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 sacrameÌ„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 geueÌ„ vs of Christ by sufferauÌ„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 â—â— 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 noâ— knowe nor yet kepe the holye coÌ„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 CauÌ„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 couÌ„fessed the Archebysshop with the other two Bysshoppes and with dyuerse of y e doctours what was to be done in thismaâ—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 sacrameÌ„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 bouÌ„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 coÌ„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 y e 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 determynacyon of the Archebysshop and 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
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 maÌ„ne in his facultè be yt merchandyce handye crafte or the tylthe of the grouÌ„de And so one of them to be as an helper to an other â—olowynge alwayes in theyr sortes the iust commaundemeÌ„tes of theyr Lorde God Ouer and besydes all this I most faythfullye beleue that the sacrameÌ„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 coÌ„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 y e 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 maÌ„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 whaÌ„ 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 Lefâ—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 ☞ The fyrst examynacyon of the lorde Cobham SIr Iohan in y e last generall coÌ„nocacyon of the clergye of this oure prouince ye were detected of certâ—n heresyes by suffycyeÌ„t wytnesses founde culpable Vvhervpon ye were by forme of spirituall lawe cyted wolde in no case apere In coÌ„clusyon vpon youre rebellyouse contumacye ye were both pryuatelye and openlye excommunycated Notwithstandynge we neuer yet shewed ouresâ—lfe vnredye to haue geueÌ„ 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 noÌ„ 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 CauÌ„terburye hath not onlye layed yt
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 coÌ„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 viiâ— monethes olde and odde dayes Vvhat a doloure was this vnto menne of rype difcressyon naturally louynge theyr coÌ„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 y e 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 ylâ— was meÌ„ 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 meÌ„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 wolâ— noble stomake and precyouse fayth in the myddes of great Antichristes modye mustre His corage was of soche vaâ—â—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 tyraÌ„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 ownâ— 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 merchauÌ„tes were princes of the earth And with thyne inchauÌ„tementes were all nacyons deceyued Apocal. xviii ☞ The great processe of Thomas Arundell the Archebysshop of Caunterburye and of the Papisticall clergye w t him agaynst the most noble knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell the lorde Cobham in the yeare of oure Lorde a. M. cccc and .xlii. wherin is coÌ„tayned his examinacyon impresonmeÌ„t and excommunycacyon The processe before his examinacyon AFter that y e true seruauÌ„t of Iesus Christ Iohan Vvycleue a maÌ„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
appoynted he was brought out of the Tower with his armes bounde behynde him hauyng a verye cherefull countenaunce Than was he layed vpon an hardle as though he had bene a most heynouse traytour to the crowne and so drawne forth into saynct Gyles felde where as they had set vp a new payre of Galowes As he was comen to the place of execucyon and was taken from the hardle he fell downed enoughtlye vpon his knees desyerynge almyghtye God to forgeue his enemyes Than stode he vp and behelde the multytude exhortynge them in most godlye maner to folowe the lawes of God wrytten in the scripturs and in anye wyse to be ware of soche teachers as they se contrarye to Christ in theyr conuersacyn and lyuynge with manye other specyall counsels Than was he hanged vp there by the myddle in cheanes of yron and so consumed a lyue in the fyre praysynge the name of God so longe as his lyfe lasted In the ende he commended his sowle into the handes of God and so departed hens most Christenlye his bodye resolued into ashes And this was done in the yeare of our Lorde a. M. cccc and .xviii. which was the sixt yeare of the regne of kyng Henrye the fyft the people there present shewynge great dolour How the Prestes that tyme fared blasphemed and cursed requyrynge the people not to praye for him but to iudge him damned in hell for that he departed not in the obedyeÌ„ce of theyr Pope yt were to longe to wryte This terryble kynde of death with galowes cheanes and fyre apereth not verye precyouse in the eyes of menne that be carnall