Tharchebish▪ of Cantorburies letters to the Quenes high­nesse.

IT maye please your maiestie to perdone my presūpciō, y^t I dare be so bolde to wryt to your high­nesse. But very necessitie cōstrayneth me, that your maiestie may knowe my mynde rather by myne owne writing, than by other mennes reportes. So it is y^t vpon Saturdaye being the .7. daye of this moneth, I was cited to appeare at Rome, y^e .lxxx. daye after, ther to make answer to suche maters, as should be obiected a­gainst me, vpon the behalfe of the king and your most excellent maie­stie: which maters the Thursday folo­wing were obiected against me by Doctour Martin, and D. Storie your maiesties proctours, before the bishop of Gloucestre, sittyng in iudgement by Commissiō from Rome. But alas, it can not but greue the heart of any natural subiecte, to be accused of the king and Quene of his owne realme: & specially before an outward iudge, or by autoritie comming frō any per­son [Page] out of this Realme. Wher the kīg and Quene, as they were subiectes within their owne realme, shall com­playne, and requyre iustice at a straū ­gers handes against their owne sub­iecte, being allready condemned to deathe by their owne lawes. As though the king & Quene coulde not doo or haue iustice w^tin their owne realmes, against their owne subiec­tes, but they must seke it at a straun­gers handes in a straunge lande. The like wherof (I thinke) was neuer sene. I wolde haue wished to haue had some meaner aduersaries: and I thinke, that deathe shall not greue me muche more, than to haue my most dradde and most gracious souerayne Lorde and lady (to whom vnder God I doo owe all obedience) to be myne accusers in iudgement,The furst cause why tharchebish. wolde not make answer to the popes comissary, is to auoide periury within their owne realme, before any straunger & outwarde power. But for asmuche as in the tyme of the prince of most famous memorie king Henry the .8. your graces father, I was sworne neuer to consent, that the bishop of Rome should haue or exercise any autorite or iurisdiciō in this realme of Englāde. Therfore least I should alowe his au­toritie [Page] contrary to myne othe, I refu­sed to make answer to the B. of Gloucestre sittyng here in iudgement by y^e popes autoritie, least I should renne in to periurie.

An other cause why I refused the Popes autoritie is this:The .2. cause is that the popes La­wes are contrary to the crowne & lawes of Eng­lande. that his auto­roritie (as he claymeth it) repug­neth to the crowne imperiall of this realme, and to the lawes of the sa­me, which euery true subiecte is boū ­den to defende. Furst so that the pope sayeth, that all maner of power aswel temporal as spirituall, is geuen furst to him of God. And y^t y^e tēporal al power he geueth vnto emperours & kinges, to vse it vnder him:The crowne & tem­poral po­wer is takē immediat­ly frō God But so as it be al­wayes at his cōmaundemēt & becke.

But contrary to this clayme, the emperial crowne and iurisdicion temporal of this realme is taken immediatly from God, to be vsed vnder him only, and is subiecte vnto non, but to God alone.The othe of the king and iusti­ces and the duety of Subiec­tes.

Moreouer themperiall lawes and customes of thys realme the king in his Coronacion, and all Iustices whā they receaue their offices, be sworne, and all the hole realme is bounden to defende and mayntene. But contra­ry [Page] hereunto the Pope by his autoritie maketh voyde and commaundeth to blotte out of our bokes, all lawes and customes being repugnaunt to his lawes: And declareth accursed all rulers & gouernours, all the makers, wrytours, and executours of suche la­wes or customes: as it appeareth by many of the popes lawes, wherof one or two I shal rehearse. In y^e decrees, Distinct. 10. is written thus: Constitutiones contra Canones & decreta praesulum Romanorū vel bonos mores nullius sunt momenti. That is. The constituciones or statutes enacted against the canones and decrees of the bishoppes of Rome or their good customes, are of non effecte. Also.

