The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

IV. Oldcastle Martyred for Maintaining Pope Is Antichrist

SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE (c. 1360-1417), famous Christian knight of Herefordshire, also called Lord Cobham, ⁶⁵ became a prominent follower of Wyclif. Distinguished for military ability and summoned to sit among the barons of England, Sir John was an excellent scholar and a favorite of king and people. He opposed papal abuses and maintained a great number of itinerant Lollard preachers in various parts of the country. ⁶⁶ He thus disregarded the legislation against the Lollards, who now numbered many thousands. (The term Lollard, however, came to be rather indiscriminately used by the papal church to stigmatize those who dissented, without special classification of the grounds and points of dissent.) ⁶⁷ PFF2 87.2

1. POPE THE ANTICHRIST; ABOMINATION IN HOLY PLACE

A number of Lollards had been burned for their faith, with many prosecutions for heresy. ⁶⁸ In 1413 Archbishop Arundel of Canterbury—under whom the full force of the persecution was let loose-called a synod to repress the Lollards, and particularly to withstand Sir John, maintainer of their preachers. A court of “twelve Inquisitors of Heresies” was appointed, which found Oxford overrun with heretics, the opinions of Wyclif having made their way among the junior students. By stipends Lord Cobham had encouraged scholars from Oxford to propagate his opinions, and he was considered the chief offender. The archbishop approached the king, who sent for Cobham and sought to reclaim him to the faith, admonishing him to submit to the pope as an obedient child. Cobham then made the famous answer: PFF2 87.3

“You most worthy Prince,... I am always prompt and willing to obey, forsomuch as I know you a Christian King, and the appointed Minister of God, bearing the Sword to the punishment of evil Doers, and for safeguard of them that be virtuous. Unto you (next my eternal God) owe I my whole Obedience, and submit thereunto (as I have done ever) all that I have, either of Fortune or Nature, ready at all times to fulfil whatsoever ye shall in the Lord command me. But as touching the Pope and his Spirituality, I owe them neither suit nor service, forsomuch as I know him by the Scriptures to be the great Antichrist, the Son of Perdition, the open Adversary of God, and the Abomination standing in the holy place.” ⁶⁹ PFF2 88.1

The king was irritated and would no longer talk with him. Cobham was then cited by Arundel, and accused of heresy. But he disregarded the various summons. A copy of Wyclif’s writings, belonging to Cobham, was burned by the enraged archbishop, who excommunicated Cobham for “contumacy” and “disobedience,” and demanded aid of the civil power to apprehend him. ⁷⁰ Perceiving that the “fury of Antichrist” was “kindled against him,” Lord Cobham took paper and pen, and put into writing his confession of faith. In this he said: PFF2 88.2

“If any Prelates of Church require more, or else any other kind of obedience, than this to be used; he contemneth Christ, exalting himself above God, and so becometh an open Antichrist.” ⁷¹ PFF2 88.3

This he took to the king, desiring him to read it. But the king refused to receive it, and in the issue had him arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. PFF2 88.4

2. PROPHECIES CITED DURING EXAMINATIONS

In the course of subsequent examinations and admonitions to accept the pope as Christ’s vicar on earth, one of the papal doctors asked Lord Cobham, “What do ye saye of the Pope?” PFF2 88.5

“The Lorde Cobham answered: As I sayd before, he and yow togyther maketh whole the great Antichrist. Of whom he is the great Head, yow Bysshoppes, Prestes, Prelates, and Monkes are the Bodye, and the beggynge Fryers are the Tayle, for they cover the Fylthynesse of yow both, with theyr subtyle Sophistrye. Never will I in Conscience obeye anye of yow all, tyll I se yow with Peter folowe Christ in Conversacyon.” ⁷² PFF2 89.1

The prophetic basis of his belief appears in one of Cobham’s impressive answers to the archbishop. PFF2 89.2

“Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of Sedycyon makynge, yet were they most peccable Menne. Both Daniel and Christ prophecyed, that soche a troublouse Tyme shulde come, as hath not bene yet sens the Worldes begynnyng. And this Prophecye is partlye fulfylled in youre Dayes and Doynges. For manye have ye slayne alredye, and more will ye slee here after, yf God fulfyll not his Promes. Christ sayth also, yf those Dayes of yours were not shortened, scarslye shuld anye fleshe be saved. Therefore loke for yt justlye, for God will shorten youre Dayes.” ⁷³ PFF2 89.3

