Extracts of several trials of some pretended Heretics in the diocese of Sarum, taken out of an old Register.
IN the name of the holy Trinite, Fadir, Son, and Holy Goste, his blessed Modir, and al the holy compeny of hevyn; we Austyn Stere, of.... Herry Benette of Spene, William Brigger of Thachum, Richard Hignell, William Priour, and Richard Goddard of Newbery, and every of us severally in the diocess of Sarum, gretely noted, defamed, detecte, and to you, reverend Fadir in God, Thomas, by God’s grace, Bishop of Sarum, our Jugge and Ordinarie, denownced for untrew belevyng men; and also that we and every of us shold hold, afferme, teche, and defende openly and prively heresies, errours, singular opinions, and false doctrines, contrarie to the commen doctrine of our Modir holy Church; and with subtilites, eville soundyng, and deceyveable to the eres of true sympille understanding Cristen people, which be to us and every of us severelly nowe by your auctorite procedyng of office promoted, judicially objected.
First, That I Augustyn Stere, have hold affermed and seyd, that the Church of Criste is but a sinagoge, and an house of marchandise, and that Pristis be but scribis and Pharisais, not profyting the Christen people, but disseyvyng them.
Item, I have hold affermed, taught and beleved, that in the Sacramente of the Auter is not the very body of Criste. Farthermore, shewing and seying that Pristis may bie xxx suche goddis for one peny, and will not selle one of them but for two penys.
Item, I have misbeleved, and to dyvers manyfestly shewed that ymages of seynts be not to be worshipped aftir the doctrine of a boke of Commandments, which I have had in my keping, wherein is wreten, that no man shall worship eny thing made or graven with mannys hand, attending the words of the same litterally, and not inclynyng to the sense of the same.
Item, I have spoken and diverse tymes shewed that Pristis be the enemies of Christe.
Item, I have belevyd, said and taught, that St. Petir was never Priste, but a little before his deth. Ferthermore, shewing that Simeon Magos geve hym his tonsure of prysthode, and in spyte of hym, Goddis Vicar contempnyng hys power, called hym a panyer maker.
Fyrst, That I, Herry Benett, have hold and kepte this opinion, that pilgremaggis be not to be made moeved for this cause, for only God is to be warsshyped, and so not themmagis of sayntis, insomoch that I wold never goo a pilgremage but onys, and I have oftyn tymes reproved such as wold spend their money in pilgremage doyng, seing thei myght better spend hit at home.
Item, I have not belevyd stedfastly in the Sacrament of Thauter, seying of hit this wise, that if there were thre Hostys in one pikkis, one of theim consecrate, and the odir not consecrate, a mowse woll as well ete that Hoste consecrate as the odir twayn unconsecrate; the which he myght not, if there were the very body of Criste, for if there were the Fadir, Son, and Holy Goste, he myght not ete theym.
Fyrste, That I, William Brigger, have erred and mysbeleved in the Sacramente of the Auter, seyng and holdyng that there shuld not be the very body of Criste, so taught and enformed in this same grete errour and heresie, by one Richard Sawyer, late of Newbery.
Item, I have spoke and hold ayenste the sacramente of Pennance, seing in this wise; If I have take a manis goode, or stole his cowe, and be sory in harte, I may as well be saved as though I were shreven thereof, for it is inowe to be shryve to God.
Item, I have held and seyde ayenste the doctrine of Prystys, affermyng of them, that all Prystes techeth a false and a blynd way to bryng us all in to the myer. Ferthermore addyng herto, and seyng, howe may it be that blynde William Harper may lede anodir blynde man to Newbery, but both fall yn to the dyche, so dothe all thes Pristis to bryng us alle to dampnation.
Fyrste, That I, Richard Hignel, have hold and mysbeleved of long tyme in the Sacramente of the Auter, seyng that Christe offer’d to Simeon is the very Saeramente of Thauter, so meanyng and belevyng in myn opinion, that the Sacramente in form of brede shuld not be very Godde, but only Criste hymselffe in hevyn is the Sacrament, and none odir, and so I have mysbelevyd and continewed in this errour and heresie unto this tyme of examnacion.
Item, I have be adherente and associat with hereticks abjured, by whos doctrine I have erred, as I have afore spoken. Fyrste, That I, William Priour, have said and hold ayenst the auctorite and power of Pristis, callyng theim scribis, Pharisies, and thenmyes of Criste, not teching but disseyving the Cristen people.
Item, I have belevyd and divers tymes shewid that ymagis ofseynts be not to be wurshyped, nether oblacions to be made unto theim, seyng and holding no such thing to be wurshipped that is graven or made with manys hande.
I, Richard Goddard, in long tyme here before have had grete dought howe God myght be in forme of brede in Thauter, amoste syn the yeres of discrecion; and nowe in fewe yeres thought and utterly beleved that inasmoch as God is in hevyn he shuld not be in the Sacramente of Thauter, and so in this errour have continewed unto the tyme of this my present abjuracion.
