MarginaliaAn. 1557. Iune.Thou shalte aunswere to such thinges as I will demaund of thee.

Wood. I take heauen and earth to recorde I am no hereticke, neyther can I tell wherfore I am brought to prison, no more then any man here can tell, and therwith I looked round about on the people, and sayd to the bishop: If you haue any iust cause against me, worthy of death, lay it agaynst me, and let me haue it: for I refuse not to dye (I prayse God) for the truth sake, if I had x. liues. If you haue no cause, let me go home (I pray you) to my wife and children, to see them kept, and other poore folke that I would set aworke, by the helpe of god. I haue set aworke a hūdreth persons, ere this, all the yeare together, and was vniustly taken from them: but God forgeue them that did it, if it be his wil.

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Winchest. Doo you not see how hee looketh about for helpe? But I would see any man shew thee a cherefull countenaunce, and especially you that be of my dioces. MarginaliaA charitable cōmaundement of a Catholicke prelate, vnder paine of excommunication, no mā to say: God strengthē him.If any of you bid God strengthen him, or take him by the hand, or embrace him, or shew him a chereful coūtenance, you shall be excommunicated, and shall not be receaued in againe, till you haue done open penaunce, and therefore beware of it.

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Wood. I looke for no helpe of men, for God is on my side, I prayse him therfore, and therfore I neede not care who be against me, neither doo I care.

Then they cried: away with him, and bring vs an other. So I was caried agayne to the Marshalsea, where I am now mery (I prayse God therfore) as a shepe appoynted to be slayne. But for lacke of time, I haue left out much of our talke, but this is the chiefest of it.

BE it knowen vnto all men by this present writyng, that I Rich. Woodman, sometyme of the Parish of Warbelton, in the County of Sussex, was cōdemned for Gods euerlastyng truth, an. 1557. Iul. 16.  

by the Byshop of Winchester, in the Church of S. Marie Oueries in Southwarke, there sittyng with hym the same tyme the B. of Chichester, the Archdeacon of Canterbury, Doct. Langdale, M. Roper, with a fatte headed Priest, I can not tell his name. All these consented to the shedyng of my bloud, vpon this occasion, as hereafter foloweth. I affirmed that Iudas receaued the Sacrament with a sop and the deuill withall: and because I would not be sworne vppon a booke to aunswere directly to such Articles as he would declare to me: and because I would not beleue that there remained neither bread nor wyne after the wordes of cōsecration: and that the body of Christ could not be receaued of any but of the faithfull. For these Articles I was condemned, as hereafter shall folow more at large, by the helpe of God.

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MarginaliaThe sixt examination of Richard Woodman, before the Bishop of Winchester and diuers others, in the Church of S. Mary Oueries.FIrst, the Byshop sayd when I came before him.

VVin. You were before vs on Mōday last past, and there you affirmed certain heresies. How say you now? Do you hold them still, or will you reuoke them?

VVood. I held no heresies then, neither do I now, as the Lord knoweth.

Win. No? did you not affirme, that Iudas receiued bread? which is no heresie, vnlesse you tell what more then bread.

VVood. Is it heresie to say that Iudas receaued more then bread? I sayd he receaued more then bare bread: for he receiued the Sacrament, that was prepared to shew forth the Lordes death: and because he presumed to eate without faith, he eate the deuill withall, as the wordes of Christ declare: after he eate þ^e soppe, the deuill entred into him, as you can not deny.

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Win. Hold him a booke. I will haue you aunswere directly whether Iudas did eate the body of Christ, or no.

Wood. MarginaliaRichard Woodman again refuseth Winchester to be hys Iudge.I will aūswere no more: for I am not of your dioces: wherfore I will haue nothing to do with you.

Win. No, you be in my Dioces, & you be of my dioces, because you haue offended in my Dioces.

Wood. I am not of your Dioces, although I am in

your Dioces: and I was brought into your Dioces agaynst my will: and I haue not offended in your Dioces: if I haue, tell me wherin.

Win. Here is your owne hand writyng, the which is heresle. These be the wordes. I can not finde (say you) MarginaliaTruth taken for heresie.that it is the body of Christ to any, before it be receaued in fayth. How say you? is not this your owne hand writyng?

Wood. Yea, I do not deny but it is myne own hand writyng: but when, or where was it written, or where were the wordes spoken?

Before the Commissioners: and here is one of thē. MarginaliaM. Roper Commissioner, and witnes agaynst Woodmā.M. Roper, the wordes were spoken before you Were they not?

Roper. Yes in deede, that they were Woodman. I am sure you will not deny them: for you haue written the wordes euen as you spake them.

Wood. No Syr, in deede I will not deny but that I spake them, and I am glad that you haue sene it. For you may see by that whether I lye or not.

Roper. In dede the wordes be writtē word by word as we spake them.

Win. Well, MarginaliaWoodmās hand writing brought in against him.here you affirme that it is your owne deede. How say you now? wil you be sory for it, and become an honest man?

Wood. My Lord, I trust no man can say, but that I am an honest man: and as for that, I maruell that you wil lay it to my charge, knowing that my Lord of Londō discharged me of all matters that were layd agaynst me, when I was released of him.

Win. You were released, and it might fortune, it was not layd to your charge then: MarginaliaWoodmā first released, and yet called to accompt agayne, agaynst all good order.therfore we lay it to your charge now, because you be suspected to be an hereticke: and we may call you before vs, and examine you of your fayth vpon suspicion.

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Wood. In dede S. Peter willeth me to render accoūt of my hope that I haue in God, and I am contented so to do, if it please my Byshop to heare me.

Chichester. Yes, I pray you let vs heare it.

Wood. I do beleue in God the father almighty, maker of heauen and of earth, & of all thinges visible and inuisible, and in one Lord Iesus Christ, my Sauiour, very God and man. I beleue in God the holy Ghost, the comforter of all Gods elect people, and that he is equall with the Father, and the sonne. I beleue the true Catholicke Church, and all the Sacramentes that belongeth thereto. Thus I haue rendered accompt of my hope that I haue of my saluation.

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Win. MarginaliaSacrament of the altar.And how beleue you in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar? And with that word they all put of theyr cappes to that abominable Idole.

Wood. I pray you be contented: for I will not aunsweare to any mo questions: for I perceiue you go about to sheede my bloud.

Win. No? hold him a booke. MarginaliaWoodmā made an Anabaptist, because he will not sweare before hym that is not hys Ordinary.If he refuse to sweare, he is an Anabaptist, and shalbe excommunicated.  

Wood. I will not sweare for you: excommunicate me if you wil. For you be not meete to take an oth: for you layd heresies to my charge in yonder Pulpite, the which you are not able to proue: wherefore you be not meete to take an oth of any man. And as for me, I am not of your Dioces, nor will haue any thyng to do with you.

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Win. I will haue to do with thee: and I say thou art a strong hereticke.

Wood. Yea, all truth is heresie with you:MarginaliaAll truth is heresie, with these men. but I am content to shew you my minde, how I beleue on the Sacramēt of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ, with out flattering. For that you looke for, I am sure. But I will medle no further, but what I hold my selfe of it. I will not medle of any other mans belief on it.

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N. Harp? Why? I am sure all mens faith ought to be alyke.

Wood. Yea, I graunt you so, that all true Christiās faith ought to be a like. But I wil aūswere for my self.