Marginalia1554. March. Feck. How shall we loue our neighbour?

Iane. To loue our neighbour, is to feede the hungry, to cloath the naked, and geue drinke to the thirsty, and to do to him, as we would do to our selues.

Feck. Why? then it is necessary vnto saluation to doo good workes also, & it is not sufficient onely to beleue.

Iane. I deny that, and I affirme that fayth onely saueth: MarginaliaGood workes necessary in a Christian, yet do they not profite to saluation.but it is meete for a Christian, in token that hee followeth hys maister Christ, to do good workes: yet may we not say that they profit to saluation. For when we haue done all, yet we be vnprofitable seruauntes, and fayth onely in Christes bloud saueth vs.

Feck. How many Sacraments are there?

Iane. Marginalia2. Sacramentes.Two. The one the sacramēt of Baptisme, and the other the sacrament of the Lordes supper.

Fecknam. No, there are seuen.

Iane. By what scripture finde you that?

Feck. Wel, we wil talke of that hereafter. But what is signified by your two sacrmentes?

Iane. MarginaliaThe Sacrament of Baptisme what it signifieth.By the sacrament of Baptisme I am washed with water, and regenerated by the spirite, and that washing is a token to me that I am the childe of God. MarginaliaThe Sacrament of the Lordes Supper what it signifieth.The sacrament of the Lords supper offred vnto me, is a sure seale and testimonie that I am by the bloud of Christ, whych he shed for me on the crosse, made partaker of the euerlasting kingdome.

Feck. Why? what do you receiue in that sacrament? Do you not receyue the very body & bloud of Christ?

Iane. No surely, I do not so beleue. I thynke that at þ^e supper I neither receiue flesh nor bloud, but bread and wyne: Which bread when it is broken, and the wyne when it is dronken, putteth me in remembraunce how that for my synnes the body of Christ was broken, and hys bloud shed on the crosse, and with that bread and wine MarginaliaWhat we receaue with the Sacramēt.I receiue the benefites that come by the breaking of his body and sheeding of hys bloude for our sinnes on the crosse.

Feck. Why? doth not Christ speake these wordes: Take, eate, this is my body? Requyre you any playner wordes? doth he not say it is hys body?

Iane. I graunt he sayth so: and so he sayth, I am the vine, I am the doore, but he is neuer the more for that the doore nor the vine. Doth not Sainct Paule say,MarginaliaRom. 4. he calleth thinges that are not, as though they were? God forbyd that I shoulde say that I eate the very naturall body and bloude of Christ: for then eyther I shoulde plucke away my redemption, either els there were two bodies, or two Christes. One body was tormented on the crosse. And if they did eate an other body, then had he two bodies: eyther els if hys body were eaten, then was it not broken vpon the crosse: or if it were broken vpon the crosse, it was not eaten of hys disciples.

Feck. Why? is it not as possible that Christ by hys power could make hys body both to be eaten and broken, as to be borne of a woman without seede of man, and as to walke vpon the sea hauing a body, and other such like miracles as he wrought by his power onely?

Iane. Yes verely: if God would haue done at his supper any miracle, he might haue done so: MarginaliaChrist had power to turne the bread into his body, is no argument to proue that he dyd so.but I say that then hee minded no worke nor miracle, but onely to to breake his body, and sheed his bloud on the crosse for our sinnes. But I pray you aunswere me to this one question: where was Christ when he sayd: Take, eate, this is my body? Was he not at the table when hee sayd so? He was at that tyme aliue, and suffred not tyll the next day. What tooke he but bread? What brake he but bread? and what gaue he but bread? Looke what he tooke, he brake: and looke what he brake, he gaue: and looke what he gaue, they did eate: and yet all this while he him selfe was alyue, and at supper before hys Disciples, or els they were deceiued.

MarginaliaFecknam goeth from the word, to the Church. Feck. You ground your faith vpon such authours as say and vnsay both wyth a breath, and not vpon the Church, to whom ye ought to geue credite.

