clerkis of your realme if it he trewthe that it myght be confermyd I to be holden for a trew christen man if it be false that it myght be dampned I tauchte a better beleue by goddis lawe and I will gladly obey therto This forsaid beleue the lorde Cobham wrote tooke it with hym offered it to the kyng for to see the kyng wolde not receiue it but bad hym take it to them that sholde be his iudges And than the lorde of Cobham offered to brynge before the kyng to purge hym of all errour ād heresy that they wolde put ageinst hym an hūdred knyghtes squteres And also he offered to fighte with ony mā christen or hethen that wold say that he wer false in his beleue except the kyng and his brethren And after he said he wold submit hym to all maner correcciō that any mā wold correcte hym after goddis law And not withstanding all this the kyng suffered hym to be somoned personally in his owne chāber And the lorde of Cobham said to the kyng that he hadde appeled to the pope fro the Archebisshop wherfore he said he ought not to take him for his iudge so he hadde there his appele redy written shewid it to the kyng therwith the kynge was more angry said He sholde not pursue his apele but rather he sholde be ī warde till his appele wer admitted ād than wolde he or not he sholde be his iudge And thus nothing of all this myght be alowed but because he wolde not sweare to submit hym to the chirche take what penaūce the Archebisshop wold inioyne hym he was arested sent to the towre of London to keape his day that the bisshop assigned hym in the kynges chamber And than he made the beleue afore said with the answeres to foure poyntes that now folow to be written in two partes of an endenture And whan he came to answer he gaue that one parte to the bisshope ād that other parte he kept to hymself ¶ The endenture of the lorde Cobham I Iohn̄ Olde castell knyght lorde of Cobham will that all christē men were how that Thomas of Arundell Archebisshop of Cāterbury hath now leyde maliciously vntreuly by his letter his seale written of me in sclaunderous wyse that I sholde otherwyse feale and teache of the sacramētis of holy chirche assyning in speciall the sacrament of the altare the sacramēt of penaūce also in worshipping of ymagis in goyng on pilgrimagis otherwyse than fealeth and teacheth the vniuersall holy chirche I take almightie god to witnes that it hath ben now is euer with the helpe of god shall be myne entēt my will to beleue feithfully ād treuly in all the sacramētis that euer god ordened to be done in holy chirche And more ouer for to declare me in thes poyntes a foresaid I beleue that the moste worshipfull sacramēt of the altare is very Christes body in fourme of breade the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our lady seynt Marie done on the crosse dede buried ād the thirde day rose fro dethe to lyfe the which body is now glorified in heuē Also as for the sacramēt of penaūce I beleue that it is nedefull to eueri mā that shall be sauyd to forsake synne and to doo dew penaūce for synne before done with trewe cōfessiō very cōtriciō dew satisfacciō as goddis law limeteth teacheth els may he not be sauyd which penaunce I desyre all men to doo And as for ymagis I vnderstonde that they be not of belefe but they wer ordened syns beleue was geuyn of Christe by sufferaunce of the chirche for to be kalenderis to lay men to represente bring to mynde the passion of our lorde Iesu Christe and martirdome good lyuyng of other sayntes And that who so it be that doeth the worship to deede ymages that is dewe to god or puttith hope feyth or truste in helpe of them as he sholde doo to god or hathe affecciō in one more than in a nother he doeth in that the greate synne of ydolatrie Also I suppose this fully that euery man in this erthe is a pilgreme toward blesse or toward peyne And that he that knowith not nor will not knowe nor kepe the holy commaundementis of god in his liuyng here all be it that he go on pilgrimage into all the worlde and he dye so he shall be dampned And he that knoweth the holy commaundemētis of god and kepith them to his ende he shall be sauyd though he neuer in his lyfe go on pilgrimage as men vse now to Canterbury or to Rome or to ony other place This beleue indented conteinyng the forsaid beleue with thes forsaid answeres he tooke to the bisshops whan he cam to answer on the saturday next befor Michelmesse in the yeare aforesayd And what so euer the bisshopes asked him he badde them looke what his bill said therto and therby wolde he stande to the dethe other answer gaue he not that day but the bisshopes wer not quietyd herewith And the Archebisshop badde hym take auysement till moneday next folowing to answer to this poynte Yf there remained materiall brede in the sacramēt of of the altare after the wordis of consecracion And in the meane tyme he perceiuyd that the vttermoste malice was purposed ageinst hī how so euer he answered therfore he putt his lyfe in goddis hande and answered thus as folowith This is the iudgement and sentence geuyn vpon sir Iohn Old castell knyght and lorde of Cobham the moneday next before michelmesse day at the friers prechers in London in the yeare of our lorde a thousand foure hundred and thirtene the Archebisshop of Canterbery the bisshop of London the bisshop of winchester the bisshop of Bangar Master Iohn̄ witnā Master Iohn̄ whytehede doctours of diuinite Master Philip Morgan Master henry ware Master Iohn̄ kempe doctours of lawe And sir Robert wambnell vicare of seynt Laurence in the iewrie Master Iohn̄ Steuenes Master Iames Colenotaries with the foure orders of friers and many other clerkis demyng and cōuicting hym for an heretike and a cursed man The Archebisshop made all thes clerkys and doctours both religious and seculers to swere vpon a booke that they sholde not for loue or fauour of the one partie nor for any enuy or hatrede of the other partie say nor witnesse but the truthe And the two forsaid notaries wer sworē also to write to witnesse the wordis processe y◠wer to be said on bothe the parties and to say the sothe if hit otherwyse wer After this the lorde of Cobhā came ād was broughte before them all to his examinacion to his answer Than the Archebisshop said to hym Lorde of Cobham ye ben auysed well ynoughe of the wordis and processe that wer said to you vpon saturday laste paste in the chapter house of Paulis the
pharisies deuided deuided in habite so ye make diuisiÌ„on amoÌ„ge the people And thus thes friers moÌ„kes with soch other be the meÌ„bres of the neste of antichrist And he said Christe saith Wo be to you scribes pharifies ypocrites for ye close vp the kingdome of heueÌ„ before meÌ„ for sothe ye enter not your self nor ye will nat suffer them that wold to enter in thus ye be the disciples of Antichrist For ye will not suffer gods lawe to go thorowe nor to be taucht preched of good priestes whiche will speke ageinst your sinnes repreue theÌ„ but of soch that beÌ„ flaterers whiche susteyne you in your synnes cursednes ThaÌ„ said the archebishop By our lady sir there shall no soche preache that preacheth dissensyon diuision if god will ThaÌ„ said the lorde of Cobham to the archebishop Christ saith that ther shall be so greate tribulacioÌ„ as neuer was syns the begiÌ„niÌ„g And this shal be in your dayes by you for ye haue slayne many meÌ„ mo shall hereafter but Christ sâ—ith excepte that those dayes were shortened no flesch sholde be saued but hastly god will short your dayes Forthermore bishops priestes dyacons ben grounded in goddes lawe but not thes other religions as ferre as I can wete ThaÌ„ a doctour of lawe one master Ihon kempe put to hiÌ„ thes foure poyntes that folowe The faith the determinacioÌ„ of holy chirch touching the blessed sacrament of the altare is this that after the sacramentall wordes ben said of a priest in his masse the materiall breade that was before is torned into Christes body the materiall wyne that was before is torned in to Christes very blode so there remayneth in the sacrament of the altare no materiall breade nor materiall wyne the whiche wer there before the sayng of the sacrameÌ„tall wordes Sir beleue ye not thys The lorde of CobhaÌ„ said This is not my beleue For my beleue is as I saide to you before that the worshipfull sacrament of the altare is very chhristes body in fourme of breade Than said the archebishoppe Sir Ihon ye must say otherwise The lorde of Cobham said Nay yf god will but that it is christes body in fourme of breade as all the comon beleue is The doctour said The seconde is this that holy chirche hath determined that euery christeÌ„ man lyuyng bodely vpon erth oweth to be shriueÌ„ to a prieste ordened by the chirche if he maye come to him Sir what say ye to this The lorde answered and said A seake man and sore wounded hadde nede to haue a sure leche and a trewe knowing his cure and therfore a man sholde principally be shreuen to god and els his confession is noucht And a maÌ„ sholde rather go be counsellid with a good prieste that knowith goddis lawe and liueth thereafter than with his owne prieste if he wer an euyl man or with ony other soche The doctour said The thirde is this Christe ordenyd seynt Peter apostle to be his vicare iÌ„ erthe whose see is the chirche of Rome ordenyng and graunting that the same power that be gaue to peter sholde succede to all Peters successours the which we call now the popis of Rome by whose power in the chirche particulerly and specially ben ordenyd prelates as Archebisshopis Bisshopes other degrees to whome christen men owe to obeye after the lawe of the chirche of Rome This is the determinacion of the chirche To this he answered and said Who that foloweth next Peter in liuyng is next hym in succession but your liuyng refuseth poore peters liuyng aÌ„d many other popes that wer martirs in Rome