CHAPTER XVII.
MARTYRDOM OF DERYK {118b} CARVER.
Deryk Carver, a brewer, the proprietor of what is now known as the Black-Lion Street Brewery, the oldest building in the town, a Fleming by birth, who had been resident in Brighton about eight or nine years, was the first who suffered martyrdom in Sussex, under the persecution of Mary. About the end of October, 1554, Carver, who had adopted the doctrines of the Reformation, and had been in the habit, as opportunity offered, of collecting a few people of his own persuasion in his house, for the purpose of religious worship, was, together with John Launder, of Godstone, apprehended, as they were at prayer, by Edward Gage, of Firle, a gentleman and county Magistrate, and sent up to the Queen's Council. After examination, he and his friend were sent prisoners to Newgate, to await the leisure of Bishop Bonner for his further examination into their heretical practices. The Bishop interrogated them on matters of faith, on the 8th of June following, so that they must have lain in prison for more than seven months, upon a mere suspicion. They made certain confessions, which they duly signed, and then the Bishop, who had no legal right whatever to meddle with their creed, as they were not of his diocese, objected against them certain articles, in the ordinary course of ecclesiastical law, as it existed in those days. Various means were resorted to to induce Carver and Launder to recant, but these they stedfastly resisted. "I will never go from these answers," said the latter, "so long as I live," and so said Carver. Wherefore, on the 10th of June, two days afterwards, they were cited to the Consistory Court of St. Paul's. The "confession" of Carver, as preserved in Fox's Acts and Monuments, was in substance this: "I. That the bread and wine used in the Holy Communion, or as it was then called, the 'Sacrament of the Altar,' is simply bread and wine, and not the material body and blood of Christ. II. That the mass is not a sacrifice; that it does not conduce to salvation; and that it is not profitable to a Christian man, because it is said in Latin, a tongue which he, with the majority of the people, does not understand. III. That although it is requisite to go to a good priest for counsel in matters of religion, yet that priest's absolution is not profitable for a man's salvation. IV. That the faith and religion now set forth in the Church of England is not agreeable to God's Word. That Bishops Hooper, Cardmaker, Rogers, and others of their opinion were good Christian men, and did preach the true doctrine of Christ, and that they did shed their blood in the same doctrine, by the power of God. V. That since the Queen's coronation he hath had the bible and psalter in English read in his house at Brighthampsted divers times, and likewise, since his coming into Newgate, but the keeper thereof did take them away; and also that about a twelvemonth now past he had the English procession said in his house with other English prayers. And further, that Thomas Iveson, John Launder, and William Veisie, prisoners within Newgate, were taken with this examinate in his house at Brighthampsted, as they were hearing of the Gospel, then read in English." The "confession" of John Launder states, among other things, that he was a husbandman, twenty-five years of age, and an inhabitant of Godstone, and that himself, with Carver, Iveson, Veisie, and other persons, to the number of twelve, had been apprehended by Mr. Gage, in Carver's house, as they were saying the service in English, as set forth in the days of King Edward the Sixth. It appears that Launder, having come down to Brighton to transact business for his father, had heard of Carver's zeal for the Gospel, and had been to his house for religious worship, at the time of Mr. Gage's unfriendly visit. The confession winds up with a statement of his religious views, which, in the main, are identical with Carver's own, as stated. The Bishop's Articles, twelve in number, reiterated the charges already adduced against the prisoners, who, being asked if they still adhered to their opinions, replied affirmatively. Carver added "your doctrine is poison and sorcery. If Christ were here you would put Him to a worse death than He was put to before. You say that you can make a God: ye can make a pudding as well. Your ceremonies in the Church be beggary and poison." The Bishop, seeing their constancy, pronounced judgment upon them both, whereupon they were delivered to the Sheriffs, who were then present, in order that they might be burnt in due course of law. "This Dirricke" records Fox, "was a man, whom the Lorde had blessed as well with temporall ryches, as with his spirituall treasures, which ryches yet were no clogge or let unto his true professing of Christ, the Lord, by His grace, so working in him; of the which, there was such havock, by the gready raveners of that time, that his poore wyfe and children had little or none thereof. During his imprisonment, although he was well stricken in yeares (and, as it were, past the tyme of learning), yet he so spent his tyme, that being, at hys first apprehension, utterly ignoraunt of anye letter of the booke, hee coulde, before his death, read perfectly any printed English. Whose diligence and zeale is worthy no small commendation, and therefore I thought it good not to let passe over in silence, for the good encouragement and example of others. Moreover, at his comming into the town of Lewes to be burned, the people called upon him, beseechying God to strengthen hym in the faith of Jesus Christ. He thanked them, and prayed unto God, that of Hys mercy he would strengthen _them_ in the lyke faith. And when hee came to the signe of the Starre, the people drew near unto him, where the Sheriffe sayd that he had found him a faithfull man in al his aunswers. And as he came to the stake, he kneeled downe and made his prayers, and the Sheriffe made hast. Then hys booke was throwen into the barrel, and when he had strypt