Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 27

_For, as their works shew (whereto CHRIST biddeth us take heed!) the highest priests and Prelates of this priesthood challenge and occupy_ [hold] _unlawfully temporal lordships. And for temporal favour and mede, they sell and give benefices to unworthy and unable persons; yea, these simoners sell sin! suffering men and women in every degree and estate, to lie and continue, from year to year, in divers vices slanderously.

And thus, by evil example of high priests in the Church, lower priests under them are not only suffered, but they are maintained to sell full dear to the people for temporal mede, all the Sacraments. And thus all this foresaid priesthood is blown so high, and borne up in pride and vainglory of their estate and dignity, and so blinded with worldly covetousness, that they disdain to follow CHRIST in very meekness and wilful poverty, living holily, and preaching G.o.d's Word truly, freely, and continually; taking their livelihood at the free will of the people, of their pure almose_ [alms], _where and when, they suffice not (for their true and busy preaching) to get their sustenance with their hands._

_To this true sentence, grounded on CHRIST's own living and teaching of his Apostles; these foresaid worldly and fleshly priests will not consent effectually. But, as their works and also their words shew, boldly and unshamefastly these foresaid named priests and Prelates covet, and enforce them mightily and busily, that all Holy Scripture were expounded and drawn according to_ their _manners, and to_ their _ungrounded_ [unwarranted] _usages and findings. For they will not (since they hold it but folly and madness!) conform their manners to the pure and simple living of CHRIST and his Apostles, nor they will not follow freely their learning. Wherefore all the Emperors and Kings, and all other lords and ladies, and all the common people in every degree and state, which have before time known or might have known; and also all they that now yet know or might know this foresaid witness of priesthood; and would not, nor yet will enforce them, after their cunning and power, to withstand charitably the foresaid enemies and traitors of CHRIST and his Church; all these strive, with ANTICHRIST, against JESU! And they shall bear the indignation of G.o.d Almighty without end, if in convenient time they amend them not, and repent them verily; doing therefore due mourning and sorrow, after their cunning and power._

_For through presumptions and negligence of priests and Prelates (not of the Church of CHRIST, but occupying their prelacy, unduly in the Church, and also by flattering and false covetousness of other divers named priests), lousengers, and lounderers are wrongfully made and called Hermits; and have leave to defraud poor and needy creatures of their livelihood, and to live by their false winning and begging in sloth and other divers vices. And also of these Prelates, these c.o.kir noses_ [?]

_are suffered to live in pride and hypocrisy, and to defoul themselves both bodily and ghostly._

_Also by the suffering and counsel of these foresaid Prelates and of other priests, are made vain, both Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods, full of pride and envy; which are full contrary to the Brotherhood of CHRIST, since they are cause of mickle dissension: and they multiply and sustained it uncharitably, for in l.u.s.ty eating, and drinking unmeasurably and out of time, they exercise themselves. Also this vain confederacy of Brotherhoods is permitted to be of one clothing, and to hold together. And in all these ungrounded and unlawful doings, priests are partners and great meddlers and counsellors._

_And over this viciousness, hermits and pardoners, ankers_ [anchorites], _and strange beggars are licensed and admitted of Prelates and priests for to beguile the people with flatterings and leasings_ [falsehoods]

_slanderously, against all good reason and true belief; and so to increase divers vices in themselves, and also among all them that accept them or consent to them._

_And thus, the viciousness of these forenamed priests and Prelates, has been long time, and yet is, and shall be cause of wars, both within the realm and without._

_And, in the same wise, these unable_ [useless] _priests have been, and yet are, and shall be, the chief cause of pestilence of men, and murrain of beasts, and of bareness of the earth, and of all other mischiefs, to the time that Lords and Commons able them through grace for to know and to keep the Commandments of G.o.d, enforcing them then faithfully and charitably by one a.s.sent, for to redress and make one, this foresaid priesthood to the wilful poor, meek, and innocent living and teaching, specially of CHRIST and his Apostles._

_Therefore all they that know, or might know the viciousness that reigneth now cursedly in these priests and in their learning, if they suffice not to withstand this contagious viciousness: let them pray to the LORD heartily for the health of his Church! abstaining them prudently from these endured_ [hardened] _enemies of CHRIST and his people, and from all their Sacraments! since to them all that know them, or may know, they are but fleshly deeds and false: as Saint CYPRIAN witnesseth in the first Question of_ Decrees _and in the first_ Cause.

