Henry

VIII.

The Burning of one Collins at London.

A. D.

Neither is here to be omitted the burning of one Collins, some 1538. time a lawyer and a gentleman, who suffered the fire this year also in Smithfield, A.D. 1538; whom although I do not here recite as in the number of God's professed martyrs, yet neither do I think him to be clean sequestered from the company of the Lord's saved flock and family, notwithstanding that the bishop of Rome's church did condemn and burn him for a heretic; but rather do recount him therefore as one belonging to the holy company of saints. At leastwise this case of him and of his end may be thought to be such as may well reprove and condemn their cruelty and madness, in burning so, without all discretion, this man, being mad, and distract of his perfect wits, as he then was, by this occasion as here followeth.

This gentleman had a wife of exceeding beauty and comeliness, but, notwithstanding, of so light behaviour and unchaste conditions (nothing correspondent to the grace of her beauty), that she, forsaking her husband, who loved her entirely, betook herself unto another paramour; which when he understood, he took it very grievously and heavily, more than reason would. At the last, being overcome with exceeding dolour and heaviness, he fell mad, being at that time a student of the law in London. When he was thus ravished of his wits, by chance he came into a church where a priest was saying mass, and was come to the place where they use to hold up and show the sacrament.

for hold

dog at

Collins, being beside his wits, seeing the priest holding up the Collins host over his head, and showing it to the people, he, in like manner burned counterfeiting the priest, took up a little dog by the legs, and held ing up a him over his head, showing him unto the people. And for this he mass. was, by and by, brought to examination, and condemned to the fire, and was burned, and the dog with him, the same year in which John Lambert was burned, A.D. 1538.

The Burning of Cowbridge at Orford,

A.D. 1538.

With this aforesaid Collins may also be adjoined the burning of Cowbridge, who likewise, being mad and beside his right senses, was, either the same, or the next year following, condemned by Longland, bishop of Lincoln, and committed to the fire by him to be burned at Oxford.

* The fruitful seed of the gospel at this time had taken such root in England, that now it began manifestly to spring and show itself in all places, and in all sorts of people, as it may appear in this good man Cowbridge; who, coming of a good stock and family, whose ancestors, even from Wickliff's time hitherto, had been always favourers of the gospel, and addicted to the setting forth thereof in the English tongue, was born at Colchester, his father's name being William Cowbridge, a wealthy man, and head bailiff of Colchester, and of great estimation.

(1) Sce Edition 1563, p. 570.-ED.

Henry
VIII.

This man, at his decease, left unto his son great substance and possessions, which he afterwards abandoning and distributing unto A. D. his sisters and kindred, he himself went about the countries, some1538. times seeking after learned men, and sometimes, according to his

Cope, in

ais Dialogues.

ability, instructing the ignorant. Thus he continued a certain space, until such time as he came to a town in Berkshire, named Wantage, where, after he had by a long season exercised the office of a priest, in teaching and administering of the sacraments, but being no priest indeed, and had converted many unto the truth, he was at last apprehended and taken, as suspected of heresy, and carried to a place beside Wickham, to the bishop of Lincoln, to be examined; by whom he was sent to Oxford, and there cast in the prison called Bocardo.'

At that time Dr. Smith and Dr. Cotes governed the divinity schools, who, together with other divines and doctors, seemed not in this point to show the duty which the most meek apostle requireth in divines toward such as are fallen into any error, or lack instruction or learning. For, admit that he did not understand or see so much in the doctrine and controversies of divinity as the learned divines did, yet Paul, writing unto the Romans, and in other places also, saith, that the weak are to be received into the faith, and not to the determination of disputations; but the imbecility of the weak is to be borne by them that are stronger, &c. And in another place, we understand the spirit of lenity and gentleness to be requisite in such as are spiritual, who shall have to do with the weak flock of Christ. But, alas! it is a sorrowful thing to see how far these divines are separate from the rule of the apostolic meekness, who, after they had this poor man fast entangled in their prison of Bocardo with famine and hunger, brought this poor servant of Christ unto that point, that, through the long consumption and lack of sleep, his natural strength being consumed, he lost his wits and reason; whereby (as it is the manner of madmen) he uttered many unseemly and indiscreet words: whereupon the divines spread rumours abroad that there was a heretic at Oxford, who could abide to hear the name of Jesu, but not the name of Christ, to be named; and therefore that he ought to be burned and so thereupon condemned him. That done, they sent the articles, whereupon he was condemned, up to London, unto the lord chancellor, at that time being the lord Audley, requiring of him a writ to put him to execution; of which articles we could only attain to knowledge and understanding, but of two, which were these:

