ll i • J : ; 4For tftc tJuiiliratiou of tQe CiMorfco of tfjc auD (?arln 5.<Llritrrs of tljc ticformrtJ (Pngliof) SELECT WORKS JOHN BALE, D.D. BISHOP OF OSSORY. CONTAINING THE EXAMINATIONS OF LORD COBHAM, WILLIAM THORPE, AND ANNE ASKEWE, AND THE IMAGE OF BOTH CHURCHES. EDITED FOB BY THE REV. HENRY CHRISTMAS, M.A. F.R.S. F.S.A. LIBRARIAN AND SECRETARY OF SION COLLEGE. CAMBRIDGE : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.XLIX. CONTENTS. PAGE BIOGRAPHICAL Notice of the Author vii Examination and Death of Lord Cobham 1 Examination of William Thorpe 61 Examinations of Anne Askewe : The First Examination 137 The latter Examination 195 The Image of both Churches 249 Index... .. 641 [BALE.] BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. JOHN Bale, one of the most distinguished among the minor lights of the Reformation, was born at the little village of Cove, near Dunwich in Suffolk, on the 21st of November, 1495. His parents appear to have been respectable in character, but in humble circumstances ; and it is not a little to their honour that they found means to send their son, first to a Carmelite convent in Norwich for the purposes of study, and afterwards to Jesus College, Cambridge. Bale was in his youth attached to literature, and his works are very voluminous : indeed the catalogue of them extends to no less than eighty-five separate productions, many of which were published under assumed names. During the earlier period of his residence in Cambridge, he was, as many of the reformers had been before him, and others were after him, a strenuous opponent of "the new learning;" and some of his works were thought to give evidence that at a later period he had not entirely forgotten his old bias: in proof of which it is alleged, on his own authority, that having trans- lated the tragedy of "Pammachius," which was acted at Christ's College, in 1544, it was subsequently laid before the Privy Council as a satire on the Reformation. There appears however no ground for the imputation. Violent in his temper, and uncompromising in his language, Bale, from the time that he embraced the tenets of the re- formers, never ceased his attacks upon the Roman church ; and there is not one of his writings that does not bear more or less directly on the religious abuses of his time. The immediate cause of his own conversion to the re- formed faith is stated by himself to have been the instructions he received from Lord Wentworth. His observations are as follows : " I wandered in utter ignorance, and blindness of Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. mind, both at Norwich and Cambridge, having no tutor nor patron, till, the word of God shining forth, the churches of God began to return to the fountain of true divinity ; in which bright rising of the new Jerusalem, being not called by any monk or priest, but seriously stirred up by the illustrious the lord Wentworth, as by that centurion who declared Christ to be the Son of God, I presently saw and acknowledged my own deformity, and immediately, through the divine goodness, I was removed from a barren mountain to the flowing and fertile valley of the gospel, where I found all things built not on the sand, but on a solid rock. Hence I made haste to deface the mark of wicked antichrist, and entirely threw off his yoke from me, that I might be partaker of the lot and liberty of the sons of God l." Bale had applied himself to the study of the civil law, and declined the degree of doctor in the faculty, in the year 1529. When he embraced the doctrines of the reformers, he cast aside his monastic habit, renounced the vows which he had taken upon his admission to orders, and shortly after- wards entered into the state of marriage. Of his wife little is known save her name, Dorothy, and the fact that the union was a long and happy one. Great blame has been cast upon Bale on account of this step, and many have insinuated that his affection for this lady was one of the chief causes which led him to desert the Roman church. Bishop Nicholson says, speaking of his conversion, " his wife Dorothy seems to have had a great hand in that happy work : " but it is scarcely consistent for Protestants to look otherwise than with gratitude on those who broke the bands of a tyranny so nefarious, and vindicated the Christian liberty both of themselves and their brethren. He had to contend first against Lee, archbishop of York, and next against Stokesley, bishop of London ; nor would he have escaped punishment for his opinions, had he not obtained 1 Vocacyon of John Bale, p. 14. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. IX the patronage of Cromwell, then earl of Essex, who discerning his talents, and finding his views coinciding with his own, took him under his protection, and defended him successfully against his enemies. It is said that the notice of that distinguished statesman was first attracted to Bale by his dramatic produc- tions, which were numerous. Two of these, viz. The Comedy of John the Baptist, and The Tragedy of God's Promises to Men, were written in 1538, and acted many years afterwards by youths at the market-cross of Kilkenny, on a Sunday after- noon, during the time that Bale held the bishoprick of Ossory. Another, called Tlie Three Laws, Nature, Moses, and Christ, became so popular as to be reprinted in 1562, by Col well. He mentions also among his own works a book of hymns for the church, and a book of jests and tales. The best known of his lighter productions is his play of King Johan, which was republished in 1838 by the Camden Society. It is but partially an historical drama, its great object being to characterise the contest between the papists and the reformers in the reign of Henry VIII., under the figure of the great struggle which took place in that of John. The fall and death of Cromwell in 1540 changed the position and prospects of Bale ; and, feeling that he could no longer be safe in England, he withdrew to Germany with his family 1, and there remained until the accession of Edward VI. in 1547 gave a new turn to public affairs, and raised once more the hopes of the reforming party. His first reward was the rectory of Bishopstoke in Hamp- shire, to which he was collated very soon after his return. He now proceeded to the degree of Doctor in Divinity, and in 1551 was promoted to the vicarage of Swaffham in Norfolk. He does not appear, however, to have resided on his new benefice ; for in the next year, when he was appointed to the bishoprick of Ossory, we find him still in Hampshire. He had enemies, it would seem, at the court of the new king ; for it i See p. 494. X BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. appears, from the account which he gives of his meeting with Edward VI. at Southampton, that he had been represented to that prince as "dead and buried." "The king having infor- mation that I was there in the street, he marvelled thereat, for- somuch as it had been told him a little before that I was both dead and buried. With that his grace came to the window, and earnestly beheld me a poor weak creature, as though he had upon me, so simple a subject, an earnest regard, or rather a very fatherly care1." The result of this interview was, that the bishoprick of Ossory was not so much offered to, as urged upon Bale ; and he, though now advancing in years, surrounded by a growing and attached family, well provided for in Eng- land, and situated in a very pleasant part of the country, felt it his duty to forego his present advantages, and enter upon a new and most arduous sphere of duty. He might perhaps have had some misgivings as to his fitness for the post pro- posed : certain it is, that he was for a long time unwilling to accept the dignity, nor was it without many entreaties both from the king and the archbishop that he consented. His entry upon his office was marked by dispute. He was required by the Irish ecclesiastics to submit to be conse- crated according to the Romish ritual, on the ground that the reformed ordinal had not received the sanction of the Irish parliament. This he very properly refused, alleging that, as the English and Irish churches were under one temporal head, the king, they ought to be governed by the same laws. His arguments were successful : the ordaining bishops consulted the chancellor, and Bale was consecrated according to the re- formed ritual by the archbishop of Dublin, in the cathedral of that city, on Feb. 2, 1553. The new bishop acted with great zeal and earnestness of purpose, so much so as to give great offence both to the clergy and laity of his diocese, among whom the Reformation was by no means popular: tumults arose and multiplied to so 1 Vocacyon of John Bale, p. 27. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. XI great an extent, that Bale found not only his peace, but his life was in danger. In his " Vocacyon of John Bale to the Byshopperycke of Ossorie," he gives a very interesting and graphic account of the persecutions he endured ; and if we are sometimes compelled to admit the want of prudence which the bishop displayed, we cannot but honour his uniform energy and diligence. Worn out, however, by his unsuc- cessful labours, and despairing of effecting any permanent benefit among those now encouraged in their opposition by the death of Edward VI., the suppression of the party which supported Lady Jane Grey, and the avowed favour of the new Queen, Mary, Bale privately retired from his diocese, and took refuge in Dublin. From this city he escaped on Michaelmas-day, 1553, for the purpose of going to Holland ; but the ship in which he embarked was taken by pirates, and he himself sold as a slave. After many vicissitudes he found a quiet abode at Basle in Switzerland, where he remained till the year 1559, when a second time he returned from his exile, with his con- stitution shattered and his energies decayed. He evinced no desire to enter again on the possession of his episcopal see, but spent his few remaining years at Can- terbury, in the cathedral of which city he was presented to a prebendal stall, and where he was buried. His death took place in the year 1563. Bishop Bale occupied such a position in connection with the history of the Reformation, that it was in a manner neces- sary for the Parker Society, hi pursuance of its plan, to re- publish some of his numerous works : but there are others of them, it must be acknowledged, which could not with propriety be presented to the public ; and the re-printing of the present portion of them must not be considered as indicating an approval of all he either said or did. An entire catalogue of his works would occupy more space than can be allotted here. In addition to the accounts Xll BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. of Lord Cobham's Examination, and those of Thorpe and Askewe, which are included in the present volume, together with the Commentary on the Apocalypse, published under the title of " The Image of Both Churches," Bale was the author of " Scriptorum Illustrium Majoris Britannia, &c. Catalogus &c. &c. et ix. centurias continens." This is his most important work. He wrote also an account of the monasteries as they ex- isted in England at the time of the dissolution : it is entitled " Acts of English Votaries." " The Pageant of Popes." This work is translated from the Latin of Bale by John Studley. London, 1574, 4to. A list of his works, with the commencing words of many of them, will be found in Bishop Tanner's " Bibliotheca Brit- tannico-Hibernica." CHRONICLE OF THE EXAMINATION AND DEATH LORD COBHAM. [BALE.] tonc^rning the r.vnininauon anD ocntl) of tljc JLJIcsscti tnarttr of OTim'st, &tr ^ofm ©toeca- stdl tljr Ho it) e'obliam, collected toget&er bp Jftale. ©tocastd . p . t^e latter time sfjall mang be cfjosen, prouetf, an& purgfgeb bp fgre pet sfjall t^e fangolJlp Ipue totcfeeijlp stpll, anK ftaue no bn&etstantJtng. Daniel . xtf . [On <fo reverse page:] IMPRINTED at Hon&on, bp &nt!)onp agapflpa &eres Itng topt^out gate. 4T Cum (Sratta et jprtutUjjui a& SimwvfmciitJu iolum. ADVERTISEMENT. [THE reign which preceded Sir John Oldcastle's troubles is generally supposed to have first introduced into England the custom of burning for heresy. And Willian Sautre, a Lollard, is reckoned the first instance of the infliction of that punishment, A. D. 1401 — 2. Fox expressly says so : and he is followed herein by bishop Burnet and Mr Collier. But the latter of these had forgot what himself had told us under Hen. III. of a deacon, that, apostatizing to Judaism, was first voi.i.P.428. degraded at a council at Oxford, A. D. 1222, and afterwards "xfewwl. i i i • Wikes, p. 39. sentenced to the stake by the secular power. And there is good evidence of a more early example than even this. A chronicle of London mentions one of the Albigenses burnt Bale de Script. Brit. A. D. 1210. And Camden, probably, alludes to this, when he ^p^vl'm says, " ex quo regnante Joanne Christiani in Chnstianos in Apparat. ad Eliz. apud nos flammis scevire coeperunt. It is, however, agreed on all hands, that this severe method of proceeding was brought into England much later than into other countries. This bishop Burnet seems to at- tribute wholly to the resolution of the people, when he tells us, That England, i. e. the people of England, (for he does not speak of the encroachments of the pope,) was not so tame as to bear the severity of those laws which were settled and put in execution in other kingdoms. He might with as much truth and honour to the nation have imputed it to the clemency of our princes, who were unwilling to exercise such a tyranny over their subjects. So Hoveden, without any A.D. uss. refined reasoning : " Publicani comburebantur in pluribus locis per regnum Francice, quod rex Anglice nullo modo permisit in terra sua, licet ibi essent perplurimi." 1—2 4 ADVERTISEMENT. Sir John Oldcastlc was the first nobleman who suffered for the sake of religion : not noble by birth, but by his marriage with the lady Cobham ; upon whose account he had the honour of summons to parliament 11, 12, 14 Hen. IV. and 1 Hen. V. See Dugdale's Baronage. Bale tells us, that at the parliament at Leicester 2 Hen. V. it was enacted, that the Lollards should be hanged for treason, and burnt for heresy ; and since Sir John was one of that number, he suffered in both respects. But in the act, as Fox has printed it, we find no mention of this double punishment for Lollardism. The goods indeed of those that were con- victed of it were to be forfeited; but that, as Collier has observed against Fuller, does not prove that the Law con- demned them as traitors. Besides, Sir John Oldcastle was not only convicted of heresy, but indicted for treason, before this act was thought of, and was at last condemned upon his first indictment. Rapin says l, it is plain that Lord Cobham did not suffer for treason because he was burnt. By the same way of arguing it might be proved, he did not suffer for heresy because he was hanged.] [i sub A.D. 1416.] A BRIEF CHRONICLE CONCERNING THE EXAMINATION AND DEATH OF THE BLESSED MARTYR OF CHRIST, SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE, THE LORD COBHAM. COLLECTED TOGETHER BY JOHN BALE, OUT OF THE BOOKS AND WRITINGS OF THOSE POPISH PRELATES WHICH WERE PRESENT BOTH AT HIS CONDEMNATION AND JUDGMENT. THE PREFACE. IN the profane histories of old, orators and poets, both piu Greeks and Latins, they are much commended and thought cir ' • ° Catullus. worthy of eternal memory, which have either died for their Horatms. » » ' Lucanus. natural country, or dangered their lives for a commonwealth : s^"8- as we read of Codrus that was king of Athens, of Quintus Curtius the Roman, of Anchurus the Phrygian, Ulysses, Hernias, Theseus, Mencetius, Scipio Africanus, Mutius Scsevola, Valerius Codes, the two brethren of Carthage, which were both called Philaenus, and the three noble Decians, with other divers. In the sacred scriptures of the bible hath Moses, !*>*. xiv. r ' Ecclus. xlvi. Josue, Gideon, Jepthe, Deborah, Judith, David, Elias, Josias, } slm.Xxvii. Zorobabel, Mattathias, Eleazarus, and the Maccabees, their 2 Mac> Ti> just praises for their mighty zeal and manifold enterprises concerning the children of Israel. Among the papists also sigebertus . . & Gemblacen- ( which are a most prodigious kind of men) are they most sis- highly advanced by lying signs, false miracles, erroneous Pet writings, shrines, relics, lights, tabernacles, altars, censings, songs, and holy-days, which have been slain for the liberties, privileges, authority, honour, riches, and proud maintenance of their holy whorish church : as were Antidius, Bonifacius, Benno, Thomas a Becket, John the cardinal, Petrus de Cas- pa^er vo- lateranus. 6 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM. ^E™*C tronovo, Peter of Milan, Paganus of Bergom, Stanislaus of Cracovia, Steven Collier of Tholouse, Bonaventure of Padua, Julianus the cardinal of Saint Angel ; and in our time John Fisher, Thomas More, Friar Forest, Reynolds, and the Char- ter-house monks which suffered here in England, with an Arti'v1 infinite number more. What is then to be thought of those j^hnv'iii. g°dly an(i valiant warriors, which have not spared to bestow their most dear lives for the verity of Jesus Christ against the malignant muster of that execrable antichrist of Rome, the devil's own vicar ? Of whose gracious number a very sir John old- special member, and a vessel of God's election, was that vir- tnebisnop*. tuous knight Sir John Oldcastle, the good lord Cobham, as will plenteously appear in this process following. He that hath judgment in the spirit shall easily perceive by this treatise, what beastly blockheads these bloody belly-gods were in their unsavoury interrogations ; and again, what influence of grace this man of God had from above concerning his an- johnhi. swers, specially in that most blind and ignorant time wherein Rev. vi. an was but darkness, the sun appearing sackcloth, as St John hath in the Apocalypse. Lukexxi. Most surely fulfilled Christ his1 promise in him which he Mark xin. made to his apostles : " Cast not in your mind aforehand LukexiL * * (saith he) what answer ye shall make when these spiritual tyrants shall examine you in their synagogues, and so deliver you up unto kings and debitees2. For I will give you such utterance and wisdom in that hour, as all your enemies shall never be able to resist." This only sentence of Christ adjoined Christ's disci- to his godly answer is enough to prove him his true disciple, and them in their foolish questions the manifest members of Satan. I remember that fourteen years ago the true servant of God, William Tyndale, put into the print a certain brief Theexami- examination of the said lord Cobham : the which examination nation of the . ... « , • i i i> 111 <• Lord cob- was written m the time ot the said lord s trouble by a certain- ham. , ... friend of his, and so reserved in copies unto this our age. But since that time I have found it in their own writings, which were then his utter enemies, in a much more ample form than The great there ; specially in the great process which Thomas Arundel, the archbishop of Canterbury, made then against him, written by his own notaries and clerks, tokened also with his own sign and seal, and so directed unto Richard Clifford, then [* Christs old edition for, Christ his.] [2 Debitees: deputies.] THE PREFACE. bishop of London, with a general commandment to have it then published by him, and by the other bishops the whole realm over. Furthermore I have seen it in a copy of that writing Thomas r<; & Walden. in which the said Richard Clifford sent unto Robert Mascall, a Fasdcuio Zizamorum Carmelite friar, and bishop of Hereford, under his sign and Wielevi- seal, and in a copy of his also directed to the archdeacons of Hereford and Shrewsbury. The year, month, and day of their date, with the beginnings of their writings, shall here- after follow in the book, as occasion shall require it. Besides From whence ' * this Treatise all this, Thomas Walden, being in those days the king's con- Cometh. fessor, and present at his examination, condemnation, and ex- ecration, registered it, among other processes more, in his book called Fasciculus Zizaniorum Wielevi. He maketh mention of it also in his first epistle to pope Martin the Fifth, and in his solemn Sermon de Funere Regis. Only such reasons have I added thereunto, as the afore-named Thomas waiden. ' cent. Wiclev. Walden proponed to him in the time of that examination, as u£t°70^», he mentioneth in his first and second books adversus Wide- Ed?tpparil!' vistas, with the manner of his godly departing out of this Ip5.5ij£om' l' frail life, which I found in other writings and chronicles. His youth was full of wanton wildness before he knew the scriptures, as he reporteth in his answer, and for the more part unknown unto me, and therefore I write it not here. His father, the lord Regnolde of Cobham, John Froissart num- bereth always amongst the most worthy warriors of England. In all adventurous acts of worldly manhood was he ever bold, The Christian • manhood of strong, fortunate, doughty, noble, and valiant ; but never so ^°hn Old" worthy a conqueror as in this his present conflict with the cruel and furious frantic kingdom of antichrist. Far is this Christian knight more praiseworthy for that he had so noble a stomach in defence of Christ's verity against those Romish superstitions, than for any temporal nobleness, either of blood, birth, lands, or of martial feats. For many thousands £owmisirj * Christ s bat- have had in that great courage, which in the other have been tles- most faint-hearted cowards and very desperate dastards ; whereas he persevered most faithfully constant to the end. Many popish parasites and men-pleasing flatterers have written Flatterers of • 1 t xu f l. Sreat men- large commendations and encomiesj ot those ; but ot such noble men as this was, very few or in a manner none at all. [3 Encomies: encomiums.] 8 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM. When I sometime read the works of some men learned, I marvel not a little to see them so abundant in vain flattering praises for matters of no value, yea, for things to be dispraised rather than praised of men that were godly-wise. Polydorus Vergilius, a collector sometime in England of the pope's Peter Pence, and afterward archdeacon of Wells, hath in this point deformed his writings greatly, polluting our English Chronicles most shamefully with his Romish lies and NO tales may other Italish beggarys. Battles hath he described there at be told out of oo * large with no small discommendings of some princes which were godly ; but the privy packing of prelates, and crafty conveyance of the spirituality, hath he in every place almost full properly passed over. He was too familiar with the bishops, and took too much of their counsel, when he compiled the twenty-six books of his English history. And not greatly is the land beholden unto him in that work for any large Pra^se °f erudition that he hath given it there. A singular beauty is it to a Christian religion, when their ancient mo- numents are garnished among others with men of fresh lite- rature, which therein hath small remembrance or none. Unless it be Gildas, Bedas, Alcuinus, Joannes Scotus, Aldelmus, Neu- burgus, and one or two more, none are in that whole work mentioned concerning that, as though England had always been most barren of men learned. This do I not write in dispraise of his learning (which I know to be very ex- cellent), but for the abuse thereof, being a most singular gift of God. A worthy I would wish some learned Englishman (as there are now work were v most excellent fresh wits) to set forth the English Chronicles in their right shape, as certain other lands have done afore them, all affections set apart. I cannot think a more necessary thing to be laboured to the honour of God, beauty of the realm, erudition of the people, and commodity of other lands, next the sacred scriptures of the Bible, than that work would Blasphemous be. For truly in those they have there yet is vice more a(^vanced than virtue, and Romish blasphemy than godliness ; as it may full well appear unto eyes of right judgment in the lamentable history here following, and such other, which hath been long hid in the dark. Mark diligently the sentence of the said Polydorus concerning this good lord Cobham, and thereupon consider his good workmanship in other matters. THE PREFACE. 9 " In the council of Constance (saith he) was the heresy of John Poiyd. Angi. Wicliffe condemned, and two at the same time burned in that xxis. Ed.' Basil. 1546. city, which were the chief heads of that sect1." All this is?-441- true, though the feat handling thereof be altogether Italish. But whereas he saith after, that when this was once Heuphoidetn holy Chuich known to their companions in England, they conspired in witllli<»- their madness against the whole clergy, and finally against the King also, for that he was then a fautor of Christian £*b™dus- P • religion, having to their great captains sir John Oldcastle and Lond- 18U- sir Roger Acton, he maketh a most shameful lie. For how could sir Roger Acton with his company conspire upon that [l In eodem concilio damnata est Joannis Vuytcliffi hseresis ; ac Jo- annes Hus, et Hieronymus Pragensis ejus discipulus, duo id temporis viri qui ejus sectse capita erat, in ea urbe combusti sunt. Quod ubi reliquis consociis, qui etiam tune in Anglia erant, patent, tan- quam furiis agitati, primum conjurationes in omnes sacerdotes, de- inde in regem, quod pius esset cultor religionis, faciunt, protinusque conventus passim celebrantes, suam superstitionem armis defenden- dam statuunt : itaque Joanne Oldecastellio, viro forti ceterum impio, cujus rei causa paulo ante ab exercitu regio relegatus fuerat, et Rogerio Actono ducibus, ac bene magna desperatorum hominum comitante caterva, Londinum concurrunt, ut civitate potiti majorem inde sui sirailium manum cogant, atque regem opprimant. Qua re nunciata, rex omnibus consiliis antevertendum existimat, ut prius in armis sit, quam ea bominum colluvio in urbem irruat; qui celeriter obviam factus, exspectat loco idoneo ad pugnandum, dum illud agmen accedat. Verum perditi homines ubi de regis adventu cognoverunt, ut jamjam victi alii alio turpiter se in pedes dant, quorum aliquot in fuga deprehensi igne illico necantur. Capiuntur non multo post ambo ductores, in carceremque conjiciuntur : sed Joannes ex turri Londinensi noctu aufugit, Rogerius vero merito afficitur supplicio. Ob id tamen non fugiebat principem se nequaquam funditus tanti veneni radices de hominum longe opiniosissimorum pectoribus evel- lisse : quare publice edixit, ut si uspiam deinceps reperirentur, qui earn sequerentur sectam, patrise hostes haberentur, quo sine omni leni- tate severius ac ocius de illis supplicium sumeretur : ita animum et cogitationem posuerat in ea delenda. Est hsec parva pro nominis Christiani conservatione gesta domi a principio res, quse sine dubio potuit monstrare victoriam, quse postea in Galliis parta est. Fuit is annus salutis humanse MCCCCXV. et cum Henricus regnare ccepit, n, quo Thomas Harundellus Cantuariensis antistes, annum jam tune sedens tertium et trigesimum, e vita excessit: in cujus locum suc- cessit Henricus Chicheleius Menevensis Episcopus, ordine Cantuari- ensium archiepiscoporum sexagesimus. — Polydor. Vergil. Angl. Hist, lib. xxii. Edit. Basil. 1546, p. 441.] 10 CHRONICLE OF LORD GOBI! AM. AoUConcilii Jonn Coniuntl- «»«•" tree by his fruit- They were enemies to occasion, being dead more than four years afore ; and Sir Oldcastle remaining all that season in Wales? John Huss suffered death at Constance the year of our Lord 1415, in July ; Hierome of Prague hi the year of our Lord 1416, in May ; which were the two heads he speaketh of. Sir Roger Acton was burnt with his company in the year of our Lord 1413, in January, as witnesseth Walden, Fabian, and John Major in their chronicles and writings. Now reckon these numbers and years, and mark the proper conveyance of this Romish gentleman, the pope's collector, to clout up that crooked kingdom of theirs. He can by such legerdemain both please his friends in England, and also at Rome. After that he folio weth with lie upon lie, as that they rch' came then to London to destroy the King ; that he in his own person met with them there in arms, that they cowardly fled, that some were taken there and burnt out of hand, and that the Lord Cobham and Sir Roger Acton were cast into the Tower of London, upon that occasion. Seemeth it not a matter somewhat like to the purpose, think you, that men should be there burned for making such an insurrection or tumult? I trow he hath cobbled here somewhat workmanly. And whereas he saith in the end, that the King thereupon made an act that they from thenceforth should be taken as traitors against his own person, which were proved to follow that sect, he maketh an abominable lie. For that act was made only at the bishops' complaint and false suit, in the first year of his reign, and by force of that act those innocent men then suffered. More than four hundred of such manifest lies could I gather out of his Chronicles ; much more then might more eyes and judgments do. Now let us expend what the true cause should be of this godly man's condemnation and death, all dreams of papists set apart. The truth of it is, that after he had once throughly tasted the Christian doctrine of John Wicliffe and of his dis- ciples, and perceived their livings agreeable to the same, he abhorred all the superstitious sorceries (ceremonies, I should say) of the proud Romish church. From thenceforth he brought all things to the touch-stone of God's word. He tried all matters by the scriptures, and so proved their spirit whether they were of God or nay. He maintained such preachers in the dioceses of Canterbury, London, Rochester, traitors. Walden. in Serai, de Funer. Reg. Well stored wiih lies. The causes of Sir John Old- castle's con- demnation. John v. 1 Thess. v. Matt. vii. 1 John iv. THE PREFACE. 11 and Hereford, as the bishops were sore offended with. He exhorted their priests to a better way by the gospel; and when that would not help, he gave them sharp rebukes. He waiden. m admonished the kings, as Richard the Second, Henry the wtcievi'zan' Fourth, and Henry the Fifth, of the clergy's manifold abuses, and put into the parliament-house certain books concerning their just reformation, both in the year of our Lord 1395 and iii the year 1410. Of the first book this is the be- ginning : Prima conclusio. Quando ecclesia Anglice, #e., Fabianus. which I have here left out, lest this treatise should be too w»- "to." P. 575. great. The other book was made by one John Purvey, a master of art of Oxford : beside the eighteen conclusions that master John Wicliffe had put in long afore that. In the year of our Lord 1391 this noble lord Cobham, Poiyd. in with certain other more, motioned the King at Westminster, Lib.'xx. . . . Polydore in the time of his parliament, that it were very commodious Vers'' ™akes f v no mention to England if the Romish bishop's authority extended no hl^Tn Su ' further than the ocean sea or haven of Calais, considering JLU^X. Ed. the charges and unquietness of suits there, and that men's ^Ti}.1546' causes could not be throughly known so far off. Whereupon xreyisain the king made this act by consent of his lords, that no man cestrensis. from thenceforth should sue to the pope in any matter, nor publish any excommunication of his, under pain of losing their goods with perpetual imprisonment. This and the afore-named Fabianus. book had cost him, with sir John Cheny and other more, his P life in the sixth year after, at the crafty accusement of certain prelates (though it hath in the Chronicles another colour), had not God then most graciously preserved him. Another cause waiden. of his death, yet besides all that hath been said afore, was LU>.'U. cape.v' Ixx this : he caused all the works of John Wicliffe to be written at the instance of John Huss, and so to be sent into Bohemia, France, Spain, Portugal, and other lands : whereof Subinco Lepus the archbishop of Prague caused more than two hun- ensis. dred volumes, fair written, openly to be burnt afterwards, as witnesseth ^Eneas Sylvius de Oriqine Bohemorum. Hermannu • -ii IT Shedel. These causes known, with other more that I could re- hearse, consider whether the world, that is always so wicked, Heb. xi. was worthy to hold such a noble Christian warrior as this Nan", m. was, or nay : consider also the just punishment of the Lord for wicked laws that were then made, with the exceeding 12 CHRONICLK OF LORD COBHAM. mischiefs that the spiritualty then used ; and weigh the miserable estate that the realm was in soon after for con- tempt of his eternal word : and thereupon laud his right- eousness, and beware of like contempt and plague in these wawen^in days. In the year of our Lord 1422 departed king Henry FUIM.T. Beg. the fifth, in his most nourishing time, even in the beginning of the thirty-seventh year of his age, which was about four King Henry years after the death of this Lord Cobham. His son Henry VI. a babe. the sixth succeeded in his room, and had the governance of this whole realm, being but a babe of eight months old and odd days. What a dolour was this unto men of ripe dis- cretion, naturally loving their country and regarding the isai. Hi. commonwealth thereof ! Yea, what a plague of God was it, after the scriptures, to have a young child to their king ! And, that it should the more manifestly appear to come that way, or of the stroke of God, he was a childish thing all the days of his life. isai. iii. "I shall give you (saith the Lord in his high displeasure) children to be your princes, and young infants without wis- ihe years of dom shall have the governance of you." What wretched calamities the realm suffered afterward for the space of more than fourscore years and three, till the days of King Henry prelates, the seventh, it is unspeakable. Since the preaching of John now appear. Wicliffe hath the Lord suffered the pompous popish prelates to shew themselves forth in their own right colours, that they might now in the light of his gospel appear as they are in deed, even spiteful murderers, idolaters, and sodomites. Afore his time they lurked under the glittering shine of Fnars dark- hypocrisy, and could not be seen in their masteries. The friars with their charming sophistry threw such a dark mist over the universal world, that superstition could not be known for superstition, nor idolatry for idolatry. Unspeakable filthiness of all fleshly occupying was then called priests' chastity, as it is yet, and will be till it come to Rev. xviu. the highest, that God may take full vengeance. Then was whoredom worshipped in prelates of the church, and sacred wedlock reckoned such a detestable vice as was worthy in waiden.»n & priest most cruel death: as was seen for example in sir o£ere.ue William Wyght, which was burnt for the same at Norwich in the year of our Lord 1428. THE PREFACE. 13 Thus was white judged black, and light darkness ; so ill was men's sight in those days. By such means (saith the i««- v. prophet) they "drew wickedness unto them as it were with a cord, and all kinds of sin as it were with a cart-rope." If England for England at that time had not been unthankful for the ness pun- ished. singular benefit that God then sent them by those good men, the days of antichrist and his beastly brood had been shortened there long ago, as it is even now, and hereafter like to be more largely. A most orient fresh mirror of what the . . . it' iTi/^ii • LordCobham Christian manhood appeareth this worthy Lord Cobham in aPPeareth . now- our age, the verity now open, which was in her absence a lamp of contempt before worldly-wise men. In him may noble men behold here plainly a most noble stomach and precious faith in the midst of great antichrist's muddy muster. His courage was of such value that it gave him the victory i John v. 1 Cor. xv. over them by the clear judgment of the scriptures, what though the world's judgments be far otherwise. And as for the cruel death which he most contumeliously suffered, it is now unto him a most plenteous winning ; for in the just Phii.j. quarrel was it of his Lord Jesus Christ. Might those bloody blusterers have had their full sway now of late, they would have made more Oldcastles, Actons, The Devii sleepeth not Browns, and Beverleys ; yea, they would have made there a greater ^ havock upon Christ's congregation, than ever did Saul in his raging fury. They meant more than they ut- Acts VHL tered, when they approached so nigh (as did cruel Haman) Esth.v. to the presence of noble Ahassuerus. But blessed be the eternal Father, which hath given such wisdom godly unto A godiy go- ' O _ o ^ «/ vernor. our most worthy King, that he, perceiving their sleights, so abated their tyrannous fierceness. Pray, noble men, pray, yea, with the true clergy and commons, that like as he hath now with duke Joshua the overhand of wicked Jericho by Josh. vi. his only gift, and is through that become a whole perfect J^ud GOI & . . for him- king within his own realm far above all his predecessors, so that he may in conclusion overthrow her clearly. For as Matt xxyi. J > • Johnxviu. yet the dreadful damsel (tyranny), that was Caiaphas' door- keeper, dwelleth in the houses of bishops, and daily compelleth w.*'ndon in poor Peter to deny his master. As many eyes as ever had vigilant Argus had he need to have, that is compassed with such a sort, as are that brood of the wily serpent. Consider 14 CHRONICLE OF LORD COBHAM. Pn»y for hii what heavenly things ye have received of the scriptures under his permission, and yet pray once again for his gracious continuance to the more increase of knowledge. Amen. O Babylon, thy merchants were princes of the earth : and with thine enchantments were all nations deceived. Apocal. xviii. THE GREAT PROCESS OF THOMAS ARUNDEL, THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND OF THE PAPISTICAL CLERGY WITH HIM, AGAINST THE MOST NOBLE KNIGHT, SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE, THE LORD COBHAM, IN THE TEAR OF OUR LORD M.CCCC.XIII. WHEREIN IS CONTAINED HIS EXAMINATION, IMPRISON. MENT AND EXCOMMUNICATION. THE PROCESS BEFORE HIS EXAMINATION. AFTER that the true servant of Jesus Christ, John Wic- Exoperibus et scnptis liffe, a man of very excellent life and learning, had for the ^homse wai- space of more than twenty-six years most valiantly battled with the great antichrist of Europe, or pope of Rome, and his diversely disguised host of anointed hypocrites, to restore the church again to the pure estate that Christ left her in at his ascension, he departed hence most christianly into the hands John wic- ' • : * ... 1'ffe, a man of God, the year of our Lord 1387, and was buried in his own parish church, at Lutterworth in Lincolnshire1. No small number of godly disciples left that good man behind him, to defend the lowliness of the gospel against the exceeding pride, ambition, simony, avarice, hypocrisy, whoredom, sacrilege, tyranny, idolatrous worshippings, and other filthy fruits of those stiff-necked Pharisees. Against whom Thomas Arundel, Thomas Arundel in then archbishop of Canterbury, so fierce as ever was Pharoah, [J^0 P10" Antiochus, Herod or Caiaphas, collected in Paul's church at London a universal synod of all the papistical clergy of England, in the year of our Lord 1413, as he had done divers other afore, to withstand their most godly enterprise. [l Lutterworth is in Leicestershire, but was till lately in the diocese of Lincoln.] 16 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST And this was the first year of king Henry the fifth, whom they had then made fit for their hand. johnxi- As these high prelates with their Pharisees and Scribes p«ai. u. were thus gathered in this pestilent council against the Lord and his word, first there resorted unto them the twelve in- quisitors of heresies (whom they had appointed at Oxford, the year afore, to search out heretics, with all Wicliffe's books), and they brought two hundred and sixty-six faithful con- clusions, which they had collected as heresies out of the said waidm. in books. The names of the said inquisitors were these : John wiciev. VVitnam, a master in the New College, John Langdon, monk of Christ-Church in Canterbury, William Ufford, regent of the Carmelites, Thomas Clayton, regent of the Dominicans, Robert Gilberd, Richard Cartysdale, John Luck, Richard Snedysham, Richard Flemming, Thomas Rodborne, Robert Roudbery, and Richard Grasdale. In the mean season caused they their A practice hired servants to blow it forth abroad throughout all the commonly used of that realm, that they were there congregate for an wholesome generation. . * unity and reformation of the church of England, to stop so the mouths of the common people. Such is always the com- mon practice of these subtle sorcerers, while they are doing mischief, to blear the eyes of the unlearned multitude with one false craft or other. AHkeprac- After a certain communication they concluded among tice sought • butVtooh*' themselves, that it was not possible for them to make whole Christ's coat without seam (meaning thereby their patched popish synagogue), unless certain great men were brought out of the way, which seemed to be the chief maintainers of the said disciples of Wicliffe : among whom the most noble knight sir John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, was complained of by the general proctors, yea, rather betrayers of Christ in Accused for his faithful members, to be the chief principal. Him they the gospel of accused first for a mighty maintainer of suspected preachers in the dioceses of London, Rochester, and Hereford, contrary to the minds of their ordinaries. Not only they affirmed him to have sent thither the said preachers, but also to have assisted them there by force of arms, notwithstanding their Accused for synodal constitution made afore to the contrary. Last of all belief. they accused him that he was far otherwise in belief of the sacrament of the altar, of penance, of pilgrimage, of image- worshipping, and of the ecclesiastical power, than the holy church of Rome had taught many years afore. THE LORD COBHAM. 17 In the end it was concluded among them, that without process any farther delay process should out against him as against ^ a most pernicious heretic. Some of that fellowship, which were of more crafty experience than the other, would in no case have the1 matter so rashly handled, but thought this way much better : considering the said Lord Cobham was a man of great birth and in favour at that time with the king, their counsel was to know first the king's mind, to save all things right up. This counsel was well accepted ; and thereupon the archbishop Thomas Arundel, with his other bishops A wolfish . *• generation. and a great part of the clergy, went straight ways unto the king as then remaining at Kennington : and there they2 laid forth most grievous complaints against the said Lord Cobham, to his great infamy and blemish, being a man most godly. The king gently heard those blood-thirsty raveners, and The king . , , . ....,...,. speakethfor far otherwise than became his princely dignity he instantly him- desired them, that, in respect of his noble stock and knight- hood, they should yet favourably deal with him ; and that they would, if it were possible, without all rigor or extreme handling, reduce him again to the church's unity. He pro- HIS gentle v JT promise. mised them also that, in case they were3 contented to take some deliberation, his self would seriously common the matter with him. Anon after the king sent for the said Lord Cobham. And as he was come, he called him secretly admonishing him be- "h^^on" twixt him and him, to submit himself to his mother the holy church, and as an obedient child to acknowledge himself culpable. Unto whom the Christian knight made this answer : " You, most worthy prince," saith he, " am I always prompt and willing to obey, forsomuch as I know you a Christian king, and the appointed minister of God, bearing his righteous4 sword, to the punishment of ill-doers, and for the safeguard of R°m- x»i. them that be virtuous. Unto you, next my eternal living5 God, owe I my whole obedience, and submit me thereunto (as I have done ever) all that I have either of fortune or nature, ready at all times to fulfil whatsoever ye shall in that Lord command me. But as touching the pope and his spiritu- Ah™°t-!;n alty, truly I owe them neither suit nor service, forsomuch obedience- [l « that,' 1st ed.] [2 'they,' not in 1st ed.] [3 'were not,' 1st ed.] [4 'bearing the sword,' 1st ed.] [5 'living,' not in 1st ed.] 2 [BALE.] 18 TUB GREAT PROCESS AGAINST a The*. 