he beyng vehemently disfamed to vs of heresie, schisme, and his peruerse doctrines both manifest and priuy: We therefore haue caused many cases and articles concerning the catholike fayth to be ministred vnto hym, that he should aunswer to the same at a day and place for hym meete and conuenient, of hys owne choyce and freewill: that is to say, on the Friday, beyng the last of the same month of Iune, next folowyng assigned to him, at the church of Bodenham of the same our diocesse. Of which cases and articles exhibited vnto vs, by many of Christes faithfull people,Marginalia* Such as were in Queene Maries dayes, as Iohn Beard, Iohn Auales, Robin Papist, & other like murtherers * zelous followers of the catholike fayth to make information to our office (which cases and articles also were by vs administed, as is before sayd, to the same William Swinderby) the tenor therof followeth, and is thus.

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¶ Reuerend father  

and high Lord, Lord MarginaliaLord, Lord, a latin word of their owne making. Iohn by gods sufferaunce bishop of Hereford: It is lamentably declared to your reuerend fatherhood on the behalf of Christes faithfull people your deuout children of your diocesse of Herford:MarginaliaThe denunciatiō of the promoters to the B. of Hereford. that notwithstandyng the misbeliefe of very many lollards, which hath to long a tyme sprong vp here in your diocesse, there is newly come a certaine chylde of wickednes, named William Swinderby: Who by his horrible persuasions, & mischeuous endeuours, and also by his open preachinges, and priuate teachings, doth peruert as much as in hym is, the whole ecclesiasticall state, and stirreth vp with all hys possible power, schisme betwene the Clergy and the people. And that your reuerend fatherhood may be the more fully informed, who and what maner of man the same William Swinderby is: there be proposed and exhibited hereafter to the same your fatherhood on the behalfe of the same faithful people of Christ against the same William Swinderby, cases and articles. Which if the same William shall deny, then shall the same cases and articles most euidently be prooued against him by credible witnesse worthy of beliefe, and by other lawfull proofe and euidencies to the ende that those beyng proued, the same fatherhood of yours, may do & ordeyne therin, as to your pastorall office belongeth.

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MarginaliaMatter articulated agaynst W. Swinderby. ¶ In primis, The same William Swinderby pretēdyng himselfe priest, was openly and publikely conuicted of certayne articles and conclusions beyng erroneous, schismaticall, and hereticall, preached by hym at diuers places & times before a multitude of faythfull christian people. And þ^e same Articles and conclusions did he by force of law reuoke and abiure, some as hereticall, and some as erroneous and false. Aduouching and beleuing them for such, as that frō thenceforth he would neuer preach, teach, or affirme openly or priuily any of the same conclusions. And if by preaching or aduouchyng he should presume to do the contrary: that then he should be subiect to the seueritie of the Canons, accordingly as he did take a corporall othe, iudicially vpon the holy Gospels.

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2. Also the conclusions, which by the same William were first openly taught and preached, and afterward abiured and reuoked as is aforesaid: are conteined before in the processe of the B. of Lincolne, euen as they be there written worde by word.  

And as for the cases and articles, they were consequently exhibited by the forenamed faithfull christian people against the said William Swynderby together, with the conclusions beforesayd, & hereafter written: of which cases and Articles, the tenour hereafter ensueth.

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3. Item, the sayd William, contrary to the former reuocation and abiuration, not conuerting to repentance, but peruerted from ill to worse, and geuē vp into a reprobate sense: came into your diocesse, where, he running about in sondryeplaces hath presumed to preach or rather to peruert and to teach of his owne rashnesse many heretical, erroneous, blasphemous, and other slaunderous thinges contrary and repugnant to the sacred Canons and the determination of the holy Catholike Church. What those thinges were, at what place and at what tyme, it shall hereafter more particularly be declared.

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Item, the same William, notwithstandyng your commaundementes and admonitions sealed with your seale, and to all the Curates of your diocesse directed: conteinyng amongst other thinges, that no person of what state, degree, or condition soeuer he were, should presume to preach or to teach, or els to expound the holy scripture to þ^e people, either in hallowed or prophane places, within your dioces, without sufficient authoritie, by any maner of pretense that could be sought, as in the same your letters monitorie and of inhibition (the tenor wherof hereafter ensueth) is more largely cōteined: which letters the same William did receyue into hys handes, and did reade them word by worde in the towne of Monemouth of your dioces, in the yere of our Lord. 1390 so that these your letters and the contentes therof came to the true and vndoubted knowledge of the same William: yet notwithstandyng hath the same William presumed in diuers places and tymes to preach within the same your diocesse, after and agaynst your commaundements aforesayd. The tenour of the same letters before mentioned followeth and is this.

