The manne of synne.

1 And more ouer that Ihane not
accustomed to obserue and kepe the.
2. laudable ceremonyes / rytes / and
customes / of thys catholyck churche
of englande comonlye obserued and
kepte by other / that is to saye. 3. neyther
in goynge procession vpon saturdayes
at euensonge. 4. nor in the
vsage and maner of makynge of holye
water and holye brede. 5. nor in
makynge my confessyon. 6. or saynge
of masse. 7. mattens / or euensonge /
as I schuld or ought to haue.



1 Whych denuncyacyon / deteccion /
and presentacyon / 2 hath bene
partlye by myne owne confession 3
and partlye by suffycyent witnesse
and recorde in that behalff 4 sufficyentlye
proued.



1 And al be it for my offence in so
doynge. 2. I knowlege to haue deserued
no small po~nyshment. 3. yet
I haue fou~de soche charitable goodnesse
a~d mercie in my lorde bisshopp
of Londen. 4. upon my submyssyon
and sute vnto hym.



1 That vpon onlye thys declaracyon
2 here made of myne offence vnto
yow 3 with promyse that I

wyll indeuer my selfe to the best of
my power to lyue as a 4 catholike
manne ought 5 and schuld do here after.



1 And that I do not here after
preache or teache anye 2 heresyes / errours /
or noughtye opynyons 3 contrarye
and ageynst the catholike faythe
of owr holie mother the churche /
4 but as moche as can lye in
my power to maynteyne / defende /
5 and auaunce the seyd catholycke

faythe.

Hys dysclosynge.

1 GReuous burdens and intollerable
yokes laye they styll vpon the
shoulders of menne, syttynge in Moyses
chaire. Nothynge esteme they the co~mau~dements
of God in comparyson of ther

C.iiij.

owne tradicyons. No fawte ys the brekynge
of them here noted. Idolatrye, symonye,
sacrilege, whoredome, hatred, sedycyon,
glottonye, couetousnesse, cruelte,
rape, and mourther ys neyther here
blamed nor yet spoken yll of. Onlye ys
Gods verite here conde~pned vnder the
blacke tyttle of heresye, the poore member
of Christ made a lawghi~ge stocke to
all the worlde for yt, blasphemed, dysdayned,
and abhorred. Soch is yet the abhomynacyon
of thys sixt age of the churche.
Whan sathan tempted Christ in the
desart, in hys fyrst .ij. suggestions he named
the sonne of God. But in thys declaracyon
(yea, rather temptacyon of hys peple)
schalt thu not fynde one syllabe me~cyoned,
neyther of hym nor yet of hys heauenlye
father. Reade yt ouer hardelye
with iudgement, and marke yt with wepynge
eyes, lame~tynge that the dere flocke
of the lorde ys thus myserablye ledde.
For there is no plage vnder heauen to it.
If thys be not the defeccyon from Christ,
mencyoned by Paule to the Thessalonianes,
I thynke ther ys non. I feare yt that
my lorde of london hath taken vpp the
third suggestyon of sathan with hys couetous
and ambycyous kyngedome, and
as a fearefull tempter, seduceth the peple

to ther dampnacyon. For what a doctrine
is thys? wherin neyther God nor hys
sonne is mencyoned. Wele may it be called
errour in hypocresye and doctrine of
deuyls, yea, a~d worse yf worse maye be.
Se how the deuyll resembleth here the angell
of lyght. Sens Christes ascencio~ hath
not soche a declaracyon bene after thys
sort spredde amonge the peple, by Christyane
nor Antichristiane, Iewe nor pagane,
angell nor deuyll, a poore manne
compelled so openlye to professe the same
and no mencyon made of god nor of
christ. If this be not a misterie of iniquite,
and a workynge of Sathan vnder a deceytfull
powre, neuer was there anye.
2 A grett matter is made here of a thi~ge
of nowght, and it must be proclamed
at Paules crosse. Tolwin must sta~de forth
ther for an heretyke. And whye? For he
hath not obserued the laudable ceremonies,
rytes, a~d custo~es of this catholyck churche
of englande. Wherin I praye yow?
3 He hath not gone processyon vpon
saturdayes at euensonge. A verye haynous
offence, and worthye to be iudged
no lesse tha~n hygh treason ageynst yowr
holye father agapitus popett of Rome,
whych fyrst dreamed it out, and enacted
it for a lawdable ceremonye of yowr

C.v.

whoryshe churche, for christ knoweth it
not. But I maruele fore that ye obserue yt
vpon saturdayes at nyght at euensonge,
he co~maundynge yt to be obserued vpon
the sondayes in the mornynge betwixt
holie water makynge and hygh masse.
Paraue~ture ye wyll saye, ye do both, and
so doble yt (as we perseyue ye do in dede)
least the holie obseruacyon of your father
schuld droppe awaye, and yow be
founde neglygent in your obedye~ce. Forsoth
ye shewe yourself a verye naturall
childe to your holye mother, in so holdinge
her vpp for fallynge now in her
latter age, a~d wurthye ye are to haue her
blessynge. If ye wolde wytsaue to putt
the .7. stacio~s of Rome unto it in the worshyp
of the .vii. deadlye synnes after the
olde wonte, your ceremonye myght apere
more solempne. Moch is Saturnus beholden
vnto yow (whych ys one of the
olde goddes) to garnyshe the goynge out
of hys daye with so holye an obseruacyon.
Ioye yt ys of your lyfe, so to reme~ber
your olde fryndes. Doubtlesse yt ys a fyne
myrye pagent, and yow worthye to be
called a Saturnyane for yt. Wherof thys
and other proper page~tes of yours be called
lawdable, we can not tell, for we can
neyther fynde worde nor commaundement
of god for them and therfor we referre

it vnto yow.
4 An other lawdable ceremonye of
yowrs Tolwin hath not well handled;
nor as a workema~ne of that occupacyon
schuld do. He hath not made hys holye
water a~d his holy brede after the olde vsage
and maner, nor as it is customablye
yet vsed of other conynge artyfycers of
your lyuerie a~d marke. Though he hath
made the~ a~d well seasoned the~ with salte
after the rewles of pope alexander, yet
hath he left out the holy exorcysmes and
co~iuracyo~s, supposynge the good creaturs
of Gods creacyon to haue no deuyls
within the~, reme~bringe also hys prynces
pleasure, which hath wylled all superstycyousnesse
to be taken awaye fro~ the ceremonyes.
Notwithsta~dinge yow se an other
thynge in it. The lawdable institucyon
of your holy fathers popes of rome
schuld perishe if it were not so vsed. Yea
we, schuld haue nothi~ge to dryue away
spretes with, nor yet to take away ve~geable
synnes. For neyther hath christ nor
yet a Christen mannys faythe the powre
that holy water hath. Therfor set ha~de to
it hardelye, and regarde neyther god nor
yowr kynge, but lett the heretyke knaue
do ope~ penau~ce in spight of the~ bothe to
putt other in feare, least the feate of holy
water makynge be forgotte~ amonge the~.

22

5 Confessyon is also a laudable ceremonye
of yowrs, and was fyrst admitted
by pope innocent in the most pestyle~t
counsell of laterane for a mayntenaunce
of yowr markett. Se now that it decaye
not for wante of lokynge to. Consyder
fyrst of all that for yowr commodite
it hath deposed and dysherited more tha~
ij. hondreth lawfull kynges, and shorne
them into monasteryes of monkerye some
of ther eyes putt out. It made fredericus
barbarossa the Popes fote stole at
venys, and subdewed manye other noble
emprowrs. For soche a treasure it is
as euer helpeth whan yowr matters are
in daunger. By the vertu of confessyon
was the plesaunt kyngdome of Italye destroyed,
and became saynt peters patrimonye,
the kynge therof called desyderius
with hys wyfe and children exyled
into lyons, and endynge hys lyfe in greatt
myserye. Throwgh the same was the
empyre of constantynople translated fro~
the grekes to the frenchemenne your olde
fryndes, bycause they wold not for
your profyght to haue ymages worshypped.
Kynge Iohan of englande a manne
of no small valeauntnesse and vertue,
through the hydden mysteryes of the same
was brought into hate of hys nobylyte

