Document I
1549
The 27. of April, divers Anabaptists were examined in Our Lady chapel of St. Paul's Church in London, before T. Cramner, Archb[ishop] of Canterbury, Edmond Thurlby first B[ishop] of Westminster, Dr. Cox, W.Smith, Dr. Maie Dean of Paul's, and Dr. Cok Dean of the Arches, and chancellor to the Archb[ishop] of Cant[erbury]. These sat on the altar of Our Lady in judgement of these Anabaptists, and at their next sitting there sat with them the sheriffs of London; and on the next Sunday, being Low Sunday, one of them named Champenes bare a faggot at Paul's Cross, Miles Coverdale preached the rehearsal sermon there: on the next Saturday, the said commissioners sat there again, before whom was brought Joan of Kent, alias Joan Butcher, alias Knel, she was condemned; and a tanner of Colchester named Putto recanted, and on the morrow bare a faggot at Paul's Cross, and after that at Colchester. Also that date stood at Paul's Cross a butcher an Anabap[tist] of Mary Magdal[ene] parish in old Fishstreet, and again the Sunday after because he made a mock at the first time: and thus much of the Anabap[tists] of that time.
In the month of May, by means of a proclamation for enclosures, the commons of Somersetshire and Lincolnshire made a commotion, and brake up certain parks of Sir W.Herberds and L[ord] Suttons, but Sir W.Herberd slew and executed many of those rebels.
In July, the commons of Essex and Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk, rose against enclosures, and pulled down divers parks and houses.
Also the commons of Cornwall and Devonshire rose against the nobles and gentlemen, and required not only that the enclosures might be disparked, but also to have their old religion, and Act of Six Articles restored: these besieged the city of Exeter, which was valiantly defended. Against these rebels was sent John L[ord] Russell Lord Privy Seal, with a number of soldiers, who entered the city of Exeter the 5. of August, where they slew and took prisoners of the rebels more than 4,000 and after hanged divers of them in the town and country about. The L[ord] Gray was also sent with a number of strangers [i.e. foreigners] Almaine and Germaine horsemen, who in divers conflicts slew many people and spoiled the country.
Document II
A true report how I was vsed in the Tower of London being sent thither by the Councel the xiii. day of Decemb.
On the Thursday after, I was called into the warehouse, before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of London M. Cholmley: they commanded me to tell, whom I did will to come to the English seruice. I answered I would declare nothing. Whereupon I was set in a racke of Iron, the space of 3. houres as I iudged.
Then they asked me if I would tell them. I answered as before. Then was I loosed, and caried to my lodging againe. On the Sunday after I was brought into the same place againe before the Lieutenant, and the Recorder of London, and they examined me. As before I had saide, I answered. Then the Lieutenant did sweare by God I should tell. Then did they bind my two forefingers together, and put a small arrowe betwixt them and drew it through so fast that the bloud followed, and the arrowe brake.
Then they racked me twice. Then was I caryed to my lodging againe, and ten daies after the Lieutenant asked me if I would not confesse that, which before they had asked me. I said I had saide as much as I would. Then five weekes after, hee sent me vnto the high priest, where I was greatly assaulted, and at whose hand I received the popes curse, for bearing witnesse of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And thus I commend you vnto God, and to the word of his grace, with all them that vnfainedly cal vpon the name of Jesus, desiring God of his endlesse mercy, through the merits of his deare son Jesus Christ to bring vs all to his euerlasting kingdome, Amen. I prayse God for his great mercie shewed vpon vs. Sing Osanna vnto the highest with me Cutbert Symson. God forgiue me my sinnes. I aske all the world forgiuenesse, and do forgiue all the world, and thus I leaue this world, in hope of a ioyfull resurrection.
Document III
Then we proceeded to the place appointed for the torture. We went in a sort of solemn procession; the attendants preceding us with lighted candles, because the place was underground and very dark, especially about the entrance. It was a place of immense extent, and in it were ranged diverse sorts of racks, and other instruments of torture. Some of these they displayed before me, and told me I should have to taste of them every one. Then again they asked me if I were willing to satisfy them on the points on which they had questioned me. 'It is out of my power to satisfy you,' I answered; and throwing myself on my knees, I said a prayer or two.
Then they led me to a great upright beam, or pillar of wood, which was one of the supports of this vast crypt. At the summit of this column were fixed certain iron staples for supporting weights. Here they placed on my wrists manacles of iron, and ordered me to mount upon two or three wicker steps; then raising my arms, they inserted an iron bar through the rings of the mannacles and then through the staples in the pillar, putting a pin through the bar so that it could not slip. My arms being thus fixed above my head, they withdrew those wicker steps I spoke of, one by one, from beneath my feet, so that I hung by my hands and arms. The tips of my toes however still touched the ground; [John Gerard was an unusually tall man] so they dug away the ground beneath, as they could not raise me higher, for they had suspended me from the topmost staples in the pillar.
