constitutions of all the Popes of Rome, Archbishops, Bishops, and prelates, MarginaliaAnd this maintaine they still.as are cōteyned and determined in their holy decrees, Decretals, Clemētines, Codes, Chartes, Rescriptes, Sextiles, Summes papall, Extrauagantes, statutes prouinciall, actes synodall, and other ordinary regules and customes constituted by them, MarginaliaThe pope holy bible of papistes.or that shall chaunce hereafter directly to be determined or made. To these & all such other, will I my self with all power possibly apply. Besides all this, the penaunce which it shal please my sayd reuerend father the Lord Archbishop of Cant. hereafter to enioyne me for my sinnes, MarginaliaMarke thys handling.I wyll mekely obey and faithfully fulfill. Finally, all my seducers and false teachers, and all other besides, whom I shall hereafter know suspected of heresie or errours: MarginaliaThis charge geue they commonly.I shall effectually present, or cause to be presented vnto my sayd reuerend father, Lord Archb. or to them which haue his autoritie, so soone as I can conueniently do it, and see that they be corrected to my vttermost power.

This abiuration neuer came to the handes of the Lord Cobham, neither was it compiled of them for that purpose, but only therewith to bleare the eyes of the vnlearned multitude for a tyme. After the which lyke fetch and subtile practise, was also deuised the recantacion of the Archb. Tho. Cranmer, to stoppe for a tyme the peoples mouthes. Which subtlety in like maner was also practised with the false recantacion of B. Hoper, and diuers other, as in their places hereafter (Christ graunting) shalbe shewed.

MarginaliaFor confirmation of this history.And thus much hitherto concerning the first trouble of Sir Iohn Oldcastle lord Cobham, with all the circumstances of the true tyme, place, occasion, causes, and order belongyng to the same. Wherein I trust I haue sufficiently satisfied all the parties, requisite to a faythfull history, without corruption. For the confirmation wherof, to the entent the mynd also of the wrangling cauiller may be satisfied, and to stop the mouth of the aduersary (which I see in all places to be ready to barcke) I haue therefore of purpose annexed withall, MarginaliaEx archiuis et Regist. Tho. Arund. Archiep. Cant.my ground & foundation taken out of the Archiues and Registers of the Archb. of Cant. Ex epist. Tho. Arund. ad Rich. Lond. MarginaliaPolydorus and Edw. Haull deceaued.Whereby may appeare, the manifest errour both of Polydorus, and of Edward Haul, who beyng deceaued in the right distinction of the tymes, assigne this citatiō and examination of the lord Cobham, to be after the councell of Constance: when as Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury at the Councel of Constance, was not aliue. The copy and testimony of hys owne letter, shall declare the same, written and sent to the bishop of London, in forme as followeth.

TO the reuerend father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Robert by the grace of God bishop of Hereford, Richard by the permission of God bishop of London, health and continuall increase of sincere loue. We haue of late receyued the letters of the reuerend father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Thomas by the grace of God Archbishop of Cant. primate of all England, and Legate of the Apostolik see to this effect. Thomas by the permission of God, Archb. of Cant. primate of all England, and Legate of the Apostolike see, vnto our reuerend brother the Lord Richard bishop of London, health and brotherly loue in the Lord. It was lately concluded before vs in the conuocation of the Prelates and Clergy of our prouince of Canterb. last celebrate in our church of S. Paule, intreatyng amongest other things with the sayd prelates and clergy vpon the vnion and reformation of the Church of England by vs, and the sayd prelates and Clergy: that it was almost impossible to amend the hole of our Lordes coate which was without seame, but that first of all certayn nobles of the realme, which are authors, fauourers, protectors, defenders and receyuers of these hereticks called Lollardes, were sharply rebuked, and if neede were by the censures of the Churche, and the helpe of the secular power, they be reuoked from their errours. And afterward hauyng made diligent inquisition in the conuocation amōgest the proctors of the Clergy and others, which wer there in great number out of euery diocesse of our prouince: MarginaliaA thing thought right necessary that the L. Cobham should be made out of the way, or els not possible for papistry to florishe.It was founde out amongest others, that sir Iohn Oldecastle knight, was and is the principall receyuer, fauorer, protector, and defender of them: and that specially in the diocesse of London, Rochester, and Hereford, he hath sent the sayde Lollardes to preach, not beyng licensed by the ordinaries &bishops of the diocesse or places, contrary to the prouinciall constitutions in that behalfe made, and hath bene present at theyr wicked sermons, greuously punishing wyth threatnings, terrors, and the power of the secular sword, such as did withstand hym: allegyng and affirmyng amongest others, that we and our fellow brethren Suffraganes of our prouinces had not, nether haue any power to make any such constitutions. Also he hath holden, and doth holde opinion and teach as touchyng the sacraments of the aulter, of penance of pilgrimage, of the worshipping of saints, and of the keyes contrary to that which the vniuersal church of Rome doth teach and affirme.

