[Figure:
→In the latter tyme shall manye be chosen / proued / and puryfyed by
[...] yet shall the vngodly lyue
wyckedly [...] and haue no
vnderstandynge.
Dan. [...].
A brefe Chronycle concernynge the
Examinacyon and death of the blessed martyr of Christ syr Iohan
Oldecastell the lorde Cobham / collected togyther by Iohan Bale / out of
the bokes and writtynges of those Popyshe Prelates which were present both
at his condempnacyon and iudgement.
IN the prophane historyes of olde Oratours and poetes both Grekes and Latynes are they moche co~mended and thought worthy of eternall memorye / which haue eyther dyed for theyr naturall contreye or daungered theyr lyues for a common welthe. As we reade of Codrus that was kynge of Athens / of Quintus Curcius the Romane / of Ancurus the Phrygiane / Olysses / Hermas / Theseus / Menecius / Scipio Aphricanus / Mucius Sceno[...]a / Valerius Cocles / the two bretheren of Cartago which were both called Philenus / and the thre noble Decyanes with other diuerse. In the sacred scripturs of the Byble / hath Moses / Iosue / Gedeon / Iepthe / Delbora / Iudith / Dauid / Helias / Iosias / zorobabel / Mathathias / Eleazarus and the Machabees theyr iust prayses for theyr myghtye zele and manyfolde enterpryses concernynge the chyldren of Israel. Amonge the Papistes also which are a most prodygyouse kynde of menne) are they most hyghlye anaunced by lyenge sygnes / false myracles / erronyouse writtynges / shrynes / rellyques / lyghtes / tabernacles / aulters / sensynges / songes / & holye dayes / which haue bene slayne / for the lybertees / priuileges / auctorite / honour / ryches / & proude mayntenaunce of theyr holye whorysse churche.
As were Antidius / Bonifacius / Benno / Thomas Becket / Iohan the Cardinall / Petrus de Castrono[...]o / Peter of Millayne / Paganus of Bergom / Stanislaus of Cracou[...]a / Steuen Colyer of Tholose / Bonauenture of Padua / Iulianus the Cardinall of saynt Angel. And in oure tyme Iohan Fysher / Thomas More / Fryre Forest / Reynoldes / & the Charterhouse monkes which suffred here in Englande / with an infynite nombre more. Vvhat is than to be thought of those godlye and valeaunt warryours / which hath noth spared to bestowe theyr most dere lyues for the veryte of Iesus Christ agaynst the malygnau~t mustre of that execrable Antichrist of Rome the deuyls owne vycar. Of whose gracyouse nombre a verye specyall membre and a vessell of Gods eleccyon was that vertuouse knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell the good lorde Cobham / as will plentuously apere in this processe folowynge. He that hath iudgeme~t in the sprete / shall easelye perseyue by this treatyse / what beastlye blockeheades these bloudye bellyegoddes were in theyr vnsauerye interrogacyo~s / and agayne what influence of grace this manne of God had from aboue co~cernynge his answers / specyallye in that most blynde and ignoraunt tyme wherin all was but darkenesse / the sunne aperynge sacke clothe / as saynct Iohan hath in the Apocalyps.
Most surelye fulfylled Christ that promes in him which he made to his Apostles. Cast not in youre myndes afore hande (sayth he) what answere ye shall make whan these spirituall tyrauntes shall examine you in theyr synagoges / and so delyuer you vp vnto kynges and debytees. For I will geue you soche vtteraunce and wysdome in that houre / as all your ennemyes shall neuer be able to resyst. This onlye sentence of Christ adioyned to his godly answere / is ynough to proue him his true disciple / and them in theyr folyshe questyons / the manyfest members of sathan. I remembre that .xiiii. yeares ago / the true seruaunt of God Vvillyam Tyndale put into the prent a certen brefe examinacyon of the seyd lorde Cobham. The which examinacyon was wrytten in the tyme of the seyd lordes troble / by a certen frynde of his / and so reserued in copyes vnto this our age. But sens that tyme I haue fou~de it in theyr owne wrytynges (which were than his vttre enemyes) in a moche more ample fourme than there. Specyallye in the great processe which Thomas Arundell the Archebysshop of Caunterburye made than agaynst him / wrytten by his owne notaryes and clar[...] / tokened also with his owne sygne and scale / and so dyrected vnto Rycharde Clyfforde than Bysshop of London with a generall co~maundement to haue it than publyshed by him & by the other Bysshoppes the whole realme ouer.
Forthermore I haue seane it in a copye of that wrytynge / which the seyd Rycharde Clyfforde sent vnto Robert Mascall a Carmelyte fryre and Bysshop of Herforde vndre his sygne and seale / and in a copye of his also dyrected to the Archedeacons of Herforde and Shrewesburye. The yeare / moneth / and daye of theyr date with the beginnynges of theyr wrytynges shall here after folowe in the boke / as occasyon shall requyre it. Besydes all this Thomas Vvalden beynge in those dayes the kynges confessour / and present at his examinacyon / condempnacyon / & execracyon / regestred it amonge other processes more / in his boke called Fasciculus zizaniorum Vvicleui. He maketh mencyon of it also in his fyrst Epistle to Pope Martyne the fyft / and in his solempne sermon de funere regis. Onlye soche reasons haue I added therunto / as the afore named Thomas Vvalden proponed to him in the tyme of that examinacyon / as he me~cyoneth in his fyrst and seconde bokes aduersus Vhi[...]u[...]stas / with the maner of his godlye departynge out of this frayle lyfe / which I founde in other wrytynges and chronicles. His youthe was full of wanton wildenesse before he knew ye scripturs / as he reporteth in his answere / and for the more part vnknowen vnto me / and therfore I wryte it not here. His father the lorde Regnolde of Cobham Iohan Frosyart nombereth alwayes amongest the most worthye warryours of Englande.
In all adue~terouse actes of wordlye manhode / was he euer bolde / stronge / fortunate / doughtye / noble / & valcau~t. But neuer so worthye a conquerour as in this his present conflyct with the cruell and furyouse frantyck kyngedome of Antichrist. Farre is this Christen knyght more prayse worthye / for that he had so noble a stomake in defence of Christes verite agaynst those Romyshe superticyons / than for anye temporall nobylnesse eyther of bloude / byrthe / landes / or of marcyall feates. For manye thousandes hath had in that great corrage / which in the other haue bene most faynt harted cowardes and verye desperate dastardes / where as he perseuered most faythfullye constaunt to the ende. Manye Popyshe parasytes & menne pleasynge flatterers haue written large commendacyo~s and encomyes of those / but of soche noble menne as this was / verye fewe or in a maner non at all. Vvan I somtyme reade the workes of some menne lerned / I maruele not a lytle to se them so abundaunt in vayne flatterynge prayses for matters of no value / yea / for thynges to be dyspraysed
rather than praysed of menne that were godlye wyse.
Polydorus Vergilius a collectour somtyme in Englande of the Popes Peter Pens and afterwarde Archedeacon of Vvellys / hath in this poynt deformed his wrytynges greatlye / polutynge oure Englyshe chronycles most shamefullye with his Romyshe lyes and other Italyshe beggerye· Battels hath he described there at large [...]o no small discommendynges of some Princes wt were godlye / but the preuye packynge of Prelates / and craftye co~ueyau~ce of the spiritualte hath he in euery place almost full properly passed ouer. He was to famylyar with the Bysshoppes and toke to moche of theyr counsell / whan he compyled the .xxvi. bokes. of his Englyshe hystorye. And not greatly is the lande beholden vnto him in that worke / for anye large prayse of erudicyon that he hath geuen it there. A syngular bewtye is it to a Christen regyon / whan theyr auncyent monume~tes are garnyshed amonge others / with me~ne of freshe lytterature which therin hath small remembrau~ce or non. Vnlesse it be Gildas / Bedas / Alcuinus / Ioannes Scotus / Aldelmus / Neuburgus / and one or
two more / non are in that whole worke mencyoned co~cernyng that / as though Englande had alwayes bene most barren of menne lerned. This do I not wryte in dysprayse of his lernynge / (which I knowe to be verye excellent) but for the abuse therof beynge a most syngular gyft of God.
I wolde wyshe some lerned Englyshe ma~ne (as there are now most excellent fresh wyttes) to set forth the Englyshe chronycles in theyr ryght shappe / as certen other landes hath done afore them / all affeccyo~s set a part. I can not thynke a more necessarye thynge to be laboured to the honour of God / bewtye of the realme / [...]rudicyon of the people / and commodite of other landes / next the sacred scripture of the Byble / than that worke wolde be. For truly in those they haue there yet / is vyce more anau~ced than vert[...] / & Romyshe blasphemye than godlynesse. As it maye full wele apere vnto eyes of ryght iudgement / in y^[...] lamentable hystorye here folowynge / and soche other / which hath bene longe hydde in th[...] darke. Marke dilygentlye the sentence of the seyd Polydorus concernynge this good lorde Cobham / and there vpon consydre his good workemanshyp
in other matters. In the counsell of Constaunce (sayth he) was the heresye of Iohan Vvycleue condemned / and two at the same tyme burned in that cyte which were ye chefe heades of that secte. All this is true / though the f[...]ate handelynge therof be altogyther Italyshe.
But where as he sayth after / that whan this was ones knowen to theyr companyons in Englande / they conspyred in theyr madnesse agaynst the whole clergye and fynallye agaynst the kynge also for that he was than a fawter of Christen relygyon / hauynge to theyr great captaynes syr Iohan Oldecastell and syr Roger Acton / he maketh a most shamefull lye. For how coude syr Roger Acton with his co~panye conspyre vpon that occasyon / beynge dead more than iiii. years afore? and syr Iohan Oldecastell remaynyng all that season in Vvalys? Iohan Hus suffred death at Constaunce the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.CCCC.xv. in Iulye. Hierome of Prage in the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.cccc.xvi. in Maye / which were the two heades he speaketh of. Syr Roge[...] Acto~ was brent with his companye in the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.CCCC.xiii. in Ianuarye
/ as wytnesseth Vvalden / Fabiane / and Iohan Maior in theyr chronycles and wrytynges. Now recken these nombers and years / and marke the propre conueyaunce of this Romyshe gentylman the popes collectour / to clought vp that croked kyngedom of theyrs. He can by soche legerdemayne both please his fryndes in Englande and also at Rome.
