WICKEDLY STRANGLED AND MARTYRED IN THE BISHOP’S PRISON AT WOBURN, UNDER WILLIAM SMITH, BISHOP OF
LINCOLN
Among these aforesaid, who were so cruelly persecuted for the gospel and word of Christ, one Thomas Chase of Amersham was one of them that was thus cruelly handled: which Thomas Chase by the report of such as did know him, was a man of a godly, sober, and honest behavior (whose virtuous doings do yet remain in memory), and who could not abide idolatry and superstition, but many times would speak against it.
Wherefore the ungodly and wicked did the more hate and despise him, and took him and brought him before the blind bishop, being at that time at Woburn, in the county of Buckingham, and, as it is written in Acts 12, that wicked Herod did vex certain of the congregation, and killed James the brother of John with the sword; and because he saw that it pleased the Jews, etc., he proceeded further, and had this same Thomas Chase before him, asking him many questions touching the Romish religion, with many taunts, checks, and rebukes; but what answer this godly man, Thomas Chase, made them, it is unknown. Howbeit it is to be supposed that his answer was most zealous and godly in professing Christ’s true religion and gospel, and to the extirpation of idolatry, and superstition, and hypocrisy, for the said Thomas Chase was commanded to be put in the bishop’s prison, called ‘Little Ease,’ in the bishop’s house at Woburn; which prison had not been ministered unto him, had not his answers been sound and upright. There Thomas Chase lay bound most painfully with chains, gyves, manacles, and irons, oftentimes sore pined with hunger, where the bishop’s alms were daily brought unto him by his chaplains; which alms were nothing else but checks, taunts, rebukes and threatenings, floutings and mockings. All which cruelty the godly martyr took most quietly and patiently, remembering and having respect to Christ’s promises Matthew 13:
“Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:”
and as followeth:
“Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you;” etc. When the bishop, with his band of shavelings, perceived that by their daily practices of cruelty they could not prevail against him, but rather that he was the more fervent and earnest in professing Christ’s true religion, and that he did tolerate and bear most patiently all their wickedness and cruelty ministered unto him, they imagined how and which way they might put him to death, lest there should be a tumult or an uproar among the people.
And as Richard Hun shortly after was hanged or strangled in Lollard’s tower, about A.D. 1514, even so these blood-suppers most cruelly strangled and pressed to death this said Thomas Chase in prison, who most heartily called upon God to receive his spirit; as witnesseth a certain woman that kept him in prison.
After these stinging vipers, being of the wicked brood of Antichrist, had thus most cruelly and impiously murdered this faithful Christian, they were at their wits’ end, and could not tell what shift to make, to cloke their shameful murder withal: at last to blind the ignorant silly people, these bloody butchers most slanderously caused it by their ministers to be bruited abroad, that the aforesaid Thomas Chase had hanged himself in prison; which was a most shameful and abominable lie, for the prison was such, that a man could not stand upright, nor lie at ease, but stooping, as they do report that did know it. And besides that, this man had so many manacles and irons upon him, that he could not well move either hand or foot, as the women did declare that saw him dead; insomuch that they confessed that his blood-bulk was broken, by reason they had so viley beaten him and bruised him. And yet these holy Catholics had not made an end of their wicked act in this both killing and slandering of this godly martyr; but, to put out the remembrance of him, they caused him to be buried in the wood called Norland Wood, in the highway betwixt Woburn and Little Marlow, to the intent he should not be taken up again to be seen: and thus commonly are innocent men laid up, by these, clerkly clergymen. But He that is effectually true of himself hath promised, at one time or at another to clear his true servants, not with lies and fables, but by his own true word. “No secret,” saith He, “is so close, but once shall be opened; neither is any thing so hid, that shall not at the last be known clearly.” (Matthew 10, Luke 12) Such a sweet Lord is God always to
those that are his true servants. Blessed be his holy name, therefore, for ever and ever, Amen!
Thomas Harding being one of this company thus molested and troubled, as is aforesaid, in the town of Amersham, for the truth of the gospel, after his abjuration and penance done, was again sought for, and brought to the fire, in the days of king Henry VIII, and under Dr. Longland then bishop of Lincoln, succeeding after cardinal Wolsey; of whose death and martyrdom we shall likewise record (Christ willing and granting) in order, when we shall come to the time and year of his suffering.
After the martyrdom of these two, I read also of one Thomas Noris, who likewise for the same cause, that is, for the profession of Christ’s gospel, was condemned by the bishop, and burnt at Norwich, the last day of March, A.D. 1507.
In the next year following, which was A.D. 1508, in the consistory of London, was convented Elizabeth Sampson, of the parish of
Aldermanbury, upon certain articles, and especially for speaking against pilgrimage and adoration of images; as the image of our lady at Wilsdon, at Staines, at Crome, at Walsingham, and the image of St. Saviour of
Bermondsey; and against the sacrament of the altar, and for that she had spoken these or like words: That our lady of Wilsdon was but a burnt tailed elf, and a burnt tailed stock; and if she might have holpen men and women who go to her on pilgrimage, she would not have suffered her tail to have been burnt: and what should folk worship our lady of Wilsdon, or our lady of Crome; for the one is but a burnt tailed stock, and the other is but a puppet: and better it were for the people to give their alms at home to poor people, than to go on pilgrimage. Also she called the image of St.
Saviour, ‘Sire Saviour with kit lips;’ and that she said she could make as good bread, as that which the priest occupied; and that it was not the body of Christ, but bread, for that Christ could not be both in heaven and in earth at one time. For these and certain other articles, she was compelled to abjure before Master William Horsey, chancellor, the day and year above written.1