1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1501 
Marginalia1555. Aprill.chyng your reformation, we are minded at this tyme to minister the law vnto you, and therefore aduise your self what you wyll doo.
When the Bishop had made an ende of his long tale, this good father Rawlins spake very boldly to him, and said: MarginaliaRaulins aunswereth to the Byshop.My Lorde, I thanke God I am a Christian man, and I hold no opinions contrary to the word of God: & if I do, I desire to be reformed out of the word of God, as a Christian man ought to be. Many moe woordes in like sort were betweene the Bishop and Rawlins, which this Reporter dooth not very well remember. But in the ende when Rawlins would in no wyse recant his opinions, the Bishop told hym plainly, that he must proceede against him by the law, and condemne hym as an heretike.
[Back to Top]Proceede in your lawe a Gods name, saide Rawlins: but for an heretike you shall neuer condemne me while the worlde standeth. But (sayd the Bishop to his company) before we proceede any further with hym, MarginaliaThe B. of Landaffe procedeth with prayer in condemnation of Rawlins, which commonly the popish persecutors are not wont to doe.let vs pray vnto God that he would send some sparke of grace vppon hym, (meaning Rawlins) & it may so chance that God through our prayer wyl heare turne & cōuert his hart. Whē Rawlins heard þe Bishop say so: Ah my Lord, quoth he, now you deale well and like a godly Bishop, and I thanke you most hartily for your great charitie and gentlenes. Christ saith: Where as two or three be gathered in my name, I wyll be in the middest of them, and there be moe then two or three of you. Now if it be so that your request be godly and lawful, and that you pray as ye shoulde pray, without doubt God wyl heare you. And therfore my Lord goe to, doo you pray to your God, and I wyl pray to my God. I know that my God wyl both heare my prayer, and performe my desire.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe Byshop prayeth to his God, and Rawlins to hys.By and by the Bishop with his cōpany fell to prayer. And Rawlins turnyng hym selfe to a Pew that stood somwhat neare hym, fell downe vppon his knees coueryng his face with his handes: and when they had praied a while, the bishop with his company arose from prayer. And then also arose Rawlins, and came before the Bishop.
[Back to Top]Then saide the Bishop: Nowe Rawlins, howe is it with thee? wylt thou reuoke thy opinions or no? Surelye (saide Rawlins) my Lorde, MarginaliaRawlins confirmed in his doctrine.Rawlins ye leaft me, and Rawlins you finde me, and by Gods grace Rawlins I wyl continue. Certainly if your petitions had bene iust and lawful, God would haue heard them: but you honor a false God, and pray not as ye should pray, MarginaliaPopish Byshops pray to a false god and therefore are not heardand therfore hath not God graunted your desire: But I am one poore simple man as you see, and God hath heard my complaint, and I trust he wil strengthen me in his owne cause.
[Back to Top]The Bishop when he perceiued that this hypocrisie of theirs tooke none effect, then with hot words he reproued hym, and forthwith was ready to reade the sentence. Howbeit vppon some aduise geuen to hym by his Chaplaynes that were there present, MarginaliaA Masse sayd for conuersion of Rawlins.he thought beste firste to haue a masse, thinking that in deede by so doing, some wonderfull worke should be wrought in Rawlins, and thereuppon a priest began Masse.
[Back to Top]In the meane tyme poore Rawlins betooke him selfe to prayer in a secrete place thereby, vntyll such tyme as the Priest came to the Sacring (as they terme it) whiche is a principall poynte of their Idolatrie. When Rawlins heard the sacring bell ring (as the vse was) he rose out of his place, and came to the Quiere doore, and there standing a while, turned hym selfe to the people, speaking these wordes: MarginaliaThe wordes of Rawlins to the people at the sacring tyme.Good people, if there be any brethren amongest you, or at the least if there be but one brother amongest you, the same one beare me witnes at the daye of iudgement, that I bowe not to this Idoll, meaning the Host that the Prieste held ouer his head.
[Back to Top]The Masse being ended, Rawlins eftsoones was called for againe. To whom the Bishop vsed many perswasions: MarginaliaRawlins stil constant in the profession of Gods truth.but the blessed man continued stedfast in his former profession, that the Bishops talke was altogether in vaine, and to no purpose. Whereupon the Bishop caused the definitiue sentence to be read.MarginaliaSentence read agaynst Rawlins. Which being ended, Rawlins was dismissed, and from thence he was by the bishops commaundement caried againe to Cardiffe, MarginaliaRawlins sent to prison to Cardiffe castle.there to be put into the prison of the towne, called Cockmarel, a very darke lothsome, and most vile prison.
