Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

¶ The sentence.

THe which schedule afore mencioned,* 1.1 with the cōtentes thereof diligently of vs perused, we considering y^• dis∣eases which be not easely cured w^t gētle remedy, must haue harder playsters. Cōsidering moreouer these his articles with his aunswers to y^e same, & to other articles also last∣ly against him produced, first mature deliberatiō had be∣fore vpon y^e whole matter w^t the foresaid masters & Doc∣tors, as wel secular as regular, to a great number, obser∣uing in the same al thinges to be obserued in this behalfe, haue geuē sentēce against y^e said w. in forme as foloweth.

The name of Christ being inuocated, we Iohn, by the permission of God,* 1.2 Bishop of Hereford, sitting in tribu∣nal seate, hauing God before our eyes, weying & cōside∣ring y^e articles by the foresaid faithfull Christians put vp against y^• said Swinderby, pretēding himselfe to be priest, with his aunswers vpō the same, Actis & Actitatis before vs in the cause of hereticall peruersitie, with mature deli∣beration had before in this behalfe, with masters & doc∣tours of diuinitie, and also of other faculties, with their counsel and cōsent: Do pronounce, decree, and declare the sayd w. to haue bene and to be an hereticke, scismaticke, and a false informer of the people, & such as is to be auoi∣ded of faithfull Christians. wherefore we admonish, vn∣der y^• paine of the law, all & singular Christians, of what sex, state, condition, or preeminence soeuer: y^t neither they, nor any of thē w^tin our dioces, or any other, do beleue, re∣ceaue, defend, or fauor y^e said w. til he shal deserue fully to be reconciled to the bosome againe of holy Church.

¶ The appeale of W. Swynderby from this sen∣tence of the Bishop prefixed, vnto the king and his counsaile.

IN nomine patris,* 2.1 et filij, et spiritus sancti, Amen. I. W. Swynderby priest, knowledge openly to al men, that I was before the Bishop of Hereford, the thirde day of Oc∣tober, and before many other good clerkes, to aunswer to certaine conclusions of y^e faith that I was accused of. And mine aunswere was this, that if the Bishop or any man couthe shew me by Gods law, y^• my conclusions or mine aunsweres were errour or heresie, I would be amended, and openly reuoke them before al y^e people.* 2.2 Knowes in any of my conclusions, but sayden singly with word, that there was errours in them, and bidden me subiect me to y^e Bishop, & put me into his grace & reuoke mine errour, and shewed me nought by Gods law ne reasō, ne proued which they weren. And for I would not knowledge mee guiltie, so as I knew no errour in thē, of which I should be guilty, therfore y^e Byshop sate in dome in mine absēce, and deemed me an heriticke, a schismaticke, and a teacher of errours, and denounced me accursed, that I come not to correction of y^e Church. And therefore for this vnright∣full iugement, I appeale to the kinges Iustices for many other causes.

One cause is, for the kynges Court, in such matter is aboue the Byshops court:* 2.3 For after that the Byshop has accursed, he may no feare by his law, but thē mote he sech succour of the kinges law, and by a writ of Significauit, put a man in prison.

The second cause is, for in cause of heresie there liggeth iudgement of death, & that dome may not be geuen with∣out the kinges Iustices. For the Byshop will say: Nobis non licet interficere quenquam, That is: It is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man: as they sayden to Pilate, when Christ should be deemed. And for I thinke that no Iustice wil geue sodenly & vntrue dome as the Byshop did, and therfore openly I appeale to hem and send my conclusiōs to the Knightes of the Parliament, to be shewed to the Lordes, and to be taken to the Iustices, to be wel auiset or that they geuen dome.

The thirde cause is,* 2.4 for it was a false dome: for no man is an hereticke, but he, that maisterfully defends his error or heresie and stifly maintaines it. And mine aūswere has ben alway cōditional, as y^e people openly knows, for euer I say, & yet say & alway will: that if they ca••nen shew me by Gods law that I haue erret, I wil gladly ben amēdet, and reuoke mine errours and so I am no hereticke, ne ne∣uer more in Gods grace will ben en no wise.