Extra de sententia excommunicationis, Nouerit: Excommunicamus omnes haere­ticos vtrius (que) sexus, quocun (que) nomine cen­seantur, & fautores & receptatores & de­fensores eorum: nec non & qui de caetero seruari fecerint statuta aedita & consuetu­dines contra ecclesiae libertatem, nisi ea de capitularibus suis intra duos menses post huiusmodi publicationem sententiae fece­rint am [...]ueri. Item excommunicamus statutarios, & scriptores statutorū ipsorū, necnon [Page] potestates, consules, rectores, & conci­liarios locorum, vbi de caetero huiusmodi statuta & cōsuetudines aeditae fuerint vel seruatae: necnon & illos qui secundum ea praesumpserint iudicare, vel in publicam formam scribere iudicata.

That is to saye: We excōmunicat all heretikes of bothe sexes, what name so euer they be called by: and their fa­uourers and receptours, & defendours: and also them that shall hereafter cause to be obserued statutes and customes made against the libertie of the church, except they cause the same to be put out of theyr bokes or recordes within two monethes after the publicacion of this sentence. Also we excommunicate the statute makers and wrytours of those statutes, and all the potestates, cōsules, gouernours & counsaillours of places, wher suche statutes and customes shall be made or kept: & also those that shall presume to geue iudgement according to them, or to wryte in to publike forme the maters so iudged.Other the popes lawes be vnlauful, or els all England is accur­sed.

Now by these lawes, if the bishop of Romes autoritie which he claymeth by God, be lawfull: all your graces [Page] lawes and customes of your realme, being contrary to the popes lawes, be naught. And aswell your maiestie as your iudges, Iustices and all other executours of the same, stande accur­sed among heritikes, which God for­bidde. And yet this curse can neuer be auoided (if y^e pope haue suche pow­er as he claymeth) vntil suche tymes,Note wherin the popes lawes and the lawes of Englande do varye. as the lawes and customes of this realme (being contrary to his lawes) be taken awaye and blotted out of the lawe bokes. And although ther be many lawes of this realme contrary to the lawes of Rome, yet I named but a fewe: as to conuicte a clearke before any temporall iudge of this realme, for debte, felonye, murther, or for any other tryme: which clearkes by the popes lawes, be so exempte from the kinges lawes, y^t they can be no wher sued, but before their ordinarie. Also the pope by his lawes maye geue all Bishoprikes and benefices spirituall, which by the lawes of this realme, cā be geuen but only by the king and o­ther patrons of the same, except they fall in to the lapse.

By the popes lawes Ius patronat [...] shalbe sued only before the ecclesiasti­call [Page] iudge. But by the lawes of this realme, it shalbe sued before the temporal iudges. And to be shorte, y^e lawes of this realme doo agree with the po­pes lawes, like fyre and water. And yet the kinges of this realme haue prouided for their lawes, by the Praemunire: so that if any man haue let the execu­cion of the lawes of this realme, by a­ny autoritie from the sea of Rome, he falleth in to the Praemunire. But to mete with this, the popes haue prouided for their lawes by cursing. For who so e­uer letteth the popes lawes to haue full course within this realme, by the popes power standeth accursed. So y^t the Popes power treadeth al y^e lawes & customes of this realme vnder his fete: cursing al that execute them, vn­til suche tyme as they geue place vnto his lawes. But it maye be sayed, that notwithstāding all the popes decrees, yet we doo execute still the lawes and customes of this realme. Naye not al quietly without interruption of the pope. And wher we do execute them, yet we doo it vniustely (if the Popes power be of force) and for y^e same we stande excōmunicate, and shall do, vn­till we leaue thexecucion of our owne [Page] lawes and customes.

Thus we be wel reconciled to Ro­me,Marke this wel. allowing suche autoritie, wherby the realme standeth accursed before God, yf the Pope haue any suche autoritie.

