MarginaliaAn. 1558. Nouember.Spens. Why, what manner of booke is that you call Gods booke?

Dry. It is the old & new testament. What call you it?

Spens. That is Gods booke in deede, I cannot deny.

Dry. MarginaliaNo Sacramēt of the altar to be found in Gods booke.That same booke haue I red through out, but yet neuer could finde any such sacrament there: and for that cause I cannot make you aunswere to that thing I know not. Notwithstanding, for all that, I will graunt you a sacrament, called the lordes supper: and therfore seing I haue graunted you a sacrament, I pray you shew me what a sacrament is.

Spens. It is a signe. And one Doctor Gascoyne,MarginaliaD. Gascoyne persecutor. being by, confirmed the same, that it was the signe of an holy thing.

Dry. You haue said the truth syr, said she. MarginaliaWhat a sacrament is.It is a signe in deede, I must needes graunt it: and therfore seing it is a signe, it cannot be the thing signified also. Thus farre we doo agree: for I haue graunted your owne saying. Then stoode vp the sayd Gascoyne, MarginaliaD. Gascoynes oration litle to purpose.and made an oration with many fayre wordes, but litle to purpose, both offensiue and odious to the mindes of the godly. In the end of which long tale, he asked her if she did not beleue the omnipotencie of God, and that he was almighty, and able to performe that he spake. She answered yes, and sayd: I doo beleue that God is almighty, and able to performe that he spake & promiseth.

MarginaliaTalke betwene Alice Driuer and D. Gascoyne.Gascoine. Very well. Then he sayd to his disciples: take, eate, this is my body: ergo, it was his body: For he was able to performe that he spake: and God vseth not to lye.

Dry. I pray you, did he euer make any such promise to his disciples, that he would make þ^e bread his body?

Gasc. Those be the wordes. Can you deny it?

Dry. No, they be the very wordes in deede, I cannot deny it: but I pray you, was it not bread that he gaue vnto them?

Gascoine. No, it was his body.

Dry. Then was it his body that they did eate ouer night.

Gascoine. Yea, it was his body.

Dry. MarginaliaIf Christ had but one body, and that body was eaten vp ouer night, what body thē was crucified the next day?What body was it then that was crucified the next day?

Gascoine. It was Christes body.

Dry. How could that be, when his Disciples had eaten him vp ouer night? except he had two bodyes, as by your argument he had: one they did eate ouer night, and an other was crucified þ^e next day. Such a doctor, such doctrine. Be you not ashamed to teach the people, that Christ had two bodyes? In the 22. of Luke, MarginaliaLuke. xxij.he toke bread, and brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples, saying: take. &c. and do this in the remembrance of me. Saint Paul also sayth. 1. Cor. 11. Marginaliaj. Cor. xj.Do this is the remembrance of me: for as often as ye shall eate this bread, and drinke the cup, ye shall shew the Lordes death till he come: and therfore I maruell ye blush not before all this people, to lye so manifestly as ye doo. MarginaliaGascoynes mouth stopped.With that Gascoine held his peace, and made her no answere: for, as it semed, he was ashamed of his doinges. Then the Chauncellor lift vp his head of from his cushion, and commaunded the Gailer to take her away.

Dry. MarginaliaThe Chauncellour whē he could not aunswere her with reason, sendeth her to prison.Now (sayd she) ye be not able to resist the truth, ye commaund me to prison agayne. Well, the Lord in the end shall iudge our cause, and to him I leaue it. I wysse I wysse, thys geare will go for no payment then. So went she with the Gayler away.

MarginaliaAn other examination of Alice Driuer before Doct. Spenser and Gascoyne.THe next day she came before them agayne and the Chauncelor then asked her what shee sayd to the blessed Sacrament of the altar.