After that he foloweth with lye vpon lye / as that they came than to London to destroye the kynge / that he in his owne persone mett with them there in armes / that they cowardlye fledde / that some were taken there and brent out of hande / and that the lorde Cobham and syr Roger Ac[...]on were cast into ye tower of London vpon that occasyon. Semeth it not a matter somwhat lyke to the purpose (thynke you) that menne shulde be there burned for makynge soche an insurreccyon or tumult? I trowe he hath cobled here somwhat workemanlye. And where as he sayth in the ende / that the kynge thervpon made an acte / that they from thens forth shuld be taken as traytours agaynste his owne persone / wc were proued to folowe that secte / he maketh an abhomynable lye. For that
[...]cte was made onlye at the Bisshoppes complaynte and false sute in the fyrst yeare of his regne / and by force of that acte those innoce~t menne than suffred. More than .iiii. hondreth of soche manyfestlyes coude I gather out of his chronycles / moche more than myght more eyes and iudgementes do.
Now lete vs expende what the true cause shuld be of this godlye mannys condemnacyon and death / all dreames of Papistes sett a part. The truthe of it is / that after he had ones throughlye tasted the Christen doctryne of Iohan Vvycleue and of his disciples / and perseyued theyr lyuynges aggreable to the same. He abhorred all the supersticyouse sorceryes (ceremonyes I shuld saye) of the proude Romyshe churche. F[...]o[...] thens forth he brought all thynges to the towche stone of Gods worde. He tryed all matters by the scripturs / and so proued theyr spretes whether they were of God or naye. He maynteyned soche preachers in the dyoceses of Cau~terburye / London / Rochestre / and Herforde / as the Bysshoppes were sore offended with. He exhorted theyr prestes to a better waye by the Gospell / and whan that wolde not helpe he gaue the~
sharpe rebukes. He admonyshed th[...] kynges / as Rycharde the seconde / Henrye the fourth / and Henrye the fyft of the clergyes manyfolde abuses / & put into the parlement house certen bokes concernynge theyr iust reformacyon / both in the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.ccc xcv. and in the yeare a .M.CCCC.x. of the fyrst boke this is the begynnyng. Prima conclusio. Quando ecclesia Anglie &c. which I haue here left out least this treatyse shuld be to great. The other boke was made by one Iohan Puruey a mastre of art of Oxforde. Besyde the .xviii. conclusions that mastre Iohan Vvycleue had put in longe afore that.
In the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.ccc. [...]i. this noble lorde Cobham with certen other more / mocyoned the kynge at Vvestmyns[...]re in the tyme of his parlement / that it were verye commodyouse to Englande yf the Romyshe Bysshoppes auctorite extended no forther than the Occeane see or hauen of Calys / co~syderynge the charges and vnquyetnesse of sutes there / and that mennys causes cond[...] not be throughlye knowen so farre of. Vvher vpon the kynge made this acte by consent of his lordes / that
no manne from thens forth shuld sue to the Pope in anye matter / nor publyshe anye excommunicacyon of his / vndrepeyne of losynge theyr goodes with perpetuall inpresonme~t. This and the afore named boke had cost him with syr Iohan Chenye and other more his lyfe in the sixt yeare after / at the craftye accusement of certen Prelates (though it hath in the chronycles an other colour) had not God than most gracyously preserued him. An other cause of his death yet besydes all that hath bene sayd afore / was this. He caused all the workes of Iohan Vvycleue to be written at the instaunce of Iohan huss / and so to be sent into Boheme / Fraunce / Spayne / Portyngale / and other landes. Vvherof Subinco Lepus the Archebysshop of Prage caused more than two hondreth volumes fayre wrytten / openlye to be brent afterwarde / as wytnesseth Aeneas Siluius de origine Bohemorum.
These causes knowen with other more that I coude reherse / consydre whether the worlde that is alwayes so wycked was worthye to holde soche a noble christen warryour as this was / or naye? Consydre also the iust ponnyshment of the lorde for wycked lawes that were
than made / with the exceadynge myscheues that the spiritualte than vsed. And waye the myserable estate that the realme was in sone after for contempt of his eternall worde. And there vpon lawde his ryghtousnesse / and beware of lyke co~tempt and plage in these dayes. In the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.cccc. xxii. departed kynge Henry the fyft in his most floryshynge tyme / euen in the begynnyng of the .xxxvii. yeare of his age / which was abought .iiii. years after the death of this lorde Cobham. His sonne Henry the sixt succeded in his rome and had the gouernaunce of this whole realme / beynge but a babe of .vii[...] monethes olde and odde dayes. Vvhat a doloure was this vnto menne of rype difcressyon / naturally louynge theyr co~tre and regardynge the common welthe therof? yea / what a plage of God was it after the scripturs to haue a yonge chylde to theyr kynge? And that it shuld the more manyfestlye apere to come that waye / or of the stroke of God / he was a chyldyshe thynge all ye dayes of his lyfe.
I shall geue you (sayth the lorde in his hygh dyspleasure) chyldren to be youre princes / & yonge infauntes with
out wysdome shall haue the gouernaunce of you. Wvhat wretched calamytees the realme suffred afterwarde for the space of more than .iii. score years and thre tyll the dayes of kynge Henry the seuenth / yt is vnspeakable. Sens the preachynge of Iohan Vvycleue hath the lorde suffred the pompouse Popyshe Prelates to shewe themselues forth in theyr owne ryght colours / that they myght now in the lyght of his Gospell apere as they are in dede / euen spyghtfull murtherers / ydolaters / and Sodomytes. Afore his tyme they lurked vndre the glytterynge shyne of hypocrefye / and coude not be seane in theyr mastryes. The fryers with theyr charmynge sophysirye threwe soche a darke myst ouer the vniuersall worlde / that superstycyon coude not be knowen for superstycyon / nor ydolatrye for ydolatrye. Vnspeakable fylthynesse of all fleshlye occupyenge was than called Prestes chastyte / as yt is yet and will be tyll yt come to the hyghest / that God maye take full vengeaunce. Than was whoredome worshypped in Prelates of the churche / and sacred wedlock rekened soche a detestable vyce as was worthye in a prest most cruell death. As was seane
for example in syr Vvillyam Vvyghe which was brent for the same at Norwych in the yeare of oure Lorde. 14.28.
Thus was Vvhyght iudged blacke and lyght darkenesse / so yl[...] was me~ a syght in those dayes. By soche meanes (sayth the Prophete) they drewe wyckednesse vnto them as yt were with a corde / and all kyndes of synne as yt were with a cart rope. If Englande at that tyme had not bene vnthankefull for the syngular benefyght that God than sent them by those good me~ne / the dayes of Antichrist and his beastlye broode had bene shortened there longe a go as yt is euen now & here after lyke to be more largelye. A most oryent fresshe myrrour of Christen manhode apereth this worthye lorde Cobham in our age / the veryte now open / which was in herabsens a lampe of contempt before wordlye wyse menne. In him maye noble menne beholde here playnelye a wol[...] noble stomake and precyouse fayth in the myddes of great Antichristes modye mustre. His corage was of soche va[...]e that yt gaue him the victorye ouer them by the clere iudgement of the scripturs / what though the worldes iudgementes be farre otherwyse. And as for
the cruell death which he most contumelyouslye suffred / yt is now vnto him a most plentuouse wynnynge / for in the iust quarell was yt of his Lorde Iesus Christ.
Myght those bloudye blusterers haue had theyr full swaye now of late / they wolde haue made more Oldecastels / Actons / Brownes / & Beuerlayes / yea / they wolde haue made there a greatter hauocke vpon Christes congregacyon / than euer ded Saul in his ragynge furye. They ment more than they vttered whan they approched so nygh (as ded cruell Haman) to the presence of noble Assuerus. But blessed be the eternall father which hath geuen soche wysdome godlye vnto oure most worthye kynge / that he perseyuynge theyr slayghtes / so abated theyr tyra~nouse fercenes. Praye noble menne / praye / yea with the true clergye and commons / that lyke as he hath now with duke Iosue the ouerhande of wycked Hierico by his onlye gyft / and is through that becomen an whole perfyght kynge within his own[...] realme farre aboue all his predecessours / so that he maye in conclusyon ouerthrowe her clerelye. For as yet the dredefull damsell (tyrannye) that was Cayphas
dorekeper / dwelleth in the howses of Byshoppes / and dalye compelleth poore Peter to denye his mastre. As manye eyes as euer had vygylaunt Argus had he nede to haue / that is compassed with soche a sort / as are that broode of the wylye serpent. Consydre what heauenlye thynges ye haue receyued of the scripturs vndre his permyssyon / and yet praye ones agayne for his gracyouse contynuaunce to the more increase of knowledge. Amen.
O Babylon / thy merchau~tes were princes of the earth. And with thyne inchau~tementes were all nacyons deceyued Apocal. xviii.
AFter that ye true seruau~t of Iesus Christ Iohan Vvycleue / a ma~ne of verye excellent lyfe & lernynge / had for the space of more than .xxvi. years most valeauntlye batteled with the great Antichrist of Europa or Pope of Rome & his dyuerslye dysgysed host of anoynted hypocrytes / to restore the churche agayne to the pure estate that Christ left her in at his ascensyon / he departed hens most Christenlye into the handes of God / the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.CCC.lxxxvii. and was buryed in his owne parryshe churche at Lutterworth in Lyncolne shere. No small nombre of godlye disciples left that good manne behynde him to defende
the lowlynesse of ye Gospell agaynst the exceadynge pryde / ambycyon / sym[...]nye / anaryce / hypocresye / whoredome / sacrylege / tyrannye / ydolatrouse worshyppynges / and other fylthye frutes of those styfnecked Pharysees. Agaynst whom Thomas Arundell than Archebysshop of Caunterburye / so ferce as euer was Pharao / Antiochus / Herodes or Cayphas / collected in Paules churche at London a vniuersall synode of all the papystycall clergye of Englande in the yeare of oure Lorde a .M.CCCC. and .xiii. as he had done dyuerse other afore / to withstande theyr most godlye enterpryse. And this was the fyrst yeare of kynge Henrye the fyft / whom they had than made fyt for theyr hande.
