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A67926 Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.; Actes and monuments Foxe, John, 1516-1587. 1583 (1583) STC 11225; ESTC S122167 3,159,793 882

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contrary according as Christ doth tell vs of the scribes phariseis admonishing vs to followe theyr doctrine not their liues Mat. 23. but there is great difference Math. 23. whether they y t take the gouernance of the church do sit in Moses chayre which is the seate of truth or els doe sit in the chayre of abhomination spoken of by Daniell also by S. Paule where he sayth 2. Thes. 2. That the man of perdition shal sit in the temple of God vaunting hymselfe insolently aboue all that is called God 2. Thes. 2. And as touching the keyes of binding loosing geuen to Peter Christ therein assigned to Peter The keyes of binding loosing other apostles the office of preaching the word of the gospell whiche they did also well obserue in preaching nothing els but onely the word in the whiche word is al the power conteyned of binding loosing Neither is it to be granted the Church to haue two heades one in heauen an other in earth The head whereof is but one whiche is Iesus Christ whome the father hath appoynted to be head alone both in heauen and earth Ephes. 1. Colos. 1. as S. Paul in many places of his Epistles doth teach Ephes. 1. Colos. 1 c. The Fryer You haue no vnderstanding how to expound the Scriptures But the olde doctors haue expounded the scriptures holy Councels Auricular confession whose iudgements are to be followed But what say you to auricular confession The Martyr I know no other confession but that which is to be made to God and reconciliation towardes our neighbour which Christ and his Apostles haue commended to vs. The Fryer Haue you not read in the Gospell howe Christ doth bid vs to confesse to the priest where hee commaunded the leper being made whole to shew hym selfe to the priest The Martyr The true church of the Lord Iesus Christ neuer obserued this straunge kinde of confession to carrye our sinnes to the priestes eare And though the churche of Rome haue intruded this maner of confessing it followeth not thereby that is to be receiued And as touching the leper whome the Lorde sent to the priest he was not sent therefore to whisper his sins in the Priestes care but onely for a testimony of hys health receiued according to the law Of the other confession whiche is to be made to God we haue both the examples and testimonyes of the prophet Dauid full in the psalmes 32.51.106 where he sayth Psal. 32.51.106 That he confessed his sinnes vnto the Lord and receiued forgeuenes of the same The Fryer After this the fryer proceeding further to make comparison betweene the churche of Rome The Church of Rome and of Geneua compared and the churche of Geneua would proue that the pope hath power to set lawes in the Church without anye expresse worde of God For so it is written sayd hee That there were many other thinges besides which are not written in this booke Ioan. 21. Also where Christ promiseth to his Disciples to send vnto them the holye ghost which shuld induce them into al truth Moreouer such decres ordinances which are in y e church were decided sayd he and appoynted by the doctors of y e church by al the Councels directed no doubt by the holy Ghost Furthermore he inferred that y e church also of Geneua had theyr ordinaunces and constitutions made without any word of God And for example he brought forth the order of the psalms and seruice publiquely obserued and appoynted vpon wednesday in the churche of Geneua as though that day were holyer then an other The Martyr To this the martyr answered agayne declaring that the ordinaunce of those publicke prayers and psalmes vppon wednesday in the churche of Geneua was not to bynde conscience or for anye superstitious obseruation or for any necessitie whiche eythere should bind conscience or could not be altered at their arbitrement but onely for an order or commoditie for publike resort to heare the word of god according as ancient kings temporall Magistrates haue vsed in old time to doe in congregating the people together not to put any holines in the daye or to bind conscience to any obseruation as the pope maketh his lawes but onely for orders sake seruing vnto commoditie And as touching that any thing should be left for doctors and counsels to be decided without the expresse word of God that is not so for that al things be expressed and prescribed by the word whatsoeuer is necessary eyther for gouernment of the Church or for the saluation of men so that there is no neede for doctours of the Church or Councels to decide anye thing more then is decided already Rom. 15. 2. Iohn Paule sayth that he durst vtter nothing but that the Lord had wrought by him Rom. 15. S. Iohn speaking of the doctrine of Christ Iesu willeth vs to receaue no man vnles he bring with him the same doctrine 2. Ioan. S. Paule warneth the Gallat not to beleeue an angell from heauen The Church ought to be gouerned only by the voyce of the Lords word 1. Pet. 5. bringing an other doctrine thē that which they had already receiued Gal. 2. Christ callyng himselfe the good shepheard noteth them to be his sheep which heare his voyce and not the voyce of others Ioh. 11 And S. Peter admonishing the pastors of y e churche forewarneth them to teache onely the woorde of God without any seeking of Lordship or dominion ouer the flocke From the which moderation how far y e forme of the popes church doth differ the tyranny whiche they vse doth well declare The Fryer In the old churche priestes and ministers of the church were wont to assemble together for deciding of such thinges as pertained to the gouernment and direction of the church whereas in Geneua no such thing is vsed as I can proue by this your owne testament here in my handes that you the better may vnderstand what was then the true vse and manner of the Churche The Martyr Churches may be instituted without the Pope What was the true order and manner that the Apostles did institute the church of Christ I would gladly heare and also would desire you to consider the same and when you haue well considered it yet shall you finde the institution and regiment of the Church of Geneua not to be without the publicke counsell and aduisement of the magistrates elders ministrs of that church with such care and diligence as Paule and Silas took in ordering the church of Thessalonica Birrhea c. wherin nothing was don without the authoritie of Gods word as appeareth Act. 17. As likewise also in stablishing the Church of Antioch when the Apostles were together in counsell for y e same there was no other law nor doctrine folowed but onely the word of God as may appere by the wordes of the Councell Quid tentatis Deum
by some meane be brought to passe that as the Serpent deceiued Eue thorow wilines so your mindes may be corrupt from the simple veritie that is in Christ. And also in his Commentaries vpon the epistle to the Coloss vpon this text In Christ Iesus is all treasure of wisedome and in other diuers places of the same worke 2. Tim 3. Chrysost. in Epist. Paul● in opere imperfecto The preacher must not swe●●e neither on the right hand or left from the expresse word of God S. Chrysostome also in his Commentaries vppon Paul declaring this saying Omnis scriptura diuinitus inspirata c. The whole Scripture giuen by inspiration of GOD. c. And in his Booke called Opus imperfectum I wote not precisely vpon what text but there you shal finde that he would haue a true preacher of gods law not swaruing therefro neither vpon the right hand neither vpon y e left but keeping thereafter according to the teaching of Salomō for he that should thervnto adde or withdraw should enterprise as sayeth Chrysostome to be wiser then God These or els such like wordes doth he say I will be deemed by the booke brought forth because my remembraunce cannot retayne perfectly all such thinges S. Cyprian mainteineth well the same in an Epistle that ●e writeth ad Cecilium fratrem Cyprianus ad Cecili●● fratrem Which I woulde to God were in English that al men might learn the deuout goodnes in it conteined In the same he teacheth clearely how we ought to heare Christ onely and his learning not regarding ne attending to the traditions of men lyke as he doth also in many other places And this agreeth well with Scripture which is called the word of Saluation Scripture how many names it hath the administration of righteousnes the word of truth yea and the truth it selfe the rod of direction our spirituall food the spirituall sword that we ought to fight with against all temptations and assaultes of our ghostly enemies the seede of God the kingdome of heauen keyes of the same the power of God the light of the worlde which who so followeth shal not be ouercome with darknes the law of God his wisedome and Testament Of which wordes and such like The word sufficient 〈◊〉 all our direction euery one will giue mat●er of substantial argument that we following the same doctrine onely shall haue sufficient safe conduict to come vnto the inheritaunce promised albeit none other wayes or meanes were annexed with the same And certaine I am that in this blessed doctrine of Christ is taught Scripture sufficient to saluation without any other addition Psal. 25. howe we ought to do truth and mercy which is all that we neede to do as testifieth the Psalme in these wordes Vniuersae viae domini misericordia veritas c. All the wayes of the Lorde are mercie and truth And againe the Prophet willing vs to do as he did sayth in this maner Adhaesi testimonijs tuis domine noli me confundere I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not In lyke maner the sayd whole Psalme warneth vs. Psal. 118. Yea all the Scripture biddeth vs sticke fast to the steady and true worde of God saying that he is verax viae eius veritas omnis autem homo vanitas mendax For he is true and all his wayes are trueth but all men are vaine and lyers For that is the sure foundation which cannot fayle them that grounde therevppon as reporteth Christ Euery one sayth he that heareth my words doth them is like to a wise man that buildeth vppon a sure foundation And there ought to be none other foundation to christen men but only the vndoubted truth of Iesus to build our faith vpon and direct our liuing thereafter as sheweth s. Paul saying Fundamentū aliud nemo c. Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. And likewise in the Epistle vnto the Ephesians 1. Cor. 3. where he sayth I am non estis hospites aduenae sed conciues sanctorum domestici dei c. Nowe ye are no more strangers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God 〈◊〉 1. And in the same epistle S. Paul dilating of Christes benificence sheweth how that he ordained in the Churche diuers officers to the edifying of Christen people that he calleth Christes body vntill all we may come vnto the vnitie of faith which cōmeth by following of one doctrine whiche is Christes wherby wee may growe to bee perfect men and that we should not be here like to children caried about with euery winde of doctrine by deceipte and wilines of men that study to deceiue vs. Heb. 13. In like forme doeth he warne vs in the Epistle to the Hebrues that we should not be caried about as the wind with diuers and straunge doctrines but continue in that which euer continueth like and all one agreeable for all men in all partes The inconstancy and variablenes of mens cōstitutions The popes lawes were neuer wholy receiued of all men and that at all times not being chaungeable as mens constitutions be whereof looke what one doth counsaile or ordaine to be of effecte another annulleth the same according as mens mindes doe alway alter and are full vnstedy Neither doe such pertaine vnto all men for the Greekes with other whome the Pope ne none of his people wil yet deny to be of Christes Church will in no condition admitte such neither for men to liue after them nor to beleeue them as pertaining to theyr faith But they allowe well the doctrine that perseuereth euer one Heb. 13. and is immutable as sheweth Saint Paule saying Iesus Christ yesterday and to day is all one and so euer shal be He is white breade without any sower leuen of Pharisaical traditions veritie without guile light without any darkenes the very straight way that hath neither hooke ne croke From this ought we not to turne neither vpon one hand ne other vnlesse we will go from him that is our felicitie and anker of safetie But what should I more entreate of this excepte I would recite all scripture which in euery parte is full of admonitions exhorting and warning vs to cleaue fast vnto this way which is the doctrine of the Gospel which God I beseech him graunt vs all both to knowe and loue taking heede that in no wise wee be seduced therefro by lawes doctrines of men Looke also in the ij chap. to the Colossians and in the epistle of Timothe and Titus So that I conclude in holy scripture to be conteined sufficiently enough of doctrine The chiefe article obiected agains● Iohn Lambert for the regiment and saluation of our soules And this because learned men do call the head Article laid against me I would that all men should well note it and record my saying
wyth mouth crushed 〈◊〉 53. yea and deuided in pieces wyth hard or soft pressing of the teeth and that as hee was brused vppon the crosse according to the Prophete saying Hee was brused for our iniquities c. so the same body for the health of the faithfull may deuoutly be torne and rent with theyr teethe any thynge to the contrary notwythstanding c. Guimund lib. Sacrament fol. 30. Iudge now all good studious readers what is to be thought of this kinde of doctrine and howe thys opinion cohereth with the infallible voyce of Gods worde saying Exod. And of him ye shall not breake a bone c. Thys rude and mishapen doctrine of these Monkes concerning transubstantiation as ye haue heard whē and by whome it began first to be broached so if ye would now know by what learning and scriptures they did confirme and establish the same ye must here thinke and vnderstād howe their chiefest groundes and substaunce to perswade the people was at this time certain myracles by them forged and published both in theyr wrytings and preachings whereof one was the same of Odo aboue recited whyche Osberne or some other monkish Legend inuented of him howe he shoulde shewe vnto certaine the host turned into the likenesse of flesh and bloude droppinge into the chalice for the conuersion of those clearkes whiche before woulde not beleeue it An other like miracle is also told by the sayde Osberne of Dunstane in this order how the sayd Dunstane appeared to a certaine lame crepill in the nyght willing hym to resort vnto his tombe to haue hys limmes again restored Which crepil according as he was willed after he had ther continued praying for health a lōg time and could not obtaine began to returne home againe after long tarying An 〈…〉 proue 〈…〉 w tout all hope of recouery To whom the sayd Dunstane appearing againe by the way asked from whence hee came and whether he woulde The crepill answearing declared how he came thether vppon hope of health where hee had long taryed and because he could finde no recouerie therfore he nowe was returning home To whome then sayde Dunstane I am sayeth he Dunstane the fellowe seruant of all Gods seruants and haue bene occupied with certain necessary busines for the which I could not be present ther with my children For Elfrike sayde hee otherwise surnamed Bata hathe attempted to disherite my churche but I haue so stopped him that he could not preuaile Many other fabulous miracles of the like stampe are rife in popish stories counterfayted forged vnder diuers and sondry names some referred to Gregory some to Paschasius and to other moe whiche to recite all would fill a whole sea full of lyes fables Among many one is thus inuented of Paschasius There was a Priest sayth hee of Almain named Plegildus who did see and handle wyth his hands visibly the shape of a childe vpon the aulter so after he had imbraced and kissed him it returned againe to the likenes of bread as hee shoulde come to the receiuing therof This miracle when it was obiected against Berēgarius he merely deriding the blinde fable aunswered in these wordes Speciosa inquit pax nebulonis vt cui oris praeberet basium eo dentium in ferret exitium That is A goodly peace quoth he of a false verlet that whō he before kissed with his mouth by by he goeth about to teare him with ●is teeth An other miracle is reported of a Iew body who vpon a time entring into the Churche with an other Christian lad which was his play fellow saw vppon the altar a little childe broken torne in peeces and afterward by portions to be distributed among the people Which sight when the young Iew comming home had told vnto his father to be true and certayne hee was for the same condemned to be burned Thus he being inclosed in a house and the dore fast where he should be burned he was founde and taken out from thence by the Christians not onely aliue but also hauing not one heare of his heade blemished w t the flames about him Who then being of the Christians demaunded howe he was so preserued from the burning fire there appeared sayd he to me a beutiful woman sitting on a chair whose sonne the childe was which was before deuided distributed in the Church among the people who reached to me her hand in the burning flame and wyth her gowne skirtes kepte the flame from mee so that I was preserued thereby from pearishing c. Belike these Monkes lacked miracles among the Christians when they were faine to borow such figmentes of the Iewes to prooue their fayned transubstantiation And these commonly were then the argumēts of these Monkes wherwith they perswaded the people to beleeue their transubstantiation But to leaue these monkes fictions to returne againe to Berengarius thus Malmesbury of him reporteth that after he had once or twise recāted as is aforesayde yet notwythstanding this doctrine of the Sacrament still remained in the minde of his hearers And how so euer the tirāny of the Pope did driue him thorough feare to denye his opinion and wrought him much trouble yet notwithstanding after hys death he lacked not his well willers In the number of whom was Hildebertus Bishop Cenomanensis whose verses in commendation of his master I thought here not vnworthy to be preserued being otherwise rare peraduenture to be founde in our storie wryters Verses in praise of Berengarius QVem modo miratur semper mirabitur orbis Verses in commendation of Berengarius Ille Berengarius non obiturus obit Quem sacrae fidei fastigia summa tenentem Tandem extrema dies abstulit ausa nefas Illa dies damnosa dies perfida mundo Qua dolor rerum summa ruina fuit Qua status ecclesiae qua spes qua gloria cleri Qua cultor iuris iurè ruente ruit Quicquid Philosophi quicquid cecinere Poetae Ingenio cessit eloquioquè suo Sanctior maior sapientia maius adorta Impleuit sacrum pectus ora Deo Pectus eam voluit vox protulit actio prompsit Singula factori sic studuere suo Vir sacer sapiens cui nomen crescit in horas Quo minor est quisquis maximus est hominum Qui census peperit paucos seruauit honores Cui potior pauper diuite iusue lucro Cui nec desidiam nec luxum res dedit ampla Nec tumidum fecit multus altus honos Qui nec ad argentum nec ad aurum lumina flexit Sed doluit quoties cui daret haec aberat Qui non cessauit inopum fulcire ruinas Donec inops dando pauper ipse fuit Cuius cura sequi naturam legibus vti Et mentem vitijs ora negare dolis Virtutes opibus verum praeponere falso Nil vacuum sensu dicere vel facere Laedere nec
world The causes wh● they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute the● 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 thē 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 boo●es necessa●● 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 writtē by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffe●●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 whē 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 aga●nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with thē 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 exāple 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
holy fathers Church sauyng that one of these ix was not asked the question other wyse then thus whether hee would be an honest man as his father was before hym and aunswering yea he was so discharged by the friendship of my Lord William Haward as I haue vnderstanded He bade me tell hym what I would doe whether I would enter into one Church with the whole Realme as it is now or not No sayd I I will first see it prooued by the Scriptures Let me haue pen inke and bookes c. And I shall take vpon me plainly to set out the matter so that the contrary shall be prooued to be true let any man that wil conferre with me by writyng Steph Gardiner refused to haue the truth to be tryed by learning L. Chan. Nay that shall not be permitted thee Thou shalt neuer haue so much profered thee as thou hast now if thou refuse it and wilt not now condescend and agree to the catholike church Here are ij things Mercy and Iustice If thou refuse the Queenes mercy now then shalt thou haue Iustice ministred vnto thee Rog. I neuer offended nor was disobediēt vnto her grace The B●●shop● 〈…〉 stand b● theyr 〈…〉 yet wi●● suffer 〈◊〉 men so doe and yet I will not refuse her mercy But if this shal be denied me to conferre by writing and to try out the truth then it is not wel but to far out of the way Ye your selues all the Bishops of the Realme brought me to the knowledge of the pretensed primacie of the Bishop of Rome when I was a yong man twenty yeares past and wil ye now without collation haue me to say and do the contrary I cannot be so perswaded L. Chan. If thou wilt not receiue the Bishop of Rome to be supreme head of the Catholike Church A fayr●● tense to ●●cuse yo●● ignora●●● then thou shalt neuer haue her mercy thou maist be sure And as touching conferring and triall I am forbidden by the Scriptures to vse any conferring and triall with thee For S. Paule teacheth me that I shall shun and eschew an heretike after one or two monitions knowing that such an one is ouerthrowen and is faulty in as much as he is condemned by his owne iudgement Rog. My L. I deny that I am an heretike prooue ye that first and then alledge the foresayd text But still the Lord Chancellor played on one string saying L. Chan. If thou wilt enter into one Church with vs c. tell vs that Gardine● wil 〈◊〉 to that 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 cānot 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 or els thou shalt neuer haue so much proferred thee agayne as thou hast now Rog. I will fynd it first in the Scripture and see it tryed therby before I receiue hym to be supreme head Wor. Why do ye not know what is in your Creed Credo ecclesiam sanctam catholicam I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Rog. I fynde not the bishop of Rome there For Catholike signifieth not the Romish Church It signifieth the consent of all true teaching Churches of all tymes The Pop● church p●●●ued not to be Catholicke and all ages But how should the Bishop of Romes Church bee one of them which teacheth so many doctrines y t are plainly and directly against the word of God Can that bishop be the true head of the Catholike Church that doth so that is not possible L. Chancellor Shew me one of them one one let me heare one Rog. I remembred my selfe that amongst so many I were best to shew one and sayd I will shew you one L. Chan. Let me heare that let me heare that Rog. The B. of Rome and hys Church say read and sing all that they do in their congregations in Latin Latin Se●●uice which is directly and plainly against the first to the Corrinthians the 14. chapter L. Chan. I deny that I deny that that is against the word of God Let me see you prooue that how prooue ye that Rog. Thus I began to say the text from the beginning of the chap. Qui loquitur lingua Speaking a straung● tongue ●●gaynst S. Paule c. to speake with tonge sayd I is to speake with a strange tong as Latine or Greeke c. and so to speake is not to speake vnto mē but to God But ye speak in Latin which is a strange tong wherfore ye speake not vnto men but vnto God * Imperf●●●tion meanyng God only at the most This he graunted that they speake not vnto men but vnto God L. Chan. Well then it is in vayne vnto men Rog. No not in vaine For one man speaketh in one tong and another in another tong and all well L. Chan. Nay I wil prooue then that he speaketh neyther to God nor to man but vnto the wynde Rog. I was willing to haue declared how and after what sort these two textes do agree for they must agree 1. Cor. 1● To speak● 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 To speak● both to 〈◊〉 and man To speak● neyther 〈◊〉 God not 〈◊〉 mā but 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 they be both the sayings of the holy Ghost spoken by the Apostle Paule as to witte to speake not to men but vnto God and to speake into the wynd and so to haue gone forward with the proofe of my matter begon but here arose a noyse and a confusion Then sayd the L. Chancellor L. Chan. To speake vnto God and not vnto God were vnpossible Rog. I will prooue them possible L. Haward No sayd my Lorde William Haward to my L. Chauncellour nowe will I beare you witnesse that hee is out of the way For he graunted first that they whiche speake in a straunge speach speake vnto God and now he sayth the contrary that they speake neither to God nor to man Rog. I haue not graunted or sayde turning me to my L. Haward as ye report I haue alledged the one text and now I am come to the other They must agree and I can make them to agree But as for you you vnderstand not the matter L. Haward I vnderstand so much that that is not possible This is a poynte of Sophistrie Secretary Bourne A 〈◊〉 Suaue● quoth Secretarye Bourne L. Chan. Then the Lord Chauncellor began to tell the L. Hawarde Anno 1555. ●ebrua●● that when hee was in high Dutchlande they at Hale which had before prayed and vsed their seruice all in dutch began thē to turne part into latin part into dutch Worcest Yea and at Wittembergh to Rog. Yea but I could not be heard for the noise in an Uniuersitie were men for the most part vnderstande the Latine and yet not all in Latine And I would haue tolde the order haue gone forward both to haue answered my lord and to haue proued the thing that I had taken in hand but perceiuing their talking and noyse to be too noysome I was faine to thinke this in my heart suffering them in the meane while
M. Fecknam still busie with matter of the sacrament I do not beleeue that Christ is in the sacrament as ye will haue him which is of mans making Both their answeres thus seuerally made they were again commanded to depart for that time to appeare the next day in the consistory at Paules betweene the houres of one and three of the clocke at after noone The last appearaunce of M. Causton and M. Higbed before Boner AT which day and houre being the ninth day of march they were both brought thether M. Causton and M. Higbed appeare agayne before the bishop Where the Bishoppe caused M. Thomas Caustons articles and answeres first to be read openly and after perswaded with him to recant and abiure his heretical opinions and to come home now at the last to their mother the catholicke Church and saue hymselfe But M. Thomas Causton answered agayn and said No I wil not abiure For I came not hither for that purpose M. Causton and M. Higbed do exhibite a confession of their fayth and therwithall did exhibite in writing vnto the Bishop as well in his owne name as also in Thom. Higbeds name a confession of theyr fayth to the whiche they would stand and required leaue to read the same whiche after great suite was obteined and so he read it openlye in the hearing of the people as followeth ☞ The confession and fayth of Thomas Causton and Thomas Hygbed which they deliuered to the Bishop of London before the Mayor and Sheriffes and in the presence of all the people their assembled Anno. 1555. the 9. of March were condemned for the same in the sayde Consistory in Paules Church the yeare and day abouesayd 1 FIrst we beleue and professe in Baptisme to forsake the Deuill and his workes and pompes The confession of M. Causton and the vanities of the wicked world with all the sinfull lustes of the fleshe 2. We beleue all the articles of our Christian fayth 3. We beleue that wee are bound to keepe Gods holye will and commaundementes Abrenouncing of the world The Articles of the Creede The commaundementes The Lordes prayer The Catholick Church and to walke in the same all the dayes of our lyfe 4. We beleue that there is contayned in the Lords praier all thinges necessary both for bodye and soule and that we are taught thereby to pray to our heauenly father and to none other saint or angell 5. We beleue that there is a catholicke Church euen the Communion of Saintes Built vppon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles as S. Paule sayth Christ being the head corner stone For the which Church Christ gaue himselfe to make it to himselfe a glorious congregation without faulte in his sight 6. We beleue that this churche of her selfe and by her owne merites is sinfull The Church of it selfe is sinfull by imputation righteous and must needes say Father forgeue vs our sinnes but through Christe and his merites shee is freely forgeuen For he in his owne person sayth saint Paule hath purged her sinnes and made her faultles in hys sight Anno 1555. February Besides whome there is no Saueour sayeth the Prophete neyther is there saluation sayth Sainct Peter in any other name 7 We beleeue as he is our onely Sauiour so is he our onely Mediatour Christ onely our mediatour For the holy Apostle S. Paule sayeth There is one God one Mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ. Wherefore seeing none hath this name God and man but Iesus Christ therefore there is no mediator but Iesus Christ. 8 We beleeue that this Church of Christ is and hath bene persecuted by the wordes of Christe saying As they haue persecuted me The condition of the Church to be persecuted so shall they persecute you For the disciple is not aboue his maister For it is not onely geuen vnto you to beleeue in Christ sayeth Sainct Paule but also to suffer for his sake For all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 9 Wee beleeue that the Churche of Christe teacheth the worde of God truely and sincerely putting nothing to nor taking any thing fro The Churche onely is directed by Gods worde neither adding nor taking fro and also doth minister the Sacraments according to the Primitiue Church 10 We beleeue that this Churche of Christ suffereth all men to reade the Scriptures according to Christes commaundement saying Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me We reade also out of the Actes that when Sainct Paule preached the audience dayly searched the Scriptures The true church forbiddeth none to read the scriptures whether he preached truely or no. Also the Prophet Dauid teacheth all men to pray with vnderstanding For how shall the vnlearned saith S. Paule say Amen at the geuing of thankes when they vnderstand not what is sayde And what is more allowed then true faith which S. Paule saith commeth by hearing of the word of God 11 Wee beleeue that the Churche of Christe teacheth that God ought to be worshipped according to his word God onely to be worshipped after his word and not after the doctrine of men For in vayne sayth Christ ye worship me teaching nothing but the doctrine of men Also we are commaunded of God by hys Prophet saying Gods preceptes to be followed and not the constitutions of men Walke not in the traditions and preceptes of your Elders but walke sayth he in my precepts do that I commaund you put nothing thereunto neyther take any thing from it Likewise saith Christ you shall forsake father and mother and folow me Whereby we learne that if our Elders teach otherwise then God commaunded in that point we must forsake them The Lordes supper is not to be chaunged from the institution of Christ. 12 We beleeue that the Supper of the Lord ought not to be altered and chaunged for as much as Christ himselfe being the wisedome of the father did institute it For it is written Cursed is he that chaungeth my ordinaunces and departeth from my Commaundements or taketh any thing from them Now we finde by the scriptures that this holy supper is sore abused The Lordes supper how many wayes it is abused The second abuse First in that it is geuen in one kind where Christ gaue it in both Secondly in that it is made a priuate Masse where Christ made it a Communion for he gaue it not to one alone but to all the Apostles in the name of the whole Church The third abuse Thirdly in that it is made a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead wheras Christ ordeined it for a remembraunce of the euerlasting sacrifice which was his owne body offered vpon the aultar of the Crosse once for all as the holy Apostle sayth Euen the full and perfect price of our redemption and where there is remission of sinne saith he there is no more sacrifice for sinne
