9. William Hunter
9. WILLIAM HUNTER
A notable history of William Hunter, a young man of nineteen years, pursued to death by Justice Brown for the gospel's sake, worthy of all young men and parents to be read.
[On] the twenty-sixth day of the said month of March [1555] . . . followed the martyrdom of William Hunter, a right godly young man of the age of nineteen years, and born of like godly parents: by whom he was not only instructed in true religion and godliness, but also confirmed by them unto death, after a rare and strange example, worthy to be noted and had in admiration of all parents. Wherein may appear a singular spectacle, not only of a marvellous fortitude in the party so young: but also in his parents, to behold nature in them striving with religion, and overcome of the same. Whereby Christian parents may learn what is to be done not only in their children, but also in themselves, if need at any time do require, or godliness should demand the duty of a Christian man against natural affection. Example whereof in the sequel of this history* we have here present before our eyes. Which history as it was faithfully drawn out by Robert Hunter his own brother (who being present with his brother William, and never left him till his death, sent the true report unto us) we have here with like faithfulness placed and recorded the same, as followeth.
William Hunter prentice and martyr.
March 26.
William Hunter prentice in William Hunter being a prentice in London, in the first year of Queen Mary, was commanded at the Easter next following, to receive the communion at a Mass,* by the priest of the parish where he dwelt, called Coleman Street: which, because he refused to do, he was very much threatened that he should be therefore brought before the Bishop of London. Wherefore
William Hunter's master, one Thomas Taylor, a silk weaver, required William Hunter, to go and depart from him, lest that he should come in danger, because of him, if he continued in his house. For the which causes, William Hunter took leave of his said master, and thence came to Brentwood where his
Coleman Street with Thomas Taylor.
William Hunter threatened for not receiving at a Mass.
William Hunter willed of his master to depart.
William Hunter
father dwelt, with whom he remained afterward, about the space of half a quarter of a year.
William Hunter cometh to his father to Brentwood.
After this it happened, within five or six weeks, that William going into the chapel of Brentwood, and finding there a Bible lying on a desk, did read therein. In the meantime there came in one Father Atwell a summoner, which hearing William read in the Bible, said to him, 'What meddlest thou with the Bible?
Knowest thou what thou readest, and canst thou expound the scriptures?'
Father Atwell a summoner or promoter.
To whom William answered and said: 'Father Atwell, I take not upon me to expound the scriptures, except I were dispensed withal, but I finding the Bible here when I came, read in it to my comfort.' To whom father Atwell said: 'It was never merry since the Bible came abroad in English.'*
To the which words William answered, saying: 'Father Atwell, say not so for God's sake, for it is God's book, out of the which every one that hath, grace may learn to know what things both please God, and also what displeaseth him.' Then said Father Atwell: 'Could we not tell before this time, as well as now, how God was served?' William answered: 'No, father
Atwell, nothing so well, as we may now, if that we might have his blessed word amongst us still as we have had.' 'It is true,' said father Atwell, 'if it be as you say.'
Talk between Atwell and William Hunter concerning the Bible.
'Well,' said William Hunter, 'it liketh me very well, and I pray God that we may have the blessed Bible amongst us continually.' To the which words Father Atwell said, 'I perceive your mind well enough, you are one of them that misliketh the queen's laws, and therefore you came from London, I hear say.
You learned these ways at London, but for all that,' said father Atwell, 'you must turn another leaf, or else you and a great sort more heretics will broil for this gear, I warrant you.' To the which words William said: 'God give me grace that I may believe his word, and confess his name, whatsoever come thereof.' 'Confess his name?' quoth old Atwell.
The Catholics cannot abide the Bible.
'No, no, ye will go to the devil all of you, and confess his name.'
'What?' said William. 'You say not well Father Atwell.'
At the which words he went out of the chapel in a great fury, saying: 'I am not able to reason with thee, but I will fetch one
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straight way which shall talk with thee, I warrant thee thou heretic.' And he, leaving William Hunter reading in the Bible, straight ways brought one Thomas Wood, who was then vicar of South Weald, which was at an alehouse even over against the said chapel: who hearing old Atwell say, that William Hunter was reading of the Bible in the chapel, came by and by to him, and finding him reading in the Bible, took the matter very heinously, saying: 'Sirrah, who gave thee leave to read in the Bible and to expound it?'