11. Matt. xxir. Kxvetusto exemlar! Judas u sent forth. jir<ui>heetis hired. pent r*eiMonhof the papists. as I know him by the scriptures to be the great Antichrist, the gon of perdition, the open adversary of God, and the abomi- nation standing in the holy place." When the king had heard this with such-like sentences more, he would talk no longer with him, but left him so utterly. And as the archbishop resorted again unto him for an an- swer, he gave him his full authority to cite him, examine him, and punish him according to the devilish decrees, which they * Call the laws of holy church. •/ Then the said archbishop, by the counsel of his other bishops and clergy, appointed to call before1 him the said2 sir John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, and to cause him personally to appear, to answer to such suspected3 articles as they should lay against him. So sent he forth his chief summoner with a very sharp citation unto the castle of Cowling, where as he at that time dwelt for his solace. And as the said summoner was thither come, he durst in no case enter the gates of so noble a man without his licence ; and therefore he returned home aoa*n> his message not done. Then called the archbishop one John Butler unto him, which was then the door-keeper of the king's privy chamber ; and with him he covenanted, through promises and rewards, to have this matter craftily brought to pass under the king's name. Whereupon the said John Butler took the archbishop's summoner with him, and went unto the said Lord Cobham, shewing him that it was the king's pleasure that he should obey that citation ; and so cited him fraudulently. Then said he unto them in few words, that in no case would he consent to those most devilish practices of the priests. As they had informed the archbishop of that answer, and that it was meet for no man privately to cite him after that without peril of life, he decreed by and by to have him cited by public pro- cess or oP6n commandment. And in all the haste possible, Up0n the Wednesday before the nativity of our Lady, in Sep- tember, he commanded letters citatory to be set upon the great gates of the cathedral church of Rochester (which was but three English miles from thence), charging him to appear personally before him at Leeds4, in the sixth6 day of the same [* 'gefore,' 1st ed.] [2 'said,' not in 1st ed.] [3 'suspect,' 1st ed.] [4 Leeds or Ledis castle, in Kent, about five miles from Maidstone. THE LORD COBHAM. 19 month and year, all excuses to the contrary set apart. Those The citations ' r taken down. letters were taken down anon after by such as bare favour unto the Lord Cobham, and so conveyed aside. After that caused the archbishop new letters to be set up, on the nativity day of our lady ; which also were rent down and utterly consumed. Then, forsomuch as he did not appear at the day ap- caiaphas sit- ' . rr . • r tethm con- pointed at Leeds, (where as he sat in consistory as cruel as 8'story- ever was Caiaphas, with his court of hypocrites about him,) he judged him, denounced him, and condemned him of most deep contumacy. After that, when he had been falsely informed by his hired spies and other glossing glaverers6, that the said Lord False aceusa- . . . tions against Cobham had laughed him to scorn, disdained all his doings, Wm- maintained his old opinions, contemned the church's power, the dignity of a bishop, and the order of priesthood, (for of7 all these was he then accused.) in his moody madness without The serpent '' t * doth his na- just proof did he openly excommunicate him. Yet was he not ture- with all this fierce tyranny qualified, but commanded him to be cited afresh, to appear before him the Saturday after8 the feast of Saint Matthew the apostle, with these cruel threaten- ings added thereunto ; that if he did not obey at that day, he would more extremely handle him. And, to make himself more strong towards the performance thereof, he compelled ^frih^ J1 the lay power, by most terrible menacings of curses and inter- be- dictions, to assist him against that seditious apostate, that9 schismatic, that heretic, that troubler of the public peace, that enemy of the realm, and great adversary of all holy church ; for all these hateful names did he give him. This most constant servant of the Lord, and worthy A mirror of « Christian knight, sir John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, beholding the knighthood, unpeaceable fury of antichrist thus kindled against him, per- ceiving himself also compassed on every side with deadly dan- gers, he took paper and pen in hand, and so wrote a Christian Hecnafese confession or reckoning of his faith (which followeth here- fore men- It had been the property of the Lords Badlesmere, but reverted to the crown, 2 Edw. III. It was afterwards inhabited by William of Wick- ham, who greatly enlarged it ; by Richard II., and for a short time by Henry IV. Archbishop Arundel procured a grant of this castle, where he frequently resided, and kept his court, whilst the process against Lord Cobham was carrying forward. Wordsworth's Eccles. Biog.] [5 ' xi.' 1st ed.] [6 glaverer, a flatterer. Nares' Glossary.] [7 'of,' not in 1st ed.] [8 before, 1st ed.] [9 'that,' not in 1st ed,] 2—2 20 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST after), and both signed and sealed it with his own hand : wherein he also answereth to the four chiefest articles that the archbishop laid against him. That done, he took the copy with him, and went therewith to the king, trusting to find mercy and favour at his hands. None other was that confes- sion of his than the common belief, or sum of the church's Theapwues- faith, called the Apostles' Creed, of all Christian men then faith. j , used : as thus : THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF OF THE LORD COBHAM. The common I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of hea- chnstians. yen and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, which was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and This faith buried, went down to hell, the third day rose again from garded. death, ascended up to heaven, he l sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from thence shall come again to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the universal holy church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the uprising of the flesh, and everlast- ing life. Amen. A declaration And for a more large declaration (saith he) of this mv of his belief. . e . ' " faith in the catholic church : I stedfastly believe that there is i John v. but one God Almighty, in and of whose Godhead are these three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and that those three persons are the same self God Almighty. I r.ai iy. believe also that the second person of this most blessed Trinity, Luke ii. in most convenient time appointed thereunto afore, took flesh and blood of the most blessed Virgin Mary, for the safeguard and redemption of the universal kind of man, which was afore Christ is the lost in Adam's offence. Moreover I believe that the same hubhurch, Jesus Christ our Lord, thus being both God and man, is the only head of the whole Christian church ; and that all those that have been or shall be saved, be members of this most holy church. And this most holy church I think to be divided into three sorts or companies. The church Whereof the first sort be now in heaven, and they are the divided in . three part*, saints from hence departed. These, as they were here con- versant, conformed always their lives to the most holy laws and pure examples of Christ, renouncing Satan, the world, and the flesh with all their concupiscences and evils. [l ' he,' not in 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 21 The second sort are in purgatory (if any such be by the contrary scriptures) abiding the mercy of God and a full deliverance of Ad Parlii»- . r ' * mentum. Ex pain. Waldeno. The third sort are here upon the earth, and be called the church militant : for day and night they contend against the crafty assaults of the devil, the flattering prosperities of this world, and the rebellious filthiness of the flesh. This latter congregation by the just ordinance of God is The church also severed into three diverse estates, that is to say, into vided m priesthood, knighthood, and the commons. Among whom the will of God is, that the one should aid the other, but not de- stroy the other. The priests first of all, secluded from all worldliness, should conform their lives utterly to the examples of Christ and his apostles. Evermore should they be occupied what the ... , . «>,<*• • . priests should in preaching and teaching the scriptures purely, and m giving »>e. wholesome counsels of good living to the other two degrees of men. More modest also, more loving, gentle, and lowly in spirit should they be, than any other sorts of people. In knighthood are all they which bear sword by law of Knighthood, office. These should defend God's laws, and see that the shotunw. gospel were purely taught, conforming their lives to the same, and secluding all false preachers : yea, these ought rather to hazard their lives than to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemish the eternal testament of God, or yet let the free passage thereof, whereby heresies and schisms might spring Mark here a in the church. For of none other arise they (as I suppose) uanheart!" than of such erroneous constitutions, craftily first creeping in under hypocrites' lies for advantage. They ought also to preserve God's people from oppressors, tyrants, and thieves, and to see the clergy supported so long as they teach purely, The ciergy, . , , i . . y, , , . wherefore pray rightly, and minister the sacraments freely. And if supported, they see them do otherwise, they are bound by law of office to compel them to change their doings, and to see all things performed according to God's prescript ordinance. The latter fellowship of this church are the common peo- ple, whose duty is to bear their good minds and true obedience what the to the aforesaid ministers of God, their kings, civil governors, peopTp°ougiit and priests. The right office of these is justly to occupy every man in his faculty, be it merchandise, handicraft, or the tillage of the ground ; and so one of them to be as an helper to another, following always in their sorts the just command- ments of their Lord God. 22 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Belief con- cerning the sacrament*. The sacra- ment of the altar. Belief con- cerning God's laws. What God asketh of a Christian. A Christian desire of the Lord Cob- ham. This request was lawful. Obedience unto his king. Over and besides all this, I most faithfully believe that the sacraments of Christ's church are necessary to all Christian believers, this always seen to, that they be truly ministered according to Christ's first institution and ordinance. And for- somuch as I am maliciously and most falsely accused of a mis- believe in the sacrament of the altar, to the hurtful slander of many ; I signify here unto all men that this is my faith concerning that. I believe in that sacrament to be contained very Christ's body and blood under the similitudes of bread and wine, yea, the same body that was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of Mary the Virgin, done on the cross, died, that was buried, arose the third day from the death, and is now glorified in heaven. I also believe the universal law of God to be most true and perfect, and that they which do not so follow it in their faith and works at one time or other, can never be saved : whereas he that seeketh it in faith, accepteth it, learneth it, delighteth therein, and performeth it in love, shall taste for it the felicity of everlasting innocency. Finally, this is my faith also, that God will ask no more of a Christian believer in this life, but only to obey the precepts of that most blessed law. If any prelate1 of the church requireth2 more, or else any other kind of obedience than this to be used, he contemneth Christ, exalting himself above God, and so becometh an open antichrist. All these premises I believe particularly, and generally all that God hath left in his holy scriptures that I should believe : in- stantly desiring you, my liege lord and most worthy king, that this confession of mine may be justly examined by the most godly-wise and learned men of your realm. And if it be found in all points agreeing to the verity, then let it be so allowed, and I thereupon holden for none other than a true Christian. If it be proved otherwise, then let it be utterly condemned, provided always that I be taught a better belief by the word of God, and I shall most reverently at all times obey thereunto. This brief confession of his faith the Lord Cobham wrote (as is mentioned afore), and so took it with him to the court, offering it with all meekness unto the king to read it over. The king would in no case receive it, but commanded it to be delivered unto them that should be his judges. Then desired he in the king's presence, that an hundred knights and esquires [x 'prelates,' 1st cd.] [2 'require,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 23 might be suffered to come In upon his purgation, which (he knew) would clear him of all heresies. Moreover he offered His Christian himself, after the law of arms, to fight for life or death with manhood any man living, Christian or heathen, in the quarrel of his faith, the king and the lords of his council excepted. Finally, Nonason- with all gentleness he protested before all that were present, would serve. that he would refuse no manner of correction that should after the laws of God be ministered unto him, but that he would at all times with all meekness obey it. Notwithstanding all this, the king suffered him to be summoned personally in his own privy chamber. Then said the Lord Cobham to the king, that he had HIS appeal appealed from the archbishop to the pope of Rome, and there- archbishop. fore he ought (he said) in no case to be his judge. And having his appeal there at hand ready written, he shewed it with all reverence to the king. Wherewith the king was then The king T i 11 i> i i •• here wor- much more displeased than afore, and said angerly unto him, that he should not pursue his appeal : but rather he should tarry in hold, till such time as it were of the pope allowed ; and then, would he or nilde he3, the archbishop should be his judge. Thus was there nothing allowed that the good Lord Cobham had lawfully afore required. But forsomuch as he Cobham . '. , would not would not be sworn in all things to submit himself to the ^y anti- chnst4. church, and so to take what penance the archbishop would enjoin him, he was arrested again at the king's commandment, and so led forth to the Tower of London, to keep his day (so was it then spoken) that the archbishop had appointed him afore in the king's chamber. Then caused he the aforesaid confession of his faith to be HIS confcs- copied again, and the answer also (which he had made to the "gy*1* four articles proponed5 against him) to be written in manner of an indenture in two sheets of paper ; that when he should come to his answer, he might give the one copy unto the archbishop, and reserve the other to himself. As the day of examination was come, which was the twenty-third day of September, or the Saturday after6 the feast of Saint Matthew, caiaph Thomas Arundel the archbishop sitting in Caiaphas' Room in the Chapter-house of Paul's, with Richard Clifford bishop of London, and Henry Bolingbroke bishop of Winchester, sir Robert Morley knight, and lieutenant of the Tower, brought [3 whether he would or not.] [4 'the heast,' 1st ed.] [5 proponed, proposed. Nares' Glossary.] [o before, 1st ed.] 24 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST personally before him the said Lord Cobhara, and there left him for the time, unto whom the archbishop said these words. Antichrist Antichrist him«;if.teth A sip of Exutroque The articles the L?rdn8t Cobham. o most chris tian knight. menu?ra" THE FIRST EXAMINATION OF THE LORD COBHAM. " Sir John, in the last general convocation of the clergy of this our province, ye were detected of certain heresies, and by sufficient witnesses found culpable. Whereupon ye were by form of spiritual law cited, and would in no case appear. In conclusion upon your rebellious contumacy ye were both privately and openly excommunicated. Notwithstanding we never yet shewed ourself unready to have given you your absolution (nor yet do not to this hour), would ye have meekly asked it." Unto this the Lord Cobham shewed as though he had given none ear, having his mind otherwise occupied, and so desired none absolution : but he said, he would gladly before him and his brethren make rehearsal of that faith, which he held and intended always to stand to, if it would please them to license him thereunto. And then he took out of his bosom a certain writing indented, concerning the articles whereof he was accused, and so openly read it before them, giving it unto the archbishop, as he had made thereof an end. Whereof this is the copy. I John Oldcastle, knight and Lord Cobham, will all Christian men to understand, that Thomas Arundel, arch- bishop of Canterbury, hath not only laid it to my charge maliciously, but also very untruly, by his letter and seal written against me in most slanderous wise, that I should otherwise feel and teach of the sacraments of the church (assigning specially the sacrament of the altar, the sacrament V ' l . J . . . oi penance, the worshipping ot images, and the going of pil- grimage unto them) far otherwise than either believeth or teacheth the universal holy church. I take Almighty God unto witness, that it hath been and now is, and evermore with the help of God it shall be, my full intent and will, to believe • faithfully and wholly all the sacraments that ever God or- dained to be ministered in the holy church. And moreover, for to declare me in these four points afore rehearsed : I believe that in the most worshipful sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body in form of bread, the same body THE LORD COBHAM. 25 that was born of the blessed Virgin Mary, done on the cross, dead and buried, and that the third day arose from death to life, the which body is now glorified with the Father in heaven. And as for the sacrament of penance, I believe that consider him • • IP 1 11 i 1111 i /• i i • here before it is needlul to all them that shall be saved to forsake their bishops, sin, and to do penance for it, with true contrition to God, con- fession of their faults, and due satisfaction in Christ, like as God's laws limit and teach ; else can they have no salvation. This penance I desire all men to do. And as for images, I Permuted to understand that they pertain nothing to our Christian belief, idoiftr^. but were permitted (long since the faith was given us of Christ) by sufferance of the church, for to be as calendars unto lay- men to represent or bring to mind the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the martyrdom and good living of the saints. I think also, that whatsoever he be1 which doth that who com- i • 11- i -1111- /-.-I- mitteth idol- WOrship to dead images that is duly belonging unto God, or atfy- that putteth his faith, hope, or confidence in the help of them as he should do only in his eternal living God, or that hath affection in one more than in another, he perpetrateth in so doing the abominable sin of idolatry. Moreover in this am 1 1^> Mark, fully persuaded, that every man dwelling on this earth is ap^f.a"1'' pilgrim, either towards bliss or else towards pain ; and that he which knoweth not, nor will not know, nor yet keep the holy commandments of God in his living here, (albeit that he goeth on pilgrimage into all quarters of the world,) if he de- parteth so, he shall surely be damned. Again, he that know- saved with- eth the holy commandments of God, and so performeth them age. to the end of his life to his power, shall without fail be saved in Christ, though he never in his life go on pilgrimage, as men use now-a-days to Canterbury, Walsingham, Compostella, and Rome, or to any other place else. This answer to his articles thus ended and ready, he de- His answer livered it to the bishops, as is said afore. Then counselled the archbishop with the other two bishops, and with divers of the doctors, what was to be done in this matter, commanding him for the time to stand aside. In conclusion, by their assent and information, he said thus unto him : "Come hither, sir John, what is this In this your writing are many good things contained, and quarrelling? right catholic also ; we deny it not. But ye must consider that this day was appointed you to answer to other points concern- ing those articles, whereof as yet no mention is made in this C1 'be,' not in 1st ed.] [2 'else,' not in 1st ed.] 26 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST your bill. And therefore ye must yet declare us your mind more plainly : as thus, whether that ye hold, affirm, and believe, that in the sacrament of the altar, after the con- secration rightly done by a priest, remaineth material bread or n0^ Moreover, whether ye do hold, affirm, and believe, that as concerning the sacrament of penance (where as a com- petent number of priests are) every Christian man is necessarily bound to be confessed of his sins to a priest ordained by the church, or not?" Christian After certain other communication, this was the answer of the good Lord Cobham : That none otherwise would he declare ° . .11 his mind, nor yet answer unto his articles, than was expressly in his writing there contained. Then said the archbishop again unto him : " Sir John, beware what ye do. For if ye answer not clearly to those things that are here objected against you, specially at the time appointed you only for A tyrannous that purpose, the law of holy church is, that, compelled once mother. by a judge, we may openly proclaim ye an heretic." Unto whom he gave this answer : " Do as ye shall think it best ; for I am at a point." Whatsoever he and the other bishops did ask him after that, he bade them resort to his bill, for thereby His answer would he stand to the very death. Other answer would he minds. not give that day ; wherewith the bishops and prelates were in a manner amazed and wonderfully disquieted. At the last the archbishop counselled again with his other bishops and doc- tors ; and in the end thereof declared unto him, what the Antichrist holy church of Rome, following the sayings of St Austin, St setteth men J , • ° * above ood. Hierome, St Ambrose, and of other holy doctors, had deter- mined in those matters, no manner of mention once made of Christ : " which determination (saith he) ought all Christian men both to believe and to follow." The Lord Then said the Lord Cobham unto him, that he would unto gla(^y both believe and observe whatsoever the holy church of Christ's institution had determined, or yet whatsoever God had willed him either to believe or to do : but that the pope of Rome with his cardinals, archbishops, bishops and other prelates of that church had lawful power to determine such matters as stood not with his word throughly, that would he not1 at that time affirm. A delayer With this the archbishop bade him to take good advisement io de«roy. till the Monday next following (which was the twenty -fifth C1 'he said/ 1st ed.J THE LORD COBHAM. 27 day of September), and then justly to answer specially unto this point, whether there remained material bread in the sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration, or not ? He promised him also to send unto him in writing those matters clearly determined, that he might then be the more perfect in his answer-making. And all this was not else but A doctrine o O devils to to blind the multitude with somewhat. The next day follow- ^Id1*he ing, according to his promise, the archbishop sent unto him into the Tower this foolish and blasphemous writing, made by him and by his unlearned clergy. THE DETERMINATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP AND CLERGY. THE faith and determination of2 holy church touching the EX magno blissful sacrament of the altar is this : That after the sacra- m™ Anmdei mental words be once spoken by a priest in his mass, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christ's very body ; and the material wine, that was afore wine, is turned into Christ's very blood : and so there remaineth in The first the sacrament of the altar from thenceforth no material bread a nor material wine, which were there before the sacramental words were spoken. How believe ye this article ? Holy church hath determined, that every Christian man The second living here bodily upon earth ought to be shriven to a priest arl ordained by the church, if he may come to him. How feel ye this article ? Christ ordained St Peter the apostle to be his vicar here The third in earth : whose see is the holy church of Rome. And he granted that the same power, which he gave unto Peter, should succeed to all Peter's successors, which we call now popes of Rome : by whose special power in churches particu- f^g^f* lar be ordained prelates, as archbishops, bishops, parsons, curates, and other degrees more ; unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome. This is the determination of holy church. How feel ye this article ? Holy church hath determined that it is meritorious to a The fourth Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places ; and there specially to worship holy relics and images of saints, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome. How feel ye this article? [2 'of the,' Isted.] 28 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST He tea their And as the good Lord Cobliam had read over this IcnnnuMO ana maiic*. wretched writing, he marvelled greatly of their mad igno- rance ; but that he considered again that God had given them over, for their unbelief's sake, into most deep errors and blindness of soul. Again he perceived thereby that their uttermost malice was purposed against him, howsoever he Heputhii should answer. And therefore he put his life into the hands hand" ° * of God, desiring his only Spirit to assist him in his next answer. When the said twenty-fifth day of September was come, (which was also the Monday afore Michaelmas,) in the said year of our Lord, 1413, Thomas Arundel, the arch- bishop of Canterbury, commanded his judicial seat to be exxem>ian.e Amoved from the1 chapter-house of Paul's to the Dominican friars within Ludgate, at London. And as he was there set with Richard, the bishop of London, Henry, the bishop of Winchester, and Benet, the bishop of Bangor, he called in unto him his council and his officers, with divers other doctors and friars ; of whom these are the names here follow- The council ing : Master Henry Ware, the official of Canterbury ; Philip Morgan, doctor of both laws ; Howell Kyffyn2, doctor of the canon law ; John Kempe, doctor of the canon law ; William Carleton, doctor of the canon law ; John Wytnam3, of the New College, in Oxford; John Whyghthead4, a. doctor of Oxford also ; Robert Womberwell, vicar of St Laurence in the Jewry; mdsc£b£es Thomas Palmer, the warden of the minors ; Robert Chamber- layne5, prior of the Dominicans ; Richard Dodington, prior of the Augustines ; Thomas Walden, prior of the Carmelites ; all doctors of divinity : John Stevens also, and James Cole, both A rabble of notaries, appointed there purposely to write all that should be either said or done. All these, with a great sort more of priests, monks, canons, friars, parish-clerks, bell-ringers, and pardoners, disdained him with innumerable mocks and scorns, reckoning him to be an horrible heretic and a man accursed afore God. Blasphemous Anon the archbishop called for a mass-book, and caused dissimulation * of papists, all those prelates and doctors to swear thereupon, that every man should faithfully do his office and duty that day ; and that neither for favour nor fear, love nor hate of the one party nor the other, anything should there be witnessed, [i ' that,' 1st ed.] [2 « Kiffin,' 1st ed.] [3 ' Witnam,' 1st ed.] [4 ' Whighthead,' 1st ed.] [5 ' Chamberlaine,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 29 spoken, or done, but according to the truth, as they would answer before God and all the world at the day of doom. For a raise f * m colour swear Then were the two aforesaid notaries sworn also, to write they- and to witness the words and process that there should be uttered on both parties, and to say their minds (if they otherwise knew it) before they should register it. And all AH done to ' t/e deceive the this dissimulation was but to colour their mischiefs before ignorant, the ignorant multitude. Consider herein, gentle reader, what this wicked generation is, and how far wide from the just fear of God ; for as they were then, so are they yet to this day. After that carne forth before them sir Robert Morley, Here cometh * he before knight, and lieutenant of the Tower, and he brought with him them- the good Lord Cobham, there leaving him among them, as a lamb among wolves, to his examination and answer. THE LATTER EXAMINATION OF THE LORD COBHAM. THEN said the archbishop unto him : "Lord Cobham, ye Exvetusto + . exemplar! be advised (I am sure) of the words and process which we had ^"nen~ unto you upon Saturday last past in the chapter-house of Paul's : which process were now too long to be rehearsed again. I said unto you then, that ye were accursed for your Jnteicc^of contumacy and disobedience to holy church, thinking that ye should with meekness have desired your absolution." Then spake the Lord Cobham with a most cheerful coun- tenance, and said : " God saith by his holy prophet, maledi- Mal- "• cam benedictionibus vestris, which is as much to say as 'I shall curse where as you bless.'" The archbishop made then as though he had continued forth his tale and not heard him, saying : " Sir, at that time Affevr°ofshen, I gently proffered to have assoiled 6 you, if ye would have tleness- asked it. And yet I do the same, if ye will humbly desire it in due form and manner as holy church hath ordained." Then said the Lord Cobham: "Nay, forsooth, will I not; for I never yet trespassed against you, and therefore I will not do it." And with that he kneeled down on the pavement, holding up his hands towards heaven, and said : " I shrive me ^ ™*™'f here unto thee, my eternal living God, that in my frail youth unto God< [6 assoil, absolve.] 30 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST I offended thee, Lord, most grievously in pride, wrath, and gluttony, in covetousness and in lechery. Many men have I hurt in mine anger, and done many other horrible sins ; good o Christian Lord, I ask thee mercy." And therewith weepingly he stood up again and said with a mighty voice : " Lo, good people, lo : for the breaking of God's law and his great command- ments they never yet cursed me. But for their own laws and traditions most cruelly do they handle both me and other j*r. n. men. And therefore both they and their laws by the promise of God shall utterly be destroyed." At this the archbishop and his company were not a little blemished. Notwithstanding he took stomach unto him again, after certain words had in excuse of their tyranny, and ex- amined the Lord Cobham of his Christian belief. Whereunto the Lord Cobham made this godly answer : The Christian " I believe," said he, "fully and faithfully the universal laws Cobham. of God. I believe that all is true which is contained in the holy sacred scriptures of the bible : finally, I believe all that my Lord God would I should believe." Then demanded the archbishop an answer of the bill which he and the clergy had sent him into the Tower the day A wasphe- afore in manner of a determination of the church concerning Hunan™ of the four articles whereof he was accused, specially for the sacra- antichrbt. ment of the altar, how he believed therein ? Whereunto the Lord Cobham said, that with that bill he had nothing to do. But this was his belief (he said) concern- Matt xxvi, ing the sacrament : " That his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, j.ifke xxii. sitting at his last supper with his most dear disciples, the night before he should suffer, took bread in his hand ; and giving thanks to his eternal Father, blessed it, brake it, and so gave it unto them, saying : ' Take it unto ye, and eat thereof all. This is my body which shall be betrayed for you. Do this Antichrist hereafter in my remembrance.' This do I throughly believe," thu faith.not saith he; " for this faith am I taught of the gospel in Matthew, in Mark, and in Luke, and also in the first epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians." Then asked the archbishop, if he believed that it were bread after the consecration or sacramental words spoken over it ? The sacra- The Lord Cobham said : " I believe that in the sacrament Juw£° ' of the altar is Christ's very body in form of bread, the same that was born of the Virgin Mary, done on the cross, dead, THE LORD COBHAM. 31 and buried, and that the third day arose from death to life, which now is glorified in heaven." Then said one of the doctors of law : " After the sacra- A Member mental words be uttered, there remaineth no bread, but the only body of Christ." The Lord Cobham said then to one Master John Whyght- AU this head1: "You said once unto me in the castle of Cowling, thatheip. the sacred host was not Christ's body. But I held then against you, and proved that therein was his body, though the seculars and friars could not therein agree, but held each one against other in that opinion. These were my words then, if ye remember it." Then shouted a sort of them together, and cried with A biasphe- 11 rrr n ii i • r\ jt 1. j 5> mous brood. great noise : "We say all, that is (*od s body. And divers of them asked him in great anger, whether it were material bread after the consecration, or not ? Then looked the Lord Cobham earnestly upon the arch- That is not . enough. bishop, and said : " I believe surely that it is Christ's body in form of bread. Sir, believe not you thus ?" And the archbishop said, " Yes, marry do I." Then asked him the doctors, whether it were only Christ's body after the consecration of a priest, and no bread, or not ? And he said unto them: "It is both Christ's body and Neither win scripture nor bread. I shall prove it as thus : For like as Christ dwelling reason serve. here upon the earth had in him both Godhead and manhood ; and had the invisible Godhead covered under that manhood which was only visible and seen in him : so in the sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body, and very bread also, as I believe. The bread is the thing that we see with our eyes : the body of Christ (which is his flesh and his blood) is there- This opinion , . hath Saint under hid, and not seen, but in faith." Augustine*. Then smiled they each one upon other, that the people should judge him taken in a great heresy. And with a great brag divers of them said : " It is a foul heresy." Then asked the archbishop, what bread it was. And the The pope's doctors also inquired of him whether it were material or not ? The Lord Cobham said unto them : " The scriptures make Material. [T ' Whighthead,' 1st ed.] [2 Habuit enim ilium ecclesia secundum prsesentiam carnis paucis diebus ; modofide tenet, oculis non videt. — S. Aug. Tract. LI in Johan. Ev. c. 12. Op. Ed. Ben. Paris 1679, Tom. in. pars m. col. 634.] 32 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST no mention of this word material, and therefore my faith hath nothing to do therewith. But this I say and believe it, that it is Christ's body and bread. For Christ said in the sixth John vi. of John's Gospel, Ego sum panis vivus qui de ccelo descendi. ' I, which came down from heaven, am the living (and not the dead) bread.' Therefore I say now again, like as I said afore : as our Lord Jesus Christ is very God and very man, so in the most blessed sacrament of the altar is Christ's very body and bread." Then said they all with one voice, " It is an heresy." An hcrwy One of the bishops stood up by and by, and said : "wpuu. " What ? it is an heresy manifest, to say that it is bread after the sacramental words be once spcken, but Christ's body only." icor.x. The Lord Cobham said : "Saint Paul the apostle was (I am sure) as wise as you be now, and more godly-learned : and he called it bread, writing to the Corinthians. ' The bread that we break (saith he) is it not the partaking of the body of Christ ?' Lo, he calleth it bread, and not Christ's body, but a mean whereby we receive Christ's body." o ignorant Then said they again: "Paul must be otherwise under- standed. For it is surely an heresy to say that it is bread after the consecration, but only Christ's body." The Lord Cobham asked how they could make good that sentence of theirs ? Blind Baby- They answered him thus: "For it is against the deter- lonianes. n^tf^ Of hoiy church." Then said the archbishop unto him : " Sir John, we sent you a writing concerning the faith of this blessed sacrament, clearly determined by the church of Rome, our mother, and by the holy doctors." A most chru- Then said he again unto him : " I know none holier than nan answer. -g Q^g^ an(j jjjs apostle1. And as for that determination (I wot) it is none of theirs; for it standeth not with the scriptures, but manifestly against them. If it be the church's (as ye say it is), it hath been hers only since she received the great poison of worldly possessions, and not afore." Then asked they him, to stop his mouth therewith, if he believed not in the determination of the church ? And he said unto them : " No, forsooth, for it is no God. [* 'apostles,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 33 In all our Creed is IN but thrice mentioned concerning belief: iN.but IN God the Father, IN God the Son, IN God the Holy Ghost. <*<*d- The birth, the death, the burial, the resurrection and ascen- sion of Christ hath none IN for belief, but IN him. Neither yet hath the church, the sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, the latter resurrection, nor yet the life everlasting, any other IN than IN the Holy Ghost." Then said one of the lawyers : " Tush, that was but a confounded word of office. But what is your belief concerning holy learning. church ?" The Lord Cobham answered : " My belief is (as I said afore) that all the scriptures of the sacred bible are true. All that is grounded upon them I believe throughly ; for I know it is God's pleasure that I should so do. But in He beiievetn your lordly laws and idle determinations have I no belief : pope, for ye be no part of Christ's holy church, as your open deeds do shew ; but ye are very antichrists, obstinately set against his holy law and will. The laws that you have made are nothing to his glory, but only for your vain-glory and abo- minable covetousness." This they said was an exceeding heresy, (and that in An heresy a great fume,) not to believe the determination of holy papists. church. Then the archbishop asked him, what he thought holy church ? He said unto him : " My belief is that holy church is the number of them which shall be saved, of whom Christ is the head. Of this church one part is in heaven with Christ, consider him another in purgatory (you say), and the third is here in earth, shrewd e This latter part standeth in three degrees, in knighthood, priesthood, and the commonalty, as I said afore plainly in the confession of my belief." Then said the archbishop unto him : " Can ye tell me who is of this church ?" The Lord Cobham answered : " Yea truly, can I." Then said Doctor Walden, the prior of the Carmelites : " It is doubt unto you who is thereof. For Christ saith in waiden. Matthew, Nolite jiidicare : ' Presume to judge no man.' If Wder. Lib. ye here be forbidden the judgment of your neighbour or bro- ^5^- ther, much more the judgment of your superior." P- I75- The Lord Cobham made him this answer : " Christ saith r -. 3 [BALE.] 34 THE GREAT PIIOCESS AGAINST also in the same self chapter of Matthew, that like as the ill tree is known by his ill fruit, so is a false prophet by his works, appear they never so glorious. But that ye left be- hind ye. And in John he hath this text : Operibus credite : John vu. ' Believe you the outward doings.' And in another place of John : Justum judicium judicate : ' When we know the thing to be true, we may so judge it, and not offend.' For Piai. ivt David saith also : Recte judicate, filii hominum : ' Judge rightly always, ye children of men.' And as for your superiority, were ye of Christ, ye should be meek ministers, and no proud superiors." Then said Doctor VValden unto him : " Ye make here no Diversity of difference of judgments: ye put no diversity between the ill judgments, which Christ hath forbidden, and the good judg- ments, which he hath commanded us to have. Rash judgment and right judgment, all is one with you. So is judgment presumed and judgment of office. So swift judges always are the learned scholars of Wicliffe." A perfect Unto whom the Lord Cobham thus answered : " It is well sophistried of you forsooth. Preposterous are your judgments evermore. For, as the prophet Esay saith, 'ye judge ill good, and good ill.' And therefore the same pro- i»ai iv. phet concludeth, that ' your ways are not God's ways, nor God^s ways your ways.' And as for that virtuous man waiden. in Wicliffe, whose judgments ye so highly disdain, I shall say 7. P. e. "' here for my part both before God and man, that before I knew that despised doctrine of his, I never abstained from sin : but since I learned therein to fear my Lord God, it hath otherwise (I trust) been with me. So much grace could I never find in all your glorious instructions." A most rank Then said Doctor Walden again yet unto him : " It were not well with me, so many virtuous men living, and so many learned men teaching, the scriptures being also so open, and the examples of fathers so plenteous, if I then had no grace Hieron in to amend my life till I heard the devil preach. St Hierome Brev. .Minori. . " saith, that ' he which seeketh such suspected masters shall not find the mid-day light, but the mid-day devil1'." t1 Quoniam ergo habemus nos meridiem, propterea et Diabolus transformatur in angelum lucis, et ipse simulat habere se lucem, ha- bere se meridiem. Quando heeretrci quasi mysteria aliqua promit- tunt, quando regna ccelorum, quando continentiam, quando jejunia, THE LORD COBHAM. 35 - The Lord Cobham said : " Your fathers, the old Phari- sees, ascribed Christ's miracles to Belzebub, and his doctrine Luke *i. to the devil. And you, as their natural children, have still the same self judgment concerning his faithful followers. They that rebuke your vicious living must needs be heretics, and that must your doctors prove when ye have no scriptures to Doctorswhen r « the scriptures do it." Then said he to them all : " To judge you as ye &"• be, we need no farther go than your own proper acts. Where do ye find in all God's law,- that ye should thus sit in judgment of any Christian man, or yet sentence any other man unto death, as ye do here daily ? No ground have ye in all the scriptures so lordly to take it upon ye, but in Annas Followers of and2 Caiaphas, which sat thus upon Christ and upon his apostles after his ascension. Of them only have ye taken it to judge Christ's members, as ye do, and neither of Peter nor John." Then said some of the lawyers : " Yes forsooth, sir, for o most wind Christ judged Judas." The Lord Cobham said : " No, Christ judged him not ; but he judged himself, and thereupon went forth, and so did hang himself. But indeed Christ said woe unto him for that covetous act of his, as he doth yet still unto many of you. For since the venom was shed into the church, ye never Gerald, followed Christ, neither yet have ye stand in the perfection i.ac™P.'i7!s' Whartons of Gods law. ' „ ••• vofnaSacr' Then asked him the archbishop, what he meant by that venom ? The Lord Cobham said : " Your possessions and lordships. For then cried an angel in the air, (as your own chronicles Ranuiph. mention) : ' Woe, woe, woe ! this day is venom shed into the eh1onmLib.y" church of God.' Before that time all the bishops of Rome were martyrs in a manner ; and since that time we read of very few. But indeed since that same time one hath put down another, one hath poisoned another, one hath cursed another, and one hath slain another, and done much more mischief besides, as all the chronicles tell. And let all men consider quando sanctitatem, quando renunciationem seculi, promittunt meri- diem. Sed quoniam non est Christ! lumen, non est meridies sed dse- monium meridianum. — Brev. in Psalt. in Psalm, xc. Op. S. Hieron. Ed. Ben. Par. 1693—1706. Tom. u. pars H. col. 363.] [2 'in/ 1st ed.] 3 — 2 36 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Antithesis of Christ and the pope. Rome is tnti- chrut'i nest. Jssi ix. Antichrist'* toil. Matt xxiii. The religion of bishops. A wise pre- late. Luke xxiii. John xvi. Dan. xii. Matt xxiv. Prophecy. Prophecy. well tliis, that Christ was meek and merciful : the pope is proud, and a tyrant. Christ was poor, and forgave : the pope is rich, and a most cruel manslayer, as his daily acts do prove him. Rome is the very nest of antichrist ; and out of that nest cometh all his disciples : of whom prelates, priests, and monks are the body, and these pilled1 friars are the tail which covereth his most filthy part." Then said the prior of the friar Augustins : "Alack, sir, why do ye say so ? That is uncharitably spoken." And the Lord Cobham said : " Not only is it my saying, but also the prophet Esay's, long afore my time. ' The pro- phet (saith he) which preacheth lies is the tail behind.' As you friars and monks be like Pharisees, divided in your out- ward apparel and usages, so make ye division among the people. And thus you with such other are the very natural members of antichrist." Then said he unto them all : " Christ saith in his gospel : 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye close up the kingdom of heaven before men : neither enter ye in yourselves, nor yet suffer any other that would enter into it.' But ye stop up the ways thereunto with your own traditions, and therefore are ye the household of antichrist. Ye will not permit God's verity to have passage, nor yet to be taught of his true ministers, fearing to have your wicked- ness reproved. But by such vain flatterers, as uphold ye in your mischiefs, ye suffer the common people most miserably to be seduced." Then said the archbishop : " By our lady, sir, there shall no such preach within my diocese, and God will, nor yet in my jurisdiction, if I may know it, as either maketh division or yet dissension among the poor commons." The Lord Cobham said : " Both Christ and his apostles were accused of sedition-making, yet were they most peace- able men. Both Daniel and Christ prophesied, that such a troublous time should come as hath not been yet since the world's beginning. And this prophecy is partly fulfilled in your days and doings. For many have ye slain already, and more will ye slay hereafter, if God fulfil not his promise. Christ saith also : ' If those days of yours were not shortened, scarcely should any flesh be saved.' Therefore look for it [T Bare, as if stripped. Nares' Gloss.] THE LORD COBHAM. 