chyng, diligently watching whether he did preach or not. When as they parish priest had read ouer the letters, hee marueiled not a litle at that proud commaundement, for that it had not bene heard of before, that the 48. Presidentes should meddle with Ecclesiasticall matters, & that it had bene of long time vsed that the ruling therof should be in the hands of þ^e parish priest: and long time before it was decred by the whole prouince, and customably vsed, that in euery Church the parish Priest should haue free liberty to receaue or put out þ^e preacher. These letters the parish Priest deliuered vnto Henry: which when he had diligently looked ouer, hee aunswered, MarginaliaThe constancie of Henry in hys vocation.that for so much as he was come, beyng sent for by the whole congregation to preach the Gospell of Christ, he would satisfie that vocation, because hee saw it would bee acceptable vnto the whole congregatiō, and that hee ought rather to obey the word of God then man: Also that if it pleased God that he should loose his life in Diethmar, there was as nere away to heauen as in any other place, for that hee doubted nothyng at all, that once hee must suffer for the Gospels sake. Vpon this courage and boldnes, the next day Henry went vp into the pulpit and made a Sermon, expoūdyng the place of Paul, which is Roma. the first: Testis est mihi deus. &c. That is: God is my witnes: and the Gospell of the day. After the Sermon was done, the whole cōgregation being called together, the Prior deliuered the letters that were sent by the. 48. Presidents, the tenour wherof was thys: that they of Meldorph should be fined w^t a fine of a thousand gildrens, if they suffered þ^e Monke to preach: and commaunded moreouer, that they should send Ambassadours vnto Heyda with full power and authoritye. When they heard these letters read, they were much moued, because they were so charged contrary to the custome of the countrey, for so much as euery parishe Priest hath alwayes had authoritie, accordyng to his discretion, to choose or put away þ^e preacher. Briefly, they all determined with one voyce, to kepe Henry for their preacher, and to defend him: for when they had heard the Sermon, they were greatly offended with the Prior.

MarginaliaHenry preacheth at Meldorph.After dinner Henry preached agayn, expoūdyng þ^e place of S. Paul Rom. the. 15. Debemus nos qui potentes sumus. &c. We ought which are strong. &c. MarginaliaThe Citizens of Meldorph write in defence of their preacher.The next day the Citizens of Meldorphe sent their messengers vnto Heyda, offering to aunswere in all causes before all men, for their preacher, whom they had receaued. Besides that þ^e messengers declared what Christiā & godly Sermons they heard him preach. The parishe Priest also wrote letters by the sayd Legates vnto the 48. rulers, wherin he excused him selfe, that it was neuer his minde, nor the intent of the sayd Henry to moue sedition, but onely syncerely to preach the worde of God, and offred hym selfe readye to aunswere for the sayd Henry to all men, when so euer he should be called: most earnestly desiring them, not to geue credit vnto the Monkes, whiche beyng blinded with hatred and auarice, had fully determined to oppresse the truth: saying moreouer, that it was against all reason, þ^t a man should be condemned, before the truth be tried out, and his cause declared: and if after due inquisition had, he shoulde be conuict, then he should suffer cōdigne punishment. This submission with the publicke testimoniall, was nothyng estemed or regarded, neither was there any aunswere giuen therunto, but euery man repined & murmured therat. MarginaliaGood counsail of Peter Dethleues.Last of all, one Peter Dethleues, one of þ^e Seniours, aunswered: that albeit there were diuers dissensions in euery place about þ^e Christian fayth, and that they, as men ignoraunt, could not redresse the same, yet this their sentence should be holden and ratified: whiche was that the iudgement of determinyng this dissension, shoulde be reserued to the next Councell, which by the report of maister Chauncelour, was nowe in hand to be called and gathered: Also vntill all discorde and dissension shoulde bee appeased, what so euer was receaued and beleued by their neighbours, he promised in þ^e name of the rest, that they would willingly receaue and beleue the same: So that if þ^e worde of God hath not hetherto bene clerely & syncerely preached (as they said) vnto þ^e people, & that there be now some which cā teach & preache the same more syncerely, it is not their minde or intent to withstand or resiste their good doynges, but that the Presidentes would wishe this one thing diligently to be taken hede of, that there be no occasion geuen by any man to moue sedition: and in the meane time, he cōmaunded all men quietly to geue ouer all matters vntill Easter nexte, and by that tyme, it should be made euident what should be receaued, and what left vndone. With this aūswere they were all very well contented, and the messengers returned agayne to Meldorphe with great ioy and gladnes, declaryng to the whole congregation what aunswere was made, conceauing a sure hope that the matter would shortly come to passe.

