Marginalia1555. October.Aue Maria: so that I did not speake agaynst well saying of it, but agaynst superstitious saying of it, and of the Pater Noster to: and yet I put a difference betwixt that, and that which CHRIST made to be sayd for a prayer. &c.

MarginaliaWhether the fier in hell be a materiall fier, or spirituall.Who euer could eyther say or thinke so? Howbeit good autors do put a difference betwixt a suffring in the fyre wyth bodyes, and without bodyes. The soule without the body is a spirituall substaunce, which they say can not receaue a corporall quality, and some maketh it a spirituall fyre: and some a corporall fyre. And as it is called a fyer, so it is called a worme, & it is thought of some not to be a materiall worme that is a lyuing beast, but it is a metaphor:MarginaliaThe worme of conscience is so called by a metaphoricall speach. but that is neither to nor fro. For a fyer it is, a worme it is, a paine it is, a torment it is, an anguish it is, a griefe, a misery, a sorrow, a heauines inexplicable, intolerable, whose nature and condition in euery poynt who can tell, but he that is of Gods priuy counsell, sayth S. Austen? God geue vs grace rather to bee diligent to keepe vs out of it, then to be curious to discusse the propertie of it: for certaine we be, that there is litle ease, yea none at al, but weeping , wailing, and gnashing of teeth, which be two effectes of extreme paine, rather certayne tokens what payne there is, than what maner payne there is.

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MarginaliaMaster Latymer had leauer be in Purgatory thē in Lollars Tower.He that sheweth the state and condition of it, doth not deny it. But I had leauer be in it, then in Lollars tower the Bishops prison, for diuers skyls and causes.

MarginaliaCauses declared why it is better to be in purgatory then in the Lollars Tower.First, in this I myght dye bodily for lacke of meate and drinke: in that I could not.

Item, in this I might dye ghostly for feare of payne, or lacke of good counsell: There I could not.

Item, in this I might be in extreme necessity: In that I could not, if it be perill of perishing.

Item, in this I might lacke charitie: There I could not.

Item, in this I myght lose my pacience: In that I could not.

Item, in thys I might bee in peryll and daunger of death: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be without surety of saluation: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might dishonor God: In that I could not.

Item, in this I myght murmur and grudge agaynst God: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might displease God: In that I could not.

Item, in thys I mgiht bee displeased with God: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be iudged to perpetuall prison as they call it: In that I could not.

Item, in thys I might be craftily handled: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be brought to beare a fagot: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be discontented with God: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be separated and disseuered frō CHRIST: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might be a member of the deuyll: In that I could not.

Item, in this I myght be an inheritor of hell: In that I could not.

Item, in this I might pray out of charity and in vain: In that I coulde not.

Item, in this my Lorde and hys Chaplaynes myght manacle me by nyght: In that they could not.

MarginaliaAs they dyd with Hunne.Item, in this they might strangle me, & say that I had hanged my selfe: In that they could not.

Item, in this they might haue me to the Consistory and iudge me after their fashion: From thense they could not.

Ergo I had leuer bee there then here. For though the fyre bee called neuer so hot, yet and if the Bishops two fyngers can shake away a peece, a fryers cowle an other part, and scala cœli altogether, I will neuer found Abbey, Colledge, nor Chauntrey for that purpose.

For seing there is no pain that can breake my charity, breake my pacience, cause me to dishonour God, to displease God, to be displeased with God, cause me not to ioye in God, nor that can bryng me to daunger of death

or to daunger of desperation, or from surety of saluation, that can seperate me from CHRIST, or CHRIST from me, I care the lesse for it. MarginaliaChrysost. What is the greatest paine to damned soules.Iohn Chrysostome sayth, that the greatest payne the damned soules haue, is to be separate and cut of from CHRIST for euer: which payne he saith is greater then many helles: which paynes the soules in Purgatory neyther haue nor can haue.

