Marginalia1557. Iune.sent to prison for my comming there, and now I am sent to you for biding thence. So they will not be pleased any way with me, for they seeke my life. MarginaliaThe Byshop charged with hys office.Wherfore looke you to it, for I am now in your handes, and you ought to be a house of defence agaynst mine enemies. For if you suffer them to kill me, my bloud shall be required at your handes. If you can finde any iust cause in me worthy of death by Gods worde, you may condemne me your selfe, and not offend God: wherefore looke to it. The matter is weighty: deliuer me not into theyr handes, and thinke so to be discharged.

Chiches. I tell you truth, I can do litle in the matter. For I haue not full authority, as yet, of myne office: but I will send for you and talke with you, if I wist I shuld do you any good.

Wood. I would be glad to talke with you and to shew you my minde in any thyng that you shall demaund of me, now or at any other tyme.

Chiches. So then he desired the Sheriffes men to tary dinner w^t him: MarginaliaThe Byshop biddeth Woodmā to dinner,that this man (sayd he) may dine with me also: for it is possible þ^t he may haue no great store of meate whether he shall go.

Wood. So we taryed dynner with hym, & had no further talke, neither how to proue where the true church of God is, nor of the Sacramentes, nor of any other thyng pertainyng to me ward, not for the space of two houres or more: MarginaliaTalke betwene Richard Woodmā and the Byshop about Priestes mariage.but he entred in talke with me, how I vnderstode many Scriptures, and for Byshops and Priestes Mariages, and whether Paule had a wyfe or not. To whom I aunswered: it is a thyng that I haue litle to do with, as concernyng Mariages: but I am very well content to talke with you in the matter as far as my poore learnyng wil serue. So when he had talked with me of diuers Scriptures, he lyked my talke well. He asked me how I said by Paul, whether he were maryed or not. MarginaliaPaule if he were not maryed, yet he had power to mary as well as the other had.To whom I aunswered: I proue by the Scriptures that he was neuer maryed.

Chiches. How proue you that?

Wood. I will proue it well ynough, by Gods helpe. But yet I wil proue that Paul might haue had a wife as well as the other Apostles had.

Chiches. Why? had the other Apostles wyues?

Wood. Yea, all sauyng Paul and Barnabas, as I vnderstād it. For these are Paules wordes in the first to þ^e Cor. ix. chap. Marginaliai. Cor. ix.Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ? Are not ye my worke in the Lord? And if I be not an Apostle to other, yet to you I am an Apostle. For you are the seale of my Apostleshyp in the Lord. Mine aunswere to them that aske me, is this: Haue we not power to eate & drinke? either, haue we not power to lead about a sister to wife, as well as the other Apostles haue, and as the brethrē of the Lord? Either haue not Barnabas and I power thus to do? So this text proueth that Paul & Barnabas were vnmaryed. But Paul declareth that þ^e rest had wyues, & that they had power likewise so to haue, but they found no neede therof. But Paul declareth in the vij. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, that he that hath no power ouer hys owne fleshe, may mary: Marginaliai. Cor. vij.For it is better to mary then to burne. Wherefore to auoyde fornication (sayth he) let euery man haue his wife. He sayth: let euery man haue his wife, and euery womā her husband. MarginaliaPriestes ought to haue wiues, rather than to burne by Paules doctrine.By this place of Scripture I vnderstand, that Byshops and Priests may haue wyues, because they are men, rather then to burne, or to commit fornicatiō. But I thinke verely, hee that can abstayne, hauyng power of his owne will, doth best: but if he mary, he sinneth not.

