Pope and Cardinals: to which Article the sayd Iohn Florence answered in this maner. If the Pope lyue vprightly as Peter liued, he hath power to make lawes: otherwise, I beleue he hath no power. But beyng afteward threatned by the iudge, he acknowledged that he had erred, and submitted hymselfe to the correction of the Church, and was abiured, takyng an othe that from that tyme forward he should not hold, teach, preach, or willingly defend any errour or heresie contrary to the determination of the Churche of Rome, neither maintayne, helpe, or ayde any that shall teach or hold any such errors or heresies, either priuely or apertly, and for his offence in this behalfe done, he was enioyned this penaunce followyng.

Three Sondayes in a solemne procession in the Cathedrall Church of Norwich, he should be displed before all the people.MarginaliaThe maner of this displing was with a white rodde, thrise layd vpon the head of the penitenciary. The like also should be done about his parish church of Shelton, three other seuerall Sondayes, he beyng bare headed, bare footed & bare necked, after the maner of a publicke penitentiarie, his body beyng couered with a canues shiert, and canues breches, carying in his hand a taper of a pounde wayght, and that done he was dismissed.

RIchard Belward of Erisā, in the Dioces of Norwich, was accused for holdyng and teaching these errours and opinions here vnder written, contrary to the determination of the Church of Rome.

In primis that Ecclesiasticall Ministers and OrdinariesMarginaliaHe meaneth the wicked byshops of that tyme, whose curses God did blesse. haue no power to excommunicate, neither can excommunicate: And albeit that a Byshop do excommunicate any man, God doth absolue him.

Item, that he held the erroneous opinions and conclusions, that Syr Iohn Oldcastle held when he was in prison, and affirmed that Syr Iohn Oldcastle was a true Catholicke man,MarginaliaThis proueth Syr Iohn Oldcastle to be no traytour. and falsly condemned and put to death without any reasonable cause.

Item, that such as go on pilgrimage, offeryng to Images made of wood and stone, are excommunicate because they ought to offer to the quicke, and not to the dead: and that the Ecclesiasticall Ministers, that is to saye, the Curates, do sell God vpon Easter day, when as they receiue offerynges of such as should cōmunicate before they do minister the Sacrament vnto them.

Item, that he counseled diuers women, that they should not offer in the Church for the dead, neither with women that were purified.

Item, that he blamed diuers of his neighbours that refused his doctrine, saying vnto them:MarginaliaThe wordes of the Register. truly ye are fooles that deny to learne the doctrine of my sect, for your neighbours which are of my sect, are able to confounde and vanquish all other that are of your sect.

Item, that the Saintes which are in heauen, ought in no case to be prayed vnto, but onely God.

Item, that the sayd Richard keepeth schooles of Lollardy in the English toung, in the towne of Dychingham, and a certaine parchment maker bringeth him all the bookes cōtayning that doctrine from London.

The. v. day of Iuly. 1424. the sayd Richard Belward was brought before Iohn, Byshop of Norwich sittyng in place of iudgement, whereas the foresayd Articles were obiected agaynst the sayd Richard, whiche he there denyed: whereupon the byshop appointed him an other day to purge himselfe, the Monday next after the feast of S. Marget: vpon which day beyng the. xxiiij. of Iuly, in the yeare aforesayd, he appeared agayne before the Byshop, and brought with him ix. of his neighbours to purge him vpon those articles, and there dyd solemnely purge himselfe. And afterward, for somuch as the sayd Byshop suspected the sayd Richard Belward greatly of Lolardy, he commaunded hym there presently to sweare vpon the Euangelistes, that frō that day forward he should not wittingly preach, teach, or defend any errour or heresie, contrary to the Churche of Rome, neither ayde, assiste, fauour or maintayne, priuely or apertly, any maner of person or persons, that should hold or maintayne the sayd errours or heresies, In the presence of M. William Bernam, Iohn Wadden, Robert Serle and Ihon Berne Esquire, and other of his neighbours which came vnto his purgation.