that folowed peter in maner of liuyng whos condicions ye haue clene forsakyn all the worlde may knowe it well The doctour said The fourth pointe is this Holy chirche hathe determined that it is medefull to a christen man to go on pilgrimages to holy places and there specially to worship holy reliques of seyntes apostles martirs confessours and all seyntes approuyd by the chirche of Rome To this he said Yt wer ynough to bury saintes fayre in the erthe but now sayntes that be deade ben compellid to begge for couetousnes the which in their lyfe hated couetousnes and begging but I say to you all and knowe it for a treuthe that with your shrynes and ydoles your feyned absolucions and indulgencis and your teÌ„poraltes ye drawe to you all the richesse of this worlde Why sir said one of the clerkis will ye not worship ymagis What worship saide the lorde ThaÌ„ said frier Palmer Sir ye will worship the crosse of Christe that he died on Where is it said the lorde The frier said I put case sir that it wer here before you The lorde said This is a redy man to put to me a question of a thing that they wote neuer where it is And yet I aske you what worship A clerke said Soche worship as Paul spekith of that is this God forbid me to ioye but in the crosse of our lorde Iesu Christe Than said the lorde and spred his armes abrode This is a very crosse Than said the bisshop of London Sir ye wote well that he died on a materiall crosse Than said the lorde Our saluacion cam in onely by hym that died on the crosse and by the materiall crosse And well I wote that this was the crosse that Paul ioyed on that is in the passion of our lord Iesu Christe The Archebisshop said Sir IohnÌ„ ye muste submit you to the ordinaunce of the chirche The lorde said I wote not wherto Than the Archebisshop redde a bill of his iugement and conuicted hym for an heretike After the reding of the bill the lorde said Though ye iudge my body I hope to god that he will saue my soule and he said that he wold stande to the death by these thinges before said With the helpe of Iesu And than he said to all the people Sirs for goddis loue be well ware of thes men for they will begile you els and lede you blyndelinges in to hell and themself also For Christe saith if one blynde man lede a nother bothe fall in to the ditche And after this thus he praied for his enemies and said Lorde god I beseche the forgyue my perseweâ—s if it be thy will And than he was ledde a geyne to the towre of London and thus was the ende WHile the lorde of Cobham was in the towre he sent out priuely to his frendis and they at his desyre enfourmyd and writ this bill that folowith next commending it to the people that they sholde cease the sclauÌ„ders leasynges that his enemies made on hym FOr as mekill as sir IohnÌ„ Old castell knyght and lorde of Cobham is vntreuly conuicted and prysoned and falsly reported and sclaundered among the people by his aduersaries that he sholde other wyse feale speke of the sacramentis of holy chirche aÌ„d specially of the blessed sacrament of the altare than was written in his beleue which was indented takyn to the clergie aÌ„d set vp in diuerse opyn placis in the cite of London Knowen be it to all the worlde that he neuer varied in ony poynte there fro but this is playnly his beleue that all the sacramentes of holy chirche ben profitable and medefull to all theÌ„ that shall be sauyd takyng them after the entent that god and holy chirche hath ordenyd Ferther more he beleuith that the blessed sacrament of the altare is verely and treuly Christes body in fourme of breade Trewth long hyd now ys dysclosed Praysed be god Amen
publeshyng them and theyr names and make them knowen to the bishope of the diocese that they are in or to the bishopes mynistres And ouer this I will that thou preach no more vnto the tyme that I know by good witnesse trewe that thy cōuersacion be soch that thy harte thy mouth accorde treuly in one cōtrariyng all the leude learnyng that thou hast taught here before And I hearyng thes wordes thought in my harte that this was an vnlefull a sting I demyd myself cursed of god yf I cōsented hereto I thought howe Susan seid Anguyssch is to me on euery syde And in that I stode still spake not the Archebishop seid to me Answere one wyse or a nother And I seid Syr if I cōsented to you thus as ye haue here rehersed to me I shold become an appelar or euery bishopis espye somonour of all Englonde For I sholde thus put vp publeshe the names of mē womē I sholde here in deceive full many persones ye syr as it is likely by the dome of my cōsciēce I sholde herein because of the dethe both of mē womē ye both bodely gostely For many mē womē that stande now in the treuthe are in the waye of saluacyon yf I shold for the learnyng reding of their beleue publeshe thē put thē therfor vp to bisshopes or to their vnpituouse ministers I knowe some dele by experience that they shulde be so distrobled diseased with persecuciō or other wise that many of thē I thinke wold rather chose to forsake the waye of treuthe thā to be traueled skorned slaundred or punished as bishopes their ministres now vse for to constreyne men women to consent to thē But I fynde in no place in holy scripture that this office that ye wolde now enfeffe me with accordith to ony priste off christes secte nor to any other christē man And therfore to do thus werto me a full noyeous bōde to be boundē with ouer greuouse charge For I suppose that yf I thus dede many men women wold ye syr might iustly vnto my cōfusion sey to me that I wer a traitur to god and to them syns as I thinke in myne hert many mē and womē truste so mekle in me in this case that I wold not for sauyng of my lyfe do thus to thē For yf I thus sholde do full many mē womē wolde as they might full truely sey that I hadde fasly and cowerdly forsaken the truthe slaundred shamefully the worde of god For yf I cōsented to you to do hereafter your will for bonchefe or mischef that may befall to me in this lyfe I deme in my conscience that I were worthy herefore to be cursed of god also of all his soynctes fro which inconuenience kepe me all christen people almighti god now euer for his holy name ▪ And than the Archebishop seid vnto me O thyne harte is full harde endured as was that herre of Pharao the deuell hath ouer comē the peruerted the he hath so blynded the in all thy wittes that thou haste no grace to knowe the treuthe nor the mesure of mercye that I haue profered to ye. Therfor as I perceyue now by thy folish answere thou hast no will to leaue thyne olde errours But I sey to the leude losell other thou quikly consente to myne ordinaunce submitte the to stande to my decrees or by seynt Thomas thou shalt be disgraded folowe thy felowe in Smithfelde And at this seyng I stode styll and spake not but I thought in myne harte that god did to me a greate grace yf he wolde of his greate mercy bringe me to soch an ende And in myne hart I was nothing frayde with this menasīg of the archebishop And I cōsidered there .ij. thīges in hī One that he was not yet soroufull for that he had made Williā Soutre wrongfully to be burnt And as I consydered that the Archebishop thyrsted yet after more shedīg out of innocent bloode And fast therfore I was moved in all my wittes for to hold the archebishop nother for prelate nor for preist of god for the myne inward mā was thus altogether departed frō the archebishop me thought I sholde not haue ony dreade of hī But I was right heuy soroufull for that ther was none audiēce of seculer mē by but in myn hart I praid the lord god for to cōforte me and strengith me ageinst thē that there ware agaynste the sothefastenesse And I purposed to speake no more to the Archebisshop his clerckes than me nede behoued all thus I praied god for his goodnesse to geue me than alwaye grace to speake with a meke ād an easy spyrit what soeuer thinge that I shulde speke that I might therto haue true authorites of scriptures or open reason And for that I stode thus still nothing spake one of the Archebisshopes clerkes seid vnto me What thing musiste thou do thou as my lorde hath now cōmaunded to the here And yet I stode still answered him not ād than sone after the Archebishope seid to me Arte thou not yet bethought whether thou wilt do as I haue here seid to the And I seid thā to hym Syr my father my mother on whose soules god haue mercy yf it be his will spent mekyll money in diuerse places about my learning for the entent to haue made me a preste to god But when I came to yeares of discrecion I had no will to be preiste therfore my frēdes were right heuy to me thā me thought their grudgīg agenst me was so peynfull to me that I purposed therfor to haue lefte their cōpany And whē thei perceiued this in me they spake some tyme full feire plesaunt wordes to me but for that thei might not make me to cōsent of goode harte to be a preiste thei spake to me full ofte tymes very greuous wordes manassed me ī diuerse maners shewīg to me full heuy chere And thus one while ī feire maner a nother while in greuous they wer lōg tyme as me thought full besy about me or I cōsentid to thē to be a prieste But at the laste whā in this matter thei wold no lōger suffer myne excusacions but other I sholde cōsent to thē or I sholde euer beare their indignacion ye their curse as thei seide Thā I seing this praid them that they wold gyue me licence for to go to them that wer named wyse priestis and of verteuous conuersacion to haue their counsell ād to knowe of them the office the charge of priesthode And hereto my father and my mother consented full gladly ād gaue me their blissing and goode leaue to go and also money to spende in this iourney And so than I went to tho priestis whome I herde to be of beste name ād of moste holy lyuyng and beste learnid moste wyse of heuenly