So then he debated the Scriptures with me diuers wayes, that a Byshop nor a Priest ought not to haue a wife: but I proued by diuers Scriptures, both in the old law and in the new, MarginaliaGene. ij.that wemen were at first made for the helpe of men, the which was spoken generally to all men. Wherfore (sayd I) euery mā may haue a womā,

& sinne not, in honest Matrimony, as well Bishops and Deacons as other men, which you call Priestes, if they be true Ministers of Iesus Christ, and of that order that the Byshops and Deacons were in Paules tyme. For Paul declareth to Timothy. i. and the iij. Marginaliaj. Tim. iij.That a Byshop should be the husband of one wife, and how they should be honestly apparelled, and how they should bring vp their children: and likewise the Deacons. This (sayd I) proueth more plainly, MarginaliaByshops and Deacons were maryed in þ^e Apostles tyme.that both Bishops and Deacons had wyues in the Apostles tyme: the which he could not deny. But then he alledged that no Byshop nor Priest might take a wife, after he had taken vpon hym that office: MarginaliaPapistes hold, that Byshops and Deacons hauing wiues before, might keepe thē still: but not hauing before, might not afterward mary.but if he had a wyfe before he tooke the office, tryed meete for the purpose, for his life, & for hys learnyng, he might keepe hys wyfe, & bring vp his children according to S. Paules meanyng to Timothy, or els might they haue no wiues. Then sayd I: I thinke Paules meaning in that place was, that a mā that hath had two wyues, might not be made a Bishop nor a Deacon, if he had neuer so much learnyng. But that place maketh not that a Byshop or a Deacon may not mary after they be made Byshops and Deacons. For I am sure that Paul was in the state of a Byshop when he sayd: He hath power to lead about a sister to wife, as well as the other Apostles had. MarginaliaPaul cōfesseth him selfe after hys Apostleship to haue power to mary.Here Paul declareth that it was in hys power to haue a wife, after he had the office of a Byshop, which was not in his power, if he had bene forbidden of God.

Thus haue I shewed you my minde in this behalfe, both of Paul, and also for the mariages of Bishops and Priestes, as I vnderstand the scriptures. Howbeit, it is a thing the which I haue litle to do withall: but as you required me to say my minde in that matter, so I haue doone.

Chiches. Mary I am glad that you haue sayd as you haue done. Many doo affirme boldly that Paul had a wife, and yet can not proue whether he had or had not, by the Scriptures: but you haue sayd very well. I am glad that ye are contented to be ruled by Gods word. And if you wil be contented likewise in other matters, no doubt you shall doo well: MarginaliaThe Byshops fayre words to Richard Woodman.therefore gentle goodman Woodman be ruled. God hath geuen you a good wit. I protest before God, I would you should do as well as myne owne soule and body, and so would (I dare say) all the worshypfull men in the countrey, as they haue reported to me.

Wood. Why my Lord, I take God to record (whom I trust to serue) that I would be as glad to lyue in rest and peace, as any man in all the world, if I might. And I stand to learne, and am contented to be reformed of any thyng that I hold, if it can be proued that it be not agreable to Gods word. And the truth is so, I haue talked with a dosen Priestes at the least, since I was deliuered out of prison, of certaine matters, and they haue not ben able to certifie me in any thyng that I haue asked them: MarginaliaRichard Woodman complained of by vnlearned Priestes which could not certifie him in matters of religion.and therfore haue they complayned on me to the Sheriffe & Iustices, makyng tales & lyes on me, to turne me to displeasure, as much as in thē lyeth. I promise you, there be as many vnlearned Priestes in your Dioces, as in any one Dioces in England, I thinke: the more it is to be lamented.

Chiches. I promise you I do much lamēt it my selfe: for I heare say no lesse, but it is true that you say. I would I could remedy it, but I can not: but I will do the best that I can when I come into the countrey, and I will be glad to talke with you some other tyme, when I am somewhat better at ease. You see I am very tender now, as I haue bene this halfe yeare & more. Come to dynner: our dynner is ready. I caused you not to tary for any great chere that you shall haue, nor I would you shoulde not thinke that I goe about to wynne you with my meate. But you be welcome with all my hart. Come, sit downe.