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PrefaceBook 1Book 2Book 3Book 4Book 5Book 6Book 7Book 8Book 9Book 10Book 11Book 12
Thematic Divisions in Book 11
1. The Martyrdom of Rogers 2. The Martyrdom of Saunders 3. Saunders' Letters 4. Hooper's Martyrdom 5. Hooper's Letters 6. Rowland Taylor's Martyrdom 7. Becket's Image and other events 8. Miles Coverdale and the Denmark Letters 9. Bonner and Reconciliation 10. Judge Hales 11. The Martyrdom of Thomas Tomkins 12. The Martyrdom of William Hunter 13. The Martyrdom of Higbed and Causton 14. The Martyrdom of Pigot, Knight and Laurence 15. Robert Farrar's Martyrdom 16. The Martyrdom of Rawlins/Rowland White17. The Restoration of Abbey Lands and other events in Spring 155518. The Providential Death of the Parson of Arundel 19. The Martyrdom of John Awcocke 20. The Martyrdom of George Marsh 21. The Letters of George Marsh 22. The Martyrdom of William Flower 23. The Martyrdom of Cardmaker and Warne 24. Letters of Warne and Cardmaker 25. The Martyrdom of Ardley and Simpson 26. John Tooly 27. The Examination of Robert Bromley [nb This is part of the Tooly affair]28. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes 29. Letters of Haukes 30. The Martyrdom of Thomas Watts 31. Mary's False Pregnancy32. Censorship Proclamation 33. Our Lady' Psalter 34. Martyrdom of Osmund, Bamford, Osborne and Chamberlain35. The Martyrdom of John Bradford 36. Bradford's Letters 37. William Minge 38. James Trevisam 39. The Martyrdom of John Bland 40. The Martyrdom of Frankesh, Middleton and Sheterden 41. Sheterden's Letters 42. Examinations of Hall, Wade and Polley 43. Martyrdom of Christopher Wade 44. Nicholas Hall45. Margery Polley46. Martyrdom of Carver and Launder 47. Martyrdom of Thomas Iveson 48. John Aleworth 49. Martyrdom of James Abbes 50. Martyrdom of Denley, Newman and Pacingham 51. Martyrdom of John Newman52. Richard Hooke 53. Martyrdom of William Coker, et al 54. Martyrdom of George Tankerfield, et al 55. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Smith 56. Martyrdom of Harwood and Fust 57. Martyrdom of William Haile 58. George King, Thomas Leyes and John Wade 59. William Andrew 60. Martyrdom of Robert Samuel 61. Samuel's Letters 62. William Allen 63. Martyrdom of Thomas Cobb 64. Martyrdom of Catmer, Streater, Burwood, Brodbridge, Tutty 65. Martyrdom of Hayward and Goreway 66. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Glover 67. Cornelius Bungey 68. John and William Glover 69. Martyrdom of Wolsey and Pigot 70. Life and Character of Nicholas Ridley 71. Ridley and Latimer's Conference 72. Ridley's Letters 73. Life of Hugh Latimer 74. Latimer's Letters 75. Ridley and Latimer Re-examined and Executed76. More Letters of Ridley 77. Life and Death of Stephen Gardiner 78. Martyrdom of Webb, Roper and Park 79. William Wiseman 80. James Gore 81. Examinations and Martyrdom of John Philpot 82. Philpot's Letters 83. Martyrdom of Thomas Whittle, Barlett Green, et al 84. Letters of Thomas Wittle 85. Life of Bartlett Green 86. Letters of Bartlett Green 87. Thomas Browne 88. John Tudson 89. John Went 90. Isobel Foster 91. Joan Lashford 92. Five Canterbury Martyrs 93. Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer 94. Letters of Cranmer 95. Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield 96. Persecution in Salisbury Maundrell, Coberly and Spicer 97. William Tyms, et al 98. Letters of Tyms 99. The Norfolk Supplication 100. Martyrdom of John Harpole and Joan Beach 101. John Hullier 102. Hullier's Letters 103. Christopher Lister and five other martyrs 104. Hugh Lauerocke and John Apprice 105. Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thacknell, et al 106. Thomas Drury and Thomas Croker 107. Thomas Spicer, John Deny and Edmund Poole 108. Persecution of Winson and Mendlesam 109. Gregory Crow 110. William Slech 111. Avington Read, et al 112. Wood and Miles 113. Adherall and Clement 114. A Merchant's Servant Executed at Leicester 115. Thirteen Burnt at Stratford-le-Bow116. Persecution in Lichfield 117. Hunt, Norrice, Parret 118. Martyrdom of Bernard, Lawson and Foster 119. Examinations of John Fortune120. John Careless 121. Letters of John Careless 122. Martyrdom of Julius Palmer 123. Agnes Wardall 124. Peter Moone and his wife 125. Guernsey Martyrdoms 126. Dungate, Foreman and Tree 127. Martyrdom of Thomas More128. Examination of John Jackson129. Examination of John Newman 130. Martyrdom of Joan Waste 131. Martyrdom of Edward Sharpe 132. Four Burnt at Mayfield at Sussex 133. John Horne and a woman 134. William Dangerfield 135. Northampton Shoemaker 136. Prisoners Starved at Canterbury 137. More Persecution at Lichfield
Critical Apparatus for this Page
View an Image of this PageCattley Pratt ReferencesCommentary on the Text
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1522 [1498]

