them how to aunswere to euery poynt of christian doctrine so well as if he had done no other thing in all his life but onely studyed diuinity and yet was he but very simply learned Then was he sent from them apart vnto an other Prison full of filthy stinche and vermine where notwithstāding he ceased not to sing Psalmes that the other might well heare him He had a young nephew in an other prison by being but a childe of whom he asked what he had sayd to the Iudges He sayde that he was constrayned to do reuerence to a crucifixe painted O thou noughty boy said he haue not I taught thee y e commandements of God Images forbidden Knowest thou not how it is written Thou shalt not make to thy selfe no grauen Image c. and so beganne to expound to hym the Commaundementes whereunto hee gaue good attention In their examinations many questiōs were propounded by the Doctors and Friers touching matters both of religion and also to know of them what Gentlemen and Gentlewomen were there present at the ministration of the Sacrament Whereunto they aunswered in such sort as was both sufficient for defence of theyr owne cause and also to saue theyr other brethren from blame saying that they woulde liue and dye in that they had sayd and maynteyned When the time of theyr execution was come they perceiued that the Iudges had intended that if they would relent they shoulde be strangled if not they should burne aliue and theyr tongues be cutte from them Which tormentes they being content to suffer for our Sauiour Iesus Christ offered their tongues willingly to the hangman to be cut Gabart began a little to sigh Their tounges cut for that he might no more prayse the Lord with his tongue Whome then Cene did comfort Then were they drawne out of prison in the dōg cart to the suburbes of S. Germane Whom the people in rage and madnes folowed with cruell iniuries and blasphemies as though they would haue done the execution themselues vpon them Maugre the hangman The cruelty of theyr death was suche as hath not lightly bene sene Crueltie for they were holden long in the ayre ouer a small fire and theyr lower partes burnt of before that the higher partes were much harmed with the fire Neuerthelesse these blessed sayntes ceased not in all these tormentes to turne vp theyr eyes to heauen and to shewe forth infinite testimonyes of theyr fayth constancy In the same fire many Testamentes and Bibles the same time also were burnt Upon the sight of this cruelty See heere howe the whole power of the world was confederate together against the poore saints of God according to the prophecie of the 2. Psalme Astiterunt Reges terrae principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus Dominum c. the frendes of the other prisoners which remayned behinde fearyng the tyranny of these iudges presented certaine causes of refusall agaynst the sayd iudges requiring other Commissioners to be placed But the king beyng hereof aduertised by his Sollicitour sent out hys letters patentes commaunding the sayd causes of refusall to be frustrate and willed the former iudges to proceed all other letters and obstacles to the contrary notwithstanding and that the Presidentes should haue power to chuse to them other counsellers according to theyr owne arbitrement to supply the place of such as were absent amongest whome also the sayd Sollicitour was receyued in stead of the kinges Procurator to pursue the proces By the which letters patents it was decreed that these stubberne Sacramentaries as they were called should be iudged accordingly saue only that they should not proceed to the executiō before the king were aduertised These letters aforesaid stirred vp the fire of this persecution not a litle for that the Iudges at this refusall tooke great indignation and were mightily offended for that reproch Notwithstanding so it pleased God Albert Hartung deliuered that a yong man a Germane called Albert Hartung borne in the country of Brandeburge and godsonne to Albert Marques of Brandeburge by the kinges commaundement was deliuered through the importune sute of the sayde Marques Ex Ioan. Crisp lib. 6. 2. Presidentes 25. Counsellers The Lieuetenant ciuil Doctors Friers Sorbonistes Benedictus Iacobin Demochares Maillard Fridericke Danuile Frances Rebezies At Paris An. 1558. Mentiō was made aboue of certaine yong scholers and studentes which were in the litle castle with Peter Gabart Of the which nūber of Scholers were these two Fridericke Danuile and Frances Rebezies neyther of them being past twēty yeres of age Fridericke Danuile Fraunces Rebezies martyrs How valiauntly they behaued thēselues in those tender yeares susteining the quarel of our Lord Iesus Christ what cōfession they made what conflictes they had disputing with the Doctors of Sorbone theyr own letters left in writing do make record y e effect wherof briefly to touch is this And first touchinge Fridericke Danuile The Lieuetenant criminall who before was halfe suspected but nowe thinking to proue himselfe a right catholick and to recouer his estimation agayne came to him beginninge with these wordes of Scripture Who so euer denyeth me before men him will I denye before my father c Math. 10. That done hee asked him what he thought of the Sacrament To whom Friderick aunswered that if he should thinke Christ Iesus to be betweene the Priestes handes after the Sacramentall wordes as they call them then should he beleue a thing contrary to the holy Scripture and to the Creed which saith Act. 2. that he sitteth on the right hād of the Father Also to the testimonye of the Aungelles whiche speake both of the ascending of Christ and of his commyng downe agayn Act. 1. After these questions with him touching Inuocation of Sayntes Purgatorye c. Wherunto he aunswered so that he rather did astonish the enemies then satisfy them Furthermore the 12. of September the sayd Fridericke agayne was brought before Benedictus Iacobin and his companion a Sorbonist called Noster Magister who thus began to argue with him The Doctor Which thinke you to bee the true Churche the Churche of the Protestantes or the Churche of Paris The Martyr I recognise that to be the true Church where the Gospell is truely preached and the Sacramentes rightly administred so as they bee lefte by Iesus Christ and his Apostles The Doctor And is the Church thinke you of Geneua such a one as you speake of The Martyr I so iudge it to be The Doctor And what if I doe prooue the contrary will you beleue me The Martyr Yea it you shall proue it by the Scripture The Doctor Or will you beleue S. Austen and other holy doctors innumerable The Martyr Yea so they dissent not from the scripture and the word of God The Doctor By the authority of S. Austen The Church the Church is there where is the succession of Byshops whereupon I frame this argument There is the Church
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
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
so were they baptised Vicar of Christ. Thus may you see that if Peter were the Uicare of Christ euen so likewise was Paule and all the other Apostles And I do not thinke contrary but that Peter and all other of the Apostles were Christes Uicares if you meane by this word Uicar a deputie or such like for to preach his Euangelie which is an office of al other most soueraigne to minister Sacramentes and to do other such diuine seruice in Gods Church And thus were they worthy to be called as the Scripture nameth them Christs true Apostles Bishops Priestes Legates or any such like Which authority was giuen theÌ„ by Christ after his resurrection when he sayd vnto them these wordes Luke 24. Peace be amongest you Like as my father hath sent me so do I sende you Take you the holy Ghost whose sinnes soeuer you shall forgiue are forgiuen them and whose sinnes you shall retayne are retayned And the same authoritie did they receiue when Christe spake vnto all the Church Ioh. 21. after the mind of Saint Augugustine and other in Peter saying Peter feede my sheepe ¶ In the xliiij where you aske whether I beleeue that the Pope ordinaâ—ly chosen for a time his proper name being expressed To the 44. artycle be the successour of Peter I say that it seemeth to me a thing of no great valew whether a man beleue so or no I can not see y t it should be numbred amongst the Articles of our faith Succession of Peter How the Pope may be a successour of Peter Notwithstanding I will shewe my rude thought in it which is this The Pope may succeede in S. Peters steade or office and do the same duly diligently feeding Christes flocke and shewing vertuous ensample of liuing to the same so doing he may and ought to be thoght and named a true successour of S. Peter Euery good Bishop may be successour of Peter And thus is your Lordship S. Peters successour performing the conditions aforesaid with otherlike properties requisite to your order and duety yea and as many other as do truly their duty and duely the office of a Byshop And otherwise may not the Pope be called the successour of Peter for because he is entred into S. Peters office not regarding to do that is requisite for the same not folowing y e trace of vertue but the coÌ„trary And then is he wrongfully named if at any time such be which is not vnpossible For what should men cal those Peters successors that play the pageants and folow with the conditions of Caiphas Symon Magus or Iudas Such verely if any be cannot rightwilly claime to be Peters successors The Pope rather 〈◊〉 be Peters aduersary then his â—â—â—cessouâ— no more then the night may claime to be successour of the day for Peter was neuer so minded ne taught them so Yea they ought rather to be called Peters aduersaries for so much as they do not his will that is shewed by his owne actes and writing but worke against the same Of such may be saide Non Sanctorum filij sunt qurtenent loca Sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum That is to say Hierome As the 〈◊〉 is succesâ—â—â— of the day â—o is the Pope successor of Peter except he follow the steppeâ— of Peter they are not all Saintes children that occupy the rowms of Saintes but they are their children that exercise their works Yea of such may be said that is written of S. Hierome Al Byshops quoth he are not Byshoppes marke you well Peter but marke also Iudas Behold Stephen but behold Nicholas Ecclesiastical dignitie maketh not a Christen man Cornelius the Centurion being yet a pagan was made clean through the benefit of the holy ghost Contrariwise Daniel being a child condemneth Priestes or auncient men It is no easy thing saith he to stande in the rowme of Peter and Paul to kepe the seate of them now reigning with Christe For vnsauery salt is nought els worth but to be throwen out of the doores August and troden downe of hogges This sayth S. Hierome Wherunto agreeth wel S. Augustine Euery one quoth he that saith vnto you Pax vobis ought not to be heard or to be beleeued as a doue Crows be fedde of dead carion so is not a doue but liueth by the fruites of the earth Let vs marke not how the byrde speaketh but how he feedeth The Crow feedeth vpoÌ„ carion the Doue not so Her liuing is pure innocent and hurtlesse Whereby you may see that ill Bishops are no Byshops and that they which folow no Saints in vertuous liuing are not the successors of Saints but vnsauery salt that is neither of the church ne shal come in heauen to reigne there with Peter Paul but be thrown out with great conteÌ„pt For God knoweth a doue from a crow and an innocent liuer from a deuourer of carion But such as declare and shew good deeds as the Saints did be their childreÌ„ and successours and shal with them reigne in heauen So that to conclude I say How the Pope is sucsessour of Peter and how not Zach. 11. that the Pope ordinatly chosen is the successour of S. Peter folowing S. Peters godly liuing And els except he study to do diligently that he may be so called worthily it shal be but a vaine name For rather may he els be reputed an Image of a Pope or of a Bishop according as such be called of the Prophet O Pastor Idolum O Idoll shepheards ¶ In the xlv where you aske To the last article whether euer I haue promised as any time by an othe or made any confederacie or league with any person or persons that I would alway hold and defend certain conclusions or articles seeming to me and to my complices right consonant vnto the faith Ioh. Lambert required to detect his fellowes and will that I should certifie you of the course and forme of the said opinions and conclusions by row of y e names and surnames of them that were to me adherent promised to be adhereÌ„t in this behalf I say that I doe not remeÌ„ber that euer I made pact or confederacie w t any person or persons ne made any promise by oth that I would alway hold and defend any conclusions or articles seming to me and other right and consonant to the faith vnlesse it hath chanced me to say in this forme that I would neuer with the ayde of God forsake ne decline from the truth neither for feare nor yet for loue of man or men Thus I haue perhaps sayd in some time or some place because I haue in deed so intended and doe entend Gods grace assisting me But I can not yet tell you whether I haue so said or no nor to what persoÌ„s ne at what time neither in what place Neither I do reckeÌ„ me to haue any coÌ„plices but such as
outward ceremony And so Paule by that saying confuteth this opinion Ex opere operato that the Sacramentes should make men righteous iust before God for y e very outward work without faith of them that receiue them And after this manner doth Paule speake vnto the Ephesians Eph. 5. that Christ doth sanctify his church through the bath of water in the word of life And for as much as he ioyneth the word vnto the ceremony and declareth the vertue and power of the word of God Sacramentes onely to be gathered out of the word of God that it bringeth with it life he doth manifestly teach that the word of God is the principall thing and euen as it were the very substaunce body of the Sacrament and the outward ceremony to be nothing els then a token of that liuely inflamation whych we receiue through fayth in the word and promise Saint Paule also in ministring the sacrament of the Lordes supper doth manifestly adde the woordes of Christ He tooke bread sayth he and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayd take ye this and eate ye this for it is my body Item Do ye this in my remembrance The institution of Christ ought not to be altered 1. Cor. 11. Beside this he teacheth euidently y e onely Christ and none but he had power to institute a sacrament that neither the Apostles nor the Church hath any authority to alter or to adde any thing vnto his ordynaunce whereas he saith For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I deliuered vnto you c. To what purpose shoulde he go about to mooue the people to beleue him and to winne theyr hartes with this protestation if it had bene lawefull for him to haue made any sacramentes or to haue altered the forme and maner of ministring this sacrameÌ„t as some men both wickedly and shamelesly do affirme that the Apostles did alter the forme of Baptisme When he had spoken thus much The aunswere of the Bishop of London agaynst Alesius the B. of LondoÌ„ dyd interrupt him and sayd Let vs grauÌ„t that the sacraments may be gathered out of the word of God yet are you farre deceiued if ye think that there is none other word of God but that which euery sowter and cobler doe reade in theyr mother tongue And if ye thinke that nothing pertayneth vnto the Christian fayth but that onely that is written in the Bible then erre ye playnely with the Lutherans Iohn 21. 2. Thess. 2. For S. Iohn sayth that Iesus did many thinges which be not written And S. Paul commaundeth the Thess. to obserue and keep certeine vnwritten traditions ceremonies Actes 16. Vnwritten verities and traditions of fathers in equall force with Gods written word 2. Thes. 2. Moreouer he himselfe did preach not the scripture onely but euen also the traditions of the Elders Act. xvj Finally we haue receiued many things of the Doctors Councels by times which although they be not written in the Bible yet for as much as the olde Doctors of the Churche do make mention of them we ought to graunt that we receiued them of the Apostles and that they be of like authority with the Scripture and finally that they may worthily be called the word of God vnwritten Now when the right noble Lord Cromwell The vnwritten word of God Stokesly laughed to scorne the Archbishop with the other Bishops which did defend the pure doctrine of the gospel heard this they smiled a litle one vpoÌ„ another forasmuch as they saw him flee euen in y e very beginning of the disputation vnto his old rusty sophistry and vnwritten verities Then Alesius would haue proceded further with the Bishop to haue confuted this blasphemous lye but the Lord Cromwell bade him be coÌ„tent for the time began to go away and it was xij of the clock and thus he made an end w t his protestation Right reuerend mayster Bishop you deny that our christen fayth and religion doth leane only vpoÌ„ the word of God which is written in the Bible which thing if I can proue and declare then you will graunt me that there be no sacramentes but those that haue the manifest word of God to confirme theÌ„ Unto this he did consent and then immediatly that assemble was dissolued for that day The next day when the Bishops were set agayne the Archbishop of Canterbury sending his Archdeacon commaunded Alesius to abstayne from disputation wherupon he wrote his minde and deliuered it vnto Cromwell who afterward shewed the same vnto the Bishops Thus through the industry of Cromwell the colloquies were brought to this end that albeit religioÌ„ could not wholy be reformed yet at that time there was some reformation had throughout all England How desirous and studious this good Cromwel was in y e cause of Christs religioÌ„ The publicke care of Cromwell for the commoÌ„ wealth exaÌ„ples need not to be broght His whole life was nothing els but a continuall care and trauell how to aduaunce and further the right knowledge of the Gospell and reforme the house of God As by so many Proclamations aboue specified by his meanes set forth may well appeare wherein first he caused the people to be instructed in the Lordes Prayer and Creede in English then procured the Scripture also to be read and set forth in the same language for euery English man to vnderstand after that to rescue the vulgar people from damnable Idolatry caused certaine of the most grossest pilgrimages to be destroyed And further for the more commodity of the poore sort which get their liuing with their dayly labor worke of their handes he prouided that diuers idle holidayes were diminished Item he procured for theÌ„ liberty to eate egges and whitmeat in Lent Furthermore by him it was also prouided for y e better instruction of the people that beneficedâ—meÌ„ should be resident in their Cures and parishes there to teach and to keepe Hospitality with many other thinges els most fruitfully redressed for the reformation of Religion and behoofe of Christes Church as by the ProclamatioÌ„s Read afore pag. 1069.1070.1071.1072 c. Iniunctions and necessary articles of Christian doctrine aboue specified set forth in the kings name by his meanes may more aboundauntly appeare pag. 1069.1070 c. Now to adioyne withall his priuate benefites in helping diuers good men and women at sundry times out of troubles and great distresses it would require a long discourse Briefly his whole life was ful of such examples being a man to that intent ordeined of God as his deedes well proued to do many men good and especially such as were in daunger of persecutioÌ„ for religions sake Amongst other infinite stories one or two examples shall suffice for a testimony of his worthy doinges ¶ How Cromwell holpe a poore woman with childe out of great trouble longing for a piece of meat in time of Lent Persecuters Persecuted The
called Captayn Borthwike Who being accused of heresy as the papistes call it and cited therefore an 1540. and not appearing and escaping out into other countryes was condemned for the same being absent by the sentence of Dauid Beaton Archbishop of S. Andrewes and other Prelates of Scotland and all his goodes confiscate and his picture at last burned in the open market place Whose story with his articles obiected agaynst him and his confutations of the same here ensueth in processe vnder expressed as followeth * The Act or Processe or certayne Articles agaynst Syr Iohn Borthwike Knight in Scotland with the aunswere and confutation of the sayd Borthwike whose preface to the reader here foloweth BY the helpe of a certayne frend of mine there came certayne articles vnto my hand for the which the Scottish Cardinal and such other like of his sect and affinity did cōdemne me as an hereticke Captaine Borthwick◠And for so much as this condēnation should not lacke his cloke or defence they gathered together a great number of witnesses where as besides the bare names of the witnesses they alledged none other profe at all Wherefore I thought good to bestow some labour in refelling these articles which they could not proue partly that I might take awaye from all true Christians the occasion of all euill suspition as though that I beyng vanquished or ouerthrowne by theyr threatnings would deny Christ and partly that theyr errours being thereby made manifest they should euen for very shame repent or els hereafter y e lesse abuse y e furor or madnesse of such wytnesses to shed bloud Therefore I will first confirme by euident testimonyes of the Scriptures those things whiche in times past I haue taught and afterwarde I will refell theyr vayne Sophistication wherby they go about to subuert the trueth of God SYr Iohn Borthwike knight commonly called Captain Borthwike being accused suspected slaundered and convicte by witnesse without all doubt of greater estimation then he himselfe in the yeare of our Lord. 1540. the 28. day of May in the cloister of S. Andrewes in the presence of the most reuerēt Fathers Gawine Archbishop of Glasquene Chauncellour of Scotland William Bishop of Aburdin Henry of Candicatia Iohn Bishop of Brecknock and William of Dumbar Byshoppes Andrew of Mellrowes George of Dunerueling Iohn of Paslet Iohn of Lōdorse Rob. of Rillos Wil. of Rulrose Abbots Mācolalyne of Quiterne and Iohn of Pettin vaim Pryors Mayster Alexander Kalfour Uicar of Kitman Rector of Lawe officiall of Sayncte Andrewes Iohn Winton Suppriour Iohn Anand and Thomas Eminghame Chanons of Saynt Andrewes Iohn Tompson with vniuersity of Saynt Andrewes and Mayster Iohn Maior and Peter Capelland Batchelers of Diuinity and doctours Martine Ballfour Batcheller of Diuinitye and of his fellow Pryour of the Fryers Augustynes of the same Cittye Iohn Tulidaffe Warden of the Fryers Mynors and Iohn Paterson of the same Couent and also in the presence of the most noble mighty and honourable Lords George of Huntelo Iames of Arrain William Marshal William of Monnetros Erles Malcolme Lord of Flemming Chamberlaine of Scotland Iohn Lord of Linsey Iohn L. of Erskine George L. of Seton Iames Hamelton of Finwart Water L. of S. Iohn M. Iames of Colinton Clarke to the Kings Register with diuers other Lordes Barons and honest persons beyng called desired together for witnes that he did hold publish and openly teach these errors followyng The first Article That our holy father the Pope as Christes vicar hath not neither can exercise greater autoritie ouer Christians here on earth then any other bishop or prelate Borthwike These holy ones do magnify their Lord by like title as common theeues and robbers are accustomed to preferre the captaines and ringleaders of their robberies and mischiefs calling them in euery place the most honest good men where as likewise it is euidēt y t in the whole world there is no man more geuen to riot which more greedily doth seeke after all kynde of delicatenes and wantonnesse and finally aboundeth with all kynde of vice as treason murder rapine and all kynd of such euils Furthermore where as they affirme him to be the vicar of Christ here in earth it shall be easily conuinced when as it shall be made manifest that he hath not nor cannot exercise more power or autoritie ouer christians then any other bishop or prelate For vnto that office of beyng vicar they referre that great autoritie the which they do so greatly boast and brag of which beyng taken away the office of vicar doth also fall and decay But now to attempt the matter I wil first demand of the mainteiners of this preheminence and autority whereupon they wil ground the same I know that they will aunswer vnto me that Peter had power autority ouer the other Apostles and consequently ouer the vniuersall church the which power by succession is translated vnto the bishops of Rome But how vnshamefastly they do lye herein any may easily perceiue which hath but any small sparke of iudgement in him When as he shal heare the testimonies of the scriptures which we will alleage to confirme this our opinion For Peter in the xv of the Actes In the counsell doth declare what is to be done and admonisheth vs what of necessitie we ought to doe And he there did also heare other speake and did not onely geue them place to say theyr myndes but also permit and receiue their iudgement and where as they decreed hee followed and obeyed the same Is this then to haue power ouer others Furthermore where as in his first epistle he writeth vnto bishops and pastors he doth not commād them as a superior or head ouer them by power and authoritie but maketh them his fellowe companions and gently exhorteth thē as is accustomed to be done betweene equals of degree for these are his wordes I beseech and desire the bishops and pastors which are amongst you for so much as I my selfe am also a bishop and a witnesse of the afflictions of Christ and also a partaker of the glorye which shall be reuealed that they do diligently feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto them Why then do they so chalenge vnto them the autority of Peter which he neuer acknowledged in himselfe Truly I do not dout but if that Peter were here present he would with like seueritie rebuke their folly and madnes as Moses in times past did vnto Iosua which burned with too earnest a zeale towards hym I doubt not but that many in this fayned authoritie of Peter do seeke out more vayne helps to maintaine and vpholde the tiranny of Popes rather then to make him ruler and gouernour ouer all other For where as in the 8. chapiter of the Acts he is commaunded by hys fellowes to go with Iohn into Samaria he did not refuse so to do In so much then as the apostles do send him they declare thereby that they doe not count him