These thinges (as I suppose) were not fully opened in the parliament house, whan the Popes autoritie was receaued agayne within this realme. For yf they had, I do not beleue, that either the Kyng or Quenes Maiestie or the nobles of this realme, or the cō ­mons of the same wolde euer haue cō sented to receaue agayne suche a fo­rain autoritie, so iniurious, hurtful, & preiudiciall aswell to the crowne, as to the lawes and customes, and state of this realme: as wherby they muste nedes acknowlege them selues to be accursed.The duety of the cleargye neclected in the parliament. But none could opē this mater wel, but y^e cleargie, & that suche of them as had redde the Popes lawes, wherby the Pope hath made himself, as it were a God. These seke to mayntene the pope, whom they desyred to haue their chief head, to thintent they myght haue as it were a kingdome & lawes within them selues, distincte from the lawes of the crowne, & wher [Page] with the crowne may not medle. And so being exēpt frō y^e lawes of the real­me, myght lyue in this realme, lyke lordes & kynges, w^tout damage or fear of any mā, so y^t they please their highe and supreme head at Rome. For this consideracion (I wene) some y^t knewe the truthe, helde their peace at the par­liament: wher as yf they hade done their dueties to the crowne and hole realme, they should haue opened their mouthes, declared the truthe, and she­wed the periles and daungers, that myght ensue to the crowne and real­me. And yf I should agree to allowe suche autoritie within this realme, wherby I must nedes confesse, that your most gracious hyghnes and al­so your realme should euer continue accursed, vntyll you shall ceasse from thexecucion of your owne lawes and customes of your realme: I coulde not thynke my selfe true, eyther to your hyghnesse, or to this my natu­ral countrey, knowing y^e I do knowe. Ignoraunce (I knowe) may excuse o­ther men:Note. but he that knoweth howe preiudicial and iniurious the power & autoritie (which he chalengeth euery [Page] where) is to the crowne, lawes and customes of this realme, and yet wyl al­lowe the same: I can not see in any wyse, how he can kepe his due allege­aūce,The .3. cause why he could not allowe the Pope. The popes religion is against Christes religion fidelitie, and truth to the crowne and state of this realme.

An other cause I alleged, why I could not allowe the autoritie of the pope, which is this. That by his auto­ritie he subuerteth not only the lawes of this realme, but also y^e lawes of god So that who soeuer be vnder his au­toritie, he suffreth them not to be vn­der Christes religiō purely, as Christ did commaūde. And for one example I brought furthe: that wher as by Goddes lawes, all christian people be boūden diligētly to learne his worde, that they maye knowe, howe to be­leue & lyue accordingly. And for that purpose be ordayned holy dayes, whā they ought (leauyng aparte all other businesse) to geue them selues holly to knowe & serue God.why latin seruice ought not to be restored in En­glande. Therfore God­des will & cōmaūdement is, that whā the people be gathered together, y^e mi­nisters shoulde vse suche language, as the people may vnderstāde, & take pro­fite therby, or elles holde their peace. For as an harpe or lute, yf it geue no [Page] certain sounde, that me maye knowe, what is striken, who can daunce af­ter it, for all the sounde is in vayne? so is it vayne and profiteth nothing (sayeth almightie God, by the mouth of S. Paule) if the priest speake to the people in a language which they knowe not. For elles he maye profite him selfe, but profiteth not y^e people, sayeth S. Paule.

