leaue vndone any part 〈◊〉 parcel of the premisses or else in the execution and setting forth of the same do coldly and fainedly vse any maner sinister addition wrong interpretation or painted colour then we straightly charge commaund you that forthwith vpon any such default negligence or dissimulation of the said Bishop or any other ecclesiasticall person of his dioces contrary to the true tenour meaning and effecte of the saide charge by vs to him appointed aforesaid yee doe make indelaidly and with all speede and dâ—ligence declaration and aduertisement to vs and our Counsell of the saide defaulte and of the behauiour maner and fashion of the same And for as much as we vpon singular trust and assured confidence which we haue in you and for the speciall loue and zeale we suppose and thinke ye beare towards vs and the publicke and common wealth vnitie and tranquillitie of this our realme haue specially elected and chosen you among so many for this purpose and haue reputed you suche men as vnto whose wisedome discretion truth and fidelitie we might commit a matter of suche great waight moment and importance as whereupon the vnitie and tranquillity of our realme doth consist if ye shoulde contrary to our expectation and trust which we haue in you and agaynst your duety and allegeance towards vs neglect or omit to do with all your diligence and wisedome whatsoeuer shall be in your power for the due performance of our mind and pleasure to you before declared in this behalfe or hâ—lt or stomble at any part or specialitie of the same be yee assured that we like a Prince of iustice will so extremely punish you for the same that all the worlde besides shall take by you example and beware contrary to their allegeance to disobey the lawfull commaundement of theyr soueraigne Lord and Prince in such things as by the faithfull execution whereof ye shall not onely aduance the honor of Almightie God and set foorth the maiestie and Imperiall dignitie of youre soueraigne Lord but also bring an inestimable weale profite and commoditie vnitie and tranquillitie to all the common state of this our Realme whereunto both by the lawes of God nature and man ye be vtterly bound Geuen vnder our signet at our Pallace of Westminster the 9. day of Iune Furthermore that no man shall cauill or surmise thys fatall fall and ruine of the Pope to haue come rashly vpon the Kings owne partiall affection or by any sensuall temeritie of a few and not by the graue and aduised iudgement approbation and consent generally and publikely as well of the nobles and commons temporal as also vppon substantiall groundes and the very strength of truth by the discussion and consultation of the spiritual and most learned persons in this Realme it shall be requisite moreouer to these premisses to adioyne the words and testimonies also of the Byshops owne othes and profession made to the King yelding and rendering vnto him only the stile of supreme head next vnder Christ of the Church of England all other seruice subiection and obedience to be geuen to any other forreine Potentate which should be preiudiciall to the Kings highnes in this behalfe beeing excluded and that both frankely and freely of their own voluntary motion and also vppon the faith and fidelitie of their priesthode as by their owne words and handwriting may appeare in forme as heere vnder followeth The othe of Steuen Gardiner to the King EGo Stephanus Wintonien Episcopus pure sponte absolute in verbo pontificio profiteor ac spondeo Illustrissimae vestrae Regiae maiestati singulari ac summo Domino meo patrono Henrico Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Regi fidei defensori Domino Hiberniae atque in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae supremo immediatè sub Christo capiti quod post hac nulli externo Imperatori Regi Principi aut Prelato nec Romano pontifici quem Papam vocant fidelitatem obedientiam c. In English I Steuen Byshop of Winchester do purely of mine owne voluntary accord and absolutely The othe of Steph. Gardiner to the king in y e word of a Bishop professe and promise to your princely maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and Patrone Henry the 8. by the grace of Gdo King of England of France defendor of the fayth Lord of Ireland in earth of the Church of England supreme head immediately vnder Christ that from this day forward I shall sweare promise geue or cause to be geueÌ„ to no forreine PoteÌ„tate Emperour King Prince or Prelate nor yet to the Byshop of Rome whoÌ„ they call Pope any othe or feaultie directly or indirectly either by word or writyng but at all tymes and in euery case condition I shall obserue hold mainteyne to all effectes intentes the quarell cause of your royall Maiestie your successours and to the vttermost of my power shall defend the same agaynst all manner of persons whom soeuer I shall know or suspect to bee aduersaries to your Maiestie or to your successours shall geue my fayth truth obedience sincerely with my very hart onely to your royall Maiestie as to my supreme Prince I professe the Papacie of Rome not to be ordeined of God by holy Scripture but constantly do affirme and openly declare and shall declare it to be set vp onely by maÌ„ Stephen Gardiner aprenoun-renounceth the Pope and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publish the same Neither shall I enter any treatie with any person or persons either priuely or apertly or shall consent thereto that the Byshop of Rome shall haue or exercise here any authoritie or iurisdiction or is to be restored to any iurisdicâ—ion hereafter Furthermore that y e sayd Byshop of Rome now being or any that shall succeede him hereafter in the sayd Sea is not to be called Pope nor supreme Byshop or vniuersall Byshop nor most holy Lord but onely ought to be called Byshop of Rome and felow brother as the old maner of the most auncient Byshops hath bene this I shall to my power openly mainteyne and defend Also I shall firmely obserue cause to bee obserued of other to the vttermost of my cunnyng witte power all such lawes and Actes of this Realme how and what soeuer as haue bene enacted established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacie and of the authoritie and iurisdiction of the sayd Byshop of Rome Neither shall I appeale hereafter to the sayd Bish. of Rome nor euer consent to any person that shall appeale to him neither shall I attempt prosecute or follow any sute in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or Iustice to be had or shall make aunswere to any plee or action nor shall take vpon me the person and office either of the plaintife or defendent in the sayd Court. And if the sayd Byshop by his messenger or by his letters shall make any meanes or
the king seemed not very well to like of their so extreme handlyng of the woman and also graunted to the Lieftenant his pardon willing him to returne and see to hys charge Great expectation was in the meane season among the Warders and other officers of the Tower waiting for his returne Whom when they saw come so cheerefully declaring vnto them how he had sped with the king they were not a little ioyous and gaue thanks to God therfore ¶ Anne Askews aunswer vnto Iohn Lacels letter OH friend most dearely beloued in God I meruaile not a litle what should mooue you to iudge in me so slender a fayth as to feare death which is the ende of all misery in the Lord I desire you not to beleeue of me such wickednes The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Askew to M. Lacel◠〈◊〉 For I doubt it not but God will performe his worke in me like as he hath begun I vnderstand the counsaile is not a little displeased that it should be reported abroad that I was racked in the tower They say now that they did there was but to feare me whereby I perceyue they are ashamed of their vncomely doyngs and feare much least the kings Maiestie should haue information thereof Wherefore they would no man to noyse it Well their crueltye God forgeue them Your hart in Christ Iesu. Farewel and pray The purgation or aunswer of Anne Askew against the false surmises of her recantation I Haue read the processe whiche is reported of them that knowe not the truth to be my recantation An. Askew answering to the false suspicion of her recanting But as the Lord liueth I neuer ment thing lesse then to recant Notwithstanding this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Bishop of London about the Sacrament Yet had they no graunt yf my mouth but this that I beleeued therein as the word of God did bynd me to beleeue more had they neuer of me Then he made a Copie whiche is nowe in print and required me to set thereunto my hand But I refused it Then my ij sureties did wyll me in no wise to sticke thereat for it was no great matter they sayd Then with much ado at the last I wrote thus I Anne Askew do beleue this if Gods word do agree to the same and the true catholike church Then the B. beyng in great displeasure with me An. Askew falsely suspected to recant and vpon what occasion because I made doubtes in my writing commaunded me to prison where I was a whyle but afterwards by the meanes of frendes I came out againe Here is the truth of that matter And as concerning the thing that ye couet most to know resort to the sixt of Iohn and be ruled always thereby Thus fareye well Anne Askew The confession of the faith which Anne Askew made in Newgate before she suffered I Anne Askew of good memory although my merciful father hath geuen me the bread of aduersitie The confession of An. Askew going to her execution and the water of trouble yet not so muche as my sinnes haue deserued confesse my selfe here a sinner before the throne of hys heauenly maiestie desiring his forgeuenes and mercye And for so much as I am by the law vnrighteously condemned for an euill doer concerning opinions I take y e same most mercifull God of myne which hath made both heauen and earth to record that I hold no opinions contrary to hys most holy word And I trust in my mercifull Lord which is the geuer of all grace that he will graciously assist me agaynst all euill opinions which are contrary to his blessed veritie For I take him to witnes that I haue done wil do vnto my lyues end vtterly abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresie which they report me to holde that after the Priest hath spoken the wordes of consecration there remaineth bread still They both say The matter and cause why Anne Askew suffered death also teach it for a necessary article of fayth that after those wordes be once spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe-same body that hoong vpon the crosse on good Friday both fleshe bloud and bone To this belief of theirs say I nay For then were our common Crede false which saith that he sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty from thence shall come to iudge the quicke and dead Loe this is the heresie that I holde and for it must suffer the death But as touâ—hing the holy and blessed supper of the Lord I beleue it to be a most necessary remembraunce of his glorious suffrings and death Moreouer I beleue as much therein as my eternall and onely redeemer Iesus Christ would I should beleue Finally I beleue al those scriptures to be true which he hath confirmed with his most precious bloud Yea as s. Paul saith those scriptures are sufficient for our â—erning saluatioÌ„ that Christ hath left here with vs so that I beleue we nede no vnwritten verities to rule his church w t. Therfore looke what he hath sayd vnto me with his owne mouth in his holy Gospell that haue I with Gods grace closed vp in my hart and my full trust is as Dauid saith that it shal be a lanterne to my footsteps Psal. xxviij There be some do say that I deny the Eucharist or sacrament of thankes geuyng but those people do vntruly report of me For I both say and beleue it that if it wer ordered lyke as Christ instituted it and left it a most singular comfort it were vnto vs all But as coÌ„cerning your masse as it is now vsed in our daies I do say and beleue it to be the most abhominable Idoll that is in the world The Masse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idoll For my God will not be eaten with teeth neyther yet dieth he agayne And vpon these wordes that I haue now spoken wyll I suffer death O Lord I haue mo enemies now then there be haires on my head The prayer of Anne Askew Yet Lord let them neuer ouercome me with vaine words but fight thou Lord in my stead for on thee cast I my care With all the spite they can imagine they fall vpon me which am thy poore creature Yet sweete Lord let me not set by them which are against me for in thee is my whole delight And Lord I hartily desire of thee that thou wilt of thy most mercifull goodnes forgeue them that violence which they do and haue done vnto me Open also thou their blynd hartes that they may hereafter doe that thing in thy sight which is only acceptable before thee and to set forth thy veritie aright without all vaine fantasies of sinnefull men So be it O Lord so be it By me Anne Askew ⧠The order and maner of the burning of Anne Askew Iohn Lacels Iohn Adams Nicholas Belenian with certayne of the Councell
they attempted an other way suborning great men to admonish the Citizens of Breme into what ieopardie their common wealth might fall by meanes of their Preacher preachyng contrary to the decree of the Pope and Emperour Besides that they sayd that he was the prisoner of the Lady Margaret for which cause they had gotten Letters of the Lady Margaret requiring to haue her prisoner sent vnto her agayne All these craftes and subtilties did nothyng at all preuayle for the Senate of Breme aunswered all thynges without blame When as the Byshop saw this his enterprise also frustrate he attempted an other way whereby he had certaine hope that both he also the word of God with him should be wholy oppressed WhereupoÌ„ they decreed a Prouinciall counsaile not to be holden at Breme An other practise of the Archbishop as it was accustomed but at Bucstade whiche place they thought most meete for their purpose To this Councell were called all the Prelates learned men of the Dioces to determine what was to be beleeued and whereto to trust Also to the sayd Councell was Henry called notwithstaÌ„dyng that they had already decreed to proceede agaynst him as agaynst a manifest hereticke A Councell of priestes called against Henry Sutphen albeit he was not yet conuict nor had pleaded his cause before Wherfore the rulers of the Citie together with the commonaltie deteyned him at home foreseyng and suspectyng the malice of the Councell HeÌ„ry gathereth the suÌ„me of his doctrine in writing Then the sayd Henry gathered a summe of his doctrine into a fewe Articles and sent it with his letters vnto the Archbyshop excusing his innoceÌ„cie offering him selfe to be ready if he were conuict of any errour by the testimony of y e holy Scripture he would be ready to recaÌ„t y e same notw tstanding earnestly requiryng that his errours might be coÌ„uicted by y e holy Scriptures by the testimony wherof he had hetherto approued his doctrine doubted not hereafter to coÌ„firme the same but this tooke no place amongest those annoynted prelates What y e determinatioÌ„ of their iudgemeÌ„t was it may hereupon wel be gathered in that shortly after they set vp vpoÌ„ the Church porche the Bull of Pope Leo the x. decree of the Emperour made at Wormes Wherupon Henry conteÌ„nyng their madnes Vide supra pag 847.849 The Catholike proceding of the Popes Clergy proceeded dayly in preaching the Gospel adding alwayes this protestatioÌ„ y t he was ready willingly to geue account touchyng his fayth doctrine to euery maÌ„ that would require the same In the meane tyme the holy Catholickes could not be idle but sent their chapleines vnto euery sermon to trappe him in his wordes But God They that wenâ— about to take him were taken whose foote pathes are in y e middest of y e floudes would haue his marueilous power to be sene in theÌ„ for he coÌ„uerted many of them in so much that the greater part of those that were sent to hearken did opeÌ„ly witnes his doctrine to be Gods truth against which no man could contend and such as in all their liues before they had not heard perswading them likewise that they forsaking all impietie should folow the word of God and beleeue the same if they would be saued But the chiefe priests canons and monkes were so indurate and blinded with Pharao that they became the worse for these admonitions When as God saw the time conuenient that Henry should confirme the veritie that he had preached he sente him among the cruell murtherers appointed for that slaughter by this occasion as followeth It happened in the yeare of our Lord 1524. that thys Henry was sent for by letters Henry Sutphen sent for to preach at Meldorph by Nicholas Boye parish priest and other faithfull Christians of the parish of Meldorph which is a towne in Diethmar to preach the Gospel vnto them and deliuer them out of the bondage of Antichrist which in that place had full dominion These letters being receiued vpon S. Catherines euen calling together sixe breethren honest Citizens he opened the matter vnto theÌ„ how y t he was sent for by them of Diethmar to preach y e Gospel adding moreouer that he was not only a debtour vnto theÌ„ but to all other which required his ayde Wherfore he thought good to go vnto Diethmar to see what God would worke by him requiring also that they woulde helpe him with their aduice by what meanes he might best take his iourney that no maÌ„ should know of it that thereby he might not be letted or stopped which thing without doubt had come to passe if his purpose had bene knowne to the people Unto whom the citizens answered The Citizens of Breme perswade Henrye not to go to Diethmar desiring him that he would not depart for a time for so much as y e Gospell had not yet taken so deepe roote in y e people but was as yet weake specially in the villages therabout that the persecution was very great willing him also to haue respect vnto this that he was by them called to the office of preaching and if they of Diethmar desired a preacher he shoulde send some other in hys place for they had before perceiued the disposition and vntrustines of them of Diethmar besides that it was not in their power to geue him free liberty to depart without the consente of the whole communaltie Whereunto Henry made answere in this manner The causes mouing Heâ—ry to goe to Diethmar that albeit he could not denie but that he was sent for by them yet now there were many godly learned men at Breme whose labour they might vse in his absence in preaching of the Gospell Besides that the Papistes were for the most parte vanquished and ouerthrowne and their follie knowne euen vnto women and children adding thereunto that he had nowe preached the Gospell by the space of two yeares at Breme and that they of Diethmar liued without a pastour euen in the middest of the woolues wherefore he could not with safe conscience denie theyr request And whereas they alleged that they could not licence him without the consente of the whole congregation that said he was but of small effect for so much as he would not vtterly forsake them but determined only to remaine with them of Diethmar for a moneth or two to lay a foundation and then to returne againe desiring them that after his departure they would declare vnto the coÌ„gregation how he was sent for by them of Diethmar to whom he could not say nay willing them also to excuse his sodeine departure for that he was forced to departe secretly because of his aduersaries priuily lyeng in waite in euery place for him thinking that he should scarsely auoyde them which had alwayes gone about to bring him to his death In this rude couÌ„try of Diethmar Maister Rogers our couÌ„treyman was superintendent in tyme of the 6.
