Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
forever and ever." He was accordingly by order of Bonner, (how disgraceful to all dignity, to
say bishop!) liberated from the painful bonds, and led from Lollard's Tower, to the chamber
of that ungodly and infamous butcher, where he found the bishop bathing himself before a
great fire; and at his first entering the chamber, Fetty said, "God be here and peace!" "God be
here and peace, (said Bonner,) that is neither God speed nor good morrow!" "If ye kick against
this peace, (said Fetty), then this is not the place that I seek for."
A chaplain of the bishop, standing by, turned the poor man about, and thinking to abash
him, said, in mocking wise, "What have we here-a player!" While Fetty was thus standing in
the bishop's chamber, he espied, hanging about the bishop's bed, a pair of great black beads,
whereupon he said, "My Lord, I think the hangman is not far off: for the halter (pointing to
the beads) is here already!" At which words the bishop was in a marvellous rage. Then he
immediately after espied also, standing in the bishop's chamber, in the window, a little
crucifix. Then he asked the bishop what it was, and he answered, that it was Christ. "Was He
handled as cruelly as He is here pictured!" said Fetty. "Yea, that He was," said the bishop.
"And even so cruelly will you handle such as come before you; for you are unto God's people
as Caiaphas was unto Christ!" The bishop, being in a great fury, said, "Thou art a vile heretic,
and I will burn thee, or else I will spend all I have, unto my gown." "Nay, my Lord, (said
Fetty) you were better to give it to some poor body, that he may pray for you." Bonner,
notwithstanding his passion, which was raised to the utmost by the calm and pointed remarks
of this observing Christian, thought it most prudent to dismiss the father, on account of the
nearly murdered child. His coward soul trembled for the consequences which might ensue;
fear is inseparable from little minds; and this dastardly pampered priest experienced its effects
so far as to induce him to assume the appearance of that he was an utter stranger to, namely,
MERCY.
The father, on being dismissed, by the tyrant Bonner, went home with a heavy heart, with
his dying child, who did not survive many days the cruelties which had been inflicted on him.
How contrary to the will of our great King and Prophet, who mildly taught His followers,
was the conduct of this sanguinary and false teacher, this vile apostate from his God to Satan!
But the archfiend had taken entire possession of his heart, and guided every action of the
sinner he had hardened; who, given up to terrible destruction, was running the race of the
wicked, marking his footsteps with the blood of the saints, as if eager to arrive at the goal of
eternal death.
Deliverance of Dr. Sands
This eminent prelate, vice-chancellor of Cambridge, at the request of the duke of
Northumberland, when he came down to Cambridge in support of Lady Jane Grey's claim to
the throne, undertook at a few hours' notice, to preach before the duke and the university. The
text he took was such as presented itself in opening the Bible, and a more appropriate one he
could not have chosen, namely, the three last verses of Joshua. As God gave him the text, so
He gave him also such order and utterance that it excited the most lively emotions in his
numerous auditors. The sermon was about to be sent to London to be printed, when news
arrived that the duke had returned and Queen Mary was proclaimed.
The duke was immediately arrested, and Dr. Sands was compelled by the university to
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