Persecuters	Persecuted.	The Causes.
Bucler the kings At- torney. Filmers bro ther. Hyde, a Iu- rate dwel ling beside Abington. Robert Oc- kam, a Law yer.	D. Heynes Deane of Exeter. At Wind- sore. An. 1544.	MarginaliaTestwoode receaued into Windsore admitted, and after set- led in Windsore, with his housholde, and had in good estimatiō with the Deane and Canons a great while. But when they had perceyued hym by his often talk at their tables (for he coulde not well dissemble his Reli- gion) that he leaned to Luthers secte, they be- gan to mislike him. And so passing foorth among them, it was his chaūce

one day to be at dynner with one of the Canons named D. Rawson. At the which dynner, amongst al other, was one of kyng Edwardes 4. ChauntrieMarginaliaM. Ely persecuter. Priestes named Maister Ely, and old Bacheler of Diuinitie. Which Ely in his talke at the boorde, began to rayle agaynst laye men, which tooke vppon them to mell with the Scriptures, and to be better learned (knowing no more but the English tongue) then they which had bene studentes in the Vniuersities at Oxford and Cambridge al the dayes of their liues. Thē Testwood perceyuyng he meant that by hym, could forbeare his railyng no longer, but said: Maister Ely, by your pacience I thinke it be no hurt for lay men, as I am, to reade and to knowe the scriptures.

[Back to Top]

Which of you (quoth Ely) that be vnlearned knoweth them or vnderstandeth them? Saint Paul saith: If thine enemie hunger, feede him: if he thirst, geue him drinke, and in so doing, thou shalt heape coales of fire vppon his head.MarginaliaRom. 12. Nowe sir (quoth Ely) what meaneth saint Paul by these coales of fire? Marye sir, quoth Testwood, he meaneth nothyng els by them (as I haue learned,) but burnyng charitie,MarginaliaThe Papistes make the scriptures more hard for lay men, then needeth. that with doyng good to our enemies, we shoulde therby wynne them. A sirah, quoth he, you are an old scholer in deede.

[Back to Top]

After this, they fell into further communication of the Pope, whose supremacie was much spokē of at that tyme, but not knowen to be so farre in question in the Parliament house as it was  

. And in their talke Ely demaūded of Testwood, whether the Pope ought to be the head of the church, or no. Against the whiche, Testwood durst not saye his full mynd, but reasoned within his bounds a great while. But when they were both well stricken in an heate, Testwood forgettyng hymselfe, chaunced to sayMarginaliaEuery kyng in his own Realme and church is head vnder Christ. that euery king in his owne realme & dominion, ought to be the head of the church vnder Christ. At the which woordes Ely was so chafed, that he rose vp from the table in a great fume, callyng hym heretike and al that nought was, and so went brawling and chydyng away, to þ^e great disquieting of al the company that were there. Then was Testwood very sory to see the olde man take it so greeuously. Wherupon after dynner he went and sought maister Ely, & found hym walking in the body of the church, thinking to haue talked with him charitably, & so to haue bene at one againe: but euer as Testwood presed towardes hym, the other shunned hym, and woulde not come nye hym, but spyt at hym saying to other that walked by: Beware of this felowe, for he is the greatest heretique and schismatique that euer came in Windsore.

[Back to Top]

Nowe began the matter to brewe. For after that Ely had made his complaint to the Deanes Deputie, and other of the Canons, they were all against Testwood, purposing surely at the Deanes commyng home (if all thynges had chaunced euen) to haue put hym to hys trumpe. But see the fortune. It was not twelue dayes after, ere that the kynges supremacie passed in the Parlament house.MarginaliaThe fyrst newes of the kinges supremacie brought to Windsore. Whereupon the Deane (Doctour Samson) came home sodainly in the night late, & forthwithall sent his Verger about to all the Canons and Ministers of the College, from the highest to the lowest, commaūding them to be in the Chapter house by eyght of the clocke in the mornyng. Then Ely consulted with the Canons ouer nyght (as late as it was) and thought on the next day to haue put Testwood to a great plundge. But he that layeth a snare for another man (sayth Salomon) shalbe taken in it hym selfe.  

