Marginalia1556. Iune.but when therein they might not preuaile, for that the Lord assisted the good poore man, then began they to threaten hym with whippyng, stockyng, burnyng, & such like, that it was wonderfull the do they made with him. Vnto whom Bernard sayd: frēdes, I am not better thē my Maister Christ, and the Prophetes, whiche your fathers serued after such sorte, and I for his names sake am content to suffer the like at your handes if God shall so permit, trustyng that he will strengthen me in the same accordyng to his promise, in spite of the deuill and all his ministers. So when they could not make him to relent or yeld, they sayd: behold a right Scholer of Iohn Fortune: whom they had then in prison. MarginaliaRoger Bernard condēned by the Byshop of Norwich.Then caried they him to the Byshop who immediately condēned him as an hereticke, and deliuered him to the secular power.

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This Roger Bernard was a single man, and by his vocation a labourer, dwellyng in Fransden in Suffolke, MarginaliaBernard taken by Tamages men.Who was taken in the night by Maister Tamages men because he would not go to Church to heare their vnsauery seruice, and so by them caryed to prison.

MarginaliaIune. 30. MarginaliaAdam Foster, Martyr.ADam Foster of the age of xxvi. yeares, husbandman, beyng maryed, dwellyng in Mendlesam in the County of Suffolke, was taken at home in his house a little before the Sunne goyng downe, by the Constables of the sayd towne, MarginaliaGeorge Reuet, Thomas Mouse, Syr Iohn Tirrell, persecutours.George Reuet & Thomas Mowse, at þ^e commaundement of Syr Iohn Tyrrell of Gipping hall in Suffolke Knight, because he would not go to Church and heare Masse, and receaue at Easter, except he might haue it after Christes holy ordinaunce. When they came for him, they told him he must go with them vnto the Iustice. Vnto whom Adam Foster sayd: for Christes cause, and to saue his conscience he was well cōtented: and so they led him to Syr Iohn Tyrrell, and hee sent him to Aye dungeon in Suffolke, from whence at length he was sent to Norwich, and there condemned by Byshop Hopton.

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MarginaliaGods stroke vpon wilfull persecutors.Now after this takyng, the sayd Thomas Mowse and George Reuet were stricken with a great feare & sicknes, whereby Mowse pined & consumed away euen vnto death, although he was a man of a young & lusty age. But George Reuet, who was the sayd Mowses fellow, and a great reader of the Scripture, or (as a man may terme it) a talkatiue gospeller, would not be premonished by the workes of God, but set his sonne to helpeþ^e Priest say Masse, & to be clarke of the same towne of Mendlesham for lukers sake: yet was there a fayre warnyng geuen him of God, although he had not the grace so to consider it: the which thyng was this.

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MarginaliaA younge man parish Clarke agaynst his conscience.A young man of the same Parish newly maryed, called Robert Edgore, beyng of a rype wytte and sounde, was Clarke in the sayd Churche before the sayd Reuet set his sonne in that rowme, and executed the office a little, yea, alas to long, agaynst his owne conscience: whereby at length the Lord so tooke away his wittes, that many yeares after, his poore and wofull wife, good woman, was compelled to keepe him cheyned and bounde continually, lest he should vnwares do himselfe or some other, some mischief, as many tymes (the more pitie) he was ready enough to do.

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This (as I sayd) would not admonishe Reuet, but needes he must persist in his wicked purpose. Notwithstandyng at the length, as many men were offended with him in the Parishe, so honest women especially (beyng mightely grieued at his vngodly doynges) came to him & sayd: neighbour Reuet, are ye not afrayde to let your sonne helpe the naughty Priest to say Masse, and to serue that abhominable Idoll? and he sayd no.

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Then sayd they, we feare not to go to Church and heare Masse, seyng you beyng a man, that so much professe Christianitie, will let your sonne helpe the Priest say Masse &c.

At which wordes Reuet waxed angry, and in his rage immediately made his prayer vnto God after this maner or with such like wordes, saying: MarginaliaReuet prayed for a straunge token.O Lord, if it be not thy will that my sonne should so do, then I beseeche thee send some straunge token to let me vnderstand what thy good pleasure is therein &c. So, accordyng to his petition, within short space after his neighbours Bull came into his pasture, and there he hauyng a very proper geldyng which was his felicitie aboue any thyng he had, the Bull runnyng vpon hym, did so wounde & gore him, that immediately thereof his geldyng dyed, and he thereby nothyng amended. MarginaliaReuet confessed the Lords hand agaynst hym, and yet continued in his sinne.For although he knew and confessed, that it was the Lordes hand vppon him, for the sufferaunce of his sonne in that wicked vocatiō: yet would he not take him from it, but permitted him still to vse and frequent the same agaynst his owne conscience.

