written, and in writing to be deliuered to the same Walter. Which when he had sene and red, he sayd also that he did maintayne and iustifie them accordyng to the lawes aforesayd. These thinges were done in the chamber of the sayd bishop of Hereford, at hys manor of Whitborne of the sayd dioces of Hereford:MarginaliaWitnesses against W Brute. then beyng there present the same Bishop abouesayd, M. Reynold of Wolsten, Canon of Hereford, Sir Phillip Dileske parson of the parish church of Blamuwrin, Thomas Guldefeld parson of the Church of Englisbyknore, Iohn Cresset parson of the Churche of Whitborne, and Thomas Wallewayne houshold seruant for witnesses specially called and desired to the premisses of the diocesses of Hereford and S. Asse.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaBenedict Come Register, witnes and writer of this instrument against W. Brute. And I Benedict Come clerke of the dioces of S. Asse, publique notary by the Apostolike authoritie for the diocesse of S. Asse, was personally present together with the witnes before named, at all and singuler these and other thinges here premised, whilest they were so done and a doing, and did see, heare, and write those thinges so to be done, as is before mentioned: and dyd write the same and reduce them into this publike forme, and with my wonted & accustomed seale and name haue sealed it, beyng desired and required truly to testifie the premisses.

[Back to Top]

At the last, the aforesayd Walter Brute, did present and cause to be presented to vs (at diuers places and tymes assigned by vs to the same Walter, to aunswer to the former conclusions and articles) diuers scroules of paper written with hys owne proper hand, for hys aunswers to the same Articles and conclusions aboue written: he partly appearing by his owne selfe, before vs sitting in our iudgement seat, and partly by his messēgers specially appoynted to that purpose: of which scrolles, the tenors doe follow in order worde by worde, and be on this maner.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaCertaine exhibites of Walter Brute in writing presented to the B. for his defēce. In the name of the father, and the sonne, and the holy ghost, Amen:  

I Walter Brute, sinner, layman, husbandmā, and a ChristianMarginaliaWalter Brute a Britone borne. (hauing mine ofspring of the Britons, both by my father and mothers side) of the Britons, haue bene accused to the B. of Hereford, that I did erre in many matters concerning the catholike Christen faith: by whom I am required, that I should write an answer in Latine to all those matters.MarginaliaProtestation made. Whose desire I will satisfie to my power, protestyng first of all, before God & before all the world: þ^t like as it is not my mynd through Gods grace, to refuse the knowē truth, for any rewarde greater or smaller, yea be it neuer so bigge, nor yet for the feare of any temporall punishement: euē so it is not my mynde to maintayne any erroneous doctrine for any cōmodities sake. And if any man, of what state, sect, or condicion soeuer he be, wyll shewe me that I erre in my writinges or sayinges by the aucthoritie of the sacred scripture, or by probable reason grounded in the sacred scripture, I will humbly and gladly receiue his information.MarginaliaNo writer or doctor without his errour the Scripture onely excepted. But as for the bare wordes of any teacher (Christ onely excepted) I wil not simply beleue, except he shalbe hable to stablish them by the truthe of experience, or of the Scripture:MarginaliaErrour in the Doctours. for because that in the holye Apostles elected by Christ, there hathe ben found errour by the testimonie of the holy scripture, because that Paule himself doth confesse that he rebuked Peter, for that he was worthy to be rebuked, Galat. the 2. chapiter.MarginaliaErrors in the Doctors. There hath bene errour found in the holy Doctors that haue bene before vs, as they themselues confesse of themselues.MarginaliaErroors and contrarieties among the popish writers. And oftentimes it falleth out, that there is errour founde in the teachers in our age: who are of contrarye opinions amonge themselues, and some of them doo somtimes determine one thyng for truth, and others doe condemne the selfe same thyng to be heresye or errour. Which protestation premised, I will here place ii. suppositions or cases for a groūd and a foundation of all things that I shall say, out of which I would gather out two probable conclusions stablished vppon the same, and vpon the sacred Scripture. By which conclusions, when as they shall be declared after my manner and fashion, it shall plainly appeare what my opinion and iudgement is concernyng all matters that I am accused of.MarginaliaBrute modestly excuseth hys learning. But because I am ignorant and vnlearned, I will get me vnder the mighty defences of the Lord. O Lord I will remember thine onely righteousnes.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe first case or supposition. God the father almighty vncreate, the maker of heauen and earth, hath sent his sonne (that was euerlastingly begotten) into this world: that he should be incarnated, for the saluation and redemption of mankynd, who was conceyued by the holy ghost euerlastingly proceedyng from the father and the sonne, and was borne of Mary the virgin, to the end that we might be borne a new. He suffered Passion vnder Pontius Pilate for our sinnes, laying downe his lyfe for vs, that we should lay downe our lyfe for our brethren. He was crucified, that we should be crucified to the world, and the world to vs. He was dead, that he might redeeme vs from death, by purchasing for vs forgeuenes of sinnes. He was buried, that we beyng buried together with hym in to death by Baptisme, and that we dead to sins, should lyue to righteousnes. He descended into hel, therby deliueryng man from thraldome, and from the bondage of the Deuil, and restoring hym to hys inheritaunce, which he lost by sinne. The third day he rose from the dead, thorough the glory of hys father, that we also should walke in newnesse of lyfe. He ascended vp to the heauens, to which no body hath ascended, sauyng he that descended from heauen, euen the sonne of mā which is in heauen. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty, vntil hys enemies be made hys footestoole. He beyng in very deede so much better then the Aungels, as he hath obteyned by inheritaunce a more excellent name then they. From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade, accordingly to their workes, because the father hath geuen all iudgement to the sonne. In whose terrible iudgement we shall aryse agayne, and shall all of vs stande before hys iudgement seate, and receyue ioy as well bodily, as spiritually for euer to endure, if we be of the sheepe placed at the right hande: or els punishment both of bodye and soule if we shall be found amongst goates, placed on the left hande. &c

