me any such matter, nor I hym, nor hys harte was not suche towardes me, sekyng long time my destruction, that he would eyther trust me in such a matter, or thinke that I woulde be perswaded by hym. It was other of the Counsell that moued me, & the kyng him self, the Duke of Northumberland not being present: neither before, neither after, had I euer any priuy communication with the Duke of that matter, sauing that openly at the counsel table the Duke said vnto me, that it became not me to saye to the kyng as I dyd, when I went about to diswade hym from the sayd wyl.
[Back to Top]Nowe, as concerning the estate of religion as it is vsed in this realme of England at this present, if it please your highnes to licence me, I would gladye wryte my mynde vnto your Maiesty. I wyl neuer, God willing, be author of sedition to moue subiectes from the obedience of their heades and Rulers, whych is an offense most detestable. If I haue vttered my mynde to your Maiestye, beynge a Christian Queene and Gouernour of thys Realme (of whom I am moste assuredlye perswaded that your gratious intent is, aboue al other things to preferre Gods true woord, his honour and glory) if I haue vttred I saye my mynde vnto your Maiesty, then I shal thynke my self discharged. For it lyeth not in mee, but in your grace onely, to see the reformation of thynges that be amysse. To priuate subiectes it appertaineth not to reforme thinges, but quietly to suffer that they cannot amende: yet neuertheles to shew your Maiesty my mynde in thynges appertaining vnto God, me thynke it my duty, knowing that I do, and considering the place which in tymes past I haue occupyed: yet wyll I not presume thereunto, wythoute your graces pleasure fyrst knowen, and your licence obtayned, whereof I most humbly, prostrate to the ground, do beseche your Maiesty. And I shal not cesse dayly to pray to almighty God for the good preseruation of your maiesty from al enemies, bodely and ghostly, and for the encrease of all gooodnes heauenlye and earthly, duryng my lyfe, as I do and wyll do, what so euer come of me.
[Back to Top]And thus much concerning hys letter sent to the Quene: now to returne to the storyof the examination agayne.
They obiected to him also that he was maried, which he confessed, whereupon Doctor Martine said that his children were bondmē to the sea of Canterbury: at whose saying my Lorde smiled, and asked him if a priest at his benefice kepte a concubine, and hadde by her bastardes, whether they were bondmen to the benefice or no, saing I trust you wil make my childrens causes no worse.
[Back to Top]After this doctor Martin demaunded of him who was supreme head of the church of England. MarginaliaBecause there was offense taken at thys woord Supreme head it was declared in the Queenes style to bee Supreme Gouernor. Mary quod my Lorde of Canterburye, Christ is head of this member as he is of the whole body of the vnuiersall churche. Why, quod doctor Martine, you made King Henry the eight supreme head of the churche. Yea, said my Lord, of all the people of Englande,
[Back to Top]aswell Ecclesiasticall as Temporal. And not of the churche, saide Martine? no, said my L. for Christ is only head of his churche, and of the faith and religion of the same. The kyng is head and gouernour of his people, which are the visible churche. What (quod Martin) you neuer durst tell the Kinge so. yes, that I durst (quod he) & did, & in the publicatiō of his stile, wherein he was named supreame heade of the churche, there was neuer other thinge ment. A nomber of other fond & folish obiections were made, which being of no purpose it was not thought good to trouble þe reader with thē. The articles of religiō touching the sacrament, denieng Transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the masse, the real presence of christes naturall body vnder the bread and wine he confessed to bee true, and affirmed as hee taught in his bokes. Whē they had receiued hys answer to al their obiections, wherein euery thyng fel out much to the testimonye of his innocencye, wyth great commendation and admiration of hys integritye of lyfe and vprightnes in al hys doinges, they cited hym to appeare at Rome wythin. 80. dayes, to make there hys personal answers, whych he sayd, if the kyng and Queene woulde sende hym, he would be content to do, and so thēce was caried to pryson agayne, where he continually remayned. notwithstandyng that he was commaunded to appeare at Rome.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA poynt to be noted in the craftye practise of romysh hypocrites.Wherin gentle Reader, if thou hast eyes to se, thou maiest easely perceiue the crafty practise of these Prelates, and the visored face of their iustice, as thoughe the courte of Rome would condemne no man, before he answered for hym selfe, as al law and equity requireth. But the verye same instant tyme, the stynckyng holynes of the vnholy father, contrarye to all reason and iustice sent hys letters executorye vnto the Kyng and Queene to degrade and depriue hym of hys dignitye, which thyng he dyd not onely before the. 80. dayes were ended, but before there were. 20. spent. Farthermore, whereas the sayd Archbishop was fast deteyned in moste greuous and strayght pryson, so that he coulde not appeare (as was notorious both in Englande, & also in the Romish court) and therefore hee had a lawful and most iust excuse of hys absence, by al lawes, both popish and other: yet in the ende of the sayde. 80. dayes was that worthye martyr decreed Contumax, that is, sturdely, frowardlye, and wylfullye absent. And in payne of the same his absence, condemned, and so in fyne most cruellye martyred, euen by the ministery of them, for whose soules safgard, he put hym selfe to that hasard, and gaue hys lyfe.
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