MarginaliaIohn Goddesell of Dichingham. In lyke maner Iohn Goddesel of Dichingam parchmentmaker, was detected and accused vpon the same Articles, and therupon brought before the Byshop: whereas he denying them, purged himselfe by his neighbors, as Richard Belward before had done, beyng sworne also in lyke maner, as he was, & so was dismissed & set at libertie, vntill the yeare of our Lord. 1428. when as he was agyane apprehended, accused and abiured, as shall be more at large declared in the history whē we come to that yeare.MarginaliaSyr Hugh Pye priest. Sir Hugh Pye also, chaplaine of Ludney in the diocesse of Norwich, was likewyse accused and brought before the Bishop of Norwich the v. day of Iuly, an. 1424. for holdyng of these opinions followyng.

That the people ought not to go on pilgrimage.

Item, that the people ought not to geue almes, but onely vnto such as beg at their dores.

MarginaliaImage of the crosse not to be worshipped. Item that the image of the crosse and other images are not to be worshipped: And that the sayd Hugh, had cast the crosse of Bromehold into the fire to be burned, which he toke from one Iohn Welgate of Ludney. Which articles, as is aforesiad, being obiected against him, he vtterly denied: wherupon he had a day appoynted to purge hymselfe by the witnes of 3. lay men and three priestes. That so done, he was sworne as the other before, and so dismissed.

After this, in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1428: kyng Henry the vi. sent down most cruell letters of commission vnto I. Exetor and Iacolet Germaine, keeper of the castle of Colchester, for the apprehending of sir William White, Priest, & others suspected of heresie, the tenour wherof, hereafter enseueth.

MarginaliaA letter of the kyng. HEnry by the grace of God kyng of England & of France, Lord of Ireland, to his welbeloued Iohn Exetor, & Iacolet Germaine, keeper of the castle of Colchester health.

Ye shall vnderstand that we fully trusting vnto your fidelitie and circumspections, haue appointed you iointly and seuerally to take and arrest William White priest, & Thomas, late chaplaine of Setlyng, in the countie of Norfolke, and William Northampton priest. & all other whatsoeur they be that are suspect of heresie or Lollardie, whersoeuer they may be found within the liberties or without, and straight way being so taken, to send thē vnto our nexte gayle or prison, vnto such tyme, as we shall haue taken other order for their deliuerie: And therefore we straightly commaunde you, that ye diligently attende about the premisses, and fulfill the same in forme aforesayde. Also we charge and commaunde all and singuler Iustices of peace, Maiors, Shrieues, Bailiffes, Constables, and all other our faithfull officers, by the tenour of these presentes, that they do assist, ayde, and counsaile you and euery of you, in the execution of the premisses, as it shall be comely for them. In witnes whereof, we haue caused these our letters patentes to be made. Witnes my selfe at Westminster, the vi. of Iuly, the vi. yeare of our raigne.

By vertue of which commission we fynde in olde monuments, that within shorte space after, Iohn Exeter, which was appointed one of the Commissioners, attached vi. persons in þ^e towne of Bungay in þ^e dioces of Norwiche, and committed them to William Day, & Williā Roe, Constables of þ^e towne of bungay, to be sent within x. daies folowing vnder safe custody, vnto þ^e Castle of norwich. Whose names, throughthe antiquity of þ^e monument were so defaced that we could not attayne to the perfect knwledge of them all: onely three names partly remayned in þ^e booke to be read, which were these.

¶ Iohn Waddon of Tenterdon, in the countie
of Kent, Bartlemew, Monke of Ersham,
in the countie of Norfolke, Corneleader, a
maried man. William Skuts.

These three weare in the custody of the Duke of Northfolke at his castle of Fremingham.

Besides these, we also finde in the sayd old monuments within the dioces of Norfolke and Suffolke, specially in þ^e townes of Beckels, Ersham, and Ludney, a great number both of men and women to haue bene vexed and cast in prison, and after their abiuration, brought to open shame in churches and markets byMarginaliaWilliam Bishop of Norwich. William Bernham hys Chauncelour. the bishop of the sayd dioces called William, and his Chaūcellor William Bernham, Iohn Exeter beyng the Register therin, so that within the space of 3. or 4. yeares, that is from the yeare. 1428. vnto the yere 1431. about the number of 120. men and women were examined and sustayned great vexation for the profession of the christian fayth: of whom some were only taken vpon suspition onely for eatyng of meates prohibited vpon vigil dayes, who of their purgation made, escaped more easily away and with lesse punishmēt, whose names here follow subscribed.