S. Paule and wrought so with feare of death with him Ierom abiureth that he abiured in the cathedrall Church in open Session and gaue assent that Iohn Husse was iustly condemned and put to death after which they caused him to be carried againe to the same prison but not so straightly chained as he was before Now Palletz and de Causis hearing of this and vnderstanding that he made this abiuration onely to escape their hands together with certaine Friers of Prage put vp new accusations against maister Hierom New accusations against M. Hierome whose malice did appeare so much against him that the Cardinall of Cambray and the Cardinall de Vrscons the Cardinall of Aquilegia and of Florence with his iudges also considering the great iniurie done vnto him laboured before the whole Councel for his deliuerie Which when they were about his enimies among them one Doctor Naso greatly vrged the matter against M. Hierome Doct. Naso a great enemy of Hierome insomuch that he said vnto thē I greatly feare least that you haue receiued some rewardes either of the K. of Boheme or of these heretikes The Cardinals thus rebuked gaue ouer Master Ieroms cause and his enemies obteined to haue other Iudges appointed as the Patriarch of Constantinople who had condemned M. Iohn Husse and was a great enemie to M. Hierome and another Germane Doctor But Ierome refused those priuate Iudges and required open audience which in hope hee would confirme his recantation before them was graunted vnto them Anno 1416. May 25. M. Ierome was brought into open audience in the cathedrall church of Constance where the commissioners in the behalfe of his aduersaries obiected against him 107. new articles and because the time would not suffer to answere New articles against M. Ierome they appointed him the third day after the residew of the articles he answered most learnedly and eloquently and put to silence his aduersaries At length came in false witnesses that testified against him whom he againe most pithily and eloquently confuted All this while the popes councell did wait whē he should make recantation and craue pardon But he persisting still in his constant Oration did acknowledge no error neither gaue any signification of recantation And at last entred into the praise of M. I. Husse and finally concluded that all such articles as I. Wickliffe I. Husse had written and set foorth against the enormities pompe disorder of the prelates Ierome constant he would firmely and constantly defend vnto the death greatly condemning his fact in that he did consent vnto the condemnation of M. I. Husse Wickliffe The coūcell whispered together said by these his words it appéereth he is at a point with himself Then was he caried again into prison hauing bin in prison before 340. daies grieuously fettered Ierome grieuouslie fettered by the hands armes féete with great chaines fetters of yron The saturday next before the Ascention day early in the morning he was brought with armed men into the church to haue iudgement where they perswaded him to reuoke the testimony and praise he gaue of I. Husse Wickliffe which he would not in any sort doo then a certaine B. named the B. of Landy made a certaine sermon exhortatory against Maister Hierome perswading to his condemnation After the Sermon ended M. Ierome againe said vnto them you will condemne me wickedly vniustly but I after my death will leaue a remorse in your conscience and a naile in your harts Et cito vos omnes vt respondeatis mihi M. Ierome prophecieth coram altissimo iustissimo Iudice post centum annos That is Here I cite you all to answere vnto me before the most high and iust Iudge within an hundreth yeeres Finally when no persuasions would moue him to recant they gaue sentence of condemnation against him Ierome condemned which sentence being giuē a great miter of paper was brought painted about with red Diuels the which when he beheld and saw throwing his hood vpon the ground he tooke the miter and put it on his head saying my Lord Iesu Christ when he suffered for me most wretched sinner did weare a crown of thorne vpon his head and I for his sake in stéede of that crowne will were this miter crowne And afterward he was laid hold on by the secular power and when he was led out of the church with a chéerefull countenance and lowde voice M. Ierome singeth after his condemnation lifting vp his eies to heauen he began to sing Credo in vnum Deum as it is accustomed to be song in the church after that other certaine Canticles of the Church At length comming to the place of execution where as M. Iohn Husse before had suffered death innocently knéeling downe by the picture of Master Iohn Husse which was there prepared to burne him hée made a certaine deuout prayer Whiles hée was a praying they tooke him vp and stripped him and bound him to the Image and when they begun to lay wood about him M. Ierome singeth at the stake he began to sing Salue festa dies and the Hymne beyng ended he song againe with a lowde voice Credo in vnum Deum vnto the end that beyng doone hée said vnto the people in the Germane tongue to this effect Déerely beloued brethren euen as I haue now song so doo I béeleue and no otherwise and this Créede is my whole faith notwithstanding now I die for this cause for that I would not consent and agrée to the Councell and with them affirme hold that M. Iohn Husse was by them iustly condemned for I doo know well that he was a true preacher of the gospell of Christ When the wood was begunne to bée set on fire hée song In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum When that was ended and he beganne vehemently to burne hée said in the Bohemian tongue O Lord God father almighty haue mercy vpon me and be mercifull to mine offences for thou knowest how that sincerly I haue loued thy truth He was by reason of the stoutnes of his nature long in burning After he was dead they brought his bedding books hood c. burned them all to ashes in the same fire which after they did diligently gather cast into the riuer of Rhine Thus much touching Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage whose historie was written by a Bohemian who was present and a beholder of the action In the meane time while Hierome was in trouble and brought before the councel the nobles of Boheme Letters of the nobles of Boheme to the Councell and Morania greeued with their dealings directed letters vnto this barbarous Councell of popishe murderers greatly blaming them for their fact and defending both maister Iohn Husse and maister Hierom ending their letters in this sort the premisses notwithstanding we setting apart al feare mens ordinances prouided to the
paide for the will of Syr William Compton knight as Syr Henrie Guilforde knight one of the executors declared in open Parliament The second cause the great polling which the spirituall men vsed in taking of corpes presents or mortuaries The thirde that priestes being surueyors stewards and officers to Bishops Abbots c. had and occupied farmes graunges and grasing in euery countrey The fourth cause was that Abbots Priors and spirituall men kept Tannehouses and bought and solde wooll cloth and all manner of marchandise as other temporall marchants did The fift cause was their non residencie from their flocks and residencie in the court of Lords houses The sixt was that vnlearned priestes had tenne or twelue benefices and learned scholers in the vniuersities wanted both benefice and exhibition all which grieuances were redressed the same parliament During the same parliament there was brought downe to the commons the booke of Articles which the Lordes had put vp to the king against the Cardinall the chiefe whereof were these First that hée without the Kinges consent had procured himselfe to bée Legate Articles against the Cardinall 2. In all writinges that hee wrote to Rome he wrote I and my King 3. That hée slaundered the Church of Englande to the Court of Rome I and my king which hée saide was facta in reprobum sensum 4. Hée without the Kinges assent carried the great seale with him into Flaunders when hee was sent Embassadour to the Emperour 5. Without the kinges consent hee sent commission to Iohn Gregorie de Cassalis Knight to conclude a league betweene the king and the Duke of Ferrarie 6. That he hauing the Frenchpockes presumed to come and breath on the king The Cardinall had the Frēchpocks The Cardinal confesseth the Articles 7. That hee caused the Cardinals hatte to bee put on the kinges coyne 8. That hee had sent innumerable substance to Rome for the obtayning of his dignities to the impouerishing of the Realme These Articles were confessed all of the Cardinall and assigned with his hand Anno. 1531. Notwithstanding the kings goodnesse towardes him the Cardinall being in his Dioces The Cardinal vnthankfull to the king wrote to the Court of Rome and to diuers other Princes letters in reproche of the king and endeuoured to winne fauour of the people with pompe and great gifts to the Gentlemen which the king although he knew his doings dissembled all that yeare till he saw his heart so lifte vp with pride that hee thought it not conuenient to suffer him any longer so he directed his letters to the Earle of Northumberland The Cardinall arrested and prisoned willing him with all diligence to arrest him and to deliuer him to the Earle of Shrewsburie which was accordingly done and the vi day of Nouember he was conueied from Cawood to Sheffielde Castle and there deliuered to the Earle of Shrewesburies keeping When the Cardinall was thus arrested the king sent Sir William Kingstone knight Captaine of the Garde and Constable of the Tower of London to fetch the Cardinall to the Tower when the Cardinall saw the Captain of the Garde he was so sore astonished that shortly after hee became sicke men said he willingly tooke such quantitie of a strong purgation that his nature was not able to beare it and the matter that came from him was so blacke that the stayning thereof could not be gotten out of the Blankettes by any meanes By easie iourneies he was brought to the Abbey of Leicester the xxvij day of Nouember where for very feeblenesse of nature The Cardinall dieth caused by purgations and vomits he died the second night following and there lyeth buried It is testified by one yet liuing in whose armes the Cardinall died that his bodie being dead was blacke as pitche and was so heauie that sixe could scarce beare him and furthermore did so stincke aboue the ground The Cardinals bodie did stinke aboue ground that they were constrayned to hasten the buriall thereof in the night season before it was day At the which buriall such a tempeste with such a stinke there arose that all the Torches went out and so he was throwen into the Tombe This Cardinall founded a new Colledge in Oxford for the furniture whereof he had gathered together all the best learned he could heare of amongst which number were these Clarke Tyndall Sommer Frith and Tauerner with other mo Which holding assemblie together in the Colledge were counted to be Heretikes and thereupon were cast into a prison of the Colledge where was kept Saltfish through the stinke whereof the most part of them were infected and Clarke thereof died being young and tender and a man of singular learning among them all And other in other places in the Towne also of the same infection deceassed In the time of the Cardinall Master Humfrey M. Humfrey who was a right godly and sincere Alderman of London was troubled and put in the Tower for the Gospel of Christ and for the mainteyning of them that fauoured the same but at length he was forced to abiure Abiure and after was made knight by the king and Sheriffe of London Anno 1530. Thomas Hitten 1530. Tho. Hitten Martyr a Preacher at Maidstone after long torments sundry imprisonments by Wil. Warham Bishop of Caunterburie and Fisher Bishop of Rochester was burned at Maidston for the testimonie of the trueth Anno 1531. Thomas Bilney 1531. Tho. Bilney of Cambridge professour of both Lawes conuerted Thomas Arthur and M. Hugh Latimer then Crossebearer at Cambridge on procession daies and preached against the intollerable pride of the Cleargie and the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome being associate with Arthur whereof the Cardinall hearing cast him into prison and anno 1527. accompanied with a great number of Bishops as Caunterburie Cutbert of London Iohn of Rochester c. came into the chapterhouse at Westminster where Bilney Arthur were brought before them Where the Cardinall demaunded whether Bilney had preached any of the opinions of Luther contrarie to the Catholike Church Whereto Bilney answered negatiuely being asked againe of the Cardinall whether he had not taken an oath not to preach or defend any of the opinions of Luther he graunted he had so sworne but not lawfully Which Interrogatories so ministred and answere made the Cardinal caused him to sweare to answere plainly to the Articles and errours preached and set foorth by him Who hauing béene thus sworne and examined the Cardinal procéeded to the examination of M. Arthur there present causing him to take the like oath Then the Cardinall and the Bishops by their authoritie ex officio did call for witnesses against M. Bilney Iohn Huggen chéefe Prouinciall of the Fryers Preachers throughout all England Geffrey Iulles and Richard Iugwoorth Professors of diuinitie of the same order Also W. Ierkett Gentleman William Nelson and Thomas Williās and so the Cardinall because he was otherwise occupied in the affaires
