forenoone to perswade Luther simply and absolutely to submitte the iudgement of his writinges to the Emperor and Empire Sollicitatâ—oÌ„ to causa Luther to yelde He aunswered he would doe it and submit any thing they would haue hym so they grounded with authority of holy Scripture otherwise he woulde not consent to doe any thing For God sayd by his Prophet sayth he Trust ye not in Princes nor in the childreÌ„ of men in whom there is no health Also Cursed be he that trusteth in man And seeing that they did vrge him more vehemently he answered We ought to yeld no more to y e iudgement of men theÌ„ the word of God doth suffer So they departed and prayed him to aduise for better answere and sayd they would returne after dinner After dinner they returned exhorting him as before but in vayne Luthers coÌ„dition They prayed him that at the least he woulde submit his writing to the iudgement of the nexte generall Councell Luther agreed therunto but with this conditioÌ„ that they themselues shoulde present the Articles collected out of his bookes to be submitted to the Councell in suche sort as notwithstanding the sentence awarded by the couÌ„cell should be authorised by the Scripture and confirmed with the testimonyes of the same They then leauing Luther departed and reported to the Archbishop of Triers False witnesse that he had promised to submit his writinges in certayne articles to the next Councell in the meane space he woulde keepe silence which Luther neuer thought who neither with admonitions ne yet manaces could be induced to deny or submit his bookes to the iudgementes of menne he had so fortified hys cause wyth cleare and manifest authorityes of the Scripture vnlesse they could proue by sacred scripture and apparant reasoÌ„s to the contrary The prouideÌ„ce of God It chaunced then by the speciall grace of God that the Archbishop of Triers sent for Luther thinking presently to heare him And when he perceiued otherwise then Peutinger and the Doctour of Bade had tolde him he sayde that he would for no good but that he had heard himselfe speake for els he was euen now going to the Emperor to declare what the Doctors had reported Then the Archbishop entreated Luther and conferred with him very gently Familiar talke betweene the archbishop and Luther first remouing such as were preseÌ„t as well of the one side as of the other In this conference Luther concealed nothing from the Archbishop affirming that it was dauÌ„gerous to submit a matter of so great importaunce to them who after they had called hym vnder safeconduct attempting him with new commaundementes had condemned his opinion and approued the Popes Bull. Moreouer the Archbishop bidding a frend of his draw nigh required Luther to declare what remedy might bee ministred to helpe this Luthers prophecie out of Gamaliell Luther answered there was no better remedy then suche as Gamaliel alledged in the fyfte chapter of the Apostles as witnesseth S. Luke saying If this Councell or this woorke proceede of men Act. 5. it shall come to nought but if it be of God ye can not destroy it And so he desired that the Emperour might be aduertised to write the same to the Pope that he knewe certaynely if this his enterprise proceeded not of God it would be abolished within three yea within two yeares The Archbishop enquired of him what he would do if certayne articles were taken out of his bookes to be submitted to the generall councell Luthers coÌ„stancie Luther aunswered so that they be not those which the counsell of Constance condemned The Archbyshoppe sayd I feare they will be the very same but what then Luther replyed I will not nor I cannot holde my peace of such for I am sure by theyr decrees the word of God was condemned therefore I wyll rather loose head and life then abandon the manifest word of my Lord God Then the Archbishop seing Luther would in no wise geue ouer the word of God to the iudgement of men geÌ„tly bade Luther farewell who at that instaunt prayed the Archbishop to entreat the Emperours maiesty to graunt him gracious leaue to depart He aunswered he woulde take order for him and speedely aduertise hym of the Emperours pleasure Within a small while after Iohn Eckius the Archbyshops officiall in the presence of the Emperours Secretary who had bene Maximilians Chauncellour sayde vnto Luther in his lodging Luther sent home from the counsel by the commaundement of the Emperour that since he had bene admonished diuersly of the Emperiall maiesty the Electors Princes and estates of the Empyre and that notwithstanding he woulde not returne to vnity and concord there remained that the Emperour as aduocate of the Catholique fayth should proceed further and that it was the Emperours ordinaunce that he should within 21. dayes returne boldly vnder safe conduct and be safely garded to the place whence he came so that in the meane while he styrred no commotion amonge the people in his iourney either in conference or by preaching· Luther hearing this aunswered very modestly christianly euen as it hath pleased God so is it come to passe the name of the Lord be blessed He sayde further he thanked most humbly the Emperors maiesty and all the Princes and estates of the Empyre that they had geuen to hym benigne and gracious audience and graunted safe conduct to come and returne Finally he sayd he desired none other of them then a reformation according to the sacred word of God and consonancy of holy Scriptures which effectually in his hart he desired Otherwise he was prest to suffer all chauÌ„ces for the Emperiall maiesty as life and death goodes fame and reproch reseruing nothing to himselfe but the onely word of God which he would constantly confesse to the latter end humbly recommending hym to the Emperours maiesty and to all the Princes and other estates of the sacred Empyre The morow after which was the 26. day of Aprill Luthers departure from Wormes after he had taken his leaue of such as supported him and other his beneuolent frends that often times visited hym and had broken hys fast at tenne of the clocke he departed from Wormes accompanyed with such as repayred thyther with him hauing space of time limited vnto him as is sayd for 21. dayes and no more The Emperours Heralde Casper Sturine folowed and ouertooke him at Oppenhime being commaunded by the Emperour to coÌ„duct him safely home ¶ The vsuall prayer of Martin Luther COnfirme O God in vs that thou hast wrought and perfect the worke that thou hast begunne in vs to thy glory So be it Ex histor Phil. Melancth Ex Sledano Ex Parali Abb. Vrsperge ex Casp. Peucero MArtin Luther thus being dismissed of the Emperour according to the promise of his safeconduct made as you haue heard departed from Wormes toward his countrey the 26 of Aprill Luther in his iourney wryteth to
soone as he came vnto him Frith by and by began in the Latine tongue to bewaile his captiuitie The Schoolemaister by and by beinge ouercome wyth his eloquence did not onely take pitie and compassion vppon him but also began to loue and embrace such an excellent witte and disposition vnlooked for especially in such a state miserie Afterward they conferring more together vpon many things as touching the Uniuersities scholes and tongues fell from the Latine into the Greeke Wherin Frith dyd so inflame the loue of that Schoolemaister towardes him that he brought him into a marueilous admiration especiallye when the Schoolemaister hearde him so promptly by hart rehearse Homers verses out of his first booke of Illiades Whereuppon the Shoolemaister weÌ„t with all speede vnto the Magistrates greeuously complaining of the iniurie which they did shew vnto so excellent and innocent a young man Thus Frith through the helpe of the schoolemaster was freely dimitted out of the stockes Iohn Frith through the helpe of the Schoolemaister was deliuered out of the stockes set at libertie without punishment Albeit this his safetie continued not loÌ„g thorow the great hatred and deadly pursuit of sir Tho. More who at that time being Chauncelour of Englande persecuted him both by land and sea besetting all the waies and hauens yea promising great rewardes if any maÌ„ could bring him any newes or tydings of him Thus Frith beinge on euerye part beset with toubles not knowing whiche way to turne hym Syr Tho. More a deadly persecuter of Iohn Fryth seeketh for some place to hyde him in Thus fleeting from one place to an other and often chaunging both his garmentes and place yet coulde he be in safetie in no place no not long amongst his frindes so that at the last being trayterouslye taken as ye shall after heare hee was sent vnto the Tower of London wheras he had many conflicts with the bishops but specially in writyng with Syr Thomas Moore The occasioÌ„ of Frythes writing agaynst More The first occasion of his writyng was this Uppon a tyme hee had communicatioÌ„ with a certaine olde familiar freende of his touching the SacrameÌ„t of the body bloud of Christ. The whole effecte of which disputation consisted specially in these foure poyntes 1 FIrst that the matter of the sacrament is no necessarye article of fayth vnder payne of damnation 2. Secondly that for somuch as Christes naturall bodye in like condition hath all properties of our bodye sinne onely except it it cannot be neyther is it agreable vnto reason that he should be in two places or moe at once contrarye to the nature of oure bodye 3. Moreouer it shall not seeme meete or necessarye that wee should in this place vnderstand Christes words according to the literall sense but rather accordyng to the order and phrase of speache comparing phrase wyth phrase accordyng to the Analogie of the Scripture 4. Last of all how that it ought to be receaued accordyng to the true and right institution of Christ albeit that the order which at thys tyme is crept into the Church and is vsed now a dayes by the Priestes do neuer so much differ from it And for somuche as the treatise of this disputation seemed somewhat loÌ„g The occasioÌ„ of Frythes writyng vppon the Sacrament his frend desired hym that such things as he had reasoned vpon he would briefly committe vnto writing and geue vnto hym for the helpe of his memory Frith albeit he was vnwilling and not ignoraunt howe daungerous a thing it was to enter into suche a contentious matter at y e last notwithstanding he being ouercome by the intreaty of hys frend rather followed hys wil then looked to his owne safegard There was at that tyme in London a Taylor named William Holt which fayning a great frendshyp towarde this party William Holte a Iudas instantly required of him to geue him licence to read ouer that same writing of Frithes whiche when hee vnaduisedly dyd the other by and by caryed it vnto More being theÌ„ Chauncellour which thing afterward was occasion of great trouble and also of death vnto y e said Frith Syr Tho. More ChauÌ„celâ—r For More hauing gotten a copy of this booke not onely of this Sicophant but also two other copies whiche at the same time in a maner were sent hym by other promoters he whetted his wittes and called his spirites together as much as he might meaning to refute his opinioÌ„ by a contrary booke This in a maner was the whole summe of the reasons of Frithes booke First to declare the Popes beliefe of the Sacrament to be no necessary article of our faith that is to say that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation The summe 〈◊〉 â—rythe 〈◊〉 of the Sacrament that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Chryst. Whych he thus prooueth For many so beleue yet in so beleuing the Sacrament to bee y e naturall bodye are not thereby saued but receyue it to their damnation Agayne in beleuyng the Sacrament to bee the naturall body yet that naturall presence of his body in the bread is not that which saueth vs The not beleuâ—â—â— the coâ—poâ—all 〈◊〉 of Christ in the Sacraments is no damnation but his presence in our harts by fayth And likewise the not beleuing of his bodyly presence in the Sacrament is not the thynge that shall damne vs but the absence of him out of our hart through vnbeliefe And if it be obiected y t it is necessary to beleue gods worde vnder payne of damnation to that he aunswereth that the woorde taken in the right sense as Christ meant mayntayneth no such bodyly presence as the Popes churche dothe teache but rather a Sacramentall presence And that saith he may be further confirmed thus ¶ Argument None of the olde fathers before Chrystes incarnation were bound vnder paine of damnatioÌ„ to beleue this point Ce All we be saued by the same fayth that the olde fathers were la. Ergo none of vs are bounde to beleue this point vnder paâ—â—e of damnation â—ent The first parte sayth he is euydent of it selfe For howe coulde they beleue that which they neuer hearde nor sawe The seconde part sayth he appeareth plainly by sainct Augustine August ad Dardanum writinge ad Dardanum and also by an hundreth places more Neither is there any thing that he doth more often inculcate theÌ„ this that the same fayth y t saued our Fathers saueth vs also And therfore vppon the truth of these two parts thus proued must the coÌ„clusion saith he nedes folowe ¶ An other Argument None of y t olde fathers before Christes incarnation did eate Christ corporally in their signes but only mistically spiritually and were saued Al we do eate Christ euen as they did and are saued as they were Ergo none of vs do eate Christe corporally but mystycally and spiritually in our signes
S. Ambrose writing as is aforesayde affirmeth the same And that the mother of all Churches is Ierusalem as afore is saide and not Rome the scripture is plaine bothe in the Prophette Esaye Out of Syon shall the law proceed Esa. 2. and the word of the Lord out of Ierusalem Vpon the which place S. Hierome sayth In Hierusalem primum fundata ecclesia totius orbis ecclesias seminauit Out of the Church being first founded in Hierusalem sprong all other churches of the whole worlde And also in the Gospell whiche Christ before his ascension commaunded his Apostles to preache throughout al the world beginning first at Ierusalem So that the byshop of Romes vniuersal power by him claymed ouer all can not by any scripture be iustified as if you haue read the auncient fathers expositions of the said scriptures as we suppose you haue sith your letters sent hyther concerning this matter and would giue more credence to their humble and plaine speaking then to the latter contentious and ambitious writers of that high and aboue the Ideas of Plato his subtilitie which passeth as you write the lawiers learning and capacitie we doubt not but that you perceiue and thinke the same A Prince may be â—â—ad of his churh and yet not preach nor minister Sacramentes And where you thinke that the king can not be taken as supreme head of the Church because he can not exercise the chiefe office of the Church in preaching and ministring of the sacramentes it is not requisite in euerie bodie naturall that the head should exercise eyther all maner of offices of the body or the chiefe office of the same For albeit the head is the highest chief member of the naturall body yet the distribution of life to al the members of the body as well to the head as to other members commeth from the heart and it is the minister of life to the whole body as the chiefe act of the body Neyther yet hath this similitude his full place in a mysticall body that a king shoulde haue the chiefe office of administration in the same And yet notwithstanding the scripture speaking of king Saule sayth I made thee head amongest the tribes of Israell Reg. 15. And if a king amongest the Iewes were the head in the tribes of Israell in the time of the lawe muche more is a Christian king head in the tribes of spirituall Israell that is of such as by true fayth see Christ who is the end of the law The office deputed to the byshops in the misticall body is to be as eyes to the whole body Ezech. 3. A bishop is a eye in the head but not the head of the mystical bodye as almighty God saith to the prophet Ezechiell I haue made thee an ouerseer ouer the house of Israell And what Byshops soeuer refuseth to vse the office of an eye in the misticall body to shew vnto the body the right way of beleeuing and liuing which appertayneth to the spirituall eye to doe shall shew himselfe to be a blinde eye and if hee shall take anye other office in hand then appertayneth to the right eye he shall make a confusion in the body taking vppon hym an other office then is geuen him of God Wherfore if the eye will not take vpon him the office of the whole head it may be aunswered it cannot so do for it lacketh brayne And examples shew likewise that it is not necessary alway that the head should haue the facultie or chiefe office of administration as you may see in a nauie by sea where the admirall who is captayne ouer all doth not meddle with stering or gouerning of euery ship but euery mayster particular must direct the shyp to passe the sea in breaking the waues by his steryng and gouernaunce The office of a head standeth not in doing but in coÌ„maunding whiche the admirall the head of all doth not hymselfe nor yet hath the facultie to doe but commaundeth the maysters of the ship to do it And likewise many a captayne of great armyes whiche is not able nor neuer coulde peraduenture shoote or breake a speare by hys own strength yet by his wisedome and commaundement onely atchieueth the warres and attayneth the victory And where you thinke that vnitie standeth not onely in the agreeing in one fayth and doctrine of the Church Vnity what it is and where in it consisteth but also in agreeing in one head if you meane the very onely head ouer all the churche our Sauiour Christ Whome the Father hath set ouer all the Churche which is his body wherein all good Christen men doe agree therin you say truth But if you meane of any one mortall man to be head ouer all the Church and that to be the bishop of Rome we do not agree with you For you doe there erre in the true vnderstanding of Scripture or els you must say that the sayd Councell of Nice and other most auncient did erre which deuided the administration of Churches the Orient from the Occident and the South from the North as is before expressed and that Christ the vniuersal head is present in euery church the Gospell sheweth Where two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 28. â— there am I in the middes of them And in an other place Behold I am wyth you vntill the end of the world Math. 28. By which it may appeare christ the vniuersall head euery where to be with hys misticall body the Church who by hys spirite worketh in all places how far so euer they be distaunt the vnitie and concorde of the same And as for any other vniuersall head to be euer all then christ himselfe Scripture prooueth not as it is shewed before And yet for a further proofe to take away the scruples that peraduenture doe to your appearaunce rise of certayne wordes in some auncient authors and especially in S. Cyprians epistles as that the vnitie of the church stood in the vnity with the bishop of Rome though they neuer call him supreme head Aunswere to S. Ciprian if you will wey and conferre all their sayinges together you shal perceiue that they neither spake nor ment otherwise but wheÌ„ the bishop of Rome was once lawfully elected and enthroned if then anye other woulde by faction might force or otherwise the other liuing and doing his office enterprise to put him downe and vsurpe the same Bishopricke or exercise the others office himselfe as Nouatianus did attempt in the tyme of Cornelius then the sayd fathers reckoned them Catholicks that did communicate with him that was so lawfully elected and the custome was one primacye to haue to doe with an other by congratulatorye letters soone after the certayntye of theyr election was knowne to keepe the vnity of the Church and that they that did take part or mayntayne the vsurper to be schismatickes because that vsurper was a schismaticke Quia non sit fas
non dubites tanquam Deum in eodem templo Dei esse tanquam inhabitantem Deum in loco aliquo coeli propter veri corporis modum Thou shalt not doubt Christ our Lorde the onely sonne of God equall with his father and the same being the sonne of man whereby the father is greater is presente euery where as God and is in one and the â—ame Temple of God as God and also in some place of heauen as concerning the true shape of hys body Thus finde we clearely that for the measure of his very bodye he must be in one place and that in heauen as concerning hys manhode and yet euery where present in that he is the eternall sonne of God equall to his father Like testimonie doeth he geue in the 30. Treatise that he maketh vpon the Euangelie of Iohn These be his woordes there written Donec saeculum finiatur sursum est Dominus sed etiam hic est veritas Domini c. Vntill the worlde be at an ende the Lord is aboue but heere is the truth of the Lorde also for the body of our Lorde in which hee rose must be in one place August in Ioan. tract 30. but hys trueth is abroad in euery place The first parcell that is vntill the worldes ende is so put that it may ioyne to the sentence going before or else to these woordes following The Lorde is aboue c. And so shoulde it well accorde to my sentence before shewed whyche is the Lorde is so bodely ascended that in hys naturall body he cannot againe retourne from heauen vntill the generall dome But howsoeuer the sayde clause or parcel be applied it shall not greatly skill for my sentence notwythstaÌ„ding remaineth full stedfast In somuch as the scripture doth meÌ„tion but of two Aduents or commings of Christe of which the first is performed in his blessed incarnation The reall presence against the article of our Creede and the second is y e comming at the general dome And furthermore in this Article of our Creede From thence shall hee come to iudge the quicke and the dead is not onely shewed wherfore hee shall come againe but also when he shall come agayne so that in the meane while as y e other Article of our Crede witnesseth He sitteth at the right hande of God his father that is not els to say theÌ„ he remaineth in glory with the father Furthermore euen as I haue before rehearsed the foresaid authority of Augustine so haue I read it in his Quinquagenes vpon a Psalme of whiche I can not now precisely note or name the number And the same words doth he also write in the Epistle to S. Hierome So y t we may know he had good liking in it that he so commonly doth vse it as his vsuall prouerbe or by word The body of Christ caÌ„ be but in one place at once In the same is also testified that his blessed body can be but in one place so that it being now according to the scripture and article of our beliefe or Creede in heauen it caÌ„ not be in earth and much les can it be in so vnnumerable places of the earth as we may perceiue that the Sacrament is Thus although the body of our Sauior must be in one place as he writeth agreably to y e saying of Peter Whome the heauens muste receiue vntill the time of the restitution of all thing Yet as the wordes following make mention Veritas autem eius vbique diffusa est But his veritie is scattered euerie where This verity of Christ or of his body The veritie of Christ. The vertu of the sacrament I do take to be that he in other places doth call Virtus Sacramenti The vertue of the Sacrament As in the 25. treatise vpon Iohn we finde thus written Aliud est Sacramentum aliud virtus Sacramenti The Sacrament is one thing the vertue of the Sacrament is an other thing And againe Si quis manducauerit ex ipso non moritur sed qui pertinet ad virtuteÌ„ sacrameÌ„ti noÌ„ qui pertinet ad visibile sacrameÌ„tuÌ„ c. If any maÌ„ eat of him he dieth not but he meaneth of him which doth apertain to the vertue of the sacrameÌ„t not of him which perteineth to the visible sacrameÌ„t And to declare what is the vertue of the sacrameÌ„t y t I couÌ„t to be y e truth of the lord or of his body he saith Qui maÌ„ducat intê° noÌ„ foris qui manducat in corde non qui premit dente He which eateth inwardly in spirit not outwardly he that eateth in hart and not he which chaweth with teeth So that finally this truth of the Lord or his body which is dispersed euery where abroade The veritye of the Lord or of his body expounded is the spirituall profite fruite and comforte that is opened to bee receiued euery where of all men by faith in the veritie of the Lord that is to witte in the very and true promise or Testament made to vs in the Lordes body that was crucified and suffered death for vs and arose againe ascending immortall into heauen where he sitteth that is abideth on the right hand of his father from thence not to returne vntill the generall dome or iudgement This bodily absence of our Sauiour is likewise clearely shewed in the 50. treatise that hee maketh vpon Iohn where he doth expound this text Ye haue the poore alwayes with you August in Ioâ— tract 50. but you shall not alwayes haue mee with you to my purpose that thereby I count and holde mine opinion to be rather Catholicke then theirs that hold the contrary Finally the same doth he confirme in his Sermons of the seconde and thirde Feries of Gaster and in so many places besides forth as here can not be recited the number of them is so passing great With him consenteth full plainely Fulgentius in hys second booke Fulgentius ad TrasimuÌ„dum· lib. 2. to Trasimundus writing in this wise Vnus idemque homo localis ex homine qui est Deus immensus ex patre Vnus idemque secundum humanam substantiam absens coelo cum esset in terra c. One and the same man being locall in that he is man which is God almighty of the Father One and the same according to humane substance being absent from heauen when he was in the earth and leauing the earth when he ascended vp into heauen But according to his diuine and almighty substance neyther departing from heauen when hee descended from heauen neyther leauing the earth when hee ascended into heauen The which may well be knowne by the vndoubtfull sayeng of our Lord hymselfe which that he might the better shewe his humanitie occupyeng a place sayd vnto hys Disciples I ascend vp vnto my father and your father vnto my God and your God Also when he had sayde of Lazarus Lazarus is dead he adioyned sayeng And I am glad
to celebrate y e holy communion were accused of filthy commixion of meÌ„ and women together and the king the same time Henry 2. was made to beleue that beds with pillowes and mats were founde there in the floore where they laye together wherupon the same time diuers were condeÌ„ned to the fire and burned pag. 862. Finally what innocency is so pure or truth so perfect which can be voyd of these sclaunders or crimynatioÌ„s Read â—â—fore pag. 8 â— 2. wheÌ„ also our Sauior Christ himselfe was noted for a wine drinker a common haunter of the Publicanes c. Euen so likewise it pleaseth our Lorde and Sauiour Christ to keepe vnder and to exercise his church vnder the like kinde of aduersaries now raigning in the church No truth safe from false detraction who vnder the name of the church will nedes mayntain a portly state and kingdome in this world and because they can not vpholde theyr cause by playne scripture and the word of God they beare it ouâ— with facing rayling and slaundering making Princes and the simple people beleue that all be heretickes schismatickes blasphemers rebels subuerters of all authority commoÌ„ weales whosoeuer dare reply with any scripture agaynst theyr doings It is writteÌ„ of Nero that when he himselfe had burnt the Citty of Rome sixe dayes and seuen nightes Suetonius in Neâ—oâ—â—e he made open proclamations that the innocent Christians had set the City on fire to styrre the people agaynst them wherby he might burne and destroy them as rebels and traytors Not much vnlike seemeth the dealing of these religious Catholickes who when they be the true heretickes themselues and haue burnt and destroyed the Church of Christ make out theyr exclamatioÌ„s Buls briefes articles bookes Papistes 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 be 〈…〉 them selues censures letters and Edicts against the poore Lutheranes to make the people beleue that they be the heretickes schismatickes disturbers of the whole world Who if they could proue them as they reproue them to be heretickes they were worthy to be heard But nowe they cry out vpon them heretickes and can proue no heresy they accuse them of errour and can proue no errour they call them schismatickes and what Church since the worlde stood hath bene the mother of so many schismes as the mother Church of Rome They charge them with dissention and rebellion And what dissention can be greater then to disseÌ„t from the scripture and word of God or what rebellion is like as to rebell against the sonne of God against the will of hys eternall Testamente They are disturbers they say of peace and of publicke authority Which is as true as that the Christians set the Citty of Rome on fire What doctrine did euer attribute so much to publicke authority of Magistrates as do the protestantes or who euer attributed lesse to magistrates or deposed moe dukes kinges and Emperours theÌ„ the Papistes They that say that the Bishop of Rome is no more but the Bishoppe of Rome and ought to weare no crowne is not by and by a rebell agaynst his king and Magistrates but rather a maynteyner of theyr authority which in deed the Byshop of Rome cannot abide Briefely wilt thou see whether be the greater heretickes the Protestantes or the Papistes Let vs try it by a measure A measure betweene the Protestantes and the Papists to try whether of them two are the greater heretickes ComparisoÌ„ betwene the doctrine of Papistes and of the Protestantes and let this measure be the glory onely of the sonne of God which cannot fayle Nowe iudge I beseeche thee whosoeuer knowest the doctrine of them both whether of these two do ascribe more or lesse to the Maiestye of Christ Iesus our king and Lord the Protestantes which admit none other head of the Church nor iustifier of our soules nor forgeuer of our sinnes nor Aduocate to his father but him alone Or els the papistes which can abide none of all these articles but condemn the same for heresy Which being so as they themselues wyll not deny now iudge good reader who hath set the Citty of Rome on fire Nero or els the Christians But to returne agayne to the purpose of our former matter which was to shew forth the proclamation of the Byshops for the abolishing of English bookes aboue rehearsed as being corrupt and full of heresye whiche not withstanding we haue declared to conteine no heresye but sounde and wholesome doctrine according to the perfect word and Scripture of God Here nowe when the Prelates of the Popes side had procured this Edict proclamation aforesayd for the condemnation of al such English bookes printed or vnprinted which made agaynst theyr aduantage they triumphed not a litle wening they had made a great hand against y e Gospell for euer to rise againe that they had established their kingdome for euer as in deed to all maÌ„s thinking it might seme no lesse For who would haue thought Gods mercifull helpe in time of neede after so strayt so precise and so solemne a proclamation set forth armed with the kinges terrible authority also after the cruel execution of Anne Askewe Lacels and the rest Item after the busy search moreouer and names taking of many other of whom some were chased away some apprehended and layd vp diuers in present perill expectation of theyr attachment who would haue thought I say otherwyse possible but that y e gospel must nedes haue an ouerthrow seing what sure worke the papistes here had made in setting vp theyr side and throwing downe the contrary But it is no new thing in the Lord to shew his power agaynst mans presuÌ„ption Gods power worketh commonly agaynst mans presumption that when he counteth himselfe most sure then is he furthest of and when he supposeth to haue done all then is he new to begin agayne So was it in the primitiue Church before Constantinus time that when Nero Domitianus Maxentius Decius and other Emperours impugning the gospell profession of Christ did not onely constitute lawes and proclamations against the Christians but also did ingraue the same lawes in tables of brasse minding to make all thinges firme for euer and a day yet we see how with a litle turning of Gods hand all theyr puissant deuises brasen lawes turned all to wind and dust So little doth it auayle for man to wrastle agaynst the Lord and his procedinges Howe so euer mans building is mortall and ruinous of brickle bricke and mouldring stones the Lord neuer taketh in hande to builde that either time can waste or man can pluck down What God setteth vp there is neither power nor striuing to the contrary What he entendeth standeth what he blesseth that preuayleth And yet mans vnquiet presumption will not cease still to erect vp towers of Babell against the Lord which the higher they are builded vp Towers of Babell agaynst the Lorde fall with the great ruine For what can
