tion, and actuall deposing of the said William Sautre, as refailen into heresie and as incorrigible, according to the Sentence definitiue put in writing, the tenor whereof is in words as followeth. "In the name of God, amen. We Thomas by the grace of God archbishop of Canturbury, legate of the Sea apostolicall, and Metropolitane of all England, doe find and declare that thou William Sautre, other wise called Chautris priest, by vs with the counsell and assent of all and singular our fellow brethren and whole clergie, by this our sentence definitiue declared in writing, hast beene for heresie conuict and condemned, and art (being againe fallen into heresie) to be deposed and degraded by these presents."-And from that day being Wednesday there was in the said councell prouinciall nothing further prosecuted, but was continued with all dependents till the Friday next ensuing. Which Friday approching, master Nicholas Rishton, by the commandement of the said archbishop of Canturbury, being then busied, as he said, in the parliament house, continued this councell and conuocation with all incidents, dependents, and occasions, growing and annexed thereunto, to the next day, to wit, Saturday next and immediately after ensuing. Vpon Saturday, being the 26th of the said month of Februarie, the foresaid archbishop of Canturbury sate in the bishops seat of the foresaid church of St. Paul in London, and solemnly apparelled in his pontificall attire, sitting with him as his assistants these reuerend fathers and bishops, of London, Lincolne, Hereford, Exeter, Meneuensis & Roffensis Episcopi, aboue mentioned, commanded and caused the said sir William Sautre, apparelled in priestly vestments, to bee brought and appeare before him. That done, he declared and expounded in English to all the clergy and people there in a great multitude assembled; that all processe was finished and ended against the said sir William Sautre. Which thing finished, before the pronouncing of the said sentence of the relapse against the said sir William, as is premised, he often then and there recited and read. And for that hee saw the said William in that behalfe nothing abashed; hee proceeded to his degradation and actuall deposition in forme as followeth. "In nomine Patris, & Filij & Spiritus Sancti. We Thomas by Gods permission archbishop of Canturbury, primate of all England, and Legate of the apostolike sea, doe denounce thee William Sautre, otherwise called Chautris, chaplaine fained, in the habite and apparell of a priest, as an heretike, and one refallen into heresie, by this our sentence definitiuc, by counsell, assent, and authoritie to be condemned; and by conclusion of all our fellow brethren, fellow bishops, prelates, councell prouinciall, and of the whole clergy, doe degrade and depriue thee of thy priestly order. And in sigre of degradation and actuall deposition from thy priestly dignitie, for thine incorrigibilitie and want of amendment, we take from thee the patent and chalice, and doe de priue thee of all power and authority of celebrating the masse, and also wee pull from thy backe the casule, and take from thee the vestiment, and depriue thee of all manner of priestly honor. Also we Thomas the aforesaid archbishop by authoritie, counsell, and assent, which vpon the foresaid William we haue being deacon pretensed, in the habit and apparell of a deacon, hauing the new Testament in thy hands, being an heretike, and twice fallen, coudemned by sentence as is aforesaid, doe degrade and put thee from the order of a deacon. And in token of this thy degradation and actuall deposition we take from thee the booke of the new Testament, and the stole, and doe depriue thee of all authoritie in reading of the gospell, and of all and all manner of dignitie of a deacon.-Item, we Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by authoritie, counsell, and assent, which ouer thee the foresaid William we haue, being a subdeacon pretensed, in the habit and vestiment of a subdeacon, an heretike, and twice fallen, condemned by sentence, as is aforesaid, doe degrade and put thee from the order of a subdeacon; and, in token of this thy degradation and actuall deposition, wee take from thee the albe and maniple, and do depriue thee of all and all manner of subdiaconicall dignity.-Also, we Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by counsell, assent and authoritie which wee haue ouer thee the foresaid William, an acolyte pretensed, wearing the habite of an acolyte, and heretike, twice fallen, by our sentence, as is aforesaid, condemned, doe degrade and put from thee all order of an acolyte; and in signe and token of this thy degradation, and actuall deposition, we take from thee the candlestick and taper, and also vrceolum, and doe deprive thee of all and all manner dignitie of an acolyte.