commaundynge me by vertu of the same in the kynges name to electe and chose fyve or vj. oneste men to assyste and helpe me in all cawsys consernynge the behavynge as well of Latomer as of Huberdyn, and ther prechyns, and spesyally what wordes Hyberdyn schold have consernynge the kynges hyze magesty. And accordynge to thys commaundmente immedyatly I electyd and chose the reverend lord abbot of Saynt Augustynes by Brystow, Johan Cabull, Thomas Broke, Richard Tunell, late mayres of the seyd towne of Brystow, and Thomas a Bowen, gentyllman. So electe and chosyn wee concludyd to sytt Sunday the vj. day of Julii at after none at a place callyd Saynte Jamys, and then and there apperyd before us as well of the spyrytuallte as of the temporalte, to whome wee declared and rede the commyssyon wherfore they wher callyd, and so gave them inyoncyon at a day to sertefy the kynges hy3nes and hys moste honorable councell what Latomer had prechyd, wherby thys the kynges towne of Brystow rune in infamy, dyscorde, stryfe, and debate. And lyke charge we gave them to sertefy us what Huberdyne had prechyd consernynge the kynges hy3nes, or any worde that my3te sounde to the kynges hygh dysplesure, in any plase or places, as they at ther perell wood aunser. And apon whych inyoncyon, bothe of the spyrytualte and of the temporalty browзte before us and sertyfyed, as by ther sertyfycattes more at large schall appere. And farder to advertyse your masterschype the very truthe, accordynge to our dewtys and your commaundment, what we do know in thys matters, we sertefy yow by the relacyons of many onest and credable persons, that the seyde Latomer came to Brystow and preched there the second Sonday in Lente laste paste ij. sermons, on in Saynte Nycholas chyrche afore none, and another yn the Blake Fryers at after none, and the Monday nexte folowynge he preched the thyrd sermone yn Saynte Thomas chyrche, yn the whych sermondes he prechyd dyvers sysmatyke and yronyous opinions : as yn hell to be no fyer sensyble; the sowles that be yn purgatory to have no nede of our prayers, but rather to pray for us; no sayntes to be honoryd;. no pylgrymage to be usyd; our blessyd lady to be a synner; as hyt hathe ben reportyd and taken by the herers; but for my selfe I never hard hym preche yn Brystow, for I was then syk, but by reson of hys iij. sermondes dyvers of the kynges subyectes wythyn thys the kynges seyd towne, as manyfestely hathe apperyd hytherto, ys to be feryd be sore ynfectyd in the same, insomoche grete stryfe and debate ys amonge the kynges subyectes here, and that amonge all maner of sortes of pepyll from the hyeste to the loweste withyn the same towne. And so dyd contynu from the foresayde second Sonday yn Lent unto Ester nexte ensuynge, and yet dothe contynu, at which tyme of Ester Huberdyn came to Brystow and preched yn Sainte Thomas Chyrche at after none on Ester eve, and at Saynte Nycholas Chyrche before none on Ester day, and there prechyd scharply agenste Latomers artycules, provenynge them be auctorytes as well by the Olde as the New Testamentes sysmatyke and yrronyous. And whereas yt was very yll from the seyd seconde Sonday yn Lente tyll Ester then nexte ensuynge, yt hathe ben wors sens Ester; for many that favoryd Latomer and hys new maner of prechynge, and other many that favoryd Hyberdyne yn hys olde maner of prechynge, bothe the seyde partes hathe ben more ardente now sens Ester then they were before. Wherefore, as to our symple resons, wythowte the kynges moste noble grace provyde sume convenyante remedy, muche more ynconvenyens ys lyke to ensu. Also, that same Sonday on Gylberte Cogan came to the howse of the Grey Fryers* in Brystow, and sayd to the warde of the same howse that he schowlde be ware what he scholde wryte and testyfy, for there schowlde cume iiij. c. that showlde testefy the contrary, as the seyde warden shewyd hyt manyfestely before all the commyssyoners. On Fryday the xjth day of Julij, Johan Drews wyth others browzte yn before us syttynge yn commyssyon a boke of * Little is known of the history of the house of the Grey Friars (or Franciscans) in Bristol, and there is no list of priors. It was founded some time before 1234. CAMD. Soc. C many names, and iij. artycles comprisyd yn the same boke, where apperyth every mans confessyon. That boke so resevyd, callyd before us on Thomas Butteler, examyned hym what he had herde Hyberdyn preche yn Saynt Thomas Chyrche; he answeryd, that a number of erytykes were yn Brystow, and from that nombre he brow3te hyt to xxti or xxxti erytykes, acordynge to the fyrste artycull. After Thomas Walker was demandyd what he had herd of Hyberdyn yn the same sayde chyrche; he confessed that the sayd Hyberdyn sayd there was xx1i or xxxti erytykes, acordynge to the fyrste artycull, and he sayd he hard hym say no more, and yet hys name ys to the second and the thyrde artyculles. Also another man came before us, and sayd that Huberdyn schowlde say that all Brystow was knaves and erytykes. John Drws persevyng every man to be examyned thys by hym selfe, knewe very well ther confessyons wolde nothynge