haue the truth knowne Say you so to me quoth the Byshop I thanke you Well I could say somewhat to you also were it not in the place ye be but let it passe As for my matter Boner I feare it not it is not so euill as you make it for I haue your owne handwriting for my discharge whiche when I shall see time I shall shew foorth My hand quoth the Secretary Let me see it Secretary Smyth Boner Secretary Smyth Boner 〈◊〉 M. Boner Articles â—â—â—liuered 〈◊〉 agaynst Boner let it be read openly So it shal said the Byshop when I see tyme. Then sayd M. Smith you do vse vs thus to be seene a cunning Lawyer In deede quoth the Byshop I knewe the law ere you could reade it With that Secretary Peter willed the Byshop to proceede in reading of his aunsweres who so dyd and when he had finished Latymer deliuered vp a writing in paper vnto the Archbyshop and the rest of the Commissioners who then sayd vnto the Byshop of London heere be certayne Articles which we intend to minister vnto you The Byshop therewith sayde do you minister them of your office or at the promotion of these men Boner poynting to Latimer Hoper for I perceaue they gaue theÌ„ vnto you Secretary Peter Nay sayd Secretary Peter we will minister them vnto you ex officio mero and thereupon tooke an othe of the Byshop de fideliter respondendo Boner reâ—uireth â—espite to â—unswere Who desiring a copie of the Articles required also a competent time to be geuen vnto him to make aunswere therevnto To whom Secretary Peter replied saying My Lord heere be certaine of the Articles touching your owne fact which you may aunswere vnto forthwith Secretary Peter as whether you wrote your Sermon or not before you preached it Whereunto the Byshop aunswered Boner that he wrote it not but he drewe certaine notes of it Then whose counsell sayd he and aduise vsed you in making your Sermon Secretary Peter To which he also aunswered that he had therein vsed his own counsell bookes Boner and yet my Chapleins quoth he be much suspected for my doings in many things and sometimes I for theirs when there is no cause why These wordes ended the Commissioners assigned him Monday the 16. of September then nexte to appeare before them and to make his full aunsweres vnto all the Articles ministred vnto him by them this daye the contentes whereof are as foloweth ¶ The forme and tenour of the Articles ministred vnto the Byshop of London by the Kyngs Commissioners MOnday the xvj of September the Archbish. associated with the Bishop of Rochester Secretary Smith and Doctor May Deane of Paules sat iudicially within his Chappill at Lambeth before whom there and then appeared the Byshop of London according as he was assigned in the last Session at which time he exhibited vnto the Commissioners in 〈…〉 his answeres vnto the last former Articles But before the same were there read the Archbyshop sayd vnto him that his 〈◊〉 aâ—â—sweres made y e 13. of September vnto the denuncâ—aâ—â—â—â— were very obscure therwith also conteined much matter of slaunder agaynst Latimer and Hooper and much vntruth and therfore they desired there to purge themselues Whereupon Latimer first obeâ—â—ing leaue to speake sayd that the Byshop of LondoÌ„ had most falsely vntruely and vncharitably accused him â—aying to his charge many fayned and vntrue matters in his former aunsweres to the denunciation and such as he should neuer be able to proue For whereiâ— his sayd aunswere he alleadged that Hugh Latimer and Iohn Hooper with other heretickes conspiring agaynst him did the first day of September after the Bishoppes Sermon assemble themselues together vnlawfully against the sayd Bishop that saying of his was most vntrue For neyther that day nor yet before that day nor vntill certayne dayes after he euer knew or spake with Hooper And as touching hys owne preaching there openly accused by the Byshoppe he sayd he neuer helde taught or preached any thing concerning the blessed Sacrament otherwise then he ought to do nor otherwise then according to the Scriptures true Catholicke fayth of Christes Church and therefore offered himselfe to be tryed by the Archbishop or other suche learned men as it should please the Kings Maiesty or the said Commissioners to appoynt and farther to suffer to be haÌ„ged drawne and quartered if the Byshoppe coulde iustly proue true the thinges that he had there shamefully layde to his charge Then M. Hooper vpon like 〈◊〉 obteined sayd to this effect This vngodly man pointing to the Bishop hath most vncharitably and vngodly accused me before your grace this audience and hath layd to my charge that I am an hereticke Whereas I take God to recorde I neuer spake read taught or preached any heresy but only the most true and pure word of God And where he sayth I frequeÌ„t the company of heretickes I doe muche maruell of his so saying for it hath pleased my Lord Protectours Grace my singuler good Lord and Mayster and my Ladyes Grace to haue me with them and I haue preached before them and much vsed theyr company with diuers other worshipfull persons and therefore I suppose this man meaneth them And farther where as he sayth that I haue made hereticall bookes agaynst the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ calling it Mathematicall I perceiue that this man knoweth not what this word Mathematicall there meaneth and therefore vnderstandeth not my booke which I take God to my Iudge I haue made truely and sincerely and according to his holy word and by the same his holy worde and Scriptures I am alwayes shall be ready to submit my selfe to your Graces iudgemeÌ„t and the superiour powers to be tryed with many suche more wordes of like importance Which ended the Archbishop to shorten this matter asked the bishop how he could proue that Hooper and Latimer assembled together agaynst him the first of September as he had alleadged seing they now denyed it and therfore willed him to aunswere forthwith thereunto The Byshop then aunswered that hee woulde duelye proue it so that he might be admitted to do it according to lawe and with that hee pulled out of his slieue certayne bookes saying I haue this Uarlets bookes whyche hee made agaynst the blessed sacrament which you shal heare Then as he was turning certayne leaues thereof Hooper beganne agayne to speake but the Byshop turning hymselfe towardes him tauntingly sayd put vp your pypes you haue spokeÌ„ for your part I wil meddle no more with you and therewith read a certayn sentence vpon the book Wâ—ich done he sayd Lo here you may see his opinion and what it is At which wordes the people standing behind and seeing his vnreuerent and vnsemely demeanor and raylyng 〈◊〉 people 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 fell sodenly into great laughing Whereat the Bishop being
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
The 4. abuse Fourthly in that it is worshipped contrary to the commaundement saying Thou shalt worship nothing that is made with hands The 5. abuse Fiftly in that it is geuen in an vnknowne tongue whereby the people are ignoraunt of the right vse thereof how Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification by whome we be set at peace with God and receaued to his fauour and mercy by his promise whereof this sacrament is a sure seale and witnes The 6. abuse Besides this it is hanged vp and shut in a boxe yea many times so long that wormes breedeth in it and so it putrifyeth whereby the rude people haue an occasion to speake vnreuerently thereof whiche otherwise woulde speake reuerently Thereof they that thus abuse it bring vp the sclaunder and not we whiche pray dayly to God to restore it to the right vse according to Christes institution Nowe concerning Christes wordes Thys is my body we deny theÌ„ not but we say that y e mind of Christ in them must be searched out by other open scriptures wherby we may come to the spirituall vnderstanding of them Christes wordes hoc est corpus meum not denyed but expounded The phrase of scripture expounded by other phrases whiche shall be most to the glory of God For as the holy Apostle sayth There is no scripture that hath any priuate interpretation Besides this the Scriptures are full of the like figuratiue speaches as for example Christ sayeth This cup is the new Testament in my bloud The rocke is Christ sayeth Saint Paule Who soeuer receyueth a child in my name sayth our saueour Iesus Christ receyueth me Which sentences must not be vnderstand after the letter lest we do erre as the Capernaites did which thought that Christes body should haue ben eaten with their teeth when he spake of the eating thereof Unto whome Christe sayd Such a fleshly eating of my body profiteth nothing it is the spirit sayeth our Saueour Iesus Christ that quickeneth the fleshe profyteth nothyng for my woordes are spirite and lyfe Thus wee see that Christes woordes must be vnderstanded spiritually and not literally The wordâ— of the sacraâ—ment oughâ— to be taken spiritually and not litterally Christ is to be eaten spiritually Therefore he y t commeth to this worthy supper of the Lord must not prepare his lawe but his hart neyther tooth nor belly but Beleeue sayth S. Augustine and thou hast eaten it so that we must bring with vs a spiritual hunger And as the Apostle saith Trie and examine our selues whether our conscience doo testifie vnto vs that we do truly beleeue in Christ according to the Scriptures whereof if we be truly certified being new borne from our old conuersation in hart minde will and deede then may we boldly with this mariage garment of faith come to the feast In consideration whereof we haue inuincible Scriptures as of Christ himselfe This do in the remembraunce of me And S. Paule As often saith he as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall remember the Lords death vntill he come Heere is no chaunge but bread still The substaunce of bread not chaunged And Sainct Luke affirmeth the same Also Christ hath made a iust promise saying Me you shall not haue alwayes with you I leaue the world and go to my father for if I should not depart the comforter which I will send can not come vnto you So according to his promise he is ascended as the Euangelistes testifie Also Saint Peter sayth That heauen shall keepe him vntill the last day also Now as touching his omnipotent power we confesse and say with S. Augustine that Christ is both God and man In that he is God he is euery where Christs body but in one place 〈◊〉 once but in that he is man he is in heauen and can occupy but one place whereunto the Scriptures doth agree For his body was not in all places at once when he was heere for it was not in the graue when the women sought it as the Angell saith neither was it at Bethania where Lazarus died by Christes owne words saying I am glad I was not there And thus we conclude with the Scriptures that Christ is in his holy Supper sacramentally and spiritually in all them that worthily receiue it and corporally in heauen both God and man And further we make heere our protestation before God whome we call to record in this matter that this whiche we haue sayd is neither of stubbornnes nor wilfull mind as some iudge of vs but euen of very conscience Their protestation truely we trust grounded in Gods holy word For before wee tooke this matter in hand we besought God from the bottome of our hartes that we might do nothing contrary to his holy and blessed word And in that he hath thus shewed his power in our weakenes we can not woorthely prayse him vnto whome we geue harty thankes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen When he had thus deliuered and read their confession the Bishop stil persisting sometime in faire promises somtime threatning to pronounce iudgemeÌ„t asked them whether they would stand to this their confession and other answeares To whome Causton said Yea M. Causton and M. Higbed constant to death in their confession we will stande to our answeares written with our hands and to our beliefe therein conteined After which answeare the Byshop began to pronounce sentence against him Then he said that it was much rashnes and without all loue and mercy to geue iudgement without answering to their confession by the truth of Gods word whereunto they submitted themselues most willingly And therefore I M. Causton appealeth to the Cardinall D. Smith ready to answere their confession but could not be suffered quoth Causton because I can not haue iustice at your hand but that ye will thus rashly condemne me doo appeale from you to my Lord Cardinall Then D. Smith sayde that he woulde answeare theyr confession But the Bishop not suffering him to speake willed Harpsfield to say his minde for the stay of the people Who taking their confession in his hand neither touched nor answered one sentence thereof Whiche done the Bishop pronounced sentence first against the said Thomas Causton and then calling Thomas Higbed caused his articles and answeres likewise to be read In the reading whereof Higbed sayd Ye speake blasphemie against Christes passion Ann. 1555. March and ye goe aboute to trap vs with your subtilties and snares And though my father and mother and other my kinsfolke did beleeue as you say Sentencâ— proounced agaynst M. Causton M. Higbed yet they were deceiued in so beleeuing And further where you say that my Lord named Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterbury and other specified in the said articles be heretikes I do wishe that I were such an hereticke as they were and be Then the Byshop asked him againe whether he would
true or no but now they take the light from vs and woulde haue vs beleue it because they say so which is to me a great perswasion Winch. It was not a few that coulde be your guide in vnderstanding The Catholicks stand vpon the number The faythfull stand vpon the worde but the Doctors and all the whole Churche Now whome wouldest thou beleue either the few or the many Shet I did not beleue for the few nor for the manye but onely for that he bryngeth the word and sheweth it to me to be so according to the processe thereof c. Winch. Well sayd he then if the Arian come to thee with scripture thou wilt beleue hym if he shewe this texte My father is greater then I. Shet I aunsweared no my Lorde he must bring me also the contrarye places and proue them both true where hee sayth My father and I am one Winch. Yea sayd he that is by charitie as we be one with hym Shet I sayd that glose would not stand with the rest of the scripture where he sayd I am the very same that I say to you He sayd the truth and the truth was God c. wyth much such lyke And here he made many wordes but very gently of the Sacrament Likewise Christ sayd quoth he it was his body yea that is to say a figure of his body how men did not consider the word was god and God the word Winchester defendeth Images and so prouoked me with suche temptation but I let hym alone and sayd nothing So after many wordes he came to the Churches faith and comely orders of ceremonies and images And then I ioyned to him agayne with the Commaundementes Winch. He sayd that was done that no false thing shoulde be made as the heathen would worship a Cat because she killed Myse Shet I sayd that it was playne that the lawe forbad not onely such but euen to make an image of God to any maner of likenes Winch. Where finde ye that Shet Forsoothe in the law where God gaue them y e commaundementes for hee sayd Ye sawe no shape No Imaâ—â— of God be madeâ— but hearde a voyce onely and added a reason why least they should after make images and marre themselues so that God woulde not shew his shape because they should haue no image of him which was the true God c. Winch. He sayd I made a goodly interpretation Shet I sayd no it was the text Then was the Bible called for and when it came hee bad finde it and I shoulde strayght be confounded with myne owne wordes so that if there werâ— any grace wyth me I would trust myne own wit no more when I looked it was Latin Winch. Why sayd he ye can ye read 〈…〉 Shet No. then was the English Biâ—â—e brought He bad me finde it and so I read it aloude and then hâ— sayde loe here thou mayst see this is no more to forbid the image of God then of any other beast foule or fishe the place was Deut. .4 I said it did playnly forbid to make any of these to the Image of God Deut. 4. because no man might know what shape he was of Therefore might no man say of any Image which is an image of God Winch. Well yet by your leaue so much as was seene we may that is of Christ of the holy ghost and the father appeared to Daniel like an old * man c. Shet That is no proofe that wee may make Images contrarye to the commaundement for thoughe the holye Ghost appeared like a Doue yet was he not like in shape but in certayne quallities and therefore when I sawe the Doue which is Gods creature in deede I might remember the spirite to be simple and louing c. And with y t he was somewhat moued and sayd I had learned my lesson and asked who taught me with many wordes and he said he would proue howe good and profitable Images were to teache the vnlearned c. Shet At the last I sayd my Lorde although I were able to make neuer so good a glose vpon the commaundements yet obedience is better then all our good intentes much adoe we had at last he saw he sayd what I was and how he had sent for me for charitie sake to talke with me but now he would not medle and sayd my wrong imprisonment could not excuse me but I must cleare my selfe Sheter I sayd that was easie for me to doe For I had not offended Winch. He sayd I could not scape so there I was deceyued Shet Well then I am vnder the law c Arch. The archdeacon was there called in for me and he layd to me that with such arrogancy and stoutnes as neuer was heard I behaued my selfe before him wheras he was minded with such mercy towarnes me c. and many lyes he laid to me that I was sent home til an other time and I woulde not be contented but went out of y e Church with such an outcry as was notable Shetter I declared that he falsely herein reported me brought in the lawes then in the Realme and y e Queenes Proclamation that none of her subiectes should be compelled till the law were to compell and that I rehearsed y e same in the Court for me and I did vse him then said I as I vse your grace now and no otherwise Winch. He said that I did not vse my selfe very wel now Shet I sayd I had offered my selfe to be bayled and to conferre with them when and where they would Winch. He sayd I should not conferre but be obedient I sayd let me goe and I will not desire to conferre neither when I offended let them punish me and so departed By your brother Nicholas Sheterden prisoner for the truthe in Wesâ—gaâ—e * The last examination with the condemnation of Mayster Bland Iohn Frankesh Nicholas Shetterden Vmfrey Middleton ANd thus much touching the particular seuerall examinations of Nicholas Shetterden of M. Bland Now to touch somthing also of the other Martyrs which the same time were examined and suffered with theÌ„ together to witte Umfrey Middleton of Ashford and Iohn Frankesh Uirare of Roluynden in the Dyoces of Kent aboue mentioned here first would be declared the Articles whiche publickely in their last examinations were iointly and seuerally ministred vnto them by the foresaid Thornton Byshop of Douer But forasmuche as these articles being ordinary of course are already expressed in the story of M. Bland as may appeare before It shall not therfore be needefull to make any new rehearsall thereof To these seuen articles then being propounded to the fiue persons aboue named to wit Iohn Frankesh Iohn Bland Nicholas Shetterden Umfrey Middleton and one Thacker first aunswered Iohn Frankesh somewhat doubtfully desiring further respite to be geuen him of 14. dayes to deliberate with himselfe Whiche was graunted Maister Bland answered flattely and roundly
vpholding of iustice wythin it selfe much lesse then to minister aid and succor to the kingdom of Hungary to the Croatians against the Turke And wheras al the states of the sacred Romane Empire doe not doubte but the Popes holines doth right well vnderstād how the Germane princes did graunt condescend for the money of Annates to be leaued to the see of Rome for terme of certen yeres Annates falsely pretended of the Pope to maintaine warre against the turke vpon condition that the said mony shuld be conuerted to maintain warre against the turkish infidels and for defence of the catholike faith wheras the terme of these yeres is now expired long since when as the said Annates should be gathered and yet that mony hath not ben so bestowed to that vse whereto it was first graunted therefore if any such necessitie should nowe come that any publike helpes or contributions against the Turke should be demanded of the Germane people they would aunswer againe why is not that money of Annates reserued many yeares before to that vse nowe to bee bestowed and applied and so woulde they refuse to receiue anye more such burdens for that cause to be laid vpon them Wherefore the said Lord Lieutenant and other Princes degrees of the Empire make earnest petition that the Popes holines wil with a fatherly consideration expend the premisses and surcease hereafter to require such Annates Annates is a certaine portion of money wont to be paide to the court of Rome one of the one yeares fruites at the vacation of an ecclesiasticall lyuing which are accustomed after the death of bishops and other prelats or ecclesiasticall persons to be payd to the court of Rome and suffer them to remaine to the chamber of the Empire whereby iustice peace may be more cōmodiously administred the tranquilitie of the publike state of Germanie mainteined and also by the same due helpes may be ordeined and disposed to other Christen potentates in Germanie agaynst the Turke which otherwise without the same is not to be hoped for Item wheras the Popes holines desireth to be informed what way were best to take in resisting these errors of the Lutherians to this the Lord Lieutenant with other Princes add nobles do answere that whatsoeuer helpe or counsell they can deuise with willing harts they will be ready therevnto Seeing therefore the state aswell ecclesiasticall as temporall is farre out of frame and haue so much corrupted their wayes and seeing not onely of Luthers part and of his sect but also by diuers other occasions besides so many errors abuses corruptions haue crept in much requisite and necessary it is that some effectuall remedie be prouided as well for redresse of the church as also for repressing of the Turks tyrannie Now what more present or effectuall remedy can be had the Lord Lieutenant with other estates and princes do not see then this that the Popes holines Remedye of reformatyō by the consent of the Emperors maiestie do summon a free Christen Councell in some conuenient place of Germanie as at Strausburgh or at Mentz or at Colen or at Metz and that with as much speede as conueniently may be so that the congregating of the said Councel be not deferred aboue one yere A generall Councell in Germany required in the which Councel it may be lawfull for euery person that there shall haue interest either temporal or ecclesiastical freely to speake consult to the glory of God and health of soules and the publike wealth of Christendome without impeachment or restraynt whatsoeuer oth or other bond to the contrary notwithstanding yea and it shal be euery good mans part there to speake not onely freely but to speake that which is true to the purpose and to edifying not to pleasing or flattering but simply and vprightly to declare his iudgemsnt without all fraud or guile And as touching by what waies these errors tumultes of the Germane people may best be staid and pacified in the meane time vntil the councell be set the foresaid L. Lieutenant An interim before the Councell with the other princes therupon haue cōsulted deliberated that for as much as Luth. and certaine of his fellowes be within the territorye and dominion of the noble duke Friderike the saide L. Lieutenant and other states of the Empire shall so labour the matter wyth the aforenamed Prince duke of Saxonie Wryting Printing for a time suspended that Luther and his followers shall not wryte sette foorth or print any thing during the sayde meane space neither doe they doubte but that the sayde noble prince of Saxonie for his Christian pietie and obedience to the Romane Empire as becōmeth a Prince of such excellent vertue will effectually condescend to the same Item the said L. Lieutenant and princes shal labour so with the preachers of Germany that they shall not in their sermōs teach or blow into the peoples eares such matters whereby the multitude may be moued to rebelliō or vpror or be induced into error and that they shall preach teach nothing but the true pure sincere The office of preaching tempered holy gospell aproued scripture godly mildly christianly according to the doctrine and exposition of the Scripture being approued and receiued of Christes Churche abstaining from all suche thynges whych are better vnknowen then learned of the people and which to be subtilly searched or deepely discussed it is not expedient Also that they shall mooue no contention of disputation among the vulgare sorte but what so euer hangeth in controuersie the same they shall reserue to the determination of the Councell to come Item the Archbishops Bishops and other prelates wythin their diocesse shall assigne godly and learned men hauing good iudgement in the scripture which shall diligently and faithfully attende vppon such preachers Preachers limited within certaine bōdes and if they shall perceiue the sayde preachers either to haue erred or to haue vttered any thing vnconueniently they shall godly mildely and modestly aduertise and informe them thereof in such sort as no man shall iustly complaine the trueth of the Gospell to be impeached But if the preachers continuing still in their stubbernesse shall refuse to be admonished and will not desist from their lewdnesse then shall they be restrained and punished by the Ordinaries of the place wyth punishment for the same conuenient Furthermore the sayde Princes and nobles shall prouide and vndertake so much as shall be possible that from hencefoorth during the foresaide time Against selling and printing of famous libells no new booke shal be imprinted especially none of these famous libels neither shall they priuily or apertly be sold. Also order shal be taken amongst al potestates that if any shall set out sell or imprint any newe worke it shall first be seene and perused of certaine godly learned and discrete men appoynted for the same Famouse
not after forme of lawe If we had an accuser present which according to the rule of the Scripture either should proue by good demonstration out of the olde and new Testament that wherof we are accused or if he were not able should suffer punishment due vnto such as are heretickes I thinke he would be as greatly troubled to mainteine his accusations as we to aunswere vnto the same After that the Baylife had made this answere Iohn Palenc Iohn PaleÌ„c answereth one of the auncients of Merindol saide that he approued all that had bene sayd by the Syndiques and that he was able to say no more then had bene said by them before The Commissioner sayd vnto him you are I see a very auncient man and you haue not liued so long but that you haue some thing to aunswere for your part in defence of your cause And the sayde Palenc aunswered seeing it is your pleasure that I shâ—uld say something it seemeth vnto me vnpossible that say what we can we shoulde haue either victory or vantage for our iudges be our enemies The vnder Baylife of Merindoll answereth Then Iohn Bruneroll vnderbaylife at Merindoll answered that he would very faine know the authority of y e Counseller Durandus Commissioner in this cause for as much as the said Counseller had geueÌ„ them to vnderstaÌ„d that he had authority of the high Court to make them abiure their errours which should be found by good and sufficient information and to geue them so doing the pardon conteined in the Kings letters and quite them of all punishment and condemnation Durandus the Commissioner required to shew his CoÌ„mission But the said Commissioner did not geue them to vnderstand that if they could not be found by good and sufficient information that they were in errour he had any power or authoritie to quite and absolue them of the sayd sentence and condemnation Wherfore it seemed that it should be more vauntage for the sayd Merindolians if it shoulde appeare that they were heretickes then to be found to liue according to the doctrine of the Gospell For this cause he required that it woulde please the sayd Commissioner to make declaration therof concluding that if it did not appeare by good and sufficient information against them that they had swarued from the faith or if there were no accuser that woulde come foorth against them they ought to be fully absolued without being any more troubled eyther in body or goodes These things were thus in debating from seauen of the clocke in the morning vntill xj Then the Commissioner dismissed them till after dinner At one of the clocke at after noone they were called for agayne and demaunded whether they woulde say any thyng else The Bailyfe Sindickes of Merindol appeare the second time touchyng that which was propounded in the morning by the said Commissioner They aunswered no. Then sayd the Commissioner what do you conclude for your defence The two Syndiques aunswered we conclude that it would please you to declare vnto vs the errours and heresies whereof we are accused Then the Commissioner asked the Byshop of Cauaillon what informations he had agaynst them The Byshop spake vnto him in his eare and would not aunswere aloude This talke in the eare continued almost halfe an houre that the Commissioner and all other that stoode thereby were weary thereof In the ende the Commissioner sayd vnto them that the Byshop of Cauaillon had told him that it was not needefull to make it apparant by information for such was the coÌ„mon report Herevnto they aunswered that they required the causes and reasons alledged by the Byshop of Cauaillon against them should be put in writing The Byshop was earnest to the contrary They that do the workes of darckenes hate the light and woulde haue nothyng that eyther he sayd or alledged to be put in writing Then Iohn Bruneroll required the Commissioner that at the least he would put in writing that the Byshop would speake nothing agaynst them that they could vnderstand and that he woulde not speake before the Commissioner but only in his eare The Byshop on the coÌ„trarie part defended that he would not be named in processe There was great disputation vpon this matter and coÌ„tinued long TheÌ„ the CoÌ„missioner asked the Merindolians if they had the Articles of their confession which they had presented to the high Court of Parliament Then they required that their confession might be read and by the readyng thereof they might vnderstand whether it were the doctrine which they held the confession which they had presented or no. Then the confession was read publickely before theÌ„ The confession of the Merindolians exhibited and read which they did allow and acknowledged to be theirs This done the Commissioner asked the Doctour if he did finde in the sayd confessioÌ„s any hereticall opinions wherof he could make demoÌ„stration by the word of God either out of the old or the new TestameÌ„t Then spake the Doctour in Latin a good while After he had made an end Andrew Mainard the Bayliffe desired the Commissioner accordyng as he had propouÌ„ded to make the errours and heresies that they were accused of What were the articles doctrine of their confession read Sled Lib. 16. apparauÌ„t vnto them by good information or at the least to marke those Articles of their confession which the Byshop the Doctours preteÌ„ded to be hereticall requiryng him also to put in Register their refusall aswell of the Byshop as of the Doct. of whoÌ„ the one spake in his eare and the other in Latine so that they of Merindoll could not vnderstand one word Then the Commissioner promised theÌ„ to put in writyng all that should make for their cause And moreouer he sayd that it was not needefull to call the rest of the Merindolians if there were no more to be sayd to them then had bene sayd to those which were already called And this is y e summe of all that was done at the after noone Many which came thether to heare these disputations supposing that they should haue heard some goodly demoÌ„strations were greatly abashed to see the Byshop and the Doctour so confouÌ„ded which thyng afterward turned to the great benefite of many for hereby they were moued to require the copyes of y e confession of their fayth by meanes wherof they were conuerted and embraced the truth and namely iij. Doctours who weÌ„t about diuers tymes to diswade the MerindoliaÌ„s from their fayth whose ministery God afterwardes vsed in the preachyng of his Gospel Three Doctours coÌ„uerted by the confessioÌ„ of the Merindolians Of whom one was Doctour Combaudi Prior of S. Maximin afterwardes a Preacher in the territory of the Lords of Berne An other was Doctour Somati who was also a Preacher in the Bailiwycke of Tonon The other was Doctour Heraudi pastour and Minister in the Countie of Newcastle After this the inhabitaunts of Merindoll were in
