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SELECT WORKS

OF

BISHOP BALE.

<4For tfie IlitWication of tfie 5^orfe» of

anfc i^arlp aerittr0 of tfie ftefortneft

SELECT WORKS

OF

I JOHN BALE, D.D.

BISHOP OF OSSORY. CONTAINING

THE EXAMINATIONS

OF

LORD COBHAM, WILLIAM THORPE, AND ANNE ASKEWE,

AND THE

IMAGE OF BOTH CHURCHES.

EDITED FOR

BY THE

REV. HENRY CHRISTMAS, M.A. F.R.S. F.S.A.

LIBRARIAN AND SECRETARY OF SION COLLEGE.

CAMBRIDGE :

PRINTED AT

THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

M.DCCC.XLIX.

CONTENTS,

PAGE

BIOGRAPHICAL Notice of the Author vii

Examination and Death of Lord Cobham 1

Examination of William Thorpe 61

Examinations of Anne Askewe :

The First Examination 137

The latter Examination 195

The Image of both Churches 249

Index.., .. 641

[BALE.]

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE.

JOHN Bale, one of the most distinguished among the minor lights of the Reformation, was born at the little village of Cove, near Dunwich in Suffolk, on the 21st of November, 1495. His parents appear to have been respectable in character, but in humble circumstances ; and it is not a little to their honour that they found means to send their son, first to a Carmelite convent in Norwich for the purposes of study, and afterwards to Jesus College, Cambridge.

Bale was in his youth attached to literature, and his works are very voluminous : indeed the catalogue of them extends to no less than eighty-five separate productions, many of which were published under assumed names. During the earlier period of his residence in Cambridge, he was, as many of the reformers had been before him, and others were after him, a strenuous opponent of " the new learning ; " and some of his works were thought to give evidence that at a later period he had not entirely forgotten his old bias : in proof of which it is alleged, on his own authority, that having trans lated the tragedy of " Pammachius," which was acted at Christ's College, in 1544, it was subsequently laid before the Privy Council as a satire on the Reformation.

There appears however no ground for the imputation. Violent in his temper, and uncompromising in his language, Bale, from the time that he embraced the tenets of the re formers, never ceased his attacks upon the Roman church ; and there is not one of his writings that does not bear more or less directly on the religious abuses of his time.

The immediate cause of his own conversion to the re formed faith is stated by himself to have been the instructions he received from Lord Wentworth. His observations are as follows : " I wandered in utter ignorance, and blindness of

Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE.

mind, both at Norwich and Cambridge, having no tutor nor patron, till, the word of God shining forth, the churches of God began to return to the fountain of true divinity ; in which bright rising of the new Jerusalem, being not called by any monk or priest, but seriously stirred up by the illustrious the lord Wentworth, as by that centurion who declared Christ to be the Son of God, I presently saw and acknowledged my own deformity, and immediately, through the divine goodness, I was removed from a barren mountain to the flowing and fertile valley of the gospel, where I found all things built not on the sand, but on a solid rock. Hence I made haste to deface the mark of wicked antichrist, and entirely threw off his yoke from me, that I might be partaker of the lot and liberty of the sons of God V

Bale had applied himself to the study of the civil law, and declined the degree of doctor in the faculty, in the year 1529. When he embraced the doctrines of the reformers, he cast aside his monastic habit, renounced the vows which he had taken upon his admission to orders, and shortly after wards entered into the state of marriage. Of his wife little is known save her name, Dorothy, and the fact that the union was a long and happy one.

Great blame has been cast upon Bale on account of this step, and many have insinuated that his affection for this lady was one of the chief causes which led him to desert the Roman church. Bishop Nicholson says, speaking of his conversion, " his wife Dorothy seems to have had a great hand in that happy work : " but it is scarcely consistent for Protestants to look otherwise than with gratitude on those who broke the bands of a tyranny so nefarious, and vindicated the Christian liberty both of themselves and their brethren.

He had to contend first against Lee, archbishop of York, and next against Stokesley, bishop of London ; nor would he have escaped punishment for his opinions, had he not obtained

1 Vocacyon of John Bale, p. 14.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. IX

the patronage of Cromwell, then earl of Essex, who discerning his talents, and finding his views coinciding with his own, took him under his protection, and defended him successfully against his enemies. It is said that the notice of that distinguished statesman was first attracted to Bale by his dramatic produc tions, which were numerous. Two of these, viz. The Comedy of John the Baptist, and The Tragedy of God's Promises to Men, were written in 1538, and acted many years afterwards by youths at the market-cross of Kilkenny, on a Sunday after noon, during the time that Bale held the bishoprick of Ossory. Another, called The Three Laws, Nature, Moses, and Christ, became so popular as to be reprinted in 1562, by Col well. He mentions also among his own works a book of hymns for the church, and a book of jests and tales.

The best known of his lighter productions is his play of King Johan, which was republished in 1838 by the Camden Society. It is but partially an historical drama, its great object being to characterise the contest between the papists and the reformers in the reign of Henry VIII., under the figure of the great struggle which took place in that of John.

The fall and death of Cromwell in 1540 changed the position and prospects of Bale ; and, feeling that he could no longer be safe in England, he withdrew to Germany with his family *, and there remained until the accession of Edward VI. in 1547 gave a new turn to public affairs, and raised once more the hopes of the reforming party.

His first reward was the rectory of Bishopstoke in Hamp shire, to which he was collated very soon after his return. He now proceeded to the degree of Doctor in Divinity, and in 1551 was promoted to the vicarage of S waff ham in Norfolk. He does not appear, however, to have resided on his new benefice ; for in the next year, when he was appointed to the bishoprick of Ossory, we find him still in Hampshire. He had enemies, it would seem, at the court of the new king ; for it

i See p. 494.

X BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE.

appears, from the account which he gives of his meeting with Edward VI. at Southampton, that he had been represented to that prince as "dead and buried." "The king having infor mation that I was there in the street, he marvelled thereat, for- somuch as it had been told him a little before that I was both dead and buried. With that his grace came to the window, and earnestly beheld me a poor weak creature, as though he had upon me, so simple a subject, an earnest regard, or rather a very fatherly care1." The result of this interview was, that the bishoprick of Ossory was not so much offered to, as urged upon Bale ; and he, though now advancing in years, surrounded by a growing and attached family, well provided for in Eng land, and situated in a very pleasant part of the country, felt it his duty to forego his present advantages, and enter upon a new and most arduous sphere of duty. He might perhaps have had some misgivings as to his fitness for the post pro posed : certain it is, that he was for a long time unwilling to accept the dignity, nor was it without many entreaties both from the king and the archbishop that he consented.

His entry upon his office was marked by dispute. He was required by the Irish ecclesiastics to submit to be conse crated according to the Romish ritual, on the ground that the reformed ordinal had not received the sanction of the Irish parliament. This he very properly refused, alleging that, as the English and Irish churches were under one temporal head, the king, they ought to be governed by the same laws. His arguments were successful : the ordaining bishops consulted the chancellor, and Bale was consecrated according to the re formed ritual by the archbishop of Dublin, in the cathedral of that city, on Feb. 2, 1553.

The new bishop acted with great zeal and earnestness

of purpose, so much so as to give great offence both to the

clergy and laity of his diocese, among whom the Reformation

was by no means popular: tumults arose and multiplied to so

1 Vocacyon of John Bale, p. 27.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. XI

great an extent, that Bale found not only his peace, but his life was in danger. In his " Vocacyon of John Bale to the Byshopperycke of Ossorie," he gives a very interesting and graphic account of the persecutions he endured ; and if we are sometimes compelled to admit the want of prudence which the bishop displayed, we cannot but honour his uniform energy and diligence. Worn out, however, by his unsuc cessful labours, and despairing of effecting any permanent benefit among those now encouraged in their opposition by the death of Edward VI., the suppression of the party which supported Lady Jane Grey, and the avowed favour of the new Queen, Mary, Bale privately retired from his diocese, and took refuge in Dublin.

From this city he escaped on Michaelmas-day, 1553, for the purpose of going to Holland ; but the ship in which he embarked was taken by pirates, and he himself sold as a slave. After many vicissitudes he found a quiet abode at Basle in Switzerland, where he remained till the year 1559, when a second time he returned from his exile, with his con stitution shattered and his energies decayed.

He evinced no desire to enter again on the possession of his episcopal see, but spent his few remaining years at Can terbury, in the cathedral of which city he was presented to a prebendal stall, and where he was buried. His death took place in the year 1563.

Bishop Bale occupied such a position in connection with the history of the Reformation, that it* was in a manner neces sary for the Parker Society, in pursuance of its plan, to re- publish some of his numerous works : but there are others of them, it must be acknowledged, which could not with propriety be presented to the public ; and the re-printing of the present portion of them must not be considered as indicating an approval of all he either said or did.

An entire catalogue of his works would occupy more space than can be allotted here. In addition to the accounts

Xll BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE.

of Lord Cobham's Examination, and those of Thorpe and Askewe, which are included in the present volume, together with the Commentary on the Apocalypse, published under the title of " The Image of Both Churches," Bale was the author of

" Scriptorum Illustrium Majoris Britannia, &c. Catalogus &c. &c. et ix. centurias continens."

This is his most important work.

He wrote also an account of the monasteries as they ex isted in England at the time of the dissolution : it is entitled " Acts of English Votaries."

" The Pageant of Popes." This work is translated from the Latin of Bale by John Studley. London, 1574, 4to.

A list of his works, with the commencing words of many of them, will be found in Bishop Tanner's " Bibliotheca Brit- tannico-Hibernica."

CHRONICLE

OF

THE EXAMINATION AND DEATH

OF

LORD COBHAM.

[BALE.]

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ADVERTISEMENT.

parat. ad Eliz.

[THE reign which preceded Sir John Oldcastle's troubles is generally supposed to have first introduced into England the custom of burning for heresy. And Willian Sautre, a Lollard, is reckoned the first instance of the infliction of that punishment, A. D. 140 1 — 2. Fox expressly says so : and he is followed herein by bishop Burnet and Mr Collier. But the latter of these had forgot what himself had told us under Hen. III. of a deacon, that, apostatizing to Judaism, was first vol. i.p.42&

Ed. 1840. Vol.

degraded at a council at Oxford, A. D. 1222, and afterwards "ic'hton". sentenced to the stake by the secular power. And there is good evidence of a more early example than even this. A chronicle of London mentions one of the Albigenses burnt Bale de

Script. Brit.

A. D. 1210. And Camden, probably, alludes to this, when he Sj^Jfin says, " ex quo regnante Joanne Christiani in Christianas inPAppa apud nos flammis scevire cceperunt."

It is, however, agreed on all hands, that this severe method of proceeding was brought into England much later than into other countries. This bishop Burnet seems to at tribute wholly to the resolution of the people, when he tells us, That England, i. e. the people of England, (for he does not speak of the encroachments of the pope,) was not so tame as to bear the severity of those laws which were settled and put in execution in other kingdoms. He might with as much truth and honour to the nation have imputed it to the clemency of our princes, who were unwilling to exercise such a tyranny over their subjects. So Hoveden, without any A.D. im. refined reasoning : " Publicani comburebantur in pluribus locis per regnum Francice, quod rex Anglice nullo modo permisit in terra sua, licet ibi essent perplurimi"

1—2

4 ADVERTISEMENT.

Sir John Oldcastle was the first nobleman who suffered for the sake of religion : not noble by birth, but by his marriage with the lady Cobham; upon whose account he had the honour of summons to parliament 11, 12, 14 Hen. IV. and 1 Hen. V. See Dugdale's Baronage.

Bale tells us, that at the parliament at Leicester 2 Hen. Y. it was enacted, that the Lollards should be hanged for treason, and burnt for heresy ; and since Sir John was one of that number, he suffered in both respects. But in the act, as Fox has printed it, we find no mention of this double punishment for Lollardism. The goods indeed of those that were con victed of it were to be forfeited; but that, as Collier has observed against Fuller, does not prove that the Law con demned them as traitors. Besides, Sir John Oldcastle was not only convicted of heresy, but indicted for treason, before this act was thought of, and was at last condemned upon his first indictment. Rapin says l, it is plain that Lord Cobham did not suffer for treason because he was burnt. By the same way of arguing it might be proved, he did not suffer for heresy because he was hanged.]

P sub A.D. 1416.]

A BRIEF CHRONICLE

CONCERNING THE

EXAMINATION AND DEATH

OF THE

BLESSED MARTYR OF CHRIST,

SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE,

THE LORD COBHAM.

COLLECTED TOGETHER

BY JOHN BALE,

OUT OF THE BOOKS AND WRITINGS OF THOSE POPISH

PRELATES WHICH WERE PRESENT BOTH AT HIS

CONDEMNATION AND JUDGMENT.

THE PREFACE.

IN the profane histories of old, orators and poets, both Plutarch. Greeks and Latins, they are much commended and thought cicero.

• t 0 . Catullus.

worthy of eternal memory, which have either died for their gJJJJjJJ- natural country, or dangered their lives for a commonwealth : statius. as we read of Codrus that was king of Athens, of Quintus Curtius the Roman, of Anchurus the Phrygian, Ulysses, Hernias, Theseus, Menoetius, Scipio Africanus, Mutius Scsevola, Valerius Codes, the two brethren of Carthage, which were both called Philaenus, and the three noble Decians, with other divers. In the sacred scriptures of the bible hath Moses, Josue, Gideon, Jepthe, Deborah, Judith, David, Elias, Josias, Zorobabel, Mattathias, Eleazarus, and the Maccabees, their 2 Mac' vi> just praises for their mighty zeal and manifold enterprises concerning the children of Israel. Among the papists also sigebertus

° r r Gemblacen-

(which are a most prodigious kind ot men) are they most sis. highly advanced by lying signs, false miracles, erroneous Petrus Equi- writings, shrines, relics, lights, tabernacles, altars, censings, songs, and holy-days, which have been slain for the liberties, privileges, authority, honour, riches, and proud maintenance of their holy whorish church : as were Antidius, Bonifacius, Benno, Thomas a Becket, John the cardinal, Petrus de Cas-

O CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM.

tronovo, Peter of Milan, Paganus of Bergom, Stanislaus of Cracovia, Steven Collier of Tholouse, Bonaventure of Padua, Julianus the cardinal of Saint Angel ; and in our time John Fisher, Thomas More, Friar Forest, Reynolds, and the Char ter-house monks which suffered here in England, with an Acts'*1' infinite number more. What is then to be thought of those fohVviii. g°dly and valiant warriors, which have not spared to bestow their most dear lives for the verity of Jesus Christ against the malignant muster of that execrable antichrist of Rome, the devil's own vicar ? Of whose gracious number a very - special member, and a vessel of God's election, was that vir- tuous knight Sir John Oldcastle, the good lord Cobham, as will plenteously appear in this process following. He that hath judgment in the spirit shall easily perceive by this treatise, what beastly blockheads these bloody belly-gods were in their unsavoury interrogations ; and again, what influence of grace this man of God had from above concerning his an- johniii. swers, specially in that most blind and ignorant time wherein Rev. VL aii was Dut darkness, the sun appearing sackcloth, as St John

hath in the Apocalypse.

Lukexxi. Most surely fulfilled Christ his1 promise in him which he

Lukexu1" made to his apostles : " Cast not in your mind aforehand

(saith he) what answer ye shall make when these spiritual

tyrants shall examine you in their synagogues, and so deliver

you up unto kings and debitees2. For I will give you such

utterance and wisdom in that hour, as all your enemies shall

never be able to resist." This only sentence of Christ adjoined

Christ's disci- to his godly answer is enough to prove him his true disciple,

and them in their foolish questions the manifest members of

Satan. I remember that fourteen years ago the true servant

of God, William Tyndale, put into the print a certain brief

The exami- examination of the said lord Cobham : the which examination

Lord cob- was written in the time of the said lord's trouble by a certain

ham. »

friend of his, and so reserved in copies unto this our age. But

since that time I have found it in their own writings, which

were then his utter enemies, in a much more ample form than

The great there; specially in the great process which Thomas Arundel,

Thomas the archbishop of Canterbury, made then against him, written

by his own notaries and clerks, tokened also with his own

sign and seal, and so directed unto Richard Clifford, then

P Christs old edition for, Christ his.] [2 Debitees: deputies.]

THE PREFACE. 7

bishop of London, with a general commandment to have it then published by him, and by the other bishops the whole realm over.

Furthermore I have seen it in a copy of that writing

r * ° Walden. m

which the said Richard Clifford sent unto Robert Mascall, a |ggjm Carmelite friar, and bishop of Hereford, under his sign and wiclevi- seal, and in a copy of his also directed to the archdeacons of Hereford and Shrewsbury. The year, month, and day of their date, with the beginnings of their writings, shall here after follow in the book, as occasion shall require it. Besides all this, Thomas Walden, being in those days the king's con- c°meth- fessor, and present at his examination, condemnation, and ex ecration, registered it, among other processes more, in his book called Fasciculus Zizaniorum Wiclevi. He maketh mention of it also in his first epistle to pope Martin the Fifth, and in his solemn Sermon de Funere Regis. Only such reasons have I added thereunto, as the afore-named Thomas Walden proponed to him in the time of that examination, as he mentioneth in his first and second books adversus Wide- vistas, with the manner of his godly departing out of this J,55^0"1' frail life, which I found in other writings and chronicles.

His youth was full of wanton wildness before he knew the 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, John Froissart num- bereth always amongst the most worthy warriors of England. In all adventurous acts of worldly manhood was he ever bold, strong, fortunate, doughty, noble, and valiant ; but never so worthy a conqueror as in this his present conflict with the cruel and furious frantic kingdom of antichrist. Far is this Christian knight more praiseworthy for that he had so noble a stomach in defence of Christ's verity against those Romish superstitions, than for any temporal nobleness, either of blood, birth, lands, or of martial feats. For many thousands have had in that great courage, which in the other have been tles- most faint-hearted cowards and very desperate dastards ; whereas he persevered most faithfully constant to the end. Many popish parasites and men- pleasing flatterers have written Flatterers of large commendations and encomies3 of those ; but of such noble men as this was, very few or in a manner none at all. [3 Encomies: encomiums.]

8 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM.

Parasites. When I sometime read the works of some men learned, I marvel not a little to see them so abundant in vain flattering praises for matters of no value, yea, for things to be dispraised rather than praised of men that were godly-wise.

Poiyd. Angi. Polydorus Yergilius, a collector sometime in England of the pope's Peter Pence, and afterward archdeacon of Wells, hath in this point deformed his writings greatly, polluting our English Chronicles most shamefully with his Romish lies and

NO tales may Other Italish beggar vs. Battles hath he described there at

betoJdoutof io «/

large with no small discommen dings of some princes which were godly ; but the privy packing of prelates, and crafty conveyance of the spirituality, hath he in every place almost full properly passed over. He was too familiar with the bishops, and took too much of their counsel, when he compiled the twenty-six books of his English history. And not greatly is the land beholden unto him in that work for any large Praise °f erudition that he hath given it there. A singular beauty is it to a Christian religion, when their ancient mo numents are garnished among others with men of fresh lite rature, which therein hath small remembrance or none. Unless it be Gildas, Bedas, Alcuinus, Joannes Scotus, Aldelmus, Neu- burgus, and one or two more, none are in that whole work mentioned concerning that, as though England had always been most barren of men learned. This do I not write in dispraise of his learning (which I know to be very ex cellent), but for the abuse thereof, being a most singular gift of God.

^ WOU^ w*sn some learned Englishman (as there are now mos* exce^ent fresh wits) to set forth the English Chronicles in their right shape, as certain other lands have done afore them, all affections set apart. I cannot think a more necessary thing to be laboured to the honour of God, beauty of the realm, erudition of the people, and commodity of other lands, next the sacred scriptures of the Bible, than that work would Blasphemous be. For truly in those they have there yet is vice more

trifles are the . . . " . i -r* • i i i i i 11.

English advanced than virtue, and Romish blasphemy than godliness ;

Chronicles. . 1 J o

as it may full well appear unto eyes of right judgment m the lamentable history here following, and such other, which hath been long hid in the dark. Mark diligently the sentence of the said Polydorus concerning this good lord Cobham, and thereupon consider his good workmanship in other matters.

