Marginalia1555. Aprill.and Catholicke Church of Rome, the blessed Masse, the Sacrament of the altar, and many other Articles. Vnto all which in sūme he aunswered, MarginaliaG. Marsh purgeth himselfe.þ^t he neither heretically nor blasphemously preached or spake against any of the said articles, but simply and truely, as occasion serued, and (as it were thereunto forced in conscience) maintained the truth touching the same articles, as (sayd he) all you now present dyd acknowledge the same in the tyme of the late king Edward. VI.

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Then they examined hym seuerally of euery article, and bad hym aunswere directly yea or nay, without circumstance: for they were come MarginaliaThe Bishops clergy more able to examine then to dispute.to examine, and not to dispute at that present.

Then hee aunswered them vnto euery article very modestly, according to the doctrine by publicke authority receaued, & taught in this realme at þ^e death of the sayd K. Edward: whose aunswers were euery one noted and wrytten by the Register, to the vttermost that could make against hym, which cannot at this present be gotten. After this, the company for that tyme brake vp, and he was returned to hys pryson agayne.

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MarginaliaThe last appearaunce of G. Marsh before the Byshop.WIthin three weekes after this, or thereaboutes,  

in the sayd Chappell and in lyke sorte as before, the sayd Bishop and others before named there being assembled, the sayd George Marsh was brought by hys keeper and others wyth byls   and diuers weapons, before them. Where first the sayd Chauncellour by way of an oration declared vnto the people present, MarginaliaThe Chauncellours oration.the sayd Bishops charge and burning charity, who euen lyke as a good Shepheard doth see to hys flocke, that none of hys shepe haue the scab or other disease for infecting other cleane shepe, but wyll saue and cure the sayd scabbed sheepe: so his Lordship had sēt for the said George Marsh there present, as a scabbed sheepe, and had weeded hym out for corrupting others, and had done what he could in shewing hys charitable disposition towards the sayd Marsh, to reduce hym from his naughty heresies: but all that he could do, would not helpe: so that he was now determined, if the sayd Marsh would not relent and abiure, to pronounce and geue sentence diffinitiue against him. Wherfore he bad the said George Marsh to be now wel aduised, what he would do: for it stoode vpon hys lyfe: and if he would not at that present forsake hys hereticall opinions, it would bee after the Sentence geuen, to late, though he would neuer so gladly desire it.

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MarginaliaInterrogatories put to G. Marsh.Then the sayd Chauncellour first asked hym whether he were not one of the Bishops dioces?  

To the which he aunswered, that he knew not howe large hys diocesse was, for hys continuaunce was at Cambridge. But then they replyed and asked, whether he had not lately bene at Deane parish in Lancashire, and there abode? And he aunswered yea.

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Then the Chauncellour read all hys former aunsweres that he made in that place at hys former examination, and at euery one hee asked hym whether hee would sticke to the same or no? To the which he aunswered agayne, yea, yea.

How say you then to this, quoth the Chauncelor? In your last examination, amongest many other damnable & schismaticall heresies, you sayd, MarginaliaNote here the great heresy of G. Marsh.that the church and doctrine taught and set foorth in kyng Edwardes tyme, was the true Church, & the doctrine, the doctrine of the true church, and that the church of Rome is not the true and catholicke church.

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I sayd so in dede, quoth Marsh, and I beleue it to be true. Here also others tooke occasion to aske him (for that he denied þ^e Byshop of Romes authoritie in England) whether MarginaliaArgument. Linus and Anacletus were good men: Ergo the Pope is the supreme head of al Churches.Linus, Anacletus, and Clement, that were Byshops of Rome, were not good men? and he aunswered, yes, and diuers others: but (sayd he) they claymed no more authoritie in England, then the By-

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shop of Caunterbury doth at Rome: and I striue not, (quoth he) MarginaliaNeither the place nor persō of the Pope spoken against, but only hys doctrine.with the place, neither speake I agaynst the person of the Byshop, but agaynst his doctrine, which in most pointes is repugnaūt to the doctrine of Christ.

