14. Thou, false heretic, hast taught plainly against the vows of monks, friars, nuns, and priests, saying that whosoever was bound by such vows did vow themselves to the state of damnation. Moreover, thou hast taught that it was lawful for priests to marry wives, and not to live sole.—Of sooth, my Lords, I have read in the Evangel that there are three kinds of chaste men: some are gelded from their mother's womb; some are gelded by men; and some have gelded themselves for the kingdom of heaven's sake: verily, I say, these men are blessed by the Scripture of God. But as many as have not the gift of chastity, nor yet for the Evangel have overcome the concupiscence of the flesh, and have vowed chastity, ye have experience, although I should hold my tongue, to what inconvenience they have vowed themselves.
When he had said these words, they were all dumb, thinking it better to have ten concubines, than one married wife.
15. Thou, false heretic and runagate, sayest that thou wilt not obey our General or Provincial Councils.—My Lords, I know not what your General Councils are. I never studied that matter; but gave my labours to the pure Word of God. Read here your General Councils, or else give me a book wherein they are contained, that I may read of them. If they agree with the Word of God, I will not disagree.
Then the ravening wolves became mad, and said, "Whereunto do we let him speak any further? Read forth the rest of the articles, and stay not upon them." Amongst these cruel tigers there was one false hypocrite, a seducer of the people, called John Scott, who, standing behind John Lauder's back, hasted him to read the rest of the articles, and not to tarry for Master George's witty and godly answers; "For we may not abide them," quoth he, "no more than the Devil may abide the sign of the Cross when it is named."
16. Thou, heretic, sayest, that it is vain to build to the honour of God costly churches, seeing that God remaineth not in churches made by men's hands, nor yet can God be in so little space, as betwixt the priest's hands.—My Lords, Solomon saith, "If the heaven of heavens cannot comprehend Thee, how much less this house that I have builded." And Job consenteth to the same sentence, saying, "Seeing that He is higher than the heavens, what canst thou build unto Him? He is deeper than the hell, then how shalt thou know Him? He is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." God cannot be comprehended into one space, because He is infinite. These sayings notwithstanding, I never said that churches should be destroyed; but, on the contrary, I ever affirmed that churches should be sustained and upholden, and that the people should be congregated in them to hear the Word of God preached. Moreover, wheresoever there is the true preaching of the Word of God and the lawful use of the Sacraments, undoubtedly God is there Himself. Thus, both these sayings are true together. God cannot be comprehended into any one place: and, "Wheresoever there are two or three gathered in His name, there is He present in the midst of them."
Then said he to his accuser, "If thou thinkest any otherwise, then I say, show further thy reasons before this audience." He, without all reason, was dumb, and could not answer a word.
17. Thou, false heretic, contemnest fasting, and sayest thou shouldest not fast.—My Lords, I find that fasting is commanded in the Scripture; therefore I were a slanderer of the Gospel if I contemned fasting. Not only so, I have learned by experience that fasting is good for the health and conservation of the body. But God knoweth only who fasteth the true fast.
18. Thou, false heretic, hast preached openly, saying, that the souls of men shall sleep to the latter day of judgment, and shall not obtain life immortal until that day.—God, full of mercy and goodness, forgive him that sayeth such things of me. I wot and know surely, by the Word of God, that the soul of him that hath begun to have the faith of Jesus Christ and believeth firmly in Him, shall never sleep, but ever shall live an immortal life. That life is renewed in grace from day to day and augmented; nor shall it ever perish or have an end, but shall ever live immortal with Christ its Head. To this life, all that believe in Him shall come, and then shall remain in eternal glory. Amen.
When the bishops, with their accomplices, had accused this innocent man, in manner and form aforesaid, they incontinently condemned him to be burned as a heretic, not having respect to his godly answers and the true reasons which he alleged, nor yet to their own consciences. They thought, verily, that they should do to God good sacrifice, conformably to the sayings of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of St. John, chapter sixteen: "They shall excommunicate you; yea, and the time shall come that he which killeth you shall think that he hath done to God good service."
The following is the prayer of Master George. "O immortal God! how long shalt Thou suffer the wodness and great credulity of the ungodly to exercise their fury upon Thy servants, who do further Thy Word in this world. They desire to do the contrary, to choke and destroy the true doctrine and truth, whereby Thou hast showed Thee unto the world, which was all drowned in blindness and misknowledge of Thy name. O Lord, we know surely that Thy true servants must needs suffer, for Thy name's sake, persecution, affliction, and troubles in this present life, which is but a shadow, as Thou hast showed to us by Thy prophets and apostles. But yet we desire Thee, merciful Father, that Thou wouldest preserve, defend, and help Thy congregation, which Thou hast chosen before the beginning of the world, and give them Thy grace to hear Thy word, and to be true servants in this present life."