37 Justly, for God will shorten your days. Moreover, though priests and deacons, for preaching of God's word, and for Priests. ministering the sacraments with provision for the poor, be grounded in God's law, yet have these other sects no manner of ground thereof, so far as I have read." Then a doctor of law, called master John Kempe, plucked Mark this out of his bosom a copy of that bill which they had afore satan'."8 ° sent him into the Tower, by the archbishop's counsel, thinking thereby to make shorter work with him. For they were so amazed with his answers (not all unlike to them which dis- puted with Stephen), that they knew not well how to occupy Acts vi. the time, their wits and sophistry (as God would) so failed them that day. " My Lord Cobham," saith this doctor, " we must briefly know your mind concerning these four points here following. The first of them is this." And then he read upon the bill : The first article. " The faith and the determination of holy church, touching the blessed sacrament of the altar, is this : ' That after the sacramental words be once spoken by a priest in his mass, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christ's very body ; and the material wine, that was before o beastly wine, is turned into Christ's very blood. And so there re- maineth in the sacrament of the altar from thenceforth no material bread nor material wine, which were there before the sacramental words were spoken.' Sir, believe ye not this?" The Lord Cobham said : " This is not my belief. But o Christian my faith is (as I said to you afore) that in the worshipful sacrament of the altar is very Christ's body in form of bread." Then said the archbishop : " Sir John, ye must say otherwise." The Lord Cobham said : " Nay, that I shall not, if God HIS «m- slancy. be upon my side, (as I trust he is), but that there is Christ's body in form of bread, as the common belief is." Then read the doctor again. " The second point is this : The second article. ' Holy church hath determined, that every Christian man living here bodily upon earth ought to be shriven to a priest ordained by the church, if he may come to him.' Sir, what say ye to this?" The Lord Cobham answered and said : " A diseased or 38 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST sore wounded man had need to have a sure wise surgeon ] and a true, knowing both the ground and the danger of the same. confewion of Most necessary were it therefore to be first shriven unto God, o"iy? ' which only knoweth our diseases, and can help us. I deny not in this the going to a priest, if he be a man of good life Mai.ij. and learning. For the laws of God are to be required of the priest which is godly-learned. But if he be an idiot, or a man of vicious living, that is my curate, I ought rather to flee from him than to seek unto him : for sooner might I catch ill of him that is naught than any goodness towards my soul health." The thw Then read the doctor again. " The third point is this : ' Christ ordained St Peter the apostle to be his vicar here in earth, whose see is the church of Rome. And he granted that the same power which he gave unto Peter should suc- ceed to all Peter's successors, which we call now Popes of Antichrist-. Rome : by whose special power in churches particular be ordained prelates, as archbishops, parsons, curates, and other degrees more ; unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome.' This is the determination of holy church. Sir, believe ye not this?" who is next To this he answered and said : " He that followeth Peter unto Peter. .,. .... ... most mghest in pure living is next unto him in succession. But your lordly order esteemeth not greatly the lowly be- haviour of poor Peter, whatsoever ye prate of him. Neither care ye greatly for the humble manners of them that suc- Nonicwt. ceeded him till the time of Sylvester, which for the more part were martyrs, as I told ye afore. Ye can let all their good conditions go by you, and not hurt yourselves with them at all. All the world knoweth this well enough by you ; and yet ye can make boast of Peter." Doc-.or devii. With that one of the other doctors asked him : "Then what do ye say of the pope ?" &dicbrist'* ^e Lord Cobham answered : " As I said before, he and you together maketh whole the great antichrist ; of whom he is the great head, you bishops, priests, prelates, and monks are the body, and the begging friars are the tail, for they cover the filthiness of you both with their subtle so- phistry. Never will I in conscience obey any of you all, till I see you with Peter follow Christ in conversation." [l * chyrurgian/ 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 39 Then read the doctor again. " The fourth point is this : The fourth *" 'Holy church hath determined that it is meritorious to a Christian man to go on pilgrimage to holy places, and there Abominable specially to worship holy relics and images of saints, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all other saints besides approved by the church of Rome.' Sir, what say ye to this?" Whereunto he answered : " I owe them no service by any commandment of God, and therefore I mind not to seek them for your covetousness. It were best ye swept them fair from cobwebs and dust, and so laid them up for catching of scath ; or else to bury them fair in the ground, as ye do what is to other aged people which are God's images. It is a wonderful with°images. thing that saints, now being dead, should become so covetous vetousb^g-0" and needy, and thereupon so bitterly beg, which all their ^ lifetime hated all covetousness and begging. But this I say unto you, and I would all the world should mark it, that with your shrives and idols, your feigned absolutions and pardons, ye draw unto you the substance, wealth, and chief pleasures of all Christian realms." " Why, sir," said one of the clerks, " will ye not worship Awhcipof good images?" "What worship should I give unto them?" said the Lord Cobham. Then said friar Palmer unto him : " Sir, ye will worship Hypocrisy * •*• for his part. the cross of Christ, that he died upon ? " " Where is it?" said the Lord Cobham. The friar said: "I put ye the case, sir, that it were wiotish beg- here even now before you ?" The Lord Cobham answered : " This is a great wise man, to put me an earnest question of a thing, and yet he his self knoweth not where the thing2 self is. Yet once again ask I you, what worship I should do unto it?" A clerk said unto him : " Such worship as Paul speaketh Gai. vi. of, and that is this : ' God forbid that I should joy but only in the cross of Jesus Christ'." Then said the Lord Cobham, and spread his arms abroad : " This is a very cross, yea, and so much better than your A Christian cross of wood, in that it was created of God. Yet will not I seek to have it worshipped." Then said the bishop of London : " Sir, ye wot well that A brutish he died on a material cross." [2 'it/ Istod.] 40 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST of God. O devils in- carnate! Slandered with the truth. sheweth his nature. The Lord Cobham said : " Yea, and I wot also that our salvation came not in by that material cross, but alone by Averym»n him which died thereupon. And well I wot that holy St Paul rejoiced in none other cross, but in Christ's passion and death only, and in his own sufferings of like persecution with him for the same self verity that he had suffered for afore." Another clerk yet asked him : " Will ye then do none honour to the holy cross?" He answered him : " Yes, if he were mine, I would lay him up honestly, and see unto him, that he should take no more scaths abroad, nor be robbed of his goods, as he is now-a-days." Then said the archbishop unto him : " Sir John, ye have spoken here many wonderful words to the slanderous rebuke of all the whole spiritualty, giving a great ill example unto the common sort here, to have us in the more disdain. Much The serpent time have we spent here about you, and all in vain, so far as I can see. Well, we must be now at this short point with you, for the day passeth away : ye must either submit your- self to the ordinance of holy church, or else throw yourself (no remedy) into most deep danger. See to it in time, for anon it will be else too late." The Lord Cobham said : " I know not to what purpose I should otherwise submit me. Much more have you offended me than ever I offended you, in thus troubling me before this multitude." Then said the archbishop again unto him : " We once again require you to remember yourself well, and to have none other opinion in these matters than the universal faith and belief of the holy church of Rome is ; and so, like an obedient child, to return to the unity of your mother. See to it (I say) in time ; for yet ye may have remedy, whereas anon it will be too late." The Lord Cobham said expressly before them all : " I will none otherwise believe in these points than I have told ye here afore. Do with me what ye will." Finally then the archbishop said : " Well then, I see none other, but we must needs do the law : we must proceed forth to the sentence definitive, and both judge ye and condemn ye for an heretic." And with that the archbishop stood up, and read there a None offence done.] A wolfish offer of gen- tleness. O constant Christian ! Abominable thieves and murderers. THE LORD COBHAM. 41 bill of his condemnation, all the clergy and laity availing1 their bonnets. And this was thereof the tenor. THE DEFINITIVE SENTENCE OF HIS CONDEMNATION. In Dei nomine. Amen. Nos Thomas, permissione divina EX magno .^ . . ,. . processu Cantuanensis ecclesice archiepiscopus, metropolitans, totius J^Jfj. Anglice primas, et apostolicce sedis legatus, and so forth in barbarous Latin ; which I have here translated into English for a more plain understanding to the reader. " In the name of God. So be it. We Thomas, by the suffered of sufferance of God archbishop of Canterbury, metropolitan, Pugu1.a and primate of all England, and legate from the apostolic seat of Rome, will this to be known unto all men. In a certain cause of heresy, and upon divers articles, whereupon sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, after a diligent An heretic ' ' forconf.-s- mqmsition made for the same, was detected, accused, and s»ng Christ. presented before us in our last convocation of all our whole clergy of2 our province of Canterbury, holden in the cathedral church of Paul's at London ; at the lawful denouncement and request of our universal clergy in the said convocation, we proceeded against him according to the law (God to witness), with all the favour possible : and following Christ's example in all that we might (which willeth not the death of Ezek. xvm. a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live), we took upon us to correct him, and sought all other ways possible to bring him again to the church's unity, declaring unto him what the holy and universal church of Rome hath said, holden, determined, and taught in that behalf. And though The woif we found him in the catholic faith far wide, and so stiffnecked StabuT*' that he would not confess his error, nor purge himself, nor yet repent him thereof; we yet pitying him of fatherly see if they • *• 1 J • • i-C £ UU t U- 1 J shew not y compassion, and entirely desiring the health of his soul, ap- themselves, pointed him a competent time of deliberation, to see if he would repent and seek to be reformed : and since we have found him worse and worse. Considering therefore that he is incorrigible, we are driven to the very extremity of the law, and with great heaviness of heart we now proceed to the final3 publication of the sentence definitive against him." C1 i. e. lowering or bowing.] [2 'our whole clergy of/ not in 1st ed.] [» 'final,' not in first ed.] 42 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST idiot*. Then brought he forth another bill containing the said ' sentence, and that he read also in his bauger Latin : Christi nomine invocato, ipsumqne solum prce oculis Jiabentes. Quia per acta inactitata, and so forth. Which I have also trans- lated into English, that men may understand it. EX m««no " Christ we take unto witness, that nothing else we seek in this our whole enterprise, but his only glory. Forasmuch as we have found by divers acts done, brought forth, and exhibited, by sordry1 evidences, signs, and tokens, and also by many most manifest proofs, the said sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, not only an evident heretic in his own person, but also a mighty maintainer of other heretics That church against the faith and religion of the holy and universal church of Rome ; namely about the two sacraments of the altar and of penance, besides the pope's power and pilgrimages ; and that he, as the child of iniquity and darkness, hath so har- dened his heart that he will in no case attend unto the voice A thief u of his pastor; neither will he be allured by strait admo- nishments, nor yet be brought in by favourable words : the worthiness of the cause first weighed on the one side, and his unworthiness again considered on the other side, his faults also aggravated, or made double through his damnable ob- A colour of stinacy : we being loth that he which is naught should be worse, and so with his contagiousness infect the multitude : by the sage counsel and assent of the very discreet fathers, A sort of our honourable brethren and lord bishops here present, beasts?1 Richard of London, Henry of Winchester, and Benet of Bangor, and of other great learned and wise men here, both doctors of divinity and of the laws canon and civil, seculars and religious, with divers other expert men assisting us, we sententially and definitively by this present writing judge, AsCaiaphas declare, and condemn the said sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord Cobham, for a most pernicious and detestable heretic, convicted upon the same, and refusing utterly to obey the church again, committing him here from henceforth as a condemned heretic to the secular jurisdiction, power, and Christ is judgment to do him thereupon to death. Furthermore we in his faithful excommunicate and denounce accursed not only this heretic member. here present, but so many else besides as shall hereafter in favour of his error either receive him or defend him, counsel [! 'sondry,' 1st ed., i.e. 'sundry.'] THE LORD COBHAM. 43 him, or help him, or any other way maintain him, as very faulters, receivers, defenders, counsellors, aiders, and main- tainers of condemned heretics. " And that these premises may be the better known to HOW spiritual .-_.--.. . . , these holy all faithful Christian men, we commit it here unto your fathers are. charges, and give ye strait commandment thereupon by this writing also, that ye cause this condemnation and definitive sentence of excommunication concerning both this heretic and his faulters to be published throughout all your dioceses in cities, towns, and villages by your curates and parish priests, Antichrist =>''«' * ' sendeth forth such time as they shall have most recourse of people. And hissoldiers- see that it be done after this sort : As the people are thus gathered devoutly together, let the curate every where go into the pulpit, and there open, declare, and expound this process in the mother tongue in an audible and intelligible NO such *-..., . voice for the voice, that it may well be perceived of all men, and that gospel. upon the fear of this declaration also the people may fall from their ill opinions conceived now of late by seditious preachers. Moreover we will, that after we have delivered None office , /. !_• i. / i_- v i .\ left undone, unto each one of you bishops (which are here present) a copy pertaining to hereof, that ye cause the same to be written out again into divers copies, and so to be sent unto the other bishops and prelates of our whole province, that they may also see the contents thereof solemnly published within their dioceses and cures. Finally we will, that both you and they signify again A crafty • 1 'r *• *l U •*• U. knave in that unto us seriously and distinctly by your writings, as the point, matter is without feigned colour in every point performed, the day whereupon ye received this process, the time when it was of you executed, and after what sort it was done in every condition, according to the tenor hereof, that we may know it to be justly the same." A copy of this writing sent Thomas Arundell, the arch- Thom. 1 * > Walden. in bishop of Canterbury afterward from Maidstone the 10th day J^ic. Wiclev.* [2 The " Fasciculus Zizaniorum Wiclevi" is not a work of Walden's, but a collection of tracts on various subjects and by various authors : it exists in MS. in the Bodleian Library, see Cat. MSS. Anglice et Hib. No. 3629. in Lyp. Bodl. No. 163 : the contents are there given. The condemnation of lord Cobham will be found in the MS. at fol. 97, b. The contents of the Fasciculus are fully and well given in the catalogue, with the exception that there are omitted, a. Conclusiones Nic. Herford. fol. 68, b. b. Acta contra M. Henricum Crompc, monaclmm, in Magn. 44 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Richard Clifford. Robert Ex ulroque exemplari. Matt. x. JobL A worthy warrior. of October, within the same year of our Lord 1413, unto Richard Clifford, the bishop of London, which thus beginneth : Tlwmas permissione divina, #e. The said Richard Clifford sent another copy thereof, in- closed within his own letters, unto Robert Mascall, a Carmelite friar, which was then bishop of Hereford in Wales, written from Hadham the 23rd day of October in the same year, and the beginning thereof is this : Reverende in Christo pater, 4rc. The said Robert Mascall directed another copy thereof from London, the 27th day of November in the same year, inclosed in his own commission also, unto his archdeacons and deans in Hereford and Shrewsbury. And this is thereof the beginning : Venerabilibus et discretis viris, $c. In like manner did the other bishops within their dioceses. After that the archbishop had thus read the bill of his condemnation with most extremity before the whole multitude, the Lord Cobham said with a most cheerful countenance : " Though ye judge my body, which is but a wretched thing, yet am I certain and sure that ye can do no harm to my soul, no more than could Satan upon the soul of Job. He that created that, will of his infinite mercy and promise save it, I have therein no manner of doubt. And as concerning these articles before rehearsed, I will stand to them even to the very death, by the grace of my eternal God." And therewith he turned him unto the people, casting his hands abroad, and saying with a very loud voice : " Good Concil. reg. Stamford, in domo Carmelitarum, sub Will, archiep. Cantuar. fol. 76, b. c. Hereses et confessio M. Job. Purvey, extracto de libello suo heretico, fol. 84, b. d. Testimonia Job. Purvey ; manu Jo. Bale, fol. 84, b. e. Conclusiones, et alia, ad Will. Sautre, spcctantes, fol. 89, b. /. Sententia contra Will. Taylor, fol. 90. g. Confessio et abjuratio dom. de Cobham, fol. 90, b. A. Examinatio super hseresibus Will. Whyte, fol. 91. t. Processus contra dom. de Cobham, fol. 94, b. k. Examinatio Will. Thorpe, coram Tho. Arundell ; manu Jo. Bale, fol. 98, b. 1. Ex sermone cujusdam Carmelitse de quadam ecclesiae scis- mate, fol. 103. m. Collectio errorum in Anglia et Parisiis condemnatorum, fol. 149, b.] THE LORD COBHAM. 45 Christian people, for God's love be well ware of these men : chnstianiy for they will else beguile you, and lead you blindlings into wa hell with themselves. For Christ saith plainly unto you : ' If one blind man leadeth another, they are like both to fall Matt xv. into the ditch.'" After this he fell down there upon his knees, and thus before them all prayed for his enemies, holding up both his hands and his eyes towards heaven, and saying : " Lord God Heprayetn eternal, I beseech thee for thy great mercy's sake to forgive enemies. my pursuers, if it be thy blessed will." And then he was delivered to sir Robert Morley, and so led forth again to the Tower of London. And thus was there an end of that day's work. While the Lord Cobham was thus in the Tower, he sent EX vetusto out privily unto his friends. And they at his desire wrote l"^"1*"- this little bill here following, causing it to be set up in divers quarters of London, that the people should not believe the slanders and lies that his enemies the bishops' servants and Enemies, priests had made on him abroad. And this was the letter : " Forasmuch as sir John Oldcastle, knight, and Lord A testimonial Cobham, is untruly convicted and imprisoned, falsely reported frfendJ and slandered among the common people by his adversaries, that he should otherwise both feel and speak of the sacra- ments of the church, and specially of the blessed sacrament of the altar, than was written in the confession of his belief, TO stop which was indented and taken to the clergy, and so set up y in divers open places in the city of London : known be it A rehearsal ,, , ,111 • . i • • of his belief. here to all the world, that he never since varied in any point therefrom ; but this is plainly his belief, that all the sacra- ments of the church be profitable and expedient also to all them that shall be saved, taking them after the intent that Christ and his true church hath ordained. Furthermore he believeth that in the blessed sacrament of the altar is verily and truly Christ's body in form of bread." After this the bishops and priests were in much obloquy The clergy in both of the nobility and commons, partly for that they had people. so cruelly handled the good Lord Cobham, and partly again because his opinion (as they thought at that time) was perfect concerning: the sacrament. As they feared this to grow to A practice of f i.1. • • J AV~ V i* xl- J false llriests- further inconvenience towards them both ways, they drew their heads together, and at the last consented to use another 46 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Theaeare their com- mon JeaU, practice somewhat contrary to that they had done afore. They caused it by and by to be blown abroad by their feed servants, friends, and babbling Sir Johns, that the said Lord Cobham was become a good man, and had lowly1 submitted himself in all things unto holy church, utterly changing his opinion concerning the sacrament. And thereupon they counterfeited an abjuration in his name, that the people should take no hold of that opinion by any thing they had heard of him before, and to stand so in the more awe of them, considering him so great a man, and by them subdued. " This is the abjuration," say they, " of sir John Oldcastle, knight, sometime the Lord Cobham." Walden. in Fascic. Zizan. Wiclev. Ms. Bodl. JCo. 163, fol. 89. b. Mark from whence this gear cometh. Fine work- manship, I trow. Alas, good iran, thou an slandered, AN ABJURATION COUNTERFEITED OF THE BISHOPS. " In Dei nomine, Amen. I, John Oldcastle, denounced, de- tected, and convicted of and upon divers articles savouring both heresy and error, before the reverend father in Christ and my good lord Thomas, by the permission of God lord archbishop of Canterbury, and my lawful and rightful judge in that behalf, expressly grant and confess, that as concerning the estate and power of the most holy father the pope of Rome, of his archbishops, his bishops, and his other prelates, the degrees of the church, and the holy sacraments of the same, specially of the sacraments of the altar and of penance, and other ob- servances besides of our mother holy church, as pilgrimages and pardons, I affirm (I say) before the said reverend father archbishop and elsewhere, that I, being ill seduced by divers seditious preachers, have grievously erred and heretically persisted, blasphemously answered, and obstinately rebelled. And therefore I am by the said reverend father, before the reverend fathers in Christ also, the bishops of London, Win- chester, and Bangor, lawfully condemned for an heretic. " Nevertheless yet I now remembering myself, and covet- ing by this mean to avoid that temporal pain which 1 am worthy to suffer as an heretic, at the assignation of my most excellent Christian prince and liege lord King Henry the fifth, now by the grace of God most worthy king both of England [l ' lawly/ 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 47 and of France, minding also to prefer the wholesome deter- mination, sentence, and doctrine of the holy and universal church of Rome, before the unwholesome opinions of myself, A tyrannous my teachers, and my followers ; I freely, willingly, delibe- that church, rately, and thoroughly confess, grant, and affirm the most holy fathers in Christ St Peter the apostle, and his successors bishops of Rome, specially no\v at this time my most blessed lord pope John, by the permission of God the twenty-third He poisoned pope of that name, which now holdeth Peter's seat (and each sor, to t!tes~ of them in their succession) in full strength and power to be Christ's vicar in earth and the head of the church militant ; and that by the strength of his office (what though he be a great sinner and afore known of God to be damned ?) he hath Ye He, fai«e full authority and power to rule and govern, bind and loose, lie- save and destroy, accurse and assoil, all other Christian men. "And agreeably still unto this, I confess, grant, and affirm all other archbishops, bishops, and prelates, in their provinces, dioceses, and parishes, appointed by the said pope ^ti£hrist of Rome to assist him in his doings or business, by his decreed2 i»mseif here. canons or virtue of his office, to have had in times past, to have now at this time, and that they ought to have in time to come, authority and power to rule and to govern, bind and loose, accurse and assoil, the subjects or peoples of their aforesaid provinces, dioceses, and parishes, and that their said subjects or peoples ought of right in all things to obey HOW prove 1 ., T r J m *v L ^ .% ye that by the them. Furthermore I confess, grant, and affirm that the said scriptures? spiritual fathers, as our most holy father the pope, arch- bishops, bishops, and prelates, have had, have now, and ought is not tim to have hereafter, authority and power for the estate, order, twnkyo'u? and governance of their subjects or peoples, to make laws, decrees, statutes, and constitutions ; yea, and to publish, com- mand, and compel their said subjects and peoples to the observation of them. " Moreover I confess, grant, and affirm that all these fore- NO scriptures said laws, decrees, statutes, and constitutions, made, published, shew. and commanded according to the form of spiritual law, all Christian people and every man in himself is straitly bound to observe and meekly to obey according to the diversity of the foresaid powers : as the laws, statutes, canons, and con- what stitutions of our most holy father the pope incorporated in j»?^se u [2 'decrees,' 1st ed.] 48 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST liis decrees, decretals, Clementines, codes, charts, rescripts!, sextiles, and extravagants the world over all ; and as the provincial statutes of archbishops in their provinces, the synodal acts of bishops in their dioceses, and the commendable rules and customs of prelates in their colleges, and curates in their parishes, all Christian people are both bound to observe and intolerable also most meekly to obey. Over and besides all this, I, the* a John Oldcastle, utterly forsaking and renouncing all the afore- said errors and heresies, and all other errors and heresies like unto them, lay my hand here upon this book or holy Never made evangely of God, and swear, that I shall never more from oau>'!c henceforth hold these foresaid heresies, nor yet any other like unto them wittingly. Neither shall I give counsel, aid, help, nor favour at any time to them that shall hold, teach, affirm, or maintain the same, as God shall help me and these This knavery holy evangclies. And that I shall from henceforth faithfully they"sun. obey and inviolably observe all the holy laws, statutes, canons, and constitutions of all the popes of Rome, archbishops, The biasphe- bishops, and prelates, as are contained and determined in their i^pbu.'bu° holy decrees, decretals, Clementines, codes, charts, rescripts, sextiles, sums papal, extravagants, statutes provincial, acts synodal, and other ordinary rules and customs constituted by them or that shall chance hereafter directly to be determined or made. To these and all such other will' I myself with all Mark this power possible apply. Besides all this, the penance which it shall please my said reverend father the lord archbishop of Canterbury hereafter to enjoin me for my sins, I will meekly obey and faithfully fulfil. Finally, all my seducers and false teachers, and all other besides whom I shall hereafter know This charge suspected of heresy or errors, I shall effectually present or fommoeaiy. cause to be presented unto my said reverend father lord archbishop, or to them which hath his authority, so soon as I can conveniently do it, and see that they be corrected to my uttermost power. Amen." THE CRUEL COMPLAINT OF THE CLERGY AND TYRANNOUS ACT THEREUPON MADE. The devil NEVER came this abjuration to the hands of the Lord more ways to Cobham, neither was it compiled of them for that purpose. mischief. THE LORD COBHAM. 49 but only therewith to blear the eyes of the unlearned multi- EX statuto . , . , , Parliamentl tude. And when they perceived that policy would not ^fvHen- help, but made more and more against them, then sought f^utes at they out another false practice. They went unto the king f^f^i^' with a most grievous complaint, like as they did afore in his I'H^Vy v. father's time, that in every quarter of the realm by reason ca of Wicliffe's opinions and the said Lord Cobham, were won- derful contentions, rumours, tumults, uproars, confederations, dissensions, divisions, differences, discords, harms, slanders, schisms, sects, seditions, perturbations, perils, unlawful assem- blies, variances, strifes, fightings, rebellious rufflings, and daily insurrections. The church (they said) was hated ; the The clamour diocesans were not obeyed ; the ordinaries were not regarded ; the spiritual officers, as suffragans, archdeacons, chancellors, doctors, commissaries, officials, deans, lawyers, scribes, and summon ers were everywhere despised ; the laws and liberties of holy church were trodden under foot ; the Christian faith They cry . ,, -I/-NI, • 111, apace for was ruinously decayed ; God s service was laughed to scorn ; their beiues. the spiritual jurisdiction, authority, honour, power, policy, laws, rites, ceremonies, curses, keys, censures, and canonical sanctions of the church were had in an utter contempt : so that all in a manner was come to nought. And the cause of this was, that the heretics and Lollards Christ always troubleth of Wicliffe's opinion were suffered to preach abroad so them- boldly, to gather conventicles unto them, to keep schools in men's houses, to make books, compile treatises, and write ballads, to teach privately in angles and corners, as in woods, fields, meadows, pastures, groves, and in caves of the ground. This would be (thev said) a destruction to the commonwealth, An old v i ' practice of a subversion to the land, and an utter decay of the king's ^rs yet estate royal, if remedy were not sought in time. And this was their policy to couple the king's authority with that they had done in their former counsel of craft, and so to make it thereby the stronger : for they perceived themselves very far too weak else to follow against their enemies that they had so largely enterprised. Upon this complaint, the king £t£*r^™nt immediately called a parliament at Leicester. It might not in those days be holden at Westminster, for the great favour that the Lord Cobham had both in London and about the city. Yet were they deceived : that they doubted most lighted there soonest upon them. [BALE.] 50 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Robert A bill was put in there again by the commons against Fabian, in ' J ...... f£d°g-jrH their continual wasting of the temporalities, like as it had Jio'iT 'ifuTito, keen twice afore by procurement of the said Lord Cobham, p. «7a] boj-h -m faQ jayg Qf ^jng Richard the second, anno 1395, Walclen. In ., /• i • TT t * i T% • • i * i r\ •''\I*{KM a ° o Henry the fourth, anno Domini 1410. The b'ni iIs°'s' Whereupon was grown all this malice afore specified; but proxe's£ieby?» this was then workmanly defeated by another proper practice iii'. p.353.] of theirs. They put the king in remembrance to claim his Fabian, in right in France, and granted him thereunto a dime, with other great subsidy of money. Thus were Christ's people betrayed every way, and their lives bought and sold by these most A practice, cruel thieves. For in the said parliament the king made this waMen. ad most blasphemous and cruel act, to be as a law for ever : [Lib. ii. cap.' that whatsoever they were that should read the scriptures in 46. Ed. Paris poT'dVer3 ]> ^e mo^er tongue (which was then called Wicliffe's learning), fs4(iEp 441s]' ^ey should forfeit land, cattle, body, life, and goods from their heirs for ever, and so be condemned for heretics to God, enemies to the crown, and most errant traitors to the land. Besides this it was enacted, that never a sanctuary nor pri- vileged ground within the realm should hold them, though chnst hath they were still permitted both to thieves and murderers. less favour i !i •/• • ,1 •, i • /» ,1 • than thieve*. And it in case they would not give over, or were alter their pardon relapsed, they should suffer death in two manner of kinds ; that is, they should first be hanged for treason against the king, and then be burned for heresy against God, and yet neither of both committed. The beginning of that act is this : Pro eo quod magni rumores, &c. Anon after was it proclaimed throughout the realm ; and then had the bishops, priests, monks, and friars a world somewhat to their minds. For then were many taken in divers quarters, and suffered waiden. ad most cruel death. And many fled out of the land into Ger- r ub.'ii.' capj. many, Bohemia, France, Spain, Portugal, and into the wild De Sacra- ment, cap. of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, working there many mar- vels against their false kingdom too long to write. In the Christmas following was sir Roger Acton, knight, master John Browne, esquire, sir John Beverlay, a learned preacher, an<^ divers other more, attached for quarrelling with certain1 P"68^3, and so imprisoned. For all men at that time could no* patiently suffer their blasphemous brags. A great lie. The complaint was made unto the king of them, that they had made a great assembly in St Giles's field at London, THE LORD COBHAJf. 51 purposing the destruction of the land, and the subversion of the commonwealth. As the king was thus informed, he waiden. ad erected a banner (saith Walden) with a cross thereupon, (as Profog.' dVa the pope doth commonly by his legates, when he pretendeth cap. b?. to war against the Turk,) and with a1 great number of men entered the same field, where as he found no such company : yet was the complaint judged true, because the bishops had spoken it at the information of their priests. All this hath what iho- Thomas Walden in divers of his works, which was at the was. same time a white or Carmelite friar, and the king's con- fessor, and partly it is touched both by Robert Fabian, and by Polydorus Vergilius in their English chronicles, but not in all points rightly, as is to be seen in the preface afore. In the mean season, sir John Oldcastle the Lord Cobham escaped Fabian, out of the Tower of London in the night, and so fled into jpoiyiverga. Wales, where as he continued more than four years after. CP- -441-] Some writers have thought this escape to come by the ^^{^f110 said sir Roger Acton, and other gentlemen in displeasure of the priests, and that to be the chief occasion of their deaths : which might well be, but Walden doth not so utter it, which Job. Major. • /. CLit)- V'- e*Vi reigned the same self time2. In January next following was ^tHi|^ the aforenamed sir Roger Acton, master John Browne, sir Ed^ I?4'0- John Beverlay, and thirty-six more (of whom the more part were gentlemen of birth), convicted of heresy by the bishops, and condemned of treason by the temporality, and according to the act were first hanged, and then brent in the said St Giles's field. In the same year also was one John Claydon, Robert * * ' Fabian, in a skinner, and one Richard Turmyne3, a baker, both hanged pphr™8- -j and brent in Smithfield by that virtuous act, besides that was done in all other quarters of England, which was no small number, if it were now throughly known. THE LATTER IMPRISONING AND DEATH OF THE LORD COBHAM. IN the year of our Lord 1415, died Thomas Arundel, Thomas which had been archbishop of Canterbury more than thirty- <H«I. two years, to the great destruction of Christian belief. Yet died not his prodigious tyranny with him, but succeeded with t1 ' a,' not in 1st ed.] [2 ' self same,' 1st ed.] [« ' Turmin,' 1st ed.] 4—2 52 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST his office in Henry Chicheley, and in a great sort more of The Lord that1 spiteful spirituality. For their malice was not yet sated Cobhamis . r r, ->/-. _ * . betrayed. against the good Lord Cobham. But they confedered with the Lord Powys (which was at that time a great governor in Wales), feeding him with lordly gifts and promises to ac- Mattxxvi. complish their desire. He at the last thus monied with Judas, and outwardly pretending him great amity and favour, most cowardly and wretchedly took him, and, in conclusion, so sent him up to London, where as he remained a month or condemned two imprisoned again in the Tower : and, after long process, UOod'strue , ' servant they condemned him again of heresy and treason by force of the aforenamed act, he rendering thanks unto God, that he had so appointed him to suffer for his name's sake. He is led And upon the day appointed he was brought out of the forth to his m . , r . . i i i • i i • i • death. lower with his arms bound behind him, having a very cheer- ful countenance. Then was he laid upon an hurdle, as though he had been a most heinous traitor to the crown, and so drawn forth into St Giles's field, where as they had set up a new pair of gallows. As he was come to the place of Heprayetn execution, and was taken from the hurdle, he fell down de- enemies, voutly upon his knees, desiring Almighty God to forgive his enemies. Then stood he up and beheld the multitude, ex- horting them in most godly manner to follow the laws of God written in the scriptures, and in any wise to beware of such teachers as they see contrary to Christ in their conver- sation and living, with many other special counsels. Then was he hanged up there by the middle in chains of iron, and so consumed alive in the fire, praising the name of God so long as his life lasted. In the end he commended his soul into the hands of God, and so departed hence most christianly, his body resolved into ashes. what the And this was done in the year of our Lord 1418, which priests did. was the sixth year of the reign of king Henry the fifth, the Notthepope-s people there present shewing great dolour. How the priests <Xru"£but that time fared, blasphemed, and cursed, requiring the people not to pray for him, but to judge him damned in hell, for that he departed not in the obedience of their pope, it were too long to write. This terrible kind of death with gallows, chains, and fire, appeareth not very precious in the eyes of men that be carnal, no more than did the death of Christ [i 'The,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 53 when he was hanged up among thieves. " The righteous John xix. seemeth to die," saith the wise man, " in the sight of them which are unwise, and their end is taken for very destruction." "Ungodly fools think their lives very madness, and their passage hence without all honour. But though they suffer wisd. v. pain before men," saith he, " yet is their expectation full of immortality. They are accounted for the children of God, John i. and have their just portion among the saints. As gold in the furnace doth God try his elect, and as a most pleasant brent offering receiveth he them to rest." The more hard the passage be, the more glorious shall they appear in the latter resurrection. Not that the afflictions of this life are HCD. xi. /•i i i i • • /~i i i 11 Rom. viii. worthy of such a glory, but that it is God s heavenly pleasure so to reward them. Never are the judgments and ways ofisai.iv. men like unto the judgments and ways of God, but contrary evermore, unless they be taught of him. " In the latter Jer. xxxu. time," saith the Lord unto Daniel, " shall many he chosen, proved, and purified by fire; yet shall the ungodly live wickedly still, and have no understanding that is of faith." By an angel from heaven was John earnestly commanded to Rev. xiv. write, that " blessed are the dead which hence depart in the Lord." " Right dear," saith David, " in the sight of God is Psai. cxvi. the death of his true servants." Thus resteth this valiant Christian knight, sir John Oldcastle, under the altar of God (which is Jesus Christ), among that godly company which in the kingdom of patience suffered great tribulation with the Rev. yi. death of their bodies for his faithful word and testimony, Rev. VH. abiding there with them the fulfilling of their whole number, Rev. **. and the full restoration of his elect. The which he grant in effect at his time appointed, which is one God eternal. Amen. THE CONCLUSION. BESIDES the causes rehearsed afore in the preface, con- cerning the dreadful death of this most Christian knight, sir Another- t'.iu vf of his John Oldcastle, the Lord Cobham, this is also reckoned for death. one. In the end of the first book, which he put up into the parliament house against the abusions of the clergy, in .the Against the year of our Lord 1395, (which was also the 18th year of 54 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Verses in Latin. A time of ignorance. The versei are here KnglUhed. By nothing will they amend. The insurrec- tion com- plained of. Ad Martin. Pap. et in Prefat. iv. king Richard the second,) were these six verses written as a brief conclusion summary of the universal contents thereof : Plangunt Anglorum gentcs crimen sodomorum. Paulus fert, horum sunt idola causa malorum. Surgunt ingrati, Giezite Symone nati, Nomine prcelati, hoc defensare parati. Qut reges estis, populis quicunque prceestis, Qualiter hits gestis gladlos prohibere potestisf Though the verses be gross and imperfect according to the time then, wherein all fresh literature was clearly extin- guished; yet is the sentence of them lively, and of a fresh faithful spirit, even iu the zeal of Ellas and Phinehas for re- buke of sin. And thus are they in the English : Bewail may England the Bin of sodomites. For idols and they are ground of all their woe. Of Simon Magus, a sect of hypocrites, Surnamed prelates, are up with them to go And to uphold them, in all that they may do. You that be rulers, peculiarly selected, How can ye suffer such mischiefs1 unconnected? When this book would not help towards any reformation, but was laughed to scorn of the bishops, then were these verses copied out by divers men, and set upon their windows, gates, and doors, which were then known for obstinate hy- pocrites and fleshly livers, which made the prelates mad. And this is the great insurrection that Walden complaineth of unto pope Martin the fifth, and after him Polydorus the pope's collector, with other papists more, wherein never a one man was hurt. I would marvel much more of the double- ness of Thomas Walden, being then the king's confessor, if I did not know the unshamefaced nature of that lying gene- ration. In his first epistle unto pope Martin, and in the first preface of his fourth book contra Wiclevistas*, he saith that [i 'Togo,' Isted.] [2 The passage cited by Walden, which is the following, occurs in the letter of archbishop Arundel to the bishop of London, describing the process against Cobham : Assidentibusque nobis venerabilibus con- fratribus nostris dominis, Ricardo London, et Henrico Winton. Dei gratia episcopis, comparuit personaliter dominus Robertus de Morley, miles, custos Tunis London, secumque praefatum dominum Johannem Oldecastel, militem, adduxit, et coram nobis collocavit. — After the word addu&it, Foxe introduces the explanatory words, "nam parum THE LORD COBHAM. 