word, ichon to bear vp others charge as gods law bids: I preached, not for disobediēce to you, but syr in fulfilling of þ^e obedience, þ^t gods law bids me do in excusing of my selfe to you of þ^t ye blame me of, in open shewyng to holy church, with the protestation that I firste made, I aunswer thus to the articles that ye haue put to me.Marginalia1. Article.
An. 1390.

The first is this, that I William of Swinderby, the monday the first of August, the yere of our Lord, 1390. preachyng to the people in the churche of Wytteney of your dioces, held and affirmed (as ye sayne) that no prelate of the world, of what state or degree that he bee, hauyng cure of soules, being in deadly synne, and hearyng confession of hys suget, doos nought in assoilyng hym, ne he assoyles him not of hys synne: MarginaliaNote here how the papistes vse falsly to wraste good mens sayngs and articles.and also in amendyng his suget openly sinning, and hym for his desertes cursyng, hys sentence byndes not, but if that prelate bee as cleane out of deadly sinne as was S. Peter, to whom our Lord gaue power of binding and vnbindyng.

MarginaliaAunswer.I neuer thought this ne spake thys, ne heard it to the tyme that I saw it written in our booke, and that wyll witnes the Lord of the towne that has the same sermon written, and many gentils and other that harden me þ^t day: But thus I sayd, and thus I say with protestation put before: MarginaliaThe popes bynding how farre it extendeth.that there is no man, pope, ne bishop, prelate ne curate, that byndes soothly, verily and ghostlye, but in as much as his bindyng or vnbindyng accords wyth the keyes of heauen, that God gaue to Peter. And as S. Greg. sayes, that power han they onely, that hold together the ensample of the Apostels with here teachyng. Illi soli in hac carne positi ligandi atq; soluendi postestatem habent, sicut sancti Apostoli qui eorum exempla simul cum doctrina tenent: gg. li. quarto sententiarum.MarginaliaGreg. lib. 4. Sent.

Marginalia2. Article.The second article that is put vpon me is this: that I should haue sayd, preached, and affirmed, in many places before many true mē of Christ: that after the Sacramentall wordes sayd of the priest, hauyng entention of consecration: that in the Sacrament of Gods body, is not veray Gods body.MarginaliaAnd what if he had sayd it?

MarginaliaAunswer.This said I neuer: God wot, and true men that haue harde me.

Marginalia3. Article.The third article is this, that our Bishop puttes vpō me, that I should haue sayd in many places, & affirmet, that accidentes mowe not be in the sacramēt of the aulter without subiect, and that materiall breade leues not there with Gods body in the same Sacrament.

MarginaliaAunswer.This conclusion haue I not holdē, ne taught, ne preached: for I haue not medled me of that matter, my wit suffiseth not therto. But here I tell my belief with protestacion put before: that þ^e Sacrament of the aulter made by vertue of heauenly wordes, MarginaliaBread and Christes body in the sacrament.that Christ him selfe sayd in the Cene, when he made this Sacrament, that it is bread and Christes body, so as Christ hym selfe sayes in the Gospell, and S. Paule sayes, and as doctours in the common law haue determined to this sentence. Math. 26 Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Pa. 1 Corrin. 10. &. 11. de con. distinct. 2. panis. et de consecra. dist. 2. Corpus. Iohn. 6. verus panis.

Marginalia4. Article.The fourth article is this, that our Byshop accuseth me of, that I should haue preached about and sayd: that a priest beyng in deadly sinne, may not by the strength of the Sacramentall wordes make Gods body, MarginaliaAlias presune.or none other Sacrament of the churche, either performe to minister them to members of the same.

MarginaliaAunswer.Thus I neuer said, thought it, preached it, ne taught it, for well I wot, MarginaliaThe wickednes of the priest impayreth no sacrament.the wickednes of the priest may appayre no veray Sacrament: but the wickednes of the priest appayres him selfen, and all that boldnes and exāple of his sin causen þ^e people to lyuen the worse against Gods law. Vnde Greg. Et si sacerdos in peccatis fuerit, totus populus ad peccādum conuertitur.

