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heart from idolatry to the true faith, or else shorten her days and take her quietly out of the way." And still another instrument of persecution was framed, in an act entitled, "An Act for the punishment of seditious words and rumors." Justices of the peace were authorized to take cognizance of all such seditious words, and to punish the offenders by the pillory, a heavy fine, by cutting off the ears, and by imprisonment; and if the offence was committed by books, rhyme, ballad, or letter, the offender was to have his right hand cut off.*

The appointed work of this third parliament of Mary's reign being now finished, on the 15th of January, 1554-5, a grand procession was made through the city by the members of both houses, accompanied by the lord mayor of London, with the aldermen, and the several companies in livery. This procession was made as imposing as possible. "Ninety crosses, one hundred and sixteen priests and clerks, each attired in his cope, and after them eight bishops in their pontificalibus, followed by Bonner, bishop of London, carrying the pyx under a canopy," were among its adornments. The procession was a thank-offering for the conversion of the kingdom to popery; and was terminated by mass in St. Paul's. The next day parliament was dissolved.†

* Parl. Hist., III. 330, 331; Statutes, ch. 3.

† Parl. Hist., 111. 332, 333; Burnet, vol. 11. pt. 11. bk. 11. p. 602 ; Fox, III. 96.

CHAPTER IX.

MARTYRDOM OF THE PROTESTANTS.

AND CHARACTER.

MARY'S DEATH

For nearly eighteen months the queen and her councillors and obedient parliaments had been carefully preparing the tragedy which is now to be put upon the stage. During nearly all these months, numbers of learned and excellent men, including the highest dignitaries of the church, the most devoted bishops and faithful clergy, had been pining in the common prisons, among felons and murderers, not only deprived of their livings, but stripped even of their little personal property, and made dependent in a great measure on the charity of friends, who ministered to them at the hazard of their own liberty and lives. And all this time. the martyrs were refused a judicial trial; their prayers for a hearing were disregarded, and they were treated like the worst of malefactors; and all because they had embraced and preached the doctrines which the Scriptures had taught them, and practised the rites and ceremonies which the laws of the land had established.

But their time of deliverance was at hand. Immediately after the adjournment of parliament, the

work of death began. On the 22d of January, 1554-5, the council began by calling before them John Rogers, a prebend of St. Paul's, and esteemed one of the most learned of the Reformers. Why he was selected first does not clearly appear. It is not improbable that the fact that he had a wife and ten children dependent on him may have been the principal reason. To have had this in mind would have been like Gardiner, the craftiest of men. His theory was, that the Reformers would not burn for their religion; and that the true policy of the government was to adopt, not the mild course advocated by Pole, but a sharp and vigorous prosecution. This he fancied would bring the leaders at once to terms; and then the commonalty, he argued, would readily follow them back to the church of Rome. Rogers was a leading spirit in London; and though a man of known firmness and decision, Gardiner may have shrewdly anticipated that a wife and ten helpless children would be just so many irresistible arguments against his laying down his life in defence of his faith. But in this, as in many other things, the cunning chancellor found himself mistaken. He urged Rogers to acknowledge the pope's supremacy, and threatened him if he refused. But his arguments and his threats were alike insufficient, and the good man was remanded to prison. Ten other protestants were then brought before the council, and all but one refused to acknowledge the pope's supremacy; and that one, by the favor of a friend at court,

was let off on a simple promise to be an "honest man."

On the 28th of January, Bishop Hooper, another strong man, was called before the bishops of Winchester, London, Durham, Salisbury, Norwich, and Carlisle, with certain of the council, sitting as an ecclesiastical commission to try heretics. The bishop refused submission. Rogers was also called before this tribunal the same day, and still refused to deny his faith. One night was given them both for further reflection. Being found still firm in their purpose to die rather than deny their Lord, they were both condemned as obstinate heretics, and given into the sheriff's hands for execution, after being degraded from their ecclesiastical character, according to papal law. On the same day, Taylor and Bradford were brought before this commission, though their examination was deferred until the 30th; when they, with Crome and Sanders, and Ferrar, bishop of St. David's, were arraigned, and Taylor, Bradford, and Sanders were condemned as obstinate heretics, excommunicated, and given up to the flames. The other two were respited for a while.

On the 4th of February, 1554-5, the fires of Smithfield, which were destined to continue burning, almost without cessation, while this wicked queen lived, were lighted to consume the first Christian martyr of this popish reign. Early in the morning, John Rogers was wakened from a deep sleep, and required to prepare for the flames.

He cheerfully obeyed the summons, making but one request for himself — that he might be permitted to speak to his wife before he suffered. This Bonner refused to allow; and the good man was led away to the flames, repeating the fifty-first Psalm. A pardon was offered to him before the flames were kindled; but he refused, preferring to lose his life rather than his soul; and with a few words to the people, in which he exhorted them to continue in the doctrine which he had taught them, he washed his hands in the flame, and cheerfully gave up his life a sacrifice to the truth.

*

Four days after this, on February 8th, Sanders, whom Collier calls "a Wickliffite," was burned at Coventry; and the next day Bishop Hooper was roasted with green wood for three quarters of an hour before life was extinct, at Gloucester, in his old bishopric. He was refused the privilege of addressing his beloved people before his death. On the same day, Taylor was burned at Hadley, after being subjected to most brutal treatment at the stake.t

*Ch. Hist., VI. 106.

For the particulars of the trials of these learned and good men, and their patient sufferings and triumphant deaths, the reader should consult Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. 111. pp. 98-119, and 137-48. See also, Chester's Life of John Rogers. Lond. 1861, 8vo.

Burnet says that the council were so fearful of the effect on the people of any addresses from the martyrs at the stake, that they compelled those who were sent from London to be burned in the country, to promise that they would not address the people;

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