MarginaliaConfession and remission of sinnes.

As for any other confession he knew none. And further he sayd, that if he came to a Sermō, or any other where, whereas the word of God is preached, and there take repentaunce for his sinnes, he beleued his sinnes forwith to be forgiuen of God, and that he needed not to go to any confession.

5. Fiftely, that he should say and affirme, that the truth of holy Scripture hath bene hyd, and appeared not these viij. hundreth yeares, neither was knowen before now.

MarginaliaAunswe e. To this he sayd: that he ment no otherwise, but that the truth of holy Scripture was neuer, these viij. hundreth yeares past, so plainly and expressely declared vnto the people, as it hath bene within these vj. yeares.

6. He was demaūded further, for what cause holy Scriputre hath bene better declared within these vj. yeares, then it hath bene these viij. hundreth yeares before.

MarginaliaAunswere.
The truth of the Scripture, long hyd. Whereunto he aunswered: to say playnly, he knew no mā to haue preached the word of God sincerely and purely, and after the vayne of Scripture, except  

M. Crome, and M. Latimer, and said moreouer, tha the new Testamēt now translated into English, doth preach and teach the word of God, and that before that time, men dyd preach but onely: that folkes should beleue as the Church did beleue, and thē if the church erred, mē should erre to. Howbeit the church sayd he, of Christ cā not erre:MarginaliaTwo churches. & that there were ij. churches, that is, the Church of Christ militant, and the Church of Antichrist, and that this church of Antichrist may and doth erre, but the Church of Christ doth not.

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7. Seuenthly, whether he knew any person that dyed in the true fayth of Christ, since the Apostles tyme.

MarginaliaAunswere. He sayd: He knew Bayfild, and thought that he dye, in the true fayth of Christ.

8. Eightly, he was asked what he thought of Purgatory and of vowes.

MarginaliaAunswere.
Purgatory. He aunswered: If any such thyng had bene moued to S. Paul of Purgatory after this life, he thought S. Paul would haue condemned it for an heresie. And when he heard M. Crome preach and say,MarginaliaCrome belyke was now flipt from that he had before taught that he thought there was a Purgatory after this lyfe, hee thought in his mynde that the sayd M. Crome lyed, and spake agaynst his conscience, and that there was a hundreth moe, which thought the same as he dyd: saying moreouer that he had sene the confession of M. Crome in Print, God wott a very folish thing, as he iudged.

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MarginaliaVowes. And as concernyng vowes, he graunted that there was lawfull vowes as Ananias vowed Act. 5. for it was in his owne power, whether he would haue sold his possessiō or not, and therfore he did offend. But vowes of chastitie, and all godlynes is giuē of God by his abūdãt grace, the which no mā of himselfe can kepe, but it must be giuē him of God. And therfore a Mōke, Frier, or Nunne, that haue vowed the vowes of Religion, if they thinke, after their vowes made, that they cā not kepe their promises that they made at Baptisme, they may go forth and mary, so that they keepe after their mariage, the promise that they made at Baptisme. And finally he concluded, that he thought there were no other vowes, but onely the vow at Baptisme.

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9. Ninthly, he was demaōded whether Luther beyng a Frier, & takyng a Nunne out of religiō, and afterward marying her, dyd well or no, and what he thought therein.

MarginaliaAunswere. He aunswered: That he thought nothyng. And when they asked hym, whether it was lechery, or no. He made aunswere, he could not say so.

As concernyng the Sacrament of annelyng, beyng willed to say his mynde:

MarginaliaAunswere.
Extreme vnctiō. He aūswered & sayd: It was but a ceremony, neither did he wotte what a man should be the better for such an oylyng and annoyntyng. The best was, that some good prayers he saw to be sayd thereat.

Likewise, touchyng the Sacrament of Baptisme, his wordes were these:

MarginaliaAunswere.
The sacrament of baptisme. That as many as repēt, and do on them Christ, shalbe saued: that is, as many as die as cōcerning sinne, shal lyue by fayth with Christ. Therfore it is not we that lyue after that, but Christ in vs. And so whether we lyue, or dye, we are Gods by adoption, and not by the water onely, but by water, and fayth: that is, by keepyng the promise made. For ye are kept by grace and fayth, saith S. Paule, and that not of your selfe: for it is the gift of God.

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He was asked moreouer of matrimony, whether it was a Sacrament or not, and whether it conferreth grace, being commaunded in the old law, and not yet taken away.

MarginaliaAunswere.
Matrimony. His aunswere was: that Matrimony is an order or law, that the Church of Christ hath made, and ordeined, by the which men may take to them women and sinne not.

