4. Thou, false heretic, hast openly taught that auricular confession is not a blessed sacrament; and thou sayest that we should only confess to God, and to no priest.—My Lords, I say that auricular confession, seeing that it hath no promise of the Evangel, cannot be a sacrament. Of the confession to be made to God, there are many testimonies in Scripture; as when David saith, "I thought I would acknowledge my iniquity against myself unto the Lord; and He forgave the trespasses of my sins." Here, confession signifieth the secret knowledge of our sins before God. When I exhorted the people on this manner, I reproved no manner of confession. And further, St. James saith, "Acknowledge your sins one to another, and so let you to have peace amongst yourselves." Here the Apostle meaneth nothing of auricular confession, but that we should acknowledge and confess ourselves to be sinners before our brethren and before the world, and not esteem ourselves as the Grey Friars do, thinking themselves already purged.
When he had said these words, the horned bishops and their accomplices cried, and girned[87] with their teeth, saying, "See ye not what colours he hath in his speech, that he may beguile us, and seduce us to his opinion."
5. Thou, heretic, didst say openly, that it was necessary to every man to know and understand his baptism, and that it was contrary to general councils, and the estates of Holy Church.—My Lords, I believe there be none so unwise here that will make merchandise with a Frenchman, or any other unknown stranger, except he know and understand first the condition or promise made by the Frenchman or stranger. So, likewise, I would that we understood what things we promise in the name of the infant unto God in baptism. For this cause, I believe ye have confirmation.
Then said Master Bleiter, chaplain, that he had the devil within him, and the spirit of error. A child answered him, "The Devil cannot speak such words as yonder man doth speak."
6. Thou, false heretic, traitor, and thief, saidst that the Sacrament of the altar was but a piece of bread, baken upon the ashes, and nothing else; and all that is there done is but a superstitious rite against the commandment of God....—O Lord God! So manifest lies and blasphemies the Scripture doth not teach you. As concerning the Sacrament of the altar, my Lords, I never taught anything against the Scripture, which I shall, by God's grace, make manifest this day, I being ready therefor to suffer death.
The lawful use of the Sacrament is most acceptable unto God: the great abuse of it is very detestable unto Him. But what occasion they have to say such words of me, I shall shortly show your Lordships. I once chanced to meet with a Jew, when I was sailing upon the water of Rhine. I did inquire of him what was the cause of his pertinacity in not believing that the true Messias was come, considering that they had seen fulfilled all the prophecies which were spoken of Him; moreover, the prophecies taken away, and the sceptre of Judah. By many other testimonies of the Scripture, I vanquished him, and proved that Messias was come, whom they called Jesus of Nazareth. This Jew answered me, "When Messias cometh, he shall restore all things, and he shall not abrogate the Law, which was given to our fathers, as ye do. For why? we see the poor almost perish through hunger among you, yet you are not moved with pity towards them; but among us Jews, though we be poor, there are no beggars found. Secondly, it is forbidden by the Law to feign any kind of imagery of things in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the sea under the earth, but one God only to honour: your sanctuaries and churches are full of idols. Thirdly, ye adore and worship a piece of bread baken upon the ashes, and say that it is your God." I have rehearsed here but the sayings of the Jew, which I never affirmed to be true.
Then the bishops shook their heads, and spat on the ground. What he meant to say further in this matter, they would not hear.
7. Thou, false heretic, didst say that extreme unction was not a sacrament.—My Lords, forsooth, I never taught anything of extreme unction in my doctrine, whether it was a sacrament or no.
8. Thou, false heretic, saidst that the holy water is not so good as wash, and such like. Thou contemnest conjuring, and sayest that Holy Church's cursing availeth not.—My Lords, as for holy water, of what strength it is, I never taught in my doctrine. Conjurings and exorcisms, if they were conformable to the Word of God, I would commend. But in so far as they are not conformable to the commandment and Word of God, I reprove them.