he taught, came into the eastern counties, and spread throughout Norfolk and Suffolk, the pure faith once delivered to the saints.' There Sir George Sautre, the first martyr to those doctrines, preached the Gospel. Thither also came afterwards the celebrated Bilney, Saint Bilney, as Foxe calls him, preaching Christ crucified in godly simplicity wherever he went. The spiritualities of the diocese of those counties, were also at one time held in commission by Dr. Row. land Tayler and Dr. Wakefield, who, according to Strype were appointed by Archbishop Cranmer, when the Popish Bishop of Norwich resigned his see in the reign of Edward the sixth. Norfolk and Suffolk were thus as it were as a soil prepared for the good seed of the word of God. The men of Suffolk were alike distinguished for their devoted attachment to the truth, and their loyal adherence to Queen Mary, supporting her title to the crown of England in preference to the claims of the Protestant Lady Jane Grey, simply because they knew Mary to be the rightful heir. They had stipulated with Mary for liberty of conscience in regard to their faith, before they put the crown upon her head and openly declared for her, and received this answer that, she meant graciously not to compel or strain other men's consciences otherwise than God should, as she trusted, put in hearts a persuasion of the truth, through the opening of His word unto them,' but the Queen broke her word, when power was in her hands, repeating her promise in a proclamation with this addition, until such time as further orders by common assent may be taken therein.' Hadleigh was, it appears well worthy of the godly county of Suffolk. 'The town of Hadleigh,' writes John Foxe, was one of the first that received the word of God in all England, at the preaching of Master Thomas Bilney, by whose industry the Gospel of Christ had such gracious success, and took such root there, that a great number of that parish became exceedingly well learned in the Holy Scriptures, as well women as men, so that a man might have found among them many that had often read the whole Bible through, and that could have said a great part of St. Paul's Epistles by heart, and very well, and readily have given a godly learned sentence in any matter of controversy. Their children and servants were also brought up and trained so diligently in the right knowledge of God's word, that the whole town seemed rather a University of the learned, than a town of cloth-making or labouring people; and (what most is to be commended) they were for the more part faithful followers of God's word in their living.' After Bilney's Martyrdom, Thomas Rose kept up the preaching of God's word at Hadleigh for six years, till on suspicion of being concerned in the burning of the rhood at Dovercourt near Harwich, he was arrested on the charge of heresy, and committed to the Bishop of Lincoln's prison in Holborn. To Hadleigh, though many efforts were made by his friends there to procure his recal, he did not return, however he came to Stratford, a village about six miles on the London side from Hadleigh, and there remained preaching the Gospel for three years, so that his faithful friends at Hadleigh had frequent opportunities of communicating with him, and attending his ministry. In the year 1544, Archbishop Cranmer presented the Living of Hadleigh to his Chaplain : Dr. Rowland Tayler, and at Hadleigh this good and learned man fixed his residence, and soon endeared himself to his flock by the faithfulness of his preaching, the consistent godliness of his life, and the hearty kindness of his disposition. The character which Foxe gives of Rowland Tayler is so very beautiful, that I cannot resist introducing it word for word— 'He was a right perfect divine, and parson; who at his first entering into his benefice did not, as the common sort of beneficed men do, let out his benefice to a farmer, that shall gather up the profits, and set in an ignorant unlearned priest to serve the cure, and so have the fleece, little or nothing care for feeding the flock: but contrarily, he forsook the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, with whom he before was in household, and made his personal abode and dwelling in Hadleigh, among the people committed to his charge; where he, as a good shepherd, abiding and dwelling among his sheep, gave himself wholly to the study of Holy Scriptures, most faithfully endeavouring himself to fulfil that charge which the Lord gave unto Peter, saying: lovest thou me? Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep." This love of Christ so wrought in him, that no Sunday nor holy-day passed, nor other time when he might get the people together, but he preached to them the word of God, the doctrine of their salvation. "Peter 'Not only was his word a preaching unto them, but all his life and conversation was an example of unfeigned Christian life and true holiness. He was void of all pride, humble and meek, as any child: so that none were so poor but they might boldly, as unto their father, resort unto him: neither was his lowliness childish or fearful, but as occasion, time, and place required, he would be stout in rebuking the sinful and evil doers; so that none was so rich but he would tell him plainly his fault, with such earnest and grave rebukes as became a good curate and pastor. He was a man very mild, void of all rancour, grudge or evil will, ready to do good to all men, readily forgiving his enemies, and never sought to do evil to any.' It is a remarkable circumstance, that Dr. Tayler, like his parishioners at Hadleigh, was greatly indebted to Mr. Bilney for the knowledge of the truth. Bilney with his friend and associate Latimer, had been the two great instruments of introducing the pure faith of the gospel at Cambridge: and at that time Tayler was a resident at that university. There Bilney's holy life and extraordinary influence, and Latimer's plain and faithful preaching, while they stirred up the rancour of the popish party, and drew down upon them a fierce and powerful persecution; won over to the truth, the hearts and consciences of all single-minded enquirers. Rowland Tayler was one of these, resembling Bilney in his modesty and learning, and Latimer in the dauntless spirit and hearty simplicity of his character. Such a pastor, and such a preacher, (and Dr. Tayler was by all accounts a most powerful preacher, having been appointed by Cranmer as one of his preachers at Canterbury,) would be most welcome to the good people of Hadleigh, prepared as they were to receive and value him. I recal with pleasure, the old town of Hadleigh, as it first appeared to me, nearly