Her name was Prest; she dwelt near Launceston, and was the wife of a man in humble life. Her husband and children were greatly addicted to popery, and grieved and persecuted her; they drove her to mass, to confession, and to return thanks for the re-establishment of Antichrist’s kingdom in our land, but after long trouble for conscience sake, and earnest prayer to God for help and direction, she was led to forsake all, and throw herself out of house and home, rather than dishonour the Lord by such idolatrous conformings. Accordingly she departed, taking nothing with her, but by labour and spinning earned enough to support herself, still openly declaring her mind where ever she could. At length she was accused of heresy, and cited before the Bishop of Exeter, who thus addressed her, “Thou foolish woman, I hear say that thou hast spoken certain words against the most blessed sacrament of the altar, the body of Christ. Fie! for shame! thou art an unlearned person, and a woman, and wilt thou meddle with such high matters which all the doctors in the world cannot define? Wilt thou talk of so high mysteries? Keep to thy work, and meddle with that thou hast to do. It is no woman’s matter, at cards and tow to be spoken of; and if it be as I am informed thou art worthy to be burned.” She replied that she was but a poor woman, earning a penny truly, and giving part of what she got to the poor. On being asked whether she had a husband, she replied she had a husband and children, and had them not. So long as she was at liberty, she refused neither husband nor children; “but now, standing here as I do, in the cause of Christ and his truth, where I must either forsake Christ or my husband, I am content to stick only to Christ, my heavenly Spouse, and renounce the other.” Here she quoted the words, “He that leaveth not father and mother,” etc., but the Bishop interrupted her, saying that Christ spake this of the holy martyrs who died because they would not sacrifice to false gods. “Surely, sir,” she answered, “and I will rather die than do any worship to that foul idol which with your mass ye make a god.” The bishop, in a rage, asked if she would so call the blessed sacrament of the altar? She replied, “Yea, truly, there never was such an idol as your sacrament is made of priests, and commanded to be worshipped of all men, with many fond fantasies, when Christ did command it to be eaten and drunk in remembrance of his most blessed passion for our redemption.” After some railing from the bishop, she asked leave to give a reason for refusing to worship the sacrament, and he replied, “Marry, say on; I am sure it will be a goodly gear.” — “Truly, such gear as I will lose this poor life of mine for,” said she. “Then you will be a martyr, good wife!” — “Indeed, if the denying to worship that bready god be my martyrdom, I will suffer it with all my heart.” The bishop desired her to say her mind, and after requesting him to bear with her as a poor, unlearned woman, she thus spoke — “I will demand of you whether you can deny your creed, which doth say that Christ doth perpetually sit at the right hand of His Father, both body and soul, until He come again, or whether He be there in heaven, our Advocate, and do make prayer for us unto God, his Father? If it be so, He is not here on the earth in a piece of bread. If He be not here, and if He do not dwell in temples made with hands, but in heaven, what, shall we seek Him here? If He did offer His body, once for all, why make you a new offering? If with once offering He made all perfect, why do you, with a false offering, make all unperfect? If He be to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, why do we worship a piece of bread? If He be eaten and drunk in faith and truth, why do you say you make His body and flesh? and say it is profitable for body and soul. Alas! I am but a poor woman, but rather than I would do as you, I would live no longer. I have said, sir.” The only answer the bishop could give was, “I promise you, you are a jolly heretic. I pray you in what schools have you been brought up?” She replied, “I have upon the Sabbaths visited the sermons, and there have I learned such things as are so fixed in my breast that death itself shall not separate them.” — “O foolish woman!” rejoined the bishop, “who will waste his breath upon thee, or such as thou art? but how chanceth it that thou went away from thy husband? If thou wert an honest woman thou wouldst not have left thy husband and children, and ran about the country like a fugitive.” “Sir,” she replied, “I laboured for my living, and as my Master, Christ, counselleth me, when I was persecuted in one place I fled into another.” — “Who persecuted thee?” “My husband and children, for when I would have them to leave idolatry, he would not hear me, but he and my children rebuked me and troubled me, because I would be no partaker of that vain idol, the mass; and wheresoever I was, as oft as I could, upon Sundays and holy days, I made excuses not to go to the popish church.” — “Belike then,” said the bishop, “thu art a good housewife, to flee from your husband, and from the church.” — “My housewifery is but small,” answered the simple, faithful creature, “but God gave me grace to follow the true church!” — “The true church,” repeated the bishop: “what dost thou mean?” — “Not your popish church, full of idols and abominations; but where two or three are gathered together in the name of God, to that church will I go as long as I live.” — “Belike then you have a church of your own,” observed the bishop: “well, let this mad woman be put down to prison until we send for her husband.” — “No,” she replied, “I have but one Husband, who is here already in this city, and in prison with me; from whom I will never depart.”