As these hygh Prelates with theyr Pharysees and Scrybes were thus gathered in this pestilent counsell against the Lorde and his worde / fyrst there resorted vnto them the .xii. inquysytours of heresyes (whom they had appoynted at Oxforde the yeare afore to serche out heretyques with all Vvycleues bokes, and they brought .CC. and .lxvi. faythfull conclusyons whom they had collected as heresyes out of the seyd bokes. The names of the seyd inquysytours
were these. Iohan Vvitnam a mas[...]r[...] in the newe college / Iohan Langedon monke of Chry churche in Caunterb[...]rye / Vvillyam Vfforde regent of the Carmelytes / Thomas Clayton regent of the Dominykes / Robert Gylber[...] / Rycharde Cartysdale / Iohan Lucl[...]e / Rycharde Snedysham / Rycharde Flem[...]mynge / Thomas Rodborne / Rob[...]rt Roadberye / and Rycharde Grasdale In the meane season caused they ther hyred seruau~tes to blowe it forth a brod[...] through out all the realme / that they were there congregate for an wholsom [...]nyte and reformacyon of the churche of Englande / to stoppe so the mouthes of the co~mon people. Soche is alwayes the co~mon practyse of these subtyle sorcerers / whyls they are in doynge myschefe / to blere the eyes of the vnlerned multitude with one false craft or other.
After a certen communicacyon they concluded amonge themselues / that yt was not possyble for them to make whole Christes cote without seme (meanynge therby theyr patched Popyshe synagoge) vnlesse certen great menne were brought out of the waye / which semed to be the chefe maynteners of the seyd
disciples of Vvycleue. Amonge whom the most noble knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell the lorde Cobham was complayned of by the generall proctours / yea rather betrayers of Christ in his faythfull members / to be ye chefe principall. Him they accused fyrst for a myghtye mayntener of suspected preachers in ye dyoceses of London / Rochestre / & Herforde / contrarye to the myndes of theyr ordynaryes. Not onlye they affermed him to haue sent thyder the seyd preachers / but also to haue assysted them there by force of armes / not withstandynge theyr synodall constitucyon made afore to the co~trarye. Last of all they accused him / that he was farre otherwyse in beleue of the sacrament of the aultre / of penaunce / of pylgrymage / of ymage worshyppynge / and of the ecclesyastycall power / than the holye churche of Rome had taught manye years afore.
In the ende yt was concluded amonge them / that without anye farther delaye / processe shuld out agaynst him as agaynst a most pernycyouse heretyque. Some of that felyshyp which were of more craftye experie~ce than the other / wolde in no case haue ye matter so rashlye
handeled / but thought this waye moche better. Consyderynge the seyd lorde Cobham was a manne of great byrthe and in fauer at that tyme with the kynge / theyr counsell was to knowe fyrst the kynges mynde / to saue all thynges ryght vp. This counsell was wele accepted / and thervpon the Archebysshop Thomas Arundell with his other Bysshoppes and a great part of the clergye went strayght wayes vnto the kynge as than remaynynge at kenyngton. And there they layed forth most grenouse complayntes agaynst the seyd lorde Cobham / to his great infamye and blemyshe / beynge a manne most godlye. The kynge gentyllye harde those bloud thurstye rauenours / & farre otherwyse than became his princelye dignite he ins[...]au~tlye desyred them / that in respect of his noble stocke and knyghthode they shulde yet fauorablye deale with him. And that they wolde yf yt were possyble / without all rygour or extreme handelynge reduce him agayne to the churches vnyte. He promysed them also that in case they were contented to take some delyberacyon / his selfe wolde seryouslye common the matter with him.
Anon after the kynge sent for the seyd lorde Cobham. And as he was come / he called him secretlye admonyshyng him betwixt him and him / to submyt hims[...]lfe to his mother the holye churche / and as an obedyent chylde to acknowledge himselfe culpable / vnto whom the Christen knyght made this answere / yow most worthye prince sayth he[...] am I alwayes prompt and willynge to obeye / for so moche as I knowe you a Christen kynge and the appoynted minystre of God bearyng his ryghtuouse swerde to the ponnyshment of yll doers and for the sauegarde of them that be vertuouse. Vnto you next my eternall lyuynge God owe I my whole obedience / and submyt me therunto (as I haue done euer all that I haue eyther of fortune or nature / redye at all tymes to fulfyll what so euer ye shall in that lorde commaunde me. But as touchynge the Pope and his spiritualte / trulye I owe the~ neyther sure nor seruyce / for so moche as I knowe him by the scripturs to be the great Antichrist / the sonne of perdicyon / the open aduersarye of God / and the abhominacyon standynge in the holye place. Vvhan the kynge had hearde this with soche lyke sentences more he
wolde talke no longar with him / but left him so vtterlye.
And as the Archebysshop resorted agayne vnto him for an answere / he gaue him his full auctorite to cyte him / examyne him / and ponnyshe him accordynge to the deuylyshe decrees / which they call the lawes of holye churche. Than the seyd Archebyshop by the cou~sell of his other Bysshoppes and clergye / appoynted to call before him ye seyd syr Iohan Oldecastell the lorde Cobham / and to cause him personallye to apere / to answere to soche suspected artycles as they shuld laye agaynst him. So sent he forth his chefe sommener with a verye sharpe cytacyon vnto the castell of Cowlynge / where as he at that tyme dwelt for his solace. And as ye seyd sommener was thyder co~men / he durst in no case entre the gates of so noble a manne without his lycens / and therfore he returned home agayne / his massage not done. Than called the Archebysshop one Iohan Butler vnto him which was than the dorekeper of the kynges preuye chambre / & with him he couenaunted through promyses and rewardes / to haue this matter craftelye brought to passe vndre ye kynges name.
Vvhervpon the seyd Iohan Butler toke the Archebysshoppes sommener with him / and went vnto the seyd lorde Cobham / shewynge him that it was the kynges pleasure that he shuld obeye that cytacyon / and so cyted him frawde lentlye. Than sayd he vnto them in fewe wordes / that in no case wolde he co~sent to those most deuylyshe practyses of the Prestes. As they had infourmed ye Archebysshop of that answere / & that yt was mete for no manne pryuatelye to cyte him after that without parell of lyfe / he decreed by and by to haue him cyted by publyque processe or open commaundement. And in all the hast possyble vpon the wedynsdaye before the Natiuite of oure Ladye in Septembre / he commaunded letters cytatorye to be set vpon the great gates of the cathedrall churche of Rochestre (which was but iii. Englyshe myles from thens) chargynge him to apere personallye before him at Ledys in the .xi. daye of the same moneth and yeare / all excuses to the co~trarye set a part. Those letters were taken downe anon after by soche as bare fauer vnto the lorde Cobham / and so conueyed a syde. After that caused the Archebyshop newe letters to be set vp /
on the Natyuyte daye of oure Ladye / which also were rent downe and vtterlye consumed.
Than for so moche as he ded not apere at the daye appoynted at Ledys where as he fate in consystorye as cruell as euer was Cayphas with his court of hypocrytes about him he iudge him / denounced him / and condempned him of most depe contumacye. After that whan he had bene falselye infourmed by his hyred spyes and other glosynge glauerers / that the seyde lorde Cobham had law hed him to scorne / dysdayned all his doynges / maynteyned his olde opynyo~s contemned the churches power / the dignyte of a Bysshop / & the ordre of presthode (for of all these was he than accufed) in his modye madnesse without iust profe ded he openlye excommunicate him. yet was he not with all this ferce tyrannye qualyfyed / but commaunded him to be cyted a freshe / to apere afore him the Saturdaye before the feast of saynct Matthew the Apostle / with these cruell threttenynges added theru~to. That yf he ded not obeye at that daye / he wolde more extremelye handle him. And to make himselfe more stronge towardes the perfourmaunce therof / he
compelled the laye power by most terryble manacynges of curses and interdiccyons / to assyst him agaynst that sedycyouse apostata / that scysmatyque / that heretyque / that troubler of the publyque peace / that enemye of the realme / and great aduersarye of all holye churche / for all these hatefull names ded he geue him.
This most constaunt seruaunt of the lorde and worthye knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell the lorde Cobham / beholdynge the vnpacable furye of Antichrist thus kyndled agaynst him / perscyuynge himselfe also compased on euerye syde with deadlye daungers / he toke paper and penne in hande / & so wrote a Christen confessyon or rekenyng of his fayth (which foloweth here after) and both sygned and sealed it with his owne hande. Vvherin he also answereth to the iiii. chefest artycles that the Archebysshop layed agaynst him. That done he toke the copye with him / & went therwith to the kynge / trustynge to fynde mercye and fauer at his hande. Non other was that confessyon of his than the co~mon beleue or somme of the churches fayth / called the Apostles crede / of all Christen menne than vsed. As thus.
I Beleue in God the father almyghtye / maker of heauen and earth. And in Iesu Christ his onlye sonne oure Lorde / which was co~c[...]yued of the holye ghost / borne of the virgine Marye / suffred death vndre Ponce Pylate / crucyfyed / dead / and buryed / went downe to helles / the thyrde daye rose agayne from death / ascended vp to heauens / he sytteth on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye / and from thens shall come agayne to iudge the quycke and the dead. I beleue in the holye ghost / the vnyuersall holye churche / the communyon of saynctes / the forgeuenesse of s[...]nnes / the vprysynge of the fleshe / and euerlastynge lyfe / Amen.
And for a more large declaracyon (sayth he) of this my fayth in the catholyck churche. I stedefastlye beleue that there is but one God almyghty / in and of whose Godhede are these .iii. persones / the father / the sonne / and the holye ghost / and that those .iii. persones are the same selfe God almyghtye. I beleue also that the seconde personne of
this most blessed Trinite in most co~uenyent tyme appoynted therunto afore / toke fleshe and bloude of the most blessed virgyne Marye for the sauegarde and redempcyon of the vnyuersall kynde of manne / which was afore lost in Adams offence. More ouer I beleue that the same Iesus Christ ouer Lorde / thus beynge both God & manne / is the only head of ye whole Christen churche / and that all those that hath bene or shall be saued / be members of this most holy churche. And this holye churche I thynke to be dy[...]ded into .iii. sortes or companyes.
