William Wolsey And Robert Pygot
WILLIAM WOLSEY AND ROBERT PYGOT
On October 9, 1555, William Wolsey and Robert Pygot of Wisbeach were condemned at Ely by John Fuller, the bishop’s chancellor; Dr. Shaxton, his suffragan; Robert Stewart, the dean of Ely; and John Christopherson, the dean of Norwich.
William Wolsey was a policeman in the town of Wells who was accused by Richard Everard, a justice, and put in jail.
Before he was condemned, Dr. Fuller and others visited Wolsey and urged him to return to the church but got nowhere. Before he left the prison, Fuller gave Wolsey a book by Dr. Watson, the bishop of Lincoln, hoping that might show Wolsey where his theology was wrong and convince him to recant his current beliefs. As Wolsey suspected, he found the book full of opinions that were contrary to scripture, so he returned it to the chancellor on his next visit.
That night when Dr. Fuller looked at his book, he found Wolsey had written notes in it—in ink. “This obstinate heretic has ruined my book!” he complained. Still, as the time approached for Wolsey to appear in court, Fuller went back to visit him again. “You bother my conscience,” he admitted. “Leave, but watch what you say, so no one complains to me again. Come to church when you want to, and if someone complains about you, I’ll send them away.”
“Doctor,” Wolsey replied, “I was brought here by the law, and I will be freed by the law.” Brought to trial, Wolsey was imprisoned in the castle at Wisbeach for some time.
About the same time, Robert Pygot, a painter, was accused of not going to church. Appearing before the judge at Wisbeach, he was asked why he had left the church.
“Sir,” he replied, “I am not out of the church. I trust in God.”
“But this isn’t a church. This is a hall.”
“True, but he that is in the true faith of Jesus Christ is always in the church.”
“Ah! You know too much for me to talk to. I’ll send you to those with more learning.”
Pygot joined Wolsey in jail until the court session was over and they were transferred to Ely. On October 9, 1555, they were both examined by Dr. Fuller on their beliefs, especially those on transubstantiation. After their sentence was read and a sermon preached, they were bound to the stake with a chain. Asked once more to recant his errors, Wolsey replied, “I ask God to witness that I am not wrong in any point of the Holy Bible. I hold it to be sound doctrine for my salvation and for others until the end of the world. Whatever my enemies say, I ask God to forgive them.”
Just before the fire was lit, someone brought a pile of English New Testaments to be burned with them. “Oh!” said Wolsey. “Give me one of them.” Pygot asked for one, too, and they died together, singing Psalm 106 and clasping the testaments to their hearts.