confirmed the same, sent the Lord Cromwell (which within few dayes after was apprehended) the ij. Dukes of Northfolke and Suffolke, and all the Lordes of the Parliament, to dyne with him at Lambeth,MarginaliaCranmer comforted agayne by the kyng. where they signified to hym that it was the Kinges pleasure that they all shoulde in his highnes behalfe, cherish, cōfort and animate hym, as one that for his trauell in that parliament had declared him selfe both greatly learned, and also a man discrete & wyse, and therfore they willed hym not to bee discouraged in anye thing that was passed in that Parliament contrary to his allegations. He most humbly thanked first þ^e Kinges highnes, of his singular good affection towardes hym, and them all for their paynes, addinge moreouer, that hee so hoped in God that hereafter his allegations and authorities shoulde take place to the glory of God, and commodity of þ^e Realme. Which allegations and authorities of his, I wishe were amōgest vs extāt to be seene & read no doubt but they would stand in time to come in great good steade, for the ouerthrow of the wicked and pernicious Articles aforesayd.

MarginaliaAllegations agaynst the vj. Articles. IN the meane while for so much as the sayd hereticall articles are not so lightly to be passed ouer, wherby the rude and ignorant multitude hereafter may be deceiued in þ^e false & erroneous doctrine of them any more, as they haue beene in times past, for lack of right instruction, and experience of the auncyēt state and course of times in our forelders daies I thought therefore (the Lord therunto assisting) so muche as antiquitie of stories may helpe to the restoring agayne of truth and doctrine decayed, to annexe hereunto some allegations out of auncyent recordes, which may geue some lyght to the conuincing of these newfangled Articles and heresies aboue touched.  

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Allegations against Six Articles

As Foxe states in his introductory sentences, this section is an appeal to history to demonstrate that the beliefs and practices prohibited by the Six Articles were those of the Church from the time of the Apostles, and that Catholic beliefs and practices were, on the other hand 'newfangled' innovations. To make these points, Foxe drew on a wide range of sources. In his section attacking the doctrine, Foxe drew on Heinrich Bullinger's De origine erroris libri duo (Zurich, 1568) and a collection of medieval works defending the doctrine of transubstantiation, De veritate corporis et sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi, ed. Johann Vlimmer (Louvain, 1561). Foxe also utilized both William of Malmesbury's De gestis Pontificium Anglorum and his De gestis regum Anglorum. And Foxe reprinted the sermon of Aelfric Grammaticus from A testimonie of antiquitie, ed. Matthew Parker and John Joscelyn (London, 1566?), STC 159.5. For the section on the marriage of priests, Foxe relied heavily on John Bale's Scriptorum Illustrium maioris Brytanniae…Catalogus (Basel, 1557) and Matthias Flacius, Catalogus testium veritatis (Basel, 1562). And Foxe also reprinted much of Matthew Parker, Epistolae duae D. Volusiani Episcopi Carthaginensis (London, 1569), STC 24872. Foxe also printed medieval charters supplied to him by friends and supporters. Nevertheless, the most crucial aid Foxe had in writing the 'allegations' against the Six Articles was from Matthew Parker and his Latin secretary, John Joscelyn (Foxe probably had the active cooperation of Matthew Parker and John Joscelyn, since he commented on Eadmer's works and these works were collected by Matthew Parker. Moreover, his comments on the life of Oda probably came from John Joscelyn, who informed Foxe of its contents and supplied him with material).

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Thomas S. Freeman.

And first as touching the Article of transubstantiation wherin this Parlyament doth enact that the Sacramente of þ^e Altar is the very naturall body of Christ the selfe same which was borne of the virgin Mary: and that in such sort as there remayneth no substance of bread and wine, after þ^e Priestes consecration, but only the body & bloud of Christ, vnder the outward formes of bread and wine: First here is to be noted, that this monstrous article of theirs, in that forme of wordes as it standeth, was neuer obtruded, receaued, or holden either in the Greek Church, or in the Latine Church vniuersally for a Catholick, that is, for a generall opinion or article of doctrine, before the time of the Laterane Councell at Rome, vnder Pope Innocent the. 3. an. 1216.

MarginaliaThe Article of transubstantiatiō And for so much as it hath bene a common persuasion amongest the most sort of people, that this Article in þ^e form of words as here standeth is & hath been, euer since Christ his time, a true, Catholick, and generall doctrine commōly receaued and taught in the Church, being approued by the Scriptures and Doctors, and consent of all ages vnto this present time. To the intent therfore, that the contrary may appeare, & the people may see how far they haue herein bene beguiled: we will here (Christ willing) make a litle stay in our story, and examine this forsayd Article by true antiquity and course of histories, to try whether it bee a doctrine olde or new.

MarginaliaThe article of the sacrament consisteth in two partes. Now therfore, for the better discussing of þ^e matter, let vs first orderly and distinctly aduise the words of the Article, the contentes of which Article consist in 2. parts or mēbers In the first whereof, is noted to vs a presence of a thinge which there was not before. In the second is noted a priuation or absence of a thinge which there before was present.

