Brief Chronicle Concerning Examination and Death of John Oldcastle

The Preface.

I N the profane histories of old Orators and poetes both Greeks and Latynes are they moche commended and thought worthy of eternal memory / which have either died for their natural contreye or daungered their lives for a common wealth. As we read of Codrus that was king of Athens / of Quintus Curcius the Roman / of Ancurus the Phrygiane / Olysses / Hermas / Theseus / Menecius / Scipio Aphricanus / Mucius Sceno • a / Valerius Cocles / the two brethren of Cartago which were both called Philenus / and the three noble Decyanes with other diverse. In the sacred scriptures of the Bible / hath Moses / Joshua / Gideon / Iepthe / Delbora / Judith / David / / Helias / Josiah / zorobabel / Mathathias / Eleazarus and the Maccabees their just praises for their mighty zeal and manifold enterpryses concerning the children of Israel. Amonge the Papists also which are a most prodygyouse kind of men) are they most hyghlye anaunced by lying signs / false miracles / erronyouse writtynges / shrynes / rellyques / lyghtes / tabernacles / altars / sensynges / songs / & holy days / which have been slain / for the lybertees / privileges / authority / honor / riches / & proud maintenance of their holy whorysse church.

As were Antidius / Boniface / Benno / Thomas Becket / Johan the Cardinal / Petr{us} de Castrono • o / Peter of Millayne / Paganus of Bergom / Stanislaus of Cracou • a / Stephen Colyer of Tholose / Bonaventure of Padua / Julianus the Cardinal of saint Angel. And in our time Johan Fysher / Thomas More / Fryre Forest / Reynoldes / & the Charterhouse monks which suffered here in England / with an infynite number more. What is than to be thought of those godly and valeaunt warryours / which hath noth spared to bestow their most dere lives for the verity of Jesus Christ against the malygnaūt mustre of that execrable Antichrist of Rome the devils own vycar. Of whose gracyouse number a very specyall member and a vessel of God's eleccyon was that virtuous knight syr Johan Oldcastle the good lord Cobham / as will plentuously appear in this process following. He that hath judgment in the spirit / shall easily perseyue by this treatise / what beastly blockeheades these bloody bellyegoddes were in their vnsauerye interrogacyōs / and again what influence of grace this man of God had from above cōcernynge his answers / specyallye in that most blind and ignorant time wherein all was but darkness / the sun aperynge sack clothe / as saint Johan hath in the Apocalypse.

Most surely fulfilled Christ that promise in him which he made to his Apostles. Cast not in youre minds afore hand (saith he) what answer ye shall make whan these spiritual tyrants shall examine you in their synagoges / and so deliver you up unto kings and debytees. For I will give you such utterance and wisdom in that hour / as all your enemies shall never be able to resyst. This only sentence of Christ adjoined to his godly answer / is enough to prove him his true disciple / and them in their foolish questyons / the manifest members of Satan. I remember that .xiiii. years ago / the true servant of God Willyam Tyndale put into the prent a certain brief examinacyon of the said lord Cobham. The which examinacyon was written in the time of the said lords trouble / by a certain frynde of his / and so reserved in copyes unto this our age. But sense that time I have found it in their own writings (which were than his vttre enemies) in a moche more ample form than there. Specyallye in the great process which Thomas Arundell the Archbishop of Caunterburye made than against him / written by his own notaryes and clar ••• / tokened also with his own sign and scale / and so dyrected unto Richard Clyfforde than Bishop of London with a general commandment to have it than published by him & by the other Bishops the whole realm over.

Forthermore I have seen it in a copy of that writing / which the said Richard Clyfforde sent unto Robert Mascall a Carmelyte friar and Bishop of Herforde under his sign and seal / and in a copy of his also dyrected to the Archdeacons of Herforde and Shrewesburye. The year / month / and day of their date with the beginnynges of their writings shall here after follow in the boke / as occasion shall require it. Besydes all this Thomas Walden being in those days the kings confessor / and present at his examinacyon / condempnacyon / & execracyon / regestred it among other processes more / in his boke called Fasciculus zizaniorum Wicleui. He maketh mencyon of it also in his first Epistle to Pope Martyne the fyft / and in his solempne sermon de funere regis. Onlye such reasons have I added thereunto / as the afore named Thomas Walden proponed to him in the time of that examinacyon / as he mencyoneth in his first and seconde books aduersus Vhi •• u • stas / with the manner of his godly departynge out of this frail life / which I found in other writings and chronicles. His youth was full of wanton wildenesse before he knew y ^e scriptures / as he reporteth in his answer / and for the more part unknown unto me / and therefore I write it not here. His father the lord Regnolde of Cobham Johan Frosyart nombereth always amongst the most worthy warryours of England.

In all aduēterouse acts of wordlye manhood / was he ever bold / strong / fortunate / doughtye / noble / & valcaūt. But never so worthy a conqueror as in this his present conflyct with the cruel and furyouse frantyck kingdom of Antichrist. Far is this Christian knight more praise worthy / for that he had so noble a stomach in defense of Christ's verite against those Romish superticyons / than for any temporal nobylnesse either of blood / birth / lands / or of marcyall feats. For many thousands hath had in that great corrage / which in the other have been most faint hearted cowardes and very desperate dastardes / where as he persevered most faythfullye constant to the ende. Manye Popyshe parasytes & men pleasynge flatterers have written large commendacyōs and encomyes of those / but of such noble men as this was / very few or in a manner non at all. Wan I sometime read the works of some men learned / I marvel not a little to se them so abundaunt in vain flattering praises for matters of no value / yea / for things to be dyspraysed rather than praised of men that were godly wise.

Polydorus Vergilius a collectour sometime in England of the Popes Peter Pens and afterward Archedeacon of Wellys / hath in this point deformed his writings greatly / polutynge our English chronycles most shamefullye with his Romish lies and other Italyshe beggary▪ Battels hath he described there at large • o no small discommendynges of some Princes w ^t were godly / but the preuye packynge of Prelates / and crafty cōueyaūce of the spiritualte hath he in every place almost full properly passed over. He was to famylyar with the Bishops and toke to moche of their counsel / whan he compyled the .xxvi. books. of his English history. And not greatly is the lande beholden unto him in that work / for any large praise of erudicyon that he hath given it there. A singular bewtye is it to a Christian regyon / whan their auncyent monumētes are garnished among others / with menne of fresh lytterature which therein hath small remembrance or non. Unless it be Gildas / Bedas / Alcuinus / Johannes Scotus / Aldelmus / Neuburgus / and one or two more / non are in that whole work mencyoned concerning that / as though England had always been most barren of men learned. This do I not write in dysprayse of his learning / (which I know to be very excellent) but for the abuse thereof being a most singular gift of God.

I would wish some learned English manne (as there are now most excellent fresh wyttes) to set forth the English chronycles in their right shappe / as certain other lands hath done afore them / all affeccyōs set a part. I cannot think a more necessary thing to be labored to the honor of God / bewtye of the realm / • rudicyon of the people / and commodite of other lands / next the sacred scripture of the Bible / than that work would be. For truly in those they have there yet / is vice more anaūced than vert • / & Romish blasphemy than godliness. As it may full well appear unto eyes of right judgment / in y ^• lamentable history here following / and such other / which hath been longe hid in th • dark. Mark dilygentlye the sentence of the said Polydorus concerning this good lord Cobham / and there upon consydre his good workemanshyp in other matters. In the counsel of Constaunce (saith he) was the heresy of Johan Wycleue condemned / and two at the same time burned in that city which were y ^e chief heads of that sect. All this is true / though the f • ate handelynge thereof be altogether Italyshe.

But where as he saith after / that whan this was ones known to their companyons in England / they conspyred in their madness against the whole clergy and fynallye against the king also for that he was than a fawter of Christian religion / having to their great captaynes syr Johan Oldcastle and syr Roger Acton / he maketh a most shameful lie. For how coude syr Roger Acton with his cōpanye conspyre upon that occasion / being dead more than iiii. years afore? and syr Johan Oldcastle remaining all that season in Walys? Johan Hus suffered death at Constaunce the year of our Lord a .M.CCCC.xv. in Iulye. Jerome of Prague in the year of our Lord a .M.cccc.xvi. in Maye / which were the two heads he speaketh of. Syr Roge • Actō was brent with his company in the year of our Lord a .M.CCCC.xiii. in Ianuarye / as witnesseth Walden / Fabiane / and Johan Major in their chronycles and writings. Now reckon these numbers and years / and mark the proper conueyaunce of this Romish gentylman the popes collectour / to clought up that crooked kyngedom of theirs. He can by such legerdemayne both please his friends in England and also at Rome.

After that he followeth with lie upon lie / as that they came than to London to destroy the king / that he in his own person met with them there in arms / that they cowardlye fled / that some were taken there and brent out of hand / and that the lord Cobham and syr Roger Ac • on were cast into y ^e tower of London upon that occasion. Semeth it not a matter somewhat like to the purpose (think you) that men should be there burned for making such an insurreccyon or tumult? I trow he hath cobled here somewhat workemanlye. And where as he saith in the ende / that the king thereupon made an act / that they from thens forth should be taken as traitors against his own person / w ^c were proved to follow that sect / he maketh an abominable lie. For that • cte was made only at the Bisshoppes complaynte and false suit in the first year of his regne / and by force of that act those innocent men than suffered. More than .iiii. hondreth of such manyfestlyes coude I gather out of his chronycles / moche more than might more eyes and judgments do.

Now lete us expende what the true cause should be of this godly man's condemnacyon and death / all dreams of Papists set a part. The truth of it is / that after he had ones throughlye tasted the Christian doctrine of Johan Wycleue and of his disciples / and perseyued their livings aggreable to the same. He abhorred all the supersticyouse sorceryes (ceremonies I should say) of the proud Romish church. F • o • thens forth he brought all things to the towche stone of God's word. He tried all matters by the scriptures / and so proved their spirits whether they were of God or nay. He maintained such preachers in the dyoceses of Caūterburye / London / Rochestre / and Herforde / as the Bishops were sore offended with. He exhorted their priests to a better way by the Gospel / and whan that would not help he gave thē sharp rebukes. He admonyshed th • kings / as Richard the seconde / Henry the fourth / and Henry the fyft of the clergyes manifold abuses / & put into the parlement house certain books concerning their just reformacyon / both in the year of our Lord a .M.ccc xcv. and in the year a .M.CCCC.x. of the first boke this is the beginning. Prima conclusio. Quando ecclesia Anglie &c. which I have here left out least this treatise should be to great. The other boke was made by one Johan Puruey a mastre of art of Oxford. Besyde the .xviii. conclusions that mastre Johan Wycleue had put in longe afore that.

In the year of our Lord a .M.ccc. •• i. this noble lord Cobham with certain other more / mocyoned the king at Westmyns • re in the time of his parlement / that it were very commodyouse to England if the Romish Bishops authority extended no forther than the Occeane see or haven of Calys / cōsyderynge the charges and vnquyetnesse of suits there / and that men's causes cond • not be throughlye known so far of. Wher upon the king made this act by consent of his lords / that no man from thens forth should sue to the Pope in any matter / nor publyshe any excommunicacyon of his / vndrepeyne of losynge their goods with perpetual inpresonmēt. This and the afore named boke had cost him with syr Johan Chenye and other more his life in the sixth year after / at the crafty accusement of certain Prelates (though it hath in the chronycles another color) had not God than most gracyously preserved him. An other cause of his death yet besides all that hath been said afore / was this. He caused all the works of Johan Wycleue to be written at the instance of Johan huss / and so to be sent into Boheme / France / Spain / Portyngale / and other lands. Wherof Subinco Lepus the Archbishop of Prague caused more than two hondreth volumes fair written / openly to be brent afterward / as witnesseth Aeneas Siluius de origin Bohemorum.