But herein I was answered thus: that S. Paule spake only of preachīg, that the preacher should speake in a tongue which the people did knowe: or elles his preaching auaileth no­thing. This I wolde haue spoken, & could not be suffred. But if the prea­ching auaileth nothing, being spoken in a language, which the people vn­derstande not: how should any other seruice auaile them, being spoken in the same language? And yet S. Paule ment not only of preaching, it appea­reth playnly by his owne wordes. For he speaking by name expressely of prayeng, singing, lauding, and thanking of God, and of all other thinges which the priestes saye in the churches, wherunto the people saye Amen: which they vsed not in [Page] preachīg, but in other diuine seruice: that whether the priestes rehearse the wonderfull workes of God, or the great benefites of God vnto man­kynde aboue all other creatures: or geue thankes vnto God, or make opē profession of their faithe, or humble confession of their synnes, w^t earnest request of mercie and forgeuenesse: or make sute or request vnto God, for any thing: that than all the people vn­derstanding what the priestes saye, might geue theyr myndes and voices with them, and saye, Amen. That is to saye, allowe what the priestes saye, that the rehearsal of Goddes vniuer­sal workes and benefites, the geuing of thankes, the profession of faithe, the confessiō of synnes, and the requestes and peticions of the priestes and the people might ascende vp into the eares of God altogether, and be as a swete sauour, odour, & incense in his nose, & thus was it vsed many hūdred yeares after Christes ascension. But thaforesaid thinges can not be done, whā the priestes speake to y^t people in a language not knowen. And so they (or their clearke in their name) saye Amen▪ but they cā not tel whervnto: [Page] Wher as S. Paule sayeth, how can y^e people saye Amen to thy well sayeng, whan they vnderstande not what thow sayest. And thus was S. Paule vnderstanden of al interpretours bo­the Grekes and latines, olde & newe, schole autors and others, that I haue redde, vntil about xxx. yeares past. At which tyme one Eckius with other of his sorte, begāne to deuise a newe ex­posicion, vnderstanding S. Paule of preaching only. But whan a good nomber of the best learned men reputed within this realme, som fauourīg the olde, som the newe learning, as they terme it (wher in dede that which they cal the olde, is the newe: and that which they call the newe, is in dede y^e olde) but whan a great nomber of suche learned men of bothe sortes were gathered together at mynsor, The papistes can saye yea and naye to one thīg with one breathe. for the reformacion of the seruice of the church: It was agreed by bothe w^tout controuersie (not one saieng cōtrary) that the seruice of the churche ought to be in the mother tongue: and that S. Paule in the xiiij. chap. to the Corin­thianes was so to be vnderstanden. And so is S. Paule to be vnderstanden in the ciuile lawe more than a thousaūt [Page] yeares paste: where Iustinianus (a most godly Emperour) in a synode writeth on this maner. Iubemus vt omnes epis­copi pariter & presbiteri non tacito mo­do, sed clara voce quae a fideli populo exaudiantur, Sacram oblationem & praeces in sacro baptismate adhibitas celebrent, quo maiori exinde deuotione in depromendis Domini Dei laudibus audientium animi efferantur. Ita enim & Diuus Paulus do­cet in epistola ad Corinth. Si solūmodo be­nedicat spiritus, quomodo is qui priuati locum tenet, dicet ad gratiarum actionem tuam, Amen? Quandoquidem quid dicas nō videt. Tu quidem pulchrè gratias agis, alter [...]tem non aedificatur.

☞ That is to saye: We cōmaunde, that all Bishoppes and priestes celebrate the holy oblacion and prayers vsed in holy Baptisme, not after a still close maner, but with a cleare loude voice, that they maye be playnly hearde of the faythfull people, so as the hearers myndes maye be lyfted vp therby with the greater de­uocion, in vttring the prayses of the Lorde God. For so Paule teacheth also in the epistle to the Corinthians. Yf the spirite do only blesse (or saye well) howe [Page] shal he that occupieth the place of a pri­uate person, saye Amen to thy thankes geuing? For he perceaueth not what thou sayest. Thou doest geue thankes well, but the other is not edified.

And not only the ciuile lawe and al other writours a thousaunt and fyue hundred yeares continually together haue expounded S. Paule not of preaching onely, but of other seruice sayde in the churche, but also reason geueth the same, that yf men be commaūded to heare any thing, it must be spoken in a language which the hearers vn­derstande,The pope commaun­deth bothe against God and natural reason. or elles as S. Paule sayeth, what auayleth it to heare? So that the Pope geuing a contrary cōmaunde­ment, that the people commyng to the churche shal hear they wote not what, & shall answer they knowe not where vnto, taketh vpon him to cōmaunde not only against reason,The Sacrament ought to be recea­ued in bo­the kyndes of all christia­nes. but also dire­ctly against God.

