Marginalia1555. February.thereunto, but said: MarginaliaDoctour Taylour agayne aduised to fly, but he refused so to do.Oh Iohn, shal I geue place to this thy counsel and worldly perswasion, and leaue my flock in this daunger? Remēber the good shepheard Christ, which not alonely fed his flocke, but also dyed for hys flocke. Hym must I follow, & with Gods grace wil do.

Therefore good Iohn pray for me: and if thou seest me weake at any time, comfort me, and discourage me not in this my godly enterprise and purpose. Thus they came vp to London, and shortly after Doctour Taylour presented him selfe to MarginaliaThe first meeting betwene Winchest. and D. Taylour.the bishop of Winchester Steuen Gardiner, then L. Chaūcelor of England.  

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In fact, an arrest warrant for Taylor was issued by the privy council on 26 March 1554. The warrant was sent to Sir Henry Doyle, who lived near Hadleigh, and to William Foster, who lived in Hadleigh (APC V, 3); ergo, Taylor was in Hadleigh and arrested there and brought to London.

For this hath bene one great abuse in Englād these many yeares, that such offices as haue bene of most importance and waight, haue commonly bene committed to Bishops and other spirituall men, whereby three deuilish mischiefes and incōueniences haue happened in this Realme, to the great dishonor of God, and vtter neglecting of the flocke of Christ: MarginaliaA great abuse in England. and. 3. mischiefes comming thereof.the which. 3. be these.

MarginaliaThe first mishiefe.First they haue had small leysure to attend to theyr pastoral cures, which therby haue ben vtterly neglected and left vndone.

MarginaliaThe secōd mischiefe.Secondly, it hath also puft vp many Bishops and other spirituall persons into such hautines and pryde, that they haue thought no noble man in the Realme worthy to be their equall and fellow.

MarginaliaThe thyrd mischief.Thirdly, where they by this meanes knew the very secrets of Princes, they being in such high offices, haue caused the same to be knowē in Rome, afore the kings could accomplish and bring their ententes to passe in England. By this meanes hath the Papacy bene so maintayned, and thinges ordered after their wyls and pleasures, that much mischiefe hath happened in thys Realme and others, somtime to the destruction of Princes, and sometyme to the vtter vndoing of many common wealthes.

Now when MarginaliaByshop Gardiner like bishop Caiphas.Gardiner saw D. Taylour, he according to his common custome all to reuiled hym, calling him knaue, Traytor, hereticke, with many other villanous reproches: which al MarginaliaDoctour Taylours pacience & magnaminity.D. Taylour heard patiently, and at the last sayd vnto him:

My Lord (quoth he) I am neither Traytour, nor hereticke, but a true subiect, and a faythull Christian man, and am come according to your commaundemēt, to know what is the cause that your Lordshyp hath sent for me.

Then sayd the Bishop: art thou come, thou villain? How darest thou looke me in the face for shame? Knowest thou not who I am?

Yes (quoth D. Taylour) I know who ye are. Ye are D. Steuen Gardiner bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chauncellor, and yet but a mortall man I trow. But if I should be afrayd of your MarginaliaSteuen Gardiners Lordly lookes.Lordly lookes, why feare you not God, the Lord of all? MarginaliaThe notable answere of D. Taylour to the byshop of Winchester.How dare ye for shame looke any Christiā mā in the face, seyng ye haue forsaken the truth, denyed our Sauiour Christ & hys word, and done cōtrary to your own oth and writing? With what countenaunce wyll ye appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, and aunswer to your oth made, fyrst vnto king Henry. VIII. of famous memory, and afterward vnto that blessed kyng Edward the sixt hys Sonne?

MarginaliaHerodes oth.The bishop aunswered: Tush, tush, that was Herodes oth, vnlawfull, and therefore worthy to be broken. MarginaliaHere the Bishoppe confesseth vnlawfull othes ought not to be kept.I haue done well in breaking it: and (I thanke God) I am come home agayne to our mother the Catholick church of Rome, & so I would thou shouldest do.

D. Taylour aunswered: Shoulde I forsake the Church of Christ, which is founded vpon the true foūdation of the Apostles and Prophetes, to approue those lies, errours, superstitions and Idolatries, that the Popes and their company at this day so blasphemously do approue? Nay God forbyd.

MarginaliaThe true church of Christ whereunto all men ought to turne.Let the Pope and his returne to our Sauior Christ and hys word, and thrust out of the churches such abominable Idolatries as he mayntaineth, and then wyll Christen men turne vnto hym. You wrote truely a-

gaynst him, and were sworne against him.  

