most godly wise and learned men of your realme. MarginaliaThis request was lawfull.And if it be founde in all pointes agreeyng to the veritie, then let it be so allowed, and I therupon holden for none other then a true Christian.MarginaliaObedience vnto his kyng.If it be proued other wise, then let it be vtterly condemned: prouided alwayes, that I be taught a better beliefe by the word of God, and I shall most reuerently at all tymes obey therunto.

This brief confession of this fayth, the Lord Cobham wrote (as is m.ntioned afore) and so tooke it with hym to the court, offeryng it with all meekenesse vnto the kyng to read it ouer. The kyng would in no case receiue it, but comma?ded it to be deliuered vnto them that should be his iudges. MarginaliaThe Christen stomacke and manhoode of the L. Cobham.Then desired he in the kynges presence, that an hundred knightes and Esquiers myght be suffred to come in vpon his purgation, which he knew, would cleare hym of all heresies. Moreouer he offered hymselfe after the law of armes, to fight for lyfe or death with any man liuyng, Christen or Heathen, in the quarell of hys fayth, the kyng and the Lordes of his Councell excepted. MarginaliaNo reasonable offer would serue.Finally with all gentleness he protested before all that were present, that he would refuse no maner of correction that should after the lawes of God be ministred vnto him but that he would at all tymes with all meekenes obey it. Notwithstandyng all this, the kyng suffered him to be sommoned personally in his owne priuy chamber. MarginaliaLord Cobhā; appealeth from the Archb. to the pope.Then sayd the Lord Cobham to the kyng, that he had appealed from the Archbyshop to the Pope of Rome, & therfore he ought he sayd, in no case to be his iudge. And hauyng his appeale there at hand ready written, he shewed it with all reuerence to the kyng. MarginaliaStraight handling of the Kyng.Wherewith the kyng was then much more displeased then afore, and sayd angerly vnto him, that he should not pursue his appeale: but rather he should tary in hold, till such tyme as it were of the Pope allowed. And thē, would he or nylde he, the Archbyshop should be his iudge. MarginaliaL. Cobhā; would not obey the beastThus was there nothyng allowed that the good Lord Cobham had lawfully afore required. But for somuch as he would not bee sworne in all thynges to submit himselfe to the Church, & so to take what penaunce the Archbyshop would enioyne him: He was arested agayne at the kynges commaundement, and so ledde forth to the Tower of London, to keepe his day (so was it then spoken) that the Archebyshop had appointed him afore, in the kynges chamber.

MarginaliaThe confession & aunswere of the Lord Cobham newly copyed.Then caused he the foresayd confession of his fayth to be copyed agayne and the aūswere also (which he had made to the foure Articles proponed agaynst hym) to be written in maner of an Indenture in two sheetes of paper: That when he should come to his aunswere, he might geue the one copie vnto the Archbishop, and reserue the other to him selfe. As the day of examination was come, which was the 23. day of September the Saterday before the feast of S. Mathew: MarginaliaCayphas sitteth in Consistory.Thomas Arundell the Archbyshop, sittyng in Cayphas rowme in the Chapterhouse of Paules, with Richard Clifford Byshop of London, and Henry Bolingbroke byshop of Winchester: sir Robert Morley knight & Lieftenaunt of the Tower, brought personally before hym the sayd Lord Cobham, and there left hym for the tyme, vnto whom the Archbishop sayd these wordes.

MarginaliaAntichrist was here in ful power.SIr Iohn, in the last generall conuocati? of the Clergy of this our prouince, ye were detected of certaine heresies, & by sufficient witnesses founde culpable. Wherupon ye were by forme of spirituall law cited, & would in no case appeare. In conclusion, vpon your rebellious contumacie, ye were both priuately and openly excommunicated. Notwithstanding we neuer yet shewed our selues vnready to haue geuen you your absolutiō (nor yet do not to this houre) would ye haue meekely asked it. Vnto this the Lorde Cobham shewed as though he had geuen no eare, hauyng his mynde otherwise occupyed, & so desired no absolutiō. MarginaliaA signe of Gods true seruaunt.But sayd, he would gladly before him and his brethren make rehearsall of that fayth which he held and entended alwayes to stand to, if it would please them to licence him therunto. And thā; he tooke out of his bosome a certaine writyng endented, cōcernyng the articles wherof he was accused, and so openly read it before them, geuing it vnto the Archbishop, as he had made therof an end. Wherof this is the copy.