THE PREFACE. 9

" In the council of Constance (saith he) was the heresy of John Poiyd^ Angi. Wicliffe condemned, and two at the same time burned in that gjjj*^ city, which were the chief heads of that sect1." All this ISP-441- true, though the feat handling thereof be altogether Italish.

But whereas he saith after, that when this was once f0e,ypchh°^h known to their companions in England, they conspired in withlies. their madness against the whole clergy, and finally against the King also, for that he was then a fautor of Christian £4}>»nu»- p .

5/8. Jld.

religion, having to their great captains sir John Oldcastle and Lond- 181h sir Roger Acton, he«maketh a most shameful lie. For how could sir Roger Acton with his company conspire upon that

[J In eodem concilio damnata est Joannis Vuytcliffi hseresis ; ac Jo annes Hus, et Hieronymus Pragensis ejus discipulus, duo id temporis viri qui ejus sectse capita erat, in ea urbe combusti sunt. Quod ubi reliquis consociis, qui etiam tune in Anglia erant, patent, tan- quam furiis agitati, primum conjurationes in omnes sacerdotes, de- inde in regem, quod pius esset cultor religionis, faciunt, protinusque conventus passim celebrantes, suam superstitionem armis defenden- dam statuunt : itaque Joanne Oldecastellio, viro forti ceterum impio, cujus rei causa paulo ante ab exercitu regio relegatus fuerat, et Rogerio Actono ducibus, ac bene magna desperatorum hominum comitante caterva, Londinum concurrunt, ut civitate potiti majorem inde sui similium manum cogant, atque regem opprimant. Qua re nunciata, rex omnibus consiliis antevertendum existimat, ut prius in armis sit, quam ea hominum colluvio in urbem irruat; qui celeriter obriam factus, exspectat loco idoneo ad pugnandum, dum illud agmen accedat. Verum perditi homines ubi de regis adventu cognoverunt, ut jamjam victi alii alio turpiter se in pedes dant, quorum aliquot in fuga deprehensi igne illico necantur. Capiuntur non multo post ambo ductores, in carceremque conjichmtur : sed Joannes ex turri Londinensi noctu aufugit, Rogerius vero merito afficitur supplicio. Ob id tamen non fugiebat principem se nequaquam funditus tanti veneni radices de hominum longe opiniosissimorum pectoribus evel- lisse : quare publice edixit, ut si uspiam deinceps reperirentur, qui earn sequerentur sectam, patrise hostes haberentur, quo sine omni leni- tate severius ac ocius de illis supplicium sumeretur: ita animum et cogitationem posuerat in ea delenda. Est hsec parva pro nominis Christiani conservatione gesta domi a principio res, quae sine dubio potuit monstrare victoriam, quse postea in Galliis parta est. Fuit is annus salutis humanse MCCCCXV. et cum Henricus regnare coepit, n, quo Thomas Harundellus Cantuariensis antistes, annum jam tune sedens tertium et trigesimum, e vita excessit : in cujus locum suc- cessit Henricus Chicheleius Menevensis Episcopus, ordine Cantuari- ensium archiepiscoporum sexagesimus. — Polydor. Vergil. Angl. Hist, lib. xxii. Edit. Basil. 1546, p. 441.]

10 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM.

occasion, being dead more than four years afore ; and Sir J°nn Oldcastle remaining all that season in Wales ? John Huss suffered death at Constance the year of our Lord

1415, in July ; Hierome of Prague in the year of our Lord

1416, in May ; which were the two heads he speaketh of. Sir Roger Acton was burnt with his company in the year of our Lord 1413, in January, as witnesseth Walden, Fabian,

Judge them and John Major in their chronicles and writings. Now reckon

fruit. these numbers and years, and mark the proper conveyance of this Romish gentleman, the pope's collector, to clout up that crooked kingdom of theirs. He can by such legerdemain both please his friends in England, and also at Rome.

eSfto After that he followeth with lie upon lie, as that they

rch' came then to London to destroy the King ; that he in his own person met with them there in arms, that they cowardly fled, that some were taken there and burnt out of hand, and that the Lord Cobham and Sir Roger Acton were cast into the Tower of London, upon that occasion. Seemeth it not a

traitors. matter somewhat like to the purpose, think you, that men should be there burned for making such an insurrection or tumult ? I trow he hath cobbled here somewhat workmanly.

Sidedein And whereas he saith in the end, that the King thereupon

Funer. Keg. ma(je an ac(; ^hat they from thenceforth should be taken as traitors against his own person, which were proved to follow that sect, he maketh an abominable lie. For that act was made only at the bishops'* complaint and false suit, in the first year of his reign, and by force of that act those innocent men

wen stored then suffered. More than four hundred of such manifest lies

with lies.

could I gather out of his Chronicles ; much more then might more eyes and judgments do.

sirejohnsoid-f Now let us expend what the true cause should be of this dfmnastio°n." g°dty man's condemnation and death, all dreams of papists set apart. The truth of it is, that after he had once throughly tasted the Christian doctrine of John Wicliffe and of his dis ciples, and perceived their livings agreeable to the same, he abhorred all the superstitious sorceries (ceremonies, I should say) of the proud Romish church. From thenceforth he johnv. brought all things to the touch-stone of God's word. He

1 Thfss v

Maohnlv tried, all matters by the scriptures, and so proved their spirit whether they were of God or nay. He maintained such preachers in the dioceses of Canterbury, London, Rochester,

THE PREFACE. 11

and Hereford, as the bishops were sore offended with. He exhorted their priests to a better way by the gospel; and when that would not help, he gave them sharp rebukes. He waiden. in admonished the kings, as Richard the Second, Henry the wicie?Lzan' Fourth, and Henry the Fifth, of the clergy's manifold abuses, and put into the parliament-house certain books concerning their just reformation, both in the year of our Lord 1395 and in the year 1410. Of the first book this is the be ginning : Prima conclusio. Quando ecclesia Anglice, fyc., Fabianus. which I have here left out, lest this treatise should be too 18l5^54to- great. The other book was made by one John Purvey, a master of art of Oxford : beside the eighteen conclusions that master John Wicliffe had put in long afore that.

In the year of our Lord 1391 this noble lord Cobham, Poiyd. in with certain other more, motioned the King at Westminster, LU>.'XX.

. . . Polydore

in the time of his parliament, that it were very commodious 2JSLSS*1 to England if the Romish bishop's authority extended no further than the ocean sea or haven of Calais, considering the charges and unquietness of suits there, and that men's causes could not be throughly known so far off. Whereupon the king made this act by consent of his lords, that no man cestrens!sus from thenceforth should sue to the pope in any matter, nor publish any excommunication of his, under pain of losing their goods with perpetual imprisonment. This and the afore-named book had cost him, with sir John Cheny and other more, his P' life in the sixth year after, at the crafty accusement of certain prelates (though it hath in the Chronicles another colour), had not God then most graciously preserved him. Another cause waiden. of his death, yet besides all that hath been said afore, was Sb.it caPev" this : he caused all the works of John Wicliffe to be written at the instance of John Huss, and so to be sent into Bohemia, France, Spain, Portugal, and other lands : whereof Subinco Actacondm Lepus the archbishop of Prague caused more than two hun- ensiLa dred volumes, fair written, openly to be burnt afterwards, as witnesseth ^Eneas Sylvius de Origine Bohemorum. Hermanns.

These causes known, with other more that I could re hearse, consider whether the world, that is always so wicked, Heb. xi. was worthy to hold such a noble Christian warrior as this N!&. m. was, or nay : consider also the just punishment of the Lord ' for wicked laws that were then made, with the exceeding

12 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM.

mischiefs that the spiritualty then used ; and weigh the miserable estate that the realm was in soon after for con tempt of his eternal word : and thereupon laud his right eousness, and beware of like contempt and plague in these days. In the year of our Lord 1422 departed king Henry

Funer. Reg. the fifth, in his most nourishing time, even in the beginning of the thirty-seventh year of his age, which was about four

King Henry years after the death of this Lord Cobham. His son Henry the sixth succeeded in his room, and had the governance of this whole realm, being but a babe of eight months old and odd days. What a dolour was this unto men of ripe dis cretion, naturally loving their country and regarding the

isai. in. commonwealth thereof ! Yea, what a plague of God was it, after the scriptures, to have a young child to their king ! And, that it should the more manifestly appear to come that way, or of the stroke of God, he was a childish thing all the days of his life.

Lai..™. "I shall give you (saith the Lord in his high displeasure)

children to be your princes, and young infants without wis-

The years of dom shall have the governance of you." What wretched calamities the realm suffered afterward for the space of more than fourscore years and three, till the days of King Henry

prelates, the seventh, it is unspeakable. Since the preaching of John

now appear. Wicllffe hath the Lord suffered the pompous popish prelates to shew themselves forth in their own right colours, that they might now in the light of his gospel appear as they are in deed, even spiteful murderers, idolaters, and sodomites. Afore his time they lurked under the glittering shine of

Friars dark- hypocrisy, and could not be seen in their masteries. The

their so- " friars with their charming sophistry threw such a dark mist over the universal world, that superstition could not be known for superstition, nor idolatry for idolatry.

Unspeakable filthiness of all fleshly occupying was then called priests' chastity, as it is yet, and will be till it come to

Bev. xviu. the highest, that God may take full vengeance. Then was whoredom worshipped in prelates of the church, and sacred wedlock reckoned such a detestable vice as was worthy in

waiden. in a priest most cruel death : as was seen for example in sir

opere.ue * William Wyght, which was burnt for the same at Norwich in the year of our Lord 1428.

THE PREFACE. 13

Thus was white judged black, and light darkness ; so ill was men's sight in those days. By such means (saith the isai. v. prophet) they "drew wickedness unto them as it were with a cord, and all kinds of sin as it were with a cart-rope." ^^fiJkfuf England at that time had not been unthankful for the ness pun-

e ished.

singular benefit that God then sent them by those good men, the days of antichrist and his beastly brood had been shortened there long ago, as it is even now, and hereafter like to be more largely. A most orient fresh mirror of what the Christian manhood appeareth this worthy Lord Cobham in appeareth our age, the verity now open, which was in her absence a lamp of contempt before worldly-wise men. In him may noble men behold here plainly a most noble stomach and precious faith in the midst of great antichrist's muddy muster. His courage was of such value that it gave him the victory i John v.

1 Cor. xv.

over them by the clear judgment of the scriptures, what though the world's judgments be far otherwise. And as for the cruel death which he most contumeliously suffered, it is now unto him a most plenteous winning; for in the justpwi.i. quarrel was it of his Lord Jesus Christ.

Might those bloody blusterers have had their full sway now of late, they would have made more Oldcastles, Actons, TheDevn Browns, and Beverleys ; yea, they would have made there a greater havock upon Christ's congregation, than ever did Saul in his raging fury. They meant more than they ut- Acts viii. tered, when they approached so nigh (as did cruel Haman) Esth. v. to the presence of noble Ahassuerus. But blessed be the eternal Father, which hath given such wisdom godly unto A godiy go- our most worthy King, that he, perceiving their sleights, so abated their tyrannous fierceness. Pray, noble men, pray, yea, with the true clergy and commons, that like as he hath now with duke Joshua the overhand of wicked Jericho by Josh. vi.

his only gift, and is through that become a whole perfect Lau

king within his own realm far above all his predecessors, so

that he may in conclusion overthrow her clearly. For as Matt. *xvi.

• » Johnxviii.

yet the dreadful damsel (tyranny), that was Caiaphas' door keeper, dwelleth in the houses of bishops, and daily compelleth ™™en- 'm poor Peter to deny his master. As many eyes as ever had vigilant Argus had he need to have, that is compassed with such a sort, as are that brood of the wily serpent. Consider

grace.

14 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM.

Pray for his what heavenly things ye have received of the scriptures under his permission, and yet pray once again for his gracious continuance to the more increase of knowledge. Amen.

O Babylon, thy merchants were princes of the earth :

and with thine enchantments were all

nations deceived.

Apocal. xviii.

THE GREAT PROCESS

OF

THOMAS ARUNDEL,

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND OF

THE PAPISTICAL CLERGY WITH HIM,

AGAINST THE MOST NOBLE KNIGHT,

SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE,

THE LORD COBHAM, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD M.CCCC.XIII.

WHEREIN IS CONTAINED HIS EXAMINATION, IMPRISON- MENT AND EXCOMMUNICATION.

THE PROCESS BEFORE HIS EXAMINATION.

AFTER that the true servant of Jesus Christ, John Wic- EX openbus liffe, a man of very excellent life and learning, had for the J£9.mas Wal' space of more than twenty-six years most valiantly battled with the great antichrist of Europe, or pope of Rome, and his diversely disguised host of anointed hypocrites, to restore the church again to the pure estate that Christ left her in at his ascension, he departed hence most christianly into the hands J°£n wjj^ of God, the year of our Lord 1387, and was buried in his own parish church, at Lutterworth in Lincolnshire1. No small number of godly disciples left that good man behind him, to defend the lowliness of the gospel against the exceeding pride, ambition, simony, avarice, hypocrisy, whoredom, sacrilege, tyranny, idolatrous worshippings, and other filthy fruits of those stiff-necked Pharisees. Against whom Thomas Arundel, then archbishop of Canterbury, so fierce as ever was Pharoah, jjj*j° Pr<>- Antiochus, Herod 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 1413, as he had done divers other afore, to withstand their most godly enterprise.

f1 Lutterworth is in Leicestershire, but was till lately in the diocese of Lincoln.]

16

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

John xi- Psal. i. Psal. u.

Walden. in Fasc Zizan. Wiclev.

A practice commonly used of that generation.

A like prac tice sought now of late, but it took not.

A ccused for maintaining the gospel of Christ.

Accused for his Christian belief.

And this was the first year of king Henry the fifth, whom they had then made fit for their hand.

As these high prelates with their Pharisees and Scribes were thus gathered in this pestilent council against the Lord and his word, first there resorted unto them the twelve in quisitors of heresies (whom they had appointed at Oxford, the year afore, to search out heretics, with all Wicliffe's books), and they brought two hundred and sixty-six faithful con clusions, which they had collected as heresies out of the said books. The names of the said inquisitors were these : John Witnam, a master in the New College, John Langdon, monk of Christ- Church in Canterbury, William Uiford, regent of the Carmelites, Thomas Clayton, regent of the Dominicans, Robert Gilberd, Richard Cartysdale, John Luck, Richard Snedysham, Richard Flemming, Thomas Rodborne, Robert Roudbery, and Richard Grasdale. In the mean season caused they their hired servants to blow it forth abroad throughout all the realm, that they were there congregate for an wholesome unity and reformation of the church of England, to stop so the mouths of the common people. Such is always the com mon practice of these subtle sorcerers, while they are doing mischief, to blear the eyes of the unlearned multitude with one false craft or other.

After a certain communication they concluded among themselves, that it was not possible for them to make whole Christ's coat without seam (meaning thereby their patched popish synagogue), unless certain great men were brought out of the way, which seemed to be the chief maintainers of the said disciples of Wicliffe : among whom the most noble knight sir John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, was complained of by the general proctors, yea, rather betrayers of Christ in his faithful members, to be the chief principal. Him they accused first for a mighty maintainer of suspected preachers in the dioceses of London, Rochester, and Hereford, contrary to the minds of their ordinaries. Not only they affirmed him to have sent thither the said preachers, but also to have assisted them there by force of arms, notwithstanding their synodal constitution made afore to the contrary. Last of all they accused him that he was far otherwise in belief of the sacrament of the altar, of penance, of pilgrimage, of image- worshipping, and of the ecclesiastical power, than the holy church of Rome had taught many years afore.

THE LORD COBHAM. 17

In the end it was concluded among them, that without process .

, t -i i • t • • against him.

any farther delay process should out against him as against a most pernicious heretic. Some of that fellowship, which were of more crafty experience than the other, would in no case have the1 matter so rashly handled, but thought this way much better : considering the said Lord Cobham was a man of great birth and in favour at that time with the king, their counsel was to know first the king's mind, to save all things right up. This counsel was well accepted ; and thereupon the archbishop Thomas Arundel, with his other bishops A wolfish

1 generation.

and a great part of the clergy, went straight ways unto the king as then remaining at Kennington : and there they 2 laid forth most grievous complaints against the said Lord Cobham, to his great infamy and blemish, being a man most godly.

The king gently heard those blood-thirsty raveners, and far otherwise than became his princely dignity he instantly him- desired them, that, in respect of his noble stock and knight hood, they should yet favourably deal with him ; and that they would, if it were possible, without all rigor or extreme handling, reduce him again to the church's unity. He pro- H>S gentle

v promise.

mised them also that, in case they were3 contented to take some deliberation, his self would seriously common the matter with him.

Anon after the king sent for the said Lord Cobham. And as he was come, he called him secretly admonishing him be- ^rfcdf^o twixt him and him, to submit himself to his mother the holy church, and as an obedient child to acknowledge himself culpable. Unto whom the Christian knight made this answer : " You, most worthy prince," saith he, " am I always prompt and willing to obey, forsomuch as I know you a Christian king, and the appointed minister of God, bearing his righteous4 sword, to the punishment of ill-doers, and for the safeguard of R™. xm. them that be virtuous. Unto you, next my eternal living5 God, owe I my whole obedience, and submit me thereunto (as I have done ever) all that I have either of fortune or nature, ready at all times to fulfil whatsoever ye shall in that Lord command me. But as touching the pope and his spiritu- Ah^s°t?*n alty, truly 1 owe them neither suit nor service, forsomuch °btdlence-

[l ' that/ 1st ed.] [2 'they/ not in 1st ed.]

[3 ' were not/ 1st ed.] [4 'bearing the sword/ 1st ed.]

[5 'living/ riot in 1st ed.]

[BALE.]

18 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

2 Thess. ii. as I know him by the scriptures to be the great Antichrist, the

Matt. xxiv. son Of perdition, the open adversary of God, and the abomi nation standing in the holy place." When 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 an swer, he gave him his full authority to cite him, examine him,

Exvetusto and punish him according to the devilish decrees, which they

Londmen- call the laws of holy church.

smm. f *>

Then the said archbishop, by the counsel of his other

Cephas bishops and clergy, appointed to call before1 him the said2 sir

Christ. John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, and to cause him personally

to appear, to answer to such suspected3 articles as they should

lay against him. So sent he forth his chief summoner with a

very sharp citation unto the castle of Cowling, where as he at

Jjjjjs is sent that time dwelt for his solace. And as the said summoner was

thither come, he durst in no case enter the gates of so noble a

man without his licence ; and therefore he returned home

knottier again, his message not done. Then called the archbishop one

hired. John Butler unto him, which was then the door-keeper of the

king's privy chamber ; and with him foe covenanted, through

promises and rewards, to have this matter craftily brought to

pass under the king's name.

andbSeSye-th Whereupon the said John Butler took the archbishop's cth- summoner with him, and went unto the said Lord Cobham,

shewing him that it was the king's pleasure that he should obey that citation ; and so cited him fraudulently. Then said he unto them in few words, that in no case would he consent o? thTS6 *° tf1086 most devilish practices of the priests. As they had pent informed the archbishop of that answer, and that it was meet for no man privately to cite him after that without peril of life, he decreed by and by to have him cited by public pro- Sionhof cess or °Pen commandment. And in all the haste possible, the papists. Up0n the Wednesday before the nativity of our Lady, in Sep tember, he commanded letters citatory to be set upon the great gates of the cathedral church of Rochester (which was but three English miles from thence), charging him to appear personally before him at Leeds4, in the sixth5 day of the same

C1 'gefore/ 1st ed.] [2 * said/ not in 1st ed.]

[3 'suspect,' Isted.]

[4 Leeds or Ledis castle, in Kent, about five miles from Maidstone.

THE LORD OOBHAM. 19

month and year, all excuses to the contrary set apart. Those The citations

i /» i i /. taken down.

letters were taken down anon after by such as bare favour unto the Lord Cobham, and so conveyed aside. After that caused the archbishop new letters to be set up, on the nativity day of our lady j which also were rent down and utterly consumed.

