Foxe - The Book of Martyrs
The mystery of history is not completely dark, since it is a veil which only partially conceals the creative activity and spiritual forces and the operation of spiritual laws. It is commonplace to say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church yet what we are asserting is simply that individual acts of spiritual decision bear social fruit …For the great cultural changes and historic revolutions that decide the fate of nations or the character of an age is the cumulative result of a number of spiritual decisions … the faith and insight, or the refusal and blindness, of individuals. No one can put his finger on the ultimate spiritual act that tilts the balance, and makes the external order of society assume a new form… Persecution, powerless to destroy or even to shake this new community, made it only the more sensible of its own strength, and pressed it into a more compact body.
The mystery of history is not completely dark, since it is a veil which only partially conceals the creative activity and spiritual forces and the operation of spiritual laws. It is commonplace to say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church yet what we are asserting is simply that individual acts of spiritual decision bear social fruit …For the great cultural changes and historic revolutions that decide the fate of nations or the character of an age is the cumulative result of a number of spiritual decisions … the faith and insight, or the refusal and blindness, of individuals. No one can put his finger on the ultimate spiritual act that tilts the balance, and makes the external order of society assume a new form… Persecution, powerless to destroy or even to shake this new community, made it only the more sensible of its own strength, and pressed it into a more compact body.
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<strong>Foxe</strong>’s <strong>Book</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Martyrs</strong><br />
As this godly martyr was going to the fire, there came a certain maid to him, which took<br />
him about the neck, and kissed him, who, being marked by them that were present, was sought<br />
for the next day after, to be had to prison and burned, as the very party herself informed me:<br />
howbeit, as God <strong>of</strong> His goodness would have it, she escaped their fiery hands, keeping herself<br />
secret in the town a good while after.<br />
But as this maid, called Rose Nottingham, was marvellously preserved by the providence<br />
<strong>of</strong> God, so there were other two honest women who did fall into the rage and fury <strong>of</strong> that time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> one was a brewer's wife, the other was a shoemaker's wife, but both together now<br />
espoused to a new husband, Christ.<br />
With these two was this maid aforesaid very familiar and well acquainted, who, on a time<br />
giving counsel to the one <strong>of</strong> them, that she should convey herself away while she had time<br />
and space, had this answer at her hand again: "I know well," saith she, "that it is lawful enough<br />
to fly away; which remedy you may use, if you list. But my case standeth otherwise. I am tied<br />
to a husband, and have besides young children at home; therefore I am minded, for the love<br />
<strong>of</strong> Christ and His truth, to stand to the extremity <strong>of</strong> the matter."<br />
And so the next day after Samuel suffered, these two godly wives, the one called Anne<br />
Potten, the other called Joan Trunchfield, the wife <strong>of</strong> Michael Trunchfield, shoemaker, <strong>of</strong><br />
Ipswich, were apprehended, and had both into one prison together. As they were both by sex<br />
and nature somewhat tender, so were they at first less able to endure the straitness <strong>of</strong> the<br />
prison; and especially the brewer's wife was cast into marvellous great agonies and troubles<br />
<strong>of</strong> mind thereby. But Christ, beholding the weak infirmity <strong>of</strong> His servant, did not fail to help<br />
her when she was in this necessity; so at the length they both suffered after Samuel, in 1556,<br />
February 19. And these, no dobut, were those two ladders, which, being joined with the third,<br />
Samuel saw stretched up into heaven. This blessed Samuel, the servant <strong>of</strong> Christ, suffered the<br />
thirty-first <strong>of</strong> August, 1555.<br />
<strong>The</strong> report goeth among some that were there present, and saw him burn, that his body in<br />
burning did shine in the eyes <strong>of</strong> them that stood by, as bright and white as new-tried silver.<br />
When Agnes Bongeor saw herself separated from her prison-fellows, what piteous moan<br />
that good woman made, how bitterly she wept, what strange thoughts came into her mind,<br />
how naked and desolate she esteemed herself, and into what plunge <strong>of</strong> despair and care her<br />
poor soul was brought, it was piteous and wonderful to see; which all came because she went<br />
not with them to give her life in the defence <strong>of</strong> her Christ; for <strong>of</strong> all things in the world, life<br />
was least looked for at her hands.<br />
For that morning in which she was kept back from burning, had she put on a smock, that<br />
she had prepared only for that purpose. And also having a child, a little young infant sucking<br />
on her, whom she kept with her tenderly all the time that she was in prison, against that day<br />
likewise did she send away to another nurse, and prepared herself presently to give herself for<br />
the testimony <strong>of</strong> the glorious Gospel <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ. So little did she look for life, and so<br />
greatly did God's gifts work in her above nature, that death seemed a great deal better welcome<br />
than life. After which, she began a little to stay herself, and gave her whole exercise to reading<br />
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