Apostles moste openly shewing and declaring how the chirche of Criste hathe ben and yet shulde be rewlid ād gouernid Therfore so many men and women couet this learnyng purpose thorough goddis grace to conforme their lyuyng lyke to this learnyng of Wicleff Master Iohn aiston tawght and writ accordingly ād full besily wher and whan and to whome that he myght and he vsid it hymself right perfitely vnto his lifes ende And also Philip of Rampenton while he was a chanone of Lacester Nicolas Herforde Dauy Gotray of Pakring monke of Bylande and a master of diuinite and Iohn Purnay ād many other wich wer holden right wise men prudent tawcht and writ besily this forseid learnyng and conformid them therto And with all thes men I was ofte right homely ād communyd with them long tyme and ofte and so before all other men I choes wilfully to be infourmyd of them and by them and specially of Wicleff hymself as of the moste verteuous godly wyse mē that I herde of or knewe And therfore of hym specially and of thes men I tooke the learnyng that I haue tauchte and purpose to lyue there after if god will to my lyues ende For though some of thes men be contrary to the learnyng that they taucht before I wote well that their learning was trewe wich they tauchte ād therfore with the helpe of god I purpose to holde and to vse the learning wich I harde of thē while they sat on Moyses chaire and specially while that they sat on the chaire of Criste But after the werkis that they now do I will not doo with goddis helpe For they feyne and hyde ād cōtrarie the trewthe wich before they taucht out plenily and trewly For as I know well when some of thes men hathe ben blamyd for their sclaunderous doyng they graūte not that they haue tauchte a misse or crryd beforetyme but that they were constreinyd by peine to leaue to tell out the sothe and thus they choese now rather to blaspheme god than to suffer awhile here persecucion bodely for sothefastnesse that Christe shed out his harte bloode for And the Archebisshop seid That learnyng that thou callist trewthe and sothefastnesse is open sclaunder to holy chirche as it is prouyd of holy chirche For all be it that Wicleff your autour was a great clerke though that many men helde hym a perfite lyuer yet his doctrine is not approuyd of holy cherche but many sentencis of his learnyng ar dāpnyd as they well woorthy ar But as touching Philip of Rāpeton that was first chanone and after Abbot of Lacester which is now bisshop of Lincoln I tell the that the daye is comen for wich he fastyd the euene For nother he holdeth now nor will holdethe learnyng that he thaughte whan he was a Chanon of Lacester For no bisshop of this lāde persewith now more sharpely them that holde thy waye than he doeth And I seid Syr full many men and women wonderith vpon hym and speakith hym mekill shame and holdith him for a cursid enemye of the treuthe And the Archebisshop seid to me Wherfore tarieste thou me thus here with soche fables wilt thou shortely as I haue seid to the submit the to me or no And I seid Syr I tell you at one worde I dare not for the drede of god submitt me to you after the tenour and sentēce that ye haue aboue rehersed to me And than as if he hadde ben wrothe he seid to one of his clerkis Fetche hider quikely the certificaciō that came to me fro Shrewisbury vnder the bailiues seale witnessing the errours heresies which this losell hath venemously sowen there Than hastely the Clerke tooke out and leid forthe on a cupborde diuerse rollis and writingis among which ther was a litle one which the clerke deliuered to the Archebisshop And by by the Archebisshop redde this rolle cōteinyng this sentence ¶ The thyrde sonday after easter the yere of oure lorde M. CCCC and seuen William Thorpe came vnto the towne of Shrewisbury and thorow leaue graunted vnto him to preache He said openly in seynt Chaddis chirche in his sermone that the Sacramēt of the altare after the consecracion was materiall brede And the ymages shulde in no wise be worshiped And that men shulde not go on pilgremages And that priestes haue no title to tythes And that it is not lefull for to swere in any wise And whan the Archebishop had red thus thys rolle he rolled it vp ageyn and said to me Ys this holsome learnynge to be amonge the people And I said to him Syr I am both ashamed on their behalfe and right soroufull for thē that haue certified you thes thinges thus vntrewly for I preached neuer nor taughte thus priuely nor apertly And the Archebishop said to me I will gyue credence to thes worshipfull men which haue writen to me and witnessed vnder their sealis there amonge them Though thou now deniest this wenist thou that I will geue credence to the Thou losell hast trobled the worshipful cominalte of Shrewisbury so that the bailives and cominalte of that towne haue writen to me praynge me that am Archebishop of Caunterbury primate and Chaunceler of Englond that I will vouchsafe to graunte them that yf thou shalt be made as thou art worthy to suffer open Iouresse for thyne heresyes that thou maye haue thi youresse openly ther among them so that all they whome thou and soche other loselles haue ther peruerted may thorow feare of thy dede be reconsyled ageyn to the vnite of holy chyrche And also they that stande in true faythe of holy churche may thorowe thy dede be more stablisshed therein And as yf thys askyng hadde pleased the Archebishop he said By my thrifte this hartye prayoure and feruente requeste shall be thought on But certeynly nother the prayer of the men of Shrewisbery nor the manassynge of the Archebishoppe made me any thinge a frayde But in rehersyng of this malice and in the hearynge of it my herte greatly reioysed and yet dothe I thanke god for the grace that I than thought and yet thinke shall come to all the chirche of god here thorowe by the speciall mercyfull doynge of the lorde And as hauynge no dreade of the malice of tyrauntes by trustynge stedfastly in the helpe of the lorde with full purpose for to knowlege the sothefastnesse and to stande thereby after my connyng and power I said to the Archebishop Syr yf the truthe of gods worde might now be accepted as it sholde be I doute not to proue by lykely euidence that they that are famed to be out of the faythe of holy church in Shrewisbery in other places also are in the true faith of holy chirche For as their wordes sounde and their workes shewe to mānis iugemēt dreading louyng faithfully god their will their desyre their loue their besinesse are moste sett to dreade to offende god to
loue for to please him in true faithfull keping of his commaundementes And agene they that are said to be in the faithe of holy chirche in Shrewisbery and in other places by open euidence of their proude enuiouse maliciouse couetouse lecherouse and other foule wordes workes nother knowe nor haue will to knowe nor to occupye their wittes truely and effectuously in the righte faith of holy churche Wherfore all these nor none that folowe their maners shall ony tyme come verely in the faithe of holy churche excepte they enforce them more truelye to come in the waye whiche nowe they despyse For these men and women that are nowe called feyth full and holden iuste nother knowe nor will exercyse them selfe to knowe of faythfulnesse one commaundement of god And thus full many men and women now and specially meÌ„ that are named to be principall lymmes of holy church stiere god to greate wrathe and deserue his curse for that they call or holde them iuste men whiche are full vniuste as their vicyouse wordes their greate customable sweringe and their slauÌ„derouse and shamefull workes shew openly and witnesse And herefor soche viciouse men and vniuste in theire owne confusyon call them vniuste men and women which after their power and conning besy them self to lyue iustely after the commaundement of god And where syr ye say that I haue distrobled the cominalte of Shrewisbery and many other men women with my teaching yf it thus be it is not to be wondred of wise men syns all the cominalte of the cyte of Ierusalem was destrobled off christes awne person that was very god maÌ„ and most prudent precher that euer was or shal be And also all the Synagoge of Nazareth was moued ageynste Christe and so fulfylled with ire towardes him for his preachinge that the men of the Synagoge rose vp and cast châ—iste out of their cyte and ledde him vppe to the toppe of a mouÌ„tayne for to caste him doune ther hedelinge Also accordingly hereto the lord witnessyth by Moses that he shall put dissension betwixt his people aÌ„d the people that contrarieth and persewith his people Who syr is he that shall preache the treuthe of goddes worde to the vnfeithfull people and shall let the sothe fastenesse of the gospell the prophecye of god almightye to be fulfilled And the archebishop said to me It foloweth of thes thy wordes that thou soche other thiÌ„kest that ye do right well for to preach teach as ye do without authorite of any bishope For ye presume that the lorde hath chosen you only for to preache as faithfull disciples and speciall folowars of Christe And I said Syr by authorite of gods lawe also of seintes doctours I am learned to deme that it is euery priestes office and deutie for to preache besily frely and truely the worde of god For no doute euery priest shold purpose fyrst in his soule couett to take the order of priesthode chefly for to make knoweÌ„ to the people the worde of god after his conning power approuyng his wordes euer to be true by his vertuous workes and for this entent we suppose the bishopes and other prelates of holy chirch shold chefely take vse ther prelacie And for the same cause bishopes sholde gyue to priestes their orders For bisshopes sholde accept no maÌ„ to priesthode except that he had good will full purpose wer wel disposed well learned