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CHAP. "the same openly before you, to the praise of his mercy, " and, as I trust, to the edification of some other; which I Anno 1556. " do, following the order which hath been given unto me "by them whom in such case I am most bound to obey. "Wherein also I do knowledge the goodness of God, that "hath put in their mind to enjoin me to make the confes❝sion of my grievous error, in that place where I did most 66 grievously offend, both to the ruin of myself, and of other "that were conversant with me, which are here in the "Court; where I had more occasion to do hurt, for the "place of schoolmaster I had with young King Edward, "and with all the youth of the nobility, than any other "had. And albeit mine office was not to teach him the "matters of religion, which was committed to others; yet "I confess, touching my pestilent error, I peradventure "did no less to confirm and set forward the same in his "mind, and all the rest of the youth, than any other.

"And what mine error was, though it be not unknown, "I think, to any in this honourable assembly, yet coming "to confess the same, which I myself, a little before, took "for no error, it may please you to understand the quality "thereof: which was a blasphemy of the holy name of "God, under colour to glorify the same; and a persecution "of the name of Christ, more grievous than ever were they, that, deceived by others, crucified Christ, or af"terward did persecute those that were his disciples; I "having a greater cause than ever St. Paul had to say so, "when he went from town to town, having obtained au"thority of the chief heads of the Priests, to imprison "those that professed the name of Christ. But that per"secution I made was not so open as his was, as my blasphemy also was more hid; and so hid to myself, that I 66 thought all were blasphemers that held contrary opinion. "Wherefore I may well say in this part with St. Paul, "Misericordiam consecutus sum, quia ignorans feci.

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"Albeit mine ignorance was not such, but that it did "rather aggravate mine offence than excuse it; being "much more excusable the ignorance of the Jews that

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"killed Christ, and also of St. Paul, that did persecute SECT. "his servants; both following the motive of those whom "the law of God gave authority to be judges in all such Anno 1556. "matters, as were principes sacerdotum; of whom St. "Paul had letters to persecute Christ's servants; and by "their motion the people were set up to cry against Christ, "Crucifige eum: for whom Christ did pray to his Father, Ignosce illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt. And St. Paul "might well ask Christ, Quis es Domine? having no "knowledge of him by the doctrine of his superiors, that "it was Christ he did persecute. But mine ignorance was "not such; for if I would have believed my superiors, all "told me contrary to that I did; all did forbid me to do ❝ as I did, and curse me if I did attempt the same. Which they did, following the rule and knowledge of their fore"fathers, that were counted most to have lived in the grace of God. So that mine ignorance can have no "colour of excuse, but all to aggravate my greater damna❝tion; entering into the same by mine own election, and

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prosecuting the same by mine own authority, when I "would be wiser than all other: and by the justice of "God was made more ignorant than all other, as the "effect did shew. For what an arrogant blindness was "this, what great madness, to think I saw more touching "the Sacrament of the Altar, than first all the Prelates of "the Church in this realm, since the time the faith was "received! For if it were true that I took for true, that "the sacrifice of the Mass was idolatry, never-ceasing "Mass to be said in that manner it is now, and never no "fault to be found therein; either this must be a deep "ignorance in them that brought in the faith, that saw "not this, or in me the most execrable, that condemned "both them and the rest of the world in the same. Which "is the most blasphemy that could be said against the "providence of God, and against the love that Christ "beareth to his Church: making him more benevolent to "the old Synagogue than to the Church, quam acquisivit "sanguine suo; letting them never to fall into idolatry,

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CHAP. "but they had warners thereof, and great chastisements "therefore; and we to have no warner in this long space of Anno 1556. so many years living in idolatry. What would blaspheme more the providence of God towards his Church, from "the which he promiseth never to be absent.

"And whenas we know the old people could not fall "in carnal vices, but they had Priests and Prophets to "warn them; and if they did not of themselves, then God "himself warneth them, and reproveth them for their si"lence, calling them sometimes canes mutos non valentes "latrare. But what reproof were worthy our Priests and "Prophets, if, when such idolatry crept into the Church, "there was not found the space of so many

hundred years "as passed from the primitive Church to Berengarius's "time, that did reprove men of this idolatry?

