MarginaliaAn. 1557. Ianuary.nitie in the matter, they commaunded hym further to warne the Maior of the Towne to be there at the day appointed, with all his burgesses, which the Vicechaūcellour did speede with all readines.

MarginaliaIanuary. 26.This day (as I said) was the 26. of Ianuary, which being now come, first al degrees of the mother Vniuersitie were assembled. And to fill vp the pageāt, thether came also the Maior and his townesmen, and all met together in S. Marie Church to behold what there should be determined vpō these men. After long attendaunce, at length the Commissioners came forth and went vp to a scaffold that was somewhat higher then the residue, prepared for the same purpose.MarginaliaAn hie matter in a low house. When they had taken their places, Doct. Perne the Vicechauncellour, the player of this enterlude, fashionyng his countenaunce with great grauitie, reached to them the proces that was lastly published, to cite them, saying these wordes: I bryng forth agayne (quoth he) to you right reuerēd fathers and Commissioners of the most reuerend my Lord Cardinall Poole (payntyng out the rest of his stile) this Citatiō executed according to the purport and effect of the same: omittyng nothyng for his part that might make to the commēdation of this matter. When he had thus finished his tale, by and by the Byshop of Chester, after he had a litle vewed the people, began in maner as followeth.

¶ The oration of Doct. Scot byshop of Chester  

Commentary     Close

In the 1563 edition, Foxe, following Golding, refers to the bishop of Chester as the bishop of 'West Chester'. (This is because the bishop of the older see of Chichester had traditionally been referred to as the bishop of Chester). In the 1570 edition, Foxe changed 'West Chester' to Chester.

before the condemnation of Bucer and Phagius.

MarginaliaThe oration of Doct Scot Byshop of Chester, before the pronouncing of the sentence of condemnation.YE see (quoth he) how sore the Vniuersitie presseth vppon vs, how earnest intercession it maketh vnto vs, not onely to denounce Bucer and Phagius, which, these certain yeares past haue spread most pernicious doctrine amōg you, to be heretickes (as they be in dede) but also þ^t we will commaūd their dead carcasses, which vnto this day haue obtained honourable buriall among you, to be digged vp, and as it is excellently ordeined by the Canō law, to be cast into fire, or what soeuer is more greuous then fire, if any can be. MarginaliaWhat dissembling is here in these Popeholy Catholickes?For the degrees of the Vniuersitie deale not slyghtly nor slackly with vs in this case, but do so presse vpon vs, and folow the sute so earnestly, that they scarce geue vs any respite of delay. And I assure you, albeit this case of it selfe be such, as that euen the vnworthynes of those persons though there were no further cause, ought to induce vs to the doyng therof, much the rather moued with these so wholesome petitions, it is mete and conuenient we should graunt it. MarginaliaTirannie couered withe the visour of mercye.For how soeuer we of our selues are enclined to mercy in our hartes (then the which we protest there is nothyng vnder the sunne to vs more deare and acceptable) yet notwithstandyng, the very law riseth vp to reuengement, so that the common saluation of you all, which the law prouideth for, must be preferred before the priuate charitie of our mindes.MarginaliaSathan transforming hym selfe into an Angell of light. Neither ought any such negligence to ouertake vs for our partes, that we beyng scarce yet escaped out of the shypwracke of our former calamitie, should now suffer this vnexpiable mischief, to disquiet any longer the consciences of the weake.

MarginaliaO Lord God? as though this were the doing of the Vniuersitie and not your own.Moreouer, it is but reason that we should doe somewhat at so earnest entreataunce and sute of the Vniuersity. It nedeth not me to speake much of our selues. For if we had bene desirous to enterprise this matter, it had bene lawfull after the first Citation, to haue proceded to iudgement: but for because wee were willing that their defendours should be heard, and that the matter should be denounced and tried by law, we sent out the second processe. If we had desyred reuengement, we myght haue shewed cruelty vppon them that are aliue: of the which (alas the more pity) there are to many that embrace thys doctrine. MarginaliaThe Wolfe pretendeth to be a Lambe.If we thirsted for bloud, it was not to be sought in withered carcasses and dry bones. MarginaliaAs though the Cardinall sent you not downe before ye came to the Vniuersitie.Therefore ye may well perceaue, it was no part of our willes that we now came hether, but partly induced at the entreatance of the Vniuersity, partly moued with the vnworthynes of the case it selfe, but especially for the care and regarde we haue of your health and saluation, which we couet by all meanes to preserue.

For you your selues are the cause of this busines: you gaue occasion of thys confession, among whom this day ought to be a notable example to remayne as a memoriall to thē þ^t shall come after: as in þ^e which ye may learne, not onely to shake of the filth which ye haue taken of

these persons, but also to beware hereafter, that ye fall no more so shamefully as ye haue done. But I trust God will defende you, and geue ye myndes to keepe your selues from it.

