he coÌ„sent to those most deuylyshe practyses of the Prestes As they had infourmed y e Archebysshop of that answere that yt was mete for no manne pryuatelye to cyte him after that without parell of lyfe he decreed by and by to haue him cyted by publyque processe or open commaundement And in all the hast possyble vpon the wedynsdaye before the Natiuite of oure Ladye in Septembre he commaunded letters cytatorye to be set vpon the great gates of the cathedrall churche of Rochestre which was but iii. Englyshe myles from thens chargynge him to apere personallye before him at Ledys in the .xi. daye of the same moneth and yeare all excuses to the coÌ„trarye set a part Those letters were taken downe anon after by soche as bare fauer vnto the lorde Cobham and so conueyed a syde After that caused the Archebyshop newe letters to be set vp on the Natyuyte daye of oure Ladye which also were rent downe and vtterlye consumed Than for so moche as he ded not apere at the daye appoynted at Ledys where as he fate in consystorye as cruell as euer was Cayphas with his court of hypocrytes about him he iudge him denounced him and condempned him of most depe contumacye After that whan he had bene falselye infourmed by his hyred spyes and other glosynge glauerers that the seyde lorde Cobham had law hed him to scorne dysdayned all his doynges maynteyned his olde opynyoÌ„s contemned the churches power the dignyte of a Bysshop the ordre of presthode for of all these was he than accufed in his modye madnesse without iust profe ded he openlye excommunicate him yet was he not with all this ferce tyrannye qualyfyed but commaunded him to be cyted a freshe to apere afore him the Saturdaye before the feast of saynct Matthew the Apostle with these cruell threttenynges added theruÌ„to That yf he ded not obeye at that daye he wolde more extremelye handle him And to make himselfe more stronge towardes the perfourmaunce therof he compelled the laye power by most terryble manacynges of curses and interdiccyons to assyst him agaynst that sedycyouse apostata that scysmatyque that heretyque that troubler of the publyque peace that enemye of the realme and great aduersarye of all holye churche for all these hatefull names ded he geue him This most constaunt seruaunt of the lorde and worthye knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell the lorde Cobham beholdynge the vnpacable furye of Antichrist thus kyndled agaynst him perscyuynge himselfe also compased on euerye syde with deadlye daungers he toke paper and penne in hande so wrote a Christen confessyon or rekenyng of his fayth which foloweth here after and both sygned and sealed it with his owne hande Vvherin he also answereth to the iiii chefest artycles that the Archebysshop layed agaynst him That done he toke the copye with him went therwith to the kynge trustynge to fynde mercye and fauer at his hande Non other was that confessyon of his than the coÌ„mon beleue or somme of the churches fayth called the Apostles crede of all Christen menne than vsed As thus ☞ The Christen beleue of the lorde Cobham I Beleue in God the father almyghtye maker of heauen and earth And in Iesu Christ his onlye sonne oure Lorde which was coÌ„câ—yued of the holye ghost borne of the virgine Marye suffred death vndre Ponce Pylate crucyfyed dead and buryed went downe to helles the thyrde daye rose agayne from death ascended vp to heauens he sytteth on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye and from thens shall come agayne to iudge the quycke and the dead I beleue in the holye ghost the vnyuersall holye churche the communyon of saynctes the forgeuenesse of sâ—nnes the vprysynge of the fleshe and euerlastynge lyfe Amen And for a more large declaracyon sayth he of this my fayth in the catholyck churche I stedefastlye beleue that there is but one God almyghty in and of whose Godhede are these .iii. persones the father the sonne and the holye ghost and that those .iii. persones are the same selfe God almyghtye I beleue also that the seconde personne of this most blessed Trinite in most coÌ„uenyent tyme appoynted therunto afore toke fleshe and bloude of the most blessed virgyne Marye for the sauegarde and redempcyon of the vnyuersall kynde of manne which was afore lost in Adams offence More ouer I beleue that the same Iesus Christ ouer Lorde thus beynge both God manne is the only head of y e whole Christen churche and that all those that hath bene or shall be saued be members of this most holy churche And this holye churche I thynke to be dyâ—â—ded into .iii. sortes or companyes Vvherof the fyrst sort be now in heauen and they are the saynctes from hens departed These as they were here conuersaunt conformed alwayes ther lynes to the most holye lawes and pure examples of Christ renouncynge sathan the worlde and the fleshe with all theyr concupyscences and cuyls The seconde sort are in purgatorye yf anye soche he by the scripturs abydynge the mercye of God and a full delyueraunce of payne â— The thyrde sort are here vpon the earthe and be called the churche mylytaunt For