MarginaliaOctob. 27.AFter þ^e death & Martyrdome of Mistres Ioyce Lewes, a litle aboue specified pag. 2207. diuers good men and wemen in the same towne of Lichfield were vexed and in trouble before the bishop and his Chauncellor, for kissing the sayd Ioyce Lewes, and drinking with her about the time of her death, the names of which persons were these: MarginaliaGood men and womē troubled in Lichfield, for kissing mistres Ioyce Lewes before her death.Ioane Loue, Elizabeth Smith, Margaret Byddell, Helene Bowring, Margaret Cootesfote, Nicholas Byrde, Iohn Hurleston and his wife, Agnes Glyn, Agnes Glouer,  

Agnes Penyfather. &c. These with other were produced to theyr examination before the bishop and his Chauncellour for the cause aboue named, and therfore adiudged for heretickes, for that they did pray and drinke with þ^e sayd Mistres Lewes, but especially Agnes Penyfather susteined the most trouble, for þ^t she accompanied the said Ioyce Lewes going to her death. Which Agnes being examined farther of the sayd bishop, what wordes she had spoken to two priestes of the church of Lichfield, called Iohn Adye and Iames Foxe, concerning the sayd Ioyce Lewes after her burning, MarginaliaAgnes Penifather accused of two Priestes for wordes.sayd as followeth: that she being asked by the said two priestes being at her fathers house in the citie of Lichfield, at such time as she came frō the burning of the sayd Ioyce Lewes, wherfore she the sayd Agnes did weepe for such an hereticke, meaning Ioyce Lewes, whose soule, said they, was in hell: the sayd Agnes Penyfather to the demaund made this aunswere, that she thought the sayd blessed Martyr to be in better case then the sayd two priestes were. With the which wordes she being charged, and willed to submitte her self as the other had done aboue rehearsed, to such penaunce as they should inioyne vnto her, refused so to doo, and therfore was commaunded to close prison, the Shrieffes being charged with her vnder payne of one hundred poundes, that none should haue any accesse vnto her. At length at the perswasion of her frendes, she was compelled to doo as the other had doone before. And thus much concerning things done at Lichfield.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaPersecution among the godly men at Chichester.ANd now frō Lichfield to come to Chichester, although we haue but litle to report therof, for lacke of certeine relation and recordes of that countrey, yet it semeth no litle trouble and persecution there also to haue raged, as in other coūtreyes.  

For what place was there almost in all the Realme, where the Popes ministers did not besturre thē, murtheryng some or other, as in þ^e Actes of this Ecclesiasticall history may sufficiētly declare. Wherfore as this plage of the Popes tyranny was generall to all other people and countreyes of England, so likewise in the Dioces of Chichester diuers and many there were condemned and Martyred for the true testimonie of righteousnes within the cōpasse of Queene Maries reigne. In the number of whō were these.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMartyrs.Iohn Foremā, of Est- grymsted. Iohn Warner, of Berne. Christian Grouer,   Commentary     Close This may well be the 'Grove's wife' mentioned in 1563, p. 1646; 1570, pp. 2139-40; 1576, p. 1861 and 1583, p. 1953. of the Ardeaconry of Lewes. Thomas Athoth, Priest.   Commentary     Close There is no other mention in Foxe of the martyrdom of Thomas Athoth but the sentence condemning him is BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 107r-108v. This is probably Foxe's source for proclaiming him a martyr but he may have died in prison, escaped or - less likely - been pardoned. Thomas Auyngton, of Erdinglie. Denys Burgis, of Bux sted. Thomas Rauensdale, of Rye. Iohn Milles,   Commentary     Close The sentence condemning John Mills is BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 105r-106r. of Hel- linglegh.

