Marginalia1555. February.though for our probation he suffreth vs to be afflicted, yet will he not bee alwayes chyding, neyther keepeth hee hys anger for euer: for hee knoweth whereof we bee made: he remembreth that we are but duste. Wherfore, MarginaliaPsal. 103.looke how high the heauen is in comparison of the earth, so great is hys mercy towards them which feare hym. Looke how wyde the East is from the West, so farre hath hee set our sinnes from vs. Yea, lyke as a father pitieth hys owne children, euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto thē that feare hym. Oh what great cause of reioycyng haue we in our most gracious God? we cā not but burst forth into the praysing of such a bountifull benefactour, and say with the same Psalmist: Prayse the Lord, O my soule, and all that is within me prayse hys holy name. Prayse the Lord, O my soule, and forget not all his benefites.

Deare wife, riches haue I none to leaue behynd me, wherewith to endow you after the worldly maner. MarginaliaSaunders godly bequest to his wife.But that treasure of tasting how swete Christ is vnto hungry consciences (wherof I thanke my Christ, I do feele part, and would feele more) that I bequeath vnto you, and to the rest of my beloued in Christ, to retaine the same in sense of heart alwayes. Pray, pray. MarginaliaExperiēce of the comfortes of Christ in prison.I am mery, and I trust I shalbe mery maugre the teeth of all the deuils in hell. I vtterly refuse my selfe, and resigne my selfe vnto my Christ, in whom I know I shalbe strong as he seeth needefull. Pray, pray, pray.

Laurence Saunders.

MarginaliaMaister Saunders wife not suffered to speake with hym in prison.As the sayd M. Saunders was in pryson, straite charge was geuen to the Keeper, that no person should speake with hym. His wyfe yet came to the prison gate wyth her young chylde in her armes, to visit her Husband. The Keeper, though for hys charge, he durst not suffer her to come into the prison, yet did he take the litle babe out of her armes, and brought him vnto his father. Laurence Saunders seyng hym, reioyced greatly, saying that he reioyced more to haue such a boy, then he should if two thousand pound were geuen him. And vnto the standers by, which praised the goodlynes of the chylde, he sayd: What man fearing God, would not loose thys lyfe present, rather thē by prolonging it here, he should adiudge thys boy to be a Bastard, hys wyfe a whoore, and hymselfe a whoremonger? Yea, if there were no other cause, for which a man of my estate should loose hys lyfe: yet who would not geue it, to aduouch thys chylde to bee legitimate, and hys mariage to be lawfull and holy?

I do (good Reader) recite thys saying, not onely to let thee see what he thought of Priestes mariage: but chiefly to let all maried couples and Parents learne to beare in their bosome true affections: naturall, but yet seasoned wyth the true salt of the spirit, vnfainedly and throughly mortified, to do the naturall workes and offices of maried couples and Parents, so long as wyth theyr doyng they may keepe Christ wyth a free confessing fayth, in a conscience vnfoyled: otherwyse both they and their own lyues are so to be forsakē, as Christ required them to be denyed, and geuen in hys cause.

MarginaliaMaister Saunder brought to examination.And now to come to the examination of thys good man, after that the Bishops had kept hym one whole yeare and a quarter in prison, at the length they called hym, as they dyd the rest of hys fellowes, openly to be examined. Of the which hys first examination the effect and purpose thus followeth.

¶ The examination of Laurence Saunders.  

Commentary     Close

In 1563, this is headed Laurence Saunders' first examination. Apparently, as a later comment by Foxe makes clear, Gardiner examined Saunders twice.

PRaysed be our gracious God, who preserueth hys from euyll, and doth geue them grace to auoyde all such offences, as myght hynder hys honour, or hurt his church, Amen.

Being conuented before the Queenes most honorable Counsell, sundry bishops being present, the Lord Chaūcelor began to speake in such forme as foloweth.

MarginaliaThe first examination of M. Saunders.L. Chan. It is not vnknowen, that you haue bene prisoner for such abominable heresies and false doctrine as hath bene sowen by you: and now it is thought good that mercy be shewed to such as seeke for it. Wherfore if now you wyll shew your selfe conformable, and

come home agayne, mercy is ready. We must say that we haue fallen in maner all: but now we bee rysen agayne, and returned to the catholicke church, you must ryse wyth vs, and come home vnto it. Geue vs forthwyth a direct aunswere.

