also out of the Bishops Regifters who were the Doers thereof. This was an Appeal to the Senies of Men, and a moft evident Proof, that Popery cannot be the Religion of our merciful high Priest, who has Compaffion on the Ignorant and those who are out of the Way; and who himself declared, That he came not to destroy Mens Lives but to fave them, and, that they who act otherwife do not know what Manner of Spirit they are of.

Of this great and laborious Work of this excellent Man, the Bifhops and Clergy of the Church of England in their Convocation held 1571, about eight Years after its firft Publication, gave this good Character, that it is a full and perfect Hiftory, and ordered, That every Archbishop and Bishop, the Deans of Cathedral Churches, and Arch⚫ deacons, fhould have in their Houfes that compleat Hiftory which is entitled, The Monuments of the Martyrs, and, that they should be placed either in the Hall, or great Dining Room, that they may be ufed or read by their Servants and Strangers.' This was obferved fo late as Archbishop Tennison's Time, who had them laid in his Hall at Lambeth. They were alfo placed in Churches with Bishop Jewel's Works, to be read and perused by those who reforted thither to worship God, and for their own Inftruction, to enable them to defend their Religion, or vindicate the § Reformation against the Affaults of Popish Books and Miffionaries.

Archbishop Whitgift, who perfonally knew Mr Fox, ftiled him, That worthy Man who hath fo well deferved of this Church of England;' and faid of him, that he fpoke as he thought, and was not a Man who would be corrupted with Praife.' The learned and judicious Mr Camden gave much the fame Character of him and his learned Work. (b) Of the learned, fays he, died, 1587, John Fox, an • Oxford Man, who with great Applaufe, and an unwearied Study of Truth, compiled the Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of England, first in Latin, ⚫ and afterwards more largely in English.

By Writers of our own Time, who have perufed and examined this Work, has the following excellent Character been given of it, that Having compared it with the Records, they had never been able to difcover any Errors or Prevarications, but the utmoft Fidelity ⚫ and Exactness; that he was a Man of Probity, learned and diligent, ⚫ and, that as many of the Slips or Miftakes which came to his Knowledge he rectified himself. Anthony Wood faid of him, that he was a Person of good natural Endowments, a fagacious Searcher into ⚫ hiftorical Antiquity, incomparably charitable, of exemplary Life and • Conversation, but a fevere Calvinist, and a very bitter Enemy in his Writings against the Roman Catholic Party, exceeding the Rules of Charity, as 'tis conceived by fome.' But this is different from exceeding the Rules of Truth.

However, it has happened to this good and honeft Man, according to the Proverb, Veritas odium parit. The warm Men of the Roman Catholic Communion were highly provoked by it, and Father Parfons,

See Mr Strype's Annals of the Reformation, Vol. I. p. 250, Sc. (b) Hearne's Edition of Camden's Annals. Vol. II. p. 558.

*Burnet, Strype, Collier and Nicholfen.

וי

८

an English Jefuit, about 16 Years after Mr Fox's Death, wrote three violent Books against him and this Hiftory of his which he called A Treatife of three Converfions of England, to defame and expofe it. The late Thomas Hearne called it, for a great Part of it, (c) a Fardle of Lies But this was the Man whofe Amor Veritatis of party Spleen, pushed him to file the great and learned Dr John Wiclif, revera impius et rebellis, and J. Collier, egregius Hiftoricus et Veritatis Cultor. But fee Mr Bilfon's Account of him 1731, and his ungrateful Treatment of Bp Kennet, who had been a Friend and a Father to him, in his Preface to Leland's Itinerary. Thro' bis Means Hearne was admitted of Edmund Hall, and was there used by him, more like a Son than a Pupil ; Hearne himself owned, that the Bishop had done for him many kind and friendly Offices, and yet he flily accufed him, as a Man well known to be of no Candor, Fidelity or Veracity. This was the Effect of learned Bigotry, or a little Knowledge without any Judgment and Manners. -Ingenuas didiciffe fideliter Artes,

Emollit mores nec finit effe feros.

