Marginalia1555. Iuly.sanctum vitæ æternæ, et calicē salutis perpetuæ &c. Holy bread of eternall lyfe, and the cup of perpetuall saluation. So that like as our bodily mouthes eat the sacramentall bread and wyne, so doth the mouth of our soules (which is our fayth) eate Christes flesh and bloud. And when I had made an ende of that, MarginaliaHe speaketh of the abuse of the Sacrament in the Masse.I spake of the misuse of the sacrament in the Masse: so that I iudged it in that vse no sacrament, and shewed how Christ bad vs all eate and drinke: and one onely in the Masse eateth & drinketh, & the rest kneele, knocke, and worship: and after these thinges ended, as briefly as I could, MarginaliaHe declareth how the Masse was patched and peced together, and by what Popes.I spake of the benefactours of the Masse, and began to declare what men made the Masse, & recyted euery mans name, and the patch that hee put to the Masse:  

and ere I had rehearsed them all, the church Warden, and the Bosholder   his sonne in lawe violently came vpon me, and tooke my booke from me, and pulled me down, and thrust me into the chauncel, with an exceeding rore and cry. MarginaliaMaster Bland violently plucked downe in his sermon by the church Warden.Some cryed, thou hereticke: some, thou traytour: some, thou Rebel: and when euery man had sayd his pleasure, and the rage was something past: be quiet, good neighbours, sayd I, and let me speake to you quietly. If I haue offended any law, I will make aunswere before them that are in authority to correct me. But they would not heare me, and pulled, one on this syde, and an other on that, and began agayne.

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Then Richard Austen sayd: peace Masters, no more till Masse be done: and they ceased. Then sayd I to the Churchwarden and the Bosholder, either holding mee by the arme: Masters, let mee go into the churchyard tyll your Masse be done. No, quoth the churchwarden, thou shalt tary here tyl Masse be done. I wyll not, quoth I, but against my wil. And they said: thou shalt tary, for if thou go out, thou wylt run away. Then sayd I to the Bosholder: lay me in the stockes, and then ye shall be sure of me, and turned my backe to the aultar. By that time Richard Austine had deuised what to do with me, and called to the Bosholder & the churchwarden, MarginaliaMaster Bland thrust in a side Chappell till the Masse was done.and bad them put me into a syde chappell, and shut the doore to me, & there they made me tary till Masse was ended. When the Masse was ended, they came into the chappell to me, & searched what I had about me, and found a dagger, and tooke it from me.MarginaliaMaster Blandes dagger taken from him. Then sayd Thomas Austen churchwarden, after many brablings  

that they made wyth mee: Thou keepest a wyfe here amongest vs agaynst Gods law and the Queenes. Ye lye good man Austen sayd I: it is not against Gods law, nor, as I suppose, against the Queenes.

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Thus they brought me out of the church, and without the doore they rayled on me, without pity or mercy: but anon the Priest cam out of the church, & MarginaliaRamsy Clarke of Adesham.Ramsy that of late was Clarcke sayd vnto him: Syr where dwell you? And therewith Thomas Austen tooke him by the arme and sayd:MarginaliaRamsy apprehended by Thomas Austen. come on syrha, you are of hys opinion, and tooke his dagger from him, and sayd hee should go with him. I am content sayd he, and a lyttle mocked them in their enuious talke. By thys tyme there came in at the Church style one MarginaliaIoh. Gray of winghā troubled for a word speaking.Iohn Gray of Wingham, seruant to Iohn Smith, and seyng them hold Ramsy by the armes, said to him: how now Ramsy, haue you offended the Queenes lawes? No, quoth he. Then there is no transgression. Therewith Thomas Austen tooke him, and sayd: ye are one of their opinion, ye shal go with them for company, and tooke his dagger from him, and then demaunded what hee dyd there. But after (I thinke) for very shame they let him go againe. MarginaliaM. Bland and Ramsy caryed to CaunterburyBut they caryed me & Ramsy to Canterbury, with xviij. persons weaponed. MarginaliaM. Hardes, Iustice, M. Oxenden, Iustice, M. Spilman, M. Tutsam, gentlemē agaynst Bland.A sheete of paper wyll not hold the talke that we had that night with Master Hardes Iustice, Master Oxenden, Master Spilman, and master Tutsam.

