religious eares of protestants then such deuâ—tion Of relikes of holy men of the reuerence vsed towâ—rdes them and off miracles wrought by them the history is full Namely the first booke the 29. chap. the 3. booke the 29. the iiij booke the 6. chap. Nothinge is more vile in the sight of protestants then suche reuerence of Christians Blessing with the signe of the Crosse accompted no superstition but practised for godly and good in our primitiue church witnesseth the history in the iiij booke the xxiiij chapter and in the v. booke the ij chapter In the deuotion of protestants it is estemed for magicke Solemnites of Christen buriall protestants despise and sett light by terming it a vaine of gentilite or heathen superstition The deuotion of our primitiue church was to be buried in monasteries churches and chappels as it appeareth in the history in the second booke the iij. chap. the third booke the viii chap. and otherwhere Benediction of the bishop whereby the superiorite of the spirituall pastour ouer the laie according to the reasoning of S. Paule euidently appeareth is to be read in this history of our primitiue Churche in the iiii booke the xi chap. Protestants confounding all good order do scorne at this also The seruice of the church was at the first planting of our faith in the latin and lerned tounge as it may appeare in the first booke the xxix chapter and the iiii booke the xviii chap. This protestants haue altered bothe against due orâ—er and condemning wickedly other partes of Christendom for the contrary Aultars protestants haue plucked downe contrary to the order of our primitiue faith as this history witnesseth in the first booke the xxix chap. And in the second booke the xiiij chap. Aultar clothes and holy vestements the prophane saith of protestaÌ„ts admitteth not Our primitiue church vsed them witnesseth the History in the first booke the xxix chap. Holy vessels in like maner for the due administration of Christes holy Sacraments protestans bothe diminishing the number of them and prophaning the right vse of such as they kepe knowe none Our first faith had and vsed theÌ„ The history reporteth it in the first booke the xxix chap. and in the second booke the last chapter Holy water protestants abhorre Our first faith vsed it In the history 〈◊〉 appeareth In the first booke the xxix chap. Nothinge is more reuiled of protestants then the ecclesiasticall tonsure of the clergy How after what maner and wherefore the church of Christ vseth it the history disputeth and sheweth at large in the fifte booke the xxii chapter toward the ende Our primitiue church was gouuerned by Synods of the clergy only in determining controuersies ecclesiasticall The History declareth this practise in the first booke the ii chap. the fourth booke the v. chap. the xvii chap. and xxviii chap. Protestants haue called the determination of ecclesiasticall matters from thence to the laie Courte only The spirituall rulers of our primitiue church were bishops and pastours duly consecrated It appereth in the History the first booke the 27. chap. and the second booke the 3. chap. Protestants haue no such due consecration no true bishops at all Protestants haue brought the supreme gouuernement of the church to the laie authorite In the primitiue faith of our countre the laie was subiect to the bishop in spirituall causes Peruse the xiii and xxii chapters of the third booke Last of all the finall determination of spirituall causes in our primitiue Church rested in the See Apostolike of Rome This practise appeareth in the second booke the iiii the xvii and the xx chapters Item in the fifte booke the xx chap. How farre that See is nowe detested by the sober religion of protestants all men do see To note how differently the Catholike faith of al Christendom was first planted in our countre and the parted faith of protestants hathe corrupted the same the first difference is clere herin that our first Catholik faith we receaued of the See of Rome This heresy hath begonne by first departing from that See The Apostles of our faith came from Rome the messangers of these schismes beganne first by scattering froÌ„ the See Apostolik of Rome How we receiued our faith of Rome the later chapters of the first booke and the first of the secoÌ„d do testifie Againe our faith was first preached with Crosse and procession Lib. 1. cap. 25. These heresies first raged by throwing downe the Crosse and altering the procession therewith Our first Apostles were monkes See the first booke the xxiii chap. and the third booke the iii. chap. The first preachers of protestants haue ben Apostatas Luther Oecolampadius Bucer Peter Martyr Barnes Barlow and other The first impes off our faith the first scholers off oure Apostles were holy and vertuous meÌ„ Reade the xxvj chap. of the third booke The broode of protestants in the very first issue hath ben so enormous that Luther the holy Father thereof confesseth his scholers to be vnder him farre more wicked then they were before vnder the Pope The first preaechers of our faith liued Apostolically in voluntary pouerty as the history reporteth in the first booke the xxvj chap. This Apostolicall perfection protestaÌ„ts bearing theÌ„ selues for the Apostles of England neither practise them selues neither can abide it in other As touching the effect and consequences of both religions our faith builded vp monasteries and chirches as the history reporteth in the firste booke the 32. chap. in the third booke the iij. and xxxiij chap. IteÌ„ in the fourth booke the iij. chap. Protestants haue throwen down many erected none By the first Christians off our faith God was both serued day and night as in the fourth booke the vij chap. it is expressely mencioned Protestants haue abolished al seruice off God by night and done to the deuill a most acceptable sacrifice By the deuotion of the people first embracing our catholike faithe much voluntary oblations were made to the church as in the first booke the xxvij chap. it appeareth By the rechelesse religion off protestants due oblations are denied to the church Princes endued the church with possessions and reuenues moued with deuotion and feare of God The loose lewdenes off protestants haue stirred Princes to take from the church possessions so geuen Last of all our first faith reduced the Scottishmen liuing then in schisme to the vnite of the Catholike church This late alteration hath remoued them from vnite to schisme All these differences touching doctrine and ecclesiasticall gouernement are proued to concurre with the belefe and practise of the first vj. C. yeares in the second part of the Fortresse of our first faith set forthe presently with the History ET Priuati BrabaÌ„tici Regiae Maiestatis Consilij diplomate cautum est ne quis infra quadriennium proximum Historiam ecclesiasticam gentis Anglorum Authore Venerabili Beda Presb. a Thoma Stapletono in Anglicum sermonem versam per omnes Burgundicae