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At the last the Lord iustly sent vpon him a great swellyng in his legges, whiche did so greuously vexe and trouble him by reason it swelled vpward, that at length hauyng thereby brought vpon him a very straunge sickenes, he dyed

most miserably, in so impatient maner, þ^t it terrified all good hartes to heare therof.MarginaliaReuet died of a straunge sicknes. MarginaliaThe Lordes hand vpon Reuet.The Lord graunt, for Christes sake, that we may obserue his iudgementes better, to his glory and our comfort, Amen. Ex testimonio quorundam Suffolcensium.  

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MarginaliaIune. 30. MarginaliaRobert Lawson, Martyr.RObert Lawson was a single man, of þ^e age of xxx. yeares and by vocation a linnen Weauer, who was apprehended in the night by one MarginaliaRob. Kereth a persecuter.Robert Kereth, at the commaundement of Syr Iohn Tyrrel of Gypping hall in Suffolke Knight & so was immediatly caryed to Aye Dugeon in Suffolke, where he remayned a certayne tyme, and after was led to Bery. The cause of his takyng was, for that hee woulde not go to Church to heare Masse, & receiue theyr popish Idoll.

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MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Roger Bernard, Adam Foster, Robert Lawson, at Bury. Anno. 1556. Iune. 30.When these three foresayd Martyrs were caryed to their deathes, videl. Roger Bernard, Adam Foster, and Robert Lawson at Bery, after they had made their prayer, beyng at the stake and the tormentors attendyng the fire, they most triumphantly ended their liues, in such happy and blessed condition, as dyd notably set forth their constancye, and ioyfull end, to the great prayse of God, and their commendation in hym, and also to the encouragement of others in the same quarell to do the like. The Lorde of strength fortifie vs to stand as his true soldiours in what standyng soeuer he shall thinke it good to place vs, Amen.

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¶ In the examination of Roger Bernard, ye heard a litle before, how he was compared by the priestes there, to Iohn Fortune, & called his scholer. This Iohn Fortune, otherwise called Cutler, of Hintlesham in Suffolke, was by his occupation a Blacke Smith, whom they had before them in examination a little before the 20. day of Aprill. In spirite he was zelous and ardent, in the Scriptures ready, in Christes cause stoute and valiant, in his aunsweres marueilous, and no lesse patient in his wrongfull sufferyng, thē constant in his doctrine. Whether he was burned, or dyed in prison, I can not certeinly finde: but rather I suppose þ^t he was burned.   Certeine it is, how soeuer hee was made away he neuer yelded. What his aunsweres and examinations were before D. Parker and the Byshop, ye shall heare hym, although not with his owne mouth speakyng, yet with his owne hand you shall see written, what he dyd say, as foloweth.

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MarginaliaThe examination of Iohn Fortune before Doct. Parker and M. Foster.FIrst Doct. Parker asked me how I beleued in the Catholicke fayth.

And I asked him which fayth he ment: whether þ^e fayth that Steuen had, or the fayth of thē þ^t put Steuē to death.

D. Parker being moued, said: what a naughty felow is this? you shall see anon hee will deny the blessed Sacrament of the aulter,

M. Foster. Then sayd M. Foster: I knowe you well enough. You are a busie marchaunt. How sayest thou by the blessed Masse?

Fort. And I stode still and made no aunswere.

Fost. Then sayd M. Foster: why speakest thou not, and make the gentleman an aunswere?

Fort. And I sayd: silence is a good aunswere to a foolishe question.

Park. Then sayd the Doctour: MarginaliaThe Sacrament of the altar.I am sure hee will deny the blessed Sacrament of the alter also.

Fort. And I sayd: I knowe none such, but onely the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ.

Park. Then sayd he: you deny the order of the seuē Sacramentes. And why doest not thou beleue in the Sacrament of the aulter?

Fort. And I sayd: because it is not written in Gods booke.

Park. Then sayd hee: you will not beleue vnwritten verities.

Fort. And I sayd: I will beleue that those vnwritten verities that agree with the written verities, be true: but those vnwritten verities that be of your own makyng, and inuented of your owne brayne, I do not beleue.

Fost. Wel, sayd M. Foster: MarginaliaM. Foster threatneth Iohn Fortune to be whipped.you shall be whipped and burned for this geare, I trow.

Fort. Then sayd I: if you knew howe these wordes do reioyce my hart, you would not haue spoken them.

Fost. Why thou foole, doest thou reioyce in whyppyng.

Fort. Yea, sayd I, for it is written in the Scriptures, and Christ sayth: thou shalt be whipped for my names sake: and since the tyme þ^t the sword of tyranny came into your hands, I heard of none that was whipped. Happy were I, if I had the maydenhead of this persecution.

Away with him then (sayd he): for he is ten tymes worse then Samuell: and so was he caried to prison agayn.