Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] 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.

*The Fayth and Profession of Doctour Cranmer Archbishop of Cant. before the Commissioners.

* 1.1THis I do professe as touching my fayth, and make my protestation, which I desire you to note. I will neuer consent that the Bishop of Rome shall haue any iurisdic∣tion within this Realme.

Story.

Take a note thereof.

Mart.

Marke M. Cranmer, how you answer for your self. You refuse and denye him, by whose lawes ye yet doe re∣mayne in life, being otherwise attaynted of high treason, & but a dead man by the lawes of this Realme.

Cran.

I protest before God I was no traytor, but in deed I confessed more at my arraignment then was true.

Mart.

That is not to be reasoned at this presēt. You know ye were condemned for a Traytor, and Res iudicata pro ve∣ritate accipitur. But proceed to your matter.

Cran.

I will neuer consent to the Bishop of Rome, for thē should I geue my selfe to the Deuill: for I haue made an othe to the king, & I must obey the king by Gods lawes. By the Scripture the king is chiefe, and no forreigne per∣son in his owne Realme about him. There is no Subiect but to a king. I am a Subiect, I owe my fidelitye to the crowne. The pope is contrary to the crowne. I cannot o∣bey both: for no mā can serue two maisters at once, as you in the beginning of your Oration declared by the sword & the keyes attributing the keies to the Pope, and the sword to the king. But I say y^e king hath both. Therfore he that is subiect to Rome & the lawes of Rome, he is periured,* 1.2 for the Popes and the Iudges▪ Lawes are contrary they are vncertayne and confounded.

A Prieste indebted by the Lawes of the Realme shall be sued before a temporall Iudge: by the Popes Lawes contrary.

The Pope doth the king iniury in that he hath his po∣wer from the Pope. The king is head in his owne realm: But the Pope claimeth all Bishops, Priests, Curates. &c. So the Pope in euery Realme hath a Realme.

Agayne, by the lawes of Rome the Benefice muste bee geuen by the Bishop: by the lawes of the Realme, the pa∣tron geueth the Benefice. Herein the lawes be as contra∣ry as fire and water.

No man can by the lawes of Rome proceed in a premu∣nire, and so is the law of the Realme expelled, and the king standeth accursed in mainteining his owne lawes. Ther∣fore in consideration that the king and Queene take theyr power of him, as though god should geue it to them, there is no true subiect vnlesse he be abrogate, seing the crowne is holden of him being out of the Realme.

The Bishop of Rome is contrary to God, and iniuri∣ous to his lawes:* 1.3 for God commaunded all men to be di∣ligent in the knowledge of his law, and therefore hath ap∣poynted one holiday in the weeke at the least, for the peo∣ple to come to the Church and heare the word of God ex∣pounded vnto them, and that they might the better vnder∣stād it, to heare it in their mother toung which they know. The Pope doth contrary: for he willeth the seruice to bee had in the latine tongue, which they doe not vnderstande. God woulde haue it to bee perceiued: the Pope will not. When the Priest geueth thanks God would that the peo∣ple should do so to, and God will them to confesse altoge∣ther: the Pope will not.

Now as concerning the Sacrament, I haue taught no false doctrine of the sacramēt of the aultar:* 1.4 For if it can be proued by any doctor aboue 1000. yeares after Christ, that Christes body is there really, I will geue ouer. My booke was made 7. yeares agoe, and no man hath brought anye authors agaynst it. I beleue that who so eateth and drin∣keth that sacrament, Christ is within them, whole Christ, his Natiuity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascention, but not that corporally that sitteth in heauen.

Now, Christ commaunded all to drinke of the Cuppe, The Pope taketh it away from the laye men: and yet one sayth that if Christ had dyed for the Deuill, that he shoulde drinke thereof.

Christ biddeth vs to obey the king, etiam discolo. The Bishop of Rome biddeth vs to obey him: therfore vnlesse he be Antichrist, I cannot tell what to make of him. Wher∣fore if I should obey him I can not obey Christ.

He is like the Deuill in his doinges, for the Deuil said to Christ: if thou wilt fall downe and worship me,* 1.5 I wyll geue thee all the kingdomes of the world. Thus hee tooke vpon him to geue that which was not his owne. Euen so the Bishop of Rome geueth Princes theyr crownes being none of his owne: for where Princes either by election, ei∣ther by succession, either by inheritage obtein their crown, he sayth that they should haue it from him.

Christ sayth that Antichrist shall be. And who shall he be? Forsoothe he that aduaunceth himselfe aboue all other creatures.* 1.6 Now if there be none already that hath aduaū∣ced himselfe after suche sorte besides the Pope, then in the meane time let him be Antichrist.

Story.

Pleaseth it you to make an end.

Cranmer.

For he wilbe the Uicar of Christ, he will dispēse

with the olde and newe Testament also,* 1.7 yea and with A∣postacy.