First, That in the second article of the creed, he would not have it Et in Jesum Christum,' &c., but 'Et in Jesum Jesum,' &c. The second, That every poor priest, be he ever so poor or needy, being of a good conversation, hath as great power and authority in the church of God and ministration of the scaraments, as the pope or any other bishops.*

What all his opinions and articles were, wherewith he was charged, it needeth not here to rehearse; for as he was then a man mad, and destitute of sense and reason, so his words and sayings could not be sound. Yea rather, what wise man would ever collect articles against him, who said he could not tell what? And if his articles were so horrible and mad as Cope in his Dialogues doth declare them, then

was he, in my judgment, a man more fit to be sent to Bedlam, than Henry to be had to the fire in Smithfield to be burned. For what reason

VIII.

is it to require reason of a creature mad or unreasonable, or to make A.D. heresy of the words of a senseless man, not knowing what he 1538. affirmed?

But this is the manner and property of this holy mother church of Rome, that whatsoever cometh in their hands and inquisition, to the fire it must. There is no other way; neither pity that will move, nor excuse that will serve, nor age that they will spare, nor any respect almost that they consider, as by these two miserable examples, both of Collins and Cowbridge, it may appear; who rather should have been pitied, and all ways convenient sought how to reduce the silly wretches into their right minds again; according as the true pastors of Israel be commanded, by the Spirit of God, to seek again the things that be lost, and to bind up the things that be broken, &c., and not so extremely to burst the things that be bruised before.

* When,' through their false accusations and articles, they had obtained a writ of the lord chancellor, for the execution of this poor man, unto whom the lord chancellor himself was somewhat allied, they came unto him into the prison, promising him meat and drink, and other refreshing, if he would again promise them that when he should come unto the stake, he would speak and say such things as they should appoint and minister unto him. This Cowbridge, being as before you have heard almost famished, for the desire of meat and sustenance, promised to do all things they would require of him. Whereupon, for a certain space after, he was well cherished, and recovered some part of his senses and strength.*

The right

But, to end with this matter of Cowbridge, whatsoever his madness was before, or however erroneous his articles were (which, for the fond fantasies of them, I do not express), yet, as touching his end, this is certain, that, when the day appointed was come, this meek lamb of Christ was brought forth unto the slaughter with a great confesband of armed men; and, being made fast in the midst of the fire, cow(contrary to their expectation) oftentimes calling upon the name of bridge, at the Lord Jesus Christ, with great meekness and quietness he yielded parting. his spirit into the hands of the Lord.*

Puttedew and Leiton, Martyrs.

sion of

his de

About the same time and year, or not much before, when John Lambert suffered at London, there was one Puttedew also condemned to the fire, about the parts of Suffolk; who, coming into the church, and merrily telling the priest, that after he had drunk up all the wine alone, he afterwards blessed the hungry people with the empty chalice, was for the same immediately apprehended, and shortly after bonum burned, leaving to us an experiment, "Quam parum sit tutum ludere ludere cum sanctis," as the old saying was then; but rather, as we may see piis. "Quam male tutum sit ludere cum impiis."

now,

The great and almost infinite number of most holy martyrs, the variety of matter, and the great celerity used in writing this story, is such, that we cannot use such exact diligence in perusing them all, (1) See Edition 1563, p. 571.-ED.

(2) Ibid.

(3) See Ed. 1563, p. 570.-ED.

Non est

cum im

Henry or have so perfect memory in keeping the order of years, but that, sometimes, we shall somewhat the more swerve or go astray; whereby A.D. it hath happened that this man William Leiton, as it were lying 1538. hidden among a great multitude of others, had almost escaped our hands; whom, notwithstanding that we have somewhat passed his time, yet do we not think meet to omit, or leave out of this catalogue or history.*

Leiton, martyr.

Forty

days' pardon for casting sticks

into Peke's fire.

This William Leiton was a monk of Aye in the county of Suffolk, and was burned at Norwich, for speaking against a certain idol which was accustomed to be carried about in the processions at Aye; and also for holding that the sacramental supper ought to be administered in both kinds; about the year and time aforesaid.

The Burning of N. Peke, Martyr, at Ipswich.

In the burning of another Suffolk man, named N. Peke, dwelling some time at Earlstonham, and burned at Ipswich somewhat before the burning of these aforesaid, thus I find it recorded and testified; that when he, being fast bound to a stake, and furze set on fire round about him, was so scorched that he was as black as soot, one Dr. Redyng, there standing before him, with Dr. Heyre and Dr. Springwell, having a long white wand in his hand, did knock him upon the right shoulder, and said "Peke! recant, and believe that the sacrament of the altar is the very body of Christ, flesh, blood, and bone, after that the priest hath spoken the words of consecration over it; and here have I in my hand to absolve thee for thy misbelief that hath been in thee;" having a scroll of paper in his hand. When he had spoken these words, Peke answered, and said, "I defy it, and thee also;" and with a great violence he spit from him very blood, which came by reason that his veins brake in his body for extreme anguish. And when the said Peke had so spoken, then Dr. Redyng said, "To as many as shall cast a stick to the burning of this heretic, is granted forty days of pardon by my lord bishop of Norwich."

