Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 29 · Examination 4
*The fourthe examination of Richard Woodman, had before the Byshop of Winchester, the Byshop of Rochester, and a certayn Doctour, with diuers other Priests and Gentlemen, the xxv. day of May. Anno. 1557.
Woodman.
I Was fet from the Marshalsea to the sayd Byshops and Priestes,The 4. examination of Richard Woodman before the Byshop of Winchester. &c. sitting in S. Georges Churche in Southwark by one of the Marshals men and one of the Sheriffes mē, When I came before them, and had done my duty to them as nigh as I could, then sayd the Bishop of Winchester.
Winchester.
What is your name?
Wood.
My name is Richard Woodman forsooth?
Winchester.
Ah Woodman, you were taken and apprehended for heresie about a three yeares agone,This olde Byshop of Chichester was Doct. Daye. and were sente to prison in the kinges Bench, and there remayned a long time. Mine olde Lorde of Chichester, being a learned famous man well knowne in this realme of England, and almost throughout all Christendome. I think came to prison to you, and there, and at other places, called you before him diuers times, trauayling and perswading with you many wayes (because hee was your Ordinary) to plucke you from your heresies that you held, but he coulde by no meanes aduertise you.
Wherupon you were deliuered to the Commissioners and they could do no good with you neyther.Vntrue. For B. Boner deliuered him of his owne accorde at the burning of Philpot, vponupon other causes. Then they sent you vntounto my Lord of Lond. My Lorde of Lond. calling you before him diuers times, labour was made vntounto him of your frendes, that you might be released. My Lord hauing a good hope in you, that you woulde become an honest man, because he had heard so of you in tymes past, yea & you your selfe promising him yt you would go home and recant your heresies that you held, deliuered you: sending also a letter of your recantation to the Commissary yt he should see it done.False and vntrue. But as soone as you were out of his hands, you were as bad as euer you were, & would neuer fulfill your promise, but hauehave hid your selfe in the woodes Bushes, Dennes & Caues, and thus hauehave continued euer since, til it was now of late. Thē ye Sheriffe of that Shyre (being a worshipfull man) hearing thereof, sent certayn of his mē, & took you in a wood, & so caried you to his house. I cannot tell his name. What is your Sheriffes name?
Wood.
Forsooth his name is sir Edward Gage.
Winc.
Well, you were apprehended for heresie,Syr Edward Gage Shrieffe of Sussex. and beyng at M. Gages three weekes or more, yee were gentlye entreated there, he and other Gentlemen perswading wyth you diuers tymes, little preuayled.
Then you appealed to the Bishop of Chichester that now is▪ The Sheriffe like a worshipfull man sent you to him, and he hath trauelled with you, and other also, & can do no good with you, whereupon we hauehave sent for you.
Wood.
Then I spake to him. For I thought he would be long, before hee woulde make an end. I thought hee was a yeare in telling of those lyes yt he had told there agaynst me already. Yea I kept silence from good wordes: but it was great payne and griefe vntounto me (as Dauid sayd).
At length the fire was so kindled within my hart, that I could not chuse but speake with my tongue: for I feared least any of the company shoulde hauehave departed or euer I had answered to his lyes, and so the Gospell to hauehave bene sclaundered by my long silence keeping. So I spake I prayse God therefore, and sayd: my Lorde, I pray you let me now answere for my selfe, for it is time.
Winchest.
I permit you to answere to these things that I hauehave sayd.
Wood.
I thanke God therfore. And I thinke my self happy (as Paule sayd when hee was brought before king Agrippa) yt I may this day aunswere for my selfe. My Lord I promise you there is neuer a worde of youre sayinges true that you hauehave alledged agaynst me.
Winch.
I can not tell, but thus it is reported of you. As for me, I neuer did see you before this day: but I am sure it is not all lyes that I hauehave sayd,Woodman charged with false matter. as you report:
Wood.
Yes my Lord, there is neuer a true worde of that you sayd. And …urther, where you sayd you neuer sawe me before this day, you hauehave both heard me, and seene me, I dare say, before this day.
Winchester.
I thinke I heard you in deede on Sondaye where you playd the malapart …ellow: but I cannot tell yt I sawe you. But I pray you, were you not taken in the woodes by the Sheriffes men?
Wood.
No sure, I was taken besides my house, I beyng in my house when they came, wherefore that is not true,
Winchester.
Were not you at the Sheriffes 3. weekes.
Wood.
Yes that I was, a monethmonth iust, and was gently entreated of him, I can say no otherwise: for I had meat and drinke inough, and fayre wordes.
Winch.