Blackstone, the Chancellor, with others, laboured to persuade the bishop that “the poor creature was crazed;” which was no strange thing, seeing how the wisdom of God appears foolishness to the carnal mind. They then agreed among themselves to let her have some liberty, and directed the keeper of the bishop’s prison to give her employment in his house as a servant; this service she cheerfully performed, having leave to go out when she would, and finding many who delighted to talk with her. However, her bold speaking against mass-worship annoyed others and a party of priests took it in hand to persuade her from her heretical opinions, but without success. She told them the sacrament was nothing more than very bread, and very wine; that they might be ashamed to affirm that a morsel of bread should be turned by a man into the natural body of Christ; bread which doth corrupt, and mice oftentimes do eat it, and it doth mould, and is burned. “And,” said she, “God’s own body will not be so handled, nor kept in prison, or in boxes, and such-like. Let it be your god, it shall not be mine; for my Lord and Saviour sitteth on the right hand of God, and doth pray for me. And to make that sacramental or significative bread, instituted for a remembrance, the very body of Christ, and to worship it, is very foolishness and devilish deceit.” They answering, said, “The devil had deceived her.” “No,” she replied, “I trust the living God hath opened mine eyes, and caused me to understand the right use of the blessed sacrament, which the true church doth use, but the false church abuse.” Then stepped forth an old friar, asking her what she said of the holy pope? She answered, “I say that he is Antichrist,” whereat they all laughed. “Nay,” continued she, “ye have more need to weep than to laugh; and to be sorry that ever ye were born to be chaplains of that harlot of Babylon. I defy the pope and all his falsehood. And get you away from me; ye do but trouble my conscience. Ye would have me follow your doings: I will lose my life first. I pray you depart.” — “Why, thou foolish woman,” said they, “we come to thee for thy profit and soul’s health.” She asked what profit could arise by them who taught nothing but lies for truth; or how could they save souls who preached nothing but lies dangerous to destroy souls? “You teach them to worship idols,” she said, “the works of men’s hands; and to adore a false god of your own making out of a piece of bread; and ye teach that the pope is God’s vicar, and hath power to forgive sins; and that there is a purgatory after death, whereas God’s Son hath purged all. You say you make God, and sacrifice him, whereas Christ’s body was a sacrifice once for all. And do ye not teach the people to number their sins in your ears, and tell them they be damned if they confess not all? when God’s holy word of truth saith, “Who can number his sins?” Do you not promise them trentals, and dirges, and masses for souls, and sell your prayers for money, and make them BUY PARDONS, and trust to foolish inventions of your own imaginations? Do ye not altogether against God? Do ye not make holy bread, and holy water to frighten devils? Do ye not a thousand more abominations? And yet ye say ye come for my profit, and to save my soul. No, no; One hath saved me. Farewell you, with your salvation.” And no better entertainment could they get from this dauntless confessor of her unshaken faith. However, from this time she was laid fast in prison, and allowed no more indulgence. Many came to see her during her imprisonment, and all received instruction. To one who had been an earnest preacher in King Edward’s days, but recanted through fear, she addressed strong and affectionate exhortations to be more bold and fearless in Christ’s cause. Among others, came a wealthy and accomplished gentlewoman to visit her, favourably disposed towards the truth; to her Mrs Prest recited the creed, and on coming to the words “he ascended into heaven,” she there paused, and bade the gentlewoman seek His body in heaven, not upon earth; telling her plainly that God dwelleth not in temples made with hands; and that the sacrament was for nothing else than to be a remembrance of the Lord’s passion; whereas, as they used it, it was but an idol, and far wide of any remembrance of Christ’s body, “broken for you” 1 Cor. 11: 24-26: “so take it, good mistress.” The gentlewoman, on returning to her husband, said that she never heard a woman of such simplicity to behold, talk so godly, so perfectly, so sincerely, and so earnestly; adding, “insomuch, if God were not with her, she could not speak such things, to the which I am not able to answer her, who can read, and she cannot.”
While the adversaries assailed the character and afflicted the body of this steadfast witness for the truth, the Lord mightily strengthened and aided her, giving proof to many who conversed with her of her great wisdom in spiritual things, and accurate knowledge of the scripture, though in other matters incompetent; and at last, tired of fruitless attempts to shake her faith, they brought against her a new charge, and had her again before the bishop. She was sent from one prison to another, and being urged to make a submission, she answered, “With my death I am content to be a witness for Christ, and I pray you make no longer delay with me; my heart is fixed; I will never otherwise say, nor turn to your superstitious doings.” Then the bishop observed, “the devil did lead her.” — “No, my lord” quoth she, “it is the Spirit of God which leadeth me.”
At last being willing to get rid of her, judgment was pronounced against her, and she was delivered up to the secular power. When the sentence was read, detailing the manner of her approaching death, the faithful martyr lifted up her voice, and praised God, saying, “I thank thee, my Lord, my God; this day have I found what I have long sought.” Great mockings and jeerings then assailed her, which she meekly and patiently bore; then again they affirmed that if she would recant, her life should be spared. To this she replied, “No, that will I not: God forbid that I should lose the life eternal for this carnal and short life. I will never turn from my heavenly Husband to my earthly husband; from the fellowship of saints to mortal children; though if my husband and children be faithful, then am I theirs. God is my Father; — God is my Friend most faithful.”
She was then delivered to the sheriff, and in the sight of a great concourse of people was led to execution without the walls of Exeter. Again the priests troubled her, but she desired to have no further conference with them, and went on, praying aloud, “God be merciful to me a sinner: God be merciful to me a sinner.” Her cheeful countenance and lively manner shewed her as one prepared to attend the marriage-supper of the Lamb; and to Him she went, having long had sharp trial of cruel mockings and imprisonment, and afterwards of burning flames of fire; — but the Refiner sat by, to watch the precious metal, and secure it for himself.
— The Gospel Banner.