If, faid a learned and judicious Man who had fubfcribed for Hearne's Edition of thefe Books, Mr Camden could have known, that his Annals would have been printed with fuch a Preface, he would certainly have fuppreffed it.

But a greater than be, the late Archbp Nicholfen, obferved in his Humour of criticifing, That Mr Fox's hafty Zeal against the Papifts, furnifhed him with a large Stock of Faith, and a Readiness to avouch any thing that might effectually blacken them and their Religion. A poor as well as wrong Character! For how is this confiftent with Fox's rectifying him e'f as many of his Slips or Mistakes as came to his Knowledge, which the Archbp owns he did? However to prove this, 'tis added, that One unlucky Tale of Fox's occafioned a great deal of Trouble to a Clergyman, who very innocently reporting from Fox, that one Greenwood had by Perjury, taken off a Martyr in Q. Mary's Reign, and came afterwards to a fhameful End, the said Greenwood was, it feems, prefent at the Sermon, and brought an Action of Scandal against the Preacher."

This Tale, as told by Mr Fox himself, is as follows. One Grimwood of Hitcham in the County of Suffolk, having fworn falfly at the Lent Affizes at Bury before Sir +Clement Higham against one John Cooper of Watham in the fame County, to prove him guilty of treasonable Words fpoken against Queen Mary, in the Harvest after, as he was in his Labour flaking up a Goffe of Corn, having his Health and fearing no Peril, fuddenly his Bowels fell out of his Body, and immediately moft miferably he died.'

Serjeant Rolle in his Abridgment des plufieurs cafes, &c. Tit. Action fur cafe, reported, that in Fox's Book of Martyrs is an Account of one Green

(c) Dr Arthur Charlet, at that Time Mafter of Univerfity College in Oxford, affured Mr Strype, that they of the Univerfity, and himself in particular, were much offended at this injurious Character of the Acts and Monuments given by Hearne. Annals of the Reform. Vol. III. p. 504. But fee Preface to Wiclif's Life p.v. 1723.

Cemens Higham Capitalis Baro de Scaccario 4, 5. Phil, et Maria ad 15 Eliz. Dugdale Chron. Series.

Greenwood of Suffolk who was reported to have perjared himself before the Bishop of Norwich in teftifying against a Martyr in Q Mary's Reign, and, that after he came to his Houfe, by the juft Judgment of Gop, his Bowels rotted from his Belly for an exemplary Punish⚫ment of Perjury. One Prit being newly made Parfon of the Parish • where Greenwood dwelt, and not well knowing his Parishioners, • preaching againft Perjury cited this Story, and it chanced, that Greenwood was alive and at Church, and afterwards brought an Action on the Case against the Parfon.'

Sir George Crooke Juftice of the King's Bench, tells us in his Reports Part II. p. 91, that 27 Eliz. Coke cited this Cafe; that Parfon Pricke in a Sermon, recited a Story out of Fox's Martyrology, that one Greenwood, being a perjured Perfon, and a great Perfecutor, had great Plagues inflicted upon him, and was killed by the Hand of Gon, whereas, in Truth, he never was fo plagued, and was himself present at that Sermon; and he thereupon brought his Action upon the Cafe for calling him a perjured Perfon.

Anthony a Wood, the Antiquary, charged Mr Fox with committing a moft egregious Falfity in reporting, that one Grimwood of Higbam in Suffolk died in a miferable Manner for fwearing and bearing falfe Witnefs against one John Cooper of Watfam in the fame County for which he loft his Life.

