MarginaliaAn. 1556. Aprill.vs in blindnes and ignorance, to damne our soules, to destroy our bodies, to robbe and spoile our goodes and substāce vnder a coulour of pretensed holines? We know (right honourable Commissioners) what honour is due to such wolues, and how by the authority of Gods word such are to be fled as pestilences to the Lordes Lambes, whom they miserably dayly murther.

But we haue rather chosen by this our meeke supplication, humbly to desire the Quenes Maiestie, & you her honourable Commissioners, to rēder Gods word again vnto the Churches, and to permitte vs freely to enioy the same. For we certainly know that the whole Religion, lately set out by the holy Saint of God, our late most deare king Edward, is CHRISTES true Religion, written in the holy Scripture of God, and by CHRIST and his Apostles taught vnto his Church. MarginaliaGods word and true religion cast out of the church in Q. Maryes tyme.Wherfore we can not allow with safe consciences this refusal of it, and casting of it out of our Churches, forasmuch as to refuse, cast of, and reiect it, is to cast of CHRIST him selfe, and to refuse our part in his blessed body brokē for our sins, and in his bloud shed for our redemption. Which thyng who so doth, the same without repentaunce cā looke for no sacrifice for his sinnes, but most fearefully wayt for the iudgement, and for that vehement fire, that shall deuour CHRISTES aduersaries. For if he that despiseth the law of Moses, is without mercy put to death vnder ij. or iij. witnesses: how much more greuous torments shal he suffer that treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God, and estemeth the bloud of the Testament (whereby he was sanctified) as a prophane thyng, and cōtumeliously vseth the spirite of grace?

Wherefore, we most humbly pray and besech the Queenes gracious Maiesty, to haue mercy & pity vpon vs her poore and faithfull subiectes, and not to compell vs to do the thing that is against our consciences, and shal so incurably wound vs in hart, by bringing into the Church the Latin Masse and seruice that nothing edifieth vs, and casting out Christes holy Communion and the English seruice, so causing vs to sinne agaynst our redemption. For such as willingly and wittinly against theyr consciences shall so do (as it is to be feared many one doth) they are in a miserable state, vntil the mercy of God turne them: which if he do not, we certainly beleue, that they shal eternally be damned: and as in this world they deny CHRISTES holy word and Communion before men, so will CHRIST deny them before his heauenly father and his aungels.

MarginaliaThe Popishe following of Christes crosse in procession.And where as it is very earnestly required that we should go on procession (as they call it) at which time the Priestes say in Latin such thinges as we are ignoraunt of, the same edifieth nothyng at all vnto godlines. MarginaliaThe true following of Christes crosse.And we haue learned that to folow CHRISTES crosse, is an other matter, namely to take vp our crosse and to folow CHRIST in pacient suffering for his loue, tribulations, sickenes, pouertie, prison, or any other aduersitie, when soeuer Gods holy will and pleasure is to lay the same vpon vs. The triumphant passion and death of CHRIST, wherby in his owne person he conquered death, sinne, hell, and damnation, hath most liuely bene preached vnto vs, and the glory of CHRISTES crosse declared by our preachers: wherby we haue learned the causes & effectes of the same more liuely in one Sermon, then in all the processions that euer we went in, or euer shall go in.

When we worshipped the diuine Trinitie kneeling, & in the Letany inuocating the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, askyng mercy for our sinnes & desiryng such petitions as the neede of our frayle estate and this mortall life requireth, we were edified both to know vnto whom all Christian prayers should be directed, and also to know that of Gods hand we receiue all thinges, as wel to the saluation of our soules, as to the reliefe of our mortall necessities. And we humbly besech the Queenes Maiesty, that the same most holy prayers may be continued amongest vs: that our Ministers praying in our mother toung, & we vnderstanding their prayers & petitions, may answer Amen vnto thē. MarginaliaPrayers & euening seruice in English.At Euening seruice we vnderstode our Ministers prayers, we were taught and admonished by the Scriptures then red: which in the Latin Euensong is all gone.

MarginaliaBaptisme in English.At the ministratiō of holy Baptisme, we learned what league and couenaunt GOD had made with vs, and what vowes and promises we vpon our part had made: namely to beleue in hym, to forsake Sathan and hys workes, and to walke in the way of Gods holy worde and commaundementes.

MarginaliaCatechisme in Englishe.The Christian Cathechisme continually taught and

called to remembraunce the same, whereas before no mā knew any thyng at all. And many good mē of lx. yeares, that had ben Godfathers to 30. childrē, knew no more of þ^e Godfathers office, but to wash their hāds ere they departed þ^e church, or els to fast v. Fridaies, bread & water.

