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 second examination of Iohn Fortune before the Bishop of Norwich.

WHen I came before the Bishop, he asked me if I did not beleue in the Catholick church, I sayd: I beleue that Church wherof Christ is the head.

Then sayd the Bishop: doest thou not beleue that the Pope is supreame head of the Churche? And I sayde: no, Christ is the head of the true Church.

Bish.

So do I beleue also: but the Pope is Gods Uicar v∣pon earth, and the head of the Churche, and I beleue that he hath power to forgeue sinnes also.

Fort.

Then sayd I: the Pope is but a man, and the Pro∣phet Dauid sayth: That no man can deliuer his brother, nor make agreement for him vnto God:* 1.1 For it cost more to redeeme their soules, so that he must let that alone for euer.

Bysh.

And the Bishop agayne fetching about a great cir∣cumstaunce, sayd: like as the Belweather weareth the bell,* 1.2 and is the head of the flocke of sheepe: so is the Pope our head. And as the hiues of Bees haue a Mayster Bee that bringeth the bees to the hiue again: so doth our head bring vs home agayne to our true Church.

Fort.

Then I asked him whether the Pope were a spiri∣tuall man: and he sayde yea. And I sayde agayne: they are spitefull men, for in xvij. moneths there were three Popes, and one poysoned an other for that presumptuous seat of Antichrist.* 1.3

Bysh.

It is maliciously spoken (sayd he) for thou must obey the power and not the man. And thus was the pope deni∣ed to be supreme head.

Well, sayd he, what sayst thou to the Ceremonyes of the Church?* 1.4

Fort.

And I aunswered: All thinges that are not planted by my heauēly father, shalbe plucked vp by the rootes, saith christ. For they are not from the beginning,* 1.5 neither shall they cō∣tinue to the end.

Bysh.

They are good and godly and necessary to be vsed.

Fort.

S. Paule called them weake and beggarly.

Bysh.

No, that is a lye.

Fortune.

I hearing that, sayd: that Saynt Paule writeth thus in the fourth to the Galathians: You foolish Galathi∣ans (sayth he) who hath bewitched you,* 1.6 that ye seeke to bee in bondage to these weak and beggarly Ceremonies? Now which of you do lye? you or Saynt Paule? And also it is sayde, that woorkes instituted and enioyned without the com∣maundement of GOD, perteyne not to the worship of God, according to the text: In vayne doe men worshippe mee with mens traditions and commaundementes.* 1.7 And Sayncte Paule sayth: Wherefore doe ye cary vs away from the grace of Christ to another kind of doctrine? And Christ opēly rebuked the Scribes, Lawyers, Phariseis, Doctors, Priestes, Bi∣shoppes

and Hypocrites, for making Gods commaunde∣mentes of none effect, to support theyr owne tradition.

Byshop.

Thou lyest, there is not such a worde in all the Scriptures, thou noughty hereticke. Thou art woorse then all other heretickes: for Hooper (sayd he) and Brad∣ford alow them to be good, and thou doest not. Away with him.

* 1.8¶Here you may perceiue, howe that the Catholicke church can not erre, but whatsoeuer they say, must needes be true. And so my Lord Bishop can not lye, as it may ap∣peare to all men most playnely in the text.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 49.
• * 1.2

  The Pope like∣ned to a Bel∣wether or a Master Bee.
• * 1.3

  Poysoned Popes.
• * 1.4

  Ceremonyes of the Church.
• * 1.5

  Math. 15.
• * 1.6

  Gal. 4.
• * 1.7

  Math. 15.
• * 1.8

  It is pitty that popish prelates cannot lye.