His talke with the Earle of Sussex, sir William Woodhouse, and the Bishops chaplaines.
IN the meane time the Byshop sent two of his chaplens to me, with whome I had communication about the re∣all presence: and after long reasoning to & fro, concerning this poynt, at length I droue them to this issue, whether they did confesse that Christ in the selfe same bodye whiche was conceiued of the virgin Mary, and wherein he suffe∣red and rose agayne, do in the selfe same body naturally, substancially, and really sit at the right hande of God the father, without returne from thence vntill the daye of the generall iudgement or not? Whereunto they aunswered, Yes truely, sayd they, we confesse it, hold it, and beleeue it. Then I agayne demaunded of them, whether they did af∣firme, after the wordes pronounced by the minister ther to remayne flesh, bloud, bones, heare, nayles, as is wonte most grossely to bee preached, or not? And they with great deliberation aunswered, that they did not onely abhorre ye teaching of such grosse doctrine,* 1.1 but also would detest thē selues, if they should so thinke.
At which two principall poyntes, wherein they fully confirmed my doctrine which I euer taught, I was not a little comforted and reioyced, but marueilously encoura∣ged. Wherupon I demaunded againe of them, what ma∣ner of body they then affirmed to be in the Sacrament? Forsooth, sayd they, not a visible, palpable, or circumscrip∣tible bodye, for that is alwaies at the fathers right hande, but in the sacrament it is inuisible, and can neither be felt, seene, nor occupy any place, but is there by the omnipotē∣cie of Gods woorde they knowe not howe.
And for this they brought in S. Augustine, although of them not truly vnderstanded, yet would they admit none other sense then their owne, but would take vppon them to confirme it with Martine Luther, Melanchthon, Bu∣cer, and Caluine, so that I perceiuing their obstinacie in that behalfe, gaue them ouer for that time, & afterwardes talked with Doctour Barret, whome I also found of the same iudgement in that behalfe. For (sayd he) if ye shoulde dissent from the Fathers of the Primatiue churche in thys behalfe, of which S. Augustine is one, ye shall be counted to die out of the fauour of God. Well, all this their obsti∣nacie and blasphemous errours imprinted and deepely weighed in my minde, I gaue them al ouer, and the more quietly to bring them to confesse that openly, whiche they vnto me had graunted priuately, I graunted them, accor∣ding to the scriptures, and my former protestation, a pre∣sence, although not as they supposed.
After all this, came there vnto me the honorable Earle of Sussex, and that gentle knight sir William Woodhouse, wyth great perswasions: vnto whome I sayd, after long talke, that I woulde doe all that I might, sauing my con∣science, whiche I woulde in no wise pollute, and no more I haue, as knoweth God, by whome all menne must be iudged.