-Also we Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by assent, counsell, and authoritie, which vpon thee the foresaid William wee haue, an exorcist pretensed, in the habite of an exorcist or holy water clerke, being an heretike, twice fallen, and by our sentence as is aforesaid, condemned, doe degrade and depose thee from the order of an exorcist; and, in token of this thy degradation and actuall deposition, we take from thee the booke of coniurations, and doe depriue thee of all and singular dignitie of an exorcist.-Also, we Thomas archbishop aforesaid, by assent, counsell, and authoritie, as is abouesaid, do degrade and depose thee the foresaid William, reader pretensed, clothed in the habite of a reader, an heretik, twice fallen, and by our sentence, as is aforesaid, condemned, from the order of a reader; and, in token of this thy degradation and actuall deposition, we take from thee the booke of the diuine lections (that is, the booke of the church legend) and doe depriue thee of all and singular manner of dignity of such a reader. Item, we Thomas archbishop of Canturburie aforesaid, by authoritie, counsell, and assent, the which we haue, as is aforesaid, due degrade, and put thee the foresaid William Sautre, sexton pretensed, in the habite of a sexton, and wearing a surplice, being an here- | of the clergie, decreeing to leaue him vnto the tike, twice fallen, by our sentence definitiue secular power; and hath really so left him, accondemned, as aforesaid, from the order of a cording to the lawes and canonicall sanctions sexton: and, in token of this thy degradation set forth in this behalfe, and also that our holy and actuall deposition, for the causes aforesaid, mother the church hath no further to doe in the wee take from thee the keyes of the church premises; we therefore being zealous in relidoore, and thy surplice, and do depriue thee of gion, and reuerent louers of the catholike faith, all and singular manner of commodities of a willing and minding to maintaine and defend doore keeper. And also, by the authoritie of the holy church, and the lawes and liberties of omnipotent God the father, the sonne, and holy the same, to roote all such errors and heresies Ghost, and by our authoritie, counsell, and as- out of our kingdome of England, and with consent of our whole councell prouinciall aboue digne punishment to correct and punish all written, we doe degrade thee, and depose thee, heretikes or such as be conuict; prouided albeing here personally present, before vs, from wayes that both according to the law of God orders, benefices, priuiledges and habite in the and man, and the canonicall institutions in this church; and for thy pertinacie incorrigible wee behalfe accustomed, such heretikes conuict and doe degrade thee before the secular court of condemned in forme aforesaid ought to be burned the high constable and marshall of England, with fire: We command you as straitly as we being personally present; and doe depose thee may, or can, firmely enioyning you that you from all and singular clerkely honors and dig- doe cause the said William, being in your nities whatsoeuer by these writings. Also, in custodie, in some publike or open place within token of thy degradation and deposition, here the liberties of your citie aforesaid (the cause actually wee haue caused thy crowne and ec- aforesaid being published vnto the people) to clesiasticall tonsure in our presence to be rased he put into the fire, and there in the same fire away, and utterly to be abolished, like vnto the really to bee burned, to the great horror of his forme of a secular lay man; and here we doe offence, and the manifest example of other put vpon the head of thee the foresaid William christians. Faile not in the execution hereof, the cap of a lay secular person; beseeching vpon the perill that will fall thereupon: Teste the court aforesaid, that they will receiue rege, apud Westm. 26 Febr, an. regni, sui. 2do.” fauourably the said William vnto them thus recommitted."-Thus William Sautre the seruant of Christ, being vuterly thrust out of the popes kingdome, and metamorphosed from a clerke to a secular lay man, was committed (as ye haue heard) vnto the secular power. Which so done, the bishops, yet not herewith contented, cease not to call upon the king, to cause him to be brought forth to speedie execution. Whereupon the king, readie enough and too much to gratifie the clergy, and to retaine their fauours, directeth out a terrible decree against the said William Sautre, and sent it to the maior and sheriffes of London to be put in execution; the tenor whereof here vnder ensueth. The Decree of the King against William "The Decree of our soueraigne lord the King and his councell in the parliament, against a certaine new sprung vp heretike. To the maior and sheriffes of London, &c. Whereas the reuerend father Thomas archbishop of Canturbury, primate of all England, and legat of the apostolike sea, by the assent, consent, and counsell of other