in diuinitie and minding well vnto you and desiring the safegard of your soule and that you should folow and beleue the doctrine of the Catholicke church as afore concerning the sayd sacrament of the aultar and whether you did not at al times since your sayd comming to me vtterly refuse to follow and beleue the sayd doctrine concerning the sayd sacrament Whether can you nowe finde in your hart and conscience to conforme your selfe in all poyntes to the said fayth and catholicke church concerning the sayde Sacrament of the aultar faythfully truely and playnely without anye dissimulation beleeuing therein as our sayd soueraignes with the Nobilitie Clergie and Laytie of this Realme and other Christian realmes and other persons aforesaid and also the sayd Catholicke Church haue and do beleue in that behalfe In case you so cānot what ground haue you to mayntaine your opinion and who is of the same opinion wyth you and what conference haue you had therein with any what comfort and what reliefe haue you had therein by any of them and what are their names and surnames and their dwelling place Their aunsweres to these articles were not much discrepant from Tomkins and other like Martirs aboue mentioned as here followeth to be seene ¶ The aunswere of Steuen Knight and William Pigot to the aforesayd Articles TO the first article they beleue that the contentes of this article is not agreable to scripture Answeres to the Articles aforesayd To the second they answere and beleue that their parentes and other expressed in the sayd article so beleuyng as is contayned in the same were deceiued To the thyrd they aunswere that they so beleued but they were deceiued therein as they now beleue To the fourth they say that they haue heretofore beleued as is conteined in the said article but now they do not so beleue To the fift they say that if they so beleue they are deceiued To the sixt they beleue the same to be true To the seuenth they answere and beleue the contents of the same to be true To the eight they aunswere that they can no whyt confourme themselues to the fayth and doctrine contayned and specified in this article vntill it be proued by Scripture To the ninth they say that they haue no grounde to mainteine their sayd opinions but y e truth which as they say hath bene perswaded by learned men as D. Taylour of Hadley and such other These aunsweres being made and exhibited they were commaunded to appeare agayne the next daye at eight of the clocke in the morning and in the meane while to bethinke themselues what they would do An other appearaunce of the sayd prisoners before Boner An other appearaunce THe next daye in the morning being the 9. daye of February before their open appearaunce the Bishop sent for William Pigot and Stephen Knight into his great chamber in his Pallace where he perswaded with them to recant and deny their former profession Who answered that they were not perswaded in their consciences to returne and abiure theyr opinions whereunto they had subscribed Within a while after they were all three with Thomas Tomkins and William Hunter afore named brought openly into the Consistorye the ix day of February aforesayd and there had the same articles propoūded vnto them which were before propoūded vnto the foresayde Thomas Tomkins as appeareth in the discourse of his historye and therto also subscribed these wordes I do so beleue Talke betweene Boner and Iohn Laurence Priest Iohn Laurence sometymes a Fryer The Bishop also vsed certayne talke vnto Iohn Laurence onely Whereunto he aunswered in this manner That hee was a Priest and was consecrated and made a Priest about eightene yeares past and that he was sometime a Blacke Fryer professed that also hee was assured vnto a mayd whome he intended to haue maryed And being agayne demaunded his opinion vppon the Sacrament he said that it was a remembraunce of Chrystes body and that many haue bene deceiued in the beleeuing the true body of Christ to be in the Sacrament of the Aultar and that all such as doe not beleue as he doth doe erre After this talke and other fayre wordes and threatninges they were all of thē commaunded to appeare again at after noone The third and last appearaunce AT the which houre they came thyther agayne there 〈◊〉 the accustomed manner were exhorted to recant and reuoke their doctrine and receiue the fayth To the whiche they constantly aunswered they woulde not but would sticke to that fayth that they had declared and subscribed vnto for that they did beleeue y t it was no errour whiche they beleued but that the contrary therof was very heresy When the Bishop sawe that neither his fayre flatteringes Steuen Knight William Pigot Iohn Laurēce condemned Iohn Laurence disgraded Steuen Knight burned at Mauldon W. Pigot at Braintree March 28. nor yet his cruell threatnings would preuayle he gaue them seuerally their iudgementes And because Ioh. Laurence had bene one of theyr annoynted priestes hee was by the bishop there according to their order solemnly disgraded the maner whereof you may see in the history of Maister Hooper afore passed pag. 1435. Their sentence of condemnation this degradation once ended they were committed vnto the custodye of the Sheriffes of London who sent thē vnto Newgate where they remayned with ioy together vntill they were caryed downe into Essex and there the 28. daye of March the sayd William Pigot was burned at Brayntree and Stephen Knight at Mauldon who at the stake kneeling vpon the ground sayd this prayer which here followeth The Prayer that Stephen Knight sayd at hys death vpon his knees being at the stake at Mauldon O Lord Iesu Christe for whose loue I leaue willingly this life and desire rather the bitter death of his Crosse with the losse of all earthly thinges A godly prayer of Ste. Knigh● at his Mar●tyrdome then to abide the blasphemye of thy moste holy name or to obey men in breaking thy holye Commaundement thou seest O Lorde that where I might liue in worldlye wealth to worship a false God and honour thine enemy I chose rather the torment of the body and the losse of this my lyfe and haue counted all thinges but vile duste and dounge that I might winne thee whiche death is dearer vnto me then thousandes of gold and siluer Such loue O Lord hast thou layd vp in my breast that I hunger for thee Psal. 42. as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soyle Send thy holy comforter O Lord to ayd comfort and strengthen this weake peece of earth whiche is emptye of all strength of it selfe Thou remembrest O Lorde that I am but dust and able to do nothing that is good Therfore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodnes and loue thou hast bidden mee to this banket and accompted mee worthye to drinke of thyne owne cup amongst thine elect euen so geue me strength
thinke perchaunce that God will shew mercy Brad. Yea the children whose parentes do contemne baptisme will not I condemne because the childe shall not beare the fathers offence Harpsfield Well we agree that by Baptisme then wee are brought The Church is our mother and as a man would say begotten to Christ. For Christ is our father and the churche his spouse is our mother As all men naturally haue Adam for their father and and Eua for their mother so all spirituall men haue christ for their father and the Church for their mother And as Eua was taken out of Adams side so was the Church taken out of Christes side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purgation of our sinnes Brad. All this is truely spoken Harps Descent of the Church The Chu●ch of Christ is visible euen as Christ was that is not by exteriour pompe or shew but by the inwarde eye Now then tell me whether this Churche of Christ hath not bene alwayes Brad. Yea sithens the creatiō of man and shall be for euer Harps Uery good But yet tel me whether this Church is a visible Church or no Bradford It is no otherwise visible then Christ was here on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or shewe that setteth her forth commonly and therefore to see her wee must put on such eyes as good men put on to see know christ when hee walked here on earth for as Eue was of y e same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Churche of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh bone of his bones as Paule sayth Ephes 5. Looke therfore how Christ was visibly knowne to be Christ when he was on earth that is by considering hym after the word of GOD so is the Church knowne Harps I do not come to reason at this present therefor● I will goe on forwarde Multitude not alwa●● the 〈◊〉 marke to 〈…〉 Church D. 〈…〉 Prea●●●ng the 〈◊〉 goeth 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 Church it be 〈…〉 somety●● 〈…〉 Ad. 〈…〉 is one 〈◊〉 but not b●●cause of 〈◊〉 true 〈◊〉 And yet 〈◊〉 such a 〈◊〉 but that 〈◊〉 may often lette● by 〈◊〉 secution yet the 〈◊〉 Church r●●mayne The Popes Church 〈◊〉 Baptisme 〈…〉 the Popes Church 〈…〉 A Popish ●●●stinction 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 be a 〈◊〉 hauing 〈◊〉 of Gospell 〈…〉 power 〈…〉 successio● 〈◊〉 Byshop● Is not this Churche a multitude Brad Yes that it is Howbeit lat●t anguis in herba as the Prouerbe is For in your question is a subtiltie What visible multitude was there in He●ias tyme or whē Moses was on the Mount Aaron and all Israell worshipping the Cal●e Harps Ye diuert from the matter Brad. No nothing at all For I doe preuent you knowing well where about you go And therfore f●wer wordes might well serue if that you so would Harpsfield Well I perceaue you haue knowledge and by a litle perceiue I the more Tel me yet more whether this multiude haue not the Ministery or preachyng of Gods worde Bradford Syr ye goe about the bushe If ye vnderstande Preaching for confessing the Gospel I will go with you for els if you will you may knowe that persecution often letteth preaching Harps Well I meane it so Tell mee yet more hath it not the Sacramentes administred Brad. It hath the sacramentes howbeit the administratiō of them is often letted But I wil put you from your purpose because I see where about you goe If heretickes haue Baptisme and doe Baptise as they did in S. Ciprians tyme you knowe this Baptisme is Baptisme not to be reiterate This Bradford did speake that the stāders by might see that though the Papistes Church haue baptisme which we haue receiued of them yet therfore it is not the true Church neither neede we to be baptised againe Harps You goe farre from the matter and I perceiue you haue more errours then one Brad. So you say but that is not enough til you proue thē Harps Well this Churche is a multitude Hath it not the preaching of the Gospell the ministra●ion of the Sacraments yet more hath it not the power of Iurisdiction Bradford What iurisdiction is exercised in persecution and affliction Harps I meane by iurisdiction admonishing one an other and so forth Brad. Well go to what then Harps It hath also succession of Byshoppes And here he made such a doe to proue y t this was an essentiall poynt Bradford You say as you woulde haue it for if this parte fayle you all the Church y t you go about to set vp will fall down Success●●● of Bysh●● is no esse●●tial par● the 〈◊〉 but rath●● acciden● commu●●● which b●●ing inte●●rupted 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 may stan● as it did both be Christe● 〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 commi●● Antich●●●● Apostl● Bishop● sundry 〈◊〉 the min●●●ry of 〈◊〉 word a●●ministe● an 〈◊〉 poynt o● true 〈…〉 locall s●●cession ●●●ministe● one certayne 〈◊〉 You shall not finde in all y e scripture this your essētiall parte of succession of Byshops In Christes Churche Antichrist will sit And Peter telleth vs as it went in the old Church afore Christes cōming so will it be in the new church sithen Christes cōming that is as there were false Prophets such as bare rule were aduersaries to the true Prophets so shall there be sayth he false teachers euen of such as are Byshops and beare rule amongest the people Harps You go alwayes out of the matter but I will proue further the succession of Byshops Bradford Do so Harps Tell me were not the Apostles Byshops Brad. No except you will make a new definition of a Byshop that is geue him no certayne place Harps In deede the Apostles office was not the Byshops office for it was vniuersall but yet Christ instituted Byshops in his church as Paule saith he hath geuē Pastors Prophetes c. so that I trow it be proued by the Scriptures the succession of Byshops to be an essentiall poynt Brad. The Ministerie of Gods worde and Ministers be an essentiall poynt But to translate this to the Byshops and their succession is a plaine subtiltie And therfore that it may be playne I will aske you a question Tel me whether that the Scripture knew any difference betwene Byshops and Ministers which ye call Priestes Harps No. Brad. Well then go on forewardes and let vs see what ye shal get now by the succession of Byshops that is of Ministers which can not be vnderstand of such Byshops as Minister not but Lord it Harps I perceiue that you are farre out of the way By your doctrine you can neuer shew in your Church a multitude which ministreth Gods word his Sacramentes which hath iurisdiction and succession of Byshops which hath from tyme to tyme beleued as you beleue beginning now and so going vpwardes as I will do of our doctrine and therefore are ye out of the church so cannot be saued Perchaunce you will bring me downwardes a shewe to bleare
first that you would defend the Religion then and therfore worthely were you prisoned Brad. Your grace did heare me answere my Lord Chauncellour to that poynt Bradford imprisoned for tha● for which he had the lawes on his side But put case I had bene so stout as they and your Grace make it were not the lawes of the Realme on my side then Wherefore vniustly was I prisoned onely that which my Lord Chauncellour propounded was my confession of Christes trueth agaynst Transubstantiation and of that whiche the wicked do receaue as I sayd Yorke You deny the presence Brad. I do not to the fayth of the worthy receiuers Yorke Why what is that to say other The presence of Christes body to the fayth of the worthy receauer then that Christ lyeth not on the aultar Brad. My Lord I beleue no such presence Chichest It seemeth that you haue not read Chrisostome for he proueth it Brad. Hetherto I haue bene kept well inough without bookes howbeit this I doe remember of Chrisostome Hiperbolicall phrase of Chrisostome that he sayth that Christ lyeth vpon the aultar as the Seraphines with their tongues touche our lippes with the coales of the aultar in heauen which is an hyperbolicall loquution of whiche you know Chrisostome is full Yorke It is euident that you are to farre gone but let vs come then to the Church out of the whiche ye are excommunicate Brad. I am not excommunicate out of Christes Churche my Lord Bradford excommunicated with the poore blind man Iohn 9. although they which seeme to be in the Church and of the Church haue excommunicated me as the poore blinde man was Iohn 9. I am sure Christ receiueth me Yorke You do deceiue your selfe Here after much talke of excommunication at length Bradford sayd Brad. Assuredly as I thinke you did well to departe from the Romish church so I thinke ye haue done wickedly to couple your selues to it againe for you can neuer prooue it which you call the mother church to be Christes Church Chichest Ah M. Bradford you were but a child when this matter began I was a yong man and then comming frō the Uniuersitie I went with the world but I tell you it was alwayes against my conscience Brad. I was but a child then howbeit as I tolde you I thinke you haue done euill The Pope proued to be Antichrist by Scriptur● For ye are come haue broght others to that wicked man which sitteth in the Temple of God that is in the church for it cannot be vnderstand of Mahomet or any out of the Church but of such as beare rule in the Church Yorke See how you build your fayth vpon such places of Scripture as are most obscure to deceyue your selfe as though ye were in the Church where you are not Brad. Well my Lord though I might by fruites iudge of you and others yet will I not vtterly exclude you out of the church And if I were in your case I would not condemne him vtterly that is of my faith in the Sacrament knowyng as you know that at the least 800. yeares after Christ as my L. of Duresme writeth What B. Tonstall writeth of Transubstantiation it was free to beleue or not to beleeue transubstantiation Yorke This is a toy that you haue found out of your own braine as though a man not beleuing as the church doth that is transubstantiation were of the church Chichest He is an heretike and so none of the Church that doth hold any doctrine against the definitiō of the church as a man to hold against transubstantiatiō Cyprian was no heretike though he beleued rebaptising of them which were baptised of heretikes because hee helde it before the church had defined it whereas if he had holden it after Note how these Bishops themselues do graunt that the time was when transubstantiation● was not defined by the Church Tonstall sayth it was more then 800 yeares after Christ. thē had he bene an heretike Brad. Oh my Lord wil ye condemne to the deuill any man that beleeueth truely the xij Articles of the fayth wherein I ●ake the vnitie of Christes Church to consist although in some points he beleeue not the definition of that which ye call the Church I doubt not but that he which holdeth firmely the Articles of our beliefe though in other thyngs he dissent from your definitions yet he shal be saued Yorke Chichester Yea sayde both the Byshops this is your Diuinitie Brad. No it is Paules which sayth that if they holde the foundation Christ though they build vpon him straw and stubble yet they shall be saued Yorke Lord God how you delite to leane to so hard and darke places of the Scriptures Chic I will shewe you how that Luther did excommunicate Zuinglius for this matter and so he read a place of Luther making for his purpose Brad. My Lord what Luther writeth as you muche passe not M. Bradford hangeth not of Luther Zuinglius or Oecolampadius yet he accompteth them good men no more do I in this case My fayth is not builded on Luther Zuinglius or Oecolampadius is this poynt and in deede to tel you truely I neuer read any of their works in this matter As for them I do think assuredly that they were and are Gods Children and Sayntes with hym Yorke Well you are out of y e Communion of the Church Brad. I am not for it consisteth and is in fayth Yorke Loe how make you your Church inuisible for you would haue the Communion of it to consist in fayth Brad. For to haue Communion with the Churche needeth no visiblenes of it Communion of the Church consisteth in fayth and not in visible ceremonyes Disagreing in rites breaketh no agreement in fayth Ireneus for Communion consisteth as I sayd in faith and not in exterior ceremonies as appeareth both by Paule which would haue one fayth and by Irenaeus to Uictor for the obseruation of Easter saying that disagreeing of fastyng shoulde not breake the agreeyng of fayth Chichester The same place hath often euen wounded my conscience because we disseuered our selues from the Sea of Rome Bradford Well God forgeue you for you haue done euill to bryng England thether agayne Yorke Here my Lord of Yorke tooke a booke of paper of common places and read a peece of Saint Austen contra Epistolam Fundamenti Aug. contra Epi●● fundament how that there were many thinges that did holde S. Augustine in the bosome of the Churche consent of people and nations authoritie confirmed wyth myracles Consent of people Authority confirmed with miracles nourished with hope encreased with charity established with antiquitye Succession of Priestes The name Catholicke nourished with hope encreased with charitie established with antiquitie besides this there holdeth me in the Church sayth S. Augustine the succession of priests from Peters seate vntill this present Bishop Last of all the very name of Catholicke doth
I haue preached before him It is Gods truth I haue taught It is that same infallible word whereof he sayd Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The masse and such baggage as the false worshippers of God and enemies of Christes Crosse the Papistes I say haue brought in agayne The Masse is a poyson to the Church to poyson the Church of God withall displeaseth God highly and is abhominable in his sight Happy may he be whiche of conscience suffereth losse of life or goodes in dissalowing it Come not at it If God be God follow him If y e Masse be God let them that will see it heare or be present at it Comparisō betweene the Lordes supper and the Masse go to the deuill with it What is there as God ordayned His supper was ordayned to be receiued of vs in the memoriall of his death for the confirmation of our fayth that his body was broken for vs his bloud shed for pardon of our sinnes but in the masse there is no receiuing but the p●iest keepeth all to himselfe alone Christ sayth Take eate No sayth the Priest gape peepe There is a sacrificing yea killing of Christ agayne as much as they may There is Idolatry in worshipping the outward signe of bread wyne there is all in Latine you cannot tell what he saith To conclude there is nothing as God ordeyned Wherefore my good mother come not at it Oh will some say it will hinder you Doubtes obiections aunswered Math. 19. if you refuse to come to masse and to do as other do But God wil further you be you assured as you shall one day find who hath promised to them that suffer hinderaunce or losse of anye thing in this world his great blessing here and in y e world to come life euerlasting You shall bee counted an hereticke but not of others then of heretickes whose prayse is a disprayse You are not able to reason agaynst the Priestes but God wil that all they shall not be able to withstand you No body wil do so but you onely In deede no matter for ●ewe enter into the narrow gate which bringeth to saluation Howbeit you shall haue with you I doubt not Father Traues and other my brothers and sisters to go with you therein but if they will not I your sonne in God I trust shall not leaue you an inche but go before you pray that I may geue thankes for me Reioyce in my suffering for it is for your sakes to confirme the truth I haue taught How soeuer you do beware this letter come not abroad but into father Traues his handes For all this caueat yet this letter came to the Earle of Darbyes knowledge for if it should be knowne that I haue pen and inke in the prison then would it be worse with me Therfore to your selues keep this letter commending me to God his mercy in Christ Iesus who make me worthy for his names sake to geue my life for his Gospel and Church sake Out of the Tower of London the sixt day of October 1553. My name I write not for causes you know it well enough Like the letter neuer the worse Commend me to all our good brethren and sisters in the Lord. Howsoeuer you do be obedient to the higher powers that is no point either in hand or tongue rebell but rather if they cōmaund that which with good conscience you cānot obey lay your head on the blocke and suffer what soeuer they shall do or say By pacience possesse your soules After the time that M. Bradford was condemned and sent to the Counter it was purposed of his aduersaryes as ye heard before that hee shoulde be had to Manchester where he was borne and there be burned Whereupon he writeth to the Cittye of London thinking to take his last Vale of them in this letter ¶ To the Citie of London TO all that professe the Gospell and true doctrine of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the Cittie of London A fruitefull letter of M. Bradford 〈◊〉 the citye o● London Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of y e Lord now not onely in prison but also excommunicated condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine wisheth mercy grace peace with increase of al godly knowledge and pietie from God the father of mercy through the merites of oure alone and omnisufficient Redeemer Iesus Christ by the operation of the holy spirite for euer Amen My dearely beloued brethren in our Sauiour Christ although the tyme I haue to liue is very little for hourly I looke when I shoulde be had hence to be conueyed into Lankeshyre there to be burned and to render my lyfe by the prouidence of God where I first receaued it by y e same prouidence and although the charge is great to keepe me from all things wherby I might signifie any thing to the world of my state yet hauing as now I haue pen inke through Gods working maugre the head of Satan and his souldiours I thought good to write a shorte confession of my fayth and thereto ioyne a little exhortation vnto you all to liue according to your profession First for my fayth I do confesse and pray all the whole Congregation of Christ to beare witnesse with me of the same that I do beleue constantly through the gift goodnes of God for fayth is Gods onely gifte all the 12. articles of the Symbole or Creede commonly attributed to the collection of the Apostles This my faythe I woulde gladly particularly declare and expound to the confirmation and comfort of the simple but alas by starts stealth I write in maner that I write and therfore I shall desire you all to take this breuitie in good part And this fayth I holde not because of the Creede it selfe but because of the word of God the which teacheth and confirmeth euery Article accordingly This worde of God written by the Prophetes and Apostles left and contayned in the Canonicall bookes of the whole Bible I do beleue to containe plentifully all thinges necessary to saluation so that nothing as necessary to saluation ought to be added thereto and therfore the Church of Christ nor none of his congregation ought to be burdened with any other doctrine thē which hereout hath his foundation and ground In testimony of this fayth I render and geue my life being condemned as well for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be Christes vicar generall and supreme head of his Catholicke and vniuersall Church here or els wherevppon earth as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of Transubstantiation and Christes reall corporall and carnall presence in his supper vnder the formes and accidences of bread and wine To beleeue Christ our Sauiour to be the head of hys Churche and kinges in their Realmes to be the supreme powers to whom euery soule oweth obedience and to beleue that