to make it appeare by the word of God and so being conuict to make them abiure and renounce the sayd heresies Whereupon the said Counceller Durandus certified the day that he would be present at Merindoll to the end purpose that none of the inhabitaunts should be absent At the day appointed the said Counseller Durandus the Byshop of Cauaillon Durandus the commissioner commeth to Merindoll a Doctour of Diuinitie a Secretary came vnto Merindoll where as was also present diuers Gentlemen and men of vnderstanding of all sorts to see this commission executed Then they of Merindoll were aduertised that they should not appeare all at once but y t they should keepe themselues apart and appeare as they should be called in such order number as should be appointed vnto them After that Durandus the Byshop of Cauaillon the Doctour of Diuinitie and the Secretary were set in place where iustice was accustomed to be kept there was called forth Andrew Maynard the baylife of Merindoll Ienon Romane and Michelin Maynard * Syndiâ—â— is a Greeke word and signifieth as much as an aduocate oâ— patrone oâ— deputy sent to plead our cause The wordes of DuraÌ„duâ— to the Merindolianâ— Syndiques Iohn Cabrie and Iohn Palene auncients of Merindoll and Iohn Bruneroll vnderbaylife After they had presented themselues with all due reuerence the Counseller Durandus spake thus vnto them You are not ignoraunt that by the Arrest geuen out by the high Court of Prouince you were all condemned to be burned both men women and children your houses also to be beaten downe and your towne to be rased and made desolate c. as is more largely conteined in the said arrest Notwithstanding it hath pleased the King our most gracious Prince to send his letters vnto the said Court commanding that the sayd arrest should not so rigorously proceede against you but if it could by sufficient information be proued that you or any of you had swarued froÌ„ the true Religion demonstratioÌ„ should be made thereof vnto you by the word of God wherby you might be reduced againe to the flocke of Christ. Wherefore it was determined in the saide Court of Parlament that the Bishop of Cauaillon with a Doctour of Diuinitie should in my presence declare vnto you the errours and heresies wherewith they say you are infected and after good demonstration made by the word of God you should publikely and solemnely renounce and abiure the sayde heresies and in so doyng shoulde obteine the grace and pardon conteined in the Kings letters Wherefore shew your selues this day that you be obedient vnto God the King and y e Magistrates When he had thus spoken what aunswere you sayd he to that which I haue propounded Then Andrew Maynard the Baylife desired that they would graunt them an Aduocate to answere according to the instructioÌ„s which they would giue him The Merindolians denied to geue answere by counsaile or writing for so much as they were men vnlearned and knew not how to answere as in such a case was requisite The Counseller aunswered that he would heare their aunswere neither by Aduocate nor by writing but woulde heare them aunswere in their owne persons Notwithstanding he woulde giue them leaue to go apart and talke together but not to aske any counsell but onely amongst themselues and then to aunswere one after another Upon this determination the Bayliffe and the two Syndiques with other two ancient men talked together a while and determined that the two Syndiques should speake first and after them the Baylife then the two auncient men euery man accordyng as God should geue them grace and by and by presented themselues Whereat the Counseller Durandus was greatly abashed The answer of the MerindoliaÌ„s to Durandus to see that they had agreed and determined so speedely Then Michelin Maynard began to aunswere desiring the Counseller and the Byshop with the other assistance to pardon him if that he aunswered ouerrudely hauing regard that they were poore rude and ignoraunt men His aunswere heere followeth We are greatly bound sayth he to geue God thankes that besides other his benefites bestowed vpoÌ„ vs The Baylife of 〈◊〉 answereth he hath now deliuered vs froÌ„ these great assaultes and that it hath pleased him to touch the hart of our noble King that our cause might be intreated with iustice and not by violence In like maner are we also bounde to pray for our noble King which following y e example of Samuell Daniell hath not disdeined to looke vpon the cause of his poore subiects Also we render thankes vnto the Lords of the Parlament in that it hath pleased them to minister iustice according to the Kings commandemeÌ„t Finally we thanke you my Lord Durandus Commissioner in this present cause that it hath pleased you in so few wordes to declare vnto vs the maner and order how we ought to proceede And for my part I greatly desire to vnderstand and know the heresies and errours wherof I am accused and where as they shall make it appeare vnto me that I haue holden any errours or heresies I am contented to amende the same as it shall be ordeined and prouided by you After him aunswered Ienon Romane the other Syndique a very auncient father approuing all that which his fellow before had sayde geuing God thankes that in hys time euen in his latter daies he had seene and heard so good newes that the cause of Religion shoulde be decided and debated by the holy Scriptures and that he had often heard auncient men say that they could neuer obteine of the Iudges in all their persecution to haue their cause debated in such sort Then Andrew Maynard the Baylife aunswered sayeng that God had geueÌ„ to those two Syndiques the grace to answere so well that it was not necessary for him to say or adde any more thereunto Notwithstanding it seemed good that their answeres were put in writing which was not done by the Secretary that had done nothing else but mocke and gyre at all that had bin sayd wherfore he required the Commissioner to looke vnto the matter Then the Commissioner was very angry and sharpely rebuked his Secretary commaunding him to sit nearer and to write their answeres word for word and he himselfe with a singular memory repeated their answeres and ofteÌ„times asked if it were not so The sayd aunsweres being thus put in writing the CoÌ„missioner asked the baylife if he had any more to answere sayeng that he had done him great pleasure to shewe him his Secretaries faulte willing him to speake boldly what he thought good for the defence of their cause Then the Baylife said for somuch as it hath pleased you to geue me audience liberty to speake my mind freely I say moreouer that it semeth vnto me that there is no due forme of processe in this iudgemeÌ„t for there is no partie heere that doth accuse vs. The proceeding with the MerindoliaÌ„s
not after forme of lawe If we had an accuser present which according to the rule of the Scripture either should proue by good demonstration out of the olde and new Testament that wherof we are accused or if he were not able should suffer punishment due vnto such as are heretickes I thinke he would be as greatly troubled to mainteine his accusations as we to aunswere vnto the same After that the Baylife had made this answere Iohn Palenc Iohn PaleÌ„c answereth one of the auncients of Merindol saide that he approued all that had bene sayd by the Syndiques and that he was able to say no more then had bene said by them before The Commissioner sayd vnto him you are I see a very auncient man and you haue not liued so long but that you haue some thing to aunswere for your part in defence of your cause And the sayde Palenc aunswered seeing it is your pleasure that I shâ—uld say something it seemeth vnto me vnpossible that say what we can we shoulde haue either victory or vantage for our iudges be our enemies The vnder Baylife of Merindoll answereth Then Iohn Bruneroll vnderbaylife at Merindoll answered that he would very faine know the authority of y e Counseller Durandus Commissioner in this cause for as much as the said Counseller had geueÌ„ them to vnderstaÌ„d that he had authority of the high Court to make them abiure their errours which should be found by good and sufficient information and to geue them so doing the pardon conteined in the Kings letters and quite them of all punishment and condemnation Durandus the Commissioner required to shew his CoÌ„mission But the said Commissioner did not geue them to vnderstand that if they could not be found by good and sufficient information that they were in errour he had any power or authoritie to quite and absolue them of the sayd sentence and condemnation Wherfore it seemed that it should be more vauntage for the sayd Merindolians if it shoulde appeare that they were heretickes then to be found to liue according to the doctrine of the Gospell For this cause he required that it woulde please the sayd Commissioner to make declaration therof concluding that if it did not appeare by good and sufficient information against them that they had swarued from the faith or if there were no accuser that woulde come foorth against them they ought to be fully absolued without being any more troubled eyther in body or goodes These things were thus in debating from seauen of the clocke in the morning vntill xj Then the Commissioner dismissed them till after dinner At one of the clocke at after noone they were called for agayne and demaunded whether they woulde say any thyng else The Bailyfe Sindickes of Merindol appeare the second time touchyng that which was propounded in the morning by the said Commissioner They aunswered no. Then sayd the Commissioner what do you conclude for your defence The two Syndiques aunswered we conclude that it would please you to declare vnto vs the errours and heresies whereof we are accused Then the Commissioner asked the Byshop of Cauaillon what informations he had agaynst them The Byshop spake vnto him in his eare and would not aunswere aloude This talke in the eare continued almost halfe an houre that the Commissioner and all other that stoode thereby were weary thereof In the ende the Commissioner sayd vnto them that the Byshop of Cauaillon had told him that it was not needefull to make it apparant by information for such was the coÌ„mon report Herevnto they aunswered that they required the causes and reasons alledged by the Byshop of Cauaillon against them should be put in writing The Byshop was earnest to the contrary They that do the workes of darckenes hate the light and woulde haue nothyng that eyther he sayd or alledged to be put in writing Then Iohn Bruneroll required the Commissioner that at the least he would put in writing that the Byshop would speake nothing agaynst them that they could vnderstand and that he woulde not speake before the Commissioner but only in his eare The Byshop on the coÌ„trarie part defended that he would not be named in processe There was great disputation vpon this matter and coÌ„tinued long TheÌ„ the CoÌ„missioner asked the Merindolians if they had the Articles of their confession which they had presented to the high Court of Parliament Then they required that their confession might be read and by the readyng thereof they might vnderstand whether it were the doctrine which they held the confession which they had presented or no. Then the confession was read publickely before theÌ„ The confession of the Merindolians exhibited and read which they did allow and acknowledged to be theirs This done the Commissioner asked the Doctour if he did finde in the sayd confessioÌ„s any hereticall opinions wherof he could make demoÌ„stration by the word of God either out of the old or the new TestameÌ„t Then spake the Doctour in Latin a good while After he had made an end Andrew Mainard the Bayliffe desired the Commissioner accordyng as he had propouÌ„ded to make the errours and heresies that they were accused of What were the articles doctrine of their confession read Sled Lib. 16. apparauÌ„t vnto them by good information or at the least to marke those Articles of their confession which the Byshop the Doctours preteÌ„ded to be hereticall requiryng him also to put in Register their refusall aswell of the Byshop as of the Doct. of whoÌ„ the one spake in his eare and the other in Latine so that they of Merindoll could not vnderstand one word Then the Commissioner promised theÌ„ to put in writyng all that should make for their cause And moreouer he sayd that it was not needefull to call the rest of the Merindolians if there were no more to be sayd to them then had bene sayd to those which were already called And this is y e summe of all that was done at the after noone Many which came thether to heare these disputations supposing that they should haue heard some goodly demoÌ„strations were greatly abashed to see the Byshop and the Doctour so confouÌ„ded which thyng afterward turned to the great benefite of many for hereby they were moued to require the copyes of y e confession of their fayth by meanes wherof they were conuerted and embraced the truth and namely iij. Doctours who weÌ„t about diuers tymes to diswade the MerindoliaÌ„s from their fayth whose ministery God afterwardes vsed in the preachyng of his Gospel Three Doctours coÌ„uerted by the confessioÌ„ of the Merindolians Of whom one was Doctour Combaudi Prior of S. Maximin afterwardes a Preacher in the territory of the Lords of Berne An other was Doctour Somati who was also a Preacher in the Bailiwycke of Tonon The other was Doctour Heraudi pastour and Minister in the Countie of Newcastle After this the inhabitaunts of Merindoll were in
thy selfe to be the seruaunt of the sheepe and not theyr Lorde for I haue not geuen the sheepe for the shepheard but the shepheard for the sheepe He that sitteth downe is greater then he that doth minister and serue vnto hym Whiche thinge was well knowen of hym which truely sayde Wee are your seruauntes for Christes cause But for what purpose haue I geuen thee vnto y e house of Israell That thou shouldest onely minister the Sacramentes consecrate wood stoones churchyardes this I take God to witnesse with great sighes and grones I write vnto you Pastouâ—s seruauntes to the congregation for Christes cause and not maisters pouring out before you the griefe of my hart No truely What then First followeth the office of the byshop Thou shalt heare the word of God out of my mouth This is but a short lesson but suche as all the world cannot comprehende without they bee inwardly taught of GOD. And what els meaneth this The true office of pastors well described out of Ezechiell Out of my mouth thou shalt heare the word but that thou shalt be taught of God Therfore as many as are not taught of God althoughe they be neuer so well exercised in the Scriptures by manns helpe yet are they not watchmen geuen by God and muche â—â—ue they which do not vnderstand and know the Scriptures And therfore such as these be least they should keep silence and say nothing are alwayes harping vpon the traditioÌ„s and doctrines of men that is lyes for hee that speaketh of himselfe speaketh lyes Of this it is written 1. Tim. 1. They would be doctours of the lawe not vnderstandyng what they speake neyther of whome they speake Such of necessitie they must all be who speake that with theyr mouth which they doe not beleue because they are not inwardly taught of God neither are perswaded in their harts that it is true and therefore they are to be accompted as sheepe although they boaâ—â—e themselues to be shepheardes But contrariwise touchyng the true and learned Pastors geuen by God it may be truly said we speake that which we know 1 Iohn 1. The propertie of true pastors and that whiche we haue seene euen with the infallible eyes of our fayth we doe witnesse and these are neyther deceyued neither do deceiue Moreouer the deceiuers proceede to worse and worse erring themselues and bringing others also to errour and because they are of the worlde the worlde doth willingly heare them 1. Iohn 4. They are of the worlde saith S. Iohn and therefore they speake those thinges whiche are of the worlde and the world geueth eare vnto them Behold reuerent father this is the touchstone of oure daily preaching Hath not the world geuen eare vnto theÌ„ now a long tyme with great pleasure and delite But the flesh could neuer suffer y e preaching of the crosse nor yet the wisedome of the flesh which is enemy vnto God neyther is subiect vnto hys law nor cannot be And why then are they accused to be heretickes and Schismatickes A true note of sincere doctrine whiche will not seek to please men but onely to theyr edifying beyng mindfull of that place of Scripture God hath dispearsed the bones of them whiche please men saying vnto them speake vnto vs pleasaunt thinges But nowe setting these matters passe wee will come vnto the second poynt Esay 30. wherein you aske how a man should preach better Forsooth if wee had heard of him whoÌ„ the father spake saying This is my dearly beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym An information to preachers to preach rightly Who also speaking of hymself said it was meete that Christ should suffer and rise agayne the third daye from death and that in his name repentaunce and remission of sinnes should be preached vnto all people What other thing is that theÌ„ the same which the other Euangelists do write Goe ye into the whole world preach the Gospell vnto euery creature he that beleueth and is Baptised Math. 28. shal be saued What can be more pleasaunt sweete or acceptable vnto afflicted consciences being almost in despayre then this most ioyfull tidinges But here whether Christ haue bene a long time heard I know not for that I haue not heard all the preachers of England and if I heard them yet till it was within thys yeare or two I could not sufficiently iudge of them But this I dare be bolde to affirme that as manye as I haue heard of late preach I speake eueÌ„ of the most famous they haue preached suche repentaunce that if I had heard suche preachers of repentaunce in tymes past I shoulde vtterly haue bene in despayre The preaching after the popes church is all to beate downe and not to lyft vp And to speak of one of these famous men not vttering hys name after he had sharpely inueyed against vyce wherein he pleased euery godly man for so much as it could not be sufficiently cryed out vpon hee concluded behold sayd he thou hast lyen rotten in thyne own lustes by the space of these 60. yeares euen as a beast in hys own doung and wilt thou presume in one yeare to go forward toward beauen and that in thyne age asmuch as thou wentest backwardes from heauen towardes hell 60. yeares Is not this thinke you a goodly argument Is this the preaching of repentaunce in the name of Iesus By this one you may see what all the rest are or rather to tread downe Christ with Antichristes doctrine for what other thing did he speake in effect theÌ„ that Christ dyed in vayne for thee He will not be thy Iesus or sauior thou must make satisfaction for thy selfe or els thou shalt perish eternally Then doth S. Iohn lye which sayth Beholde the Lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And in other place Marke the maner of the common preaching of the papistes 1. Iohn 1. His bloud hath cleansed vs from all our sins And agayne He is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world Besides an infinit nuÌ„ber of other places What other thing is this then that which was spoken by the holy Ghost by the mouth of Peter saying There shall be false teachers that shall deny the Lord Iesus which hath redemed them And what followeth vppon such doctrine of Deuils speaking lyes thorough hipocrisie a conscience dispayring and without all hope and so geueÌ„ ouer vnto al wicked lustes 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 popes 〈…〉 according to the saying oâ— S. Paule After that they be come to this poynt that they sorow no more they geue theÌ„selues ouer vnto wantonnes to commit all kinde of filthines euen with a greedy desire For seeing that it is impossible for them to make satisfaction to GOD either they murmure agaynst God or els they doe not beleue hym to be so cruell as they do preach and declare him to be The want of paper wyll not suffer
