MarginaliaPaule if he were not maryed, yet he had power to mary as well as the other had.Marginalia1557. Iune.my talke wel. He asked me how I said by S. Paul, whether he were maried or not. To whom I aunsweared: I proue by the scriptures that he was neuer maried.

Chich. How proue you that?

Wood. I wyl proue it well enough, by Gods helpe. But yet I wyl proue that Paul might haue had a wife, as well as the other Apostles had.

Chich. Why? had the Apostles wiues?

Wood. Yea, all sauing Paul and Barnabas, as I vnderstand it. For these are Paules words in the first to the Corinth. ix. cha. Marginalia1. Cor. 9.Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ? Are not ye my worke in the Lord? And if I be not an apostle to other, yet to you I am an apostle. For you are the seale of my Apostleship in the Lorde. Mine answeare to them that aske me, is this: Haue we not power to eate and drinke? either haue we not power to leade about a sister to wife, as well as the other Apostles haue, and as the brethrē of the Lord? Either haue not Barnabas and I power thus to doo? So this text proueth that Paul & Barnabas were vnmaried. But Paul declareth, that the rest had wyues, & that they had power likewise so to haue, but they foūd no neede therof. But Paul declareth in the. vij. chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinth. that he that hath no power ouer his owne flesh, may mary: Marginalia1. Cor. 7.For it is better to mary then to burne. Wherfore, to auoyd fornicatiō (saith he) let euery man haue his wife. He saith: Let euery man haue his wife, and euery woman her husbande. MarginaliaPriestes ought to haue wiues, rather then to burne, by Sainct Paules doctrine.By this place of scripture I vnderstand, that bishops & priestes may haue wyues, because they are mē, rather then burne, or to commit fornication. But I thinke verily, he that can abstaine, hauing power of his owne wyll, doth best: but if he mary, he sinneth not.

So then he debated the Scriptures with me diuers wayes, that a Bishop nor a priest ought not to haue a wife: but I proued by diuers Scriptures, both in the old Lawe and in the new, MarginaliaGene. 2.that women were at first made for the helpe of men, the which was spokē generally to al men. Wherfore (said I) euery man may haue a woman, & sinne not, in honest matrimony, as wel Bishops & Deacons, as other men, which you cal Priestes, if they be true Ministers of Iesus Christ, and of that order that the Bishops & Deacons wer in Paules time. For Paul declareth to Timoth. 1. and the 3. Marginalia1. Tim. 3.That a Bishop should be the husband of one wife, & how they should be honestly apparelled, & how they should bring vp their childrē: and likewise the Deacons. This (said I) proueth more plainly, MarginaliaBishops and Deacons were maryed in the Apostles tyme.that both Bishops and Deacons had wyues in the Apostles tyme: the which he could not deny. But then he alledged that no bishop nor priest might take a wife, after he had taken vpon hym that office: MarginaliaPapistes hold, that Byshops and Deacons hauing wyues before, might keepe them still: but not hauing before, might not afterward mary.but if he had a wife before he tooke the office, tryed meete for the purpose, for his life & for his learnyng, he might keepe his wife, and bring vp his childrē according to s. Paules meaning to Timothy, or els might they haue no wyues. Then said I: I thinke Paules meanyng in that place was, that a mā that hath had two wiues, might not be made a bishop nor a deacō, if he had neuer so much learning. But that place maketh not that a Bishop or a Deacon may not mary after they be made Bishops and Deacons. For I am sure that Paul was in þ^e state of a bishop, when he said: He had power to leade about a sister to wife, as wel as the other Apostls had. MarginaliaPaul confesseth him selfe after his Apostleship to haue power to mary.Here Paul declareth, that it was in his power to haue a wife, after he had the office of a Bishop, which was not in his power, if he had ben forbidden of God.

Thus haue I shewed you my mind in this behalfe, both of Paul, and also for the mariages of Bishops & Priestes, as I vnderstand the scriptures. Howbeit, it is a thing the which I haue litle to do withal: but as you required me to say my mynd in that matter, so I haue done.

Chich. Mary I am glad that you haue saide as you haue done. Many doo affirme boldly that Paul had a wyfe, and yet can not proue whether he had or had not, by the Scriptures: but you haue sayd very wel. I am glad that ye are contented to be ruled by Gods word. And if you wil be cōtented likewise in other matters, no doubt you shal do wel: MarginaliaThe Byshops fayre wordes to Richard Woodman.therfore gentle goodman Woodman be ruled. God hath geuē you a good wyt. I protest before God, I would you should doo as well as myne owne soule and body, and so would (I dare say) al the worshipful men in the coūtrey, as they haue reported to me.

Wood. Why, my Lorde, I take God to recorde (whom I trust to serue) that I would be as glad to lyue in rest and peace, as any man in all the world, if I might. And I stand to learne, and am contented to be reformed of any thing that I holde, if it can be proued that it be not agreeable to Gods woorde. And the truth is so, I haue talked with a dosen Priestes a the least, since I was deliuered out of prison, of certaine matters, and they haue not bene able to certifie me in any thing that I haue asked them: and therefore haue

they complayned on me to the Sheriffe and Iustices,MarginaliaRichard Woodman complayned of by vnlearned Priestes which could not certifie him in matters of religion. making tales & lyes on me, to turne me to displeasure, as much as in them lyeth. I promise you, there be as many vnlearned Priestes in your Dioces, as in any one Dioces in England, I thinke: the more it is to be lamented.

