Haukes.. Euen as ye do cal vs Heretickes, that do encline to Christes church, from your Church: so are ye all false Prophetes, that do decline from Christes churche, to your owne church. And by this shal all men knowe ye to be false prophetes, if ye saye, thys saythe the church, and wil not say, this saith our Lorde. And so he went his waye, as though he had a flea in his eare.
[Back to Top]Then came another, and said vnto me, he would talke with me: for he perceiued (as he sayd) that I was angrye and out of patience.
Haukes. I wyll see your commission or euer I talke with you or with any man more. For I wist not how to be ryd of them: they came so thick about me. For I said that I cam to talk with my Lord, and not with any of them.
With that came the Bishoppe, bringing a letter in his hand, the which he had wrytten in my name, and he red it vnto me after thys maner: I Thomas Haukes, do here confesse and declare before my sayde Ordinarye Edmond, bishoppe of London, that the Masse is abhominable, and detestable, and ful of all superstition, and also the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ (commonly called the sacrament of the aulter) that Christe is in no part thereof, but onely in heauen: this I haue beleued, and this I doo beleue. &c.
[Back to Top]Haukes. Stop there my Lord: what I haue beleued, what haue you to doo withal? But what I doo beleue, to that stand I, and wyll.
Then he tooke his penne, and sayd that hee woulde scrape it oute for my pleasure, and so dyd to my thinckyng. Then he went further with his writing, & sayd: I Thomas Haukes haue talked with my sayd Ordinarye, & with certaine good, godlye and learned men. Notwithstanding I stand styll in myne opinion.
[Back to Top]Haukes. Shal I graunt you to be good, godly, & learned mē, & yet graunt my self to stand in a contrarye opinion? No, I wil not graunt you to be good, godly, and learned men.
Boner. Ye wyll graunt that ye haue talked wyth vs: the other I wyll put oute for your pleasure. Then sayde al his doctours, if your Lordshyp be ruled by him, he will cause you to put out al together. And then he red more vnto me. Here vnto this byl haue I set to my hand: and then he offred me the byll and hys pen, and bad me set to my hand.
[Back to Top]Haukes. Ye get not my hand to anye thyng of your making or deuising.
Boner. Wylt not thou set to thy hande? It shalbe to thy shame for the denying of it. And then he called al his Doctors, & sayd he would haue euerye mans hand to it that was in the chamber, and so he had of their handes to it, and said: he that wil not set his hande to it, I would he wer hanged: and so said al his Chaplains and Doctours wyth a great noyse.
[Back to Top]Then the bishop thrusted me on the breast with great anger, and said he woulde be euen wt me, & with al such proud knaues in Essex.
Haukes. Ye shal do no more then God shall geue you leaue.
Boner. This geare shal not be vnpunished trust to it.
Haukes. As for your cursinges, raylinges, and blaspheminges, I care not for them: for I know þe mothes and wormes shal eate you, as they eate cloth or wool.
Bishop. I wyl be euen with you, when time shall come.
Haukes. Ye maye in your malice destroye a man: but when ye haue done, ye can not do so muche as make a fynger, and ye be meetelye euen with some of vs already.
Boner. If I doo thee anye wrong, take the lawe of me.
Haukes. Salomon saith: go not to law with a Iudge. For he wyll iudge accordyng to hys owne honour.
This verse is obscure.
Boner. Salomon saythe, geue not a foole an answer.
Proverbs 26: 4.
Haukes. What do you count me a foole?
Boner. Ye by my truth doo I, and so doest thou me to: but God forgeue thee, & so doo I.
Haukes. Thought is free my Lorde. Then tooke Boner the byll and red it againe: and when he saw that he could not haue my hand to it, then he would haue had me to take it in to my hand, and to geue it him againe.
Haukes. What needeth that ceremony? neither shal it com into my hand, hart nor mind. Then he wrapt it vp, & put it in hys bosome, and in a great anger went his waye, & called for his horse, & went to horsback: for the same daye hee rode in visitacion into Essex, and so went I to prison, from whence I came wyth my keeper. And this was the seconde tyme of my examination. Written by me Thomas Haukes, who desireth al faithful men and brethren, to praye vnto God to strength me in his truth vnto the end. Pray, pray, pray, gentle brethren pray.
[Back to Top]The letters of Haukes to his congregation and to his wife first appeared in the 1563 edition. Foxe may have obtained them from Haukes's widow or family. The letter to Clement Throgmorten, first printed in 1570, almost certainly came from Throgmorton or his family.
This letter first appears in the 1563 edition. It was not reprinted in the Letters of the Martyrs but it was reprinted in all subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments. ECL 260, fol. 57r is a copy of this letter.
GRace mercye, and peace, from God the father, and from the Lorde Iesus Christ, be alwaye wyth you all (my deare brethren and sistern in þe lorde Iesus Christ) for euer: and his holye Spirite conduct and leade you al, in al your doings, þt you may alwaies direct your dedes according to his holy worde, that whē he shal appeare to reward euery man according to their works: ye maye as obedient children be found watchinge, ready to enter into euerlasting kingdom wyth your lampes burnynge.
The imagery in this passage is from Matthew 25: 1-10.