refuse, and that the rising, which he spake of, was a very fall and error and false doctrine. Also that I had and would be able, by God's grace, to prove that all the doctrine which I had ever taught was true and catholic, and that by the Scriptures, and the authority of the fathers that lived 400 years after Christ's death. He answered, that should not, might not, nor ought not to be granted me: for I was but a private man, and might not be heard against the determination of the whole realm. Should, quoth he, when a Parliament hath concluded a thing, one or any private person have authority to discuss, whether they have done right or wrong? No, that may not be.

I answered shortly, that all the laws of men might not, neither could, rule the word of God, but that they all must be discussed and judged thereby, and obey thereunto: and neither my conscience, nor any Christian man's, could be satisfied with such laws as disagreed from the word: and so was willing to have said much more, but the Lord Chancellor begun a long tale to a very small purpose, concerning mine answer, to have debased me, that there was nothing in me wherewithal I should be heard, but arrogancy, pride, and vain-glory. I also granted mine ignorance to be greater than I can express, or than he took it: but yet that I feared not, by God's assistance and strength, to be able by writing to perform my word; neither was I (I thanked God) so utterly ignorant as he would make me, but all was of God, to whom be thanks rendered therefore: proud man was I never, nor yet vain-glorious. All the world knew well, where and on what side pride,

arrogancy, and vain-glory was.

It was a poor pride

that was or is in us, God it knoweth.

Then he said, that I at the first dash condemned the Queen and the whole realm to be of the church of antichrist, and burdened me highly therewithal. I answered, that the Queen's Majesty (God save her Grace) would have done well enough, if it had not been for his counsel. He said, the Queen went before him, and it was her own motion. I said without fail, I neither could nor would I ever believe it.

Then said Dr. Aldrif, the bishop of Carlisle, Yea, quotha, that I believe well;' and with that the people laughed: for that day there were many, but on the morrow they kept the doors shut, and would let none in but the bishops' adherents, and servants in a manner, yea, and the first day the thousandth man came not in. Then Master Comptroller and Secretary Bourne would have stood up also to bear witness and did.

I said it was no great matter: and to say the truth, I thought that they were helpers thereto themselves but I ceased to say any more therein, knowing that they were too strong and mighty of power, and that they should be believed before me, yea, and before our Saviour Christ, and all his Prophets, and Apostles too, in these days.

Then, after many words, he asked me what I thought concerning the blessed sacrament, and stood up, and put off his cap, and all his fellow-bishops (of which there were a great sort, new men, of whom I knew few,) whether I believed the sacrament to be the very body and blood of our Saviour Christ, that was born of the Virgin Mary, and hanged on the cross, really and substantially?

and therefore contrary opi

most part of and the defence

I answered, I had often told him that it was a matter in which I was no meddler, suspected of my brethren to be of a nion. Notwithstanding, even as the your doctrine in other parts is false, thereof only by force and cruelty: so in this matter I think it to be as false as the rest. For I cannot understand, really and substantially,' to signify otherwise than corporal: but corporally Christ is only in heaven, and so cannot Christ be corporally also in your sacrament. And here I somewhat set out his charity after this sort.-My Lord, quoth I, ye have dealt with me most cruelly; for ye have put me in prison without law, and kept me there now almost a year and a half: for I was almost half a year in my house, where I was obedient to you, God knoweth, and spake with no man. And now have I been a full year in Newgate at great cost and charges, having a wife and ten children to support, and I had never a penny of my livings; which was against the law.

He answered, that Dr. Ridley, which had given them me, was an usurper, and therefore I was the unjust possessor of them.

Was the King then a usurper, quoth I, which gave Dr. Ridley the bishopric?

Yea, quoth he, and began to set out the wrongs that the King had done to the Bishop of London, and to himself also. But yet I do misuse my terms, quoth he, to call the King usurper. But the word was gone out of the abundance of the heart before ; and I think that he was not very sorry for it in heart. I might have said more concerning that matter, but I did not.

I asked him wherefore he put me in prison? He said, because I preached against the Queen.

I answered, that it was not true: and I would be bound to prove it, and to stand to the trial of the law, that no man should be able to disprove it, and thereupon would set my life. I preached (quoth I) a sermon at the Cross, after the Queen came to the crown; but therein was nothing said against the Queen, I take witness of all the audience, which was not small: I alleged also that he had after examination let me go at liberty, after the preaching of that

sermon.

Yea, but thou didst read thy lectures after, quoth he, against the commandment of the council.

That did I not, quoth I; let that be proved, and let me die for it. Thus have you now against the law of God and man handled me, and never sent for me, never conferred with me, never spoken of any learning, till now that ye have gotten a whip to whip me with, and a sword to cut off my neck, if I will not condescend to your mind. This charity doth all the world understand.

I might and would have added, if I could have been suffered to speak, that it had been time enough to take away men's livings, and thereto to have imprisoned them, after that they had offended the laws; for they be good citizens that break not laws, and worthy of praise and not of punishment. But their purpose is to keep men in prison, until they may catch them in their laws, and so kill them. 1 could and would have added the example of Daniel, which by a crafty-devised law was cast into the lion's den.

Item, I might have declared, that 1 most humbly

desired to be set at liberty, sending my wife to him with a supplication, being great with child, and with her eight honest women, or thereabout, to Richmond, at Christmas was a twelvemonth, while I was yet in my house.

Item, I wrote two supplications to him out of Newgate, and sent my wife many times to him. Master Gosnold also, that worthy man, who is now departed in the Lord, laboured for me, and so did divers other worthy men also take pains in the matter. These things declare my Lord Chancellor's antichristian charity, which is, that he hath and doth seek my blood, and the destruction of my poor wife and my ten children.

This is a short sum of the words which were spoken on the 28th day of January at afternoon, after that Master Hooper had been the first, and Master Cardmaker the second in examination before me. The Lord grant us grace to stand together, fighting lawfully in this cause, till we be smitten down together, if the Lord's will be so to permit it: for there shall none perish without his will. Whereunto the Lord grant us to be obedient unto the end and in the end. Amen. Sweetly and mightily aid us, O merciful Jesus, thou Son of David, and of God. Amen, amen, let every true Christian say and pray.

Then the clock being, as I guessed, about four, the Lord Chancellor said that he and the church might use charity with me (what manner of charity it is, all true Christians do well understand, as to wit, the same that the fox does with the chickens, and the wolf with the lambs,) and give me respite till toand whether I would return to the catholic

morrow