Thes articules, and every of them afore rehersed, and to us Austyn Stere, Herry Benet, William Brigger, Richard Hignell, William Priour, and Richard Goddard, and to every of us severelly by you judicially objected, we and every of us singulerly openly knowlege our selffe, and confesse of our fre wille to have hold, lerned and belevyd, and so have taught and affermyd to odir, which articules and every of theim, as us concerneth severelly, we and every of us understand and beleve heresies, and contrary to the commen doctrine and determination of the universalle Church of Criste, and confesse us and every of us here to have be heretikes, lerners and techers of heresies, errours, opinions, and false doctrines, contrarie to the Cristen feith. And forasmoch as it is so that the lawes of the Churche of Criste and holy canons of saynts be grounded in mercy, and God wol not the deth of a synner, but that he be converted and seve. And also the Church closeth not her lappe to him, that woll retorne: we therefor and every of us, willing to be partiners of this forseid mercy, forsake and renounce all thes articules afore rehersed as us concerneth particularly, and confesse theim to be heresies, errours, and prohibite doctrine: and nowe contrite, and fully repentyng theim all and every of theim, judicially and solemply theira forsake, abjure, and wilfully renownce for evermor, and not only theim, but all odir heresies, errours, and dampnable doctrines contrary to the determination of the universall Church of Criste: also that we and every of us shall never herafter be to eny such persons or person, favorers, counselers, mainteners, or of eny such prively or openly; but if we or eny of us knowe eny such herafter, we and every of us shall denownce and disclose theim to you reverend Fadir in God, your successors or officers of the same, or els to such persons of the Church as hath jurisdiction on the persons so fawty, so help us God and all holy Evangelis, submyttyng us and every of us openly, not coacte but of our fre wille to the payn, rigour and sharpness of the lawe, that a man relapsed owght to suffre in suche case, if we or eny of us ever do or hold contrarie to this our presente abjuration in parte, or the hole therof: in witnesse whereof, we all and every of us severally subscribe with our hands, makyng a cross, and requir all Cristen men in generall her presente, to record, and witnes ayenst us and every of us, and this our presente confession and abjuracion, if we or eny of us from this day forwards offende or do contrarie to the same; and ye masters her presente............
Lecta et facta fuit ista abjuracio coram reverendo in Christo Patre et Domino Thoma, permissione divina Sarum Episcopo, in ecclesia parochiali Sancti Johannis de Wyndsour nova, per supra scriptos Augustinum Stere, Henricum Benet, Willielmum Brigger, Richardum Hignell, Willielmum Priour, et Richardum Goddard, xxviii die mensis Januarii, anno Domini millesimo cccc nonagesimo, pracsentibus tunc ibidem venembilibus viris magistris Laurencio Cokks, Edmundo Martyn, Johanne Mayhowe decretorum Doctoribus, Daye sacrac Theologiac Professore, Radulpho Hethcote Canonico ecclesiac cathedralis Sarum, Willielmo Thynlawe Vicario perpetuo ecclesiac pracfatac, Briano et Willielmo Birley Artium Magistris, Thoma Clerke in Legibus Baccalaureo, et Johanne Wely Scriba et Registrario per dictum Reverendum Patrem in hac parte assumpto, et multis aliis.
Quibus quidem die et loco idem Reverendus Pater injunxit pracfato Augustino Stere, in parte poenitentiac suac, quod ipse Augustinus nudus tibias pedes et caput, corpore toga et camisia ac foemoralibus lineis tantummodo indutus, unum fasciculum, sive fagotum super humerum suum, et unum facem Anglice a bronde in manu ejus gestans diebus et locis infra scriptis, viz. die Sabbati, xxix die mensis Januarii, anno pracdicto, circa mercatum ville de Wyndesour nova, ubi et quando fuerit populi multitudo; die dominica extunc sequenti, viz. ultimo die mensis ejusdem, circa ecclesiam parochialem beatac Mariac Rading; die Sabbati, quinto die Februarii, circa mercatum de Newbery; die dominica extunc sequenti, circa ecclesiam parochialem ibidem; die dominica prima quadragesimac in ecclesia cathedrali Sarum; die Martis extunc sequente, circa mercatum ibidem, cacterisque diebus diversis per loca, scil. per monasteria de Seme, Milton, Abbottesbery, Abyndon et Shirborn, necnon circa mercatum ibidem Sarum diocacseos coram processionibus circa ecclesias, monasteria et loca pracdicta, aut in eisdem locis prout acris temperies permiserit, ut moris est faciendis more humilis poenitentis incederet, finitisque hujusmodi processionibus vel cum ab aliquo Curatorum hujusmodi ecclesiarum sive locorum proceditur ad pulpitum quibusdam literis in Anglico scriptis errores et opiniones dampnabiles pracdicti Augustini et ipsius abjuracionem in se continentibus, lectis et declaratis per ipsum Augustinum alta et intelligibili voce sua declarando, exponendo et recitando, ac confitendo publice, prout in eisdem literis continetur; de qua quidem poenitentia per ipsum Augustinum bene et fideliter pemcta prout sibi mandatum fuerit per curatos et alios de quibus supra sit mencio pracfatus Reverendus Pater et Dominus plenarie et sufficienter fuerit certificatus; unde postea idem Reverendus Pater in tempore certificationis hujusmodi sibi factac in complementum poenitentiac suac injunxit quod singulis diebus vitac suac coram ymagine crucifixi genuflectendo diceret devote, quinquies Oracionem Dominicam, et quinquies salutationem angelicam, et semel Symbolum Apostolorum, et quod injuncto die parassephes et vigiliis beatac Mariac per unum annum integrum immediate sequentem in pane et aqua. Item, quod lapso termino.... dierum per dictum Reverendum Patrem assignato ad villam de Newbery, vel ad aliquem locum situatum infra septem milliaria a villa de Newbery pracdicta non accideret, nisi ex licentia pracfati Reverendi Patris petita primitus et obtenta.
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