receiued but that alone which god hath commaunded That there is but one onely mediatour therefore they not ought to call vpon saincts That there is no purgatorie but that all men that are iustified thorough Christ goe vnto eternall life That there is no thirde nor fourth place They receiue and allowe two sacraments only Baptisme and the Lords supper They say that all masses and especially those inuented for trespasses bee damnable and that they ought to be abolished That all humaine traditions must bee reiected and not be accounted any thing necessarie to saluation That singings and rehearsing of offices fastings tyed vnto a certein day superfluitie of feasts difference of meates so many degrées and orders of priestes Monckes and Nonnes so many blessings and consecrating of creatures vowes pilgrimages and all the confusion and great heape of ceremonies inuented heretofore ought to be abolyshed They deny the prymacie of the Pope and especially the power that they vsurpe ouer cyuill pollycies And they allowe none other degrées saue of bishops ministers and Deacons That the sea of Rome is the verie Babilon and that the Pope is at this present the fountaine of all euils That the marriage of ministers is good and necessarie in the Church That those that heare the word of God and vnderstande it aright be the true Church vnto whom Iesus Christ hath giuen the Keyes for to let in the shéepe and to driue away the Wolues Lo here is briefely the doctrine of the Waldenses the which the enemies of the puritie of the holy scriptures haue impugned against for the which by their owne testimonie they haue béene persecuted Mathias Illiricus in the Catalogue that he collected of the witnesses of the trueth speaketh of the consultations of certeine aduocats of Auignon Also of the thrée Archbishops of Narbonna of Arles and of Aix and likwise of the Bishop of Albanie about the rooting out of the Waldenses written thrée yeares past by which it appeareth that at that time and before were a great nomber of the faithfull dispersed here and there throughout all Fraunce It may also be gathered by the consultations of the saide thrée Archbishoppes that as the number was great the persecution also was very cruel for in the ende of them it is founde thus written Who is so young in Fraunce that hee knoweth not the condemnation of the heretikes called Waldenses executed of long time so iustly A thing so famous and so manifest which at so great costes and charges of the Catholikes was sealed with so many condemnations and the deathes of those wicked infidels can it bee called in doubt It appeareth then what bouchery was vsed at that time with the faithfull what crueltie the supposts of antichrist exercised then against the good which were willing to mainteine the puritie of the holy true seruice of God like as by his holy word he teacheth vs that he woulde be adored serued and honoured I will also recite some thing of that which is written of Albigeois or Albois a people that had receiued a beginning of the light of the trueth and stoode in contention against the Idolatrie of transubstantiation which thing first caused them to retyre from the Romish Church They inhabited the countrie about Tholouse Albi. S. Dominick author of that newe secte that call themselues preachers came out of Spaine and persecuted them greatly both in worde and déede Pope Innocent the thirde sent also in that time vnto them a legate Nicholas bishop of Thusculane who comming thither with foure horses two mules returned in short space with fiftie and with great pillage which hee brought thence hauing exercised great crueltie and tyrannie against these poore people whom also hee charged with horrible crymes thereby to make them odious to all the worlde The said Pope caused to be published a croisard against them and gaue ful indulgence and remission of sinnes vnto those that woulde make warre against them Simon Earle of Mountforde went against them and destroyed a great multitude of them neare Tholous a hundreth and fortie were burned in the diocese of Narbonna and 4. hundreds in the diocese of Tholous at sundrie times In this discomfiture of the Albigeois Peter king of Tarracon who had fauoured them was slayne in combat Simon de Mountford pursued his victorie Looke Mathew Paris the English historigrapher who was in that time 127 In the yeare 1240. was Peter de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederyke the seconde of that name who wrote at that time many letters in the name of the Emperour of which some be in print till this present wherein hee complayneth that all the worlde cannot content the insatiable couetousnesse of the Pope That the beastlynes of the Cleargie is so filthie that it is a shame to bée named Hée openly mainteyned that the Pope hath neither by deuine nor humaine right any power of the sworde Guillame le Orfeure also in his time shewed that the Pope was Antichrist Rome Babylon the prelates members of Antichrist Cesarius in the 10. Distinct of his dialogues Then the fruite of the doctrine that the Waldenses at that time spread abroade appeared in manie who did set themselues against the fraudes and abhominations in the sée of Rome Robert Grosted sometime bishop of Lincolne 1253. a man famously learned as that time serued in thrée tongues both Latin Gréeke and Hebrew also in al other liberall sciences whose works to this day are extant this Godly and reuerent Byshop after dyuers conflicts and agonies sustayned against the bishoppe of Rome after the Example of Guliel de sainct Amour of Nico. Gallus and other afore mentioned at length after great labours and trauels of life finished his course and departed at Buckdoue in the moneth of October 1253. Math. Pariensiens Of this Robert Grosted writeth Cestrensis in the seuenth booke of his historie that partly for that it gréeued him to sée the intollerable exactions of the Pope in the Realme of Englande partly because he refused to admitte a certaine young Nephew of the Pope to be canon of his Church Hee therefore writing to the Pope and signifying that he coulde not admit any such persons into his Church which neither knewe themselues nor the tongue of the people nor the charges committed vnto them was called vp to Rome there excommunicated who then appealing from the Pope shortly after departed in the yeare aboue written It chaunced within two yeares after his decease that Pope Innocent being a sléepe a certein Bishop apparelled Bishoplike appeared vnto him and striking him with his staffe on the left side said Surge miser veni in iudicium that is rise wretch and come to thy iudgement The next day after the Pope was founde amased and greatly troubled 128 In the yere 1260. flourished Guil. de sainct Amour a doctour of Paris a Chanon of Bauuais In his sermons as he himselfe doth witnesse hee especially reprehended the Hipocrisie of Prelates saying that
ioy and felicitie and he saide that this his comming should be signified by his Heralt and forerunner who should come in the vertue and spirit of Elias This nowe is the thirde order of the Doctours of the Church of the faithfull that is to say of the Prophetes whose gouernement endured about 600. yeares The gouernours and high priestes be in the fourth rable and order of the doctours of the Church of God after the returne from the captiuitie of Babylon euen vntill Iesus Christe the sonne of God which is the true king and euerlasting high priest of the people of God 38 Mardocheus who yelded him selfe captiue vnto Babylon with the king Iechonias he was exalted vnto dignitie in the 12. yeare of king Assuerus which was in the yeare after the creation of the world 3453. as Philo reciteth Mardocheus liued 197. yeares 39 Iosue or Iesus who returned againe into Iewrie with the conductor Zorobabel 536. yeares before the Natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe he gouerned in the roome of an high priest 36. yeares Philo thinketh that it is he that compiled the booke of Iudith 40 Ioachim succéeded his grandfather and gouerned by the space of 48. yeres Some there be that say it was but 28. yeares This man is reported to haue written the historie of Hester Esdras gouerned with these men before named who was sent backe againe with the people to Ierusalem for to build vp againe the Temple and citie and that was in the seuenth yere of Artaxerxes which is in the yeare since the creation of the world 3505. Moreouer Nehemias gouerned with them who in like sort was sent backe againe to Ierusalem in the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes for to reedifie and build vp the Temple and citie It is thought that he liued more then 120. yeares as appeareth by his historie for he liued vntill the time of great Alexander and in the 12. Chapter he speaketh of Iaddo the high priest who receiued Alexander into Ierusalē Furthermore in his time the high priestes began greatly to abuse their office and authoritie making them selues great and mightie men and for this cause they were sharply reproued by Nehemias And after this folowed a great and horrible confusion and tyrannie in the dignitie of priesthood for as much as they applyed them selues rather to heap vp riches and to get honours then to serue in the Temple and to worship God and they sought the alliance of such kings as dwelt neare about them We must therefore let passe such monsters and only make mention of the faithful by whome the true doctrine of God hath bene garded and set foorth 41 Now in that time amongest others that administred best in their charge were Simon and Eleazar two brethren the sonnes of Onias In the time of this Eleazar moe then a hundreth thousand Iewes which were captiues in Egypt were set at libertie by Ptolomeus Philadelphus for euery head of whome he payed at his owne cost 12. crownes This king Ptolome caused thrée score and tenne men to come out of Iewrie into Egypt the which translated the bookes of the old Testament into the Gréeke tongue whose translation is vnto this day called The translation of the seuentie interpreters And after that he had rewarded them with greate presentes he sent them home againe to their owne houses It is reported that this translation was finished and made perfect in the 17. yeare of Ptolomeus Philadelphus which was in the yeare since the foundation of the world 3694. 42 Simon the iust gouerned 28. yeares Iesus the sonne of Syrach praised and estéemed him greatly who did write his booke in the time of this Simon which is called Ecclesiasticus about the yeare after the creation of the world 3735. The religion and holinesse of this Simon the sonne of Onias the great is praised in the second booke of Machabées Chap. 3. This man was slaine in pursuing his brother Menelaus which was called Onias the younger who seifed vpon the office of the high priest by force hauing displaced his other brother 43 At this time Mattathias was high priest in the stead of Ioarib who was of Ierusalem the father of the Machabées in which time Antiochus Epiphanes exercised terrible cruelties against the Iewes as these things are largely described in the bookes of the Machabées Then beganne this furious beast Antiochus to reigne in the yeare of the Gréekes reigne 137. which was in the yeare after the creation of the worlde 3769. Through the holinesse and vertue of this Mattathias the crueltie of Antiochus Epiphanes was repressed and the true doctrine mainteined the true seruices of God ordained in the lawe kept inuiolate These things were done 165. yeares before the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus Christ 44 Iudas Machabeus the first of the Hasmoniens or Simonensiens gouerned the publique affaires 6. yeares His déedes and the déedes of his brethren also be written in the first booke of the Machabées Then for as much as like as Daniel had fore-prophecied that the people should be miserably afflicted about this saide time therefore the Machabées were diuinely raised vp to the intent that by this meane the people might be somwhat refreshed and finde some succour Daniel 11. 45 Ionathas the brother of Iudas Machabeus succéeded him who was gouernour 18. yeares bicause of the wickednesse and negligence of the priestes the dignitie of the priestes office fell into his handes with the gouernement ciuill for Ianneus surnamed Hircanus the second was the last gouernour of the tribe of Dauid Ionathas was called to the dignitie of the priesthoode in the 9. yeare of his gouernement and in the yeare before the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 150. 46 After that Ionathas had bene cruelly slaine with his two sonnes by Triphon his brother Simon the third sonne of Mattathias was elected in his place in the yeare before the Natiuitie of Iesus Christ 140. The actes of which Simon be described in the first booke of Machabées from the 14. chapter vnto the end of the booke he continued gouerning about eight yeares Thus then the pure doctrine and true seruices that God had ordained were mainteined and kept safe among the people vntill the comming of the sonne of God the Lorde Iesus through the vertue and religion of these foure Hasmoniens Matathias and his thrée sonnes so as it may easily be knowne when and of what people the Messias must be looked for 47 Iohn Hircanus the great of whome mention is made in the end of the first booke of Machabées succéeded Simon his brother in the office of priesthood and in the ciuill gouernement In his time came vp the sects of Pharisées Saducées and Esseniens by whome the doctrine was darkened This man did great thinges for he destroyed Samaria with the temple of Garezim in the time of Alexander the great He wan Idumea and many cities of Syria he gouerned 31. yeares After his discease great chaunges and horrible confusions happened many times and
Actes of the Apostles Origine in his thirds tome vpon Genesis saith that Peter preached in Pontus Galatia Asia Bythinia and Cappadocia amongest the Iewes that were dispersed He had a Church in Babylon as he him selfe witnesseth in the fift Chapter of his first Epistle likewise in Phenicia and Syria in Lyre Sidon Selencia Cilicia Pamphilia Pisidia Attalia Lycaonia Also in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinia Mysia and Phrigia Saint Peter hath written vnto these The seuen Churches of Asia be named in the Apocalypse that is to say Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardus Philadelphia and Laodicea Aboue all others the Church of Antioch had the same whereas the disciples were first named Christians Hierome Nicephorus Euthalius the Deacon and others do say that Peter was crucified the 14. yeare of Nero which was the 37. yeare after the conuersion of Saint Paul How then can it be that Linus Bishop of Rome succéeded him in the seat Apostolike as some would mainteine euen vntil this present time séeing that Linus was martyred a yeare before Saint Peter For a simple restorer of the Papacie doth thus write who hath made two great bookes of Councels the which were composed in the citie of Colloine Hereby may be séene howe firme the foundation of the Papacie is If Linus were chiefe Byshop of Rome in the time of Nero it is most certaine that Peter was not 53 Andrewe the brother of Peter preached the Gospell vnto the Scythians and vnto the Sogdiens and Satians as Saint Hierome writeth 54 Iames the iust the brother of our Lord Iesus as S. Hierome writeth gouerned the Church at Hierusalem thrée yeares that is to wit vntill the 7. yeare of Nero and he was cast from the top of the Temple downe by the commandement of the sonne of Annas then high Priest after was stoned and lastly slaine with a fullers beame 55 Iames the sonne of Zebedée brother of Iohn the Guangelist as Saint Hierome writeth preached the Gospell vnto the tribes of the Iewes that were dispersed In this time great persecution arose by Herode Agrippa against the Christians in which Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded Actes 12. Peter was cast in prison but the Angel of the Lord wonderfully deliuered him thence 56 Matthewe who from a Publicane was called by Iesus Christ to the office of an Apostle He first wrote his Gospell in Iewrie in the Hebrue tongue for those that were of the Circumcision and afterward it was translated into Gréeke as appeareth at this present He preached the Gospell in Ethiopia Bartholomewe in India Matthias in the other Ethiopia whereas the riuer Asper doth enter into the port of Hisse Phillip preached in Samaria whereas was a Church gathered together againe after the death of Stephan In Azotus he assēbled a Church thence he went to the cities and townes by the sea coast 57 Thomas as it is found written preached the Gospell to the Parthians Medes Persians and in Germanie to the Hircanians and to the Bactrians and Magians Saint Hierome also writeth that Simon Cananeus surnamed Iudas brother to Iames the iust succéeded his brother Iames in the gouernement of the Church at Ierusalem and that he liued 120. yeares notwithstanding Eusebius according to Egesippus saith that Simon the sonne of Cleophas was substituted in the roome of Iames. He saith that he liued 120 yeares and that he was crucified in the dayes of Traiane the Emperour 58 Iohn the Apostle the sonne of Zebedée gouerned the Church at Ephesus of which thing Ireneus hath also made mention True it is that the Church at Ephesus was founded by Paul but it was edified by Iohn who abode in the gouernement thereof vntill the time of Traian S. Hierome saith that Iohn died 66. yeares after the passion of our Lorde Iesus in the citie of Ephesus and that he was buried there 59 Paul the Apostle being afore time a persecutour and blasphemer was conuerted to Iesus Christe the very same yeare that Iesus Christ ascended into heauen that is to say about the end of the 19. yeare of Tiberius in which yeare also he beganne to preach the Gospell in the citie of Damasco Afterward as he him selfe reciteth in his Epistle to the Galathians he went into Arabia from thence he returned to Damascus Consequently he sowed the Gospell through a great part of the world hauing passed through Iewrie Cilicia Cyprus Pamphilia Lycaonia Phrygia Galatia Mysia Ionia Macedonia Grecia and Achaia After this he was lead prisoner vnto Rome to the Emperour Nero where he was kept two yeares After wards as it is found in writing being let loose he preched the Gospell 10. yeares and lastly by the commandement of Nero he was put to death in the 13. yere of the saide Nero and in the 36. yeare after the resurrection of the sonne of God He preached the Gospell by the space 36. yeares The second of the fift order be the disciples of the Apostles 60 The Apostles then had great store of disciples especially Paul Iohn of whome is many times mention made as well in the Actes as in the Epipistles of S. Paul Amongest the saide disciples the chiefest were these Barnabas who was also called an apostle act 14.14 Epaphroditus was also named an Apostle of the Philippians Phil. 2.25 Andronicus and Iunia be also named notable amongest the Apostles in the 16. to the Romaines Simon that was called Niger Lucius Cyrenensis Manahem Iudas Barsabas and Silas Saint Luke in the Acts 13. 15. calleth them Prophets and Doctours amongest which it is saide that Lucius Cyrenensis preached first the Gospell along by Danau in the reigne of Liberius which they call Ratisbone and that Marke the disciple of Paul preached in the citie of Passeau which standeth ouer Danubius Crescence at Mayence and to the Gaules Clement at Mets Trophim at Arles 61 Luke was a familiar companion with Paul whole Gospell we haue the which Gospell he wrote according as he had receiued it of Paul and the other Apostles and one other booke wrote he which is named the Actes of the Apostles Saint Hierome maketh mention that he liued 84. yeares and that he was buried at Constantinople 62 Marke wrote his Gospell hauing receiued it as it were at the mouth of Peter and he gouerned the Church of Alexandria in Egypt where also be was burned for the Gospell sake in the 8. yeare of Nero and 33. yeares after the resurrection of our Lord Iesus The third of the fift order be the Bishops 63 Nowe we must vnderstand that the name of a Bishop in the auncient Church was attributed vnto one of the ministers in euery assembly onely for to obserue an order and not that he had any domination ouer others Furthermore the office both of the Bishops and also of other Priestes or Ministers was that they should apply them selues wholy to the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacramentes Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus was martyred in