Then, forsomuch as he did not appear at the day ap- caiaphas sit-

' J . r teth in con-

at Leeds, (where as he sat in consistory as cruel as slstory-

ever was Caiaphas, with his court of hypocrites about him,) he

judged him, denounced him, and condemned him of most deep

contumacy. After that, when he had been falsely informed by

his hired spies and other glossing glaverers6, that the said Lord False accusa-

Cobham had laughed him to scorn, disdained all his doings, him-

maintained his old opinions, contemned the church's power,

the dignity of a bishop, and the order of priesthood, (for of7

all these was he then accused,) in his moody madness without The serpent

' * doth his na-

just proof did he openly excommunicate him. Yet was he not ture- with all this fierce tyranny qualified, but commanded him to be cited afresh, to appear before him the Saturday after8 the feast of Saint Matthew the apostle, with these cruel threaten- ings added thereunto ; that if he did not obey at that day, he would more extremely handle him. And, to make himself more strong towards the performance thereof, he compelled f^JJJJ jj?ew the lay power, by most terrible menacings of curses and inter- be- dictions, to assist him against that seditious apostate, that9 schismatic, that heretic, that troubler of the public peace, that enemy of the realm, and great adversary of all holy church ; for all these hateful names did he give him.

This most constant servant of the Lord, and worthy ^™°nr of knight, sir John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, beholding the kniehthood. unpeaceable fury of antichrist thus kindled against him, per ceiving himself also compassed on every side with deadly dan gers, he took paper and pen in hand, and so wrote a Christian Heconfesseth confession or reckoning of his faith (which followeth here- fore men-

It had been the property of the Lords Badlesmere, but reverted to the crown, 2 Edw. III. It was afterwards inhabited by William of Wick- ham, who greatly enlarged it ; by Richard II., and for a short time by Henry IV. Archbishop Arundel procured a grant of this castle, where he frequently resided, and kept his court, whilst the process against Lord Cobham was carrying forward. Wordsworth's Eccles. Biog.J

P <xi.'lsted.]

[6 glaverer, a flatterer. Nares' Glossary.]

[7 'of/ not in 1st ed.] [s before, 1st ed.]

[9 ' that,' not in 1st ed.]

2—2

20 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

after), and both signed and sealed it with his own hand : wherein he also answereth to the four chiefest articles that the archbishop laid against him. That done, he took the copy with him, and went therewith to the king, trusting to find mercy and favour at his hands. None other was that confes sion of his than the common belief, or sum of the church's The apostles- faith, called the Apostles1 Creed, of all Christian men then

faith. , ,,

used : as thus :

THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF OF THE LORD COBHAM.

The common I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of hea- ehristians. ven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, which was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and This faith buried, went down to hell, the third day rose again from garded. death, ascended up to heaven, he1 sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from thence shall come again to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the universal holy church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the uprising of the flesh, and everlast ing life. Amen.

A declaration And for a more large declaration (saith he) of this my

faith in the catholic church : I stedfastly believe that there is

i John v. but one God Almighty, in and of whose Godhead are these

three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and

that those three persons are the same self God Almighty. I

nai iy. believe also that the second person of this most blessed Trinity,

Lukeii. in most convenient time appointed thereunto afore, took flesh

and blood of the most blessed Virgin Mary, for the safeguard

and redemption of the universal kind of man, which was afore

Christ is the lost in Adam's offence. Moreover I believe that the same

hu church. Jesus Christ our Lord, thus being both God and man, is the

only head of the whole Christian church ; and that all those

that have been or shall be saved, be members of this most

holy church. And this most holy church I think to be

divided into three sorts or companies.

The church Whereof the first sort be now in heaven, and they are the three pans, saints from hence departed. These, as they were here con versant, conformed always their lives to the most holy laws and pure examples of Christ, renouncing Satan, the world, and the flesh with all their concupiscences and evils. [l ' he,' not in 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 21

The second sort are in purgatory (if any such be by the Contrary scriptures) abiding the mercy of God and a full deliverance of Ad Pariia-

' w mentum. Ex

pain. Waldeno.

The third sort are here upon the earth, and be called the church militant : for day and night they contend against the crafty assaults of the devil, the flattering prosperities of this world, and the rebellious filthiness of the flesh.

This latter congregation by the just ordinance of God is The church

, , . ^ , , . . militant di-

also severed into three diverse estates, that is to say, into vided in

v three.

priesthood, knighthood, and the commons. Among whom the will of God is, that the one should aid the other, but not de stroy the other. The priests first of all, secluded from all worldliness, should conform their lives utterly to the examples of Christ and his apostles. Evermore should they be occupied what the

ii. • IT- • • priestsshould

m preaching and teaching the scriptures purely, and in giving be. wholesome counsels of good living to the other two degrees of men. More modest also, more loving, gentle, and lowly in spirit should they be, than any other sorts of people.

In knighthood are all they which bear sword by law of Knighthood, office. These should defend God's laws, and see that the Should be. gospel were purely taught, conforming their lives to the same, and secluding all false preachers : yea, these ought rather to hazard their lives than to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemish the eternal testament of God, or yet let the free passage thereof, whereby heresies and schisms might spring Mark here a in the church. For of none other arise they (as I suppose) tun heart. than of such erroneous constitutions, craftily first creeping in under hypocrites' lies for advantage. They ought also to preserve God's people from oppressors, tyrants, and thieves, and to see the clergy supported so long as they teach purely, Theciergy, pray rightly, and minister the sacraments freely. And if supported, they see them do otherwise, they are bound by law of office to compel them to change their doings, and to see all things performed according to God's prescript ordinance.

The latter fellowship of this church are the common peo ple, whose duty is to bear their good minds and true obedience what the to the aforesaid ministers of God, their kings, civil governors, and priests. The right office of these is justly to occupy every man in his faculty, be it merchandise, handicraft, or the tillage of the ground ; and so one of them to be as an helper to another, following always in their sorts the just command ments of their Lord God.

22

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Belief con cerning the sacraments.

The sacra ment of the altar.

Belief con cerning God's laws.

What God asketh of a Christian.

A Christian desire of the Lord Cob- ham.

This request was lawful.

Obedience unto his king.

Over and besides all this, I most faithfully believe that the sacraments of Christ's church are necessary to all Christian believers, this always seen to, that they be truly ministered according to Christ's first institution and ordinance. And for- somuch as I am maliciously and most falsely accused of a mis believe in the sacrament of the altar, to the hurtful slander of many; I signify here unto all men that this is my faith concerning that. I believe in that sacrament to be contained very Christ's body and blood under the similitudes of bread and wine, yea, the same body that was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of Mary the Virgin, done on the cross, died, that was buried, arose the third day from the death, and is now glorified 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 it in faith, accepteth it, learneth it, delighteth therein, and performeth it in love, shall taste for it the felicity of everlasting innocency.

Finally, this is my faith also, that God will ask no more of a Christian believer in this life, but only to obey the precepts of that most blessed law. If any prelate1 of the church requireth2 more, or else any other kind of obedience than this to be used, he contemneth Christ, exalting himself above God, and so becometh an open antichrist. All these premises I believe particularly, and generally all that God hath left in his holy scriptures that I should believe : in stantly desiring you, my liege 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 it be found in all points agreeing to the verity, then let it be so allowed, and I thereupon holden for none other than a true Christian. If it be proved otherwise, then let it be utterly condemned, provided always that I be taught a better belief by the word of God, and I shall most reverently at all times obey thereunto.

This brief confession of his faith the Lord Cobham wrote (as is mentioned afore), and so took it with him to the court, offering it with all meekness unto the king to read it over. The king would in no case receive it, but commanded it to be delivered unto them that should be his judges. Then desired he in the king's presence, that an hundred knights and esquires [l 'prelates,' 1st ed.] [2 'require/ 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 23

might be suffered to come in upon his purgation, which (he

knew) would clear him of all heresies. Moreover he offered HIS Christian

himself, after the law of arms, to fight for life or death with manhood.

any man living, Christian or heathen, in the quarrel of his

faith, the king and the lords of his council excepted. Finally, JJjj/JSgJ1'

with all gentleness he protested before all that were present, would serve-

that he would refuse no manner of correction that should after

the laws of God be ministered unto him, but that he would at

all times with all meekness obey it. Notwithstanding all this,

the king suffered him to be summoned personally in his own

privy chamber.

Then said the Lord Cobham to the king, that he had HIS appai appealed from the archbishop to the pope of Rome, and there- archbishop. fore he ought (he said) in no case to be his judge. And having his appeal there at hand ready written, he shewed it with all reverence to the kino;. "Wherewith the kino; was then The king

ner6 wor-

much more displeased than afore, and said angerly unto him, gjpj**11 the that he should not pursue his appeal : but rather he should tarry in hold, till such time as it were of the pope allowed ; and then, would he or nilde he3, the archbishop should be his judge. Thus was there nothing allowed that the good Lord Cobham had lawfully afore required. But forsomuch as he cobham

" A would not

would not be sworn in all things to submit himself to the Jj%t*nti" church, and so to take what penance the archbishop would enjoin him, he was arrested again at the king's commandment, and so led forth to the Tower of London, to keep his day (so was it then spoken) that the archbishop had appointed him afore in the king's chamber.

Then caused he the aforesaid confession of his faith to be Hi copied again, and the answer also (which he had made to the four articles proponed5 against him) to be written in manner of an indenture in two sheets of paper ; that when 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 examination was come, which was the twenty-third day of September, or the Saturday after6 the feast of Saint Matthew, Thomas Arundel the archbishop sitting in Caiaphas' Room in sister1". the Chapter-house of Paul's, with Richard Clifford bishop of London, and Henry Bolingbroke bishop of Winchester, sir Robert Morley knight, and lieutenant of the Tower, brought [3 whether he would or not.] [4 ' the beast,' 1st ed.]

[5 proponed, proposed. Nares' Glossary.] [6 before, 1st ed.]

1" cor

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Antichrist was here in lull power

Antichrist

in.mifesteth

himself.

A sign of (ioci's true servant.

Ex utroque exemplar!.

The articles 'laid against the Lord Cobham.

O most Chris tian knight.

Hishelief concerning the sacra-

personally before him the said Lord Cobham, and there left him for the time, unto whom the archbishop said these words.

THE FIRST EXAMINATION OF THE LORD COBIIAM.

" Sir John, in the last general convocation of the clergy of this our province, ye were detected of certain heresies, and by sufficient witnesses found culpable. Whereupon ye were by form of spiritual law cited, and would in no case appear. In conclusion upon your rebellious contumacy ye were both privately and openly excommunicated. Notwithstanding we never yet shewed ourself unready to have given you your absolution (nor yet do not to this hour), would ye have meekly asked it."

Unto this the Lord Cobham shewed as though he had given none ear, having his mind otherwise occupied, and so desired none absolution : but he said, he would gladly before him and his brethren make rehearsal of that faith, which he held and intended always to stand to, if it would please them to license him thereunto. And then he took out of his bosom a certain writing indented, concerning the articles whereof he was accused, and so openly read it before them, giving it unto the archbishop, as he had made thereof an end. Whereof this is the copy.

I John Old castle, knight and Lord Cobham, will all Christian men to understand, that Thomas Arundel, arch bishop of Canterbury, hath not only laid it to my charge maliciously, but also very untruly, by his letter and seal written against me in most slanderous wise, that I should otherwise feel and teach of the sacraments of the church (assigning specially the sacrament of the altar, the sacrament of penance, the worshipping of images, and the going of pil grimage unto them) far otherwise than either believeth or teacheth the universal holy church. I take Almighty God unto witness, that it hath been and now is, and evermore with the help of God it shall be, my full intent and will, to believe faithfully and wholly all the sacraments that ever God or dained to be ministered in the holy church. And moreover, for to declare me in these four points afore rehearsed :

1 believe that in the most worshipful sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body in form of bread, the same body

THE LORD COBHAM. 25

that was born of the blessed Virgin Mary, done on the cross, dead and buried, and that the third day arose from death to life, the which body is now glorified with the Father in heaven. And as for the sacrament of penance, I believe that consider him it is needful to all them .that shall be saved to forsake their bishops. sin, and to do penance for it, with true contrition to God, con fession of their faults, and due satisfaction in Christ, like as God's laws limit and teach ; else can they have no salvation. This penance I desire all men to do. And as for images, I Permitted to understand that they pertain nothing to our Christian belief, idiKy. but were permitted (long since the faith was given us of Christ) by sufferance of the church, for to be as calendars unto lay men to represent or bring to mind the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the martyrdom and good living of the saints. I think also, that whatsoever he be1 which doth that whocom-

,,. i-i-iiT. s» mitteth iclol-

worship to dead images that is duly belonging unto God, or atT- that putteth his faith, hope, or confidence in the help of them as he should do only in his eternal living God, or that hath affection in one more than in another, he perpetrateth in so doing the abominable sin of idolatry. Moreover in this am I |^ Mark. fully persuaded, that every man dwelling on this earth is a pilgrim, either towards bliss or else towards pain ; and that he which knoweth not, nor will not know, nor yet keep the holy commandments of God in his living here, (albeit that he goeth on pilgrimage into all quarters of the world,) if he de- parteth so, he shall surely be damned. Again, he that know- saved with- eth the holy commandments of God, and so performeth them age.1" * to the end 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 Canterbury, Walsingham, Compostella, and Rome, or to any other place else.

This answer to his articles thus ended and ready, he de- His answer livered it to the bishops, as is said afore. Then counselled the ex archbishop with the other two bishops, and with divers of the doctors, what was to be done in this matter, commanding him for the time to stand aside. In conclusion, by their assent and information, he said thus unto him : "Come hither, sir John, what is this

T,v« ... 11- .••it else 2 than

In this your writing are many good things contained, and quarrelling? right catholic also ; we deny it not. But ye must consider that this day was appointed you to answer to other points concern ing those articles, whereof as yet no mention is made in this [l 'be,' not in 1st ed.] [2 'else,' not in 1st ed.J

*"'

26 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

your bill. And therefore ye must yet declare us your

mind more plainly : as thus, whether that ye hold, affirm,

and believe, that in the sacrament of the altar, after the con-

Their beiiies secration rightly done by a priest, remaineth material bread

those beiiy- or not ? Moreover, whether ye do hold, affirm, and believe,

gods seek. . * J '

that as concerning the sacrament of penance (where as a com petent number of priests are) every Christian man is necessarily bound to be confessed of his sins to a priest ordained by the church, or not?"

HIS Christian After certain other communication, this was the answer of

tteiTquar-0 the good Lord Cobham : That none otherwise would he declare

his mind, nor yet answer unto his articles, than was expressly

in his writing there contained. Then said the archbishop

again unto him : " Sir John, beware what ye do. For if ye

answer not clearly to those things that are here objected

against you, specially at the time appointed you only for

A tyrannous that purpose, the law of holy church is, that, compelled once

whore is that , . •. i i • i TT

by a judge, we may openly proclaim ye an heretic." Unto whom he gave this answer : " Do as ye shall think it best ; for I am at a point." Whatsoever he and the other bishops did ask him after that, he bade them resort to his bill, for thereby HIS answer would he stand to the very death. Other answer would he minds. not give that day ; wherewith the bishops and prelates were in a manner amazed and wonderfully disquieted. At the last the archbishop counselled again with his other bishops and doc tors ; and in the end thereof declared unto him, what the Antichrist^ holy church of Rome, following the sayings of St Austin, St above God. Hierome, St Ambrose, and of other holy doctors, had deter mined in those matters, no manner of mention once made of Christ : " which determination (saith he) ought all Christian men both to believe and to follow."

The Lord Then said the Lord Cobham unto him, that he would

c0hr2t unt° S^ty both believe and observe whatsoever the holy church of Christ's institution had determined, or yet whatsoever God had willed him either to believe or to do : but that the pope of Rome with his cardinals, archbishops, bishops and other prelates of that church had lawful power to determine such matters as stood not with his word throughly, that would he not1 at that time affirm.

A deiay^of With this the archbishop bade him to take good advisement to destroy., till the Monday next following (which was the twenty-fifth

I1 'he said,' 1st ed.j

THE LORD COBHAM. 27

day of September), and then justly to answer specially unto this point, whether there remained material bread in the sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration, or not ? He promised him also to send unto him in writing those matters clearly determined, that he might then be the more perfect in his answer-making. And all this was not else but to blind the multitude with somewhat. The next day follow- ing, according to his promise, the archbishop sent unto him into the Tower this foolish and blasphemous writing, made by him and by his unlearned clergy.

THE DETERMINATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP AND CLERGY.

THE faith and determination of2 holy church touching the blissful sacrament of the altar is this : That after the sacra- mental words be once spoken by a priest in his mass, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christ's very body ; and the material wine, that was afore wine, is turned into Christ's very blood : and so there remaineth in The first the sacrament of the altar from thenceforth no material bread arl nor material wine, which were there before the sacramental words were spoken. How believe ye this article ?

Holy church hath determined, that every Christian man The second living here bodily upon earth ought to be shriven to a priest ar< ordained by the church, if he may come to him. How feel ye this article ?

Christ ordained St Peter the apostle to be his vicar here The third in earth : whose see is the holy church of Rome. And he ar granted that the same power, which he gave unto Peter, should succeed to all Peter's successors, which we call now

popes of Rome : by whose special power in churches particu- The seed of

ii. j • j i j. i V • i 1-1 the serPent-

iar be ordained prelates, as archbishops, bishops, parsons,

curates, and other degrees more ; unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome. This is the determination of holy church. How feel ye this article ?

Holy church hath determined that it is meritorious to a The fourth Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places ; and there * specially to worship holy relics and images of saints, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome. How feel ye this article? [2 'of the,' 1st ed.j

28 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

He sees their And as the good Lord Cobhaiu had read over this

ignorance .. ni i <* t i •

and malice, wretched writing, he marvelled greatly 01 their mad igno rance; but that he considered again that God had given them over, for their unbelief's sake, into most deep errors and blindness of soul. Again he perceived thereby that their uttermost malice was purposed against him, howsoever he

He put ins should answer. And therefore he put his life into the hands

hand"00 s of God, desiring his only Spirit to assist him in his next answer. When the said twenty-fifth day of September was come, (which was also the Monday afore Michaelmas.) in the said year of our Lord, 1413, Thomas Arundel, the arch bishop of Canterbury, commanded his judicial seat to be

exxempian.e remove(l fr°m foe1 chapter-house of Paul's to the Dominican friars within Ludgate, at London. And as he was there set with Richard, the bishop of London, Henry, the bishop of Winchester, and Benet, the bishop of Bangor, he called in unto him his council and his officers, with divers other doctors and friars ; of whom these are the names here folio w-

The council ing i Master Henry Ware, the official of Canterbury ; Philip Morgan, doctor of both laws ; Howell Kyffyn2, doctor of the canon law ; John Kempe, doctor of the canon law ; William Carleton, doctor of the canon law ; John Wytnam3, of the New College, in Oxford; John Whyghthead4, a doctor of Oxford also ; Robert Womberwell, vicar of St Laurence in the Jewry;

andffibSf68 Thomas Palmer, the warden of the minors ; Robert Chamber- lay ne5, prior of the Dominicans ; Richard Dodington, prior of the Augustines ; Thomas Walden, prior of the Carmelites ; all doctors of divinity : John Stevens also, and James Cole, both

A rabbie of notaries, appointed there purposely to write all that should

antichrists. *

be either said or done. All these, with a great sort more of priests, monks, canons, friars, parish-clerks, bell-ringers, and pardoners, disdained him with innumerable mocks and scorns, reckoning him to be an horrible heretic and a man accursed afore God. Blasphemous Anon the archbishop called for a mass-book, and caused

dissimulation A

of papists, all those prelates and doctors to swear thereupon, that every man should faithfully do his office and duty that day ; and that neither for favour nor fear, love nor hate of the one party nor the other, anything should there be witnessed,

[i ' that/ 1st ed.] [2 « Kiffin,' 1st ed.] [3 ' Witnam,' 1st ed.] [4 ' Whighthead,' 1st ed.] [5 ' Chamberlaine,' 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 29

spoken, or done, but according to the truth, as they would answer before God and all the world at the day of doom. Then were the two aforesaid notaries sworn also, to write they and to witness the words and process that there should be uttered on both parties, and to say their minds (if they otherwise knew it) before they should register it. And all this dissimulation was but to colour their mischiefs before ignorant. the ignorant multitude. Consider herein, gentle reader, what this wicked generation is, and how far wide from the just fear of God; for as they were then, so are they yet to this day.