sherife Master Woodrooffe which so cruelly handled M. Bradforde Gods iudgement that his right side being stricken with a palsey hee so remayned till his dying day eyght yeres together Master Bradford wrote a whole volume of Letters Bradfordes Letters to sundrie persons out of prison And greatly strengthened and comforted many to the Citie of London to Cambridge into Lankesshire and Chesshire to the towne of Walden with a nūber other to priuate persons The next day after M. Bradford Iohn Leafe did suffer in Smithféeld Williā Munge préest died in pryson at Maidstone being there in bondes for religion like to haue suffered if he had liued Vpon the iij. of Iulie Anno 1555. died one Iames Treuisam in the parish of S. Margaret in Lothberie and was borne vpon a table without coffin or any thing else into Moore-féeld and there buried The same night the body was cast vp aboue the ground and his sheete taken from him and he left naked After this the owner of the field seeing him buried him again The dead body summoned to appeare to answere And a fortnight after the sumner came to his graue and summoned him to appeare at Paules before his ordinary to answere such thinge as should be laide against him The 13. of Iuly Iohn Bland parson of Adesham in Kent I. Frankesh Nicholas Sheterden and Humfrey Middleton were all foure burned together at Canterbury Foure martyrs in Canterbury for one cause whereof Frankesh and Bland were ministers and preachers He was twise before put in prison for the Gospell and by suite of friends deliuered but because he coulde not kéepe silence in his liberty but preach vnto the people he was the third time imprisoned The xiij or xiiij of Februarie he was sent to Canterburie gaole where he lay x. wéekes and then was bayled and bound to appeare at the next Sessions at Canterburie But the matter being exhibited to the Spirituall Court there it was heard So that the xviij of May he was examined by Harpsfielde and againe the xxi And from them tossed to the Sessions at Gréenewich the xviij and xix of Februarie And after much reasoning with the Commissarie and other of the Spirituall Court he was condemned the xxv day of Iune by the S. of Douer R. Thornton sometimes a Professor assisted by the Commissarie Robert Cellius and the archdeacon Nicholas Harpsfield The same day were the rest afore named condemned and suffered ioyfully together at Canturburie the xij of Iuly at two stakes al in one fire The same moneth of Iuly next after the suffering of the Kentishmen aboue named Nicholas Hall bricklayer and Christopher Wade Nicholas Hall Christopher Wade martyrs of Dartford suffered were condemned by Maurice B. of Rochester about the last day of the moneth of Iune Nicholas Hall was burned at Rochester about the xix of Iuly In which moneth of Iuly thrée other more were condēned by Maurice whose names were Ioane Breach widow Iohn Horpoll of Rochester and Margerie Polley Christopher Wade of Dartford in the Countie of Kent lynen draper was appointed to be burned at Dartford About x. of the clocke the Shiriffe bringeth Wade pinioned and by him one Margerie Polley Margerie Polley comforteth Wade of Tunbridge both singing a Psalme Which Margerie so soone as shée spied a great multitude gathered about the place where she should suffer wayting her comming she said vnto Wade very lowde and chéerefully you may reioyce Wade to sée such a company gathered to celebrate your mariage this day Wade cōming to the stake tooke it in his armes embracing it kissed it and being setled thereto his handes and eies lift vp to heauen He spake with a chéerefull and lowde voice the last verse of the 86. psalme Shew some good tokē vpon me O Lord Wades praier that they which hate me may sée it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast helped me comforted me Néere vnto the stake approched a Frier intēding some matter while Wade was a praying Whom when he spied he cried earnestly to the people to beware of the doctrine of the whore of Babylon with such vehemencie that the Frier withdrew himselfe without speaking any word Thē réeds being set about him he pulled embraced them in his armes alwaies with his hands making a hole against his face that his voice might be heard which they perceiuing that were his tormentors alwaies cast faggots at the same hole Which he notwithstanding stil as he could put off his face being hurt with the end of a faggot cast thereat Then fire being put to him he cried vnto God often Lord Iesus receiue my soule And beyng dead and altogether rosted his handes were held ouer his head as though he had béene staied with a prop. The 22. of Iuly was burned at Lewes within the countie of Sussex one Dyrick Caruer Dyrick Caruer Béerebrewer in the parish of Bright-hamstéed in the same countie the next day was also burned at Steining Iohn Lander Iohn Lander late of Godstone in the county of Surrie Which two mē with others about the end of the moneth of October were apprehended by Edw. Gage gentleman as they were at praier in the house of Dyrick by him were sent vp to London to the Counsell who after examinatiō sent them to Newgate there to attend the leisure of Boner From whence they were brought the viij of Iune next after into the B. chāber in his house at Londō Where being examined earnestly perswaded with and no hope to peruert thē after diuerse examinations they were condēned the x of Iune of the B. in his cōsistorie at Paules afterwards were conueyed to the places afore mentioned where they gaue their liues chéerfully and gladly for the testimonie of the truth Dyrick was a man blessed with tēporall riches which notwithstanding were no clog to him during his imprisonment although he was well stricken in yéeres as it were past the time of learning yet he so spent his time that being at his first apprehensiō vtterly ignorāt of any letter of the booke yet could he before his death read any printed English In his praier at the stake he vttered these words oh Lord my God thou hast writtē he that will not forsake wife childrē house and all that euer he hath take vp thy crosse follow thée is not worthy of thee Dyrick Caruers words at the stake but thou Lord knowest that I haue forsaken all to come vnto thée Lord haue mercy vpō me for vnto thée I commend my spirit my soule doth reioyce in thée These wordes were the last that hée spake till the fire was put vnto him And after the fire came to him he cried Lord haue mercy vpon me and so died At Chichester about the same moneth was burned one Tho. Iueson Tho. Iueson of Godstone in the county of Surrey Carpenter after perswasion in vaine to recant When he had said
AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE BOOKE OF ACTS AND MONVMENTES OF THE CHVRCH Written by that Reuerend Father Maister Iohn Fox and now abridged by Timothe Bright Doctour of Phisicke for such as either through want of leysure or abilitie haue not the vse of so necessary an history All day long are we counted as Sheepe for the slaughter Psal 44. How long Lord holy and true Apocal. Cap. 6. verse 10. Imprinted at London by I. Windet at the assignment of Master Tim Bright and are to be sold at Pauls wharf at the signe of the Crosse-keyes 1589. Cum gratia Privilegio Regia Maiestatis To the Christian Reader COnsidering the great vse and profite of that worthie worke of Actes and Monumentes written by Master Iohn Fox of blessed memorie and by reason of the largenes of the volume and great price how the most were bereaued of the benefite of so necessarie an Historie J often wished some man would take the paines to draw the same into an Abridgement that both those that are busied in affaires or not able to reach to the price of so great a booke might also haue vse of the historie with them that neither want leisure nor hability sufficient But seeing hetherto nothing done that way nor hearing of any that had it in purpose J vētured vpon the labor my self thus haue performed it for thy vse wherein J haue omitted nothing to my remembrance and as my iudgement serued me that is materiall to the historie so farre as the nature of an Abridgement would permitte As for Treatises Disputations Epistles and such like J leaue them to be read all together in the large Booke which I doe exhort thee gentle Reader the rather for my Abridgements sake to buy and vse For as the copiousnes of that notable worke hath hid the riche treasures of the same through charge of price and mens affaires So this my labour may geue thee an assay and appetite to know further whereof thou maist here take as it were the taste J assure thee in mine opinion there is not a booke vnder the Scriptures more necessarie for a Christian to be conuersant in There is no Burgesse of a Citie that hath care of his corporation but would be glad to know how in times past the world went with his Corporatiō that therby he may vnderstād the better how to be haue himselfe therein as occasion shall serue and not onely woulde desire to knowe the lawes of the same but also what examples haue any way beene geuen touching the same Euen so it becommeth much more Christians that are Citizens of the church of Christ and haue a communitie in that bodie to know not onely the lawes of this Citie which is the word of God but also what hath befallen either good or bad and euerye accident whereupon experience may arise by example and wisdome thereof to be put in vse accordingly We may read what hath befallen the worthiest Commonwealths in this world and what stormes they haue endured and all sunke vnder them This Common-wealth of the Church standeth for euer though the stormes that haue blowen vpon it haue beene more boysterous than any other state hath endured And by reason of cōtinuāce geueth great varietie of examples of Gods prouidence of his mercie of his fatherly chastizements and correction and of that holy faith which hath ministred inuincible strength of constancie patience to this heauenly state of Christes Church in the middest of all stormes of tryall And here mayst thou reade not onely what hath beene suffered of the olde Fathers of the church who haue with their bloud purchased vnto vs this freedome of the Gospell but of late times what thy father thy mother thy broher and thy friēd haue suffered for like testimonie wherby the sincerity of the Gospel standeth at this day When I say in this Abridgement thou maist reade these things J mean much more in the large volume where all such matters lie open at the full and whereto I pray thee let this my labour be as it were an introduction And if thy hability serue thee or any other disposition thereto J pray thee let not this booke withdraw thee For Abridgements in all kinde of learning haue byn vsed for such respects as J haue before mentioned besides the memorie embraceth them more readily and not to hinder great volumes Neither doo they of their own nature work such effect If slouth of some persons neglect them so are they punished therfore in wanting that belongeth vnto them to know yet through Abridgementes haue some furniture of that profitable instruction whereof otherwise they would be vtterly ignorant It is said Iustines Abridgement lost Trogus Pompeius Trogus peraduenture is lost but whether through Iustines Abridgement that hardly can be proued and had it not beene for Iustine we had lost with Trogus the history too The case is far otherwise since printing was knowen for who would lose a leafe of Liuie for any Abridgement Before it may be charge of written Copies might be some cause why the large volumes were not so vniuersall And I pray thee if the Author him self the fittest of all men being an History so meet euen for the meanest Christian especially in these times and conteyning recordes of such things as are els no where to be had had takē it in hand had it not byn thanks-woorthy Yet so had beene greater danger in decaying the booke at large in regard of the more sufficient performance of the worke than by this of mine I trust the matter needeth no An Abridgement of the first volume of the Ecclesiasticall history of Acts and Monuments of Martyrs The History is deuided into fiue partes 1 The first is of the suffering time of the Church 300. yeere after Christ 2 The growyng and florishing time of the same other 300. yeeres 3 The declining time other 300. vntill the losing of Sathan about the thousand yeere after Christ 4 The time of Antichrist which cōtinued in full swinge 400. yeeres 5 The time of reformation these later 288. yeeres IN the 17. of the raigne of Tiberius Nero Tiberius Nero. Christ Christ suffered the 34. yéere of his age Tiberius raysed no further persecutiō yet liued he seuen yéeres after the death of Christ and raigned in all 23. yéeres Him succéeded C. Caligula C. Caligula hée commaunded his Image to be set vp in the temple at Ierusalem and to be worshipped And after him succéeded C. Nero C. Nero. D. Nero. D. Nero. Claudius raigned 13. yéeres Domitius 14. In the latter end of whose raigne Peter Paule Peter and Paule were put to death for the faith of Christ Anno 69. About this time an 73. and 40. yéeres after the passiō of Christ the 3. yéere after the suffering of Peter and Paule the Iewes were destroied Titus Vespasian Iewes destroyed by Titus and Vespasian his father who succéeded Nero to the number of eleuen hundred
and raigne of these 4. king of Northumberland king Iua raigned in West saxe who succéeding Cadwallader the last king of the Britains begā his raign ann 689. and raigned with great valiantnes ouer the West Saxons the terme of 37. yéeres About the 16. yere of the raign of this Iua or Iue Etheldred king of Mercia after he had raigned there 30. yéeres was made a monke after an abbot of Bardney About the 18. yéere of the raigne of Iua King Iua made a monke and after an abbot died the learned worthy bish Aldelmus Aldelmus first abbot of Malmesburie afterward B of Schirburne He was next vnto Bede in learning and vertue he wrote diuers Epistles and Poems The sea of Schirburn was afterward vnited to the sea of Winton Moreouer about the 25. yéere of Iua died S. Iohn of Beuerley then Bishop of Yorke Iohn of Beuerley and was buried at the porche of the minster of Beuerley In the time of this foresaide Iua The right obseruing of Easter now first receiued of Picts and Brittaines beganne the right obseruing of Easter day to be kept of the Picts and Brittains in the obseruing of which day thrée things are chiefly necessarie 1. The full moone of the moneth of March 2. The Dominicall letter 3. The equinoctial daies It tooke place through the busie trauel of Theodorus Cuthlacus but namely of Egbert whom they termed the holie monke and of Colefride abbot of Serwin in Northumberland who wrote to Narranus or Naivnus the king of the Pictes about the same who also wrote amōg other things of the shauē crowns Shauen crownes of priests saying it was as necessarie for their vowe for restraint of their lustes as it is for anye Christian man to blesse him against spirites when they come vppon him The letter is very ridiculous notwithstanding being read before king Naiton he rose from among his noble men and gaue thanks to God for the aduise of shauing knéeling on the ground The K. thanketh God for the priests shauen crownes and caused it to bee obserued among his people defacing the errors that had bin vsed the space of 404. yéeres Now when king Iua had ruled the West Saxōs 37. yéers he was perswaded by Ethelburga his wife to go to Rome there to be made a mōk Which hauing lōg time before persuaded not preuailing she caused the faire palace of the king where they had bin the day before The deuise of Ethelburga the Queene to be filled full of dung hogges vile beasts to be laid in the chiefe chambers in their own chamber a sow to be laid with her yong pigges and bringing the king thither againe within a while therevpon declared vnto him the vanity of this life and perswaded him to be a monke Wherevpon shortly after he resigned his kingdome to Ethelardus his nephewe and in great deuotion went to Rome after he had raigned seuen thirty yeres after whose departing Ethelburga his wife went vnto Barking The Q becommeth an Abbesse seuen miles from London where in the Nunry of Barking before founded of Erkenwald she continued ended the rest of her life when shee had continued Abbas of the place a certaine time This Iua was the first king that graunted a penny for euery fire house through his dominion to be paid vnto the Court of Rome which after was called Rome scotte or Peter pence and long after was paid in manie places of England Peter-pence Iua was the first of Saxon kings that set foorth lawes to his countrie to the number of 80. and odde Next vnto Osoricus king of Northumberland followed Celulfus Celulfus a learned king Diuers learned men flourish Bedaes Anglorum historia whō he had adopted brother to Kenred This Celulfus as hée was learned so in his time diuers learned men flourished in England among whom was Beda who vnto the same king Celulfus offered his historie intituled Anglorum historia not onely to be ratified but also to bee amended by his learning and knowledge Beda Beda was an Englishman a Priest and of the Monasterie of Peter and Paul at Wire and was borne in the same Territorie About the xix yere of his age he was made a Deacon and the xxx a Priest From which time til the age of lix he occupied himselfe in wryting Treatises and interpreting of Scriptures which rose to the number of xxxvij Volumes which he digested into xxviij Bookes This Beda for the same of his learning was sent for by Pope Sergius who wrote vnto Chelfride the Abbot of Wire to send him vnto him He liued in trauel of studie till the age of lxij yeres At length drawing to his ende being sick vij wéekes together besides other occupyinges of his minde and studies which he did not intermitte Beda translated the gospel of Iohn into English he translated the Gospel of Saint Iohn into English So he died pronouncing very many comfortable wordes to those that stoode round about him vpon Ascension day in the same yere that Nothelinus was restored to the Archbishoprick of Canterburie This Celulfus king of Northumberlande before mentioned after he had reigned viij yeres was made a Monke in the Abbey of Farne otherwise called Lincolne or holy Iland Where by his meanes licence was geuen vnto the monks of that house only to drink wine or ale which before The K. made a Monke by the institution of Aidanus before mētioned drank nothing but milke and water After whom succeeded Egbert his cosin brother to Egbert the same time Bishop of York which brought againe thether the Pall that his Predecessors had forgone since the time of Paulinus who left that Sea and fled to Rochester The said Egbert also erected a noble Librarie in Yorke whose example I would other Bishops now would follow A noble Librarie in Yorke by a Bishop About the beginning of Egberts reigne was Cutbert Archb. of Canterburie who conuented a great Synode of Bishops and Prelates in the yere of our Lorde 747. in the moneth of September néere to the place called Clonesho in the which Synode assembled these articles were enacted First that Bishops should be more diligent in looking to their office admonishing the people of their faults 2. That they should liue in a peaceable mind one with another 3. That euerie Bishop once in a yere should goe about all the Parishes of his Dioces 4. That the Bishops should admonish their Abbots and Monkes to liue regularly and that Prelates should not oppresse their inferiors but loue them 5. That they should teach the Monasteries which the Secular men had inuaded and could not be taken from them to liue regularlie 6. That none should be admitted to orders before his life were examined 7. That in Monasteries the reading of holy Scriptures should be more frequented 8. That Priestes should be no disposers of secular busines 9. That they should take
