Marginalia1555. Iune.the knowledge of his holy word, that he may therby learne to leaue the euill and know the good, and alwayes be pricked forward with fatherly instructions to folow my footesteps: that as almighty God hath made me worthy through his speciall grace to worke his will in obedience, he may learne to follow me his father in the lyke, to Gods honour & prayse: And this I require you in Gods behalfe to fulfill or cause to be fulfilled, as ye before the lyuing God wyll make aūswere for the same. I haue left for the child certayn bookes which shalbe deliuered vnto you, wherein his instructiō & saluation lyeth if he learne & practise the same. And thus, most humbly beseching you once againe, to be as good vnto him as your promise was to me, that is, to be a father, & a wal of defēce vnto him in all troubles, I leaue him in your hād through the lord Iesu, & desire hym to bles both him & you accordyng to his good promise: and all that good which ye shall doe vnto him, I shal most hartely desire the euerlasting God to recōpēce vnto you in his kingdome, where I hope to meete both him and you among all gods elect. To which God be al praise honor and glory, Amē.

[Back to Top]

Yours and all mens in Christ Iesu, Thomas Haukes.

 

MarginaliaIune. 10. The story of Thomas Wattes Martyr.THomas Wates of Billerica, within the County of Essex, and of the Dioces of London, was by his occupation a lynen Draper, who before   he was apprehended, had sold and made away his cloth in his Shop, and disposed his thyngs beyng set in order to his wife and children, and gaue away much of his cloth vnto the poore:MarginaliaThomas Wattes disposeth his goodes before he should be apprehended.For he looked alwayes to be takē by Gods aduersaries and his, as shortly after came in deede to passe: so that vppon the 26. day of Aprill he was apprehended and brought before the Lord Rich and other Commissioners at Chelmisford, and there beyng accused for not commyng to the Church, was vpon the same examined before the Lord Rich, Henry Tyrell, Syr Anthony Browne, Edmond Tyrell, Thomas Mildmā, Iohn Wiseman, Roger Appleton, Rich. Weston, Iustice Gaudy. &c. The summe & principall effect of which examination here vnder foloweth briefly expressed.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe examination of Thomas Wattes before the Lord Rich, and other the Queenes commissioners.WHen this Tho. Wattes came before þ^e Lord Rich and other the Iustices, whose names are specified in the letter following (which they sent vnto the byshop of London against him) at the Sessions at Chelmisforde, þ^e Lord Rich sayd these wordes or the lyke in effect vnto him.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe wordes of the Lord Rich to Tho. Wattes.Wattes, ye be brought hither (as I vnderstand) because of disobedience to the Kyng and Queenes lawes. Ye will not come to the Church, ye will not heare Masse: &c. but haue your conuenticles, a sort of you in corners, contrary to the Kyng and Queenes procedinges. Vnto which his wordes Wattes aunswered and sayd.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaWatses wordes to the Lord Rich.My Lord, if I haue offended a law, I am subiect here to the law. Thē Anthony Browne Iustice sayd vnto him: Wattes, I pray the tell me, who hath bene thy schoolemaister to teach thee this geare, or where diddest thou first learne this Religion? Forsooth (quoth Wattes) euen of you Sir: MarginaliaSyr Anthony Browne a Gospeller in King Edwards dayes and a persecutor in Q. Maryes dayes.you taught it me, and none more then you. For in King Edwardes dayes in open Sessions you spake agaynst this Religion now vsed, no preacher more. You thē sayd, the Masse was abhominable, and all their trumpery besides, wishing and earnestly exhorting that none shoulde beleue therin, and that our beliefe should be onely in Christ: and you sayd then, whosoeuer should bring in any straunge nation to rule here, it were treason and not to be suffered.

[Back to Top]

Then sayd Browne to my Lord Rich: he belyes me my Lord. What a knaue is thys? he will soone belye me behynd my backe, when he doth it before my face: and my Lorde Rich sayd agayne, I dare say he doth so.

After these wordes, Wattes toke occasion to speake somewhat of K. Philip, and of his comming in: but what it was, I coulde not iustly learne: but this much was heard that after those wordes spoken, the Bench among them selues stoode vp, and sayd one to an other: treason, sauing one good man called Iustice Gaudy,MarginaliaIustice Gaudy a good man. who a litle before was about to speake: but when hee heard them crye treason hee helde downe his head, as one greeued and troubled at their doinges.