and commons and compelled to geue
vpp hys crowne and tyttle for hym and
hys heyres to the apostolyck seate. Raymundus
also the last erle of tholose and
most valeaunt warryour of all christendome,
abowght the same tyme onlye bycause
he wold not burn the albigesyanes
within hys dominyon (who~ your holye
fathers iudged for heretykes for that they
resysted ther seyd eare confessio~, ther prymacye,
ther purgatorye, ther praynge to
dead sayntes, with other soche pylde pedlarye,
which they had establyshed in the
afore seyd counsell of laterane for newe
artycles of the Christen faythe, and as
matters necessarye vnto saluacyo~ he was
cruellye compelled to sta~de forth naked
in hys shyrt in the face of the worlde, barefoted
and bareheaded, and to axe mercye
vpon hys knees before the legate cardynall
of saynt angell, hys naturall peple
standynge abowt hym, waylynge,
wepynge, and cryenge out for verye pyte.
For he was not onlye enforced there
by penaunce (as they call it) to geue to
ther clergye .27. thousande marke, but also
to dysheryte hys whole stocke for euer,
and to warre vpon the turkes without
powre, the sonnar to brynge hym to
hys ende with other most cruell ininuccyons,

as are to be seane more at large in
the hystorye of tholose compyled by Nicolas
Bertrande doctour of both lawes.
It schall stande tolwyn in hande therfor
from henceforth to take better hede, and
not to dallye with your confession as he
hath done, seynge yt ys so dau~gerous a
matter
6 No maruele ys yt thowgh ye call
here conseque~tlye vpon your latyne masse
saynge, for that farre passeth a lawdable
ceremonie, beynge the instytucyon of
so manye holye popes, beynge also a sacrifice
necessarye for the quycke and the
dead, and so profytable also to the vpholdynge
of yowr gloryous glytterynge
kyngedome. That hath made your
purses wayghtye a~d your kychynes warme,
your chekes fatte and your fleshe plesau~t.
Therfor Iudge the speaki~ge ageynst
yt, no lesse than heresye and treason, make
cruell lawes of deathe, prouyde fagottes
yuowgh and borne the losels apace.
For yf that ones fall, your precious robes,
myters, crosers, fyne rochettes, scarlett
frockes, sandals, and typettes, with the
monstruouse marke of madyan wyll folowe
sone after. And than farwel the Romyshe
relygyon. Adewe than all spiritual
vayneglory. Consyder what years

yt cost ere yt cowde be fynyshed, and
how manye holye popes wer abowt yt
ere yt cowde be browgt to passe. It was
more than vi. hondreth and lxx. years after
Christes incarnacyon ere the fyrst latyne
masse was sayd. For as wytnesseth platina
in the lyues of romyshe bysshoppes,
Iohan bysshoppe of portuense was the
fyrst that euer sayd masse openlye, pope
Agatho~ approuynge yt than in the .vi. generall
synode at Consta~tinople in the yeare
of ower lorde .677 where as marryage
was fyrst forbidde~ to prestes a~d whordome
admytted by thys rewle. Si non caste
tamen caute. Reme~ber also that yt was
the worke of more than .20. holy fathers
of Rome, euerye one of the~ dowtynge in
a patche vnto yt, And lett not the labour
of so manye peryshe amonge these Lutheranes
for a lyttle lokynge to. Ye haue more
auctoryte than euer had Cayphas and
Annas. For ye maye call sessyons where
and whan ye wyll. Ye may syt vpo~ lyfe
and deathe, and be both accuser a~d iudge.
If the warmode quest wyll not co~de~pne
your accused, brynge out a false of your
owne, of Rome ro~ners, pardoners, parrysh
clarkes, and bellryngers, as ye ded
now of late for Rycharde mekyns, a
poore simple ladde of .17. years of age.

And geue hym a bylle of wro~ge articles
in hys hande to reade wha~ he cometh to
the fyre to shaddowe with your myscheff.
7 Though Christ calleth yowr latyne
howres Idelnesse, hypocresye, moche
bablynge, and lyppe laboure, yea, and
though saynt Paule doth esteme it a poi~t
of vayne folishnes and moche more madnesse
to vtter a processe in an vnknowne
language amonge the peple, yet sett your
romyshe wysdome ageinst them both,
and stande fast in your olde popyshe opynyon,
makynge Gods co~maundeme~ts
of non effecte for your owne dyrtye tradycyo~s.
Where as christ hath co~ma~ded
yow syncerelye to preache hys gospell,
do as thowgh ye owght him no seruice,
nor were non of hys. Obeye it not, but
saye that ye knowe a moche better waye
Ye haue a master (whose lyuerye and
marke ye weare) whych geueth better
wages for the darkenynge of the gospell
tha~ christ geueth for the preachi~ge of yt.
The pope geueth forth gloryous tytles,
fatte bysshopryckes greatt benefices, princely
howses, delycyous meates and drynkes,
with other mennys wyues to lye
bye wha~ they be yonge and faire, where
as Christ ys all to the contrarie. And therfor

ye wyll rather folow hym tha~ Christ
Thys maketh yow so straytlye to loke
vpon yt, that matte~s, pryme, howres, masse,
euensonge, and complyne, be done as
they owght to be. That ys to saye, accordynge
to the holye instytucyon of pope
Pelagius, whych fyrst ordayned them to
blemyshe the gospell preachynge and to
fyll the tyme with Idell vanytees. Yea, ye
wuld putt menne to deathe rather than
fayle, for not obserui~ge them, yf they ded
not thus with pore Tolwyn shamefullye
recante. So good, faythfull, obedient,
and louynge are ye to your holie fathers
of Rome, though your wylye pretence
be an other.



1 THys ys an olde practyse of owr
holye prelates, euermoreto leaue

D

one craftye clause or other as a startynge
hole to Rone to, yf daunger happen
to them of ther dedes here after. Thynke
yow that my lorde of London wyll be
founde fawtye in thys acte, in case yt be
proued in processe of tyme, blasphemouse,
trayterouse, cruell, and deuylyshe, by
the sacred scripturs and by the kynges statutes
and lawes? Naye, I warande yow.
He ys of a more craftye generacyon than
so. I trowe my lorde wyl washe hys handes
here with Pylate. Not one spotte
shall apere in hys rochett of all that ys done
in thys matter.
2 Rather schall Tolwyn confesse hym
selfe here to be hys owne accuser to my
lorde, not all vnlyke to hym that ha~geth
hymself or drowneth hymself. So workmanlye
wyll thys matter be handled.
Partlye hath Tolwyn by hys owne confession
denounced hym self for a sedycyouse
doer, detected hymself for an heretyque,
and presented hymself for a greuouse
offender for not obseruynge the popes
holye tradycyons. And thys ys ynough
to clere my lorde, yf anye lykelyhode
of olde fryndeshypp towarde hys
holye fatherhede do here after apere. But
who extorted thys confessyon more semynge
a deuyll than a manne, with threttenynges

of fagottes and fyre? That wyll
be easye to knowe to hym that marketh
the termes. Neuer coude tolwyn throughlye
knowe what these rhetoryckes ment,
as are denuncyacyon, deteccyon, and presentacyon,
so longe as he was in cambryge,
neyther by hys art stodye, nor yet by
hys scole dyuynyte, tyll he came to my
lorde of Londons howse. There was he
sone made perfyght in them, by some
well stodyed manne of the popes lawe.
For from thens they came fyrst in dede.
Neuer ys a manne to olde to be taught,
and be brought in farder practyse.
3 The wytnesses also receyued the same
doctrine, to the same selfe ende and
purpose. And here they are called suffycyent.
Whether yt be for that they were
manye in nombre whych than accused
hym, or be cause they are accounted honest
menne for ther goodes falselye gotten
or in that yt pleased hys Good lordeshypp
so to accept them for ther olde faythes
sake, lett the dylygent reader iudge.
Soche allowaunce of catholyck wytnesses
and recordes ageynst heretyques, for
the vpholdynge of holye churche, ys no
newe thynge, yf ye serche the scripturs a~d
hystoryes. For they that accused Christ
for a malefactor, a supporter of synners, a

D ij

deuylyshe persone, a subuerter of the peple,
a blasphemouse heretyque, a breaker
of ther Sabboth, a defyler of ther lawes, a
sower of sedycyon, and destroyer of holye
churche, a traytour ageynst cesar, and
soche lyke, were accepted and abeled of
Annas a~d Cayphas for honest, credible,
wyse, and suffycient menne, though all
the worlde knoweth them for false periures
and knaues. So sone as the Apostles
beganne ones to preache after Christes
ascencyon, by soche ghostlye chyldre~ of
holye churche were they accused and co~pelled
to make answer in the spu~al court
of the Iewes. And sens that tyme hath the
bysshopps bene seldome without soche
prodygyouse pykethankes and glaueringe
glosers, to brynge menne coram nobis.
Which thynke they do God great
good seruyce, whan they brynge one of
hys pore lambes vnto deathe, as they do
in dede, though ther seruyce be nothinge
to ther owne sowles profyght, as it wyll
apere in the last rekenynge. Well, these
suffycyent wytnesses and recordes of my
lorde, or true vpholders of the popes olde
faythe, hath suffycyentlye proued Tolwyn
an heretyque in that behalfe, besydes
hys owne confession. That is to saye,
in that he hath not gone processyon vpo~

saturdayes at euensonge, nor workemanlye
made hys holye water and holy breade,
nor confessed hymselfe as the vse of
Rome is, and so forth. And vpo~ these suffycyent
accusacyo~s wolde my lorde haue
conde~pned hym to the fyre without mercye,
had he not recanted at Paules crosse.
Sone maye ye knowe wher of yowr holye
prelates smelleth, yf ye way thys matter
a ryght. Now resort we ageine to the
text.