Ca. Si quis inquit.

_For as this Saint, and great Doctors witness there, that not only vicious priests, but also all they that favour them or consent to them in their viciousness, shall together perish with them, if they amend them not duly: as all they perished that consented to DATHAN and ABIRAM.

For nothing were more confusion to these foresaid vicious priests, than to eschew them prudently in all their unlawful Sacraments, while they continue in their sinful living slanderously, as they have long time done and yet do. And n.o.body need to be afraid, though death did follow by any wise or other, for to die out of this world without taking of any Sacrament of these foresaid CHRIST's enemies: since CHRIST will not fail for to minister himself all lawful and heal-ful sacraments, and necessary at all time; and especially at the end, to all them that are in true faith, in steadfast hope, and in perfect charity._

_But yet some mad fools say, for to eschew slander they will be shriven once a year and comuned_ [receive the Sacrament] _of their proper priests; though they know them defouled with slanderous vices. No doubt, but all they that thus do or consent, privily or apertly, to such doing, are culpable of great sin; since St. PAUL witnesseth that not only they that do evil are worthy of death and d.a.m.nation, but also they that consent to evil doers. Also, as their slanderous works witness, these foresaid vicious priests despise and cast from them heavenly cunning that is given of the HOLY GHOST. Wherefore the LORD throweth all such despisers from Him, that they use nor do any priesthood to Him. No doubt then, all they that wittingly or wilfully take, or consent that any other body should take any Sacrament of any such named priest, sinneth openly and d.a.m.nably against all the Trinity, and are unable to any Sacrament of health._

_And that this foresaid sentence_ [opinion] _is altogether true unto remission of all my sinful living, trusting steadfastly in the mercy of G.o.d, I offer to Him my soul!_

_And to prove also this foresaid sentence true, with the help of G.o.d, I purpose fully to suffer meekly and gladly my most wretched body to be tormented, where G.o.d will! and of whom He will! how He will and when He will! and as long as He will! and what temporal pain He will! and death!

to the praising of His name, and to the edification of His Church. And I, that am most unworthy and wretched caitiff, shall now, through the special grace of G.o.d, make to Him pleasant sacrifice of my most sinful and unworthy body._

_I beseech heartily all folk that read or hear this end of my purposed_ Testament, _that, through the grace of G.o.d, they dispose verily and virtuously all their wits, and able, in like manner, all their members for to understand truly and to keep faithfully, charitably, and continually all the commandments of G.o.d, and so then to pray devoutly to all the blessed Trinity, that I may have grace with wisdom and prudence from above, to end my life here, in this foresaid Truth and for this_ _Cause in true faith_ _and steadfast hope_ _and in perfect_ _charity,_ _AMEN._

Here endeth, sir [_the Reverend_] WILLIAM THORPE's _Testament_ on the Friday after the Rood Day [_Holy Rood-day, or Exaltation of the Holy Cross_, falls on Sept. 14th], and the twenty [? _nineteenth_] day of September, in the year of our Lord a thousand four hundred and sixty.

And on the Sunday [_August 7th_] next after the feast of Saint PETER that we called Lammas Day [_August 1st_] in the year of our Lord a thousand four hundred and seven, the said sir WILLIAM THORPE was accused of these points, before written in this book, before THOMAS ARUNDELL, Archbishop of CANTERBURY, as it is said before.

And so was it then betwixt the Day of his Accusing, and the Day that this was written three and fifty years; and as mickle more as from the Lammas [_August 1st_] to the Woodmas [_September 19th_].

Behold the end!

-- The strength of a tale is in its end.

+Here followeth The Examination of the Lord Cobham.+

[The following is but an abridgement of the Story of Sir JOHN OLDCASTLE: respecting which, Miss L. TOULMIN SMITH has recently published, in the _Anglia_ for April 1882, THOMAS OCCLEVE's Ballad against Lord COBHAM and the Lollards, in 1415.]

+-- The Belief of the Lord Cobham.+

Be it known to all men! that in the year of our LORD a thousand four hundred and thirteen, in the first year of King HENRY the FIFTH; the King gave to [THOMAS ARUNDELL] the Bishop of CANTERBURY, leave to correct the Lord COBHAM.

And because no man durst summon him personally, the Archbishop set up a Citation on his Cathedral Church door on the Wednesday [_September 6, 1413_] next before the nativity of our Lady [_September 8th_] in the foresaid year: and that Citation was taken down by the friends of the Lord COBHAM.