them selues to liue in the feare of God and according to his holy will Moreouer they acknowledged the superior powers as princes and magistrates to be ordeined of God that who so euer resisteth the same resisteth the ordinaunce of God and therefore humbly submitted themselues to theyr superiours with all obedience so that they cōmanded nothing against God Finally they protested that they woulde in no poynte be stubborne but if that their forefathers or they had erred many one iote concerning true religion the same beynge proued by the woord of God they would willingly yeelde and be reformed Their Interrogatories The interrogatories were concerning the Masse auricular confession baptisme mariage and burials according to the institution of the Church of Rome Their aunswers to the Interrogatories Masse To the first they aunsweared that they receyued the Lordes supper as it was by him instituted and celebrated by his Apostles but as touching the masse except the same might be prooued by the word of God they would not receiue it To the second touching auricular confession they said that for their parte they confessed them selues daily vnto God acknowledging them selues before him to be miserable sinners desiring him of pardone and forgeuenesse of their sinnes as Christe instructed his in the prayer which he taught them 1. Iohn 1. Lord forgeue vs our sinnes And as S. Iohn sayeth If we confesse our sinnes to God hee is faithfull and iust to forgeue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse And according to that which God him selfe sayeth by his Prophet O Israel if thou returne returne vnto me And againe O Israel it is I it is I which forgeeueth thee thy sinnes So that Iere. 4. Esa. 43. seeing they ought to returne to God alone and it is he only that forgeueth sinnes therfore they were bound to confesse them selues to God onely Auricular confession and to no other Also it appeareth that Dauid in his Psalmes and y e Prophets and other faithfull seruaunts of God haue confessed themselues both generally and particularly vnto God alone Yet if the contrary might be prooued by the woord of God they woulde say they wyth all humblenesse receiue the same Baptisme Thirdly as touching Baptisme they acknowledged and receiued that holy Institution of Christe and administred the same with all simplicitie as hee ordeined it in his holy Gospell without any chaunging adding or diminishing in any poynt that all this they did in their mother tongue 1. Cor. 14. according to the rule of S. Paul who willeth that in the church euery thing to be done in the mother tongue for the edification of our neighbor But as for their coniurations oyling and salting except the same might be proued by the sacred Scripture they would not receiue them Fourthly as touching burialles they aunswered that they knewe there is a difference betwene the bodies of the true Christians The manner of burials and the Infidels for asmuch as the firste are the mēbers of Iesus Christ temples of the holy ghost and partakers of the glorious resurrectiō of the dead and therefore they accustomed to folow their dead to the graue reuerently with a sufficient company and exhortation out of the woorde of God as well to comfort the parentes and frendes of the dead as also to admonish all men diligently to prepare them selues to die But as for the vsing of candles or lightes praiers for the dead ringing of belles except y e same might be proued to be necessary by the word of God and that God is not offended therwith they wold not receiue them Fifthly as touching obedience to mennes traditions they receiued and allowed all those ordinances Obedience to mens traditions which as S. Paule sayth serue for order decencie reuerence of the Ministerie But as for other Ceremonies which haue bin brought into the Churche of God either as a parte of his diuine seruice either to merite remission of sinnes or els to binde mens consciences because they are mere repugnant to the word of God they could by no means receiue them And whereas the Commissioners affirmed the sayde traditions to haue ben ordeined by councels Councells not to be preferred before Gods word first they answeared that the greatest part of them were not ordeined by councels Secondly that Councels were not to be preferred aboue the woorde of God which saith If any man yea or Angell from heauen shoulde preache vnto you otherwise then that which hath bene receiued of the Lorde Iesus Galat. 1. let him be accursed And therefore said they if Councels haue ordained any thing dissenting from the woorde of God they woulde not receiue it Finally they said that the Councels had made diuers notable decrees concerning the election of Bishoppes and Ministers of the Church concerning Ecclesiasticall discipline as wel of the Cleargie as of the people also concerning the distribution of the goodes and possessions of the Church Councells not kept of the Papistes in many poyntes And further that all pastours which were eyther whoremongers drunkardes or offensiue in any case shuld be put from their office Moreouer that whosoeuer should be present at the masse of a priest which was a whoremonger should be excōmunicate And many such other things which wer not in any point obserued And that they omitted to speake of many other thinges whith were ordained by diuers Councels very superstitious and cōtrary to the holy Commaundements of God as they would be ready to prooue said they if they should haue occasion and oportunitie thereunto Wherefore they required the Commissioners Disputatiō required that a disputation might be had as by the sayde President was pretended publiquely and in their presence and then if it might be prooued by the woorde of God that they erred either in doctrine or conuersation and maner of liuing they were content with all humblenesse to be corrected and refourmed as they had before sayde beseeching them to consider also that their religion had ben obserued kept from their auncitours vntill their time For the antiquity of these Waldoys see before pag. many hundred yeares together and yet for their partes being conuicted by the infallible woord of God they would not obstinately stande to the defence therof Saying moreouer that they togither with the said Lordes Deputies confessed all one God one Sauiour one Holy Ghost one Lawe one Baptisme one hope in Heauen and in Summe they affirmed that their faith and religion was firmly founded and groūded vpon the pure woord of God wherefore it is sayd That blessed are they which heare the same and keepe it To be short seeing it is permitted to the Turkes Turkes and Iewes finde more fauor with the Papistes then the true Christians Sarazens Iewes which are mortall ennemies to our Sauiour Christe to dwell peaceablye in the fairest Cities of Christendome by good reason they should be suffred to liue in the desolate
Katherine his wife Quene Katherine carnally knoweÌ„ by the kings brother it appeareth in a certaine booke of Recordes which we haue to shew touching this mariage that the same time when Prince Arthur was firste maryed with this Ladye Katherine daughter to Ferdinando certaine Ambassadours of Ferdinando his Counsaile were then sent hether into England for the sayde purpose to see and to testifie concerning the ful consummation of the said matrimoniall coniunction Which Counsaillers here resident being solemnely sworne not onely did affirm to both their parentes that the Matrimonie was consummate by that acte but also did send ouer into Spaine to her father such demonstrations of their mutuall coniunction as here I wil not name sparing the reuereÌ„ce of chast eares which demonstrations otherwise in those Records being named and testified do sufficiently put the matter out of all doute and question Besides that in the same recordes appeareth that both he and she not onely were of such yeares as were mete and able to explete the coÌ„summation hereof but also they were and did lie together both here and in Wales by the space of 3. quarters of a yeare Out of a written booke of Recordes containing certaine conferences betwixte the Cardinall and Queenes Katherines Amner about this matter remaining in our custodie to be seene Thus when the Diuines on her side were beaten from that ground Three reasons for Queene Katherine then they fell to perswasions of Natural reasons how this should not be vndone for three causes One was because if it shoulde be broken the onely childe of the king should be a Bastard which were a great mischiefe to the realme SecoÌ„dly the separation shuld be cause of great vnkindnes betwene her kinred and this Realme And the third cause was that the continuance of so long space had made the Mariage honest These perswasions with many other were set forth by the Queenes Counsaile and in especial by the Bishop of Rochester which stoode stiffe in her cause Fisher Bish. of Rochester a great doer for Queene Catherine But yet Gods precept was not aunswered wherefore they left that ground and fel to pleading that the court of Rome had dispenced with that Mariage To this some Lawyers sayde that no earthly person is able to dispence with the positiue law of God When the Legates hard the opinions of the Diuines and saw wherunto the end of this question would tend The searching of the kinges mariâ—ge brought moe thinges to lighte for asmuch as men began so to dispute of the authoritie of the Court of Rome especially because the Cardinal of York perceiued the king to cast fauour to the Lady Anne whom he knew to be a Lutheran they thought best to wind them selues out of that brake by time so Cardinall Campeius dissembling the matter conueyed himselfe home to Rome againe as is partly aboue touched pag. 187. The Kinge seeing himself thus to be differred and deluded by the Cardinals Cardinall Campeius sâ—ippeth froÌ„ the king tooke it to no litle griefe whereupon the fall of the Cardinall of Yorke folowed not long after This was in the yeare of our Lord 1530. Shortly after it happened the same yeare that the king by hys Ambassadours was aduertised that the Emperoure and the Pope were both together at Bononie Wherfore he directed Sir Tho. Bullein late created Earle of Wiltshire and Doctor Stokesley afterward Bishop of London and Doctor Lee afterward bishop of York with his message to the popes Court where also the Emperor was Pope Clement vnderstanding the kinges case and request The king â—endeth to the Emperour and the Pope and fearing what might follow after if learning and Scripture here should take place against the authority of their dispensations and moreouer doubting the Emperours displeasure bare him selfe strange of from the matter answearing the Ambassadors with this delay that he presently would not define in the case The Popes aunswere to the king but would heare the full matter disputed when he came to Rome and according to right he would do iustice Although the king ought no suche seruice to the Pope to staÌ„d to his arbitremeÌ„t either in this case or in any other hauing both the Scripture to lead him The king gaue more to the Pope then he needed and his law in his owne hands to warrant him yet for quietnes sake and for that he wold not rashly breake order which rather was a disorder in deede he bare so long as conuenieÌ„tly he might At length after long delaies and much dissembling when he saw no hope of redresse he began somwhat to quicken to looke about him what was best both for his owne conscience and the stablishment of his realme to do No man here doubteth Gods prouideÌ„ce working meruelously in this matter but that al this was wrought not by mans deuise but by the secrete purpose of the Lord himselfe to bryng to passe further thinges as afterwarde followed whiche his diuine prouidence was disposed to work For els as touching the y e kings intent purpose he neuer meant nor mynded any such thing as to seek the ruine of the pope but rather sought all meanes coÌ„trary how both to stablish the Sea of Rome also to obteyne y e good will of the same Sea and Court of Rome if it might haue bene gotten And therefore intending to sue his diuorse froÌ„ Rome at the first beginning his deuise was by Stephen Gardiner his Ambassadour at Rome to exalt the Cardinall of York Vid. supr pag. 990. as is before shewed pag. 990. to be made pope and vniuersall Bishop to the end that he ruling that Apostolicke sea the matter of his vnlawfull maryage whiche so troubled his conscience might come to a quiet conclusion without anye further rumor of the world Which purpose of his if it had taken effect as he had deuised it and the englsh Cardinall had once bene made Pope no doubt but the authoritie of that sea had neuer bene exterminate out of England But God being more mercifull vnto vs tooke a better way then so For both without and contrarye to the kinges expectation he so brought to passe that neyther the Cardinall of Yorke was Pope which shuld haue bene an infinite cost to the king and yet neuertheles the king sped of his purpose too Man purposethâ— but God disposeth and that much better then he looked for For he was ridde by lawfull diuorcement not onely from that vnlawfull mariage which clogged his conscieÌ„ce but also from the miserable yoke of the popes vsurped dominion whiche clogged the whole realme and all at one time Thus Gods holy prouidence ruling the matter as I sayd when the king could get no faourable graunt of the Pope touching his cause being so good and honest he was enforced to take the redresse of his right into his own handes and seeing this * Gordiâ—m was a Citty in Asia where there was
the fast in Lent and other appoynted by the Canon lawe Lent fast and receiued in common vsage of Christian people vnlesse necessitye otherwise requireth are to be obserued 18. Whether it be laudable and profitable Worshipping of Images that worshipful images be set in churches for the remembraunce of Christ and his sayntes 19. Whether thou beleuest that prayers of men liuing doe profit soules departed and being in Purgatory Praying for soules departed Merites 20. Whether men may merite and deserue both by their fastinges and also by their other deedes of deuotion 21. Whether thou doest beleue that men prohibited of Bishops to preach as suspect of heresy Preaching with out lycence ought to cease from preaching and teaching vntill they haue purged thēselues of suspition before an higher iudge 23. Whether thou beleuest that it is lawfull for all Priestes freely to preach the word of God or no 23. Whether thou beleuest that it is lawfull for lay men of both kindes that is to wit Lay men to preach both men and women to sacrifice and preach the word of God 24. Whether excommunication denounced by the Pope agaynst all hereticks do oblige and bind them before God The Popes excommunication Saying of Mattens 25. Whether euery priest is bound to say dayly his mattins and euensong according as it is ordeined by the church or whether he may leaue them vnsaid without offēce or deadly sinne 26. Whether thou beleuest that y e heds or rulers by necessity of saluation are boūd to geue vnto the people Scripture in the mother tounge holy scripture in theyr mother language 27. Whether is it lawful for the rulers for some cause vpō theyr reasonable aduisement to ordeine that the scripture should not be deliuered vnto the people in the vulgar language 28. Whether thou beleuest that consecrations hallowings and blessings vsed in the Church are to be praysed 29. Whether thou beleuest that the pope may make lawes and statutes Making of lawes in the Churche to bind all christen men to the obseruaunce of the same vnder payne of deadly sinne so that such lawes statutes be not contrary to the law of God 30 Whether thou beleuest that the pope and other prelates theyr deputies in spirituall things haue power to excōmunicate Priestes and lay people that are inobedient and sturdy from entring into the church and to suspend or let them from ministration of the sacramentes of the same 31. Whether fayth only without good workes Iustification may suffice vnto a man fallen into sinne after his baptisme for his saluation and iustifying Difference betweene a Latine Priest and a Greeke Priest 32. Whether a Priest marying a wife and that without the dispensation of the Pope and begetting also childrē of her without slaunder geuing do sinne deadly 33. Item whether a latin priest after he hath taken the order of priesthood being sore troubled and styrred with pricking of lust and lechery and therefore marying a wife for remedy of the same do sinne deadly 34. Item whether thou didst euer pray for Iohn Wickliffe Praying for Wickliffe Hus and Hierome of Prage Iohn Hus or Hierome of Prage cōdemned of heresy in the Coūsell of Constance or for any of them sith they died or whether thou hast done opēly or secretly any deedes of charity for them affirming them to be in blesse saued 35. Item whether thou hast recounted them or any of thē to be saints and worshipped them as sayntes General Councels 36. Item whether thou doest beleeue holde and affirme that euery generall Coūsell and the Coūcell of Constance also do represent the vniuersall congregation or church 37. Item whether thou doest beleue that the same things which the Counsel of Constance representing the vniuersall church hath approued The Councell of Constance doth approue for the maintenance of fayth and soules health that the same is to be approued and holden of all christians 38. Whether the condēnations of Iohn Wickliffe I. Hus and Hierome of Prage done vpon theyr persons bookes and documents by the whole general coūsell of Constance were duely and rightly done and so for such of euery catholick person they are to be holden Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage 39. Whether thou beleuest that Ioh. Wickliffe of Englād Iohn Hus of Boheme and Hierome of Prage were hereticks and for hereticks to be named and theyr bookes and doctrines to haue bene and now be peruerse for the which books and pertinacy of theyr persons they are condemned by the holy counsell of Constance for heretickes 40. Item whether thou beleue or affirme that it is not lawfull in any case to sweare 41. Whether thou beleue that it is lawfull at the commaūdement of a iudge To sweare to make an othe to say the truth or any other othe in case cōuenient and that also for purgation of infamy 42 Item whether a christian person despising the receipte of the sacramentes of confirmation The number of Sacramentes extreme vnction or solemnising of matrimony do sinne deadly 43. Itē whether thou beleeue that S. Peter as Christes vicar The power of Peter haue power vpon earth to bind and lose 44. Item whether the Pope ordinarily chosen for a time his proper name being exprest be the successor of S. Peter 45. Item whether thou hast euer promised at any tyme by an othe The power of the Pope or made any confederacy or league with any person or persons that you woulde alwayes hold defēd certein conclusions or articles seming to you and your accōplices right and cōsonant vnto the fayth and that you certefye vs touching the order and tenor of the sayd opinions and conclusions and of the names and surnames of them that were your adherentes promised to be adherent vnto you in this behalfe ¶ The aunswere of Iohn Lambert to the first Article VNto your first demaund wherin you do aske whether I was suspect or infamed of heresy Aunswere to the first Artycle I answere that I am not certayne what all persons at all seasōs haue demed or suspected of me peraduenture some better some worse like as y e opiniō of the people was neuer one but thought diuersly of all the famous prophets The speach of people diuers inconstant Iohn 7. of the Apostles yea and of Christ himselfe as appereth in S. Iohn how whē he came into Ierusalem in the feast called Scenopegia anon there arose vpon him a great noyse some saying that he was a very good man other sayd nay called him a seducer because he led the people frō the right waies of Moses law into error Seing therfore that all men coulde not say wel by Christ which is the author of verity and truth yea the very truth it selfe and likewise of his best seruāts what should I need to regard if at some time some person for a like cause should
resurrection My merites is the mercy of the Lord. I am not without merit so long as the Lord of mercie shal continue And if y e mercies of the Lorde be great and riche then am I also great and rich in merites And to conclude they be Christes owne merites and good works as sayth S. Ambrose wel nigh euery where that he worketh in vs which he doth reward and crowne Good workes how they be Gods and how they be ours and not ours if one should loke narowly vpon the thing speak properly Howbeit they yet neuerthelesse are ours by him for so much as his mercifull bountie imputeth hys goods to be ours So that in this I wot not how other do meane which lust to sel their merits vnto their neighbors that happely haue skarce enough for themselues but I do wholy deme beleue according as the scripture with these holy doctors and such other do teach wishing that men euer for good doing should not so much as the coÌ„mon people doth regard their merite or reward To walke with God after a seruile fashion is to worke for merite for that is not the thing that engendreth the loue of god in vs but rather maketh men to honour God in a seruile fashion for the loue of themselues in doing workes for loue of rewarde or for dread of payne more then because it so pleaseth God lyketh him whereas if we regarded first yea altogether that it is our duety to do wel which is the keping of his coÌ„mandements that so we should content his pleasure reward should vndoubtedly ensue good deedes 〈…〉 works 〈…〉 works 〈◊〉 done 〈◊〉 â—ewarde 〈◊〉 ability to doe 〈◊〉 will of 〈…〉 7.11 although we minded no whit the same as heat followeth euermore y e fire vnseperate therefrom And thus we shuld serue god with harty loue as children and not for meed or dread as vnlouing thraldes and seruauntes Concerning free will I meane altogether as doth S. Augustine that of our selfe we haue no libertie ne habilitie to doe the will of God but are subiect vnto sinne thralds of the lame conclusi sub peccatum vaenundati sub eodem Shut vp and sold vnder sinne as witnesseth both Esay also Paule but by the grace of God wee are rid and set at libertie according to the portion that euery man hath takeÌ„ of the same some more some lesse ¶ Whereas in your sixt demaund you do enquire whether the sacrament of the aulter be a sacrament necessarye vnto saluation â—â—â—were to 〈◊〉 article and whether after the consecration of the bread wine done by the priest 〈◊〉 sacraâ—â—nt of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 as by the minister of God there is the very body and bloud of Christ in likenes of bread wine I neither can ne wil answere one worde otherwise theÌ„ I haue told sith I was first deliuered into your hands Neither woulde I haue aunswered one whit thereunto knowing so much at the first as I now doe till you hadde brought foorth some that would haue accused me to haue trespassed in the same which I am certayn you can not do bringing any that is honest and credible Aâ—swere to 〈◊〉 7. article ¶ As concerning the other vi sacramentes I make you that same answere that I haue done vnto the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter and none other That is I will say nothing vntill some men appeare to accuse mee in the same vnlesse I know a more reasonable cause then I haue yet heard why I so ought to do But as touching y e forme and fashion I shall answere willingly so farre forth as my rudenes will serue I hold well that such as be duely elect Ministers in the Churche ought to baptise except necessitie require otherwise and that the forme vsed in the Churche â—â—â—tisme to 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 is in mine opinion not vncommendable Neuertheles it should edifie muche more if it were vttered in the vulgar language and cause people in the Baptisme of children more effectuously to thank God for hys institution and high benefite thereby represented In like condition do I also deeme of ministration in all the other â—â—swere to 〈◊〉 8. article that it should be expedient to haue theÌ„ ministred openly in y e vulgar laÌ„guage for the edifying of y e people As concerning the forme vsed in matrimony I lyke it right wel and thinke it commendable sauing in all couÌ„treyes lightly Iudas hath set in his foote ouer farre and taketh in hand to sell his maister accompanyed with Symon Magus saying what will you geue me if I deliuer vnto you Christ This is the saying of all them that require Mâ—trimonie 〈◊〉 freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with out money without any lawfull authoritie in some places .xii. pence in some vi pence in some more in some lesse but in euery place lightly some mony when a couple shoulde be maryed and this they cal the churches right Moreouer y t they will not suffer mariage to be solemnised at al times of the yeare I thinke it standeth not with Christes rule but rather is agaynst the same and that they will not suffer the danes vpon all holydayes to be proclaymed vnlesse a dispensation for money be purchased therefore All this God forbiddeth Finally like as no mony ought to be geuen for this no more shoulde anye be taken for anye other But y e contrary is seene whiche is great pitty yea euen at the receiuing of the sacrament of the aulter priestes euery where vse to clayme somewhat and in some part of the West couÌ„trey no lesse then 2. pence of euery pole Answere to the 9. article ¶ As touching priesthood in the primitiue church wheÌ„ vertue bare as auncient Doctors do deâ—â—e and scripture in mine opinion recordeth the same most roume there were no mo officers in the Churches of God theÌ„ byshops and Deacons that is to saye ministers as witnesseth beside scripture full apertly Bâ—shops â—â—â—estes all 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 tyme. 〈◊〉 order 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 of â—â—nisters in 〈…〉 not â—â—thout the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deacons 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the Epistles of Paule whereas hee sayth that those whome we call priestes were all one and none other but Bishyps and the bishops none other but priestes meÌ„ ancient both in age and learning so neare as could be chosen neyther were they institute and chosen as they be nowe a dayes with small regard of a Bishop 〈◊〉 his Officer onely apposing them if they can construe a Collect but they were chosen not onely of the B. but also to the consent of y e people amoÌ„g whoÌ„ they shuld haue their liuing as sheweth S. Cyprian and the people as he sayth ought to haue power to chuse priestes y t be men of good learning of good honest report but alack for pity 〈◊〉 elections are now banished and new
infinite and interminable or vncircumscriptible so that it neither caÌ„ properly eyther ascende or descend being without all alterations and vnmutable or vnmooueable So that now his naturall body being assumpt from among vs Act. 3. and departed out of the worlde the same can no more returne from thence vnto the ende of the worlde For as Peter witnesseth Act. 3. Whome the heauen must contayne vntill the time that all things be restored which God had spoken by the mouthe of all his holy Prophetes since the worlde began And the same doth y e Article of our Creede teach vs which is From thence .i. from heaueÌ„ he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead 1. Tim. 6. Which time Paule calleth the appearing of oure Lord Iesus Christ. 1. Timoth. 6. Seeing then thys naturall body of our Sauiour that was borne of hys mother Marie being a Uirgine is all whole assumpt into heaueÌ„ and departed out of this world and so as sayth S. Peter He must remaine in heauen vntil the ende of the worlde which he calleth the time when all thynges must be restored This I say seene and beleeued according to our Creede and the Scriptures I caÌ„ not perceiue how the naturall body of hym can contrariwise be in the world and so in the Sacrament And yet notwithstanding is this true that the holy Sacrament is Christes body bloude as after shall be declared Doctors affirming the same But firste for the establishing of my former purpose that the naturall bodye of our Sauiour is so absent from thys worlde Testimonies out of the doctors and ascended to heauen that it can be here no more present vnto the generall dome I wold beseech your grace to consider the minde and sentence of olde holy Doctours in thys purpose or matter how agreably they testifie wyth that is tofore shewed Amongest whom we haue first S. Augustine wryting thus to Dardanus Proinde quod ad verbum attinet Creator est Christus Omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt Quod verò ad hominem c. Therefore as concerning the woorde Christe is the Creator all things are made by hym but as touching man August ad Dardanum Christe is a creature made of the seede of Dauid accordiâ—g to the flesh and ordained accordinge to the similitude oâ—â—enne Also because man consisteth of two thinges the soule and the flesh in that hee had a soule hee was pensiue and sorrowfull vnto death in that he had flesh he suffered death Neyther when wee call the sonne of God Christ wee do separate hys manhoode nor when we cal the same Christ the sonne of manne we doe separate his Godhead from him In that he was manne he was conuersaunt vppon the earth and not in heauen where hee nowe is when hee sayde no man ascendeth vp into heauen but he whych descended from heauen the sonne of manne whyche is in heauen Although in that respect that he was the sonne of God he was in heauen and in that he was the sonne of man he was yet in the earth and as yet was not ascended into heaueÌ„ Likewise in that respecte that he is the sonne of God he is the Lord of glory and in that he is the sonne of man he was crucified And yet notwythstanding the Apostle sayth And if they had knowen the Lord of glory they woulde neuer haue crucified him And by this both the sonne of man was in heauen and the sonne of God in that hee was man was crucified vppon earth Therefore as he might well be called the Lorde of glory being crucified when as yet that suffering did onely pertaine vnto the flesh so it might well be sayde Thys day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise when according to the humilitie of hys manhoode in his flesh hee lay in graue and according to his soule hee was in the bottome of hell that same day According to his diuine immutabilitie hee neuer departed from Paradise because he by his Godhead is alwaies euery wher Doubt you not therefore that there is Christ Iesus accordinge to hys manhoode from whence he shall come Remember it well kepe faithfully thy Christian confession for he rose from the dead he ascended into heauen he sitteth at the right hand of the father neyther will hee come from any other place then from thence to iudge the quicke and the deade And he shall come as the voice of the Angell beareth witnesse as he was seene to goe into heauen that is to say in the selfe same forme and substance of flâ—sh wherunto vndoubtedly hee gaue immortalitie but hee did not take away the nature therof According to this fourme of hys flesh he is not to be thought to be euery where And we must take heed that we doe not so affirme the diuinitie of his manhode that we therby take away the truthe of his body For it is not a good consequente that that thinge whych is in God shoulde so be in euerye place as God For the Scripture sayeth very truely of vs that in hym wee liue mooue and haue our being and yet notwythstanding wee are not in euery place as he is but * He meaneth Christ. that man is otherwise in God because that God is otherwise in man by a certayne proper and singular maner of being Act. 7. for God and man is one person and onely Iesus Christ is both In that he is God he is in euery place but in that he is man he is in heauen By whych wordes of holy Augustine your grace may euidently see that hee testifieth and teacheth the blessed bodye or flesh of Christ to be no where else then in Heauen For to it being assumpt or ascended into heauen God as hee sayeth hath geuen immortalitie but not taken awaye nature So that by the nature of that holy fleshe or bodye Christes body occupieth one place it must occupie one place Wherefore it followeth According to thys fourme that is to witte of hys fleshe Christe is not to be thought to be in euery place For if Christ should in hys humanitie be euery where diffused or spreade abroade so shoulde hys bodely nature or naturall bodye bee taken from hym And therefore hee sayeth For wee muste beware that we doe not so affirme the diuinitie of manne that we do take away the humanitie of his bodie But in that hee is God so is hee euery where according to my woordes before wrytten and in that he is manne so is he in heauen And therfore it is sayde For God and man is one person and onely Iesus Christ is both Hee in that he is euery where is God but in that hee is man he is in heauen And yet do we read agreeable to the same matter more largely in the same Epistle by these woordes Christum Dominum nostrum vnigenitum Dei filium equalem patri eundemque hominis filium quo maior est pater vt vbique totum praesentem esse
