scriptures, but manifestly against them. If it be the Churches, as ye say it is, it hath bene hers onely since she receaued the great poyson of worldly possessions, and not afore.

Then asked they him, to stop his mouth therwith. If he beleued not in the determination of the Church?

MarginaliaThe Doctours confounded in their owne question.And he sayd vnto them. No forsooth, for it is no God. In all our Creede, this word (in) is but thrise mentioned concerning beleue. In God the father, in God the sonne, in in God the holy Ghost three persons and one God. The byrth, the death, the buriall, the resurrection and ascension of Christ, hath none (in) for beleue, but in him. Neyther yet hath the Church, the sacramentes, the forgeuenes of sinne, the latter resurrection, nor yet the life euerlasting nor anye other (in) then in the holy ghost.

Then sayd one of the Lawyers. Tush, that was but a word of office. But what is your beliefe concerning holy Church?

The Lord Cobham aunswered. My beliefe is: (as I sayd afore) that all the scriptures of the sacred Bible are true. All þ^t is grounded vppon them I beleue throughly. For I know, it is Gods pleasure that I shuld so do. MarginaliaThe L. Cobhā beleueth not in the Pope.But in your Lordly lawes and idle determinations, haue I no beliefe. For ye be no part of Christes holy churche, as your open deedes doth shew: But ye are very Antichristes, obstinately set agaynst his holy law and wil. The lawes that ye haue made, are nothing to his glory, but onely for your vayne glory and abhominable couetousnes.

MarginaliaAn heresie after the papistes.This they sayd, was an exceeding heresie (and that in a great fume) not to beleeue the determination of holye Church.

Then the Archbishop asked hym, what he thought of holy Church.

MarginaliaHoly church defined.He sayd vnto him my beliefe is, that the holye Churche is the number of them, which shalbe saued, of whō Christ is the head. Of this churche, one part is in heauen wyth Christ, an other in purgatorye (you say) and the thyrd is here in earth. This latter part standeth in three degrees in knighthoode, priesthoode, and the communaltie, as I sayd afore playnely in the confession of my beliefe.

MarginaliaConsider him to be then in shrewde handlinge.Then sayd the Archbishop vnto hym. Can you tell me who is of this churrh?

The Lord Cobham answered: Yea truely can I.

Then sayd Doctor WaldenMarginaliaWalden contra Wicleuistas, li. ar. 2. Cap. 67 the Prior of the Carmelits It is no doubt vnto you who is thereof. For Christ sayeth in Mathewe Nolite iudicare, presume to iudge no man. MarginaliaHow we may iudge or not iudge by the scriptures.If ye be here forbidden the iudgement of your neighboure or brother, much more the iudgement of your superiour.

The Lorde Cobham made him this aunswere: Christ sayth also in the selfe same chapter of Mathew,MarginaliaMath. 7. that like as the euill tree is knowne by hys fruit, so is a false Prophet by his works, appeare they neuer so glorious: But that ye left behind ye. And in Iohn he hath this text: MarginaliaIohn. 1.Operibus credite, beleeue you the outwarde doinges. And in an other place of Iohn: MarginaliaIohn. 7.iustum iudicium iudicate, when wee knowe the thing to be true, we may so iudge it, and not offend.MarginaliaDeut. 16. For Dauid sayd also: MarginaliaPsal. 56.Rectè iudicate filij hominum. Iudge rightly alwayes ye children of men. And as for your superiority were ye of Christ, ye shoulde be meeke ministers, and no proud superiours.

Then said Doctor Walden vnto him, ye make here no difference of iudgementes. MarginaliaDiuersitie of iudgementes.Ye put no diuersitie betwene þ^e euill iudgementes, whiche Christ had forbidden, and the good iudgementes, which he hath cōmaunded vs to haue. Rash iudgement, and right iudgement, al is one with you. So swift iudges alwayes are the learned schollers of Wickliffe.

Vnto whom the Lord Cobham thus aunswered: MarginaliaA perfite aunswere.It is wel sophistred of you, forsooth. Preposterous are your iudgementes euermore. For as the Prophet Esay sayth, MarginaliaEsay. 5.ye iudge euill, good, and good, euill. And therefore the same prophet concludeth,MarginaliaEsay. 55. that your wayes are not Gods waies nor Gods wayes your wayes. And as for that vertuous man Wickliffe, whose iudgementes ye so highly disdayne:MarginaliaWalden in præfatione doctrinæ. 7. I shall say here of my part, both before God and man, that before I knew that despised doctrine of his, I neuer abstayned from sinne. But since I learned therin to feare my Lorde GOD, it hath otherwise I trust, bene with me: so muche grace coulde I neuer finde in all your glorious instructions.

MarginaliaA great aduersary.Then said Doctor Walden agayne yet vnto him: It were not well with me (so many vertuous men liuing, & so many learned men teaching the scripture, being also so open, and the examples of fathers so plenteous) If I thē had no grace to amend my life, till I heard the deuil preach S. Hierome sayth,MarginaliaHieroni. in breuiari in minori. that he whiche seeketh suche suspected Maysters, shall not finde the midday light, but the midday deuill.

