sie fruitfull sowing of Gods word: as to many mēs knowledge they occupyed them a season in all their wits, full busily to know the pleasaunt will of God, traueling all their members full busily for to do thereafter, purely and chiefly to the praysing of the most holy name of God, and for grace of edification and saluation of Christen people.MarginaliaWo worth false couetise. But wo worth false couetise, and euill counsaile and tyranny, by which they and many men and women are led blindly into an euill end.

¶ Then the Archbishop sayd to me: Thou and such other Losels of thy sect, would shaue your beardes ful nere for to haue a benefice. For by Iesu,MarginaliaIt is pitie these prelats cannot sweare. I know none more couetous shrewes then ye are, when that ye haue a benefice.MarginaliaCouetousnes ioyned with popishnes. For loe, I gaue to Iohn Puruay a benefice but a myle out of this Castle, and I heard more complaintes about his couetousnes for tithes and other misdoynges, then I did of all men that were auaunced within my dioces.

☞ And I sayd to the Archbishop: sir, Puruay is neither with you now for the benifice that ye gaue him, nor he holdeth faithfully with the learning that hee taught and writ before time: and thus he sheweth himself neither to be whot nor cold, and therfore he and his fellowes, may sore dread, that if they turne not hastely to the way that they haue forsaken: peraduenture they be put out of the number of Christes chosen people.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd: though Puruay be nowe a false harlot, I quite me to him: But come he more for such cause before me (or we depart) I shal know with whom he holdeth. But I say tho thee: which are these holy men and wise, of whom thou hast taken thine information?

MarginaliaA worthy commēdatiū of M. Iohn Wickliffe. ☞ And I sayd. Syr, Maister Iohn Wickleffe was holden of full many men, the greatest clerke that they knew th? liuing, and therwith he was named a passing ruely man, and an innocent in his liuing: and herefore, great men commoned oft with him, and they loued so his learnyng, that they write it, & busily inforced them to rule themselues there after. Therefore sir, this foresayd learning of M. Iohn Wickleffe, is yet holden of full many men and women, the most agreable learning vnto the liuing and teachyng of Christ & of his Apostls, and most openly shewing and declaryng how the Church of Christ hath bene and yet should be ruled and gouerned. Therfore, so many men and women couet this learnyng and purpose, through Gods grace, to conforme their liuing like to this learnyng of Wickleff.MarginaliaM. Iohn Aston. Maister Iohn Aston taught and writ accordyngly, & full busily, where & when, and to whom that he might, and he vsed it himselfe right perfitely vnto his liues end.MarginaliaPhil. Rampingtō, Nic. Herford, Dauy Gotray, Iohn Puruay. And also Philip of Rampington while he was a Chanō of Leicester, Nicolas Hereford, Dauy Gotray of Pakryng Monke of Byland and a Maister of Diuinitie, and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise men and prudēt, taught and write busily this foresayd learnyng, & confirmed them therto. And withall these men, I was oft right homely and cōmuned with them long time and oft: and so before all other men I chose willingly to be informed of them and by them, and specially of Wickleffe himselfe, as of the most vertuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew. And therfore of him specially and of these men I tooke the learnyng that I haue taught: and purpose to liue there after (if God wil) to my liues end. For though some of these men be contrary to the learnyng that they taught before, I wote well that their learnyng was true which they taught: and therefore with the helpe of God I purpose to hold and to vse the learnyng which I heard of them, while they sat on Moyses chaire, & specially while that they sat on the chaire of Christ. But after þ^e workes that they now do, I will not do with Gods helpe. For they feyne, and hyde, & contrary the truth, which before they taught out playnly and truly. For as I know well, when some of these men haue bene blamed for their sclaunderous doyng: they graunt not that they haue taught a misse or erred before tyme, but that they were constrained by payne to leaue to tell out the soth, and thus they chuse now rather to blaspheme God, then to suffer a while here persecutiō bodely, for sothfastnesse that Christ shed out his hart bloud for.

¶ And the Archbyshop sayd. That learnyng that thou callest truth and sothfastnes, is open slaunder to holy church, as it is proued of holy Church.MarginaliaThe testimony for Wickliffe out of the mouth of his owne aduersary. For albeit, that Wickleffe your author was a great clerke, and though that many men held him a perfect liuer: yet his doctrine is not approued of holy Church, but many sentences of his learnyng are damned as they well worthy are. But as touchyng Philip of Rampington, that was first Chanon, and after Abbot of Leycester, whiche is now Byshop of Lyncolne: I tell thee, that the day is commen, for which he fasted the euen.MarginaliaMany such vigils haue oure popishe kalender. For neither he holdeth now, nor will hold, the learnyng that he taught, when he was a Chanon of Leycester. For no byshop of thys land persueth now more sharpely them that hold thy way, then he doth.

