Marginalia1558.And for this they brought in S. Augustine, although of them not truely vnderstāded, yet would they admyt none other sense then their owne, but would take vpon them to confirme it with Martin Luther, Melancthon, Bucer, & Caluine, so that I perceyuyng their obstinacie in that behalfe, gaue them ouer for that tyme, and afterwards talked with Doctour Barret, whom I also founde of the same iudgement in that behalfe. For (said he) if ye should dissent from the Fathers of the Primatiue church in this behalfe, of which S. Augustine is one, ye shal be counted to dye out of the fauour of God. Wel, al this their obstinacie and blasphemous errors imprinted & deepely weighed in my mynd, I gaue them al ouer, and the more quietly to bring them to confesse that openly, which they vnto me had graunted priuately, I graunted them, accordyng to the Scriptures, and my former protestatiō, a presence, although not as they supposed.

After all this, came there vnto me the honorable Earle of Sussex, and that gentle knyght sir William Woodhouse, with great perswasions: vnto whō I sayd, after long talk, that I would doo all that I might, sauyng my conscience, which I would in no wise pollute, and no more I haue, as knoweth God, by whom al men must be iudged.

MarginaliaThe last appearance of Thomas Rose before the Byshop.NOw to come to my last appearance, after I was before the Bishop presented, he forthwith demaunded of me, whether I were resolued, as he had heard say. To whom I answeared, that euen as alwayes I had said before, that euen so I was now. Vnto whō by low bowyng my knee, I gaue my due reuerence, and the rather for that the honorable Earle of Sussex were there. Wherewith some whiche would be counted great Gospellers, were contrarye to all Christianitie, sore offended. Then I sayd, that what soeuer lawes were set forth for the establishment of Christes true religion, and that accordyng to the doctrine of Christes holy Apostles, & the faithful fathers of the primatiue church, I dyd not only obey them, but most earnestly embrace and beleue them. Yea, and yet to the further blyndyng of their eyes, I said, that if any thing could iustly be proued by gods holy worde, by me heretofore preached or taught vntruely, either for lacke of learnyng, slide of tongue, or of ignorance, yet by better knowledge when it shal iustly be tryed & examined by the same: I shall not refuse (the thyng perfectly approued) to reuoke þ^e same. Prouided alwayes, the word of God herein to be iudge.

Al this spake I (as God knoweth) to keepe them frō suspectyng that which I went about, and that they should haue none occasion to iudge me of obstinacie. Then sayd I moreouer, Al you must of force confesse, that the doctrine by me heretofore preached, had besides the authoritie of Gods eternal veritie, the authoritie of two most noble and mighty princes, with the aduice and counsel of al the Nobilitie and Cleregie of the same, and that with great deliberation from tyme to time, with open disputations in both the Vniuersities: enacted also by parlament with the consent of þ^e whole body and Commons of the same, and that without any resistance or gainsaying established, as a religion most pure & perfect, most earnestly and sincerely preached by the principal Bishops and Doctors, and that before the kyngs maiesties persō, & I as one being called to that office, dyd þ^e like, with al the rest, and in the zeale of God, & with a pure conscience dyd set forth þ^e same as the onely and absolute truth of God, and the iust and most true proceedynges of my soueraigne Lord and king, and I had then my head at that present euen where it now standeth, betwixt myne eares, altogether applying the same, to apprehende with all diligence, that whiche then was established and taught, as the onely and absolute truth, and a thyng vnto me most desirous and wel liking, without my desire to heare the cōtrary, tyl now through this my captiuitie I am compelled to heare the cōtrary part speake, who are euen here present, and which my Lord sent vnto me.

Of whom after long disputations priuately to and fro before this tyme had betwixt vs, at length I haue heard by them a contrary doctrine, which I neuer before had hearde, and therefore must confesse myne owne ignoraunce in the same. For (quoth I) after I had enforced these men here present (meanyng the Bishops two Chapleynes) to confesse Iesus Christes naturall body with his full complete members in the due order and proportion of a perfect mans body to be present at the right hand of God the father, and that without returne from thence vntyl the last iudgement, and also that after the words pronounced by the priest there remayneth no such grosse presence of fleshe, bloud, bones, heare, and nayles, as was wont to be preached, but that after I had demaunded of them what maner of bodye

they affirmed to be present, they saide: A body inuisible by the omnipotencie of Gods worde, which neyther can be felt nor seene, nor that hath any distinctiō of members, but such a body as occupyeth no place, but is there, they knowe not howe, necessitie compelled me to confesse myne ignoraunce in that behalfe: although in very deede they perceyued not my meanyng therein, neither was it in my thought they should so doo. For by this their confession, and my silence, afterward I perceuyed their horrible blasphemies.

