"God will abundantly requite you, good sir, for your humanity to me, though your discourses gave me more uneasiness than all the terrors of my approaching death." She exhibited a countenance so gravely settled with all modest and comely resolution, that not the slightest trace of fear or grief could be observed in her words or actions.

When she mounted upon the scaffold, she said to the people standing thereabout, "Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact against the queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me; but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me, or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency before God, and the face of you good christian people this day;" and therewith she wrung her hands wherein she had her book. Then said she, "I pray you all, good christian people, to bear me witness that I die a true christian woman, and that I do look to be saved by no other means, but only by the mercy of God in the blood of his only Son Jesus Christ; and I do confess, that when I did know the word of God, I neglected the same, and loved myself and the world; and therefore this plague and punishment is happily and worthily happened unto me for my sins; and yet I thank God of his goodness, that he has thus given me a time and respite to repent. And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you assist me with your prayers." Then kneeling down, she turned to Feckenham, saying, Shall I say this psalm? and he said, Yea. Then said she the fifty-first psalm in English, in most devout manner, to the end; and then she stood up and gave her attendant, mistress Ellen, her gloves and handkerchief, and her book to master Brydges (Gage?) of the Tower, and then she untied her gown, and the executioner pressed upon her to help her off with it, but she desiring him to let her alone, turned towards her two gentlewomen, who helped her off therewith, also her neckerchief, giving her a fair handkerchief to knit about her eyes."

Then the executioner kneeled down and asked her for giveness, whom she forgave most willingly. Then he willed her to stand upon the straw, which doing she saw the block; then she said, I pray you dispatch me quickly. Then she kneeled down, saying, Will you take it off before

* Her gloves were sent to Bullinger, as a memorial of his beloved correspondent. See Lit. Helvet. Reform. p. 351.

I lay me down? and the executioner said, No madam. Then tied she the handkerchief about her eyes, and feeling for the block, she said, What shall I do? Where is it? where is it? One of the standers-by guiding her thereunto, she laid her head upon the block, and then stretched forth her body, and said, Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and so finished her life, in the year of our Lord God 1554, the 12th day of February.

It was long after called black Monday, as being the commencement of a week in which forty-seven persons were executed, and some of them quartered alive, in the streets of London! This excessive severity excited general indignation, and Knox in his bold and courageous manner observed, I find that Jezebel, that cursed idolatress, caused the blood of the prophets to be shed, and Naboth to be martyred unjustly, for his own vineyard. But I think she never erected half so many gallows in all Israel as Mary hath done in London alone." Bishop Gardiner had publicly advised the queen to proceed rigorously, in a sermon he preached before her on the preceding Sunday.

Such was the life and death of lady Jane Grey. It affords a pleasing proof that the doctrines of the gospel can support in the time of trial, and the hour of death. These doctrines were set forth in the English reformation. Although not condemned as a heretic, she was a protestant, a follower of Christ, and a martyr to the cause of truth. As such, "the precious remains of lady Jane Grey" claim a place among the writings of the British Reformers. The principal pieces appeared in a printed form within a few months of her decease. They were also inserted by Fox in his Acts and monuments. The letter to queen Mary is an important document respecting the British Reformers, as the contents plainly show that the proceedings which led to lady Jane's brief pageant of royalty, originated entirely from the political motives of her relatives, and that none of the protestant clergy were active in devising or promoting those measures.

The communication had between lady Jane Grey and Dr. Feckenham, abbot of Westminster.

Feckenham. Madam, I lament your heavy case, and yet I doubt not but that you bear this sorrow of

constant and patient mind.

yours with a

Jane. You are welcome unto me, sir, if your coming be to give christian exhortation. And as for my heavy case, I thank God, I do so little lament it, that rather I account the same for a more manifest declaration of God's favour towards me, than ever he showed me at any time before. And therefore there is no cause why either you or others, who bear me good will, should lament or be grieved with my case, being a thing so profitable for my soul's health.

F. I am here come to you at this present, sent from the queen and her council, to instruct you in the true doctrine of the right faith, although I have so great confidence in you, that I shall have, I trust, little need to travail with you much therein.

J. I heartily thank the queen's highness, who is not unmindful of her humble subject; and I hope likewise that you no less will do your duty therein, both truly and faithfully, according to that you were sent for,

F. What is then required of a christian?

J. That he should believe in God the Father, in God the Son, and in God the Holy Ghost, three persons one God.

F. Is there nothing else to be required or looked for in a christian, but to believe in him?

J. Yes; we must also love him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, and our neighbour as ourself.

F. Why, then faith only justifies not, or saves not.
J. Yes, verily, faith, as Paul saith, only justifieth.

F. Why, St. Paul saith, If I have all faith, without love, it is nothing.

J. True it is; for how can I love him whom I trust not? or how can I trust him whom I love not? Faith and love go both together, and that love is comprehended in faith. F. How shall we love our neighbour?