nomore than ded the death of Christ whan he was hanged vp amonge theues The ryghtuouse semeth to dye sayth the wyse manne in the syght of them which are vnwyse and theyr ende is taken for verye destruccyon Vngodlye foles thynketh theyr lyues verye madnesse and theyr passage hens without all honour But though they suffre payne before menne sayth he yet is theyr expectacyon full of immortalyte They are accounted for the chyldren of God haue theyr iust porcyon amonge the faynctes As golden in the fornace doth God trye his electes as a most plesaunt brent offerynge receyueth he them to rest The more harde the passage be the more gloryouse shall they apere in the lattre resurreccyon Not that the affliccyons of this lyfe are worthye of soche a glorye but that yt is Gods heauenlye pleasure so to rewarde them Neuer are the iudgementes and wayes of menne lyke vnto the iudgementes and wayes of God but coÌ„trarye euermore vnlesse they be taught of him In the latter tyme sayth the Lorde vnto Daniel shall manye be chosen proued and puryfyed by frye yet shall the vngodlye lyue wyckedlye styll and haue no vnderstandynge that is of fayth By an angell from heuen was Iohan ernestlye coÌ„maunded to wryte that blessed are y e dead which hence departeth in y e Lorde Ryght dere sayth Dauid in the syght of God is the death of his true seruauÌ„tes Thus resteth this valeaunt Christen knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell vndre the aultre of God which is Iesus Christ amonge that godlye companye which in the kyngedome of pacyeÌ„ce suffred great tribulacyon with y e death of theyr bodyes for his faythfull worde and testimonye abydynge there with them the fulfyllynge of theyr whole nombre the full restauricyon of his electes The which he graunt in effect at his tyme appoynted which is one God eternall Amen ☞ The conclusyon BEsydes the cause rehersed afore in the preface concernynge the dreadfull death of this most Christen knyght syr Iohan Olde castell the lorde Cobham this is also rekened for one In the ende of the fyrst boke which he put vp into the ParlemeÌ„t how se agaynst the abusyons of the clergyâ— in the yeare of oure Lordâ— a. M.CCC xcv which was also the .xviii. yeare of kynge Rycharde the seconde were these .vi. verses wrytten as a brefe conclusyon sommarye of the vnyuersall coÌ„tentes therof Plangunt Anglorum Gentes crimen Sodomorum Paulus fert horum sunt Idola causa malorum Surgunt ingrati Giezite Symone nati Nomine prelati hoc defensare parati Qui râ—ges estis populis quicunque preestis Qualiter 〈◊〉 gestis gladios prohibere potestis Though the verses be grosse and vnperfyght accordynge to the tyme than wherin all freshe lytterature was clerelye extynguyshed yet is the sentence of them lyuelye and of a freshe faythfull sprete euen in the zele of Helias and Phinees for rebuke of synne And thus are they in the Englyshe Bewayle maye Englande the synne of Sodomytes For Idolles and they are grounde of all theyr wo. Of Symon Magus a secte of hypocrytes Surnamed prelates are vp with them to go And to vpholde them in all that they maye do yow that be rewlers peculyarlye selected How can ye suffre soche myscheues vncorrected Vvhan this boke wolde not helpe towardes anye reformacyon but was law hed to scorne of the Bysshoppes than were these verses copyed out by dyuerse menne set vpon theyr wyndowes gates and dores which were than knoweÌ„ for obstynate hypocrytes and fleshlye lyuers which made y e prelates madde And this is y e great insurreccyon that Vvalden complayneth of vnto Pope Martyne the fyft after him Polydotus the Popes collectour with other papistes more wherin neuer a one manne was hurt I wolde maruele moche more of the doublenesse of Thomas Vvalden beynge than the kynges confessour yf I ded not knowe the vnshamefast nature of that lyenge generacyon In his fyrst Epistle vnto Pope Martyue in the fyrst Preface of his fourth boke contra Vvicleuistas he sayth that syr Iohan Olde castell with a great nombre of heretyques conspyred agaynst kynge Henrye the fyft in the fyrst yeare of his regne that he offered him for euerye monke chanon fryre and Popyshe Prestes head within his realme a golde noble And cleane contrarye vnto this he testyfyeth in his boke called Fasciculus zizaniorum Vvicleui that he was the same selfe tyme yeare moneth weke and daye a presoner within the Tower of London How wele these two wrytynges agre I report me But thus commonlye are innocent menne lyed vpon amonge these blasphemouse bessygoddes But he that is essencyallye true of himselfe hath promysed at one tyme or other to clere his true seruaunt not by lyes and fables but by his owne pure worde No secrete sayth he is so close but ones shall be opened neyther is anye thynge so hydde that shall not at the last be knowen clerelye Thus hath syr Iohan Oldecastell a tryumphauÌ„t victorye ouer his enemyes by the veryte which he defended all coÌ„trarye to the blynde worldes expectacyon they haue a fowle ouerthrowe beynge proued manyfest murtherers blynde beastes hypocrytes lyars by the same Soche a swete Lorde is God alwayes