MarginaliaAnno. 1557. October.tar (sayd he) at this tyme of Easter?

And I sayd, no.

And why haue ye not, saith he?

I sayd: I dare not medle w^t you in it, as you vse it.

Why? doe not we vse it truly, sayd he.

I sayd: no, for the holy supper of the Lorde serueth for the Christen congregation, and you are none of Christes members, & therfore I dare not medle with you, lest I be like vnto you.

Why are we none of Christes members, sayd the Chauncellor?

I sayd: because you teach lawes contrary to Gods lawe.

What lawes are those, sayed he?

I sayd: these iij. articles that you sweare the people vnto here, be false and vntrue, & you doe euill to sweare the people vnto them.

Then sayd he: good people, take no heede vnto his wordes: for he is an hereticke and teacheth you disobedience: and so he would no more speake of that matter.

Then sayd he: how beleuest thou in the blessed sacrament of the altar? doest thou not beleue that after it is cōsecrated, it is þ^e very same body that was borne of the virgin Mary?

I sayd: no, not the same body in substance: for the same body hath a substance in flesh, bloud, and bones, and was a bloudy sacrifice, and this is a drie sacrifice.

And I sayd: is the Masse a sacrifice?

Vnto which a Doctor aunswered that sat by him: it is a sacrifice both for the quicke and the dead.

Thē sayd I: no, it is no sacrifice: for S. Paul sayth that Christ made one sacrifice once for all: and I doe beleue in none other sacrifice, but only in that one sacrifice that our Lord Iesus Christ made once for all.

Then said the Doctor: that sacrifice þ^t Christ made, was a wet sacrifice, and the Masse is a drie sacrifice.

MarginaliaSpurdance examined vpō the Sacrament of the altar.Then sayd I: that same drie sacrifice is a sacrifice of your own making, and it is your sacrifice: it is none of mine. Then sayd the Chauncellor: he is an hereticke: he denieth the sacrament of the altar.

Then sayd I: will ye know how I beleue in the holy Supper of our Lord?

And he sayd, yea.

Then sayd I: I beleue that if I come rightly and worthely as God hath cōmaunded me, to the holy supper of the Lord, I receaue him by fayth, by beleuing in him. But the bread being receaued, is not God, nor the bread that is yōder in the pixe, is not God. God dwelleth not in temples made with handes, neither will be worshipped with the workes of mens handes. And therfore you doe very euill to cause the people to knele downe, and worship the bread: for God did neuer bid you holde it vp aboue your heades, neither had the Apostles such vse.

Then said the Chauncellor: he denith the presence in the sacrament. Write this article also. He is a very hereticke.

Then sayd I: the seruaunt is not greater then his master. For your predecessors killed my master Christ, the Prophetes, and Apostles, and holy vertuous men, and now you also kill the seruauntes of Christ, so that all the righteous bloud that hath bene shed, euen from righteous Abel vntill thys daie, shall bee required at your handes.

Well, sayd the Chauncellor: haue him away.

MarginaliaAn other examination of Tho. Spurdance before the Bishop.THe Byshop saied: sirrha, dost thou not beleue in the catholicke fayth of holy church?

And I sayd: I beleue Christes catholicke church.

Yea sayd he? in Christes church, of the which the Pope is the head. Dost thou not beleue that the Pope is supreame head of the catholicke church?

And I said, no. I beleue not that he should be aboue þ^e Apostles if he take them to be his predecessors. For when there came a thought among the Apostles, who should bee the greatest when their maister was gone, Christ aunswered thē vnto their thoughtes: MarginaliaLuke. xxij.The kinges of the earth beare domination aboue other, but ye shall not so doe, for he that will be greatest among you, shall become seruaunt vnto you all. How is it then (sayd I) that he will clime so high aboue his felowes? And also we were sworne by my maister K. Henryes tyme, that we should to the vttermost of our power, neuer consent to him again. And therefore as he hath nothing to doe

here in England, so neither in his owne contrey more then a Byshop hath in his dioces.