vsed in the church of England The vse and Sacrifice of the Latin Masse denyed he beleueth that there is no sacrifice in the sayde Masse and that there is in it no saluation for a christian man except it should be said in the mother toung that he might vnderstand it and cōcerning the ceremonies of the Church he sayth and beleeueth that they be not profitable to a Christian man Item Auricular confession and absolution of the Priest reiected being examined concerning auriculare confession he answeareth that he hath and doth beleeue that it is necessary to goe to a good Priest for good counsaile but the absolution of the Priest laying his hand vppon any mans head as is nowe vsed is nothing profitable to a Christian mans saluation And further he sayth that he hath not ben confessed nor receiued the sacrament of the aulter since the coronation of the Queene that now is Item concerning the faith religion now taught setfoorth beleeued in the church of England he answeareth and beleueth that the faith and doctrine nowe taught setfoorth and vsed in the sayd Church of Englande is not agreable to Gods word And furthermore he sayth The fayth of the Church of England in Quene Maryes tyme reproued that bishop Hooper Cardmaker Rogers other of their opinion which were of late burned were good christian men did preach the true doctrine of Christ as he beleeueth and sayth that they did shed theyr bloude in the same doctrine which was by the power of God as he sayth beleeueth And further being examined saith y t since the Quenes coronation he hath had the Bible and Psalter in English red in his house at Brighthamsted diuers times and likewise since hys comming into Newgate but the Keeper hearing thereof did take them awaye and sayeth also that about a twelue moneth now past he had the English procession sayd in his house with other English praiers Iueson Launder and Veis●e imprisoned for hearing the Gospell And further sayeth that Thomas Iueson Iohn Launder and William Ueisey being prisoners with hym in Newgate were taken with this examinat in his house at Brighthāsted as they were hearing of the gospel then read in English a litle before Alhollowne day last past and brought to the Court and being examined thereuppon by the Counsaile were committed by them to prison in Newgate The confession of Iohn Launder before Boner bishop of London IOhn Launder husbandman of the Parish of Godstone in the Countie of Surrey of the age of xxv yeres Iohn Launder his confession borne at Godstone aforesayde being examined doth confesse and say that about two dayes next before Allhollon●ide nowe last past this Examinate and one Diricke Caruer Thomas Iueson William Ueisie with diuers other persons to the number of twelue being all together in their prayers and saying the seruice in English set foorth in the time of King Edwarde the sixte in the house of the sayde Diricke situate at Brighthamsted in Sussex were apprehended by one maister Edwarde Gage and by him sent vppe hether to London to the Kinge and Queenes Counsaile and by them vpon his examination committed to Newgate where he with his said other felowes hath euer since remained in prison And further being examined he doeth confesse and say that the occasion of his comming to the sayde Brighthamsted The cause of the apprehensiō of Iohn Launder was vpon certaine busines there to be sped for his father and so being there and hearing that the saide Diricke was a man that did much fauour the Gospel this Examinate did resorte to his house and companye whome before that time hee did neuer see or know and by reason of that hys resorte hee was apprehended as before And further doth confesse and beleeue that there is heere in earth one whole and vniuersall Catholicke Churche whereof the members he dispersed through the world and doth beleue also that the same Church doeth set foorth and teache onely two Sacraments videlicet the Sacrament of Baptisme Two Sacramentes onely and the Sacrament of the Supper of our Lord. And who soeuer doth teach or vse any more Sacraments or yet any ceremonies he doth not beleeue that they be of the Catholicke Churche but doth abhorre them from the bottome of his heart And doth further say and beleue that all the seruice Ceremonyes abhorred sacrifices and ceremonies now vsed in thys Realme of England yea in all other partes of the world whych ben vsed after the same maner be erroneous and naught contrary to Christes institution and the determination of Christes Catholicke church whereof he beleeueth that he him selfe is a member Also hee doeth confesse and beleeue that in the Sacrament The reall presence of Christs body vnder the formes of bread and wine denyed nowe called the sacrament of the aultar there is not really and truly contained vnder the formes of bread and wine the very naturall body and bloude of Christe in substaunce but his beliefe and faith therein is as followeth Videlicet that when he doth receiue the material bread and wine he doeth receiue the same in a remembrance of Christes death and passion and so receiuing it he doth eate and drinke Christes body and bloude by faith and none other wayes as he beleeueth And moreouer he doth confesse say and beleue that the Masse now vsed in the Realme of Englande The Masse abhominable or els where in all Christendome is nought and abhominable and directly against Gods worde and his Catholicke Churche and that there is nothing sayd or vsed in it good or profitable For he saith that albeit the gloria in excelsis the Creede Sanctus Pater noster Agnus and other partes of the Masse bene of themselues good and profitable yet the same being vsed amongest other things that be naught and superfluous in the Masse the same good things do become nought also as he beleeueth Auricular confession not necessary Also he doth beleeue and confesse that Auriculare confession is not necessary to be made to any Priest or to anye other creature but euery persone oughte to acknowledge confesse hys sinnes onely to God and also that no person hath any authority to absolue any man frō his sinnes and also beleeueth that the right and true way according to the Scripture after a man hathe fallen from grace to sinne to arise to Christe againe is to be sorie for his offences to doe the same or the like no more and not to make any auricular confession of them to the priest either to take absolution for them at the Priests handes All whyche hys sayde opinions hee hathe beleeued by the space of these seuen or eight yeares past and in that time hath diuers and many times openly argued and defendeth the same as hee sayeth c. Articles obiected by Boner Bishop of London against Diricke Caruer and Iohn Launder 1. FIrste I doe obiect against
examination and aunsweres before the Suffragan came not then to my hands I thought here in this place to bestow them rather then they should vtterly bee suppressed And first what his answer was by writyng to the said Suffragan after his apprehension you shal heare by the tenor of hys owne wordes as follow 〈◊〉 The copy of 〈◊〉 New●●ns words 〈◊〉 writing 〈◊〉 Doctour ●●ornton IT may please you to vnderstand that for the space of all the tyme of kyng Edwards raigne we were diligently instructed with continuall Sermons made by suche men whose fayth wisedome learning vertuous liuyng was commended vnto all men vnder the kyngs hand seale and vnder the hands of the whole Counsaile These men taught diligently a long tyme perswadyng vs by the allegations of Gods worde that there was no Transubstantiation nor corporall presence in the sacrament Their doctrine was not beleeued of vs sodainly but by their cōtinuall preachyng and also by our continuall prayer vnto God that we might neuer bee deceiued but if it were true that God would encline our heartes vnto it and if it were not true that we myght neuer beleeue it We waied that they laboured with Gods worde and wee asked the aduise of our friends neyther could we finde that they preached false doctrine We considered also as wee dyd learne that the Kyngs grace and hys Counsaile and the most part of the whole Realme beleeued as they taught because no man preached the contrarye Also wee knowe that the Preachers were commaunded by the Kyng and lawes of the Realme to preach vnto vs such doctrine as was to the authority of Gods worde agreeable and no other And by their diligent settyng foorth of it by the kings commaundement and the whole consent of the whole Counsaile and by the authoritie of the Parliament wee embrased it and receyued it as a verye infallible truth taught vnto vs for the space of seuen yeares Wherefore vntill such tyme as our consciences are otherwyse taught and instructed by Gods worde we cannot with safegard of our consciences take it as many suppose at this tyme. And we trust in God that the Queenes mercifull hyghnesse neither yet her most honourable Counsaile will in a matter of fayth vse compulsion nor violence because fayth is the gift of God and commeth not of man neither of mans laws neither at suche tyme as men require it but at such tyme as God geueth it ¶ The examination and answers of Iohn Newman Martyr before D. Thornton and others FIrst one of the Doctors or one of the Bench The examination and answeres of Iohn Newman either the Archdeacon or Fauced or some other whose name I. Newman doth not expres beginneth asking in this wise Doctor How say ye to this This is my body which is geuen for you New It is a figuratiue speach one thing spoken another ment as Christ sayth I am a vine I am am a dore I am a stone c. Is he therfore a material stone a vine or a dore Doct. This is no figuratiue speech For he sayth This is my body which is geuen for you and so sayth he not of the stone vyne or doore but that is a figuratiue speech New Christ saith this cup is the newe Testament in my bloud If ye wil haue it so ment then let them take eat the cup. This cup is th● new Testamēt is a figuratiue speach Doct. Nay that is not so ment for it is a common phrase of speech among our selues we say to our friend drynke a cup of drinke yet we ment he should drinke the drinke in the cup. New Why if we will haue the one so vnderstand ye must so vnderstand the other Doct. Nay it is a common vse of speech to say drinke a cup of ale or beere And therfore it is no figuratiue speech New The often vsing of a thyng doth not make that thing otherwise then it is What is a figuratiue speach but wheresoeuer one thyng is spoken and an other ment it is a figuratiue speech Doct. Well we will not stand here about How say ye by the reall presence Is not Christs naturall body there that was borne of the Uirgin Mary New No I do not so beleeue neyther can I so beleue for the soule of man doth not feed vpon natural things as the body doth Doct. Why how then doth he feed New I thinke the soule of man doth feed as the angels in heauen whose feedyng is only the pleasure ioy felicity delectation that they haue of God and so the soule of mā doth feed and eat through fayth the body of Christ. Collins Yea but if the body doe not feede vppon naturall thyngs the soule cannot continue with the body Collins reasoneth with Newman therfore the body must needs feed vpon naturall things that both may lyue together New I grant it to be true but yet the soule doth lyue otherwise then the body which doth perish therfore naturall thyngs do but feede the body onely I pray you what did Iudas receiue at the Supper Coll. Marry Iudas did receyue the very body of Christ but it was to hys damnation New Why was the deuill entred into hym before Thē he had both the deuill and Christ in hym at one tyme. Coll. Nay the deuil did enter into hym afterward New Yea and before to what doe ye thinke Whether Iudas receaued the body of Christ or no Had he but one deuill Nay I thinke he had rather a legion of deuils at the latter end Coll. Well put case it be so what say you to that New Mary if Christ and the deuil were both in Iudas at once I pray you how did they two agree together Coll. We grant they were both in Iudas at that tyme for Christ may be where the deuill is if he will but the deuill cannot be where Christ is except it please Christ. New Christ wil not be in an vncleane person that hath the deuill Thorn Why will ye not beleue that Christ was in hel and ye will grant that the deuill is there D. Thornton reasoneth with Iohn Newman and so might he be in Iudas and if it pleased hym New Christ would not suffer Mary Magdalene to touch hym which sought hym at hys graue and did loue hym entirely much lesse he will suffer an vngodly man to receyue hym into his vncleane body Thorn Yes seing God may do all things he may do what he list and be where he will And doth not the Psalm say he is in hell and in all places Why should wee then doubt of his beyng there New Though his Godhead be in all places yet that is not sufficient to prooue that his humanitie is in all places Thornt No do you not beleue that God is omnipotent may do all thyngs New I do beleue that God is almighty may do all that he will do Thornt Nay but and if he be omnipotent The
rightuousnesse thy goodnesse and satisfaction The lawe sayeth thou art bounde and obliged to me to the deuill and to hell The Gospel sayth Christ hath deliuered thee from them all The doctrine of Faith FAith is to beleue God like as Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnesse The doctrine of faith To beleue God is to beleue hys word and to recount it true that he sayeth He that beleeueth not Gods worde beleeueth not God himselfe He that beleueth not Gods word he counteth hym false and a lier and beleeueth not that he may and wil fulful his worde and so he denieth both the might of God and God himselfe The 9. proposition The 9. proposition ¶ Faith is the gift of God Argument Da Euery good thing is the gift of God Maior Minor Conclus ri Faith is good j. Ergo faith is the gift of God The 10. proposition The 10 proposition ¶ Faith is not in our power Argument Maior Minor Conclus Da The gift of God is not in our power ri Faith is the gift of God j. Ergo faith is not in our power The 11. proposition The 11. proposition ¶ He that lacketh faith can not please God Without faith it is impossible to please God Rom 14. All that commeth not of faith is sinne for without faith can no man please God Heb. 11. Induction An argument called Inductio Hee that lacketh faith trusteth not God hee that trusteth not God trusteth not his word he that trusteth not his word holdeth him false and a lier he that holdeth him false and a lier beleeueth not that he may doe that he promiseth and so denieth he that he is God Ergo a primo ad vltimum he that lacketh faith can not please God If it were possible for any man to do all the good deedes that euer were done either of men or aungels yet being in this case it is impossible for him to please God The 12. proposition The 12. proposition ¶ All that is done in faith pleaseth God Right is the word of God and all his workes in faith Psal. 33. Lorde thine eies looke to faith that is as much to say as Lorde thou delightest in faith Ier 5. The 13. proposition The 13. proposition ¶ He that hath faith is iust and good Argument Da. He that is a good tree bringing forth good fruit Maior is iust and good ri He that hath faith is a good tree bringing forth good fruite j. Ergo he that hath faith is iust and good Minor Conclus The 14 proposition ¶ He that hath faith and beleueth God The 14. proposition can not displease him Induction He that hath faith beleeueth God he that beleueth God Inductio beleeueth his word he that beleeueth his word wotteth well that he is true and faithfull and may not lie knowing that he both may and will fulfill his word Ergo a primo ad vltimum hee that hath faith can not displease God neither can any man doe a greater honour to God then to count him true Obiection Thou wilt then say that thefte murther aduoutry and all vices please God Obiection Answere Nay verely for they can not be done in faith for a good tree beareth good fruit Mat. 7.12 Aunswere The 15. proposition ¶ Faith is a certainty or assurednesse The 15. proposition A definition of faith Heb. 11. Faith is a sure confidence of thinges which are hoped for and certaintie of things which are not seene Heb. 11. The same spirite certifieth oure spirite that we are the children of God Rom. 8. Moreouer he that hathe faithe wotteth well that God will fulfill his word Whereby it appeareth that faith is a certaintie or assurednesse A man is iustified by faith ABraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse Rom. 4. Iustification by faith We suppose therfore that a man is iustified by faith without the deedes of the law Rom. 3. Gal. 2. He that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the wicked his fayth is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 4. The iust man liueth by his fayth Abac. 2. Rom. 1. We wotte that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by the fayth of Iesus Christ and we beleue in Iesu Christ that we may be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deedes of the law Gal. 2. What is the fayth of Christ. THe fayth of Christ is to beleue in him that is to beleue his word Faith in Christ what it is and beleeue that he will helpe thee in all thy neede and deliuer thee from all euill Thou wilt aske me what word I aunswere the Gospell He that beleueth in Christ shal be saued Marke 16. He that beleueth y e sonne hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. Uerely I say vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life Iohn 6. This I write vnto you that you beleeue on the sonne of GOD that ye may know how y t ye haue eternall life 1. Iohn 5. Thomas because thou hast seen me therfore hast thou beleued Happy are they which haue not sene and yet haue beleued in me Iohn 22. All the Prophetes to him beare witnes that whosoeuuer beleeueth in him shall haue remission of their sinnes Actes 10. What must I doe that I may be saued The Apostles aunswered Beleeue in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued Act. 16. If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeuest with thine hart that God raysed hym from death thou shalt be safe Rom. 10. He that beleueth not in Christ shall be condemned He that beleueth not the sonne shall neuer see lyfe but the ire of God bydeth vpon him Iohn 3. The holy Ghost shall reproue the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Iohn 16. They that beleue Iesu Christ are the sonnes of God Ye are all the sonnes of God because ye beleue in Iesu Christ. 1. Iohn 3. He that beleueth that Christ is the sonne of God is safe Iohn 1. Peter sayd thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered and sayde vnto him happy art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud haue not opened to thee that but my father that is in heauen Mat. 16. We haue beleued and knowe that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God I beleue that thou art Christ the sonne of God whyche should come into the world Iohn 11. These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that ye in beleuing might haue life Iohn 20. I beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God Act. 8. The 16. proposition The 16. proposit●on He that beleueth the Gospel beleueth God Argument Da. He that beleueth Gods word beleueth God Maior Minor Conclus ri The Gospel is Gods word j. Ergo
soules be already iudged and of our Ladye either to bee or not to bee in heauen and that there is yet no iudgement geuen vpon the soules departed 7. Whether that a man may beleue without spot of heresie that our Lady remayned not alwayes a virgin 8. Whether holy dayes fastyng dayes ordeined and receiued by the Church may be broken by any priuate man Breaking of fasting dayes sinne at his will and pleasure without sinne or obstinacie 9. Whether we are bound to be obedient vnto Prelates Byshops and Kynges by Gods commaūdement as we are vnto our parentes 10. Whether they beleue that the Churche doth well and godly in praying to the Saintes 11. Whether they thinke that Christ onely should be prayd vnto and that it is no heresie Christ not onely to be prayed to if any man affirme that Saintes should not be prayed vnto 12. Whether they doe thinke all true Christians to be by like right Priestes and all those to haue receiued the keyes of bindyng and loosing at the hands of Christ which haue obteined the spirite of God and onely such whether they be lay men or Priestes 13. Whether they beleue with their hart that fayth may be without workes and charitie 14. Whether they beleue that it is more agreable to the fayth that the people should pray in their owne tongue Prayer in a learned tongue thē in a learned vnknowen tongue whether they commende the prayer in a straunge tongue or no. 15. Whether they would haue the Masses and Gospels openly to be read in Churches in the vulgare tongue rather then in the Latin tongue 16. Whether they commend that children should onely be taught the Lordes prayer and not the Salutation of the virgine or Creede 17 Whether they do thinke the woodden beades which the common people doth vse Beades worthy to be denyed or not 18 Whether they do thinke the whole Scripture ought to be translated into English or that it should be more profitable for the people then as it is now read 19 Whether they would haue the Orgaines and all maner of songs to be put out of the Church of God Orgaines 20 Whether they do thinke that it perteyneth to the Byshops to punishe any man with bonds or imprisonment or that they haue any temporall power and authoritie 21 Whether they thinke that cōstitution to be godly that no man should preach in another mās dioces w tout letters of commendation and licence obteyned of the Byshop 22 Whether they thinke the vowes of religious men and priuate religion Purgatory to be constitute and ordeined by the spirit of God neyther by any meanes to be repugnant to a free and perfect Christian life 23 Whether they beleue that we should pray for the dead or beleeue that there is a Purgatorie or that we are bound by necessitie of faith to beleeue neyther of them but that it is free without sinne either to beleue it or not to beleue it 24 Whether they beleue that moral Philosophy and natural Philosophy to preuaile any thing for the better vnderstanding of the scriptures for the exposition and defence of the truth 25 Whether they thinke that the Popes indulgences and pardons are rather to be reiected then receiued 26 Whether it be contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles that Christians shoulde by any meanes contend in the law to seeke any maner of restitution 27 Whether they beleeue all things perteining to saluation and damnation to come of necessitie and nothing to be in our owne willes 28 Whether they beleeue God to be the authour of euill as well of the fault as of the punishment 29 Whether they thinke Masse onely to be profitable to him which saith it Masse whether euery mā may alter or leaue out the rite and order of the Masse without hurt of fayth 30 Whether they beleeue that there can be any morall vertues without the grace of Christian liuing or that the vertues which Aristotle hath set out or rather fayned 31 Whether they thinke it heresie to teache the people that it is free to geue tythes vnto Priestes or to any other poore man Images 32 Whether they do thinke it more Christianlike to take away the Images out of the Churches or to permit them to adorne them and honour them 33 Whether they thinke it the part of a Christian man that preachers should exhort men to pilgrimage or to the worshipping of reliques 34 Whether that thou Thomas Bilney being cited vpō heresie to appeare before my Lord Cardinall and before y e day of thy apparance Reliques not hauing made thy purgatiō vpon those poyntes that thou wast cited hast preached openly in diuers Churches of the City and dioces of London without sufficient licence from the Byshop or any other Concerning the answeares vnto these Articles gentle Reader for so muche as in the most part of them Bilney with Arthur seemed to consent and agree although not fully and directly but by way and maner of qualifying yet because he did not expressely denie them it shall not be needefull heere to recite them all saue onely suche wherein he seemed to dissent from them To the first and second Articles he answered affirmatiuely Answers to the Interrogatories aforesaide To the third he sayd I beleeue that many of the Popes Lawes are profitable and necessary and doo preuayle vnto godlynesse neyther in anye poynte are repugnant vnto the Scriptures nor by anye meanes are to be abrogate but of all men to bee obserued and reuerenced But touching all those Lawes I can not determine for as for such as I haue not read I trust notwithstanding they are good also and as for those that I haue read I did neuer reade them to the ende and purpose to reprooue them but according to my power to learne and vnderstande them And as touching the multitude of Lawes S. Augustine in his time did much complayne Against the multitude of lawes and Gerson also who marueiled that we could by any meanes lyue in safetie amongst so many snares of constitutions when as our forefathers being pure before their fall could not obserue one onely precept To the fourth Article he sayde that the Catholique Church can by no meanes erre in fayth The true church can not erre in faith for it is the whole congregation of the elect and so knowen only vnto God which knoweth who are his otherwise no man shoulde be ascertayned of an other mans saluation or of his owne but onely through fayth and hope For it is written No man knoweth whether he be woorthy of hatred or loue Eccle. 5. It is also sensible and may be demonstrate so farre ●oorth as it is sufficient to establish vs in all thyngs that are to be beleeued and done For I maye truely saye of the generall Councell being congregate in the holy Ghost Beholde heere the Catholique Churche denominating the whole
by the most woorthy part To the fift Article he aunswered affirmatiuely in these words Cum sint libri Laicorum adorare oportet at non imaginem sed prototypon To the sixt Article he answered that he did not beleeue that they are in heauen being so taught by the scriptures and holy Fathers of the Church To the seuenth Article he said that it is not to be thought contrary To the eight Article whether a man may not obserue the Feastes and Fastes of the Churche prescribed hee thought that there is no man but he ought to obserue them To the ninth Article he said that we are likewise bound as vnto parents To the xiiij Article he answeared thus the fourteenth Chapter of Saint Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians moueth mee to beleeue that it is best that the people shoulde haue the Lordes Prayer and the Apostles Creede in English so that their deuotion might the more be furthered by the vnderstanding thereof and also that thereby they might be the more prompt and expert in the Articles of their fayth of the whiche it is to ●e feared a great number are ignoraunt Surely I haue heard many say that they neuer heard speake of the resurrection of the body and being certified thereof but they became muche more apte and readye vnto goodnes and more fearefull to doo euill To the fifteenth Article he sayde he woulde wishe that the Gospelles and Epistles should be read in Englishe Scripture to be in Englishe For I woulde sayth Paule rather haue fiue wordes c. That the Church might be edified c. And Chrisostome exhorteth his hearers to looke vpon bookes 1. Cor. 14. that they might the better commit vnto memory those thynges which they had heard S. Iohns Gospel tran̄slated into Englishe by Bede And S. Bede did translate S. Iohns Gospell into English Touching the eighteenth Article for the translation of the Scripture into English concerning the whole he dyd partly doubt Notwithstanding he wished that the Gospels Epistles of that day might be read in Englishe that the people might be made y e more apt to heare Sermons But here some wil say there might also be daunger for errour Wherunto he answered But good vigilant pastors might easily helpe that matter by adding the plaine interpretation of the fathers in the margents in English vpon the darke and obscure places which woulde put awaye all doubts O how great profite of soules should the vigilant pastors get thereby whiche contrarywise through theyr slothfulnes bring great rayne and decay To the xxv Article as touching pardons he sayd that as they be vsed and haue too long ben The Popes pardons iniurious to Christes passion it were better that they should be restrained then y t they should be any longer vsed as they haue bene to the iniurie of Christes passion Touching the xxvj Article he said that it is not against the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to contende in the Lawe so it be done with charitie If Saint Austen and the reuerēd father Marcus Marulus did not erre which graunted that libertie to the weake Christians albeit that true Christians ought to geue eare vnto S. Paules sayeng Why doo yee not rather suffer iniurie How Christians may goe to the lawe 1. Cor. 6. And to Christ hymselfe which saith He that woulde contende with thee in the lawe and take away thy coate geue him thy cloke also Touching the xxviij he answeared that God is the authour of that punishment onely but not of the offence as Basilius Magnus teacheth in his Sermon vpon these wordes of the Prophete Non est malum in ciuitate quod non fecit dominus Amos. ● And S. Augustine in another place as I remember prayeth That he be not ledde into that temptation that he shoulde beleeue God to be the authour of sinne and wickednes ¶ Heere ensueth a briefe summarie or collection of certaine depositions deposed by the seuerall witnesses aforenamed vpon certaine interrogatories ministred vnto them for the inquirie of Maister Bilneyes doctrine and preaching FIrst it was deposed Depositiōs agaynst M. Bilney that in his sermō in Christs church in Ipswich he shuld preach and say our sauiour Christ is our mediatour betwene vs and the father what should we neede then to seeke any Saynt for remedy Wherefore it is great iniury to the bloud of Christ to make such petitions and blasphemeth out Sauiour That man is so vnperfect of himselfe that he can in no wise merite by his owne deedes Also that the cōming of Christ was long prophesied before desired by the Prophetes But Iohn Baptist being more thē a prophet did not only prophecy but with his finger shewed him saying Ecce agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mūdi Then if this were the very Lambe which Iohn did demonstrate that taketh away the sinnes of the world what iniury is it to our Sauiour Christ that to be buryed in S. Frances cowle should remit four partes of penance what is then left to our Sauiour Christ which taketh away the sinnes of the world This I will iustify to be a great blasphemy to the bloud of Christ. Also that it was a great folly to go on pilgrimage and that preachers in times past haue bene Antichristes Against pilgrimage and now it hath pleased God somwhat to shew forth their falshood and errors Also that the myracles done at Walsingham at Caunterbury there in Ipswich were done by the deuill Against blinde miracles thorow the sufferaunce of God to blinde the poore people and that the Pope hath not the keyes that Peter had except he folow Peter in his liuing Moreouer it was deposed agaynst him that hee was notoriously suspected as an hereticke and twise pulled out of the pulpit in the dioces of Norwich Also it was deposed agaynst him that he should in the parish church of Willesdon exhort the people to put away theyr Gods of siluer gold and leaue their offerings vnto thē for that such things as they offred haue bene knowne oftentimes afterward to haue bene geuē to whores of the slewes Also that Iewes and Sarasens would haue become christē men long ago had it not bene for the idolatry of Christen men in offring of candles waxe and money to stockes and stones The Idolatry ●f the papistes is a lette to the Iewes and 〈◊〉 why they are not con●●●ted Ouer and besides these cauelling matters articuled deposed agaynst him here follow certeine other Articles whereupon he was detected gathered out of his sermon which he preached in the parish Church of S. Magnus in Whitson weeke in the yeare of our Lord. 1527. * Certayne other Articles producted agaynst maister Thomas Bilney Ar●icles FIrst he sayd pray you only to God and to no saints rehearsing the Letany and when he came to Sancta Maria ora pro nobis he sayd stay there He sayd that Christen
