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476 [452]

K. Richard. 2. The proces of W. Swinderby.

sing to release whom hym likes, and how much, then he may destroy Purgatory and let none come there and release his owne payne, as charitie wottes. So it semes he may be siker to be saued, if himselfe list. If any go to Purgatory, then it semes he full fayles charitie. If Bulles bene the indulgence that men bryngen from the Court, then bene they not somuch worth, as they costen there: for lightly they might be lost, drenched, or brend, or a rat might eaten them: his indulgence then were lost. Therfore sir haue me excuset, I know not these termes: teach me these termes by Gods law, and truly I will learne hem.Marginalia9. Article. The ix. Article is this that I should haue sayd: that it is not in the popes power to graunt to any man (doyng penaunce) remission from payne, ne from blame.

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MarginaliaAunswere. Leude I am, but this Article sayd I not thus leudly: But thus I say, that sithen it is onely due to God to geue and to graunt plenary remission from paines & from blame:MarginaliaThe pope proued a blasphemer. that what euer he be, Pope or other, that presumptuously mistakes vpon him that power that is onely due to God: in that (in as much as in hym is) he makes himselfe Christ, & blasphemeth in God, as Lucifer dyd, when he sayd: Ascendam & ero similis altissimo. Farther I say, if the pope hold men of armes, in maintayning his temporalties and Lordshyp to venge him on hem that gilten and offēden him, and giues remission to fight & to slay hem that contraryen hem, as men sayden he did by the byshop of Northwich  

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This is a reference to Henry Despenser, bishop of Norwich, who led an expedition against the French; see 1570, pp. 528-9; 1576, pp. 424-5 and 1583, p. 428.

,MarginaliaOf this Henry Spenser B of Norwich see the pag. 440. not puttyng his swerde into his sheath, as God commaunded Peter. Mitte &c: he is Antichristus, for he dos contrary to the commaundements of Iesus, that bad Peter forgeue to his brother seuenty sithe seuen sithe. Si peccauerit in me frater meus, quotiens dimittam ei? Septies &c. Et Christus: non dico tibi septies, sed septuagesies septies.

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Marginalia10. Article. The x. Article is this, that our Byshop puttes to me that I should haue sayd: that a man geuyng his almes to any man after his dome (not hauyng neede) sinnes, in so geuyng.

MarginaliaAunswere. This article sothly I sayd not in these termes: But of this matter I haue spoken, & will with protestation made before on this wise: that it is medefull to geue almes to yche man that asketh it bodely or gostly, but not to geue to yche shameles begger, strong and mighty of body, to get his lyfeloode leuefull and will not,MarginaliaHe meneth of begging friers. in what degree so he be, mē owen not to geue it to such a one, that he vnresonably asketh, for if he geue it to him wittingly, he sinnes as fautor of his idlenes. Vnde Sap. 12. Si benefeceris, scito cui benefeceris, & erit gloria in bonis tuis multa.

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Marginalia11. Article. The xi. Article is this, that is put to me, that I should haue sayd, that it is not in the power of any prelate of what euer priuate Religion, to graunt letters of the good deedes of her order, ne such benefices grauntet profites not to hele of soules to hem that they bene grauntet to.

MarginaliaAunswere. I sayd neuer thus in these termes: but thus I say with protestation, that prelates of priuate religion mowen graūt letters of the good dedes of her order:MarginaliaGood deedes of the order profite nothyng. But the gostly mede that comes of good deedes, they mowe not graunt, for that is onely propriet to God. And if they blynde the people in misbelefe for her worldly winning, wittingly behetyng hem of her owne graunt gostly medes in heuen by her letters and her seale (vncertaine, who shalbe damned) but make the people bolder to sinne by trust of here prayers: hit is none heal to the soules, but harmes to that one and to that other. For God shall yeld to echone after here werkes. Ipse reddet vnicuique secundum opera sua.

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Marginalia12. Article. The xij. Article is this: that our Bishops puttes to me, that I mony tymes and oft haue come (he sayes) to a desert woode, cleped Derwaldswode of his Dioces: and there in a Chappel not hallowed, but accursetMarginalia* Or shepcotte. * sheperdes hulke, by myne owne folly he sayes haue presumed to sing (but rather to curse) in contempt of the keyes.

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MarginaliaAunswere. Hereto I say, that this is falsly put vpon me of hem that told you this.MarginaliaThe accusers proued with a lie. For it is a chappell where a priest singes certaine dayes in the yeare, with great solemnitie: and certes I neuer song therin seth I was borne into this world.

Marginalia13. Article. The xiij. Article is this, that I should also presume to sing in an vnhallowet Chappell, that stondes in the parke of Newton,MarginaliaAn other lye. besides the towne of Leyntwardy of thys same Dioces.

MarginaliaAunswere. Truly I wote not where that place stondes.

Marginalia14. Article. The xiiij. article is this, that I should say that no man owes to sweare for any thyng, but simply withouten oth to affirme or to deny, and if he sweare he sinnes.

MarginaliaAunswere. This article sayd I not that I haue mynde of, in this maner: But oft I haue sayd and yet will,MarginaliaTo sweare by no creature. that men should not sweare by any creature by the law of God, and that no man should sweare in idell, as wellnigh all the people vseth, and therfore me thinkes it is no neede to comfort the people in swearyng. For from the old vnto the young, and namely men of holy Church, breken this heste, and few Byshops pursuen hem therfore.

