there is no saluation. We therfore considering, that so pernicious a mischiefe whych may creepe amongest many, wee ought not to suffer, and by dissimulation to passe ouer, which may with deadly contagion slea the soules of men, least their bloud be required at our hands: are willing so much as God wil permit vs to do, to extirpate the same. Wherefore, by the counsaile and consent of many of our brethrē and Suffraganes, we haue conuented diuers and sundry Doctours of Diuinitie, as also professours and other Clerkes of the Canon and Ciuill lawes, the best learned wythin the Realme, and of the most soundest opinion and iudgement in the Catholicke faith, to geue their opinions and iudgements cōcerning the foresayde conclusions. MarginaliaHad ye tryed them by the truth, you shuld haue found thē otherwise. But for as much as the sayde conclusions and assertions, being in the presence of vs, and our fellowe brethren and other conuocates, openly expounded, and diligently examined, and in the end found by common counsaile and consent, as wel of them as of vs, and so declared that some of those conclusions were heretical, and some of them erroneous & repugnant to the determination of the Church, as here vnder are described: Wee will and commaund your brotherhoode, and by vertue of holy obedience straightly enioyne, all and singular our brethren and Suffraganes of our body and Church of Canterbury, that with all speedye diligence you possible can, you likewise enioyne them (as we haue enioyned you) and euery of them. And that euery one of them in their Churches & other places of their Citie and Dioces, doe admonish and warne, and that you in your Church and other Churches of your Citie and Dioces, do admonish and warne, as we by the tenor of these presents, do admonish and warne the first time, the second time, and the third time: and yet more straightly doe warne, assigning for the first admonition one day, for the second admonition an other day, & for the third admonition canonicall and peremptorie, an other day: That no man from hence forth of what estate or cōdition soeuer, do hold, preach or defend the foresayd heresies and errors or any of them: nor that hee admitte to preach any one that is prohibited or not sent to preach, nor that he heare or hearken to the heresies or errours of him or any of them, or that he fauour or leane vnto hym either publiquely, or priuely: But that immediately he shonne hym as he would auoide a Serpent putting forth most pestiferous poison, vnder paine of the greater curse, MarginaliaBruta Fulmina.the which we commaund to be thundered against all and euery one which shalbe disobedient in this behalfe, and not regarding these our monitions, after that those 3. dayes be past which are assigned for the canonical monition, and that their delay, fault or offence, committed require the same: That then according to the tenour of these wrytings, wee commaund both by euery one of our felowe brethren & our Suffraganes in their Cities and Dioces, and by you in your City and Dioces (so much as belongeth both to you and them) that to the vttermost, both ye and they cause the same excommunications to be pronounced. MarginaliaHe that killeth you, shal thinke he doth God good seruice.And furthermore, wee will and commaunde our foresayd felowe brethren, and all & singular of you a part by your selues, to be admonished, and by the aspersion of the bloud of Iesus Christ we likewise admonish you: that according to the institution of the sacred Canons, euery one of them in their Cities & Dioces, bee a diligent inquisitour of this hereticall prauitie: and that euery one of you also in your Cities & Dioces, be the like inquisitor of the foresayd heretical prauitie: MarginaliaYea rather for the honour of your pope, and destruction of the Christian fayth.And that of such like presumptions they and you carefully and diligently inquire, and that both they and you (according to your dueties and office in this behalfe) wyth effect do procede against the same, to the honor and praise of his name that was crucified, and for the preseruation of the Christian faith and Religion.
[Back to Top]Here is not to be passed ouer, the great miracle of gods diuine admonition or warning: for when as the Archbyshop and suffraganes, with the other Doctours of diuinitie, and lawyers with a great company of babling Friers, & religious persons were gathered together to consult, as touching Iohn Wickleffes bookes, and that whole secte: When as they were gathered together at the Gray fryers in Lōdon, to begin their busines, vpon S. Dunstons day after dinner, about 2. of the clocke the very houre & instant þt they should go forward with their businesse: a wonderfull and terrible earthquake fell, through out al England: MarginaliaAn earthquake what time Wickliffe was examined. Ex chron. mon. Albanensis.whereupon, diuers of the suffraganes being feared, by the strange and wonderfull demonstration, doubting what it shuld meane, thought it good to leaue of from their determinate purpose. But the Archbyshop (as chiefe captaine of that army, more rash and bold then wise interpreating the chaunce which had happened, cleane contrary to an other meaning or purpose, did confirme & strengthen their harts and minds, which were almost daunted with feare, stoutly to proceede and go forward in theyr attempted enterprise. Who then discoursing Wickliffes articles, not according vnto the sacred Canons of the holy Scripture, but vnto theyr owne priuate affections and traditions, pronounced and gaue sentence, that some of them were simply and plainely hereticall, other some halfe erroneousother irreligious, some seditious, and not consonant to the Church of Rome.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDetermination vpon the articles of Wickliffe.
This brief description of the examinations of Rygge and Brightwell is taken from Archbishop Courtenay's register (Lambeth Palace Library, Courtenay Register, fo. 26v).
MarginaliaA letter of the Archb. of Cant. to the Chauncelour of Oxford. WIlliam by the grace of God Archb. of Cant
This letter is taken from Archbishop Courtenay's register (Lambeth Palace Library, Courtenay Register, fos. 26v-27r). The man's name was Lawrence Bedeman; 'Readman' is a typographical error.