Vpon S. Nicolas day, this Henry preached twise: first vpon the Gospel: Homo quidam nobilis. &c. MarginaliaLuke. 19.A certain noble man. &c. Secondly vpon this text: Plures facti sunt sacerdotes. &c. There are many made priestes. &c.MarginaliaHeb. 7. with such a spirit & grace that all men had hym in admiration, prayeng God most earnestly that they might long haue such a preacher. Vpō the day of þ^e Conception of our Lady, he also made two Sermons vpō the first chap. of Mathew, expounding the booke of the generation, wherin he rehearsed þ^e promises made by god vnto our forefathers, and vnder what fayth our fathers that then were, had liued, adding also that all respecte of workes beyng set apart, we must be iustified by þ^e same faith. Al these thyngs were spoken with suche boldnes of spirite, that all men greatly marueiled at him, geuyng thankes to God for his great mercye, that had sent them such a preacher: desiryng him moreouer that he woulde tarye with them all Christmas to preach, for they feared, lest hee should be sēt for, to some other place.

MarginaliaThe prior and the Monkes agayn conspyre agaynst the Gospell.In the meane space, the Prior and maister Iohn Schinke, were not idle: For when the Prior perceaued that his malicious enterprise tooke not good successe, he adioyned vnto him a companion, William, a Doctour of the Iacobines, & so went to Laudanum, to the Monkes, Franciscanes, and Minors, for helpe and counsaile: For those kinde of friers, aboue all other, are best instruct by their hypocrisie, to deceaue the poore and simple people. These Friers straight waies sent for certaine of the rulers, whiche had all the rule and authoritye, and specially Peter Hannus, Peter Swine, and Nicolas Roden, vnto whō they declared, after their accustomed maner, with great complaintes, what an hereticke Monke had preached, and how he had obteyned þ^e fauour almost, of all the simple people, whiche if they did not spedely prouide for and withstand the begynninges, and put the hereticke to death, it would come to passe, that shortly the honour of our Lady and all saintes, together with the ij. Abbeyes, should vtterly come to ruine and decay.

When these simple & ignorant mē heard these wordes, they were greatly moued. Wherunto Peter Swyne aunswered thus, that they had before written vnto the parish Priest and to Henry, what was best to be done: notwithstandyng, if they thought good, they would write agayne. No sayd the Prior, this matter must be attempted an other waye, for if you write vnto the hereticke, hee will by and by aunswere you agayne. And it is to be feared, lest the contagion of his heresy, do also infect you beyng vnlearned men: for if you geue hym leaue to speake and to aunswere, there is no hope that you shall ouercome him. MarginaliaThe death of Henry conspyred by the Monkes & Friers.Wherfore they finally determined to take this Henry by night and burne him, before the people should know it, or he come to his defence or aunswere. This deuise pleased all mē, but specially the Franciscane Friers. Petrus Hannus the Priors chief frend, willing to gette the chief prayse and thankes of this matter, by the helpe of Maister Gunter did associate vnto hym certaine other rulers of the townes neare adioynyng: whose names are here not to bee hidden, because they so muche affected prayse and glorye. The names of the Presidentes were these. Petrus Hannus, Peter Swines sonne,