Atwell not able to reason, but he is able to accuse the innocent.
The vicar of South Weald Then William answered: 'I expound not the scriptures Sir, but read them for my comfort.' 'What meddlest thou with them at all?' said the vicar. 'It becometh not thee, nor none such to meddle with the scriptures.' But William answered:
'I will read the scriptures God willing, while I live, and you ought, Master Vicar, not to discourage any man for that matter, but rather exhort men diligently to read the scriptures for your discharge and their own.' angry with William Hunter for reading in the Bible.
Unto the which the vicar answered: 'It becometh thee well to tell me what I have to do. I see thou art a heretic, by thy words.' William said, 'I am no heretic for speaking the truth.'
But the vicar said, 'It is a merry world when such as thou art, shall teach us what is the truth. Thou art meddling Father
Atwell tells me with the sixth chapter of John, wherein thou mayst perceive, how Christ saith: "Except that ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." '* William said, 'I read the sixth chapter of John, indeed: howbeit, I made no exposition on it.'
The Catholics in no wise will be controlled.
Then said father Atwell, 'When you read it I said, that you there might understand how that in the sacrament of the altar is Christ's very natural body and blood: unto the which you answered, how that you would take the scriptures as they are, and that you would meddle with no great exposition, except that ye were dispensed withal.'
'Ah,' said the vicar. 'What say you to the blessed sacrament of the altar? Believest thou not in it, and that the bread and wine is transubstantiated into the very body and blood of Christ?' William answered, 'I learn no such thing in the sixth chapter of John, as you speak of.' 'Why,' said the vicar, 'doest thou not believe in the sacrament of the altar?'
William Hunter examined of the sacrament.
William Hunter
'I believe,' said William Hunter, 'all that God's word teacheth.'
'Why,' said the vicar, 'thou mayest learn this which I say plainly in the sixth chapter of John.'
Then said William, 'You understand Christ's words much like the carnal Capernaites,* which thought that Christ would have given them his flesh to feed upon, which opinion our saviour Christ corrected, when he said, "The words which I speak to you, are spirit and life." '* The Catholics like to the Capernaites.
'Now,' quoth the vicar, 'I have found you out: now I see that thou art a heretic indeed, and that thou doest not believe in the sacrament of the altar.'
Then said William Hunter, 'Whereas you doubt my belief, I would it were tried whether that you or I would stand faster in our faith.' 'Yea, thou heretic,' (said the vicar), 'wouldest thou have it so tried?' William Hunter answered, 'That which you call heresy, I serve my Lord God withal.'
Heresy mistaken with the papists.
Then said the vicar: 'Canst thou serve God with heresy?'
But William answered, 'I would that you and I were even now fast tied to a stake, to prove whether that you or I would stand strongest to our faith.' But the vicar answered: 'It shall not so be tried.' 'No,' quoth William, 'I think so: for if I might,
I think I know who would soonest recant, for I durst set my foot against yours even to the death.' 'That we shall see,' quoth the vicar, and so they departed, the vicar threatening William much, how that he would complain of him: with other much communication which they had together.
Immediately after, this vicar of Weald* told Master Brown of the communication which William Hunter and he had together. Which when Master Brown understood, immediately he sent for William's father and the constable, one Robert
Salmon. For immediately after William Hunter and the vicar had reasoned together, he took his leave of his father and fled, because Wood the vicar threatened him. Now when the constable and William's father were come, and were before Master
Brown, he asked where William Hunter was. His father answered, saying: 'If it please you Sir, I know not where he is become.' 'No?' quoth Master Brown. 'I will make thee tell where he is, and fetch him forth also ere I have done with thee.'
The vicar complaineth to Justice Brown of William Hunter.
Justice Brown sendeth for Hunter's father.
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'Sir,' said William's father, 'I know not where he is become, nor where to seek for him.'
Then said Master Brown, 'Why didst thou not bring him when thou hadst him? I promise thee if thou wilt not fetch him, I will send thee to prison till I shall get him. Wherefore see that thou promise me to fetch him, or else it is not best to look me in the face any more, nor yet to rest in Brentwood.
Well,' quoth Master Brown to William's father, 'see that thou seek him forth, and bring him to me.'
The fruit of the pope's doctrine to set the father against the son.
