He said, as Ezechias destroyed the brasen Serpent that Moses made by the commandement of God, even so should kings and princes now adaies destroy and burne the Images of Saints set up in churches.

These five hundred yeeres there hath been no good pope, nor in all the time past, we can find but fiftie; for they have neither preached, nor lived wel, or conformablie to their dignitie: Wherfore till now they have borne the keys of Simonie. Against whom, good people, we must preach and teach unto you. For we cannot come to them, it is great pitie: they have sore slandered the blood of Christ.

The people have used foolishly of late, pilgrimages, which for them had been better they had been at home.

Many have made certaine vowes, which be not possible for them to fulfill, and those nothing meritorious.

The preachers before this have been Antichrists, and now it hath pleased our Saviour Christ, to shew auncient customes of Christes chyrch, mockinge the settinge up of candels, and with folish facecies (jestings-facetia), and blasphemous mockery demaunde, Whether God and hys saintes lack lyght, or Whether it be nyght with them, that they cannot se without candle. They might as well aske, what good dyd that oyntment to Cristes hed. But the heretiques grudge at the cost now, as theyr brother Judas dyd than; and say it were better spent in almes upon a pore folke: and thys saye many of them which can neyther finde in theyr harte to spende upon the one nor the other. And some spende sometyme upon the one for none other entente, but to the end that they may the more boldlye rebuke and rayle against the other. But let them all, by that ensample of the holy woman, and by these wordes of our Saviour, lerne that God deliteth to se the fervent hete of the hartis devocion boyle out by the body, and to do him service with all such goodes of fortune as God hath given a man." Sir Thomas More's Dialogue concerning HereA. D. 1528. Works, p. 118.

sies.

their false errours, and to teach another way and manner of the holy Gospell of Christ, to the comfort of your soules.

I trust that there shall and will come other besides me, which shall shew and preach to you the same faith and maner of living, that I do shew and preach to you, which is the verie true Gospell of our Saviour Christ, and the mind of the holy Fathers, whereby you shall be brought from their errours, wherein you have been long seduced: for before this, there have been many that have slandered you, and the Gospell of our Saviour Christ, of whom spake our Saviour, Matth. 18. Qui scandalizaverit unum de pusillis istis, qui in me credit,

&c."

These and many other such like depositions were deposed against him by the deponents and witnesses before sworne, which wholly to recite, would be too long and tedious: wherefore these shall suffice at this time, being the principall matters, and in maner the effect of all the rest.

The fourth day of December, the bishop of London with the other bishops his assistants, assembled againe in the Chapter house of Westminster; whither also master Bilney was brought, and was exhorted and admonished to abjure and recant: who answer

Will come other besides me.] Thus it was objected also against Thomas Arthur, Bilney's friend and companion in these examinations, that he said, "Good people, if I should suffer persecution for the preaching of the Gospel of God, yet there are seven thousand more that would preach the Gospel of God, as I do now. Therefore good people, good people, (which words he often rehearsed, as it were lamenting), thinke not that if these tyrants and persecutors put a man to death, the preaching of the Gospel therefore is to be forsaken.-This article he confessed that he spake in like words and sense, saving that he made no mention of tyrants." Fox's Acts, p. 911.

sed,

Then

ed, that he would stand to his conscience. the bishop of London with the other bishops, Ex officio, did publish the depositions of the witnesses, with his articles and answeres, commanding that they should be read. That done, the bishop exhorted him againe to deliberate with himselfe, whether he would returne to the church, and renounce his opinions or no, and bad him to depart into a void place, and there to deliberate with himselfe. Which done, the bishop asked him againe if he would returne. Who answered; Fiat justitia, et judicium in nomine Domini: and being divers times admonished to abjure, he would make no other answere, but Fiat justitia, &c. And, Hæc est dies quam fecit Dominus, exultemus & lætemur in ea, Psalm. 118. Then the bishop, after deliberation, putting off his cap, said; In nomine Patris & Filij & Spiritus sancti. Amen. Exurgat Deus & dissipentur inimici ejus: and making a crosse on his forehead and his brest, by the counsell of the other bishops, he gave sentence against master Bilney, being there present, in this maner.

"I, by the consent and counsell of my brethren heere present, do pronounce thee Thomas Bilney, who hast been accused of divers articles, to be convict of heresie; and for the rest of the sentence, we take deliberation till to morrow."

The fifth day of December the bishops assembled there againe; before whom Bilney was brought, whom the bishop asked if he would yet returne to the unitie of the church, and revoke his heresies which he had preached. Whereupon Bilney answered, that he would not be a slander to the Gospell, trusting that he was not separat from the church; and that, if the multitude of witnesses might be credited, he might have thirtie men of honest life on his part, against one to the contrarie brought in against him :" which witnesses,

the

the bishop said came too late; for after publication, they could not be received by the law. Then Bilney alleaging the storie of Susan and Daniel, the bishop of London still exhorted him to returne to the unity of the church, and to abjure his heresies, and permitted him to go into some secret place, there to consult with his friends, till one of the clocke at the afternoone, of the same day.

At afternoone, the bishop of London againe asked him whether he would returne to the church and acknowledge his heresies. Bilney answered, that he trusted he was not separat from the church, and required time and place to bring in witnesses: which was refused. Then the bishop once againe required of him whether he would turne to the catholicke Church. Whereunto hee answered, that if they could teach and proove sufficiently that hee was convict, he would yeeld and submit himselfe, and desired againe to have time and space to bring in againe his refused witnesses; and other answere he would give none.

Then the bishop put master Bilney aside, and took counsel with his fellowes; and afterward calling in master Bilney, asked him againe whether he would abjure: but he would make no other answere than before. Then the bishop with the consent of the rest, did decree and determine that it was not lawful to heare a petition which was against the law; and inquiring againe whether he would abjure, hee answered plainely, no, and desired to have time to consult with his friends in whom his trust was: and being once againe asked whether he would returne, and instantly desired thereunto, or else the sentence must be read; he required the bishop to give him licence to deliberate with himselfe untill the next morow, whether he might ahjure the heresies wherewith he was defamed, or no. The

bishop granted him, that hee should have a little time to deliberate with master Dancaster: but Bilney required space till the next morrow, to consult with master Farmar and master Dancaster. But the bishop would not grant him his request, for feare lest he should appeale. But at the last, the bishop inclining unto him, granted him two nights respit to deliberate: that is to say, till Saturday at nine of the clocke afore noone, and then to give a plaine determinate answere, what he would doe in the premisses.

The seventh day of December, in the yeere and place aforesaid, the bishop of London, with the other bishops being assembled, Bilney also personallie appeared. Whom the bishop of London asked, whether he would now returne to the unitie of the church, and revoke the errors and heresies whereof he stood accused, detected, and convicted. Who answered, that now he was perswaded by master Dancaster and other his friends, he would submit himselfe, trusting that they would deale gentlie with him, both in his abjuration, and penauce. Then he desired that he might read his abjuration: which the bishop granted. When he had read the same secretly by himselfe, and was returned, being demanded what he would doe in the premisses, he answered, that he would abjure' and submit himselfe;

That he would abjure.] This abjuration is printed from bp. Tonstall's Register, by Collier, in his Eccles. History, Vol. II. p. 25, as follows:

"In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Bilney, priest, before you, right rev. father in God, &c. confessing and knowledging the true catholick and apostolick faith of holy church, intend by the grace of God, hereafter ever to persevere and abide in the true doctrine of holy church, and to detest and abjure all manner of heresies and articles following, whereupon I am now defamed, noted, vehemently suspected, and convicted;