Saun. My Lord, and my Lords all, may it please your honors to giue me leaue to aunswer with deliberation.

Chan. Leaue of your painting and pride of speech. For such is the fashion of you all to please your selues in your glorious wordes. Aunswer yea, or nay.

Sand. My Lord, it is no tyme for me nowe to paynt. And as for pryde, there is no great cause why it should be in me. My learning I confesse to be but small: and as for riches or worldly wealth I haue none at all. Notwithstandyng it standeth me in hand to aunswere to your demaund circumspectly, considering that one of these two extreme perils are like to fall vpon me: the losing of a good conscience, or the losing of this my body and lyfe. MarginaliaM. Saunders standeth vpon hys conscience.And I tell you truth, I loue both life and libertie, if I could enioy them wythout the hurt of my conscience.

Chan. Conscience? you haue none at all, but pride and arrogancie, *Marginalia* Of thys diuiding speaketh S. Paul. 2. Cor. 6. & Ierem. 50. Come out & diuide your selues frō thē. ßc. diuiding your selues by singularitie from the Church.

Sand. The Lord is the knower of all mens consciences. And where your Lordship layeth to my charge this diuiding my self frō the church (as you do meane, and is now among you cōcluded vpon, as I do vnderstand) Marginalia
Argument.
Conscience ought neuer to stand vpō thynges vncertaine.
Tyme and authoritie be thinges of thē selues alwaies vncertaine:
Ergo, conscience ought neuer to stand vpon time and authoritie.I do assure you, that I lyue in the fayth wherein I haue ben brought vp sithens I was 14. yeare old: being taught that the power of þ^e B. of Rome is but vsurped, w^t many other abuses springing thereof. Yea this I haue receiued, euen at your hands that are here present, as a thing agreed vpon by the catholick church and publicke authoritie.

Chaunc. Yea mary, but I pray you, haue you receiued by consent and authoritie all your heresies of the blessed Sacrament of the aultar?

Saund. My Lord, it is lesse offence to cut of an arme, hand, or ioynt of a man, then to cut of the head. For the mā may liue though he do lacke an arme, hand or ioynt, and so can he not without his head. But you, all the whole sort of you, haue agreed to cut of the supremacie of the Byshop of Rome, whom now ye will haue to be the head of your Church agayne.

MarginaliaSi non insanit satis sua sponte, in stiga.Bis. of London. And if it lyke your Lordshyp, I haue his hand agaynst the blessed Sacrament. How say you to that?

Saunders. What I haue written, that I haue written, and farther I will not accuse my selfe. Nothyng haue you to burden me withall, for breakyng of your lawes since they were in force.

Chaunc. Well you will be obstinate & refuse libertie.

Saunders. My Lord, I may not bye libertie at such a price: but MarginaliaA lawfull request, but it could not be heard.I besech your honours to bee meanes to the Queenes Maiestie for such a pardō for vs, that we may liue and keepe our consciences vnclogged, and we shall liue as most obedient subiectes. Otherwise, I must say for my selfe, that by Gods grace I will abyde the most extremitie that man may do agaynst me, rather then to doe agaynst my conscience.

Chaunc. Ah syrra, MarginaliaTo liue as the Scripture leadeth vs, is not to liue as we liste.you will liue as you list. MarginaliaThe Papistes desire the Pope, the Protestantes Christ onely to be theyr head: Now which of these ij. be most like the Donatistes.The Donatistes did desyre to liue in a singularitie: but in deede they were not meete to lyue on the earth: no more bee you, and that shall you vnderstand within these seuen dayes: and therfore away with him.

Saunders. Welcome be it, what soeuer the will of God shalbe, either life or death. And I tell you truly, I haue learned to dye. But I exhort you to beware of sheding of innocent bloud. Truly, it will cry. The spirit of God rest vpon all your honours. Amen. This is the summe and forme of my first examination. Pray. &c.

This examination beyng ended the Officers led him out of the place, and so stayed vntill the rest of hys felowes were likewise handled, that they might haue thē