"So that here, when I consider myself, I cannot so "much marvel at mine own blindness, that I saw not in "this point how I blasphemed Christ, and condemned the

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Church, taking that for idolatry, that the Church conti"nually had used, and was never condemned. But yet "here I cannot say I was so blind, but I saw somewhat "this inconvenience, what a thing it was thus to go

against the whole consent of the Church. But to avoid "that, and to amend it, I fell into another; which was, to "displace the Church where Christ had set it, as I had "displaced the body of Christ in the Sacrament. So that "the congregation of all Christian men, which was com"monly called the Church, I took not for the Church; but "sometime I made the Church a spiritual congregation "without a body, invisible as the spirit is; and yet, seeing

some inconvenience in that, I began to belie the Church, "and say it was visible, and seen on earth, but most seen "in the Apostles' time, which was the primitive Church. "And those I took to be of mine opinion, and divers "Doctors that followed, whose sentence I did interpretate

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as to agree with mine. Wherein I went from error to 66 error, mending the first with a second, and so increasing "in blindness, which I took for light, and did what I could

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"to bring the whole realm into blindness; as it was as SECT. "much as man's wit and malice could do, by them that “had highest authority in the realm. But non est consi- Anno 1556. "lium contra Dominum: et potestati ejus quis resistet?

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"This God having ever shewed most notable, hath now "also shewed it in this realm, preserving a virgin to shew "the marvellous work of his presence, his true doctrine, " in all the time of that tempestuous world, as it were a lamp-light in the midst of a stormy wind in a maiden's "hand; whom no learning, no persuasion, no fear could "turn, no power oppress; but made her oppress them " that had all the power of the realm in their hand: which 66 was a great miracle to all them that had grace to see it. “But here, alas! I was so far from grace to see it, and to "receive it as all the rest did, that I began to think how I "might flee it, and judged it most wisdom so to do. And 66 so I did, fleeing from that place, where true religion, "being trod under foot afore, began to spring again; and "went thither, where I had more occasion to be confirmed "in my corrupt opinion. But in my case I may say also, 66 non est consilium contra Dominum: which, when I

thought least, subverted all my counsel, and, as it were "with a hurle-wind, took me from the place I was in, and "brought me over the sea, and never knew whither I went, "afore I found myself in the Tower of London, which of "all places I abhorred most.

"And yet at last I came to have that comfort, that I "confess now I never came into place where I had more "cause to thank God. But at the beginning I was so "confused with this strange chance, that when I knew at "mine examination the cause of my sudden bringing, "which was chiefly for religion, there was no death but I "had liever suffered it, than to change that opinion I "brought with me. Albeit, after a few days that I was ❝ first examined, being sent unto me two learned men, as "they shewed full of charity, I shewed myself to hear "them not unwillingly; and gladly to confer my doubts "with them, and desired to be better informed. Yet the

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very

СНАР. "conclusion was such with them, that in deed they "moved me nothing, and so left me as desperate to be Anno 1556. "reconciled as their desire was; and so continued, until "it pleased God to put in the Queen's Majesty's mind, of “her grace, mercy, and charity, to prove me yet better. "And her Grace, not knowing, sent unto me one, who, in "King Edward's time, being in prison in that same place "where I was now, by order that was given then, was "fetched out to be examined afore me. To whom I shewed "that courtesy the case could require; but I could not 66 bring him to mine opinion. And the selfsame man now was the mean to bring me utterly unto his; and fetched 66 me out of the Tower to come afore my Lord Legate; "which in truth I did desire.

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Beginning now to incline to the Catholic sentence; "but not so far as to make any manner of confession of "mine error, or open recantation, (wherein I desired my "Lord Legate to have compassion of my frailty ;) but after "twice communication in one day of the same matter, at "last, God of his mercy was stronger in me, and made 66 me, as I did in the doctrine, submit my reason and sense "to the doctrine of the Church: so also my person I sub"mitted to be ordered, as it should be thought best for "my soul's wealth, of them whom God had given autho"rity in the Church upon such offenders. And this being 66 my Lord Legate's order, that I should appear in this place to confess and retract my pernicious sentence, in "this I thank Almighty God, first, with an humble and "contrite heart, that it hath pleased him to use this mercy "with me; and afterwards the Queen's Highness, that "she vouchsafed first to bear with my infinite offences, and "to send unto me such men as she did, to direct me, and "confirm me in the right way; and finally, to be content "to let me come to her presence; and so withal to my "Lord Legate that gave the order, and all that have been "ministers therein.

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"And for an assured token, that I say with my mouth "that which I think with my heart, being fallen into the