MarginaliaAn. 1557. Iune.Wood. I thāked him, and went to dinner: and there dyned with hym a Marchaūt man, one of the Sheriffes men, and I, and no mo, and we had good chere, God bee praysed therfore. MarginaliaA Byshoplike dinner without any talke of scriptures.We had no talke of the Scriptures al the dynner while: but when dynner was done, the Bishop sayd.

Chiches. Now cal M. Stories man. For the Commissioners haue committed you to prison: but I will send for you or euer it be long, and I pray God I may do you good. I would be very glad of it.

Wood. If it please you to send for me, I would be very glad to talke with you, for I lyke your talke well. And then if it please your Lordshyp to examine me vpō any particular matter, I will shew you my mynd therin, by Gods grace, without dissimulation. But I pray you let me haue nothyng to do with M. Story,MarginaliaD. Story a man without reason. for he is a man without reason, me thinke.

Chiches. Well, or euer you go, how say you to the vij. Sacraments? Let me heare what you say to them, that I may be the willynger to send for you agayne.

Wood. MarginaliaVij. Sacramentes denied.I know not seuen Sacramentes.

Chiches. Then what shall I talke with you? How many do you know?

Wood. I know but two: MarginaliaTwo onely Sacramētes.one the Sacrament of Baptisme, and the other the Supper of the Lorde. But if you can iustly proue by Gods word, that there be more then two, I stand to be reformed.

Chiches. If I proue not seuen by Gods word, then beleue me not: and so he bad me farewell.

The the Sheriffes two men, and one of Doct. Stories men, caryed me to Doct Cookes house, which Doct. Cooke commaūded them to cary me to the Sheriffes prison in Southwarke, saying: he shalbe called before vs agayne shortly, and all his felowes, and we shal dispatch them for troublyng the countrey any more.

MarginaliaRichard Woodman caryed to the Marshalsey.And so I was brought to the Marshalsea, where I now am mery God be praysed therefore) lookyng for iudgement of my fleshe: for they intende to dispatch me shortly, if God will geue thē leaue: but God hath their hartes in his hands, and they can do nothyng to me, but as God will geue them leaue. Wherfore I commit my cause to God onely, MarginaliaLuk. xxij.and I am sure there shall not one heare of my head perish without my heauenly fathers will, although I bide neuer so much trouble. Iob perished not for all his trouble, although God gaue the deuil leaue to trouble & try him diuers and many wayes, as God hath suffered MarginaliaThe deuils members persecutors of the Christians.his members to trouble and trye me diuers & many wayes, I prayse God. They shall as litle preuayle agaynst my fayth (I haue no mistrust) as the deuill preuayled not agaynst Iob,MarginaliaIob. what soeuer they do with my goodes, lyfe or body. For he that kept Iob in all hys trouble, MarginaliaPsal. cxxj.neither slombreth nor sleepeth, but keepeth me and all hys elect, that whether we lyue or dye, it shalbe to the prayse and glory of God. MarginaliaRom. xiiij.For if we lyue, we lyue at the Lordes will: and if we dye, we dye to the Lordes will: so, whether we lyue or dye, we are the Lordes, blessed be hys name therfore.

MarginaliaRichard Woodman to the faithfull. brethren.Wherfore, deare brethren and sisters to whom this my writyng shall come, be of good chere, and feare not what man can do vnto you. For they can but kil the body: but feare him that hath power to kill both body and soule. And yet once agayne I bid you be of good chere. For the Sheriffe with diuers other Gentlemen and Priestes, whilest I was at the Sheriffes house sayd to me, that all the heretickes in the countrey hong on me, as the people did in tymes past vpon S. Augustin, or S. Ambrose, or such lyke. Wherfore sayd they, looke well on it, you haue a great thyng to aunswere for. To the which I aunswered: I pray God lay nothyng more to my charge, then he will do for heresie, as I am sure he wil not. MarginaliaPsal. ciij.For he hath set my sinnes as farre from me, as it is frō the East to the West: So that I am sure they shall neuer come nere me any more. Yea, and that

