The conquering of affection and love was an important part of the stoicism which was expected of the martyrs (see Collinson [1983]). Foxe describes martyrs such as John Rogers and Rawlins White refusing to allow the sight of their families to dissaude them from martyrdom. The Hunter family supplied Foxe with an opportunity to stress this domestic stoicism from another angle, that of the martyrs' families.
[Back to Top]Foxe's deletion of the passages from his later editions does not indicate that he felt that the topic was unimportant, but it reflects the need to accommodate the considerable detail which Robert Hunter would supply about his brother.
See 2 Maccabees 7: 20-29. Brad Gregory has described the importance of the Maccabees as models for early modern martyrs (Gregory, pp. 67, 109, 157, 221 and 280).
firme the doctine of the Gospell: so they, to confirme a gospellyke lyfe, haue geuen an example woorthy to be folowed of al men.
And nowe farther, to dyscourse the whole vsage and handelyng of the sayde Wyllyam Hunter, before the Byshoppe of London, and other hys assistauntes, in the Consistorye of Paules, as we fynde registred in record: foras much as the sayd Hunter was at all times brought, to be examined before the sayde Byshop, wyth Thomas Tomkyns, of whom we haue last wrytten: and there had the same articles, reasons, and perswasions obiected, and made against him, as had the sayd Tomkins: I thinke it good to omyt the superfluous repeticion thereof, and to referre the Reader to the same examinations, wher he may at large see the obiections and answers, aswell of the one, as of the other: sauyng that vpon the. ix. day of Februarye, beyng the seconde daye of theyr appearaunce, the Byshop of London vsed these woordes onely vnto Hunger: You know what communication you and I hadde here yesterday, tending onely to thys ende, to bryng you from heresy. Howe saye you? wyll you abiure and go from your errours and heresies, and returne to the Catholicke church? To whom Wylliam Hunter answered, no: For that I haue sayd, I wyl stand vnto. And as for the fayth of your Catholicke Church, I cannot skyl of it: & he said further, that it was a false doctrine and beliefe, to beleue that Christes true body is in the Sacramēt. For Christes true and naturall bodye is in heauen, and no where els, and there sytteth on the ryghte hande of the father: and that hys frendes and kynsfolkes, beyng now deade, were deceaued, if they otherwyse dyd beleue and thynke.
[Back to Top]Agayne, at after noone the same daye, beynge wylled earnestlye to recant (as also the rest were,) he said: I am perswaded that mine opinion is is no heresye, and therefore I wyll neuer go from mine opinions, that I haue confessed, so longe as I lyue. Nor I can not perswade my selfe to go from the truthe that is taught me, and I wyl continue in the same so long as I lyue: for if I doo otherwyse, I shall peryshe both body and soule: and I had rather my body to perysh, then my soule. Whereupon the sayde William Hunter receaued there at the Byshops handes, hys sentence of condemnation, and was also caryed to Newegate, wyth the sayde Thomas Tomkyns, where he remayned vntyll the. 25. daye of the same moneth of Marche, at whyche tyme he was caryed vnto Burndwood, and there suffryng hys bodye to bee consumed wyth fyre, yelded moste ioyfullye hys soule into the handes of almyghty God, as a most constant Martyr of hys.
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