MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.Then Boner caused all his Articles and confession to be agayne openly read, and so in his accustomed maner perswaded with hym to recant. To whom hee finally sayd: My Lord, I can not see but that you would haue me to forsake the truth, and to fall into errour and heresie. The Byshop seyng he would not recant, dyd proceede in his lawe, and so gaue sentence of condemnation vpon him.MarginaliaSentence read agaynst Tomkins.

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Then he deliuered hym to the Shrieffe of London, who caryed hym strayght vnto Newgate, where hee remained most ioyous and constant, vntill the MarginaliaMarch. 16.xvj. day of March  

next after: on whiche day, hee was by the sayd Shrieffe conueyed into Smithfield, and there sealed vp his fayth in the flamyng fire, to the glory of Gods holy name, and confirmation of the weake.

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MarginaliaW. Hunter prentyse and Martyr. MarginaliaMarch. 26.THe 26. day of the sayd moneth of March, the yeare aforesayd, folowed the Martyrdome of William Hunter, a right godly young man of the age of xix. yeares, and borne of lyke godly parentes: by whom hee was not onely instructed in in true Religion and godlynesse, but also confirmed by them vnto death, after a rare and straunge example, worthy to bee noted and had in admiration of all parentes. Wherein may appeare a singular spectacle, not onely of a maruelous fortitude in the partie so young: but also in his parentes, to beholde nature in them striuyng with Religion, and ouercome of the same.   Whereby Christian parents may learne what is to be done not onely in their children, but also in them selues, if neede at any tyme do require, or godlynesse should demaunde the duetie of a Christian man agaynst naturall affection.   Example whereof in the sequele of this hystorie we haue here present before our eyes. Which hystorie as it was faythfully drawen out by Robert Hunter his owne brother (who beyng present with his brother William, and neuer left hym till his death, sent the true reporte vnto vs) we haue here with lyke faythfulnes placed and recorded the same, as foloweth.

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MarginaliaW. Hunter prentise in Colman streete wyth Thomas Taylour.William Hunter being a Prentise in London in the fyrst yeare of Queene Mary, was commaunded at the Easter next following, to receaue the Communion at a Masse, by the Priest of the Parishe where hee dwelt, called Colman streete: whiche, because he refused to doe, MarginaliaW. Hunter threatned for not receauing at a Masse.he was very much threatned that he should bee therefore brought before the Byshop of London. Wherefore William Hunters Maister one Thomas Taylour, a Silke weauer, MarginaliaW. Hunter willed of his Mayster to depart.required William Hunter, to goe and departe from hym, lest that he should come in daunger, because of hym, if he continued in his house. For the whiche causes, William Hunter tooke leaue of his sayd maister, MarginaliaW. Hunter commeth to his father at Burntwoode.and thence came to Burntwoode where his father dwelt, with whom hee remayned afterward, about the space of halfe a quarter of a yeare.

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After this it happened, within. fiue or vj. weekes, that William goyng into the Chappell of Burntwood, and finding there a Bible lying on a Deske, dyd reade therein. In the meane time there came in one father Atwell a Sumner,  

which hearyng William read in the Bible, sayd to him, what medlest thou with the Bible? Knowest thou what thou readest, and canst thou expounde the Scriptures?

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To whom William aunswered and sayd: MarginaliaFather Atwell a Sumner or Promotor.father Atwell, I take not vppon me to expounde the Scriptures, except I were dispensed  

withall, but I finding the Bible here when I came, read in it to my comfort. To whom father Atwell sayd: it was neuer mery since the Bible came abroad in English.

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To the which wordes William aunswered saying: MarginaliaTalke betwene Atwell and W. Hunter concerning the Bible.Father Atwell, say not so for Gods sake, for it is Gods booke, out of the whiche euery one that hath grace may learne to know what things both please God, & also what displeaseth him. Then sayd father Atwell: could we not tell before this tyme, as well as now, how God was serued? William aunswered: no father Atwel, nothyng so wel, as we may now, if that we might haue his blessed word, amōgst vs still as we haue had. It is true sayd father Atwell, if it be as you say.

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Well sayd William Hunter, it liketh me very well, and I pray God that we may haue the blessed Bible amongest vs continually. To the which wordes father Atwell sayd, I perceiue your mynde well inough, MarginaliaThe Catholickes can not abyde the Bible.you are one of them that misliketh the Queenes lawes, and therfore you came from London, I heare say. You learned these wayes at London, but for all that, sayd father Atwell, you must turne an other leafe, or els you and a great sorte moe heretickes wyll broyle for this geare, I warrāt you. To the which wordes William sayd: God geue me grace that I may beleue hys word and confesse his name, whatsoeuer come therof. Con-

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fesse his name, quoth olde Atwell? no, no, ye will go to the deuill all of you, and confesse his name.