An unreasonable William's father answered: 'Sir, would you have me seek out my son to be burned?' 'If thou bring him to me,' quoth Master
Brown, 'I will deal well enough for that matter: thou shalt not need to care for the matter. Fetch him, and thou shalt see what
I will do for him. request of Justice Brown.
'Moreover, if thou lackest money,' quoth he, 'thou shalt have some,' and bade the constable Master Salmon to give him a crown, but William's father took none of him. Howbeit
Master Brown would never rest, till William's father had promised him to seek out his son. And thus Master Brown sent the constable home again, and William's father, commanding him to seek out William Hunter, and then to come again and bring him to him.
After that old father Hunter had ridden a two or three days' journey to satisfy Master Brown's expectation, it happened that William met with his father in the highway as he travelled, and first he seeing his father, came to him, and spake to him, and told him how that he thought he sought for him: and then his father confessing it, wept sore and said, that Master Brown charged him to seek him, and bring him to him: 'Howbeit,' said he, 'I will return home again, and say I cannot find you.'
But William said: 'Father, I will go home with you and save you harmless, whatsoever cometh of it.'
The father pretended to seek the son.
The son meeteth with him in the way.
The working of nature between the father and the And thus they came home together: but William as soon as he was come home, was taken by the said constable, and laid in the stocks till the day. Master Brown hearing that William
Hunter was come home, sent for him to the constable, who brought him immediately to Master Brown. son.
William Hunter brought before Justice Brown.
Now when William was come, Master Brown said to him, 'Ah sirrah, are ye come?' And then by and by he commanded
William Hunter
the Bible to be brought, and opened it, and then began to reason with William on this manner, saying: 'I hear say you are a scripture man, you: and can reason much of the sixth chapter of John, and expound as pleaseth you,' and turned the Bible to the sixth chapter of Saint John, and then he laid to his charge, what an exposition he made, when the vicar and he talked together. And William said, 'He urged me to say so much as I did.'
'Well,' quoth Master Brown, 'because you can expound that place so well, how say you to another place, turning to the twenty-second chapter of Saint Luke?' And Master Brown said, 'Look here,' (quoth he), 'for Christ saith, that the bread is his body.'* Talk between William Hunter and Justice Brown about the sacrament.
To the which William answered, 'The text saying, how Christ took bread, but not that he changed it, into another substance, but gave that which he took, and brake that which he gave, which was bread, as is evident by the text. For else he should have had two bodies, which to affirm I see no reason,' said William.
Bread broken but not changed.
At the which answer Master Brown was very angry, and took up the Bible and turned the leaves, and then flung it down again in such a fury, that William could not well find the place again whereof they reasoned.
Master Brown in a pelting chafe.* Then Master Brown said, 'Thou naughty boy, wilt thou not take things as they are, but expound them as thou wilt? Doth not Christ call the bread his body plainly, and thou wilt not believe that the bread is his body after the consecration?* Thou goest about to make Christ a liar.'
But William Hunter answered: 'I mean not so sir, but rather more earnestly to search what the mind of Christ is in that holy institution, wherein he commendeth unto us the remembrance of his death, passion, resurrection and coming again, saying:
"This do in the remembrance of me."* And also though Christ call the bread his body, as he doeth also say, that he is a vine, a door,* et cetera. Yet is not his body turned into bread, nor more than he is turned into a door, or vine. Wherefore Christ called the bread his body by a figure.'
How Christ called bread his body.
At that word Master Brown said, 'Thou art a villain indeed.
Wilt thou make Christ a liar yet still?' And [he] was in such a
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fury with William, and so raged, that William could not speak a word, but he crossed him, and scoffed at every word.
Wherefore William seeing him in such fury, desired him that he would either hear him quietly, and suffer him to answer for himself, or else send him away. To the which Master Brown answered: 'Indeed I will send thee tomorrow to my Lord of London, and he shall have thee under examination,' and thus left off the talk, and made a letter immediately, and sent William
Hunter with the constable to Bonner Bishop of London, who received William.
Master Brown in a rage.
Master Brown sendeth up William Hunter to After that he had read the letter, and the constable returned home again, the bishop caused William to be brought into a chamber, where he began to reason with him in this manner:
'I understand William Hunter,' (quoth he), 'by Master Brown's letter, how that you have had certain communication with the vicar of Weald, about the blessed sacrament of the altar, and how that ye could not agree, whereupon Master Brown sent for thee to bring thee to the Catholic faith, from the which he saith, that thou art gone. Howbeit, if thou wilt be ruled by me, thou shalt have no harm, for anything that thou hast said or done in this matter.'