at one onely battaile 58. thousand men as Nicephorus saith Anselme speaketh of 50. thousand and of fifty fortresses that were taken and 985. Villages destroyed both by famine and fire and bloudsheade And all the rest of the Iewes were driuen away from Ierusalem and solde into all partes of the worlde So terrible a destruction as they had by Titus might sufficiently teach them that the kingdome was taken away from them like as the Prophets had foretolde them but it came so to passe that they felt almost as great a punishment at the seconde time as they had at the first Then many Christians of the Gentyles gathering themselues together elected as before I was telling Marke for their Bishop who was the 16. Cassianus the 17. Publius the 18. Maximius the 19. Gayan the 21. Symmache the 22. Caius the 23. Iulian secundus the 24. Capito the 25. This is recorded of Eusebius lib. 5. Chap. 12. For asmuch as the Church of the Gentyles had then their habitation there the Lorde woulde declare that the true Messias was alreadie come and that they ought to looke for none other 72 In the time of Marcus Aurelius Antonius about the yeare 160. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Melito borne in Asia was Bishop of Sardis he wrote to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Christian faith Theophilus bishoppe of Antioche wrote against Marcion Apollinaire Denis bishop of Corinth Iustus bishop of Vienna wer Martyrs for the faith There were also Philip bishoppe of Créete or Candie Egesippus Iustin the Philosopher Modestus Musan and certaine others of whose bookes we haue but fewe Eusebius doth partely and Hierome partely rehearse the bookes written by them 73 Eleutherius borne at Nicopolis in Gréece gouerned the Church of Rome 15. yeare and more in the time of Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour in the yeare of Christ 179. he gaue commaundement against the Seueriens herisie that then raigned Also that no Christian for any ceremong should forsake any kinde of meates accustomed to bee eaten 1. volume of councells 74 Ireneus the scholar of Polycarpus was ordeyned byshop of Lions after that Photin bishop of the said Church had suffered Martyrdome when he was 90. yeares old and with him a greate many moe Frenchmen Hee was in the time of Prince Commodus about 170. or a 180. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus It is saide that hée was put to death in the citie of Smyrna vnder the raigne of Maximine Hée lyued aboue fourescore yeares There was great persecution in the Church about that time and it lasted very long For the Paganes were offended because that the Christians reproued and sought to abolysh their olde accustomed manners of worshipping and the Religion of their auncestours And for this cause a great multitude of Christians were put to death all abroade in dyuers countryes and regions especially aboue all others the Doctours Bishops and Pastours of the Churches Nowe during these venemous rages and horible crueltie of the Deuil God preserued some faithfull Doctours and prolonged the liues of some others to the ende that by them the pure doctrine might be conserued and publyshed abroad amongst whiche were Polycarpus Ireneus and others 75 About this time or shortly after lyued Theodotion bishoppe of Ephesus of Alexandria Pautene Miltiades Appollonius Serapion and Policrates of whose liues Eusebius and S. Hierome make larger demonstration and of their bookes also All the which sustayned sundrie combattes against many heretykes to wit Marcion Montanus Valentinian and the Hermogenians and diuers others 76 Victor bishop of Rome gouerned the church 10. yeares in the time of Didius Iulianus Milancius Emperours Hée ordeyned that those which woulde not reconcile themselues shoulde be depriued of the table of the Lorde 77 About 200. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus in the raigne of Seuerus Pertinax Antonius Carcalla Emperours was Tertullian of Affrica of the citie of Carthage His bookes be nowe extant in which Cyprian tooke so great pleasure as saint Hierome wryteth that he woulde not passe ouer one day without reading some of his workes It is written of him that he lyued vntill the last age 78 Leonides the father of Origene was martyred for the faith he had his head cut off in the persecutions stirred vp against the Christians by the Emperour Seuerus in the tenth yeare of his Empyre Origene his sonne being then young of 17. yeares of age saide my father take héede that in no wise you change and swarue from the trueth you haue begon This Origene after that the goods of his Father were confiscate for the faith kept and mainteined his mother and brethren with teaching schole and being but eightéene yeares olde he was called by the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypte to the office of a Catechiser for to instructe children and straungers Out of his schoole came many Martyrs If any woulde sée what was his life his manners exercises writinges and bookes let him haue recourse to Eusebius in the ecclesiasticall historie in the sixt booke He lyued vntill the time of Gallus that is vntill the 70. yeare of his age Amonius the philosopher was his maister who perseuered in the Christian faith vntill he died Origene was 255. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Suidas saith that he was buried in the citie of Cyr. In that time was also Tryphon Minutius Felix that was a Romain Berillus Hippolitus Alexander bishop of Cappadocia Iulius Affricanus Gregorie bishop of Pontus in Nercesarea Dionise bishop of the citie of Alexandria all which for the most part had béene the scholers of Origene 79 Vrbane a Romaine Bishop of Rome gouerned the Church 8. or 9. yeares in the time of the Emperour Heliogabalus Damasus saith that he was of a holy life so as he drewe certeine Gentlemen as Tyburtius and Valerian the husbande of S. Cecil to the Christian faith Moreouer Damasus saith that he ordeined that the Churches shoulde possesse landes farmes and other possessions and that the saide goods should be common and distributed for the sustenance of the mynisters the poore and the notaries called the protonotaryes who wrote the actes of the martyrs 80 Cyprian of the country of Affrica bishop of Carthage suffered martyrdom vnder the empyre of Valerian and Galerien in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 260. Nowe in that time that is to say in the reigne of Dionisius the Emperour arose great persecution and thereof Nicephorus saith in his fifth booke and twenty Chapter that it is as easie to number the multitude of those that suffered in this persecution as it is to number the sande of the sea Alexander bishop of Ierusalem honourable because of his pietie and age was brought before the seat iudiciall in Cesarea and after that he had made confession of his faith he died in prison Babyle byshop of Nicomedie Asclepiades of Antioche Germane Theophilus Cesarius Vital Polichronius bishop of Babylon Serapion Apolline the
did contemne at these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and essentiall as being straunge and not vsed in the holy scriptures The fathers shewed that they of necessitie were constrayned to vse these wordes for to signifie that the sonne was begotten of the substance of the father according to the whiche the sonne was consubstantiall with the father that is of the same essence and substance Moreouer they woulde then haue forbidden the ministers and Deacons for to dwell with their wiues But Paphnutius whom Constantine had in such reuerence that he woulde cause him oftentimes to come into his pallaice and imbrace him yea he would euen kisse the place whence he had his eye plucked out he rysing vp pronounced mariage to be honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled and he said that the company of a man with his wife is chastitie he perswaded the councell that they shoulde set forth no such lawes which shoulde giue occasion of fornication both to the men and to their wiues The councell liked his opinion and they ordeyned nothing concerning this but left vnto euery one lybertie to choose whither hee woulde marry or not according as he shoulde feele to be expedient for him or holsome whereby it was lawfull as before for the ministers to kéepe still their wiues and to marry But afterwards Syricius and Gregory the seuenth forbad such mariages whiche thing neuerthelesse the ministers of the East receiued not 87 During the Empyre of Constantius the sonne of Constantine the great in the yere 350. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ there were also these greate personages Doctors in the Church Theodorus Bishop of Heraclia in Thrace Eusebius Bishop of Emesus Hillarie Bishop of Poitiers of Aquitaine in Fraunce who made a booke of the Trinytie against the Arrians many other bookes which are verie profitable 88 Liberius a Romaine borne was elected byshop in the yeare of Christ as S. Hierome writeth 352. and about the twelfe yeare of the Emperour Constance His confession was agréeable to the Catholike faith and hee wrote very Christianlike vnto Athanasius concerning God the father Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost as it may appeare by his Epistle which is ioyned with the workēs of Athanasius Athanase doth recorde in his Epistle made of them that leade a solitarie life that in the time of Constance the Emperour he sent to Rome one named Eusebius an Eunuke with letters by whiche he threatened him exile and on the other part offered him great giftes to allure him by that meanes to consent with Arrius and to subscribe vnto the condemnation of Athanasius but Liverius despysed both the threatnings and rewards as a sacrifice of blasphemie Whereupon the Emperour caused him to be brought out of Rome and comming towards him he menaced to put him to death But Liverius stoutly aunswered him I am readie to abide any thing rather then of Christians we should be called Arrians What art thou then saide the Emperour which with one naughtie fellowe troublest all the worlde Liberius saide vnto him The worde of faith dependeth not vpon a multitude Hée was then sent away againe by the Emperour Constance into Berchee which is a Citie of Thrace whereas when hee had béene two yeares hee was called for againe as witnesseth Theodoretus His restitution as some say was agréed vnto by the Emperour at the request of many of the citie of Rome and of the Bishops of the Weast The saide Athanasius saith in his Epistle aforenamed that Liberius after the two yeares of exile being brought in feare by threatnings feare of death yelded and subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius 89 Basile bishop of Cesarea was also in the time of Valentinian and Valens Emperours whilest Valentinian liued the East Church was in rest agréeing to the decrées of the Synode of Nice but Valens made bulwarkes for to aduaunce Arrianisme withall against those that were called Homousiastes that is the true Catholickes and he styrred vp great persecutions especially in Antioch and in Laodicea His brother Valentinian reproued him therefore admonished him by letters as Zonoras wryteth but he was the more angrie therefore and minded to driue out of the country Basile bishoppe of Cesarea because that he woulde not at his commaundement communicats with Eudorius bishop of Constantinople an Arrian but the Lorde sent a sicknesse to his onely sonne the which he knowing to be the vengance of God conuerted from his wicked purpose and gaue eare certaine dayes vnto the sermons of Basile 90 Damasus borne in Spaine a Bishop of Rome succéeded Liberius in the yeare 363. in the raigne of Valence the Emperour for the wryting of Damasus looke Suidas and Hierome in his Epistle to Custach tome 4. which maketh mention of Damasus Of virginitie he saith reade the books the Damasus composed both in verse and prose He held in reuerence the Synode of Nicée condemned Auxentius Bishop of Millain an Arrian Theodor. lib. 4. Chap. 30. saith that with saint Ambrose hee stroue valiantly against heretykes condemning openly Sabellius Arrius Eunomius the Macedonians Marcellus the heresie of Apollinaris Hierome in the apologie against Iouinian calleth Damasus a singuler man and well learned in the scriptures and doctours of the church Athanase in his Epistle vnto the Byshoppes of Affrica calleth Damasus his most deare companion praysing his diligence for that he had assema Synode at Rome against the Arrians In the same time also was Anthonie who being a hundreth and fiftie yeares olde dyed He sawe in a dreame as it were hogges which trode vnder their féete the altars and waking said that the Church shal be once againe spoyled and dispersed by whoremongers adulterers monstrous men Melanchthon noteth this prophecy to be against the leacherous and voluptuous life of Priests and Monches 91 Vulphilas Bishoppe of Gothes in Sarmatia hist tripar lib. 8. translated the Bible into the Gothes language for the vse of his countrimen the like Hierome did in the Dalmatian tongue for the profite of the people there And in Croatia whiche is the lower Pannonia the Churches then the bishops vsed the holy scriptures translated into their vulgar languages 92 In the raigne of Theodosius and Valentinian Emperours in the yeare 386. Ambrose was Bishop of Milain His election was such that Aurentius an Arrian Bishop being gone from Milain there arose a great sedition betwixt the Arrians the catholickes concerning the election of the Bishop And at that time Ambrose being a Citizen was proconsul who considering this vprore because of his office went hastily vnto the Church whereas the people were assembled and after that hee had vsed many perswasions for to reuoke the people to a concorde there rose vp sodainly a common voyce with one consent that Ambrose must be Baptized who was alreadie cathechised and that after they shoulde consecrate him Bishop wherunto he would not agrée but by the commaundement of the Emperour Valentinian who incyted him thereto hee tooke