of his raigne notwithstanding many troubles he builded the colledge of Canons at Exeter and was buried at the Abbey of Winburne or Woburne After whose decease for lacke of issue the land fell to his brother Alured or Alfred ann 872. who first of the English kings Alfred of the English K. taketh his vnctiō from the Pope tooke his crowne and vnction of Pope Leo at Rome Hee after great alteration and diuers troubles forced the Danes to séeke for peace which was concluded vpon certaine couenants wherof one and the principall was that Gutrum their K. should be christened The other that such as would not be christened should depart the Realme Vpon these couenants Gutrum comming to Winchester The king of the Danes christened was there christened with xx of his great Nobles To the which Gutrū K. Alured being his Godfather at the baptisme named him Athelstane and gaue him diuers Countreys as of East-anglia conteyning Norfolke and Suffolke and part of Cambridgeshire and graunted to the Danes that were christened the Countrey of Northumberland the rest voyding the land Athelstane raigned xi or xij yeres Alfred buylded diuers houses of Religion as the house of Nunnes at Shaftesburie and the religious houses at Etheling Also another at Winchester named the new Monasterie and endued richly the Church of Saint Cutbert at Durham Hee sent also into India to pay and performe his vowes to saint Thomas of India which he promised in the time of his distresse against the Danes After hee had reigned nine and twentie yeres and sixe monethes he changed this mortall life and deuided his goods into two equall partes the one to vses secular the other to vses Ecclesiasticall Of the which the first he deuided into thrée portions the first for behoofe of his familie the second vpon his buildings the third vpon strangers The other second into foure partes the one to the reliefe of the poore Alfred a notable king an other to monasteries the third to the Schooles of Oxford for the maintening of good letters the fourth he sent to forraine Churches without the Realme He deuided the day and the night into thrée partes Eight houres if he were not let by warres A notable spēding of the time by the king and other affaires hée spent in studie and learning Other eight in praier almes déedes And the other eight in natural rest sustenance of his bodie and néedes of the Realme He especially prouided against robbing and théeues by seuere execution In such sorte that he caused to be set vp through his Dominion gilded brooches and none so hardie neither by day nor night to take them downe His vertues were many he was learned wise religious and valeaunt especiallie about the West part of the land he erected Schooles and mainteyned Students although among the Britaines in the towne of Chester in Southwales long before that in the time of King Arthure as Galfridus wryteth both Grāmer and Philosophie with the tongues were taught In the time of Egbert king of Kent some writers affirme that this land began to flourish with Philosophie About which time also some thinke that the Vniuersity of Grantchester néere to that which is now called Cambridge began to be founded by Beda Grantchester founded by Beda following this coniecture therein for that Alcuinus who went to Rome and from thence into Fraunce in the time of Charles the great where he first began the Vniuersitie of Paris was first traded vp in the same Schoole of Grantchester Paris began from Grantchester Bed lib. 3. cap. 18. writing also of Sigebert king of the East-angles declared how Sigebert returning out of Frāce into Englād according to the examples which he did there sée ordered and disposed Schooles of learning through the meanes of Felix then Bishoppe and placed in them Teachers after the manner of the Cantuarites And yet before these times it is thought there were two Schooles or Vniuersities within the Realme the one for Gréek at the town of Greglade which was after called Kirklade the other for Latine which was then called Latinlade afterward Lethelade néere to Oxford Alfrede very learned This King Alfrede was eleuen yeres of age before hee began to learne Letters hauing to his Master Pleimundus afterwarde made Bishoppe of Canterburie and grew so in knowledge that he trāslated diuers latin works as Orosius Pastorale Gregorij the histories of Bede Boetius de Consolat philosophiae also an Enchiridion of his owne making He compiled also an Historie in the Saxon tongue called the historie of Alfred He suffered no man to aspire to any dignitie in his Court except he were learned and caused all his Nobles to set their children to learning if they had no sonnes then their seruaunts He began also to translate the Psalter into English The Psalter translated by king Alfred and had almost finished the same had not death preuented him These endeuours he tooke in hand that the English nation might be furnished with knowledge which was decayed before by the innumerable volumes burned by the Danes The king carefull to furnish the land with knowledge He vsed chiefly the wise counsell of Neotus Neotus who was counted then an holy man and was Abbot of a certaine monastery of Cornewall by whose aduise hée sent for Grimbaldus a learned monke out of Fraunce and for Asserion an other learned man out of Wales whome hée made Bishop of Schireborne also out of Mercia hée sent for Werefrithus Bishop of Worcester to whom hée put the Dialogues of Gregory to be trāslated By the aduisement of Neotus he ordained certaine schooles of diuerse artes first at Oxford and fraunchised the same with many great Libraries Moreouer besides other learned men which were about Alfred histories make mention of Iohannes Scotus Iohannes Scotus a godly deuine and a learned Philosopher but not that Scotus whō we call Duns who came after this many yéeres This Iohannes Scotus at the request of Carolus Caluus the French king translated the booke of Dyonisius intituled De Hierarchia out of Gréeke into Latine word by word Hée wrote also a booke De corpore sanguine Domni which was after condemned by the Pope Scotus booke De Corpore condemned In concilio Vercellensi He wrote also a booke De naturae diuisione wherein he accorded not with the Romish religion whervpon the Pope writing to Charles of this Scotus complained of him so he was constrained to remoue out of France and came into Engl. to Alured as some say by the letters of Alfred of whō he had great intertainment till he went to Malmesburie where he was slaine of his owne schollers whō he taught with their penkniues Scotus slaine of his scholers King Alfred had by his wife two sonnes Edward and Ethelward and thrée daughters Elflena Ethelgora Ethelginda which all he caused to be instructed in learning Edward succéeded in the kingdome Ethelward died before
William of York Hée was poysoned in his chalis Archb. poysoned in his chalice by his Chaplains In the xvi yere of the reigne of this king Theobaldus Archbishoppe of Canterburie and Legate to the Pope held a Councell at London wherein was concluded appellations from Councels to the Pope found out by Henry Bishop of Winchester In the time of King Steeuen died Gracianus a Monke of Bononia who compiled the booke called The Popes decrées also his brother Petrus Lombardus Petrus Lombardus Bishop of Paris Maister of Sentences wrote his foure bookes of Sentences These two were the greatest doers in finding out that the similitude onely of bread and wine remained in the sacramentes Some write that Petrus Comestor Petrus Comestor the writer of the Scholasticall history was the third brother In this time also liued Hildegard the Nunne and prophetisse Hildegard the nunne and prophetisse in Almaigne By this K. was builded the abbey of Feuersham where his sonne and he were buried He builded the monasterie of Finerneys and of Fomitance Much about the same time came vp the order of the Gilbertines Gilbertines by one Gilbert sonne to Iacoline a knight of Lincolnshire Theobald Priests no rulers in worldly matters the Archb. of Canterb. among other matters decréed that priests should not be rulers of worldly matters and that they should teach the Lords praier Créed in english Mattheus Parisiensis writeth how Stephen K. of England reserued to himselfe the bestowing of spiritual liuings and inuesting of prelats ann 1133. At which time also Lotharius the Emperour began to doe the like had not Bernardus giuen him contrary councel Then came into the Church the manner of cursing with booke bell and candle Booke bel and candle deuised in the Councell at London holden by William B. of Winchester vnder P. Celestinus who succéeded after Innocentius an 1142. Also Lotharius who succéeded after Innocentius an 1142. Also Lotharius succéeded in the Empire Conradus the nenew of Henricus 5. an 1138. Who onely among the Emperors is founde not to haue receaued the Crowne at the popes hand In the dayes of this Emperour who reigned fiftéene yeares were diuers Popes as Celestinus 2. Lucius 2. Eugenius 3. Betwixt P. Lucius Lucius and the Romanes was great strife for the Romanes would haue recouered their auncient libertie in choosing their consuls and Pope Lucius in the fight was well beaten and liued not long after Pope Eugenius Eugenius after him followed the same course An. 1145. and compelled them to abolish their consuls and to take such Senators as he should assigne Then followed Anastasius Anastasius the 4. And after him Adrianus the 4. an Englishman Adrianus pope an Englishmā by his name called Breake speare belonging once to S. Albons He likewise kept great stur preuailed against the Romanes for the former causes and thundered against Fredericus the Emperour Hildegardis a Nunne and as many iudged euen the papistes themselues a Prophetisse liued anno 1146. and prophecied against the whole rowte of Romish prelats and of the fal of that Church especially against the senior Friers and such other bellies of the same In a certain place she hath these wordes And now is the law neglected among the spirituall people Hildegard prophecieth against the kingdome of the Pope which neglect to teach and to doe good things The maister likewise and the Prelates doe sleepe despising iustice and laying it aside c. And in another place Then shall the crowne of Apostolicall honour be deuided because there shal be no religion among the Apostolicall order and for that cause shall they despise the dignitie of that name shall set ouer them other men and other Archbishops In so much that the Apostolike sea of that time by the diminution of his honor shall haue scarce Rome and a fewe other Countreyes thereabout vnder his dominion And these things shall come to passe partly by incursiō of warres and partly by a common Councell Iustice flourish when the Pope is ouerthrowen and consent of the Spirituall and Secular persons Then shall Iustice flourish so that in those dayes men shall honestly applie themselues to the ancient customes and discipline of auncient men and shal obserue them as men in times past haue done c. Shee prophecied also of the Friers In those dayes shall rise a senselesse people proud gréedie without faith and subtill which shall eate the sinnes of the people holding a certain order of foolish deuotion vnder the fained cloke of beggery c. But this order shall be accursed of all wise men and faithfull Christians they shall cease from all labour and giue themselues ouer to idlenesse choosing rather to liue by flattery and begging hauing familiaritie with women teaching them how to deceiue their husbandes by their flattery and deceitfull wordes and to robbe for them for they will take all these stolen euill gotten goods and say giue it vnto vs we will pray for you so that they beyng curious to hide other mens faults do vtterly forget their owne And alas they will receiue all things of rouers pickers spoilers théeues sacrilegious persons vsurers adulterers heretikes schismatikes apostataes whores and bawdes of noblemen periurers merchants false iudges souldiers tyrants princes of such as liue contrary to the law and of many peruerse and wicked men following the perswasion of the Diuell the swéetnesse of sinne a delicate and transitorie life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation c. Henry the 2. sonne of Ieffrey Plantagenet and of Mawd the Empresse and daughter of king Henry the first raigned after Stephen and continued 35. yéeres Within a yéere or twaine after the entry of his raigne he made Thomas Becket Thomas Becket Lord Chauncellor of England About the yéere of our Lord 1158. Gerhardus and Dulcinus Nauarrensis did earnestly preach agaynst the Church of Rome mainteyning Gerhardus against the church of Rome that prayer is not more holie in one place then in another that the Pope is Antichrist Pope Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiect and the very whore of Babilon Whore of Babilon prefigured in the Apocalips c. These two Anno one thousand one hundred and fiftie eight brought with them thirtie into England who by the king and prelates were burned in the forehead and so sent out of the realme And after as Illyricus writeth were put to death by the Pope Put to death by the Pope The Emperour Fredericus successor to Conradus marched vp to Italy to subdue there certaine rebels The Pope hearing thereof came to méet him with his Cardinals at Sutrium the Emperour seing the Bishop alighted of his horse to receyue him The Emp. holdeth the popes stirrop on the wrong side holding the stirrop on the left side whereat the Pope shewed himselfe somewhat agréeued but the next day with holding the right stirrop