1 PReposterouse alwayes are the iudgementes
of thys vyperouse generacyon.
Euermore esteme they that is
euyll to be good, and that is good to be
euyll, as wytnesseth Esaye. Ambycyon,
pryde, and vayne glory take they for spirituall

D iij

holynesse, clerelye reiectynge the
ryghtousnesse of God for ther owne beastlye
tradycyons whom hys hart abhorreth.
Thus putt they darkenesse for lyght
and lyght for darkenesse. Mennys wysdome
(whych ys but errour, dottage, and
blyndenesse of the sprete) preferre they to
the eternall wysdome of God. Verye folyshnesse,
heresye, and madnesse do they
iudge the gospell, whych ys the stronge
power of the lorde vnto saluacyon to all
them that beleueth yt. That make they sower
whych ys more swete than honye,
and that vyle whych ys most precyouse,
as to putt in the lorde owr whole confydence
and trust, lyke as hys holye worde
leadeth vs. For hys vndefyled lawes, mynystre
they the doctryne of deuyls,
with lyes in hypocresye. Thus doth the
chyldren of thys worlde peruert all godlynesse.
As the very antychrystes turne
they the tre rotes vpwarde. Into a wycked
mynde therfor hath the lorde geuen
them ouer, strongelye to delude the vnbeleuers
for ther vnbeleues sake. Se how
thys subtyle charmer, thys coniurer of Egypt,
thys vnbonere bysshopp Boner, a
very blodye bocher of Babylo~ doth ha~dle
thys poore innocent Chrystyane.
2 So hath he bywytched hym with

hys craftye legerdemayne. So hath he feared
hym for thynges of no wayght. Yea
so hath he compassed hym with threttenynges
of terryble deathe, that nedes he
must grau~t synne where no synne ys, and
ope~lye co~fesse a greuouse offence where
as no~ ys at al. He must acknowlege to the
peple to haue deserued no small ponnyshme~t
at my lordes ha~de, though hys co~scyence
standeth clere to the co~trarie. What
haynouse treaso~ hast thu done good symple
manne, that thu standest thus forth for
a wonder of the worlde? What ys thy
offence, that yt requyreth soche open shame?
Is yt theft or murther, whoredome or
Idolatrye, superstycyon or sacrylege?
Than were yt more mete that my lorde
stode there than thu. For of these frutes
and soche other, he hath moche more store
than thyselfe hath, as yt ys easye to perseyue
by thys processe. If yt be for not obseruynge
the commendable rytes, ceremonyes,
and customes of holye churche, as
ys seyd afore. Than ought my lorde also
to suffre the same selfe ponnyshment,
for not goynge abought with saynt Nycolas
clarkes, for not hallowynge pelgrimes
to Hierusalem and Rome, for
not sensinge the plowghes vpo~ plowgh
mondaye, for not rostynge egges in the

D iiij

palme ashes fyre, and for not syngynge
Gaudeamus in the worshypp of holye
Thomas Becket, with soche other lyke,
which were sumtyme more lawdable ceremonyes,
than eyther saturdaye processyon
or yet holye water makynge vpon
the sondaye. But my lorde doth here moche
after the practyse of his olde predecessours,
which heaped vpon mennys sholders
intollerable burdens of tradycyons.
They layed vpo~ the~ heuy yokes ynough
therselues not ones mouynge ther fingars
therunto for soylynge.
3 He that doth couete to knowe the naturall
compassyon, gentylnesse, and fauoure,
whyche regneth in a bysshopp of
antichristes kyngedome, lett him here
as in a glasse behold it. For Tolwyn hath
founde my lorde verye fauorable and
good vnto hi~, as he here protesteth. What
though he hath sta~de forth at Paules crosse
to hys rudyculouse reproche, for not obseruynge
the lowsye lawes and Idele ceremonyes of the pope, yet is my lorde verye
charitable vnto hym. What though
thys vncomelye prospect hath made of
hys fryndes hys vtter enemyes, and
brought hym out of al honest estymacyo~
of menne, yet hath my lorde shewed great
goodnesse vnto hym. What though

thys recantacyon declareth hym of a frynde
an enemye to godes truthe, preparynge
hym to the fyre in case he here after
fall in relapse and turne ageyne to Christ,
yet ys my lorde verye plentuouse and large
in mercye towardes hym. Thi~ke yow
that the wolfe, (whych ys naturallye geuen
to rauyne) sheweth not great gentylnesse
whan he suffreth hys praye to passe
from hys gredye mouthe, and so leaueth
hym vndeuowred, what though he hath
afore spoyled hym both of hys wolle a~d
skynne? Yes surelye doth he, and farre otherwyse
than he hath of hys chorlyshe
nature. Than commende my lorde bonner
of London for thus charytablye handelynge
Tolwyn, consyderynge that the
serpentyne nature of a bysshopp of that
kynde wolde otherwyse. But trulye yf
thys be my lordes charyte, goodnesse, a~d
mercye, hys dyspleasure, hate, and malyce
ys the deuyll and all.
4 But how cometh yt to passe that my
lorde hath shewed hymself here so mercyfull
vpon my humble submyssyon and
penytent sute vnto hym, sayth Tolwyn.
Yea marrye, now I here the. I wolde els
haue thought yt moche more than a myracle,
the wolfe so to haue left the shepe, the
foxe the capon, and the marleon the poore
byrde. I warrand the goode poore

creature thy submyssion was not small
to temper the furye of soche a woluyshe
tyraunt. Thy sute was not lyttle with promes
and othe to maynteyne all Romishe
poperye, to saue thy syllye carkas from
the fyre. Oh, my serable calamyte of sowle.
Oh, most vngodlye handelynge of
Christen peple. Awake ones ye Christen
gouernours out of your slouthfull dreames,
and attende to your ryght offyce.
For whyls yow are a slepe, the enemye
soweth tares amonge the good sede. Suffre
not the peple of God to peryshe amonge
these proude gloryouse glottons of Sodome
and Egypt, for want of lokynge
to. Leaue them not to the handes of soche
vnmercyfull tyrau~tes, vnlesse ye care not
for them. If anye blasphemouse spectacle
maye moue yow to shewe your selues
godes true mynysters, lett thys be one hardelye.
For all the worlde wondreth of
yt, as they maye full well, yow sufferynge
the holye ghost to be in soche conte~pt,
hys graces not regarded.