man head not in many places at once and after was borne into this world and put in a maunger and so he growyng in age did abide in diuerse places but in one after an other sometime in Galile sometime in Samaria sometime in Iury sometyme beyond sometyme on this side of Iordan consequently he was crucified at Hierusalem there beyng enclosed buried in a graue frō whēce he did arise so that the aungels testified of him He is risen and is not here Mathew 28. and as at the tyme appointed Math. 28. after his resurrectiō he was assumpt or lifted vp into heauen from the top of the Moūt of Oliuet in the sight of his Disciples a cloude compassing him about Euen so shall he come from the same celestiall place corporally as they did see him to depart out of the one place corporally accordyng to the testimony of the aūgels Actes 1. Actes 1. So that in this we may vndoubtedly finde that Christ as touchyng his manhead can not be corporally in many diuers places at once and so to be corporally in his naturall body in heauen and also in the earth and that it is moreouer in so many partes of the world as men haue affirmed Neither doth the Scripture require that we should spoyle Christ of the propertie of mans nature The property of mans nature not to be sequestred frō Christ. which is to be in one place whō the same Scripture doth perpetually witnesse and teach to be man so to counfound the condition of his bodily nature with the nature Diuine Paul doth teach that Christ in māhead was made in all pointes lyke vnto his brethren sinne excepted how then can his body be in more places at once vnlike vnto the naturall propertie of the bodies of vs his brethren But heere doo some wittie Philosophers yea rather Sophisters then Diuines bring in to the anulling of Christes humanitie a similitude of mans soule whiche beeing one is yet so all whole in all our whole body that it is said to be all whole in euery part of the body But such should remēber that it is no conuenient similitude which is made of things different and diuerse in nature such as be the soule and body of man to proue them to haue like properties This is as if they woulde proue Christes body to be of one nature and propertie with his soule that things naturally corporal were not most diuers from creatures naturally spirituall Furthermore if so it might be that the body or fleshe of Christ Thinges corporall and thinges spirituall not to be compared were meerely spirituall and full like vnto the substance of Angels yet could it not in this wise follow that his body could be euery where or in diuers places at once Wherefore such subtilties are to be omitted and the trade of Scripture should well like vs by whiche the olde Doctors do define that the body of Iesu exalted or assumpt into heauen must be locall circumscript and in one place notwithstanding that the veritie spirituall grace fruite that commeth of it is diffused and spread abroade in all places or euery where How coulde Christ corporally depart out of this world The body of Christ is locall and in one place Iohn 13. and leaue the earth if he in y e kinds of bread and wine be not onely corporally conteined and receiued but also there reserued kept and enclosed What other thing else do these words testifie Iohn xiij But Iesus knowing that his houre was come that he should passe out of this world to his father Luke 24. c. And in like forme Luke 24. And it came to passe that as he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen What doe they signifie if Christ went not verely out of this worlde his naturall body being surely assumpt into heauen They do therefore vndoubtedly declare that Christ being very God and very man did verely depart out of this world in his naturall body his humanitie being assumpt into heauen where it remaineth sitting in glory wyth the father Where as yet his Deitie did not leaue the world ne depart out from the earth Paule doth say Philippians 2. that of ij things he wist not which he might rather choose Phil. 2. that is to witte to abide in the flesh for preaching the Gospell or els to be dissolued from the flesh seing that to abide with Christ is much and farre better By the which Paule doth manifestly proue that they bee not presentlye with Christ which yet do abide mortall in the flesh Yet they bee with Christ in suche wise as the Scripture doth saye that the beleeuing be the Temple of Christ. And as Paule doth say 2. Cor. 13. Do you not know your selues that Iesus Christ is in you 2. Cor. 13. In which sense he also promised to be with vs vnto the end of the world Christ therefore must be otherwise in that place in which the Apostle desired to be with him being dissolued and departed from his body then he doth abide either in the supper or else in any other places of the Churches He therefore doth vndoubtedly meane heauen which is the paradise of perfect blisse and glory Where as Christ being a victour triumpher and conquerour ouer death sinne and hell and ouer all creatures doth reigne remaine corporally Thus do I trust that your grace doth see my sentence this farforth to be right Catholicke Christen and faithfull according to holy scripture to holy Fathers and to the Articles of our Christen beliefe Whiche sentence is thus Christes naturall body is so assumpt into heauen where it sitteth or remaineth in glory of the father that it can no more come from thence that is to wit from heauen returne vntill the end of the world and therefore can not the same naturall body naturally be heere in the world or in the Sacrament For then should it be departed or gone out of the world The naturall body of Christ cannot be both in heauen and in earth locally and yet be still remaining in the world It should then be both to come and alreadye come which is a contradiction and variaunt from the nature of his manhead The second part of this matter Now my sentence in the second part of thys matter is this if so be your grace shall please to knowe it The secōd part how the naturall body of Christ is in the Sacrament as I your poore and vnworthy but full true subiect woulde with all submission and instance beseech you to know it I graunt the holy sacrament to be the very and naturall body of our Sauiour and his very naturall bloud and that the naturall body and bloud of our Sauiour is in the Sacrament after a certaine wise as after shall appeare For so doe the words of the supper testifie Take eate this is my body which is geuen for you And againe Drinke
his owne proper person is yet sayde to be offered vp not only euery yeare at Easter but also euery day in the celebration of the Sacrament because his oblation once for euer made is thereby represented Euen so saith Augustine is the Sacramēt of Christes body the body of Christ and the sacrament of Christes bloud the bloud of Christ in a certayne wise or fashion The celebration of the sacrament representeth the oblation of Christes body The sacramēt of Chrrists body is not his body in deede but in memoriall or representation Not that the Sacrament is his naturall body or bloud in deede but that it is a memoriall or representation thereof as the dayes before shewed be of his verye and naturall body crucified for vs and of his precious bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes And thus be the holy signes or Sacramentes truely called by the names of the very thinges in them signified But why so For they saith Augustine haue a certaine similitude of those things wherof they be signes or Sacraments for else they should be no Sacraments at all And therefore do they commonly and for the most part receiue the denomination of the things whereof they be Sacraments So that we may manifestly perceiue that he calleth not the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud the very body and bloud of Christ but as he sayd before But yet he sayth in a certaine maner or wise Not that the Sacramente absolutely and plainely is his naturall body or bloud For this is a false argument of Sophistrie which they call Secundum quid ad simpliciter that is to say A Falla◠in Logike a secundum quid ad simpliciter The Popes argument The Sacrament of Christes body is Christs body Ergo the sacrament is Christes body really ◠substātially that the Sacramēt of Christes body is in a certaine wise the body of Christe Ergo it is also playnely and expressely the naturall body of Christ. For such an other reason might this be also Christ is after a certayne maner a Lion a Lambe and a doore Ergo Christe is a naturall Lion and Lambe or materiall doore But the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud is therefore called his body and bloud because it is thereof a memoriall signe sacrament token representation spent once for our redemption Which thing is further expounded by an other speach that he doth heere consequently allege of baptisme Sicut de ipso baptismo apostolus dicit c. The Apostle quoth Augustine sayeth not we haue signified buryeng but he sayeth vtterly we be buried with Christ For else should all false Christians be buried wyth Christ from sinne which yet do liue in all sinne And therfore saith Augustine immediately therupon he called therfore the sacrament of so great a thing by none other name then of the thing it selfe Thus O moste gracious and godly prince do I confesse and knowledge that the bread of y e sacrament is truely Christes body and the wyne to be truely his bloud according to the wordes of the institution of the same Sacrament but in a certaine wise that is to wit figuratiuely sacramētally or significatiuely according to the exposition of the Doctours before recited heereafter folowing And to this exposition of the old Doctours am I enforced both by the articles of my Creede and also by the circumstances of the sayde Scripture as after shall more largely appeare But by the same can I not finde the natural body of our Sauiour to be there naturally but rather absent both from the sacrament from all the world collocate and remaining in heauen where he by promise must abide corporally vnto the end of the world The same holy Doctor writing agaynst one Faultus sayth in like manner Aug. contra Faustum Si Machabaeos cum ingenti admiratione praeferimus quia escas quibus nunc Christiani licitè vtuntur attingere noluerunt quia pro tempore tunc Prophetico non licebat quanto nunc magis pro Baptismo Christi pro Eucharistia Christi pro signo Christi c. If we doo preferre wyth greate admiration the Machabees because they would not once touche the meates which Christian men now lawfully vse to eate of for that it was not lawfull for that tyme then beyng propheticall that is in the tyme of the olde Testament how muche rather now ought a Christian to be more ready to suffer all things for the Baptisme of Christ and for the Sacrament of thankesgiuing and for the signe of Christe seeyng that those of the old Testamente were the promises of the things to be complete and fulfilled and these Sacramentes in the newe Testamente are the tokens of things complete and finished In this do I note that according to the expositions before shewed he calleth the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of Christes body bloud otherwise properly named Eucharistia signum Christi and that in the singular number The signe of Christ. for as much as they both do signifie welnigh one thing In both them is testified the death of our Saueour And moreouer he calleth them Indicia rerum completarum that is to wyt The tokens or benefits that we shall receiue by the beliefe of Christe for vs crucified And them doth he call vsually both the sacraments signum Christi in the singular number And as the same Saint Augustine in his fiftie treatise vpon the Gospel of Saint Iohn teacheth where he sayeth thus Si bonus es si ad corpus Christi pertines quod significat Petrus habes Christum in praesenti in futuro In praesenti per fidem c. If thou be good August in Ioan tract 50. if thou pertayne to the body of Christ which this word Petrus doth signifie then hast thou Christ both heere presente and in time to come Heere presente through fayth heere presente by the signe and figure of Christe heere presente by the Sacrament of Baptisme heere presente by the meate and drinke of the altar c. More there was that Iohn Lambert wrote to the king but thus much onely came to our hands The death of Robert Packington AMong other actes and matters passed and done thys present yeare Robert Packington which is of the Lorde 1538. heere is not to be silenced the vnworthy and lamentable death of Robert Packington Mercer of London Anno 1538. wrought and caused by the enemies of Gods worde and of all good proceedings The story is this The said Robert Packington being a man of substance and dwelling in Chepeside vsed euery day at fiue of the clocke Winter and Sommer to goe to prayer at a Churche then called S. Thomas of Acres but now named Mercers Chappell And one morning amongst all other being a great mistie morning such as hath seldōe bin seene euen as he was crossing y e streate from his house to the Churche he was sodenly murthered with a gunne which of y e neighbours was plainly
adulterers and fornicators 5. That he in the meane while shoulde be resident within his owne house Boner inioyned to preach at Paules Crosse. during the time while he should make his sermon at Paules aboue mentioned whiche was an 1549. In the whiche sermon certayne speciall poyntes were prefixed vnto him whereupon he should intreate whiche here in order follow and are these Speciall poyntes and articles to be intreated of of Boner Bishop of London in his Sermon 2. THat all such as rebell against their prince get vnto theÌ„ damnation and those y t resist the higher power resist the ordinaunces of God and he that dieth therfore in rebellion by the woorde of God is vtterly damned and so looseth bothe bodye and soule And therefore those Rebelles in Deuonshire and Cornewall in Northfolke or els where who taking vpon them to assemble a power force against their king and Prince against y e lawes and statutes of the Realme and goe about to subuerte the state and order of the commoÌ„ wealth not onely do deserue therfore death as traytors rebels but do accumulate to them selues eternal damnation euen to be in the burning fire of hell with Lucifer the father and first authour of pride disobedience and rebellion what pretence so euer they haue and what Masses or holye water so euer they pretende or goe about to make among themselues as Chore Dathan and Abiron for rebellion against Moses were swalowed downe aliue into hell although they pretended to sacrifice vnto God What thinges be necessary to be ioyned in all Gods seruice 2 Likewise in the order of the Churche and externe rites and ceremonies of diuine seruice for so muche as God requireth humility of heart innocencie of liuing knowledge of him charity and loue to our neighbours and obedience to hys woorde and to his Ministers and superioure powers these we must bring to all our prayers to all our seruice Externe rites ceremonyes how farre they serue this is the sacrifice that Christe requireth and these be those that make all thynges pleasaunt vnto God The externe rites and ceremonies be but exercises of our religion appointable by superior powers in chosing wherof we must obey the magistrates the whyche thinges also we do see euer hath bene and shal be as the time and place is diuers Ceremonyes made naught by disobedience and yet al hath pleased God so long as these before spoken inwarde things be there If any man shall vse the olde rites and thereby disobey the superior power the deuotion of his ceremonies is made nought by his disobedience so that which els so longe as y e lawe did so stand myghte be good by pride and disobedience nowe is made noughte as Saules sacrifice Chore Dathan and Abiron and Aarons 2. children were But who that ioyneth to deuotion obedience hee winneth the garland For else it is a zeale sed non secundum scientiam a wil desire zeale and deuotion Foolish deuotion but not after wisedome that is a foolishe deuotion which can require no thankes or praise And yet agayne where ye obey yee must haue deuotion for God requireth the heart more then the outward doings and therfore who that taketh the Communion or sayth or heareth the seruice appoynted by the kings maiestie The hart maketh true deuotion must bring deuotion and inward prayer with hym or els his praiers are but vaine lacking that whyche God requireth that is the heart and minde to pray to him 3 Further yee shal for example on sonday come seuenth night after the aforesayd date celebrate the Communion at Paules Church 4 Ye shal also set foorth in your sermon that our authoritie of royal power is as of truth it is of no lesse authoritie and force in this our yoÌ„g age then is or was of any of our predecessors though the same were much elder as may appeare by example of Iosias and other yong kings in scripture and therfore all our subiectes to be no lesse bound to the obedience of our preceptes lawes and statutes then if we were of 30. or 40. yeares of age The deliuery of these Iniunctions articles vnto the Byshop with the time of hys appoynted preaching was soone after knowen abroad amongst the citizens and other the CoÌ„mons within the citie of London Boners preaching much looked for of the people so that euery man expecteth y e time therof wishing to heare the same Whych being once come the B. according to the tenour of the IniunctioÌ„s publikely preached at the Crosse of Paules the 1. day of September Howbeit as hipocrisie neuer lurketh so secretely in the hearts of the wicked but that at one time or other God in hys moste righteous iudgemente maketh it open vnto the world so at this present was the long colored peruerse obstinacie and infestred hatred of this double faced dissembler against the kings godly procedings most plainely manifested by hys disobedient demeanor in thys his sermon The disobedient stubbernes of Boner in his Sermon at Paules Crosse. For where as he was only commanded to entreat vpon such speciall poynts as were mentioned in his articles he yet both besides the counsailes commaundement to the withdrawing of the mindes of the common people in as much as in him lay from the right and true vnderstaÌ„ding of the holy Sacrament ministred in the holy Communion then set foorth by the authoritye of the kinges maiestie according to the true sence of the holy scripture did speÌ„d most part of his sermon about the grosse carnall and papisticall presence of Christes body and bloud in the sacrament of the aultar and also contrary therunto did not onely slenderly touch the rest of his articles but of a rebellious and wilful carelesnes did vtterly leaue oute vnspoken the whole laste article concerning the as effectuall and as lawful authority of the kings highnes during his yong age as if he were 30. or 40. yeares old notwithstanding the same because it was the traiterous opinion of the popishe rebels was by special commaundement chiefly appoynted hym to entreat vppon This contemptuous disobedient dealing as it greatly offended most of the kings faithfull and louing subiects there present so did it muche mislike the mindes W. Latiâ—â—â— and Iohn Hoopeâ— against Boner and was farre from the good expectation as well of that faithful and godly preacher master Iohn Hooper afterwards bishop of Worcester Glocester and lastly a moste constant martyr for the Gospell of Christe as also of M. William Latimer Bacheler of Diuinitie and therefore they well weying the fulnes of the fact and their bounden alegeances vnto their Prince did therupon exhibite vnto the kings highnes vnder both their names a bill of complaint or denunciation against the sayd bishop in forme folowing The denuntiation of Iohn Hooper and William Latimer against Boner to the kings maiestie for leauing vndone the poyntes afore mentioned which he was charged to preache
more pity it is but that we permit them we would be so sory to haue it proued The other is that we haue suffred brutes to be spoken of you that also must be aunswered as the other It is pity to see men so euill as whome they may touch with tales infamies they care not so they misse not the best Suche is the boldnes of people that neither we can fully bridle them to raise tales of you nor of oure selues And yet wheÌ„soeuer any certaine person may be gotteÌ„ to be charged w t any such we neuer leaue theÌ„ vnpunished In deede the best way is both for your grace also vs y t when we can not find and punish the offender let vs say as he said that was euil spoken of yet will I so liue as no credite shal be geuen to my backbiters Certainely if we had credited any euill tale of your grace we would frendly haue admonished you therof so also proceded as either the taletellers should haue ben punished or else haue proued their tales And therfore we pray your grace to thinke no vnkindnes in vs y t anye euil brutes haue bene spred by euill men but thinke rather wel of vs y t howsoeuer they were spred we beleeued them not Hitherto your grace seeth we haue writteÌ„ somwhat at length of y e promise made to you and our meanings in our former writings And now for the latter part of our letter we will as briefly as we can remember to you two speciall matters wherof the one might suffice to reforme your procedings both together well considered we trust shall do your grace much good The one is the truth of that you be desired to follow the other is y e commodity y t thereby shall ensue They both make a iust coÌ„mandement and because of the first the latter followeth that first shal be intreated We heere say your grace refuseth to heare any thing reasoned coÌ„trary to your old determinatioÌ„ wherein you make your opinion suspitious as that you are afeard to be dissuaded If your faith in things be of God it may abide any storme or water if it be but of sand you do best to eschew the weather That which we professe hath y e foundation in Scriptures vpon plaine textes and no gloses the confirmation therof by the vse in the primatiue Church not in this later corrupted and in deede our greatest chaunge is not in the substaÌ„ce of our faith no not in any one article of our crede Only the difference is that we vse the ceremonies obseruations and Sacraments of our religion as the Apostles and first fathers in the primatiue Church did You vse the same that corruption of time brought in and very barbary and ignorance nourished and seeme to be bold for custome against truth we for truth against custome Your grace in one or two places of your letter seemeth to speake earnestly in y e maintenance of your faith therin so that your faith be according to the Scriptures we must haue the like opinion The saying is very good if the faith be sound But if euery opinion your grace hath we cannot tell how conceiued shall be your faith you may be much better instructed S. Paule teacheth you that faith is by the worde of God And it was a true saying of him that saide Non qui cuiuis credit fidelis est sed qui Deo For where hathe youre grace ground for such a faith to thinke coÌ„mon praier in the English Church should not be in english that Images of God shuld be set vp in y e church or y t the sacrameÌ„t of Christes body blood shuld be offred by the priests for the dead yea or y t it should be otherwise vsed then by y e scripture it was instituted Though you haue no scripture to mayneteine theÌ„ we haue euident scriptures to forbid theÌ„ And although fault might be found that of late baptisme hath bin vsed in your graces house coÌ„trary to law vtterly w tout licence yet is it y e worse y t contrary to y e primatiue Church it hath bin in a tong vnknown by y t which the best part of y e Sacrament is vnused as it were a blind bargain made by the Godfathers in a matter of illuminatioÌ„ and thus in the rest of the things in which your grace differeth froÌ„ the common order of the realme where haue you grounde or reason but some custome which oftentimes is mother of many errours And although in ciuill things she may bee followed where she causeth quiet yet not in religions where she excuseth no errour as in Leuiticus it is sayd Ye shall not do after the custome of Egypt wherein ye dwelled nor after the custome of Chanaan no you shall not walke in theyr lawes for I am your Lord God keepe you my lawes and coÌ„mandements The points wherein your grace differeth in your faith as you call it may be shewed where when how by whom they begaÌ„ since the Gospell was preached y e church was planted the Apostles martired At which time your faith depended vpon the Scripture otherwise there was no necessitie to beleeue For as Hierome sayth Quod de scripturis non habet authoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur And because your grace as we heare say readeth sometime the Doctors we may alledge vnto you the 2. or 3. places of other principall Doctors August sayth Cum dominus tacuerit quis nostrûm dicat illa vel illa sunt aut si dicere audeat vnde probat And Chrisostomes saying is not vnlike Multi inquit iactant spiritum sanctum sed qui propria loquuntur falso illum praetendunt And if you wiâ—l haue their meaning plaine read the 5. Chapter of the first booke of Ecclesiastica historia and where Constantine had these wordes in the Councell In disputationibus inquit rerum diuinarum habetur praescripta spiritus sancti doctrina Euangâ—lici Apostolici libri cum prophetarum oraculis plene nobis ostendunt sensum numinis proinde discordia posita sumamus ex verbis spiritus questionum explicationes What playner sayings may be then these to answere your fault Agayne to infinite it were to remember your grace the great number of particular erroures crept into the church whereupon you make your foundation The fables of false miracles and lewde pilgrimages may somewhat teach you Onely this we pray your grace to remember w t your selfe the two wordes that the father said of his sonne Iesus Christ. Ipsum audite To the second point of the coÌ„moditie that may follow your obedience we hauing by the kinges authoritie in this behalfe the gouernaunce of thys realme must herein be playne with your grace And if our speache offende the same then must your grace thinke it is our charge and office to finde fault where it is and our dutie to amend it as we may Most sory truely we be y