Thou art an arrogaunt felow in deede then, sayd þ^e Byshop. In what Article is þ^e doctrine of þ^e Church of Rome repugnaunt to the doctrine of Christ?

To whom George Marsh aunswered and sayd: Oh my Lord: I pray you iudge not so of me: I stand now vpon the poynt of my lyfe and death: and a man in my case hath no cause to be arrogaunt, neither am I, God is my record. MarginaliaWherein the doctrine of the Church of Rome erreth.And as concernyng the disagreement of the doctrine, among many other thynges the Church of Rome erreth in the Sacrament. For where Christ in the institution therof, did as well deliuer the cup, as the bread: saying, drinke ye all of this, and Marke reporteth that they did drinke of it: in like maner S. Paul deliuered it vnto the Corinthians. And in the same sorte also was it vsed in the primatiue Church by the space of many hundreth yeares. Now the Church of Rome doth take away one part of the Sacrament from the Laity. Wherfore, if I could be persuaded in my consciencie by Gods word, that it were well done, I could gladly yeld in this poynt.

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Then sayd the Bishop. MarginaliaSo sayth the Turke in hys Alcaron, that no man must dispute of hys law.Non disputandum est cum hæretico. That is, there is no disputyng with an hereticke. And therfore when all his aunsweres were read, he asked him whether he would stand to the same, being as they were (said hee) full of heresie, or els forsake them and come vnto the Catholicke Church?

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To whom he made this full aūswere, and sayd: that he held no hereticall opinion, but vtterly abhorred all kind of heresie, although they most vntruly so did sclaūder hym. MarginaliaG. Marsh cleareth himselfe of heresy.And he desired all the people present to beare him witnes (if hereafter any woulde sclaunder him and say that he held any greuous heresie) that in all Articles of Religion, he held none other opinion, thē was by law most godly established and publickely taught in England at the death of kyng Edward the vj. and in the same pure Religion & doctrine he would (by Gods grace) stand, liue, and dye. And here the Chauncellour spake to one MarginaliaLeach bidde to stand from Marsh.Leach, which stoode nere vnto Marsh, and bad him stand farther frō him, for his presence did him no good.  

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This beyng done, the Byshop tooke out a writyng of his bosome, and began to read the sentence of condēnation:MarginaliaSentence of condemnation read agaynst Marsh. but whē the Byshop had read almost halfe therof, the Chauncellour called to him and sayd: good my Lord, stay, stay, for if ye procede any further, it will be to late to call it agayne, & so MarginaliaThe Bishop stayeth in hys sentence.the Bishop stayed.  

Thē his popish priestes & many other of the ignoraūt people called vpon Marsh, with many earnest wordes to recant, and amongest other one Pulleyn a Shoomaker sayd to him: for shame mā remember thy self and recant. They bad him kneele downe and pray, and they all would pray for him: So they kneeled down, and he desired thē to pray for him, and he would pray for them.

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The Bishop then asked him agayne, whether he would not haue the Queenes mercy in tyme: MarginaliaGods mercy preferred before the Queenes mercy.and he aunswered, he did gladly desire the same, and did loue her grace as faithfully as any of them: but yet he durst not deny his Sauiour Christ, for losing hys mercy euerlasting, and so winne euerlasting death.

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MarginaliaThe Bishop procedeth in his sentence.Then the Byshop put hys spectacles agayne vppon his nose, and read forward hys Sentence, about fiue or sixe lynes, and there agayne the Chauncellour wyth a glaueryng  

and smiling countenaunce, called to the Byshop and said: MarginaliaAn other stay in reading the sentence.Yet good my Lorde once againe stay, for if that word be spoken, all is past, no relentyng wyll then serue:   and the Byshop (pullyng of hys spectacles) sayd: I would stay and if it would bee.

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How sayest thou (quoth he) wylt thou recant? MarginaliaG. Marsh exhorted to recant, but could not be turned.Many of the Priestes and ignoraunt people bad hym so doe, and call to God for grace: and one pulled hym by the