These causes known with other more that I coude rehearse / consydre whether the world that is always so wicked was worthy to hold such a noble christen warryour as this was / or nay? Consydre also the just ponnyshment of the lord for wicked laws that were than made / with the exceeding myscheues that the spiritualte than used. And way the miserable estate that the realm was in sone after for contempt of his eternal word. And there upon lawde his ryghtousnesse / and beware of like contempt and plage in these days. In the year of our Lord a .M.cccc. xxii. departed king Henry the fyft in his most floryshynge time / even in the beginning of the .xxxvii. year of his age / which was abought .iiii. years after the death of this lord Cobham. His son Henry the sixth succeeded in his rome and had the governance of this whole realm / being but a babe of .vii • months old and odd days. What a doloure was this unto men of rype difcressyon / naturally loving their cōtree and regardynge the common wealth thereof? yea / what a plage of God was it after the scriptures to have a young child to their king? And that it should the more manyfestlye appear to come that way / or of the stroke of God / he was a chyldyshe thing all y ^e days of his life.

I shall give you (saith the lord in his high dyspleasure) children to be youre princes / & young infauntes with out wisdom shall have the governance of you. Wvhat wretched calamytees the realm suffered afterward for the space of more than .iii. score years and three till the days of king Henry the seventh / yt is unspeakable. Sens the preaching of Johan Wycleue hath the lord suffered the pompouse Popyshe Prelates to show themselves forth in their own right colors / that they might now in the light of his Gospel appear as they are in deed / even spyghtfull murderers / ydolaters / and Sodomytes. Afore his time they lurked under the glytterynge shine of hypocrefye / and coude not be seen in their mastryes. The fryers with their charmynge sophysirye threw such a dark myst over the universal world / that superstycyon coude not be known for superstycyon / nor ydolatrye for ydolatrye. Vnspeakable filthiness of all fleshly occupyenge was than called Prestes chastity / as yt is yet and will be till yt come to the highest / that God may take full vengeance. Than was whoredom worshipped in Prelates of the church / and sacred wedlock rekened such a detestable vice as was worthy in a pressed most cruel death. As was seen for example in syr Willyam Wyghe which was brent for the same at Norwych in the year of our Lord. 14.28.

Thus was Whyght judged black and light darkness / so ill • was mē a sight in those days. By such means (saith the Prophet) they drew wickedness unto them as yt were with a cord / and all kinds of sin as yt were with a cart rope. If England at that time had not been unthankfull for the singular benefyght that God than sent them by those good menne / the days of Antichrist and his beastly brood had been shortened there longe a go as yt is even now & here after like to be more largelye. A most oryent fresshe mirror of Christian manhood appeareth this worthy lord Cobham in our age / the verity now open / which was in herabsens a lamp of contempt before wordlye wise men. In him may noble men behold here playnelye a wol • noble stomach and precious faith in the mids of great Antichrists modye mustre. His corage was of such va •• e that yt gave him the victory over them by the clear judgment of the scriptures / what though the worlds judgments be far otherwise. And as for the cruel death which he most contumelyouslye suffered / yt is now unto him a most plentuouse wynnynge / for in the just quarrel was yt of his Lord Jesus Christ.

Myght those bloody blusterers have had their full swaye now of late / they would have made more Oldecastels / Actons / Brownes / & Beuerlayes / yea / they would have made there a greatter havoc upon Christ's congregation / than ever ded Saul in his raging fury. They meant more than they uttered whan they approached so nygh (as ded cruel Haman) to the presence of noble Ahasuerus. But blessed be the eternal father which hath given such wisdom godly unto our most worthy king / that he perseyuynge their slayghtes / so abated their tyrānouse fercenes. Praye noble men / pray / yea with the true clergy and commons / that like as he hath now with duke Joshua the ouerhande of wicked Hierico by his only gift / and is through that becomen an whole perfect king within his own • realm far above all his predecessors / so that he may in conclusyon overthrow her clearly. For as yet the dredefull damsel (tyranny) that was Caiaphas dorekeper / dwelleth in the houses of Bishops / and dalye compelleth poor Peter to deny his mastre. As many eyes as ever had vygylaunt Argus had he need to have / that is compassed with such a sort / as are that brood of the wylye serpent. Consydre what heavenly things ye have received of the scriptures under his permyssyon / and yet pray ones again for his gracyouse contynuaunce to the more increase of knowledge. Amen.

O Babylon / thy merchaūtes were princes of the earth. And with thine inchaūtementes were all nacyons deceived Apocal. xviii.

The great process of Thomas Arundell the Archbishop of Caunterburye and of the Papistical clergy w ^t him / against the most noble knight syr Johan Oldcastle the lord Cobham in the year of our Lord a .M.cccc. and .xlii. wherein is contained his examinacyon / impresonmēt / and excommunycacyon. The process before his examinacyon.

A Fter that y ^e true servant of Jesus Christ Johan Wycleue / a manne of very excellent life & learning / had for the space of more than .xxvi. years most valeauntlye batteled with the great Antichrist of Europa or Pope of Rome & his dyuerslye dysgysed host of anointed hypocrites / to restore the church again to the pure estate that Christ left her in at his ascensyon / he departed hens most Christenlye into the hands of God / the year of our Lord a .M.CCC.lxxxvii. and was buried in his own parryshe church at Lutterworth in Lyncolne shere. No small number of godly disciples left that good man behind him to defend the lowlynesse of y ^e Gospel against the exceeding pride / ambycyon / sym • nye / anaryce / hypocrisy / whoredom / sacrylege / tyranny / ydolatrouse worshippings / and other filthy fruits of those styfnecked Pharysees. Agaynst whom Thomas Arundell than Archbishop of Caunterburye / so ferce as ever was Pharaoh / Antiochus / Herodes or Caiaphas / collected in Paul's church at London a universal synod of all the papistical clergy of England in the year of our Lord a .M.CCCC. and .xiii. as he had done diverse other afore / to withstand their most godly enterprise. And this was the first year of king Henry the fyft / whom they had than made fit for their hand.

As these high Prelates with their Pharysees and Scrybes were thus gathered in this pestilent counsel against the Lord and his word / first there resorted unto them the .xii. inquysytours of heresies (whom they had appointed at Oxford the year afore to serche out heretics with all Wycleues books, and they brought .CC. and .lxvi. faithful conclusyons whom they had collected as heresies out of the said books. The names of the said inquysytours were these. Johan Witnam a mas • r • in the new college / Johan Langedon monk of Chry church in Caunterb • rye / Willyam Vfforde regent of the Carmelytes / Thomas Clayton regent of the Dominykes / Robert Gylber • / Richard Cartysdale / Johan Lucl • e / Richard Snedysham / Richard Flem • mynge / Thomas Rodborne / Rob • rt Roadberye / and Richard Grasdale In the mean season caused they there hired servants to blow it forth a brod • through out all the realm / that they were there congregate for an wholesome • nyte and reformacyon of the church of England / to stop so the mouths of the common people. Soche is always the common practice of these subtle sorcerers / whyls they are in doing mischief / to blere the eyes of the unlearned multitude with one false craft or other.

After a certain communicacyon they concluded among themselves / that yt was not possyble for them to make whole Christ's cote without seme (meaning thereby their patched Popyshe synagoge) unless certain great men were brought out of the way / which seemed to be the chief maynteners of the said disciples of Wycleue. Amonge whom the most noble knight syr Johan Oldcastle the lord Cobham was complained of by the general proctours / yea rather betrayers of Christ in his faithful members / to be y ^e chief principal. Him they accused first for a mighty mayntener of suspected preachers in y ^e dyoceses of London / Rochestre / & Herforde / contrary to the minds of their ordynaryes. Not only they affermed him to have sent thyder the said preachers / but also to have assysted them there by force of arms / not withstanding their synodall constitucyon made afore to the contrary. Last of all they accused him / that he was far otherwise in believe of the sacrament of the aultre / of penance / of pilgrimage / of image worshipping / and of the ecclesyastycall power / than the holy church of Rome had taught many years afore.

In the ende yt was concluded among them / that without any farther delaye / process should out against him as against a most pernycyouse heretic. Some of that felyshyp which were of more crafty experience than the other / would in no case have y ^e matter so rashlye handled / but thought this way moche better. Consyderynge the said lord Cobham was a man of great birth and in favor at that time with the king / their counsel was to know first the kings mind / to save all things right up. This counsel was well accepted / and thereupon the Archbishop Thomas Arundell with his other Bishops and a great part of the clergy went straight ways unto the king as than remaynynge at kenyngton. And there they laid forth most grenouse complaints against the said lord Cobham / to his great infamy and blemyshe / being a man most godly. The king gentyllye hard those blood thurstye rauenours / & far otherwise than became his princelye dignity he ins • aūtlye desired them / that in respect of his noble stock and knyghthode they should yet fauorablye deal with him. And that they would if yt were possyble / without all rygour or extreme handelynge reduce him again to the churches vnyte. He promised them also that in case they were contented to take some delyberacyon / his self would seryouslye common the matter with him.

Anon after the king sent for the said lord Cobham. And as he was come / he called him secretly admonyshyng him betwixt him and him / to submyt hims • lfe to his mother the holy church / and as an obedyent child to acknowledge himself culpable / unto whom the Christian knight made this answer / yow most worthy prince saith he • am I always prompt and willynge to obey / for so moche as I know you a Christian king and the appointed minystre of God bearing his ryghtuouse sword to the ponnyshment of ill doers and for the safeguard of them that be virtuous. Unto you next my eternal living God owe I my whole obedience / and submyt me thereunto (as I have done ever all that I have either of fortune or nature / redye at all times to fulfill what so ever ye shall in that lord command me. But as touching the Pope and his spiritualte / truly I owe thē neither sure nor service / for so moche as I know him by the scriptures to be the great Antichrist / the son of perdicyon / the open adversary of God / and the abhominacyon standing in the holy place. Whan the king had heard this with such like sentences more he would talk no longer with him / but left him so utterly.

And as the Archbishop resorted again unto him for an answer / he gave him his full authority to city him / examyne him / and ponnyshe him according to the deuylyshe decrees / which they call the laws of holy church. Than the said Archebyshop by the counsel of his other Bishops and clergy / appointed to call before him y ^e said syr Johan Oldcastle the lord Cobham / and to cause him personallye to appear / to answer to such suspected artycles as they should lay against him. So sent he forth his chief sommener with a very sharp cytacyon unto the castle of Cowlynge / where as he at that time dwelt for his solace. And as y ^e said sommener was thyder common / he durst in no case entre the gates of so noble a man without his lycens / and therefore he returned home again / his massage not done. Than called the Archbishop one Johan Butler unto him which was than the dorekeper of the kings preuye chambre / & with him he couenaunted through promises and rewards / to have this matter craftelye brought to pass under y ^e kings name.

Whervpon the said Johan Butler toke the Archebysshoppes sommener with him / and went unto the said lord Cobham / shewynge him that it was the kings pleasure that he should obey that cytacyon / and so cited him frawde lentlye. Than said he unto them in few words / that in no case would he consent to those most deuylyshe practyses of the Prestes. As they had infourmed y ^e Archbishop of that answer / & that yt was mete for no man pryuatelye to city him after that without parell of life / he decreed by and by to have him cited by publyque process or open commandment. And in all the hast possyble upon the wedynsdaye before the Natiuite of our Lady in Septembre / he commanded letters cytatorye to be set upon the great gates of the cathedral church of Rochestre (which was but iii. English miles from thens) chargynge him to appear personallye before him at Ledys in the .xi. day of the same month and year / all excuses to the contrary set a part. Those letters were taken down anon after by such as bare favor unto the lord Cobham / and so conveyed a side. After that caused the Archebyshop new letters to be set up / on the Natyuyte day of our Lady / which also were rent down and utterly consumed.

Than for so moche as he ded not appear at the day appointed at Ledys where as he fate in consystorye as cruel as ever was Caiaphas with his court of hypocrites about him he judge him / denounced him / and condemned him of most depe contumacye. After that whan he had been falsely infourmed by his hired spies and other glosynge glauerers / that the seyde lord Cobham had law hed him to scorn / dysdayned all his doings / maintained his old opynyōs contemned the churches power / the dignyte of a Bishop / & the order of priesthood (for of all these was he than accufed) in his modye madness without just proof ded he openly excommunicate him. yet was he not with all this ferce tyranny qualyfyed / but commanded him to be cited a fresh / to appear afore him the Saturdaye before the feast of saint Matthew the Apostle / with these cruel threttenynges added therūto. That if he ded not obey at that day / he would more extremelye handle him. And to make himself more strong towards the performance thereof / he compelled the lay power by most terrible manacynges of curses and interdiccyons / to assyst him against that sedycyouse apostata / that scysmatyque / that heretic / that troubler of the publyque peace / that enemy of the realm / and great adversary of all holy church / for all these hateful names ded he give him.

