MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.he found a Chaplein of the Bishops very merily disposed with certein gentlemē playing at the Tables, with diuers other of the same family or house, occupied there in the same exercise.  

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This detail emphasizes Gardiner's ungodliness by indicating the irreverance of his household and especially his chaplain.

All this tyme Saunders stode very modestly and soberly at the screene or Cupbord, bareheaded, Syr Iohn Mordant his guide or leader walkyng vp and downe by him: who (as I sayd before) was thē one of the Coūsell. At þ^e last the Byshop returned frō þ^e Court, whom, as soone as hee was entred, a great many suters mette & receiued: so that, before he could get out of one house into an other, halfe an houre was passed. At the last hee came into the chāber where Saunders was, and went through into an other chamber: where in the meane way Saunders leader gaue him a writyng contaynyng the cause, or rather the accusatiō of the sayd Saunders, which when he had perused, where is the man, sayd the Byshop? Then Saunders beyng brought forth to the place of examination, first most lowly and mekely kneeled downe and made curtesie before the Table where the Bishop did sit: vnto whom the Bishop spake on this wise.

MarginaliaWinchesters talke with M. Saunders.How happeneth it (sayd he) that notwithstandyng the Queenes Proclamation to the contrary, you haue enterprised to preach?

Saunders denyed that hee did preach: saying that, MarginaliaM. Saunders aunswere to Winchester.for somuch as he saw the perillous times now at hand, he did but, accordyng as he was admonished and warned by Ezechiell the Prophete, exhorte his flocke and Parishoners to perseuer and stand stedfastly in the doctrine which they had learned, saying also that he was moued and pricked therunto by that place of the Apostle wherin he was cōmaunded rather to obey God then man: & moreouer that nothyng more moued or stirred him therunto, then his owne conscience.

MarginaliaWinchester.A godly conscience surely sayd the Byshop. This your conscience could make our Queene a Bastard or misbegotten: would it not I pray you?

MarginaliaM. Saunders.Then sayd Saunders: we (sayd he) do not declare or say that the Queene is base or misbegotten, neither go about any such matter. MarginaliaA priuie nippe to Winchester.But for that let thē care, whose writynges are yet in the handes of men, witnessing the same, not without the great reproch and shame of the Authour: priuily tauntyng the Bishop him selfe, which had before (to get the fauour of Henry the eight) written & set forth in printe MarginaliaWinchesters boke De vera Obedientia.a booke of true obedience, wherin he had openly declared Queene Mary to be a Bastard. Now M. Saunders goyng forwardes in his purpose, sayd: We do onely professe and teach the sinceritie and puritie of the word, the which albeit it bee now forbidden vs to preach with our mouthes: yet notwithstandyng I do not doubt, but that our bloud hereafter shall manifest the same. The Byshop beyng in this sort pretily nipped and touched, sayd: MarginaliaNote how Winchester confuteth M. Saunders.Cary away this frensie foole to prison. Vnto whom M. Saunders aunswered, that hee did geue God thankes, which had geuen hym at the last, a place of rest and quietnes, where as he might pray for the Byshops conuersion.

Furthermore he that did lye with him afterwardes in prison in the same bed, reported that he heard hym say that MarginaliaA notable example of the Lord, comforting hys seruauntes in their troubles.euen in the tyme of his examination, he was wonderfully comforted, in somuch as not onely in spirite, but also in body, he receiued a certaine tast of that holy Communion of Saintes, whilest a most pleasaunt refreshyng did issue from euery part and member of the body vnto the seat and place of the heart, and from thence dyd ebbe and flow to and fro vnto all the partes agayne.

This Saūders cōtinued in prison a whole yeare and 3. monethes.MarginaliaM. Saunders in prison a yeare and iij. monethes. In al which space he sent diuers letters to diuers mē: as one to Cranmer, Ridley, & Latimer: and other to his wife, & also to others, certifying thē both of the publicke calamitie of the tyme, and also of his priuate afflictiōs, and of sondry his conflicts with his aduersaries: As in writyng to his frend, he speaketh of

Weston conferryng with him in prison, wherof you shall here anone (by the leaue of the Lord) as foloweth in the story. In the meane tyme the Chauncellour, after this litle talke with M. Saunders (as is aforesayd) sent him to the prison of þ^e Marshalsey. &c. For þ^t Cayphas (Winchester I meane) did nothyng but bayte him with some of his currish eloquēce, and so committed him to the prison of the Marshalsey, where he was kept prisoner one whole yeare and a quarter. But of his cause and estate, thou shalt now see, what Laurence Saunders hym selfe did write.