1 FOr not straynynge out a gnatt (as
Christ calleth the fryuelouse obseruacyon
of the Idell ceremonyes) ys all
thys terryble tragedye, thys outwarde penaunce,
thys open shame of the worlde,
called here the charitable goodnesse and
fatherlye mercye of my lorde of Londo~.
Moche easyer had yt bene for Tolwyn to
haue broken all the commaundementes
that euer God gaue, great and small, preceptes
and counseles as they call the, than
one beggerlye tradycyon of the popes
whoryshnesse, so ferce are hys horned
warryours in hys holye cause, though
they speke yt not. For a ma~ne (they saye)
maye loue hys howse well, though he sit
not vpon the toppe therof. Had he commytted
an hondreth kyndes of Idolatrye
superstycyon, hypocresye, treason, sorcerye,
theft, rape, fornycacyon, fylthynesse,
sodometrye, and the deuyll and all els,
(as ther smered shauelynges doth dalye)
Benedicite vnder a stoole had bene able
to dyscharge hym. If he had betrayed hys

kynge .vii. tymes, murthered a score of innocentes,
and defyled an hondreth vyrgyns
(as many of that generacyon hath
done) Ego absoluo te had bene able to
clere hym ageynst all menne. But an heresye
commytted ageynst holye churche
(whych ys the verye execrable whore of
Babylon, hauynge nothynge ryghtlye of
Christ) is no power able to remytt. That
must in the syght of all menne with most
extremyte be ponnyshed.
2 An open declaracyon must be made
therof to the peple, to make yt to apere
vnto ther blynde eyes an offence moche
more greuouse than eyther whoredome
or murther, fellanye or treason, beynge
no synne att all but godlynesse. No~ other
ys yt but an offyce dewlye belongynge
to a Christen hart to abhorre suche bestelynesse
as obscureth the glorye of God
3 Yea, a solempne promyse must be
made also vpon thys declaracyon, of studyouse
indeuoraunce with all dylygence
and power possyble, to Remayne fro~
hence forth a false periured Chrystiane, a
double sworne papyst, a newe professed
traytoure ageynst God a~d all godlynesse
4 Whom my lord calleth a catholycke
ma~. Whych ys as moche to saye, as a ma~ne
liuynge styll after the same rewles and

the same selfe customes that were vsed in
thys realme before the popes puttynge
downe. And what ys thys els, but layserlye
by a lyttle and lyttle to sett hym vp ageyne
and to restore hym to hys olde seate,
or els to rayse vpp soche an other antichryst
for hym though yt maye not so
be spoken? Whan olde practyses wyll
no lo~ger helpe, tha~ must newe be sought
out, to the vpholdi~ge of owr gaye glytterynge
Gabaon. This maye ye se that yt
ys moche lesse daunger to offende a godlye
mynded woman, than a proude paynted
whore, a meke spreted ladye, than a
malycyouse modye qweane. For pacye~tlye
wyll she remytt all iniuryes done,
where the other wyll spyghtfullye reuenge
them. The gentyll spouse of Chryst
(whych ys hys churche wythout spotte)
ys euermore redye to forgeue, though
the offence be done seue~tye seuen tymes.
The cruell synagoge of sathan (whych ys
the sodomytycall swarme of smered sorcerers)
prouoketh euermore her horned
whoremongers to fyght in her quarell,
and to persecute her offenders vnto deathe
by manye vniust lawes and decrees.
5 Farre vnlyke schall ye fynde these
ij. churches, yf ye conferre them togyther,
brynge them to the touche stone, proue

31

ther spretes, and trye them by the scripturs
The office of a Christen byshopp were
rather to preache than to ponnyshe, rather
to fede than to famyshe, rather gentyllye
to allure than curryshely to rebuke before
the worlde, were he after the ordre of
Christ and hys apostoles. But my lorde
ys of an other smokye brode, whose nature
ys to rauyshe and destroye, to deuoure
the flocke and fede them selues with
the fatte, executynge vpon them all tyra~nye
possyble. Lorde pyte thy poore peple,
and wytsaue ones to open the in warde
eyes of worldlye rewlers, that they
maye in thy feare beholde these myschefes
with Iosaphat, hiehu, Ezechias, and
godlye Iosias, for as yet we are farre from
godlynesse for all owr newe reformacyon.



1 SE yf there be in the worlde anye myschefe,
abhomynacyo~, or deuylyshnesse
lyke vnto thers. In euery poynt do they
shewe them selues the verye aduersaryes
of God, and the rebellynge sede of the serpent.
Christ at hys departure from thys
worlde, commaunded onlye preachynge
and baptyme to hys apostles, and neyther
syngynge nor sensynge, holye watterynge
nor massynge. Thys do they with
all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed.
For Tolwyn ys here commaunded
from hence forth neyther to preache
nor to teache, vpon soche peynes and penaltees
as are due to heretyques, whych
ys no lesse tha~ burnynge in smythfeld, or
hangynge in the lollars tower at mydnyght
whan menne be a slepe. Wo ys
vnto me (sayth saynt Paule) or dampnacyon
to my sowle, yf I preache not the
gospell. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse,
but to publyshe the glad tydynges of
helthe, moche lesse than to go processyon
or to saye a popysshe masse. Thys necessarye
mynystracyon in the worde, whych
Christ hath ordayned, do they lyke antichristes
condempne. The wholsome offyce
of preachynge that he hath commaunded,

do they most streyghtlye inhybitt.
Ryghtlye therfor ded Christ declare the~
contempners of hys fathers heauenlye ordynaunces
for ther owne fylthye tradycyons
and customes, whych are most abhomynable
blasphemyes.

The manne of synne.

1 Whych denuncyacyon / deteccion /
and presentacyon / 2 hath bene
partlye by myne owne confession 3
and partlye by suffycyent witnesse
and recorde in that behalff 4 sufficyentlye
proued.



1 And al be it for my offence in so
doynge. 2. I knowlege to haue deserued
no small po~nyshment. 3. yet
I haue fou~de soche charitable goodnesse
a~d mercie in my lorde bisshopp
of Londen. 4. upon my submyssyon
and sute vnto hym.



1 That vpon onlye thys declaracyon
2 here made of myne offence vnto
yow 3 with promyse that I

wyll indeuer my selfe to the best of
my power to lyue as a 4 catholike
manne ought 5 and schuld do here after.



1 And that I do not here after
preache or teache anye 2 heresyes / errours /
or noughtye opynyons 3 contrarye
and ageynst the catholike faythe
of owr holie mother the churche /
4 but as moche as can lye in
my power to maynteyne / defende /
5 and auaunce the seyd catholycke

faythe.

Hys dysclosynge.

1 THys ys an olde practyse of owr
holye prelates, euermoreto leaue

D

one craftye clause or other as a startynge
hole to Rone to, yf daunger happen
to them of ther dedes here after. Thynke
yow that my lorde of London wyll be
founde fawtye in thys acte, in case yt be
proued in processe of tyme, blasphemouse,
trayterouse, cruell, and deuylyshe, by
the sacred scripturs and by the kynges statutes
and lawes? Naye, I warande yow.
He ys of a more craftye generacyon than
so. I trowe my lorde wyl washe hys handes
here with Pylate. Not one spotte
shall apere in hys rochett of all that ys done
in thys matter.
2 Rather schall Tolwyn confesse hym
selfe here to be hys owne accuser to my
lorde, not all vnlyke to hym that ha~geth
hymself or drowneth hymself. So workmanlye
wyll thys matter be handled.
Partlye hath Tolwyn by hys owne confession
denounced hym self for a sedycyouse
doer, detected hymself for an heretyque,
and presented hymself for a greuouse
offender for not obseruynge the popes
holye tradycyons. And thys ys ynough
to clere my lorde, yf anye lykelyhode
of olde fryndeshypp towarde hys
holye fatherhede do here after apere. But
who extorted thys confessyon more semynge
a deuyll than a manne, with threttenynges

of fagottes and fyre? That wyll
be easye to knowe to hym that marketh
the termes. Neuer coude tolwyn throughlye
knowe what these rhetoryckes ment,
as are denuncyacyon, deteccyon, and presentacyon,
so longe as he was in cambryge,
neyther by hys art stodye, nor yet by
hys scole dyuynyte, tyll he came to my
lorde of Londons howse. There was he
sone made perfyght in them, by some
well stodyed manne of the popes lawe.
For from thens they came fyrst in dede.
Neuer ys a manne to olde to be taught,
and be brought in farder practyse.
3 The wytnesses also receyued the same
doctrine, to the same selfe ende and
purpose. And here they are called suffycyent.
Whether yt be for that they were
manye in nombre whych than accused
hym, or be cause they are accounted honest
menne for ther goodes falselye gotten
or in that yt pleased hys Good lordeshypp
so to accept them for ther olde faythes
sake, lett the dylygent reader iudge.
Soche allowaunce of catholyck wytnesses
and recordes ageynst heretyques, for
the vpholdynge of holye churche, ys no
newe thynge, yf ye serche the scripturs a~d
hystoryes. For they that accused Christ
for a malefactor, a supporter of synners, a