the which Philpot answered doe you recken heauen to be a prisone God graunt vs all to come to that prisone After this Harpsfield inferred that this word Oportet in S. Peter If Weston charge them for prisoning christ in heauen how may they charge the papistes for prisoning Christ in a boxe which signifieth in Englishe must did not import so much as I woulde inferre of necessitie as by other places of Scripture it may appeare as in the first to Tim. where Paule sayeth Oportet Episcopum esse vnius vxoris virum A bishop must be the husband of one wife Here quoth he Oportet doeth not import suche a necessitie but that hee that neuer was maried may be a Bishop To this Philpot saide againe that the places were not like whych he went about to compare and that in comparing of the Scriptures wee muste not consider the naked wordes M. Philpot. but the meaning rather of the Scriptures for y t in the place by him alleaged Oportet how it is taken diuersly in Scripture S. Paule doeth declare of what qualitie a Bishop ought to be But in the other S. Peter teacheth vs the place where Christ must necessarily be vntil the ende of the worlde which we ought to beleeue to be true And this comparison of this worde Oportet doeth no more aunswer mine argument then if I should say of you now being here Oportet te hic esse you must nedes be heere which importeth such necessity for the time that you can no otherwise be but here yet you would go about in words to auoide this necessitye with another Oportet in an other sense as this Oportet te esse viruÌ„ bonum you must be a good man where Oportet doeth not in very deede conclude any such necessity but that you may be an euill man Thus you may see that your answere is not sufficient as it were no answere to mine argument Then the Prolocutour brought in another Oportet to helpe this matter if it mighte be sayinge Weston what say you to this Oportet haereses esse must heresies needes be therefore because of thys word Oportet Philpot. Yea truely quoth Philpotte it cannot otherwise be if you will adde that which followeth immediatly vpon these woordes of Paul that is Vt qui electi sunt manifestentur that is That suche as be y e elect of God may be manifested and knowen Why quoth the Prolocutor the time hath bene that no heresies were Weston I knowe no suche time quoth Philpot. For since the time of Abell and Caine heresies haue bene and then began they Philpot. Then sayd the Prolocutor wil you nowe answer Morgan an argument or two I wil quoth Philpot if I may first be answered to my argument any thyng according to truth and learning Weston What quoth the Prolocutor you will neuer be answeared Howe I am answeared quoth Philpot Philpot. let all men that are here present iudge and specially such as be learned with what cauillations you haue dallied with me First to the auncient authority of Vigilius you haue answered nothing at all but only denying it to be scripture y t he sayth Secondly to the saying of S. Peter in the actes yee haue aunsweared thus demaunding of me whether I would keepe Christ in prison or no let men nowe iudge if this be a sufficient answere or no. Then stoode Morgane vp againe and asked Philpotte whether he would be ruled by the vniuersal church Morgan or no. Yes quoth he if it be the true Catholicke Church And sith you speake so much of the Churche Philpot. I would faine that you would declare what the church is The church quoth Morgan is diffused and dispearsed throughout the whole worlde Morgan That is a diffuse definition quod Philpot for I am yet as vncertaine as I was before what you meane by y e church Philpot. but I knowledge no church but that which is grounded and founded on Gods woord as S. Paul sayth Moreman Whether the Church was before the Scripture vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets and vpon the scriptures of God What quoth Moreman was the Scripture before the church yea quoth Philpot. But I will prooue nay quoth Moreman and I wil begin at Christes time The Church of Christ was before any scripture wrytten For Mathewe was the first that wrote the Gospell about a dosen yeares after Christ Ergo the church was before the scripture To whom Philpot answering denied this argument Which when Moreman could not prooue Philpot shewed that his argument was Elenchus or a fallace that is a deceiueable argument For he tooke the Scripture only to be that whych is wrytten by men in letters wheras in very deede Scripture consisteth not onely in letters but is that which is inspired in the hartes of good men by the holy Ghost all Prophecie vttered by the spirite of God was counted to be Scripture before it was wrytten in paper inke for that it was wrytten in the heartes and grauen in the mindes yea and inspired in the mouthes of good men and of Christes Apostles by the spirite of Christ As the salutation of the Angel was the scripture of Christe and the word of God before it was written At that Moreman cried fie fie wondring that the Scripture of God shoulde be counted scripture before it was wrytten and affirmed that he had no knowledge that said so Philpot. To whom Philpot answered that concerning knowledge in this behalfe for the triall of the truth about y e questions in controuersie he woulde wish hymselfe no worse matched then with Moreman At the which saying the Prolocutor was greuously offended saying that it was arrogantly spoken of hym Weston that woulde compare with suche a worshipfull learned man as Moreman was being himselfe a manne vnlearned Weston rayâ—eth against Phâ—â—â—pot to be madde 〈◊〉 yea a madde man meter to be sent to Bedlem then to be among such a sorte of learned and graue men as there were and a man that neuer woulde be answeared and one that troubled the whole house and therefore he did commaund him that he shoulde come no more into the house demaunding of the house whether they would agree thereuppon or no. To whome a great number aunsweraed yea Then sayde Philpot againe that he might thinke himselfe happye that was out of that companie After this Morgan rose vp and rounded the Prolocutor in the eare Philpot commauâ—â—ded to 〈◊〉 in a long gowne and a â—ippet or els to 〈◊〉 no more to the conuoâ—cation And then againe the Prolocutor spake to Philpot and said least you should slaunder the house say that we will not suffer you to declare youre minde we are content you shal come into the house as you haue done before so that you be apparelled wyth a long gowne a tippette as we be and that
holy fathers Church sauyng that one of these ix was not asked the question other wyse then thus whether hee would be an honest man as his father was before hym and aunswering yea he was so discharged by the friendship of my Lord William Haward as I haue vnderstanded He bade me tell hym what I would doe whether I would enter into one Church with the whole Realme as it is now or not No sayd I I will first see it prooued by the Scriptures Let me haue pen inke and bookes c. And I shall take vpon me plainly to set out the matter so that the contrary shall be prooued to be true let any man that wil conferre with me by writyng Steph Gardiner refused to haue the truth to be tryed by learning L. Chan. Nay that shall not be permitted thee Thou shalt neuer haue so much profered thee as thou hast now if thou refuse it and wilt not now condescend and agree to the catholike church Here are ij things Mercy and Iustice If thou refuse the Queenes mercy now then shalt thou haue Iustice ministred vnto thee Rog. I neuer offended nor was disobedieÌ„t vnto her grace The Bâ—â—shop◠〈…〉 stand bâ— theyr 〈…〉 yet wiâ—â— suffer 〈◊〉 men so doe and yet I will not refuse her mercy But if this shal be denied me to conferre by writing and to try out the truth then it is not wel but to far out of the way Ye your selues all the Bishops of the Realme brought me to the knowledge of the pretensed primacie of the Bishop of Rome when I was a yong man twenty yeares past and wil ye now without collation haue me to say and do the contrary I cannot be so perswaded L. Chan. If thou wilt not receiue the Bishop of Rome to be supreme head of the Catholike Church A fayrâ—â— tense to â—â—cuse yoâ—â— ignoraâ—â—â— then thou shalt neuer haue her mercy thou maist be sure And as touching conferring and triall I am forbidden by the Scriptures to vse any conferring and triall with thee For S. Paule teacheth me that I shall shun and eschew an heretike after one or two monitions knowing that such an one is ouerthrowen and is faulty in as much as he is condemned by his owne iudgement Rog. My L. I deny that I am an heretike prooue ye that first and then alledge the foresayd text But still the Lord Chancellor played on one string saying L. Chan. If thou wilt enter into one Church with vs c. tell vs that Gardineâ— wil 〈◊〉 to that 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 caÌ„not 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 or els thou shalt neuer haue so much proferred thee agayne as thou hast now Rog. I will fynd it first in the Scripture and see it tryed therby before I receiue hym to be supreme head Wor. Why do ye not know what is in your Creed Credo ecclesiam sanctam catholicam I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Rog. I fynde not the bishop of Rome there For Catholike signifieth not the Romish Church It signifieth the consent of all true teaching Churches of all tymes The Popâ— church pâ—â—â—ued not to be Catholicke and all ages But how should the Bishop of Romes Church bee one of them which teacheth so many doctrines y t are plainly and directly against the word of God Can that bishop be the true head of the Catholike Church that doth so that is not possible L. Chancellor Shew me one of them one one let me heare one Rog. I remembred my selfe that amongst so many I were best to shew one and sayd I will shew you one L. Chan. Let me heare that let me heare that Rog. The B. of Rome and hys Church say read and sing all that they do in their congregations in Latin Latin Seâ—â—uice which is directly and plainly against the first to the Corrinthians the 14. chapter L. Chan. I deny that I deny that that is against the word of God Let me see you prooue that how prooue ye that Rog. Thus I began to say the text from the beginning of the chap. Qui loquitur lingua Speaking a straungâ— tongue â—â—gaynst S. Paule c. to speake with tonge sayd I is to speake with a strange tong as Latine or Greeke c. and so to speake is not to speake vnto meÌ„ but to God But ye speak in Latin which is a strange tong wherfore ye speake not vnto men but vnto God * Imperfâ—â—â—tion meanyng God only at the most This he graunted that they speake not vnto men but vnto God L. Chan. Well then it is in vayne vnto men Rog. No not in vaine For one man speaketh in one tong and another in another tong and all well L. Chan. Nay I wil prooue then that he speaketh neyther to God nor to man but vnto the wynde Rog. I was willing to haue declared how and after what sort these two textes do agree for they must agree 1. Cor. 1â— To speak◠〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 To speakâ— both to 〈◊〉 and man To speakâ— neyther 〈◊〉 God not 〈◊〉 maÌ„ but 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 they be both the sayings of the holy Ghost spoken by the Apostle Paule as to witte to speake not to men but vnto God and to speake into the wynd and so to haue gone forward with the proofe of my matter begon but here arose a noyse and a confusion Then sayd the L. Chancellor L. Chan. To speake vnto God and not vnto God were vnpossible Rog. I will prooue them possible L. Haward No sayd my Lorde William Haward to my L. Chauncellour nowe will I beare you witnesse that hee is out of the way For he graunted first that they whiche speake in a straunge speach speake vnto God and now he sayth the contrary that they speake neither to God nor to man Rog. I haue not graunted or sayde turning me to my L. Haward as ye report I haue alledged the one text and now I am come to the other They must agree and I can make them to agree But as for you you vnderstand not the matter L. Haward I vnderstand so much that that is not possible This is a poynte of Sophistrie Secretary Bourne A 〈◊〉 Suaueâ— quoth Secretarye Bourne L. Chan. Then the Lord Chauncellor began to tell the L. Hawarde Anno 1555. â—ebruaâ—â— that when hee was in high Dutchlande they at Hale which had before prayed and vsed their seruice all in dutch began theÌ„ to turne part into latin part into dutch Worcest Yea and at Wittembergh to Rog. Yea but I could not be heard for the noise in an Uniuersitie were men for the most part vnderstande the Latine and yet not all in Latine And I would haue tolde the order haue gone forward both to haue answered my lord and to haue proued the thing that I had taken in hand but perceiuing their talking and noyse to be too noysome I was faine to thinke this in my heart suffering them in the meane while
thing The principal is in the name of the father the sonne of the holy ghost and in necessity it may serue Haukes Christ did vse it without any such necessitye and yet we lacke the chiefest poynt Boner What is that Haukes Go teach all nations baptising them c. Boner Thou speakest that because I am no Preacher Boner no Preacher Haukes I speake the texte I doe not meane you Then spake all his Doctours his men that were with hym he speaketh it of you my Lorde with a greate noyse that they made Boner Will ye be content to tary here and your child shall be Baptised and you shall not know of it so that you will agree to it Haukes And if I would so haue done I neded not to haue come to you for I had the same counsell geuen before Boner You seeme to be a lustye young man you will not geue your head for the washing You will stand in the defence of it for the honour of your Countrey Doe ye thinke that the Queene and I can not commaund it to be done in spite of your teeth Haukes What the Queene you can do M. Haukes will not consent to haue his childe christened after the Popish order I will not stand in it but ye get my conscience neuer the sooner Boner Well you are a stubburne young man I perceyue I must worke on other way with you Haukes Ye are in the handes of God and so am I. Boner What so euer you thinke I woulde not haue you speake such wordes vnto me And so we departed vntyll Euensong tyme and ere Euensong was begon my Lord called for me to come to him into the Chappell and sayde Haukes thou art a proper young man God hath done his part vnto thee I would be glad to do thee good Thou knowest that I am thy Pastour and one that should aunswere for thee If I woulde not teach thee well I shoulde aunswere for thy soule Haukes That I haue sayd I will stand to it God willing there is no way to remoue it Boner Nay nay Haukes thou shalt not be so wilfull Remember Christ had two go into his vineyard the one said he would went not the other sayd he would not went Haukes The last went Boner Doe thou likewise and I will talke frendly wyth thee howe sayest thou It is in the sixt of S. Iohn Boner entereth talke of the sacrament I am the bread of life and the bread that I will geue is my flesh which I will geue for the life of the worlde And who so euer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath euerlasting life My flesh is very meat in deede and my bloud is very drinke in deed And hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Do ye beleue this Haukes Yea I must needes beleue the Scriptures Boner Why then I trust that ye be sound in the blessed sacrament Haukes I beseech your Lordship to feele my conscience no farther then in that that I was accused in vnto you Boner Well well let vs go vnto Euensong Haukes With that I turned my backe to goe out of the Chappell Boner Why will you not tary Euensong Haukes No forsooth Boner And why Haukes For I will not Thomas Haukes refuseth to heare Boners Euensong Boner And why will you not Haukes For because I haue no edifiyng thereby for I vnderstand no Latine Boner Why you maye pray by your selfe What bookes haue ye Haukes I haue the new Testament the bookes of Salomon and the Psalter Bo. Why I pray you tary here pray you on your psalter Haukes I wil not pray in this place nor in none such Thē sayd one of his chapleins let him go my Lord and he shal be no partaker with vs in our prayers Haukes I thinke my selfe best at ease when I am farthest from you And so the Byshop went to Euensong and I came downe and walked betwene the Hall and the Chappell in the Court taryed there till Euensong was done and within an houre after that Euensong was done the Bishop sent for me into his chamber where he lay himself Thomas Haukes called for againe by Boner when I came there was he and three of his Chapleins Boner Ye know of the talke that was betwene you me as cōcerning the sacramēt You would not haue your conscience sought any farther then in that ye were accused of Haukes I thought you would not be both mine accuser Iudge Boner Well ye shall aunswere me to the Sacrament of the aultar the Sacrament of Baptisme the Sacramēt of Penance and the Sacrament of Matrimony Haukes There is none of these but I dare speake my conscience in them Boner The sacrament of the aultar ye seme to be sound in Haukes Thomas Haukes knoweth no sacrament of the aultar In the Sacrament of the aultar why Syr I do not know it Boner Well we will make you to know it and beleue in it too ere euer we haue done with you Haukes No that shall ye neuer do Boner Yes a Fagot will make you do it Hauk No no a poynt for your fagot What God thinketh meete to be done that shall ye do and more shall ye not do Boner The matter and substance of the Sacrament Do ye not beleue that there remaineth in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar after the wordes of consecration be spoken no more bread but the very body and bloud of Christ and at that word he put of his cap. Haukes I do beleue as Christ hath taught me Boner Why did not Christ say Take eate this is my body Haukes Christ sayd so but therefore it foloweth not that the Sacrament of the aultar is so as you reach neither did Christ euer teach it so to be Boner Why the Catholicke Church taught it so and they were of Christes Church Haukes How proue ye it The Apostles neuer taught it so Read the Actes the second and the twenty Neither Peter nor Paule euer taught it neither instituted it so Boner Ah Syr ye will haue no more then the Scripture teacheth but euen as Christ hath left it bare Haukes Hee that teacheth me any otherwise I wyll not beleue him Boner Touching the necessary poynts of doctrine and Sacramentes onely the word is to be folowed Why then ye must eate a Lambe if ye will haue but Christes institution onely Haukes Nay that is not so Before that Christ did institute the Sacrament that ceremony ceased and then begā the Sacrament Boner Alas you know not how it begon neither of the institution therof Haukes Then I would be glad to learne Boner Mary we will teach you but you are so stubburn that ye will not learne A false conceiued opinion of Boner agaynst the Protestants Haukes Except ye learne me by the word of God I wyll neuer credite you nor beleue you and thus we concluded Then
thinke perchaunce that God will shew mercy Brad. Yea the children whose parentes do contemne baptisme will not I condemne because the childe shall not beare the fathers offence Harpsfield Well we agree that by Baptisme then wee are brought The Church is our mother and as a man would say begotten to Christ. For Christ is our father and the churche his spouse is our mother As all men naturally haue Adam for their father and and Eua for their mother so all spirituall men haue christ for their father and the Church for their mother And as Eua was taken out of Adams side so was the Church taken out of Christes side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purgation of our sinnes Brad. All this is truely spoken Harps Descent of the Church The Chuâ—ch of Christ is visible euen as Christ was that is not by exteriour pompe or shew but by the inwarde eye Now then tell me whether this Churche of Christ hath not bene alwayes Brad. Yea sithens the creatioÌ„ of man and shall be for euer Harps Uery good But yet tel me whether this Church is a visible Church or no Bradford It is no otherwise visible then Christ was here on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or shewe that setteth her forth commonly and therefore to see her wee must put on such eyes as good men put on to see know christ when hee walked here on earth for as Eue was of y e same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Churche of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh bone of his bones as Paule sayth Ephes 5. Looke therfore how Christ was visibly knowne to be Christ when he was on earth that is by considering hym after the word of GOD so is the Church knowne Harps I do not come to reason at this present thereforâ— I will goe on forwarde Multitude not alwaâ—â— the 〈◊〉 marke to 〈…〉 Church D. 〈…〉 Preaâ—â—â—ng the 〈◊〉 goeth 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 Church it be 〈…〉 sometyâ—◠〈…〉 Ad. 〈…〉 is one 〈◊〉 but not bâ—â—cause of 〈◊〉 true 〈◊〉 And yet 〈◊〉 such a 〈◊〉 but that 〈◊〉 may often letteâ— by 〈◊〉 secution yet the 〈◊〉 Church râ—â—mayne The Popes Church 〈◊〉 Baptisme 〈…〉 the Popes Church 〈…〉 A Popish â—â—â—stinction 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 be a 〈◊〉 hauing 〈◊〉 of Gospell 〈…〉 power 〈…〉 successio◠〈◊〉 Byshopâ— Is not this Churche a multitude Brad Yes that it is Howbeit latâ—t anguis in herba as the Prouerbe is For in your question is a subtiltie What visible multitude was there in Heâ—ias tyme or wheÌ„ Moses was on the Mount Aaron and all Israell worshipping the Calâ—e Harps Ye diuert from the matter Brad. No nothing at all For I doe preuent you knowing well where about you go And therfore fâ—wer wordes might well serue if that you so would Harpsfield Well I perceaue you haue knowledge and by a litle perceiue I the more Tel me yet more whether this multiude haue not the Ministery or preachyng of Gods worde Bradford Syr ye goe about the bushe If ye vnderstande Preaching for confessing the Gospel I will go with you for els if you will you may knowe that persecution often letteth preaching Harps Well I meane it so Tell mee yet more hath it not the Sacramentes administred Brad. It hath the sacramentes howbeit the administratioÌ„ of them is often letted But I wil put you from your purpose because I see where about you goe If heretickes haue Baptisme and doe Baptise as they did in S. Ciprians tyme you knowe this Baptisme is Baptisme not to be reiterate This Bradford did speake that the staÌ„ders by might see that though the Papistes Church haue baptisme which we haue receiued of them yet therfore it is not the true Church neither neede we to be baptised againe Harps You goe farre from the matter and I perceiue you haue more errours then one Brad. So you say but that is not enough til you proue theÌ„ Harps Well this Churche is a multitude Hath it not the preaching of the Gospell the ministraâ—ion of the Sacraments yet more hath it not the power of Iurisdiction Bradford What iurisdiction is exercised in persecution and affliction Harps I meane by iurisdiction admonishing one an other and so forth Brad. Well go to what then Harps It hath also succession of Byshoppes And here he made such a doe to proue y t this was an essentiall poynt Bradford You say as you woulde haue it for if this parte fayle you all the Church y t you go about to set vp will fall down Successâ—â—â— of Byshâ—â— is no esseâ—â—tial parâ— the 〈◊〉 but rathâ—â— accidenâ— commuâ—â—â— which bâ—â—ing inteâ—â—rupted 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 may stanâ— as it did both be Christe◠〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 commiâ—â— Antichâ—â—â—â— Apostlâ— Bishopâ— sundry 〈◊〉 the minâ—â—â—ry of 〈◊〉 word aâ—â—ministeâ— an 〈◊〉 poynt oâ— true 〈…〉 locall sâ—â—cession â—â—â—ministeâ— one certayne 〈◊〉 You shall not finde in all y e scripture this your esseÌ„tiall parte of succession of Byshops In Christes Churche Antichrist will sit And Peter telleth vs as it went in the old Church afore Christes coÌ„ming so will it be in the new church sithen Christes coÌ„ming that is as there were false Prophets such as bare rule were aduersaries to the true Prophets so shall there be sayth he false teachers euen of such as are Byshops and beare rule amongest the people Harps You go alwayes out of the matter but I will proue further the succession of Byshops Bradford Do so Harps Tell me were not the Apostles Byshops Brad. No except you will make a new definition of a Byshop that is geue him no certayne place Harps In deede the Apostles office was not the Byshops office for it was vniuersall but yet Christ instituted Byshops in his church as Paule saith he hath geueÌ„ Pastors Prophetes c. so that I trow it be proued by the Scriptures the succession of Byshops to be an essentiall poynt Brad. The Ministerie of Gods worde and Ministers be an essentiall poynt But to translate this to the Byshops and their succession is a plaine subtiltie And therfore that it may be playne I will aske you a question Tel me whether that the Scripture knew any difference betwene Byshops and Ministers which ye call Priestes Harps No. Brad. Well then go on forewardes and let vs see what ye shal get now by the succession of Byshops that is of Ministers which can not be vnderstand of such Byshops as Minister not but Lord it Harps I perceiue that you are farre out of the way By your doctrine you can neuer shew in your Church a multitude which ministreth Gods word his Sacramentes which hath iurisdiction and succession of Byshops which hath from tyme to tyme beleued as you beleue beginning now and so going vpwardes as I will do of our doctrine and therefore are ye out of the church so cannot be saued Perchaunce you will bring me downwardes a shewe to bleare
talke they departed ¶ The talke of Doctor Heth Archbishop of Yorke and day Byshop of Chichester with Maister Bradford THe xxiii of the same moneth the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Chichester came to the Counter to speake with Bradford When hee was come before them Talke bâ—â—tweene Byshopâ— Bradford they both and especially the Bishop of York vsed him very gently they would haue him to sit downe and because he would not they also would not sit So they all stode whether he woulde or not they would needes he shoulde put on not only his night cap but his vpper cap also saying vnto him that obedience was better then sacrifice Now thus standing together my Lord of Yorke began to tell Bradford howe that they were not sent to him but of loue charitie they came to him and he for that acquayntance also whiche he had with Bradford more then the Bishoppe of Chichester had then after commending Bradfordes godly life he concluded w t this question how he was certaine of saluation and of his Religion Brad After thankes for theyr good will Bradford aunswered by the word of God euen by the Scriptures I am certayne of saluation and Religion Yorke Uery well sayd but how do ye know the worde of God and the scriptures but by the Church Bradford In deede my Lorde the Churche was and is a meane to bring a man more speedely to knowe the Scriptures and the worde of God as was the woman of Samaria a meane that the Samaritans knewe Christ but ⧠Certayne Bishops talking with Maister Bradford in prison as when they had heard him speake they sayde nowe we know that he is Christ not because of thy wordes but because wee our selues haue heard him so after we came to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures shewed vnto vs and discerned by the Church we doe beleue them and knowe them as Christes sheepe not because y e Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same spirite whiche wrote and spake them Yorke You knowe in the Apostles time at the first the word was not written Bradford True if you meane it for some books of the new Testament but els for the old Testament Peter telleth vs Firmâ—orem sermonem propheticum habemus We haue a more sure worde of prophecie not that it is simply so but in respect of the Apostles which being aliue and compassed w t infirmitiâ— attributed to the worde written mâ—re firmitie as wherewith no fault coulde be found where as for the infirmitie of their persons men perchaunce might haue found some faulte at their preaching albeit in very deede no lesse obedience and fayth ought to haue bene geuen to the one then to the other for all proceedeth foorth of one spirite of truth Yorke That place of Peter is not so to be vnderstand of the word written Brad. Yea syr that it is and of none other Chic Yea in deede Maister Bradford doth tell you truely in that poynt Yorke Well you know that Irenaeus and others doe magnifie much and alleage the Church agaynst the heretickes and not the scripture Bradford True for they had to do with such heretickes as did deny the scriptures and yet did magnifie the Apostles so that they were inforced to vse the authoritie of those Churches wherein the Apostles had taught and whiche had still retayned the same doctrine Chic You speake the very truth for the heretickes dyd refuse all scriptures except it were a peece of Lukes Gospel Brad. Then the alledgyng of the Church cannot be princially vsed agaynst me whiche am so farre from denying of the Scriptures that I appeale vnto them vtterly as to the onely iudge Yorke A pretty matter that you will take vppon you to iudge the Churche I pray you where hath your Churche bene hetherto For the church of Christ is Catholicke and visible hetherto Brad. My Lord I doe not iudge the Church when I discerne it from that congregation those whiche be not the Church I neuer denyed the Church to be Catholicke visible althought at some times it is more visible then at some Chic I pray you tell me where the Church which allowed your doctrine was these foure hundreth yeares Brad. I will tell you my Lord or rather you shal tell your selfe if you will tell me this one thing where the Churche was in Helias his time when Helias sayde that hee was left alone Chic That is no aunswere Bradford I am sory that you say so but this will I tell your Lordship that if you had the same eyes wherwith a man might haue espied the Churche then you woulde not say it were no answere The true 〈…〉 euery man hath not eyes to see it The fault why the Church is not seene of you is not because the Churche is not visible but because your eyes are not cleare inough to see it Chic You are much deceaued in making this collation betwixt the Church then and now Yorke Uery well spoken my Lord for Christ sayde aedificabo Ecclesiam I will build my Church and not I doe or haue built it but I will build it Bradford The â—ishops 〈◊〉 to an 〈…〉 My Lordes Peter teacheth me to make thys collation saying as in y e people there were false Prophetes which were most in estimation afore Christes comming so shall there be false teachers amongest the people after Christes comming and very many shall follow them And as for your future tense I hope your grace will not therby conclude christes Church not to haue bene before but rather that there is no building in the Church but by Christes worke onely for Paule and Apollo be but watterers Chichester In good fayth I am sory to see you so light in iudging the Church Yorke He taketh vpon him as they all doe to iudge the Church A man shall neuer come to certaintie that doth as they do Brad. My Lordes I speake simply what I thinke desire reason to aunswere my obiections Your affections sorrowes can not be my rules If that you consider y e order and case of my condemnation I can not thinke but y t it should somethyng moâ—e your honours You knowe it well enough for you heard it no matter was layd against me but what was gathered vpon mine owne confession Because I did denye Transubstantiation and the wicked to receaue Christes body in the Sacrament therefore I was condemned and excoÌ„municate but not of the churche although the pillers of the church as they be taken did it Chichester No. I heard say the cause of your imprisonmeÌ„t was for that you exhorted the people to take the sword in the one hand and the mattocke in the other Brad. My Lord I neuer ment any such thing nor spake any thing in that sort False surmâ—â—e agaynst Bradford Yorke Yea and you behaued your selfe before the Counsel so stoutly at the