at length and discussed with my Lord of Caunterbury the vnderstanding of gods commaundement to the Iewes 〈◊〉 euery â—hing were 〈◊〉 oracle by 〈◊〉 by that 〈◊〉 Henry 〈◊〉 then â—inchester 〈◊〉 here a 〈…〉 so as all the Clearkes in Christedome could not amend it And where as one had denyed the Image of the Trinitye to be had by reasons as be touched in your Graces letters I heard his highnesse aunswere to them at another time And when hee had himselfe specially commaunded diuers Images to be abolished yet as your Grace knoweth he both ordered and himselfe putte in execution the kneeling and creeping before the Image of the Crosse and established agreement in that truth through all this Realme whereby all argumentes to the contrary be assoyled at once I would wysh Images vsed as the booke by his highnesse sette forth doth prescribe and no otherwise I know your Grace only teÌ„pteth me with such reasons as other make vnto you and I am not fully at liberty although I am bolde enough and some will thinke to bolde to aunswere some thinges as I woulde to an other man mine equall being so much inferiour to your Grace as I am but me thinketh Saynte Paules solucion during the kinges Maiesties minoritye should serue all Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus We haue no such custome in the Church When our soueraign Lord commeth to his perfect age which God graunt I doubt not but God wil reueale that shal be necessary for the gouerning of his people in religion Wherefore then serue the Scripture for reaâ—mes to be ruled by if God neuâ—â— reueale any thing in a reâ—â—me but by the kinges owne person in his mans age And if any thing shal be done in the meane time as I thinke there shall not by your Graces direction he may when he commeth to age say in the rest as I heare say he sayd nowe of late concerning procession that in his fathers time men were wont to folow procession vpon which the kinges maiestyes saying the procession as I heard was well furnished afterwardes by your Graces Commaundement which speach hath put me in remembraunce that if the Bishops and other of the Clergy should agree to any alteration in religion to the condemnation of any thing set forth by his Father whereby his father might be noted to haue wanted knowledge or fauor to the truth what he would say I can not tell but he might vse a maruellous speach and for the excellency of his spirite it were like he would and hauing so iust a cause against Bishops as he might haue it were to be feared he would And when he had spoken theÌ„ he might by his lawes do more then any would gladly suffer of our sort at these dayes for as the allegatioÌ„ of his authority represented by your grace shal be then aunswered as youre Grace now writeth vnto me that y t your Grace onely desired truth according to Gods scripture and it may be â—heÌ„ sayd we Bishops when we haue our soueraigne Lord head in minority we fashion the matter as we lust then some young man that would haue a piece of the Bishops landes shall say the beastly Bishops haue alwayes done so and when they can no longer mayntayne one of theyr pleasures of rule and superioritye then they take another way and let that go and for the time they be here spend vp that they haue which eat you and drinke you what ye list we together with Edamus bibamus cras moriemur And if we shall alleadge for our defence the strength of Goddes trueth and the playnesse of scripture with the word of the Lord and many gay termes and say we were conuinced by scriptures such an excellent iudgement as the kinges maiesty is like to haue will neuer credite vs in it ne be abused by such a vayne answere And this is a worldly polliticke consideration and at home for the noyse abroade in the world will be more slaunderous then this is daungerous And touching the bishop of Rome the doing in this realme hitherto hath neuer done him so much displeasure as an alteration in religion during the kinges Maiestyes minority should serue for his purpose for he wanteth not wits to beate into other princes eares that where his authority is abolished there at euery chaunge of gouernors shal be change in Religion and y t hath bene amongst vs by a whole consent established shall by pretence of an other vnderstanding in scripture streight be brought in questioÌ„ Canterbury and Duresme carped of Wynchester for they will geue it no other name but a pretence howe stiffely so euer we will affirme otherwise and call it Gods worde and here it should much be noted that my Lorde of Caunterbury being the high Bishop of the Realme highly in fauour with his late Soueraigne Lord and my Lord of Duresme a manne of renowmed fame in learning and grauity both put by him in trust for theyr councell in the order of the Realme shoulde so soone forgette theyr olde knowledge in Scripture sette forth by the Kynges Maiesties book and aduise to enuey such matter of alteration All which thinges be I knowe well by your Grace and them considered And therefore it is to me incredible that euer any such thing should be in deede with effect whatsoeuer the lyghtnesse of talke shall spread abroade whyche your Grace hath by Proclamation well stayed But and ye had not and the world talked so fast as euer they did I assure your Grace I woulde neuer feare it as men feare thinges they like not vnlesse I saw it in execution for of this sort I am that in all thinges I thinke shoulde not be done in reason I feare them not wherewith to trouble mee otherwise then to take heede if I canne and to the head Gouernours as now to your Grace shewe my minde and such experience hath euery manne of me that hath commoned with me in any such matters And therfore albeit your Grace writeth wisely that ouermuch feare doth hurt and accelerateth sometime that was not intended yet it needes not to me for I haue learned that lesson already and would a great many moe had which in deede should be a great stay And thus I talke with your Grace homely with multiplication of speache not necessary as though I meant to sende you as great a packet as I receyued from you One thing necessary to aunsweare your Grace in touching your maruell howe I know sooner thinges from thence then your Grace doth there whiche ariseth not vppon any desire of knowledge on my behalfe for euill thinges be ouersoone knowne not vpoÌ„ any slacknes of your graces behalf there who is is noted very vigilaÌ„t as your graces charge requireth But thus it is euen as it was when I was in some little authoritye they that were the euill doers in such matters would hide them from me So now they haue handled it otherwise for as for
that it should be an occasion of Idolatry And long after the Apostles time as Tertullian wryteth womeÌ„ were suffered to take it home with them and to lap it vp in their châ—stes And the priest many times sent it to sicke persones by a childe which no doubt would haue geuen more reuerence therto if they had taken it for their God But a great while after about 300. yere agone Honorius 3. the Bishop of Rome tooke him and hanged him vp and caused men to kneele and crouch downe and all to bâ—god him Futhermore Pope Honorius 3. first author of worshipping the Sacrament An 1220. if the bread be turned and altered into the body of Christ doubtles it is the greatest miracle that euer God wrought But the Apostles saw no myracle in it Nazianzenus an olde wryter and Augustine entreating of al the myracles that are in the scripture number the Sacrament for none As for the apostles it appeareth wel that they had it for no maruel for they neuer mused at it Apostles olde Doctours make no miracle nor maruell at the Sacrament neither demanded how it might be whereas in other thinges they euermore were ful of questions As touching S. Augustine he not only ouerhippeth it as no wonder but by plaine expres words testifieth that ther is no maruel in it For speaking of the Lords supper and of the other sacraments he sayeth these words * That is to say Sacraments here may haue their honour as things religious but they are not to be woÌ„dred at as miracles Hic SacrameÌ„ta honorem vt religiosa habere possunt stuporem autem vt mira non possunt Moreouer a little before the institution of the sacrament Christe spake of hys ascension saying I leaue the world I tary but a litle while wyth you Let not your hearts be troubled because I go from you I tell you truthe it is for your profite that I goe from you for if I goe not the spirite of comfort cannot come to you Ihon 14. wyth many other like warnings of his departure S. Steuen sawe hym sitting at the right hand of his Father and thought it a speciall reuelation of God but he neuer said that he sawe him at the Communion or that he made him Actes 3. euery daye himselfe And in the Actes of the Apostles S. Peter sayeth that Christ must needes keepe the heauen till all be ended Esay Salomon and S. Steuen Actes 17. saye that God dwelleth not in temples made with mans hand S. Paule wysheth that he were dissolued and dead and were with Christ not in the aultar doutlesse where he might be daily but in heauen And to be briefe it is in oure Credo we do constantly beleeue that Christe is ascended into heauen and sitteth at his fathers right hande and no promise haue we that he will come iumping downe at euery priests calling Hereof I gather this reason Christes body can not both be gone and be heere If Christ were both gone and tarried then he should seme to haue left himselfe behinde him But he is gone and hath left the world Therefore it is follie to seeke him in the world Cust. Fie you be farre deceiued I can not in no wise brooke these words You shut vp Christ too straitly and imprisone hym in one corner of heauen not suffering hym to goe at large No doubtlesse he hath deserued more gentlenesse at your hande then to be tied vp so shorte Veri I do neither locke vp neither imprison Christ in heauen The body of Christ imprisoned by the Papistes in a boxe and afterward burned when he is mouldye but according to the Scriptures declare that hee hath chosen a blessed place moste worthy to receiue his maiestie in which place who so is inclosed thinketh not himself as I suppose to be a prisonner but if you take it for so hainous a thing y t Christ should sit resident in heauen in y e glory of his father what thinke you of them that imprison him in a litle boxe yea and keepe him in captiuitie so long vntil he be mouldy ouergrowne with vermine when he is past mans meat be not contented to hang him till he stincke but will haue him to a newe execution and burne hym too This is wonderfull and extreme cruell imprisoning But to returne to the matter wee are certainely perswaded by the worde of God that Christ the very sonne of God vouchsaued to take vppon him the body and shape of man that he walked was conuersant amongst men in that same one not in many bodies and that hee suffered death rose againe and ascended to heauen in the selfe same body and that he sitteth at his fathers ryght hande in hys manhode in the nature and substance of the said one body This is our beliefe this is the very word of God Wherefore they are far deceiued which leauing heauen wil grope for Christes body vpon the earth Cust. Nay sir but I see now you are farre out of the way For Christ hath not so grosse fleshly a body as you think Christes body iâ— spirituall in thâ— Sacrament say the Papistes but a spirituall and a ghostly body and therefore without repugnaunce it may be in many places at once Veri You say right wel and do graunt that Christes body is spiritual But I pray you answer me by the waye Can any other body then that which is spirituall be at one time in sondry places Cust. No truely Veri Haue we that same selfe sacrament that Christe gaue to his Disciples at his Maundie or no Cust. No doubtlesse we haue the same Veri When became Christes body spirituall was it so eueÌ„ from his birth Cust. No for doubtles before he arose from death his bobody was earthly as other mens bodies are Veri Well but when gaue Christe the Sacrament to hys Disciples before he arose from death or after Cust. The Popes doctrine repugnant to it selfe You know your selfe he gaue it before his resurrection the night before he suffered hys Passion Veritie Why then me thinketh he gaue the Sacrament at that time when his body was not spirituall Cust. Euen so Veri And was euery portion of the Sacrament delt to the Apostles and receaued into their mouthes the very reall and substantiall body of Christ Cust. Yea doubtles Veri Marke well what ye haue said for you haue graunted me great repugnance First you say that no body being not spiritual can be in sundry places at once Then say you that at the maundy Christes body was not spirituall and yet hold you that he was there present visible before the Apostles eyes and in ech of theyr handes and mouthes all at one time which graunts of yours are not agreeable But I will gather a better and a more formall reason of youre wordes The Papistes though they be conuicted yet they will not beleue in this sort Fe
then in question Which thing the Prolocutor perceiuyng by and by he forbade Philpot to make any Oration or declaration of any matter commanding him also that he should make no argument in Latin but to conclude on his arguments in English D. Weston contrary to his owne wordes Then said Philpot this is contrary to your order takeÌ„ at the beginning of this disputatioÌ„ For then you appointed that all the arguments should be made in Latine and thereupon I haue drawn and deuised all myne argumeÌ„ts in Latine And because you M. Prolocutor haue said heretofore openly in this house that I had no learning I had thoght to haue shewed such learning as I haue in a briefe Oration and short declaration of the questions now in coÌ„trouersie thinking it so most conuenient also that in case I should speake otherwise in my declaration then should stand with learnyng or then I were able to warrant and iustifie by gods word it might the better be refourmed by such as were learned of the house so that the vnlerned sort beyng present might take the lesse offence therat But this allegation preuayled nothyng with the Prolocutor who bade hym still forme an argument in Englishe or els to hold hys peace Then sayd Philpot You haue sore disappoynted me thus sodenly to go from your former order but I will accomplish your commandement leauyng myne oration apart and I wil come to my arguments the which as wel as so sodaine a warnyng will serue I will make in English The presence of Christ in the Sacrament distincted The true preseÌ„ce of Christ in the Sacrament not denyed But before I bring forth any argument I will in one word declare what maner of presence I disallow in the sacrament to the intent y e hearers may the better vnderstand to what end effect myne arguments shal tend not to deny vtterly the presence of Christ in his Sacrament truely ministred according to his institution but onely to deny that grosse carnal presence which you of this house haue alredy subscribed vnto to be in the sacrament of the aultar contrary to the true manifest meaning of the scriptures The grosse presence of the Papistes denyed that by Transubstantiation of the sacramentall bread and wyne Christes naturall body should by the vertue of the words pronounced by the Priest be conteyned and included vnder the formes or accidences of bread wyne This kind of presence imagined by men I do deny quoth Philpot and agaynst this I wyll reason But before he could make an end of that he would haue sayd he was interrupted of the Prolocutor and commaunded to descend to hys argument At whose vniust importunitie Philpot beyng offended and thinkyng to purchase hym a remedy therefore Philpot craueth of the Lordes 〈◊〉 prosecute his argumentes without interruptioÌ„ Philpot agayne interrupted by the Prolocutor he fell downe vpon hys knees before the Earles and Lordes which were there present beyng a great number wherof some were of the Queenes counsaile beseechyng them that he might haue libertie to prosecute hys arguments without interruption of any man the which was gently graunted hym of the Lordes But the Prolocutor puttyng in vre a poynt of the practise of Prelates would not condescend therunto but still cryed hold your peace or els make a short argument I am about it quoth Philpot if you would let me alone But first I must needes aske a question of my Respondent who was D. Chedsey concerning a word or twaine of your supposition that is of the sacrament of the aultar what he meaneth thereby and whether he take it as some of the ancient writers doe Altar diuersly taken termyng the Lordes Supper the Sacrament of the aultar partly because it is a Sacrament of that liuelye sacrifice which Christ offered for our sinnes vpon the aultar of the Crosse and partly because that Christes body crucified for vs was that bloudy sacrifice which the bloudsheddyng of all the beastes offered vpon the aultar in the old lawe dyd prefigurate and signify vnto vs in signification whereof the old writers sometime do call the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ among other names which they ascribe there vnto the sacrament of the aultar or whether you take it otherwyse as for the sacrament of the aultare which is made of lime and stone ouer the which the sacrament hangeth and to be all one with the sacrament of the Masse as it is at this present in many places This done I wyll direct mine arguments according as your answer shall geue me occasion Then made D. Chedsey this answer Chadsey that in their supposition they tooke the sacrament of the aultar and the sacrament of the Masse to be all one Then quoth Philpot I wyll speake plaine English as M. Prolocutor willeth me and make a short resolutioÌ„ therof that the sacrament of the aultar which ye recken to be all one with the masse once iustly abolished now put in full vse agayne is no sacrament at all neither is Christ in any wyse present in it and this his sayeng he offred to prooue before the whole house if they listed to cal him therunto and likewyse offered to vouche the same before the Queenes grace her most honourable Counsaile before the face of vj. of the best learned men of the house of the contrary opinion and refused none And if I shall not be able quoth he to maintayne by Gods word that I haue said confound those vj. which shall take vpon them to withstand me in this poynt let me be burned with as many fagots as be in London before the court gates This he vttred with great vehemency of spirit At this the Prolocutor with diuers other were very much offended demanding of hym whether he wist what he sayd or no Yea quoth Philpot I wote well what I say desiring no maÌ„ to be offended with his saying for that he spake no more theÌ„ by gods word he was able to proue Philpots offer in the Conuocatiâ—â— house And praysed be God quoth he that the Queenes grace hath granted vs of this house as our Prolocutor hath informed vs that wee may freely vtter our consciences in these matters of controuersie in Religion and therfore I will speake here my conscience freely grounded vpoÌ„ gods holy worde for the truth albeit some of you here present mislike the same Then diuers of the house beside the Prolocutor taunted reprehended hym for speaking so vnfaringly against the Sacrament of the Masse The Prolocutor threâ—neth Philâ—pot and the Prolocutor sayd he was mad threatned hym that he would send hym to prison if he would not cease hys speakyng Philpot seeyng hymselfe thus abused Argument a loco tropico carceris not permitted with free liberty to declare his mynd fel into an exclamation castyng his eyes vp towards the heauen and said O Lord what a world is this that the truth of thy
to the first proposition nor of the worlde Therefore this proposition or cōclusion is framed after an other maner of phrase or kinde of speeche then the Scripture vseth Againe it is very obscure and darke by meanes of sundry wordes of doubtfull signification And being taken in the sence whych the Schoolemen teache The proposition put foorth in 〈…〉 and at thys time the church of Rome doth defend it is false and erroneous and plaine contrary to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse The explication How farre the diuersitie and newnes of the phrase in all this first proposition is from the phrase of the holy Scripture and that in euery part almost it is so plaine euident to any that is but meanely exercised in holy wryte that I neede not now especially in this company of learned men to spend any time therein except the same shal be required of me hereafter First The first doubt· there is a doubtfull sense in these woordes by the vertue of Gods word For it is doubtful what word of God this is whether it be that which is red in the Euangelists or in Paul or any other And if it be that which is in the Euangelists or in S. Paule what that is If it be in none of them then how it may be knowen to be Gods worde of such vertue y t it should be able to worke so great a matter Againe there is a doubte in these woordes of the Priest whether no man may be called a Priest 2. Doubt in the word priest but he whych hath authoritie to make propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the deade and howe it may be prooued that thys authoritie was committed of God to any man but to Christ alone It is likewise doubted 3. Doubt in the word sacrificing after what order the sacrificing Priest shall be whether after the order of Aaron or els after the order of Melchisedech For as farre as I know the holy scripture doth allow no moe West Let thys be sufficient D. Weston interrupteth him in his explication Rid. If we lacke time at this present there is time enough heereafter West These are but euasions or starting holes You consume the time in vaine Rid. I can not start farre from you I am captiue bound West Fall to it my maisters Smith That whych you haue spoken may suffice at thys present Rid. Let me alone I pray you for I haue not much to say behinde West Goe forwarde Rid. Moreouer there is ambiguitie in thys word really whether it be to be taken as the Logicians terme it 4. Doubt in the word really transcendenter that is most generally and so it may signifie any manner of thing which belongeth to the body of Christ by any meanes after which sort we also graunt Christes body to be really in the sacramente of the Lordes Supper as in disputation if occasion be geuen shall be declared or whether it be taken to signifie the very same thing hauing body life and soule which was assumed taken of the worde of God into the vnitie of persone In which sence sith the body of Christ is really in heauen because of the true manner of his body it may not be sayde to be here in the earth There is yet a further doubtfulnesse in these words 5. Doubt in the words of formes of bread wine vnder the formes of breade and wine whether the formes be there taken to signifie the onely accidental and outward shewes of bread and wine or there withall the substantial natures therof which are to be seene by their qualities and perceiued by exterior sences Now the error and falsenes of the proposition The proposition erroneous after the sense of the Romishe Church Transubstantiation not founded in scripture after the sense of the Romish church and scholemen may hereby appeare in that they affirm the bread to be transubstantiated and chāged into the flesh assumed of the word of God and that as they say by the vertue of the woorde whych they haue deuised by a certaine number of woordes and cannot be founde in any of the Euangelistes or in Paule and so they gather that Christes bodye is reallye contained in the sacrament of the aultar Which position is grounded vpon the foundation of transubstantiation The Analogie of the sacramēts is the similitude and likenes whiche they haue with the thinges they represent which foundation is monsterous against reason and destroieth the Analogie or proportion of the sacraments and therfore this proposition also which is builded vpon thys rotten foundation is false erroneous and to be counted as a detestable heresy of the Sacramentaries West We lose time Rid. You shall haue time inough West Fall to reasoning You shall haue some other day for this matter Rid. I haue no more to say concerning my explication If you will geue me leaue and let me alone I wil but speake a woord or two for my confirmation West Go to say on The confirmation of the foresaid answere Fes THere oughte no Doctrine to bee established in the church of God Confirmation of his aunswere which discenteth from the word of God from the rule of faith and draweth with it many absurdities that cannot be auoided ti But this doctrine of the first proposition is such no. Ergo Argument it ought not to be established and maintained in the Church of God The Maior or first part of my argument is plaine and the Minor or second part is prooued thus This doctrine maintaineth a real corporal and carnal presence of Christes flesh assumed and taken of the woorde to be in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper that not by vertue grace onely but also by the whole essence and substance of the body and flesh of Christ. The reall presence of Christes body disagreeth from the scriptures But such a presence disagreeth from Gods word from the rule of faith and cannot but drawe wyth it manye absurdities Ergo the second part is true The first part of thys argument is manifest and the second may yet further be confirmed thus West Thus you consume time which might be better bestowed on other matters D. Weston agayne interrupted D. Ridley Maister Opponent I pray you to your arguments Smith I will heere reason with you vppon transubstantiation which you say is contrary to the rule and Analogy of faith The contrary whereof I proue by the Scriptures and the doctors But before I enter argumentation wyth you I demaund first whether in the 6. chap. of Iohn there be any mention made of the sacrament or of the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament Rid. It is againste reason that I shoulde bee impeached to prosecute that which I haue to speake in this assembly being not so long but that it may be comprehended in few woordes West Let him reade on Rid. First of all this presence is contrary to many
by any corporal substaunce of the flesh euen so is it here in the Lords supper being rightly according to the word of God duely ministred West That which the woman did hold in her wombe the same thing holdeth the priest Rid. I graunt the prieste holdeth the same thing but after an other maner She did holde the natural body The same thing but the maner diuers the priest holdeth the mystery of the body West Weston repeated agayne his argumeÌ„t out of Chrysostome in English Rid. I say that the author meant it spiritually West Weston here dissoluing the disputations had these wordes Videtis praefractum hominis animum gloriosum vafrum inconstantem videtis hodie veritatis vires inconcussas Ita que clamate Vicit veritas that is Here you see the stubborne the glorious the crafty the vnconstant minde of this man D. Weston bloweth vp the triumph Here you see this day that the strength of the trueth is with our foyle Therefore I beseech you all most earnestly to blow the note and he beganne and they folowed Verity hath the victory Veritye hath the victory ¶ The disputation had at Oxford the 18. day of Aprill 1554. betwene Mayster Hugh Latimer Aunswerer and Mayster Smyth and other Opposers AFter these disputations of Byshop Ridly ended nexte was brought out Mayster Hugh Latimer to dispute M. Hugh Latimer disputeth vpon Wednesday which was the eightenth day of Aprill Which disputation beganne at eight of the clocke in suche forme as before but it was most in English For mayster Latimer the answerer alleged that he was out of vse with the Latine and vnfit for that place Aprill 18. There replyed vnto him M Smith of Orial colledge Doctor Cartwright mayster Harpsfield M. Smith of Oriall Colledge Opponent to M. Latimer and diuers other had snatches at him and gaue him bitter tauntes Hee escaped no hissinges and scornefull laughings no more then they that went before him He was very faynt and desired that he might not long tary He durst not drinke for feare of vomiting The disputation ended before xi of the clock Maister Latimer was not suffered to read that he had as he sayd paynfully writteÌ„ but it was exhibited vp M. Latimers writings could not be read and the Proâ—ocutor read part therof and so procâ—eded vnto the disputation ¶ The Preface of Weston vnto the disputation folowing MEn and brethren we are come together this day by y e helpe of God to vanquish the strength of the Argumentes and dispersed opinions of aduersaryes WestoÌ„s preface agaynst y e truth of the reall presence of the Lordes body in the sacrameÌ„t And therfore you father if you haue any thing to answere I do admonish that you aunswere in short and few wordes Lat. I pray you good mayster Prolocutour M. Latimer requireth to dispute in the English tongue doe not exacte that of me which is not in me I haue not these xx yeares much vsed the Latine tongue West Take your ease father Lat. I thanke you Syr I am well Let me here protest my fayth for I am not able to dispute afterwardes doe your pleasure with me ¶ The protestation of mayster Hugh Latimet geuen vp in writing to Doctor Weston The conclusions whereunto I must aunswere are these The three conclusions 1 The first is that in the sacrameÌ„t of the Aultar by the vertue of Gods word pronounced by the Priest there is really present the naturall body of Christ conceiued of the virgin Mary vnder the kindes of the appearaunces of bread and wine and in like maner his bloud 2 The second is that after consecration there remaineth no substaunce of bread and wyne nor none other substaunce but the substance of God and man 3 The third is that in the Masse there is the liuely sacrifice of the church which is propiciable as wel for the sins of the quicke as of the dead The aunsweres of M. Latimer geuen vp in writing concerning the questions aforesaid COncerning the first conclusion me thinketh it is sette forth with certayn new found termes that be obscure and doe not sound according to the speach of the scripture Howbeit howsoeuer I vnderstand it this I do aunswere playnely though not without perill I aunswere I say that to the right celebration of the Lordes supper there is no other presence of Christ required then a spirituall presence The presence of Christ in the sacrament how it is a reall presence and this presence is sufficient for a Christian man as a presence by which we abide in Christ and Christ abideth in vs to the obteining of eternall life if we perseuer And this same presence may be called most fitly a reall presence that is a presence not fayned but a true and a faythfull presence Which thing I here rehearse least some Sycophant or scorner should suppose me with the Anabaptistes to make nothing els of the Sacrament but a naked and a bare signe As for that which is fayned of many concerning theyr corporall presence I for my part take it but for a papisticall inuention and therfore thinke it vtterly to be reiected Concerning the seconde conclusion I dare be bolde to say Answere to the 2. conclusion that it hath no stay or grounde in Gods word but is a thing inuented and founde out by man and therefore to be taken as fond and false and I had almost sayd as the Mother and Nourse of the other errors It were good for my Lordes maysters of the transubstantiation to take heede least they conspire with y e nestorians for I do not see how they can auoyd it The third conclusion as I do vnderstand it seemeth subtlely to sow sedition agaynst the offering which Christ himselfe offred for vs in his own proper person Answere to the 3. conclusion according to that pithy place of Paule Hebre. 1. when he sayth That Christ his owne selfe hath made purgation of our sinnes And afterwardes That he might sayth he be a mercifull and a faythfull Byshop concerning those thinges which are to be done with God Heb. 1. The taking away of sinnes depeÌ„deth rather in the person of the offerer then in the thing offered but that he that was the offerer was offered himselfe for the taking away of our sinnes So that the expiation or taking away of our sinnes may be thought rather to depend on this that Christ was an offring Bishop then that he was offered were it not that he was offered of himselfe and therefore it is needlesse that he should be offered of any other I will speake nothing of the wonderfull presumption of man to dare to attempt this thing without a manifest vocation specially in that it tendeth to the ouerthrowing and making fruitlesse if not wholy yet partly of the Crosse of Christ for truely it is no base or meane thyng to offer Christ. And therefore worthily a man may say to my