the church My grief most bitter is turned to peace c. But the malignant church sayth Peace peace and there is no peace but onely that wherof it is written When the mighty armed man kepeth his gates he possesseth all thinges in quiet But when he seeth that he shal be vanquished of a stronger then he him selfe is he spoyleth and destroyeth all thinges What now a dayes beginneth agayne to be attempted I dare not say God graunt vs grace that we doe not refuse and reiect if it bee Christ him that commeth vnto vs 2. Thess. 2. least that we doe feele that terrible iudgement agaynst vs because sayth he they haue not receiued the loue of trueth that they might be saued therefore God will send vpon them the blindnesse of errour that they shall geue credite vnto lyes O terrible sentence whiche God knoweth whether a great number haue not alreadye incurred that all they might bee iudged which haue not geuen credite vnto the trueth Notes and argumentes prouing that it is not the true word of God which hath bene preached in the Popes Church but consented vnto iniquity The tyme shall come sayth he when that they will not suffer the true doctrine to be preached And what shall we thē say of that learning which hath now so lōg time raigned and triumphed so that no man hath once opened his mouth agaynst it Shall we think it sound doctrine Truely iniquity did neuer more abound nor charity was neuer so cold And what should we say to be the cause therof hath the cause bene for lacke of preaching agaynst the vices of men and exhorting to charity That cannot be for many learned and greate Clearkes sufficiently can witnesse to the contrary And yet all these notwithstanding we see the life and maners of mē do greatly degenerate from true Christianity and seme to cry out in deede that it is fulfilled in vs which God in times past threatned by his Prophet Amos Amos 8. saying Beholde the day shall come sayth the Lord that I will send hunger vpon the earth not hunger of bread neither thirst of water but of hearing the word of God and the people shall be moued from sea to sea and from the West vnto East and shall runne about seekinge for the word of God but shall not finde it In those dayes the fayre Virgines and young men shall perish for thirst c. But now to passe ouer many thinges This letter may well answere to the note of D. Saunders booke intituled The rocke of the Church fol. 14. nota 5. whereby I am mooued to feare that the word of God hath not bene purely preached thys is not the leaste argument that they whiche come and are sent and endeuour themselues to preach Christ truely are euyll spoken of for his name which is the rocke of offence and stumbling blocke vnto them which stumble vpon hys woorde and doe not beleue on hym on whome they are builded But you will aske who are those men what is theyr doctrine Truely I say whosoeuer entreth in by the doore Christ into the sheepfolde which thing all such shall do as seeke nothing els but the glory of God and saluation of soules Of all such it may be truely said that whom y e Lord send●th he speaketh the woord of God And why so Because he representeth the Aungel of the church of Philadelphia vnto whom Saynt Iohn writeth saying This sayth he Apoc. 3. which is holy and true which hath the keyes of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth behold saith he speaking in the name of Christ which is the dore and dorekeper I haue set before thee an open dore that is to say of the Scriptures opening thy senses that thou shouldest vnderstand the Scriptures and that because thou hast entred in by me which am the dore Iohn 3● For whosoeuer entreth in by me which am the dore shal be saued he shall goe in and come out and find pasture for the dorekeeper openeth the dore vnto him and the sheepe heare his voyce But contrariwise they whiche haue not entred in by the doore Who 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 but haue clymed in some other way by ambition auarice or desire of rule they shall euen in a moment goe downe into hell except they repent And of them is the saying of Ieremy verefied All beautye is gone away from the daughter of Syon because her princes are become lyke rammes Lame●● 1. not finding pasture And why so Because like theeues robbers they haue clymed an other way not being called nor sent And what meruaile is it if they doe not preach when as they are not sent but runne for lucre seeking theyr owne glory and not the glory of God and saluation of soules Outward callyng by kynges and princes in Christes ministry auayleth nothing without the inward calling of God And this is y e roote of all mischeife in the Church that they are not sent inwardly of God For without this inward calling it helpeth nothing before God to be a hundreth times electe and consecrate by a thousande Bulles eyther by Pope King or Emperour God beholdeth the harte whose iudgementes are according to truth howsoeuer we deceyue the iudgement of men for a tyme which also at the last shall see theyr abhomination This I say is the originall of all mischiefe in the Church that we thrust in our selues into the charge of soules whose saluation and the glory of God which is to enter in by the doore we doe not thirst nor seeke for but altogether our owne lucre profit Hereupon it commeth that wee knowe not howe to preach Christ purely For how should they preach Christ saith the Apostle except they be sent for otherwise many theeues and robbers do preach him but with theyr lippes onely for theyr hart is farre from him The roote of all mischiefe in the Church Ex Prudentio Neither yet do we suffer those which do know how to preach but persecute them and go about to oppresse the Scriptures now springing vnder the pretence of godlinesse fearing as I suppose least the Romaines should come take our place Ah thou wicked enemy Herode why art thou afrayd that Christe shoulde come he taketh not away mortall and earthly kingdomes Lay thys letter against Doct. Saunders booke aforesayd Exod. 5. which geueth heauenly kingdomes O blindnesse O our great blindnesse yea more then that of Egypt of the which if there be any that would admonish the people by and by sayth Pharao Moyses and Aaron why do ye cause the people to cease from theyr labours and truely called theyr labours Get you to your burdens Lay more worke vpon them and cause them to do it that they harken not vnto lyes The persecuters of our time compared to Pharao Thus the people was dispersed throughout all y e land of Egypt to gather vp chaffe I say to gather
therefore Chrisostome a little before the woordes whiche they alleadged sayth Lifte vp your mynds and hartes Wherby he admonysheth vs to look vpon and consider those heauenly thynges whiche are represented and signified by the bread and wyne and not to marke the bread and wyne it selfe Here they sayde that was not Chrisostomes minde but that by this example hee declareth that there remayned no bread nor wine Al misteries to be seene with inward eyes I aunswered that was false for the example that he taketh tendeth to no other purpose but to call away our spirituall eyes from the beholdyng of visible thynges and to transport them an other waye as if the thynges that are seene were of no force Therefore he draweth awaye our mynde from the consideration of these thinges and fixeth it vppon him whiche is signified vnto vs by the same The very woordes whiche followe sufficiently declare thys to be the true meaning of the authour where as he commaundeth vs to consider all thynges with our inward eyes that is to say spiritually But whether Chrisostomes woordes doe tend eyther to to this or that sense Chrisostom agaynst the popish doctrine of the Sacrament yet do they indifferētly make on our part agaynst our aduersaryes which way so euer we doe vnderstand them For if he thought that the bread and wyne doe remayne we haue no further to trauayle but if he meant contrariwyse that they doe not remayne but that the natures of the bread and wyne are altered then are the bread and wyne falsely named Sacramentes and mysteryes The obiection of Chrisostom auoided by a-Dilemma whiche can be sayd in no place to be in the nature of thynges For that whiche is in no place howe can it be a Sacrament or supplye the roume of a mysterye Finally if hee speake onely of the outwarde fourmes and shapes as we call them it is most certayne that they doe continually remayne and that they by the substaunce of the bodye are not consumed in anye place wherefore it must necessarily followe the woordes of Chrisostome to be vnderstanded in suche sense as I haue declared Here peraduenture many would maruaile that for somuch as the matter touching the substaunce of the Sacrament A question asked with the cause declared why that seeing the matter of the sacramēt it selfe importeth neither saluation nor damnatyon why then Frythe offereth himselfe to death for the same beyng seperate from the articles of fayth and binding no man of necessitie eyther vnto saluation or damnation whether hee beleeue it or not but rather may be left indifferently vnto all men freely to iudge eyther on the one part or on the other accordyng to hys owne mynde so that neyther part do contemne or despise the other but that all loue and charitie be still holden and kept in this dissension of opinions what then the cause is why I would therfore so willingly suffer death The cause why I dye is this for that I can not agree with the diuines other head Prelates that it shuld be necessarily determined to be an article of fayth and that we should beleeue vnder payne of damnation the substaunce of the bread and wyne to be chaunged into the body and bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe the fourme and shape onely not being chaunged Whiche thing if it were most true as they shall neuer be able to proue it by any authority of the Scripture or Doctours yet shall they not so bring to passe that that doctrine were it neuer so true shoulde be holden for a necessarye article of fayth For there are many thinges both in the Scriptures and other places whiche we are not bounde of necessitye to beleeue as an article of fayth So it is true that I was a prisoner and in bondes when I wrote these thinges and yet for all that I will not holde it as an article of fayth * * This is to be weyed with tyme when Frythe wrote but that you may without daunger or damnation eyther beleeue it or thinke the contrarie But as touchinge the cause why I cannot affirme the doctrine of Transubstantiation diuers reasons doe leade me thereunto First for that I do playnelye see it to be false and vaine and not to be grounded vpon anye reason either of the Scriptures Three causes why transubstātiation is not to be be beleued or of approued Doctours Secondly for that by my exāple I woulde not be an author vnto Christians to admit any thing as a matter of fayth more then the necessary points of ther Creed wherein the whole summe of oure saluation doth consist specially such thinges The 2. cause the beliefe whereof haue no certaine argument of authoritie or reason I added moreouer that their Church as they call it hath no such power and authoritie that it eyther ought or maye binde vs vnder the peril of our soules to the beleuing of any such articles Thirdlye because I will not for the fauour of our Diuynes or Priestes be preiudiciall in this poynt The third cause vnto so manye nations of Germaines Heluetians and other whiche altogether reiecting the transubstantiation of the bread and wyne into the bolye and bloud of Christ are all of the same opinion that I am as wel those that take Luthers part as those which holde with Oecolampadius Which thinges standing in this case I suppose there is no mā of any vpright conscience which will not allow the reason of my death which I am put vnto for this only cause that I do not think transubstantiation although it were true in deede to be establyshed for an article of faith And thus muche hytherto as touching the articles and whole disputation of Iohn Frith whiche was done wyth all moderation and vprightnesse But when as no reason woulde preuaile against the force and crueltie of these furious foes the xx day of Iune in the yeare of oure Lorde 1533. hee was brought before the Byshoppes of London Winchester and Lincolne who sitting in Paules vpō Friday the xx day of Iune ministred certaine interrogatories vpon the Sacrament of the Supper and Purgatorie vnto the sayde Frith as is aboue declared To the whiche when he had answeared shewed his minde in forme and effect as by his owne wordes aboue doth appeare hee afterward subscribed to his answears with his owne hand in these wordes Ego Frithus ita sentio quemadmodum sentio ita dixi scripsi asserui affirmaui That is to say The subscriptiō of Iohn Fryth ¶ I Frith thus doe thinke and as I thinke so haue I sayde written taught and affirmed and in my bookes haue published But when as by no meanes he coulde bee perswaded to recant these articles aforesaid neither be brought to beleue that the sacrament is an article of faith but said Fiat Iudicium iustitia Iohn Fryth condemned he was condemned by the Bishop of London to be burned and sentence geuen agaynst
Quomodo ergo vidēt tumulos suos aut corpora sua vtrū abiecta iaceāt an sepulta Quomodo intersunt miseriae viuorum Saintes in heauen whether they pray for vs cum vel sua ipsi mala patiantur si talia merita contraxerūt vel in pace requiescant vbi mala nulla nec patiendo nec compatiendo sustineant liberati ab omnibus malis quae patiendo compatiendo cum hic viuerent sustinebant The summe hereof is that soules departed fele nor know of no particular miseries susteined of men liuing in this world wherby they should neede to take eyther pacience or els compassiō after theyr decease Yet forsomuch as they know in generall that all men liuing are cladde with fraylety theyr charity is not minished after they be hence departed but increased therfore I beleue verely that they do pray for vs as petitioners but not as mediators so far forth as I can see One Mediatour and what a Mediatour is 1. Tim. 2● For scripture vseth to speake but of one Mediatour which I thinke signifieth a maker of peace or atonemēt betwixt God the father and man Record I take of Paul which 1. Tim. 2. sayth Vnus est deus vnus est mediator dei hominum homo Christus Iesus qui dedit semetipsū redemptionem pro omnibus Erasmus translateth it conciliator dei hominum That is to say There is one God and Mediatout or peace maker betwixt God and man 1. Tim. 2. the man called Christ Iesus which gaue himselfe for the redemption of all Thus I say I beleue Sayntes in heauen do pray for vs as petitioners but not as Mediators Yea all they I weene do pray long that the day of iudgement may soone come according to the saying of Paule Rom. 8. Solicita creaturae expectatio reuelationem filiorum dei expectat The feruēt desire of the creature waiteth whē the sonnes of God shal be reueled And agayne Omnis creatura congemiscit nobiscum parturit vsque ad hoc tempus Euery creature groneth with vs and trauelleth in payne together vnto this present Which shal be for the accomplishmet of glory both to them and to all other elect of god to be his children and coinheritors with Christ. ¶ In the xvj Article where you demaund whether I beleue that oblations and pilgrimages may be deuoutly meritoriously done to the Sepulchres and Reliques of Sayntes I say that what they may be Answere to the 16. article I can not perfectly tell For God can so worke that vnto those whome he hath chosē to be inheritors with him Rom 8. Pilgrimages and oblations Psal. 33. all things shal turne to a good conclusion as sayth Saynt Paule to the Romanes in this wise Vnto those that loue God all thinges shall well succeede and woorke together for their furtheraunce in goodnesse Of whom it is written in the Psalme Blessed is that nation that hath the Lord for their god Ezech. 33. the people whom he hath chosen to be his inheritors Yea theyr euil dedes shall not hurt them but come wel to passe for the increase of vertue For as it is sayd in the Gospell Luke 7. Cui minus remittitur minus diligit To whom lesse is forgeuen he loueth lesse And agayne it hurted not Onesimus All thinges worke to the best to the godly that he ran away from his mayster Philemon but God wrought that by occasion therof he me●te with Paule which conuerted him to the fayth of the Gospell who before was without beliefe Therefore whether they may be done meritoriously or no I will not define God wotteth But this I say that God did neuer institute any such thing in the new testament which is the verity and rule of all Christen people to folow and beleue Yea that onely is of perfect surety and none other but as it is agreable and hath ground of the same And like as we haue no certayne doctrine institute of Christ ne his disciples Pié Pietas defined teaching vs thus for to do no more is there any merite appoynted of him therefore as I shewed afore where I tolde my minde of our merites Moreouer where ye put Piè which I call deuoutly very true deuotion that is called in Latine Pietas is that 1. Tim 4. which hath annexed therewith diuine promises for thys present life to come as witnesseth Paule 1. Tim. 4. which is nothing els but the obseruation of Christes law Psal. 11. that in the Psalme for the purenesse thereof is called argentum igne examinatum Ierem 23. purgatum septuplum Siluer fined often and many times thorow fire It hath no chaffe in it as hath mennes traditions but is pure and cleane wheate as sheweth Ieremy writing in this wise Quid paleis ad triticum Propter hoc ego ad Prophetas dicit dominus qui furantur verba mea vnusquisque a proximo suo seducunt populum meum in mendacijs suis in erroribus suis. What is the chaffe to the wheate Therefore beholde I will come agaynst the Prophets sayth the Lord that steale my word euery one from his neighbour and deceiue my people in theyr lies and in theyr errours True deuotion or pure religion what it is And this deuotion is that which S. Iames calleth the pure Religion of Christ saying Pure and immaculate religion afore God the father is to visite fatherlesse children and widdowes in theyr vexation Iac. 1. Whereby he meaneth all needy people that are succourlesse and helpelesse without counsell and other aimes Pure religion according to our hability whensoeuer we see them in need or distresse The other part of this Religion shewed by S. Iames is That a man should keepe himselfe cleane from the world and that doe they which be not affectionate so vnto any thing therin but that they haue the thinges of the world or occupy the same by true dealing so that they can finde in theyr hart to depart from them when God shal please or charity so requireth Thus doing we shall follow the exhortation of blessed Paule 1. Corthe 7. which writing to the Corinth sayth thus Brethren the time is short this remayneth that they whiche haue wiues should be as they had them not those that weepe should be as they wept not and those that buy as if they were without possession and they that occupy this world as though they occupyed it not for the fashiō of this world passeth away And this meaneth none other thing but that we should not loue ne dread any worldly thing passing measure or inordinatly but God aboue all thinges and all other thinges in him or for him he that thus doth Math. 19. fulfilleth the commaundement of Christ spoken to the rich man in the Gospell where he sayth Goe and sell all that euer thou hast What it is to sell away all for the Gospell and come folow
attain them which I beseech him to graunt vs. Amen ¶ In the xxxvij where you do aske whether I beleeue that the same thing To the 37. artycle which the Councell of Constance representing the vniuersal Church hath approued and doeth approue for the maintenance of faith and soules health is to be approued Touching the authority of the coūcell of Constance and holden of all Christen people and that which the same Councell hath condemned and doth condemne to be contrary to faith and good maners ought of y e same christen people to be beleued and affirmed for a thing condemned I say that whatsoeuer the same Councell or any other haue aproued being approbation or allowance worthy is of al Christen people to be likewise approued holden allowed And again whatsoeuer the same or any other hath condemned being reprofe condēnation worthy for because it is hurtful to faith or good liuing I say the same ought of al Christē people to be condemned reproued But this surmounteth my knowledge to discerne in what wise their iudgement passed whether with right or vnright for because I neuer looked vpon their Acts neither do I greatly coue● for to do wherefore I referre the determinatiō to them y t haue better aduised their doings and thereby haue some more skill in them then I. In the xxxviij you demaund whether the condemnations of Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus To the 38. article and of Hierome of Prage done vpon their persons bookes and documentes by the holy generall Councel of Constance were duly and rightfully done and so for such of euery Catholike person whether they are to be holden and surely to be affirmed I aunswer that it passeth my knowledge and I can not tel thinking surely y t though I am ignoraunt of the same so y t I cannot discusse the thing determinately yet my Christendom shal be therefore neuerthelesse and that I and all Christen men may well suspend our sentence being thereof ignorant affirming neither the one ne the other neither yea nor nay In the xxxix you ask whether I beleeue hold affirm that Iohn Wickleffe of England Iohn Hus of Boheme To the 39. article and Hierome of Prage were heretickes and for hereticks to be named and their books and doctrines to haue ben now be peruerse for the which books pertinacitie of their persons they are condemned by the holy Councel of Constance for heretikes I say that I know not determinately whether they be heretikes or no ne whether their books be erroneous or no ne whether they ought to be called heretickes or no. ¶ In the xl where you aske whether I beleeue and affirme that it is not lawful in any case to sweare I say To the 40. article y t I neither so do beleue ne affirme ne neuer did ¶ In the xlj where you aske whether I beleue that it is lawful at the commandement of a iudge to make an oth to say the truth or any other othe in a case conuenient and that also for purgation of infamy To the 41. article An othe before a iudge in a cause conuenient is lawfull I answere that I neuer saide the contrary but that I thinke and haue thought it lawful to giue an oth afore a iudge to say the truth if the iudge so require and that by request lawful and conueniēt As when a thing is in controuersie betwixt two persons and therupon they sue vnto a iudge for sentence when the iudge can none otherwise boult out the truth he may require an oth As when the two women which contended before Salomon to auoyde the cryme of murther which the one had comitted in oppressing her child to death and would haue put the same vpon the other How an oth ought to be required of a iudge and how it may be geuē before a iudge Ouer much vse of othes in Courtes reprehēded Iudges must be spare and warye in requiring othes Where many othes be there is some peri●rye The vse and maner of Germaines in causes iudiciall if Salomon could not by his wisdome otherwise haue inuestigated the truth he might I suppose for to come by the more certaine information of the thing haue caused one of them or both seing it expedient for him to sweare wherin the women had bene bound to obey him But Iudges haue neede to be spare in requiring of othes For in customable or oft Iuries creepeth in alway betwixt times some periury as sheweth Chrisostome in wordes semblable to these and thinges precious through oft haunt or occupying loseth their estimation And so reuerent othes vnaduisedly required for euery trifle vsually do cause men to regard little for making of them yea and I feare to breake them Therfore in Almaine they haue made of late as I haue hard say by credible persōs which haue come from thence many notable ordinances for the cōmon wealth within a while amongest other this is one If a man be set for to enter plea against another in any town the Peeres therof afore whom al actions are vsed to be debated hearing such a plea entred shal cal the parties priuately together before they come into any open Court. And the matter examined they shal exhort them to let the plea ceasse without further processe shewing them y e great dammage both godly and worldly comming of waging the law and the great cast and commoditie that is in agreement and concord Fruit of the Gospell in Germanye Which exhortation they vse to shew with so great grauity and fatherly loue such wonders are wrought where the Gospell hath free passage that very few will commence plea. In Germany few controuersies come to the open cour●● but commōly are compounded ● home And though any plea be commēced through such sage admonition it falleth lightly to sequestration and arbitrement of neighbours who do set the suters at vnitie ere the matter do came to discussion in open Court Notwithstanding if some be so weiwardly minded as in a multitude al are not one mans children therfore vnlike of intent that they will needes proceede and follow y e law they shal be heard to speak their matters in opē court and taught as the matter is most like to succeede counsailed with new exhortation to stoppe their processe If they will not be perswaded then the Iudges seeing the matter so ambiguous y t they cannot giue perfect sentence therin C●stome a●●ng the ●●maines of ●aking 〈◊〉 except by vertue of an othe made by one of the parties they be first better certified Then wil they shew the same before the suters declaring what a chargeful thing it is to giue a solēne oth for loue of winning some worldly profit how vnlesse such as shal make it ne y e better ware to eschew the same they shal beside an euil ensāple giuing to a multitude work thēselues happily shame or dishonesty Upon this they
ghost came in fyry lykenes to the Apostles in diuers tonges The Israelites should eate the lambs head and the feete and the purtenaunce and nothing therof must be le●te ouer night If any thing thereof were left they did burne that in the fire and they breake not the bones After Ghostly vnderstanding we doe eate the lambes head when wee take holde of Christes diuinitie in our beliefe Agayne when we take holde of his humanitie with loue then eate we the lambs feete because that Christe is the beginning and end God before all worlde and man in the end of this worlde What bee the lambes purtenaunce but Christes secrete precepts and these we eate when we receiue with the greedines the word of life There must nothing of the lambe be left vnto the mornig because that all Gods sayings are to bee searched with great carefulnesse so that all his precepts may be knowen in vnderstanding and deede in the nyght of this present life before that the last day of the vniuersall resurrection doe appeare If wee cannot searche out throughly all the mysterie of Christes incarnation then ought we to betake the rest vnto y e might of the holy ghost with true humilitie and not to search rashly of that deepe secretenes aboue the measure of our vnderstanding They did eate the Lambes flesh wyth theyr loynes girte In the loynes is the lust of the bodye and he whiche will receyue that housell shall couer or wrap in that concupiscence and take with chastitie that holy receite They were also shod What be shoes but of the hides of dead beasts We be truely shod if we match in our steppes and dedes the life of mē departed this life which please God with keeping of hys commandements They had staues in their handes when they did eate This staffe signifieth a carefulnes diligent ouerseeing And all they that best knowe and can shoulde take care of other men and stay them vp with theyr helpe It was inioyned to the eaters y t they should eat the lambe in haste for God abhoreth slouthfulnesse in his seruaunts and those hee loueth that seeke the ioye of euerlasting lyfe with quickenes and hast of minde It is written Prolong not to turne vnto God least the time passe away throughe thy slow tarrying The eaters mought not breake the lābs bones No more mought y e souldiers that did hang Christ breake his holy legges as they did of the two theeues that hanged on either side of him And the Lord rose from death sounde without all corruption and at the last iudgement they shall see him whom they did most cruelly wounde on the crosse This time is called in the Ebrue tongue Pasca in Latine Transitus and in English a Passeouer because that on this day the people of Israel passed from the land of Egypt ouer the red sea from bondage to the lād of promise So also did our Lorde at this time departe as sayeth Iohn the Euangeliste from thys world to hys heauenly father Euen so we ought to folow our head and to goe from the deuill to Christe from thys vnstable worlde to hys stable kingdome Howbeit we shoulde firste in this presente lyfe departe from vice to holy vertue from euill manners to good manners if we wil after this our lente life goe to that eternall life and after our resurrection to Christ. He bring vs to hys euerlastinge father who gaue hym to deathe for our sinnes To hym be honour and praise of well doynge world wythout ende Amen And thus I suppose it standeth cleare euidently prooued by course of al these ages afore recited from the time of Tertullian and Austen vnto the daies of this Elfricus aboue mencioned and after him that this newcome miracle of transubstantiation was not yet crept into the heades of men nor almost came in any question amongst learned mē nor was admitted for any doctrine in the Churche at least for any general doctrine of all men to be receiued til a M. yeare compleate after Christe that is till that Sathan began to be let at large Apoca. 20. For who euer heard in all the primitiue Churche or euer reade in the woorkes of the old ancient Doctors this question once to be asked or disputed whether any substance of bread and wine remained in the Lordes Supper Or what manne was euer so doltish to beleeue any suche thyng or euer called hereticke for not beleuing the same before the time of seduction that is before the 1000. yeares aforesayd were expired They that thinke 〈…〉 be otherwise then a new doctrine are ignorant of hist●●ie● and antiquity Wherefore they that stand so much vppon the antiquity of this Article as a doctrine which hath euer since Christes time bene receaued in the Church taught by the Apostles beleued of all Catholickes and confirmed by consent of all ages of Councels of natiōs and people vnto this present day these I say either shewe them selues very ignoraunt in hystories and in all state of antiquitie or els most impudently they doe abuse the simple credulitie of the people To procede now farther in this discussion of antiquitie it followed that after the time of Elfricus aforesayde this matter of transubstantiation began firste to be talked off to come in question among a few superstitious monkes so that as blindnes and superstition began more and more to encrease Transubstantiation when it first came in question so the sayd grosse opinion still more and more both in number and authoritie preuailed in so muche that about the yeare of our Lord. 1060. the denying of transubstantiation began to be counted heresie And in thys number firste was one Berengarius a Frenche man Berengarius the first that euer was counted hereticke for denying trāsubstantiation Vide Bulling De origine erroris Chronic Bibliandri Acta Concilij Romae habiti contra Berengarium and Archdeacon of Angeowe whyche of all Christen men which we read of was first called and counted an hereticke for denying of transubstantiation troubled for the same as ye shall heare This Berengarius liued in the time of Pope Leo 9. Uictor and Nicholas 2. which was about the yeare of our Lorde 1060. Albeit I doe finde our wryters heere in some discrepaunce For the most of them doe holde that he firste recanted vnder Pope Leo 9. in the Councel of Uercellense and afterwarde againe vnder Pope Nicholas 2. about the yeare 1062. as is to be gathered of Gratian De consecrat dist 2. Ego Berengarius where he sayth that Pope Nicholas did send about to Bishops and Archbyshops the Copie of his recantation Againe by the Actes of the Councell of Rome it there appeareth that the sayd Berengarius made this hys sayde last recantation vnder Pope Hildebrande called Gregory 7. But this difference of times is no great matter to stand vpon The truth of the story is this that when Berengarius had professed the truth of the
