Marginalia1554. May.who can not, nor must not haue in their custody that whiche they write, longer then the disputation indureth, as their doyngs at Oxford declareth. No copy nor scroule could any man haue by their good will. For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their handes: Yea if any mā was sene there to write (as the reporte is) the same man was sent for, and his writynges taken from hym: so must the disputation serue onely for the glory, not of God, but of the enemyes of his truth.

For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with thē, as if we did dispute we should do that which they desire and purposely seeke, to promote the kyngdome of Antichrist, and to suppresse (as much as may be) the truth. We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly, when they should heare, by the report of our enemies, our aunsweres and Argumentes framed (you may be sure) for their fantasies, to the sclaunderyng of the veritie.

MarginaliaExceptions taken against the aduersaryes.Therfore we publish, and by this writyng notifie vnto the whole congregation and Church of England, that for these aforesayd causes we will not dispute with them, other wise then with the penne, vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Counsell, or before the houses of the Parliament, as is aboue sayd.MarginaliaConditions assigned how they would dispute. If they will write, we will aunswere, & by writyng confirme and proue out of the infallible veritie, euen the very word of God, and by the testimonie of the good and most auncient fathers in Christes Church, this our fayth and euery peece therof, which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely, that our good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may know it: and to seale vp the same, we are ready through Gods helpe & grace to geue our lyues to the halter or fier, or otherwise as God shall appoynt, humbly requiryng, Marginaliaexhortatiō to obedience.and in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, beseechyng all that feare God, to behaue them selues as obedient subiectes to the Queenes highnesse and the superiour powers, which are ordeined of God vnder her, rather after our example to giue their heades to the blocke, then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted: we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary, into whose hart we besech the Lord of mercy plentifully to poure the wisedome and grace of hys holy spirite, now and for euer. Amen.

MarginaliaThe confession and faith of the prisoned Preachers.First, we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament, and all the bookes of the new Testament, to be the very true word of God, and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost, and are therfore to be heard accordyngly, as the iudge in all controuersies and matters of Religion.

MarginaliaThe Catholike Church.Secondly, we confesse and beleue the Catholicke Church, which is the spouse of Christ, as a most obedient and louyng wife, to embrace and follow the doctrine of these bookes in all matters of Religion, and therefore is she to be heard accordyngly: so that those which will not heare this Church, thus folowyng and obeying the word of her husband, we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes, accordyng to this saying: If he wil not heare the Churche, let him be vnto thee as a Heathen.

MarginaliaThe Creed.Thirdly, we beleue and confesse all the Articles of fayth & doctrine, set forth in the Symbole of the Apostles, which we commonly call the Creede, and in the Symboles of the Coūcels of Nice, kept An. dom. 324: of Constantinople kept An. dom. 384: of Ephesus kept An. dom. 432: of Calcedon, kept An. dom. 454: of Toletum, the first and fourth. Also the Symboles of Athanasius, Irenæus, Tertullian & of Damasus, which was about the yeare of our Lord. 376: we cōfesse and beleue (we say) the doctrine of these Symboles generally and particularly: so that who soeuer doth otherwise, we hold the same to erre from the truth.

MarginaliaIustificatiō by faith onely in Christe.Fourthly, we beleue and confesse concerning iustification, that as it commeth onely from Gods mercy thorough Christ, so it is perceiued and had of none which be of yeares of discretion, otherwise then by fayth onely: MarginaliaWhat faith is.whiche fayth is not an opinion, but a certaine perswasion wrought by the holy Ghost in the mynde and hart of man, where through as the mynde is illumined, so the hart is soupled to submitte it selfe to the wyll of God vnfaynedly, MarginaliaRighteousnes in man: righteousnes without mā.and so sheweth forth an inherent righteousnes, which is to be discerned in the Article of iustification, from the righteousnes which God endueth vs withall iustifiing vs, although inseperably they goe together. MarginaliaThe doctrine of free iustification defended for no curiositie, but for quiet of conscience.And this we do not for curiositie or contention sake, but for conscience sake, that it might be quyet, which it can neuer be, if we confounde without distinction, forgeuenes of sinnes and Christes Iustice imputed to vs, with regeneration and inherent righteousnesse. By this we disalow Papisticall doctrine of free will, of workes of supererogatiō, of merites, of the necessitie of auricular confession, and satisfaction to Godwardes.

MarginaliaSeruice in the vulgar toung.Fiftly, we confesse and beleue concernyng the exteriour seruice of God, that it ought to be accordyng to the word of

God, and therefore in the congregation all thynges publike ought to be done in such a tounge as may be most to edifie, & not in Latin, where the people vnderstand not the same.

MarginaliaInuocation to God aloneSixtly, we confesse and beleue that God onely by Christ Iesus is to be prayed vnto and called vpon, and therfore we disalow inuocation or prayer to Saintes departed this lyfe.