for that is done this day And I trust in hym that your holynesse shall alway vnderstand that the holy sea hath not had a more obedient sonne then I not more desirous to preserue and encrease the authority of the same God guid and prosper the most holy personage of your holinesse as I desire From London the xxx of Nouember 1554. Your holines most humble Sonne the king c. ¶ Here foloweth likewise the Cardinals letter to the sayd Pope concerning the same matter THose things which I wrote vnto your holines of late of that hope The Cardinals letter 〈◊〉 the Pope 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 of â—ngland to 〈◊〉 Sea which I trusted would come to passe that in short space this realme would be reduced to the vnity of the church obedience of the Apostolick sea though I did write them not without great cause yet neuerthelesse I could not be voyd of all feare not onely for that difficulty which the mindes of our countreymen did shew beyng so long alienated from the sea Apostolicke and for the old hatred which they had borne so many yeares to that name but much more I feared least the first entry into the cause it self shuld be put of by some other by matter or conuention comming betwixt For the auoyding wherof I made great meanes to the king and Queene which litle needed for their own godly forwardnes and earnest desire to bring the thing to passe farre surmounted my great and earnest expectation This day in the euening being S. Andrewes day who fyrst brought his brother Peter to Christ it is come to passe by the prouidence of God that this Realme is reclaymed to geue due obedience to Peters seat and your holynesse by whose meanes it may be coÌ„ioyned to Christ the head his body which is the Church The thing was done and concluded in Parliament the king and queene being present with such full consent great reioysing that incontinently after I had made my Oration and geuen the Benediction with a great ioy and shout there was diuers times sayde Amen Amen which doth euidently declare that that holy seed although it hath bene long oppressed yet was not vtterly quenched in them which chiefly was declared in the * * The Popes authority as much wâ—lcome to the Nobilitie of England as wâ—â—ter into the shippe Nobility Returning home to my house these thinges I wrote vnto your holynes vpon the sodaine reioysing that I had of so weighty a matter so luckely brought to passe by the diuine prouidence thinking to haue sent my letters by the kings post who as it was sayd should haue departed shortly but afterwardes chaunging my purpose when I had determined to send one of mine owne men I thought good to adde this much to my Letters for the more ample gratulation and reioysing at that good chauÌ„ce which thing as it was right great gladnes to me through the euent of the same being it selfe very great and so holy so profitable to the whole Church so healthsome to this my Countrey which brought me forth so honorable to y e same which receiued me so likewise I tooke no lesse reioysing of y e Princes themselues through whose vertue and godlinesse the matter did take successe and perfection Of how many and how great things may the Church which is the spouse of Christ our mother make her accompt through those her children Oh notable zeale of godlines Oh dissimulatioÌ„ of a flâ—ttering Cardinall Oh auncient fayth which vndoubtedly doth so manifestly appeare in theÌ„ both that who so seeth them muste needes whether he wyll or no say the same which the Prophette spake of of the firste children of the Church Isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Haec plantatio Domini ad gloriandum That is These are the seede which the Lord hath blessed This is the Lordes planting to glory in How holily did your holines with al your authority and earnest affection fauour this mariage which truly semeth to expresse a great similitude of y e highest king which being heyre of the world was seÌ„t down by his father from the Regall seat What similitude is betwixt light and darcknes 2. Cor. 6. to be Spouse and Sonne of the Uirgine by this meanes to comfort all mankind for euen so this king himselfe the greatest heyre of all men which are in the earth leauing his fathers kingdoms that are most great is come into his litle kingdome and is become both the spouse and sonne of this Uirgine for he so behaueth himselfe as though he were a sonne whereas in deed he is an husbande that he might as he hath in effect already performed shew himselfe an ayder helper to recoÌ„cile this people to christ his body which is the church Cardinal Poolâ— flattereth the king Which things seing they are so what may not our mother the Churche her selfe looke for at his handes that hath broughte this to passe to conuerte the hartes of the Fathers towardes theyr Sonnes and the vnbeleuers to the wisedome of the righteous which vertue truely doth woÌ„derfully shine in him But the Queene which at that time when your holines sent my Legate vnto her did rise vp as a rodde of inceÌ„ce springing out of the trees of mirre and as Frankincence our in the desert she I say whiche a litle before was forsakeÌ„ of all men how wonderfully doth she now shine what a sauour of myrre frankinceÌ„ce doth she geue forth vnto her people which as y e Prophet saith of the mother of Christ brought forth before she laboured before she was deliuered brought forth a man childe Scripture well applyed who euer heard of such a thing and who hath seene the lyke of this shal y e earth bring forth in one day or shal a whole natioÌ„ be brought forth together But she hath now brought forth a whole nation before the time of that deliuery wherof we are in most great hope How great cause is geuen to vs to reioyce How great cause haue we to geue thankes to Gods mercy your holines and the Emperors maiesty which haue bene causers of so happy and so godlye a mariage by whiche we beyng reconciled are ioyned to God the father to Christ to the Church of the which although I cannot comprehend in wordes the ioy that I haue taken yet I can not keepe silence of it And to this my reioysing this also was ioyned which wheÌ„ I had perceiued by the letters of the reuerend Archb. of Cousane your holynes Nuncio with the Emperours maiestye brought me maruelous great gladnes y t your said holynes began to restore to y e auÌ„cieÌ„t bewty those thinges which in the Church of Rome through the corruptioÌ„ of times were deformed which truely wheÌ„ it shal be finished theÌ„ in deede may we wel cry out with y e Prophet The Scripture speaking of Sion and Ierusalem vnaptly applyed to the Pope and speake vnto your
Christian schooles Churches Prisons turned into churches churches into dens of theeues so that there was no greater comfort for Christian harts then to come to the prisons to beholde their vertuous conuersation and to heare their prayers preachings most godly exhortations and consolations Now were placed in Churches blinde and ignoraunt Massemongers with their Latine bablings and apishe ceremonies who lyke cruell Wolues spared not to murther all such as any thing at all but once whispered against their Popery As for the godly preachers which were in King Edwardes tyme they were either fled the Realme or else The lamantable distresse of gods true worshippers in those dayes as the Prophets did in Kinge Achabs dayes they were priuely kept in corners As for as many as the Papistes could lay hold on they were sent into prison there as Lambes waiting when the Butchers would call them to the slaughter When Doctour Taylour was come into y e prison called the Kings Bench hee founde therein the vertuous and vigilant preacher of Gods word M. Bradford which maÌ„ for his innocent and godly liuing Iohn Bradford and D. Taylour prison fellowes in the kinges Bench. his deuout vertuous preaching was worthyly counted a miracle of our time as euen his aduersaries must needes coÌ„fesse Finding this man in prison he began to exhort him to faith strength patience and to perseuere constant vnto the end M. Bradford hearing this thanked God that he had prouided hym such a coÌ„fortable prison felow so they both together lauded God and coÌ„tinued in prayer reading exhorting one the other In so much that D. Taylour told his friends y t came to visite him that God had most graciously prouided for him to send him to that prison where he founde such an angell of God to be in his company to comfort him ¶ Doctour Taylour brought foorth to be depriued ¶ After that Doct. Taylour had lyen in prison a whyle he was cited to appeare in the Arches at Bow Church to aunswere vnto such matter as there should be obiected against him At the day appoynted he was led thether hys keeper wayting vpon him Where wheÌ„ he came he stoutly and strongly defended his Mariage affirming by the Scriptures of God by the Doctours of the primitiue Church D. Taylour defenneth maryage of Priestes by both Lawes Ciuill and Canon that it is lawfull for Priests to marry and y t such as haue not the gift of continencie are bounde in paine of damnation to marry This did he so plainely proue that the Iudge could geue no sentence of diuorce against him but gaue sentence hee should be depriued of his benefice because he was maried D. Taylour depriued hâ—s Benefice because of his mariage You do me wrong then quoth Doctour Taylour and alledged many lawes and constitutions for himselfe but al preuailed not For he was againe caried into prison his liuings taken away and geuen to other As for Hadley benefice it was geuen or sold I wote not whether Seldome commeth a better to one Maister Newealle whose great vertues were altogether vnlike to Doctour Taylour his predecessour as the poore Parishioners full well haue proued * Doctour Taylour brought agayne before Winchester and other Byshops AFter a yeare and three quarters or thereabout in the which time the Papistes got certaine olde tyrannous lawes which were put downe by King Henry the eight The papiste rule and raigne and by king Edward to be againe reuiued by Parlament so that now they might Ex officio cite whome they would vpon their owne suspicion and charge hym wyth what Articles they lusted and except they in all things agreed to their purpose burne them when these lawes were once stablished they sent for Doctour Taylour with certaine other prisoners which were agayne conuented before the Chauncellour and other Commissioners about the 22. of Ianuary The purpose and effect of which talke betwene them because it is sufficiently described by himselfe in hys owne letter written to a frend of his I haue annexed the sayd letter heere vnder as foloweth ¶ A Letter of Doctour Taylour contayning and reporting the talke had betweene him and the Lord Chauncellour and other Commissioners the 22. of Ianuary WHereas you would haue me to write the talke betweene the King and Queenes most honourable Counsell and me on Tuesday the xxij of Ianuary so farre as I remember First my Lord Chauncellour sayd You among other are at this present time sent for The pardon is profered to enioy the Kings and Queenes Maiestis fauour and mercy if you will now rise againe with vs from the fall whiche wee generally haue receaued in this Realme from the which God be praised we are now clearely deliuered miraculously If you will not rise with vs now and receaue mercy now offered you shall haue iudgement according to your demerites To this I aunswered that so to rise should be the greatest fall that euer I could receiue for I should so fall from my deare Sauiour Christ to Antichrist Note thys aunswere The religion set forth in king Edwardes dayes Secretary Bourne cauilleth aagaynst the religion set forth in K. Edwardes dayes A testimony of the book of seruice set out in K. Edwardes dayes For I do beleeue that the Religion set foorth in King Edwards dayes was according to the veyne of the holy Scripture which conteineth fully all the rules of our Christian Religion from the which I do not intend to decline so long as I liue by Gods grace Then Mayster Secretary Bourne sayde whyche of the Religions meane ye of in King Edwards dayes For ye knowe there were diuers bookes of Religion set foorth in his dayes There was a Religion set foorth in a Cathechisme by my Lord of Caunterbury Do you meane that you will sticke to that I aunswered My Lorde of Caunterbury made a Cathechisme to be translated into English which booke was not of his owne making yet he set it foorth in his owne name and truely that booke for the time did much good But there was after that set foorth by the most innocent King Edward for whome God bee praysed euerlastingly the whole Churchseruice with great deliberation and the aduise of the best learned men of the Realme and authorised by the whole Parliament and receiued and published gladly by the whole Realme which booke was neuer reformed but once and yet by that one reformation it was so fully perfited according to the rules of our Christian Religion in euery behalfe that no Christian conscience could be offended with any thing therein contayned I meane of that booke reformed Then my Lord Chauncellour sayd Diddest thou neuer reade the booke that I set foorth of the Sacrament I aunswered that I had read it Then he sayd How likest thou that booke With that His right name might be Syr Iohn Clawback one of the Counsell whose name I know not sayd My Lord that is a good
not to kneele nor knocke to the visible shew or externall shewe of the Sacrament And the queres of Carmarthen and other places there are not close at the sides so that the people may come in and forth at theyr pleasure Moreouer the Kinges ordinaunces doth not authorise him to rebuke the people for knocking on theyr brests in token of repentaunce of theyr sinnes nor for kneeling in token of submission to God for mercye in Christ. To the 22. he sayth that in time of rebellion in Deuon and Cornewall threatening to come into Wales he teaching the people the true fourme of prayer accordinge to Gods holy word and declaring the prayer vpon beades to be vayne and superstitious yet durste not for feare of tumulte forceably take from any man his beades without authority And touching the not reproouing of suche as hee shoulde meete wearing beades hee remembreth not that he hath so done vnlesse it were in the rebellion tyme at whiche time he durste not rebuke suche Offenders To the 23. he sayth that he beyng in the Pulpitte hys face towardes the people did not see the lightes if anye were set vp about the corpes behinde his backe till after that he came downe from the Pulpitte But he with George Constantine and the aforesayde Chauntour sittyng in the Church in Carmarthen to heare causes and seeing the Uicare with other Priestes with song and lights bringyng a corpes vppe to the Church called forthwyth the Uicare and Priestes and rebuked them in open court as cormorantes and Rauens flying about the dead carcase for lucre sake To the 24. he sayeth that he caused the one childe beyng borne with great perill of death to the Mother and it selfe lying for dead a certayne space after to be christened on the workyng day the other childe was Christened on the working day because both Father and Mother and al other people there were in perill of death by reason of the sodayne sweat which all men feared at that time And touching the rest of the accusatiō which is that by that example it is vsed after the olde accustomed fashion he knoweth no such thing ¶ To the tytle of Couetousnesse he sayth that hys doynges prooue the contrarye as his neighbours knoweth And to the 25. Article he vtterly denyeth To the 26. he sayth that his Hall at Aberguilly being ruinous he vseth for his Hall a greate Chamber adioyning for his selfe and his seruauntes and all manner of straungers and besides twenty persons in house daylye What other hospitality he keepeth honest neighbours can testify To the 27. he sayth that his talke is accordyng to his hearers that is to say reuerently and truely of fayth loue and honest lyfe according to the Scriptures to like Auditours and to other vnreuerent and rash Turmoylers of Scriptures and holye doctrine he doeth talke of honest worldly thinges with Godly intent and that he doeth not moste commonlye talke of suche thinges as are expressed in this Article but when hee hath honest occation so to doe The 28. he sayth is vntrue and that hee hath warned no manne out of theyr landes but where he is destitute of necessary prouision and woulde haue part of his owne demayne from certayne free holdes hauing it onelye from yeare to yeare of pleasure hee cannot obteyne it without brawlyng Wherefore he suffereth them to keepe it euen yet still agaynst right reason And touching the rest that he had rather the Crowes should eat it c. he neuer spake any such word To the 29. he sayth that whereas hys Predecessour Byshop Barloe did let to farme the Isle of Ramsay to one William Browne after whose handes this Defendaunt receiued it into his owne possession the Uicars of Saynt Dauids being dispossessed of it long before he letted it ouer to Stephen Greene for 40. shillings the groūd as it was before and three poundes more for seales connies and foules there he knoweth of no right y e Uicars Chorall had therein who did refuse when this defendant did diligently vpon reasonable conditions offer the same vnto them and this defendant made no promise vnto thē as is conteined in the Article To the 30. he sayth he knoweth not but that he aduertised his Bayliffe to warne the freeholdes and other hauing his demayne to rent during pleasure to leaue it at a lawfull day to this Defendantes necessary vse and dyd not cause the Curate to do as is conteined in the Article to his remembraunce To the 31. he sayth that he knoweth not what y e priest bad in the Churche nor howe many plowes there came vndesired of this Defendaunt But he knoweth certeinly that he desired no mans labour but for his mony To the 32. he sayth that he knoweth not any such appoyntment of Schooles and reuenewes there but he foūd there after the departyng of Byshop Barloe a Schoolemayster an Ussher being a Priest and 20. Scholers which he hath hitherto maynteined better then he founde it to his knowledge he did neuer conuert anye pennye therof to his owne vse albeit he might lawfully haue done the same The 33. he sayeth is all vntrue so farre as hee knoweth To the 34. Article he sayth he neuer purchased more then three percels whereof one was 2. shillinges 8. pence by yeare the second three shillinges foure pence and the third 26. shillinges 8. pence or there about by yeare the rest he denyeth To the 35. he sayeth that he neuer bought of Lewes Iohn Thomas his land good cheape but after forty yeres purchase not knowing at that time any suche thinge as is contayned in the article agaynst the sayd Lewes Iohn Neither badde he the Somner to lette him alone but as soone as he hearde any thing of it commaunded the Somner to cyte him and so he was cyted in this Defendantes house occasionyng him to breake his bargayne to the which Lewes this Defendaunt sayde these wordes If you would geue me your land with an house full of golde I cannot nor will not suffer you to keepe a Lemman Then the sayde Lewes affirming the latter woman to bee his wife and the firste vnknowne to this Defendaunt hee caused the sayde Lewes to bee called to the consistorye for tryall where it hangeth yet And also by lawfull processe excommunicated the firste Woman for that shee would not by any meanes appeare in the Court to claime or to confesse marryage with the sayde Lewes and so she standeth this day at the poynt of significauit To the 56. he sayth that whereas the Chauntour and R. M. with other Chanons there would not obey the Kynges Godlye Iniunctions concerning the fyndyng a Schoole for poore mennes Chyldren a Lectur of Diuinitye Sermons on the Sondayes repayring of their Church and Mansion houses decent order and ministration there but stubbornely counted themselues with the Chauntour to be a bodye politicke without regarde of the Byshoppe and his lawefull monitions beyng hymselfe named in theyr Shyre Statutes Decanus quasi Decanus
hauing also theyr Deanes stall in the quere wyth a Prebende thereunto annexed and the chiefe place in the Chapter house with a key of theyr Chapter Seale beyng also by the Kynges Maiestyes Commission appoynted theyr Ordinary yet woulde they not in anye wise deliuer vnto him a Booke of theyr Statutes for the better knowledge of his and theyr duetyes nor shewe vnto him their Recordes and Monumentes for declaration of the kings right and his For which cause this Defendaunt by writ of quo warranto lawefully called them to aunswere which yet lyeth a sleepe to the losse of the Kinges Maiestyes right The time of deliuery of the sayd writte he remembreth not The 37. he sayeth is all false as farre as hee knoweth ¶ To the title of wilfull negligence he sayeth that hee hath vsed to his power willing diligence TO the 38. he sayth that he being attendant according to his bounden duetye to serue the Kinges highnesse during the time of the parliament from the first vnto the last day and then immediately after repayred into his Dioces and he might not trust R. M. the Chauntour and George Constantine to execute faythfully the iurisdiction because they had before through theyr slaundrous life and not punishing misdoers left the country in great enormity of filthy whoredome And sayth farther that one cause why he appoynted not an Officer c. was for that he lacked his letters of authority of Iurisdiction The 39. and 40. he sayth are vntrue To the 41. he sayth that how often he did minister the Communion he doth not remember but in all other thinges so farre as he knoweth he hath studied to order hymselfe according to his vocation as farre as he beleueth hee goeth like a Minister To the 42. he sayeth that hee hath not alienated hymselfe from studye neyther preached vndiscreetly nor reported the Scriptures vntruely to his knowledge but he hath bene very much hindered both from study preaching by the malicious crafty and couetous behauiour of the forenamed persons And that he did set forth the doctrine of honest maryage as well of all other menne as of Priestes euen as the Scripture then rehearsed did minister occasion To the 43. he sayth that reciting the wordes of Luke if thy brother haue offended agaynst thee blame him and if he repent forgeue hym and if he haue offended agaynst thee seuen tymes in one day and seuen times in the daye be conuerted vnto thee saying I am sory forgeue him He sayd farther these wordes in effect it appeareth by this place of scripture that we are not bound except he repent to forgeue him but we are bound to pray to God to forgeue him and to geue him grace to repent that wee may forgeue him To the 44. he sayth that he hath preached right often at Carmarthen as well as at other places and hee sayeth that a great number at Aberguilly do vnderstand english very well To the 45. he sayth that after he had preached fyrste at Brecknocke Carmarthen Swanzy Laugharne Tinby Pembroche Hereforde Saynt Dauids Cardigan with other notable Townes he hath since that time preached to a greate manye other poore Churches but not in Tinby nor Pembroche but for Hereforde he standeth in doubt And whereas he brought with him at the first a learned Preacher of Godly life the vngodly stubborne behauiour of the persons before named weryed him away And wheras he had waged an other learned man to come into his Dioces to preache George Constantine by hys discouragement aduertised him from this Defendaunt To the 46. he sayth that in all his Churches appropriated there is both Bible and Paraphrases so farre as he knoweth and if the Priestes there woulde not shewe him the lacke thereof yet should the Officialles declare it vnto him that it might be amended by his will without delay To the 47. he sayth that George Constantine couetously ingrossed into his handes a great number of Paraphrases wher as this Defendaunt hath admonished the Clergy to buy euery one for his discharge and if the sayd George being Officiall of two Archdeaconries and other Officials in theyr Office woulde declare vnto him what Churches do lack Bibles or Paraphrases he would cause it to be amended as much as in him lyeth ¶ To the title of Folly he sayth that his desire is in true simple maner of his wordes deedes and other honest behauiour through Gods grace to shew Godly wisedome TO the 48. he sayth that he thinketh no folly in the decent colour or fashion with honest vse of Saddle Bridle Stirrops Staffe and other like necessary or conuenient things and sayth that he vseth a Saddle made after the Scottish fashion with stirrops of iron vnuarnished like spurs and blacke bridle without studdes the bit and snaffle white as other mens be To the 49. he sayth that whē he goeth abroad in winter he weareth a hat to beare of rayne and snow in sommer to shadow him from the Sunne without any vowe of superstition or offence of the people To the 50. he sayth that all is one to him to ride or go as cause requireth and whether he sayd as is conteyned in the article or not he remembreth not Howbeit he doth vse to go a foote To the 51. he sayth that after lawfull prayer it pleased God to geue him a sonne begottē and borne in honest mariage whome he therefore caused to be named Samuell presenting him to the minister to be receiued into Christes Church as a poore member of Christ by the holy Sacrament of baptisme was this done openly in the Cathedrall Church with earnest grauity and without offending any man and also 2. wiues being before at variaunce desired both to be Godmothers whiche were both receiued to make vnity betweene them not knowing any lawe to the contrary nor none offence therby conceiued of the people To the 52. he sayth that he doth vse with grauity all honest louing enterteinement of his Chylde to encourage him hereafter willinglye at hys Fathers mouth to receiue wholesome doctrine of the true feare loue of God and sayeth that he hath whistled to hys Chylde but sayde not that the Chylde vnderstoode it and that he aunswered to one that founde fault with it as is conteyned in the article To the 53. he sayeth that hee was neuer Surueyor but went to see Milforde Hauen for honest purpose and not to suruey it and for that hee at the sighte of a Seale whistled in his fist such as meaned folly might turne it to theyr purpose And it is not true that he stoode whistlynge an hower to the Seale nor that anye faulte was founde with it nor any such aunswere made by him to his knowledge To the 54. he sayth that if he did say the destroying of the Frie letteth plenty of Fish he thinketh the same not agaynst reason but he remembreth not to haue sayd as is conteined in the article To the 55. he saith that he remembreth not that
had bene my liuing I aunswered I was a Minister serued a Cure and taught a schole Then sayd my Lord to his Counsell this is a wonderfull thing Afore he sayd he was no Priest and now he confesseth himselfe to be one I aunswered by the lawes now vsed in this Realme as farre as I do know I am none Then they asked me who gaue me orders or whether I had taken any at all I aunswered I receiued orders of the Bishops of London and Lincolne Then sayd they one to an other those be of these new heretickes and asked me what acquayntaunce I had with them I aunswered I neuer sawe them but at the tyme when I receiued orders They asked me how long I had bene Curate whether I had ministred with a good conscience I aunswered I had bene Curate but one yere and had ministred with a good conscience I thanked God and if the Lawes of the Realme would haue suffered me I would haue ministred still This blasphemous mouth of the paâ—son of Grapnal if the lawes at any time hereafter woulde suffer me to minister after that sort I would minister agayne Whereat they murmured and the person of Grapnall sayd this last Communion was the most deuilishe thing that euer was deuised Then they asked me what my beliefe was I answered I beleued in God the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost according as the Scriptures of the olde and new testament do teach and according as the 4. Symboles or Creedes that is to wit the Creed commonly called Apostolorum the Creed of Nice Councell of Athanasius and of Austen and Ambrose do teach And after a few wordes the parson of Grapnall sayd but what is thy beliefe in the Sacrament of the aultar I aunswered I beleued that whosoeuer according to Christes institution G. Marshes beliefe in the Sacrament dyd receyue the holye Sacrament of Christes body and bloud did eate and drinke Christes body and bloud with all the benefites of his death and resurrection to their eternall saluation for Christ sayd I is euer present with his sacrament Then asked they me whether the bread and wyne by the vertue of the wordes pronounced of the Priest were chaunged into the flesh and bloud of Christ and that the sacrament whether it were receiued or reserued was the very body of Christ Wherunto I made aunswere G. Marsh loth to aunswere to the question of transubstantiation I knew no further then I had shewed already For my knowledge is vnperfecte sayd I desiring theÌ„ not to aske me such hard vnprofitable questions whereby to bring my body into dauÌ„ger of death to sucke my bloud Whereat they were not a little offended saying they were no bloud succours and inteÌ„ded nothing to me but to make me a good Christian man So after many other questions whiche I auoyded as well as I could remembring the saying of Paule Foolishe and vnlearned questions auoide knowing they do but ingender strife my Lord commaunded me to come to the boord and gaue me pen and incke in my hand and commaunded me to write mine aunsweres to the questions of the Sacrament aboue named I wrote as I had answered before G. Marsh commaunded by the Earle of Darby to write his answeres Wherat he being much offended coÌ„maunded me to write a more direct answere saying I should not chuse but do it Then I tooke the pen and wrote that further I knew not Whereat hee being sore greeued after many threatnings sayd I should be put to shamefull death like a traitor with such other like words and sometimes geuing me â—ayre wordes if I would turne and be conformable as other were how glad he would be In conclusion after much adoe he commaunded me to Ward in a cold windy stone house The Earle of Darby coÌ„maundeth G. Marsh into prison where was little roome where I lay two nightes without any bed sauing a fewe great canuasse tentclothes and that done I had a payre of sheetes but no wollen clothes so coÌ„tinued till Palm-sonday occupying my selfe aswel as I could in meditatioÌ„ prayer study for no man could be suffered to come to me but my keeper twise a day when he brought me meat and drinke ¶ An other examination of G. Marsh before the Earle of Darby ON Palme sonday at after dinner I was sent for to my Lord and his counsell sauing Syr William Nores Syr Pierce Alee were not then present in place amongest whoÌ„ was Syr Iohn Beram the Uicar of Prescot So they examined me yet once agayne of the sacrameÌ„t Marsh agayne examined about the Sacrament And after I had communed aparte with the Uicare of Prescot a good space coÌ„cerning that matter he returned to my Lorde and his Counsell with me saying that aunswere which I had made before and then did make as it is aboue writteÌ„ was sufficient for a beginner and as one which did not professe a perfect knowledge in that matter vntil such time as I had learned further Marsh yet keepeth himselfe close in the Sacrament Wherewith the Earle was very well pleased saying hee doubted not but by the meanes help of the vicar of Prescot I would be conformable in other thinges So after many fayre wordes he commaunded I should haue a bed with fire and libertye to goe amongest his seruantes so that I would do no harme with my communication amongest them And so after much other communication I departed much more troubled in my spirit then afore because I had not with more boldnes confessed Christ but in such sort Marsh troubled in his conscieÌ„ce for being no more bolde touching the Sacrament as mine aduersaries therby thought they should preuayle agaynst me wherat I was much greued For hytherto I went about as much as in me lay to rid my self out of their handes if by any meanes without open denying of Christ and his word that could be done This considered I cried more earnestly vnto God by prayer desiring him to strengthen me with his holy spirit Marsh prayetheth for more boldenes with boldnes to confesse him and to deliuer me from their intising words and that I were not spoyled through their Philosophy deceitfull vanity after the traditions of men and ordinaunces of the world and not after Christ. And so after a day or two I was sent for to y e Uicar of Prescot and the Parson of Grapnall where our most coÌ„munication was concerning the masse and he asked what offended me in the Masse I aunswered the whole Masse did offend me Marsh agayne examined before the Bishops Chaplens Talke about the Masse Allegations against the Masse first because it was in a straunge language wherby the people were not edified coÌ„trary to S. Paules doctrine 1. Cor. 14. and because of the manifold and intolerable abuses errors coÌ„teined therin contrary to Christs Priesthood and sacrifice Then they asked me in what place therof and I