Ah. I am well appayd: it is not all lyes then, as it chaunced. For I spake, but of three weekes, and you confesse a monethmonth your selfe.
Woodman.
Yet your tale is neuer the truer for that. For you sayd I was there three weekes for heresie, the whiche is not so. For I was not apprehended for heresie at ye first, neither did mine olde Lorde of Chichester trauayle wyth me to pull me from heresie, as you sayde: for I helde none then, neyther do I now, as God knoweth neither was I sent to the Commissioners nor to the Bishop of London for heresie, neyther was I deliuered to him for anye suche thing, nor promised him to recant, as you sayd I dyd. Wherefore I maruaile you be not ashamed to tel so many lyes, beyng a Byshoppe that should be an ensample to other.
Winch.
Lo, what an arrogant hereticke this same is. He will deny God:Winchester … in i…dging. Richard Woodman cleareth himselfe of recantation. for he that denyeth his owne hand denieth God.
Wood.
My Lord, iudge not least you be iudged yourselfe. For as you hauehave iudged me, you shalbe iudged, if you repent not. And if I hauehave set my hand to anye recantation, let it be seene to my shame, before this audience: For I wil neuer deny myne owne hand, by Gods helpe.
Win.
It is not here now, but I thinke it will be had wel enough: but if it cannot be found, by whom will you bee tryed.
Wood.
Euen by my Lord of London: for he delt like a good man with me in that matter that I was sente to pryson for.
For it was vppon the breache of a Statute, as Mayster Sheriffe here can tell.The honest dealing of B Boner with Woodman herein. For he was Sheriffe then, as hee is now, & can tell you how I was tossed vp and downe, frō Sessions to Sessions: and because I would not consent yt I had offended therein, they sent me to prison agayn.
Then my Lorde of Chichester being myne Ordinary, and I being his tenaunt: came to me, to perswade wyth me that I should hauehave consented,This was Doct. Day. to them, and to finde my selfe in fault, where I was in none. To ye which I would not agree, but I desired him that he would see me released of my wrong but he said he could not, but willed me or my frendes to speake to the Commissioners for me, because it was a temporall matter:The cause and maner how Woodman was …eliuered by B. Boner. and when I came before them, they sent me to my Lord of London, and my Lord of London was certified by the handes of almost thirty mē, both Esquiers, Gentlemen, and Yeomen, the chiefest in all the country where I dwelt, that I had not offended in yt matter that I was sent to prison for. Whereupon he deliuered me, not willing me to recant heresies, for I helde none (as God knoweth) neither do I nowe: nor I knowe not wherefore I was sent to prison, no more then anye man here knoweth: for I was taken away from my worke.Wherefore Woodman appealed to his Ordinary.
Winch.
No? wherefore appealed you then to my Lorde of Chichester, if it were not for heresie?
Wood.
Because there was layde to my charge that I had Baptised children, and maried folkes, the whiche I neuer did, for I was no where Minister. Wherfore I appealed to mine Ordinarye, to purge my selfe thereof as I hauehave. Wherfore if any man hauehave any thing agaynst me, let them speake, for I came not hither to accuse my selfe, neyther will I.
Winch.
Mayster Sheriffe, can you tell vponupon what breache of Statute he was sent to prison first?
The Sheriffe.
Yea forsooth my Lord that I can.
Wood.
My Lord, if you will geue me leaue, I will shewe you the whole matter.
Winch.
Nay, M. Sheriffe, I pray you tell the matter, seeing you know it.
The Sheriffe.
My Lord it was for speaking to a Curate in the Pulpit, as I remember.
Winc.
Ah, like enough, that he would not sticke to reproue a Curate.The cause why Woodman was first apprehended. For did you not see how he fashioned himselfe to speake to me in the Pulpit on Sonday? You played ye maliperte fellowe with me, and therfore it was no great maruell though he played that part with an other.
Woodman.
Why, you will not blame me for that, I am sure. For we spake for no other cause, but to purge oure selues of those heresies that you layd to our charge. For these were your wordes: Good people, these men that bee brought before vsus, being here, deny Christ to be God,Rich. Woodman and his fellowe prisoners falsely accused and belied of the B. of Winchester in the pulpit. and the holy Ghost to be GOD (poynting to vsus with youre left hand) the whiche might seeme to the whole audience, that you ment vsus all. Wherefore to cleare our selues therof, we spake, and sayd we held no such thing. And you sayd you would cut out our tongues. But I am sure you hauehave no such law.
Win.
Yes, that we hauehave, if you blaspheme, and as it chaunced, I found such amongest you.