bishops, and his brethren suffragans, and also of all the whole clergie within his prouince or dioces, gathered together in his prouinciall councell, the due order of the law being obserued in all points in this behalfe, hath pronounced and declared, by his definitiue sentence, William Sautre sometime chaplaine fallen againe into his most damnable heresie, the which beforetime the said William had abiured, thereupon to bee a most manifest heretike, and therefore hath decreed that he should bee degraded, and hath for the same cause really degraded him from all prerogatiue and priuiledge Note. This writ De Hæretico Comburendo, for burning Sawtre seems to be a special act of parliament made for that purpose, being tested per Regem et concilium in parliamento, which is to be intended of an act of parliament, see 8 Coke's Rep. 19, a. Prince's case, 1 Hale's P. C. 396. 709.-The two first statutes relating to heresy are those here mentioned by Fox 5 R. 3. C. 5, enacting that sheriffs and other civil officers should apprehend and imprison persons suspected of heresy in order to their being tried by Holy Church, and 2 Henry 4. cap. 15. impowering every diocesan to imprison persons suspected of heresy in their diocesan proceeded judicially and openly against respective dioceses, and try them (so that such such persons), and where any person was convicted, he might be imprisoned at the discretion of the ordinary; or, if the party refused to abjure his errors, or having abjured them, relapsed, he was to be left to the secular arm; and the sheriff (whom the ordinary might call to be present at the trial) was to cause the party to be burnt in some high (or open) place." The lord chief justice Brook (in his Abridg ment, tit. Heresy) says, that upon this statute it was resolved, That if a person was convicted of heresy in the presence of the sheriff, the ordinary might commit him to the same sheriff, and he was to cause him to be burnt without the writ de Hæretico comburendo; but if the sheriff was absent, or if the heretic was to be burnt in another county, in either of these cases the writ de Hæretico comburendo must be first obtained before the sheriff could burn him. Some authors have wondered why the writ, de Hæretico comburendo was issued for the burning of Sawtre, when by the last-mentioned act the sheriff was empowered to execute persons convicted of heresy, without that writ; But the wonder ceases, it we consider that the sheriff could not proceed to execute the offender by his own authority, unless he was present at the conviction; and though the diocesan might call the sheriff to attend the trial, yet he might too convict the offender in his absence. And further, Sawtre was convicted by the convocation; and it may be difficult to give one instance where the convocation called the sheriff to assist at the trial of an heretic; and, if they had, such a conviction was not within the letter of the act: Therefore, upon this conviction, the sheriff was under a necessity of waiting for the writ de Hæretico comburendo, before he could execute him. By the 2d of Henry 5. cap. 7. all civil officers were to be sworn to assist the ordinaries in extirpating heresies; and one convict of heresy was to forfeit his goods and chattels, and fee-simple lands. By the 25th of Henry 8. cap. 14. the act of the 2d of Henry 4. is in part repealed; and it is thereby provided, That no person shall be executed as an heretic without the writ de Haretico comburendo first obtained. By the 1st of Elizabeth cap. 1. the abovesaid statutes, as well as that other statute of the first and second of Philip and Mary, cap. 6. against hereticks, are repealed. And by the 29th of Charles 2. cap. 9. passed in contemplation of the duke of York's succession to the crown, the writ de Hæretico combus rendo, with ail proceedings thereon, and all capital punishments in pursuance of any ecclesiastical censures, are from thenceforth utterly abolished. So that at this day a person convicted of heresy is liable only to excommunication, and such pains and disabilities as persons standing excommunicated for any other offence, (which however are not very light) for if the excommunicate person be not reconciled to Holy Church within forty days, he is liable to be taken by the civil powers under the writ de excommunicato capiendo, and to be imprisoned until he be so reconciled. See Comyn's Digest, tit. Excomengement. For further learning concerning Heresy, see Britton, l. 1. c. 17. Fitzh. Nat Brev. 594, 595, 1 Hale's P. C. 392, 394, 396, 709. Whitlock's speech in H. of Com. on Naylor's case, December 16, 1656, Cobbett's Parl. Hist. and Burn's Ecclesiastical law. Rapin's state of the church from 1272 to 1599, in the first vol. of his History, should be read. 18. The Trial and Examination of Master WILLIAM THOrpe, Preste, for Heresye, before Thomas Arundel, Archebishop of Canterbury: 8 Hen. IV. A. D. 1407. Written by Himself. [1 Fox's Acts and Monum. 