After that came forth before them sir Robert Morley, knight, and lieutenant of the Tower, and he brought with him them- the good Lord Cobham, there leaving him among them, as a lamb among wolves, to his examination and answer.

THE LATTER EXAMINATION OF THE LORD COBHAM.

THEN said the archbishop unto him : " Lord Cobham, ye be advised (I am sure) of the words and process which we had unto you upon Saturday last past in the chapter-house of Paul's : which process were now too long to be rehearsed again. I said unto you then, that ye were accursed for your contumacy and disobedience to holy church, thinking that ye should with meekness have desired your absolution."

Then spake the Lord Cobham with a most cheerful coun tenance, and said : " God saith by his holy prophet, maledi- Mal- "• cam benedictionibus vestris, which is as much to say as ' I shall curse where as you bless.1"

The archbishop made then as though he had continued forth his tale and not heard him, saying : " Sir, at that time I gently proffered to have assoiled6 you, if ye would have tlene asked it. And yet I do the same, if ye will humbly desire it in due form and manner as holy church hath ordained."

Then said the Lord Cobham: "Nay, forsooth, will I not; for I never yet trespassed against you, and therefore I will not do it." And with that he kneeled down on the pavement, holding up his hands towards heaven, and said : " I shrive me here unto thee, my eternal living God, that in my frail youth unto God- [6 assoil, absolve.]

30

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

o Christian

jer. ii.

The Christian

A w Sl

Matt. xxvi, Luke xxli.

Antichrist

The sacra- 0 '

I offended thee, Lord, most grievously in pride, wrath, and gluttony, in covetousness and in lechery. Many men have I hurt in mine anger, and done many other horrible sins ; good Lord, I ask thee mercy." And therewith weepingly he stood up again and said with a mighty voice : " Lo, good people, lo : for the breaking of God's law and his great command ments 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 company were not a little blemished. Notwithstanding he took stomach unto him again, after certain words had in excuse of their tyranny, and ex amined the Lord Cobham of his Christian belief.

Whereunto the Lord Cobham made this godly answer : " I believe," said he, " fully and faithfully the universal laws of God. I believe that all is true which is contained in the holy sacred scriptures of the bible : finally, I believe all that my Lord God would I should believe."

Then demanded the archbishop an answer of the bill which he and the clergy had sent him into the Tower the day afore in manner of a determination of the church concerning the four articles whereof he was accused, specially for the sacra ment of the altar, how he believed therein ?

Whereunto the Lord Cobham said, that with that bill he had nothing to do. But this was his belief (he said) concern- ing the sacrament : " That his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, sitting at his last supper with his most dear disciples, the night before he should suffer, took bread in his hand ; and giving thanks to his eternal Father, blessed it, brake it, and so gave it unto them, saying : * Take it unto ye, and eat thereof all. This is my body which shall be betrayed for you. Do this hereafter in my remembrance.' This do I throughly 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 St Paul to the Corinthians."

Then asked the archbishop, if he believed that it were bread after the consecration or sacramental words spoken over it?

The Lord Cobham said : "I believe that in the sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body in form of bread, the same that was born of the Virgin Mary, done on the cross, dead,

THE LORD COBHAM. 31

and buried, and that the third day arose from death to life, which now is glorified in heaven."

Then said one of the doctors of law : " After the sacra- A Member

of Sfltftn.

mental words be uttered, there remaineth no bread, but the only body of Christ."

The Lord Cobham said then to one Master John Whyght- AH thi head1: "You said once unto me in the castle of Cowling, the sacred host was not Christ's body. But I held then against you, and proved that therein was his body, though the seculars and friars could not therein agree, but held each one against other in that opinion. These were my words then, if ye remember it."

Then shouted a sort of them together, and cried with

. great noise : " We say all, that is God's body."

And divers of them asked him in great anger, whether it were material bread after the consecration, or not ?

Then looked the Lord Cobham earnestly upon the arch- That is not bishop, and said : " I believe surely that it is Christ's body in form of bread. Sir, believe not you thus ?"

And the archbishop said, " Yes, marry do I."

Then asked him the doctors, whether it were only Christ's body after the consecration of a priest, and no bread, or not ?

And he said unto them : " It is both Christ's body and Neither wm^ bread. I shall prove it as thus : For like as Christ dwelling reason serve. here upon the earth had in him both Godhead and manhood ; and had the invisible Godhead covered under that manhood which was only visible and seen in him : so in the sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body, and very bread also, as I believe. The bread is the thing that we see with our eyes : the body of Christ (which is his flesh and his blood) is there- This opinion

. . • , ' hath Saint

under hid, and not seen, but in faith."

Then smiled they each one upon other, that the people should judge him taken in a great heresy. And with a great brag divers of them said : " It is a foul heresy."

Then asked the archbishop, what bread it was. And the The pope's doctors also inquired of him whether it were material or not ?

The Lord Cobham said unto them : " The scriptures make Material.

[l ' Whighthead,' 1st ed.]

[2 Habuit enim ilium ecclesia secundum prsesentiam carnis paucis diebus ; modofide tenet, oculis non videt. — S. Aug. Tract. LI in Joban. Ev. c. 12. Op. Ed. Ben. Paris 1679, Tom. in. pars in. col. 634.]

\

32 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

no mention of this word material, and therefore my faith hath nothing to do therewith. But this I say and believe it, that it is Christ's body and bread. For Christ said in the sixth

John vi. of John's Gospel, Ego sum panis vivus qui de coelo descendi. ' I, which came down from heaven, am the living (and not the

f^ Mark, dead) bread.' Therefore 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 altar is Christ's very body and bread."

Then said they all with one voice, " It is an heresy."

An heresy One of the bishops stood up by and by, and said :

papists. " What ? it is an heresy manifest, to say that it is bread after the sacramental words be once spoken, but Christ's body only."

i cor. x. The Lord Cobham said : " Saint Paul the apostle was (I am

sure) as wise as you be now, and more godly-learned : and he called it bread, writing to the Corinthians. ' The bread that we break (saith he) is it not the partaking of the body of Christ ?' Lo, he calleth it bread, and not Christ1 s body, but a mean whereby we receive Christ's body."

o ignorant Then said they again: "Paul must be otherwise under-

standed. For it is surely an heresy to say that it is bread after the consecration, but only Christ's body."

The Lord Cobham asked how they could make good that sentence of theirs ?

BHnd Baby- They answered him thus : " For it is against the deter-

lonianes. mination Qf J^ church."

Then said the archbishop unto him : " Sir John, we sent you a writing concerning the faith of this blessed sacrament, clearly determined by the church of Rome, our mother, and by the holy doctors."

A most chris- Then said he again unto him : " I know none holier than

tian answer. Jg Qforiat and his apostle1. And as for that determination (I

wot) it is none of theirs ; for it standeth not with the scriptures,

but manifestly against them. If it be the church's (as ye

say it is), it hath been hers only since she received the great

Poison. poison of worldly possessions, and not afore."

Then asked they him, to stop his mouth therewith, if he believed not in the determination of the church ?

And he said unto them : " No, forsooth, for it is no God. [* 'apostles/ 1st ed.J

THE LORD COBHAM. 33

In all our Creed is IN but thrice mentioned concerning belief: iN,b«tthrice

in all the

IN God the Father, IN God the Son, IN God the Holy Ghost. «eed. The birth, the death, the burial, the resurrection and ascen sion of Christ hath none IN for belief, but IN him. Neither yet hath the church, the sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, the latter resurrection, nor yet the life everlasting, any other IN than IN the Holy Ghost."

Then said one of the lawyers : " Tush, that was but a confounded

.. i T /» • -i i in their own

word of office. But what is your belief concerning holy learning. church ?"

The Lord Cobham answered : " My belief is (as I said afore) that all the scriptures of the sacred bible are true. All that is grounded upon them I believe throughly ; for I know it is God's pleasure that I should so do. But in He beiieveth your lordly laws and idle determinations have I no belief : pope. for ye be no part of Christ's holy church, as your open deeds do shew ; but ye are very antichrists, obstinately set against his holy law and will. The laws that you have made are nothing to his glory, but only for your vain-glory and abo minable covetousness."

This they said was an exceeding heresy, (and that in An heresy a great fume,) not to believe the determination of holy papists. church.

Then the archbishop asked him, what he "thought holy church ?

He said unto him : " My belief 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, consider him

,. / \ i i i • i • i • , to be then in

another in purgatory (you say), and the third is here in earth,

This latter part standeth in three degrees, in knighthood, priesthood, and the commonalty, as I said afore plainly in the confession of my belief."

Then said the archbishop unto him : " Can ye tell me who is of this church ?"

The Lord Cobham answered : " Yea truly, can I."

Then said Doctor Walden, the prior of the Carmelites : " It is doubt unto you who is thereof. For Christ saith in Matthew, Nolite judicare : ' Presume to judge no man.' If wteiev. Lib. ye here be forbidden the judgment of your neighbour or bro- f£^iM. ther, much more the judgment of your superior." P- 175-

The Lord Cobham made him this answer : " Christ saith

[BALE.]

34 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

also in the same self chapter of Matthew, that like as the ill tree is known by his ill fruit, so is a false prophet by his works, appear they never so glorious. But that ye left be- hind ye. And in John he hath this text : Operibus credite :

johnvii. ' Believe you the outward doings/ And in another place of John : Justum judicium judicate : ' When we know the thing to be true, we may so judge it, and not offend.' For

psai. ivi. David saith also : Recte judicate, filii hominum : ' Judge rightly always, ye children of men.' And as for your superiority, were ye of Christ, ye should be meek ministers, and no proud superiors."

Then said Doctor Walden unto him : " Ye make here no

Diversity of difference of judgments : ye put no diversity between the ill judgments, which Christ hath forbidden, and the good judg ments, which he hath commanded us to have. Rash judgment and right judgment, all is one with you. So is judgment presumed and judgment of office. So swift judges always are the learned scholars of Wicliffe."

A perfect Unto whom the Lord Cobham thus answered : " It is

well sophistried of you forsooth. Preposterous are your judgments evermore. For, as the prophet Esay saith, {ye judge ill good, and good ill.' And therefore the same pro- i. iv. phet concludeth, that ' your ways are not God's ways, nor God's ways your ways.' And as for that virtuous man Wicliffe, whose judgments ye so highly disdain, I shall say

7. P. 6.' " ' here for my part both before God and man, that before I knew that despised doctrine of his, I never abstained from sin : but since I learned therein to fear my Lord God, it hath otherwise (I trust) been with me. So much grace could I never find in all your glorious instructions."

A most rank Then 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, and the examples of fathers so plenteous, if I then had no grace

BrIv°Minori to amen(* m7 ^Q &l\ I heard the devil preach. St Hierome saith, that * he which seeketh such suspected masters shall not find the mid-day light, but the mid-day devil1'."

t1 Quoniam ergo habemus nos meridiem, propterea et Diabolus transformatur in angelum lucis, et ipse simulat habere se lucem, ha- bere se meridiem. Quando hseretici quasi mysteria aliqua promit- tunt, quando regna ccelorum, quando continentiam, quando jejunia,

THE LORD COBHAM. 35

The Lord Cobham said : " Your fathers, the old Phari sees, ascribed Christ's miracles to Belzebub, and his doctrine Luke «. to the devil. And you, as their natural children, have still the same self judgment concerning his faithful followers. They that rebuke your vicious living must needs be heretics, and that must your doctors prove when ye have no scriptures to do it." Then said he to them all : " To judge you as ye fail- be, we need no farther go than your 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 sentence any other man unto death, as ye do here daily ? No ground have ye in all the scriptures so lordly to take it upon ye, but in Annas and2 Caiaphas, which sat thus upon Christ and upon his apostles after his ascension. Of them only have ye taken it to judge Christ's members, as ye do, and neither of Peter nor John."

Then said some of the lawyers : " Yes forsooth, sir, for o most wind

beasts !

Christ judged Judas."

The Lord Cobham said : " ISTo, Christ judged him not ; but he judged himself, and thereupon went forth, and so did hang himself. But indeed Christ said woe unto him for that covetous act of his, as he doth yet still unto many of you. For since the venom was shed into the church, ye never Gerald. followed Christ, neither yet have ye stand in the perfection i.dcTP.' 17.* '

v v A Wharton s

of God's law." vof ifsacr'

Then asked him the archbishop, what he meant by that

venom ?

The Lord Cobham said : " Your possessions and lordships.

For then cried an angel in the air, (as your own chronicles

J

,. N 4,sr . Al . , , , . , ,, es.

mention) : ' Woe, woe, woe ! this day is venom shed into the chron. Lib.

iv. c«ii). 26.

church of God.' Before that time all the bishops of Rome were martyrs in a manner ; and since that time we read of very few. But indeed since that same time one hath put down another, one hath poisoned another, one hath cursed another, and one hath slain another, and done much more mischief besides, as all the chronicles tell. And let all men consider

quando sanctitatem, quando reimnciationem Beculi, promittunt meri diem. Sed quoniam non est Christi lumen, non est meridies sed dse- monmm meridianum. — Brev. in Psalt. in Psalm, xc. Op. S, Hieron. Ed. Ben. Par. 1693—1706. Tom. n. pars II. col. 363.] [2 <in,' Isted.J

3 — %

36

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Antithesis of Christ and the pope.

Rome is anti christ's nest.

Antichrist's tail.

Matt, xxiii.

The religion of bishops.

A wise pre late.

Luke xxiii. John xvi.

Dan. xii. Matt. xxiv.

Prophecy.

Prophecy.

well this, that Christ was meek and merciful: the pope is proud, and a tyrant. Christ was poor, and forgave : the pope is rich, and a most cruel manslayer, as his daily acts do prove him. Rome is the very nest of antichrist ; and out of that nest cometh all his disciples : of whom prelates, priests, and monks are the body, and these pilled1 friars are the tail which covereth his most filthy part."

Then said the prior of the friar Augustins : "Alack, sir, why do ye say so ? That is uncharitably spoken."

And the Lord Cobham said : " Not only is it my saying, but also the prophet Esay's, long afore my time. ' The pro phet (saith he) which preacheth lies is the tail behind/ As you friars and monks be like Pharisees, divided in your out ward apparel and usages, so make ye division among the people. And thus you with such other are the very natural members of antichrist."

Then said he unto them all : " Christ saith in his gospel : ' Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! For ye close up the kingdom of heaven before men : neither enter ye in yourselves, nor yet suffer any other that would enter into it.' But ye stop up the ways thereunto with your own traditions, and therefore are ye the household of antichrist. Ye will not permit God's verity to have passage, nor yet to be taught of his true ministers, fearing to have your wicked ness reproved. But by such vain flatterers, as uphold ye in your mischiefs, ye suffer the common people most miserably to be seduced."

Then said the archbishop : " By our lady, sir, there shall no such preach within my diocese, and God will, nor yet in my jurisdiction, if I may know it, as either maketh division or yet dissension among the poor commons."

The Lord Cobham said : " Both Christ and his apostles were accused of sedition-making, yet were they most peace able men. Both Daniel and Christ prophesied, that such a troublous time should come as hath not been yet since the world's beginning. And this prophecy is partly fulfilled in your days and doings. For many have ye slain already, and more will ye slay hereafter, if God fulfil not his promise. Christ saith also : ' If those days of yours were not shortened, scarcely should any flesh be saved.' Therefore look for it I1 Bare, as if stripped. Nares' Gloss.]

THE LORD COBHAM.

37

justly, for God will shorten your days. Moreover, though priests and deacons, for preaching of God's word, and for Priests, ministering the sacraments with provision for the poor, be grounded in God's law, yet have these other sects no manner of ground thereof, so far as I have read."

Then a doctor of law, called master John Kempe, plucked Mark this out of his bosom a copy of that bill which they had afore sa°tan.ng of sent him into the Tower, by the archbishop's counsel, thinking thereby to make shorter work with him. For they were so amazed with his answers (not all unlike to them which dis puted with Stephen), that they knew not well how to occupy Acts vi. the time, their wits and sophistry (as God would) so failed them that day.

" My Lord Cobham," saith this doctor, " we must briefly know your mind concerning these four points here following. The first of them is this." And then he read upon the bill : The first

article.

" The faith and the determination of holy church, touching the blessed sacrament of the altar, is this : ' That after the sacramental words be once spoken by a priest in his mass, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christ's very body ; and the material wine, that was before o beastly wine, is turned into Christ's very blood. And so there re- maineth in the sacrament of the altar from thenceforth no material bread nor material wine, which were there before the sacramental words were spoken.' Sir, believe ye not this?"

The Lord Cobham said : " This is not my belief. But o Christian my faith is (as I said to you afore) that in the worshipful sacrament of the altar is very Christ's body in form of bread."

Then said the archbishop : " Sir John, ye must say otherwise."

The Lord Cobham said : " Nay, that I shall not, if God His con- be upon my side, (as I trust he is), but that there is Christ's body in form of bread, as the common belief is."

Then read the doctor again. " The second point is this : The second

article.

'Holy church hath determined, that every Christian man living here bodily upon earth ought to be shriven to a priest ordained by the church, if he may come to him.' Sir, what say ye to this ? "

The Lord Cobham answered and said : " A diseased or

38 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

sore wounded man had need to have a sure wise surgeon1 and a true, knowing both the ground and the danger of the same, confession of Most necessary were it therefore to be first shriven unto God, ouiy? c which only knoweth our diseases, and can help us. I deny not in this the going to a priest, if he be a man of good life anc^ learnmg' For the laws of God are to be required of the priest which is godly-learned. But if he be an idiot, or a man of vicious living, that is my curate, I ought rather to flee from him than to seek unto him : for sooner might I catch ill of him that is naught than any goodness towards my soul health." The third Then read the doctor again. "The third point is this:

Article*

' Christ ordained St Peter the apostle to be his vicar here in earth, whose see is the church of Home. And he granted that the same power which he gave unto Peter should suc ceed to all Peter's successors, which we call now Popes of

Antichrist's Rome : by whose special power in churches particular be ordained prelates, as archbishops, parsons, curates, and other degrees more ; unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome.' This is the determination of holy church. Sir, believe ye not this?"

who is next To this he answered and said : " He that followeth Peter

untoTeter. . . . .

most mghest in pure living is next unto him in succession. But your lordly order esteem eth not greatly the lowly be haviour of poor Peter, whatsoever ye prate of him. Neither care ye greatly for the humble manners of them that suc-

Nosucces- ceeded him till the time of Sylvester, which for the more part were martyrs, as I told ye afore. Ye can let all their good conditions 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."

Doctor devii. With that one of the other doctors asked him : " Then what do ye say of the pope ?"

bondvchrists ^ne Lord Cobham answered : " As I said before, he and you together maketh whole the great antichrist; of whom he is the great head, you bishops, priests, prelates, and monks are the body, and the begging friars are the tail, for they cover the filthiness of you both with their subtle so phistry. Never will I in conscience obey any of you all, till I see you with Peter follow Christ in conversation." [l ' chyrurgian/ 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 39

Then read the doctor again. " The fourth point is this : The fourth 'Holy church hath determined that it is meritorious to a Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places, and there Abominable specially to worship holy relics and images of saints, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome/ Sir, what say ye to this ? "

Whereunto he answered : " I owe them no service by any commandment of God, and therefore I mind not to seek them for your covetousness. It were best ye swept them fair from cobwebs and dust, and so laid them up for catching of scath ; or else to bury them fair in the ground, as ye do what is to other aged people which are God's images. It is a wonderful with°£?age». thing that saints, now being dead, should become so covetous vetous br|g- and needy, and thereupon so bitterly beg, which all their ga lifetime hated all covetousness and begging. But this I say unto you, and I would all the world should mark it, that with your shrives and idols, your feigned absolutions and pardons, ye draw unto you the substance, wealth, and chief pleasures of all Christian realms."

" Why, sir," said one of the clerks, " will ye not worship A wheip of

. . * A Satan.

good images?

"What worship should I give unto them?" said the Lord Cobham.

Then said friar Palmer unto him : " Sir, ye will worship Hypocrisy the cross of Christ, that he died upon ? "

"Where is it?" said the Lord Cobham.

The friar said : " I put ye the case, sir, that it were wiotish beg- here even now before you?"

The Lord Cobham answered : " This is a great wise man, to put me an earnest question of a thing, and yet he his self knoweth not where the thing2 self is. Yet once again ask I you, what worship I should do unto it?"

