all such swearers: witnessing that al these sinne greuously though they thinke themselues for to sweare in thys foresayd wise, well. For it is euil done and great sinne for to sweare truth, when in any maner, a man may excuse himselfe without othe.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd, that Chrysostome might bee thus vnderstand.

And then a clerke sayd to me: wilt thou tarye my Lorde no lenger, but submit thee here mekely to the ordinance of holy Church, Marginalia Pope holy Church. and lay thy hand vpon a booke touching the holy Gospell of GOD, promising not onely wyth thy mouth, but also with thine hart to stand to my Lords ordinaunce?

☞ And I sayd: Marginalia To touch a booke is to sweare by a booke. Sir haue I not told you here, how that I heard a maister of diuinity say: that in such case it is al one to touche a booke, and to sweare by a booke?

¶ And the Archb. sayd: There is no maister of diuinitie in England so great, þ^t if he hold this opinion before me, but I shall punish him as I shal do thee, except thou sweare as I shall charge thee. Marginalia It is happy tht he called not for a candle, and made a Sceuola of him, as Boner did of Tomkins.

☞ And I sayd: Sir, is not Chrisostome an ententife Doctour?

¶ And the Archb. sayd, yea.

☞ And I sayd: if Chrisostome proueth him worthye great blame, that bringeth forth a booke to sweare vpon: it must nedes followe, that he is more to blame that sweareth on that booke.

¶ And the Archb. said: Marginalia It is happy that Chrisostome was not here, or els he would haue had him by the backe. if Chrisostome ment accordingly to the ordinance of holy church, we will accept him.

☞ And then said a clerke to me. Is not þ^e word of God & God himselfe equipollent, that is, of one authoritie?

¶ And I sayd, yea.

☞ Then he said to me, why wilt thou not sweare then by the Gospell of God, that is gods word, Marginalia But that word cannot be touched. since it is al one to sweare by the word of God, & by God himselfe.

¶ And I said: Sir, since I may not now otherwise be beleued, but by swearing: I perceiue (as Austen saith) that it is not spedeful that ye þ^t should be my brethren should not beleue me: therfore I am redy by the word of God (as the lord commanded me by his word) to sweare.Marginalia Thorpe refuseth not to sweare.

☞ Then the Clarke sayd to me. Lay then thine hand vpon the booke, touchinge the holy Gospell of God and take thy charge.

¶ And I said: Sir I vnderstand that the holy Gospell of God may not be touched with mans hand.

☞ And the Clearke sayde I fonded, and that I sayde not truth.

¶ And I asked this clerk whether it were more to reade þ^e Gospel to touch the Gospell.

☞ And he said it was more to read the Gospell.

¶ Then I said: Sir, by authority of S. Hierome, Marginalia Whether the booke be the Gospell. Ierom saith the Gospel is not the Gospel for reading, but for beleuing. the gospel is not the gospel for reading of the letter, but for the belief that men haue in the word of God. That it is the gospel that we beleue, and not the letter that we read: for because the letter that is touched with mans hand, is not the Gospel, but þ^e sentence that is verily beleued in mās hart, is the Gospel. For so Hierome saith. The Gospel, þ^t is the vertue of Gods word, is not in þ^e leaues of the boke, but it is in the roote of reason. Marginalia The Gospel is not the leaues of the booke, but the roote of reason. Neyther the Gospel (he sayeth) is in the writing aboue of the letters, but the Gospell is in þ^e marking of the sentence of scriptures. This sentence approueth S. Paule, Marginalia S. Paule. saying thus. The kingdome of God is not in word but in vertue. And Marginalia Dauid. Dauid saith: The voice of the Lord that is his word, is in vertue. And after Dauid sayth: Through the word of God þ^e heauēs were formed, and in the spirite of his mouth is all the vertue of thē. And I pray you sir, vnderstand ye wel how Dauid sayth, then in the spirit of the mouth of þ^e Lord, is all the vertue of angels and of men.

And the clarke sayd to me. Thou wouldest make vs to fond with thee. Say we not that the Gospels are written in the Masse booke?Marginalia This clarke was well seene in the Masse booke

☞ And I sayd. Sir, though men vse to saye thus, yet it is vnperfect speech. For the principal part of a thinge is properly the whole thing. For lo, mans soule þ^t may not now be sene here, nor touched w^t any sensible thing, is properly man. And al the vertue of a tree is in the roote thereof that may not be sene, for do away the roote, & þ^e tree is destroied And sir, as ye sayd to me right now, God & hys word are of one authoritie: And sir, S. Hierome witnesseth, þ^t Christ (very God & very mā) is hid in the letter of the law: thus also sir, þ^e gospel is hid in the letter. Marginalia The Gospel is not the letter but hid in the letter. For sir, as it is ful likely many diuers men and womē here in the earth, touched Christ & saw him, & knew his bodely persō, which neither touched, nor saw, nor knewe ghostly his godhead. Right thus sir, many men now touch & see, & write, & read þ^e scriptures of gods law, which neither see, touch, nor read effec-tually the gospel. For as the godhead of Christ (that is the vertue of God) is knowen by the vertue of beliefe, so is þ^e Gospel, that is, Christes word.