substaunce of bread and wine and is receiued of the wicked The 〈◊〉 of his coâ—â—demnaâ—ioâ— declared yea of dogges mise Also I am excommunicated and counted as a dead menber of Christes Church as a rotten braunche and therefore shall be cast into the fire Therefore ye ought hartily to reioyce with me and to geue thankes for me that God the eternall father hath vouched safe our mother to bring vp any childe in whom it would please him to magnifie his holy name as hee doth A great mercy of God to turne the death of â— saintes 〈◊〉 deseruâ—â— to serue a confirmâ—â—tion of his owne glorâ— and I hope for his mercye and truthes sake will do in me and by me Oh what such benefite vppon earth can it be as that that which deserued deathe by reason of my sinnes should be deliuered to a demonstration a testification and confirmation of Gods veritie and trueth Thou my mother the Vniuersitie hast not onely had the truth of gods word playnely manifested vnto thee by reading disputinge and preaching publickely and priuately but now to make thee altogether excuselesse and as it were almost to sinne agaynst the holy Ghost if thou put to thy helpyng hand with the romysh route to suppresse the veritie and set out the contrary thou hast my lyfe and bloud as a zeale to confirme thee if thou wilt be confirmed or els to confound thee and beare witnes agaynst thee if thou wilt take part with the prelates and Clergye Cantabriâ—â—ense◠〈…〉 moniti which nowe fill vp the measure of their fathers which slew the Prophetes and Apostles that all righteous bloud from Abell to Bradforde sued vpon the earth may be required at theyr handes Of this therefore I thought good before my death as tyme and libertie woulde suffer me for loue and duetye I beare vnto thee to admonishe thee good mother and my sister the Towne that you would call to minde from whence you are fallen and study to do the first workes You know if you wil these matters of the Read before the letter Cambridâ—â— to K. Henâ—â— 8. pag. 1104. Romish supremacy and the Antichristian transubstantiation whâ—â—â—by Christes supper is ouerthrowne his priesthoode euacuatâ— his sacrifice frustrate the ministery of his word vnplaced repentaunce repelled fayth faynted godlines extinguished the Masse mayntayned idolatry supported and all impietie cherished you know I say if you will that these opinions are not onely besides Gods word but euen directly agaynst it and therfore to take part with them is to take part agaynst God agaynst whome you cannot preuayle Therefore for the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and bloud I beseeche you to take Christes collyrium and eye salue to annoynt your eyes that you may see what you doe and haue done in admitting as I heare you haue admitted yea alas authorised and by consent confirmed the Romish rotten rags whiche once you vtterly expelled Oh be not canis reuersus ad vomitum be not * The 〈◊〉 returned to his owne â—omitte Sus lota reuersa ad volutabrum coeni Beware least Satan enter in with seuen other spirites and then postrema shal be worse then the first It had bene better yee had neuer knowne the truth then after knowledge to runne from it Ah woe to this world and the thinges therein * The soâ—â— that was washed returned to 〈…〉 in the â—ite 2. Pet. 1. which hath nowe so wrought with you Oh that euer this dirt of the deuill shoulde daube vpp the eye of the Realme For thou oh mother art as it were the eye of the Realme If thou be light and geue shyne all the body shall fare the better But if thou the light be darcknes alas how great will the darckenes be What is man whose breath is in his nostrels that thou shouldest thus be afrayde of him Oh what is honour and life here Bubbles What is glorye in this worlde but shame Why art thou afrayde to carrye Christes Crosse Wilt thou come into hys kingdome and not drynke of his cup Doest thou not know Rome to be BabiloÌ„ The glory of this world is a vaine thing Babylon hath Iuda in captiuity doest thou not know that as the olde Babilon had the children of Iuda in captiuitie so hath this Rome the true Iuda that is the confessours of Christ Doest thou not know that as destruction happened vnto it so shall it do vnto this And trowest thou that God will not deliuer his people now when the time is come as hee did theâ— Hath not God commaunded hys people to come out from her and wilt thou geue ensample to the whole Realme to runne vnto her Hast thou forgotten the woe that Christ threatneh to offence geuers Wilt thou not remember that it were better that a Mylstone were hanged about thy necke and thou throwe into the sea then that thou shouldest offend the little ones And alas how hast thou offended yea and howe doest thou still offend The church â—â—ndeth 〈◊〉 in the outward shew Wilt thou consider thinges according to the outward shew Was not the Synagogue more seemely and like to be the true Church then the simple flocke of Christes Disciples Hath not the whore of Babilon more costly aray and rich apparell externally to set forth her selfe then the homely housewyfe of Christ Where is the beautie of the kinges daughter the Churche of Christ without or within Doth not Dauid saye wythin Oh remeÌ„ber that as they are happy which are not offended at christ so are they happy whiche are not offended at hys poore church Can the Pope and his prelates meane honestly whiche make so much of the wife and so little of the husband The Churche they magnifie but Christ they contemne If this Church were an honest woman that is Christes wife except they woulde make much of her husband Christ and his worde shee woulde not be made much of them When Christ and hys Apostles were vppon earth who was more like to be the true Church they or the Prelates Byshops Synagogue If a man should haue followed custome vnitie antiquitie or the more part shoulde not Christ and his companye haue bene cast out of the dores Therfore bade Christ Search the scriptures And good mother shall the seruaunt be aboue his master shall we looke for other entertaynment at the handes of the world then Christ and his deare Disciples found who was taken in Noes tyme for the Church Poore Noe and his familie or others Who was taken for Gods Churche in Sodom Lot or others And doth not Christ say As it was than so shall it goe now towardes the comming of the sonne of man What meaneth Christ when he sayth Iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand doth not he tell that charitie shall waxe colde And who seeth not a wonderfull great lacke of charitie in those whiche woulde nowe be taken for Christes Church All that feare GOD in thys Realme truely can
Richard Bartlet Robert Bartlet Thomas Bernard  Iohn Clerke of little Missenden For saying shee neuer did beleeue in the sacrament of the aultare or euer would beleue in it Iohn Gardiner did appeache Iohn Horne of Ambylden His sister Agnes Warde Wardes wife of Marlow Nicholas Stokeley Because that when this Gardiner sayde God helpe vs and our Ladie and all the saints of heauen then she sayd what neede is it to goe to the feete when we may goe to the head  William Stokeley The wife of William Deane Will. Ramsey of Newbery Iohn Symon og Marlow Hys wife of Marlow Iohn Gray of Marlow Dauy Schyrwood William Schyrwood Raynold Schyrwood Iohn Say did detect Christopher Shomaker Ih. Okinden Rob. Pope Thys Chrystopher Shomaker hadde beene burned a little before at Newbery Christoph. Shomaker martir ¶ Byshop Longland seeking matter against Isabell Morwyn of whome hee coulde take no greate aduauntage by examination called and caused Elizabeth Copland her own sister to testifie against her in maner as followeth Elizabeth Coplande witnesseth against Isabel Morwyn her owne sister Firste because in talke together comming from their father being at the poynte of death Isabell sayde to her sister Elizabeth that all whych dye either passe to hel or heauen Nay sayde the other there is betweene them purgatorie Agayne when Elizabeth came from the roode of rest sayd Isabell that if she knew so much as shee hath heard shee would go no more on pilgrimage while she liued for all Saints said she be in heauen Then asked Elizabeth wherfore pilgrimage was ordeined of Doctours and Priestes Said the other for gaine profit Who hath taught you this quoth Elizabeth man or womaÌ„ Your Curate I dare say neuer learned you so My Curate sayd she will neuer knowe so much and moreouer sayd to Elizabeth her sister that if she woulde keepe counsaile not tell her husband she would say more And when Elizabeth answered that she would not tell but sayth the other I will haue you to sweare and because she woulde not sweare the other would not proceed any further Alice Browne forced by her othe too detect Iohn Tracher of Chessham The cause why this Iohn Tracher was denounced was thys for that hee taught her in the Gospell this sayeng of Iesus Blessed bee they that heare the word of GOD and keepe it Also because hee taughte her the eyghte beatitudes in English ¶ Emme Tilseword because she refused to detect other by vertue of her othe and denied such matter as by witnes and by the Bishops actes were prooued against her in paine of relaps the Bishop enioyned her to make certaine fagots of cloth and to weare the same both before her vpper garment and behinde so long as she liued Ex Regist. Longland  Thomas Afrike For asking howe hys cousin Widmore clerke the elder and Iohn Fip did at Hichenden whether they kepte the lawes of GOD as they were woont W. Phippes forced by his othe to detect Roger Parker deceased Ioh. Phip For sayeng that Images are not to bee woorshipped because they are made and carued wyth mans hande and that such ought not to be worshipped  Iohn Gardiner For that to the sayde Wil. this Gardiner sayd that all which are burned for thys secte are true Martyrs  Iohn Stilman  Iohn Butler by his othe was forced to detect Thomas Geffray firste of Vxbridge then of Ipswich Taylor For reading and teaching him in the acts and preachings of the Apostles Item for hauing a Scripture Booke in English whyche Booke the sayde Gefferay gaue to the Byshoppe of London when hee was accused Item that the sayde Gefferay sayde that true Pilgrimage was barefoote to go and visite the poore weake and sicke for they are the true Images of God  Richard Vulford This Uulforde and Thomas Gefferay tolde the sayde Iohn Butler that the hoste consecrated was not the verye true bodye of Christe In proofe whereof they sayde that let a Mouse bee put in the pixe wyth the hoste A story of a mouse put into the pixe and the Mouse woulde eate it vp And for more proofe they declared vnto the sayde Iohn Butler that there were two Priests in Essex which put a mouse in the pixe to a consecrated hoste and the mouse did eate it Afterwarde the facte of these Priestes beyng knowne and brought to the Byshop one of the Priestes was burned for the same  Ioh. Clerke of DeÌ„ham Also the same Uulford and Geffrey told him and Iohn Clerke that holy bread and holy water were but a vayne glorye of the world for God neuer made them but were mennes inuentions and that GOD neither made Priestes for in Christes time there were no priests Moreouer that Thomas Geffrey caused this Iohn Butler diuers SoÌ„dayes to goe to London to heare Doctour Colet Doctor Colet commended  Andrew Fuller of Vxbridge Because this Iohn Butler had an olde booke of Richard Uulford Also an other greate booke of Andrewe Fuller for whiche hee payde sixe shillyngs and foure pence and an other litle booke of Thomas Man which he brought to the Byshop The foresayd Iohn Butler did detect Thomas Man Moreouer this Thomas Man was appeached because hee read to this deponent ten yeares agoe howe Adam and Eue were expelled out of Paradise and for speakyng agaynste Pilgrimage and worshyppyng of Images and agaynst the singyng seruice vsed then in Churches This Thomas Man was burnt and dyed a Martyr of whoÌ„ mention is made before pag. 817.  William Kyng This William Kyng was appeached because he lodged Thomas Man in his house vppon a certaine holy day at diuine seruice vnto whom resorted Richard Uulford and Ioh. Clerke this Ioh. Butler to whom the sayd Tho. Man declared that pilgrimage was naught that Images were not to be worshypped  Rob. Carder Durdant Rich. Butler his own brother Wil. Kyng To these was layd that Thom. Caâ—der brought this Ioh. Butler to Durdantes house at IueÌ„court by Stanis where was Rich. Butler his brother and William Kyng readyng in a certaine Engglishe booke At whiche tyme Durdant desired theÌ„ not to tell that he had any such English booke in his house least hee should be burned for the same  Rich. Nash or Ashford Also an other tyme that Iohn Butler with Richard Butler his brother and Robert Carder weÌ„t to the house of Rich. Ashford or Nashe to heare the same Ashford read in a certaine little booke but which coÌ„teined many good things Agayne when Elizabeth came from the roode of rest sayd Isabell that if she knew so much as shee hath heard shee would go no more on pilgrimage while she liued for all Saints said she be in heauen Then asked Elizabeth wherfore pilgrimage was ordeined of Doctours and Priestes Said the other for gaine profit Who hath taught you this quoth Elizabeth man or womaÌ„ Your Curate I dare say neuer learned you so My Curate sayd she will neuer knowe
so much and moreouer sayd to Elizabeth her sister that if she woulde keepe counsaile not tell her husband she would say more And when Elizabeth answered that she would not tell but sayth the other I will haue you to sweare and because she woulde not sweare the other would not proceed any further Alice Browne forced by her othe too detect Iohn Tracher of Chessham The cause why this Iohn Tracher was denounced was thys for that hee taught her in the Gospell this sayeng of Iesus Blessed bee they that heare the word of GOD and keepe it Also because hee taughte her the eyghte beatitudes in English ¶ Emme Tilseword because she refused to detect other by vertue of her othe and denied such matter as by witnes and by the Bishops actes were prooued against her in paine of relaps the Bishop enioyned her to make certaine fagots of cloth and to weare the same both before her vpper garment and behinde so long as she liued Ex Regist. Longland  Thomas Afrike For asking howe hys cousin Widmore clerke the elder and Iohn Fip did at Hichenden whether they kepte the lawes of GOD as they were woont W. Phippes forced by his othe to detect Roger Parker deceased Ioh. Phip For sayeng that Images are not to bee woorshipped because they are made and carued wyth mans hande and that such ought not to be worshipped  Iohn Gardiner For that to the sayde Wil. this Gardiner sayd that all which are burned for thys secte are true Martyrs  Iohn Stilman  Iohn Butler by his othe was forced to detect Thomas Geffray firste of Vxbridge then of Ipswich Taylor For reading and teaching him in the acts and preachings of the Apostles Item for hauing a Scripture Booke in English whyche Booke the sayde Gefferay gaue to the Byshoppe of London when hee was accused Item that the sayde Gefferay sayde that true Pilgrimage was barefoote to go and visite the poore weake and sicke for they are the true Images of God  Richard Vulford This Uulforde and Thomas Gefferay tolde the sayde Iohn Butler that the hoste consecrated was not the verye true bodye of Christe In proofe whereof they sayde that let a Mouse bee put in the pixe wyth the hoste A story of a mouse put into the pixe and the Mouse woulde eate it vp And for more proofe they declared vnto the sayde Iohn Butler that there were two Priests in Essex which put a mouse in the pixe to a consecrated hoste and the mouse did eate it Afterwarde the facte of these Priestes beyng knowne and brought to the Byshop one of the Priestes was burned for the same  Ioh. Clerke of DeÌ„ham Also the same Uulford and Geffrey told him and Iohn Clerke that holy bread and holy water were but a vayne glorye of the world for God neuer made them but were mennes inuentions and that GOD neither made Priestes for in Christes time there were no priests Moreouer that Thomas Geffrey caused this Iohn Butler diuers SoÌ„dayes to goe to London to heare Doctour Colet Doctor Colet commended  Andrew Fuller of Vxbridge Because this Iohn Butler had an olde booke of Richard Uulford Also an other greate booke of Andrewe Fuller for whiche hee payde sixe shillyngs and foure pence and an other litle booke of Thomas Man which he brought to the Byshop The foresayd Iohn Butler did detect Thomas Man Moreouer this Thomas Man was appeached because hee read to this deponent ten yeares agoe howe Adam and Eue were expelled out of Paradise and for speakyng agaynste Pilgrimage and worshyppyng of Images and agaynst the singyng seruice vsed then in Churches This Thomas Man was burnt and dyed a Martyr of whoÌ„ mention is made before pag. 817.  William Kyng This William Kyng was appeached because he lodged Thomas Man in his house vppon a certaine holy day at diuine seruice vnto whom resorted Richard Uulford and Ioh. Clerke this Ioh. Butler to whom the sayd Tho. Man declared that pilgrimage was naught that Images were not to be worshypped  Rob. Carder Durdant Rich. Butler his own brother Wil. Kyng To these was layd that Thom. Caâ—der brought this Ioh. Butler to Durdantes house at IueÌ„court by Stanis where was Rich. Butler his brother and William Kyng readyng in a certaine Engglishe booke At whiche tyme Durdant desired theÌ„ not to tell that he had any such English booke in his house least hee should be burned for the same  Rich. Nash or Ashford Also an other tyme that Iohn Butler with Richard Butler his brother and Robert Carder weÌ„t to the house of Rich. Ashford or Nashe to heare the same Ashford read in a certaine little booke but which coÌ„teined many good things  Richard Vulman of London This Uulman was detected vpon this for that he would haue red to this Iohn Butler a certaine english booke and spake against pilgrimage and images  Henr. Vlman his wife of Uxbridge  Radulph Carpenter of London A daughter of Iohn Phip A daughter of William Phip This Rafe Carpenter was detected for hauing certaine bookes of the Apocal. in English Also for that thys CarpeÌ„ter and his wife did bring him and the wife of Henry Uulman to a cornerhouse of Fridaystreete where the goodman of y e house hauing a stumpe foote had diuers such bookes to the inteÌ„t they should heare them read  R. Butler Ienkin Butler his owne breethren The mother of Richard Ashford I. Butler his other brother These were detected partly for holdyng against the Sacrament of the alter partly also because they were reading two houres together in a certayne booke of the actes of the Apostles in English at Chersham in Ashfords house Iohn Phip compelled by his othe to detect The wife of Robert Pope For hauing certaine bookes in English For reading bookes in Englishe one bound in bourds and three with parchment couerings with foure other sheetes of paper written in english conteining matter agaynst the Romish Religion Also another booke of the seruice of the virgin Mary in English Thomas Stilman Tho. Stilman was therefore detected for y t he told Wil. Fip how that he being in lolards tower did climbe vp the steeple where y e bels were and there cutting y e belropes did tye two of them together and so by them slipped downe into Paules Churchyard escaped Tho. Tredway compelled by his othe to detect Iohn MordeÌ„ of Ashly greene Rich. Asheford his brother Agnes Ashford his owne mother These were accused detected because Iohn Morden had in hys house a booke of y e Gospels and other chapters in english read three or foure times in the same In whiche booke his brother Ashford also did rede once Item because I. Morden spake against Images and spake these words our Lorde Iesus Christ saith in hys Gospell Blessed bee they that heare y e word of God kepeth it c. Tredway also detected his mother for teaching him y t he shuld
pestiferous canker can not with supple and gentle medecines be cured more sharper salues must be proued and fiery searinges the putrified members must be cut of from the body least the sound partes also be infected So God did cast downe into hell the schismaticall brethren * * Let the Pope followe the worde of God as Moses dyd and be sent of God expresly as Moses was and then let Luther be punished as Dathon and Abyron were Againe if the Pope be the succâ—ssour of Peter haue his authoritie why then doeth not the Pope beaâ—ing the keyes of Peter exercise the power of his spirite vpon Luther his great enemie as Peter did vpon Ananias and Sâ—phira Dathan and Abiron And him that would not obey the authority of the priest God commaunded to bee punished with death So Peter prince of the Apostles denounced sodeine death to Ananias and Saphira which lyed vnto God So the olde and godly Emperours commaunded * * If Iouinianus Priscillianus and Vigilantius were proued heretickes They were proued not onely by CanoÌ„s couÌ„cels but by scripture so was Lutherneâ—â—r Iouinianus and Priscillianus as heretiques to be beheaded So S Ierome wisheth Vigilantius as an heretick to be geuen to the destructioÌ„ of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord. So also did our predecessours in the Councell of * * Your fathers in the Councell of Constance did kill the prophets of God and you make vp their graues But thankes bee vnto God whiche hath geuen suche light to the world to vnderstande your cruell impietie in killing I. Hus which you thought should neuer be espied CoÌ„stance condemne to death Iohn Hus his felow Hierome which now appeareth to reuiue agayne in Luther The worthy * * You haue well imitated your forefathers alreadie in burning so many Lutherians yet how haue you prospered against the Turkish Infidels the space of these 40. yeares acts and examples of which forefathers if you in this doinges seeing otherwise ye can not shall imitate wee doe not doubt but Gods mercifull clemency shall eftsoones releue his Church which being now sore vexed of infidels hath her eies chiefely and principally directed vpoÌ„ you as being the most puisaunt and most populous nation that wee haue in Christendome Wherefore vpon the blessing of almighty God and of blessed S. Peter which here we send vnto you take courage vnto you The false Dragon resembleth the Pope and the strong Lyon the Turke as well agaynst the false Dragon as the strong Lion that both these that is as well the inward heresyes as the forreigne enemyes by you being ouercome you may purchase to your honours an immortal victory both here and in the world to come This we geue you to vnderstand that whatsoeuer the Lord hath geuen vs to aid you withall either in money or authoritye wee will not fayle to support you herein The false Dragon here seeth that it is time to bestirre hym yea and to bestowe our life also in this holye quarrell and for the health of our sheepe to vs committed Other thinges as touching the matter of Luther we haue committed to this Cheregatus our Legate whom wee haue directed purposelye for the same vnto your assemble whom we wish you to Credite as being our trusty Legate Datum Rom. apud S. Petrum sub anulo piscatoris die .25 Nouemb. ann 1522. pontificatus nostri anno primo ¶ By this letter aboue prefixed thou hast gentle reader to note and vnderstand what eyther wyly perswasions or strength of authoritie could deuise against Luther here not to haue lacked If plausible termes or glosyng sentences or outward facyng and bracyng could haue serued where no ground of scripture is brought this might seeme apparantly a pithie Epistle But if a man should require the particulars or y e specialties of this doctrine which he here reprehendeth to bee examined and tryed by Gods word there is no substaunce in it but onely wordes of office whiche may seeme well to serue for waste paper And yet I thought to exhibite the saide letter vnto thee to the entent that the more thou seest mans strength with all his policie bent against Luther the more thou mayst consider the almightie power of God in defending the cause of this poore man against so mightie enemies Nowe heare further what instructions the sayde Pope Adrian sent to his Legate Cheregatus how and by what reasons to moue and inflame the princes of Germany to the destruction of Luther and his cause and yet was not able to bring it to passe Instructions geuen by Pope Adrian to Cheregatus his Legate touching his proceedings in the diete of Norenberg how and by what persuasions to incense the Princes agaynst Luther IN primis Instructions of the Pope against Luther you shall declare to them the great griefe of our hart for the prospering of Luthers secte to see the innumerable soules redemed with Christs bloud and committed to our pastorall gouernement to be turned away from the true fayth and religion into perdition by this occasion that especially in the nation of Germany being our natiue country which hath bene euer heretofore til these few yeares past most faythfull and deuour in religion therefore our desire to be the greater that this pestilence should be stopped by time least the same happen to that countrey of Germany which happened of late to Bohemia And as for our part * The first cause to stirre men against Luther there shal be no lacke to helpe forward what we may As likewise we desire them to â—ndeuoure them selues to the vttermost of theyr power whom these causes ought to moue which here we direct vnto you to be declared vnto them * The honour of God consisteth principally in honouring Iesus the Sonne of God whom the father hath sent Now examine good reader whether more extoileth the honour of Christ the doctrine of Luther or the doctrine of the Pope Luther sendeth vs onely to christ The Pope sendeth vs to other Patrons and helpers Luthers doctrine tendeth wholy to the glory of Christ the popes doctrine if it be well wayed tendeth to the glory of man Luther cleaueth onely to Scripture The Pope leaneth to the Canons and Councels of men First the honor of God which before all other thinges ought to be preferred whose honor by these heresyes is greatly defaced and his worship not onely diminished but rather whollye corrupted Also the charity toward our neighbor by which charity euery man is bound to reduce his neighbor out of errour otherwise God will requyre at theyr handes all such as by theyr negligence do perish The second cause to moue them agaynst Luther The 2. cause is the infamy of theyr nation whiche being counted before time alwayes most Christian now by these sectaries of Luther is euill spoken of in all other quartes The third cause is the respecte of theyr owne