D ij

deuylyshe persone, a subuerter of the peple,
a blasphemouse heretyque, a breaker
of ther Sabboth, a defyler of ther lawes, a
sower of sedycyon, and destroyer of holye
churche, a traytour ageynst cesar, and
soche lyke, were accepted and abeled of
Annas a~d Cayphas for honest, credible,
wyse, and suffycient menne, though all
the worlde knoweth them for false periures
and knaues. So sone as the Apostles
beganne ones to preache after Christes
ascencyon, by soche ghostlye chyldre~ of
holye churche were they accused and co~pelled
to make answer in the spu~al court
of the Iewes. And sens that tyme hath the
bysshopps bene seldome without soche
prodygyouse pykethankes and glaueringe
glosers, to brynge menne coram nobis.
Which thynke they do God great
good seruyce, whan they brynge one of
hys pore lambes vnto deathe, as they do
in dede, though ther seruyce be nothinge
to ther owne sowles profyght, as it wyll
apere in the last rekenynge. Well, these
suffycyent wytnesses and recordes of my
lorde, or true vpholders of the popes olde
faythe, hath suffycyentlye proued Tolwyn
an heretyque in that behalfe, besydes
hys owne confession. That is to saye,
in that he hath not gone processyon vpo~

saturdayes at euensonge, nor workemanlye
made hys holye water and holy breade,
nor confessed hymselfe as the vse of
Rome is, and so forth. And vpo~ these suffycyent
accusacyo~s wolde my lorde haue
conde~pned hym to the fyre without mercye,
had he not recanted at Paules crosse.
Sone maye ye knowe wher of yowr holye
prelates smelleth, yf ye way thys matter
a ryght. Now resort we ageine to the
text.



1 PReposterouse alwayes are the iudgementes
of thys vyperouse generacyon.
Euermore esteme they that is
euyll to be good, and that is good to be
euyll, as wytnesseth Esaye. Ambycyon,
pryde, and vayne glory take they for spirituall

D iij

holynesse, clerelye reiectynge the
ryghtousnesse of God for ther owne beastlye
tradycyons whom hys hart abhorreth.
Thus putt they darkenesse for lyght
and lyght for darkenesse. Mennys wysdome
(whych ys but errour, dottage, and
blyndenesse of the sprete) preferre they to
the eternall wysdome of God. Verye folyshnesse,
heresye, and madnesse do they
iudge the gospell, whych ys the stronge
power of the lorde vnto saluacyon to all
them that beleueth yt. That make they sower
whych ys more swete than honye,
and that vyle whych ys most precyouse,
as to putt in the lorde owr whole confydence
and trust, lyke as hys holye worde
leadeth vs. For hys vndefyled lawes, mynystre
they the doctryne of deuyls,
with lyes in hypocresye. Thus doth the
chyldren of thys worlde peruert all godlynesse.
As the very antychrystes turne
they the tre rotes vpwarde. Into a wycked
mynde therfor hath the lorde geuen
them ouer, strongelye to delude the vnbeleuers
for ther vnbeleues sake. Se how
thys subtyle charmer, thys coniurer of Egypt,
thys vnbonere bysshopp Boner, a
very blodye bocher of Babylo~ doth ha~dle
thys poore innocent Chrystyane.
2 So hath he bywytched hym with

hys craftye legerdemayne. So hath he feared
hym for thynges of no wayght. Yea
so hath he compassed hym with threttenynges
of terryble deathe, that nedes he
must grau~t synne where no synne ys, and
ope~lye co~fesse a greuouse offence where
as no~ ys at al. He must acknowlege to the
peple to haue deserued no small ponnyshme~t
at my lordes ha~de, though hys co~scyence
standeth clere to the co~trarie. What
haynouse treaso~ hast thu done good symple
manne, that thu standest thus forth for
a wonder of the worlde? What ys thy
offence, that yt requyreth soche open shame?
Is yt theft or murther, whoredome or
Idolatrye, superstycyon or sacrylege?
Than were yt more mete that my lorde
stode there than thu. For of these frutes
and soche other, he hath moche more store
than thyselfe hath, as yt ys easye to perseyue
by thys processe. If yt be for not obseruynge
the commendable rytes, ceremonyes,
and customes of holye churche, as
ys seyd afore. Than ought my lorde also
to suffre the same selfe ponnyshment,
for not goynge abought with saynt Nycolas
clarkes, for not hallowynge pelgrimes
to Hierusalem and Rome, for
not sensinge the plowghes vpo~ plowgh
mondaye, for not rostynge egges in the

D iiij

palme ashes fyre, and for not syngynge
Gaudeamus in the worshypp of holye
Thomas Becket, with soche other lyke,
which were sumtyme more lawdable ceremonyes,
than eyther saturdaye processyon
or yet holye water makynge vpon
the sondaye. But my lorde doth here moche
after the practyse of his olde predecessours,
which heaped vpon mennys sholders
intollerable burdens of tradycyons.
They layed vpo~ the~ heuy yokes ynough
therselues not ones mouynge ther fingars
therunto for soylynge.
3 He that doth couete to knowe the naturall
compassyon, gentylnesse, and fauoure,
whyche regneth in a bysshopp of
antichristes kyngedome, lett him here
as in a glasse behold it. For Tolwyn hath
founde my lorde verye fauorable and
good vnto hi~, as he here protesteth. What
though he hath sta~de forth at Paules crosse
to hys rudyculouse reproche, for not obseruynge
the lowsye lawes and Idele ceremonyes of the pope, yet is my lorde verye
charitable vnto hym. What though
thys vncomelye prospect hath made of
hys fryndes hys vtter enemyes, and
brought hym out of al honest estymacyo~
of menne, yet hath my lorde shewed great
goodnesse vnto hym. What though

thys recantacyon declareth hym of a frynde
an enemye to godes truthe, preparynge
hym to the fyre in case he here after
fall in relapse and turne ageyne to Christ,
yet ys my lorde verye plentuouse and large
in mercye towardes hym. Thi~ke yow
that the wolfe, (whych ys naturallye geuen
to rauyne) sheweth not great gentylnesse
whan he suffreth hys praye to passe
from hys gredye mouthe, and so leaueth
hym vndeuowred, what though he hath
afore spoyled hym both of hys wolle a~d
skynne? Yes surelye doth he, and farre otherwyse
than he hath of hys chorlyshe
nature. Than commende my lorde bonner
of London for thus charytablye handelynge
Tolwyn, consyderynge that the
serpentyne nature of a bysshopp of that
kynde wolde otherwyse. But trulye yf
thys be my lordes charyte, goodnesse, a~d
mercye, hys dyspleasure, hate, and malyce
ys the deuyll and all.
4 But how cometh yt to passe that my
lorde hath shewed hymself here so mercyfull
vpon my humble submyssyon and
penytent sute vnto hym, sayth Tolwyn.
Yea marrye, now I here the. I wolde els
haue thought yt moche more than a myracle,
the wolfe so to haue left the shepe, the
foxe the capon, and the marleon the poore
byrde. I warrand the goode poore

creature thy submyssion was not small
to temper the furye of soche a woluyshe
tyraunt. Thy sute was not lyttle with promes
and othe to maynteyne all Romishe
poperye, to saue thy syllye carkas from
the fyre. Oh, my serable calamyte of sowle.
Oh, most vngodlye handelynge of
Christen peple. Awake ones ye Christen
gouernours out of your slouthfull dreames,
and attende to your ryght offyce.
For whyls yow are a slepe, the enemye
soweth tares amonge the good sede. Suffre
not the peple of God to peryshe amonge
these proude gloryouse glottons of Sodome
and Egypt, for want of lokynge
to. Leaue them not to the handes of soche
vnmercyfull tyrau~tes, vnlesse ye care not
for them. If anye blasphemouse spectacle
maye moue yow to shewe your selues
godes true mynysters, lett thys be one hardelye.
For all the worlde wondreth of
yt, as they maye full well, yow sufferynge
the holye ghost to be in soche conte~pt,
hys graces not regarded.



