THis faithfull and valiaunt souldiers of God Thomas Tomkins,* 1.1 after he had remained the space (as is sayde) of halfe a yere in prison, about the 8. day of Februarye, was broughte with certaine other before Boner sitting in hys Consistorie, to be examined. To whome first was brought foorth a certaine bill or schedule subscribed (as it appeared) with his owne hande, the fifte day of the same moneth laste before, conteining these wordes folowing.
Thomas Tomkins of Shordiche, and of the Dioces of London, hath beleeued and doth beleeue,* 1.2 that in the sacra∣ment of the aultare, vnder the formes of breade and wine, there is not the very body and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ in substaunce, but only a token and remembraunce thereof, the very body and bloude of Christ onely being in heauen and no where els.
By me Thomas Tomkins.
Wherupon he was asked whether he did acknowledge the same subscription to be of his own hand. To the which he graūted, confessing it so to be. This being done, the By∣shop went about to persuade him, (wt wordes,* 1.3 rather then wt reasons) to relinquish his opinions, & to returne againe to the vnity of the catholicke church, promising if he would so do, to remit all that was past: but he constantly denied so to do. When the Bishop saw he could not so conuince him, he brought forth and read to him an other wryting contai∣ning Articles and Interrogatories whereunto he shoulde come the next day and answere: in the meane time he shuld deliberate vnto himself what to do, & so the next day, being the 9. day of March, at 8. of the clocke in the morning, to be present in the same place againe, to geue his determinate answer what he would do in the premisses, and then either to reuoke and reclaime himself, or els in the after noone the same day to come againe & haue iustice (as he called it) mi∣nistred vnto him: the copy of which articles here foloweth.