substaunce of materiall breade and wyne.

I do so beleue. By me T. Tomkins.

The next day, being the. ix. of February at eyght of the clocke before noone, the sayd T. Tomkins, (accordyng to the former cōmaundement) was broughte agayne into the place aforenamed, before the Byshoppe and other his assistants, where the fore said articles wer propounded vnto him: the which he answered as foloweth. 

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To the fyrst he sayd, that he dyd so beleue, as in the same is conteyned.

To the second he sayde that it was onelye breade, and a participacion of Christes death and passion, and so doth the scriptures teache.

To the third, he said and did beleue, yt was a false doctrine to beleue and thinke as is conteyned in this article.

To the fourth, he did also beleue the same. After this answere, he did also subscribe hys name to the saide articles. Whervpon the bishoppe, drawynge oute of hys bosome another confession, subscribed wyth Tomkyns owne hand, and also that article that was the first daye obiected agaynste hym, caused the same to be openly redde. And then willed him to reuoke and denye hys saide opynions. The which he vtterly refused to do, and therefore was commaunded to appeare before the Bishop agayne in the same place, at two of the clocke in the after noone.

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J Thomas Tomkins of the parish of Shordich, in the dyoces of London, hauing confessed and declared openly here to fore to Edmonde Byshop of London myne Ordinarie, that my beleife hath bene many yeres past and is at thys present: that the bodye of our sauiour Iesus Christ is not truelye, and in verye dede in the sacrament of the aultar, but onely in heauen, & so in heauen, that it can not now in dede be really and trulye in the sacrament of the aultar. And moreouer, hauing lykewise cōfessed & declared to my said Ordinary, opēly many times, þ^t although the church, called the catholicke church, hath allowed, & doth allowe the Masse, and sacrifice made and done therin, as a wholesome, profitable, and a godly good thyng: yet my beliefe hath bene many yeares past, and is at this present, that the said Masse is ful of superstition, playne idolatry, and vnprofitable for my soule, and so haue I called it many tymes, and take it at this present.

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Hauyng also lykewyse confessed and declared to my sayd Ordinarye, that the sacrament of Baptisme ought to be onely in the vulgar tongue, and not otherwise ministred, and also wythout anye suche ceremonies, as custo-

mably are vsed in the latine church, and otherwise not to be allowable.

Fynally being many tymes and ofte called openly before my sayd Ordynary, and talked withal, touching all my sayd confessions, and declarations, both by the sayd mine ordinary, and diuers other lerned men, aswell his chapleins as other, and counselled by all them to embrace the trouth, and to recant myne error in the premisses, whiche they told me was playne heresy and manyfest error: do testyfy & declare herby, that I do, and wyl continually stand to my sayd confession, declaration, and beleife, in all the premisses, and euery parte therof, and in no wyse recante or go from any parte of the same. In witnes wherof I haue subscribed, and passed this wryting the. xxvi. day of Septembre, in the yeare of our Lorde God. 1554.

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By me Thomas Tomkins aforesayd.

 

THe same day and place, at. ii. of the clock in the after none, he was (the last time) brought forth before the bishops of London, Bath and Saynt Dauids, with others. Where he was earnestly exhorted by the sayd Byshop of Bathe, to reuoke and leaue of hys opinions. Vnto whom he answered. My Lorde, I was borne and brought vp in ignoraunce, vntil now of late yeares. And nowe I knowe the truth, wherin I wil continue, vnto the death. Then the Bishop of London caused al his articles and confession to be agayne openly red, and so in his accustomed maner perswaded with him to recant. To whom he finally said. My Lord, I cannot see, but that you would haue me to forsake the truth, and to fall into error and heresy. The Byshop seing he would not recant, dyd procede in hys lawe, and so gaue sentence of condempnacion vpon hym. And then he deliuered him to the Shryefe of London, who caryed hym strayght vnto New gate, where he remayned most ioyously and constant, vntill the xv. daye of March  next after: on which daye, he was by the sayd Shrife conueyed into Smythfield, and there sealed vp his fayth in the flaming fyre, to the glorye of Gods holye name, and confirmacion of the weake.

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ALthough hetherto there hath bene no parte or dioces in England, (wherof there are many, and they large, within thys Reame) altogether cleare and free from this persecution (very fewe except:)