Yea sayd the Bishop? what of that? We were then in error and sinne, now we are in the right way againe, and therefore thou must come home agayne with vs, and knowledge thy fault and become a Christian mā, and bee sworne vnto the Pope as our supreme head. MarginaliaThe Popes supremacie.Wilt thou be sworne vnto the Pope? How saist thou?

Then I sayd: no I warrant you, by the grace of God, not as long as I liue. For you can not proue by the scripture, that the Pope is head of the church, and maie doe therein what him list.

No, sayd he?: yes I trow: For as the Belweather, which weareth the Bell, is head of the flocke of sheepe, euen so is the Pope the head of the churche of Christ. And as the Bees in the hieue haue a master Bee whē they are gone out, to bring them home agayne to the hieue: euen so the Pope, when wee bee gone astray, and wandred from the folde, from the hieue. &c. then is ordeined our head by succession of Peter, to bring vs home agayne to the true churche: as thou now my good fellow, has wandred long out of the way, like a scattered sheepe. &c. Heare therefore that Belweather, the maister bell. &c. and come home with vs to thy mother the true Church agayne.

Vnto whom I answered: My Lord, all this is but naturall reason, and no Scripture: but since ye can not proue the Pope to be authorised by Scripture, ye aunswere not me, as I thought ye would.

Ha, sayd he: I see well ye be stout and will not be aunswered: therefore ye shall bee compelled by lawe whether ye will or no.

My Lord sayd I: so did your forefathers intreate Christ and his Apostles. MarginaliaThe Pharasies Lawe.They had a law, and by their law they put him to death: and so likewise, you haue a law, which is tyranny, and by that would ye inforce me to beleue as you do. But þ^e Lord, I trust, will assist me agaynst all your beggerly ceremonies, and make your foolishnes knowen to all the world one day.

Then sayd he: when were ye at church and went in procession, and did the ceremonies of the church?

And I sayd: neuer since I was borne.

No, sayd he? how old are you?

And I sayd: I thinke about xl.

Why sayd he, how did you vse your selfe at church xx. yeares ago?

I sayd: as you doe now.

And euen now, sayd he, you sayd you did not the Ceremonies since you were borne.

No more I did, sayd I, since I was borne a newe: as Christ sayd vnto Nicodemus, except ye be borne a new, ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen.

Then sayd a Doctor that sat by: he is a very Anabaptist: for that is their opinion playne.

No syr, you say falsely, sayd I, for I am no Anabaptist: for they deny children to be Baptised, and so doe not I.

Well, sayd the Byshop: why doest thou not goe to the church, and doe the Ceremonies?

And I said: because they be cōtrary to Gods worde and lawes, as you your selfe haue taught: but now you say it is good agayne: and I thinke if there were a returne to morrow, you would say that is false agayne which you hold now. Therefore I may well say there is no truth in you.

Then said the Bishop: thou art a stubborne fellow, and an hereticke, and a Traitor.

No sayd I: I am no Traitor, for I haue done, I thinke, better seruice to the crowne imperiall of England then you.

If you had done so good seruice (said he) you would be obedient to the lawes of the realme.

So I am, said I. There is no mā a liue (I thanke God) to accuse me iustly that euer I was disobedient to any ciuill lawes. But you must consider my Lord, that I haue a soule and a body: MarginaliaObedience to Princes, how farre.& my soule is none of the Quenes, but my body & my goods are the Quenes. And I must geue God my soule, and all that belōgeth vnto it: that is, I must doe the law and commaundementes of God, and who so euer commaundeth lawes contrary to Gods lawes, I may not do them, for losing of my soule, but rather obey God then man.

And he sayd: why doest thou not these lawes then? are they not agreable to Gods law?

And I sayd: no, you can not proue them to bee Gods lawes.