Carver And Launder
CARVER AND LAUNDER
On July 22, 1555, Dirick Carver was burned at Lewes, Sussex; the following day John Launder suffered at Stening. These two men were arrested about the end of October 1554, along with other men who were praying at Carver’s house. After examination they were sent to Newgate Prison to wait for a hearing before Bonner, the bishop of London, which occurred on June 8, 1555.
There they were examined on many points of religion, writing and signing their own confessions of faith. After the bishop spoke with them for some time, trying to convince them to recant and accept the Catholic Church, they were dismissed and returned to Newgate until June 10.
Dirick Carver confessed to the following points:
He did not believe Christ’s physical body was present in the sacrament.
He did not believe there was any sacrifice in the Mass and no salvation in a Mass said in Latin.
He believed in seeing a good priest for advice but not for confession, which did nothing to save a man.
He did not believe the Catholic doctrine agreed with God’s Word. He believed that Bishop Hooper, Cardmaker, Rogers, and others recently burned were good Christians, martyrs who preached the true doctrine of Christ.
Since the queen’s coronation, he had kept his Bible and psalter in English and read them. He had also had English prayers and services said in his home. Thomas Iveson, John Launder, and William Vesie, his fellow prisoners in Newgate, were arrested with him while hearing the Gospel read in English.
John Launder confessed to the following:
He was present in Carver’s house with twelve others to hear the English service and prayers, being in town on business and hearing of the service.
He believed that all the services, sacrifices, and ceremonies of the Catholic Church are full of errors, worth nothing, and against God’s Word.
He believed that the bread and wine were only a remembrance of Christ, not His actual body and blood.
He believed the Mass was directly against God’s Word and church.
He believed confession to a priest was useless and no man could absolve another from his sins. A sinful man who regrets his sins before God and sins no more is forgiven.
On June 10, 1555, Carver, Launder, and others were brought before the bishop again. Carver was asked if he would recant or stand by his confession. “Your doctrine,” he replied, “is poison and sorcery. If Christ were here, you would put Him to a worse death than He was put to before. You say that you can make a god. You can make a pudding, too. Your ceremonies in the church are beggary and poison, and confession is contrary to God’s Word. It’s poison.”
John Launder also remained firm in his confession, and both men were condemned.
When Dirick was brought to the stake, his book was thrown into the pitch barrel to burn with him, but he reached down, picked it up, and tossed it into the crowd. The sheriff ordered the book returned on pain of death, but Dirick immediately began to speak to the crowd.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I am here to seal Christ’s Gospel with my blood because I know it is true. You know the Gospel—it’s been preached to you here and all over England, even though it’s not preached now. Because I will not deny God’s Gospel to obey man’s laws, I am condemned to die. Dear brothers and sisters, if you believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, do the works of your belief and you will have everlasting life. If you believe in the pope and his laws, you are condemned. Unless God has mercy on you, you will burn in hell forever.”
The sheriff scoffed, “If you don’t believe in the pope, you are damned, body and soul! Speak to your God. Ask Him to deliver you now or strike me down as an example!”
“The Lord forgive you for your words,” Dirick replied. “Dear brethren, if I have offended anyone by word or deed, I ask you to forgive me. And I forgive all you who have offended me in thought, word, or deed.
“O Lord, my God, You have written, ‘He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me’ (Matthew 10:37–38). But You know I have forsaken all to come to You. Lord, have mercy upon me, for unto You do I commend my spirit, and my soul rejoices in You.”