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This a reference to Stephen Gardiner's book, De vera obedientia, first published in 1535 (STC 11584), which argued for royal, rather than papal, supremacy over the English church. A number of Marian protestants taunted Gardiner with having written this book, and illicit protestant presses in England published new editions of the work after Gardiner was made lord chancellor (STC 11585-7).

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I tell thee (quoth the bishop of Winchester) it was Herodes oth,  

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I.e., an oath imposed by force.

Then said D. Taylour: MarginaliaChrist will require lawfull othes and promises.but you shall not so be discharged before Christ, who doubtles will require it at your handes, as a lawfull oth made to your liege and soueraigne Lord the king, frō whose obedience no mā can assoyle you, neyther the Pope nor none of hys.

MarginaliaGardiner falleth agayne to his rayling.I see (quoth the bishop) thou art an arrogant knaue and a very foole.

My Lord (quoth D. Taylour) leaue your vnsemely rayling at me, MarginaliaRayling words become not a magistrate.which is not seemely for such a one in authoritye as you are. For I am a Christian man, and you know that, MarginaliaMath. 5.He that sayth to his brother Racha, is in daunger of a Councell: and he that sayth thou foole, is in daunger of hell fyre.

The Byshop aunswered: ye are all false, and lyars all the sort of you. Nay (quoth D. Taylour) we are true men, and know that it is written: Os quod mentitur, occidit animam: And agayne, Perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendaciū. i. The mouth that lyeth, sleyeth the soule. And agayne: Lord God thou shalt destroy all that speake lyes. And therfore we abyde by the truth of Gods word which ye contrary to your owne conscience, deny and forsake.

MarginaliaMariage obiected to Doct. Taylour.Thou art maryed (quoth the Bishop). Yea (quoth D. Taylour) that I thanke God I am, and haue had nine children, and all in lawfull matrimony: MarginaliaMariage defended.and blessed be God that ordained matrimony, and commaunded that euery man that hath not the gift of continencie, should mary a wife of his owne, and not liue in adultery, or whoredome.

Then sayd the Byshop: Thou hast resisted the Queenes procedinges, and wouldest not suffer the person of Aldam, MarginaliaOne idolater holdeth with an other.a very vertuous and deuout Priest, to say Masse in Hadley. Doct. Taylour aunswered: My Lord, I am Parson of Hadley, & it is against all right, conscience, and lawes, that any man shall come into my charge and presume to infect the flocke cōmitted vnto me, with venome of the Popish Idolatrous MarginaliaThe Masse.Masse.

With that the Byshop waxed very angry, and sayd: Thou art a blasphemous hereticke in deede, that blasphemest the blessed Sacramēt (and put of his cap) and speakest agaynst the holy Masse, which is made a Sacrifice for þ^e quicke & the dead. D. Taylour aunswered: Nay, I blaspheme not the blessed Sacrament which Christ instituted, but I reuerence it as a true Christian ought to do, and confesse that Christ ordained the holy MarginaliaThe communion.Communion in the remembraunce of his death and passion: which when we keepe accordyng to his ordinaunce, we, through faith eate the body of Christ, and drinke his bloud, geuing thankes for our redemption: and this is our Sacrifice for the quicke and the dead, MarginaliaThe true sacrifice for the quicke and dead, what it is.to geue God thankes for his mercifull goodnes shewed to vs, in that he gaue hys sonne Christ vnto the death for vs.

Thou sayest well (quoth the Byshop). It is all that thou hast sayd, and more to: for it is a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quicke and the dead. Then aunswered Doct. Taylour: Christ gaue him selfe to dye for our redemption vpon the Crosse, MarginaliaPropiatory sacrifice offered neuer more then once.whose body there offered was the propitiatory Sacrifice, full, perfect, and sufficient vnto saluatiō, for all them that beleue in him. And this Sacrifice did our Sauiour Christ offer in his own person him selfe once for all, neither cā any Priest any more offer him, nor we neede no more propitiatory Sacrifice: and therfore I say with Chrysostome and all the Doctours: MarginaliaOur sacrifice now is onely memoratiue.Our Sacrifice is onely memoratiue, in the remēbraunce of Christes death and Passion, a Sacrifice of thankes geuing, and therfore the Fathers called it Eucharistia: & other Sacrifice hath the Church of God none.

It is true (quoth the Bishop) the Sacrament is cal-