Wood.
In deede, after we spake, you declared who they were, but not before, for you spake generally. Wherefore we blasphemed not, but purged ourselues.
Winch.
But I pray you, how can you purge your selfe for speaking to the Curate that it is not heresie?Speaking to the curate in the pulpit made heresie.
Wood.
Forsooth these be the wordes of the Statute: Who soeuer doth interrupt anye preacher or preachers, lawfully authorised by the Queenes Maiestie, or by any other lawfull Ordinary, that all such shall suffer three monthes imprisonment,Woodman cleareth himselfe from breach of the Statute. and furthermore be brought to the quarter Sessions, there (being sory for the same) to be released vponupon his goodabering one whole yeare. But I had not so offended as it was well proued. For hee that I spake too, was not lawfully authorised, nor hadde not put away his wife. Wherefore it was not lawfull for him to preache by your owne lawe, and therefore I brake not the Statute, though I spake to him.
Winch.
I am glad. I perceaue thys man speaketh against Priestes Maryages, hee is not contented with Pryestes that hauehave wiues. He is honester man,Note the prety shift of this Catholick Prelate. then I tooke hym for, M. Sheriffe, hauehave him away. I am glad he loueth not Priestes Mariages.
Wood.
Then I would hauehave aunswered to hys sayinges, but he would in no wise heare me, but bad ye Sheriffe hauehave me away. So the Sheriffe took me by the hand, & plucked me away, and would not let me speake, but goyng out of the Chauncell dore, I sayd: I would shew him the whole matter, if he would hauehave geuen me leaue, but seeing he wil not, if he will let me go so, they shall see whether I wyll not goe home to my wife and children, and keepe them as my bounden duety is, by the helpe of God. So I was sent to the Marshalsea agayne, where I now am mery, I prayse God therefore, as a sheepe appoynted to be slayne.
Moreouer, I was credibly enformed by one of oure brethren that heard our talke, that the Byshop sayd when I was gone, yt they would take me whilest I was somewhat good. Which wordes seemed to many of the people that were there, that I spake agaynst priestes Maryages, but I did not, but did not onelyonly aunswere to suche questyons as he asked me, as you shall perceaue wel by ye words if you marke them, which wordes were these.
How can you purge your self from heresie, for talking to the Curate in the Pulpit, and not offende the Statute, sayd the Bishops?Woodmā falsly taken to spea…e agaynst Priestes mariage. A Priest keping his wyfe yet would needes hold agayne with Papistry. meaning thereby I thinke to hauehave taken vauntage of my wordes: but it was not Gods will yt he should at that tyme. For I aunswered hym by ye words of the Statute, which wordes bee as hereafter followeth (that is): whosoeuer doth interrupt any preacher, or preachers lawfully authorised by the Queenes Maiestie, or by any other lawfull Ordinary, that all such shall suffer three monthes imprisonment. But I proued that this mā was not lawfully authorised to preach (by their owne law) because he had not put away his wife. For their law is, that no Priest may say Masse, nor preach with the Masse, but he must first be separated from his wife. That is because honest Maryages be good and commendable,A Priest keping his wyfe yet would needes hold agayne with Papistry. and theyrs nought and abhominable, therefore they cannot dwell together.
Now, I geue you al to vnderstand, that I did not reproue this Priest he cause he had a wife, but because hee taught false doctrine, which greeued my soule, because hee had bene a feruent Preacher agaynst the Masse and all the Idolatry therof seuen yeares before, and then came & held with it agayne: for the which cause I reproued him in the Pulpit. And the words that I spake to him are written in diuers of my examinations of my first imprisonment for that same.Richard Woodman sauing him selfe from his enemyes by theyr owne lawe. But in very deede, I knew not of the Statute when I reproued him. But because I was sent to prison vponupon the breache of it, I bought a Statute booke, & when I had perused it, I perceiue I had not offended by theyr owne lawe: and therefore still when I was called to aunswere, I aunswered them with their owne lawe. But yet they kept me in prison a yeare and almost three quarters or euer I was released. I was at mine aunswere for that eighten times. If any thinke I doe not allow Bishoppes and priestes mariages, let them looke in my first examination before the Bishop of Chichester that nowe is, duryng this my imprisonment, and there they shall finde what I hauehave found in the matter. The truth is, I looked to be cō demned with my brother that same day. But we may also see that they can do nothing but as God will permit them to do. But when the time is full come, I trust in God, I shall runne that ioyfull race that my brethren hauehave done. Thus I commit you all into the handes of God, who is ye preseruer, defender, and keeper of all his electe for euermore. Amen.