O mercyfull God, haue pitie vppon vs. Shall we be altogether cast from thy presence? We may well lament our miserable estate to receiue such a commaundement to reiect and cast out of our Churches all these most godly prayers, instructions, admonitions and doctrines, and thus to be compelled to deny God, and CHRIST our Sauiour, MarginaliaThe effectes of Gods word described.his holy word and all his doctrine of our saluation, the candle to our feete and light to our steppes, the bread commyng downe from heauen, that geueth lyfe, which who so drinketh, it shalbe in him a welspring streamyng vnto eternall life: Whereby we haue learned all righteousnes, all true Religion, all true obedience towardes our gouernours, al charity one towardes an other, all good workes that God would vs to walke in, what punishment abydeth the wicked, and what heauenly reward God will geue to those, that reuerently walke in hys wayes and commaundementes.

Wherfore, right honourable Commissioners, we can not without impietie, refuse and cast from vs the holy worde of God which we haue receiued, nor condemne any thing set forth by our most Godly late king Edward and his vertous procedynges, so agreable to Gods word. And our most humble suite is that the cōmaundement may be reuoked, so that we be not cōstrayned therunto. For we protest before God, we thinke, if the holy word of God had not taken some roote among vs, we could not in tyme past haue done that poore duetie of ours, which we did in assistyng the Queene our most deare soueraigne, agaynst her graces mortall foe that then sought her destruction. MarginaliaSuffolke and Northfolke men moued by Gods word to set vp the Queene.It was our bounden duety, and we thanke God for the knowledge of his worde and grace, that we then did some part of our bounden seruice. And we mekely pray and besech the Queenes Maiesty, for the deare passion of IESVS CHRIST, that the same word be not taken away out of her Churches nor from vs her louyng, faithfull and true subiectes: lest if the like necessitie shoulde hereafter chaunce (which God for his mercy sake forbyd, and euer saue and defend her grace & vs all) the want of knowledge of due remēbrance of Gods word, may be occasion of great ruine to an infinite number of her graces true subiectes. And truly we iudge this to be one suttell part of the deuill (enemy to all godly peace and quietnes) that by taking Gods word from among vs and planting ignoraunce, he may make away to all mischief and wickednes: MarginaliaInconueniencies that follow by taking away gods word.and by banishyng the holy Gospell of peace, hee may bryng vppon vs the heauy wrath of GOD, with all maner of plagues: as death, straunge sickenes, pestilence, morren, most terrible vproares, commotions, and seditions. These things did the Lord threaten vnto the Iewes for refusyng his word, saying: MarginaliaEsay. 6.Goe and thou shalt say vnto this people: Ye shall heare in deede, but ye shall not vnderstand: yee shall playnely see and not perceiue. Harden the hart of this people, stoppe their eares, and shut their eyes, that they see not wyth their eyes, heare not with their eares, and vnderstand not with their hartes, and conuert and be healed. And I sayd: how long Lord? And he aunswered: vntill the Cities be destroyed, vtterly wasted without inhabitors, and the houses without men, till the land also bee desolate and lye vnbuilded. And the Prophet Micheas, considering the contempt of Gods word among the Israelites, threatned them thus: when the day, that thy preachers warned thee of, commeth, thou shalt be wasted away. MarginaliaMich. 6.And let no man beleue his friend, or put his confidence in his brother. Keepe the doore of thy mouth frō her that lyeth in thy bosome: for the sonne shall put his father to dishonour, & the daughter shall rise against her mother, the daughter in law against the mother in law: and a mans foes shall be euen they of his owne houshold. The same plage threatned MarginaliaLuke. 10.CHRIST vnto þ^e Iewes, for refusing his peace profered thē in the Gospell, & he wept on the city Ierusalem, which murdered the Prophets and stoned such as were sent vnto her.

The same plages, we are afrayd, will also fall vppon vs. For where as heretofore with the receauing of Christes word and peaceable Gospell we had great benedictions of God, especially this christian concord and holy peace, so that all were at a full and perfect stay in religon, no man offended wyth an other, but as the sonnes of peace ech of vs with christian charity embraced other: now, alas for pity, the deuill (ryding vpon the red horse, shewed vnto S. Iohn in the MarginaliaApoc. 6.Reuelation) is come forth, & power is geuen him to take peace frō the earth. For now a man can go to no place but malicious busy bodyes cu-