1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1886 
Marginalia1555. Iuly.was the power of God, sent by the holy ghost. They had forgotten, that genitus fuit ex substantia patris:
Closegenitus fuit ex substantia patris:
Not translated.
he was born of the substance of the father.
MarginaliaThe Answere of Doctor Harpsfield to the question.Harps. Harke sayd M. Archdeacon: heare ye this hereticke? Hee thinkes it an absurdity to graunt all the quantities of Christes naturall body to bee in the sacrament. But it is no absurdity. For euen that naturall body that was borne of the Virgin Mary, is glorified, and that same body is in the sacrament after the consecration. But perceyue ye not the arrogancy of this hereticke, that will put me to aunswere him, and he wil not aunswere me? he thought to put me to a pinch with his question: for I tell you it is a learned question.
[Back to Top]Bland. Sir if ye be so much discontented with me, I will say no more: yet I would all men heard, that ye say the glorified body of Christ is in the sacrament, after the consecration.
Harps. I may call thee grosse ignorant. Thou grosse ignorant, is not that same body glorified, that was born of the Virgin Mary? is it then any absurdity, to graunt that to be in the Sacrament? And whiles he spake many other wordes, I sayd to M. Petit,
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]Harps. Thou art without all learning. Was not Christes body geuen to his Apostles, as in a glorifyed acte?MarginaliaThe body vnglorified was geuen in the Sacrament, in a glorified act, quoth Harpsfield. and yet no inconuenience, although his naturall body was not crucified: for when hee was borne of the Virgin Mary with out payne, was not that the act of a glorified body? And when hee walked on the water, & whē he came into the house to his Apostels, the doores being shut fast, were not these actes of a glorified body.
[Back to Top]Douer. Then my Lord of Douer helped him to a better place, and said: when Christ was in Mount Thabor, he was there gloryfied in hys Apostles sight.
Harps. Ye say truth my Lord, he was glorified in the sight of. iij. of his Apostles.
Bland. This me thinke is new doctrine.
Harps. Well, seing he wil by no other way be reformed, let the people come in and proue these matters agaynst hym. And therewith the Archdeacon brought forth a copy of the bil of complaint that was put against me at Christmas:MarginaliaD. Harpsfield reuiueth the bill of complaynt agaynst Master Bland. and about that we talked a litle. And then Maister Archdeacon rose vp, and sayd: see ye good people, that know this matter, that ye come in, and proue it agaynst him. Whereunto aunswered Thomas Austen: I pray you (sayd he) let vs bee no more troubled with him. And thē spake Iohn Austen, and Heath with one eye, and began to accuse me: but no answere they could haue of me, but do to me what ye cā by þe law and I will aunswere it. Then sayd Thomas Austen: MarginaliaT. Austen chargeth M. Bland with an other vntrouth.Bland, ye were once abiured.
[Back to Top]Bland. Ye say not truely, good man Austen, I was neuer abiured. Either, sayd he, ye were abiured, or els ye had the Kinges pardon.
CloseAusten is referring to Bland having been indicted for heresy in 1543 during the Prebendaries' Plot. But the case against Bland collapsed when Henry VIII supported Cranmer, and Bland was never tried and thus never forced to recant or in need of a pardon.
CloseBabbling, prattling [OED].
CloseAs will appear later in the text, Bland has to make another appearance in the secular courts, as the charges against him in that jurisdiction had not yet been dropped.
Nowe about the. xxviij. daye of Iune I came to M. Commissary, to shew him of my returne, and offered my selfe to satisfie the lawe, if it were proceeded against
me, before M. Cockes of Sturray, and Markes the apparitor:
CloseA summoner; i.e., a minor episcopal official in charge of collecting fines levied in ecclesiastical courts and ensuring that those summoned before these tribunals actually appeared.
And Syr Ioh. Baker sayd: MarginaliaSyr Iohn Bakers talke with M. Bland.Bland, ye are as we heare say, a Scotte: where were yee borne and brought vp? And I said: I was borne in Englād. And he said, where? And I sayd in Sedber,
CloseSedburgh, Yorkshire.
Thē said Syr Tho. Moyle, MarginaliaSyr Thomas Moyles wordes.ah Bland, thou art a stiffe harted fellow. Thou wilt not obey the lawe, nor aunswere when thou art called. No will, quoth Syr Iohn Baker? Master Shriffe, take him to your Ward: and þe Baylife set me in the stockes, with other, and would not heare me speake one worde: and so wee remained in the gaile of Maidstone,MarginaliaM. Bland layd in Maydstone Catle. til a fourtnight before Michaelmas, or thereabout: and then we were caryed to Rochester to assyse holden there,MarginaliaM. Bland caried to the Assise at Rochester. where we were among the prisoners. ij. dayes: and when we were called, and the Iudges of assyse asked our causes, when my cause was rehearsed, M. Barrow, clarcke of the peace sayd that I was an excommunicate parson.
[Back to Top]Then M. Roper of Linsted talked with the Iudges, but what, I am not able to say. But the Iudge of assyse sayd: take them to Maydstone agayne, and bring them to þe Session that shal be holden next at þe towne of Maldin: howbeit, the Sheriffe did not send for vs, so that wee taryed at MaydestoneMarginaliaM. Bland caried agayne to Maydstone castle. till the Sessions holden at GrenewichMarginaliaM. Bland appeareth at Sessions in Grenewych. the. xviij. and xix. of February. I and other being within the barre amongest the felons, and yrons vpon our armes, were called out the latter day by the Gailer and Balifes, and eased
CloseI.e., released from.
CloseWhat follows is still part of Bland's letter to his father; this heading was only added by Foxe in the 1570 edition.
BAker. Bland, wherefore were ye cast into prison?
Bland. I cannot well tell. Your Mastership cast mee in.
Baker. Yea, but wherfore were ye in, before þt time?
Bland. For an vniust complaynt put vpon me.
Baker What was the complaynt?
Bland. I told him, as truely and briefly as I could.
Baker. Let me see thy booke: and I tooke him a Latin Testament.
CloseBland had apparently been holding a Latin New Testament during his examination.
Baker. Will ye go to the church, and obey, and folow the Queenes proceedinges, and do as an honest man should do?
Bland. I trust to God to do no otherwyse but as an honest man should do.
Baker. Will ye do as I sayd?
Bland. Will it please your maistership to giue mee leaue to aske you a question?
Baker. Yea.
MarginaliaA question propounded to Sir Ioh. Baker.Bland. Syr, may a man do any thing, that his conscience is not satisfied in to be good?
Baker. Away, away and threw down the booke, and sayd: it is no testament, and I sayd yes. And M. Web tooke it vp, and sayd vnto me maruaylous gently: M. Bland, I knew you when ye were not of this opinion. I would to God ye would reforme your selfe: with better wordes then I wil write. And I said: if ye haue knowen me of an other opinion, then I am of now, it was for lacke of knowledge.
[Back to Top]Baker. Yea, sayest thou so? MarginaliaHasty iudgement of a Iustice.by Saint Mary, and thou hold thee there, I wil geue. vj. fagots to burne thee with-