Marginalia1557. Aprill.and in a maner vtterly extinguished: yet the true fayth of the Trinitie, by the mercyfull prouidence of God, was still preserued, and into the fayth therof were we Baptised, and not into the beliefe and profession of their horrible Idolatry and vayne ceremonies.

These thynges not throughly wayed by these poore, yet faythfull, and true members of Christ, MarginaliaSimple ignorance deceiued.caused some of them ignorauntly to graunt, that when they came to the yeares of discretion, and vnderstode the light of the Gospell, they did separate themselues from the fayth of the Church, meanyng none other but onely to separate themselues from the admittyng or allowyng of such their Popish and erroneous trash,MarginaliaThey which separate them selues from certayne trashe brought into the Church, doe not separate them selues from the Church. as they now had defiled þ^e church of Christ w^tall, & not frō their fayth receiued in baptisme, which in expresse words in their aunsweres to the other Articles they constantly affirmed, declaryng the Masse & Sacrament of the aultar, to be most wicked blasphemy agaynst Christ Iesus, and contrary to the truth of his Gospell, and therfore vtterly they refused to assent and to be reconciled agayne therunto.

These aunsweres in effect, of them thus taken by the sayd Chauncellour, they were for that tyme dismissed: but the Byshop takyng the matter into his owne handes, the vj. day of March, propounded vnto them certaine other new Articles, the copy wherof followeth.

MarginaliaOther new articles propounded to them by B. Boner.1. FIrst, that thou hast thought, beleued, and spoken, with in some part of the Citie and Dioces of London, that the fayth, Religion, and Ecclesiasticall seruice here obserued and kept, as it is in the Realme of England, is not a true & a laudable fayth, Religion, and seruice, MarginaliaMasse & 7. Sacramentes.especially concerning the Masse, and the seuen Sacramentes, nor is agreable to Gods word and Testament, and that thou canst not finde in thy hart without murmuryng, grudgyng, or scruple to receiue and vse it, & to conforme thy selfe vnto it, as other subiectes of this Realme customable haue done and do.

MarginaliaEnglishe seruice.2. Item, that thou hast thought. &c. that the English seruice set forth in the time of king Edward the vj. here in this Realme of Englād, was and is good, godly, and Catholicke in all pointes, and that it alone ought here in this Realme to be receiued, vsed, and practised, and none other.

MarginaliaComming to Church.3. Item, likewise thou hast thought. &c. that thou are not bounde to come to thy Parish Church, and there to be present, and heare Mattins, Masse, Euensong, and other Diuine seruice, song or sayd there.

4. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that thou art not bound to come to procession to the Church vpon dayes and times appointed, and to go in the same with others of the Parishe, singyng or saying then the accustomed prayers vsed in the Church, nor to beare a taper or candell on Candlemas day, nor take Ashes vppon Ashewednisday,MarginaliaAshes, Palmes, Creeping to the Crosse, Holy bread, Holy water. &c.nor beare Palmes vpon Palme Sonday, not to creepe to the Crosse vppon dayes accustomed, nor to receiue and kisse the paxe at Masse tyme, nor to receiue holy water or holy bread, or to accept & allow the ceremonyes and vsages of the Churche, after the maner and fashion as they are vsed in this Realme.

MarginaliaConfession.5. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that thou art not bound at any tyme to confesse thy sinnes to any Priest, and to receiue absolution at his handes, as Gods minister, nor to receiue at any tyme the blessed Sacrament of the aultar, especially as it is vsed in the Church of England.

6. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that in matters of Religiō and fayth, thou must follow and beleue thyne owne consciēce onely, and not geue credite to the determination and cōmon order of the Catholicke Church, and the Sea of Rome, nor to any member therof.

MarginaliaAbsolute necessitye.7. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that all thynges do chaūce of an absolute and precise mere necessitie, so that whether man do well or euill, he could not choose but do so, and that therfore no man hath any free will at all.

MarginaliaChristening of Infantes.8. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that the fashion and maner of Christenyng of infantes, is not agreable to Gods word, and that none cā be effectually Baptised, and thereby saued, except he haue yeares of discretion to beleue him selfe, and so willyngly accept or refuse Baptisme at his pleasure.

MarginaliaPraying for the dead.9. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that Prayers to Saintes, or Prayers for the dead, are not auaylable and not allowable by Gods worde, or profitable in any wise, and that the soules departed do straightwaies go to heauē or hel, or els do sleepe till the day of dome, so that there is no place of purgation at all.