Lastly, for hys bookes of Scripture, & for his iudgemēt of Tyndall, because he was vrged to cōfesse the troth, he sayd:

MarginaliaAnswere. That he had the new Testament translated into the Englishe toung by Tyndall, within this moneth, and thought he offended not God in vsing and kepyng the same, notwithstādyng that he knew the kynges proclamation to the contrary, and that it was prohibited in the name of the Church at Paules crosse. But for all that, he thought the word of God had not forbyd it: confessing moreouer, that he had in hys keepyng within this moneth, these bookes: the wicked Māmon, the Obedience of a Christen man, the practise of Prelates, the aunswere of Tyndall to Tho. Mores Dialogue  

, the booke of Frith agaynst Purgatory, the Epistle of George Gee, aliâs George Clerke   : addyng furthermore, that in all these bookes he neuer saw any errours.MarginaliaReading of bookes forbidden. And if there were any such in them, then if they were corrected, it were good that the people had the sayd bookes. And as concernyng the new Testament in English, he thought it vtterly good, and that the people should haue it, as it is. Neither dyd he euer know (sayd he) that Tyndall was a naughty felow. And to these aunsweres he subscribed his name.

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This examinatiō (as is sayd) was þ^e 15. day of Decēber.

MarginaliaM. Baynham submitteth himselfe. The next day folowyng, which was the 16. day of December, the sayd Iames Baynham appeared agayne before the Byshop of London, in the foresayd place of Syr Thomas More at Chelsey, where, after the guyse and forme of their procedynges, first his former Articles with his aunsweres were agayne repeted, and his hand brought forth. Which done, they asked him whether he would persiste in that which he had sayd, or els would returne to the Catholicke Church from whence he was fallen, and to the which he might be yet receaued, as they sayd: adding moreouer many fayre intysing and alluryng wordes, that hee would recōcile himselfe, saying the time was yet that he might be receaued: the bosome of his mother was opē for him. Otherwise if he woulde continue stubburne, there was no remedy.

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Now was the tyme either to saue, or els vtterly to cast himselfe away. Whiche of these wayes he would take, the case present now required a present aunswere, for els the sentence diffinitiue was there ready to be read. &c.

To conclude long matter in fewe woordes, Baynham waueryng in a doubtfull perplexitie betwene lyfe on the one hand, and death on the other, at length giuyng ouer to the aduersaries, gaue aunswere vnto them that he was contented to submit himselfe, in those thynges wherein he had offended, excusing that he was deceaued by ignoraunce. Thē the Byshop requiryng hym to say his mynde playnly of his aunsweres aboue declared, demaunded what hee thought therof, whether they were true, or no.

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MarginaliaEx Regist. Lond. To this Baynham sayd, that it was to hygh for him to iudge. And then beyng asked of the Bishop, whether there was any Purgatory, he aunswered, and sayd: he could not beleue that there was any Purgatory after this lyfe.

Vpon other Articles beyng examined and demaunded, he graūted as followeth: That he could not iudge whether Bayfild dyed in the true fayth of Christ or no. That a man makyng a vowe, can not breake it without deadly sinne. That a Priest promising to lyue chaste, may not mary a wife. That he thinketh the Apostles to be in heauen. That Luther did naught in marying a Nunne. That a child is the better for confirmation. That it is an offence to God, if any man keepe bookes prohibited by the Church, the pope, the Byshop, or the Kyng, and sayd that he pondered those poyntes more now, then he dyd before. &c.

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Vpon these aunsweres the Byshop thinkyng to keepe him in safe custody, to further triall, committed hym to one of the Counters.  

Marginalia1532
Baynham agayne brought before the byshops Chaūcellour. The tyme thus passyng on, which bryngeth all thyngs to their ende, in the moneth of February next followyng, in the yeare of our Lord. 1532. the foresayde I. Baynham was called for agayne to the Byshops Consistory, before his Vicare generall, and other his assistaunce: to whom Foxford the Bishops Chaūcellour recited agayne his Articles and aunsweres aboue mentioned, protestyng that he intended not to receaue him to the vnitie of the holy mother Church, vnlesse he knew the sayd Baynham to be returned agayne purely and vnfeynedly to the Catholicke fayth, and to submitte hymselfe penitenly to the iudgement of the Church. To whom Baynham spake in this effect, saying that he hath and doth beleue the holy Church, and holdeth the fayth of the holy mother the Catholicke Church.

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Wherunto the Chauncellour offeryng to him a Bill of his abiuration, after the forme of the Popes Church conceaued, required hym to read it. Who was contented and read to the clause of the abiuration, cōteining these wordes: I voluntarily, as a true penitent person returned from my heresies, vtterly abiure. &c. and there he stayd and would read no farther, saying that he knew not the Articles conteined in his abiuration to be heresie, therfore he could not see why he should refuse them. Which done, the Chauncellour proceeded to the readyng of the sentence diffinitiue, cõ-

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