1576 Edition | Book 12 | Page 1994 
MarginaliaAn. 1558.bene there at breakefast, as they went a maying.
MarginaliaThe Congregation againe deliuered.An other tyme also about the great condit, they passyng there through a very straite Alley, into a Clothworkers loft, were espied, and the Shrieffes sent for: but before they came, they hauyng priuie knowledge thereof immediatly shifted away out of the alley, Iohn Auales standyng alone in the Mercers Chapppel staryng at them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe congregation in a ship at Billinsgate.An other like escape they made in a ship at Billinsgate, belongyng to a certaine good man of Ley, where in the open sight of the people they were congregated together, & yet through Gods mightie power escaped.
MarginaliaThe congregation in a ship betwixt Ratcliffe and Redriffe.Betwixt Ratcliffe and Redriffe, in a ship, called Iesus Ship, twise or thrise they assembled hauing there closely, after their accustomed maner, both Sermon, praier, and Communion, and yet through the protection of the Lorde they returned, although not vnspyed, yet vntaken.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe congregation in a Coupers house in Puddyng lane.Moreouer in a Coupers house in Puddyng Lane, so neare they were to perill and daungers, that Iohn Auales commyng into the house where they were, talked with the good man of the house, and after he had asked a question or twoo, departed, God so woorkyng that either he had no knowedge of them, or no power to apprehend them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe congregation in a house in Thamis streete.But they neuer escaped more hardly, then once in Thamis streete in the night time, where the house being beset with enemies, yet as the Lorde would, they were deliuered by the meanes of a Mariner, who being at that present in the same company, and seeyng no other way to auoyde, pluckt of his slops, and swame to the next Boate, and so rowed the company ouer, vsing his shoes in steede of owres, and so the ieopardy was dispatched.
[Back to Top]I haue heard of one who being sent to them to take their names, and to espy their doinges, yet in beeyng amongest them, was cōuerted and cried them al mercy.
MarginaliaAn other notable example of Gods merciful prouidence.What should I speake of the extreame and present daunger which that godly cōpany was in at the taking of master Rough their minister, and Cutbert Simson their Deacon, had not the Lordes prouidence geuen knowledge before to master Rough in his sleepe, that Cutbert should leaue behind him at home the booke of all their names, whiche hee was wont to cary about him? wherof mention is made before pag. 1925.
[Back to Top]In this church or congregation were sometyme xl. sometymes an hundred, sometimes two hundred, sometymes mo, and sometimes lesse. About the latter tyme of Q. Mary it greatly increased. From the first beginning, whiche was about the first entry of Q Maries reigne, they had diuers Ministers, MarginaliaThe Ministers of this congregation.first master Scamler, then Thomas Fowle, after hym Master Rough, then Master Austen Bernher, and last M. Bentham.
CloseIn the 1563 edition, Foxe states that Bentham led the London congregation, along with Robert Cole. The mention of Cole was dropped from the 1570 edition.
MarginaliaA story of Master Bentham.At what time the seuen last burned in Smithfield, mencioned in this booke before, pag. 1934.
CloseSee 1563, pp. 1658-61; 1570, pp. 2235-40; 1576, pp. 1930-33 and 1583, pp. 2037-42.
It was appointed before of the godly there standing together, which was a great multitude, that so sone as the prisoners should be brought, they should go to them to embrace and to comfort them: and so they did. For as the saide Martyrs were commyng toward the place in the people sight, beyng brought with bills and glaiues (as the custome is) the godly multitude and Congregation with a generall sway made toward the Prisoners, in such maner, that the bylmen and the other Officers beyng all thrust backe, could nothyng doe, nor any thing come nigh. MarginaliaThe congregation embracing the Martyrs contrary to the Proclamation.So the godly people meetyng and embracing and kissing them, brought them in their armes (which might as easely haue conueied them cleane away) vnto the place where they should suffer.
[Back to Top]This done, and the people geuyng place to the Officers, the Proclamation with a loud voyce was read to the people, containyng (as is before saide) in the Kyng
and Queenes name, that no man should pray for them, or once speake a word vnto them. &c. M. Bentham,
CloseFoxe is drawing this account from a letter Bentham sent to Thomas Lever describing the incident. The letter is in Foxe's papers: BL, Harley MS 416, fo. 63r-v.
