maister Dancaster. But the bishop woulde not graunt him his request for feare, least he shuld appeale. But at the last the bishop enlininge vnto him, graunted him two nightes respite to deliberate, that is to say til Saterday til ix. of the clocke afore none, and then to geue a plaine determinate answer what he would do in the premisses.
[Back to Top]The vii. daye of December in the yeare and place aforesaid, the bishop of London with the other Bishoppes being assembled, Bilney also personallye appeared, whome the bishoppe of London asked, whether he woulde nowe retourne to the vnity of the churche, and reuoke therrors and heresies wherof he stode accused detected and conuicte. MarginaliaBilney through infirmity rather than perswasion recanteth.Who answeared that now he was perswaded by Master Dancaster and other his frendes,
In after years, Latimer recommended that those accused should 'Abiure al your fryends' rather than listen to them and abjure as Bilney did in 1527. The seconde sermon of Maister Hughe Latimer, whych he preached before the Kynges Maiestie within his graces Palayce at Westminster, the xv. day of Marche M.ccccc.xlix (London: John Day and William Seres [1549], STC 15274.7), sigs. Bb3A-Bb3B; (reprinted in the Parker Society edition of Latimer's Sermons, ed. George Elwes Corrie (Cambridge, 1844), p. 222.
[Back to Top]After this the Cardinal as legate, called the whole cleargye before him at Westmynster, and there sayde that all the abuses of þe church should be mended, but he did nothinge therin, but onlye abiure Arthur, Bilney, Ieffraye Lome, and Garret that spake against þe popes autoritye and his pompe and pryde. Whose articles here folowe in order, as they were obiected against them.
[Back to Top]Although the London parish of St. Magnus in the present day wishes to be identified with St. Magnus the Martyr, there has, through the centuries, been some understandable confusion about which particular St. Magnus enjoys the church's dedication.
FIrst he said pray you only to God, and to no saintes, rehearsing the Letany, and when he came to Sancta Maria ora pro nobis, he sayde staye there.
Item he said that christian mē ought to worship God only and no sainctes.
Item he said that Christian people shuld set vp no lightes before the Images of saintes, for saints in heauen nead no light, and the images haue no eies to se.
Item that he saide, as Ezekias destroyed the brasen serpente
For the association of the crucified Christ with the brazen serpent of Moses (from Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-15), see Diarmaid MacCulloch, Thomas Cranmer: a Life (New Haven, 1996), pp. 118-120. Bilney's essential dependence upon the sacrifice of Christ in his theology may help to explain his attack on idolatry at the church of St Magnus (which was always an important City church, as it stood on the north end of London Bridge), where the parishioners were gilding their new rood. Bilney argued there that just as Ezechias destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses had made, so too should kings and princes in the present day destroy and burn the images of saints that were set up in churches and other places. See Gregory Walker, 'Saint or schemer?: the 1527 heresy trial of Thomas Bilney reconsidered', Journal of Ecclesiastical History, vol. 40 (1989), pp. 219-38.
[Back to Top]These D. yeres there hath ben no good pope nor in all the time paste we can finde but fifty, for they haue neyther preached ne liued wel conformably to their dignity. Wherfore tyll nowe they haue born the keies of simony. Against whō good people we must preach and shewe to you. For we cannot come to them, it is greate pitye, they haue sore slaundered the bloud of Christ.
[Back to Top]The people hath vsed folishly of late pilgrymages, which for them had bene better to haue bene at home.
Many haue made certain vowes whyche be not possyble for thē to fulfil, and these nothing meritorious.
The preachers before this hathe bene Antychristes, and now it hath pleased oure sauioure Christ to shew their false errors, and to geue a nother way and manner of the holye gospel of Christ to the comfort of your soules.
MarginaliaThe prophesy of Bilney.I truste that there shall and wil come others besydes me, which shal shew and preach to you the same faith aud manner of liuing, that I doo shew and preach to you which is the very true gospell of our sauiour Christ, and the mynde of holy fathers, wherby you shalbe broughte from theyr erroures, wherin you haue bene long seduced, for before this there hath ben many that hath slaundered you, and the gospell of oure sauioure Christ, of whome speake oure sauioure. Math. xviii. Qui scandalizauierit vnum de pusillis istis qui in me credit. &c.
[Back to Top]His abiuration was vpon all these articles, the day and time afore specified in the presence of the aforenamed bishops. But God not wylling to lose such a worthy instrumente of hys church, raised him again after his fal, as heare foloweth to be seene.
See also Guildhall Library, MS 9531/10, fols. 130B-136A.
IN primis for hauinge and dispersying abrode sondry bookes of Martin Luthers, & others as also for translating into the English tounge certain chapters of the worke of Luther de bonis operibus. As also certain chapters of a certen boke called pic prædicationes wherin diuers workes of Luther be comprehended.
[Back to Top]Item for affyrming and beleuing that faythe only without good workes wil bring a man to heauen.
Item that men be not bounde to obserue the constitutyons made by the church.
Item that we should pray only to God, and to no sayntes.
Item that christian men ought to worshippe God only and no sayntes,
Item that pilgrimages be not profitable for mans soule, and shuld not be vsed.
Item that we shoulde not offer to images in the church, nor set no lyghtes before them.
Item that no man is bound to kepe any māner of fasting daies instituted by the church.
Item that pardons graunted by the pope or the byshop do not profyt a man.
For these articles he was abiured before the bishops of London, Bathe, and Lyncolne. No mention being made of anye penaunce inioyned him.