agre wyth the artycles yn ther seyde boke, wherefor he desyeryd that every man schowld brynge yn hys confessyon by wrytynge, and for as moche as yt was over longe and tedyows, as well to the commyssyoners as to the partys, we condessendyd to reseve there bylles, whych bylles and bokes, as well of the spyrytualte as of the temporalte, which your mastershype shall reseve of thys berer, wyth our dayly servys and prayer to preserve your longe lyfe and good to the plesure of God and your moste harteste desyer. And Almy3ty God preserve owre moste redouptyd soveraynge lorde moste ryall person, bothe bodely and gostely longe to endure. A.M.E.N. Per me, WILLIELMUM BURTON, abbatem monasterii divi Bye me, JOHN Calle. THOMAS BROKE. Per me, RYCHARD TENELL. THOMAS ABOWEN. By me, JOHAN BARTHOLOMEW. The following letter must have been written before the preceding, but it will be best understood in its present position. Cromwell was inclined to shew more favour to Latimer than his opponents expected, and the ease with which the latter excused the mistaken harshness of their censures is very remarkable. Little is known of the history of the house of Dominicans, or Friars Preachers, in Bristol, and there is no list of the priors. Dr. Hylsey succeeded Fisher as bishop of Rochester, which shows that he was compliant with the spirit of the times. V. JOHN HYLSEY TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. IV. fol. 140.] Master chawnselar, I commende me unto you as hartly as I may thynke, trustynge yn Gode that you be (the which Jesu contynewe) yn good prosperyte. Ytt is nott owt off your mastershyppys remembrance, that yn the Lent I dyd wrete unto you off the grete dyvysyon that was (ye and yett ys) amonge the peple yn the towne of Brystoll, off the whyche I wrote unto yowe that hytt came by the prechynge of owne Mr. Latymar, a man nott unknowne. I wrote to you allsoe that he spake off pylgremages, worshyppyng off seyntes, wurshyppyng off ymages, off purgatory, etc. yn the whyche he dyd vehemently perswade towarde the contrary, that the peple ware nott a lytle offendyd. I wrote alsoe that some men thowht necessary to preache agenst hym, the whyche I supposyd nott best, except that he sholde be put to sylence, for fere off fardyr dyvysyon (the whyche by this cause ys nowe happenyd yn dede); and some thowht hytt metur to have hym before hys ordynarye to be examynyde, and soe the trewthe to be knowen; and yn thys thynges I desyryd you to do that you thowht metyst to reforme your peryshynge flock, to whome I wrote as to the shepparde off the sayd flocke. Nowe upon thys my byll men hathe crafftly usyd them selfe, ye and crafft was usyd to me or thys byll camme frome me, but that makythe nott nowe, the lettre ys off myne owne hande as thys ys, and nowe seynge that men hathe fownde the way to convey hytt to you otherways then they ynformyd me that they wolde, I cannott denye mye hande, nother wyll nott; wherfore puttynge asyde all thnges that sholde seme to excuse myn actte, thes war the occasyon of my letter: fyrst the fame that I harde of thys man, master Latymer, before that I knewe hyme, the whyche same decevyd nott only me butt other as well lernyd as I; seconde was the vehement perswadynge ayenst the abuse off the thynges, as ys above wretyn, wythe more, as off massys, off scale celi, pardons, the fyre off hell, the state off the sowlys yn purgatory, off faythe wytheowt good wurkes, off ower lady to be a synnar or noe synnar, etc. The whyche I and syche other dyd suppose that he dyd preache to the yntent to confownde thes thynges; wherapon bothe the wurshypffull men, master Doctor Powell, master D. Goodryche, master Heberdynne, master pryour off Seynt Jamys, and I, dyd preache agenst, approvynge purgatory, pylgremages, the wurshyppynge off seyntes and ymages, alsoe approvynge that feyth wytheowt good wurkes ys but deade, and that ower lady beynge full of grace ys and was wytheowtte the spott of synne. But when we had dunne, I reken we laboryd but yn vayne, and browht the peple yn greter dyvysyon then they war, as they doe hytherto contynewe. I beseeke God to helpe hytt, for ower kryynge owne agenst another ys nott frutffull, nother takythe onny effecte; ffor sens I have communyd wythe master Lattymar, and I have harde hyme preache, and have yntytle hys sermon sentens for sentens, and I have percevyd that hys mynd ys myche more agenst the abusynge off thynges then agenst the thynge hytt selfe. More, the thyrde thynge that causyd me to wrete unto you was thys dyvysyon that remanythe and yncreasethe yett amonge us, the whyche wyll nott (by thys way that we have begone) be ceasyd. Therfore hytt lyythe yn you to devyse some other way, as God and your goode cownsell shall ynforme you. Yn my jugement, by that that I knowe off master Latymars mynde nowe, yff he myght have your lycens, he woolde opyn hys mynde yn thys matters that the peple sholde be content, and thys woolle plese the cownsell of the towne well, for apone thys they be agreyde, and hopythe apone your good helpe yn hytt. And yff I may wythe my lytle understondynge furder |