Then baron Curson, sir John Audley, knight, with many others of estimation, being there present, did rise from their seats, and with their swords did cut down boughs, and throw them into the fire, and so did all the multitude of the people. Witness John Ramsey and others, who did see this act.

In the year last before this, which was A.D. 1537, it was declared how pope Paul III. indicted a general council, to be holden at Mantua: whereunto the king of England, amongst other princes, being called, refused either to come or to send at the pope's call, and for defence of himself directed out a public apology or protestation, rendering just and sufficient matter why he neither would, nor was bound to obey, the pope's commandment; which protestation is before to be read. This council appointed to begin the 23d day of May, the year aforesaid, was then stopped by the duke of Mantua, pretending that he would suffer no council there, unless the pope would fortify the city with a sufficient army, &c.; for which cause

(1) Of this council of Mantua read before, p. 141.

VIII.

the pope prorogued the said council, to be celebrated in the month Henry of November following, appointing at the first no certain place. At length he named and determined the city of Vincenza (lying within A.D. the dominion of the Venetians) to be the place for the council. 1538. Whereunto when the king, the year next following (which is this present year of our Lord, 1538), was requested by the emperor and other states, to resort either himself, or to send, he, again refusing (as he did before), sendeth this protestation, in way of defence and answer for himself, to the emperor or other christian princes; the copy and effect whereof hereunder followeth, and is this.

A Letter of King Henry the Eighth to the Emperor, &c. containing his reasons for refusing to take part in the Council of Vincenza. Henry the eighth, by the grace of God, king of England and France, &c.. saluteth the emperor, christian princes, and all true christian men, desiring peace and concord amongst them:

mock the

Whereas, not long since, a book1 came forth in our, and all our council's names, which contained many causes why we refused the council, then by the bishop of Rome's usurped power, first indicted at Mantua, to be kept the 23d day of May, afterwards prorogued to November, no place appointed where it should be kept: And whereas the same book doth sufficiently prove, that our cause could take no hurt, neither with any thing done or decreed in such a company of men addicted to one sect, nor in any other council called by his usurped power; we think it nothing necessary so oft to make new protestations, as the bishop of Rome and his courts, by subtlety and craft, do invent ways The pope to mock the world by new pretended general councils. Yet, notwithstanding, doth but because that some things have now occurred, either upon occasion given us by world change of the place, or else through other considerations, which now, being with his known to the world, may do much good, we thought we should do but even as council. pretended that love enforceth us, which we owe unto Christ's faith and religion, to add this epistle. And yet we protest, that we neither put forth that book, neither General yet we would this epistle to be set before it, that thereby we should seem less councils to desire a general council than any other prince or potentate, but rather to be wished, more desirous of it, so it were free for all parts, and universal. And further, so they we desire all good princes, potentates, and people, to esteem and think, that no universal. prince would more willingly be present at such a council than we such a one we mean, as we speak of in our protestation made concerning the council of Mantua.

are to be

might be

nicious

general

abused.

Truly as our forefathers invented nothing more holy than general councils, Nothing used as they ought to be, so there is almost nothing that may do more hurt to more perthe christian commonwealth, to the faith, to our religion, than general councils, to the if they be abused to lucre, to gains, to the establishment of errors. They be church called 'general,' and even by their name do admonish us, that all christian than men, who do dissent in any opinion, may in them openly, frankly, and without councils, fear of punishment or displeasure, say their mind. For seeing such things as if they be are decreed in general councils, touch equally all men that give assent thereunto, it is meet that every man may boldly say there, what he thinketh. And verily we suppose, that it ought not to be called a general council, where only The those men are heard, who are determined for ever, in all points, to defend the pope's popish part, and to arm themselves to fight in the bishop of Rome's quarrel, are not though it were against God and his Scripture. It is no general council, neither general. ought it to be called general, where the same men be both advocates and He is the adversaries, the same accused and judges. No, it is against the law of nature, accused, either that we should condescend to so unreasonable a law against ourselves, or and also that we should suffer ourselves to be left without all defence, and, being op- which is the judge; pressed with greatest injuries, to have no refuge to succour ourselves at. The against bishop of Rome and his, be our great enemies, as we and all the world may well perceive by his doings.

(1) Of this book read before, p. 163.

councils

party

all reason.