Brief Chronicle Concerning Examination and Death of John Oldcastle, Part 9
☞ The latter enpresonynge and death of the lorde Cobham.
IN the yeare of oure Lorde a. M. CCCC. and .xv. dyed Thomas Arundell / Thomas Arundell dyed.which had bene Archebysshop of Caunterburye more than xxxii. yeares / to the great destruccyon of Christen beleue. yet dyed not his prodygyouse tyrannye with him / but suceeded with his offyce in Henrye Chycheleye and in a great sort more of that spyghtfull spiritualte.The lorde Cobham is betrayed For theyr malyce was not yet satled agaynst the good lorde Cobham. But they confedered with the lorde Powys (which was at that tyme a great gouernor in Vvalys) fedynge him with lordelye gyftes and promyses to accomplysshe theyr desyre. He at the last thus monyed with Iudas / Mat. 26.and outwardlye pretendynge him great amyte & fauour / most cowardlye and wretchedlye toke him / and in conclusyon so sent him vp to London / where as he remayned a monethmonth or two inprysoned agayne in the Tower. And after longe processe they condemned him agayne of heresye and treason by force of the afore named a … renderynge thankes▪ vntounto God / Condemned is gods true seruaunt.that he had so appoynted him to suffre for his names sake
And vponupon the daye appoynted he was brought out of the Tower with his armes bounde behynde him / He is ledde forth to his deathhauyng a verye cherefull countenaunce. Than was he layed vponupon an hardle / as though he had bene a most heynouse traytour to the crowne / and so drawne forth into saynct Gyles felde / where as they had set vp a new payre of Galowes. As he was comen to the place of execucyon / and was taken from the hardle / he fell downed enoughtlye vponupon his knees / desyerynge almyghtye God to forgeue his enemyes.He prayeth for his enemyes. Than stode he vp and behelde the multytude / exhortynge them in most godlye maner to folowe the lawes of God wrytten in the scripturs / and in anye wyse to be ware of soche teachers as they se contrarye to Christ in theyr conuersacyn and lyuynge / with manye other specyall counsels. Than was he hanged vp there by the myddle in cheanes of yron / and so consumed a lyue in the fyre / praysynge the name of God so longe as his lyfe lasted.Br…t wa… he in cheanes. In the ende he commended his sowle into the handes of God / and so departed hens most Christenlye / his bodye resolued into ashes.
Vvhat ye people & prestes ded.And this was done in the yeare of our Lorde a. M.cccc. and .xviii. which was the sixt yeare of the regne of kyng Henrye the fyft / the people there present shewynge great dolour. How the Prestes that tyme fared / blasphemed / and cursed / requyrynge the people not to praye for him but to iudge him damned in hell / for that he departed not in the obedyēce of theyr Pope / yt were to longe to wryte.Not ye Popes seruaunt but Christes. This terryble kynde of death with galowes / cheanes / and fyre / apereth not verye precyouse in the eyes of menne that be carnall / nomore than ded the death of Christ whan he was hanged vp amonge theues. The ryghtuouse semeth to dye (sayth the wyse manne) in the syght of them which are vnwyse / Ioan. 1…. Sapiē. 5.and theyr ende is taken for verye destruccyon. Vngodlye foles thynketh theyr lyues verye madnesse / and theyr passage hens without all honour. But though they suffre payne before menne (sayth he) yet is theyr expectacyon full of immortalyte.Sapiē. 5. They are accounted for the chyldren of God / Ioan. 1. …apiē. 3.& hauehave theyr iust porcyon amonge the faynctes As golden in the fornace doth God trye his electes / & as a most plesaunt brent offerynge receyueth he them to rest.
The more harde the passage be / the more gloryouse shall they apere in the lattre resurreccyon.Heb. 11. Rom. 8. Not that the affliccyons of this lyfe are worthye of soche a glorye / but that yt is Gods heauenlye pleasure so to rewarde them.Esa. 55. Neuer are the iudgementes and wayes of menne lyke vntounto the iudgementes and wayes of God / but cōtrarye euermore vnlesse they be taught of him.Hiere. 32. Dan. 12. In the latter tyme (sayth the Lorde vntounto Daniel) shall manye be chosen / proued / and puryfyed by frye / yet shall the vngodlye lyue wyckedlye styll and hauehave no vnderstandynge that is of fayth.Apoc. 14. By an angell from heuen was Iohan ernestlye cōmaunded to wryte / that blessed are ye dead which hence departeth in ye Lorde. Ryght dere (sayth Dauid) in the syght of God is the death of his true seruaūtes.Psal. 115. Thus resteth this valeaunt Christen knyght syr Iohan Oldecastell vndre the aultre of God (which is Iesus Christ) amonge that godlye companye which in the kyngedome of pacyēce / suffred great tribulacyon with ye death of theyr bodyes for his faythfull worde and testimonye / Apoc. 6. Apoc. 1. Apoc. 7.abydynge there with them the fulfyllynge of theyr whole nombre / & the full restauricyon of his electes.Apoc. 20. The which he graunt in effect at his tyme appoynted / which is one God eternall / Amen.