Marginalia1557. Maye.body, and drinke his bloud vnworthely, and that was the cause of their damnation.

Grat. My Lord, take heede you do not adde vnto the text,MarginaliaFalsehoode in alleaging the Scriptures. for he that addeth vnto the text, is accursed of god, and I am sure here you haue brought more then Paule hath spoken, for he sayth not, because they haue eaten his body and dronke his bloud vnworthely, but S. Paule sayth: Who so euer shall eate of this bread, and drinke of the Cuppe vnworthely, shall be giltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Note my Lord, he saith not as you haue affirmed, but cleane contrary. MarginaliaThe Byshops fayled of their purpose, and in a rage.And with that they all were in a great rage.

Winc. And the byshop of Winchester said, I belyed the text.

Grat. And then I called for the text.

Winc. And he sayd, I asked thee euen now if thou vnderstodest Latin, and thou saydst whether I can or no, the people shall beare witnes in English.

Grat. And so I called agayne for the Testament, whether it were Latin or English for the triall of the text.

Winchester. And then the Byshop of Winchester saw that I cared not, whether of the translations I had, he stode vppe thinkyng to beguile some simple man that had a booke there, and bad him that had an English Testament to bring it in, that he might get some hold at him that should bryng a testament, MarginaliaNo English Testament durst bee brought.but God disapoynted him therof, and so he flue away from his matter, and began to rayle vpon me, & sayd my subtill Argumentes should not serue, for if I would not aunswere directly, I should neuerthelesse be excommunicated: for (sayd he) I see a madde toye in thyne head: thou gloriest much in thy talke, and thinkest now the people are come about thee, that thou shalt encourage them with thy constant hereticall opinon. MarginaliaThe Bishio of Winchester reproued of Gratwick in his sermon.For the last day when thou wast before me vpon Sonday in S. Mary Oueries church, thou there reprouedst my Sermon, & haddest a thousand by thee at the least, to bid God strengthen thee: MarginaliaThe Byshop of Winchester threatneth thē that prayeth to God to strengthen Gratwicke.but now let me see him here that dare opē his mouth to bid God strengthē thee: he shall dye the death that thou shalt dye.

Grat. To that I aunswered: my Lord I know your cruelty doth extend more largelyer then your pitie. Good experience so I haue to say, for you keepe men in prison a yeare or two taking their bookes from them, permittyng them not so much as a Testament to looke vpon for their soules comfort, the which all men ought to haue: MarginaliaThe crueltie of Catholickes vpon Christian prisoners.and so you entreat thē more like brute beates then Christen men.

Wint. MarginaliaA popishe similitude, and well applyed.No, Syr we will vse you as we will vse the child, for if the child will hurt himselfe with the knife, we will keepe the knife from him. So because you will damne your soule with the word, therfore you shall not haue it.

Grat. MarginaliaWinchester ouerthrowen in his owne similitude.My Lord, a simple Argument you bring for to maintayne and couer your fault. Are you not ashamed to make the word the cause of our damnation? I neuer knew any man but onely you that did not affirme our sinnes to be the cause of our damnation, and not the worde, as you say: and therefore if your Argument be good, then this is good also: Because that some men do abuse drinke, therfore the benefite of drinke should be taken from all men, or any other such like good gift.

Wint. My Lordes, here we lose much tyme, for this fellow is peruerse, speakyng nothyng but Sophistry and peruerse questions: so that we can get no aduauntage vpon him.

Then spake my Counterfeite Ordinary as one halfe a sleepe all this while: yet somewhat with hast, when he was awaked he began to tell his tale, and sayd.

Counterf. Read these Articles agaynst him once more, and if he will not aunswere them, take him vpō his first wordes: That which I sayd, that I haue sayd.

Wint. Then the Byshoppe of Winchester began to read them agayne.

Grat. But I sayd vnto him, I would not aunswere them, because they were none of myne examinations, but obiections of their owne makyng, because they would haue my bloud. But yet I sayd, if they would set the law a part, I would talke my cōscience freely to them.

Counterf. Then my Coūterfeite Ordinary began to speake agayne chargyng me with the saying of S. Peter, that I should render account of such hope as was in me.

Grat. So can I doe, and yet shall I not please you, for here I now render my hope as S. Peter willeth me: MarginaliaThese Catholickes will not be contented with the confessing of Christ onely.I beleue onely in Iesus Christ, to haue my whole saluation in him, by him, and through him: but I perceaue you would haue me render my fayth in such sort, as you might haue my bloud, and therefore you bryng good Scriptures and euill apply them.

Wint. Why, this fellow is peruerted, & we shall get no more at his hands then we haue already: therfore let vs pronoūce sentence agaynst him, for we do but lose our tyme.

Grat. Nay good my Lordes, seing you will needes haue my bloud, let me say a little more for my selfe.