Chich. I promise you, I doo much lament it my selfe: for I heare say no lesse: but it is true that you say. I woulde I could remedie it, but I can not: but I wyl doo the best that I can, when I come into the countrey, and I wyll be glad to talke with you some other tyme, when I am somewhat better at ease. You see I am very tender now, as I haue ben this halfe yeare & more. Come to dynner: our dynner is ready. I caused not you to tary for anye great chere that you shall haue, nor I would you should not thinke that I go about to wynne you with my meate. But you bee welcome with all my hart. Come, sit down.

Wood. I thanked him, and went to dinner: and there dyned with hym a Marchant man, one of the sheriffes men, and I, and no mo, and we had good chere, God be praysed therfore. MarginaliaA Byshoplike dinner without any talke of scriptures.We had no talke of the scriptures al the dynner while: but when dynner was done, the Byshop sayd.

Chich. Now call M. Stories man. For the commissioners haue committed you to prison: but I will send for you or euer it be long, and I pray god I may do you good. I would be very glad of it.

Wood. If it please you to send for me, I woulde bee very glad to talke with you, for I like your talke well. And thē if it please your Lordship to examine me vpon any particular matter, I will shewe you my mynde therein, by Gods grace, without dissimulation. But I pray you let me haue nothing to do with M. Story,MarginaliaD. Story a man without reason. for he is a man without reason, me thynke.

Chich. Well, or euer you go, how say you to the vij. Sacramentes? Let me heare what you say to thē, that I may be the willinger to send for you agayne.

Wood. MarginaliaVij. Sacramentes denyed.I know not seuen Sacramentes.

Chich. Then what shall I talke with you? Howe many do you know?

Wood. I know but two: MarginaliaTwo onely Sacramentsone the Sacrament of Baptisme and the other the Supper of the Lord. But if you can iustly proue by Gods word, that there be more then two, I stād to be reformed.

Chich. If I proue not seuen by Gods worde, then beleue me not: and so he bad me farewell.

Then the Sheriffes two men, and one of Doctour Stories men, caryed me to Doct Cookes house, whiche Doct. Cooke commaunded them to cary me to the Sheriffes prison in Southwarke: saying he shall be called before vs agayne shortly and all his felowes, and we shall dispatch them for troublyng the countrey any more.

MarginaliaRichard Woodman caryed to the Marshalsey.And I so was brought to the Marshalsea: where I now am mery (God be praysed therfore) looking for iudgement of my fleshe: for they intende to dispatch me shortly, if God wil geue them leaue: but God hath their hartes in hys hands, and they can do nothyng to me, but as God will geue them leaue. Wherfore I commit my cause to God only, MarginaliaLuke 22.and I am sure there shall not one heare of my head perish without my heauenly fathers wil, although I bide neuer so much trouble. Iob perished not for all his trouble, although God gaue the deuill leaue to trouble & trye hym diuers and many wayes, as God hath suffered MarginaliaThe deuils members persecutors of the Christians.his members to trouble & trye me diuers and many wayes, I prayse God. They shal as little preuayle agaynst my fayth (I haue no mistrust) as the deuil preuayled not agaynst Iob,MarginaliaIob. what soeuer they doe with my goodes, life or body. For he that kept Iob in al his trouble, MarginaliaPsal. 121.neyther slombreth nor sleepeth, but keepeth me and all his elect, that whether we liue or dye, it shall bee to the prayse and glory of god. MarginaliaRom. 14.For if we liue, we liue at þ^e Lords will, & if we die, we die to þ^e Lords wil: so, whether we liue or dye, we are the Lordes, blessed be his name therfore.

MarginaliaRichard Woodman to the faithfull. brethren.Wherefore, deare brethren and sisters to whom thys my writyng shall come, be of good chere, and feare not what mā can do vnto you. For they can but kill the body: but feare him that hath power to kill both body and soule. And yet once agayne I bid you be of good chere. For the Sheriffe w^t diuers other Gentlemen and Priestes, whylest I was at the Sheriffes house sayd to me, that all the heretickes in the countrye hong on me, as the people did in tymes past vpon S. Augustine, or S. Ambrose, or such like. Wherfore sayd they, looke well on it, you haue a great thing to answere for. To the which I aunswered: I pray God lay nothyng more to my charge, then he will doe for heresy, as I am sure he will not. MarginaliaPsal. 103.For he hath set my sinnes as farre from me, as it is from the East to the West: So that I am sure they shall neuer come nere me any more. Yea, and that that they call heresie, we serue God withall. MarginaliaThose that feare God hang not on man.And I am sure there is no man nor woman that hangeth on me, but on God. But yet that is their imagination and thoughts that if they might winne