Vvherof the fyrst sort be now in heauen / and they are the saynctes from hens departed. These / as they were here conuersaunt conformed alwayes ther lynes to the most holye lawes and pure examples of Christ / renouncynge sathan / the worlde / and the fleshe with all theyr concupyscences and cuyls. The seconde sort are in purgatorye (yf anye soche he by the scripturs) abydynge the mercye of God and a full delyueraunce of payne. [...] The thyrde sort are here vpon the earthe and be called the churche mylytaunt. For daye & nyghe they comende agaynst the craftye assaultes
of the deuyll / the flatterynge prosperytees of this worlde / and the rebellyouse fylthynesse of the fleshe.
This latter congregacyon by the iust ordynaunce of God is also seuered into iii. dyuerse estates / that is to saye / into presthode / knyghthode and the co~mons Amonge whom the will of God is / that the one shuld ayde the other / but not destroye the other. The Prestes fyrst of all secluded from all worldlynesse / shulde conforme theyr lyues vtterlye to the examples of Christ and his Apostles. Euermore shulde they be occupyed in preachynge and teachyng the scripturs purelye / and in genynge wholsom counsels of good lyuynge to the other two degrees of menne. More modest also / more louynge / gentyll / and lowlye in sprete shuld they be / than anye other sortes of people.
In knyghthode are all they which beare swerde by lawe of offyce. These shuld defende Gods lawes / and se that the Gospell were purelye taught / conformynge theyr lyues to the same and secludynge all false preachers. yea / these ought rather to hasarde theyr lyues than to suffre soche [...]ycked decrees as eyther blemysheth the eternall testament
of God or yet letteth the fre passage therof / wherby her syes and scysmes myght sprynge in the churche. For of non other aryse they (as I suppose) than of soche erronyouse constitucyo~s / craftelye fyrst crepynge in vndre hypocrytes lyes for auauntage. They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressers / tyrauntes / and theues / and to se the clergye supported so longe as they teache purelye / praye ryghtlye / and mynystre the sacramentes frelye. And yf they se them do other wyse / they are bounde by lawe of offyce to compell them to change theyr doynges / and to se all thynges perfourmed accordynge to Gods prescript ordynaunce.
The latter felyshyp of this churche / are the common people / whose dewtye is to beare theyr good myndes and true obedyence to the aforeseyd mynysters of God / theyr kynges / cyuyle gouernours / and Prestes. The ryght offyce of these is iustlye to occupye euerye ma~ne in his facultè / be yt merchandyce / handye crafte / or the tylthe of the grou~de. And so one of them to be as an helper to an other / [...]olowynge alwayes in theyr sortes the iust commaundeme~tes of theyr Lorde God.
Ouer and besydes all this / I most faythfullye beleue that the sacrame~tes of Christes churche are necessarye to all Christen beleuers / this alwayes sene to / that they be trulye mynystred accordynge to Christes fyrst instytucyon and ordynaunce. And for so moche as I am malycyoulye and most falselye accused of a mysbeleue in the sacrament of the aultre / to the hurtfull slaundre of manye. I sygnyfye here vnto all menne that this is my fayth co~cernynge that. I beleue in that sacrament to be contayned verye Christes bodye and bloude vndre the symylytudes of breade and wyne / yea the same bodye that was conceyued of the holye ghost / borne of Marye ye virgyne / done on the crosse / dyed / that was buryed / arose the thyrde daye from the death / and is now gloryfyed in heauen. I also beleue the vnyuersall lawe of God to be most true and perfyght / and that they which do not so folowe it in theyr fayth and workes at one tyme or other / can neuer be saued. Vvhere as he that seketh yt in fayth / accepteth yt / lerneth yt / delyghteth therin / and perfourmeth yt in loue / shall tast for yt the felycyte of euerlastynge innocencye.
Fynallye this is my fayth also / that God will axe nomore of a Christen beleuer in this lyfe / but onlye to obeye the preceptes of that most blessed lawe. If anye Prelate of the churche requyreth more / or els anye other kynde of obedyence than this to be vsed / he contemneth Christ exaltynge himselfe aboue God / & so becometh an open Antichrist. All these premysses I beleue partycularlye / & generallye all that God hath left in his holye scripturs that I shuld beleue. Instauntlye desyerynge you my lyege lorde and most worthye kynge / that this confessyon of myne maye be iustlye examyned by the most godlye wyse and lerned menne of your realme. And yf yt be founde in all poyntes agreynge to the veryte / than lete yt be so allowed / and I thervpon holden for non other them a true Christyane. If yt be proued otherwyse / than lete yt be vtterlye condemned / prouyded alwayes that I be taught a better beleue by the worde of God / and I shall most reuerentlye at all tymes obeye therunto.
This brefe confessyon of his fayth / the lorde Cobham wrote (as is mencyoned afore) and so toke yt with him to the court / offerynge yt with all mekenesse
vnto the kynge to reade yt ouer. The kynge wolde in no case receyue yt / but commaunded yt to be delyuered vnto them that shuld be his iudges. Than desyred he in the kynges presens that an hondred knyghtes and esquyres myght be suffered to come in vpon his purgacyon / which (he knewe) wolde clere him of all heresyes. Moreouer he offered himselfe after the lawe of armes to fyght for lyfe or death with anye ma~ne lyuynge Christen or Heythen in the quarell of his fayth / the kynge and the lordes of his counsell excepted. Fynallye with all gentylnesse he protested before all that were present / that he wolde refuse no maner of correccyon that shuld after the lawes of God be mynystred vnto him / but that he wolde at all tymes with all mekenesse obeye yt. Not withstandynge all this / the kynge suffered him to be sommoued personallye in his owne preuye chambre.
Than sayd the lorde Cobham to the kynge / that he had appeled from the Archebysshop to the Pope of Rome / & therfore he ought (he sayd) in no case to be his iudge. And hauynge his appele there at hande redye written / he shewed yt with all reuerence to the kynge. Vvherwith
the kynge was than moche more dyspleased than afore / and sayd angerlye vnto him / that he shuld not pursue his appele. But rather he shuld tarrye in holde / tyll soche tyme as yt were of the Pope allowed. And than / wolde he or nylde he / the Archebysshop shuld be his iudge. Thus was there nothynge allowed that the good lorde Cobham had lawfullye afore requyred. But for so moche as he wolde not be sworne in all thynges to submyt himselfe to the churche / and so to take what penaunce the Archebysshop wolde enioyne him / he was arested agayne at the kynges commaundement / and so ledde forth to the towre of London / to kepe his daye (so was yt than spoken) that the Archebysshop had appoynted him afore in the kynges chambre.
Than caused he the aforeseyd confessyon of his fayth to be copyed agayne and the answere also which he had made to the .iiii. articles proponed agaynst him to be written in maner of an indenture in two shetes of paper. That wha~ he shuld come to his answere / he myght geue the one copye vnto the Archebysshop / and reserue the other to himselfe. As the daye of examynacyon was comen /
which was the .xxiii daye of Septembre or the saturdaye before the feast of saynct Matthew / Thomas Arundell the Archebysshop syttynge in Cayphas rome in the chaptre howse of Paules with Rycharde Clyfforde Bysshop of London / and Henrye Bolyng broke Bysshop of Vvynchestre / syr Robert Morleye knyght / and Lef[...]tenaunt of the towre / brought personallye before him the seyd lorde Cobham / and there left him for the tyme / Vnto whom the Archebysshop sayd these wordes.
SIr Iohan / in ye last generall co~nocacyon of the clergye of this oure prouince / ye were detected of cert[...]n heresyes & by suffycye~t wytnesses founde culpable. Vvhervpon ye were by forme of spirituall lawe cyted / & wolde in no case apere. In co~clusyon vpon youre rebellyouse contumacye ye were both pryuatelye and openlye excommunycated. Notwithstandynge we neuer yet shewed oures[...]lfe vnredye to haue geue~ you youre absolucyon (nor yet do not to this houre) wolde ye haue mekely a yed yt. Vnto this the lorde Cobham shewed
as though he had geuen no~ eare / hauynge his mynde otherwyse occupyed / & so desyred non absolucyon. But he sayd / he wolde gladlye before him and his bretherne make rehersall of that faythe / which he helde and entended alwayes to stande to / yf yt wolde please them to lycens him therunto. And than he toke out of his bosome a certen wrytynge endented / concernynge the artycles wherof he was accused / and so openlye redde yt before them / geuynge yt vnto the Archebyshop as he had made therof an ende. Vvherof this is the copye.
I Iohan Oldecastell knyght and lorde Cobham / will all Christen menne to vnderstande / that Thomas Arundell Archebysshop of Cau~terburye hath not onlye layed yt to my charge malycyouslye / but also verye vntrulye by his lettre and seale written agaynst me in most slaunderouse wyse / that I shuld otherwyse fele and teache of the sacrame~tes of the churche (assygnynge specyallye the sacrament of the aultre / the sacrament of penaunce / the worshyppynge of ymages / and the goynge of pylgrymage vnto them) farre other wyse than eyther beleueth or teacheth the vnyuersall holye churche. I take almyghtye
God vnto wytnesse / that yt hath bene and now is / and euermore with the helpe of God yt shall be my full intent and will / to beleue faythfullye and whollye all the sacramentes that euer God ordeyned to be mynystred in the holye churche. And more ouer for to declare me in these .iiii. poyntes afore rehersed.
I beleue that in the most worshypfull sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye in fourme of breade / the same bodye that was borne of the blssed virgyne Marye / done on the crosse / dead / and buryed / and that the thyrde daye arose from death to lyfe / the which bodye is now gloryfyed with the father in heauen. And as for the sacrament of penaunce / I beleue that yt is nedefull to all them that shall be saued / to forsake theyr synne and to do penaunce for yt / with true contrycyon to God / confessyon of theyr fawtes / and dewe satisfaccyon in Christ / lyke as Gods lawes lymyteth and teacheth / els can they haue no saluacyon. This penaunce I desyre all menne to do. And as for ymages / I vnderstande that they perteyne nothynge to oure Christen beleue / but were permytted (longe sens the fayth was geue~ vs of Christ) by sufferau~ce of the churche
/ for to be as kalenders vnto laye menne to represent or brynge to mynde the passyon of oure Lorde Iesus Christ with the martyrdome and good lyuynge of the saynctes.
