noble a man withoutt his licence, and therfore he returned home agayne, his message not done.

MarginaliaIohn Butler playeth Iudas part.Thē called the archbishop one Iohn Butler vnto him, which was then the doore keeper of the kyngs priuie chamber: and with hym he couenaunted through promises and rewardes, to haue this matter craftely brought to passe, vnder the kynges name. Wherupon, the sayd Iohn Butler tooke the Archbyshops Somner with him, and went vnto the sayd Lord Cobhā;: shewyng hym, that it was the kings pleasure that he should obey that Citation, and so cited him fraudulently. Than sayd he to them in few wordes, that he in no case would consent to those most deuilishe practises of the Priestes. As they had informed the Archbishop of that aunswere, and that it was for no man priuately to cite him after that, without peril of life: he decreed by and by to haue hym cited by publique processe or open cōmaundement. And in all the hast possible, vpon the Wednesday before the natiuitie of our Lady in Septēber: he cōmaūded letters Citatory, to be set vpon the great gates of the Cathedrall church of Rochester (which was but three English myles from thence) charging him to appeare personally before him at Ledys the xi. day of the same moneth & yeare, all excuses to the contrary set apart. MarginaliaThe citatiōs takē downe.Those letters were taken d wne anone after, by such as bare fauour vnto the Lord Cobham & so conueyed aside. After that caused the Archbyshop new letters to be set vp on the Natiuitie day of our Lady, which also were rent down and vtterly consumed.

Then for somuch as he dyd not appeare at the day appointed at Ledys (where as he sat in Consistorie, as cruell as euer was Cayphas, with his court of hypocrites about him) he iudged him, denounced hym, and condemned him, of most deepe contumacie. MarginaliaFalse accusatiōs agaynst the Lord CobhamAfter that, when he had bene falsly informed by his hyred spies, & other glosing glauerers: that the sayd Lord Cobham had laughed him to scorne, disdained all his doynges, maintained his old opinions, contemned the churches power, the dignitie of a Byshop, and the order of Priesthode (for all these was he than accused) in his modie madnes without iuste profe, MarginaliaL. Cobham excommunicated.dyd he openly excommunicate him. Yet was not withall this, his fierce tyranny satisfied: MarginaliaL. Cobham againe cited.but commaunded him to be cited a fresh, to appeare afore him the Saterday before the feast of S. Mathew the Apostle, with these cruell threatnynges added therūto: that if he dyd not obey at the day, he would more extremely hā;dle hym. And to make himselfe more strong towardes the performaunce therof, he compelled the lay power by most terrible manasinges of curses and interdictions: to assiste hym agaynst that seditious apostata, schismatike, that heretike, the troubler of the publike peace, that enemy of the Realme, and great aduersarie of all holy Church, for al these hateful names dyd he geue hym.

This most constaunt seruaunt of the Lord and worthy knight sir Iohn Oldecastle, the Lord Cobham, beholdyng the vnpeaceable fury of Antichrist, thus kyndled agaynst him: perceiuyng himselfe also compassed on euery side with deadly daungers: MarginaliaL. Cobham confesseth his God before men.He tooke paper and penne in hand, and so wrote a Christen cōfession or rekenyng of his fayth (whiche followeth hereafter) both signyng and sealyng it with hys owne hand. Wherin he also aunswered to the foure chiefest articles that the Archbyshop layd agaynst him. That done, he tooke the copie with hym, and went therewith to the kyng, trustyng to finde mercy and fauour at his hā;d. MarginaliaThe Apostles fayth.None other was that confession of his, than the common beleue or summe of the Churches fayth, called the Apostles Creede, of all Christen men than vsed, with a brief declaration vpon the same, as here vnder ensueth.

MarginaliaThe commō creede of Christians.I Beleue in God the father almighty, maker of heauen and earth. And in Iesu Christ his onely sonne our Lord, which was conceiued by the holy ghost, borne of the virgine Mary suffered vnder Ponce Pilate, crucified dead and buried, went downe to hell, the thyrd day rose agayne from death, ascended vp to heauen, sitteth on the right hā;d of God the father almighty, and from thence shall come agayne to iudge the quicke and the dead. I beleue in the holy ghost, the vniuersal holy Church, the communion of Saintes, the forgeuenes of sinnes, the vprising of the flesh, and euerlastyng lyfe. Amen.

MarginaliaA declarati ōof his belief.And for a more large declaration (sayth he) of this my fayth in the Catholike Churche: I stedfastly beleue, that there is but one God almighty, in and of whose Godhead, are these three persons, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, and that those three persons are the same selfe God almighty.I beleue also, that the second person of this most blessed Trinitie, in most conuenient tyme appointed thereunto afore, tooke flesh and bloud of the most blessed virgine Marginalia1. Iohn. 5.
Galla. 4.
Iohn. 1.
Luke. 2.Mary, for the sauegard and redemption of the vniuersall kinde of man, which was afore lost in Adams offence.