christen man his highnes therfore like a most gracious christian Prince onely entending the sauegarde of this his realme the preseruation of his subiectes and saluation of their soules willeth to put now in execution with all diligence possible all good lawes statutes and ordinaunces concerning the premisses before this time prouyded made and ordeyned by hys most noble progenitors kings of England for that purpose entent Which lawes and statutes by our soueraigne Lorde and hys most honourable counsaile by long and deliberate aduise for the extirpation suppressyng withstanding of the sayd heresies haue bene seene examined by them in euery part thought good necessary to be put in execution Wherefore his highnesse chargeth and straightly commauÌ„deth all and euery his Lordes spirituall and temporal Iudges Iustices of peace Shiriffes Mayors Baylifs Constables and all other hys Officers Ministers and all his true and louing subiectes that all fauour affection and partialitie layd apart they effectually with all diligence and study endeuour themselues substantially for the executing of al and euery of the articles hereafter ensuyng without dissimulation intermission or excuse as they wil auoide hys high indignation and displeasure First that no man within the kinges realme or other his domynions subiect to his highnes hereafter presume to preach teache or informe any thing openly or priuily or coÌ„pile and write anye booke or hold exercise or kepe any assembles or schooles in any maner of wise contrary to the Catholike faith or determinatyon of holy church nor that any person within this his sayd realme domininions do presume to preach openly or secretly withoute they haue first obtained liceÌ„ce of the Bishop of the diocesse where they entend to preach curates in their parishes persons priuiledged and other by the law of the church onely except Also that no maÌ„ wittingly hereafter fauour support or maintain any person which preacheth in forme aforesayd or maketh anye such or like conuenticles and assembles holdeth or exerciseth any schooles maketh writeth or publisheth anye suche booke teacheth infourmeth or stirreth the people or any of them in anye maner of forme to the said errours Moreouer that al euery person and persons hauing any bookes or writinges of any suche errors erroneous doctryne and opinion do deliuer or cause to bee deliuered effectually and actually all and euerye such bookes and writings to the Bishoppes of the dioces or to the ordinary of the place within 15 daies after this proclamation pronounced And in case any person or persons of what estate condition or degree soeuer they be do or attempt any thing contrary to this Act and proclamation or doe not deliuer or cause to bee deliuered suche bookes within the time aforesaid that euery bishop in his dioces or ordinary shal cause that person or persons and euery of them to be arested in that behalfe diffamed or euidently suspected and detayne kepe theÌ„ vnder safe custody in their persons Penâ—ltye vntil such time that the said persons euery of theÌ„ either haue purged theÌ„selues of the said errors or els do abiure the said erròneous sects preachings doctrines or opinions as the law of holye Churche doth require Furthermore if any person by the law of holy Church be coÌ„uicted before the bishop of the dioces or his CoÌ„missary in any case aboue expressed that the said Bishop may kepe in prison the sayd person or persons so conuicted as it shal seeme best to his discretioÌ„ after the greuousnes or qualitie of the crime and further may set a fine to be paid to the behoufe of the king by the persoÌ„ or persons conuicted as it shal bee thought conuenient to the saide Byshop hauing respect to the greuousnes of the effence of the sayde persoÌ„ or persoÌ„s the said fine to be certified by the Bishop into the kings Eschequer ther to be leuied to the kings vse except in such cases in which by the lawes of holy church the said persons conuict of heresies ought totally to be left to the secular iurisdictioÌ„ Also if any person within this his realme of England or other his dominions be by sentence iudicial conuicted of the said preaching and doctrines prohibited erroneous opinions schooles informations or any of them and before the Bishop or his Commissary do abiure according to the fourme of the lawes of holye churche the foresaid erroneous sectes doctrines schooles or informatioÌ„s or els be pronounced by the bishops or their coÌ„missaries after their abiuration by theÌ„ before made to bee relapsed so that after the lawes of holy church they ought to be relinquished to the iurisdiction secular wherin faith is to be geuen to the Bysh. or his CoÌ„missaries in that behalf then the Shiriffe of the CouÌ„tie Maior Shirifes or Maior and Baylifes of the same citie towne or borough next vnto the said Bishop or Commissaries shal bee personally present in the sentence geuing by the said Bishop or CoÌ„missaries thereunto required and after the said sentence geueÌ„ shal receiue the said persons and euerye of them and put them to further excution according to the lawes of this realme Also the Chauncellor treasurer of England the Iustice of the one Bench and the other Iustices of peace Shirifes Maiors and Bayliffes of cities and townes and other Officers hauing gouernance of the people which now be or for the time hereafter shall be shal make othe in taking their charge and ministration to put their whole power and diligence to put away and to make vtterly to cease and destroy all maner of heresies and errours coÌ„monly called Lollardies within the precinctes of their offices and administrations from time to time with all their power Also they shal assist the Bishoppes and their Commissaries and them shall fauour and mayntaine as oftentymes as that to do they or any of them shal be required by the said Byshops or their commissaries so that the Bishops or their commissaries shall beare pay the reasonable costes of the said officers and ministers when and as often as they shall trauaile or ryde to arrest heretickes and Lollardes or to assist the said Bishops or Commissaries by vertue of the kings lawes and statutes Moreouer the Iustices of the kings Bench Iustices of peace and Iustices of Assise shal inquire at their Sessions and sittings of all those that holde any errours or heresies and who be their mayntainers receptors fauourers and supporters common wryters of bookes as also of their sermons schooles conuenticles congregations confederacies Furthermore if any person be endicted of any of the poynts abouesayd the Iustices of the peace haue power to awarde agaynst them Acapias and the shriues be bound to arrest such persons so endicted as sone as they may be found by themselues or by their Officers And forsomuch as cognisaunce of heresie errours and Lollardies appertayneth to the Iudge of holy church and not to the Iudge secular the persons so indicted to bee deliuered to the bishoppes of
significatiō vnto me of any matter what soeuer it be I shall with all speede diligence make declaration aduertisement therof or cause that same to be signified either to your princely maiesty or to some of your secret coūsaile or to your successours or any of their priuy counsell Neither shall I send or cause to be send at any tyme any writing or messēger to the sayd Byshop or to his Court without the knowledge cōsent of your maiesty or your successours willyng me to send writing or messenger vnto him Neither shall I procure or geue coūsaile to any persō to procure bules brieues or rescriptes whatsoeuer either for me or for any other frō the sayd Bysh. of Rome or his court And if any such shall be procured agaynst my will knowledge either in generall or in speciall or els whosoeuer they shall be graunted vnto them I shall vtter disclose the same not consent thereunto nor vse them in any case shall cause them to be brought to your maiestie or your successours Furthermore for the confirmation hereof I geue my fayth truth by firme promise in the fayth of a Byshop that agaynst this my foresayd profession promise made I shall defēd my selfe by no dispēsation exception nor any remedy or cautel of law or exāple during this my natural life And if heretofore I haue done or made any protestatiō in preiudice of this my profession promise here made the same I do reuoke at this present for euer hereafter and here vtterly do renounce by these presents Whereunto I haue subscribed vnder written the name both of my selfe of my Byshopricke with my proper hand thereto also haue put to my seale in perpetual vndoubted testimony of the premisses Geuen the x. day of February an 1534. of our soueraigne Lord kyng Henry viij 26 Steph. Winton * The lyke othe of Iohn Stokesley Byshop of London I Iohn Byshop of London do purely of myne owne volūtary accord absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your princely maiestie my singular The othe of Stokesley and chief Lord and patrone Henry 8 by the grace of God kyng of England and of Fraunce defender of the fayth Lord of Ireland and in earth of the same Church of Englād supreme head immediately vnder Christ. c. Like to the othe before Ioan. London ¶ The like othe and handwriting of Edward Lee Archbyshop of Yorke I Edward by the permission of God Archbyshop of Yorke doo purely of mine owne voluntary accord The othe of Lee Archb. of Yorke and absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your royall Maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and patrone c. In like forme to the othe before Edovardus Eborac The like othe and handwriting of Cuthbert Byshop of Duresme I Cuthbert by the permission of God Byshop of Duresme doo purely of mine owne voluntary accord The oth of Tōstal of Durisme and absolutely in the word of a Byshop professe and promise to your royall Maiestie my singular and chiefe Lord and patrone c. As before Per me Cutbertum Dulnelm And so likewise all the other Byshops after the same order and forme of othe were obliged and bound to the king as to their supreme head of the Church of England immediatly vnder Christ renouncyng and abiuryng vtterly and voluntarily the Popes too long vsurped iurisdiction in this Realme testifieng moreouer the same both with their owne hand and also with their seale Besides these cōfirmations testimonials of y e Bishops aforesayd ye shall heare yet moreouer the decree and publicke sentence of the vniuersitie of Cambridge written likewise and subscribed signed with the publike seale of their vniuersitie the tenor of which their letter heere followeth ¶ A letter of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge against the vsurped power of the Byshop of Rome VNiuersis Sanctae matris Ecclesiae filijs ad quos praesentes literae peruenturae sunt coetus omnis regentium non regentium Academiae Cantabrigiensis salutem in omnium saluatore Iesu Christo. Cum de Romani pontificis potestate c. In English TO all and singular children of the holy mother Church to whose hands these presents shall come the whole societie of Regentes and not Regētes of the Uniuersitie of Cābridge A letter of the vniuersitye of Cambridge sendeth greeting in our Sauiour Iesu Christ. Where as now of late it hath risen vp in question among vs concerning the power of the Bishop of Rome which he doth both claime to himselfe by the holy Scripture ouer all prouinces nations in Christendome and hath now of long time exercised in this realme of England and forasmuch as our censure concerning the cause is required to wit whether the Byshop of Rome hath any power or authoritie in this kingdome of England allotted to hym by God in the Scripture more then any other foreine Byshop or no we thought it therfore good reason our duty for the searching out of the veritie of the said question that we should employ therein our whole indeuour and study whereby we might render and publish to the world what our reason and censure is touching the premisses For therefore we suppose that Uniuersities were first prouided and instituted of Princes to the end that both y e people of Christ might in the lawe of God be instructed and also that false errours if any did rise might through the vigilant care and industry of learned Diuines be discussed extinguished and vtterly rooted out For the which cause we in our assemblies and conuocations after our accustomed maner resorting and conferring together vpon the question aforesayd and studiously debating and deliberating with our selues how and by what order we mighte best proceede for the finding out of the truth of the matter and at length choosing out certayne of the best learned Doctours and Bachelers of Diuinity and other maisters haue committed to them in charge studiously to ensearch and peruse the places of holy Scripture by the viewing and conferring of which places together they might certifie vs what is to be said to the question propounded For asmuch therefore as we hauing heard and well aduised The censure of the vniuersity of Cambridge against the Popes supremacye and throughly discussed in open disputations what may be sayd on both partes of the foresayd question those reasons and arguments do appeare to vs more probable stronger truer and more certaine sounding much more neare to the pure and natiue sense of Scripture which do deny the Byshop of Rome to haue any such power geuen him of God in the Scripture By reason force of whych arguments we being perswaded and conioining together in one opinon haue with our selues thus decreed to aunswere vnto the question aforesayde and in these writings thus resolutely do aunswere in the name of y e whole Uniuersitie
