MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.shop of Gloucester, sir Laurence Saunders Priest, Iohn Bradford, sir Iohn Rogers Priest, sir Rowland Taylour Priest, sir Iohn Laurence Priest, William Pygot, Steuen Knight, William Hunter, Thomas Tomkyns, and Thomas HawkesMarginaliaAlso Syr Edmund Boner priest before the death of Cromwell, seemed to be of the opinion and was sworn twise agaynst the Pope. haue bene heretofore reputed, taken, and accoumpted as heretickes, and also condemned as heretickes, and so pronounced openly and manifestly: specially in holdyng and beleuyng certaine damnable opinions, agaynst the veritie of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aultar, and all the same persons, sauyng Iohn Bradford, Sir Iohn Laurence, William Pygot, Steuen Knight, William Hunter, Thomas Tomkyns, and Thomas Hawkes, haue suffered paynes of death by fire, for the mayntenaūce and defence of their sayd opinions and misbeliefe.

Item, that thou doest know, or credibly hast heard and doest beleue that Thomas Cranmer late Archbyshoppe of Canterbury, and Nicholas Ridley, naming himselfe Byshop of Lōdon, Robert Ferrar late Bishop of S. Dauies, and Hugh Latymer, sometyme Byshop of Worcester, haue bene, and are at this present reputed, accompted and taken as heretickes, and misbeleuers in mayntaining and holdyng certaine damnable opiniōs, agaynst the MarginaliaVerity taken for heresie of misbeleuing heretickes.veritie of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aultar.

Item, that thou hast commended and praysed all the sayd persons,  

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This charge suggests that Causton and Higbed came to the attention of the authorities for publically praising Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer and Ferrar.

Item, that thou, hauing heard, knowen, and vnderstanded all the premisses, thus to bee as is aforesayd, hast not regarded all or any parte thereof, but contrary to the same and euery parte thereof, hast attempted and done, condemnyng, transgressing, and breakyng that promise, fayth, religion, order, and custome aforesayd: and hast becommen, and art an hereticke and misbeleuer in the premisses, denying the veritie of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aultar, and obstinately affirmyng, that the substaunce of materiall bread and wyne are there remayning, and that the substaunce of Christes body and bloud taken of the virgine Mary, are not there in the sayd Sacrament, really and truely beyng.

Item, that all the premisses be true, notorious, famous, and manifest, and that vppon all the same, there haue and be amōgest the sad and good people of the Citie of London and Dioces of the same in great multitude, commonly and publickely, a common and publicke fame and opinion, and also in all places where thou hast bene, within the sayd Dioces of London.

☞ These Articles beyng geuen to them in writyng by the Byshop, the next day folowyng was assigned to them to geue vp and to exhibite their aunsweres vnto the same.

¶ The third dayes Session vpon the examination of M. Causton and M. Higbed.  

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The accounts of the sessions in Consistory Court, together with the articles charged againt Causton and Higbed, and their answers, are taken from Bishop Bonner's official records, probably a court book which has now been lost.

MarginaliaThe thyrd dayes session.Vpon the which day beyng the first day of March, the sayd Thomas Causton, and Thomas Higbed Gentlemen beyng brought before the Byshop in the Consistory, there exhibited their aunsweres to the Articles aforesayd: the tenour of which aunsweres here foloweth.

MarginaliaThe answeres of the Martyrs to the Articles.TO the first, they aūswere and confesse the same to be true.

To the secōd, they aūswere & beleue the same to be true.

To the third, they aūswere & beleue the same to be true.

To the fourth, they aūswere & thinke the same to be true.

To the fift, vnto this clause (and so was it in very deede) they aunswere and beleue the same to bee true. And vnto that clause (and so was it in very deede) they aunswere negatiuely, and beleue that it was not in very deede.

To the sixt, seuenth, and eight, they aunswere and beleue the same to be true.

To the nynth they aunswere and say, that they thinke they haue a iust and lawfull cause and groūd to swarue and go from the sayd fayth and Religiō, because they haue now read more of Scripture, then either themselues, or their Parentes and kinsfolke, Godfathers or Godmothers haue read or sene heretofore in that behalfe.

To the tenth, they aūswere, say, and beleue, that the sayd persons articulate, haue bene named, taken, and counted for heretickes, and so condemned for heretickes: yet about three yeares past, they were taken for good Christian personnes. And for somuch as these Respondētes did euer heare them

MarginaliaTransubstantiation denyed.preach concerning the sacrament of the aultar, they say that they preached well, in that they sayd & preached that christ is not present really and truely in the sayd sacramēt, but that there is remaynyng the substance of bread and wine.