daye nyghe they comende agaynst the craftye assaultes of the deuyll the flatterynge prosperytees of this worlde and the rebellyouse fylthynesse of the fleshe This latter congregacyon by the iust ordynaunce of God is also seuered into iii. dyuerse estates that is to saye into presthode knyghthode and the coÌ„mons Amonge whom the will of God is that the one shuld ayde the other but not destroye the other The Prestes fyrst of all secluded from all worldlynesse shulde conforme theyr lyues vtterlye to the examples of Christ and his Apostles Euermore shulde they be occupyed in preachynge and teachyng the scripturs purelye and in genynge wholsom counsels of good lyuynge to the other two degrees of menne More modest also more louynge gentyll and lowlye in sprete shuld they be than anye other sortes of people In knyghthode are all they which beare swerde by lawe of offyce These shuld defende Gods lawes and se that the Gospell were purelye taught conformynge theyr lyues to the same and secludynge all false preachers yea these ought rather to hasarde theyr lyues than to suffre soche â—â—ycked decrees as eyther blemysheth the eternall testament of God or yet letteth the fre passage therof wherby her syes and scysmes myght sprynge in the churche For of non other aryse they as I suppose than of soche erronyouse constitucyoÌ„s craftelye fyrst crepynge in vndre hypocrytes lyes for auauntage They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressers tyrauntes and theues and to se the clergye supported so longe as they teache purelye praye ryghtlye and mynystre the sacramentes frelye And yf they se them do other wyse they are bounde by lawe of offyce to compell them to change theyr
concernynge the .iiii. artycles wherof he was accused specyallye for the sacrament of the aultre how he beleued therin Vvherunto the lorde Cobham sayd that with that byll he had nothynge to do But this was his beleue he sayd concernynge the sacrament That his lorde and sauer Iesus Christ syttynge at his last supper with his most dere disciples the nyght before he shulde suffre toke breade in his hande And geâ—ynge thankes to his eternall father blessed yt brake yt and so gaue yt vnto them sayinge Take yt vnto ye and eate therof all This is my bodye which shall be betrayed for you Do this here after in my remembraunce This do I throughlye beleue sayth he for this faythe am I taught of the Gospell in Matthew in Marke and in Luke and also in the fyrst Epistle of saynct Paule to the Corintheanes Than asked the Archebysshop yf he beleued that yt were breade after the consecracyon or sacramentall wordes spoken â—uer yt The lorde Cobham sayd I beleue that in the sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye in fourme of breade the same that was borne of the virgyne Marye done on the crosse dead and buryed and that the thyrde daye arose from death to lyfe which now is gloryfyed in heauen Than sayd one of the doctours of lawe After the sacramentall wordes be vttered there remayneth no breade but the onlye bodye of Christ. The lorde Cobham sayd than to one mastre Iohan Vvhyght head you sayd ones vnto me in the castell of Cowlynge that the sacred oost was not Christes bodye But I helde than agaynst you and proued that therin was his bodye though the seculars and fryers coude not therin agre but helde yche one agaynst other in that opynyon These were my wordes thaÌ„ yf ye remembre it Than showted a sort of them togyther and cryed with great noyse Vve saye all that yt is Gods bodye And dyuerse of them asked him in great angre whether it were materyall breade after the consecracyon or not Than loked the lorde Cobham ernestlye vpon the Archebysshop sayd I beleue surelye that yt is Christes bodye in fourme of breade Syr beleue not you thus And the Archebysshop sayd yes marry do I. Than asked him the doctours whether yt were onlye Christes bodye after the consecracyon of a Prest and no bread or not And he sayd vnto them It is both Christes bodye and breade I shall proue yt as thus For lyke as Christ dwellynge here vpon the earth had in him both Godhede and manhede And had the inuisyble â—odhede couered vndre that manhede which was onlye visyble and seane in him So in the sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye and verye breade also as I beleue The breade is the thynge that we se with oure eyes The bodye of Christ which is his fleshe and his bloude is there vndre hydde and not seane but in fayth Than smyled they yche one vpon other that the people shuld iudge him taken in a great heresye And with a great bragge dyuerse of them sayd It is a fowle heresye ThaÌ„ asked the archebysshopp what breade yt was And the doctours also inquyred of hym whether it were materyall or not The lorde Cobham sayd vnto them The scripturs maketh no mencyon of thys worde materyall and therfor my faythe hath nothynge to do therwith But thys I saye and beleue yt that yt ys Christes bodye breade For Christ sayd in the sixt of IohaÌ„s gospell Ego sum panis viuâ—s qui de celo descendi I whych came downe from heauen am the lyuynge