Marginalia1555. August.After whiche aunsweare, I was carryed downe into the Garden with my Gayler, and there remayned vntyll my brother MarginaliaSteuen Harwod examined before the Byshop.Harwod  

was examined: and then beyng againe brought vp before the saide Bishop, he demaunded if I agreed with Harwood in his confession, vpon these Articles folowing.

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MarginaliaRobert Smith againe examined by the Byshop.Boner. What say you to the Catholicke churche? Doo ye not confesse there is one in earth?

Smith. Yes, verely, I beleue that there is one Catholike Church, or faithfull Congregation, whiche as the Apostle saith, is builded vpon the Prophetes and Apostles, Christ Iesus being the head corner stone: whiche Churche in all her woordes and woorkes mainteyneth the woorde, and bringeth the same for her authoritie, and without it dooth nothing, nor ought to doo, of whiche I am assured, I am by grace made a member.

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Boner. Ye shall vnderstand, that I am bounde when my brother offendeth, and wyll not bee reconciled, to bring hym before the Congregation: MarginaliaWhere was the visible church amongest the Protestantes?nowe if your Churche be the same, where maye a man finde it, to bryng his brother before the same?

MarginaliaWhere was the visible church amongst the Apostles?Smith. It is wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles, that when the tyrannie of the Bishops was so great against the Church in *MarginaliaHere he would not aunswere me to the church of Iury, but flyeth to the v. of Corin. Iewrie,  

they were faine to congregate in houses and priuie places, as they nowe doo: and yet were they neuerthelesse the Church of God: and seeing they had their matters redressed being shut vp in a corner, may not we do the like now adayes?

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Boner. Yea, their Church was knowen ful wel. For saint Paul wryt vnto the Corinthians to haue the man punished & excommunicate, that had committed euyll with his fathers wife. Whereby wee maye well perceiue, it was a knowen church, but yours is not knowen.

Smith. Then coulde ye not persecute it, as ye doo: but (as ye say) the Churche of God at Corinth was manifest both to God and Paul: euen so is this Churche of God in Englande whom ye persecute, both knowen to God and also euen to the very wicked, although they knowe not, nor wyll not knowe their truth nor conuersation: yea and your sinfull number haue professed their veritie, and mainteyned the same a long season.

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Boner. Wel, thou sayest that the church of God was only at Corinth when Paul writ vnto them, and so wyll I put in writing: shal I?  

MarginaliaHow Boner layeth snares to catch the innocent.Smith. I doo marueile greatly, my Lord, that ye are not ashamed to lay snares for your brethren on this manner. This is now the third snare you haue laid for me. First to make me confesse that the Churche of Englande is not the church of Christ: Secōdly to say, it is not knowen. Thirdly, to say the church of God is not vniuersal, but particular: and this is not the office of a bishop. For if an innocent had come in your way, you would haue done your best (I see) to haue entangled hym.

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Harps. Wel frende, quoth one of my Lordes Chapleynes, you are no innocent, as it appeareth.

Smith. By the grace of God, I am that I am: and this grace in me, I hope, is not in vaine.

Boner. Wel, quoth my Lord, laughing: tell me, how sayest thou of the church.

Smith. I tolde you whereuppon the true Churche is builded, and I affirme in England to be the Congregation of God, and also in Omnem terram, as it is written: MarginaliaThe church of Christ is not vniuersally in one particular place.Their sounde is gone foorth into all landes, and that this is the afflicted and persecuted Churche, whiche ye cease not to imprison, slaye, and kyll. And in Corinth was not all the Congregation of God, but a number of those holye and elect people of God. For Paul neither Peter were present at Corinth when they wrote, & yet were they of the church of God, as many thousandes moe, which also communicate in that holy spirite.

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Boner. What call ye Catholique, and what call you Churche?

Smith. Catholique is vniuersall, and Church is a Congregation knyt together in vnitie.

Then after muche like vaine talke, it was layde to my charge, that my felowe and I spake one thing. Whereof I praysed God, and was sent againe to a Garden. Where after a while, as my brother Harwod and I had bene together, commeth one of my Lordes Chaplaynes,  

that much desired to common with me, demaundyng firste if I were not a prisoner.

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MarginaliaTalke betwene Robert Smyth and the Bishops chaplaine.Smith. I am in this fleshe a prisoner, and subiect to my Maister and yours: but I hope yet the Lordes free man through Christ Iesu.

Doct. I doo muche desire to talke with you louingly, for because ye are a man that I much lament, with many other sweete wordes.

MarginaliaAbsurditie graunted by the Catholickes that the body of Christ goeth into the belley, and so into the draught.To which I aunsweared: Sub melle latet venenum.  

And after much adoo about his God, I compelled him to say, that it must needes enter into the belly, and so fall into the draught. To which he answered.