almighty God to the contentatioÌ„ of your Maiesties pleasure and to the vvelth of your graces dominioÌ„s The vvhich God of his tendre mercy through the merites of his dere Son and intercession of all blessed Saints in heauen graunt Amen Your highnes most lovvly subiect and bounden oratour Thomas Stapleton DIFFERENCES BETWENE THE PRIMITIVE FAITHE OF ENGLAND CONTINEVVED ALMOST THEse thousand yâ—res and the late pretensed faith of protestants gathered out of the History of the churche of England compiled by Venerable Bede an English man aboue DCCC yeares paste BEcause if the saith first plaÌ„ted amoÌ„g vs englishmen was no right Christen faith at all then protestants if their faithe be right are nâ—w the Apostles of England let vs coÌ„sidre what Apostolicall markes we finde in our first preachers wanâ—ing in protestants S. Augustin our Apostle shewed Signum Apostolatus sui in omni paâ—ientia in signis prodigijs the token of his Apostleship in all patience in signes and miracles as S Paule writeth of him selfe to the Corinihians whose Apostle also he was And of such miracles wrought by our Apostle S. Augustin and howe Ethâ—lbert the first Christen king of englishmâ—n was thereby induced to the faith the first booke the xxxvj and the xxxi chapters Item the second booke the second chapter do evidenly testifie Miracles in confirmation of their doctrine protestants haue yet wrought none In the primitiue church of the Apostles we read Creden inÌ„ erat cor vnum anima vna The multitude of them that beleued were of one harte and of one minde How much our Apostles tendred this vnite it may appeare in the second booke the ii Chapter where they labour to reduce the olde Brittons to the vnite of Christes church Nothing is more notorious in protestants then their infamous dissension Our Apostles and first preachers wer sent by an ordinary vocatioÌ„ as Christ was sent of his Father and of him the Apostles The history reporteth their vocation in the first book the xxiij Chap. ProtestaÌ„ts haue first preched their doctrine without vocatioÌ„ or sending at al such as the church of Christ requireth as it is other where at large proued If this enterprise be of men saied Gaâ—aliel of the Apostles preaching it shall perish But if it be of God it shall not perish Our faith of England hath continued 900. yeres and vpward The protestants faith is already chaunged from Lutheran to sacramentary in the compassâ— of lesse then 20. yeres and their primitiue faith is loste Luther being now accompted a very papist S. Paule sâ—ieth Fides est sperandarum substantia rerum Faith is the grounde or substaunce of thinges to be hoped for And againe that the Iust maÌ„ liueth by his faith Such faith putteth thinges by the belefe and practise wher off we may be saued Such a faith our Apostles taught vs. Our Crede our sacraments our lawes and Canons ecclesiastical receaued of them do witnesse The faith off protestants is as I may so saie ablatarum substantia rerum A substaunce or masse off things taken away and denied It is a negatiue religion It hath no affirmatiue doctrine but that which catholikes had befor Al that is their own is but the denial of oures This other wher is proued and may also presently appere by the differences which folow in doctrin betwene them and vs. Differences in doctrine Our Apostles saied masse In the first book the xxv Chap. it is mentioned Item of their successours in the fourth book the xiiij and xxij chap. Nothing is more horrible in the sight of protestants then Masse In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offred to God the Father the blessed body and bloud off Christ him selfe In the fiâ—fe booke the xxij chap. this doctrine is expressely reported This semeth an extreme blasphemy to protestants This sacrifice is taught to â—e propitiatory in the iiii booke the xxii chap. Protestants abhorre vtterly such doctrine Off confession off sinnes made to the priest the fourth booke doth witnesse in the xxv chap. and xxvii chap. This sacrament in the faith off protestants off our countre is abolished Satisfaction and penaunce for sinne enioyned appereth in the fourth book the xxv chap. also which in like maner the court off protestants admitteth not Merit off good works in the history is eftesoones iustified In the. 4. book the 14. and 15. chap. This doctrine semeth to protestants preiudicâ—all they saie to Gods glory but in dede to their licentious liberte Intercession off Saints protestants abhorre The practise theroff appeareth in this history in the first booke the xx chapter before we had the faith and in the iiii booke the xiiii chap. after the faith receaued The clergy off our primitiue church after holy orders taken do not mary In the first booke the xxvii chap. Now after holy orders and vowe both to the contrary priestes do mary In our primitiue church the vow of chastite both off men and wemen was thought godly and practised See the history the 3. book the 8. and 27. chap. the 4. b. the 23. chap. and in many other places Such vowes now are broken are estemed damnable are not so much as allowed in suche as woulde embrace that perfection commended in the ghospell and vniuersally practised in the primitiue church off the first v. C. yeares Such monkes and virgins liued in cloister in obedieÌ„ce in pouerty It appeareth through out all the three last bookes off the history Namely in the 3. booke the 8. chap. and the 4. booke the 6. chap. All such cloysters and orders the religion off protestants hath ouer throwen as a state damnable and wicked Praier for the dead dirige ouer night and RequieÌ„ Masse on the morniÌ„g was an accustomed matter in our primitiue church Witnesseth this history the iij. booke and ij chap. I teÌ„ the iiij boo the xxj chap. This deuotioÌ„ the sober faith of protestaÌ„ts estemeth as abhominatioÌ„ before god Reseruation of the blessed SacrameÌ„t thought no superstitioÌ„ in our primitiue church or prophanation of the sacrament lib. 4. cap. 24. Howseling before death vsed as necessary for al true christiaÌ„s As the practise specified in this history witnesseth lib. 4. ca. 3. 24. ProtestaÌ„ts vnder pretence of a coÌ„munioÌ„ do wickedly bereue christeÌ„ folcke thereof Consecrating of MoÌ„kes and Nunnes by the haÌ„ds of bishops a practised soleÌ„nite in our primitiue church It appeareth in the 4. booke the 19. and 23. chap. ProtestaÌ„ts by the liberty of their gospel laugh and scorne thereat Commemoration of Saintes at Masse time In the fourth booke the 14. and 18. chapters In the communion of protestants such commemorations are excluded as superstitious and vnlaufull Pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome a much wount matter of all estates of our countre in our primitiue church the history witnesseth in the iiij booke the 3. aâ—d xxiij chapter Item in the v. booke the vii chap. Nothing soundeth more prophane or barbarous in the