This most constant servant of the lord and worthy knight syr Johan Oldcastle the lord Cobham / beholdynge the vnpacable fury of Antichrist thus kyndled against him / perscyuynge himself also compased on every side with deadly dangers / he toke paper and pen in hand / & so wrote a Christian confession or rekenyng of his faith (which followeth here after) and both sygned and sealed it with his own hand. Wherein he also answereth to the iiii. chiefest artycles that the Archbishop laid against him. That done he toke the copy with him / & went therewith to the king / trustynge to find mercy and favor at his hand. Non other was that confession of his than the common believe or some of the churches faith / called the Apostles creed / of all Christian men than used. As thus.

The Christian believe of the lord Cobham.

I Beleue in God the father almighty / maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord / which was cōc • yued of the holy ghost / borne of the virgins Mary / suffered death under Ponce Pylate / crucyfyed / dead / and buried / went down to helles / the third day rose again from death / ascended up to heavens / he sytteth on the right hand of God the father almighty / and from thens shall come again to judge the quycke and the dead. I believe in the holy ghost / the universal holy church / the communyon of saints / the forgiveness of s • nnes / the vprysynge of the flesh / and everlasting life / Amen.

And for a more large declaracyon (saith he) of this my faith in the catholyck church. I stedefastlye believe that there is but one God almyghty / in and of whose Godhede are these .iii. persons / the father / the son / and the holy ghost / and that those .iii. persons are the same self God almighty. I believe also that the seconde person of this most blessed Trinite in most cōuenyent time appointed thereunto afore / toke flesh and blood of the most blessed virgyne Mary for the safeguard and redempcyon of the universal kind of man / which was afore lost in Adams offense. More over I believe that the same Jesus Christ over Lord / thus being both God & man / is the only head of y ^e whole Christian church / and that all those that hath been or shall be saved / be members of this most holy church. And this holy church I think to be dy •• ded into .iii. sortes or companyes.

Wherof the first sort be now in heaven / and they are the saints from hens departed. These / as they were here conversant conformed always there lines to the most holy laws and pure examples of Christ / renouncynge Satan / the world / and the flesh with all their concupyscences and cuyls. The seconde sort are in purgatory (if any such he by the scriptures) abydynge the mercy of God and a full deliverance of pain. • The third sort are here upon the earth and be called the church mylytaunt. For day & nigh they comende against the crafty assaults of the devil / the flattering prosperytees of this world / and the rebellyouse filthiness of the flesh.

This latter congregation by the just ordinance of God is also severed into iii. diverse estates / that is to say / into priesthood / knyghthode and the commons Amonge whom the will of God is / that the one should aid the other / but not destroy the other. The Prestes first of all secluded from all worldlynesse / should conform their lives utterly to the examples of Christ and his Apostles. Euermore should they be occupied in preaching and teaching the scriptures purelye / and in genynge wholesome counsels of good living to the other two degrees of men. More modest also / more loving / gentle / and lowlye in spirit should they be / than any other sortes of people.

In knyghthode are all they which bear sword by law of office. These should defend God's laws / and se that the Gospel were purelye taught / conformynge their lives to the same and secludynge all false preachers. yea / these ought rather to hasarde their lives than to suffer such •• ycked decrees as either blemysheth the eternal testament of God or yet letteth the free passage thereof / whereby her syes and scysmes might spring in the church. For of non other arise they (as I suppose) than of such erronyouse constitucyōs / craftelye first crepynge in under hypocrites lies for auauntage. They ought also to preserve God's people from oppressers / tyrants / and thieves / and to se the clergy supported so longe as they teache purelye / pray ryghtlye / and mynystre the sacraments freely. And if they se them do other wise / they are bound by law of office to compel them to change their doings / and to se all things performed according to God's prescript ordinance.

The latter felyshyp of this church / are the common people / whose dewtye is to bear their good minds and true obedience to the aforeseyd mynysters of God / their kings / cyuyle governors / and Prestes. The right office of these is justly to occupy every manne in his faculte / be yt merchandyce / handye craft / or the tylthe of the ground. And so one of them to be as an helper to another / • olowynge always in their sortes the just commaundemētes of their Lord God.

Ouer and besides all this / I most faythfullye believe that the sacraments of Christ's church are necessary to all Christian believers / this always seen to / that they be truly mynystred according to Christ's first instytucyon and ordinance. And for so moche as I am malycyoulye and most falsely accused of a mysbeleue in the sacrament of the aultre / to the hurtful slaundre of many. I sygnyfye here unto all men that this is my faith cōcernynge that. I believe in that sacrament to be contained very Christ's body and blood under the symylytudes of bread and wyne / yea the same body that was conceived of the holy ghost / borne of Mary y ^e virgyne / done on the cross / died / that was buried / arose the third day from the death / and is now gloryfyed in heaven. I also believe the universal law of God to be most true and perfect / and that they which do not so follow it in their faith and works at one time or other / can never be saved. Whereas he that seeketh yt in faith / accepteth yt / lerneth yt / delyghteth therein / and perfourmeth yt in love / shall taste for yt the felycyte of everlasting innocencye.

Fynallye this is my faith also / that God will axe no more of a Christian beleuer in this life / but only to obey the precepts of that most blessed law. If any Prelate of the church requireth more / or else any other kind of obedience than this to be used / he contemneth Christ exaltynge himself above God / & so becometh an open Antichrist. All these premysses I believe partycularlye / & generallye all that God hath left in his holy scriptures that I should believe. Instauntlye desyerynge you my lyege lord and most worthy king / that this confession of mine may be justly examined by the most godly wise and learned men of your realm. And if yt be found in all points agreynge to the verity / than lete yt be so allowed / and I thereupon holden for non other them a true Christian. If yt be proved otherwise / than lete yt be utterly condemned / provided always that I be taught a better believe by the word of God / and I shall most reuerentlye at all times obey thereunto.

This brief confession of his faith / the lord Cobham wrote (as is mencyoned afore) and so toke yt with him to the court / offering yt with all mekenesse unto the king to read yt over. The king would in no case receive yt / but commanded yt to be delivered unto them that should be his judges. Than desired he in the kings presens that an hundred knyghtes and esquyres might be suffered to come in upon his purgacyon / which (he knew) would clear him of all heresies. Moreover he offered himself after the law of arms to fight for life or death with any manne living Christian or Heythen in the quarrel of his faith / the king and the lords of his counsel excepted. Fynallye with all gentylnesse he protested before all that were present / that he would refuse no manner of correccyon that should after the laws of God be mynystred unto him / but that he would at all times with all mekenesse obey yt. Not withstanding all this / the king suffered him to be sommoued personallye in his own preuye chambre.

Than said the lord Cobham to the king / that he had appeled from the Archbishop to the Pope of Rome / & therefore he ought (he said) in no case to be his judge. And having his appele there at hand redye written / he shown yt with all reverence to the king. Wherwith the king was than moche more dyspleased than afore / and said angerlye unto him / that he should not pursue his appele. But rather he should tarrye in hold / till such time as yt were of the Pope allowed. And than / would he or nylde he / the Archbishop should be his judge. Thus was there nothing allowed that the good lord Cobham had lawfullye afore required. But for so moche as he would not be sworn in all things to submyt himself to the church / and so to take what penance the Archbishop would enjoin him / he was arrested again at the kings commandment / and so led forth to the tower of London / to keep his day (so was yt than spoken) that the Archbishop had appointed him afore in the kings chambre.

Than caused he the aforeseyd confession of his faith to be copyed again and the answer also which he had made to the .iiii. articles proponed against him to be written in manner of an indenture in two shetes of paper. That whā he should come to his answer / he might give the one copy unto the Archbishop / and reserve the other to himself. As the day of examynacyon was come / which was the .xxiii day of Septembre or the saturdaye before the feast of saint Matthew / Thomas Arundell the Archbishop sitting in Caiaphas rome in the chapter house of Paul's with Richard Clyfforde Bishop of London / and Henry Bolyng broke Bishop of Winchester / syr Robert Morleye knight / and Lef • tenant of the tower / brought personallye before him the said lord Cobham / and there left him for the time / Unto whom the Archbishop said these words.

The first examynacyon of the lord Cobham.

SIr Johan / in y ^e last general cōnocacyon of the clergy of this our province / ye were detected of cert • n heresies & by suffycyēt witnesses found culpable. Whervpon ye were by form of spiritual law cited / & would in no case appear. In cōclusyon upon youre rebellyouse contumacye ye were both pryuatelye and openly excommunycated. Notwithstandynge we never yet shown ours • lfe vnredye to have givē you youre absolucyon (nor yet do not to this hour) would ye have mekely a yed yt. Unto this the lord Cobham shown as though he had given nō ear / having his mind otherwise occupied / & so desired non absolucyon. But he said / he would gladly before him and his bretheren make rehearsal of that faith / which he held and intended always to stand to / if yt would please them to lycens him thereunto. And than he toke out of his bosom a certain writing endented / concerning the artycles whereof he was accused / and so openly red yt before them / giving yt unto the Archebyshop as he had made thereof an ende. Wherof this is the copy.

I Johan Oldcastle knight and lord Cobham / will all Christian men to understand / that Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Caūterburye hath not only laid yt to my charge malycyouslye / but also very vntrulye by his letter and seal written against me in most slaunderouse wise / that I should otherwise fele and teache of the sacraments of the church (assygnynge specyallye the sacrament of the aultre / the sacrament of penance / the worshipping of images / and the going of pilgrimage unto them) far other wise than either believeth or teacheth the universal holy church. I take almighty God unto witness / that yt hath been and now is / and evermore with the help of God yt shall be my full intent and will / to believe faythfullye and whollye all the sacraments that ever God ordained to be mynystred in the holy church. And more over for to declare me in these .iiii. points afore rehearsed.

I believe that in the most worshipful sacrament of the aultre is Christ's very body in form of bread / the same body that was borne of the blssed virgyne Mary / done on the cross / dead / and buried / and that the third day arose from death to life / the which body is now gloryfyed with the father in heaven. And as for the sacrament of penance / I believe that yt is needful to all them that shall be saved / to forsake their sin and to do penance for yt / with true contrycyon to God / confession of their fawtes / and dew satisfaccyon in Christ / like as God's laws lymyteth and teacheth / else can they have no salvation. This penance I desire all men to do. And as for images / I understand that they pertain nothing to our Christian believe / but were permytted (longe sense the faith was givē us of Christ) by sufferaūce of the church / for to be as kalenders unto lay men to represent or bring to mind the passyon of our Lord Jesus Christ with the martyrdom and good living of the saints.

I think also that what so over he be which doth that worship to dead images that is dewlye belongynge unto God / or that putteth his faith / hope / or confydence in the help of them as he should do only in his eternal living God / or that hath affeccyon in one more than in another / he perpetrateth in so doing •• abominable sin of ydolatrye. Moreover in this am I fully persuaded / that every man dwelling on this earth is a pylgryme / either towards bless or else towards pain. And that he which knoweth not / nor will no • know / nor yet keep the holy commandments of God in his living here all be yt that he goth on pilgrimage into all quarters of the world) if he departeth so he shall surely be dampened. Agayne he that knoweth the holy commandments of God / and so perfourmeth them to the ende of his life to his power / shall without fail be saved in Christ / though he never in his life go on pilgrimage as men use now a days to Caūterburye / Walsyngham / Compostell / and Rome / or to any other place else.

This answer to his artycles thus ended and red / he delivered yt to the Bishops as is said afore. Than coūfessed the Archbishop with the other two Bishops and with diverse of y ^e doctors what was to be done in thisma • ter / commaundynge him for the time to stand a side. In conclusyon by their assent and infourmacyon / he said thus unto him. Come hydre syr Johan. In this your writynge are many good things contained / and right catholyck also / we deny yt not. But ye must consydre that this day was appointed you to answer to other points concerning those artycles / whereof as yet no mencyon is made in this your byll. And therefore ye must yet declare us youre mind more playnelye. As thus whether that ye hold / afferme / and believe / that in the sacrament of the aultre after the consecracyon ryghtlye done by a pressed / remaineth materyall bread or not? Moreover whether ye do hold / afferme / and believe / that as concerning the sacrament of penance (where as a competent number of Prestes are) every Christian man is necessarylye bound to be confessed of his sins to a pressed ordained by the church / or not?