MarginaliaRepington became a persecuter, after he was made byshop. ☞ And I sayd. Sir full many men and women wondereth vpon him, and speaketh him mekle shame, and holdeth him for a cursed enemy of the truth.

¶ And the Archbish. sayd to me. Wherfore taryest thou me thus here with such fables, wilt thou shortly (as I haue said to thee) submit thee to me or no?

☞ And I sayd. Sir I tell you at one word, I dare not for the dread of God submit me to you, after the tenour & sentence that ye haue aboue rehearsed to me.

And than as if he had bene wroth, he sayd to one of hys clarkes. Fetch hither quickly, the certification that came to me from Shreusbury vnder the Bailiues seale, witnessing the errours and heresies, which this Losel hath venemously sowen there.

Then hastely the clarke tooke out and layde forth on a cupbord, diuers rolles and writinges, among which there was a litle one, which the clarke deliuered to the Archbyshop. And by and by, the Archbyshop red this roll conteyning this sentence.

The third sonday after Easter, the yeare of our Lord 1407. William Thorpe came vnto the towne of Shrewsbury, and thorow leaue graunted vnto hym to preach:MarginaliaThe sacrament after consecratiō material bread. He sayd openly in S. Chaddes Church in his sermon, that the sacrament of the aultar, after the consecration, was materiall bread.MarginaliaArticles obiected against William Thorpe. And that images, should in no wyse be worshipped. And that men should not go on pilgrimages. And that priestes haue no title to tithes. And that it is not lawful for to sweare in any wise.

¶ And when the Archbishop had red thus this rolle, he rolled it vp agayne, and sayd to me. Is this wholesome learning to be among the people?

MarginaliaHolesome inough for mans soule though not for your kitchin. ☞ And I sayd to hym. Sir I am both ashamed on theyr behalfe, and right sorowfull for them that haue certified you these things thus vntruly: for I preached neuer, nor taught thus, priuely nor apertly.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me, I will geue credence to these worshipfull men which haue written to me, and witnessed vnder their seales there among them. Though now thou deniest thys, wenest thou that I will geue credence to thee? Thou Losell, hast troubled the worshipful comminaltie of Shreusbury,MarginaliaO Shreusbury, thou hast a cause to repent thee, in that thou wouldest not receiue the truth whē it was offered thee so that the Bailiues and comminaltie of that towne haue written to me, praying me that am Archbyshop of Cant. primate and Chauncellor of Englād, that I will vouchsafe to graunt them: that if thou shalt be made (as thou art worthy) to suffer open iouresse for thine heresies, that thou may haue thy iouresse openly there among them: So that all they whom thou and such other Losels haue there peruerted, may thorow feare of thy dede, be reconciled agayne to the vnitie of holy Church.MarginaliaThe Romishe church must be stablished, by persecuting of true preachers. And also, they that stand in true fayth of holy Church, may thorow thy deede be more established therein. And as if this asking well pleased the Archbishop, he sayd. By my thrift, this hartie prayer, and feruent request, shall be thought on.

But certainly, nother the prayer of the men of Shreusbury, nor the manassing of the Archbyshop made me any thing afrayd. But in rehearsing of this malice, and in the hearing of it, my hart greatly reioysed, & yet doth. I thanke God for the grace, that I then thought, and yet thinke shal come to all the Church of God here thorow, by the speciall mercifull doing of the Lord.MarginaliaA sure trust in Gods truth, confoūdeth the malice of tyrantes. And as hauing no dread of the malice of tyrantes, by trusting stedfastly in the helpe of the Lord, with full purpose for to knowledge the sothfastnes, and to stand therby after my cunning and power:MarginaliaIf the touchstone might try: truth should be knowne. I sayd to the Archbishp, Sir if the truth of Gods word myght nowe be accepted as it should be, I doubt not to proue by likely euidence, that they that are famed to be out of the fayth of holy Church in Shreusbury, and in other places also, are in the true faith of holy Church.MarginaliaThe description of the right christiās in Shreusbery. For as their wordes sound, and their workes shew to mans iudgement (dreading and louing faythfully God) their wil, their desire, their loue, and their busines are most set to dread to offend God, and to loue for to please him in true and faithfull keeping of his cōmaūdementes.MarginaliaThe Catholikes of Shreusbury. And agayne, they that are sayd to be in the faith of holy Church in Shreusbury and in other places, by opē euidence of their proud, enuious, malicious, couetous, lecherous, and other foule wordes & workes: nother know, nor haue will to know, nor to occupy their wits truely and effectuously in the right fayth of holy Church.MarginaliaShreusbery, except thou turne from thy wicked wayes, thou canst not receiue the truth. Wherefore all these, nor none that folow their maners, shall any tyme come verely in the faith of holy church, except they enforce them more truely to come in the way which now they despise. For these men and women that are now called faythfull and holden iust, nother know, nor will exercise themselfe