MarginaliaAn other deliuery of Master Bentham out of great perill.The said M. Bentham an other tyme, as he passed through S. Katherines, intendyng to walke and take the ayre abroad, was enforced by two or three men, approching vpon him, needes to go with them to a place whether they would lead him. M. Bentham astonied at the sodainnes of the matter, and maruellyng what the thing should be, required what their purpose was, or whether they would haue him. They aunswered, that by the occasion of a man there found drowned, the Crowners quest was called and charged to sit vppon him of the whiche quest he must of necessitie be one. &c. He againe, loth to medle in the matter, excused hym selfe, alleagyng that in such kind of matters he had no skill, and lesse experience: if it would please them to let him goe, they should meete with other more meete for their purpose. But when with this they would not bee satisfied, he alleaged further, that he was a scholer of Oxford, and therby was priuileged from beyng of any inquest. The Crowner demaunded the sight of his priuilege. He saide, if he would geue him leaue, he would fetch it. MarginaliaMaster Bentham forced against his will to sit in the Crowners quest.Then said the Crowner: the Queene must bee serued without all delay, and so constrained him notwithstandyng to be with them in hearyng the matter.
[Back to Top]Beyng brought to the house where the Crowner and the rest of the quest were sitting, as the maner is, a booke was offred him to sweare vpon. M. Bentham opening the booke, and seing it was a papisticall Primer, MarginaliaMaster Bentham refuseth to sweare vpon a Popishe Primer.refused to sweare therupon, and declared moreouer what Superstition in that booke was contained. What, said the Crowner? I thinke we shall haue here an hereticke among vs. And vpon that, after much reasonyng amongest them, he was committed to the custody of an officer till further examination: by occasion wherof, to all mens reason, hard it had bene and ineuitable for M. Bentham to haue escaped, had not the lord helped where man was not able. What followed? MarginaliaMeanes wrought wherby master Bentham escape.Incontinent as they were thus contendyng and debatyng about matters of heresie, sodeinly commeth the Crowner of the Admiralty, disanulling and repealyng the order and callyng of that inquest, for that it was (as he said) pertainyng to his office, and therefore the other Crowner and his company in that place had nothyng to do: And so the first Crowner was discharged and displaced: by reason wherof M. Bentham escaped their handes, hauyng no more said vnto hym.
CloseAn account of Robert Cole's near arrest by Cyriac Petit appeared here in the 1563 edition. It was dropped from the 1570 edition as were other mentions of Cole's heroic resistance in Mary's reign. The reason for this purge was Robert Cole's public support for Matthew Parker's campaign to force clergy to wear the vestments, a campaign which Foxe vigorously opposed. (Cole's actions are described in John Strype, The Life and Acts of the Most Reverend Father in God, Edmund Grindal [Oxford, 1821], pp. 144-45).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaEnglishe men at Calice preserued.THe worthy workes of the Lordes mercy toward his people bee manifold and can not be comprehended, so that who is he liuyng in the earth almost who hath not experienced the helpyng hand of the Lorde, at some tyme or other vpon hym? Amongest many other, what a peece of Gods tender prouidence was shewed of late vppon our Englishe brethren and countrey men, what tyme Calyce was taken by the Tirant Guise, a cruell enemy both to Gods truth and to our English nation? And yet by the gratious prouision of the Lorde few or none at all, of so many that fauoured Christ & his Gospell, in that terrible spoyle miscaried. In the number of whom there was a godly couple, one Iohn ThorpeMarginaliaIohn Thorpe and his wife. and his wife, whiche feared the Lorde, and loued his truth, who beyng sicke the same tyme, and cast out into the wild fieldes, harboureles, desolate, and despayryng of all hope of life, hauyng their young infant moreouer taken from them in the said fieldes, and caryed away of the souldiours: yet the Lorde so wrought, that the poore woman beyng almost past recouery of life, was fet and caried, the space welnigh of a mile, by straungers whom they neuer knewe, into a village, where both she was recouered for that night, and also þe next
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