Frier What thinkest thou thy selfe better learned then S. Thomas The Martyr I do arrogate no such learning vnto my self But this I say this parable is not so to be expoūded but is set forth for example of the Lord to cōmend to vs charity toward our neighbour how one should help an other The Frier Thou sayst in thy cōfessiō y t we are iustified onely by faith I wil proue y t we are iustified by works By our workes we do merite Iustification Ergo by workes we are iustified The Martyr I deny the antecedent The Frier S. Paule Heb. the last sayth Forget not to doe good and to distribute vnto others Talibus enim victimis promeretur Deus 1. For by such oblatiōs God is merited We merite God by our workes Ergo we are iustified by our workes The Martyr The wordes of S. Paule in that place be otherwise and are thus to be translated Talibus enim victimis delectatur Deus c. 1. With such sacrifices God is delighted or is well pleased The Iudge Vilard Vilard the Iudge turned the booke and found the place euen to be so as the prisoner sayd Here the friers were maruellously appalled troubled in theyr mindes of whom one asked then what he thought of confession The Martyr To whom the martyr answered that confession onely is to be made to God that those places whiche they alledge for auricular confession Confession out of S. Iames and other are to be expounded of brotherlye reconciliation betwene one another and not of confession in the Priestes eare And here agayne the friers stood hauing nothing to say agaynst it A blacke Frier Doest thou not beleue y e body of Christ to be locally and corporally in the sacrament I will prooue the same Iesus Christ taking bread sayd Transubstitiation this is my body Ergo it is truely his body The Martyr The verbe est is not to be takē here substantiuely in his owne proper signification as shewing the nature of a thing in substance as in Philosophy it is wont to be takē but as noting y e property of a thing signifiyng after the maner phrase of the Scripture Where one thing is wont to be called by the name of an other so as the signe is called by the name of the thing signified c. So is Circumcision called by the name of the Couenaunt and yet is not the Couenaunt So the Lambe hath the name of the Passeouer yet is not the same In which 2. Sacraments of the olde law ye see the verbe est to be taken not as shewing the substaunce of being but the property of being in the thing that is spoken of And so likewise in the Sacrament of the new law The Frier The Sacraments of the old law of the new do differ greatly for these geue grace so did not y e other The Martyr Neither the sacramentes of the olde Sacraments geue no grace nor of y e new law do geue grace but sheweth him vnto vs which geueth grace in deed The minister geueth the sacramēts but Iesus Christ geueth grace by the operation of the holy Ghost of whom it is sayd This is hee which baptiseth with the holy Ghost c. The Frier The fathers of the old Testament Iohn 2. were they not partakers of the same grace and promises with vs The Martyr Yes for S. Paule sayth that the fathers of y e old Testament did eat the same spirituall meat and dyd drinke of the same spirituall drinke with vs. The Frier Iesus Christ sayth Iohn 6. Your Fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead Ergo they were not partakers of the same grace with vs in the new Testament The Martyr Christ here speaketh of them which did not eate that Manna with fayth which was a type and figure of that bread of life The true eating of Māna that came from heauen and not of them which did eate the same with fayth as Moses and Aaron Iosua Caleb and suche other who vnder the shadowes of the olde Testament did look for Christ to come For so it is written of Abraham that hee sawe the day of Christ and reioysed not seeing it with his bodely eyes but with the eyes of his fayth Here the doltish Doctor was at a stay hauing no thing to say but heare frend be not so hoat nor so hasty tary a while tary a while At length after his tarying this came out The Frier I will proue that they of the olde Testamēt were not partakers of the same grace with vs. The fathers of the olde Testament howe they were vnder the law and howe they were vnder grace The lawe sayth S. Paule worketh anger And they that are vnder the law are vnder malediction Ergo they of the olde law and Testament were not partakers of the same grace with vs. The Martyr S. Paule here proueth that no man by the lawe can be iustified but that all men are vnder the anger and curse of God therby for so much as no man performeth that which in the law is comprehended and therfore we haue need euery man to runne to Christ to be saued by faith seing no man can be saued by the law For who so euer trusteth to the lawe hoping to finde iustification therby and not by Christ onely the same remayneth still vnder malediction not because the law is cursed or the times therof vnder curse but because of the weakenes of our nature which are not able to performe the law The Frier S. Paule Rom. 7. declareth in the olde Testamēt to be nothing but anger and threatnings and in the new Testament to be grace and mercy in these wordes where he sayth Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death The grace of god by Iesus Christ. The Martyr S. Paule in this place neither meaneth nor speaketh of the difference of times betwene the olde and the new Testament but of the conflicte betweene the flesh and the spirite so that whereas the flesh is euer rebelling agaynst the spirit yet the spirituall manne notwithstanding through the faith of Christ hath the victory Furthermore the true translation of y e place hath not Gratia Dei but Gratias ago Deo per Iesū Christum c. Primacius the Officiall The Officiall seeing the Frier almoste here at a poynt The Sacrament set in sayd Thou lewd hereticke doest thou deny the blessed Sacrament The Martyr No Syr but I embrace and reuerēce the Sacrament so as it was instituted of the Lord and left by his Apostles The Officiall Thou denyest the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament and thou callest the Sacrament bread The Martyr The Scripture teacheth vs to seeke the bodye of Christ in heauen and not in earth where we reade Colos. 3. If ye be risen with Christ seeke not for the thinges which are vpon the earth but for the thinges which are
therefore Chrisostome a little before the woordes whiche they alleadged sayth Lifte vp your mynds and hartes Wherby he admonysheth vs to look vpon and consider those heauenly thynges whiche are represented and signified by the bread and wyne and not to marke the bread and wyne it selfe Here they sayde that was not Chrisostomes minde but that by this example hee declareth that there remayned no bread nor wine Al misteries to be seene with inward eyes I aunswered that was false for the example that he taketh tendeth to no other purpose but to call away our spirituall eyes from the beholdyng of visible thynges and to transport them an other waye as if the thynges that are seene were of no force Therefore he draweth awaye our mynde from the consideration of these thinges and fixeth it vppon him whiche is signified vnto vs by the same The very woordes whiche followe sufficiently declare thys to be the true meaning of the authour where as he commaundeth vs to consider all thynges with our inward eyes that is to say spiritually But whether Chrisostomes woordes doe tend eyther to to this or that sense Chrisostom agaynst the popish doctrine of the Sacrament yet do they indifferētly make on our part agaynst our aduersaryes which way so euer we doe vnderstand them For if he thought that the bread and wyne doe remayne we haue no further to trauayle but if he meant contrariwyse that they doe not remayne but that the natures of the bread and wyne are altered then are the bread and wyne falsely named Sacramentes and mysteryes The obiection of Chrisostom auoided by a-Dilemma whiche can be sayd in no place to be in the nature of thynges For that whiche is in no place howe can it be a Sacrament or supplye the roume of a mysterye Finally if hee speake onely of the outwarde fourmes and shapes as we call them it is most certayne that they doe continually remayne and that they by the substaunce of the bodye are not consumed in anye place wherefore it must necessarily followe the woordes of Chrisostome to be vnderstanded in suche sense as I haue declared Here peraduenture many would maruaile that for somuch as the matter touching the substaunce of the Sacrament A question asked with the cause declared why that seeing the matter of the sacramēt it selfe importeth neither saluation nor damnatyon why then Frythe offereth himselfe to death for the same beyng seperate from the articles of fayth and binding no man of necessitie eyther vnto saluation or damnation whether hee beleeue it or not but rather may be left indifferently vnto all men freely to iudge eyther on the one part or on the other accordyng to hys owne mynde so that neyther part do contemne or despise the other but that all loue and charitie be still holden and kept in this dissension of opinions what then the cause is why I would therfore so willingly suffer death The cause why I dye is this for that I can not agree with the diuines other head Prelates that it shuld be necessarily determined to be an article of fayth and that we should beleeue vnder payne of damnation the substaunce of the bread and wyne to be chaunged into the body and bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe the fourme and shape onely not being chaunged Whiche thing if it were most true as they shall neuer be able to proue it by any authority of the Scripture or Doctours yet shall they not so bring to passe that that doctrine were it neuer so true shoulde be holden for a necessarye article of fayth For there are many thinges both in the Scriptures and other places whiche we are not bounde of necessitye to beleeue as an article of fayth So it is true that I was a prisoner and in bondes when I wrote these thinges and yet for all that I will not holde it as an article of fayth * * This is to be weyed with tyme when Frythe wrote but that you may without daunger or damnation eyther beleeue it or thinke the contrarie But as touchinge the cause why I cannot affirme the doctrine of Transubstantiation diuers reasons doe leade me thereunto First for that I do playnelye see it to be false and vaine and not to be grounded vpon anye reason either of the Scriptures Three causes why transubstātiation is not to be be beleued or of approued Doctours Secondly for that by my exāple I woulde not be an author vnto Christians to admit any thing as a matter of fayth more then the necessary points of ther Creed wherein the whole summe of oure saluation doth consist specially such thinges The 2. cause the beliefe whereof haue no certaine argument of authoritie or reason I added moreouer that their Church as they call it hath no such power and authoritie that it eyther ought or maye binde vs vnder the peril of our soules to the beleuing of any such articles Thirdlye because I will not for the fauour of our Diuynes or Priestes be preiudiciall in this poynt The third cause vnto so manye nations of Germaines Heluetians and other whiche altogether reiecting the transubstantiation of the bread and wyne into the bolye and bloud of Christ are all of the same opinion that I am as wel those that take Luthers part as those which holde with Oecolampadius Which thinges standing in this case I suppose there is no mā of any vpright conscience which will not allow the reason of my death which I am put vnto for this only cause that I do not think transubstantiation although it were true in deede to be establyshed for an article of faith And thus muche hytherto as touching the articles and whole disputation of Iohn Frith whiche was done wyth all moderation and vprightnesse But when as no reason woulde preuaile against the force and crueltie of these furious foes the xx day of Iune in the yeare of oure Lorde 1533. hee was brought before the Byshoppes of London Winchester and Lincolne who sitting in Paules vpō Friday the xx day of Iune ministred certaine interrogatories vpon the Sacrament of the Supper and Purgatorie vnto the sayde Frith as is aboue declared To the whiche when he had answeared shewed his minde in forme and effect as by his owne wordes aboue doth appeare hee afterward subscribed to his answears with his owne hand in these wordes Ego Frithus ita sentio quemadmodum sentio ita dixi scripsi asserui affirmaui That is to say The subscriptiō of Iohn Fryth ¶ I Frith thus doe thinke and as I thinke so haue I sayde written taught and affirmed and in my bookes haue published But when as by no meanes he coulde bee perswaded to recant these articles aforesaid neither be brought to beleue that the sacrament is an article of faith but said Fiat Iudicium iustitia Iohn Fryth condemned he was condemned by the Bishop of London to be burned and sentence geuen agaynst
power ouer them be called gracious Lords but so it shal not be amongst you But whosoeuer amongst you is the greater shal be as the yonger And whosoeuer amongst you shall be chiefe shal be as a seruaunt and a minister c. And againe Christ speaking to Pilate of his kingdome declareth that his kingdome is not of this world therefore sayth Tonstall those that go about to make of Christs spirituall kingdome 〈◊〉 22. a worldly kingdome do fall into the error of some heretickes that looke that Christ after the day of iudgement shall raign with all his sayntes here in earth carnally in Hierusalem as the Iewes do beleue that Messias is yet to come and when he shall come he shall raigne worldly in Hierusalem By these and such other places it may well appere that Christ neither before his incarnation Iohn 18. as Tonstall sayth nor after his incarnation did euer alter the authoritye of worldly kinges and Princes but by his owne woorde commaunded them still to be obeyed of theyr subiectes as they had bene in the auncient time before c. And for examples of the same Math. 22. Examples of Christes humble subiection he alledgeth first y e example of Christ himselfe Mathew 22. who being asked of the Iewes whether they should geue tribute to Caesar or no he bad theÌ„ geue to Caesar those thinges that be his and to God those thinges that be his signifying that tribute was due to Caesar and that theyr soules were due to God c. Also in the 17. of Mathew it appeareth that Christ bad Peter pay tribute for him and his Disciples Math. 17. when it was demaunded of him And why Because he woulde not chaunge the order of obeysaunce to worldly Princes due by theyr subiectes c. An other example of Christe he citeth out of the 6. of Iohn Iohn 6. where after Christ had fed fiue thousand and moe with a few loaues and fewer fishes and that the Iewes would haue takeÌ„ him and made him theyr king he fled from them and woulde not consent vnto them For the kingdome sayth he that he came to set hâ—re in earth was not a worldly and temporall kingdome but an heauenly and spirituall kingdome that is to raigne spiritually by grace and fayth in the hartes of all Christen and faythfull people of what degree or of what nation soeuer they be and to turne al people and nations which at his comming were carnall liued after the lustes of the flesh to be spirituall and to liue after the lustes of the spirite that Christ with his father of heauen might reigne in the hartes of all men c. And here in these examples of Christes humility farther is to be noted how Christ the sonne of God did submit himselfe not only to the rulers and powers of this world but also deiected himselfe and in a maner became seruaunt to his owne Apostles so far of was he from all ambitious and pompous seeking of worldly honor For so appeared in him not onely by washing the feet of his Apostles but also the same time a litle before his passion when the Apostles fell at contention among themselues who among theÌ„ should be superiour he setting before them the example of his owne subiection asketh this question Who is superiour he that sitteth at the Table Luke 22. or he that serueth at the Table Is not he superior that sitteth but I am amongest you as he that ministreth and serueth c. The like examples Tonstall also inferreth of Peters humility Examples of Peters subiection Act. 10. For where we read in the Actes how the Centurion a noble man of great age did prostrate himselfe vpon the ground at the feete of Peter then Peter not suffering that eftsoones tooke him vp and bad him rise saying I am also a man as thou art So likewise did the Aungell Apocalips 19. and 22. to whom when Iohn would haue fallen downe to haue adored him which shewed him those visions Apoc. 19.22 the Aungell sayd vnto him See thou do not so for I am the seruaunt of God as thou art c. Agayne in the foresaid Peter what an example of reuerent humility is to be sene in this that notwithstaÌ„ding he with other Apostles hauing his commission to go ouer all yet neuerthelesse he being at Ioppa and sent for by Cornelius durst not go to him without the vision of a sheete let downe from heauen by the which vision he was admonished not to refuse the Gentiles or els he knew in himselfe no such primacy ouer all people and places geueÌ„ vnto him nor no such commission so large aboue the other c. Furthermore the sayd Peter being rebuked of Paule his felow brother tooke no scorne therof but was content submitting himselfe to due correction But here sayth Tonstall steppeth in the B. of Rome and sayth that Peter had authority geuen aboue all the residue of the Apostles The Popes obiections alledgeth the wordes of Christ spoken to him Math. 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church will geue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth Math. 16. shall be bound in heauen This sayd Christ sayth the Pope and S. Peter is buryed at Rome whose succour I am and ought to rule the Church as Peter did and to be porter of heaueÌ„ gates as Peter was c. And Christ sayd also to Peter after his resurrection Feede my sheepe which he spake to him onely Iohn 21. so that thereby he had authority ouer all that be of Christes flocke and I as his successour haue the same And therefore who so will not obey me King or Prince I wyll curse hym The ambitious pride of the Pope and depriue him of his kingdome or seigniory For al power is geuen to me that Christ hath and I am his Uicare generall as Peter was here in earth ouer all none but I as Christ is in heauen This ambitious and pompous obiection sayth Tonstall of the Pope and his adherentes The scriptures falsely perueted by the pope hath of late yeares much troubled the world and made dissention bebate and open warre in all partes of ChristeÌ„dome all by a wrong interpretatioÌ„ of the Scripture Who if he would take those places after the right sense of them as both the Apostles themselues taught vs and all the auncient best learned interpretours do expound them the matter were soone at a poynt But otherwise sith they peruert the Scripture and preach an other Gospell in that poynt to vs then euer the apostles preached we haue therin a general rule to folow That though an Aungell came from heauen Gal. 1. and woulde tell vs such new expositions of those places as are now made to turne the wordes which were spoken for spirituall authoritye of preaching the word of God and ministring of
of Christ which is among you which he bade them do by the authority that Christ had put them in as foloweth And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare ye shall receiue the incorruptible crowne of eternall glory The same likewise Saynt Paule in the Actes testifieth sayinge Geue heed to your selues and to the whole flocke Actes 20. wherin the holy ghost hath set you to gouerne the church of God Where in the originall text the word signifiyng Regere to gouerne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same that was spoken to Peter Pasce Feede for it signifieth both in the Scripture And that by these wordes he was not constitue a shepheard ouer all it is very playne by the facte of Saynct Peter which durst not enterprise much conuersation among the Gentiles but eschewed it as a thing vnlawfull and muche rather prohibited then commaunded by Gods law vntill he was admonished by the reuelation of the sheete full of diuers viandes mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles where if Christ by these wordes Feede my sheepe had geuen such an vniuersall gouernaunce to Peter then Peter being more ferueÌ„t then other of the Apostles to execute Christes commaundement Actes 10 woulde of his owne courage haue gone without any such new admonition to Cornelius except peraduenture you would say that Peter did not vnderstaÌ„d the sayd wordes of Christ for lacke of the light which the latter men haue obteined to perceiue and thereby vnderstand the wordes of Christ to Peter better then Peter himselfe did And straunge also it were to condemne Peter as an high Traytour to his mayster after his ascention as he in deede were worthy if hys mayster had signified vnto him that the Byshops of Rome by hys dying there shoulde be heades of all the church and he knowyng the same by these wordes Feede my sheepe yet notwithstandyng his maysters high legacy and commaundement woulde flee as he did from Rome vntill his mayster encountring him by the waye Of this flying away of Peter froÌ„ Rome reade before pag. 34. with terrible woordes caused him to returne And because thys history peraduenture can not weigh agaynst an obstinate mynde to the contrary What shall we saye to the woordes of Saynt Ambrose declaring and affirming that as great and as ample primacy was geuen to Paule as to Peter Vppon these woordes of Paule He that wrought by Peter c. thus he writeth Petrum solum nominat sibi comparat As great primacy geuen to S. Paule as to Peter quia primatum ipse acceperat ad fundandam Ecclesiam se quoque pari modo electum vt primatuÌ„ habeat in fundandis Ecclesijs Gentium c. That is to say He nameth Peter onely and compareth him to himselfe because he receiued a primacy to builde a church and that he in like sort was chosen himselfe to haue a primacye in building the churches of the Gentiles And shortly after it foloweth Of those that is to say of the Apostles which were the chiefest his gift he sayth was allowed whither he had receiued of God so that hee was founde worthy to haue the primacy in preaching to the Gentiles as Peter had in preaching to the Iewes And as he assigned to Peter for his companions those whiche were of the chiefest men amongst the Apostles euen so also did he take to him selfe Barnabas who was ioyned vnto him by Gods iudgement and yet did hee challenge to himselfe alone the prerogatiue or primacy which God had geuen him as to Peter alone it was graunted among the other Apostles So that the Apostles of the Circumcision gaue theyr handes to the Apostles of the Gentyles to declare theyr concorde in fellowshippe that eyther of them should know that they had receiued the perfection of the spirite in the preaching of the Gospell and so shoulde not neede eyther other in any matter Equalitye of degree among the Apostles And shortelye after sayth Saynt Ambrose who durste resiste Peter the chiefe Apostle but an other suche a one whiche by the confidence of his election might knowe himselfe to be no lesse and so might reproue boldly that thing which he inconsiderately had done This equallity of dignity whiche Saynt Ambrose affirmeth by scripture to be equally geuen to Peter and Paule Ciprian De simplicitate clericorum S. Cyprian and S. Hierome do extend to all the Apostles Cyprian â—aying thus Hoc eraÌ„t vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis All the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was being endued with like equality of honor and power Contra Iouinianum And S. Hierome thus Cuncti Apostoli claues regni coelorum accipiunt ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo fundatur All the Apostles receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vpon them as indifferently equally is the streÌ„gth of the Church grounded and established Which S Hierome also as well in hys Commentaries vpon the Epistle to Tite as in hys epistle to Euagrius sheweth that these primacies long after Christes ascention were made by the deuise of men which before by the common agreement and consent of the Clergye euery of the Churches were gouerned yea the patriarchall Churches The wordes of S· Ierome be these Sciant ergo episcopi se magis ex consuetudine Cap. 1. super Tiâ—um quam dispeÌ„sationis dominicae veritate presbitteris esse maiores Let the Bishopps vnderstand that they bee greater then other Priestes Difference betwixt Bishops Priestes how it is come rather of custome then by the vertue and verity of the Lordes ordinaunce And in his sayd epistle to Euagrius he hath the like sentence and addeth thereto Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Eugubij siue Constantinopoli c. Whersoeuer a Bishop be either at Rome or at Eugubium or at Constantinople he is of all one worthynes of all one priesthood that one was elected which should be preferred before other it was deuised for the redresse of schismes least any one chalenging to much to himself should reÌ„t the church of Christ. These wordes onely of S. Ierome be sufficient to prooue that Christ by none of these 3. textes which be all that you others do alledge for your opinion gaue to Peter any such superiority as the B. of Rome by them vsurpeth and that Peter nor no other of the chiefe Apostles did vendicate such primacy or superiority but vtterlye refused it and therfore gaue preeminence aboue theÌ„selues to one that though he be sometimes called an Apostle yet he was none of the 12. as Eusebius in the beginning of his second book called Historia ecclesiastica doth testify alledging for him the great and auncient clerke Clemens Alexandrinus saying thus Petrus Iacobus ac Ioannes post assumptionem Saluatoris quamuis ab ipso fuerant omnibus penè praelati tamen non sibi vindecaruÌ„t gloriam sed