And agayn I said, wher as our saueour Christ ordayned the sacrament of his most precious bodye and blood to be receaued of all christian people vnder the formes bothe of bread and wyne, & said of the cuppe, Drynke ye al of this: the pope geueth a cleane con­trary [Page] cōmaundemēt, that no lay men shal drynke of the cuppe of their saluacion: as though the cuppe of saluacion by the blood of Christ, perteined not to laye men. And wher as Theophilus Alex­andrinus (whose workes S. Ierome did translate about .xi. hundred yeares past) sayeth, that yf Christ had ben cru­cified for the deuilles, his cuppe should not be denyed them. Yet the Pope de­nyeth the cup of Christ to christiā peo­ple, for whō Christ was crucified. So that if I should obey the pope in these thinges, I must nedes disobey my sa­ueour Christ.Marke wel. But I was answered herunto as cōmōly the papistes do an­swer, y^t vnder y^e forme of bread is hole Christes fleshe & blood: so that whosoe­uer receaueth y^e forme of bread, recea­ueth aswel Christes blood as his flesh. Let it be so. Yet in the forme of breade only, Christes blood is not dronken, but eaten: nor is receaued in the cuppe in the forme of wyne, as Christ com­maūded: but eaten w^t the fleshe vnder the forme of bread. And moreouer the bread is not y^e sacrament of his blood, but of his fleshe onely: nor the cuppe is not the sacrament of his fleshe, but of his blood onely.

[Page] And so the pope kepeth from all laye persones the sacramēt of their redēp­cion by Christes blood, whiche Christ commaundeth to be geuen vnto thē.

And furthermore Christ ordayned the sacrament in two kyndes, the one seperated from the other, to be a representacion of his deathe, wher his blood was separated from his fleshe, which is not represēted in one kynde alone. So that the laye people receaue not the hole sacrament, wherby Chri­stes deathe is represented, as he com­maunded.

Moreouer as the pope taketh vpō him to geue the temporall sworde, or royall and Imperiall power to kyn­ges and princes, so dothe he likewise take vpon hym to depose them from their Imperiall states, yf they be disobedient to him: and commaun­deth the subiectes to disobeye their princes, assoiling the subiectes aswell of their obedience, as of their laufull othes made vnto their true kynges & princes directly contrary to Goddes commaundement, who cōmaundeth all subiectes to obey their kinges, or their rulers vnder them. One Iohan Patriarke of Constātinopole in the tyme [Page] of saint Gregorie claymed superio­ritie aboue all other bishoppes. To whom Saint Gregorie writeth, that therin he did iniurie to his three bre­thren, which were equal with hym: y^t is to saye, the Bishop of Rome, the bi­shop of Alexandria, and of Antiochia: which three were patriarchal seas, as well as Constantinopole, and were brethren one to an other. But (sayeth saynt Gregorie) Yf any one shall exalte him self aboue all the rest, to be the vni­uersal bishop, the same passeth in pride. But now the Bis. of Rome exalteth him self, not only aboue al bishoppes, but also aboue all kinges and Empe­rours, and aboue all the hole worlde: taking vpon him to geue and take a­waye, to set vp and put downe, as he shall thinke good.The deuil and the pope are like. And as the Deuil hauing no such autoritie, yet toke vpō him to geue vnto Christ all the king­domes of y^e world, if he wold fal down & worship him: in like maner the pope taketh vpon hym to geue empires & kingdomes (being non of his) to suche as will fall downe and worship him, and kysse his fete. And moreouer his lawers and glosers so flattre him, that they feyne he maye commaunde em­perours [Page] and kinges to holde his styr­rop, whan he lighteth vpō his horse, and to be his fotemen. And that if any emperour or king geue hym any thīg, they geue him nothing, but that is his owne. And that he maye dispense a­gainst Goddes worde, against bothe the olde and newe testament, against saynt Paules epistles, and against the Gospel. And furthermore whatsoeuer he dothe, although he drawe innume­rable people by heapes with him selfe in to hell: Yet maye no mortal man reproue him: bicause he being iudge of all men, maye be iudged of no man. And thus he sytteth in the temple of God,The pope is Anti­christ, that is, Christes enemye. as he were a God, and nameth him self Goddes vicare: And yet he dispenseth against God. If this be not to playe Antichristes parte, I can not tel what is Antichrist: which is no more to saye, but Christes enemy & aduersary: who shall syt in the temple of god aduaunceing hym self aboue all o­ther: yet by hipocrisie and feyned reli­gion shall subuerte the true religiō of Christ. And vnder pretense and co­lour of christian religion shall worke against Christ,wherfore the pope is [...]ichrist. and therfore hathe the name of Antichrist. Now if any man lifte him selfe higher than the Pope [Page] hathe done, who lifteth hym selfe a­boue all the world: or can be more ad­uersarye to Christ, [...]an to dispense a­gainst Goddes lawes, & wher Christ hathe geuē any commaundement, to commaunde directly the contrary: y^t mā must nedes be takē for Antichrist. But vntill the tyme that suche a persō may be foūde, mē maye easily coniec­ture, wher to fynde Antichrist.

