66 my crosses, did so sore offend you, that you morning brought before the bishops; who, or must make us ridiculum caput amongst the examining the articles of his faith, which he people, who that day laughed us to scorn? had delivered to the cardinal, asked him in Verily it was a sermon fitter to be preached he would sign them, which he did, and was on a stage than in a pulpit; for at last you thereupon committed to the Fleet. said, 'I wear a pair of red gloves, I should On the Saturday following, he was agai say bloody gloves,' quoth you, 'that I should brought before the bishops, who called upor not be cold in the midst of my ceremonies."" him to know whether he would abjure o Dr. Barnes answered, “I spake nothing burn. He was then greatly agitated, an but the truth, out of the scriptures, accord- felt inclined rather to burn than abjure; bu ing to my conscience, and according to the was persuaded by some persons to abjure old doctors." And then he delivered him which he at length consented to do, and th six sheets of paper written, to confirm and abjuration being put into his hand, he ab corroborate his sentiments. jured as it was there written, and then h The cardinal received them smiling, say- subscribed it with his own hand; yet hi ing, "We perceive, then, that you intend to judges would scarcely receive him into th stand to your articles, and to show your bosom of the church, as they termed it. The learning." they put him to an oath, and charged him t do all that they commanded him, which h accordingly promised. "Yea," said Barnes, "that I do by God's grace, with your lordship's favor.” He answered, "Such as you bear us lit- He was then again committed to the Flee tle favor and the Catholic church. I will and the next morning was brought to S ask you a question; whether do you think it Paul's church, with five others who had a more necessary that I should have all this jured. Here the cardinal, bishops, an royalty, because I represent the king's ma- clergy being assembled in great pomp, th jesty in all the high courts of this realm, to bishop of Rochester preached a serm the terror and keeping down of all rebellious against the doctrines of Luther and Barne treasons, traitors, all the wicked and corrupt during which the latter was commanded members of this commonwealth, or to be as kneel down and ask forgiveness of God, an simple as you would have us, to sell all these the Catholic church, and the cardinal's grac things, and to give them to the poor, who after which he was ordered, at the end shortly will cast them in the dirt; and to the sermon, to declare that he was used mo pull away this princely dignity, which is a charitably than he deserved, his heresi terror to the wicked, and to follow your counsel ?' 99 being so horrible and so detestable: on more he kneeled, desiring of the people fo "I think it necessary," said Barnes, "to giveness, and to pray for him. This far be sold and given to the poor. For this is being ended, the cardinal departed under not becoming your calling; nor is the king's canopy, with the bishops and mitred abbo majesty maintained by your pomp and poll- who accompanied him to the outer gate axes, but by God, who saith, kings and their the church, when they returned. Th majesty reign and stand by me.' Barnes, and the others who had abjure Then answered the cardinal, "Lo, master were carried thrice about the fire, af doctors, here is the learned wise man that which they were brought to the bishops, a you told me of." Then they kneeled down kneeled down for absolution. The bishop and said, "We desire your grace to be good Rochester standing up, declared that unto him, for he will be reformable." Barnes, with the others, were received in "Then," said he, "stand you up; for your the church again. After which they w sakes and the university, we will be good recommitted to the Fleet during the car unto him.-How say you, master doctor, do nal's pleasure. you not know that I am able to dispense in all matters concerning religion within this half a year, was placed in the custody of realm, as much as the pope may?" He said, "I know it to be so." Dr. Barnes having remained in the F Austin Friars in London; from whence was removed to the Austin Friars of Nor "Will you then be ruled by us? and we ampton, there to be burned; of which int will do all things for your honesty, and for tion, however, he was perfectly ignora the honesty of the university." Being informed of the base designs of He answered, "I thank your grace for enemies, however, he, by a stratagem, your good will; I will stick to the holy caped, and reached Antwerp, where scripture, and to God's book, according to dwelt in safety, and was honored with the simple talent that God hath lent me." friendship of the best and most eminent "Well," said he, "thou shalt have thy formers of the time, as Luther, Melancth learning tried at the uttermost, and thou the duke of Saxony, and others. Indeed shalt have the law." great was his reputation, that the king He was then committed to the custody of Denmark sent him as one of his ambasSI the serjeant-at-arms who had brought him to to England, when Sir Thomas More, at London, and by whom he was the next time lord chancellor, wished to have apprehended on