The presence is noted by these wordes of the Article where is sayd, that in the blessed Sacrament, by the words pronunced, is present the naturall body and bloud of our Sauiour, vnder þ^e formes of bread and wine:MarginaliaTwo things present in the sacramēt: the thing that representeth, & the thing represented. so that in these wordes, both the sacrament, and the naturall body is imported necessaryly to be present. For els, how cā the natural body of Christ be present in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wine, if the Sacrament there were not presēt it selfe? or how can a thing be sayd to be in that, which is not there? Wherfore, by these wordes, both the Sacrament and also the bodye must necessaryly haue their beyng and presence, the one being in the other. And this presence both of the Sacrament, and of the body, beyng rightly taken, may right well stand together, the Sacrament to the outward eyes and mouth of man, the bodye of Christ to the inward eyes of fayth and mouth of the soule.

And therfore touching these prepositions in thys Article, (In) and (vnder) if question be asked in what is the bodye of Christ,Marginalia(In) it may be well aunswered, in the Sacramēt to the eyes of our fayth, lyke as the outward sacrament is also present to the outward eyes of the body. Agayne, if the question be asked vnder what is the body of Christ?Marginalia(Vnder) it may be well aunswered, vnder the formes of bread and wine, so as the Doctors do take the formes, to meane the outwarde elementes and natures of the Sacrament, and not the accidences.

MarginaliaThe presence of the naturall body of Christ well expounded may be graunted in the sacrament. And thus, to the first part of the article beyng well expounded, we do assent, and confesse the same to haue ben þ^e true Catholicke opinion approued by the auncient Doctors, and consent of all tymes, euen from the first institutiō of the Sacrament.

MarginaliaAbsence of bread in the sacrament. But as concerning the second member or part of the article, which taketh away all presence and substance of bread from the Sacrament: to that we say, that first it standeth not with their owne Article. Secondly, that it standeth not with the doctrine of Scripture. Thirdly, that it standeth not with antiquitie, but is meerly a late inuention.

MarginaliaThe article of the sacramēt agreeth not with it selfe. And first, that it agreeth not with their owne Article, it is manifest. For whereas in the former part of their article, they say that the naturall body of Christ is present in the blessed Sacrament, vnder the formes of bread & wine, how can the naturall body of Christ be present in the Sacrament, if there remaine no sacrament? or how can any sacramēt of the body remayne, if there remaine no substaūce of bread which should make the sacrament? For how can the body of Christ be in that thing, which is not? or how cā the sacrament of the body haue any beyng, where the substāce of bread hath no beyng?

MarginaliaThe body of Christ can not be the Sacrament of his body. For first, that the bodye it selfe can not be the sacramēt of the body, it is euident of it selfe.

MarginaliaThe accidences of the body can not be the Sacrament of Christes naturall body. Secondly, that the accidences of bread without the substaunce of bread can not be any Sacrament of Christes body, certaine it is and demonstrable by this argument.

Wherfore vpon this argument beyng thus concluded, vpon the same this also must nedes folow.

MarginaliaThe popishe presence in the sacrament & transubstantiatiō cā not stand together. And therfore by this demonstration, it is apparant, that these ij. partes in the Article aforsayd, are euill couched together, wherof the one must nedes destroy the other. For if the first parte of the Article be true, that the naturall body of Christ is present in the Sacrament, vnder the formes of bread and wyne, and seyng the Sacrament wherin the body of Christ is present, must nedes be the substance of bread and not the accidences onely of bread, as is aboue proued, then the substance of bread can not be euacuated from the Sacrament, and so the second member of the Article must needes be false.

Or if the second part be trne, that there is no substance of bread remayning, and seyng there is nothing els to make the sacrament of the naturall bodye of Christ, but onely the substaunce of bread, for as much as the accidences of bread can make no Sacrament of Christes body, as is aboue shewed: then takyng away the substance of bread, the first part of the Article must needes be false, which sayth that the naturall body of Christ is present in the sacrament for asmuch as the substance of bread beyng euacuated, there remayneth no Sacrament, wherein þ^e body of Christ should be present.

MarginaliaThe article of transubstantiatiō disagreeth from the scripture. 2. Secondlye, that it disagreeth from the whole order & course of þ^e scriptures, it is sufficiently explaned before, in the treatise of Iohn Lambert, vpon the sacrament,  

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See 1570, pp. 1285-91, 1576, pp. 1099-1105 and 1583, 1125-30.

MarginaliaThe doctrine of transubstantiatiō, is but a late opinion and standeth with no antiquitie. 3. Thirdly, that the sayd Article of transubstantiation is no auncient nor authentike doctrine in the Churche publickly receaued, but rather is a noueltye lately inuēted, reaching not much aboue þ^e age of 3. or 4. hundred yeares, or at most aboue the tyme of Lancfrancus, an. 1070. it remayneth now to be proued.

Wherin first may be ioyned this issu, that this mōstrous