Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	bishop_n	church_n	priest_n	2,537	5	6.4550	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07486	Luthers predecessours: or an ansvvere to the question of the Papists: Where was your church before Luther?	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1624 (1624)	STC 1787; ESTC S114052	16,219	32

William Swinderby a worthy defender of the faith with Wickliffe was accused to the Bishop of Lincolne of certaine Articles both vntruely collected and cruelly exhibited against him by the Friers by their vehemency was vrged to reuoke afterward he remoouing into the Diocesse of Hereford was there also molested and troubled vnder Iohn Tresnant Bishop of Hereford vpon the same Articles the which Articles as they were giuen in by the Friers and how answered by Swinderby in his protestation hangeth vpon record and out of the Registers in the same old English in which it was written is by M. Fox transcribed into his History of the Church By the reading of which protestation wee may note a notable piece of knauery in his accusers viz. not to deliuer his assertions faithfully as he did deliuer them but as they supposed to make him most odious in the defence of them and by that we may well guesse that these points in Wickliffe which seeme rough and harsh met with such vnhandsome workmen The processe against this Swinderby his declaration vpon certaine conclusions touching the Sacrament of the Altar Confession Indulgences and touching Antichrist his appeale to the King his letter to the Parliament doe sufficiently confirme his worth and sufficiency in the cause 1391. Walter Brute a man of sufficient learning though no Priest was conuented before the Bishop of Worcester and accused of the same Articles with Swinderbies admirable it is to reade his storie especially in it his learned declarations concerning Antichrist the Popes vsurped power the power of the Keyes free iustification by faith onely auricular confession absolution the matter of the Sacrament Transubstantiation Idolatry Exorcising priestly blessing buying and selling of prayers and other Romish dregs the lawfull vse of an oath in which hee also prooueth that the City of Rome is Babylon What could hee haue done more in our cause had he liued since Luther Out of his declarations may be taken a sufficient Commentary and Exposition of those Articles which as they are ascribed vnto Wickliffe seeme something harsh Furthermore the Bull of Pope Boniface the 9. dated the 15. Kal. Oct. in the 6. yeere of his Popedome directed to King Richard the 2. and to the Bishop of Hereford doth confesse that these Christians whom the common people called Lollards did daily grow and increase and preuaile against their Diocesans for which cause the Pope stirreth vp the King against them who therupon directed forth a commission to the Bishops to proceed with greater authority against William Swinderby Stephen Bell Walter Brute and others of the same opinions By which meanes the growth of the Gospell was nipped and a little kept in but afterward it brake forth with more effectualnesse as may appeare by the booke of conclusions exhibited to the Parliament holden at London in the 18. of Richard the 2. 1395. Touching the abuses of the Church Popish priest-hood single life of Priests the fained miracle of Transubstantiation Exorcismes and Priestly blessings Masses for the dead Pilgrimages and oblations to Reliques and Images Confession Nunnes and Widdowes vowing single life in all which a reformation was desired in the said Bill the copy whereof is to bee seene in Archiuis Regijs so also the Kings dealing with certaine of his Lords as namely Richard Sturie Lewis Clifford Tho. Latimer Io. Mountacute c. whom he did sharpely rebuke and threaten terribly for that he heard them to be fauourers of that side Adde to this the complaints of the Bishops against the Londoners occasioned by another brawle but certainely the maine matter was because the Londoners were fauourers of Wickliffes doctrine as in the story of S. Albons is to be seene vpon which occasion the King remoued the Courts and Termes to be kept at Yorke to the great decay of the City which happened An. 1393. All these things laid together doe plainely and demonstratiuely tell vs that there was more then one or two knowne to be infected else what need such adoo with Letters Epistles Bulls Mandates Commissions to roote out the proceeding of a few No doubt therefore but there were many worthy witnesses and confessors of the truth of the Gospell 1400. After the deposing of Richard 2. when Henrie 4. had gotten the Crowne the next yeere hee called a Parliament in which one W. Sawtree a good man and faithfull Priest inflamed with the zeale of true Religion required he might be heard for the commodity of the whole Realme But the matter being smelt out by the Bishops they obtained that it might be referred to the Conuocation before whom being conuented examined of diuers Articles of Religion agreeable to Wickliffes doctrine for that hee stood constantly in the defence of the truth was by them condemned degraded and lastly burned And this was the first Martyr that suffered for Religion since the renuing of it by Wickliffe for howsoeuer the Bishops had obtained the Statute de comburendo in the daies of Rich. 2. yet in all his time none suffered death for that cause But when Henry 4. came to the Crowne hee willing to keepe in with the Clergy which in those daies was a strong faction put the Statute in execution first vpon this Sawtree and after him followed many moe some whereof are recorded but certainely the names of many are lost and forgotten See the words of the Statute made in the second yeere of Henry the fourth mentioning a good company of such Preachers whom that age called hereticall 1407. The storie of William Thorpe is famous written by his owne hand contayning his accusation and examination before Archbishop Arundell his answere his commendation of VVickliffe and defence of his doctrine he taught against the Sacrament of the Altar Masse Images Pilgrimages pride of Priest confession c. A constant Professour hee was of the Truth and questionlesse continued to the end howsoeuer his end is vnknowne in all likely-hoode he dyed in prison The like end befell to Iohn Ashton another of Wickliffes followers who for the same Doctrine of the