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MarginaliaThe letter monitory of the B. of Herford inhibiting to preach without hys licence. IOhn by the sufferance of God bishop of Hereford, to the Deane and Chapter of our Church of Hereford, and to all and singular Abbots, Priors, Prouostes, Deanes rurall, Persons and Vicares, of Monasteries, Priories, Churches, Colledges and Parishes, and to other hauyng cure of soules within the Citie and diocesse of Hereford, and to all and euery other beyng within the same Citie and diocesse, Greeting, grace, and blessing. Forasmuch as the golden laurell of teaching doctorall, is not from aboue indifferently euery mans gift, neither is the office of preachyng graunted, saue to such as are called, and specially by the Church admitted therunto: we do admonish and require you all and singular Clerkes aforesayd, and do straightly enioyne you all in the vertue of holy obedience, that you nor any of you do admit any man to preach or to teach the Catholicke fayth, sauyng such as the same office of preaching shall by the authoritie Apostolicall or els your Bishop be specially committed vnto: but that as much as in you shall lie, you do by worde and deede, labour to let those that would attempte the contrary.MarginaliaWould God both they & all men did beware of that leauen. And you Lordes, Ladies, Knightes, Barons, Esquiers, and all and singular persons, of what estate, degree, preheminence, or condition soeuer he be, remayning within the Citie and diocesse of Herford, we do besech and exhort in our Lord, that following the wordes of our Sauiour, you beware of the leauen of the Pharisies.

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Item, according to the saying of the Apostle, be not ye caried away with diuers and straunge doctrines: and that in the meane while, as sayth the Apostle, you be not remoued from the sense of the holy auncient fathers, least that any man by any meanes should seduce you, but you agreyng together in one mynd see that you honour GOD with one mouth. But if any men to whom that thyng is not specially (as is aforesayd) committed, shall attempt to instructe or in this your lyfe to direct you into the Catholicke faith: do ye denie to geue them audience, and refuse you to be present at their assembles, and shun ye their teachings, because they be wicked and peruerse? And as for vs we will not omit to procede accordingly to the sacred canons and preceptes of the holy fathers, against such as do the contrary. Dated at London in the house of our habitation vnder our seale, the last day saue one of December, in the yeare of our lord, 1389 and of our consecration the first.

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5. Item, the same William in his preaching to the people, on Monday beyng the first of August, in the yeare of our Lord 1390. in the parish of Whitney of your diocesse, dyd hold and affirme: That no prelate of the world of what estate, preheminence or degre so euer he were of, hauing cure and charge of soule, he beyng in deadly sinne, & hearyng the confession of any vnder his hand in geuyng hym absolution, doth nothing: As who neither doth lose hym frō his sinne, nor in correcting or excommunicatyng him for his demeritsMarginaliaThis is one of Wickliffes blemishes. doth bynd him by his sentence, except the prelate shall be free himselfe from deadly sinne, as S. Peter was, to whom our Lord gaue power to bynd and to lose.

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6. Item the same William in many places sayd & affirmed in the presence of many faithful christian people, that after the sacramentall wordes vttered by the Priest hauyng the purpose to consecrate: there is not made the very body of Christ in the sacrament of the aulter.

7. Item, that accidencies cannot be in the sacrament of the aulter without a subiect: and that there remaineth materiall breadMarginaliaBread he meaneth in substaunce. there to such as be partakers communicant with þ^e body of Christ, in the same sacrament.

8. Item, that a Priest being in deadly sinne, cannot be hable by the strength of the Sacramentall wordes, to make the body of Christ, or bring to perfection any other Sacrament of the Church, neither yet to minister it to the members of the Church.

9. Item, that all priestes are of like power in all thinges, notwithstanding that some of them, in this worlde are of higher and greater honour, degree, or preheminence.

10. Item, that onely contricion putteth away sinne, if so be that a man shalbe duely contrite: and that, all auricular and outward confession is superfluous, and not requisite of necessitie to saluation.

11. Item, inferiour Curates haue not their power of byn-