MarginaliaPurgatory, and masses suffragatory, denyed.Seuenthly, we confesse and beleue, that as a mā departeth this lyfe, so shall he be iudged in the last day generally, & in the meane season is entred either into the state of the blessed for euer, or damned for euer, and therefore is either past all helpe, or els needes no helpe of any in this lyfe. By reason wherof we affirme Purgatory, Masses of Scala cœli, Trētals, and such Suffrages as the Popish Church doth obtrude as necessary, to be the doctrine of Antichrist.

MarginaliaTwo sacraments.Eightly, we confesse and beleue the Sacramentes of Christ, which be Baptisme and the Lordes Supper, that they ought to be ministred accordyng to the institution of Christ, concernyng the substantiall partes of them: and that they be no longer Sacraments, then they be had in vse, and vsed to the end for the which they were instituted.

MarginaliaThe Supper to be ministred in both kinds.And here we playnly confesse that the mutilation of the Lordes Supper, and the subtraction of the one kynde from the lay people, is Antichristian.

MarginaliaAgainst transubstātiatiō.And so is the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Sacramentall bread and wyne after the wordes of consecratiō, as they be called.

MarginaliaAgainst Adoration of the sacramētItem, the adoration of the Sacrament, with honor due vnto God: the reseruation and carying about of the same.

MarginaliaThe masse to be no propitiatory sacrificeItem, the Masse to be a propittatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead, or a worke that pleaseth God.

All these we confesse and beleue to bee Antichristes doctrine: MarginaliaInhibitiō of Priestes mariage Antichristian.as is the inhibition in Mariage as vnlawfull to any state. And we doubt not by Gods grace, but we shall be able to proue all our confessions here to be most true by the veritie of Gods word, and consent of the Catholicke Church, which followeth and hath folowed the gouernaūce of Gods spirite, and the iudgement of his word.

And this through the Lordes helpe we will do, either in disputation by word before the Queenes hyghnesse and her Coūsaile, either before the Parlament houses, of whom we doubt not but to be indifferently heard, either with our pennes, whensoeuer we shall be therto by them that haue authoritie required and commaunded.

In the meane season, as obedient Subiectes we shall behaue our selues towardes all that be in authoritie, and not cease to pray to God for them, that he would gouerne them all, generally and particularly wyth the spirite of wisedome and grace. MarginaliaExhortation agaynst rebellion.And so we hartly desire, and humbly pray all men to do, in no poynt consentyng to any kynde of rebellion or sedition agaynst our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes hyghnes: but where they can not obey, but they must disobey God, there to submit them selues wyth all patience and humilitie to suffer as the will and pleasures of the hygher powers shall adiudge: as we are ready thorough the goodnes of the Lord to suffer what soeuer they shall adiudge vs vnto, rather then we will consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we here confesse, vnlesse we shall be iustly conuinced therof, either by writyng or by word, before such Iudges as the Queenes hyghnes and her Counsell, or the Parlament houses shall appoynt: For the Vniuersities & Clergy haue condemned our causes already MarginaliaThe bigger parte against the better.by the bigger, but not by the better part, without al disputation of the same: MarginaliaAppeale frō the Vniuersitie Doctors as not indifferent iudges.and therefore most iustly wee may, & do appeale from them to bee our Iudges in this behalfe, except it may be in writing, that to all men the matter may appeare. The Lord of mercy endue vs all with the spirite of hys truth and grace of perseueraunce therein vnto the end. Amen.

The. 8. of May, Anno Dom. 1554.

☞ To these thynges aboue sayd, do I Myles Co-
uerdale late of Exon, consent and agree with
these my afflicted brethren being prisoners with
myne owne hand.

And thus much cōcernyng this presēt declaratiō subscribed by these preachers, which was on the. viij. day of May.

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May 19 to August 1

Foxe attempts to develop some points against Phillip in the margin, noting his arrival with sword drawn and the deliverance of the keys of Southampton to him which suggests conquest and (in 'deliuered') reluctance. 1563 has an unusually large number of glosses at the beginning of this section.

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Block 28: May 19 1554 to 1 August 1554

In the 1563 edition, this section consists of a fairly lengthy account of Elizabeth's imprisonment in the custody of Sir Henry Bedingfield and a brief account of Philip's arrival in England.

The account of Elizabeth and Bedingfield was severely truncated in 1570. Part of the deleted material was praise for Elizabeth's mercy to Bedingfield. (This includes Elizabeth's oft-quoted quip in dismissing Bedingfield: that if she needed a prisoner straitly kept she would send for him). Possibly the deletion of this praise was one sign of Foxe's growing dissatisfaction with Elizabeth. Also deleted was an anecdote that Dr. John Story argued that Elizabeth should be executed, maintaining that it was useless to lop the branches from the tree without striking at the root. This remark would, in another section of the Acts and Monuments, be attributed to Stephen Gardiner (see 1563, p. 1383).

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