Doct. What derogation was it to Christ, when þ^e Iewes spyt in his face?

MarginaliaComparison betwene the Iewes that spit in Christes face and papistes which let fall him into the draught.Smith. If the Iewes being his enemies, dyd but spyt in hys face, and we being his friendes throw hym into the draught, which of vs haue deserued the greatest damnation? Then by your argument, he that doth most iniurie to Christ, shal haue a most plenteous saluation.

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Doct. Then start he away, and woulde haue his humanitie incomprehensible, MarginaliaNote this Catholike doctrine, which resembleth the body of Christ to the incomprehensible soule of man.makyng a comparison betweene our soule and the body of Christ, bringing in to serue his turne, whiche waye Christe came in among his Disciples, the doores being shut?  

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Smith. Although it be sayde, that when he came the doores were shut, yet haue I as muche to proue, that the doores opened at his commyng, as ye haue to prooue hee came through the doore. MarginaliaThe question is not what Christ is able to doe in the sacrament, but what he doth therein.For that mighty God that brought the Disciples out of prisons, which yet when search came, were founde shut, was able to let Christe in at the doore, although it were shutte: and yet it maketh not for your purpose, for they sawe hym, hearde hym, and fealt hym, and so can we not saye ye doo, neyther is he in more then in one place at once. At whiche aunsweare, when he had made many scoffynges, he departed awaye from me, and we were carryed into my Lordes Hall, where we were bayted  

of my Lordes band, almost al the day, vntyll our keeper seing their misorder, shut vs vp al in a fayre chāber, while my Lorde went into his Synagogue, to condemne M. Denly & Iohn Newman.  

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MarginaliaRob. Smith brought agayne before the Byshop and the Lord Mayor.Then brought they vp my Lorde Mayor to heare our matter aboue in the chamber, and I first of all was called into the chamber, where my Lord intended to sup. Where my Lord Mayor being set with the Bishop and one of the Sheriffes, wine was walking on euery side. I standyng before them as an outcast, which made me remember howe Pilate & Herode were made frendes, but no man was sory for Iosephes hurt. But after my Lords had well drunke, my articles wer sent for, and read, and he demaunded whether I sayd not as was written.

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Smith. That I haue said, I haue said, and what I haue said, I do meane vtterly.

Boner. Well my Lorde Mayor, your Lordshyp hath hearde somewhat, what a stoute heretike this is, and that his Articles haue deserued death: MarginaliaB. Boner excuseth him selfe of blouddines.Yet neuerthelesse for so muche as they reporte me to seeke bloud, and call me bloudy Boner, where as God knoweth, I neuer sought anye mans bloud in all my lyfe, I haue stayed hym from the Consistorye this day, whither I might haue brought hym iustly: and yet here before your Lordship, I desire hym to turne, and I wyll wyth all speede dispatch hym out of trouble: and this I professe before your Lordship and all this audience.

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Smith. Why, my Lorde, doo ye put on this fayre viser before my Lorde Mayor, to make hym beleue that ye seke not my bloud, to cloke your murthers through my stoutenes, as ye call it? MarginaliaB. Boner proued to be cruell and bloudy.Haue ye not had my brother Tomkins before you, whose hande when you had burned most cruelly, ye burnt also his body, and not only of hym, but of a great many of the members of Christe, men that feared God and lyued vertuously, and also the Queenes Maiesties moste true subiectes, as their goodes and bodyes haue made manifest? and seeing in in these Saintes ye haue shewed so litle mercye, shall it seeme to my Lord and this audience, that ye wyl shewe me more fauour? No, no my Lorde. But if ye meane as ye say, why then examine ye me of that I am not bound to answere you vnto?

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MarginaliaBy this question it may appeare whether the B. sought bloud or no.Boner. Wel, what sayest thou by the sacrament of the aultar? is it not the very body of Christ, flesh, bloud, and bone, as it was borne of the virgin?

Smith. I haue aunsweared, that it is none of Gods order, neyther any Sacramente, but mans owne vayne inuention, and shewed hym the Lordes institution. But when he was so earnest before the audience, declaryng that we knewe nothyng, bringyng out his Hoc est corpus meum,  

to lay in my dishe, MarginaliaThe Papistes dead God, hauing body without bloud.I proued before the audience, that it was a dead God, declaryng the distinction appoynted betweene the two creatures of bread and wine, and that a body without bloud, hath no lyfe. At whiche Harpesfielde found hym selfe much offended, and tooke the tale out my Lordes mouth, saying.

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Harps. I wyll approue by the Scriptures, that ye blaspheme God in so saying: for it is geuen in two partes, because there is two thynges shewed, that is to say, his bodye and his Passion, as saith saint Paul: and therefore is the bread his body, and the wine the representation of his death and bloud sheddyng.

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