¶ A parcell of a Letter of Laurence Saunders sent to the Byshop of Winchester, as an aunswere to certaine thinges wherwith he had before charged hym.  

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After it was first printed in 1563, this letter was reprinted in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 201-03, and edited by Bull in the process. Bull's version was then reprinted in all subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments. Ecl 260, fol. 123r-v is a copy of this letter, which was used by Bull as his cast-off.

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MarginaliaA fragmēt of Maister Saunders letter.TOuchyng the cause of my imprisonement, I doubt whether I haue broken any law, or proclamation. In my doctrine I did not, for asmuch as at that tyme it was permitted by the MarginaliaHe meaneth the proclamation of which mention is made before.proclamation to vse, accordyng to our consciēces, such seruice as was then established. My doctrine was then agreable vnto my conscience and the seruice then vsed. The Acte which I did (hee meaneth publicke teachyng of Gods word in his owne Parish, called Alhallowes in Breadstreete in the Citie of Londō) was such, as beyng indifferently weyed, sounded to no breakyng of the proclamation, or at the least no wilfull breakyng of it, MarginaliaSatis peccauit qui resistere nō potuit.for as much as I caused no Bell to be rong, neither occupied I any place in the Pulpit, after the order of Sermōs or Lectures. But be it that I did breake the Proclamation: this long tyme of continuaūce in prison may be thought to be more then a sufficient punishment for such a fault.

Touchyng the chargyng of me with my Religion, I say with S. Paul: MarginaliaActes. 24.This I confesse that after the way which they call heresie, so worshyp I the God of my forefathers, beleuyng all thynges which are written in the law and the Prophetes, and haue hope towardes God. &c. MarginaliaA good testimony of a good conscience.And herein study I to haue alway a cleare conscience towardes God, and towardes men: so that God I call to witnes, I haue a conscience. And this my conscience is not grounded vpon vayne phantasie, but vpon the infallible veritie of Gods word, with the witnessyng of hys chosen Church agreable vnto the same.

It is an easy thing for them, which take Christ for their true Pastor, and be the very shepe of hys pasture, to discerne the voyce of their true shepheard, from the voice of Wolues, hirelinges, and straungers, for as much as Christ sayth: MarginaliaIohn. 10.My sheepe heare my voyce, yea and therby they shall haue the gyft to knowe the ryght voyce of the true Shepheard, and to follow him, and to auoide the contrary, as he also sayth: The shepe follow the shepheard, for they know hys voyce. A Straunger will they not follow, but wyll flie from hym: for they know not the voyce of a Straunger. Such inward inspiration doth the holy Ghost put into the chyldren of God, being in deede taught of God, but otherwyse vnable to vnderstand the true way of their saluation. And albeit that MarginaliaMath. 7.the VVoolfe (as Christ sayth) commeth in sheepes cloathing, yet he sayth: MarginaliaHow the Wolfe is knowen from the true shepheard.by their fruites ye shall know them. For there bee certaine fruites whereby the Wolfe is bewraied, notwythstanding that otherwyse in sondrye sortes of deuout holynes in outward shew, he seemeth neuer so symple a sheepe. That the Romish religion is rauening and Woluish, it is apparaunt in three principal pointes.

MarginaliaThe inconueniēce of the Romishe religion, in iij. poyntes.Fyrst, it robbeth God of his due and onely honour.

Secondly, it taketh away the true comfort of conscience in obscuring, or rather burying of Christ, and hys office of saluation.

Thirdly, it spoileth God of his true worship and seruice in spirite and truth, appointed in his prescript commaundements, and driueth men vnto that inconuenience, agaynst the which Christ wyth the Prophet Esay doth speake sharply: MarginaliaEsay. 26. Math. 25.Thys people honoreth me wyth theyr lips, but theyr hart is farre from me. They worship me in vayne, teaching the doctrine and preceptes of men. And in an other place: ye cast aside the commaundement of God to maintayne your owne traditions.

Wherefore I in conscience, weying the Romish religion, and by indifferent discussyng thereof, finding the foundation vnstedfast, and the building therupon but vayne: and on the other syde hauing my conscience framed after a right and vncorrupt religion, ratified and ful