exchange for the holie crosse and certaine other of the christian captiues After this King Richard purposed to besiege the City of Ioppe where by the way betwéene Ioppe and Achon néere to a towne called Ashur Saladine put to flight Saladin encountring the king was put to flight and the chase followed thrée miles by the christians so that he had not such a losse in 40. yeres before and but one Christian captaine called Iames Auernus in that conflict was ouerthrown From thence king Richard went to Ioppe then to Ascalon where he foūd Ioppe forsaken Ascalon thrown to the ground and the whole land of Syria forsaken throughout all which countrey the king had frée passage without resistance In the meane space of the kings absence William B. William ruffleth in the kings absence the B. of Ely ruffled and began to suspend the Canons Clearks vicars of the church as of S. Peter in Yorke because they receiued him not with procession Vnder which interdiction he held them til they were fain at last to to fal down at his feet causing al their bels to be let down out of the stéeple 1500. horse the Bishops traine He commonly neuer rode vnder 1500. horses of chaplens priests other seruing men waiting vpon him He was couetous giuen to wantonnes and intollerable pride and so long as it lasted held all vnder him but it lasted not long King Richard at his setting out toward Hierusalem left order that Earle Iohn and Gefferey his brethren shoulde not enter into England the space of 3. yéeres but Iohn was released afterward of that bond Also the K. being at Messana in Sicily sent his mother Alinor to the Pope for his brother Geffery elected before to the sea of Yorke to be cōsecrated Archb. but as she was trauelling to Rome Clement dieth pope Clemēt died the 6. day of April Celestine Pope in whose roome succéeded Celestinus the third who the next day after his consecration came from Laterane to S. Peters Church Where standing vpon the staires before the churchdoore of S. Peter he receiued an oath of Henricus king of the Almanes that he should defend the Church of God and al the liberties thereof mainteine iustice also to restore againe the patrimony of S. Peter ful and whole And finally surrender againe to the Church of Rome the city of Tusculanum c. Vpon this graunt the pope tooke him to the Church and annointed him for Emperour and his wife for Empresse who there sitting in his chaire pontificiall held the crowne of gold betwéene his féete The pope setteth the crown vppon the Emperors head with his feete and dasheth it off againe so the Emperour bowing down his head to the popes féete receaued the Crowne and the Empresse likewise The crowne béeing thus sette vppon his head the Pope eftsoones with his foote stroke it off againe declaring thereby that hée had power to depose him if hée deserued it Then the Cardinals taking vp the crowne set it on his head againe Now Geffery being cōsecrated through licence of the pope Celestine by the Archb. of Turon came into England After his consecration the Bishoppe of Ely hearing thereof charged him not to enter and to remember his oath made to the king at his setting forward toward Hierusalem moreouer he threatned to apprehend him The Archbishop notwithstanding arriued at Douer in the moneth of September where the Chauncellors men stood ready to apprehend him from whom he escaped and came to the monkes house of Douer Which house the Chancellors men beset so that he could not escape and on a day when he had sayde masse as hee was standing at the Altar with his garments yet about him they rushed in and layde handes vppon him bounde him and drewe him through the dyrt The Archbish rudely handled and so committed him to Mathewe Clarke theyr Constable to bee kept These thinges beeyng brought to his Brothers eare the Earle Iohn hee the twelfth of October and the Archbishoppe of Roan with all the Bishops Earles and Barons and Citizens of London assembled together in Paules-churche where Ruffeling W. deposed for his great enormities they agreed to depose William the ruffeling Chauncellour and to place in his roome the Archbishop of Roan The third day after this the Chancellor came to Douer where he remained a few dayes and contrarie to his promise purposed to take shipping to passe ouer the Seas and disguised himselfe in the apparel of a woman hauing in his hand a meat-wand and on his arme a péece of linnen cloth And thus as he was sitting vpon a rocke wayting for his ship a certaine Fisherman espying him W. is taken disguised like a woman and supposing him to be an harlot came to him and so with striuing with him found him to be a man whereat hee wondred and began to make an outcrie against him Whereupon came great multitudes wondring at him haling and drawing him by the collar and sléeues through stones and rockes and at length laid him in a darke celler in steade of a prison Now Earle Iohn hearing of this within viij dayes after sent word that they should deliuer him and let him goe W. goeth ouer Sea So he went ouer Sea and directed letters to the Pope of the iniuries done vnto him and also into Siria vnto king Richard Vpō which complaint Pope Celestine wrote a thundering letter vnto the prelates of England that they should with book bell and candle procéed against earle Iohn and other his adherents with no lesse seueritie then if the iniuries had béene done vnto his owne person c. But none could be got to execute the commandement of the Pope And the other part wrote likewise to king Richard complayning of the abuses of the Chancellor This Bishop of Elie wrote vnto him that the French king set vp Iohn his brother to possesse his kingdome being councelled thereunto by the Templars Whereupon the K. séeing the Duke of Burgundie The K taketh truce with the Saracens the Frenchmen shrinke from him toke truce offered by the Saracens vpon the condition that if the king would restore vnto him againe Silauonia in as good state as it was when he tooke it he would graunt to him and to all Christians in the lande of Ierusalem truce for thrée yeres Not long after an 1193. the next Spring hee returned and in his iourney by the tempestes of weather about the partes of Histria The K taken in his returne from the Saracens warre and sold to the Emperour Chalices crosses and shrines sold to redeem the king in a Towne called Sinaca was there taken by Lympold Duke of the same Countrey and so solde to the Emperor for 60000. markes and was kept by him in custodie a yere and thrée monethes and at length released for 14000. Poundes which Summe of money was here gathered and made in England of Chalices Crosses Shrines and other Church
Moreouer that the Gospell of Christ should be preached no more but fiftie yeares and then this euerlasting Gospell should rule the Church c. Item that whatsoeuer was in the whole Bible A blasphemous gospel of the Friers was in the same Gospell conteyned At the length this Friers gospell was accused to the Pope and so sixe persons chosen of the whole Vniuersitie to peruse and iudge of this booke as Christianus Canonicus Beluacensis Ododoaco Nicholaus de Baro Iohannes de sicca vella Anglus Iohannes Belim Gallus Among whom this Guilielmus also was one who mightely impugned this pestiferous deuillish booke These sixe after the perusing of this booke were sent to Rome The friers also sent their messengers withal where they were refuted and the errors of the booke condemned but so that the pope with the Cardinals commanded the said booke to be abolished and condemned not publikely tendering the estimatioÌ„ of the religious orders but the they should be burned secretly and the bookes of the foresaid Guilielmê° to be burned withall Among other besides of the age-which withstood the B. of Rome and his antichristian errors was one Laurence Laurence an Englishman and master of Paris another was Petrus Ioannes P. Iohannes P antichrist Rome Babylon Dead bones burned a Minorite Laurence was about the yere 1290. who proued the Pope to be Antichrist the Sinagogue of Rome great Babylon The Pope after his death caused his bones to be taken vp and burned To these is to be added Robertus Gallus an 1290. who being born of right noble Parentage for deuotion sake was made a dominike Frier R. Gallus He had diuers visions against the Pope Visions against the pope and Sea of Rome Hee called the Pope an Idoll He forewarned as is in a certaine Chronicle declared how God would punish the simonie and auarice of the Cleargie with such a plague that riuers should run with bloud It is saide there is remayning a great volume of his visions To these fathers is to be ioyned Rob. Grosted B. of Lincolne R. Grosted B. of Lincolne a man famouslie learned in the iij. tongues in philosophie He wrote diuers bookes and one speciall Sermon he exhibited in foure sundrie scrowles to the Pope and other foure Cardinals beginning Dominus noster Iesus Christê° c. He wrote diuers Inuectiues against the Pope Inuectiues against the Pope The Pope amongst his other intollerable exactions had a certain neuew so the popes are wont to cal their sonnes named Frederike being yet vnder age whome Innocent would néedes preferre to be a Chanon or Prebende in the Church of Lincolne and directed downe his letters to certaine his factors here in England for execution of the same Wherewith Grosted was greatly offended and maketh a quick and sharpe answere to the Pope whereat he fretting and fuming answered with a proud looke and fierce mind what old doting franticke wretch is this so boldly and rashly to iudge of my doings By swéete S. Peter and S. Paule were it not but vpon our owne clemencie and good nature we are constrained we would hurle him downe to such confusion that we would make him a fable a gasing stocke an example and wonderment to all the world K. of England the popes manciple vassall page for is not the king of England our vassall and to say more our manciple and page which may at our pleasure and becke imprison him and put him to vtter shame This when the Pope had in rage vttered scarse were his Cardinals able to appease him with gentle and milde wordes declaring vnto him the inconuenience if he should so procéede besides giuing great commeÌ„dation of Grosteds learning and godlinesse These wordes spake Lord Giles a Spanish Cardinall to the pope and this Councell gaue the rest vnto him that hée should winke at these things Manifest and knowne that once should come a defection from Rome least some tumult might arise thereof especially seing this is manifest and knowne to all men that once must come a defection and parting from the church of Rome Not long after this Robert Grosted died at Budgen In time of his sicknesse he called vnto him a Preaching frier one Iohn Giles and did greatly complaine of the disorders of the Friers and of the Romane clergie prouing the Pope to be an Hereticke The pope an hereticke declaring and reprouing manifold abuses of the church of Rome and said that this old verse may truly be verified vpon it Eius auaritiae totus vix sufficit orbis Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit vna Romane vertues that is The whole world doth scarse satisfie his couetousnesse neither doth one harlot suffise for his leacherie and in the end prophesied R. Grosted prophesieth against Rome and dieth Neither saith hée shall the Church be deliuered from the seruitude of Egypt but by violence and force and by the blouddy sword So scarse able to vtter his words with sighing sobbing wéeping his tongue breath failed and so finished his daies He departed An. 1253. Of his decease thus writeth Math. Paris pag. 278. Out of the prison and banishment of this world which he neuer loued was taken the holy bishop of Lincolne Robert at his Mannor of Buckdune on the éeuen of S. Dionise The vertues of R. Grosted who was an open reproouer of the pope and of the king a rebuker of the Prelates instructer of the clarks fauourer of scholers preacher to the people persecutor to the incontinent a diligent searcher of the Scriptures a maule to the Romans A maule of the Romans and a contemner to their dooings c. This Robert Grosted caused to be viewed and considered diligently of his clerkes what the reuenew of forrenners and straungers set in by the pope came to by the yéere and it was found Pope InnoceÌ„t the 4. a great impouerisher of christendome and euidently tried that pope Innocent the fourth did impouerish the vniuersall Church of Christendome more then all his predecessors from the time the pope first began so that the reuenewes of forreners clerks placed by him here in England 70000. markes reuenewes of forreners placed in the land by the Pope mounted to the summe of 70. thousand markes and aboue whereas the méere reuenewes of the crowne came not to 30. thousand Mathias Parisiensis reporteth that pope Innocentius an 1254. being maruellous angry with Grosted contrary to the mind of his Cardinals would haue his bones to be cast out of the church and purposed to bring him into such spite that he should be counted an Ethnicke a rebell disobedient person throughout the world and therevpon caused his letters to be sent to the king of England knowing that the king would gladly serue his turne therein to haue the spoile of the bishop and his Church But the night following Grosted appéered vnto him comming in his Pontificalibus Grosted appeereth in a