the office vppon him and then the Emperour gaue thankes vnto God for that he had called this man from the gouernement of bodies vnto gouerning of soules Such was the election of the Bishoppes by the people Then within a while after Iustine hauing drawen his sonne Valentinian into his errour assayed to haue allured Ambrose also thereto but it was in vaine And albeit that one day a bande of soldiars did beset the temple for to make Ambrose come out he not withstanding was constant and made them a Bishoplike aunswere saying vnto thē that hee woulde not not so easily depart from that place neither that he would leaue the flocke vnto the power of Wolues nor yet the Temple vnto blasphemers That and if they were purposed to kill him they should doe it within the Temple and that hee woulde bee content to dye Looke Theodor. lib. 5. Chap. 3. 93 Vigilantius Bishop of Barcelon in Spaine was in the raigne of Theodosius the Emperour he stoode in defence against the idolatrie and worshipping of the bodies of Martyrs like as S. Hierome writing to Riparius maketh sufficient demonstration and saith that whilest we liue we should pray one for another but after that wee be deade our prayers cannot be hearde Moreouer he saide The commaundement of continencie or to abstaine from mariage is heresie and the séede of whooredome 94 In the yeare 380. was Appollinaire of Laodicia Bishop of Syria who wrote thirtie bookes against the madnesse of Porphirie and as Suidas saith hee translated into Heroick verses the most parte of the Hebrewe writings Some doe hold opinion that he did the like also with the Psalmes 95 In the yeare after the natinitie of our Lord Iesus Christ 390. was sainct Hierome the sonne of one named Eusebius of the citie of Stridon who made many bookes homilyes and commentaries vpon the holy Byble whose translation thereuppon we haue vntill this present time He dyed when he was 91. yeares olde The debate that was then betwixt Hierome and the aforenamed Vigilantius bishop of Barcelon in Spaine sheweth the superstition began long before Of which matter we may sée ynough how Vigilantius and other good Doctours of that time auouched that the adoration of the Saincts was drawne from the superstition of the Paganes In that time were also Seuerien who aboue all other things is praysed vnto the people because of his eloquence and worthie sermons made vnto the people also Theodorus a Moncke Lucian a Priest of Ierusalem Martin bishop of Tours and Seuerus Sulpitius 96 About the yeare 402. after the natiuity of our Lorde Iesus and in the reigne of Arcadus and Honorus Emperours was Chrisostome borne at Antioche the disciple of Libanus the Philosopher he was an Auditor of Andragatius the Philosopher who forsooke the estate of an aduocate and followed Euagrius with his other two companions Theodosius and Maximius who were afterwarde bishops after that they had profited well in the holy scriptures in the Monasteries For in those dayes the Monasteries were common schooles and the Abbots or Priours that were presidents there did teach publyckely the holy scriptures Chrisostome was bolde and free in rebuking sinnes especially in his publicke sermons and for that cause was he hated of the Cleargie He withstoode Gainas who requested of the Emperour that he might obtaine a Temple at Constantinople for his people Looke Hist tripar lib. 10. Chapt. 6 Whoso list to sée the life of Chrisostome Palladius hath composed it 97 S. Augustine was Bishoppe of Hippo and was raysed vp by the power of God for to refute the errours aswell of the Manichees as of the Pelagians who saide that Adam hurt onely but himselfe in sinning nothing his successours Then Sathan by this subtility made them thorow cloaking their disease to be incurable But heretikes being vanquished by manifest testimonies of the holy scripture that sinne was descended from the first man into all his posteritie they cauelled that it was descended by imitation and not by generation Wherefore the holy men of that time and amongst the rest S. Auguistine was forced to shewe howe that we are not corrupted by the wickednes which we drawe from others by example but that we bring our peruersitie euen from our mothers wombe Furthermore whereas they sayed that we are not iustified by the mercy of God thorough Iesus Christ without our owne merites and that by our owne workes and naturall vertues wee doe purchase true and entyre iustice before God It doeth appeare howe Saint Augustine shewed that by faith alone we bee iustified forasmuch as faith doth imbrace him that iustifieth to wit CHRIST our LORD with whome it vniteth and conioyneth vs in such sort that we be made partakers of him and of all the goods that hee hath and that all good workes ought to come thereof that is to say of Iesus dwelling in vs by the frée force and efficacie whereof we begin to will that which is good and to apply our selues thereto Nowe in what price and estimation we shoulde holde the bookes of Saint Augustine the reader may sufficiently discerne He dyed being 76. yeres of age in the time whē the citie of which he was bishop that is to say Hippo was besieged by the Vandales He gouerned the said Church 40 yeares Whoso will sée his life Possidonius hath written it 98 Vnder the Emperour Theodosius the yonger about the yeare 430. after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus there were gouernours in the Church these good men Possidonius of Affrica Bishoppe of Calme Celestine Bishop of Rome who sent Palladius a Grecian and Patricius into Scotland Ireland for to preach the faith He sent also into England Saint Germaine Bishoppe of Auxerre againste the heresie of the Pelagians He ordeined that no shoulde not medle in the parish of an other Also that no Bishop shoulde be elected contrarie to the will of the people but that the consent both of the cleargie and of the people should be required The Church in that time was gretly troubled specially in Affrica the chiefest men of the church were sent to exile martyred by Gensericus king of Vandales Moreouer in that time was holden the councell at Ephesus in the which was Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria chiefe Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople was condempned by two hundred Bishops who forged two persons in Iesus Christ the one of man and the other of God and he coulde not abyde that men should call the Virgin Marie the Mother of God by communication of properties This councell was holden in the tenth yeare of Theodosius the yonger and in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus 437. 99 Sedulius Possidonius Sozenus Socrates and Theodoritus were also in the time aboue named who set downe in writing the Churche matters Cassiodor us also made a briefe collection of their bookes and of the bookes of Theodorite the whiche haue bene chaunged by Epiphanius a schooler and he of these thrée hath made one
historie which is named Tripartite 100 In that time also was Eucherius bishop of Lyons who wrote many bookes and commentaries amongest others vppon Genesis and vpon the bookes of the Kinges which bookes are found extant vntill this present 101 In the yeare 440. or there aboutes after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus in the raigne of Valentinian the Emperour Victor bishop of a citie in Numidia which is in Affrica called in latine Cartena cōposed a booke against the Arrians presented the same vnto Gensericus king of the Vandales Arrian Polichronius Bishop of Ierusalem was at that time driuen away out of his countrie He sold in the time of famine all his substance and gaue the price thereof to the poore Archadius Probus Paschasius were also at that time in great price reputation with the forsaide Gensericus but hee seeing that he could not persuade thē vnto the sect of Arrianisme after that he had cruelly abused them caused them to be at the last martyred with others some bishops he displaced and the bookes of religion and christian faith were burned 102 In the yeare 476 Honoricus Kinge of Vandales stirred vp greate persecutiō in Affrica against the Christians and foure thowsand nine hundred seuentie and sixe were sent to exile without sparing eyther age or sexe afterwarde in diuers times and by sundry kindes of torture they were put to death Some had theire handes cutt off others theire tongues Within a while after vnder the shadowe of councel he caused all the bishops to be assembled the doctours and other catholikes who to the number of thée hundreds twéenty fower as P. Diaconus wrot or as others witnes foure hundreds fortie foure were sent to exile and caused the Catholickes to be shut in the Temples and gaue them to the Arrians One Bishop named Latus was burned that he might giue example vnto others Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage with moe thē fiue hundreds of the Cleargie after grieuous tormentinges were committed to exile but within two yeares after the saide Honoricus died miserably with vermine and Gonthamundus succéeded him This Gonthamundus sent for Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage againe at whose request all the residue were called home againe and then the Churches also were open 103 In the raigne of the Emperous Martian Leo Zeno about the yeare after the natiuitie of Christe 490. were these good personages to wit Proterius bishop of Alexandria Paschasius Peter de Rauenna Gennadius minister of the Church of Marseille all which did confute the errours of Eutiches Also Prosper Saluian Sidonius Germaine Bishop of Capua Vaast Bishoppe of Arras Fulgence Bishop of Raspe in Affrica Autius Bishop of Vienna Solenus who preached Christ and was bishop of Charters Boetius a lerned man who was put to death by the commaundement of the Empepour Theodorike an Arrian Also in the same time was Epiphanius Bishop of Pauie a verie auncient man who brought into cōcorde and good quietnes the people of Liguria he also brought with him frō Burgonie many captiues aswell for money as by his good and holy life by which he obtained the redeeming of sixe thousande captiues Paule the Deacon Nauclerus after him 104 In the time of the Emperour Anastasius in the 494. yeare Gelasius of Affrica gouerned the Church of Rome 5. yeares His father was bishop named Valericus Nauclere Some do attribute vnto him the distinction of the Authentike bookes and of the Apocrypha He made mention of many bookes of Apocripha as the booke called the assumption of the virgin Marie Also the Canons of the apostles c. Look the first volume of Councels He composed fiue bookes against Nestorius and Eutyches Also two against the Arrians and one treatise of excommunication He restored againe Messenus the bishoppe after that he had knowen his penitence He excommunicated the Emperour Anastasius because that he fauoured Acatius other heretikes He commanded the Ministers that they should minister the communion but vnder both kindes not vnder one alone He declared at Rome in the middest of the councell that in the Eucharistie neither the substance of the bread and wine nor yet the nature were changed but that therein as in an image the flesh and bloud of our Lorde was represented and that in the sacrament they both were exhibited vnto the faithful He declared there also that those ought to be excommunicated which did not giue take the sacrament of the Eucharistie whole Looke the fist volume of councels Gennadius was in the time bishop of Marseille 105 In the yere 518 Hornusda borne in Freselande in the citie of Campania gouerned the church of Rome nine yeares He ordeined that mariages should be celebrated publikely and solemnely Suppl Chron. At that time was holden a councell at Rome against the Eutychians in which also it was ordeined that he which had made an honorable amendes should not be admitted to the ecclesiasticall ministerie Suppl Chron. Many Munks corrupted with the Nestoriā heresie because they woulde not be persuaded by the exhortations of Hormisda but rather sowed noisome and slaunderous speaches against him were banyshed out of Rome against whose hypocrisie he wrot He sollicited by letters Messingers Iohn bishop of Constantinople the companion of Acatius and the Emperour himselfe for to leaue the sect of Eutiches but Athanase not only despised his admonitions butsent his Ambassadours backe saying that it belonged to the Emperour for to commaund and not to the bishop of Rome Paule the Deacon addeth of the Emperour besides all that that he made them goe homewarde againe by sea into Italie in a shippe that was light and vnbalassed forbidding them to take lande in Grece but that they shoulde passe straight on being light without any carriage Anastase supporting the errour of Eutyches when he was 80. yeares olde dyed being stricken with lightening in the 25. yeare of his Empire Hormisda is renoumed for hauing done greate almes déedes for the poore and for that he condemned the heresie of the Manichées which had begonne to hudde and for burning their bookes 106 In the time of the Emperour Iustinian about the yeare 530. after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ was Arator who composed the Actes of the Apostles in Hexameter verses and Gregory bishoppe of Langres who was married Fascicul Temp. The councel of Tours was holden at that time At the saide councel in the fift chapter it was ordeyned that euerie citie shoulde nourish the poore straungers as much as it was able so that the poore might not be constrayned to begge from place to place In the thirde chapter that euerie bishop shoulde kéepe his wife like as his sister and that he shoulde gouerne both his house and familie aswell as the Church so as there might be no suspicion of him 107 In the raigne of the Emperour Mauritius in the yeare 591. the Wisigots were conuerted vnto the catholike faith they left the heresie of the Arrians by the meanes
At Constantinople was assembled a councell by the aforenamed Emperour in the fourteneth yeare of his Empyre whereas were 300. and thirtie bishops there was commaundement giuen that all the images of sainctes shoulde be taken away and burned Also the Emperour made his subiects to sweare that they shoulde no more worshippe any image of God nor of sainctes but condemned to the death al those that shoulde call vppon the virgin Marie for helpe and those that should haue in their houses any reliques of sainctes He commaunded the Monkes to marry and the Nonnes to follow the estate of marriage Sig. Afterwards he sent to the Pope the conclusions of this councell commaunding him to cast the images out of Churches Sabin king of Bulgarie caused all the images in his kingdome to be beaten downe after the example of Constantine wherupon he gat fauour with the Emperour Naucl. 112 In the yeare 782. or thereaboutes after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ wās Alcuin otherwise called Albin the disciple of worthie Beda a monke and afterwardes Abbot of S. Martins in Tours maister to Charlemaigne he composed thrée bookes of the trinitie and many other bookes At that time raigned Constātine the sixte of that name the 76. Emperour of Constantinople the son of Leo the fourth who against the will of his mother Hierene caused the images of the temples to be beaten downe about the which not long before she had assēbled a councel at Nice at the request of Pope Adrian and of Therasius Archebishop of Constantinople as Sig. In this councel there were 325. bishops Naucl. And there it was decréed not onely that they should haue images but also that they shoulde of right be worshipped and that all the gainsayers shoulde be excomunicated But this decrée was shortly abolished by Constantine as is afore saide Chron. Euseb Moreouer within a while after that is to say in the yeare 792. was holden a Synode in Spaine in a citie called Elyberis or Granato whereas did assemble ninetene bishops thirtie and sixe priestes or ministers Felix Bishoppe of Aquitaine was there president There it was concluded especially amongst other poynts that that there should not be in Churches any images or payntings 113 During the raigne of Charlemaigne king of Fraunce who was Emperour though that hee had not gotten the imperiall crowne in the yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ 801. was Ansegisus the Abbot who made foure bookes of the decrées of Charlemaigne of Lewis his sonne Amongst all other things and aboue al things hee would that the Bishopps shoulde preache vnto the people the true doctrine gathered out of the holy scriptures and no otherwise alleaging therefore the saying of Gregorie That a minister who is without the sunne of preaching kindleth against himselfe the wrath of the hidden iudge He also ordeined that no person shoulde make profession of Monachisme without lycence of the king for to shunne many deceypts He would that there should be but a fewe feasts ordeyned he repressed the superfluitie of ministers ordeyning that they shoulde be nourished with the reuenewes of the Church with the poore Furthermore in the time of Charlemaigne and in the meane time whilest he passed his Winter at Francfort vpon the Meine a Councell was holden of a great multitude of Bishops in which the decrée of the councell of Nice concerning worshipping of images holden by Hierene as is aforesaide was pronounced false and condemned of all men c. Charlemaigne caused to be published a booke in his name against images the which agréed with the articles of the saide Councell Furthermore hée made aunswere to two bookes which were founde to haue bene written by Adrian the Pope to Therasius the Patriarch and to the Emperour of Constantinople By this writing Charlemaigne taxed and secreatly condemned Adrian without naming of idolatrie There was also one councell holden at Cauaillon vnder Charlemaigne in which amongst other superstitions that were there condemned the going of Pilgrimage for religions sake was sharpely repressed in the 45. Canon alleaging the saying of S. Hierome No man ought to be praysed for that hée hath séene Ierusalem but for that hee hath lyued well c. It is saide of Charlemaigne that he reproued the Archbishoppe of Mayence named Boniface because hée had a crosse all couered with golde beset with pretious stones for occasion so offering hee checked him and saide that it was rather the furniture of an Emperour then of a pastour 114 Haymo Byshop of Albastat scholler of Alcuinus did write vpon all the bookes aswell of the olde as of the newe Testament as is euident yet at this present He dyed in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the sonne of Charlemaigne in the yere of Christ 834. In his time was also Rabanus who was first a Monke of the order of S. Benit and Abbot of Fulden afterward he was archbishop of Mayence who was also a disciple of Alcuinus he also made commentaries vpon all the bookes of the Byble He dyed in the yeare of our Lorde 855. Strabus was his scholler of whom it is founde written that he was the first that collected the ordinary glose of the writings of the fathers and doctours the which glose was afterwarde augmented by many others who added sentences therto 115 Bertrand a Priest a learned man well instructed in the true Godlynesse flourished in the time of the Emperour Lotharie in the yeare 840. He wrote many good workes of which it is saide that they did not come all to our hands He wrote a very commendable worke to King Charles the brother of Lotharie that is one booke of predestination and one other of the bodie bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ The cause why he composed that booke wherein he writeth very learnedly of the supper of the Lorde was by the aduise and commaundement of King Charles le chauue that he might bring the people into one and the true opinion who were then deuided touching the said misterie So that one sort saide that Christ was therein taken and eaten in misterie and was figured vnder the Elements of breade and wine some saide on the contrarie that all that which was séene in the saide misterie was chaunged and conuerted and as many doe say vnto this day transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ Some said that it was figuratiuely or euidētly this was the proper bodie of Christ which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Mary with the which he is ascended into heauen others saide that it was the spirituall bodie that is the misterie representation figure vnderstanding and spirituall apprehension of the proper bodie and bloude of Christ deliuered to the death for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification All which opinions are founde remayning till this present for some holde still transubstantiation others impanatiō others a metaphore but somewhat reall Others there were who acknowledged nothing els but méere breade and wyne all which doubtes be
