I trust my cause to be good and true:Marginalia* Marke here these subtill Serpentes which when they cā not remoue thys good man from hys faith, they goe about to bryng hym in doubt therof. * but if I should erre, truly I would be sory and repent. Wherunto George Carpenter aunswered: God suffer me not to erre I besech hym. Then sayd the Scholemaster vnto hym, do not put the matter in that hasarde, but chuse vnto you some good Christian brother, Maister Conrade, or some other, vnto whom thou mayst reuele thy hart: not to confesse thy selfe, but to take some godly counsayle of him. Wherunto he aunswered: Nay not so, for it would be to long. Then Maister Conrade began the Lordes Prayer, Our father which art in heauen. Where vnto Carpenter aunswered, truly thou art our father and no other: this day I trust to be with thee.MarginaliaThe aunsweres of George Carpenter to euery particle of the Lordes prayer. Then Maister Conrade went forwarde with the prayer, saying: Halowed be thy name. Carpenter aunswered: O my God, how little is thy name halowed in this world? Then sayd maister Conrade. Thy kyngdome come. Carpenter aunswered: let thy kyngdome come this day vnto me, that I also may come vnto thy kyngdome. Then sayd Conrade: Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen. Carpenter aūswered: For this cause O father, I am now here, that thy will might be fulfilled & not myne. Then sayd Maister Conrade: Geue vs this day our dayly bread. Carpenter aunswered: the onely liuyng bread Iesu Christ shall be my foode. Then sayd Conrade: And forgeue vs our trespasses, as we forgeue them that trespasse agaynst vs. Carpēter aunswered: with a willyng mynde do I forgeue all mē, both my frendes and aduersaries. Then sayd maister Conrade: And leade vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from all euill. Whereunto Carpenter aunswered: O my Lord, without doubt thou shalt deliuer me, for vpō thee onely haue I layd all my hope. Then he begā to rehearse the belief, saying: I beleue in God the father almighty. Carpenter aunswered: O my God, in thee alone do I trust: in thee onely is all my confidence, and vpō no other creature, albeit they haue gone about to force me otherwise. In this maner he aūswered to euery word: which his aunsweres, if they should be described at length, would be to long. This prayer ended, the Scholemaister sayd vnto hym: doest thou beleue so truly and constantly in thy Lord and God with thy hart, as thou doest chearefully seeme to confesse him with thy mouth? Hereunto he aunswered:MarginaliaThe hartie confession of George Carpenter. It were a very hard matter for me, if that I which am here ready to suffer death, should not beleue that with my hart, whiche I openly professe with my mouth: For I knew before, that I must suffer persecutiō, if I would cleaue vnto Christ: who saith, where as thy harte is, there also is thy treasure,MarginaliaLuke. 12.
Whatsoeuer a mā loueth aboue God that he maketh his Idoll. & whatsoeuer thyng a man doth fixe in his hart to loue aboue God, that he maketh his Idoll. Then sayd maister Conrade vnto hym, George doest thou thinke it necessary after thy death, that any man should pray for thee, or say Masse for thee? He aunswered: so long as the soule is ioyned to the body, pray God for me that he will geue me grace and pacience, with all humilitie, to suffer the paynes of death with a true Christian fayth:MarginaliaGeorge Carpenter refuseth to be prayed for after hys death. but when the soule is separate from the body, then haue I no more neede of your prayers. When as the hangman should bynde hym to the ladder, he preached much vnto the people. Then he was desired by certaine Christian brethren, that as soone as he was cast into the fire, he should geue some signe or token, what his fayth or beleue was.MarginaliaThe constant behauiour of George Carpenter at his death. To whom he aunswered: this shall be my signe and token: that so long as I can open my mouth, I will not cease to call vpon the name of Iesus.

Behold (good reader) what an incredible cōstancie was in this godly man, such as lightly hath not been sene in any man before. His face and countenaunce neuer chaunged colour, but chearefully he went vnto the fire. In the middest (sayth he) of the towne, this day will I cōfesse my God before the whole world. When he was layde vpon the ladder, and the hangman put a bagge of gunnepouder about hys necke, he sayd, let it so be, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost.MarginaliaThe death and martirdome of George Carpenter. And when as the two hangmen lifted hym vp vpon the ladder, smilyng he bad a certaine Christian farewell, requiryng forgeuenes of hym. That done, the hangman thrust him into the fire. He with a loude voyce cryed out Iesus, Iesus. Then the hangman turned hym ouer: and he agayne for a certaine space, cryed Iesus, Iesus, and so ioyfully yelded vp his spirite.

