MarginaliaAn. 1557. Iune.Priest. Why? is there nothing true but that is written in the Bible?

Wood. Sainct Paule sayth to the Galathians the first chapter: If an Aungell come from heauen and preach any other doctrine then may be proued by Gods worde, hold him accursed: and so do I, I tell you playnly.

Priest. Here is a Testament in my hand: if I hurle hym in the fire and burne him, haue I burned Gods word, or not? I will bye a new for xvj. pence. MarginaliaLetters written in þ^e booke speakyng properly, be one thyng: the testament and worde of God is an other thing: And yet by vse of speach, the booke of the Testament is called the Testament, as bread & wine be called the body and bloud of the Lord.

Wood. I say you haue burned Gods woorde, and I beleue, he that wyll burne a Testament willingly, would burne God him self if he were here, if he could: for hee and his word are all one.

Then they made a great laughing at it.

Wood. Laugh on (quoth I). You laughing wyll be turned to weeping, and all such ioy wyll be turned to mournyng, if you repent it not with speede.

Chichest. Then the Byshop begon to helpe to cloke the priestes folly, saying: why? if my counting house were ful of bookes, and if my house should be on fire by chaunce, and so be burned, were Gods word burned?

Wood. No my Lord, because they were burned against your will: but yet if you should burne them willingly, or thinke it well, and not being sory for it, you burne Gods word as wel as he. For he that is not sory for a shrewd turne, doth allow it to be good.

Chichest. Follow your vocation: you haue little learning. MarginaliaHeb. xiij.We haue an aultar, whereof you may not eate. What meaneth S. Paule thereby.

Wood. There is no man so foolishe to eate stones I trow.

Chichest. What mockers and skorners be you, to say no man wyll be so foolishe to eate stones? it is a plaine mocke.

Wood. Why, my Lord, you sayd I had no learning, nor knowledge, or vnderstanding. Wherefore it becommeth you to make thinges more playne to me, and not to aske me such darke questions, and yet blame me to: me thinke it is to much.

Chichest. I dare say you know what it meaneth wel inough. The most foole in my house will vnderstād my meaning better then you do.

Wood. There stoode some of his men not farre of, talking together beside a window. He called one of thē by his name

Chichest. Come hether. I say to thee, thou shalt not eate of this table. What do I meane thereby?

The man. MarginaliaThe Byshop of Chichester rightly aunswered of hys man according to hys question.Forsoth my Lord, you would not haue me eate of this table, laying his hand thereupō. With this aunswere he made all thē in the house to fall on laughing, and I coulde not holde it in, but burst out wyth laughter and sayd.

Wood. He hath expounded the matter almost as well as I.

Chiches. He meaneth well enough, if you would vnderstand hym.

Aunswere me againe, to make it more playne. I say to thee, thou shalt not eate of thys table. What meane I therby?

The man. Forsooth, you woulde not haue me eate this table.

Wood. These wordes made them all laugh. Wherewith the Bishop was almost angry, because the aunswere proued no better, and sayd.

Chiches. He meaneth, that I woulde not haue hym eate any of the meate that is set vpon this table. How sayest thou? doost thou not meane so?

The man. MarginaliaAit, aio.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Foxe marginal note

Foxe text Latin

Ait, Aio.

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2004)

He says, I say

Wood. Yea my Lord, now you haue told him what you meane, he can say so to: and so could I haue done (as litle wit as I haue) if you had sayd, Paul ment that no man might eate of that which was offered vpon the altar but the Priestes.

Chich. Yea, I perceaue you vnderstand þ^e meaning of

Paule well enough, but that you list to cauell with me.

Wood. Why my Lord? do you thinke I vnderstand such darke places of scripture without learning? you sayd euen now, I had no knowledge nor learning, wherfore I aunswered you as you iudged of me.

Chich. Well, let this matter passe, and let vs turne to the principall agayne. MarginaliaSacramēt of þ^e altar.How say you by the sacrament of the altar?

Wood. You meane the sacrament of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ.

Chich. I meane the sacrament of the altar, & so I say.

Wood. You meane Christ to be the altar, do you not?

Chich. I meane the sacrament of the altar in the church. What, is it so straunge to you?

Wood. It is straunge to me in deede, if you meane the altar of stone.

Chich. It is that altar that I meane.

Wood. I vnderstand not the altar so.

Chich. No, I thinke so in deede: and that is the cause that you be deceaued. I pray you how do you vnderstand the altar then?

Wood. If you will geue me leaue till I haue done, MarginaliaThe altar how it is to be takē and where it is.I wil shew you how I vnderstād the altar, & where it is.

Chich. Yes, you shall haue leaue to say your minde, as much as you will.

Wood. It is written, Math. 18. MarginaliaMat 18.That wheresoeuer 2. or 3. be gathered together in Christes name, there is he in the middest among them: and whatsoeuer they aske the father vpon earth, it shalbe graunted them in heauen, agreing to the 5. of Math. saying: MarginaliaMat. v.When thou cōmest to offer thy gift at the altar, & there remēbrest that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee, leaue there thy offring, and go first and be reconciled to thy brother, & then offer thy gift. The priestes would haue interrupted me: but the Bishop bad them let me alone.

Chich. You shall heare a prety conclusion anone.

Wood. I pray you let me make an end, and then finde fault with me if you can. Now to the matter. In these two places of scripture I proue that MarginaliaChrist the true and onely altar.Christ is the true altar, wheron euery Christian man and woman ought to come and offer theyr giftes. First, wheresoeuer the people are gathered together in Christes name, there is he in the middest: and where he is, there is the altar, so that we may be bold to come and offer our gift, if we be in loue and charitie: if we be not, we must leue there our offering, and go first and be reconciled to our brother, and agree with him quickely, & so forth, and thē come and offer the gift. MarginaliaThe place of Mat. v. expounded.Some will say, how shall I agree with my aduersary, when he is not nighe by a C. miles? may I not pray till I haue spoken with him? to all such I answere: if thou presume to pray among the faythfull, wishing any euill to any man, woman, or childe, thou askest vengeance vpon thy selfe. For no such asketh any thing els of the Lord in his prayer. Wherefore agree with thy aduersary: that is, make thy life agreable to Gods word. Say in thy hart without dissimulation, that thou askest God & all the world forgeuenes from the bottome of thy hart, entending neuer to offend them more. Then all such may be bold to come and offer theyr gift, theyr prayer on the altar, where the people of God be gathered together. Thus haue I shewed you my minde, both of the altar and of the offering, as I vnderstand it.

Chich. Doo you vnderstand the offering and the altar so? I neuer heard any man vnderstand it so, no not Luther the great hereticke, that was condemned by a generall counsell, and his picture burned.

Wood. If he were an hereticke, I thinke he vnderstoode it not so in deede: but I am sure all christians ought to vnderstand it so.

Chich. O what vaine glory is in you, as though you vnderstood all thing, and other mē nothing. Heare me: I will shew you the true vnderstanding, both of the altar, and the offering on the altar. MarginaliaHeb. xiij. We haue an altar, sayth Paul, that ye may not eate of: meaning therby, þ^t no man