the former charge. Henry, not unknown to cardinal Wolsey, the bishop however, would not allow of this, considering of London, and others, that Mr. Garret had it as a breach of the most sacred laws, to a great number of those books, and that he offer violence to the person of an ambassa- was gone to Oxford to sell them to such as dor, under any pretence. Barnes, therefore, he knew to be lovers of the gospel. Whereremained in England unmolested; and de- fore they determined to make a privy search parted again without restraint. He returned through all Oxford, to apprehend and imto Wittemberg, where he remained to for- prison him, and to burn all his books, and ward his works in print which he had begun, him too if they could. But, happily, one of after which he returned again to England, the proctors gave Mr. Garret secret warning and continued a faithful preacher in Lon- of this privy search, and advised that he don, being well entertained and promoted should immediately and privately depart from during the ascendency of Anne Boleyn. He Oxford. was afterwards sent ambassador by Henry By means of another friend, a curacy was to the duke of Cleves, upon the business of procured for him in Dorsetshire, and he set the marriage between Anne of Cleves and out for that county, but being waylaid by his the king; and gave great satisfaction in enemies, was unable to proceed, and thereevery duty which was intrusted to him. fore returned to Oxford, where he was, on Not long after the arrival of Gardiner from the same night, apprehended in his bed, and France, Dr. Barnes and other reformed was ordered, by the commissary of the unipreachers, were apprehended and carried versity, to be confined in his own chamber, before the king at Hampton Court, where till further directions were received respectBarnes was examined. The king being be- ing him. He escaped in disguise, but was Brous to bring about an agreement between retaken, and being convicted as a heretic, him and Gardiner, granted him leave to go carried a fagot in token of his abjuration, at home with the bishop to confer with him. St. Mary's church in Oxford; after which But they not agreeing, Gardiner and his we meet with nothing further respecting party sought to entangle and entrap Barnes him till his apprehension with Dr. Barnes. and his friends in further danger, which not long after was brought to pass. For, by certain complaints made to the king of them, William Jerome was vicar of Stepney, they were enjoined to preach three sermons and being convinced of, and disgusted at, the the following Easter at the Spittle; at which errors of the church of Rome, he preached Bermons, besides other reporters which were with great zeal, and set up the pure and ent thither, Stephen Gardiner also was simple doctrines of the gospel against the there present, sitting with the mayor, either perversions and traditions of man. Thus to bear record of their recantation, or else, proceeding, he soon became known to the the Pharisees came to Christ, to ensnare enemies of truth, who watched him with them in their talk, if they should speak any malignant jealousy. thing amiss. Barnes preached first; and at At length, in a sermon at St. Paul's, on the conclusion of his sermon, requested Gar- the fourth Sunday in Lent, wherein he dwelt diner, if he thought he had said nothing con- upon the justification by faith, he so offended tradictory to truth, to hold up his hand in the the legal preachers of the day, that he was face of all present; upon which Gardiner summoned before the king at Westminster, immediately held up his finger. Notwith- and there accused of heresy. STORY OF WILLIAM JEROME. anding this, they were all three sent for to It was urged against him, that he had inHampton Court, whence they were conduct-sisted, according to St. Paul, in Galatians iv. ed to the Tower, where they remained till "That the children of Sara (allegorically they were brought out to death. STORY OF THOMAS GARRET. used for the children of the promise) were all born free, and, independent of baptism, or of penance, were, through faith, made heirs Thomas Garret was a curate of London. of God." A Dr. Wilson argued against him, About the year 1526, he came to Oxford, and strongly opposed this doctrine. But Jeand brought with him sundry books in Latin, rome defended it with all the force of truth, treating of the scriptures, with the first part and said, "That although good works were ✔ Unio dissidentium, and Tindal's first the means of salvation, yet that they followed translation of the New Testament in Eng- as a consequence of faith, whose fruits they lah, which books he sold to several scholars were, and which discovered their root, even a Oxford. as good fruits prove a good tree." After he had been there awhile, and had Notwithstanding his arguments, so invetetaposed of those books, news came from rate were his enemies, and so deluded was London that he was sought for in that city, the king, that he was committed to the be apprehended as a heretic, and to be Tower, in company with the other two solaprisoned for selling those heretical publi-diers of Christ, Barnes and Garret. ations, as they were termed. For it was BURNING OF BARNES, GARRET, AND JE- "I believe that there