Marginalia1556. Aprill.seruice, so causing vs to sinne agaynst our redemption. For such as willyngly and wittingly agaynst their consciences shal so doo (as it is to be feared many one doth) they are in a miserable state, vntyl the mercy of God turne thē: which if he doo not, we certainly beleue, that they shal eternally be damned: and as in this worlde they denye Christes holy word & Communion before men, so shall Christ deny them before his heauenly father and his angels.

MarginaliaThe Popish following of Christes Crosse in procession.And where as it is very earnestly required, that wee should go on Procession (as they call it) at which tyme the Priestes say in Latine, suche thynges as we are ignoraunt of, the same edifieth nothyng at all vnto godlynes. MarginaliaThe true following of Christes Crosse.And we haue learned, that to folowe Christes crosse, is an other matter, namely, to take vp our crosse and to folow Christ in pacient sufferyng for his loue, tribulations, sickenes, pouertie, prison, or any other aduersitie, whē soeuer Gods holy wyl & pleasure is to lay þ^e same vpon vs. The triumphant Passion and death of Christ, whereby in his owne person he conquered death, sinne, hell, and damnation, hath moste liuely bene preached vnto vs, and the glory of Christes crosse declared by our Preachers: whereby we haue learned the causes and effects of the same more liuely in one Sermon, then in al the Processions that euer we went in, or euer shall go in.

When we worshipped the diuine Trinitie kneelyng, and in the Letanie inuocatyng the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, askyng mercy for our sinnes, and desiryng such petitions as the need of our frayle estate and this mortall lyfe requireth, we were edified, both to knowe vnto whom all Christian prayers should be directed, and also to knowe that of Gods hand we receyue all thynges, as well to the saluation of our soules, as to the reliefe of our mortal necessities. And we humbly beseech the Queenes maiestie, that the same most holy prayers maye be continued amongest vs: that our Ministers praying in our mother tongue, and we vnderstandyng their prayers and petitions, may answeare, Amen, vnto them. MarginaliaPrayers and euening seruice in English.At euenyng seruice, we vnderstoode our Ministers prayers, we were taught & admonished by the Scriptures then read: which in the Latin Euensong is al gone.

MarginaliaBaptisme Englishe.At the ministration of holy Baptisme, we learned what league and couenaunt God had made with vs, and what vowes and promises we vppon our parte had made: namelye to beleeue in hym, to forsake Sathan and his woorkes, and to walke in the way of Gods holy worde and cōmaundementes.

MarginaliaCatechisme in English.The Christian Chatechisme continually taught and called to remēbrance the same, wheras before no man knew any thyng at al. And many good men of. lx. yeares, that had ben godfathers to. xxx. children, knew no more of the godfathers office, but to wash their hands ere they departed the Church, or els to fast fiue Frydayes, bread and water.

O mercyful God, haue pitie vpon vs. Shall we be altogether cast from thy presence? We may well lament our miserable estate to receyue suche a commaundement, to reiect and cast out of our Churches al these most godly prayers, instructions, admonitions and doctrines, and thus to be compelled to deny God, and Christ our Saueour, MarginaliaThe effectes of Gods worde described.his holy worde, and all his doctrine of our saluation, the candle to our feete, and the light to our steppes, the bread commyng downe from heauen, that geueth lyfe, whiche who so drinketh, it shalbe in hym a well spryng streamyng vnto eternal lyfe: wherby we haue learned al righteousnes, al true Religion, all true obedience towardes our gouernours, all charitie one towards an other, al good works that God would vs to walke in, what punishment abydeth the wicked, and what heauenly reward God wyl geue to those that reuerētly walke in his wayes and commaundemntes.

Wherefore right honourable Commissioners, we can not without impietie, refuse and cast from vs the holy word of God which we haue receyued, nor condemne any thyng set forth by our most godly late kyng Edward and his vertuous proceedynges, so agreeable to Gods worde. And our most humble suite is, that the commaundement may be reuoked, so that we be not constrayned thereunto. For we protest before God, we thinke, if the holy worde of God had not taken some roote among vs, we could not in tyme past haue don that poore duetie of ours, which we did in assisting the Queene our most deare soueraigne, agaynst her Graces mortal foe that then sought her destruction. MarginaliaSuffolke and Northfolke men moued by Gods word to set vp the Queene.It was our bounden duetie, and we thanke God for the knowledge of his worde and grace, that we then dyd some parte of our bounden seruice.