[Back to Top]

In conclusion, the Commissioners beyng wery of him, or els not willing to medle further in such high matters, sent him vp to the Byshop of London, with their letter withall importing the cause of his sendyng vp, as by the cōtentes thereof here vnder followeth to be seene.

MarginaliaA letter of the Lord Rich, Henry Tyrell and other Iustices to Boner.AFter our most harty commendations to your good Lordship, these shall be to aduertyse you, that at our Sessions of Oyer and Terminer holden at Chelmisford the 26. day of April last past, there came before vs in open Courte one Thomas Wattes of Billerica within your dioces by ordinary processe, and then and there being examined why he refused to come to his parish Church, and there to receaue the sacrament of the aultar, and heare diuine seruice, according to the institution of holy Church, he openly there aunswered generally that like as the seruice of the Church set out in the dayes of the late Kyng Edward þ^e sixt, was sayd by vs now to be abominable, hereticall, schismaticall, and all nought, so he sayd that all that is now vsed & done in þ^e Church is abhominable, hereticall, schismaticall, and all nought with diuers other erroneous & arrogant words: MarginaliaTho. Wattes sent vp by the Iustices of Essex to Byshop Boner.and therefore we haue thought good to sende hym to your Lordship, to bee further examined by you of his particular opinions, as to your pastorall office shall seeme conuenient, certifying you further, that in our opinion he is one of the most arrogant heretickes þ^t hath bene heard speake, or euer came before you, & not meete to be kept here in any Gaole: aswell for feare of corrupting others, as for dyuers & sundry other special causes hereafter to be more declared. Thus leauing to molest your good Lordship, we commit you to the holy ghost. Geuen at Chelmysforde the xxvij. daye of Apryll. Anno. 1555.

[Back to Top]

Your good Lordships most assured,MarginaliaThe names of the Iustices.

R. Rich. Henry Tirrell. Antony Browne. Edmund Tirrell.

T. Myldman. Iohn Wyseman. Roger Appleton. Richard Weston.

Now when the Byshop had receiued him, how he vsed him it is easye (by his common practises with others) to iudge. What his priuate conferences were I know not: but what was publickely done in the Cōsistory at Paules (the cōmon Stage for these tragedies) you shall here see.

MarginaliaThe first appearance of Thomas Wattes in the Byshops Consistory.FIrst vpon Thursday, beyng the seconde daye of Maye Thomas Wattes was brought thether before the Byshop of London, and there being examined vpon his wordes had before the Lord Rich and others (as is conteyned in their letters) he did earnestly affirme the same to be true. Whereupon the Byshop obiected, and examined him vpon these Articles folowing, to the which he aunswered, as vnder may appeare.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaArticles against Tho. Wattes.1 FIrst that the sayd Thomas Wattes was of Billerica and so of the iurisdiction of the Bishop of London.

MarginaliaThe sacramentes of the Church of Rome.2. Item, that he beleued not in the Sacramentes of the holy and Catholicke church, as the catholicke church of Rome & all other Churches members of the same, euer hetherto hath beleued & is taught of all good and faythfull people, nor hath alowed the said sacramentes, rittes, vsages, or ceremonies of the said Church, but hath despised the same.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe substance of the sacrament.3. Item, that he beleueth and also hath taught others, that the substaunce of materiall bread and wyne do remayne in the Sacrament of the aultar after the consecration, and that the sayd materiall bread and wyne are the signes and tokens of Christes body hanged vpon the Crosse, and of his bloud there shed, and that in the sayd Sacrament there is onely a memory or remembraunce of Christes body and bloud and nothing els.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe presence in the sacrament.4. Item, that he beleueth, and doth precisely affirme, that the very true presence of Christes body and bloud in substaunce, is not in the Sacrament of the aultar, but onely in heauen, and no where els.

MarginaliaThe Masse abominable.5. Itē, that he beleueth, affirmeth, & sayth, þ^t the Masse now vsed in the church of Rome here in England, & other places, is full of idolatry, abominatiō, & wickednes, and that Christ did neuer institute it, nor ordayne it, nor yet alow it as a good & laudable thing to be vsed in his Church.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaConfession to God.6. Itē, that he beleueth & affirmeth that auricular cōfessiō to be made vnto the Priest, is not necessary, but superfluous: & that it is inough for a mā to beleue onely, & to cōfesse him self vnto God, w^tout any priest or minister, at any tyme, though he may haue the priest to confesse him vnto.

[Back to Top]

7. Item, that he beleueth that Luther, Wickleffe, Doct.