Wherfore, on the behalfe of the sayd prelates and clergy, we were then required that we wold vouchsafe to procede against the said sir Iohn Oldcastle vpon the premisses. MarginaliaSir I. Oldecastell in fauour wyth the kyng.Notwithstanding, for the reuerence of our Lord the king, in whose fauour the said sir Iohn at that presēt was, & no lesse also for the honour of his knighthood: we with our fellow brethrēn & Suffraganes then present, with a great part of the Clergy of our prouince, cōming personally before the presence of our sayd Lord the kyng, beyng then at hys manour of Kenington, put vp agaynst the sayd sir Iohn, a complaint, and partly recityng the defaultes of the sayd sir Iohn. But at the request of our sayd Lord the king, we desiring to reduce the sayd syr Iohn to the vnity of the church, without any reproche: we deferred all the execution of the premisses for a great tyme. But at the last, for so much as our sayd Lord the kyng, after hys great trauailes taken about the conuersion of hym, did nothyng at all profite, as our sayd Lord the kyng vouchsafed to certifie vs both by word and writing: We immediately decreed to call forth the sayd sir Iohn personally, to answer before vs at a certayne tyme already passed, in and vpon the premisses, and sent our messengers wyth these our letters of citacion to the sayd sir Iohn, then beyng at his castle of Cowling, vnto the which Messēger we gaue commaundement that he should in no case go into the Castle except he were licenced. But by the means of one Iohn Butler, porter of the kinges chamber, he should require the sayd sir Iohn, that he would eyther licence the sayd messenger to come into the Castle, or that he would cite hym, or at the least that he would suffer himselfe to be cited without his Castle. The which sir Iohn openly aunswered vnto the sayd Iohn Butler, declaring the premisses vnto hym, on the behalfe of our Lorde the kyng: that he woulde by no meanes be cited, neither in any case suffer his citation. Then we beyng certified of the premisses lawfully proceeded further.

First, hauyng faythfull report made vnto vs, that he could not be apprehended by personal citation, we decreed to cite hym by an edict to be openly set vp in the porches of the Cathedrall Church of Rochester next vnto him, litle more then iij. English miles distant from the sayd castle of Cowling. As we had thus caused hym to be cited, and our edict aforesayd to be publikely and openly set vpon the porches of the sayd Church, that he should personally appeare before vs the xj. day of September last past to answer vnto the premisses, and certayne other thinges concernyng heresie: The which day beyng come, we sitting in our tribunal seat in our greater chappell within the Castle of Leedes of our diocesse, the which we then inhabited, and where as we thē kept residence with our courte, and hauing taken an othe which is requisite in the premisses, and the information by vs heard and receyued, as the common report goeth: MarginaliaThe keyes of the church falsely wrasted.In the partes wheras the sayd sir Iohn dwelleth (fortifying himselfe in his sayd castle, defending his opinions manifoldly, contemnyng the kayes of the Church and the Archbyshops power.) MarginaliaThe L. Cobham excommunicated.We therfore caused the sayd sir Iohn cited, as is aforesayd, to be openly with a loude voyce called by the cryer: and so beyng called, long looked for, and by no meanes appearing, we iudged hym (as he was no lesse worthy) obstinate, and for punishment of his said obstinacy, we did thē and there excommunicate hym. And for so much as by the order of the premisses, and other euident tokens of hys doyngs, we vnderstand that the said sir Iohn for the defence of his errour doth fortifie himselfe, as is aforesayd agaynst the kayes of the Church, by pretence wherof, a vehement suspicion of heresie and schisme riseth agaynst him: We haue decreed if he may be apprehended, againe personally to cite him, or els as before, by an edict that he should appeare before vs the Saterday next after the feast of S. Mathew the apostle and Euangelist next commyng, to shew some reasonable cause if he can, why we should not procede agaynst hym, or more grieuous punishment, as an open hereticke, schismatike and open enemy of the vniuersall church. And personally to declare why he should not be pronoūced such