Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
curate. His words were, "O miserable and blind guides, will ye ever be blind leaders of the
blind? Will ye never amend? Will ye never see the truth of God's Word? Will neither God's
threats nor promises enter into your hearts? Will the blood of the martyrs nothing mollify your
stony stomachs? O obdurate, hard-hearted, perverse, and crooked generation! to whom
nothing can do good."
These words he spake in fervency of spirit agains tthe superstitious religion of Rome;
wherefore Newall caused him forthwith to be attached, and set in the stocks in a cage, where
he was kept until Sir Henry Doile, a justice, came to Hadley.
When Yeoman was taken, the parson called earnestly upon Sir Henry Doile to send them
both to prison. Sir Henry Doile as earnestly entreated the parson to consider the age of the
men, and their mean condition; they were neither persons of note nor preachers; wherefore he
proposed to let them be punished a day or two and to dismiss them, at least John Dale, who
was no priest, and therefore, as he had so long sat in the cage, he thought it punishment enough
for this time. When the parson heard this, he was exceedingly mad, and in a great rage called
them pestilent heretics, unfit to live in the commonwealth of Christians.
Sir Henry, fearing to appear too merciful, Yeoman and Dale were pinioned, bound like
thieves with their legs under the horses' bellies, and carried to Bury jail, where they were laid
in irons; and because they continually rebuked popery, they were carried into the lowest
dungeon, where John Dale, through the jail- sickness and evil-keeping, died soon after: his
body was thrown out, and buried in the fields. He was a man of sixty-six years of age, a
weaver by occupation, well learned in the holy Scriptures, steadfast in his confession of the
true doctrines of Christ as set forth in King Edward's time; for which he joyfully suffered
prison and chains, and from this worldly dungeon he departed in Christ to eternal glory, and
the blessed paradise of everlasting felicity.
After Dale's death, Yeoman was removed to Norwich prison, where, after strait and evil
keeping, he was examined upon his faith and religion, and required to submit himself to his
holy father the pope. "I defy him, (quoth he), and all his detestable abomination: I will in no
wise have to do with him." The chief articles objected to him, were his marriage and the Mass
sacrifice. Finding he continued steadfast in the truth, he was condemned, degraded, and not
only burnt, but most cruelly tormented in the fire. Thus he ended this poor and miserable life,
and entered into that blessed bosom of Abraham, enjoying with Lazarus that rest which God
has prepared for His elect.
Thomas Benbridge
Mr. Benbridge was a single gentleman, in the diocese of Winchester. He might have lived
a gentleman's life, in the wealthy possessions of this world; but he chose rather to enter
through the strait gate of persecution to the heavenly possession of life in the Lord's Kingdom,
than to enjoy present pleasure with disquietude of conscience. Manfully standing against the
papists for the defence of the sincere doctrine of Christ's Gospel, he was apprehended as an
adversary to the Romish religion, and led for examination before the bishop of Winchester,
where he underwent several conflicts for the truth against the bishop and his colleague; for
which he was condemned, and some time after brought to the place of martyrdom by Sir
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