? I thinke that eyther they are dead, or shalbe within these two dayes.

And for the other obiection yet remayning, and not specified, if it were not more somewhat to shew the folly of those bloudy tyrantes (which of so small trifles take occasion to quarrell wyth the Sainctes of God) then for any weighty thing therein contayned: I would neyther trouble you wyth the reading thereof, nor yet my selfe wyth writing. But that ye may iudge of them as their doinges do geue occasion, I will now proceede in the matter.

Marginalia10.Item thou Rafe Allerton canst not deny, but confessest, that the writing of letters in a little peece of paper on both sides of it, with this sentence on the one side following (looke at the foote of the stockes for a knife) and with this sentēce following vpon the other side (looke betwene the post and the wall for two bokes and two epistles leaue them here whē ye go) remayning now in the Registry and actes of this court, is voluntarily written by thee Rafe Allerton with thyne owne hand.

Marginalia11.Item, thou Rafe Allerton canst not deny, but that thou art priuy to a certayne writing, remayning now in the Registry and actes of this court, the beginning whereof is with these wordes (I would haue men wise,. &c.) and ending thus (from house to house.)

Marginalia12.Item, thou Rafe Allerton, canst not deny, but that thou art priuy and of consent and maintenaunce of a certaine great woodknife, a long cord, a hoke, a stone, and of a trencher written vpon with chalke, hauing this sentence (All is gonne and lost, because of your folly:) of two bordes written vpon with chalke, the one hauing this sentence (vnder the stone loke) and the other hauing this sentence, (whereas you byd me take hede, I thanke you, I trust in God that I shalbe at peace with him shortly) remayning now registred in the actes of this court.

MarginaliaAnsweres to the articles.For answere vnto all these articles, he graunted that the first nine were true: as the Register recordeth. MarginaliaEx Regist.Howbeit, I finde noted in the backeside of the information, specified in the second article (although crossed out agayne) that he denyed such thinges as were there in the same, informed against hym. Wherefore it is not likely that he did simply graunt vnto the contentes of the second article, but rather that he onely affirmed that such an information was geuen agaynst hym, and not that the same was true.

Thus much I thought to warne the Reader of, lest that in mistaking his aunswers, it might seme that he

graunted him selfe to be a sedicious and a rebellious person: of which facte he was most cleare and innocēt. And being farther demaunded, vpon the contentes of the eight article, where he had the bloud he wrote that letter withall: he sayd that Richard Roth, sometime his prison fellow did make his nose bleede, and thereby he got the bloud wherwith he did then write. The bishop agayne asked him to whom he would haue sent the same. He aunswered,vnto one Agnes Smith, aliâs Siluerside of Colchester. Why (quoth the bishop) Agnes Smith was an hereticke, and is burned for heresie. Nay, sayd Allerton, she is in better case, then either I my selfe, or any of vs all. Then being agayne demaunded (vpon the ninth obiection) to whom he would haue sent the letter mencioned in the same: he answered, that he ment to haue sent it vnto Richard Roth, at that present separated from him. Wherupon the bishop farther enquired, what he ment by these words (brethren, and sisterne) specified in the sayd letter? He answered that he ment thereby, such as were lately condempned at Colchester, and were like (at the writing thereof) shortly to be burned. Now, as for the contentes of the x. and xj. articles he vtterly denied them. But to the xij. he confessed, that he did write vpon the sayd trencher and other boardes, the wordes mencioned in the sayd article, and that he did leaue the same in the prison house, to thintent that Richarh Roth should read thē. Boner also bringing out the wooden sword, mencioned in the sayd article, asked him who made it, and for what purpose. Wherunto he answered, that he was the maker therof, howbeit for no euill purpose. But being idell in the prison, & finding there an olde board, he thought the time bettr spent in making thereof, then to sit still and do nothing at all.

The forenoone being now spent, the rest of this tragedy was differed vntill the afternoone. Wherin was ministred vnto him yet certayne other obiections, the tenour wherof was.

MarginaliaOther obiections ministred to Rafe Allerton.Marginalia1.FIrst, that he had misliked the masse, calling vppon Saintes and carying the Crosse in procession, with other their ceremonies, callyng them Idolatry, and also had dissuaded them therefrom.

Marginalia2.Item, that he was much desirous to haue the people beleue as he did, and therfore beyng in prison with hys fellowes did sing Psalmes and other songes against the Sacrament of the altare and other ordinaunces of the Church, so loud, that the people abroad might here them and delight in them.

Marginalia3.Item, that he had diuers tymes conspired against his keeper, and prouided thinges to kill him, and so to breake the prison and escape away.

Marginalia4.Item, that he had railed agaynst the Byshop beyng his Ordinary, callyng him a bloudy butcher, tyrant, and rouening woulfe, and also agaynst his officers, especially Cluny his Sumner, callyng him butchers Cur, with other such names.

Marginalia5.Item, that he had murmured, grudged, disdained, and misliked that the Byshop had proceded agaynst certeine of his Dioces, and had condemned them as heretickes: or that he should procede now agaynst hym and others yet remainyng in errours, notwithstandyng that he and his Chapleyns had charitably admonished and exhorted them from the same.

Marginalia6.Item, that he ought faythfully to beleue, that there is one Catholicke Church, without the which there is no saluation: of the which Church Iesus Christ is the very Priest and sacrifice, whose body and bloud is really and truly conteined in the Sacrament of the altar vnder the formes of bread and wyne: the bread and wyne being by the diuine power transubstanciated into hys body and bloud.

Marginalia7.Item, that he had kept him selfe, and also distributed to others certeine heretical and corrupt bookes, condemned and reproued by the lawes of this Realme.

Marginalia8.Item, that he had, contrary to the orders and statutes of this Realme, kept company with that sedicious hereticke and traitour, George Eagles, commonly called Trudgeouer, and had heard him read in woods and other places, yet not accusing, but allowyng and praysing hym.