What, sayd William? you say not well father Atwell. At the whiche woordes he went out of the Chappell in a great fury, saying: MarginaliaAtwell not able to reason, but he is able to accuse the innocent.I am not able to reason with thee, but I will fetch one straight way which shall talke with thee, I warrant the thou hereticke. And hee leauyng William Hunter readyng in the Bible, straight wayes brought one Thomas Wood, who was then Vicar of Southwelde, which was at an Alehouse euē ouer agaynst the sayd Chappell: who hearyng olde Atwell saye that William Hunter was reading of the Bible in the Chappell, came by and by to hym, MarginaliaThe vicar of Southweild angry with W. Hunter for reading in the Bible.and findyng hym readyng in the Bible, tooke þ^e matter very haynously, saying: Sirha who gaue the leaue to read in the Bible and to expound it?

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Then William aunswered: I expounde not the Scriptures Syr, but read them for my comfort. What medlest thou with them at all, sayd the Vicar? It becommeth not thee, nor none such to medle with the Scriptures, But William aunswered: I will read the Scriptures god willing, while I liue, and you ought (M. Vicar) not to discourage any man for that matter, but rather exhort mē diligently to read the scriptures for your discharge & their own.

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Vnto the which the Vicar aunswered: MarginaliaThe Catholickes in no wyse will be controled.It becommeth thee well to tell mee what I haue to doe. I see thou art an hereticke, by thy wordes, William sayd, I am no hereticke for speakyng the truth. But the Vicar sayd, it is a mery worlde when such as thou art, shall teach vs what is the truth. Thou art medlyng, father Atwell tels me with the vi. of Iohn, wherein thou mayest perceiue, how Christ sayth? Except that ye eate the flesh of Christ and drynke his bloud, ye haue no lyfe in you. William sayd. I read the vi. of Iohn in deede: howbeit, I made no exposition on it.

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Then sayd father Atwell, when you read it I sayd, þ^t you there might vnderstand how that in the Sacrament of the aultar is Christes very naturall body and bloud: vnto the whiche you aunswered, how that you would take the Scriptures as they are, & that you woulde medle with no great exposition, except that ye were dispensed withall.

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Ah, sayd the Vicar? MarginaliaW. Hunter examined of the Sacrament.what say you to the blessed sacrament of the aultar) beleuest thou not in it, and that þ^e bread and wyne is transubstantiated into the very body & bloud of Christ? William aunswered, I learne no such thing in þ^e vj. of Iohn, as you speake of. Why sayd the Vicar, doest thou not beleue in the Sacrament of the aultar? I beleue sayd William Hunter, all that Gods worde teacheth. why sayd the Vicar thou mayest learne this which I say plainly in the sixt of Iohn.

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Then sayd william, you vnderstand Christs words much like the carnall MarginaliaThe Catholickes lyke to the Capernaites.Capernaites,  

whiche thought that Christe would haue geuen them hys fleshe to feede vpon which opinion our sauiour Christ corrected, whē he sayd The words which I speake to you, are spirite and lyfe.

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Now, quoth the Vicar, I haue found you out: nowe I see that thou art an hereticke in deede, and that thou doest not beleue in þ^e sacrament of the aultar.

Then sayd William Hunter, wheras you doubt my belyefe, I would it were tryed whether that you or I would stand faster in our faith. MarginaliaHeresie mistaken with the Papistes.Yea thou hereticke (sayd the Vicar) wouldest thou haue it so tryed? William Hunter aunswered, that which you call heresie, I serue my Lord God withall.

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Thē sayd the Vicar: canst thou serue god with heresie? But William aunswered, I woulde that you and I were euen nowe fast tyed to a stake, to proue whether that you or I would stand strongest to our fayth. But the Vicar aunswered: It shall not so be tryed. No quoth William, I thinke so: for if it might, I thinke I know who woulde soonest recant, for I durst set my foote agaynst yours euen to the death. That we shall see, quoth the Vicar, and so they departed, the Vicar threatnyng Willyam much, how that he would complayne of him: with much other communication which they had together.

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MarginaliaThe vicar complaineth to Iustice Browne of W. Hunter.Immediately after, this Vicar of Weild  

tolde Maister Browne of the communication which william Hunter and hee had together. Whiche when M. Browne vnderstoode, MarginaliaIustice Browne sendeth for Hunters father.immediatly he sent for Williams father and the Constable, one Robert Salmon. For immediately after William Hunter and the Vicar had reasoned together, he tooke his leaue of his father and fled, because wood the Vicar threatned him. Now when the Constable and Williams father were come, and were before M. Broune, he asked where Williā Hunter was. His father aunswered, saying: if it please you Syr, I know not where he is become. No, quoth maister Browne? I will make the tell where he is, and fetch hym foorth also ere I haue done with thee. Syr sayd Williams father, I know not where he is become, nor where to seeke for him.

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