1 FOr not straynynge out a gnatt (as
Christ calleth the fryuelouse obseruacyon
of the Idell ceremonyes) ys all
thys terryble tragedye, thys outwarde penaunce,
thys open shame of the worlde,
called here the charitable goodnesse and
fatherlye mercye of my lorde of Londo~.
Moche easyer had yt bene for Tolwyn to
haue broken all the commaundementes
that euer God gaue, great and small, preceptes
and counseles as they call the, than
one beggerlye tradycyon of the popes
whoryshnesse, so ferce are hys horned
warryours in hys holye cause, though
they speke yt not. For a ma~ne (they saye)
maye loue hys howse well, though he sit
not vpon the toppe therof. Had he commytted
an hondreth kyndes of Idolatrye
superstycyon, hypocresye, treason, sorcerye,
theft, rape, fornycacyon, fylthynesse,
sodometrye, and the deuyll and all els,
(as ther smered shauelynges doth dalye)
Benedicite vnder a stoole had bene able
to dyscharge hym. If he had betrayed hys

kynge .vii. tymes, murthered a score of innocentes,
and defyled an hondreth vyrgyns
(as many of that generacyon hath
done) Ego absoluo te had bene able to
clere hym ageynst all menne. But an heresye
commytted ageynst holye churche
(whych ys the verye execrable whore of
Babylon, hauynge nothynge ryghtlye of
Christ) is no power able to remytt. That
must in the syght of all menne with most
extremyte be ponnyshed.
2 An open declaracyon must be made
therof to the peple, to make yt to apere
vnto ther blynde eyes an offence moche
more greuouse than eyther whoredome
or murther, fellanye or treason, beynge
no synne att all but godlynesse. No~ other
ys yt but an offyce dewlye belongynge
to a Christen hart to abhorre suche bestelynesse
as obscureth the glorye of God
3 Yea, a solempne promyse must be
made also vpon thys declaracyon, of studyouse
indeuoraunce with all dylygence
and power possyble, to Remayne fro~
hence forth a false periured Chrystiane, a
double sworne papyst, a newe professed
traytoure ageynst God a~d all godlynesse
4 Whom my lord calleth a catholycke
ma~. Whych ys as moche to saye, as a ma~ne
liuynge styll after the same rewles and

the same selfe customes that were vsed in
thys realme before the popes puttynge
downe. And what ys thys els, but layserlye
by a lyttle and lyttle to sett hym vp ageyne
and to restore hym to hys olde seate,
or els to rayse vpp soche an other antichryst
for hym though yt maye not so
be spoken? Whan olde practyses wyll
no lo~ger helpe, tha~ must newe be sought
out, to the vpholdi~ge of owr gaye glytterynge
Gabaon. This maye ye se that yt
ys moche lesse daunger to offende a godlye
mynded woman, than a proude paynted
whore, a meke spreted ladye, than a
malycyouse modye qweane. For pacye~tlye
wyll she remytt all iniuryes done,
where the other wyll spyghtfullye reuenge
them. The gentyll spouse of Chryst
(whych ys hys churche wythout spotte)
ys euermore redye to forgeue, though
the offence be done seue~tye seuen tymes.
The cruell synagoge of sathan (whych ys
the sodomytycall swarme of smered sorcerers)
prouoketh euermore her horned
whoremongers to fyght in her quarell,
and to persecute her offenders vnto deathe
by manye vniust lawes and decrees.
5 Farre vnlyke schall ye fynde these
ij. churches, yf ye conferre them togyther,
brynge them to the touche stone, proue

31

ther spretes, and trye them by the scripturs
The office of a Christen byshopp were
rather to preache than to ponnyshe, rather
to fede than to famyshe, rather gentyllye
to allure than curryshely to rebuke before
the worlde, were he after the ordre of
Christ and hys apostoles. But my lorde
ys of an other smokye brode, whose nature
ys to rauyshe and destroye, to deuoure
the flocke and fede them selues with
the fatte, executynge vpon them all tyra~nye
possyble. Lorde pyte thy poore peple,
and wytsaue ones to open the in warde
eyes of worldlye rewlers, that they
maye in thy feare beholde these myschefes
with Iosaphat, hiehu, Ezechias, and
godlye Iosias, for as yet we are farre from
godlynesse for all owr newe reformacyon.



1 SE yf there be in the worlde anye myschefe,
abhomynacyo~, or deuylyshnesse
lyke vnto thers. In euery poynt do they
shewe them selues the verye aduersaryes
of God, and the rebellynge sede of the serpent.
Christ at hys departure from thys
worlde, commaunded onlye preachynge
and baptyme to hys apostles, and neyther
syngynge nor sensynge, holye watterynge
nor massynge. Thys do they with
all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed.
For Tolwyn ys here commaunded
from hence forth neyther to preache
nor to teache, vpon soche peynes and penaltees
as are due to heretyques, whych
ys no lesse tha~ burnynge in smythfeld, or
hangynge in the lollars tower at mydnyght
whan menne be a slepe. Wo ys
vnto me (sayth saynt Paule) or dampnacyon
to my sowle, yf I preache not the
gospell. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse,
but to publyshe the glad tydynges of
helthe, moche lesse than to go processyon
or to saye a popysshe masse. Thys necessarye
mynystracyon in the worde, whych
Christ hath ordayned, do they lyke antichristes
condempne. The wholsome offyce
of preachynge that he hath commaunded,

do they most streyghtlye inhybitt.
Ryghtlye therfor ded Christ declare the~
contempners of hys fathers heauenlye ordynaunces
for ther owne fylthye tradycyons
and customes, whych are most abhomynable
blasphemyes.

The manne of synne.

1 And al be it for my offence in so
doynge. 2. I knowlege to haue deserued
no small po~nyshment. 3. yet
I haue fou~de soche charitable goodnesse
a~d mercie in my lorde bisshopp
of Londen. 4. upon my submyssyon
and sute vnto hym.



1 That vpon onlye thys declaracyon
2 here made of myne offence vnto
yow 3 with promyse that I

wyll indeuer my selfe to the best of
my power to lyue as a 4 catholike
manne ought 5 and schuld do here after.



1 And that I do not here after
preache or teache anye 2 heresyes / errours /
or noughtye opynyons 3 contrarye
and ageynst the catholike faythe
of owr holie mother the churche /
4 but as moche as can lye in
my power to maynteyne / defende /
5 and auaunce the seyd catholycke

faythe.

Hys dysclosynge.

1 PReposterouse alwayes are the iudgementes
of thys vyperouse generacyon.
Euermore esteme they that is
euyll to be good, and that is good to be
euyll, as wytnesseth Esaye. Ambycyon,
pryde, and vayne glory take they for spirituall

D iij

holynesse, clerelye reiectynge the
ryghtousnesse of God for ther owne beastlye
tradycyons whom hys hart abhorreth.
Thus putt they darkenesse for lyght
and lyght for darkenesse. Mennys wysdome
(whych ys but errour, dottage, and
blyndenesse of the sprete) preferre they to
the eternall wysdome of God. Verye folyshnesse,
heresye, and madnesse do they
iudge the gospell, whych ys the stronge
power of the lorde vnto saluacyon to all
them that beleueth yt. That make they sower
whych ys more swete than honye,
and that vyle whych ys most precyouse,
as to putt in the lorde owr whole confydence
and trust, lyke as hys holye worde
leadeth vs. For hys vndefyled lawes, mynystre
they the doctryne of deuyls,
with lyes in hypocresye. Thus doth the
chyldren of thys worlde peruert all godlynesse.
As the very antychrystes turne
they the tre rotes vpwarde. Into a wycked
mynde therfor hath the lorde geuen
them ouer, strongelye to delude the vnbeleuers
for ther vnbeleues sake. Se how
thys subtyle charmer, thys coniurer of Egypt,
thys vnbonere bysshopp Boner, a
very blodye bocher of Babylo~ doth ha~dle
thys poore innocent Chrystyane.
2 So hath he bywytched hym with

hys craftye legerdemayne. So hath he feared
hym for thynges of no wayght. Yea
so hath he compassed hym with threttenynges
of terryble deathe, that nedes he
must grau~t synne where no synne ys, and
ope~lye co~fesse a greuouse offence where
as no~ ys at al. He must acknowlege to the
peple to haue deserued no small ponnyshme~t
at my lordes ha~de, though hys co~scyence
standeth clere to the co~trarie. What
haynouse treaso~ hast thu done good symple
manne, that thu standest thus forth for
a wonder of the worlde? What ys thy
offence, that yt requyreth soche open shame?
Is yt theft or murther, whoredome or
Idolatrye, superstycyon or sacrylege?
Than were yt more mete that my lorde
stode there than thu. For of these frutes
and soche other, he hath moche more store
than thyselfe hath, as yt ys easye to perseyue
by thys processe. If yt be for not obseruynge
the commendable rytes, ceremonyes,
and customes of holye churche, as
ys seyd afore. Than ought my lorde also
to suffre the same selfe ponnyshment,
for not goynge abought with saynt Nycolas
clarkes, for not hallowynge pelgrimes
to Hierusalem and Rome, for
not sensinge the plowghes vpo~ plowgh
mondaye, for not rostynge egges in the