55 sir John Oldcastle with a great number of heretics conspired tit>. contr. Wiclev s against king Henry the fifth, in the first year of his reign, and that he offered him for every monk, canon, friar, and popish priest's head within his realm, a gold noble. And clean contrary unto this, he testifieth in his book called Fas- Fasdc. ciculus Zizanionim Wiclevi, that he was the same self time, wicieV. ... [Bodl. MS. year, month, week, and day a prisoner within the Tower of I63>fol-9s-i>0 London. How well these two writings agree, I report me. But thus commonly are innocent men lied upon among Liars, these blasphemous belly-gods. But he that is essentially true John vm. of himself hath promised at one time or other to clear his true servant, not by lies and fables, but by his own pure word. " No secret," saith he, " is so close, but once shall be Matt. x. opened, neither is any thing so hid, that shall not at the last be known clearly." Thus hath sir John Oldcastle a trium- cobham i • i • 'it -1-iiT overcometh. phant victory over his enemies by the verity which he de- fended, all contrary to the blind world's expectation ; and they have a foul overthrow, being proved manifest murderers, blind beasts, hypocrites, and liars by the same. Such a sweet Lord Psa'- xxxm. is God always to those that be his true servants, blessed be his holy name therefore! Confer the causes of this godly man's death with the stephan. ° * Langt in points that Thomas Becket died for and other popish martyrs va Thorn, besides, and ye shall find them far different and unlike. xix-J Thomas Becket was slain at Canterbury, in his prelate's apparel, in the head church, before the high altar, among religious monks and priests, and in the holy time of Christ- mas, by his own seeking : and all this is glorious unto worldly judgments. Sir John Oldcastle was brent in chains at London waiden. in St Giles's field, under the gallows, among the lay-people, ix. ip'swa,1]' ,., i 7 • i » * * Job. Major. and upon the profane working-day, at the bishops procure- ?ab]2!K ment. And all this is unglorious, yea, and very despisable unto those worldly eyes. What though Jesus Christ his Jesus chmt. master afore him were handled after a very like sort ? For he was crucified at Hierusalem, without the city, and without Heb. xui. the holy synagogue, accursed out of church, among the pro- Joimix. ante per regies ministros comprehensus est, et in Turrim clausus." — Reg. Arundel. fol. 142, b. Wilkins, Concil. Vol. m. 354. See also Foxe. Rerum in Ecc. Gest. Ed. Basil. Pars I. p. 102.] [3 In this latter passage no mention of sir John Oldcastle's name is made: it is merely said, "miles quidam magnus," &c. Ed. Paris, 1533, p. 240.] 56 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST fane multitude, in the midst of thieves, in the place where as Matt-xxvii. thieves were commonly hanged, and not upon the feastful day John xix. ,-.,,, . ACU in. i)Ut afore it, by the bishops' procurement also. Now let us consider the causes of both their deaths, and try them both by the manifest scriptures of the gospel, which of them should seem most to the glory of God, and which Heribertui most to the glory of men. Thomas Becket died upon his Bowenhmul i f ... ... : own see^mo onv» *or maintaining the wanton liberties and superfluous possessions of the Romish church here within England ; which are both forbidden of Christ, and also con- Luke xiv. demned by the same scriptures. " He that forsaketh not all that he hath," saith he, "cannot be my disciple." And when a contention befell among the apostles for the superiority, Lukexxiii. he said also unto them: "The kings of the world have the world's dominion with all pomp and riches belonging to the wherefore same ; but you shall not so." Sir John Oldcastle died at the the Lord . * importune suit of the clergy, for calling upon a Christian re- formation in that Romish church of theirs, and for manfully standing by the faithful testimonies of Jesu, as all the afore- said process declareth. And this is both allowed in the gospel, and also required of every Christian believer. "He that » * confesseth me and my word before men," saith Christ, "him will I confess for mine before my eternal Father. And he that shall deny me and my verity before men, him will I also deny for mine before my everlasting Father which is in heaven." Thomas Becket in the time of his death commended him- [Ed8'Hearne, self to the patrons of his church (which were two gilded VOL i. P. 16.] images of St Saviour and St Mary), and the cause of his ca^Ja1™. church unto St Denys, and had no more but his priest's crown cut off (which is the pope's livery-mark) even by the very fleWorde, shaving, as his story mentioneth. step'han. sir John Oldcastle in the time of his death commended Langton, xviu! "L cap' his soul, with David, Christ, and Stephen, into the hands of 4to, fwT" God the eternal Father, and his cause to the rightful judg- HoTthe ment of his Son Jesus Christ, with desire of merciful forgive- Lord cobham ness concerning his enemies, as became a faithful Christian, NO popish and had his whole body consumed in the fire. Now pluck from your eyes the corrupted spectacles of carnal or popish judgments, and do upon them that1 clear sight which ye have by the Spirit of Christ; and, that faithfully done, tell me [i < The,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 57 which of these two seemeth rather to be the martyr of Christ, and which the pope's martyr ? " The ways of God," saith isai. ir Esay, " are not the ways of men. But so far as the heavens are above the vile earth, so far do his judgments exceed theirs." "That which seemeth high and glorious unto men," Lukexvi. saith Christ, " is very abomination afore God." By this may ye see that the precious spouse or immaculate church of Christ is no gorgeously painted gentlewoman, nor gloriously glittering madam2, but all hidden and unknown to the worldly Psai.xiv. infidels which disdain to seek her in the scriptures. Nothing is precious unto them, that shineth not unto the who is a /» i •,*•_• • i i i • i riFht n?6"1156 eye. A most fit member for Christ's mystical body is he « cimst. that suifereth with the head thereof: as this good sir John Oldcastle did, when he was with Christ examined ofThety-ramy the proud bishops, scorned of the priests, disdained of the and priests. world, ill reported, mocked, hated, reviled, accursed, and so committed unto the lay-judgment to be condemned by them unto most shameful and cruel death. Yea, so extremely malicious was that spiteful spirituality against him, that they would not suffer his body to be buried in their great city or holy church (which is spiritually called Sodoma and ^Egyptus) to make the prophecy of St John's Apocalypse truly to be Rev. xi. verified upon him, and to prove him Christ's member alto- gether. They both resolved his body into ashes, and also made the river to carry them away, like as they did also with the bones of John Wicliffe, lest any thing thereof should i i 1111 11 i«i talibus, cap. remain ; because they would also shew themselves like in ixxxix. & CXXXVll. tyranny to Julianus Apostata, that so used the body of holy |j^- John Baptist afore them. I should make a comparison betwixt this blessed martyr of Christ, sir John Oldcastle, and Peter of Milan, with other of the pope's martyrs, which died The pope's for the pope's power, pardons, pilgrimages, ear-confession, and other popish matters more established in the general council of Lateran ; but it would ask too much time. And as concerning the kind of his contemptuous death or martyrdom. More vile was not his hanging under the gal- lows in an iron chain, than was the hanging of his Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross in the time of his death ; nor John xix. than was the hanging of Peter, Andrew, and Philip his holy Joha'n. Text.' apostles, bishop Simeon, Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Alexander, [2 'mayden,' 1st ed.] 58 THE GREAT PROCESS AGAINST Epipodius, Claudius, Asterius, Menon, Nemesius, Nestor, Agri- cola, Julia, Zoe the wife of Nicostratus, with many other holy Br*nt™«he martyrs more. More odious was not his burning in the fire, with Christ » » O ' than was the cruel* burning of Barnabas the apostle, Poly- carpus the good bishop of Smyrna, Amancius, Agathon, Tyburcius, Getulius1, Simphronius, Sosthenes, Victor, Dios- corus, Eulogius, Fructuosus, Castus, JSmilius, Fidentius, Hero, Irensus, Aphra, Hilaria, Apollonia, Anastasia, and many hun- dreds more. When this strong witness of the Lord was among the fat kulls °^ Basan, and most cruelly assaulted of them, he was thoroughly ascertained in his conscience, for that conflict of faith, to taste his eternal goodness in the lasting land of the Ptaj. xxx. living. Yea, such time as he was reproved of his enemies and forsaken of his friends, in manner of a broken vessel, he s MM. vis. took a strong stomach unto him, as did the mighty Maccabees, and thought thus in his mind : that though those ungracious tyrants should put him unto death, yet would the eternal johnvl" King (which is both resurrection and life) raise him up again Rev. xx. jn j;he resurrection of life everlasting, among them that have died for his pure laws. Already hath he raised his fame (which lay long dead) by the living spirit of his gospel, for The ?ospei that he was a minister thereof: which is a most evident unsamteth Becket- token that he will hereafter, with his other mystical members, raise him up in perfect glory. When the gospel lay dead, glorious Thomas Becket was a saint, and John Oldcastle a forgotten heretic ; but now that the light thereof shineth, we Thegotpd are like to see it far otherwise : for proud Becket hath canonizeth cobham. already hidden his face, and poor Oldcastle beginneth now to appear very notable. Not all unrightly did St Augustine speak it, and other old doctors besides, that many were wor- shipped here in earth for saints, whose wretched souls are grievously cruciate in hell. Such time as our most worthy sovereign King Henry the 2 £mgs xxiu. eighth, now living, after the most godly example of king Josias xxxiv. visited the temples of his realm, he perceived the sinful shrine of this Becket to be unto his people a most pernicious evil, and therefore in the word of the Lord he utterly among priests suf- other destroved it. If he had upon that and such other ferecl upon * * amendment, abominable shrines brent those idolatrous priests which were [l ' Petulius,' 1st ed.] THE LORD COBHAM. 59 (and are yet) their chief maintainers, he had fulfilled that godly history throughout. But that which was not then performed, in hope of their amendment, may by chance light upon them hereafter, when no gentle warning will seem to be regarded. I doubt it not at all, but his most noble discretion perceiveth much more in that wicked generation of the pope's They dance nourishing up, which always hath maintained (and yet do) such manifest errors, than he ever in his life yet uttered. The eternal Father reward his grace for that clear light of The Lord health which we poor creatures have received at his only grace. hand under God, though it be not all without the grievous punishment of our bodies. By the process which we have afore here uttered of sir John Oldcastle, we may evidently see that great is the treasure which the Lord hath laid up for the behoof of them that have trusted in him. Wherewith psai. xxx. now he maketh dumb the lying lips of them that disdainously reported the righteous, to the honour and praise of his most glorious name. Amen. Thus endeth the brief chronicle concerning the examina- tion and death of the blessed martyr of Christ, sir John Old- castle, the Lord Cobham, not canonized of the pope, but in the precious blood of his Lord Jesus Christ. Collected by John Bale, and imprinted anno Domini 1544, et vi. die Augusti, on of Jttaster SUtlltam "STfjorpe preste accuse& of fjeresge before ^fcomas &runlreU / &rcfcebiss- ftop of (iaturburg/ttje gere of ofoer Hortre. Jtt. . anil scuen. examtnacton of iljc Ijonorablr lun'af)t sijr 3)!jon iJ^lUcastdl Horte CDobfjam / burnt bt tfte saiU ^vcftebissfjop / fa tfte fgrste gere of e fgftf). J[33e no more asfcametr to Jeare ft/tfjen ge toere anli be / to too it. THE EXAMINATION OF MASTER WILLIAM THORPE. THE EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE1. [ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER2.] GRACE and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. Read here with judgment, good reader, the examination of the blessed man of God, and there thou shalt easily perceive wherefore our holy churcfi (as the most unholy sort of all the people will be called) make off their examinations in darkness, off the lay people clean excluded from their counsels. For if their lies had been openly confuted, and also that the accused of heresy might as well have been admitted to reason their articles with counsel, whether they were heresy or no, as the accused of treason against the king is admitted to his counsel to confute his cause and articles, whether they be treason or not, they should never have murdered nor prisoned so many good Christian men as they have done. For their cloked lies could never have continued so long in the light, as they have done in corners. Their god-men, when they come in the pulpit and preach against the truth, cry, If their learning were good and true, they would never go in corners, but speak it openly. Whereunto I answer, that besides that Christ and his apostles were compelled (for because of the furiousness of their fathers [l This examination is included among the works of Bale, because he did himself publish it with that of Lord Cobham and without any note attributing it to Tyndale. For this reason, and because Bale collected and collated the examinations of Cobham and Askew, it has been determined hi the present edition to include this examination of Thorpe, without regard to the assertion of Foxe that it was the work of Tyndale. The first edition, and which also contains the examination of Lord Cobham, has by the kindness of George Offor, Esq. of Grove House, Hackney, been lent to the Editor for the purpose of collation. It is a work of the highest rarity, if not unique.] [2 This advertisement to the reader is probably Tyndale's: it is prefixed to the first edition.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 63 the bishops and priests, which only that time would be called holy church,) oftentimes for waste secretly, and absent them- selves and give place to their malice; yet we have daily examples of more than one or two, that have not spared nor feared for to speak and also to preach openly the truth, which have been taken of them, prisoned and brent, beside other that for fear of death have abjured and carried fagots. Of whose articles and examination there is no layman that can shew a word. Who can tell wherefore (not many years past) there were seven burnt in Coventry in one day ? Who can tell wherefore that good priest and holy martyr sir Thomas Litton was burnt, now this year, at Maidstone in Kent ? I am sure, no man. For this is their cast, even when they have put to death or punished any man, after their secret examination, to slander him of such things as he never thought. As they may do well enough, seeing there is no man to contrary them. Wherefore I exhort thee, good brother, whosoever thou be that readest this treatise, mark it well and consider it seriously, and thou shalt find not only what the church is, their doctrine of the sacrament, the worshipping of images, pilgrimages, confession, swearing and paying of ty thes ; but also thou mayest see what strong and substantial arguments of scripture and doctrines, and what clerkly reasons, my lord, the head and primate of the holy church in England (as he will be taken), bringeth against this poor, foolish, simple, and madlosell knave, a heretic as he calleth him ; and also the very cause wherefore all their examinations are made in dark- ness. And the Lord of all light shall light thee with the candle of his grace, for to see the truth. Amen. This I have corrected and put forth in the English, that now is used in England, for our southern men, nothing thereto adding, nor yet therefrom minishing. And I intend hereafter with the help of God, to put it forth in his own old English, which shall well serve, I doubt not, both for the northern men, and the faithful brethren of Scotland. 64 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. WILLIAM THORPE, THAT CONSTANT SERVANT OF GOD'. THUS much briefly being signified by the way, touching these who have been forced in time of this king2 to open abju- ration, next cometh to our hands the worthy history of Mas- ter William Thorpe, a warrior valiant under the triumphant banner of Christ, with the process of his examinations before the aforesaid Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, written by the said Thorpe, and storied by his own pen, at the request of his friends, as by his own words, in the process hereof, may appear; in whose examination, which seemeth first to begin A.D. 1407, thou shalt have, good reader, both to learn and to marvel : to learn, in that thou shalt hear truth discoursed and discussed, with the contrary reasons of the adversary dissolved ; to marvel, for thou shalt behold here in this man the marvellous force and strength of the Lord's might, Spirit, and grace, working and fighting in his soldiers, and also speaking in their mouths, according to •mis history the word of his promise, Luke xxi. To the text of the story and c'omSted we have neither added nor diminished ; but, as we have received \\iiiiam it copied out, and corrected by Master William Tyndale (who had his own hand-writing), so we have here sent it, and set it out abroad. Although, for the more credit of the matter, I rather wished it in his own natural speech, wherein it was first written ; notwithstanding, to put away all doubt and scruple herein, this I thought before to pre-monish and testify to the reader, touching the certainty hereof, that they be yet alive who have seen the self-same copy in its own old English, resembling the true antiquity both of the speech and of the time, the name of whom, as for record of the same to avouch, is Master Whitehead ; who, as he hath seen the true ancient copy in the hands of George Constantino, so he given credible relation of the same, both to the printer and to me. Further- more, the said Master Tyndale, albeit he did somewhat alter and amend the English thereof, and frame it after our man- f1 This short preface, introductory to Thorpe's "own preface," is from Foxe.] [2 Henry IV.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 65 ner, yet not fully in all words, but that something doth re- main savouring of the old speech of that time. What the causes were, why this good man and servant of Christ, Wil- liam Thorpe, did write it, and pen it out himself, it is suffi- ciently declared in his own preface, -set before his book, which is here prefixed in manner as followeth. THE PREFACE OF WILLIAM THORPE. THE Lord God that knoweth all things wotteth well that I am right sorrowful for to write or to make known this sen- tence beneath written, where that of mine own Christian set, in high state and dignity, so great blindness and malice may be known, that they that presume of themselves to destroy vices, and to plant in men virtues, neither dread to oifend God, nor lust to please him, as their works shew. For certes God's law* the bidding of God and his law, which in the praising of his kn°wn and most holy name he commandeth to be known and kept of all men and women, young and old, after the cunning and power that he hath given to them, the prelates of this land and their ministers, with the covent of priests chiefly consenting to them, enforce them most busily to withstand, and destroy the holy ordinance of God. And therethrough God is greatly wroth and moved to take hard vengeance, not only upon them that do the evil, but also on them all that con- sent to these antichrist's limbs ; which know or might know their malice and their falsehood, and dress3 them not to with- stand their malice and their great pride. Nevertheless four Four causes, things moveth me to write this sentence beneath. The first thing that moveth me hereto is this : that whereas The first it was known to certain friends, that I came from the prison of Shrewsbury, and (as it befell indeed) that I should to the prison of Canterbury ; then divers friends in divers places spake to me full heartily and full tenderly, and commanded me then, if it so were that I should be examined before the arch- bishop of Canterbury, that, if I might in any wise, I should write mine apposing and mine answering. And I promised to my special friends, that, if I might, I would gladly do their biddings as I might. The second thing that moveth me to write this sentence The second cause. [3 Dress : address.] [BALE.] 66 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. is this : divers friends, which have heard that I have been examined before the archbishop, have come to me in prison, and counselled me busily, and coveted greatly that I should do the same thing. And other brethren have sent to me, and required me on God's behalf, that I should write out and make known both mine apposing and mine answering, for the profit that (as they say) over my knowledging may come thereof. But this they bade me, that I should be busy in all my wits, to go as near the sentence and the words as I could, both that were spoken to me, and that I spake ; upaventure l this writing came another time before the archbishop and his council. And of this counselling I was right glad; for in my conscience I was moved to do this thing, and to ask hereto the special help of God. And so then I considering the great de- sire of divers friends of sundry places, according all in one, I occupied all my mind and my wits so busily, that through God's grace I perceived, by their meaning and their charitable Truth leav- desire, some profit might come therethrough. For soth- sweet smeii fastness2 and truth hath these conditions : wherever it is im- behind it. pugned, it hath a sweet smell, and thereof comes a sweet savour ; and the more violently the enemies dress themselves to oppress and to withstand the truth, the greater and the sweeter smell cometh thereof. And therefore this heavenly smell of God's word will not as a smoke pass away with the wind ; but it will descend and rest in some clean soul, that thirsteth thereafter. And thus some deal by this writing may be per- ceived, through God's grace, how that the enemies of the truth (standing boldly in their malice) enforce them to withstand the freedom of Christ's gospel, for which freedom Christ became man, and shed his heart-blood. And therefore it is great pity and sorrow, that many men and women do their own wayward will, nor busy them not to know nor to do the plea- sant will of God. oodiy coun- The men and women that hear the truth and sothfastness, it may be and hear or know of this (perceiving what is now in the followed. *• church), ought herethrough to be the more moved in all their wits, to able them to grace, and to set lesser price by themself, that they without tarrying forsake wilfully and bodily all the wretchedness of this life; since they know [* Upaventure: in case.] [2 Sothfastness or soothfulness : truthfulness.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 67 not how soon, nor when, nor where, nor by whom, God will teach them and assay their patience. For no doubt, who that £e, ever will live piteously, that is charitably in Christ Jesu, shall true church- suffer now here in this life persecution, in one wise or another. That is, if we shall be saved, it behoveth us to imagine full busily the vility3 and foulness of sin, and how the Lord God is displeased therefore : and so of this vility, of hideousness of sin, it behoveth us to busy us in all our wits, for to abhor and hold in our mind a great shame of sin ever; and so then we owe to sorrow heartily therefore, and ever flying all occasion thereof. And then behoveth us to take upon us sharp pen- ance, continuing therein, for to obtain of the Lord forgiveness of our foredone sins, and grace to abstain us hereafter from sin. And but if we enforce us to do this wilfully and in con- venient time, the Lord (if he will not utterly destroy and cast us away) will in divers manners move tyrants against us, for to constrain us violently for to do penance, which we would not do wilfully. And trust that this doing is a special grace of the ed to'cSne!1" Lord, and a great token of life and mercy. And no doubt, whoever will not apply himself (as is said before) to punish himself wilfully, neither will suffer patiently, meekly, and gladly the rod of the Lord, howsoever that he will punish him ; their wayward wills and their impatience are unto them ear- nest of everlasting damnation. But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faithfully to grace, for to live here simply and purely, and without gall of malice and of grudging ; therefore the lovers of this world hate and pursue them that they know patient, meek, chaste, and wilfully poor, hating and flying all worldly vanities and fleshly lusts : for surely their virtuous conditions are even contrary to the man- ners of this world. The third thing that moveth me to write this sentence is rauesehird this : I thought I shall busy me in myself to do faithfully, that all men and women (occupying all their business in knowing and in keeping of God's commandments) able them so to grace, that they might understand truly the truth, and have and use virtue and prudence, and so to deserve to be lightened from above with heavenly wisdom ; so that all their words and their works may be hereby made pleasant sacrifice unto the -others n'eces- Lord God ; and not only for help of their own souls, but also considered. [3 Vility: vilencss.] 5—2 68 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. The fourth cause. The assist- ance of God never failed them that are persecuted. for edification of all holy church. For I doubt not, but all they that will apply them to have this foresaid business, shall profit full mickle both to friends and foes. For some enemies of the truth, through the grace of God, shall through cha- ritable folks be made astonied in their conscience, and perad- venture converted from vices to virtues : and also they that labour to know and to keep faithfully the biddings of God, and to suffer patiently all adversities, shall hereby comfort many friends. And the fourth thing that moveth me to write this sen- tence is this : I know by my sudden and unwarned apposing and answering, that all they that will of good heart, without feigning, able themselves wilfully and gladly, after their cun- ning and their power, to follow Christ patiently, travailing busily, privily and apertly, in work and in word, to with- draw whosoever that they may from vices, planting in them (if they may) virtues, comforting them and furthering them that standeth in grace ; so that therewith they be not borne up in vain-glory, through presumption of their wisdom, nor in- flamed with any worldly prosperity, but ever meek and patient, purposing to abide stedfastly in the will of God, suffering wilfully and gladly without any grudging whatsoever rod the Lord will chastise them with : then, this good Lord will not forget to comfort all such men and women in all their tribula- tions, and at every point of temptation that any enemy pur- poseth for to do against them. To such faithful lovers specially, and patient followers of Christ, the Lord sendeth his wisdom from above to them, which the adversaries of the truth may not know nor understand. But, through their old and new unshamefaced sins, those tyrants and enemies of soth- fastness shall be so blinded and obstinate in evil, that they shall ween themself to do pleasant sacrifices unto the Lord God in their malicious and wrongful pursuing and destroying of innocent men's and women's bodies : which men and women, for their virtuous living, and for their true knowledging of the truth, and their patient, wilful, and glad suffering of persecu- tion for righteousness, deserve through the grace of God to be heirs of the endless bliss of heaven. And for the fervent de- sire and great love that those men have, as to stand in sothfastness and witness of it, though they be suddenly and unwarnedly brought forth to be apposed of their adversaries, EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 69 the Holy Ghost yet, that moveth and ruleth them through his charity, will in the hour of their answering speak in them and shew his wisdom, that all their enemies shall not again- say nor againstand lawfully." And therefore all they that are stedfast in the faith of God, yea, which through diligent keeping of his command- ments and for their patient suffering of whatsoever adversity, that cometh to them, hope surely in his mercy, purposing to stand continually in perfect charity ; for those men and women dread not so the adversities of this life, that they will fear (after their cunning and their power) to knowledge prudently the truth of God's words, when, where, and to whom, that they think their knowledging may profit : yea, and though, therefore, persecution come to them in one wise or another, certes, they patiently take it, knowing their conversation to be in heaven. It is a high reward and a special grace of God, for to have and enjoy the everlasting inheritance of hea- ven for the suffering of one persecution in so short time as the term of this life. For lo, this heavenly heritage and end- less reward is the Lord God himself, which is the best thing that may be. This sentence witnesseth the Lord God himself, where as he said to Abraham, " I am thy meed :" and as the Lord said he was and is the meed of Abraham, so he is of all his other saints. This most blessed and best meed he grant to us all for his holy name, that made us of nought, and sent his only most dear worthy Son, our Lord Jesu Christ, for to redeem us with his most precious heart-blood ! THE EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE, PENNED WITH HIS OWN HAND. KNOWN be it to all men that read or hear this writing Examination beneath, that on the Sunday next after the feast of St Peter, before0?ho- ' masArundel, that we call Lammas, in the year of our Lord one thousand archbishop, four hundred and seven, I William of Thorpe, being in prison in the castle of Saltwood, was brought before Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, and chancellor then of England. And when that I came to him, he stood in a great chamber, and much people about him : and when that he saw me, he went fast into a closet, bidding all secular men that followed 70 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. him to go forth from him soon; so that no man was left then in that closet but the archbishop himself and a physician that was called Malvercn, parson of St Dunstan's in London, and other two persons unknown to me, which were ministers of the Loitering law. And, I standing before them, by and by the archbishop not abide said to me : " William, I know well that thou hast this twenty travelling preacher., winter and more travelled about busily in the north country and in other divers countries of England, sowing about false doctrine, having great business, if thou might, with thine un- true teaching and shrewd will for to infect and poison all this The grace of land. But, through the grace of God, thou art now with- canterb °f standed and brought into my ward ; so that I shall now sequester thee from thine evil purpose, and let thee to envenom the sheep of my province. Nevertheless St Paul saith : ' If it may be, as far as in us is, we ought to have peace with all men.' Therefore, William, if thou wilt now meekly and of good heart, without any feigning, kneel down and lay thy hand upon a book, and kiss it, promising faithfully, as I shall here charge thee, that thou wilt submit thee to my correction, and stand MMefwJd *° m^ne ordinance, and fulfil it duly by all thy cunning and ctodWrfi- Power> thou shalt yet find me gracious unto thee." pte£e'your Then said I to the archbishop: "Sir, since ye deem me an heretic and out of belief, will ye give me here audience to tell my belief ?" And he said : " Yea, tell on." And I said : " I believe that there is not but one God Almighty, and in this Godhead, and of this Godhead, are three Persons, that is, the Father, the Son, and the sothfast Holy Ghost. And I believe that all these three Persons are even in power, and in cun- ning, and in might, full of grace and of all goodness. For whatsoever that the Father doth or can or will, that thing also the Son doth and can and will : and in all their power, cunning, and will, the Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and to the Son. " Over this, I believe that through counsel of this most blessed Trinity, in most convenient time before ordained for the salvation of mankind, the second Person of this Trinity was ordained to take the form of man, that is, the kind of man. And I believe that this second Person, our Lord Jesu Christ, was conceived through the Holy Ghost into the womb of the most blessed virgin Mary, without man's seed. And I believe, that after nine months Christ was born of this most EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 71 blessed virgin, without any pain or breaking of the cloister of her womb, and without filth of her virginity. " And I believe that Christ our Saviour was circumcised in the eighth day after his birth, in fulfilling of the law, and his name was called Jesus, which was so called of the angel, before that he was conceived in the womb of Mary his mother. " And I believe that Christ, as he was about thirty year old, was baptized in the flood of Jordan of John Baptist: and in the likeness of a dove the Holy Ghost descended there upon him, and a voice was heard from heaven, saying, * Thou art my well-beloved Son, in thee I am full pleased.' " And I believe that Christ was moved then by the Holy Ghost for to go into the desert, and there he fasted forty days and forty nights without bodily meat and drink. And I believe that by and by, after his fasting, when the manhood of Christ hungered, the fiend came to him, and tempted him in gluttony, in vain-glory, and in covetise : but in all those temptations Christ concluded the fiend, and withstood him. And then, without tarrying, Jesu began to preach and to say unto the people, ' Do ye penance ; for the realm of heaven is now at hand.' "And I believe that Christ, in all his time here, lived most holily, and taught the will of his Father most truly: and I believe that he suffered therefore, most wrongfully, greatest reprieves and despisings. " And after this, when Christ would make an end here That is, under the of his temporal life, I believe that in the day next before gj that he would suffer passion on the morn, in form of bread wine- and of wine he ordained the sacrament of his flesh and his blood, that is, his own precious body, and gave it to his apostles for to eat ; commanding them, and by them all their after-comers, that they should do it in this form that he shewed to them ; use themself, and teach and commune forth to other men and women, this most worshipful holiest sacra- ment, in mindfulness of his holiest living, and of his most true teaching, and of his wilful and patient suffering of the most painful passion. " And I believe that thus Christ our Saviour, after that he had ordained this most worthy sacrament of his own pre- 72 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. cious body, ho went forth wilfully against his enemies, and he suffered them most patiently to lay their hands most violently upon him, and to bind him, and to lead him forth as a thief, and to scorn him and buffet him, and ail-to blow or file him with their spittings. Over this, I believe that Christ suffered most meekly and patiently his enemies for to ding out with sharp scourges the blood that was between his skin and his flesh : yea, without grudging Christ suffered the cruel Jews to crown him with most sharp thorns, and to strike him with a reed. And after, Christ suffered wicked Jews to draw him out upon the cross, and for to nail him thereupon foot and hand. And so, through his pitiful nailing, Christ shed out wilfully, for man's life, the blood that was in his veins. And then Christ gave wilfully his spirit into the hands or power of his Father; and so, as he would, and when he would, Christ died wilfully, for man's sake, upon the cross. And notwithstanding that Christ was wilfully, painfully, and most shamefully put to death, as to the world, there was left blood and water in his heart, as he before ordained, that he would shed out this blood and this water for man's salvation. And therefore he suffered the Jews to make a blind knight to thrust him into the heart with a spear; and this the blood and water that was in his heart Christ would shed out for man's love: and after this I believe that Christ was taken down from the cross and buried. And I believe that on the third day, by the power of his Godhead, Christ rose again from death to life. And the forty day thereafter, I believe that Christ ascended up into heaven, and that he there sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty ; and the fifty1 day, after this up-going, he sent to his apostles the Holy Ghost, that he had promised them before : and I believe that Christ shall come and judge all mankind, some to everlasting peace, and some to everlasting pains. " And as I believe in the Father and in the Son, that they are one God Almighty, so I believe in the Holy Ghost, that is also with them the same God Almighty, what u the "And I believe an holy church; that is, all they that holy church. «/ i j /• i have been, and that now are, and always to the end of the P Foxe, edit. 1563, p. 147, "the tenth day:"— Ed. 1570, p. 631, "the fiftieth day."] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 73 •world shall be, a people the which shall endeavour them to know and to keep the commandments of God, dreading over all thing to offend God, and loving and seeking most to please him : and I believe that all they that have had and yet have, and all they that yet shall have, the foresaid virtues, surely standing in the belief of God, hoping stedfastly in his merciful doings, continuing to their end in perfect charity, wilfully, patiently, and gladly suffering persecutions, by the example of Christ chiefly and his apostles, all these have their names written in the book of life. " Therefore I believe that the gathering together of The true . .,.,?„ ° notes of the this people, living now here in this life, is the holy church true church. of God, fighting here on earth against the fiend, the pros- perity of the world, and their fleshly lusts. Wherefore, seeing that all the gathering together of this church before said, and every part thereof, neither coveteth, nor willeth, nor loveth, nor seeketh any thing but to eschew the offence of God, and to do his pleasing will; meekly, gladly, and wil- fully, of all mine heart, I submit myself unto this holy church of Christ, to be ever buxom and obedient to the or- dinance of it, and of every member thereof, after my know- ledge and power by the help of God. Therefore I knowledge now, and evermore shall, if God will, that of all my heart and of all my might I will submit me only to the rule and governance of them whom after my knowledge I may per- ceive, by the having and using of the beforesaid virtues, to be members of the holy church. Wherefore these articles of WhhuhbeenSr belief, and all other (both of the old law and of the new, JnyTo'rl?"' ' which after the commandment of God any man ought to believe), I believe verily in my soul, as a sinful deadly wretch of my cunning and power ought to believe; praying the Lord God, for his holy name, for to increase my beh'ef, and to help my unbelief. " And for because, to the praising of God's name, I desire, above all things, to be a faithful member of holy church, I make this protestation before you all four that are now here present, coveting that ah1 men and women that now be absent knew the same : that what thing soever before this time I have said or done, or what thing here I shall do or say at any time hereafter, I believe, that all the old law and The old new law, given and ordained by counsel of these three Persons »nd n«w- 74 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. of the Trinity, were given and written to the salvation of mankind. And I believe, that these laws are sufficient for man's salvation. And I believe every article of these laws, to the intent, that these articles were ordained and command- ed of these three Persons of the most blessed Trinity to be believed. " And therefore, to the rule and the ordinance of these, God's laws, meekly, gladly, and wilfully I submit me with all mine heart ; that whosoever can or will, by authority of God's law, or by open reason, tell me that I have erred or now err, or any time hereafter shall err, in any article of belief (from which inconvenience God keep me for his good- 'ness!), I submit me to be reconciled and to be buxom and obedient unto these laws of God, and to every article of them. For, by authority specially of these laws, I will, through the grace of God, be united charitably unto these laws. Yea, sir, and over this, I believe and admit all the sentences, authorities, and reasons, of the saints and doctors, according unto holy scripture, and declaring it truly. " I submit me wilfully and meekly to be ever obedient, after my cunning and power, to all these saints and doctors, as they are obedient in work and in word to God and to his law ; and further not (to my knowledge), not for any earthly power, dignity, or state, through the help of God. But, sir, I pray you tell me, if, after your bidding, I shall lay my hand uPon the book, to the intent to swear thereby?" And the archbishop said to me : " Yea, wherefore else ?" And I said to him : " Sir, a book is nothing else but a thing coupled together of divers creatures ; and to swear by any creature, both God's law and man's law is against. But, sir, this thing I say here to you before these your clerks, with my aforesaid protestation, that how, where, when, and to whom, men are bounden to swear or to obey, in any wise, after God's law, and saints and true doctors according with God's law, I will, through God's grace, be ever ready thereto, with all my cunning and power. But I pray you, sir, for the charity of God, that ye will, before that I swear (as I have here rehearsed to you), tell me how or whereto that I shall submit me ; and shew me whereof that ye will correct me, and what is the ordinance that ye will thus oblige me to fulfil." EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 75 And the archbishop said unto me : "I will shortly that HOW, where, now thou swear here to me, that thou shalt forsake all the »wear. opinions which the sect of Lollards hold, and is slandered with : so that after this time, neither privily nor apertly, thou hold any opinion which I shall (after thou hast sworn) rehearse to thee here. Nor thou shalt favour no man nor woman, young nor old, that holdeth any of these foresaid opinions; but, after thy knowledge and power, thou shalt enforce thee to withstand all such distroublers of holy church in every diocese that thou comest in ; and them that will not leave their false and damnable opinions, thou shalt put them up, publishing them and their names, and make them known to the bishop of the diocese that they are in, or to the bishop's ministers. And, over this, I will that thou preach no more unto the time that I know, by good witness and true, that thy conversation be such, that thy heart and thy mouth accord truly in one, contrarying all the lewd learning that thou hast taught nerebefore." And I, hearing these words, thought in my heart, that this was an unleful asking, and deemed myself cursed of God, if I consented hereto ; and I thought how Susan said, " Anguish is to me on every side." And in that I stood still and spake not, the archbishop said to me : " Answer one wise or other." And I said : " Sir, if I consented to you thus as Behoia the popish pro- ve have here rehearsed to me. I should become an appealer, codings, * rr ' whereto they or every bishop's espy, summoner of all England. For and I tend- should thus put up and publish the names of men and women, I should herein deceive full many persons : yea, sir, as it is likely, by the doom of my conscience, I should herein be cause of the death both of men and women, yea, both bodily and ghostly. For many men and women that stand now in the truth and are in the way of salvation, if I should, for the learning and reading of their belief, publish them therefore up to the bishops or to their unpiteous ministers, I know some deal by experience, that they should be so distroubled and diseased with persecution or otherwise, that many of them (I think) would rather choose to forsake the way of truth than to be travailed, scorned and slandered, or punished, as bishops and their ministers now use, for to constrain men and women to consent to them. " But I find in no place in holy scripture, that this office 76 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. ye would now enfeoff me with, accordeth to any priest of Christ's sect, nor to any other Christian man : and, thcre- fore, to do this were to me a full noyous bond to be bounden with, and over grievous charge. For I suppose that, if I thus did, many men and women would, yea, sir, might justly to my confusion, say to me, that I were a traitor to God and to them, since (as I think in mine heart) many men and women trust so mickle in me in this case, that I would not, for saving of my life, do thus to them. For if I thus should do, full many men and women would (as they might full truly) say that I had falsely and cowardly forsaken the truth, and slandered shamefully the word of God. For, if I consented to you to do hereafter your will, for bonchief l or mischief that may befall unto me in this life, I deem in my conscience, that I were worthy, herefore, to be cursed of God, and also of all his saints : from which inconvenience, keep me and ah1 Christian people Almighty God now and ever for his holy name !" it is pretty And then the archbishop said unto me : " Oh, thine heart raoh judge* is full hard indurate, as was the heart of Pharao, and the Moses hard- > • ' wtere' devil hath overcomen thee and perverted thee; and he hath so J^i^to' blinded thee hi all thy wits, that thou hast no grace to know bri't^e"1 the truth, nor the measure of mercy that I have proffered to thee. Therefore, as I perceive now by thy foolish answer, thou hast no will to leave thine old errors. But I say to thee, lewd losel2, other thou quickly consent to mine or- dinance, and submit thee to stand to my decrees ; or, by St Thomas, thou shalt be degraded, and follow thy fellow in Smithfield." And at this saying I stood still and spake not; but I thought in mine heart that God did to me a great grace, if he would, of his great mercy, bring me to such an end. And in mine heart I was nothing afraid with this menacing of the archbishop. And I considered there two things in him : one, that he was not yet sorrowful for that he had made William Sawtre wrongfully to be burnt ; and, as I considered, that the archbishop thirsted yet after more shedding out of innocent blood. And fast, therefore, I was moved in all my wits, for to hold the archbishop neither for prelate nor for priest of God. And, for that mine inward man was thus altogether departed t1 Bonchief: benefit.] [a Losel: a lost person.