and Articles these men gather out of their bookes for errours and heresies Secondly how wittingly and willingly they wrast peruert and miscōstrue their sayings and writings in such sense as the wryters neuer spake nor ment and all to bryng them into hatred of the worlde after they haue burned their bookes So did they before wyth Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Hus Hierome So did they with M. Luther Tindal Frithe Lambert Barnes Ioy Roy Seron Articles of Wickliffe and others falsified by the Papistes and briefly yet do stil wyth all the Protestants either peruerting their sayings otherwise then they meante or noting for heresies suche as are manifest principles grounds of our religion Or els falsly belying them or vntruely mistaking them eyther in mangling y e places or adding to their words as may serue for their most aduauntage to bring them out of credite w t Princes and all the people For the more euident probation and experience wherof thou shalt see here Christen reader as in a table laid before thine eyes the booke or cataloge of such errours blasphemies and heresies whiche the Catholicke Papistes in their own registers haue extracted out of their bokes whō in this other proclamatiōs they haue condemned Wher vnto moreouer we haue annexed y t very places also of the Authors out of which euery Article is gathered keepyng the same signature of verse and page whyche they in theyr registers doe send vs vnto So that with a little diligence thou maist now louing reader easely perceiue conferring the Articles and places together what trueth and fidelitie these bloudye Catholickes haue vsed towarde the children of God First in burning vp theyr bodies then in consuming and abolishing theyr bokes and afterward drawing out Articles such as they list thēselues out of their workes to make the people beleue what damnable heretickes they were as by these articles here vnder ensuing collected and contained in their owne registers may wel appeare In al which articles there is not one speaking of these wryters which here they haue condemned but either it is a perfect truth and a principle of Christen doctrine or els it is falsly gathered or peruersly recited or craftely handled maliciously mangled hauing either something cut frō it or some more added or els rackt out of his right place or wrasted to a wrōg meaning which the place geueth not or els whych some other place folowing doth better expound declare This false malitious dealing hath alwayes bene a common practise amongst Gods enemies from the beginning to falsifie wrast and depraue all thinges what soeuer maketh not to their faction affection be it neuer so true and iust So began they w t Steuen y e 1. martyr of Iesus Christ The wordes of S. Steuen falsely depraued Act. 6.7 and so haue they continued stil yet do to this present day Long it were to recite but more greuous to behold what spite and falshoode was vsed in the articles of y e Albingenses Waldenses Wickliffe Swinderby Brute Thorpe Armachanus syr Iohn Oldcastle Iohn Hus the Bohemians and such other Which thing if the bookes and places when these Articles were gathered againste them had bene suffered to remayne we might more playnely vnderstand In the meane season as touching these Articles here present for so much as the Bishops owne Registers haue offered them vnto vs and doe yet remaine with the selfe same bookes from whence they be excerpted I shall therefore desire thee frendly reader first to cōsider the Articles and laye them with the places which the Registers themselues doe assigne and then iudge thy selfe what is to bee thought thereof The Articles gathered out of the foresayd bookes wyth the Bishops decree prefixed before the same is as here vnder followeth A publike Instrument by the Byshops for the abolishing of the Scripture and other bookes to be 〈◊〉 English IN the name of God Amen Be it knowen to all and singulare true A writing of the Bishops agaynst Englishe books and faithfull people to whome these present letters testimoniall or this present publicke and authenticke instrument shall come to be seene reade hearde or vnderstande and whome this vnder wrytten shall or may teache or appertaine vnto in any maner of wise in time to come William by the sufferaunce of almightye God Archbishop of Caunterburie Primate of all the Realme of Englande sendeth greeting in our Lorde God euerlasting We signifie vnto you all and let you well wit and know by these presents that the king our soueraigne Lorde hearing of many bookes in the English tongue containing many detestable errours and damnable opinions printed in the parties beyond the Seas to be brought into diuers townes and sondrye parties of this his Realme of Englande and sowen abroade in the same to the great decay of our faith Catholicke and perillous corruption of hys people vnlesse speedy remedy were briefely prouided hys highnesse willinge euermore to employ all his studie and mynde in the high degree which almighty God hath called hym vnto to the wealth of his subiectes that they might liue not only in tranquillitie and peace but also be kept pure and cleane of all contagion and wrong opinions in Christes Religion considering also that he being defendour of the faith woulde be full loth to suffer such euill seede sowne amongst his people and so take roote that it might ouergrowe the corne of the Catholicke doctrine before spronge in the soules of hys subiectes for the repellinge of suche booke calling vnto him of his great goodnesse gratious dispositiō not onely certein of the chief prelates clerks of his realm but also of eache Vniuersitie a certaine number of the chiefe learned men proposed such of those bookes as his grace had readye to be read vnto them requiring to heare in that behalfe their aduise and iudgement of them Who both by great diligence and mature deliberation perusing ouer the sayde bookes founde in them manye errours and heresies both detestable and damnable being of such a sort that they were like briefly to corrupt a greate parte of his people if they mighte be suffered to remaine in theyr handes any space gathering also out of them many great errors and pestilent heresies and noting them in wryting to the intente to shewe for what cause they reputed the sayd bookes damnable of which hereafter out of eache booke gathered many do ensue albeit many more there be in the said bookes which bookes totally do swarue full of heresies and detestable opinions Heresies and errours collected by the Byshops out of the booke of Tyndall named the wicked Mammon with the places of the booke annexed to the same Heresies falsly gathered by the Papistes out of wicked Māmon oute of which euery Article is collected 1. FAith onely iustifieth Fol. 59. 1. Article This Article being a principle of the Scripture and the ground of our saluation is playne enoughe by S. Paule and the
of vs in the Gospell and whereunto S. Paule almost in all his Epistle so strongly exhorteth vs that is that we beleue the Gospell when our Lord began first to preach he sayd as rehearseth S. Marke repent and beleue the Gospell Of this fayth read before in the first Article gathered out of the wicked Mammon and in the ix and x. of the Reuelation of Antichrist Marke 1. 6 If we beleue that God hath promised euerlasting life it is impossible that we should perish fol. 20. 6. Article Lo here good Reader an other manifest example of the vnhonest dealing and false cogging of these mē For where the place of the author speaketh expressely of putting our trust in God his promises the article pretily leaueth out our trusting in gods promise fayth onely if we beleue y t god hath promised The place of the author falsly wrasted Read the place and conferre it with the article then iudge whether there be no differēce betwene trusting in the promise y t God hath made of euerlasting life and beleuing onely that God hath made the promise of euerlasting life The place here foloweth as it is there written When with a perfect courage we put all our trust in god and in his promises it is impossible that we should perish for he hath promised vs life euerlasting And for as much as he is almighty he may well performe that that he hath promised and in that he is mercifull and true he will performe his promise made vnto vs if we can beleue it stedfastly and put all our trust in him 7. Article 7 If thou canst surely and stedfastly beleue in God he will holde his promise For he hath bound himselfe to vs and by his promise he oweth vs heauen in case that we beleue him fol. 21. Seing all our hope standeth onely vpon the promise of God what heresy then is in this doctrine to say that God oweth vs heauen by his promise True doctrine made heresie whiche is no other to meane but that God can not breake promise And nowe iudge thou good reader whether is more heresy to say that God oweth vs heauen by his promise as we say or this that God oweth vs heauen by the condignity congruity of our workes as the Papists say 8. Article 8 All Christes glory is ours fol. 27. 9. Article 9 We neede not to labour for to be Christes heyres and sonnes of God and to haue heauen for we haue all these thinges already fol. 24. The words out of the which these two heresyes are gathered be these We be made his heyres and al his glory is ours as S. Paule largely declareth This hath God geuen vs without our deseruing and we need not to labour for all these thinges for these we haue already c. They which note these articles for heresy by the same iudgement they may make heresy of S. Iohns gospel of Paules epistles True doctrine mad● heresie Iohn 7. and of al together S. Iohn sayth the glory which thou gauest me I haue geuen thē that they may be one as we also are one As many as receiued him to thē gaue he power to be the sonnes of God S. Paule sayth The same spirit certifieth our spirit Iohn 1. that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. If we be sonnes then are we also heyres y e heyres I meane of God and heyres annexed with Christ. 10 We need not to labor by our good workes to get euerlasting life 10. Article for we haue it already we be all iustified we be all the childrē of God fol. 28. 11. Article 11 All that thinketh that good workes helpe or profite any thing to get the gift of saluation they blaspheme agaynst God and rob God of his honour fol. 28. 12 If we be circumcised that is to say if we put any trust in workes 12. Article Christ shall not helpe vs. fol. 18. 13 We deserue nothing of God fol. 30. 13. Article 14 We deserue not euerlasting life by our good woorkes for God hath promised it vnto vs 14. Article before that we began to do good fol. 40. 15. Article 15 Euery Christian man muste keepe Gods commaundementes by loue and not by hope to gette for his seruice euerlasting lyfe fol. 42. 16 The Iewes kept the commaundementes and the law of God yet they could not come to heauen 16. Article fol. 43. 17 Men trusting in theyr good workes are like to the theefe on the left side 17. Article and are such men as commeth to the Church daylye keepeth holydayes and fasting dayes and heareth masses these people be soonest damned for this is one of the greatest errors in Christendome to thinke that thy good workes shall helpe to thy saluation True Christianity turned into heresie fol. 47. If these articles be made heresy which referre the benefite of our inheritance of life and saluation to Gods gyft not to our labors to grace and not to merits to faith and not to the law of workes thē let vs shut vp clean the new testament away with Gods word and set vp a new d●uinity of the Popes making yea let vs leaue Christ with his hereticall gospell and in his stead sette vp the Byshop of Rome with his Talmud and become the Disciples 〈◊〉 his decretals And certes except christen princes begynne betime to sake some zeale of God vnto them looke more seriously vpon the matter the proceedinges of these men seme to tend to litle better then to driue vs at length from true Christianity to an other kinde and forme of religion of theyr owne inuention if they haue not brought it well neare to passe already 18 To serue God in a tediousnesse or for feare of hel 18. Arti●●● or for the ioyes of heauē is but shadowes of good workes and such seruice doth not please God fol. 41. The place is this Works done in faith be alonely pleasant vnto God and worthy to be called good workes These c●●●teyne no matter ey●ther 〈…〉 for they be the works of the holy ghost that dwelleth in vs by this fayth But they that are done by tediousnes and euill will for feare of hell or for desire of heauen be nothing els but shadowes of workes making hipocrites The end of our good works is onely to please god knowledging that if we do neuer so much we can neuer do our duty for they that for feare of hell or for the ioyes of heauen do serue god do a constrayned seruice which God will not haue Such people do not serue God because he is their God and their father but to haue theyr reward and to auoyd his punishments and such people are hyred men and waged seruaūtes are not children But the children of God serue theyr father for loue c. 19 We must loue death more desire to dye then
as we haue sayd before the deuil beleueth that God is God and that Iesus Christ hath here preached that he dyed was buryed and rose agayn Thus must we also beloue but this is not the fayth wherof speaketh the Gospell and S. Paul c. Of this fayth and what it is read before in the place of the 4 and 5. articles of this booke and of the 1. Article gathered out of the wicked Mammon and the 9. and 10. article of the Reuelation of Antichrist 28 He that doth good agaynst his will he doth euill fol. 56. 28. Article The place is this A● good deedes which are not done by loue and good wil are sinne before God as saith S. Augustine The place answering 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 He that doth good against his wil doth euil albeit that he doth be good For that I do agaynst my wil I hate and whē I hate the commaundement I hate also him that hath commaunded it c. 29 No man doth more then he is bound to do and therefore no man may make other partakers of theyr good workes fol. 59 ●● Article The words be these The Prophet Esay sayth we are all as an vncleane thing and all our iustice is as it were a filthy cloth and therfore I can neuer maruell enough that many of the religious persons would make other partakers of theyr good workes Esay 64. ●●osoeuer 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 seeing that Christ sayth in the Gospell when ye haue done all those things which are cōmaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruantes we haue done but that which was our duety to doe For none can do to much None doth more then he is bound to doe but onely Iesus Christ which onely as sayth S. Peter neuer did sinne neither was there deceit found in his mouth hath done that he was not bound to doe and as the Prophet Esay sayth hath taken vpon him our infirmities and borne our sorrowes he was wounded for our offences smitten for our wickednesse by his stripes are we made whole c. 30 Christ hath gotten heauen by his passion but that right hath he no need of 30· Article but hath graunted it to all them that beleue in hys promises fol. 59 Read the place Iesus Christ possesseth the kingdome of heauē by double right The doctrine of this article is found First because he is the sonne of god and very inheritor of his kingdome Secondly because he hath gottē it by dis passion and death Of his second right he hath no neede and therfore he geueth it to all them that beleue and trust in him and in his promises 31 If God had promised vs heauen for our good woorkes 31. Article wee should euer be vnsure of our saluation fol. 59. 32 Be our sinnes neuer so great 32. Article that it seemeth impossible to vs to be saued yet without any doubt we must beleue to be saued fol. 59. The wordes out of the which these two articles be gathered are these If God had promised heauen vnto vs because of our workes we should euer then be vnsure of our saluation For we should neuer know how much The doctrine of these articles be as true as the Gospell nor how long we should labor to be saued should euer be in feare that we had done to litle and so we should neuer dye ioyfully But God would assure vs of heauen by his promise to the entent we should be certayne and sure for he is the trueth and cannot lye and also to the intent that we should haue trust and hope in him And notwithstanding that after the greatnes multitude of our sinnes it seeme to vs a thing impossible yet alwayes we must beleue it without any doubt because of his sure promise And who soeuer doth this he may ioyfully dye and abide the iudgement of god which els were intollerable Read more hereof before in the xi article taken out of the wicked Mammon 33. If thou loue thy wife because shee is thy wife that is no loue before God 33. Article A difference betweene carna● loue spiritual loue yet in Matrimony both are necessary but thou shalt loue her because shee is thy sister in God fol. 83. The wordes be these Our Sauiour Christ hath commaunded nothing so straightly as to loue an other yea to loue our enemies also Then how much more shoulde the man wise loue together But there be but few that know how to loue the one the other as they ought to do If thou loue thy wife onely because she is thy wife and because she serueth and pleaseth thee after the flesh for beauty byrth riches and such like this is no loue before god Of such loue speaketh not S. Paule For suche loue is among harlots yea among brute beastes but thou shalt loue her because she is thy sister in the christen faith and because she is inheritour together with thee in the glory of God because ye serue together one God because ye haue receaued together one baptisme c. Thou shalt also loue her for her vertues as shamefastnes chastitie and diligence sadnes pacience temperance secrecy obediēce and other godly vertues c. 34. It is nothing but all incredulitie to runne in pilgrimage and seeke God in one certayne places 34. Article which is like mightye in all places fol. 62. The matter of this article is euident to all indifferent learned iudgementes to be voyde of all doubt of heresie 35. Men should see that their children come to Churche to heare the sermon fol. 89. 35. Article The place of this article is this On the Festiuall dayes thou shalt bring thy children to the church to heare the sermon and when thou shalt come home What meaneth these men ●ow you to make this doctrine an heresie thou shalt ask them what they haue kept in memory of the sermon Thou shalt teach thē the Christian fayth Thou shalt admonish thē to liue well and to put all their hope and trust in God and rather to dye then to do any thing that is against the will of God And principally thou shalt learne them the contentes of the prayer of our Sauiour Christ called y e Pater noster that is to say how they haue an other father in heauen of whom thy must seeke for all goodnesse and without whom they can haue no good thing how that they may seeke nothing in all theyr workes and in all theyr intents but the honor of theyr heauenly father And how they must desire that this father would gouerne all that they doe or desire And how that they must submit all to his holy wil which cannot be but good c. Thou shalt buy them wholsome bookes as the holy Gospell the epistles of the holye Apostles yea both the new the old Testament that they may vnderstand and drinke of the sweet fountayne waters of
shew you your selues to be so sad heauy in mynde as appeareth to me by your outward gestures and countenaunces I would wish you and I require you to be as mery as I am laying therewith hys hand vpon hys brest for afore God I am not sad nor heauy but mery and of good comfort and am right glad ioyfull of this my trouble which is for gods cause and it greueth me nothyng at all But the great matter that grieueth me pierceth my hart is for that this Hooper and such other vile heretikes and beastes be suffered and licenced to preache at Paules crosse in other places within my Diocesse Cure most detestably preaching and railing at the blessed Sacrament of the aultar denying the veritie and presence of Christs true body and bloud to be there so infecteth and betrayeth my flocke But I say it is there in very deede in that opinion I will lyue and dye and am ready to suffer death for the same Wherfore ye being christen men I do require you and also charge and commaunde you in the name of God and on his behalfe as ye wyll aunswere hym for the contrary that ye goe to the Mayor of London and to hys brethren the Aldermen praying and also requiryng them earnestly in Gods name and myne and for myne owne discharge on that behalfe that from hencefoorth Here Boners 〈…〉 when any such detestable and abhominable preachers and especially those which hold opinion against the blessed Sacrament of the aultar do come to preach vnto them they forth with depart out of their presence and doe not heare them least that they taryeng with such Preachers should not onely hurt themselues in receiuyng theyr poysoned doctrine but also geue a visage to the incouragemēt of others which thereby mought take an occasion to thinke and beleeue that theyr erroneous and damnable doctrine is true and good and this eftsoones I require and commaunde you to doe And then turnyng hymselfe about and beholdyng two of the Archbishops Gentlemen which in the same place kept the Chamber dore where the Commissioners were in consultation and perceiuing that they had heard all his talke he spake vnto them also and sayd And Syrs Boners 〈…〉 to two of the Archb●●shops ge●●tlemen ye be my Lorde of Caunterburies Gentlemen I knowe ye very well and therefore I also require and charge you in Gods behalfe and in hys name that ye doe the lyke for your partes in places where ye shall chaunce to see and heare such corrupt and erroneous Preachers and also aduertise my Lord your maister of the same and of these my sayinges that I haue nowe spoken here before you as ye are Christian men and shall aunswere before God for the contrary With this the Commissioners called for the Bishop agayne Who did read vnto them an instrument conteining a prouocation to the king which he made in manner and forme here followyng The first appellation intimated by Edmund Boner Bishop of London IN the name of God Amen It shall appeare to all men by this publike instrument that the yeare of our Lord Boner appealeth to the king because he could not to the pop●● 1549. the xx day of September the third yeare of the raigne of our most high and renowmed Prince Edward the sixt by the grace of GOD King of England Fraunce and Ireland defender of the fayth and in earth the supreme head of the Church of England and Ireland in a chamber within the Pallace of the sayde Bishop situated in London and in the presence of me the Notary publicke and of the witnesses hereafter named the foresayd Bishop did personally appeare and there did shew forth in writing a certaine Protestation and Appellation the tenor wherof ensueth In the name of God Amen I Edmund Byshop of London say alleadge and propound before you beyng a publike Notary and these credible witnesses here present that although I the foresayd Edmund haue attayned the Bishoprike aforesayd by the beneuolence of the famous Prince of memory King Henry the eight and was lawfully elected and translated to the same wyth his rites and appurtenaunces haue of long time possessed peaceably and quietly the same and presently doe possesse beyng taken as Bishop and lawfull possessour of the sayd bishopricke and am lawfully called taken and reputed notoriously and publikely and moreouer doe keepe residence and hospitalitie on the same accordyng to the order state person and dignitie and as the reuenewes of the same would permit and haue exercised and done all thynges appertainyng to my pastorall office as the lawes doe require as hereafter I trust by Gods grace to doe and obserue a man of good name and fame neyther suspended excommunicate nor interdicted neyther conuict of any notable crime or fact alwayes obeying readily the commaundement of the Church and other my superiours in all lawfull causes neuerthelesse fearing vpon certayne probable causes lykely coniectures threatnyngs and assertions of certayne iniurious men my enemies or at the least such as little fauour me that great dammage may come to me hereafter about the premisses or part of them and least any man by any authoritie commaundement denunciation inquisition office or at the request of any person or persons may attempt preiudice or hurt to me or my said dignitie either by my excommunication interdiction sequestration spoyling vexing and perturbyng by any maner of meanes doe appeale to the most hygh and mighty Prince our soueraigne Lord Edw. the 6. by the grace of God king of England France c. in these my writings do prouoke appeale to his regal maiesty I do also require the Apostles so much as in this case they are to be required the first secōd third tyme earnestly more earnestly and most earnestly of all that there may be geuen to me the protection tuition and defence of my foresayd most dreade soueraigne Lord for the safegard of me my dignitie title Apostles a terme o● Canon 〈◊〉 signifie as much 〈◊〉 letters reuerential● 〈◊〉 and possession in the premisses and to all that will cleaue to me in this behalfe I doe also protest that I will be contented to correct reforme and amend this my present protestation and to the same to adde to take away and to bryng the same into the best forme and state that may be deuised by the counsaile of learned men or as the case shall require and the same to intimate accordyng to tyme and place and the order of the law Anno 1559. and still shall require Vpon all the which premisses the foresayd Edmund B. of London did require the Notary publike here vnder written to make vnto hym and the witnesses hereafter named one two or more copies of this protestation These thynges were done the yeare day and tyme aboue-written there beyng present Gilbert Bourne Bacheler of Diuinitie Iohn Harpesfield and Robert Colen Maisters of Arte Iohn Wakelyng and Richard Rogers learned
Lorde the Mayor of London with all his worshipfull brethren my very deare and worshipfull friends with speede RIght honourable with my very humble recommendations where I haue perceyued of late and heard with myne eares what vyle beastes and heretickes haue preached vnto you Boners let●ter to the Lord 〈◊〉 and Alde●●men of Lō●don or rather lyke themselues prated and rayled agaynst the most blessed Sacrament of the aultare denying the veritie and presence of Christes true bodye and bloude to be there geuyng you and the people libertie to beleeue what ye lyst teachyng you detestably that fayth in this behalfe must not bee coacted but euerye man to beleeue as he will by reason whereof least my presence and silence myght vnto some haue bene seene to haue allowed their hereticall doctrine and geuyng credite vnto them betraying my flocke of the Catholicke sorte ye knowe I departed yesterday from the hereticke praters vncharitable charitie and so could haue wished that you and all other that bee Catholicke should haue done Boner would no● tarye M. Hooper● Sermon leauyng those there with hym that be alreadye cast away and will not be recouered For your tarying with him still shall not onely hurt your selfe in receauyng hys poysoned doctrine but also shall geue a visage that their doctrine is tollerable by reason that ye are contented to heare it and say nothing agaynst it And because I cannot tell when I shall speake with you to aduertise you hereof therefore I thought good for myne owne discharge and yours thus muche to wryte vnto you requiryng and praying you agayne and agayne in Gods behalfe for myne owne discharge that ye suffer not your selues to bee abused with suche naughtie Preachers and teachers in hearyng theyr euill doctrine that ye shall perceyue them to goe about to sowe And thus our blessed Lord long and well preserue you all with this noble Citie in all good rest godlinesse prosperitie Written in hast this Monday mornyng the xvi of September 1549. Your faythfull Beades man and poore Bishop Edmund Boner This Letter beyng read the Secretary demanded of hym whether he wrote it not To whome he would not otherwyse aunswere but that he would still adhere and stand vnto hys former recusations and appeales Boner dif●ferred till the next Fryday 〈◊〉 from that till tewsd●● after Whiche the commissioners seyng determined to continue this case in state as it was vntill Friday then next followyng betwene the houres of viij and ix of the clocke before noone assignyng the bishop to be there at the same time and place then to heare a finall decree of this matter he still protestyng as before ¶ The seuenth Session or appearaunce of Boner vppon Tewsday the first of October before the Kynges Commissioners at Lambeth VPpon Friday the Commissioners for diuers vrgent causes lettyng them The 7. S●●●sion or ap●pearaun●● of Bone● dyd not sit in Commission accordyng to their appoyntment but deferred it vntill Tewsday the first of October then next followyng Upon which day the Bishop appearyng before them the Archbishoppe declared vnto hym that although as vppon Friday laste they had appointed to pronounce their finall Decree and Sentence in this matter yet forasmuch as they thought that that Sentence although they had iust cause to geue it should haue bene very sore agaynst hym they had not onely deferred the same vntill this day but mindyng to be more friendly to hym then he was to hymselfe The 〈◊〉 wordes 〈◊〉 the Co●●missione● to Bone● and to vse more easie and gentle reformation towardes hym had also made such sute and meanes for hym that although hee had grieuously offended the Kinges Maiestie and verye disobediently behaued himselfe yet if he would in y e meane while haue acknowledged his fault and haue bene contented to make some part of amends in submittyng hymselfe accordyng to hys bounden duety he should haue foūd much fauour so the Sentence should not haue bene so sore and extreme against him as it was like now to bee for which they were very sory especially to see the continuāce of such stubburn disobedience wherby they were thē more inforced to geue such sentence against hym Anno 1549. The Bishop nothing at all regarding this gentle and friendly admonition and fauour but persisting still in hys woonted contumacie drew foorth a paper wheron he read these wordes followyng I Edmund bishop of London brought in as a prisoner by hys keeper one of the Marshalsey here before you my Lord of Canterbury and your pretensed Colleagues doe vnder my former Protestations heretofore by me made before you and remaining in your Acte declare that this my presence here at this tyme is not voluntary nor of myne owne free will and consent but vtterly coacted and agaynst my will and that beyng otherwyse sent for or brought before you then I am that is as a prisoner I would not beyng at libertie haue come or appeared before you but would haue declined and refused to make any appearaunce at all but would haue absented my selfe from you as lawfully and well I might haue done standing to vsing and enioying all and singular my lawfull remedies and defences heretofore vs●d exercised and enioyed especially my prouocation and appellation heretofore interponed and made vnto the Kinges most excellent Maiestie to whom eftsoones Ex abundanti I haue both prouoked and appealed and also made Supplication vnto as appeareth in these writings which vnder Protestation aforesayd I do exhibite and leaue here with the Actuarie of this cause requiryng hym to make an Instrument thereupon and the personnes here present to beare record in that behalfe especially to the intent it may appeare I do better acknowledge the kings Maiesties authoritie euen in his tender and yong age prouoking and appealyng to his Maiestie as my most gracious soueraigne and supreme head 〈…〉 king with submission to his highnes as appeareth in my appellation and other remedies for my tuition and defence then other some I doe meane you my Lord of Caunterbury and your sayd pretensed Colleagues which by law and good reason ought to haue deferred and geuen place vnto such prouocation appellation and Supplication as heretofore lawfully haue bene by me interponed and made vnto his Maiesties most royall person and authoritie in this behalfe As soone as the B. had read these wordes he did deliuer as well that paper as also two other vnto the Actuarie the one conteining an appellatiō and the other a supplication vnto the kings Maiestie which appellation beginneth thus In the name of God Amen Wherein first he shewed how naturally euery creature declineth gladly frō that thing which goeth about to hurt it and also seeketh helpe remedy to withstand such hurts and iniuries Further he shewed that it is found by experience to be hurtfull and daungerous to trust hym that once hath hurt and beguiled least he might adde more rather then to take ought from Moreouer he shewed
