perfidia per catholicos bene doctos, legē statui fecit, vt vbiq; per regnum Wickliuista probatus, vt reus puniretur de crimine lesæ maiestatis &c. That is. And yet, when the noble king Henry the v. who as yet doth liue and raigne, began first to raigne, began to set forth a law, by his learned catholickes which were about him, against the falsenes of these men, so that whosoeuer was proued to be a Wickleuist, through the whole Realme, should be punished for a traytour. &c. What wordes can you haue M. Cope, more playne then these? or what authoritie can you require of more credite, which liued in the same tyme, and both did see and heare of the same thinges done? who also writing to Pope Martine, was by the sayd pope Martine allowed, approued, & solemnly commended, as appeareth by the popes Epistle to him, wherin þ^e pope declareth: how he caused his books, Per solnnes viros videri, & examinari. That is, by solemne persons to be seene and examined &c. MarginaliaEither Walden writeth true, or els the pope erreth.So that you must needes graunt, either this to be true, that Walden writeth or els that the Pope (tanquam Papa) in allowing his writings may erre and be deceaued. Chuse ye (mayster Cope) of these two options whether you will take.

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And if ye thinke this my assertion yet not sufficiently rescued with these authorities aboue sayd, I will also here vnto adioyne the testimony of an other writer named Roger Walle, who writing De Gestis Henric 5. and speaking of the sayd statute of this parliament some thing more plainly then the rest, hath these wordes, MarginaliaRog. Wallus lib. de gestis Hē. 5 fol. 10.In hoc etiam Parliamento nobilitas regia hostes Christi sibi reputans proditores, volens dare intelligere vniuersis, quòd ipse absq; cuiuscunq; fluctuationis dubio, q̃diu auras hauriret vitales, verus & perfectus Christianæ fidei æmulator existeret: statuit & decreuit, vt quotquot Ipsius sectæ, quæ dicitur Lollordorum, inuenirentur æmuli & fautores eo facto rei proditorij criminis in maiestatem regiam haberētur &c. In English. Also in this parliament, the noble K. reputing Christes enemies, to be traytors to himselfe, to þ^e intent that all men should know withall doubt, that so lōg as he liued, he woulde be a true and perfect follower of Christen faith: did enact & decree, that whosoeuer shoulde be found followers and mayntayners of this sect, whiche is called the Lollards sect, Ipso facto, should be counted and reputed giltie of treason against the kings maistie. &c.

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By these hetherto alledged if M. Cope, will not be satisified, yet let the reader indifferent iudge: Vtrum in hac re magis nugatur Foxus, an Copus calumniatur. And yet moreouer to make the matter more certayne, marke the clamation of the sayd Roger Walle, added to þ^e end of those words aboue recited, whereby we haue to vnderstand more clearly, both what were the proceedings of the king in the said Parliament & also what was the blinde affection of mōks and Priestes at that time towarde their kinge and PrinceMarginaliaK. Hen. the 5 called Princeps Sacerdotum. (which was then called princeps sacerdotum) in condemning and destroying the poore Lollardes. The wordes of the monke be these, MarginaliaReg. Wallus. ibid.O verus amicus, qui amico illa tam iniuriam sibi inferri consimiliter arbitratur, præiudicium illi intentū reputat esse suum, & ad eius onera conferenda, auxiliationis humeros supponere non veretur. &c. That is: O true frend, who taketh and reckoneth that iniury no lesse done to him selfe which is done to his frend: and that preiudice whiche is intended against him, reputeth to bee as his owne. And to beare together the burdens of his friend, sticketh not to lay to his owne shoulders, for the easing and helping of him &c.

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How can it now be denied (M. Cope) in reading these authors, and seeing theyr testimonies, but that Lollardery in this Parliameut was made both treason. and heresie, & had therfore a double iudgement of punishment annexed, to be hanged for for the one, and to be burned for the other according as in my former Latin story I recorded, and yet I trust, I trifled not?

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Marginalia

Copus pag. 835. lin. 8.

Obiection.

But you will say agayne (as ye doe) that there is no mention made for heresie to be made treason, nor of anye double punishment to be inflicted for the same: MarginaliaAunswere.In the body of the statuteMarginaliaStat. an. 2. Hē. 5. cap. 7 (I graunt) there is no expresse mention in wordes of heresie to be made treason, expresly signified in rigour of wordes: but inclusiuely it is so inferred, that it can not be denied. For first where landes, goodes and cattell of the sayd Lollardes were lost and forfeit to the kyng, what doth this importe els, but treason or felonie?

