"  Nevertheless  yet  I  now  remembering  myself,  and  covet-
ing by  this  mean  to  avoid  that  temporal  pain  which  1  am
worthy  to  suffer  as  an  heretic,  at  the  assignation  of  my  most
excellent  Christian  prince  and  liege  lord  King  Henry  the  fifth,
now  by  the  grace  of  God  most  worthy  king  both  of  England
[l  '  lawly/  1st  ed.]


THE  LORD  COBHAM.  47

and  of  France,  minding  also  to  prefer  the  wholesome  deter-
mination, sentence,  and  doctrine  of  the  holy  and  universal
church  of  Rome,  before  the  unwholesome  opinions  of  myself,  A  tyrannous
my  teachers,  and  my  followers  ;  I  freely,  willingly,  delibe-  that  church,
rately,  and  thoroughly  confess,  grant,  and  affirm  the  most
holy  fathers  in  Christ  St  Peter  the  apostle,  and  his  successors
bishops  of  Rome,  specially  no\v  at  this  time  my  most  blessed
lord  pope  John,  by  the  permission  of  God  the  twenty-third  He  poisoned
pope  of  that  name,  which  now  holdeth  Peter's  seat  (and  each  sor,  to  t!tes~
of  them  in  their  succession)  in  full  strength  and  power  to  be
Christ's  vicar  in  earth  and  the  head  of  the  church  militant ;
and  that  by  the  strength  of  his  office  (what  though  he  be  a
great  sinner  and  afore  known  of  God  to  be  damned  ?)  he  hath  Ye  He,  fai«e
full  authority  and  power  to  rule  and  govern,  bind  and  loose, lie-
save  and  destroy,  accurse  and  assoil,  all  other  Christian  men.
"And  agreeably   still  unto  this,   I  confess,   grant,   and
affirm  all  other  archbishops,  bishops,  and  prelates,  in  their
provinces,  dioceses,  and  parishes,  appointed  by  the  said  pope  ^ti£hrist
of  Rome  to  assist  him  in  his  doings  or  business,  by  his  decreed2  i»mseif  here.