D iiij

palme ashes fyre, and for not syngynge
Gaudeamus in the worshypp of holye
Thomas Becket, with soche other lyke,
which were sumtyme more lawdable ceremonyes,
than eyther saturdaye processyon
or yet holye water makynge vpon
the sondaye. But my lorde doth here moche
after the practyse of his olde predecessours,
which heaped vpon mennys sholders
intollerable burdens of tradycyons.
They layed vpo~ the~ heuy yokes ynough
therselues not ones mouynge ther fingars
therunto for soylynge.
3 He that doth couete to knowe the naturall
compassyon, gentylnesse, and fauoure,
whyche regneth in a bysshopp of
antichristes kyngedome, lett him here
as in a glasse behold it. For Tolwyn hath
founde my lorde verye fauorable and
good vnto hi~, as he here protesteth. What
though he hath sta~de forth at Paules crosse
to hys rudyculouse reproche, for not obseruynge
the lowsye lawes and Idele ceremonyes of the pope, yet is my lorde verye
charitable vnto hym. What though
thys vncomelye prospect hath made of
hys fryndes hys vtter enemyes, and
brought hym out of al honest estymacyo~
of menne, yet hath my lorde shewed great
goodnesse vnto hym. What though

thys recantacyon declareth hym of a frynde
an enemye to godes truthe, preparynge
hym to the fyre in case he here after
fall in relapse and turne ageyne to Christ,
yet ys my lorde verye plentuouse and large
in mercye towardes hym. Thi~ke yow
that the wolfe, (whych ys naturallye geuen
to rauyne) sheweth not great gentylnesse
whan he suffreth hys praye to passe
from hys gredye mouthe, and so leaueth
hym vndeuowred, what though he hath
afore spoyled hym both of hys wolle a~d
skynne? Yes surelye doth he, and farre otherwyse
than he hath of hys chorlyshe
nature. Than commende my lorde bonner
of London for thus charytablye handelynge
Tolwyn, consyderynge that the
serpentyne nature of a bysshopp of that
kynde wolde otherwyse. But trulye yf
thys be my lordes charyte, goodnesse, a~d
mercye, hys dyspleasure, hate, and malyce
ys the deuyll and all.
4 But how cometh yt to passe that my
lorde hath shewed hymself here so mercyfull
vpon my humble submyssyon and
penytent sute vnto hym, sayth Tolwyn.
Yea marrye, now I here the. I wolde els
haue thought yt moche more than a myracle,
the wolfe so to haue left the shepe, the
foxe the capon, and the marleon the poore
byrde. I warrand the goode poore

creature thy submyssion was not small
to temper the furye of soche a woluyshe
tyraunt. Thy sute was not lyttle with promes
and othe to maynteyne all Romishe
poperye, to saue thy syllye carkas from
the fyre. Oh, my serable calamyte of sowle.
Oh, most vngodlye handelynge of
Christen peple. Awake ones ye Christen
gouernours out of your slouthfull dreames,
and attende to your ryght offyce.
For whyls yow are a slepe, the enemye
soweth tares amonge the good sede. Suffre
not the peple of God to peryshe amonge
these proude gloryouse glottons of Sodome
and Egypt, for want of lokynge
to. Leaue them not to the handes of soche
vnmercyfull tyrau~tes, vnlesse ye care not
for them. If anye blasphemouse spectacle
maye moue yow to shewe your selues
godes true mynysters, lett thys be one hardelye.
For all the worlde wondreth of
yt, as they maye full well, yow sufferynge
the holye ghost to be in soche conte~pt,
hys graces not regarded.



1 FOr not straynynge out a gnatt (as
Christ calleth the fryuelouse obseruacyon
of the Idell ceremonyes) ys all
thys terryble tragedye, thys outwarde penaunce,
thys open shame of the worlde,
called here the charitable goodnesse and
fatherlye mercye of my lorde of Londo~.
Moche easyer had yt bene for Tolwyn to
haue broken all the commaundementes
that euer God gaue, great and small, preceptes
and counseles as they call the, than
one beggerlye tradycyon of the popes
whoryshnesse, so ferce are hys horned
warryours in hys holye cause, though
they speke yt not. For a ma~ne (they saye)
maye loue hys howse well, though he sit
not vpon the toppe therof. Had he commytted
an hondreth kyndes of Idolatrye
superstycyon, hypocresye, treason, sorcerye,
theft, rape, fornycacyon, fylthynesse,
sodometrye, and the deuyll and all els,
(as ther smered shauelynges doth dalye)
Benedicite vnder a stoole had bene able
to dyscharge hym. If he had betrayed hys

kynge .vii. tymes, murthered a score of innocentes,
and defyled an hondreth vyrgyns
(as many of that generacyon hath
done) Ego absoluo te had bene able to
clere hym ageynst all menne. But an heresye
commytted ageynst holye churche
(whych ys the verye execrable whore of
Babylon, hauynge nothynge ryghtlye of
Christ) is no power able to remytt. That
must in the syght of all menne with most
extremyte be ponnyshed.
2 An open declaracyon must be made
therof to the peple, to make yt to apere
vnto ther blynde eyes an offence moche
more greuouse than eyther whoredome
or murther, fellanye or treason, beynge
no synne att all but godlynesse. No~ other
ys yt but an offyce dewlye belongynge
to a Christen hart to abhorre suche bestelynesse
as obscureth the glorye of God
3 Yea, a solempne promyse must be
made also vpon thys declaracyon, of studyouse
indeuoraunce with all dylygence
and power possyble, to Remayne fro~
hence forth a false periured Chrystiane, a
double sworne papyst, a newe professed
traytoure ageynst God a~d all godlynesse
4 Whom my lord calleth a catholycke
ma~. Whych ys as moche to saye, as a ma~ne
liuynge styll after the same rewles and

the same selfe customes that were vsed in
thys realme before the popes puttynge
downe. And what ys thys els, but layserlye
by a lyttle and lyttle to sett hym vp ageyne
and to restore hym to hys olde seate,
or els to rayse vpp soche an other antichryst
for hym though yt maye not so
be spoken? Whan olde practyses wyll
no lo~ger helpe, tha~ must newe be sought
out, to the vpholdi~ge of owr gaye glytterynge
Gabaon. This maye ye se that yt
ys moche lesse daunger to offende a godlye
mynded woman, than a proude paynted
whore, a meke spreted ladye, than a
malycyouse modye qweane. For pacye~tlye
wyll she remytt all iniuryes done,
where the other wyll spyghtfullye reuenge
them. The gentyll spouse of Chryst
(whych ys hys churche wythout spotte)
ys euermore redye to forgeue, though
the offence be done seue~tye seuen tymes.
The cruell synagoge of sathan (whych ys
the sodomytycall swarme of smered sorcerers)
prouoketh euermore her horned
whoremongers to fyght in her quarell,
and to persecute her offenders vnto deathe
by manye vniust lawes and decrees.
5 Farre vnlyke schall ye fynde these
ij. churches, yf ye conferre them togyther,
brynge them to the touche stone, proue

31

ther spretes, and trye them by the scripturs
The office of a Christen byshopp were
rather to preache than to ponnyshe, rather
to fede than to famyshe, rather gentyllye
to allure than curryshely to rebuke before
the worlde, were he after the ordre of
Christ and hys apostoles. But my lorde
ys of an other smokye brode, whose nature
ys to rauyshe and destroye, to deuoure
the flocke and fede them selues with
the fatte, executynge vpon them all tyra~nye
possyble. Lorde pyte thy poore peple,
and wytsaue ones to open the in warde
eyes of worldlye rewlers, that they
maye in thy feare beholde these myschefes
with Iosaphat, hiehu, Ezechias, and
godlye Iosias, for as yet we are farre from
godlynesse for all owr newe reformacyon.



1 SE yf there be in the worlde anye myschefe,
abhomynacyo~, or deuylyshnesse
lyke vnto thers. In euery poynt do they
shewe them selues the verye aduersaryes
of God, and the rebellynge sede of the serpent.
Christ at hys departure from thys
worlde, commaunded onlye preachynge
and baptyme to hys apostles, and neyther
syngynge nor sensynge, holye watterynge
nor massynge. Thys do they with
all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed.
For Tolwyn ys here commaunded
from hence forth neyther to preache
nor to teache, vpon soche peynes and penaltees
as are due to heretyques, whych
ys no lesse tha~ burnynge in smythfeld, or
hangynge in the lollars tower at mydnyght
whan menne be a slepe. Wo ys
vnto me (sayth saynt Paule) or dampnacyon
to my sowle, yf I preache not the
gospell. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse,
but to publyshe the glad tydynges of
helthe, moche lesse than to go processyon
or to saye a popysshe masse. Thys necessarye
mynystracyon in the worde, whych
Christ hath ordayned, do they lyke antichristes
condempne. The wholsome offyce
of preachynge that he hath commaunded,

do they most streyghtlye inhybitt.
Ryghtlye therfor ded Christ declare the~
contempners of hys fathers heauenlye ordynaunces
for ther owne fylthye tradycyons
and customes, whych are most abhomynable
blasphemyes.