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 77 from the archbishop, methought I should not have any dread of him ; but I was right heavy and sorrowful, for that there was no audience of secular men by : but in my heart I prayed the Lord God for to comfort me and strength me against them that there were against the sothfastness, and I purposed to speak no more to the archbishop and his clerks than me need behoved. And all thus I prayed God for his goodness to give me, then and alway, grace to speak with a meek and an easy spirit ; and whatsoever thing that I should speak, that I might thereto have true authorities of scriptures or open reason. And, for that I stood thus still and nothing spake, one of the archbishop's clerks said unto me : " What thing musest thou ? Do thou as my lord hath now command- ed to thee here." And yet I stood still, and answered him not. And then, The order soon after, the archbishop said to me : " Art thou not yet be- of «• bring- •*• * ing up. thought, whether thou wilt do as I have here said to thee ?" And I said then to him : " Sir, my father and my mother (on whose souls God have mercy, if it be his will !) spent mickle money, in divers places, about my learning, for the intent to have made me a priest to God. But when I came to years of discretion, I had no will to be priest, and therefore my friends were right heavy to me; and then methought their grudging against me was so painful to me, that I purposed therefore to have left their company. And when they per- ceived this in me, they spake sometime full fair and pleasant words to me ; but, for that they might not make me to con- sent, of good heart, to be a priest, they spake to me full oftentimes very grievous words, and menaced me in divers manners, shewing to me full heavy cheer. And thus one while in fair manner, another while in grievous, they were long time (as methought) full busy about me, or I consented to them to be a priest. "But at the last, when in this matter they would no longer suffer mine excusations, but either I should consent to them, or I should ever bear their indignation, yea, their curse (as they said); then I, seeing this, prayed them that they would give me licence for to go to them that were named wise priests, and of virtuous conversation, to have their counsel, and to know of them the office and the charge of priesthood. And hereto my father and my mother consented full gladly, 78 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. and gave me their blessing and good leave to go, and also money to spend in this journey. And so then I went to those priests whom I heard to be of best name, and of most holy living, and best learned, and most wise of heavenly wisdom ; and so I communed with them unto the time that I perceived, by their virtuous and continual occupations, that their honest and charitable works passed their fame which I heard before of them. "Wherefore, sir, by the example of the doctrine of them, and specially for the godly and innocent works which I per- ceived then of them and in them, after my cunning and power I have exercised me then and in this time to know perfectly God's law, having a will and desire to live there- after, willing that all men and women should exercise them- selves faithfully thereabout. If then, sir, either for pleasure of them that are neither so wise, nor of so virtuous conver- sation to my knowledge, nor by common fame to any other men's knowledge in this land, as these men were, of whom I took my counsel and information, I should now forsake thus suddenly, and shortly, and unwarned, all the learning that I have exercised myself in these thirty winters and more, my conscience should ever be herewith out of measure unquieted : and as, sir, I know well, that many men and women should be therethrough greatly troubled and slandered ; and as I said, sir, to you before, for mine untruth and false coward- ness many a one should be put into full great reproof: yea, sir, I dread that many one (as they might then justly) would curse me full bitterly ; and, sir, I fear not but the curse of God, which I should deserve herein, would bring me to a full evil end, if I continued thus. And if, through remorse of conscience, I repented me any time, returning into the way which you do your diligence to constrain me now to forsake, yea, sir, all the bishops of this land, with full many other priests, would defame me and pursue me as a relapse ; and they that now have (though I be unworthy) some confidence in me, hereafter would never trust to me, though I could teach and live never so virtuously, more than I can or may. For if after your counsel I left utterly all my learning, I should hereby first wound and defile mine own soul, and also I should herethrough give occasion to many men and women of full sore hurting : yea, sir, as it is likely to me if I content- made EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 79 ed to your will, I should herein by mine evil example in it, as far as in me were, slay many folk ghostly, that I should never deserve for to have grace of God, to the edifying of his church, neither of myself, nor of none other man's life, and undone both before God and man. " But, sir, by example chiefly of some whose names I will PWHP r • pington not now rehearse, of H., of I. P., and B., and also by the bishoP' and a a persecutor. present doing of Philip of Rampington, that now is become bishop of Lincoln, I am now learned (as many moe hereafter, through God's grace, shall be learned) to hate and to flee all such slander that these foresaid men chiefly have denied prin- cipally themselves with. And in it that in them is, they have envenomed all the church of God, for the slanderous revoking at the cross of Paul's, of H. P., and of B., and how now Philip Rampington pursueth Christ's people. And the feigning that these men dissemble by worldly prudence, keeping them cowardly in their preaching and communing, within the bonds and terms which, without blame, may be spoken and shewed out to the most worldly livers, will not be unpunished of God : for to the point of truth that these men shewed out sometime, they will not now stretch forth their lives. But by example, each one of them, as their words and their works shew, busy them through their feigning, for to slander and to pursue Christ in his members, rather than they will be pursued." And the archbishop said to me : " These men, the which thou speakest of now, were fools and heretics, when they were counted wise men of thee and other such losels. But now they are wise men, though thou and such other deem them unwise : nevertheless I wist never none that right said, that any while were envenomed with your contagiousness, that is, contaminated and spotted doctrine." And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, I think well that these men and such other are now wise as to this world ; but as their words sounded sometime, and their works shewed outwardly, it was like to move me that they had earnest of the wisdom of God, and that they should have deserved Happy be • 11 * n i i 11- i i l^ey that mickle grace of God, to have saved their own souls and continue to the end. many other men's, if they had continued faithfully in wilful poverty and in other simple virtuous living ; and specially if they had, with these foresaid virtues, continued in their busy fruitful sowing of God's word ; as, to many men's knowledge, 80 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. woe worth false covet- it is pity covetousnes joined with A worthy commenda- m°aster John they occupied them a season in all their wits full busily to know the pleasant will of God, travailing all their members full busily for to do thereafter, purely and chiefly to the praising of the most holy name of God, and for grace of edification and salvation of Christian people. But woe worth . • •« i i 11-11 false covetise, and evil counsel, and tyranny, by which they, and many men and women, are led blindly into an evil end I" Then the archbishop said to me : " Thou and such other losels of thy sect would shave your beards full near for to have a benefice. For, by Jesu, I know none more covetous shrews than ye are, when that ye have a benefice. For lo, I gave to John Purvey a benefice but a mile out of this castle, 11-11 i • L i • i> and I heard more complaints about his covetousness for tithes and other misdoings than I did of all men that were advanced within my diocese." And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, Purvey is neither with you now for the benefice that you gave him, nor he holdeth faithfully with the learning that he taught and writ beforetime : and thus he sheweth himself neither to be hot nor cold; and therefore he and his fellows may sore dread that, if they turn not hastily to the way that they have forsaken, peradventure they be put out of the number of Christ's chosen people." And the archbishop said : " Though Purvey be now a false harlot, I quit me to him : but come he more for such cause before me, or we depart, I shall know with whom he holdeth. But I say to thee, which are these holy men and wise, of whom thou hast taken thine information ?" And I said : " Sir, master John Wicliffe was holden of *u" many men "*e greatest clerk that they knew then living ; ^d therewith he was named a passing ruly man and an in- nocent in his living : and, herefore, great men communed oft with him, and they loved so his learning, that they writ it, and busily enforced them to rule themselves thereafter. Therefore, sir, this foresaid learning of master John Wicliffe is yet holden of full many men and women the most agree- able learning unto the living and teaching of Christ and of his apostles, and most openly shewing and declaring how the church of Christ hath been, and yet should be, ruled and governed. Therefore, so many men and women covet this learning, and purpose, through God's grace, to conform their EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 81 living like to this learning of Wicliffe. Master John Aston taught and writ accordingly and full busily, where and when and to whom that he might, and he used it himself right perfectly unto his life's end : and also Philip of Rampington, while he was a canon of Leicester. Nicholas Hereford, Davy Cotray of Pakring, monk of Byland, and a master of divinity, and John Purvey, and many other which were holden right wise men and prudent, taught and writ busily this foresaid learning, and conformed them thereto. And with all these men I was right homely, and communed with them long time and oft : and so, before all other men, I chose willingly to be informed of them and by them, and specially of Wicliffe himself, as of the most virtuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew. And therefore of him specially, and of these men, I took the learning that I have taught, and pur- pose to live thereafter, if God will, to my life's end. For though some of these men be contrary to the learning that they taught before, I wot well that their learning was true which they taught ; and therefore, with the help of God I purpose to hold and to use the learning which I heard of them, while they sat on Moses' chair, and specially while that they sat on the chair of Christ. But after the works that they now do, I will not do, with God's help. For they feign, and hide, and contrary the truth, which before they taught out plainly and truly. For, as I know well, when some of these men have been blamed for their slanderous doing, they grant not that they have taught amiss or erred before time, but that they were constrained by pain to leave to tell out the sooth1; and thus they choose now rather to blaspheme God than to suffer a while here persecution bodily, for soothfast- ness that Christ shed out his heart blood for." And the archbishop said : " That learning that thou callest Thetesti- • 11 1111 •• m<?ny for truth and soothfastness, is open slander to holy church, as it is wiciiffeout » of the mouth proved of holy church. For, albeit that Wicliffe, your author, $£££™ was a great clerk, and though that many men held him a per- 5J|i}Jhave feet liver, yet his doctrine is not approved of holy church, SueSdlw!1 but many sentences of his learning are damned, as they well worthy are. But as touching Philip of Rampington, that Repington was first canon, and afterward abbot, of Leicester, which is after he was now bishop of Lincoln, I tell thee, that the day is common, made bishop I1 To desist from telling the truth.] [BALE.] 82 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. for which he fasted the even. For neither he holdeth now, nor will hold, the learning that he taught when he was a canon of Leicester ; for no bishop of this land pursueth now more sharply them that hold thy way, than he doth." And I said : " Sir, full many men and women wondereth upon him, and speaketh him mickle shame, and holdeth him for a cursed enemy of the truth." And the archbishop said to me : " Wherefore tarriest thou me thus here with such fables ? Wilt thou shortly, as I have said to thee, submit thee to me, or no ? " And I said : " Sir, I tell you at one word, I dare not, for the dread of God, submit me to you after the tenour and sentence that ye have above rehearsed to me." And thus, as if he had been wroth, he said to one of his clerks : " Fetch hither quickly the certification that came to me from Shrews- bury under the bailiff's seal, witnessing the errors and here- sies, which this losel hath venomously sown there." Then hastily the clerk took out and laid forth on a cupboard divers rolls and writings, among which there was a little one, which the clerk delivered to the archbishop. And by and by the The sacra- archbishop read this roll containing this sentence: "The ™niecration third Sunday after Easter, A. D. 1407, William Thorpe came material bread. unto the town of Shrewsbury, and through leave granted unto him to preach he said openly, in St Chad's church, in his sermon, that the sacrament of the altar after the conse- cration was material bread ; and that images should in no wise be worshipped ; and that men should not go on pilgrim- ages ; and that priests have no title to tithes ; and that it is not lawful for to swear in any wise." And when the archbishop had read thus this roll, he wholesome rolled it up again, and said to me : " Is this wholesome enough for . in thou'^not learnmg to be among the people ?" kitchen! And I said to him : " Sir, I am both ashamed on their behalf, and right sorrowful for them that have certified you these things thus untruly ; for I preached never nor taught thus, privily nor apertly." buSft^u And the archbishop said to me : "I will give credence to t^e£er?tuse these worshipful men which have written to me, and witness- thotl would- ed under their seals there among them. Though now thou ceivethe deniest this, weenest thou that I will give credence to thee? t^ was offered Thou, losel ! hast troubled the worshipful communalty of EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 83 Shrewsbury, so that the bailiffs and communalty of that town have written to me, praying me, that am archbishop of Canterbury, primate and chancellor of England, that I will vouchsafe to grant them, that if thou shalt be made (as thou The Romish «« • • church must art worthy) to suffer open louresse1 for thine heresies, that be estabiish- « ' fa ed by perse- thou may have thy jouresse openly there among them ; so p"eicler^me that all they whom thou and such other losels have there perverted may, through fear of thy deed, be reconciled again to the unity of holy church ; and also they that stand in true faith of holy church may, through thy deed, be more established therein." And, as if this asking well pleased the archbishop, he said : " By my thrift, this hearty prayer and fervent request shall be thought on." But certainly, neither the prayer of the men of Shrews- bury, nor the menacing of the archbishop, made me anything afraid ; but in rehearsing of this malice, and in the hearing of it, my heart greatly rejoiced, and yet doth. I thank God for the grace that I then thought, and yet think, shall come to all the church of God here-through, by the special mer- ciful doing of the Lord. And, as having no dread of the malice of tyrants, by trusting stedfastly in the help of the Lord, with full purpose for to knowledge the soothfastness, and to stand thereby after my cunning and power, I said to the archbishop : " Sir, if the truth of God's word might now if the touch- be accepted as it should be, I doubt not to prove by likely ^ J^* evidence, that they that are famed to be out of the faith known, of holy church in Shrewsbury, and in other places also, are in the true faith of holy church. For, as their words sound, and their works shew to man's judgment (dreading and loving faithfully God), their will, their desire, their love, and their business, are most set to dread to offend God, and to love for to please him in true and faithful keeping of his com- mandments. And again, they that are said to be in the faith A sure trust » in God s of holy church in Shrewsbury, and in other places, by f open evidence of their proud, envious, malicious, covetous, lecherous, and other foul words and works, neither know, nor have will to know, nor to occupy their wits truly and effectuously in the right faith of holy church. Wherefore all these, nor none that follow their manners, shall any time come verily in the faith of holy church, except they enforce them p Jouresse: duresse.] 6—2 84 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. more truly to come in the way which now they despise. For these men and women, that are now called faithful and holden just, neither know, nor will exercise themselves to know (of faithfulness) one commandment of God. And thus full many men and women now, and specially men that are named to be principal limbs of holy church, stir God to great wrath, and deserve his curse for that they call or hold them just men, which are full unjust; as their vicious words, their great customable swearing, and their slanderous and shameful Shrewsbury! works, shew openly and witness. And therefore such vicious turnifromtfiy men and unjust, in their own confusion, call them unjust men wicked ways " thou canst ' and women, which after their power and cunning busy them- not receive ' ~ • the truth, selves to live justly after the commandment of God. And where, sir, ye say that I have distroubled the communalty of Shrewsbury, and many other men and women with my teaching : if it thus be, it is not to be wondered of wise men, Jerusalem since all the communalty of the city of Jerusalem was dis- thcupr^rung troubled of Christ's own person, that was very God and man, and the most prudent preacher that ever was or shall be ; and also all the synagogue of Nazareth was moved against Christ, and so fulfilled with ire towards him for his preaching, that the men of the synagogue rose up and cast Christ out of their city, and led him up to the top of a mountain for to cast him down there headlong. Also ac- cordingly hereto the Lord witnesseth by Moses, that he shall put dissension betwixt his people, and the people that contra- rieth and pursueth his people. Who, sir, is he that shall preach the truth of God's word to the unfaithful people, and shall let the soothfastness of the gospel and the prophecy of God almighty to be fulfilled ?" And the archbishop said to me : "It followeth of these thy words, that thou and such other thinkest, that ye do right well for to preach and teach as ye do, without autho- rity of any bishop. For you presume, that the Lord hath chosen you only for to preach, as faithful disciples and special followers of Christ." The word of And I said : " Sir, by authority of God's law, and also of God ought . ' * J ' . truly^be saints and doctors, I am learned to deem, that it is every preached. priest's office and duty for to preach busily, freely, and truly the word of God. For no doubt every priest should purpose first in his soul and covet to take the order of priesthood EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 85 chiefly for to make known to the people the word of God, after his cunning and power, approving his words ever to be true by his virtuous works ; and for this intent we suppose that bishops and other prelates of holy church should chiefly take and use their prelacy, and for the same cause bishops should give to priests their orders. For bishops should accept no iftimiesson man to priesthood, except that he had good- will and full pur- ^J^dthe pose, and were well disposed and well learned to preach. broubgehTto Wherefore, sir, by the bidding of Christ, and by example Sbuyc^k^n7 of his most holy living, and also by the witnessing of his holy Av apostles and prophets, we are bound under full great pain to exercise us, after our cunning and power (as every priest is likewise charged of God), to fulfil duly the office of priest- hood. We presume not here of ourselves for to be esteemed, neither in our own reputation nor in none other man's, faithful disciples and special followers of Christ. But, sir, as I said to you before, we deem this, by authority chiefly of God's word, that it is the chief duty of every priest to busy them faithfully to make the law of God known to his people, and so to commune the commandment of God cha- ritably, how that we may best, where, when, and to whom that ever we may, is our very duty. And, for the will and business that we owe of due debt to do justly our office Aneffectuous prayer, God through the stirring and special help, as we trust, of God, gjf^™11 hoping stedfastly in his mercy, we desire to be the faithful disciples of Christ : and we pray this gracious Lord, for his holy name, that he make us able so to please him with devout prayers, and charitable priestly works, that we may obtain of him to follow him thankfully." And the archbishop said to me : " Lewd losel ! whereto makest thou such vain reasons to me ? Asketh not St Paul, 'How should priests preach, except they be sent?' But I sent thee never to preach ; for thy venomous doctrine is so known throughout England, that no bishop will admit thee for to preach by witnessing of their letters. Why then, lewd idiot, wilt thou presume to preach, since thou art not sent, why he nor licensed of thy sovereign to preach? Saith not St Paul, without the . . , , bishop's that subjects ought to obey their sovereigns, and not only licence. good and virtuous, but also tyrants that are vicious?" And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, as touching your He»™wereth letter of licence or other bishops', which ye say we should {j^"^""^; have to witness that we were able to be sent for to preach ; <*licence- 86 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPB. The income- we know well that neither you, sir, nor any other bishop of sct-kincof this land, will grant to us any such letters of licence, but wo ifc"nrof should oblige us to you, and to other bishops, by unleful oaths, for to pass not the bounds and terms which ye, sir, or other bishops, will limit to us. And since in this matter your terms bo some too large, and some too strait, we dare not oblige us thus to be bounden to you for to keep the terms which you will limit to us, as ye do to friars and such other preachers; and therefore, though we have not your letter, sir, nor letters of other bishops, written with ink upon parchment, we dare not herefore leave the office of preach- ing, to which preaching all priests, after their cunning and power, are bound by divers testimonies of God's law, and great doctors, without any mention-making of bishops' letters. For as mickle as we have taken upon us the office of priesthood (though we are unworthy thereto), we come and purpose to fulfil it with the help of God, by authority of his own law, and by witness of great doctors and saints, accordingly hereto trusting stedfastly in the mercy of God. For that he com- mandeth us to do the office of priesthood, he will be our sufficient letters and witness, if we, by example of his holy «ro>eri^Sch- living and teaching, specially occupy us faithfully to do our I'Sodiifeof office justly: yea, the people to whom we. preach (be they the followers, fa^hf^ or unfaithful) shall be our letters, that is, our witness- bearers ; for the truth, where it is sown, may not be un- witnessed : for all that are converted and saved by learning of God's word, and by working thereafter, are witness-bear- ers, that the truth and soothfastness which they heard and did after is cause of their salvation. And again, all unfaith- ful men and women, which heard the truth told out to them, and would not do thereafter ; also all they that might have heard the truth and would not hear it, because that they would not do thereafter ; all these shall bear witness against themselves; and the truth which they would not hear, or else heard it and despised to do thereafter, through their unfaithfulness, is and shall be cause of their damnation. Therefore, sir, since this foresaid witnessing of God, and of divers saints and doctors, and of all the people, good and evil, sufficeth to all true preachers ; we think that we do not the office of priesthood, if that we leave our preaching, because that we have not, or may not have, duly bishops' letters, to witness that we are sent of them to preach. This sentence EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 87 approveth St Paul, where he speaketh of himself, and of faithful apostles and disciples, saying thus : ' We need no letters of commendations, as some preachers do,' which preach for covetousness of temporal goods, and for men's praising. And where ye say, sir, that Paul biddeth subjects obey their sovereigns, that is sooth, and may not be denied. But there TWO kinds of . /, .. . , . . sovereigns. is two manner ot sovereigns, virtuous sovereigns and vicious Hr|jmte*n£th tyrants. Therefore, to these last sovereigns, neither men ^sunvirtu~ nor women that be subject owe to obey in two manners. To virtuous sovereigns and charitable subjects owe to obey wil- fully and gladly, in hearing of their good counsel, in consent- ing to their charitable biddings, and in working after their fruitful works. " This sentence Paul approveth where he saith thus to subjects : ' Be ye mindful of your sovereigns that speak to you the word of God ; and follow you the faith of them, whose conversation you know to be virtuous.' For, as Paul saith after, these sovereigns, to whom subjects owe to obey in following of their manners, work busily in holy studying, how they may withstand and destroy vices, first in them- selves, and after in all their subjects, and how they may best plant in them virtues. Also these sovereigns make devout and fervent prayers for to purchase grace of God, that TWO manner they and their subjects may, over all thing, dread to offend ^ \nh§;J'°^" him, and to love for to please him. Also these sovereigns to doings and « examples. whom Paul biddeth us obey, as it is said before, live so ^gth^e1' virtuously, that all they that will live well may take ofwei"^- them good example, to know and to keep the commandments io?de,dandyiike of God. But in this foresaid wise subjects ought not to a ' obey nor to be obedient to tyrants, while they are vicious tyrants; since their will, their counsel, their biddings, and their works are so vicious, that they ought to be hated and left. And though such tyrants be masterful and cruel in boasting and menacing, in oppressions and divers punishings, St Peter biddeth the servants of such tyrants to obey meekly such tyrants, suffering patiently their malicious cruel- ness. But Peter counselleth not any servant or subject to obey to any lord, or prince, or sovereign, in any thing that is not pleasing to God." And the archbishop said unto me : " If a sovereign bid his subject do that thing that is vicious, this sovereign herein 88 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. is to blame ; but the subject for his obedience deserveth meed of God : for obedience pleaseth more to God than any sacrifice." And I said : " Samuel the prophet said to Saul, the wicked king, that God was more pleased with the obedience of his commandment than with any sacrifice of beasts. But David saith, and St Paul, and St Gregory1, accordingly obedience together, that not only they that do evil are worthy of not to be ' , * J * TnMn&Cfft death and damnation ; but also all they that consent to evil doers. And, sir, the law of holy church teacheth in the decrees, that no servant to his lord, nor child to the father or mother, nor wife to her husband, nor monk to his abbot, ought to obey, except in leful things and lawful." And the archbishop said to me : " All these allegings AH is pre- that thou bringest forth are not else but proud presumptu- thttjtiMWh ousness ; for hereby thou enforcest thee to prove, that thou against your . * 'aliTimkJn1 an(* su °ther are so just, that ye ought not to obey to prelates. And thus, against the learning of St Paul that teacheth you not to preach but if ye were sent, of your own authority ye will go forth and preach, and do what ye list." And I said : " Sir, presenteth not every priest the office of the apostles, or the office of the disciples of Christ ?" And the archbishop said, " Yea." And I said : " Sir, as the tenth chapter of Matthew and the last chapter of Mark witnesseth, Christ sent his apostles for to preach. And the tenth chapter of Luke witnesseth, that Christ sent his two- and-seventy disciples for to preach in every place that Christ was to come to. And St Gregory 2 in the common law saith, that every man that goeth to priesthood taketh upon him the office of preaching : for, as he saith, that priest stir- reth God to great wrath, of whose mouth is not heard the voice of preaching ; and, as other more glosses upon Ezechiel witness, that the priest that preacheth not busily to the Pnests that people shall be partaker of their damnation that perish £?iayenrcof through his default. And, though the people be saved by other special grace of God than by the priests' preaching, yet the priests, in that they are ordained to preach, and preach not, as before God, they are manslayers. For, as far as in them is, such priests as preach not busily and truly, slayeth [i Ed. Ben. Par. Vol. I col. 1156.] [2 Ed. Ben. Par. Vol. I. col. 1260.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 89 all the people ghostly, in that they withhold from them the word of God, that is life and sustenance of men's souls. And St Isidore said, priests shall be damned for wickedness of the people, if they teach not them that are ignorant, or blame not them that are sinners. For all the work or busi- ness of priests standeth in preaching and teaching ; that they edify all men, as well by cunning of faith, as by discipline of works, that is, virtuous teaching ; and, as the gospel witness- eth, Christ said in his teaching : ' I am born and come into this world, to bear witness to the truth ; and he that is of the truth heareth my voice.' "Then, sir, since by the word of Christ specially, that is, Priests not . J . only sent, but his voice, priests are commanded to preach, whatsoever priest commanded r * * to preach. that it be, that hath not good will and full purpose to do ^ZS&xh thus, and ableth not himself, after his cunning and power, to do uenJonlthat his office by the example of Christ and of his apostles, what- ™weflhy bound soever other thing that he doth, displeaseth God. For lo, St Ten!* Gregory saith : ' That thing left, that a man is bound chiefly eth hTmpnoCt " *. . .& / by the beard, to do, whatsoever other thing that a man doeth, it is unthank- n°r burneth ° 'off his hand, ful to the Holy Ghost1 ;' and therefore, saith Lincoln, the ^onner priest that preacheth not the word of God, though he be seen to have none other default, he is antichrist and satanas, a night thief and a day thief, a slayer of souls, and an angel of light turned into darkness. Wherefore, sir, these autho- rities and others well considered, I deem myself damnable, if I, either for pleasure or displeasure of any creature, apply me not diligently to preach the word of God. And in the same damnation I deem all those priests, which, of good purpose and will, enforce them not busily to do thus, and also all them that have purpose or will to let any priest of this business." And the archbishop said to those three clerks that stood before him : " Lo, sirs, this is the manner and business of this losel and such other, to pick out such sharp sentences of holy scripture and of doctors, to maintain their sect and lore against the ordinance of holy church. And therefore, losel, it is that thou covetest to have again the Psalter that I made to be taken from thee at Canterbury, to record sharp verses against us. But thou shalt never have that Psalter, nor none other book, till that I know that thy heart and thy mouth accord fully to be governed by holy church." [i Ed. Ben. Par. Vol. i. col. 1261.] 90 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. And I said : " Sir, all my will and power is, and ever shall be (I trust to God), to be governed by holy church." And the archbishop asked me, what was holy church. And I said : " Sir, I told you before what was holy church : but since ye ask me this demand, I call Christ and his saints holy church." And the archbishop said unto me : "I wot well that Christ and his saints are holy church in heaven ; but what is holy church in earth ?" TWO parts of And I said : " Sir, though holy church be every one in holy church. . .11 mi t* • chanty, yet it hath two parts. Ihe first and principal part hath overcome perfectly all the wretchedness of this life, and reigneth joyfully in heaven with Christ. And the other part is here yet in earth, busily and continually fighting, day and night, against temptations of the fiend, forsaking and hating the prosperity of this world, despising and withstanding their fleshly lusts ; which only are the pilgrims of Christ, wander- ing toward heaven by stedfast faith and grounded hope, and by perfect charity. For these heavenly pilgrims may not, nor will not, be letted of their good purpose by the reason of any doctors discording from holy scripture, nor by the floods of any tribulation temporal, nor by the wind of any pride, of boast, or of menacing of any creature; for they arc all fast grounded upon the sure stone, Christ, hearing his word and loving it, exercising them faithfully and continually in all their wits to do thereafter." And the archbishop said to his clerks : " See ye not how his heart is indurate, and how he is travailed with the devil occupying him thus busily to allege such sentences to maintain his errors and heresies ? Certain, thus he would occupy us here all day, if we would suffer him !" One of the clerks answered : " Sir, he said right now, that this certification that came to you from Shrewsbury is untruly forged against him. Therefore, sir, appose you him wen helped now here in all the points which are certified against him, forward, mas- A ter cierk. an(j so we g^u hear Of jjjg own m0uth his answers, and witness them." And the archbishop took the certification in his hand, and looked thereon awhile, and then he said to me : " Lo, here it is certified against thee by worthy men and faithful, of Shrewsbury, that thou preachedst there openly, in St Chad's EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 91 church, that the sacrament of the altar was material bread after the consecration. What sayest thou ? was this truly preached?" And I said : " Sir, I tell you truly, that I touched nothing there of the sacrament of the altar, but in this wise as I will, with God's grace, tell you here. As I stood there in the ™es™!,ue of pulpit, busying me to teach the commandment of God, there ™hninsthed knelled a sacring bell ; and therefore mickle people turned than i ™the away hastily, and with noise ran fro towards me. And I, sign, seeing this, said to them thus : ' Good men ! ye were better to stand here still and to hear God's word ; for certes the virtue and the meed of the most holy sacrament of the altar standeth mickle more in the belief thereof that ye ought to have in your soul, than it doth in the outward sight thereof. And therefore ye were better to stand still, quietly to hear God's word, because that through the hearing thereof men come to very true belief.' And otherwise, sir, I am certain I spake not there of the worthy sacrament of the altar." And the archbishop said to me : "I believe thee not, whatsoever thou sayest, since so worshipful men have wit- nessed thus against thee. But, since thou deniest that thou saidest thus there, what sayest thou now ? Resteth there, after the consecration, in the host material bread or no?" And I said : " Sir, I know in no place in holy scripture Ma where this term material bread is written ; and therefore, sir, when I speak of this matter, I use not to speak of material bread." Then the archbishop said to me : " How teachest thou men to believe in this sacrament?" And I said : " Sir, as I believe myself, so I teach other men." He said : " Tell out plainly thy belief thereof." And I said, with my protestation : " Sir, I believe that the night before that Christ Jesu would suffer wilfully passion for mankind on the morn after, he took bread in his holy and most worshipful hands, lifting up his eyes, and giving thanks to God his Father, blessed this bread, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying to them : ' Take, eat of this all you, this is my body.' And that this is and ought to be all men's belief, Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul witness. Other belief, sir, have I none, nor will have, nor 92 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. teach ; for I believe that this sufficeth in this matter. For in this belief, with God's grace, I purpose to live and die, knowledging, as I believe and teach other men to believe, that the worshipful sacrament of the altar is the sacrament of Christ's flesh and his blood in form of bread and of wine." And the archbishop said to me : " It is sooth that this sacrament is very Christ's body in form of bread ; but thou and thy sect teachest it to be substance of bread. Think you this true teaching?" And I said : " Neither I, nor any other of the sect that ye damn, teach any otherwise than I have told you, nor believe otherwise, to my knowing. Nevertheless, sir, I ask of you for charity, that ye will tell me here plainly how ye shall understand this text of St Paul, where he saith thus : ' This thing feel you in yourself, that is in Christ Jesu, while he was in the form of God.' Sir, calleth not Paul here the form of God the substance or kind of God ? Also, sir, for them but sayeth not the church, in the Hours of the most blessed only the * church. virgin, accordingly hereto, where it is written thus, ' Thou author of health ! remember, that sometime thou took of the undefiled virgin the form of our body?' Tell me for charity, therefore, whether the form of our body be called here the kind of our body or no?" And the archbishop said to me : " Wouldest thou make me to declare this text after thy purpose, since the church now hath determined that there abideth no substance of bread after the consecration in the sacrament of the altar ? Belie vest thou not this ordinance of the church ?" And I said : " Sir, whatsoever prelates have ordained in the church, our belief standeth ever whole. I have not heard that the ordinance of men under belief should be put into belief." Every ordi- And the archbishop said to me : " If thou hast not learned churchmen this before, learn now to know that thou art out of belief, if our faith. in this matter and other thou believest not as the holy church belie veth. What say doctors treating of this sacrament?" The greatest And I said : " Sir, St Paul, that was a great doctor of doctors of the ' ' m •«_•'• Shurtiesbe h°ty church, speaking to the people, and teaching them in the ofttne right belief of this most holy sacrament, calleth it bread that ili we break : and also in the canon of the mass, after the conse- 1 'l cration, this most worthy sacrament is called holy bread ; and EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 93 every priest in this land, after that he hath received this MY lord can . . . . „,. . , revile apace, sacrament, saith in this wise: ' Ihat thing that we have h,ecan de- clare but a taken with our mouth, we pray God that we may take it ^^ him with a pure and clean mind :' that is, as I understand, we up> my lord* pray God that we may receive, through very belief, this holy sacrament worthily. And, sir, St Augustine saith: 'That thing that is seen, is bread : but that men's faith asketh to be informed of, is very Christ's body1.' And also Fulgence, an ententive doctor, saith : * As it were an error to say that Christ was but a substance, that is, very man, and not very God, or to say that Christ was very God, and not very man; so is it,' this doctor saith, * an error to say, that the sacra- ment of the altar is but a substance.' Also, sir, accordingly hereto, in the secret of the mid-mass on Christmas days it is written thus : Idem refulsit Deus, sic terrena substantia nobis conferat quod divinum est ; which sentence, sir, with the secret of the fourth ferie, quatuor temporum Septembris, I pray you, sir, declare here openly in English2." And the archbishop said to me : "I perceive well enough whereabout thou art, and how the devil blindeth thee, that thou may not understand the ordinance of holy church, nor consent thereto. But I command thee now, answer me shortly : Believest thou that after the consecration of this foresaid sacrament there abideth substance of bread, or not?" And I said : " Sir, as I understand, it is all one to grant TO grant real or believe, that there dwelleth substance of bread, and to body without i i f i i • i i* bread' isas grant and to believe, that this most worthy sacrament ofmucnafto « grant the ac- Christ's own body is accident without subject. But, sir, for ^"out'tnl as mickle as your asking passeth my understanding, I dare subJect- neither deny it nor grant it ; for it is school-matter, about which I busied me never for to know it ; and therefore I commit this term, accidens sine subjecto, to those clerks which delight them so in curious and subtle sophistry, because they deter- mine oft so difficult and strange matters, and wade and wander so in them, from argument to argument, with pro and contra, till that they wot not where they are, and [* Non hoc corpus quod videtis, manducaturi estis, &c. — August. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. Toin. iv. col. 1066. Accipiant hoc et boni, sed non sint solliciti : loquebatur enim de presentia corporis sire, &c. Op. Ben. Par. Tom. m. pars iii. col. 634.] [2 Ad Sec. Miss, in Aur. Die Nat. Dom. Ed. Salam. p. 22. 1567.] 