or see there This tale was no sooner brought to Doct. London by William Symons Filmers vtter ennemie but he sent for the poore man home to his house 〈◊〉 London 〈◊〉 broâ—â—â— agâ—ynst â—â—â—ther where he chearished hym with meat and money telling him he shoulde neuer lacke so long as he liued that y e seely poore man thinking to haue had a daily frend of D. London was content to do and say whatsoeuer he and Symons would haue hym say or do against his owne brother And when D. London had thus won the pore man he retained him as one of his houshold men vntill the court day was come and then sent him vp to witnes this foresaid tale against his brother Which â—ale Filmer denied vtterly saying that D. London for a little meat and drinke sake had set him on and made him to say what his pleasure was â—â—â—mers own â—â—â—ther 〈◊〉 agaynst 〈◊〉 wherfore my Lord quoth Filmer to the bishop I beseeche your Lordship weigh the matter indifferently 〈◊〉 witnes stand is aâ—â—â—nst the 〈◊〉 for as muche as there is no man in all thys towne y t can or will testifie with him that euer he heard any such talke betwene him and me and if he can bring forth any that wil witnes the same with him I refuse not to die But say what he could it would not preuaile Then Filmer seeing no remedy but that hys brothers accusemeÌ„t shuld take place he sayd Ah brother what cause hast thou to shew me this vnkindnes I haue alwaies ben a naturall brother vnto thee and thine and helped you all to my power from time to time as thou thy selfe knowest and is this a brotherly part 〈◊〉 cast 〈◊〉 by his 〈…〉 thus to rewarde me nowe for my kindnesse God forgeue it thee my brother geue thee grace to repent Then Filmer looking ouer his shoulder desired some good body to let him see the booke of statutes Hys wife being at the end of the hall and hearing her husband call for the booke of statutes ran downe to the keper and brought vp the booke gat it conueied to her husbaÌ„d The Bishop seeing the booke in his hand starte hym vp from the bench in a great sume 〈◊〉 Bishops â—â—â—demne 〈◊〉 not one without 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 that â—â—ould not 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 do the 〈…〉 say that 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 iust 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 accuser 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 demanding who had geueÌ„ the prisoner that booke commaunding it to be taken from him and to make searche who had brought it swearing by the faith of hys body he should go to prison Some sayd it was his wife some sayd the keeper Like inough my lord quoth Symons for he is one of the same sort as worthy to be heere as the best if he were rightly serued But howsoeuer it was the truthe would not be knowen and so the Bishop sate him downe againe Then sayd Filmer O my Lord I am this day iudged by a lawe why should not I see the lawe that I am iudged by The law is I should haue two lawfull witnesses and here is but one which would not doe as he doeth but that he is forced thereunto by the suggestion of mine ennemies Nay quoth Bucklayer the kynges atturney thyne heresie is so heinous and abhorteth thine owne brother so much that it forceth him to witnesse against thee which is more then two other witnesses Thus as ye see was Filmer brought vniustly to hys death by the malice of Symons and D. London who had enticed that wretched caitiffe his brother to be their minister to worke his confusion But God which is a iust reueÌ„ger of all falsehode wrongs would not suffer that wretch long to liue vppon earth but the next yeare followyng he beyng taken vp for a labourer to goe to Bullaine had not bene there three daies ere that in exonerating of nature a Gunne tooke him and tore him all to peeces And so was these woordes of Salomon fulfilled A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished Iohn Marbecke THen was Marbecke called and hys Inditement read The inditement of Marbecke whiche was that he shoulde say That the holy Masse when the Priest doeth consecrate the body of our Lorde is poluted deformed sinnefull and open robbery of the glory of God from the which a Christian hart ought both to abhorre and flee And the eleuation of the Sacramente is the similitude of the setting vp of Images of the calues in the Temple builded by Ieroboam and that it is more abhomination then the sacrifices done by the Iewes in Ieroboams temple to those calues And that certaine and sure it is that Christ himself is made in the masse mans laughing stocke To thys hee aunswered and sayde Marbecke aunswereth to his inditement that these woordes wherof they had indited him were not his but the wordes of a learned man called Iohn Caluine and drawn out of a certaine Epistle which the sayd Caluine had made whych Epistle he had but onely wrytten out and that long before the 6. Articles came foorth so that nowe he was discharged of that offence by the kings generall pardon desiring that he might enioy the benefite thereof Then was the Iurye called which were all Farmers belonging to the Colledge of Wyndsore Partiall dealing in calling the Iurye whereof fewe or none had euer sene those men before vppon whose life and death they went Wherfore the prisoners counting the farmers as partial desired to haue the Townes men or such as did know them and had sene their daily conuersations in the place of the Farmers or els to be equally ioyned w t them but that would not be for the matter was otherwise foreseene and determined Now when the Iury had taken theyr oth and al Bucklayer the kynges atturney began to speake Buclayer the kinges atturney a persecuter and first he alledged many reasons against Anth. Person to prooue him an hereticke Whych when Anth. woulde haue disprooued the Bishop sayd let him alone Syr he speaketh for the K. so went Bucklayer foorth with his matter making euery mans cause as hainous to the hearers as he coulde deuise And when he had done and sayd what he would then Sir Humfrey Foster spake to the Quest in the fauor of Marbecke on thys wise Maisters quoth hee Syr Humfrey Foster speaketh for Marbecke yee see there is no man here that accuseth or layeth any thyng to the charge of this poore man Marbecke sauing he hath written certaine things of other mens sayings with his owne hand wherof he is discharged by the kings generall pardon therfore ye ought to haue a conscience therin Then start vp Fachel at the lower ende of the benche and sayd Fachell a persecuter What can we tel whether they were wrytten before the pardone or after They may as well be wrytten since as afore for any thing that we
studye and desire whereof Christ commaundeth all his continually to be intentiue they imagine a new kynd of godlinesse I know not what by the meditation whereof they are more perfect then all other But it is a most pestilent errour which all godlye men ought to abhorre to fayne any other rule of perfection then that common rule deliuered vnto the whole vniuersall Churche which we suppose to be sufficiently approoued in the refutation of the article before passed Now I also passe ouer with silence the great blasphemy whereby they compare their monasticall confession vnto Baptisme I also hold my peace that they do dissipate and deuide the Communion of the Church when as they doe seperate themselues from the lawfull societie and fellowship of the faythfull and clayme vnto themselues a peculiar ministery and priuate administration of the Sacraments but as Saint Augustine witnesseth it was so far of that the Monkes in tymes past had any seueral church or administration of the Sacramentes with others and were a part and portion of the common people Albeit that they dwelt asunder But if that a man may touch the manner of these our Monks what shall I call the cloysters in these our dais otherwise then brothell houses swine sties and dennes of discord Besides that I will passe ouer their faires and markets which in these latter dayes they do make of their reliques of Martyrs to build vp Sodome agayne Wherfore I conclude that this their kynde of lyfe whiche they clayme vnto themselues is vtterly wicked and naughte the which is not established or grounded vppon any certayne callyng of God neyther allowed by him wherefore I may be bold to say that it is vnlawfull because their cōscience hath nothing wherby to sustaine it selfe before god and whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne And furthermore so long as they do entangle bynde themselues with so many and so peruerse and wicked kynd of worshippyng as the Monkery now a days doth contayne in it I may well say that they are not consecrated vnto God but vnto the diuell For why was it lawfull for the Prophets to say that Israelites did offer theyr children vnto wicked spirites and not vnto God onely for this cause that they did corrupt and violate the true worshippyng of God with prophane ceremonies Is it not lawfull then to speake the lyke of our Monkes which together with their cowles haue put on a thousand snares of most wicked superstitions Let euery man now waigh and consider with himselfe if I haue done wickedly to wishe such religions as is this our Monkery to be vtterly extinguished and rooted out Moreouer all christian princes should rightly and truely do their office if as in tymes past Iosias pulled downe and ouerthrew the high places which hys elders the kings of Iuda had builded so they woulde abolishe and dryue away these kynde of Monkes It is plainly manifest by lawfull prooues that the said Iohn Borthwike had and presently hath diuers bookes suspected of heresie condemned as wel by the papall as also Regall and ordinary authoritie and prohibited by the lawe that is to say specially the newe Testament commonly printed in Englishe Oecolampadius Melancton and diuers treatises of Erasmus and other condemned heretickes also a Booke intituled vnio dissidentium the which conteyneth most manifest and great erroures and hereticall assumptions and hath red and studied the same as well openly as priuately and hath presented and communicated them vnto others and also hath instructed and taught many Christians in the same to the ende and purpose to diuert and turne them away from the true christian and catholike fayth Borthwike O good God who can suffer so great a blasphemye with what a filthy cankered stomacke doe these Romishe swine note the new testament of heresie who would not iudge it a most venemous tongue which dare pronounce or vtter such contumelious wordes agaynst the holy Gospell of our Sauiour Christ Truely as the Iewes which put Christ to death of all other murderers euen so these men how so euer they doe pronounce me an Archheretike do fill vp the measure of all other heretikes I wyll not say blasphemies how then shall these serpentes and stocke of Uipers escape and flye the iudgement of euerlastyng fire I do not greatly stand or stay that they doe suspect Oecolampadius Melancthon or Erasmus neither am I so mad to plead their cause who as they are men of singuler learnyng and eloquence so doe their writings manifestly declare how falsly and wickedly these Sicophants impute this crime slaunder of heresie vnto them It is manifest that the sayd Iohn Borthwike was so obstinate in all the foresayde errour and heresies and so maintained and taught them with such an indurate heart and mynd that he would not by no meanes be persuaded from them by his friends and diuers other persons which did dearly loue and fauour hym but chose rather obstinatly to perseuere in his sayd errours Borthwike I am willingly contented to be reduced to the Catholike faith but if that Sathan rayse vp any stormes or tempest agaynst that those I do some thyng resist wherefore they most shamefully lye which doe otherwyse iest or talke of me for I know not by what reason they call them my friendes which so greatly laboured to conuert me neither will more esteeme them then the Madianites whiche in tymes past called the children of Israell to doe sacrifice vnto their Idols And furthermore I desire the most highe and mighty God that he will neuer suffer me to swarue or turne away from this so holy godly and christian obstinacie and stubburnnesse The man is blest that hath set his whole hope and confidence vpon the Lorde and hath not regarded or looked vpon the proud or those which follow after lies ¶ The sentence of condemnation agaynst Sir Iohn Borthwike Knight by the Cardinall Byshops and Abbots in Scotland An. 1540. OF all which the premisses and many other errours by hym holden spoken published affirmed preached taught the common fame and report is that the sayd Sir Iohn Borthwike is holden reputed and accounted of very many is an heretike and principall heretike whiche holdeth euill opinion of the catholike fayth Wherfore we Dauid by the title of S. Steuen in moūt Celio Prelate and Cardinall of the holy church of Rome Archbishop of S. Andrews primate of the whole kingdō of Scotland borne Legate of the Apostolike Sea sittyng after the manner of Iudges in our tribunall seate the most holye Gospels of God beyng layed before vs that our iudgement myght proceede from the face of God and our eyes might behold and looke vpon equitie and iustice hauing only God the veritie and truth of the Catholike faith before our eyes his holye name being first of all called vpon hauing as is beforesayde hereuppon holden a counsel of wise men as well deuines as lawyers wee pronounce declare decree determine and geue sentence that the said
their mother helde taught and communed of the sayd errours within their house diuers times by the space of those three yeares past as well on holy dayes as working dayes affirming and teaching that the saide opinions were good and lawfull and to be holden and maintained and agreemente was made amongst them that none of them should discouer or bewray eyther of these beliefes in any wise Finally that they neuer heard their sayd father and mother holding nor reaching any other opinions then be the said errours against the Sacrament of the altar and pilgrimages offerings worshipping of Saints and Images as farre as they could remember c. Ex verbis Regist. Heere hast thou Christian reader before thine eyes an horrible spectacle of a singular yea of a double impietie first of an vnnaturall husband Example of an vnnaturall husband and of vnnaturall children witnessing against his own wife and of as vnnaturall children accusing and witnessing against their owne naturall mother Which although they had so done the cause being of it selfe iust and true as it was not yet had they done more then nature woulde haue led them to do Now the case being such as which by Gods word standeth firme sound and perfect what impietie were it for men to accuse a poore innocent in case of heresie which is no heresie Now besides all this the husband to come in against his owne wife and the children to bring in the knife wherewith to cut the throate of theyr owne naturall mother that bare them that nourished theÌ„ that brought them vp what is this but impietie vpon impietie Great impiety of the husband toward the wife prodigious and horrible for all Christian eares to heare And yet the greatest impietie of all resteth in these pretensed Catholickes and Clergiemen which weare the authors and causers of all this mischiefe The cause why this good woman so stood as she dyd in the deniall of these foresaid articles obiected Greater impiety in the children against the mother was thys for that she neuer thought that her husband and her owne children who onely were priuie of her Religion would testifie agaynst her Whom notwithstanding after she perceaued to come in and to depose this agaynst her denying stil as she did before that she did euer hold such maner of errours Greatest impiety of all in the Clergy men the authors hereof and being now destitute of all frends and comfort brast out in these woordes openly as the register reporteth that she repented the time that euer she bare those children of her body And thus the Archb. with his Doctours hauing now the thing that they sought for albeit she was ready to deny all errours Ex Regist. W. Warrham Fol. 177. and to conforme her selfe to theyr religion yet notwithstanding they refusing her readines and conformitie proceeded to theyr sentence and so condemned her to death Agnes Grebell condemned by the sentence of the Archb. Robert Harrison examined W. Carder Agnes Grebyll Robert Harison Martyrs After whose condemnation next was brought to examination Rob. Harrison whom in like maner because he stoode in his deniall contrary witnesses agaynst him were produced to wit Christofer Grebyll W. Rich W. Olberd Agnes Iue who a litle before had bene abiured and therfore were so much the more apt and appliable to serue the Bishops humour for daunger of relapse After the deposition conuiction of which witnesses although he submitted himselfe to repentaunce and conformitie yet notwythstanding it would not be receaued but sentence was read he condemned with the other two aforesayd vnto y e fire And thus these three were condemned and burned certificate geuen vp of them together to the king froÌ„ Warrham the Archbishop vpon the same An. 1511. Maij. 2. Ex Regist. Cant. Ouer and besides these three godly martyrs aboue recited I finde in the foresayd Registers of W. Warrham Io. Browâ—â— Edward Walker Martyrs ij other godly like martirs also in the same yeare and for the same xij articles aboue specified to be condemned vpon y e depositions of certayne witnesses brought in agaynst theÌ„ to wyt Tho. Harwod Phillip Harwod Witnesses agaynst these two Martyrs Stephen Castelyn W. Baker Rob. Reynold Ioh. BaÌ„pton Rob. Bright W. Rich. c. whereupon they were adiudged likewise for heretickes to be burned the yeare aforesayd 1511. y e names of which two martyrs were Iohn Brown and Edward Walker Ex Regist. W. Warrh fol. 179. Nowe as you haue heard the names of these blessed Martyrs with their articles recited let vs also heare the tenor of the Bishops sentence by the which they were condemned one after an other Their sentence contayneth one vniforme maner of wordes in forme as followeth * The tenour of the sentence IN nomine Dei Amen Nos Willielmus permissione diuina Cantuariensis Archiepis totius Angliae primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus The 〈◊〉 nation of these 〈◊〉 aforesayd martyrs in quodam negotio hereticae prauitatis contra te Willielmum Carder de Tenterden nostrae Cant. Dioceseos laicum ac nostro imperio notoriè subditum subiectum coram nobis in iudicio personaliter comparentem nobis super heretica prauitate huiusmodi detectum delatum ac per nostram Diocesim Cantuariae antedictae notoriè publicè in ea parte apud bonos graues diffamatum ex officio mero ritè canonicè precedentes auditis intellectis visis cognitis rimatisque ac matura deliberatione discussis ponderatis dicti negotij meritis seruatisque in omnibus per omnia in eodem negotio de iure seruandis ac quomodo libet requisitis pro tribunali sedentes Christi nomine inuocato solum Deum prae oculis habentes Quia per acta actitata deducta probata exhibita coram nobis in eodem negocio inuenimus te per probationes legitimas coram nobis in hac parte iudicialiter factas nonnullos varios errores haereses damnatas opiniones iuri diuino ecclesiastico obuiantes contrarios repugnantes contra fidem orthodoxam determinatam obseruatam tenuisse credidisse affirmasse predicasse dogmatizasse presertim contra Sacramenta altaris seu eucharistiae poenitentiae ordinis alia Sacramenta sanctae matris Ecclesiae dogmata Et quamuis nos Christi vestigijs inhaerendo qui non vult mortem peccatoris sed magis vt conuertatur viuat sepenumero conati fuimus te corrigere ac vijs modis licitis canonicis quibus potuimus aut sciuimus ad fidem orthodoxam per vniuersalem Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam determinatam obseruatam ac ad vnitatem eiusdem sanctae matris Ecclesiae reducere tamen inuenimus te adeo durae ceruicis quòd tuos errores haereses huiusmodi nolueris sponte incontinenti confiteri nec ad fidem Catholicam vnitatem sanctae matris Ecclesiae antedictas debitè reuerti