The Lord Cobham sayd: MarginaliaLuke 11. Iohn 10.Your fathers the old Phariseis, ascribed Christes miracles to Belzebub, and his doctrine to the deuil. And you as their natural children, haue still the selfe same iudgement, concerning his faythfull followers. MarginaliaDoctours when the scripture faile, they begin to raile.They that rebuke your vicious liuing must needs be heretickes, and that must your doctors proue, whē you haue no scripture to do it. Then sayde he to them all: To iudge you as you be, we neede no further go, then to your owne proper actes. Where do ye find in all Gods law, that ye shold thus sit in iudgement of any Christen men, or yet geue sentence vppon any other man vnto death as ye doe here dayly? MarginaliaThe clergie to sit on life or death, hath no ground in scriptures.No grounde haue ye in all the Scriptures so Lordly to take it vppon you, but in Annas and Cayphas,MarginaliaFollowers of Cayphas. which sat thus vpon Christ, and vppon his Apostles after hys ascension. Of them onely haue ye taken it to iudge Christes members as yet doe, and neither of Peter nor Iohn.

Then sayd some of the Lawyers: Yes forsooth syr, for Christ iudged Iudas.

The Lord Cobham sayd: No, Christ iudged him not, but he iudged himselfe, and thereupon went forth, & so did hange himselfe: But in deede Christ sayde, woe vnto him, for that couetous act of hys, as he doth yet still vnto many of you. For since the venime of him was shed into þ^e church ye neuer followed Christ: neither yet haue ye stande in the perfection of Gods law.

Then the Archbishop asked him, what he ment by that venime?

The Lord Cobham sayd: your possessions and Lordeships. For then cried an aungell in the ayre (as your owne Chronicles mentioneth) wo, wo, woe, this day is veuime shed into the church of God. Before that time, Marginalia26. Bishops of Rome togeather martirs saue onely 4.all the Byshops of Rome were martyrs in a manner. And since that time, we read of very few. MarginaliaA cōparison betwene the martirs and the Popes tyme.But in deede since þ^t same time, one hath put down an other, one hath poysoned an other, one hath cursed an other, and one hath slayne an other, and done much more mischiefe besides, as all the Chronicles telleth. MarginaliaA cōparison betwene Christ and the Pope.And let all men consider well this, that Christ was meeke, and mercifull. The pope is proude, and a tyraunt. Christ was poore and forgaue. The pope is riche and a malicious manslear, as hys dayly actes doe proue hym. MarginaliaRome is Antichristes neast.Rome is the very neast of Antichrist, and out of that neast commeth all the disciples of him. Of whome Prelates, Priestes, and Monkes, are the body, and these pild Friers are the tayle which couereth his most filthy part.

Then said the Prior of the Fryers Augustines: Alacke sir, why do you say so? That is vncharitably spoken.

And the Lord Cobham said. Not onely is it my saying but also the Prophet Esayes,MarginaliaEsay. 9. long afore my time. The prophet saith he, which preacheth lyes, is the tayle behind. MarginaliaFriers proued seditious and yet foūd no traytors.For as you Fryers and monkes be (like Phariseis) deuided in your outward apparell and vsages, so make ye deuision a mong the people. And thus, you with such other, are þ^e very naturall members of Antichrist.

Then said he vnto them all: Christ saith in his Gospell. MarginaliaMath. 23.Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis, Hipocrites. For ye close vp the kingdome of heauen before men. Neyther enter ye in your selues, nor yet suffer any other þ^t wold enter into it. But ye stop vp the wayes therūto with your owne traditions, and therfore are ye the housholde of Antechrist: MarginaliaThe religiō of Bishops.ye will not permit Gods veritie to haue passage, nor yet to be taught of his true ministers, fearing to haue your wickednes reproued. But by suche flatterers as vphold you in your mischiefes, ye suffer the common people most miserably to be seduced.

Then sayd the archbishop. By our Lady syr, MarginaliaNote I pray you how those are counted traitors and sedious, that teach or cause Gods truth to be taught.there shal none such preach within my dioces (and God will) nor yet in my iurisdiction (if I may know it) as either maketh diuision or yet dissention among the poore commons.

The Lord Cobham sayd. Both Christ and hys Apostles were accused of sedition making, yet were they moste peaceable men.MarginaliaLuke. 23. Iohn. 19. Math. 24. Both Daniell and Christ prophecied that such a troublous tyme shoulde come, as hath not bene yet since the worldes beginning. And this proyhecy is partlye fulfilled in your dayes and doinges. For manye haue yee slayne already, and more wil ye slay hereafter, if God fulfil not his promise. Christ sayth also, MarginaliaProphecy.if those dayes of yours were not shortened, scarsly shold any flesh be saued. Therfore looke for it iustly, MarginaliaProphecy.for God will shorten youre dayes. Moreouer, though MarginaliaPriestes. Deacons.Priestes and deacons for preaching of Gods word, and for ministring the sacraments, with prouision for the poore: be grounded on Gods lawe: yet haue these other sectes no maner of ground hereof, so farre as I haue read.

MarginaliaMarke this working of Sathan.Then a Doctor of lawe, called maister Iohn Kempe, plucked out of his bosome a copy of the bil which they had afore sent him into the tower, by the Archbishops counsel,