charge of the Bishop it came to the Emperors eare who gréedie of praye commanded him to render the treasure vnto him But he insteade thereof presented vnto him after thrée dayes respite a sort of poore Christians as the treasure of the Church Wherewith taking himselfe deluded he commanded Laurence to be broyled on an Iron Gridiron L. broyled on a gridiron Whereon after he had suffered a great space he pronoūced these words vnto the Tyrant This side is now rosted inough turne vp O Tyrant assay whether rosted or raw thou think to be better meate By the constant confession of this Laurence a certayne Souldier of Rome being pricked and therewith conuerted to the faith desired forthwith to be baptized of him for which being called for by the Iudge he was scourged and after beheaded Vnder the same suffered also Dionisius B. of Alexādria Dionisius B. of Alexandria much affliction and banishment who with Faustus Maximus and Cheremon were banished into a town of Libia called Cephrobie Emilianus the President at the Emperors commandement not geuing Dionisius then sick one daies respit in the place he was once scourged afterwarde remoued frō thence to another place called Mariota a more straight sharpe place of Libia Who after he came thither was assigned thence to go to Colluthion There were also afflicted with him at that time Caius Petrus and Paulus But notwithstanding all their crueltie certaine visited the brethren The brethren visited as Maximus Dioscorus Demetrius and Lucius At that time also Eusebius Eusebius suffred afflictiō for the truth who was afterward made B. of Laodicea in Siria Maximus had the ministerie of the church of Alexandria after Dionisius Faustus Faustus long after being a very olde man was in the later persecution beheaded Dionisius himselfe suruiued all these troubles and continued vnto the xij yere of the reigne of Galienus about the yere 268. and so in great age departed in peace after he had gouerned the church of Alexandria xvij yeres and taught Schoole in the same xvi yeres After whom succéeded Maximus In Cesaria Palestine suffered the same time Priscus Priscus Marcus Marcus and Alexander Alexander who stepping to the iudge and declaring thēselues to be Christians were giuen to wild beasts with a woman that had béene before of the sect of Marcion Also in Carthage were 300. martyred 300. martyred in a lime kill for refusing to doo sacrifice to Iupiter Also in the citie of Tuburba Maxima Donatilla and Secunda thrée virgins Three virgins were after diuerse cruell torments giuen to beasts which refusing to touch thē they were beheaded with the sword In Symela a citie vnder the Alpes one Pontius Pontius beyng apprehended by Claudius the president after diuerse torments was giuen to beastes who refusing to touch him was committed to the fire of which also beyng not touched he was beheaded by a riuers side and his body cast into the same Gods iudgements At which instant Claudius with Anabius his assistant were taken with wicked spirits and bit of their owne tongues and so died In the same time also Zeno Zeno. Bishop of Verona was martyred The later Histories write of one Philippus who beyng promoted to the Presidentship of Alexandria came downe with his wife Claudia and his two sonnes Auitus and Sergius and his daughter named Eugenia Among whom this Eugenia Eugenia was brought to Christianitie with two other her companions Eunuches Prothus and Hyacinthus with whome shée councelling tooke the apparell of a man partly to auoid trouble and to heare more boldly the readings of Helenus Helenus an aged Bishop and called her name Eugenius Now a matrone named Melancia of Alexandria fell in loue with this Eugenius which she refusing and Melācia seing by no means she could obtaine her suit she made an outcry against Eugenius declaring that he went about to defloure her presented her accusatiō to Philippus Whervpon Eugenius was constrained to manifest her selfe vnto Philippus her father who had now long time missed her whom with other of her parents she did afterward win to the faith for the same was after martyred Eugenia after the martyrdome of her Father is sayd to haue returned to Rome with Prothus and Hyacinthus and conuerted Basilla to the faith who should haue béene married to a Pagan husband and was then beheaded after sundry and diuerse torments In the sixt yéere of Valerianus Victor Victor and Victorinus Victorinus with Claudianus Claudianus and Bossa Bossa his wife after thrée yéeres imprisonment and diuerse torments were put to death Vnder these tyraunts suffered Fructuosus Fructuosus Bishop of Taraconia in Spaine with his two Deacons Augurius and Eulogius condēnsd by Emilianus There hands bound behind them presently were vnloosed and the fire flew from them till they had praied that it might accomplish the worke and so they died constantly At which time a certaine souldier of the house of Emilianus A vision did sée the heauen open and the martyrs enter in which sight he did shew vnto the daughter of Emilianus the president This Valerian after he had raigned with his sonne Galienus six or seuen yéeres and about two yéeres had afflicted the Christians fell into the handes of Sapores Sapores king of Persians beyng of thrée score and ten yéeres of age who made him alwaies his footestoole to get vppon his horse to which purpose he serued till his death albeit Eusebius saith hée was slayne at the commaundement of Sapores and powdered with salt Claudius his president was possessed of a Diuell Gods iudgements and biting of his owne tounge by many small péeces ended his life At the same time in the Romane Monarchie there happened thirtie earthquakes together Earthquakes by the meanes whereof Galienus could not succour his Father whome it is thought they did so terrifie that hée caused therevpon the persecution to bée moderated Persecution moderated notwithstanding there were some that suffered among whom was one Marinus Marinus who being a noble man and a warriour of Cesarea and standing for a dignitie that belonged vnto him was accused of him that should succéed him to be a Christian wherevpon being called before Achaius then iudge had giuen him foure houres to deliberat who standing in deliberation Theotechnus otherwise called Theodistus Theodistus Bishop of Cesarea brought him into the Church of Christians layde before him a booke of the new testament and a sword willing him to choose who forthwith chose the booke and so encouraged by the Bishop presented himselfe to the iudge by whose sentence hée was beheaded After the martirdom of Xistus the gouernment of the church of Rome was committed to one Dionysius Dionysius about the yéere 266. who continued therein the space of 9. yéeres according to Eusebius but as Damasus saith 6. yéeres and 2. moneths After him
Egfretus his sonne who raigned but foure monethes next Egfret succéeded Kenulphus in the kingdom of Mercia who made warre against the Cantuarites and tooke Egbert their king called Wren whom he bound and led prisoner to Mercia but vpon the dedication of a Church which hee builded he released him out of prison Next to Pope Zacharie followed Pope Stephen the second to whom Pipinus the French king to gratifie the Pope gaue to the sea of Rome the princedome of Rauenna the kingdome of the Lombards and manie other great possessions of Italie The donation of Pipine the traitor and murtherer Inuention of Organs with all the cities thereto adioyning vnto the borders of Venice and this is like to the donation which they say was giuen of Constantine To this Pipinus was sent into France the inuention of Organs out of Gréece by Costantine Emperour of Constantinople Anno 757. Next to Stephen the second succéeded Paul the first in the Papacie who thundered against Constantine the emperor of Constantinople for abrogating of images but hee continued constant in his purpose notwithstanding to the end of his life These came to bee Popes Constantinus the seconde a Laie man Pope deposed his eies out and brother to Desiderius the king of Lombardie for the which cause hée was shortly deposed and thrust into a Monasterie hauing his eyes put out In whose steade succeeded Stephen the third who condemned the seuenth Councell of Constantinople for hereticall because in that Councell the woorshipping of Images was condemned Pope striueth for images and contrarily caused them to be worshipped and incensed At this time Charles the great beganne to raigne by whom the Pope caused Desiderius the Lombard king to bee depriued Next vnto Stephen succeeded Hadrianus the first who gaue more veneration to images then any before him writing a booke in commendation and vtilitie of their adoration Images laie mens kalender commaunding them to be taken for lay mens kalenders holding a synode at Rome against Felix and al other that spake against images and as Paul the first before him had made much of the body of Petronella S. Peters daughter So this Hadrian clothed the body of S. Peter all in siluer Cost vpon Images and couered the altar of S. Paul with a pall of gold This Hadrian did confirme the order of Saint Gregories Masse before the order of S. Ambrose for vnto the time 800. Strife for Gregories masse the Liturge of S. Ambrose was more vsed in the Italian Churches but this Bishop burnt the bookes of Ambrose seruice into ashes and threwe into prison many priests that would not consent vnto him Now Eugenius cōming 3. daies after the councell ended perswaded the pope to call the councell againe agréed that both the bookes of Gregory and Ambrose should be laied vpon the altar of Peter and Paule and the Church dores shut and sealed they should all the night giue themselues to prayer that God might giue a token whether were more to be allowed Now on the morning A miracle falsly interpreted they found Gregories masse booke plucked one péece from another and scattered ouer all the Church and onely Ambroses booke open vpon the altar where they had laide it This miracle Pope Adrian did interprete on his owne side side that as the leaues were scattered ouer the Church so should Gregories booke bée vsed through the worlde and Ambrose his book should onely be kept at his owne Church at Mediolanum where hee sometime was Bishop Carolus magnus did confirme his fathers gift and deuotion to the Pope adding moreouer therevnto the Citie and dominion of Venice Histria the Dukedome of Foroiuliense the Dukedome Spoletanū and Beneuentanum and other possessions mo to the patrimonie of saint Peter and the Pope to requite him made him Patricium Romanum and ordeined him onely to be taken for Emperour of Rome Carolus being proclaymed Emperour the Empire was translated from the Grecians to the Frenchmen an 801. The Empire translated to the French A B C Monasteries and continued so 102. yeres or thereabout till the comming of Conradus and his Neuew Otho which were Germās This Charles builded so many Monasteries as there bée letters in the A.B.C. He helde a Councell at Franckforde wherein was condemned the Councell of Nice and Irene for setting vp and worshipping of Images Anno 784. Irene Empresse of the Gréekes through the meanes of Pope Hadrian tooke vp the body of Constantine Emperour of Constantinople Irene the Greeke Empresse a maintainer of Images her owne husbandes father and when she had burned the same she caused the ashes to be cast into the Sea because he disanulled Images Afterward she raigned with her sonne Constantine the sixt sonne to Leo the fourth The cruell Irene who was also excommunicated for taking away Images and being at dissention with him she caused him to be taken and laid in prison and afterward through power of fréends being restored was at the last againe cast into prison The Emp. eies pulled out by his mother and had his eyes pulled out so cruelly that within short space he died After this the Empresse by the counsel of Therasius Bishop of Constantinople held a Counsell at Nicea wherin it was decreed that Images again should be restored to the Church which Charles afterward repealed at Frankford At length shée was deposed by Nicephorus who succeeded her and ended her life in much penurie Monasteries erected and founded in England In the space of 200 yéeres these monasteries following began to be founded in the land Paules Churche at London was founded by Ethelbert King of Kent and Sigebert king of Essex about the yéere 604. The first Crosse Altar was set vp in the North parts in Heuenfield vpon occasion of Oswalde King of Northūberlandes fighting against Cadwall where he in the same place set vp the signe of the Crosse knéeling praying there for victorie an 635. The Church of Winchester was first begun and founded by Kinigilsus king of Mercia hauing nine myles about it And afterwarde finished by his Sonne Kewalcus where Owen of Englishmen was the first Bishop Anno 636. The Church of Lincolne was first founded by Paulinus Bishop an 629. The Church of Westminster began first by a certaine citizen of London through the instigation of Ethelbert king of Kent which before was an Ile full of Thornes anno 614. The common Schooles were first erected at Cambridge Common schooles at Cambridge by Sigebert king of East-angles an 636. The Abbey of Knonisburie buylded by Furceus the Eremite an 637 The Monasterie of Malmsburie by one Meldulsus a Scot an 640. And after enlarged by Agilbert Bishop of Winchester The Abbey of Glocester first buylded by Offricus king of Mercia as Cestrensis saith But as William Malmsburie wryteth by Vlferus and Etheldred brethren to Kineburga Abbesse of the same house in the yere of our Lord 679 The Monasterie of Maylerose
William of York Hée was poysoned in his chalis Archb. poysoned in his chalice by his Chaplains In the xvi yere of the reigne of this king Theobaldus Archbishoppe of Canterburie and Legate to the Pope held a Councell at London wherein was concluded appellations from Councels to the Pope found out by Henry Bishop of Winchester In the time of King Steeuen died Gracianus a Monke of Bononia who compiled the booke called The Popes decrées also his brother Petrus Lombardus Petrus Lombardus Bishop of Paris Maister of Sentences wrote his foure bookes of Sentences These two were the greatest doers in finding out that the similitude onely of bread and wine remained in the sacramentes Some write that Petrus Comestor Petrus Comestor the writer of the Scholasticall history was the third brother In this time also liued Hildegard the Nunne and prophetisse Hildegard the nunne and prophetisse in Almaigne By this K. was builded the abbey of Feuersham where his sonne and he were buried He builded the monasterie of Finerneys and of Fomitance Much about the same time came vp the order of the Gilbertines Gilbertines by one Gilbert sonne to Iacoline a knight of Lincolnshire Theobald Priests no rulers in worldly matters the Archb. of Canterb. among other matters decréed that priests should not be rulers of worldly matters and that they should teach the Lords praier Créed in english Mattheus Parisiensis writeth how Stephen K. of England reserued to himselfe the bestowing of spiritual liuings and inuesting of prelats ann 1133. At which time also Lotharius the Emperour began to doe the like had not Bernardus giuen him contrary councel Then came into the Church the manner of cursing with booke bell and candle Booke bel and candle deuised in the Councell at London holden by William B. of Winchester vnder P. Celestinus who succéeded after Innocentius an 1142. Also Lotharius who succéeded after Innocentius an 1142. Also Lotharius succéeded in the Empire Conradus the nenew of Henricus 5. an 1138. Who onely among the Emperors is founde not to haue receaued the Crowne at the popes hand In the dayes of this Emperour who reigned fiftéene yeares were diuers Popes as Celestinus 2. Lucius 2. Eugenius 3. Betwixt P. Lucius Lucius and the Romanes was great strife for the Romanes would haue recouered their auncient libertie in choosing their consuls and Pope Lucius in the fight was well beaten and liued not long after Pope Eugenius Eugenius after him followed the same course An. 1145. and compelled them to abolish their consuls and to take such Senators as he should assigne Then followed Anastasius Anastasius the 4. And after him Adrianus the 4. an Englishman Adrianus pope an Englishmā by his name called Breake speare belonging once to S. Albons He likewise kept great stur preuailed against the Romanes for the former causes and thundered against Fredericus the Emperour Hildegardis a Nunne and as many iudged euen the papistes themselues a Prophetisse liued anno 1146. and prophecied against the whole rowte of Romish prelats and of the fal of that Church especially against the senior Friers and such other bellies of the same In a certain place she hath these wordes And now is the law neglected among the spirituall people Hildegard prophecieth against the kingdome of the Pope which neglect to teach and to doe good things The maister likewise and the Prelates doe sleepe despising iustice and laying it aside c. And in another place Then shall the crowne of Apostolicall honour be deuided because there shal be no religion among the Apostolicall order and for that cause shall they despise the dignitie of that name shall set ouer them other men and other Archbishops In so much that the Apostolike sea of that time by the diminution of his honor shall haue scarce Rome and a fewe other Countreyes thereabout vnder his dominion And these things shall come to passe partly by incursiō of warres and partly by a common Councell Iustice flourish when the Pope is ouerthrowen and consent of the Spirituall and Secular persons Then shall Iustice flourish so that in those dayes men shall honestly applie themselues to the ancient customes and discipline of auncient men and shal obserue them as men in times past haue done c. Shee prophecied also of the Friers In those dayes shall rise a senselesse people proud gréedie without faith and subtill which shall eate the sinnes of the people holding a certain order of foolish deuotion vnder the fained cloke of beggery c. But this order shall be accursed of all wise men and faithfull Christians they shall cease from all labour and giue themselues ouer to idlenesse choosing rather to liue by flattery and begging hauing familiaritie with women teaching them how to deceiue their husbandes by their flattery and deceitfull wordes and to robbe for them for they will take all these stolen euill gotten goods and say giue it vnto vs we will pray for you so that they beyng curious to hide other mens faults do vtterly forget their owne And alas they will receiue all things of rouers pickers spoilers théeues sacrilegious persons vsurers adulterers heretikes schismatikes apostataes whores and bawdes of noblemen periurers merchants false iudges souldiers tyrants princes of such as liue contrary to the law and of many peruerse and wicked men following the perswasion of the Diuell the swéetnesse of sinne a delicate and transitorie life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation c. Henry the 2. sonne of Ieffrey Plantagenet and of Mawd the Empresse and daughter of king Henry the first raigned after Stephen and continued 35. yéeres Within a yéere or twaine after the entry of his raigne he made Thomas Becket Thomas Becket Lord Chauncellor of England About the yéere of our Lord 1158. Gerhardus and Dulcinus Nauarrensis did earnestly preach agaynst the Church of Rome mainteyning Gerhardus against the church of Rome that prayer is not more holie in one place then in another that the Pope is Antichrist Pope Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiect and the very whore of Babilon Whore of Babilon prefigured in the Apocalips c. These two Anno one thousand one hundred and fiftie eight brought with them thirtie into England who by the king and prelates were burned in the forehead and so sent out of the realme And after as Illyricus writeth were put to death by the Pope Put to death by the Pope The Emperour Fredericus successor to Conradus marched vp to Italy to subdue there certaine rebels The Pope hearing thereof came to méet him with his Cardinals at Sutrium the Emperour seing the Bishop alighted of his horse to receyue him The Emp. holdeth the popes stirrop on the wrong side holding the stirrop on the left side whereat the Pope shewed himselfe somewhat agréeued but the next day with holding the right stirrop
the vttermost and wasteth all the countrie about Rome The pope dieth for anger wherewith the Pope was so dismaide that beyng in dispaire to obtaine his purpose hée died for very anger and thought This Gregory brought into the Church much horrible impietie blasphemy wickednes among others brought in that most detestable Canticle Salue Regina brought into the Church Salue Regina in which hée attributeth the honour and worshippe onely due to Iesus Christ vnto the virgin his mother This is hée in whose name the booke of the Decretals The decretals was set out a sinke of folly and impietie Pope Celestine Pope dieth After this Gregory was placed Celestine borne in Mediolanum among the Castellians who as Blondus declared by fained promises offered a league with Fredericke and the 18. day after he was created he died Now Fredericke thinking himselfe void of feare lenieth an army against the Tartarians An army against the Tartarians for the reliefe of the Christians who hearing of the comming of the Emperour returned another way by the riuer Danubius to Tanricia and so through the fennes of Meotida and by the riuer Tanaum into Sarmatia Asiatica After Celestine the cardinals made choyse of Simbaldus a Genouais for pope whom they called Innocentius the 4. Innocentius 4. which election Fredericke was well pleased with as hée signified by letters and Legates gratulatorie to the pope The legats of Frederick with the furtherance of Baldronius Emperour of Constantinople laboured very diligently for conclusion of promised peace but all in vaine for while the Emperours legats attended for answer of peace Ramerus the Cardinall went secretly and tooke Viterbium which was on the Emperours part The Emperour notwithstanding there séemed no hope of peace doubted not but if he might himselfe speake with the Pope he vpon reasonable conditions should well inough accord with him wherefore he desired him by his legats to appoint a place where the Emperour might speake with him The Emperour seeketh peace The Pope will none The Pope séemed to be content therewith but on a sudden went to Lyons and called a councell and with a lowd voice sommoneth Frederick and appointing him a day commaunded him there personally to appeare to pleade his cause The Emperour agréed but required conuenient time to trauaile thether The pope would not so much as graunt 3. dayes but being both iudge and accuser Pope iudge accuser condemneth him before he could come thether without proofe of any crime or his cause suffered to be pleaded But Gods iudgement failed him not for the writers of the annals accord that when Frederick the Emperour and Conradus his sonne were dead and the pope gaping for the inheritance of Naples and Sicil and thinking by force to subdue the same coming to Naples with a great armie of men there was heard manifestly in the Popes court a voice pronouncing these wordes Thou wretch come to receiue thy iudgemēt A voice heard Thou wretch come and receiue thy iudgement And the next day the pope was found dead all blacke and blew as though he had bin beaten with battes When the Emperour had vnderstanding of this cruell sentence he signified the iniurie to all Christian Princes by his letters and prouided euery way to withstand the P. and his confederats and after diuers aduenturs variablenes of thinges The Emp. dieth hee came into a certaine castle of his in Apulia called Florentinum where hee fell sicke of an ague and died Hauing had purpose as Pandolphus Colonuthius writeth of some maruellous exploite great attempt Frederike died willingly and gladly in the yéere 1240. the 13. day of December the 57. yéere of his age and 37. of his raigne and was buried at Panorium The pope counted him an enemie of the Church and so both Innocentius the fourth pronounced him and the same sentence haue other Popes registred in their 6. Booke of decretals and established the same for a law that he ought to bee taken for no lesse In the Countrey of Sueuia about the time of Frederike the second anno 1240. or néere about the same were manie preachers Preachers bold against Pope which preached fréely against the Pope preached that he was an heretike and that his bishops Prelats were Simoniakes and heretikes and that the inferiour priestes had no authoritie to binde and loose but were seducers and that such cities and countries as were then vnder the popes curse might notwithstanding lawfully resort to the receiuing of the sacrament as wel as before Item that Friers Dominick Franciscan did subuert the church with their preaching c. And not long after these rose vp Arnoldus de noua villa Arnoldus de noua villa was condemned a Spaniard a man famously learned a great writer ann 1250. whom the pope condemned amōg heretikes for holding and writing against the corrupt errors of the popish church His teaching was that christiā people are led by the pope into hel Item that cloisterers are voyd of charitie and denyed that masses are not to be celebrated that they ought not to do sacrifice for the dead c. And as this Arnoldus was condemned so likewise the same time Iohannes Seneca Iohannes Seneca appealeth from the pope to a Councell the glosewriter of the popes decrées and prouost of Halberster was excommunicated and depriued of of his prouostship for resisting Pope Clement the fourth gathering certaine exactions in Germanie and therefore hée appealed from the Pope to a generall Councell and had manie great fauourers on his side till at last both the Pope and he died After this folowed Guilielmus de sancto amore G. de sancto amore against the Pope a Master of Paris and a chiefe Ruler then of that Vniuersitie Al testimonies of Scripture that make against Antichrist he applyeth them against the cleargie of Prelates and against the popes spiritualtie The same Guilielmus is thought to be the author of the Booke which is attributed to the Schoole of Paris and intituled De periculis ecclesiae De periculis Ecclesiae where he proueth by thirtie and nine arguments that friers be false Apostles 39. arguments that Friers be false Apostles Hee was by Antichrist and his rablement condemned for an heretike exiled and his bookes burned In the dayes of this Guilielmus there was a most detestable and blasphemous booke set foorth by the Friers mētioned also in Matthias Parisiensis which they called Euangelium aeternum Spiritus sancti Euangelium aeternum spiritus sancti the euerlasting Gospell or the Gospell of the holie Ghost In which booke many abhominable errors of the Papistes were conteyned so that the Gospel of Iesus Christ was vtterly defaced Which sayde booke was not to be compared to this euerlasting Gospel no more then the shell was to be compared to the kernel The shell to the kernell or the darkenesse to light c.