I thynke also that what so ouer he be which doth that worshyp to dead ymages that is dewlye belongynge vnto God / or that putteth his fayth / hope / or confydence in the helpe of them as he shuld do onlye in his eternall lyuynge God / or that hath affeccyon in one more than in an other / he perpetrateth in so doyng [...] abhomynable synne of ydolatrye. Moreouer in this am I fullye persuaded / that euerye manne dwellynge on this earth is a pylgryme / eyther towardes blesse or els towardes payne. And that he which knoweth not / nor will no[...] knowe / nor yet kepe the holye co~maundementes of God in his lyuynge here all be yt that he goth on pylgrymage into all quarters of the worlde) yf he departeth so he shall surelye be dampned. Agayne he that knoweth the holye commaundementes of God / and so perfourmeth them to the ende of his lyfe to his power / shall without fayle be saued in Christ / though he neuer in his lyfe go on pylgrymage as menne
vse now a dayes to Cau~terburye / Vvalsyngham / Compostell / and Rome / or to anye other place els.
This answere to his artycles thus ended and redde / he delyuered yt to the Bysshoppes as is sayd afore. Than cou~fessed the Archebysshop with the other two Bysshoppes and with dyuerse of ye doctours what was to be done in thisma[...]ter / commaundynge him for the tyme to stande a syde. In conclusyon by theyr assent and infourmacyon / he sayd thus vnto him. Come hydre syr Iohan. In this your writynge are manye good thynges contayned / and ryght catholyck also / we denye yt not. But ye must consydre that this daye was appoynted you to answere to other poyntes concernynge those artycles / wherof as yet no mencyon is made in this your byll. And therfore ye must yet declare vs youre mynde more playnelye. As thus whether that ye holde / afferme / and beleue / that in the sacrame~t of the aultre after the consecracyon ryghtlye done by a prest / remayneth materyall breade or not? Moreouer whether ye do holde / afferme / and beleue / that as concernynge the sacrament of penaunce (where as a competent nombre of Prestes are) euerye
Christen manne is necessarylye bou~de to be confessed of his synnes to a prest ordayned by the churche / or not?
After certen other communycacyon this was the answere of the good lorde Cobham. That non otherwyse wolde he declare his mynde / nor yet answere vnto his artycles / than was expreslye in his wrytynge there co~tayned. Than sayd the Archebyshop agayne vnto him Syr Iohan beware what ye do. For yf ye answere not clerelye to those thynges that are here obiected agaynst you / specyallye at the tyme appoynted you onlye for that purpose / the lawe of holye churche is / that compelled ones by a iudge / we maye openlye proclame ye an heretyque. Vnto whom he gaue this answere. Do as ye shall thynke yt best / for I am at a poynt. Vvhat so euer he and the other Bysshoppes ded aske him after that / he bad them resort to his byll for therby wolde he stande to the verye death. Other answere wolde he not geue that daye / wherwith the Byshoppes and Prelates were in a maner amased and wonderfullye dysquyeted. At the last the Archebysshop counselled agayne with his other Bysshoppes and doctours. And in the ende therof declared
vnto him / what the holye churche of Rome folowynge the sayinges of saynt Austyn / saynt Hierom / saynt Ambrose / and of other holye doctours / had determyned in those matters / no maner of mencyon ones made of Christ. Vvhich determynacyon (sayth he) ought all Christen menne both to beleue and to folowe.
Than sayd the lorde Cobham vnto him / that he wolde gladlye both beleue and obserue what so euer the holy churche of Christes institucyon had determyned / or yet what so euer God had willed him eyther to beleue or to do. But that the Pope of Rome with his Cardynals / Archebysshoppes / Bysshoppes and other Prelates of that churche had lawfull power to determyne soche matters as stode not with his worde throughlye / that wolde he not (he sayd) at that tyme afferme. Vvith this the Archebyshop bad him to take good abuysement tyll the Monedaye next folowynge (which was the .xxv. daye of Septembre) and than iustlye to answere / specyallye vnto this poynt / whether there remayned materyall breade in ye sacrament of the aultre after the wordes of consecracyon / or not? He promysed
him also to sende vnto him in wrytynge / those matters clerelye determyned / that he myght than be the more perfyght in his answere makynge. And all this was not els but to blynde the multytude with somwhat. The next daye folowynge / accordynge to his promes the Archebysshop sent vnto him in to the tower this folyshe and blasphemouse wrytynge / made by him and by his vnlerned clergye.
THe fayth and determynacyon of holye Churche towchynge the blesfull sacrament of the aultre / is this. That after the sacramentall wordes be ones spoken by a Prest in his Masse / the materyall breade that was before breade / is turned into Christes verye bodye. And the materyall wyne that was afore wyne / is turned into Christes verye bloude. And so there remayneth in the sacrament of the aultre from thens forth no materyall breade nor materyall wyne / which were there before the sacramentall wordes were spoken. How beleue ye this artycle? Holye
churche hath determyned / that euerye Christen manne lyuynge here bodylye vpon earth / ought to be shryuen to a prest ordayned by ye churche yf he maye come to him. How f[...]le ye this artycle?
Christ ordayned saynct Peter ye Apostle to be his vycar here in earth. Vvhose see is the holye churche of Rome. And he grau~ted that the same power which he gaue vnto Peter / shulde succede to all Peters successours / which we call now Popes of Rome. By whose specyall power in churches partycular be ordayned Prelates / as Arch[...]bysshoppes / Bysshoppes / persones / curates / & other degrees more. Vnto whom Christen menne ought to obeye after the lawes of the churche of Rome. This is the determynacyon of holye churche. How feleye this artycle? Holye churche hath determyned that yt is merytoryouse to a Christen manne to go on pylgrymage to holye places. And there specyallye to worshyp holye relyques and ymages of saynctes / Apostles / Martyrs / Confessours / and all other saynctes besydes approued by the churche of Rome. How fele ye this artycle?
And as the good lorde Cobham had redde ouer this wretched wrytynge / he
marueled greatlye of theyr madde ignoraunce. But that he consydered agayne that God had geuen them ouer for theyr vnbeleues sake / into most depe errours and blyndnesse of soule. Agayne he perseyued therby that theyr vttermost malyce was purposed agaynst him / how so euer he shuld answere. And therfore he put his lyfe into the handes of God / defyerynge his onlye sprete to assyst him in his next answere. Vvhan the seyd xxv. daye of Septembre was come / (which was also the Monedaye afore Myhelmesse) in the seyd yeare of oure lorde a .M.CCCC. and .xiii. Thomas Arundell the Archebysshop of Caunter burye commaunded his iudycyall scate to be remoued from ye chaptre house of Paules to the Domynyck fryers within Ludgate at London. And as he was there set with Rycharde ye Bysshop of London. Henrye the Bysshop of Vvynchestre / and Benet the Byshop of Bangor / he called in vnto him his counsell and his offycers / with dyuerse other Doctours and fryers. Of whom these are the names here folowynge.
Mastre Henrye Vvare / the Offycyall of Caunterburye / Phylip Morgan / doctor of both lawes /
Howest kyffyn / doctor of the cano~ lawe / Iohan kempe / doctour of the cano~ lawe Vvistyam Carleton / doctour of the canon lawe / Iohan Vvytnam / of the newe college in Oxforde / Ioha~ Vvhyght head / a doctour of Oxforde also / Robert Vvombewell / vycar of saynct Laurence in the Iewrye / Thomas Palmer / the wardene of the Mynors / Robert Chamberlayne / prior of the Domynyckes / Rycharde Dodyngton / prior of the Augustynes / Thomas Vvalden / prior of the Carmelytes / all doctours of diuinyte. Iohan Steuens also / and Iames Cole / both notaryes / appoynted there purposelye to wryte all that shuld be eyther sayd or done. All these with a great sort more of Prestes / Monkes / Chano~s fryers / parryshe clarkes / Bell ryngers / and pardoners dysdayned him with innumerable mockes and scornes / rekenynge him to be an horryble heretyque and a manne acursed afore God.
Anon the Archebysshop called for a masseboke / and caused all those Prelates and doctours to sweare therevpon / that euerye manne shuld faythfullye do his offyce and dewtye that daye. And that neyther for fauer nor feare / loue nor hate of the one partye nor the other /
anye thynge shuld there be wytnessed / spoken / or done / but accordynge to the truthe / as they wolde answere before God and all the worlde at the daye of Dome. Than were the two forseyd notaryes sworne also / to wryte and to wytnesse the wordes and processe that there shuld be vttered on both partyes / & to saye theyr myndes (yf they otherwyse knewe yt) before they shuld regestre yt. And all this dissymulacyon was / but to colour theyr myscheues before the ignoraunt multytude. Consydre herin (gentyll reader) what this wycked generacyon is / and how farre wyde from the iust feare of God / for as they were tha~ / so are they yet to this daye.
After that came forth before them syr Robert Morleye knyght and Lyeftenaunt of the tower / & he brought with him the good lorde Cobham / there leauynge him amonge them as a lambe amonge wolues / to his examynacyon and answere.
THan sayd the Archebysshop vnto him: lorde Cobham / ye be aduysed (I am sure) of the wordes and processe which we had vnto you
vpon saturdaye last past in the chaptre howse of Paules. Vvhich processe were now no longe to be rehersed agayne. I sayd vnto you than that ye were a cursed for youre contumacye and dysobedyence to holye Churche / thynkynge that ye shuld with mekenesse haue desyred youre absolucyon.
Than spake the lorde Cobham with a most cherefull countenaunce / & sayd: God sayth by his holye Prophete / Maledicam benedictionus vestris / which is as moche to saye / as I shall curse where as you blesse.
The Archebysshop made than as though he had contynued forth his tale and not hearde him / sayinge: Syr at that tyme I gentyllye profered to haue assoyled yow / yf ye wolde haue asked yt. And yet I do the same / yf ye will humblye desyre yt in dewe forme and maner as holye churche hath ordayned.