this vice was most daungerous of all others wherewithal the Church was wholly infected He stoode against the orders of monkes and especially the begging sort accusing and blaming them for because they troubled the Churches he alleaged testimonies out the scriptures which made mention of Antichrist and of his adherents and applying it vnto the time present he proued by thirtie nine tokens that the begging Fryers were false Apostles Hee expounded this place of the holy Gospell If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all that thou hast c. Matt. 19. Chap. vers 11. Whereupon the begging fryers doe founde their order and hee gaue to note that this place is not vnderstoode of actuall pouerty as the sophisters doe argue but in habituall that is to say that Iesus Christ demaundeth of vs not that we should cast away and rid off that we haue but that we shoulde be readie whensoeuer the confession of the name of God and the glorie of Iesus Christ shall require to abandon not onely that which we possesse but our owne soule and not onely as it is declared in S. Luke Chap. 14. vers 26. to forsake father and mother yea to hate both them and our owne liues in respect thereof To conclude Iesus Christ wolde that we should forsake all when the confession of the trueth do require Mathew Paris an english historiographer wryteth that in the same time there was greate contention in the vniuersitie of Paris againste the monkes who by multitudes woulde oppugne and beate downe all that they lusted hauing forged a new booke full of errours and blasphemies the which they had renued and intituled Euangelium Aeternum that is to say the euerlasting Gospell which booke they woulde haue published abroade Then for to appease this tumult there were sixe appoynted out of the schole who were at that time the most famous in al the vniuersity amongst whom was Guil. de sanct Amour for to sende vnto Rome to the Pope and to shewe the insolencie and blasphemy of the monkes The monks sent also on their partes and after great contention their errours touching their eternall Gospell was condemned But the Pope with certaine Cardinals and Monkes did not represse the tyranny of these begging monks writing that it was greatly néedefull that such souldiars shoulde become most mightie all abroade These bee the very wordes of Matthew Paris who was in the same time There is also a booke founde to haue bene written in the same time intituled de periculis mundi that is to say of the daungers of the world which the papists attributed to Guillame de sainct Amour making him onely of this opinion but it appeareth to haue béene written by many and conteineth the complaints against this new vermin of monks with an aduertisement to the Church that great euils will come thereby The saide sainct Amour was condemned for an heretike wherevpon rose great adoe betwéene the scholars of Paris but for fulfilling of the Popes commaundement M. William was banished out of Fraunce Some holde opinion that certaine of his bookes are vntill this present day in the lybrarie of Sorbona and many other Doctours haue written the like To conclude we sée that albeit the trueth is dayly reiected and banished yet notwithstanding it groweth vp euery day more and more in time and place For what though it be reiected and banished neuerthelesse for al the great bulwarks that can be deuised against it they can in no wise hinder but that the trueth will shine yea in the middest of the most profounde and thicke darkenesse in the tempests and outrages of our time Wherevppon wee must acknowledge that it is no humaine worke for that it seemeth feble but that it is of God who in his time will bestowe on vs so singular a grace benefite 129 Laurence an Englishe man a doctour of Paris in the yeare 1275. mainteined the opinion of M. Guillam de saint Amour and wrote agaist the Monks one booke containing an admonition to beware of false prophetes and one other booke by which he defendeth the foresaide saint Amour The booke that these Monkes had set foorth afore of the eternall and spirituall Gospell was burned openly and for to couer their filthines and impudencie they made the people beléeue that a certaine monke who was deade long afore had composed the same Petrus Iohannes was about the yeare of our Lorde 1290. which taught and maintained manie thinges against the Pope prouing that he was Antichrist and that the sinagogue of Rome was great Babylon He wrote vppon Mathew vppon the Epistles and vpon the Apocalyps Mention of this Petrus Iohannes is made in Nicho. Emericus in lib. Inquisitionum c. And because the Pope coulde not burne him aliue afore his death he caused his bones to be taken vp and burned Robertus Gillus who being borne of a right noble parentage for deuotion sake was made a Dominicke frier about the same yeare of our Lorde 1290. This man as appeareth by his visions and the prophetie of Hildegardis his visiōs all tend against the spiritualtie of Rome Where in the fift chapter he calleth plainly the Pope an Idole which hauing eyes seeth not neither lusteth to sée the abhominations of his people nor the excessiue enormitie of their voluptuosnes But onely to sée to heaping vp of his treasure and hauing a mouth speaketh not but saith I haue set good men ouer them whiche is sufficient for me to doe them good either by my selfe or by some other And it followeth in the same Chapter woe be to that Idole woe be to the mightie and proude who shall be equall in earth to that Idole He hath exalted vp his name in earth saying who shall bring me vnder Is not my house compared with mightie potentates of the land I am higher then Emperours kings or princes knightes on their horse backe do seruice vnto me That which my fathers had not before me that haue I done to me c. This godly man did forewarne as in a certaine chronicle is declared how God would punish the simonie and auarice of the cleargie with such plague that riuers shoulde runne with bloud c. It is said that there is remaining a gret volume of his visions which are not yet abroade for those which are extant are but a briefe extract out of his visions and reuelations Dante 's an Italian writer a Florentin liued in the time of Lodouicus the Emperour in the yeare 1300. and tooke parte with Marsilius Patauinus against thrée sortes of men which he said were enemies to the trueth That is the Pope Secondly the order of religious men which count themselues the children of the Church when they are children of the diuell their father Thirdly the doctors of decrées and decretals Certaine of his writinges be extant abroade wherein hee proueth the Pope not to be aboue the Emperor nor to haue any right or iurisdiction in the empire He refused the donation of Constantine to be
rather shut it as the Pharisees did Cōcerning vowes he disputeth that such as be foolishe and impossible ought to be broken That the hearers ought to discerne and iudge of the doctrine of their prelates and not to receiue euery thing that they say without due examination 141 In these latter times many errours haue bene corrected in the Church and the pure doctrine of the true seruice of God hath beene restored again by Martine Luther and by other good and true seruantes of God And concerning Luther who was borne of honest and renoumed parentes in the yere 1483. and he was called Martin because he was baptised on the day which many do call S. Martins day He after that he had spent some time in studie of the ciuill lawe went contrarie to the opinion of his parentes and friendes to a conuent of Augustins In that monasterie he with fastings and praiers applyed himselfe to the studie of holy scripturs And within a while after he was called to reade diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Wittenberge Then while he was in this course He in the yeare 1517. withstoode the bull published by Pope Leo promising absolution from all sinnes and the kingdome of heauen for a certaine summe of monie that they should giue For to handle his purpose the better and with the more edification he wrote to the Archibishop of Mayence giuing him to vnderstande what these questours ment and complayned greatly that the people steedfastly beléeued the after they had bought these pardons they coulde not choose but be saued as though there were no sinne howe great soeuer it were but the vertue of those pardons could blot out and as though the soules formented in the fire of purgatorie shoulde then haue bene out of paine should flie streight away into Paradice as soone as the monie was put into the chest He declared that the commaundement of Christ was to teach the Gospell and that the proper office of Bishoppes is to instruct the people praying the Archbishop that according to his dutie hee woulde vse his authoritie in prohibiting certaine bookes the some had published in defence of the foresaide facte and that those preachers might followe a better kinde of doctrine He sent also with those letters 95. propositions the which he had not long afore published at Wittenberg for to dispute on in which he treated largely of purgatory of true repentance of the office and dutie of charitie and of indulgences and pardons impugning the vnreasonable sermons of the bribers and that they did all for to séeke again the pure veritie The Archbishop aunswered nothing thereto Also he resisted and spake against a Iacobin named Tekel who caused indulgences pardons to be carried and soulde al abroade in that countrie He wrote also to Pope Leo setting before him the follies that the bribers taught and the extortion they vsed in vsing or rather abusing his authoritie Loe here the beginninges in which Luther did not meane nor regarde any chaunge of ceremonies neither did hee then wholly reiecte indulgences but onely requested that they woulde obserue a meane But after that through vnderstanding of the holy scriptures he had further profited by the grace of God euerie day more and more and had perceiued that the doctrine which he had begon to teache was agreing with the holy scriptures he sustained with a valiant courage all the assaultes of the enemies and al the hatred of the worlde abiding as vmnoueable as a brasse wall and caring for no danger He hauing had marueilous assaultes and disputations and hauing writen many bookes and receiued commaundement and safe conduct from the Emperour Charles the fifth he refused not to appeare before his maiestie at Wormes and before al the princes electours all the estates of the Empyre although many woulde haue diswaded him because that his bookes had béen there burned afore hande alleaging also what had happened to Iohn Hus. He aunswered worthely in that excellent assembly yéelding a good reason for the bookes that he had composed he prayed and besought thē that if there were any man that had ought to say against the doctrine whereof he made profession that he would not dissimule it but that he woulde vtter shewe forth his fault by testimonies of the holy scripture that he woulde be no Schismatike but woulde rather be the first that shoulde set his bookes on fire He shewed that the trueth is cause of troubles And that our Lorde Iesus Christ said that it is natural for the Gospel to moue great debates and alterations amongest such as sticke ouer much to parentes and to their kinsefolkes Moreouer he there warned the Emperour and all the princes to thinke grauely and with aduisemente howe they ought to deale and foresee least in condemning the doctrine offered them through a singular benefite of God they shoulde cause a great plague to hapen vnto all Germanie After many aduertisementes and being demanded whither he would mainteine his bookes or not he aunswered by and by that he woulde not reuoke any thing of that whiche hee had either written or taught except he were vanquished by testimonie of the scripture The sentence of the Emperour was against him and so were the assembly of princes saying that his auncestours had obeyed the Church of Rome and so woulde he and yet in the meane while he kepte his promise made vnto Luther so he sent him agayne safe and sounde to the place where he abode Luther was kept secret by certaine of the worthiest princes He was accused that his bookes raised great troubles He was threatened that if he stoode stiffe in his opinions he coulde not soiourne in any place of Germaine but he feared not any of their meaninges nor for all the hurtes and offences that they sayde might by his meanes happen submitting himselfe to endure death rather then to forsake the worde of God so apparant Then he pronounced openly that he had not reproued all the councels as some reported but onely the councell of Constance because that it condēned the worde of God as appeareth in the article of Iohn Hus which was condemned that is that the Church of Iesus Christe is the communion of the predestinate The councell of Constance condemned this article and so by consequence condemned this article of our faith I beléeue the holy vniuersall Church protesting then that hee refused not to spend his life bloud so as he might not be brought to this necessitie for to denie the manifest worde of God for in mainteining thereof he must rather obey God then men Concerning offence he answered that is double to wit of charitie and of faith The offence of charitie consisteth in manners and in life and is vtterly to be shunned That of faith or of doctrine it lieth in the worde of God and it ought not to be feared séeing that the trueth and will of the heauenly father in that he hath commaunded ought not to be dissanulled although the
the same spirite of him whose voyce they vnderstoode who for as much as he would teach them knewe also very wel that all should be said in vaine if they were not inspired with this spirite of knowledge and beléeuing And thus this eternall word the sonne of GOD hath from the beginning taught the first mā Adam Whereby we must marke that God hath continually assisted and doth assist his Church and instructeth it and maintayneth it and gouerneth it as is euidently to be proued and manifest experience declareth that the Church and his doctrine could not haue had power to continue so long time against such horrible assaultes of sathan of tyrants and of wicked men if the Church had not had these guarders and defenders Which alwayes were accounted the Fathers and Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob which Iacob being gouernour of the Church of GOD in his time hath made plaine demonstration of the true Messias so many times afore promised to be his guarder And therefore he saith in the 48. of Genesis in the 16. verse The Angel that hath guarded me from all euill blesse these children Thus we may sée in this place and in many others how he calleth the Messias that is to say the sonne of God Angel calling him his guarder or kéeper attributing vnto him the power and authoritie for to be able to blesse him That which he vnderstoode only of an Angel he hath not so fully spoken being as it were plucked back with the spirite of God bicause he had attributed that vnto an Angel which was due vnto God vnto whom alone Iacob continually ascribed all power blessing honour and glory as vnto God alone it doth belong And in like sort Esaie being moued by the same spirite that Iacob was said in the 63. chapter verse 9. The Angel of his face hath saued them the same hath redéemed them through his loue and mercy hath holden them vp and exalted them continually Also for to giue likewise to vnderstand that in this diuine essence the holy spirite is resident that he wil alwayes thereby assist his Church in the 59. chapter verse 21. he saith Behold mine aliance with them saith the Lord. My spirite which is in thée and my wordes that I haue put in thy mouth shall not slide out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy séede for euer And infinite places be there where is giuen to vnderstand that God hath always assisted his Church as wel by his holy spirit as also promising all fauour comfort and blessing by the mediation of him through whom he had made all things whome he had promised to send at his appointed time to the end that by him he might purchase vnto him selfe a holy people being by him sanctified which should be cloathed with his holinesse as he promised that all such shall be as do beléeue and put their trust in him and that they shall remaine so eternally through him And for this purpose also bicause it is not in our facultie and power to beléeue he promised and doth promise as hath bene afore declared in Esaye the assistance of his spirite without which the preaching of the word is vnprofitable And thus we must vnderstand that all the Fathers and Patriarches haue infallibly knowne and beléeued who were instructed through visions or Oracles and also were somwhat taught from hand to hande as were consequently the true faithfull people their successors hauing had by the operation of Gods spirit unprinted in their hearts such an assurance of doctrine Neither is it to be doubted but that God hath alwayes ratified this holy instruction the which for that it might the better continue in strength from age to age for to helpe better the memory of men he hath willed to be put in writing by Moses who was for to write these matters called elected and that he shuld set them foorth before their eyes like as he had vnderstood and truely knowen through the spirite of God who created man in such puritie and when man had sinned called him to repentance by this same word by which he had made him promising and assuring him of satisfaction for his sinne And for this cause the auncient Doctours saide that the sonne of God is called the word for as much as it hath spoken to the Fathers Beholde what Tertullian saith in his booke against the Iewes in the first chapter Then Iesus said vnto Cain where is Abel thy brother And Iraeneus writing against heresies in the 14. chapter saith The sonne from the beginning assisting and helping his handie worke maketh manifest the father to all them that he will and when he will and how he will To conclude we sée howe that from the beginning of the world God by his sonne and spirit was made knowne to the first man giuing him vnderstanding of his good will the which he made more and more to vnderstand and knowe thereof to all them of his Church of the which Church ensued the chiefe and principall Doctours After that Adam had bene taught of the Sonne of God 1 Adam was ordeined a Bishop and Doctor by the promise made of the séede of the woman he hath instructed his posterity of al the articles of the doctrine of the time that he liued in He liued 930. yeares And vndoubtedly Adam had good abilitie to teach what the excellency and worthines of man was before that he had transgressed what sinne is and how horrible a thing it is and how greate the wrath of God is how that his mercy is excellent that he would by the meanes of his sonne redéeme mankind from eternal death wherein it was plunged through their owne proper fault He then taught others to the end that beeing warned by his example they might take héede that they did not fal into sinne and the through faith they might lay holde vpon the promise made of the séede of the woman by which séede mankinde being lost of it selfe might be forthwith restored againe vnto life vnto blessednes to euerlasting righteousnes From this Doctor all good sciences and all humane wisedome is issued as out of a fountaine this is he that appointed names to all the beastes and birdes of the ayre and to all liuing creatures in the fielde gaue them names agréeing to their nature With Adam was his Sonne 2 Abel a true and faithfull seruitour in the Church offered vnto God of the first borne of his flockes Gen. Chap. 4. vers 4. This doth sufficiently declare that father Adam instructed his sonnes in the true seruice of God But Caine was an hypocrite presenting vnto God outwarde sacrifice and nothing inwardly in spirite wherin doth consist the true seruice of God wherefore he displeased God so as he regarded not his oblations Then Caine beeing inflamed with anger rose vp against his brother and béeing led with a diuelish enuie slewe him In this place began the persecution of holy personages and this is a dreadful
