Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Soon after the execution of Cromwell, Dr. Cuthbert Barnes, Thomas Garnet, and William
Jerome, were brought before the ecclesiastical court of the bishop of London, and accused of
heresy. Being before the bishop of London, Dr. Barnes was asked whether the saints prayed
for us? To this he answered, that "he would leave that to God; but (said he) I will pray for
you."
On the thirteenth of July, 1541, these men were brought from the Tower to Smithfield,
where they were all chained to one stake; and there suffered death with a constancy that
nothing less than a firm faith in Jesus Christ could inspire.
One Thomas Sommers, an honest merchant, with three others, was thrown into prison,
for reading some of Luther's books, and they were condemned to carry those books to a fire
in Cheapside; there they were to throw them in the flames; but Sommers threw his over, for
which he was sent back to the Tower, where he was stoned to death.
Dreadful persecutions were at this time carried on at Lincoln, under Dr. Longland, the
bishop of that diocese. At Buckingham, Thomas Bainard, and James Moreton, the one for
reading the Lord's Prayer in English, and the other for reading St. James' Epistles ion English,
were both condemned and burnt alive.
Anthony Parsons, a priest, together with two others, was sent to Windsor, to be examined
concerning heresy; and several articles were tendered to them to subscribe, which they
refused. This was carried on by the bishop of Salisbury, who was the most violent persecutor
of any in that age, except Bonner. When they were brought to the stake, Parsons asked for
some drink, which being brought him, he drank to his fellow- sufferers, saying, "Be merry,
my brethren, and lift up your hearts to God; for after this sharp breakfast I trust we shall have
a good dinner in the Kingdom of Christ, our Lord and Redeemer." At these words Eastwood,
one of the sufferers, lifteed up his eyes and hands to heaven, desiring the Lord above to receive
his spirit. Parsons pulled the straw near to him, and then said to the spectators, "This is God's
armor, and now I am a Christian soldier prepared for battle: I look for no mercy but through
the merits of Christ;
He is my only Savior, in Him do I trust for salvation;" and soon after the fires were lighted,
which burned their bodies, but could not hurt their precious and immortal souls. Their
constancy triumphed over cruelty, and their sufferings will be held in everlasting
remembrance.
Thus were Christ's people betrayed every way, and their lives bought and sold. For, in the
said parliament, the king made this most blasphemous and cruel act, to be a law forever: that
whatsoever they were that should read the Scriptures in the mother-tongue (which was then
called "Wickliffe's learning"), they should forfeit land, cattle, body, life, and goods, from their
heirs for ever, and so be condemned for heretics to God, enemies to the crown, and most
arrant traitors to the land.
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