is a holy church and a company of all them that do profes Christ; and that all who have suffered and Here they remained, while a process en- confessed his name, are saints, and that they sued against them by the king's council in praise and laud God in heaven, more than parliament, by whom, without any hearing, or any man's tongue can express." or knowledge of their fate, they were at- A person present asked him his opinion tainted of heresy, and sentenced to be burn- upon praying to saints. "I believe," sai ed. On the 30th of the following June, he, "they are in heaven with God, and the therefore, they were brought from the Tower they are worthy of all the honor that scrip to Smithfield, where, before they were com- ture willeth them to have. But I say mitted to the fire, they addressed the people. throughout scripture we are not commande "I am come hither," said Dr. Barnes, "to to pray to any saints. Therefore I neithe be burned as a heretic, and you shall hear can nor will preach to you that saints ough my belief, whereby you may perceive what to be prayed unto; for then should I preac erroneous opinions I hold. God I take to unto you a doctrine of mine own head. No record, I never (to my knowledge) taught withstanding, whether they pray for us any erroneous doctrine, but only those things no, that I refer to God. And if saints do pra which scripture led me unto; neither in my for us, then I trust to pray for you withi sermons have I ever maintained or given oc- this half hour, Mr. Sheriff, and for ever casion for any insurrection; but with all dili-Christian living in the faith of Christ, an gence evermore did I study to set forth the dying in the same as a saint. Wherefore, glory of God, the obedience to our sovereign the dead may for the quick, I will sure lord the king, and the true and sincere re- pray for you.' faith. ligion of Christ; and now hearken to my Then said he to the sheriff, "Have ye a articles against me for which I am condem "I believe in the holy and blessed Trini- ed!" The sheriff answered, "No." Th ty, three persons, and one God, that created said he, "Is there here any man else th and made all the world; and that this blessed knoweth wherefore I die, or that by r Trinity sent down the second person, Jesus preaching hath taken any error? Let the Christ, into the womb of the most blessed now speak, and I will make them answe and purest Virgin Mary. I believe, that he But no man answered. Then said 1 was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and took" Well, I am condemned by the law to d flesh of her, and that he suffered hunger, and, as I understand, by an act of parliame thirst, cold, and other passions of our body, but wherefore I cannot tell; perhaps it is sin excepted, according to the saying of St. heresy; for we are like to burn. But th Peter, 'He was made in all things like to that have been the occasion of it, I pray G his brethren, except sin.' And I believe forgive them, as I would be forgiven mys that this his death and passion was the suffi- And Dr. Stephen, bishop of Winchester. cient ransom for sin. And I believe that he have sought or wrought this my dea through his death he overcame sin, death, either by word or deed, Ï pray God to and hell; and that there is none other satis- give him as heartily, as freely, as charital faction unto the Father, but this his death and as sincerely, as Christ forgave them t and passion only; and that no work of man put him to death. And if any of the coun did deserve any thing of God, but his passion or any other, have sought or wrought only, as touching our justification; for I know through malice or ignorance, I pray God the best work that ever I performed is im- give their ignorance, and illuminate th pure and imperfect." eyes, that they may see and ask mercy He then, lifting up his hands, prayed God it. I beseech you all to pray for the kin to forgive him his trespasses, saying, "I con- grace, as I have done ever since I was fess, that my evil thoughts and cogitations prison, and do now, that God may give are innumerable; wherefore I beseech thee, prosperity, and that he may long re O Lord, not to enter into judgment with me, among you; and after him that godly pri for, if thou straightly mark our iniquities, Edward, that he may finish those the who is able to abide thy judgment? Where- which his father hath begun. I have b fore, I trust in no good work that ever I did, reported to be a preacher of sedition, but only in the death of Christ. I do not disobedience unto the king; but her doubt but through him to inherit the king- say to you, that you are all bound by dom of heaven. But imagine not, that I commandment of God to obey your pr speak against good works, for they are to be with all humility, and with all your he done, and verily they that do them not, shall and that not only for fear of the sword, never come into the kingdom of God. We also for conscience sake before God." must do them, because they are commanded He then begged all men to forgive h us of God, to show and set forth our profes- to bear witness that he detested and ab sion, not to deserve or merit; for that is only red all evil opinions and doctrines aga by the death of Christ. the word of God, and that he died in |