¶ And a Clerke said to me. These be full misty matters Marginalia Misty matters for your blind eyes. and vnsauery that thou shewest here to vs.

☞ And I said: Sir, if ye, þ^t are maisters, know not plainly this sentence, ye may fore dread that þ^e kingdome of heauen be taken from you, as it was frō the princes of priests and from the elders of the Iewes.

¶ And then a Clerke (as I gesse) Malueren, sayde to me. Thou knowest not thine equiuocations: for the kingdome of heauen hath diuers vnderstandings. What callest thou the kingdom of heauen in thys sentence, that thou shewest here?

☞ And I said: Sir, by good reason and sentence of doctors of the Realme of heauen is called here, Marginalia The kingdome of God taken for the vnderstanding of Gods word. the vnderstanding of Gods word.

¶ And a clerke said to me. From whom thinkest thou that this vnderstanding is taken away?

☞ And I sayde: Sir (by authoritie of Christ himselfe) the effectuall vnderstanding of Christes word is taken away from al them chiefly, which are great lettered men, & presum to vnderstand high things, & wil be holden wise men & desire maistership & high state & dignitie: but they wyll not conforme them to the liuing and teaching of Christ & of his Apostles. Marginalia This salte was some what two sharpe for their rotten fleshe to abide.

¶ Thenþ^e Archb. said. Wel, wel, thou wilt iudge they soueraignes. By God, þ^e king doth not his duety, but he suffer thee to be condemned.

☞ And then an other Clerke sayd to me. Marginalia Helpe downe with him sir Iohn. Why (on Fryday that last was) counsailedst thou a man of my Lordes that he should not shriue him to no man but onely to god?

¶ And with this asking I was abashed: And then by and by I knew that I was subtilly betraied of a mā that came to me in prison on the Friday before, cōmoning with mee in this matter of confession. Marginalia Note here the crafty practise of this holy church. And certaine, by his words I thought, that this man came then to me, of ful feruent and charitable will: But now I know he came to tempt me & to accuse me, God forgeue him if it be his wil. And withal mine hart when I had thought thus, I said to this clerk, Sir, I pray you that ye would fetch this man hether: and all the wordes as nere as I cā repete them, which that I spake to him, on Friday in the prison, I wil rehearse now here before you all, and before him.

☞ And (as I gesse) the Archbishop said then to me. They that are now here, suffice to repete them. How saidst thou to hym?

¶ And I sayd, Syr, that man Marginalia A false brother. came and asked me in diuers thinges, and after hys asking, I aunswered him (as I vnderstoode) that good was: And as he shewed to me by his wordes, he was sory of hys liuing in court, and right heauy for his vicious liuing, and also for the viciousnes of other men, and specially of priests euil liuing: & herefore he sayd to me with a sorrowfull hart (as I gessed) that he purposed fully within short time for to leaue the court, and to busie him to know Gods lawe, and to confirme all hys life therafter. And when he had sayd to me these wordes & moe other which I would rehearse and he were present, he prayed me to heare hys confession. And I sayd to him, sir, wherefore come ye to me, to be confessed of me, ye wote wel þ^t the Archb. putteth & holdeth me here, as one vnworthy either to geue or to take any sacrament of holy Church.

☞ And he sayd to me. Brother I wote well, and so wote many other moe, that you and such other are wrongfully vexed, and therefore I common with you the more gladly. And I sayd to him. Certayne I wote well that many men of this court, and specially the priestes of this housholde would be full euill apayd both you & with me, if they wist that ye were confessed of me. And he sayd, Marginalia A crafty trayne of a popishe dissembler. that he cared not therfore, for he had full little affection in them: And as me thought, he spake these wordes and many other, of so good will and of so high desire, for to haue knowne and done the pleasant will of God. And I sayd to hym, as with my foresayd protestation I say to you now here: Syr, I counsayle you, for to absent you from all euill company, and to draw you to them that loue and busie them to knowe and to keepe the preceptes of God: And then the good spirite of God will moue you for to occupy busily all your wittes in gathering together of all your sinnes, as farre as ye can bethinke you, shaming greatly of them and sorrowing hartely for them: Yea syr, the holy Ghost will thē put in your hart a good will and a feruent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose, to hate euer and to flie, (after your cūning and power) al occasion of sinne: and so then, wisedome shal come to you from aboue, lightening (with diuers beames of grace and of heauenly desire) all your wittes, enforming you how ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercy of the Lorde: