An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the ChurchAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church

Then forasmuch as he did not appear at the day appointed, at Leeds, where he sate in his consistory, as cruel as ever was Caiaphas, with his court of hypocrites about him: he judged him, denounced him, and condemned him of most deep contumacy. And afterward it being reported unto him, that he laughed and scorned his censure, without just proof thereof, he excommunicated him, and commanded him to be cited afresh, to appear before him the saturday before the feast of Matthew, threatening that if he did not then appear before him, he would more extremely handle him: & compelled the lay power by most terrible curses to assist him against that seditious apostate, schismatic, heretic, the troubler of the public peace, that enemy of the realm and great adversary of the holy Church: for all these hateful names did he give him. The Lord Oldcastle hearing this,¹ and perceiving in what danger he stood, took pen and paper in hand, and made a draught of the confession of his faith, and sealed it with his own hand: which confession was nothing else but the Apostles Creed, with a brief declaration upon the same. In which he answered the 4. chiefest articles, that the Archb. laid against him: and that done, he took the copy with him, and went therewith to the king, trusting to find mercy with him, and offered it to him, who would in no case receive it, but commanded it to be delivered unto those that should be his judges. Then he desired in the K. presence, that an hundred knights & esquires might be suffered to come, as upon his purgation, which he knew would clear him of all heresies.

Then forasmuch as he did not appeare at the day appointed, at Ledes, where he sate in his consistory, as cruell as euer was Caiaphas, with his court of hypocrites about him: he iudged him, denounced him, and condemned him of most deep contumacy. And afterward it being reported vnto him, yt he laughed and scorned his censure, without iust proof therof, he excommunicated him, and commaunded him to be cited afresh, to appeare before him the saturday before the feast of Mathew, threatning that if hee did not then appeare before him, he would more extremely handle him: & compelled the lay power by most terrible curses to assist him against that seditious apostata, schismatike, heretike, the troubler of the publike peace, that enimy of the realme and great aduersary of the holy Church: for all these hatefull names did he giue him. The Lord Oldcastell hearing this,