John Penry

or ap Henry, that is the Son of Henry, better known by the Name of Martin Marprelate, or Marpriest, as having been a Plague to the Bishops and Ministers of his time than by his own; was born and bred, as he used to say, in the Mountains of Wales; particularly, as others say, in the County of Brecknock, became a Subsizer of Peter House in Cambridge, about 1578. At which time as one (d)(d) Cu [•] bb. Curry-Knave in his Al [••] for a paras printed at Lond. in Qu. fol. 14. a saith) he was as arrant a Papist as ever came out of Wales, and that he would have run a false Gallop over his Beads with any Man in England, and help the Priest, for a shift, to say Mass at midnight, &c. In 1583. or thereabouts, he took a Degree in Arts in that University, and afterwards did perform some, or most, of the Exercise requisite for Master; but leaving the said University abruptly, (for what cause I know not) he retired to Oxon; and getting himself to be entred a Commoner of St. Alban’s Hall, (notwithstanding the vigour of Puritanism did then Reign among the Heads of the University, which makes me to think that Penry was not then inclined to Popery) he continued there for some time, finished the remaining part of his Exercise, and in the beginning of July 1586. he was licensed to proceed in Arts, as a Member of the said Hall, and on the eleventh of the said Month compleated that Degree in an Act celebrated in the Church of St. Mary. About that time he took Holy Orders, did Preach in Oxon, and afterwards in Cambridge, and was esteemed by many a tolerable Scholar, an edifying Preacher, and a good Man; but being a Person full of Welsh Blood, of a hot and restless Head, did, upon some discontent, change the course of his Life, and became a most notorious Anabaptist, (of which Party he was in his time the Cor [•] p [•••] us) and in some sort a Brownist, and the most bitter Enemy to the Church of England, as any that appeared in the long Reign of Q. Elizabeth. He hath written.

A view of some part of such Publick Wants and Disorders as are in the Service of God, within her Majesty’s Country of Wales; with an Humble Petition to the High Court of Parliament for their speedy redress—Printed 1588. in oct. Therein is shewed not only the necessity of Reforming the State of Religion among that People; but also the only way, in regard of substance, to bring that Reformation to pass.

A defence of that which hath been written in the questions of the ignorant Ministry, and the communicating with them.—Printed 1588. in oct. written against Rob. Some, D. D. of Cambridge, who published the same year, A Treatise deciding several questions concerning the Ministry, Sacrament, and Church. Lond. in qu. As also A confutation of some of Mr. Penry’s Errours. About that time J. G. of Oxon published a Book entit. Mr. Some laid open in his Colours; wherein the indifferent Reader may easily see, how wretchedly and loosly he hath handled the Cause against Mr. Penry.—Printed in oct. Penry hath also written,

Exhortation unto the Governours and People of her Majesty’s Country of Wales, to labour earnestly to have the Preaching of the Gospel planted among them.—Printed (1588.) in oct.

Theses Martinianae, i. e. certain demonstrative conclusions set down and collected by Martin Marprelate the Great, serving as a manifest and sufficient confutation of all that ever the College of Catercaps, with their whole Band of Clergy-Priests, have, or can bring for the defence of their ambitious and Antichristian relacy.—Published by Martin Junior, 1589. in oct. and dedicated to John Kankerbury; that is, John Archbishop of Canterbury. At the end of which Book Martin Junior hath an Epilogue.

The just censure and reproof of Mart. Marprelate to Martin Junior.—Printed with the former.

Protestation of Mart Marprelate: Wherein, notwithstanding the surprising of the Printer, he maketh it known unto the World, that he feareth neither proud Priest, Antichristian Pope, Tyrannous Prelate, nor godless Catercap, &c.—Printed (1589.) in 120. by stealth, and very full of faults.

Dialogue, wherein is plainly laid open the tyrannical dealings of the Lords Bishops against God’s Children.—Printed (1589.) in qu. Therein are several reflecting stories on Dr. Martin Culpeper Warden of New College, and on Dr. Nich. Bond of Magd. College, and on his excellent dancing. This scandalous Dialogue, (which was reprinted when the Long-Parliament began, An. 1640. purposely to spite Archbishop Laud and the Bishops) was, with other like stuff of the said Mart. Marprelate, answered by T. C. that is, Thom. Cooper, in his Admonition to the People of England, &c. See more in Tho. Cooper under the year 1594.

Treatise wherein is manifestly proved, that Reformation, and those that sincerely favour the same, are unjustly charged to be Enemies unto her Majesty and the State.—Printed 1590. in qu. This was answered in a Book, intit. Pasquils Apology, the first part, wherein he renders a reason of his long silence, and gallops the Field with the Treatise of Reformation. Printed where I was, and where I shall be ready by the help of God and my Muse, to send you a may-game of Martinism, An. 1590. qu.

Hay’ any work for a Cooper, &c.—This was written against Dr. Tho. Coper before-mentioned, and said to be printed in Europe, not far from some of the bouncing Priests, An. 1590. qu.