to preache Wherfore syr by the bidding of Christ by example of his moste holy lyuyng also by the witnessinge of his holy apostles prophetes we are bounde vnder full great peyne to exercyse vs after our coÌ„ning and power as euery prieste is like wise charged of god to fulfyll dewly the office of priesthode We presume not here of oure selfes for to be estemed nother in oure owne reputacioÌ„ nor in none other mannes feithfull disciples aÌ„d speciall folowers of Christe but syr as I said to you before we deme this by authorite chefely of goddes worde that it is the chefe deutie of euery prieste to besy them feithfully to make the law of god knowen to his people and so to comune the coÌ„maundement of god charitably howe that we may beste where whan to whome yâ— euer we may is our very deutie And for the will besynesse that we owe of dewe dette to do iustely our office thorow the steyring aÌ„d speciall helpe as we truste of god hoping stedfastely in his mercye we desyre to be the feithfull disciples of christe and we praye this gracious lorde for his holy name that he make vs able so to please hym with deuoute prayers and charitable priestly workes that we may obteyne of him to folowe him thankfully And the Archebishop said to me Lewde losell wherto makist thou soche veyne reasones to me Asketh not seynt Paul how sholde priestes preche except they be sent But I sent the neuer to preche For thy venemous doctryne is so knowen thorow out EngloÌ„d that no bishop will admitt the for to preache by witnessyng of their letters Why than lewde ydiote willest thou presume to preach syns thou art not sent nor licensed of thy souereyn to preach Saith not seynt Paule that subictes owe to obeye their souereyns aÌ„d not only good and vertuous but also tyrauntis that are vicious And I said to the archebishop Syr as touching your letter of liceÌ„ce or other bishopes whiche ye say we sholde haue to witnesse that we wer able to be sent for to preache we knowe well that nother you syr nor ony other bishop of this lande will graunte to vs ony soche letters of licence but we sholde oblige vs to you to other bisshopes by vnlefull othes for to passe not the boÌ„des termes which ye syr or other bishopes wil lymyt to vs. And sins iÌ„ this matter your termis be some to large some to streite we dare not oblige vs thus to be bouÌ„deÌ„ to you for to kepe the termes which you will lymitt to vs as ye do to friers soch other prechers therfor though we haue not your letter sir nor letters of other bishops writeÌ„ with ynke vpoÌ„ perchemeÌ„t we dare not here for leaue the office of preching to which preching all priestes after there coÌ„nyng power are bounde by diuerse testimonies of gods lawe off great doctours without ony meÌ„cioÌ„ makiÌ„g of bishopes letters For as mekell as we haue takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ vs the office of priesthode though we are vnworthy thereto we come purpose to fulfyll it with the helpe of god by authorite of his owne lawe and by witnesse of great doctours seintes accordingly hereto trusting stedfastly in the mercye of god For that he commaundeth vs to do the office of priesthode he will be our sufficient letters witnesse if we by example of his holy lyuing teaching specially occupye vs feithfully to do our office iustly ye the people to whome we preache be they
for yf it were writen there I wolde right gladly be learned where But shortely this man wolde not go from me to aske this question of a nother body but required me there as I wolde answere before god if in this case the cursing of priestes wer laufull and approued of god And shortely herewith came to my mynde the learnyng of seynt Peter teachīg priestes specially to halow the lord christ in their hartes beinge euermore redye as ferre as in thē is to answere thorowe faith hope to thē that aske of thē a reasō And this lesson Peter teacheth mē to vse with a meke spyrite with dreade of the lorde Wherfore syr I said to this man in this wise In the olde lawe which endyd not fully till the tyme that christe rose vp ageyn fro dethe to lyfe god commaunded tythes to be gyuē to the leuites for the great besynesse dayly trauell that pertayned to their office But priestes because their trauell was mekyll more easy and light thā was the office of the leuites god ordeyned that priestes sholde take for their lifelode to do their office the tenth parte of tho tythes that wer geuē to the leuites But naw I said in the newe lawe nother Christe nor ony of hys apostles toke tythes of the people nor cōmaunded the people to pay tythes nother to priestes nor to deacons But Christe taught the people to do almesse that is werkes of mercy to poore nedy mē of surpluse that is superfluouse of their temporall goodes which they hadde more thā them nedid reasonably to their necessary lyuelode And thus I said not of tythes but of pure almesse of the people Christe lyued and his apostles whan they were so besyre in teachynge off the worde of god to the people that they myght not trauell other wyse for to gett their lyuelode But after Christes ascensyon and whan the apostles had receyued the holy goste they traueled with theire handes for to get theire lyuelode whan that they myght thus doo for besye preachynge Therfore by example of hymselfe seynt Paule teacheth all the priestes of Christe for to trauell with theire hande whan for besye teachyng of the people they myght thus do And thus all these priestes whose priestehode god accepteth nowe or will accepte or dyd in the apostles tyme and after their discease will do to the worldes ende But as Cisterciensis telleth in the thousande yeare of oure lorde Iesu Christe two hundreth and a leuenth yere one pope the tenth Gregory ordened new tythes fyrst to be gyuen to priestes nowe in the newe lawe But seynt Paule in his tyme whose trace or example all priestes of god enforce them to folowe seyng the couetousnesse that was amonge the people desyrynge to destroye this foule synne thorow the grace of god and true vertuouse lyuynge and example of hymselfe wrette and taucht all priestes for to folowe him as he folowed Christe paciently wyllyngly and gladly in hye pouerte Wherfore Paule saithe thus The lorde hathe ordened that they that preache the gospell shall lyue of the gospell But we saith Paul that couet besy vs to be feithfull folowers of Christ vse not this power For lo as Paule witnesseth afterwarde whan he was full pore and nedy preaching among the people he was not chargeous vnto them but with his handes he traueled not onely to get his owne lyuynge but also the lyuyng of other poore nedy creatures And syns the people was neuer so couetouse nor so auarouse I gesse as thei ar now it were good counsell that all priestes toke good hede to this heuenly learnyng of Paul folowimg him here in wilfull pouerte nothinge charging the people for their bodely lyuelode But because the many priestes do contrary Paule in this forsayde doctryne Paul biddeth the people take hede to those priystes that folow him as he had geuē them example As if Paul wolde say thus to the people Accepte ye none other priestes than thei that lyue after the fourme that I haue tauchte you For certeyn in what soeuer dignite or ordre that ony prieste is in yf he conforme him not to folowe Christe and his apostles in wilfull pouerte and in other heuenly vertues and specially in true preachynge of goddes worde though soche a one be named a prieste yet he is no more but a prieste in name for the worke of a verye prieste soch a one wanteth This sentence approueth Augusttne Gregory Chrisostome Lincon̄ playnly And the archebishop said to me Thinkest thou this holsome learninge for to sowe openly or yet priuely among the people Certeyn this doctryne cōtrarieth playnly the ordinaunce of holy fathers which haue ordened graūted licenced priestes to be in diuerse degres to lyue by tythes offringes of the people by other deuties And I said Sir if priestes wer now in mesurable mesure numbre lyued vertuously taucht besyly truely the worde of god by example of Christ and of his apostles withouten tythes offerynges and other dewties that priestes nowe chalenge take y◠people wolde gyue thē frely sufficient lyuelode And a clerke said to me How wilt thou make this good that the people will gyue frely to priestes their lyuelode syns that now by the lawe euery prieste cā scarcely cōstrayne the people to gyue thē their lyuelode And I said Sir it is now no wonder though the people grudge to gyue pristes the lyuelode that they aske for mekill people knowe nowe how that priestes shulde lyue ād how that they lyue contrary to Christe and to his apostles And therfore the people is full heuy to paye as they do their temporall goodes to persones ād to other vicares and priestes whiche sholde be feithfull dispensatours of the pareshes goodes taking to themselfes nomore but a scarce lyuīg of tythes nor of offrynges by the ordinaunce of the comon lawe For what soeuer priestes take of the people be it tythe or offering or ony other deutie or seruyce the priestes ought not to haue thereof nomore but a bare lyuyng ād to departe the residew to the poore men women specially of the parishe of whome they take this temporall lyuynge But the most dele of priestes nowe wasteth their pareshes goodes ād spendeth thē at their owne will after the worlde in theire veyne lustes so that in fewe places poore mē haue dewly as they sholde haue their owne sustenaunce nother of tythes nor of offerynges nor of other large wages foundacions that priestes take of the people in diuerse maners aboue it that they nede for nedefull sustenaunce of meate and clothinge But the poore nedy people ar forsaken and lefte of priestis to be susteinyd of the paroshenis as if the priestis toke nothing of the paroshenis for to helpe the poore people with And thus syr into ouer greate chargis of the paroshenis they pay their tēporall goods twise wher ones myght suffice if priestis wer trew dispensatours Also sir the paroshenis that pay
