MarginaliaAn. 1557. December.chamberlayne of the Queenes house, at the Saracens head in Islington: where the congregation had then purposed to assemble them selues to their godly and accustomable exercises of prayer and hearing þ^e worde of God: which pretence, for the safegard of all the rest, they yet at their examinations, couered and excused by hearing of a play that was then appointed to be at that place. The Vicechamberlaine after he had apprehēded them, caryed Rough and Simson vnto the Counsell, who charged them to haue assembled together to celebrate the communion or supper of the Lord, and therfore after sundry examinations and aunsweres, they sent the sayd Rough vnto Newgate: but hys examinations they sent vnto the Byshop of London, with a letter signed with their handes, the copy whereof followeth.

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MarginaliaA Letter sent from the Coūsell vnto B. Boner.AFter our harty commendations to your good Lordship, we send you here inclosed the examination of a Scotish man, named Iohn Rough, who by the Queenes Maiesties commaundement is presently sent to Newgate, beyng of the chief of them that vpon Sonday last, vnder the colour of comming to see a play at the Saracens head in Islyngton, had prepared a Communion to be celebrated and receiued there among certain other seditious and hereticall persons. And for asmuch as by the sayd Roughes examinatiō, contayning the story and progresse of his former life, it well appeareth of what sort he is: the Queenes highnes hath willed vs to remit hym vnto your Lordshyp, to the end that beyng called before you out of prison, as oft as your Lordshyp shall thinke good, ye may proceede, both to his further examination, and otherwise orderyng of him, accordyng to the lawes, as the case shall require.

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And thus we byd your Lordship hartely well to fare. From S. Iames the xv. of December. 1557.

Your Lordshyps louyng frendes.
MarginaliaPersecutors.Nicholas Ebor. F. Shrewsbery, Edward Hastinges, An-
tony Mountague, Iohn Bourne, Henry Iernegam.

Boner now minding to make quicke dispatch, did within three dayes after the receite of the letter (the xviij. day of December) send for thys Rough out of Newgate, and in his palace at London ministred vnto him xij.  

articles: Many whereof because they containe onely questions of the profession and religion of that age, wherein both he and his parentes were christned (which in sundry places are already mencioned) I doo here for breuity omit: minding to touch such onely, as pertayne to matters of fayth now in controuersy, and then chiefely obiected agaynst the Martyrs and Saints of God, which in effect are these.

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Marginalia1.MarginaliaArticles agaynst Ioh. Rough.FIrst, that thou Iohn Rowgh diddest directly speake agaynst the vij. sacramentes, vsed commonly and reuerently,as thinges of estimation and great worthynes in the catholicke church: and also ddydest reproue and cōdemne the substance of the sayd sacramentes, MarginaliaSacrament of the altar.but especially the sacrament of the altar, affirming that in the same is not really and truely the very body & bloud of Christ: MarginaliaConfession.and that confession to the priest, and absolution geuen by him (as þ^e minister of Christ) for sinnes, is not necessary or auaileable in any wise.

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Marginalia2. MarginaliaLatin Seruice.Item, thou hast misliked and reproued the religion & ecclesiasticall seruice, as it is now vsed in this realme, and hast allowed the religion and seruice vsed in the latter yeares of king Edward the vj. and so much as in thee hath layne, hast by word, writing, and deede, set forwardes, taught, and preached the same openly, and in sundry places, affirmed, that the sayd English seruice and doctrine therein contained, is agreable in all poyntes to Gods word and vnto the truth, condemning vtterly the latine seruice now vsed in the Queenes reigne, and inducing other by thyne example to do the like.

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Marginalia3.Item, thou hast in sundry places within this realme commended and approued the opinion and doctrine of Thomas Cranmer, late Archbishop of Cāterbury, Nicholas Ridley, and Hugh Latimer, concerning the sacrament

of the altar, affirming that in the Sacrament there remayneth after the words of consecration, material bread and materiall wine, without any transubstantiation.

