1570 Edition | Book 12 | Page 2318 
MarginaliaAn. 1558.whose husband practised with the Curate in the meane time, that the next day after he should geue her the Sacrament, which was the xvij. day after Easter. MarginaliaThe Christian constancie of Elizabeth Foxe.But the very same day, vnknowing vnto her husband, she gat her self secretly to her company, and with teares declared how violently her husband had delt with her. The other women bad her notwithstanding to be of a good cheare, and sayd that they would make their earnest prayers vnto the Lord, both for her and her husband, and in deede when they had so done, the matter tooke very good successe. MarginaliaThe effect of Christian prayer.For the next day after, goodmā Foxe came of his owne accorde vnto thē, a farre other man then he was before, MarginaliaIohn Foxe recouered againe to the truth by prayer.and bewailed his owne headines and rashnes, praying them that they would forgeue him, promising euer after to be more strong in faith, to the great reioysing both of them and his wife.
[Back to Top]About halfe a yeare after this, the Bishop of Norwich sendeth forth certaine of his officers or Apparitours thether, which gaue thē warning, euery one to come to the Church the next sonday following. MarginaliaThe women of Stoke summoned by the Byshop.If they would not come, they should appeare before the Commissary out of hand, to rēder accompt of their absence. But the women hauing secret knowledge of this before, kept thē selues out of the way for the nonce, to auoyde the summons or warning. Therfore when they were not at the church at the day appointed, the Commissary did first suspend them according to the Byshop of Romes law, and within three weekes after did excōmunicate them. MarginaliaHow the women of Stoke escaped.Therefore when they perceaued that an officer of the towne was set to take some of them, they conueying them selues priuily out of the towne, escaped all daunger.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe preseruation of the congregation at London.NO lesse merueilous was the preseruation of the congregation in London, which from the first beginning of Q. Mary, to the latter end thereof, continued, notwithstanding what soeur the malice, deuise, searching and inquisition of mē, or streitnes of lawes could worke to the contrary. Such was the mercifull hād of the Lord, according to his accustomed goodnes, euer working with his people. Of this great boūtifull goodnes of the Lord, many and great examples appeared in the congregation which now I speake of. How oft, and in what great daungers did he deliuer them?
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe cōgregation at Syr Tho. Cardens house.First at þe blacke friers, whē they should haue resorted to Syr Thomas Cardens house, priuie watch was layd for them, but yet through the Lordes vigilant prouidence the mischiefe was preuēted, & they deliuered.
MarginaliaThe cōgregation againe deliuered.Agayne, how narrowly did they escape about Algate, where spies were layd for thē, and had not Tho. Symson
CloseOn Thomas Simpson's importance in the London congregation, see Brett Usher, '"In a Time of Persecution": New Light on the Secret Protestant Congregation in Marian London' in John Foxe and the English Reformation (Aldershot: 1997), pp. 233-51.
MarginaliaThe cōgregation againe deliuered.An other time also about the great Condit, they passing there through a very straite alley, into a clothworkers loft, were espied, and the Shrieffes sent for: but before they came, they hauing priuie knowledge therof, immediatly shifted away out of the alley, Iohn Auales standing alone in the Mercers Chappell staring at them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe cōgregation in a ship at Billinsgate.An other like escape they made in a ship at Billinsgate, belonging to a certaine good man of Ley, where in the open sight of the people they were congregated together, & yet through Gods mighty power escaped.
MarginaliaThe cōgregation in a ship betwixt Ratcliffe and Redriffe.Betwixt Ratcliffe and Redriffe, in a ship, called Iesus Shyp, twise or thrise they assembled, hauing there closely, after their accustomed maner, both Sermon, prayer, and Communion, and yet through the protection of the Lorde, they returned, although not vnspyed, yet vntaken.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe congregation in a Coupers house in Pudding lane.Moreouer in a Coupers house in Pudding Lane, so neare they were to perill and daungers, that Iohn Auales comming into the house where they were, talked with the good mā of the house, and after he had asked a question or two, departed, God so working that either he had no knowedge of them, or no power to apprehend them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe congregation in a house in Thamis streete.But they neuer scaped more hardly, then once in Thamis streete in the night time, where the house being beset with enemies, yet as the Lord would, they were deliuered by the meanes of a Mariner, who being at that present in the same company, and seeing no other way to auoyd, pluckt of his slops, & swāme to the next bote, & so rowed the cōpany ouer, vsing his shooes in steede of owres, and so the ieopardy was dispatched.
[Back to Top]I haue heard of one who being sent to them to take their names, and to espy their doinges, yet in being amongst them, was conuerted and cryed thē all mercy.
MarginaliaAn other notable example of Gods mercifull prouidence.What should I speake of the extreme and present daunger which that godly company was in at þe taking of master Rough their minister, and Cutbert Simson their Deacon, had not the Lordes prouidence geuen knowledge before to master Rough in his sleepe, that Cutbert should leaue behind him at home the booke of al theyr names, which he was wont to cary about him? whereof mention is made before pag. 2229.
[Back to Top]In this church or congregation were soometymes xl. sometymes an hundred, somtimes two hundred, sometymes moe, and sometimes lesse. About the latter time of Q. Mary it greatly increased. From the first beginning, which was about the first entrye of Q Maries reigne, they had diuers Ministers, MarginaliaThe Ministers of this cōgregation.first Master Scamler, then Thomas Fowle, after him Master Rough, then Master Austen Bernher, & last Master Bentham.
CloseIn the 1563 edition, Foxe states that Bentham led the London congregation, along with Robert Cole. The mention of Cole was dropped from the 1570 edition.
MarginaliaA story of Master Bentham.At what tyme the seuen last burned in Smithfield, mencioned in this booke before, pag. 2237.
CloseSee 1563, pp. 1658-61; 1570, pp. 2235-40; 1576, pp. 1930-33 and 1583, pp. 2037-42.
It was appointed before of the godly there stādyng together, which was a great multitude, that so soone as the prisoners should be brought, they should go to them to embrace and to cōfort them: and so they did. For as the sayd Martyrs were commyng toward the place in the people sight, beyng brought with billes & glaiues (as the custome is) the godly multitude and Congregation with a generall sway made toward the prisoners, in such maner, that the bilmen and the other Officers beyng all thrust backe, could nothyng do, nor any thyng come nigh. MarginaliaThe congregation embracing the Martyrs contrary to the proclamation.So the godly people meeting and embracyng and kissing them, brought them in their armes (which might as easely haue conueyed them cleane away) vnto the place where they should suffer.
[Back to Top]This done, and the people geuing place to the Officers, the Proclamation with a loude voyce was read to the people, containyng (as is before sayd) in the Kyng and Queenes name, that no man should pray for them, or once speake a word vnto them. &c. M. Bentham,
CloseFoxe is drawing this account from a letter Bentham sent to Thomas Lever describing the incident. The letter is in Foxe's papers: BL, Harley MS 416, fo. 63r-v.