The manne of synne.

1 That vpon onlye thys declaracyon
2 here made of myne offence vnto
yow 3 with promyse that I

wyll indeuer my selfe to the best of
my power to lyue as a 4 catholike
manne ought 5 and schuld do here after.



1 And that I do not here after
preache or teache anye 2 heresyes / errours /
or noughtye opynyons 3 contrarye
and ageynst the catholike faythe
of owr holie mother the churche /
4 but as moche as can lye in
my power to maynteyne / defende /
5 and auaunce the seyd catholycke

faythe.

Hys dysclosynge.

1 FOr not straynynge out a gnatt (as
Christ calleth the fryuelouse obseruacyon
of the Idell ceremonyes) ys all
thys terryble tragedye, thys outwarde penaunce,
thys open shame of the worlde,
called here the charitable goodnesse and
fatherlye mercye of my lorde of Londo~.
Moche easyer had yt bene for Tolwyn to
haue broken all the commaundementes
that euer God gaue, great and small, preceptes
and counseles as they call the, than
one beggerlye tradycyon of the popes
whoryshnesse, so ferce are hys horned
warryours in hys holye cause, though
they speke yt not. For a ma~ne (they saye)
maye loue hys howse well, though he sit
not vpon the toppe therof. Had he commytted
an hondreth kyndes of Idolatrye
superstycyon, hypocresye, treason, sorcerye,
theft, rape, fornycacyon, fylthynesse,
sodometrye, and the deuyll and all els,
(as ther smered shauelynges doth dalye)
Benedicite vnder a stoole had bene able
to dyscharge hym. If he had betrayed hys

kynge .vii. tymes, murthered a score of innocentes,
and defyled an hondreth vyrgyns
(as many of that generacyon hath
done) Ego absoluo te had bene able to
clere hym ageynst all menne. But an heresye
commytted ageynst holye churche
(whych ys the verye execrable whore of
Babylon, hauynge nothynge ryghtlye of
Christ) is no power able to remytt. That
must in the syght of all menne with most
extremyte be ponnyshed.
2 An open declaracyon must be made
therof to the peple, to make yt to apere
vnto ther blynde eyes an offence moche
more greuouse than eyther whoredome
or murther, fellanye or treason, beynge
no synne att all but godlynesse. No~ other
ys yt but an offyce dewlye belongynge
to a Christen hart to abhorre suche bestelynesse
as obscureth the glorye of God
3 Yea, a solempne promyse must be
made also vpon thys declaracyon, of studyouse
indeuoraunce with all dylygence
and power possyble, to Remayne fro~
hence forth a false periured Chrystiane, a
double sworne papyst, a newe professed
traytoure ageynst God a~d all godlynesse
4 Whom my lord calleth a catholycke
ma~. Whych ys as moche to saye, as a ma~ne
liuynge styll after the same rewles and

the same selfe customes that were vsed in
thys realme before the popes puttynge
downe. And what ys thys els, but layserlye
by a lyttle and lyttle to sett hym vp ageyne
and to restore hym to hys olde seate,
or els to rayse vpp soche an other antichryst
for hym though yt maye not so
be spoken? Whan olde practyses wyll
no lo~ger helpe, tha~ must newe be sought
out, to the vpholdi~ge of owr gaye glytterynge
Gabaon. This maye ye se that yt
ys moche lesse daunger to offende a godlye
mynded woman, than a proude paynted
whore, a meke spreted ladye, than a
malycyouse modye qweane. For pacye~tlye
wyll she remytt all iniuryes done,
where the other wyll spyghtfullye reuenge
them. The gentyll spouse of Chryst
(whych ys hys churche wythout spotte)
ys euermore redye to forgeue, though
the offence be done seue~tye seuen tymes.
The cruell synagoge of sathan (whych ys
the sodomytycall swarme of smered sorcerers)
prouoketh euermore her horned
whoremongers to fyght in her quarell,
and to persecute her offenders vnto deathe
by manye vniust lawes and decrees.
5 Farre vnlyke schall ye fynde these
ij. churches, yf ye conferre them togyther,
brynge them to the touche stone, proue

31

ther spretes, and trye them by the scripturs
The office of a Christen byshopp were
rather to preache than to ponnyshe, rather
to fede than to famyshe, rather gentyllye
to allure than curryshely to rebuke before
the worlde, were he after the ordre of
Christ and hys apostoles. But my lorde
ys of an other smokye brode, whose nature
ys to rauyshe and destroye, to deuoure
the flocke and fede them selues with
the fatte, executynge vpon them all tyra~nye
possyble. Lorde pyte thy poore peple,
and wytsaue ones to open the in warde
eyes of worldlye rewlers, that they
maye in thy feare beholde these myschefes
with Iosaphat, hiehu, Ezechias, and
godlye Iosias, for as yet we are farre from
godlynesse for all owr newe reformacyon.



1 SE yf there be in the worlde anye myschefe,
abhomynacyo~, or deuylyshnesse
lyke vnto thers. In euery poynt do they
shewe them selues the verye aduersaryes
of God, and the rebellynge sede of the serpent.
Christ at hys departure from thys
worlde, commaunded onlye preachynge
and baptyme to hys apostles, and neyther
syngynge nor sensynge, holye watterynge
nor massynge. Thys do they with
all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed.
For Tolwyn ys here commaunded
from hence forth neyther to preache
nor to teache, vpon soche peynes and penaltees
as are due to heretyques, whych
ys no lesse tha~ burnynge in smythfeld, or
hangynge in the lollars tower at mydnyght
whan menne be a slepe. Wo ys
vnto me (sayth saynt Paule) or dampnacyon
to my sowle, yf I preache not the
gospell. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse,
but to publyshe the glad tydynges of
helthe, moche lesse than to go processyon
or to saye a popysshe masse. Thys necessarye
mynystracyon in the worde, whych
Christ hath ordayned, do they lyke antichristes
condempne. The wholsome offyce
of preachynge that he hath commaunded,

do they most streyghtlye inhybitt.
Ryghtlye therfor ded Christ declare the~
contempners of hys fathers heauenlye ordynaunces
for ther owne fylthye tradycyons
and customes, whych are most abhomynable
blasphemyes.

The manne of synne.

1 And that I do not here after
preache or teache anye 2 heresyes / errours /
or noughtye opynyons 3 contrarye
and ageynst the catholike faythe
of owr holie mother the churche /
4 but as moche as can lye in
my power to maynteyne / defende /
5 and auaunce the seyd catholycke

faythe.

Hys dysclosynge.

1 SE yf there be in the worlde anye myschefe,
abhomynacyo~, or deuylyshnesse
lyke vnto thers. In euery poynt do they
shewe them selues the verye aduersaryes
of God, and the rebellynge sede of the serpent.
Christ at hys departure from thys
worlde, commaunded onlye preachynge
and baptyme to hys apostles, and neyther
syngynge nor sensynge, holye watterynge
nor massynge. Thys do they with
all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed.
For Tolwyn ys here commaunded
from hence forth neyther to preache
nor to teache, vpon soche peynes and penaltees
as are due to heretyques, whych
ys no lesse tha~ burnynge in smythfeld, or
hangynge in the lollars tower at mydnyght
whan menne be a slepe. Wo ys
vnto me (sayth saynt Paule) or dampnacyon
to my sowle, yf I preache not the
gospell. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse,
but to publyshe the glad tydynges of
helthe, moche lesse than to go processyon
or to saye a popysshe masse. Thys necessarye
mynystracyon in the worde, whych
Christ hath ordayned, do they lyke antichristes
condempne. The wholsome offyce
of preachynge that he hath commaunded,

do they most streyghtlye inhybitt.
Ryghtlye therfor ded Christ declare the~
contempners of hys fathers heauenlye ordynaunces
for ther owne fylthye tradycyons
and customes, whych are most abhomynable
blasphemyes.