10. Itē, thou hast thought. &c. that all such as in the tyme of Kyng Henry the viij. or in tyme of Queene Mary Queene

of England, haue bene burned as heretickes, were no heretickes at all, but faythfull and good Christen people, especially MarginaliaMartyrs that suffred.Barnes, Garret, Ierome, Frith, Rogers, Hoper, Cardemaker, Latymer, Taylor, Bradford, Philpot, Crāmer, Ridley, and such like, and that thou diddest and doest allow, like, and approue all their opinions, and doest mislike their condemnations and burnynges.

MarginaliaFasting dayes.11. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that fastyng and prayers vsed in this Churche of England, and the appointyng of dayes for fastyng, and the abstainyng from fleshe vpon fastyng dayes, and especially in the tyme of Lent, is not laudable or allowable by Gods word, but is hypocrisie and foolishnes: and that men ought to haue libertie to eate at all tymes all kyndes of meate.

MarginaliaSacrament of the altar.12. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that the Sacramēt of the aultar is an Idoll, and to reserue and keepe it, or to honor it, is playne Idolatry & superstition: and likewise of the Masse and the eleuation of the Sacrament.

MarginaliaTaking of an oth.13. Item, thou hast thought. &c. that thou or any els, conuented before an Ecclesiasticall Iudge concernyng matters of belief and fayth, art not nor is bound to make aunswere at all, especially vnder an othe vpon a booke.

MarginaliaTheir aunsweres to the articles before obiected.THeir aunsweres to these obiections were, that as touchyng the first, second, thyrd, fourth, fift, ninth, tenth, and twelfth, they generally graunted vnto, sauyng that they denyed the soules of the departed to sleepe till the day of iudgement, as is mentioned in the ninth Article.

And as concernyng the sixt obiectiō, they thought them selues boūde to beleue the true Catholicke Church, so farre forth as the same doth instruct them according to Gods holy word, but not to follow the determinations of the erroneous and Babilonicall Church of Rome.

As for the seuenth, eight, and thirtenth, they vtterly denyed, that euer they were of any such absurde opinions as are contained therein, but they graūted that man of him selfe without the helpe and assistaunce of Gods spirite, hath no power to do any good thyng acceptable in Gods sight.

To the eleuenth they sayd, MarginaliaTrue fasting.that true fastyng and prayer, vsed accordyng to Gods word, are allowable and auaylable in his sight, and that by the same word euery faythfull man may eate all meates at all tymes, with thankesgeuyng to God for the same.

After this, the first day of Aprill, were they agayne cōuented before the Byshop in his palace at London, where litle appeareth to be done, except it were to know whether they would stand to their aunsweres, and whether they would recant or no. But when they refused to recant and deny the receaued and infallible truth, the Byshoppe caused them to be brought into the open Consistory, the thyrd day of the same moneth of Aprill in the forenoone, where first vnderstandyng by them their immutable constauncie and stedfastnesse, he demaunded particularly of euery one what they had to say, why he should not pronounce the Sentence of condemnation.

To whom Thomas Loseby first aunswered: MarginaliaThomas Losebies wordes to the Byshop.God geue me grace and strength to stand agaynst you, and your Sentence, and also agaynst your law, which is a deuouryng law, for it deuoureth the flocke of Christ. And I perceaue there is no way with me but death, except I would cōsent to your deuouryng law, and beleue in that Idoll the Masse.

Next vnto him aunswered Thomas Thyrtell, saying: MarginaliaThomas Thyrtells wordes to Boner.my Lord, I say thus, if you make me an hereticke, thē you make Christ and all the xij. Apostles heretickes, for I am in the true fayth and right beliefe, and I will stand in it, for I know full well I shall haue eternall life therfore.

The Byshoppe then asked the lyke question of Henry Ramsey. Who sayd agayne: MarginaliaHenry Ramseyes wordes to Boner.my Lord, will you haue me to goe from the truth that I am in? I say vnto you that my opinions be the very truth, whiche I will stand vnto, and not go from them: and I say vnto you farther, that there are two Churches vpon the earth, and we (meanyng him selfe and other true Martyrs and professours of Christ) be of the true Church, and ye be not.

Vnto this question, next aunswered Margarete Hide, saying: MarginaliaMargaret Hydes wordes to Boner.My Lord, you haue no cause to geue Sentence agaynst me, for I am in the true fayth and opinion, and will neuer forsake it: and I do wishe that I were more stronger in it then I am.

Last of all aunswered Agnes Stanley, and sayd: MarginaliaAgnes Stanleyes wordes to Boner.I had rather that euery heare of my head were burned, if it were neuer so much worth, thē that I will forsake my fayth and opinion which is the true fayth.

The tyme beyng now spent, they were commaunded to appeare agayne at afternoone in the same place, which com-