THOMAS WATTS
THOMAS WATTS
Thomas Watts of Billericay, Essex, was a linen draper. Knowing he would soon be arrested, he sold all the cloth in his shop, gave almost everything he owned to his wife and children, donated the rest to the poor, and waited. On April 26, 1555, Watts was arrested and brought before Lord Rich and others in Chelmsford on charges of not going to Mass.
Anthony Brown, the judge, asked Watts where he’d learned his religion, to which he replied, “From you, sir. In King Edward’s day, you spoke against this religion. No preacher could say more than you did then. You said the Mass was abominable and exhorted us not to believe them, saying we should only believe Christ. You said that anyone bringing a foreign religion in here was a traitor.”
Brown turned to Lord Rich. “He’s slandering me, my lord! What kind of criminal is he? If he talks like this to my face, imagine what he says to my back!”
Finally growing weary of Watts, the commissioners sent him to the bishop of London, who brought the following charges against him.
Thomas Watts lived in Billericay, within the jurisdiction of the bishop of London.
Watts replied this was true.
He did not believe in the sacraments or take part in them.
Watts replied that he believed in all the sacraments according to Christ’s institution but not according to the Catholic Church. Once he had believed as a Catholic, but the church deceived the people.
He believed—and taught others—that Communion was only a remembrance of Christ’s body and blood, nothing else.
Watts said he believed Christ’s body was in heaven, nowhere else. He would never believe His body is in the host.
He believed that the true presence of Christ’s body and blood was not in the host but in heaven.
Watts agreed that that was exactly what he believed.
He believed that the Mass is full of idolatry, abomination, and wickedness, that Christ did not institute it, ordain it, or believe it was good.
Watts said he still believed that and would never change his mind.
He believed confession to a priest was unnecessary and that all a man needed to do was believe and confess to God.
Watts replied that no priest could absolve him of his sins, but he said it was a good thing to ask a priest for advice.
He believed that Luther, Wycliffe, Barnes, and all others put to death for their beliefs about Communion were good men, faithful servants, and martyrs of Christ.
Watts said that he didn’t know the theology of men they’d listed, but if they didn’t believe the body and blood of Christ were physically in the sacrament, they were good Christian men.
He believed fasting, praying, and giving alms were useless. If a man was saved, he didn’t need to do them; if he wasn’t, doing them wouldn’t save him.
Watts denied he’d said that, saying he believed fasting, prayers, and giving alms were works of a lively faith.
He openly admitted that he refused to go to church and receive Communion because that service was abominable. He also said other erroneous and arrogant things, serving as a bad example to the people present.
Watts replied that was true, and he would die believing the same.
He was an open heretic, to be cursed by the church and turned over to the secular authorities for punishment.
Watts said he would submit to the law, trusting God would bless him even if he was cursed by men.
He said the Church of Rome was the synagogue of Satan.
Watts said he believed the pope was a mortal enemy of Christ and His church.
All of the above charges are common knowledge in the area of Billericay.
Watts replied that everything he’d said before was true.
From May 10–17, Watts saw one churchman after another, none of whom could make him move an inch from what he’d maintained all along. He was turned over to the sheriffs of London and imprisoned in Newgate until May 22 or June 9 before being transferred to Chelmsford, where he had dinner with Hawkes and others who’d been brought down for burning. Given the opportunity to speak to his wife and six children, he encouraged them to be faithful to their beliefs, no matter what; two of his children promptly offered to go to the stake with their father.
Watts kissed the stake before he turned to Lord Rich and warned him, “My lord, beware! You act against your conscience in this, and unless you repent, the Lord will revenge it, for you are the cause of my death.”