[Back to Top]Rawlins in the meane while passed away the tyme in prayer, and chiefly in singing of Psalmes: which kinde of godly exercises he alwayes vsed, both at Cardiffe Castle, & in all other places.
Nowe, after he had thus continued as prisoner in Cockmarell Prison at Cardiffe (as is aforesayd) a good space, about three weekes before the daye wherein he suffered, MarginaliaThe officers intending to burne Rawlins with out a writte.the head Officers of the Towne that had the charge of his execution, were determined to burne hym, because they woulde be the sooner ryd of hym: hauyng not in deede a Writ of execution awarded, as by the law they should haue.
[Back to Top]Whereuppon one Henry Lewes the Recorder of the Towne that then was, seeing that they wente about to burne hym without any warrant by writ, came to them, and tolde them, that if they dyd burne hym before they had the Writ De hæreticis comburendis, the wife of the sayde Rawlins would vpon iust cause by lawe, cal their doinges into question.
CloseDe heretico comburendo is actually the name of the act, enacted in 1401,repealed under Edward VI, and re-enacted under Mary, which made heresy a crime punishable by death. But it was true that a writ had to be secured from Chancery for the execution of a heretic.
Immediately vppon this aduertisement, they sent to London for the Writ aboue named: MarginaliaThe writte awarded for burning of Rawlins.vpon the receipt wherof they made some speede to the execution of the said Rawlins. Nowe when the day was come, wherein the good father should perfourme and accomplishe the last act of this his worthy conflict, he was the night before wylled to prepare hym selfe.
[Back to Top]Nowe, when he perceyued his tyme no lesse neare then it was reported vnto hym, he sent forthwith to his wyfe, and willed her by the messenger that in any wise she should make readye and sende vnto him his MarginaliaRawlins wedding garment.wedding garmente, meanyng a Shirt, whiche afterwarde he was burned in. Which request or rather commaundement of his, his wife with great sorow and griefe of hart dyd performe, and early in the morning did sende it hym, whiche he receiued moste gladly and ioyfully.
[Back to Top]Nowe when the houre of his execution was come, this good and constant father Rawlins was brought out of prison, hauyng on his bodye the long Shyrt, whiche (as you hearde before) he called his wedding garment, and an olde Russet coate which he was wont to weare.
CloseThere is a striking similarity between White's costume and what Laurence Saunders and Hugh Latimer wore at their executions. This suggests that these martyrs were trying to outfit themselves in attire which evoked images of Christ's passion.
So he came to a place in his waye where as his poore wyfe and children stoode weepyng and makyng greate lamentation: MarginaliaRawlins somewhat moued at the sight of his wyfe and children.the suddaine sight of whom so pierced his hart, that the very teares trickeled downe his face.
ClosePart of the stoicism expected of a martyr was his ability to overcome natural affection and love for his or her family to follow his duty to God, even to the stake. (See Collinson [1983] on this). Foxe makes this point on several occasions, notably in his account of William Hunter and in his story of John Rogers confronting his children.
[Back to Top]As he was thus standyng with his backe close vnto the stake, a Smith came with a great chayne of yron: whom when he sawe, he cast vp his hande with a loude voyce, and gaue God great thankes. MarginaliaRawlins fastened to the stake.Then the Smith cast the chaine about hym, and as he was making it faste on the other side, Rawlins sayde vnto hym, I pray you good frende knocke in the chayne fast, for it may be that the fleshe would striue mightly: but God of thy great mercy geue me strength and pacience to abide the extremitie.
[Back to Top]Now when the Smyth had made hym sure to the stake, the Officers beganne to lay on more woode, with a litle strawe and Reede: wherein the good olde man was no lesse occupied then the best: MarginaliaThe chearfulnes of father Rawlins at his death.for as farre as he could reach his handes, he would plucke the strawe and Reede, and lay it about hym in places moste conuenient for his speedye dispatche. Which thyng he did with suche a chearefull countenance and familiar gesture, that all men there present were in a maner astonyed.
[Back to Top]Thus when all thynges were readye, so that there lacked nothyng but the putting to of the fire, directly ouer againste the stake in the face of Rawlins, there was a standing erected, whereon stept vp a Priest addressing hym selfe to speake to the people,MarginaliaA Popish sermon preached at Rawlins Martyrdome. which were many in number, because it was market day. When Rawlins perceiued him, and considered the cause of his commyng, he reached a litle
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