that we geue liberally putting aside al nigardship knowing that he that soweth little shall reape little and hee that soweth plenteouslye shall reape plenteouslye 2. Cor. 9. In almes three things required Lette euerye manne therefore doe accordinge as hee is able The poorest caitiffe in the world may geue as great and acceptable an almes in the sight of God as the richest man in the worlde can doe The poore widowe that did offer but two mites Marke 18. whiche make a farthing did highly please Christ In so much that he affirmed with an othe That shee of her penurie had added more to the offrings of God then all the rich men which of their superfluitie had cast in very muche For if there be first a willing minde as S. Paule sayth it is accepted according to that a maÌ„ hath 2. Cor. 8. and not according that a man hath not Thirdly we must geue wythout hypocrisie and ostentation not seeking the praise of men or our own glorie of profite Almes without ostentation And althoughe the Scriptures in some places make mention of a rewarde to oure almes and other good woorkes yet ought we not to thinke that wee doe merite or deserue any thynge Workes of mercy doe not merite with God touching our saluation any thing 1. Cor. 4. but rather wee oughte to acknowledge that God of his mere mercy rewardeth in vs hys owne giftes For what hathe hee that geueth almes that hee hathe not receiued hee then that geueth vnto a poore man anye manner of thing geueth not of his owne but of those goodes whych he hath receiued of God What haste thou saith the apostle that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it why reioycest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it This sentence ought to be had in remembrance of all men For if we haue nothing but that which wee haue receiued what can we deserue or what neede we to dispute and reason of our owne merites It commeth of the free gift of God that we liue that we loue God that we walke in his feare Where is our deseruing then Math. 26. 〈…〉 1. Mach. 4. We must also in this our spiritual warfare arme our selues with continuall praier a very necessary strong and inuincible weapon and after the example of Christ and al other godly men crie heartily vnto God in faith in all our distresses and anguishes Let vs goe boldly to the seate of grace where we shall be sure to receiue mercie Continuall prayer and finde grace to helpe in time of neede For now is pride and persecution encreased nowe is the time of destruction and wrathfull displeasure Wherfore my deare brethren be ye ferueÌ„t in the law of God and ieoperd ye your liues if neede shall so require To be faythfull 〈◊〉 temptation for the testament of the fathers and so shall yee receiue great honour and an euerlasting name Remember Abraham Was not he found faithfull in temptation Gene. 22. Gene. 41. Num 25. and it was reckened vnto him for righteousnes Ioseph in time of his trouble kept the commaundement and was made a Lord of Egypt Phinees was so feruent for the honor of God Iosua· 1. Num. 14. that he obtained the couenaunt of an euerlasting Priesthode Iosua for the fulfilling the word of God was made the captaine of Israel Caleb bare recorde before the Congregation and receiued an heritage 1. Reg. 24. 4. Reg 2. Dauid also in his mercifull kindnesse obtained the throne of an euerlasting kingdome Elias being zealous and feruent in the law was taken vp into heauen Ananias Azarias Dan. 3. Dan. 6. and Misael remained stedfast in the faith and were deliuered out of the fire In like maner Daniel being vnguiltie was saued from the mouth of the Lions And thus ye may coÌ„sider throughout al ages since the world began Psal. 38. He exhorteth to zeale and courage that who soeuer putte their trust in God were not ouercome Feare not ye then the wordes of vngodly men for their glory is but dong and wormes to day are they set vp and to morowe are they gone For they are tourned into earth and theyr memorial commeth to naught Wherfore let vs take good hearts vnto vs and quite our selues like men in the lawe for if we doe the things that are commaunded vs in the law of the Lorde our God we shall obtaine great honour therein Beloued in Christ let vs not faint because of affliction wherwith God trieth all them that are sealed vnto life euerlasting Actes 14. for the onely way into the kingdome of God is through muche tribulation For the kingdome of heauen as God teacheth by hys Prophet Esdras is like a Citie builded and set vpon a broad field 4. Esdras 7. and full of all good thinges but the entraunce is narrowe and sodaine Straite is the way which the elect must walke in full of sorrow and trauaile pearils and labours Like as if there were a fire at the right hand and a deepe water at the lesâ—â— and as it were one straight path betwene them both so smal that there could but one man goe there If this Citie now were geuen to an heire and he neuer went through the pearillous way how would he receiue his inheritaunce Wherefore seeing we are in this narrowe and straight way which leadeth vnto the most ioyfull and pleasaunt Citie of euerlasting life let vs not stagger eyther turne backe being afraide of the daungerous and pearillous way but followe our Captaine Iesus Christ in the narrowe and straight way and be afraide of nothing no not euen of death it selfe Death is a dore to lyfe for it is he that must lead vs to our iourneys ende and open vs the doore vnto euerlasting life Consider also the course of thys world howe many there be which for their maisters sake If worldly men ieopard so much for earthly thinges how much more ought we to ieopard for euerlasting thinges or for a litle promotions sake wold aduenture their liues in worldly affaires as coÌ„monly in warres yet is their reward but light transitory ours is vnspeakable great and euerlasting They suffer paines to be made Lordes on earth for a short season howe much more ought we to endure like paines yea peraduenture much lesse to be made kinges in heauen for euermore Consider also the wicked of this worlde which for a litle pleasures sake or to be auenged on their ennemies will fight with sworde and weapons and put them selues in daunger of imprisonment and hanging So much as vertue is better then vice God mightier then the deuil so much ought we to excell them in this our spirituall battaile And seeing brethren it hath pleased God to set me and that most worthy minister of Christ Iohn Bradforde your countreymen in the forefront of this battaile where for the time is most daunger I beseeche you all in
the bowels of Christe to helpe vs and all other our felow souldiors standing in like perillous place with your praiers to God for vs that we maye quite our selues like men in the Lord and geue some example of boldnes constancie mingled with pacience in the feare of God that yee and others our brethren thorough oure example may be so encouraged and strengthned to folow vs that ye also may leaue example to your weake brethren in the world to followe you Amen Consider what I say the Lorde geue vs vnderstanding in all things 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 7. 1 Iohn â— Coloss. 3. Brethren the time is short it remaineth that yee vse thys world as though ye vsed it not for the fashion of this worlde vanisheth away See that ye loue not the world neither the things that are in the world but set your affection on heauenly things where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Be â—eeke long suffering serue and edifie one other Doctrine 〈◊〉 good workes with the gift that God hath geuen you Beware of strange doctrine lay aside the old conuersation of greedy lustes and walke in a new life Beware of all vncleannes couetousnes foolish talking false doctrine dronkennes Reioyce be thankful towardes God submit your selues one to an other Cease from sinne spend no more time in vice be sober and apt to pray be pacient in trouble loue each other and let the glory of God and profite of your neighbor be the onely marke ye shoote at in all your doings Repent ye of the life that is past and take better heede to your doings hereafter And aboue all things cleaue yee fast to him who was deliuered to death for our sins rose againe for our iustification To whome with the father the holy ghost be al honor rule for euermore Amen Salute from me in Christe all others which loue vs in the faith and at your discretioÌ„ make them partakers of these letters and pray ye all for me and other in bondes for the Gospell that the same God which by his grace hathe called vs from wicked papistrie vnto true Christianitie and now of loue prooueth out patience by persecution wil of his mercy and fauour in the end gloriously deliuer vs either by death or by life to his glory AmeÌ„ At Lancaster the 30. of August 1554. By me an vnprofitable seruant of Christ George Marsh. To his welbeloued in Christ Ienkin Crampton Iames Leiuer Elice Fogge Rafe Bradshaw the wife of Richard Bradshaw Elice Crampton and to euery one of them be these deliuered from Lancaster G. Marsh. THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the felowship of the holy Ghost be w t you al. Amen After salutations in Christ and harty thanks for your frendly tokens and your other remembraunces towards me beseeching God y t ye may encrease in faith feare loue and 〈◊〉 good gifts grow vp into a perfit man in Christe these be earnestly to exhort you yea to beseech you in the â—ender mercy of Christe that w t purpose of heart ye continually cleaue vnto the Lorde and that ye worship serue him in spirite in the gospel of his sonne For God wil not be worshipped after the commandements traditions of men neither yet by any other meanes appoynted prescribed and taught vs but by his holy word And though all men for the most parte defile them selues with the wicked traditions of men ordinances after y e world and not after Christ yet doe ye after the ensample of Tobie 〈◊〉 1. Daâ—â—ell 1. â— Math. 1. Daniel his 3. companions Matharhias and his 5. sonnes be at a poynt with your selues that ye wil not be defiled wyth y e vncleane meates of the heathen I do meane the filthinesse of Idolatrie and the very Heathenish ceremonyes of the Papistes but as true worshippers serue ye God in spirite and verity according to his sacred Scriptures Iohn 4. Iohn 5 1. Tymâ— 5. which I would wish and will you aboue all things continually and reuerently as both S. Paule and Christ commaund you to searche and read with the wholesome monitions of the same to teach exhort comfort edifie one an other Math. 24. and your brethren neighbours now in time of thys our miserable captiuitie and great famishment of soules for want of the foode of Gods worde And doubt not Math. 28. but that the merciful Lord who hath promised to be with vs euen vnto the worldes end and that whensoeuer 2. or 3. be gathered together in his name hee will be in the middest of them will assist you and teach you the right meanings of the sacred Scriptures will keepe you from all errors and lead you into all truth as he hath faithfully promised And though ye thinke your selues vnable to teach yet at the coÌ„maundement of Christ now in time of famine the hungry people being in wildernes farre froÌ„ any townes Iohn 1â—â— which if they be sent away fasting are sure to faint pearish by the way employ and bestow those fiue loaues and two fishes that ye haue vpon that hungrie multitude although ye thinke it nothing among so many And y t he increased the v. loaues and the ij fishes to feede v. M. men Math. â— besides women and children shall also augment his gifts in you not only to the edifying and winning of others in christ but also to an exceding great increase of your knowledge in God his holy word And feare not your aduersaries for either according to his accustomed maner God shal blind their eies that they shal not espie you Phil. 1. either get you fauour in their sight either els graciously deliuer you out of their handes by one meanes or other Obey with reuerence al your superiours vnlesse they commaund idolatrie or vngodlinesse Make prouision for your housholds chiefly that they be instructed and taught in the law of God Loue your wiues euen as your owne selues as Christ loued the congregatioÌ„ Loue your children but rate theÌ„ not lest they be of a desperate mind and bring them vp in the nurture information of the Lorde and teache them euen as the godly parents of Tobie the younger and Susanna did teach their children euen from their infancy to reuerence God according to his lawe to abstaine from sin prouiding y t in no wise they be brought vp in idlenes wantonnes seing y t ye recken your selues to be the children of God and looke for the life whych God shall geue to them that neuer tourne their beliefe from him See that ye euer feare God and keepe his commandements and though the plague of God chance vnto you yet remaine yee stedfast in the faith and feare of God and thanke him and serue hym in such holines and righteousnes as are acceptable before him all the dayes of your life Comfort
xxiij of May did aunswere to the same confessing and graunting the articles and the contentes thereof to bee true accordyng as they were obiected in euery part subscribing also the same with hys hand Such strength and fortitude gods holy spirit wrought in hym to stand stoutly and confidently to the defence of the sincere doctrine of hys sonne Whereupon the B. exhorting him with many wordes to leaue his heresies as he called them and to returne to the bosom of his mother the holy church commanded him to appeare agayne the next day being the xxiiij of the same moneth Who so doyng and aunswering as he did before was willed to come thither agayne at after noone so hee dyd The 〈◊〉 Session agaynst 〈◊〉 Warne where and at what tyme he was earnestly exhorted by the sayd Bish. to recant his opinions To whom he aunswered that he would not depart from his receyued profession vnlesse he were therunto throughly perswaded by the holy scriptures Upon which aunswer he was willed to come agayne the next day beyng the 25. day of the same moneth The thirâ— session May. 25. at one of the clocke in the after noone At which day and houre the B. examined him agayne vpon all his former articles before obiected to the which he most constantly did sticke with his further aunswer thereunto added I am persuaded quoth he to be in the right opinion and that I see no cause to repent for all filthines Idolatry is in the church of Rome The B. then seyng that notwithstandyng all his faire promises terrible threatnyngs whereof he vsed store he could not any thing preuaile Iohn Warne â—â—nstant agaynst the Bishops persuasioâ— Sentence geuen agaynst Iohn Warne May. 30. Cardmakâ—â— and Iohn Warne brought 〈◊〉 execution Iohn Warne tyed to thâ— stake finished this examination with the definitiue sentence of condemnation pronounced against the said Iohn Warne and so charged the Shiriffs of London with him vnder whose custody he remained in the prison of Newgate vntil the 30. day of the same month of May. Upon the which 30. of May being the day appoynted for their execution Iohn Cardmaker with the sayd Iohn Warne were brought by the shiriffes to the place where they should suffer Who beyng come to the stake first the Shiriffes called Cardmaker aside and talked with hym secretly so long that in the meane tyme Warne had made hys prayers was chayned to the stake and had wood and reede set about hym so that nothyng wanted but the firyng but styll aboade Cardmaker talkyng with the shiriffes The people whiche before had heard that Cardmaker would recant and beholding this maner of doing The peopâ—â— afrayd at Cardmakâ—â— recanting were in a meruailous dumpe and sadnes thinkyng in deede that Cardmaker should now recant at the burning of Warne At length Cardmaker departed from the Shiriffes and came towards the stake and in his garments as he was kneeled downe made a long prayer in silence to himself yet the people coÌ„firmed themselues in their fantasie of his recanting seyng him in his garments praying secretly no semblance of any burning ⧠The Martyrdome of Iohn Cardmaker and Iohn Warne Vpholster An. 1555. May. 30. ¶ The confession of the fayth of Iohn Warne Citizen of London which he wrote the day before he was burned the 30. day of May. 1555. I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth A Father because hee is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 who is the euerlasting word whome before all worldes he hath begotten of himselfe which worde was made flesh and therein also manifested to be his sonne in whom he hath adopted vs to be his children the inheriters of his kyngdom and therfore he is our father An almighty God because he hath of nothing created all things visible and inuisible both in heauen and in earth euen all creatures conteyned therin and gouerneth them And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. The eternall word perfect God with his father of equal power in all things of the same substance of like glory by whom all things were made and haue life without whom nothing liueth he was made also perfect maÌ„ and so being very God and very man in one person is the onely Sauiour Redeemer and Ransomer of them which were lost in Adam our forefather He is the onely meane of our deliuerance the hope of our health the suretie of our saluation Which was conceyued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary According to the Fathers most mercifull promise this eternal sonne of God forsaking the heauenly glory humbled himselfe to take flesh of a virgin according to y e scriptures vniting the substance of the Godhed to the substaÌ„ce of the manhoode which he tooke of the substaunce of that blessed virgin Mary in one person to become therein the very Massiah the annointed king and priest for euer appointed to pacifie the fathers wrath which was iustlye gone out agaynst vs all for our sinne Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell He was arraigned before Pontius Pilate the ruler of Iewrie and so vniustly accused of many crimes that the Ruler iudged him innocent and sought meanes to deliuer him but contrary to knowen iustice he did let go Barrabas which had deserued death and deliuered Christ to bee crucified who deserued no death which doth declare vnto vs manifestly that he suffred for our sinnes was buffeted for our offences as the prophets do witnes thereby to haue it manifested to all men that he is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Therefore sufferyng for our sinnes he receiued and did beare our deserued condemnation the paines of death the tast of abiection the very terror of hell yelding his spirit to his father his body to be buried in earth The third day he rose againe from death to lyfe To make full and perfect the whole worke of our redemption and iustification the same crucified body which was layd in the graue was raised vp againe the third day from death by the power of hys Father and glory of hys Godhead he became the first fruits of the resurrection got the victory of death that all by him might be raised vp from death Thorough whome all true penitent sinners may now boldly come vnto the father and haue remission of their sinnes He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty After that in his death and resurrectioÌ„ he had conquered sinne death and the deuil and had bene conuersant 40. days in the earth being seene of the Apostles more then v. hundred brethren at once in the same body in which he wrought the worke of our saluation he ascended into heauen with eternal triumph for the victory ouer death sinne and hel leauing the passage open by which all true beleeuers may and shal enter
since and haue bene at fiue Sessions and neuer coulde haue any cause tryed Me thinke your charities should thinke it punishment enough if I had bene gilty Collins All this will not serue you you muste needes aunswere and it will be better for you to aunswere nowe then an other tyme. Will ye reforme your selfe and goe to the Churche and worshippe Christe in the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar be obedient vnto all the Queenes Lawes Bland I pray you wherefore am I brought hither Collins To answere to such thinges as are demaunded of you Bland Syr I thoughte ye had had some matters agaynst me by the lawe Collins Well on munday at .ix. of the clocke ye shall see y e law and haue articles layd vnto you Then they had spyed Mayster Coxe the Lawyer and called him in and sayde Here is a Lawyer can tell you are bound by the lawe to aunswere and he sayde as they had sayde Collins Doe ye not beleeue that after the consecration of the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar there remayneth no substance of bread but the substaunce of Iesus Christ both God and man Bland Mayster Commissarye I knowe not by any lawe why ye should aske me that question more then any other man here And after a little talke my Lord of Douer asked me this question Doest thou not beleeue after y e consecration that it is the body of Christ And I sayde No M. Bland denyeth the realty of Christes presence in the Sacrament The Capernaites tooke christ to speake literaâ—ly of his body and so doe the Papistes not the Protestants I doe not so beleeue for the Scriptures do not teach me y t there should remayne the flesh of Christ to eate as a man should eate mans flesh Then maister Glasier sayd that was the opinion of y e Capernaites there is no man here of that opinion and spake long of cutting of Christs body as men cut flesh in the shambles Then Mayster Doctour Faucet sayde Mayster Bland for as muche as you and I were broughte vp both in one house and borne both in one Parish I would be as glad as any man aliue to doe you good but ye may not thus stand against the Church For Christ sayth Ye must humble your self and take vp his Crosse and follow him And to humble yourselfe in this place is to be content and not sticke to your owne iudgement but to humble your selfe to the holy Church which hath determined y t after the coÌ„secration there remaineth no bread but the naturall body and bloud of Christ. Bland Mayster Doctour if ye take humbling of our selfe in that place to admitte the determination of the Church then muste we knowe by the Scriptures Determination of the Church is to be followed so farre as the Church determineth by the Scriptures that the same Churche determined nothing but according to the Scriptures as this is not and therefore I doe not beleeue any such transubstantiation nor neuer will god willing TheÌ„ quoth he I haue done with you I will no more prey for you then for a dogge Then sayde M. Glasier how thinke ye Did Paule when he sayd Is not the bread that we breake a partaking of the body of Christ Did he say Bakers bread Bland Though he did not meane bakers bread Argument Fes The glorified body of Christ was not crucified ti The Apostells did eate the body crucified no. Ergo the Apostles did not eate the glorified body of Christ. that doth not proue that hee brake naturall and reall flesh Gla. No by saint Mary we say not soe but we saye it is the naturall body glorified vnder the formes of bread and wyne Bland Then the apostles had it not as we haue or els his glorified body was crucified for vs. Gla. Tush ye do not vnderstande the Scriptures For Christes body was euer glorified in that it was so maruellously vnited to the Godhead yea and he shewed hys body diuers tymes glorified as in the Mount Thabor And when he walked on the water we see he was light and had no weight in hym Was not that then a glorified body Bland Then belike Peters body was glorified walking on the water was the deade of a glorified body and the yron that Elizeus made to swim vpon the water Douer Tush quoth my Lord of Douer that was done by prayer But they made such a noyse with laughing that I heard no more what my Lord sayd Bland Maysters I knowe that it auayleth vs nothyng to reason with you no more then it booted you in the tyme of the Gospell For then neyther the reason of Eckius It auayleth not to reason with the Papistes in tyme of their kingdome Coclaeus not yet of detection of the Deuilles sophistrye of my Lord Chauncellours doyng coulde take anye place And it is knowne to some that be here that somethyng I can say in them Douer No you know Oecolampadius Zuinglius and such other Bland In deede my Lorde I haue seene parte of theyr doynges Douer That is seene by thee to day Gla. I was glad when I heard you say ye beleeued the catholicke Church and now goe you from it Bland No that I doe not The Church visible Gla. Ye know that Christ sayth If thy brother haue offended thee goe and reconcile him betweene thee and him If he heare thee not take two or three with thee that in the mouth of two or three witnesses all thinges may be established If he heare not then Dic Ecclesiae If he heare not the Church take him as an heathen I pray you where could ye haue found this churche of yours fifty yeares ago Bland Ye knowe that the true church did not at all tymes florish but was wonderfully persecuted Bland commauÌ„ded away Douer Then my Lorde cryed No more I commaunde you to holde your peace Haue hym away and bring in an other Collins Ye shall come agayne on Monday at nyne of the clocke and in the meane time ye shall haue whom ye wyll to conferre withall your frend D. Faucet or M. Glasier if ye desire them Bland I will refuse to talke with no man as for any conference of your part it is but weake lawes established as they are But when there was no lawe I did desire conference And so for that time I departed The Monday after we were brought forth to the same place agayne And then M. Collins began to speak to me but after what maner it is cleane out of my minde but the end was that I woulde reforme my selfe But as I did before I demaunded what they had to lay to my charge to see the law which they sayd before I should see Douer What needes that we hauâ— enough agaynst you For ye * Yea but why then did you pâ—ison him a whole yeare before denyed to me the Transubstantiation in the Sacrament Bland I did refuse to aunsweare till ye promised that I
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 coÌ„cerning 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 Veisâ—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 BrighthaÌ„sted 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 Allhollonâ—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 apprehensioÌ„ 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 froÌ„ 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
iustifying these are to be remooued and separated a sonder the lawe from the Gospel and faith from workes Otherwise in the person that is iustified and also in order of doctrine they ought coÌ„monly to goe necessarily together Therfore where soeuer any question or doubt riseth of saluation or our iustifying before God there the law al good works must be vtterly excluded and stand apart Grace free Promise simple Faith alone that grace may appeare free the promise simple and that faith may staÌ„d alone Which faith alone without law or workes worketh to euery man particularly his saluation through mere promise and the free grace of God This worde particularly I adde Particularly for the particulare certifying of euery mans hart priuately and peculiarly that beleueth in Christ. For as the body of Christ is the cause efficient of the redemption of the whole world in generall so is faith the instrumentall cause The body of Christ is the efficient cause of our redemption in generall Faith is the instrumental cause of euery mans particular saluation by which euery man applieth the sayde body of Christ particularly to his owne saluation So that in the action and office of iustification both law workes here be vtterly secluded and exempted as things hauing nothing to doe in this behalfe The reason is this for seing that all our redemption vniuersally springeth only froÌ„ the body of the sonne of God crucified then is there nothing that can stande vs in steade but that onely wherewith thys bodye of Christ is apprehended Now for somuch as neither the law nor works but faith onely is the thing which apprehendeth the body and death of Christ Note the obiecte of faith Faith with her obiecte onely saueth A similitude beâ—tweene the brasen Serpente and Christes bodye therfore faith onely is that matter which iustifieth euery soule before God thorough the strength of that obiect which it doth apprehend For the obiect onely of our faith is the body of Christ like as the brasen Serpent was the obiecte onely of the Israelites looking and not of their handes working by the strength of which obiect through the promise of God immediatly proceeded health to the beholders So the body of Christ being the obiecte of our faithe striketh righteousnesse to our soules not through working but beleuing onely Thus you see howe faith being the onely eye of our soule Faith is only the eye of the soule which â—â—â—keth to Christ. standeth alone with her obiecte in case of iustifying but yet neuerthelesse in the body she standeth not alone for besides the eye there be also handes to worke feete to walke eares to heare and other members moe euery one conuenient for the seruyce of the body and yet there is none of them all that can see but onely the eye So in a christian mans life and in order of doctrine ther is the law there is repentance there is hope charitie and dedes of charitie all which in life and in doctrine are ioyned necessarily do concurre together and yet in the action of iustifying there is nothing els in man that hath any parte or place but onely Fayth apprehending the obiect which is the body of Christ Iesus for vs crucified in whom consisteth all the worthines and fulnes of our saluation by faith that is by our apprehending and receauyng of him according as it is wrytten Iohn 1. Whosoeuer receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God euen all such as beleued in his name c. Also Esay 53. And this iust seruaunt of mine in the knowledge of him shall iustifie many c. Argument Da. Apprehending and receauing of Christ onely maketh vs iustified before God As many as receaued him to them he gaue power c. â—ohn 1. And â—e by the knâ—wâ—â—dge of him shall iustifie many c. Esay 53. Iohn 1. ti Christ onely is apprehended and receaued by Faith si Ergo faith onely maketh vs iustified before God Argument Ba Iustification commeth onely by apprehending and receiuing of Christ. Esay 53. ro The lawe and workes do nothing pertaine to the apprehending of Christ. co Ergo the law and workes pertaine nothing to Iustification Argument Ce Nothing which is vniust of it selfe can iustifie vs before God or helpe any thing to our iustifying All our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes Esay 64. sa Euery worke we do is vniust before God Esay 54. re Ergo no worke that we do can iustifie vs before God nor helpe any thing to our iustifying Argument Ca If workes could any thing further our iustification theÌ„ should our works some thing profit vs before God When â—e haue done all that is commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruantes Luke 17. Without me can ye do nothing Iohn 15. me No workes doe the best we can doe profite vs before God Luke 17. stres Ergo no workes that we doe can any thynge further our iustification Argument Ba All that we can do w t God is only by Christ. Ihon. 15. ro Our workes and merites be not Christe neyther anye part of him co Ergo our workes merits can do nothing with God Argument Da That which is the cause of condemnation cannot be the cause of iustification The lawe worketh anger Rom. 4. ri The law is the cause of condemnation Rom. 4. j. Ergo it is not the cause of iustification A consequent We are quit and deliuered from the law Rom. 7. Now are we quitte and deliuered from the law being dead to that wherein we were once holden Rom. 7. Ergo we are not quâ—t and deliuered by the law Forsomuch therfore as the truth of the Scripture in expresse words hath thus included our saluation in faith onely we are enforced necessarily to exclude all other causes and meanes in our Iustification and to make this difference betwene the lawe the Gospel betwene faith and works affirming with the Scripture word of God that the lawe condemneth vs our works do not auaile vs and that faith in Christ onely iustifieth vs. And thys difference and distinction ought diligently to be learned and retained of all christians especially in conflict of conscience betweene the law and the gospel faith and works grace and merites promise condition Gods free election and mans freewil So that the lyght of the free grace of God in our saluation may appeare to all consciences to the immortal glory of Gods holy name Amen The order and differences of places The Gospel Antitheta The law Faith Works Grace Merites Promise coÌ„ditioÌ„ Gods fre election maÌ„s fre wil. The difference and repugnance of these foresayde places being wel noted and exâ—ended it shall geue no smal light to euerye faithfull christian both to vnderstande the Scripture to iudge in cases of conscience and to reconcile such places in the olde and newe Testament as els may seeme to repugne according to the rule
