Marginalia1555. February.out with large wordes, saying that she tooke them that would not receiue the Bishop of Romes supremacy, to be vnworthy to haue her mercy. &c.

Rog. I sayd, I would not refuse her mercy, and yet I neuer offended her in all my lyfe: and that I besought her grace and all their honours to be good to me, reseruyng my conscience.

MarginaliaDiuers speake at once.Diuers speake at once. No, quoth they then, a great sort of them, and specially Secretary Bourne, a maried Priest, and haue not offended the law?

Rog. I sayd, I had not broken the Queenes law, nor yet any point of þ^e law of the Realme therin: for I maried where it was lawfull.

MarginaliaDiuers speake at once.Diuers at once. Where was that, sayd they? thinking that to be vnlawfull in all places.

MarginaliaLawfulnes of priestes mariage.Rog. In Dutch land.  

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I.e., Germany

Then there was a great noise, some saying that I was come to soone with such a sort: I should finde a soure cōmyng of it, and some one thyng, some an other. And one sayd (I could not well perceiue who) that there was neuer Catholicke man or coūtrey, that euer graunted that a Priest might haue a wife.

Rog. I sayd the Catholicke Church neuer denied Mariage to Priestes, nor yet to any other man: MarginaliaM. Rogers had away to prison.and therewith was I goyng out of the chamber, the Sergeant which brought me thether, hauyng me by the arme.

Wor. Thē þ^e B. of Worcester turned his face towards me, & sayd, þ^t I wist not where that Church was, or is.

Rog. I sayd yes, that I could tell where it was: but therwith went the Sergeant with me out of the doore.

This was the very true effect of all that was spokē vnto me, and of all that I aunswered therunto.

And here would I gladly make a more perfect aunswere to all the former obiections, as also a due proufe of that which I had taken in hand: but at this present I was enformed that I should to morow come to further aunswere. Wherfore I am compelled to leaue out that which I would most gladly haue done, desiryng here the harty and vnfayned helpe of the prayers of all Christes true members, the true Impes of the true vnfayned Catholicke Church, that the Lord God of all consolatiō, will now be my cōfort, ayde, strength, buckler, and shilde, as also of all my brethren that are in the same case and distresse, that I and they all may despise al maner of thretes and cruelty, and euen the bitter burnyng fire, and the dreadfull darte of death, and sticke like true souldiours to our deare and louyng captaine Christ, our onely redemer and Sauiour, and also the onely true head of the Church, that doth all in vs all, which is the very property of an head (& is a thyng that all the Byshops of Rome can not do) and that we do not traiterously runne out of his tentes, or rather out of the playne field from him, in the most ieoperdie of the battaile, but that we may perseuere in the fight (if he will not otherwise deliuer vs) till we be most cruelly slayne of his enemyes. For this I most hartely, & at this present with wepyng teares most instantly & earnestly desire and besech you all to pray: MarginaliaM. Rogers carefull prayer for hys wife & children.and also, if I dye, to be good to my poore and most honest wife, beyng a poore straunger, and all my litle soules, hers and my children. Whom with all the whole faythfull and true Catholicke Congregation of Christ, the Lord of lyfe and death saue, keepe, and defend in all the troubles and assaultes of this vayne world, and bryng at the last to euerlastyng saluation, the true and sure inheritaunce of all crossed Christians. Amen. Amen.

The xxvij. day of Ianuary at night.

¶ The second confession of Iohn Rogers, made and that should haue bene made (if I might haue bene heard) the. 28. &. 29. day of Ianuary. 1555.  

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Foxe divided Rogers's narrative into two confessions or examinations; in the manuscripts it is one seamless account.

MarginaliaThe 2. examination of M. Rogers.FIrst being asked agayne by the Lord Chauncelor, whether I would come into one church with the bishops and whole realme, as now was concluded by Parlament (in the which all the realme was conuerted to the catholicke Church of Rome) and so receyue the mercy before profered me, arisyng agayne wyth the whole Realme, out of the schisme and errour in which we had long bene, wyth recantation of my errours: I aunswered, that before I could not tell what his mercy ment, MarginaliaWinchesters mercy what it meaneth.but now I vnderstoode that it was a mercy of the Antichristian church of Rome, which I vtterly refused, MarginaliaTo rise to the Pope, is to fall from Christ.and that the rising which he spake of, was a very fall into errour and false doctrine. Also that I had and would be able by Gods grace, to proue that all the doctrine which I had euer taught, was true & catholicke, and that by the scriptures and the authority of the fathers that lyued foure hundred yeares after Christes death. He aunswered, that should not, might not, nor ought not be graunted me: for I was but a priuate man, and might not be heard against the determinatiō of the whole realme. MarginaliaWhat soeuer is once concluded in a Parlament, ought not to be reformed afterward, by no doctrine nor the worde of God, by the Byshop of Winchesters diuinitie.Should (quoth he) when a Parlament hath concluded a thing, one, or any priuate person haue authority to discusse, whether they had done right or wrong? No that may not be.

I aunswered shortly, that al the lawes of men might not, neither could rule the word of God, but that they all must be discussed and iudged thereby, and obey therto: and my conscience, nor no Christian mans could be satisfied with such lawes as disagreed frō that word: and so was willing to haue said much more, but þ^e L. Chaūcellour began a long tale to very small purpose, concerning mine aūswere, to haue defaced me, that there was nothing in me wherefore I should be heard, but arrogancie, pride, and vayneglory. I also graunted myne ignorancy to be greater then I could expresse, or then he tooke it: but yet that I feared not by Gods assistāce and strength, to bee able by writing to perfourme my word, neyther was I (I thanked God) so vtterly ignoraunt, as he would make me, but all was of God, to whom be thankes rendred therefore. MarginaliaThe B. of Winchester iudgeth M. Rogers by his owne disease.Proud man was I neuer, nor yet vayne glorious. All the world knew well, where and on which side pride, arrogancie, and vayne glory was. It was a poore pride that was or is in vs, God it knoweth.

Then sayd he, that I at the fyrst dash condemned the Queene and the whole Realme, to be of the Church of Antichrist, and burdened me highly therewithall. I answered that the Queenes maiesty (God saue her grace) would haue done well inough, if it had not bene for his counsell. He sayd, the Queene went before hym, and it was her own motion. I sayd without fayle, I neither could nor I would euer beleue it.

MarginaliaD. Aldrise witnesseth with the B. of Winchester.Then sayd D. Aldrise the bishop of Carlile, that they the Bishops would beare hym witnes. Yea (quoth I) that I beleue well, and wyth that the people laughed: For that day there were many, but on the morow they had kept the doores shut, and would let none in, but the Bishops adherentes and seruantes, in maner, yea and the fyrst day the thousand man came not in. Then maister Comptroler, and Secretary Bourne, would haue stand vp also to beare wytnes, and dyd.

I sayd it was no great matter: and to say the truth, I thought that they were good helpers thereto them selues: but I ceased to say any more therein, knowing that they were to strong and mighty of power, and that they should be beleued before me, yea & before our Sauiour Christ, and all hys Prophets and Apostels therto, in these days.

Then after many woordes hee asked me, what I thought concerning the blessed Sacrament,MarginaliaThe opinion of M. Rogers touching the Sacrament of the body of Christ required. and stoode vp and put of hys cap, and all his fellowe Bishops (of which there were a great sort new men, of whom I knew few) whether I beleued in the sacrament to be the very body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ that was borne of the Virgin Mary, & hanged on the crosse,