MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.position he made, when the Vicare and he talked together. And William sayd, he vrged me to say so much as I dyd.
MarginaliaTalke betwen W. Hunter, and Iustice Browne about the sacrament.Well, quoth M. Browne, because you can expound that place so well, how say you to an other place, turning to the xxij. of Saint Luke? and M. Browne sayd loke here (quoth hee) for Christ sayth, that the bread is his body.
To the which William aunswered, the text sayeth, how Christ tooke bread, but not that he chaunged it, into an other substaunce,MarginaliaBread broken, but not chaunged. but gaue that which he tooke, and brake that which he gaue, which was bread, as is euident by the text. For els he should haue had two bodyes, which to affirme I see no reason, sayd Williā.
[Back to Top]At the which aunswere M. Browne was very angry,MarginaliaM. Browne in a pelting chafe. & tooke vp the Byble and turned the leaues, and then flong it downe againe in such a fury, that William coulde not well finde the place agayne wherof they reasoned. Then M. Browne said, thou naughty boy, wilt thou not take thinges as they are, but expound them as thou wilte? doth not Christ call the bread hys body playnly, and thou wilt not beleue that the bread is hys body after the consecration? thou goest about to make Christ a lyer.
[Back to Top]But William Hunter aunswered: I meane not so Syr, but rather more earnestly to search what þe mynd of Christ is in that holy Institution, MarginaliaHow Christ calleth bread hys body.wherein he commendeth vnto vs the remembraunce of his death, passion, resurrection and comming againe, saying: This doe in the remembraunce of me. And also though Christ call the bread his body, as he doth also say, that hee is a vine, a doore. &c. yet is not his body turned into bread, no more then he is turned into a doore, or vyne. Wherfore Christ called the bread hys body by a figure.
[Back to Top]At that word Maister Browne sayd, thou art a Villaine in deede. Wilt thou make Christ a lyer yet still? and was in such fury with William, and so raged, MarginaliaM. Browne in a rage.that William could not speake a word but he crossed hym, and scoffed at euery word. Wherefore William seing him in such fury, desired hym that hee would eyther heare him quietly, and suffer hym to aunswer for him selfe, or els send him away. To the which Maister Browne aunswered: MarginaliaM. Browne sendeth vp W. Hunter to Byshop Boner.in deede I wyll send thee to morrow to my Lord of London, and he shall haue thee vnder examination, and thus left of the talke, and made a letter immediately, and sent William Hunter with the Constable to Boner Byshop of London, who receiued William.
[Back to Top]After that he had read the letter, and the Constable, returned home agayne, the Byshop caused William to be brought into a chamber, where he began to reason with hym in this maner: MarginaliaBoners wordes to W. Hunter.I vnderstand Williā Hunter (quoth he) by M. Brownes letter, how that you haue had certayne communication with the Vicar of Wield
I.e., vicar of the South Weald.
William aunswered, saying: I am not fallen frō the Catholicke faith, of Christ, I am sure, but do beleue it, and confesse it with all my hart.
MarginaliaTalke betwen W. Hunter and the Byshop about the Sacrament.Why, quoth the byshop, how sayst thou to the blessed Sacrament of þe aultar? wilt thou not recāt thy saying, which thou cōfessedst before M. Browne, how that Christes body is not in the Sacrament of the aultar, the same that was borne of the virgine Marie?
[Back to Top]To the which William aunswered, saying? my Lord I vnderstand, that M. Browne hath certified you of þe talke, which he and I had together, & therby ye know what I sayd to hym, the which I will not recant, by Gods helpe. Then sayd the Byshop, MarginaliaBoners faire promise to W. Hunter.I thinke thou art ashamed to beare a Fagot
A common penance for heresy was to bear a faggot in public. This was designed to humiliate the offender. Bonner is saying that Hunter is unwilling to be humiliated in public and is promising him that if he recants he will not be publicly humiliated.
thou shalt not be put to open shame: but speake the word here now betwene me and thee, and I will promise thee, it shall go no further, and thou shalt go home agayne without any hurt.
