dience: and that these his perswasions had taken effect in many. And farther that the sayd Rafe Allerton (the Curat asking him whether he had instructed this Laurēce Edwards that it was agaynst Gods commaundemente to enter into the Church) casting abroad his handes, shoulde saye. O good people: nowe is fulfilled the saying of the godlye priest and prophet Esdras, who sayth: The fyer of a multitude is kindled againste a fewe: they haue taken away their houses, and spoyled their goods &c. Which of you al haue not seene this day? who is he here amonges you, that seeth not al these things done vpon vs this daye? the Church which they call vs vnto, is the church of Antichrist, a persecuting church, and the church malignant. With these and many mo wordes (sayd they) most maliciously and falsely alleged out of the scriptures, hee thus perswaded a great multitude there present (as much as in him lay) vnto disobediēce. For the the which cause the Constables dyd then apprehende him.

Marginalia3.Item, thou Rafe Allerton canst not denye, but that the letter sent vnto me, by my Lord Darcy, beginning with these wordes (pleaseth it your Lordship. &c.) was thine own letter, and was subscribed by thyne owne hand.

The contents of the letter mēcioned in this article (and written by Allerton, vnto the L. Darcy) was a confession of his demeanour, before his first apprehensiō: the effect wherof appeareth in the beginning of this his history.

Marginalia4.Item, thou Rafe Allerton canst not deny, but that the other letter, sent also to me from my sayd Lord Darcye, beginnyng thus (pleaseth it your Lordship &c.) and ending with these woordes (when so euer it be) is thyne owne very letter, and subscribed with thyne own hand.

This was also an other letter writtē by him vnto the Lord Darcy, the contentes whereof were: that where the said Lord had commaunded him to declare where he had bene euer sithens Whitsontide last, before his first appresion, this was to certifie his Lordship, that he was not able so to do, otherwise then as he had alredy shewed him by his former letters. And moreouer, where as he charged hym to haue red vnto the peopl abroad in the wodes, he certified him that he did neuer reade anye thing abroad, sauing once when he was in the company of George Eagles and others, Richard Rothe toke a writing out of his bosom and desired the said Rafe to reade it,which request he then accomplished: and demaunding of him whose doinge the same was, the sayde Rothe tolde that it was maister Cranmers, late Archbyshop of Canterbury. And farther he could not shewe him. Neuertheles he was ready & willing to suffer such punishment as his lordship should thinke mete, desiring yet

that the same might be with fauour and merrye, thoughe he feared neither punishemente nor death, praying the Lord, that it might be in his feare, when soeuer it should be.

Marginalia8.Item, thou Rafe Allerton canst not deny, but that the letters wrytten with blood, beginning with these woordes (Grace, mercy and peace. &c.) and endynge thus (Farewel in God) remayning nowe registred in the actes of this court, were written voluntarylye with thine owne hand.

He wrote thys letter in the prysone with bloud, for lacke of other inke, and did meane to send the same vnto Agnes Smith, alias Siluerside, 

Commentary    Close

On Agnes Smith (or Silverside), see 1563, pp. 1607-08.

GRace, mercy, and peace from god the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, wyth the assistaunce of Gods holy spirit, and the aboundant health both of soule and body, I wysh vnto you, as to myne owne soule, as God knoweth, who is the searcher of all secretes.

Forasmuch as it hath pleased almighty God of his infinite mercye, to cal mee to the state of grace, to suffer martirdome for Iesus Christes sake, althoughe heretofore I haue most negligently dalyed the with, and therefore farre vnworthy I am of suche an hyghe benefite, to bee crowned with the most ioyfull crowne of martyrdome: Neuerthelesse it hathe pleased God not so to leaue me, but hath raised me vp again according to his promis, which saith: although he fal, yet shal he not be hurt. For the Lord vpholdeth hym with hys ryghte hande. Whereby we perceyue Gods election to be most sure. for vndoubtedly he wil preserue al those that are appoynted to dye. And as hee hath begonne thys woorke in me: euen so I do beleue that he wyl finish the same, so that it may bee to hys great glory, and to my wealth, throug Iesus Christ. So be it. Oh dearely beloued syster, I am constrayned to cal you a syster, because of your constant fayth and loue vnfayned. And although I cal you syster, therin I say true. For I am fully certified that you do feare God vnfaynedlye, & loue hys people: For euen now in these dayes it may be sene who are the children of God, and who are the chyldren of Belial. For as Saynte Paul saith: Christ and Belial haue no concord. O deare syster, consider therfore, that if we bee the true seruauntes of Christe, then may not we in any wyse make agremente with his enemy Antichrist. For there is no concord nor agrement betwene them saythe the scriptures: for a man cānot serue two masters, saith Christ. And also it is prefigured vnto vs in the olde lawe, wheras the people of God were most straightly commaunded, that they should not myngle them selues with the vngodly heathē and wer also forbidden to eate, drinke, or to marye with them. For as often as they did either marry vnto their sonnes, or take theyr daughters vnto them, or to their sonnes: euen so ofte came the great and heauy wrath of God vpon his owne people, to ouerthrow both them, and all their