Iohn 14. Of those plaine words sprāg vp the heresy of the Arrians which denied Christ to be equal with his father What is more euident then this saying I and my father are both one Thereof arose the heresy of thē that denied three distinct persons They all had one soule and one hart Iohn 10. Actes 4. was spoken by the apostles Yet had ech of thē a soule and hart peculiar to himselfe They are now not two but one flesh is spoken by the man and his wife Yet hath both the man and the wife his seuerall body Gen. ●7 He is our very flesh sayd Ruben by Ioseph his brother which notwithstanding was not their reall flesh I am bread sayd Christ yet was he flesh and no bread 1. Cor. 10. Christ was the stone sayeth Paul and was in deed no materiall stone Melchisedech had neither father nor mother and yet in deed he had both Behold the Lambe of God sayth Iohn Baptist by Christ notwithstanding Christ was a man not a lambe Circumcision was called the couenant where as it was but a token of the couenant The Lambe named the Passeouer and yet was it eaten in remembrance only of the passeouer Iacob raised vp an aulter called it beyng made but of lyme and stone the mighty God of Israel Moses when he had conquered the Amalakites set vp an aulter called it by y e names of God 1. Cor. 10. Iehoua and Tetragrammatum We all are one loafe of bread sayth Paule yet were they not thereby turned into a loafe of bread Christ hanging vpon the crosse appoynted S. Iohn to his mother saying Lo there is thy sonne yet was he not her sōne Gal. 3. Rom. 6. So many as be baptised into Christ saith Paule haue put on Christ and so manye as are baptised into Christ are washed with the bloud of Christ. Notwithstanding no man tooke the fonte water to be the naturall bloude of Christ. The cup is the new Testament sayth Paul yet is not the cup in deed the very new Testament You see therfore that it is not strange nor a thing vnwoont in y e scriptures to call one thing by an others name So that you can no more of necessitie enforce the chaunging of the bread into Christes body in the sacrament because y e words be plaine This is my body Figuratiue speaches most cōmon in Scripture then the wiues flesh to be the naturall reall body flesh of the husbād because it is written They are not two but one flesh or the aulter of stone to be very God because Moses with euident and playne words pronounced it to be the mighty God of Israel Notwithstandyng if you wil needs cleaue to the letter you make for me and hinder your own cause For this I will reason vse your owne weapon against you The scripture calleth it bread The Euangelists agree in the same The name of bread vsed in Scripture Paule nameth it so v. times in one place the holy ghost may not be set to schoole to learne to speake Wherfore I conclude by your own argument that we ought not only to say but also to beleeue that in the sacrament there remayneth bread Cust. Me thinketh your answer is reasonable yet cā I not be satisfied Declare you therfore more at large what mooueth you to thinke this of the sacrament For I thinke you would not withstand a doctrine so long holdē and taught vnles you were inforced by some strong and likely reasōs Veri First in examining the wordes of Christ I get me to the meanyng purpose for which they were spoken The meaning of Christes wordes e●pounded And in this behalfe I see that Christ ment to haue his death passion kept in remembrance For men of themselues bee euermore were forgetfull of the benefites of God And therfore it was behouefull that they should be admonished stirred vp with some visible and outward tokēs as with the Passeouer Lambe the brasen serpent and other lyke For the brasen serpent was a token that when the Iewes were stinged wounded with serpents God restored thē and made them whole The passeouer Lambe was a memory of the great benefit of God which when he destroied the Egyptians saued the Iewes whose dores were sprinkled with the bloud of a lambe So likewise Christ left vs a memoriall remembraunce of his death and passion in outward tokens that when the childe should demaund of his father what the breaking of the bread drinking of the cup meaneth he myght answer him that like as the bread is broken so Christ was broken and rent vpon the crosse for to redeme the soule of man And like as wine fostereth and comforteth the body so doth the bloud of Christ cherish relieue the soule And this do I gather by the words of Christ and by the institution and order of the sacramēt For Christ charged the Apostles to do this in the remembrance of him Wherupon thus I do conclude Fes Nothyng is done in remembraunce of it selfe ti But the Sacrament is vsed in the remembraunce of Christ. no. Therfore the Sacrament is not Christ. Fe Christ neuer deuoured hymselfe ri Christ did eate the Sacrament with his Apostles son Ergo the Sacrament is not Christ hymselfe Beside this I see that Christ ordeined not his body but a sacrament of his body A sacrament as S. Augustine declareth is an outwarde signe of an inuisible grace Hys words are Sacramentum est inuisibilis gratiae visibile signum Out of which words I gather two arguments The first is this the token of the body of Christ is the thyng tokened wherfore they are not one The second is this Fe One thyng cannot be both visible and inuisible ri But the Sacrament is visible and the body of Christ inuisible son Therfore they are not one Which thing S. Augustine openeth very well by these wordes Aliud est Sacramentum aliud res Sacramenti Sacramentum est quod in corpus vadit res autem Sacramenti est corpus Domini nostri Iesu Christi Moreouer I remember that Christ ministred this sacrament not to great deepe philosophers but to a sort of ignorant and vnlearned fishers which notwithstanding vnderstoode Christes meanyng right well deliuered it euen as they tooke it at Christes hand to the vulgar and lay people and fully declared vnto them the meanyng therof But the lay people nor scarsly the Apostles themselues could vnderstand what is mēt by transubstantiation impanation dimensions qualitates quantitates accidens sine subiecto terminus a quo terminus ad quem per modum quanti This is no learnyng for the vnlearned and rude people wherefore it is likely that Christ ment some other thyng then hath bene taught of late dais Furthermore Christes body is food not for the body but for the soule Christ is no foode for the b●●dy but fo● the soule
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
broughte in the Bishop of Rome and sette him in his olde authoritie beginneth to set vp abbeis againe hath made the mariage of priestes vnlawfull hath tourned the English seruice into Latine againe hath set vp the Masse againe w t like baggage and pulled downe the holy Communion and all this is done by consente of Parliament If the Acts of Parliament made in king Henries time in K. Edwards had theyr foundatiō vpon Gods word where vpon all positiue lawe ought to be grounded then these which are stablished in the Quenes time being cleane contrary to the others as they are not warranted by gods woorde so are they wicked and therfore to be both spoken and wrytten against of all menne as well of priuate as of publique persons If your Actes my Lord Chancellour which you ha●e lately coyned I call them yours because ye only beare the swinge deuise and decree what yee list all other men are forced to followe be good and according to Gods woord then the former Actes were naught whych thing ye seeme to say in vtterly taking of them away and setting vp of the contrary if the former were nought why then did ye consent vnto them and confirme them to be good by your voluntarie and aduised wryting as it appeareth and will to the worldes ende in your Booke de vera Obedientia where you prooue the Queene a Bastard and the bishop of Rome to be an vsurper and to haue no authoritie in the Realme of Englande Yee must needes confesse that the moste parte of your Actes of Parliament in these latter dayes haue bene according to the fantasies of a fewe King Henry in his time established by Parliament in a manner what he listed and many thinges that might well haue bene amended In Kinge Edwardes dayes the Duke of Somersette and Northumberlande bare a great stroke in thyngs and did not all things syncerely Euen so since the Quene that nowe is came to the gouernement of the realme al things are ordered by your deuise and head and the whole Parliament house is ledde as you list by reason whereof they are compelled to condescende to thinges both contrarye to Gods manifest woorde and also contrary to theyr owne consciences so great is your crueltie For to bryng youre wicked purposes to passe and to establish your Antichristian kingdome whych I truste the Lorde wyth the breathe of hys mouthe will spedely blowe ouer yee haue called three Parliamentes in one yeare and an halfe that what you coulde not compasse by subtill perswasion ye might bring to passe by tyrannical threatning for if yee hadde not vsed cruell force in your doinges yee had neuer broughte to passe suche thinges as this daye yee haue to the vtter defacing and abolishing of Gods true religion and to the casting away and destruction of your naturall Countrey so much as in you lieth And as it is moste true that Actes of Parliament haue in these latter dayes bene ruled by the fantasies of a fewe and the whole Parliament house contrary to their minds was compelled to consent to such things as a few had conceiued So it muste needes be graunted that the Papistes at all times were moste readie to apply them selues to the present worlde and like menne pleasers to follow the fantasies of suche as were in authoritie and turne with the estate which way so euer it tourned Yea if the estate should chaunge ten times in one yeare they woulde euer be ready at hande to chaunge with it and so folowe the crie and rather vtterly to forsake God and be of no religion then that they would forgoe lust or liuing for God or for religion King Henrie by Parliamente accordinge to Goddes woorde putte downe the Pope the Clergie consented and all men openly by othe refused this vsurped supremacie knowing by Gods worde Christ to be head of the church● and euery Kinge in hys Realme to haue vnder and nexte vnto Christe the chiefe Soueraigntie King Edward also by Parliament according to Gods woorde sette the marriage of Priestes at libertie abolished the Popish and idolatrous masse chaunged the Latin seruice and sette vp the holy Communion the whole Cleargie consented heereunto many of them set it foorth by then preaching and all they by practising confirmed the same Notwythstanding now when the state is altered and the lawes chaunged the Papisticall cleargie wyth other like worldlinges as menne neither fearing God neyther flying worldly shame neither yet regardinge their consciences othes or honestie like wauering weather Cockes tourn roūd about putting on harlots foreheades sing a newe song and crie wyth an impudent mouth Come a-againe come againe to the catholicke churche meaning the Antichristian church of Rome which is the Synagogue of Sathan and the very sincke of all superstition heresie and Idolatrie Of what force I pray you may a man think these Parliamentes to be which scantly can stand a yere in strength Or what credite is to be geuen to these law makers which are not ashamed to establish contrary lawes and to condempne that for euill which before the thing in it selfe and the circumstances remaining al one they affirmed and decreed to be good Truelye yee are so readye contrarye to all ryghte to chaunge and turne for the pleasure of manne that at the lengthe I feare GOD wyll vse you lyke chaungelings Anno 1554. Aprill and both tourne you foorth of his kingdom and out of your owne countrey Yee charge the Gospell preachers with the vndoyng of thys realme nay it is the turning papists whych haue not onely sette a sale theyr Countrey like Traitours but also troubled the simple people so that they canne not tell what they may beleeue For that which they affirmed and preached to be newe doctrine in King Edwardes dayes nowe they crie against it as it were moste abhominable heresye This fault I trust yee shall neuer finde at our hands Therefore to conclude that whiche I purposed for somuche as the Actes of Parliament of these latter times are one contrary to an other and those which yee nowe haue stablished in your time are contrary to Gods most manifest woorde as is the vsurped supremacie of the Byshoppe of Rome the Idolatrous Masse the Latine Seruice the prohibiting of lawfull marriage which Sainte Paul calleth the Doctrine of Deuilles wyth many suche other I say it is not onely lawfull for any priuate man which bringeth Gods woorde for hym and the authoritie of the primatiue and best Churche to speake and wryte against such vnlawfull lawes but it is hys duetie and he is bounde in very conscience to doe it Which thyng I haue prooued by diuers examples before and nowe will adde too but one other which is wrytten in the fifth of the Actes where it appeareth that the high Priestes the Elders Scribes and Pharisies decreed in their Councell and gaue the same cōmaundement to the Apostles that they should not preache in the name of Christe as yee haue also forbidden
determinate answer what he would do in the premisses and then either to reuoke and reclaime himself or els in the after noone the same day to come againe haue iustice as he called it ministred vnto him the copy of which articles here foloweth Anno. 1555. March Articles obiected and ministred the 8. day of Februarie against Tho. Tomkins with his owne hand subscribing to the same THou doest beleeue that in the Sacrament of the aultare vnder the formes of bread and wine there is not Articles ministred agaynst Tho. Tomkins Transubstantiation denyed by the omnipotent power of almighty God and his holy woorde really truely and in very deede the very true and naturall body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as touching the substaunce thereof which was conceiued in the wombe of the virgine Mary and hanged vppon the crosse suffering Passion and death there for the life of the worlde I doe so beleeue Substance of bread remaineth in the sacramēt Thou doest beleeue that after the consecration of the breade and wine prepared for the vse of the Sacramente of the aultare there doth remaine the very substance of material bread and materiall wine not changed nor altered in substance by the power of almighty God but remaining as it did before I doe so beleeue The naturall p●esēce of Christ in the sacrament denyed Thou doest beleeue that it is an vntrue doctrine and a false beliefe to thinke or say that in the Sacrament of the aultare there is after the consecration of the bread and wine the substaunce of Christes naturall body and bloude by the omnipotent power of almighty God and his holy worde I doe so beleeue Thou doest beleeue that thy parents kinsfolkes frendes and acquaintaunce The errour of the forelders touching the Sacrament and also thy Godfathers and Godmother and all people did erre and were deceiued if they did beleeue that in the Sacrament of the aultar there was after the consecration the body and bloude of Christe and that there did not remaine the substaunce of materiall bread and wine I doe so beleeue By me Thomas Tomkins The second examination of Thomas Tomkins THe next day being the 9. of Februarie at 8. of the clocke before noon The second examination the said Thomas Tomkins according to the former commaundement was brought againe into the place afore named before the Bishoppe and other hys assistants where the foresayd Articles were propounded vnto him whereunto he aunswered as foloweth Aunswere of Tomkins to the articles To the first he said that he did so beleeue as in the same is contained To the second he sayd that it was onely bread a participatiō of Christes death and passion and so do the scriptures teach To the third he said and did beleeue it was a false doctrine to beleeue and thinke as is contained in this Article To the fourth he did also beleeue the same After this aunswere he did also subscribe hys name to the sayd Articles Whereupon the Bishop drawing out of his bosome another confession subscribed wyth Tomkins owne hande and also that article that was the first day obiected against him caused the same to be openly read and then willed him to reuoke and deny his sayd opinions the which he vtterly refused to do and therfore was commanded to appeare before the Byshop againe in the same place at two of the clocke in the after noone The Bishop repeateth againe the confession of Thom. Tomkins wrytren before by the sayd Bishop of London and subscribed by the sayd Tomkins the 26. day Septemb. An. 1554. which is this I Thomas Tomkins of the Parish of Shordich in the Diocesse of London The first confession of Tomkins offered to B. Boner and now here agayne repeated The Masse full of superstition and Idolatry hauing confessed and declared openly heeretofore to Edmund Bishop of London mine Ordinarie that my beliefe hathe bene many yeares past and is at this present that the body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is not truely and in very deede in the Sacrament of the aultare but onely in heauen and so in heauen that it can not nowe in deede be really and truely in the Sacramente of the altare And moreouer hauing likewise confessed and declared to my said Ordinary openly many times that although the church called the Catholicke Churche hathe allowed and doeth allowe the Masse and sacrifice made and done therein as a wholesome profitable a godly thing yet my beliefe hath ben many yeres past is at this present that the said Masse is full of superstition plaine idolatrie and vnprofitable for my soule so haue I called it many times and take it at this present Baptisme ought to be ministred in the vulgar tongue Hauing also likewise confessed and declared to my said Ordinarie that the Sacrament of Baptisme oughte to be onely in the vulgar tounge and not otherwise ministred and also without any such ceremonies as customably are vsed in the Latine church and otherwise not to be allowed Finally being many times and ofte called openly before my said Ordinarie and talked withall touching all my sayd confessions and declarations Tomkins constantly standeth to the truth o● the Gospel both by the saide mine Ordinarie diuers other learned men aswel his Chaplaines as other and counselled by all them to embrace the truthe and to recant mine errour in the premisses which they tolde me was plaine heresie and manifest errour do testifie and declare hereby that I do and wil continually stand to my saide confession declaration and beliefe in all the premisses euery part therof and in no wise recant or go frō any part of the same In witnesse wherof I haue subscribed passed this wryting the 26. day of Septemb. the yeare aforesayd By me Thomas Tomkyns aforesaid The names of them that sate vppon Thomas Tomkins at this Session were these Edmunde Boner The last appearance condemnation of Thomas Tomkins Martyr Iohn Fecknam Deane of Paules Iohn Harpsfield Archdeacon of London Iohn Morwen master of Art Thomas Morton parson of Fulham Tristram Swadell Thom. More Thomas Beckinsaw Iames Cline clearkes The last appearance of Tho. Tomkins before Boner and the Commissioners THe same daye and place at two of the clocke in the after noone he was the last time brought forth before the bishops of London Bath and Saint Dauids with others where hee was earnestly exhorted by the sayd Bishoppe of Bath to reuoke leaue off his opinions Unto whome he answeared My Lord I was borne brought vp in ignoraunce vntill nowe of late yeares And nowe I know the truthe wherein I will continue vnto the death Then Boner caused all his articles and confession to be again openly red and so in hys accustomed maner persuaded with hym to recant To whome hee finally sayde My Lord I can not see but that you would haue me to forsake the truth and to fall into errour and
turne from his errour and come to the vnitie of their Church To whome he sayde No I would ye should recant for I am in the truth and you in errour Well quoth the Byshop if ye will returne I will gladly receiue you No sayd Higbed I will not returne as you wyll haue me to beleeue in the sacrament of the altar your God M. Causton M. Higbed condēned and sēt to Newgate Whereupon the Byshop proceeded and gaue iudgement vpon him as he had done before vpon Tho. Causton When all this was thus ended they were both deliuered to the Sheriffes and so by them sent to Newgate where they remained by the space of xiiij dayes praysed be God not so much in afflictions as in consolations For the encrease whereof they earnestly desired all their good brethren and sisterne in Christ to pray that God for his sonnes sake would go forth with that great mercy which already he had begon in them so that they might perseuere vnto the ende to the prayse of the eternall God and comfort of all their brethren These xiiij dayes after their condemnation once expired M. Causton and Maister Higbed brought frō Newgate into Essex they were the xxiij day of this moneth of March fetched from Newgate at foure of the clocke in the morning and so led through the Citie vnto Algate where they were deliuered vnto the Sheriffe of Essex and there beeing fast bound in a cart were shortly after brought to their seuerall appointed places of burning that is to saye Thomas Higbed to Horneden on the hill March 26. and Thomas Causton to Rayly both in the Countrey of Essex where they did most constantly The constāt Martirdome of M. Thomas Caustō and Maister Higbed Martyrs the xxvj day of the same moneth seale this their faith with shedding of their bloud by most cruell fire to the glory of God and great reioysing of the godly At the burning of whiche Mayster Higbed Iustice Browne was also present as is aboue specified and diuers Gentlemen in the shiere were commaunded to be present for feare belike least they should be taken from them And thus much touching the apprehension examination confession condemnation and burnyng of these two godly and constant Martyrs of God William Pigot Steuen Knight and Iohn Laurance with their exanation and constant martirdome IN the Story before of Thomas Tomkins and his fellowes March 28. mention was made of sixe whiche were examined and condemned together by bishop Boner the ninth day of February W. Pigot Ste. Knight Iohn Laurence Mart●●s Of the which sixe condemned persons two which were Tomkins and William Hunter as ye heard were executed the one vppon the 26. of February and the other vppon the 26. day of March Other three to witte William Pigot and Steuen Knight suffered vpon the eight and twenty day and Iohn Laurence the nine and twenty of the sayd month of march Touching the which three Martyrs now something to say of their examinations it was first demaunded of them what their opiniō was of the sacrament of the Aultar Whereunto they seuerally answered and also subscribed that in the sacrament of the aultar vnder formes of bread and wine there is not the very substaunce of the body and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ but a special partaking of the body and bloud of Christ the very body and bloud of Christ being onely in heauen and no where els This answere thus made the bishop caused certayne articles to be read vnto them tending to the same effect as did the articles before of Tomkins and of M. Causton The tenour whereof here followeth * Articles or interrogatories obiected by the bishop of London to Willlam Pigot Steuen Kight and Iohn Laurence the 8. of February 1555. WHether do you thinke and steadfastly beleeue that it is a catholicke Articles obie●ted to W. Pigot 〈…〉 faithfull christian and true doctrine to teach preach and say that in the sacramentes of the aultar vnder y e formes of bread wine there is w tout any substance of bread wine there remayning by y e omnipotent power of almightye God his holy worde really truely and in very deede the true and natural body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ the selfe same in substaunce though not in outward forme and appearaunce whiche was borne of the Uirgine Mary and suffered vppon the crosse yea or nay Whether doe you thinke Beliefe of their forelders and steadfastly beleeue that your Parentes kinsfolke frendes and acquaintance here in this realm of England before your birth a great while and also after your Birth professing and beleuing the said doctrine and fayth concerning the sayd sacrament of the aultar had a true christian fayth and were faythfull and true christen people or no Whether do you think and steadfastly beleue that your Godfathers and Godmother Beliefe of their godfathers and godmothers professing and beleuing the said Doctrine and faith concerning the sayde Sacrament of the aultar had a true christen fayth and were faythfull and true christen people or no Whether do you think and steadfastly beleue that your own self in times past being of the age of 14. yeares Beliefe of their young age and aboue did thinke and beleue concerning the sayd sacrament of the aulter in all poyntes as your sayde parentes kinsfolke friendes acquaintaunce godfathers and godmother did then thinke and beleue them or no Whether doe you thinke and steadfastly beleeue that oure Soueraignes the king and the Queene of thys Realme of England and all the Nobilitie Clergie and Laitie of this Realm professing and beleuing the said doctrine and fayth as other christian Realmes doe concerning the sayd sacrament of the altar haue a true christian fayth and beleeue as the Catholicke and true Churche of Christ hath alwayes beleued preached and taught or no Whether do ye thinke and steadfastly beleeue that our sauiour Christ and his holy spirite hath bene is Beliefe of the king and Queene the Nobilitie and shal be with his Catholicke churche euen to the worldes end gouerning and ruling the same in all thinges especially in the necessary poyntes of Christian Religion not suffering the same to erre or to be deceiued therein Whether it is true that you being suspected or infamed to be culpable Beliefe of the pretensed Catholicke church and faultie in speaking agaynst the sacrament of the Aultare and agaynst the very true presence of Christes naturall body and the substaunce thereof in y e sayd sacrament and thereupon called before mee vppon complaynt made to me agaynst you haue not bene a good space in my house hauing freely meate and drinke and also diuers times instructed and informed The reall presence and transubstantiation as well by one being our Ordinary as also by my chaplaines and dyuers other learned men some wherof were bishops some Deanes and some Archdeacons and euery one of them learned
