Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 4
The first examination of RICHARD WOODMAN, before the Bishop of Chichester.
Chichester.
I Am sory for you, and so are all the Worshipfull of our Country, you hauehave béene of good estimation amongst the poore and rich; wherefore looke well to your selfe, your Wife and Children, and bee ruled: thinke not your selfe wiser then all the Realme.
Woodman.
I will be willing to learne of eueryevery man the truth, and I know I hauehave giuen no iust offence to rich nor poore, and God knoweth how deare I louelove my Wife and Children in him: but my life, my wife and Children are all in Gods hands, and I hauehave them all, as I had them not, but regard the pleasing of God more then al other things. I thought good to appeale to you mine Ordinary, for som goe about to shed my blood wrongfully, that if you can finde I hold any thing contrary to Gods word I will be reformed; and if my blood bee shed vnrighteouslie, that it may be required at your hands, because you hauehave taken vponupon you to bee the Phisition of soules of our Country.
Story.
Thou art a peruerse fellow, thinkest thou that thou shalt be put to death vniustly? that thy blood shall be required? No, if he should condemne a hundred such Hereticks, I hauehave helped to rid a good many of you, and will doe the best I can to rid thee.
Chich.
I am your spirituall Pastor, you must heare me and I will giuegive spirituall Councell.
Wood.
You say you will giuegive mee spirituall Councell, are you sure you hauehave the Spirit of God.
Chichest.
No by Saint Mary, I dare not bee so bold to say, so I doubt of that.
Wood.
Then you be like the waues of the Sea tossed with the winde, and vnstable in all your wayes, (as Saint Iames saith) and can looke for no good thing at the Lords hands: You are neither hote nor cold: Therefore God will spue you out.
Story.
Hee hath the Diuell in him, hee is worse then the Diuel, thus all heretickes boast themselues.
Wood.
The Iewes said to Christ he had a Diuell, and was mad, as you hauehave said to me: but the Seruant is not aboue his Master: God forbid I should learne of him that confesseth he hath not the Spirit of God.
Chich.
Doe you beleeue you hauehave the Spirit of God, it is more then Paul or any of the Apostles durst doe, which is great presumption.
Wood.
I beleeue I hauehave the Spirit, and boast not my selfe, but of the gift of GOD: as Paul did in 1. Cor. 7. He said he beleeued verily that hee had the Spirit of GOD, no man can beleeue that Iesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost: I beleeue Christ is my Redeemer, therefore I hauehave the Holy Ghost: and hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is a cast-away and none of his, and wee hauehave not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare, but we hauehave receiued the Spirit of Adoption which cryeth Abba Father: The same Shirit testifieth with our Spirits, that we are the sonnes of God: Héere are proofes enough that Paul was sure he had the Spirit of God: And Iohn saith, He that beleeueth in God, dwelleth in God, and God in him: So it is impossible to beleeue in God, except God dwell in vsus,
Chich.
He bade me dine with him, and at dinner he asked me whether Priests may marry, and whether Paul had a Wife.
Wood.
Paul and Barnabas were not married, but all the Apostles else-were: For in the 1. Cor. 9. Paul saith, am I not an Apostle, am I not free, hauehave I not seene Christ: Mine answere to them that aske me this: HaueHave wee not power to eat and to drinke, or to leade about a Sister to Wife, as well as the other Apostles, and the Brethren of the Lord, or hauehave not Barnabas and I power thus to do: So this Text proueth that Paul and Barnabas were not married, but Paul declareth that the rest had wiues, and they had power likewise to hauehave wiues, but they found no neede thereof: But Paul in the seuenth to the Corinthians said, that hee that hath not power ouer his flesh may marry, for it is better to marry then to burne: wherefore to auoid fornication let eueryevery one hauehave his VVife, and eueryevery woman her Husband: Therefore Bishoppes and Priests may hauehave Wiues, because they are men, rather then burne, and commit Fornication: Paul declareth to Timothy, the first and niuth, that Bishops and Deacons should hauehave wiues.