MarginaliaThe history of Leonard Keyser. HEre also is not to be passed ouer the marueilous constācie of M. Leonard Keyser of the countrey of Bauaria, who was burned for the Gospel. This Keyser was of the towne of Rawbe, 4. myles frō Passaw, of a famous house. This mā beyng at hys study in Wyttenberge, was sent for by his brethren which certified him, that if euer he would see his father aliue, he should come with spede: which thing he did. He was scarsly come thether, when as by the com maundement of the Byshop of Passawe, he was taken by his mother & his brethren. The Articles which he was accused of, for the which also he was most cruelly put to death and shed his bloud for the testimony of the truth, were these.

That fayth onely iustifieth.
That workes are the frutes of fayth.
That the Masse is no sacrifice or oblation.
Item, for confession, satisfaction, the vow of chastitie, Purgatory, differēce of dayes, for affirming onely two Sacramentes, and inuocation of Saintes.
He also maintayned iij. kyndes of confession.

MarginaliaArticles agaynst Leonard Keyser. The first to be of fayth, which is alwayes necessary.

The second of charitie, whiche serueth when any man hath offended his neighbour, to whom he ought to reconcile himselfe agayne, as a man may see by that whiche is written in Math. 18.

The third which is not to be despised, is to aske counsaile of the auncient Ministers of the Church. MarginaliaVid. sup. pag. 822. 830. And for somuch as all this was contrary to the Bull of Pope Leo, and the Emperours decree made at Wormes, sentence was geuen agaynst hym, that he should be disgraded and put into the handes of the secular power.MarginaliaPersecutours. The persecuters that sat in Iudgement vpon him, were the Byshop of Passaw: the Suffragans of Ratisbone, & of Passaw: also Doctour Eckius, beyng garded about with armed men. His brethren and kinsfolkes made great intercession to haue his iudgement differred & put of, that the matter might be more exactly knowen. Also Iohn Fridericke Duke of Saxonie, and the Earles of Schauuenburge, and of Schunartzen, wrote to the Byshop for hym, but could not preuayle. After the sentence was geuen, he was caryed by a company of harnessed men, out of the Citie agayne, to Scherdingham. 13. of August.MarginaliaHasty iudgement against Leonard Keyser. Where Christopher Frenkinger the ciuile iudge receauyng hym, had letters sent him frō Duke Williē of Bauaria, that forthwith tarying for no other iudgement he should be burned alyue. Whereupon the good and blessed Martyr early in the mornyng, beyng roūded and shauen, and clothed in a short gowne, and a blacke cappe set vpon his head all cut and iagged, so was deliuered to the officer. As he was led out of the towne, to the place where as he should suffer, he boldly & hardyly spake in the Almaine toung, turnyng his head, first on the one side, and then on the other, saying: O Lord Iesu remaine with me, sustayne and helpe me, and geue me force and power.

MarginaliaThe martyrdome of Leonard Keyser. Then the woode was made ready to be set on fire, and he began to cry with a loude voyce: O Iesus, I am thyne, haue mercy vpon me, and saue me, and therewithall he felt the fire begin sharply vnder his feete, his handes, and about his head: and because the fire was not great inough, the hangman plucked the body halfe burnt, with a long hooke, from vnderneath the wood. Then he made a great hole in the body, through the which he thrust a stake, and cast hym agayne into the fire, and so made an end of burnyng. This was the blessed end of that good man, which suffered for the testimony of the truth, the 16. day of August, in the yeare of our Lord. 1526. Ex 6. tomo operum Lutheri.

MarginaliaWendelmuta widowe, Martyr. IN Holland also the same yeare. 1527. was Martyred and burned a good and vertuous widow, named Wendelmuta, daughter of Nicholas of Munchendam. This widow receauyng to her hart the brightnes of Gods grace, by the appearyng of the Gospell, was therfore apprehended and committed to custody in the Castle of Werden, & shortly after, from thence was brought to Hage the 15. day of Nouember there to appeare at the generall Sessions of that countrey: Where was present Hochstratus, Lord Presidēt of the sayd County, who also sat vpon her the 17. day of the foresayd moneth. Diuers Monkes were appointed there to talke with her, to the end they myght conuince her, and wynne her to recāt, but she constātly persisting in the truth, wherein she was plāted, would not be remoued. Many also of her kyndred & other honest women were suffered to persuade w^t her. Amōg whō there was a certaine noble matron, who loued and fauoured dearely the sayd widow beyng in prison. This matrone comming, and commonyng with her, in her talke sayd: My Wendelmuta, why doest thou not keepe silence, & thinke secretly in thyne hart, these thynges whiche thou beleuest, that thou mayst prolong here thy dayes and lyfe?MarginaliaReligion would be professed as well wyth tounge as with hart. To whom she aunswered agayne, Ah (sayd she) you know not what ye say. It is written: With the hart we beleue to righteousnes, with toung we confesse, to saluatiō. &c. MarginaliaRom. 10. And thus she remainyng firme & stedfast in her beliefe and confession, the 20. day of Nouember was condēned by sentence geuen, as agaynst an hereticke, to be burned to ashes and her goodes to be confiscate, she taking the sentence of her condemnation mildely and quietly.