After certain other communication this was the answer of the good lord Cobham. That non otherwise would he declare his mind / nor yet answer unto his artycles / than was expreslye in his writing there contained. Than said the Archebyshop again unto him Syr Johan beware what ye do. For if ye answer not clearly to those things that are here objected against you / specyallye at the time appointed you only for that purpose / the law of holy church is / that compelled ones by a judge / we may openly proclaim ye an heretic. Unto whom he gave this answer. Do as ye shall think yt best / for I am at a point. What so ever he and the other Bishops ded ask him after that / he bad them resort to his byll for thereby would he stand to the very death. Other answer would he not give that day / wherewith the Bishops and Prelates were in a manner amazed and wonderfullye dysquyeted. At the last the Archbishop counseled again with his other Bishops and doctors. And in the ende thereof declared unto him / what the holy church of Rome following the sayings of saint Austyn / saint Jerome / saint Ambrose / and of other holy doctors / had determined in those matters / no manner of mencyon ones made of Christ. Which determynacyon (saith he) ought all Christian men both to believe and to follow.

Than said the lord Cobham unto him / that he would gladly both believe and observe what so ever the holy church of Christ's institucyon had determined / or yet what so ever God had willed him either to believe or to do. But that the Pope of Rome with his Cardynals / Archebysshoppes / Bishops and other Prelates of that church had lawful power to determine such matters as stood not with his word throughlye / that would he not (he said) at that time afferme. With this the Archebyshop bad him to take good abuysement till the Monedaye next following (which was the .xxv. day of Septembre) and than justly to answer / specyallye unto this point / whether there remained materyall bread in y ^e sacrament of the aultre after the words of consecracyon / or not? He promised him also to send unto him in writing / those matters clearly determined / that he might than be the more perfect in his answer making. And all this was not else but to blind the multitude with somewhat. The next day following / according to his promise the Archbishop sent unto him in to the tower this foolish and blasphemous writing / made by him and by his unlearned clergy.

The determynacyon of the Archbishop and clergy.

T He faith and determynacyon of holy Church towchynge the blesfull sacrament of the aultre / is this. That after the sacramental words be ones spoken by a Prest in his Mass / the materyall bread that was before bread / is turned into Christ's very body. And the materyall wyne that was afore wyne / is turned into Christ's very blood. And so there remaineth in the sacrament of the aultre from thens forth no materyall bread nor materyall wyne / which were there before the sacramental words were spoken. How believe ye this artycle? Holye church hath determined / that every Christian man living here bodylye upon earth / ought to be shryuen to a pressed ordained by y ^e church if he may come to him. How f • le ye this artycle?

Christ ordained saint Peter y ^e Apostle to be his vycar here in earth. Whose see is the holy church of Rome. And he granted that the same power which he gave unto Peter / should succeed to all Peters successors / which we call now Popes of Rome. By whose specyall power in churches partycular be ordained Prelates / as Arch • bishops / Bishops / persons / curates / & other degrees more. Unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome. This is the determynacyon of holy church. How feleye this artycle? Holye church hath determined that yt is merytoryouse to a Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places. And there specyallye to worship holy relyques and images of saints / Apostles / Martyrs / Confessors / and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome. How fele ye this artycle?

And as the good lord Cobham had red over this wretched writing / he marueled greatly of their mad ignorance. But that he considered again that God had given them over for their vnbeleues sake / into most depe errors and blindness of soul. Agayne he perseyued thereby that their uttermost malice was purposed against him / how so ever he should answer. And therefore he put his life into the hands of God / defyerynge his only spirit to assyst him in his next answer. Whan the said xxv. day of Septembre was come / (which was also the Monedaye afore Myhelmesse) in the said year of our lord a .M.CCCC. and .xiii. Thomas Arundell the Archbishop of Caunter burye commanded his iudycyall scate to be removed from y ^e chapter house of Paul's to the Domynyck fryers within Ludgate at London. And as he was there set with Richard y ^e Bishop of London. Henry the Bishop of Winchester / and Benet the Bishop of Bangor / he called in unto him his counsel and his officers / with diverse other Doctors and fryers. Of whom these are the names here following.

Mastre Henry Ware / the Offycyall of Caunterburye / Phylip Morgan / doctor of both laws / Howest kyffyn / doctor of the canō law / Johan kempe / doctor of the canō law Wistyam Carleton / doctor of the canon law / Johan Wytnam / of the new college in Oxford / Iohā Whyght head / a doctor of Oxford also / Robert Wombewell / vycar of saint Laurence in the Iewrye / Thomas Palmer / the wardene of the Mynors / Robert Chamberlayne / prior of the Domynyckes / Richard Dodyngton / prior of the Augustynes / Thomas Walden / prior of the Carmelytes / all doctors of diuinyte. Johan Stevens also / and James Cole / both notaryes / appointed there purposelye to write all that should be either said or done. All these with a great sort more of Prestes / Monks / Chanōs fryers / parryshe clerks / Bell ryngers / and pardoners dysdayned him with innumerable mocks and scorns / rekenynge him to be an horrible heretic and a man acursed afore God.

Anon the Archbishop called for a masseboke / and caused all those Prelates and doctors to swear thereupon / that every man should faythfullye do his office and dewtye that day. And that neither for favor nor fear / love nor hate of the one partye nor the other / any thing should there be wytnessed / spoken / or done / but according to the truth / as they would answer before God and all the world at the day of Dome. Than were the two forseyd notaryes sworn also / to write and to witness the words and process that there should be uttered on both parties / & to say their minds (if they otherwise knew yt) before they should regestre yt. And all this dissymulacyon was / but to color their myscheues before the ignorant multitude. Consydre herein (gentle reader) what this wicked generation is / and how far wyde from the just fear of God / for as they were thā / so are they yet to this day.

After that came forth before them syr Robert Morleye knight and Lyeftenaunt of the tower / & he brought with him the good lord Cobham / there leaving him among them as a lamb among wolves / to his examynacyon and answer.

The latter examynacyon of the lord Cobham.

THan said the Archbishop unto him: lord Cobham / ye be aduysed (I am sure) of the words and process which we had unto you upon saturdaye last past in the chapter house of Paul's. Which process were now no longe to be rehearsed again. I said unto you than that ye were a cursed for youre contumacye and dysobedyence to holy Church / thinking that ye should with mekenesse have desired youre absolucyon.

Than spake the lord Cobham with a most cheerful countenance / & said: God saith by his holy Prophet / Maledicam benediction{us} vestris / which is as moche to say / as I shall curse where as you bless.

The Archbishop made than as though he had contynued forth his tale and not heard him / saying: Syr at that time I gentyllye proffered to have assoiled yow / if ye would have asked yt. And yet I do the same / if ye will humbly desire yt in dew form and manner as holy church hath ordained.

Than said the lord Cobham. Nay forsooth will I not for I never yet trespased against you / & therefore I will not do yt. And with that he kneled down on the pavement / holdynge up his hands towards heaven / & said. I shryue me here unto the / my eternal living God / that in my frail youth I offended the (lord) most greuouslye in pride / wrath / and glottonye / in covetousness and in lechere. Manye men have I hurt in mine anger / and done many other horrible sins / good Lord I ask the mercy. And therewith wepynglye he stood up again and said with a mighty voice. Lo good people lo. For the breaking of God's law and his great commandments / they never yet cursed me. But for their own laws and traditions most cruelly do they handle both me and other men. And therefore both they and their laws by the promise of God shall utterly be destroyed.

At this the Archbishop and his cōpanye were not a little blemyshed. Notwithstandynge he toke stomach unto him again after certain words had in excuse of their tyranny / and examined the lord Cobham of his Christian believe.

Wher unto the lord Cobham made this godly answer. I believe (saith he) fully and faythfullye the universal laws of God. I believe that all is true w ^c is contained in y ^e holy sacred scriptures of the Bible / fynallye I believe all that my lord God would I should believe.

Than demanded the Archebisshop an answer of the byll which he and the clergy had sent him into the tower the day afore in manner of a determinacyon of the church concerning the .iiii. artycles whereof he was accused / specyallye for the sacrament of the aultre / how he believed therein?

Wherunto the lord Cobham said / that with that byll he had nothing to do. But this was his believe (he said) concerning the sacrament. That his lord and saver Jesus Christ / sitting at his last supper with his most dere disciples / the night before he should suffer / toke bread in his hand. And ge • ynge thanks to his eternal father / blessed yt / brake yt / and so gave yt unto them saying. Take yt unto ye / and eat thereof all. This is my body which shall be betrayed for you. Do this here after in my remembrance. This do I throughlye believe (saith he) for this faith am I taught of the Gospel in Matthew / in Mark / and in Luke / and also in the first Epistle of saint Paul to the Corintheanes.

Than asked the Archbishop if he believed that yt were bread after the consecracyon or sacramental words spoken • uer yt.

The lord Cobham said. I believe that in the sacrament of the aultre is Christ's very body in form of bread / the same that was borne of the virgyne Mary / done on the cross / dead / and buried / and that the third day arose from death to life / which now is gloryfyed in heaven.

Than said one of the doctors of law. After the sacramental words be uttered / there remaineth no bread / but the only body of Christ.

The lord Cobham said than to one mastre Johan Whyght head. you said ones unto me in the castle of Cowlynge / that the sacred oost was not Christ's body. But I held than against you / and proved that therein was his body / though the seculars and fryers coude not therein agre / but held yche one against other in that opynyon. These were my words thā / if ye remember it.

Than showted a sort of them together and cried with great noise. We say all that yt is God's body.

And diverse of them asked him in great angre / whether it were materyall bread after the consecracyon / or not?

Than looked the lord Cobham ernestlye upon the Archbishop / & said. I believe surely that yt is Christ's body in form of bread. Syr believe not you thus?

And the Archbishop said / yes marry do I.

Than asked him the doctors / whether yt were only Christ's body after the consecracyon of a Prest and no bread or not?

And he said unto them / It is both Christ's body and bread. I shall prove yt as thus. For like as Christ dwelling here upon the earth / had in him both Godhede and manhede. And had the inuisyble • odhede covered under that manhede which was only visyble and seen in him. So in the sacrament of the aultre is Christ's very body and very bread also / as I believe. The bread is the thing that we se with our eyes. ) The body of Christ / (which is his flesh and his blood) is there under hid and not seen / but in faith.

Than smyled they yche one upon other / that the people should judge him taken in a great heresy. And with a great brag diverse of them said. It is a fowl heresy.

Thā asked the archbishop / what bread yt was. And the doctors also inquyred of him whether it were materyall or not?

The lord Cobham said unto them. The scriptures maketh no mencyon of this word materyall / and therefore my faith hath nothing to do therewith. But this I say and believe yt / that yt ys Christ's body & bread. For Christ said in the sixth of Johanns gospel / Ego sum panis viu • s qui de celo descendi. I which came down from heaven am the living and not the dead bread. Therfor I say now again / like as I said afore. As our lord Jesus Christ is very god and very man / so in the most blessed sacrament of the aultre / is Christ's very body and bread.

Than said they all with one voice. It is an heresy.

One of the bishops stood up by & by / and said. What yt is an heresy manifest / to say that yt is bread after the sacramental words be ones spokē / but Christ's body only.

The lord Cobham said. Saint paule y ^e apostle was (I am sure) as wise as yow be now / and more godly learned. And he call •• yt bread / writynge to the Corintheanes. The bread that we break (saith he) is yt not the partakynge of the body of Christ? Lo / he casteth yt bread and not Christ's body / but a men whereby we receive Christ's body.

Than said they again. Paul must be otherwise understanded. For yt is surely an heresy to say that yt is bread after the consecration / but only Christ's body.

The lord Cobham asked how they coude make Good that sentence of thers.

They answered him thus. For yt is against the determynacyon of holy church.