and faithfull wife and children and also well quieted in the peaceable possession of that pleasaunt Euphrates I do confesse it but the Lord who worketh all thyngs for the best to them that loue him would not there leaue me but did take my deare and beloued wife from me whose death was a paynefull crosse to my flesh Also I thought my selfe nowe of late well placed vnder my most louing and most gentle mayster Laurence Saunders in the cure of Langhton G. Marsh Curate to Laurence Saunders But the Lord of his great mercy woulde not suffer me there long to continue although for the small tyme I was in his vineyard I was not all an idle workman But he hath prouided me I perceiue it to taste of a farre other cuppe The glory of the Church standeth not in outward shewes for by violence hath he yet once agayne driuen me out of that glorious Babilon that I should not taste to much of her wanton pleasures but wyth his most dearely beloued Disciples to haue my inward reioysing in the Crosse of his sonne Iesus Christe the glorye of whose Church I see it well standeth not in the harmonious soūd of Bells and Organes nor yet in the glistring of Mitors Copes neither in the shining of gilte Images and lightes as the blynde Papistes do iudge it but in continuall labours and dayly afflictions for his names sake God at this present here in Englande hath his fanne in hys hand and after hys great haruest whereinto these yeares past he hath sent his labourers is now sifting the corne frō the chaffe and purging his floore and ready to gather the wheate into hys garnar and to burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Take heede and beware of the leuen of the scribes and of the Saduces I meane the erroneous doctrine of the papistes whiche with their gloses depraue the Scriptures For as the Apostle S. Peter doth teach vs There shal be false teachers amongst vs whiche priuily shall bring in damnable sectes And sayth that many shall follow theyr damnable wayes by whom the way of trueth shall be euill spoken of and that through couetousnes they shall with fayned wordes make marchaundise of vs. And Christ earnestly warneth vs to beware of false Prophetes which come to vs in sheepes clothing but inwardly are rauening Wolues by their fruites ye shall know them The fruites of the Prophetes is theyr doctrine In this place are we Christians taught that wee shuld try the preachers other that come vnder colour to set forth true Religion vnto vs according to the saying of S. Paule Try all thinges and chose that whiche is good Also the Euangelist S. Iohn sayth Beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether they be of God or not for many false Prophetes sayth he are gone out into the world Therefore if thou wilt knowe the true Prophetes frō the false try theyr doctrine at the true touchstone whiche is the worde of God and as the godly Thessalonians did search ye the scriptures whether those thinges which be preached vnto you be euē so or not for els by the outward conuersatiō of thē ye may easely be deceiued Desūt fortassis aliqua ¶ A letter exhortatory of George Marshe to the faythfull professours of Langhton GRace be vnto you and peace be multiplied in y e knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord. A letter of G. Marsh ●o men of Langhton Amen I thought it my duety to write vnto you my beloued in y e Lord at Langhton to stirre vp your mindes to call to your remēbrance the wordes which haue bene told you before and to exhort you as that good man full of y e holy Ghost Barnabas did the Antiochians that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the Lord that ye stād fast Actes 11. and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospel wherof God be thāked ye haue had plenteous preaching vnto you by your late pastor M. Saunders other faithfull ministers of Iesus Christ which now when persecution ariseth because of y e word Luke 3. Rom. 1. do not fall away like shrinking children and forsake the truth being ashamed of the Gospell wherof they haue bene preachers but are willing and ready for your sakes which are Christes misticall body to forsake not onely the chiefe and principall delites of this lyfe I do meane theyr natiue countryes frendes lyuinges c. but also to fulfill theyr ministery vnto y e vtmost that is to witte with their painefull imprisonmentes and bloudsheddinges if need shall require to confirme seale Christes Gospell Acte● 12. wherof they haue bene Ministers and as S. Paul sayth they are ready not onely to be cast into prison but also to be killed for the name of the Lord Iesu. Whether these being that good salt of the earth that is true ministers of Gods worde Math. 5. by whose doctrine beyng receiued through fayth men are made sauory vnto God which themselues lose not theyr saltnes True salte 〈…〉 the ●●●rupt and ●●sauory ●●lt now when they be prooued with the boysterous stormes of aduersity and persecutiō or others being that vnsauery salt which hath lost his saltnes that is to witte those vngodly ministers which do fall from the word of God into the dreames and traditions of Antichrist whether of these I say be more to be credited and beleued let all men iudge Wherfore my dearely beloued receiue y e word of God with meekenes y t is graffed in you whiche is able to saue your soules Iames. 2. And see that ye be not forgetfull hearers deceiuing yourselues with sophistry but doers of the word whom Christ doth liken to a wise mā Math. 7. which buildeth his house on a rocke that when the great rayn discendeth and the flouddes come and beate vpon the house it fel not because it was grounded vpon a rocke this is to witte that when Sathan with all his legion of deuils with all theyr subtill suggestions and the world with all y e mighty princes therof 〈◊〉 2. with their crafty counsels doe furiously rage against vs we faint not but abide constant in the truth being grounded vpon a most sure rock which is Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell against which the gates of hel that is 〈◊〉 16. the power of Sathan cannot preuayle And be ye followers of Christ and the Apostles and receaue the word in much affliction as the godly Thessalonians did Thes 1. 〈◊〉 recea●●● of the 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 be for the true followers of Christ and the Apostles be they which receiue the word of God They onely receiue the word of god which both beleue it also frame their liues after it be ready to suffer all maner of aduersitie for the name of the Lord as Christ all y e Apostles did and as all that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must doe for there
thing The principal is in the name of the father the sonne of the holy ghost and in necessity it may serue Haukes Christ did vse it without any such necessitye and yet we lacke the chiefest poynt Boner What is that Haukes Go teach all nations baptising them c. Boner Thou speakest that because I am no Preacher Boner no Preacher Haukes I speake the texte I doe not meane you Then spake all his Doctours his men that were with hym he speaketh it of you my Lorde with a greate noyse that they made Boner Will ye be content to tary here and your child shall be Baptised and you shall not know of it so that you will agree to it Haukes And if I would so haue done I neded not to haue come to you for I had the same counsell geuen before Boner You seeme to be a lustye young man you will not geue your head for the washing You will stand in the defence of it for the honour of your Countrey Doe ye thinke that the Queene and I can not commaund it to be done in spite of your teeth Haukes What the Queene you can do M. Haukes will not consent to haue his childe christened after the Popish order I will not stand in it but ye get my conscience neuer the sooner Boner Well you are a stubburne young man I perceyue I must worke on other way with you Haukes Ye are in the handes of God and so am I. Boner What so euer you thinke I woulde not haue you speake such wordes vnto me And so we departed vntyll Euensong tyme and ere Euensong was begon my Lord called for me to come to him into the Chappell and sayde Haukes thou art a proper young man God hath done his part vnto thee I would be glad to do thee good Thou knowest that I am thy Pastour and one that should aunswere for thee If I woulde not teach thee well I shoulde aunswere for thy soule Haukes That I haue sayd I will stand to it God willing there is no way to remoue it Boner Nay nay Haukes thou shalt not be so wilfull Remember Christ had two go into his vineyard the one said he would went not the other sayd he would not went Haukes The last went Boner Doe thou likewise and I will talke frendly wyth thee howe sayest thou It is in the sixt of S. Iohn Boner entereth talke of the sacrament I am the bread of life and the bread that I will geue is my flesh which I will geue for the life of the worlde And who so euer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath euerlasting life My flesh is very meat in deede and my bloud is very drinke in deed And hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Do ye beleue this Haukes Yea I must needes beleue the Scriptures Boner Why then I trust that ye be sound in the blessed sacrament Haukes I beseech your Lordship to feele my conscience no farther then in that that I was accused in vnto you Boner Well well let vs go vnto Euensong Haukes With that I turned my backe to goe out of the Chappell Boner Why will you not tary Euensong Haukes No forsooth Boner And why Haukes For I will not Thomas Haukes refuseth to heare Boners Euensong Boner And why will you not Haukes For because I haue no edifiyng thereby for I vnderstand no Latine Boner Why you maye pray by your selfe What bookes haue ye Haukes I haue the new Testament the bookes of Salomon and the Psalter Bo. Why I pray you tary here pray you on your psalter Haukes I wil not pray in this place nor in none such Thē sayd one of his chapleins let him go my Lord and he shal be no partaker with vs in our prayers Haukes I thinke my selfe best at ease when I am farthest from you And so the Byshop went to Euensong and I came downe and walked betwene the Hall and the Chappell in the Court taryed there till Euensong was done and within an houre after that Euensong was done the Bishop sent for me into his chamber where he lay himself Thomas Haukes called for againe by Boner when I came there was he and three of his Chapleins Boner Ye know of the talke that was betwene you me as cōcerning the sacramēt You would not haue your conscience sought any farther then in that ye were accused of Haukes I thought you would not be both mine accuser Iudge Boner Well ye shall aunswere me to the Sacrament of the aultar the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacramēt of Penance and the Sacrament of Matrimony Haukes There is none of these but I dare speake my conscience in them Boner The sacrament of the aultar ye seme to be sound in Haukes Thomas Haukes knoweth no sacrament of the aultar In the Sacrament of the aultar why Syr I do not know it Boner Well we will make you to know it and beleue in it too ere euer we haue done with you Haukes No that shall ye neuer do Boner Yes a Fagot will make you do it Hauk No no a poynt for your fagot What God thinketh meete to be done that shall ye do and more shall ye not do Boner The matter and substance of the Sacrament Do ye not beleue that there remaineth in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar after the wordes of consecration be spoken no more bread but the very body and bloud of Christ and at that word he put of his cap. Haukes I do beleue as Christ hath taught me Boner Why did not Christ say Take eate this is my body Haukes Christ sayd so but therefore it foloweth not that the Sacrament of the aultar is so as you reach neither did Christ euer teach it so to be Boner Why the Catholicke Church taught it so and they were of Christes Church Haukes How proue ye it The Apostles neuer taught it so Read the Actes the second and the twenty Neither Peter nor Paule euer taught it neither instituted it so Boner Ah Syr ye will haue no more then the Scripture teacheth but euen as Christ hath left it bare Haukes Hee that teacheth me any otherwise I wyll not beleue him Boner Touching the necessary poynts of doctrine and Sacramentes onely the word is to be folowed Why then ye must eate a Lambe if ye will haue but Christes institution onely Haukes Nay that is not so Before that Christ did institute the Sacrament that ceremony ceased and then begā the Sacrament Boner Alas you know not how it begon neither of the institution therof Haukes Then I would be glad to learne Boner Mary we will teach you but you are so stubburn that ye will not learne A false conceiued opinion of Boner agaynst the Protestants Haukes Except ye learne me by the word of God I wyll neuer credite you nor beleue you and thus we concluded Then
bottle of wine For he had lost his lyuing because hee had a wife Then the Bishop called me agayne into the Orchard and sayd to the old Bishop this young man hath a childe and will not haue it christened Haukes I deny not Baptisme Boner Thou art a foole thou canst not tell what y u wouldest haue and that he spake with much anger Haukes A bishop must be blamelesse or faultles sober discreete no chider not geuen to anger Boner Thou iudgest me to be angry no by my fayth am I not and stroke himselfe vpon the brest Then sayd the old Bishop Alas good yoūg man you must be taught by y e church and by your auncients and do as your forefathers haue done before you Boner No no he will haue nothing but the Scriptures and God wot he doth not vnderstād them He will haue no ceremonies in the Church no not one What say you to holy water Haukes I say to it as to the rest and to all that be of hys making that made them Boner Why the scriptures doth allow it Haukes Where proue you that Boner In the booke of kinges where Eliseus threw salt into the water See how Boner proueth holy water by the scripture Elizeus put salt in the water not to washe away sinne but onely to make the water sweete Boner proueth holy bread by the 5. loaues and 3. fishes Haukes Ye say truth it is so written in the fourth booke of Kinges the second chapter the children of the Prophetes came to Elizeus saying The dwelling of the city is pleasant but the waters be corrupted This was the cause that Elizeus threw salt into the water and it became sweete good and so when our waters be corrupted if ye can by putting in of salte make them sweete cleare and wholesome wee will the better beleue your ceremonies Boner How say ye to holy bread Haukes Euen as I sayde to the others What Scripture haue you to defend it Boner Haue ye not read where Christ fedde fiue thousand men with fiue loaues and three fishes Haukes Will ye make that holy bread There Christ dealt fish with his holy bread Boner Looke I pray you how captious this man is Haukes Christ did not this miracle or other because wee should doe the like miracle but because we should beleeue and credite his doctrine thereby Boner Ye beleue no doctrine but that whiche is wrought by miracles Haukes No forsooth for Christ sayth These tokens shall follow them that beleue in me they shall speake with new tongues they shall cast out Deuils Marke 16. and if they drinke any deadly poyson it shall not hurt them Boner With what newe tongues doe ye speake Haukes Forsooth where before that I came to the knowledge of Gods word I was a soule blasphemer and filthy talker since I came to the knowledge thereof I haue lauded God praysed God and geuen thankes vnto God euē with the same tongue and is not this a new tongue Boner How do ye cast out Deuils Haukes Christ did cast them out by hys word and he hath left the same word that whosoeuer doth credite and beleue it shall cast out deuils Boner Did you euer drinke any deadly poyson Haukes Ye forsooth that I haue for I haue dronken of y e pestilent traditions and ceremonies of the Byshoppe of Rome Boner Now you shew your selfe to be a right hereticke Haukes I pray you what is heresie Boner B. Boner an 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 owne definition All thinges that are contrary to Gods word Haukes If I stand in any thing contrary thereto then am I worthy so to be called Boner Thou art one and thou shalt be burned if y u stand and continue in this opinion Ye thinke we are afrayd to put one of you to death yes yes there is a brotherhead of you but I will breake it I warrant you Haukes Where proue you that Christ or his Apostles dyd kill any man for his fayth Boner Did not Paule excommunicate The Papistes doe besides Gods booke in burning men for their fayth Haukes Yes my Lorde but there is a great difference betweene excommunicating and burning Boner Haue ye not read of the man and the woman in the Actes of the Apostles whome Peter destroyed Haukes Yes forsooth I haue read of one Ananias Saphira his wife which were destroied for lying agaynst the holy Ghost which serueth nothing your purpose Boner Well you will graunt one yet This Bishop here forgetteth his lesson Benedicite persequ●tibus vos Haukes Well if you will haue vs to graunt you be of god then shew mercy for that God requireth Boner We will shew such mercy vnto you as ye shewed vnto vs for my benefice or bishopricke was taken awaye from me so that I had not one penny to liue vpon Haukes I pray you my Lord what do ye geue him nowe that was in the bishopricke or benefice before that ye came agayne to it whereunto he aunswered me neuer a word for he turned his backe vnto me talked with other men saying that he was very sory for me but he trusted that I would turne with S. Paul because I was so earnest and so he departed and went to dinner Thomas Haukes afterward called for agayne to talke with the old Bishop and I to the Porters lodge agayne After dinner I was called into the Hall agayne and the Bishop desired the old bishop to take me into his chamber for I would be glad sayd he if ye tould conuert him So he took me into his chamber sate him down in a chayre and sayde to me I woulde to God I coulde doe you some good Ye are a young man and I woulde not wishe you to go to farre but learn of your elders to beare somewhat Haukes I will beare with nothing that is contrary to the word of God And I looked that the olde Bishop shoulde haue made me an aunswere and he was fast a sleepe Then I departed out of y e chamber alone and went to the Porters lodge againe and there saw I the old Bishop last I suppose he is not yet awake Talke betweene Fecknam and Hawkes The next dayes talke with Fecknam THe next day came Fecknam vnto me and said are ye he that will haue no ceremonies Haukes What meane you by that Fecknam Ye will not haue your childe christened but in English and you will haue no ceremonies Haukes What soeuer the scripture cōmaundeth to be done I refuse not Fecknam Ceremonies are to be vsed by the scriptures Fecknams reasō lyeth in Paules Breches Haukes Which be those Fecknam How say you by Paules breeches Haukes I haue read no such thing Fecknam Haue yee not read in the Actes of the Apostles how thinges went from Paules body and they receaued health thereby Haukes I haue read in the xix of the Acts how there went partlets and napkins from Paules bodye Is it that that ye meane Actes
garland of our Lady compiled by the said S. Bonauenture wherein these words are to be red as followeth O Mediatrix betweene God and man the Lorde hath worthily magnified thee Blasphemye The Rosary or Garland of our Lady called Coren● beatae Mariae Mary made a commaunder of Christ. that thou onely shouldst conceyue hys sonne c. Wherefore O good Mary our mediatrix mother of Grace and mother of Mercy c. And moreouer within fewe lynes it followeth in these woordes Therefore O our Empresse and Lady most bountifull by the authoritie of a Mother commaund commaund I say thy welbeloued sonne that he wil stirre vp our myndes from the loue of worldly thyngs to heuenly desires c. Item O the Aduocate of the miserable the eyes of thy seruants be directed to thee c. To these premisses I might also adioyne the horrible and most blasphemous wordes of the said Bonauenture in the said booke Fol. 100. pag. 2. col 1. which I besech thee to read and note Quae maior bonitas quam quod Christus i. What greater goodnes can be then that Christ is content to be captiue vpon the aultar Whereupon he speaketh in the person of Ieremy saying Behold I am in your hands do with me as you see good c. Where note sayth he that when any Duke or prince ●s taken prisoner for hys subiectes he is not let goe before he paye some great summe of mony for hys ransome Christ made a captiue and a prisoner in the Popes Church Euen so neither we ought to let Christ go out of our hands beyng our prisoner and captiue except he graunt vnto vs remission of our sinnes and his heauenly kingdome The priest therfore lifteth vp the body of Christ vpon the aultar as though he sayd thus behold hym whome the whole world is not able to comprehend he is holden here our captiue wherfore let vs hold hym fast and not let hym go before we obtayne of hym our requests c. Notes The Church of Rome examined Is not here good Catholike stuffe christen Readers trow you Conferre I beseech you this doctrine wyth the doctrine of the Apostles which teach vs that we are fullye complet in Christ and I wil referre me to no better iudge then to your own conscience And now therfore if any mā haue bene in doubt in tymes past of the doctrine and proceedings of the church of Rome The Church of Rome conn●ct of manifest idolatry whether it be rightly charged with blynd errors with blasphemy intollerable Idolatry abominable or not here now may he be fully certified resolued For where was euer idolatry or blasphemy to be found if it be not here in this Mattins Psalter of our Lady Our Lady made equall with God in the Church Rome If Idolatry be to make an idoll to bee worshipped as God which is no God what doe we here but make an idoll of our Lady as we call her to be worshipped with no lesse dignity glory authority reuerence and seruice then is the Lord God himselfe As he is called our Lord so she is called our lady And if he be kyng yet she is the queene of heauē The doctrine of the Romish Church directly against the first commaundemēt of God And though he haue the name of god yet she bereth so the title of the mother of God that as mothers haue authority ouer their children so she is willed to shew her selfe to be his mother to cause him to grāt our petitions Finally if he be our patron yet is she our patronesse The commandement saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and hym only shalt thou serue And what worship or seruice can we geue to God more then we doe ascribe vnto her Or what benefit is to be asked at y e hands of Christ our Sauiour which is not equally asked of her To saue our soules to geue vs peace to graunt grace to comfort the desperate to loose our captiuity to release our sinnes To trust and beleeue in our Lady to deliuer from the fiend to bryng to heauen c. to her we pray we cry we creepe we sigh we grone wee knock and kneele to her we trust and if we beleue not also in our Lady Our Lady hath her Church as well as Christ. we be heretikes ipso facto Furthermore as Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour hath his Church and Congregation which professeth hys name of whom we are called Christians so neither is she likewise without her chapels her cloisters her Chapters fraternities and brotherhoods which professing her name in like sort are called our Ladies brethren or white friers besides an innumerable sort of other patrons of churches of whom euery one hath his peculiar church and religion by himselfe yet all these together be included vnder the generall deuotion of our Lady their supreme patronesse and gouernesse Now to proceed further to the other prrt of the commaundement which sayeth Him onely shalt thou serue What seruice hath the Lord in all the church but our Lady also iointly with him hath the lyke Her Masse her Mattins her Euensong her Houres and Complin her Rosaries her Anthems her Collects her Primer her Psalter her holydaies likewyse yea fiue to one Finally as y e Lord hath his prayer called the Lordes prayer so hath shee her Aue Maries yea x. Aues to one Pater noster yea read further in the said Bonauenture 10. 〈◊〉 to one P●●ter noste● and ye shal see her also to haue her Te Deum her Benedictus her Magnificat and also her Quicunque vult If the Lorde our God had not expressed vnto vs hys own will by playne worde limiting vnto vs by expresse iniunction what to beleue what to folow how to worship and serue him how to receiue from him our saluation but had left vs to the imagination of our owne inuētions euery man to shift for himself after his own pollicy then peraduenture this way taken by the Popes Church to make frends mediators betwene God and vs for reconciliation remission saluation might haue some ryme or reason but now gods word doth bynde vs doth prescribe and limite vs precisely in euery point touching saluation what to beleue what to do shewing vs plainly that we cannot be saued but by the bloud of hys sonne only neither cā be iustified but by faith only in y e same Christ his sonne Wherfore not to beleue that which he hath promised is infidelitie and to follow any other beliefe then he hath set vs is plaine idolatry Infidelity Idolatrye The which ij special errors most commonly doe followe the doctrine of the Romish church as not only in this primer and psalter of our Lady aforesaid but also in all their proceedings teachings and preachings besides may well appeare The 〈◊〉 of Rome charged with Infidelitye 〈◊〉 Idolatry● The church of Rome neyther taketh 〈◊〉
into the Ministerye when I had a Prebend geuen me and when I was sworne to serue the king a litle before his death Chaunc Tush Herodes oth quoth Winchester Herodes othes a man should make no cōscience at Brad. But my Lord these were no Herodes othes no vnlawfull othes but othes according to Gods word as you your selfe haue well affirmed in your booke De vera obedientia Winchest De vera obedientia M. Roch. My Lordes quoth an other of the Counsell that stoode by the table M. Rochester speaketh Mayster Rochester I weene I neuer knew wherfore this man was in prison before now but I see well that it had not bene good that this man had bene abroad What the cause was that he was put in prison I know not but I now wel know that not without a cause he was and is to be kept in prison Bourne Yea it was reported this Parliament time by the Earle of Darbye that he hath done more hurt by Letters The Earle of Darbye● complaynt agaynst Bradford and exhorting those that haue come to him in Religion then euer he did whē he was abroad by preaching In his letters he curseth all that teach any false doctrine for so he calleth that whiche is not according to that he taught and most hartily exhorteth them to whom he writeth to continue styll in that they haue receyued by hym This letter was written to his mother brethrē and sisters and followeth hereafter M Bradford falsely charged with sedition and suche lyke as he is All which wordes diuers of the Coūsell affirmed Wherunto the sayde M. Bourne added saying how saye you sir haue you not thus seditiously writtē and exhorted the people Brad. I haue not written nor spoken any thing seditiously neither I thanke God therfore haue I admitted any sedious cogitation nor I trust neuer shall do Bourne Yea but thou hast written letters Chaunc Why speakest thou not Hast thou not written as he sayth Brad. That I haue written I haue written South Lord God Syr Richard Southwell speaketh what an arrogant and stubborne boy is this that thus stoutly and dallyingly behaueth himselfe before the Queenes Counsel Wherat one looked vpon an other with disdaynfull countenaunces Brad. My Lordes and Maysters the Lord God which is and will be iudge to vs all knoweth that as I am certain I stand now before his maiesty so with reuerence in hys sight I stand before you vnto you accordingly in words and gesture I desire to behaue my selfe Yf you otherwyse take it I doubt not but God in his time wil reueale it In the meane season I shall suffer with all due obediēce your sayinges and doynges too I hope Chaunc These be gay glorious woordes of reuerence but as in all other thinges All is lyes that pleaseth not Winchester so herein also thou doest nothyng but lye Brad. Well I would God the author of truth and abhorrer of lyes would pull my tong out of my head before you all and shew a terrible iudgement on me here present if I haue purposed or do purpose to lie before you whatsoeuer you shall aske me Chaunc Why thē doest thou not answere Hast thou written such letters as here is obiected agaynst thee Brad. As I sayde my Lorde that I haue written I haue written I stand now before you which eyther can lay my Letters to my charge or no Winchester holden at a bay if you laye anye thing to my charge that I haue written if I deny it I am then a lyer Chaunc We shall neuer haue done with thee I perceiue now be short be short wilt thou haue mercy Brad. I pray God geue me his mercy and if therwith you will extende yours I will not refuse it but otherwise I will none Here now was much adoe one speaking this and an other that of his arrogancy in refusing the Queenes pardon whiche shee so louingly did offer vnto him whereto Bradford answered thus Brad. My Lordes if I may liue as a quiet Subiect without clog of conscience M. Bradford desireth to liue that he may haue lyfe without clogge of conscience I shall hartily thanke you for your pardon if otherwise I behaue my selfe then I am in danger of the law in the meane season I aske no more but the benefite of a Subiect till I be conuinced of transgression I● I can not haue this as hitherto I haue not had Gods good will be done Chaunc Uppon these wordes my Lorde Chauncelloure beganne a long processe of the false doctrine wherwith the people were deceiued in the dayes of Kyng Edwarde Winchester speaketh agaynst the doctrine taught in K. Edwa●des tyme. and so turned the ende of his talke to Bradford saying Howe sayest thou Brad. My Lorde the doctrine taught in king Edwardes dayes was Gods pure Religion the which as I then beleued so do I now more beleue it then euer I did therin I am more confirmed and readye to declare it by Gods grace M. Bradford standeth in defence of the doctrine taught in K. Edwardes tyme. euen as he will to the worlde then I was when I first came into prison Dures What religion meane you in king Edwards daies What yeare of his raigne Brad. Forsooth euen the same yeare my Lord that the king dyed I was a Preacher Here wrote Secretary Bourne I wote not what Chaunc Nowe after a litle pausing my Lorde Chauncellour beginneth agayne to declare The reason of Winchester wher● with he disproueth the doctrine of K. Edwardes dayes that the doctrine taught in king Edwardes dayes was heresy vsing for probation demonstration thereof no scripture nor reason but this that it ended with treason and rebellion so that quoth he the very end were enough to improue that doctrine to bee nought Brad. Ah my Lord that you could enter into Gods Sanctuary and marke the end of this presēt doctrine that you now so magnify Chaunc What meanest thou by that I weene wee shall haue a snatch of rebellion euen now Brad. My Lord. I meane no such ende as you woulde gather I meane an end which no man seeth but such as enter into Gods Sanctuary If a man looke on present thinges he will soone deceiue himselfe The Queenes mercy agayne offered to M. Bradford Here nowe did my Lorde Chauncellour offer agayne mercy and Bradforde aunswered as before Mercy wyth Gods mercy should be welcome but otherwise he woulde none Whereupon the Lord Chauncellour did ryng a litle bell belike to call in some body for there was present none in maner but onely those before named and the Byshoppe of Worcester Nowe when one was come in it is best quoth Mayster Secretary Bourne that you geue the keper a charge of this fellowe So was the vnder Marshall called in Chaunc M. Bradford returned agayne into prison Ye shall take this man to you and keep him close without conferēce with