fantasticall orders be so many and in all places so notorious that they are not able to be expressed yet amongest many one you shall heare that chaunced in this Kings dayes in the Citie of Orleance in Fraunce by the Gray Friers about the yeare of our Lord. 1534. The story is this ¶ A tragicall story of certayne Friers in Fraunce in the City of Orleance an 1534. THe Maiors wife of the City of Orleance prouided in her will to be buried without any pompe or solemnity Ex Comâ—mentariâ—â— Ioan. 〈◊〉 Lib. 9. For when any departeth there in some places the Belmen are hyred to goe about the City and in places most frequeÌ„ted to assemble the people with the sound of the bel there to declare the names and y e titles of those parties deceased also where and wheÌ„ they shal be buried A story oâ— certayne Fryers in Orleancâ— exhorting the people to pray for them And when the Coarse is caried forth the most part of the begging friers go withall to y e church with many torches and tapers caried before them and the more pompe solemnity is vsed the more is y e concourse of people But this woman as I said would haue none of all this geare done for her Wherfore her husband which loued her well followed her mind heerein and gaue vnto these greedy cormoraÌ„ts the friers which waiting for their pray in whose Church she was buried besides her father and her grandfather sixe crownes for a reward whereas they gaped for a great deale more And afterward when he cut downe a wood and solde it the friers crauing to haue part thereof freely and without money he denied them this tooke they wonderfull greeuously and where as they loued him not before they deuised now a way to be reuenged saying that his wife was damned euerlastingly The workers of this Tragedy were Colyman and Steuen of Arras both doctors of Diuinitie and the first in deede was a Coniurer and had all his trinkets and furniture concerning such matters in a readines and they vsed the matter thus They set a yong man which was a Nouice aboue ouer the vaute of the Churche and when they came to mumble vp their mattins at midnight after their accustomed maner he made a wonderfull noyse and shriking aloft Then went this Colyman to crossing and coniuring but the other aboue would not speake Beeing charged to make a signe to declare if he were a dumme spirite he russeled and made a noyse agayne and that was the signe and token When they had layd this foundation they went to certayne of the chiefest in all the Citie and suche as fauoured them most and told them what an heauie case was chanced yet did they not vtter what it was but entreated them to take the paines to come to their seruice at nighe When they were come and the seruice was begon he that was alofte made a greate noyse Being demaunded what he woulde and what he was he signified that he might not speake The 〈◊〉 what demaund of the spiâ—rite then was he commaunded to answere to their interrogatories by signes and tokens Now was there a hole made for the purpose where by laying to his eare he might heare and vnderstand what the Coniurer sayd vnto them There was also a table at hand and when anye question was asked he strooke and beate vpon the Table so that he might be heard beneath Then first the Coniurer demaunded whether he were any of them that had ben buried there After that Luthers â—â—â—resie a 〈…〉 the Fryeâ— reckning vp many of their names in order whose bodies had bene buried there at the last he named the Maiors wife Heere he made a signe that hee was the spirit of that woman Then he asked whether be were damned and for what desert or offence Whether it were for couetousnes pride or lechery or not dooing the works of charitie or else for this new sproong vp heresie and Lutheranisme Moreouer what was the cause that he made suche a noise and was so vnquiet Whether it were that the body beeing buried within holy grounde shoulde be digged vp againe and carryed to some other place To all these things he aunswered by signes in lyke case as he was commaunded whereby he affirmed or denyed euery thyng striking twise or thrise vppon the Table When he had thus signified that Luthers heresie was the cause of her damnation Luthers 〈◊〉 a great 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and that her body must be taken vp the Friers desired the Citizens that were present to beare witnes of such things as they had sene and heard and set their hands to it in writing But they taking aduisement least they shoulde both offende the Maior and bring theÌ„selues in trouble refused to subscribe Notwithstanding the Friers tooke the pixe with the hoste and the Lords body as they call it and all their Saints reliques and caried them to another place and there they sayd theyr Masses which they are wont to do by the Popes Lawe when a Churche is suspended and must be hallowed againe and when the Bishops Officiall heard of thys hee came thether to vnderstand the matter better and associating to him certayne honest men he commaunded the Frier to coniure in his presence and woulde haue appoynted certaine to go vp to the vaut to see if any spirite did there appeare But Steuen of Arras was sore against it and exhorted them earnestly that they should not so do saying that the spirit ought not to be molested And albeit the Officiall did earnestly vrge them to coniure before him The Maior 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 yet could they not bring them to it In the meane time the Maior making his frends priuie what he would do went to the King and informed him of the whole matter And because the Friers trusting to their immunities and priuileges refused to come in iudgement the King chose certaine out of the court of Parliament at Paris to examine the matter and gaue them full authoritie so to do Whereupon they were caried to Paris and constrayned to make aunswere but they would confesse nothing Then they were sent againe to prison and kept apart one from another and the Nouice was kept in Fumeus house a Senatour and being oftentimes examined he woulde confesse nothing fearing least he should after be murthered of theÌ„ for slaundering theyr order But when the iudges promised him that he should haue no harme and should come no more in the Friers handes he declared to them the whole matter in order and being brought before the others he auouched the same But they albeit they were conuicted and in maner taken with the deede yet refused they theyr iudges and bragged of their priuiledges but it was altogether in vayne The Fryers condemned 〈◊〉 prison 〈◊〉 punishement for they were condemned in open iudgement that they should be caryed againe to Orleaunce and committed to prison and afterwardes
this blessed Martyr ended his life in peace anno 1511. This story the sayd Elizabeth Browne his wife did oft times repeate to Alice her daughter who dwelling yet in the parish of S. Pulchers testified the narration heereof vnto me and certayne other vppon whose credible information I haue recorded the same Witnes to thys story Furthermore it is to be noted that the sayde Iohn Browne bare a fagot seauen yeares before this in the dayes of King Henry the seauenth Whose sonne also named Richard Browne for the like cause of Religion was imprisoned at Caunterbury Rich. Browne escaped burning by the comming in of the Queene Elizabeth likewise in the latter tyme of Queene Mary and should haue bene burned with two mo besides himselfe the next day after the death of Queene Mary but that by the proclaiming of Queene Elizabeth they escaped Amongst other iniunctions and letters of king Henry the eight written and set forth for reformation of religion he wrate one letter to Edmund Bonner for abolishing of Images pilgrimages shrines and other monuments of Idolatry Which letter being before expressed pag. 1229 we should also haue annexed to the same the letter or mandate of Bonner directed in latin to Richard Cloney hys Somner appertayning to the due execution therof Which letter because we haue omitted before the defect thereof I thought heere in this vacant space to supply The letter written to Cloney in latin thus beginneth Bonners letter to Cloney keeper of the Cole-house for the abolishing of Images EDmundus permissione Diuina Lond. Episc. Dilecto nobis in Christo Richardo Cloney literato Apparitori nostro generali salut grat benedictionem 〈…〉 Latine 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 read 〈…〉 yet here 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 Cum nos 13. die mensiâ— instantis Octob. circa noctem literas serenissimi c. The same in English FOr asmuch as the 13. day of this present we haue receyued the letters of our soueraigne Lord by the grace of God King of England c. to vs diâ—ected and conteyning in them the commaundement of his Maiestie by vs to be executed in tenour of words which heere I send vnto you we therefore willing and desiring according as our duty bindeth vs to put the same in execution with all diligence possible according to the effect and tenour thereof Had 〈◊〉 none to 〈◊〉 these 〈◊〉 thinges but 〈◊〉 the keepeâ— of the 〈◊〉 house do charge and straightly commaund you by the tenour heereof in the Kings behalfe and for the fidelitie whych we haue in you assuredly approued that you incontinent vpon the receite heereof do effectually warne all and singular Parsons and Vicars of this Citie of London and of all our dioces that they immediately vpon the sight and intimation of these present Articles and interrogatories heere vnder written do cause diligent and effectuall inquisition thereof to be made to witte Whether there be vsed or continued any superstition hypocrisie or abuse within any their parishes or Cures contrary to anye ordinaunce iniunction or commaundement geuen or set foorth by the Kings Maiestie or by his authoritie Item whether they haue in their Churches or within theyr parishes any shrines couerings of shrines tables of fayned myracles pilgrimages Images and bones resorted and offered vnto and other monuments and things wherewith the people haue bene illuded or any offering or setting vp of lights or candles other then be permitted by the Kings Maiesties Iniunctions or whether the said Iniunctions be duely obserued and kept in their Parishes or Cures or else transgressed and broken and in what part And further after the sayd Inquisition thus by them and euery of them respectiuely being made that you do certifie vs or our Vicare generall what is done in the premisses vpon the euen of Simon and Iude or thereabout vnder the perill thereof following Dat. 14. die Octob. an 1541. nostrae translat 2. The ende of the eyght booke Edward 6. ¶ The Ninth Booke containing the Actes and thinges done in the Reigne of King EDWARD the sixt NExt after the death of K. Henry succeded king Edwarde his sonne being of the age of 9. yeres He began his raigne the 28. day of Ianuary and raygned 6. yeares and 8. monethes and 8. dayes and deceased ann 1553. the 6. day of Iulye Of whose excellente vertues singuler graces wrought in him by the gift of God although nothing canne be sayd enough to his commendation yet because the renowmed same of such a worthye prince shall not vtterlye passe our story without some gratefull remembraunce I thought in few wordes to touch some litle portion of his prayse taken out of great heapes of matter which might be inferred For to stand vppon all that might be sayde of him it would be to long and yet to say nothing it were to much vnkinde If kinges and Princes which haue wisely and vertuously gouerned haue fouÌ„d in all ages writers to solemnise and celebrate theyr Actes and memory such as neuer knew them nor were subiect vnto theÌ„ how much theÌ„ are we English men bound not to forget our duety to K. Edward a prince although but tender in yeres yet for his sage and mature rypenes in witte and all Princely ornamentes as I see but few to whom he may not be equal Commendation of K. Edward so agayne I see not many to whom he may not iustly be preferred And here to vse the example of Plutarch in comparing kings and rulers the Latines with the Greekes together if I should seek with whom to match this noble Edward I finde not with whom to make my match more aptly theÌ„ with good Iosias For as the one began his raigne at eight yeares of his age so the other beganne at 9. Neyther were their acts and zelous procedings in Gods cause much discrepant For as milde Iosias pluckt downe the hil altars cut downe the groues Anno. 1547. and destroyd all monuments of Idolatry in the temple the like corruptioÌ„s drosse and deformities of Popish Idolatry crept into the Church of Christ or long time this Euangelicall Iosias king Edwarde remoued Comparison betwene King Iosias and King Edward 6. purged the true temple of the Lorde Iosias restored the true worship of God in Ierusalem and destroid the Idolatrous priestes King Edward in England likewise abolishing Idolatrous Masses and false inuocation reduced agayne religion to a right sincerity more would haue brought to perfection if life and time had aunswered to his godly purpose And though he killed not as Iosias did the idolatrous sacrifices yet he put them to sileÌ„ce and remoued them out of theyr places Moreouer in king Iosias dayes the holy Scripture booke of Gods word was vtterly neglected and cast aside whiâ—h he most graciously repayred restored agayne And did not K. Edwarde the like with the selfe same booke of Gods blessed worde and with other wholesome bookes of Christian doctrine which before were decayed and
doubtes ambiguities hath and may arise As whether you by the tenour of the sayd Commission may proceed not onely at the denunciation but also of mere office And also whether ye may aswell determine as heare the sayd cause For further declaration whereof we doe now interpret and declare that our full minde and pleasure by the aduise aforesayd was by our CoÌ„mission and now is that you should proceede aâ—well by mere office as also by the way of denuÌ„ciatioÌ„ by either of them or any other wayes or meanes at your discretioÌ„s wherby the truth and merites of the cause may be most speedely and bâ—st knowne and that ye might and may aswell finally determine as heare the sayd matters in all your orders and doinges cutting away all vayne and superfluous delayes hauing respect to the onely trueth of the matter And this our declaration we send vnto you of our sure knowledge and meere motion by the aduise aforesayd supplying all default ceremony and poynt of the lawe which hath shall or maye arise of your doinges by reason of anye default of wordes in our sayde former Commission or any parte thereof any law statute or act to the contrary notwithstanding and therfore we will and commaund you to proceed in the sayde matters accordingly aswell to our foresayd Commission as thys our declaration and so faile ye not In witnesse whereof we haue made these our letters patentes At Hampton Court the xvij day of September ¶ The fourth Session agaynst Boner Byshop of London before the kinges Commissioners in the great Hall at Lambeth the eight of September AFter this declaration being sent downe and receyued from the Kyng the Byshop of London according to the Commissioners assignement the Monday before appeared agayne before them vpon Wednesday the xviij of September in the great Hall at Lambeth Where vnder his wonted Protestation The 4. â—â—pearing 〈…〉 â—oner â—â—â—â—ore the kings Commissioners first he declared that althoughe he had already sufficiently aunswered all thinges yet further to satisfy the terme assigned vnto him to shewe cause why he ought not to be declared pro confesso vpon the Articles theretofore ministred agaynst him and to the which he had not fully aunswered he had then a matter in writing to exhibite vnto them Boner 〈…〉 why brought â—ut to be declareâ— pro coÌ„fesso Causes alleaged of Boner why he ought not to obey the Commissioners assignation why he ought not so to be declared which he read there openly Wherin first vnder his accustomed vnreuerent termes of pretensed vniust vnlawfull processe and assignation he said he was not bound by the law for good reasonable causes to obey the same especially theyr assignation And first for that the same was onely pronounced by Syr Thomas Smith one of the pretensed Commissioners without the consent of his pretensed Colleagues or at the least he as a Commissioner did prescribe the Actuary what to write whiche he ought not to haue done because by law he ought not to haue intermedled therein for that his Colleagues did the first day begin to sit as Iudges agaynst him the Bishop without the presence of the sayde Syr Thomas Smith And secondly because his aunsweres aswell vnto the pretensed denounciation The secâ—nd cause as also vnto all the articles theretofore obiected agaynst him were as full and sufficient as the law required or at least wyse there was nothyng good in law apparant to the contrary and therfore he was not enforced by lawe farther to aunswere without farther allegation The third cause And because also that all theyr procedings therto were so extraordinarily done that they had confounded all maner of lawfull processe sometimes proceding ad denuncianduÌ„ sometimes ex officio mero The Popes 〈◊〉 and sometimes ex officio mixto contrary vnto the kinges Ecclesiasticall lawes and coÌ„trary also vnto theyr Commission in that behalfe And likewise because diuers of the Articles pretensed were superfluous and impertineÌ„t not reuealing though they were proued The fourth cause conteyning in them vntruth and falsity some obscure and vncertaine some depending vpon other articles either denyed or at the least qualified some captious and deceitfull to bring the aunswere into a snare and some also beyng Articles of the lawe in such sort as by the Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Realme the kinges subiectes were not bound to make aunswere thereunto The Popes lawe And lastly because that Syr Thomas Smith Secretary to the kinges Maiesty The fifte cause when that the Byshop was last with the Counsell in the Counsell Chamber at White Hall after the departure of the Lorde Protectour and the rest of the counsell did himselfe alone without any other write certayne Articles or IniuÌ„ctions amongest the whiche was that of the kinges authority in his minority and afterward did copy the same at a table within the sayd couÌ„sell Chamber and so himselfe did deliuer them vnto hym By reason whereof that is not true which in the CoÌ„mission denunciation and Articles was deduced and obiected agaynst him The intoleâ—â—ble 〈…〉 Boner 〈…〉 When these fonde and friuolous obiections were thus read the archbishop seing his inordinate and vntollerable contempt towardes them charged him very sharply saying My Lord of LondoÌ„ if I had sitteÌ„ here onely as Archbishop of Canterbury it had bene your part to haue vsed your selfe more lowly obediently reuerently towardes me then ye haue but seing that I with my Colleagues sit here now as Delegates from the kinges Maiesty I must tell you plaine you haue behaued your selfe to to much inordinately For at euery time that we haue sitteÌ„ in coÌ„mission you haue vsed such vnseemely fashions without all reuerence and obedience geuing tauÌ„tes and checkes aswell vnto vs with diuers of the seruants and Chaplaynes as also vnto certayn of the auncientest that be here The wordes of the Archbishop to Boner calling theÌ„ fooles and Dawes with such like as that you haue geuen to the multitude an intolerable exaÌ„ple of disobedieÌ„ce And I ensure you my Lord there is you and one other Bishop whoÌ„ I could name that haue vsed your selues so conteÌ„ptuously disobediently as the like I think hath not before bene heard of or sene whereby ye haue done much harme At which wordes Boners scorneful aunswere to the Archbishop the grosse Byshop a Beast a man might iustly terme him sayd scornefully to the Archbishop you shew your selfe to be a meete Iudge The Archbishop then proceeding â—ayde to his charge how vndiscreetly the last day in the Chappell he had called all the the people Woodcockes The Archbyshop Whereunto he aunswered that the last Session William Latimer one of the denouncers beyng there present Boner had practised with the audience that when he lifted vp his hand to them they shoulde and did as it were by a token geuen them say as he sayd and doe as he did as one tyme vpon the lifting vp of