MarginaliaChrist is the onely head of hys Church.Moreouer I beleue, that the same Iesus Christ our Lord thus being both God and man, is the onely head of & whole Christian Church, and that all those that hath bene or shalbe saued, be members of this most holy Church. And this holy Churche I thinke to be deuided into three sorts or companyes.

MarginaliaThe church deuided in thre parts.Wherof the first sort be now in heauen, and they are the saints from hence departed. These as they were here conuersaunt, conformed alwayes their liues to the most holy lawes and pure examples of Christ, renouncng Sathā;, the world, and the flesh, with all their concupiscences and euils.MarginaliaContrary wrote he Ad parliamentum. Ex Waldeno.

The second sort are in Purgatory (if any such place be in the Scriptures) abiding the mercy of God and a full deliueraunce of payne.

The third sorte are here vpon the earth, and be called the church militant. For day and night they contend against the crafty assaultes of the deuill, the flattering prosperities of this worlde, and the rebellious filthynes of the fleshe.

MarginaliaThe church militant deuided in three.This latter congregation by the iust ordinaunce of God, is also seuered into three diuers estates, that is to say, into priesthode, knighthode and the commons. Among whom the will of God is, that the one should ayde the other but not destroy the other.MarginaliaWhat the priestes should be.The priestes first of all secluded frō all worldlynes, shoulde conforme their lyues vtterly to the examples of Christ & his Apostles. Euermore should they be occupied in preaching and teaching the Scriptures purely, and in geuing wholesome examples of good liuing to the other two degrees of men. More modest also, more louyng, gentle, and lowly in spirit, shoulde they be, then any other sortes of people.

MarginaliaKnighthoode what it should do.In knighthode are all they, which beare swoorde by lawe of office. These should defend Gods lawes, and see that the Gospell were purely taught, conforming their liues to the same, and secluding all false preachers: yea these ought rather, to hasard their liues, then to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemisheth the eternall Testament of God, or yet letteth the free passage therof, wherby heresies & schismes might spring in the Church.MarginaliaMarke here a most Christen hart.For of none other arise they as I suppose, then of erronious constitutions, craftely first creeping in vnder hypocriticall lies, for aduauntage. They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressours, tyrauntes, and theeues, & to see the clergy supported so long as they teache purely, pray rightly, and minister the Sacramentes freely. And if they see them do otherwise, they are bound by the law of office to compell them to chaunge their doings, and to see all things performed according to Gods prescript ordinaunce.

MarginaliaWhat the commō people ought to do.The latter fellowship of this Church, are the common people: whose dutie is, to beare their good mynds and true obedience, to the aforesaid ministers of God, their kynges, ciuill gouernours, and Priests. The right office of these, is iustly to occupy euery man in his facultie, bee it marchaūdise, handicraft, or the tilthe of the grounde. And so one of them to be as an helper to an other, folowing alwayes in their sortes the iust commaundements of their Lord God.

MarginaliaBeliefe of the L. Cobham concerning the sacramentes.Ouer and besides all this, I most faithfully beleue, that the Sacramentes of Christes Church are necessary to all Christen beleuers: this alwayes seene to, that they be truly ministred accordyng to Christes first institution and ordinaunce. And forasmuch as I am maliciously and most falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the Sacrament of the aultar, to the hurtfull sclaunder of many: I signifie here vnto all mē, that this is my faith concerning that. MarginaliaThe Sacrament of the aulter.I beleue, in that Sacrament to be contayned very Christes body and bloud vnder the similitudes of bread and wine, yea, the same body þ^t was conceiued of the holy ghost, borne of the virgine Mary, done on the crosse, dyed, that was buryed, arose the third day from the death, and is now glorified in heauen. I also beleue, the vniuersall law of God to be most true and perfect, and they which doe not so folow it in their fayth and workes (at one time or other) can neuer be saued: Where as he that seekth it in faith, accepteth it, learneth it, delighteth therin, and performeth it in loue, shall tast for it the feliciti of euerlasting Innocencie.

Finally this is my faith also, that God will aske no more of a Christen beleeuer in this life, but onely to obey the preceptes of that most blessed lawe. MarginaliaGods law to be preferred before mans lawe.If any Prelates of the Church require more, or els any other kinde of obedience, then this to be vsed: he contemneth Christ, exalting himself aboue God, and so becommeth an open Antichrist. All the premisses I beleue particularly, and generally all that God hath left in his holy Scripture, that I should beleue. MarginaliaA christen desire of the L. Cobhā;.Instauntly desiring you my liege Lord and most worthy king, that this confession of mine, may be iustly examined by the