sweare vntruely For they saye they maye by their swearing though it be false voide blame or temporall harme which they sholde haue yf they sweare not thus And sir many mē women maynteyne strongly that they sweare well whan that thinge is sothe that they sweare for Also full many men and women say nowe that it is well done to sweare by creatures whā they maye not as they saye otherwise be beleued Annd also full many men and women now say that it is well done to sweare by god and by oure ladye and by other seyntes for to haue thē in mynde But syns all these saiynges ar but excusations and synne me thinketh sir that his sentēce of Chrisostome may be alleged well ageinste all soch swerers witnessing that all thes synne greuously though they thinke themself for to sweare in this forsaid wyse well For it is euyll done and greate synne for to sweare trewthe whan in ony maner a man may excuse hī with out othe And the archebishop said that Chrisostome might be thus vnderstonde And than a clerke said to me Wilt thou tarye my lorde no lenger but submit the here mekely to the ordinaunce of holy chirche and laye thyne hande vpon a booke touching the holy gospell of god promysynge not onely with thy mouthe but also with thyne harte to stande to my lordes ordinaunce And I said Sir haue I not told you here howe that I herde a master of diuinite say that in soche a case it is all one to touche a boke and to sweare by a boke And the archebishop said There is no master of diuinite in Englond so greate that yf he hold thys opinion before me but I shall punisshe him as I shall do the except thou sweare as I shall charge the. And I said Sir is not Chrisostome an ententyfe doctour And the Archebishop saide Ye And I sayde Yf Chrisostome proueth hym woorthy greate blame that bryngeth forthe a booke to swere vppon it muste nedes folowe that he is more to blame that sweareth on that booke And the Archebishop said Yf Chrisostome ment accordingly to the ordinaunce of holy chirche we will accepte him And than said a clerke to me Ys not the worde of god god himself equipollent that is off one authorite And I saide Ye Than he said to me Why wilt thou not swere than by the gospell of god that is gods worde syns it is all one to sweare by the worde of god by god himselfe And I said Sir syns I may not nowe other wyse be beleued but by swearynge I perceyue as Augustine saithe that it is not spedefull that ye that shold be my brothern sholde not beleue me therfore I am redy by the worde of god as the lorde commaunded me by his worde to sweare Than the clerke said to me Laye than thyne hāde vpō the boke touching the holy gospell of god and take thy charge And I said Sir I vnderstonde that the holy gospell of god maye not be touched with mannes hande And the clerke saide I fonded and that I sayde not trewthe And I asked this clerke whether it wer more to reade the gospell or to touche the gospell And he said it was more to reade the gospell Than I said Sir by authorite of seynt Ierome the gospell is not the gospell for reding of the letter but for the beleue that men haue in the worde of god that it is the gospell that we beleue and not the letter that we rede for because the letter that is touched with mannes hande is not the gospell but the sentence that is verely beleued in mānis hart is the gospell For so seynt Ierome saith The gospell that is the vertue of goddes worde is not in the leauys of the boke but it is in the roote of reason Nother the gospell he saith is in the writing aboue of the letters but the gospell is in the marking of y◠sentence of scriptures This sentence approueth seynt Paule saiynge thus The kyngdome of god is not in worde but in vertue And Dauid saith The voice of the lorde that is his worde is in vertue And after dauid saith Thorow the worde of god the heuens were fourmed in the spirite of his mouth is all the vertue of them And I pray you syr vnderstonde ye well how Dauid saith that in the spirite of the mouth of the lorde is all the vertue of angells and of men And the clerke said to me Thou woldest make vs to fonde with the. Saye we not the the gospell is are writen in the masse boke And I sayde Syr though men vse to saye thus yet it is vnperfyte speche For the principall parte off a thinge is properlye the hooll thynge· For lo mannes soule that may not now be sene here nor touched with ony sensible thing is properly man And all the vertue of a tree is in the roote thereof that maye not be sene for do awaye the roote and the tree is destroyed And syr as ye sayde to me right nowe god and hys worde are of one authorite and syr seynte Ierome witnesseth that Christe very god and very man is hidde in the letter of his lawe thus also syr the gospell is hidde in the letter For sir as it is full likely many diuerse men and women here in the erthe touched Christe and sawe hym and knewe his bodely persone whiche nother touched nor sawe nor knewe gostely his god hede right thus sir many men now touche and see and write and rede the scriptures of goddis lawe whiche nother touche see nor rede effecctuallye the gospell For as the godhede of Christe that is the vertue of god is knowen by the vertue thorow belefe so is the gospell that is Christes worde And a clerke said to me Thes be full mystie maters and vnsauery that thou shewest here to vs. And I said Sir if ye that ar masters know not playnly this sentence ye may sore drede that the kingdome of heuene be taken fro you as it was fro the princes of priestes fro the elders of the iewes And than a clercke as I gesse Malueren sayde to me Thou knowest not thyne equiuocacyons for the kyngdome of heuene hathe diuerse vnderstondinges What callest thou the kingdome of heuene in this sentence that thou shewest here And I said Sir by good reason sentence of doctours y◠realme of heuene is called here the vnderstonding of gods worde And a clerke said to me Frome whō thinkest thou that this vnderstondinge is taken awaye And I said Sir by authorite of Christe him selfe the effectuall vnderstondinge of Christes worde is taken awaye from all them chefely whiche are greate lettered men and presume to vnderstonde hyghe thynges and will be holden wise men and desyre mastershippe and hye stare and dignite but they will not conforme them to the lyuyng teaching of Christe and off his apostles Thā the Archebishop said Well well thou wilt iudge thy souereyns By god the kyng doeth not
and power And sir full acordingly to this sentence vpon midlenton sonday two yeare as I gesse now agone I harde a monke of Feuersam that men called MoredoÌ„ preache at CaÌ„terbury at the crosse within Christe chirche Abbey saiyng thus of confession As thorow the suggestion of the fende without couÌ„sell of any other body that of themself many meÌ„ and women can ymagine and fynde meanys wayes inough to come to pride to thefte to lecherie and to other diuerse vyces In contrarie wyse this monke said Syns the lorde god is more redy to forgyue synne than the fende is or may be of power to mooue ony body to synne than who so euer will shame and sorow hartely for their synnes knouleging them feithfully to god amending them after their power and connyng without counsell of ony other body than of god and hymself thorow the grace of god all soche men and women may fynde sufficient meanys to come to goddis mercie and so to be clene assoilid of all their synnes This sentence I said sir to this man of yours and the selfe wordis as nere as I can gesse And the Archebisshop said Holy chirche approuyth not this learnyng And I said Sir holy chirche of which Christe is hed in heuene and in erthe must nedys approue this sentence For lo hereby all men and women may if they will be sufficiently tauchte to know and to kepe the commaundementis of god and to hate and to flie centinewally all occasion of synne and to looue aÌ„d to seke vertues besely and to beleue in god stabely and to truste in his mercy stedfastly and so to come to perfite charite and contynew therein perseuerancly And more the lorde askith not of ony man he renow in this lyfe And certeyn syns Iesu Christe dyed vpon the crosse wilfully to make men fre men of the chirche ar to bolde and to besy to make men thrall byndyng them vnder the peyne of endelesse curse as they say to doo many obseruances and ordinauÌ„cis which nother the lyuyng nor teaching of Christe nor of his apostles approueth And a clerke said than to me Thou shewist playnely here thy disceite which thou haste learnyd of theÌ„ that trauell to sowe popill amoÌ„g wheate But I couÌ„sell the to go away clene frome this learnyng and submyt the lowly to my lorde and thou shalt fynde hym yet to be gracious tothe And as faste than a nother clerke said to me How wast thou so bolde at Paulis crosse in loÌ„doÌ„ to stoÌ„de there harde with thi tippet bouÌ„den about thyne hedde aÌ„d to repreue in his sermonne the woorthy clerke Alkerton drawyng away all that thou myghtist ye and the same day at after none thou metyng that woorthy doctour in Watlyng strete callidst hym salfe flaterer ypocrite And I said Sir I thynk certeinly that there was no man nor wooman that hated verely synne and loouyd vertues hearing the sermonne of the clerke of Oxforde and also Alkertons sermonne but they sayd or myght iustely say that Alkerton reproouyd the clerke vntrewly and sclaundered hym wrongfully and vncharitably For no doute if the lyuyng and teaching of Christe chefely and of his apostlÌ„es be trewe no body that loouyth god aÌ„d his lawe will blame any senteÌ„ce that the clerke than preachid there syns by authorite of goddis worde aÌ„d by approued seyntis and doctours and by open reason this