Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 5 · Part 10
The History of the most valiant and worthy Martyr of Christ, Sr Iohn Old-Castle, Knight, Lord Cobham.
AFter the true seruant of Christ Iohn Wickliffe six and twenty yeares most valiantly had battelled with the great Antichrist of Europe, and his disguised hosts of annointed hypocrites, to restore the Church againe to the puritie of the Gospell, and was departed hence in Christ Anno 1387. he left a number of godly Disciples, against whom Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury was as fierce as euer Pharaoh, Antiochus, Herod, and Cayphas, and hauing called a Councell about the matter, they concluded it was not possible for them to make whole Christs coate, without seame (meaning thereby their patched Popish Synagoue) vnlesse certaine great men were wrought out of the way which were chiefe maintainers of the Disciples of Wickliffe: amongst whom the Lord Cobham was complained of for a mighty maintainer of suspected preachers in London, Rochester, Hereford, that he not onelyonly sent them thither, but maintained them with force and armes, and that hee beleeued otherwise of the Sacrament of the Altar, of penance, of pilgrimages, of Image worshipping, and of Ecclesiasticall power then the Church of Rome taught, and it was concluded that proces should goe against him, but first they would know the Kings minde: wherevpon the Archbishop with his Bishops, and a great part of the Clergy went to the King, and gréeuously complained against the Lord Cobham: the king desired them, in respect of his Noble stock, they should fauorably deale with him, and that if it were possible they should reduce him to the vnity of the Church without rigour, and promised he would seriously common the matter with him.
Anon the King sent for the Lord Cobham, and secretly admonished him to submit himselfe to his mother the holy Church: he answered, I am ready to obey to you most worthy Prince, for I know you an appointed minister of God, but touching the Pope and spiritualtie, I owe them neither sute nor seruice, for I knowe by the Scripture he is great Antichrist, the sonne of perdition, the aduersary of God, the abhomination standing in the Holy Place: when the King heard this he would talk no more with him, and when the Archbishop resorted to him againe, he gau… him full authoritie to cite him, examine him and punish him: then the Arch-bishop sent his chiefe somner to his house with citation, when he came thither he durst not enter his gates without licence, but returned without doing his message: then the Archbishop got one Iohn Butler, doore k…eper of the Kings Priuy Chamber, to go with his Somner, who went to the Lord Cobham, shewing him it was the Kings pleasure that he should obey the said citation: he answered, that in no case he would consent to those most diuelish practises of the Priests: after hee sent another citation to bee hanged vponupon the Cathedrall Church doore of Rochester, and because hee appeared not, excommunicated him: and when he heard that he derided his proceedings, hee threatned the seculer power with curses and interdictions if they did not assist him, against that seditious Apostata, Scismatick, and Heretick, troubler of a publike peace, enemy of the Realme, and aduersarie of holy Church: then he writ a Christian profession of his Faith, and signed & sealed it: wherin he answered foure of the chiefest article… that the Archbishop laid against him: then he took a copy thereof and went to the King, it agréed in all points with the Apostles Créede: and moreouer that Christ is the onelyonly head of the Church, and that all that hauehave béen, or shall be saued, are members of his holy Church, & that it is seuered into thrée estates: Priesthood, Knight-hood, and Commons: and that it is Gods will that one should ayde and not destroy the other: the priests, secluded from all worldlinesse, should conforme their liues vntounto the example of Christ and his Apostles, euermore occupied in teaching and preaching the Scriptures purely; in giuing wholesome Councell of good liuing vntounto the other two degrees of men, more modest also, more louing and lowly in spirit should they be then any other sort of people: in Knight-hood are all they that beare sword by Law of office: these should defend Gods lawes, so that the Gospel were purely taught, reforming their liues according to the same, and secluding all false preachers, they ought rather to hazard their liues then suffer wicked decrees to blemish the word of God, and let the frée passage thereof, whereof heresies and scismes sprung: for they spring of nothing else, as I suppose: which Constitutions craftily creepe in by hypocriticall lies for aduantage: they ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressors, tyrants & théeues: and to sée the Clergy supported so long as they teach purely, and pray rightly, and minister the Sacraments fréely: and if they doe otherwise they are bound by the law of God to compell them to change their doing, & to sée all things performed according to Gods ordinances.