sayed that a man of such authoritie which had bene bisshoppe xl yeares ought not to be condemned but once agayne dischardged and quitted from the false accusations and malicious surmises of his enemies and sent home againe with honour to his countrie With this iudgement returning towardes England he fell sodainly sicke when he came to Fraunce and was so weakened the desease growing vppon him more and more that he could not ryde nor kepe his horse but was caried in a bed by strength of his seruauntes Being thus brought to Meldune a citye in Fraunce he lay iiij dayes and iiij nights as though he had byn dead Only declaring by a litle breath which he drewe very fayntly and short that he was a lyue Thus continuing iiij dayes without meate and drinke as speachelesse and past hearing he rose the fifte daye and sate vppe in his bed as a man awaked out of a deape sleepe and when his eyes were open he sawe a company of his brethern aboute him some singing some weaping and fetting a litle sigthe asked for his chaplyn Acca By and by he was called Who entring into the chambre and seing his bishoppe somewhat better amended and able to speake he fell downe vpon his knees and gaue thankes to God with all the company that was present And when they had sate together a litle while and entred talke fearefully of the high iudgements of God the bishop commaunded al to auoide the chambre for an houre and beganne to talke after this manner to his chaplin Acca There appeared vnto me euen now a terrible vision the which I wil haue thee heare and concele withal vntill I know knowe furder the pleasure of almighty God what shal become of me A certaine man clothed all in white stode by me saying I am Michael the Archangell sent hither for this only purpose to deliuer thee from daunger of death For our Lord hathe geuen the longer tyme to lyue for the earnest prayers and lamentations which thy scholars and bretherne here haue made and also for the intercession of the blessed virgin Marie his mother Wherefore I say vnto the that presently thou shalt be healed of this infirmitie and sickenesse but yet be in a readynesse for after iiij yeares I will returne againe and visit the. Agayne as sone as thou art returned to thy countrye the greatest part of thy possessions that haue ben taken away from the thou shalt receiue againe and ende thy life in tranquillitie and peace Vppon which comfortable wordes the bisshoppe recouered to the greate ioye of all men reioysing and praysing God for him Thus going forward on his iourney he came to England When the letters brought from the see Apostolique were reade Berechtwald archebisshop and Edilrede sometimes kinge but then made an Abbot receiued him gladly in fauour againe Edilred also entreating Coenrede whom he had made kinge in his place to come and speake with him requested him to be a good and gratious Lord to the saied bisshopp which also he obtained But Aldfride king of Northumberland which would not receiue him died within a while after By which occasion it fel out in the raigne of kinge Osred his sonne that in a Synode assembled by the riuer Nid after greate contention and reasoning in both partes he was receiued into his church and bisshopprike againe with all fauour they coulde shewe him So iiij yeres space to witt to his dying daye he liued in peace and died the xij daye of October in a monasterie which he had in the prouince of Wundale vnder the gouuernement of Abbot Cudbalde From whence by the handes of the couent he was caried to his owne monasterie in Rhyppon and interred in the blessed Apostle S. Peter his churche harde by the aultar towarde the Sowth side as we signified before and ouer him is written this epitaphe An Epitaphe vppon Bisshop VVilfride VVilfrid that worthy prelat lyeth bodely in this graue VVho moued with godly zeale to Christ this temple gaue And of the Apostle Peters name S. Peters church did it call To whom the kayes of heauen Christ gaue cheaf gouernour of all He guilted it with golde most fyne and hanged it with scarlat rouÌ„d And sett vp there a Crucifix of golde euen from the ground The foure bookes of Christes ghospell in golden letters are wrote At his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t and charges eke right worthy to read and note A couer for the same also of beaten golde he did fitt The price and valew was great but his hart surmounted it Touching the course of Easter in dew time to be kept Bicause by wronge tradition many it ouerlept He taught the catholike order all England thourough out Extirping the contrary errour by authorite most stoute A numbre of religious men he assembled in this place Instructing them vertuously in the holy Fathers race VVith miseries and perills eke much vexed of longe time And of his owne dere countremen charged with many a crime But when fiue and fourty yeares he had kept a bishops state To heauen be past his bretherns cause with Christ for to debate And that with all alacrite with mirth and ioyfull hart Now graunto Christ that after his trace we folowe thee on our part How Albine succeded the holy Abbot Adrian and Acca the good bishop VVilfride The 21. Chapter THE next yere after the death of that forsaid holy father which was the fifte of king Oâ—rede his raigne the Reuerend and worthy father Adrian Abbot and coadiutour to Theodore Bishop of most blessed memory in preachinge the worde of God passed oute of this transitory lyff and was interred in his owne monastery in our ladyes church the one and fourtith yeare after he was directed from Pope Vitalian and made coadiutor to Theodore and the 39. after he came to Englande Of whose profounde knowledge and lerninge amongest other thinges this may be a sufficient testimony that Albine his schollar who had the gouernaunce of the Abbay after his decesse was so well practised in exercise of holy scripture that he had greate knowledge in the greeke tounge and did speake latin as eloquently withoute staggering or staying as he did english which was his naturall language After the death of bishop VVilfride Acca his priest succeded in the bishoprik of Hagulstad a man of a ioly courage and honorable in the sight of God and of men who enlarged his Cathedrall church dedicated in the honour of saincte Andrewe and set forth the buildinges with diuers comely and sightfull workes and moreouer imployed all his diligence and endeuour to gather together oute of all places the holy Apostles and Martirs reliques to the ende he might in honour of them builde certaine aultars a parte by them selues in litle chapels made for the same purpose within the precincte and walles of the same churche Besides he sought with al possible diligence the histories of their martyrdome and other ecclesiastical writers and made vp a very large and worthy library Moreouer he zelously