t your grace whom we should otherwise honour for the kinges maiesties sake by your owne deedes shoulde prouoke vs to offend you we do perceaue great discommoditie to the realm by your graces singularitie if it may be so named in opinion in one respect as you are sister to our soueraigne Lord maister we most hūbly beseeche your grace to shew your affection cōtinually towardes him as becōmeth a sister And as your grace is a subiect and we counsellors to his Maiesties estate we let you know the exāple of your graces opinion hindreth the good weale of thys realm which thing we think is not vnknowne vnto you if it be we let your grace knowe it is to true For Gods sake we beseech your grace let nature set before your eyes the yong age of the king your brother Let reason tell you y e losenes of the people how then can you without a wayling hart thinke that ye should be y e cause of disturbance if your grace see the king being y e ordinary ruler vnder God not onely of all others in the realme but of you also call his people by ordinary lawes one way with what hart can your grace stay your selfe without following muche worse to stay other y t would follow their soueraigne Lord Can it be a loue in you to forsake him his rule and lawe take a priuate way by your selfe If it be not loue it is much lesse obedience If your grace thinke the kings maiestie to be ouer his people as the head in a mans bodye is ouer the rest not onely in place but in dignitie and science how can you being a principall mēber in y e same body keep y e nourishment from y e head we pray your grace most earnestly think this thing so much greueth vs as for our priuate affectiō good willes vnto you though we shuld dissemble yet for our publicke office we cannot but plainely enforme your grace not doubting but that your wisedome can iudge what your office is if it were not your owne cause we know your grace by wisedome could charge vs if we suffered y e like in any other Truely euery one of vs a part honoreth your grace for our maisters sake but when we ioyn together in publick seruice as in this writing we do We iudge it not tollerable to know disorder to see the cause leaue it vnamēded For though we would be negligēt y e world would iudge vs. And therfore we do altogether eftsoones require your grace in the kinges maiesties name y t if any of your 2. chaplains Mallet or Barcklet be returned or as soone as any of them shall returne to your graces house y e same may be by your graces commaundement or order sent or deliuered to the sheriff of Essex who hath commandement from the kings maiestie by order of the law of his crowne to attache them or if that conditiō shall not like your grace yet y t then he may be warned frō your graces house yet not kept there to be as it were defended frō the power of the law Which thing we think surely neither your grace will meane nor any of your counsell assent thereto And so to make an end of our letter being long for the matter and hitherto differred for our great busines we trust your grace first seeth how y e vsage of your Chaplaines differeth from the maner of our licence and what good entent moued vs to write vnto you in former letters lastly that the thinges whereunto the king and the whole realme hath consented be not onely lawful and iust by the pollicie of the Realme but also iust and godly by the lawes of God So that if we which haue charge vnder the King should willingly consent to the open breach of them we could neyther discharge our selues to the king for our dueties neyther to God for our conscience The consideration of which things we pray almighty God by his holye spirit to lay in the bottome of your hart and thereupon to build such a profession in you as both God may haue his true honor the king his dewe obedience the Realme concord and we most comfort For all the which we do hartely pray therwith for the cōtinuance of your graces helth to your harts desire Frō Westminster y e xxv of December * The Lady Mary to the Lordes of the Counsell xx May. 1551. MY Lordes after my harty commendations to you although both I haue bene and also am loth to trouble you with my letters yet neuerthelesse the newes which I haue lately hard touching my Chaplayne Doctor Mallet forceth me thereunto at this present for I heare by credible report that you haue committed him to the tower which newes seeme to me very strange notwithstanding I thought it good by these to desire you to aduertise me what is the cause of his imprisonment assuring you I would be sory that any of mine should deserue the like punishment and there is no creature within the Kings maiesties Realme would more lament that any belonging to them should giue iust cause so to be vsed then I would do who would haue thought much frendship in you if you had geuen me knowledge wherein my sayd Chaplein had offended before you had ministred suche punishment vnto him eftsoones requiring you to let me knowe by this bearer the truth of the matter And thus thanking you for the short dispatch of the poore Marchaunt of Portingall I wish to you all no worse then to my selfe and so bid you farewell From Beaulien the 2. of May. Your frend to my power Mary * The Counsell to the Lady Mary 6. of Maye 1551. AFter our humble cōmendatiōs to your grace we haue receiued your letters of the second of this moneth by the which your grace seemeth to take it straungely that Doctor Mallet is committed to prison whereof we haue the more maruell seeing it hath bene heeretofore signified vnto you that he hath offended the kings maiesties lawes and thereof condemned your grace hath bene by our letters earnestly desired that he might be deliuered to the Sheriffe of Essex according to the iust processe of the lawe to the which all maner persons of this Realme be subiect whereof howsoeuer it seemeth straunge at this tyme to your grace that he is imprisoned it may seme more strange to other that he hath escaped it thus long and if the place being the Tower moue your grace not to impute his imprisonment to his former offense then we pray your grace to vnderstand that in deede it is for the very same and the place of the imprisonment to be at the Kings Maiesties pleasure from whome besides the charge of his lawes we haue expresse commaundement to doe that we doe And so we beseech your grace to thinke of vs that neither in thys case nor in any other we meane to do any other then minister and see as much as in our
cause your soules health our conscience and the common tranquillity of our Realme haue so long desired assuring you that our sufferance hath muche more demonstration of naturall loue then contentation of our conscience and foresight of our safety Wherfore although you geue vs occasion as much almost as in you is to diminish our naturall loue yet be we loth to feele it decay and meane not to be so carelesse of you as we be prouoked And therefore meaning your weale and therwith ioyning a care not to be found giltie in our conscience to God hauyng cause to require forgeuenes that we haue so long for respect of loue towards you omitted our bounden duety we send at this present our right trusty and right welbeloued counsaylor the Lord R. or Chauncelour of England and our trustye and right welbeloued Counsaylers Sir A. W. Knight Comptroler of our housholde and Sir W.P. Knight one of our principall Secretaries in message to you touching the order of your house wylling you to geue them firme credite in those thinges they shall say to you from vs and doe there in our name Yeauen vnder our signet at our Castle of Winsor the 24. of August in the first yeare of our Raigne A copy of the kinges Maiesties instructions geuen to the said L. C. sir A. W. and sir W.P. Knightes c. 24. August 1551. FIrst you the sayd Lorde Chauncellor and your Colleagues shall make your immediate repayre to the sayd Lady Mary geuing to her his maiesties hartye commendations and shewe the cause of your comming to be as followeth Although his maiesty hath long time as well by his maiestyes owne mouth and writing as by his counsayle trauayled that the sayd Lady being his sister and a principall subiect and member of his Realme should both be in deede and also shew her selfe conformable to the lawes and ordinaunces of the realme in the profession and rites of Religion vsing all the geÌ„tle meanes of exhortation and aduise that could be deuised to the intent the reformation of the faulte might willingly come of her selfe as the expectation and desire of his maiesty and all good wise men was yet notwithstanding his maiestie seeth that hetherto no maner of amendment hath followed but by the continuance of the errour and manifest breach of his lawes no small perill consequently may happe to the state of hys Realme especially the sufferaunce of such a fault being directly to the dishonor of God and the great offence of his Maiesties conscience and all other good men and therefore of late euen with the consent and aduise of the whole state of his priuy Counsayle and diuers others of the nobility of his Realme whose names ye may repeate if you thinke conuenient his Maiestie did resolutely determine it iust necessary and expedient that her grace should not in any wise vse or maintaine the priuate Masse or any other manner of seruice then suche as by the lawe of the Realme is authorised and allowed and to participate this his maiesties determination to her grace it was thought in respect of a fauorable proceeding with her selfe to haue the same not only to be manifested by her owne officers and seruaunts being most esteemed with her but also to be executed by them in her house as well for the more quiet proceeding in the very matter as for the lesse molesting of her grace with any message by straungers in that time of her solitarines wherein her grace then was by the reason of the late sicknesse For which purpose her three seruants Rochester Eglefield and Walgraue were sent in message in thys mannaer First to deliuer his Maiesties letter to her next to discharge the complaintes of saying Masse and prohibiting all the houshold from hearing any Wherein the Kings Maiestie perceiueth vpon their owne report being returned to the Court how negligently and in deede how falsly they haue execuâ—ed theyr commaundement and charge contrary to the duety of good subiectes and to the manifest contempt of his maiesty Insomuch as manifestly they haue before his Maiesties Counsayle refused to do that which pertayneth to euery true faithfull subiecte to the offence so farre of his maiesty and derogation of his authority that in no wise the punishment of them could be forborne and yet in the maner of the punishment of them his Maiestie and his Counsayle hath such consideration and respect of her person being his sister that without doubt his Maiestie could not with honour haue had the like consideration or fauour in the punishmente of the dearest Counsailour he hath if any of them had so offended and therefore his Maiesty hath sent you three not only to declare to her grace the causes of their sending thither of late his officers in message but also the causes of their absence now presentlye And further in the default of the sayde officers to take order as well with hir Chaplaynes as with the whole housholde that hys Maiesties lawes may be there obserued And in the communication with her you shall take occasion to answere in his Maiesties name certayne pointes of her letter sent now lately to his Maiestie The copy of which letter is now also sent to you to peruse for your better instruction how to proceede in First her allegation of the promise made to the Emperour must be so aunswered as the trueth of the matter serueth whereof euery of you haue heard sufficient testimony diuers times in the counsaile for her offering of her body at the Kings will rather then to chaunge her conscience It greeueth his Maiestie much that her conscience is so setled in errour and yet no such thing is ment of his Maiestie nor of any one of his counsayle once to hurt or will euill to her body but euen from the bottome of their hart wisheth to her mentem sanam in corpore sano And therefore yee shall do very well to perswade her grace that this proceeding commeth onely of the conscience the King hath to auoyde the offence of God and of necessary counsaile and wisedome to see his lawes in so weighty causes executed Item because it is thought that Rochester had the care and consideration of her graces prouision of houshold and by his absence the same might be either disordered or disfurnished his Maiestie hath sent a trusty skilfull man of hys owne houshold to serue her grace for the time Who also is sufficiently instructed of Rochester of the state of her things of houshold And if there shall be any thing lacking in the same his Maiesties pleasure is that his seruant shall aduertise his owne chiefe officers of houshold to the intent if the same may be supplyed of any store heere or otherwhere helped conueniently her grace shall not lacke Item hauing thus proceeded with her grace as for the declarations of the causes of your commoning ye shal theÌ„ cause to be called afore you the Chaplaynes and all the rest of the housholde there presente and
was had in estimation For the destruction of Images contayneth an enterprise to subuert religion and the state of the worlde with it and especially the nobilitie who by images set forth spread abroad to be read of al people their linage parentage with remembraunce of their state and actes and the Pursiuaunt carieth not on his brest the kinges names written in such letters as a few can spell but such as all can read be they neuer so rude being great knowne letters in Images of three Lyons and three floures deluce and other beastes holding those armes And he that caÌ„not read the Scripture written about the kings great Seale Winchesters reason The pursiuant caryeth about Saint George on horsebacke and the kinges picture Ergo Images must stand in Churches yet he can read S. George on horsebacke on the one side and the king sitting in his maiestie on the other side and readeth so much written in those images as if he be an honest man he will put of his cap and although if the Seale were broken by chaunce he woulde and might make a candell of it yet he woulde not be noted to haue broken the seale for that purpose or to call it a piece of waxe onely whilest it continueth whole And if by reuiling of stockes and stones in whiche matter Images be grauen the setting of the trueth to be read in them of all men shall be contemned how shall suche wryting continue in honour as is comprised in cloutes and pitch whereof and whereupon our bookes be made Bookes serue onely to be read and not to be kneeled vnto worshipped for so are they no bookes but are made Idols and are to be brokeÌ„ such as few can skill of and not the hundreth parte of the realme And if we a few that can read because we read in one sort of letters so priuiledged as they haue many reliefes shal pull away the books of the rest and would haue our letters onely in estimation and blinde all theÌ„ shall not they haue iust cause to mistrust what is ment And if the crosse be a trueth and if it be true that Christ suffered why may we not haue a writing thereof suche as all can read that is to say an Image If this opinion shoulde proceede when the kings maiestie hereafter should shew his person his liuely image the honour due by Gods law among such might continue but as for the kinges Standardes his banners his armes shoulde hardly continue in their due reuerence for feare of Lollardes Idolatry whiche they gather vpon scripture beastly not onely vntruely The scripture reprooueth false Images made of stockes and stones and so it doth false men made of flesh and bones When the Emperours mony was shewed to Christ wherin was the image of the Emperour Christ contemned not that Image calling it an Idoll nor noted not that mony to be against gods law because it had an image in it as thogh it were against the precept of God Thou shalt haue no grauen image but taught theÌ„ good ciuilitie in calling it the Emperors image bad theÌ„ vse the mony as it was ordered to be vsed in his right vse There is no scripture that reprooueth trueth and all Scripture reproueth falshoode False writinges false bookes false Images and false men all be nought to be contemned and despised as for paper inke parchment stones wood bones A.B. of the Chauncery hand and a. b. of the Secretary hand a letter of Germany fashion or of any other forme be all of one estimation and may be of man enclining to the