William aunswered and sayd, my Lord: if you will let me alone and leaue me to my conscience,MarginaliaWilliam Hunter not suffred to haue his conscience free. I will go to my father and dwell with hym, or els with my Maister agayne, and so if no body will disquiet nor trouble my conscience, I will keepe my conscience to my selfe. Then sayd the Byshop, I am content, so that thou wilt go to the Church & receiue and be shriuen,
I.e., absolved by a priest.
Then, quoth the Bishop, if you will not do so, I will make you sure enough, I warrant you. MarginaliaWilliam Hunter denyeth to recant.Well, quoth William, you can do no more then God will permitte you. Well, quoth the Byshop, wilt thou not recant in dede by no meanes? No, quoth Williā, neuer while I lyue, God willyng.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaBoner commaundeth William Hunter to the stockes.Then the Byshop (this talke ended) commaunded his men to put William in the Stockes in his Gatehouse, where he satte two dayes and ij. nightes, onely with a crust of browne bread & a cup of water.MarginaliaWilliam Hunter ij. dayes & ij. nightes in the stockes, with a crust of bread, and a cup of water. At the ij. dayes end the Byshop came to hym, and findyng the cup of water and the crust of bread still by hym vppon the Stockes, said to his mē: take him out of þe Stockes & let him breake his fast with you. Then they let hym forth of the Stockes, but would not suffer hym to eate with thē, but called him hereticke. And he sayd he was as loth to be in their cōpany, as they were, to be in his.
[Back to Top]After breakefast the Byshop sent for William and demaunded whether he would recant or no. But William made him aunswere, MarginaliaHunter agayne refuseth to recant hys fayth in Christ.how that he would neuer recant that which hee had confessed before men, as concernyng his faith in Christ.
Then the Byshop sayd that he was no Christiā, but denied þe fayth in which he was Baptised. But Williā aūswered: I was Baptised in þe fayth of the holy Trinitie, the which I will not goe from, God assistyng me with his grace.
MarginaliaWilliam Hunter layd in the conuict prison with as many yrons as he could beare.Then the Byshop sent hym to the Conuict prison, and commaunded the keeper to lay Irons on hym as many as he could beare, and moreouer asked him, how olde he was: and William sayd, that he was xix. yeare olde. Well sayd the Byshop, you wilbe burned ere you be xx. yeare olde, if you will not yeld your selfe better then you haue done yet. William aunswered, God strengthen me in his truth: and then he parted, the Byshop allowyng hym MarginaliaHunter allowed a halfpeny a day to liue on.a halfpeny a day to liue on in bread, or drinke. Thus he continued in prisō three quarters of a yeare. In the which tyme he had bene before the Byshop fiue tymes, besides that tyme when he was condemned in the Consistory in Paules, the ix. day of February: at the which tyme I hys brother Robert Hunter was present, whē and where I heard the Byshop condemne hym, and MarginaliaThese fiue were Tomkins, Pigot, Knight, Haukes, and Laurence.fiue other more.
[Back to Top]And then the Byshop calling William, asked him if he would not recante, and so read to hym hys examination and confession, as is aboue rehearsed, and then rehearsed how that William confessed that hee did beleue that hee receaued Christes body spiritually, when he dyd receaue the Communion. Doost thou meane, quoth the Byshop, that the bread is Christes body spiritually?
[Back to Top]Williā aunswered: I meane not so, but rather when I receiue the holy Communion rightly and worthely, MarginaliaThe bread is Christes body neither spiritually nor bodely, but in receauing the Communion we feede on Christ spiritually in our soule.I do feede vpon Christ spiritually through fayth in my soule, and am made partaker of all the benefites which Christ hath brought vnto all faithful beleuers through his precious death, passion, and resurrection, & not that the bread is his body, either spiritually or corporally.
[Back to Top]Then sayd the Byshop to William, doest thou not thinke (holdyng vp his cap) that for example here of my cap, thou mayest see the squarenes and coulour of it, and yet not to bee the substaunce, which thou iudgest