The Martyrdom of Roger Coo, of Melford in Suffolk, shearman; first examined before Hopton the Bishop of Norwich, and by him condemned, August 12, anno 1555.
Roger Coo, being brought before the bishop, first was asked why he was imprisoned.
Coo: — "At the justice's commandment."
Bishop: — "There was some cause why."
Coo: — "Here is my accuser; let him declare."
And his accuser said, that he would not receive the sacrament. Then the bishop said, that he thought he had transgressed a law. But Coo answered that there was no law to transgress.
The bishop then asked, what he said to the law that then was? He answered how he had been in prison a long time, and knew it not.
"No," said his accuser, "nor will not. My lord, ask him when he received the sacrament."
When Coo heard him say so, he said, "I pray you, my lord, let him sit down and examine me himself."
But the bishop would not hear that, but said, "Coo, why? will ye not receive?"
Coo answered him, that the bishop of Rome had changed God's ordinances, and given the people bread and wine, instead of the gospel and the belief of the same.
Bishop: — "How prove you that?"
Coo: — "Our Saviour said, 'My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him;' and the bread and wine doth not so."
Bishop: — "Well, Coo, thou dost slander our holy fathers. Did not Christ take bread, give thanks, and break it, and say, 'This is my body?'"
"Yes," said Coo, and so he went further with the text, saying, "Which shall be given for you: do this in remembrance of me."
Bishop: — "You have said the truth."
Then Coo replied further, and said, "Christ willed to do this in remembrance of him, and not to say this in remembrance of him, neither did the Holy Ghost so lead the apostles, but taught them to give thanks, and to break bread from house to house, and not to say as the bishop said."
Bishop: — "How prove you that?"
Coo: — "It is written in the second of the Acts."
Then the bishop's chaplain said, it was true. The bishop asked him if he could say his belief.
Coo answered, "Yea," and so said part of the creed, and then after he said, he believed more; for he believed the Ten Commandments, that it was meet for all such as look to be saved, to be obedient unto them.
Bishop: — "Is not the holy church to be believed also?"
Coo: — "Yes, if it be builded upon the word of God."
The bishop said to Coo, that he had charge of his soul.
Coo: — "Have ye so, my lord? Then if ye go to the devil for your sins, where shall I become?"
Bishop: — "Do you not believe as your father did? Was not he an honest man?"
Coo: — "It is written, that after Christ hath suffered, 'there shall come a people with the prince, that shall destroy both city and sanctuary.' I pray you show me whether this destruction was in my father's time, or now?"
The bishop not answering his question, asked him whether he would not obey the king's laws.
Coo: — "As far as they agree with the word of God, I will obey them."
Bishop: — "Whether they agree with the word of God or not, we be bound to obey them, if the king were an infidel."
Coo: — "If Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego had so done, Nebuchadnezzar had not confessed the living God."
Then the bishop told him, that these twenty-two years we have been governed with such kings.
Coo: — "My lord, why were ye then dumb, and did not speak or bark?"
Bishop: — "I durst not for fear of death."
And thus they ended. But after this done, it was reported that I railed; wherefore I called it to memory, and wrote this my railing, that light should not be taken for darkness, nor sin for holiness, and the devil for God, who ought to be feared and honoured both now and ever! Amen.
This Roger Coo, an aged father, after his sundry troubles and conflicts with his adversaries, at length was committed to the fire at Yoxford, in the county of Suffolk, where he most blessedly ended his aged years, A.D. 1555, in the month of September.