Thus hanging by my wrists, I began to pray, while those gentlemen standing round asked me again if I was willling to confess. I replied, 'I neither can nor will.' But so terrible a pain began to oppress me, that I was scarce able to speak the words. The worst pain was in my breast and belly, my arms and hands. It seemed to me that all the blood in my body rushed up my arms into my hands; and I was under the impression at the time that the blood actually burst forth from my fingers and at the back of my hands. This was, however, a mistake; the sensation was caused by the swelling of the flesh over the iron that bound it.
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Hereupon those gentlemen, seeing that I gave them no further answer, departed to the Lieutenant's house; and there they waited, sending now and then to know how things were going on in the crypt. There were left with me three or four strong men to superintend my torture. My gaoler also remained, I fully believe out of kindness to me, and kept wiping away with a handkerchief the sweat that ran down my face the whole time, as, indeed, it did from my whole body. So far indeed, he did me a service; but by his words, he rather added to my distress, for he never stopped beseeching and entreating me to have pity on myself, and tell these gentlemen what they wanted to know; and so many human reasons did he allege, that I verily believe he was either instigated by the devil under pretence of affection for me, or had been left there purposely by the persecutors to influence my by his show of sympathy. In any case, these shafts of the enemy seemed to be spent before they reached me, for though annoying, they did me no real hurt, nor did they seem to touch my soul, or move it in the least. I said, therefore to him, 'I pray you to say no more on that point, for I am not minded to lose my soul for the sake of my body, and you pain me by what you say.' Yet I could not prevail with him to be silent. The others also who stood by said: 'He will be a cripple all his life, if he lives through it; but he will have to be tortured daily till he confesses.' But I kept praying in a low voice, and continually uttered the holy names of Jesus and Mary.
I had hung in this way till after one of the clock, as I think, when I fainted. How long I was in the faint I know not; perhaps not long; for the men who stood by lifted me up, or replaced those wicker steps under my feet, untill I came to myself; and immediately they heard me praying, they let me down again. This they did over and over again when the faint came on, eight or nine times before five of the clock. ...
Document IV
Satan…seeing the decay of his empire, the discredit of his vice-gerent,and the open defamation of his infamous spouse (the Romish Church), thought it high time to set to his helping hand, the rather for that his kingdom draweth so near an end. Therefore in the silent time of night (a fit hour for the Prince of Darkness to take in hand a hellish enterprise) he posted to his terrestrial palace at Rome, where seating himself in the secret chamber of his Papal vicar, he thus began:
“ the care (right trusty and well beloved) of infinite thy predecessors, together with thy approved diligence for the suppressing of Christian verity (the only obstacle and hindrance of my happiness) is to me no less known , than graciously accepted: but thou seest that notwithstanding all your travails (being my device) as giving indulgences and promising heaven to traitorous subjects for the despatching of their natural but our adverse princes, or the daily excommunictions thundered against the said princes, we can neither by the cursing of the one, or the blessing of the other so prevail, but that the disciples of Luther, Calvin, Beza, and such like back-sliders from the Church of Baal, do openly and hourly preach and publish His Almightiness…attributing to him and none but him, all the power to forgive sin, whereby my kingdom (founded upon me the chief corner stone, and laid together by divers Popes, Cardinals , Abbots & other cloisterers) is so sorely shaken, our pardons, pilgrimages and purgatories so little feared, that as the walls of Jericho, so fall our principles at this Evangelical sound. This therefore is my will… that seeing there is yet some hope, by reason every Christian Prince is not fully dissuaded from our faction, there be forthwith a uniform League of fatal confederacy by such as favor us against our foes, especially our arch-enemies, Elizabeth Queen of England and Henry , King of Navarre. This League proceeding from my spirit of malignity…I would have thee beautify it with some hypocritical style of outward holiness, and if thou list, call it the Holy League….”
Now to make this Holy League an able body, to bear down upon the adversaries of Antichrist both by land and sea, her head was beautified with a horned moon [the Spanish Armada deployed in a horn shaped formation] of huge and mighty ships, ready to join with the bloody Guise and also to unite them to the Prince of Parma, that in a moment they might swallow up little England, as the ravenous crocodile doth swallow the smallest fish in the river Nile. But God the only patron of England and our Elizabeth dismayed first the appointed army of the Prince…they fled away unfought with from joining with their fellows at sea, and would not by the gentle entreaties nor severe threatenings of the Prince their general be anyway persuaded to set foot aboard the small skiffs appointed to transport them to their holy or rather unhallowed mates, their fear arising (as it evidently appeared) from that fleet whereof the Lord Seymour was general, which with the Hollanders was ready to give them their deserved welcome. This fleet and all the rest of their worthy war-fellows, overshadowed with the wings of the Almighty, honorably vowed to sell their worthy lives in the defense of this island (His little Israel, and their native nurse), animated courageously every man his mate with resolution to attempt the ruin of this unhallowed league, whose mooned coronet was decked with sundry pendants of painted saints (sufficient guides for superstitious sots) full gaudily adorned with the finest gold raked out of wretched Indies womb, whose senseless bowels the Spaniards (slave -like) ceaselessly tear out, only to satisfy the ravenous appetites of their wolfish inquisitors….But all is vain, for the breath of the Lord’s mouth …scattered those proud ships…
Thus is this devilish League weakened and wasted…..