Bishop Bonner.
Bonner's words to William Hunter.
William answered, saying: 'I am not fallen from the Catholic faith of Christ, I am sure, but do believe it, and confess it with all my heart.'
'Why,' quoth the bishop, 'how sayest thou to the blessed sacrament of the altar? Wilt thou not recant thy saying, which thou confessedst before Master Brown, how that Christ's body is not in the sacrament of the altar, the same that was born of the Virgin Mary?'
Talk between William Hunter and the bishop about the sacrament.
To the which William answered, saying: 'My Lord I understand, that Master Brown hath certified you of the talk, which he and I had together, and thereby ye know what I said to him, the which I will not recant by God's help.' Then said the bishop, 'I think thou art ashamed to bear a faggot and recant openly, but if thou wilt recant thy sayings, I will promise thee, that thou shalt not be put to open shame: but speak the word here now between me and thee, and I will promise thee, it shall go no further, and thou shalt go home again without any hurt.'
Bonner's fair promise to William Hunter.
William Hunter
William answered and said, 'My Lord: if you will let me alone and leave me to my conscience, I will go to my father and dwell with him, or else with my master again, and so if nobody will disquiet nor trouble my conscience, I will keep my conscience to myself.'
Then said the bishop, 'I am content, so that thou wilt go to the church and receive and be shriven, and so continue a good
Catholic Christian.' 'No,' quoth William, 'I will not do so for all the good in the world.'
William Hunter not suffered to have his conscience free.
'Then,' quoth the bishop, 'if you will not do so, I will make you sure enough, I warrant you.' 'Well,' quoth William, 'you can do no more than God will permit you.'* 'Well,' quoth the bishop, 'wilt thou not recant indeed by no means?' 'No,' quoth
William, 'never while I live, God willing.'
William Hunter denieth to recant.
Then the bishop (this talk ended) commanded his men to put William in the stocks in his gatehouse, where he sat two days and nights, only with a crust of brown bread and a cup of water.
Bonner commandeth William Hunter to the stocks.
William Hunter two days and two nights in the stocks, with a crust of bread, and a cup of water.
At the two days' end the bishop came to him, and finding the cup of water and the crust of bread still by him upon the stocks, said to his men: 'Take him out of the stocks, and let him break his fast with you.' Then they let him forth of the stocks, but would not suffer him to eat with them, but called him heretic. And he said he was as loath to be in their company, as they were, to be in his.
After breakfast the bishop sent for William, and demanded whether he would recant or no. But William made him answer, how that he would never recant that which he had confessed before men, as concerning his faith in Christ.
Hunter again refuseth to recant his faith in Christ.
Then the bishop said that he was no Christian, but denied the faith in which he was baptized. But William answered:
'I was baptized in the faith of the holy Trinity, the which I will not go from, God assisting me with his grace.'
Then the bishop sent him to the convict prison, and commanded the keeper to lay irons on him as many as he could bear, and moreover asked him, how old he was: and William said, that he was nineteen years old.
William Hunter laid in the convict prison with as many irons as he could bear.
'Well,' said the bishop, 'you will be burned ere you be twenty years old, if you will not yield yourself better than you
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have done yet.' William answered, 'God strengthen me in his truth': and then he parted, the bishop allowing him a halfpenny a day to live on in bread, or drink.
Hunter allowed an halfpenny a day to live on.
Thus he continued in prison three quarters of a year. In the which time he had been before the bishop five times, besides the time when he was condemned in the consistory in Paul's, the ninth day of February: at the which time I his brother
Robert Hunter was present, when and where I heard the bishop condemn him, and five other more.
These five were Tomkins, Pigot, Knight, And then the bishop calling William, asked him if he would not recant, and so read to him his examination and confession, as is above rehearsed, and then rehearsed how that William confessed that he did believe that he received Christ's body spiritually, when he did receive the communion. 'Dost thou mean,' quoth the bishop, 'that the bread is Christ's body spiritually?'
Haukes, and Laurence.
