The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-29

"A trials in which the victim would rather die than recant from what he believed was the right, was that oi Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Gotham. He was tried just at the beginning of the fifteenth century, accused of being Loi- lard. convicted and sentenced to be hanged in chains and then burned. This repel- lant sentence was carried out.
 When quite young Oldcastle led many expeditions against the Welsh and for his valor received a large tract of land m Hereford, and was knighted. He was still later given several public offices, all Of which he filled with the utmost satisfac- ton. The land which he owned in Here ford was the center of veritable hot bed of Lollards, and it was when the clergy found that he sympathized with this religious body that the charges were brought against him. He was accused of having maintained suspected preachers in London, Rochester, and Hereford. but these charges were not brought against him, immediately, for the clergy knew we'll of his high stand ing with the King, with whom he had as- 
 they trooped off to lay the charges before the ruler.
 Henry listened with patience to the entreaties and after hearing all, made them promise to do nothing until he had seen Oldcastle and seen what he could do as to the changing of his religious views. When Oldcastle arrived he listened to the Kings entreaties with closed ears and went off, with the King chiding him for his obstinacy. From the palace Old castle went and shut himself ug in Cowl- l ing castle, where the archbishop sent a number of summonses which, upon Old castle refusing to take them. were nailed on the door of the castle. They were twice torn down from their place and the fugitive did nothing to obey the com inand which they contained.
 This naturally enraged the King, who personally summoned Oldcastle to attend l his privy chamber to appear before the court. Before Henry, Oldcastle declared that he would submit neither tQ the arch bishop or to the pope himself. On Sep tember 25. 14l3. he was arraigned before l a court consisting of 12 of the doctors and l Religious heads of the various churches of London, the bishops of London, Win chester and Bangor and the archbishop of 1 Canterbury, which court met Black | Friars. In the trial there were long arguments as to the communion bread. The arch bishop and the clergy proclaimed that when it was consecrated it was no longer
 bread, but the body of Christ. In ar- gument to this, Odcastle said that the clergy could not change it into the body of Christ, but that it was still bread,
 but holy bread as the change depended upon the faith and belief of the person
 that partook of It.
 All through the trial many of the priests urged him to- recant, but Oldcastle closed
 his ears to their speeches. On the same
 day that the trial started the archbishop
 read the sentence, part of which is as fol-
 lows:
 And though we have found him in
 the Catholic faith far wide, and so stiff
 necked, that he would not confess his er-
 TOT. nor purge himself. nor yet repent
 thereof, we condemn the said John Old
 castle, knight, and Lord Gotham, for 6
 most pernicious and detestable heretic convicted of the same and utterly refus' ling to use the church again, committing
 him from henceforward a condemned her.
 etic, to the secular jurisdiction. powel and Judgment. thereupon to put him tt
 death.''
 Upon hearing the death sentence Old. castle fell on his knees and prayed fol his enemies. With a cheerful countenanct q he then said; Though you condemn m, cody. which is . despicable thing, yo,