Whoever reads thefe Accounts, cannot, I think, but obferve how much they vary from that given by Mr Fox and from one another. Mr Fox calls the Name of the Man who was perjured Grimwood; whereas Rolle, Crooke and Nicholfon call it Greenwood, Fox fays the Name of the Place where Grimwood lived was Hitcham, Wood calls it Hegham; whereas Hitcham and Watteham are both together or adjoining Parishes, and Higham is in the Hundred of Samford at a good Distance from Watteham. Fox himself tells us, that Cooper was accufed of treasonable Words fpoken by him againft Q. Mary; Rolle, that Greenwood teftified against a Martyr; and Nicholson, that by Perjury he had taken off a Martyr. Rolle likewife reports, that Greenwood (wore faifly before the Bishop of Norwich, and that this Judgment overtook him after he came to his Houfe, from Norwich 1 fuppofe. Fox's Tale is, that Grimwood (wore falfly before Sir Clement Higham at Bury at the Lent Affizes, and was feized in the open Field the following Harveft, or five or fix Months after: Nay the Accounts in the Law Books differ, Rolle calls the Name of the Parfon who recited this Story in hisSermon, Pritte, and Crooke fays it was Pricke. However, Mr (d) Strype has affured us, that Mr Roger Morris, a careful Enquirer after fuch Matters, told him, that this Relation of Grimwood's Judgment was true, that he had read it in a very authentic Paper, carrying fo much Evidence with it, that he did not in the leaft mifdoubt it, tho' it did not fall upon that Man who fued the Minister, but on another of the fame Chriftian and Surname, as was well known afterwards. Mr Fox has intimated, that the great Complaint which the Papifts made of his Monuments of the Martyrs, was, that in them they were re

pre

(d) Annals of the English Reformation, Vol. I. Chap. 21, p. 241.

presented as more cruel than they were; that the Number of Martyrs was aggravated, and many reported to have died Martyrs who were then alive, to all which Mr Fox thus replied, Would to GOD, that the Cruelty of you Catholics had fuffered all them to live of whofe death ye fay now, that I do lie. Although I deny not but in that Book of Acts and Monuments, containing fuch Diversity of Matter, • fomething might overcape. Yet I have bestowed my poor Diligence, < my Intent was to profit all Men to hurte none.'

About 1738 a new Writer of the Englih Anabaptifts, falfly and ignorantly accufed Mr Fox of concealing what made against his Religion or was a Difparagement to his Martyrs.' This Reflection on Mr Fox's want of Honeity, Probity and Integrity, is owing, it seems, to his not mentioning any Eng Anabaptifis among the Martyrs. But in 1572, but 15 Years before his Death, he affured Q Elizabeth, that he knew no body of the English who was any wife akin to the Madness of Anabaptifm. The fame was obferved by Dr Tho. Fuller three Years after, that the English, as yet, were free from that Infec

The firft Congregation of English Anabaptifts was gathered by one John Smith at Leiden in Holland about 1600, who (e) rebaptized himself. And the firit here in England was that mentioned by Dr Featly in Southwark A. D. 1624, and even thefe, fo far as it appears, did not hold, that laying Men and Women on their Backs under Water with convenient Garments on them is an effential Part of the Sacrament of Baptifm. It was not, it feems, till 1633, that the English Anabaptifts began to feparate themfelves from the Barronifts or Independents, and form diftinét Societies of about 20 or 30 Men and Women. Mr Cartwright called the Dutch Anabaptifts a wicked Sect, and ftiled the Punishments which fome of them received here in England 1535, 1538, a juft Recompence of their Demerits.

But, to prove, that Mr Fox did conceal what he thought would be a Difparagement to his Martyrs, he is charged with concealing some of Dr Wiclif's Opinions; and, to make the Reader ftare the more, it is added, that this was done for fome Defign not known. Thefe Opinions are faid to be one of thofe 24 Articles condemned by the Council of the Herth-din, as Wiclif called it, held 1382. and three of the 45 condemned by the Council of Conftance. The one of thofe condemned 1382 is the feventh, that God ought to obey the Devil, an O. pinion fo blafphemous and nonfenfical, that it is a Wonder, that any Man in his Senfes fhould be charged with it by those who had not lost or impaired their own. Accordingly it is oblerved, that this Article is omitted both by William Wodford and Thomas Walden..

