MarginaliaAn. 1557. May.truth, nor suffer any of the audience assistant, once to say, God strengthen hym.

Fiftly, as they brought in a false Ordinary to sit vppon hym: so they pretended false Articles agaynst him, which were no part of hys examinations, but of their owne diuising, to haue hys bloud.

Sixtly and lastly, hauing no other ground nor iust matter agaynst hym, but only for saying these wordes: that which I sayd, I haue sayd, they red the Sentence of death vpon hym.

And this was the dealing of these men, which nedes will be reputed for catholicke fathers of the spiritualtie, succeders of the Apostles, disciples of Christ, pillers of the holy church, and leaders of the people. Of whose doinges and procedinges, how agreable they are to the example of Christ and his Apostles, I leaue to discusse, referring the iudgement hereof to them, which know the institution of Christes religion & doctrine.

MarginaliaThe vnordinate hādling of Steuen Gratwicke, written and testified by his owne recorde.Now, lest peraduenture the disordered misrule of these Christmas Lordes, will not be credited vppon the simple narration of the story, ye shall heare þ^e whole discourse of this proces registred by the hand of the Martyr himselfe, who as he could tell best what was done: so I am sure would not testifie otherwise, then truth was, according as you shall heare by his owne declaration here following.

MarginaliaThe story and examinatiō of Steuen Gratwicke Martyr, vnder the B. of Winchester and Rochester. &c.VPon the xxv. day of May, in the yeare of our Lord, 1557. I Steuen Gratwyke came before the B. of Winchester, D. White, into S. Georges Church in Southwarke, at eyght of the clocke in the morning, and then he called me before him, and sayd vnto me.

B. Winchest. Steuen Gratwyke, how standeth the matter with thee now? Art thou contented to reuoke thy heresies, the which thou hast mayntayned & defended here within my dioces, often tymes before me, and also vpon Sunday last, ye stoode vp in the face of the whole Church  

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St Mary Overy's in Southwark.

And so when he had ended, he bad me aunswere vnto them

Gratw. My Lord, these articles which you haue here obiected agaynst me, are not mine but of your owne making. For I neuer had any of mine examinations written at any tyme, and therfore these be obiections that you lay against me as a snare to get my bloud. MarginaliaSteuen Gratwicke appealeth frō the Bishop of Winchester to hys owne Ordinary.Wherefore I desire your lawfull fauour to allow my lawful appeale vnto mine ordinary, for I haue nothing to doo with you. And whereas you do burden men, that I haue offended within your dioces, it is nothing so, for I haue not enterprised neither to preach nor teach within your dioces, but was apprehēded by mine own Bishop, and sent prisoner into your dioces, by the consent of the Counsel and mine own Ordinary, and therfore I so being in your dioces, you haue no cause to let my lawfull appeale.

MarginaliaThe B. of Rochester commeth in.And with that there came the Bishop of Rochester, and was receaued at the Bishop of Winchesters hands with much gladnes, according to their determinate purpose, before inuented. And so followed the archdeacon of Canterbury. And then the bishop againe start vp as a man halfe rauished of his wittes for ioye, embracing him with many gentle wordes, and sayd, that he was very glad of his comming, making himselfe ignoraunt therof, as he thought it should appeare to me.MarginaliaCatholicke conueyance among these Byshops.Then said Winchester.

B. Winc. Syr, I am very glad of your commyng. For here I haue one before me, who hath appealed vnto you beyng his Ordinary. Then said the Archdeacon of Canterbury.

Archd. Cant. I know this man very well. He hath bene diuers tymes before me. And then I aunswered and sayd.

Gratw. MarginaliaSt. Gratwicke not of Rochester dioces.My Lord, I am not of his Dioces, not by fiue myles: for his Dioces reacheth on that parties but to the Cliffes of Lewes, and I dwelled at Bright Hempson, fiue myles beyond, in the Dioces of the Byshop of Chichester, and therefore I am not of his Dioces.

MarginaliaThe Byshops coūterfeate a false Ordinary agaynst Ste. Gratwicke.Then the Byshop of Winchester, the Byshop of Rochester, and þ^e Archdeadon of Cāterbury, cast their heades together, & laughed: and then they sayd my Ordinary would be here by & by, and so they sent forth for a counterfeite in steede of mine Ordinary, & then I saw them laugh, and I spake vnto them, and sayd:

Grat. Why do ye laugh? are ye confederate together for my bloud, and therein triumph? you haue more cause to looke waightely vpō the matter, for I stād here before you vpon lyfe and death. MarginaliaSee what care these men haue of poore mens bloud.But you declare your selues what you are, for you are lapped in Lambes appareil, but I would to God ye had the coates according to your assembly here, which is scarllet gownes, for I do here perceiue you are bent to haue my bloud.

MarginaliaHere commeth in the vice the play.And then came rushyng in their counterfeited Byshop, who was the hyred seruaunt to deliuer me into the handes of þ^e high Priest: and þ^e Bishop hering him come, with hast enquired of his man, who was there, and he sayd, my Lord of Chichester. Then the Byshop with hast rose vp, and sayd.

Wint. Ye are most hartely welcome, and required hym to sit down: and then sayd þ^e Byshop of Winchester to me: Lo here is your Ordinary. What haue you now to say vnto hym?

Grat. I haue nothyng to say to hym. If he haue nothyng to say to me, I pray you let me departe. Then aunswered my Counterfeite Ordinary, and sayd.

Counterf. Here ye stand before my Lordes and me in triall of your fayth, and if you bryng the truth, we shall by compulsion geue place vnto you, as it is to be proued by the word, and your doctrine to be heard and placed for a truth.

Grat. Then I demaunded of him whether he ment by authoritie, or by the iudgemēt of the spirite of God in his members.

And he aunswered me, by authoritie as well as by the spirite.

Grat. Then I sayd: Now will I turne your owne Argument vpon you: MarginaliaChrist bringing the truth could not be heard of þ^e Scribes and Phariseis.for Christ came before the hygh Priestes, Scribes and Phariseis, bryngyng the truth with hym, beyng the very truth him selfe, which truth can not lye, yet both he and his truth was condemned, and tooke no place with them. And also þ^e Apostles, and all the Martyrs that dyed since Christ: therfore I turne your own Argument vpon you: aunswere it if you cā.

Counterf. Then hee with a great hast of coller, sayd vnto the Byshop of Winchester: obiect some Articles agaynst him, for he is obstinate, and would fayne get out of our handes, therfore hold him to some particular: so that other aunswere could I not haue of hys Argument.

MarginaliaObiectiōs of the Byshops own making.Wint. Then the Byshop of Winchester begā to read hys obiections of his owne makyng agaynst me, and bad me aunswere vnto them. And I sayd:

Grat. No, except you would set the lawe aparte, because I see you are mindfull of my bloud.

Wint. Now you may see he wil not aūswere to these, but as he hath aforesaid. Then spake the Counterfeate Ordinarie agayne, and sayd:

Counterf. My Lord, aske hym what he sayth to the Sacrament of the aultar. Then the Byshop asked me, as my counterfeate Ordinary required him.

MarginaliaSacramē of þ^e Lordes Supper.Grat. My Lord, I do beleue that in the Sacrament