the history of oure countre citeth him with these titles Beda homo Anglus quo nihil castius nihil melius nihil verius caet Bede an english man then whom none more chaste none off more vertu none of more truth c. With like commendation and reuerence he is alleaged of his lerned posterite in al ages In his life time not only at home with his owne countremen for his vertu and learning he was in high estimation and in greate credit with the Nobilite of our countre but also he was abrode with other Christen princes being but a monke by profession in greate estimation and muche reuerenced Therefore lyke as we reade of S. Antony S. Hierom before his tyme off S. Bernard and other after him all monkes and religious men that in their priuat celles they had yet a care of publike quyet and lyke counsellers of the whole worlde they moued princes to their duty so of holy S. Bede we reade the same For thus Platin reporteth of him Cum Africa Hispania á Sarracenis occuparetur Beda qui eisdem temporibus fuit hanc calamitatem literis ad Principes Christiani nominis scriptis lamentatus est quo bellum in hostes Dei atque hominum susciperent When Afrike and Spayne was taken and helde of the Sarrazens Bede which lyued in that time lâ—mented this calamite in letters writen to Christen Princes to the entent that they should make warres against the enemies of God and men Wherein bothe the vertuous zele and religions care of common quiet in holy S. Bede appereth and the authorite also whiche he hadd abrode with other Christen princes is signified Vnto whom also a litle before his death in familiar letters he prophecied of the great waste of Europe and the West church whiche soone after his death ensued by the Sarazens For as Afrike by their meanes lost the faith and lacketh it yet so Spayne off late only recouered the faith againe Thus muche off his learning and vertu Other especialls of his life as where he was borne howe he lyued and dyed ye maye partly reade in his lyfe written by Thrithemius which we haue translated and placed a part after the preface partly in his own words folowing after th ende of this history The Authour of this history being a man of suche lerning and vertu a countreman of oures one that writeth the history of thinges done at home done in his lyfe time or in few yeares before the memory of them being yet fresh and newe it shall not nede I trust to persuade the Reader in many words to geue credit vnto him in such thinges as he reporteth Neither may I feare to prefer his authotite before the authorite or report of any man that now liueth For beside his lerning and vertu it is to be considered that he liued in a quiet time before these controuersies which nowe so trouble Christendom were moued He is an indifferent reporter There is no suspicion of partes taking no preiudice of fauouring either side no feare of affection or misseiudgement to be gathered vpon him We haue good cause to suspect the reportes of Bale of Fox of Beacon and suche other whiche are knowen to maintaine a faction and singular opinion lately spronge vp who reporte thinges passed many hundred yeares before their daies No such suspicion can be made of S. Bede who lyued aboue eight hundred yeares paste and reporteth the planting of Christen religion among vs englishmen partly by that whiche he sawe him selfe partly by the reporte of such who either liued at the first coming in of Christendom to our countre them selues or were scholers to suchâ— Who also was no maintainer of any secte or faction but liued and died in the knowen common faith of Christendom which then was and is now but one In this history therefore vewe and consider the coming in of Christen faithe in to oure countre the heauenly tydinges brought to our Lande the course encrease and multiplying thereof The vertuous behauiour of oure forefathers the firste Christen englishmen Peruse and marke the faith which they beleued the hope wherein they continued the charite wherby they wrought Their faith taught them to submit them selues to one supreme head in Christes church the Apostolike Pope of Rome Peters successour to whom holy Scripture telleth vs the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen Their faith taught them all such thinges as are now by protestants denied as for the more part we haue out of the history gathered by a numbre of differeÌ„ces placed in the second part of the Fortresse Their hope and charite so wrought that our dere countre of England hath ben more enriched with places erected to Gods honour and to the fre maintenaunce of good lerning then any one countre in all Christendome beside Gather honny lyke bees oute of this comfortable history of oure countre not venim like spiders Reade it with charitable simplicite not with suspicious curiosite with vertuous charite not with wicked malice As for example The facte of Saint Gregory described in the seconde booke the first chapter of this history reporting how that holy man seing in Rome certain of our countremen sette to be solde in the market moued with their outwarde beauty beganne to pitie and lament their inward foule infidelite holy S. Bede writeth diligently as an argument of his greate good zele and tendering of Christes religion and construeth it to the beste as no honest Reader can other wyse do But baudy Bale according to the cleanes of his sprit and holy ghospell like a venimous spider being filthy and vncleane him selfe sucketh out a poisonned sence and meaning charging that holy maÌ„ with a most outragious vice and not to be named So like an other Nero who liuing in lewde lechery woulde not be persuaded that any was honest this olde ribauld as in other stories he practised maketh this history also ministring no vnhonest suspicion at al nor geuing any colour of vncleane surmising to serue his filthy appetit and bestly humour It will better become the godly reader and Christen hart to interpret al to the best For in dede none can think euill of other which is not euill him selfe Charite saieth S. Paule thinketh no euill reoyseth not of iniquite but is delited in verite Such charite if it had ben in Bale and his felow protestants we should not now haue had so many lewde lies and malicious surmises vpon the liues of holy men as are to be sene in the workes of Bale Fox and other In this history it shal be no losse time to peruse the lerned vertuous and zelous epistles of certain Popes of Rome after S. Gregory as of Bonifacius Honorius Vitalianus and other to the kinges of our countre as wel for the encreasing of Christen faith as for the extirping of Pelagians heresy for the due obseruation of Easter which al Christendom hetherto kepeth and other like matters