Iane. No, I ground my fayth on Gods worde, and

not vpō the church. For if the church be a good church, MarginaliaFayth to bee grounded vpon the worde, and not vpon the Church.the fayth of the church must be tried by Gods worde, and not Gods worde by the Church, neyther yet my fayth. Shall I beleue the Church because of antiquitie? or shall I geue credite to the Church that taketh away from me the halfe parte of the Lordes Supper, and wyll not let any lay mā receiue it in both kindes? Whych thing if they deny to vs, then deny they to vs part of our saluation. MarginaliaA note of the false Church.And I say that is an euyll church, and not the Spouse of Christ, but the Spouse of the Deuill that altereth the Lordes supper, and both taketh from it, & addeth to it. To that church (say I) God wyll adde plages, and from that Church wyll he take their part out of the booke of lyfe. Doo they learne that of S. Paule, when he ministred to the Corinthians in both kyndes? Shall I beleue thys Church? God forbid.

Feck. That was done for a good intent of the church, to auoyd an heresy that sprong on it.

Iane. MarginaliaGods worde not to be altered for good ententes. Why? shall the Church alter Gods wyll and ordinaunce for a good intent? How did king Saul? The Lord God defend.

With these and such lyke perswasions hee woulde haue had her leane to the Church, but it woulde not be. There were many more thinges wherof they reasoned, but these were the chiefest.

MarginaliaThese wordes were spoken openly.After thys Fecknam tooke hys leaue, saying that he was sory for her: For I am sure (quoth he) that we two shall neuer meete.

Iane. True it is (sayd she) that we shall neuer meete, except God turne your hart. For I am assured, vnlesse you repent and turne to God, you are in an euill case: & I pray God, in þ^e bowels of his mercy, to send you his holy spirit: for he hath geuen you his great gift of vtteance, if it pleased him also to open þ^e eyes of your hart.

MarginaliaLady Janes letter sent to her father. FAther, although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you, by whom my lyfe should rather haue bene lengthened: yet can I so paciētly take it, as I yeld God more harty thāks for shortening my wofull dayes, then if all the worlde had bene geuen into my possession with lyfe lengthened at my owne will. And albeit I am well assured of your impacient dolours, redoubled manyfolde waies, both in bewayling your owne woe, and especially (as I heare) my infortunate state: yet my deare father (if I may without offence reioyce in my own mishaps) me seemes in this I may account my selfe blessed, that washing my handes with the innocencie of my fact, my giltles bloud may cry before the Lorde, mercy, mercy to the innocent. And yet though I must needes acknowledge, that being constrained, and, as you wot wel inough, continually assayed, in taking vpon me I seemed to consent, & therin greuously offended the Queene and her lawes: yet doe I assuredly trust that this myne offence towardes God is so much the lesse, in that being in so royall estate as I was, mine enforced honour neuer agreed with mine innocent hart. And thus good father I haue opened vnto you the state wherin I presētly stand.. Whose death at hand, although to you perhaps it may seeme right wofull, to me there is nothing that can bee more welcome then from this vale of miserye to aspyre to that heauēly throne of all ioy and pleasure with Christ our Sauiour. In whose stedfast fayth ( MarginaliaThys Parenthesis includeth with a prayer, a priuie monition to her father that he fall not from hys religion. if it may be lawfull for the daughter so to write to the Father) the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you, so cōtinue you that at the last we may meete in heauen with the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.

At what time her father was floorishing in freedome and prosperitie in the time of King Edward, there belonged vnto him a certeyne learned man, student and Graduate of the Vniuersity of Oxford. Who then being Chaplaine to the sayd Duke, and a sincere Preacher (as hee appeared) of the Gospell, according to the doctrine of that time sette forth and receiued, shortly after that the state of religion began to alter by Queene Mary, altered also in hys profession wyth the