1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1611 
Marginalia1555. Iuly.of Kent, to be repeated.
MarginaliaArticles of Course, ministred against M. Bland.1 FIrste, that thou art of the Dioces of Canterburye, and so subiect to the iurisdiction of the Archbishop there.
2 Item, that thou art a Christen man, and doest professe the lawes of God, & fayth of Christes Catholike Church, and the determination of the same.
3 Item, that all Parsons whiche teache, preache, beleeue, affirme, holde, maynteyne, or say within the Dioces of Canterbury, otherwise then our holy mother the church dooth, are excommunicate persons and heretikes, and as excommunicate and heretikes ought to be named, reputed, and taken.
4 Item, that thou, contrary to the Catholike fayth and determination of our mother holy Church, within the Dioces of Canterbury hast openly spoken, maynteyned, holden, affirmed, and beleeued, and yet doest holde, mainteyne, affirme, and beleeue, that in the blessed Sacramente of the aultar, vnder the fourmes of bread and wyne, there is not the very bodye and bloud of our saueour Iesus Christe in substance, but onely a token, signe, & a remembrance therof, and that the very body and bloud of Christ is onely in heauen, and no where els.
[Back to Top]5 Item that thou, contrary to the Catholike fayth, and determination of our mother holy Churche, haste within this Dioces of Canterbury openly spoken, sayde, maynteyned, holden, affirmed, and beleued, and yet doest hold maynteyne, affirme, and beleue, that it is against Gods word that the sacrament of Christes church shoulde be ministred in an vnknowen toung: and that no man safely and with a safe conscience, or without peryll of sinne, receyueth any sacrament ministred in any tongue that he vnderstandeth not.
[Back to Top]6 Item, that thou, contrary to the catholike fayth of our mother holy Churche hast and yet doest holde opinion and say: that it is against Gods word, that the sacrament of the aultar should be ministred in one kynde: and that no man may with a safe conscience so receiue it.
7 Item, that the premisses be true, and that there is a cōmon fame vpō thē within the Dioces of Canterbury.
MarginaliaAnswere to the first article out of the Register.1 TO these articles M. Bland answeryng agayne in order as they were obiected to him, sayth to the firste, grauntyng the same, that he was a priest, and of the Dioces of Canterbury.
2 To the second also he answereth affirmatiuely.
MarginaliaThe Catholicke church of Christ. The Catholike Church of Antichrist.3 Item, to the third he aunsweareth that the Article is true, meanyng the Catholike Churche to be Christes Churche.
4 Item, in the fourth Article, as touchyng the firste parte of the Article, hee dooth confesse, that hee hath preached and taught it, as it is conteyned in the same. And as touchyng the seconde parte of the Article, he dooth confesse, that he dooth nowe also holde and saye, as he preached and taught before.
[Back to Top]5 Item, to the fift article he graunteth.
6 To the sixt, he hath preached and held and doth hold, as it is conteyned in the article.
7. Item, to the last article he graunteth the same. &c.
This done, and his answeares and confession taken, respite was geuen him yet a fewe dayes to deliberate with hym selfe. So the. xxv. day of the sayd moneth of Iune he makyng his appearyng agayne in the sayd Chapterhouse, MarginaliaM. Bland denyeth the Pope.there openly and boldely withstoode the authoritie of the Pope, wherupon his sentence was read, and so he condemned & committed to the secular power. MarginaliaM. Bland condemned.Touchyng the forme and tenor of the sentence, because al their sentences of course agree in one, reade before in the story of Maister Rogers.
CloseFoxe's removal of the sentence against Bland was one of the cuts he made to save paper in the 1570 edition.
CloseA different version of this prayer is in ECL 261, fo. 62r.
