Moreouer at his comminge into the towne of Lewes to be burned, the people called vpon him, beseching God to strengthen hym in the faithe of Iesus Christe. He thanked them and prayed vnto God, that of his mercie he woulde strengthen them in the lyke faithe. And when he came to the signe of the Starre, the people drewe neare vnto him, where the Sherife said that he had founde him a faithfull man in all his aunsweres. And as he came to the stake, he kneled downe and made his prayers, and the Sherife made haste. Then his boke was throwen into the barrell, and when he had stripte him selfe (as a ioyfull member of God,) he wēt into the barrell him selfe. And as sone as euer he came in, he toke vp the boke and threw it among the people, and then the Sherife commaunded in the King and Queenes name, in payne of death, to throwe in the booke againe. And immediatly, that faithfull member spake with a ioyfull voyce. Deare brethren and systeren, witnesse to you all, that I am come to seale with Iesus Christe his gospell, for because I knowe that it is true: it is not vnknowen vnto all you, but that it hath been truely preached here in Lewes, and in all places of England, and nowe it is not: and for because that I will not denie here Gods Gospell, and be obedient to mans lawes, I am condemned to die: Deare brethren and sisterne, as many of you as doe beleue vpon the father, the sonne, & the holye ghoste, vnto euerlastynge life, see you dooe the workes apparteining to þe same. And as many of you as doe beleue vppon the Pope of Rome, or any of his lawes, whiche he settes forth in these dayes, you dooe beleue to your vtter cōdemnation, and except the great mercie of God, you burne in hell perpetually. Immediatly the sherife spake vnto him, and sayde: if thou dost not beleue on the Pope MarginaliaWher find ye that in the Crede, to beleue on the Pope? thou art dampned bodie and soule. And farther the sherife sayde vnto him: speake to thy God, that he may deliuer the nowe, or els to stryke me down to the example of this people, MarginaliaHorrible blaspemy. but this faythfull member sayde, the Lorde forgeue you your sayinges. And then the faithfull member spake againe to all the people there present, with a loude voyce saying: dere brethren, and all you whome I haue offended in woordes or in dede, I aske you for the Lordes sake to forgeue me, and I hartely forgeue all you, whiche hath offended me in thought, worde, or deade. And he sayde further in his prayer, oh Lord my God, thou hast written: he that wyll not forsake wyfe, children, house, and all that euer he hath, and take vp thy crosse and followe thee, is not worthy of thee. But thou lord knowest that I haue forsakē all to come vnto thee, lord haue mercy vpon me, for vnto thee I commend my spirite: and my soule doth reioyce in thee. These were þe last wordes of that faithful mē-
[Back to Top]ber of Christe, before the fier was put to hym. And afterward that the fier came to him, he cried: oh Lord haue mercie vpon me, and sprōg vp in the fier, calling vpon the name of Iesus, and so ended.
The only thing that the Rerum related about Iveson was a note stating that 'Thomas Everson' was burned in July 1555 (p. 510). Foxe's entire account of Iveson, based entirely on official records which are now lost, was first printed in the 1563 edition. It was reprinted without change in subsequent editions.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaTh. IuesonAT Chichester, about the same moneth, was burned one Thomas Iueson of Godstone in the countie of Surrey, Carpenter, whose apprehension, examination, and condēnation, (for as muche as it was at one time, & in one forme, with Dericke Karuer, and Iohn Launder) I do here omitte, referring the reader to their historie and processe before mentioned, sauing onely this his seuerall confession, and priuate aunsweres made before byshoppe Boner at his last examination in the consistory, who being diuerslye traueled withall to recant, sayde in this wyse: I would not recant & forsake my opinion & beliefe, for all the goods in London. I doe appeale to Gods mercie, and wyllbe none of your churche, nor submitte my selfe to the same: and that I haue sayde, I will saye agayne. And if there came an Aungel frō heauen, to teache me any other doctrine, then that whiche I am in nowe, I woulde not beleue him. Which aunswer thus made, he was condempned as an heretike, and with the same persons was committed to the seculer power (as they terme it) and at the place aboue mencioned was burned: perseuering styll in his cōstant fayth vnto thende.
[Back to Top]Marginalia1 MarginaliaAnswers of Thomas Iueson.FIrst he beleueth, that there is but one catholyke, vniuersal and whole church of Christ, through the whole worlde, whiche hathe and holdeth the true faythe, and all the necessarie articles of Christen belief, and all the Sacramentes of Christe, with the true vse, and administration of the same.
[Back to Top]Marginalia2.Item, he beleueth that he is necessarely boūden to beleue and geue credit, in all the sayde faith, articles of the belief, religion, and the sacramentes of Christe, and the administration of the same, vnto the sayde catholyke churche, vnder the payne of dampnation of his soule.
Marginalia3Item, he beleueth that that faythe, religion, and administration of Sacramentes, whiche is nowe beleued, vsed, taught, and set forth, in this our churche of England, is not agreing with the truthe and fayth of Christe, nor with the faithe of the sayde catholyke and vniuersal churche of Christe, and that the fayth, religiō, and administratiō of sacramtēs, vsed in al the churches in Europe, accordyngly as it is now in Englande, is not agreing with the truthe and fayth of Christe.
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