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Marginalia15. Article. The xv. Article is this, that I should haue taught to true men of Christ, that on no maner they should worshyp the Image of him that was done on the crosse, or the image of the blessed mayde his mother, or of other Saintes in to honour and worshyp of the same ordeinet in the minde of them. And oft sithes, the worshypper of such Image, he has reprouet, saying and strongly affirmyng, that Church men sinnen and done Idolatry.

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MarginaliaAunswere. This conclusion haue I not sayd in these termes. But this I say with protestation, that God commaundes in his law in diuerse places Exodi. 20. Leuit. 19. & 26. Deut. 5. &. 7. Tobiæ. 1. Baruc. 6. 2. ad Corinth. 10. Esay. 45. Iere. 2. 6. 8. & 10. 22. & vltimo. Sapient. 13. & 14. & 15. Mac. 5. & Threnorum 4. & postremo: MarginaliaImages not to be worshipped. that men should not worshyppen grauen Images that bene werkes of mens hāds: And also he biddes that men should not make to hem grauen Images in lykenes of the thynges that bene in heauen, to that end to worshyppen hem: sethen neither God ne Christ by his manhode gaue neuer commaundement to make thes Images, ne expresse counsaile, ne his Apostles in all his law, ne to worshyp such that bene made. But well I wote, that by mens owne relation that haue misbeleuet in hem, that many men sinnē in maumetrie worshippyng such dead Images:Marginalia* Not for thy, that is notwithstanding. Not for thy, to tho men bene Images good to whom they bene but kalendars, and through the sight of hem they knowen the better and worshypen oft God and his Saints. And to such men they done harme that setten her hope and trust in hem or done any worshyp to hem against Gods law and his hest. Vnde ait Gregorius in Registro libro. 10. in Epistola ad Serenū Episcopum. Si quis imagines facere voluerit, minimè prohibe: adorare omnino prohibe. Sed hoc sollicitè fraternitas tua admoneat, vt ex visione rei gestæ, ardorem compunctionis percipiant, vt in adoratione totius trinitatis prosternantur.

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MarginaliaGreg. Regist. lib. 10. These conclusions, pointes, and articles that I haue vnder protestation, in this booke affirmed: I will stand by hem, and maintayne hem (with the grace of almighty God) to the tyme that the contrary be prouet deuly by Gods law: And this protestation I make for my fayth and my beleife as I dyd the begynnyng: that whensoeuer this worshypfull or any other Christen man shewes me verayly by Gods law the contrary of this, I will holy forsake hem, and take me to the veray trouth and better vnderstandyng of wiser men, redy to be amended by the law of Iesu Christ, and be a true Christen man & faythfull sonne of holy Church: And of these I besech you all to bere witnes where ye commen.

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MarginaliaW. Swinderby keeping himself from the B. was cited as foloweth. Subsequenter verè, quia fide dignorum relatione recepimus, quod idem Gulielmus Swinderby latitabat, quo minus posset in propria persona citari ipsum, Gulihelmum vijs & modis per Edictum publicum ad instar albi prætoris in Ecclesia nostra cathedrali Herfordensi & parochialibus ecclesijs de Kington Croste, & Whitney nostræ diocesis: vbi idem Guilhelmus solebat cōmorari citari fecimus, prout & quēadmodum in modo citatorio continetur, cuius tenor sequitur in hæc verba.

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¶ The Citation.

MarginaliaThe tenor of the citation. IOhn by Gods permission Byshop of Hereford  

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The following five documents are citations for Swinderby to appear before Bishop John Trefnant from 5 July to 16 August 1391. These documents are all taken from Trefnant's register; see Registrum Johannis Trefnant Episcopis Herefordensis, ed. W. W. Capes, Canterbury and York Society 20 (London, 1916), pp. 251-55.

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, to his deare sonnes our Dene of Leamster, and to the persons of Croft, Almaly, and Whytney, and also to the Vicares of Kynston, Iardesley, Wyggemore, and Monmouth Clifford, & of S. Iohns aulter in our cathedrall church of Hereford, and to the rest of the Deanes, Persons, Vicars, Chaplenes, parish priestes, and to other, whosoeuer in any place are appointed throughe our Citie and Dioces of Hereford: sendeth gretyng, grace, and benediction.

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We byd and commaund, chargyng you straitly, in the vertue of holy obedience, that you cite or cause to be cited peremptorily (and vnder the payne of excommunication) William Swynderby, pretendyng himselfe to he a Priest: That he appere before vs, or our Comissaries the xx. day of this present moneth of Iuly, at North Lodebury within our Dioces, with the continuaunce of the dayes followyng, in other places also to be assigned vnto him if it be expedient, till such thynges as haue bene and shalbe layd agaynst him be fully discussed, to aunswere more at large to certaine positions and articles, touchyng the Catholicke fayth, and the holy mother Churches determinatiō, that haue bene exhibited and ministred vnto the sayd William. And to see and heare also many thyngs that haue opēly in iudgemēt before vs and a great number of faythfull Christians by him bene euen in writyng confessed, to be condemned as hereticall, false, schismaticall & erroneous. And to see & heare positions

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and