I IOhn Oldcastle Knight Lord of Cobham, with that all Christen men weet and vnderstād: that I clepe almighty God into witnesse, that it hath bene, nowe is, and euer with the helpe of God, shall be mine entent and my will, to beleue faythfully and fully all the sacramentes that euer God ordayned to be do in holy Church: and moreouer to declare me in these foure poynts, MarginaliaThe Sacrament of the Lords body.I beleue that the most worshipfull Sacrament of the aulter is Christes body in forme of bread, the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our Lady saynt Mary, done on the crosse, dead and buryed, the thyrd day rose from death to life, the which body is now glorified in heauen.

MarginaliaPenaunce.Also as for the sacrament of penaunce I beleue, that it is needefull to euery man that shalbe saued to forsake sinne and do due penaunce for sinne before done, with true confession, very contrition, and due satisfaction as Gods lawe limitteth and teacheth, and els may he not be saued: which penaunce I desire all men to doe.

MarginaliaImages.And as of Images I vnderstand, that they be not of beleue, but that they were ordayned sith the beleue was zewe of Christ, by sufferaunce of the Church to be Calenders to lewd men, to represent and bryng to minde the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ, and martyrdome and good liuing of other sayntes: And that who so it be, that doth the worship to dead Images that is due to God, or putteth suche hope or trust, in helpe of them, as he should doe to God, or hath affection in one more then in an other, he doth in that the greatest sinne of maumetry.

MarginaliaPilgrimage.Also I suppose this fully, that euery man in this earth is a pilgrime toward blisse, or toward payne: and that he that knoweth not, ne will not know ne keepe the holy comaundementes of God in his liuing here (albeit that he be go on Pilgrimages to all the world, and he dye so) he shalbe damned: and he that knoweth the holy commaundementes of God, and keepeth them to hys ende, he shalbe saued though he neuer in hys lyfe goe on pilgrimage, as men now vse to Caunterbury or to Rome or to any other place.

This aunswere to hys articles thus ended and read, he deliuered it to the Bishops as is sayd afore. Than counceled the Archbishop with the other two Bishops, and with diuers of the Doctours, what was to be done in this matter:MarginaliaThe aunswer examined. commaunding hym for the tyme to stand aside. In cōclusion by their assent & information, he said thus vnto him Come hether Syr Iohn. In this your wryting are many good thinges contayned, and right Catholicke also, we deny it not:MarginaliaQuarel picked where nōe was geuen. but ye must consider þ^t thys day was appoynted you to aunswere to other pointes concerning those articles, wherof as yet no mention is made in this your Bil. And therefore ye must yet declare vs your minde more playnly.

And thus: whether that ye holde, affirme, and beleeue, that in the sacrament of the aulter, after the consecration rightly done by a priest, remayneth materiall bread, or not? Moreouer, whether ye do hold, affirme and beleue, that as concerning the sacrament of penaunce (where as a competent nomber of priestes are) euery Christen man is necessarely bound to be confessed of hys sinnes to a priest ordained by the Church, or not.

After certayn other communication, this was the answere of the good Lord Cobham. MarginaliaThe Christen aunswere of the Lord Cobham vnto their quarellinges.That none otherwise would he declare his minde, nor yet aunswere vnto hys articles, then was expressely in his writing there contayned. Then sayd the Archbishop agayne vnto hym: Syr Iohn, beware what ye do.MarginaliaThe wolfe was hungry, he must needes be fed with bloud. For if ye aunswere not clearely to those thinges that are here obiected agaynst you (especially at the time appointed you onely for that purpose) the law of holy ChurchMarginaliaA tyrannous whore is that mother. is, that compelled once by a iudge, we may openly proclayme ye an hereticke. Vnto whome he gaue this aunswere: Do as ye shall thinke best, for I am at a poynt. Whatsoeuer he or the other Byshops did aske him after that, he bad them resorte to hys Bill: for thereby would he stand to the very death. MarginaliaHis aūswer not to their mindes.Other aunswere woulde he not geue that day, wherwith the Bishops and Prelates were in a maner amased and wonderfully disquieted.

At the last, the archbishop councelled agayne with hys other Bishops and Doctours, and in the end therof declared vnto him, what the holy Church of Rome (following the saying of S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Ambrose, and of other holy Doctours) had determined in these matters, no maner of mention once made of Christ.MarginaliaAntichrist setteth men aboue God. Whiche determination (sayth he) ought all Christen men both to beleue and to follow.