Than said the Archebysshopp unto him. Sir Johan / we sent yow a writynge concerning the faith of this blessed sacrament / clearly determined by the church of Rome our mother and by the holy doctors.

Than said he again unto him. I know non holyar than is Christ and his Apostle. And as for that determynacyō I wote • yt is non of thers / for yt standeth not with the scriptures / but manyfestlye against thē. If yt be the churches (as ye say it is) it hath been hers only sense she received the great poison of worldly possessyons / & not afore

Than asked they him to stop his mouthe therewith. If he believed not in the determynacyon of the church.

And he said unto them. No forsooth / for yt is no God. In all our creed is in but thryse mencyoned concerning believe. In God the father / in God the son / in God the holy ghost. The birth / the death / the burial / the resurreccyon and ascensyon of Christ hath non in for believe but in him. Neither yet hath the church / the sacraments / the forgiveness of sin / the latter resurreccyon / nor yet the life everlasting any other in than in the holy ghost.

Than said one of the lawyers. Tushe / that was but a word of office. But what is youre believe concerning holy church?

The lord Cobham answered. My believe is (as I said afore) that all the scriptures of the sacred Bible are true. All that is grounded upon them I believe throughlye. For (I know) yt is God's pleasure that I should so do. But in your lordelye laws and idle determynacyons have I no believe. For ye be no part of Christ's holy church / as youre open deeds doth show. But ye are very Antichrists / obstynatlye set against his holy law and will. The laws that you have made are nothing to his glory / but only for youre vain glory and abominable couetuousnesse.

This they said was an exceeding heresy (and that in a gr • a • f •• me) not to believe the determynacyon of holy church.

Than the Archbishop asked him / what he thought holy church?

He said unto him: My believe is that holy Church is the number of them / which shall be saved / of whom Christ is the head. Of this church one part is in heaven with Christ / another in purgatory (you say and the third is here in earth. This latter part standeth in three degrees / in kynghthode / pressed hode / and the commynnalte / as I said afore playnelye in the confession of my believe.

Than said the archebisshop unto him Can ye tell me / who is of this church?

The lord Cobham answered. yea truly can I.

Than said doctor Walden the prior of the Carmelytes. It is doubt unto you / who is thereof. For Christ saith in Math. Nolite iudicare. Presinne to judge no manne. If ye here beforbyddē y ^e judgment of youre neyber or brother / moche more y ^e judgment of your superyour.

The lord Cobham made him this answer. Christ saith also in the same self chapter of Matthew. That like as the ys • 'tree is known by his ill fruit / so is a false Prophet by his works / a • ere they never so glorious. But that ye left behind ye. And in Johan he hath this text. Operibus credit. Beleue you the outward doings. And in another place of Johan. Iustum iudicium indicate. Whan we know the thing to be true / we may so judge yt and not offend. For David saith also. Recte iudicate filii hominum. Judge ryghtlye always ye children of men And as for youre superyorte. Were ye of Christ ye should be meek mynysters / and no proud superyours.

Than said doctor Walden unto him. ye make here no difference of judgments. ye put no diuerfyte betwyne the ill judgments / which Christ hath forbydden / and the good judgments which he hath cūmaunded us to have. Rashe judgment and right judgment / all is one with you. So is judgment presumed and judgment of office. So swyst judges always / are the learned scolers of Wycleue.

Unto whom the lord Cobham thus answered. It is well sophistryed of you forsooth. Preposterouse are youre judgments evermore. For as the Prophet Isaiah saith / ye judge ill good and good ill. And therefore the same Prophet concludeth / that youre ways are not gods ways / nor God's ways youre ways. And as for that virtuous man Wyclene / whose judgments ye so hyghlye dysdayne / I shall say here for my part both before God and man. That before I knew that despised doctrine of his / I never abstained from sin. But sense I learned therein to fear my Lord God / yt hath otherwise (I trust) been with me. So much grace coude I never find in all your glorious instruccyōs.

Than said doctor Walden again yet unto him. It were not well with me / so many virtuous men living / and so many learned men teaching / the scriptures being also so open / & the examples of fathers so plentuouse / if I than had no grace to amende my life till I heard the devil preach. Saint Jerome saith / that he which seeketh such suspected masters / shall not find the myd day light but the myd day devil.

The lord Cobham said / youre fathers the old Pharysees ascrybed Christ's miracles to Belzebub / and his doctrine to the devil. And you as their natural children / have still the same self judgment concerning his faithful followers. They that rebuke youre vicyouse living must neades be heretics / and that must youre doctors prove whan ye have no scriptures to do yt. Than said he to them all. To judge you as ye be / we need no farther go than youre own proper acts. Where do ye find in all God's law / that ye should thus sit in judgment of any Christian man / or yet sentens any other man unto death as ye do here daily? No ground have ye in all the scriptures so lordelye to take yt upon ye / but in Annas and in Caiaphas which sat thus upon Christ and upon his Apostles after his ascencyon. Of them only have ye taken yt to judge Christ's members / as ye do / & neither of Peter nor Johan.

Than said some of the lawyers. yes forsooth syr for Christ judged Judas.

The lord Cobham said. No / Christ judged him not. But he judged himself / and thereupon went forth and so ded hange himself. But in deed Christ said woe unto him for that couetuouse act of his / as he doth yet still unto many of you. For sense the venyme was shed into y ^e church / ye never followed Christ neither yet have ye stand in the perfeccyon of God's law.

Than asked him the Archbishop / what he meant by that venyme?

The lord Cobham said / youre possessyons and lordeshyppes. For than cried an angel in the air (as youre own chronycles mencyoneth) woe / woe / woe / this day is venyme shed into y ^e church of God. Before that time all the Bishops of Rome were martyrs in a manner. And sense that time we read of very few. But in deed sense that same time one hath put down another one hath poysened another / one hath cursed another / and one hath slain another / and done moche more mischief besides / as all the chronycles telleth. And lete all men consydre well this. That Christ was meek and merciful. The Pope is proud & a tyrant Christ was poor and forgave. The Pope is rich and a most cruel manslayer / as his daily acts doth prove him. Rome is the very nest of Antichrist. And out of that nest cometh all his disciples. Of whom Prelates / Prestes / and Monks are the body / and these pylde fryers are the • ail which covereth his most filthy part.

Than said the prior of the friar Anguilynes. • lac syr / why do ye say so? That is vncharytablye spoken.

And the lord Cobham said. Not only is yt my saying / but also the Prophet Isaiah’s / longe afore my time. The Prophet (saith he) which preacheth lies / is the tail behind. As you fryers and monks be like Pharysees dyuyded in youre outward aparell and usages / so make ye dyuysyon among the people. And thus yow with such other / are the very natural members of Antichrist.

Than said he unto them all. Christ saith in his Gospel. Woe to you Scribes and Pharysees hypocrites. Fo •• e close up the kyngedom of heaven before • men. Nether entre ye in yourselves / nor yet suffer any other that would entre into yt. But ye stop up the ways thereunto with youre own tradicyons / and therefore are ye the howsholde of Antichrist. ye will not permytt God's verity to have passage / nor yet to be taught of his true mynysters / fearing to have youre wickedness reproved. But by such vain flatterers as uphold ye in youre myscheues / ye suffer the common people most myserablye to be seduced.

Than said the Archbishop. By our ladye syr there shall no such preach within my dyocese (and God will) nor yet in my iurisdiccyon (if I may know yt) as either maketh dyuysyon or yet dyssensyon among the poor commons.

The lord Cobham said. Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedycyon making / yet were they most peceable men. Both Daniel and Christ prophesied / that such a troublouse time should come / as hath not been yet sense the worlds beginning. And this prophecy is partly fulfilled in youre days and doings. For many have ye slain alredye / and more will ye slee here after if God fulfill not his promise. Christ saith also / if those days of yours were not shortened / scarslye should any flesh be saved. Therefore loke for yt justly / for God will shorten youre days. Moreover though Prestes and Deacons for preaching of God's word and for mynystrynge the sacraments with prouysyon for the poor / be grounded in God's law / yet have these other sects no manner of ground thereof / so far as I have red.

Than a doctor of law called mastre Johan hempe / plucked out of his bosom a copy of that byll which they had afore sent him into the tower / by y ^e Archebysshoppes counsel / thinking thereby to make shorter work with him. For they were so amazed with his answers (not all unlike to them which dysputed with Stephen) that they knew not well how to occupy y ^e time / their wyttes and sophistrye (as God would) so failed them that day.

My lord Cobham (saith this doctor) we must breuelye know youre mind concerning these .iiii. points here following. The first of them is this. And than he red upon the byll. The faith and the determynacyon of holy church / towchynge the blessed sacrament of the aultre / is this. That after the sacramental words be ones spoken by a Prest in his mass / the materyall bread that was before bread / is turned into Christ's very body. And y ^e materyall wyne / that was before wyne / is turned into Christ's very blood. And so there remaineth in the sacrament of the aultre from thens forth no materyall bread nor materyall wyne / which were there before the sacramental words were spoken. Syr believe ye not this?

The lord Cobham said. This is not my believe. But my faith is (as I said to yow afore) that in the worshipful sacrament of the aultre is very Christ's body in form of bread.

Than said the Archbishop. Syr Johan / ye must say otherwise.

The lord Cobham said. Nay that I shall not / if God be upon my side (as I trust he is) but that there is Christ's body in form of bread / as the common believe is▪

Than red the Doctor again. The seconde point is this. Holye church hath determined / that every Christian man living here bodylye upon earth / ought to be shryuen to a Prest ordained by the church / if he may come to him. Syr what say ye to this?

The lord Cobham answered & said. A dyseased or sore wounded man had need to have a sure wise surgeon and a true / knowing both the ground and the danger of the same. Most necessary were yt therefore / to be first shryuen unto God / which only knoweth our dyseases and can help us. I deny not in this the going to a Prest / if he be a man of good life and learning. For the laws of God are to be required of the pressed which is godly learned. But if he be an ydyote or a man of vicyouse living that is my curate / I ought rather to flee from him than to seek unto him. For sonner might I catch ill of him that is naught / than any goodness towards my sowle health.

Than red the doctor again. The third point is this. Christ ordained saint Peter the Apostle / to be his vycar here in earth / whose see is y ^e church of Rome. And he granted that the same power which he gave unto Peter / should succeed to all Peters successors which we call now Popes of Rome. By whose specyall power in churches partycular be ordained Prelates / as Archebyshoppes / Persones / Curates / and other degrees more. Unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome. This is the determynacyon of holy Church. Syr believe ye not this?

To this he answered and said. He that followeth Peter most nyghest in pure living / is next unto him in successyon. But youre lordelye order estemeth not greatly the lowlye behauer of poor Peter / what so ever ye prate of him. Neither care ye greatly for the humble manners of them that succeeded him▪ till the time of Syluestre / which for the more part were martyrs / as I told ye afore. ye can lete all their good condycyōs go by you / and not hurt yourselves with them at all. All the world knoweth this well enough by you / and yet ye can make boast of Peter.

With that / one of the other doctors axed him. Than what do ye say of the Pope?

The lord Cobham answered. As I said before. He and yow together maketh whole the great Antichrist. Of whom he is the great head / yow Bishops / Prestes / Prelates / and monks are the body / and the beggynge fryers are the tail / for they cover the filthiness of you both / with their subtle sophistrye. Never will I in conscience obey any of yow all / till I se yow w ^t Peter follow Christ in cōuersacyon.

Than red the doctor again. The forth point is this. Holye church hath determined that yt is merytoryouse to a Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places. And there specyallye to worship holy relyques and images of saints / Apostles / Martyrs / Confessors / and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome. Syr what say ye to this?

Wherunto he answered. I owe them no service by any commandment of God / and therefore I mind not to seek them for youre couetuousnesse. It were best ye swept them fair from copwebbes and dust / and so laid them up for catchynge of scathe. Or else to burye them fair in y ^e ground / as ye do other aged people which are God's images. It is a wonderful thing that saints now being dead / should become so couetuouse and nedye / and thereupon so bytterlye beg / which all their life time hated all couetuousnesse and beggynge But this I say unto you / and I would all the world should mark yt. That w ^t youre shryues and ydols / youre feigned absolucyons and pardons / ye draw unto yow the substance / wealth / and chief pleasure of all Christian realms.