689. Coll. Eccl. Hist. 625.] KNOWEN be yt to all men that rede or purpose, and lett the to enuenyme the shepe of heare thys Writing benethe, That on the Sonmy provynce. Never the lesse Seynt Paul daye next after the Feste of Seynt Peter, that seythe, Yf it may be as ferre as in us is, we owe we call Lammesse, in the ycare of our Lord a to have peace wyth all men: therefore William, M.CCCC. and vii. yeare, I William Thorpe, yf thou wyll now mekely, and of good harte, being in preson in the castell of Saltwoode, was without onye feynyng, knele downe and leye brought before Thomas Arundell archebyshope thy hande upon a booke and kysse yt, promysof Canterbury, and Chauncellor than of Ing-ying feythfully, as I shall here charge the, that land: And when that I came to hym, he stoode in a great chamber, and moch people aboute bym; and when that he sawe me, he went faste into a closett, bydding all seculer men that folowed him to go forth from hymn sone; so that no man was left than in that closet but the archebyshop hymselfe, and a physician that was callyd Malueren, person of Seynt Dunstanys in London, and other two personys, unknowen to me, whych ware minysterys of the lawe. And I standyng before them, by-and-by the archebyshop seyd to me, William, I know well that that thou hast thys twenty wynter and more trauelyd about besyly in the North contre, and in other diverse contres of Ingland, sowying about false doctrine, hauying great busynesse yf thou myght wyth thyne untrew teachyng, and shrewyd will for to infecte and poyson all this lande: but through the grace of God thou art now wythstonded and brought in to my warde, so that I shall now sequester the from thyne euill thou wilt submyt the to my correccyon, and stande to myne ordinance, and fullyll yt dewly by all thy connyng and power, thou shall yet fynde me gracyouse unto the.' Then seyd I to the Archbishop, Syr, syns ye deme me an Heretyke out of beleue, wyll ye gyue me here audience to tell my Beleue; and he seyd, ye tell on. And I seyd, I beleue that there is not but one God Almyghty, and in thys Godhede, and of thys Godhede ar thre Persones; that is, the Fader, the Sonne, and the sothe faste Holy Goste: And I beleue that all thes thre persones ar euen in power, and in connyng, and in myght, full of grace and of all goodnesse; for whatsoever that the Father dothe, or can, or wyll, that thyng also the Sonne dothe, and can, and wyll; and in all their power, connyng and wyll, the Holy Goste is equall to the Father and to the Sonne. Ouer thys I beleue, that through counsell of thys moste blessyd Trinitie, in a moste conuenient tyme before ordenyd for the salvacyon of man 6 kynde, the seconde peerson of thys Trimite was with most sharp thornes, and to strike him with ordeynd to take the tourme of man, that is the a rede and after Christe suffered wicked kynde of man. And I beleue that thys seconde Jewes to draw him out upon the crosse, and for person, our Lorde Jesu Christe, was conceiuyd to nayle hym there upon fote and hande; and thorough the Holy Goste into the wombe of the so, thorow this pitie full naylinge, Christe shed most blessyd virgyn Marye, wythout manys out wilfully for man's lyfe the bloude that was seede: And I beleue that after nyne monthys in his vaynes: and then Christe gave wilfully Christe was borne of thys moste blessyd vergyn, his spirite in to the handes or power of his Fawithout one peyne, or brekyng of the cluster of ther, and so as he wolde, and when he wold, hyr wombe, and wythout fylthe of her virginite: Christ deid wilfully for man's sake upon the And I beleue that Christe our Sauyour was cir- crosse. And notwithstandinge that Christe cuncisyd in the eyghte daye after hys byrthe in was wilfully, paynfully, and most shamefully fullfillyng of the lawe, and hys name was callyd put to deeth as to the worlde, there was left Jesu, which was callyd of the Angell before that bloude and water in his herte, as he before he was conceiuyd in the wombe of Marie hys ordened, that he wolde shede out this bloude moder: And I beleue that Christe, as he was and this water for man's saluacion: and thereabout thyrty yeare old, was baptyzed in the fore he suffered the Jewes to make a blinde Budde of Jordane of John Baptist; and, in lyke-knight to thrust him in to the herte with a ness of a dove, the Holy Goste descendyd there upon hym, and a voyce was herde from Heuen, seying, Thou art my welbelouyd Sonne, in the I am full pleasyd.' And I beleue that Christe was moeuyd than by the Holy Goste for to go into Desert, and there he fastyd fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes without bodely meate and drynk: And I beleue that by and by, after hys fastyng, when the manhode of Christe hongeryd, the Feende came to hym and temptyd byin in glotony, in veyn glory, and in couetyse; but in all thoes temptacyons Christe concludyd the