94 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. r>ommT The church stood sound understand not themselves. But the shame that these proud sophisters have to yield them to men, and before men, maketh them oft fools, and to be concluded shamefully before God." And the archbishop said to me : "I purpose not to oblige *hee *° ^e SUD^e arguments of clerks, since thou art unable thereto ; but I purpose to make thee obey to the determina- tion of holy church." And I said : " Sir, by open evidence and great witness, a ' / r thousand year after the incarnation of Christ, the determina- tion which I have here before you rehearsed was accept of holy church, as sufficient to the salvation of all them that would believe it faithfully, and work thereafter charitably. But, sir, the determination of this matter, which was brought in since the fiend was loosed by friar Thomas again, specially calling the most worshipful sacrament of Christ's own body an accident without subject : which term, since I know not that God's law approveth it in this matter, I dare not grant ; but utterly I deny to make this friar's sentence, or any such other, my belief, do with me, God ! what thou wilt." And the archbishop said to me: "Well, well, thou shalt £ sav otherwise or that I leave thee. But what sayest thou to this second point that is recorded against thee by worthy men of Shrewsbury, saying that thou preachedst openly there, that images ought not to be worshipped in any wise ?" And I said : " Sir, I preached never thus, nor, through God's grace, I will not at any time consent to think nor to say thus, neither privily nor apertly. For lo, the Lord witnesseth by Moses, that the things which he made were right good ; and so then they were, and yet they are and shall be, good and worshipful in their kind. And therefore, to the end that God made them, they are all praiseable and worshipful ; and specially man, that was made after the image and likeness of God, is full worshipful in his kind, yea, this holy image that is man God worshippeth. And herefore every man should worship other, in kind, and also for hea- venly virtues that men use charitably. And also I say, wood, tin, gold, silver, or any other matter that images are made of, all these creatures are worshipful in their kind, Thout1th™an an<* to *ke en(^ t*iat God made them for. But the carving, casting, nor painting of an imagery, made with man's hand, did not fly shipful image of God. EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 95 albeit that this doing be accept of man of highest state and jmage dignity, and ordained of them to be a calendar to lewd men, right way to 6 V ' f' learn to serve that neither can, nor will, be learned to know God in his God- word, neither by his creatures, nor by his wonderful and divers workings ; yet this imagery ought not to be worshipped in form, nor in the likeness of man's craft. Nevertheless that every matter the painters paint with, since it is God's creature, ought to be worshipped in the kind, and to the end that God made and ordained it to serve man." Then the archbishop said to me : " I grant well that nobody ought to do worship to any such images for them- selves. But a crucifix ought to be worshipped for the passion of Christ that is painted therein, and so brought therethrough to man's mind : and thus the images of the blessed Trinity, The image of and of the virgin Mary, Christ's mother, and other images of saints, ought to be worshipped. For lo, earthly kings and Afs,j£i|j[£d,(| lords, which use to send their letters ensealed with their ^°0rv'f^' arms or with their privy signet to men that are with them, %%£££ of are worshipped of these men. For when these men receive their lords' letters, in which they see and know the wills and biddings of their lords, in worship of their lords they do off their caps to these letters. Why not then, since in images made with man's hand we may read and know many divers things of God and of his saints, shall we not worship their images ? " And I said : " With my foresaid protestation I say, that these worldly usages of temporal lords that ye speak now of, may be done in case without sin. But this is no similitude NO similitude ... ., <ii» i ir to be made to worship images made by man s hand, since that Moses, between r earthlythings David, Solomon, Baruch, and other saints in the Bible, forbid n"^e?iritu so plainly the worshipping of all such images." wSridoth'8 Then the archbishop said to me : " Lewd losel ! in the ?he contrary. old law, before that Christ took mankind, was no likeness of mViord^ut any person of the Trinity, neither shewed to man nor known of contrary, in . . fj, . , • • i <» i i n's com- ; but now, since Christ became man, it is leiul to have mandments. images to shew his manhood. Yea, though many men which Painters' de- are right great clerks, and other also, held it an error to the pope's & . . . . . divinity do paint the Trinity, I say it is well done to make and to paint wel1 "«"*• the Trinity in images ; for it is great moving of devotion to men, to have and to behold the Trinity, and other images of saints, carved, casted, and painted. For beyond the sea are 96 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. Preparation the best painters that ever I saw. And, sirs, I tell you, this oftne . . ... . , , paint*™ to ls their manner, and it is a good manner : when that an make a fair ' c . ?nia ae.devoul image-maker shall carve, cast in mould, or paint any images, he shall go to a priest, and shrive him as clean, as if he should then die ; and take penance, and make some certain vow of fasting, or of praying, or of pilgrimages doing, pray- ing the priest specially to pray for him, that he may have grace to make a fair and devout image." And I said : " Sir, I doubt not, if these painters that ye speak of, or any other painters, understood truly the text of Moses, of David, of the wise man, of Baruch, and of other saints and doctors, these painters should be moved to shrive them to God with full inward sorrow of heart, taking upon them to do right sharp penance for the sinful and vain craft of painting, carving, or casting that they had used ; pro- mising God faithfully never to do so after ; knowledging openly, before all men, their reprovable learning. And also, sir, these priests, that shrive (as you do say) painters, and enjoin them to do penance, and pray for their speed, pro- mising to them help of their prayers for to be curious in their sinful crafts, sin herein more grievously than the painters: for these priests do comfort and give them counsel to do that thing, which of great pain, yea under the pain of God's curse, they should utterly forbid them. For certes, sir, if the wonderful working of God, and the holy living and teaching of Christ, and of his apostles and prophets, were made known to the people by holy living and true, and busy The true teaching of priests, these things, sir, were sufficient books and books and jV ' .» i. • calenders to kalenders to know God by, and his saints, without any know God. t * * .... * images made with man's hand. But certes the vicious living of priests, and their covetousness, are chief cause of this error, and all other viciousness that reigneth among the people." Then the archbishop said unto me: "I hold thee a vicious A tetter priest and accurst, and all them that are of thy sect ; for all le^bilnT to priests of holy church, and all images that move men to devo- te Vor"6 tion, thou and such other go about to destroy. Losel ! were it a fair thing to come into the church and see therein none image ?" And I said : " Sir, they that come to the church for to pray devoutly to the Lord God, may in their inward wits be the more fervent, that all their outward wits be closed from EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 97 all outward seeing and hearing, and from all distroubance and lettings. And, since Christ blessed them that saw him The right not bodily, and have believed faithfully in him, it sufficeth Christian. * then to all men (through hearing and knowing of God's word, and to do thereafter) for to believe in God, though they see never images made with man's hand after any person of the Trinity, or of any other saint. And the archbishop said to me, with a fervent spirit : " I say to thee, losel ! that it is right well done to make and to have an image of the Trinity ; yea, what sayest thou ? is it My lord, . , . 11111 • n 11 y°ur yea wil1 not a stirring thing to behold such an image ? no^snTr And I said : " Sir, ye said right now, that in the old law, or Christ took mankind, no likeness of any person of the Trinity was shewed to men ; wherefore, sir, ye said, it was not then leful to have images : but now ye say, since Christ is become man, it is leful to make and to have an image of the Trinity, and also of other saints. But, sir, this thing would I learn of you : since the Father of heaven, yea, and every person of the Trinity was, without beginning, God Almighty, and many holy prophets that were deadly1 men were martyred violently in the old law, and also many men and women then died holy confessors ; why was it not then as leful and necessary as now, to have made an image of the Father of heaven, and to have made and had other images of Note this, ye martyrs, prophets, and holy confessors, to have been kalen- ™A "m™-1" * J . tainersof ders to advise men and move them to devotion, as ye say images. that images now do?" And the archbishop said : "The synagogue of Jews hadThesyna- not authority to approve those things as the church of Christ antichrist hath nOW." authority. And I said : " Sir, St Gregory was a great man in the new law, and of great dignity, and, as the common law witnesseth, he commended greatly a bishop, in that he forbad utterly the images made with man's hand should be worshipped2." And the archbishop said : " Ungracious losel ! thou sa- vourest no more truth than an hound. Since at the rood at [l Deadly: mortal.] [2 The bishop was Serenus, bishop of Marseilles (Marsilia), and the passage in which Gregory's commendation is given will be found as follows.— Greg. Mag. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1705. Vol. n. col. 1006, Regist. Lib. ix. Indict, n.] 7 [BALE.] 98 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THOItPE. the Northdoor at London, at our Lady at Walsingham, and many other divers places in England, arc many great and praiseablo miracles done ; should not the images of such holy saints and places, at the reverence of God, and our lady, and other saints, be more worshipped than other places and images, where no miracles are done?" Miraci« im- And I said : " Sir, there is no such virtue in any imagery, fhV"ogbe°r that any images should herefore be worshipped : wherefore I doneto « i • -11 **t imaowmay am certain that there is no miracle done of God m any place well be sus- _ ^ , eomTof GotL *n earth, because that any images made with man's hand should be worshipped. And herefore, sir, as I preached openly at Shrewsbury and other places, I say now here A Christian before you : That no body should trust that there were any man ought . .» . » not to vow, virtue in imagery made with man s hand ; and therefore no neek, nor ' • ^Wynnor body should vow to them, nor seek them, nor kneel to them, a^tn^e?8* nor ^ow t° them, nor pray to them, nor offer any thing to them, nor kiss them, nor incense them. For lo, the most worthy of such images, the brasen serpent (by Moses made at God's bidding), the good king Ezekias destroyed worthily and thankfully, for because it was incensed. Therefore, sir, if men take good heed to the writing and to the learning of St Augustine, of St Gregory, and of St John Chrysostom, and of other saints and doctors, how they speak and write of miracles that shall be done now in the last end of the world; For the un- it is to dread, that for the unfaithfulness of men and women faithfulness i/>iii » i /• i • i of men the the fiend hath great power for to work many of the miracles devil may < * «ieLkmira ^at now are done in sucn places. For both men and women delight now more to hear and know miracles, than they do to know God's word, or to hear it effectuously. Wherefore, to the great confusion of all them that thus do, Christ saith : ' The generation of adulterers requireth tokens, miracles, and wonders.' Nevertheless, as divers saints say, now, when the faith of God is published in Christendom, the word of God sufficeth to man's salvation, without such miracles : and thus The word of also the word of God sufficeth to all faithful men and women, God sufficeth T» * i • • IT-II /• ustosaiva- without any such images. But, good sir, since the rather of tiqn without • miracl£s- heaven, that is, God in his Godhead, is the most unknown thing that may be, and the most wonderful spirit, having in it no shape or likeness of any members of any deadly crea- ture ; in what likeness, or what image, may God the Father be shewed or painted?" EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 99 And the archbishop said: "As holy church hath suffered 'Ho'y r * Church 'of and yet suffereth the images of all the Trinity, and other ^"i^g}"1 images, to be painted and shewed, it sufficeth to them that are members of holy church. But since thou art a rotten member, cut away from holy church, thou favourest not the ordinance thereof. But since the day passeth, leave we this matter." And then he said to me : " What sayest thou to the third The third article. point that is certified against thee, preaching openly in fBfbng* Shrewsbury, that pilgrimage is not leful ; and over this, thou saidst that those men and women that go on pilgrimages to Canterbury, to Beverley, to Karlington, to Walsingham, and to any such other places, are accursed and made foolish, spending their goods in waste?" And I said: " Sir, by this certification I am accused to TWO kinds of pilgrimage. you that I should teach, that no pilgrimage is leful. But I said never thus. For I know that there be true pilgrimages and leful, and full pleasant to God ; and therefore, sir, how- soever mine enemies have certified you of me, I told at Shrewsbury of two manner of pilgrimages." And the archbishop said to me : " Whom callest thou true pilgrims ? " And I said : " Sir, with my protestation, I call them true The true pu- grimage is to pilgrims travelling toward the bliss of heaven, which, .in the lravail jn heavenly state, degree, or order that God calleth them to, do busy them faithfully for to occupy all their wits bodily and ghostly, to know truly and to keep faithfully the biddings of God, hating and fleeing all the seven deadly sins, and every branch of them ; ruling them virtuously (as it is said before) with all their wits ; doing discreetly, wilfully, and gladly, all the works of mercy, bodily and ghostly ; after their cunning and power, abling them to the gifts of the Holy Ghost ; disposing them to receive them in their souls, and to hold therein the right blessings of Christ ; busying them to know and to keep the seven principal virtues : and so then they shall obtain here, through grace, for to use thankfully to God all the conditions of charity : and then they shall be moved with the good Spirit of God, for to examine oft and diligently their con- science, that neither wilfully nor wittingly they err in any article of belief; having continually (as frailty will suffer) all their business to dread and to flee the offence of God, and to love over all thing, and to seek ever to do, his pleasant will. 7—2 100 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. Kvery good Of these pilgrims I said, whatsoever good thought that they ffcaven*1' to any time think, what virtuous word that they speak, and what fruitful work that they work, every such thought, word, and work, is a step, numbered of God, toward him into heaven. The manner These foresaid pilgrims of God delight sore when they hear and example. . 1 .6 / of Mint*. of saints or of virtuous men and women, how they forsook wilfully the prosperity of this life, how they withstood the suggestion of the fiend, how they restrained their fleshly lusts, how discreet they were in their penance-doing, how patient they were in all their adversities, how prudent they were in counselling of men and women, moving them to hate all sin, and to fly them, and to shame ever greatly thereof, and to love all virtues, and to draw to them, imagining how Christ, and his followers by example of him, suffered scorns and slander, and how patiently they abode and took the wrongful menacing of tyrants ; how homely they were and serviceable to poor men, to relieve and comfort them bodily and ghostly, after their power and cunning ; and how devout they were in prayers, how fervent they were in heavenly desires, and how they absented them from spectacles of vain sayings and hearings ; and how stable they were to let and destroy all vices, and how laborious and joyful they were to sow and to plant virtues. These heavenly conditions and such other have the pilgrims, or endeavour them for to have, whose pilgrimage God accepteth." And again, I said, " As their works shew, the most part of men and women, that go now on pilgrimages, have not these foresaid conditions, nor love to busy them faithfully for to have. For, as I well know, since I have full oft essayed, examine whosoever will twenty of these pilgrims, and he shall not find three men or women that know surely a com- mandment of God, nor can say their Pater Noster and Ave Maria, nor their Credo readily in any manner of language. And, as I have learned, and also know somewhat by expe- rience, of these same pilgrims, telling the cause, why that many men and women go hither and thither now on pilgrim- ages, it is more for the health of their bodies than of their souls ; more for to have riches and prosperity of this world, than for to be enriched with virtues in their souls ; more to have here worldly and fleshly friendship, than for to have friendship of God and of his saints in heaven : for whatso- EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 101 ever thing man or woman doth, the friendship of God, nor of any other saint, cannot be had without keeping of God's commandments. Further, with my protestation, I say now as I said in Shrewsbury, though they that have fleshly wills travel far their bodies and spend mickle money to seek and to visit the bones or images (as they say they do) of this saint or of that, such pilgrimage-going is neither praiseable nor thankful to God, nor to any saint of God, since, in effect, God- all such pilgrims despise God and all his commandments and saints. For the commandments of God they will neither know nor keep, nor conform them to live virtuously by example of Christ and of his saints. "Wherefore, sir, I have preached and taught openly, and so I purpose all my life-time to do with God's help, saying, that such fond people waste blamefully God's goods in their vain pilgrimages, spending their goods upon vicious hostellers, which are oft unclean women of their bodies; and at the least, those goods, with the which they should do works of mercy, after God's bidding, to poor needy men and women. "These poor men's goods and their livelihood these The inconve . , i-ii «ii niencethat runners-about offer to rich priests, which have mickle more cometn by pilgrimage. livelihood than they need : and thus those goods they waste wilfully, and spend them unjustly, against God's bidding, upon strangers, with which they should help and relieve after God's will their poor needy neighbours at home. Yea, and over this folly, oft-times divers men and women of these runners thus madly hither and thither into pilgrimage borrow hereto other men's goods ; yea, and sometime they steal men's goods hereto, and they pay them never again. Also, sir, I know well that when divers men and women will go thus after their own wills, and finding out one pilgrimage, they will ordain with them before to have with them both men and women that can well sing wanton songs, and some other pil- grims will have with them bag-pipes ; so that every town that they come through, what with the noise of their singing, and with the sound of their piping, and with the jangling of their Canterbury bells, and with the barking out of dogs after them, that they make more noise than if the king came there away, with all his clarions, and many other minstrels. And if these men and women be a month out in their pilgrimage, many of them shall be an half year after great janglers, tale-tellers, and liars." 102 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. And the archbishop said to me : " Lewd losel I thou seest not far enough in this matter; for thou considerest not the great travail of pilgrims, therefore thou blamest that thing that is praiseablc. I say to thee, that it is right well done, that pilgrims have with them both singers and also pipers ; that when one of them that goeth barefoot, striketh his toe upon a stone, and hurteth him sore, and maketh him to bleed, it is well done that he or his fellow begin then a song, or else take out of his bosom a bagpipe, for to drive away with And why such mirth the hurt of his fellow: for with such solace the then blamed phih^t for travail and weariness cf pilgrims is lightly and merrily brought singing 'in And I said : " Sir, St Paul teacheth men to weep with them that weep." And the archbishop said : " What janglest thou against men's devotion? Whatsoever thou or such other say, I say that the pilgrimage that now is used, is to them that do it a praiseable and a good mean to come the rather to grace. A new found But I hold thee unable to know this grace, for thou enforcest way to grace, . makfnishops ^ce *o ^ the devotion of the people ; since by authority of holy scripture men may lefully have and use such solace as thou reprovest. For David in his last Psalm teacheth men to have divers instruments of music, for to praise therewith God." And I said : " Sir, by the sentence of divers doctors l"dm™ucts expounding the Psalms of David, that music and minstrelsy, Tesume'nt, that David and other saints of the old law spake of, ought tho beahppi"Jd now neither to be taken nor used by the letter ; but these instruments, with their music, ought to be interpreted ghostly : for all those figures are called virtues and grace, with which virtues men should please God, and praise his name ; for St Paul saith, "all such things befel them in figure." Therefore, sir, I understand, that the letter of this psalm of David, and of such other psalms and sentences, doth slay them that take them now literally. This sentence, as I understand, sir, Christ approveth himself, putting out the minstrels, or that he would quicken the dead damsel." organs in And the archbishop said to me: "Lewd losel! is it not Afitcompa- ^e^ to us to have organs in the church, for to worship there- i£rdn'andyiike withal God ?" And I said : " Yea, sir, by man's ordinance ; jourseif. ku^ ^ ^Q or(jmance Of Q0^f a good sermon to the people's understanding were mickle more pleasant to God." EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 103 And the archbishop said, that "organs and good delectable songs quickened and sharpened more men's wits than should any sermon." But I said : " Sir, lusty men and worldly lovers delight and covet and travail to have all their wits quickened and sharpened with divers sensible solace : but all the faithful lovers and followers of Christ have all their delight to hear God's word, and to understand it truly, and to work there- after faithfully and continually. For, no doubt, to dread to offend God, and to love to please him in all things, quickeneth and sharpeneth all the wits of Christ's chosen people, and ableth them so to grace, that they joy greatly to withdraw their ears and all their wits and members from all worldly delight and from all fleshly solace. For St Jerome (as I think) saith, ' No body may joy with this world and reign with Christ.' " And the archbishop, as if he had been displeased with YOU swear, mine answer, said to his clerks : " What guess ye this idiot will speak there, where he hath none dread, since he speak- eth thus now here in my presence ? Well, well, by God, thou shalt be ordained for." And then he spake to me all angerly : "What sayest thou to this fourth point, that is certified The fourth against thee, preaching openly and boldly in Shrewsbury, cepin/011 that priests have no title to tithes?" And I said : " Sir, I named there no word of tithes in my preaching. But more than a month after that I was arrested there in prison, a man came to me into the prison, asking me what I said of tithes. And I said to him : * Sir, in this town are many clerks and priests, of which some are called religious men, though many of them be seculars ; there- fore ask ye of them this question.' And this man said to me : ' Sir, our prelates say, that we also are obliged to pay our tithes of all things that renew to us; and that they are accursed, that withdraw any part wittingly from them of their tithes.' And I said, sir, to that man, as with my pro- A paradox testation I say now here before you, that I wonder that any God-sword, priest dare say men to be accursed, without the ground of God's word. And the man said : ' Sir, our priests say, that they curse men thus by authority of God's law.' And I said : ' Sir, I know not where this sentence of cursing is authorised now in the bible. And therefore, sir, I pray you 104 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. tluit ye will ask the most cunning clerk of this town, that ye may know where this sentence, cursing them that tithe not, is now written in God's law ; for if it were written there, 1 would right gladly be learned where/ But shortly this man •would not go fro me, to ask this question of another body, but required me there, as I would answer before God, if in this case that cursing of priests were lawful and approved of God ? And shortly herewith came to my mind the learning of St Peter, teaching priests specially to hallow the Lord Christ in their hearts; being evermore ready (as far as in them is) to answer through faith and hope to them that ask of them a reason. And this lesson Peter tcacheth men to use with a meek spirit and with dread of the Lord. Wherefore, A difference sir, I said to this man in this wise : ' In the old law, which £«nptheoTd ended not fully till the time that Christ rose up again from thenew. death to life, God commanded tithes to be given to the Le- vites, for the great business and daily travail that pertained to their office. But priests, because their travail was mickle more easy and light than was the office of the Levites, God ordained that priests should take for their livelihood, to do their office, the tenth part of those tithes that were given to the Levites. But now (I said), in the new law, neither Christ nor any of his apostles took tithes of the people, nor com- manded the people to pay tithes, neither to priests nor to Christ com- deacons. But Christ taught the people to do alms, that is, r?ms, not works of mercy to poor needy men, of surplus (that is, super- tithes, except . » r J ' tuhesbe fluous of their temporal goods) which they had more than them needed reasonably to their necessary livelihood. And thus (I said) not of tithes, but of pure alms of the people, Christ lived and his apostles, when they were so busy in preaching of the word of God to the people, that they might not travail otherwise for to get their livelihood. But, after Christ's ascension, and when the apostles had received the Holy Ghost, they travailed with their hands for to get their livelihood, when that they might thus do for busy preaching. Therefore, by example of himself, St Paul teacheth all the priests of Christ for to travail with their hand, when for busy teaching of the people they might thus do. And thus all these priests, whose priesthood God accepteth now, or will accept, or did in the apostles' time and after their decease, will do to the world's end. But (as Cisterciensis telleth) in the thousand year EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 105 of our Lord Jesus Christ, two hundred and eleven year1, one Tithes, by i_i . • i /» i • whom and pope, the tenth Gregory, ordained new tithes first to be given ^"^v to priests now in the new law. But St Paul in his time, f°IJ1h™n"<^d whose trace or example all priests of God enforce them to law- follow, seeing the covetousness that was among the people, desiring to destroy this foul sin through the grace of God and true virtuous living and example of himself, wrought and taught all priests for to follow him as he followed Christ, patiently, willingly, and gladly in high poverty. Wherefore Paul saith thus : ' The Lord hath ordained that they that ?»«'. having power to preach the gospel shall live of the gospel. But we' (saith {f^^ Paul), that covet and busy us to be faithful followers of Christ, 'use not this power.' For lo, (as Paul witnesseth afterward,) when he was full poor and needy, preaching among the people, he was not chargeous unto them, but with his hands he travailed not only to get his own living, but also the liv- ing of other poor and needy creatures. And since the people if priests /T . , were cove- was never so covetous, nor so avarous (1 guess) as they are tous then, . , what be they now, it were good counsel that all priests took good heed tonow? this heavenly learning of Paul, following him here in wilful with thlfruie poverty, nothing charging the people for their bodily liveli- friarsgSnrW hood. But, because that many priests do contrary Paul in «»«. this foresaid doctrine, Paul biddeth the people take heed to those priests, that follow him as he had given them example. As if Paul would say thus to the people : ' Accept ye none other priests than they that live after the form that I have taught you. For certain, in whatsoever dignity or order that any priest is in, if he conform him not to follow Christ and his apostles in wilful poverty, and in other heavenly vir- tues, and specially in true preaching of God's word, though such a one be named a priest, yet he is no more but a priest in name ; for the work of a very priest such a one wanteth.' This sentence approveth Augustine, Gregory, Chrysostom, and Lincoln plainly." And the archbishop said to me : " Thinkest thou this wholesome i -i i • /» i • M enough, my wholesome learning for to sow openly, or yet privily, among lord, if your t1 Gregory X. occupied the pontifical chair from Sept. A.D. 1271 to the close of the year 1276. It is difficult to ascertain to what Thorpe refers in this passage, unless it be to various ordinances of Innocent III. and his successors Honorius III. and Gregory IX., tending to restrain the secularization of church property, and especially tithes.] savour it. 106 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. the people ? Certain, this doctrine contrarieth plainly the . . r ' uarieth°nno"t ordinance of holy fathers, which have ordained, granted, and neithe'ror"00 licensed priests to be in divers degrees, and to live by tithes hiT'wo'rd.0' and offerings of the people, and by other duties." if prie»t« And I said : " Sir, if priests were now in measurable would not I !uuk thitheir measure and number, and lived virtuously, and taught busily lack'ili"01 an^ truly the word of God by example of Christ and of his flcieuu8Uf" apostles; without tithes, offerings, and other duties that priests now challenge and take, the people would give them freely sufficient livelihood." Faiiax argu- And a clerk said to me : " How wilt thou make this good, mentum se- < . S"uslVn ut°n ^at *ho Pc°ple wiM g*ve freely to priests their livelihood ; causam. since that now, by the law, every priest can scarcely constrain the people to give them their livelihood ?" Whyielbe ^n^ ^ ^^ : " ^'IT' ^ ^s now no won^er, though the people t'ithe*.'" their grudge ^0 giye priests the livelihood that they ask. Mickle peo- ple know now, how that priests should live, and how that they live contrary to Christ and to his apostles. And therefore the people is full heavy to pay (as they do) their temporal goods to parsons, and to other vicars and priests, which should be faith- ful dispensators of the parish's goods, taking to themselves no more but a scarce living of tithes nor of offerings, by the Priests with ordinance of the common law. For whatsoever priests take a sufficiency . . . . . . . «•• ij ought to part ot the people (be it tithe, or oftering. or anv other duty or the residue to r r \ 3' « the poor. service), the priests ought not to have thereof no more but a bare living ; and to depart the residue to the poor men and women specially of the parish of whom they take this temporal living. But the most deal of priests now waste their parishes' goods, and spend them at their own will, after the world, in their vain lusts ; so that in few places poor men have duly (as they should have) their own sustenance, neither of tithes nor of offerings, nor of other large wages and foundations that priests take of the people in divers manners, above that they priests did so need for needful sustenance of meat and clothing. But the prfests do not poor needy people are forsaken and left of priests to be sus- tained of the parishioners, as if the priests took nothing of the parishioners for to help the people with. whether "And thus, sir, unto over great charges of the parishioners be plid'to they pay their temporal goods twice, where once might suffice, priests doing ..<7.r*' . . ° . , . not their if priests were true dispensators. Also, sir, the parishioners, that pay their temporal goods (be they tithes or offerings) .to EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 107 priests that do not their office among them justly, are partners of every sin of those priests ; because that they sustain those priests' folly in their sin with their temporal goods. If these things be well considered, what wonder is it then, sir, if the parishioners grudge against these dispensators ?" Then the archbishop said to me : " Thou that shouldest be judged and ruled by holy church, presumptuously thou deemest holy church to have erred in the ordinance of tithes and other duties to be paid to priests. It shall be long or thou thrive, Ghostly mo- losel, that thou despisest thy ghostly mother. How darest uncostly' an thou speak this, losel, among the people ? Are not tithes given aiipGocnf to priests for to live by ?" And I said : " Sir, St Paul saith, that tithes were given in the old law to Levites and to priests, that came of the lineage of Levi. But our priests, he saith, came not of the lineage of Levi, but of the lineage of Juda, to which Juda no tithes were promised to be given. And therefore Paul saith : ' Since the BV tneiaw priesthood is changed from the generation of Levi to the gene- chTiumge ,, T , .^ ° , „ tithes but the ration 01 J uda. it is necessary that changing also be made 01 »ee<» of Levi. • * Our priests be the law. So that priests live now without tithes and other not of the seed of Levi : duties that they claim, following Christ and his apostles in f^°0u/ the wilful poverty, as they have given them example. For since ?hauen^ennot Christ lived, all the time of his preaching, by pure alms of the the priest3 hood is people, and by example of him his apostles lived in the same changed, sob the law wise, or else by the travail of their hands, as it is said above ; changed. every priest, whose priesthood Christ approveth, knoweth well, and confesseth in word and in work, that a disciple ought not to be above his master ; but it sufficeth to a disciple to be as his master, simple and pure, meek and patient : and by exam- ple specially of his master Christ every priest should rule him in all his living ; and so, after his cunning and power, a priest should busy him to inform and to rule whomsoever he might charitably." And the archbishop said to me, with a great spirit : " God's curse have thou, and mine, for this teaching ! for JU^^ thou wouldest hereby make the old law more free and perfect saith St Faul- than the new law. For thou sayest that it is leful to Levites and to priests to take tithes in the old law, and so to enjoy their privileges ; but to us priests in the new law, thou sayest, ne goeth it is not lawful to take tithes. And thus thou givest Levites "o^ir/whenmy of the old law more freedom than to priests of the new law." 108 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. ThedifTercnce And I said : " Sir, I marvel that ye understand this plain of the free- fhe^andf" text of St Paul thus. Ye wot well, that the Levites and new uws. priests in the old law that took tithes, were not so free nor so perfect as Christ and his apostles that took no tithes. And, sir, there is a doctor (I think that it is St Jerome)1 that saith thus : ' The priests that challenge now in the new law tithes, say in effect, that Christ is not become man, nor that he hath yet suffered death for man's love.' Wherefore this doctor For what saith this sentence: 'Since tithes were the hires and wages ereitfvenin limited to Levites and to priests of the old law, for bearing about of the tabernacle, and for slaying and flaying of beasts, and for burning of sacrifice, and for keeping of the temple, and for tromping of battle before the host of Israel, and other divers observances that pertained to their office ; those priests that will challenge or take tithes, deny that Christ is come in the flesh, and do the priests'" office of the old law, for whom tithes were granted : for else (as this doctor saith) priests take now tithes wrongfully.' " ir you take And the archbishop said to his clerks : "Heard you ever away tithes, _ o /-N • • • • * 1 you undo the lose! speak thus ( Certain, this is the learning of them all, church. that wheresoever they come, and they may be suffered, they enforce them to expugn the freedom of holy church." And I said : " Sir, why call you the taking of tithes, and of such other duties that priests challenge now (wrongfully), the freedom of holy church ; since neither Christ nor his apo- stles challenged nor took such duties ? Therefore these takings of priests now are not called justly the freedom of holy church ; but all such giving and taking ought to be called, and holden, the slanderous covetousness of men of the holy church." And the archbishop said to me : " Why, losel, wilt not thou and other that are confedered with thee, seek out of holy scripture and of the sense of doctors all sharp authorities against lords, and knights, and squires, and against other secular men, as thou dost against priests ?" Thorpe! And I said : " Sir, whatsoever men or women, lords or ^nst ladies, or any other that are present in our preaching specially, whom thou J . f . ., *' wiit, so thou or in our communing, after our cunning, we tell out to them this scab. t1 The opinions of St Jerome concerning tithes are to be found in his epistle to Nepotian, Ep. 2, Tom. i. p. 13, and are extremely well elucidated by Dean Comber in his work on tithes. 2nd Edition 1685, pp. 75, 76.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 109 their office and their charges : but, sir, since Chrysostom saith that priests are the stomach of the people, it is needful in preaching, and also in communing, to be most busy about this priesthood; since by the viciousness of priests both lords and commons are most sinfully infected and led into the worst ; The vidous- and because that the covetousness of priests and pride, and prtdeaof i /» i • T • i ' priests infect- the boast that they have and make of their dignity and power, ***£ tl>e destroyeth not only the virtues of priesthood in priests them- selves, but also, over this, it stirreth God to take great ven- geance both upon the lords and upon the commons, which suffer these priests charitably." And the archbishop said to me : " Thou iudgest every A spiteful MI -r. meekness, priest proud, that will not go arrayed as thou dost. By God, **Jles» ia I deem him to be more meek that goeth every day in a scarlet e°wns- gown, than thou in that thread-bare blue gown. Whereby knowest thou a proud man ?" And I said: "Sir, a proud priest may be known, when The signs he denieth to follow Christ and his apostles in wilful poverty of proud r . pnests- and other virtues, and coveteth worldly worship, and taketh it gladly, and gathereth together with pleading, menacing, or with flattering, or with simony, and worldly goods ; and most, if a priest busy him not chiefly in himself, and after in all other men and women after his cunning and power, to withstand sin." And the archbishop said to me : " Though thou knewest a priest to have all these vices, and though thou sawest a priest a fornicator, wouldst thou therefore deem this priest damnable ? I say to thee, that in the turning about of thy hand such a sinner may be verily repented." And I said : " Sir, I will not damn any man for any sin that I know done or may be done, so that the sinner leaveth his sin. But, by authority of holy scripture, he that sinneth thus openly as ye shew here is damnable for doing of such a sin ; and most specially, a priest that should be an example to all other for to hate and fly sin. And in how short time that ever ye say that such a sinner may be repented, he ought not, of him that knoweth his sinning, to be judged verily repentant without open evidence of great shame and hearty sorrow for sin. For whosoever (and specially a priest) that useth pride, envy, covetousness, lechery, simony, or any other vices, sheweth not as open evidence of repentance, as he hath given evil example and occasion of sinning; if he con- tinue in any such sin as long as he may, it is likely that sin 110 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. leaveth him, and he not sin. And, as I understand, such a one sinneth unto death, for whom no body ought to pray, as St John saith." And a clerk said then to the archbishop : " Sir, the longer spoken, and . i . f i like a par.- fa^ ye appose him, the worse he is; and the more that ye busy you to amend him, the waywarder he is. For he is of so shrewd a kind, that he shameth not only to be himself a foul nest, but without shame he busieth him to make his nest fouler." Forget no- And then the archbishop said to his clerk: "Suffer a thing, I pray i • »«••«_ i i you, my lord, -while, for I am at an end with him ; for there is one other point certified against him, and I will hear what he saith thereto." And so then he said to me : " Lo, it is here certified against thee, that thou preachedst openly at Shrewsbury, that it is not lawful to swear in any case." And I said : " Sir, I preached never so openly, nor I not have taught in this wise in any place. But, sir, as I preached in Shrewsbury, with my protestation I say to you now here, that by the authority of the Gospel and of St James, and by witness of divers saints and doctors, I have preached openly in one place or other, that it is not lawful in any case to swear by any creature. And over this, sir, I have also preached and taught, by the foresaid authorities, that no body should swear in any case, if that without oath, in any wise, he that is charged to swear might excuse him to them that have power to compel him to swear, in leful thing and lawful. But if a man may not excuse him without oath to them that have power to compel him to swear, then he ought to swear only by God, taking him only that is soothfastness, for to witness the soothfastness." And then a clerk asked me, if it were not leful to a subject, at the bidding of his prelate, for to kneel down and Dome in touch the holy gospel-book, and kiss it, saying, So help me weYuLi'd, GOCI and this holy dame; for he should, after his cunning sir John, of ' * ' ^{V'm'°tuhrer and power, do all things that his prelate commandeth him. stroke your j^n(j j ^-^ ^ ^em : " Sirs, ye speak here full generally or largely. What if a prelate commanded his subject to do an unlawful thing, should he obey thereto ? " And the archbishop said to me : "A subject ought not to suppose, that his prelate will bid him do an unlawful thing. sS^Sr61 For a subject ought to think that his prelate will bid him do EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. Ill nothing but that he will answer for before God, that it is leful : and then, though the bidding of the prelate be un- leful, the subject hath no peril to fulfil it, since that he thinketh and judgeth, that whatsoever thing his prelate biddeth him do, that it is leful to him for to do it.1' And I said : " Sir, I trust not hereto. But to our first A communi- cation purpose. Sir, I tell you, that I was once in a gentleman's j^yj.^^ house, and there were then two clerks there, a master ofadivine> divinity, and a man of law, which man of law was also com- muning in divinity. And among other things these men spake of oaths, and the man of law said, at the bidding of his sovereign, which had power to charge him to swear, he would lay his hand upon a book, and hear his charge; and if his charge to his understanding were unleful, he would hastily withdraw his hand from the book ; and if he perceived his charge to be leful, he would hold still his hand upon the book, taking there only God to witness, that he would fulfil that leful charge after his power. And the master of divi- nity said then to him thus : ' Certain, he that layeth his hand upon a book in this wise, and maketh there a promise to do that thing that he is commanded, is obliged there, by book- oath, then to fulfil his charge. For no doubt he that chargeth him to lay his hand thus upon a book (touching the book, and swearing by it, and kissing it, promising in this form to do this thing or that), will say and witness, that he that toucheth thus a book, and kisseth it, hath sworn upon that book. And all other men that see that man thus do, and also all those that hear hereof, in the same wise will say and witness, that this man hath sworn upon a book.' Wherefore, the master of divinity said it was not leful neither to give nor to take any such charge upon a book ; for every book is nothing else but divers creatures which it is made of. Therefore, to swear upon a book is to swear by creatures : TO swear by r » a book is to and this swearing is ever unleful. This sentence witnesseth ^^ Chrysostom plainly, blaming them greatly that bring forth a book for to swear upon ; charging clerks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear, whether they think a man to swear true or false." And the archbishop and his clerks scorned me, and blamed me greatly for this saying. And the archbishop ^ed°w menaced me with great punishment and sharp, except I left ^raTchfwm this opinion of swearing. by lhefac& 112 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. And I said: "Sir, this is not mine opinion, but it is the opinion of Christ our Saviour', and of St James, and of Chry- sostom, and of other divers saints and doctors." Then the archbishop bade a clerk read this homily of Chrysostom, which homily this clerk held in his hand, written in a roll ; which roll the archbishop caused to be taken from my fellow at Canterbury. And so then this clerk read this roll, till he came to a clause where Chrysostom saith, That it is sin to swear well1. i-ither Mai- And then a clerk (Malveren, as I guess) said to the arch- vcren, or else . . . Bio*rroie bishop : " Sir, I pray you wete of him, how he understandeth Chrysostom here, saying it to be sin to swear well." And so the archbishop asked me, how I understood here Chrysostom. And certain, I was somewhat afraid to answer hereto, for I had not busied me to study about the sense thereof; but, lifting up my mind to God, I prayed him of grace, and Christ pro- as fast as I thought how Christ said to his apostles: "When miseth and ., 11111 tip • i T i n • giveth mouth tor my name ye shall be brought betore judges. 