The last is the common people, whose dueties is to beare a good mind and true obedience to their Kings ciuil Gouernors and Priests, their office is iustly occupied in their calling; whether it be marchandise, handicraft, or husbandry. And I beleeue that the Sacraments of the Church are necessary to all beléeuers: so that they bee truely ministred according to Christs institution: I beleeue in the Sacrament of the altar to be contain…d Christs body vnderunder the formes of bread & wine: and I beléeue the law of God to be most true & perfect, and that they that follow it not in faith and works, one time or other, cannot be saued: whereas he that séeketh it in Faith, learneth it and delighteth in it, and performeth it in louelove, shall tast felicitie euerlasting.
Finally, that God wil aske no other obedience then to his law, and if any Prelate require more, or any other kinde of obedience; hee contemneth Christ; exalteth himselfe aboue God, and becommeth an open Antichrist, all these premisses I beléeue particularly: and generally all that God hath left in holy Scripture, desiring my most worthy King, that this my confession may be examined by the most godly and learned of the Realme, and if it be found agréeing to the verity, then let it be allowed and I holden for a true Christian: and if it be proued otherwise, let it bee condemned; prouided that I be taught a better beliefe by the word of God, and I shall most reuerently obey therevnto.
This being offered to the King, he would not receiue it, but commanded it to bee deliuered vntounto them that should be his Iudges, then hee desired that 100. Knights & Esquires might be suffred to come vponupon his purgation, which he knew would cleere him of al heresies. Moreouer, he offred himself, according to the law of armes, to fight with an… mā liuing in the quarrel of his faith, the K. & Councel excepted, or y• he wold suffer any maner of correction that should after the law of God be ministred to him: notwithstanding, the king suffred him to be summoned in his priuy Chamber, then hee said hee had appealed to the Pope, and shewed his appeale ready written: the King said he should not pursue his appeale, but tarrie in hold vntill the Pope allowed his apeale, and then whether he would or no the Archbishop should be his Iudge. And because he would not be sworn to submit himselfe to the Church, and take what penance that the Archbishop would enioyne him, he was arrested at the Kings commandement and led to the Tower: then he caused the foresaid confession to be written in manner of an Indenture, that at his answere hee might giuegive one copie to the Archbishop, and keepe the other himselfe; which he did doe when hee was shortly after called before the Archbishop. The Bishops of Winchester and London said moreouer touching the Sacrament of Penance, We must forsake our sinnes and doe penance with true contrition to God, and confesse them to Christ, and hauehave satisfaction in him, else can wee hauehave no saluation. Images pertaine nothing to Christian beléefe, but were permitted to be Kalenders to Lay-men, to bring to minde the passion of Christ, and martyrdome and good liuing of Saints. He that worshippeth them, hop…th in helpe of them, or preferreth one aboue another, committeth Idolatrie: and I beleeue that eueryevery man liuing is a Pilgrime, either towards blisse or paine; and he that will not kéepe the commandement of God, though he goe to all quarters of the world in pilgrimage, he shall be damned, and the faithfull shall bee saued in Christ though they neuer goe in pilgrimage, as men vse now-a-dayes to Canterburie, Walsingham, Compostell and Rome, or any other place. Then the Archbishop said, We denie not but that there are many good and Catholike things herein, but you are appointed this day to answer other matters.
Whether doe you beleeue that there is materiall bread in the Sacrament after consecration, and whether a Christian be necessarily bound to confesse his sinnes to a Priest? The Lord Cobham said, he would answer no otherwise then he had in his Writing. He said, take héed; for if you will not answer directly by our law▪ we may openly proclaime you an hereticke: notwithstanding, what question any of the Bishops asked him, he would make no other answer, but bade them resort to his Bill, he would stand to it vntounto death.
The Archbishop sayd, the holy Church of Rome followed the sayings of Saint Augustine, Hierome, Ambrose, and of other holy Doctors that hauehave determined in these matters, which all christian men ought to beleeue and follow. Then he said, I will beléeue all that the Church, which Christ instituted, decréed, or what God hath willed vsus to beléeue or do: but that the Pope and his Clergie hauehave power to determine such matters as stand not with Gods word, I will not affirme. Then the Archbishop said hee would send him Articles, and bade him aduise himselfe to answere them by Monday.