Fende, and withstoode hym; and than wythout tariyng, Jesu began to preache and to seye unto the people, Doe ye penaunce, for the relme of Heven ys now at hande.' And I beleue that Christ, in all hys tyme here, lyued moste holyly, and taught the wyll of hys Fader moste trewly; and I beleue that he sufferyd therefore moste wrongfully greatyst repreuys and despysynges. And after thys whan Christe wolde make an ende here of hys temporall lyfe, I beleue that in the daye next before that he wolde suffer passyon in the morne, in fourme of brede and of wyne he ordenyd the Sacramente of hys flesh and his blood, that ys, hys owne precyous body, and gave it to hys Apostles, for to eate, commnaundying them, and by them all their after-comers, that they sholde doo it in thys fourme that he shewyd to them, use them self, and teache and commone forthe to other men and woomen thys moste worshypful holiest Sacrament, in myndefulnesse of hys holyest lyuyng, and of hys moste trew teachyng, and of hys wilfull and pacient sufferyng of the moste peynfull Passion: and I beleue that thus Christe our Savyour, after that he had ordenid thys most woorthy Sacrament of hys owne preciouse body, he went forthe wyllfully agenst hys encmyes, and he sufferyd them most paciently to ley their handys moste violently uppon hym, and to bynde hym, and to leade hym forthe as a thefe, and to skorne bym, and buffet, and all to blow or fyle him with their spittinges. Over this I beleue that Christe suffered most mekely and paciently his enemies for to dinge out with sharpe scourges the bloude that was betwene his skyn and his flesh: yee without grudginge Christe suffered the crueft Jewes to crown him VOL. I. spere, and this the bloude and water that was in his herte Christe wolde shede out for man's love. And after this I beleue that Christe was taken downe from the crosse, and buried; and I beleue that on the third daye, by power of his Godheed, Christ rose again from deth to life; and the xlth day ther after, I beleue that Christe ascended up into Heven, and that he there sitteth on the right hande of God the Fa ther Almyghty; and the tenth daye after this up goinge, he sente to his apostles the Holy Goost that he had promysed them before; and I belene that Christe shall come and judge all mankinde, some to euerlastinge peace, and some to eucrlastinge paynes. And as I beleue in the Father and in the Sonne, that they are one God almyghty; so I beleue in the Holy Goost, that is also with them the same God almyghty. And I beleue an boly Chirche, that is, all thei that haue byo, and that now are, and alwayes to the end of the worlde shal be a people, the which shall endeuer them to knowe and to kepe the commaundements of God, dredinge over all thynge to offende God, and lovyinge and sekynge most to please hym. And I beleue that all they that haue had, aud yet haue, and all they that yet shall haue the foresayde vertuous surely standying in the belefe of God, hopying stedfastly in hys mercifull doynges, continuynge to their ende in perfect charitie, wilfully, paciently, and gladly soferynge persecutions, by the example of Christ chiefly and his apostles, all these haue their names wrytten in the boke of life: therefore I beleue that the gaderynge together of this people, lyuynge now here in this lyfe, ys the holye chyrche of God, feyghtynge here on erth agaynst the Fende, the prosperyte of the worlde, and their fleshely lustes. Wherfore seyng that all the gadering together of this Church before said, and euery parte therof, nother coueteth, nor willeth, nor loveth, nor seketh any thinge but to eschew the offence of God, and to do his pleasing will; mekely, gladly, and wilfully of all nyne herte I submitt my selfe unto thys holye church of Christe, to be ever buxom and obedient to the ordinaunce of it, and of euery member thereof, after my knowledge and power by the helpe of God. Therefore I N knowlege now and euermore shall, if God will, | are bounden to swere or to obey in ony wise that of all my harte, and of all my might, I will after Gods lawe, and sayntes and trewe docsubinyt me only to the rule and gouernaunce toures according with Gods lawe: I will of them whome after my knowlege, I may per- thorow Gods grace be ever redy thereto with ceave, by the havynge and usynge of the be- all my conning and power. But I pray you foresayd vertues, to be membres of the holy syr, for the charity of God, that ye will before churche. Wherfore these Articles of Belefe, Iswere as I have here rehersed to you, tell me and all other bothe of the olde lawe and of the how or whereto that I shall submytt me; and newe, which after the commaundement of God shewe me whereof that ye will correct me, and any man oughte to beleue, I beleue verely what is the ordinaunce that ye will thus oblige in my soule, as synnefull deedly wretche, of my me to fulfyll.' And the Archebishop scid unto cunnynge and power oughte