Nicholas Holden, of Withiam Iohn Hart, of Withiā. Margery Moris, of Hethfield. Anne Trye,   Commentary     Close This is the 'Mother Tree' whose execution is mentioned by Foxe in 1563, p. 1546; 1570, pp. 2139-40; 1576, p. 1861 and 1583, p. 1953. The sentence against her is among Foxe's papers (BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 109r-110v). of Est- grensted. Iohn Oseward, of Woodmancote. Thomas Harland, of Woodmancote. Iames Moris, of Heth- field. Thomas Dougate, of Estgrenstede. Iohn Ashedon,   Commentary     Close There is no other mention of John Ashedon or his martyrdom in Foxe. Foxe does, however state that 'Ashdon's wife' was burned at Lewes on 27 June 1557 (1563, p. 1602; 1570, p. 2195; 1576, p. 1895 and 1583, p. 2003). of Retherfield.

[Back to Top]

The greatest doers agaynst these godly & true faithfull Martyrs, & sitters vpon their condemnation, were these: MarginaliaPersecutors.Christopherson the B. after Day, Rich. Brisley Doctour of law and Chauncellour of Chichester, Rob. Taylor Bach. of law his deputy, Thomas Paccarde Ciuilian, Anthony Clerke, Albane Langdale Bach. of Diuinitie. &c.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe examination of Thomas Spurdāce.THe Byshops Chauncellor did aske me, if I had beene with the priest, and confessed my sinnes vnto him. And I sayd: no, I had confessed my sinnes to god, and God saith: In what houre so euer a sinner doth repent and be sory for his sinnes, and aske him forgeuenes, willing no more so to doo, he will no more recken his sinne vnto him, and that is sufficient for me.

[Back to Top]

Then sayd the Chauncellour: thou denyest the sacrament of penance.

I sayd: I deny not penāce, but I deny that I should shew my sinnes vnto the priest.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: that is a denying of the sacrament of penance. Write this article.

Haue you receaued the blessed sacrament of the altar (sayd he) at this tyme of Easter?

And I sayd, no.

And why haue ye not, saith he?

I said: I dare not medle with you in it, as you vse it.

Why? do not we vse it truly, said he?

I sayd: no, for the holy supper of the Lorde serueth for the Christen congregation, and you are none of Christes members, and therfore I dare not medle with you, lest I be like vnto you.

Why are we none of Christes members, sayd the Chauncellor?

I sayd: because you teach lawes contrary to Gods lawe.

What lawes are those, sayd he?

I sayd: these iij. articles that you sweare the people vnto here, be false and vntrue, & you doo euill to sweare the people vnto them.

Then sayd he: good people, take no heede vnto hys wordes: for he is an hereticke and teacheth you disobediēce: and so he would no more speake of that matter.

MarginaliaSpurdāce examined vpō the sacrament of the altar.Then sayd he: how beleuest thou in the blessed sacrament of the altar? doest thou not beleue that after it is cōsecrated, it is the very same body that was borne of the virgin Mary?

I sayd: no, not the same body in substance: for the same body hath a substance in flesh, bloud, and bones, and was a bloudy sacrifice, and this is a dry sacrifice.

And I sayd: is the masse a sacrifice?

Vnto which a Doctor answered that sat by him: it is a sacrifice both for the quicke and the dead.

Then sayd I: no, it is no sacrifice: for S. Paul sayth that Christ made one sacrifice once for all: and I do beleue in none other sacrifice, but only in that one sacrifice that our Lord Iesus Christ made once for all.

Then said the Doctor: that sacrifice þ^t Christ made, was a wet sacrifice, and the masse is a drie sacrifice.

Then sayd I: that same drie sacrifice is a sacrifice of your owne making, and it is your sacrifice: it is none of mine. Then sayd the Chauncellor: he is an hereticke: he denieth the sacrament of the altar.

Then sayd I: will ye know how I beleue in the holy supper of our Lord?

And he said, yea.

Then sayd I: I beleue that if I come rightly & worthely as God hath commaūded me, to the holy supper of the Lord, I receaue him by faith, by beleuing in him. But the bread being receaued, is not God, nor the