Marginalia4.Item, thou hast in sundry places of thys realme, since the Queenes reygne, ministred and receaued the Communion as it was vsed in the late daies of King Edward the sixt, and thou knowest, or credibly hast heard of diuers, that yet do keepe bookes of the sayd Communion,MarginaliaBookes of Communion. and vse the same in priuate houses out of the church, and are of opinion agaynst the sacrament of the altar.

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Marginalia5. MarginaliaAgaynst the supremacie of the Pope.Item, that thou in sundry places of thys Realme hast spoken agaynst the Pope of Rome and his Apostolicke sea, and hast playnly contemned and despised the authoritie of the same, misliking and not allowing the fayth and doctrine therof, but directly speaking agaynst it, and by thine example hast induced other the subiectes of thys realme, to speake and do the like.

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Marginalia6.Item, thou doest know, and hast bene conuersant with al, or a great part of such English men as haue fled out of thys realme for religion, and hast consented and agreed with them in theyr opinions, and hast succoured, mayntayned, and holpen them, and hast bene a conueyer of theyr sedicious letters and bookes into this realme.

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Marginalia7.Item, that thou hast sayd, that thou hast bene at Rome, and taryed there about xxx. dayes or more, and that thou hast seene litle good or none there, but very much euill. MarginaliaAbominable sightes at Rome.Amongest the which thou sawest one great abomination, that is to say, a man (or the Pope) that should go on the ground, to be caried vpon the shoulders of foure men, as though he had bene God and no man: Also, a Cardinall to haue his harlot riding openly behinde him: And thirdly a Popes Bull that gaue exprese licence to haue and vse the stewes, and to keepe open bawdry by the Popes approbation and authority.

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Marginalia8.Item, that thou sithens thy last comming into England out of the parties beyond the Sea, hast perniciously allured and comforted diuers of the subiectes of this realme, both young and olde, men and women, to haue and vse the booke of Communion, set forth in thys realme in the latter dayes of King Edward the sixt, and hast also thy selfe red and set forth the same, causing others to do the like, and to leaue theyr comming to theyr parish churches to heare the latine seruice now vsed.

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Marginalia9.Item, that thou the third sonday of Aduent the xij. day of this December 1557. was apprehended at the Sarracens head at Islington, in the county of Middelsexe and dioces of London, by the Queenes vicechamberleine, with one MarginaliaCutbert Simson.Cutbert a taylour, MarginaliaHugh Foxe.Hugh a hosier, and diuers other there assembled, vnder the colour of hearing a play, to haue red the communion booke, and to haue vsed the accustomed fashion, as was in the latter dayes of king Edward the sixt.

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Marginalia1.MarginaliaHis aunsweres to the articles.TO the first he sayd and confessed that he had spoken agaynst the nomber of the sayd sacramentes, being fully perswaded that there be but onely two sacramēts: to wit, Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord: and as for the other fiue, he denyed them to be sacramentes, and therefore hath spoken agaynst them. And as concerning the sacrament of the altar (which he then called the Supper of the Lord) he confessed that he had spoken and taught that in the sayd sacrament there is not really and substantially the very body and bloud of Christ, but that the substaunce of bread and wyne doth remayne in the sayd sacrament, without any transubstantiation at all. Farther, as touching confession of sinnes to the priest, he answered that he thought it necessary, if the offence were done vnto the priest: but if the offence were done to an other, then confession made to the priest is not necessary, but reconciliation onely to be made to the party so offended.

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Marginalia2.To the second, he aunswered that he then did and had before misliked the order of latine seruice then vsed: and also did allow the seruice vsed in the latter time of King Edwards reigne, for that the holy scripture doth the same, and therfore he graunted that he did teach and set forth the sayd English seruice, as in þ^e same article is obiected.

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Marginalia3.To the third, he graunted that he had approued the doctrine of the parties articulate as agreable to Gods word, and that they were godly learned men, and such as had perfect vnderstanding in the contentes of the same article.

Marginalia4.To the fourth, he answered that he did well like the