Iacobum qui dicebatur Iustus apostolorum Episcopum statuunt Peter Iames Iohn after Christes ascention into heauen although they were by him preferred almost before all other yet they chalenged not that glory to themselues but decreed that Iames Iames the iuste made the bishop of the Apostles who was called Iustus should be chiefe bishop of the Apostles By these wordes it is cleare that Iames was the bish of the apostles not because as some men do glose he was elected by the Apostles but because he had thereby the primacy and honor of a bishop in Ierusalem aboue the rest of the Apostles And one thing is especially to be noted and also maruelled at that the bishops of Rome do challenge this primacy alonely by Peter and yet S. Paule which was his equal or rather superior by scripture Seing Paul was cheâ—f primate of the Gentiles it is agaynst reason that the RomaÌ„s should chalenge the primacye by Peter Lib. 3. Cap. 21. in his Apostleship amongst the Gentiles wherof Rome was the principall suffered at Rome where Peter did and is commonly in all the Romane Church ioyned with Peter in all appellations and titles of preeminence and both be called Principes Apostolorum The chiefe of the Apostles Vpon both is equally founded the Church of Rome The accounting of the Bishops of Rome many yeares agreeth thereunto For Eusebius sayth that Clemens tertius post Paulum Petrum pontificatum tenebat Clement was the third Bishop after S. Paule and Peter reckoning them both as Bishops of Rome and yet therin preferring S. Paule with like words saying of Alexander bishop of Rome that Quinta successione post Petrum atque Paulum plebis gubernacula sortitus est Alexander obteined the gouernance of the people by succession the fift Bishop after Peter and Paule Irenaeus also saith as Eusebius reciteth Lib. 5. Cap. 6. that Fundata aedificata Ecclesia beati apostoli Lino officium Episcopatus iniungunt After the Churche was once founded and builded the holy Apostles charged Linus with the Bishopricke Whereby appeareth that they both ioyntly constituted him bishop of Rome and receiued onely theyr Apostleship enioyned vnto them by Christ. And therfore if the bishops of Rome chalenge any preheminence of authority by Peter they should as well or rather challenge the same by Paul because they both founded it and both there preached and both there suffered resigning first that Bishopricke to Linus and all at once And if you will peraduenture leaue to the former preaching there by Peter which by Scripture can not be prooued yet then at least S. Paule and his successours in Ephesus should haue lyke primacy because he founded first that Church though S Iohn after that did builde it as witnesseth Eusebius saying Ecclesia quae est apud Ephesum Euseb. Lib. 3 Cap. 23. a Paulo quidem fundata est à Iohanne verâ— aedificata The Church which is at Ephesus was founded of Paule but it was builded of Saynt Iohn And so Peter should haue no other primacy in Rome The first foundation of a church maketh no primacye but as Paule had in Ephesus that is to say to be counted as the first Preacher and conuerter of the people there to the fayth of Christ. And aswell might all the Bishoppes of Ephesus challenge the primacy of all nations both Gentiles Iewes by Saynt Paule the Apostle of the Gentiles theyr founder as the Byshoppe of Rome by S. Peter the Apostle onely of the circumcision in case he were the fyrst founder challenging primacy ouer all But vndoubtedly this primacy ouer all that the Byshoppes of Rome of late doe challenge was not allowed nor yet knowne nor heard of amongest the auncient Fathers though they had theyr church of Rome in high estimation aswell for the notable vertuous deedes that the Clergy did there shew and exercise aboundantly to theyr neighbors as witnesseth the sayd Eusebius alledging there the Epistle that Dionisius Alexandrinus wrote to Soter Bishop of Rome Lib. 4. Cap. 23. Cipri Lib. â— ad Cornelâ—â— testefying the same as for that the Citty of Rome was the most ample and chiefe Citty of the world witnessing Saynt Cyprian saying Planè quoniam pro magnitudine sua debeat Carthaginem Roma praecedere illic maiora grauiora commisit Certaynely because that Rome ought for the greatnesse therof to excell Carthage there Nouatus committed the greater and more greuous offences Which Saynt Cyprian also when he had ordeyned and appoynted certayne decrees and statutes vnto the Bishop of Rome he did not submitte them to his reformation or iudgement but onely signified his owne sentence to like him also and yet adding thereunto that if any Byshops meaning aswell of Rome as of others which were of the contrary opinions to him would otherwise thinke or doe he would not then that his sentence should be to them preiudiciall neither woulde he thereby compell them to any thing but would that they should follow theyr owne mynds and customes partly for that euery one of the Byshops hath liberty of his owne will and partly for that euery gouernor shall make an accompt to God of his owne deede Cipri Lib. â— epist ad Cornelium as it appeareth playnely in his Epistle to Stephanus and Iulianus And in the 3. Epistle to Cornelius towardes the end speaking of the appeale that one Felicissimus a Nouatian after his condemnation in Affrica made to Rome he impugneth such appeales saying Quia singulis pastoribus portio gregis est asscripta quam regat vnusquisque gubernet rationeÌ„ sui actus Domino redditurus c. Forasmuch as euery pastor hath his owne flocke committed to him whiche euery one ought to rule and gouerne and must geue account to the Lord of his administration it is decreed of vs all and we thinke it both meet iust that euery mans cause and plee should there be heard where the crime is committed This holy and excellent Clerke Martir S. Cyprian would neuer haue eyther impugned theyr appeale to Rome from theyr owne primacies Appeale to Rome forbidden or so earnestly haue mainteined his determinations in the Councels of Affrike contrary to the opinion of the Bishops of Rome and to theyr customes without any submission by word or writing if the primacy ouer all which the Byshops of Rome doe challenge and vsurpe had bene grounded vpon the playne scripures as you with some others do think it is to be supposed also that he would in all his Epistles haue called them Patres or Dominos fathers or Lords as Superiors and not alwayes Fratres collegas brothers and felowes in office as but onely his equalles Which thing yet more playnely doth appeare by the actes of the Counsels of Affrike in S. Augustines time Concil Aphricas Aug. epist 16. by the which it is euident that though the fayth of Christ was by the Romaynes first brought into Affrike as S. Augustine
Such was the power of his doctrine and sinceritie of his life M. Tindall conuerted his keeper that during the time of his imprisonment whiche endured a yeare and a halfe it is sayde hee conuerted hys keeper his daughter and other of his household Also the rest that were with him conuersaunt in the Castle reported of him that if he were not a good christen man they could not tell whome to trust The Procuror generall the Emperours Attourney being there Commendation of M. Tindall 〈…〉 were about him left this testimonie of him that he was Homo doctus pius bonus that is a learned a good and a godly man The same mornyng in which he was had to the fire he deliuered a letter to the keeper of the castle which y e keeper himselfe brought to the house of y e foresayd Pointz in Autwerpe shortly after which letter with his examinatiōs other his disputations I would might haue come to our handes all which I vnderstād did remaine yet perhaps doe in the handes of the keepers daughter For so it is of him reported that as he was in the Castle prisoner there was much writyng and great disputation to and fro betwene him and them of the Uniuersitie of Louaine which was not past ix or x. myles from the place where he was prisoner in such sorte that they all had enough to do and more then they could well weld to aunswere the authorities and testimonies of the Scripture whereupō he most pithely grounded his doctrine Of Iudas that betrayed Christ it is written that he returned the money agayne to the Phariseis Gods Iudgment vpon Philippes the betrayer of Tindall afterward did hang him selfe So Philippes this miserable traytor after he had bene receaued of Tyndal borrowed money of him yet betrayed him and pursued him to death albeit he reioyced a while after y t he had done yet y e saying so goeth that he not long tyme after enioyed the price of innocent bloud but was consumed at last with lyce The worthy vertues and doings of this blessed Martyr who for his paynefull trauailes and singular zeale to his countrey may be called in these our dayes an Apostle of Englād it were long to recite Amongest many other this because it seemeth to me worthy of remembraunce I thought not in silence to ouerpasse which hath vnto me credibly bene testified by certaine graue Marchauntes some of thē also such as were present the same tyme at the fact and men yet alyue The story wherof is this There was at Antwerpe on a tyme amongest a company of Marchauntes as they were at supper a certaine iuggler which through his diabolicall inchaūtementes or Art Magicall would fetch all kyndes of viandes wyne from any place they would and set it vpon the table incōtinent before them with many other such lyke thynges The same of this iuggler beyng much talked of it chaunced that as M. Tyndall heard of it he desired certaine of the Marchants that he might also be present at supper to see him play his partes To be briefe the supper was appointed and the Marchauntes with Tyndall were there present Then the iuggler being required to play his feates and to shewe his cunning after his wonted boldnes began to vtter all that he could do but all was in vaine At the last The power of Gods saintes against the deuil with hys labour sweating and toyling when he sawe that nothyng would go forward but that all his enchauntmentes were voyde he was compelled openly to confesse that there was some man present at supper which disturbed and letted all his doings So that a man euen in the Martyrs of these our dayes can not lacke the miracles of true faith if miracles were now to be desired As concerning y e workes and bookes of Tyndall which extend to a great number thou wast tolde before louyng reader howe the Printer heereof mindeth by the Lordes leaue W. Tyndals workes looked for to be all set out in one volum◠to collect them all in one Uolume together and put them out in print Wherefore it shall not greatly at thys time be needefull to make any seuerall rehearsall of them And as touching his translation of the new Testament because his enemies did so much carpe at it pretending it to be so full of heresies to aunswere therfore to their sclanderous tongs and lieng lippes thou shalt heare and vnderstand what faithfull dealing and sincere conscience he vsed in the same by the testimonie allegation of his own words The faithfull dealing of Tindall in translating the newe testament written in his Epistle to Iohn Frith as foloweth I call God to record against the day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus to geue a reckening of our doings y t I neuer altered one sillable of Gods word against my cōscience nor would do this day if all that is in earth whether it be honour pleasure or riches might be geuē me c. And as ye haue heard Tyndals owne words thus protesting for himselfe now let vs heare likewise the faithfull testimonie of Iohn Frith for Tindall his deare companion and brother thus declaring in his aunswere to mayster More as followeth The testimony of Iohn Frith in his booke of the Sacrament concerning William Tyndall The testimony of Iohn Frith for Tindall ANd Tyndall I trust liueth well content with suche a poore Apostles life as God gaue his sonne Christ and his faithfull Ministers in this world which is not sure of so many mites as ye be yearely of poundes although I am sure that for his learning and iudgement in Scripture he were more worthy to be promoted then all the Bishops in Englande The wordes of Tindall written to Iohn Frith I receaued a letter from him whiche was written since Christmas wherein among other matters he writeth this I call God to record against the daye wee shall appeare before our Lord Iesus to geue a reckening of our doings that I neuer altered one sillable of Gods word against my conscience nor woulde do this day if all that is in earth whether it be honour pleasure or riches might be geuen me Moreouer I take God to witnesse to my conscience that I desire of God to my selfe in this world no more then that without which I can not keepe his lawes c. Iudge Christian Reader whether these words be not spoken of a faithfull cleare innocent hart And as for his behauiour is such that I am sure no man can reproue him of any sinne howbeit no man is innocent before God which beholdeth the hart This much out of Frith And thus being about to conclude and finishe wyth the life and story of William Tindall Ex lib. Tind praxit Praelatorum it shall be requisite now that the Reader do heare some thing likewise of his supplication made to the King and nobles of the Realme as they are yet
by his graces authority not only vpon the paines therein expressed but also in your default now after this second monition continued vppon further punishment to be straightly extended towardes you by the Kings highnes arbitrement or his vicegerent aforesayde Item that ye shall prouide on this side the feast of N. next comming For the Bible to be set vp in Churches one booke of the whole Byble of the largest volume in English and the same set vp in some conuenieÌ„t place within the said Church that ye haue cure of whereas your parishioners may most coÌ„modiously resorte to y e same read it The charges of which booke shal be ratably borne betwene you the parson and parishoners aforesaid that is to say the one halfe by you the other halfe by theÌ„ Item that yee shall discourage no man priuely nor apertly from the reading or hearing of the sayd Bible but shal expresly prouoke stirre exhort euery person to reade the same as that which is y e very liuely word of God that euery Christen persons is bounden to embrace beleeue folow if he looke to be saued admonishing them neuerthelesse to auoyde all contention and alteration therein and to vse an honest sobrietie in the inquisition of the true sence of the same and to referre the explication of the obscure places to men of higher iudgement in scripture Item that ye shall euery sonday and holyday through the yeare openly plainly recite to your parishners twise or thrise together or oftner if neede require one Article or sentence of the Pater noster or Creede in Englishe to the enteÌ„t they may learne y e same by hart The Lordes praier to be learned in Englishe so froÌ„ day to day to geue theÌ„ one like lesson or senteÌ„ce of the same till they haue learned the whole Pater noster and Creede in Englishe by rote and as they be taught euery sentence of the same by rote ye shall expound declare the vnderstaÌ„ding of y e same vnto them exhorting al parents and housholders to teach their children and seruants the same as they are bound in conscience to do and that done ye shall declare vnto them the tenne commandements one by one euery sonday and holyday till they be likewise perfect in the same Item that ye shall in confessions euery Lent examine euery person that commeth to confession to you Sermons quarterly to be made whether they can recite the Articles of our faith and the Pater noster in Englishe and heare them say the same particularly wherein if they be not perfect ye shall declare to them that euery Christen person ought to know the same before they should receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Alter and monish them to learne the same more perfectly by the nexte yeare folowing or else like as they ought not to presume to come to Gods boord without perfect knowledge of the same and if they do it is to the great perill of their soules so ye shall declare vnto them that yee looke for other Iniunctions from the Kings highnes by that time to stay and repeale all such from Gods boord as shall be founde ignoraunt in the premisses wherefore do ye thus admonish them to the entent they should both eschue the perill of their soules and also the worldly rebuke that they might incurre heereafter by the same Item that ye shall make or cause to be made in the sayd Church and euery other cure ye haue one Sermon euery quarter of a yeare at the least wherein ye shall purely and sincerely declare the very Gospell of Christ and in y e same exhort your hearers to the workes of charitie mercy and faith specially prescribed and commaunded in scripture not to repose their trust or affiance in other workes deuised by mens fantasies besides scripture as in wandering to Pilgrimages offering of money candles or tapers to fained Reliques or Images or kissing or licking the same saieng ouer a number of beades not vnderstanded ne minded on or such like superstition for the doyng whereof ye not onely haue no promise of reward in Scripture but coÌ„trariwise great threats and maledictioÌ„s of God as things tending to Idolatrie and superstition whiche of all other offences God almighty doth most detest and abhorre for that the same diminisheth most his honour and glory Item that suche fayned Images as ye knowe in any of your cures to be so abused with Pilgrimages or oâ—â—erings of any thing made thereunto ye shall for auoiding of that most detestable offence of Idolatry Images pâ—led downe forthwith take downe without delay and shal suffer from henceforth no candles tapers or Images of waxe to be set afore any Image or picture but only the light that commonly goeth acrosse the Church by the roodeloft the light afore the Sacrament of the Altar and the light about the sepulchre whiche for the adorning of the Church and diuine seruice yee shall suffer to remayne still admonishing youre parishners that Images serue for none other purpose but as the bookes of vnlearned men that can no letters wherby they might be admonished of the liues and conuersation of them that the saide Images do represent Which Images if they abuse for any other inteÌ„t then for such remembrances they coÌ„mit Idolatrie in the same to the great danger of their soules and therfore the Kings highnes graciously tendering the weale of his subiects soules hath in part already more will hereafter trauaile for the abolishing of such Images as might bee occasion of so greate offence to God and so great a daunger to the soules of his louing subiects Item that in all suche benefices or cures as yee haue whereupon ye be not your self resident yee shall appoynte such Curates in your stead as both can by habilitie Good ministers to be placed will also promptly execute these iniunctions and do their duty otherwise that ye are bounden to do in euery behalfe accordingly and profite their cure no lesse with good example of liuing then with declaration of the word of God or else their lacke and defaults shall be imputed vnto you who shall straightly aunswer for the same if they do otherwise Item that you shall admit no man to preach within anye of your benefices or cures but suche as shall appeare vnto you to be sufficiently licenced therunto by the Kings highnes or his graces authority or the bishop of y e dioces and such as shal be so licenced ye shal gladly receiue to declare y e word of God without any resistance or coÌ„tradictioÌ„ Item if ye haue heretofore declared to your parishners any thing to y e extolling setting forth of pilgrimages Pilgrymage Images abandoned to fained reliques or images or any such superstitioÌ„ ye shall now openly afore the same recant reproue y e same shewing them as the truth is that you dyd the same vpon no ground of Scripture but as being led
ful of softnes and lenitie lowlines and humilitie patience and temperancie voyde of all wilfulnes tiranny yea it should cause them not to preuent 1. Thess. 5. but easily to followe the counsaile and doctrine of Christes Apostles holy saintes that be their interpretours Christians bidden to try spirites 1. Iohn 4. As S. Paul which writing vnto the Thessalonians would them all to proue al things and to retaine or hold that only which is good in refraining froÌ„ all that hath semblance of euil And Saint Iohn would haue Christian people 1. Iohn 1. to try the spirite of them that shoulde speake whether they were of God or no. Also he writing in another Epistle vnto a noble woman and vnto her children sayth If any person shall come vnto you bringing with them the doctrine that is not of Christ receiue hym not into your house ne make him any cheare So that in this he would haue women to knowe the doctrine of Christ and to loue that refusing to giue credence vnto forraine teaching not sauouring the same In the 1. Epistle also to the Corinthians S. Paule writing in general to all the inhabitants of that city saith Brethren 1. Cor. 14. be you not children in wit and vnderstanding but as concerning maliciousnes be you children In wit I would haue you perfite and why Uerily for none other cause but that we should as he writeth vnto the Hebrues haue discretion to iudge the good from ill and the ill from the good and so to be like men differing from beasts Psal· 32. according to y e saying of the prophet See that ye be not like vnto an horse or a mule which lacke vnderstanding And we should pray with him in another Psalme O Lord teach me the way that I should walke in Psal. 143. for I lift vp my soule vnto thee Saint Chrysostome according vnto this in a certaine of hys Commentaries vpon Mathew Chrisost. in opere imperfecto the booke is called Opus imperfectum writeth after this fashion so neare as my remembrance doth serue and certaine I am that I shall not misreport him and that I will be tried when soeuer it shall please you to bring the booke The priestes that were Pharises in the time sayth he of Christe made an ordinance that who so euer shoulde knowledge Iesus to be Christe should be accursed and excommunicate If then the Pharises or Priestes that now do occupy their rowmes should make a like ordinance because they would not haue Christes doctrine to be professed for hindring of their lucre should we therefore giue in all poyntes credence vnto them and leaue of to seeke after the knowledge of Christes doctrine Nay truely Why quoth he shal we not be excused herein by ignoraunce Authority of rulers wil not discharge our ignorance leeing we be forefended by the rulers to haue knowledge He aunswereth no verily for if saith he when thou desirest to buy cloth thou wilt not be content to see one merchaunts ware but go from the first to the second from the second to the third and so further to knowe where is the best cloth and best cheape thou vsing such careful diligence for a temporal profite art well worthy great reproche that wilt be more remisse and negligent for thy soule health Seeke therfore about from one Doctor or teacher vnto an other that thou mayest know who doth most duely and truely teache Christ and him follow accordâ—ng to the saying of the Apostle Prooue all and holde the good 1. Thess. 5. and as it is sayde in the Gospell that thou maist know Qui funt probati nummularij qui non That is to wit Math. â—5 know who be true or lawful chaungers or coyners Chris. Ibid. and who be not He also addeth another similitude or parable When thou goest quoth he a iourney not knowing perfitely the way thou wilt lest thou should fayle of the right way enquire of one man and after of an other and if thou shouldest chaunce to go somewhat wyde yet thou wilt not so leaue of the iourney vndone but make inquisition againe to come where thou wouldest rest So likewise sayth he ought wee to seeke about intentiuely for the wealth of our soule Qui sunt probi clauigeri qui non that is to saye who are the right key bearers and who not meaning thereby the key bearers Christes apostles and bearers of his testimony or message Which saying although it were written of no autenticall authour howbeit it is written euen of him whome I shewed you in the sayde worke but vttered of one that were in little estimation euery indifferent person hauing wit and reason would assent I doubt not that it is full true The same author also in an Epistle which you shall find in a work called Psegmata Chrysostomi Psegmata Chrisost. sheweth as I remember how certain men deemed ill of him for because he did study Origenes workes which afore was condemned for an heretick Lawfull to 〈◊〉 and try 〈◊〉 bookes but he maketh an Apologie to the same shewing that Christian men ought not to be reprehended for so doing In whiche Apologie he bringeth for his defence Hierome the saying of Paul aboue rehearsed Proue all thinges c. Likewise did S. Hierome I wote not well in what place of his works but you shal find it in a treatise called vnio dissidentium where he entreateth De maÌ„datis hominû When it was obiected agiynst him that he retained by him the workes of Eusebius of Origine studying vpon theÌ„ he bringeth for him that it was so lawfull the sayde place of the Apostle making therwith an aunswere worthye to be greatly noted The same is also reported in the booke called Ecclesiastica historia or els Historia Tripartita I wote not now precisely whether So that these and other moe authorities of the scripture and semblable ensamples of holy interpretours shall proue that I and other may safely no good law inhibiting vnles constitutions Pharisaical read and search the woorkes not onely of Luther but also of all other be they neuer so ill or good namely seeing I am a Priest whoÌ„ the bish of Norwich ought not to haue admitted into orders vnles he had seene me to haue had iudgement to discerne good from ill neither ought any of you to geue orders to any such in whom you do not finde like habilitie for to iudge the light from darckenes and the trueth from falshood and therefore if for this you would punish me I cannot see but you shall condemne your selues iudgyng rather of sensuall pleasure then of equitie which in men of your order were a great shame and much vncomely ¶ Unto your third demaund wherto you do aske whether I was constitute a Priest and in what dioces Answere to the third article Lambeâ—t made priest in Norwich and of what Bishop I say that I was made Priest in Norwich
the world to be foolish vnsauery for after that by the wisedome of God which is shewed in Scripture I suppose the world hath not studied to knowe God The wisedome of this world confounded by wisedome it hath pleased God now to saue them that beleue thorow the foolishnes of preaching He calleth the word of God foolish preaching Why the Gospell is called folish preaching not because it was foolish for afore he called it godly wisedome but he spake after the opinion of theÌ„ that set litle or nought therby esteming it as Esops Cock did the precious stone and as swine do pearles After long proces in the same matter he coÌ„cludeth thus BrethreÌ„ sayth he you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh are called to the beliefe of the Gospel nor many mighty men ne many of noble parentage but those that beâ— fooles after the estimation of the world hath God chosen to coÌ„found the wise c. Therfore I say as I sayd afore that thankes bee to God albeit I am as I shewed before voyd of such great prudency that other be well endued with yet I see partly how theyr great reasons be not very substantiall wherby they contend by the treaty of reason when authority fayleth theÌ„ to shew that we ought to pray to Sayntes departed for to be Mediators for vs to Christ. And amoÌ„g other this is one that they leaue much vpon bringing it forth so vsually that common people well nigh altogether harpe vpon the same Some fauoring it other contrariwise esteming it of no value The reason is this If wheÌ„ one shuld desire to come to y t speach of our soueraigne to obteine some bowne of hym Obiection to proue inuocation of 〈◊〉 takeÌ„ out of reasoÌ„ neede it were first to purchase the fauour of his Chamberlaines or some like officers to bring him to the kinges presence for els he may watch long in vayne vntill he be full a colde ere that he shall speake with his grace and muche lesse is hee like to obteine his petition In likewise it fareth as they say betwixt God and vs of whom if we should purchase any benefite we must first break vnto the Sayntes departed making them our freÌ„des to go betwext God and vs as Mediatours and Intercessors But such with theyr leaue I would speake it I thinke are deceyued Answere to the obiectioÌ„ wherein is declared that God and an earthly king are not to be conferred in that they resemble God and the king together For though the king be a full gracious Prince as I heare by common reporte he is yet he is not in graciousnesse to be conferred with God and though he were as gracious as might be yet hath he not the knowledge that is in God for God knewe of all thinges before the beginning of the world and is euery where to see not onely our outwarde dealing but also all secret thoughtes of all mens hartes so that he needeth no Mediatours to enforme him of our desires as the king doth neede And he is so full of infinite mercy that I may as lightly or as soone obtein of him that is for my behoofe as I shoulde wynne by praying holy Sayntes to be intercessors to him for me Therfore I passing such apparant reasons take me to the ensample of antiquity No comparison betwene God an earthly king I meane of the Patriarckes Prophets and the Apostles and authority of Scripture which teach that we need not so to feare but may boldly resort vnto Christ hymselfe and his holy Father for so much as he biddeth vs in these wordes and other lyke so for to do saying Come vnto me all ye that trauell are vexed and sore charged Math. 11 and I will refresh and ease you Marke how he biddeth vs to resort vnto himselfe and that without feare The Lord onely to be sought vnto with prayer For he and his father which are all one geueth abouÌ„dantly of all gooddnes vnto all men and vphrayde no body for theyr vnworthinesse But if we entend to obteyne of hym we must all doubtfulnes as I sayd afore put a part with a sure confidence of his mercy aske of him that we woulde haue So y e I leaue vnto other what they lust to doe praying Iesu that we al may lust for that that is most pleasing to him But I thinke concerning my selfe that according to Christes owne coÌ„maundemeÌ„t I may without any doubt casting resort in all encombraunces to seeke ease thereof euen vnto himselfe and to his blessed father Therefore he biddeth vs when we should pray to say after this fashion Our father which arâ— in heauen c. For there is no creature ne creatures that euer were or be that hath more nor so much neither of might God in myghte mercy knowledge incomparable wherby commeth hability to geue helpe ne of mercy and tendernes which should make them willing in proportion agreable with hability ne of knowledge that should teach to minister both the other as is our Lord God which not onely is almighty all mercifull and all wise but also infinite in all these glorious properties Might mercy knowledg how when whom to helpe so that vndoubtedly he can will best knoweth how to relieue and succour vs in all necessity anguish vnto whom be honor without end for euer Amen One thing yet I will shewe you in thys case of whych thing I was once aduertised by a great learned man who as I suppose is nowe liuing I will not name hym least I should perhaps cause any displeasure to be conceyued against him thorough my relation The thing was this The laying of a learned mâ—n I will quoth he pray vnto Saintes but that shall be when I thinke that God either can not Saintes are to be prayed to when God is not able or will not heare vs. or will not geue me my petition But that as I shewed in the conuocation house shall neuer be I hope And therfore it is to me needlesse to seeke any further about standing in such trust and beliefâ— as I hope I haue found vpon Gods sure promise ¶ To the 15. Article where you doe demaund whether the Saints in heauen as Mediatours pray for vs I say Answere to the 15. article that I beleue Saintes in heauen do pray for vs for I suppose they know that all meÌ„ generally liuing vpoÌ„ earth be wrapped in manifolde miseries like as they also were theyr soules being imprisoned within theyr bodyes beyng mortall Albeit I thinke they know not what particular miseries men vpoÌ„ earth be entangled and clogged with Saintes know no particular myseryes on earth as sheweth Augustine or els some other as I thinke rather vnder his name in a certayne worke saying in this wyse Ibi sunt spiritus defunctorum vbi non vident quaecunque aguntur aut eueniunt in ista vita hominum
