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Pickering [Pakring]

North Yorkshire

OS grid ref: SE 795 845

and shewed out to the most worldly liuers) wil not be vnpunished of God. For to þ^e poynt of truth þ^t these mē shewed out sometime, they will not now stretch forth their liues. But by example, each one of them as theyr words and their works shew, busy them through their fayning, for to sclaunder and to pursue Christ in his members, rather thē they will be pursued.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me: These men the whiche thou speakest of now, were fooles and heretickes, whē they were counted wise men of thee and other such losels. But now they are wise men, though thou and such other deme them vnwise. Neuerthelesse I wist neuer none that right sayd, that any while were enuenimed with your contagiousnes, that is, contaminated and spotted doctrine.

☞ And I sayd to the Archbishop: Syr, I thinke well that these mē & such other are now wise as to this world: Marginalia Happy be they that continue to the ende. But as theyr words sounded sometime, and their works shewed outwardly, it was like to moue me that they had earnest of the wisedome of God, & that they should haue deserued mikle grace of God, to haue saued their owne soules & many other mens, if they had continued faythfully in wilfull pouerty, & in other simple vertuous liuing: and specially if they had with these foresaid vertues continued in their busie fruitful sowing of Gods word: as to many mēs knowledge they occupyed them a season in all their wits, ful busily to know the pleasaunt will of God, trauelling all their members full busily for to do thereafter, purely and chiefly to the praysing of the most holy name of god, and for grace of edification and saluation of Christen people. Marginalia Wo worth false couetise. But woe worth false couetise, and euill counsell and tyranny, by which they and many men and womē are led blindly into an euill end.

¶ Then the Archbishop sayde to me: Thou and such other Losels of thy sect, would shaue your beardes full neare for to haue a benefice. Marginalia It is pitie these prelates cannot sweare. For by Iesu, I know none more couetous shrewes then ye are, whē that ye haue a benefice. For loe, I gaue to Iohn Puruay a benefice but a mile out of this Castle, and I heard more complaints about his couetousnes for tithes and other misdoinges, then I did of all men that were aduaunced within my dioces. Marginalia Couetousnes ioyned with popishnes.

☞ And I sayde to the Archbishop: Sir, Puruay is neither with you now for the benefice that ye gaue him, nor he holdeth faythfully with the learning that he taught and writ before time: and thus he sheweth himselfe neither to be hot nor colde, and therfore he and his felowes, may sore dread, that if they turne not hastily to the way that they haue forsaken: peraduēture they be put out of the number of Christes chosen people.

¶ And the Archbishop sayde: Though Puruay be now a false harlot, I quite me to him: But come he more for suche cause before me (or we part) I shall know with whom he holdeth. But I say to thee: which are these holy men and wise, of whom thou hast taken thine information?

☞ And I sayd: Marginalia A worthy commendation of M. Iohn Wickliffe. Syr, Maister Iohn Wickliffe was holden of ful many men, the greatest clearke that they knew then liuing, and therwith he was named a passing ruely man & an innocent in his liuing: and herefore, great men communed oft with him, and they loued so his learning, that they writt it, & busily inforced them to rule themselues thereafter. Marginalia M. Iohn Aston. Phil. Rampington, Nic. Herford, Dauy Gotray, I. Puruay. Therfore sir, this foresayd learning of M. Iohn Wickliffe, is yet holden of full many men and women, the most agreable learning vnto the liuing and teaching of Christ & of his Apostles, and most opēly shewing & declaring how the church of Christ hath bene and yet should be ruled and gouerned. Therfore, so many men and women couet thys learning and purpose, through Gods grace, to cōforme their liuing like to this learning of Wickliff. M. Iohn Aston taught & writ accordingly, and full busily, where and when, and to whom that he might, and he vsed it himselfe right prefectly vnto his liues end. And also Philip of Rāpington while he was a Canō of Lecester. Nicholas Hereford, Dauy Gotray of Pakring Monke of Byland and a Maister of Diuinitye, and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise men & prudent, taught and writ busily this foresayd learning, & cōformed them thereto. And with all these men, I was oft right homely & communed with them long time and oft: and so before al other men I chose willingly to be informed of them and by thē, and specially of Wickliffe himselfe, as of the most vertuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew. And therfore of him specially and of these men I tooke the learning that I haue taught: and purpose to liue thereafter (if God wil) to my liues end. For though some of those mē be contrary to the learning that they taught before, I wote well that their learning was true which they taught: and therefore with the helpe of God I purpose to hold and to vse þ^e learnyng which I heard of them, while they sate on Moyseschayre, & specially while that they sat on þ^e chayre of Christ. But after þ^e workes that they now do, I will not doe with Gods helpe. For they feyne, and hide, & contrary þ^e trueth, which before they taught out playnely and truly. For as I know well, when some of those men haue bene blamed for their slaunderous doyng: they graunt not that they haue taught a misse or erred before time, but that they were constrayned by payne to leaue to tell out the soth, & thus they chuse now rather to blaspheme God, then to suffer a while here persecution bodely, for sothfastnesse that Christ shedde out his hart bloud for.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd: That learning that thou callest truth and sothfastnes, is open slaunder to holy church, as it is proued of holy Church. For albeit, that Wickleffe your author was a great clerke, Marginalia The testimony for Wickliffe, out of the mouth of his own aduersary. and though that many mē held him a perfect liuer: yet his doctrine is not approued of holy church, but many sentences of his learning are damned as they well worthy are. But as touching Philip of Rampington, that was first Chanon, and after Abbot of Leicester, which is now Bishop of Lincolne: I tell thee, that the day is commē, for which he fast the euen. Marginalia Many such vigils haue our popish kalenders. For neither he holdeth nowe, nor will holde, the learning that hee taught, when he was a Canon of Leicester. For no byshop of this land pursueth nowe more sharpely them that holde thy way, then he doth.