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe second case or assertion. Iesus Christ the sonne of God, very God and very mā a kyng for euer, by stablishing an euerlastyng kyngdome, breakyng to pouder all the kingdomes of the world: Dan. 2. a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech, whereby also he is able euermore to saue such as by hym come vnto god and alwayes liueth to intreat for vs. Hebr. 7. He offeryng one sacrifice for our sinnes, hath made perfect for euer by one oblation, those that be sanctified, Heb. 10. Beyng the wisedom that cannot be deceiued, and the truth that cannot be vttered: he hath in this world taught the will of the godhead of hys father, which will he hath in worke fulfilled, to the intent that he might faithfully instruct vs, and hath geuen the law of charitie to be of hys faythfull people obserued, which he hath written in the hartes and myndes of the faythfull with the finger of God, where is the spirite of God, searching the inward secretes of the Godhed. Wherfore hys doctrine must be obserued aboue all other doctrines, whither they be of aungels or of men, because that he could not nor would not erre in his teachyng. But in mens doctrines there chanceth oftentymes to be errour, and therfore we must forsake their doctrines if clokedly or expresly they be repugnant to the doctrine of Christ. Mens doctrins beyng made for the peoples profit must be alowed and obserued, so that they be grounded vpon Christes doctrine, or at the least be not repugnaunt to hys wordes.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe first conclusion If the high bishop of Rome, calling himselfe the seruant of the seruauntes of God, and the chiefe vicare of Christ in this world, do make and maintaine many lawes contrary to the Gospell of Iesu Christ:MarginaliaThe Pope an idole of desolation sitting in the temple of God. then is he of those that haue come in Christes name, saying, I am Christ, & haue seduced many a one, by the testimony of our Sauiour in Math. cap. 24 and the idoll of desolacion sittyng in the Temple of God, and takyng away from hym the continuall sacrifice for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme. Which idoll must be reueled to the christian people by the testimony of Daniell. Whereof Christ speaketh in the Gospell. When you shall see the abhomination of desolation that was tolde of by Daniell the Prophet, standing in the holy place:MarginaliaThe pope if his lawes be contrary to Christ is the pestiferous mountayne infecting the whole earth.
Ierem. 31. let hym that readeth, vnderstand, and he is the pestiferous mountayne infectyng the whole vniuersall earth, as witnesseth, Ieremy, chap. 51. and not the hed of Christes body. For the auncient person in yeres, and honorable in reuerence, he is the hed, and the prophet teaching lies, is the tayle, as Esay alledgeth. chapter. 9.MarginaliaThe pope, the sinfull captaine of Israel, spokē of Exech. 21. And he is that wicked, and sinnefull Captaine of Israell, whose foreappoynted day of iniquitie is come in tyme of iniquitie, who shall take away Cidarim, and take away the crowne. Ezech. chap. 21. to whom it was sayd: For asmuch as thy hart was exalted, and didst say, I am a God, and sittest in the seat of God, in the hart of the sea, seyng thou art a man and not God, and hast geuen thyne hart, as if it were the hart of God: therfore behold I will bring vpon thee the most strong and mighty straungers of the nations, and they shall draw their swordes vpon the beauty of thy wisedom, & shall defile thy commaundements and kill thee, and pull thee out, & thou shalt die in the destruction of the slayne, and it foloweth.

[Back to Top]

In the multitude of thine iniquities, & of þ^e iniquities of thy marchaundise,MarginaliaAntichrist described. þ^u hast defiled thy sanctificatiō. I wil therfore bring forth a fire, frō the midst of þ^e whole earth, & wil make thee as ashes vpō earth. Thou art become nothing, & neuer