THe Lorde Iesus, for whose loue I doo willingly leaue this life, and desire rather the bitter death of this crosse, with the losse of all earthly thinges, then to abide the blasphemie of thy holy name, or els to obey mā in breaking thy Commaundementes: thou seest, Oh Lord, that where as I might liue in worldly wealth to worship false Gods, and
[Back to Top]honour thy enemie, I chose rather the tormentes of this body, and losse of this my life, and haue counted al things but vile, dust, and dung, that I might winne thee: Which death is more deare vnto me, then thousandes of golde and syluer. Such loue, Oh Lorde hast thou laide vp in my brest, that I hunger for thee, as the Deere that is wounded desireth the soyle. Send thy holy comfort, O Lord, to aide, comfort, and strengthen this weake peece of earth, whiche is voyde of all strength of it selfe. Thou remembrest, O Lorde, that I am but dust, and not able to doo any thing that is good. Therfore, O Lord, as thou of thy accustomed goodnes hast biddē me to this banket, and counted me worthy to drinke of thine owne cup amongest thine elect: geue me strength againste this element, that as it is to my sight most irksome and terrible: so to my mynde it maye be at thy commaundement, as an obedient seruant, sweete and pleasant: and through the strength of thy holy spirit, I may passe through the strength of this fire into thy bosome, according vnto thy promise, and for this mortalitie, to receiue immortalitie, and for this corruptible, to put on incorruptible. Accept this burnt offering and sacrifice, O Lorde, not for the sacrifice it selfe, but for thy deare sonnes sake my Saueour: for whose testimonie I offer this free wyll offeryng with all my harte and with all my soule. O heauenly father, forgeue me my sinnes, as I forgiue the whole world. O sweete Saueour, spread thy winges ouer me. O God, graunt me thy holy Ghost, through whose mercyful inspiration I am come hyther. Conducte me vnto euerlasting life. Lord into thy handes I commend my spirit: Lord Iesus receyue my soule. So be it. 1555.
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CloseThese particular martyrdoms posed a particular problem for Foxe. While Frankesh was unquestionably orthodox, Middleton and Sheterden were leading Freewillers (see Freeman [2002], pp. 130-31, 133-34 and 153). Not a hint of the backgrounds or beliefs of Middleton and Sheterden touches Foxe's account of their martyrdoms. This is a striking demonstration of Foxe's determination to avoid almost any mention of the dispute among Marian protestants over predestination. Even stronger was his determination to prevent any suspicion of unorthodoxy from being cast on any of the martyrs and, as a result, the radicalism of Middleton and Sheterden was completely concealed by Foxe.
[Back to Top]Foxe had obtained a copy of Sheterden's account of his first examination during his exile and printed it in the Rerum (pp. 503-05). Other than this, all Foxe wrote about these three martyrs in the Rerum was a note recording their execution together on 12 July 1555. In the 1563 edition, Foxe added Sheterden's account of his 'first answering', his notes on the sacrament of the altar, his account of his examination before Gardiner and his final prayer. In the 1570 edition, Foxe rearranged the material and added an account of the final examination of Bland,Frankesh, Sheterden and Middleton, which was taken from the Canterbury diocesan records. There was no change in this account in subsequent editions.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIuly. 12. Iohn Frankesh. Humfrey Midleton, Nicholas Sheterden, Martyrs.HAuing nowe passed ouer the examinations of Maister Bland, let vs further proceede to the rest of his felowes concaptiues, beyng ioyned the same tyme with hym both in the like cause, and like affliction. The names of whom were Iohn Frankesh, Nicholas Sheterden, Humfrey Middleton, Thacker, and Coker:
CloseThe names of Thacker and Cocker were added in the 1570 edition, as was the date of 25 June. It appears that Foxe consulted an official document of this trial between 1563 and 1570.
MarginaliaThe talke of Nicholas Sheterden with the Archdeacon and Commissary, about the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ.FIrst the Archdeacon and Commissary affirmed that the very bare wordes of Christ when he said: This is my body, dyd change the substance, without any other interpretation or spiritual meanyng of the wordes.
[Back to Top]Shet. Then belike when Christ sayde: This cup is my bloud, the substaunce of the Cup was chaunged into his bloud, without any other meanyng, & so the cup was changed, and not the wyne.
Arch. Not so, for when Christ said: This cup is my bloud, he meant not the cup, but the wyne in the cup.MarginaliaThe Romish catholikes can not deny a figuratiue speach in the cup, and yet will not graunt the same in the bread.
Shet. If Christe spake one thyng, and meant an other, then the bare woordes dyd not chaunge the substaunce: but there must be a meanyng sought as wel of the bread, as of the cup.
Arch. There must be a meaning sought of the cup otherwise then the words stand. But of the bread it must be vnderstand onely as it standeth, without any other meanyng.
Shet. Then do ye make one halfe of Christes institution a figure, or borowed speach, & the other halfe a plaine speach,
CloseSheterden is accusing Harpsfield of understanding the sacrament of the altar both literally and figuratively at the same time.
Arch. Christ meant the wyne, and not the cup, though he sayd: This cup is my bloud.
Shet. Thē shew me whether the words which the priests do speake ouer the cup, do change the substance, or whether the mynd of the priest doth it?
Arch. The mynd of the priest doth it, and not the wordes.Shet. If the mynd of the priest doth it, and not the woordes, if the Priest then doo mynde his harlot, or any other vayne thyng, that thyng so mynded was there made, and so the people do worship the Priestes harlot in steade of