Epitomy of the first Book of Dr. John Bridges, against the Puritans.—Printed in qu.

Oh! read over Dr. Joh. Bridges, for it is a worthy Work.—This was written against Dr. Bridges, Bishop of Oxon, and said to be printed over Sea in Europe, within two furlongs of a bouncing Priest, at the cost and charges of Mart. Marprelate, Gent. in qu.

Epistles to the terrible Priests in the Convocation House.—in qu.

The State of the Church of England.—in oct.

Petition for Peace.—in oct.

His Apology.—This I have not yet seen.

Of Prelatick Ministry.—Printed 1609. in qu.

History of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numb. 16. Ch. Applied to the Prelacy Ministry, and Church Assemblies of England.—Printed 16. 9. qu. This Book being left imperfect by the Author when he was seized and imprisoned, was published by one of his [〈◊〉] who saith in the Title that it was written by Joh. [〈◊〉] , a [〈◊〉] of Jesus Christ; and in the Epistle to the Reader, [〈…〉] was a godly Man, learned zealous, and of a [〈…〉] carriage and courage.—That with all [〈…〉] he endeavoured to have the Gospel preached [〈◊〉] among his poor Country Men, whose Case he [〈…〉] passion of, in that they wanted the [〈◊〉] of [〈…〉] After all this, God using him as a [〈…〉] more clear manifestation of [〈…〉] imprisioned, condemned, and excuted, and so [〈…〉] dom for the Name of Christ &c. These [〈…〉] Titles I have here set down, are all [〈…〉] knowledge, if not too many [〈…〉] Author of which did in most of them [〈…〉] of England, and its Members, that [〈…〉] ()() Sir Edwin [〈…〉] p. 10 [•] . Roman [〈…〉] of them in their Books, and Marprelate for a grave Author and Witness, &c. But this the Reader is to understand, that the learned and sober Men did answer most, or all of the said Books, (which were printed by stealth, partly in that nest of rigid Puritans and Schismaticks at Fawsly in Northamptonshire, and partly at Coventry, and elsewhere,) because they knew Penry to have more than ordinary Learning in him; yet they did not so much work on the Author and his Disciples, make them ridiculous, and put him and them to silence, more than those Answers which were written in a buffooning stile; as (1) that written by Tom Nash, intit. Pappe with an hatchet: alias, A Fig for my God-Son: Or, Crack me this Nut: Or, A Country Cuff; that is, A sound Box of the Ear for the Ideot Martin to hold his Peace: Written by one that dares call a Dog, a Dog.—Imprinted by John Ancke, &c. And are to be sold at the Sign of the Crabtree Cudgel in Thwack-coat-Lane. (2) That entit. Martin’s months mind, &c. pr. 1589. in qu. (3) That called, The return of the renowned Cavaliero Pasquill of England, from the other side of the Seas; and his meeting with Marforius at London upon the Royal Exchange, &c. Lond. 1589. qu. against Martin and Martinism. (4) Another entit. A countercuff given to Martin Junior, &c. by the Pasquill of Engl. Cavaliero, &c. Lond. 1589. qu. (5) That entit. The first part of Pasquill’s Apology, which I have before mention’d. (6) A certain Oxford Scholar, under the Name of Cuthbert Curry-Knave; who in his Book called, An Almond for a Parrot, or an Alms for Mart. Marprelate, &c. Printed in qu. doth most egregiously run Martin down. I say, that these Buffoonries and Pasquils did more non-plus Penry and his Disciples, and so consequently made their Doctrine more ridiculous among the common sort, than any grave or learned Answer could do; as in some part did A. L. who entitles himself Anti-Martinus, in his Monitio ad adolescentes utriusque Academia. Lond. 1589. qu. At length our Author Penry being apprehended at Stepney, near to London, (after his return from beyond the Sea,) for his writing and publishing infamous Books and Libels, and the Religion then established, was (after condemnation rto die for the same) hang’d at St. Thomas à Waterings, on the 29. 1593 May, in fifteen hundred ninety and three. He was adjudged at the King’s Bench, by Sir Jo. Popham, Knight, L. Ch. Justice of that Court, and the rest of the Judges there assembled, on the 25. of the said Month of May, but was not executed on the next day after judgment, as it was expected, nor the second, nor the third day after; But when Men looked least for the same (as one (*)(*) Author of the Preface to [〈◊〉] Dathan, and Abiram, &c. saith) then was he brought forth, being at dinner, (as I have heard,) by a Warrant under the Hands of John Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir John Puckering Knight, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and Sir John Popham aforesaid; and the matter being carried after a close manner, he was suddenly conveyed to the place of Execution, where he was as hastily bereaved of his Life, and not suffered (though he desired it) to make declaration of his Faith towards God, or of his Allegiance to her Majesty, &c. Thus by the Death of this forward and zealous Person, with the condemnation of John Vdal, and Henry Barrow before that time, the neck of the Plots of the fiery Non-conformists were broken, and their brags turned into Preaching of Preces and Lachrymae, as the only means for Christian Subjects.