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 />
give up his <strong>of</strong>fice. He was arrested by the queen's order, and when Mr. Mildmay wondered<br />
that so learned a man could wilfully incur danger, and speak against so good a princess as<br />
Mary, the doctor replied, "If I would do as Mr. Mildmay has done, I need not fear bonds. He<br />
came down armed against Queen Mary; before a traitor-now a great friend. I cannot with one<br />
mouth blow hot and cold in this manner." A general plunder <strong>of</strong> Dr. Sands' property ensued,<br />
and he was brought to London upon a wretched horse. Various insults he met on the way from<br />
the bigoted Catholics, and as he passed through Bishopsgate-street, a stone struck him to the<br />
ground. He was the first prisoner that entered the Tower, in that day, on a religious account;<br />
his man was admitted with his Bible, but his shirts and other articles were taken from him.<br />
On Mary's coronation day the doors <strong>of</strong> the dungeon were so laxly guarded that it was easy<br />
to escape. A Mr. Mitchell, like a true friend, came to him, afforded him his own clothes as a<br />
disguise, and was willing to abide the consequence <strong>of</strong> being found in his place. This was a<br />
rare friendship: but he refused the <strong>of</strong>fer; saying, "I know no cause why I should be in prison.<br />
To do thus were to make myself guilty. I will expect God's good will, yet do I think myself<br />
much obliged to you"; and so Mr. Mitchell departed.<br />
With Doctor Sands was imprisoned Mr. Bradford; they were kept close in prison twentynine<br />
weeks. John Fowler, their keeper, was a perverse papist, yet, by <strong>of</strong>ten persuading him, at<br />
length he began to favour the Gospel, and was so persuaded in the true religion, that on a<br />
Sunday, when they had Mass in the chapel, Dr. Sands administered the Communion to<br />
Bradford and to Fowler. Thus Fowler was their son begotten in bonds. To make room for<br />
Wyat and his accomplices, Dr. Sands and nine other preachers were sent to the Marshalsea.<br />
<strong>The</strong> keeper <strong>of</strong> the Marshalsea appointed to every preacher a man to lead him in the street;<br />
he caused them to go on before, and he and Dr. Sands followed conversing together. By this<br />
time popery began to be unsavory. After they had passed the bridge, the keeper said to Dr.<br />
Sands: "I perceive the vain people would set you forward to the fire. You are as vain as they,<br />
if you, being a young man, will stand in your own conceit, and prefer your own judgment<br />
before that <strong>of</strong> so many worthy prelates, ancient, learned, and grave men as be in this realm. If<br />
you do so, you shall find me a severe keeper, and one that utterly dislikes your religion." Dr.<br />
Sands answered, "I know my years to be young, and my learning but small; it is enough to<br />
know Christ crucified, and he hath learned nothing who seeth not the great blasphemy that is<br />
in popery. I will yield unto God, and not unto man; I have read in the Scriptures <strong>of</strong> many<br />
godly and courteous keepers: may God make you one! if not, I trust He will give me strength<br />
and patience to bear your hard usage." <strong>The</strong>n said the keeper, "Are you resolved to stand to<br />
your religion?" "Yes," quoth the doctor, "by God's grace!" "Truly," said the keeper, "I love<br />
you the better for it; I did but tempt you: what favour I can show you, you shall be assured <strong>of</strong>;<br />
and I shall think myself happy if I might die at the stake with you."<br />
He was as good as his word, for he trusted the doctor to walk in the fields alone, where<br />
he met with Mr. Bradford, who was also a prisoner in the King's Bench, and had found the<br />
same favour from his keeper. At his request, he put Mr. Saunders in along with him, to be his<br />
bedfellow, and the Communion was administered to a great number <strong>of</strong> communicants.<br />
When Wyat with his army came to Southwark, he <strong>of</strong>fered to liberate all the imprisoned<br />
Protestants, but Dr. Sands and the rest <strong>of</strong> the preachers refused to accept freedom on such<br />
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