1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1885 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.answere such matter on Monday next, as shall be layd to you?
Bland. Syr, MarginaliaMarke what fidelitie is in the promise of these men.ye said I shold not be troubled for any thing that should be sayd here for learnings sake: and they sayd, ye shall not, but it is for other matters.
Bland. Syr, I am bound to appeare as some tell me, on thursday next, at Ashford. I am in doubt whether I am or no: yet I haue purposed to be there, and so to go to London, to M. Wiseman, for an obligation that he hath, whereby I should receaue certaine mony to pay my dettes withall. Then sayd master Archdeacon: I will write to M. Wiseman that ye shall sustayne no losse.
[Back to Top]Bland. That shall not neede: for I can sustayne no great losse, if I go not. But I pray you to let me haue a longer day.
CloseBland is asking that Harpsfield delay their next session.
Bland. Syr, I cannot well come on monday.
MarginaliaM. Bland warned to appeare agayne before them.Harpes. Wilt thou not come, when he so gentelly speaketh to thee, where he may commaund thee?
Bland. I doe not deny to come: but I desyre a longer day.
Harps. *Marginalia* Note here the extreme dealing of these pretensed catholickes. Thou shall haue no other day: I charge thee to come on monday.
Bland. Sir, I perceaue it shall be for this, or lyke matters. Will it please you, or M. Collins, for Gods sake, to conferre scriptures priuately
CloseBland is asking that the session with Harpsfield or Collins be informal and off the record.
Harpes. With all my hart will I take the paines, and I will also borow my Lord of Douers lybrary,
CloseThe library of Richard Thornden, the suffragan bishop of Dover who was, along with Nicholas Harpsfield, the official in charge of enforcing orthodoxy in the diocese of Canterbury.
Now, the. xvij. of May at Ashford I could not be relesed, although I was called to the spirituall court for the same matter, but was bound to appeare at the Sessions holden at Crambroke, the third day of Iuly.
CloseThe secular authorities are refusing to release Bland at this time, as they want to hold him until the law against heresy can be re-enacted and Bland charged with this offence.
CloseWhat follows is a continuation of Bland's letter to his father; the heading was added by Foxe in the 1570 edition.
MarginaliaThe second appearance of M. Bland.THe. xxj. day of May I appeared in the chapter house,
CloseI.e., the chapter house of Canterbury cathedral. This is taking place in May 1554; the heresy law would not be in force for another eight months and this is still an unofficial examination of Bland on charges of heresy.
CloseWord apparently circulated that Harpsfield and Bland would engage in a public disputation; Bland is denying that he started the rumour or knew anything about it.
MarginaliaThe answer of M. Bland to Master Harpsfieldes wordes.Bland. I doe protest before God and you all, that neither is my conscience gilty of any errour or heresy, neither that I euer taught any errour, or heresy willingly. And where your mastership sayth, that I haue fained an open disputatiō with you, it is not true, as I can thus approue: Vpon Saterday I was at Vgdens, and there M. Bingham laid it to my charge, that such an open disputation as ye haue here offered, should be this day betwene you and me: where at I much maruelled, and sayd to him, that before that present I neuer heard any such word, neither would I answere nor dispute: MarginaliaM. Bland cleareth him selfe of the false report of M. Harpsfield.and to this can M. Vaghan, M. Oxenden, M. Seth of Ouerland, and M. Vgden witnesse:and further I said to them, that I neuer spake to you of a-
[Back to Top]ny disputation, nor you to me. Now if your mastership haue any thing to say to me by the law, I wil make answere to it.
Harpes. Heare ye what he sayth? his conscience is cleare. MarginaliaSee how this Archdeacon hunteth for matter to bring this poore man in the bryers.I pray thee whereon groundest thou thy conscience? let me heare what thy fayth is.
Bland. I know not why ye should more aske me a reason of my fayth, then any other man in this open audience.
Harpes. Why, thou hereticke, art thou ashamed of thy faith? if it were a christen beliefe, thou needest not to be ashamed of it.