Marginalia5. Article.The fifte article is this, that our Byshop puts vnto me: that all priests been of euen power in all things, notwithstādyng that some in this world been of hygher dig-nitie or more passing in highnesse of degree.

MarginaliaAunswer.Certes no mā would say thus, as I suppose, no more did I, ne neuer hard it, that I wot of: MarginaliaEquality of priestes.But thus I say w^t protestacion made before, that what priest liues most holyly next followyng the lawe of God, he is most louet of God, and most profitable to the church. Yf men spekē of worldly power and Lordships and worships, with other vices that raignen therein, what priest that desires and hase most herof (in what degree so he be) he is most Antechrist of all the priestes that ben in earth. Vnde Augustinus ad Valerium scribens ait. Nihil est in hac vita, et maxime hoc tempore facilius et leuius, & hominibus acceptabilius, Episcopi, presbiteri, aut decani, officijs: sed si profunctorie aut adulatorie, nihil apud deum miserabilius aut tristius et dampnabilius.MarginaliaAug. ad Valerium

Marginalia6. Article.The vi. article is this, that onely contrition dos away sin, if a man be duely contrite: & all outwarde confession by word is superfluous & not requiret of nede of health.

MarginaliaAunswer.This conclusion sayd I neuer that I knowe of. But thus I say with protestacion put before, that veray contricion of herte, that is neuer without charitie and grace: dos away all sinnes before done of that man that is verayly contrite. MarginaliaConfession.And all true confession made by mouth outwarde to a wise priest, and a good, profiteth much to man: and it is nedefull and helping, that men shew their lyfe to such, MarginaliaGod forgiueth sinnetrustyng fully to Gods mercy, and that he forgeues thy sinne. Vnde August de conse. distict. 4. Nemo tollit peccata mundi nisi solus Christus, qui est agnus, tollens peccata mundi.MarginaliaAug. de cōsec. distict. 4.

Marginalia7. Article.The vij. Article is this: that I should say þ^t lower Curates haue not here power of byndyng and assoyling, by meane of pope and bishop, but of Christ without money. And therfore neither Pope ne Byshop may reuoke such manner power, for tyme and place at her will.

MarginaliaAunswer.Thus sayd I not, but Marginalia* Not for thy, that is notwithstāding.* not for thy it semes me thus, that no man should graunt any thyng after hys owne will, gostly ne bodely. But euerliche man should be well aduiset, that he graunt nothyng but if it be the will of God that he so graunt it. And it is no doubt, that ne God grauntes Marginalia* Some thinge here lacketh in the copy.*  

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This would seem to indicate that Foxe was working from a copy of the Trefnant register.

Marginalia8. Article.The viij. Article that our byshop puttes to me is this: that I should say that the pope may not graunt such maner indulgence of yeares, for there shall not be so many yeares vnto the day of dome, as ben conteyned in hys Bulles, or in the Popes indulgences: wherof it followes that indulgences ben not so much worth as they semen and ben preached.

MarginaliaAunswer.This article I sayd not thus: but I say that the pope may graunt indulgences written in his letter of yeares, all so farre forth as he may graunt him in Gods law, so far to graunt and farther not: yeares may he graunt ne mo then God has set. MarginaliaAgainst pardons.Yf indulgence ben forgeuenesse of sinne, I wot well all onelye God forgeues sinne. Yf it be releasing of paynes in Purgatory ordeynet of God, if God haue beden him release so manye, or ordayned that hee shoulde release so many, he maye then release hem: yf it be in hys owne disposinge to release whome hym likes, and how miche, then he may destroy Purgatorie and let none come there and release his owne payne, as charitie wottes. So it semes he may be siker to be saued, if him self list. If any go to Purgatory, then it semes he full fayles charitie. Yf Bulles ben the indulgence that men bringen from the court, then ben they not so much worth, as they costē there: for lightly they might be lost, drenched, or brend, or a rat might eaten them: his indulgence then were lost. Therefore sir haue me excuset, I know not these termes: teache me these termes by Gods law, and truly I will learne hem.