The fourth cause is.* 2.5 For the Bishops lawe, that they deme men by, is full of errours and heresies, contrary to y^e truth of Christes law of the Gospell.

For there as Christs law biddes vs loue our enemies, the Popes law geues vs leaue to hate them & to sley them, and grauntes men pardon to werren againe heathē men, and sley hem. And there as Christes lawe teache vs to be

mercifull, the Bishops lawe teaches to be wretchfull. For death is the greatest wretch that mē mowen done on him that guilty is.

There as Christes law teaches vs, to blessen him that diseazen vs, and to pray for him: the popes law teacheth to curse them, and in theyr great sentence that they vsen, they presume to damne hem to hell that they cursen. And this is a foule heresy of blaspheme, there as Christes law byddes vs be patient, the Popes law iustifies two swords, that wherwith he smiteth the sheepe of the Church. And he has made Lordes and Kings to sweare to defend him and his Church.

There as Christes law forbiddeth vs leche••y, y^e popes law iustifies the abhominable whoredome of cōmon wo∣men, and the Bishops in some place haue a great tribute or rent of whoredome.

There as Christes lawe byddes to minister spirituall thynges freely to the people: the Pope with his law selles for mony, after the quātity of the gift, as pardons, orders, blessing, and Sacraments, & prayers, & benefices, & prea∣ching to the people, as it is knowne amongest them.

There as Christes law teaches peace: the Pope wyth his law assoyles mē for mony to gader the people, priests, and other to fight for his cause.

* 2.6There as Christes law forbids swearing: The popes law iustifieth swearing, and compels men therto.

Wheras Christes law teacheth his Priests to be poore; the Pope with his law, iustifies and mayntaynes Priests to be Lordes.

And yet the 5 cause is, for the Popes law that byshops demen men by, is y^e same vnrightfull law that Christ was demet by of the Byshops, with the Scribes and with the Pharises. For right as at that time they gauen more cre∣dens to the 2. false witnesses that witnessed agaynst Christ then they deden to al y^e people that witnesseden to his true preaching and his miracles: so the Bishops of the Popes law geuen more leuen by their law to two hereticks & A∣postats, or two comen wymen that woulden witnesseden agaynes a man in the cause of heresy, than to thousands of people that were trew and good. And for the Pope is thys Antechrist and his law contrary to Christ his lawe,* 2.7 fully I forsake this law and so I reed all Christen menne. For thus by an other poynt of this law, they mighten cōquere much of this world: For whan they can by this law presēt a man an hereticke: his goods shulen be forfet from him & frō his heyres, and so might they lightly haue 2. or. 3. false witnesses to recorde an heresye agayne what true man so hem liked. Herefore me thinkes, that whatsoeuer that I am a christen man I may lawfull appeale frō a false dome of the law, to be righteouslye demet by the trouth of Gods law. And if this appeale will not serue, I appeale opēly to my Lord Iesu Christ that shall deme all the world, for he I wot well, will not spare for no man to deeme a trouth. And therfore I pray GOD almighty with Dauid in the Sauter booke Deus iudicium tuum regi da, & iustitiam tuam fi∣lio regis: Iudicare populum tuum in iustitia & pauperes tuos in iudicio. That is. O God geue they iudgement to the king, and thy iustice to the kings sonne: to iudge thy people in iustice, and thy poore ones in iudgement. &c.

¶ A letter sent to the Nobles and Burgesies of the Parliament, by M. William Swinderby.