Towneshippe was condemned in sixe score thousand pound The Towne of Bury fined at 120000. poūd to be paide for damages of the house Iohn Berton Alderman with two and thirtie Priestes thirtéene women and one hundreth thirtie and eight others of the same Towne were outlawed of whom certaine confederated priuilie in the night burst to the Abbot of Chemington The Abbat of Cheuington and tooke him and secretelie conueyed him ouer Sea to Dist in Brabant where they kept him in great penurie and miserie till at length being knowen where he was hee was brought home with procession and restored to his house againe Nich. Trimet Flor. hist After Edward the 2. succéeded his sonne Edward 3. K. Edward 3. about the age of 15. and raigned 50. yéeres An. 1344. The clergy of England graunted to the king a tenth for thrée yéeres for the which the king againe in recompence graunted vnto them his charter A charter from the king to the clergy contayning these priuiledges That no Archbishop or Bishop should be arraigned before his iustices Siue ad sectam suam siue partis If the said clarke doo submit and claime his clergie professing himselfe to be a member of the holy Church who so doing shall not bée bound to come to his answere before the Iustices and if it shall be layd vnto them to haue married two wiues or to haue married a widow the Iustices shall haue no power to procéede against them to inquire for the matter so that the cause shall bée reserued to the spirituall court c. About this age as before God raysed vp learned men who layd open the abuses of the Church as Gregorius Arminensis Gregorius Arminensis according to Trithemius who dissented from the Papistes and Sophisters as wée doo in doctrine of Fréewill counting the Papistes and Sophisters in that point worse then the Pelagians Taulerus Taulerus a preacher of Germany in Argentine taught anno 1350. against mens merites and inuocation of Saints and was an enemy to all superstition to whom may be added Franciscus Petrarcha Franciscus Petrarcha of the same age who calleth Rome the whore of Babilon the mother of errour the Temple of Heresie c. and higher in the yéere one thousand thrée hundred and fortie Iohannes de rupe Scissa Iohannes de rupe Scissa was cast in pryson for rebuking the Spiritualtie of their great enormities hée called the Church of Rome the whore of Babylon Rome the whore of Babilon and the Pope the minister of Antichrist and the Cardinals false Prophetes beyng in pryson hée wrote a booke of prophestes touching the affliction that honge ouer the heades of the Spiritualtie calling his Booke Vade mecum in tribulatione Vade mecum in tribulatione About the yéere 1340. in the citie of Herbipone was one named Maister Conradus Hager M. Conradus Hager who is recorded to haue maintained and taught the space of foure and twentie yéeres the Masse to be no manner of Sacrifice for which his doctrine hée was taken and inclosed in pryson Not long after this about the yéere 1350. Gerhardus Rhiddor Gerhardus Rhiddor wrot against the Monkes and Friers a booke intituled Lachrima Ecclesiae Lachryma Ecclesiae About the yéere 1322. liued Michaell Cesenas Michael Cefenas principall of the Grayfriers and Petrus de Corbana of whom writeth Antonius in quarta parte summae and saith they were condemned in the extrauagant of Pope Iohn with one Iohannes de Poliaco Iohannes de Poliaco Their opinions were that Peter was no more the head of the Church then the other Apostles that the Pope hath no authoritie to depose Emperours that Priests are equall in authoritie Michaell wrote against the pryde tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome the whore of Babylon drunken with the bloud of Saints Rome Babylon drunken with the blood of the Saints c. For this cause hée was depriued of his dignitie and condemned of the Pope hée left behind him many followers of whom a great parte were slayne by the pope some were burned as Iohannes de Castilion Iohannes de Castilion and Franciscus de Alcatara Franciscus de Alcatara In extrauag Iohannis 23. With the foresaid Michaell was also condemned Iohannes de Poliaco whose assertions were that euery Pastor in his owne Church ought to suffice to heare confession that pastors and bishops had their authoritie immediatly from Christ and his Apostles and not from the Pope c. After Simon Mepham Archbishop of Canterburie who liued not long succéeded Iohn Stretford after whome came Iohn Offord and liued but ten moneths in whose roome succéeded Thomas and raigned but one yéere Anno 1350. and after him succéeded Simō Iselip Simon Iselip which was made by Pope Clement 6. who sat seuentéene yéeres and builded Canterbury Colledge in Oxforde Canterbury Colledge in Oxford which Simon Iselip succéeded the Bishoppe of Ely named Simon Langham who within two yéeres was made Cardinall In whose steade Pope Vrban the 5. ordeyned William Witlesey Bishop of Worcester to be archbishop of Canterbury ann 1366. In which yéere William Bishoppe of Winchester The new Colledge in Oxford founded the new Colledge in Oxford In the order of Popes next vnto Clement the sixt ann 1353. succéeded pope Innocent the sixt In the first yéere of which Pope two Friers Minors or Franciscans P. Innocent 6. were put to death at Auinion for certaine opinions that séemed to the Pope and his Cardinals erroneous whose names were one Iohannes Rochetailada or Hayabalus who béeyng a Frier minorite beganne first in time of Pope Clement the sixt Anno 1345. to preach that the Church of Rome was the whore of Babylon Rome the whore of Babylon and the Pope with his Cardinalles to be very Antichrist c. In the meane time of his accusation it happened that a certaine priest comming before the Pope cast the Popes bull downe before his féete saying Loe heere take the Bull vnto you for it doeth me no good at all I haue laboured nowe these thrée yéeres with it and yet cannot get my right The pope hearing this caused the poore Priest to bée scourged and imprisoned with the Frier Of Fryer Rachetailada Froyssard maketh mention in his first volume chap. 211. and sayth that Pope Innocent the sixt helde him in prison in the Castle of Baignour for shewing that manie thinges shoulde fall on the Prelates of the Churche for greate superfluitie and pride then vsed amongest them About the same time happened a contention betwéene the Frenche Prelates and the Friers of Paris Contention betwixt the French prelates and the Friers because they preached and hearde Confessions and after much adoo in fine the matter comming vnto open disputation it was concluded by maister Giles one of the Augustine Friers that after his iudgement the Prelates were more on the
Christes sake and Iohn Chapman in whose house they were who al were carried to the Bishops house but Hewet they sent to Lollardes Towre and kepte Chapman and Tibauld asunder watched with two priestes seruauntes The next day Bishoppe Stokesley came from Fulham and committed Chapman to the stockes and shutte vp Tibauld in a close chamber but by Gods prouidence hee was deliuered out of prison albeit hée coulde not enioy house nor lande because of the Bishoppes iniunction but was fayne to sell all that hee had in Essex Chapman after fiue wéekes imprisonment whereof three hée sate in the stockes by much suite made to the L. Audley who was then Chancellour was deliuered but Andrew Hewet after long and cruell imprisonment was condemned to the fire with Frith after that he had giuen testimony to the trueth Anno 1531. The fiftéenth of Ianuarie Thomas Benet a Schoolemaister of fiftie yéeres of age borne in Cambridge was deliuered vnto Sir Thomas Dennis knight to be burned in Exceter He hid himselfe sixe yeres in Deuonshire but kindeled with zeale he resolued to aduenture his life for the testimonie of Iesus and in the moneth of October he did set vppon the Cathedrall church doore of Exceter scrolles in which were written The Pope is Antichrist and wée ought to worshippe God onelie and no Sayntes the Authour of which billes coulde not bée founde At the last the priestes fell to curse with booke bell and candle the Authour of the same Bennet béeing by who fell into a laughter within himselfe for a great space and coulde not forbeare Whereby some saie hee was bewrayed and taken other that his enemies beeing vncertaine whether it were he or not suffered him to depart home And not beeing able to digest the lyes which were preached sent his boye with other scrolles as before hee had done who béeyng examined confessed whose boye hee was and so Bennet was knowen and taken and committed to warde and béeing called to examination before the heads and cannons of the Citie confessed the fact and after muche disputing with the Friers especially one Gregorie Basset who had lien in prison at Bristow for the trueth and reuolted béeyng threatened hée shoulde haue his handes burned off with a panne of coales which was brought readie at his examination Thomas Bennet martyr hée was condemned to death and burned At whose burning Iohn Barnehouse Esquier béeing present tooke a fyrre bush vpon a pyke beyng sette on fire and thrust it vnto his face because hée woulde not saie Sancta Maria ora pro nobis But he answered Pater ignosce eis and so fire being put to him patiently he ended his life By reason of the rigorous proclamation aboue specified procured by the Bishops great persecution ensued so that a great number were troubled and either burned or constrained to abiure Thomas Cornwell or Austy Anno 1530. for not kéeping his fagot vpon his shoulder after his abiuration was condemned to perpetual prison in the house of S. Bartholomew from whence he afterward fled and escaped Anno 1530. Thomas Philips made his appeale from the B. to the king and would no otherwise abiure then generally all heresies for which the B. did excommunicate him and denounced him contumax and what after became of him it is vncertaine A litle before this time William Tracie William Tracie a woorshipfull Gentleman of Glocestershyre and then dwelling at Toddington made in his will that hée would haue no funerall pompe at his buriall neyther passed hée vppon Masse and saide hée trusted in GOD onelie and hoped by him to bée saued and not by anie Saynt This Gentleman dyed and his sonne his executour brought the Will to the Bishoppe of Canterburie to prooue which hée shewed to the Conuocation and then most cruelly they iudged that he shoulde bée taken out of the ground and bée burnt as an heretike Anno 1532. Wherof the King hearing the Chancelour was fayne to fine thrée hundreth pounds to haue his pardon of the king Anno 1531. Henry Tomson taylor notwithstanding he submitted himselfe to the Bishop yet therewith sentence condemned him to perpetuall prison His cause was the denying of the host to be God The same yéere was Thomas Patmore parson of Hadham in Hartfordshire a godly man and painefull teacher persecuted by Richard FitzIames bishop of London who was desirous to preferre another to the good mans benefice and so hardly was he dealt withall that in the end he submitted himselfe and abiured and was notwithstanding committed to perpetuall prison Howbeit one of his brethren made such suite vnto the king by the meanes of the Quéene that after thrée yéeres imprisonment hée was both released out of prison and also of the King obteyned a Commission vnto the Lord Audley then Lord Chancellour and to Cranmer Archbishoppe of Canterbury and to Cromwel then Secretarie with others to enquire of the vniust dealinges of the Bishoppe and his Chauncellour agaynst Patmore but what was the ende thereof it is vncertaine Anno 1531. Christopher a Dutch man of Antwerp was put in prison at Westminster for selling new Testaments in English and there died The same yer a boy of Colchester or of Norfolk for deliuering a buget of bookes to Richard Bayfield was layed in the prison of Master Moore Chauncellour and there dyed From the yere 1533. during the time of Quéene Anne During the time of Queen Anne no great persecution no great persecution nor abiuration was in the Church of England sauing that x. Anabaptistes were put to death in sundrie places of the Realme And anno 1535. tenne other repented and were saued whereof two were pardoned after sentence geuen which was contrary to the popes law After the Cleargie had with great crueltie vexed Christs flock anno 1534. 1534. Commons against the Cleargie a parlament was called by the king about the 15. daye of Ianuarie in which the Commons renued their old gréefes complaining against the Prelates and Ordinaries for calling men before them ex officio Answere to which requestes the king at that present did delay After the Cardinal had béene cast into a premunire anno 1530 about the yéere 1532 the king made a restraint that nothing should be purchased from Rome Nothing to be purchased from Rome and procéeded further against all the Prelates for supporting the Cardinall by reason whereof they also were entangled with premunire For the releasement whereof they offered the king 118840. poundes which was accepted with much adoe In this submission the king was called of the Cleargie Supreame head Supreme head The motion of the Commons to the king touching their gréeuances from the Cleargy in the prorogation of the parlament tooke good successe Wherein the king prouided remedies and enacted in the same Parlament that no man should be troubled for speaking any thing against the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome or his lawes not grounded on the law of God The vsurped power of the Pope
printers themselues which before they neuer intended and imprinted out the said Bible in London and after that printed sundry impressions of them but yet not without great trouble and losse through the hatred of Steeuen Gardiner and his fellowes Steeuen Gardiner alwaies an enemie to the Gospel In those dayes there were two sundrie Bibles in English printed and set foorth bearing diuers titles and printed in diuers places The first was called Thomas Mathewes Bible Th. Mathewes bible printed at Hamborough about the yere 1532. The Corrector of which Printe was Iohn Rogers the Printers were Richard Grafton and Whitchurch In the translation of this Bible the greatest doer was William Tindall who with the helpe of Miles Couerdale had translated all the bookes thereof except onely the Apocrypha and certaine notes in the Margent which were added after But because William Tindall in the meane time was apprehended before his booke was fullie perfected it was thought good to them that had the dooing thereof to chaunge the name of William Tindall because that name was then odious and to further it by a straunge name of Thomas Matthew Iohn Rogers being the same time corrector to the print who had then translated the residue of the Apocrypha and added also certaine notes thereto in the Margent and thereof came it to be called Thomas Matthewes bible Which bible of Thomas Matthewes after it was imprinted and presented to the Lord Cromwell and the Lord Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury who liked very well of it Cromwell presented it to the king The Bible in English presented to the king and obtained that it might fréely passe to be read of subiects with his graces licēce So that there was printed on the same booke one line in red letters with these wordes Set forth with the Kinges most gracious licence This book did greatly offend the Bishops both for the prologues and especially for a table called of the common places of the Bible and the scriptures for the approbation of the same and chiefly about the supper of the Lord and priests marriages and the masse which there was said not to bée found in the Scripture After the restraint of this bible of Mathew another came to be printed at Paris anno 1540. which was called the bible of the large volume The Bible of the large volume The Printed that printed it was the former the ouerseer was Miles Couerdale who conferred Tindalles Translation with the Hebrewe and mended diuers places there In this Bible although the former notes of Thomas Mathew were omitted yet sundrie marks and hands were annexed in the margent which meant that in those places should be made certaine notes wherewith also the Clergie was offfended and Cromwel being dead complaintes were made to the king of the translation of the Bible and of the Preface of the same and then was the sale of the Bible cōmanded to be staied the B. promising to amend and correct it but neuer performed it The Bishops promisse to amend the Bible but performed it not Then Grafton was called for and troubled cast in the Fléete where hée remained sixe wéekes and before he came out was bound in 300.l neither to print to sell nor cause to be printed any mo bookes till the king and the clergie should agrée on the translation and thus was the Bible staied from that time during the reigne of king Henry the eight Anno 1541. D. Cutbert Barnes Doctor Barnes Thomas Garret and William Hierome were burned in Smithfield for the testimonie of Iesus Christ after the death of the lord Cromwell who whiles he liued was a great defence vnto diuerse that professed the truth but he being taken away many godly christians in diuerse places went to wracke Doctor Barnes after that he came from the vniuersitie of Louaine went to Cambridge where hée was made Prior and Maister of the house of Augustines at which time the knowledge of good letters was very scant in the Vniuersitie which Barnes thinking to redresse read in his house Terence Plautus and Cicero so that what with his labour and helpe of Thomas Parnell his scholer whom he brought from Louaine with him reading Copia verborum rerum he caused the house shortly to florish with good letters and made a great part of his house learned as M. Cambridge M. Field M. Coleman M. Burley M. Couerdall c. After these foundations laid he did openly read in the house S. Paules Epistles and put by Duns Dorbell Duns Dorbell put out of Cambridge and yet though he were a questionarie himselfe in short space made he diuerse good diuines obseruing disputations of necessarie points of faith in his house Disputations of points of faith rare in Cābridge in those daies also in the schooles when he should dispute with any man The first man that answered Doctor Barnes in the Scriptures was M. Stafford for his forme to be batchellour of diuinitie Which disputation was marueilous in the sight of the great blind Doctors notwithstanding all this till he was conuerted by Bylney D. Barnes conuerted by Bylney he remained in his superstition still The first Sermon that euer he preached according to the truth of the Gospell was the Sunday before Christmas day at S. Edwards church belonging to Trinitrie hall in Cambridge by the pease market whose theame was the Epistle of the same Sunday Gaudete in Domino c. For which Sermon he was immediatly accused of heresie by two fellows of kings hall Then the godly mē flocked and conferred together the house that they most commonly resorted vnto was the white horse which for dispite of them to bring Gods word into contempt was called Germany The White-horse in Cambridge called Germany This house was especially chosen because they of S. Iohns Kings and Quéenes Colledges might come on the backeside thether Doctor Barnes was accused in the regent house and constantly continued with much preaching of diuerse parties one against another in trying out Gods truth till within sixe dayes before Shrouetide then was there sent downe a Sergeant at armes called maister Gibson dwelling in Saint Thomas Apostle in London who suddainly arrested Doctor Barnes D. Barnes arrested in the Regent house and priuely they had determined to make searche for Luthers bookes and all the Germanes workes suddainly but by Doctor Farmans warning of Quéenes Colledge the bookes were conueyed away thirtie persons they had in speciall suspition Doctor Barnes was carried to Cardinall Wolsey and after hée had a while stood constant by the perswasion of Doctor Gardiner his secretarie and Foxe he relented and submitted himselfe Barnes submitteth himselfe and with fiue Stylliard men he bare his faggot at Paules the bishop of Rochester there preaching against Luther Doctor Barnes Notwithstanding his submission the Bishop commaunded hée shoulde be had to the Fléete againe and bée permitted to haue such libertie as other prysoners
the L. Graie Sir George Carew and Sir Richard Greenfield who purged the town of the slander although for a time they were in displeasure yet wtin a while after they came into greater fauor then before and were rewarded with xx l. a yéere a péece at the least Rockwood one of the fearcest persecutors fell into dispaire Rockwood a persecutor despaireth Gods iudgements and at the last breath cried he was vtterly damned for that he said malitiously he sought the death of such good men The Vndermarshall also another persecutor suddenly fell downe in the counsell chamber and neuer spake worde and the rest of the persecutors had the reuenging hand of God following after them Adam Damlip Adam Damlip taken againe who before escaped lay hid in the West-country teaching a schoole about a yéere or two by the miserable inquisition of the six articles was againe taken and brought vp to London where he was by St. Gardiner commanded to the Marshalsea there lay the space of other two yéeres where thinking he had béene forgotten he in the Latine tongue wrote an epistle to the B. of Winchester wherin he said he would write his obedience submission for said he I had rather die then here to remaine and not to be suffered to vse my talent to Gods glorie This he said to M. Marbecke then prisoner in the Marshalsea This epistle he deliuered to his kéeper about Saturday in the morning which was about the ij wéeke before Whitsontide desiring him to deliuer it at the court to the B. of Winchester which he did The B. made such quicke dispatch that the kéeper came home at night very late brought with him a precept for the executiō of Adam Damlip So vpon munday early in the morning the kéeper other of the knight Marshals men cōueied Adam vnto Calice vpon the Ascension euen there cōmitted him to the Maiors prison because they could not burthen him with any thing within a sufficient cōpasse of time to condemne him they laid to his charge he had receiued a French crowne of cardinall Poole at Rome where before his first comming to Calice he was requested to read thrée lectures a wéeke in Cardinall Pooles house therefore they condemned him and executed him for treason Adam Damlip put to death which death he most méekely and hartely tooke Iohn Butler and sir Daniell the curate before mentioned after ix moneths imprisonment were with much labour permitted to returne to Calice againe William Steuens aboue mentioned who had remained all this time in the Tower was condemned also of treason with his guest Adam Damlip pardoned by the king Adam Damlip had sometimes béene a great papist chaplaine to Fisher B. of Rochester after the death of his maister trauelled France Dutchland and Italie and came to Rome where he would not for the wickednes of the place abide to remaine though cardinall Poole offered him maintenance to read iij. lectures a wéeke in his house which he refused for receiuing onely a French crowne he was condemned and executed for treason he receiued it at the Cardinals hand to drinke and beare some charge of expence By the preaching of Adam Damlip in Calice among others there was a poore mā whose name is not yet certainly knowne who was conuerted to the truth therfore condemned by one Haruey there being cōmissarie whom this Haruey in time of his iudgement called Hereticke and said he should die a vile death the poore man aunswered againe and said that he was no hereticke but was in the faith of Christ and whereas thou saidest said he that I shall die a vile death thou thy self shalt die a viler death and that shortly And so it came to passe for within half a yéere after Haruey was hanged Gods iudgement drawne and quartered for treason in the same towne of Calice After the burning of this poore man there was also a certaine other schooler coūted to be a dutchman named Dodde who comming out of Germany was there taken with certaine Germane bookes about him being examined standing stoutly to the doctrine of the gospell he was burned A little before this time Will. Bolton alias Crosbowmaker for saying the Pope wanted Charitie if he could and would not release soules out of Purgatorye by Doctor Darlie parson of our Ladies Church in Calice then Commissarie for Archbishoppe Warham was made to beare a fagotte and lost his wages which was vi pence a day who complaining thereof to the king and declaring vnto his maiestie the cause sent him to Calice againe and after that gaue him viij pence a day As for the vi articles many good men were put to death so for the Popes supremacie diuerse suffered And about this time Larke a priest of Chelsey for the supremacie and Germine Gardiner néere kinseman to Stephen Gardiner and his secretarie for practising for the Pope against the King were put to death By an act of parlament holden An. 1544. 1544. The rigour of vi articles mitigated the rigour of the vi articles was asswaged a little at the first time it was permitted that they which offended against them might recant which if they refused to doe and offended againe they should beare a fagot and should be admitted to abiure if the third time they offended then they should sustaine punishment according to law Notwithstanding this Parlament had thus mittigated the rigor yet remained the poison and all manner of bookes bearing the name of Williām Tindall or what other booke soeuer contained any thing against the vi articles were debarred In this Parlament also it was permitted onely to noblemen and gentlemen Noblemen and Gentlemē permitted to reade the scripture to reade the scriptures to their edifying so they did it without discussing or vrging therevpon In this Parlament also it was permitted to the party detected to trye his cause by witnesses as many or more in number as the other which deposed against him Anno 1545. 1545. Sixe articles more qualified the vi articles were yet much more qualified by Act of Parlament whereby it was also decréed that the king should haue full power to appoint 32. persons to wit sixetéene of the Cleargie and sixetéene of the temporaltie to peruse and ouersée examine the Canons constitutions and ordinances of the canon law aswell prouinciall as synodall and so according to their discretions to establish an order of ecclesiastical lawes such as should be thought by the king most conuenient This yeere 1544. Iohn Heywood recanted the Popes supremacie and Iohn At h the trueth of the sacrament About the yeere 1546. 1546 Saxy hanged one Saixe a priest was hanged in the porters lodge of Stephen Gardiner not without the consent of the Bishop as it is supposed there was also a seruant in Colchester named Henrie burned for the testimony of the trueth Henry burned This yeere 1546. One Kerby Kerby was
AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE BOOKE OF ACTS AND MONVMENTES OF THE CHVRCH Written by that Reuerend Father Maister Iohn Fox and now abridged by Timothe Bright Doctour of Phisicke for such as either through want of leysure or abilitie haue not the vse of so necessary an history All day long are we counted as Sheepe for the slaughter Psal 44. How long Lord holy and true Apocal. Cap. 6. verse 10. Imprinted at London by I. Windet at the assignment of Master Tim Bright and are to be sold at Pauls wharf at the signe of the Crosse-keyes 1589. Cum gratia Privilegio Regia Maiestatis To the Christian Reader COnsidering the great vse and profite of that worthie worke of Actes and Monumentes written by Master Iohn Fox of blessed memorie and by reason of the largenes of the volume and great price how the most were bereaued of the benefite of so necessarie an Historie J often wished some man would take the paines to draw the same into an Abridgement that both those that are busied in affaires or not able to reach to the price of so great a booke might also haue vse of the historie with them that neither want leisure nor hability sufficient But seeing hetherto nothing done that way nor hearing of any that had it in purpose J vētured vpon the labor my self thus haue performed it for thy vse wherein J haue omitted nothing to my remembrance and as my iudgement serued me that is materiall to the historie so farre as the nature of an Abridgement would permitte As for Treatises Disputations Epistles and such like J leaue them to be read all together in the large Booke which I doe exhort thee gentle Reader the rather for my Abridgements sake to buy and vse For as the copiousnes of that notable worke hath hid the riche treasures of the same through charge of price and mens affaires So this my labour may geue thee an assay and appetite to know further whereof thou maist here take as it were the taste J assure thee in mine opinion there is not a booke vnder the Scriptures more necessarie for a Christian to be conuersant in There is no Burgesse of a Citie that hath care of his corporation but would be glad to know how in times past the world went with his Corporatiō that therby he may vnderstād the better how to be haue himselfe therein as occasion shall serue and not onely woulde desire to knowe the lawes of the same but also what examples haue any way beene geuen touching the same Euen so it becommeth much more Christians that are Citizens of the church of Christ and haue a communitie in that bodie to know not onely the lawes of this Citie which is the word of God but also what hath befallen either good or bad and euerye accident whereupon experience may arise by example and wisdome thereof to be put in vse accordingly We may read what hath befallen the worthiest Commonwealths in this world and what stormes they haue endured and all sunke vnder them This Common-wealth of the Church standeth for euer though the stormes that haue blowen vpon it haue beene more boysterous than any other state hath endured And by reason of cōtinuāce geueth great varietie of examples of Gods prouidence of his mercie of his fatherly chastizements and correction and of that holy faith which hath ministred inuincible strength of constancie patience to this heauenly state of Christes Church in the middest of all stormes of tryall And here mayst thou reade not onely what hath beene suffered of the olde Fathers of the church who haue with their bloud purchased vnto vs this freedome of the Gospell but of late times what thy father thy mother thy broher and thy friēd haue suffered for like testimonie wherby the sincerity of the Gospel standeth at this day When I say in this Abridgement thou maist reade these things J mean much more in the large volume where all such matters lie open at the full and whereto I pray thee let this my labour be as it were an introduction And if thy hability serue thee or any other disposition thereto J pray thee let not this booke withdraw thee For Abridgements in all kinde of learning haue byn vsed for such respects as J haue before mentioned besides the memorie embraceth them more readily and not to hinder great volumes Neither doo they of their own nature work such effect If slouth of some persons neglect them so are they punished therfore in wanting that belongeth vnto them to know yet through Abridgementes haue some furniture of that profitable instruction whereof otherwise they would be vtterly ignorant It is said Iustines Abridgement lost Trogus Pompeius Trogus peraduenture is lost but whether through Iustines Abridgement that hardly can be proued and had it not beene for Iustine we had lost with Trogus the history too The case is far otherwise since printing was knowen for who would lose a leafe of Liuie for any Abridgement Before it may be charge of written Copies might be some cause why the large volumes were not so vniuersall And I pray thee if the Author him self the fittest of all men being an History so meet euen for the meanest Christian especially in these times and conteyning recordes of such things as are els no where to be had had takē it in hand had it not byn thanks-woorthy Yet so had beene greater danger in decaying the booke at large in regard of the more sufficient performance of the worke than by this of mine I trust the matter needeth no An Abridgement of the first volume of the Ecclesiasticall history of Acts and Monuments of Martyrs The History is deuided into fiue partes 1 The first is of the suffering time of the Church 300. yeere after Christ 2 The growyng and florishing time of the same other 300. yeeres 3 The declining time other 300. vntill the losing of Sathan about the thousand yeere after Christ 4 The time of Antichrist which cōtinued in full swinge 400. yeeres 5 The time of reformation these later 288. yeeres IN the 17. of the raigne of Tiberius Nero Tiberius Nero. Christ Christ suffered the 34. yéere of his age Tiberius raysed no further persecutiō yet liued he seuen yéeres after the death of Christ and raigned in all 23. yéeres Him succéeded C. Caligula C. Caligula hée commaunded his Image to be set vp in the temple at Ierusalem and to be worshipped And after him succéeded C. Nero C. Nero. D. Nero. D. Nero. Claudius raigned 13. yéeres Domitius 14. In the latter end of whose raigne Peter Paule Peter and Paule were put to death for the faith of Christ Anno 69. About this time an 73. and 40. yéeres after the passiō of Christ the 3. yéere after the suffering of Peter and Paule the Iewes were destroied Titus Vespasian Iewes destroyed by Titus and Vespasian his father who succéeded Nero to the number of eleuen hundred
to the Christians and giue them peace of whom came the victorie and preseruation to him and all his people In the yere 175. succéeded the former Lucius Antoninus Commodus Commodus sonne to Verus who raigned xiij yeares In whose time as some thinke by the fauour of Martia Martia the Emperors Concubine who fauoured the Christians persecution slaked By which meanes many noble personages of Rome embraced the Gospel Among whō was one Apollonius Apollonius who being maliciously accused by Seuerus his seruant notwithstanding the false accusation of his Accuser being detected and he for that crime hauing his legs broken was neuerthelesse driuen to make confession of his faith and for the same also beheaded by an auncient Law that no Christian ought to be released without recantation This Emperor on his birth day with the people of Rome assembled together made sacrifice to Hercules and Iupiter causing it to be cried through out the citie that Hercules was the patrone of the citie At which time there were in the citie Vincentius Vincentius Eusebius Eusebius c. Peregrinus Potentianus learned men and instructors of the people who conuerting the Gentils in diuerse places and hearing hereof preached and perswaded against the same and conuerted one Iulius Iulius a Senator with others to the faith Whereof Commodus hearing caused them all to be first tormented then to be pressed to death with leaden waights sauing that Iulius was beaten to death with cuggels at the commandement of Vitellus the Maister of the Souldiers Peregrinus Peregrinus had béene sent before of Xistus B. of Rome into the parts of Fraunce to supply the roome of a teacher where the horrible persecutiōs had made wast Who hauing there established the Churches returned home againe to Rome and finished his daies with martyrdome Xistus Xistus or Sixtus was the sixt bishop of Rome after Peter and gouerned that ministery ten yéeres To Sixtus succéeded Telesphorus Telesphorus and was bishop there eleuen yéeres and died in the first yéere of Antoninus Pius beyng martyred the yéere 138. After him succéeded Hyginus Hyginus and died a martyr anno 142. After him followed Pius Pius c. After him succéeded Anicetus Soter Eleutherius about the yéere 180. About this time of Commodus among others were martyred Serapion Serapion B. of Antioch Egesippus Egesippus a writer of the ecclesiasticall History from Christes passion to his time Also Miltiades Miltiades who wrote his Apologie for Christian religion as did Melito Aristides and Quadratus before About the same time wrote Heraclitus Heraclitus who first began to write Annotations and Enarrations vpon the New Testament and Epistles of the Apostles Also Theophilus Theophilus bishop of Cesarea Dionisius Dionisius bishop of Corinth a man famously learned who wrote diuerse Epistles to diuerse churches and among other exhorteth Penitus Penitus a bishop that he would lay no yoke of chastitie on any necessitie vpon his brethren but that he would consider the infirmitie of other and beare with it About the daies of Cōmodus wrote also Clemens Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus a man of singular learning In that time liued also Pantenus who was the first in Alexandria that professed to reade in open schoole of whom is thought first to rise the order of Vniuersities in christendome He was sent to preach to the Indians by Demetrius bishop of Alexandria Now in this tranquillitie of the Church grew contention among themselues for Easter day Contention among the christians for Easter day which had bin stirred before of Polycarpus Anicetus For they of the West church pretending the tradition of Paule and Peter but in déede being of Hermes and Pius kept the Sunday after the 14. day of the first moneth The Church of Asia following the ordinance of Iohn the Apostle obserued an other The fifth Persecution AFter the death of Commodus raigned Pertinax Pertinax but few moneths after whō succéeded Seuerus Seuerus vnder whom was raised the fifth persecution He raigned 18. yéeres and in the first ten was very fauourable afterward through false accusations and suggestions he caused to be proclaimed that no Christian should be suffered wherevpon an infinite number were slaine this was about the yéere 205. the crimes obiected were rebellion against the Emperour Sacrilege murthering of Infants incestuous pollutions eating raw flesh libidinous cōmixture worshipping the head of an asse which is thought to haue béene raised by the Iewes also for worshipping of the Sunne which rose because eyther they vsed dayly to sing vnto the Lord or bycause they vsed to pray toward the East But the speciall matter agaynst them was that they would not woorshippe Idoles The Presidents and chiefe vnder the Emperour of this persecution were Hilarius Hillarius c. Vigellius Claudius Hermianus ruler of Cappadocia Celicius Capella Vespronius Demetrius mentioned of Cyprian and Aquila Iudge of Alexandria The places where these persecutions raged were Africa Alexandria Cappadocia and Carthage The number infinite of which the first was Leonides Leonides the father of Origen who although he were but of the age of seuentéen yéers greatly desired to haue suffered with his father had not his mother priuily in the night stollen away his garments and his shirt and so for shame he was constrained to tarrie at home yet he wrote to his father Take héede to your selfe that you turne not your thought and purpose for our sakes Origen Origen was so toward in knowledge of the scriptures and all kinde of vertue that his father would diuers times vncouer his brest being asléepe and kisse it giuing thankes to God that had made him so happie a Father of so happie a sonne After the death of his father all the goodes béeyng confiscate to the Emperour hée susteined himselfe his mother and sixe brethren by kéeping a schoole till at length he applied himselfe altogether to the scripture and profited in the tongues Hebrew Gréeke which he conferred with other translations as that of the 70. found out also other translations which we call the common translations of Aquila of Symmachus and Theodocian with which he ioyned also foure other He wrote to the number of vij thousand bookes O rgens book the copies whereof he vsed to sell for three pence a peece and a little more to sustaine his liuing He had diuers Schollers as Plutarchus Plutarchus Serenus Serenus c. his Brother which dyed both martyrs Serenus was burned Heraclitus and Heron were beheadded Also another Serenus which was beheaded Rhais and Potamiena who was tormented with pitch powred vppon her and martyred with her mother Marcella and died in the fire Shée was put to death by one Basilides Basilides a Captaine of the armie who shewed her some kindnesse in repressing the rage of the multitude wherefore she thanked him and saide she would pray for him
the chief doers were Optimus the vnderconsul Secundianus Verianus Marcellinus c. In the time of Decius Alexander Alexander was B. of Hierusalem where he continued a very aged man about the terme of xl yeres till the 1. yere of Decius At what time being brought from Ierusalem to Cesarea he died in prison After whom succéeded Mezananes Mezananes the xxxvj Bishop of that citie after Iames the Apostle Vnder this Decius Babylas B. of Antioch who succéeded zebinus died in prison which followed after Philetus an 232. and sate xij yeres Which Philetus succéeded Asclepiades after Serapion an 214 and sate vij yeres Babilas because he resisted a certaine Emperour who had most cruelly slaine against his promis a kinges sonne whom he receiued in Hostage and woulde not suffer him to enter the tēple of the christians was by him put to death In the raigne of Constantinus afterward Gallus then made ouerseer of the East parts caused the body of Babylas to be translated into the suburbes of Antioch called Daphnes where was an oracle of Apollo which after the bringing in of the body of Babylas ceassed to giue answere alleging his body to be the cause and so it continued til the time of Iulianus who therefore caused it to be remoued away by the Christians which was no sooner departed the temple but the temple was consumed with fire This Babylas is mentioned of Chrysostom who is like to be another diuerse from him that died In Decius time Nicephorus in his fifth booke maketh mention of an other Babylas besides this that was Bishoppe of Nicomedia and suffered vnder Decius In these times in the Citie of Antioch suffered fourtie Virgins xl Virgins in the daies of Decius In Phrigia suffered one Peter Peter in the Towne of Lampsur vnder Optimus the Proconsul In Troada also other martyrs suffered whose names were Andrew Andrew Paul Paul Nichomachus Nichomach and Dionisia Dionysia a Virgin Also in Babylonia diuers Christian Confessors were founde by Decius and were ledde away into Spaine there to be executed In the Countrie of Cappadocia at the citie of Cesarea Germanus Germanus Theophilus Theophilus Cesarius Cesarius Vitalis Vitalis suffered martirdome Likewise Polichronius Polychronius Bishop of Babylon and Nestor Nestor in Pāphilia Bishop of the same place At Persida in the Towne of Cardala suffered Olimpiades Olympiades and Maximus Maximus In Tyrus Anatolia Anatolia a Virgin and Audax Audax gaue their liues for the faith In these times diuers suffered diuersly in Alexandria a whole yeare before any Proclamation by reason of a Soothsayer Soothsayers which stirred vp the people Who first flying vpon a Priest called Metra Metra apprehended him and layde vpon him with staues and clubbes and with sharpe réedes pricked his face and eyes and afterwarde in the Suburbes stoned him to death Then tooke they Quinta a faithfull woman and bound her féete and drew her through the stréetes vpon the harde stones And so dashing her against the milstones and scourging her with whips slue her in the Suburbes of the Citie This done they spoyled all the Christians who auoided the City and tooke the losse patiently Among other that were taken there was one Apollonia Apollonia an auncient Virgin whom they brought forth and dashing al her téeth out of her iawes made a great fire before the Citie threatning to cast her into the same except she would denie Christ Whereat she staying a while as one that would take a pause sodainly leapt into the middest of the fire and so was burned They also tooke one Serapion Serapion in his owne house whō hauing broken almost all the ioyntes of his bodie they cast him downe from an vpper lofte and so he died Thus raging against the Christians at last they fell at debate among themselues and so for a time the furie staied which was so great that no place could hide the Christians from the rage of the heathen Shortly after this came the Edict of the Emperour against the Christians whereupon the persecution grew in all places more grieuous thā before In so much that some reuolted voluntarilie Reuolt some by imprisonment tormēt Other continued constant to the death of whom one was Iulianus Iulianus a man diseased with the gout not able to go but was caried by two men of whom the one quickly denied the other Cronion Cronion surnamed Eunus Eunus with Iulianus the olde man were laide vpon Camels and there scourged at length cast into the fire for the testimonie of Iesus When the aforesaide were going to martirdom there was a souldier A souldier tooke parte with them and so was presentlie apprehended beheaded Likewise was one Macer Macer a Lybian burned aliue for his confessing of Christ After these suffered Epymachus Epimachus and Alexander Alexander which hauing suffered bonds torments with rasors and scourges were burned with iiij other womē Likewise Ammonarion Ammonarion a holy virgin and an aged matrone named Mercuria Mercuria with another called Dyonisia Dionysia being a mother of many faire children after many tormēts were slaine by the sword Ammonarion suffered before the rest after Heron Heron. and Isidorus Isodorus Egyptians and with them Dioscorus Dioscorus of the age of xv yeres With whom the Iudge first began and could not preuaile either by perswasions or torments The rest after grieuous torments he caused to bée burned and respited Dioscorus for his tender age being astonied at his graue answeres and constancie Nemesian Nemesian also an Egyptian was first accused to be a cōpaniō of theues but being purged thereof before the Cēturion was thē accused of christianity Wherfore being more gréeuously scourged thā the other théeues he was burned with them There were standing before the Tribunall seat certaine warriors or knights whose names were Ammon Ammon Zenon Zenon Ptolomeus Ptolomeus Ingenius Ingenius and with them a certaine aged man called Theophilus Theophilus who séeing a certain Christian fainting and fearful to confesse his faith emboldned him by signes gaue him courage Which being noted the stāders by readie to lay hands on them they preased vp of their own accord professing themselues to be Christians Wherat the Iudge and his assistants were greatly amazed and the Christians emboldened to suffer So they departed glad for the testimonie they had geuen of their faith Also one Ischrion Ischrion being oftentimes moued by his master to do sacrifice and he refusing was of him run through with a pike and slaine In these times infinite numbers wādred in wildernesses suffering hunger colde danger of wilde beastes in the number of whom was Cheremon Cheremon Bishop of a towne called Nilus an aged man who with his wife flying to the mountain of Arabia could neuer
of his raigne notwithstanding many troubles he builded the colledge of Canons at Exeter and was buried at the Abbey of Winburne or Woburne After whose decease for lacke of issue the land fell to his brother Alured or Alfred ann 872. who first of the English kings Alfred of the English K. taketh his vnctiō from the Pope tooke his crowne and vnction of Pope Leo at Rome Hee after great alteration and diuers troubles forced the Danes to séeke for peace which was concluded vpon certaine couenants wherof one and the principall was that Gutrum their K. should be christened The other that such as would not be christened should depart the Realme Vpon these couenants Gutrum comming to Winchester The king of the Danes christened was there christened with xx of his great Nobles To the which Gutrū K. Alured being his Godfather at the baptisme named him Athelstane and gaue him diuers Countreys as of East-anglia conteyning Norfolke and Suffolke and part of Cambridgeshire and graunted to the Danes that were christened the Countrey of Northumberland the rest voyding the land Athelstane raigned xi or xij yeres Alfred buylded diuers houses of Religion as the house of Nunnes at Shaftesburie and the religious houses at Etheling Also another at Winchester named the new Monasterie and endued richly the Church of Saint Cutbert at Durham Hee sent also into India to pay and performe his vowes to saint Thomas of India which he promised in the time of his distresse against the Danes After hee had reigned nine and twentie yeres and sixe monethes he changed this mortall life and deuided his goods into two equall partes the one to vses secular the other to vses Ecclesiasticall Of the which the first he deuided into thrée portions the first for behoofe of his familie the second vpon his buildings the third vpon strangers The other second into foure partes the one to the reliefe of the poore Alfred a notable king an other to monasteries the third to the Schooles of Oxford for the maintening of good letters the fourth he sent to forraine Churches without the Realme He deuided the day and the night into thrée partes Eight houres if he were not let by warres A notable spēding of the time by the king and other affaires hée spent in studie and learning Other eight in praier almes déedes And the other eight in natural rest sustenance of his bodie and néedes of the Realme He especially prouided against robbing and théeues by seuere execution In such sorte that he caused to be set vp through his Dominion gilded brooches and none so hardie neither by day nor night to take them downe His vertues were many he was learned wise religious and valeaunt especiallie about the West part of the land he erected Schooles and mainteyned Students although among the Britaines in the towne of Chester in Southwales long before that in the time of King Arthure as Galfridus wryteth both Grāmer and Philosophie with the tongues were taught In the time of Egbert king of Kent some writers affirme that this land began to flourish with Philosophie About which time also some thinke that the Vniuersity of Grantchester néere to that which is now called Cambridge began to be founded by Beda Grantchester founded by Beda following this coniecture therein for that Alcuinus who went to Rome and from thence into Fraunce in the time of Charles the great where he first began the Vniuersitie of Paris was first traded vp in the same Schoole of Grantchester Paris began from Grantchester Bed lib. 3. cap. 18. writing also of Sigebert king of the East-angles declared how Sigebert returning out of Frāce into Englād according to the examples which he did there sée ordered and disposed Schooles of learning through the meanes of Felix then Bishoppe and placed in them Teachers after the manner of the Cantuarites And yet before these times it is thought there were two Schooles or Vniuersities within the Realme the one for Gréek at the town of Greglade which was after called Kirklade the other for Latine which was then called Latinlade afterward Lethelade néere to Oxford Alfrede very learned This King Alfrede was eleuen yeres of age before hee began to learne Letters hauing to his Master Pleimundus afterwarde made Bishoppe of Canterburie and grew so in knowledge that he trāslated diuers latin works as Orosius Pastorale Gregorij the histories of Bede Boetius de Consolat philosophiae also an Enchiridion of his owne making He compiled also an Historie in the Saxon tongue called the historie of Alfred He suffered no man to aspire to any dignitie in his Court except he were learned and caused all his Nobles to set their children to learning if they had no sonnes then their seruaunts He began also to translate the Psalter into English The Psalter translated by king Alfred and had almost finished the same had not death preuented him These endeuours he tooke in hand that the English nation might be furnished with knowledge which was decayed before by the innumerable volumes burned by the Danes The king carefull to furnish the land with knowledge He vsed chiefly the wise counsell of Neotus Neotus who was counted then an holy man and was Abbot of a certaine monastery of Cornewall by whose aduise hée sent for Grimbaldus a learned monke out of Fraunce and for Asserion an other learned man out of Wales whome hée made Bishop of Schireborne also out of Mercia hée sent for Werefrithus Bishop of Worcester to whom hée put the Dialogues of Gregory to be trāslated By the aduisement of Neotus he ordained certaine schooles of diuerse artes first at Oxford and fraunchised the same with many great Libraries Moreouer besides other learned men which were about Alfred histories make mention of Iohannes Scotus Iohannes Scotus a godly deuine and a learned Philosopher but not that Scotus whō we call Duns who came after this many yéeres This Iohannes Scotus at the request of Carolus Caluus the French king translated the booke of Dyonisius intituled De Hierarchia out of Gréeke into Latine word by word Hée wrote also a booke De corpore sanguine Domni which was after condemned by the Pope Scotus booke De Corpore condemned In concilio Vercellensi He wrote also a booke De naturae diuisione wherein he accorded not with the Romish religion whervpon the Pope writing to Charles of this Scotus complained of him so he was constrained to remoue out of France and came into Engl. to Alured as some say by the letters of Alfred of whō he had great intertainment till he went to Malmesburie where he was slaine of his owne schollers whō he taught with their penkniues Scotus slaine of his scholers King Alfred had by his wife two sonnes Edward and Ethelward and thrée daughters Elflena Ethelgora Ethelginda which all he caused to be instructed in learning Edward succéeded in the kingdome Ethelward died before
custody and stinted at xx d. a day The P. stinted at xx pence a day Hildebrand in the meane time encroching to himselfe the treasure of the Church Hildebrand encrocheth the Church treasure The names and order of the Archbishops of Canterburie from the time of king Egbert to William the Conquerour 18 ETheredus 18. 19. Pleimundus 29.20 Athelmus 12. 21. Vlfelmus 13.22 Odo 20. 23. Elfius or Elfinus 1. 24. Dunstane 20. Polydorus maketh Dunstane the 23.25 Ethelgarus 1.26 Elfricus 11.27 Siricius 5.28 Elphegus 6. 29. Liuingus 7. 30. Egelnodus 17.31 Edsius 11. 32. Robertus 2.33 Stigandus 17.34 Lanfrancus 19. The Printer to the Reader NOte gentle Reade that whereas by means our written copie had not obserued the same we vnawares haue omitted certaine distinctions that wee purposed to haue made betweene each of the 3. parts or bookes of this former volume abridged according as in the first volume of acts monuments at large is distinguished thou shalt vnderstand that the first of those former bookes conteyneth the 300. yeres next after Christ vntil Lucius his daies The 2. booke beginneth pag. 68. and conteineth the next 300. yeeres viz. from Lucius to king Egbert The 3. must be reckoned from pag. 85. containing the next 300. yeeres viz. to the time of William the Conqueror which here followeth The fourth booke ANno 1067. William Conqueror was crowned king W. Conqueror by the handes of Aldredus Bishop of Yorke for so much as Stigandus Archbishop of Canterburie was thē absent on Christmas day William exercised great crueltie Crueltie of the Conqueror vpon the English Nation and abrogated Edwards lawes and established his own for his profite He placed his people in all offices Spirituall and Tēporall And such was the reproch of English men An Englishmā a name of reproch that it was a name of shame And thus now the fift time the land was by diuers Nations afflicted First by the Romans in the time of Iulius Cesar Then by Scots and Pictes After England fiue times ouerrun by Saxons and then by Danes which continued from the reign of Ethelwolfe 230. yeres till K. Edward And fiftly by the Normans In the fourth yere of K. William betwéene Easter and Whitsontide was helde a Councell at Winchester of the Cleargie of England In which were present two Cardinals sent from pope Alexander the second Peter and Iohn In that Councell the king being present were deposed many Prelates of the English Nation without any euidēt cause that the kings Normans might be placed Normans placed Srigandus Archbishop deposed Among whom Stigandus the Archbishop was put downe for thrée causes The first for that he had wrongfullie holden the bishoprick while Robert the Archbishop was liuing The second for that he receiued the Pall of Benedict who was deposed The third for that he occupied the Pall without lawfull authoritie of the Court of Rome So Stigandus was deposed and kept in Winchester as a prisoner during his life At the same time was preferred to the Archbishoprick of York Thomas a Norman and Chanon of Bayon at which time also Lanfrancus Abbot of Cadomonencie a Lombard and Italian borne was sent for and made Archbishoppe of Canterburie Lanfrāk archbishop of Canterburie Contention of primacie Betwixt him and the Archb. of Yorke there grew great contention for the oath of obedience But in the end through the king Thomas was contented to subscribe obedience to the other After the Archb. went to Rome for their Palles with Remigius B. of Dorcester wtout which no Archb. nor B. could be confirmed And to Lanf Alexāder for the estimatiō of his learning gaue ij palles 2. palles geuen to Lanfrank one of honor the other of loue he obteined also for the other ij their cōfirmation Now againe began the controuersie of Primacie to be renued before the P. who sent thē home to end the matter to haue it determined So returned they to Englād an 1070 and the 6. yere of this W. the matter was brought befor the K. clergie at Windsor where after much debating on both sides Th. gaue ouer condiscending that the first of his prouince should beginne at Humber Whereupon it was decréed that Yorke for that time should be subiect to Cant. York subiect to Cant. in matters appertaining to the Church So that wheresoeuer within England Canterburie would hold his Councel the Bishops of Yorke should resort thether with their bishops and be obedient to his decrées Canonicall Prouided moreouer that when the Archb. of Canterburie should decease Yorke should depart to Douer there to consecrate with other the B. that should be elect and if Yorke should decease his successor should resort to Canterburie or els where the Bishop of Cant. should appoint there to receiue his cōsecratiō making his profession there with an oath of canonical obedience In the daies of this Lanfrancus Archb. of Canterburie anno 1076. diuers bishops seates were altered from townships to great cities Bishops seates altered from from townes to great cities as of Sealesey to Chichester out of Cornwall to Exceter from Welles to Bath from Shireburne to Salisburie from Dorcester to Lincolne frō Lichfield to Chester Which bishoprike of Chester Robert then B. reduced from Chester to Couentrie Likely it is also that the sea of the archbishop was translated from Douer to Canterbury or that Canterbury in old time had the name of Dorobernia as doth by diuerse testimonies appéere In the 9. yéere of this kings raigne by the procurement of Lanfrancus was a councel holden at London where among other things it was first enacted Ecclesiasticall decrees that the Archb. of Yorke shold sit on the right hand the B. of Lōdon on the left or in the absence of Yorke London on the right hand Winchester on the left hand of the archbishop in councell 2. That bishops should translate their seas from villages to cities 3. That monkes should haue nothing in proper and if they had died vncōfessed they should not be buried in churchyard 4. That no Clarke or Monke of another Dioces should be admitted to orders or retained without letters cōmendatorie 5. That none should speake in the Councell except Bishops Abbots without the leaue of the Archmetropolitane 6. That none should marie within the seuenth degree with anie of his owne kindred or of his wiues departed 8. That no sorcerie should be vsed in the Church 9. That none of the clergy should be present at the iudgement of anie mans death or dismembring neither should be anie fautor of the said iudicants In the daies of this Lanfrancus Waltelmus B. of Wintō had placed about fortie Canons in sted of Monks so that the part of Priests was taken againe against Monkes Priests yet against Monks But it held not Lanfrancus opposing himselfe against the same He wrote a booke against Berengarius called Opus scintillarū His owne church of