to beleue, pray- me, I will shortely that nowe thou swere here enge the Lorde God, for his holye name, for to to me that thou shalt forsake all the opinions encrease my belefe, and help my unbelefe. which the Secte of Lollards holde, and is slaundred with: so that after this tyme nother pryuely nor apertly thou holde any opinion which I shall after that thou haste sworne reherse to the here. Nor thou shalt fauer no man nor woman, young nor old, that holdeth any of thes foreseid opinions; but after thi knowledge and power thou shalt enforse the to withstand all soche distroblers of Holye Chyrche in euery diocese that thou comest in: and them that will not leaue their false and dampnable opinions, thou shalt put them up, publeshyng them and their names, and make them knowen to the bishop of the diocese that they are in, or to the bishopes ministres. And ouer this I will that thou preach no more unto the tyme that I know by good witnesse and trewe, that thy conuersacion be soch that thy hart and thy mouth accorde treuly in one contrariyng all the leude learnying that thou hast taught here before.' And forbycause to the praysynge of Goddes name, I desyre above all thynge to be a faythfull membre of Holy Churche, I make this Protestacyon before you all foure that are now here presente, covetynge that all men and women that now absente knewe the same, that what thynge soever before this tyme I have sayde or done, or what thynge here I shall doo or saye at any tyme here after; I beleue that all the olde lawe and the newe lawe, geuen and ordened by the councell of these thre persones of the Trynite, were geuen and wrytten to the saluacyon of mankynde: And I beleue that these lawes are sufficient for man's saluacyon: And I beleue every article of these lawes, to the entente that these articles were ordened and commaunded of these thre persones of the moste blessed Trynyte to be beleued. And therfore to the rule and the ordynaunce of these Goddes lawes, mekely, gladly, and wilfully I submytte me with all nyne harte, that who ever can or wyll by auctoryte of Goddes lawe, or by open reason, tell me that I haue erred, or now erre or any tyme here after shall erre in any Article of Belefe (fro whyche inconvenience God kepe me for his goodnesse) I submytte me to be reconcyled, and to be buxom and obedyente unto these lawes of God, and to every article of them. For by auctorite, specyally of these lawes, I will, thorowe the grace of God, be vnyed charytably unto these lawes. Yee, syr, and ouer thys I beleue and admytte all the Sentences, Auctorites, and Reasons of the Saynctes and Doctoures, accordynge unto Holy Scripture, and declarynge it truely. I submytte me wylfully and mekely to be ever obediente after my connynge and power to all these saynctes and doctoures, as they are obedyente in worke and in worde to God and to his lawe, and forther not to my knowledge, not for any erthly power, dignity or state, thorowe the help of God. But syr, I praye you tell me if after youre biddying I shall laye my hande upon the Boke to the entente to swere thereby? And the Archebishope said to me, 'ye, wherfore els?' And I sayde to him, 'Syr, a boke is nothyng els but a thyng coupled together of dyuerse creatures, and to swere by any creature both Gods lawe and mans lawe is agaynst. But syr, this thinge I saye here to you before these your clerckes, with my forsayd Protestacion, that how, where, when and to whom men And I hearying thes wordes, thought in my harte, that this was an vinefull asking; and I demyed myself cursed of God, yf I consented hereto, and I thought howe Susan seid, Anguyssch is to me on euery syde.' And in that I stode still, and spake not, the abp. seid to me, Answere one wyse or a nother;' and I seid, Syr, if I consented to you thus, as ye haue here rehersed to me, I should become an Appealer, or euery bishopis espye, somonour of all Englonde. For, and I sholde thus put up, and publeshe the names of men and women, I sholde herein deceiue full many persons; ye syr, as it is likely by the dome of my conscience I sholde herein, because of the dethe of both men and women, ye both bodely and gostely. For many men and women that stand now in the treuthe, and are in the waye of salvation; yf I sholde for the learning and reding of their beleve publeshe them, and put them therfor up to bishopes, or to their unpituouse ministers, I know some dele by experience, that they sholde be so distrobled and diseased with persecution or otherwise, that many of them (I thinke) would rather chose to forsake the waye of treuthe, than to be traveled, skorned, and slaundred, or punished as bishopes and their ministers now use for to constreyne men and women to consent to them. But I fynde in no place in Holy Scripture, that this office that ye wolde now enfesse ne with accordith to ony priste of Christes secte, nor to any other Christen man. And therefore to do thus wer |