MarginaliaAn. 1557. May.prison a yeare or two takyng their bookes from them, permittyng them not so much as a Testament to looke vpon for their soules comfort, the which all men ought to haue: MarginaliaThe crueltie of catholickes vpon Christian prisoners.and so you entreat thē more lyke brute beates then Christen men.

Wint. MarginaliaA popishe similitude, and well applied.No, Syr we will vse you as we will vse the child, for if the child will hurt him selfe with the knife, we will keepe the knife from him. So because you will damne your soule with the word, therfore you shall not haue it.

Grat. MarginaliaWinchester ouerthrowen in hys owne similitude.My Lord, a simple Argument you bryng for to maintayne and couer your fault. Are you not ashamed to make the word the cause of our damnation? I neuer knew any mā but onely you that did not affirme our sinnes to be the cause of our damnation, and not the word, as you say: and therefore if your argument be good, then this is good also: Because that some men doe abuse drinke, therefore the benefite of drinke should be taken from all men, or any other such lyke good gift.

Wint. My Lordes, here we lose much tyme, for this fellow is peruerse, speaking nothing but sophistry and peruerse questions: so that we can get no aduantage vpon him. Then spake my counterfeate Ordinary as one halfe a sleepe all this while: yet somwhat with hast, when he was awaked he began to tell hys tale, & sayd.

Counterf. Read these articles against him once more, and if he will not aunswere them, take hym vpon hys first wordes: That which I sayd, that I haue sayd.

Wint. Then the Byshop of Winchester beganne to read them agayne.

Grat. But I sayd vnto hym, I would not aunswere them, because they were none of myne examinations, but obiections of their owne makyng, because they would haue my bloud. But yet I sayd, if they would set the law apart, I would talke my conscience freely to them.

Counterf. Then my counterfeat Ordinary begā to speake agayne, chargyng me with þ^e saying of S. Peter, that I should render accoūt of such hope as was in me.

Grat. So can I do, and yet shall I not please you, for here I now render my hope as S. Peter willeth me: MarginaliaThese Catholickes will not be contented with the confessing of Christ onely.I beleue onely in Iesus Christ, to haue my whole saluation in him, by hym, and through hym: but I perceaue you would haue me render my fayth in such sort, as you might haue my bloud, and therefore you bring good Scriptures and euill apply them.

Wint. Why, this fellow is peruerted, and we shall get no more at his handes then we haue already: therfore let vs pronoūce sentence agaynst hym, for we do but lose our tyme.

Grat. Nay good my Lords, seing you wil needes haue my bloud, let me say a little more for my self. Vpon sonday last, when I was before you, you preached thys, which was a truth, and agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostle S. Iames, and sayd: If any man thinke himselfe a religious man, and in the meane tyme seduce his tonge or his hart, the same mans religiō is a vaine religion: MarginaliaThe raylyng Sermon of Winchester agaynst good men.and so my Lord you standing there in the pulpit, in the meane tyme seduced your tounge to sclaunder vs poore prisoners beyng there present in Iron bondes, MarginaliaWinchester preacheth agaynst hym selfe.burdenyng vs wyth the secte of Arrians, and with the sect of Herodians, and with the sect of Anabaptistes, and wyth the sect of Sacramentaries, and with the sect of Pelagians. MarginaliaTrue Christians not suffered to purge them selues.And when we stoode vp to purge our selues thereof, you sayd you would cut out our tonges, and cause vs to be pulled out of the church by violence. But there you gaue your selfe a shrewde blow, for your tounge in the meane tyme sclaundered your neighbour. For I my Lord wyll geue my lyfe agaynst all these heresies, the which you there burdened vs wythall, MarginaliaHe meaneth agaynst the reall presence.euen as I will geue my life agaynst that wherein I now stand before you. And wyth that he was raging angry and caught my condemnation and sayd.

Wint. Thou wilt graunt here no more, but this word: That I haue sayd, I haue sayd: and here I gather matter enough to condemne thee, for thys is a confirmation of all that thou hast heretofore sayd.

Grat. Then I answered: If you can proue that euer any of myne examinations were written, it were inough: but you haue nothyng against me, but obiections of your owne making.

Wint. Haue at thee now. MarginaliaWinchest. condēneth Ste. Gratwicke, and why?If thou wilt not yelde, I wyll pronounce sentence agaynst thee, and so he proceded forth onward apace, cursing and banning in latin: so that I tolde him: If the people might heare it in english, they would thinke you an vncharitable bishop.

Grat. MarginaliaSt. Gratwicke condemned agaynst order, both of temporall and spirituall lawe.And then I sayd, stay my Lord and note what you do, for you haue neyther temporall law nor spirituall here agaynst me in any iust cause.

Then stepped forth a gentleman and sayd vnto my Lord: take heede what you do, for he doth here say that you haue no title nor cause why you shoulde condemne him.

Then the Byshop looked about hym agayne and asked me if I would recant.

I asked hym whereof I should recant?

Then sayd the Byshop: are you there? nay then I know what I haue to do, and so he proceeded forth in reading my condemnation.

And there was an other gentleman which began to snappe and snach at me: and then sayd I, I woulde God I had known this or euer I had come frō home: I would surely haue put on my breech, and not had my skynne thus torne. And all this while the Byshop red forth styll.

At last his chaplynes cryed, stoppe, stoppe, my Lord, for now he wyll recant,  

Commentary     Close

Once the sentence had been read, it was final unless the condemned secured a royal pardon. By pausing, Bishop White is giving Gratwick a last chance to recant and save his life.

MarginaliaSte. Gratwicke constant in Christ and in hys death.And I aunswered and sayd: my Lord, my fayth is groūded more stedfastly, then to chaūge in a moment, it is no processe of tyme can alter me, vnles my fayth were as the waues of the sea: and so the Byshop made an end, and deliuered me into the hāds of the Sheriffe, to be carryed prisoner to the Marshalsey againe.

MarginaliaGratwike after hys condemnation prayeth for hys enemyes.And when I was condemned, I desired God with a loude voyce that he would not lay my bloud to theyr charges, if it were his good wyll, and so then they refused my prayer and sent me away. Then I beganne to talke as I went, and they cryed, cut out his tounge, or stoppe his mouth, and so I was brought to the Marshalsey, & lapped in Iron bandes. Therfore I pray vnto God that they vnto whō thys present wryting shall come, may take example by my death and souldiour fare. So be it.

By me Steuen Gratwycke condem-
ned for Gods euerlasting truth.

MarginaliaSte. Gratwicke to the Reader.HEre for want of tyme I haue left out many matters, because the Lord hath hastened the tyme, so that I haue written but the briefnes of the matter in probation of faith, and the reward of fayth, the whiche the Byshop of Rochester and I debated vpō: the which matter I would haue bene very glad to haue set down in writyng. Also much more talke there was, that the Bishop of Wynchester & I had concernyng my worldly frendes and personable estate: MarginaliaWinchester attempteth Ste. Gratwicke with flattering and praysing.for he played Sathan with me: he caried me vp to the moūtaines, and there told me, my learnyng was good and my eloquence, and also my knowledge, saue þ^t I did abuse it (said he): and then he fel to praysing of my person, that it was comely and worthy to serue a prince. Thus Sathan flattered with me to make me aunswere vnto suche obiections as he would lay agaynst me, that I might falle into hys dioces.

Thus Steuen Gratwycke this christian Martyr, being wrongfully condemned by the Bishop of Winchester (as ye haue heard) was burned with William Mo-