of Augustine saying Distingue tempora conciliabis scripturas c. Make distinction of times and thou shalt reconcile the Scriptures The law to be discerned from the Gospell c. Contrariwise where men be not perfectly in these places instructed to discerne betwene the lawe and the Gospell betweene faith and woorkes c. so long they can neuer ryghtly estable their minds in the free promises of Gods grace but walke confusedly without order in al matters of religion ExaÌ„ple wherof we haue to much in the Romish church The ignorance and blindnes of the Popes Church in confounding these places who confouÌ„ding these places together without distinction following no methode haue peruerted the true order of christian doctrine and haue obscured the swete comfort benefit of the Gospel of Christ not knowing what the true vse of the law nor of the Gospel meaneth In the doctrine of the law iij. things to be noted The first poynte to be noted in the doctrine of the lawe In the law therfore 3 things are to be considered First what is the true rigour and strength of the lawe which is to require full and perfect obedience of the whole man not only to restraine his outward actions but also his inward motions and inclinatioÌ„s of wil and affection from the appetite of sinne And therfore saith S. Paul The law is spiritual but I am carnal c. Rom. 7 Whereupon riseth this proposition That it is not in our nature and power to fulfil the law Item The law commandeth that which is to vs vnpossible c. 2 The second thing to be noted in the doctrin of the law is to consider the time and place of the lawe what they be The streÌ„gth of the lawe The second thing to be noted in the lawe how far they extend For as the surging seas haue their banks and barres to kepe them in so the law hath his times limites which it ought not to passe If Christ had not come suffred the time dominion of the law had ben euerlasting But nowe seeing Christ hath come and hath died in his righteous flesh The due time place of the lawe The death of Chriâ—t iâ— the death the lawe that is of the condemnation of the lawe The time of the lawe how long it lasteth the power of the law against our sinfull flesh doth cease For the ende of the lawe is Christ. Rom. 10. that is the death of Christes body is the death of the law to al that beleue in him so that who so euer repeÌ„teth their sinnes flie to the death and passion of Christ the condemnation time of the lawe to them is expired Wherefore this is to be vnderstand as a perpetual rule in the scripture that the law withal his sentences and iudgements whersoeuer they are writteÌ„ either in the old Testament or in the new do euer include a priuy exception of repentaunce and beliefe in Christ to the which alwayes it geueth place hauing there his end and can proceede no further according as S. Paul doth say The lawe is our Scholemaister vntil Christ that we might be iustified by faith Gal. 3. Moreouer as the law hath his time how long to reigne so also it hath his proper place where to raigne By the raigne of the law here is ment the coÌ„demnation of the law for as the time of the law ceaseth when the faith of Christ in a true repenting heart beginneth so hath the law no place in such as be good and faithful that is in sinners repenting and amending Gal. 3. Iustis noÌ„ est lex posita sed iniustis et in obsequentibus 1. Tim. 1. In remission of sinnes 3. things to be noted 1. the disease 2. The knowing of the disease 3. The Phisition but only in them which be euill and wicked Euil men heere I call all such which walking in sinful flesh are not yet driueÌ„ by earnest repentaÌ„ce to flie to Christ for succour And therefore sayth S. Paule To the iust man there is no law set but to the vniust and disobedient c. 1. Tim. 1. By the iust man here is ment nor he which neuer had disease but he who knowing his disease seeketh out the Physition and being cured kepeth himselfe in health as much as he may from any mo surfets notwithstanding he shall neuer so kepe him self but that his health that is his new obedience shal alwaies remaine fraile vnperfect and shall continually nede the Physition Where by the way these iij. things are to be noted 1. the sicknes it self 2 the knowing of the sicknes 3. the Physitian The sicknes is sinne The knowing of the sicknes is repentance which the lawe worketh The Physitian is Christ. And therfore although in remission of our sinnes repeÌ„taunce is ioyned with faith yet it is not the dignity or worthines of repentaÌ„ce that causeth remission of sinnes but only the worthines of Christ whom faith onely appreheÌ„deth Repentance is ioyned with faith yet is it no cause of saluation The third point to be noted in the doctrine of the lawe no more then the feeling of the disease is the cause of health but only the Phisition For els when man is cast and condemned by the lawe it is not repentance that can serue or deserue life but iâ— his pardoÌ„ come then is it the grace of the prince and not his repentance that saueth The third poynt to be considered in the doctrine of the lawe is this That we marke well the ende and purpose why the lawe is geuen which is not to bring vs to saluation not to worke Gods fauoure nor to make vs good but rather to declare and conuicte our wickednesse and to make vs feele the daunger therof to thys ende and purpose that we seeing our condemnation and beynge in our selues confounded may be driuen thereby to haue our refuge in Christ the sonne of God and to submit our selues to him in whom only is to he found our remedy and in none other And this ende of the lawe discretely ought to be pondered of all Christians Otherwise they that consider not this â—nd and purpose of the law fall into manifold errours and inconueniences Inconuenienses that rise in not knowing the true 〈◊〉 of the lawe First they peruert all order of doctrine 2. They seeke that in the lawe which the law cannot geue 3. They are not able to comfort themselues nor other 4. They keepe mens soules in an vncertayne doubt and dubitation of their saluation 5. They obscure the light of Gods grace 6. They are vnkind to Gods benefites 7 They are iniurious to Christes passion and enemies to his crosse 8. They stop christian liberty 9 They beriue the church the spouse of Christe of her due comfort as taking away the sonne out of the world 10 In all their doings they shoote to a wrong marke For where Christ only is set vp to be appreheÌ„ded
sight it is to be fâ—ared least they will sette you beside the saddle and put vs in your roomes As concerning sacrifice doing so I doe vnderstand by the word which you do vse Libare not knowyng els what it should meane I say Sacrifice doing Sacrifice in offring ouâ— bodyes that it is lawfull for all men and women to doe sacrifice of what sort soeuer they be but I meane not by sacrifice doing to say Masse as priestes vsed to do thereunto appoynted but like as Christen people be Sacerdotes that is to say Sacrificers as is shewed before so ought they to offer and do offer spirituall Sacrifices Sacrifice true liuely as writeth S. Paule to the Romanes saying I beseeche you brethren for the loue of Gods mercy that you wil geue your body a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God being a reasonable worshipping Rom. 1â— In that he sayth our body should be a sacrifice he would haue it slayne for that was the maner that all beastes that were wont to be sacrificed shoulde be first slayne But he ioyneth therewith Liuing saying Sacrifice of mortification Geue your body to be a liuing sacrifice So that he would we shold continue to liue in this body to Gods pleasure but fleeing the ciuill lustes and appetites therof and so shall our worshipping be reasonable if we doe not geue vnto our reason ouer much of the bridle whereby it may runne at ryot Reasonable worshipping folowing fleshly concupiscence and wicked vanitye or arrogancy as wheÌ„ men will take in hand to deuise by their owne wit a more godly way of liuing then is institute by Christ whiche is the wisedome of his heauenly Father sayinge that his is not sufficient enough for vs to follow Of whome it is sayd by the Prophet Esaye in these wordes This people approche neare vnto me Esa. 29. and honoureth me with their lippes but theyr hart is farre from me but they do worship me in vayn teaching doctrines that are lawes or preceptes of men Then Paul proceedeth shewing of this Christian sacrifice saying And apply not your selues vnto the fashion of this world but be you transformed by renouation of your mind Rom. 12. that you may know what is the will of God what is good acceptable and rightfull afore him See how he would haue vs do this sacrifice and mortify our lusts in refusing the corruâ—t fashion and behauior of the world altering our minds by a new way by knowing the will of God and following after the same An other maner of Sacrifice whiche he requireth is that we shoulde alwaye offer vnto God the Sacrifice of prayse that is to wit the fruite of our lippes Sacrifice of prayle Vituli labioruÌ„â— Ose. 14. Hebâ— 13. that Osee calleth Vitulos Labiorum geuing laude vnto his name and that we should not forget to doe good and to be beneficiall to our neighbours For in such sacrifice sayth he GOD hath delight Thus I say that by playne suffrage of your law in the Decrees and also of Scripture lay persons in necessity in time of need may lawfully preach or shew the worde of God and also do sacrifice but I thinke except great neede require they ought not so to do Thus haue you herein my minde which if it be not firme and substantiall I will yet reforme it when any better is shewed as I will also do in all other thinges for I am not in this yet fully certified Albeit me thinke the decrees do passe euidently with me In the xxiiij where you doe aske whether excommunication denounced by the Pope agaynst all heretickes do oblige and binde them before God I say To the 24. article that it byndeth them afore God if it be lawfully denounced that is if they be in very deed as they be named if he denounceth them so to be not of his owne proper head or affection onely ExcoÌ„munycatioÌ„ but with the consent of other gathered with him in Christes name for the behoofe of Christes Church For so vsed S. Paule when he did excommunicate the man of Corinth Excommunication requireth consent of other which had full horribly defiled his mother in law as appeareth 1. Cor. 5. And the same forme declareth the Gospel Mathew 18. in these wordes If thy brother hath trespasâ—ed agaynst thee go and reproue him betwixt thee and him alone If he wil heare thee 1. Cor. 3. thou hast so wonne thy brother If he will not heare thee take one or two with thee that in the report of two or three Math. 18. euery thing may be assured If he will not heare them shew it vnto the coÌ„gregation If he will not follow the minde of the congregation let him be vnto thee as a paynime or a notable sinner For verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall binde vpon earth shal be bouÌ„d in heauen So that such excommunication ought to be done as me thinketh by the congregation assembled together with theyr pastor whose aduise they ought principally to esteme and folow if it be vertuous and godly And thus is it conuenient to be done For the Pope is made of fleshe as well as other men and therefore he may sometime iudge awry cursing the blessed The Pope may erre and blessing the cursed and likewise may other Prelates iudging the Christen to be hereticks and heretickes Christen Of whoÌ„ it is also written in the prophecy of Ezechiel Ezech 13. Mortificabant animas quae non moriuntur viuificabant animas quae non viuunt They slewe the soules of them that should not dye and gaue lyfe to the soules that should not liue Mar. 11. As did the Phariseis when they did cast Christ out of the Uineyard which signifieth the Churche Marke 11. Iohn 1.9 And as our Sauiour prophesied in the xix of Iohn saying vnto his Disciples There shal be quoth he some that shall excommunicate you yea and the time shall come that who so euer shall slay you shall thinke to doe honour to GOD and this shall they doe vnto you because they do neither know my father nor me These wordes be written in the Gospell of Iohn 19. Wherby you see that for lacke oâ— knowledge of God which is taught and sâ—ne by the light of scripture Christ prophecyed how lewd men should lewdly excommunicate the good yea slea his true seruants thinking through such factes to please god and to do him good seruice Wherfore seÌ„d O Lord I beseech thee the knowledge of thee Ose. 4. to be dilated vpon earth which Osee bewayleth sore seing it absent wherby mens iudgement may be rectified and so to do accordingly to the leading of the same In the 25. where you aske whether euery Priest is bound to say dayly his Mattins EueÌ„song according as it is ordeined by the church To the 15. article or whether he may leaue them vnsayd without offence or
deadly sinne I say that prayer in scripture is much commended and many great and vnmeasurable benefites are shewed to ensue thereupon that men should the more lustily geue themselues therto With prayer doth S Paul bid vs to fight in diuers places coÌ„tinuing in the same agaynst our ghostly enemies A figure of this is read in Exodus when the Israelites fought in battaâ—le agaynst a nation of Infidels Exod. 17. I trow theyr Captayne was called Amalecke Moyses stood vpon a mountayne The vertue of prayer to behold what should be the conclusion and lifting vp his handes prayed that it might well succeed with the Israelites but in long holding them vp at last his feruour began to grow cold and faint his handes sagged downward and euer as his handes grew heauy which signifieth that his affection in praying abated waxed colde the Infidels preuayled but as he kept them heaued vpward wherby was meant intentiue prayer of a deuout mynde he purchased victorye to the Israelites Aaron and Hur which indited the lawe to the people and were thereof the interpreters stood with Moses which alway as they dyd see his armes to faynt did vphold them so that finally the victory came vnto Israel By Moses is signified as sheweth great Clerkes deuotion Deuotion and knowledg to be ioyned together By Aaron and Hur the knowledge of Gods doctrine Which two thinges deuotion I meane knowledge all men had need to haue presently with theÌ„ for deuotion doth eleuate the mind to God but knowledge doth susteine or vphold the same that it may with courage continue not falling down but so alway doth incense and kindle it that it mounteth vp into the presence of our heauenly father where they sauour together farre more sweetely then any fumigation either of Iuniper Incense or what soeuer els be they neuer so pleasaunt doth sauour in any mans nose Therefore S. Paule seing howe necessary the knotte of these two deuotion knowlege of Gods will was which is shewed in scripture as teacheth saynt Cyprian in these wordes The will of God sayth he is that whiche Christe both taught and wrought Paul I say seing this wished to be excommunicate and separate from God for to haue the Iewes to come to the knowledge of Christes Church Rom. 10. which is the onely right waye to saluation for whome he prayed right studiously as appeareth a litle after in the 10. chap. to the Romanes saying I beare them recorde that they haue a zeale deuotion to God but not according to the knowledge of Christes doctrine Moses not to be without Aaron c. Where you may clearelye see how the Iewes as S. Paule which is no lyer recordeth here had a zeal deuotion to God but they lacked knowledge therewith Moses was amongest them but Aaron was away whose absence payned Paul so sore that he rauished with exceeding charity wished no small harme vnto himself vpon condition that the multitude of theÌ„ might be holpen and haue better iudgement euen to be separated from God It must nedes be theÌ„ greatly hurtfull albeit men haue deuotion to be without the knowledge of God his law Deuotion withoute knowledge hurtfull signified by Aaron S. Paule also before y t he came to knowledge had such like deuotion himselfe as he reporteth Actes 26. in these wordes Act. 26. All the Iewes quoth he haue knowne my liuing that I haue led sith I entred into mans age which time as I remeÌ„ber is accounted from the xvj or xviij yeare of a mans life in Latine he calleth it adolescentia which from the beginning thereof was sayth he at Ierusalem among mine owne nation that did know me afore also from the beginning if they would say trueth that I liued after the most straitest order or sect of our religion The zeale of Saule withoute deuotion being a Pharisy And I quoth Paul a litle after thought to doe many thinges in fighting agaynst the name of Iesus Christ yea and did also being at Ierusalem and I thrust many Sayntes or holy men into prison hauing power geuen me therto of the high Priestes and when they shoulde be put to death I gaue sentence and I quoth he was commonlye in all Sinagogues punishing them and compelling them to blaspheme as menne are fayne now a daies when the Bishops make them to abiure and to deny the trueth of the Gospell yea more ouer did I quoth Paule rage agaynst them pursuing after them into straunge landes See what zeale Paul had to God afore he was instructed in the doctrine of Christ. He thought to haue pleased god highly in persecuting his seruants of whom one was S. Steuen He was then sore blinded through ignorance Zeale 〈◊〉 out knowledge and wanted the assistance of Aaron But anone as Christ which is the true Aaron had appeared to him asking hym and saying in a lamentable fourme O Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me Act 9. in troubling and striking my seruauntes the members of mine owne body of whom it is sayd He that smiteth you shall smite the tender ball of mine eie Zach. 2. His hart fell I dare say so low as his body that is euen downe to the earth repenting himselfe full sore being redye to amend and follow after a new way as appeareth by hys aunswere where he sayth O Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe As though one woulde say Nowe I see all that I thought to haue done afore of good intention and good purpose or deuotion hath deceiued me I finde it otherwise That which I esteemed good in very deede is and was nought Teach me therfore good Lord quoth he a better way amend my iudgement that mine owne will or intentioÌ„ forsakeÌ„ I may now follow thine to please thee to do thy will And so he came to Ananias by the assignement of Christ the thick filthines of his olde wayward iudgement fell away as appeareth by the drosse or rubbish that came from his eyes euen like scales as the Scripture maketh relation and he put vpon him a new iudgement which is directed after the strayt rule of the Gospell Deuotion a deceaueable thing Whereby you may see that mens deuotion may oft beguile and seduce theÌ„ except knowledge do assist the same for to susteine direct it which knitte together shall much strengthen men in all trouble and temptations So that it is much expedient for all meÌ„ as nigh as they may to haue prayer annexed with knowledge Erasmus in Enchiridiâ— that sheweth full notably Erasmus in the second passage of EnchiridioÌ„ where he testifieth but of easye liking that he hath in saying of Mattins Saying of Mattens yea rather contrariwise he sheweth disliking and so he doth also in his exposition of the fyrst Psalme Beatus vir where the text maketh agreeably for the same it is written in this wise Blessed is the man that hath not gone
body of our Lord Iesu Christ in the Eucharist Christ is true which sayde the wordes The wordes are true whyche he spake yea truth it selfe that cannot faile Lette vs therefore pray vnto God to sende downe vnto vs his holye spirite which is the true interpreater of his woorde whiche maye purge away errours and geue light that veritye may appeare Let vs also aske leaue and libertie of the Churche to permit the truth receiued to be called this day in question wythout any preiudice to the same Your partes therefore shal be to implore the assistaunce of almighty God to pray for the prosperitie of the Queenes maiestie and to geue vs quiet and attentiue eares Now go to your questions Doct Smith This day right learned M. Doctor 3. questions are propounded whereof no controuersy among christians ought to be mooued to wit 1. Whether the naturall bodye of Christ our Sauiour conceiued of the Virgine Marie The quesâ—â—â—ons and offred for mans redemption vppon the crosse is verilye and really in the sacrament by vertue of Gods worde spoken by the Priest c. 2. Whether in the sacrament after the words of consecration be any other substance c. 3. Whether in the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie c. Touching the which questioÌ„s although you haue publikely and partly professed your iudgemeÌ„t and opinion on Saterday last yet being not satisfied with that your aunswere I wil assay againe to demaund your sentence in the first question Whether the true body of Christe after the woords pronounced be really in the Eucharist or els only the figure In which matter I stande heere nowe to heare your aunsweare The Preface or protestation of D. Ridley before his disputation I Receiued of you the other day right worshipful M. prolocutor and yee my reuerend Maisters The proteâ—station of B. Ridley Commissioners from the Queenes maiestie and her honorable Counsell three propositions whereunto ye commaunded me to prepare against this day what I thought good to aunsweare concerning the same Now whilest I weied w t my selfe how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompte to my Lord God and that howe soone he knoweth and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter I ought to be redy alway to geue a reason of the hope y t is in me with mekenes and reuerence vnto euery one that shall demaund the same besides this coÌ„sidering my duty to the Church of Christ What mâ—â—ued Doct. Ridley to alter his iudgemeâ—â— from the Church of Rome and to your worships being commissioners by publicke authority I determined with my selfe to obey your commaundement and so opeÌ„ly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresayd propositions And albeit plainely to confesse vnto you the trueth in these things which ye now demaund of me I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do yet God I call to record vnto my soule I lie not I haue not altered my iudgemeÌ„t as now it is either by constraint of any man or lawes either for the dread of any daungers of thys world either for any hope of commodity but onely for the loue of the truthe reuealed vnto me by the grace of God as I am vndoubtedly perswaded in his holy woorde and in the reading of the auncient Fathers These things I do the rather recite at this present because it may happen to some of you hereafter as in times past it hath done to me I meane if ye thinke otherwyse of the matters propouÌ„ded in these propositions then I now doe God may open vnto you in time to come But how so euer it shall be I will in fewe woordes do that which I thinke yee all looke I shoulde doe that is as plainely as I can I will declare my iudgement heerein Howbeit of this I would yee were not ignoraunt that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any poynt against Gods worde â— Ridley submitteth himselfe to the Church of Christ. or dissent in any one iote from the same or from the rules of faith and Christian religion which rules that same most sacred word of god prescribeth to the Churche of Christe whereunto I nowe and for euer submit my selfe and all my doinges And because the matter I haue now taken in hand is waightie and yee all wel know how vnready I am to handle it accordingly aswell for lacke of time as also lacke of bookes therefore heere I protest that I will publickly this daye require of you that it may be lawfull for me concerning all mine aunsweares explications and confirmations to adde or diminish what soeuer shall seeme hereafter more conuenient and mete for the purpose through more sound iudgement better deliberation and more exact triall of euery particular thing Hauing nowe by the way of Preface and protestation spoken these fewe woordes I will come to the answearinge of the propositions propounded vnto me and so to the most brief explication and confirmation of mine answeres West Reuerend maister Doctour concerning the lacke of bookes there is no cause why you should complaine What bookes soeuer you will name The promise was not â—ept ye shall haue them as concerning the iudgement of your answeres to be had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation it shall I say be lawfull for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto them what you shall thinke good your selfe My minde is that we shoulde vse short arguments least we shuld make an infinite processe of the thing Rid. There is an other thyng besides whyche I woulde gladly obtaine at your handes I perceiue that you haue wryters and Notaries here present By all likelihoode our disputations shal be published I beseech you for gods sake let me haue libertie to speake my minde freely wythout interruption not because I haue determined to protract y e time with a solemne Preface but least it maye appeare that some be not satisfied God wotte I am no Oratour nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter West Two Notaries permitted to Doct. Ridly These 2. Notaries were M. Iâ—ell sometime bishop of Salisbury 〈◊〉 M. Gilbert Mounson Among this whole company it shall be permitted you to take two for your part Rid. I would chuse two if there were any here w t whome I were acquainted West Here are two whych M. Cranmer had yesterdaye Take them if it please you Rid. I am contente wyth them I truste they are honest men The first proposition In the Sacrament of the aultare by the vertue of Gods word spoken of the Priest the naturall body of Christ borne of the virgine Marie The first proposition and his naturall bloude is really present vnder the formes of bread and wine The aunswere of N. Ridley In matters appertaining to God we may not speake according to the sence of man D. Ridleys aunswere
holynes with these wordes Exue te stola luctus vexationis indue te decore qui a deo tibi est in gloria sempiterna nominabitur enim tibi nomen tuum a deo sempiternuÌ„ pax iustitiae honor pietatis Tum auteÌ„ dicetur circumspice vide collectos filios tuos ab oriente sole usque in occideÌ„tâ—m verbo sancto gaudentem That is Put of the stoole of sorow and vexation and put on comlinesse whiche thou hast of God in euerlasting glory For thy name shall be named of God euerlasting peace of righteousnes and honor of godlines then it shall be sayd looke about and see thy sonnes gathered together from the sonne rising to the going downe of the same reioysing in the holy worde There is nothing truely to speake of thy children gathered together in the West which prepare theÌ„selues to meet theyr mother which they had rather see theÌ„ her apparelled that I may vse the wordes of the prophet in that garment of righteousnes wherwith God adorned her in times past This one thing remayneth that your holines ioy and the ioy of all the vniuersall Church maye be perfited which together with vs her vnworthy children ceaseth not to pray to God for it The almighty God preserue your holines long to continue in health for the profite of his church FroÌ„ London the last of Nouember 1554. Your most humble seruaunt Reginald Poole Cardinall December 2. Upon the Sonday folowing being the 2. of December the Byshop of Wynchester Lorde Chauncellour of England preached at Paules Crosse at whiche Sermon was present the King and Cardinall Poole A Sermon of Steuen Gardiner preached at Paules Crosse. Hee tooke for hys Theame this parte of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaynes the 13. chap. This also we know the season brethren that we should now awake out of sleep for now is our saluation nearer then when we beleued c. Some notes whereof as they came to my hands faithfully gathered as it appeareth by sundry copyes I haue here thought good to set forth A dreaming SermoÌ„ of the B. of Winchester First he shewed how the saying of S. Paul was verified vpon the gentiles who had a long time slept in darke ignorance not knowing god therfore S. Paul quoth he to stir vp theyr heauy dulnesse willed them to wake out of theyr long sleepe because theyr saluation was nearer then when they beleued In amplifying this matter comparing our times with theyrs he took occasioÌ„ to declare what difference the Iewish Sacramentes had from those of the Christians wherein he vsed these wordes Euen as the Sacramentes of the Iewes did declare Christ to come so doth our sacraments declare Christ to be already come but Christ to come and Christ to be come is not al one For now that he is come the Iewes sacrameÌ„ts be done away and ours only remayne which declare y t he is already come is nearer vs then he was to the fathers of the old law for they had him but in signes but we haue him in the Sacrament of the aultar euen his very bodye Wherefore nowe also it is time that we awake out of our sleepe who haue slept or rather dreamed these xx yeares past as shall more easely appere by declaring at large some of the propertyes and effectes of a sleepe or dreame And first as men intending to sleep do separate themselues froÌ„ company and desire to be alone euen so haue we seperated our selues from the sea Apostolick of Rome and haue bene alone 〈…〉 very 〈…〉 as it 〈◊〉 in ghostly dreames no Realme in Christendome like vs. Secondly as in sleep men dreame sometime of killing sometime of maiming sometime of drowning or burning sometime of such beastlinesse as I will not name but wyll spare your eares so haue we in this our sleepe not onely dreamed of beastlines but we haue done it in deede For in this our sleepe hath not one brother destroyed an other Hath not halfe our money bene wiped away at one tyme And agayn those that would defend their conscience were slayne and others also otherwise troubled besides infinite other thinges which you all know as well as I whereof I report me to your owne consciences Farther in a mans sleepe all his senses are stopped so y t he can neither see smell nor heare euen so wheras the ceremonies of the church were instituted to moue and stirre vp our senses they being taken away were not our senses as ye would say stopped and we fast a sleepe Moreouer wheÌ„ a man would gladly sleepe he will put forth the candle least peraduenture it may let his sleepe awake hym So of late all such writers as did holde any thing with the Apostolick Sea were condemned Who putteth out the candell 〈◊〉 they which 〈◊〉 Gods word forbid the Scriptures that should geue vs light and forbiddeÌ„ to be read and Images whiche were * They forbid lay mens bookes but you forbid the booke of God lay mens bookes were cast downe and broken The sleep hath continued with vs these xx yeares and we all that while without a head For when King Henry did first take vpon him to be head of the church it was theÌ„ no Church at all After whose death King Edward hauing ouer him Gouernors and Protectours which ruled as them listed coulde not be head of the Churche but was onely a shadow or signe of a head and at length it came to passe that we had no head at all no not so much as our 2. Archbishops For on the one side the Queene being a woman could not be head of the Church Then 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 head at 〈◊〉 to geue 〈◊〉 to his Church vnlesse 〈◊〉 Popes 〈◊〉 also be clapt on 〈◊〉 Churcheâ— shoulderâ— and on the other side they both were conuicted of one crime so deposed Thus while wee desired to haue a supreame head among vs it came to passe that we had no head at all When the tumult was in the North in the time of king Henry the â— I am sure the king was determined to haue geuen ouer the supremacy agayne to the Pope but the houre was not then come and therefore it went not forward least some would haue sayd that he did it for feare After this M. Kneuet and I were sent Ambassadors vnto the Emperor to desire him that he would be a meane betwene the popes holines and the king to bring the king to the obedience of the sea of Rome but the time was neyther yet come For it might haue bene sayd that it had bene done for a ciuill pollicy Agayne in the beginning of Kyng Edwardes raigne the matter was mooued but the tyme was not yet for it would haue bene sayd that the king being but a child had bene bought and solde Neither in the beginning of the Queenes raigne was the houre come For it would haue bene sayd that it was done in a