It is interesting, incidentally, to observe that appended to this chronicle are several paragraphs from “Prophecyes of Joachim Abbas,” translated into English, two brief sections of which follow: PFF2 89.4

“In the latter Dayes shall apere a Lawe of Lyberte. The Gospell of the Kyngedome of Christ shall be taught, and the Churche shall be purged as Wheate is from Chaffe and Tares.... PFF2 89.5

“The Churche of Rome is the fleshlye Synagoge of Sathan. PFF2 89.6

“The Churche of Rome shall be destroyed in the thyrde State, as the Synagoge of the Jewes was destroyed in the seconde State, And a spirituall Churche shall from thens forth succede, to the Ende of the Worlde.” ⁷⁴ PFF2 89.7

3. ROME THE “VERY NEST OF ANTICHRIST”

In his second examination Cobham boldly declared: PFF2 89.8

“My belief is (as I said afore) that all the Scriptures of the sacred Bible are true. All this is grounded upon them I believe throughly. For I know it is Gods pleasure that I should so do. But in your lordly Laws and idle determinations have I no belief. For ye be no part of Christs holy Church, as your open deeds do shew: But ye are very Antichrists, obstinately set against His holy Law and Will.... PFF2 89.9

“And let aft Men consider well this, That Christ was meek, and merciful; the Pope is proud, and a tyrant; ‘Christ was poor and forgave, the Pope is rich and a malitious Man-slayer, as his daily acts do prove him. Rome is the very nest of Antichrist, and out of that nest come all the Disciples of him. Of whom, Prelates, Priests, and Monks, are the body, these pil’d Friers are the tail, which covereth his most filthy part.” ⁷⁵ PFF2 89.10

4. SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR NAMING ANTICHRIST

In his letter to the bishop of London, Archbishop Arundel admitted that Sir John was sentenced for naming Antichrist. This is the archbishop’s declaration: PFF2 90.1

“As touching the Power and Authority of the Keys, the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Prelates, he said, That the Pope is very Antichrist, that is the head; that the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Prelates be his members, and that the Friers be his tail. The which Pope, Archbishops, and Bishops, a man ought not to obey, but so far forth as they be followers of Christ and of Peter, in their life, manners, and conversation, and that he is the successor of Peter, which is best and purest in life and manners. Further more, the said Sir John, spreading his hands, with a loud voice said thus to those which stood about him: These Men, which judge and would condemn me, will seduce you all and themselves, and will lead you unto Hell; there fore take heed of them. When he had spoken those words, we again, as oftentimes before, with lamentable countenance, spake unto the said Sir John, exhorting him with as gentle words as we might, that he would return to the unity of the Church, to believe and hold that which the Church of Rome doth believe and hold. Who expressly answered, That he would not believe or hold otherwise than he had before declared. Where fore, we perceiving, as it appeared by him, that we could not prevail, at the last with bitterness of heart we proceeded to the pronouncing of a definitive Sentence in this matter.” ⁷⁶ PFF2 90.2

Arundel’s court then condemned Cobham and pronounced him to be “a pernicious and detestable heretic,” and delivered him over to the secular arm “to do him to death,” ⁷⁷ with abettors excommunicated. ⁷⁸ The king, Henry V, granted a respite of forty days in the hope that he would recant. But Cobham escaped from the tower, and remained at large for four years. In 1414 he was falsely charged with being a party to an uprising of twenty thousand Lollards against the king, and declared an outlaw. ⁷⁹ Nearly twoscore Lollards were killed and others taken prisoner—some hanged, others burned. Three years later Cobham was apprehended and sentenced to be hanged as a traitor and burned as a heretic. So in 1417 he was dragged to St. Giles, suspended in chains, and was slowly burned to death, praising God. ⁸⁰ (Portrait of Cobham appears on page 456.) PFF2 90.3

Others shared his fate. But the Lollards maintained their faith, prizing the prophetic declaration that the papal Antichrist should continue but 1260 year-days. According to Workman, the growth of Lollardism lasted through a century and a half of oppression, until it merged itself in the Reformation. ⁸¹ PFF2 91.1