MarginaliaThe L. Cobhā resorteth vnto Christ.Then sayd the Lord Cobham vnto him, that he would gladly both beleue and obserue whatsoeuer holy church of Christes institution had determined, or yet whatsoeuerGod had willed him either to beleue or to do.MarginaliaWhat could be more reasonably said if they had reasō to receaue it. But that the pope of Rome with his Cardinals, Archbishops, bishops and other prelates of that Churche had lawfull power to determine such matter as stoode not with his worde throughly: that would he not (he sayd) at the time affirme. With this þ^e archbish. bad him to take good aduisement til the monday next following (which was the 25. day of September) and then iustly to aunswere, specially vnto thys poynt: whether there remayned materiall breade in the sacrament of the aulter, after the wordes of consecration, or not? He promised him also, to send vnto hym in writing those matters clearely determined, that he might then be the more perfect in his answere making. And all this was nought els, MarginaliaA doctrine of deuils to blinde the simple.but to blinde the multitude with somewhat. The next day following, according to his promise, þ^e Archbishop sent vnto hym into the Tower, this foolishe and blasphemous writing made by him and by hys vnlearned Clergy.

MarginaliaEx magno profeßu Thoma Arundel.THe faith and determination of þ^e holy Church touching the blisfull sacrament of the aultar, is this: MarginaliaThe first Article.that after the Sacramentall wordes be once spoken by a Priest in hys Masse, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christes very body. And the materiall wine, that was before wine, is turned in Christes very bloud. And so there remayneth in the sacrament of the aulter, from thenceforth, no materiall bread, nor materiall wine, which were there before the Sacramentall wordes were spoken: How beleue ye this article? MarginaliaThe second Article.Holy church hath determined that euery Christen man liuing here bodely vpon the erth ought to be shriuen to a priest ordeined by the Church, if he may come to him. How feele ye this article?

MarginaliaThe third Article.Christ ordayned S. Peter the Apoistle to be his vicare here in earth, whose sea is the holy churche of Rome: And he graunted, that the same power which he gaue vnto Peter, should succeed to all Peters successours, which we call now Popes of Rome: MarginaliaThe seede of the Serpent.By whose power in Churches particuler, be ordayned Prelates, as Archbishops, Byshops, Parsons, Curates, and other degrees more. Vnto whom Christen men ought to obey after the laws of the church of Rome. This is the determination of holy Church. Howe feele ye this article?

MarginaliaThe fourth Article.Holy churche hath determined, that it is meritorious to a christen man, to go on pilgrimage to holy places: And there, specially to worship holy reliques and Images of Saintes, Apostles, and Martyrs, Confessours, & all other Saintes besides, approued by the church of Rome. Howe feele ye this article?

And as the Lorde Cobham had reade ouer this most wretched writing, he maruailed greatly of their mad ignorance.MarginaliaHe seeth their ignoraunce and malice. But that he considered agayne, that God had geuen them ouer for their vnbeliefes sake, into most deepe errors & blindnes of soule. Agayne, he perceiued hereby, that their vttermost mallice was purposed agaynst him, howsoeuer he should answere. MarginaliaHe putteth his life in Gods hand.And therefore he put hys life into the handes of God, desiring hys onely spirite to assiste hym in his next answere. When the sayd xxv. day of September was come (whiche was also the Monday before Michaelmas) in the sayd yeare of our Lord, 1413. Thomas Arundell the Archbishop of Caunterbury commaunded his iudiciall seate to be remoued from þ^e chapter house of Paules to the Dominicke Friers within Ludgate at Londō. MarginaliaEx vtroque exemplari.And as he was there set with Richard Byshop of London: Hēry the Byshop of Winchester: and Bennet the Byshop of Bangor: MarginaliaThe coūcell of Cayphas.He called in vnto him his counsell & his officers, with diuers other Doctours and Fryers, of whome these are the names here following, MarginaliaThe phariseis and Scribes.maister Henry Ware, þ^e Officiall of Caunterbury: Phillip Morgan, Doctour of both lawes: Howell Kiffin, Doctor of the Canon lawe. Iohn Kempe, Doctor of the Canon lawe. Williā Carleton, Doctour of the Canon law. Iohn Witnā, of the new College in Oxford. Iohn Wighthead, Doctor in Oxford also, Rob. Wōbewel, Vicare of S. Laurence in the Iewry, Thomas Palmer, the Warden of Minors, Robert Chamberlayne, Prior of the Dominickes, Richard Dodington, Prior of the Augustines. Thomas Walden: Priour of the Carmelites, all Doctours of Diuinitie. Iohn Stephens also, and Iames Cole, both Notaryes, appoynted there purposely to write all that shoulde be eyther sayd or done. MarginaliaA rable of Antichristes.All these with a great sorte more of Priestes, Monkes, Chanons, Friers, Parishe Clerkes, belryngers, Pardoners, disdayned him, with innumerable mockes & scornes, reconing him to be an horrible hereticke, and a man accursed afore God.