remēber that once you were as farre as a man might iudge of the Religion that I am of at this present 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 religi●● with M. ●●adford and I remember that you haue set forth the same earnestly Gladly therfore would I learn of you what thing it was that moued your conscience to alter and gladly would I see what thing it is that you haue sene sithen which you saw not before Pendleton Maister Bradford I doe not know wherefore you are condemned Bradford Transubstantiation is the cause wherfore I am condemned and because I denye that wicked men receyue Christes body wherein I woulde desire you to shewe me what reasons which before you knew not did moue your conscience now to alter For once as I sayd you were as I am in Religion Here mayster Pendleton halfe amazed began to excuse himselfe if it would haue bene as though he had not denied fully transubstantiation in deede although I sayde quoth he that the word was not in Scripture Pendleton belike would study out the reasons that moued him to alter for he had none ready to shew Euill men receiue not Christes body He must be in Christes body that must receiue Christes body and so hee made an endlesse tale of the thing that moued hym to alter but sayd he I wil gather to you the places which moued me and send you them And here he desired Bradforde that hee might haue a copye of that whiche he had sent to Mayster Weston the which Bradford did promise him Syme reasoning also they had whether euill men dyd receiue Christes body Bradford denying and Pendleton affirming Bradford sayd that they receiued not the spirit Ergo not the body for it is no 〈◊〉 carkas Hereto Bradford brought also S. Augustine how Iudas receiued Panem Domini and not Panem Dominum how that he muste be in Christs body which must receiue the body of Christ. But Pendleton went about to put it away with idem and not ad idem and how that in Corpore Christi was to be vnderstand of all that be in the visible Church with Gods elect Bradforde denyed this to be Saynt Augustines meaning and sayd also that the allegation of idem and not ad idem could not make for that purpose They talked more of Transubstantiation Pendleton bringing forth Cyprian The place of S. Cyprian expounded how the nature of bread is chaunged Cyprian expounded by Gelasius Panis natura mutatur c. And Bradforde sayde that in that place natura did not signify substaunce As the nature of an herbe is not the substaunce of it so the breade chaunged in nature is not to be taken for chaunged in substaunce For now it is ordeined not for the foode of the body simply but rather for the soule Here also Bradford alleadged the sentence of Gelasius Pendleton sayde that he was a Pope Yea sayd Bradford but his faith is my fayth in the Sacrament if ye would receiue it They reasoned also whether accidentia were res or no. If they be properly res sayde Bradford then are they substaunces and if they be substances they are earthly Pendleton driuen to say that accidences be substance then are there earthly substaunces in the Sacramen as Irenaeus sayth which must needes be bread But Pendleton sayde that the colour was the earthly thing and called it an accidentall substaunce I omitte the talke they had of my Lord of Canterbury of Peter Martyrs booke of Pendletons Letter layde to Bradfordes charge when he was condemned with other talke more of the Church whether Dic Ecclesiae was spokē of the vniuersall Church or of a particular which Pēdleton at the length graunted to bee spoken of a particulare Church also of vayne glory which he willed Bradford to beware of and such like talke A litle before his departing Bradford sayd thus Maister Doctor Bradford could heare no reason of the Papistes to infirme his opinion agaynst transubstantiation as I said to M. Weston the last day so saye I vnto you agayne that I am the same man in Religion agaynst Transubstantiation styll which I was whē I came into prison for hitherto I haue sene nothing in any poynt to infirme me At which words Pendleton was something moued and said that it was no Catholicke doctrine Yes quoth Bradford and that wil I proue euen by the testimony of the Catholicke fathers vntill Concilium Lateranense or thereabout Thus Pendleton wēt his way saying that he would come oftener to Bradford God our father be with vs all and geue vs the spirite of his truth for euer Amen The same day in the afternoone about fiue of the clock came Mayster Weston to Bradford and after gentle salutations he desired the company euery man to depart so they two sat downe And after that he had thanked Bradford for his writing vnto him he pulled out of his bosome the same writing which Bradford had sent him The writing is this that foloweth * Certayne reasons agaynst Transubstantiation gathered by Iohn Bradford and geuen to Doctour Weston and others 1. THat which is former sayth Tertullian is true that whiche is latter is false Transubstantiatiō not brought into the church before the yeare 1215. by Pope Innocentius 3. But the doctrine of transubstantiation is a late doctrine for it was not defined generally afore the Councel of Laterane about 1215. yeares after Christes comming vnder Pope Innocentius the thyrd of that name For before that time it was free for all men to beleue it or not beleue it as the Bishop of Duresme doth witnesse in his booke of the presence of Christ in his Supper lately put forth Ergo the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is false 2. That the words of Christes supper be figuratiue the circūstāces of the scripture the Analogy or proportiō of the sacramētes Three reasons prouing the wordes of the Lordes supper to be figuratiue the sentēces of all the holy fathers which were did write for the space 1000. yeares after Christes Ascension do teach wherevpon it foloweth that there is no transubstantiation 3. That the Lord gaue to his Disciples bread and called it his body the very Scriptures do witnesse For he gaue that called it his body which he tooke in his handes wheron he gaue thankes which also he brake gaue to his Disciples that is to say bread as the fathers 1. Circumstances of Scripture 2. Proportion of Sacramentes 3. Testimony of olde Doctours The wine is not transubstantiate● Ergo neyther the bread Iraeneus Tertullian Origene Cyprian Epiphanius Augustine and all the residue which are of antiquity doe affirme but in as much as the substaunce of breade and wine is an other thing then the substance of the body bloud of Christ it plainely appeareth that there is no transubstantiation 4. The bread is no more transubstantiate then the wine but that the wine is not trāsubstātiate S. Mathew S. Mark
it with our blouds For I thought this night that I had bene sent for because at a 11. of the clocke there was such rapping at the dore Then answered a mayd and sayd why thē I perceiue you were afrayd Brad. M. Bradford nothing afrayd of death Ye shall heare how fearefull I was For I considered that I had not slept and I thought to take a nap before I went and after I was a sleepe these men came into the next chamber and sang as it was tolde me and yet for all my fearefulnes I heard thē not therfore belike I was not afrayd that slept so fast Seru. Do you lacke any thing toward your necessity Brad. Nothing but your prayers I trust I haue them and you mine Seru. I saw a priest come to you to day in the morning Brad. Yea he brought me a letter from a Fryer and I am writing an answere Seru. Then we let you therefore the liuing God be wyth you Brad. And with you also and blesse you Seru. Amen sayd we and gaue him thankes departed M. Bradford had from the Counter to Newgate by night THus still in prison continued Bradford vntill the moneth of Iuly in such labors suffrings as he before alwayes had susteyned in prison But when the time of hys determined death was come he was sodēly conueyed out of the Counter where he was prisoner in the night season to Newgate as afore is declared frō thence he was caried the next morning to Smithfield where he constantly abiding in the same truth of God which before he had confessed earnestly exhorting the people to repent to return to Christ sweetly comforting the godly yong springall of 19. or 20. yeares old which was burned with him chearefully he ended his paynefull life to liue with Christ. ¶ Iohn Leafe burnt with M. Bradford Iohn Leafe fellow Martyr with M. Bradford WIth whō also was burnt one Iohn Leafe an apprētice to Humfrey Gawdy Tallow Chaundlor of the parish of Christs church in London of the age of 19. yeres and aboue borne at Kirkeby Moreside in the Countye of Yorke who vpō the friday next before Palme sonday was cōmitted to the Counter in Breadstreete Iohn Leafe of the parish of Christ church by the Alderman of that warde committed to prison by an Alderman of London who had rule charge of that warde or part of the City where the sayd Leafe did dwell After he cōmyng to examination before Boner gaue a firme Christian testimony of his doctrine profession answering to such articles as were obiected to him by the sayd Bishop First as touching his beliefe fayth in the sayd sacrament of the aultar Iohn Leafe examined before B. Boner The aunsweres of Iohn Leafe concerning his fayth in the Sacrament he answered that after y e words of consecration spoken by the priest ouer the bread wine there was not the very true naturall body bloud of Christ in substance and further did hold and beleue that the sayd sacramēt of the aultar as it is now called vsed beleued in this realme of Englād is idolatrous abhominable also sayd further that he beleued that after the words of cōsecration spoken by the Priest ouer the material bread and wine there is not the selfe same substance of Christes body bloud there cōteined but bread wine as it was before and further sayd that he beleued that when the priest deliuereth the said material bread wine to the cōmunicants he deliuereth but onely * Onely as touching the substance but not as concerning the effect thereof Auricular confession He meaneth after the Popish maner of remitting c. material bread and wyne and the communicants do receiue the same in remēbrance of Christes death and passion and spiritually in fayth they receiue Christs body and bloud but not vnder the formes of bread and wine and also affirmed that he beleued auricular confession not to be necessary to be made vnto a priest for it is no poynt of soule health neither that the Priest hath anye authority geuen him by the Scripture to absolue and remit any sinne Upon these his answeres and testimony of his fayth he at that time being dismissed was bid the Monday next being the x. of Iune to appere again in the said place there and then to heare the sentence of his condemnatiō who so did At what time the foresayd Bishop propounding the sayd articles again to him as before assaying by al maner of wayes to reuoke him to his owne trade that is from truth to error notwithstanding all his perswasiōs threates and promises found him the same man still so planted vpon the sure rocke of truth that no wordes nor deedes of men could remoue him Then the bishop after many wordes to and fro at last asked him if he had bene M. Rogers scholler Iohn Lea●e M. Roge●● scholler To whō the foresayd Iohn Leafe answered agayne graunting him so to be and that he the same Iohn did beleue in the doctrine of the sayd Rogers and in the doctrine of Bishop Hooper Cardmaker and other of their opinion which of late were burned for the testimony of Christ and that he would dye in that doctrine that they dyed for And after other replications agayne of the Bishop mouing him to returne to the vnity of the Church he with a great courage of spirite answered agayne in these words My Lord quoth he you cal mine opiniō heresy it is the true light of the word of God and agayne repeating the same he professed that he would neuer forsake his stayed well grounded opinion while y e breath should be in his body Wherupon the Bishop being too weake eyther to refute his sentence or to remoue hys constancy proceeded consequently to read the Popish sentence of cruell condemnatiō Sentence read agaynst Iohn Leafe wherby this godly constant young man being cōmitted to the secular power of the shiriffes there present was thē adiudged not long after suffered the same day with M. Bradford confirming w t hys death that which he had spoken and professed in his life It is reported of the said Iohn Leafe by one that was in the Counter the same time and saw the thing Iohn Leafe sealed the bill of his confessions with his bloud that after his examinations before the Bishop when two bils were sent vnto him in the Coūter in Bredstreet the one conteyning a recantation the other his confessions to knowe to which of them he would put to his hand first hearyng the Byll of recantation read vnto him because he coulde not read nor write hymselfe that he refused And when the other was read vnto him which he well liked of in stead of a pen he tooke a pinne and so pricking his hand sprinckled the bloud vpon the sayd bill willing the reader thereof to shew the Bishop that he had sealed the same
tell more of this then I can write Therfore deare mother receiue some admonition of one of thy poore children nowe goyng to be burned for the testimonye of Iesus Come agayne to Gods truth come out of Babilon confesse Christ and his true doctrine repent that whiche is past make amendes by declaryng thy repentaunce by the fruites Remember the readings and preachinges of Gods Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer Call to minde the threatninges of God nowe something seene by the children Leauer and others Let the exile of Leauer Pilkinton Grindall Haddon Horne Scorye Ponet c. something awake thee Let the imprisonmēt of thy deare sonnes Cranmer Ridley and Latimer moue thee Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens Rogers Saunders Taylor And nowe cast not awaye the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also and to receiue the like crowne of glorye with my fellowes Take to harte Gods calling by vs. Be not as Pharao was for then will it happen vnto thee as it did vnto hym What is that hardnes of hart And what then destructiō eternally both of body and soule Ah therefore good mother awake awake repent repent buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for thee Oh harden not your hartes Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce though it be by me a most vnworthy messenger Oh feare the Lord for his anger is begon to kindle Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree You know I prophecied truely to you before the Sweate came what would come if you repēted not your carnall Gospelling And now I tel you before I depart hence that the eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaunce of God that will fall vpon you all both Towne and Vniuersitie if you repent not if you leaue not your Idolatrie if you turne not speedely to the Lord if you still be ashamed of Christes truth which you know Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repent Oh you Doctors Bachelers Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen Towne dwellers repent repent repent that you may escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your hartes come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs all say Peccauimus we haue all sinned we haue done wickedly we haue not hearkned to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes but be mercifull to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon our offenses In thine anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes for the glory of thy names sake Spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say where is now their God Oh for thine owne sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in this sort my dearely beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto our father prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shall finde mercie Then shall the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercy sake in Christ then shall we heare him speake peace vnto his people God● mercy 〈◊〉 to Cambridge if it repent For he is gracious mercifull of great pitie compassion he can not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we weepe in the morning yet at night we shall haue our sorow to cease For he is exorable and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather would our conuersion and turning Oh turne you now and conuert yet once agayne I humbly besech you and then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nigh The eye hath not seane the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent amende our liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if we repent not but be as you were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will leade you on with wicked doers you shall perish in your wickednes your bloud will be vpon your owne heades your part shal be with hypocrites where shal be weepyng gnashyng of teeth ye shal be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow wo and miserie shal be both in body and soule to you world without end Oh therefore right deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amende amende your liues depart from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out from Babilon cast of the workes of darkenesse put on Christ confesse his truth be not ashamed of his Gospell prepare your selues to the Crosse drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the day of Iudgement which is at hand and therefore prepare your selues thereto I hartely beseche you And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercie be with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kyngdome Amen Amen Out of prison the 11. of Februarie Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To Lankeshire and Cheshire TO all those that professe his name and true Religion of our sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre An other letter of M. Bradford to Lankeshire Cheshire and specially to Manchester and specially abiding in Manchester and therabout Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not onely in boundes but also condemned for y e same true religion wisheth mercy and grace peace and increase of all godlines from God the father of all pitty through y e desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I heard it reported credibly my dearely beloued in the Lord that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by worde so I shall testifie confirme the same by deede That is I shall with you leaue my life whiche by hys prouidence I first receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you so so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ whiche exercise this crueltie vpon me I speake in respect of myne offence which is none to themwardes thinke by killing of me amongest you to affray you and others least they shoulde attempt to teach Christ truely or beleue his doctrine hereafter But I doubt not but my heauenly father will be my death more confirme you in his truth for euer And therefore I greatly reioyce to see sathan and his souldiours supplanted
preached the worde of GOD. Turne I saye vnto you all and to all the inhabitours there aboutes vnto the Lord our God and hee will turne vnto you he will saye vnto his Aungell It is enough put vppe the sworde The whiche thyng that he will doe I humblye beseeche his goodnesse for the precious bloudes sake of hys deare Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Ah good brethren take in good parte these my last wordes vnto euery one of you Pardon me myne offences and negligences in behauiour amongest you The Lorde of mercye pardon vs all our offences for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen Out of Prison readye to come to you the eleuenth of February Ann. 1555. ¶ To the Towne of Walden 〈…〉 of M. Bradford to 〈◊〉 towne 〈◊〉 Walden TO the faythfull and such as professe the true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ dwelling at Walden and thereaboutes Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde nowe in bandes and condemned for the same true doctrine wysheth grace mercy and peace with the encrease of all godlynesse in knowledge and liuing from GOD the Father of all comforte through the desertes of our alone and full redeemer Iesus Christ by the mighty working of the most holy spirit the comforter for euer Amen When I remember how that by the prouidence and grace of God I haue bene a man by whome it hath pleased him through my ministery to call you to repentaunce and amendment of life something effectually as it seemed and to sowe amongest you his true doctrine and religion least that by my affliction stormes now arisen to trye the faythfull and to conforme them lyke to the Image of the sonne of GOD into whose companye wee are called you might be faint harted I could not but out of prison secretly for my keepers may not know that I haue penne ynke write vnto you a signification of the desire I haue that you should not only be more cōfirmed in the doctrine I haue taught amongest you which I take on my death as I shall answere at the day of dome I am perswaded to be Gods assured infallible and playne trueth 〈…〉 answe●● with 〈◊〉 bloud 〈◊〉 his doc●●●ne but also should after your vocation auow the same by confession profession and liuing I haue not taught you my dearely beloued in the Lord fables tales or vntruthe but I haue taught you the verity as now by my bloud gladlye praysed bee God therfore I do seale the same In deed to confesse the truth vnto you and to all the Churche of Christ I doe not thinke of my selfe but that I haue moste iustly deserued not onely this kinde but also all kindes of death and that eternally ● Bradford 〈…〉 his 〈◊〉 lyfe for myne hypocrisy vayneglory vncleannesse selfe loue couetousnesse idlenesse vnthankefulnesse and carnall professing of Gods holy Gospell liuing therein not so purely louyngly and paynefully as I should haue done The Lord of mercy for the bloud sake of Christ pardon me as I hope yea I certainely beleue he hath done for his holy names sake thorowe Christe But my d●arely beloued you and all the whole world may see and easely perceiue that the Prelates persecute in me an other thing then mine iniquities euen Christ himselfe Christes verity and trueth because I canne not dare not nor wyll not confesse Transubstantiation and howe that wicked menne ye Mise and Dogges eating the Sacrament which they terme of the aultar thereby ouerthrowing Christes holy Supper vtterly do eate Christes naturall and reall body borne of the virgine Mary To beleue and confesse as Gods worde teacheth the primatiue Church beleued and all the Catholicke and good holy Fathers taught fiue hundreth yeares at the least after Christ that in the Supper of the Lord which the Masse ouerthroweth as it doth Christes Priesthoode sacrifice death and passion the ministerye of his word true ●ayth repentance and all godlines whole Christ God and man is present by grace to the fayth of the receiuers but not of the standers by and lookers on as bread and wyne is to theyr sences will not serue and therefore I am condemned shall be burned out of hand as an hereticke Wherefore I hartelye thanke my Lord God that will and doth vouch me worthy to be an instrument in whome he himselfe doeth suffer For you see my affliction and death is not simply M. Bradford persecuted for confessing the truth because I haue deserued no lesse but muche more at his handes and iustice but rather because I confesse his verity and trueth and am not affrayd through his gift that to do that you also might be confirmed in his truth Therefore my dearely beloued I hartely do pray you and so many as vnfaynedly loue mee in God to geue with mee and for mee most harty thankes to our heauenly Father through our sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ for this his exceeding great mercy towardes me and you also that your fayth wauer not from the doctrine I haue taught and ye haue receiued For what can you desire more to assure your cōsciences of the verity taught by your preachers then theyr owne liues Goe to therefore my deare hartes in the Lord wauer not in Christes religion truely taught you and set forth in king Edwardes dayes Neuer shall the enemies be able to burne it to prison it and keepe it in bondes Vs they may prison Gods truth can neuer be kepte vnder by the aduersaryes they may bynde and burne as they doe and will doe so long as shall please the Lord but our cause religion and doctrine which we confesse they shall neuer be able to vanquish and put away Theyr Idolatry and Popish religion shall neuer bee builte in the consciences of menne that loue Gods trueth As for those that loue not Gods truth that haue no pleasure to walke in the wayes of the Lord in those I say the Deuill shall preuayle For God will geue them strong illusion to beleue lyes Therefore deare brethren and sisters in the Lord I humbly beseech you and pray you in the bowelles and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu● Christ He exhorteth them to loue Gods truth and to liue therafter now goyng to the death for the testimony of Iesus as oftētimes I haue done before this present out of your Pulpitte that you woulde loue the Lordes trueth loue I saye to loue it and frame your liues thereafter Alas you know the cause of all these plagues fallen vp vs and of the successe which Gods aduersaryes haue dayly is for our not louing Gods word You knowe how that we were but Gospellers in lippes and not in life We were carnall concupiscentious idle Gods Gospell abused· vnthankfull vncleane couetous arrogant dissemblers crafty subtle malicious false backebiters c. and euen glutted with Gods word yea we lothed it Gods Gospell lothed as did the Israelites the Manna in the wildernes and therefore as to them
you and euery of you that yee and euery of you Articles layd to Diricke Caruer an● Iohn Launder beinge within the sayde prisone of Newgate and within this sayde Citie of London are of my iurisdiction being Bishoppe of London and subiecte vnto the same offending and trespassing wythin the sayd prison and Citie in matters of Religion and concerning the Catholicke faith and beliefe of the Churche in any wise 2. Item I doe obiect against you and euery of you that yee and euery of you Sacramentes of pennance and of the aultar since your first comming and entring into the sayde prisone and during your abode there bothe there and in sundry places wythin this Citie and Dioces of London haue holden maintained and defended sundry opinions against the Sacraments of the Church especially against the Sacrament of penance and also against the Sacrament of the aultar 3. Item I do likewise obiect that yee and euery of you in all or in some of the said places Reall presence haue as concerning the sacrament of the aultar holden mainteined and defended to the best of your power that in the sayde sacrament of the aultar there is not the very substaunce of the body bloud of our Sauiour Christ but that in the Sacrament there is onely the substaunce of naturall breade and wine and no other substaunce The Latin Masse 4. Item I do likewise obiect that you and euery of you in all or some of the said places haue concerning the masse in Latine nowe vsed in the Church and the sacrifice of the same holden maintained and likewise defended that the sayde Masse is not good or profitable and that there is no sacrifice in the same Ceremonyes 5. Item I do likewise obiect that you and euery of you in all or some of the places haue concerning y e ceremonies of the Church holden mainteined and likewise defended that the saide ceremonies are not profitable to a Christian man but hurtfull and euill Auricular confession 6. Item I do likewise obiect that you and euery of you in all or some of the sayd places haue concerning the Sacrament of penaunce holden mainteined and likewise defended that auricular confession being a part thereof albeit it may be made vnto a good Priest for counsaile yet the absolution of the Priest laying hys hand vpon any mans heade and doing as is nowe vsually done in the Churche is nothing profitable to any mans saluation that therefore yee neither haue bene confessed to the Priest after the vsuall maner of the Churche nor yet receiued the sayd Sacrament of the aultar since the coronation of the Queenes Maiestie whyche is more then the space of one yeare and a halfe 7. Item I do likewise obiect The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Chur●● Engla●● that ye and euery of you in all or some of the sayd places concerning the faith and religion now taught set foorth vsed and beleued in the church of this Realme of Englande and the doctrine of the same haue holden beleeued and sayde that it is not agreeable to Gods woord but cleane contrary to the same 8. Item I do likewise obiect that ye and euery of you in all or some of the sayd places haue beleued spoken sayd Defen●● of Hooper Cardma●●● Roger● and to your power vpholden mainteined sayd that byshop Hooper Cardmaker Rogers and others of theyr opinion which of late wythin this realme were burnte for heresie were good Christian men in speaking and holding against the said Sacrament of the aultar and that they did preache nothing but the true doctrine of Christe shedding their bloud for the maintenance of the sayd doctrine 9. Item I do likewise obiect that yee and euerye of you haue earnestly laboured and traueiled to the best and vttermost of your power English ser●uice to haue vp againe the English seruice and the Communion in all poyntes as was vsed in the latter daies of king Edward the sixt here in this realm of Englande 10. Item I do likewise obiecte that ye and euery of you haue thought and doe thinke firmely and stedfastly Defe●●● the 〈◊〉 vsed 〈◊〉 Edw●●● tyme and so haue and do beleeue that the faith religion doctrine setfoorth in the 〈…〉 of the foresaid king Edward was in all poyntes 〈…〉 godly containing in it the true Faith and Religio● 〈…〉 in euery part 11. Item 〈…〉 likewise obiect and say that ye and euery of you for your misbelief offence transgression and misbehauiour in the premisses and for that also that you wold not come to your seuerall parish churches and heare your diuine seruice there as other Christian people did and do but absent your selfe from the same and haue your priuate seruice in your houses especiallye in the house of Diricke Caruer were sent vp vnto the King and Queenes Maiesties priuie counsaile and by them or some of them sente afterward vnto the prison of Newgate aforesayd hauing thereby their authoritie remained as prisoners during all the time ye haue bene there 12. Item I do likewise obiect and say that I the sayd byshop of London If the●● 〈◊〉 to death 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 why 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 it If it 〈◊〉 lawfull why doe 〈◊〉 so at 〈…〉 was commaunded by the authority of the sayd Counsaile to make processe against you and euery of you so that it was not my procuring or searching that yee should be commaunded or called before me in this matter of heresie but partly your owne demerites and partly the sayde commandement enforced me to cal and send for you to make aunsweare heerein and heereof to shewe you the sayde letters Their answeres to the Articles VPon Monday being the sayd tenth day of Iune these two persons with others were brought by the keper vnto the bishops Consistorie as it was before commaunded at one of the clocke in the after noone where the Byshop first beginning with the sayde Diricke Caruer caused his confession with the Articles and Aunsweres to be openly read vnto him which order he kept at the condemnation of euery prisonner asking hym whether he would stand to the same To whom the sayd Diricke answeared that he would for your doctrine quoth hee is poyson and Sorcerie If Christe were heere you would put him to a woorse death then he was put to before You say that you can make a God ye can make a pudding as well The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Boner Your Ceremonies in the Churche be beggery and poyson And farther I say that auricular confession is contrary to Gods word and very poyson wyth diuers other such woordes The Bishop seeing this constancie that neyther hys accustomed flatteries nor yet his cruell threatnings could once moue this good man to encline to their idolatry pronounced his vsuall and general blessing as well towards this Diricke as also vppon the sayde Iohn Launder although seuerally Who after the like manner of processe vsd with him remained in