And me thought, in this I had well discharged at that tyme my conscience, in causing them in open audience to cōfesse the same, and so I graunted a presence, but not as they supposed.

For onely I sayd, that Christ after the word pronounced, is present in the lawful vse and right distribution of his holy Supper, whiche thyng I neuer denyed, nor any godly man that euer I heard of. For (sayde I) Eusebius Emissenus a man of singular fame and learnyng, about three hundred yeares after Christes ascension, saith: That the conuersion of the visible creatures of bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ, is like vnto our conuersion in Baptisme, where nothyng is outwardly chaunged, but all the chaunge is inwardly by the mighty working of the holy Ghost, whiche fashioneth and frameth Christ in the hart and mynd of man, as by the example of Peter preachyng to the people. Actes. 2.MarginaliaActes. 2. By which he so pierced their consciences, that they openly with most earnest repentance confessed their sinnes, saying: Men and brethren, what shal we doo? Repent, and be baptised euery of you (sayd Peter) in the name of Iesus Christ: so that at this Sermon there were which turned vnto Christ, three thousand persons, in whō Christ was so fashioned and framed, as that he dyd dwel in euery one of them, and they in hym: and after the like maner (said I) is Christ present in the lawfull vse and right distribution of his holy Supper, and not otherwise. For although I sayd, accordyng to the truth, that Christ dwelt in euery one of these persons rehearsed, yet meant I nothyng lesse, then that he in them shoulde haue a grosse, carnall, or fleshly dwellyng.

And no more meant I (as knoweth God) hym carnally or naturally to be in the Sacrament, but accordyng to the Scriptures, and my former protestation, that is, MarginaliaHow Christ is present in the Sacrament.to the spiritual nourishmēt of al such as worthyly come vnto that holy Supper, receiuyng it accordyng to his holy institutiō.

And thus I ended, which the Papistes most maliciously and and sclaunderously named a recantation, whiche I neuer meant nor thought (as God knoweth.)

Now after I had thus concluded my speach, the Bishop takyng me by the hand, said: Father Rose, you may be a worthy instrument in Gods church, and we wyll see to you at our commyng home (for he was about to take his iourney in visitation of his Dioces) and they feared much at this very tyme, least Queene Mary should haue miscaryed in chyld trauaile, which was looked for, beyng then accoūted very great with chyld, so that they were not so fierce at they had bene, and doubted very much of some sturre, if I should haue suffered, and therfore were glad to be ryd of me, so that by any colorable meanes for their own discharge it might be: so that the night folowyng I was onely commytted to myne old lodging.

On the morowe when the Bishop was ready to ryde forth in visitation, he called me before hym, and perceiuyng that sir William Woodhouse dyd beare me great fauor, said, he was sory for me & my expenses, and therfore wished that I were somewhere, where I might spend no more money, tyl his returne. Why my lord (quoth sir Williā Woodhouse) he shall haue meate and drinke & lodgyng with me tyll your returne again, seeing you now breake vp house, & hereupon I went home with sir Williā that good knight, who most gently enterteyned me, & I had great libertie. MarginaliaPopish priestes loue to blase abroad lyes.Vppon this the papistical priestes of the Colledge of Christes Church in Norwich, for that they saw me at libertie in sir Williams absence (who also was then from home a fortnight) blased it abroad, that sir William was bounden for me in body and landes. At his commyng home therfore I asked sir Williā if he were so bounden for me: and he denyed it. Then sayd I: Syr,. but for the reuerēce I beare to you, I might haue bene an hundred myles from you ere this. But I trust now sir, seeing you be not bounden for me, I may goe visite my frends. Goe where you wil, said sir William, for (quoth he) I tolde the Bishop I woulde not be his Gaylor, but promised onely meate, drinke, and lodgyng for you. Shortly after, vppon the deuise of some frendes, I was closely conueyed to a frendes house, where almost a moneth I was secretly kept, tyl rumours were ouer. For at the Bishops returne, searchyng was for me, in so muche as all houses where it was knowen I had bene acquainted, were searched, and the shippes at Yarmouth.