three-and-twenty years ago-the broad high street, with a few modern houses planted here and there among its old build ings and lowly cottages the green church-yard, and the spacious and venerable church,-the noble tower which forms the gateway of the old rectory house, with little more than the space of a carriage-drive between that and the church-tower. It was a bright sunny day in spring, and lilacs and syringas were blooming in the cottage gardens, and women sitting at their spinning wheels before their cottage doors, and children playing in the street. I recal with gratitude, the cordial welcome I received at the rectory, where I was at once greeted as a friend by the kind, simple-hearted rector, and his household, and during the five years that I remained at Hadleigh, the affection I met with from them, was that shewn to a son and a brother. I recal with gratitude, also the kindness and affection of the people of Hadleigh, towards a young inexperienced curate as I then was, a mere novice in every sense, though really interested in my holy calling, and desiring to do what is right in my master's service. I have seen many changes since I left Hadleigh, and met with kindness and attention in many places; but no where have I found more genuine warmth of heart, than in that old country town, and that pleasant rectory. The old red brick rectory tower, though built in the reign of Henry the seventh by a Dr. Pykenham, at that time the rector of Hadleigh, stands as sound and entire as if but lately erected. The ground story is chiefly taken up by the gateway,-on the left side is a kind of dungeon, on the right, the spiral stone staircase leading to the chambers above. Immediately over the gateway of Dr. Pykenham's tower, as it is called, was the study of Rowland Tayler. One of its turrets forms a small oratory, and an old painting of the interior of the Church, as it was in former days, is upon the wall above the fire-place. Part of the boards in the floor of this old room, form a trap door to a little chamber beneath, in which a tall man cannot stand upright; but where, in times of danger, a person might find a safe and convenient retreat. There is a story current, which those who tell it, do not believe, that Rowland Tayler was hidden in this secret chamber, and that he either escaped, or was dragged out through the little window; but the character of so bold and fearless a champion of the truth, gives the lie to the bare supposition; and one thing is certain, that no man of the bulk of the stout-hearted and stout-bodied parson of Hadleigh, could possibly have been squeezed through the narrow mullions of that small window. The ancient tower seems to have been the only part of the rectory house built in Henry the Seventh's reign. The house, which since I left Hadleigh, has been taken down, was evidently of a much later date, it was large and contained some good rooms, but was slightly built, and stood apart from the tower, and a communication had been made to it by a covered way. Hadleigh Church is, from its size, a noble and spacious edifice, with nothing remarkable in its architecture. It is celebrated not only as the building in which Rowland Tayler preached, but as the spot where Guthrun the Dane, who was converted by king Alfred, was buried in the year 889, Hadleigh was then the capital, or head-liege, where the royal convert fixed his residence, when the government of East Anglia was given to him. A floryed gothic arch of a much later age upon the southern wall of the Church, marks the grave of the Danish warrior. Dr. Drake relates, that the year 1767, the tomb of Guthrun was opened, and a massy grave of stone was found, the bottom of which was tessalated with small square glazed tiles, and covered with some light blue ashes. It is also recorded of Hadleigh Church, that the rector of the parish, in the time of Cromwell, a Dr. Goad, finding that a party of ignorant fanatics were entering the Church on a work of spoliation, armed himself, and taking his stand within the communion rails, defended the communion table at the risk of his life. There are no written records relating to Rowland Tayler to be found in Hadleigh. I remember when a resident there, passing the greater part of a day in the vestry, in company with my late kind and excelÎent friend Dr. Drake, searching the documents laid up in the parish chests, for some information concerning the noble martyr; but no papers of that period were to be found, whether purposely destroyed, or removed, we could not discover. The town of Hadleigh, containing about four thousand inhabitants, chiefly consists of one long street of houses, nearly a mile in length, with two other streets branching off at right angles from the high street. At the end of one of these streets, stand the almshouses, with their little lowly chapel in the midst. There I was accustomed to read prayers once a week to the old people, where, doubtless, good Dr. Tayler had often assembled the little flock which then dwelt there. Often have I stood before the last of those small dwellings, with my eyes fixed upon the casement, through which the kind-hearted pastor flung in his glove in which he had put all the money that remained of his little store, as he was led by that way to Aldham Common. Never was a more shameful, or a more noble spectacle, than when that faithful pastor rode along through the streets of his own parish, turning to his weeping flock as he passed through them, and repeating the same words, I have preached to you God's word and truth, and am come this day to seal it with my blood.' A steep lane, with high banks on either side, leads up to the spot where Rowland Tayler was burnt. The distance is but short, and from thence, the tops of the houses, and the Church steeple are seen beneath. It was then an open common, but is now a wide enclosed field: and at some distance beyond, the little tower of Aldham Church may be seen, from whence the popish priest, 'master Averth,' was brought by Clark and Foster to perform the service of the mass in Rowland Tayler's Church. An old rude stone marks the very spot where this servant of Christ stood erect at the stake, and upon it these words are still to be read: 1555, D. Tayler in defending that was good, at this plas left his Blode.' My rector, Dr. Hay Drummond, in conjunction with Dr. Drake and some others, placed a monument on this spot, which bears the following inscription, written by himself: "THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH."JOHN V. 4. Mark this rude stone, where Tayler dauntless stood, Saw thy lov'd Pastor dragged a victim by; Still scattering gifts and blessings as he past |