Marginalia* Such as were in Queene Maries dayes, as Iohn Beard, Iohn Auales, Robin Papist, and other lyke murtherers. lous followers of the catholike fayth to make information to our office (which cases and articles also were by vs administred, as is before sayd, to the same William Swinderby) the tenor therof followeth, and is thus.

[Back to Top]

¶ Reuerend  

father and high Lord, Lord Iohn. MarginaliaLord, Lord, a latine worde of their owne making. by gods sufferance bishop of Hereford: MarginaliaThe denunciation of the promoters to the B. of Hereford.It is lamentably declared to your reuerend fatherhood on the behalf of Christs faythful people your deuout children of your diocesse of Herford that notwithstāding the misbeliefe of very many lollards, which hath to long a time sprong vp here in your diocesse, there is newly come a certayn child of wickednes, named William Swinderby: Who by his horrible perswasions & mischieuous endeuours, and also by his open preachings and priuate teachinges, doth peruert as much as in him is the whole ecclesiasticall state, and stirreth vp with all hys possible power, schisme betwene the clergy and the people. And that your reuerend fatherhood may be the more fully informed, who and what maner of man the same William Swinderby is: there be proposed and exhibited herafter to the same your fatherhood on the behalf of the same faithful people of Christ, against the same William Swinderby, cases and articles. Which if the same William shall deny, thē shall the same cases and articles most euidently be prooued against him by credible witnesse worthy of beliefe, & by other lawfull proofe and euidences to the end that those being proued, the same fatherhood of yours, may do and ordeine therin, as to your pastorall office belongeth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMatter articulated agaynst W. Swinderby. ¶ In primis, the same William Swinderby pretending himselfe priest, was opēly and publiquely conuicted of certayne articles and conclusions being erroneous, schismaticall, and hereticall, preached by him at diuers places and times before a multitude of faythfull christian people. And the same Articles and conclusions did he by force of lawe reuoke and abiure, some as hereticall, and some as erroneous and false. Aduouching and beleuing them for such, as that from thenceforth he would neuer preach, teach, or affirme openly or priuily any of the same conclusions. And if by preching or aduouching he shoulde presume to doe the contrary: that then he should be subiect to the seuerity of the Canons, accordingly as he did take a corporall oth, iudicially vpon the holy Gospels.

[Back to Top]

2. Also the conclusions, which by the same William were first openly taught and preached, and afterward abiured & reuoked as is aforesaid: are contained before in the process of the B. of Lincolne, euen as they be there written worde by worde.  

And for the cases and articles, they were consequently exhibited by the forenamed faithfull christian people against the said William Swinderby together, with þ^e conclusions before sayd, & hereafter written: of which cases and articles, the tenour hereof ensueth.

[Back to Top]

3. Item, the sayd William contrary to the former reuocation & abiuratiō, not conuerting to repentance, but peruerted from ill to worse, and geuen vp to a reprobate sense came into your diocesse, where, he running about in sondry places hath presumed to preach or rather to peruert and to teach of his own rashnes many heretical, erroneous, blasphemous, and other slaunderous things contrary and repugnant to the sacred Canons and determination of þ^e holy Catholike Church. What those things were, at what place and what time, it shall hereafter more particularly be declared.

[Back to Top]

Item, the same William, notwithstanding your commaundementes and admonitions sealed with your seale, & to all the Curates of your diocesse directed: contayning amongst other things, þ^t no person of what state, degree or condition soeuer he were, shold presume to preach or to teach or els expound the holy scriputure to the people, either in hallowed or prophane places, within your diocesse, with out sufficient authoritie, by any maner of pretence þ^t could be sought, as in the same your letters monitorie & of inhibition (the tenor wherof hereafter ensueth) is more largely conteined: which letters the same William did receiue into his handes, & did read them word by word in the towne of Monemouth of your diocesse, in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1390. so that these your letters and the contentes thereof came to true and undoubted knowledge of the same William: yet notwithstanding hath the same William presumed in diuers places and times to preach within the same your diocesse, after and agaynst your commaundement aforesayd. The tenour of the same letters before mentioned followeth and is this.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe letter monitory of the B. of Hereford inhibiting to preach without his licence. IOhn by the sufference of God Bishop of Hereford, to the deane and Chapter of our Church of Hereford, and to all and singuler Abbots, Priors, Prouostes, Deanes rurall, Parsons and Vicaresof Monasteries, Priores Churches, Colledges and Parishes, and to other hauing cure of soules within the Citty and diocesse of Herford, and to all and euery other being within the same Citty and diocesse. Greeting, grace, and blessing. Forasmuch as the golden laurell of teaching doctorall, is not from aboue indifferently euery mans gift, neyther is the office of preaching graunted, saue to such as are called, and especially by the Church admitted therunto: we doe admonishe and require you all and singuler Clerkes aforesayd, and do straightly enioyne you all in the vertue of holy obedience, that you nor any of you do admitte any man to preach or to teach the Catholique fayth, sauing such as the same office of preaching shall by the authoritie Apostolicall or els your Byshop be specially committed vnto: but that as much as in you shall lye, you doe by worde and deede, labour to let those that woulde attempte the contrary. And you Lordes, Ladyes, Knightes; Barons, Esquires, and all and singular persons, of what estate, degree, preheminence, or condition soeuer ye be, remayning within the city and diocesse of Herford, we doe beseech and exhort in our lord that following the wordes of our sauior, you beware of the leauen of the Phariseis.MarginaliaWould God both they and all men did beware of that leauen.