Dry. I will say nothing to it: for you will neither beleue me nor your selues. For yesterday I asked you what a Sacrament was, and you sayd, it was a signe: and I agreed therto, and sayd it was the truth, confir-

ming it by the scriptures, so that I went not from your owne wordes: MarginaliaSpenser vp with hys sacrament of the altar agayne.and now ye come and aske me agayne of such a Sacrament as I tolde you I neuer read of in the scriptures.

Spenser. Thou lyest naughty woman: we did not say that it was a signe.

Dry. Why masters, be ye not the men that you were yesterday? will ye eate your owne wordes? Are ye not ashamed to lye before all this multitude here present, who heard you speake the same?

MarginaliaGascoyne agayne taketh the matter in hand.Thē stood vp Doctor Gascoyne, and sayd, she was deceaued: for there were three churches:MarginaliaThree Churches. the malignāt church, the church militant, and the church trimphāt. So he would fayne haue made matter, but he could not tell which way.

Dry. Syr, is there mencion made of so many Churches in the scripture?

Gascoyne. Yea.

Dry. I pray you, where finde you this word [Church] written in the scripture?

Gascoyne. It is written in the new testament.

Dry. I pray you syr, shew þ^e place where it is written.

Gascoyne. I cannot tell the place, but there it is. With that she desired him to looke in his testament. Then he fombled and sought about him for one: but at that time he had none, and that he knew well enough, though he semed to search for it. At the last she sayd: haue ye none here, syr?

Gascoyne. No.

Dry. MarginaliaGascoyne litle acquainted with the new Testament.I thought so much in deede, that ye were litle acquainted withal. Surely you be a good Doctor. You say you sit here to iudge according to the law, and how can you geue iudgement and haue not the booke of the law with you? At which wordes Gascoyne was out of countenance, and asked her if she had one.

Dry. No, sayd she.

Gasc. Then sayd he, I am as good a Doctour as you.

Dry. Well syr, I had one, but you tooke it from me (as you would take me from Christ if you could) and since would ye not suffer me to haue any booke at all: so burning is your charity. But you may wel know (I thāke God) that I haue exercised the same: Els could I not haue answered you (to Gods glory be it spoken) as I haue. MarginaliaThe Papistes put to silence by a simple woman.Thus she put them all to silence, that one looked on an other, and had not a word to speake.

Dry. Haue you no more to say? God be honored. You be not able to resist þ^e spirit of God in me a poore womā. I was an honest poore mans daughter, neuer brought vp in the Vniuersitie as you haue bene, MarginaliaAlice Driuer brought vp at her fathers plough.but I haue driuen the plough before my father many a tyme (I thāke God): yet notwithstāding in þ^e defence of Gods truth, and in þ^e cause of my master Christ, by his grace I will set my foote agaynst the foote of any of you all in the maintenaunce and defence of the same: and if I had a thousand lyues, it should go for payment therof. So the Chauncellour rose vp, MarginaliaSpenser readeth sentence agaynst Alice Driuer.and read the sentence in Latine of condemnation, and committed her to the secular power, and so went she to prison agayne, as ioyful as the bird of day, praysing and glorifiyng the name of God.

AT which tyme Alexander Gouche also was examined, who was taken with her, as before is sayd, of whose examination here after foloweth.

MarginaliaThe Articles wheruppon Gouch was condemned.This Alexander Gouch was examined chiefly of the Sacrament, and other ceremonies of the Popish Church. And for that his belief was, that Christ was ascended into heauen and there remaineth, and that the Sacrament was the remembraunce of his death and Passion, and for refusing the Masse, and the pope to be the supreme head of Christes Church, for these causes was hee condemned, MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Gouch and Al. Driuer, at Ipswich. An. 1558. Nouēb. 4.and dyed with Alice Driuer at Ipswich the. 4. day of Nouēber, which was the Mōday after all Saintes. 1558. Doct. Miles Spenser being Chauncellour,  

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This passage, identifying Miles Spencer, who became the archdeacon of Sudbury, was added in the 1570 edition. Spencer died that year and Foxe probably felt that it was now safe to reveal this powerful cleric's controversial past.