MarginaliaBucer and Phagius falsely accused of hypocrisie by false hypocrites.As concerning the partyes them selues, whose case now hangeth in law, they bare aboute the name of the Gospell, where as in dede they wrought nothing els thā theuery and deceit. And so much the wickeder were they, in that they sought to couer so shamefull actes, with the cloke of so fayre and holy a name. Wherfore it is not to be doubted but that God will punish this despite, of it selfe wicked, to you pernicious, by the autours thereof shamefull and abominable. But if God, as he is slow to wrath and vengeaunce, will wynke at it for a time, yet notwithstanding, if wee vpon whom the charge of the lords flocke leaneth, should permit so execrable crimes to escape vnpunished, we shuld not liue in quiet one houre.

When he had thus spoken, he recited the sentence out of a scroll, and condemned Bucer and Phagius of heresie: the forme and tenour of which sentence, framed after the barbarous rude stile of that church, thus followeth.

¶ The sentence of condemnation agaynst M. Bucer, and Paul. Fagius.  

Commentary     Close

The sentence condemning Bucer and Fagius was added in the 1570 edition; it was taken from the official records of the visitation.

MarginaliaThe Sentence of cōdemnation agaynst Martin Bucer, and Paulus Phagius.NOs Cutbertus Dei & Apostolicæ sedis gratia Episcopus Cestrensis, Nicolaus Ormanetus, Archipres. plebis Bodoloni Veronen. diocesis infrascripti, reuerendi domini Cardinalis & Legati auditor, Thomas Watson Decanus Duuelmen. & Henricus Cole, Præpositus Collegij Etonen. ad vniuersitatem studij generalis oppidi Cātabrigien. Elien. dioc. visitand. Necnō ad in quibuscūq; causis in eodē oppido Cātabrigiæ, & locis ei adiacen. commorantes personas, motis, & mouendis, inquirendum & quomodolibet procedendum, & expresse ad eorum, qui in hæresi decesserint, memoriā damnandum, per literas illustrissimi ac reuerendissimi in Christo patris, domini Reginaldi Mariæ in Cosmedin, S. Romanæ Ecclesiæ Præsbiteri Cardinalis Poli nuncupati, sanctissimi domini nostri Papæ & sedis Apostolicæ ad Serenissimum Philippum ac Serenissimam Mariam Angliæ Regem & Reginā, & vniuersum Angliæ Regnum de latere Legati, Commissarij, siue delegati specialiter deputati, & ad huiusmodi peragendum sufficienti facultate muniti, saluatoris & Domini nostri Iesu Christi nomine inuocato, pro tribunali seden. & solum Deum qui iustus est Dominus præ oculis habentes, per hanc nostram diffinitiuam sententiam, quam de sacræ Theologiæ, & Iurisperitorū consilio ferimus, in his scriptis, in causa & causis, quæ coram nobis inter Vicecancellarium & Vniuersitatem Cantabrigien. denunciatores ex vna, & iniquitatis filios quondam Martinum Bucerum, & Paulum Phagium, natione Germanos, & in hoc oppido olim commorātes & decedentes, reos denunciatos, de & super crimine hæresis notorie per eos, dū vixerint, incurso, rebusq; alijs in actis causæ & causarum huiusmodi latius deductis, ex altera, partibus, in prima versæ fuerunt & vertuntur instātia, pronūciamus, sententiamus, decernimus, & declaramus prædictos.

MarginaliaAgaynst Martin Bucer.Martinum quidem Bucerum contra regulas & dogmata sanctorum patrum, necnon Apostolicas Romanæ Ecclesiæ, & sacrorum cōciliorum traditiones, christianæq; religionis, hactenus in Ecclesia consuetos ritus ac processus (qui singulis annis in die cenæ domini per Romanos Pontifices celebrari & legi consueuerunt, in quibus, inter alia, Wicleffistæ, & Lutherani, & omnes alij hæretici damnati, & anathematizati fuerunt) de Sacramētis Ecclesiæ, presertim circa illorum numerum, aliter quàm sancta mater Ecclesia prædicat & obseruat, sentiēdo, & docendo, ac sanctæ sedis Apostolicæ, & summi Pontificis primatum, & authoritatem negando, & publicè damnando, & præsertim hunc articulum.

Quod Ecclesia erret in fide & moribus.

Hic in publicis commitijs expressè defendendo, & illum verum esse definiendo, & determinando, ac multa alia tam per damnatæ memoriæ Iohannem Wicleffe & id maxime.

Omnia fato & absoluta neceßitate fieri.

Et per Martinum Lutherum, & alios hæresiarchas proposita & damnata, quam a se etiam inuenta & fabricata, falsa & hæretica dogmata credendo, & sequendo, ac desuper etiam libros scribendo & imprimi faciendo, impressosq; publicādo in illisq; scripta etiam hic publicè legendo, & in publicis disputationibus defendēdo, ac in pertinacia & obstinatione huiusmodi permanendo, & decedendo, notorium non solum hæreticum, sed hæresiarcham.

MarginaliaAgaynst Paulus Phagius.Paulum verò Fagium, qui præter alia, quæ hæresim sapiūt, ab eo in suis scriptis prolata, impiæ memoriæ Iohannem Oe-