thermore I say, that what Pope, Cardinal, bishop, Ppelate, or priest, in maner of liuing, or teaching, or lawes makyng, contrary to Christes liuing and his lawes, or any other ground put in ruling of the church of Christ, but by Christ & his lawes: is very Antichrist, aduersary to Iesus Christ and his Apostels.MarginaliaThe true descriptiō who was Antichrist Aliud funamentum nemo potest ponere, præter id quod positum est, quod est Christus. Et patet 1. q. 3. c. Si quis. Et 1. q. 6. c. Ego autem. Quicunq;

But this worshipfull father B. of Hereford, that here is, sayes thus in his writyng: that I William of Swinderby, notwithstanding the foresayd reuocation and abiuration (not settyng at hart, but from euil to worse he sayes, peruerted so hys dioces) he says I come running about by diuers places: and by mine owne folly he sayes that I haue presumet to preache many heresies, errours, blasphemies, schismes, and other diffames, and to holy canons and determination of holy church contrary and repugnaunt, whiche where and when withinforth the more specially it shalbe shewed, that ye bene falsle enformed that I haue presumed in diuers places in your dioces to preach heresies, errors, blasphemies, schismes, and other diffames. And sir, all the coūtrey knowes whether this be sooth or not: for sire I presume not, sithen it is the office of a priest, by þ^e law of Christ to preach the gospel: ne nought I did it for presumption, but for the charge þ^t I haue of God by priesthood (if all I be vnworthy) & to the worship of God, and helpe of christē soules, frely without gathering of here goodes for my preaching. If I erred in this, I will be amended. And sire touching your maundement that ye sendē to me, there was sent none. And sire I made neuer yet disobedience vnto you, ne to your ministers: and yef all I had, me owes more to obeyche to God then to you, in that that ye bidden contrary to Christes bidding. And sire as ye sayne, that I had no mynde of my hele, it is to lightly demet: for God forbid, but yef there lye hele more then in your bidding. For God wote for hele I did it, of mine and of the people, and that was in my mynde. But sire it semes me that ye charge not by euidence of the punishing so greatly the breaking of Gods hestes, as ye done of your own. And sire, if it be your will, in default that the people wanted, you to teach hem (and her curates did not) by the desire of the people that weren hungry and thirsty after gods worde, ichone to bear vp others charge as Gods law bids: I preached, not for disobedience to you, but sir in fulfilling of the obediēce, that Gods law bids me do in excusing of my selfe to you of that ye blame me of, in open shewyng to holy church, with the protestation that I first made, I answer thus to the Articles that ye haue put to me.Marginalia1. Article.
1390.

The first is this, that I William of Swinderby, the Monday the first of August, the yeare of our Lord, 1390. preaching to the people in the Church of Witteney of your dioces, held and affirmed (as ye sayne) that no Prelate of the world, of what state or degree that he be, hauing cure of soules, beyng in deadly sinne, and hearyng confession of hys suget, doos nought in assoyling hym, ne he assoyles hym not of hys sinne:MarginaliaNote here how the papistes vse falsely to wrastle good mēs sayngs and articles. and also in amending his suget openly sinning and him for his desertes cursing, hys sentence byndes not, but if that Prelate be as cleane out of deadly sinne as was S. Peter, to whom our Lord gaue power of byndyng and vnbindyng.

MarginaliaAunswere. I neuer thought this ne spake this, ne heard it to the tyme that I saw it written in our booke, and that wil witnes the Lord of the towne that has the same sermon written, and many gentils and other that hearden me that day: But thus I said, and thus I say with protestation put before:MarginaliaThe popes bynding how far it extendeth. that there is no man, Pope, ne bishop, prelate ne Curate, that byndes soothly, verily and ghostly, but in as much as his bindyng or vnbindyng accordes wyth the keyes of heauen, that God gaue to Peter. And as S. Gregory sayes that power han they onely, that hold together the ensample of the apostles with here teachyng. Illi soli in hac carne positi ligandi atque soluendi postestatem habent, sicut sancti Apostoli qui eorum exempla simul cum doctrina tenent: gg. li. quarto sententiarum. MarginaliaGreg. lib. 4. Sēt.