As to Mr Fox's omitting three of the 45 Conclutions condemned by the Council of Conftance, the Truth is, he has omitted 27. Thofe which he mentions are only Articles 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, in all eighteen out of forty-five. But fo far was his Design of doing this from being not known, that -him

(e) The Anabaptifts rebaptizing themselves was no rare or uncommon thing. King Henry VIII's Proclamation 1534 reprefented the Dutch Anabaptifts as having of their own Prefumption and Authority lately rebaptized themselves. And · Adams thus defcribes the German Anabaptifts,qui primo Infantes baptizare vetabant, et ferpfos rebapizabant.

himself tells his Readers p. 108, edit. 1563 what it was in the following Words. Befides the Articles abovementioned, there were others allo gathered out of his Books 45 in all, which his malicious Adverfaries perverfly collecting and maliciously expounding, did exhibite up to the Councell of Conftance; which to recite all, tho' it be not here needful, yet to recite certaine of them as they ftand in that Counceli it fhall not be unneceffary or fuperfluous.'

It is further objected to Mr Fox, that in relating the Errors of which William Sawtre, the Protomartyr of the English Nation, was accufed by the Papifts, he uses the fame Partiality that he had done before in Wiclif's Cafe; for of the ten Errors of which he was convicted by the Bishop of Norwich, he conceals the two last as may be feen in the (f) Scroll and Recantation.' Now here are the following Ignorances. Sartre was not the Protomartyr of the English Nation, or the firft Eng i Man who was put to the cruel Death of being burnt alive for pretended Herefy. Knighton tells us, that A. D. 1203 the 4th of K. John, almost 200 Years before Sawtre's Time, ' Albigenfes hæretici venerunt in Angliam quorum aliqui comburebantur vivi.' Our learned Camden referr'd to this when he faid, that in King John's Reign, Chriftians among us begin to act cruelly toward Chriftians by committing them to the Flames. A Chronicle of London mentions an Albigenfis burnt A. D. 1210, and Wikes's Chronicle and Bracton a Deacon apoftatizing to Judaifm, who was firft degraded and then burnt A. D. 1222. 2. Mr Fox has not concealed the two laft of the ten Errors objected to him by the Bp of Norwich, a bare Inspection of the (g) Process of the Convocation against him, which is faithfully tranflated into English by Mr Fox, will convince any one, that the two Articles were not the two last of the ten exhibited to the Bp, but the 5th and 7th. 3dly These two Articles were omitted by the Convocation, not concealed by Mr Fox. Not one of the ten has any Relation to Baptifm. Is not this now a Proof, that this confident Writer never faw the A&ts of Convocation, nor ever read Fox's Acts? But is this to act like those who have by Baptifm put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and renounced the finful Lufts of the Flesh, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Sects, Envyings, and the hidden things of Dishonesty?

William Sawtre or Chatrys was parochial Chaplain or Curate of St Margaret of the Town of Lenum and Tylney in the Diocefe of Norwich. In Apr. 1399 he appeared before Henry Bishop of the Diocefe, and publickly held and afferted the ten following Conclufions.

(5) 1. He faid, that he would not adore the Crofs on which Chrift fuffered, but Chrift only who fuffered on the Crofs.

2. He

(f) The Procefs of the Convocation files it a Schedule. (e) Concilia Magna Britannic Vol. III. p. 255, c. (b) Among abundance of other Inftances of his Negligences and Ignorances, I beg leave here to take Notice of the following one, p. 360. Samuel Fiber obtained a parochial Living in Kent, the Living of Lidd in Rumey of 500l. a Year. Now here are thefe Blunders. 1. Lild is in Romney Marsh in Kent. 2. Fisher was only Letturer of it, as appears by the Parish Regifter 1643 October 15 Samuell the Sonne of Samuell Fisher Lecturer, buried by the faid Lecturer not according to order prefcribed in the Booke of Common Prayer.' Jofua Aifgill D. D. was at this time Vicar of Lydd, and fequeftred for not taking the Covenant. Could Fiber by his Zeal and Forwardness in complying with the Men then ja Power have obtained this Sequestration, very probably he would not have turned Anabaptift as he did the next Year, and Quaker fome Years after.