of God may not be touched with mans hand.

And the clerke sayd, I fonded, and þ^t I sayd not truth.

And I asked this clerke, whether it were more, to read the Gospell or to touche the Gospell.

And he sayd, it was more to read the Gospell.

MarginaliaWhether the boke be the gospel, Ierom saith the Gospell is not the gospell for reading, but for beleuing.Then I sayd. Syr, by authoritie of S. Hierome, the Gospell is not the Gospell for readyng of the letter, but for the belief that men haue in the worde of god. That it is the Gospel, that we beleue, and not the letter that wee read: for because the leter that is touched with mās hād, is not the Gospell, but the sentence that is verely beleued in mans heart, is the Gospell. For so S. Hierome sayth. MarginaliaThe gospell is not the leaues of the booke, but the roote of reason.The Gospell, that is the vertue of Gods worde, is not in the leaues of the boke, but it is in the roote of reason. Neither the Gospell (he sayth) is in the writyng aboue of the letters, but the Gospell is in the markyng of the sentence of Scriptures. This sentence approueth S. Paul, saying thus. MarginaliaS. Paule.The kyngdome of God is not in worde, but in vertue. And Dauid sayth. The voyce of the Lord that is his worde, is in vertue. And after Dauid sayth. MarginaliaDauid.Thorow the worde of God, the heauens were fourmed, and in the spirite of his mouth, is all the vertue of them. And I praye you Syr, vnderstand ye well howe Dauid sayth, then in the spirite of the mouth of the Lorde, is all the vertue of aungels and of men?

And the clerke sayd to me. Thou wouldest make vs to fonde with thee. Saye wee not, that the Gospels are written in the Masse booke?

MarginaliaThis Clarke was wel seen in the Masse bokeAnd I sayd. Sir, though men vse to say thus, yet it is vnperfecte speche. For the principall parte of a thyng is properlye the whole thyng. For loe, mans soule that may not now be seene here, nor touched with any sensible thyng, is properly man. And all the vertue of a tree, is in the roote therof, that may not be sene, for do away the roote, and the tree is destroyed. And sir, as ye sayd to me ryght now, God and his word are of one authoritie: MarginaliaThe gospell is not the letter, but hid in the letter.And sir, S. Hierome witnesseth, that Christe (verye God and very man) is hydde in the letter of his lawe: thus also sir, the gospell is hidde in the letter. For sir, as it is ful likely, many diuers men and women here in the earth, touched Christ and saw hym, and knew hys bodely person, which neyther touched, nor saw, nor knew ghostly, hys Godhead: Ryght thus sir, many mē now touch and see, and wryte, & rede the scriptures of Gods law, which neyther touch, see, nor rede, effectually, the Gospell. For as the Godhead of Christ (that is the vertue of God) is knowen by the vertue of beliefe, so is the gospel, that is, Christes worde.

And a clarke sayd to me. These be full mistie matters MarginaliaMisty matters for your blinde eyes.and vnsauerye that thou shewest hereto vs.

And I sayd. Sir, if ye þ^t are masters, know not plainly this sentence, ye may sore drede that the kingdome of heauen be taken from you, as it was from the Princes of priestes, and from the elders of the Iewes.

And then a clarke (as I gesse) Malueren, sayd to me. Thou knowest not thyne equiuocations: for the kyngdome of heauen, hath diuers vnderstandings. What callest thou the kingdome of heauen in thys sentence, that thou shewest here?

MarginaliaThe kingdom of God taken for the vnderstandyng of Gods worde.And I sayd. Sir, by good reason and sentence of doctors, the realme of heauen is called here, the vnderstanding of Gods worde.

And a clarke sayd to me. From whom thinkest thou that thys vnderstanding is taken away?