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Consider M. Morice, whether prouision for Purgatory hath not brought thousands to hell.MarginaliaProuision of purgatory bringeth many to hell. Dettes haue not ben payed: restitution of euill gotten lands and goodes hath not bene made: christen people (whose necessities we see, to whom whatsoeuer we do, CHRIST reputeth done to hymselfe, to whom wee are bounden vnder payne of damnation to do for, as we would be done for our selfe) are neglect and suffred to perishe: last willes vnfulfilled and broken: Gods ordinaunce set asyde: and also for Purgatory, foundations haue bene taken for sufficient satisfaction: so wee haue tryfled away the ordinaunce of God, and restitutions. Thus wee haue gone to hell, with Masses, Diriges, and ringing of many a bell. And who can pill Pilgrimages from Idolatry, and purge Purgatory from robbery, but hee shalbe in peril to come in suspition of heresy with them? so that they may pill with Pilgrimage, and spoyle wyth Purgatory. And verely the abuse of them cannot be taken away, but great luker and vaūtage shall fall away from them, which had leuer haue profite with abuse, then lacke the same wyth vse: and MarginaliaWhat the Waspe is that stingeth the Papistes and maketh them to swell.that is the waspe that doth sting them, and maketh them to swell. And if Purgatory were purged of all that it hath gotten, by setting asyde restitution, and robbing of CHRIST, it would be but a poore Purgatory: So poore that it shoulde not bee able to feede so fatte, and tricke vp so many idle and slothfull lubbers.

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I take God to witnes I would hurt to no man, but it greueth me to see such abuse continue without remedy. I cannot vnderstand what they meane by MarginaliaThe Popes pardoning out of purgatory, a vayne inuention.the Popes pardoning of Purgatory, but by way of suffrage: and as for suffrage, vnlesse hee do his duetie, and seeke not his owne, but CHRISTES glory, I had leauer haue the suffrage of iacke of the skullery which in his calling doth exercyse both fayth and charity: but for his Masse. And that is as good of an other simple Priest as of hym. MarginaliaSuffrage. Masse. Pilgrimage. Authoritie of keyes.For as for authority of keyes, is to lose from giltines of sinne and eternall payne, dewe to the same, according to Christes worde, and not to his owne priuate will. And as for Pilgrimage, you woulde wonder what iuggling there is to get money withall. I dwell within a halfe a mile, of the Fosseway, and you woulde wonder to see how they come by flockes out of the West countrey to many Images, but chiefly to the bloud of Hailes.  

MarginaliaThis bloud of Hayles was proued before the King, and openly shewed at Poules crosse by the Bishop of Rochester that then was, to be but the bloud of a Ducke. And they beleue verely that it is the very bloude that was in CHRISTES body, shed vpon the Mount of Caluery for our saluation, and that the sight of it with their bodyly eye, doth certifie them and putteth them out of doubt, that they be in cleane life, and in state of saluation without spot of sinne, which doth bolden thē to many things. For you would wounder if you should cōmon with thē both commyng and goyng, what faithes they haue. For as for forgeuing their enemies, & reconciling their Christen brethren, they can not away withall: for the sight of that bloud doth quite them for the time.

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I read in Scripture of two certifications: MarginaliaTwo certifications of our remission out of the Scripture.one to the Romanes: Iustificati ex fide pacem habemus. i.  

We being iustified by fayth haue peace with God.

If I see the bloud of CHRIST with þ^e eye of my soule, that is true faith that his bloud was shed for me. &c.

An other in the Epistle of Iohn: Nos scimus quod translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniā diligimus fratres. i.  

We know that we are trāslated frō death to life, because we loue the brethrē. But I read not that I haue peace with God, or that I am translated from death to life, because I see with my bodily eye the bloud of Hailes. It is very probable that al the bloud that was in the body of CHRIST, was vnited and knit to his Diuinitie, & thē no part therof shall returne to his corruption. And I maruaile that CHRIST shal haue two resurrectiōs. And if it were, that they that did violently & iniuriously plucke it out of his body whē they scourged him and nayled him to the Crosse, MarginaliaThe bodily seing of Christes bloud profiteth litle.did see it with their bodely eye, yet they were not in cleane lyfe. And we see the selfe same bloud in forme of wyne, when we haue consecrate, and may both see it, feele it, & receaue it to our damnation as touchyng bodily receauyng. And many do see it at Hailes without confession, as they say. God knoweth all, and the deuill in our time is not dead.

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CHRIST hath left a doctrine behynd hym, wherin we be taught how to beleue, and what to beleue: he doth suf-