the one not hearynge the other.
Theffect of their talke with them was this: sir Roger Cholmley sayde vnto the forsayde Wylmut, that my Lord Mayor and he had receiued a commaundement from the councell, to send for him and his companion, and to examine him of certaine thynges, whiche are laide vnto his charge, as they haue doone already with his other fellow. Then said maister ChÅley to hym: syrra, what countryman art thou? he answered that he was borne in Cambridge shyre, and in suche a towne: then he asked him howe long he had ben in the citie. he told him. then he asked, what learning he had. he sayde: litle learnyng, and smal knowledge. then (derydingly) he asked, howe long he had knowen Doctor Crome. he sayde: but a whyle, about ii. yeares. he sayde that he was a lying boye, and sayd that he the sayd Wilmut was his sonne. The other sayde vnto him, that that was vnlyke, for that he neuer see his mother nor shee him. Cholmley sayd he lyed: Wilmut sayde he could proue it to be true. Then he asked hym how he liked his sermon that he made at saint Thomas of Acres chapell in Lent. he sayde that in dede he harde him not, he saide yes, and thother nay: then sayd he, what saye you to his sermon made at the crosse the laste daye? herde you not that?
[Back to Top]VVilmut. Yea, and in that sermon he disceiued a great nomber of people.
Cholmley. Howe so?
VVilmut. For that they loked that he shold haue recanted his doctrine that he taught before, but did not, but rather confirmed it.
Cholmley. Yea syr, but howe say you nowe to him? for he hath recanted before the councel, and hath promised on sondaie next to be at the crosse againe. howe thinke ye in that?
VVilmut. If he so did, I am the more sorye for to here it, and sayde he thought he did it for feare and sauegarde of his lyfe.
Cholmley. But what saye you? was his fyrst sermon heresie or not?
VVilmut No, I suppose it was no heresie. for if it were, saint Paules Epistle to the Hebrues was heresie, and Paule an Heretick that preached suche doctrine: but God forbidde that any Christian should so thinke of the holy Apostle. for I doe not so thinke.
Cholmley. Why, howe knowest thou that S. Paule wrate those thinges that are in Englishe nowe, to be true, where as Paule neuer wrate Englishe nor Latin.
VVilmut. I am certified that learned men of God, that did seke to aduaunce his word, did translate the same out of the Greake and Hebrue, into Latin and Englyshe, and that they durst not presume to alter the sense of the scripture of God, and last wyll and testament of
Christ Iesus. Then the Lord Mayor beyng in a great fury, asked him what he had to doe to reade suche bookes, and sayde that it was pitie that his maister did suffer him so to dooe, and that he was not set better to worke. And in fine saide vnto him, that he had spoken euill of my Lorde of Wynchester, and Bonner, and those reuerent and learned fathers, and counsellers of this Realme, for the whiche our fact he seeth no other but we must suffer as due to the same. and Cholmley sayde: yea my Lorde, there is suche a sorte of heretikes and trayterly knaues taken nowe in Essex, by my Lorde Ryche, that it is to wonderfull to here. they shalbe sent vp to the Byshop shortly, and they shalbe hanged and burned all.
[Back to Top]VVilmut. I am sorye to heare that of my Lorde Ritche, for that he was my Godfather, and gaue me my name at my baptisme. Cholmley asked him whan he spake with him. he saide not these twelue yeares. Then sayde Cholmley: if he knewe that he were such a one he would doe the lyke by him, and that in so doyng he did God great seruice.
[Back to Top]VVilmut. I haue red the same saying in the Gospell, that Christe saide to his disciples: the tyme shall come saieth he, that whosoeuer kylleth you, shall thinke that he shall dooe God highe seruice. Well syr, saide he, because ye ar so full of your scriptures, and so well learned, we consider you lacke a quiet place to study in. Therfore you shall go to a place wher you shal be moste quiet, and I would wyshe you to study howe you wyll aunswere to the councell of those thinges whiche they haue to charge you with, for els it is lyke to coste you your best ioynt. I knowe my Loord of Wynchester will handle you well enough when he hereth you thus. Then was the officer called in to haue hym to the Counter in the Poultrie, and the other to the other Counter, not one of them to see an other, and thus remayned eyght dayes, in the whiche tyme their maisters made great labour vnto the Lorde Mayor, and to Syr Roger Cholmley, to know their offenses, & that they myght be delyuered.
[Back to Top]At length they procured the Wardens of the worshipfull companye to laboure with them in their sute to the Mayor. The Mayor went with them to the Counsell: but at that tyme they coulde fynde no grace at Wynchesters hande, and syr Anthony Brownes, but that they had deserued death, and that they shoulde haue the lawe. At length through intretaunce, he graunted them thus much fauour, that they should not die as they had deserued, but should be tied to a cartes tayle, and be whypped three market daies through the citie. thus they came home that daye, and went an other daye, and the Mayor and the Wardens of the company
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