this fourme ignoraunce sayth the Lawe marke it well I beseeche you al is the mother of all errours Ignorance mother of errour Which ought to be eschewed especially of Priests that among the people of God haue taken vpon theÌ„ the office of preaching priests are commaunded to reade holy Scriptures as sayth Paul the Apostle to Timothe Giue heede to reading exhortation 1. Tim. 4. and teaching and continue alwayes in the same Let priests therefore knowe holy Scripture and let all their labour be in preaching and teaching and let them edifie all men both in knowledge of fayth and in discipline of good workes Dist. 38. These be the wordes of the lawe in the Decrees Dist. 38. Where you see howe the Lawe lamenteth ignorance in al persons for it is the original of al errours God send vs therfore the knowledge of his true gospel Priestes to geue theÌ„selues rather to study theÌ„ to saying of mattens It biddeth that ignorance should be vtterly eschewed and principally of priestes whose labour and diligence shoulde be bestowed al in reading of scripture preaching the same bringing in for the same purpose the saying of the Apostle which willeth in like manner Moreouer it requireth that priests should giue al their study to edifie other in faith and vertuous liuing What priests ought to study Whereof I do gather both by the saying of the Prophet that willeth vs to be studyous in the Law of God day and night and by the saying of the Apostle whiche woulde haue Timothe to be occupied euer in reading and teaching and by the report of your owne Lawe which saith likewise that a priest ought to bestow al his labor in reading preaching So that a priest set thus truely to studye that hee may stablishe himselfe in the fayth of Christes doctrine intending after to helpe other with true preaching oâ— the same or doing other like deedes of charity assigned in the law of god shall not offend deadly if so spending his time he omitteth to say Mattens which is an ordinaunce of men Neuertheles concerning the huge multitude of such as be now made priestes by negligent admission of Bishops and their own presumption Negligence of Byshops in making priestes noted that labour to be made priests before they be any Clerkes and ere euer they knowe what is the very office of a priest do not feare to take vpon them if they may attayne therto to be a curate they recke not of how many so they may get a good lumpe of mony neuer minding after that the study of Scripture aâ—ter they are come to Dominus vobiscum for such I doe think long mattens to be needfull to restrayne them from other enormities that they should else runne in Of whiche you may be weary to see the experience thereof dayly arising Yea and if such woulde be content to admit it I woulde euery one mattens were as long to them as fiue except they could be stow theyr time better In the 26. where you doe aske whether I beleeue that the heades or rulers by necessity of saluation are bounde to geue vnto the people To the 26. article holy scripture in their mother language I say y t I think they are bound to see that the people may truely know holy Scripture I do not knowe how that may be done so well Scrypture in the vulgare tongue as by geuing it to them truly translated in the mother tongue that they may haue it by theÌ„ at al times to passe y e time godly when soeuer they haue leysure thereto like as they haue in Fraunce vnder y e French kings priuelege The French Byble translated into the French tongue with the kinges priuâ—ledge aboue 50. yeares before Lambertes time also with the priuiledge of the Emperour and so do I knowe that they haue had it these 50. yeres and 4. in Fraunce at the least and it was translated at the request of a king called I trowe Lewes as appeareth by the priueledge put in the beginning of the book In like manner haue they it in Flanders printed with y e priueledge of the Emperour In almayne also and Italy I suppose through all nations of ChristendoÌ„e Likewise hath it bene in England The Psalter translated by the king of England into the Saxon tongue Reade before pag. 145. S. Guthlakes Psalter as you may finde in the Englishe story called Polychronicon There it is shewed how wheÌ„ y e Saxons did inhabite the land the K. at that tyme which was a Saxon did himselfe translate the Psalter into the language that then was generally vsed Yea I haue seene a booke at Crowland Abbey whiche is kept there for a relique the booke is called S. Guthlakes Psalter and I ween verily it is a copy of the same that the king did translate for it is neither English Latine Greeke Hebrue nor Dutch but somewhat sounding to our English and as I haue perceiued sith the time I was last there being at Antwerpe the Saxon tongue doth sound likewise after ours and it is to ours partly agreable In the same story of Polychronicon is also shewed Bede translated the Gospell of S. Iohn into Englishe howe that S. Bede did translate the Gospell of Iohn into Englishe and the author of the same booke promised that he would translate into English all the Bible yea and perhaps hee did so but I wot not howe it commeth to passe all suche thinges be kept away They may not come to light for there are some walking priuily in darckenes that will not haue theyr doyngs knowen It is no lye that is spoken in the Gospel of Iohn Omnis qui male agit odit lucem All that doth noughtily Ioh. 3. hateth the light and will not haue theyr doynges knowne And therefore they keepe downe the light strongly for that opened and generally knowne The causes why the Scripture is not suffered to come to lighte all wrongfull conueyance should anone be disclosed and reprooued yea and all men shuld see anone whether those that hold agaynst vnrighteousnes being therfore sometime horribly infamed sclandered named heretickes and schismatickes were in deede as they be called or no. Yea moreouer I did once see a booke of the new Testament Diuers such testamentes are yet to be seene in diuers places of a longe continuance whiche was not vnwritten by my estimation thys C. yeares and in my minde right well translated after the example of that which is read in the church in Latine But he that shewed it me sayd he durst not be knowne to haue it by him for manye had bene punished aforetime for keeping of such and were conuict therefore of heresie Moreouer I was at Paules Crosse when the newe TestameÌ„t imprinted of late beyond the sea Errours found in the translated testameÌ„t where none was Malice neuer saith well was first forefended truely my hart lamented greatly to heare a
shal giue respite vntil a certaine day appointed So that in the meane while the suters may take deliberation thereof what is best to be done If after this they wil not thus rest at the day appointed shal they come forth into a common place and the great Bel of the Citie caused to be roÌ„g whereby the people shal be warned what they are about to do and the people assembled the Iudges shal in full chargeable lamentable wise charge the parties vnder vertue of their othe to make true relation of y e shal be demaunded So y t by reason of soberly fatherly exhortations made of the Iudges or Peeres of the Towne and perswasion of neighbours and for auoyding of Gods displeasure Iury and swearing well excluded out of Germanye and shame of men there is litle sute in courts if at any time any be made they be lightly stopped So that Iurie and swearing is well excluded and neede not much to be required This haue I shewed because it pitieth me to heare and see the contrary vsed in some of our nation The rash lenity in spirituall men causing men strayght wayes for euery light matter to sweare such also as name themselues spiritual men and should be head Ministers of the Church who incoÌ„tinent as any man commeth before them anone they cal for a book and do mone him to sweare without any longer respite yea they wil charge him by vertue of the contentes in the Euangely to make true relation of all that they shall demaunde him he not knowing what they will demaunde neither whether it be lawfull to shew them the truth of their demaundes or no For such things there be that are not lawful to be shewed As if I were accused of fornication none could be found in me or if they shold require me to sweare to bewray any other that I haue known to offend in that vice A man is not bound 〈◊〉 detect an other mans 〈◊〉 before â—â—dge in 〈◊〉 I suppose it were expedient to holde me stil not to folow their wil for it should be contrary to charitie if I should so assent to bewray them that I neede not and to whom perhappes though I haue known them to offend yet trusting of their amendment I haue promised afore to keepe their fault secret without any disclosing of the same Yea moreouer if suche Iudges somtime not knowing by anye due proofe that such as haue to do afore them â—â—we compâ—â—leth no man to bewray himselfe are culpable wil enforce them by an othe to detecte themselues in opening before them their harts in this so doing I can not see that men neede to condescende in their requestes For it is in the law but I wotte not certainly the place thus â—â—w punisheth no maÌ„ for thought Nemo tenetur prodere semetipsum that is to say No man is bound to bewray himselfe Also in another place of y e law it is written Cogitationis poenam nemo patiatur No man should suffer punishment of men for his thought To this agreeth the common Prouerbe that is thus Cogitationes liberae sunt à vectigalibus Tâ—oughtes 〈◊〉 free and 〈◊〉 to pay â—â—tole That is to say thoughtes be free and neede to pay no tole So that to conclude I thinke it lawfull at the commandement of a Iudge to make an othe to say the truth specially if a Iudge requireth an othe duely and in lawful wise or to make an oth in any other case conuenieÌ„t and that also for purgation of infamie No man is 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 himselfe by the lawe To the 42. article when any infamie is lawfully layd against a man ¶ In the xlij where you aske whether a Christen person despising the receite of the Sacramentes of confirmation extreame vnction or solemnising of Matrimony do sinne deadly I say like of the recite of them as I haue sayd before of the selfe thinges and none otherwise ¶ In the xliij where you aske whether I beleeue that S. Peter was Christes Uicare hauing power vpon earth to binde lose I say that I do not perceiue clearely what you meane by this terme Uicare To the 43. article For Christ neuer called Peter ne none other so in Scripture If you meane thereby that after the departing hence of Christ when he was risen from death in his immortall body and so styed into heauen whereas he remayneth sitting vpon y e right hand of his Father â—ear of â—â—rist that he so being away from hence S. Peter occupied his roume then I say it is not vntrue but Peter in a manner which I shal shew here vnder was his Uicar and like as Peter was his Uicar euen so was Paule and the other Apostles and the one no lesse then the other if it be true â—â—ter no â—â—re vicar of Christ â—â—n Paule 〈◊〉 other Apostles Math. 16. that S. Cyprian doth write whiche is also consenting to Scripture he sayth thus That Christe spake vnto Peter saying I say quoth our Sauiour that thou art Peter and vppon this rocke of stone shall I builde my congregation and the gates of hel shal not ouercome it To thee will I giue the keies of heauen what thinges thou shalt binde vpon earth the same shal be bounde also in heauen and what so euer thou shalt lose vpon earth shal be losed also in heauen And to him after his resurrection doth Christ say feed my sheepe And albeit that hee gaue equall power vnto all his Apostles after his resurrection and saith Cypria de simplicitate Prelatorum like as my Father sent me do I also send you Take you the holy ghost If you shal retayne to any man his sinnes they shal be retayned If you shal remitte to any man his sinne to him they shal be remitteâ— Neuerthelesse because he woulde declare vnitie Iohn 20. he ordayned by his authoritie the originall of the same vnitie beginning of one The other Apostles truely were the same that Peter was induced with equall partaking both of honor and authoritie or power Vnitye but the beginning commeth of one that the congregation shoulde be shewed to be one These are the wordes of Cyprian in a treatise that is called De simplicitate Praelatorum wherein you may see that Christ made all the Apostles of equal honour and like authoritie Notwithstanding because he would testifie the vnitie of his Church or Congregation he spake The only person of Peter declareth the vnity of the Church as it were alonely vnto Peter when he sayd feede my sheepe And I shall geue thee Peter the keyes of heauen but in so saying though the wordes seeme spoken to Peter onely yet they were spoken vnto him Peter heareth the person of the whole Church in that hee sustayned the generall person of all the Church being as it were a common speaker for the same So that in speaking to him Christ
the L. Cromwel and so caried into his inward chamber where as it is reported of many L. Cromwell desired of Lambert forgeuenes that Cromwell desired him of forgeuenes for that he had done Ther at the last Lambert being admonished that the houre of his death was at hande hee was greatly comforted and cheared and being broughte out of the chamber into the Hal he saluted the gentlemen and sate downe to breakfast wyth them shewing no manner of sadnesse or feare When as the breakfast was ended he was caried straight way to the place of execution wher as hee shoulde offer hymselfe vnto the Lorde a sacrifice of sweete sauour who is blessed in his Saintes for euer and euer Amen As touching the terrible maner and fashion of the burning of this blessed Martyr heere is to be noted that of all other which haue beene burned and offered vp at Smithfielde there was yet none so cruelly and piteously handled as he For after that his legges were consumed and burned vp to the stumpes and that the wretched tormentours and enemies of God had withdrawne the fire from him so that but a small fire and coales were left vnder hym then two that stoode on eche side of him with their Hallebardes pitched him vpon their pikes as farre as the chaine wolde reache after the manner forme as here in this picture is described Then hee lifting vp such handes as hee had and his fingers endes flaming with fire The worâ—eâ— which he spake at his death cried vnto the people in these wordes None but Christ none but Christ and so being let downe againe from their Hallebardes fell into the fire and there gaue vp his life The order and maner of the burning of the constante Martyr in Christ Iohn Lambert During the time that hee was in the Archbyshoppes Warde at Lambeth which was a little before his disputation before the king he wrote an excellent confession or defence of his cause vnto king Henrie Wherein he first moâ—lifying the kings minde and eares w t a modest sober preface declaring how he had a double hope of solace laid vp the one in the most high and mighty Prince of Princes God the other nexte vnto God in hys Maiestie which shoulde represent the office and ministerie of that most high Prince in gouerning here vppon earth after that proceeding in gentle wordes he declared y e cause which mooued him to that which he had done And albeit he was not ignorant howe odious this doctrine woulde be vnto the people yet notwithstanding because he was not also ignoraunt how desirous the kynges mind was to search out the trueth The Apology of Iohn Lambert vnto the king he thought no time vnmeete to performe his duetie especially for so muche as hee woulde not vtter those thyngs vnto the ignoraunt multitude for auoiding of offence but only vnto the Prince him selfe vnto whom he might safely declare his minde After thys Preface made hee entring into the Booke The prefâ—â— of his Apologie confirmed his doctrine touchinge the Sacramente by diuers testimonies of the Scriptures by the whiche Scriptures hee prooued the bodye of Christe whether it riseth or ascendeth or sitteth or be conuersant here to be alwaies in one place Then he gathering together the mindes of the auncient Doctours did proue and declare by sufficient demonstration y e sacrament to be a misticall matter Albeit hee so ruled himselfe in suche temperaunce and moderation that he did not deny but that the holy sacrament was the very naturall bodye of our sauiour and the wine hys naturall bloud and that moreouer his naturall body bloud were in those misteries but after a certayne maner as al y e auncient Doctours in a maner do interprete it After this protestation thus made hee inferreth y e sentence of his confession as here followeth * A treatise of Iohn Lambert to the king CHrist is so ascended bodily into heauen his holy maÌ„hode thether so assumpt whereas it doth sit vppon the right hand of the father A treatise of Iohn Lambert vppon the Sacrament to the king that is to say is with the Father there remanent and resident in glory that by the infallible promise of God it shall not or cannot from thence return before the generall dome whiche shall be in the ende of the world And as he is no more corporally in the world so caÌ„ I not see how he can be corporally in the sacrament or his holy supper And yet notwithstanding do I knowledge confesse that the holy sacrament of Christes body bloud is his very body bloud in a certayne maner which shall be shewed hereafter with your graces fauour permissioÌ„ according to the wordes of our sauiour instituting y e same holy sacrament saying This is my body whiche is geueÌ„ for you Math. 26. And agayne This is my bloud which is of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes But now for approuing of the first part that Christ is so bodily ascended into heauen and his holy manhoode so thether assumpte c. that by the infallible promise of God he shall not or cannot any more from thence boldly return before the generall dome I shall for this alledge first the scriptures and following the authorities of olde holye Doctors w t one consent testifying with me Besides thys I neede not to tel that the same is no other thing but that we haue taught to vs in these 3. articles of our Creede He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of GOD the father almightye from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead For Christ did ascend bodily the God head which is infinite vncircuÌ„scriptible replenishing both heauen and earth being immutable and vnmooueable so that properly it can neither ascend nor descend Scriptures affirming the same The Scriptures whych I promised to alledge for the confirmation of my sayd sentence be these Hee was lifted vp into heauen in their sight Act. 1. and a cloude receaued him from theyr eyes and when they were looking vp into heauen they sawe two men c. Heere it is euidently shewed that Christ departed and ascended in a visible and circumscripte body That thys departing was visible and in a visible bodye these woordes doe testifie And when they were looking vppe Whye stande ye heere looking vppe into heauen And euen as yee haue seene him c. That secondly it was in body I haue afore prooued and moreouer the Deitie is not sene but is inuisible as appeareth To God onely inuisible c. and He dwelleth in the inaccessible lighte 1. Tim. 1. 1. Tim. 6. whiche no man seeth nor may see c. Therfore the manhead and naturall body was assumpt or did ascend That thirdly it was in a circumscript body appeareth manifestly in this First y t his ascension and bodily departing caused them to loke vp
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
deuil and not God To that I aunswered that I neuer spake such words But as I said afore both to the Quest and to my Lord Mayor so say I now agayne that the wickednes of the priest should not hurt me but in spirit and fayth I receiued no lesse then the body and bloude of Christ. Then sayd the Byshop vnto me what saying is this in spirite I will not take you at the aduauntage Then I answered my Lord without fayth and spirite I cannot receiue him worthily 2 Article Then he sayd vnto me that I should say that the Sacrament remayning in the pixe was but bread I answered that I neuer said so but in deede the Quest asked me such a question whereunto I would not answer I sayd till such tyme as they had assoâ—led me this questioÌ„ of mine wherfore Stephen was stoned to death They sayd they knew not Then sayd I againe no more would I tell theÌ„ what it was Then said my Lord vnto me that I had alledged a certain text of the scripture 3. article I answered that I alledged none other but S. Paules owne saieng to the Athenians in the xviij chap. in the Apostles acts that God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Then asked he me what my fayth and beliefe was in that matter I aunswered him I beleue as the Scripture doth teach me Then inquired he of me what if the Scripture doe say that it is the body of Christ I beleue sayd I as the scripture doth teach me 4. article Then asked he agayne what if the scripture do say that it is not the body of Christ My aunswer was still I beleue as the scripture informeth me And vpon this argument he taried a great while to haue driuen me to make him an aunswere to his mynde Howbeit I would not but concluded this with him that I beleeue therin and in all other things as Christ and his holy apostles did leaue them Then he asked me why I had so few wordes And I answered An. Askew charged with few wordes God hath geuen me the gift of knowledge but not of vtterance And Salomon saith That a woman of few wordes is a gift of God Prou. xix Fiftly my Lord laid vnto my charge that I should saye that the Masse was superstitious 5. Article wicked no better then idolatry I aunswered him no I said not so Howbeit I say the quest did aske me whether priuate masse did relieue soules departed or no Unto whom then I answered O Lord what idolatry is this that we should rather beleeue in priuate masses then in the healthsome death of the dere sonne of God Then said my Lord againe what an aunswer is that though it be but meane sayd I yet it is good enough for the question Then I told my Lord that there was a priest which did heare what I said there before my L. Mayor them With that the Chancellor answered which was the same Priest So she spake it in very deede sayth he before my L. Maior and me Then were there certaine Priests as D. Standish and other which tempted me much to know my mind And I answered them alwayes thus that I sayd to my Lorde of London I haue said Then D. Standish desired my Lord to bid me say my mynd concernyng the same text of Saint Paules learning that I being a woman should interpret the Scriptures specially where so many wise learned men were Then my L. of London sayd he was informed that one should aske of me if I would receiue the sacrament at Easter and I made a mocke of it Then I desired that myne accuser might come foorth An. Askew â—â—uld not 〈◊〉 her 〈◊〉 which my L. would not But he said agayne vnto me I sent one to geue you good counsell and at the first worde you called him Papist That I denied not for I perceiued he was no lesse yet made I hym none answer vnto it Then he rebuked me and sayd that I should reporte that there were bent against me threescore priests at Lincolne The Priestes 〈◊〉 Lincolne â—gaynst An. â—skew In deed quoth I I sayd so For my friendes tolde me if I did come to Lincolne the priests would assault me and put me to great trouble as therof they had made their boast and when I heard it I went thither in deede not being afraid because I knew my matter to be good More ouer I remained there ix dayes to see what would be said vnto me And as I was in the Minster reading vpon the Bible they resorted vnto me by ij and by ij by v. and by vj. minding to haue spoken vnto me yet went they theyr wayes agayne without wordes speaking Then my L. asked if there were not one that did speak vnto me I told him yes that there was one of them at the last which did speake to me in deed And my L. then asked me what he sayd And I told him his words were of smal effect so that I did dot now remember them Then sayde my L. there are many that read and know the scripture yet follow it not nor liue therafter I said againe Anne Askew standeth vpon her honesty my L. I would wish that all men knew my conuersation liuyng in all points for I am sure of my selfe this houre y t there are none able to proue any dishonesty by me If you know any that can do it I pray you bring them forth Then my L. went away and said he would entitle some what of my meaning and so he wrote a great circumstaÌ„ce But what it was I haue not all in memory for he would not suffer me to haue the copy therof Onely do I remember this small portion of it Be it knowen saith he of all men Bonners misreport of An. Askewes confessioÌ„ that I Anne Askew do confesse this to be my faith and beliefe notwithstaÌ„ding my reportes made afore to the contrary I beleue that they which are houseled at the hands of a Priest whether hys conuersation be good or not do receiue the body and bloud of Christ in substance really Also I do beleeue that after the consecration whether it be receiued or reserued it is no lesse then the very body and bloud of Christ in substance Finally I do beleeue in this and in all other Sacraments of holy Church in all pointes according to the old Catholike faith of the same In witnes wherof I the sayde Anne haue subscribed my name There was somewhat more in it which because I had not the copy I cannot now remember Then he read it to me and asked me if I did agree to it And I sayd againe I beleue so much therof as the holy scripture doth agree vnto wherefore I desire you that ye will adde that therunto Then he answered The tenor of D. Boners writing wherunto â—n Askew subscribed that I should not teach hym what he should write
