catholique fayth, or whether he be free from the same: otherwyse, aswell he that celebrateth as he that suffreth hym to celebrate, shalbe sharpely punished at the discretion of the Ordinarie.

MarginaliaConstit. 11.Finally, because those thinges which newly and vnaccustomably creepeth vp, standeth nede of new and spedie helpe: & where more daunger is, there ought to be more warye circumspection & stronger resistaunce, & not without good cause, the lesse noble ought discretly to be cut away, that the more noble may the more perfectly be nourished: Considering therfore, & in lamentable wise shewing vnto you, how the auncient Vniuersitie of Oxford, whiche as a fruitfull vyne was wont to extend forth her fruitfull branches to the honor of God, the great perfectiō, and defence of the churche: MarginaliaOxford famous for syncere religion.now partly being become wylde, bryngeth forth bitter grapes, which being indiscretly eaten of auncient fathers that thought themselues skilfull in the lawe of God, hath set on edge the teeth of their children: and our prouince is infected with diuers and vnfruitfull doctrines, and defyled with a newe and damnable name of Lollardie, to the great reprofe and offence of the said Vniuersitie being knowen in forein coūtreyes, & to the great yrkesomenes of the students there, and to the great dammage & losse of the church of England, which in tymes past by her vertue as with a strong wall, was wont to be defended, and nowe lyke to runne in ruine not to be recouered. At the supplication therfore of the whole clergye of our prouince of Canterbury, and by the consent and assent of all oure brethren and suffraganes, & other the prelates in this conuocation assēbled, and þ^e proctours of thē that are absēt: least the riuer being clensed, the fountaine should remayne corrupt, and so the water commyng from thence should not be pure, entendyng most wholesomely to prouide for the honour & vtilitie of our holy mother the church and the vniuersitie aforesayd: We do ordeine and decree, that euery Warden, Prouost, or maister of euery College, or principall of euery hall within the vniuersitie aforesayd: MarginaliaInquisition to be made through Colledges & halles in Oxfordshall once euery moneth at the least, diligētly inquire in the sayd College, hall, or other place where he hath authoritie, whether any scholer or inhabitāt in such colledge or hall. &c. haue holdē alleaged or defēded, or by any means proponed, any cōclusion, proposition, or opinion, concernyng the catholicque faith, or soundyng contrary to good maners, or contrary to the determination of the church, otherwise then apperteineth to necessary doctrine. And if he shall finde any suspected or diffamed herein, he shall accordyng to his office admonishe him to desiste. And if after such monition geuen, the sayd partie offend agayn in the same or such like, he shal incurre Ipso facto (besides the penalties aforesayd) the sentence of greater excommunication. And neuertheles, if it be a scholer that so offendeth the secōd tyme, whatsoeuer hee shall afterwardes doo in the sayd vniuersitie, shall not stand in effect. MarginaliaI would the like were vsed now, for the banishing of papistry.And if he bee a doctour, a master, or a bacheler, he shall forthwith be suspended from euery scholers acte, and in both cases shall lose the right that he hath in the said Colledge or hall wherof he is, Ipso facto: & by the Warden, Prouost, maister, principal, or other to whome it apperteyneth, he shall be expelled, and a catholicke, by lawfull meanes foorthwith placed in his place. And if the said Wardens Prouostes or maisters of Colledges or principalles of halles, shall be negligent concernyng the inquisition and execution of suche persons suspected and diffamed by the space of x. dayes, from the tyme of the true or supposed knowledge of the publication of these presentes, that then they shall incurre the sentence of greater excommunication: and neuertheles shalbe depriued Ipso facto, of all the right whiche they pretend to haue in the Colledges halles, &c. & the sayd Colledges and halles. &c. to be effectually vacant: And after lawfull declaration hereof made by them to whom it shall apperteyne, new Wardens, Prouostes, maisters or principals shalbe placed in their places, as hath been accustomed in Colledges and halles beyng vacant in the sayd vniuersitie. But if the Wardens themselues, Prouostes, maisters or principalles aforesaid, be suspected and diffamed of and concernyng the sayd conclusions or propositions, or bee fauourers and defenders of such as doo therein offende, and doo not cease beyng thereof warned by vs, or by our authoritie, or by the ordinary of the place: that then by lawe they be depriued aswell of all priuiledge scholastical within the vniuersitie aforesaid, as also of their right and authoritie in such Colledge, hall, &c. Besides other penalties afore mentioned, and that they incurre the sayd sentence of greater excommunication.

But if any man in any case of this present constitutionMarginalia Const. 12or any other aboue expressed, do rashely and wilfully presume to violate these our statutes in any parte therof (although there bee an other penalty expressely there limited) yet shall hee be made altogether vnhable and vnworthy by the space of three yeares after, without hope of pardon to obteine any ecclesiasticall benefice within our prouince of Cāterbury: neuertheles, accordyng to all his dimerites and the qualitie of hys exces, at the discretion of his superiour, he shalbe lawfully punished.

MarginaliaConst. 13.And further, that the maner of proceding herein be not thought vncertayn: consideryng with our selues that although there be a kynde of equalitie in the crime of heresy and offendyng the Prince, as is auouched in diuers lawes: yet the faulte is much vnlyke, and to offend the diuine maiestie requireth greater punishement, then to offende the princes maiesty. And where it is sufficient (for feare of daunger that might ensue by dilayes) to cōuince by iudgement the offender of the princes maiestie, procedyng agaynst hym fully and wholly, with a citation sent by messenger, by letters, or edict not admitting proofe by witnesses, and sentence diffinitiue to be: MarginaliaEasier to offende againste the prīces law thē against the bishopsWe do ordeyne, wil, and declare, for the easyer punishement of the offenders in the premisses, and for the better reformation of the churche diuided and hurte, that all such as are diffamed, openly knowen, or vehemently suspected in any of the cases aforesayd, or in any article of the catholicque fayth soundyng contrary to good maners: by authoritie of the ordinary of the place or other superiour, be cited personally to appeare, either by letters, publicque messenger beyng sworne, or be edict openly set at þ^e place where the sayd offender commonly remayneth, or in his parishe church if he hath any certayne dwellyng house. Otherwise, in the cathedrall churche of the place where he was borne, and in the parishe churche of the same place where hee so preached and taught: And afterwardes certificat beyng geuen, that the citation was formally executed agaynst the partie cited beyng absent and neglectyng hys appearaunce, it shalbe proceded agaynst hym fully and playnly without sounde or shewe of iudgement, & without admittyng proofe by witnesses and other canonicall probations: And also after lawful informacion had, the sayd ordinary (all delayes set a part) shal signifie, declare, and punish the sayd offender, accordyng to the qualitie of hys offence and in forme aforesayd: and further, shall do accordyng to iustice, the absence of the offender notwithstandyng.Geuen at Oxford.

Who would haue thought by these lawes and constitutions so substantially founded, so circumspectly prouided, so diligently executed: but that the name and memory of this persecuted sort, shoulde vtterly haue bene rooted vp, and neuer could haue stand. And yet such be þ^e workes of the lord, passing all mens admiratiō, all this notwithstanding so farre was it of, that the number & courage of these good men was vanquished, that rather they multiplied dayly and encreased. For so I finde in Registers recorded, that these foresayd persons, whom the king and the catholike fathers, did so greatly detest for heretickes, were in diuers countries of thys realme dispersed and encreased: especially at London, in Lyncolne shiere, in Northfolke, in Herefordshire, in Shreusberye, in Calice, and diuers other quarters mo, wyth whom the Archbishop of Canterburye Thomas Arundel, the same tyme had much ado, as by hys own Registers doth appeare. All beit some there were, that dyd shrinke, many did reuolt and renounce, for daunger of the law. MarginaliaIohn Puruay.
Iohn Edward.
Iohn Becket.
Iohn Seynous abiured.Among whome was Iohn Puruey, whyche recanted at Paules crosse, of whom more foloweth (the Lord willing) to be sayd in the yeare. 1421. Also Iohn Edward priest, of the dioces of Lincolne, who reuoked in the grene yarde at Norwych, Richard Herbert, and Emmot Willy of London: also Iohn Becke, who recanted at London. Item, Iohn Seynons of Lyncolneshiere, who was caused to reuoke at Canterburye. The articles of whom which commonly they did holde, and which they were constrayned to abiure, most speciallye were these as folow.

MarginaliaThe articles.Fyrst that the office of the holy crosse (ordayned by the whole church) celebrated, doth conteine idolatrye.

Itē, they sayd & affirmed, þ^t all they which do reuerence & wor-