Towneshippe was condemned in sixe score thousand pound The Towne of Bury fined at 120000. poūd to be paide for damages of the house Iohn Berton Alderman with two and thirtie Priestes thirtéene women and one hundreth thirtie and eight others of the same Towne were outlawed of whom certaine confederated priuilie in the night burst to the Abbot of Chemington The Abbat of Cheuington and tooke him and secretelie conueyed him ouer Sea to Dist in Brabant where they kept him in great penurie and miserie till at length being knowen where he was hee was brought home with procession and restored to his house againe Nich. Trimet Flor. hist After Edward the 2. succéeded his sonne Edward 3. K. Edward 3. about the age of 15. and raigned 50. yéeres An. 1344. The clergy of England graunted to the king a tenth for thrée yéeres for the which the king againe in recompence graunted vnto them his charter A charter from the king to the clergy contayning these priuiledges That no Archbishop or Bishop should be arraigned before his iustices Siue ad sectam suam siue partis If the said clarke doo submit and claime his clergie professing himselfe to be a member of the holy Church who so doing shall not bée bound to come to his answere before the Iustices and if it shall be layd vnto them to haue married two wiues or to haue married a widow the Iustices shall haue no power to procéede against them to inquire for the matter so that the cause shall bée reserued to the spirituall court c. About this age as before God raysed vp learned men who layd open the abuses of the Church as Gregorius Arminensis Gregorius Arminensis according to Trithemius who dissented from the Papistes and Sophisters as wée doo in doctrine of Fréewill counting the Papistes and Sophisters in that point worse then the Pelagians Taulerus Taulerus a preacher of Germany in Argentine taught anno 1350. against mens merites and inuocation of Saints and was an enemy to all superstition to whom may be added Franciscus Petrarcha Franciscus Petrarcha of the same age who calleth Rome the whore of Babilon the mother of errour the Temple of Heresie c. and higher in the yéere one thousand thrée hundred and fortie Iohannes de rupe Scissa Iohannes de rupe Scissa was cast in pryson for rebuking the Spiritualtie of their great enormities hée called the Church of Rome the whore of Babylon Rome the whore of Babilon and the Pope the minister of Antichrist and the Cardinals false Prophetes beyng in pryson hée wrote a booke of prophestes touching the affliction that honge ouer the heades of the Spiritualtie calling his Booke Vade mecum in tribulatione Vade mecum in tribulatione About the yéere 1340. in the citie of Herbipone was one named Maister Conradus Hager M. Conradus Hager who is recorded to haue maintained and taught the space of foure and twentie yéeres the Masse to be no manner of Sacrifice for which his doctrine hée was taken and inclosed in pryson Not long after this about the yéere 1350. Gerhardus Rhiddor Gerhardus Rhiddor wrot against the Monkes and Friers a booke intituled Lachrima Ecclesiae Lachryma Ecclesiae About the yéere 1322. liued Michaell Cesenas Michael Cefenas principall of the Grayfriers and Petrus de Corbana of whom writeth Antonius in quarta parte summae and saith they were condemned in the extrauagant of Pope Iohn with one Iohannes de Poliaco Iohannes de Poliaco Their opinions were that Peter was no more the head of the Church then the other Apostles that the Pope hath no authoritie to depose Emperours that Priests are equall in authoritie Michaell wrote against the pryde tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome the whore of Babylon drunken with the bloud of Saints Rome Babylon drunken with the blood of the Saints c. For this cause hée was depriued of his dignitie and condemned of the Pope hée left behind him many followers of whom a great parte were slayne by the pope some were burned as Iohannes de Castilion Iohannes de Castilion and Franciscus de Alcatara Franciscus de Alcatara In extrauag Iohannis 23. With the foresaid Michaell was also condemned Iohannes de Poliaco whose assertions were that euery Pastor in his owne Church ought to suffice to heare confession that pastors and bishops had their authoritie immediatly from Christ and his Apostles and not from the Pope c. After Simon Mepham Archbishop of Canterburie who liued not long succéeded Iohn Stretford after whome came Iohn Offord and liued but ten moneths in whose roome succéeded Thomas and raigned but one yéere Anno 1350. and after him succéeded Simō Iselip Simon Iselip which was made by Pope Clement 6. who sat seuentéene yéeres and builded Canterbury Colledge in Oxforde Canterbury Colledge in Oxford which Simon Iselip succéeded the Bishoppe of Ely named Simon Langham who within two yéeres was made Cardinall In whose steade Pope Vrban the 5. ordeyned William Witlesey Bishop of Worcester to be archbishop of Canterbury ann 1366. In which yéere William Bishoppe of Winchester The new Colledge in Oxford founded the new Colledge in Oxford In the order of Popes next vnto Clement the sixt ann 1353. succéeded pope Innocent the sixt In the first yéere of which Pope two Friers Minors or Franciscans P. Innocent 6. were put to death at Auinion for certaine opinions that séemed to the Pope and his Cardinals erroneous whose names were one Iohannes Rochetailada or Hayabalus who béeyng a Frier minorite beganne first in time of Pope Clement the sixt Anno 1345. to preach that the Church of Rome was the whore of Babylon Rome the whore of Babylon and the Pope with his Cardinalles to be very Antichrist c. In the meane time of his accusation it happened that a certaine priest comming before the Pope cast the Popes bull downe before his féete saying Loe heere take the Bull vnto you for it doeth me no good at all I haue laboured nowe these thrée yéeres with it and yet cannot get my right The pope hearing this caused the poore Priest to bée scourged and imprisoned with the Frier Of Fryer Rachetailada Froyssard maketh mention in his first volume chap. 211. and sayth that Pope Innocent the sixt helde him in prison in the Castle of Baignour for shewing that manie thinges shoulde fall on the Prelates of the Churche for greate superfluitie and pride then vsed amongest them About the same time happened a contention betwéene the Frenche Prelates and the Friers of Paris Contention betwixt the French prelates and the Friers because they preached and hearde Confessions and after much adoo in fine the matter comming vnto open disputation it was concluded by maister Giles one of the Augustine Friers that after his iudgement the Prelates were more on the
truthes side c. Ex Godfrido de Fontanis About this time anno 1354. the Townes men of Oxford spoyled the schollers The townes men of Oxford spoile the schollers and brake vp twentie of the doores of their halles and wounded many of them and slew and threw into priuies and cutte their bookes and billes into pieces and carried away much of their goodes this was done the twelfth of February wherefore the whole Towne was interdicted by the Bishoppe of Lincolne At which time also was graunted to the Vicechauncelour or Commissarie to haue the assise of Bread Ale Wine and all other victualles the Mayor of the towne béeing excluded Also it was decréed that the Commons of the towne shoulde giue vnto the Studentes 251. poundes starling in part of satisfaction reseruing notwithstanding to euerie one of the Students his seuerall action against any seuerall person of the Towne c. The cause of the broyle was for that a Student powred the wine on his hostes head and broke his head with the pot in a certayne brawle Simon Islip archbishop of Canterbury mentioned before with his letters patent directed to all parsons and Vicars within his prouince straightly charged them and their parishioners vpon payne of excommunication not to abstaine from bodily labour vppon certaine Saintes dayes Idle holidaies which were woont before to bée hallowed and consecrated to vnthriftie idlenesse A priests wager Item that no Priest should haue giuen vnto him more than three 3. pounds sixe shillings eight pence for his yéerly stipend which made diuers of them to robbe and steale Anno 1362. After Simon Islip succéeded in the sea of Canterbury Simon Langham then William Wittlesey after whom succéeded Simon Sudbury About the yéere 1360. the Nunnes of Saint Brigets order beganne S. Bridgets Nunnes Queenes colledge in Oxford about which time also was buylded the Quéenes Colledge in Oxford by Quéen Philip of England wife to K. Edward the the third Also in the time of this Pope Innocent Frier Iohn Bishop of Elie moued with certain iniuries as he thought done vnto him by the Ladie Blanche made his complaint to the Pope who sending downe his curse to the Bishop of Lincolne and other Prelates to be executed vpon the aduersaries of the Bishop of Elie commaunded them that if they did know any of the said aduersaries dead and buried yet they shoulde cause the same to be taken vp which also they perfourmed accordingly Of whom some had béene of the kings Councell Wherewithall the king being sore displeased did molest againe the said Prelates which comming to the popes hearing certaine were directed downe from the court of Rome in the behalfe of the Bishop of Elie who méeting with the Bishop of Rochester the Kings Treasourer deliuered vnto him Letters from the Pope the tenure whereof was not knowen Which done they incontinently auoyded away But certaine of the kinges Seruantes pursued after and did ouertake them of whom some they imprisoned and other some they brought to Iustices and so were condemned to be burned This Pope Innocent ordeyned the feast of holy speare Holy speare and holy nayles Holy nayles The names of the Bishops of Canterburie from Lanfrancus and their continuance was this The order of the Bishops of Cant. 34 Lanfrancus ninetéene yeares 35 Anselmus twentie 36 Radulphus eight 37 Guilielmus Curboyle thirtéen 38 Theobaldus twenty foure 39 Becket nine 40 Richardus tenne 41 Baldwinus seuen 42 Hubertus fourteene 43 Stephanus Lancthon two and twentie 44 Richardus foure 45 Edmond of Abenden seuen 46 Bonifacius fiue and twentie 47 Kilwarbie Frier sixe 48 Pecham Frier thirtéene 49 Winchelsey ninetéen 50 Reinold The order of the bishops of Cant. fiftéene 51 Stratforde twentie nine 52 Offord tenne moneths 53 Bradwarden one 54 Islep fourtie seuen About this time beginneth the losing of Sathan who had béene shutte vp now 1000. yeares The ende of the fift Booke The fifth Booke THe first persecution of the primitiue Church beginning at the 30. yéeres of Christ was prophecied to continew two and fortie moneths that is 294. yéeres The ceasing of the last persecution of the primitiue Church by the death of Licinius the last persecutor began Anno 324. begun from the Natiuitie of Christ which was from the 30. yéere of his age 299. The binding vp of Sathan after peace giuen to the Church counting from the thirtie yéere of Christ began anno 294. And lasted a 1000. yéeres that is counting from the 30. yéeres of Christ to the yéere 1294. About which yéere pope Boniface sat in the sea of Rome and made the sixt booke of the Decretals confirmed the order of Friers and priuiledged them with great fréedomes Anno 1294. Vnto the which count of yéeres doth not much disagrée that which Maister Fox saith A prophecie hée found in a certaine old Chronicle prophecied and written in the latter end of a booke which booke was written as it séemeth by a Monke of Douer and remayneth yet in the custody of William Cary citizen of London alledging the Prophecie of one Haynchardus Haynchardus a Grayfrier grounded vpon the authoritie of Ioachim the Abbot prophecying that Antichrist should bée borne the yéere from the Natiuitie of Christ 1260. which is coūting after the Lords passion the very same yéere when the orders of Friers both Dominickes and Franciscans began first to be set vp by Honorius the third and Gregorius the 9. which was the yéere of our Lord counting from his passion one thousand two hundred and twentie six and counting after the Natiuitie of the Lord one thousand two hundred and thrée score whereof the verses in the author are written anno 1283. A prophecie of Antichrist Cum fuerint anni completi mille ducenti Et Decies seni post partum virginis almae Tunc Antichristus nascetur Daemone plenus As diuerse other before times opposed themselues against the Pope so now about the yéere one thousand thrée hundred thrée score agaynst the Pope and his Clergie was set out a Prayer A complaint of the Ploughmā against the clergy complaint of the Ploughman faithfully set foorth by William Tindall against auricular confession shrift penaunce long praier masse singlenesse of priests Images c. Not much before this Iohannes de Rupe Scissa vttered a propheticall parable against the clergie of Rome complaining it to be a byrde decked with the feathers of other foules The church Rome a bird decked with other birds fethers whereof because she was prowd and did not acknowledge the benefit nor from whom she had it the foules pulled euery one their fethers and left her naked and so said he it will befall to the church of Rome About the same time also God raysed vp Armachanus agaynst Antichrist which Armachanus was Primate and Archbishop of Ireland Armachanus Archb. of Ireland who in the time that hée liued had no man that excéeded him eyther in life
afterward was cited and condemned by Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury but what became afterward of him it is not certaine It is plaine by the Chronicle of S. Albons that the Londoners did hinder the Archb. himselfe sitting in the citie of London when he would haue made processe against Iohn Aishton The Londoners fauorers of trueth anno 1382. Nicholas Herford during the time of this Conuocation did not appeare and therefore had the sentence of excommunication against him against which he put in his appeale to the King and his Councell the Archbishoppe woulde not admitte it but caused him to bee apprehended and inclosed in prison yet hee escaped and returned to his former preaching in secrete manner Wherevpon the Archbishop thundered out excommunication against him and wrote letters to the king requiring his sword to chop of his necke In this meane time it is not certainly knowne what became of Wickliffe but as it may bee gathered out of Walden Wickliffe banished it appeareth that he was banished but whersoeuer he were at that time hée wrote a letter to Pope Vrban the sixt purging himselfe therein and also in the same declareth a briefe confession of his faith But this Pope Vrban otherwise called Turban was so hotte in his warres against Clement the French Pope his aduersarie that he had neither leysure nor list to attend vppon Wickliffes matters By reason of the schisme Wickliffe is more quiet by reason of which schisme Wickliffe was in more quiet Anno 1383. Pope Vrban employed Henry Spencer B. of Norwich who was hardly intreated at Lennam for striuing for the mayors mace in suppressing of the Antipope at Auinion in Fraunce and sent Bulles to the same Henry about this time to Croysser whosoeuer would go with him into France to destroy the Antipope that named himself Clement to make wars with al those the tooke his part which was takē in hād accordingly to the end was giuē to the Bishop the fiftinth which was graunted to the king the Parlement before and about the moneth of Maie being come to Canterbury there tarying for a wind in the Monastery of S. Augustine receiued a writ from the king that he should returne to him and know further his pleasure The B. fearing he should be staied notwithstāding the writ entred the seas and arriued at Calis and afterward besieged Grauendie that held with the Antipope and tooke it and there slue man woman and child A cruell Bishop Ex Chron. Mon. D. Albons And after that he had slaine at Dunkirke in the chase twelue thousand of the Frēch of his men only seuen missing and had in vaine besieged Ipres and could not kéepe Graueling returned againe into England In this meane time Iohn Wickliffe eyther béeyng banished or kept in some secrete place Lutterworth VVickliffes parish Church returned agayne within short space and repayred to his parishe Churche at Lutterworth whereof hée was parson and there dyed in the beginning of the yeere one thousand thrée hundred eightie and foure vpon Siluesters day and died olde of whom Thomas Walden his aduersary testifieth VVickliffes constancie that the same pleased him in his olde age which pleased him beyng young This Wickliffe had written diuers and sundry workes which anno 1410. were burnt at Oxforde the Abbot of Shrewesburie being the Commissarie and sent to ouersée that matter and not onely in England but in Boheme also the bookes of Wickliffe were set on fire by one Subincus Archbishop of Prage The number of the volumes which he is said to haue burned being most excellently written W. bookes burned richlie adorned with bosses of gold and rich couerings as Aeneas Siluius writeth were aboue 200. Iohannes Cocleus in his Hist Hus recordeth that there was a certaine Bishop in England which wrote vnto him that he had yet remaining in his custody two mighty volumes of Wickliffes workes which for the quantitie might séeme to be equall to the workes of S. Augustine He wrote also certaine answers to king