adherents do pursue therefore the Pope Byshops and Cardinals and their adherents are Antichrists I weene our Sillogismus be well made fol. 9. The place annexed The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuela is this I will shew thee an euident reason that thou mayst know without doubting which is the very Antichrist and this argument may be grounded of their furious persecution which Paul doth confirme writing to the GalathiaÌ„s We deare brethren are the children oâ— promise as Isaac was not the sonnes of the bond woman as Ismaell but as he that was borne aâ—ter the flesh did persecute him that was borne after y e spirite euen so is it now Mark Paules reason By Isaac are signified the elect and by Ismaell the reprobate Isaac did not persecute Ismaell but contrarye Ismaell did persecute Isaac Now let vs make our reasoÌ„ Bar All they that do persecute are Ismaell be reprobates and Antichristes ba But all the popes Cardinals bishops Maior and theyr adherentes do persecute ra Therefore all the popes cardinals bishops Minor their adherents be Ismaell reprobates and Antichristes I weene our Sillogismus is well made and in the first figure Read the place and see how he proueth the partes of this argument more at large Conclusio 13 I thinke verily that so long as the successours of the Apostles were persecuted and martyred 13. article there were good Christen men and no longer fol. 10. The Bishops of Rome in the primitiue Churche were vnder persecution the space welneare of 300. yeares vnder y e which persecution as good as 30. of them and moe dyed martyrs Since that time haue succeeded 204. popes whiche haue liued in great wealth and aboundance amongest whom if the booke of Reuelation thinke that there is not 4. to be found good christen men I thinke no lesse but that he may so thinke without any heresie 14 It is impossible that the worde of the Crosse shoulde be without affliction and persecution fol. 10. 14. article S. Paule sayth 2. Tim. 3. who soeuer will liue vertuously in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution And how then caÌ„ this be true in Paule and in this man heresie 15 That the Apostles did curse euer anye man 15. article truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them fol. 11. Upon what good ground of the ReuelatioÌ„ this heresie is wroung out let the place be conferred The place annexed which is written in these wordes following They are as mercifull as the Woolfe is on his pray They were ordeyned to blesse men but they curse as the deuill were in them Paule sayth that he hath power to edifie and not to destroy 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. But I wot not of whom these bloudy beastes haue their authority which do so much reioyce in cursing destruction We reade how Paule did excoÌ„municate the Corinthian and y t for a great transgressioÌ„ to the entent that he might be ashamed of his iniquity 1. Cor. 5. and desired agayne the Corinthians to receaue hym with all charitie 2. Cor. 2. but that the Apostles did curse anye man truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them and to pray for those that persecuted them c. 16 By workes superstitions and ceremonies we decay from the faith which alone doth truely iustifie and make holy fol. 15. 16. article Note here good reader how peruersly corruply this article is drawne For where the place of this book which is written fol. 15. expresly speaketh of trusting to workes meaning that we should put no confidence in workes but onely in fayth in Christ Iesus False wrasting this article to make it appeare more infamous and hereticall leaueth out the false trust and speaketh simply as though workes should decay fayth Read the place which is written in these wordes folowing Daniell calleth not this word Peschaim any maner of sinne but those speciall and chiefe sinnes whiche resist and fight agaynst the truth and the fayth as at the trusting in workes superstitions and ceremonies by y e which we decay from the fayth c. 17 The abusion of the Masse with all his solemnityes with vigils yeare mindes foundations burials 17. article and all the busines that is done for the dead is but a face and a cloke of godlynes and deceiuing of the people as they were good workes rather for the dead then for the quicke fol. 24. True godlines consisteth in fayth that is in the true knowledge of the sonne of God whom he hath sent and in y e obseruation of Gods coÌ„maundements All their rites additions instituted by man are no part of true godlines And who so putteth trust and confidence therein as being thinges meritorious for the dead is deceiued Suche funerals S. Austen calleth rather refreshinges of the liuing then releuinges and helpes of the dead 18 To keep and obserue one day to fast an other to abstaine to forbeare such a meate vpon the fasting day to deserue heauen therby is a wicked face and cloke agaynst Paul fol. 29. 18. Article The trueth of this article is manifest enough to be voyd of all errour and heresie vnlesse it be heresie to beleue and hold w t the scripture s. Paule sayth Galat. 2. if heauen our righteousnes come by the law then Christ died in vayne Gal. 2. 19. article 19 The multiplication of holydayes of feastes of Corpus Christi of the visitation of our Lady c. is a wicked face and colour and in deede foolish vnprofitable and vayne fol 30. This Article likewise nedeth no declaration conteining in it a true and necessary complaint of suche superfluous holydayes of the Popes making Which as they bring with them much occasion of wickednes idlenes dronkennesse and vanitie so hauing also ioined vnto them opinion of religion and meritorious deuotion and Gods seruice they gender superstition nourish the people in the same 20 Keeping of virginitie and chastitie of religion is a diuelishe thing 20 article fol. 30. The place cited in the booke of the Reuelation of Antichrist A other place falsly depraued by the Papistes doth sufficiently open it selfe speaking and meaning onely of those Monkishe vowes whiche by the canonicall constitution of the Pope are violeÌ„tly forced vpon Priests and Monkes the coaction whereof S. Paule doth rightly call the doctrine of deuils And here note by y e way another tricke of a Popishe cauiller For where the wordes of the booke speake plainely of the chastitie of the religious fraudulently turning it to an vniuersalitie sayeth the chastitie of Religion whereby it might seeme to the simple reader more odious hereticall The words of the place be these Keeping of virginitie chastitie of the religious semeth to be a godly and a heauenly thing but it is a
as theyr hed and superior and in that he doth obey them taketh vpon him the office or ministery committed vnto him he confesseth thereby that he hath a societie and fellowship w t them but no rule nor impery ouer them as he writeth in his epistle Peter hath 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 apostles 〈◊〉 no rule 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—stles But if none of these examples were euident or manifest the onely epistle to the Galathians were sufficieÌ„t to put vs out of all doubt where as S. Paule almost thoroughout two whole chapters doth nothing els but declare and affirme himselfe to be equall vnto Peter in the honour or dignitie of the Apostleship For first of all he reherseth how he went vp to Ierusalem vnto Peter not to the intent to professe any homage and subiection vnto him but onely to witnesse with a common consent and agreement vnto all men the doctrine which they taught that Peter did require no such things at his hand but gaue vnto him the right side or vpper hand of the fellowship that they might iointly together labour in the vineyard of the Lord. 〈◊〉 equal 〈◊〉 Peter Moreouer that he had no lesse fauour and grace amongst the Gentils then Peter had amongst the Iewes and finally when as Peter did not faithfully execute hys office and ministerie he was by him rebuked Peter became obedient vnto his correction All these things do euidently proue that there was equalitie betweene Paule and Peter and also that Peter had no more power ouer the residue of the Apostles then he had ouer Paule The which thing S. Paule euen of purpose doth intreat of lest that any man should preferre Peter or Iohn before hym in the office of Apostleship which were but his companions not Lordes ouer one a other WherupoÌ„ theâ—â— places of scripture work this effect y t I cannot acknowledge Peter to be superior or hed ouer other Apostles neyther y e Pope over other bishops But I acknowledge confesse Christ to be the only head of the church the foundation and high priest therof the which with one only oblation hath made perfect for euermore all those which are sanctified Christ the onely â—ead of the Church And I boldly doe affirme and say with S. Gregory that whosoeuer calleth himselfe or desireth to be named or called the head or vniuersal priest or bishop in that his pride he is the forerider or predecessor of Antichrist for so much as thorough his pride he doth exalt himselfe aboue all others Furthermore where as they alledge out of the olde law the high priesthood and the supreme iudgemeÌ„t which God did institute and ordaine at Ierusalem I aunswer therunto that Christ was that high bishop Vniuersall Byshop spoken agaynst by Gregory vnto whome the right and title of priesthood is now transported and referred Neither is there any man so impudent which will take vpon hym to succeed in the place or degree of hys honour For so much as this priesthood doth not consist only in learnyng but in the propitiation and mercy of God The highe priesthood in the olde lawe 〈◊〉 not proue Peter or the Popes supremacye which Christ hath fulfilled by his death and in the intercession by the which he doth nâ—w intreat for vs vnto hys father Whereas also they do alledge out of the 16. chapter of Mathew thou art Peter and vpon this rocke c. If they do thinke that this was perticularly spoken vnto Peter S. Cyprian and S. Augustine shall sufficiently aunswere them that Christ did it not for this purpose to preferre one man aboue all the residue but that thereby he might commend and set forth the vnitie of the church for so â—ayth S. Cyprian in the person of one man The place of Mathew thou aâ—te Peter and vpon this rocke Math. 16. expounded God gaue vnto him al the kayes that he might therby signify the vnity of theÌ„ all For euen as Peter was euen the very same were all the residue beyng endued with like fellowship of honour and dignity But it was conuenient that it should take his originall of one that the church of God might be manifested to be one only Saint Augustines wordes are these Cypriane if the mistery of the church were not in Peter the Lorde would not haue sayde vnto hym I wyll geue vnto thee y e kaies of the kingdome of heauen If this were spoken vnto Peter the church hath them not If the Church haue them Then Peter when he receyued the kayes did figurate the whole church Agayne when as they were all demaunded and asked only Peter answered Thou art Christ. Then was it sayd vnto him I will geue vnto thee the kaies as though that he alone had receyued the power of bindyng and loosing for like as he alone spake that for them all Augustine so he as it were bearing the person of that vnity receiued the same with them all Therfore one for them all because he is vnited vnto them all Another argument they doe gather vppon the wordes which Christ spake vnto Peter Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke will I builde my church The which wordes are not found to be spoken vnto any other of the apostles The which argument shal easily be dissolued if we did vnderstand know why Christ did geue Peter that name which otherwise was called Simon In the first chapter of Iohn Christ speaketh thus vnto hym Thou shalt be called Cephas the which by interpretation signifieth Peter in that point hauing respect vnto the constant confession of Christ which he had made lyke as God changed the name of Abraham who at the first was called Abram because he should be a father of many nations then euen as Abraham took his name of y e multitude which should come forth of his seede so likewyse Peter tooke his name of the constaunt confession of Christ which in deed is the true rocke wherupon y e church is builded and not Peter himselfe No otherwise then Abraham which was not the multitude it selfe whereof he tooke his name Besides this the church should be stayed or builded vpon ouer weak a foundation if it should haue Peter for the ground or foundation thereof who beyng amased and ouercome with the words of a little wench did so constantly deny Christ. Nowe therfore I thinke there is no man but that doth vnderstand how these Romishe builders do wrest the scriptures hether and thether like vnto the rule or squire do apply them accordyng to their wils to what end and vse they theÌ„selues thinke good Furthermore in that they doe alledge out of the xx chapiter of Iohn feede my sheepe it is ouer childish and argument for to sheepe is not to beare rule and dominion ouer the whole Church besides all this as Peter had receiued coÌ„maundement of the Lord An other obiection papisticall resolued so doth he exhort all other Bishops to feed their flocke in
thereof Peter and Paul wherof the one of thē dareth not freely vtter or speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by hymselfe for the obedience of the Gentiles The other exhorteth that if any man speake he should speake the praises of God but I condemne those lawes which the bishops of Rome haue made accordyng to their owne will and mynde and say that they are spirituall pertainyng vnto the soule and necessarie vnto euerlastyng lyfe For so much as the writyngs of the Apostles doe euidently declare that there was no authoritie knowen amongest them to make or ordayne any ordinaunces or lawes Furthermore the Scriptures do manifestly shewe the same how oftentimes euen by the Lordes owne mouth this foresayd authoritie is taken from the Ministers of the Church so that no excuse for them remayneth but that they be playne rebelles agaynst the worde of GOD how many so euer doe presume or take vppon them to appoint or set any new lawes vpon the people of GOD whiche thyng is more manifest and euident then the lyght it selfe in many places of the Scripture For in the 23. chapter of Iosue it is written you shall obserue and doe all that is written in the lawe of Moyses neyther shall you swarue from that eyther to the ryght hande eyther to the lefte hand But that which is written in the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomium ought to mooue them somewhat the more Whatsoeuer I commaund sayth the Lorde that you shall obserue and doe thereunto you shall adde nothing neyther shall you take any thyng from it The lyke he had sayd before in the fourth chapter of the same booke And agayne Moyses in the xxx chapiter of the same booke doth witnesse that he dyd put foorth lyfe and blessing vnto Israell when as he gaue them that lawe which he had receiued of the Lord. How can they then excuse themselues of periury which ordaine new lawes to liue by But let vs proceede further and see what authoritie the Priestes of Leuies stocke had to make lawes I doe not denye but that God in the xvij chapter of Deuteronomie ordayned vnder a great penaltie that the authoritie of the Priestes should not be contemned but had in reuerence But in the ij of Malachie He also declareth vnder what condition they are to be heard where as he sayth he hath made a couenaunt with Leuy that the law of truth should be in hys mouth and by and by after he added the lips of the Priest shall keepe and maintayne wisedome and the law they shall require at hys mouth which is the messenger of the Lord of hostes Therefore it is fitte and necessary that if a Priest will be heard that he doe shew himselfe the messenger of God that is to say faythfully to report and declare the commaundements which he hath receiued of the Lorde For where as Malachie speaketh of hearyng of them he putteth this specially that they doe aunswere accordyng to the lawe of the Lorde Therefore lyke as the Leuiticall Priestes did breake theyr couenaunt made with GOD if they do teache any other lawe then that which they had receyued of hym So likewyse these men muste eyther acknowledge themselues to be couenant breakers or els they may not bynde the consciences of men with no new lawe Furthermore what power the Prophetes had vniuersally it is very liuely described in Ezechiel in his xxxiij chapter Thou sonne of man sayth the Lord I haue made thee a guide vnto the house of Israel thou shalt heare the word out of myne owne mouth Ezechiel cap. 55. and declare it vnto them from me He then which is commaunded to heare of the mouth of the Lord is he not forbidden to rehearse or speake any thing of hymselfe For what other thyng is it to speake from the Lord but so to speake that he may boldly affirme and say that it is not his word but the word of the Lorde which he speaketh Further God by his Prophet Ieremy calleth it chaffe what so euer doth not proceede from hymselfe Wherefore none of the Prophetes haue opened theyr mouthes at any tyme to speake but beyng premonished before by the worde of GOD. Whereupon it happeneth that these wordes are so often pronounced by them The worde of the Lord The charge or burden of the Lord The vision of the Lord Thus sayth the Lord The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now that we may also confirme that which is before spoken by the examples of the Apostles that they haue taught nothyng but that whiche they haue learned of the Lorde the law which Christ prescribed vnto them when as he endowed them with the dignitie and honour of the Apostleship is somewhat more profoundly to be repeated In the last chapiter of Mathew he commandeth them to go foorth and teach not such thyngs as they themselues did rashly inuent or deuise but those things which he had commaunded them Furthermore Paule in the second to the Collossians denieth that he hath any dominion or rule ouer the fayth of the Corinthians albeit he was ordayned by the Lorde to be their Apostle If you require and desire a further reason of the moderation of Saint Paule read the tenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines where as he teacheth That fayth commeth by hearyng it commeth not by the dreames of the Bishop of Rome or by any other Bishop but onely by the worde of God neyther ought any man to thinke it straunge that neyther Christ restrayned hys Apostles by the lawe that they should not teache any thyng but that which they had learned of the mouthe of the Lord. He set the same law vppon himselfe because it should not be lawfull for any man to refuse it My doctrine sayth Christ is not myne but hys which sent me my fathers he which hath bene the onely and eternall counseller of the father which also is ordayned by the Father the Lord and Maister ouer all for so much yet as he doth the office and part of a Minister he doth by hys example prescribe vnto all Ministers what rule and order they ought to followe in teachyng wherfore the power of the Church is not such that it may at hys owne wyll and discretion teach new doctrines eyther as they terme it frame new Articles of fayth either establish new laws but is subiect vnto the worde of the Lorde and as it were included in the same But now let vs beholde what defence they do bryng for their constitutions The Apostles say they and the Elders of the Primitiue Church established a decree besides the commandement of Christ wherby they did commaunde all people to abstayne from all things offered vnto Idols suffocation and bloud The Church subiect to the word of God Reasons wherewith they defēd their constitutions If that were lawfull for them so to doe why is it not lawfull for their successour as often as necessitie shall require to imitate
Pope Leo with what heape of tragicall wordes and exclamations doth he fare and rage agaynst y e true seruant of God poore Luther for disturbing y e church of God when it is the Pope onely his fathers house that troubleth and long hath troubled the true Church of the Lord as by his doings all the world may see enough to much In the meane time read I besech thee with iudgement this impudent false slaunderous Bull of the Pope with the appeale also of Luther agayn from the sayd pope The copy wherof because they be rare to be gotten hath not bene hetherto commonly sene being before omitted I thought to coÌ„mit here to history as I had it out of certayn Registers the maner tenor wherof is this as foloweth A copy of the Bull of Pope Leo x. no lesse sclaunderous then barbarous agaynst Martin Luther and his doctrine Leo Papa .x. LEo Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei ad perpetuam rei memoriam Exurge Domine iudica causam tuam The Bul of pope Leo agaynst M. Luther Memor esto impropriorum eorum quae ab insipientibus fiunt tota die Inclina aurem tuam ad preces nostras quoniam surrexerunt vulpes querentes demoliri veneam cuius tu torcular solus calcasti ascensurus ad patrem eius curam regimeÌ„ Que sequntur vide superiore aeditione Pag. 1459. administrationem Petro tanquam capiti tuo vicario eiusque successoribus instar triumphantis Ecclesiae commisisti c. ¶ The sayd sclaunderous and barbarous Bull of Pope Leo the x. agaynst Luther in English with the aunswere of Luther ioyned to the same LEo Byshop seruaunt of the seruauntes of God for a perpetual memory hereof Rise vp O Lord iudge thy cause Remember the rebukes wherewith we are scorned all the day loÌ„g of foolish rebukers Encline thy eare to our prayers The Popes Bull in Engliâ—he for Foxes are risen vp seeking to destroy thy vineyarde the vinepresse wherof thou onely hast trodeÌ„ and ascending vp to thy Father hast committed the charge and regiment therof vnto Peter as chiefe head and to thy Uicare and his successors The wilde Bore out of the woode seeketh to exterminate and roote vp thy Uineyard Rise vp Peter and for this thy pastorall charge committed to thee from aboue enteÌ„d to the cause of the holy Church of Rome the mother of all churches Note here and marke good reader how the Church of Rome holdeth by the bloud of S. Peter not by the bloud of Christ. and of our fayth which thou by the commaundement of God didst consecrate wyth thine owne bloud agaynst which as thou hast foretold vs false lyers haue risen vp bringing in sects of perdition to their owne spedy destruction Whose touÌ„g is like fire full of vnquietnes and replenished with deadly poysoÌ„ who hauing a wicked zeale and nourishing contentions in theyr harts do bragge and lye agaynst the verity Rise vp Paul also we pray thee which hast illuminate the same Church with thy doctrine and like martyrdome For now is sprong vp a new Porphecy who as they said Porphyry then vniustly did sclaunder the holy Apostles so semblably doth this man now sclaunder reuile rebuke byte and barcke agaynst the holy Byshops our predecessors not in beseeching them but in rebuking them And where he distrusteth his cause there he falleth to opprobrious checkes rebukes after the wonted vse of heretickes whose vttermost refuge is this as Hierome sayth y t wheÌ„ they see theyr cause go to wracke then like Serpentes they cast out theyr venime with theyr toung and when they see themselues neare to be ouercome they fall to rayling For though heresies as thou sayest must needes be for the exercise of the faythfull yet least these heresies should further encrease and these Foxes gather strength agaynst vs it is needfull that by thy meanes and helpe they be suppressed and extinguished at the beginning Finally let all the whole vniuersall Churche of Gods Saynts and Doctours rise vp whose true expounding of holy Scripture being reiected certayne persons whose hartes the father of lyes hath blinded and wise in theyr owne conceites as the maner of heretickes is do expouÌ„d the scriptures otherwise then the holy Ghost doth require folowing onely theyr owne sense of ambition and vayne-glory yea rather do wrast and adulterate the Scriptures so that as Hierome sayth now they make it not the gospel of Christ but of man or which is worse of the deuill Let all the holy church I say rise vp wiâ—h the blessed Apostles together make intercessioÌ„ to almighty God that the errors of all schismatickes being rooted stocked vp his holy Church may be conserued in peace and vnity For of late which for sorrow we can not expresse by credible information and also by publick fame it hath come to our eares yea we haue seene also read with our eyes diuers and sundry errors of which some haue bene condemned by counsels and constitutions of our predecessors containing expresly y e heresies of the Greekes of the Bohemians Respectiuely some agayn respectiuely either heretical or false or sclaunderous or offensiue to good eares or such as may seduce simple myndes newly to be raysed vp by certayne false pretensed Gospellers who by curious pride seeking worldly glory against the doctrine of the apostle would be more wise then becommeth them whose babling as S. Hierome calleth it without authority of the Scriptures should finde no credit vnlesse they should seme to coÌ„firme theyr false doctrine euen with testimonies of the scripture but yet falsely interpreted Which worketh vs so much the more grief for y t those heresies be sprong in y e noble nation of the Germaines vnto the which natioÌ„ we with our predecessors haue alwayes borne speciall fauor and affection For after the Empyre was first translated by the Church of Rome from the Greekes vnto the Germaines the said our predecessors and we haue alwayes had them as speciall fautors defenders of this our Church and they haue alwaies shewed themselues as most earnest suppressors of heresies as witnes wherof remaine yet those laudable coÌ„stitutions of the Germane Emperors set forth and confirmed by our predecessors for the liberty of the Church and for expulsing heretickes out of all Germany and that vnder greuous penalty and losse of al theyr goods and lands Which constitutioÌ„s if they were obserued this present day both we and they should now be free from thys disturbaunce The Germaines in olde tyme most addicted to popery aboue al other nations Furthermore the heresy of the Hussites Wicleuistes of Hierome of Prage being condeÌ„ned and punished in the CouÌ„cel of Constance doth witnes y e same Moreouer doth witnes the same so much bloud of y e Germanes spilt fighting agaynst the Bohemians To coÌ„clude the same also is confirmed witnessed by the learned true confutatioÌ„ reprobation and condeÌ„nation
copy of the which answer I thought here next after the said Bull immediatly to exhibite to the christian reader that who so is disposed to conferre the one with the other hauing theÌ„ both at hand 〈◊〉 Pope â—â—scribed in 〈◊〉 colours may iudge the better of the whole matter cause and also may see the true Image of the Pope out of his paynted visour appeare in his owne perfect colours The answer now to the Bull here followeth IESVS Martinus Lutherus Christiano Lectori gratiam Christi in salutem aeternam FAma peruenit ad me Christiane Lector exijsse Bullam quandam aduersum me 〈◊〉 answer M. 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 Bull 〈◊〉 Latin penè in omné terrá prius quam ad me in quem vnice fuerit cui maximè erat inferenda veniret Fortè quod noctis tenebrarum scilicet filia timult lucem vultus mei Hanc tamen ipsam noctuam vix tandem multum adiuuaÌ„tibus amicis in imagine sua datum est videre c. 〈…〉 vide 〈…〉 pag. â—65 ¶ Here followeth the same aunswer of Martin Luther agaynst the execrable Bull of Pope Leo in English MArtin Luther to the christiaÌ„ reader wisheth the grace of Christ to eternall saluation 〈◊〉 copy of 〈◊〉 Luthers â—â—swere to 〈◊〉 Bull of â—â—pe Leo â—nglishe I heard a fanie a farre of Christian reader that a certayne Bull was past out against me and sent almost ouer al the world before it came to me against whom it was especially directed to whoÌ„ most chiefly it appertained For what cause I cannot tell except peraduenture it was for that the sayd Bull like vnto a nightcrow and as a bird of darkenesse hatched in the night durst not flie in y e day nor abide to come in my sight Notwithstanding the said night foule after long tyme by helpe of friends was caught at length brought vnto me in his owne likenes to behold Which causeth me yet to be vncertaine what to thinke whether my papists do dally iest with me in setting out such famous libels without any name against me or whether in truth and earnest they play the mad men so against me at Rome or no. For first neither do I see here the stile as it is called nor y e processe of the court of Rome obserued And againe which maketh me more to doubt herein be brought condemned such articles which it is plaine and manifest to be most christian whereby it seemeth to me most like the said monster to be hatched by Iohn Eccius a man wholy compact and framed altogether of lies dissimulations errors heresies The said suspition this also partly confirmeth for that I heare it so bruted abroad that y e sayd Eccius is thought and sayd to be the Apostle of such a goodly Bull. And not vnlike when none could be more meet an Apostle for such an Apostleship then he And in deed I heard no lesse long since that a Bull was in working agaynst me at Rome partly by the workemanship of Eccius which because as the stile and composition therof declareth it displeased the good and learned men there was therefore differred and should haue bene suppressed But whatsoeuer the matter be it semeth to me not vnlike wheresoeuer this apostle Eccius beareth rule there to be the kingdom of Antichrist and all kind of madnes there to reigne In the meane tyme I will so deale that I wyll not seeme to beleue Pope Leo the x. with his learned cardinals to be the authors of this furious madnes which I doe not so much for the honor of the Sea of Rome as because I will not be puft vp to much with pride and seeme to my selfe as one worthy to suffer such so great so glorious things for the veritie of God For if it were so in deed that the bishop of Rome did so furiously rage against me who were then so happy before God as Luther to be condemned for so manifest a truth of such a proude Prelate Wherein what were more to be wished for of me then that I should neuer be absolued reconciled nor haue any part with that so doltish and vnlearned wicked and furious Antichrist Happy were that day happy were that death and to be receiued with all ioy and thankfulnes to God if it might be my happe at any tyme in such a cause as this is to be apprehended and to suffer death M. Luther thenketh himselfe not worthy to suffer in so good a cause But geue the honour of this cause vnto others and let this matter fynde his Martyr worthy for the same I for my sinnes am not worthy to come to that honour Let other men therfore thinke of these Romanists what they list Thus I thinke that whosoeuer was the author of this bull he is a very Antichrist and against Antichrist these thinges I write to redeeme the veritie of Christ so much as in me lieth which he laboreth to extinguish And first that he shall obtayne no part of his will in any thing agaynst me M. Luthers protestation here I protest before God and our Lord Iesu Ehrist and his holy angels and all the world that I disseÌ„t with all my hart from the condemnatioÌ„ of this bull which Bull I also do curse and execrate as an enemy a Churche robber and blasphemy against Christ the sonne of god our Lord. Amen Furthermore I hold defend and imbrace with the ful trust of my spirit those articles in the said Bul condemned and excommunicate Marke here how Luther recanteth and affirme that the same oughe to be holden of all faithful christians vnder paine of eternal malediction and that they are to be counted for Antichristes who so euer haue consented to the sayd Bull whom I also together with the spirit of all them which purely know do vtterly shun them according to the precept of our Lord Iesu Christ. Amen And let this stand for thy reuocation O Bulla verè Bullarum filia i. O thou Bull which art the very daughter of all vayne Bulla in Latin signifieth as much in English as a bubble in the water bubbles This my confession and protestation made for witnes whereof I take all them that shall read these presents before I proceed to defend declare these foresaid Articles I will first begin with certaine arguments for the confutation of the sayd Bull whereof the first I will take of the blind ignoraÌ„ce of this blockish Antichrist Titus 1. For the Apostle Peter so commandeth that we should be redy to render a reason of that faith and hope which is in vs. And the apostle Paule willeth a bishop to be mighty to exhort in souÌ„d doctrine to refute the gaynesayers And these thinges be they which now 3. yeres agoe I haue desired looked for out of Rome or from them which take part with Rome The Papistes will not abide the triall of the Scripture Which things
