MarginaliaAnno. 1557. Nouember.Marginalia8.Eightly, that the sayd  

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Foxe eliminated non-essential verbiage from this article in the 1570 edition.

Marginalia9. MarginaliaPopishe fast and prayer.Ninthly, that the said Gibson hath affirmed, that prayer vnto sainctes, or prayers for the dead, are not laudable, auailable, or profitable: and that no man is bound at any time, or in any place, to fast or pray, but onely at his owne will and pleasure, and that it is not lawfull to reserue or keepe the sayd sacrament of the altar, nor in any wise to adore and worship it.

The greatest matter which he was charged withal, was for not comming to confession, being thereunto required, for not receauing the sacramentes of the popish making, and for that he would not sweare to aunswere vnto theyr interrogatories layd agaynst him.

Notwithstanding after these his first examinations, he continued in the aforesayd prison of the Counter a good space, frō the moneth of May, vnto Nouember: at what time he was agayne produced vnto the finall examination iudiciarie. MarginaliaRich. Gibson a talle & bigge man of stature.Where is to be noted, that M. Gibson being a very bigge and talle mā, of a personable and heroycall stature, was sent for of Boner by a litle and short person, a promoter, like Robin Papist, called Robin Caley, if it were not he him selfe.

MarginaliaIntolerable bragging of a vile promotor.This Robin Caley hauing the conducting of the sayd Gentleman from the Pultry, would needes hale him through Chepeside, the Gentleman desiring him to turne some other way. But the more the Gentleman entreated, the more fierce was this sely Iacke vppon him: and drawing and holding him by the arme, would needes hale him through the high streete, that all the world might see what he could do in his office. M. Gibson desirous to be led without holding, willed and entreated him to let his arme loose: he would goe quietly of his accorde with hym whether he would, onely crauyng that he might goe by hym freely without notyng of the people.

The saucie and impotent miser the Promoter hearing this, who was scarse able to reach vnto his shoulders: naie (saieth he) thou shalt not escape me so, come on thy wayes. Thou shalt not choose but come: and so reaching at his arme, would needes dragge him vnto the Bishop. The Gentleman content to goe, yet loth to be notified in the streetes, gently requested againe and agayne, that refraining his holde, he would suffer him to goe of hys owne free and voluntarie will: he should not neede to feare him, for he would not start frō him. To whom the caytiffe, looking vp to his face: Come on thy way, saith he, I will hold thee fast, spite of thy beard, and whether thou wilt or no.

Master Gibson seing and beholding the intolerable bragging of the wretched myser, and moued therewith not a litle, could beare no longer, but sayd: Wilt thou, sayd he? and addeth moreouer, bitterly looking downe towardes him, that if he did not incontinently plucke away his hand (and so stayed withall) he would immediatly wring his necke from his body. Wherupō Robin Papist the Promoter, was fayne to plucke awaie his holde, and so proceded they vnto the Bishop, there to be examined agayne before him.

MarginaliaAn other appearing of Rich. Gibson.After this, an other day beyng assigned hym to appeare agayne, much talke past betwene him and Darbyshire, then Chauncellour. But in fine, being required to sweare that hee should aunswere vnto all they would demaund, he denyed to aunswere vnto all thinges the Byshops should cōmaund hym as Ordinarie: for hee is not, saieth hee, myne Ordinarie, and so byd him goe tell the Byshop. Before the which Byshop he beyng then commaunded to appeare the Friday next following, was brought vnto the Iustice Hal without Newgate, where hee had the like conflictes with the foresayd Byshop and diuers other Iustices. At length he was assigned the Saterday followyng, to be present in the Byshoppes consistory Court, to heare his finall sentence. At which day and place, the sayd Examinate appearing as he was commaunded, the Byshop after other matter of communication, asked him if he knewe any cause why the sentence should not be read agaynst him. To whom the sayd maister Gibson aunswered, that the Byshop had nothyng wherefore iustly to condemne him. The Bishops reason was againe obiected to hym, that men sayd he was an euill man. To whom