Vpon Sonday last, when I was before you, you prea-

ched this, which was a truth, and agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostle S. Iames, and sayd: If any man thinke hym selfe a religious man, and in the meane tyme seduce his toūge or his hart, the same mans religion is a vayne Religion: MarginaliaThe rayling Sermon of Winchester agaynst good men.and so my Lord you standing there in the Pulpit, in the meane tyme seduced your toung to sclaunder vs poore prisoners beyng there present in yron bondes, MarginaliaWinchester preacheth agaynst hym selfe.burdenyng vs with the sect of Arrians, and with the sect of Herodians, & with the sect of Anabaptistes, and with the sect of Sacramentaries, and with the sect of Pelagians.

MarginaliaTrue Christians not suffered to purge them selues.And when we stode vppe to purge our selues thereof, you sayd you would cut out our tounges, and cause vs to bee pulled out of the Church by violence. But there you gaue your selfe a shrewde blowe, for your tounge in the meane tyme sclaundered your neighbour. For I my Lord will geue my lyfe agaynste all these heresies, the whiche you there burdened vs withall, MarginaliaHe meaneth against the reall presence.euen as I will geue my lyfe agaynst that wherein I nowe stand before you. And with that he was ragyng angry and caught my condemnation and sayd.

Wint. Thou wilt graunt here no more, but this worde: That I haue sayd, I haue sayd: and here I gather matter enough to condēne thee, for this is a confirmation of all that thou hast heretofore sayd.

Grat. Then I aunswered: If you can proue that euer any of myne examinations were written, it were inough: but you haue nothyng agaynst me, but obiections of your owne makyng.

Wint. Haue at thee now. MarginaliaWinchester condemneth Steuen Gratwicke, and why?If thou wilt not yeld, I will pronoūce sentence agaynst thee, & so he proceeded foorth onward a pace, cursing and bannyng in Latin: so that I told him: If the people might heare it in English, they would thinke you an vncharitable Byshop.

Grat. MarginaliaSteuen Gratwicke condemned agaynst order, both of temporal and spirituall lawe.And then I sayd, stay my Lord and note what you do, for you haue neither temporall law nor spirituall here agaynst me in any iust cause.

Then stepped forth a Gentleman & sayd vnto my Lord: take heede what you do, for he doth here say that you haue no title nor cause why you should condemne him.

Then the Byshop looked about him agayne and asked me if I would recant.

I asked him wherof I should recant?

Thē sayd the Byshop: are you there? nay then I know what I haue to do, and so he proceeded forth in readyng my condemnation.

And there was an other Gentleman whiche began in snappe and snach at me: and then sayd I, I would God I had knowen this or euer I had come from home: I would surely haue put on my breech, and not had my skynne thus torne. And all this while the Byshop read forth still.

At last his chaplynes cryed, stoppe, stoppe my Lord, for now he will recant,  

Commentary     Close

Once the sentence had been read, it was final unless the condemned secured a royal pardon. By pausing, Bishop White is giving Gratwick a last chance to recant and save his life.

MarginaliaSteuen Gratwicke constant in Christ and in his death.And I aunswered & sayd: my Lord, my fayth is grounded more stedfastly, then to chaūge in a moment, it is no processe of tyme can alter me, vnlesse my fayth were as the waues of the sea: and so the Byshop made an ende, and deliuered me into the handes of the Sheriffe, to be caryed prisoner to the Marshalsey agayne.

MarginaliaGratwicke after his condemnation prayeth for his enemies.And when I was condemned, I desired God with a loude voyce that hee would not lay my bloud to their charges, if it were his good will, and so then they refused my prayer and sent me away. Then I beganne to talke as I went, and they cryed, cut out his toūg, or stoppe his mouth, and so I was brought to the Marshalsey, and lapped in yron bandes. Therfore I pray vnto GOD that they vnto whom this present writyng shall come, may take example by my death and souldiour fare. So be it.

By me Steuen Gratwicke condem-
ned for Gods euerlastyng truth.

MarginaliaSteuen Gratwicke to the Reader.HEre for want of tyme I haue left out many matters, because the Lord hath hastened the tyme, so that I haue written but the briefnesse of the matter in probation of fayth, and the reward of fayth, the whiche the Byshoppe of Rochester and I debated vpon: the which matter I would haue bene very glad to haue set downe in writyng.

Also much more talke there was, that the Byshop of Wynchester and I had concernyng my worldly frendes and personable estate: MarginaliaWinchester attempteth Steuē Gratwicke with flattering and praysing.for he played Sathan with me: he caryed me vp to the mountaines, and there told me, my learnyng was good and my eloquence, and also my knowledge, saue that I did abuse it (sayd he): and then he fell to praysing of my person, that it was comely & worthy to serue a prince.

Thus Sathan flattered with me to make me aunswere vnto such obiections as he would lay agaynst me, that I might fall into his Dioces.