* 3.1IEsu that art both God and man help thy people that louen thy law, and make knowne through thy grace thy teachinge to all christen men. Deare sirs, so as we seen by many tokens that this world drawes to an end, & all that euer haue bene forth brought of Adams kinde into this world shulē come togeder at domesday riche and poore, ichone to geue accompt and receiue after hys deedes, ioy or paynen for euermore: Therfore make we our werks good, ye while that God of mercy abides, and be yee stable and true to God, and ye shulen see hys helpe about you. Constantes estore & videbitis auxilium Domini super vos. This land is full of Ghostly cowardes, in Ghostly battayle few dare stand. But Christ the comforter of all that falleth (to that his hart barst for our loue) agaynst the fiend the doughty Duke comforteth vs thus: E∣stote fortes in bello. &c. Be ye strong in battell, he sayes, and fight ye with the olde adder. State in fide, viriliter agite. &c. Wake ye & pray ye, stond ye in beleue, do ye manly and be ye comfortet, and let all your thinges be done with charity: For Saynt Paule bidds thus in his Epistle, that saw the preuetyes of God in heauen: Eui∣gilate iusti. &c. Awake ye that bene righteous men, bee yee sta∣ble and vnmoueable: Awake ye quickely and sleepe nought, and stond now strongly for Gods law. For Saynt Iohn in the Apoca∣lips sayes, blesset be he that awakes: for nought to sleepers but to wakers God has behite the crowne of life. For the hower is nowe as Paule sayth to vs, from sleepe for to arise, for he that earelye a∣wakes to me, he shall finde me sayth Christ himseluen. This wa∣king gostly is good liuing out of sinne: this sleepe betokens that which cowardeth a mans hart from gostlye comfort and to stand in the same through a deceaueable sleepe is this that lets a man of the blisse of heauen: the fende makes men bold in sinne and ferd to do worship to God: death is a likening to a theefe that preuely steales vpon a man that now is riche, and full of wele, an one he makes him a needy wrech: therfore sayd God by S. Iohn in the A∣pocalips in this wise: Be thou waking, for if thou wake nought, I shall come to thee as a theefe, and thou shalt not wit what houre. And if the husbandman (sayes Christ) wist what houre the theefe should come, he shoulde wake and suffer him not to vndermine his house. Saynt Peter therefore warneth and sayth: wake and be ye ware, suffer ye no man (he sayes) as a theefe but wilfullye for Gods loue, for it is time (as Peter saies) that dome begin from the house of God: Ye bene the body of Christ (sayes Poule) that nee∣des must suffer with the head, or els your bodyes bene but deade and departed from Christ that is the head. And therefore curset be he (sayes Poule) that loues not Iesu Christ. And who it is that loues him, Christe himselfe telles in the Gospell: he that has my hestes, and keepes them, he it is that loues me. Cursed he be ther∣fore (sayes Poule) that doth Christes workes deceiueably. Be ye not therefore (sayes Poule) ashamed of the true witnesse of Iesu Christ, for Christ our God sayes in his Gospell, he that shames me and my wordes, him shall mans sonne ashame when he shal come for to set in the siege of hys Maiesty. And each man he sayes, that knowes me and my wordes before men in this sinnefull genera∣tion and whorish, mans sonne shall knowledge him before my fa∣ther sayes Christ himselfe, when he shall come with hys Aungels in the glory of his Father: Sithe ye therefore bene Christenmen, that is to say, Christes men, shew in deede that ye bene suche as ye daren shew you the kings men: for hit h••d bene, as Peter saies, better not to haue knowen the way of trueth, then after the kno∣wing thereof to be conuerted backeward there from. We knowen Christ, that is trought, we sain all through our beliefe if we turne from him for dred, truely wee deny the troth: And therefore sith our time is short, how short no man knowes but God, do we the good that we may to Gods worship, when we haue time: Be true (sayes God) to the death and you shall haue the crowne of life: And thinke on Iudas Machabeus, that was Gods true knight, that comforted hartelye Gods true people, to be the folowers of his law. And geue ye, he sayd, your liues for the Testament of your fathers. And ye shulen winne, he sayd, great ioy, and a name for euermore. Was not Abraham, he sayd, in temptation founden true, and was * 3.2arectet vnto him euermore to righteousnesse, Io∣seph in time of his anguish he kept truely Gods hest, he was made by Gods prouidence Lord of Egypt, for his trouth. Phinees our fadure louing, he sayth, the zeale of God tooke the testament of euerlasting Priesthoode. Iosue for he fulfillet the worde of God was domes man in Israell. Caleph that witnessed in the Church, he tooke therefore the heretage, he sayth: Dauid in his mercy hee gat the siege of the kingdome in worldes. Hely for that he loued the zeale of Gods lawe, was taken vppe into heauen. Ananie, Azary, and Misaell, he sayes, weren deliuerer thoore through true beliefe out of the hoat flame of fire.* 3.3 True Daniel in his simplenes was deliueret from the Lyons mouthe. Bethinke ye therfore, he sayes, by generation and generation, and thou shalt neuer finde that he sayled that man that truely trusted in him. And therefore dread you nought, he sayes of the wordes of a sinnefull man: hys glory is, he sayes, but wormes and tordes: he is to day, he sayth, y made hye, to morow he sayes he is not foundē for he is turned, he sayes, into his earth agayn, & the minde of him is perisher. Sonnes therefore he sayes, be ye comforter, and dye manly in the lawe: for when ye han done that that Gods commaundes you to doe, ye shulen be glorious in him. And Dauid the king sayes also on this wise in the Psalter booke:* 3.4 blesset be they (Lord) that keepen thy law, in worldes of worldes they shall prayse thee. And in Le∣uiticus sayes God thus,* 3.5 gif that ye wenden in mine hestes & kee∣pen my commaundementes, and done hem, I shall I shall bring forth theyt fruit,, and trees shall be fulfilled with apples. And ye shallen eat your bread in fulnes, ye shoulen dwell in your lande without drede, I shall geue peace in your costes, ye shall sleep and no man shall feare you. Euill beastes I shall done away from you, and sword shall not passe your termes, ye shuln pursue your ene∣mies, and they shall fall before you, fifty of yours shulne pursue an hundreth of heren, an hundret of yours, a thousand of theyrs: your enemies, hee saieth shulen fal through sword, and your sute. I shall he sayes behold you and make you to waxe, and ye shall be multiplier: And I shall strength with you my couenaunt, ye shall eat the aldest, and the new shull come in theron. And ye shuln cast forth the old, I shall dwell in the midst of you. And I shall wend a∣monges you, and shalbe your God, and ye shulne be my people. If that ye heare me not, ne done nought all my hestes but dispisē my law and my domes, and that ye done not tho thinges that of me bene ordener, and breken my commaundements and my co∣uenant: I shall do these thinges to you. I shall visite you surely in