and deputed for the gouernance Ecclesiasticall were these to wit the Prophetes Nathan and Gad and the high Priest Sadoc and Abimelech with them a great companie of holy and wise personages of whome is witnessed in the bookes of the Psalmes as Asaph the sonne of Chore Haman Ethan and others 19 Salomon the sonne of Dauid succéeded his father by whome he had left him a great deale of costly stuffe wherewith he beganne to build in the fourth yeare of his reigne a Temple for the Lorde the which in seuen yeares after was finished He wrote the bookes of the Prouerbes of Ecclesiastes and the booke called Cantica canticorum he kept the gouernement by the space of 40. yeares lastly the kingdome was deuided and brought to confusion bicause of his adulteries and such other wickednes Then albeit that the true doctrine of God and his right seruice were darkened and polluted and that abhominable idolatries were brought in by Salomon being nowe olde and corrupted through the entisements of women which abhominations were afterward maintained also and augmented by the wicked and vnfaithfull Kinges of Israel as Ieroboam Nadab Baasa Ella Simri Amri and Achab and furthermore by the wicked Kinges of Iuda as Roboam and Abias yet notwithstanding the Lord did not suffer his Church to be vnprouided for for he raysed vp still some good men as in the kingdome of Roboam was the Prophet Semeia who instructed both him and the Princes of Iuda of the will of the Lord. The Prophet Ado was also in that time 1. Kings 12.2 Chron. 12. Ieroboam offering sacrifice vnto the golden Calues 1. Kings 13. Was reproued by the prophet Iadi of whome is made mention 2. Chron. 9. chap. vers 29. In the same time was also the prophet Ahias who speaking vnto the wife of Ieroboam told her that the king her husband did prouoke the Lord vnto anger with his idolatries he shewed also of the vengeance that would light vpon him for his sinnes 1. Kings 14. Azarias the prophet exhorted Asa the King of Iuda to put idolatrie away out of his realme which thing the King did in déede 2. Chron. 15. Hanani séeing this reproued the saide Asa for bicause he did put his trust in the king of Syria and not in God 2. Chron. 16. Iehu the prophet by the word of the Lord threatened Baasa the king of Israel bicause he walked in the way of Ieroboam causing the people to sinne 1. Kings 16. To conclude other good prophets were raised vp by GOD for to conserue and mainteine his true seruice for to rebuke also the Kings and people for their idolatries and abhominable misdoings as were Elie the Thesbite and Iosue the sonne of Nun of whom mention is made in the fift booke of Kings chap. 16. at the end of the chapter 20 Elie the Thesbite was in the time of Achab the King of Israel and was diuinely raised vp for to purge againe the doctrine and to kindle againe the light thereof This man sustained terrible combats and battels against king Achab a man full of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnesse and against the cruell Quéene Iezabel and against the priestes of Baal He wrought great myracles he through his prayers shut vp and opened againe the heauens he also raysed againe men from death and lastly after that he had gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and had sustained many and great dangers was diuinely caried vp into heauen with a whirlewinde This nowe was done in the middle age of the world for Elias was raised vp when the world had continued 3000. yeares after the creation By this God would haue vs to vnderstande that he hath reserued an other life for his faithfull seruants wherevnto they must be translated 21 Eliseus was substituted in the roome of Elias who sustained great and maruellous dangers wrought myracles discouered the ambushments of the king of Syria 2. Kings 6. Hauing gouerned the Church almost 70. yeares He dyed in the time of Ioas king of Israel The prophetes of his time were Micheas which was before him whose prophecie we haue amongst vs vntill this present time after him was Zacharie the sonne of Ioiada the priest in the time of king Ioas. 22 Isaias or Esay succéeded immediatly after who beganne to prophecie in the dayes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias teaching purely the trueth of God with admonitions reproofes threatnings consolations applying the doctrine as a soueraine medicine according as he sawe the people haue néede He set foorth faithfully many good prophecies and reuelations which he had receiued of God concerning the promise of Christ his office and kingdome the fauour of the Lord toward his Church the calling of the Gentiles and the felowship of them with the Iewes like as is sufficiently set foorth and declared in his booke the which is a collection extracted of the Sermons that he made vnto the people euen as be the bookes of the other prophets for the custome was amongest the prophets after that they had expounded and declared vnto the people the doctrine and will of God to compile a briefe summarie of their preachings and to set them vp on the gates which were afterward laide vp and reserued for a perpetuall memorie like as may be gathered out of the second chapter of Abacuc and out of the eight of his booke Thus the Lorde through his prouidence hath conserued in his Church by the meanes of his ministers of the Temple the doctrine that at appointed times was put in the mouthes of his prophetes to the intent that as he hath alwaies bene and is alwayes one and the very same God alwaies one and the same spirit constant and vnchangeable so one and the very same doctrine being pure and stedfast should continue in his Church for euer The prophetes which were in his time are Ionas Amos Micheas Osée Nowe Esay after that he had done great things he gouerned the Church about 80. yeres In his time the kingdom of Israell was destroyed bicause of the vngodlinesse they were caried away captiue by Salmanazar king of Assyria It is found by writings that the king Manasses caused Esay to be cut asunder in the middest 23 Ieremie endued with the spirite of God for to prophecie beginning by the commandement of the Lord in the 13. yeare of Iosias continued ten yeres vnder his reigne afterward he abode thrée monthes vnder Ioachaz 11. yeres vnder Eliacim surnamed Ioacim other thrée monethes vnder Ioacim and lastly vnder Zedekias 11. yeares euen vntill the carying away vnto Babylon and the deliuerance of him 70. yeares after He also foreshewed the destruction and ouerthrowe of many kingdomes and nations and howe they should be brought vnder the power and obedience of the Babylonians and finally he foretolde of the decay and bringing to confusion of proud Babylon with all the tyrannie there vsed and that this should by brought to passe by the handes of the Medes and of the Persians their
the people of the Iewes were grieuously formented with continuall warres 48 Whilest these great mischiefes continued these sectes were begonne and confusions bread when there were but a very fewe that kept still the heauenly doctrine loe then came Mathan the grandfather of the Virgine Marie who was borne about 100. yeares before Christ And after him Ioachim which is also named Elie the father of the Virgine Marie who was borne 60. yeares before the Lord Iesus which was the same yere that Pompei conquered Ierusalem and that Iewrie was made tributarie to the Romaines and brought into the maner of a Prouince to the end that men might knowe assuredly howe that the time of the Messias was at hand of whome the Patriarch Iacob had prophecied saying The scepter shall not be taken away from Iuda nor a Lawgiuer from his féete vntill that Silo come and to him shall the nations be gathered Gen. 49. 49 About this time were ayding to the conseruation and kéeping of the Church Simeon Anna the prophetisse Zacharie Elizabeth with others and the Virgine Marie the mother of the sonne of God our Lord. The gouernement in the Church of this fourth range or order of the high priestes and gouernours after their returne from captiuitie lasted about 500 yeares The fift and last order of the Doctours of the Church of God is that which we begin at Iohn Baptist and our Lord Iesus Christ 50 Iohn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie the priest beganne to preach in the 15. yeare of the Empire of Tiberius Cesar when as Pontius Pylate was gouernour in Iewrie and when Herode was Tetrarch in Galilée and he preached baptisme and repentance that is to say that euery one should repent and amend that they might receiue remission of sinnes through Iesus Christ which thing he confirmed by the signe of baptisme He taught the people of all estates howe they ought to liue He bare witnesse of the Lord Iesus And baptizing the people he baptized Iesus also vpon whome the holy Ghost descended in bodily shape God declared from heauen that he was his sonne Iohn hauing reproued Herode the Tetrarch bicause of Herodias his brother Phillips wife and for all the other euils that he had done was cast in prison and at length beheaded 51 In the 24. yeare of the reigne of Augustus the eternall sonne of God was borne hauing taken vpon him humane flesh of the Virgine Marie in Bethlehem a towne of Iewrie This is that séede which hath broken the head of the serpent and hath deliuered vs from his deadly sting This is the souereigne head of the Church without which the body can haue no due proportion and shape he hath a speciall care thereof and wil make it féele effectually of his presence and he will be in the middest thereof called vppon serued honoured and glorified Nowe as soone as Christ the true annoynted of God was borne and made knowne vnto the world Herode stirred vp great persecutions the occasion thereof beganne for bicause that the wise men came from the East who brought newes of the Messias vnto the people of Ierusalem He caused all the children within the precinct of Bethlehem to be slaine as many as were two yeares olde and vnder His execrable dealings abode not long time vnpunished And it shall be necessarie that we consider somewhat of the worthie end of this tyrant Ioseph in the eight booke of his Antiquities Cha. 17. writeth thus The sicknesse of the king did rage more and more and God shewed openly that he punished him for his vngodlynesse for he was burned with a pining heate and this heate could not be perceiued outwardly but he felt it wtin his body in as much as it gnawed and tormented his bowels He was so hungrie that he tooke no laysure to chawe his foode but swallowed vp gréedily that entred into his mouth and was at all times casting meate into his mouth His bowels were corrupted full of vlcers he was also tormented with the colica passio His féete were swelled with flegmatike humours his priuie partes were rotten full of wormes His breath was so stinking that no body durst come neare him And in the 21. chapter of the first booke of the Iewes warre the saide historiographer wrate this which followeth All his body was intangled with diseases and he was vexed with sundrie dolours he had a burning intollerable gnawing wtin him The colicke tormented him incessantly and the and his féete were swollen in the skinne and flesh He addeth moreouer that he assayed to shorten his life and calling for a knife he lifted vp his right hande for to haue killed him selfe which thing Archicab his cosin germaine perceiuing ranne and stayed his hand He dyed fiue yeares after that he had put Antipater his sonne to death when he had enioyed the kingdome by the space of 34. yeares after he had put Antigonus to death and 37. yeares after that he was declared king by the Romanes Iesus Christ the souereigne Bishop Doctour and Pastour of his Church was 30. yeares olde when he was baptised and then beganne he to preach vnto the people of the Iewes the word of the Gospell which he had brought from his father according to the promises that had bene made afore time and he wrought miracles After thrée yeares then following he was offered vp a sacrifice for to redéeme mākinde he suffered his death and passion in the eightéenth yeare of Tyberius the Emperour He rose againe from death the third day after his passion a vanquisher and triumphant and shewed himselfe vnto his Apostles and to many other men and women with great approbations being séene by them by the space of of 40. dayes speaking of the kingdome of God Actes 1. And after that he had giuen commandement to his Apostles that they should goe throughout all the world for to teach the doctrine to all nations and to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost instructing them to kéepe al what so euer he had commaunded them promising to continue with his Church vntill the end of the world He ascended vp into heauen sitting at the right hand of his father and hath sent downe his holy spirite vpon the Apostles the which went forth all abroad for to kindle and spread foorth the light of the Gospell Nowe we must set in this fift order the Apostles and Euangelistes the Bishops Pastors and Doctours whome the sonne of GOD hath raised from time to time in all ages for the conseruation and maintenance of the ministerie The Apostles be the first in the fift order Nowe here we must marke in what places and howe farre the word of the Gospell hath bene spread through al partes and countries of the whole earth and what Pastours and Doctours haue succéeded and in what places 52 Peter the Apostle declared the Gospell in many places as may be at large séene by the history of the