MarginaliaThe Sacramēt of the Lords body.I Iohn Oldcastle knight Lord of Cobham, will that all christen men weete and vnderstā;de: that I clepe almighty God into witnesse, that it hath bene, now is, and euer with the helpe of God, shall bee myne entent and my will, to beleue faythfully and fully all the Sacraments that euer God ordained to be do in holy Church: and moreouer to declare me in these foure pointes, I beleue that the most worshypfull Sacrament of the aulter is Christes body in forme of bread, the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our Lady Saint Mary, done on the crosse, dead and buried, the third day rose from death to lyfe, the which body is now glorified in heauen.

MarginaliaPenaunce.Also as for the Sacrament of penaunce I beleue, that it is needefull to euery m? that shalbe saued to forsake sinne and do due penance for sinne before done, with true confession, very contrition, and due satisfaction as Gods law limitteth and teacheth, & els may he not be saued: which penance I desire all men to do.

MarginaliaImages.And as of images I vnderstand, that they be not of beleue, but that they were ordained sith the beleue was zewe of Christ, by sufferaunce of the Church to be Calenders to lewed men, to represent and bryng to mynde the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ, and martyrdome and good liuing of other Saints: And that who so it be, that doth the worshyp to dead Images that is due to God, or putteth such hope or trust, in help of them, as he should do to God, or hath affection in one more then in an other, he doth in that, the great sinne of maumetry.

MarginaliaPilgrimage.Also I suppose this fully, that euery man in this earth is a pilgrime toward blisse, or toward payne: & that he that knoweth not, ne will not know ne keepe the holy commaundements of God in his liuyng here (albeit that he be go on Pilgrimages to all the world, & he dye so) he shalbe damned: and he that knoweth the holy c?maundements of God, and keepeth them to his end, he shalbe saued though he neuer in his life go on pilgrimage, as men vse now to Canterbury or to Rome or to any other place.

MarginaliaThe aūswere examined.
Quarel picked where none was geuen.This aunswere to his articles thus ended and read, he deliuered it to the Byshops as is sayd afore. Than counceled the Archbyshop with the other two Byshops, and with diuers of the Doctours, what was to be done in this matter: commaundyng him for the tyme to stand aside. In conclusion by their assent & information, he sayd thus vnto him: Come hether sir Iohn. MarginaliaThe christiē aunswere of the Lord Cobham, vnto their quarellingsIn this your writing are many good things contained, & right Catholicke also, we deny it not: but ye must consider that this day was appointed you to aunswere to other pointes concernyng those Articles, whereof as yet no mention is made in this your Bill. And therefore ye must yet declare vs your mynde more playnly.

As thus: whether that ye hold, affirme, and beleue, that in the Sacrament of the aulter, after the cōsecration rightly done by a priest, remaineth materiall bread, or not? MarginaliaThe wolfe was h?gry, he must needes be fed with bloud.Moreouer, whether ye do hold, affirme and beleue, that as concernyng the Sacrament of penaunce (where as a competent nomber of Priestes are) euery Christen man is necessarely bounde to be confessed of his sinnes to a Priest ordained by the Church, or not?

After certaine other communication, this was the aunswere of the good Lorde Cobham. That none otherwise would he declare his mynde, nor yet aunswere vnto his articles, then was expresly in his writing there contained. Then sayd the Archbyshop agayne vnto him: Sir Iohn, beware what ye do. MarginaliaA tyrannous whore is that mother.For if ye aunswere not clerely to those thynges that are here obiected agaynst you (especially at the tyme appointed you onely for that purpose) the law of holy Church is, that compelled once by a iudge, we may openly proclayme ye an hereticke. Vnto whom he gaue this aunswere: Do as ye shal thincke best, for I am at a point. MarginaliaHis aūswer not to their mindesWhat soeuer he or the other Byshops did aske him after that, he bad them resorte to his Bill: for thereby would he stand to the very death. Other aūswer would he not geue that day, wherwith the Byshops and Prelates were in a maner amased and wonderfully disquieted.

MarginaliaAntichrist setteth men aboue GodAt the last, the Archbyshop councelled agayne with his other Byshops and Doctours, and in the ende thereof declared vnto him, what the holy Church of Rome (folowying the saying of S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Ambrose, and of other holy Doctours) had determined in these matters, no maner of mention once made of Christ. Which determination (sayth he) ought all Christen men both to beleue and to folow.MarginaliaThe Lord Cobham referreth vnto Christ

Then sayd the Lord Cobham vnto him, that he would gladly both beleue and obserue whatsoeuer holy Church of Christes instituti? had determined, or yet whatsoeuer God had willed him either to beleue or to do. But that the Pope of Rome with his Cardinals, Archbyshops, Byshops, and other Prelates of that Church had lawfull power to determine such matter as stode not with his worde throughly: that would he not (he sayd) at þ^t time affirme. MarginaliaWhat could be more resonably sayd if they had reason to receaue it.With this, the Archbyshop bad him to take good aduisement till the Mōday next folowyng (which was the. xxv. day of September)