Inuentory of the same to be enrolled in the excheker After the death of Iohn Peckham succéeded Robert Winchelsy with whom the king had like variance as with the other Peckham and accused him to the Pope for breaking of peace and taking part with them that rebelled against the king about vsages and liberties of the realme wherefore the king being cited vp to the court of Rome was there suspended till hee had purchased his absolution againe The King of England troubled with the sea of Canter And as this King was troubled with Archbishops so from Hildebrand and the time of Lanfrancus euery King in his time had somewhat to do with that sea By Peckham before mentioned No benefices but one it was ordeined that no spirituall minister shoulde haue more benefices then one which also was decreed by the constitutions of Octo and Octobonus the Popes Legate the same time in England The Kinges mother was a professed Nunne in Amesburie In the later yeare of this kinges raigne Cassianus K. of the Tartarians Cassanus K. of the Tartariās of whom come these which now are Turkes fighting against the Souldan The Tartarians christened king of the Saracens in the plaine of Damascus slue a 100000 of Saracens and againe at Babilon fighting with the said souldan flue him in the field 200000. of his Saracens calling vpon the helpe of Christ and thereupon became Christian The same Cassianus his brother also afterward was christned him selfe and all his house In the raigne of this King Walter Merto Bishop of Rochester builded Merton Colledge in Oxford Merton Colledge in Oxford in whose raigne also liued Henricus de Gandano Henr. de Gandano De villa noua Scotus Duns Clement 5. The court of Rome to Auinion The P. reigne as Emp. sede vacante Arnoldus de villa noua Dante 's Scotus called Duns and other mo After pope Benedict succeeded Clement the 5. who translated the Popes court to Auinion in Fraunce By this Clement it was ordeined that the Emperour although he might be called K. of the Romaines before yet he might not enioy the title of Emperor before he was by him confirmed and that the Emperours seat being vacant the P. might raigne as Emperour vntil anew were created By him the orders of the templars which at that time were too abhominable were put downe at the councell of Vienna Templars put downe He also ordained and confirmed the feast of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi day The Clementine decretals assigning indulgences to such as heard the seruice therof and also compiled the 7. book of the decretals called of his name the Clementines In the time of this Pope Henricus the sixt of that name The Emp. poisoned by a mōk in the chalice Emperour was poysoned receiuing the Sacrament by a false dissembling monke called Bernard which was thought not to bee done without the consent of the Popes Legate For the which fact although he escaped yet diuers of his order after that with fire and sworde were slaine The Emp. of Constantinople excommunicated This Pope excommunicated Andronicus Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople anno 1327. declaring him to be a schismatike and heretike because hee would not suffer the Grecians to make their appeale from the Gréek church to the Pope neither would acknowledge him to be his superiour c from which the Gréek church was exempted sauing the space of 58. yéeres during the time of the French Emperours al which time the French Emperors with the Gréeke Church were subiect to the church of Rome but afterward such was their hate against the Romanes that because Michael Paleologus and the Grecians being called vp by Gregorie the tenth to a Councell at Lyons about the controuersie of procéeding of the holy Ghost c. did submit themselues to the Church of Rome the Gréeke monks and Priestes denied him the due honour and place of buriall P. Iohn 22. After Clement the 5. succéeded pope Iohn the 22. with whom Lodouike the Emperor had much trouble after whō succéeded Benedict the 12. P. Benedict This Benedict on a certaine time being desired to make certaine new Cardinals This worlde made for the Cardinals answereth againe that he gladly would so do if he also could make a new world For this world said he is for these Cardinals that be made already Ex scripto Engethusensis An. 1307. The xxxiiij yeare of the reigne of the king in the beginning of Hillarie Tearme the King kept a Parlement at Carlil Complaint against the P. for oppressing England where great complaintes were brought in by the Nobles and Ancientes of the lande concerning the oppression of the Church by the Popes Legat William Testa otherwise called mala Tecta who came by reason the P. hauing translated his court to Auinion was denyed by the princes of Rome S. Peters patrimonie liued then barely hee had of contribution and beneuolence within the first yeare nine thousand and fiue hundred markes of siluer and all his other charges and expences which he largely that yere bestowed cléerely borne besides the benefite of Bulles sent by the said Testa and the first fruits of al churches being vacant at any time or by any man within the realm of England Scotland Wales Ireland And also the first fruites of all Abbeis and Priories within the said Realmes c. Whereupon the king in the same Parlement withstood the Legate charging him with the consent of the Earles Barons to abstaine from such exactions and said he would sende to the pope about the matter which he did and thereupon the Pope changed his purpose touching Abbeis and after that the first fruites of English Churches was granted vnto the king for two yeres In which space he obteined the fruites of the foresaid Churches c. During which Parlement before specified as mē were talking many things of the Popes oppression sodeinly fell downe as it were from heauen among them An Epistle of Cass to the Church of England a paper with this superscriptiō An epistle of Cassiodorus to the church of England concerning the abuses of the Romish church To the noble church of England seruing in clay brick as the Iewes did in times past vnder the tyrannie of the Egyptians Peter the sonne of Cassiodore a Catholick souldier and deuoute Champion of Christ sendeth greeting and wisheth to cast of the yoke of bondage and to receiue the reward of libertie c. What effect this letter wrought in them to whom it was directed The P. stil reteineth his exactions it is not in stories expressed by the sequele it may be coniectured that whatsoeuer was said the P. retained stil his exactions Anno 1329. The King of France called a parlement at Paris about the beginning of December to conferre of the iurisdiction of the Pope both in Spiritual and Temporal things In which Parlement a certain wise Nobleman
truthes side c. Ex Godfrido de Fontanis About this time anno 1354. the Townes men of Oxford spoyled the schollers The townes men of Oxford spoile the schollers and brake vp twentie of the doores of their halles and wounded many of them and slew and threw into priuies and cutte their bookes and billes into pieces and carried away much of their goodes this was done the twelfth of February wherefore the whole Towne was interdicted by the Bishoppe of Lincolne At which time also was graunted to the Vicechauncelour or Commissarie to haue the assise of Bread Ale Wine and all other victualles the Mayor of the towne béeing excluded Also it was decréed that the Commons of the towne shoulde giue vnto the Studentes 251. poundes starling in part of satisfaction reseruing notwithstanding to euerie one of the Students his seuerall action against any seuerall person of the Towne c. The cause of the broyle was for that a Student powred the wine on his hostes head and broke his head with the pot in a certayne brawle Simon Islip archbishop of Canterbury mentioned before with his letters patent directed to all parsons and Vicars within his prouince straightly charged them and their parishioners vpon payne of excommunication not to abstaine from bodily labour vppon certaine Saintes dayes Idle holidaies which were woont before to bée hallowed and consecrated to vnthriftie idlenesse A priests wager Item that no Priest should haue giuen vnto him more than three 3. pounds sixe shillings eight pence for his yéerly stipend which made diuers of them to robbe and steale Anno 1362. After Simon Islip succéeded in the sea of Canterbury Simon Langham then William Wittlesey after whom succéeded Simon Sudbury About the yéere 1360. the Nunnes of Saint Brigets order beganne S. Bridgets Nunnes Queenes colledge in Oxford about which time also was buylded the Quéenes Colledge in Oxford by Quéen Philip of England wife to K. Edward the the third Also in the time of this Pope Innocent Frier Iohn Bishop of Elie moued with certain iniuries as he thought done vnto him by the Ladie Blanche made his complaint to the Pope who sending downe his curse to the Bishop of Lincolne and other Prelates to be executed vpon the aduersaries of the Bishop of Elie commaunded them that if they did know any of the said aduersaries dead and buried yet they shoulde cause the same to be taken vp which also they perfourmed accordingly Of whom some had béene of the kings Councell Wherewithall the king being sore displeased did molest againe the said Prelates which comming to the popes hearing certaine were directed downe from the court of Rome in the behalfe of the Bishop of Elie who méeting with the Bishop of Rochester the Kings Treasourer deliuered vnto him Letters from the Pope the tenure whereof was not knowen Which done they incontinently auoyded away But certaine of the kinges Seruantes pursued after and did ouertake them of whom some they imprisoned and other some they brought to Iustices and so were condemned to be burned This Pope Innocent ordeyned the feast of holy speare Holy speare and holy nayles Holy nayles The names of the Bishops of Canterburie from Lanfrancus and their continuance was this The order of the Bishops of Cant. 34 Lanfrancus ninetéene yeares 35 Anselmus twentie 36 Radulphus eight 37 Guilielmus Curboyle thirtéen 38 Theobaldus twenty foure 39 Becket nine 40 Richardus tenne 41 Baldwinus seuen 42 Hubertus fourteene 43 Stephanus Lancthon two and twentie 44 Richardus foure 45 Edmond of Abenden seuen 46 Bonifacius fiue and twentie 47 Kilwarbie Frier sixe 48 Pecham Frier thirtéene 49 Winchelsey ninetéen 50 Reinold The order of the bishops of Cant. fiftéene 51 Stratforde twentie nine 52 Offord tenne moneths 53 Bradwarden one 54 Islep fourtie seuen About this time beginneth the losing of Sathan who had béene shutte vp now 1000. yeares The ende of the fift Booke The fifth Booke THe first persecution of the primitiue Church beginning at the 30. yéeres of Christ was prophecied to continew two and fortie moneths that is 294. yéeres The ceasing of the last persecution of the primitiue Church by the death of Licinius the last persecutor began Anno 324. begun from the Natiuitie of Christ which was from the 30. yéere of his age 299. The binding vp of Sathan after peace giuen to the Church counting from the thirtie yéere of Christ began anno 294. And lasted a 1000. yéeres that is counting from the 30. yéeres of Christ to the yéere 1294. About which yéere pope Boniface sat in the sea of Rome and made the sixt booke of the Decretals confirmed the order of Friers and priuiledged them with great fréedomes Anno 1294. Vnto the which count of yéeres doth not much disagrée that which Maister Fox saith A prophecie hée found in a certaine old Chronicle prophecied and written in the latter end of a booke which booke was written as it séemeth by a Monke of Douer and remayneth yet in the custody of William Cary citizen of London alledging the Prophecie of one Haynchardus Haynchardus a Grayfrier grounded vpon the authoritie of Ioachim the Abbot prophecying that Antichrist should bée borne the yéere from the Natiuitie of Christ 1260. which is coūting after the Lords passion the very same yéere when the orders of Friers both Dominickes and Franciscans began first to be set vp by Honorius the third and Gregorius the 9. which was the yéere of our Lord counting from his passion one thousand two hundred and twentie six and counting after the Natiuitie of the Lord one thousand two hundred and thrée score whereof the verses in the author are written anno 1283. A prophecie of Antichrist Cum fuerint anni completi mille ducenti Et Decies seni post partum virginis almae Tunc Antichristus nascetur Daemone plenus As diuerse other before times opposed themselues against the Pope so now about the yéere one thousand thrée hundred thrée score agaynst the Pope and his Clergie was set out a Prayer A complaint of the Ploughmā against the clergy complaint of the Ploughman faithfully set foorth by William Tindall against auricular confession shrift penaunce long praier masse singlenesse of priests Images c. Not much before this Iohannes de Rupe Scissa vttered a propheticall parable against the clergie of Rome complaining it to be a byrde decked with the feathers of other foules The church Rome a bird decked with other birds fethers whereof because she was prowd and did not acknowledge the benefit nor from whom she had it the foules pulled euery one their fethers and left her naked and so said he it will befall to the church of Rome About the same time also God raysed vp Armachanus agaynst Antichrist which Armachanus was Primate and Archbishop of Ireland Armachanus Archb. of Ireland who in the time that hée liued had no man that excéeded him eyther in life
of the pope and of his filthie clergie calling him a murtherer of soules a spiller The Pope compared and a piler of the flocke of Christ more abhominable then the Iewes more cruell then Iudas more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer himselfe she prophecieth that the sea of Rome shall be throwne downe into the déepe like a milstone c. And that the Cleargy haue turned the ten commandements into two words Da pecuniam The x commādemēts turned into 2. words da pecuniam that is giue money About the same time also 1379. liued Catherina Senensis Katherina Senensis which hauing the spirite of prophecie much cōplained of the church of Rome prophecied before of the great schisme which then followed in the Church of Rome and endured al the councel of Constance the space of 39 of yeres and declared also before of the reformation of religion that nowe is Mathias Parisiensis of Antichrist Also about the yéere 1370. liued Mathias Parisiensis a Bohemian who wrote a large booke of Antichrist and prooueth him alreadie come and noteth the Pope to be the same besides other abuses in the Romish Church against which he doeth inueigh Shortly after anno 1384. liued Iohannes Mountziger I. Mountziger Rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme who preached against the worshipping of the Sacrament and was resisted by the Friers till the Senate and Councel of the Citie was faine to take vp the matter betwixt them About this time liued Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica Nilus Archb. of Thess and wrote a large worke against the Roman Church and layeth the fault of the Schisme betwixt the East and West Church vpon the Pope and very copiouslie reprooueth manie pointes of Poperie as his Supremacie c. About the yere 1371. liued Henricus de Iota H de Iota whome Gerson doth much commend and also his companion Henricus de Hassia H. de Hassia who in a certaine Epistle which he writeth to the Bishoppe of Normacia Iacobus Cartusiensis doth greatly accuse the Spirituall men of euery order yea and the most holiest of all the Pope himselfe of many and great vices He citeth also out of the prophecie of Hildegardis The deuils bellie full of the Popes voluptuousnes these wordes Therefore doeth the deuill himselfe speake vnto you Priestes daintie bankets and feastes wherein is all voluptuousnesse doe I finde among these men In so much that mine Eyes mine Eares my bellie and my veynes are euen filled with the froath of them and so foorth About the yere 1390. there were buried at Bringa 36. Citizens of Maguntia for the doctrine of Waldenses as Brushius affirmeth and Masseus recordeth of diuers 36. burned for the trueth 140. suffered for refusing the decretals to the number of an hundred and fourtie which in the Prouince of Narbone chose rather to suffer whatsoeuer gréeuous punishment by fire then to receue the decretals of the Romish Church contrarie to the vpright trueth of the Gospell Also foure and twentie suffered at Paris 24 suffer at Paris in the yere of our Lord 1210. And in the same author is testified that in the yere there were 400. vnder the name of heretikes and fourescore beheaded Prince Armericus hanged and the ladie of Castile stoned to death In the seuentéene yere of Edw. the third the Commons found great fault at prouisiōs comming from Rome wherby Strangers were dishabled within this land to enioy ecclesiasticall dignities and shewed how the Pope had graunted in most couert wise to two new Cardinals and namely to Cardinall Peragoth aboue one thousande markes of yearelie taxes They therefore required the king and Nobles to finde some remedie for that they neuer coulde nor woulde leaue those oppressions c. or els to helpe them to expel the popes authoritie by force Whereupon the king Lords and commons sent for the acte made at Carlil an 35. of the reigne of king Edward the first vpon like complaint thereby forbidding that any thing should be attempted or brought into the realme that should tend to the blemishing of the kinges prerogatiue or preiudice of the Lords The Act of prouision made or Commons And so at this time the statute called The act of Prouision was made by common cōsent which generally forbiddeth the bringing in of bulles or any such trinkets from the Court of Rome or vsing allowing or enioying of any such bill processe instrument c. The penaltie of which statute was as folowed in the next Parlement anno regni 18. the transgressors thereof to lie in perpetuall prison or to be forbidden the land and that all Iustices of Assise Gaole deliuerie or Oier and determiner may determine the same required withall that the same act and prouision should continue for euer And notwithstanding the bishops were neither named nor expressed with the other Lords of the Parlement yet it stood in full force notwithstanding In which Parlement were also diuers points enacted touching presentments of Ecclesiasticall dignities An act to continue for euer Decrees against the oppression of the Pope and Benefices Also in the Parlements the 20. 25. 38. 40. 50. 51. of the kings reigne were enacted decrées against the oppression of the Pope and his filthie and rauenous Cleargie besides diuers other against them Moreouer in the booke of the actes and rolles of the king it appeareth that he sent Iohn VVickliffe Reader at that time of the Diuinitie Lecture in Oxforde with certaine other Lordes and Ambassadors to treate a marriage betwéene his Daughter and Leonell Sonne vnto king Edward whereby is to be noted the good will which the King bare to Wickliffe and what small regard he had of the sea of Rome This Wickliffe liued in the raigne of King Edward the third in the yéere of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred thée score and eleuen and then withstood greatly the popes procéedings and the Popish clergy Hée was a man very well learned as testifieth of him Walden his most bitter and cruell enemy who in a certaine Epistle written to Pope Martin the fifth saith that hée was wonderfully astonished at this his most strong arguments with the places of authoritie that hée had gathered and the vehemencie and force of his reasons c. In Wickliffes time In VVickliffes time the worlde was in worst case was the worlde in most desperate state and in greatest blindnesse and ignoraunce both of the power of the Gospell and all other good learning and the Churche of Rome most cruell and voyde of all good gift and grace of GOD and religion turned to superstition Wickliffe first of matters of religion began with the Idolatrie committed in the Sacrament VVickliffe against images which he did not so soone attempt but the whole glut of monkes and begging Friers made against him and after them Simon Sudburie Archbishop of Canterbury tooke the matter in hand and for the same cause depriued Wickliffe of his benefice at
contrary wil mainteyn defend the law of our Lord Iesu Christ and the deuout hūble and constant preachers thereof euen to the shedding of our blood dated at Sternberg ann 1415. c. Round about the same letters were 54 seales hāging and the names of them whose seales they were 54. seales to the letter subscribed An. 1414. by Henry Chichley Archb. of Cāterbury much was the affliction and trouble of good men here in England which cruelty Iohn Claydon Iohn Claydon currier of London Richard Turming Rich. Turming first tasted of The 17. day of August an 1415. Iohn Claydon did personally appeare arrested by the mayor of London for suspition of heresie before Henry Chichley Archbishop of Canterbury in Paules Church who being demaunded Constancy denied it not but frankly confessed that for 20. yéeres space he had bin suspected therof for which also he had suffered 2. yéeres imprisonment at Conuey thrée yéeres in the Fléete out of which prison he in the raigne of king Henrie the fourth was brought before L. Iohn Scarle then Chancelour to the king and there did abiure all heresie and errour And being demanded of the Archbishop confessed that since his abiuration he had in his house written English bookes of religion and had frequented the company of diuers godly mē Which confession being made the Archb. did command the bookes to be deliuered to maister Robert Gilbert Doctor of diuinity William Lindwood Doct. of both lawes and other Clearkes to bee examined And in the meane time Dauid Beare Alexander Phillip and Balthasar Mero were taken for witnesses against him and were committed to bee examined to maister Iohn Escourt general examiner of Cāterbury This done the Archb. continued his session til munday next in the same place which was the 20. day of the same moneth and maister Escourt publikely exhibited the witnesses which being read there were after that read diuers tractations found in his house out of which especially out of a booke called the Lantern of light The Lanterne of light that Claidon at his owne costs caused to be written by one called Ioh. Grime being examined diuers points were gathered and noted for heresie Articles First that the Pope was Antichrist and the enimy that sowed tares among the lawes of Christ That the Archbishops and Bishops speaking indifferently are the seats of the Beast Antichrist That the Bishoppes license for a man to preach the worde of God is the Character of the Beast That the Court of Rome is the head of Antichrist and the Bishoppes the bodie That no reprobate is a member of the Church That Christ did neuer plant priuate religions That the materiall Churche shoulde not bée decked with golde The causes of persecution That Priestes vnlawfully kéeping temporall goodes and vnsatiable begging of Friers were the twoo chiefe causes of the persecution of Christians That almes were to be giuen to the honour of GOD onely of goodes iustly gotten to bée giuen to one that is in charitie and to those that haue néede That often singing in the Church is not founded on the scripture That bread and wine remaine in the Sacrament That all Ecclesiasticall suffrages doe profite all godly persons indifferently That the Popes Indulgences bee vnprofitable That the Laytie is not bound to obey the prelates in what so euer they command except the prelates doe watch to geue God a iust accompt of their soules That Images are not to bée sought to by pilgrimages For these articles the archb with the rest did condemne and burne I. Claydons bookes and procéeded to a definitiue sentence of condemnation against him and shortly after hée was had to Smithfield where méekly he was made a burnt offering vnto the Lord an 1415. R. Fabian addeth that Richard Turning Baker was the same time also burned in Smithfield The next yere 1416. the archb of Canterburie in his Conuocation holden at London maketh sharper constitutitions then were before Sharper constitutions then before against the Lollards During the time of which Conuocation two priestes noted for Heretikes were brought before the Bishops the one Iohn Barton and the other Robert Chappel Iohn Barton Robert Chappell Barton because he had béene excommunicated and so stoode 6. or 7. yeres before vpon articles of religion yet sought no reconciliation which being proued against him he was committed to Philip B. of Lincoln to be kept in prison til otherwise it were determined R. Chappel otherwise Holbech sometime chaplen to the L. Cobham because he being vnder excōmunication 3. or 4. yeres did yet in contēpt of the keyes continue saying masse preaching sought no reconciliation So the session brake vp for the time which was about the end of May 1416. The 12. of Iulie next following Chappel submitteth Chappel appeared againe and submitting himselfe with much a doe receiued pardon and was in stead of penance enioyned certayne articles to publish at Paules Crosse As Articles enioyned Chappel that Prelates might lawfullie holde Temporall Lawes That it were vniust and vnlawfull for temporall men vpon any occasion to take away the Prelates temporalties notwithstanding the abuses of them That peregrinations are auaileable to the remission of sinnes That to worship Images doth profite Christians That auricular confession is necessarie That though a priest be in mortall sinne yet may he make the body of Christ That Priestes ought not to preach without the Bishoppes licence That priuate religions are profitable to the vniuersall Church That hee woulde promise and sweare neuer to holde any thing against the premisses Diuers caused to abiure After the setting out of the constitutions of H. Chichesly Archb. of Canterburie diuers godly men were sore vexed and caused outwardly to abiure as Iohn Tayler of the parish of S. Maries at Querne William Iames Master of art and Phisitian who had long time remayned in prison also Iohn Duerfer Iohn Gourdeley of Lincolnshire wel commended for his learning Katherin Dertford a Spinster the Parson of Hyggley in Lincolnshire named M. Robert William Henrie of Tenderden Iohn Gall a Priest of London Richard Monke Vicar of Chesham in Lincolnshire with other mo Collection for the P. to war against the Bohemians During the time of the Conuocation prouinciall Pope Martin had sent down to the cleargie of England for a subsidie to be gathered of the Church to mainteine the Popes warre against the Lollards of Bohemia Also another subsidie was demanded to persecute William Clarke master of arte in Oxford who sayling out of England was at the councell of Basill disputing on the Bohemians side and thirdly another subsidie was also required W. Clarke W. Russel to persecute William Russel which was Wardē of the Gray Friers in London who the same time was fledde and there escaped out of prison Among the rest which were at this time troubled for their faith was Radulph Mungin R Mungin priest against whom it was articulated at
