John Forest

or Forest, whose sirname had, several Years before he was born, lived within the City of Oxon, (but whether of his Family I cannot yet tell) was from his Childhood educated in Piety and Learning. Afterwards when he attained to the 17th Year of his Age, he took upon him the habit of St. Francis at Greenwich in Kent as it seems, and at about 26 Years of Age, was instructed in Theological Studies for a time, among the Brethren of that Order living without Watergate in the South Suburb of Oxon. What Degrees he took here, it appears not; yet sure I am that in order for the taking of the Degree of Bach. Div. he supplicated the Ven. Regents that he might be admitted to oppose in that faculty, but whether he was admitted, it appears not, and so consequently that he was not Bachelaur, much less Doctor, as some report, unless in another University beyond the Seas, for at Cambridge he had not that Degree conferr’d upon him, if the Tables at the end of Antiquitates Britannicae are right. Afterwards he was taken into the Service of Queen Catherine the Consort of King Hen. 8. whose love being great towards virtue and learning, she made him her Confessor. About that time he was constituted the one and fortieth Provincial Minister of his Order, as an eminent (d)(d) Franc. à S. Clara in Supplimento Historiae Provinciae Angliae, Edit. Duac. 1671. p. 8. a. Brother thereof, doth really suppose from certain Writings relating to the quarrels between the Order and Card. Wolsey. Which Provincialship had before been enjoyed by Steph. Baron Confessor to K. Hen. 8. and sometimes a frequent Preacher in the University of Cambridge. Soon after, when that good Queen was to be divorced from the said King, this our Author Forest shew’d himself a zealous Enemy against it, and in few Years after, when the King was intent to eject the Pope and his power from England, he, out of a passionate zeal which he had for the Catholick Religion, did in secret confession declare to many of the King’s Subjects, that the King was not Supreme Head of the Church, whereas before he had been sworn to the said Supremacy. These matters coming to the knowledg of the King’s Council, he was examined by certain Persons appointed by them, to whom he made answer, that he took the Oath with his outward man, but his inward man never consented thereunto. Afterwards, being further accused of divers heretical Opinions, (as they were then called) he submitted himself to the punishment of the Church: So that his abjuration being sent to him to be read, he utterly refused it. Whereupon his confinement in the Prison called Newgate, being made more close, these Verses were wrot on him by a Protestant.

Forest the Fryer that obstinate Lyer,

That willfully will be dead,

Incontinently, the Gospel doth denye,

The King to be Supreme Heade.

About the same time he took a great deal of pains in writing a Book (whether in English or Latin I know not) entit. by Latin Writers,

De autoritate Ecclesiae & Pontificis Maximi. The beginning of which is this, Nemo sibi sumat honorem, nisi fuerit vocatus à Deo tanquam Aaron, &c. In which Book he inveighed (e)(e) See more in a Book intit. Hist. Ecclesiastica de Martyrto Fr. ord. Minorum, &c. per Tho. Bouchier edit. Ingols. in 120. an. 1583. part. 2. fol. 26. 27. much against the pride and impiety of the King, because that without any call he did not scruple to intitle himself, The Head of the Church of England, and to take upon him that, which he was not capable of, whereas if he had thought himself a true Member of the Cath. Church, he should have given God thanks that he was so, and to have rested therein without endeavouring to tear it to pieces, &c. The contents of this Book (which was ready for the Press, but whether ever printed in England I cannot tell) coming to the knowledge of certain inquisitors, and at length to the Kings ear, he was forthwith condemned to dye, and having some days allowed him to make his peace with God and all Men, he wrot,

Several Letters.—Some of which I have seen printed in Latin, as first, His Answer to the Letter which Qu. Catherine sent to him. (2) An answer to the Letter written to him by Elizab. Hammon Maid (of honour) to the said Queen. (3) Answer to the Letter of Tho. Abell, who was executed two Years after for denying the King’s Supremacy, with several others, which he wrot to comfort the afflicted Catholicks. At length being drawn upon a Sledge from his Prison to Smithfield, where a pair of Gallows was set up to receive him, he was hanged thereon by the middle and arm-pits quick; and under the Gallows a Fire being made, he was burnt, and utterly consum’d to ashes, 1538 May in Fifteen hundred thirty and eight, aged 60, and in the 43 Year of his professed and religious estate. At the time he was to suffer, and before he went up the Ladder, Hugh Latymer B. of Worcester did from a Pulpit set up there, near to the Gallows, Preach a Sermon purposely to move him to repentance, but all availed nothing. He had then several discourses with that Bishop, which were verbatim taken by some of the Brethren of his order. In conclusion Latymer asked him what state he would die in. Whereupon Forest with a loud voice answered (f)(f) Job. Stow in his Annals of England, under the Year 1538. if an Angel should come down from heaven to teach him any other Doctrine than he had received, and believed from his Youth, be would not now believe him; and that if his body should be cut joint after joint, or member after member, burnt, hanged, or what pain soever might be done to his body, he would never turn from his old profession, &c. and added, that seven years past, he (Latymer) durst not have made such a Sermon for his life. This being said, he was conducted from the place where he stood, which was erected above the People, to the Gallows and there suffered.