and not the dead breade Therfor I saye now ageyne lyke as I sayd afore As our lorde Iesus Christ is verye god and verye manne so in the most blessed sacrament of the aultre is Christes verye bodye and breade Than sayd they all with one voyce It is an heresye One of the bysshoppes stode vp by by and sayd Vvhat yt is an heresye manyfest to saye that yt is breade after the sacrameÌ„tall wordes be ones spokeÌ„ but Christes bodye onlye The lorde Cobham sayd Saynt paule y e apostle was I am sure as wyse as yow be now and more godlye lerned And he callâ—â— yt breade writynge to the Corintheanes The breade that we breake sayth he is yt not the partakynge of the body of Christ Lo he casteth yt breade and not Christes bodye but a menne wherby we receyue Christes bodye Than sayd they ageyne Paule must be otherwyse vnderstanded For yt is surelye an heresye to saye that yt is breade after the consecration but onlye Christes bodye The lorde Cobham asked how they coude make Good that senteÌ„ce of thers They answered hym thus For yt is ageynst the determynacyon of holye churche Than sayd the Archebysshopp vnto hym Sir Iohan we sent yow a writynge concernynge the faythe of thys blessed sacrament clerelye determyned by the churche of Rome our mother and by the holye doctours Than sayd he ageyne vnto hym I knowe non holyar than is Christ and hys Apostle And as for that determynacyoÌ„ I woteâ— yt is non of thers for yt staÌ„deth not with the scripturs but manyfestlye ageynst theÌ„ If yt be the churches as ye saye it is it hath bene hers onlye sens she receyued the great poyson of worldlye possessyons not afore Than asked they him to stoppe his mouthe therewith If he beleued not in the determynacyon of the churche And he sayd vnto them No forsoth for yt is no God In all oure crede is in but thryse mencyoned concernynge beleue In God the father in God the sonne in God the holy ghost The byrthe the death the buryall the resurreccyon and ascensyon of Christ hath non in for beleue but in him Neyther yet hath the churche the sacramentes the forgeuenesse of synne the latter resurreccyon nor yet the lyfe euerlastynge anye other in than in the holye ghost Than sayd one of the lawers Tushe that was but a worde of offyce But what is youre beleue concernynge holye churche The lorde Cobham answered My beleue is as I sayd afore that all the scripturs of the sacred Byble are true All that is grounded vpon them I beleue throughlye For I knowe yt is Gods pleasure that I shuld so do But in your lordelye lawes and ydell determynacyons haue I no beleue For ye be no part of Christes holye churche as youre open dedes doth shewe But ye are verye Antichristes obstynatlye set agaynst his holye lawe and will The lawes that you haue made are nothynge to his glorye but onlye for youre vayne glorye and abhomynable couetuousnesse This they sayd was an exceadynge heresye and that in a grâ—aâ— fâ—â—me not to beleue the determynacyon of holye churche Than the Archebysshop asked him what he thought holye churche He sayd vnto him My beleue is that holye Churche is the nombre of them which shall be saued of
☞ An abiuracyon counterfeted of the Bysshoppes IN Deinomine Amen I Iohan Oldecastell denounced detected and conuicted of and vpon dyuerse artycles sauerynge both heresye and errour before the reuerende father in Christ and my good Lorde Thomas by the permyssyon of God lorde Archebysshop of Caunterburye and my lawfull and ryghtfull iudge in that behalfe expreslye graunt and confesse That as concernyng the estate and power of the most holye father the Pope of Rome of his Archebysshoppes his Bysshoppes and his other Prelates the degrees of the churche and the holye sacrameÌ„tes of the same specyallye of the sacrameÌ„tes of the aultre and of penaunce and other obseruaunces besydes of oure mother holye Churche as pylgrymages and pardons I afferme I saye before the seyd reuerende father Archebysshop and els where that I beynge yll seduced by dyuerse sedycyouse preachers haue greuouslye erred and herety calâ—ye persysted blasphemouslye answered and obstynatlye rebelled And therfore I am by the seyd reuerende father before the reuerende fathers in Christ also the Bysshoppes of London Vvynchestre and Bangor lawfullye condemned for an heretyque Neuer the lesse yet I now rememberynge my selfe and couetynge by this meane to auoyde that temporall peyne which I am worthye to suffre as an heretyque at the assygnacyon of my most excellent Christen prince and lyege lorde kynge Henrye the fyft now by the grace of God most worthye kynge both of Englande and of Fraunce myndynge also to preferre the wholsom determynacyon senteÌ„ce and doctryne of the holye and vnyuersall churche of Rome before the vnwholsom opynyons of myselfe my teachers and my folowers I frelye willynglye delyberatlye and throughlye confesse graunt and afferme the most holye fathers in Christ saynct Peter the Apostle and his successours Bysshoppes of Rome specyallye now at this tyme my most blessed lorde Pope Iohan by the permyssyon of God the .xxiii. Pope of that name which now