Gibson repliyng agayne: yea, sayth he, and so maie I say of you also. To be short, MarginaliaSentence read against Rich. Gibson.after this and such other talke, the Bishop hasted vnto the sentence. Which beyng red, Gibson yet agayne admonished to remember himselfe and to saue hys soule, sayd, that he would not heare the Byshoppes bablyng, and sayd moreouer, boldly protesting and affirming that hee was contrary and an enemy to them all in hys mynde and opinion, although he had afore time kept it secret in mynde for feare of the law. And speaking to the Byshop: blessed, sayd he, am I that am cursed at your hands. We haue nothing now but, thus will I. For as þ^e Bishop saith, so must it be. And now heresie is to turne the truth of Gods word into lyes, and that doe you, meaning the Byshop and his fellowes.

Thus this valiaūt souldiour fightyng for the Gospell and sincere doctrine of Gods truth and Religion, against falsehode and errour, was committed with his fellowes to the secular power.

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Iohn Hallingdale, William Sparrow, Richard Gibson, An. 1557. Nouemb. 18.And so these three godly men, Iohn Hallingdale, William Sparrow, and M. Gibson, being thus appointed to the slaughter, were the xij. day after theyr condemnation (which was the xviij. daye of the sayd moneth of Nouember) burnt in Smithfield in Londō. And beyng brought thether to the stake, after their prayer made, they were bound therunto with chaines, and wood set vnto them, and after wood, fire, in the which being compassed about, and the fiery flames cōsuming their flesh, at the last they yelded gloriously and ioyfully their soules and liues into the holy handes of the Lord, to whose tuition and gouernement, I commend the good reader, Amen.

¶ It is a litle aboue declared in this storie of Richard Gibson, how Boner ministred vnto the said Gibson certayne Articles, to the number of ix. Now let vs see likewise the Articles which the sayd Gibson ministred agayne to Boner, accordyng to the same number of ix. for him to aunswere vnto, as by the same here vnder written may appeare.

Marginalia1.MarginaliaGibsons questions or demaundes put to B. Boner.VVHether the holy Scriptures of God, written by Moses & other holy Prophetes of God, through faithe that is in Christe Iesus, is auailable doctrine to make all men in all thinges vnto saluation learned without the helpe of any other doctrine or no.

Marginalia2.What is authoritie and from whence it commeth, to whom it apperteineth, and to what end it tendeth.

Marginalia3.Whether the holy word of God, as it is written, doth sufficiently teach all men, of what dignitie, estate, or callyng by office soeuer he or they be, their full, true, & lawful duety in their office: and whether euery man of what dignitie, estate, or callyng by office soeuer he, or they be, are bound vpon the payne of eternall damnation, in all thinges to doe as they are hereby taught and commaunded, and in no wise to leaue vndone any thyng that is to be done, beyng taught and commaunded by the same.

Marginalia4.Whether any man, the Lord Iesu Christ God and man onely except, by the holy ordinaunce of God euer was, is, or shalbe Lord ouer faith, and by what lawful authoritie any mā, of what dignitie, estate, or callyng by office soeuer he or they be, maie vse Lordship or power ouer any man for faith sake or for the secrecie of his cōscience.

Marginalia5.By what lawfull authoritie or power any mā, of what dignitie, estate, or callyng soeuer he or they be, maie be so bold as to altar or chaunge the holy ordinaunces of God, or any of them, or any part of them.

Marginalia6.By what euident tokens Antichrist in his ministers maie bee knowne, seyng it is written that Sathan can chaunge him selfe into the similitude of an Aungell of light, and his ministers fashion them selues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, and how it may be knowen to hym that is desirous thereof, when he is one of that number or in the daunger thereof, or when he is otherwise.

Marginalia7.What the Beast is, the which maketh warre with the Saintes of God, and doth not onely kill them, but also will suffer none to bye nor sell, but such as worship hys image, or receiue his marke in their right handes, or in their foreheades, his name or the number of his name, or do worship his image, which by the iust and terrible sentence of god already decreed, shalbe punished in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the lambe: