MarginaliaCitation set vp against the L. CobhāRochester (which was but iij. english myles from thence) chardging him to appeare personally before him at Ledys the xi. day of the same moneth and yeare, all excuses to the contrary set apart. MarginaliaThe citations taken downe.Those letters were takē downe anone after, by such as bare fauour vnto the Lord Cobham and so conueyed aside. After that caused the Archbyshop new letters to be set vp on the Natiuitie daye of our lady, which also were rent down & vtterly cōsumed.

Then forsomuch as he dyd not appeare at the day appoynted at Ledys (where as he sat in Consistorie, as cruell as euer was Cayphas, with hys court of hipocrites about him) he iudged him, denounced hym, and condemned him, of most depe contumacie. MarginaliaFalse accusations against the L. CobhāAfter that, whā he had bene falsely infourmed by hys hired spies, and other glosing glauerers: that the sayd Lord Cobham had laughed him to scorne, disdained all his doinges, maintained hys olde opinions, contemned the churches power, the dignitie of a byshop, and the order of priesthoode (for all these was he than accused) in his modie madnes without iuste profe, MarginaliaL. Cobham excommunicated.did he openly excommunicate hym. Yet was not withall this, his fierce tirannie satisfied: MarginaliaL. Cobham again cited.but cōmaunded him to be cited a freshe, to appeare afore him the Saturday before the feast of S. Mathew þ^e Apostle, with these cruell threatninges added therunto: that if he dyd not obey at the daye, he would more extremely handle hym. And to make himselfe more strong towardes the performaunce therof, he compelled the lay power by most terrible manasinges of curses & interdictions: to assiste him agaynst that seditious apostata, schismatike, that heretike, the troubler of the publibe peace, that enemie of the realme, and great aduersarie of all holy church, for all these hatefull names did he geue him.

This most constaunt seruaunt of the Lord and worthy knight sir Iohn Oldecastell, the Lord Cobhā, beholdyng the vnpeaceable fury of Antichrist, thus kyndled agaynst him: perceiuyng him selfe also compassed on euery side with deadly daungers: MarginaliaL. Cobham confesseth his God before men.He toke paper and penne in hand, and so wrote a Christen confession or rekenyng of his fayth (whiche followeth hereafter) both signyng and sealyng it with his owne hand. Wherin he also aunswered to the foure chiefest articles that the Archbyshop layd against him. That done, he toke the copie with him, and went therewith to the kyng, trustyng to finde mercy and fauour at his hand. MarginaliaThe Apostles faith.None other was that confessiō of his, thā the common beleue or somme of the churches faith, called the Apostles Crede, of all Christen men than vsed, with a brief declaration vpon the same, as here vnder ensueth.

MarginaliaThe common creede of Christians.I Beleue in God the father almighty, maker of heauen & earth. And in Iesu Christ his onely sonne our Lord, whiche was conceiued by the holy ghost, borne of the virgine Mary suffered vnder Ponce Pilate, crucified dead & buried, went downe to hell, the third day rose agayne frō death, ascended vp to heauen, sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty, and from thence shall come agayn to iudge the quicke and the dead. I beleue in the holy ghost, the vniuersall holy Churche, the communion of saintes, the forgeuenesse of sinnes, the vprisyng of the fleshe, and euerlastyng life. Amen.

MarginaliaA declaration of his beliefe.And for a more large declaration (sayth he) of this my fayth in the catholike church: I stedfastlye beleue, that there is but one God almightye, in and of whose Godhead, are these three persons, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, and that those three persons are the same selfe God almighty. Marginalia1. Iohn. 5.
Galla. 4.
Iohn. 1.
Luke. 2.I beleue also, that the second person of this most blessed Trinitie, in most conuenient time appointed therunto afore, tooke flesh and bloud of the most blessed virgine Mary, for the sauegard and redemption of the vniuersall kinde of man, whiche was afore lost in Adams offence. Moreouer I beleue, MarginaliaChrist is the onely head of hys church.that the same Iesus Christ our Lord thus beyng both God and man, is the onely head of the whole Christian Churche, and that all those that hath been or shalbe saued, be members of this most holy churche. And this holy churche I thinke to bedeuided into three sortes or companies.

MarginaliaThe church deuided in three partes.Wherof the first sorte be nowe in heauen, and they are the saints from hence departed. These as they were here conuersaunt, conformed alwayes their lyues to the most holy lawes and pure examples of Christ, renoūcyng Sathan, the world, and the flesh with all their concupiscēces and euils.MarginaliaContrary wrote he Ad parliamētum ex Waldeno.

The secōd sorte are in Purgatory (if any such place be in the Scriptures) abidyng the mercy of God and a full deliueraunce of payne.

The thirde sorte are here vpon the earth, and be called the churche militant. For day and night they contend agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuil, the flattering prosperities of this worlde, and the rebellious filthynes of the fleshe.

MarginaliaThe Churche militant deuided in three.This latter congregatiō by the iust ordinaūce of God, is also seuered into thre diuers estates, that is to say, into priesthode, knighthode and the commons. Amōg whom the will of god is, that the one should ayde the other but not destroy the other. MarginaliaWhat the Priestes should be.The priestes first of all secluded frō all worldlynes. should conforme their lyues vtterly to the examples of Christ & his Apostles. Euermore should they be occupyed in preachyng and teachyng the Scriptures purely, and in geuyng wholesome exāples of good liuing to the other two degrees of men. More modest also, more louyng, gentill, and lowly in spirit, should they be, then any other sortes of people.

MarginaliaKnighthoode what it should do.In knighthode are all they, which beare swoorde by lawe of office. These should defend Gods lawes, and see that the Gospell were purely taught, conformyng theyr liues to the same, & secluding all false preachers: yea these ought rather, to hasard theyr lyues thā to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemisheth the eternall Testament of God, or yet letteth the free passage therof, wherby heresies and schismes might spryng in the Churche. MarginaliaMark here a most Christen hart.For of none other arise they as I suppose, then of erronious cōstitutiōs, craftely first crepīg in vnder hypocriticall lies, for aduauntage. They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressours, tyrauntes, and theeues, and to see the clergy supported so long as they teache purely, pray rightly, and minister the Sacramentes frely. And if they see them do otherwise, they are bound by law of office to compell thē to chaunge theyr doyngs, & to see all things performed accordyng to Gods prescript ordinaunce.

MarginaliaWhat the common people ought to do.The latter fellowship of this churche, are the common people: whose dutie is, to beare their good minds & true obedience, to the aforesaid ministers of God, their kings, ciuile gouernours, and priests. The right office of these, is iustly to occupy euery man in his facultie, bee it marchaundise, handicraft, or the tilthe of the grounde. And so one of them to be as an helper to an other, folowyng alwayes in theyr sortes the iust commaundements of their Lord God.

MarginaliaBelefe of the L. Cobham cōcerning the sacramentes.Ouer and besides all this, I most faythfully beleue, that the Sacramentes of Christes Churche are necessary to all Christen beleuers: this alwayes sene to, that they be truly ministred accordyng to Christes first institution and ordinaūce. And for somuch as I am maliciously and most falsely accused of a misbeleue in the Sacramēt of the aultar, to the hurtfull sclaunder of many. I signifie heere vnto all men, that this is my faith concerning that. MarginaliaThe Sacramēt of the aultar.I beleue, in that Sacrament to be cōtayned very Christes body and bloud vnder the similitudes of bread & wyne, yea, the same body that was cōceiued of the holy ghost, borne of the virgin Mary, done on the crosse, dyed, that was buried, arose the third day from the death, and is now glorified in heauen. I also beleue, the vniuersall law of God to be most true and perfite, and they whiche do not so folow it in their fayth and works (at one tyme or other) cā neuer be saued: Where as he that seketh it in faith, accepteth it, learneth it, delighteth therin, and performeth it in loue, shall tast for it the feliciti of euerlasting Innocēcie.

Finally this is my fayth also, that God will aske no more of a Christen belieuer in this life, but onely to obey the preceptes of that most blessed law. MarginaliaGods lawe to be preferred before mās lawe.If any prelates of the Churche require more, or els any other kinde of obedience, then this to be vsed: he contēneth Christ, exalting him self aboue God, and so becometh an open Antichrist. All the premisses I beleue particularly, and generally all that God hath left in his holy Scripture, that I should beleue. MarginaliaA christen desire of the Lorde Cobham.Instauntly desiryng you my liege Lord and most worthy kyng, that this confession of myne, may be iustly examined by the most godly wise and learned mē of your realme. MarginaliaThis request was lawful.And if it be founde in all pointes agreyng to the veritie, then let it be so allowed, and I therupon holden