MarginaliaAn. 1558.doctrine, the viperous generation procured all the chief of the Counsell to be there present.

Now to come to our matter at this tyme, the same weeke, betwene his first Sermon and the last, & while Doct. Crome was in duraunce, one MarginaliaRic. Wilmot Prentise in Bow lane.Rich. Wilmot being Prentise in Bow lane, beyng of the age of eightene yeares, and sittyng at his worke in his Maisters shop the Tuesday, in the moneth of Iuly, one MarginaliaLewes one of þ^e Gard, a Welchman, a Popishe persecutor.Lewes a Welchman, beyng one of the Garde, came into the shop, hauyng thinges to do for him selfe.

One asked hym what newes at þ^e Court, and he answered that þ^e old hereticke D. Crome had recāted now in deede, before the Counsell, & that he should on Sonday next be at Paules crosse againe, & there declare it.

Then Wilmot sittyng at his Maisters worke, and hearyng hym speake these wordes and reioycing in the same, began to speake vnto hym, saying that he was sory to heare these newes. MarginaliaWilmot defendeth D. Cromes Sermon.For (sayd he) if Crome should say otherwise then he hath sayd, then is it contrary to the truth of Gods word, and contrary to his owne conscience, which shall before God accuse hym.

Lewes aunswered and sayd that he had preached and taught heresie, and therfore it was mete that he should in such a place reuoke it.

Wilmot told him that he would not so say, neither did he heare him preach any doctrine contrary to Gods word written, but that he proued his doctrine, and that sufficiently by the Scriptures.

Lewes then asked him how he knew that.

Wilmot answered: by the Scripture of God, wherin he shall finde Gods will & pleasure, what he willeth all men to do, and what not to do: and also by them he should proue and trye all doctrines, and the false doctrine from the true.

Lewes sayd: it was neuer mery since the Bible was in English: MarginaliaThe Lorde Cromwell wrongfully accused.and that he was both an hereticke & a traitour that caused it to be translated into English (meanyng Cromwell) and therefore was rewarded accordyng to hys desertes.

Wilmot aunswered agayne: what his desertes and offenses were to his Prince, a great many doe not know, neither doth it force whether they doe or no: once he was sure that he lost hys lyfe for offendyng his Prince, and the law dyd put it in execution: MarginaliaThe doinges of the Lorde Cromwell defended.Adding moreouer cōcernyng that man, that he thought it pleased God to rayse him vp from a low estate, and to place hym in hygh authoritie, partly vnto this, that he should do that as all the Byshops in the realme yet neuer did, in restoryng agayne Gods holy word, which beyng hid long before from the people in a straunge tounge, and now commyng abroad amongest vs, will bryng our Byshops and Priestes, sayd he, in lesse estimation among the people.

Lewes asked why so?

Wilmot sayd: because their doctrine and lyuyng was not accordyng to hys word.

MarginaliaThe common reason of the Papistes, why the Scriptures should not be in English.Thē said Lewes: I neuer heard but that all mē should learne of þ^e Bishops & priestes, because they are learned men, and haue bene brought vp in learning all þ^e dayes of their lyues. Wherfore they must nedes know the truth, and our fathers did beleue their doctrine and learning, and I thinke they dyd well: for the world was farre better then, then it is now.

Wilmot answered: I wil not say so. For we must not beleue thē because they are Bishops, neither because they are learned, neither because our forefathers did follow their doctrine. For I haue read in Gods booke how that Byshops & learned men haue taught þ^e people false doctrine, and lykewise the Priestes from tyme to tyme: and in dede those people our forefathers beleued as they taught: and as they did thinke, so did þ^e people thinke. But for all this, MarginaliaGods truth goeth not alwayes by title and fame of great learning.Christ calleth them false Prophetes, theeues, and murtherers, blynd leaders of the blind, willyng the people to take heede of them, lest they both should fall into the ditch. Moreouer, we read that the Bishops, Priestes, and learned men haue bene

