Byshop, or any other prison at their pleasure, if such neede be, and there to keepe thē safe: And afterwardes, vnles they will obey the commaundementes of the Church, with diligence to bryng them before vs and our counsell, or els cause them to be brought. That we may determine for their further punishment, as we shall thinke it requisite and conuenient to be done by the aduise of our coūsell,MarginaliaPseudo Catholica fides. for the defence and preseruation of the Catholicke faith. And that the foresayd William and Stephen, beyng succoured by the ayde of their factours or fauoreres, should not be able to their acustomed startyng holes: and that the sharpnes of their paynes so aggrauated, may giue them sufficient cause to returne to the lap agayne of their holy mother the Church: we straightly charge and commaunde all and singular our Shrifes, Bayliffes, Barones, and all other our officers, in the Citie and Dioces of Hereford, and in any other place beyng within our dominion of Wales, by the tenour of these presentes: that from time to time (where they thinke it most meete) they cause it openly to be proclaymed in our name, that none, of what state, degree, preeminence, kinde, or other conditiō he shalbe of, do cherish opēly or secretly, the foresayd William and Steuen, vntill the tyme that they repent them of their heresies and errours, and shalbe recōciled vnto the holy Church of God: Neither that any person or persons, be beleuers, fauorers, or receauers, defendours, or in any case wittyngly instructours, of the sayd William or Stephe, or any other of the residue of the heretickes that are to be cōuinced: vpō the forfaiture of all that euer they haue. And that also they giuyng their attendance, be obedient and aūswerable to the foresayd byshop & his deputies in this behalfe, for the execution of the premisses: and that they certifie vs and our counsell distinctly, and playnly, from time to tyme, of the names of all and singular persons, which shall fortune to be founde culpable in this behalfe, vnder their seales. In witnes wherof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to be made. Witnesse our selfe, at Westminster the ix. day of March, in the xv. yeare of our reigne. Farrington.  

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other letter of king Richard against Walter Brute. RIchard by the grace of God kyng of England and of Fraunce and Lord of Ireland:  

To his beloued and faythfull Iohn Chaundos knight, Iohn Eynford knyght, Renold de la Bere knight, Walter Deueros knight, Thomas de la Barre knight, William Lucie knight, Leonard Hakelute knight, and to the Maior of the Citie of Hereford, to Thomas Oldcastle, Richard Nashe, Roger Wygmore, Thomas Wayllwayne, Iohn Skydmore, Iohn Vp Harry, Henry Motton, and to the Shriffe of Hereford, sendeth salutations.MarginaliaWalter Brute. For asmuch as it is aduertised vs, that one Walter Brute, and other such children of iniquitie, haue damnablie holdē, affirmed, and preached, certaine articles and conclusions beyng notoriously repugnant agaynst the holy Scripture (of the which, some of them as heresies, and the rest as errours, are finally by the Church condēned) and that in diuers places within the Dioces of Hereford and partes neare adioyning, both priuely, openly, and obstinatly: which thyng we perceaue not onely to redound to the subuersion (in a maner) of the Catholicke faith, which as well we, as other Catholicke Princes ought of duety to maintaine, but also to forewarne vs of the subuersion of our faythfull Diocesans. And that the sayd Byshop, vpon the good deliberation and aduisement of a great number of Doctours in Diuinitie, and other learned and skilfull men in the Scriptures, of speciall deuotion, accordyng to his bounden duety, purposed to begyn and make diuers and sundry processes by law to be sent vnto the foresayd Walter and his accōplices, to appeare personally before him and other the Doctours aforesayd, in the cathedrall Church of Hereford, the morrow after the trāslation of Saint Thomas of Hereford next ensuyng, and to procede in the same place agaynst the same Walter, in the foresayd articles and conclusiōs, for the amendement of his soule. Now a fresh (because that the sayd Walter and others of their retinue, cleauing and cōfederating with him, might not suffer cōdigne paynes accordyng to their demerites) indeuour thēselues to make voyde and frustrate the said godly purpose of the same Byshop, in such correction and execution as should haue bene done:MarginaliaWhether the doctrine of Brute was euer against resistaunce, how is this like to be true. and with force do resiste and let the same with all the power they may, to the great comtempt of vs and of our crowne, and to the breakyng and hurtyng of our peace, and pernicious example of others: Do appoint you and euery of you, immediatly as soone as this our commission shall be deliuered vnto you, in our behalfe and name, to make open proclamation in the Dioces and partes aforesayd, where ye shall thinke it most meete and conuenient: That no man be so hardy henceforth, of what estate or condition soeuer he shall be, within the Dioces and partes aforesayd, vpon payne of forfaiture of all that euer he hath, to make or leauy any conuenticles, assembles, or confederacies, by any coulour: or that they presume to attempt or procure any other thyng, wherby our peace may be hurt or brokē, or that the same Byshop and Doctours aforesayd, may be by any meanes molested or let in the execution of such correction as is to be done, accordyng to the Canonicall sanctions, and to arest all those which ye shall finde or take offendyng in this behalfe, or that keepe themselues in any such conuenticles. And that they being cōmitted to prison, be there kept, till you shall haue other commaundemēt from vs and our counsell for their deliueraunce: And that ye distinctly and plainly certifie vs and our said counsell, of all your doyng in this behalfe vnder your seales, or elles the seales of some of you. And therfore we straightly charge and commaunde you and euery of you: that ye diligently attend vpon the premisses, and that in your deedes ye execute the same with all diligence and carefull indeuour, in the forme and maner aforesayd. And further, we geue straight charge and commaundement to all and singular Shriffes, Maiors, Bailiffes, Constables, and other our faythfull subiectes, by the tenour of these presentes: that they be attendant vpon you, coūselling and ayding you and euery of you, as is meete and conuenient in the doyng and execution of the premisses. In wytnes wherof, we haue caused these our letters patētes to be made. Witnes my selfe at Westminster, the. xxij. day of September, in the xvij. yeare of our raigne.  