[Back to Top]

Item according to the saying of the Apostle, be not ye caryed away with diuers and straunge doctrines: and that in the meane while (as sayth the Apostle) you be not remoued from the sense of the holy auncient fathers, least that any man by any meanes shold seduce you, but you agreeing together in one minde see that you honor God with one mouth. But if any man to whom that thing is not specially (as is aforesayd) committed, shall attempte to instructe or in this your life to directe you into the Catholicke faith do ye denye to geue them audience, and refuse you to be present at their assembles and shun ye theyr teachinges, because they be wicked and peruerse. And as for vs we will not omitte to proceede according to the sacred Canons and preceptes of the holye fathers, agaynst such as doe the contrary. Dated at London in the house of our habitation vnder our seale, the last day saue one of December, in the yeare of our Lorde, 1389. and of our consecration the first.

[Back to Top]

5. Item, the same William in his preaching to þ^e people, on Monday being the first of August, in the yeare of our Lord 1390. in the parishe of Whitney of your diocesse, dyd hold and affirme: That no Prelate of the world of what estate, preheminence or degree so euer he were of, hauing cure & charge of soule, he being in deadly sinne, & hearing þ^e confession of any vnder his hand in geuing him absolutiō, doth nothing: As who neither doth lose him frō his sinne, nor in correcting or excōmunicating him for his demerites doth bind him by his sentence, except þ^e prelate shall be free himself from deadly sinne, as S. Peter was, to whom our Lord gaue power to binde and lose.MarginaliaThat is one of Wicliffes blemishes.

[Back to Top]

6. Item, þ^e same William in many places said & affirmed in the presence of many faythfull christen people, that after the sacramentall wordes vttered by the priest hauing the purpose to consecrate: there is not made the very bodye of Christ in the sacrament of the aulter.

7. Item, that accidencies cannot be in the sacrament of þ^e aulter without a subiect: and that there remayneth materiall bread there to such as be partakers communicant wyth the body of Christ, in the same sacrament.MarginaliaBread hee meaneth in substance.

8. Item, that a priest being in deadly sin, cannot be able by the strength of the sacramentall words, to make the body of Christ, or bring to perfection any other sacrament of the Church, neither yet to minister it to the members of the Church.

9. Item, that all priestes are of like power in all things, notwithstanding that some of them, in this worlde are of higher and greater honour, degree, or preheminence.

10. Item, that onely contrition putteth away sinne, if so be that a man shalbe duely contrite: and that, all auriculer and outward confessiō is superfluous, and not requisite of necessitie to saluation.

11. Item, inferior Curates haue not their power of bynding and losing immediately from the pope or Bishop, but immediately from Christ. And therfore, neither can þ^e pope nor bishop, reuoke to themselues such kind of power, whē they see time and place at their lust and pleasure.

12, Item, that the pope cannot graunt such kinde of annuall & yerely pardons, because there shall not be so many yeares to þ^e day of iudgement, as are in þ^e Popes bulles or pardons contayned. Wherby it followeth that the pardōs are not of such like value as they speake of, & praysed to be.

13. Item, it is not in the popes power to graunt vnto any person penitent, forgeuenes of the punishment or of the faulte.

14. Item, that person þ^t geueth his almes to any, whiche in his iudgement is not in necessitie, doth sinne in so geuing it.

15. Item, that it stands not in the power of any Prelate,