yet so sodenly finde none ready the iourney being so longe to you Truly as soone as we shall espie out a mete person and and worthy of that vocation we shall direct him spedely to your countre That by his preaching and holy scripture he may thouroughly roote oute all the wicked darnel of the enemy out of your Ilond by the helpe and grace of allmighty God The presents which your highnes directed to the blessed prince of the Apostles for his perpetuall memory we haue receiued thanking therefore your highnes beseching with all our clergy incessantly the goodnes of God for your highnes preseruatiō and good estat The bringer of your presents is departed this life and is laied at the entry of the blessed Apostles towmes we much lamenting and bewailing at his departure here Notwithstanding by the bearers of these our presents we haue sent the iewels of holy Martyrs that is the relikes of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of the holy Martyrs S. Laurens Iohn and Paule of S. Gregory and of Pancratius all to be deliuered to your highnes To your Lady and bedfelowe our spiritual daughter we haue sent by the saied bearers a crosse of golde hauing in it a nayle taken out of the most holy chaines of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule Of whose godly behauiour we vnderstanding haue all as farre reioysed as her vertuous dedes are before God pleasaunt and acceptable We beseche therefore your highnes to furder and sett forward the conuersation of your whole Ilond to the faith of Christ. You shall not vndoubtedly lacke herein the speciall protection of our Lorde Iesus Christ the redemer of all mankinde who will prosper you in all thinges to the encreasing of his true beleuers and planting of the catholike and Apostolike faith For it is written Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you Truly your highnes seketh and shall no doubt obtaine and all partes of your Ilond as we wish and desire shall be brought vnder your allegeaunce We salute your highnes with most fatherly affection beseching continually the mercy of God that it will vouchesafe to assist you and all yours in the perfourmance of all good workes that in the worlde to come ye may all liue and raigne with Chrst. The heauenly grace frō aboue preserue alwaies your highnes In the next booke folowing we shall haue occasion to declare who was founde and appointed bishop in place of Wighard that died at Rome How the people of Essex and London in a time of plage retourning to Idolatry by the diligence of Iarumanus their bishop were soone brought home againe The 30. Chap. AT this time Sigher and Sebbi kinges ruled ouer the people of Essex and London after the death of Guidhelme of whom we haue spoken before althoughe these were also vnder the allegeannce of Wulfher king of the Middlelād englishmen This prouince being visited with that greate plague and mortalite which we mencioned before Sigher with the people ouer whom he ruled forsaking the sacramentes of Christes religion fell to Apostasie For bothe the kinge him selfe and many as well of the people as of the nobles louing this present life and not seking after the life to come or els not beleuing any such life at al begā to renew their temples which stode desolat and to worship idols as though they could therby escape the mortalite But Sebbi his cōpanion with al vnder him perseuered deuoutly in the faith and ended his life in great felicite as we shal herafter declare Wulfher the king vnderstanding parte of his dominions to fal from the faith for to call thembacke againe sent vnto them bishop Iarumannus the successor of Trumher who by much labour and diligence being a man of great vertu painfull and zelous as a certain priest waiting then vpō him and helping him in preaching the ghospell reported vnto me brought them to the faith againe bothe the kinge and all his people So that abandoning and throwing downe their tēples and altars they opened againe the churches confessed gladly the name of Christ and chose rather in hope of resurrection to dye then in the filth of idolatry to liue Which being so brought to passe their priestes and instructers returned home withe muche ioye and comfort THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How after the death of Deusdedit Wighart being sent to be made bishop and dying there Theodore was consecrated Archebishop and sent in to England with a certain Abbat named Adrian The. 1. Chapter THe same yeare of the foresaied eclipse and pestilence that soone after folowed in which also bishop Colman ouercommed by the generall and vniforme sentence of the Catholikes returned home to his countre Deusdedit the sixt Archebishop of Caunterbury died the xiiij daye of Iuly Ercombert also kinke of kent departed this world the very same moneth and day and left to his sonne Ecgbert the Crowne and kingdom which he receiued and held by the space of ix yeres At that time the See of Caunterbury being vacant a great while and the diocese desirous of a bishop VVighart a vertuous priest a man very well lerned skilfull of the Canons rules and disciplines of the church and an english man borne was sent to Rome bothe by Ecgbert and also Oswin kinge of Northumberland as we haue mencioned before and with him certain presents to the Pope Apostolike as great store of plate bothe siluer and golde Being arriued to Rome in the time that Vitalianus gouuerned the Apostolike see and hauing declared the cause of his coming to the saied Pope within short space he and almost all his company were taken with the pestilence and died Whereupon the Pope with aduise and counsell enquired diligently whom he might direct for Archebishop ouer the churches of England In the monasterie of Niridan not farre from Naples in Campania there was an Abbat named Adrian an African borne a man very well lerned in the scriptures thouroughly instructed bothe in monasticall discipline and in ecclesiasticall gouuernement very skilfull of the greke and latin tounges This man being called to the Pope was willed of him to take the bishoprike vpon him and trauail vnto England But he answering that he was no mete man for so high a degree promised yet to bringe forth one which bothe for his lerning and for his age were more worthy of that vocation And offred to the Pope a certain monke liuing in a Nunnery there by called Andrew who though he were of all that knewe him estemed worthy of tke bishoprike yet for the impediment of his weake and sickely body it was not thought good to sende him Then Adrian being required againe to take it vpon him desired certain daies of respit if happely in the meane time he could finde any other mete to supplie that roume At this time there was in Rome a certain monke of Adriās acquaintaūce named Theodore borne