1 shall give and utter- • » «"«*• into your mouth wisdom that your adversaries shall not against say." And trusting faithfully in the word of God, I said : " Sir, I know well that many men and women have now swearing so in custom, that they know not, nor will not know, that they do evil for to swear as they do ; but they think and say, that they do well for to swear as they do, though they know well that they swear untruly. For they say, they may by their swearing (though it be false) void blame or temporal harm, which they should have, if they what it is to swear not thus. And, sir, many men and women maintain strongly that they swear well, when that thing is sooth that they swear for. Also, full many men and women say now, that it is well done to swear by creatures, when they may not (as they say) otherwise be believed. And also, full many men and women now say, that it is well done to swear by God, and by our lady, and by other saints, for to have them in mind. But, since all these sayings are but excusations and [! (TV 5e (I p.i)b(v eTtpov, OVTO yoiiv TO ftLJSXiov al8f<r6rjTi o npOTfivfis (is opxov, KOI TO fvayyekiov o fj.fTa ^flpas \a^avo>v KeXeveis 6fj.vvi>ai dvaTrrv^ov, KOI a.Kov<ras TI Trepl opKa>v 6 Xpto-ro? eVfi StaXeyerat (ppi£ov KOI aTr6<m)di. TI ovv rrcpl SpKcov (prjo-iv ; " « y<a 8f Xe'yw vfuv /tr) 6fj.6(rai oXo>? ' " <rv 8f TUV vofJMv TOV KtaXvovra 6/j.vvvai TOVTOV opKov TTOKIS ; — Ad Pop. Antioch. Hojn. xv. S. Chrysost. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1718—38. Tom. n. p. 159.J EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 113 sin, methinketh, sir, that this sense of Chrysostom may be alleged well against all such swearers, witnessing that all these sin grievously, though they think themselves for to swear, in this foresaid wise, well : for it is evil done and great sin, for to swear truth, when in any manner a man may excuse him- self without oath." And the archbishop said, that Chrysostom might be thus understanded. And then a clerk said to me: "Wilt thou tarry my lord Pope-hoiy * * church. no longer, but submit thee here meekly to the ordinance of holy church, and lay thy hand upon a book, touching the holy gospel of God, promising not only with thy mouth, but also with thine heart, to stand to my lord's ordinance ?" And I said : " Sir, have I not told you here, how that I heard a master of divinity say, that in such case it is all one to touch a book, and to swear by a book ? " And the archbishop said : " There is no master of divinity it is happy . -nil f • o i i i i i • •• i* that he ca"led in Jingland so great, that it he hold this opinion before me, no*df?ra d but I shall punish him as I shall do thee, except thou swear "^J^ as I shall charge thee." XxSSkLf1 And I said : " Sir, is not Chrysostom an ententive doctor?" And the archbishop said, "Yea." And I said : " If Chrysostom proveth him worthy great blame, that bringeth forth a book to swear upon, it must needs follow, that he is more to blame that sweareth on that book." And the archbishop said : " If Chrysostom meant accord- J^j?£{wys ingly to the ordinance of holy church, we will accept him." h^o^eue1 And then said a clerk to me : " Is not the word of God hivThad him and God himself equipollent, that is, of one authority ?" And I said, " Yea." Then he said unto me : " Why wilt thou not swear then But that » < word cannot by the gospel of God, that is God's word ; since it is all one be touched. to swear by the word of God, and by God himself?" And I said: "Sir, since I may not now otherwise be Thorpe re- .,.,,, . • / A • • 1 \ fuset" n°t tO believed, but by swearing, I perceive (as Augustine saith) swear. that it is not speedful that ye, that should be my brethren, should not believe me : therefore I am ready by the word of GoJ (as the Lord commanded me by his word) to swear." Then the clerk said to me : " Lay then thine hand upon [BALE.] 114 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. the book, touching the holy gospel of God, and take thy charge." And I said : " Sir, I understand that the holy gospel of God may not be touched with man's hand." And the clerk said I fonded1, and that I said not truth. And I asked this clerk, whether it were more to read the gospel, or to touch the gospel ? And he said, it was more to read the gospel. whether the Then I said: "Sir, by authority of St Jerome, the gospel is " not the gospel for reading of the letter, but for the belief that men have in the word of God : that it is the gospel that we believe, and not the letter that we read; for because the letter, that is touched with man's hand, is not the gospel, but the sentence, that is verily believed in man's heart, is the gospel. For so Jerome saith : * The gospel, that is the virtue of God's word, is not in the leaves of the book, but it is in the root of reason. Neither the gospel (he saith) is in the writing above of the letters, but the gospel is in the marking of the sentence of scriptures2.' This sentence approveth St Paul, saying thus : ' The kingdom of God is not in word, but in virtue.' And David saith : ' The voice of the Lord, that is his word, is in virtue.' And after David saith : ' Through the word of God the heavens were formed, and in the spirit of his mouth is all the virtue of them.' And I pray you, sir, understand ye well how David saith, that in the spirit of the mouth of the Lord is all the virtue of angels and of men." This cierk And the clerk said to me : " Thou wouldest make us to rn the mass- fond with thce. Say we not that the gospels are written in the mass-book?"" And I said : " Sir, though men used to say thus, yet it is unperfect speech ; for the principal part of a thing is properly the whole thing. For lo, man's soul, that may not now be seen here, nor touched with any sensible thing, is properly f1 Fonded: doated.] [2 Nee putemus in verbis scripturarum esse evangelium, sed in sensu ; non in superficie, sed in medulla ; non in sermonum foliis, sed in radice rationis. Dicitur in Propheta de Deo, Sennones ejus boni sunt cum eo. Tune scriptura utilis est audientibus, cum absque Christo non dicitur, cum absque Patre non profertur, cum sine Spiritu non earn insinuat ille qui prsedicat. — S. Hieron. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. Tom. iv. p. 231. in Comm. Epist. ad Gal. cap. i.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 115 man. And all the virtue of a tree is in the root thereof, that may not be seen ; for do away the root, and the tree is destroyed. And, sir, as ye said to me right now, God and his word are of one authority. And, sir, St Jerome wit- The gosnei u nesseth, that Christ (very God and very man) is hid in the 1beutjeh.idinth(' letter of his law : thus also, sir, the gospel is hid in the letter. For, sir, as it is full likely many divers men and women here in the earth touched Christ, and saw him, and knew his bodily person, which neither touched, nor saw, nor knew ghostly his Godhead ; right thus, sir, many men now touch, and see, and write, and read the scriptures of God's law, which neither touch, see, nor read effectually, the gospel. For, as the Godhead of Christ (that is, the virtue of God) is known by the virtue through belief, so is the gospel, that is, Christ's word." And a clerk said to me : " These be full misty matters, Misty matters and unsavoury, that thou shewest here to us." wind eyes. And I said : " Sir, if ye that are masters know not plainly this sentence, ye may sore dread that the kingdom of heaven be taken from you, as it was from the princes of priests and from the elders of the Jews." And then a clerk (as I guess, Malveren) said to me : " Thou knowest not thine equivocations ; for the kingdom of heaven hath divers understandings. What callest thou the kingdom of heaven in this sentence, that thou shewest here ?" And I said : " Sir, by good reason and sentence of doc- The kingdom * T ,, ,. of God taken tors, the realm of heaven is called here the understanding for the un- ° derstanding of God's word." Sford*15 And a clerk said to me : " From whom thinkest thou that this understanding is taken away ?" And I said: "Sir, by authority of Christ himself, the This salt was * s! )) ni'W h;it effectual understanding of Christ's word is taken away from ££$JJ£P all them chiefly, which are great lettered men, and presume ^"wdef311 to understand high things, and will be holden wise men, and desire mastership and high state and dignity ; but they will not conform them to the living and teaching of Christ and of his apostles." Then the archbishop said : " Well, well, thou wilt judge Help down thy sovereigns. By God, the king doth not his duty, but he sir John.' suffer thee to be condemned." And then another clerk said to me : " Why, on Friday 8—2 116 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THOUPE. Note here the crafty practice of this holy church. A false brother. Auricular A crafty train of a popish dis- sembler. that last was, counselledst thou a man of my lord's, that ho should not shrivo him to man but only to God ?" And with this asking I was abashed ; and then, by and by, I knew that I was subtilly betrayed of a man that came to mo in prison on the Friday before, communing with me in this matter of confession. And certain, by his words, I thought that this man came then to me of full fervent and charitable will ; but now I know he came to tempt me and to accuse me : God forgive him, if it be his will I And with all mine heart, when I had thought thus, I said to this clerk : " Sir, I pray you that ye would fetch this man hither ; and all the words, as nearly as I can repeat them, which that I spake to him on Friday in the prison, 1 will rehearse now here before you all, and before him." And (as I guess) the archbishop said then to me : " They that are now here, suffice to repeat them. How saidst thou to him?" And I said: " Sir, that man came and asked me of divers things, and, after his asking, I answered him (as I understood) that good was. And, as he shewed to me by his words, he was sorry of his living in court, and right heavy for his own vicious living, and also for the viciousness of other men, and specially of priests' evil living : and herefore he said to me with a sorrowful heart (as I guessed), that he purposed fully within short time for to leave the court, and busy him to know God's law, and to conform all his life thereafter. And when he had said to me these words, and moe other which I would rehearse and he were present, he prayed me to hear his confession. And I said to him : ' Sir, wherefore come ye to me, to be confessed of me ? Ye wot well that the arch- bishop putteth and holdeth me here, as one unworthy either to give or to take any sacrament of holy church.' " " And he said to me : ' Brother, I wot well, and so wot many moe other, that you and such other are wrongfully vexed, and therefore I will commune with you the more gladly.' And I said to him : ' Certain, I wot well that many men of this court, and specially the priests of this house- hold, would be full evil apayd1 both with you and with me, if they wist that ye were confessed of me.' And he said, that he cared not therefore, for he had full little affection in t1 Apayd : content.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 117 them : and, as methought, he spake these words and many- other of so good will and of so high desire, for to have known and done the pleasant will of God. And I said then to him, as with my foresaid protestation I say to you now here : ' Sir, I counsel you for to absent you from all evil company, and to draw you to them that love and busy them to know and to keep the precepts of God ; and then the good Spirit of God will move you for to occupy busily all your wits in gathering together of all your sins, as far as ye can bethink you, shaming greatly of them, and sorrowing heartily for them. Yea, sir, the Holy Ghost will then put in your heart a good will and a fervent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose, to hate ever and to fly (after your cunning and power) all occasion of sin : and so then wisdom shall come to you from above, lightening with divers beams of grace and of heavenly desire all your wits, informing you how ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercy of the Lord, knowledging to him only all your vicious living, praying to him ever de- voutly of charitable counsel and continuance ; hoping without doubt, that if ye continue thus, busying you faithfully to know and to keep his biddings, that he will (for he only may) forgive you all your sins.' And this man said then to me : ' Though God forgive men their sins, yet it behoveth men to be assoiled of priests, and to do the penance that they enjoin them.' " And I said to him : ' Sir, it is all one to assoil men of God only for- their sins, and to forgive men their sins. Wherefore, since it SIn'oni?' pertaineth only to God to forgive sin, it sufficeth, in this case, to leave sin. to counsel men and women for to leave their sin, and to com- fort them that busy them thus to do, for to hope stedfastly in the mercy of God. And againward, priests ought to tell sharply to customable sinners, that if they will not make an end of their sin, but continue in divers sins while that they may sin, all such deserve pain without any end. And here- fore, priests should ever busy them to live well and holily, and to teach the people busily and truly the word of God, shewing to all folk, in open preaching and in privy counsel- ling, that the Lord God only forgiveth sin. And therefore, those priests that take upon them to assoil men of their sins, blaspheme God ; since that it pertaineth only to the Lord to assoil men of all their sins. For no doubt a thousand year 118 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. after that Christ was man, no priest of Christ durst take upon him to teach the people, neither privily nor apertly, that they behoved needs to come to be assoilcd of them, as priests now do. But, by authority of Christ's word, priests bound indurate customable sinners to everlasting pains, which in no time of their living would busy them faithfully to know the biddings of God, nor to keep them. And again, all they that would occupy all their wits to hate and to fly all occasion of sin, dreading over all things to offend God, and loving for to please him continually ; to these men and women priests shewed, how the Lord assoileth them of all their sins. And thus Christ promised to confirm in heaven all the binding and loosing that priests, by authority of his word, bind men in sin, that are indurate therein, or loose them out of sin here upon earth, that are verily repentant.' And this man, hear- ing these words, said, that he might well in conscience con- gent to this sentence : 'but,' he said, 'is it not needful to the confession to priest*, lay-people, that cannot thus do, to go shrive them to priests?' And I said : * If a man feel himself so distroubled with any sin, that he cannot by his own wit avoid this sin without counsel of them that are herein wiser than he ; in such a case, A good seeu- the counsel of a good priest is full necessary. And if a good lar man may ' r ^OTeT*llor P"es^ faM» a8 they do now commonly, in such a case St Au- priest faiietn. gustine sajth *, that B, man may lefully commune and take counsel of a virtuous secular man. But certain, that man or woman is overladen and too beastily, which cannot bring their own sins into their mind, busying them night and day for to hate and to forsake all their sins, doing a sigh for them after their cunning and power. And, sir, full accordingly to this sentence, upon Midlent Sunday (two year, as I guess, now Morden, agone), I heard a monk of Feversham, that men called Morden, ra?£srion.° preach at Canterbury at the cross within Christ-Church abbey, saying thus of confession : as, through the suggestion of the fiend without counsel of any other body, of themselves many men and women can imagine and find means and ways enough to come to pride, to theft, to lechery, and to [* The passage which seems here referred to is to be found in the second book, " De Anima et ejus Origine" in an epistle " Ad Petrwn Presbyterum." Absit enim ut erubescam a presbytero discere, si a laico tu non erubuisti prsedicanda et imitanda humilitate, si vera didi- cisti. — S. Aug. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1696. Tom. x. col. 357.] EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 119 other divers vices : in contrariwise this monk said : ' Since the Hearty re- pen tan ce Lord God is more ready to forgive sin than the fiend is, or ^ God need- J e> ^ eth no con- may be, of power to move any body to sin ; then whosoever j^™ to a will shame and sorrow heartily for their sins, knowledging them faithfully to God, amending them after their power and cunning, without counsel of any other body than of God and of himself (through the grace of God), all such men and women may find sufficient means to come to God's mercy, and so to be clean assoiled of all their sins.' This sentence I said, sir, to this man of yours, and the self words, as near as I can guess." And the archbishop said : " Holy church appro veth not NO, nor any Al . , . ., * thing else this learning. that is good. And I said : " Sir, holy church, of which Christ is head in heaven and in earth, must needs approve this sentence. For lo, hereby all men and women may, if they will, be sufficiently taught to know and to keep the commandments of God, and to hate and to fly continually all occasion of sin, and to love and to seek virtues busily, and to believe in God stably, and to trust in his mercy stedfastly, and so to come to perfect charity, and continue therein perseverantly : and more the Lord asketh not of any man here now in this life. And cnnst givcth . -f />(1 . ,. , . .,- ,, , freedom, the certain, since J esu Christ died upon the cross wilfully to make pope givetn men free, men of the church are too bold and too busy to make men thrall, binding them under the pain of endless curse (as they say) to do many observances and ordinances, which neither the living nor teaching of Christ, nor of his apostles, approveth." And a clerk said then to me : " Thou shewest plainly here thy deceit, which thou hast learned of them that travail to sow popple among wheat. But I counsel thee to go away clean from this learning, and submit thee lowly to my lord, and thou shalt find him yet to be gracious to thee." And as fast then another clerk said to me : " How wast thou so bold at Paul's Cross in London, to stand there hard, with thy tippet bounden about thine head, and to reprove in his sermon the worthy clerk Alkerton, drawing away all that thou mightest? Yea, and the same day at afternoon thou, meeting the worthy doctor in Watling street, calledst him false flatterer and hypocrite." And I said : " Sir, I think certainly that there was no 120 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. man nor woman that hated verily sin, and loved virtues (hearing the sermon of the clerk of Oxford, and also Alkcr- ton's sermon), but they said, or might justly say, that Alker- ton reproved the clerk untruly, and slandered him wrongfully and uncharitably. For, no doubt, if the living and teaching of Christ chiefly, and of his apostles, be true, nobody that loveth God and his law will blame any sentence that the clerk then preached there ; since, by authority of God's word, and by approved saints and doctors, and by open reason, this clerk approved all things clearly that he preached there." And a clerk of the archbishop's said to me : " His sermon was false, and that he sheweth openly ; since he dare not stand forth and defend his preaching that he then preached there." And I said : " Sir, I think that he purposeth to stand stedfastly thereby, or else he slandereth foully himself, and also many other that have great trust that he will stand by the truth of the gospel. For I wot well, his sermon is writ- ten both in Latin and English, and many men have it, and they set great price thereby. And, sir, if ye were present with the archbishop at Lambeth, when this clerk appeared and was at his answer before the archbishop, ye wot well that this clerk denied not there his sermon, but two days he main- tained it before the archbishop and his clerks." And then the archbishop, or one of his clerks, said (I wot not which of them) : " That harlot shall be met with, for that sermon ; for no man but he and thou, and such other false harlots, praiseth any such preaching." And then the archbishop said : "Your cursed sect is busy, and it joyeth right greatly, to contrary and to destroy the privilege and freedom of holy church." And I said : " Sir, I know no men that travail so busily church not as this sect doth, which you reprove, to make rest and peace Jn holy church. For pride, covetousness, and simony, which preachers, distrouble most holy church, this sect hateth and fleeth ; and travaileth busily to move all other men, in like manner, unto meekness, and wilful poverty, and charity, and free minister- ing of the sacraments : this sect loveth and useth, and is full busy to move all other folks, thus to do. For these virtues owe all members of holy church to their head Christ." Then a clerk said to the archbishop : " Sir, it is far days, EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 121 and ye have far to ride to night; therefore make an end with him, for he will none make. But the more, sir, that ye busy you for to draw him toward you, the more contumax he is made, and the further fro you." And then Malveren said to me : " William, kneel down, Take my i t 11 11 i i • i !ord>sbless- and pray my lord 01 grace, and leave all thy phantasies, and ^|^d become a child of holy church." And I said : " Sir, I have prayed the archbishop oft, and yet I pray him for the love of Christ, that he will leave his indignation that he hath against me ; and that he will suffer me, after my cunning and power, for to do mine office of priesthood, as I am charged of God to do it. For I covet nought else but to serve my God to his pleasing, in the state that I stand in, and have taken me to." And the archbishop said to me : " If of good heart thou My lord hath wilt submit thee now here meekly to be ruled from this time bring bV nighted. forth by my counsel, obeying meekly and wilfully to mine ordinance, thou shalt find it most profitable and best to thee for to do thus. Therefore tarry thou me no longer : grant to do this that I have said to thee now here shortly, or deny it utterly." And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, ought we to believe that Jesu Christ was and is very God and very man ?" And the archbishop said, " Yea." And I said : " Sir, ought we to believe that all Christ's living and his teaching is true in every point?" And he said, " Yea." And I said : " Sir, ought we to believe, that the living of the apostles and the teaching of Christ and all the prophets are true, which are written in the bible for the health and salvation of God's people ?" And he said, "Yea." And I said : " Sir, ought all Christian men and women, after their cunning and power, for to conform all their living to the teaching specially of Christ, and also to the teaching and living of his apostles and of prophets, in things that are plea- sant to God, and edification to his church ? " And he said, " Yea." And I said : " Sir, ought the doctrine, the bidding, or the counsel of any body to be accepted or obeyed unto, except this doctrine, these biddings, or this counsel, may be granted 122 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPB. and affirmed by Christ's living and his teaching specially, or by the living and teaching of his apostles and prophets?" • Ana why And the archbishop said to me : " Other doctrine ought compel you • ° thewSttSy? no* *° "° acccpted> nor we owe no^ to obey to any man s bidding or counsel, except we can perceive that this bidding or counsel accordeth with the bidding and teaching of Christ and of his apostles and prophets." Thorpe con- And I said : " Sir, is not all the learning and biddings tent to submit ° the"ot!hnance anc* counsel8 °* holy church means and healful remedies to of councils. know anci to withstand the privy suggestions and the apert temptations of the fiend ; and also ways and healful remedies to slay pride and all other deadly sins, and the branches of them, and sovereign means to purchase grace for to withstand and overcome all the fleshly lusts and movings ?" And the archbishop said, " Yea." And I said : " Sir, whatsoever thing ye or any other body bid or counsel me to do accordingly to this foresaid learning, after my cunning and power, through the help of God, I will meekly with all mine heart obey thereto." And the archbishop said to me: "Submit thee then now here meekly and wilfully to the ordinance of holy church, which I shall shew to thee." And I said : " Sir, accordingly as I have here now before you rehearsed, I will now be ready to obey full gladly to Christ, the head of all holy church, and to the learning and biddings and counsels of every pleasing member of him." hldbe^n* Then the archbishop, striking with his hand fiercely upon »e0ruidhnot a cupboard, spake to me with a great spirit, saying : " By Jesu, but if thou leave not such additions, obliging thee now here without any exception to mine ordinance, or that I go out of this place, I shall make thee as sure as any thief that is in the prison of Lantern : advise thee now what thou wilt do." And then, as if he had been angered, he went fro the cupboard where he stood to a window. And then Malveren and another clerk came nearer me, and they spake to me many words full pleasantly ; and another while they menaced me, and counselled full busily to submit me, or else, they said, I should not escape punishing over measure : for they said I should be degraded, cursed, and burned, and so then damned. " But now," they said, " thou mayest eschew all these mischiefs if thou wilt submit thee EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 123 wilfully and meekly to this worthy prelate that hath cure of thy soul. And for the pity of Christ," said they, " bethink thee see what how great clerks the bishop of Lincoln, Herford and Purvey giving wm r * up to him- were, and yet are, and also B., that is a well understanding •» man, which also have forsaken and revoked all the learning and opinions that thou and such other hold. Wherefore, Themuia- • i • • 1 1 • i i i tu^e ** not to since each of them is mickle wiser than thou art, we counsel ** followed in evil. thee for the best, that by the example of these four clerks thou follow them, submitting thee as they did." And one of the bishop's clerks said then there, that he heard Nicol Herford say, that since he forsook and revoked all the learning and Lollards' opinions, he hath had mickle greater favour and more delight to hold against them, than ever he had to hold with them, while he held with them. And therefore Malveren said to me: "I understand, and Ascieanfrom •111 • -i i • i i c i thrift as from thou wilt take thee to a priest, and shrive thee clean, forsake sin- all such opinions, and take the penance of my lord here, for the holding and teaching of them, within short time thou shalt be greatly comforted in this doing." And I said to the clerks that thus busily counselled me to follow these foresaid men : " Sirs, if these men, of whom ye counsel me to take example, had forsaken benefices of tem- poral profit and of worldly worship, so that they had absented them, and eschewed from all occasions of covetousness and of fleshly lusts, and had taken them to simple living and wilful poverty, they had herein given good example to me and to many other, to have followed them. But now, since all these four men have slanderously and shamefully done the contrary, consenting to receive, and to have, and to hold temporal benefices, living now more worldly and more fleshly than they did before, conforming them to the manners of this world, I forsake them herein, and in all their foresaid slanderous doing. For I purpose, with the help of God (into remission other men's «« 11 • -if /> i i i« • \ t j examples are of all my sins, and of my foul cursed living), to hate and to 5° *>» foi- * * &/ . lowed.as they fly privily and apertly to follow these men, teaching and counselling whomsoever that I may for to fly and eschew the way that they have chosen to go in, which will lead them to the worst end, if in convenient time they repent them not, verily forsaking and revoking openly the slander that they have put, and every day yet put, to Christ's church. For certain so open blasphemy and slander as they have spoken 124 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. and done, in their revoking and forsaking of the truth, ought not, nor may not, privily be amended duly. Wherefore, sirs, I pray you that ye busy you not for to move me to follow these men in revoking and forsaking the truth, and sothfast- ness as they have done, and yet do ; wherein, by open evi- dence, they stir God to great wrath, and not only against themselves, but also against all them that favour them, or consent to them herein, or that communeth with them, except it be for their amendment: for whereas these men first were pursued of enemies, now they have obliged them by oath for to slander and pursue Christ in his members. Wherefore (as I trust stedfastly in the goodness of God) the worldly ccvetousness, and the lusty living, and the sliding from the truth of those runagates, shall be to me, and to many other men and women, an example and an evidence to stand the more stiffly by the truth of Christ. Promotions " For certain, right many men and women do mark and livings choke abhor the foulness and cowardness of these foresaid untrue truth. men, how that they are overcome and stopped with benefices, and withdrawn from the truth of God's word, forsaking utterly to suffer therefore bodily persecution. For by this unfaithful doing and apostasy of them specially that are great lettered men, and have knowledged openly the truth, and now, either for pleasure or displeasure of tyrants, have taken hire and temporal wages to forsake the truth, and to hold against Men follow- it slandering and pursuing them that covet to follow Christ in ing the ways °. of Balaam, the way of righteousness, many men and women therefore are now moved. But many moe through the grace of God shall be moved hereby for to learn the truth of God, and to do thereafter, and to stand boldly thereby." Then the archbishop said to his clerks : " Busy you no longer about him ; for he and such other such as he is are confedered so together, that they will not swear to be obe- Thorpe'sfei- dient, and to submit them to prelates of holy church. For lowrefuseth t r » thespreirates. now' smx;e I stood here, his fellow sent me word, that he will not swear, and that he counselled him that he should not swear to me. And, losel ! in that thing that in thee is, thou hast busied thee to lose this young man ; but, blessed be God, thou shalt not have thy purpose of him. For he hath for- saken all thy learning, submitting him to be buxom and obe- dient to the ordinance of holy church, and weepeth full EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 125 bitterly, and curseth thee full heartily for the venomous teaching which thou hast shewed to him, counselling him to do thereafter. " And for thy false counselling of many other and him, thou hast great cause to be right sorry ; for long time thou hast busied thee to pervert whomsoever thou mightest. Therefore, as many deaths thou art worthy of, as thou hast given evil counsels. And therefore, by Jesu, thou shalt go thither, where Nicol Herford and Tom Purvey were harboured. And I undertake, or this day eight days, thou shalt be right glad for to do what thing that ever I bid thee to do. And, losel ! I shall assay, if I can make thee there as sorrowful as, it was told me, thou wast glad of my last going out of England. By St Thomas, I shall turn thy joy into sorrow." And I said : " Sir, there can nobody prove lawfully, that I joyed ever of the manner of your going out of this land. But, sir, to say the sooth, I was joyful when ye were gone ; Arundei for the bishop of London, in whose prison ye left me, found fingiand. ° in me no cause for to hold me longer in his prison, but, at The gemie- the request of my friends, he delivered me to them, asking bishop of J . . . 6 London. oi me no manner of submitting. Then the archbishop said to me : " Wherefore that I yede out of England, is unknown to thee ; but be this thing well known to thee, that God (as I wot well) hath called me again, &, pr0mised and brought me into this land, for to destroy thee and the i^quw^161 false sect that thou art of; as, by God, I shall pursue you so buTthat™ narrowly, that I shall not leave a slip of you in this land." power to * t . perform. And I said to the archbishop : " Sir, the holy prophet A notable Jeremy said to the false prophet Anany : 'When the word Tho^tothe that is the prophecy of a prophet is known or fulfilled, then it shah1 be known that the Lord sent the prophet in truth.' " And the archbishop, as if he had not been pleased with my saying, turned him away ward hither and thither, and said : " By God, I shall set upon thy shins a pair of pearls, such pearls that thou shalt be glad to change thy voice." be^em, myr on, j j • • J lord, your Ihese, and many moe wondrous and con vicious words golden shoe*, were spoken to me, menacing me and all other of the same sect for to be punished and destroyed unto the uttermost. And the archbishop called then to him a clerk, and rowned1 with him : and that clerk went forth, and soon he brought in [! Rowned : consulted.] 126 EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. the constable of Saltwood castle, and the archbishop rowncd At mi ciama- a good while with him: and then the constable went forth, Tone! toiie, and then came in divers seculars, and they scorned me on crucifigeeum. • i i i j every side, and menaced me greatly. And some counselled the archbishop to burn me by and by, and some other coun- selled him to drown me in the sea, for it is near hand there. And a clerk, standing beside me there, kneeled down to the archbishop, praying him that he would deliver me to him for to say matins with him ; and he would undertake, that within three days I should not resist any thing that were commanded me to do of my prelate. And the archbishop said, that he would ordain for me himself. And then after came in again the constable, and spake privily to the archbishop. And then the archbishop com- manded the constable to lead me forth thence with him ; and so he did : and when we were gone forth thence, we were sent after again. And when I came in again before the arch- bishop, a clerk bade me kneel down, and ask grace, and sub- mit me lowly, and I should find it for the best, obedience to And I said then to the archbishop : " Sir, as I have said God and to not1^"0"111 *° y°u divers times to-day, I will wilfully and lowly obey and submit me to be ordained ever, after my cunning and power, to God and to his law, and to every member of holy church, as far forth as I can perceive that these members accord with their head Christ, and will teach me, rule me, or chastise me by authority, specially of God's law." And the archbishop said : "I wist well he would not, with- out such additions, submit him." And then I was rebuked, scorned, and menaced on every side : and yet after this divers persons cried upon me to kneel down and submit me; but I stood still, and spake no word. And then there was spoken of me and to me many great words, and I stood and heard them menace, curse and scorn me : but I said nothing. in patience Then a while after the archbishop said to me: "Wilt and silence * possess your them not submit thee to the ordinance of holy church ?" And I said : " Sir, I will full gladly submit me, as I have shewed you before." And then the archbishop bade the constable to have me forth thence hi haste. And so then I was led forth, and EXAMINATION OF WILLIAM THORPE. 127 brought into a foul unhonest prison, where I came never Thorpe cast before. But, thanked be God, when all men were gone forth then from me, and had sparred fast the prison-door after them, by and by after, I, therein by myself, busied me to think on God, and to thank him of his goodness. And I was then greatly comforted in all my wits, not only for that I was comforted then delivered for a time from the sight, from the hearing, enetuTTiie " ' . Lord after from the presence, from the scorning, and from the menacing M* conflict of mine enemies ; but much more I rejoiced in the Lord, be- bishop. cause that through his grace he kept me so, both among the flattering specially, and among the menacing of mine adver- saries, that without heaviness and anguish of my conscience I passed away from them. For, as a tree laid upon another tree overthwart or cross-wise, so was the archbishop and his three clerks always contrary to me, and I to them. Now, good God ! for thine holy name, and to the praising of thy most blessed name, make us one together, if it be thy will, by authority of thy word, that is true perfect charity, and else not. And that it may thus be, all that this writing read or hear, pray heartily to the Lord God, that he, for his great goodness that cannot be with tongue expressed, grant to us and all other, which in the same wise and for the same cause specially, or for any other cause, be at distance, to be knit and made one in true faith, in stedfast hope, and in per- fect charity. Amen. Besides this examination here above described, came another treatise also to our hands of the same William Thorpe, under the name and title of his testament; which rather by the matter and handling thereof might seem to be counted a complaint of vicious priests : which treatise or testament in this place we thought not meet to be left out. THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. MATTHEW, an apostle of Christ and his gospeller, witness- eth truly in the holy gospel the most holy living and the most wholesome teaching of Christ. He rehearseth how that Christ likeneth them that hear his words, and keep them, to a wise man that buildeth his house upon a stone, that is, a 128 THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. Christ dwciu stable and a sure ground. This house is man's soul, in which eth in a faithful loui Christ delighteth to dwell, if it be grounded, that is, established faithfully, in his living and in his true teaching, adorned or made fair with divers virtues, which Christ used and taught without any meddling of any error, as are chiefly the condi- tions of charity. He u the This aforesaid stone is Christ, upon which every faithful stone where- build! murt s must be bunded; since upon none other ground than upon Christ's living and his teaching any body may make any building or housing wherein Christ will come and dwell. This sentence witnesseth St Paul to the Corinthians, shewing to them that no body may set any other ground than is set, that is Christ's living and teaching. And because that all men and women should give all their business here in this life, to build them virtuously upon this sure foundation ; St Paul, ac- knowledging the fervent desire, and the good will of the people HOW we are of Ephesus, wrote to them comfortably, saying : " Now ye are temple of not strangers, guests, nor yet comelings, but ye are the citi- zens and of the household of God, builded above upon the foundament of the apostles and prophets. In which founda- ment, every building that is builded or made through the grace of God, it increaseth or groweth into an holy temple ;" that is, every body that is grounded or builded faithfully in the teaching and living of Christ, is therethrough made the holy temple of God. Mark what This is the stable ground and stedfast stone, Christ, which we have by chrut. jg the sure corner-stone, fast joining and holding mightily to- gether two walls. For through Christ Jesus, the mean or middle person of the Trinity, the Father of heaven is piti- ously or mercifully joined and made one together to mankind ; and through dread to offend God, and fervent love to please him, men be inseparably made one to God, and defended surely under his protection. Also this aforesaid stone, Christ, was figured by the square stones of which the temple of God was made : for as a square stone, wheresoever it is cast or The proprny laid, abideth and lieth stably ; so Christ and every faithful of a square * member of his church, by example of him, abideth and dwell- eth stably in true faith, and in all other heavenly virtues, in all adversities that they suffer in this valley of tears. For lo ! when these aforesaid square stones were hewn and wrought for to be laid in the walls or pillars of God's THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. 129 temple, no noise or stroke of the workman was heard. Cer- tain, this silence in working of this stone figureth Christ chiefly, and his faithful members, who, by example of him, have been, and yet are, and ever to the world's end shall be, so meek and patient in every adversity, that no sound, nor yet any grudging, shall at any time be perceived in them. Nevertheless, this chief and most worshipful corner-stone, which only is the ground of all virtues, proud beggars re- proved ; but this despite and reproof Christ suffered most Christ an ex- meekly in his own person, to give example of all meekness v"^°^ and patience to all his faithful followers. Certain, this world is now so full of proud beggars, who are named priests; but the very office of working of priesthood, which Christ ap- proveth true, and accepteth, is far from the multitude of priests that now reign in this world. For, from the highest priest to the lowest, all. as they wests seek « the pleasure say, study, that is, they imagine and travail busily, how they °f this world- may please the world and their flesh. This sentence with many such others dependeth upon them, if it be well con- sidered : either God, the Father of heaven, hath deceived all mankind by the living and teaching of Jesus Christ, and by the living and teaching of his apostles and prophets; or else The lives of thepopes.and all the popes that have been since I had any knowledge or ££££™4 discretion, with all the college of cardinals, archbishops and bishops, monks, canons, and friars, with all the contagious flock of the commonalty of priesthood, who have all my life- time, and mickle longer, reigned and yet reign, and increase damnably from sin to sin, have been, and yet be, proud, obstinate heretics, covetous sinners, and defouled adulterers in the ministering of the sacraments, and specially in the minis- tering of the sacrament of the altar. For, as their works when priests ' . forget God's shew, whereto Christ biddeth us take heed, the highest priests ^^^ and prelates of this priesthood challenge and occupy unlawful ^^earhe temporal lordships ; and for temporal favour and meed they ?hl*mau.ct sell and give benefices to unworthy and unable persons; yea, these simoners sell sin, suffering men and women in every degree and estate to lie and continue from year to year in divers vices slanderously. And thus, by evil example of high priests in the church, lower priests under them are not only suffered, but they are maintained, to sell full dear to the people for temporal meed all the sacraments. [BALE.] 130 THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. And thus all this aforesaid priesthood is blown so high, and borne up in pride and vain glory of their estate and dignity, and so blinded with worldly covetousness, that they disdain to follow Christ in very meekness and wilful poverty, living holily, and preaching God's word truly, freely, and con- tinually, taking their livelihood at the free-will of the people, of their pure alms, where and when they suffice not, for their true and busy preaching, to get their sustenance with their hands. To this true sentence, grounded on Christ's own living, and the teaching of his apostles, these aforesaid worldly and fleshly priests will not consent effectually ; but, as their andhnaiLth w<>rks and also their words shew, boldly and unshamefacedly these beforenamed priests and prelates covet and enforce them mightily and busily, that all holy scriptures were expounded and drawn accordingly to their manners, and to their un- grounded usages and findings : for they will not (since they hold it but folly and madness) conform their manners to the pure and simple living of Christ and his apostles, nor will Anexhorta- they follow freely their learning. Wherefore all the emperors and kings, and all other lords and ladies, and all the common people in every degree and state, who have beforetime known, or might have known, and also all they that now yet know, or might know, this aforesaid witness of priesthood, and would not; nor yet will enforce them, after their cunning and power, to withstand charitably the aforesaid enemies and traitors of Christ, and of his church ; all these strive with Antichrist against Jesus, and they shall hear the indignation of God Almighty without end, if in convenient time they amend them not and repent them verily, doing therefore due mournmo an(^ sorrow, after their cunning and power. For, through presumptuousness and negligence of priests and pre- lates (not of the church of Christ, but occupying their prelacy unduly in the church), and also through flattering and false covetousness of other divers named priests, lousengers and lounderers are wrongfully made and named hermits, and have leave to defraud poor and needy creatures of their livelihood, and to live, by their false winning and begging, in sloth and in other divers vices. And also by these prelates these cocker- noses are suffered to live in pride and hypocrisy, and to de- foul themselves both bodily and ghostly. Also by the suffer- ing and counsel of these aforesaid prelates and other priests THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. 