clerke approued all thingis clerly that he preached there And a clerke of the Archebishops said to me His sermonne was false that he shewith openly syns he dare not staÌ„de forthe defende his preaching that hethan preached there And I said Sir I thinke that he purposith to staÌ„de stedfastely thereby or els he sclauÌ„dereth foully hym self and also many other that haue greate truste that he will stande by the trewith of the gospell For I wote well his sermonne is written bothe in latyne and in Englysch and many men haue it and they sett great pryse thereby And sir if ye wer present with the Archebisshop at lambeth whan this clerke apered and was at his answer before yâ— Archebisshop ye wote well that this clerke denyed not there his sermonne but two dayes he maynteinyd it before the Archebisshop and his clerkis And than the Archebisshop or one of his clerkis said I wote not which of theÌ„ That harlot shall be met with for that sermonne For no man but he and thou and soche other false harlotis praisith ony soche preaching And than the Archebisshop said Your cursed secâ—e is besy it ioiethe right greatly to contrarie to destroye the priuilege fredome of holy chirche ¶ And I said Sir I knowe no men that trauell so besely as this secte dothe which you repreue to make reste peace in holy chirche For pride couetousnesse simony which distrooble moste holy chirche this secte hatith fliethe trauellith besely to mooue all other meÌ„ in lyke maner vnto meaknesse wilfull pouerte charite fre ministryng of the sacrameÌ„tis this secte louyth aÌ„d vsith aÌ„d is full besy to mooue all other folk is thus to doo For thes vertues owe all meÌ„bres of holy chirche to their hedde Christe Than a clerke said to the Archebisshop Sir it is ferre daies aÌ„d ye haue ferre to ryde to nyght therfore make an ende with hiÌ„ for he will none make But the more sir that ye besy you for to drawe hym toward you the more contumax he is made and the ferder fro you And than Malueren said to me William knele downe and praye my lorde of grace and leaue all thy fantasies and become a childe of holy chirche And I said Sir I haue praied the Archebisshop ofte and yet I pray hym for the looue of Christe that he will leaue his indignacion that he hathe ageinst me and that he will suffer me after my connyng and power for to doo myne office of priesthode as I am chargid of god to doo it For I couete nought els but to serue my god to his pleasing in the state that I staÌ„de in and haue taken me to And the Archebisshop said to me Yf of good harte thou wilt submyt the now here mekely to be reulid fro this tyme forthe by my counsell obeiyng mekely and wilfully to myne ordinaunce thou shalt fynde it moste profitable and beste to the for to doo thus Therfore tary thou me no lenger graunte to doo this that I haue said to the now here shortely or denye it vtterly And I said to the Archebisshop Sir owe we to beleue that Iesu Christe was and is very god and very man And the Archebisshop said Ye And I said Sir owe we to beleue that all Christis lyuyng and his teaching is trewe in euery poynte And he sayd Ye And I said Sir owe we to beleue that the lyuyng of the apostles the teaching of Christe of all the prophÌ„etes are true which ar writen in the bible for the helth and saluacion of goddes
people And he said Ye And I saide Sir owe all christen men women after their connyng and power for to conforme all their lyuynge to the teachyng specially of Christe and also to the teaching and lyuynge of his apostles and of prophetes in all thinges that are plesaunt to god and edificacion to his churche And he said Ye And I said Sir ought the doctrine the bidding or the counsell of ony body to be accepted or obeid vnto excepte this doctrine thes biddinges or this counsell may be graunted and affermed bi christes lyuyng and his teachinge specially or by the lyuyng and teaching of his apostles and prophetes And the Archebishop said to me Other doctrine oughte not to be accepted nor we owe not to obey to any mānes bidding or counsell excepte we cā perceyue that this bidding or counsell acordeth with the bidding teaching of christ of his apostles and prophetes And I said Sir is not all the learninge ād biddinges and counsellis of holy chirche meanes and healfull remedies to know and to with stond the preuy suggestions the aperte tēptacions of the fende and also wayes and healfull remedies to slee pride all other dedely synnes the braūches of thē souereyn meanes to purchese grace for to withstonde and ouercome all the fleschly lustes and mouynges And the Archebishop saide Ye And I said Sir what soeuer thing ye or ony other body bid or counsell me to do accordīgly to this forsaid learning after my connynge power thorowe the helpe of god I will mekely with all myne harte obey therto And the Archebishop sayde to me Submitt the than now here mekely and wilfully to the ordinaunce of holy churche which I shall shewe to the. And I said Sir accordingly as I haue here nowe before you rehersed I will now be redy to obeye full gladly to Christe the hede off all holy churche and to the learnynge and biddynges and counselles off euery pleasynge membre of hym Than the archebishop striking with his hande ferselye vpon a cupborde spake to me with a greate spyrite sayng By Iesu but yf thou leaue soche addicions obliging the now here without ony excepcion to myne ordinaūce or that I go out of this place I shal make the as sure as ony thefe that is in the pryson of Lantern Aduyse the nowe what thou wilt do And thā as if he hadde ben angered he went fro the cupborde where he stode to a wyndowe And than Malueren and a nother clerke came nerer me and they spake to me many wordes full plesantly a nother while they manased me and counselled full besily to submyt me or els they sayde I sholde not escape ponishing ouer mesure for they saide I sholde be degraded cursed and burned and so than dampned But now they said thou maiste eschewe all these mischeues yf thou wilt submyt the wilfully and mekely to thys worthy prelate that hath cure of they soule And for the pytie of Christe said they bethinke the howe greate clerckes the bisshop of Lincoln̄ Herforde Purney wer yet ar and also B. that is a well vnderstondinge man which also haue forsaken and reuoked all the learnynge and opinions that thou and soche other holde Wherfore syns eche of them is mekell wyser than thou arte we counsell the for the beste that by the example off thes foure clerckes thou folowe them submyttynge the as they dyd And one of the bishopes clerkes said thā there that he herde Nicoll Herforde say that syns he forsoke and reuoked all the learning and Lolardes opiniōs he hathe had mekell greater fauour and more delyte to holde ageinst them thā euer he hadde to holde with them while he helde with them And therfore Maluerē said to me I vnderstonde thou wilt take that to a priest shryne the clene forsake all soch opinions take thy penaunce of my lord here for the holding teaching of thē with in shorte tyme thou shalt be greatly conforted in this doing And I sayde to the clerckes that thus besyly counselled me to folowe these forsaide men Sirs if thes men of whome ye counsell me to take example had forsaken benefyces of temporall profyte and of worldly worshippe so that they had absented them and eschewed frome all occasyons off couetousnesse and of fleschely lustes and had taken them to symple lyuynge and wilfull pouerte they hadde herein geuen goode example to me and to many other to haue folowed them But now syne all thes foure men haue slaunderously and shamefully done the contrarye consentyng to receyue and to haue and to holde temporall benefyces lyuynge now more worldly and more fleschely than they did before conformyng them to the maners off this worlde I forsake them herein in all their forsaid slaunderous doynge For I purpose with the helpe of god in re remission of all my synnes of my foule cursed lyuyng to hate to flye priuely apertly to folow thes mē teaching counsellyng whome soeuer that I may for to flye eschewe the waye that they haue chosen to go in whiche will lede them to the worste ende if in conuenient tyme they repente them not verely forsakynge and reuokynge openly the slaunder that they haue put ād euery daye yet put to Christes churche For certeyn so open blasphemye and slaunder as they haue spoken and done in their reuokynge ād forsakyng of the trewthe ought not nor maye not priuely be amended dewly Wherfore sirs I praye you that ye be sye you not for to mooue me to folowe these men in reuokynge and forsakynge of the trewthe and sothefasienesse as they haue done and yet doo wherein by open euydence they steire god to greate wrothe and not onely ageynst them selfe but also a geynste all them that fauoure them or consente to them herein or that comeneth with them excepte it be for their amendement For where as thes men firste were persued of enemyes now they haue obliged them by othe for to slaunder and persue Christe in his membres Wherfor as I truste stedfastely in the goodnes of god the worldly couetousnesse and the lustie lyuyng and the slyding fro the treuth of these runagates shall be to me and to many other men and women an example and an euidence to stondethe more stifly by the trewith of Christe For certeyn right many men and women doo marke and abhorre the foulnesse and cowardnesse of these forsaide vntrewe men howe that they are ouercome and stopped with benefyces and withdrawen fro the trewith off goddes worde forsaking vtterly to suffer therfore bodely persecucyon For by this vnfeithfull doynge and apostosie of them specially that ar great lettered men haue knowleged openly the treuth now other for pleasure or displeasure of tyrantes haue takē hyer temporal wages to forsake the trewthe to holde ageinst it slaundering ād persewing them that couete to folowe Christ in the waye of rightuousnesse many men and women therfore are nowe moued But