To the eleuenth, they aunswer and say, that howsoeuer other folkes do repute and take the sayd persons articulate: yet these Respondentes them selues dyd neuer, nor yet doe so accompt and take them. And further they say, that in case the sayd persons articulate named in this article haue preached that in the sacrament of the aultar is very natural wine, and not the substance of Christes body and bloud, vnder the formes of bread and wine, then they preached well & truely and these respondentes themselues do so beleue.

To the twelfe they aunswere and say, that where other folke haue dispraised the sayd persons articulate, and disalowed their opinions, these Respondentes (for ought that they at any time haue heard) did like and allow the said persons, and their sayinges.

To the thirteenth, they answere & say, that they haue not broken or condēned any promise made by their Godfathers, & Godmothers for thē at their baptisme, & that they are no hereticks nor misbeleeuers, in that they beleue, that there remayneth onely bread and wine in the sacrament of the aultar, and that Christs naturall body is not there, but in heauē: for they say that the scriptures so teach them.

To the fourteen they answere & beleue that the premisses before by them confessed be true, notorious, & manifest.

After these answeres exhibited and perused, then the B. speaking vnto them after this sort, beginneth first (as he did euer before) with Thomas Causton. Because ye shall not be sodainly trapped, and that men shall not say that I go about to seeke snares to put you away, MarginaliaA copy of Catholicke charitye shewed.I haue hetherto respited you, that you should way & cōsider with your selfe, your state and condition, and that you should, while ye haue tyme and space, acknowledge the truth, and returne to the vnitye of the catholick church. Then the B. reading theyr former articles and answers to the same, asked thē if they would recant: which when they denied, they were agayn dismissed, and commaunded to appeare the wensday next after, at two of the clock at after noone, there to receaue their diffinitiue sentence against them: Which thing (as it seemeth) was yet differred.

¶ An other examination of M. Causton and Maister Higbed.  

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The accounts of the sessions in Consistory Court, together with the articles charged againt Causton and Higbed, and their answers, are taken from Bishop Bonner's official records, probably a court book which has now been lost.

MarginaliaAn other examination.THe next Friday, being the eight day of March, the sayd Thomas Causton was first called to examinatiō before the Bishop, Fecknam, and MarginaliaThis Stēpe is now Warden of the Colledge in Winchester.D. Stempe, in hys Pallace, and there had read vnto him his foresayde articles, with hys answeres therunto, & after certain exhortations to recant hys former profession, & to be conformable to the vnitie of theire church, they promised hym (so doyng) willinglye to receaue him againe therunto. To whō he āswered: MarginaliaM. Causton denyeth to recant.you goe about to catch vs in snares & ginnes: But marke by what measure ye measure vs, looke you to be measured with þ^e same againe at Gods hands. The Bishop still perswaded with hym to recant: To whom he aunswered, no, I will not abiure. Ye sayd that the Bishops that were lately burned, bee Heretickes: but I pray God make mee suche an Hereticke as they were.

The Bishop then leauing M. Causton, called forth M. Higbed, vsing with him the like perswasions, that they did with the other. MarginaliaM. Hygbed called forth denyeth to abiure.But he answered, I will not abiure: For I haue beene of this minde and opinion that I am now, these 16. yeares, and do what ye can, ye shal do no more then God will permit you to do: & with what measure ye measure vs, looke for the same agayn at Gods handes.

MarginaliaM. Fecknā still busy wyth matter of the sacrament.Then Fecknam asked him hys opinion in the sacramēt of the altar. To whom he aunswered: I doe not beleue that Christ is in the Sacrament as ye will haue hym, which is of mans making.

Both their aunsweres thus seuerally made, they were agayn commaunded to depart for that time, & to appeare the next day in the consistory at Paules, betwene the houres of one and three of the clock at after noone.

¶ The last appearance of M. Causton, and M. Higbed, before Boner.  

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This account of the condemnation and sentencing of Causton and Higbed looks as though it may be the account of a witness rather than an official record. But in the absence of the official records it is impossible to be sure about this.

MarginaliaM. Causton and M. Higbed appeare againe before the Byshop.AT which day and houre, being the nynth day of march, they were both brought thether: Where the Bishoppe caused Maister Thomas Caustons articles and answeres first to be read openly, and after perswaded with hym to recant and abiure his hereticall opinions, and to come home now at the last to their Mother the Catholick Church, and saue him selfe.