Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

Winchester.

To the x. article the said B. answered, y^t the Wednesday at after noone,* 1.1 next before y^e friday whē I preached, M. Ci∣cil came to me, & hauing in all his other accesses spoken no word therof, did thē vtter & aduise me frō y^e D. of Somer∣set, y^t I should not speake of the sacrament, or of the Masse, wherby he said I should auoid trouble. And when he saw me not take it wel, I meane (quoth he) doubtfull matters. I asked him what? He said transubstantiation. I told hym he wist not what transubstantiation ment. I wyll preach (quoth I) the very presence of Christs most precious body & bloud in the sacrament, which is the catholike faith, & no doubtful matter, ne yet in controuersie, sauing that certein vnlearned speake of it, they wot not what. And among the matters quoth I, whereof I haue promised to speake▪* 1.2 I must by special words speake of the sacrament & the masse also. And when I shal so speake of thē. I will not forbeare to vtter my faith & true beliefe therin, which I think neces∣sary for the kings maiesty to know: & therfore if I wist to be hāged when I came downe, I would speake it. Which plaine zeale of my conscience, groūded vpō gods cōman∣dement to do his message truly, I would not hide,* 1.3 but vt∣ter so, as my L. should, if he would not haue it spoken of, nor let me to come there as he might haue done, where as els, if I had had a deceitful purpose, I might haue accepted the aduise, & w^tout any color of trouble, haue refused to fol∣low it as a thing groūded vpon welth only, as it was thē vttered. With this my answer M. Cicil departed, & vpon y^e thursday which was the next day folowing, & the euening before I preached, betwene 3. & 4. at after noone, I receiued a letter signed with the hand of the D. of Somerset (the co∣py wherof I am redy to exhibite) & took it them, & estemed it so now to continue no effectuall inhibition wherunto I might by gods law, or the kings maiesties laws with dis∣charge of my conscience & duety obey, although the said let∣ters had bene (as they were not) in such termes framed, as had precisely forbidden me (as they did not) but onely to speake of matters in controuersy of the sacrament, which in deed I did not, but only vttred a truth to my consciēce, most certainly perswaded of the most holy sacrament, ne∣cessary to be known to the kings maiesty, & to be vttred by me admitted to that place of preaching, from whence God commandeth his truth to be vttered, which in this nature of truth (the vndue estimation and vse whereof, S. Paule threatneth with temporall death) may in no wise be omit∣ted.* 1.4 So as I was and am perswaded the right estimation of the sacrament, to be to acknowledge the very presence of the same most precious body and bloud present in the Sa∣crament to feed vs, that was geuen to redeeme vs. If I shewed not my soueraigne Lord the truth therof, I for my part suffer hym wittingly to fall into that extreme danger of body, which S Paule threateneth, whose person I am bound by nature, by speciall othes, by Gods lawes to pre∣serue to my power as I will do, and must do, by all ways and meanes. And if the Kings Maiestie doth vouchesafe to teache hys people not to obey hys commaundement, where God commaundeth the contrary, I might not take my Lord of Somersets letter for an inhibition to hold my peace,* 1.5 when God biddeth me to speake as he doth whē the Wolfe commeth, and not to hide my selfe in silence, which is the most shamefull runnyng away of all. I haue muche matter to alledge against the letter why I should not cre∣dite it, written in his name alone, against a common letter (as I tooke it) written by hym and the counsaile, and pub∣lished in print the first day of the said month, which main∣taineth my preachyng of the sacrament & masse, accordyng to the proclamations and iniunctions: the violation of which publike letters, had bene a disorder and contempt, where as I neither offended in the one, nor the other.

And as for tumult, none could reasonably be feared of any thing spoken agreable to the kings maiesties lawes, as there did folow none, nor the people, or any man did of∣fer my person any wrong, or make tumult against me, not withstanding players, iesters, rimers, ballademakers, did signify me to be of the true catholike faith,* 1.6 which I accor∣ding to my dutie declared to the kings maiesty, from whō I may hide no truth that I thinke expedient for hym to know. And as the name of God cannot be vsed of any cre∣ture agaynst God, no more can the kings name, beyng v∣sed of any subiect against his highnes. Wherfore seyng the abuse of this holy sacrament hath in it a danger assured by scripture of body & soule, whosoeuer is perswaded in y^e ca∣tholike faith (as I am) findeth himself so burdened to vtter that vnto his maiesty, as no worldly losse cā let him to do his duty in that behalfe, and much lesse my Lordes priuate letters written without other of the counsails hands.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aunswere to he 10. Article. M. Cicill.
• * 1.2

  Winche∣sters catho••licke fayth in the Sa∣crament.
• * 1.3

  Winchest•••• would nede•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Sa∣crament & of the Masse.
• * 1.4

  S. Paule threatneth death to the misusers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Sacra∣ment: Ergo, the reall pre∣sence of Christ is the Sacra∣ment. Nego ar∣gumentu••▪
• * 1.5

  And why would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Wynches•••••• alow this reason in 〈…〉〈…〉 Maryes time, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 king the word of truth after their con∣science, 〈…〉〈…〉▪
• * 1.6

  Winches•••••• agaynst Players 〈◊〉〈◊〉 b••lladem••••kers.