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

MarginaliaAunswere. This sayd I neuer God wote, and true men that haue heard me.

Marginalia3. Article. The third article is this, that our bishop puts vpon me, that I should haue said in many places, and affirmed, that accidentes mow not be in the sacrament of the aulter without subiect, and that material bread leues not there with gods body in the sacrament.

MarginaliaAunswere. This conclusion haue I not holden, ne taught, ne preached: for I haue not medled me of that matter, my wit suffiseth not therto. But here I tell my beliefe with protestation put before: that the Sacrament of the aulter made by vertue of heauenly wordes,MarginaliaBread & Christes body in the sacrament. that Christ himselfe sayd in the Cene, when he made this sacrament, that it is bread & christes body, so as Christ himself 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. Corin. 10. & 11. de con. distinct. 2. panis, & de cōsecra. dist. 2. Corpus. Iohn. 6. verus panis.

Marginalia4. Article. The 4. article is this, that our Bishop 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, or none other Sacrament of the Church, either performe to minister them to members of the same.

MarginaliaAunswere. 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 appaire no veray sacrament: but the wickednes of the priest appaires himselfen, and all that boldnes and example of his sinne causen the people to liuen the worse against Gods lawe. Vnde Greg. Et si sacerdos in peccatis fuerit, totus populus ad peccandum conuertitur.

Marginalia5. Article. The 5. article is this, that our bishop puts vnto me: that all priestes ben of euen power in all things, notwithstanding that some in this world bene of higher dignitie or more passing in highnes of degree.

MarginaliaAunswere. Certes no man would say thus as I suppose, no more did I, ne neuer heard it, that I wote of:MarginaliaEqualitie of priestes. But thus I say with protestation made before, that what priest liues most holily next followyng the law of God, he is most louet of God, and most profitable to the Church. If men speken of worldly power and Lordships and worships, wyth other vices that raignen therin, what Priest that desires and has most hereof (in what degree so he be) he is most Antichrist of all the priests that ben in earth. Vnde Augustinus ad Valerium scribens ait. Nihil est in hac vita, & maximè hoc tempore facilius & leuius, & hominibus acceptabilius, Episcopi, præsbiteri aut decani, officijs: sed si profunctorie aut adulatorie, nihil apud Deum miserabilius aut tristius & dampnabilius. MarginaliaAug. ad Valerium

Marginalia6. Article. The sixt article is this, that onely contrition does away sinne, if a man be duely contrite: and all outwarde confession by worde is superfluous and not requiret of neede of health.

MarginaliaAunswere. This conclusiō sayd I neuer that I know of. But thus I say with protestation put before, that veray contrition of hart, that is neuer without charitie and grace: dos away all sinnes before done of that man that is veraily contrite.MarginaliaConfession. And all true confession made by mouth outward 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 sinne. trusting 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 c?sec. distict. 4.

Marginalia7. Article. The 7. article is this, that I should say that lower Curates haue not here power of bynding and assoiling, by mean of pope and bishop, but of Christ without mony. And therfore neither Pope ne bishop may reuoke such maner power, for tyme and place at her will.MarginaliaAunswere. Thus sayd I not, butMarginalia* Not for thy, that is, notwithstanding. * not for thy it seemes me thus, that no man should graunt any thing after his owne will, ghostly, ne bodily. But eueriche 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 grauntesMarginalia* Some thing 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 8. article that our bishop puttes to me is this: that I should say that the pope may not graunt such maner indulgence of yeres, for there shall not be so many yeres vnto the day of doome, as bene conteined in his bulles, or in þ^e Popes indulgences: wherof it followes that indulgences bene not so much worth as they semen and bene preached.

MarginaliaAunswere. 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 hym in Gods law, so farre to graunt and farther not: yeares may he graunt ne moe then God has set.MarginaliaAgaynst pardons. Yf indulgence ben forgeuenesse of sinne, I wot well all onely God forgeues sinne. Yf it be releasing of paynes in Purgatory ordeynet of God, if God haue bidden hym release so many, or ordayned that he should release so many, he may then release him: if it be in his owne dispo-