Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Examination 6
Another examination of Spurdance, before the Bishop in his house.
THe B. sayd: sirrha, doest thou not beleue in the catholike fayth of holy Church?An other exaamination of Thomas Spurdance before the Bishop.
And I sayd: I beleue Christes catholike church.
Yea sayd he, in Christes church, of the which the Pope is the head? Doest thou not beleeue that the Pope is supreme hed of the catholike church?
And I sayd, no. I beleue not that he should bee aboue the Apostles, if hee take them to be his predecessors. For when there came a thought among ye Apostles, who shuld be the greatest when their maister was gone, Christ aunswered them vntounto their thoughtes:Luke. 22. The Kinges of the earth beare domination aboue other, but ye shall not so doe, for hee that will be greatest among you, shall become seruaunte vntounto you all. How is it then (sayde I) that hee will climbe so high aboue his fellowes? And also wee were sworne by my Maister King Henries tyme, that wee should to the vttermost of our power, neuer consent to hym again. And therefore as he hath nothyng to doe here in Englande, so neyther in his owne countrey more, then a Bishop hath in his Dioces.
Yea sayd the B. what of that? We were then in error & sinne, now we are in the right way agayne, and therefore thou must come home again with vsus, and knowledge thy fault, and become a christian man, and be sworne vntounto the Pope as our supreme head.The Popes Supremacye. Wilt thou be sworne vntounto the Pope? How sayst thou?
Then I sayd, no I warrant you by the grace of God, not as long as I liue. For you cannot prooue by the scripture, that the Pope is head of the church, and may do therin what him list.
No, sayde he? yes I trowe: For as the Belweather whiche weareth the Bell, is head of the flocke of sheepe, euen so is the Pope the head of the Church of Christ.Anno 1557. October. And as the Bees in the hiue hauehave a maister Bee when they are gone out, to bring them home againe to the hiue: euen so the Pope when we be gone astray and wandered from the fold, from the hiue, &c. then is ordeined our head by succession of Peter, to bring vsus home againe to the true church: as thou now my good fellow hast wandred long out of the way like a scattered sheepe, &c. Heare therefore that Belwether, the maister bell, &c. & come home with vsus to thy mother the true church againe.
Unto whom I aunswered: My Lord, all this is but naturall reason, & no scripture: but since ye cannot prooue the Pope to be authorised by scripture, ye aunswer not me as I thought ye would.
Ha, sayd he, I see well ye be stout, and will not be answered: therfore ye shall be compelled by law whether ye will or no.
The Phariseys lawe.My Lord sayd I, so did your forefathers intreat Christ and his Apostles. They had a law, and by their lawe they put hym to death: and so likewyse, you hauehave a law which is tyrannie, & by that would ye inforce me to beleue as you doe. But the Lord I trust will assist me agaynst all your beggerly ceremonies, and make your foolishnesse knowen to all the world one day.
Then sayd he, when were ye at church & went in procession, and did the ceremonies of the church?
And I sayd, neuer since I was borne.
No sayd he? How old are you?
And I sayd, I thinke about xl.
Why said he, how did you vse your selfe at Church xx. yeres ago?
I sayd, as you do now.
And euen now, said he, you sayd you did not the Ceremonies since you were borne.
No more I did sayd I, since I was borne a newe: as Christ sayd vntounto Nicodemus, except ye be borne a newe, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heauen.
Then sayd a D. that sate by, he is a very Anabaptist: for that is their opinion playne.
No sir, you say falsely, sayd I, for I am no Anabaptist: for they denye Children to bee Baptised, and so doe not I.
Well sayd the B. why doest thou not go to the church, and do the ceremonies?
And I sayd: because they be contrary to Gods worde and lawes, as you your selfe hauehave taught: but nowe you say it is good agayne: and I thinke if there were a returne to morrow, you would say that is false again which you hold now. Therfore I may well say there is no truth in you.
Then sayd the B. thou art a stubborne fellow, and an heretike, and a Traitor.
No sayde I, I am no Traitour, for I hauehave done I thinke, better seruice to the crowne imperiall of England, then you.
If you had done so good seruice (said he) you would be obedient to the lawes of the Realme.
So I am, sayd I. There is no man alyue (I thanke God) to accuse me iustly that euer I was disobedient to any ciuill lawes.Obedience to Princes, how farre. But you must consider my Lord, that I hauehave a soule and a body, & my soule is none of ye Queenes, but my body and my goods are the Queenes. And I must geue God my soule, and all that belongeth vntounto it: that is, I must do the law and commandements of God, and whosoeuer commandeth lawes contrary to Gods laws, I may not do them for losing of my soule, but rather obey God then man.
And he sayd: why doest thou not these lawes thē? are they not agreeable to Gods law?
And I sayd, no, you cannot prooue them to bee Gods lawes.
Yes sayth he, that I can.
Then sayd I, if you can prooue me by the word of God that you should hauehave any grauen Images made to set in your churches for lay mens bookes, or to worship God by them, or that you should hauehave any Ceremonies in your church as you hauehave, prooue them by the word of God, and I will do them.
Then sayde hee, It is a good and decent order to furnishe the Church:Images. as when you shall goe to dinner, you hauehave a clothe vppon the table to furnish the Table before the meate shall come vppon it: so are these ceremonies a comely decent order to be in the Church among Christian people.
These sayd I are inuentions and imaginations out of your owne braine, without any worde of God to prooue them. For God sayth: looke what you thinke good in your owne eyes, if I commaund the contrary, it is abhominable in my sight. And these ceremonies are agaynst Gods lawes. For S. Paul sayth, they be weake and beggerly, & rebuketh the Galathians for doyng of them.
Well, sayd he: If you will not do them, seyng they bee the lawes of the realme, you are an heretike and disobedient: and therefore come home agayne and confesse your fault with vsus, that you hauehave bene in errour, &c. Wyll you doe so?
And I sayd no, I hauehave bene in no error: for the spirituall lawes were neuer trulier set forth, then in my maister K, Edwards tyme, and I trust vntounto God I shall neuer forsake them whiles I lyue.
Then came a Gentleman to me and sayd: are ye wiser then all men? and hauehave ye more knowledge then all men? will you cast away your soule willingly? my Lord and other men also, woulde fayne you woulde saue your selfe: therfore chuse some man where you will, eyther spirituall or temporall, and take a day: my Lord wyll geue it you.
Then sayd I, if I saue my lyfe, I shall loose it, and if I loose my lyfe for Christes sake, I shall finde it in lyfe euerlasting. And if I take a day, whē the day commeth, I must say then, euen as I do now, except I will lye, and therfore that needeth not.
Well, then hauehave him away sayd the Bishop.
This aboue named Thomas Spurdance was one of Queene Maries seruauntes,Tho. Spurdance by whom he was apprehended. and was taken by two of his fellowes, the sayd Queenes seruauntes named Iohn Haman, otherwise called Barker, and George Loos…n, both dwelling in Codman in the Countie of Suffolke, who caried hym to one maister Gosnall, dwellyng in the sayd Codnam, and by hym he was sent to Bury, where he remayned in prison, and afterward burned in the monethmonth of Nouember.