that they call heresie, we serue God withall. MarginaliaThose that feare God hang not on man.And I am sure there is no man nor woman that hangeth on me, but on God. But yet þ^t is their imagination & thoughts, that if they might wynne me to them, they shoulde winne a great many lykewise: & thinkyng to kill me if they can not wynne me, as I trust in God, and am sure they neuer shall by Gods grace, if it were possible to kil me. x. tymes: MarginaliaThe inseparable knot of loue betwene Christ and hys members.for I am so linked to Christ in a chayne by fayth, that it is vnpossible for men to louse vs a sonder, neither for lyfe nor death, I prayse my Lord God therfore. And no doubt theyr full intent and purpose is to kill me, thinking therby to make other afrayde. Which death of my body were best of all for me, if God were so pleased. But if I may lyue for the comfort of other, his name be praysed therfore. I know what he can do: but what he will doe I know not. But if death be offered me, so that I cannot refuse it without displeasing of God, I trust in God I shall not offend my brethren in receauing of death, but shalbe rather an occasion of the strengthnyng of their fayth by choosing and receauyng of it, and that with ioy. For as Christ hath geuen hys lyfe for vs, MarginaliaChristians ought to geue their liues for defence of the gospell, if they be therto called.so ought we to geue our lyues for the defense of the Gospell, and comfort of our brethren. And where as the Byshop sayth, he will proue vij. Sacramentes, be ye out of doubt he shall neuer be able to do it, no more then he hath proued other argumētes with me already.

This fare ye well from the Marshallsey where I now am, as a sheepe appointed to be slayne, God be praysed therfore.

¶ The second examination of Richard Woodmam before the Bishop of Chichester, two of his chaplaynes: and Doctor Story at the last came to vs, the xxvij. day of Aprill.  

Commentary     Close

A manuscript copy of the first two-thirds of this examination survives among Foxe's papers: BL, Harley MS 425, fos. 102r-103v.

MarginaliaThe second examinatiō of Richard Woodmā, before D. Christopherson Byshop of Chichest. D. Story, &c.FIrst, I was sent for to the Marshalsea by Doctor Story, and was caryed to hys house besides Saint Nicholas Shambles: and when I had spoken to him, he sent me to the bishop of Chichester and said he would come to him his selfe straight way: and when we were in the bishops hall, we had not taried long, but the Byshop sent for me: and when I came before him, I dyd my duty to hym as much as I could.

Chichest. Then sayd the Byshop: You be welcome: how do you now?

Wood. Well, I prayse God, thanking your Lordship for the gentle talke that you had with me at my last departing from you.

Chichest. Well goodman Woodman, I haue sent for you of loue, and good will that I bare to you, to talke with you: and I would haue you tell me your minde in fewe wordes. For in deede the last tyme that I talked with you, our talke was so long, that I fell into a great drieth thereby, and haue bene the worse in my body euer since. Wherfore I pray you shew me your minde briefely in those particular matters that I shall demaunde of you, according to your promise þ^t you made when you were with me the last tyme. How say you, will you?

Wood. Yea forsoth: I will aunswere to any thyng that you shall demaunde of me (by Gods helpe) as well as I can.

Chichest. How say you by the seuen Sacramentes? for there we left of, and there we will beginne agayne. You sayd then there were but two. How say you now to it:? will you deny all sauing two?

Wood. I say now as I sayd then. You sayd there bee seuen Sacramentes, and I sayd I knew but two: MarginaliaProuing of vij. Sacramentes.but if you could approue seuē by Gods word when I came before you agayne, I must needes graunt them. And you sayd, if you could not proue them by Gods word, I should not beleue them: and now I am come to see how wel you can proue them. Herewith he was moued, and all his chaplaynes.

Chichest. By God and by my trouth, I wene he thin-