Queene Mary. M. Saunders his examination, caryed to Couentry, and burned to ashes.

MarginaliaAnno 1555. February.as Christ required thē to be denyed, and geuē in his cause,

And now to come to the examination of this good man; after that the Bishops had kept him one whole yeare and a quarter in prison, at the length they called him, as they did the rest of his felowes, MarginaliaM. Saūders brought to examination.openly to be examined. Of the which his first examination the effect and purpose thus foloweth.

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¶ The Examination of Laurence Saunders.  
Cattley Pratt   *   Close
Cattley/Pratt, VI, Addenda: ref page 625, line 14 from the bottom

This Examination of Saunders is given in the Emmanuel Coll. MSS. 2. 2, which begins, "It is not vnknown," and ends, "Pray for me wretched sinner." This can hardly be called Saunders's "first examination;" this appearance was most likely that mentioned ... as occurring January 30th. Strype gives a longer list of persons present as judges, than Foxe does in that place; viz. the bishops of Durham, Worcester, Ely, Lincoln, Bath and Wells, Norwich, Lichfield, and Carlisle, as "co-assessors," and "the Duke of Norfolk, the Lord Wharton, the Lord Lumley, Leonard Chamberlayn, and Robert Drury, Knights; Thomas Hussey, John Vaughan, Thomas Martyn, Esqrs.; R. [perhaps Edward Wotton, and John Warner, doctors in physic; Hugh Coren, David Poole, Nicholas Harpesfield, doctors of law; Thomas Watson, John Seton, doctors of divinity; Philip Morgan, John Boxal, Seth Holland, bachelors in divinity; Richard Chandler, Archdeacon of Sarum, and very many others." (Memorials.) Still it is hardly correct to say, as Foxe does three lines lower, that Saunders was then "convented before the Queen's most honourable Privy Council, sundry bishops being present."

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Commentary   *   Close

In 1563, this is headed Laurence Saunders' first examination. Apparently, as a later comment by Foxe makes clear, Gardiner examined Saunders twice.

PRaysed be our gracious God who preserueth his from euill, and doth geue them grace to auoyd al such offēces as might hinder his honor, or hurt his Church. Amen.

MarginaliaThe first examination of M. Saūders.Being conuented before the Queenes most honorable Councell, sundry bishops being present, the Lord Chauncellor began to speake in such forme as foloweth.

L. Chan. It is not vnknowne, that you haue bene Prisoner for such abhominable heresies & false doctrine as hath bene sowne by you: and now it is thought good that mercy be shewed to such as seeke for it Wherfore if now you will shew your selfe conformable, & come home agayne, mercy is ready. We must say that we haue fallen in maner all: but now we bee risen agayne, and returned to the Catholicke churche, you must rise with vs, and come home vnto it. Geue vs forthwith a direct aunswere.

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Saun. My Lord, and my Lordes all, my it please your honors to geue me leaue to aunswere with deliberation.

Chan. Leaue of your painting and pride of speech. For such is the fashion of you all, to please your selues in your glorious wordes. Aunswere, yea or nay.

MarginaliaM. Saunders standeth vpon his conscience.Saund. My Lord, it is no time for me now to paynt. And as for pride, there is no great cause why it should be in me. My learning I confesse to be but small: and as for riches or worldly wealth I haue none at all. Notwithstanding it standeth me in hand to aūswere to your demaund circumspectly, considering that one of these two extreme perilles are like to fall vpon me: the losing of a good conscience, or þe losing of this my bodye and life. And I tell you trueth, I loue both life and liberty, if I coulde enioy them without the hurt of my conscience.

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Chan. Conscience? you haue none at all, but pride and arrogancy, * Marginalia* Of this diuiding speaketh S. Paule. 2. Cor. 6. & Ierem. 50. Come out and diuide your selues from them. &c.deuiding your selues by singularitye from the Church.