Richard the second touching the Title of the King and the Pope and whether the king may for his defence in time of necessitie withhold his treasure from the Pope In which he declareth the Popes vsurpation and that Lordly dignitie which by the institution of the Apostles is forbidden him c. Wickliffe had many fauourers euen of the Nobilitie as well as of the lower sort His speciall fauourers were these Iohn Clenbone Wickliffes fauourers Lewes Clifford Richard Sturmes Thomas Latimer William Neuell Iohn Mountague which plucked downe all the Images in his Church Beside all these was the Earle of Salisbury who for contempt in him noted toward the Sacrament in carrying it home to his house was enioyned by Badulph Ergon Bishop of Salisbury Penance to make in Salisbury a crosse of stone in the which all the story of the matter should be written and hee eue Fridaye during his life to come to the Crosse barefoote and bareheaded in his shirt and there knéeling on his knées to doe penance for his fact Ex Chro. Mon. de albon In vita Rich. 2 The Londoners at this time trusting in the mayors authoritie the cleargy spirituall men being choked with bribes The Londoners take vpon them c. and winking at vice tooke vppon them the office of the B. in punishing vices belonging to the ciuil law as fornication adulterie c. Ex eod Wickliffe had diuers testimonies of his great learning and godlinesse as of the Vniuersitie of Oxford sealed with the Vniuersitie Seale But so farre did his doctrine take place that the Councell of Constance to destroy it did decrée that fourty fiue of his articles were hereticall and 41. yeres after his death VVic bones burned after his death Persecution commanded his bones to be taken vp and burned Thomas Walden in his booke de sacramentis sacramentalibus saith that after Wickliffe many suffered most cruell death and many also did forsake the Realme In the number of whom was William Swinderbie Walter Brut Iohn Puruey Richard White VVilliam Thorpe Raynolde Peacock Bishop of Asaph and afterwardes of Chichester Iohn Scotte and Philip Norris which being excommunicate by Pope Eugenius the fourth anno 1446. appealed to a general or oecumenical Councel Peter Paine who flying from Oxford into Boheme did stoutly withstande the Sophisters as touching both kindes in the Sacrament of the supper and afterward among the rest of the Orators was one of the fourtéene that were sent to the Councell at Basil where by the space of thrée dayes he disputed vpon the article touching the ciuill dominion of the Cleargie in the yere 1438. Also the Lord Cobham fauoured and followed VVickliffes doctrine as did the Bohemians who by the meanes of a Bohemian Student in Oxford of a noble stocke that carried with him into Bohemia certaine of VVickliffs booke De realibus vniuersalibus de ciuili iure diuino de Ecclesia
the Secular power the Emperor commanded Ludouicus Duke of Bauaria that he should take Husse of the Bishops hands and deliuer him to those that shoulde doe the execution The place appointed for his execution was before the gate Gothebian betwéene the gardens and gates of the suburbes When Iohn Husse was come thether knéeling vpon his knées and lifting his eyes vp to heauen he prayed and said certaine Psalmes and specially the 51. and 31. psalmes and they which stoode by heard him oftentimes in his prayer with a merie countenance repeate this verse Vnto thy handes O Lord I commend my spirite c. Which thing when the Lay people behelde which stoode next vnto him they said what he hath done before we know not but now we sée and heare that hee prayeth very deuoutly and godly When as by the commandement of the tormentors hée was risen vp from the place of his prayer with a loud voice he said Lord Iesu Christ assist and helpe me that with a constant and patient minde by thy most gratious helpe I may beare and suffer this cruell and ignominious death whereunto I am condemned for the preaching of thy most precious word and holy Gospel So he was tied to a stake toward the West because said they he was not worthie to looke towarde the East The behauiour of Husse at his death and strawe and fagots being put to him Ludouicus Duke of Bauaria before fire was put vnto the wood with another with him the sonne of Clement came and exhorted him that he would yet be mindfull of his safetie and renounce his errors To whom he said what errors should I renoūce when as I know my selfe guiltie of none This was the principall ende and purpose of my doctrine that I might teach all men penance and remission of sinnes according to the veritie of the gospell of Christ and the exposition of holie Doctors Wherefore with a cherefull mind and courage I am here redy to suffer death When he had spoken these words they left him and hauing shaken hands they departed Then was the fire kindled and Iohn Husse began to sing with a loude voice Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue mercie vpon me and when he began to say the same the third time the wind droue the flame so vpon his face that it choaked him yet notwithstanding he moued a while after by the space that a man might say almost thrée times the Lordes prayer The bodie being burned to ashes with great diligence they gathered them together and cast them into the riuer of Rhine They cast the ashes of Husse into the Rhine that not so much as any memorie or remnant of him might be left Cocleus in his second booke contra Hussitas thinketh that the author that writte this historie of I. Husse was called Iohannes Prizibram a Bohemian who after succéeding in the place of Iohn Husse at Prage at last is thought to haue relented vnto the Papistes And thus much concerning the death of I. Husse who was burned at Constance an 1415. about the moneth of Iulie Being in prison Treatises of H. in prison he wrote diuers treatises of the commandemēts of the Lord of prayer of mortal sinne of matrimonie of the knowledge and loue of God of thrée enemies of mankind the flesh the world and the deuill of repentance of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ of the sufficiencie of the law of God to rule the church c. He had also many prophetical visions An. 1415. April iiij M. Ierom of Prage gréeuously sorowing for the slanderous reproach and defamation of his coūtrey of Boheme also hearing tell of the manifest iniuries done vnto the man of worthie memorie I. Husse fréely and of his own accord came to Constance Ier. of Prage commeth to Constance there perceiuing that I. Husse was denied to be heard and that watch and ward was laide for him on euerie side hee departed to Iberlinge a Citie of the Empire vntil the next day which Citie was a mile from Constance From thence hee wrote his Letters to Sigismund king of Hungarie and his barons requyring him of safeconduct which being denied him the next day he wrote certain intimations which he sent to Constāce to be set vpon the gates of the citie of the churches monasteries and houses of Cardinals and other Nobles and prelates requiring that if any had ought to charge him with of Heresie they would repaire thether where he should be ready to satisfie them requiring also in the same safeconduct and frée accesse which when it would not be graunted the Nobles Lords Knights c. especially of Boheme present in Constance gaue vnto Maister Ierome their letters patentes confirmed with their seales for a witnesse and testimonie of the premisses wherewith Ierome returning againe into Boheme Treason against Ierome of Prage was by treason of his enemies taken in Hirssaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and was brought backe againe to the presence of the Duke In the meane time Palletz and de Causis such as were enemies to Iohn Husse required that Hierome might be cited before the Councel which was accordingly performed maister Hierome cited by reason of his intimation and the Duke brought him bound vnto Constance with a great and long chaine to whom after they had obiected certaine friuolous matters they deliuered him being bound vnto the officers of the citie of Constance to be caried to prison for that night where he was comforted of Peter the Notary and one Vitus Hierome carried to prison Peter the Notary Vitus Which being knowne when it drew towardes euening the Archb. of Rygen sent certaine of his seruants which ledde away Hierome being strongly bounde with chaines both by the handes and by the neck and kept him so for certaine houres When night drew on they caried him vnto a certaine tower of the citie in S. Paules Churchyard where they tying him fast vnto a great block and his féete in the stockes his hands also being made fast vpon them left him The block was so high that he could by no meanes sit there upon but that his head must hang downward where he lay none of his friendes knowing of his conueyāce away two daies ij nights reléeued only with bread water wherof M. Peter hauing knowledge by one of his kéepers desired that he might haue leaue to prouide him meat which was granted Within 11. daies after so hanging by the héeles he vsed so smal repast Ierom falleth sicke that he fell sore sicke euen vnto death whervpon he desired to haue a confessor which was hardly and with great importunitie graunted him Now he had béene in prison one yéere lacking but seuen daies After they had put Iohn Husse to death about the feast of the Natiuitie of Mary the virgin they brought foorth M. Ierom whom they had kept so long in chaines vnto the church of
contrary wil mainteyn defend the law of our Lord Iesu Christ and the deuout hūble and constant preachers thereof euen to the shedding of our blood dated at Sternberg ann 1415. c. Round about the same letters were 54 seales hāging and the names of them whose seales they were 54. seales to the letter subscribed An. 1414. by Henry Chichley Archb. of Cāterbury much was the affliction and trouble of good men here in England which cruelty Iohn Claydon Iohn Claydon currier of London Richard Turming Rich. Turming first tasted of The 17. day of August an 1415. Iohn Claydon did personally appeare arrested by the mayor of London for suspition of heresie before Henry Chichley Archbishop of Canterbury in Paules Church who being demaunded Constancy denied it not but frankly confessed that for 20. yéeres space he had bin suspected therof for which also he had suffered 2. yéeres imprisonment at Conuey thrée yéeres in the Fléete out of which prison he in the raigne of king Henrie the fourth was brought before L. Iohn Scarle then Chancelour to the king and there did abiure all heresie and errour And being demanded of the Archbishop confessed that since his abiuration he had in his house written English bookes of religion and had frequented the company of diuers godly mē Which confession being made the Archb. did command the bookes to be deliuered to maister Robert Gilbert Doctor of diuinity William Lindwood Doct. of both lawes and other Clearkes to bee examined And in the meane time Dauid Beare Alexander Phillip and Balthasar Mero were taken for witnesses against him and were committed to bee examined to maister Iohn Escourt general examiner of Cāterbury This done the Archb. continued his session til munday next in the same place which was the 20. day of the same moneth and maister Escourt publikely exhibited the witnesses which being read there were after that read diuers tractations found in his house out of which especially out of a booke called the Lantern of light The Lanterne of light that Claidon at his owne costs caused to be written by one called Ioh. Grime being examined diuers points were gathered and noted for heresie Articles First that the Pope was Antichrist and the enimy that sowed tares among the lawes of Christ That the Archbishops and Bishops speaking indifferently are the seats of the Beast Antichrist That the Bishoppes license for a man to preach the worde of God is the Character of the Beast That the Court of Rome is the head of Antichrist and the Bishoppes the bodie That no reprobate is a member of the Church That Christ did neuer plant priuate religions That the materiall Churche shoulde not bée decked with golde The causes of persecution That Priestes vnlawfully kéeping temporall goodes and vnsatiable begging of Friers were the twoo chiefe causes of the persecution of Christians That almes were to be giuen to the honour of GOD onely of goodes iustly gotten to bée giuen to one that is in charitie and to those that haue néede That often singing in the Church is not founded on the scripture That bread and wine remaine in the Sacrament That all Ecclesiasticall suffrages doe profite all godly persons indifferently That the Popes Indulgences bee vnprofitable That the Laytie is not bound to obey the prelates in what so euer they command except the prelates doe watch to geue God a iust accompt of their soules That Images are not to bée sought to by pilgrimages For these articles the archb with the rest did condemne and burne I. Claydons bookes and procéeded to a definitiue sentence of condemnation against him and shortly after hée was had to Smithfield where méekly he was made a burnt offering vnto the Lord an 1415. R. Fabian addeth that Richard Turning Baker was the same time also burned in Smithfield The next yere 1416. the archb of Canterburie in his Conuocation holden at London maketh sharper constitutitions then were before Sharper constitutions then before against the Lollards During the time of which Conuocation two priestes noted for Heretikes were brought before the Bishops the one Iohn Barton and the other Robert Chappel Iohn Barton Robert Chappell Barton because he had béene excommunicated and so stoode 6. or 7. yeres before vpon articles of religion yet sought no reconciliation which being proued against him he was committed to Philip B. of Lincoln to be kept in prison til otherwise it were determined R. Chappel otherwise Holbech sometime chaplen to the L. Cobham because he being vnder excōmunication 3. or 4. yeres did yet in contēpt of the keyes continue saying masse preaching sought no reconciliation So the session brake vp for the time which was about the end of May 1416. The 12. of Iulie next following Chappel submitteth Chappel appeared againe and submitting himselfe with much a doe receiued pardon and was in stead of penance enioyned certayne articles to publish at Paules Crosse As Articles enioyned Chappel that Prelates might lawfullie holde Temporall Lawes That it were vniust and vnlawfull for temporall men vpon any occasion to take away the Prelates temporalties notwithstanding the abuses of them That peregrinations are auaileable to the remission of sinnes That to worship Images doth profite Christians That auricular confession is necessarie That though a priest be in mortall sinne yet may he make the body of Christ That Priestes ought not to preach without the Bishoppes licence That priuate religions are profitable to the vniuersall Church That hee woulde promise and sweare neuer to holde any thing against the premisses Diuers caused to abiure After the setting out of the constitutions of H. Chichesly Archb. of Canterburie diuers godly men were sore vexed and caused outwardly to abiure as Iohn Tayler of the parish of S. Maries at Querne William Iames Master of art and Phisitian who had long time remayned in prison also Iohn Duerfer Iohn Gourdeley of Lincolnshire wel commended for his learning Katherin Dertford a Spinster the Parson of Hyggley in Lincolnshire named M. Robert William Henrie of Tenderden Iohn Gall a Priest of London Richard Monke Vicar of Chesham in Lincolnshire with other mo Collection for the P. to war against the Bohemians During the time of the Conuocation prouinciall Pope Martin had sent down to the cleargie of England for a subsidie to be gathered of the Church to mainteine the Popes warre against the Lollards of Bohemia Also another subsidie was demanded to persecute William Clarke master of arte in Oxford who sayling out of England was at the councell of Basill disputing on the Bohemians side and thirdly another subsidie was also required W. Clarke W. Russel to persecute William Russel which was Wardē of the Gray Friers in London who the same time was fledde and there escaped out of prison Among the rest which were at this time troubled for their faith was Radulph Mungin R Mungin priest against whom it was articulated at