J. To love our neighbour is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and give drink to the thirsty, and to do to him as we would be done to.

F. Why, then it is necessary unto salvation to do good works also; it is not sufficient only to believe.

J. I deny that, and I affirm that faith only saveth; but it is meet for a christian to do good works, in token that he follows the steps of his Master, Christ, yet may we not say that they profit to our salvation; for when we have done all, we are unprofitable servants, and faith only in Christ's blood saves us.

F. How many sacraments are there?

J. Two-the one, the sacrament of baptism; and the other, the sacrament of the Lord's supper.

F. No; there are seven.

J. By what scripture find you that?

F. Well, we will talk of that hereafter. But what is the signification of your two sacraments ?

J. By the sacrament of baptism, I am washed with water, and regenerated by the Spirit,* and that washing is a token to me that I am the child of God. The sacrament of the Lord's supper offered unto me, is a sure seal and testimony that I am by the blood of Christ, which he shed for me on the cross, made partaker of the everlasting kingdom. F. Why, what do you receive in that sacrament? Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ? J. No, surely; I do not so believe. I think that at that supper I neither receive flesh nor blood, but only bread and wine, which bread, when it is broken, and the wine, when it is drunken, puts me in mind how that for my sins the body of Christ was broken, and his blood shed on the cross; and with that bread and wine I receive the benefits that come by the breaking of his body, and shedding of his blood on the cross for my sins.

F. Why, does not Christ speak these words, Take, eat, this is my body? Require you plainer words? does he not say it is his body?

J. I grant he saith so; and so he saith, I am the vine, I am the door; but he is never the more for that a door nor a vine. Does not St. Paul say, He calleth those things that are not, as though they were? (Rom. iv.) God forbid that I should say that I eat the very natural body and blood of Christ; for then either I should pluck away my redemption, or else there were two bodies or two Christs, or twelve bodies, when his disciples did eat his body, and it suffered not till the next day. So finally one body was tormented on the cross; and if they did eat another body, then had he two bodies; or, if his body were eaten, then

The latter part of this communication has been corrected from the Harl. MS. 425 in the British Museum.

it was not broken upon the cross. Or, if it were broken upon the cross, it was not eaten of his disciples.

F. Why, is it not as possible that Christ by his power could make his body both to be eaten and broken, as to be born of a virgin, as to walk upon the sea, having a body, and other such-like miracles as he wrought by his power only?

J. Yes, verily; if God would have done at his supper any miracle, he might have done so; but I say, that he minded to work no miracle, but only to break his body, and to shed his blood on the cross, for our sins. But I pray you answer me to this one question, Where was Christ when he said, Take, eat, this is my body? was he not at the table when he said so? he was at that time alive, and suffered not till the next day. What took he but bread? what brake he but bread? and what gave he but bread? Yea, what he took, that he brake; and look what he brake, he gave; yea, and what he gave, he did eat and yet all this while he himself was alive, and at supper before his disciples, or else they were deceived.

F. You ground your faith upon such authors as say and unsay, both with a breath, and not upon the church, to whom you ought to give credit.

J. No, I ground my faith upon God's word, and not upon the church; for if the church be a good church, the faith of the church must be tried by God's word, and not God's word by the church, nor yet my faith. Shall I believe the church because of antiquity, or shall I give credit to the church that takes away from me the one half of the Lord's supper, and will suffer no layman to receive it in both kinds? But surely I think if they deny it to us, then deny they to us part of our salvation. And I say, that it is an evil church, and not the spouse of Christ, but the spouse of the devil, that alters the Lord's supper, and both takes from it, and adds to it. To that church, say I, God will add plagues, and from that church will he take their part out of the book of life. Do they learn that of St. Paul, when he ministered to the Corinthians in both kinds? Shall I believe this church? God forbid !

F. That was done for a good intent of the church, to avoid a heresy that sprung upon it.

J. Why, shall the church alter God's will and ordinance for good intent? How did king Saul? The Lord God forbid.* *The Harl. MS. 425 ends thus-"With these and such like he would have had me lean to the church, but it would not be. There were many, other things whereof we reasoned, but these are the chief points, &c.'