tion; with the doctrine they changed the use of the sacrament contrary to that Christ commanded, and the old church of Rome used above a thousand years. And yet to deface the old, they say that the new is the old; wherein for my part I am content to stand to the trial. But their doctrine is so fond and uncomfortable, that I marvel that any man would allow it, if he knew what it is. And whatsoever they bear the people in hand, that which they write in their book, hath neither truth nor comfort.

For by their doctrine, of one body of Christ, is made two bodies: one natural, having distance of members, with form and proportion of man's perfect body, and this body is in heaven. But the body of Christ in the sacrament, by their own doctrine, must needs be a monstrous body, having neither distance of members, nor form, fashion, or proportion of a man's natural body. And such a body is in the sacrament, teach they, and it goeth into the mouth with the form of bread, and enters no further than the form of bread goeth, nor tarries longer than the form of bread is by natural heat in digesting. So that when the form of bread is digested, that body of Christ is gone. And forasmuch as evil men are as long in digesting as good men, the body of Christ, by their doctrine, enters as far, and tarries as long in wicked men as in godly men. And what comfort can be herein to any Christian man, to receive Christ's unshapen body, and it to enter no further than the stomach, and to depart by-and-by as soon as the bread is consumed?

It seems to me a more sound and comfortable doctrine that Christ hath but one body, and that hath form and fashion of a man's true body; which body spiritually entereth into the whole man, body and soul; and though the sacrament be consumed, yet whole Christ remaineth, and feedeth the receiver unto eternal life, if he continue in godliness, and never departs until the receiver forsake him. And as for the wicked, they have not Christ within them at all, who cannot be where Belial is. And this is my faith, and, as to me seemeth, a sound doctrine, according to God's word, and sufficient for a Christian to believe in that matter. And if it can be showed unto me, that the pope's authority is not prejudicial to the things before mentioned, or that my doctrine in the sacrament is erroneous, which I think cannot be showed, then I was never, nor will be, so perverse to stand wilfully in mine own opinion, but I

shall with all humility submit myself unto the pope, not only to kiss his feet, but another part also.

Another cause why I refused to take the bishop of Gloucester for my judge, was the respect of his own person, being more than once perjured. First, for that he, being divers times sworn never to consent that the bishop of Rome should have any jurisdiction within this realm, but to take the king and his successors for supreme heads of this realm, as by God's laws they are, contrary to that lawful oath, the said bishop sat then in judgment by authority from Rome, wherein he was perjured, and not worthy to sit as a judge.

The second perjury was, that he took his bishopric both of the queen's majesty and of the pope, making to each of them a solemn oath: which oaths are so contrary, that in the one he must needs be perjured. And, furthermore, in swearing to the pope to maintain his laws, decrees, constitutions, ordinances, reservations, and provisions, he declares himself an enemy to the imperial crown, and to the laws and state of this realm, whereby he declares himself not worthy to sit as a judge within this realm. And for these considerations I refused to take him for my judge.

This was written in another Letter to the Queen.

I learned by doctor Martin, that at the day of your Majesty's coronation, you took an oath of obedience to the pope of Rome, and the same time you took another oath to this realm, to maintain the laws, liberties, and customs of the same. And if your majesty did make an oath to the pope, I think it was according to the other oaths which he uses to minister to princes; which is, to be obedient to him, to defend his person, to maintain his authority, honour, laws, lands, and privileges. And if it be so, which I know not but by report, then I beseech your majesty to look upon your oath made to the crown and realm, and to expend and weigh the two oaths together, to see how they agree, and then do as your grace's conscience shall give you. For I am surely persuaded, that willingly your majesty will not offend, nor do against your conscience for no thing.

But I fear me that there be contradictions in your oaths,

and that those who should have informed your grace thoroughly, did not their duties therein. And if your majesty ponder the two oaths diligently, I think you shall perceive you were deceived; and then your highness may use the matter as God shall put in your heart. Furthermore, I am kept here from company of learned men, from books, from counsel, from pen and ink, saving at this time to write unto your majesty, which all were necessary for a man being in my case. Wherefore I beseech your majesty, that I may have such of these as may stand with your majesty's pleasure. And as for my appearance at Rome, if your majesty will give me leave, I will appear there. And I trust that God shall put in my mouth to defend his truth there, as well as here. But I refer it wholly to your majesty's pleasure.

A letter of Dr. Cranmer, archbishop, to a Lawyer, for the drawing out of his appeal.