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The next day they made a byll against mee, but it serued not their purpose: which was, that they would

haue had me to prisō.  

But MarginaliaIames Chapman and Bartlemew Ioyes, Suerties for M. Bland.Iames Chapmā & Bartholmew Ioyes were bound in. xx. poundes either of them for myne appearaunce at the next generall Sessions, or in the meane time to appeare, if I were sent for, before the Queenes maiesties Coūsell, or any other commissioners sent by the Quenes authority. And Ramsy was bound to the peace, and to be of good behauiour til the next Sessions. His sureties were MarginaliaHogeking & Simon Barrat Suerties for Ramsy.Thomas Hogeking, and Simon Barrat.

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Now the. xxiij. or. xxiiij. of February, Syr Thomas Finch knight, and Master Hardes sent for me, and my sureties to master Finches place, MarginaliaM. Bland taken from his Suerties.and tooke me from my sureties, and sent me to the Castell of Canterbury, by MarginaliaSir T. Moyles comaundeth M. Bland to Caunterbury castle.Syr Thomas Moyles commaundement  

(they said) where I lay ten weekes, and then was bayled, & bound to appeare at the next Sessions holden at Canterbury: but after they chaūged it to be at Ashford on the thursday in Whitson weeke, being the. xix. of May: but in þ^e meane tyme the matter was exhibited to the spirituall court.  

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MarginaliaM. Bland brought before D. Harpsfield and Master Collins.THe. xviij. day of May Master Harpsfield, Archdeacon of Canterbury made the Maiors Sergeant to bring me before him and M. Collins Comissary, into Christes church,and they went with me into a chamber in the Suffragan of Douers house. Then the Archdeacon said: art thou a Priest? And I sayd I I was one. And he sayd: art thou any graduate of any Vniuersity? And I said, yea. What degree (said he) hast thou takē? The degree, quoth I, of MarginaliaM. Bland Master of Art of Cambridge.a master of arte. The more pity, quoth he, that thou shouldest behaue thy self, as thou hast done. Thou hast bene a common preacher licenced: hast thou not? And I sayd, I haue bene so. Mary, quoth he, so I vnderstand.

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What hast thou preached?

And I said, Gods word, to the edifying (I trust) of his people.

No no, quod he, to the destroying of theyr soules and thine both, except the mercy of God be all the greater. I pray thee, what hast thou preached? tell me.

I told you, quod I, what I haue preached.

Nay, but tell me, quoth hee, what one matter hast þ^u preached, to the edifying of the people, as thou sayest? I will tell you no particular matter: for I perceaue you would haue some matter against me.  

No by my faith, quoth he, but only that I would win thee from heresies that thou art bewrapt in, and hast infected other withall. MarginaliaNote how these Papistes seeke for matter, to sucke the bloud of poore men.For thou hast preached as I am informed, that the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is not the very body and bloud of Iesus Christ after the consecration. Tel me, hast thou not thus preached? and is not this thine opinion?

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Sir, quoth I, I perceaue (as I sayd) that ye seeke matter against me. But seing that I am bound in the Sessions to my good behauiour, for preaching, which may be broken with words, and wel I know not with what wordes: and also both mine authority to preach, and my liuing are taken from me, I thinke I am not bound to make you an answere.

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Collins. Master Bland, doe you not remember, that S. Peter biddeth you make answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the faith that is in you?

Bland. I know that, and am content so to answere as that text biddeth: MarginaliaA man not bound to answere such as aske of purpose to bring him into trouble.but I know, that Master Archdeacon doth not aske me, after that maner, but rather to bring me into trouble. Then they sayd, no: ye shall not be troubled for any thing that ye say heere.

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Bland. I am content for knowledge sake to common with you in any matter, but not otherwise. MarginaliaM. Bland vpon promise talketh with them of the Sacrament.And so they fel in reasoning, more then þ^e space of an houre, of the Sacrament, both against me. At the last, M. Collins sayd: M. Bland, will ye come, and take in hand to

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