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And where the Lorde Cobham (for whose cause specially this statute seemed to be made) did sustaine afterward both hanging and burning by the vigor of the same statute what is here contained: but a double penalty? Again wher in the beginning of the statute mention is made of rumors and congregations, and after vpon the same followeth the seruices of the king, whereunto the officers be first sworne should first be preferred for libertie of holy Churche, & punishment of hereticks, made before these dayes and not re-pealed, vt supra, pag. [illegible text] what meaneth this, but to make these congregations of the Lollardes, to be forcible entres riotes, great ridings, vnlawful assembles, affrayres of the people, armour, routes, & insurrections, & so sendeth them to the former statutes not repealed, that is, to the statute, MarginaliaVid. stat. an. 13. Hen. 4. cap. 7.an. 13. Henr. 4. chap.7? Where the punishment is left to the discretion of the king? or els to the statute. MarginaliaVid. stat. an. 15. Rich. 2. cap. 2.an. 15. Richard chap. 2. Where the penalty is made fine and raunsome: Or els to the statute, MarginaliaVid. stat. an. 5. Rich. 2. cap.an. 5. Richar. 2. chap. 6. where suche assemblies be made playne treason, in fine statuti.

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And as here is matter of treason sufficiently contained so for heresie likewise the same statute referreth them to þ^e ordinaries, and to the lawes, properly to heresie appertayning, and to the statute. MarginaliaVid. stat. an. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 15.an. 2. Henr. 4. chap. 15. where the penaltie is burning. Also to the statute. MarginaliaVid. stat. an. 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5.an. 5. Richard 2. chap.

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5. So that in this present statute here mention is conteined, as ye see although not in expresse words, yet inclusiuely (by referring to other statutes not repealed) bothe Lollardery which is punished with burning, and forcible entrees which is punished at the kinges pleasure. And thus much concerning the secōd vntruth, which M. Cope vntruely noted in me.

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Marginalia3. Obiection.3. The third vntruth which he noteth in me concerning this matcer, is this, wherein he reporteth mee, that I say, there was no other cause of deuising this sharp law & punishment against these mē, but onely for hauing the scripture bookes. And therfore here is noted in the margent Foxi dolus malus, but let M. Cope take heede, hee deceiue not himself and other. MarginaliaAunswere.For my part I remember no such place in this my Latine story where I so say. Onely my wordes be these, added in the latter ende of the place aboue recited: Wicleuiani verò dicebantur quicunq; id temporis Scripturas Dei sua lingua lectitarent. &c. That is. They were called Wicleuistes, whosoeuer at that time read the Scripture in english or vulgare tongue. &c. I say not, that for the scriptures being read in þ^e english tongue, therfore the law was enacted, but so is M. Cope disposed to construe it. What law & statuts were made against writing or reading of any booke in English or in any other tonge cōtrary to þ^e Catholick (that is þ^e Romish) fayth, or to the determinatiō of the holy Church (that is of Rome) read I beseech thee the bloudy statute made. Marginalia

Reading of Scripture books contrary to the Romishe faith made heresie.

Statut an. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 14. Vide supra pag. 523.

an. 2. Hen. 4. chap. 15. aboue specifyed pag. 523, Also read the constitution prouinciall of Thomas Arundell aboue mentioned, pag. 524. lin. 9. Marginalia

The text of Scripture not to be translated to the vulgare tounge vnder paine of heresie.

Const. prouinc. Tho. Arund. Vide supra. pag. 524.

Where it was decreed, that the text of holy scripture should not be had or read in the vulgare tongue frō the time of M. Iohn Wickliffe, for euer after, vnlesse the sayd translation be approued first by the ordinary or by prouinciall councell, vnder pain and punishment of heresy. Now let the reader iudge whether þ^e reading of scripture bookes in the english tongue, by the making or translating of Wickliffe, or from the tyme of Wicliffe downward, be coūted heresy or not. As for the approuing of the ordinary or of the prouincial councell added in the end of the sayd constitution, maketh more for a shew or pretence, then for any iust exception, or any true intention. For what man hauing those Scriptures translated in English, would either present them to their ordinaries being so set against the reading of such bookes? or what ordinarie would or did euer yet since Arundels tyme approoue any such translation, presented vnto them? Or els why did the good Martyrs of Amersam suffer death, in the begynning of kyng Henry the viij. for hauing and reading certaine bookes of Scripture, which were (as is saide) onely foure Epistles of S. Paule, with certaine other prayers. And the other which heard them but onely reade, did beare fagottes, and the same tyme, the children compelled to set fagots vnto their fathers,MarginaliaChildren of Emershā caused to set fagots to their fathers. at which time Longlande being then Byshop of Lincolne, & preaching to them at þ^e stake, sayde: that whatsoeuer they were, that did but moue hys lippes in reading those chapters, were damned for euer: as when we come to that tyme, by the grace of Christ, shall hereafter more amply and notoriously appear. And where thē is this Dolus malus Foxi, MarginaliaCopus pag. 833. lin. 20.margined against me, for craftie dealing in my story?

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Moreouer where M. Cope proceeding farther in this matter, asketh me: how was the Lorde Cobham obedient to the king, whē as for the feare of him, the king durst not then keepe his parliament at London?MarginaliaCopus. pag. 836. lin. 13. To whom I aunswere agayne, asking likewise of M. Cope, howe was the king then afrayd to hold his parliament at London for the Lord Cobham, when the Lord Cobham at that time was in Wales: And here M. Cope, thinking to haue me at a narow straight, and to holde me fast, biddeth me tell him, howe it coulde be otherwise, but the Lorde Cobham must needes haue fautours. And who should those fautours be (sayth he) but syr Roger Acton, Browne & their fellowes.

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