Than sayd the lorde Cobham. Naye forsoth will I not for I neuer yet trespased agaynst you / & therfore I will not do yt. And with that he kneled downe on the pauement / holdynge vp his handes towardes heauen / & sayd. I shryue me here vnto the / my eternall lyuynge God / that in my frayle youthe I offended
the (lorde) most greuouslye in pryde / wrathe / and glottonye / in couetousnesse and in lechere. Manye menne haue I hurt in myne anger / and done manye other horryble synnes / good Lorde I aske the mercye. And therwith wepynglye he stode vp agayne and sayd with a myghtye voyce. Lo good people lo. For the breakynge of Gods lawe and his great commaundementes / they neuer yet cursed me. But for theyr owne lawes and tradycyons most cruellye do they handle both me and other menne. And therfore both they and theyr lawes by the promes of God shall vtterlye be destroyed.
At this the Archebysshop and his co~panye were not a lytle blemyshed. Notwithstandynge he toke stomake vnto him agayne after certen wordes had in excuse of theyr tyrannye / and examyned the lorde Cobham of his Christen beleue.
Vvher vnto the lorde Cobham made this godly answere. I beleue (sayth he) fullye and faythfullye the vniuersall lawes of God. I beleue that all is true wc is contayned in ye holye sacred scripturs of the Byble / fynallye I beleue all that my lorde God wolde I shuld beleue.
Than demaunded the Archebisshop an answere of the byll which he and the clergye had sent him into the tower the daye afore in maner of a determinacyon of the churche concernynge the .iiii. artycles wherof he was accused / specyallye for the sacrament of the aultre / how he beleued therin?
Vvherunto the lorde Cobham sayd / that with that byll he had nothynge to do. But this was his beleue (he sayd) concernynge the sacrament. That his lorde and sauer Iesus Christ / syttynge at his last supper with his most dere disciples / the nyght before he shulde suffre / toke breade in his hande. And ge[...]ynge thankes to his eternall father / blessed yt / brake yt / and so gaue yt vnto them sayinge. Take yt vnto ye / and eate therof all. This is my bodye which shall be betrayed for you. Do this here after in my remembraunce. This do I throughlye beleue (sayth he) for this faythe am I taught of the Gospell in Matthew / in Marke / and in Luke / and also in the fyrst Epistle of saynct Paule to the Corintheanes.
Than asked the Archebysshop yf he beleued that yt were breade after the consecracyon or sacramentall wordes
spoken [...]uer yt.
The lorde Cobham sayd. I beleue that in the sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye in fourme of breade / the same that was borne of the virgyne Marye / done on the crosse / dead / and buryed / and that the thyrde daye arose from death to lyfe / which now is gloryfyed in heauen.
Than sayd one of the doctours of lawe. After the sacramentall wordes be vttered / there remayneth no breade / but the onlye bodye of Christ.
The lorde Cobham sayd than to one mastre Iohan Vvhyght head. you sayd ones vnto me in the castell of Cowlynge / that the sacred oost was not Christes bodye. But I helde than agaynst you / and proued that therin was his bodye / though the seculars and fryers coude not therin agre / but helde yche one agaynst other in that opynyon. These were my wordes tha~ / yf ye remembre it.
Than showted a sort of them togyther and cryed with great noyse. Vve saye all that yt is Gods bodye.
And dyuerse of them asked him in great angre / whether it were materyall breade after the consecracyon / or not?
Than loked the lorde Cobham ernestlye
vpon the Archebysshop / & sayd. I beleue surelye that yt is Christes bodye in fourme of breade. Syr beleue not you thus?
And the Archebysshop sayd / yes marry do I.
Than asked him the doctours / whether yt were onlye Christes bodye after the consecracyon of a Prest and no bread or not?
And he sayd vnto them / It is both Christes bodye and breade. I shall proue yt as thus. For lyke as Christ dwellynge here vpon the earth / had in him both Godhede and manhede. And had the inuisyble [...]odhede couered vndre that manhede which was onlye visyble and seane in him. So in the sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye and verye breade also / as I beleue. The breade is the thynge that we se with oure eyes.) The bodye of Christ / (which is his fleshe and his bloude) is there vndre hydde and not seane / but in fayth.
Than smyled they yche one vpon other / that the people shuld iudge him taken in a great heresye. And with a great bragge dyuerse of them sayd. It is a fowle heresye.
Tha~ asked the archebysshopp / what breade yt was. And the doctours also inquyred of hym whether it were materyall or not?
The lorde Cobham sayd vnto them. The scripturs maketh no mencyon of thys worde materyall / and therfor my faythe hath nothynge to do therwith. But thys I saye and beleue yt / that yt ys Christes bodye & breade. For Christ sayd in the sixt of Ioha~s gospell / Ego sum panis viu[...]s qui de celo descendi. I whych came downe from heauen am the lyuynge and not the dead breade. Therfor I saye now ageyne / lyke as I sayd afore. As our lorde Iesus Christ is verye god and verye manne / so in the most blessed sacrament of the aultre / is Christes verye bodye and breade.
Than sayd they all with one voyce. It is an heresye.
One of the bysshoppes stode vp by & by / and sayd. Vvhat yt is an heresye manyfest / to saye that yt is breade after the sacrame~tall wordes be ones spoke~ / but Christes bodye onlye.
The lorde Cobham sayd. Saynt paule ye apostle was (I am sure) as wyse as yow be now / and more godlye lerned. And he call[...] yt breade / writynge to
the Corintheanes. The breade that we breake (sayth he) is yt not the partakynge of the body of Christ? Lo / he casteth yt breade and not Christes bodye / but a menne wherby we receyue Christes bodye.
Than sayd they ageyne. Paule must be otherwyse vnderstanded. For yt is surelye an heresye to saye that yt is breade after the consecration / but onlye Christes bodye.
The lorde Cobham asked how they coude make Good that sente~ce of thers.
They answered hym thus. For yt is ageynst the determynacyon of holye churche.
Than sayd the Archebysshopp vnto hym. Sir Iohan / we sent yow a writynge concernynge the faythe of thys blessed sacrament / clerelye determyned by the churche of Rome our mother and by the holye doctours.
Than sayd he ageyne vnto hym. I knowe non holyar than is Christ and hys Apostle. And as for that determynacyo~ I wote[...] yt is non of thers / for yt sta~deth not with the scripturs / but manyfestlye ageynst the~. If yt be the churches (as ye saye it is) it hath bene hers onlye sens she receyued the great poyson
of worldlye possessyons / & not afore
Than asked they him to stoppe his mouthe therewith. If he beleued not in the determynacyon of the churche.
And he sayd vnto them. No forsoth / for yt is no God. In all oure crede is in but thryse mencyoned concernynge beleue. In God the father / in God the sonne / in God the holy ghost. The byrthe / the death / the buryall / the resurreccyon and ascensyon of Christ hath non in for beleue but in him. Neyther yet hath the churche / the sacramentes / the forgeuenesse of synne / the latter resurreccyon / nor yet the lyfe euerlastynge anye other in than in the holye ghost.
Than sayd one of the lawers. Tushe / that was but a worde of offyce. But what is youre beleue concernynge holye churche?
The lorde Cobham answered. My beleue is (as I sayd afore) that all the scripturs of the sacred Byble are true. All that is grounded vpon them I beleue throughlye. For (I knowe) yt is Gods pleasure that I shuld so do. But in your lordelye lawes and ydell determynacyons haue I no beleue. For ye be no part of Christes holye churche / as youre open dedes doth shewe. But ye
are verye Antichristes / obstynatlye set agaynst his holye lawe and will. The lawes that you haue made are nothynge to his glorye / but onlye for youre vayne glorye and abhomynable couetuousnesse.
This they sayd was an exceadynge heresye (and that in a gr[...]a[...] f[...]me) not to beleue the determynacyon of holye churche.
Than the Archebysshop asked him / what he thought holye churche?
He sayd vnto him: My beleue is that holye Churche is the nombre of them / which shall be saued / of whom Christ is the head. Of this churche one part is in heauen with Christ / an other in purgatorye (you saye and the thyrde is here in earthe. This latter part standeth in thre degrees / in kynghthode / prest hode / and the commynnalte / as I sayd afore playnelye in the confessyon of my beleue.
Than sayd the archebisshop vnto him Can ye tell me / who is of this churche?
The lorde Cobham answered. yea trulye can I.
Than sayd doctor Vvalden the prior of the Carmelytes. It is doubt vnto you / who is therof. For Christ sayth in
Math. Nolite iudicare. Presinne to iudge no ma~ne. If ye here beforbydde~ ye iudgement of youre neyber or brother / moche more ye iudgeme~t of your superyour.
The lorde Cobham made him this answere. Christ sayth also in the same selfe chaptre of Matthew. That lyke as the ys[...]'tre is knowen by his yll frute / so is a false Prophete by his workes / a[...]ere they neuer so gloryouse. But that ye left behynde ye. And in Iohan he hath this text. Operibus credite. Beleue you the outwarde doynges. And in an other place of Iohan. Iustum iudicium indicate. Vvhan we knowe the thynge to be true / we maye so iudge yt and not offende. For Dauid sayth also. Recte iudicate filii hominum. Iudge ryghtlye alwayes ye chyldren of menne And as for youre superyorte. Vvere ye of Christ ye shuld be meke mynysters / and no proude superyours.
Than sayd doctor Vvalden vnto him. ye make here no difference of iudgeme~tes. ye put no diuerfyte betwyne the yll iudgeme~tes / which Christ hath forbydden / and the good iudgementes which he hath cu~maunded vs to haue. Rashe iudgement and ryght iudgement / all is one with you. So is iudgeme~t presumed
and iudgement of offyce. So swyst iudges alwayes / are the lerned scolers of Vvycleue.
Vnto whom the lorde Cobham thus answered. It is wele sophistryed of you forsoth. Preposterouse are youre iudgementes euermore. For as the Prophete Esaye sayth / ye iudge yll good and good yll. And therfore the same Prophete co~cludeth / that youre wayes are not gods wayes / nor Gods wayes youre wayes. And as for that vertuouse manne Vvyclene / whose iudgeme~tes ye so hyghlye dysdayne / I shall saye here for my part both before God and manne. That before I knewe that despysed doctryne of his / I neuer abstayned from synne. But sens I lerned therin to feare my Lorde God / yt hath otherwyse (I trust) bene with me. So moch grace coude I neuer fynde in all your gloryouse instruccyo~s.