Saund. The Lorde is the knower of all mens consciences. And where your Lordship layeth to my charge thys deuiding my selfe from the Church (as you do mean, & is now among you concluded vpon, as I do vnderstand) I do assure you, that I lyue in the fayth wherein I haue bene brought vp sithens I was 14. yeare old: being taught that the power of the B. of Rome is but vsurped, wt many other abuses springing thereof. Yea, this I haue receiued euen at your hands that are here present, as a thing agreed vpon by the Catholicke Church and publicke authority.MarginaliaArgument. Conscience ought neuer to stand vpon things vncertaine. Tyme and authoritye be thinges of themselues alwayes vncertayne: Ergo, conscience ought neuer to stand vpon tyme and authoritye.

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Chan. Yea mary, but I pray you, haue you receiued by cōsent and authoritye all your heresies of the blessed Sacrament of the aultar?

Saund. My Lorde, it is lesse offence to cutte off an arme, hand, or ioynt of a man, then to cut of the head. For þe man may liue though he do lacke an arme, hand or ioynt, and so he can not without his head. But you, all the whole sort of you, haue agreed to cut of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, whome now you will haue to be the head of your Church agayne.

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Bish. of Lond. And if it like your Lordship, I haue his hand agaynst the blessed sacrament. How say you to that?MarginaliaSi non insanit satis sua sponte, instiga.

Saunders. What I haue written, that I haue written, and farther I will not accuse my selfe. Nothing haue you to burden me withall, for breaking of your lawes since they were in force.

Chan. Well, you be obstinate and refuse liberty.

Saund. My Lord, I may not buy liberty at suche a pryce: MarginaliaA lawfull request, but it could not be heard.but I beseech your honours to be meanes to the Queenes Maiesty for suche a pardon for vs, that wee may liue and keep our consciences vnclogged, and we shal liue as most obedient subiectes. Otherwise, I must say for my selfe, that by Gods grace I will abide the moste extremity that man may do against me, rather then to do against my consciēce.

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Chan. Ah Syrra, you will liue as you list. The Donatistes did desire to liue in singularity: MarginaliaTo liue as the Scripture leadeth vs, is not to liue as we list. The Papists desire the Pope, the Protestants Christ onely to be their head: Now which of these two be most like the Donatistes. but in deed they were not meete to liue on earth: no more be you, and that shall you vnderstand within these seuen dayes: and therefore away with him.

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Saund. Welcome be it, whatsoeuer the will of God shalbe, either life or death. And I tell you truely, I haue learned to dye. But I exhort you to beware of shedding of innocēt bloud. Truly it will cry. The spirite of God rest vpon all your honors, Amen. This is the summe and forme of my

first examination. Pray. &c.

This examination being ended the officers led him out of the place, & so stayed vntill the rest of his fellowes were likewise handled, that they might haue them altogether to prison. Laurence Saunders standing among the Officers seing there a great multitude of people, MarginaliaM. Saunders freely preacheth Christ.opened his mouth and spake freely, warning them wel of that, which by their falling from Christ to Antichrist they did deserue; & therefore exhorting them by repentaunce to rise agayne, and to embrace Christ with stronger fayth, to confesse him to the end, in the defiance of Antichrist, sinne, death & the deuill: so should they reteine the Lordes fauor and blessing.

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MarginaliaThe 2. examination here lacketh.The copyes of his other examinations and excommunication came to the hands of such as do keepe them still in secret.  

Commentary   *   Close

Foxe is prodding anyone who might have a copy of Saunders' other examination or any of his other writings to make them available to him.

But in them as he defended Christes cause stoutly: so warned he the Pharisaicall bishops and papists, of their hypocrisy and tyranny freely, and cleared himselfe of theyr vniust quarrellinges truly. MarginaliaM. Saunders deliuered to the secular power.After he was excommunicate and deliuered to the secular power, he was brought by the Shriffe of London, to the prison called the Counter in his owne parish in Breadstreet: whereat he reioyced greatly, both because he found there a felow prisoner, M. Cardmaker, with whom he had Christian and comfortable conference, and also because out of prison, as before out of a pulpit, he might preach to his parishners: as by his letter here after shall be declared.

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MarginaliaM. Saunders degraded by B. Boner. THe fourth day of February, the Bishop of London did come to the prisō where he was, to disgrade him: which when he had done, Laurence Saunders sayd to hym: I thanke God I am none of your Church.