commōly resisters of the truth, from tyme to tyme, and haue alwayes persecuted the Prophets in the old law, as their successours dyd persecute our Sauiour Christ and hys Disciples in the new law. MarginaliaLearned men how farre they are to be credited.We must take hede therefore, that we credite them no further then God will haue vs, neither to follow them nor our forefathers, otherwise then he commaundeth vs. For almighty God hath geuē to all people, as well to Kyngs, & Princes, as Byshops, Priestes, learned and vnlearned men, a commaundement and law, vnto the which he willeth all men to be obedient. Therfore if any Byshop or Priest preach or teach, or Prince or Magistrate commaunde any thyng contrary to this commaundement, we must take hede how we obey them. For it is better for vs to obey God then man.

Mary Syr, quoth Lewes, you are a holy Doctour in dede. By Gods bloud if you were my mā, I would set you about your busines a litle better, & not to looke vpō bokes: and so would your master if he were wise. And with that in came his maister & a young mā with him, which was seruant w^t M. Daubnie in Watling streete.

Hys maister asked what the matter was.

MarginaliaWilmot complained of to hys master.Lewes sayd that he had a knauish boy here to hys seruaūt, and how that if he were hys, he would rather hange hym, then keepe hym in hys house.

Then hys maister, beyng somewhat moued, asked hys fellowes what the matter was.

They sayd: they began to talke about Doct. Crome.

Then his maister asked him what he had said, swearyng a great oth, that he would make hym to tell him.

He sayd that he trusted he had sayd nothing, wherby either he or M. Lewes may iustly be offended. I pray you (quoth Wilmot) aske hym what I sayd.

Mary Syr (said Lewes) this he sayd, that D. Crome did preach and teach nothyng but the truth, and how that if he recant on Sonday next, he would be sory to heare it, and that if he do, he is made to do it agaynst hys conscience. And more he sayth, that we must not follow our Byshops doctrine and preaching: For saith he, they be hynderers of Gods word, and persecutours of that: and how Cromwell dyd more good (that traytour) in settyng forth the Bible, then all our Byshops haue done these hundreth yeares: thus reporting the matter worse then he had sayd.

Then sayd Wilmot, that it many thynges he made hys tale worse then it was. His master hearing of this, was in a great fury, and rated hym, saying: that either he would be hāged or burned, swearing that he would take away all his bookes and burne them.

MarginaliaMaster Daubnies seruaunt, called Thomas Farefaxe, taketh Wilmots part.The young man (M. Dawbnies seruaunt) standyng by, hearyng this, began to speake on his part vnto Lewes, and his talke confirmed all the sayinges of the other to be true. This young man was learned: hys name was Tho. Fayrefaxe. Lewes hearing this young mans talke, as well as þ^e others, went his way in a rage vnto the Court. On the morow they heard newes, so that the sayd Wilmot & Tho. Fayrefaxe were sent for, MarginaliaWilmot and Tho. Farefaxe sent for to the Lorde Mayor.to come to the Lord Maior. The messenger was M. Smart, Swordbearer of London. They came before dinner to the Maiors house, and were commaunded to sit downe at dinner in the Hall, and when the dinner was done, they were both called into a Parlour, where the Maior and Syr Roger Cholmley was, MarginaliaRichard Wilmot and Tho. Farefaxe examined before the L. Mayor and M. Cholmley.who examined them seuerally, the one not hearyng the other.

The effect of their talke with them was this. Syr Roger Cholmley sayd vnto the foresayd Wilmot, that my Lord Maior and he had receiued a commaundemēt from the Counsell, to send for him and his companion, and to examine them of certaine thinges, which were layd vnto their charge.

Then sayd M. Chomley to hym: Syrra, what countreymā art thou? He answered that he was borne in Cambridge shyre, and in such a towne. Then he asked him how lōg he had ben in the Citie. He told him. Then he asked what learnyng he had. He sayd: litle