also we do read to be obserued most diligeÌ„tly amongst the ancient fathers whensoeuer they condemned heresies Neither do we read that the apostles did euer decree any thing in their Counsels but they first alledged the holy Scripture So I also when I wayted that they would aunswer me with grapes and to enforme me wyth true testimonies of the scripture behold they bryng to me sower and wylde grapes condemning me with nothing els but bare words whereas I haue fortified my matter with playne scriptures I say vnto thee O thou most vnlearned Antichrist hast thou ioined such brainâ—ike rashnes together with such barbarous ignorance that thou wilt presume to thinke all meÌ„ to be turned into stockes blocks and to thinke that thou with thy bare and naked words only canst triuÌ„ph against the inuincible force and power of Gods holy worde Hast thou learned this maner of condemning of the magistralities of Colen and Louaine If this be the maner of the Church to damne errours only to say I like it not I deny it I will not what foole what patch what asse what block cannot condemne after this maner Is not thy whorish face ashamed in the publike sight of the church to dare once to set the trifling vanities onely of thy naked and bare wordes against the thunderboirs of Gods eternall word O impudent condemnation and right seemely for Antichrist which hath not one iote or title to bring against such euident scriptures inferred agaynst him but onely with one worde commeth and sayth I condemne thee And why then do we not beleeue the Turke Why do we not admit the Iewes Why doe we not honour the heretikes which also condemne our writings as well as he if it be enough only to condemne vnlesse we do not therfore peraduenture geue place vnto them because they condemne vs not vtterly without some scriptures and reasons but these men after a new found fashion vtterly without all scriptures or reason doe condemne vs. What then shall I thinke to be the cause why they proceeded against me with this their Bul condemnatory The popes vaine terrours cannot make M. Luther afraid so vaine so ridiculous so trifling but only their mere blockishnes wherby they seyng my allegations to be true and not able to abide nor yet to confute the same thought to terrifie me with the vayne ratlyng of their rotteÌ„ parchment But I tell thee Antichrist that Luther being accustomed to warre will not be terrified with these vayne buls and hath learned to put a difference betwene a piece of paper and the omnipotent word of God Of the like ignorance proceedeth this also that they against their owne conscience durst not perticularly digest all and singular the Articles in their orders for they feared least they should note hym for an heretike whom they were not able perhaps to conuince either to be erroneous or offensiue Respectiuely therefore they haue found out this Aduerbe respectiuè after the numbring of the articles then come they say that some be respectiuely heretical some erroneous and some offensiue which is as much to say as we suppose some to be heretical some erroneous some slanderous but we cannot tell qui quales quanti i. Which what maner and how great they are O dastardly ignoraunce how slippery and cowardly art thou how art thou afrayd of the light how doest thou turne and returne all thyngs least thou shouldst be taken lyke a Proteus and yet for all that thou shalt not so escape yea in thy wilynes thou shalt the rather be ouertaken and subuerted Proteus is a certayne monster among the Poetes which turneth himself into all colours Come out therefore O thou asseheaded Antichrist and shew forth thy wisedom and dispose thy matters in order Tell vs if thou canst what sayest thou or meanest thou when thou sayest this article is hereticall this is erroneous this is offensiue For it becommeth such a worshipful condemner to know what he condemneth And to shamefull it is to condemne an article for heretical and yet caÌ„not name the same Neither will I be answered herewith respectiuely but I looke to be taught simply and plainly for I am one of Occams faction which contemneth these respectiues and loue to haue all things simple absolute Thou seest therefore good Reader the ignorant dotage of this Antichrist The dotage of Antichrist how craftily yet grossely he thinketh to walke in a net vnder his aduerbe respectiuely who not only â—oth not teach the truth and cause of his coÌ„demning but neither also dare proue any error nor shew forth what it is that he condemneth and yet must he nedes condemn Is not this trow you a proper kind of damning to damn and cannot tell what he damneth Is not this a fine maner of loquution passing all Rhetorike to speak yet not to know what he speaketh what purgatories might wee wish sufficient to purge the doltish braynes of these Bull bragging bedlems with such blindnes doltishnes are all the aduersaries of Gods truth worthy to be plagued But I know wherupon all this griefe riseth The origine whereof is this Eccius Eccius mine old aduersary remembring how he was put to shame enough at Lypsia when he rousing hymselfe vppon hys stage and frothing at the mouth like a Bore with a furious mouth called me 3. huÌ„dreth tymes heretike for the Articles of Husse and yet afterward was not able to proue the same whereas the sentence condemnatory of the Councell of Constance alleaged by me otherwise then Eccius loked for noted there no certaine article for hereticall and also the same condemnation much like to this of ours with the like foolishnes called some of his Articles hereticall some erroneous some offensiue Eccius taken with a lye and Eccius hearyng this beyng confounded in himselfe for his impudent rashnes perceiued that he had called me heretike falsly and vntruly he thought then to heale this his wound again at Rome and there to stablish his false and impudent lying But the lying sophister shall not preuayle by the helpe I trust of Christ for I aske and require yet stil y t they absolutely not respectiuely distinctly and not confusedly simply not dissemblingly plainly and not obscurely perticularly not in generall do shew what is and what is not heretical But when will they so do When Christ and Beliall or when light and darkenes shall agree together And what shall I do then in the meane tyme First I will contemne these dastardly dotipoles and vnlearned Papists and apostles of Antichrist 3. Reg. 1â— And I wil scorne them as Helias did and say if Baal be God let hym aunswere peâ—â—â—uenture he is drunke or busie in hys iourney Cry out higher for he is a God and peraduenture heareth For what other thyng do these Bull bragging Asses deserue els which coÌ„demne that they know not and confesse also their own ignoraunce Secondly I wil not
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
sanguinem 〈…〉 ad iudicium suum 〈…〉 And in the persons of Christ he sayeth likewise Qui non 〈…〉 in quo ego non maneo ne se dica◠〈◊〉 existimeâ— manducare corpus meum aut sanguinem meum bibere Ambrose auoweth the same by these woordes Qui discordat a Christo non manducat carnâ—m eius nec bibit sanguinem etsâ— tantae rei Sacramentum accipiat â—â—brosius In like maner wryteth Prosperus â—â—â—â—perus Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem Christi edit nec sanguinem bibit etsi tantae rei Sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidiè acciprat â—â—gustinus And therfore S. Augustine sayth Mali Sacramentum habent reâ—â— autem Sacramenti non habent Thus by the woordes of God by reason and by the old fathers it is plaine that sinnefull men eate not the bodye of Christ receiue they the Sacrament neuer so ofte Whiche thing coulde not be if in the Sacramente there remained nothing but the body of Christ. The Sacramente in the Scriptures is named Fractio paâ—is the breaking of bread whiche to say the trueth were but a colde breaking if there remained no breade to breake but certaine phantasies of white and round Yet where as they with wordes crossinges blessinges breathings leapings and much a do can scarsly make one God they haue suche vertue in their fingers that at one crosse they be able to make 20. Gods for if they breake the Sacrament euery portion yea euery mite must needes be a God After the Apostles time there arose vppe heretickes whych sayde that Christ walking here amongst men bodely vpon the earth had no very body but a thing like a body and so therewith dimmed mennes light Against whom the old fathers vsed these arguments Christ increased in growing fasted hungred eate wept sweat was weary and in coÌ„clusion died had all other properties of a very body wherfore he had a body I will vse the same kinde of reasoning It feedeth Agaynst transubstantiation it tasteth like bread it looketh like bread the litle sely mouse taketh it for bread and to be short it hath all the properties and tokens of bread Ergo it is bread The old fathers wheÌ„ there remained anye parte of the Sacramente more then was spent at the Communion they vsed to burne it and of it there came ashes But there is nothing in the Sacrament that can turne to ashes Reasons proprouing bread in the SacrameÌ„t but onely bread for I thinke they burned not Christes body to ashes Ergo in the Sacrament there remaineth bread Henry the Emperour the 6 of that name was poysoned in the hoste and Uictor the Bishop of Rome in the Chalice But poyson can not hang in Gods body and bloude Wherefore there remayneth breade and wine What needeth many wordes in a matter so euident If you demaund either Gods word or the doctours and the auncient wryters or your reason or your eyes or nose or toung or fingers or the Cat or the Ape or the Mouse all these agree in one and aunswere together there is bread wherefore if yoâ— reâ—ecte so many and so constant witnesses and so well agreeing in their tale specially being such as will lie for no mans pleasure I will appeale from you and take you as no indifferent iudge If all these witnesses suffice you not I wil call the sacrament it selfe to record It crieth vnto you and plainely doth aduertise you what you should thinke of it I am it sayth grated wyth y e tooth I am conueied into the belly I perish I can endure no space I canker I suffer grene mould blew mould red mould I breede wormes The Sacrament geueth witnes that it is breade I am kept in a boxe for feare of battes if you leaue me out al night I shal be deuoured before morning for if the mouse gette mee I am gone I am bread I am no God beleeue them not This crieth the sacrament daily and beareth witnesse it selfe Cust. The deuill on such like reasons and therfore I will neuer trouble my braines to make you aunswere But if it be true that you haue sayde why is the Sacrament so well of Christ himselfe as of hys Apostles and the olde fathers called the body of Christ Veri Because it is no straunge thynge in Scripture so to speake as I haue declared before But wil you stand to S. Augustines arbitrement in the matter Cust. To no man sooner Veri S. Augustine in an Epistle to his frende Bonifacius The cause why the scripture calleth the Sacrament the body of Christ. geueth a good cause why the Sacramente although it be not the body of Christ is notwithstanding called the bodye of Christ. His wordes be these Si Sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum Sacramenta sunt non haberent omâ—iâ—o Sacramenta non essent Ex hac autem similitudine plerumque â—arum reâ—m nomina accipiunt Ergo Augustinus ad Bonifacium Epist 23. secundum quendam modum Sacramentum corporis Christi corpus Christi est Sacramentum sanguinis Christi sanguis Christi est If Sacraments had not a certaine similitude of those things wherof they be sacraments then were they no Sacramentes Of the which similitude many times they take their name Wherefore after a certaine manner the Sacrament of the body of Christ is the body of Christ and the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is the bloud of Christ. c. And vpon the 23. Psalme he wryteth likewise Augustine in Psal. 23. Christus quodâ—mmodo se ferebat in manibus suis cum diceret Hoc est corpus meum Christ after a certaine manner and fashion as it were did beare himselfe in his owne handes when he sayde This is my bodye In manner he sayeth and after a fashion not in very dede Again when faithful menne receiue the Sacrament they thinke not of the breade nor marke the wine An other causâ— why the Scripture calleth the Sacrament the body of Christ. Rom. 6. but they looke farther beholde the very body of Christ spread vppon the Crosse and his very bloud poured downe for their sakes So in Baptisme men regarde not greatly the water â—ut accounte them selues washed wyth the bloude of Christ So sayeth S. Paule What so euer we bee that are Baptised wee are washed in the bloude of Christ. Wherefore to the faithfull receiuers you may say that the water of Baptisme is the bloude of Christe and the breade and wine the body and bloud of Christ for to them it is no lesse then if the natures were altered and chaunged Whyche thynge you maye very well learne of Chrysostome whose woordes are these Mysteria omnia interioribus oculis consideranda sunt hoc est spiritualiter Interiores autem oculi postquam panem vident creaturas transuolant neque de illo pane à pistore cocto cogitant Chrisost. in Ioan. Hom. 46. sed
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
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
them the Chancellor offred the Queenes mercy if they would agree and be conformable c. To this they both made such an answer as the Chancellor with his fellow Commissioners allowed them for catholike Whether they of weakenes so answered or heâ—of subtletie would so vnderstand their answer â—â—rlow and Cardmaker â—cceptable 〈◊〉 Wincheâ—â—er as Catholickes that he might haue some forged example of a shrinking brother to lay in the dish of the rest which were to be examined it may easily be perceiued by this that to all them which followed in examination he obiected the example of Barlow Cardmaker commending their sobernes discretion lerning But whatsoeuer their answer was yet notwithstandyng Barlow was led againe to the Fleete from whence he afterward beyng deliuered M. Barlow exiled for the truth did by exile constantly beare witnes to the truth of Christes gospell Cardmaker was conueyed to the Counter in Breadstreete the B. of London procuring it to be published that he should shortly be deliuered after that he had subscribed to Transubstantiation and certaine other articles To the same prison where Cardmaker was LaureÌ„ce Sanders was brought after the sentence of excommunication and condemnation was pronounced against hym where these two prisoners had such christian conference that whatsoeuer the breath of the bishops blustred Conference â—etweene 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Cardâ—aâ—er the tickle cares of the people too lightly beleued in y e end they both shewed themselues constant confessors and worthy martyrs of Christ as of Laurence Sanders it is already written After whose departure Cardmaker remayned there prisoner to be baited of the Papistes which would needes seeme to haue a certayne hope that Cardmaker was become theirs Continuall and great conference diuers of them had with hym with reasonyngs perswadyngs threatnyngs and all to none effect To the end that their doyngs might appeare hee required them to put their reasons in writyng and promised by writyng to answer them Doctor Martin who bare also a part in those pageants D. Martyn wryteth 〈◊〉 Cardmaker tooke vppon hym to be the chiefe doer by writyng whose long vnsauery letters and simple reasons for TraÌ„substantiation and such papisticall trash this Cardmaker answered largely learnedly substantially confuting the same openyng the falsehood of his arguments and deliueryng the sentences of the Fathers which Martin abused for his purpose to their true vnderstanding which his answers I would had come to our hands Thus constantly aboade this man of God all the enemies doyngs as he did also the death which he suffred in Smithfield in London Wherof ye shall heare more anone but first we will suruey the matter and maner of his articles obiected against him by B. Boner with his answers annexed to the same as consequently here vnder followeth ¶ Articles obiected by Boner against Ioh. Taylor aliâs Cardmaker with hys aunswers vnto the same FIrst I Edmund B. of London obiect against thee Sir Iohn Taylor aliâs Cardmaker May. 24. Articles ministred agaynst Iohn Cardmaker by the B. of London Iohn Cardmaker first an obseruant Fryer that thou wast and art of the citie and Dioces of London and so of the iurisdiction of me Edmund B. of London Item that thou in tymes past diddest professe the rule of S. Fraunces and diddest by vow promise to keepe pouertie chastitie and obedience according to the rule of S. Frances Item that thou in tymes past didst receyue all the orders of the church then vsed to wit tam maiores quam minores Item that thou after thy said entrie into religion and profession and orders aforesaid Iohn Cardmaker maryed didst take to wife a widow and with her hadst carnal copulation and didst get of her a woman child breaking therby thy vow and order also the ordinance of the church Item that thou hast beleued and taught and so doest beleue that in the sacrament of the aultar vnder the visible signes there that is to say The beliefe of the Popes Catholicke church vnder the formes of bread and wyne there is really and truly the true and very naturall body and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ. Item that the beliefe of the catholike church is To speake naturally of the naturall body of Christ these two cannot staÌ„d together at one tyme vnles we graunt Christ to haue 2. bodyes that in hauing the body and bloud of Christ really and truly conteined in the sacrament of the altar is to haue by the omnipotent power of almighty God the body and bloud of Christ there inuisibly and really present vnder the said sacrament and not to make thereby a new God or a newe Christ or a new body of Christ. Item that it may stand wel together so is the fayth of the Catholike church that the body of Christ is visibly and truely ascended into heauen and there is in the visible forme of his humanitie and yet the same body in substaÌ„ce is inuisibly and truely conteyned in the sayde Sacrament of the aulter Item that Christ at his last supper takyng bread into his hands blessing it breakyng it geuyng it to his apostles and saying Take eate this is my body did institute a Sacrament there * That Christ neuer willed neyther can the Scriptures beare it willyng that his body really and truly should be conteyned in the sayd sacrament no substance of bread and wyne there remainyng but onely the accidents thereof ¶ Aunswers of Cardmaker to the articles aforesayd TO the first article he answereth and confesseth the same to be true in euery part therof Iohn Cardmaker aunswereth to the articlâ—â— To the 2. article he aunswereth and confesseth that he beyng vnder age did professe the said order and religion afterward by the autoritie of K. Henry the 8. he was dispensed with for the same religion To the 3. he aunswereth and confesseth the same to bee true in euery part thereof To the 4. he aunswereth and confesseth the first part therof to be true and to the second part of the same article he answereth and saith that in mariage he brake no vow because he was set at liberty to mary both by the lawes of this realme and also by the lawes and ordinaunces of the Church of the same To the 5. he answereth confesseth th thâ— hath beleeued taught as it is conteined in this actiâ—e but he doth not now so beleue nor teach To the 6. he answereth that he doth not beleue y e same to be true in any part therof To the 7. he aunswereth that he doth not beleeue the same to be true in any part thereof To the 8. he answereth and doth beleeue videlicet that it is true that is to say The first parte of this article is true the second is false that Christ takyng breade at hys last supper into hys handes blessyng it breakyng it geuyng it to his disciples and saying Take eate this is my body did
priuately with me in this matter seing ye say ye would so gladly win me Harps With all my hart will I take the paynes I will also borowe my Lorde of Douers Library to haue what bookes thou wilt and thus they departed Now the xvij of May at Ashford I could not be released although I was called to the spirituall Court for y e same matter but was bound to appeare at the Sessions holden at Crambroke the third day of Iuly ¶ An other appearaunce of M. Bland before the Archdeacon and his felowes THe 21. day of Maye I appeared in the Chapter house wher was a great multitude of people The second appearancâ— of M. BlaÌ„d vnlooked for of me M. ArchdeacoÌ„ sayd thus to me Ye are come here according as ye were appointed and the cause is that it hath pleased the Quenes highnes here to place me to see gods holy word set forth to reforme those that are here falleÌ„ in to great heinous errors to the great displeasure of god the decay of Christes sacrameÌ„ts M. Harâ—â—â—fieldes wordeâ— M. Blanâ— coÌ„trary to the fayth of y e catholick church wherof thou art notably knowne to be one that is sore poysoned with the same hast infected deceiued many with thy euil preaching which if thou wilt renounce come home agayn to the catholick church both I and many other moe would be very glad and I for my part shal be right glad to shew you the fauour that lyeth in me as I sayd vnto you when you were appoynted hither because ye then refused to satisfy agayne the people that ye had deceiued And wheras it is fayned by you y t I should openly dispute the matter with you this day False surmise 〈…〉 M. Blaâ—â— although I did neither to inteÌ„d nor appoynt yet I am coÌ„teÌ„t to dispute the matter with thee if thou wylt not without disputatioÌ„ helpe to heale the soules that are brought to helwarde by thee What sayst thou Bland I do protest before God you all that neither is my conscience guilty of any error or heresy The aâ—â—â—swere oâ— Bland 〈◊〉 wordes neither that I euer taught any error or heresy willingly And where your mastership sayth that I haue fayned an open disputatioÌ„ with you it is not true as I can thus approue vpon saterday I was at Ugdens there M. BinghaÌ„ laid it to my charge that such an opeÌ„ disputation as ye haue here offred should be this day betwene you me wherat I much marueiled sayd to him M. Bland cleareth himselfe oâ— the false râ—â—port of M. Harpsfield that before that present I neuer hearde any such word neither would I answere nor dispute to this can master Uaghan master Oxenden master Seth of Ouerland and master Ugden witnes and further I sayd to them that I neuer spake to you of any disputatioÌ„ nor you to me Now if your maystership haue any thing to say to me by the law I will make answere to it Harps Heare ye what he sayth his conscience is cleare I pray thee wheron groundest thou thy conscience lette me heare what thy fayth is Bland I knowe not why ye should more aske me a reason of my fayth then any other man in this open audience Harps Why thou heretick art thou ashamed of thy faith if it were a christeÌ„ beliefe thou nedest not to be ashamed of it Bland I am not ashamed of my faith To 〈◊〉 12. 〈◊〉 of our 〈…〉 neuer 〈◊〉 well 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 For I beleue in god the father almighty maker of heauen earth and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. c. withall the other articles of the Creed and I do beleue all the holy scriptures of God to be most certayne and true Harps Wilt thou declare no more then this Bland No. Harps Well I will tell thee wheron I grouÌ„d my fayth I do beleue grouÌ„d my fayth coÌ„science vpoÌ„ all the articles of the Creed vpon all the holy scriptures sacramentes The 〈◊〉 fayth 〈…〉 holy doctors of the church vpon all the generall couÌ„cels that euer were since the apostles time Loe hereupoÌ„ grouÌ„d I my fayth with many wordes moe which I well remeÌ„ber not And when he coulde get no other answere of me theÌ„ I had sayd before he called for a Scribe to make an act agaynst me And after much coÌ„municatioÌ„ I sayd by what law and authority wil ye proceed agaynst me M. Collins sayd By the Canon law Bland I doubt whether it be in strength or no. M. Blaâ—â— requirâ—â— haue hiâ— Counseâ—â— Yet I pray you let me haue a Counseller in the law and I will make answere according to the law Harps Why thou hereticke thou wilt not confesse thy fayth to me that haue authority to demaund it of thee and yet I haue confessed my fayth to thee before all this audience As coÌ„cerning the blessed sacrameÌ„t of y e aultar thou hast taught that after the consecration it is bread and wine and not the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. How sayest thou The Papist◠〈◊〉 false 〈◊〉 promise hast thou not thus taught Bland Syr as concerning this matter of the SacrameÌ„t when I was with you and mayster Collins ye sayd then it was for other matters that I shoulde come hither for and further that ye would be content at my desire to conâ—erre scriptures with me to see if ye coulde winne me and ye sayd ye woulde borowe my Lord of Douers Librarye that I should haue what booke I would and now ye require me thus to answere coÌ„trary to your promise ere any conference be had seek rather to bring me into trouble then to winne me Harps I will as God shall helpe me doe the best to thee that I can if thou wilt be any thing conformable and I trust to dissolue al thy doubtes if thou be willing to heare And I also will desire these two worshipful men my Lord of Douer and mayster Collins to heare vs. Bland No ye shall pardon me of that there shal be no such witnesse But when we agree sette to our handes Hereat made the people a noyse against me for refusing y e witnes and here had we many moe wordes then I can rehearse But at the last I sayd sir will ye geue me leaue to aske you one questioÌ„ And he sayd yea with all my hart For in that thou askest any thing there is some hope that thou mayest be wonne Bland Syr when it pleased almighty God to send his angell vnto the virgine Mary to salute her sayd Haile ful of grace c. came any substance from God our father into the virgins wombe to become man whereat as well M. Archdeacon as my Lord of Douer and mayster Collins stayd But my Lord spake the first and sayd the holy ghost came to her and ere he had brought out his sentence
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