William answered: 'I mean not so, but rather when I receive the holy communion rightly and worthily, I do feed upon Christ spiritually through faith in my soul, and made partaker of all the benefits which Christ hath brought unto all faithful believers through his precious death, passion, and resurrection, and not that the bread is his body, either spiritually or corporally.'
The bread is Christ's body Then said the bishop to William, 'Doest thou not think,'
(holding up his cap), 'that for example here of my cap, thou mayest see the squareness and colour of it, and yet not to be the substance, which thou judgest by the accidences.'* neither spiritually nor bodily, but in receiving the communion we William answered: 'If you can separate the accidences from the substance, and show me the substance without the accidences, I could believe.' Then said the bishop: 'Thou wilt not believe that God can do anything above man's capacity.' 'Yes,' said William, 'I must needs believe that: for daily experience teacheth all men that thing plainly: but our question is not what God can do, but what he will have us to learn in his holy supper.' feed on Christ spiritually in our soul.
The question is not what God can do, but what he would Then the bishop said, 'I always have found thee at this point, and I see no hope in thee to reclaim thee unto the Catholic faith, but thou wilt continue a corrupt member,' and then pronounced sentence upon him, how that he should go have us to believe in his holy supper.
William Hunter
from that place to Newgate for a time, and so from thence to Brentwood, 'Where,' said he, 'thou shalt be burned.'
A sentence pronounced against William Hunter.
Then the bishop called for another, and so when he had condemned them all, he called for William Hunter, and persuaded with him, saying: 'If thou wilt yet recant, I will make thee a freeman in the City, and give thee forty pounds in good money to set up thine occupation withal: or I will make thee steward of my house and set thee in office, for I like thee well, thou hast wit enough, and I will prefer thee, if thou recant.'
The large offers of Bishop Bonner to William Hunter.
But William answered, 'I thank you for your great offers: notwithstanding, my Lord,' said he, 'if you cannot persuade my conscience with scriptures, I cannot find in my heart to turn from God for the love of the world: for I count all things worldly, but loss and dung, in respect of the love of Christ.' * William Hunter refuseth to come from Christ for the love of the world.
Then said the bishop, 'If thou diest in this mind, thou art condemned forever.' William answered: 'God judgeth righteously, and justifieth them whom man condemneth unjustly.'
Thus William and the bishop departed, William and the rest to Newgate, where they remained about a month, which afterward were sent down, William to Brentwood, and the others into diverse places of the country. Now, when William was come down to Brentwood which was the Saturday before the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary that followed on the Monday after, William remained till the Tuesday after, because they would not put him to death, then for the holiness of the day.
William Hunter sent down to Brentwood to be burnt.
In the mean time William's father and mother came to him, and desired heartily of God that he might continue to the end in that good way which God had begon, and his mother said to him, that she was glad that ever she was so happy to bear such a child, which could find in his heart to lose his life for Christ's name's sake.
His father and mother come to comfort him.
Then William said to his mother: 'For my little pain which I shall suffer, which is but a short braid, Christ hath promised me mother,' said he, 'a crown of joy:* may you not be glad of that, mother?' With that, his mother kneeled down on her knees, saying: 'I pray God strengthen thee my son, to the end.
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Yea, I think thee as well bestowed as any child that ever I bare.'
His father and mother exhort . . . William's father said: 'I was afraid of nothing, but that my son should have been killed in the prison for hunger and cold, the bishop was so hard to him.' But William confessed, after a month that his father was charged with his board, that he lacked nothing, but had meat and clothing enough, yea, even out of the court, both money, meat, clothes, wood and coals, and all things necessary. him to be constant.
Mark here whether Bonner did nothing but by Thus they continued in their inn, being the Swan in Brentwood, in a parlour, whither resorted many people of the country to see those good men which were there: and many of William's acquaintance came to him, and reasoned with him, and he with them, exhorting them to come away from the abomination of popish superstition and idolatry. the law.
Thus passing away Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, on Monday at night it happened that William had a dream about two of the clock in the morning, which was this: how that he was at the place where the stake was pitched, where he should be burned, which (as he thought in his dream) was at the town's end where the butts stood: which was so indeed. And also he dreamed that he met with his father as he went to the stake, and also that there was a priest at the stake, which went about to have him recant.
A notable thing concerning William Hunter's dream.