A clerk said unto him : " Such worship as Paul speaketh Gai. vi. of, and that is this : ' God forbid that I should joy but only in the cross of Jesus Christ'."

Then said the Lord Cobham, and spread his arms abroad : " This is a very cross, yea, and so much better than your A Christian cross of wood, in that it was created of God. Yet will not kri I seek to have it worshipped."

Then said the bishop of London : " Sir, ye wot well that A brutish he died on a material cross."

[2 %'lsted.]

40

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

A very man of God.

O devils in carnate !

Slandered with the truth.

The serpent sheweth his nature.

None offence done.

A wolfish offer of gen tleness.

O constant Christian !

Abominable thieves and murderers.

The Lord Cobham said : " Yea, and I wot also that our salvation came not in by that material cross, but alone by him which died thereupon. And well I wot that holy St Paul rejoiced in none other cross, but in Christ's passion and death only, and in his own sufferings of like persecution with him for the same self verity that he had suffered for afore."

Another clerk yet asked him : " Will ye then do none honour to the holy cross?"

He answered him : " Yes, if he were mine, I would lay him up honestly, and see unto him, that he should take no more scaths abroad, nor be robbed of his goods, as he is now-a-days."

Then said the archbishop unto him : " Sir John, ye have spoken here many wonderful words to the slanderous rebuke of all the whole spiritualty, giving a great ill example unto the common sort here, to have us in the more disdain. Much time have we spent here about you, and all in vain, so far as I can see. Well, we must be now at this short point with you, for the day passeth away : ye must either submit your self to the ordinance of holy church, or else throw yourself (no remedy) into most deep danger. See to it in time, for anon it will be else too late."

The Lord Cobham said : " I know not to what purpose I should otherwise submit me. Much more have you offended me than ever I offended you, in thus troubling me before this multitude."

Then said the archbishop again unto him : " We once again require you to remember yourself well, and to have none other opinion in these matters than the universal faith and belief of the holy church of Rome is ; and so, like an obedient child, to return to the unity of your mother. See. to it (t say) in time ; for yet ye may have remedy, whereas anon it will be too late."

The Lord Cobham said expressly before them all : " I will none otherwise believe in these points than I have told ye here afore. Do with me what ye will."

Finally then the archbishop said : " Well then, I see none other, but we must needs do the law : we must proceed forth to the sentence definitive, and both judge ye and condemn ye for an heretic."

And with that the archbishop stood up, and read there a

THE LORD COBHAM. 41

bill of his condemnation, all the clergy and laity availing1 their bonnets. And this was thereof the tenor.

THE DEFINITIVE SENTENCE OF HIS CONDEMNATION.

In Dei nomine. Amen. Nos Thomas, permissione divina Cantuariensis ecclesice archiepiscopus, metropolitans, totius Anglice primas, et apostolicce sedis legatus, and so forth in barbarous Latin ; which I have here translated into English for a more plain understanding to the reader.

" In the name of God. So be it. We Thomas, by the suffered Of sufferance of God archbishop of Canterbury, metropolitan, piagues.a and primate of all England, and legate from the apostolic seat of Rome, will this to be known unto all men. In a certain cause of heresy, and upon divers articles, whereupon sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, after a diligent An heretic inquisition made for the same, was detected, accused, and MngChrX. presented before us in our last convocation of all our whole clergy of 2 our province of Canterbury, holden in the cathedral church of Paul's at London ; at the lawful denouncement and request of our universal clergy in the said convocation, we proceeded against him according to the law (God to witness), with all the favour possible : and following Christ's example in all that we might (which willeth not the death of Ezek. xviu.

Ezek. xxxiii

a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live), we took

upon us to correct him, and sought all other ways possible to

bring him again to the church's unity, declaring unto him

what the holy and universal church of Rome hath said,

holden, determined, and taught in that behalf. And though The woif

we found him in the catholic faith far wide, and so stiffnecked Suaffiear

that he would not confess his error, nor purge himself, nor

yet repent him thereof; we yet pitying him of fatherly see if they

compassion, and entirely desiring the health of his soul, ap- themselves.

pointed him a competent time of deliberation, to see if he

would repent and seek to be reformed: and since we have

found him worse and worse. Considering therefore that he

is incorrigible, we are driven to the very extremity of the

law, and with great heaviness of heart we now proceed to

the final3 publication of the sentence definitive against him."

t1 i. e. lowering or bowing.] [2 'our whole clergy of/ not in 1st ed.] [» 'final/ not in first ed.]

42

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Idiots, knaves, and

Ex magno processu Thomae Arundeli.

That church is an whore.

A thief is that pastor.

A colour of deceit is this.

A sort of unlearned beasts.

As Caiaphas did Christ.

Christ is condemned in his faithful member.

Then brought he forth another bill containing the said sentence, and that he read also in his banger Latin : Christi nomine invocato, ipsumqne solum prce oculis habentes. Quia per acta inactitata, and so forth. Which I have also trans lated into English, that men may understand it.

" Christ we take unto witness, that nothing else we seek in this our whole enterprise, but his only glory. Forasmuch as we have found by divers acts done, brought forth, and exhibited, by sordry1 evidences, signs, and tokens, and also by many most manifest proofs, the said sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, not only an evident heretic in his own person, but also a mighty maintainer of other heretics against the faith and religion of the holy and universal church of Rome ; namely about the two sacraments of the altar and of penance, besides the pope's power and pilgrimages ; and that he, as the child of iniquity and darkness, hath so har dened his heart that he will in no case attend unto the voice of his pastor ; neither will he be allured by strait admo nishments, nor yet be brought in by favourable words : the worthiness of the cause first weighed on the one side, and his un worthiness again considered on the other side, his faults also aggravated, or made double through his damnable ob stinacy : we being loth that he which is naught should be worse, and so with his contagiousness infect the multitude : by the sage counsel and assent of the very discreet fathers, our honourable brethren and lord bishops here present, Richard of London, Henry of Winchester, and Benet of Bangor, and of other great learned and wise men here, both doctors of divinity and of the laws canon and civil, seculars and religious, with divers other expert men assisting us, we sententially and definitively by this present writing judge, declare, and condemn the said sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, for a most pernicious and detestable heretic, convicted upon the same, and refusing utterly to obey the church again, committing him here from henceforth as a condemned heretic to the secular jurisdiction, power, and judgment to do him thereupon to death. Furthermore we excqnimunicate and denounce accursed not only this heretic here present, but so many else besides as shall hereafter in favour of his error either receive him or defend him, counsel [i 'sondry/ 1st ed., i.e. ' sundry/]

THE LORD COBHAM. 43

him, or help him, or any other way maintain him, as very faulters, receivers, defenders, counsellers, aiders, and main- tamers of condemned heretics.

" And that these premises may be the better known to HOW spiritual all faithful Christian men, we commit it here unto your fathers are. charges, and give ye strait commandment thereupon by this writing also, that ye cause this condemnation and definitive sentence of excommunication concerning both this heretic and his faulters to be published throughout all your dioceses in cities, towns, and villages by your curates and parish priests, such time as they shall have most recourse of people. And nis soldiers. see that it be done after this sort : As the people are thus gathered devoutly together, let the curate every where go into the pulpit, and there open, declare, and expound this process in the mother tongue in an audible and intelligible

& & voice for the

voice, that it may well be perceived of all men, and that^08?61- upon the fear of this declaration also the people may fall from their ill opinions conceived now of late by seditious preachers. Moreover we will, that after we have delivered None office

_ . . left undone,

unto each one of you bishops (which are here present) a copy

hereof, that ye cause the same to be written out again into divers copies, and so to be sent unto the other bishops and prelates of our whole province, that they may also see the contents thereof solemnly published within their dioceses and cures. Finally we will, that both you and they signify again A crafty

• 1 J J- x- xl 1 -Z' j.1 knave in that

unto us seriously and distinctly by your writings, as the point. matter is without feigned colour in every point performed, the day whereupon ye received this process, the time when it was of you executed, and after what sort it was done in every condition, according to the tenor hereof, that we may know it to be justly the same."

A copy of this writing sent Thomas Arundell, the arch- Tho™-n bishop of Canterbury afterward from Maidstone the 10th day

[2 The " Fasciculus Zizaniorum Wiclevi" is not a work of Walden's, but a collection of tracts on various subjects and by various authors : it exists in MS. in the Bodleian Library, see Cat. MSS. Anglice et Hib. No. 3629. in Lyp. Bodl. No. 163 : the contents are there given. The condemnation of lord Cobham will be found in the MS. at fol. 97, b. The contents of the Fasciculus are fully and well given in the catalogue, with the exception that there are omitted,

a. Conclusiones Nic. Herford. fol. 68, b.

6. Acta contra M. Henricum Crompe, monachum, in Magn.

44

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Richard Clifford.

Robert MascalL

Ex ulroque exemplar!.

Matt. x.

Jobi.

A worthy warrior.

of October, witliin the same year of our Lord 1413, unto Richard Clifford, the bishop of London, which thus beginneth : Thomas permissione divina, fyc.

The said Richard Clifford sent another copy thereof, in closed within his own letters, unto Robert Mascall, a Carmelite friar, which was then bishop of Hereford in Wales, written from Hadham the 23rd day of October in the same year, and the beginning thereof is this : Reverende in Christo pater, $c.

The said Robert Mascall directed another copy thereof from London, the 27th day of November in the same year, inclosed in his own commission also, unto his archdeacons and deans in Hereford and Shrewsbury. And this is thereof the beginning : Venerabilibus et discretis viris, $c.

In like manner did the other bishops within their dioceses.

After that the archbishop had thus read the bill of his condemnation with most extremity before the whole multitude, the Lord Cobham said with a most cheerful countenance : " 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 soul, no more than could Satan upon the soul of Job. He that created that, will of his infinite mercy and promise save it, I have therein no manner of doubt. And as concerning these articles before rehearsed, I will stand to them even to the very death, by the grace of my eternal God."

And therewith he turned him unto the people, casting his hands abroad, and saying with a very loud voice : " Good

Concil. reg. Stamford, in domo Carmelitarum, sub Will, archiep. Cantuar. fol. 76, b.

c. Hereses et confessio M. Job. Purvey, extracto de libello suo heretico, fol. 84, b.

d. Testimonia Job. Purvey ; manu Jo. Sale, fol. 84, b.

e. Conclusiones, et alia, ad Will. Sautre, spectantes, fol. 89, b. /. Sententia contra Will. Taylor, fol. 90.

g. Confessio et abjuratio dora. de Cobham, fol. 90, b.

h. Examinatio super heeresibus Will. Whyte, fol. 91.

i. Processus contra dom. de Cobham, fol. 94, b.

k. Examinatio Will. Thorpe, coram Tho. Arundell ; manu Jo.

Bale, fol. 98, b. I. Ex sermone cujusdam Carmelitse de quadam ecclesise scis-

mate, fol. 103. m. Collectio errorum in Anglia et Parisiis condemnatorum, fol.

149, b.j

THE LORD COBHAM. 45

Christian people, for God's love be well ware of these men : for they will else beguile you, and lead you blindlings into w' hell with themselves. For Christ saith plainly unto you : * If one blind man leadeth another, they are like both to fall Matt xv. into the ditch/"

After this he fell down there upon his knees, and thus before them all prayed for his enemies, holding up both his hands and his eyes towards heaven, and saying : " Lord God He eternal, I beseech thee for thy great mercy's sake to forgive enemies. my pursuers, if it be thy blessed will." And then he was delivered to sir Robert Morley, and so led forth again to the Tower of London. And thus was there an end of that day's work.

While the Lord Cobham was thus in the Tower, he sent EX vetusto out privily unto his friends. And they at his desire wrote Londmen- this little bill here following, causing it to be set up in divers quarters of London, that the people should not believe the slanders and lies that his enemies the bishops' servants and Enemies, priests had made on him abroad. And this was the letter :

" Forasmuch as sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord A testimonial Cobham, is untruly convicted and imprisoned, falsely reported ftSndJ and slandered among the common people by his adversaries, that he should otherwise both feel and speak of the sacra ments of the church, and specially of the blessed sacrament of the altar, than was written in the confession of his belief, TO stop which was indented and taken to the clergy, and so set up Y in divers open places in the city of London: known be it A rehearsal here to all the world, that he never since varied in any point therefrom ; but this is plainly his belief, that all the sacra ments of the church be profitable and expedient also to all them that shall be saved, taking them after the intent that Christ and his true church hath ordained. Furthermore he believeth that in the blessed sacrament of the altar is verily and truly Christ's body in form of bread."

After this the bishops and priests were in much obloquy The ciergy in both of the nobility and commons, partly for that they had so cruelly handled the good Lord Cobham, and partly again because his opinion (as they thought at that time) was perfect concerning the sacrament. As they feared this to grow to A practice of further inconvenience towards them both ways, they drew their heads together, and at the last consented to use another

46

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

These are their com mon feats.

practice somewhat contrary to that they had done afore. They caused it by and by to be blown abroad by their feed servants, friends, and babbling Sir Johns, that the said Lord Cobham was become a good man, and had lowly1 submitted himself in all things unto holy church, utterly changing his opinion concerning the sacrament. And thereupon they counterfeited an abjuration in his name, that the people should take no hold of that opinion 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, and by them subdued. " This is the abjuration," say they, " of sir John Oldcastle, knight, sometime the Lord Cobham."

Walden. in Fabric. Zizan. Wiclev. Ms. Bodl.

AN ABJURATION COUNTERFEITED OF THE BISHOPS.

" In Dei nomine, Amen. I, John Oldcastle, denounced, de tected, and convicted of and upon divers articles savouring both heresy and error, before the reverend father in Christ and my 89? b!63' ' good lord Thomas, by the permission of God lord archbishop of Canterbury, and my lawful and rightful judge in that behalf, Mark from expressly grant and confess, that as concerning the estate gearncoemetL and power of the most holy father the pope of Rome, of his archbishops, his bishops, and his other prelates, the degrees of the church, and the holy sacraments of the same, specially of the sacraments of the altar and of penance, and other ob servances besides of our mother holy church, as pilgrimages and pardons, I affirm (I say) before the said reverend father archbishop and elsewhere, that I, being ill seduced by divers seditious preachers, have grievously erred and heretically persisted, blasphemously answered, and obstinately rebelled. And therefore I am by the said reverend father, before the reverend fathers in Christ also, the bishops of London, Win chester, and Bangor, lawfully condemned for an heretic.

" Nevertheless yet I now remembering myself, and covet ing by this mean to avoid that temporal pain which 1 am worthy to suffer as an heretic, at the assignation of my most excellent Christian prince and liege lord King Henry the fifth, now by the grace of God most worthy king both of England P < lawly,' 1st ed.]

Fine work manship, I

THE LORD COBHAM. 47

and of France, minding also to prefer the wholesome deter mination, sentence, and doctrine of the holy and universal church of Rome, before the unwholesome opinions of myself, my teachers, and my followers ; I freely, willingly, delibe- that church. rately, and thoroughly confess, grant, and affirm the most holy fathers in Christ St Peter the apostle, and his successors bishops of Rome, specially now at this time my most blessed lord pope John,- by the permission of God the twenty-third He poisoned pope of that name, which now holdeth Peter's seat (and each sor, to be of them in their succession) in full strength and power to be Christ's vicar in earth and the head of the church militant ; 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 Ye He, raise full authority and power to rule and govern, bind and loose, lie- save and destroy, accurse and assoil, all other Christian men.

" And agreeably still unto this, I confess, grant, and affirm all other archbishops, bishops, and prelates, in their provinces, dioceses, and parishes, appointed by the said pope ^jjjgg of Rome to assist him in his doings or business, by his decreed 2 himseir here. canons or virtue 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 rule and to govern, bind and loose, accurse and assoil, the subjects or peoples of their aforesaid provinces, dioceses, and parishes, and that their said subjects or peoples ought of right in all things to obey HOW prove them. Furthermore I confess, grant, and affirm that the said JceriPtaures? e spiritual fathers, as our most holy father the pope, arch bishops, bishops, and prelates, have had, have now, and ought is not this to have hereafter, authority and power for the estate, order, think you? and governance of their subjects or peoples, to make laws, decrees, statutes, and constitutions ; yea, and to publish, com mand, and compel their said subjects and peoples to the observation of them.

" Moreover I confess, grant, and affirm that all these fore- NO scriptures said laws, decrees, statutes, and constitutions, made, published, *hevw.1 e and commanded according to the form of spiritual law, all Christian people and every man in himself is straitly bound to observe and meekly to obey according to the diversity of the foresaid powers : as the laws, statutes, canons, and con- what stitutions of our most holy father the pope incorporated in Jggyae fa [2 * decrees/ 1st ed.]

48 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

his decrees, decretals, Clementines, codes, charts, rescripts, sextiles, and extravagants the world over all ; and as the provincial statutes of archbishops in their provinces, the synodal acts of bishops in their dioceses, and the commendable rules and customs of prelates in their colleges, and curates in their parishes, all Christian people are both bound to observe and intolerable also most meekly to obey. Over and besides all this, I, ffy? lay John Oldcastle, utterly forsaking and renouncing all the afore said errors and heresies, and all other errors and heresies like unto them, lay my hand here upon this book or holy Never made cvangely of God, and swear, that I shall never more from oath"0 henceforth hold these foresaid heresies, nor yet any other like unto them wittingly. Neither shall I give counsel, aid, help, nor favour at any time to them that shall hold, teach, affirm, or maintain the same, as God shall help me and these This knavery holy evangelies. And that I shall from henceforth faithfully theynstiii. obey and inviolably observe all the holy laws, statutes, canons, and constitutions of all the popes of Rome, archbishops, The biasphe- bishops, and prelates, as are contained and determined in their ^sste.lbl£ °f holy decrees, decretals, Clementines, codes, charts, rescripts, sextiles, sums papal, extravagants, statutes provincial, acts synodal, and other ordinary rules and customs constituted by them or that shall chance hereafter directly to be determined or made. To these and all such other will I myself with all Mark this power possible apply. Besides all this, the penance which it shall please my said reverend father the lord archbishop of Canterbury hereafter to enjoin me for my sins, I will meekly obey and faithfully fulfil. Finally, all my seducers and false teachers, and all other besides whom I shall hereafter know This charge suspected of heresy or errors, I shall effectually present or commonly, cause to be presented unto my said reverend father lord archbishop, or to them which hath his authority, so soon as I can conveniently do it, and see that they be corrected to my uttermost power. Amen."

THE CRUEL COMPLAINT OF THE CLERGY AND TYRANNOUS ACT THEREUPON MADE.

The devil NEVER came this abjuration to the hands of the Lord

f ys to Cobham, neither was it compiled of them for that purpose,

THE LORD COBHAM. 49

but only therewith to blear the eyes of the unlearned multi- EX statute

*...,, J , , Parliament!

tude. And when they perceived that policy would not J help, but made more and more against them, then sought ffr they out another false practice. They went unto the king with a most grievous complaint, like as they did afore in his $'Henry v. father's time, that in every quarter of the realm by reason cap' v of Wicliffe's opinions and the said Lord Cobham, were won derful contentions, rumours, tumults, uproars, confederations, ^dissensions, divisions, differences, discords, harms, slanders, schisms, sects, seditions, perturbations, perils, unlawful assem blies, variances, strifes, fightings, rebellious rufflings, and daily insurrections. The church (they said) was hated ; the The clamour diocesans were not obeyed ; the ordinaries were not regarded ; the spiritual officers, as suffragans, archdeacons, chancellors, doctors, commissaries, officials, deans, lawyers, scribes, and summoners were everywhere despised ; the laws and liberties of holy church were trodden under foot ; the Christian faith They cry was ruinously decayed; God's service was laughed to scorn ; their b the spiritual jurisdiction, authority, honour, power, policy, laws, rites, ceremonies, curses, keys, censures, and canonical sanctions of the church were had in an utter contempt : so that all in a manner was come to nought.