nothing was said thereto But vpon the necke of this ensued the condemnation of the Duchesse and within six yeres after the destruction of the Duke himselfe Anno 1445. H. Chichesly Archb. of Canterbury died by whom the Ladie Eleanor the Duchesse was condemned in S. Steuens Chappel at Westminster Pennance for penāce to beare a taper through Chepesyde thrée sundry times and afterward outlawed to the I le of Man vnder the custodie of Sir Iohn Standley knight This Henrie Chichelesley builded in his time 2. Colledges in Oxford the one called Alsoln colledge Alsoln and Bernard Colledge of Oxford and the other called Bernard colledge About the yeare 1447. Henry Bewford Cardinall and William de la poole duke of Suffolke with the Quéen conspired duke Humfreyes death deuised how to trappe him and for the more speedy furtherance thereof a parliament was sommoned to be kept at Berry far from the citizens of London whither resorted all the Péeres of the Realme and amongest them the Duke of Glocester who on the second day of the Session was by the Lord Beumond high constable of England being accompanied with the duke of Buckingham and others arested apprehended Duke Humf. imprisoned and put in prison and vpon the same all his seruauntes put from him of whom 32 of the principall being also vnder the arrest were dispersed into diuers prisons After this arrest thus done and the duke put into ward the night after saith Hall sixe nightes saith Fabian and Polychronicon he was found dead in his bedde the twenty fourth of February D. Humfrey found dead in prison and his Bodie shewed vnto the Lordes and commons as though hée had béene taken naturally with some suddaine disease This was the end of the good Duke after he had politikely by the space of 25. Good Duke Humfrey yéeres gouerned this realme The next day after the Cardinall died an 1448. in great impatiencie saying fie will not death be hyred nor will mony doo nothing c. The desperate Cardinall Mary Magdalens colledge in Oxford After the Cardinall succéeded William Wainfleet in the Bishopricke of Winchester who founded the colledge of Mary Magdalene in Oxford Anno 1450. William de la Poole beyng accused of treason to the land and indeuouring to flie into Fraunce was encountred with a ship of warre belonging to the tower whereby hée was taken and was brought into Douer rode and there on the side of a shipboat one strake off his head and this ende had the other of the good Dukes enimies The yéere 1450. printing was first inuented by one Ioh. Faustus a goldsmith dwelling first at Argentine afterward a Citizen of Mentz Printing inuented who perceiuing the inuention to come wel to passe made one Iohn Guttemberg Peter Scafford of his counsell binding them by oath to kéepe silence for a while After fiue yéeres Iohn Guttemberg Copartner with Faustus beganne then first to broch the matter at Strasborough Vlricus Han in Latin called Gallus first brought it to Rome This printing was after the inuention of gunnes which were inuented in Germanie an 1380. 130. yeres Printing later then gunnes 130. yeres Anno 1453. Constantinus Paleologus being Emperour of Constantinople the great Citie of Constantinople was taken by the Turke Mahumet after the siege of 54. dayes which siege began in the beginning of Aprill Within the citie beside the Citizens were but onely 6000. Constantinople taken by the Turkes rescuers of the Gréekes and 3000 of the Venetians Genowayes Against these Mahumet broght an army of 400000. collected out of the Countries and places adioyning néere about as out of Grecia Illyrica Wallachia Dardanis Triballis Bulgaris out of Bithinia Galatia Lidia Cicilia and such other which places had yet the names of Christians thus one neyghbour for luker sake helped to destroy another One neighbor destroyeth an other for gayne The Emperour Palaeologus séeing no way but to flée making toward the gate either was slayne or troden downe with multitude The citie beyng thus got the Turkes sacking and ranging about the streetes houses and corners did put to the sword most vnmercifully whosoeuer they found Cruelty of the Turkes both aged and yoong matrons virgins children and infants sparing none the Noble matrons virgins were horribly rauished the goods of the citie and treasures in houses the ornaments in Churches were all sacked and spoyled the pictures of Christ opprobriously handled in despite of Christ The spoile and hauocke of the citie lasted thrée dais together These things thus being done and the tumult ceassed after thrée daies Mahumetes the Turke entereth into the Citie and first calling for the heads and ancients of the Citie such as he found to be left aliue he cōmanded to be mangled and cut in pieces It is also saide as the authour reporteth that in the feasts of the Turkes honest matrones and virgins and such as were of the kings stocke after other contumelies were hewen and cutte in pieces for their disport This end had the noble Citie Constantinople which continued before flourishing equallie with Rome 1120. yeres Ex. Hist Wittenberg Peucer After the death of Henrie Chichesley next succéeded Ioh. Stafford an 1445. who continued 8. yeres After him came Iohn Kemp anno 1453. who sate but thrée yeres Then succéeded Thomas Bursther In the time of which archbishop Raynolde Peacock bishop of Chichesley was afflicted by the Popes Prelates for his faith and profession of the Gospel and being cited vp to Lambeth was caused to recant these points That we are not bound by necessitie of Faith to beléeue that our Lord Iesus Christ after his death descended into hell That it is not necessarie to saluation to beléeue in the catholike church That it is not necessarie to saluation to beléeue the communion of Saints That it is not necessary to saluation to affirme the body materially in the Sacrament That the vniuersall Church may erre in matters which pertaine to faith That it is not necessary for the Church to hold that which euery generall councell shall ordaine With this Pecocke were diuerse mo condemned for heretikes and notwithstanding his recantation he was deteyned still in pryson where some say he was priuily made away by death Pope Nicholas 5. made Felix who renounced his Popedome vnto him a cardinall crowned Fredericke for working the feat and confirmed him to be full Emperour The Emp. not Emp. but king of the Romans before the pope confirmed him for before they be confirmed by the Popes they are not Emperours but are called kings of the Romanes This Pope for to get great summes of mony appointed a Iubile A Iubile in the yéere 1450. Also in his time one Math. Palmerius wrote a booke De Angelis in defending whereof hée was condemned by the Pope and burned at Crona Anno 1448. Ex Tritemio After him succéeded Calixtus 3. P. Calixtus who amongst diuers other things ordained both at noone
at euening the bel to toll the Auies as it was vsed in the popish time to helpe the souldiers that fought against the Turkes Auies doth helpe thē that fought against the Turkes for which cause he ordained the feast of the transfiguration of the Lord The feast of transfiguratiō solēnising it with like pardons and Indulgences as was Corpus Christi day Also this pope procéeding contrary to the councels of Constance and Basil decréed that no man should appeale from the Pope to any Councell by whom also S. Edmund of Canterbury with diuers others were made Saints S. Edmund of Canterbury made Saint Next vnto Calixtus succéeded Pius Secundus Pius Secūdus Pope otherwise called Aeneas Siluius who wrote the 2. bookes of cōmentaries vpō the councell of Basill This Aeneas at the writing of these his bookes séemed to be a man of indifferent tollerable iudgement and doctrine from the which afterward being Pope he séemed to decline and swarue séeking by all meanes possible to abolish the bookes which before he had written wheras before he preferred generall councels before the P. now being P. he did decrée Pope Pius altered his former iudgemēt that no mā should appeale from the B. of Rome to any councels likewise for priests mariages whereas before he thought it best to haue their wiues restored yet afterward he altered his mind otherwise There was great discord betwixt this P. Dorotheus archb of Mentz vpō the same betwene Frederike the Palatine the duke of Wittenberg with others by occasion wherof Mentz looseth his freedome besides the slaughter of many the citie of Mentz which was before frée lost the fréedome became seruile The causes of the discord betwixt Pius and Dorotheus Discord betwixt P. Pius Dorotheus were these 1. Because that Dorotheus would not consent vnto him in the impositiō of certaine tallages taxes within his countrie 2. For that Dorotheus would not be bound vnto him requiring that the said Dorotheus being prince elector should not call the electors together without his license 3. Because hée would not permit vnto the Popes legates to conuocate his Clergie together after his owne lust This Pius began Anno 1458. After Pius 2. succéeded Paulus Secundus a pope wholy set vpon his belly Paulus Secundus Pope and ambition and a hater of all learned men This Paulus had a daughter begotten in fornication whom because he saw her to be therefore hated began as the stories report to repent him of the lawe of the single life of Priestes The pope for mariages of Priestes Pope Sixtus 4. Stewes at Rome The yeere of Iubile altered once againe and went about to reforme the same Ex Stanisl Rutheo After this Paulus came Sixtus the 4. which builded vp in Rome a stewes for both kinds getting thereby no smal rēts reuenewes This pope among other his acts reduced the yéere of Iubile from the 50. to the 25. He also instituted the feast of the conception and of the presentation of Marie and Anna her mother and Ioseph also he canonized Bonauenture and S. Francis for Saints By this pope also were brought in beades Beades Ladies Psalter and he instituted to make our ladies psalter through the occasion of one Alanus and his order who were wont by putting beades vpon a string to number their praiers This pope made 32. Cardinals in his time of whom Petrus Renerius was the first who A prodigall Cardinall for the time he was Cardinal which was but 2. yéers spēt in luxurious riot 200000 Florens and was left 4000. in debt Weselius Groningensis in a certaine treatise of his de indulgentijs Papalibus writeth of this pope Sixtus that at the request of this Peter Cardinal and of Hierom his brother he graunted vnto the whole family of the Cardinal S. Lucy in the 3. hot moneths Iune Iuly August Liberty for Sodomitry frée liberty to vse Sodomitry with this clause Fiat vt petitur That is Be it as it is asked Next after this Sixtus came Innocentius the eight Innocentius 8. Pope a man verie rude and farre from all learning Amongest the noble actes of this Pope this was one that in the towne of Paulus Equicolus hée caused 8. men and 6. women with the Lord of the place to be apprehended and iudged for heretikes because they said that none of them were the Vicars of Christ which came after Peter but onely they which followed the pouerty of Christ Also he condemned of heresie George the K. of Boheme King of Boheme condemned of the P. and depriued him of his kingdome and procured his whole stocke to be vtterly reiected giuing his kingdom to Matthias king of Pannonia Anno 1461. king Henry the 6. was deposed by Edward the 4. after he had raigned 38. yéeres and an halfe Henry the 6. founded the colledge of Eaton Colledge of Eaton and another house hauing then the title of S. Nicholas in Cambridge and now called the kings Colledge Ex scala mundi This king Henrie reiected the popes buls which graunted to Lewes Archb. of Roane the profites of the Bishopricke of Ely after the death of the Bishop by the name of the administration of the said bishopricke Anno 1461. Henry the 6. being deposed Edward the 4. was crowned king An. 1471. Vpon the assentiō eue K. Henry being prisoner in the tower departed this life was brought by Thames in a bote to the abbey of Chertsey there buried Polydor after he had described the vertues of this king recordeth that king Henry the 7. did afterward translate the corpes of him from Chertsey to Windsore and addeth moreouer that by him certaine miracles were wrought Henry the 6. to be canonized a Saint for successiue change for the which cause Henry the 7. laboured with pope Iulius to haue him canonized for a Saint but the death of the king was the let Edward Hall writing of this matter declareth that the cause of the let was the excessiue fées which were so great of canonizing a king aboue any prelat that the king thought best to kéepe his money in his chest About the yéere 1465. There was here in England a Frier Carmelite who preached in Michalemas terme at Paules crosse in London that our Lord Iesus Christ was in pouertie and did begge in the world Which question was so stirred here that it came to the Popes eares Paulus 2. the next yere following who eftsoons sent downe his bul signifying to the Prelates that this heresie that pestiferously doth affirme An heresie to hold the Christ was a begger that Christ did openly begge was condemned of old time by the Bishop of Rome and his Councels and that the same ought to be declared in al places for a dangerous doctrine and worthy to be troden downe vnder all mens féete Anno 1473. in August one Iohn Goose or Husse was
came thither with the Popes pardons Anno 1530. the Doctors and Friers of Louane and Colen condemned the bookes of Luther as hereticall against whom also Luther effectually defendeth himselfe and sheweth to the nobilitie of Germanie in another booke The yeerely mony that wēt out of Germany to Rome that the mony that goeth yéerely out of Germanie to Rome amounteth to 3000000. Florens Now a while after the coronation of the Emperour the Pope sendeth againe to Duke Fredericke requiring him to cause Luthers bookes to be burned and that hée would eyther sée Luther executed himselfe or send him fast bound to Rome To the Embassadours the Duke answered that before the matter were disputed and the cause made manifest hée might not with any equitie or honour procéede in such sort Two Cardinals notwithstanding tooke and burned Luthers bookes whereof he hearing Luther burneth the popes Decrees burned also as many of the Popes Decrées as he could get and the late Bull also set out against him openly and solemnly with a great number of people following him This was doone the 10. of December On Maunday thursday the Pope curseth Luther Pope curseth Luther and shortly after he hauing the Emperours pasport Luther appeereth at Wormes and beyng sent for also by him appéereth at an assembly at Wormes Anno one thousand fiue hundred and one and twentie about seuentéene dayes after Easter his friendes greatly dissuaded him to whom he answered as touching himself since he was sent for he was resolued to enter Worms in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although he knew that there were as many Diuels Luthers courage as there are tiles to couer the houses at Wormes The fourth day after his repaire to Wormes at foure of the clocke in the afternoone he appéered before the imperiall maiestie Princes Dukes c. where Eckius aboue mentioned who was then B. of Triers generall officiall with a loud voice propounded vnto him in the name of the assembly two questions Eckius questions to Luther 1. Whether the bookes that went abroad in his name were his 2. Whether hée would recant them if they were his To the demaundes Luther answered that the bookes whose titles they had read vnto him hée did acknowledge and as for the second poynt hée craued respite of deliberation that hée might without preiudice of the woord of God and perill of his owne soule answere the interrogatorie which was graunted vnto him till the next day the same houre and then his opinion should not be in writing but pronounced by word of mouth Luthers books of three sortes The next day hée appéered and answered his Bookes were of thrée sortes The first in whiche hée simply declared the religion of Christian faith and good works which the popes Bull it self iustifieth and is not to be reuoked The second sort wherein he had inueighed against the papacie the crueltie exhortiō of the same which if he should reuoke it should adde more force to their tyrannie and open wide gates to their impietie The third sort which he had written was against priuate persons which laboured to mainteine the Romane tyranny and to withstand the true doctrine which hée had professed In which hée confessed hée might haue dealt not with such vehemencie of spirit yet that he could cal nothing of the same backe without preiudice of the cause Albeit he offred himself both to be shewed wherin he erred and to hearken to those that could giue reason and out of the scriptures to the contrary c. These wordes thus pronounced Eckius the Emperours prolocutor with a sterne countenance refused his answere as not direct and plaine Then Luther considering saith hée your soueraigne maiestie and your Honours require a plaine answere this I say and professe as resolutely as I may without doubting or sophistication that if I bee not conuicted by testimonie of the Scriptures and by probable reasons for I beléeue not the Pope nor generall Councels which haue erred many times and haue béen contrary to themselues my conscience is so bound and captiued in these Scriptures and worde of God which I haue alleadged that I may not Luthern answereth directly nor will not reuoke anie manner of thing considering it is not lawfull nor godlie to doe any thing against conscience Herevppon I stand and rest I haue not what els to answere God haue mercie vpon me To this answere Eckius replied againe as insufficient and indirect and fled to the councels but Luther replied and declared how they haue erred and were not méete to determine matters of faith The officiall againe answered that could not be prooued that the councels haue erred but Luther promised to proue it and now night approching the Lordes arose and departed Vpon Friday following the Emperour signified to the States of Germany by his letters that he minded to extirpate Martine Luther and his doctrine The munday following before supper The Emperor purposeth to roote out the Gospell the Archb. of Triers aduiseth Luther that on Wednesday next he shoulde appeare before him at nine of the cloake before dinner and assigned him the place Luther appeares where in the presence of the Archbishop Marques of Brandēburg Duke of Saxonie and other States Doct. Vocus the marques of Bades chaplaine exhorted Luther with a rhetorical oration to recant and spake in defence of the Councels To whom Luther replied that he spake not against al councels but that they might erre it appeared by the councell of Constance which condemned this article of Wickliffe the Church is the communion of the predestinate with other words more which being finished he was bid to stand aside and in the mean while the princes conferred sent for him againe and exhorted him To whom he answered except he were ouerthrown by the scriptures he might not yéeld with a safe conscience Afterward the Archbishop himselfe with gentle and courteous wordes exhorted Luther to submitte which would not be So that within a while after the Archb. officiall declared vnto Luther from the Emperour that hée should within 20. daies return home vnder his safeconduct from whence he came And the sixe twentith of April hee returned Luther returneth the Emperors Herald Gasper Sturm safely conducting him Afte this the Doctours and Schoole-men of Paris wrote against Luther and condemned his bookes and not long after The Emp. outlaweth Luther c. Charles the Emp. directeth a writte of outlawrie against Luther and all them that tooke his part commanding wheresoeuer he might bée gotten to apprehend him and his bookes to bee burned Vppon this Duke Fredericke conueyeth Luther away secretly by certaine faithfull Noble men in which time hee wrote among other Bookes one intituled De abroganda Missa De abroganda Missa dedicated to his companie of Augustine Friers who vppon that beganne to laye downe their priuate Masses This doctrine Wittemberg fauoureth Luther the Vniuersitie of Wittemberg
make fortresses all the country ouer which when they vnderstood they made request vnto her againe that these conditions might be moderated with certaine other demaunds for their libertie and aboue all they beséeched her to take pittie on them and that they might not be compelled to doo any thing against their conscience c. After which supplication viewed and read of the Duches Libertie granted to the Waldois she so perswaded the Duke that answere was made according to their mind preaching permitted with frée libertie their goods restored and fréedoms liberties general and particular restored Yet so that Masse should be said in all the parishes of these Valleis no man compelled to come to the same the captiues were also restored that were sent to the gallies and reasonable ransome taken for the prisoners of the Waldois and so through the meanes of the Duchesse the poore Waldois haue béene quiet vntil this day Anno 1526. a certaine Iew in Constantinople was conuerted to the faith which when the Turkes knew they slue him and cast out his dead body not suffering it to be buried which lay 9. or 10. daies incorrupt keping colour and freshnes as if it had not béene dead with a pleasant delectable sauour which when the Turkes behelde they buried the bodie themselues being greatly astonied thereat The end of the seuenth Booke The Abridgement of the second volume of the Ecclesiasticall historie of the Actes and monuments of Martyrs from the time of King Henrie the eight to Queene Elizabeth our gracious Ladie now reigning ANno 1519. Mistresse Smith widowe Robert Harchets shoomaker Archer Shoomaker Thomas Bond Shoomaker Wrigsham a Glouer Lansedall a hosier were on Ashwednesday taken and put in prison and the weeke nexte before Easter were condemned for relapse because most of them had borne fagottes in the same Citie before to bee burned at Couentrie Burned at Couentrie the principall cause of their apprehension was that they taught their familie the Lordes praier and tenne commaundements in English Mistresse Smith onely was dismissed for that present and sent away but as Mourton the Somner was leading her home because it was somewhat darke in the euening by the arme hearing the ratling of a scrol within her sléeue yea said he what haue you here and finding that it was the Lordes praier the beléefe and the tenne commaundements in English Ah syrah said he as good nowe Mistresse Smith as another time come and so he brought her backe againe to the Bishop where she was immediatly condemned and so burned with the sixe before mentioned the fourth day of Aprill in a place thereby called the little Parke Anno 1521. Robert Sylkes 1521 Robert Sylkes who was one of the former companie and by flight escaped was brought to Couentrie two yeeres after and burned the morrow after he came thither which was about the 13. day of Ianuary These Martyrs being thus dispatched the Shiriffes took their goods and cattle to their owne vse their wiues and children being left destitute Anno 1527. Patricke Hamleton 1527 Patricke Hamleton a Scotchman borne of a noble house the first day of March was condemned for the testimonie of the trueth and burned at Saint Andrews in Scotland he at the Vniuersitie of Marpurge in Germanie by conference with Franciscus Lambertus did so grow in knowledge and zeale that hée first there set vp conclusions to be disputed of concerning faith and workes Patrickes articles The articles wherefore hee was condemned were these 1. Man hath no frée will 2. Man is iustified by faith in Christ 3. A man so long as hée liueth is not without sinne 4. He is vnwoorthie to bée called a Christian which beléeueth not that hee is in grace 5. Good woorkes doe not make a good man though a good man doth good workes 6. An euill man bringeth foorth euill workes which being repented of doe not make an euill man 7. Faith hope and charitie cannot bée seuered in one man in this life For the condemnation and burning of this man the diuines of Louane by letters gaue thankes vnto the Archbishoppe of Saint Andrewes and the Diuines of Scotland This Patricke Hamleton cited the blacke Frier called Cambell who accused him to appeare before God to aunswere the innocencie of his death and named a certayne daie when before which time the Frier died without remorse of conscience Patricke Hamelton wrote a Treatise of diuinitie called Patrickes places Patrickes places and they were translated out of Latine wherein he wrote them into Englishe by Iohn Frith A few yéeres after the Archbishoppe of S. Andrewes burned Henrie Forrest Henry Forest who had taken orders of Bennet and Collet for saying Maister Patricke was a martyr and his opinion good He was betraied by Walter Long a Fryer to whom he confessed himselfe He suffered death at the North Church stile of S. Andrewes Within a yéere after the martyrdome of Henry Forest or there about Iames Hamleton Iames Hamleton the brother of Patrick Hamleton the martyr was called in question for mainteining the opinions of his brother but the king Iames the 5. gaue him counsell to depart and not appeare which if hee did he could not helpe him for the Bishops had perswaded him that the cause of heresie did not appertaine vnto the king So he fled and was condemned as an heretike and all his goods confiscate Catherine Hamleton his sister and Aunt to the king Recant recanted her opinion touching iustification without respect of woorkes béeing thereto perswaded by the king and so escaped At the same time also an honest woman of Lieth for crying in her trauell Christ helpe me when the mydwife bad her say Our Lady helpe me was caused to recant Recant About the same time Maister Norman Gurley Norman Gurley because he denied purgatorie and said the Pope was Antichrist and would not recant was condemned by Iames Hay Bishop of Rose commissioner of Iames Beton Archbishop of S. Andrewes and burned vpon the gréenes side betwixt Lieth and Edenburgh With him was burned Dauid Straton Dauid Straton for saying there was no purgatory but the passion of Christ and tribulations of this world he was also falsly accused to haue said no tithes were to be paid for that he casting his fishes to the Vicar of Eglisgrige some fell into the Sea Anno 1532. Thomas Harding Harding who with his wife before had abiured after lōg penance was burned as a relapse being condemned by Iohn Longland Bishoppe of Lincolne at the North ende of the towne of Chesham in the Dell going to Botley when they had set fire on him there was one that dashed out his brayns with a billet It was supposed of them that they might haue fourtie dayes of pardon that shoulde carrie wood to his burning on hope whereof manie people caused their children to beare billets and fagottes to the burning of Martyrs He was burned on the euen
ledge of the stake certaine Friers Doctors Priors being present at his examination degradation praied him to cleare them to the people least they should withdraw their almes from them which he did according to their request Then by reason of the great wind the fire thrise departed and had recourse before it coulde be sharpe enough to consume him In the which til he gaue vp the Ghost he knocked his brest sometime crying Iesus sometime Credo and so gaue witnes to the truth and slept in the Lord. About Anno 1527. Simon Fish who fled ouer the seas as Tindall for feare of the Cardinal whom he had offended in playing a parte against the Cardinal in a plaie made the booke of the Supplication of the beggers The Supplication of beggers and the next yéere sent it to the Lady Anne Bulleine which booke her brother séeing in her hand tooke and read it and gaue it her againe willing her to giue it to the King which thing she so did About Anno 1528. The king vnderstanding who made it and how for feare of the Cardinall he had fled ouer seas kept it in his bosome iij. or iiij daies which Fishes wife vnderstanding and hauing encouragement of certaine about the King that signified tokens of the kings good liking shée made suite to the king for the safe returne of her husbande whereto he most gratiously graunted Whervpon after two yéeres and an halfe of absence he returned and was of his wife brought vnto the king about the yéere 1530. who embraced him with most louing countenaunce and after iij. or iiij howers talke as they were riding on hunting dismissed him and gaue him his protection The king giueth Fish his protection About the same time also M. Moddis the kings footman being in talke with the king of religion and of new bookes that were come frō beyond seas said if his grace would pardon him such as he would bring to his grace he should sée such a book as was maruelous to heare of The king demanded who they were he said ij of your merchaunts George Eliot George Robinson The king appointed a time to speake with them so did caused one of them G Eliot to read the book vnto him Which being read the king made along pawse and then said if a man should pull downe an old stone wall begin at the lower part the vpper part therof might chance to fal on his head And then he tooke the booke and put it into his deske and commanded them vpon their allegiance not to tell to any that he had séene the booke Against the supplication of the beggers sir Thomas Moore wrote vnder the title of poore séely soules pewling out of purgatorie Poore seely soules pewling out of Purgatory to whiche Iohn Fryth made a pithie and effectuall replie When the Cardinall and Prelates vnderstood of the supplication of beggers and other English bookes they gaue out a commission against reading of English bookes A Commission against English bookes and namely the booke of Beggers and the new Testament of Tindals translation which was done out of hand by Cutbert Tunstall bishop of London and a short time after they had procured an inhibition by the kinges proclamation Anno 1529. both against English other in the Latine tongue which contained ought against their superstition whervpon ensued great persecution and trouble whereof first tasted Thomas Bilney aforesaid Anno 1529. came foorth the New testament of Tindals translation The testament of Tindals translation which Tunstall and Moore deuised to suppresse through the counsell of Augustine Packington Augustine Packington a Mercer and Tindals fréend by buying all the copies for which he gaue verie largely and so furnished Tindall with monie that he corrected them and set them foorth againe in greater plenty then before being reléeued with the Bishops mony wherewith the bishop being gréeued declared vnto Packington how they swarmed more then before to whom said he my Lord you were best to buie the stampes too and so shall you be sure at which answere the bishop smiled and so the matter ended The same yéere that Bilney suffered Anno 1531. the moneth of Nouember Richard Bayfield Richard Bayfield suffered for the testimonie of the truth and was burned in Smithfield he was sometime a moonke of Surrie and conuerted by Doctor Barnes and two godly men of London brickmakers Maister Maxwell and Maister Stacie Wardens of their companie He so profited in the doctrine of Christe in twoo yéeres that by the Moonkes of this house he was caste into prison and there endured sore whipping with a gagge in his mouth and then stocked and so continued in the same torments thrée quarters of a yéere before Doctor Barnes could get him out which at length he did by the meanes of one doctor Ruffani of the same house From thence Doctor Barnes carried him to Cambridge where he greatly profited in good letters and neuer returned to his Abbie but went to London to Maxwell and Stacie who kept him secréetly a while and after caried him beyond the seas Doctor Barnes being then in the Fléete for Gods woorde where he was beneficiall vnto Tindall and Fryth and at the last returning to London to Maisters Smiths house in Bucklers burie there was he bewrayed dogged to his bookebinders in Marke-lane where he was taken and caried to Lollards tower and from thence to the Colehouse by reason that one parson Patmore parson of much Haddaine in Essex that lying in Lollards tower was confirmed by him in the doctrine of Christ who after abiured and was condemned to perpetual prison but deliuered againe by the kinges pardon But Richard Bayfield continued constant in the Colehouse was worse handled then before in Lollardes tower for there he was tied bothe by necke middle and legges and standing vpright by the walles diuerse times manicled to accuse others that had bought his bookes He was thrise in the Consistorie at Paules put to his triall whether he would abiure or no but he standing to his triall by disputation to the confounding of his aduersaries Bayfield condemned by Stokesly then his iudge with the assistaunce of Winchester and other Bishops he continuing constant in the cause of Christ was condemned the twentie daie of Nouember Anno 1531 in the quéere of Paules and disgraded After which the Bishop tooke his Crosier staffe Cruelty and smoote him on the brest that he threw him downe backwardes and brake his head that he souned When he came to himselfe againe he thanked God that he was deliuered from the malignant church of Antechrist Anon after he was ledde through the quire to Newgate and there rested aboute an hower in prayer and so went to the fire in his apparell ioyfullie and there for lacke of a spéedy fire was half an hower aliue and when the left arme was in the fire and burned he rubbed it with his right