And so was Ely. For when the Deane   and euerye man were come and placed in the Chapter house, and that the Deane had commended the Ministers of the Churche for their diligence in tendyng the Queere, exhorting them also to continue in the same: he beganne (contrary to euery mans expectation) to inueye agaynst the Bishop of Romes supremacie and vsurped authoritie, confoundyng the same by manifest Scriptures and probable reasons, so earnestly, that it was a wonder: to heare: and at length declared o penly that by the whole consent of the parlament house, the popes supremacie was vtterly abolished out of this realme of England for euer, & so cōmaunded euery man there vpon his allegiāce, to cal hym pope no more, but bishop of Rome: & what so euer he were that would not so do, or dyd frō that day forth mainteine or fauour his cause by any maner of meanes, he should not onely loose the benefite of that house, but be reputed as an vtter enemy to God, & to the king. The Canons hearing this, were all stricken in a dumpe. Yet notwithstanding Elyes hart was so great, that he would fayn haue vttered his cankerd stomacke against Testwood:MarginaliaM. Ely thinking to complaine of other, was called foole for his labour. but the Deane (breaking his tale) called hym old foole, and toke hym vp so sharpely, that he was fayne to hold his peace. Thē the Deane cōmaunded all the Popes pardons which hanged about the church, to be brought into the Chapter house, and cast into the chimney, and brent before all their faces, and so departed.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other trouble of Testwood. AS it chanced Testwood one day to walke in the church at after noone, & behelde the pilgrimes (specially of Deuonshire and Cornwale) howMarginaliaIdolatry to king Henry of Wyndsore they came in by plumpes with candles & Images of waxe in their handes to offer to good kyng Henry of Windsore (as they called hym) it pitied his hart to see so great idolatrie cōmitted, & how vainly þ^e people had spent their goods in comming so farre to kisse a spur, & to haue an old hat set vpon their heades  

: In so much that he could not refraine, but (seyng a certaine cōpany which had done their otfring stand gasing about the church) went vnto thē,MarginaliaTestwood exhorteth the people from Idolatrye and with all gentelnes began to exhorte thē to leaue such false woorshipping of dombe creatures, & to learn to worship the true liuyng God aright, puttyng them in remembraunce what those thinges were which they worshipped, and how God many tymes had plagued his people for runnyng a whoryng to such stockes and stones, & so would plague thē and their posteritie, if they would not leaue it.

[Back to Top]

After this sort he admonished them so long, tyll at the last, his wordes (as God would) tooke such place in some of thē, that they said, they would neuer go a pilgrimage more.MarginaliaIdolatrye to an image of a white Lady made of Alabaster in Windsore. Then he went further and found an other sort, lickyng and kissyng a white Ladye made of Alabaster, whiche Image was mortrest in a wall behynd the hye altar and bordred about with a prety border, which was made like braunches with hangyng apples & floures. And when he sawe them so superstitiously vse the Image (as to wipe their handes vpon it, & then to strake them ouer their hands and faces as though there had bene great vertue in touchyng þ^e picture) he vp with his hand in the which he had a key,MarginaliaTestwoode defaceth the Image. and smote a peece of the border about the Image downe, and with the glaunce of the stroke chaunced to breake of the Images nose. Lo, good people, quoth he, ye see what it is, nothyng but earth & dust, and can not helpe it selfe, & howe wyl you then haue it to helpe you? For God sake brethren be no more deceyued: and so he gate hym home to his house for the rumour was so great, that many came to see the Image how it was defaced. And among all other,MarginaliaW. Simons a persecuter. came one Williā Symons (a Lawyer) who seeyng the Image so berayed, and to lacke her nose,MarginaliaO blinde Popery to seeke the death of a liuing man for the nose of a dead stocke. tooke the matter greeuously and lookyng down vpon the pauement, he spied the Images nose where it lay, which he tooke vp & put in his purse, saying, it should be a deare nose to Testwood one day.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMagna [illegible text] Ephesiorum.
Act. 28. Now wer many offended with Testwood: the Canons for speaking agaynst their profit: the waxe sellers for hyndryng their market & Symons for the Images nose. And more thē that, there wer of the Canons mē that threatned to kyl hym. Whereupon Testwood kept his house, & durst not come forth, myndyng to haue sent the whole matter in writyng by his wyfe, to M. Cromwel the kynges secretary, who was his special frend. The Canons hearyng that Testwood would send to Cromwel, they sent the Verger vnto hym, to wyl hym to come to the Church: who sent thē word agayne, that he was in feare of his lyfe, and therefore would not come. Thē sent they two of the eldest Peticanōs to entreat hym, & to assure hym that no man should do hym harme. He made thē a playne answere, that he had no such trust to their promises, but woulde cōplayne to his frendes. Then wyst they not what shyft to makeMarginaliaThe Papistes of Windsore afrayde of Cromwell. (for of all mē they feared Cromwel) but sent in post hast for old M. Warde, a Iustice of peace dwelling a 3. or 4. myles of: who being come, & hearing the matter, was very loth to medle in it.MarginaliaThe Canons of Windsore glad to fall in agayne with Testwood. But notwithstandyng, through their entreaty he went to Testwood, & had much a do to perswade hym, but at the last, he dyd so faythfully promise hym by the othe he had made to God & the kyng to defend hym from al daungers & harmes, that Testwood was content to go with hym.

[Back to Top]

And when M. Warde and Testwood were come into the Church, and were goyng toward the Chapter house,