thus vpon Christ,and vpon his Apostles after his Ascension. Of them onely haue ye taken it to iudge Christs mēbers as ye do, and neither of Peter nor Iohn.

Then sayd some of the Lawyers: Yes forsoth Syr, for Christ iudged Iudas.

The Lord Cobham sayd: No, Christ iudged him not, but he iudged himselfe: and thereupon went forth, and so did hang himselfe. But in deede Christ sayd, wo vnto him, for that couetous act of his, as he doth yet still vnto many of you. For since the venime of him was shed into the church, ye neuer followed Christ: neither yet haue ye stā;d in the perfection of Gods law.

Then the Archbishop asked him, what hee ment by that venime?

The L. Cobham sayd: your possessions and Lordships. For then cryed an Angell in the ayre (as your owne Chronicles mentioneth) wo, wo, wo: this day is venim shed into the Church of God. Before that tyme, all the Bishops of Rome were Martyrs in a maner. Marginalia26. Bishops of Rome together martyrs. saue onely. 4.And since that time, we read of very few. MarginaliaA comparisō betwene the martyrs and the Popes tyme.But in dede since that same time, one hath put downe an other, one hath poysoned an other, one hath cursed an other, and one hath slayne an other, and done much more mischief besides, as all the Chronicles telleth. MarginaliaA comparisō betwene Christ and the Pope.And let all men consider well this, that Christ was meeke & mercyfull. The Pope is proude, & a tyraūt. Christ was poore and forgaue. The Pope is rich and a malicious manslear, as hys daylye actes do proue him. MarginaliaRome is Antichristes neast.Rome is the very neast of Antichrist, and out of that neast, commeth all the disciples of him. Of whom Prelats, Priestes, and Monkes, are the body, and these pilde Friers are the tayle which couereth his most filthy part.

Then sayd the prior of the friers Augustines: Alacke sir, why do you say so? That is vncharitably spoken.

And the Lord Cobham sayd. Not onely is it my saying: but also the Prophet Esayes, longe afore my tyme. MarginaliaEsa. 9.The prophet saith he, which preacheth lyes, is þ^e taile behind. MarginaliaFriers proued sedicious and yet found no traytours.For as your friers and monkes be (like Phariseis) deuided in your outward aparell and vsages, so make ye diuision amōg the people. And thus, you with such other, are the very naturall members of Antichrist.

Then sayd he vnto them all: Christ sayth in his Gospell. Wo vnto you Scribes and Phareseis, Hypocrites: For ye close vp the kingdome of heauen before men. MarginaliaMath. 23.Nether enter ye in your selues, nor yet suffer any other that would enter into it. MarginaliaThe religion of Byshops.But ye stop vp the wayes thereunto with your owne traditions, and therfore are ye the housholde of Antichrist: ye will not permit Gods veritie to haue passage, nor yet to be taught of his true ministers, fearyng to haue your wickednes reproued. But by such vayne flatterers as vphold you in your mischiefes, ye suffer the cōmon people most miserably to be seduced.

Then sayde the Archbyshop. By our Lady sir, there shal none such preach within my Dioces (and God will) nor yet in my iurisdiction (if I may know it) as either maketh diuision or yet dissention among the poore commons.MarginaliaNote I pray you how those are counted traitours, & sedious, that teach or cause Gods truth to be taught.

The Lord Cobham sayd. Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedition makyng, yet were they most peaceable men. MarginaliaLuke. 23.
Iohn. 19.Both Daniell and Christ prophecied that such a troublous tyme should come, as hath not bene yet since the worldes begynning. MarginaliaMath. 24.And this prophecie is partly fulfilled in your dayes & doynges. MarginaliaProphecy.For many haue ye slayne already, and more will ye slea hereafter, if God fulfill not his promise. Christ sayth also, if those dayes of yours were not shortned, scarsly should any flesh be saued. MarginaliaProphecy.Therefore looke for it iustly, for God will shorten your dayes. MarginaliaPriestes. Deacons.Moreouer, thoughe Priestes and Deacons for preachyng of Gods worde, and for ministring the Sacramentes, with prouision for the poore, be grounded in Gods law: yet haue these other sectes no maner of grounde hereof, so farre as I haue read.

Then a Doctour of law, called maister Iohn Kempe, plucked out of his bosome a copy of the byll which they had afore sent him into the Tower, by the Archbishops coūsell, thinking thereby to make shorter worke with him. MarginaliaMarke this working of Sathan.For they were so amased with his aunsweres (not all vnlike to them which disputed with Stephen) MarginaliaAct. 6.that they knew not well how to occupy the tyme, their wits and sophistrie (as God would) so fayled them that day.