Deuill vsed for falsehoode or applying to Gods gratious calling vsed to set foorth truth It is a terrible matter to thinke If euery Image representing a thing of truth may stand in place of worship then let Winchesters face stand in the Church also that this false opinion coâ—ceaued against Images should trouble any mans head and suche as I haue knowne vexed with that deuill as I haue knowne some be neuerthelesse wondrously obstinate in it and if they can finde one that can spell Latin to helpe foorth their madnes they be more obdurate then euer were the Iewes and slaunder whatsoeuer is sayd to them for their reliefe Of this sort I know them to be and therefore if I wist there were many of that sort with you I would not irritate them by preaching without fruite but labour for reformation to my Lorde Protectour But if you thought there might be other wayes vsed first to a good effect I would followe your aduise and proceeding with you and the Mayor wyth both your helpes to do that may lye in me to the redresse of the matter which I take to be such an enterprise against Christes Religion as there can not be a greater by man excogitate wyth the deuils instigation and at this time much hurtfull to the common estate as ye can of your wisedome consider Whome I hartily desire and pray to send me aunswere by thys bearer to these my letters to the intent I may vse my selfe in sending of a preacher thither or writing to my Lorde Protectour as the case shall require accordingly And thus fare you hartely well From my house at Woluesay the third of May. 1547. Steph. Wint. ¶ A Letter of the Lord Protector aunswering to the letter aboue AFter harty commendations receauing of late two letters from your Lordship the one inclosed in a letter of Maister Uaughans to vs and directed to him the other directed straight vnto vs very wittely learnedly writteÌ„ whereby we do perceiue how earnest you are that no innouations should be had The whiche minde of yours as we do highly esteeme and allow proceeding from one that would quietnes so we woulde likewise wishe that you should take good heede that too much feare of innouation or disturbance do not cause both to be Many times in an hoste he that crieth enemies enemies when there be none causeth not only disturbance but sometimes a mutinie or rebellion to be made and hee that for feare of sickenes to come taketh vnaduisedly a purgation sometime maketh himselfe sicke in deede We perceaue by the sayde your letters that haynouser factes and words haue bene brought to your eares then there was cause why and those â—actes which were punishable be already by him redrest For the matter of Images an order was taken in y e late king of famous memory our soueraigne lords daies WheÌ„ the abused Images yet lurking in some places by negligence of them who should ere this time haue looked vnto y e same be now abolished For Images let not that be a matter of y e abolishing of all Images Though felons adulterers be punished all men be not slayne Though the Images which did adulterate gods glory be takeÌ„ away Distinction of Images we may not think by by all maner of Images to be destroyed Yet after our aduise better it were for a time to
world The causes whâ— they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute theâ— before indifferent Iudges The matter of the disputation is against Gods word The second cause that the determinations of both the Uniuersities in matters of Religion especially wherin we should dispute are directly against Gods word yea against their own determinations in the time of our late soueraigne Lord and most godly Prince King Edward and further it is knowen they be our open enemies and haue already condemned our causes before any disputation had of the same Secondly because the Prelates and clergie do not seeke either vs or the verity but our destruction and their glory For if they had sought vs as charity requireth theÌ„ would they haue called vs forth hereaboutes before theyr lawes were so made that franckly and without perill we might haue spoken our consciences Againe if they had sought for the veritie they woulde not haue concluded of controuersies In the disputation neither charitie nor veritie sought for tofore they had bene disputed so that it easely appeareth that they seeke their owne glory and our destruction and not vs and the veritie and therefore we haue good cause to refuse disputation as a thing which shall not further preuaile then to the setting forth of their glory and the suppression of the veritie Thirdly because the Censors and Iudges as we heare who they be are manifest enemies to the truth and that which worse is obstinate enemies before whome pearles are not to be cast The third cause The Iudges of the disputation professed enemies against the truth The 4. cause by the commaundements of our Sauior Iesus Christ and by his owne example That they be such their doings of late at Oxford and in the Conuocation house in October last past do most euidently declare Fourthly because some of vs haue bene in prison these 8. or 9. monethes where we haue had no bookes no paper no penne no inke or conuenient place for study we thinke we should do euill thus sodainly to descend into disputation with them which may alledge as they list the fathers and their testimonies Want of booâ—es necessaâ—â— for disputation bicause our memories haue not that which we haue read so readily as to reproue when they shall report and wrest the authors to their purpose or to bring forth that we may haue there for our aduantage Fiftly because in disputation we shall not be permitted to prosecute our Argumentes The 5. cause but be stopped when we would speake one saying thus another that the third his mind Example of 〈◊〉 disputation at Oxford c. As was done to the godly learned fathers especially D. Ridley at Oxford who could not be permitted to declare his minde and meaning of the propositions had oftentimes halfe a dosen at once speaking against hym alwayes letting him to prosecute his argument and to aunswere accordingly we will not speake of the hissing scoffing and taunting which wonderfully then was vsed If on this sorte and much worse they handled these fathers much more will they be shameles bold with vs if we shuld enter into disputation with them Sixtly because the Notaries that shall receiue write the disputations shal be of their appointment and such as either do not or dare not fauour y e truth and therefore must write eyther to please them or else they themselues the Censours and Iudges we meane at their pleasure wyll put to and take from The 6. cause that which is writteÌ„ by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffeâ—â—nt nor must not haue in their custody that which they write longer then the disputation indureth as their doings at Oxford declareth No copy nor scroule could anye man haue by their good will For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their hands Yea if any man was sene there to write as the report is the same man was sent for and his writings taken from him so must the disputation serue only for the glory not of God but of the enemies of his truth For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with them as if we did dispute we shuld do that whiche they desire purposely seek to promote the kingdome of Antichrist and to suppresse as much as may be y e truth We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly wheÌ„ they shuld heare by the report of our enemies our aunsweres and arguments framed you may be sure for their fantasies to the sclaundering of the veritie Therfore we publish and by this writing notifie vnto the whole congregation and church of England Exceptions taken agaâ—nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with theÌ„ otherwise then with the penne vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Councell or before the houses of the parliament as is aboue sayd If they will write Conditions assigned how they would dispute we will aunswere by writing confirm and proue out of the infallible veritie euen the very word of God and by the testimonye of y e good and most auncient fathers in Christes Churche this our fayth and euery peece thereof which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely that oure good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may knowe it and to seale vp y e same Exhortation to obedience we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our liues to y e halter of fire or otherwise as God shall appoynt humbly requiring in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ beseeching all that feare God to behaue themselues as obedient subiects to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers which are ordeyned of god vnder her rather after our exaÌ„ple to geue their heads to the blocke then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary into whose hart we beseech the Lord of mercye plentifully to doure the wisedome and grace of his holy spirite now and for euer Amen First we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament The confession and fayth of the prisoned Preachers and al the bookes of the new Testament to be the very true word of God and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and are therfore to be heard accordingly as the Iudge in all controuersies and matters of religion Secondly The Catholicke Church we confesse and beleue the Catholick church whiche is the spouse of Christ as a most obedient and louing wife to embrace and follow the doctrin of these books in all matters of religion and therefore is shee to be heard accordingly so that those which will not heare this church thus following and obeying the word of her husband we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes accordyng to this saying If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen Thirdly we
beleue and confesse all the Articles of faith doctrine set forth in the Simbole of the Apostles The Creede whiche we commonly cal the Creede and in the Symboles of the Councels of Nice kept An. dom 324. of Constantinople An. dom 384. of Ephesus kept An. dom 432. of Calcedon kept An. dom 454. of Toletum the first and fourth Also the Symboles of Athanasius Irenaeus Tertullian of Damasus which was about the yeare of our Lorde 376. we confesse and beleue we saye the Doctrine of the Symboles generally and particularly so that who soeuer doth otherwise we hold the same to erre from the truth Fourthly we beleue and confesse concerning iustification Iustification by fayth onely in Christ. that as it commeth onely from Gods mercy through Christ so it is perceaued and had of none whiche be of yeares of discretion otherwise then by fayth onely which fayth is not an opinion but a certaine perswasiō wrought by the holy Ghost in the minde and hart of man What fayth is where through as y e minde is illumined so the hart is soupled to submitte it selfe to the will of God vnfaynedly so sheweth forth an inherēt righteousnes Righteousnes in man righteousnes without man The doctrine of free iustification defended for no curiositie but for quiet of conscience which is to be discerned in the Article of iustification from the righteousnes which God endueth vs withall iustifying vs although inseperably they goe together And this we do not for curiositie or contention sake but for conscience sake that it might be quyet whiche it can neuer be if we confounde without distinction forgeuenes of sinnes and Christes Iustice imputed to vs with regeneratiō and inherent righteousnes By this wee disalowe Papisticall doctrine of free will of woorkes of supererogation of merites of the necessitie of auricular confession and satisfaction to Godwardes Seruice in the vulgar tongue Fiftly we confesse and beleue concerning the exteriour seruice of God that it ought to be according to the word of God and therfore in the congregation al thinges publike ought to be done in such a tongue as may be most to edifie not in Latin where the people vnderstād not the same Sixtly we confesse and beleue that God onely by christ Iesus is to be prayed vnto and called vpon Inuocation to God alone Purgatory and Masses suffragatory denied therfore we disalow inuocation or prayer to Saints departed this life Seuenthly we confesse and beleeue that as a man departeth this life so shall he be iudged in the last day generally in the meane season is entred either into the state of the blessed for euer An. no 1554. May. or damned for euer and therefore is either past all helpe or else needes no helpe of any in this life By reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala coeli Trentals and suche Suffrages as the Popishe Church doth obtrude as necessary Two sacramentes to be the doctrine of Antichrist Eightly we confesse and beleeue the Sacramentes of Christ which be Baptisme and the Lordes Supper that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ concerning the substantiall partes of them and that they be no longer Sacraments then they be had in vse and vsed to the end for the which they were instituted The supper to be ministred in both kindes Against transubstantiation Agaynst Adoration of the sacrament The masse to be no propitiatory sacrifice Inhibition of Priestes mariage Antichristian And heere we playnly confesse that the mutilation of the Lords Supper and the subtraction of the one kinde from the lay people is Antichristian And so is the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Sacramentall bread and wyne after the words of consecration as they be called Item the adoration of the Sacrament with honor due vnto God the reseruation and carying about of the same Item the Masse to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead or a worke that pleaseth God All these we confesse and beleeue to be Antichristes doctrine as is the inhibition in Mariage as vnlawfull to any state And we doubt not by Gods grace but we shal be able to prooue all our confessions heere to be most true by the veritie of Gods word and consente of the Catholicke Churche which followeth and hath followed the gouernaunce of Gods spirit and the iudgement of his word And this thorough the Lordes helpe we will do eyther in disputation by word before the Queenes hyghnesse and her Counsayle eyther before the Parliament houses of whome we doubt not but to be indifferently heard eyther with our pennes whensoeuer we shall be thereto by them that haue authoritie required and commaunded In the meane season as obedient Subiectes wee shall behaue our selues towardes all that be in authoritie and not cease to pray to God for them that he woulde gouerne them all generally and particularly with the spirite of wisedome grace And so we hartily desire humbly pray all men to do Exhortation agaynst rebelliō in no point consenting to any kinde of rebellion or sedition against our soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnes but where they can not obey but they must disobey God there to submit themselues with all patience and humilitie to suffer as the will and pleasures of the higher powers shall adiudge as we are ready thorough the goodnes of the Lord to suffer whatsoeuer they shall adiudge vs vnto rather then we will cōsent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse vnlesse we shall be iustly conuinced therof either by writing or by word before such Iudges as the Queenes hyghnes and her Counsell The bigger part agaynst the better Appeale from the Vniuersitie Doctors as not indifferent iudges or the Parlamēt houses shall appoint For the Uniuersities and Clergy haue condemned our causes already by the bigger but not by the better part without all disputation of the same and therefore most iustly we may do appeale from them to be our Iudges in this behalfe except it may be in writing that to al men the matter may appeare The Lord of mercy endue vs all with the spirit of his truth and grace of perseuerance therein vnto the end Amen The 8. of May Anno Dom. 1554. Robert Menauen aliâs Robert Ferrar. Rowland Taylor The names of the prisoned preachers subscribing to this declaration Iohn Philpot. Iohn Bradford Iohn Wigorne and Glouc. Episcopus aliâs Iohn Hooper Edward Crome Iohn Rogers Laurence Saunders Edmund Laurence I. P. T. M. ☞ To these things abouesayd do I Myles Couerdale late of Exon consent and agree with these my afflicted breethren being prisoners with mine owne hand And thus much concerning this present declaration subscribed by these preachers which was on the viij day of May. Furthermore the xix day of the sayd moneth the Lady Elizabeth May. 19. Lady Elizabeth Sir Iohn Williams Sister to the Queene was