And the cause of this was, that the heretics and Lollards of Wicliffe's opinion were suffered to preach abroad so them' boldly, to gather conventicles unto them, to keep schools in men's houses, to make books, compile treatises, and write ballads, to teach privately in angles and corners, as in woods, fields, meadows, pastures, groves, and in caves of the ground. This would be (thev said) a destruction to the commonwealth,

..,1,1 „ . practice of

a subversion to the land, and an utter decay of the king's jjjgf8 yet

estate royal, if remedy were not sought in time. And this

was their policy to couple the king's authority with that they

had done in their former counsel of craft, and so to make it

thereby the stronger : for they perceived themselves very

far too weak else to follow against their enemies that they

had so largely enterprised. Upon this complaint, the king A parliament

immediately called a parliament at Leicester. It might not

in those days be holden at Westminster, for the great favour

that the Lord Cobham had both in London and about the

city. Yet were they deceived : that they doubted most

lighted there soonest upon them.

[BALE.]

50 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Robert . A bill was put in there again by the commons against

continual wasting of the temporalities, like as it had din8'i8ii14to keen twice afore by procurement of the said Lord Cobham, p.57a] j^k m ^g ^yg Of kmg Richard the second, anno 1395, FMsiCBodi anc^ a^so °^ kmg Henry the fourth, anno Domini 1410.

ih3e Sii Is5'

Whereupon was grown all this malice afore specified; but

X? s?edieby?s ^is was then workmanly defeated by another proper practice m. ^353.] of theirs. They put the king in remembrance to claim his Fabian, in right in France, and granted him thereunto a dime, with other great subsidy of money. Thus were Christ's people betrayed every way, and their lives bought and sold by these most A practice, cruel thieves. For in the said parliament the king made this waiden. ad most blasphemous and cruel act, to be as a law for ever : iLiAe$l that whatsoever they were that should read the scriptures in pofV ve? -1' ^e m°ther tongue (which was then called Wicliffe's learning), i546Ep'44iS]L ^ey should forfeit land, cattle, body, life, and goods from their heirs for ever, and so be condemned for heretics to God, enemies to the crown, and most errant traitors to the land. Besides this it was enacted, that never a sanctuary nor pri vileged ground within the realm should hold them, though Christ hath they were still permitted both to thieves and murderers.

less favour i i •/» • -i IT • -i

than thieves. And it in case they would not give over, or were alter their

pardon relapsed, they should suffer death in two manner of

Never tyrant kinds ; that is, they should first be hanged for treason against

more cruel. . .

the king, and then be burned for heresy against God, and

yet neither of both committed. The beginning of that act is

this : Pro eo quod macjni rumores, &c. Anon after was it

proclaimed throughout the realm ; and then had the bishops,

priests, monks, and friars a world somewhat to their minds.

For then were many taken in divers quarters, and suffered

waiden. ad most cruel death. And many fled out of the land into Ger-

mK.' cappi. many, Bohemia, France, Spain, Portugal, and into the wild

mentcap. of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, working there many mar

vels against their false kingdom too long to write. In the

Christmas following was sir Roger Acton, knight, master

Fabian. John Browne, esquire, sir John Beverlay, a learned preacher,

[Ed! i\i1nr' an(^ divers other more, attached for quarrelling with certain

iap'lx^pVs'] Priests, and so imprisoned. For all men at that time could

JiKltT."] n°t patiently suffer their blasphemous brags.

A great He. The complaint was made unto the king of them, that

they had made a great assembly in St Giles's field at London,

THE LORD COBHAM. 5l

purposing the destruction of the land, and the subversion of the commonwealth. As the king was thus informed, he waiden. ad erected a banner (saith Waiden) with a cross thereupon, (as the pope doth commonly by his legates, when he pretendeth cap. u to war against the Turk,) and with a1 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 it at the information of their priests. All this hath what The-

niiis 'VV'&ldcn,

Thomas Waiden in divers of his works, which was at the was. same time a white or Carmelite friar, and the king's con fessor, and partly it is touched both by Robert Fabian, and by Polydorus Vergilius in their English chronicles, but not in all points rightly, as is to be seen in the preface afore. In the mean season, sir John Oldcastle the Lord Cobham escaped Fabian. out of the Tower of London in the night, and so fled into fe>iyd.vergii.

in Chron.

Wales, where as he continued more than four years after. O 441.3

Some writers have thought this escape to come by the ^Jjlff"6 said sir Roger Acton, and other gentlemen in displeasure of the priests, and that to be the chief occasion of their deaths : which might well be, but Waiden doth not so utter it, which Joh. Major.

[Lib. vi. cap.

reigned the same self time2. In January next following was |£otHi^ the aforenamed sir Roger Acton, master John Browne, sir John Beverlay, and thirty-six more (of whom the more part were gentlemen of birth), convicted of heresy by the bishops, and condemned of treason by the temporality, and according to the act were first hanged, and then brent in the said St Giles's field. In the same year also was one John Claydon, Robert ^ a skinner, and one Richard Turmyne3, a baker, both hanged pph™7n8;-, and brent in Smithfield by that virtuous act, besides that was done in all other quarters of England, which was no small number, if it were now throughly known.

THE LATTER IMPRISONING AND DEATH OF THE LORD COBHAM.

IN the year of our Lord 1415, died Thomas Arundel, which had been archbishop of Canterbury more than thirty- die^ two years, to the great destruction of Christian belief. Yet died not his prodigious tyranny with him, but succeeded with

[J ' a/ not in 1st ed.] [2 « self same/ 1st ed.] [3 ' Turmin,' 1st ed.]

4—2

52 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

his office in Henry Chicheley, and in a great sort more of

The Lord that1 spiteful spirituality. For their malice was not yet sated

betrayed. against the good Lord Cobham. But they confedered with

the Lord Powys (which was at that time a great governor

in Wales), feeding him with lordly gifts and promises to ac-

Matt. xxvi. complish their desire. He at the last thus monied with

Judas, and outwardly pretending him great amity and favour,

most cowardly and wretchedly took him, and, in conclusion,

so sent him up to London, where as he remained a month or

condemned two imprisoned again in the Tower : and, after long process,

is God's true r f. . i «

servant. they condemned him again of heresy and treason by force of the aforenamed act, he rendering thanks unto God, that he had so appointed him to suffer for his name's sake.

He is led And upon the day appointed he was brought out of the

forth to his .„ .,,•,. i i t i • i t « i • T

death. Tower with his arms bound behind him, having a very cheer ful countenance. Then was he laid upon an hurdle, as though he had been a most heinous traitor to the crown, and so drawn forth into St Giles's field, where as they had set up a new pair of gallows. As he was come to the place of execution, and was taken from the hurdle, he fell down de- es. voutly upon his knees, desiring Almighty God to forgive his enemies. Then stood he up and beheld the multitude, ex horting them in most godly manner to follow the laws of God written in the scriptures, and in any wise to beware of such teachers as they see contrary to Christ in their conver- was he sation and living, with many other special counsels. Then was he hanged up there by the middle in chains of iron, and so consumed alive in the fire, praising the name of God so long as his life lasted. In the end he commended his soul into the hands of God, and so departed hence most christianly, his body resolved into ashes.

what the And this was done in the year of our Lord 1418, which

people and 1 . /»i • n t • /» p

priests did. was the sixth year of the reign of king Henry the fifth, the

Not the pope's people there present shewing great dolour. How the priests

SS?tbut that time fared, blasphemed, and cursed, requiring the people

not to pray for him, but to judge him damned in hell, for

that he departed not in the obedience of their pope, it were

too long to write. This terrible kind of death with gallows,

chains, and fire, appeareth not very precious in the eyes of

men that be carnal, no more than did the death of Christ

[i 'The/ 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 53

when he was hanged up among thieves. " The righteous John xix. seemeth to die," saith the wise man, " in the sight of them which are unwise, and their end is taken for very destruction." "Ungodly fools think their lives very madness, and their passage hence without all honour. But though they suffer wisd. v, pain before men," saith he, " yet is their expectation full of immortality. They are accounted for the children of God, joimi. and have their just portion among the saints. As gold in the furnace doth God try his elect, and 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 resurrection. Not that the afflictions of this life are Heb. xi. worthy of such a glory, but that it is God's heavenly pleasure so to reward them. Never are the judgments and ways ofisai.iv. men like unto the judgments and ways of God, but contrary evermore, unless they be taught of him. "In the latter JCT.XXXH. time," saith the Lord unto Daniel, " shall many he chosen, proved, and purified by fire; yet shall the ungodly live wickedly still, and have no understanding that is of faith." By an angel from heaven was John earnestly commanded to Rev. xiv. write, that " blessed are the dead which hence depart in the Lord." "Right dear," saith David, "in the sight of God is p«ai.cxvi. the death of his true servants." Thus resteth this valiant Christian knight, sir John Oldcastle, under the altar of God (which is Jesus Christ), among that godly company which in the kingdom of patience suffered great tribulation with the Rev. yi. death of their bodies for his faithful word and testimony, Rev. vu. abiding there with them the fulfilling of their whole number, Rev. xx. and the full restoration of his elect. The which he grant in effect at his time appointed, which is one God eternal. Amen.

THE CONCLUSION.

BESIDES the causes rehearsed afore in the preface, con cerning the dreadful death of this most Christian knight, sir Another' John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, this is also reckoned for death.0 one. In the end of the first book, which he put up into the parliament house against the abusions of the clergy, in the Against the year of our Lord 1395, (which was also the 18th year ofct

54

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Verses in Latin.

A time of ignorance.

The verses are here Englished.

By nothing will they amend.

Ad Martin. Pap. et in Prefat. iv.

king Richard the second,) were these six verses written as a brief conclusion summary of the universal contents thereof :

Plangunt Anglorum gentes crimen sodomorum. Paulus fert, horum sunt idola causa malorum. Surgunt ingrati, Giezite Symone nati, Nomine prcelati, hoc defensare parati. Qui reges estis, populis quicunque prceestis, Qualiter hiis gestis gladios proMbere potestis?

Though the verses be gross and imperfect according to the time then, wherein all fresh literature was clearly extin guished; yet is the sentence of them lively, and of a fresh faithful spirit, even in the zeal of Elias and Phinehas for re- buke of sin. And thus are they in the English :

Bewail may England the sin of sodomites. For idols and they are ground of all their woe. Of Simon Magus, a sect of hypocrites, Surnamed prelates, are up with them to go And to uphold them, in all that they may do. You that be rulers, peculiarly selected, How can ye suffer such mischiefs1 uncorrected?

When this book would not help towards any reformation, but was laughed to scorn of the bishops, then were these verses copied out by divers men, and set upon their windows, gates, and doors, which were then known for obstinate hy pocrites and fleshly livers, which made the prelates mad. And this is the great insurrection that Walden complaineth of unto pope Martin the fifth, and after him Polydorus the pope's collector, with other papists more, wherein never a one man was hurt. I would marvel much more of the double- ness of Thomas Walden, being then the king's confessor, if I did not know the unshamefaced nature of that lying gene ration. In his first epistle unto pope Martin, and in the first preface of his fourth book contra Wiclevistas2, he saith that

[i 'Togo/ Isted.]

[2 The passage cited by Walden, which is the following, occurs in the letter of archbishop Arundel to the bishop of London, describing the process against Cobham : Assidentibusque nobis venerabilibus con- fratribus nostris dominis, Ricardo London, et Henrico Winton. Dei gratia episcopis, comparuit personaliter dominus Robertus de Morley, miles, custos Turris London, secumque prsefatum dominum Johannem Oldecastel, militem, adduxit, et coram nobis collocavit. — After the word adduxit, Foxe introduces the explanatory words, "nam parum

THE LORD COBHAM. 55

sir John Oldcastle with a great number of heretics conspired Lib. contr.

Wiclev.3

against king Henry the fifth, in the first year of his reign, and that he offered him for every monk, canon, friar, and popish priest's head within his realm, a gold noble. And clean contrary unto this, he testifieth in his book called Fas- Fasdc. ciculus Zizaniorum Wiclevi, that he was the same self time, wider.

[Bodl. MS.

year, month, week, and day a prisoner within the Tower of 163>fol-95-bO London. How well these two writings agree, I report me.

But thus commonly are innocent men lied upon among Liars. these blasphemous belly-gods. But he that is essentially true joim via. 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. " JSTo secret," saith he, " is so close, but once shall be Matt. *. opened, neither is any thing so hid, that shall not at the- last

be known clearly." Thus hath sir John Oldcastle a trium-

i . , . • i i • overcometh.

phant victory over his enemies by the verity which he de fended, all contrary to the blind world's expectation ; and they have a foul overthrow, being proved manifest murderers, blind beasts, hypocrites, and liars by the same. Such a sweet Lord PS»I. x is God always to those that be his true servants, blessed be his holy name therefore!

Confer the causes of this godly man's death with the stephan. points that Thomas Becket died for and other popish martyrs vljfb;^o besides, and ye shall find them far different and unlike. xix-i Thomas Becket was slain at Canterbury, in his prelate's apparel, in the head church, before the high altar, among religious monks and priests, and in the holy time of Christ mas, by his own seeking : and all this is glorious unto worldly judgments. Sir John Oldcastle was brent in chains at London w

in St Giles's field, under the gallows, among the lay-people, ix1. [pusSS*

and upon the profane working-day, at the bishops' procure- FatjaJ-,

ment. And all this is unglorious, yea, and very despisable

unto those worldly eyes. What though Jesus Christ his Jesus chris*.

master afore him were handled after a very like sort ? For

he was crucified at Hierusalem, without the city, and without H<*. xm.

the holy synagogue, accursed out of church, among the pro-

ante per regies ministros comprehensus est, et in Turrim clausus." — Beg. Arundel. fol. 142, b. Wilkins, Concil. Vol. in. 354. See also Foxe, Rerum in Ecc. Gest. Ed. Basil. Pars i. p. 102.]

[3 In this latter passage no mention of sir John Oldcastle' s name is made: it is merely said, "miles quidam magnus," &c. Ed. Paris, 1533, p. 240.]

56

THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Matt, xxvii. John xix. Acts iii.

Heribertus Bossenham in Vita Thomas.

Luke xiv.

Luke xxiii. 1 Pet. v.

Wherefore the Lord Cobham died.

Matt. x. Mark viii. Luke ix. Luke xii.

Bened. de Burg. Petr. [Ed. Hearne, Oxon. 1735, Vol. I. p. 10.]

Johannes Capgrave. NovaLegenda Anglice. [Wynkyn de Worde, 1527, fol. 291.] Stephan. Langtpn, [Lib. iii. cap. xv iii.

Ed. Bruss. 4to, 1673, p. 885.]

How the Lord Cobham died.

No popish martyr is Cobham.

fane multitude, in the midst of thieves, in the place where as thieves were commonly hanged, and not upon the feastful day but afore it, by the bishops' procurement also.

Now let us consider the causes of both their deaths, and try them both by the manifest scriptures of the gospel, which of them should seem most to the glory of God, and which most to the glory of men. Thomas Becket died upon his own seeking only, for maintaining the wanton liberties and superfluous possessions of the Romish church here within England ; which are both forbidden of Christ, and also con demned by the same scriptures. " He that forsaketh not all that he hath/' saith he, "cannot be my disciple." And when a contention befell among the apostles for the superiority, he said also unto them: "The kings of the world have the world's dominion with all pomp and riches belonging to the same ; but you shall not so." Sir John Oldcastle died at the importune suit of the clergy, for calling upon a Christian re formation in that Romish church of theirs, and for manfully standing by the faithful testimonies of Jesu, as all the afore said process declareth. And this is both allowed in the gospel, and also required of every Christian believer. " 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 and 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 him self to the patrons of his church (which were two gilded images of St Saviour and St Mary), and the cause of his church unto St Denys, and had no more but his priest's crown cut off (which is the pope's livery-mark) even by the very shaving, as his story mentioneth.

Sir John Oldcastle in the time of his death commended his soul, with David, Christ, and Stephen, into the hands of God the eternal Father, and his cause to the rightful judg ment of his Son Jesus Christ, with desire of merciful forgive ness concerning his enemies, as became a faithful Christian, and had his whole body consumed in the fire. Now pluck from your eyes the corrupted spectacles of carnal or popish judgments, and do upon them that1 clear sight which ye have by the Spirit of Christ; and, that faithfully done, tell me [i 'The,' 1st ed.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 57

which of these two seemeth rather to be the martyr of Christ, and which the pope's martyr ? " The ways of God," saith isai. IY Esay, " are not the ways of men. But so far as the heavens are ahove the vile earth, so far do his judgments exceed theirs." " That which seemeth high and glorious unto men," Luke xvi. saith Christ, " is very abomination afore God." By this may ye see that the precious spouse or immaculate church of Christ is no gorgeously painted gentlewoman, nor gloriously glittering madam2, but all hidden and unknown to the worldly Psai. xiv. infidels which disdain to seek her in the scriptures.

Nothing is precious unto them, that shineth not unto the who is a

. • i * i • i right member

eye. A most fit member for Christ's mystical body is he°fchmt. that suffereth with the head thereof: as this good sir John Oldcastle did, when he was with Christ examined ofxhetyramy the proud bishops, scorned of the priests, disdained of the »nd Priests- world, ill reported, mocked, hated, reviled, accursed, and so committed unto the lay -judgment to be condemned by them unto most shameful and cruel death. Yea, so extremely malicious was that spiteful spirituality against him, that they would not suffer his body to be buried in their great city or holy church (which is spiritually called Sodoma and JEgyptus) to make the prophecy of St John's Apocalypse truly to be Rev. xi. verified upon him, and to prove him Christ's member alto gether. They both resolved his body into ashes, and also made the river to carry them away, like as they did also with the bones of John Wicliffe, lest any thing: thereof should DeSacramen-

T i i talibus, cap.

remain; because they would also shew themselves like in l3 tyranny to Julianus Apostata, that so used the body of holy John Baptist afore them. I should make a comparison betwixt this blessed martyr of Christ, sir John Oldcastle, and Peter of Milan, with other of the pope's martyrs, which died The pope's

f ., , , -i . * f . martyrs.

for the pope s power, pardons, pilgrimages, ear-confession, and other popish matters more established in the general council of Lateran ; but it would ask too much time.

And as concerning the kind of his contemptuous death or martyrdom. More vile was not his hanging under the gal lows in an iron chain, than was the hanging of his Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross in the time of his death ; nor John Xix. than was the hanging of Peter, Andrew, and Philip his holy Johan. Text." apostles, bishop Simeon, Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Alexander, [2 'mayden,' 1st ed.j

58 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST

Epipodlus, Claudius, Asterius, Menon, Nemesius, Nestor, Agri- cola, Julia, Zoe the wife of Nicostratus, with many other holy Brent was he martyrs more. More odious was not his burning in the fire,

with Christ's • &

martyrs. tnan was the cruel burning of Barnabas the apostle, Poly- carpus the good bishop of Smyrna, Amancius, Agathon, Tyburcius, Getulius1, Simphronius, Sosthenes, Victor, Dios- corus, Eulogius, Fructuosus, Castus, ^Emilius, Fidentius, Hero, Irenseus, Aphra, Hilaria, Apollonia, Anastasia, and many hun dreds more.

When this strong witness of the Lord was among the fat

Psai. xxii. buiis Of Basan, and most cruelly assaulted of them, he was

Amos iv. *>

johnxii. thoroughly ascertained in his conscience, for that conflict of faith, to taste his eternal goodness in the lasting land of the

Psai. xxx. living. Yea, such time as he was reproved of his enemies and forsaken of his friends, in manner of a broken vessel, he

2 Mac. vii. took a strong stomach unto him, as did the mighty Maccabees, and thought thus in his mind : that though those ungracious tyrants should put him unto death, yet would the eternal

johnvi' King (which is both resurrection and life) raise him up again

Eev.jxx. jn the resurrection of life everlasting, among them that have died for his pure laws. Already hath he raised his fame (which lay long dead) by the living spirit of his gospel, for

The gospel that he was a minister thereof: which is a most evident

unsainteth

Becket. token that he will hereafter, with his other mystical members, raise him up in perfect glory. When the gospel lay dead, glorious Thomas Becket was a saint, and John Oldcastle a forgotten heretic ; but now that the light thereof shineth, we

The gospel are like to see it far otherwise : for proud Becket hath

canonizetn

cobimm. already hidden his face, and poor Oldcastle beginneth now to appear very notable. Not all unrightly did St Augustine speak it, and other old doctors besides, that many were wor shipped here in earth for saints, whose wretched souls are grievously cruciate in hell.