The law of nature requires of all men, that so far forth as it may be done without offence to God, every one should seek to defend and preserve his own life. Which when I, about three days ago, bethought myself of, and therewithal remembered how that Martin Luther appealed in his time from pope Leo the tenth, to a general council, lest I should seem rashly and unadvisedly to cast away myself, I determined to appeal in like sort to some lawful and free general council. But, seeing the order and form of an appeal pertains to the lawyers, whereof I myself am ignorant, and seeing that Luther's appeal cometh not to my hand, I purposed to break my mind in this matter to some faithful friend, skilful in the law, whose help I might use in this behalf, and you only among others came to my remembrance as a man most meet in this university for my purpose. But this is a matter that requires great silence, so that no man know of it before it be done. It is so that I am summoned to make mine answer at Rome, the sixteenth day of this month; before which day I think it good, after sentence pronounced, to make mine appeal. But whether I should first appeal from the judge delegate to the pope, and so afterwards to the general council, or

else, leaving the pope, I should appeal immediately to the council, herein I stand in need of your council.

Many causes there are for which I think good to appeal. First, because I am by an oath bound, never to consent to the receiving of the bishop of Rome's authority into this realm. Besides this, whereas I utterly refused to make answer to the articles objected unto me by the bishop of Gloucester, appointed by the pope to be my judge, yet I was content to answer Martin and Story, with this protestation, that mine answer should not be taken as made before a judge, nor yet in place of judgment, but as pertaining nothing to judgment at all. And moreover, after I had made mine answer, I required to have a copy of the same, that I might either by adding thereunto, or by altering or taking from it, correct and amend it as I thought good. The which though both the bishop of Gloucester, and also the king and queen's proctors promised me, yet have they altogether broken promise with me, and have not permitted me to correct my said answers according to my request, and yet notwithstanding, they have, as I understand, registered the same as acts formally done in place of judgment.

Finally, forasmuch as all this my trouble comes upon my departing from the bishop of Rome, and from the popish religion, so that now the quarrel is betwixt the pope himself and me, and no man can be a lawful and indifferent judge in his own cause; it seems, methinks, good reason, that I should be suffered to appeal to some general council in this matter, especially seeing the law of nature, as they say, denies no man the remedy of appeal in such cases.

Now, since it is very requisite that this matter should be kept as close as may be, if, perhaps, for lack of perfect skill herein, you shall have need of further advice, then I beseech you, even for the fidelity and love you bear to me in Christ, that you will open to no creature alive whose the case is. And forasmuch as the time is now at hand, and the matter requires great expedition, let me obtain this much of you, I beseech you, that laying aside all other your studies and business for the time, you will apply to this my matter only, till you have brought it to pass. The chief cause in very deed, to tell you the truth, of this mine appeal is, that I might gain time, if it shall so please God, to live until I have finished mine answer against

Marcus Antonius Constantius,* which I have now in hand. But if the adversaries of the truth will not admit mine appeal, as I fear they will not, God's will be done; I pass not upon it, so that God may therein be glorified, be it by my life, or by my death. For it is much better for me to die in Christ's quarrel, and to reign with him, than here to be shut up, and kept in the prison of this body, unless it were to continue yet still awhile in this warfare, for the commodity and profit of my brethren, and to the further advancing of God's glory. To whom be all glory for evermore. Amen.

There is also yet another cause why I think good to appeal, that whereas I am cited to go to Rome to answer there for myself, I am notwithstanding kept here fast in prison, that I cannot there appear at the time appointed. And, moreover, forasmuch as the state I stand in is a matter of life and death, so that I have great need of learned counsel for my defence in this behalf; yet when I made my earnest request for the same, all manner of counsel and help of proctors, advocates, and lawyers was utterly denied me.

Your loving friend,

THOMAS CRANMER.

A letter of Dr. Cranmer, archbishop, to mistress Wilkinson, exhorting her to flee in the time of persecution, and to seek her dwelling where she might serve God according to his word.

In

The true comforter in all distress, is only God, through his Son Jesus Christ, and whosoever hath him, hath company enough, although he were in a wilderness all alone; and he that hath twenty thousand in his company, if God be absent, is in a miserable wilderness and desolation. him is all comfort, and without him is none. Wherefore I beseech you, seek your dwelling there where you may truly and rightly serve God, and dwell in him, and have him ever dwelling in you. What can be so heavy a burden as an unquiet conscience, to be in such a place as a man

*This Constantius was Stephen Gardiner, as constant indeed as a weathercock, who thus named himself, writing against this good archbishop.-Letters of the Martyrs