nede and brenning, which shall dimme your eghenen, and shall wast your liues about nought: Ye shulne sow your sede for hit shalbe deuouret of enemies, I shall put my face agaynst you, and ye shall fall before your enemies. And ye shulen be vnderlings to them that han hatet you, ye shall flee, no man pursuing. And if ye will not be buxome to me, I shall adde thereunto thornes and se∣uen folde blame. And I shall all to brast the hardnes of you, I shall geue the heauen aboue you as yron, & the earth as brasse. About nought shall your labour be, for the earth shall bring you forth no fruit, ne tree shall geue none apples to you. If that ye wenden agaynst me, and will not heare me, I shall adde hereto, seuen folde woundes for your sinnes, I shall send amongest you beastes of the field that shall deuour you and your beastes, I shall bring you into a field, and wayes shuln be desart. And if that ye will not re∣ceiue lore, but wenden agaynst me, I will also wenden agaynste you, and I shall smite you seuen sithes for your sinnes. I shall leade in vpon you, sword, venger of my couenaunt and vpon the fleen into Cities, I shall send pestilence in the middest of you. So that tenne women shall bake their bread in one furnace, and yeld thē agayne by wayght, and ye shall eat, & not be fillet. If that ye heare me not by these thinges, but wenden agaynst me, I shall wend in agaynst you in a contrary woodnesse, and blame you with seuen plagues for your sinnes, so that they shoulen eat the flesh of your sonnes and of your daughters. And in so much my soule shall loth you, that I shal bring your Cities into wildernesse, and your San∣ctuaryes I shall make desart, ne I shal not ouer that receiue sweet oder of your mouth. And I shall disperkle your land, and enemies shulen maruell thereon, when they shulen inhabite it, I shall dis∣perpel you among Heathen, and draw my sword after you. These vengeaunces and many moe, God sayde should fall on them that breake his bidding, and dispiseth his lawes, and his domes. Than sithe Christ become man, and bought vs with his hart bloud, and has shewed vs so great loue, and geuen vs an easy law, of the best that euer might be made, and to bring vs to the ioy of heauen, and we despise it and louen it nought: what vengeaunce will be taken here on, so long as he has suffered vs, and somercifully abidden, when he shall come that righteous iudge in the cloudes to deme this worlde? Therefore turne we vs to him, and leaue sinne that he hates and ouer all thinges mayntayne his lawe that he confir∣med with his death. For other lawes that men had made, shoulde be demed at that day by the iust law of Christ, and the maker that them made, and then we wonne that long life and that ioy that Paule speaketh of, that eye ne see not, ne eare heard not, ne into mans hart ascended not, the blisse and ioy that God hath ordey∣ned to them that louen him and his lawes.