go your waies to churche againe and speake vnto the bretherne that with their prayers they both commend vnto our Lorde my departing and remember also with fasting watching prayers and good workes to preuent their own departing the houre wherof is vncertaine And when he had spoken these and mo like wordes and that the brethern had taken his blessing and wer gone forth very heauy and sad he that only heard the heauenly song came in againe and casting himselfe flat on the ground sayed I beseke you good father may I be so bold as to aske you a question Aske what you will quod he Then quod the other I pray you tell me what was that song which I heard of that ioyfull company descending from heauen vpon this oratorie and after a time retourninge to heauen againe He aunswered and saied to him If you haue hearde the voice of the song and vnderstoode the comming of the heauenly compaines I commaund you in the name of our Lorde to tell no man herof before my death They were in dede the spirites of angelles which came to call me to the heauenly rewardes which I haue alway loued and longed for and after vij daies they haue promised to come againe and take me with them The which was in dede fullfilled euen as it was foretolde him For straight way was he taken with a feyntnes of bodye which daily grewe more greuouse vpon him and the vij daye as it had bene promised him after he had first forewarded his departing with the receiuing of the bodie and bloud of our Lord his holy soule loosed from the prison of the bodie was caried and lead as we may well beleue of the company of Angelles to the ioyes euerlastinge And it is no meruaile if he gladly behelde the day of death or rather the day of our Lorde which daye he did alwaies carefully looke for till it came For among his manifold merites of chastitie and abstinence of preaching of praier of wilfull pouertie and other vertues he was so far humbled to the feare of our Lorde so much mindful of his later end in all his workes that as a certaine brother named Trumbert was wont to tell me one of them that read the scriptures to me and was brought vp in his monasterie and gouernement if perhaps while he were reading or doing some other thing there rose any sodaine great blast of wind by and by wold he cal on the mercy of our Lord and beseke him to haue pitie on mākinde But and if there came a blast yet more vehement then wold he shut vp his booke and fall downe on his face and set him selfe more feruently to prayer And if any stronger storme or blustreing showre continewed long or that lightning and thunders did make both the earth and ayre to shake for feare then would he go to churche and earnestly set his mind to praier and saying of psalmes vntill the ayre waxed clere againe And when some of his companie asked him why he did so Haue ye not read quod he That our Lord hath thundred from heauen and the most high hath giuen his voice He hath sent out his arrowes and scattered them abrode he hath multiplied lighteninge and troubled them For our Lorde moueth the ayre reyseth vp windes shooteth out lighteninges thundreth from heauen to styrre vp the creatures of the earth to feare him to cal againe their hartes to the remembraunce of the iudgement to come to plucke downe their pride and abate their boldenes and thus to bringe to their mindes that terrible time when both heauens and earth shall burne and himselfe come vpon the clowdes with great power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead And therfore quod he it behoueth vs with dewe feare and loue to yelde and giue place to his warning from heauen that as ofte as he trowbleth the ayre and lyfteth vpp his hande as it were threatning to strike and doth not yet strike we strayght way call vpon his mercie and boulting owt the very botome of our hartes and casting owt the dregges and relikes of synne do carefully prouide that we neuer deserue to be striken at all With the reuelation and relation of the foresayd brother concerning the death of this bysshopp the wordes also of Ecgbert the most reuerend father do well agree of whome we spake before Whiche Ecgbert at the tyme whē the sayd Chadda was a youngman and himself of lyke age to dyd in Ireland strayghtly lead a monasticall lyfe both together in prayers continence and meditation of the holy scriptures But Chadda being afterward retourned to his countree Ecgbert abode there styll as a pilgrime for our Lordes sake vnto the end of his lyfe Nowe a long tyme after there came to visite him from England a certaine most holy and vertuous man named Higbalde who was an Abbot in the prouince of Lindisse And as they talked together of the lyfe of the former fathers as is the maner of such holy men to doo and gladly wold wysh to followe the same they fell vpon mention of the most reuerend byshop Chadda And than sayd Ecgbert I knowe a man yet remayning aliue in this Ilande which whē brother Chadda passed owt of the world dyd see a companye of Angelles descend from heauen and take vp his sowle withe them and retourned againe to the celestiall kingdomes Which vision whether Ecgbert meaned to be sene of himselfe or of some other it is to vs vncertaine yet while so worthy a man as he sayed that it was true the thing it self can not be vncertaine vnto vs. Thus dyed Chadda the vj. daye of Marche and was buryed first by S. Maries Churche but afterward his bones were remoued into the church of the most blessed Saint Peter chiefe of thapostles the same churche being finished In both which places in token of his vertu often miracles of healing sicke folke are wonte to be wrought And of late a certaine man that had a phrenesie and ranne vpp and downe wandring euery where came thither at an euening and by the ignorance or negligence of them that kept the place lay there all the night and the next morning came owt well in his wyt and declared to the great wonder and ioye of all men that there he had by the gyfte and goodnes of our Lorde gotten his health The place of the sepulchre is couered with a wodden tombe made like a litle howse hauing an hole in the syde at whiche they that come thither for deuocions sake are wont to put in their hand and take owt some of the dowste The whiche they put into water and than giue it to drinke to sicke beastes or men whereby the grief of their sickness is anon taken away and they restored to their ioyfull desired healthe In the place of B. Chadda Theodore consecrated and ordeyned VVinfrid a vertuowse and sober man to rule and haue the office of a byshop as his