Such time as our most worthy sovereign King Henry the

| £h^xxiii- eighth, now living, after the most godly example of king Josias

xxxiv. visited the temples of his realm, he perceived the sinful shrine

of this Becket to be unto his people a most pernicious evil,

and therefore in the word of the Lord he utterly among

Pnests suf- other destroyed it. If he had upon that and such other

amendment, abominable shrines brent those idolatrous priests which were

t1 «Petulms/lsted.]

THE LORD COBHAM. 59

(and are yet) their chief maintainers, he had fulfilled that godly history throughout. But that which was not then performed, in hope of their amendment, may by chance light upon them hereafter, when no gentle warning will seem to be regarded, I doubt it not at all, but his most noble discretion perceiveth much more in that wicked generation of the pope's They dance nourishing 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 The Lord health which we poor creatures have received at his only grace. hand under God, though it be not all without the grievous punishment of our bodies. By the process which we have afore here uttered of sir John Oldcastle, we may evidently see that great is the treasure which the Lord hath laid up for the behoof of them that have trusted in him. Wherewith psai. xxx. now he maketh dumb the lying lips of them that disdainously reported the righteous, to the honour and praise of his most glorious name. Amen.

Thus endeth the brief chronicle concerning the examina tion and death of the blessed martyr of Christ, sir John Old- castle, the Lord Cobham, not canonized of the pope, but in the precious blood of his Lord Jesus Christ. Collected by John Bale, and imprinted anno Domini 1544, et vi. die Augusti.

on of JWaster Militant ^fl&orpe preste accused of fteresBe before tE&omas &runfcell / &rc&£bfss- of ^Daturburg/tfte gere of ofon HorUe. antr stucn.

namfnacfon of tjje honorable Imfg5t sgr ©tocastell Horbt ^obftam / burnt bi tf)e sattr ^rcjebt'ssfiop / in tje fprste 2eu of tfie

J[33t no more asfmtwfc to Sfare it/tjjen ye toere antJ be / to too it.

THE EXAMINATION

OF

MASTER WILLIAM THORPE,

THE

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE1,

[ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER2.]

GRACE and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. Read here with judgment, good reader, the examination of the blessed man of God, and there thou shalt easily perceive wherefore our holy church (as the most unholy sort of all the people will be called) make off their examinations in darkness, off the lay people clean excluded from their counsels. For if their lies had been openly confuted, and also that the accused of heresy might as well have been admitted to reason their articles with counsel, whether they were heresy or no, as the accused of treason against the king is admitted to his counsel to confute his cause and articles, whether they be treason or not, they should never have murdered nor prisoned so many good Christian men as they have done. For their cloked lies could never have continued so long in the light, as they have done in corners. Their god-men, when they come in the pulpit and preach against the truth, cry, If their learning were good and true, they would never go in corners, but speak it openly. Whereunto I answer, that besides that Christ and his apostles were compelled (for because of the furiousness of their fathers

[! This examination is included among the works of Bale, because he did himself publish it with that of Lord Cobham and without any note attributing it to Tyndale. For this reason, and because Bale collected and collated the examinations of Cobham and Askew, it has been determined in the present edition to include this examination of Thorpe, without regard to the assertion of Foxe that it was the work of Tyndale. The first edition, and which also contains the examination of Lord Cobham, has by the kindness of George Offor, Esq. of Grove House, Hackney, been lent to the Editor for the purpose of collation. It is a work of the highest rarity, if not unique.]

[2 This advertisement to the reader is probably Tyndale's: it is prefixed to the first edition.]

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 63

the bishops and priests, which only that time would be called holy church,) oftentimes for waste secretly, and absent them selves and give place to their malice ; yet we have daily examples of more than one or two, that have not spared nor feared for to speak and also to preach openly the truth, which have been taken of them, prisoned and brent, beside other that for fear of death have abjured and carried fagots.

Of whose articles and examination there is no layman that can shew a word. Who can tell wherefore (not many years past) there were seven burnt in Coventry in one day ? Who can tell wherefore that good priest and holy martyr sir Thomas Litton was burnt, now this year, at Maidstone in Kent ? I am sure, no man. For this is their cast, even when they have put to death or punished any man, after their secret examination, to slander him of such things as he never thought. As they may do well enough, seeing there is no man to contrary them.

Wherefore I exhort thee, good brother, whosoever thou be that readest this treatise, mark it well and consider it seriously, and thou shalt find not only what the church is, their doctrine of the sacrament, the worshipping of images, pilgrimages, confession, swearing and paying of tythes ; but also thou mayest see what strong and substantial arguments of scripture and doctrines, and what clerkly reasons, my lord, the head and primate of the holy church in England (as he will be taken), bringeth against this poor, foolish, simple, and madlosell knave, a heretic as he calleth him ; and also the very cause wherefore all their examinations are made in dark ness. And the Lord of all light shall light thee with the candle of his grace, for to see the truth. Amen.

This I have corrected and put forth in the English, that now is used in England, for our southern men, nothing thereto adding, nor yet therefrom minishing. And I intend hereafter with the help of God, to put it forth in his own old English, which shall well serve, I doubt not, both for the northern men, and the faithful brethren of Scotland.

64 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

WILLIAM THORPE,

THAT CONSTANT SERVANT OF GOD*.

THUS much briefly being signified by the way, touching these who have been forced in time of this king2 to open abju ration, next cometh to our hands the worthy history of Mas ter William Thorpe, a warrior valiant under the triumphant banner of Christ, with the process of his examinations before the aforesaid Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, written by the said Thorpe, and storied by his own pen, at the request of his friends, as by his own words, in the process hereof, may appear; in whose examination, which seemeth first to begin A.D. 1407, thou shalt have, good reader, both to learn and to marvel : to learn, in that thou shalt hear truth discoursed and discussed, with the contrary reasons of the adversary dissolved ; to marvel, for thou shalt behold here in this man the marvellous force and strength of the Lord's might, Spirit, and grace, working and fighting in his soldiers, and also speaking in their mouths, according to TWS history the word of his promise, Luke xxi. To the text of the story we have neither added nor diminished ; but, as we have received *' copied out, and corrected by Master William Tyndale (who had his own hand-writing), so we have here sent it, and set it out abroad. Although, for the more credit of the matter, I rather wished it in his own natural speech, wherein it was first written ; notwithstanding, to put away all doubt and scruple herein, this I thought before to pre-monish and testify to the reader, touching the certainty hereof, that they be yet alive who have seen the self-same copy in its own old English, resembling the true antiquity both of the speech and of the time, the name of whom, as for record of the same to avouch, is Master Whitehead ; who, as he hath seen the true ancient copy in the hands of George Constantine, so he given credible relation of the same, both to the printer and to me. Further more, the said Master Tyndale, albeit he did somewhat alter and amend the English thereof, and frame it after our man-

[! This short preface, introductory to Thorpe's "own preface," is from Foxe.]

[2 Henry IV.]

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 65

ner, yet not fully in all words, but that something doth re main savouring of the old speech of that time. What the causes were, why this good man and servant of Christ, Wil liam Thorpe, did write it, and pen it out himself, it is suffi ciently declared in his own preface, set before his book, which is here prefixed in manner as followeth.

THE PREFACE OF WILLIAM THORPE.

THE Lord God that knoweth all things wotteth well that I am right sorrowful for to write or to make known this sen tence beneath written, where that of mine own Christian set, in high state and dignity, so great blindness and malice may be known, that they that presume of themselves to destroy vices, and to plant in men virtues, neither dread to offend God, nor lust to please him, as their works shew. For certes God's laws the bidding of God and his law, which in the praising of his foj1°0^nd most holy name he commandeth to be known and kept of all men and women, young and old, after the cunning and power that he hath given to them, the prelates of this land and their ministers, with the covent of priests chiefly consenting to them, enforce them most busily to withstand, and destroy the holy ordinance of God. And therethrough God is greatly wroth and moved to take hard vengeance, not only upon them that do the evil, but also on them all that con sent to these antichrist's limbs ; which know or might know their malice and their falsehood, and dress3 them not to with stand their malice and their great pride. Nevertheless four Four causes, things moveth me to write this sentence beneath.

The first thing that moveth me hereto is this : that whereas The first it was known to certain friends, that I came from the prison of Shrewsbury, and (as it befell indeed) that I should to the prison of Canterbury ; then divers friends in divers places spake to me full heartily and full tenderly, and commanded me then, if it so were that I should be examined before the arch bishop of Canterbury, that, if I might in any wise, I should write mine apposing and mine answering. And I promised to my special friends, that, if I might, I would gladly do their biddings as I might.

The second thing that moveth me to write this sentence The second

cause.

[3 Dress : address.] [BALE.]

66 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

is this : divers friends, which have heard that I have been examined before the archbishop, have come to me in prison, and counselled me busily, and coveted greatly that I should do the same thing. And other brethren have sent to me, and required me on God's behalf, that I should write out and make known both mine apposing and mine answering, for the profit that (as they say) over my knowledging may come thereof. But this they bade me, that I should be busy in all my wits, to go as near the sentence and the words as I could, both that were spoken to me, and that I spake ; upaventure l this writing came another time before the archbishop and his council. And of this counselling I was right glad; for in my conscience I was moved to do this thing, and to ask hereto the special help of God. And so then I considering the great de sire of divers friends of sundry places, according all in one, I occupied all my mind and my wits so busily, that through God's grace I perceived, by their meaning and their charitable Truth ieav- desire, some profit might come therethrough. For soth-

eth always a ' r & . .

sweet smeii fastness2 and truth hath these conditions : wherever it is im-

behmd it.

pugned, it hath a sweet smell, and thereof comes a sweet savour ; and the more violently the enemies dress themselves to oppress and to withstand the truth, the greater and the sweeter smell cometh thereof. And therefore this heavenly smell of God's word will not as a smoke pass away with the wind ; but it will descend and rest in some clean soul, that thirsteth thereafter. And thus some deal by this writing may be per ceived, through God's grace, how that the enemies of the truth (standing boldly in their malice) enforce them to withstand the freedom of Christ's gospel, for which freedom Christ became man, and shed his heart-blood. And therefore it is great pity and sorrow, that many men and women do their own wayward will, nor busy them not to know nor to do the plea sant will of God. Godiy coun- The men and women that hear the truth and sothfastness,

sel given, if « i • / •• » • •

a r or know °f this (perceiving what is now in the

church), ought herethrough to be the more moved in all their wits, to able them to grace, and to set lesser price by themself, that they without tarrying forsake wilfully and bodily all the wretchedness of this life; since they know

[l Upaventure: in case.]

[2 Sothfastness or soothfulness : truthfulness.]

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 67

not how soon, nor when, nor where, nor by whom, God will teach them and assay their patience. For no doubt, who that ever will live piteously, that is charitably in Christ Jesu, shall true church- suffer now here in this life persecution, in one wise or another. That is, if we shall be saved, it behoveth us to imagine full busily the vility3 and foulness of sin, and how the Lord God is displeased therefore : and so of this vility, of hideousness of sin, it behoveth us to busy us in all our wits, for to abhor and hold in our mind a great shame of sin ever; and so then we owe to sorrow heartily therefore, and ever flying all occasion thereof. And then behoveth us to take upon us sharp pen ance, continuing therein, for to obtain of the Lord forgiveness of our foredone sins, and grace to abstain us hereafter from sin. And but if we enforce us to do this wilfully and in con venient time, the Lord (if he will not utterly destroy and cast us away) will in divers manners move tyrants against us, for to constrain us violently for to do penance, which we would not do wilfully. And trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord, and a great token of life and mercy. And no doubt, whoever will not apply himself (as is said before) to punish himself wilfully, neither will suffer patiently, meekly, and gladly the rod of the Lord, howsoever that he will punish him ; their wayward wills and their impatience are unto them ear nest of everlasting damnation. But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faithfully to grace, for to live here simply and purely, and without gall of malice and of grudging ; therefore the lovers of this world hate and pursue them that they know patient, meek, chaste, and wilfully poor, hating and flying all worldly vanities and fleshly lusts : for surely their virtuous conditions are even contrary to the man ners of this world.

The third thing that moveth me to write this sentence is cahusehird this : I thought I shall busy me in myself to do faithfully, that all men and women (occupying all their business in knowing and in keeping of God's commandments) able them so to grace, that they might understand truly the truth, and have and use virtue and prudence, and so to deserve to be lightened from above with heavenly wisdom ; so that all their words and their works may be hereby made pleasant sacrifice unto the others neces- Lord God ; and not only for help of their own souls, but also considered. [3 Vility: vileness.]

5—2

68

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

The fourth cause.

The assist ance of God never failed them that are

for edification of all holy church. For I doubt not, but all they that will apply them to have this foresaid business, shall profit full mickle both to friends and foes. For some enemies of the truth, through the grace of God, shall through cha ritable folks be made astonied in their conscience, and perad- venture converted from vices to virtues : and also they that labour to know and to keep faithfully the biddings of God, and to suffer patiently all adversities, shall hereby comfort many friends.

And the fourth thing that moveth me to write this sen tence is this : I know by my sudden and unwarned apposing and answering, that all they that will of good heart, without feigning, able themselves wilfully and gladly, after their cun ning and their power, to follow Christ patiently, travailing busily, privily and apertly, in work and in word, to with draw whosoever that they may from vices, planting in them (if they may) virtues, comforting them and furthering them that standeth in grace ; so that therewith they be not borne up in vain-glory, through presumption of their wisdom, nor in flamed with any worldly prosperity, but ever meek and patient, purposing to abide stedfastly in the will of God, suffering wilfully and gladly without any grudging whatsoever rod the Lord will chastise them with : then, this good Lord will not forget to comfort all such men and women in all their tribula tions, and at every point of temptation that any enemy pur- poseth for to do against them. To such faithful lovers specially, and patient followers of Christ, the Lord sendeth his wisdom from above to them, which the adversaries of the truth may not know nor understand. But, through their old and new unshamefaced sins, those tyrants and enemies of soth- fastness shall be so blinded and obstinate in evil, that they shall ween themself to do pleasant sacrifices unto the Lord God in their malicious and wrongful pursuing and destroying of innocent men's and women's bodies : which men and women, for their virtuous living, and for their true knowledging of the truth, and their patient, wilful, and glad suffering of persecu tion for righteousness, deserve through the grace of God to be heirs of the endless bliss of heaven. And for the fervent de sire and great love that those men have, as to stand in sothfastness and witness of it, though they be suddenly and unwarnedly brought forth to be apposed of their adversaries,

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 69

the Holy Ghost yet, that moveth and ruleth them through his charity, will in the hour of their answering speak in them and shew his wisdom, that all their enemies shall not again- say nor againstand lawfully/

And therefore all they that are stedfast in the faith of God, yea, which through diligent keeping of his command ments and for their patient suffering of whatsoever adversity, that cometh to them, hope surely in his mercy, purposing to stand continually in perfect charity ; for those men and women dread not so the adversities of this life, that they will fear (after their cunning and their power) to knowledge prudently the truth of God's words, when, where, and to whom, that they think their knowledging may profit : yea, and though, therefore, persecution come to them in one wise or another, certes, they patiently take it, knowing their conversation to be in heaven. It is a high reward and a special grace of God, for to have and enjoy the everlasting inheritance of hea ven for the suffering of one persecution in so short time as the term of this life. For lo, this heavenly heritage and end less reward is the Lord God himself, which is the best thing that may be. This sentence witnesseth the Lord God himself, where as he said to Abraham, " I am thy meed :" and as the Lord said he was and is the meed of Abraham, so he is of all his other saints. This most blessed and best meed he grant to us all for his holy name, that made us of nought, and sent his only most dear worthy Son, our Lord Jesu Christ, for to redeem us with his most precious heart-blood !

THE EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE, PENNED WITH HIS OWN HAND.

KNOWN be it to all men that read or hear this writing Examination beneath, that on the Sunday next after the feast of St Peter, before>5So-

, ' masArundel,

that we call Lammas, in the year of our Lord one thousand archbishop, four hundred and seven, I William of Thorpe, being in prison in the castle of Saltwood, was brought before Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, and chancellor then of England. And when that I came to him, he stood in a great chamber, and much people about him : and when that he saw me, he went fast into a closet, bidding all secular men that followed

70 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

him to go forth from him soon; so that no man was left then in that closet but the archbishop himself and a physician that was called Malveren, parson of St Dunstan's in London, and other two persons unknown to me, which were ministers of the Loitering law. And, I standing before them, by and by the archbishop not abide*"1 said to me : " William, I know well that thou hast this twenty preachers, winter and more travelled about busily in the north country and in other divers countries of England, sowing about false doctrine, having great business, if thou might, with thine un true teaching and shrewd will for to infect and poison all this The grace of land. But, through the grace of God, thou art now with-

God, and of

canSu0/ s^nded and brought into my ward; so that I shall now SinS! ' sequester thee from thine evil purpose, and let thee to envenom the sheep of my province. Nevertheless St Paul saith : ' If it may be, as far as in us is, we ought to have peace with all men.' Therefore, William, if thou wilt now meekly and of good heart, without any feigning, kneel down and lay thy hand upon a book, and kiss it, promising faithfully, as I shall here charge thee, that thou wilt submit thee to my correction, and stand rTanUce°rand *° m^ne ordinance, and fulfil it duly by all thy cunning and God^ordi- P°wer> thou shalt yet find me gracious unto thee." pSse'you* Then said I to the archbishop: "Sir, since ye deem me

an heretic and out of belief, will ye give me here audience to tell my belief ?" And he said : " Yea, tell on." And I said : " I believe that there is not but one God Almighty, and in this Godhead, and of this Godhead, are three Persons, that is, the Father, the Son, and the sothfast Holy Ghost. And I believe that all these three Persons are even in power, and in cun ning, and in might, full of grace and of all goodness. For whatsoever that the Father doth or can or will, that thing also the Son doth and can and will : and in all their power, cunning, and will, the Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and to the Son.

" Over this, I believe that through counsel of this most blessed Trinity, in most convenient time before ordained for the salvation of mankind, the second Person of this Trinity was ordained to take the form of man, that is, the kind of man. And I believe that this second Person, our Lord Jesu Christ, was conceived through the Holy Ghost into the womb of the most blessed virgin Mary, without man's seed. And I believe, that after nine months Christ was born of this most

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 71

blessed virgin, without any pain or breaking of the cloister of her womb, and without filth of her virginity.

" And I believe that Christ our Saviour was circumcised in the eighth day after his birth, in fulfilling of the law, and his name was called Jesus, which was so called of the angel, before that he was conceived in the womb of Mary his mother.

" And I believe that Christ, as he was about thirty year old, was baptized in the flood of Jordan of John Baptist: and in the likeness of a dove the Holy Ghost descended there upon him, and a voice was heard from heaven, saying, ' Thou art my well- beloved Son, in thee I am full pleased.'

" And I believe that Christ was moved then by the Holy Ghost for to go into the desert, and there he fasted forty days and forty nights without bodily meat and drink. And I believe that by and by, after his fasting, when the manhood of Christ hungered, the fiend came to him, and tempted him in gluttony, in vain-glory, and in covetise : but in all those temptations Christ concluded the fiend, and withstood him. And then, without tarrying, Jesu began to preach and to say unto the people, ' Do ye penance ; for the realm of heaven is now at hand/

"And I believe that Christ, in all his time here, lived most holily, and taught the will of his Father most truly : and I believe that he suffered therefore, most wrongfully, greatest reprieves and despisings.

" And after this, when Christ would make an end here of his temporal life, I believe that in the day next before that he would suffer passion on the morn, in form of bread wine- and of wine he ordained the sacrament of his flesh and his blood, that is, his own precious body, and gave it to his apostles for to eat ; commanding them, and by them all their after-comers, that they should do it in this form that he shewed to them ; use themself, and teach and commune forth to other men and women, this most worshipful holiest sacra ment, in mindfulness of his holiest living, and of his most true teaching, and of his wilful and patient suffering of the most painful passion.