virgin and others infinites were martyred in this horrible persecution Passing all other cities Alexandria was then as a scaffolde in which the faithfull were brought to the viewe of the worlde Looke Euseb liber 6. Chap. 40. Sundry kindes of tormentes then vsed against the martyres are recited by Eusebius as sharpe pricks of rose bushes thrust against their faces eyes then bruised with stones burned their entrailles torne they cast downe from high places their flesh rent with cardes of yron rackings they cast vnto brute beastes condemned to be whipped To conclude the most horrible and cruell tormentes that coulde be imagined was executed vppon them S. Cyprian being then in exile wrote letters of great consolation to those that suffered such afflictions and like as Tertullian in his time defended by writing the Christians against Scapula euen so did Cyprian againste Demetrius the Pagane gouernour showing that the calamities of the world be falsly imputed to the Christians Dionisius Alex. writeth that after the publishing of the edict made by Decius for confirming of this horrible persecution manie of the most excellent shewed themselues cowardes and of their owne accorde made abiuration and did offer sacrifice vnto idols Cyprian made a sermon of them that fought hardily that is of those that perseuered in the confession of Iesus Christe He then set downe examples of the punishment of those that had made abiuration and affirmed that many of them were tormented with euill spirites He saide that there was one who became dumbe immediately after he had abiured Also of a mayden that was possessed with a deuill soone after and cut a sunder her tongue with her téeth Also there be of late yeares examples memorable of the punishmentes happened vnto those that made abiuration aswell Italians Flemings Germanes Frenchmen as of other nations For some of them after that they had denyed the truth lost imediately the taste both of meate and drinke without being able to receiue any comforte at the handes of their parentes and friends and were intangled with madnes tormented day and night because of their horrible sinne the which was always without ceasing present before their eyes And some others were tormented in their consciences so as they cast themselues downe into the bottomes of ryuers and pondes and others cried and howled as though all the Deuils had béene assembled possessed their bodies and soules others euen of the most learned and wise fell into dispaire so that one of them openly said these words as Luther maketh mention on the Epistle to the Galathians I haue denied Christ and therefore is he nowe before God the father who accuseth me For he was before time so grounded in this perswasion and Sathan by his illusions and temptations had so imprinted in him this dispaire that he receiued no consolation nor admonition which could be giuen him hauing still in his mouth the foresaide words in such sorte that in this myserable dispaire he wofully killed himsefe Lastly the examples of many the iudgementes of God are verie notable and worthy to be marked the which were written by people worthy of credit and were imprinted at Lions of some that are past and some that are to come To conclude it is a horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing GOD who notwithstanding woulde not enter into iudgement with all those the denied his holy trueth but hath suffered them looking for their amendement stedfastnesse and constancie the which we ought dayly to craue for that we may finishe our course to the mainteinance of the kingdome of our onely Sauiour and Redemer Iesus Christ 81 Xistus an Athenian in the time of Gallien the Emperour about the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus 264. was ordeined bishoppe of Rome by the election of the cleargie comming back againe out of Spaine where he had preached Bergomensis and Sabellicus doe witnesse that Xistus laboured greatly for to take away the heresies of the Sabellians At the last he was accused by thē before Gallien and was by his commaundement beheaded sixe Deacons with him Saint Ambrose in the firste booke of his offices Chap. 41. saith that as he was going one day to prayer Laurence the Deacon spake to him in this sorte father doe you go without your sonne and Xistus aunswered him sonne I leaue thee not there draweth neare vnto thée yet greater combates for the faith thou shalt follow me within thrée dayes in the meane space if thou hast any treasures distribute them to the poore This Laurence was the first of the seauen Deacons of Rome who had the dealing with the goods deputed for almes The gouernour of Rome being then hungry of monie was perswaded that the Church had golde and moueables of syluer and he woulde néeds compell Laurence to shewe him where those treasures were Laurence hauing thrée dayes terme appoynted for to doe this distributed in the meane time all that he had to the poore gathering together in a troupe al the impotent lame that were succoured with almes he at the day appointed prayed the gouernour that he woulde goe vp to that place and showing him all the poore he saide loe here the moueables of siluer behold the talents set in order take them and with them thou shalt repaire the citie of Rome and shalt enrich the reuerenue of the Emperour holde it The gouernour séeing that he was mocked commaunded that there shoulde be made ready a hote burning grydyron wherevppon they laide Laurence who with great courage calling vpon the Lorde gaue vp his soule most happely Prudentius a Christian Poete in his booke de coronis described this martyre 82 Archelaus Bishop of Mesopotamia confuted the errours of the Manichees in the Syrian language and his confutation was afterwarde translalated into the Gréeke tongue For Manes or Manichée was of Persia Archelaus was in the time of the Emperour Probus about the yeare 284. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Anatholius liued also in that time 83 In the time of Dioclesian the Emperour and in the 300. yeare after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus Authimus bishop of Nicomedie after that hée had made confession of his faith was beheaded with a great multitude of Martyrs Serena the wife of Dioclesian constantly endured martyrdome so cruel was this persecution that they spared none looke Hermanus Gig. In Europe aboue all other at Rome was a great multitude of martyrs The Prouost Rictiouarus in France made great hauocke especially at Collogne at Treues and towarde Mosella Beda writeth that the persecution extended euen vnto Englande then when as saint Albain a man greatly renoumed receiued the crowne of a martyre After that time they beganne to inuent diuerse kindes of tormentes but so much the more horrible as they were so much the more exquisite séemed the constancie of the martyrs Eusebius saith that he was a beholder of the persecution that was at Thebaida and saith that the swordes of the executioners of
so great a slaughter were bent and they wholy wearied so that the Christians with ioyfulnesse of heart singing psalmes offered themselues vnto the death Sulpitius in his diuine historie lib. 2. saith that the Christians did then earnely craue for martyrdome that the ambition of the Cleargie did not afterward craue for any Bishops Looke Beda de temp rat and Drosius lib. 7. Chap. 25. 84 In the same time that is to say in the time of Dioclesian and Maximian Emperours There were also these good and holy personages Arnobius Pierius a minister of the Church of Alexādria Melitius Lucian minister of the Church of Antioche Phigeas an Egyptian excellent men Doctours of the Church and this was about 302. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus amongest the which Phileas and Lucian were martyred during the persecutiō of Dioclesian At that time also flourished Lactantius Firmiauus the disciple of Arnobius Constantius the father of Constantin the great as Eutropius maketh description of him was verie excellent ciuill méeke gentle liberall and desirous to be good to those that had any priuate authoritie vnder him This man had not the desire of great and mightie dominion and therefore parted he the Empire with Galerius and woulde rule but in France Brittaine and Spaine refusing the other kingdomes for the troublesome and difficulte gouernment of the same He was a great supporter and mainteiner of the Christians He was the first that gaue thē licence to liue after their accustomed manner This wonderfull act of his following besides other doth shew that he was a sincere worshipper of GOD and of the Christian religion Those which bare the chiefe offices among the Ethnikes draue out of the Emperours courte all the godly Christians wherevpon this ensued that the Emperours them selues at the last were destitute of helpe when such were driuen away which dwelling in their courtes and liuing a godly life powred out their prayers vnto God for the prosperous health both of the Empire and Emperour Cōstantius therfore minding at a certaine time to trie what sincere and good christians he had in his court called together al his officers seruants in the same faining himselfe to choose out such as would doe sacrifice to Deuils and that those onely shoulde dwell there and kéepe their offices and that those which woulde refuse to doe the same shoulde be thrust out and banished the court At this appointment all the courtiers deuided them selues in companies The Emperour marked which were the cōstantest and godliest from the rest and when some of them saide that they would willingly doe sacrifice and other some openly and boldly denied to do the same Then the Emperour sharply rebuked those which were so readie to doe sacrifice and iudged them as falfe traytours to God accounting them vnworthie to be in his court which were such traytours to God and forthwith commaunded that they onely shoulde be banished for the same But greatly he commended them which refused to doe sacrifice and confessed God affirming that they onely were worthie to be about a prince foorth with commaunding them that thence foorth they should be faithfull coūsellours and defendours both of his person kingdome and that he ment to haue them in more estimation then all the substance he had in his treasurie Eusebius in vita Constant Constantinus was sonne of Constantius the Emperour a good and vertuous Childe of a good vertuous father borne in Britaine whose mother was named Helena Daughter to king Coilus He was a most bountifull and gratious prince hauing a desire to nourish learning and good artes did oftentimes vse to read write studie himselfe he had maruelous good successe and prosperous atcheiuing of all thinges he tooke in hand which then was as truely supposed to procéede of this for that hee was so great a fauourer of the Christian faith which faith when he had once imbraced he did euer after most deuoutly and religiously reuerence and commaunded by especiall commissions and proclamations that euery man shoulde professe the same religion throughout all the Romaine Monarchie He first entred into the Empire by the mercifulnesse of GOD minding after long waues of dolful persecution to restore his Church vnto tranquilitie and peace Au. 311. Eusebius accompteth in his Chronicle his raigne continued as Eutropius affirmeth 31. yeares and two monethes great peace tranquilitie enoiyed the Church vnder the reigne of this good Emperour which tooke payne and trauell for the preseruation thereof First yea and that before he had subdued Licinius he set foorth many edictes for the restitution of the goods of the Church for the reuoking of the Christians out of exile for taking away the discension of the doctors out of the church for the setting of them frée from publike charges and such like 85 In the time of Constantine the great about the yere 320. after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus there were excellent Doctours in the Church to wit Eusebius bishop of Cesarea in Palestine of whose doing we haue very worthy books Rhetius bishop of Austun Methodius disciple of Origene who afterwarde was a bishop Athanasius bishop of the citie of Alexandria the which did confute the errours of Arrius Athanasius after that he had procured the benefite of the Church 46. yeares and abidden sundry persecutions in greate constancie and patience dyed about the yeare 367. After his death persecution was raysed vp in Alexandria by Valentius Hist tripart lib 8. Chap. 7. 86 In the yeare 326. after the natiuitie of Iesus in the 14. yeare of Constantine there was holden a councell at Nice against Arrius whereunto were called 318. Bishops amongst the which these were the principal Eustache Bishop of Antioch Paphnutius of Egypt and Maximus these had their eyes boared out for the faith Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem and many other personages that suffered persecution vnder cruell tyrants There was also Spiridion bishop of Tremith in Cyprus Nicholas bishop of Mirrha in Lycia a very auncient mā Also Athanase then Deacon of the Church of Alexandria Theophilus bishop of Alexandria Spiridion was he that in Lent offered fleshmeat vnto a pilgrime going in his iourney whereof hée himselfe did eate and caused him to eate saying that vnto cleane Christians all thinges are cleane Hist tripart lib. 1. Chap. 10. In the said councel there was a very sharpe and earnest contention on two sides the which the Emperour Constantine gaue eare vnto with great patience but at the last the Arrians fearing that they shoulde bee banished they made a countenance as though they woulde renounce their errour and to subscribe to the determination of the fathers excepting some as Athanasius declareth in the decrées of the Synode of Nice but the bishops after that they had perceiued their fraude and how they disguysed and wrested the trueth by words began to vse the worde of Essence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say of the selfsame substance Then the Arrians
of of Recardus or Richarde their king and Leander bishop of Seuile The confession of their faith was sent vnto the councell of Tolete There happened in the time a great controuersie about the primacie of the church for Iohn Bishop of Constantinople was pronounced and declared in the whole Synode of the Grekes vniuersall Patriarch and Mauritius the Emperour commaunded Gregorie bishop of Rome to obey the saide Patriarche of Constantinople but Gregorie woulde not abide that any Bishop shoulde be vniuersall aboue all the rest whereof it came that they called themselues servauntes of the seruauntes of God Looke Gregorie in the 32. Epistle to Mauritius and 28. to Iohn the Patriarche Looke Iohn Caluin his Institution of Christian religion lib. 4. chapter 7. section 4. Some woulde name this Gregorie to be one of the foure Doctours of the Church with Augustine Hierome Ambrose but histories doe make sufficient demonstration what a Doctour he was séeing that he hath brought in a rablement of superstitiōs contrarie to the worde of God Concerning which matter I will not say that the others had such puritie of doctrine sucked and drawen out of the holy scriptures as they ought To conclude in the time of this Gregorie the ecclesiasticall doctrine had almost lost his puritie for it was imbrued and darkened with humaine traditions for monkerie did then take rote and beginne to flourishe and many and sundrie kindes of superstitions were dayly brought in And after the time of Gregorie the great there grewe on still more horible and bitter darkenesse notwithstanding the Lorde hath alwayes raysed vp some good persons that men might vnderstand that all ought to be cut away and forsaken that is contrary to the holy worde of God About this said time was Serenus Bishop of Marseille who caused the images of saints and of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be broken because hee sawe the people worshippe them Then Gregorie reproued him for breaking them but he praysed him for that he forbad the people to honour them Looke the register or booke of his Epistles 10. parte Epistle 4. and Polidore Virgill lib. 6. chap. 13. 108 During the raigne of the Emperour Phocas and in the yeare of our Lorde 604. the primacie of the Pope was established a little before that the abhominable secte of Mahomet beganne to spread the hornes abroad in Asia which being once published abroade farre ouer did corrupt obscure deface the true doctrine in manie places and regions Then albeit that after the time of Gregorie the great there arose vp great multitudes of Monkes some of them being more carefull of their bellyes then to labour for to vnderstande by the holy scriptures the puritie of that true seruice which GOD requireth of vs and although the wrytings of so great a multitude haue brought great plentie of darkenes rather then of light into the Church I will neuerthelesse in speaking of other good men in their order make mention of the most discréete amongst them who had some iudgement and doctrine with them in which notwithstanding were some errours by reason of the confusion of doctrines which had then great libertie Isidorus the younger Bishop of Hispalis composed many bookes Hée flourished in the yeare of our Lorde 630. Within certaine space after was Beda a priest and moncke who was an English man hee lefte behinde him a great multitude of bookes and made commentaries vppon the most part of the bookes of the holy scripture 109 In the yeare 684. and in the raigne of the Emperour Constantine the fourth was holden a generall councell at Constantinople of 289. bishops against the Monothelites who denyed two willes and natures in Christ George bishop of Constantinople forsooke his heresie But Macarius Bishop of Antioch did not leaue it wherefore hee was driuen from his bishoppricke In this councell the discension that was betwixt the East church and the West church was appeased There it was permitted vnto the ministers of Gréece for to haue wiues lawfully and to liue in mariage but not to the ministers of the west church The authour of the booke intituled Fasciculus temporum yeldeth a reason thereof saying that they had vowed chastitie of their owne accorde vnder Gregory but what shall they do then that haue not the gift of continencie And moreouer can they vowe for others that come after them Furthermore they vowed by constrainte and authoritie of the councels as it appeareth here before It was there also ordayned that none should carie any infant to bee baptized except he knewe the Lords prayer and the beliefe of the faithfull Looke the seconde volume of councels Also that they should make no vow against mariage and that the priestes who did separate themselues from their wiues because of their orders shoulde be excluded from the communion Looke Peter Viret in his Dialogue to them of Orbe In that time was Theodore Archbishop of Rauenna who was a great almes giuer and sought howe to kéepe the cleargie in good manners for which cause he was hated of them Naucl. Leger bishop of Authun was also at that time whom Chrion prince of the Pallaice of Fraunce in the time of Theodoricus caused his eyes to bee pulled out the soales of his féete to be cut his tongue and his lippes to be mangled after he caused his heade to be taken off Naucl. and Chron. Sig. This Chrion cast downe Lambert from the Bishopprick of Vtrech Aime byshop of Sens was banished by Chrion Chron. Sig. 110 In the yeare 694. after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ and in the raigne of Iustinian the second the Saxons being yet Paganes receiued the Christian Faith by the meane of Sergius Bishop of Rome according to the saying of Sup. Chron. The saide Sergius sent Vmbred vnto the Frysons for to conuert them to the faith Rabod their Duke woulde not thereto agrée alleaging that it was better to follow many then a fewe But afterwardes he being vanquished in war by Pepin great maister of Fraunce the Frisons receiued the faith being taught by one Willebroc a bishop or by Clement as some say 111 In the raigne of Constantine the fifte Emperour of that name and about the yeare 742. was holden a councell in Fraunce by Boniface archbishop of Mayence Burcardus Guntarius other bishops which had not bene fourescore yeares before insomuch that it was saide that religion in Fraunce was cast vnder féete and wasted so saith Naucl. There it was ordeyned that they shoulde euery yeare haue a Synode in Fraunce the church men shoulde carrye no armour They were forbidden hunting that they shoulde kéepe no manner of hounds or hawkes That euery Priest and bishoppe shoulde kéepe himselfe within his parish and there should labour to roote out olde heresies of Paganisme and the errours of sacrificing for the deade the deuinations sorceries and other immolations that were vsed after the manner of the Pagans about the churches vnder the names of Martyrs and confessours vide Naucl.