Howe Coenrede kinge of the Marsshes and Offa king of the East Saxons ended their liues in the habitt of religion and of the lyfe and death of bisshop VVilfride The 20. Chap. THe iiij yeare of Osredes raigne king Coenrede which kept the soueraintie in the countrie of Marshes honourably for a tyme did more honourably forsake it and all his dominions For vnder Constantine the Pope he went to Rome and receiuing there the tonsure and habitt of a religious man at the Apostles toumbes continued in praying fasting and dealing of almes vntill his dying daye Vnto this noble prince Coenrede succeded kinge Edilredes son which Edildred had the gouuernement of the same realme before him There went with him also to Rome Sigheres sonn king of the east Saxons called Offa whome we mentioned before a princely and beautefull gentleman and then in his first flowres and much desired of his subiectes to remaine and rule among them But he moued with leke deuotion and zeale as the other prince was forsoke his ladye his landes his kinsfolke and countrie for Christes sake and the ghospell that in this world he might receiue an hundred folde and in the world to come life euerlasting with Christ. When he came to the holy places att Rome he also was shoren into religion in the which he passed the rest of his life and came to the vision of the blessed Apostles in heauen as he had longe desired before The very selfe same yere that these ij princes went out of Britannie a worthy prelate and notable bishopp called VVilfride died the xlv yeare after he had ben made bisshoppe in the territory called Wundale And his body well chested was caried to the monastery of Rhippon wher he had before liued and with al honour and solemnitie worthy for so noble a bishopp was buried in Saincte Peters church at Rhyppon Of whose life and behahauiour let vs brieflly make mention what things were done returning as it were backe againe to that we haue spokeÌ„ before This Wilfride being but a childe was of such towardnesse and good nature induced with so many goodly qualities of such modest and honest behauiour in all pointes that all the elders and auncients did with a speciall good loue reuerence him After he was xiiij yere olde he more estemed a monasticall and solitarie lyfe than all secular and wordly wealth The which thing when he had communicated with his father for his mother was departed to the mercy of God he gladly condescended to his holly requestes and godly desires and exhorted him to persiste in that godly purpose which he had entended Hereuppon he came to the isle Lindisfarne and there atteÌ„ding vpoÌ„ the monks he diligeÌ„tly lerned and gladly practised al pointes of chastity and godlinesse required in a solitarie and religious man And because he had a goodly pregnant witt he lerned spedely psalmes and certain other bookes of prayers being not yet shoren in or professed but well garnished with those vertues which far surmounted the outward profession to witt of humility and obedience For the which he was wel loued and estemed bothe of the elders and also of his equals When he had serued God certaine yeares in that monastery he perceaued by litle and litle being growen in iudgement as a wife younge man that could quickly fore see the waye of trewe religion and vertue taught by the Scotts not to be altogether perfecte Whereuppon he fully determined to make a voyage to Rome only to see what riâ—es and ceremonies were obserued there as well of secular priestes as of religious personnes The which determination of his after notice geuen to his Bretherne by preuy conference eche man did well commeÌ„d it and persuaded him to go forward in his good purpose Incontinent coming to Quene Eamflede who knew him wel and by whose counsell and coÌ„mendation he was receaued into that monastery declared to her hyghnesse that he had an earnest and feruent desyre to visit the monuments of the holy Apostles The Quene much delited with the younge mans good purpose and zele sent him to Caunterbury to kinge Ercombert which was her vncles sonne requiring that it might please his highnesse to send him honorably to Rome at what time Honorius one of the blessed Pope Gregories schollers a man profoundly lerned in holy scripture was Archebishop there When this younge man lackinge nor good courage nor lyuely sprite had tarried there a space and employed his diligence to lerne and commit to memory that which he ouerloked there repaired thither an other younge gentilman whose name was Bishop and Christen name Benet one of the nobles of Englande desyrours to go to Rome of whom I haue mentioned before The kinge committed VVilfride to this younge gentilman and his company with chardge that he shuld conduct him safe to Rome When they came to Lyons in Fraunce VVilfrid was stayd there by Dalphine bishop of that city The gentleman went on his iourney to Rome The delight and pleasure which the bishop had in VVilfrides wyse talke aminable continaunce ioly actituity and graue inuention was the occasion why he was staied there For that cause also he gaue him and all his company frendfull intertainement as long as they continued there and furder offred him the gouernement of a greate parte of Fraunce the mariadge of his brothers daughter whiche was yet in the flower of her virginity brefely to adopte him for his heyr if he wolde make his abode there But he rendring lowly and harty thankes for so great courtesy and gentilnesse that the bishop vouchsafed to shew vnto him being but a straunger answered that he was fully determined to an other conuersation and trade of lyffe and therfore had forsaken his country and taken this iourney to Rome The which when the bishop heard he sent him to Rome with a guide to conducte him in the waye and gaue him mony sufficient to beare his chardges desyringe that at his returne he wolde remember to take his house by the waye VVilfride with in fewe dayes after cominge to Rome and occypuing him selfe in daily contemplation of heauenly thinges according to his first determination fel acquainted with a notable holy and lerned man called Boniface who was Archedeacon and one of the Apostolike Popes counsellers By whose instruction he lerned orderly the foure bookes of the Gospell and the trewe counte of Easter and many other godly lessons commodious and profitable to vnderstande the orders and disciplines of the churche which he could not attaine vnto in his owne country And when he had passed certaine monethes there in godly exercise and study he returned to Dalfine againe in Fraunce and after he had tarried with him iij. yeares he toke the inferiour orders of the bishop and was so entierly loued of him that the bishoppe fully determined to make him his successour But by cruel death he was preuented and VVilfride reserued to a bishoprike in his owne natyue country England For Brunechild