And we meekely pray and beseeche the Queenes Maiestie, for the deare passion of Iesus Christe, that the same worde be not taken away out of her churches, nor from vs her louyng, faythfull, and true subiectes: lest if the like necessitie shoulde hereafter chaunce (which God for his mer-

cyes sake forbyd, and euer saue and defend her grace and vs all) the wante of knowledge of due remembraunce of Gods worde may be occasion of greate ruine to an infinite number of her graces true subiectes. And truely we iudge this to be one subtile part of the deuyll (enimie to all godly peace and quietnes) that by taking Gods worde from among vs, and plantyng ignoraunce, he maye make a way to al mischiefe and wickednes: MarginaliaInconueniences that follow by taking away Gods word.and by banishing the holy gospel of peace, he may bryng vpon vs the heauie wrath of god, with al maner of plagues: as deathe, straunge sicknes, pestilence, morren, most terrible vprores, commotions, and seditions. These things dyd the Lord threaten vnto the Iewes for refusing his word, saying: MarginaliaEsay. 6.Goe, and thou shalt say vnto this people: Ye shal heare in deede, but ye shal not vnderstand: ye shal plainly see, and not perceiue. Harden the hart of this people, stop their eares, and shut their eyes, that they see not with their eyes, heare not with their eares, and vnderstand not with their harts, and conuert & be healed. And I said: how long Lord? And he answered, Vntil the cities be destroied, vterly wasted without habiters, & the houses without men, tyl the land also be desolate & lye vnbuilded. And the Prophet Micheas, consideryng the contempt of Gods word among the Israelites, threatned them thus: When the daye, that thy preachers warned thee of, commeth, thou shalt be wasted away. MarginaliaMich. 6.And let no man beleue his frende, or put his confidence in his brother. Keepe the doore of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome: for the sonne shal put his father to dishonor, and the daughter shal rise against her mother, the daughter in lawe againste the mother in the law: and a mans foes shalbe euen they of his own houshold. The same plague threatned MarginaliaLuke. 19.Christ vnto the Iewes, for refusing his peace profered them in the Gospel, and he wept on the citie Ierusalem, which murdered the Prophetes, and stoned such as were sent vnto her.

The same plagues, we are afrayd, wyl also fal vpon vs. For whereas heretofore with the receyuyng of Christes word & peaceable Gospel we had great benedictions of god, especially this Christian cōcord & holy peace, so that al were at a full and perfect stay in Religon, no man offended with an other, but as the sonnes of peace eche of vs w^t christian charitie embraced other: now, alas for pitie, þ^e deuyl (ridyng vppon þ^e red horse, shewed vnto S. Iohn in the MarginaliaApoc. 6.Reuelatiō) is come forth, and power is geuen hym to take peace from the earth. For now a man can goe to no place but malicious busie bodys curiously search out his deedes, mark his words, & if he agree not with them in despising Gods worde, then wyl they spitefully & hatefully rayle against hym and it, callyng it error and heresie,MarginaliaLouing of Gods worde made heresie. and the professors thereof heretikes and schismatikes, with other odious and despiteful names: as traytours, and not the Queenes frendes, not fauourers of the Queenes proceedinges: as if to loue Gods worde were heresie, and as though to talke of Christe, were to be schismatikes: as though none could be true to the Queene, that were not false to God: as though none were þ^e queenes frendes, but such as despitefully rayle on her graces father & brother, and on Gods word that they set forth: as though none fauoured the Queenes maiestie, but suche as hate all godly knowledge.

And in very deede these thyngs that al this turmoyle is made for, are mere inuentions of Popes, brought into the Church, of their owne imaginations, without cōmaundement or ensample eyther of Christ or of his Apostles:MarginaliaAll that the Papistes striue for, are but mans mere inuentions beside Gods word. and there is not one word in the Bible, that beyng truely alledged, maynteyneth them, nor any Doctour of antiquitie before S. Austines dayes, as it hath bene diuers tymes sufficiently proued before all the whole Parlament and Conuocation of this Realme. Yet these being mere traditions of Bishops, are set out for Gods commaundementes: and the Queenes authoritie (geuen to her of God to mainteine his worde) must be abused to put downe Gods word. MarginaliaThe Queene her commissioners, and Iustices abused by the Byshops.And you right honourable Iustices and keepers of lawes and righteousnes, are also abused and made the Bishops apparatours, to set forth such Romish trashe, as is to Christes dishonour, and agaynst the supreme authoritie of the regall estate of this Realme. And we poore subiects, for speaking of that which is truth, and our boundē allegeance, are dayly punished, rayled vpō, and noted for seditious, and not the Queenes frendes.

But God (who is blessed for euer) knoweth that they sclaunder vs,MarginaliaTrue subiectes wrongfully sclaundered. and pul the thorne out of their owne foote, and put it in ours: for the searcher of hartes knoweth, that we beare a faythfull and true hart vnto her grace, and vnto all her proceedyngs, that are not against God & his holy word. And we dayly pray vnto the heauenly father, to lighten her graces royall hart with the glorious light of his Gospel, that shee may establish and confirme that Religion, that her graces brother, our most deare king, did set out amongst vs: and so gouernyng & rulyng this her realme in the feare