in the said booke briefly dissolued vnder these two questions to wit whether Christ be there in misterie and figure or according to the trueth Whither this bodie of Christ be the proper body which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Marie or not The which two questions hee debateth aswell on the one partie as on the other affirming concerning the first aswell by naturall reasons drawne from common vnderstanding as by euident testimonies of the holy scriptures and auncient doctours that the bodie and bloude be therin taken vnder the vaile and couerture of breade and wine figuratiuely and shadowed not visibly and euidently the which he calleth according to the trueth Also not clearely and openly but secreatly Concerning the other question by one and the same processe hee sheweth by infringible and inuincible argumentes that in this misterie is the spirituall bodie that there is a mistical and spirituall vnderstanding thereof and not the verie same bodie that he tooke of the virgin Marie He saith verely that the bodie of Christ is there inasmuch as the spirite of Christ is in the sacrament that is to say the power of the word of God the which doth not only féede the soule but also purgeth and cleanseth it For to sée this matter more at large you may reade the booke that is at this day extant in French and published abroade 116 In the yeare 964. Huldricke Bishoppe of Auspurge in Allemaigne did greatly withstand the decrées of Pope Nicholas he wrote vnto him one Epistle shewing among other thinges that he did amisse when he went about to compell the Clearks whom he ought to haue exhorted that they shoulde kéepe the chastitie of marriage by force and vyolēce to abide in continencie Saying also that this is deemed of all men violence when any bodie is constrayned to kéepe any particuler decrée contrary to the institution of the Gospel and against the doctrine of the holy Ghost He shewed plainely that the Lord in the old Testament hath constituted and ordeyned marriage for priests and that we do not reade that afterward he forbad it That euery one folowing the saying of the Apopostle in the 7. Chapt. to the Corinthians ought to haue his wife That hypocrites doe corrupt this sentence and falsely say that it appertayneth onely to the lay people and yet notwithstanding they make no difficultie of conscyence in any holy order whatsoeuer they be placed to abuse other mens wiues Also he sheweth that this sentence of the Apostle that is that euery one shoulde haue his wife excepteth no person but him that maketh profession of cōtinencie or him that hath determined to perseuer in virginitie according to the Lords will That the vowe of man cannot breake the commaundement of God That he who cannot contain ought to marry 1. Cor. 7. He also alleageth the Canons that is that the Bishop or minister ought in no wise put away his wife vnder a colour of Religion and that if he forsooke her he should be excomunicated and that if he abode in that obstinacie he should be vtterly dismissed and cast of from his calling That the bishop must be vnreproueable and the husbande of one wife and howe that the Apostle to the end that none should conuerte this sentence to one Church or congregation alone added consequently He that knoweth not howe to gouerne his housholde how shal he gouerne and guide the church of God he also sheweth that the glose of those is false who will expounde the Church to be the onely wife Also that those which alledge for their patrone and defendour S. Gregorie be ignoraunt not vnderstanding that perilous decrée made by S. Gregorie whiche was afterwarde purged by a worthie fruite of repentance for it is said that on a certaine day as the saide Gregorie sent to his poole for fish he had drawne vp out of the saide poole which he saw aboue sixe thousande heades of yong children wherat he being moued with true repentance beganne to wéepe and confessing that the decrée that he had made concerning the continencie of Priestes had béene cause of such a murther he then amended his fault as it is said by a worthy déede of repentance And after that he had condéemned his said decrée he praysed the councell of the Apostle to wit that it is better to marrie then to burne adding more on his part that it is better to marrie then to giue occasion of murther In the ende he confounded by many testimonies of the holy scripture the horrour of vowing continencie and following the saying of S. Paul 1. Timo. 4. he declared that it is the doctrine of Diuels to forbidde marriage Wherby we must note that the Lord in the middest of the furie and madnesse of the world rayseth vp some faithful ministers for to withstand the horrible spoyles of the aduersaries He that would sée at large the saide Epistle published nowe in French read the firste of Crespin vppon the estate of the Church out of the which I haue gathered some parte of these collections 117 In the yeare 869. was Iohannes Scotus it was not Iohn the Frier a learned man who was sent for out of France into England by Alfridus king of Englande who founded the Schoole or vniuersitie of Oxenforde whereas the said Scotus was president but afterward becomming a Monk he was slain by the Monks of the Conuent as he was teaching thē He wrot like as Bertrand did touching properly the body and bloude of Christe in the supper In that time or thereabouts the Normands being vanquished receiued the faith Naucl. The king of Bulgaria also about this time receiued the faith and willingly forsaking publike affaires he was made a Monke and left the realme to his sonne who reiected the faith so that his father came out of the monasterie and went againste him in battaile and hauing gotten the victorie he caused his eyes to bee digged out and kepte him in prison and gaue the kingdome to his yonger sonne and after he returned to the Monastery againe Naucle and Sigeb Adrian the Pope sent thrée legats vnto the Bulgarians being newly conuerted to wit Siluester Leopard and Dominicke for to institute ordinances concerning the affaires of the Church according to the Komaine forme and fashion but afterwarde they being persuaded by the Grekes reiected the latine ministers which thing bread great hatred betwixt the latine Church and the Greeke Church and all the contention of the said Churches happened through this Primate and for the diuersitie of ceremonies Naucl. Edmund the last king of the East Englishmen was slaine by the Paganes of Denmarke in the yeare 871. and is canonised a martyre 118 In the yeare 938. Ratherius Bishop of Verone wrot against the herisie of Anthromorphites which was renewed againe in that time saying that God had a corporall forme In the same time Spireneus Duke of Bohemia receiued the Christian faith thorough the persuasion of the Emperour Henricus Suppl Chro. Aldebert
knowe his true pathes by which this man retyreth out of darkenesse and endeuoureth to leaue off his wicked labours And that the vine which the right hande of GOD hath planted shal be filled with good braunches That he ought to take héede vnto the worde of God and to the Prophetie of Ieremie chap. 22. for to withstande such interprises who saith thus Thou O pastour which hast dispersed my people and hast cast them out of their habitations behold I wil visit vpon thée the malyce of thy enterprises and there shall not be a man of thy séede which shall sit vppon the seat of Dauid nor shall haue any more power in Iuda so that thy nest shal be a desert and ruinous as Sodome and Gomorra Also that if it happen he be not dreaded by these words nor leaue off from his enterprises nor make restitution of that which he hath taken that they finge for him that is so wickedly hardened the hundreth and eight Psalme As for vs wee will singe dayly prayses openly through Iesus Christ to him vnto whome all thinges do obey For to sée the course thereof more narrowely worde for word looke the saide Epistle the whiche hath beene writen out transtated out of an old booke founde in Englande in the Church of S. Alban He that woulde sée it perfectly let him reade the liues of the Bishoppes and Popes of Rome taken out of the great Catalogue of the writinges of England set forth by Iohn Bale 131 In the yeare 1314. or thereaboutes there was a man named Dulcin of Nauarre who blamed the vices of Churchmen and was executed with his wife Those that bee called Dulcins tooke their name of this Dulcin Naucl. They saide that the authority which Iesus Christ hath giuen to the Church was expyred because of the wickednesse of the Prelates and that the Church of Rome was reproued because it was become a whore Also that they were the Church and followed the rule of the Apostles That al the prelates since Pope Syluester haue bene preuaricatours because they lyued not in true humilitie and that therfore they ought to haue no tythes payed them Many of the adherents of Dulcin were taken about 144. persons dwelling in the mountaynes of Piemount 132 In the same time to wit 1315. and in the raigne of the Emperour Henry the seuenth of that name was a good and faithfull man Arnoldus de villa noua an expert Phisition and an excellent Mathematitian Some say that hee was of Chalons others of Narbonna He was at that time iudged an heretike because he saide that sathan had caused all Christian people to erre out of the right way That the faith of Christians then was none other but such a faith as deuils had That those which bee in the cloysters be out of charitie and doe condemne themselues in falsifying the doctrine of Iesus Christ and leading Christians vnto hell That the diuines haue maliciously and wickedly mingled the songes of Philosophers with the holy scriptures That in the sacrifice of the altar the Priest offereth nothing vnto God and that masses do neither profite the lyuing nor the deade He proued by Daniel and by Sybilla Erithrea that Antichrist in full tyrannie did persecute the faithfull Furthermore in his bookes which hee made of medicine hee wrote against the Iacopins that it was lawfull to eate fleshe A cutting sworde against the Thomistes an admonition of Iesus Christ vnto the Christians Of the craftinesse of false Prophets Of miserie of the Cymbals of the Church Of the consummation of the world other bookes He was iudged an heretyke by the Iacopins of Tarracon Lastly being sent vnto the Pope by Fredericke king of Sicilia he dyed in the way and was buried at Genes being a true champion of our Lord. In the yeare 1328. or there abouts Pope Iohn the 23. wrote vnto the gréekes that there was but one onely Church ouer which he was the head and vicar of Iesus Christ To whom the Gréekes aunswered in fewe wordes thus We doe verely beleue that thy power is very great ouer thy subiectes we cannot abide thy extreame pride nor satisfie thine auarice The deuill be with thée for GOD is with vs. By which breuitie of words they declared what was al the maner of the Popes liuing his estate looke thou Maundeuile lib. 7. Marsilius Patauinus compiled and exhibited vnto the Emperour Ludouike a worthy worke intituled Defensor Pacis written in the Emperours behalfe against the Pope Wherin both Godly and learnedly disputing against the Pope he proueth al bishops and Priests to be equal and that the Pope hath no superioritie aboue other Bishoppes much lesse aboue the Emperour That the worde of God ought to be onely the chiefe iudge in deciding and determining causes ecclesiasticall That not onely spirituall persons but lay men also being Godly learned ought to be admitted into generall councels That the Clergie and the Pope ought to be subiect vnto magistrates That the Church is the vniuersitie of the faithfull and that the foundation and heade of the Church is Christ and that he neuer appointed any vicar or Pope ouer his vniuersall Church That Bishops ought to be chosen euery one by their owne Church and Clergie that the marriage of priestes may lawfully bee permitted That S. Peter was neuer at Rome That the Cleargie and Synagoge of the Pope is a denne of théeues That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leadeth to eternall destruction And the corrupte manners of the Christians doe spring and flow out of the wickednes of the churchmen c. he disputeth moreouer in an other worke of frée iustification by grace and extenuateth merites saying that they are no efficient causes of our saluation but onely fine qua non that is to say that workes be no cause of our iustification but yet our iustification goeth not without them for which his doctrine most sounde and Catholicke he was condemned by the Pope Anno. 1324. by the Popes decree extrauagant Chap. Licet intra Doctrinam Concerning the which man and his doctrine I thought good thus much to commit to writing to the intent men may sée that they which charge this doctrine nowe taught in the Church with the note of noueltie or newenesse how ignorant and vnskilfull they bee in the hystories and order of times forepast Iacobus Misnensis who wrote of the comming of Antichrist In the same hee maketh mention of a certeine learned man whose name was Militzius saith he which was a famous and worthy preacher in Perga He lyued about the yeare 1366. long before Hus before Wicklieffe also In the same his writing hee declareth howe the same good man Militzius was constrayned by the spirite of God to goe to Rome and there publikely to preach that afterwarde before the inquisitour he affirmed the same That the same mightie and great Antichrist the which the scriptures make mention of was alredie come He affirmed
also that the Church by their negligence shoulde become desolate and that iniquitie shoulde abound that is by reason of Mammon master of iniquitie Also he saide that there were in the Church of Christ Idols which shoulde destroy Ierusalem and make the Temple desolate but were cloaked by hypocrisie further that there bee many which denie Christ for that they kéepe silence neither doe they heare Christ whome all the worlde shoulde know and should confesse his veritie before men which also wittingly doe detaine the veritie and Iustice of God Hee taught openly that in the Pope Cardinals Bishops Prelates Priestes and other religious men was no trueth but that onely he and such as held with him taught the true way of saluation Mathias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne who about the yeare of our Lorde 1370. wrote a large booke of Antichrist and proueth him already come and noteth the Pope to be the same In this booke he doth greatly eniue againste the wickednesse of the cleargie and against the neglecting of their dutie in gouerning the Church The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalyps hee saith be the hypocrites raigning in the Church The workes of Antichrist he saith be these the fables and inuentions of men raigning in the Church the Images and fayned reliques that are worshipped euery where Item that men doe worship euery one his proper sainct and sauiour beside Christ so that euery man and citie almost hath his diuers and peculiar Christ He taught and affirmed moreouer that godlynesse and true worship of God are not bounde to place persons or times to bee hearde more in this place then in an other at this time more then at an other c. Hee was greatly and much offended with monks and friers for neglecting or rather burying the worde of Christ and in stéed thereof for celebrating and setting vp their owne rules and Canons affirming it to be much hurtfull to true Godlinesse for that Priestes Monkes and Nunnes do account themselues onely spirituall and all other to be lay and secular attributing onely to themselues the opinion of holynesse and contemning all other men with all their politicke administration and office as prophane in comparison of their owne He further writeth that Antichrist hath seduced al vniuersities and Colleges of learned men so that they teach no sincere doctrine neither giue any light to the Christians with their teaching Finally he forewarneth that it will come to passe that God yet once againe will raise vp godly teachers who being feruent in the spirite and zeale of Helias shall disclose and refute the errours of Antichrist alleadgeth the sayings and writings of the vniuersitie of Paris also the writings of Guliel de sanct Amour Henricus de Hassia an excellent learned and famous man He wrote an Epistle vnto Iacobus Carisiensis Bishop of Normacia inserted in his booke de erroribus Christianorum In the same Epistle the authour doth greatly accuse the spirituall men of euery order yea the most holiest of all other the Pope himselfe of many and great vices Hee saide that the Ecclesiasticall gouernours in the primatiue Church were compared to the Sunne shining in the day time and the politicall gouernours to the Moone shyning in the night But the spirituall men he said that nowe are doe neither shine in the day time nor yet in the night time but rather with their darkenesse doe obscure both day night that is with their filthy liuing ignoraunce impietie