hand and it fell from his bodie but he continuyng in prayer without moouing On Wednesday the xxj of Aprill the yéere 1529. Iohn Tewksburie who was conuerted by reading of Tindals testament the wicked Mammon he had also the bible written was brought into the cōsistorie at London before Cutbert bishop of London and his assistants Henry bishop of S. Asse Iohn abbot of Westminster was examined of diuerse errors as they called them in the booke of the wicked Mammon The booke of the wicked Mammon Which Iohn Teuksbury iustified for truth thrée sessions he appéered manfully stood to the truth being examined of articles touching Antechrist iustificatiō by works saints almes other mens praiers for vs c. The examination of which articles being doone the B. of London did exhort him againe to recant and appointed him to determine with himselfe against the next session in whiche session he submitted himselfe and abiured Iohn Teuksbury recanteth and was appointed penāce the eight of Maie Anno 1529. Two yéeres after hauing receiued more grace and strength at Gods hands moued by the example of Bayfield that had before done the like he returned to the cōstant professiō of the truth Iohn Teuksbury repenteth being apprehended was brought before sir T. Moore and the B. of London where certaine articles were obiected against him touching faith kéeping of forbidden bookes purgatorie sacraments of the altar c. confessing his articles the bishop pronounced sentence and deliuered him to the Shiriffes of London Richard Gresham and Edward Altam Teuksbury burnt who burned him in Smithfield vpon S. Thomas euen the xx of December This yéere Edward Frese Edward Frese first apprentice to a painter in the city of York who for his pregnancie of wit his yers were redéemed by the Abbot of Bersie Abbey and became a nouice but after long space not liking that trade he ran away and came to Colchester in Essex where he followed his vocation married a wife and liued honestly After he had béen there a good time he was hyred to paint certaine clothes for the new Inne which is in the middle of the market place in the border of which cloathes he wrote certaine sentences of scripture for which he was apprehēded in the same Inne and brought to Fulham to the B. house where he was cruelly imprisoned with one Iohnson and his wife of Colchester Wyly with his wife and sonne Bread made of sawdust and father Bate of Rowshedge they were fed with manchet made with the greater part of sawdust and were so straightly kept that their wiues and friends might not come at them After the painter had béen there a long space by much suit he was remoued to Lollards towre his wife in the meane time of his suit whiles he was yet at Fulham béeing desirous to sée her husband pressing to come in at the gate then big with child the porter lift vp his foote Crueltie and stroke her on the belly that at length she died of the same but the childe was destroyed immediatly After that they were al stocked for a long time afterward they were let loose in their prisons agayn This paynter because he wold alwaies be writing on the walles with chalk to their discontentment was manacled by the wrists til the flesh of his armes was grown higher thē his yrons wherby he could not keame his head that his haire was folded together After the death of his wife by suit of his brethrē to the king he was brought out into the consistorie of Paules and as his brethren reported they kept him iij. daies without meate before he came to his answere so that with imprisonment and hunger the man grew out of his wittes which when they had procured by crueltie they sent him againe to Bersie Abbie but he would not tarrie among them and so continued out of his wits till his dying day His brother Valentine Freese and his wife Valentine Freese and his wife gaue their liues at one stake in Yorke for the testimonie of the truth Father Bate gate out of the pryson in a darke night and was caught no more but died shortly after In this yéere Frier Roice Frier Roice was burned in Portingall for the truth In the beginning of this yéere the Bishops who had burned Tindals testaments The Bishops commaunded to make a trāslation of the Bible were inioyned by the King to cause a new Translation to be made notwithstanding which commaundement they did nothing at all But contrary in the moneth of Maie the Bishoppe of London caused all the translations of Tindall and many other Bookes whiche hée had bought to bée burned in Paules Churchyarde Iames Baynam Iames Baynā who married the wife of Simon Fish a Gentleman of the middle Temple was accused to sir Thomas Moore lord Chancellour and arested of a sergeant at armes and carried to the Chancellours house at Chelsey where he continued in frée prison vntill sir Thomas Moore perceyued he could doo no good of him Then he put him in prison in his owne house and whipped him at a trée in his garden called the trée of Truth and after sent him to the Tower to bée racked and so he was Sir Thomas beyng present himselfe till in a manner he had lamed him because he would not accuse the Gentlemen of the Temple of his acquaintaunce nor shew where his bookes laie And because his wife denied them to be in his house she was sent to the Fléete their goods confiscate After they had thus practised against him by torments then was be brought before I. Stokesley B. of London the xv of December An. 1531. in the towne of Chelsey there examined touching purgatorie Intercession of Saints Confession vowes concerning Luthers marriage the Sacrament of anneyling of Baptisme whether matrimonie were a Sacrament for his bookes of Scripture and what he iudged of Tindall c. to which articles he subscribed according to the truth The next day following he appeared in the same place as before Iames Baynam submitteth after much persuasion he submitted himself the B. notwithstanding committed him to one of the Counters for further triall And the yéere 1532. In the moneth of Februarie he was called for againe and although he was yet abiured not yet séemed he to satisfie the Chancellor so he was for that present returned to his prison againe and the viij day of February appeared as before and made a full abiuration and subscribed it Which doone the Chancellour put him to his fine to pay twentie pound to the king and inioyned him penance to go before the Crosse in Procession at Paules and to stand before the Preacher at Paules crosse during the Sermon with a fagot on his shoulder and so to returne with the Summer againe to prison there to abide the Bishops determination Iames Baynā repenteth And so the 17. of Februarie he was dismissed
prelates in which the sixe articles were concluded touching matters of religion which were commonly called the whippe with sixe strings The first article was concerning transubstantiation 2 Against the communicating in both kindes 3. That priestes might not marry after the order of priesthood receiued 4. that the vowes of chastity made aboue 21. yéeres of age of widowhood aduisedly made should be obserued 5. The establishing of priuate masses 6. Auricular confession to be expedient The punishment for breach of the first article was burning without any abiuration with losse of all goods lands as in case of treason Treason Felonie the default against the other fiue articles was fellony without any benefit of cleargy c. Against these articles only D. Cranmer Cranmer disputeth against the vi articles Archbishop of Canterbury stood vp and thrée daies disputed against them with such strength of reason that the king who euer bare especall fauour vnto him well liking his zelous defence onlie willed him to depart out of the parlament house vnto the Counsell chamber for a time for safegarde of his conscience till the Act shoulde passe and bée graunted which hée notwithstanding with humble protestation refused to doe After the parlament was finished the king sent the Lord Cromwell who in few dayes after was apprehended the twoo Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke and all the Lordes of the parlament house to dyne with the Archbishoppe at Lambith and to comfort him and within few daies also vpon the same required that hee woulde giue a note of all his doings and reasons in the said parliament which Cranmer eftsoones accomplished accordingly and sent the copie thereof to the king Besides these sixe Articles in the same parliament was ordained that if Priestes were taken in Adultery or Fornication and duely conuict for their not Caste nor Caute at first tyme they shoulde forfaite their goods Against adultery and fornication of priests and for the second faulte be taken and executed as fellons this was brought in by the Lord Cromwels aduise Who if he might haue had his will the firste crime of these concubinarie Priestes aswell as the second no doubt had béene punished with death but so Gardiner did barre that article with his shifts that the first was losse of goodes and the second death and the next yéere he so prouided that the paine of death by Act of parlament was cleane repealed So that by this statute it was prouided Death for adulterie repeated for all such votaries as liued in whordome and adultery For the first offence to lose his goodes and all his spiritual promotions except one For the second to forfeite all that he had to the king For the third conuiction to sustaine continual imprisonment Anno 1541. The eight and twentith day of Iuly the noble lord Cromwell the maule of the Pope and Papists in this land and the great fauourer of the gospell was put to death at Tower hill 1541. Cromwell the maule of the P. put to death The crimes obiected against him were first heresie and that he was a supporter of Barnes Clarke and many other whom by his authoritie and letters written to Sheriffes and Iustices in diuers Shires he had discharged out of prison Also that hee did disperse bookes of heresies among the kinges Subiects Item that he caused to be translated into English diuers bookes that conteined matter against the Sacrament c. Besides all this there were brought in certaine witnesses which charged him with wordes that he should speake against the king in the Church of S. Peter the poore in the xxx yere of the kings reigne In the moneth of Iuly during the Parliament being in the Counsell chamber he was sodainly attainted and carried to the Tower the xix of the moneth of Iulie the xxviij day put to death He was borne of a simple parentage at Putney or there abouts being a Smiths sonne his mother married after to a Sherman Cromwell The life of L. Cromwell being ripe of yéeres was at Antwerp retained to be secretarie to the merchants there From whence being procured by Geffery Chambers with another companion whom the men of Boston sent to Rome for the renewing of their priuiledges to go to Rome and aid them in their suite he departed and accompanied the Boston mens Ambassadours to Rome where he aduised with himselfe how he might haue best accesse vnto the pope and best dispatch of his busines and hauing knowledge how that the popes holy tooth greatly delighted in new fangled strange delicates it came into his mind to prepare certaine fine dishes of gelly made after our countrey maner here in England which to them of Rome was not knowen nor séene before This done Cromwell obseruing his time as the pope was newly come from hunting into his pauiliō hée with his companions approched with his English presents brought in with a thréemans song as we call it in the English tongue and all after the English fashion The pope sodainly marueiling at the strangenes of the song and vnderstanding that they were Englishmen and that they came not emptie handed willed them to be called in Cromwel there shewing his obedience and offring this iolie Iunkets such as kings Princes onely vsed said he in the Realm of Englande to féede on desired that to be accepted in good part which he his companions as poore Suters vnto his Holinesse had there brought and presented as Nouelties méete for his recreation Pope Iulius so liked their Iunkets that he desired to know the making of their daynties And vnderstanding their suites without any more adoe stamped both their pardons both the greater and the England the king also wrote in like manner to Boner his Ambassadour to assist the doers thereof in all their reasonable suites whereto the king of Fraunce gaue licence Boner shewed himselfe very diligent about the worke The Bible in English printed at Paris So the booke was printed euen to the last part then was quarrels picked to the printer who was sent for to the inquisitors of the faith there charged with certaine articles of heresie Then were sent for the Englishmen that were at the cost charge therof Richard Grafton and Whitchurch the corrector Miles Couerdale but hauing warning what would follow the Englishmen posted away leauing behind them their Bibles to the number of 2500. called the Bibles of the great volume and neuer recouered any of them sauing the Lieuetenant criminal sold foure great dryfats of them to an Haberdasher to lap in caps and those were brought again but the rest were burnt at the place called Maulbert in Paris But notwithstanding the losse after they had recouered some part of the foresaid books and were comforted and incouraged by the L. Cromwell the same men went agayne to Paris and there got the presses letters and seruants of the foresaid printer and brought them to London and there they became
the racking of Anne Askew was greatly displeased therewith The day of her executiō being appointed she was brought into Smithfield in a chaire because she could not go on her féete by reason of her racking and was girded by the middle with a chaine that might hold vp her bodie and so was shée with her fellowes a witnesse of the truth and sealer of the same with her bloud Anne Askew hauing letters of pardon offered her at the stake by Wrisley lord Chancellour if shée would recant she refused so much as to looke on them They were there also offered to the rest The martyrs had pardon at the stake but they by her example were confirmed and likewise refused the same About the same time and yéere Doctor Ripse bishop of Norwich did incite the old duke of Northfolke against Rogers in the countie of Northfolke who was condemned and suffered for the cause of the sixe Articles An. 1546. Winchester practized against Q. Catherine Parre the last wife to king Henry who was very zealous towardes the Gospell Winchester practiseth against the life of the Queene and had perswaded with the king to make a perfect reformation and so farre he preuailed with the king persuading him of the factious disposition of the gospellers and of the daungerous example of the Quéene his wife that before that he and the L. Chancellor and others who conspired together against her departed the king had giuen out cōmandement with warrant to certaine of them made for that purpose to consult together about drawing of certaine articles against the Quéene wherein her life might be touched which the king by their persuasions pretended not to spare hauing any rigor or colour of law to coūtenance the matter With which cōmission they departed that time from the king resolued to put their pernitious practise in executiō first determined to deale with those whō they knew were great about her as the Lady Harbert afterward the Countesse of Penbrooke and sister to the Quéene and chiefe of her priuie chamber the lady Lane being of her priuie chamber and also her cosin Germane the lady Terwit beyng of her priuie chamber It was deuised that these thrée should first of all haue béene accused brought to answere to the six articles and vpon their apprehension in the court their closets and coffers should haue béen searched that somewhat might haue béene found whereby the Quéene might be charged which being found she her selfe presently should haue béene taken likewise caried by barge in the night to the Tower To all this the king séemed to giue his assent and afterward opened all the matter to D. Wendy his Physicion charging him withall vpon perill of his life not to vtter it to any person Now the time drawing nigh when they minded to put their mischéefes in practise the bill of articles drawne out against the Quéene and subscribed with the Kinges owne hand falling from the bosome of one of those wicked counsellours was found and taken vp of some godly person and brought immediatly to the Quéene who séeing the same fell into a marueilous perplexitie almost to the perill and daunger of her life whereof the king hearing he sent his Phisition Wendie and came also himselfe to comfort her to whom she delared her griefe but the king gaue her most comfortable wordes and so when he had tarried an houre with her he departed Shée afterwardes being recouered came to the King and founde suche fauour with him and had so satisfied him in those thinges The king much altered concerning their practises against the Queene for which the Prelates conspired against her that his minde was fully altered and detested in his heart the bloudie conspiracie of those Traytours who yet notwithstanding the next day determined to haue carried the Quéene to the Tower and at the houre appointed the Lord Chauncellour with fourtie of the garde at his héeles commeth into the garden where the Quéene was with the King and those thrée Ladies in pleasaunt communication fully determining from thence to haue taken the Quéene and those thrée Ladies and to haue carried them to the Tower whom the King stearnely beholding and breaking of his myrth with the Quéene stepped aside and called him knaue arrant knaue beast and foole The Queene deliuered from her daunger and commaunded him presently to auoide out of his presence So departed the Chauncellour with his train and all his deuises brought to naught and the subtletie of Gardiner discouered who was alwayes a cruell enimie against the Gospell and professors of the same Gardiner not onely practised in England against reformation but also when the King was minded to reforme in England he being Ambassadour beyond the seas for the agréement of a league betwéene England Fraunce and the Emperour he wrote vnto the king and perswaded him that if he procéeded to alter any whit in England in matters of religion the league would not go forwarde whereby the Kinges determinate purpose for that time was altered although before he had commanded the Archb. Cranmer to cause two letters in his name to be drawne for the abolishing of Roodlofts and ringing on allhallow night After this Anno 1546. The matter of reformation beganne to be reuiued and the French king and the king of England did agrée to make a perfect reformation The kings of England and France agree to make a perfect reformatiō of religion and were so fully resolued therein that they meant also to exhort the Emperour to doe the same in Flaunders and other his countries or else to breake off from him And herein the king commaunded the Archbishop Cranmer to penne a forme thereof to bée sent to the French king to consider of but by the death of these Princes that purpose was cut off About this time Sir Hugh Cauerley knight maister Litleton falsly accused Sir George Blage one of the kings priuie chamber the sunday before Anne Askew suffered before Wriseley Lord Chauncellour Sir George Blage condemned to be burned the next day he was carried to Newgate from thence to the guild hall where he was condemned the same day and appointed to be burned the wednesday after They laid to him that he shold say that if a mouse did eate the bread they should by his consent hang vp the mouse with other such light matters When the King vnderstood hereof hée was sore offended with their doinges and sent him his pardon and so was he set at liberberty Who comming after to the kings presence ah my pig said the king to him for so he was wont to call him Yea said he if your maiestie had not béene befter vnto me then your Bishoppes were your pigge had béene rosted ere this time After the death of Anne Askew the Prelates made out straight proclamation against English bookes of scripture and whatsoeuer might giue any light to the word and drew out a number of heresies as they call them out
Frenchmen at the Iles of Iersey and Garnesey Bishop Boner who the first yere of the kings reigne anno 1547. had submitted himselfe hearing of the death of the Lord Admirall the L. Protectors brother and after that the rising of the kings Subiects began to draw backer and to neglect his duetie Whereupon as hath béene sayde he was called before the Counsell and enioyned to preach that such as rebell against their Prince resist Gods ordinance and to set foorth in his Sermon that the authoritie of the king was no lesse in his young age than was of any of his Predecessors c. Boenr at his time appointed preached at Paules crosse Muskleborow field Scots Frēch ouerthrowen and in steade of declaring such things as were enioyned him he spent his Sermon in the maintenance of the papisticall Transubstantiation and altogether left out the article touching the lawfull authoritie of the K. during his nonage For which so doing I. Hooper afterward B of Worcester and Glocester and M. W. Latimer Bachelour of Diuinitie did exhibite vnto the kings highnes vnder both their names a bill of complaint against him Whereupon the king did immediatly direct foorth his Commission vnder his broad Seale vnto the Archb. of Canterburie the B. of Rochester and other Counsellors geuing them authoritie to call Boner before them and to deale with him according as they should finde cause The tenth day of september Bishoppe Boner was summoned to appeare at Lambeth before the Commissioners before whom he behaued himselfe most vndiscréetely and vnreuerently defacing the authoritie of the Commissioners and shifting of the poynt hee was accused of and in the ende pulled out a Protestation out of his bosome readie written and exhibited it vnto the Commissioners Vnder which protestation he requested to haue a copie both of the Commission and accusation with time to answere therūto Which was granted him he assigned to appeare againe before thē vpō friday at 8. of the clocke before noone the next following and then to answere Vpon Friday the xiij of September Boner appeareth againe at Lambeth before the Commissioners and because Secretarie Smith sate there who was not there the former day Boner shifteth and caueleth Boner cauils thereat and makes delaies of answere and in the end tooke exceptions against his accusers because said he they were heretickes and iustly excommunicated and especially he inueighed against them for the matter of the Sacrament of the Altar and withall denied their accusations to be true and coloured glosed forth his maner of handling the points inioyned him and accompted the iniunctions of the booke forged because they were not sealed nor signed with the kings owne hand And when he had finished reading of his answeres Latimer deliuered vp a writing vnto the cōmissioners containing Articles agaynst him whereof certaine were touching his owne fact as whether he wrote his sermon or not to which he answered that onely he penned certaine notes then what aduise and whose he had to which he answered his owne onely with helpe of his bookes And this he answered an oth being ministred vnto him Ex officio mero These wordes ended the Commissioners assigned him Munday the xvj of September then next to appeare before them and to make his full answeres to all the Articles ministred vnto him by them that day On Mundaie the sixtenth of September hée appeareth againe before the Commissioners and exhibiteth vnto them answeres vnto the laste Articles but before the same were read the Archbishop declared vnto him that his answere made against his accusers denunciation contained matter of slander against them and so signified that they desired there to purge themselues which they both did first Latimer and next Hooper And after much vnséemely behauiour of Boner the Commissioners willed him to make aunswere to the articles obiected the last day against him which he did reading it and answering to euery poynt verie slenderly as to the point of the kings authoritie that he had gathered a note out of Histories and Scriptures of diuerse yoong Kinges who notwithstanding their minoritie were faithfully obeied and reputed for very lawfull kings all which with many other hée had purposed to declare if they had come vnto his memorie which they did not partly for lacke of vse of preachyng and partly by reason of a bill which was deliuered him from the Kinges counsell to declare the victorie hée had agaynst the rebels which confounded his memorie and partely for that his booke fell in his Sermon time from him wherein were diuerse of his notes which hée had collected for that purpose Which answere pleased not the Commissioners who required him to make it more direct whether he had doone as hée was enioyned or not whereto when he would no otherwise answere the cōmissioners did admit presently for witnesses vpon articles against him M. Iohn Cheeke Henry Markham Iohn Ioseph Iohn Douglas and Richard Chambers vpon whom they laid a corporall oth truely to answere Boner against this vnder his former protestation protested of the nullitie of the receiuing and admitting and swearing of those witnesses with protestation also to obiect against the persons and sayings of these witnesses demaunding a lawfull and competent time to minister interrogatories against them Wherewith the Commissioners were contented so that day he obiected against M. Cheeke and the next day before noone he obiected against the rest After this the Commissioners assigned to the Bishop to appeare againe before them vpon Wednesday the next ensuyng betwéene the houres of seuen and eight before noone at Lambeth there to shewe the cause why hee should not be declared Pro confesso vpon all the Articles wherevnto hée had not then fully aunswered but Boner still protesting the nullitie and inualiditie of al their procéedings they did for that time depart In the meane while the Commissioners certified the K. and his counsel of the B. behauiour and cauillations Whervpon the king the 17. of September did send vnto the Commissioners a full declaration of his owne will giuing them full authoritie to procéede at their owne discretions The 8. of September Boner appeareth againe and offereth matter vnto the Commissioners why he ought not to bée iudged pro confesso full of cauillations and vaine quiddities of their law and inordinat contempt In the end they ministred vnto him new articles and receiued witnesses against him but Boner still stoode vpon the nullitie of their Commission and the whole processe desiring a copie of the Articles which was graunted and time til the next day at viij of the clocke Also the same time hee exhibited a cauillation against William Latimer Boner exhibiteth a cauillation against William Latimer So the Commissioners appointed him a new time to appeare on munday next betwéene 6. 9. in the morning then to shew a finall cause why he shoulde not be iudged pro confesso And they deliuered him a copy of the Articles At the time appointed the