Bland. I am not ashamed of my fayth. MarginaliaTo beleue the 12. articles of our christian fayth neuer so wel, it will not suffice the Papistes.For I beleue in God the father almighty, maker of heauen & earth, and in IESVS CHRIST his only sonne our Lord. &c. with all the other articles of the Creede: and I doe beleue all the holy scriptures of God to be most certaine and true.
[Back to Top]Harps. Wilt thou declare no more then this?
Bland. No.
MarginaliaThe Popish fayth of Doctor Harpsfield.Harps. Well, I will tell thee wheron I groūd my faith. I do beleue & ground my faith, & conscience vpon all the articles of the Crede, and vpon all the holy scriptures, sacraments, and holy Doctors of the church, and vpon all the generall Coūcels that euer were since the Apostles time. Lo hereupon ground I my faith: wyth many wordes moe, which I well remember not. And when he could get no other answere of me, then I had sayd before, he called for a Scribe to make an acte against me. And after much communication, I sayd: by what law and authority will you procede against me? M. Collins sayd: by the canon law.
[Back to Top]Bland. I doubt whether it be in strength or no.
CloseA good point; the canon law was largely made up of decretals, which depended for their authority on the pope. With the repudiation of the papacy, the canon law lost its authority (which is why the study was forbidden in 1535). Logically a new set of canons should have been drawn up in the king's name, but Cranmer's attempt to do that failed in 1552/53, and it did not eventually happen until 1604. However, because a system of church law was needed, the old law (with all references to the pope deleted) continued in use for routine purposes. When the pope's jurisdiction was restored in January 1555, the canon law had only such jurisdiction as the queen chose to give it, and she did not reactivate it because of her intention to seek reconciliation.
[Back to Top]Harps. Why, thou hereticke? thou wilt not cōfesse thy faith to me, that haue authority to demaunde it of thee, and yet I haue confessed my faith to thee before all this audience. As concerning the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thou hast taught, that after the consecration , it is bread and wine, and not the body and bloud of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST. How sayst thou? hast thou not thus taught?
[Back to Top]Bland. Syr, as concerning this matter of the sacrament, when I was with you and M. Collins, MarginaliaThe Papistes euer false of promise.ye sayd then it was for other matters that I should come hether for: and further, that ye would be content, at my desire, to conferre scriptures with me, to see if ye could winne me: and ye sayd, ye wold borow my Lord of Douers library, that I should haue what boke I would: & now ye require me thus to answere, cōtrary to your promise, ere any conference be had, and seeke rather to bring me into trouble, then to winne me.
[Back to Top]Harps. I will, as God shall helpe me, do the best to thee that I can, if thou wilt be any thing conformable: and I trust to dissolue all thy doubts, if thou be willyng to heare. And I also will desire these two worshypfull men, my Lord of Douer, and M. Collins to heare vs.
Bland. No, ye shall pardon me of that: there shalbe no such witnes. But when we agree, set to our hands. Hereat made the people a noyse against me, for refusing the witnes: and here had we many moe wordes, then I can reherse. But at the last I sayd: Syr, will ye geue me leue to aske you one question? and he sayd, yea with all my hart. For in that thou askest any thing, there is some hope that thou mayest be wonne.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaMaster Blandes question to Doctour Harpsfield.Bland. Syr, when it pleased almighty God to send his Aungell vnto the virgin Mary to salute her, & said: Haile full of grace. &c. came any substance from God our Father into the Virgins wombe, to become man? whereat, as well maister Archdeacon, as my Lord of Douer, and M. Collins staid.
CloseHesitated.
CloseBishop Thornden of Dover.
CloseCyriac Petit had been one of the leaders of the Prebendaries' Plot which sought to destroy Thomas Cranmer; the plotters had had Bland charged with heresy in 1543. It is not surprising that Petit was anxious to settle old accounts; what is startling, and very revealing, is that Petit, who was not a cleric, was taking such an active role in a heresy trial.
[Back to Top]
CloseVirtus altissimi obumbrauit
Not translated.
[Who is Siriac Peters?]