My Lord Cobh ā; (sayth this Doctour) we must briefly know your mynde concernyng these foure poyntes here followyng MarginaliaThe first Article.The first of them is this. And than he read upō the bill: The fayth and determination of holy Churche touching the blessed Sacrament of the aulter is this. MarginaliaTransubstā; tiation of bread into the body.That after the Sacramentall wordes be once spoken of a Priest in his Masse, the materiall bread that was before bread, is turned to Christes very body. And the materiall wyne is turned into Christes bloud. And so there remayneth in the Sacrament of the aulter frō thence forth, no materiall bread nor materiall wine which were there before the sacramentall wordes were spoken. Sir, beleue ye not this?

MarginaliaThe L. Cobhās beliefe in the sacrament.The Lord Cobham sayd: This is not my beliefe. But my fayth is (as I sayd to you afore) that in the worshipfull sacrament of the aultar, is very Christes body in forme of bread.

Then sayd the Archbishop: Syr Iohn ye must say otherwyse.

The Lord Cobham sayd: Nay, that I shall not, if god be vpō my side (as I trust he is) but that there is Christes body in forme of bread, as the common belief is.

The read the doctour agayne.

MarginaliaThe 2. Article.The second point is this. Holy church hath determined that euery christian man liuynge here bodily vpō earth, ought to be shriuen of a priest ordeyned by the Church, if he may come to hym: sir what say you to this?

The Lord Cobham aunswered and sayd: A diseased or sore wounded man, hath nede to haue a sure wyse Chirurgian and a true, knowing both the ground and the danger of the same. MarginaliaConfession of sinne to God onely.Most necessary were it therfore to be first shriuen vnto God which onely knoweth our diseases & can help vs. I deny not in this the goyng to a priest if he be a man of good lyfe and learnyng. For the lawes of God are to be required of the priest, which is godly learned. MarginaliaMalachi. 20.But if he be an idiote or a man of vicious liuing that is my curate, I ought rather to flee from hym then to seke vnto hym: For sooner might I catch euill of hym that is nought, then any goodnes towardes my soules health.

Then read the doctour agayne.

MarginaliaThe 3. Article.The third poynt is this. Christ ordeyned S. Peter the Apostle to be his vicar here in earth whose sea is the church of Rome. And he graunted that the same power which he gaue vnto Peter, should succede to all Peters successors, which we call now Popes of Rome. By whose speciall power in churches particular, be ordeyned Prelates & archebishops, parsons, Curates, and other degrees more. Vnto whom Christen men ought to obey after the lawes of the Church of Rome. This is the determination of the holy Church. Syr, beleue ye not this?

MarginaliaWho is next vnto Peter?To this he answered and sayd: He that followeth Peter most nighest in pure liuyng, is next vnto hym in succession. But your Lordly order estemeth not greatly the lowly behauior of poore Peter, whatsoeuer ye prate of him. MarginaliaSuccession not of place but of cōditions maketh Peters heyre.Neither care ye greatly for the humble maners of them that succeded him, till the tyme of Siluester, which for the more part were Martyrs, as I told you afore. Ye can let all their good conditions go by you, and not hurt your selues wyth them at all. All the world knoweth this well inough by you, and yet ye can make boast of Peter.

With that, one of the other doctors asked him: then what do ye say of the Pope?

The Lord Cobham aunswered. As I sayd before. He & you together maketh whole the great Antichrist. MarginaliaAntichriste head, body and tayle.Of whō he is the great head: you bishops, priestes, prelates & monkes are the body: and the begging Friers are the tayle, for they couer the filthines of you both, with their subtile sophistry. Neither will I in conscience obey any of you all, till I see you with Peter folow Christ in conuersation.

Than read the doctour agayne.MarginaliaThe 4. Article.The 4. poynt is this. Holy church hath determined that it is meritorious to a Christen man, to go on pilgrimage to holy places. MarginaliaPilgremage.And there specially to worship þ^e holy reliques & images of Saintes, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessours and all other saintes besides, approued by the church of Rome. Sir, what say ye to this?

Whereunto he aunswered. I owe them no seruice by any commaundement of God: and therfore I mynd not to seeke them for your couetousnes. MarginaliaWhat is to be done with images.It were best ye swepte them fayre from copwebs and dust, and so layd them vp for catchyng of scathe. Or els to bury them faire in the ground, as ye do other aged people which are Gods Images. MarginaliaSaintes are become now couetous beggers.It is a wonderfull thyng, that saintes now beyng dead, should become so couetous and nedy, and therupon so bitterly begge, which all the lyfe tyme hated all couetousnesse, and beggyng. But this I say vnto you, and I would all the world should marke it. That with your Shrines and Idoles, your fayned absolution and pardons, ye drawe vnto you the substaunce, wealth and chiefe pleasures of all christen realmes.

Why sir (sayd one of the clerkes) MarginaliaA whelpe of the same heare.will ye not worshyp good images?

MarginaliaImages not to be worshipped.What worship should I geue vnto them? sayd the Lord Cobham.

Then sayd Frier Palmer vnto hym. Sir ye will wor