Than sayd doctour Vvalden agayne yet vnto him. It were not wele with me / so manye vertuouse menne lyuyng / and so manye lerned menne teachyng / the scripturs beynge also so open / & the examples of fathers so plentuouse / yf I than had no grace to amende my lyfe tyll I hearde the deuyll preache. Saynt Hierom sayth / that he which seketh soche
suspected masters / shall not fynde the myd daye lyght but the myd daye deuyll.
The lorde Cobham sayd / youre fathers the olde Pharysees ascrybed Christes myracles to Belzebub / and his doctryne to the deuyll. And you as theyr naturall chyldren / haue styll the same selfe iudgement concernynge his faythfull folowers. They that rebuke youre vicyouse lyuynge must neades be heretyques / and that must youre doctours proue whan ye haue no scripturs to do yt. Than sayd he to them all. To iudge you as ye be / we nede no farder go than youre owne propre actes. Vvhere do ye fynde in all Gods lawe / that ye shulde thus syt in iudgement of anye Christen man / or yet sentens anye other manne vnto death as ye do here daylye? No grounde haue ye in all the scripturs so lordelye to take yt vpon ye / but in Annas and in Cayphas which sate thus vpon Christ and vpon his Apostels after his ascencyon. Of them onlye haue ye taken yt to iudge Christes members / as ye do / & neyther of Peter nor Iohan.
Than sayd some of the lawers. yes forsoth syr for Christ iudged Iudas.
The lorde Cobham sayd. No / Christ
iudged him not. But he iudged himselfe / and thervpon went forth and so ded hange himselfe. But in dede Christ sayd wo vnto him for that couetuouse acte of his / as he doth yet styll vnto manye of you. For sens the venyme was shedde into ye churche / ye neuer folowed Christ neyther yet haue ye stande in the perfeccyon of Gods lawe.
Than asked him the Archebysshop / what he ment by that venyme?
The lorde Cobham sayd / youre possessyons and lordeshyppes. For than cryed an angell in the ayre (as youre owne chronycles mencyoneth) wo / wo / wo / this daye is venyme shedde into ye churche of God. Before that tyme all the Bysshoppes of Rome were martyrs in a maner. And sens that tyme we reade of verye fewe. But in dede sens that same tyme one hath put downe an other one hath poysened an other / one hath cursed an other / and one hath slayne an other / and done moche more myschefe besydes / as all the chronycles telleth. And lete all menne consydre wele this. That Christ was meke and mercyfull. The Pope is proude & a tyraunt Christ was poore and forgaue. The Pope is ryche and a most cruell manslayer / as his
daylye actes doth proue him. Rome is the verye nest of Antichrist. And out of that nest cometh all his disciples. Of whom Prelates / Prestes / and Monkes are the bodye / and these pylde fryers are the [...]ayle which couereth his most fylthye part.
Than sayd the prior of the fryre Anguilynes. [...]lac syr / whye do ye saye so? That is vncharytablye spoken.
And the lorde Cobham sayd. Not onlye is yt my sayinge / but also the Prophete Esayes / longe afore my tyme. The Prophete (sayth he) which preacheth lyes / is the tayle behynde. As you fryers and monkes be lyke Pharysees dyuyded in youre outwarde aparell and vsages / so make ye dyuysyon amonge the people. And thus yow with soche other / are the verye naturall members of Antichrist.
Than sayd he vnto them all. Christ sayth in his Gospell. Vvo to you Scribes and Pharysees hypocrytes. Fo[...]e close vp the kyngedom of heauen befor[...] menne. Nether entre ye in your selues / nor yet suffre anye other that wolde entre into yt. But ye stoppe vp the wayes thervnto with youre owne tradicyons / and therfore are ye the howsholde of
Antichrist. ye will not permytt Gods veryte to haue passage / nor yet to be taught of his true mynysters / fearynge to haue youre wyckednesse reproued. But by soche vayne flatterers as vpholde ye in youre myscheues / ye suffre the common people most myserablye to be seduced.
Than sayd the Archebysshop. By oure ladye syr there shall no soche preache within my dyocese (and God will) nor yet in my iurisdiccyon (yf I maye knowe yt) as eyther maketh dyuysyon or yet dyssensyon amonge the poore co~mons.
The lorde Cobham sayd. Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedycyon makynge / yet were they most peceable menne. Both Daniel and Christ prophecyed / that soche a troublouse tyme shulde come / as hath not bene yet sens the worldes begynnyng. And this prophecye is partlye fulfylled in youre dayes and doynges. For manye haue ye slayne alredye / and more will ye slee here after yf God fulfyll not his promes. Christ sayth also / yf those dayes of yours were not shortened / scarslye shuld anye fleshe be saued. Therfore loke for yt iustlye / for God will shorten youre dayes. Moreouer though Prestes
and Deacons for preachynge of Gods worde and for mynystrynge the sacramentes with prouysyon for the poore / be grounded in Gods lawe / yet haue these other sectes no maner of grounde therof / so farre as I haue redde.
Than a doctour of lawe called mastre Iohan hempe / plucked out of his bosome a copye of that byll which they had afore sent him into the tower / by ye Archebysshoppes counsell / thynkynge therby to make shorter worke with him. For they were so amased with his answers (not all vnlyke to them which dysputed with Steuen) that they knewe not wele how to occupye ye tyme / theyr wyttes and sophistrye (as God wolde) so fayled them that daye.
My lorde Cobham (sayth this doctor) we must breuelye knowe youre mynde concernynge these .iiii. poyntes here folowynge. The fyrst of them is this. And than he redde vpon the byll. The fayth and the determynacyon of holye churche / towchynge the blessed sacrament of the aultre / is this. That after the sacramentall wordes be ones spoken by a Prest in his masse / the materyall breade that was before breade / is turned into Christes verye bodye. And ye
materyall wyne / that was before wyne / is turned into Christes verye bloude. And so there remayneth in the sacrament of the aultre from thens forth no materyall breade nor materyall wyne / which were there before the sacramentall wordes were spoken. Syr beleue ye not this?
The lorde Cobham sayd. This is not my beleue. But my fayth is (as I sayd to yow afore) that in the worshypfull sacrament of the aultre is verye Christes bodye in fourme of breade.
Than sayd the Archebysshop. Syr Iohan / ye must saye otherwyse.
The lorde Cobham sayd. Naye that I shall not / yf God be vpon my syde (as I trust he is) but that there is Christes bodye in fourme of breade / as the common beleue is·
Than redde the Doctour agayne. The seconde poynt is this. Holye churche hath determyned / that euery Christen manne lyuynge here bodylye vpon earth / ought to be shryuen to a Prest ordayned by the churche / yf he maye come to him. Syr what saye ye to this?
The lorde Cobham answered & sayd. A dyseased or sore wounded manne had nede to haue a sure wyse surgeon and a
true / knowynge both the grounde and the daunger of the same. Most necessarye were yt therfore / to be fyrst shryuen vnto God / which onlye knoweth oure dyseases and can helpe vs. I denye not in this the goynge to a Prest / yf he be a manne of good lyfe and lernynge. For the lawes of God are to be requyred of the prest which is godlye lerned. But yf he be an ydyote or a manne of vicyouse lyuynge that is my curate / I ought rather to flee from him than to seke vnto him. For sonner myght I catche yll of him that is nought / than anye goodnesse towardes my sowle helthe.
Than redde the doctour agayne. The thyrde poynt is this. Christ ordayned saynct Peter the Apostle / to be his vycar here in earth / whose see is ye churche of Rome. And he graunted that the same power which he gaue vnto Peter / shuld succede to all Peters successours which we call now Popes of Rome. By whose specyall power in churches partycular be ordayned Prelates / as Archebyshoppes / Persones / Curates / and other degrees more. Vnto whom Christen menne ought to obeye after the lawes of the churche of Rome. This is the determynacyon of holye Churche.
Syr beleue ye not this?
To this he answered and sayd. He that foloweth Peter most nyghest in pure lyuynge / is next vnto him in successyon. But youre lordelye ordre estemeth not greatlye the lowlye behauer of poore Peter / what so euer ye prate of him. Neyther care ye greatlye for the humble maners of them that succeded him· tyll the tyme of Syluestre / which for the more part were martyrs / as I tolde ye afore. ye can lete all theyr good condycyo~s go by you / and not hurt your selues with them at all. All the worlde knoweth this wele ynough by you / and yet ye canne make boast of Peter.
Vvith that / one of the other doctours axed him. Than what do ye saye of the Pope?
The lorde Cobham answered. As I sayd before. He and yow togyther maketh whole the great Antichrist. Of whom he is the great head / yow Bysshoppes / Prestes / Prelates / and monkes are the bodye / and the beggynge fryers are the tayle / for they couer the fylthynesse of you both / with theyr subtyle sophistrye. Neuer will I in conscie~ce obeye anye of yow all / tyll I se yow wt Peter folowe Christ in co~uersacyon.
Than redde the doctour agayne. The forth poynt is this. Holye churche hath determyned that yt is merytoryouse to a Christen manne to go on pylgrymage to holye places. And there specyallye to worshyp holye relyques and ymages of saynctes / Apostles / Martyrs / Confessours / and all other saynctes besydes approued by the churche of Rome. Syr what saye ye to this?
Vvherunto he answered. I owe them no seruyce by anye commaundement of God / and therfore I mynde not to seke them for youre couetuousnesse. It were best ye swept them fayre from copwebbes and dust / and so layed them vp for catchynge of scathe. Or els to burye them fayre in ye grounde / as ye do other aged people which are Gods ymages. It is a wonderfull thynge that sayntes now beynge dead / shuld become so couetuouse and nedye / and thervpon so bytterlye begge / which all theyr lyfe tyme hated all couetuousnesse and beggynge But this I saye vnto you / and I wolde all the worlde shuld marke yt. That wt youre shryues and ydols / youre fayned absolucyons and pardons / ye drawe vnto yow the substaunce / welthe / and chefe pleasure of all Christen realmes.
Vvhye syr (sayd one of the clarkes) will ye not worshyp good ymages?