beare the indignacioÌ„ of god almightie withouten ende if in conuenient tyme they amende them not and repente them verely doyng therfore dew moornyng aÌ„d sorow afâ—er their connyng power For thorow presumptuousnes necligence of priestis prelatis not of the chirche of Christe but occupiyng their prelacy vndewly in the chirche also by flateryng and false couetousnes of other diuerse namyd priestis lousengers lounderers ar wrongfull made named heremites haue leue to defraude poore nedy creatures of their lyuelode aÌ„d to lyue by their false winnyng and begging in slouthe and in other diuerse vyces And also of thes prelates thes cokir noses ar suffered to lyue in pride hypocresy to defoull themself both bodely gostely Also by the sufferyng aÌ„d counsell of thes forsaid prelatis of other priestis ar made vayne both brotherhodis susterhodis full of pride enuye which ar full contrarie to the brotherhode of Christe syns they ar cause of mekill dissension they multiplie susteyne it vncharitably for in lusty eatyng drinkyng vnmesurably out of tyme they exercyse themself Also this vayne confederacye of brotherhodis is permitted to be of one clothyng aÌ„d to holde to gither And in all thes vngrounded and vnlefull doynges priestis ar parteners and greate meddelers counsellers And ouer this viciousnes heremitis pardoners ankers and straunge beggers ar licensed admitted of prelatis priestis for to begyle the people with flateringis leasingis sclaunderously ageinst all goode reason trewe beleue so to encrease diuerse vices in themself also among all them that accepte them or coÌ„sente to them And thus the viciousnes of thes forsaid named priestis prelatis haue ben long tyme yet is shall be cause of warres both withiÌ„ the realme without And in the same wise thes vnable priestes haue bene yet are shall be chefe cause of pestilence of men moren of beestes of barenesse of the erthe of all other mischefes to the tyme the lordes comons able them thorow grace for to knowe to kepe the commaundementes of god enforsyng them than feithfully charitably by one assente for to redresse make one this forsaid priesthode to the wilfull pore meke innocent lyuyng teaching specially of Christe his apostles Therfore all they that knowe or myght knowe the viciousnes that reigneth now cursedly in thes priestes in their learning yf they suffyse not to vndstond this contagious viciousnes let them praye to the lorde hartely for the health of his chirche absteyning theÌ„ prudently fro thes endured enemies of Christe and of his people and frome all their sacramentes syns to theÌ„ all that knowe them or maye knowe they are but fleschly deades false as seynt Cipriane witnesseth in the first question of decrees in the firste cause Ca. Si quis inquit For as this seynte great doctours witnesse there that not onely vicious priestes but also all they that fauoure theÌ„ or consente to them in theire viciousnes shall to gither perisshe with them yf they amende them not dewly as all they perished that coÌ„sented to Sathan Abijron For no thing wer more coÌ„fusyon to thes forsaide vicious priestes than to eschewe them prudently in all their vnlefull sacramentes while they continew in their synfull lyuyng slaunderously as they haue longe tyme done and yet do And no dody nede to be afraide though dethe did folow by one wise or other for to dye out of this worlde without takyng of ony sacrameÌ„t of these forsaid christes enemies syns christe will not faile for to ministre him selfe all lefull and healfull sacramentes and necessarye at all tyme aÌ„d specially at the ende to all them that are in trewe feyth in stedfaste hope and in perfyte charite But yet some mad foolis saye for to eschewe slaunder they will be shriueÌ„ ones in the yeare and comuned of theire proper priestes though they knowe them defouled with slaunderous vices No doute but all thei that thus do or consente priuely or apertly to soch doynge ar culpable of great synne syns seynt Paul witnesseth that not only they that do euyll are worthy of dethe dampnacion but also they that coÌ„sente to euyll doars Also as their slaunderouse workes witnesse thes forsaid vicious priestes despyce and caste from them heuenly connyng that is gyuen of the holy goste Wherfore the lorde throweth all soche despisers frome hym that they vse nor do ony priesthode to hym No doute than all they that wittingly or wilfully take or consente that any other bodye sholde take ony sacrament of ony soche named prieste synneth opeÌ„ly daÌ„pnably ageynst all the trinite ar vnable to ony sacrament of healthe And that this forsayde sentence is all to gither trewe into remission of all my synfull lyuyng trustinge stedfastly in the mercy of god I offer to him my soule And to proue also this forsaid sentence trewe with the helpe of god I purpose fully for to suffer mekely and gladly my moste wretched body to be tormented where god will of whome he will how he will and whan he will as longe as he will what temporall peyne he will dethe to the praising of his name to the edificacion of his churche And I that am moste vnworthy wretched cayâ—yf shall now thorow the speciall grace of god make to him plesaunte sacrifice with my moste synfull vnworthy body I beseche hartly all folke that rede or heare this ende of my purposed testament that thorowe the grace of god they dispose verely vertuously all their wittes able in like maner all theire membres for to vnderstonde truely and to kepe feythfully charitably continually all the commaundementes of god and so than to pray deuoutly to all the blessed trinyte that I maye haue grace with wisdome prudence frome aboue to ende my lyfe here in this forsaid truethe aÌ„d for this cause in true feith and stedfaste hope aÌ„d in perfite charite AMEN HEre endeth sir William Thorpis testament on the friday after the rode daye and the twentye daye of September In the yeare of our lorde a thousand foure hundred aÌ„d sixtie And on the sonday nexte after the feste of seynt Peter that we call Lammesse daye in the yeare of our lorde a thousand foure hundrth and seuen the said sir William was accused of thes poyntes before writen in this booke before Thomas of Arundell Archebishoppe of Canterbury as it is sayde before And so was it than betwixt the day of his accusing and the daye that this was wryten three and fiftye yeare and as mekill more as fro the Lammesse to the wodemesse Beholde the ende ¶ The strengeth of euery tale is in the ende ¶ Here folowethe the Examinacion of the Lorde Cobham ¶ The beleue of the Lorde CobhÌ„am BE it knowen to all men that in the yeare of oure Lorde a thousand foure hundred
and thirtene in the first yeare of the reigne of kynge Henry the fifte The kynge gaue to the bisshop of Canterbury leaue to correcte the lorde Cabham And because no man durste somone hym personally the archebisshoppe set vp a citacion on his cathedrall chirche doore on the wennisday nexte before the natiuite of our lady in the forsaid yeare and that citacion was taken downe by the frendes of the lorde Cobham and after that the bisshope set vp a nother on oure lady day whiche also was rent downe and because he came not to answere on the daye assigned in the citacion the bishop cursed him for contumacye And the lorde Cobham seyng all this malice purposed ageynst hī wrote this beleue that foloweth with his owne hande and noted it hym selfe and also answered to foure poyntes put ageinst him by the bisshop he went to the king supposing to get of him good fauour and lordship ¶ The beleue I Beleue in god the father almightye maker of heuen and of erthe and in Iesu Christe his onely sonne oure lorde which was conceyued of the holy goste borne of the virgyn Marie and suffered dethe vnder Ponce Pilate crucifyed dede and buryed He went downe to helles the thirde daye he rose ageyn fro dethe he ascended vp in to heuenis he sitteth on the righte hande of god the father almightie fro thence he is to come to iudge the quicke dede I beleue in the holy goste all holy church the comunyon of seyntes forgeuenesse of synnes vprisyng of flesche and euerlastynge lyfe Amen And for to declare more playnly my sothfastnes in the beleue of holy churche I beleue seithfully and verely that there is but one god almightie and in this godhede and of this godhede ben thre persones the father the sonne and the holy goste and these thre persones be the same god almightie Forthermore I beleue that the seconde person of this most blessed trinite in moste conuenient tyme before ordened tooke flesche and bloode of the moste blessed virgine our lady seynte Marie for the redempcion and saluacion of mankynde that was loste before for Adams synne And I beleue that Iesu Christe our lorde which is bothe god and man is hedde of all holy churche and that all tho that ben or shall be saued ben membres of this moste holy churche which holy churche is departed in thre partes of the which one parte is now in heuē that is to fay the seyntes that in this lyfe lyued accordingly with the most blessed lawe of Christ his lyuīg despising forsaking the deuell his workes the prosperites of this world the foule luste of the flesch The .ij. parte is in purgatory abidīg the mercy of god purging thē there of their sinnes of the which thei haue bē truely confessed in dede or els in will to haue bē The .iij. part of this chirch is here in erthe the which is called the fyghtīg chirch for it fighteth euery day night agenst the temptaciō of the deuell the prosperite of this false failing worlde the proude rebelliō of the flesch agenst the soule This chirch is departed by the most blessed ordinaūce of god into thre estates that is to saye priesthode knighthode comōs to euery estate of the whiche god gaue