at euening the bel to toll the Auies as it was vsed in the popish time to helpe the souldiers that fought against the Turkes Auies doth helpe thē that fought against the Turkes for which cause he ordained the feast of the transfiguration of the Lord The feast of transfiguratiō solēnising it with like pardons and Indulgences as was Corpus Christi day Also this pope procéeding contrary to the councels of Constance and Basil decréed that no man should appeale from the Pope to any Councell by whom also S. Edmund of Canterbury with diuers others were made Saints S. Edmund of Canterbury made Saint Next vnto Calixtus succéeded Pius Secundus Pius Secūdus Pope otherwise called Aeneas Siluius who wrote the 2. bookes of cōmentaries vpō the councell of Basill This Aeneas at the writing of these his bookes séemed to be a man of indifferent tollerable iudgement and doctrine from the which afterward being Pope he séemed to decline and swarue séeking by all meanes possible to abolish the bookes which before he had written wheras before he preferred generall councels before the P. now being P. he did decrée Pope Pius altered his former iudgemēt that no mā should appeale from the B. of Rome to any councels likewise for priests mariages whereas before he thought it best to haue their wiues restored yet afterward he altered his mind otherwise There was great discord betwixt this P. Dorotheus archb of Mentz vpō the same betwene Frederike the Palatine the duke of Wittenberg with others by occasion wherof Mentz looseth his freedome besides the slaughter of many the citie of Mentz which was before frée lost the fréedome became seruile The causes of the discord betwixt Pius and Dorotheus Discord betwixt P. Pius Dorotheus were these 1. Because that Dorotheus would not consent vnto him in the impositiō of certaine tallages taxes within his countrie 2. For that Dorotheus would not be bound vnto him requiring that the said Dorotheus being prince elector should not call the electors together without his license 3. Because hée would not permit vnto the Popes legates to conuocate his Clergie together after his owne lust This Pius began Anno 1458. After Pius 2. succéeded Paulus Secundus a pope wholy set vpon his belly Paulus Secundus Pope and ambition and a hater of all learned men This Paulus had a daughter begotten in fornication whom because he saw her to be therefore hated began as the stories report to repent him of the lawe of the single life of Priestes The pope for mariages of Priestes Pope Sixtus 4. Stewes at Rome The yeere of Iubile altered once againe and went about to reforme the same Ex Stanisl Rutheo After this Paulus came Sixtus the 4. which builded vp in Rome a stewes for both kinds getting thereby no smal rēts reuenewes This pope among other his acts reduced the yéere of Iubile from the 50. to the 25. He also instituted the feast of the conception and of the presentation of Marie and Anna her mother and Ioseph also he canonized Bonauenture and S. Francis for Saints By this pope also were brought in beades Beades Ladies Psalter and he instituted to make our ladies psalter through the occasion of one Alanus and his order who were wont by putting beades vpon a string to number their praiers This pope made 32. Cardinals in his time of whom Petrus Renerius was the first who A prodigall Cardinall for the time he was Cardinal which was but 2. yéers spēt in luxurious riot 200000 Florens and was left 4000. in debt Weselius Groningensis in a certaine treatise of his de indulgentijs Papalibus writeth of this pope Sixtus that at the request of this Peter Cardinal and of Hierom his brother he graunted vnto the whole family of the Cardinal S. Lucy in the 3. hot moneths Iune Iuly August Liberty for Sodomitry frée liberty to vse Sodomitry with this clause Fiat vt petitur That is Be it as it is asked Next after this Sixtus came Innocentius the eight Innocentius 8. Pope a man verie rude and farre from all learning Amongest the noble actes of this Pope this was one that in the towne of Paulus Equicolus hée caused 8. men and 6. women with the Lord of the place to be apprehended and iudged for heretikes because they said that none of them were the Vicars of Christ which came after Peter but onely they which followed the pouerty of Christ Also he condemned of heresie George the K. of Boheme King of Boheme condemned of the P. and depriued him of his kingdome and procured his whole stocke to be vtterly reiected giuing his kingdom to Matthias king of Pannonia Anno 1461. king Henry the 6. was deposed by Edward the 4. after he had raigned 38. yéeres and an halfe Henry the 6. founded the colledge of Eaton Colledge of Eaton and another house hauing then the title of S. Nicholas in Cambridge and now called the kings Colledge Ex scala mundi This king Henrie reiected the popes buls which graunted to Lewes Archb. of Roane the profites of the Bishopricke of Ely after the death of the Bishop by the name of the administration of the said bishopricke Anno 1461. Henry the 6. being deposed Edward the 4. was crowned king An. 1471. Vpon the assentiō eue K. Henry being prisoner in the tower departed this life was brought by Thames in a bote to the abbey of Chertsey there buried Polydor after he had described the vertues of this king recordeth that king Henry the 7. did afterward translate the corpes of him from Chertsey to Windsore and addeth moreouer that by him certaine miracles were wrought Henry the 6. to be canonized a Saint for successiue change for the which cause Henry the 7. laboured with pope Iulius to haue him canonized for a Saint but the death of the king was the let Edward Hall writing of this matter declareth that the cause of the let was the excessiue fées which were so great of canonizing a king aboue any prelat that the king thought best to kéepe his money in his chest About the yéere 1465. There was here in England a Frier Carmelite who preached in Michalemas terme at Paules crosse in London that our Lord Iesus Christ was in pouertie and did begge in the world Which question was so stirred here that it came to the Popes eares Paulus 2. the next yere following who eftsoons sent downe his bul signifying to the Prelates that this heresie that pestiferously doth affirme An heresie to hold the Christ was a begger that Christ did openly begge was condemned of old time by the Bishop of Rome and his Councels and that the same ought to be declared in al places for a dangerous doctrine and worthy to be troden downe vnder all mens féete Anno 1473. in August one Iohn Goose or Husse was
came thither with the Popes pardons Anno 1530. the Doctors and Friers of Louane and Colen condemned the bookes of Luther as hereticall against whom also Luther effectually defendeth himselfe and sheweth to the nobilitie of Germanie in another booke The yeerely mony that wēt out of Germany to Rome that the mony that goeth yéerely out of Germanie to Rome amounteth to 3000000. Florens Now a while after the coronation of the Emperour the Pope sendeth againe to Duke Fredericke requiring him to cause Luthers bookes to be burned and that hée would eyther sée Luther executed himselfe or send him fast bound to Rome To the Embassadours the Duke answered that before the matter were disputed and the cause made manifest hée might not with any equitie or honour procéede in such sort Two Cardinals notwithstanding tooke and burned Luthers bookes whereof he hearing Luther burneth the popes Decrees burned also as many of the Popes Decrées as he could get and the late Bull also set out against him openly and solemnly with a great number of people following him This was doone the 10. of December On Maunday thursday the Pope curseth Luther Pope curseth Luther and shortly after he hauing the Emperours pasport Luther appeereth at Wormes and beyng sent for also by him appéereth at an assembly at Wormes Anno one thousand fiue hundred and one and twentie about seuentéene dayes after Easter his friendes greatly dissuaded him to whom he answered as touching himself since he was sent for he was resolued to enter Worms in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although he knew that there were as many Diuels Luthers courage as there are tiles to couer the houses at Wormes The fourth day after his repaire to Wormes at foure of the clocke in the afternoone he appéered before the imperiall maiestie Princes Dukes c. where Eckius aboue mentioned who was then B. of Triers generall officiall with a loud voice propounded vnto him in the name of the assembly two questions Eckius questions to Luther 1. Whether the bookes that went abroad in his name were his 2. Whether hée would recant them if they were his To the demaundes Luther answered that the bookes whose titles they had read vnto him hée did acknowledge and as for the second poynt hée craued respite of deliberation that hée might without preiudice of the woord of God and perill of his owne soule answere the interrogatorie which was graunted vnto him till the next day the same houre and then his opinion should not be in writing but pronounced by word of mouth Luthers books of three sortes The next day hée appéered and answered his Bookes were of thrée sortes The first in whiche hée simply declared the religion of Christian faith and good works which the popes Bull it self iustifieth and is not to be reuoked The second sort wherein he had inueighed against the papacie the crueltie exhortiō of the same which if he should reuoke it should adde more force to their tyrannie and open wide gates to their impietie The third sort which he had written was against priuate persons which laboured to mainteine the Romane tyranny and to withstand the true doctrine which hée had professed In which hée confessed hée might haue dealt not with such vehemencie of spirit yet that he could cal nothing of the same backe without preiudice of the cause Albeit he offred himself both to be shewed wherin he erred and to hearken to those that could giue reason and out of the scriptures to the contrary c. These wordes thus pronounced Eckius the Emperours prolocutor with a sterne countenance refused his answere as not direct and plaine Then Luther considering saith hée your soueraigne maiestie and your Honours require a plaine answere this I say and professe as resolutely as I may without doubting or sophistication that if I bee not conuicted by testimonie of the Scriptures and by probable reasons for I beléeue not the Pope nor generall Councels which haue erred many times and haue béen contrary to themselues my conscience is so bound and captiued in these Scriptures and worde of God which I haue alleadged that I may not Luthern answereth directly nor will not reuoke anie manner of thing considering it is not lawfull nor godlie to doe any thing against conscience Herevppon I stand and rest I haue not what els to answere God haue mercie vpon me To this answere Eckius replied againe as insufficient and indirect and fled to the councels but Luther replied and declared how they haue erred and were not méete to determine matters of faith The officiall againe answered that could not be prooued that the councels haue erred but Luther promised to proue it and now night approching the Lordes arose and departed Vpon Friday following the Emperour signified to the States of Germany by his letters that he minded to extirpate Martine Luther and his doctrine The munday following before supper The Emperor purposeth to roote out the Gospell the Archb. of Triers aduiseth Luther that on Wednesday next he shoulde appeare before him at nine of the cloake before dinner and assigned him the place Luther appeares where in the presence of the Archbishop Marques of Brandēburg Duke of Saxonie and other States Doct. Vocus the marques of Bades chaplaine exhorted Luther with a rhetorical oration to recant and spake in defence of the Councels To whom Luther replied that he spake not against al councels but that they might erre it appeared by the councell of Constance which condemned this article of Wickliffe the Church is the communion of the predestinate with other words more which being finished he was bid to stand aside and in the mean while the princes conferred sent for him againe and exhorted him To whom he answered except he were ouerthrown by the scriptures he might not yéeld with a safe conscience Afterward the Archbishop himselfe with gentle and courteous wordes exhorted Luther to submitte which would not be So that within a while after the Archb. officiall declared vnto Luther from the Emperour that hée should within 20. daies return home vnder his safeconduct from whence he came And the sixe twentith of April hee returned Luther returneth the Emperors Herald Gasper Sturm safely conducting him Afte this the Doctours and Schoole-men of Paris wrote against Luther and condemned his bookes and not long after The Emp. outlaweth Luther c. Charles the Emp. directeth a writte of outlawrie against Luther and all them that tooke his part commanding wheresoeuer he might bée gotten to apprehend him and his bookes to bee burned Vppon this Duke Fredericke conueyeth Luther away secretly by certaine faithfull Noble men in which time hee wrote among other Bookes one intituled De abroganda Missa De abroganda Missa dedicated to his companie of Augustine Friers who vppon that beganne to laye downe their priuate Masses This doctrine Wittemberg fauoureth Luther the Vniuersitie of Wittemberg