And, after that, the Bishop set up another on our Lady Day [_September 8, 1413_]; which also was rent down.

And because he came not to answer on the day a.s.signed in the Citation, the Bishop cursed him for contumacy.

And the Lord COBHAM seeing all this malice purposed against him, wrote this _Belief_ that followeth, with his own hand; and noted [_signed_] it himself; and also answered to Four Points put against him by the Bishop: and he went to the King, supposing to get of him good favour and lordship.

+-- The Belief.+

=THE _BELIEF_ OF SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE.=

=Sept. 1413.=

_I believe in G.o.d the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in JESU CHRIST His only Son our Lord, which was conceived of the HOLY GHOST, born of the Virgin MARY, and suffered death under PONTIUS PILATE, crucified, dead, and buried. He went down to h.e.l.ls. The third day He rose again from death. He ascended up into heavens. He sitteth on the right hand of G.o.d, the Father Almighty. From thence, He is to come to judge the quick and dead._

_I believe in the HOLY GHOST, all Holy Church, the Communion of Saints, forgiveness of sins, uprising of flesh, and everlasting life. Amen._

_And for to declare more plainly my soothfastness in the belief of Holy Church, I believe faithfully and verily, that there is but one G.o.d Almighty; and in this G.o.dhead and of this G.o.dhead be Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the HOLY GHOST; and these Three Persons be the same G.o.d Almighty._

_Furthermore, I believe that the Second Person of this most blessed Trinity, in most convenient time before ordained, took flesh and blood of the most blessed Virgin, our Lady Saint MARY, for the redemption and salvation of mankind; that was lost before, for ADAM's sin._

_And I believe that JESU CHRIST our Lord, which is both G.o.d and Man, is head of all Holy Church; and that all those that be, and shall be saved, be members of this most Holy Church. Which Holy Church is departed_ [divided] _in three parts. Of the which, one part is now in Heaven; that is to say, the saints that in this life live accordingly with the most blessed Law of CHRIST and his living, despising and forsaking the Devil and his works, the prosperities of this world, and the foul l.u.s.t of the flesh._

_The second part is in Purgatory, abiding the mercy of G.o.d, and purging them there of their sins; of the which they have been truly confessed in deed, or else in will to have been._

_The third part of this Church is here in Earth, the which is called the Fighting Church; for it fighteth, every day and night, against the temptation of the Devil, the prosperity of this false failing world, and the proud rebellion of the flesh against the soul. This Church is departed_ [divided] _by the most blessed ordinance of G.o.d into three Estates; that is to say, Priesthood, Knighthood, and Commons: to every Estate of the which, G.o.d gave charge that one should help another, and none destroy other._

_As to Priests, they should be most holy and least worldly; and truly living as near as they could, after the example of CHRIST and his Apostles. And all their business should be, day and night, in holy example of living, and true preaching and teaching of G.o.d's Law to both the other parts. And also they should be most meek, most serviceable, and most lovely in spirit, both to G.o.d and man._

_In the second part of this Church, that is Knighthood, be contained all that bear the sword by the law of Office: which should maintain G.o.d's Law to be preached and taught to the people; and princ.i.p.ally the Gospel of CHRIST; and truly to live thereafter. The which part should rather put themselves to peril of death, than to suffer any Law or Const.i.tution_ [referring to the Const.i.tutions of ARUNDEL in 1408] _to be made of man, wherethrough the freedom of G.o.d's Law might be letted to be preached and taught to the people, or whereof any error or heresy might grow in the Church. For I suppose fully that there may come none heresy nor error among the people, but by false Laws, Const.i.tutions, or teachings contrary to CHRIST's Law, or by false leasings_ [lies].

_Also the second part should defend the common people from tyrants, oppressors, and extortioners: and maintain the Clergy, doing truly their office, in preaching, teaching, praying, and freely ministering the Sacraments of Holy Church. And if this Clergy be negligent in doing this office, this second part of the Church ought, by their office that they have taken of G.o.d, to constrain the Clergy in due wise, to do their office in the form that G.o.d hath ordained to be done._

_The third part of this Fighting Church oweth_ [ought] _to bear good will to Lords and Priests, truly to do their bodily labour in tilling the earth, and with their true merchandise doing their duties that they owe both to Knighthood and to Priesthood, as G.o.d's Law limiteth; keeping faithfully the commandments of G.o.d._