the ende being found peruerse and stubborne and not able to iustifie himselfe or his doings after he had taken exceptions and cauilled against the witnesses he was depriued of his Bishopricke by the authoritie of the king and sentence geuen by the Archbishop of Canterburie Winchester depriued among other bishops and Iudges appointed for the cause From this sentence Gardiner appealeth to the king but all in vayne As S. Gardiner was the professed enemie of the Gospell so was Doctor Redman Doctor Redman a fauourer of the gospell in those dayes for his learning famous a fauourer of the same and at his death which was anno 1551. made profession thereof in the presence of M. Yong and others Anno 1552. W. Gardiner a Marchants seruant of Bristow the first day of September in the very solemnization of a marriage betwixt the sonne of the king of Portingall and the Spanish kings daughter in the presence of the princes and Cardinals and Bishops determined to haue stepped to the Cardinall at the Altar and to haue wroong the chalice out of his hands and to haue defaced their popish God but that the prease of people did hinder him So the next sunday where like pompe was vsed and no lesse Idolatry than before W. Gardiner W. Gardiner in the presence of the king and all his Nobles and Citizens with the one hand snatched away the cake from the priest and trode it vnder his féete and with the other ouerthrew the chalice which made them all amazed Then one drawing out his dagger gaue him a great wound in the shoulder and as he was about to haue stricken him againe to haue slaine him the king twise commaunded to haue him saued So by that meanes they abstained from murther After the tumult was ceased he was brought to the K. by whom he was demaunded of his Countrey and how hée durst doe such a déede To whom he declared that he was an Englishman and that for gréefe to sée such Idolatrie hée could not abstaine When they heard that he was an Englishman they were more earnest to know the Procurour The Idolatrie he answered wherwith they prophaned the Lords Supper only procured him They not content therewith vrged him with torments and caused a linnen cloth to be sowed round like a ball the which they with violence put downe his throte vnto the bottom of his stomach tyed with a small string which they helde in their hands and when it was downe they pulled it vp againe with violence so plucking it vp and downe They cast also into prison all the rest of the Englishmen amongst whom one Pēdegrace Pendegrace because he was his bedfellowe was gréeuously tormented and examined more then the residue and scarcely was deliuered after two yeres imprisonment the other were much sooner set at libertie by the intercession of a certaine Duke At the last when al torments and tormentors were weried they asked him whether he did not repent his déede He answered as touching the déed if it were to do he should do it againe But he was sorie it was done in the Kinges presence to the disquiet of his minde After they had vsed al kinde of torments and saw there could be nothing more gathered of him and also that through his wound and paines he could not long liue they brought him thrée dayes after to execution And first of all bringing him vnto the Vestrie cut of his right hand which he taking vp with his left hand kissed Execution done vpon W. Gardiner with all manner of crueltie Then he was brought into the Market place where his other hand was cut of which he knéeling downe vpon the ground also kissed These things thus done his armes being bound behinde him and his féete vnder the horse bellie he was carried to the place of execution where there was a certaine engine from the which a great rope cōming downe by a Pulley was fastened about the middle of the Christian martyr which first pulled him vp then was there a great pile of wood set on fire vnderneath him into the which he was by little and little let downe not with his whole bodie but so that his féete onely felt the fire in which fire the more terribly he burned the more feruently hée praied At last when his féete were consumed the tormentors asked him if he did not repent exhorting him to call vpon our Lady and the Saints whereto he answered that he had doone nothing to repent of and that when Christ did cease to be our Aduocate then he would pray to our Lady The marueilous constancie of William Gardiner said Eternall God father of all mercies I beséech thée looke downe vpon thy seruant c. And when they sought by all meanes to stop his praying he cried out with a loud voice rehearsing the 34. Psalm Iudge me O Lord and defend my cause against the vnmercifull people He was not come to the latter end of the Psalme when the rope being burnt asunder he fell into the fire and so gaue ouer The very same night one of the kings ships was burned in the hauen being set on fire by a sparke of Gardiners fire driuen thither with the winde and the kings sonne who then was married died within halfe a yéere after the death of William Gardiner Anno 1552. 1552 Protector put to death for fellonie the 22. of Ianuarie in the sixt yéere of the reigne of Edward the Duke of Somersette Lord Protector was executed on Tower hill for felonie being accused and quitte of treason And the next yere after deceassed the king him selfe about the moneth of Iune Anno 1553. A Prince of such towardnesse as the worlde neuer had the like before by whom the remnants of Popish Idolatrie and superstition were abolished and the church restored to her sinceritie which died again with him and popery restored in the time of Mary who succéeded him The end of the ninth Booke The tenth Booke WHat time King Edward began to appeare more féeble and weake during the time of his sicknesse a marriage was concluded and also shortly also vpon the same solemnized in the moneth of Maie betwéene the lord Gilford sonne to the duke of Northumberland and the Lady Iane L. Gilford and Lady Iane maried together the duke of Suffolkes daughter whose mother then being aliue was daughter to Marie king Henries second sister And when no hope séemed of recouery of the King it was brought to passe by the consent not onely of the nobility but also of the chiefe Lawyers of the Realme that the King by this Testament did appoint the aforesaid Lady Iane to be Inheritrice to the crown of England passing ouer his two sisters Marie and Elizabeth To this order subscribed all the Kinges Counsell and chiefe of the nobilitie the Mayor of the citie of London almost all the iudges and chiefe Lawyers of this Realme sauing onely Iustice Hales of Kent Iustice
be put in practise beyng not directly against the Statutes and Lawes of the Realme 2. That no Bishop or Prelate doo vse the clause Regia authoritate fulcitus 3. That no sacramentarie be admitted to benefice 4. That all Bishoppes do labour especially in the Clergie to suppresse heresies 5. Against bookes writings 6. Against priests mariages and that such as would depart from their wiues should be vsed more fauourably and admitted to the same function But in another place and for want of priests that one priest should serue two places That processions be vsed that holy daies and fasting daies be frequented that the ceremonies be vsed confirmation of children be put in practise and the like prescript also with articles was sent from the Quéene to the Lord Maior of London About the same yéere and time when Doctour Boner set foorth this prescript there came from the Quéene a Proclamation against straungers such as professed the Gospel Vpon this Proclamation not onely the strangers in King Edwardes time receiued into the Realme for religion among whom Peter Martir Iohn Alasco vncle to the king of Poleland but many Englishmen fled some into Frizeland some to Cleueland some to high Germanie wel neare to the number of 800. persons Neare 800. persons flie beyond the seas In the same moneth of March the Lord Courtney whō the Quéene at her first entrie deliuered out of the Tower and Ladie Elizabeth also the Quéenes sister were both in suspition to haue béene of Wiats conspiracie Lady Elizabeth and Lord Courtney sent to the Tower and for the same this March were apprehended and committed to the Tower And although Wiat at his death cleared them both as vnacquainted with the matter yet Gardiner practised to bring them both within the compasse of the same and the Lord Shandoys ioyned therein with him Not long after this a parliament was holden at Westminster in Aprill where the Quéene propounded concerning her marriage to king Phillip and restoring the Popes supremacie Her marriage was agréed vppon but the supremacie would not be obtained as then The Popes supremacie wold not be obteyned The same time when this parliament was summoned the Quéene summoned a conuocation of Bishops writing vnto Boner whom she made Vicegerent in stead of Cranmer being in the Tower after the manner of a new stile leauing out supreme head Likewise Boner giuing her certificate vpon the same leaueth out Authoritate illustriss legitime suffultus which parcels both at the length were taken away at that Parlement In this Conuocation Boner extolling the office of priesthood breaketh out into such an hyperbolicall prayer Boners commendation of Priesthood that they were to be honoured before all kinges of the earth Princes and nobles for said he a Priest is higher then a king happier then an Angell maker of his creatour c. and in some sort like to the virgin Marie for as by speaking sixe wordes fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum shee did conceiue Christ so the Priest by the wordes of Consecration doeth chaunge the bread into the body of Christ Anno. 1554. The x. of March a letter was sent to the Léeftenant of the Tower to deliuer the bodies of Master Doctor Cranmer the Archbishop of Caunterburie Master Ridley and M. Latimer to Sir I. Williams to be conueied by them both to Oxford The xxvj of March there was a letter sent to sir Henrie Doel and one Foster to attach the bodies of D. Taylor parson of Hadley and of Henrie Askew and to sende them vp to the Counsell About the tenth of Aprill Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie Ridley Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer sometime B. of Worcester Cranmer Ridley and Latimer sent prisoners to Oxford were cōueied as prisoners from the Tower to Windsor and from thence to the Vniuersitie of Oxford there to dispute with the Diuines and learned men of both Vniuersities about the presence substance and sacrifice of the Sacrament Their names were these Disputers at Oxford Of Oxford D Weston Prolocutor D. Tresham Doctor Cole D. Oglethorpe D. Pie D. Harpsfielde M. Fecknam Of Cambridge Doctor Yong. Vicechauncellour D. Glinne D. Seaton D. Watson D. Sedgewick D. Atkinson The questions whereon they should dispute Questions to be disputed of were these 1. Whether the naturall bodie of Christ be really in the sacrament after the wordes of consecration be spoken by the Priest 2. Whether any substance doe remaine after the words sauing the bodie and bloud 3 Whether the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie On Saterday being the xiiij of April after dinner the Commissioners and Disputers went all to Saynt Maries church in Oxford and there after a short consultation in a Chappel they came all into the quire and sate all on seats before the Altar to the number of 33. persons 33. Commissioners Cranmer brought before the Commissioners Vnitie with Veritie And first they sent to the Mayor that he should bring in D. Cranmer whō he brought with a great number of rustie Bilmen And being come the Prolocutor exhorted him to vnitie To whom the Archb. modestly answered he would embrace it gladly so it were ioyned with veritie And after a discourse of the same in fewe words the Prolocutor caused the questions to be propounded vnto him and required him to subscribe thereunto Which the Archb. refusing the Prolocutor first willed him to write his minde of them that night and saide moreouer he should dispute on them and caused a copie of the Articles to be deliuered vnto him assigning him to answere thereunto on munday next and so charged the Maior with him againe to be had to Bocardo where he was kept before Then was D. Ridley Ridley appeareth brought who hearing the articles read vnto him answered without any delay and said they were all false and being asked whether he would dispute he answered that as long as God gaue him life they should not onely haue his heart but also his mouth and Penne to defende his trueth But hée required to haue time and bookes They sayde he coulde not And that he should dispute on Thursdaye and till that time he shoulde haue Bookes Then gaue they him the Articles and bad him write his minde of them that night and so he did Then they commanded the maior to haue him from whence he came M. Latimer appeareth Last of all came in Master Latimer who after his deniall of the Articles had Wednesday appoynted for disputation He alleadged age sicknesse disease and lack of bookes wherefore he refused to dispute but he sayd he would declare his minde in wryting or by woordes and woulde stande to all that they coulde laye vpon his back complayning that hee was permitted neither to haue penne nor Inke Neither the Masse nor maribones nor sinowes therof in the scripture nor any Booke sauing the new Testament in his hand which he said he had read ouer seuen times deliberatelie and yet
Wats went and praied priuatly to himselfe Tho. Wats martyr and afterward came to his wife and sixe children being there two of which company offered to burne with him and comforted him and when he had kissed them all was carried to the fire Where he hauing kissed the stake said vnto my Lord Rich beware my Lord beware for you do against your cōscience c. And so patiently he ended in the Lords quarrell In the beginning of this moneto of Iune the time was thought to be nigh of Quéene Maries Queen Mary proued not with child trauaile but their expectation was deceiued and the Prelates and their fauourers confounded so that they dealt with one Isabell Mault dwelling in Aldersgate stréete in Horne Alley to helpe the matter Who before witnesses made this declaration that she being deliuered of a man childe vpon Whitsunday in the morning the xj of Iune there came to her the L. North and another Lord to her vnknowen dwelling about Olde Fishstréete Who demaunded of her if she would part from her childe and would sweare that she neuer had nor knew any such childe Which if she would her sonne should they said be wel prouided for and she should take no care for it With many faire offers if she would parte with her child After that came other women also of whom one she said should haue béene the Rocker T. Mault should haue bin Queene Maries childe but she would not part with her Sonne who was at the writing of this History aliue of the age of xiij yeres and vpward and called Timothie Mault About this time came out a Booke called a Caueat for England A Caueat for England giuing warning to Englishmen of the practises of the Spaniardes and restoring of Abbey lands Wherupon came foorth a straite Proclamation against any booke or writing that should empaire the Popes dignitie whereby great peril grew vnto diuers people With Thomas Haukes were sent downe thrée other to be burned for the testimonie of the trueth Nicholas Chamberlaine Nicholas Chāberlaine at Colchester the xiiij of Iune Thomas Sommer Th. Sommer at Maningtrée the xv of Iune William Bamforde W. Bamford alias Butler at Norwich the same xv of the Moneth of Iune All which men patiently and constantly endured the torment for his names sake Within iij. dayes after that Master Bradforde had saued M. Bourne who preached a seditious Sermon at Paules Crosse he was sent for to the Tower where the Quéene was then to appeare there before the Counsell Where he was charged with the acte of sauing Bourne which act they called seditious and also obiected against him for preaching and so by them he was committed first to the Tower and afterwardes to the Kinges Bench and after his condemnation to the Counter He was a man of singular pietie and great learning and a speciall patterne of all vertue where he became Bishoppe Farrar being in the kinges Bench after much labouring with had promised the Papistes to receiue the Sacrament of the Altar with them at Easter in one kinde Then it happened by Gods prouidence on Easter euen the day before he should do it that M. Bradforde was brought to the kings Bench prisoner Where he reclaimed M. Farrar that he did not satisfie the Papistes in receiuing as hée had purposed When the Kéepers wife had brought him worde he should on the morow be had to newgate and so to be burned he put off his cap and lifted vp his eyes to heauen and sayde Bradford reioyceth at the newes of his Martirdome I thanke God for it for I haue looked for the same a long time and therefore it commeth now vnto me not sodainely but as a thing wayted for euery day and euery hower and the Lorde make me woorthie thereof And so thanking her he departed vp into his Chamber and went secretelie him selfe and prayed a long time aboue and spent the euening in prayer and other good exercises with his friendes The time they carried him to Newgate was about xi or xij of the clocke in the night for feare of the people And the next morning at nine of the clock he was brought into Smithfield whither as he went there came to him a brother in law of his called R. Beswicke and tooke M. Bradford by the hand Which when Woodrooffe being Sheriffe did behold he came and brake M. Beswickes head that the bloud ranne about his shoulders Being come to the place of execution hee fell flatte to the grounde secretely making his prayers to almightie God Then rising vp againe and putting off his clothes vnto his shirte he went to the stake and holding vp his handes and casting his countenance to heauen said thus O Englande Englande repent thée of thy sinnes beware of Idolatrie beware of false Christes take héede they doe not deceiue you With which words the sheriffe was greatly offended So hauing comforted I. Leafe that suffered at the same Stake with him embracing the Réedes he sayd thus Straight is the way and narrowe is the Gate that leadeth to eternall saluation and fewe there be that finde it M. Bradfords words at the stake And so constantly he ended this mortall life Hee remayned in the Tower of London before his remoouing to other Prisons from the Moneth of August in the yere of our Lorde one thousand fiue hundred fiftie thrée to the 22. of Ianuary Anno 1555. vpon which day he was called out to examination before Stephen Gardiner and other commissioners before whom he appeared thrée times and had great reasoning touching the reall presence with him with Boner Worcester and at the last was condemned by Winchester the last of Ianuarie Which sentence beyng pronounced he fell downe on his knées and hartily thanked God that he counted him worthie to suffer for his sake After condemnation diuerse conferred with him as Boner Willerton Creswell Harding Harpsfielde and other mo as Doctor Heath archbishop of Yorke Day Bishoppe of Chichester Alphonso the Kinges confessor and another Spanish Frier Doctor Weston Doctor Pendleton c. With maister Bradford was burned one Iohn Lease Iohn Leafe 19. yeere old burned with Bradford an apprentice of the age of ninetéen yéeres Who when two billes were sent vnto him into the Counter the one contayning a recantation and the other his confession to know to which of them he woulde put his hand to First hearing the byll of recantation read vnto him because hée coulde not reade nor write himselfe that hée refused and when the other was read vnto him which he well liked of instéede of a penne he tooke a pinne and so pricking his hand sprinkled the bloud vpon the same bill willing the Reader thereof to shew the B. that he had sealed the same with his bloud already And so being condemned Iohn Leafe a notable young man a martir he suffered patiently with M. Bradford Within halfe a yere after God did so strike the forenamed
to giue him entertainment in Duresme house and to furnish him with Bookes and necessaries méete for the busines who prouided for him accordingly So doctor Cranmer wrote his minde concerning the kinges question adding to the same besydes the authoritie of Scripture of general counsails and auncient fathers also his owne opinion that the Pope could not dispence with the word of God Wherupon the king sent certaine learned mē abroad to the most part of the Vniuersities in Christendome to dispute the question Embassage to Rome concerning the kings diuorce as also in Oxford Cambridge wher the vnlawfulnes of the matrimonie was concluded so that the K. prepared a solemne embassage sent to the B. of Rome then lying at Bononie whither went the Earle of Wiltshire Doctor Cranmer Doctor Stokesley Doctor Corne Doctor Bennet and diuers other learned men and gentlemen who when they came before the Pope hee sitting in the chaire of estate offered his foot but none would kisse it sauing a great spaniell of the Earle of Wiltshires who ran tooke the P. by the great toe None would kisse the Popes foot but a great spaniel of the Earle of Wiltshires ran to take the Pope by the toe Cranmer goeth to the Emperour Cranmer satisfyeth Cornelius Agryppa caused him to pul it in in hast In the end the Embassadours were dismissed without disputation D. Cranmer gratified with the office of a penitenciariship Wherupon the Earle and the other commissioners returned againe into England but D. Cranmer went to the Emperour being in his iourney towardes Vienna against the Turke there to answere such men of his court as could say any thing on the contrary part Where he fully satisfyed Cornelius Agrippa an high officer in the Emp. court for which cause Cornelius fel into such displeasure with the Emp his M. that he was committed to prison where for sorow he ended his life From the Emper. court he departed as he returned he satisfied diuers learned men in Germany in that question In the meane space while the matter thus prospered B. Warrham the Arcb. dieth and the Archbishopricke was bestowed immediatly on Cranmer Cranmer made Archb. by the kings gift In which place he behaued himselfe with great liking to the king who would heare no accusation against him and all good men After the death of king Henry in the raign of king Edw. his godsonne K. Edward godsonne to Cranmer his estate was more aduanced Before which time of King Edward it séemed that Cranmer was scarce throughly perswaded in the right knowledge of the Sacrament til being instructed by Ridley he grew so ripe that he tooke vpon him the whole defence of the cause against the popish deuises To whose booke concerning that matter Stephen Gardiner answereth and M. Cranmer replieth learnedly and copiously to him againe Of this Archb. doing was also the booke of the reformation Bookes of Cranmer the Catechisme with the booke of Homilies Also there was a confutation against 88. articles deuised by the Conuocation house of his doing but not receiued in the time of king Henry the 8. King Edward now not like to liue bequeathed the succession of the Realm to the Lady Iane niece to to king Henry the 8. by his sister with the consent of the Counsel Lawyers fearing least Mary should alter religion but Cranmer Cranmer not brought to it against his cōscience wald hardly be brought to assent til he was informed by the lawyers that he might subscribe therevnto King Edward being now dead and Quéene Mary in possession of the crowne she excepted Cranmer out of all pardon and would not so much as vouchsafe to sée him but committed him to the tower yet pardoned him of treason and caused him to be accused of heresie The papists had raised a slaunder that the Archbishoppe had promised to saye a Dyrge masse for King Edwardes funeral to curry fauour of the Quéene which he endeuouring to stay gaue forth in writing his purgation and was challenged of the Quéens cōmissioners for his bil To whō he said he was sory it passed him so as it did for he graunted a copie to Doctor Story who did disperse it for his meaning was to haue made it more at large and to haue set it on Paules Church doore and on the doores of all the Churches in London with his seale set thereto At which words they for the time dismissed him At length it was determined that Cranmer shoulde bée remoued from the Tower to Oxford there to be disputed with for colour sake although they had determined what to do with him before Forasmuch as the sentence giuen against Ridley and Latimer by D. Weston was voide because the authority of the Pope was not yet receiued into the land there was a new commission sent from Rome and a new processe framed for the conuiction of Ridley Latimer Cranmer In the which commission was D. Iames Brooks B. of Glocester the popes subdelegate with Doctor Martin and Doctor Story commissioners in the king and Quéenes behalfe These commissioners being set in place in the Church of S. Mary in Oxford one of the Popes Proctors or els his D. called saying Tho. archb of Canterbury appeare here make answere to that shal be laide to thy charge that is to say for blasphemy contumacie and heresie and make aunswere here to the B. of Glocester representing the Popes person He being brought néerer the scaffold where the Bishoppes sate Cranmer wold do no reuerēce to the Popes subdelegate gaue reuerence to the Quéenes proctors but would not to the Bishop who represented the Pope alleaging he had taken an oath neuer to consent to his authority again When after many meanes vsed the Archb. would do no reuerence the Bishop fell to declare vnto him the cause of their comming and their commission exhorting him with a long Oration to returne to the Popish church Who hauing finished his Oration D Martin beginneth and declareth vnto him as much Who hauing also finished doctor Cranmer after he had knéeled downe on both his knées towardes the West and saide the Lordes praier and rising vp had repeated the Articles of the beléefe began to make profession of his faith vnto them and protested against the popes authoritie and chalenged the B. of periurie for admitting the Pope contrarie to his oath After Glocester had done D. Story then entereth to vexe the seruant of God and laboureth to vphold the Popes Supremacie and required the Bishoppe to make a directe answere to the Articles After he had played his part Doctor Martin taketh him in hand and laboureth to prooue his oth made to the king against the Pope vnlawfull In the end the Iudges willed him to answere directly to certaine Articles Whereto after the Archbishop had answered the Bishop Brookes concludeth his examination with an Oration to satisfie the people geuing the Archbishop vp hee said as an abiect and outcast
hill and fire put too Bucer Phagius corps burned with many good bookes were burned and a number of condemned bookes with them which while they were burning that gaue the people cause greatly to mislike their crueltie on the market hill Doctor Watson enueyeth against them in the pulpet in S. Maries church although Bucer taught no other thing then both he and Scot had subscribed to in king Edwards daies The next day after the B. of Chester went with great solemnitie to the Church of our Lady and Saint Michaell Which doone the Commissioners bestowed a fewe dayes in punishing such as they thought had offended and enacted certaine Statutes prescribing at how many Masses euery man should be day by day and how many Pater nosters and Auies euery man should say when he should enter into the Church And in his entrance after what a 〈◊〉 his should â—owe himselfe to the Altar and at what time of the Masse a man should stand when sit downe with a number of such superstitious toyes Which thinges being thus ordered the Vniuersitie bestoweth the degrée of Doctor vpon Ormaneâ— and Cole and to the holy reformers depâ—â—â— who yet before they departed The holy commissioners depart from CaÌ„bridge gaue commaundement that the Maisters of euery house should copie out their Statutes which contained certayne 〈◊〉 rules for euery house particularlie Swineborne maister of Clare hall beeing demaunded whether he would haue their engrossed in paper or parchment answered it made no matter paper would for continuance serue the turne well enough Accordyng as they dealt with the bodies of Bucer and Phagius at Cambridge so likewise at Oxford they vsed Per Martyrs They take Peter Martyrs wiues corpes at Oxford wife while she liued a graue and sober matrone Anno 1552. she departed this life Now when B. Brookes of Glocester Nichol Ormanet Datary Robert Morwen president of Corpus Christi Colledge Cole Wright Doctors of the Ciuil law came thither as the Cardinals visitors They among other things hauing commission for the same ministred an oath to such as had acquaintance with her that they shold not conceale what they knew touching religion concerning her faith Who because they vnderstood not her language answered they could know nothing Which the commissioners also certified the Cardinall But that notwithstanding he left not the matter so but wrote down his letters a good while after to Marshall the Deane of Friswides that he should digge her vp and lay her out of Christian burial because she was buried nigh S. Friswides reliques Whose commandement Doct. Marshall calling his spades and mattockes together in an Euening when he was well whitled did fulfill and buried her in a dunghill Anno 1557. 10 of the 15. persons mentioned in the other booke that were in prison in the castle of Canterbury wherof fiue were famished were coÌ„mitted to the fire by Thornton called B. or suffragan of Douer otherwise called Dick of Douer and by Nicholas Harpesfield Archdeacon of the same prouince The names of those tenne be these Iohn Philpot Iohn Philpot. W. Waterer Steph. Kempe W. Haydhith Th. Hudson Mathew Brodbridge Tho. Stephens Nich. Finall W. Lowicke W. Prowting of Tenderden W. Waterer of Bedington Stephen Kempe of Norgate W. Haidhith Th. Hudson of Shalenge Mathew Brodbridge of Tenderden Thomas Stephens of Bedingden Nicholas Finall of Tenderden W. Lowicke of Crambrooke W. Prowting of Thoneham Of these sixe were burned at Canterbury about the xv of Ianuary twoo that is Stephen and Philpot at Wye About the same moneth other two Finall and Brodbridge at Ashford the 16. of the same moneth In february following came out another bloody commission from the king and Quéene Another bloody commission yet more to inflame the fire of persecution After the publishing of which Commission the eight of February persecution did rage most fiercely in all quarters so that the prisons were full of prisoners namely in the dioces of Canterbury And in the towne of Colchester it was so fierce that 22. together men and women were apprehended at one clappe 14. men and 8. women of which some escaped the other were driuen vp like a flocke of Christian lambes to London with 2. or 3. leaders at the most The blood of which people Boner woulde haue sucked had not Cardinall Poole Cardinall Poole mercifull staied his rage Who although he were a papist and an enemy yet was he not so bloody as the other were So these people being suffered to draw themselues out a submission were deliuered notwithstanding diuers of theÌ„ afterward were taken and suffered The names of that multitude were these Robert Coleman of Walton in the Countie of Essex labouring man Ioan Winsley of Horsley magna in the same Countie Stephen Glouer of Railey in the same Countie Glouer Ri charde Clarke of much Holland in the same Countie mariner W. Munt of much Bentley in the same Countie husbandman Thomas Winseley of much Horsley in the same Countie sawyer Margaret Field of Ramsey in the same Countie Agnes Whitlocke of Douercourte Alice Munt of much Bentley Rose Allen of the same towne Richard Bongeor of Colchester Currier Richard Atkyn of Halstéed weauer Robert Barcock of Whistone carpenter Rich. George of Westbarfolt labourer Rich Gelly of Colchester mariner Tho. Feresham mercer of Colchester Robert Debnam late of Dedham Cisley Warren of Cockshall Christian Pepper widow of the same towne Allen Simson Eline Euring Alice the wife of Rob. Wil. at colchester William Bongeor of Colchester Glaster Their chiefe trouble was for the article of the Lords supper The same yeare 1557. 1557 T. Losebie H Ramsey T Thirtell M. Hyde A. Stanley the xij of April suffered v. godly Martirs in smithfield Thomas Losebie Henry Ramsey Thomas Thyrtel Margaret Hyde and Agnes Stanley The vij of Ianuarie they were examined by Darbishire then Chauncellour to Boner Who dealt so with them that they were dismissed for that time but the B. taking the matter into his handes the vi of March dealt more hardly with them And againe the first day of April conuented them and finding them constant in the truth neither to be moued by his threates nor allurements procéeded to their condemnatioÌ„ The afternoone the B. first called for Loseby who when in reading of his articles mention was made of the Sacrament of the altar the Bishop putting off his cappe The valeaunt Martir his felowes said My Lorde séeing you put off your cap I will put on mine and therewithall did put on his cap. So sentence was pronouÌ„ced vpon him and the rest seuerally Who couragiously and constantly defied to the bishops face their Popish Idolatrie and superstition And so were they deliuered to the Sheriffes of London who the xij day of Aprill brought them into Smithfielde Where all together in one fire ioyfully they slept in the Lord. In the Moneth of May following thrée other suffered in Saint Georges fieldes in Southwarke whose names were William
