Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
knowledge of the Latin, the study of the Greek and Hebrew tongues, and gave himself up to
the study of the Holy Scriptures, the better to qualify himself for the office of preacher.
In the beginning of King Edward's reign, when God's true religion was introduced, after
license obtained, he began to preach, and was so well liked of them who then had authority
that they appointed him to read a divinity lecture in the College of Forthringham. The College
of Fothringham being dissolved he was placed to be a reader in the minster at Litchfield. After
a certain space, he departed from Litchfield to a benefice in Leicestershire, called Churchlangton,
where he held a residence, taught diligently, and kept a liberal house. Thence he was
orderly called to take a benefice in the city of London, namely, All-hallows in Bread-street.
After this he preached at Northhampton, nothing meddling with the state, but boldly uttering
his conscience against the popish doctrines which were likely to spring up again in England,
as a just plague for the little love which the English nation then bore to the blessed Word of
God, which had been so plentifully offered unto them.
The queen's party who were there, and heard him, were highly displeased with him for
his sermon, and for it kept him among them as a prisoner. But partly for love of his brethren
and friends, who were chief actors for the queen among them, and partly because there was
no law broken by hbis preaching, they dismissed him.
Some of his friends, perceiving such fearful menacing, counselled him to fly out of the
realm, which he refused to do. But seeing he was with violence kept from doing good in that
place, he returned towards London, to visit his flock.
In the afternoon of Sunday, October 15, 1554, as he was reading in his church to exhort
his people, the bishop of London interrupted him, by sending an officer for him.
His treason and sedition the bishop's charity was content to let slip until another time, but
a heretic he meant to prove him, and all those, he said, who taught and believed that the
administration of the Sacraments, and all orders of the Church, are the most pure, which come
the nearest to the order of the primitive Church.
After much talk concerning this matter, the bishop desired him to write what he believed
of transubstantiation. Lawrence Saunders did so, saying, "My Lord, you seek my blood, and
you shall have it: I pray God that you may be so baptised in it that you may ever after loathe
blood-sucking, and become a better man." Upon being closely charged with contumacy, the
severe replies of Mr. Saunders to the bishop, (who had before, to get the favour of Henry VIII
written and set forth in print, a book of true obedience, wherein he had openly declared Queen
Mary to be a bastard) so irritated him that he exclaimed, "Carry away this frenzied fool to
prison."
After this good and faithful martyr had been kept in prison one year and a quarter, the
bishops at length called him, as they did his fellow-prisoners, openly to be examined before
the queen's council.
His examination being ended, the officers led him out of the place, and stayed until the
rest of his fellow- prisoners were likewise examined, that they might lead them all together to
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