MarginaliaAn. 1558. December. March.her those common and accustomable Articles mencioned before. pag. 2015. To the which she aunswered as followeth.

Marginalia1.MarginaliaHer answeres to the Articles.FIrst, that there is here in earth a Catholicke church, and that there is the true fayth of Christ obserued & kept in the same Church.

Marginalia2.Item,. that there were onely two Sacramentes in the Church, namely the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, and the Sacrament of Baptisme.

Marginalia3.Item, that she was Baptised in the fayth and belief of the sayd Church, renouncyng there, by her Godfathers and Godmothers, the deuill and all his workes. &c.

Marginalia4.Item, that when she came to the age of. xiiij. yeares, she did not know what her true belefe was, because she was not then of discretion to vnderstand the same, neither yet was taught it.

Marginalia5.Itē, that she hath not gone from the Catholicke fayth at any tyme: but she sayd that the Masse was abominable before the sight of God, and before the sight of all true Christen people, and that it is the playne cup of fornication and the whore of Babylon. And as concernyng the Sacrament of the altar, she sayd she beleued there was no such Sacrament in the Catholicke Church. Also she sayd that she vtterly abhorred the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome, with all the Religion obserued in the same Antichristes Church.

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Marginalia6.Itē, she answered to the sixt Article as to the first, before specified.

Marginalia7.Item, that she hath refused to come to her Parish Church because the true Religion of Christ was not thē vsed in the same: and farther sayd that she had not come vnto the Church by þ^e space of one yeare and three quarters, then last past, neither yet did meane any more to come vnto the same in these idolatrous dayes.

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Marginalia8.Item, as touchyng the maner of her apprehension, MarginaliaMargaret Mearing apprehēded by Cluny.she sayd that Cluny the Byshops Sumner did fetch her to the Byshop.

These aunsweres being then registred, they were agayne (with the sayd articles) propounded agaynst her the xx. day of December, and there being demaunded if she would stand vnto those her aunsweres, she sayd: I will stand to them vnto the death: for the very Aungels of heauen do laugh you to scorne, to see your abomination that you vse in the church. MarginaliaSentence agaynst Margaret Mearing.After þ^e which wordes the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation: and thē deliuering her vnto the Sheriffes, she was wyth the forenamed Iohn Rough caryed vnto Newgate. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Iohn Rough and Margaret Mearing, in Smithfield. An. 1557. Decēb. 22.From whence they were both together led vnto Smithfield, the xxij. day of the same moneth of December, and there most ioyfully gaue their liues for the profession of Christes Gospell.

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MarginaliaA note of Margaret Mearing.When the latter ende of thys history of Maister Rough & Margaret Mearing was in finishing, there came to our handes one necessary thyng of the sayd Margaret Mearing, which we thought not good to omit.  

The matter is this. Maister Rough beyng chiefe Pastor to the congregation in the sayd tyme of Queene Mary, as before ye haue heard (of which company this Margaret Mearing was one) dyd not well lyke the sayd Margaret, but greatly suspected her, as many other of them dyd besides, because she would oftē times bring in straungers among them, and in her talke seemed (as they thought) somewhat to busy. &c. Now, what they saw or vnderstoode further in her, we know not, but thys followed the euill suspicion conceiued of her. Maister Rough the Friday before he was taken, in the open face of the congregation, did excommunicate her out of the same company: and so seemed wyth the rest to exclude and cut her of from their felowship and society. Whereat she being moued, did not well take it nor in good part, but thought her selfe not indifferently handled among them. Whereupon to one of her frendes in a heate, she threatned to remoue them all. But the prouidence of God was otherwise. For the Sonday after, Master Rough beyng taken by the information of one Roger, Sergeant to the Byshop of London (as hereafter thou shalt heare) was layd prisoner in the gatehouse at Westminster, where none of hys frendes could come to hym to visit hym. Then this

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sayd Margaret hearing thereof, got her a Basket and a cleane shirt in it, & went to Westminster, MarginaliaMargaret Mearing relieueth M. Rough in prison.where she fayning her selfe to be hys sister, got into the prison to hym, and did there to her power not a little cōfort him.

Then comming abroad agayne, she vnderstanding that the Congregation suspected the sayd Seargeant to bee hys promotor, went to hys house, and asked whether Iudas dwelt not there. Vnto whom aunswere was made, there dwelt no such. No, sayd she? dwelleth not Iudas here that betrayed Christ? hys name is Sargeant. When she sawe she coulde not speake wyth hym, she went her way. So the Friday after, she standing at Marke lane end in London wyth an other woman, a frend of hers, saw Cluny Boners Sumner comming in the streete towardes her house. Whom when she saw, she sayd to the other woman standing wyth her: whether goeth yonder fine fellow sayd she? I thynke surely he goeth to my house: and in vewing hym still, at the last she saw hym enter in at her doore. MarginaliaThe taking of Margaret Mearing, Martyr.So immediatly she went home & askeed hym whom he sought. Whereunto Cluny made aunswere and sayd, for you: ye must goe wyth me. Mary, quoth she, here I am: I wyll goe wyth you, and comming to the Bishop, she was laid in prison, & the Wednesday after burnt with M. Rough in Smithfielde as ye haue heard.

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MarginaliaAn. 1558.MarginaliaThe story and cruell handling of Cutbert Simson, Deacō and Martyr. March. 28.NExt after the Martyrdome of Master Rough, minister of the congregation, aboue mēcioned, succeded in the lyke Martyrdome the Deacon also of that sayd Godly cōpany or congregation in London, named Cutbert Simson, beyng committed to the fire the yeare of our Lord. 1558. the xxviij. day of March.

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This Cutbert Simson was a man of a faithful and zelous hart to Christ and hys true flocke, in so much that he neuer ceased labouring and studiyng most earnestly, not only how to preserue them without corruption of the Popish religion, but also hys care was euer vigilant how to keepe them together wythout perill or daunger of persecution. The paynes, trauayle, zeale, pacience, and fidelity of this man, in caring and prouiding for this Congregation, as it is not lightly to be expressed: so is it wonderfull to beholde the prouidence of the Lord by vision, concernyng the troubles of thys faythfull minister & godly Deacon, as in thys here following may appeare.

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MarginaliaThe visions sent to Gods Sainctes concerning their afflictions.The Friday at night before M. Rough minister of the congregation (of whom mention is made before) was taken, beyng in his bed he dreamed that he sawe two of the Gard leading Cutbert Simson Deacon of the said congregation, & that he had þ^e booke about him, wherein were writtē þ^e names of al thē which were of þ^e cōgregatiō. Wherupō being sore troubled, he awaked and called hys wyfe, saying: Kate strike light: for I am much troubled with my brother Cutbert thys night. Whē she had so done, he gaue hym selfe to read in hys booke a while, & thē feeling sleepe to come vpon hym, he put out the candel, and so gaue him selfe againe to rest. Being a sleepe, he dreamed the like dreame againe: and awaking therwith, he sayd: O Kate, my brother Cutbert is gone. So they lighted a candel agayne and rose. And as the sayd Master Rough was making hym ready to go to Cutbert to see how he dyd, in þ^e meane time the sayd Cutbert came in with the booke, conteining the names and accompts of the congregation. Whom when master Rough had seene, he sayd: brother Cut-

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