[Back to Top]

¶ By the same Kyng and Counsell.

MarginaliaK. Richard set agaynst the Gospellers by the Archb. and the prelates. Thus kyng Richard by the settyng on of W. Courtney Archbyshop of Canterbury and his fellowes, takyng part with the Pope, and Romish Prelates: waxed something straite and hard to the poore Christians of the contrary side of Wickleffe, as by these letters aboue prefixed may appeare. Albeit, duryng all the lyfe of the sayd kyng, I finde of none expresly by name that suffered burnyng. Notwithstandyng, some there were which by the foresayd Archbishop W. Courtney, and other Byshops, had bene condemned and diuers also abiured, and did penaunce as well in other places, as chiefly about the towne of Leycester as followeth here to be declared, out of the Archbyshops regester and recordes.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaEx Regist. W. Courtney Archb. Cant. At what tyme  

the sayd Archbyshop W. Courtney was in his visitation at the towne of Leycester, certaine there were accused and detected to him, by the Monkes and other Priestes in the sayd towne.MarginaliaRoger Dexter, Nicholas Taylor, Rich. Wagstaffe, Mich. Scriuener, W. Smith, Ioh. Henry, W. Parchmenar, Roger Goldsmith, accused. The names of which personnes there detected, were one Roger Dexter, Nicholas Taylor, Richard Wagstaffe, Michael Scriuener, William Smith, Iohn Henry, Williā Parchmenar, and Roger Goldsmith, inhabitauntes of the same town of Leycester: These with other mo, were denounced to the Archbyshop for holdyng the opinion of the Sacrament of the aulter, of auricular confession, and other Sacramentes, contrary to that which the Church of Rome doth preach and obserue. All which parties aboue named, and many other mo whose names are not knowen, did hold these heresies and errours, here vnder written and are of the Romish Church condemned.

[Back to Top]

1. That in the Sacrament of the aultar, after the words of consecration, there remaineth the body of Christ with the materiall bread.  

2. That Images ought not to be worshipped in any case, nor that no man ought to set any candels before them.

3. That no Crosse ought to be worshypped.

4. That Masses, and Mattines, ought not with an high and loude voyce to be sayd in the Church.

5. Item, that no Curate or Priest taken in any crime can consecrate, here cōfessions, nor minister any of the Sacramentes of the Church.

6. That the Pope & all Prelates of þ^e church, cānot binde any man with the sentence of excommunicatiō, vnlesse they know him to be first excommunicated of God.

7. That no prelate of the Church, can graūt any pardōs.

8. That euery lay man may in euery place, preach & teach the Gospell.

9. That it is sinne to giue any almes or charitie, to the Friers preachers, Minorites, Augustines, or Carmelites.

10. That no oblation ought to be vsed at the funerals of the dead.

11. That it is not necessary to make cōfession of our sinnes to the Priest.

12. That euery good man although he be vnlearned is a Priest.