The Spurges, Cavill, Ambrose, Drake, And Tims
THE SPURGES, CAVILL, AMBROSE, DRAKE, AND TIMS
These six men lived in the county of Essex. Being accused of heresy, they were all arrested and sent up to Bishop Gardiner of London, who sent the first four to Marshalsea Prison and the last two to the King’s Bench.
After having been confined for a year, they were all brought into the court at St. Paul’s Church to be examined by Bishop Bonner. Bonner began his examination with Tims, whom he called the ringleader, telling him he had taught the others heresies and made them as guilty as himself. After talking this way for a while, the bishop asked Tims to submit himself to the church.
In answer to this, Tims reminded the bishop that he himself had formally given up the church he had now professed such a love for during the reign of Henry VIII. “My lord, that which you have written against the supremacy of the pope can be proved true by scripture. What you are doing now is contrary to the Word of God, as I can show.” At this, Bonner called Tims an obstinate heretic and condemned him.
Drake’s trial came next. He frankly declared that he denied the authority of the pope, and no persuasion would change his mind. No time was wasted in condemning Drake and turning him over to the secular authorities for punishment. The four remaining prisoners, Thomas and Richard Spurge, George Ambrose, and John Cavill, were then asked if they would forsake their heresies and return to the church. They all refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing and declined to change their beliefs.
On April 14, 1556, the six men were taken to Smithfield, where they were chained to the same stake and burned in one fire. They patiently submitted themselves to the flames and quietly resigned their souls to that Redeemer for whose sake they had given their bodies to be burned.