Whye syr (said one of the clerks) will ye not worship good images?

What worship should I give unto them? said the lord Cobham?

Than said friar Palmer unto him. Syr ye will worship y ^e cross of Christ / that he died upon?

Where is yt / said the lord Cobham?

The friar said. I put ye the case syr / that yet were here even now before you?

The lord Cobham answered. This is a great wise man / to put me an ernest question of a thing / and yet he his self knoweth not were the thing self is. yet ones again ask I you / what worship I should do unto yt?

A clarke said unto him. Soche worship as Paul speaketh of / and that is this. God forbydde that I should joy but only in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Than said the lord Cobham / and spredde his arms a broad. This is a very cross / yea / and so moche better than youre cross of wode / in that yt was created of God. yet will not I seek to have yt worshipped.

Than said the Bishop of London. Syr ye wote well that he died on a materyall cross.

The lord Cobham said. yea / and I wote also that our salvation came not in by that materyall cross / but alone by him / which died thereupon. And well I wote that holy saint Paul rejoiced in non other cross / but in Christ's passyon and death only / and in his own sufferynges of like persecucyon with him for the same self verity that he had suffered for afore.

An other clarke yet asked him. Will ye than do non honor to the holy cross?

He answered him▪ yes / if he were mine I would say him up honestlye / and se unto him that he should take no more scathes a brood / nor be robbed of his goods / as he is now a days.

Than said the Archbishop unto him: Syr Johan / ye have spoken here many wonderful words to the slaunderouse rebuke of all the whole spiritualte / giving a greaty •• example unto the common sort here / to have us in the more dysdayne. Moche time have we spent here abought yow / and all in vain so far as I can se. Well / we must be now at this short point with you / for the day passeth away / ye must either submytt youre self to the ordinance of holy church / or else throw youre self (no remedy) into most depe danger. Se to yt in time / for anon yt will be else to late.

The lord Cobham said: I know not to what purpose I should otherwise submytme. Moche more have you offended me than ever I offended yow / in thus troublynge me before this multitude.

Than said the Archbishop again unto him. We ones again require you to remember youre self well / and to have non other opynyon in these matters than the universal faith and believe of the holy Church of Rome is. And so like an obedyent child to return to y ^e vnyte of youre mother. Se to yt (I say in time / for yet ye may have remedy / where as anon yt will be to late

The lord Cobham said expreslye before them all. I will non otherwise believe in these points / than I have told ye hereafore. Do with me what ye will.

Fynallye than the Archbishop said Well than I se non other / but we must neades do the law / we must proceed forth to the sentence diffynytyue / and both judge ye and condemn ye for an heretic.

And with that the Archbishop stood up / and red there a byll of his condemnacyon / all the clergy and layte auaylynge their bonettes. And this was thereof the tenor.

The diffynytyue sentence of his condemnacyon.

IN De • nomine / Amen. Nos Thomas permissione diuina Cantuariensis ecclesie Archiepiscopus / metropolitanus / totius Anglie primas / & Apostolice fedis legatus / & so fourth in Barberouse Latyne / which I have here translated into English for a more plain understanding to y ^e reader. •

In the name of God. So be yt. We Thomas by the sufferance of God Archbishop of Caunterburye / metropolytane / and prymate of all England / and legate from the Apostolyque seat of Rome / willeth this to be known unto all men. In a certain cause of heresy and upon diverse artycles / whereupon syr Johan Oldcastle knight and lord Cobham / after a dilygent inquysycyon made for the same / was detected / accused / and presented before us in our last conuocacyon of all our whole clergy of our province of Caunterburye / holden in the cathedral church of Paul's at london. At the lawful denouncement & request of our universal clergy in the said conuocacyon / we proceeded against him according to the law (God to witness) with all the favor possyble. And following Christ's example in all that we might / (which willeth not the death of a sinner / but rather that he be converted & live) we toke upon us to correct him / and sought all other ways possyble to bring him again to the churches vnyte / declaring unto him what the holy and universal church of Rome hath said / holden / determined / and taught in that behalf. And though we found him in the catholyque faith far wyde and so styffnecked that he would not confess his error / nor pourge himself / nor yet repent him thereof. We yet pyteynge him of fatherlye compassyon / and inteyrlye desyerynge the health of his sowle / appointed him a competent time of delyberacyon / to se if he would repent and seek to be reformed. And sense we have found him worse and worse. Consyderynge therefore that he is incorrygyble / we are driven to the very extremyte of the law / and with great heuynesse of heart we now proceed to the fynall publycacyon of the sentence diffynytyue against him.

Than brought he forth another byll contaynynge the said sentence / & that he red also in his Bauger Latyne. Christi nomine inuocato / ipsum • z solumpre oculie habentes. Quia peracta inactitata / and so forth. Which I have also translated into English that menne may understand yt:

Christ we take unto witness / that nothing else we seek in this our whole enterprise / but his only glory. For as moche as we have found by diverse acts done / brought forth / and exhybyted / by sordrye euydences / signs / and tokens / and also by many most manifest proves / the said syr Johan Oldcastle knight and lord Cobham / not only an euydent heretic in his own person / but also a mighty mayntene • of other heretics against the faith and religion of the holy and universal church of Rome / namely abought the two sacraments of the aultre and of penance / besides the Popes power and pylgrymages. And that he as the child of iniquyte and darkness / hath so hardened his heart that he will in no case attend unto the voice of his pastour. Neither will he be assured by straight admonyshmentes / nor yet b • brought in by favorable words. The worthiness of the cause first weighed on the one side / and his unworthiness again considered on the oath side / his fawtes also aggravated / or made double through his damnable obstynacye. We being loath that he which is naught should be woase / and so with his contagyousnesse infect the multitude. By the sage counsel and assent of the very dyscrete fathers / our honorable bretheren and lord Bishops here present / Richard of London / Henry of Winchester / and Benet of Bangor / and of other great learned and wise menne here / both doctors of diuynyte and of the laws canon and ciuyle / seculars and relygyouse / with diverse other expert men assystynge us / we sentencyallye and dyffynytyuelye by this present writing / judge / declare / and condemn the said syr Johan Olde castle knight and lord Cobham for a most pernycyouse and detestable heretic convicted upon the same and refusynge utterly to obey the Church again / commyttynge him here from hens forth as a condemned heretic to the secular iurisdiccyon / power / and judgment to do him thereupon to death. Forthermore we excommunycate and denounce acursed not only this heretic here present / but so many else besides as shall here after in favor of his error • yther receive him or defend him / counsel him / or help him / or any other way maintain him / as very fawters receyuer • / defenders / counselors / aiders / and maynteners of condemned heretics.

And that these premysses may be the better known to all faithful Christian men / we cōmyt yt here unto your charges and give ye straight commandment thereupon by this writing also / that ye cause this condemnacyon and diffynytyue sentence of excommunycacyon concerning both this heretic and his fawtours to be published through out all youre dyoceses in cytees / towns / and vyllages by youre curates and parryshe Prestes / such time as they shall have most recourse of people. And se that yt be done after this sort. As the people are thus gathered deuoutlye together / lete the curate everywhere go into the pulpet / and there open / declare / and expound this process in the mother tongue in an audyble and intellygyble voice / that yt may well be perseyued of all menne / and that upon the fear of this declaracyon also / the people may fall from their ill opynyons conceived now of late by sedycyouse preachers. More over we will that after we have delivered unto yche one of yow Bishops (which are here present) a copy hereof / that ye cause the same to be written out again into diverse copyes / and so to be sent unto the other Bishops and Prelates of our whole province / that they may also se the contents thereof solempnelye published within their dyoceses and cures. Fynallye we will that both yow and they signyfye again unto us seryouslye and dystynctlye by youre writings / as the matter is without feigned color in every point performed / the day where upon ye received this process / the time whan yt was of yow executed / and after what sort yt was done in every condycyon / according to the tenor hereof / that we may know yt to be justly the same.

A copy of this writing sent Thomas Arundell the Archbishop of Caūterburye after ward from Maydeston the .x. day of Octobre within the same year of our Lord a .M.cccc. and .xiii. unto Richard Clyfforde the Bishop of Londō / which thus beginneth / Thomas permissione diuina &c.

The said Richard Clyfforde sent another copy thereof / enclosed within his own letters / unto Robert Mascall a Carmelyte friar which was than Bishop of Herforde in Walis / written from Hadham the .xxiii. day of Octobre in the same year / and the beginnynge thereof is this. Reuerende in Christo pater &c.

The said Robert Mascall directed another copy thereof from London the xxvii. day of Nouembre in the same year / enclosed in his own cōmissyon also / unto his Archdeacons and Deans in Herfforde and Shrewesburye. And this is thereof the beginning. Venerabilibus & discretis viris &c. In like manner ded the other Bishops within their dyoceses.

After that the Archbishop had thus red the byll of his condempnacyon with most extremyte before the whole multitude / the lord Cobhā said, with a most cheerful coūtenaunce. Though ye judge my body which is but a wretched thing / yet am I certain and sure that ye can do no harm to my sowle / no more than coude Satan upon the sowle of Job. He that created that / will of his infynyte mercy and promise save yt / I have therein no manner of doubt. And as concerning these artycles before rehearsed / I will stand to them evē to the very death by the grace of my eternal God.

And therewith he turned him unto y ^e people / castynge his hands a brood and saying with a very loud voice. Good Christian people / for God's love bewele ware of these menne. For they will else begyle yow and lead yow blyndelynges into hell with themselves. For Christ saith playnelye unto you. If one blind man leadeth another / they are like both to fall into the dytche.

After this he fell down there upon his knees / and thus before them all prayed for his enemies / holdynge up both his hands and his eyes towards heaven / and saying: Lord God eternal / I besyche the for thy great mercies sake to forgive my persuers / if yt be thy blessed will. And than he was delivered to syr Robert Morleye / and so led forth again to the tower of London. And thus was there an ende of that days work.

Whyle the lord Cobham was thus in the tower / he sent out preuylye unto his friends. And they at his • esyre wrote this little byll here following / causynge yt to be set up in diverse quarters of London / that the people should not believe the slanders and lies that his enemies the Bishops servants and Prestes had made on him a broad. And this was the letter.

For as moche as syr Johan Oldcastle knight and lord Cobham / is untruly convicted and inprosoned / falsely reported and slandered among y ^e common people by his adversaries / that he should otherwise both fele and speak of the sacraments of the church / and specyallye of the blessed sacrament of the aultre / than was written in the confession of his believe / which was indented and taken to the clergy / and so set up in diverse open places in the city of London. known be yt here to all the world / that he never sense varied in any point therfro / but this is playnelye his believe / that all the sacraments of the church be profitable and expedyent also to all them that shall be saved / taking them after the intent that Christ and his true church hath ordained. Forthermore he believeth that in the blessed sacrament of the aultre is ve •• lie and truly Christ's body in form of bread.

After this the Bishops and Prestes were in moche obloquye both of the nobylyte and commons / partly for that they had so cruelly handled the good lord Cobham / and partly again because his opynyon (as they thought at that time) was perfect concerning the sacrament. As they feared this to grow to forther inconuenyence towards them both ways / they drew their heads together and at the last consented to use another practice somewhat contrary to that they had done afore.

They caused yt by and by to be blown a broad by their feed servants / friends / & hablynge syr Iohanes / that the said lord Cobham was becomē a good man / and had lowlye submytted him self in all things unto holy church utterly changynge his opynyon concerning the sacrament. And thereupon they counterfeted an abiuracyon in his name / that the people should take no hold of that opynyon by any thing they had heard of him before / and to stand so in the more awe of them considering him so great a man / & by them subdued.

This is the abiuracyon (say they) of syr Johan Oldcastle knight / sometime the lord Cobham.

An abiuracyon counterfeted of the Bishops.

