In this matter of persecution it is impossible for us of to-day to place ourselves in the position of men in the sixteenth century. Nothing could be more false than to represent the reformers as advocates of religious liberty. They made no such claim for themselves: they would have regarded themselves as traitors to their trust if, when their opportunity came, they did not in their turn send to the stake the obstinate heretics who refused to yield to their arguments and rejected “the truth.” Latimer could jest in the sermon he preached on the occasion of the burning of Friar Forest.[174] Forest, it is true, was a Catholic. The reformers persecuted others than Catholics, and here it is even more difficult to acquit them. Claiming liberty to discard old beliefs, they persecuted those who went further than they in the same direction. In 1549 was appointed a Commission, and in 1551 another, with extended scope. Among the Commissioners we find Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Coverdale—more than thirty names of the brightest lights of the Reformation. They were appointed to try heretics—Anabaptists and those who rejected the Book of Common Prayer—to try, to condemn, and to hand over to the civil power.[175] Latimer was earnest to persuade the hearers of one of his great sermons that to go boldly to death did not prove that death was suffered in a righteous cause. He jeered at the constancy of the Anabaptists: “The Anabaptistes that were brente here in dyuers townes in England, as I heard of credible menne (I saw them not my selfe) went to their death euen Intrepide. As ye wyll saye, with out any feare in the world chearfully. Well, let them go.”[176]
Without reckoning too nicely the allowances to be made for the difficulty of achieving emancipation from the ideas of one’s age, posterity has perhaps done rough justice in allowing subsequent martyrdom to atone for the errors of those who persecuted. Catholics have beatified Story; Protestants venerate the memory of those who suffered after having enforced the new doctrines by the aid of the gallows and the stake.
After the accession of Elizabeth, Story had more than one narrow escape. In 1563 he was imprisoned in the Marshalsea, whence he escaped, and, with the aid of the chaplain of the Spanish Ambassador, fled to Flanders. The Spanish Ambassador disclaimed knowledge of the matter, but it may well be that the English Government was nettled, and readily lent itself to a plan for capturing Story. In his adopted country he received a place in the customs. On a certain day in August, 1570, he was invited to examine a ship at Bergen-op-Zoom. While he was busy in the hold the hatches were shut down on him, the sail was hoisted, and the ship sailed for Yarmouth with Story on board. The capture was a great event. “The locks and bolts of the Lollards’ Tower were broken off at the death of queen Mary, and never since repaired. Now they were repaired for the reception of Dr. Story.”[177] He was executed at Tyburn on June 1, 1571. He was the object of general execration: care was probably taken that he should suffer all the torments of the horrible sentence. He was let down from the gallows alive, and while the executioner was “rifling among his bowels,” Story rose and dealt him a blow.
1572. The 11. day of February Kenelme Barney, and Edmond Mather were drawne from the Tower of London: and Henry Rolfe from the Marshalsea in Southwarke, all three to Tyborne, and there hanged, bowelled and quartered for treason: Barney and Mather for conspiracie against some of her maiesties priuie counsell, and Rolfe for counterfeiting the Q. maiesties hand (Stow, p. 670).
1572. The 28. of Nouember, John Hall gentleman, and Oswald Wilkinson late of Yorke, and gailor of Yorke castle (being before arraigned and condemned of treason) were drawne from the Tower of London to Tiborne, and there hanged and quartered (Stow, p. 673).
1573. The 16. of June, Thomas Woodhouse, a priest of Lincolnshire, who had lien long prisoner in the Fleete, was arraigned in the Guild hall of London, and there condemned of high treason, who had iudgement to be hanged and quartered, and was executed at Tyborne the nine-teenth of June (Stow, p. 676).
1576. The 30. of May, Tho. Greene goldsmith was drawne from Newgate of Lond. to Tyborne, and there hanged, headed, and quartered, for clipping of coine both gold and siluer (Stow, p. 680).
1578. The third of Februarie, early in the morning, Iohn Nelson, for denying the Queenes supremacie, and such other traiterous words against her maiestie, was drawne from Newgate to Tiborne, and there hanged, bowelled and quartered (Stow, p. 684).
1578. The 7. of Februarie, one named Sherewood was drawne from the Tower of London to Tyborne, and there hanged, bowelled and quartered (Stow, p. 684).
Thomas Sherwood was a layman. In the Tower he was cruelly racked to make him tell where he had heard mass.