Wherfore seing the pope thus (to ouerthrowe bothe Goddes lawes & mannes lawes) taketh vpon hym, to make emperours and kynges to be vassailes and subiectes vnto hym, & specially the crowne of this realme, with the lawes and customes of the same: I see no meane, how I maye cō sente to admyt this vsurped power within this realme,Note this conclusion cotrary to myne othe, myne obediēce to Goddes lawe, myne allegeaunce & duetie to your maiestie, & my loue & affection to this realme. This that I haue spoken a­gainst the power and autoritie of the pope,The cau­ses why the Archebi­shop spake & wrote thus I haue not spoken (I take God to record and iudge) for any malice I owe to y^e popes persō, whom I knowe not, but I shal praye to God to geue him grace, that he maye seke aboue [Page] all thinges to ꝓmote Goddes honour and glorie, and not to folowe y^e trade of his p̄decessours in these later daies. Nor I haue not spoken it for feare of punishemēt & to auoide y^e same, thin­kīg it rather an occasiō to aggrauate thā to diminish my trouble: but I ha­ue spokē it for my most boūdē duety to y^t crowne, liberties, lawes & customes of this realme of Englād, but most specially to discharge my cōsciēce in vtte­ring y^e truthe to goddes glorie, casting awaye al feare, by y^e comfort which I haue in Christ, who sayeth: Feare not them that kill the body, and can not kill the soule: but feare him that can cast bo­the body & soule in to hell fyre. He that for feare to lose this life, will forsake the truthe, shall lose the euerlasting life. And he that for the truthes sake will spende his life, shal fynde euerla­sting life. And Christ ꝓmyseth to stāde fast with thē before his father, which will stande faste w^t him here. Which cōfort is so great, y^t whosoeuer hathe his eies fixed vpon Christ, can not greatly passe on this life, knowing that he maye be sure to haue Christ stande by him, in the presence of his father in heauen.