To whom he said (as he thought in his dream) how that he bade him, 'Away false prophet,' and how that he exhorted the people to beware of him, and such as he was: which things came to pass indeed. It happened that William made a noise to himself in his dream, which caused Master Higbed* and the others to awake him out of his sleep, to know what he lacked. When he awaked, he told them his dream in order, as is said.
William Hunter led to Now when it was day, the sheriff Master Brocket called on to set forward to the burning of William Hunter. Then came the sheriff's son to William Hunter, and embraced him in his right arm, saying: 'William, be not afraid of these men which are here present with bows, bills, and weapons ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shall be burned.'
To whom William answered: 'I thank God I am not afraid, for the place of martyrdom.
The sheriff's son giveth comfortable words to William Hunter.
William Hunter
I have cast my [ac]count what it will cost me already.' Then the sheriff's son could speak no more to him for weeping.
Then William Hunter plucked up his gown, and stepped over the parlour groundsel,* and went forward cheerfully, the sheriff's servant taking him by the arm, and I his brother by another, and thus going in the way, met with his father according to his dream, and he spake to his son, weeping and saying,
'God be with thee son William,' and William said, 'God be with you father, and be of a good comfort, for I hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry.' His father said, 'I hope so William,' and so departed. So William went to the place where the stake stood, even according to his dream, whereas all things were very unready. Then William took a wet broom faggot, and kneeled down thereon, and read the fifty-first Psalm, till he came to these words, 'the sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit, a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.'*
William Hunter's dream verified.
His words to his father.
Then said Master Tyrrell of the Beaches, called William Tyrrell, 'Thou liest,' (said he), 'thou readest false, for the words are "an humble spirit." '* But William said, 'The translation saith "a contrite heart." ' 'Yea,' quoth Master Tyrrell, 'the translation is false, ye translate books as ye list yourselves, like heretics.' 'Well,' quoth William, 'there is no great difference in those words.' Then said the sheriff, 'Here is a letter from the queen. If thou wilt recant thou shalt live, if not thou shalt be burned.' 'No,' quoth William, 'I will not recant, God willing.'
Then William rose and went to the stake, and stood upright to it. Then came one Richard Ponde, a bailiff, and made fast the chain about William. . . .
Master William Tyrrell of the Beaches carpeth where he hath no cause.
William Hunter refuseth the queen's pardon.
Then said Master Brown, 'Here is not wood enough to burn a leg of him.' Then said William: 'Good people pray for me: and make speed and dispatch quickly: and pray for me while ye see me alive, good people, and I pray for you likewise.'
'Now,' quoth Master Brown, 'pray for thee? I will pray no more for thee, than I will pray for a dog.' To whom William answered Master Brown: 'Now you have that which you sought for, and I pray God it be not laid to your charge in the last day: howbeit I forgive you.' Then said Master Brown,
'I ask no forgiveness of thee.' 'Well,' said William, 'if God forgive you no, I shall require my blood at your hands.'
A dogged saying of Master Brown.
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Then said William, 'Son of God shine upon me,' and immediately the sun in the element* shone out of a dark cloud, so full in his face that he was constrained to look another way: whereat the people mused, because it was so dark a little time afore. Then William took up a faggot of broom, and embraced it in his arms.
An external show of Christ's favour upon William Hunter.
Then this priest which William dreamed of, came to his brother Robert with a popish book to carry to William, that he might recant, which book his brother would not meddle withal.
William's dream verified.
Then William seeing the priest, and perceiving how he would have showed him the book, said: 'Away, thou false prophet. Beware of them good people, and come away from their abominations, lest that you be partakers of their plagues.'
'Then,' quoth the priest, 'look how thou burnest here, so shalt thou burn in hell.' William answered, 'Thou liest, thou false prophet: away thou false prophet, away.'
Hunter's words to a popish priest.
Then was there a gentleman which said, 'I pray God have mercy upon his soul.' The people said: 'Amen, Amen.'
Immediately fire was made.
Then William cast his Psalter right into his brother's hand, who said: 'William, think on the holy passion of Christ, and be not afraid of death.'
Hunter comforted by And William answered: 'I am not afraid.' Then lift[ed] he up his hands to heaven, and said, 'Lord, Lord, Lord, receive my spirit,' and casting down his head again into the smothering smoke, he yielded up his life for the truth, sealing it with his blood, to the praise of God. his brother Robert.