Marginalia1555. March.Tomkins afterward reported to one Iames Hinse, that his spirit was so rapt vp, that he felt no payne.  

In the which burning he neuer shronke, till þ^e vaines shronke and the synewes brast, and the water did spyrt into M. Harpesfieldes face: In somuch that the sayd M. Harpsfield moued with pity, desired the bishop to stay, saying, that he had tryed hym inough. This burnyng was in the hall at Fulham. And where the B. thought by that meanes to driue him from his opinions, it proued much otherwyse: MarginaliaTomkins cōpared to Scæuola.for this Christian Scæuola so valiantly did despise, abide, and endure that burning, that we haue lesse cause hereafter to maruaile at the manfulnes of that Romane Scæuola. I would to God the other had as wel folowed þ^e example of that Hetruscan Tyrant. MarginaliaBoner more cruell then Porsenna the Hetruscan.For hee after the left hand of Scæuola was halfe burned, eyther satisfied with his punishment, or ouercome by his manhood, or driuen away by feare, sent him home safe vnto his people: where as Boner hetherto not cōtented with þ^e burning of his hād, rested not vntill he had consumed his whole body into ashes at London in Smithfield. But before we come to his suffering, we will first entreate of some part of his examination and articles, with his aūsweres & confession therunto annexed, as it is credibly in register recorded.

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MarginaliaThe first examination of Thomas Tomkins before Boner B. of London.THis faithful & valiant souldiour of God Tho. Tomkyns, after he had remained the space (as is sayd) of halfe a yeare in prisō, about þ^e 8. day of February was brought with certayne other before Boner sittyng in his Consistory, to be examined. To whom first was brought forth a certayne Bill or Schedule subscribed, (as it appeared) with his own hand, the fift day of the same moneth last before, conteinyng these wordes folowyng.

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MarginaliaThe confession of Tomkins subscribed wyth his owne hād.Thomas Tomkins of Shordich, and of the Dioces of London, hath beleued and doth beleue, that in the Sacrament of the altar, vnder the formes of bread and wine, there is not the very body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ in substaunce, but onely a token and a remembraunce therof, the very body and bloud of Christ onely beyng in heauen and no where els.

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By me Thomas Tomkins.

Wherupon he was asked whether he did acknowledge the same subscription to be of his own hand. To the which he graunted, confessing it so to be. This beyng done, the Byshop went about to persuade hym (with wordes, rather then with reasons) to relinquish his opinions, and to returne agayne to the vnitie of the Catholicke Church, promising if he would so do, to remit all that was past: MarginaliaTomkins constant in hys fayth.but he constantly denyed so to do. When the Byshop saw he could not so conuince him, he brought forth and read to him an other writing contaynyng Articles and Interrogatories wherunto he should come the next day & aunswere: in the meane tyme he should deliberate with him selfe what to do, and so the next day, beyng the ix. day of March, at eight of the clocke in the mornyng, to be present in the same place agayne, to geue his determinate aunswere what he would do in the premisses, and then either to reuoke and reclame him selfe, or els in the after noone the same day to come agayne and haue Iustice (as he called it) ministred vnto hym: the copy of which Articles here foloweth.

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MarginaliaArticles ministred agaynst Thomas Tomkins.THou doest beleue that in the Sacrament of the aultar vnder the formes of bread and wyne there is not, by the omnipotent power of almighty God and his holy word, really, truly, and in very deede, the very true and naturall body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, MarginaliaTransubstantiation denyed.as touchyng the substaunce therof which was conceiued in the

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wombe of the virgine Mary, and hanged vppon the crosse, suffryng Passion and death there for the lyfe of the world.

I do so beleue.

MarginaliaSubstaunce of bread remayneth in the Sacrament.Thou doest beleue that after the consecration of the bread and wyne prepared for the vse of the Sacrament of the altar there doth remayne the very substaunce of materiall bread and materiall wyne, not chaunged nor altered in substaunce by the power of almighty God, but remayning as it did before.

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I do so beleue.

MarginaliaThe naturall presence of Christ in the Sacrament denyed.Thou doest beleue that it is an vntrue doctrine and a false beliefe to thinke or say that in the Sacrament of the altar there is after the consecration of the bread & wyne, the substaunce of Christes naturall body and bloud by the omnipotent power of almighty God and his holy word.

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I do so beleue.

MarginaliaThe errour of forelders touching the Sacrament.Thou doest beleue that thy parentes, kynsfolkes, frendes, and acquaintaūce, and also thy Godfathers and Godmothers and al people did erre, and were deceiued, if they dyd beleue that in the Sacramēt of the altar there was, after the cōsecration, the body and bloud of Christ, & that there did not remayne the substance of materiall bread and wyne.

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I do so beleue.

By me Thomas Tomkyns.

MarginaliaThe second examination.THe next day, being the. ix. of February, at eight of the clocke before noone, the sayd Tho. Tomkyns, (according to the former cōmaūdemēt) was brought agayne into þ^e place afore named, before þ^e bishop & other his assistantes, where the foresayd articles were propoūded vnto him: wherunto he answered as foloweth.

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MarginaliaAnswere of Tomkins to the Articles.To the first he sayd, that he dyd so beleue, as in the same is contayned.

To the second he sayd that it was onely bread, and a participation of Christes death and passion, and so doe the scriptures teach.

To the third he sayd & did beleue, it was a false doctrine to beleue & thinke as is contayned in this article.

To the fourth, he dyd also beleue the same.

After thys aunswer, he did also subscribe hys name to the sayd articles. Whereupon the bishop drawyng out of his bosome an other confession subscribed with Tomkins own hand, and also that article that was the first day obiected against him, caused the same to be openly read, and then wylled him to reuoke and denye his sayd opinions: the which he vtterly refused to do, and therefore was commaunded to appeare before the bishop agayne in the same place at two of the clocke in the after noone.

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MarginaliaThe first confession of Tomkins offered to Bish. Boner, and now here agayne repeated.I Thomas Tomkins of the parish of Shordich, in the dioces of London, hauyng confessed and declared openly heretofore to Edmund Byshop of London mine Ordinary, that my beliefe hath bene many yeares past and is at this present: that the body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is not truely and in very deede in the sacrament of the aultar, but onely in heauen, and so in heauen, that it can not now in dede bee really and truely in the sacrament of the aultar:

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MarginaliaThe Masse full of superstition & idolatry.And moreouer, hauing lykewyse confessed and declared to my sayd Ordinary openly many tymes, that although the church, called the catholyke church, hath allowed and doth allowe the Masse and sacrifice made and done therein, as a wholesome, profitable, and a godly thyng: yet my beliefe hath bene many yeares past, and is at thys present, that the sayd Masse is ful of superstition, playne idolatry, and vnprofitable for my soule, and so haue I called it many tymes, and take it at thys present:

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MarginaliaBaptisme ought to be ministred in the vulgar tongue.Hauing also lykewyse confessed and declared to my sayd Ordinary, that the sacrament of Baptisme ought to be onely in the vulgar tounge, and not otherwise ministred, and also without any such ceremonies as custo-