MarginaliaM. Saunders caryed to Couentrye.The day folowing in the morning, the Shriffe of London deliuered him to certayn of the Queenes Gard, which were appoynted to cary him to the City of Couētry, there to be burned. The fyrst night they came to S. Albōs, wher M. Grimoald (a man who had more store of good giftes, then of great constancy) did speake with him.

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After M. Saunders had geuen him a lesson meete for his lightnes, he tooke a cup into his hand, and asked him if he would pledge him of that cup, of which he would begin to him.  

Commentary   *   Close

Saunders is referring to Christ's words in the garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42).

Grimoald by his shrugging and shrinking shewing what he was, sayd: of that cup which is in your hand, I will pledge you: but of that other which you meane, I will not promise you. Well sayde Mayster Saunders, my deare Lord Iesus Christ hath begon to me  
Cattley Pratt   *   Close
Cattley/Pratt, VI, 627, fn 1

"Begun to me" seems to be equivalent to "hath challenged." Bishop Hall, in his Contemplations (The two Sons of Zebedee), writes, "O blessed Saviour, we pledge thee according to our weakness who hast begun to us in thy powerful sufferings;" and Herbert has "My flesh began unto my soul," page 94. Lond. 1824. See also Hanmer's Translation of Evagrius, book i. cap. 11. Bishop Reynolds, in his "Meditations on the Lord's Last Supper," (chap. 8.) furnishes another example of the same idiom; "Because he himself did begin unto us in a more bitter cup." - ED. Appendix: ref page 627, note Additional instances may be cited from Strype's "Ecclesiastical Memorials," under Mary (chap. 23), p. 187, old ed.; vol. iv. p. 308, edit. 1816: - "Then was there a cup of wine called for, and the sheriff began unto me, and willed me to drink to the Marshall's men, and so I did." Also from Bishop Jewel, on the 1 Epist. Thess. iii. 3: - "Drink the cup of bitter gall, whereof Christ began to thee; and carry thy cross, that thou mayst folow him." And another instance may be seen in Dr. Thomas James' "Explanation of Ten Articles," 1625, p. 34.

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of a more bitter cup then mine shall be, and shall I not pledge my most sweet Sauior? yes I hope.

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After they were come to Country, MarginaliaA good Shoomaker of Couentrye.the same nyght a poor Shoomaker, which was wont to serue him of shoes, came to him after his maner & sayd: O my good Mayster God strengthen and comfort you. Gramercies good Shoomaker, quoth M. Saunders, and I pray thee to pray for me: for I am the vnmeetest man for this high office, that euer was appoynted to it: but my gracious God and deare father is able to make me strōg enough. MarginaliaM. Saunders put in the common gayle in Couentrye.That same night he was put into the common Gayle among other prisoners, where he slept litle, but spent the night in prayer, and instructing of others.

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MarginaliaFebruary. 8. M. Saunders brought to the place of execution.The next day, which was the viij. of Februarye hee was lead to the place of execution in the Parcke without the City, going in an old gowne, and a shyerte, barefooted, and afttimes fell flat on the ground and prayed.  

Commentary   *   Close

There is a considerable similarity to Hugh Latimer's costume at his execution. This suggests that Saunders's garb was part of a deliberate strategy of self-presentation, probably designed to evoke Christ's passion.

When he was come nigh to the place, the Officer appoynted to see þe execution done, sayd to M. Saunders, that he was one of them which marred the Queenes Realme with false doctrine and heresy: wherfore thou hast deserued death (quoth he) but yet if thou wilt reuoke thy heresies, þe Queene hath pardoned thee: if not, yonder fire is prepared for thee. To whom M. Saunders aunswered: it is not I, nor my felow Preachers of Gods truth, that haue hurt the queenes Realme, MarginaliaAchab accuseth Elia for troubling Israell.but it is your selfe, & such as you are, which haue alwayes resisted Gods holy word: it is you which haue & do marre the Queenes Realme. I do hold no heresies, but the doctrine of God, the blessed Gospel of Christ: that hold I, that beleue I, that haue I taught, and that will I neuer reuoke. With that this Tormentor cryed, away with him and away from him went M. Saunders with a mery courage towardes the fire. He fell to the ground, and prayed: he rose vppe agayn, & tooke the stake to which he shuld be chayned, in his armes and kissed it saying: Welcome the Crosse of Christ, welcome euerlasting life: and being fastened to the stake, and fire put to him, full sweetely he slepte in the Lord.

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And thus haue ye the full history of Laurēce Saūders whom I may well compare to S. Laurence, or any other of the old Martyrs of Christes church: both for the feruent zeale of the truth and Gospell of Christ, & the most cōstant pacience in his suffering: as also for the cruell tormēts that

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