131 are made both vain brotherhoods and sisterhoods, full of pride and envy, which are full contrary to the brotherhood of Christ, since they are cause of mickle dissension, and they multiply and sustain it uncharitably : for in lusty eating and drinking unmeasurably and out of time they exercise them- selves. Also this vain confederacy of brotherhood is permitted to be of one clothing, and to hold together. And in all these ungrounded and unlawful doings priests are partners, and great meddlers and counsellors ; and over this viciousness, hermits and pardoners, anchorites and strange beggars, are licensed and admitted by prelates and priests, to beguile the people with flatterings and leasings slanderously against all good reason and true belief; and so to increase divers vices in themselves, and also among all them that accept them or consent to them. And thus the viciousness of these aforenamed priests and prelates hath been long time, and yet is and shall be, cause of wars, both within the realm and without. And in the same wise these unable priests have been, and yet are and shall be, the chief cause of pestilence of men, and murrain of beasts, and of barrenness of the earth, and of all other mischiefs, to the time that the lords and commons able them, through grace, to know and to keep the commandments of God, enforcing them then faithfully and charitably, by one assent, to redress and make one this aforesaid priesthood, to the wilful, poor, meek and innocent living and teaching, specially of Christ and his apostles. Therefore all they that know or might know the vicious- ness that reigneth now cursedly in these priests and in their learning, if they suffice not to understand this contagious viciousness, let them pray to the Lord heartily for the health of his church, abstaining them prudently from the obdurate enemies of Christ and of his people, and from all their sacra- ments, since to all them that know them, or may know them, they are but fleshly deeds and false ; as St Cyprian witnesseth in the first question of decrees, and in the first cause, Cap. ' Siquis inquit :' for, as this saint and great doctor witnesseth there, not only vicious priests, but also all they that favour them, or consent to them in their viciousness, shall together perish with them, if they amend them not duly ; as all they perished that consented to Dathan and Abiram. For nothing 9—2 132 THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. were more confusion to these aforesaid vicious priests, than to eschew them prudently in all their unlawful sacraments while they continue in their sinful living slanderously, as they have long time done, and yet do. And no body needs to be afraid, though death did follow by one way or other, to die out of this world without taking of any sacrament of these aforesaid Christ's enemies, since Christ will not fail to minister himself all lawful and healful sacraments, and necessary at all time, and especially at the end, to all them that are in true faith, in stedfast hope, and in perfect charity. But yet some mad fools say, to eschew slander, they will be shriven once in the year, and communed of their proper priests, though they know them defouled with slanderous vices. No doubt but all they that thus do, or consent privily or apertly to such doing, are culpable of great sin ; since St Paul witnesseth, that not only they that do evil are worthy of death and damnation, but also they that consent to evil- doers. Also, as their slanderous works witness, these aforesaid vicious priests despise and cast from them heavenly cunning, that is given of the Holy Ghost. Wherefore the Lord throw- eth all such despisers from him, that they neither use, nor do, any priesthood to him. No doubt, then, all they that wittingly or wilfully take, or consent that any other body should take, any sacrament of any such named priests, sin openly and damnably against all the Trinity, and are unable to any sacrament of health. And that this aforesaid sentence is altogether true, ' Unto remission of all my sinful living, trusting stedfastly in the mercy of God, I offer to him my soul.' And to prove also the aforesaid sentence true, with the help of God, I purpose fully to suffer meekly and gladly my most wretched body to be tormented where God will, of whom he will, and when he will, and as long as he will, and what temporal pain and death he will ; to the praising of his name, and to the edification of his church. And I, that am a most unworthy and wretched caitiff, shall now, through the special grace of God, make to him pleasant sacrifice with my most sinful and unworthy body ; beseeching heartily all folk that read or hear this end of my proposed testament, that, through the grace of God, they dispose verily and virtuously all their wits, and able in like THE TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM THORPE. 133 manner all their members, to understand truly, and to keep faithfully, charitably, and continually, all the commandments of God, and so then to pray devoutly to all the blessed Trinity, that I may have grace, with wisdom and prudence from above, to end my life here in this aforesaid truth, and for this cause, in true faith, and stedfast hope, and perfect charity. Amen. What was the end of this good man and blessed servant The end or William of God, William Thorpe, I find as yet in no story specified. Teh£TnJ un- By all conjectures it is to be thought that the archbishop Thomas Arundel, being so hard an adversary against those men, would not let him go ; much less it is to be supposed that he would ever retract his sentence and opinion, which he so valiantly maintained before the bishop ; neither doth it seem that he had any such recanting spirit. Again, neither is it found that he was burned : wherefore it remaineth most likely to be true, that he, being committed to some strait prison, according as the archbishop, in his examination before, did threaten him there (as Thorpe confesseth himself), was so straitly kept, that either he was secretly made away with, or else he died there by sickness. The like end also I find to happen to John Ashton, another good follower of Wicliffe, who for the same doctrine of the sacrament was condemned by the bishops ; and, be- cause he would not recant, he was committed to perpetual prison, wherein the good man continued till his death, A. D. 1382. EXAMINATIONS OP ANNE ASKEW E. first lamina tp* on of Stone Stefertoe, latdpe mar* tgrefc fn Sbmmfjfetoe, bg tfte 3&o- ^opes up&otoers, foitl) t&e CBIucgUncpon of 23alt. [Wood-cut of an angel holding the bible, and tram- pling on a dragon wearing a triple crown.]1 Cf « Jpauoure is bfeceutful / anfc bcfotpe is a tinpnc tljnngr. Uttt a Inoman tljnt fcarrtf) tft£ ILortie is iuortSge to be prapsrt. &&e oprnett Scr mout^e to fopslrome / anti in |)er language is tfje lafoe of grace. . nx|. [! The original editions have generally cuts in the centre of the titles of the different pieces. One of these has been given as a specimen with Sir John Oldcastle's Examination ; but it is not con- sidered necessary to continue it beyond that specimen.] JOHN BALE TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS. THE PREFACE OF HER FIRST EXAMINATION. AMONG other most singular offices, diligent reader, which the Lord hath appointed to be done in the earnest spirit of Elias by the forerunners of his latter appearance, this is one very special to be noted : "They shall turn the hearts of their ancient elders into the children," Mai. iv. ; and the unbe- lievers of their time to the wisdom of those righteous fathers, as did John Baptist afore his first coming, Luke i. : that is, (saith Bedas, ca. 68. de Temporum ratione,) the faith and fer- Bede-s pro- vent zeal of the prophets and apostles shall they plant in their hearts, which shall in those days live and be among men conversant, and then will break forth (saith he as a very true prophet) such horrible persecution, as will first of all take from the world those mighty Eliases by triumphant mar- tyrdom, to the terrify big of other in the same faith, of whom some shall become through that occasion most glorious mar- TWO sorts. tyrs unto Christ also, and some very wicked apostates for feigning his lively doctrine: for by the said Bedas's testimony, in the beginning of the same chapter, two most certain signs shall we then have that the latter judgment-day is at hand; the return of Israel's remnant unto their Lord God, and the TWO signs. horrible persecution of Antichrist. Confer with this treated scripture and former prophecy of that virtuous man Bedas the world's alteration now, with the terrible turmoilings of our time ; and, as in a most clear mirror, ye shall well perceive them at this present to be in most quick working. And as concerning the Israelites or Israelites. Jews, I have both seen and known of them in Germany most faithful Christian believers. Neither is it in the pro- phecy (Hosea iii.) that they should at that day be all con- verted, no more than they were at John Baptist's preaching, Luke i. ; for, as Esay reporteth, " Though the posterity of 138 EXAMINATIONS OF ANNE ASKEWE. Jacob be as the sea sand (innumerable), yet shall but a rem- nant of them convert them unto their Lord God." Esay x. " And though the Lord hath sifted that house of Israel (as bruised corn in a sieve) among all other nations," Amos ix. ; yet shall not that remnant of theirs perish, but at that day be saved, through the only election of grace, Romans ix. Now concerning the aforesaid forerunners, in this most wonderful change of the world before the latter end thereof, I think within this realm of England, besides other nations abroad, the spirit of Elias was not at all asleep in good Tyndaie. William Tyndale, Robert Barnes, and such other more, whom Antichrist's violence hath sent hence in fire to heaven, as Elias went afore in the fiery chariot, 4 Regum ii. These turned the hearts of the fathers into the children, such time as they took from a great number of our nation, by their goodly preachings and writings, the corrupted belief of the pope and his wastrye workers (which were no fathers, but cruel robbers and destroyers, Joan, x.) reducing them again to the true faith of Abraham and Peter, Gen. xv. and Matt. The fathers. xvL The sure belief in Christ's birth and passion, which Adam and Noe sucked out of the first promise of God, Jacob and Moses out of the second, David and the prophets out of the third, and so forth the apostles and fathers out of the other scriptures, so firmly planted they in the consciences of many, that no cruel kind of death could avert them from Martyrs. it:, as we have for example their constant disciples, and now strange witnesses of Jesus Christ, John Lassels and Anne Askewe, with their other two companions, very glorious mar- tyrs afore God, (what though they be not so afore the wrong- judging eyes of the world?) whom the bloody remnant of Antichrist put unto most cruel death at Smithfield, at London, in the year of our Lord M.D.XLVI. in July. If they be only (as was John Baptist) " great afore the Lord1' by the holy scriptures' allowance, which are strongly adorned with the graces of his Spirit, as faith, force, under- standing, wisdom, patience, love, long-sufferance, and such-like; Christian I dare boldly affirm these four mighty witnesses also to be the same, so well as the martyrs of the primitive or apostles' church. For so strongly had these those virtues as they, and so boldly objected their bodies to the death for the undefiled Christian belief, against the malignant synagogue of Satan, as PREFACE OF HER FIRST EXAMINATION. 139 ever did they; for no tyranny admitting any create or cor- Bread, rtiptible substance for their eternal living God. If their blind babies, to prove them unlike, do object against me the miracles shewed at their deaths more than at these, as that unfaithful generation is ever desirous of wonders, Matt, xii.; Miracles. I would but know of them, what miracles were shewed when John Baptist's head was cut off in the prison, Mark. vi. ; and when James the apostle was beheaded at Hierusalem ? Acto. xii. These two were excellent afore God : what though they were but miserable wretches, light fellows, seditious heretics, busy knaves, and lousy beggars in the sight of noble king Herod and his honourable council of prelates ? For had not rochets and side-gowns been at hand, haply they had not so lightly died. If they allege Stephen, to maintain their purpose, that he Stephen, at his death beheld heaven open ; I ask them again, what they were which see it more than his own person ? Sure I am that their wicked predecessors there present see it not : for they stopped their ears when he told them thereof, Acts vii. If they yet bring forth the other histories of apostles and Legends. martyrs, I answer them, that all they are of no such autho- rity, as these here afore. The pope's, indeed, were much fuller of miracles than ever were Christ's, as his self told us they should be so, Matt. xiv. Yet wrought friar Forest, Forest. Fisher. John Fisher, and Thomas More, no miracles: what though More.' now many be registered in their lives and legends by the friars of France, Italy, and Spain ? Besides that, John Coch- leus hath written of them, ad Paulum Pontificem, ad Regem Henricum, and also in their defence against doctor Sampson. With that Erasmus did also ad Huttenum. P. M. ad Gas- writers. param Agrippam, Albertus Pighius, Bivius, Fichardus, and a great sort more. And as for the holy maid of Kent with doctor Booking, though they wrought great wonders by their life, yet appeared none at their deaths. Of his own chosen martyrs Christ looketh for none other miracle but that only they persevere faithful to the end, Matt, x., and never deny his verity afore men, Luke xii. For that worthy victory of the sinful world standeth in the invincibleness of faith, and not in miracles and wonders, as those wavering wits sup- pose, 1 John v. Right wonderfully will this appear in the two conflicts 140 EXAMINATIONS OF ANNE ASKEWE. AnncA*. hereafter following, which the faithful servant of Jesu, Anne Askewe, a gentlewoman very young, dainty, and tender, had with that outraging synagogue in two examinations, about the twenty-fifth year of her age, whom [which] she sent abroad by her own handwriting. The handling of her other three companions shall be shewed in other several treatises at leisure. Godf« power. For the glory and great power of the Lord, so manifestly ap- pearing in his elect vessels, may not now perish at all hands, and be unthankfully neglected, but be spread the world over as well in Latin as English, to the perpetual infamy of so wil- fully cruel and spiteful tyrants. Nothing at all shall terrify us, nor yet in any point let us of our purpose, that our books are now in England condemned and brent by the bishops and priests with their frantic affinity, the great antichrist's up- holders, which seek by all practices possible to turn over the L*tin. king's most noble and godly enterprise. But it will from henceforth occasion us to set forth in the Latin also that afore we wrote only in the English, and so make their spi- ritual wickedness and treason known much further off. What availeth it Joachim to burn Hieremy's prophecy by the un- gracious counsel of his prelates, Hiere. xxxvi. ; either yet Antiochus to set fire on the other scriptures ? Macha. i. God win be After the apostles were brought afore the council and known. straitly commanded to cease from preaching, they preached much more than afore. Acto. iv. In most terrible perse- cutions of the primitive church were the examinations and answers, torments and deaths, of the constant martyrs written, and sent abroad all the whole world over, as testifieth Euse- bius Caesariensis in his Ecclesiastic History. Their copies abound yet everywhere. Great slaughter and burning hath John wic- been here in England for John Wicliffe's books, ever since the year of our Lord M.CCC.LXXXII. ; yet have not one of them throughly perished. I have at this hour the titles of a hundred and forty-four of them which are many more in number : for some of them under one title comprehendeth canonisse. two books, some three, some four ; yea, one of them con- taineth twelve. I think not the contrary but, ere the world be at a full end, God will so glorify that twenty times con- demned heretic, execrated, cursed, spitted, and spatted at, that all your popish writers, before his time and after, will be reckoned but vile swineherds to him, for the good favour PREFACE OF HER FIRST EXAMINATION. 141 he bare to Christ's holy gospel. A very madness it is to strive against God, when he will have the long iniquities known : as the godly wise man Gamaliel said, Acto. v. " If Gamaliel, this enterprise that is now taken against you be of God, ye shall never be able with all your tyrannous practices to dis- solve it." Now concerning that blessed woman Anne Askewe, which Anne AS- lately suffered the tyranny of this world for right witness' sake. In Lincolnshire was she born of a very ancient and noble stock, Sir William Askewe, a worthy knight, being her father. But no worthiness in the flesh, neither yet any worldly nobleness, availeth to God-ward, afore whom is no ac- ceptation of person. Acto. x. Only is it faith with his true love Truenobmty. and fear, which maketh us accept, noble, and worthy children unto God, Joan. i. ; whereof by his gift she had wonderful abundance. Such a one was she as was Lydia the purple- Lydu. seller, whose heart opened by the godly preaching of Paul at Thyatira. Acto. xvi. For diligent heed gave she to his word, when it was once taught without superstition, and would no longer be a false worshipper, or idolater, after the wicked school of antichrist ; but became from thenceforth a true worshipper, worshipping her Lord God (which is a Spirit, and not bread) in spirit and in verity, according to that word of his, Joan. iv. The gospel of Christ bare she in her heart, as did the holy maid Cecilia, and never after ceased from the study Cecilia, thereof, nor from godly communication and prayer, till she was clearly by most cruel torments taken from this wretched world. By her do I here, dear friends in the Lord, as did the faithful brethren in France, at the cities of Lyons and Vienna, by a like faithful young woman called Blandina, which was Blandina. there put to death with three mighty companions more among other (as this was) for her Christian belief, about the year of our Lord C.LXX., in the primitive spring of their Christianity. They wrote unto their brethren in the lands of Asia and Phry- gia, very far off, her mighty strange sufferings for Christ's faith, which they knew nothing of afore : I write here unto you in England the double process of this noble woman, whereof ye are not ignorant, forsomuch as it was there so manifestly done among you. Coupled I have these two examples together, because I find them in so many points agree. Blandina was 142 EXAMINATIONS OF ANNE ASKEWE. Anne AS- young and tender ; so was Anne Askewe also : but that which was frail of nature in them both, Christ made most strong by companion*, his grace. Blandina had three earnest companions in Christ, Maturus, Sanctus, and Attalus, so fervently faithful as herself : so had Anne Askewe three fire-fellows, a gentleman called John Lassels her instructor, a priest, and a tailor called John Adlam, men in Christ's verity unto the end most constant. Rewnten. With Blandina were in prison to the number of ten, which renied the truth, and were clearly forsaken of God for it. How many fell from Christ besides Crome and Shaxton, when Anne Askewe stood fast by him, I am uncertain. But I counsel them, as St John counselled the Laodiceans, in the miserable state they are now in, to buy them through tried gold of Christ, lest they perish altogether. Apoc. iii. If they The chancei. had not still remained in that chancel, whom Christ com- manded John in no wise to measure, Apoc. xi., they had never so shamefully blasphemed, like as Bedas also toucheth in his former prophecy1. courage. Prompt was Blandina, and of most lofty courage, in ren- dering her life for the liberty of faith: no less lively and quick was Anne Askewe in all her imprisonments and torments. Racked. Great was the love Blandina had to Christ : no less was the love of Anne Askewe. Blandina never fainted in torment: no more did Anne Askewe in spirit, when she was so terribly racked of VVrisley the chancellor, and Riche, that the strings of her arms and eyes were perished. Blandina derided the cruelty of the tyrants : so did Anne Askewe the madness of Burned. the bishops and their speechmen. lied burning plates of iron and of brass had Blandina put to her sides : so had Anne Askewe the flaming brands of fire. Full of God and his veri- ties was Blandina: so was Anne Askewe to the very end. Christ wonderfully triumphed in Blandina: so did he in Anne Askewe, when she made no noise on the rack, and so earnestly Beasts. afterward rejoiced in him. Blandina was given forth to wild beasts to be devoured : so was Anne Askewe to cruel bishops and priests, whom Christ calleth ravening wolves, devourers, and thieves. Matth. vii. and Joan. x. Blandina upon the scaffold boldly reprehended the pagan priests of their error : so did Anne Askewe, when she was fast tied to the stake, with shaxton. stomach rebuke that blasphemous apostate Shaxton, with the L1 De Temp. Ratione, cap. 68. Ed. Col. 1612. Vol. n. p. 101.] PREFACE OF HER FIRST EXAMINATION. 143 bishops' and priests' generation, for their manifest maintenance of idolatry. Blandina at the stake shewed a visage unterrified : so did Anne Askewe a countenance stout, mighty, and earnest. In- defatigable was the spirit of Blandina : so was the spirit of Anne Askewe. The love of Jesus Christ, the gift of the Holy Graces. Ghost, and hope of the crown of martyrdom, greatly mitigated the pain in Blandina : so did those three worthy graces the terror of all torments in Anne Askewe. The strong Spirit of Christ gave stomach to Blandina, both to laugh and dance : the same mighty Spirit (and not the pope's desperate spirit) spirit. made Anne Askewe both to rejoice and sing in the prison. So bold was Blandina (saith Eusebius2), that with a presumption of stomach she commoned3 with Christ unseen : I suppose Anne Askewe's latter examination will shew her not to be much less. High sto- Gentle was Blandina to the Christian believers, and terrible to m' their adversaries : so was Anne Askewe very lowly to true teachers, but scornful and high-stomached to the enemies of truth. Many were converted by the sufferance of Blandina : a far greater number by the burning of Anne Askewe. Though Blandina were young, yet was she called the mother Mother. of martyrs : many men have supposed Anne Askewe for her Christian constancy to be no less. Blandina prayed for her persecutors : so did Anne Askewe, most fervently. The ashes Ashes. of Blandina and other martyrs were thrown into the flood of Rhodanus : what was done with the ashes of Anne Askewe and her companions, I cannot yet tell. All these former reports of Blandina, and many more be- sides, hath Eusebius in Ecclesiastica Historia, libr. v. cap. 1, Authors. 2, and 3, Hugo Floriacensis, Hermannus Contractus, Vincen- tius, Antoninus, Petrus Equilinus, and other historians more. And as touching Anne Askewe, these two examinations, with her other known handlings in England, are witnesses for her sufficient. Thus hath not the fire taken Anne Askewe ah1 Not an dead, whole from the world, but left her here unto it more pure, perfect, and precious than afore, as it will also John Lassels within short space : so that concerning her it may well be said that Paul verifieth, 2 Cor. xii. " The strength of God is [2 Hist. Ecc. Lib. v. cap. 1—3. Ed. Cantab. Gul. Reading. 1720. pp. 206 — 9.] [3 Commoned : communed.] 144 EXAMINATIONS OF ANNE ASKEWE. Weakness, here made perfect by weakness." When she seemed most fee- ble, then was she most strong. And gladly she rejoiced in that weakness, that Christ's power might strongly dwell in her. Thus chooseth the Lord the foolish of this world to confound the wise, and the weak to deface the mighty ; yea, things despised, and thought very vile, to bring things unto nought, which the world hath in most high reputation. I think, if this Many™, martyr were rightly conferred with those canonized martyrs, which hath had, and yet hath still, censings and singings, massings and ringings, in the pope's English church, cause with cause, and reason with reason, (as haply hereafter they Example, shall,) she should be a great blemish unto them. An example of strong sufferance might this holy martyr be unto all them that the Lord shall after like manner put forward in this hor- rible fury of antichrist, to the glory of his persecuted church. Amen. A TABLE COMPENDIOUS OF THIS FIRST BOOK. Age of Anne Askewe 140 Algerus a monk 154 Anne Askewe's life 141 Anne Askewe's three companions. 142 Anne Askewe not all dead 143 Antichrist's workings 167 Antiochus burnt scriptures 165 Archdeacon of London 164 Arnoldus Bostius 168 Articles of the pope's faith 175, 176 Barnes and Tyndale 138 Beasts eat the priest's God 159 Beda's prophecy 137 Belief in priests' lechery 176 Blandina with Anne Askewe 141 Books condemned and burnt. ..165, 181 Books not yet answered 181 Books of John Wicliffe 140 Bonner a crafty wolf 162, 170, 180 Bonner playeth the fox 162 — 165 Bonner a false surgeon 166 Boxers of their God 168 Bread in a box 168 Caiaphas of London 165, 167, 170 Catholic not esteemed 178 Chancellor of London.... 155, 160, 172 Christ's divinity 155 Christ judged a heretic 167 Comparison of Blandina 141 Counsels for recanting 142 Crome and Shaxton 142 Delays of deliverance 179 Doctrine of the supper 150 Dogs of rhetoric 173 Drunkenness of priests 159 Druids are pagan priests 152, 171 Eternity diverse 139 English women, learned 156 England all for the pope 171 [BALE.] PAGE Eva an anchoress 168 Examinations, written 140 Faith of the Fathers 138 Faith of the pope 175 Feast of Corpus Christi 168 Fire taketh not all away 143 Forerunners of Christ 137 Friars, for their mass 171 Germans railed on 181 God a spirit, and no bread 159 God falleth, and is eaten 158 God in the box 168 Guimundus Aversanus 154 Hawking of bishops 163 Helias, spirit in our age 138 Henry Spenser warreth 171 Heresy is Christ's doctrine 167 Hieremy's prophecy burnt 165 Hilda, a woman learned 156 Historians, divers 143 Hypocrites resisted 183 Host, a God of the papist's 159 James the apostle 139 Idolaters without wit 159 Ignorant magistrates 153 In God's stead 170 Joachim burnt scriptures 165 John Baptist, great 138 John Wicliffe 's books ' 140 John Wicliffe disputeth 171 John Wicliffe and Huss 183 John Frith offendeth 164 John Lassels martyred 138 Israelites converted 138 Judas sent to betray 157. 164, 167 King to be honoured 183 Kings' godly enterprise 151, 181 Kings, in God's cause resisted 183 10 146 A TABLE. Kingdom of the pope 180, 184 Lechery honoured 176 Legends and histories 139 Lordships of the clergy 173, 175 Man wounded 153, 167, 168 Marrying of priests 175, 178 Martyrs of the pope 144 Martyrs hallowed and censed 144 Mass, is not of faith 149, 176 Mass is no good work 152 Mass a mammetrouse mazon 165 Masses, private and common... 152, 171 Mice houseled of papists 154 Miracles looked for 139 Mouse eateth God 154 New martyrs of Christ 138 New miracles of faith 176 New saints of the pope 139 Nobility, whereof it riseth 141 No field yet gotten 181 No sureties for Christ 156 Objection of papists 139 Obey and pray 183 Offence of priests dangerous 161 Order of popish schools 158, 159 Peryn, a foxish friar 154, 159, 171, 181 Peryn houseleth a mouse 154, 159 Peryn's three sermons 181, 182 Peryn, the pope's ape 182 Practice of priests 158, 162,.170, 179, 180 Priests' ministration in sin 150, 168 Priests are tempters 151, 157, 167, 180 Priest's mass helpeth not 153 Priests of Lincoln 173, 174 Private masses 152, 171 Quarrelling* of papists 173, 178 Question very beastish 158, 171 Questmonger for antichrist 160, 167, 170 Racked was Anne Askewe 142 Really, is not of belief 148 Reniers of Christ 142 Receiving of the priest 153 Rochester and More 139 Sacrament, what it is 148 Sampson and Winchester 181 Scripture judged heresy 169 Shaxton and Crome 142 Silence for the pope 181 Standish, a blasphemous papist.... 172 Steven done to death 139 Temples, God dwelleth not in 170 Temptations of Bonner 164,165,166,172 Thomas Walden a friar l:.l Thomas More and Rochester 1 39 Tyndale and Barnes 138 Tides of Wicliffe's books 140 Verity deemed heresy 167 Viper's whelps 171 (Insufficient make they Christ 177 Walter Hunt, a doctor 164 Whoredom is honoured 176 Why Christ is renied 142 Winchester's mouse houseled... 154, 159 Winchester and Sampson 1 81 Winchester the pope's bear 182 Winchester at Utrecht 182 Wits soft and tender 182 Women, learned 156 Wrisley and Riche 142 God save the King. THE FIRST EXAMINATION OF THE WORTHY SERVANT OF GOD, MISTRESS ANNE ASKEWE, THE YOUNGER DAUGHTER OF SIR WILLIAM ASKEWE, KNIGHT, OF LINCOLNSHIRE, LATELY MARTYRED IN SMITH- FIELD, BY THE ROMISH POPE'S1 UPHOLDERS2. THE CENSURE OF JUDGMENT OF JOHN BALE THERE- UPON, AFTER THE SACRED SCRIPTURES AND CHRONICLES 3. 4 OF no less Christian constancy was this faithful witness and holy martyr of God, Anne Askewe, nor no less a fast member of Christ by her mighty persistance in his verity at this time of mischief, than was the aforenamed Blandina in the primitive church. This shall well appear in her two examinations or tyrannous handlings, here following, whom [which] she wrote with her own hand at the instant desire of certain faithful men and women, yea, rather at the secret motion of God, that the truth thereof might be known the world over: as within short space it will be, if the Latin t1 Pope's, not in first edition.] [2 The first edition has the following addition to the title: "Anne Askewe stood fast by this verity of God to the end. Psalm cxvi. The verity of the Lord endureth for ever. Prov. xxxi. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is a vain thing ; but a woman that feareth the Lord is worthy to be praised : she openeth her mouth to wisdom, and in her languge is the law of grace."] [3 Not in the first edition.] [4 Not in the first edition. Instead of it the following appears: — "Here hast thou (gentle reader) the two examinations of Anne Askewe, which she wrote with her own hand at the instant desire of certain faithful men and women, by the which (if thou mark diligently the communications both of her and of her examiners) thou mayest easily prove the spirits, as S. John the Apostle giveth you counsel. 1 John iiii. Then shalt thou know the tree by the fruit, and the man by his work. Anne Askewo."] 10—2 148 THE FIRST EXAMINATION speech can carry it. Mark well the communication here, spirit both of her and her examiners, so proving their spirits, as St John the Apostle giveth you counsel, 1 John iv. And then shall ye know the tree by his fruit, and the man by his work. ANNE ASKEWE. To satisfy your expectation, good people (saith she), this was my first examination, in the year of our Lord, M.D.XLV.2 and in the month chrutopher of March. First Christopher Dare examined mo at Sadler's Hall, being one of the quest, and asked if I did not believe that the sacra- ment hanging over the altar was the very body of Christ really. Then I demanded this question of him, wherefore St Stephen was stoned to death? And he said he could not tell. Then I answered that no more would I assoil his vain question. JOHN BALE. A sacrament (saith St Augustine3) is a sign, shape, or simi- litude, of that it representeth, and no God, nor yet thing represented. This word real, or really, is not of belief ; for it is not in all the sacred scriptures. Only is it sophistically bor- rowed of the pagans' learning by Winchester and his fellows, to corrupt our Christian faith. Beware of that filthy poison. The perfect belief of Stephen, Acto. vii.; Paul, Acto. xvii. ; and of Solomon, 3 Regum viii. et 2 Parali. vi., was that God "dwelleth not in temples made with hands." Agreeable unto this was the faith of this godly woman, which neither could The box. believe that he dwelleth in the box. God saith, Esay Ivi. " Heaven is my seat," not the box. David saith, Psalm cxiii. «v.] " Our God is in heaven,1" not in the pix. Christ taught us to say, when we pray, Matt. vi. Luke xi. "Our Father, which art in heaven," and not, Our Father, which art in the box. Now discern and judge. f1 There are no references or notes in the the margin of the 1st ed.] [2 ' a MDxlv.' 1st ed.] [3 Si enim sacramenta quamdam similitudinem earum rerum, qua- rum sacramenta sunt, non haberent, omnino sacramenta non essent. — S. Aug. Epist. xxxin. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1679. Vol. n. col. 267. F. Hsec enim sacramenta sunt, in quibus non quid sint, sed quid osten- dant, semper adtenditur: quoniam signa sunt rerum, aliud existentia, et aliud significantia. — Id. cont. Max. Lib. n. c. 22. Vol. viii. col. 725.] I OF MISTRESS ANNE ASKEWE. 149 ANNE ASKEWE Secondly, he said, that there was a woman which did testify, that I should read, how that God was not in temples made with hands. Then Temples. I shewed him the seventh and the seventeenth chapter of the Apostles' Acts, what Stephen and Paul had said therein. Whereupon he asked me, how I took those sentences ? I answered, that I would not throw pearls among swine, for acorns were good enough. JOHN BALE. An ignorant woman, yea, a beast without faith, is herein allowed to judge the holy scriptures heresy, and, against all good laws, admitted to accuse this godly woman, the servant Accusers. of Christ, for an heinous heretic, for the only reading of them. As perverse and blasphemous was this questmonger as she, and as beastly ignorant in the doctrine of health; yet is neither of them judged ill of the world, but the one per- mitted to accuse this true member of Christ, and the other to condemn her. Wherefore her answer, out of the seventh chapter of Matthew, was most fit for them : for they are no better than swine, that so contemn the precious treasure of the gospel for the mire of men's traditions. ANNE ASKEWE. Thirdly, he asked me wherefore I said that I had rather read4 five lines in the bible than to hear five masses in the temple. I confessed Masses. that I said no less ;, not for the dispraise of either the epistle or the gospel; but because the one did greatly edify me, and the other nothing at all: as Saint Paul doth witness, in the ninth5 chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, where as he doth say, " If the trump giveth an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself to the battle ?' JOHN BALE. A commandment hath Christ given us to search the holy scriptures, John v., for in them only is the life eternal. " Blessed is he (saith Christ unto John) which readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy," Apoc. i. But of the Latin popish mass is not one word in all the bible, and there- fore it pertaineth not to faith. A strait commandment have Almighty God given, Deut. xii., that nothing be added to his word, nor yet taken from it. " Put thou nothing unto his God's word, words (saith Solomon, Prov. xxx.), lest thou be found, in so doing, a reprobate person, and a liar." St Paul willed nothing [< 1st ed. (to read.'] [« 1st ed. reads, 'fourteenth.'] 150 THE FIRST EXAMINATION to be uttered in a dead speech, 1 Cor. xiv. (as are your mass and matins), but silence always to be in the congregations, where as is no interpreter; for five words (saith he) availeth more to understanding, than ten thousand words with the tongue. This proveth temple-service of the papists all the year to be worth nothing. ANNE ASKEWB. The priert. Fourthly, ho laid unto my charge that I should say, if an ill priest ministered, it was the devil, and not God. My answer was, that I never spake such thing ; but this was my saying, that whatsoever ho were, which ministered unto me, his ill conditions could not hurt my faith; but in spirit I received, nevertheless, the body and blood of Christ. JOHN BALE. Christ saith, John vi., "Have not I chosen you twelve, and juda». yet one of you is a devil?" meaning Judas, that false and unfaithful priest. No less saith Peter, 2 Peter ii., of those lying curates, by whom the truth is blasphemed, and the people made merchandise of in their covetousness. If the ill fruit, then, be all one with the ill tree in naughtiness, the •work of a devil must be devilish. But God said unto the wicked priests, Esay i., Hier. vi., Amos v., and Mala, ii., that sacrifices, he abhorred their sacrifices, and also hated them, even at the very heart, willing both heaven and earth to mark it. Into Judas entered Satan, after the sop was given him, John xiii., whereas the other apostles received the body and blood of Christ. The table was all one to them both, so was the bread which their mouths received. The inward receivings, then, in Peter and Judas made all the diversity, which was belief and unbelief, or faith and unfaithfulness ; as Christ largely The sixth of declareth in the vith of John, where as he shewed aforehand John. the full doctrine of that mystical supper. Only he that believeth hath there the promise of the life everlasting, and not he that eateth the material bread. Of God are they taught, and not of men, which truly understand this doctrine. ANNE ASK EWE. Confession. Fifthly, he asked me what I said concerning confession ? I answered him my meaning, which was as St James saith, that every man ought to acknowledge1 his faults to other, and the one to pray for the other. [* 1st ed. 'knowledge.'] OF MISTRESS ANNE ASKEWE. 151 JOHN BALE. This confession only do the scripture appoint us, Jac. v. as we have offended our neighbour. But if we have offended God, we must sorrowfully acknowledge it before him, and he (saith St John, John i.) hath faithfully promised to forgive us our sins, if we so do, and to cleanse us from all unright- eousness. If the law of truth be in the priest's mouth, he Priests. is to be sought unto for godly counsel, Mala. ii. But if he be a blasphemous hypocrite, or superstitious fool, he is to be shunned as a most pestilent poison. ANNE ASKEWE. Sixthly, he asked me what I said to the king's book ? And I an- The king's swered him, that I could say nothing to it, because I never saw it. JOHN BALE. All crafty ways possible sought this crafty questmonger, or else the devil in him, to bring this poor innocent lamb to the slaughter-place of antichrist. Much after this sort sought the wicked Pharisees, by certain of their own faction, or Pharisees. hired satellites, with the Herodians, to bring Christ in danger of Caesar, and so to have him slain. Matt, xxii., Mar. xii., Luke xxi. ANNE ASKEWE. Seventhly, he asked me if I had the Spirit of God in me ? I answered, if I had not, I was but a reprobate or cast-away. JOHN BALE. Elect are of God (saith Peter) through the sanctifying of the Spirit, 1 Peter i. In every true Christian believer dwelleth the Spirit of God. John xiv. Their souls are the sanctified The spirit. temples of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinth, iii. " He that hath not the Spirit of Christ (saith Paul) is none of Christ's." Rom. viii. To them is the Holy Ghost given which heareth the gospel and believeth it, and not unto them which will be justified by their works. Gala. ii. All these worthy scriptures confirm her saying. ANNE ASKEWE. Then he said he had sent for a priest to examine me, which was there at hand. The priest asked me, what I said to the sacrament of the altar ; and required much to know therein my meaning. But I desired him again to hold me excused concerning that matter. None other answer would I make him, because I perceived him a papist. 152 THE FIRST EXAMINATION JOHN BALE. Mockers. Mocking priests (saith Esay) hath rule of the Lord's peo- ple, whose voices are in their drunkenness. Bid that may be bidden, forbid that may be forbidden, keep back that may be kept back, here a little and there a little. Esay xxviii. A plague shall come upon these: for why? they "have changed the ordinances, and made the everlasting testament of none effect." Esay xxiv. "They withhold (saith St Paul) the verity of God in unrighteousness." Rom. i. " They breed cockatrice' eggs, saith Esay, and weave the spider's web. Whoso eateth of A^erpent their eggs dieth ; but if one treadeth upon them, there cometh up a serpent." ANNE ASKEWE. Eighthly, he asked me if I did not think that private masses did1 help souls departed. And I said, it was great idolatry to believe more in them than in the death that2 Christ died for us. JOHN BALE. Here riseth the serpent of the cockatrice' eggs, workmanly to fulfil the afore alleged prophecy. If their masses had been of God's creation, ordinance, or commandment ; or if they had been in any point necessary for man's behoof, they had been registered in the book of life, which is the sacred bible. But Masses therein is neither mention of mass private nor public ; several nor common ; single nor double ; high nor low ; by foot nor on horseback, or by note, as they call it. If they be things added by man's invention (as they can be none other, not be- ing there named), then am I sure that the scriptures call them filthiness, rust, chaff, draff, swill, drunkenness, fornication, menstrue, man's dirt, adders' eggs, poison, snares, the bread of wicked lies, and the cup of God's curse. Their original ground Druid*. should seem to be taken of the Druids, or pagan priests, which inhabited this realm long afore Christ's incarnation, and had then practised sacrifices, public and private. Look Cornelius, Tacitus, Caius Julius, Plinius, Strabo, and such other authors. That name of privation added unto their mass clearly de- priveth it of Christian communion, where one man eateth up all, and distributeth nothing. [i Isted. 'did not help.'] [2 1st ed. « which.'] OF MISTRESS ANNE ASKEWE. 153 How such ware should help the souls departed, I cannot Forsouis. tell ; but well I wot that the wounded man between Jerusalem and Jericho had no help of them. Luke x. The Samaritan, which was reckoned but a pagan among them, was his only- comfort. In the most popish time was never more horrible blasphemy than this is. This wickedness impugneth all the promises of God concerning faith and remission of sins. It repugneth also to the whole doctrine of the gospel. The application of Christ's supper availeth only them that be alive, taking, eating, and drinking, that is therein ministered. No more can the priest's receiving that sacrament profit another The priest's , . . . . • ' receiving. man, than can his receiving of baptism, or of penance, as they call it. If it profiteth not the quick, how can it profit the dead ? No sacrifice is the mass, nor yet good work ; but a blasphemous profanation of the Lord's holy supper, a mani- fest wickedness, an horrible idolatry, and a foul abomination ; being thus a rite of worshipping without the word, yea, against the express word of God. ANNE ASKEWE. Then they had me from3 thence unto my Lord Mayor. And he Mayor, examined me, as they had before ; and I answered him directly in all things, as I had4 the quest afore. JOHN BALE. After this sort was Christ led from the examination of the clergy to Pilate. Matth. xxvii. In that the examination of the mayor and the quest was all one, ye may well know that they had both one schoolmaster, even the brutish bishop of London. Bonner The ignorant magistrates of England will neither be godly- wise with David and Solomon, nor yet embrace the earnest instructions of God, to be learned in the scriptures, Ps. ii. Sapien. vi. ; but still be wicked ministers and cruel servant slaves to antichrist and the devil. Apoc. xvii. More fit are ignorance, such witless mayors and graceless officers, as knoweth not white from black, and light from darkness, (Esay v.) to feed swine, or to keep kaddows5, than to rule a Christian common- alty. A terrible day abideth them which thus ordereth the innocent. Jaco. ii. [3 The word ' from,' is not in the 1st ed.] [4 Instead of ' had,' the 1st ed. reads ' answered.'] [5 A jackdaw, Halliwell. He spells it ' caddow.'J 154 THE FIRST EXAMINATION ANNE ASK EWE. Beside this, my Lord Mayor laid one thing unto my charge which was never spoken of me, but of them : and that was, whether a mouse eating the host received God, or no ? This question did I never ask ; but, indeed, they asked it of me, whereunto I made them no answer, but smiled. JOHN BALE. Is not here (think you) well-favoured and well-fashioned divinity, to establish an article of the Christian faith ? Wily Winchester1 answereth this question, as foolish as it is, in his Wise Detection of the Devil's Sophistry. " Believe," saith he, " that a mouse cannot devour God." Yet reporteth he after, in fol. 21, that Christ's body may as well dwell in a mouse as in Judas. Then followeth friar Fynk, (friar Peryn 2, I should say,) a bachelor of the same school : and he answer- eth in the end of his third sermon, that the sacrament eaten of a mouse is the very and real body of Christ. And when he hath affirmed it to be no derogation to Christ's presence to lie in t