" And I believe that thus Christ our Saviour, after that he had ordained this most worthy sacrament of his own pre-

72 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

cious body, he went forth wilfully against his enemies, and he suffered them most patiently to lay their hands most violently upon him, and to bind him, and to lead him forth as a thief, and to scorn him and buffet him, and ail-to blow or file him with their spittings. Over this, I believe that Christ suffered most meekly and patiently his enemies for to ding out with sharp scourges the blood that was between his skin and his flesh : yea, without grudging Christ suffered the cruel Jews to crown him with most sharp thorns, and to strike him with a reed. And after, Christ suffered wicked Jews to draw him out upon the cross, and for to nail him thereupon foot and hand. And so, through his pitiful nailing, Christ shed out wilfully, for man's life, the blood that was in his veins. And then Christ gave wilfully his spirit into the hands or power of his Father; and so, as he would, and when he would, Christ died wilfully, for man's sake, upon the cross. And notwithstanding that Christ was wilfully, painfully, and most shamefully put to death, as to the world, there was left blood and water in his heart, as he before ordained, that he would shed out this blood and this water for man's salvation. And therefore he suffered the Jews to make a blind knight to thrust him into the heart with a spear; and this the blood and water that was in his heart Christ would shed out for man's love: and after this I believe that Christ was taken down from the cross and buried. And I believe that on the third day, by the power of his Godhead, Christ rose again from death to life. And the forty day thereafter, I believe that Christ ascended up into heaven, and that he there sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and the fifty1 day, after this up-going, he sent to his apostles the Holy Ghost, that he had promised them before : and I believe that Christ shall come and judge all mankind, some to everlasting peace, and some to everlasting pains.

" And as I believe in the Father and in the Son, that they are one God Almighty, so I believe in the Holy Ghost, that is also with them the same God Almighty, what is the "And I believe an holy church; that is, all they that

holy church. «J ' J J

have been, and that now are, and always to the end of the

P Foxe, edit. 1563, p. 147, "the tenth day:"— Ed. 1570, p. 631, "the fiftieth day."]

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 73

world shall be, a people the which shall endeavour them to know and to keep the commandments of God, dreading over all thing to offend God, and loving and seeking most to please him : and I believe that all they that have had and yet have, and all they that yet shall have, the foresaid virtues, surely standing in the belief of God, hoping stedfastly in his merciful doings, continuing to their end in perfect charity, wilfully, patiently, and gladly suffering persecutions, by the example of Christ chiefly and his apostles, all these have their names written in the book of life.

" Therefore I believe that the gathering together of this people, living now here in this life, is the holy church true church of God, fighting here on earth against the fiend, the pros perity of the world, and their fleshly lusts. Wherefore, seeing that all the gathering together of this church before said, and every part thereof, neither coveteth, nor willeth, nor loveth, nor seeketh any thing but to eschew the offence of God, and to do his pleasing will; meekly, gladly, and wil fully, of all mine heart, I submit myself unto this holy church of Christ, to be ever buxom and obedient to the or dinance of it, and of every member thereof, after my know ledge and power by the help of God. Therefore I knowledge now, and evermore shall, if God will, that of all my heart and of all my might I will submit me only to the rule and governance of them whom after my knowledge I may per ceive, by the having and using of the beforesaid virtues, to be members of the holy church. Wherefore these articles belief, and all other (both of the old law and of the new, which after the commandment of God any man ought to believe), I believe verily in my soul, as a sinful deadly wretch of my cunning and power ought to believe; praying the Lord God, for his holy name, for to increase my belief, and to help my unbelief.

" And for because, to the praising of God's name, I desire, above all things, to be a faithful member of holy church, I make this protestation before you all four that are now here present, coveting that all men and women that now be absent knew the same : that what thing soever before this time I have said or done, or what thing here I shall do or say at any time hereafter, I believe, that all the old law and The old

J t/ ' ' Testament

new law, given and ordained by counsel of these three Persons and new-

74 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

of the Trinity, were given and written to the salvation of mankind. And I believe, that these laws are sufficient for man's salvation. And I believe every article of these laws, to the intent, that these articles were ordained and command ed of these three Persons of the most blessed Trinity to be believed.

" And therefore, to the rule and the ordinance of these, God's laws, meekly, gladly, and wilfully I submit me with all mine heart ; that whosoever can or will, by authority of God's law, or by open reason, tell me that I have erred or now err, or any time hereafter shall err, in any article of belief (from which inconvenience God keep me for his good ness!), I submit me to be reconciled and to be buxom and obedient unto these laws of God, and to every article of them. For, by authority specially of these laws, I will, through the grace of God, be united charitably unto these laws. Yea, sir, and over this, I believe and admit all the sentences, authorities, and reasons, of the saints and doctors, according unto holy scripture, and declaring it truly. be°foarowsedto " ^ submit me wilfully and meekly to be ever obedient, fo'wS w°ord. after my cunning and power, to all these saints and doctors, as they are obedient in work and in word to God and to his law ; and further not (to my knowledge), not for any earthly power, dignity, or state, through the help of God. But, sir, I pray you tell me, if, after your bidding, I shall lay my hand a bookar by uPon the book, to the intent to swear thereby ? " 5SJ5L And the archbishop said to me : " Yea, wherefore else ?"

And I said to him : " Sir, a book is nothing else but a thing coupled together of divers creatures ; and to swear by any creature, both God's law and man's law is against. But, sir, this thing I say here to you before these your clerks, with my aforesaid protestation, that how, where, when, and to whom, men are bounden to swear or to obey, in any wise, after God's law, and saints and true doctors according with God's law, I will, through God's grace, be ever ready thereto, with all my cunning and power. But I pray you, sir, for the charity of God, that ye will, before that I swear (as I have here rehearsed to you), tell me how or whereto that I shall submit me ; and shew me whereof that ye will correct me, and what is the ordinance that ye will thus oblige me to fulfil."

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 75

And the archbishop said unto me : " I will shortly that HOW, where, now thou swear here to me, that thou shalt forsake all the swear. opinions which the sect of Lollards hold, and is slandered with : so that after this time, neither privily nor apertly, thou hold any opinion which I shall (after thou hast sworn) rehearse to thee here. Nor thou shalt favour no man nor woman, young nor old, that holdeth any of these foresaid opinions; but, after thy knowledge and power, thou shalt enforce thee to withstand all such distroublers of holy church in every diocese that thou comest in ; and them that will not leave their false and damnable opinions, thou shalt put them up, publishing them and their names, and make them known to the bishop of the diocese that they are in, or to the bishop's ministers. And, over this, I will that thou preach no more unto the time that I know, by good witness and true, that thy conversation be such, that thy heart and thy mouth accord truly in one, contrarying all the lewd learning that thou hast taught herebefore."

And I, hearing these words, thought in my heart, that this was an unleful asking, and deemed myself cursed of God, if I consented hereto ; and I thought how Susan said, " Anguish is to me on every side." And in that I stood still and spake not, the archbishop said to me : " Answer one wise or other." And I said : " Sir, if I consented to you thus as

ye have here rehearsed to me, I should become an appealer, ceedings,

J r r ' whereto they

or every bishop's espy, summoner of all England. For and I tend- should thus put up and publish the names of men and women, I should herein deceive full many persons : yea, sir, as it is likely, by the doom of my conscience, I should herein be cause of the death both of men and women, yea, both bodily and ghostly. For many men and women that stand now in the truth and are in the way of salvation, if I should, for the learning and reading of their belief, publish them therefore up to the bishops or to their unpiteous ministers, I know some deal by experience, that they should be so distroubled and diseased with persecution or otherwise, that many of them (I think) would rather choose to forsake the way of truth than to be travailed, scorned and slandered, or punished, as bishops and their ministers now use, for to constrain men and women to consent to them.

" But I find in no place in holy scripture, that this office

76 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

ye would now enfeoff me with, accordeth to any priest of Christ's sect, nor to any other Christian man : and, there- fore, to do this were to me a full noyous bond to be bounden with, and over grievous charge. For I suppose that, if I thus did, many men and women would, yea, sir, might justly to my confusion, say to me, that I were a traitor to God and to them, since (as I think in mine heart) many men and women trust so mickle in me in this case, that I would not, for saving of my life, do thus to them. For if I thus should do, full many men and women would (as they might full truly) say that I had falsely and cowardly forsaken the truth, and slandered shamefully the word of God. For, if I consented to you to do hereafter your will, for bonchief 1 or mischief that may befall unto me in this life, I deem in my conscience, that I were worthy, herefore, to be cursed of God, and also of all his saints : from which inconvenience, keep me and all Christian people Almighty God now and ever for his holy name !"

And then the archbishop said unto me : " Oh, thine heart is full hard indurate, as was the heart of Pharao, and the devil hath overcomen thee and perverted thee ; and he hath so blinded thee in all thy wits, that thou hast no grace to know the truth, nor the measure of mercy that I have proffered to thee. Therefore, as I perceive now by thy foolish answer, thou hast no will to leave thine old errors. But I say to thee, lewd losel2, other thou quickly consent to mine or dinance, and submit thee to stand to my decrees ; or, by St Thomas, thou shalt be degraded, and follow thy fellow in Smithfield." And at this saying I stood still and spake not; but I thought in mine heart that God did to me a great grace, if he would, of his great mercy, bring me to such an end. And in mine heart I was nothing afraid with this menacing of the archbishop. And I considered there two things in him : one, that he was not yet sorrowful for that he had made William Sawtre wrongfully to be burnt ; and, as I considered, that the archbishop thirsted yet after more shedding out of innocent blood. And fast, therefore, I was moved in all my wits, for to hold the archbishop neither for prelate nor for priest of God. And, for that mine inward man was thus altogether departed

[i Bonchief: benefit.] [2 Losel: a lost person.]

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 77

from the archbishop, methought I should not have any dread of him ; but I was right heavy and sorrowful, for that there was no audience of secular men by : but in my heart I prayed the Lord God for to comfort me and strength me against them that there were against the sothfastness, and I purposed to speak no more to the archbishop and his clerks than me need behoved. And all thus I prayed God for his goodness to give me, then and alway, grace to speak with a meek and an easy spirit ; and whatsoever thing that I should speak, that I might thereto have true authorities of scriptures or open reason. And, for that I stood thus still and nothing spake, one of the archbishop's clerks said unto me : " What thing musest thou ? Do thou as my lord hath now command ed to thee here."

And yet I stood still, and answered him not. And then, The order soon after, the archbishop said to me : " Art thou not yet be- ofhisb thought, whether thou wilt do as I have here said to thee ?"

And I said then to him : " Sir, my father and my mother (on whose souls God have mercy, if it be his will!) spent mickle money, in divers places, about my learning, for the intent to have made me a priest to God. But when I came to years of discretion, I had no will to be priest, and therefore my friends were right heavy to me; and then methought their grudging against me was so painful to me, that I purposed therefore to have left their company. And when they per ceived this in me, they spake sometime full fair and pleasant words to me ; but, for that they might not make me to con sent, of good heart, to be a priest, they spake to me full oftentimes very grievous words, and menaced me in divers manners, shewing to me full heavy cheer. And thus one while in fair manner, another while in grievous, they were long time (as methought) full busy about me, or I consented to them to be a priest.

"But at the last, when in this matter they would no longer suffer mine excusations, but either I should consent to them, or I should ever bear their indignation, yea, their curse (as they said); then I, seeing this, prayed them that they would give me licence for to go to them that were named wise priests, and of virtuous conversation, to have their counsel, and to know of them the office and the charge of priesthood. And hereto my father and my mother consented full gladly,

78 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

and gave me their blessing and good leave to go, and also money to spend in this journey. And so then I went to those priests whom I heard to be of best name, and of most holy living, and best learned, and most wise of heavenly wisdom ; and so I communed with them unto the time that I perceived, by their virtuous and continual occupations, that their honest and charitable works passed their fame which I heard before of them.

"Wherefore, sir, by the example of the doctrine of them, and specially for the godly and innocent works which I per ceived then of them and in them, after my cunning and power I have exercised me then and in this time to know perfectly God's law, having a will and desire to live there after, willing that all men and women should exercise them selves faithfully thereabout. If then, sir, either for pleasure of them that are neither so wise, nor of so virtuous conver sation to my knowledge, nor by common fame to any other men's knowledge in this land, as these men were, of whom I took my counsel and information, I should now forsake thus suddenly, and shortly, and unwarned, all the learning that I have exercised myself in these thirty winters and more, my conscience should ever be herewith out of measure unquieted : and as, sir, I know well, that many men and women should be therethrough greatly troubled and slandered ; and as I said, sir, to you before, for mine untruth and false coward ness many a one should be put into full great reproof: yea, sir, I dread that many one (as they might then justly) would curse me full bitterly ; and, sir, I fear not but the curse of God, which I should deserve herein, would bring me to a full evil end, if I continued thus. And if, through remorse of conscience, I repented me any time, returning into the way which you do your diligence to constrain me now to forsake, yea, sir, all the bishops of this land, with full many other priests, would defame me and pursue me as a relapse ; and they that now have (though I be unworthy) some confidence in me, hereafter would never trust to me, though I could teach and live never so virtuously, more than I can or may. For if after your counsel I left utterly all my learning, I should hereby first wound and defile mine own soul, and also I should herethrough give occasion to many men and women of full sore hurting : yea, sir, as it is likely to me if I consent-

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 79

ed to your will, I should herein by mine evil example in it, as far as in me were, slay many folk ghostly, that I should never deserve for to have grace of God, to the edifying of his church, neither of myself, nor of none other man's life, and undone both before God and man.

" But, sir, by example chiefly of some whose names I will Philip nem-

* pington made

not now rehearse, of H., of I. P., and B., and also by the present doing of Philip of Kampington, that now is become bishop of Lincoln, I am now learned (as many moe hereafter, through God's grace, shall be learned) to hate and to flee all such slander that these foresaid men chiefly have denied prin cipally themselves with. And in it that in them is, they have envenomed all the church of God, for the slanderous revoking at the cross of Paul's, of H. P., and of B., and how now Philip Rampington pursueth Christ's people. And the feigning that these men dissemble by worldly prudence, keeping them cowardly in their preaching and communing, within the bonds and terms which, without blame, may be spoken and shewed out to the most worldly livers, will not be unpunished of God : for to the point of truth that these men shewed out sometime, they will not now stretch forth their lives. But by example, each one of them, as their words and their works shew, busy them through their feigning, for to slander and to pursue Christ in his members, rather than they will be pursued."

And the archbishop said to me : " These men, the which thou speakest of now, were fools and heretics, when they were counted wise men of thee and other such losels. But now they are wise men, though thou and such other deem them unwise : nevertheless I wist never none that right said, that any while were envenomed with your contagiousness, that is, contaminated and spotted doctrine."

And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, I think well that these men and such other are now wise as to this world ; but as their words sounded sometime, and their works shewed outwardly, it was like to move me that they had earnest of the wisdom of God, and that they should have deserved HaPPy be mickle grace of God, to have saved their own souls and continue to

the end.

many other men's, if they had continued faithfully in wilful poverty and in other simple virtuous living ; and specially if they had, with these foresaid virtues, continued in their busy- fruitful sowing of God's word ; as, to many men's knowledge,

80 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

they occupied them a season in all their wits full busily to

know the pleasant will of God, travailing all their members

full busily for to do thereafter, purely and chiefly to the

praising of the most holy name of God, and for grace of

woe worth edification and salvation of Christian people. But woe worth

ousnessi false covetise, and evil counsel, and tyranny, by which they,

and many men and women, are led blindly into an evil end I"

Then the archbishop said to me : " Thou and such other

losels of thy sect would shave your beards full near for to

it is pity have a benefice. For, by Jesu, I know none more covetous

Snrfotreli *s shrews than ye are, when that ye have a benefice. For lo,

covetousness I gave to John Purvey a benefice but a mile out of this castle,

joined with ° * - . . /»•••

popishness. and I heard more complaints about his covetousness for tithes and other misdoings than I did of all men that were advanced within my diocese."

And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, Purvey is neither with you now for the benefice that you gave him, nor he holdeth faithfully with the learning that he taught and writ beforetime : and thus he sheweth himself neither to be hot nor cold; and therefore he and his fellows may sore dread that, if they turn not hastily to the way that they have forsaken, peradventure they be put out of the number of Christ's chosen people."

And the archbishop said : " Though Purvey be now a false harlot, I quit me to him : but come he more for such cause before me, or we depart, I shall know with whom he holdeth. But I say to thee, which are these holy men and wise, of whom thou hast taken thine information ? "

A worthy And I said : " Sir, master John Wicliffe was holden of

commenda-

m°ster John many men the greatest clerk that they knew then living ; an(j therewith he was named a passing ruly man and an in nocent in his living : and, herefore, great men communed oft with him, and they loved so his learning, that they writ it, and busily enforced them to rule themselves thereafter. Therefore, sir, this foresaid learning of master John Wicliffe is yet holden of full many men and women the most agree able learning unto the living and teaching of Christ and of his apostles, and most openly shewing and declaring how the church of Christ hath been, and yet should be, ruled and governed. Therefore, so many men and women covet this learning, and purpose, through God's grace, to conform their

EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 81

living like to this learning of Wicliffe. Master John Aston taught and writ accordingly and full busily, where and when and to whom that he might, and he used it himself right perfectly unto his life's end : and also Philip of Rampington, while he was a canon of Leicester. Nicholas Hereford, Davy Cotray of Pakring, monk of Byland, and a master of divinity, and John Purvey, and many other which were holden right wise men and prudent, taught and writ busily this foresaid learning, and conformed them thereto. And with all these men I was right homely, and communed with them long time and oft : and so, before all other men, I chose willingly to be informed of them and by them, and specially of Wicliffe himself, as of the most virtuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew. And therefore of him specially, and of these men, I took the learning that I have taught, and pur pose to live thereafter, if God will, to my life's end. For though some of these men be contrary to the learning that they taught before, I wot well that their learning was true which they taught ; and therefore, with the help of God I purpose to hold and to use the learning which I heard of them, while they sat on Moses' chair, and specially while that they sat on the chair of Christ. But after the works that they now do, I will not do, with God's help. For they feign, and hide, and contrary the truth, which before they taught out plainly and truly. For, as I know well, when some of these men have been blamed for their slanderous doing, they grant not that they have taught amiss or erred before time, but that they were constrained by pain to leave to tell out the sooth1; and thus they choose now rather to blaspheme God than to suffer a while here persecution bodily, for soothfast- ness that Christ shed out his heart blood for."

And the archbishop said : " That learning that thou callest truth and soothfastness, is open slander to holy church, as it is proved of holy church. For, albeit that Wicliffe, your author, was a great clerk, and though that many men held him a per- JJgn feet liver, yet his doctrine is not approved of holy church, but many sentences of his learning are damned, as they well worthy are. But as touching Philip of Rampington, that

was first canon, and afterward abbot, of Leicester, which is persecutor, now bishop of Lincoln, I tell thee, that the day is common, [* To desist from telling the truth.]

[BALE.]

82 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE.

for which he fasted the even. For neither he holdeth now, nor will hold, the learning that he taught when he was a canon of Leicester ; for no bishop of this land pursueth now more sharply them that hold thy way, than he doth."

And I said : " Sir, full many men and women wondereth upon him, and speak eth him mickle shame, and holdeth him for a cursed enemy of the truth."

And the archbishop said to me : " Wherefore tarriest thou me thus here with such fables ? Wilt thou shortly, as I have said to thee, submit thee to me, or no ? "

And I said : " Sir, I tell you at one word, I dare not, for the dread of God, submit me to you after the tenour and sentence that ye have above rehearsed to me." And thus, as if he had been wroth, he said to one of his clerks : " Fetch hither quickly the certification that came to me from Shrews bury under the bailiff's seal, witnessing the errors and here sies, which this losel hath venomously sown there." Then hastily the clerk took out and laid forth on a cupboard divers rolls and writings, among which there was a little one, which the clerk delivered to the archbishop. And by and by the The sacra- archbishop read this roll containing this sentence: "The mSIf ion third Sunday after Easter, A. D. 1407, William Thorpe came bread. unt0 the town of Shrewsbury, and through leave granted unto him to preach he said openly, in St Chad's church, in his sermon, that the sacrament of the altar after the conse cration was material bread ; and that images should in no wise be worshipped ; and that men should not go on pilgrim ages ; and that priests have no title to tithes ; and that it is not lawful for to swear in any wise."

And when the archbishop had read thus this roll, he wholesome rolled it up again, and said to me : " Is this wholesome thoughTdt learnmg to be among the people ?"

kirtcyh°en! And I said to him : " Sir, I am both ashamed on their

behalf, and right sorrowful for them that