gaue their liues for the witnessing of the truth Iohn Thurston who was taken in the house of W. Mount of Much Bentley about the moneth of May dyed in Colchester castle a constant professor of Iesus Christ In the Moneth of August was George Eagles put to death at Chelmseford treason being obiected against him that he should pray that God would turne Quéene Maries hart or take her away He was condemned and executed for treason but the meaning was for religion He in the troublesome time of Maries dayes gaue himself in all places to strengthen the brethren And such was his paines in trauaile that going from place to place he was called Trudgeouer George Eagles called Trudgeouer His diet was for the space of 3. yéeres very thinne and his drinke water and such spite had the papists against him that there was an edict proclaimed in the Quéenes name through Essex Suffolke Kent and Northfolke promising the party that should take him 20. pounds for his paines At length being at Colchester vpon Marie Magdalens day at which time they kept a faire in the town he was espied and flying was taken and condemned for treason such as was mentioned before One Richard Putto the elder an Inneholder dwelling at the signe of the cocke at the same time did much trouble him in perswading him to confesse he had offended the Quéene c. And so did he also trouble him being on the ladder Being drawen to the place of execution he read very deuoutly on a Psalme booke which he had in his hande and with patience endured the torment About this time suffered at Norwich a godly man called Richard Crashfield R. Crashfielde condemned by Dunnings the Chācellour He was foure times examined The thirde time by Doctor Bridges and the other by Dunnings by whom hée was condemned and suffered the fifth day of August At whose burning one Thomas Carman was apprehended About the same time the xx of August one named Frier with the sister of George Eagles Frier and the sister of G. Eagles Ioyce Lewes was burned at Rochester In the moneth of September was Mistris Ioice Lewes wife to Thomas Lewes of Māchester burned for the gospell at Liechfield She was instructed in the waies of Christ and to abhorre the Masse and the popish superstition by maister Iohn Glouer before mentioned At which time being compelled by her furious husband to come to church when holy water was sprinckled vpon her she turned her backe whervpon immediatly a citation was sent for her by a Sumner The Sumner caused to eat the citation drinke to it whom her husband caused to eat the citation and drincke to it wherefore he was much troubled and was faine to submit himselfe his wife remayning cōstant for whom he was bound in an hundred pound after a moneths respite to bring her againe Who at the day being exhorted not to venture his wife in carrying her to the bishop said most vnkindly he would not forfet any thing for her and brought her to the B. who commaunded her to such a stincking prison that her maid that kept her company did sowne therein Thus being kept in prison and found cōstant after many examinations she was condemned and the night before she should suffer she was wonderfull chéerefull and merie so spending the time in prayer reading and talking with them that were purposely come vnto her for to comfort her with the word of God She was after her condemnation kept in prison a whole yéere because the Shiriffe of that yéere would not burne her About thrée of the clocke in the morning Sathan began to trouble her with doubt of her saluation Satan troubleth the martyr in which doubt by those that were with her shée receiued great comfort and assurance About eight of the clocke M. Shiriffe commeth telleth her she had but an hower to liue in this world To whom she answered M. Shiriffe your message is welcome to me and I thanke my God that he will make me worthy to aduenture my life in his quarrell When she was at the stake because she was not acquainted with the fresh ayre comming out of a close prison one of her fréends had prouided her drinke Now when she had praied thrée times in the which she desired God to abolish the idolatrous Masse whereto all the people and the Shiriffe himselfe said Amen She tooke the cup into her hands saying She drinketh to all that loue the gospell I drinke to all those that vnfainedly loue the gospell of Iesus Christ and wish for the abolishing of the papistrie When she had drunke her fréends drunke also which were afterwards troubled for the same So being bound to the stake and fire put to her she with patience endured for his names sake that had redéemed her About the 17. day of September were burned at Islington nigh London these foure constant professors of Christ Rafe Allerton Rafe Allerton Iames Austoo Marg. Austoo Richard Coth Iames Austoo Margery Austoo his wife and Richard Coth Rafe Allerton was apprehended by Thomas Tye priest sometimes a professor of the gospell He was diuerse times examined before London at Fulham the eight of Aprill againe the second of May before him and thrée of the Counsaile Againe the 15. of May in the Bishops pallace at London and at the last remayning constant in the profession of the truth beyng vehemently pursued by Thomas Tye the seuententh of September he was condemned and burned with the other thrée The tenth day of September Iames Austoo beyng brought with the rest into the bishops chappell at Fulham he was demaunded of the bishop if he knew where he was now The couragious martyr and in what place and before whom c. Yea quoth Austoo I know where I am for I am in an Idols demple Whereat Boner perceiuing his constancie pronounced sentence against him Margery his wife was sore afraid terrified in the pryson at twelue of the clocke at night one comming in to her into the pryson with a knife drawne and attemptyng to cut her throate but that shée called vpon God for helpe whereat hee departed without doing her any hurt They feare the martyr in the prison The next night they made a rumbling ouer head like thunder to scarre her out of her wittes but GOD gaue her strength At what time the tenne before suffered at Colchester there were also twoo women condemned with them but were deferred the one omitted and left in the prison while shée was praying apart for the strength of Gods spirite the other because her name was false written 1. Their names were Agnes Bongeor Agn. Bongeor Margery Thurstone whom they wrote Bowyer and Margerie Thurston These twayne were both the seuentéene day of September burned at Colchester for the witnesse of Christ which they chéerefully endured for his names sake This yéere the 20. of September was burned at Northhampton Iohn Knode Iohn
and demaunded of them whether she might bée remoued from thence with life or no. Whos 's answere was that she might So in conclusion they willed her to prepare against morning at ix of the clock to goe with them On the morrow at the time prescribed they had her foorth as she was very faint and féeble and in such weake case that she was readie to sowne thrée or foure times betwixt them So all sicke in the Litter she came to Redborne where she was garded all night From thence to Saint Albons to Sir Rafe Rowlets house where she taried that night both féeble in bodie and comfortlesse in minde From that place they passed to Master Doddes house at Mimmes Where also they remayned that night And so from thence she came to Highgate where being very sick she taried that night and the next day From that place she was conueyed to the Court. Now when she came to the Court her Grace was there straightway shutte vp and kept as close Prisoner the space of a fortnight which was till Palme-sunday séeing neyther King nor Quéene nor Lorde nor friende in all that time but onelie the Lorde Chamberlayne Sir Ioh. Gage and the Vicechamberlayne who was attendant vnto the dores The Friday before Palme-sunday the Bishop of Winchester with ninetéene of the Counsel came vnto her grace L. Elizabeth falsly accused from the Quéene burdened her with Wiates conspiracie and charged her also with the businesse made by Sir Peter Carewe and the rest of the Gentlemen of the West Countrey Which she vtterly denied and cléered her innocencie therein In conclusion they declared vnto her that it was the Quéenes pleasure she should goe to the Tower vntill the matter were further examined and then they departed Within the space of an houre or little more came foure Lordes of the Counsell which were the Lorde Treasurer the Bishoppe of Winchester the Lorde Stewarde the Earle of Sussex with the Garde who warding in the next Chamber to her secluded all her Gentlemen and yeomen Ladies and Gentlewomen sauing that one Gentleman Vsher thrée Gentlewomen and two Groomes of her chāber were appointed in their roomes three other men of the Quéenes and thrée wayting women to geue attendance that none should haue accesse to her Grace At which time there were an hundred of Northerne Souldiers An hundred northren souldiers watch the L. Elizabeth al in white coates wayting about the gardens all that night and likewise two Lordes watching there also with their bands and companie Vpon Saterday folowing two Lords of the Counsel the one was the Earle of Sussex came and certified her grace that forthwith she must goe vnto the Tower The barge being prepared for her and the tide now redie in heauie moode her Grace requested the Lords that she might tary another tide But one of them replied that neither tide nor time was to be delayed And when her Grace requested that she might write to the Quéene he made answere he durst not permitte that But the other Lorde the Earle of Sussex knéeling downe tolde her Grace that shee shoulde haue libertie to write and as he was a true man he woulde deliuer it to the Quéenes Maiestie and bring her Grace an answere thereof againe whatsoeuer came thereof Whereupon being not permitted to speake with the Quéene she wrote vnto her Maiestie On Palmesunday about nine of the clocke those two Lordes returned again declaring that it was time for her grace to depart So shée tooke her Barge with the two Lordes thrée of the Quéenes Gentlewomen and thrée of her owne her Gentleman Vsher and two of her Groomes lying and hoouering a certaine space vpon the water because it was yet dangerous for them to shoote the Bridge At the length comming to the staires when she lāded and comming out of the barge hauing one foote vpon the staiers Here landeth said she as true a subiect being prisoner The Lady Elizabeth had none other friends but God as euer landed at these stayers and before thée O God I speake it hauing none other fréends but thée alone After shée came to the Tower was imprysoned the doores were bolted and forted vppon her Lady Elizabeth prisoned in the Tower At which time shée called to her Gentlewoman for her booke desiring God not to suffer her to buylde her foundation vppon the sandes but vppon the rocke whereby all blastes of blustering weather should haue no power against her Within fiue daies after commeth Stephen Gardiner the ruler of the rost with diuerse other of the Counsaile and examined her of the talke that was at Ashridge betwixt her and Sir Iames a Croft concerning her remouing thence to Dunnington castle To whom she said she remembred that M. Hobby and her Officers and Sir Iames a Croft had such wordes but what is that to the purpose my Lord said shee but that I may goe to mine owne houses at all times That day or there about diuers of her owne Officers brought prouision for her meate offering and making request to the Lord Chamberlaine Constable of the Tower they might serue the same Whose request he with great indignation and threatnings refused saying for that shée is a prisoner she should be serued with none other but the Liefetenants men Vpon this occasion her graces officers made sute vnto the Counsaile that some might be appointed to bring her diet vnto her which was graunted and thereupon were appointed one of her Gentlemen the Clark of her kitchen and her two purueyors to bring in her prouision once in a day And vpon the same sute of her Officers were appointed to waite vpon her Grace two Yeomen of her Chamber one of her Robes two of her Pantrie and Ewrie one of her Butterie and another of her Sellar and likewise two of her kitchen and one of her larder all which continued with her the time of her trouble After this sort hauing lien a whole moneth there in close prison and beyng very euill at ease she desired of the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord Shandoys that she might haue libertie to walke in some other place because she felt not her selfe well at ease This request could not be granted till the next day the Lord Shandoys had obtained of the Counsaile that she might walke into the Quéenes lodgings so that he and the Lord Chamberlaine and thrée of the Quéenes gentlewomen did accompany her the windowes being shut and she not suffered to looke out at any of them Afterward there was libertie graunted her to walke in a little garden the doores and gates shutte At which times of her walking there the Prisoners on that side were straightly commaunded not to speake or looke out into the garden till her Grace were gone away hauing to that purpose their kéepers to waite vppon them for that time The L. Chamberlaine harde to the Ladie Elizabeth During this time there vsed a little boy a mans child of the tower to
staires in the Cardinals chamber at Gréenewich after hée had receiued the Cardinals blessing One Grundwood of Hitcham who was procured by William Fenning to witnes salsly against a godly man one Cooper of Watsame that he should wish if God would not that the Diuell would take away Quéene Mary as hée was in his labour staking vp a gulphe of corne suddainly his bowels fell out and so he died The Parson of Crondall in Kent hauing receiued the Popes blessing from Cardinall Poole shrunke downe in the pulpet and was found dead D. Geffery Chancellor of Salisbury hauing appoynted the day before his death to call 90. persons before him to examination was preuented by Gods hand and so died Master Woodroof who was cruell against M. Rogers was stricken the one halfe of his body that he lay benummed and so continued seuen or eight yéeres till he died and scarse escaped any of them but the hand of God strangely was vpon them all before their death Popish prelates die thicke together about the death of Queene Mary that had defiled themselues with the blood of Gods children Especially it is to be noted how many of the popish prelates died not long before Quéene Mary or not longer after Before her died Coates B. of Winchester Parfew B. of Harford Glinne B. of Bangor Brookes B. of Glocester King B. of Thame Peto elect of Salsbury Day B. of Chichester Holyman B. of Bristow After her Cardinall Poole the next day of some Italian Phisicke as some did suspect then I. Christophorsen B. of Chichester White B. of Winchester Hopton B. of Norwich Morgan B. of S. Dauids Rafe Bayne B. of Liechfield and Couentrie Owine Oglethorpe B. of Carlill Cutbert Tonstall who was no bloudy persecutor B. of Durham Thomas Raynolds elect of Hereford after his depriuation died in pryson Doctor Weston Deane of Westminster after Deane of Windsore chiefe disputer against Cranmer Ridley and Latimer Maister Slythurst maister of trinitie Colledge in Oxford who died in the Tower Seth Holland Deane of Worcester and Warden of Alsoule colledge in Oxforde William Copinger monke of Westminster fell mad and died in the Tower Doct. Steward Deane of Winchester Such of the Popish Cleargie as escaped death and were committed to prison were these In the Tower Nicholas Heath Archb. of Yorke and Lord Chancellor Th. Thurleby B. of Ely Th. Watson B. of Lincolne Gilbert Bourne B. of Bath Welles Rich. Pates B. of Worcester Troublefield B. of Exceter Iohn Fecknam Abbot of Westminster Iohn Baxall Deane of Windsor Peterborow Godwel B. of S. Asse and Maurice elect of Bangor ran away In the Marshalsea Edmond Boner Tho. Wood B. elect In the Fléete Cuthbert Scot Bishop of Chester whence he escaped to Louain and there died Henrie Cole Deane of Paules Iohn Harpesfield Archdeacon of London and Deane of Norwich Nicholas Harpesfield Archd. of Canterbury Anthonie Dracot Archd. of Huntington William Chadsey Archdeacon of Middlesex Anno 1572. Iohn Whiteman Iohn Whiteman a notable martyr Shoemaker of Rye in Sussex a married man of 23. yéeres It being seruice time at Ostend in Flanders went to the Church and at the time of the heaue offering stept to the sacrificer and tooke from ouer his head his Idoll saying these wordes in the Duitch tongue Is this your God And so breaking it cast it down vnder his féete and trode thereon Forthwith he was taken and on Tuesday after had sentence giuen against him first to haue his hand cut off and his body scorched to death and after to be hanged vp Which sentence he tooke so patiently and the execution thereof with such willingnes that so soon as he was out of the prison to be carried to execution he made such haste and as it were a ranne to the place of execution that he drew the hangman after him There was prepared for his execution a post with spars from the top therof aslope down to the ground in maner of a tent to the end that he should be scorched to death and not burned When he was come to the place the hangman commanded him to lay down his right hand vpon a block which he immediatly with an hatchet smote of the goodman stil cōtinuing patient constant Then the hangman stept behind him bids him put out his tongue which he forthwith did as far as he could out of his head through the which he thrust a long instrument like a packnéedle and so let it sticke So being stript into his shirt he was put into the tent made fast with two chaines and fire put round about him which broiled him scorched him al black and when he was dead he was carried to be hanged vpon a Gibbet besides the towne Anno 1558. the last day of March was appointed a day of conference betwixt 9. priests and 9. protestants concerning matters of religion A conference for matters of religion The names of the Papistes were these Winchester Lichfield Chester Carlile Lincoln Cole Harpesfield Longdale Chadsey The names of the Protestants Story B. of Chichester Cox Whitehead Grindall Horne Sands Best Elmer Iewell Three propositions to dispute of The matter they should dispute of was comprehended in these propositions 1 It is against the word of God the custome of the ancient Church to vse a tongue vnknown to the people in common praier administratiō of the sacramēts 2 Euery Church hath authority to appoint take away and change ceremonies and Ecclesiastical rites so the same be to edification 3 It cannot be proued by the word of God that there is in the masse offered vp a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead It was decréed according to the desire of the papists that it should be in writing on both partes for auoiding of much altercation of words and each of them should deliuer their writings to other to consider what were improued therein and to declare the same againe in writing some other conuenient day This was agréed on of both parts The Lords also of the parlement made means to her maiesty that the parties of this conference might reade their assertions in the English tongue and that in the presence of the nobility and others of the parlement house for the better satisfaction and the better enabling of their owne iudgements to treate and conclude of such lawes as might depend therevpon This was thought very reasonable and agréed vpon the day being appointed the last of March the place Westminster church Notwithstanding this former order appointed cōsented vnto on both parts The assēbly being now made the B. of Winchester his collegues alleadging that they had mistaken that their assertions and reasons should be writtē so only recited out of a booke said that their booke was not then ready written but they were ready to argue dispute The Papists flee from the agreement and therefore they would for that time repeate in spéech that which they had
of those bookes and condemned them Within foure moneths after this proclamation comming out in August the king deceassed in the beginning of Ianuarie in the 38. yéere of his reigne Anno 1547. 1547 The king dieth leauing behinde him king Edwarde Queene Marie and Quéene Elizabeth Persecution in Scotland Not onely in England but also in Scotland there was great persecution for the trueth And anno 1540. was Sir Iohn Brothwicke knight called captaine Brothwicke cited for heresie not appearing but escaping out of their hands was condemned for the same though hée were absent by the sentence of Dauid Beaton Archbishop of S. Andrewes and other prelates of Scotland Ten articles against Sir Iohn Brothwicke They obiected against him x. Articles 1. That the Pope hath no more authoritie then another Bishop 2. That the Popes indulgences and pardons are of no force 3. That the Pope is an open vser of Symonie sellyng the giftes of spiritualtie 4. That he perswaded many to imbrace heresies in England 5. That hee saide that the Cleargy of Scotland was blinde 6. Hée condemned the counsell of Constance 7. Hée perswaded the king to appropriate vnto himselfe the goodes of the Church 8. Hée desired that the Churche of Scotland were in the same estate that the Churche of England 9. That the canons were of no force 10. He perswaded against the religion of Scotland c. To all which articles he made a learned and large answere the Papistes condemned him being absent and openly burned his picture in token of his condemnation without all hope of pardon Not long after the burning of Dauid Stratton and maister Gurley in the dayes of Dauid Beaton B. and Cardinal of Saint Andrewes and George Treighton Bishoppe of Dunkelden a Chanon of Saint Colines and Vicar of Dolone called Deane Thomas Ferret Tho. Ferret was condemned to death without any place of recantation for preaching euery Sundaye to his Parishioners and with him two blacke Friers one called Iohn Relowe the other called Beuerage a priest of Striueling called Duncan Simons and one Gentleman called Robert Foster in Striueling with other thrée or foure of the same Towne of Striueling because they were chiefe Heretickes and especiallye bycause many of them were at the Bridall and mariage of a priest who was vicar of Twilodie beside Striueling and did eate flesh in the Lent at the same brydall And so they were altogether burnt vpon the Castle hill of Edenburgh where constantly they endured to the end one comforting another Anno 1543. Robert Lamb William Anderson Iames Hunter Iames Raueleson Iames Founteson and Helen Stirke his wife were put to death for the testimonie of the truth against the romish church William Anderson Robert with Iames Raueleson were accused for hanging vp the Image of S. Frauncis in a corde S. Francis homely vsed nayling of rammes hornes to his head and a Cowes rumpe to his taile and for eating of a goose on alhallow eue Iames Hunter because he vsed the suspect company of the rest the woman for that in her childebed shée was not accustomed to call on the Virgin Marie and that shée saide no merite of the Virgin but Gods frée mercie procured her the honour to be made the mother of Christ Iames Raueleson for building an house and setting vppon the rounde of his fourth staire the thrée crowned diademe of Peter with the Cardinalles booke as done in mockage of his Cardinals hat These persons on the morow after Saint Paules day were condemned vpon the Act against conferring and reasoning of the Scriptures The woman aforesaid Helen Stirke Helen Stirke a notable martir desired to die with her husbād and greatly encouraged him parting with him at the stake with a kisse saide this was the ioyfullest day that euer she had and said she would not bid him good night for said she we shall sodeinly méet with ioy in the kingdom of heauen and so she was taken away drowned although she had a childe sucking on her Dauid Beaton Bishop and Cardinal of S. Andrewes was the chiefe doer in this persecution In this yeare 1543. Iohn Chartnons being Prouost of S. Iohnston alias Pereth was deposed for fauouring of the trueth Anno 1546. The first of March master George Wiseheart 1533. George Wiseheart suffered martirdome for the faith of Iesus Christ at Saint Andrewes in Scotland anno 1543. He was a Student in Cambridge in Bennet Colledge where he was a speciall patterne of godlines and learning Afterwarde in Scotland he was apprehended and charged to haue preached notwithstanding he were forbidden and to haue spokē against the masse and the fiue odde Sacraments against auricular confession against the sacrament of the altar against vnction holiwater against the power of the Pope frée will distinction of meates against prayer to Saintes purgatory against vowes and the vse of popish superstitions to which as they would for furie geue him leaue George Wisehart The meeke death of George Wiseheart made a sufficient and Christian answere When he came to the place of execution and the Executioner prayed him of pardon he said come hether and kissed him and saide lo here a token that I forgeue thée My heart do thine office and so méekely he ended and constantly gaue testimony to the trueth of Iesus the people piteously mourning for his death It was not long after but the Cardinall was slaine by the handes of one Lech and other Gentlemen who sodeinly brake in vpon him and slewe him Gods iudgement after which he lay seuen moneths vnburied at the least and at last like carrion was buried in a dunghill After Beaton succéeded Iohn Hambleton Archbishop of saint Andrewes 1549. who the next yere folowing burned Adam Wallace for the matter of the Sacrament He was burned on the Castle hil of Edenburgh Before his execution they had taken frō him all his bookes which might serue for his comfort but that he had learned by heart all Dauids Psalter Adam Wallace had learned all Dauids psalter by heart and supplyed comfort that way When the fire was prepared he himself asked one of the Officers that stoode by if the fire were making redy who told him it was He answered as it pleaseth God I am ready soone or late as it pleaseth him so brought to the stake he ended with constancie and patience and gaue testimonie to the trueth first exhorting the people not to be offended at his suffering for the trueths sake Anno 1551. After that Richard Marshall doctor of Diuinitie and prior of the black Friers at Newcastle in England had declared in his preachings at Saint Andrewes in Scotland that the Lords prayer commonly called the Pater noster should be said onely to God and not to Saints neither to any other creature The Doctors of diuinitie of S. Andrewes together with the black Friers who had long ago taught the people to say the Pater noster to Saints had great