Deare worshipfull sirs in this world I beseech you for Chri∣stes loue,* 3.6 as ye that I trow louen Gods law & trouth (that in these dayes is greatly borne abacke) that they wollen vouchsafe these thinges that I send you written to Gods worship, to let them be shewed in the Parliament as your wittes can best conceiue, to most worship to our God, and to shewing of the trouth and amē¦ding of holy Church. My conclusions and mine appeale & other true matters of Gods law (gif any man can finde therein errour, falsenesse, or default, prouet by the law of Christ clearely to chri∣sten mens knowledge) I shall reuoke my wrong conceit, and by Gods law be amendet: euer redy to hold with Gods law opēly & priuely with Gods grace, and nothing to holde, teach, or mayne∣tayne that is contrary to his law.

Of the proces, answeres, & condemnation of this wor∣thy priest and true seruaunt of Christ, Williā Swinderby, you haue heard, what afterward became vpō him, I haue not certainly to say or affirme, whether he in prisō died, or whether he escaped theyr handes, or whether he was bur∣ned there is no certayne relation made. This remayneth out of doubt that during y^e time of K. Richard. 2. no great harme was done vnto him. Which was to the yeare. 1401. at what time K. Richard being wrongfully deposed, Hē∣ry the 4. inuaded the kingdome of England. About the be∣ginning of whose reigne we read of a certayn Parliament holden at Londō, mentioned also of Thomas Walden (as is aboue specified) in which parliamēt it was decreed: that whosoeuer shewed themselues to be fauorers of Wickliffe they should be apprehended, who at that time were called Lollards, and if so be they did obstinately perseuere in that doctrine, they should be deliuered ouer vnto the bishop of the dioces, & from him should be cōmitted to the correctiō of the secular magistrate. This law (sayth y^e story) brought a certaine priest vnto punishmēt the same yeare, who was burned in Smithfielde in the presence of a great number. This we haue drawne out of a piece of an old story, & it is most certaine that there such a Priest was burned for the affirmation of the true faith, but it doth not appeare by the story, what the Priestes name was. Notwithstanding by diuers coniectures it appeareth vnto me that his name was Swinderby that was forced to recant before by the Bishop of Lincol••2. Whereby what is to be conicetu∣red by the premisses, let other men iudge what they think. I haue nothing here of expressely to affirme. This is plain for al men to iudge (which haue here sene and read his sto∣ry) that if he were burned, then the bishops, Friers & prie∣stes, which were the causes thereof, haue a great thing to answere to the Lord, when he shall come to iudge y^e quicke and the dead, & seculum perignem.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mention was made of this schedule before in the first dayes Acte. pag. 471.
• * 1.2

  The sentence giuen agaynst hym.
• * 2.1

  The appeale of W. Swinderby from the B. to the king and his counsayle.
• * 2.2

  Some thyng there lacketh 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the copie.
• * 2.3

  The kyngs court aboue the By∣shops court.
• * 2.4

  What is an he∣retike.
• * 2.5

  The Byshops law of condem∣nation full of heresies and er∣rours.
• * 2.6

  The contrarie∣tie betwene the pope & Christ.
• * 2.7

  The cause why Swinderby for∣sooke the pope.
• * 3.1

  A fruitful letter to the Lords & Burgesies of the Parliament.
• * 3.2

  Reckened.
• * 3.3

  Daniel. 14.
• * 3.4

  Psal. 119.
• * 3.5

  Leuit. 26.
• * 3.6

  The sayth∣full request of W. Swin∣derby.