Sacrament was condemned by the Bishops and because he would not recant was committed to perpetuall prison wherein the good man continued vntill his death Somewhat before Thorps trouble happened the trouble of Iohn Puruey who as Waldensis writeth was the Library of the Lollards and a glosse vpon Wickliffe This Puruey together with Harford a Doct. of Diuinity were grieuously tormented and punished in the Castle of Saltwood at length recanted at Pauls Crosse afterward againe hee was imprisoned vnder Archbishop Chichely in the yeere 1421. his Articles which he taught were touching transubstantiation confession Power of the keyes vowes of chastity the charge of Priests he said that Innocent the third and the 600. Bishops and all the rest of the Clergy which in the Councell of Lateran determined the doctrine of transubstantiation and confession were fooles and blockheads seducers of the people Heretickes and blasphemers he wrote diuers bookes as touching the Sacrament of

and contention about religion as in the History of the Church doth appeare In the Regist. of Fitz-Iames B. of London are cōtained the names of diuers to the number of 40. persecuted in the Diocesse of London betweene the yeere 1509. and 1527. of whom some after they had shewed their weaknes in recanting did afterwards returne to their former profession and cleauing fast to it were for it martyred as W. Sweeting I. Bruster burned in Smithfield 1511. I. Browne burned in Ashford about the 4. yere of H. 8. about which time also fell out the trouble of Rich. Hunne whom after his death they condemned of Heresie But now the numbers of Confessors and Martyrs arise to such multitudes that a long discourse and a large treatise would hardly suffice to set them downe wherefore I passe ouer the story of I. Stilman Tho. Man Rob. Cosin Chri. Shomaker Martyrs As also diuers Confessors to the number of 35. abiured about the yeere 1520. for speaking against worshipping of Saints Pilgrimage Inuocation of the Virgin the Sacrament of the Lords body and for hauing bookes in English as the 4. Euangelists the Epistles of Paul Peter and Iames the Book of the Reuelation a Booke of Antichrist of the 10. Commandements and Wickliffes Wicket Bookes no doubt wonderfully stuft with heresies doctrine vnmeet for Christians to know and vnderstand Oh the subtilty of those Romish Foxes How many men and women were persecuted in the Diocesse of Lincolne vnder Bishop Longland anno 1521. for opposing or not consenting to the Romish doctrine of pilgrimage Image-worship Transubstantiation reall presence Their arguments they collected out of the Scripture the Shepheards Calender Wickliffes Wicket and such other bookes as they had amongst them and notwithstanding they had not with them any learned man to ground them in the doctrine yet they conferring together did conuert one another the Lords hand working among them maruelously After the great abiuration which was vnder Bishop Smith they were termed amongst themselues Knowne men or iust fast men not much vnlike to the present name of Protestants Amongst whom to see their trauels their earnest seeking burning zeale their readings watchings sweete assemblies loue and concord godly liuing faithfull meaning may make vs now in these our dayes of free profession to be ashamed From all which duely considered we may easily gather what would haue bin the number of Professors had the world looked friendly vpon them For if when the Temporall Magistrate tooke hand with the Ecclesiasticall to suppresse them and roote them out if when all men of note and learning either for hope of preferment or feare of trouble turned their studies otherwaies if when the Scripture and English bookes were forbidden if when bookes were so rare and deare and so hard to come by as before the Science of printing was inuented they were if notwithstanding all these hinderances the Truth of God did so multiply amongst them what would it haue done had they had multitude of bookes or those cheape the Scripture in English had they had learned men to guide them had they liued in a peaceable time had they had the Magistrate either for them or at least not against them for why was the increase of the Gospell in Bohemia by the preaching of I. Husse more remarkable and further spred then here in England but that the Magistrate with his sword was not so seuere against them Whence was it that Luther preuailed more then Wickliffe but that hee had a supporter the Duke of Saxony which Wickliffe wanted Amongst vs at this day doe we not all know that Arminianisme would haue more preuailed and infected further then yet it doth if the Kings Maiesty were either for it or not against it Wherefore all men may easily see that they are much deceiued who cōdemne this our doctrine of nouelty and insultingly demand Where was your Church before Luther To whom wee answere out of this demonstration hitherto made That euer since the dayes of Wickliffe almost 200. yeeres before Luther the doctrine of the reformed Churches that is those points wherein they differ from the church of Rome and in which the reformation doth consist these points I say were held and professed for whence came those persecutions or vvho vvere they that thus were persecuted If of the same profession with them then is their cruelty vnreasonable to persecute their ovvn fraternity if they were othervvise how then is the doctrine of the reformed Churches so new or the Professours thereof so lately start vp as our aduersaries pretend they be But this is the fruit of ignorance and carelesnesse to read the Histories of the Church and the records of antiquity heretofore For then might men easily see that the Church of England hath not wanted multitudes of well-disposed hearts howsoeuer the publike authority then lacked to maintaine the open preaching of the Gospell Now whilst our aduersaries bethinke themselues what to say to this part of the Induction concerning the estate of the Church in our owne country of England in the ages next before Luther I wil passe ouer into Germany and see what successe the Gospell had there especially in Bohemia by the preaching of Iohn Husse and others who liued in the same age with Wickliffe Afterwards will I proceede to prosecute the argument of the Induction by the demonstration of History in the ages before Wickliffe and Husse if it shall be thought conuenient FINIS