Vvhat worshyp shulde I geue vnto them? sayd the lorde Cobham?
Than sayd fryre Palmer vnto him. Syr ye will worshyp ye crosse of Christ / that he dyed vpon?
Vvhere is yt / sayd the lorde Cobham?
The fryre sayd. I put ye the case syr / that yit were here euen now before you?
The lorde Cobham answered. This is a great wyse manne / to put me an ernest questyon of a thyng / and yet he his selfe knoweth not were the thynge selfe is. yet ones agayne aske I you / what worshyp I shuld do vnto yt?
A clarke sayd vnto him. Soche worshyp as Paule speaketh of / and that is this. God forbydde that I shulde ioye but onlye in the crosse of Iesus Christ.
Than sayd the lorde Cobham / and spredde his armes a brode. This is a verye crosse / yea / and so moche better than youre crosse of wode / in that yt was created of God. yet will not I seke to haue yt worshypped.
Than sayd the Bysshop of London. Syr ye wote wele that he dyed on a materyall crosse.
The lorde Cobham sayd. yea / and I
wote also that oure saluacyon came not in by that materyall crosse / but alone by him / which dyed thervpon. And wele I wote that holye saynct Paule reioysed in non other crosse / but in Christes passyon and death onlye / and in his owne sufferynges of lyke persecucyon with him for the same selfe veryte that he had suffred for afore.
An other clarke yet asked him. Vvill ye than do non honour to the holye crosse?
He answered him· yes / yf he were myne I wolde saye him vp honestlye / and se vnto him that he shulde take no more scathes a broode / nor be robbed of his goodes / as he is now a dayes.
Than sayd the Archebysshop vnto him: Syr Iohan / ye haue spoken here manye wonderfull wordes to the slaunderouse rebuke of all the whole spiritualte / geuynge a greaty[...] example vnto the common sort here / to haue vs in the more dysdayne. Moche tyme haue we spent here abought yow / and all in vayne so farre as I can se. Vvell / we must be now at this short poynt with you / for the daye passeth awaye / ye must eyther submytt youre selfe to the ordynaunce of holye churche / or els throwe youre selfe (no remedye) into most depe
daunger. Se to yt in tyme / for anon yt will be els to late.
The lorde Cobham sayd: I knowe not to what purpose I shuld otherwyse submytme. Moche more haue you offended me than euer I offended yow / in thus troublynge me before this multytude.
Than sayd the Archebysshop agayne vnto him. Vve ones agayne requyre you to remembre youre selfe wele / and to haue non other opynyon in these matters than the vnyuersall fayth and beleue of the holye Churche of Rome is. And so lyke an obedyent chylde to returne to ye vnyte of youre mother. Se to yt (I saye in tyme / for yet ye maye haue remedye / where as anon yt will be to late
The lorde Cobham sayd expreslye before them all. I will non otherwyse beleue in these poyntes / than I haue tolde ye hereafore. Do with me what ye will.
Fynallye than the Archebysshop sayd Vvell than I se non other / but we must neades do the lawe / we must procede forth to the sentence diffynytyue / and both iudge ye and condemne ye for an heretyque.
And with that the Archebysshop stode vp / and redde there a byll of his condemnacyon
/ all the clergye and layte auaylynge theyr bonettes. And this was therof the tenour.
IN De[...]nomine / Amen. Nos Thomas permissione diuina Cantuariensis ecclesie Archiepiscopus / metropolitanus / totius Anglie primas / & Apostolice fedis legatus / & so fourth in Barberouse Latyne / which I haue here translated into Englyshe for a more playne vnderstandynge to ye reader. [...]
In the name of God. So be yt. Vve Thomas by the sufferaunce of God Archebysshop of Caunterburye / metropolytane / and prymate of all Englande / and legate from the Apostolyque seate of Rome / willeth this to be knowen vnto all menne. In a certen cause of heresye and vpon dyuerse artycles / wherevpon syr Iohan Oldecastell knyght and lorde Cobham / after a dilygent inquysycyon made for the same / was detected / accused / and presented before vs in oure last conuocacyon of all oure whole clergye of oure prouince of Caunterburye / holden in the cathedrall churche of Paules at london. At the lawfull denouncement & request of oure vnyuersall
clergye in the seyd conuocacyon / we proceded agaynst him accordyng to the lawe (God to wytnesse) with all the fauer possyble. And folowynge Christes example in all that we myght / (which willeth not the death of a synner / but rather that he be conuerted & lyue) we toke vpon vs to correct him / and sought all other wayes possyble to bryng him agayne to the churches vnyte / declarynge vnto him what the holye and vnyuersall churche of Rome hath sayd / holden / determyned / and taught in that behalfe. And though we founde him in the catholyque fayth farre wyde and so styffnecked that he wolde not co~fesse his errour / nor pourge himselfe / nor yet repent him therof. Vve yet pyteynge him of fatherlye compassyon / and inteyrlye desyerynge the helthe of his sowle / appoynted him a competent tyme of delyberacyon / to se yf he wolde repent and seke to be reformed. And sens we haue founde him worse and worse. Consyderynge therfore that he is incorrygyble / we are dryuen to the verye extremyte of the lawe / and with great heuynesse of hart we now procede to the fynall publycacyon of the sentence diffynytyue agaynst him.
Than brought he forth an other byll contaynynge the seyd sentence / & that he redde also in his Bauger Latyne. Christi nomine inuocato / ipsum[...]z solumpre oculie habentes. Quia peracta inactitata / and so forth. Vvhich I haue also translated into Englyshe that me~ne maye vnderstande yt:
Christ we take vnto wytnesse / that nothynge els we seke in this oure whole enterpryse / but his onlye glorye. For as moche as we haue founde by diuerse actes done / brought forth / and exhybyted / by sordrye euydences / sygnes / and tokens / and also by manye most manyfest proues / the seyd syr Iohan Oldecastell knyght and lorde Cobham / not onlye an euydent heretyque in his owne persone / but also a myghtye mayntene[...] of other heretyques agaynst the faythe and relygyon of the holye and vnyuersall churche of Rome / namelye abought the two sacramentes of the aultre and of penaunce / besydes the Popes power and pylgrymages. And that he as the chylde of iniquyte and darkenesse / hath so hardened his hart that he will in no case attende vnto the voyce of his pastour. Neyther will he be assured by strayght admonyshmentes / nor yet b[...]
brought in by fauorable wordes. The worthynesse of the cause fyrst wayed on the one syde / and his vnworthynesse agayne consydered on the othe syde / his fawtes also aggrauated / or made double through his damnable obstynacye. Vve beynge lothe that he which is nought shuld be woase / and so with his contagyousnesse infect the multytude. By the sage counsell and assent of the verye dyscrete fathers / oure honorable bretherne and lorde Bysshoppes here present / Rycharde of London / Henrye of Vvynchestre / and Benet of Bangor / and of other great lerned and wyse me~ne here / both doctours of diuynyte and of the lawes canon and ciuyle / seculars and relygyouse / with dyuerse other expert menne assystynge vs / we sentencyallye and dyffynytyuelye by this present wrytynge / iudge / declare / and condemne the seyd syr Iohan Olde castell knyght and lorde Cobham for a most pernycyouse and detestable heretyque conuicted vpon the same and refusynge vtterlye to obeye the Churche agayne / commyttynge him here from hens forth as a condemned heretyque to the secular iurisdiccyon / power / and iudgeme~t to do him thervpon to death. Forthermore
we excommunycate and denounce acursed not onlye this heretyque here present / but so manye els besydes as shall here after in fauer of his errour [...]yther receyue him or defende him / cou~sell him / or helpe him / or anye other waye maynteyne him / as verye fawters receyuer[...] / defenders / counsellers / ayders / and maynteners of condemned heretyques.
And that these premysses maye be the better knowen to all faythfull Christen menne / we co~myt yt here vnto your charges and geue ye streyght commau~dement thervpon by this wrytynge also / that ye cause this condemnacyon and diffynytyue sentence of excommunycacyon concernynge both this heretyque and his fawtours to be publyshed through out all youre dyoceses in cytees / townes / and vyllages by youre curates and parryshe Prestes / soche tyme as they shall haue most recourse of people. And se that yt be done after this sort. As the people are thus gathered deuoutlye togyther / lete the curate euerye where go into the pulpet / and there open / declare / and expounde this processe in the mother tonge in an audyble and intellygyble voyce / that yt maye
wele be perseyued of all me~ne / and that vpon the feare of this declaracyon also / the people maye fall from theyr yll opynyons conceyued now of late by sedycyouse preachers. More ouer we will that after we haue delyuered vnto yche one of yow Bysshoppes (which are here present) a copye herof / that ye cause the same to be written out agayne into dyuerse copyes / and so to be sent vnto the other Bysshoppes and Prelates of oure whole prouince / that they maye also se the contentes therof solempnelye publyshed within theyr dyoceses and cures. Fynallye we will that both yow and they signyfye agayne vnto vs seryouslye and dystynctlye by youre wrytynges / as the matter is without fayned colour in euerye poynt perfourmed / the daye wher vpon ye receyued this processe / the tyme whan yt was of yow executed / and after what sort yt was done in euerye condycyon / accordynge to the tenour herof / that we maye knowe yt to be iustlye the same.
A copye of this wrytynge sent Thomas Arundell the Archebysshop of Cau~terburye after warde from Maydeston the .x. daye of Octobre within the same yeare of oure Lorde a .M.cccc. and .xiii.
vnto Rycharde Clyfforde the Bysshop of Londo~ / which thus beginneth / Thomas permissione diuina &c.
The seyd Rycharde Clyfforde sent an other copye therof / enclosed within his owne letters / vnto Robert Mascall a Carmelyte fryre which was than Bisshop of Herforde in Vvalis / wrytten from Hadham the .xxiii. daye of Octobre in the same yeare / and the beginnynge therof is this. Reuerende in Christo pater &c.
The seyd Robert Mascall directed an other copye therof from London the xxvii. daye of Nouembre in the same yeare / enclosed in his owne co~missyon also / vnto his Archedeacons and Deanes in Herfforde and Shrewesburye. And this is therof the begynnynge. Venerabilibus & discretis viris &c. In lyke maner ded th