Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/265

1902 ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION, 1562 257 ben x prycked w* an hondred dagers so that I was fayne to kepe my bed & could not slepe nor sterr. and thus lyinge in my bed so tormented that I could not slepe. vppon a certeyn nyght abowt mydnyght the same vysyon apeared to me by my bedd syde. all in white lainge an hand vppon my shoulder sayinge. Elye thow Carpenters sonn Aryse faste & praye for thow arte elect & chosen of god to declare & pronownce vnto his people his worde for thy vertuous lyvinge yn thy youthe tyme. & art at this tyme so plaged becawse thow dydest vtterlye forsake godes will & comau dement & wholelye gave thy selfe vnto the worlde to the w ch sayinge I saide lorde I am vnlerned & yf I shuld preach wryte or teache the thinge w ch I could not prove, neyther weare agreable to the scryp- tures I shulde not be beleved. vnto the wh I was answered, wryte of the revelacbn that thow haste sene of baptisme repentaunce & amendment of lyfe. & shew hit to the magistrates & rulers. & that w ch thou shalte wryt shalbe putt in to thy hed by the holye ghoste. after the w ch sayinge the vysyon depted from me. & I was taken owt of my bed as it were in a tufte of fethers w* a worlewynde vp into heaven, wher I sawe o r Savyo r Chryste syttinge in his royall seate compassed abowte w* aungels. Emonges whome me thought I saw one havinge a book in his hand lokinge on yt on asked hym whether the tyme weare com, who answered no f from thence I was caryed into hell, where I saw all the tormentes therof & also a place p r pared for me. yf I wolde not amend my corrupte lyfe. & also a place p r pared for me yn heaven yf I wolde follow godes holye will & comand- mentes. and so was brought in to my chamber ageyne. from whence I was absent two nightes & one daye. in which tyme I was not sene of anye mann in the yearth lyvinge. Since w oh tyme I have apparrelled my selfe thus as ye see. & goe wolward to thintent to bringe the fleshe in sub- ieccon to the sowle neyther have I eten at any tyme this yeare & this halfe any fleshe but white meate & to the same yntent & ever sene that tyme have geven my selfe to my foremer vertuous lyvinge in fastinge & prayinge & ever since that tyme have wrytten & by godes devyne powre coulde wryte although but smale as I pfesce before yo r honors all that before that tyme I coulde not wryte. Thus | 2 have I ever since settled my selfe to wryte godes holye wyll and comaundementes and dystrybuted my goodes emonges my kynsmen and pore people makinge pclemacbn that yf any mann coulde com vnto whome I ought any thinge vnto for every pennye I wolde make hym dowble amendes. Also sythens that tyme I have wrytten this booke which I have here brought before yow entendinge god wyllinge to delyver the same vnto my prynce before that anye mann do throughlye pvse yt. Neyther have I attayned to this hand by any worldlye meanes. Thus besechinge yo r honors all that yf theise my sayinges cann be pvyd false in any poynte, lett me suffer deathe to thensample of all others. [In a different hand :] the same Manne was sett on the pillerye In cheape the 3 xxvj th of Juny beynge ffrydaye w tlj thys superscription In paper (ffor seducinge the people by publyshynge ffallce Revelacions). [Endorsed] The Counterfet practyce of Ellis Hall of Manchester in Lankeshir the 18 of June 1562 the 4 Eliz. 1 fo. 16 V . 2 fo. 17. 3 MS. the the. VOL. XXXVII. NO. CXLVI. S