IN Deinomine Amen. I Johan Oldcastle denounced / detected / and convicted of and upon diverse artycles sauerynge both heresy and error / before the reverend father in Christ and my good Lord / Thomas by the permyssyon of God lord Archbishop of Caunterburye / and my lawful and ryghtfull judge in that behalf / expreslye grant and confess. That as concerning the estate and power of the most holy father the Pope of Rome / of his Archebysshoppes / his Bishops / and his other Prelates / the degrees of the church / and the holy sacraments of the same / specyallye of the sacraments of the aultre and of penance / and other obseruaunces besides of our mother holy Church / as pylgrymages and pardons / I afferme (I say) before the said reverend father Archbishop and else where / that I being ill seduced by diverse sedycyouse preachers / have greuouslye erred and herety cal • ye persysted / blasphemouslye answered and obstynatlye rebelled. And therefore I am by the said reverend father / before the reverend fathers in Christ also the Bishops of London / Winchester / and Bangor / lawfullye condemned for an heretic.

Never the less yet / I now rememberynge myself / and couetynge by this mean to avoid that temporal pain which I am worthy to suffer as an heretic / at the assygnacyon of my most excellent Christian prince and lyege lord king Henry the fyft / now by the grace of God most worthy king both of England and of France / myndynge also to prefer the wholesome determynacyon / sentence / and doctrine of the holy and universal church of Rome / before the vnwholsom opynyons of myself / my teachers / and my followers. I freely / willynglye / delyberatlye / and throughlye / confess / grant / and afferme the most holy fathers in Christ saint Peter the Apostle and his successors Bishops of Rome / specyallye now at this time my most blessed lord Pope Johan by the permyssyon of God the .xxiii. Pope of that name / which now holdeth Peters seat (and yche of them in their successyon) in full strength and power to be Christ's vycar in earth and the head of the church mylytaunt. And that by the strength of his office (what though he be a great sinner and afore known of God to be damned) he hath full authority and power to rewle and govern / bind and lose / save and destroy / a curse and assoil / all other Christian men.

And agreeably still unto this / I confess / grant / and afferme all other Archebysshoppes / Bishops / and Prelates / in their provinces / dyoceses / and parryshes appointed by the said Pope of Rome to assyst him in his doings or business by his decreed canons or vertu of his office / to have had in times past / to have now at this time / and that they ought to have in time to come / authority and power to rewle and to govern / bind and lose / a curse and assoil / the subjects or people's of their afore said provinces / dyoceses / & parryshes / and that their said sub • ectes or people's ought of right in all things to obey them. Forthermore I confess / grant / and afferme that the said spiritual fathers / as our most holy father the Pope / Archebysshoppes / Bishops / and Prelates / have had / have now / & ought to have here after / authority and power for the estate / order / and governance of their subjects or people's / to make laws / decrees / statutes / and constytucyons / yca / and to publysshe / command / and compel their said subjects / & people's to the obseruacyon of them.

More over I confess / grant / and afferme that all these forseyd laws / decrees / statutes / and constitucyons / made / pubyshed / and commanded according to the form of spiritual law / all Christian people and every man in himself is strayghtlye bound to observe and mekelye to obey according to the dyuerfyte of the forseyd powers. As the laws / statutes / canons / and cōstytucyons of our most holy father the Pope incorporated in his Decrees / Decretals / Clementynes / Codes / Chartes / Rescriptes / Sextyles / & Extrauagantes the world over all. And as the prouincyall statutes of Archebysshoppes in their provinces / the synodall acts of Bishops in their dyoceses / and the commendable rewles and customs of Prelates in their colleges / & curates in their parryshes / all Christian people are both bound to observe and also most mekelye to obey. Ouer and besides all this / I Johan Oldcastle utterly forsakynge and renouncynge all the afore said errors and heresies / and all other errors and heresies like unto them / lay my hand here upon this boke or holy Euangelye of God and swear / that I shall never more from hens forth hold these forseyd heresies / nor yet any other like unto them wetynglye. Neither shall I give counsel / aid / help / nor fa • er at any time to them that shall hold / teache / afferme / or maintain the same as God shall help me and these holy Euangelyes.

And that I shall from hens forth faythfullye obey and inuiolablye observe all the holy laws / Statutes / Canons / and Constitucyons of all the Popes of Rome / Archebisshoppes / Bisshoppes / and Prelates / as are contained and determined in their holy Decrees / Decretals / Clementy •• s / Codes / Charters / Rescriptes / Sextyles / Summes Papal / Extrauagantes / Statutes prouincyall / Acts synodall / and other ordynarye r • wles and customs constytuted by them or that shall chance hereafter dyrectlye to be determined or made. To these and all such other will I myself with all power possyble apply. Besydes all this / the penance which yt shall please my said reverend Father the lord Archbishop of Caunterburye hereafter to enjoin me for my sins / I will mekelye obey and faythfullye fulfill. Fynallye all my seducers and false teachers / and all other besides whom I shall hereafter know suspected of heresy or errors / I shall effectually present or cause to b • presented unto my said reverend father lord Archbishop or to them which hath his authority / so sone as I can conuenyētlye do it / and se that they be corrected to my uttermost power.

AMEN.

The cruel complaint of the clergy / and tyrannouse act thereupon made

NEuer came this abiuracyon to the hands of the lord Cobham / neither was yt compyled of them for that purpose / but only therewith to blear the eyes of the unlearned multitude. And whan they perfeyued that polycye would not help / but made more & more against them / than sought they out an otherfalse practice. They went unto the king with a most grievous complaint / like as they ded afore in his fathers time / that in every quarter of y ^e realm by reason of Wycleues opinyōs and the said lord Cobham / were wonderful contencyons / rumors / tumults / vprours / confederacyons / dyssencyons / diuysyons / dyfferences / dyscordes / harms / slanders / scysmes / sec • es / sedycyons / perturbacyons / parels / unlawful assemblies / varyaūces / stryfes / fyghtynges / rebellyouse ruffelynges / & daily insurreccyons. The church they said • was hated. The dyocesanes were not obeyed. The ordynaryes were not regarded. The spiritual officers / as Suffragans / Archdeacons / chauncellers / doctors / commyssaryes / offycyals / deanes / lawyers / serybes / and sommeners were everywhere despised. The laws and lybertees of holy church were trodden under foot. The Christian faith was ruyuouslye decayed. God's service was lawhed to scorn. The spiritual iurisdiccyon / authority / honor / power / polycye / laws / rites / ceremonies / curses / keys / censures / and canonycall sanccyons of the church / were had in an vttre contempt. So that all in a manner was come to naught.

And the cause of this was / that the heretics and lol • ars of Wycleues opynyon / were suffered to preach abroad so boldelye / to gather conuentycles unto them / to hepe scoles in mennys houses / to make books / compyle treatyses / and write balettes / to teache pryuatlye in angles and corners / as in wodes / feldes / meadows / pastors / groves / and in caves of the ground. This would be (they said) a destruccyon to the common wealth / a subuersyon to the lande / and an vttre decay of the kings estate ryall / if remedy were not sought in time. And this was their polycye to cople the kings authority with that they had done in their former counsel of craft / and so to make yt thereby the strongar. For they perseyued themselves very far to weak else / to follow against their enemies that they had so largelye enterprysed. Upon this complaint / the kydge immedyatlye called a Parliament at Leycestre. It might not in those days be holden at Westmynstre for the great favor that the lord Cobham had both in London and abought the city. yet were they deceived. That they doubted most lyghted there sonest upon them.

A byll was put in there again by y ^e commons against their cōtynuall wastynge of the temporaltees / like as yt had been twice afore by procurement of the said lord Cobham both in y ^e days of king Richard the seconde / anno 1395. and also of king Henry the .iiii. annadomini. 1410 whereupon was grown all this malice afore specyfyed) but this was than workemanlye defeated by another proper practice of theirs. They put the king in remembrance to claim his right in France / & granted him thereunto a dyme with other great subsydye of money. Thus were Christ's people betrayed every way / and their lives bought and sold by these most cruel thieves. For in the said Parliament the king made this most blasphemous and cruel act / to be as a law forever. That what so ever they were that should read the scriptures in the mother tongue which was than called Wycleues lernyng) they should forfeit lande / cattle / body / life / and goods from their heirs forever / and so be condemned for heretics to God / enemies to the crown / and most errande traitors to the lande.

Besydes this yt was enacted that never a sanyctwarye nor pryuyleged ground within the realm should hold them / though they were still permytted both to thieves and mourtherers. And if in case they would not give over / or were after their pardon relapsed / they should suffer death in two manner of kinds. That is. They should first be hanged for treason against the king / and than be burned for heresy against God and yet neither of both committed. The beginning of that act is this. Pro eo quod magni rumores &c. Anon after was yt proclaimed through out the realm / and than had the Bishops / Prestes / Monks / and fryers a world somewhat to their minds. For than were many taken in diverse quarters / and suffered most cruel death. And many fled out of the lande into Germany / Boheme / France / Spain / Portyngale / and into the welde of Scotland / Walys / and Ireland / working there many marueyls against their false kingdom to longe to write. In the Christmas following was syr Roger Acton knight / mastre Johan Brown esquyre / syr Johan Beuerlaye a letned preacher / & diverse other more attached for quarellynge with certain priests / and so inpresoned. For all men at that time coude not pacyentlye suffer their blasphemous brags.

The complaint was made unto the king of them / that they had made a great assembly in saynet Giles field at London / purposynge the destruccyon of the lande and the subuersyon of the common wealth. As the king was thus infourmed / he erected a banner (saith Walden) with a cross thereupon (as y ^e Pope doth commonly by his Legates / whan he pretendeth to war against the Turk) and with a great number of men entered the same field / where as he found no such company. yet was the complaint judged true / because the Bishops had spoken yt at the infourmacyon of their Prestes. All this hath Thomas Walden in diverse of his works / which was at the same time a Whyght or Carmelyte friar and the kings confessor / & partly yt is touched both by Robert Fabyane and by Polydorus / Vergilius in their English chronycles / but not in all points • yghtlye as is to be s • ane in the preface asore. In the mean season syr Johan Oldcastle the lord Cobham escaped out of the tower of London in the night and so fled into Walys / where as he contynued more than .iiii. years after.

Some writers have thought this escape to come by the said syr Roger Acton and other gentylmenne in dyspleasure of the Prestes / and that to be the chief occasion of their deaths / which might well be / but Walden doth not so vttre yt / which regned the same self time. In Ianuarye next following was the afore named syr Roger Acton / mastre Johan Brown / syr Johan Beuerlaye / and .xxxvi. more (of whom y ^e more part were gentle men of birth) convicted of heresy by the Bishops / and condemned of treason by the temporalte / and according to the act / were first hanged and than brent in the said saint Giles field. In the same year also was one Johan Claydon a skynner and one Richard Turmyne a baker both hanged and brent in Smyth field by that virtuous act / besides that was done in all other quarters of England / which was no small number if yt were now througlye known.

The latter enpresonynge and death of the lord Cobham.

IN the year of our Lord a. M. CCCC. and .xv. died Thomas Arundell / which had been Archbishop of Caunterburye more than xxxii. years / to the great destruccyon of Christian believe. yet died not his prodygyouse tyranny with him / but suceeded with his office in Henry Chycheleye and in a great sort more of that spyghtfull spiritualte. For their malice was not yet satled against the good lord Cobham. But they confedered with the lord Powys (which was at that time a great governor in Walys) fedynge him with lordelye gifts and promises to accomplysshe their desire. He at the last thus monyed with Judas / and outwardlye pretendynge him great amyte & favor / most cowardlye and wretchedlye toke him / and in conclusyon so sent him up to London / where as he remained a month or two inprysoned again in the Tower. And after longe process they condemned him again of heresy and treason by force of the afore named a 〈◊〉 renderynge thanks▪ unto God / that he had so appointed him to suffer for his names sake

And upon the day appointed he was brought out of the Tower with his arms bound behind him / having a very cheerful countenance. Than was he laid upon an hardle / as though he had been a most heynouse traitor to the crown / and so drawn forth into saint Giles field / where as they had set up a new pair of Galowes. As he was come to the place of execucyon / and was taken from the hardle / he fell downed enoughtlye upon his knees / desyerynge almighty God to forgive his enemies. Than stood he up and beheld the multitude / exhortynge them in most godly manner to follow the laws of God written in the scriptures / and in any wise to be ware of such teachers as they se contrary to Christ in their conuersacyn and living / with many other specyall counsels. Than was he hanged up there by the myddle in cheanes of iron / and so consumed a live in the fire / praysynge the name of God so longe as his life lasted. In the ende he commended his sowle into the hands of God / and so departed hens most Christenlye / his body resolved into ashes.