Now I haue declared why I cannot with my consci∣ence obey the Pope. I speake not this for hatred I beare to him that now supplieth the roome, for I know him not. I pray God geue him grace not to folowe his auncestors. Neyther say I this for my defence, but to declare my con∣science for the zeale that I beare to Gods word, troden vn∣der foote by the Byshop of Rome. I cast feare aparte, for Christ sayde to his Apostles, that in the latter dayes they should suffer much sorow, and be put to death for his na∣mes sake: feare them not (sayth he) but feare him whyche when he hath killed the body, hath power to cast the soule into the fire euerlasting.* 1.8 Also Christ sayth: that he that wyll liue shall die, and he that loseth his life for my names sake, he shall finde it agayne. Moreouer he sayd: confesse mee before men,* 1.9 and be not afrayd: if you do so I wyll stand with you: if you shrincke from me I will shrincke from you. This is a comfortable and a terryble saying, thys maketh me to set all feare aparte. I say therefore the By∣shop of Rome treadeth vnder foote Gods lawes and the kinges.

The Pope would geue Bishoprickes: so woulde the king.* 1.10 But at the last the king gat the vpper hande, and so are all Bishops periured, first to the Pope and then to the king.

The Crowne hath nothing to doe with the Cleargy. For if a Clarke come before a Iudge, the Iudge shal make processe agaynste him, but not to execute any Lawes. For if the Iudge should put him to execution, then is the king accursed in mayneteyning his owne Lawes. And ther∣fore saye I that he is neyther true to GOD, neyther to the king that first receiued the Pope. But I shall hartely pray for such Councellours, as may informe her the truth, for the King and Queene if they be well infourmed, wyll do well.

Mart.

As you vnderstand, then if they maynteyne the Su∣premacy of Rome, they cannot mainteine England too.

Cranmer.

I require you to declare to the king and queene what I haue sayde, and how theyr othes doe stand with the Realme and the Pope. S. Gregory sayth, he that ta∣keth vppon him to be head of the Uniuersall Churche,* 1.11 is worse then the Antichrist. If any man can shew me, that it is not agaynst Gods word to holde his styrrop when hee taketh his horse, and kisse his feet (as kinges do) then will I kisse his feete also.

* 1.12And you for your part my Lord, are periured, for now ye sit Iudge for the Pope, and yet ye did receiue your By∣shopricke of the king. You haue taken an othe to be aduer∣sary to this Realme, for the Popes lawes are contrary to the lawes of the Realme.

Glocester.

You were the cause that I did forsake the Pope, and did sweare that he ought not to be supreame head, and gaue it to king Henry the eight, that he ought to be it, and this you made me to do.

Cranmer.

To this I aunswere, sayd he: You report me il, and say not the trueth,* 1.13 and I will proue it here before you all. The trueth is, that my Predecessour Byshop War∣rham gaue the Supremacy to King Henry the eight, and sayde that he ought to haue it before the Bishop of Rome, and that Gods word would beare him. And vpō the same was there sent to both the vniuersityes Oxford and Cam∣bridge, to know what the word of GOD would do tou∣ching the Supremacy, and it was reasoned vpon and ar∣gued at length. So at the laste both the Uniuersityes a∣greed,* 1.14 and set to theyr Seales, and sent it to king Henry the eight to the Courte, that he ought to be supreme head, and not the Pope. Whereupon you were then Doctour of Diuinitye at that time, and your consent was thereunto, as your hand doth appeare. Therefore you misreport me, that I was the cause of your falling away from the Pope, but it was your selfe. All this was in Byshop Warrhams time and whilest he was aliue, so that it was three quar∣ters of a yeare after ere euer I hadde the Byshopricke of Caunterbury in my handes, and before I might doe anye thing. So that here ye haue reported of me that, which ye cannot proue, which is euill done. All this while his cappe was on his head.

Gloc.

We come to examine you, and you, me thinke exa∣mine vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.2

  Causes allead∣ged why Doct. Cranmer cannot receaue the Pope.

  The Lawes of this realme and the Popes con∣trary.
• * 1.3

  The Popes pro∣ceedinges con∣trary to God.
• * 1.4

  The reall pre∣sence is not to be proued by a∣ny Doctour a¦boue a 1000. yeares after Christ.
• * 1.5

  The Pope like∣ned to the deuil, and wherein.
• * 1.6

  The Pope pro∣ued. Antichrist.
• * 1.7

  Anno 1556. Ianuary.
• * 1.8

  Math 16.
• * 1.9

  Marke. 8.
• * 1.10

  The Popes lawes agaynst the lawes of this Realme.
• * 1.11

  To be called v∣niuersall head, is a marke of An¦tichrist. Gregor.
• * 1.12

  The Bishop of Glocester char∣ged with penu∣ry.
• * 1.13

  Warham Arch∣bishop gaue vp first the supre∣macye to the King.
• * 1.14

  Both the vni∣uersities subscri∣bed to the kinges suprema∣cye before Cranmer was Archbishop.