[Page] And as touching y^e Sacrament,The sacrament. I sayed: Forasmuche as the hole mater standeth in y^e vnderstanding of these wordes of Christ, This is my body, This is my blood: I sayed, that Christ in these wordes made demonstracion of y^e bread & wyne, and spake figurati­uely, calling bread his bodye, & wyne his blood: bicause he ordayned them to be sacramētes of his body & blood. And wher y^e papistes say in those two pointes cōtrary vnto me, y^t Christ cal­led not bread his body, but a substaūce vncertayn, nor spake figuratiuely: Herein I sayed, I wolde be iudged by the olde churche. And which doctrine could be proued the elder, that I wold stāde vnto. And forasmuche as I haue alleged in my boke many olde autors bothe Grekes & latines, which about a thousaunt yeares after Christ conti­nually taught as I doo: if they could bring furthe but one olde autor, that sayeth in these two poyntes, as they saye: I offred vj. or vij. yeares agoo, & doo offre yet still, y^t I will geue place vnto them. But whan I bring furthe any autor that sayeth in most playne termes as I doo, yet sayeth the other partie, that the autors ment not so: as who shoulde saye, that y^e autors spake [Page] one thing, and ment cleane contrary. And vpon the other parte, whan they can not fynde any one autor, that say­eth in wordes, as they saye, yet saye they, that the autors mēt as they saye. Now whether I or they speake more to the purpose herein, I referre me to the iudgemet of al indifferēt hearers. Yea the olde churche of Rome aboue a thousaunt yeares together, neither beleued nor vsed the Sacrament, as y^e church of Rome hathe done of late yeares. For in the beginning y^e churche of Rome taught a pure and a sounde doctrine of the sacrament. But after that the churche of Rome fell in to a newe doctrine of transubstanciacion: w^t the doctrine they chaunged the vse of the sacrament, contrary to that Christ commaunded, and the olde churche of Rome vsed aboue a thousaunt yeares. And yet to deface the olde, they saye that the newe is the olde: wherin for my parte, I am content to the tryall of stande.The papistes make Christ two bodies. But their doc­trine is so fonde and vncomfortable, that I maruail, that any man wold allowe it, if he knewe what it is. But what so euer they beare the people in hande, that which they wryte in their [Page] bokes hathe nother truthe nor cōfort. For by their doctrine, of one body of Christ is made two bodies: one natu­ral, hauing distaunce of membres w^t forme and proporcion of a mans per­fite body, and this body is in heauen.

But the body of Christ in the sacra­mēt, by their owne doctrine, must ne­des be a monstrous body, hauing neither distaūce of membres, nor forme, facion, or proporcion of a mannes na­turall body. And suche a body is in the sacrament, teache they: and goth in to the mouthe with the forme of bread, and entreth no farther thā the forme of bread gothe: nor tarieth no longer than the forme of bread is by natural heat in digesting. So that whan the forme of bread is digested, that body of Christ is gone.Marke.

And forasmuche as euil men be as long in digesting as good men, the body of Christ (by their doctrine) en­treth as farre, and tarieth as long in wicked men, as in godly men. And what cōfort can be herein to any chri­stian men, to receaue Christes vnsha­pen body, & it to entre no farther than the stomacke, and to departe by & by, as sone as the bread is consumed?

[Page] It semeth to me a more sounde & cō ­fortable doctrine,The sounde true doctrine of the Sa­crament. that Christ hath but one body, & that hathe forme & faciō of a mannes true body: which body spiritually entreth into the hole mā, bodye & soule. And though the sacrament be consumed, yet hole Christ remayneth, & fedeth the receauer vnto eternal life, if he cōtinue in godlynesse: & neuer de­parteth, vntill y^e receauer forsake him. And as for the wicked, they haue not Christ within them at al, who can not be where Belial is. And this is my fayth, and (as me semeth) a sounde do­ctrine, according to goddes worde, & sufficient for a christian to beleue in that mater.That can they neuer doo. And if it can be shewed vnto me, that the Popes autoritie is not preiudicial to the thinges before mē ­tioned: or that my doctrine in y^e sacra­ment is erroneous (which I thinke can not be shewed) than I was neuer nor wilbe so peruerse, to stande wilfully in myne owne opinion, but I shall (with all humilitie) submitte my selfe vnto the Pope,The bi­shop of Gloucestres periu­ry. not only to kisse his fete, but an other parte also.

An other cause why I refused to take the b. of Gloucestre for my iudge, was the respecte of his owne person being [Page] more than ones periured. Furst for that he being diuerse tymes sworne, neuer to consent that the B. of Rome should haue any iurisdiciō within this realme, but to take the king, & his suc­cessours for supreme heades of this realme, as by goddes lawes they be. Contrary to that lawfull othe the said B. sate than in iudgemēt by autoritie from Rome, wherin he was periured, and not worthy to syt as a iudge.

