and believeth firmly in Him, shall never sleep, but ever shall live an immortal life. That life is renewed in grace from day to day and augmented; nor shall it ever perish or have an end, but shall ever live immortal with Christ its Head. To this life, all that believe in Him shall come, and then shall remain in eternal glory. Amen.
When the bishops, with their accomplices, had accused this innocent man, in manner and form aforesaid, they incontinently condemned him to be burned as a heretic, not having respect to his godly answers and the true reasons which he alleged, nor yet to their own consciences. They thought, verily, that they should do to God good sacrifice, conformably to the sayings of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of St. John, chapter sixteen: "They shall excommunicate you; yea, and the time shall come that he which killeth you shall think that he hath done to God good service."
The following is the prayer of Master George. "O immortal God! how long shalt Thou suffer the wodness and great credulity of the ungodly to exercise their fury upon Thy servants, who do further Thy Word in this world. They desire to do the contrary, to choke and destroy the true doctrine and truth, whereby Thou hast showed Thee unto the world, which was all drowned in blindness and misknowledge of Thy name. O Lord, we know surely that Thy true servants must needs suffer, for Thy name's sake, persecution, affliction, and troubles in this present life, which is but a shadow, as Thou hast showed to us by Thy prophets and apostles. But yet we desire Thee, merciful Father, that Thou wouldest preserve, defend, and help Thy congregation, which Thou hast chosen before the beginning of the world, and give them Thy grace to hear Thy word, and to be true servants in this present life."
Then, by and by, the common people were removed (for their desire was always to hear that innocent speak) and the sons of darkness pronounced their sentence definitive, not having respect to the judgment of God. When all this was done and said, my Lord Cardinal caused his tormentors to pass again with the meek lamb unto the Castle, until such time as the fire was made ready. When he was come into the Castle, there came two Grey fiends, Friar Scott and his mate, saying, "Sir, ye must make your confession unto us." He answered and said, "I will make no confession unto you. Go fetch me yonder man that preached this day, and I will make my confession unto him." Then they sent for the Sub-prior of the Abbey, who came to him with all diligence; but what he said in this confession I cannot show.
When the fire and the gallows were made ready at the west part of the Castle, near to the Priory, my Lord Cardinal, dreading that Master George should have been taken away by his friends, commanded his men to bend all the ordnance of the Castle against the place of execution, and commanded all his gunners to be ready, and stand beside their guns, until such time as he was burned. All this being done, they bound Master George's hands behind his back, and led him forth from the Castle with their soldiers, to the place of their cruel and wicked execution. As he came forth from the Castle gate, there met him certain beggars asking his alms, for God's sake. To these he answered, "I want my hands, wherewith I was wont to give you alms. But may the merciful Lord, who feedeth all men, vouchsafe of His benignity and abundant grace to give you necessaries, both for your bodies and souls." Then met him two false fiends—I should say, Friars—saying, "Master George, pray to our Lady that she may be a mediatrix for you to her Son." To them he answered meekly, "Cease: tempt me not, my brethren." After this he was led to the fire, with a rope about his neck, and a chain of iron about his middle.
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