next day he was sent to the Iustice, from hym to þ^e bishop. Who riddyng their handes of him, then was he brought to the Lieutenant, who sent his aduocate with a Notary, to him in the prison, to examine him of his faith. The whole proces of his examinatiōs, MarginaliaThe examination of Richard Feurus. with his aduersaries & the fryers, in his storye described, is lōg. þ^e principal cōtentes come to this effect.

MarginaliaThis Inquisitor was the Aduocate which the Lieutenant sent with the Notarie. Doest thou beleue the Church of Rome?

No, I do beleue the Catholique and vniuersall Church.

What Catholique Church is that?

MarginaliaThe church. The congregation, or communion of Christians.

What congregation is that, or of whom doth it consist?

It consisteth in the number of Gods elect, whō God hath chosen to be the mēbers of his sonne Iesu Christ, of whom also he is the head.

Where is this cōgregation, or how is it knowen?

It is dispersed through the vniuersal world, in diuers regions, and is knowen by the spiritual direction, wherewith it is gouerned, that is to say, both by the woorde of God, and by the right institution of Christes Sacramentes.

Do ye thinck the church that is at Geneua, Lausanna, Berne, and such other places, to be a more true Church, then the holy church of Rome?

Yea veryly, for these haue the notes of the true Church.

What difference then make you betweene those Churches and the church of Rome?

MarginaliaDifference betwene the church of Rome & the church of Christ. Muche, for the Churche of Rome is gouerned only with traditions of men, but those are ruled only by the word of God.

Where learned you this doctrine first?

In England, at London.

How long haue you ben at Geneua?

About nyne or ten yeares.

Doest þ^eu not beleue the virgin Mary to be a mediatrix and aduocate to God for sinners?

MarginaliaThe virgin Mary no aduocate. I beleue as in the word of god is testified, Iesus Christ to be onely mediator and aduocate for al sinners. Albeit the virgin Mary be a blessed woman, yet the office of an aduocate belongeth not vnto her.

The Saints that be in Paradise, haue they no power to pray for vs?

MarginaliaWhether saintes doe praye. No, but I iudge thē to be blessed, & to be cōtented with that grace & glory whiche they haue, that is, that they be counted the mēbers of the sonne of god.

And what then iudge you of them which folow the religion of the Church of Rome? thinke you thē to be Christians?

MarginaliaThe church of Rome, is not the church of Christ. No, for that Churche is not gouerned with the spirit of God, but rather fighteth against the same.

Do you then esteeme al thē which separate them selues from the Church of Rome to be Christians?

I haue not to answeare for others, but only for mee selfe. Euery man (saith S. Paul) shal beare hyis owne burden.MarginaliaGalat. 6.

And thus the aduocate, when he had asked hym whether he would put his hand to that he had sayd, and had obteyned the same, departed to dynner.

At the next examination was brought vnto him a Franciscane fryer, who first entring with him touching the wordes that he spake in his Inne, asked hym why that grace might not be saide in Latine? Because (saide he) by the worde of God, Christians are commaunded to pray with harte & w^t spirite, and with that tongue which is most vnderstanded, and serueth best to the edification of the hearers. Then the fryer bringing forth his Benedicite, Agimus tibi gratias, &c. Laus Deo, pax viuis, requies defunctis, &c. began thus to reason.

MarginaliaPraying [illegible text] God vnderstandeth al tongues: and the Church of Rome hath prescribed this forme of praying, receiuyng the same from the auncient church and the fathers, which vsed then to pray in Latine. And if any tongue be to be obserued in prayer, one more then an other, why is it not as good to praye in the Latine tongue, as to pray in the Frenche?

My meanyng is not to exclude any kinde of language from prayer, whether it be the Latine, Greke, Hebrue or any other, so that the same be vnderstanded, and may edifie the hearers.

When Christ entred the citie of Hierusalem, the people cryed, lauding hym with Osanna filio Dauid, and yet vnderstood they not what they said, as Hierome writeth.

It may be, that Hierome so writeth, howe they vnderstood not the propheticall meanyng, or the accomplishment of these wordes vpon Christes comming: but that they vnderstood not the phrase of that speache or language whiche they spake, speakyng in their owne language, Hierome doth not denye.

Then the fryer declaring that he was no fit person to expound the Scriptures, being in the Latin tongue, inferred þ^e authorities of ignoraūt coūcels & doctours, & testimonies of men, whiche seemed to moue the Officer not a litle: who then charging him with many thinges as with wordes spoken in contempt of the virgin Mary, and of the Saintes: also with rebellion againste princes and kinges, came at laste to the matter of the Sacrament, and demaunded thus.

MarginaliaThe Sacrament. Doest thou beleue the holy host which the priest doth consecrate at masse, or no?

I beleue neither the host, nor any such cōsecratiō.

Why? doest thou not beleue the holy Sacramēt of the aultar, ordeined of Christ Iesus him selfe?

Touching the sacrament of the Lordes supper, I beleue, that when soeuer we vse the same, according to the prescriptiō of S. Paul, we are refreshed spiritually with the body and bloud of our lord Iesus Christe, who is the true spirituall meate and drinke of our soules.

The fryer then inferred the words of S. Iohns Gospell, saying: My fleshe is meate in deede, &c. and said thatMarginaliaIohn. [illegible text]. the doctours of the church had decided that matter already, and had approued the masse to be an holy memorie of the death and Passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ.

The Sacrament of þ^e supper, I beleue to be ordeined of the Lord, for a memorial of his death, & for a stirryng vp of our thankes geuyng to hym. In whiche Sacrament we haue nothinge to offer vp to hym, but doe receiue with all thankes [illegible text] the benefites offered of God to vs most aboundantly, in Christ Iesus his sonne.

And thus the Aduocate with the fryer, bidding the Notary to write the words that he had spoken, departed. Who after eight dayes, beyng accompanyed with the saide Franciscane, and other fryers moe of the Dominikes, sent for the saide Richard Feurus againe to his house, and thus began to inquire.