Hee citeth also out of the prophesie of Hildegardis these words Therefore doth the deuill in himselfe speake of you Priests daintie bankets and feasts wherein is all voluptuousnes doe I finde amongst these men In so much that mine eyes mine eares my belly my vaynes bee euen filled with the froth of them and my brestes stande astrout with the riches of them c. Lastly saith he they euery day more and more as lucyfer doe séeke to clymbe higher and higher till that euery day with him more and more they fall déeper and déeper Hee liued Anno. 1371. Nilus was Archbishop of Thessolonica and lyued 1380. He wrote a long worke against the Latins that is against such as tooke part helde with the Churche of Rome His booke first being written in Gréek was after translated into Latin and lately nowe into English in this our time In the first Chap. of his booke he layeth all the blame and fault of the discention and schisme betwene the East and the West Church vppon the Pope Hee affirmed that the Pope onely woulde commaunde what him lusted were it neuer so contrarie to all the olde and auncient Cannons That hee would heare and followe no mans aduise that hee would not permit any free Councels to be assembled c. In the second Chapt. of his booke hee purposedly maketh a verie learned disputation for first he declareth that he had no whit at all by Gods commaundement but onely by humaine Lawe any dignitie more then others Bishops which dignitie the Councels the fathers and Emperours haue graunted vnto him neither did they graunt the same for any other consideration more or greater ordinaunce then for that the same citie then had the Empery of all the whole world and not at al for that that Peter was there or not there c. 133 In the yeare 1383. Iohn wikliefe liued in England who hauing of long time made profession of diuinitie at Oxenforde a citte and vniuersitie in Englande and hee séeing that true diuinitie was vilely corrupted with much filthinesse of questions and inuentions set forth by the Pope he coulde not but lament in his hearte and determined to remedy such a disorder He sawe well that hee coulde not without great trouble remoue away abuses and that those that had so long time growen in the hearts of men could not easilie be rooted out on a sodaine And therefore he thought good to deale there with by little and little First he made this assaye against the aduersaries of the trueth that is he disputed against them of small matters that by that meane he might open an entrie to great things and amongest other hee had to deale with a certain monke named Iohn kenyngham Of these small beginnings they came to higher matters Hee at the last disputed concerninge the sacrament of the supper Therein this good man had great resistaunce affirming openlye in scholes that his principall intent was to take away idolatrie that raigned in the Church concerning this matter But marke what mischiefe happened a man coulde not so soone touth this wounde without causing great sorrowe to the worlde The monkes and especially the begging fort were in a furie the Bishops would haue knowledge of this matter He alleaged the authoritie of the auncient Doctours of the Church in those poyntes wherein they agréed with the holy scriptures declaring that there is no trueth but that which is contayned in them As for the decretistes he vtterly reiected them He stedfastly mainteined that in the sacrament
of the supper the accidents be not without the subiect that is to say that the whitenesse and roundnesse of the breade be not without the bread to wit that contrary to transubstantion which the priests haue forged the breade abideth bread and the wine contynueth in the proper substance Moreouer the conclusions proposed by him at the towne of Lambeth be these If that any Princes or Lordes or any others haue made any donations vnto the mynisters of the Church there is therin a secreate condition to wit that God shoulde be honoured and that the faithfull should be edified And if this condition ceasse then they may take away from wicked pastours that which they had giuen them any excommunication or other whatsoeuer to the contrary notwithstanding That if these dealinges of men were let alone the cleargie which were of couetous persons will bring all the world into their hands Also that the Pope may lawfully be reproued by those whom he kéepeth in obedience vnder him and that for the vtilitie of the Church he may be accused both of the clearks and lay people That the Pope as great a Lord as he reporteth himselfe to be must thinke that he is a brother vnto others and that if he sinne he ought to be brotherly corrected and heare corrections brotherly And when as by the holy scripture his heresie or errour is shewed him he ought not to be obstinate And by many other conclusions he shewed euidently the abuse of the Pope and of the cleargy and how that their possessions of so great reuenewes be vniust To conclude he was assaulted by many and amongest others the begging monkes who rose against him by greate flockes But the Lorde gaue him for a protectour the Kinge Edwarde vnder whose raigne he had some lybertie to speake the truth Richarde the successour of the said Edwarde persecuted and banished him Within a while after he was called again from banishment and returned vnto the parrishe of whiche he was pastour and there like a lustie champion of the Lorde he aboade alwayes constant euen vntill the death he died in the yeare of our Lorde 1388. fortie and one yeares after his death he was digged vp againe by the commandement of the Pope and his bones were burned and the ashes thereof cast into the water but Iesus Christ dieth not in his faithful ones vse the tyrants what cruelty they can He composed many bookes the which were burned in the citie of Oxenford in the yere 1410. there be certaine notwithstanding reserued still for to declare that God hath alwayes some faithfull seruantes who doe resist the errours of the world Amongest his writinges there is an Epistle which he sent to Pope Vrbane He that woulde sée more at large of him and of his historie let him looke in the booke of Martyrs 134 In the persecution raysed vp against Wiclief and in the yere 1400. Sautree a priest imbraced with zeale of true pure religion craued and requested in the ful Parliament the audience might be granted him for the cōmon profit of all the Realme Then albeit that his request was honest and ciuill and that he gaue to vnderstande that he coulde bring great profite yet he was not hearde for the bishops perceiuing that he came caused him to be attached of heresie and for the seauen articles condemned disgraded and burned him Looke Fabius in his Chronicles and Iohn Crespin in the booke of martyrs William Thorpe an Englishman was also a valiant martyre of our Lorde Iesus Christ He sustayned great assaultes of many prelats of of the Church of Rome without forsaking his vocation which was to instruct the people according to the pure word of God And therefore he woulde not agrée to preach the superstitions and humaine inuentions which he declared to be contrarie to the institution of the holy scriptures he was condemned hauing yeelded a testimonie of his faith Nowe of many pointes well worth the noting vpon the interrogations propounded to him I will recite for to auoyde great prolixitie one onely that is that he being demaunded of the Archbishop of Canterburie primate of Englande and Chauncelour of the whole Realme what the Church did signifie he answered that it is Iesus Christe and the companie of saincts Which thing the said Archbishop confessed to be true in respect of heauen but he demaunded further what the Church was here below on earth It is deuided into two partes answered the said Williā Thorp the one of the two parts which is the better hath obtained victorie ouer the enemies and triumpheth nowe with Christe in great ioy the other part fighteth here still on earth by the sworde of faith against the continuall bulwarkes of Sathan of the fleshe and of the worlde There is no strength so violent no pompe so proud no fire of afflictions and persecutions so burning no tyrannie so cruel no reasons of Doctours so discording nor opinions so diuerse which can withdrawe them from the right rule of faith and of the holy scriptures For they be fortyfied by the worde of God in Christ and firmely stablished as vppon a sure rocke that can not be remoued Looke Iohn Crespin in his booke of martyrs Within a while after the death of Iohn Wiclief there arose greate persecution in Englande against the faithfull for the truth of the Gospell which then began to take déepe rooting The worthiest men in the Realme were not then spared the lord Cobham a knight of the order one of the peeres of England was there apprehended but he was executed after these that we nowe speake off And therefore according to the order of time we will hereafter speake of him more at large for he was an excellent martyr of our Lorde Iesus Christ King Henrie then by publike ordinaunce made an edicte and set foorth through the persuasions of the bishoppes and prelates terrible punishmentes for all them that should follow the doctrine of Wicliefe vsing so great seueritie against them that he helde them not onely for heretikes but also as guiltie of treason And for this cause it was ordeined that they should be punished with two sortes of punishmentes that is that they should be both hanged and burned and there was neither fréedome nor any priuiledge whereby they coulde enioye profite so maliciously were they bente againste the faithfull séeking all meanes againste them and in that time they called al them Wicleffians who read the scriptures in the vulgar tongue and which made their assemblies in secrete places in the darke preaching in woodes and bushes Then the Bishops being armed with this edicte of the king exercised great tyrannie against manie good people and many poore innocentes and amongest other against Roger Acton a knight of the order and a true nobleman adorned with great vertues he abhorred the wicked traditions of the Pope had his affections withdrawen from him and from all his assistants For that cause it is reported that he was hated amongest the
that he had subscribed to the condemnation of Iohn hus and had sayed many things against that good man and against Wiclief who hee saide had openly manifested by wordes the detestable liues of the Bishops and prelates had touched them to the quicke in their books hauing iustly writen and spoken of their misdéedes and peruerse traditions Wherfore he being now by the grace and goodnes of God brought to the same chaire againe he vtterly repented of that horrible sinne and declared that the subscription that he had made was voyde for they had verie wrongfully burned that holy man In the end he being willed to recant then immediately or else he shoulde be vsed as the other was he chose rather to dye And he was condemned to be burned hauing put on him a crown of paper like as Iohn Hus had wher on were painted diuels round about And he saide that Iesus Christe for the loue of him a poore sinner had borne a greater paine and that for the good will that he had shewed him he also woulde go willingly to execution and going he song with prayers himnes and calling vppon God And when the woode was set about him hee cryed with a loude voyce O Lorde into thy handes I cōmende my spirite if you would sée further of him looke Crespin in his booke of martyrs The Bohemians vnderstanding what was done at Constance against the doctours they sacked and spoyled the conuents and monasteries of that countrie and set them on fire and then they withdrewe them selues frō the subiection of the Pope of Rome Looke Naucl. 137 The Realme of Fraunce also at that time was not destitute of true doctours who faithfully executed their charge in declaring the light and the day of the Lord amongst whom Nicholas Clemangis a doctour of Paris and Archdeacon of Bayonna in the yeare 1417. hath left a certaine testimony in wryting touching the corrupt estate of the church shewing forth the fountaine of all mischiefes oppressions and calamities that the Church hath endured and that still it shall abide thorough the horrible violence crueltie tyrannie and insatiable rigour of him who calleth himselfe the heade on the the earth and of his members He saide that the sectes and seditions raysed vp against the Churches by the furies of hel do declare what peace fraternitie they haue amongst them And that the infernall and schismaticall hydra beginning at him that calleth himselfe heade of the Church and budding very abundantly and spreading the rootes by the furies hath infected al the colleges and assemblies thorough the séede of the Viper To conclude I knowe not how in so few words I shoulde comprehende in what a straunge sort hee speaketh of this fountaine and the horrible confusion of the Church of Rome He therefore that will sée more of the wrytings of the saide Nicholas Clemangis which are worthy to bee reade of all faithfull Christians let him looke in the last edition of Iohn Crespin his booke of martyrs fol. 60. Wherupon I say we must note that albeit God doth sufficiently declare vnto vs by his holy word the meane howe to beware of rauening Wolues clad in shéepes rayment and howe we may know them as well by their doctrine as by their works neuerthelesse he hath alwayes raysed vp some good men for to warne his shéepe the more to take héede of false pastours 138 There is no order nor condition of which god doth not know how to draw some to send them into the field to battaile to encounter with false pastours which would so stoutly earnestly maintein superstitions abhominable traditions repugning against his holy worde And amongst others of that time 1418. the history of one excellent Lord of Englande is worthy to bee recorded with the worthyest of the world to wit of Iohn Oldeastel Lorde Cobham knight of the order one of the péeres of England He was one of the chiefest doctours of his time who taught the courtiers that they shoulde serue Christ better then they did He was adorned with excellent vertues and for his noble and vertuous déedes he was promoted to great dignities and honours He had this gifte most excellent that hee cared not greatly for any glorie and honour of the world the which doth soone fade away but hee rather acrounted it all his diguity and felicitie that he might vndertake to doe seruice to the Prince of princes which is Iesus Christ the sonne of God The instructions of Wiclief stoode him in great steade He had such an vnderstanding of the true religion and Godlinesse that he made no difficultie to receiue vnder his protection al those the maintayned the good doctrine and were in daunger therefore Hee sustayned dyuers times great assaultes and daungerous and chiefely the Machinations and secreat practises of wicked Byshops King Henrie the fifte loued him greatly albeit that he knewe the most part of his dealing but at the last hee yelded to the Bishoppes thorough their false reportes and forsooke this noble knight as the furious appetite of the Archbishops and his complices required He was once or twice cyted by the Archbishop He of long time regarded not his curses and excomunications The king sent vnto him an Herault and immediately hee obeyed and went vnto the king He presented vnto him his confession written in which he reciteth by order the articles of the créede and vpon euery article a briese exposition The king wolde not receyue this confession other artycles be founde which he presented to the Archbishop contaning in somme foure poynts where of the one is that he beleueth that in the sacrament of the supper we receyue the body of Christ vnder the kindes forme of bread and wine the same body that was borne of the virgin Marie was crucified dead and buried and lastly rose againe the third day after his death and was exalted to the right hand of the father immortal and tryumpheth now for euer with him being partaker of his eternall glorie And as concernyng the sacrament that they call penitence or penaunce he hath written therof worde for worde his faith saying thus I beléeue that it is very necessarie for euery one that aspireth vnto saluation to wit that hee must repent of his life passed by a true confession and contrition vnsained that in such sort as is set forth in the holy scriptures otherwise there is no hope of saluation Concerning their thirde sacrament he saide touching images that it doth not appertaine to a true fayth true it is the since Christian faith was brought into the world they also were put in exercyse thorow permission to serue for a kalender as they call yt to the ignorant to the ende that by the view thereof they mighte the more easily see the passions holy examples as well of Christ as of his faythfull and holy seruantes but sythens that there is such abuse of that representation and that men do attrybute vnto the images of Saints that which is