☞ And I sayd: Marginalia Repington became a persecuter, after he was made byshop. Sir full many men and women wondereth vpō him, and speaketh him mikle shame, and holdeth him for a cursed enemy of the truth.

¶ And the Archbish. sayd to me: Wherfore taryest thou me thus here with suche fables, wilt thou shortly (as I haue sayd to thee) submit thee to me or no?

☞ And I sayd: Sir I tell you at one word, I dare not for the dread of God submit me to you, after the tenour & sentence that ye haue aboue rehearsed to me.

And thus as if he had bene wroth, he sayd to one of his clerkes. Fetch hether quickly, the certification that came to me frō Shrewsbury vnder the Bailiefes seale witnessing the errors and heresyes, which this Losel hath venimously sowne there.

Then hastely the clarke tooke out and layde forth on a cupbord, diuers rolles and writinges, among which there was a litle one, which the clarke deliuered to the Archbyshop. And by and by the Archbishop read this roll conteyning this sentence.

The third sonday after Easter, the yeare of our Lorde 1407. William Thorpe came vnto the towne of Shrewsbury, and thorow leaue graunted vnto him to preache: He sayd openly in S. Chaddes church in his sermon, Marginalia The sacrament after consecration materiall bread. that the sacrament of the aulter, after the consecration, was materiall bread. Marginalia Articles obiected against William Thorpe. And that images, should in no wise be worshipped. And that mē should not go on pilgrimages. And that priestes haue no title to tithes. And that it is not lawful for to sweare in any wise.

¶ And when the Archbishop had red thus this roll, he rolled it vp agayne, and sayd to me. Is this wholesome learning to be among the people? Marginalia Holesome enough for mans soule though not for your kitchyn.

☞ And I sayd to him: Sir I am both ashamed on theyr behalf, and right sorowful for them that haue certified you these thinges thus vntruelye: for I preached neuer, nor taught thus priuily not apertly.

¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me, I will geue credence to these worshipfull men which haue written to me, and witnessed vnder theyr seales there amōg them. Though now thou denyest this, weenest thou that I will geue credence to thee? Thou Losell, hast troubled the worshipfull communalty of Shrewsbury, Marginalia O Shreuesbury thou hast a cause to repēt thee, in that thou wouldest not receiue the truth whē it was offered thee so that the Bailifes and comminalty of that towne haue writtē to me, praying me that am Archbishop of Cant. primate and Chancellor of England, that I wil vouchsafe to graunt them: that it thou shalt be made (as thou art worthy) to suffer open iouresse for thine heresies, that thou may haue thy iouresse openlye there among them: So that all they whome thou and suche other Losels haue there peruerted, may thorow feare of thy deed be reconciled agayne to the vnity of holy Church. Marginalia The Romish church must be stablished, by persecuting of true preachers. And also they that stand in true fayth of holy Church, may thorow thy deed be more established therein. And as if this asking well pleased þ^e Archbishop, he sayd. By my thrift, this harty prayer, and feruent request, shall be thought on.

But certaynely, nother þ^e prayer of the men of Shrewsbury, nor the manassing of the Archbishoppe made me any thing afrayd. But in rehearsing of this malice, and in the hearing of it, my hart greatly reioysed, & yet doth. I thank God for the grace, that I then thought, and yet think shall come to all the Church of God here thorow, by the speciall mercifull doing of the Lord. Marginalia A sure trust in Gods truth, cōfoūdeth the malice of tyrantes. And as hauing no dread of the malice of tyrantes, by trusting stedfastly in the helpe of the Lord, with full purpose for to knowledge the sothfastnes,