holdeth Peters seate and yche of them in theyr successyon in full strengthe and power to be Christes vycar in earthe and the head of the churche mylytaunt And that by the strengthe of his offyce what though he be a great synner and afore knowen of God to be damned he hath full auctoryte and power to rewle and gouerne bynde and lose saue and destroye a curse and assoyle all other Christen menne And agreably styll vnto this I confesse graunt and afferme all other Archebysshoppes Bysshoppes and Prelates in theyr prouinces dyoceses and parryshes appoynted by the seyd Pope of Rome to assyst him in his doynges or busynesse by his decreed canons or vertu of his offyce to haue had in tymes past to haue now at this tyme and that they ought to haue in tyme to come auctoryte and power to rewle and to gouerne bynde and lose a curse and assoyle the subiectes or peoples of theyr afore seyd prouinces dyoceses parryshes and that theyr seyd subâ—ectes or peoples ought of ryght in all thynges to obeye them Forthermore I confesse graunt and afferme that the seyd spirituall fathers as oure most holye father the Pope Archebysshoppes Bysshoppes and Prelates haue had haue now ought to haue here after auctoryte and power for the estate ordre and gouernaunce of theyr subiectes or peoples to make lawes decrees statutes and constytucyons yca and to publysshe commaunde and compell theyr seyd subiectes peoples to the obseruacyon of them More ouer I confesse graunt and afferme that all these forseyd lawes decrees statutes and constitucyons made pubyshed and commaunded accordynge to the fourme of spirituall lawe all Christen people and euerye manne in himselfe is strayghtlye bounde to obserue and mekelye to obeye accordynge to the dyuerfyte of the forseyd powers As the lawes statutes canons and coÌ„stytucyons of oure most holye father the Pope incorporated in his Decrees Decretals Clementynes Codes Chartes Rescriptes Sextyles Extrauagantes the worlde ouer all And as the prouincyall statutes of Archebysshoppes in theyr prouinces the synodall actes of Bysshoppes in theyr dyoceses and the commendable rewles and customes of Prelates in theyr colleges curates in theyr parryshes all Christen people are both bounde to obserue and also most mekelye to obeye Ouer and besydes all this I Iohan Oldecastell vtterlye forsakynge and renouncynge all the afore seyd errours and heresyes and all other errours and heresyes lyke vnto them laye my hande here vpon this boke or holye Euangelye of God and sweare that I shall neuer more from hens forth holde these forseyd heresyes nor yet anye other lyke vnto them wetynglye Neyther shall I geue counsell ayde helpe nor faâ—er at anye tyme to them that shall holde teache afferme or maynteyne the same as God shall helpe me and these holye Euangelyes And that I shall from hens forth faythfullye obeye and inuiolablye obserue all the holye lawes Statutes Canons and Constitucyons of all the Popes of Rome Archebisshoppes Bisshoppes and Prelates as are contayned and determyned in theyr holye Decrees Decretals Clementyâ—â—s Codes Charters Rescriptes Sextyles Summes Papall Extrauagantes Statutes prouincyall Actes synodall and other ordynarye râ—wles and customes constytuted by them or that shall chaunce herafter dyrectlye to be determyned or made To these and all soche other will I my selfe with all power possyble applye Besydes all this the penaunce which yt shall please my seyd reuerende Father the lorde Archebysshop of Caunterburye hereafter to enioyne me for my synnes I will mekelye obeye and faythfullye fulfyll Fynallye all my seducers and false teachers and all other besydes whom I shall hereafter knowe suspected of heresye or errours I shall effectually present or cause to bâ— presented vnto my seyd reuerende father lorde Archebysshop or to them which hath his auctoryte so sone as I can conuenyeÌ„tlye do it and se that they be corrected to my vttermost power AMEN ☞ The cruell complaynt of the clergye and tyrannouse acte thervpon made NEuer came this abiuracyon to the handes of the lorde Cobham neyther was yt compyled of them for that purpose but onlye therwith to bleare the eyes of the vnlerned multytude And whan they perfeyued that polycye wolde not helpe but made more more agaynst them than sought they out an otherfalse practyse They went vnto the kynge with a most greuouse complaynt lyke as they ded afore in his fathers tyme that in euerye quarter of y e realme by reason of Vvycleues opinyoÌ„s and the seyd lorde Cobham were wonderfull contencyons rumours tumultes vprours confederacyons dyssencyons diuysyons dyfferences dyscordes harmes slaunders scysmes secâ—es sedycyons perturbacyons parels vnlawfull assemblyes varyauÌ„ces stryfes fyghtynges rebellyouse ruffelynges daylye insurreccyons The churche they saydâ— was hated The dyocesanes were not obeyed The ordynaryes were not regarded The spirituall offycers as Suffraganes Archedeacons chauncellers doctours commyssaryes offycyals deanes lawers serybes and sommeners were euery where despysed The lawes and lybertees of holye churche were