And I sayd. Sir (by authoritie of Christ himselfe) the effectuall vnderstāding of Christes word is taken away from all them chiefly, which are great lettered men, and presume to vnderstand high things, & will be holdē wise men, and desire maistership and high state and dignitie: but they will not conforme them to the liuing and teaching of Christ and of hys Apostles

MarginaliaThis salte was somewhat to sharpe, for their rotten fleshe to abide..Than the Archbyshop sayd. Well, well, thou wilteiudge thy soueraignes. By God, the king doth not hys duetie, but he suffer thee to be condemned.

And than an other clarke sayd to me. Why (on fryday that last was) coūseledst þ^u a man of my lordes, þ^t he should not shriue hym to no man but onely to God?

MarginaliaHelp down with hym sir Iohn.And with this askyng I was abashed: And then by & by I knew, that I was suttely betraied of a man that came to me in prison on þ^e Friday before, cōmunyng with me in this matter of confession. MarginaliaNote here the craftye practise of this holy church.And certaine, by his wordes I thought, that this man came then to me, of full feruēt and charitable will: But now I know he came to tempt me and to accuse me, God forgeue him if it be his will. And with all mine heart whē I had thought thus, I said to this clerke. Syr, I pray you that ye would fetche this man hether: and all the woordes as nere as I can repete them, whiche that I spake to him, on Friday in the prison, I wil rehearse now here before you all, & before him.

And (as I gesse) the Archbishop sayd then to me. They that are now here, suffise to repete them. How saydest thou to hym?

And I sayd: Sir, that man came and asked me in diuers thinges, and after his asking, I aunswered him (as I vnderstode) that good was: MarginaliaA false brother.And as he shewed to me by his wordes, he was sory of his liuing in court, and right heuy for his own vicious liuing, and also for the viciousnes of other men, and specially of priestes euill lyuing: & herefore he said to me with a sorowfull hart (as I gessed) that he purposed fully within short tyme for to leaue the courte, and busy him to knowe Gods lawe, and to conforme all his lyfe therafter. And when he had sayd to me these wordes and mo other, whiche I would rehearse & he were present, he prayed me to heare his cōfession. And I sayd to him Syr, wherfore come ye to me to be confessed of me, ye wote well that the Archbishop putteth and holdeth me here, as one vnworthy other to geue or to take any Sacrament of holy churche.

And he sayd to me. Brother I wote well, and so wote many mo other, that you and such other are wrongfully vexed, and therfore I comon with you the more gladly. And I sayd to him. Certaine I wote well, that many mē of this court, and specially the priests of this housholde, would be full euill apayde both with you and with me, if they wist that ye were confessed of me. And he sayd, that he cared not therfore, for he had full litle affection in thē: MarginaliaA crafty trayne of a popish dissembler.And as me thoght, he spake these words & many other, of so good wil and of so hygh desire, for to haue known and done the pleasaunt will of God. And I sayd then to him, as with my foresaid protestation I say to you now here: Syr, I counsel you, for to absent you from all euill company, and to drawe you to them that loue and busy them to knowe and to kepe the preceptes of God: And then the good spirite of God will moue you for to occupy busily all your wittes in gathering together of all your sinnes, as farre as ye can bethinke you, shamyng greatly of thē and sorowyng hartely for them: Yea Syr, the holy ghost will then put in your hart, a good will and a feruent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose, to bate euer and to flye, (after your cunnyng and power) all occasion of sinne: and so then, wisedome shal come to you from aboue, lightnyng (with diuers beames of grace & of heauenly desire) all your wittes, enfourmyng you howe ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercie of the Lord: knowledgyng to him onely all your vicious lyuing, praying to hym euer deuoutly of charitable coūsel and continuāce. Hoping without doubt, that if ye continue thus, busiyng you faithfully to know and to keepe his biddyngs, that hee will (for he onely, may) forgeue you all your sinnes. And this man sayd to me. MarginaliaAuriculer confession.Though god forgeue mē their sinnes, yet it behoueth men to be assoyled of priests, and to do the penaunce that they enioyne them. And I sayd to him. Syr, it is all one to assoyle mē of their sinnes, and to forgeue men their sinnes. Wherfore, since it pertay-