And this was done in the year of our Lord a. M.cccc. and .xviii. which was the sixth year of the regne of king Henry the fyft / the people there present shewynge great dolour. How the Prestes that time fared / blasphemed / and cursed / requyrynge the people not to pray for him but to judge him damned in hell / for that he departed not in the obedyēce of their Pope / yt were to longe to write. This terrible kind of death with galowes / cheanes / and fire / appeareth not very precious in the eyes of men that be carnal / no more than ded the death of Christ whan he was hanged up among thieves. The ryghtuouse seemeth to die (saith the wise man) in the sight of them which are unwise / and their ende is taken for very destruccyon. Vngodlye foles thinketh their lives very madness / and their passage hens without all honor. But though they suffer pain before men (saith he) yet is their expectacyon full of immortalyte. They are accounted for the children of God / & have their just porcyon among the faynctes As golden in the furnace doth God try his electes / & as a most pleasant brent offering receiveth he them to rest.

The more hard the passage be / the more glorious shall they appear in the latter resurreccyon. Not that the affliccyons of this life are worthy of such a glory / but that yt is God's heavenly pleasure so to reward them. Never are the judgments and ways of men like unto the judgments and ways of God / but contrary evermore unless they be taught of him. In the latter time (saith the Lord unto Daniel) shall many be chosen / proved / and puryfyed by frye / yet shall the ungodly live wickedly still and have no understanding that is of faith. By an angel from heaven was Johan ernestlye commanded to write / that blessed are y ^e dead which hence departeth in y ^e Lord. Ryght dere (saith David) in the sight of God is the death of his true servants. Thus resteth this valeaunt Christian knight syr Johan Oldcastle under the aultre of God (which is Jesus Christ) among that godly company which in the kingdom of pacyēce / suffered great tribulacyon with y ^e death of their bodies for his faithful word and testimony / abydynge there with them the fulfilling of their whole number / & the full restauricyon of his electes. The which he grant in effect at his time appointed / which is one God eternal / Amen.

The conclusyon.

BEsydes the cause rehearsed afore in the preface / concerning the dreadful death of this most Christian knight syr Johan Olde castle the lord Cobham / this is also rekened for one. In the ende of the first boke / which he put up into the Parlemēt how se against the abusyons of the clergy • / in the year of our Lord • a. M.CCC. xcv. (which was also the .xviii. year of king Richard the seconde) were these .vi. verses written as a brief conclusyon sommarye of the universal cōtents thereof.

Though the verses be gross and vnperfyght according to the time than / wherein all fresh lytterature was clearly extynguyshed / yet is the sentence of them lyuelye and of a fresh faithful spirit / even in the zeal of Helias and Phinehas for rebuke of sin. And thus are they in the English.

Whan this boke would not help towards any reformacyon / but was law hed to scorn of the Bishops / than were these verses copyed out by diverse men / & set upon their windows / gates / and doors / which were than know̄ for obstynate hypocrites and fleshly lyuers / which made y ^e prelates mad. And this is y ^e great insurreccyon that Walden complaineth of unto Pope Martyne the fyft / & after him Polydotus the Popes collectour / with other papists more / wherein never a one man was hurt. I would marvel moche more of the doubleness of Thomas Walden being than the kings confessor if I ded not know the unshamefast nature of that lying generation. In his first Epistle unto Pope Martyue / & in the first Preface of his fourth boke contra Wicleuistas / he saith that syr Johan Olde castle with a great number of heretics conspyred against king Henry the fyft in the first year of his regne / & that he offered him for every monk / chanon / friar / and Popyshe Prestes head within his realm / a gold noble. And clean contrary unto this / he testyfyeth in his boke called Fasciculus zizaniorum Wicleui / that he was the same self time / year / month / week / and day a presoner within the Tower of London. How well these two writings agre / I report me.

But thus commonly are innocent men lied upon among these blasphemous bessygoddes. But he that is essencyallye true of himself / hath promised at one time or other to clear his true servant / not by lies and fables / but by his own pure word. No secrete (saith he) is so close / but ones shall be opened / neither is any thing so hid / that shall not at the last be known clearly. Thus hath syr Johan Oldcastle a tryumphaūt victory over his enemies by the verity which he defended / all contrary to the blind worlds expectacyon / & they have a fowl overthrow being proved manifest murderers / blind beasts / hypocrites / & liars by the same. Soche a sweet Lord is God always to those that be his true servants / blessed be his holy name therefore. Confer the causes of this godly mannys death with the points that Thomas Becket died for and other Popish martyrs besides / & ye shall find them far dyfferent and unlike. Thomas Becket was slain at Caunterburye / in his Prelates aparell / in the head church / before the high aultre / among relygyouse Monks and Prestes / and in the holy time of Christmas / by his own seeking. And all this is glorious unto worldly judgments.

Syr Johan Oldcastle was brent in cheanes / at London in saint Giles field / under the galowes / among the say people / & upon the profane working day / at the Bishops procurement. And all this is vngloryouse / yea & very despyscable unto those worldly eyes / what though Jesus Christ his mastre afore him were handled after a very like sort. For he was crucyfyed at Jerusalem / without the city & without the holy synagoge / a cursed out of church / among the profane multitude / in the myddest of thieves / in y ^e place where as thieves were cōmonlye hanged / and not upon the feastfull day but afore yt / by the Bishops procuremēt also. Now let us consydre the causes of both their deaths / & try them both by the manifest scriptures of the Gospel / which of them should seme most to the glory of men. Thomas Becket died upon his own seeking only / for maynteynynge the wanton lybertees and superfluouse possessyons of the Romish church here within England / which are both forbydden of Christ and also condemned by the same scriptures. He that forsaketh not all that he hath / (saith he) cannot be my disciple. And whan a contencyon befell among the Apostles for the superyoryte / he said also unto them. The kings of the world have the worlds domynyon with all pomp and riches belongynge to the same. But yow shall not so

Syr Johan Oldcastle died at the importune suit of the clergy / for calling upon a Christian reformacyon in that Romish church of theirs / & for manfullye standing by the faithful testymonyes of Jesus / as all the afore said process declareth. And this is both allowed in the Gospel / and also required of every Christian beleuer. He that confesseth me / and my word before men (saith Christ) him will I confess for mine before my eternal father. And he that shall deny me & my verity before men / him will I also deny for mine before my everlasting father which is in heaven.

Thomas Becket in the time of his death commended himself to the patrons of his church (which were two gylded images of saint Sauer and saint Mary) & the cause of his church unto saint Denys / & had no more but his Prestes crown cut of (which is the Popes lyuerye mark) even by the very shauynge as his story mencyoneth.

Syr Johan Oldcastle in the time of his death commended his sowle with David / Christ / & Stephen into the hands of God the eternal father / and his cause to the right • ull judgment of his son Jesus Christ / with desire of merciful forgiveness cōcernynge his enemies / as became a faithful Christian / & had his whole body consumed in the fire. Now pluck from youre eyes the corrupted spectacles of carnal or popish judgments / & do upon them that clear sight which ye have by the spirit of Christ. And that faythfullye done / tell me which of these two seemeth rather to be the martyr of Christ / and which the Popes martyr? The ways of God (saith Isaiah) are not y ^e ways of men. But so far as the heavens are above the vile earth / so far do his judgments exceed theirs. That w ^c seemeth high and glorious unto men (saith Christ) is very abhominacyon afore God. By this may ye se that the precious spouse or immaculate church of Christ / is no gorgyouslye painted gentle woman nor glorious glytterynge madane / but all hidden and unknown to the worldly infydels which dysdayneth to seek her in the scriptures.

Nothynge is precious unto them / that shyneth not unto the eye. A most fit member for Christ's mystycall body / is he that suffereth with the head thereof. As this good syr Johan Oldcastle ded / whan he was with Christ examined of the proud Bishops / scorned of the Prestes / dysdayned of the world / ill reported / mocked / hated / re • yled / acursed / and so committed unto the lay judgment to be condemned by them unto most shameful and cruel death. yea / so extremely malycyouse was that spyghtfull spiritualte against him / that they would not suffer his body to be buried in their great city or holy Church (which is spirituallye called Sodoma and Egyptus) to make the prophecy of saint Iohans Apocalypse truly to be verefyed upon him / & to prove him Christ's member all together. They both resolved his body into ashes / & also made the river to carrye them away / like as they ded also with the bones of Johan Wycleue / least any thing thereof should remain / because they would also show them selves like in tyrānye to Julianus apostata that so used the body of holy Johan Baptist afore them. I should make a comparyson betwixt this blessyd martyr of Christ syr Johan Oldcastle / and Peter of Myllayne with other of the Popes martyrs / which died for the Popes power / pardon / pylgrymages / ear confession / and other popish matters more establysshed in the general counsel of laterane / but yt would axe to moche time.

And as concerning the kind of his cōtemtuouse death or martyrdom. More vile was not his hanging under y ^e galowes in an iron cheane / than was the hanging of his lord Jesus Christ upon the cross in the time of his death. Nor than was the hanging of Peter / Andrew / and Phylyp his holy Apostles / Bishop Simeon / Dorotheus / Gorgonius / Alexander / Epipodius / Claudius / Asterius / Menon / Nemesius / Nestor / Agricola / Julia / zoc the wife of Nicostratus with many other holy martyr • more. More odyouse was not his burning in the fire / than was the cruel burning of Barnabas the Apostle / Polycarpus y ^e good Bishop of Smyrna / Amancius / Agathon / Tyburciu • / Getulius / Symphronins / Sosthenes / Victor / Dioscorus / Eulogius / Fructuosus / Castus / Aemilius / Fideneius / Hero / • yreneus / Aphra / Hyplaria / Apolonia / Anastasia / & many hondrethes more. Whan this strong witness of the lord was among the fat bulls of Basan / and most cruelly assaulted of them / he was throughlye assertayned in his conscience for that conflyct of faith / to taste his eternal goodness in the lastynge lande of the living.

yea / such time as he was reproved of his enemies and forsaken of his friends / in manner of a broken vessel / he toke a strong stomach unto him as ded the mighty Machadees / and thought thus in this mind. That though those vngracyouse tyrants should put him unto death / yet would the eternal king (which is both resurreccyon and life) raise him up again in the resurreccyon of life everlasting / among them that hath died for his pure laws. All redye hath he raised his fame (which lay longe dead) by the living spirit of his Gospel / for that he was a mynystre thereof. Which is a most euydent token that he will here after with his other mystycall members / raise him up in perfect glory. Whan the Gospel lay dead / glorious Thomas Becket was a saint / & Johan Oldcastle a forgotten heretic. But now that the light thereof shyneth / we are like to se yt far otherwise. For proud Becket hath alredye hidden his face / and poor Oldcastle beginneth now to appear very notable. Not all vnryghtlye ded saint Augustyn speak yt and other old doctors besides that many were worshipped here in earth for saints / whose wretched souls are greuouslye crucyate in hell.

Soche time as our most worthy souerayne king Henry the .viii. now living / after the most godly example of king Josiah vysyted the temples of his realm / he perseyued the sinful shryne of this Becket to be unto his people a most pernycyouse evil / and therefore in the word of the lord he utterly among other destroyed yt. If he had upon that and such other abominable shrynes brent those ydolatrouse priests which were (& are yet) their chief maynteners / he had fulfilled that godly history through out. But that which was not than performed in hope of their amendment / may by chance light upon them hereafter / whan no gentle warning will seme to be regarded. I doubt yt not at all / but his / most noble dyscressyon perseyueth moche more that wicked generation of the Popes norryshynge up / which always hath maintained (and yet do) such manifest errors / than he ever in his life yet uttered. The eternal father reward his grace for that clear light of health which we poor creatures have received at his only hand under God / though yt be not all without the grievous ponnyshment of our bodies. By the process which we have afore here uttered of syr Johan Oldcastle / ye may euydentlye se / that great is the treasure which the Lord hath laid up for the behoove of thē that hath trusted in him. Wherwith now he maketh dūme / the lying lips of them that dysdaynouslye reported the ryghtuouse / to the honor and praise of his most glorious name. AMEN.