him sclfe (as a joyfull member of God) he went into the (pitch) barrel him selfc. And as soone as ever he came in, he tooke up the booke and threw it among the people, and then the Sheriffe commaunded in the Kyng and Queen's name, on paine of death, to throw in the booke againe. And immediately, that faithfull member spake with a joyfull voyce, saying:--'Deare brethren and sistern, wytness to you all that I am come to seale with my blood Christes Gospell, for because I know that it is true; it is not unknowen unto al you, but that it hath bene truly preached here in Lewes, and in all places in England, and now it is not. And for because that I wyll not denye here God's Gospell, and be obedient to man's lawes, I am condemned to dye. Dere brethren and sistern, as many of you as do beleve upon the Father, the Soune, and the Holye Ghost, unto everlasting lyfe, see you doe the workes appertaining to the same. And as many of you as do beleve upon the Pope of Rome, or any of hys lawes, which he sets forth in these daies, you do beleve to your utter condemnation, and except the great mercy of God, you shall burne in hell perpetually.' Immediately the Sheriffe spake unto him, and sayd: 'if thou docst not beleve on the Pope, thou art _damned_ body and soule!' And farther the Sheriffe sayd unto him, 'speake to thy God, that He may deliver thee now, or els to strike me down to the example of this people;' but this faithfull member said, 'the Lord forgive you your sayings.' And then spake hee againe to all the people there present, with a loude voice, saying: 'deare brethren, and all you whom I have offended in wordes or in dede, I aske you for the Lorde's sake to forgeve me, and I hartly forgeve all you, which have offended me in thought, word, or dede.' And he sayd further in his prayer, 'Oh Lorde my God, thou hast written: He that will not forsake wife, children, house, and all that he hath, and take up Thy cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. But thou Lorde knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto Thee; Lorde have mercy upon me, for unto Thee I commend my spirit, and my soule doth rejoyce in thee.' These were the last wordes of that faithfull member of Christ before the fire was put to him. And afterward that the fire came to him he cried, 'Oh Lord have mercy upon me,' and sprong up in the fire, calling upon the name of Jesus, and so ended."
The order of the Sheriff, that the people should throw Carver's bible into the fire, does not appear to have been complied with, as the book is still preserved, and is in the possession of Mr. Ade, Colonnade, North Street. It is what is termed, a "breeches" bible, from the circumstance that in Genesis iii., 7, the words are: "They"--meaning Adam and Eve--"sewed figge leaves together, and made themselves 'breeches,'" other translations being "aprons." It is in a state of good preservation, but the title page is gone, hence its date cannot be correctly known; but on comparing it with others of apparently the like edition,--an imperial octavo,--it was published in 1550. It received but little injury from the action of the fire upon it; merely a slight discolouration on some of the pages, from the smoke; but the following engrossed memorandum on a blank half-page, between Malachi and the Apocrypha, proves that it is not in the same binding now as it was when Carver had it:
By me, Edward Harffye. Anno Dom. 1650.
This Bible was Dirriek Carver's; belonging unto his family: of Brighthelmstone: who suffered martiredom ffor Conscience' sake in Queene Mary's Dayes, And bought by Sibbell Clarke, Widdow, of Brighthelmstone; And Given to mee, Edward Harffye of Brighthelmston, Clarke and Writinge Master: And I have now bound him, 1660 {122} 1650. And I doe will him to my Youngest Child. And Soe the Youngest of my Stock. To hand him nor ever ffrom one to an other; And now ffirst I give him to Mary Harffye, my daughter, 1664. Wryten by my owne hand. By me Edward: Harffye.
This Carver was Burnt to death, in the Castell of Lewes, Sussex.
On the back of the same half-page, is written, in a good round-hand: "Sarah Clark--1778."
On the inside of the cover, at the commencement, is written, "Wililam Clarke, his book, Septem Ber the 20, 1744." This name also, with the same date, appears on the fly page between the Old and the New Testament. Where, also, previous to the "Holie Gospel according to S. Matthevve," are the annexed entries:--
William Clarke the son of iohn and mary his wife, was Born the 4 of September, near 4 in the morning in the year of our lord 17.11.
the Son of william and Sarah his wife was Born ivne (June) the 13 at a C wor ter past 4 in the after noon on a Sather day, 1747.
William Clark Dyed December the 5, 1747.
In the margin of the 11th chapter of Daniel, is written in good Old English:--
edward Carffre
1653. his Booke.
January the first.
The blood of the martyr is visible on Chapters 19 and 20 of Judges, and also on Chapters 1 and 3 of Zephania, where the leaves have closed on each other. But the greatest quantity is on the Book of Ruth, which is very much splashed with the vital fluid. Altogether, the Bible is a very precious relic, and its present possessor attaches to it great value, he having refused large sums of money that have been offered him for it.
Stephen Gratwicke, a Brighton man of respectable family, and of liberal education, was put to death in St. George's Fields, Southwark, about the end of May, 1557. At his trial, before the Bishops of Winchester and Rochester, and a priest suborned to personate the Bishop of Chichester, he expostulated with his judges for keeping men a year or two in prison, "permittyng them not so much as a Testament to look upon, for their soules comfort." To this the Bishop of Winchester replied:--"No, syr, we will use you as we will use the child, for if the child will hurt himself with a knife we will keepe the knife from him. So, because you will _damme_ your soule with the _Word_, therefore you shall not have it!"