The seconde periurie was, that he toke his bishoprike bothe of y^e Quenes Maiestie & of y^e Pope, making to eche of them a solemne othe. Which othes be so contrarie, that the one must ne­des be periured. And furthermore in swearing to the pope,The B. of Glouces­tre a trai­tor and an enemye to the realme. to maintene his lawes, decrees, cōstitutiōs, ordinaūces reseruaciōs, & prouisions he declareth him selfe an enemy to the Imperial crowne, & to the lawes & state of this realme: wherby he declared him selfe not worthy to syt as a iudge win this realme. And for these cōsideraciōs I refused to take him for my iudge.

This was written in an other let­tre to the Quene.

I Learned by D. Martin, that at the daye of your Maiesties coronacion, [Page] you toke an othe of obedience to the pope of Rome. And y^t same tyme you toke an other othe to this realme, to mayntene y^e lawes, liberties, and cus­tomes of y^e same. And if your Maiestie did make an othe to y^e pope. I thinke it was accordīg to y^e other othes, which he vseth to ministre to princes: which is to be obedient to him, to defende his person, to mayntene his autoritie, honour, lawes, landes, & priuileges. And if it be so (which I knowe not, but by reporte) thā I beseche your maiestie, to loke vpon your othe made to the crowne & realme: & to expende and weighe the two othes together, to see how they do agre, & as your graces cō science shal geue you. For I am sure­ly persuaded, that willingly your Maiestie will not offēde, nor doo against your conscience for nothing.

But I feare me,worthy othes wherby periury must nedes be cōmitted. that ther be con­tradictiones in your othes, and that those which should haue informed your grace throughly, did not their dueties therin. And if your Maiestie pondre y^e two othes diligently, I thīke you shal perceaue, you were deceaued: & than your hignesse maye vse y^e ma­ter, as God shall put in your hearte. [Page] Furthermore I am kept here frō cō ­panie of learned men, from bokes, frō coūsail, from penne & inke, sauing at this time to writ vnto your Maiestie: which all were necessary for a man being in my case. Wherfore I beseche your maiestie, y^t I maye haue suche of these, as maye stande w^t your Maies­ties pleasure.No, ye shalbe despeched nerer home. And as for myne appearaunce at Rome, if your Maiestie wil geue me leaue, I will appeare ther. And I trust, that God shall put in my mouthe, to defende his truthe ther, as well as here. But I referre it holly to your maiesties pleasure.

To Doctour Martin, and Doc­tour Storye.

I Haue me commended vnto you. And as I promysed, I haue sent my lettres vnto the Quenes Maiestie vnsigned: Praieng you to signe thē & deliuer them w^t al spe­de. I might haue sent them by the [...]aryer soner, but not surer. But hea­ring M. Balif saye, that he wolde goo to y^t court on Frydaye, I thought him a meter messagier, to sende my lettres by. For better is later and su­rer, thā soner & neuer to be deliuered. [Page] yet one thing I haue written to the Quenes Ma. inclosed & sealed: which I require you may be so deliuered, w^t out delay, & not be opened, vntill it be deliuerd vnto her graces owne hādes. I haue writtē al y^t I remēbre I sayd, except y^t which I spake against y^e B. of Glou. owne person: which I thought not mete to wryte. And in some places I haue writtē more thā I said: which I wolde haue answered to y^e B. if you wold haue suffred me. You promised I should see mine answer to y^e .xvi. ar­ticles, y^t I might correcte, amēde and chaunge them, wher I thought good: which your ꝓmyse you kept not. And myne answer was not made vpon myne othe,Martyn and Story promise breakers. nor repeted nor made in Iudicio but extra iudiciū, as I ꝓtested: nor to y^e B. of Glou. as iudge, but to you y^e kynges & Quenes proctours. I trust you deale syncerely with me without fraude or crafte: & vse me as you wold wishe to be vsed in like case your sel­ues Remember y^t Qua mensura mensi fue­ritis, eadam remetietur vobis. That is, what measure you meate, y^e same shalbe mea­sured to you agayne. Thus fare you well. And God sende you his spirite to induce you in to all truthe.