to keepe his house which myght haue mooued hym thereunto He did see the recouery of religion in England for that present desperate he knew he could not want a liuyng in Germany and he coulde not forget his wyfe and x. children and to seeke means to succour them But all these things set apart after he was called to answer in Christes cause he would not depart but stoutly stood in defence of the same and for the triall of that truth was content to hazard his lyfe Thus he remayned in hys owne house as prisoner a long tyme till at the length through the vncharitable procurement of Boner Bishop of London who could not abyde such honest neighbours to dwell by him M. Rogers sent to Newgate he was remooued from his owne house to the prison called Newgate where he was lodged among theeues and murtherers for a great space during which tyme what businesse he had with the aduersaries of Christ all is not knowen neither yet any certaintie of his examinations further theÌ„ he hymselfe did leaue in writyng which God would not to be lost but to remayne for a perpetuall testimony in the cause of Gods truth as here followeth recorded and testified by his owne writyng ¶ The Examination and aunswere of John Rogers made to the L. Chancellor and to the rest of the Counsell the 22. of Ianuary Anno. 1555. The Lord Chauncellour FIrst the L. Chancellour said vnto me thus Sir Examination aunswere of M. Iohn Rogers ye haue heard of the state of the realme in which it standeth now Rogers No my Lord I haue bene kept in close prison and except there haue bene some generall thyng sayd at the table wheÌ„ I was at dinner or supper I haue heard nothing and there haue I heard nothing whereupon any speciall thing might be grounded L. Chan. Then sayd the L. Chancellor Generall thynges generall things mockingly Ye haue heard of my L. Cardinals commyng and that the Parliament hath receyued his blessing not one resisting vnto it but one man which did speake against it Such an vnitie and such a myracle hath not bene seene And all they of which there are eyght score in one house sayd one that was by whose name I know not haue with one assent and * Ful sore against theyr wills if they could otherwise haue chosen consent receyued pardon of their offences for the schisme that we haue had in England in refusing the holy father of Rome to be hed of the Catholike Church How say ye are ye content to vnite and knit yourselfe to the fayth of the catholike church with vs in the state in which it is now in England Wyll ye do that Rogers The Catholike Church I neuer did nor will dissenâ— from L. Chancel Nay but I speake of the state of the Catholike church in that wyse in which we stand now in England hauyng receaued the Pope to be supreme head Rog. No head of the Catholicke Church but Christ. I know none other head but Christ of his catholike church neither will I acknowledge the Bishop of Rome to haue any more authority then any other bishop hath by the word of God and by the doctrine of the olde and pure Catholike church 400. yeres after Christ. L. Chaun Why didst thou then acknowledge King Henry the 8. to be supreme head of the church if Christ be the onely head Rog. The supremacie of king Henry 8. how it is to be taken I neuer graunted hym to haue any supremacy in spirituall thyngs as are the forgeuenesse of sinnes geuing of the holy Ghost authoritie to be a Iudge aboue the worde of God L. Chan. Yea said he and Tonstall B. of Duresme and N. B. of Worcester Tonstall B. of Duresme N. Bishop of Worcester if thou hadst said so in his dayes and they nodded the hed at me with a laughter thou hadst not ben alyue now Rog. Which thing I denied and would haue told how hee was said and ment to be supreme head But they looked laughed one vpon another and made such a busines that I was coÌ„strayned to let it passe There lyeth also no great waight thereupon for all the world knoweth what the meanyng was The L. Chancellor also sayd to the L. Wil. Haward that there was no inconuenience therin to haue Christ to be supreme head The meaning why K. Henry was titled â—upreame head and the B. of Rome also and when I was ready to haue answered that there could not be two heds of one church and haue more plainly declared the vanity of that his reason the L. Chancellor said what saist thou make vs a direct answer whether thou wilt be one of this catholike church or not with vs in the state in which we are now Rog. My L. without faile I cannot beleeue that ye your selues do thinke in your harts that he is supreme head in forgeuing of sinne The Bishops contrary to theyr former doinges and wrytinges c. as is before sayd seyng you all the bishops of the realme haue now xx yeares long preached and some of you also written to the contrary and the Parliament hath so long agone condescended vnto it And there he interrupted me thus L. Chan. Tush that Parlament was with most great crueltie constrained to abolish and put away the primacie froÌ„ the bishops of Rome Rog. With crueltie Why then I perceyue that you take a wrong way with crueltie to perswade mens consciences For it should appeare by your doyngs now that the cruelty then vsed hath not perswaded your consciences How would you then haue our consciences perswaded wyth cruelty L. Chan. I talke to thee of no cruelty but that they were so often so cruelly called vpon in that Parlament to let the Act go forward yea and euen with force driuen thereunto where as in this parliament it was so vniformly receiued as is aforesayd Rog. Here my L. Paget told me more plainly what my L. Chauncellor ment Truth goeth not by number nor by the greater part Unto whom I answered My Lord what will ye conclude thereby that the first Parliament was of lesse authoritie because but few condescended vnto it and this last Parliament of great authoritye because more condescended vnto it It goeth not my Lord by the more or lesser part but by the wyser truer godlier part and I would haue sayd more but the L. Chauncellour interrupted me with his question willyng me once agayne to aunswer him For sayd he we haue mo to speake with theÌ„ thou 10. Prisoners out of Newâ—â—tâ— to be 〈◊〉 before 〈…〉 〈…〉 the 10. yelded which must come in after thee And so there were in deed ten persons moe out of Newgate besides two that were not called Of which ten one was a citizen of London which graunted vnto them and ix of the contrarye which all came to prison agayne and refused the cardinals blessing and the authoritie of his
hee would not preuent them but taryed still sayeng Once I did flee and tooke me to my feete but now because I am called to this place and vocation I am throughly perswaded to tary and to liue and dye with my sheepe And when at the day of his appearaunce which was the first of September he was come to London before he could come to the foresayd D. Heath and Boner hee was intercepted commaunded violently agaynst hys wyll to appeare before the Queene and her Counsaile M. Hoopeâ— refused to flye away to answer to certaine bonds and obligations wherein they sayd hee was bound vnto her And when he came before theÌ„ Winchester by and by receyued hym very opprobriously M. Hoopâ—â— commeth vp to Loâ—don and rayling and ratyng of hym accused him of Religion Hee agayne freely and boldly told his tale and purged hymselfe But in fine it came to this conclusion that by them he was commaunded to Ward it beyng declared vnto hym by his departure M. Hoopâ—â— charged to aunswere the Queâ—â— for bonds 〈◊〉 debt that the cause of his imprisonment was only for certaine summes of money for the which he was indebted to the Queene and not for religion This how false and vntrue it was shall hereafter in his place more plainly appeare The next yeare beyng 1554. the 19. of Marche M. Hopeâ— commaâ—â—â—ded to warde he was called agayne to appeare before Winchester and other the Queenes Commissioners where what for the Bishop and what for the vnruly multitude when he could not be permitted to plead his cause he was depriued of hys Bishoprikes Which how in what order it was done M. Hoopâ—â— depriued 〈◊〉 his Bishoprickâ—s here now followeth to be seene by the testimonie and report of one which being present at the doing committed the same to writyng ¶ A letter or report of a certaine godly man declaring the order of M. Hoopers depriuation from hys Bishoprike An. 1554. March 19. FOr so much as a rumor is spread abroad of the talk had at my L. Chuancellours A letter reportinâ— the orde◠〈◊〉 M. Hoopâ—â— depriuatiâ—â— betweene hym with other Commissioners there appoynted and M. Hooper cleane contrary to the veritie and truth thereof in deede and therfore to bee iudged rather to be risen of malice for the discrediting of the truth by false suggestions and euill reportes then otherwise I thought it my duetie bâ—yng present thereat my selfe in writyng to set forth the whole effect of the same partly that the veritie therof may be knowen to the doubtfull people and partly also to aduertise them how vncharitably M. Hooper was handled at their hands which with all humilitie vsed hymselfe towards them desiryng that with patience he might haue bene permitted to speake assuryng all men that where I stood in a mammeryng and doubt which of these two religions to haue credited eyther that set forth by the kings maiesty that dead is or els that now mainteyned by the Queens maiesty theyr vnreuerend behauiour towards M. Hooper doth mooue me the rather to credite hys doctrine then that which they with railyng and cruell words defended consideryng that Christ was so handled before And that this which I haue written here was the effect of theyr talke as I acknowledge it to bee true my selfe so I appeale to all the hearers consciences that there were present so they put affection away for the witnesse to the same ¶ The Bishops of Wint. of London of Duresme of Landaffe of Chichester sate as Commissioners Lord Chauncellour AT M. Hoopers commyng in the L. Chauncellour asked whether he was maried Hooper Yea my L. and will not be vnmaried tyll death vnmary me Duresme That is matter enough to depriue you Hooper That it is not my Lord except ye do agaynst the Law The matter concerning mariage was no more talked of then for a great space but as well the Commissioners as such as stood by began to make such outcries laughed and vsed such gesture as was vnseemely for the place and for such a matter The Bishop of Chichester D. Day called M. Hooper hypocrite with vehement wordes and scornefull countenance Bekonsall called him beast so did Smyth one of the clerkes of the Counsayle and diuers other that stoode by At length the Bishop of Winchester said that all men might liue chast that would and brought in this text Castrauerunt se propter regnum coelorum That is There he that haue gelded themselues for the kingdom of heauen Math. 19. M. Hooper sayd that text prooued not that all men could lyue chaste but such onely to whome it was geuen and read that which goeth before in the text But there was a clamour and cry Priest maâ—â—age not â—orbyd by â—he olde â—anon mocking and scorning with callyng hym beast that the text could not be examined Then M. Hooper sayd that it did appeare by the olde Canons that marriage was not forbidden vnto Priestes and named the Decrees But the Bishop of Winchester sent for another part namely the Clementines or the Extrauagants But M. Hooper said that booke was not it which he named Then cryed out the Bishop of Winchester and sayd You shall not haue any other vntill ye be iudged by this And then began such a noyse tumult and speakyng together of a great many that fauoured not the cause 〈◊〉 More 〈◊〉 shortly 〈◊〉 into 〈…〉 dyed of 〈◊〉 that nothyng was done ne spoken orderly nor charitably Afterwardes Iudge Morgan began to rayle at M. Hooper a long time with many opprobrious fowle words of hys doyng at Glocester in punishing of men said there was neuer such a tyrant as he was After that D. Day Bishop of Chichester said that the Councel of Ancyra which was before the Councell of Nice was against the marriage of Priests Then cryed out my L. Chancellor many with him that M. Hooper had neuer read the Councels Yes my Lord quoth M. Hooper and my L. of Chichester Doctor Day knoweth that the great Councell of Nice by the meanes of one Paphnutius decreed that no Minister should be separated from his wife But such clamours and cries were vsed that the Councel of Nice was not seene After this long brutish talke Tonstall Bishop of Duresme asked M. Hooper whether he beleeued the corporal presence in the sacrament And maister Hooper said plainly that there was none such neither did he beleue any such thyng Then would the Bish. of Duresme haue read out of a booke for his purpose belike what booke it was I cannot tell but there was such a noise and confuse talke on euery side that he dyd not read it Then asked Winchester of M. Hooper what authoritie mooued him not to beleue the corporall presence He said the authoritie of gods worde and alleged this text Quem oportet coelum suscipere vsque ad tempus restaurationis omnium i. Whom heaueÌ„ must hold vntill the latter
theÌ„ within the said Deanry whom he shall lyke best to be instructed and appeased in that behalfe And also I haue appoynted that iâ— this beyng done there shall yet remayne any scruple in the parties conscience and himselfe not satisfied then the said partie to repaire vnto one of myne Archdeacons or chaplens vnto whom his mynd shal be most inclined vnto or els to repaire vnto myne owne selfe to bee resolued in his saide scruple or doubt and to receiue and take such order therin as to one of the sayd Archdeacons or vnto me shall therin appeare to be most expedient Further certifieng and declaring vnto you that I haue geuen commaundement herein to all my Archdeacons that they monish and commaund euery pastor Curate within their Archdeaconries that they hauing knowlege hereof doe in the first holiday next then followyng at the masse tyme when the multitude of people is present declare all these thyngs vnto their parishioners and exhort them that they esteeme this grace accordingly and reconcile themselues to the church before the first Sonday after Easter next ensuyng which thyng I also do commaunde by the tenour hereof with intimation that the sayd tyme beyng once past and they not so reconciled euery one of them shall haue processe made agaynst hym accordyng to the Canons as the cause shall require for which purpose the pastours and Curates of euery parish shall be coÌ„manded by their Archdeacon to certifie me in writyng of euery man and womans name that is not so reconciled Further herewith I do signify and declare vnto you that our holy father the Pope Iulius the 3. of that name lyke a most tender and naturall father hearyng of the returne and recouery of his prodigall child this Realme of England hath hymselfe made much ioy and gladnes here at and also all other true christen Realmes haue done the lyke Exhorting you therefore in our Lord not to bee vnthankfull your selues or negligent in this behalfe but diligently to seeke for it ioyfully to embrace it and fruitfully to vse it remembryng with all the monition and charge which came from me the last yeare concernyng your commyng to confession in Lent and receiuyng the sacrament at Easter which monition to all effects and purposes I haue now here repeated and renewed chargyng you and also al your Curates therwith And because al our dueties is earnestly and deuoutly to pray for the prosperous estate of our soueraignes the King and Queene of this Realm I do finally require and pray you as hartily as I can to pray for their maiesties accordingly and specially that it may please almighty God to send vnto her grace a good tyme and to make her a glad mother which cannot be but vnto vs all great ioy much comfort and inestimable profite Geuen at London the 19 day of the moneth of Febr in the yere of our Lord God after the computation of the church of England 1554. and of my translation the 16. * The forme of absolution to be kept by the Pastors and Curates in priuate confessions concernyng this reconciliation OVr Lord Iesus Christ absolue you and by the Apostolike authoritie to me graunted and committed I absolue you from the sentences of excommunication and from all other censures and paynes into the which you be fallen by reason of heresie or schisme or any other wayes and I restore you vnto the vnity of our holy mother the Churche and the Communion of all Sacramentes dispensing with you for all manner of irregularitie and by the same authoritie I absolue you from all your sinnes In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen ¶ The lamentable history of Maister Iames Hales Iudge IN the history of M. Hooper mention was touched a little before of Iudge Hales The history of Iuâ—ge 〈◊〉 wherefore somethyng would be sayd more in this place touching that matter But because the story of that man and of his ende is sufficiently comprehended in our first booke of Acts and MonumeÌ„ts we shall not greatly need to stand vpon rehersall of euery perticular matter touching the whole but only taking the chiefest and leauyng the rest we will report somewhat of the communication betwene the B. of Winchester hym declaring withal how false and vntrue the excuse is of our aduersaries which so precisely by the law defend theÌ„selues and say that in all their doyngs they did nothing but by y e Law to beare them out Which if it be so how did they theÌ„ to Anne Askew What law had they when they had condemned her first for a dead woman then afterward to rack her The Catholickes proued to doe agaynst the law in Q Maryes tyme. By what law did they cal vp M. Hooper prison him for the Queenes debt when the Queene in very deede did owe hym foure score pounds and kept hym a yeare and a halfe in prison and gaue hym neuer a penny pag. 1577. By what law did B. Boner condemn and burne Richard Mekins a lad of xv yeares when the first Iurie had quit hym and at the stake reuoked all heresies and praised the sayd Boner to be a good man and also hauing him in prison would not suffer his father and mother to come to hym to comfort their owne chylde pag. 1168. What lawe had they to put Maister Rogers in prison when hee dyd neyther preache nor reade Lecture after the tyme of the Queenes inhibition and when they had kept hym in his owne house halfe a yeare beyng not depriued of anye liuyng yet would not let hym haue a halfe peny of his owne liuyngs to relieue hym his wyfe and xi childreÌ„ pag. 1574. By what law was Thomas Tomkins hand burnt and afterward his body consumed to ashes What good law or honestie was there to burne the 3. poore womeÌ„ at Garnsey with the infant chyld fallyng out of the mothers woÌ„be when as they all before theyr death recanted their wordes and opinions and were neuer abiured before So here likewyse in this case what order or right of law did Steuen Gardiner follow in troublyng imprisoning Iudge Hales when he had done nothyng neither agaynst Gods law nor mans law in proceeding by order of law against certayne presumptuous persones which both before the law and agaynst the law then in force tooke vppon them to say their Masse as ye shall heare in these his answers and communication had with Steuen Gardiner here vnder ensuyng ¶ The communication betwene the Lord Chauncellour and Iudge Hales beyng there among other Iudges to take his oth in Westminster hall An. 1553. October 6. Lord Chauncellour I. Hales MAister Hales ye shall vnderstand that lyke as the Queenes highnes hath heretofore conceiued good opinion of you especially for that ye stood both faithfully lawfully in her cause of iust succession refusing to set your hand to the booke among others y t were against her grace in that behalfe Communication