charge the one sholde helpe a nother none destroye other As to priestes they sholde be moste holy lest worldly ād treuly lyuyng as nere as they coulde after the example of Christe and his apostles And all their besynesse sholde be daye and nyghte in holy example of lyuynge and trewe preachinge and teaching of goddes lawe to bothe the other partes And also they shold be most meke moste seruisable most louly in spirite both to god to mā In the .ij. parte of this chirch that is knyghthod ben conteyned all that beare the swerde by lawe of office which sholde mainteyne goddes lawe to be preached and taucht to the people ād principally the gospell of Christe and treuly to lyue thereafter the whiche parte sholde rather put them selfe to parell of dethe than to suffer any lawe or constitucion to be made of mā where thorow the fredome of goddes lawe myghte be letted to be preached and tauchte to the people or whereof any erroure or heresye myghte growe in the churche For I suppose fully that there maye come none heresye nor erroure amonge the people but by false lawes constitucyons or teachynges contrarye to Christes lawe or by false lesynges Also the seconde parte sholde defendethe comon people fro tyrauntes oppressours and extorcioners and maynteyn the clergy doyng dewly their office in preachinge teaching prayng and frely ministring the sacramentes of holy chirch And if this clergie be negligent in doing this office this seconde parte of the chirche ought by their office that they haue taken of god to constreyne the clergie in dew wyse to do their office in the forme that god hathe ordened it to be done The thirde parte of this fighting chirch oweth to beare good will to lordes and to priestes treuly to do their bodely laboure in tilling the earth with their true marchandise doing their deuties that they owe both to knyghthode and to priesthode as goddes lawe lymeteth keping feithfully the cōmaundmētes of god Moreouer I beleue all the sacramētes of holy chirch for to be medfull profitable to all that shall be saued takynge them after the entent that god and holy chirche haue ordened And for as mekell as I am sclaundered falselye of my beleue in the sacrament of the altar I do all Christen men to witte that I beleue verely that the moste blessed sacrament of the altare is very Christes body in forme of bread the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our lady seynte Mary done on the crosse dede buried on the thirde day rose frō dethe to lyfe the which body is now glorified in heuen Also I beleue that all goddis lawe is trewe who that lyueth contrariously to this blessed lawe so contynewith to his lyues ende dyeth so brekyng the holy commaundementis of god that he shall be dampnyd into euerlasting peynes And he that will learne this moste blessed lawe lyue ther after keping thes holy commaundementis of god ād endeth in charite shall haue euerlasting blysse Also I vnderstonde that this folowith of beleue that our lorde Iesu Christe that is bothe god man asketh nomore here in erthe but that he obey to hym after the fourme of his lawe in trewe keping of it And if ony prelate of the chirche aske more obediēce than this of ony man lyuyng he exaltith hymself in that aboue Christe so he is an open Antichriste Also thes poyntes I holde as of beleue in especiall And in generall I beleue all that god will that I beleue praing at the reuerence of almighty god to you my liege lorde that this beleue myght ben examyned by the wisest trewest
which processe wer now to long to reherse Than I proffered to haue assoiled you for ye wer acursed of your contumacy and disobediēce to holy chirche Than said the lorde Cobham forthe with God saith Maledicā benedictionibus vestris that is to say I shall curse your blessinges Than said the Archebisshop Sir than I peroffered to haue assoiled you if ye wold haue asked it and yet I doo the same Than said the lorde of Cobham Nay forso the I trespased neuer ageinst you and therfore will I not doo it And with that he kneled downe on the pauement and helde vp his handis said I shryue me to god and to you all sirs that in my youthe I haue synnyd greatly and greuously in lecherie and in pride and hurte many men done many other horrible synnes good lord I crie the mercie And therwith wepingly he stoode vp ageyn and said Here for the brekyng of goddis lawe and his commaundementis ye cursed me not But for your owne lawes and tradiciōs aboue goddis law ād therfore it shall be destroied Than the Archebisshop examined the lorde of his beleue And the lorde of Cobhā said I beleue fully in all goddis law I beleue that it is all trewe and I beleue all that god will that I beleue Than the Archebisshop examined hym of the sacramente of the altare how he beleuyd therein The lorde of Cobhā said Christe vpon shere thursday at nyght sitting with his disciples at the supper after that he hadde supped he tooke breade geuyng thankis to the fader he blessed it and brake it gaue it to his disciples saiyng take eate ye of this all this is my body that shall be betraied for you doo you this in the remembraunce of me This beleue I said he Than the Archebisshop asked hym if it wer breade after the consecracion and the sacramētall wordes said The lorde of Cobham said I beleue that the sacrament of the altare is very Christes body in fourme of breade the same body the was borne of the virgin Mary done on the crosse dede and buried and the thirde day rose fro dethe to lyfe which body is now glorified in heuen Thā said one of the doctours of law After the sacramētall wordes said ther remaineth no brede but the body of Christe Than the lorde of Cobham said to one Master Iohn̄ whitehede You said to me in the castell of Cowling that the ooste sacred was not Christes body But I said yt was Christes body though seculers friers holde eche one agenst other in this opinion Than said they We say all that it is goddis body And they askyd hym whether it wer materiall breade after the consecracion Than said the lorde I beleue that it is Christes body in fourme of breade Sir beleue ye not thus And the Archcbisshop said Ye Than the doctours askyd hym whether it wer onely Christes body after the consecracion and no breade And he said to them Yt is Christes body breade for right as Christe was here in māhode and the godhede hidde in the manhode so I beleue verely that Christes flesche and his blode is hidde there in the fourme of breade Than they smylde eche one on other demyng hym takyn in heresy and said it is an heresy The Archebisshop asked hym what breade it was and the clerkis also whether it wer materiall or not Than the lorde said the gospell spekith not of this terme materiall ād therfore I will not but I say it is Christes body and breade For the gospell saith Ego sum panis viuus qui de celo descendi th̄at is to say I am quicke breade that came downe frome heuen For as oure lorde Iesu Christe is very god and very man so the most blessed sacrament of the altare is Christes body and breade Than thei said it is an heresy to say that it is brede after the consecracion the sacramentall wordes said but onely Christes body The lorde said Seynt Paul the apostle was as wise as ye bē he called it breade wher he saith thus The breade that we breake is it not the partetaking of the body of the lorde Than they saide Paule muste be other wyse vnderstanded for it is an heresy to say that it is breade after the consecracion but onely christes body for it is ageynst the determinacion of the chirche Than they asked hī whether he beleued not in the determinacion of the churche And he said to thē No forsothe but I beleue all goddes lawe and all that god will that I beleue but not in youre lawe nor in youre determinacion for ye be no parte of holy churche as openly your dedis shewe but very Antichristes contrary to gods law For ye haue made lawes for youre couetousnes This they said was heresy not for to beleue in the determinacion of the chirche Than the Archebishop asked him what was holy churche He said I beleue that holy chirch is the number of all thē that shall be saued of whom Christ is hed of that which chirch one parte is in heuē an other in purgatorye the thirde here in erthe This parte here standeth in thre degrees estates priestehode knighthode and the comunalte as I sayde playnly in my beleue Than the arbtshop said to hī Wote you who is of this chirche it is doute to you who is thereof ye sholde not iudge The lorde said Operibus credite iustū iudiciū iudicate that is to say Beleue ye the workes iudge ye rightfull iugement And also he saide to them all Where fynde ye by gods lawe that ye sholde sit thus vpon any man or ony mannis death as ye do but Anna Cayphas sat iudged Christe and so do you Thā said they Yes sir Christ iudged Iudas The lord of Cobham said No. Christ iudged not Iudas but he iudged himself went hāged himself but Christe saide Wo to him as he dothe to many of you For syns the venyme was shed in to the chirche ye folowed neuer Christ nor ye stode neuer in perfection of goddes lawe Than the Archebishop asked him what was that venyme The lorde said The lordshippes and possessyons For than cried an angell wo wo wo this day is venyme shed into the chirch of god for before that tyme ther wer many martirs of popis and syns I cā tell of none but sothe it is syns that tyme one hath put downe a nother one hath slayne a nother ād one hath cursed a nother as the cronicles tell also of moch more cursednesse Also he said Christ was meke the pope is proude Christ was pore forgaue the pope is riche a māslear as it is opēly proued And thus this is the neste of Antichriste out of this neste cometh Antichristes disciples of whome these monkes friers ben the taile Thā said the priour of the frier Austines Sir why saye ye so And the lorde of Cobham said for as ye bē