euening of that daye That is that the lambe should be offred when the moone is fiften dayes olde whiche fyftenth daye off the moone is the begynning of the third weke of the monthe And that it is the selfe same night of the xv daie of the moone in which God stroke the Aegiptians and deliuered the children of Israel it appeareth by that he saithe Seuen dayes ye shall eate sweete bred With which wordes also all the third weke of the first moneth is commaunded to be kept solemne and holye not only the first daye of the weke And that we shoulde not thinke those seuen dayes to be counted from the xiiij to the xx he added by and by The firste day there shall be no leauen bred in your houses VVhosoeuer shall eate in any of your houses any leauen bred his soule shall perishe out of the companye of Israel from the first day vntyll the vij c. Vntill he saith For in the same daye he saith after I will bring and conducte your hoste oute of the lande of Aegypte First of all then He called that the first day of sweete bred in the which he would conducte and bringe their hoste out of Aegipte But it is manifest that they were not delyuered oute of Aegipte the xiiij daye when the lambe was offred in the euening which night was properly called the passeouer but the xv daye as it is euidently written in the booke of numbers where we reade thus VVherefore when the children off Israel were gone from Ramesse the xv day of the firste monethe the nexte daye after they kepte the Passeouer with a myghty power Ergo the seuen dayes of swete bred in the first of the which seuen the children of God were deliuered oute of Aegipte must be counted as I said before from the beginning of the thirde weeke that is from the xv of the firste moneth to the xxj fully complete and ended Now that the xiiij daye is not numbred amongest these seuen wher Easter beginneth that which foloweth in Exodus doth euident declare Where after it was saied For in the vij daye I will delyuer thy hoste oute of the lande of Aegipte it was added streytwayes And you shall keape holy this daye from generation to generation after one perpetuall rite and ceremonye The xiiij daye off the first moneth at the euening you shall eate sweete bredd vntill the euening of the xxj in the same monethâ— Seuen dayes shall no leauen bred be founde in your houses Now who doth not plainly see that from the xiiij day to the xxj be nott only seuen dayes but also eight yf the xiiij day be reakoned for one But if we will counte from the euening of the xiiij daye to the euening of the xxi as the veritie of holy scripture diligently searched oute doth declare we shall well perceiue that the xiiij daye so beginneth the feast of Easter in the euening that all the whole weeke hath no more but vii dayes and vij nightes Wherefore our proposition is proued trew wherin we saied that Easter must be kepte in the first moneth of the yere and the thirde weeke of that moneth And that is in dede truly solemnised in the third weeke the solennite where of beginneth in the euening of the xiiij daye and is complete and ended in the euening of the xxj daye Now after that Christ our trewe paschall lambe was offred vpp in sacrifice and had made the Sondaie called amongest the auncient writers â—na vel prima sabbati one of the sabothe or firste of the sabothe solemne and holy to vs for ioye of his resurrection the tradition of the Apostles hath so put this Sounday in the feaste of Easter that they fully decreed nether to preuent the time of Easter in the olde lawe nor to diminishe any on daye but commaunded according to the precepte geuen in the lawe that the same first monethe of the yeare the same xiiij daye and the same eueninge should be expected and taried for In which euening when it fell vppon the saboth daye euery man should take a lambe according to their families and householdes and offer him vpp in sacrifice at the euening That is to saye all christian churches through out the whole world which all ioyned together maketh but one catholike church should prepare bred and wyne for the mysterie of the fleshe and precious bloud of that immaculate lambe which tooke awaye the synnes of the world and when all lessons prayers rites and ceremonies vsed in the solemne feast of Easter were done shoulde offer the same to god the father in hope of their redemption to come For this is the selffe same night that the people of Israell were deliuered oute of Aegypte by the bloude of the lambe This is the same night in whiche the people of God were delyuered from aeternall death by Christes glorious resurrection In the morning folowing being Sondaye the solemne feast of Easter should be celebrated For that is the day wherein our Sauiour opened the glory of his resurrection appearing diuers times in that one day to his disciples to their vnspeakeable comfort and ioye This is the first daye of the swete bread of the which clere mention is made in the Leuiticus wher we reade thus The xiiij daye of the first moneth at euening is our Lordes passeouer and the xv day of the same his soleÌ„ne feast of swete bred vij dayes shal ye eate sweete bred the firste daye shall be most solemne and holye Wherefore if it were possible that the soundaye might alwaies falle vppon the xv daye of the firste moneth that is to saye vpon the fifteneth day of the age of the moone we might celebrate and keepe the feaste of Easter alwaies at one time with the olde auncient people of god as we do in one faith albeit they differ from vs in the kinde of externall sacramentes But because the weeke dayes do not runne equally with the course off the moone the tradition of the Apostles preached at Rome by S. Peter and confirmed at Alexandria by the Euangelist Saint Marke his interpreter hath decreed that when the first moneth is come and the eueninge of the xiiij daye of the same the next sounday also should be expected and looked for from the xv day to the one and twentyth off the same monethe For in which so euer off those it shall be founde Easter shal be kept in the same And that because it appertaineth to the number of these vij daies in which the feast of sweete bred is commaunded to be kept Wherefore it cometh to passe that our Easter neuer passeth the thirde weeke of the thirde moneth nor ouer nor vnder but ether it hath the whole weke that is to say vij daies of sweet bred according to the old lawe or at the lest some of them If of all them it compryseth but one to witt the vij daie which the holy scripture so highlye