their Councel béeing asked by the Duke did confirme and councelled the Duke to put downe the vse of the masse in his dominions About the same time king Henrie the 8. bare the name of a certaine booke written against Luther Booke against Luther Defender of the Christian faith in which he defendeth the Popes pardons his authoritie and the matter of the sacrament For which the pope added to his stile and title Defender of the Christian faith Within the compasse of the same yere P. Leo died reioysing of 3. blessings that God had bestowed vpon him First that hee being banished out of his Countrey was restored againe with glorie 2 That he deserued to be called Apostolike 3 That he had driuen the Frenchmen out of Italy After that he had spoken these words he was striken with a sodaine feuer and shortly after died being of the age of 47 yeres albeit some suspected he died of poyson After him succéeded Hadrian 6. In whose time the Turkes wanne Rhodes Pope Hadrian 6. A meeting at Noremberge He liued not much aboue one yere and a half in his Papacie In the time of this Hadr. the councell of Wormes brake vp and another meting appointed by the Emp. and States at Noremberge an 1522. To which méeting the Pope sent his letters and beside gaue his Legate Cheregalius instructions against Luther To whom the princes answered again geuing reason why as yet the Emperors Edict was not executed against Luther and requiring also that his holinesse with the consent of the Emperor would summon a generall Councell with as much spéed as might be wherein matters might be fréelie debated for the benefite of the Church and reformation of the same and that the assembling of that Councel might not be deferred longer then one yere In the meane time they promised to take reasonable order c. At the same time also at Noremberg 100. greeuances of Germanie against the pope the states propoūded an hundred gréeuances of the Germans which they did sustaine from the Sea of Rome as forbidding of marriage in degrées not forbidden by the law of God forbidding of meates not forbidden by God restraint of marriage at certaine times selling remission of sinnes for money innumities of clergy men excommunication abused number of holie dayes ouer burthenous suspending halowing of churchyardes against Officials and ecclesiasticall Iudges that ecclesiasticall Iudges annex lay matters vnto their iurisdiction c. These greeuances they deliuered to the popes legat an 1523. 1523 P. Hadrian dieth P. Clement 7. and so the assemblie of Noremberge brake vp and was proroged to the next yere following In the mean time Hadrian died after whom succéeded Clement 7. who the next yere after sent his Legat Cardinal Campeius vnto the assemblie at Noremberg with many faire petitions sharpe complaints against Luther c. but not a word of the gréeuāces or of any reformation While Luther was absent from Wittemberg Carolostadius And. Carolostadius stirred vp the people to throw downe images in the temples besides other thinges mo which Luther returning to Wittemberg misliked because it was not done orderly by the magistrate to whom it did belong Ex Ioh. Sleid. lib. 3. 1546 L. dieth Luthers praier at his death An 1546. in the 63. yere of his age L died after he had continued writing and preaching 29. yeares Before his death he prayed thus My heauenly Father eternall mercifull God thou hast manifested vnto me thy deare Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ I haue taught him I haue loued him as my health my life and my redemption whom the wicked haue persecuted maligned and with iniurie afflicted Draw my soule vnto thee After he had thus prayed he said as insueth thrise I cōmend my spirit into thy hands thou hast redemed me O god of truth God so loued the world that he gaue his only sonne that all that beleeued in him might haue life euerlasting Frederike prince Elector died before Luther an 1525. 1525 L. fulfilled Ierome of prages prophecie Thus Luther fulfilled the prophecie of Ierom of Prage I cite you al to answere before the most high and iust Iudge after 100. yeres Ierom was burnt 1416. and Luther began to write anno 1516. An. 1524. At the diet of Noremb was much reasoning cōcerning the mariage of priests which cardinall Cāpeius impugned and concerning the liberties of the citie of Strausburgh which the B. would haue infringed taking into his hands the cause of maried priests from the magistrate of the towne against ancient custome agréement betwixt them After the councell of Noremberg immediatly followed another sitting at Ratisbone A councell at Ratesbone where were present Ferdinandus Campeius Cardinall of Salisburgh the two dukes of Bauarie the Bishops of Trent and Ratisbone c. and made many popish Decrées and actes against Luther Actes against Luther which Campeius laboured to haue enacted in a full councell and with the consents of all the Empyre but the mindes of diuerse were gone from the Pope and he was faine to get the same ratified in this particular conuenticle An. 1519. Vldricus Zuinglius 1519 Zuinglius first abiding at Glocrona in a place called our Lords hermitage remoued to Zuricke and there began to teach dwelling in the Minster among the Canons or Monks of that close vsing the same rites with them the space of two or thrée yéeres because Leo the same yéere had renewed his pardons againe he cōtinued by the space of two yéeres more detecting of the abuses of the same till Hugo B. of Constance to whose iurisdiction Zurick did then belong wrote letters to the senat of Zuricke cōplaining greatly of Zuinglius to whom certain of the citie made answere desiring the B. that he would do nothing preiudiciall to the libertie of the gospell Zuinglius hauing referred his cause to the Senate This was An. 1522. Zuinglius also wrote a letter to the whole natiō of the Heluetians monishing them not to hinder the course of the gospell and not to molest priestes that were married and exhorted them to withdraw the libertie of concubines Thus Zuinglius continued certaine yéeres Dominicks against Zuinglius at the last the Dominicke friers opposed themselues wherevpon the Senate of Zuricke sent forth their commaundement to all Priests Ministers to repaire to Zurick against the 29. of Ianuarie next ensuing Anno 1523. That matters touching religion might be fréely disputed of directing of their letters to the B. of Constance that hée would either repaire thether himself or send his deputie At the day came Iohānes Faber Iohannes Faber against Zuinglius the Bishops Vicegerent Zuinglius had before contriued his doctrine into thrée score and seuen Articles and published thē abroad that they that minded to dispute might be better prepared Faber he denieth to dispute the matter and said it was méeter for a generall Councell which said he was néere
ledge of the stake certaine Friers Doctors Priors being present at his examination degradation praied him to cleare them to the people least they should withdraw their almes from them which he did according to their request Then by reason of the great wind the fire thrise departed and had recourse before it coulde be sharpe enough to consume him In the which til he gaue vp the Ghost he knocked his brest sometime crying Iesus sometime Credo and so gaue witnes to the truth and slept in the Lord. About Anno 1527. Simon Fish who fled ouer the seas as Tindall for feare of the Cardinal whom he had offended in playing a parte against the Cardinal in a plaie made the booke of the Supplication of the beggers The Supplication of beggers and the next yéere sent it to the Lady Anne Bulleine which booke her brother séeing in her hand tooke and read it and gaue it her againe willing her to giue it to the King which thing she so did About Anno 1528. The king vnderstanding who made it and how for feare of the Cardinall he had fled ouer seas kept it in his bosome iij. or iiij daies which Fishes wife vnderstanding and hauing encouragement of certaine about the King that signified tokens of the kings good liking shée made suite to the king for the safe returne of her husbande whereto he most gratiously graunted Whervpon after two yéeres and an halfe of absence he returned and was of his wife brought vnto the king about the yéere 1530. who embraced him with most louing countenaunce and after iij. or iiij howers talke as they were riding on hunting dismissed him and gaue him his protection The king giueth Fish his protection About the same time also M. Moddis the kings footman being in talke with the king of religion and of new bookes that were come frō beyond seas said if his grace would pardon him such as he would bring to his grace he should sée such a book as was maruelous to heare of The king demanded who they were he said ij of your merchaunts George Eliot George Robinson The king appointed a time to speake with them so did caused one of them G Eliot to read the book vnto him Which being read the king made along pawse and then said if a man should pull downe an old stone wall begin at the lower part the vpper part therof might chance to fal on his head And then he tooke the booke and put it into his deske and commanded them vpon their allegiance not to tell to any that he had séene the booke Against the supplication of the beggers sir Thomas Moore wrote vnder the title of poore séely soules pewling out of purgatorie Poore seely soules pewling out of Purgatory to whiche Iohn Fryth made a pithie and effectuall replie When the Cardinall and Prelates vnderstood of the supplication of beggers and other English bookes they gaue out a commission against reading of English bookes A Commission against English bookes and namely the booke of Beggers and the new Testament of Tindals translation which was done out of hand by Cutbert Tunstall bishop of London and a short time after they had procured an inhibition by the kinges proclamation Anno 1529. both against English other in the Latine tongue which contained ought against their superstition whervpon ensued great persecution and trouble whereof first tasted Thomas Bilney aforesaid Anno 1529. came foorth the New testament of Tindals translation The testament of Tindals translation which Tunstall and Moore deuised to suppresse through the counsell of Augustine Packington Augustine Packington a Mercer and Tindals fréend by buying all the copies for which he gaue verie largely and so furnished Tindall with monie that he corrected them and set them foorth againe in greater plenty then before being reléeued with the Bishops mony wherewith the bishop being gréeued declared vnto Packington how they swarmed more then before to whom said he my Lord you were best to buie the stampes too and so shall you be sure at which answere the bishop smiled and so the matter ended The same yéere that Bilney suffered Anno 1531. the moneth of Nouember Richard Bayfield Richard Bayfield suffered for the testimonie of the truth and was burned in Smithfield he was sometime a moonke of Surrie and conuerted by Doctor Barnes and two godly men of London brickmakers Maister Maxwell and Maister Stacie Wardens of their companie He so profited in the doctrine of Christe in twoo yéeres that by the Moonkes of this house he was caste into prison and there endured sore whipping with a gagge in his mouth and then stocked and so continued in the same torments thrée quarters of a yéere before Doctor Barnes could get him out which at length he did by the meanes of one doctor Ruffani of the same house From thence Doctor Barnes carried him to Cambridge where he greatly profited in good letters and neuer returned to his Abbie but went to London to Maxwell and Stacie who kept him secréetly a while and after caried him beyond the seas Doctor Barnes being then in the Fléete for Gods woorde where he was beneficiall vnto Tindall and Fryth and at the last returning to London to Maisters Smiths house in Bucklers burie there was he bewrayed dogged to his bookebinders in Marke-lane where he was taken and caried to Lollards tower and from thence to the Colehouse by reason that one parson Patmore parson of much Haddaine in Essex that lying in Lollards tower was confirmed by him in the doctrine of Christ who after abiured and was condemned to perpetual prison but deliuered againe by the kinges pardon But Richard Bayfield continued constant in the Colehouse was worse handled then before in Lollardes tower for there he was tied bothe by necke middle and legges and standing vpright by the walles diuerse times manicled to accuse others that had bought his bookes He was thrise in the Consistorie at Paules put to his triall whether he would abiure or no but he standing to his triall by disputation to the confounding of his aduersaries Bayfield condemned by Stokesly then his iudge with the assistaunce of Winchester and other Bishops he continuing constant in the cause of Christ was condemned the twentie daie of Nouember Anno 1531 in the quéere of Paules and disgraded After which the Bishop tooke his Crosier staffe Cruelty and smoote him on the brest that he threw him downe backwardes and brake his head that he souned When he came to himselfe againe he thanked God that he was deliuered from the malignant church of Antechrist Anon after he was ledde through the quire to Newgate and there rested aboute an hower in prayer and so went to the fire in his apparell ioyfullie and there for lacke of a spéedy fire was half an hower aliue and when the left arme was in the fire and burned he rubbed it with his right
how hée had béene tossed to make him denie his Master which he would not doo for all their tormentes The cause of his death was because he said to a Priest bragging hée was a soule Priest where finde you the soule when you go to Masse and where doo you leaue it when you go from Masse when the Priest said he could not tell how can you then saue the soule said he For this hée was complayned of to William Warham Archbishop of Canturburie and suddainely was taken in his owne house the same day when his wife was churched as he was bringing in a messe of pottage to the borde seruing in his guestes and his féete bound vnder his owne horses belly was caried away to Canterbury neither hée nor any of his friends knowing whether he went where after he had continued in prison fortie daies from Low-sunday till Friday before Whitsontide he was sent to Ashford and there put to death as hath béene declared comfortably and chéerefully giuing testimonie to the truth The end of the eight Booke The ninth Booke AFter the death of king Henry succéeded king Edward King Edward reigneth his sonne being of the age of 9. yeres He began his reigne the 28. day of Ianuary a most happy patrone of the Gospel In his daies Carolus the Emperor made request to the king his counsel to permit Lady Mary to haue masse in her house without preiudice of the law Wherto the king being required by his counsel to giue his consent woulde in no case yéelde to it The K. refused the Emperors suite to permit Lady Mary to haue masse notwithstanding they laide before him what danger might insue to him by breach of amity with the Emperour they being more vrgent vpon him the King séeing their importunate sute in the ende his tender heart bursting out into bitter wéeping and sobbing desired them to be content and so refused to yéelde vnto the Emperours request in that behalfe Because he was young and of tender age he was committed to xvi Gouernours amongst whom especially the L. Edward Seimer the Duke of Somerset his vncle was assigned vnto him protector by whose endeuour the vi articles were abolished Sixe articles abolished whereby the practises of Winchester began to decay This king restored the holy Scriptures in the mother tongue masses he abolished Religion restored and such as were banished were receiued home he chaunged the most part of Bishops of dioces and Churches and compelled the dumbe dogges to giue place to those that would preach Besides other also out of forrein countries were sent for entertained Peter Martyr at Oxford Bucer Paulus Phagius at Cambridge as Peter Martyr who taught at Oxford Martin Bucer Paulus Phagius at Cambridge The old Bishops who were obstinate were committed toward Boner to the Marshalsea Gardiner Tonstal to the tower where they remained thrée yéeres together In this kings time all persecution ceassed and the professors of the Gospel were in all places relieued Only one Thomas Dobbe Tho. Dobbe a student master of artes of Cambridge of S. Iohns Colledge in the beginning of this kings reign was cast in prison for speaking against the masse died in the Counter in Londō being thither committed by the Archbishop of Canterburie whose pardon notwithstanding was obtained by the Lord protector and should haue béene brought him if he had continued The king vntill such time as by consent of the whole estate of parlament hee might establish a more perfect order of religion purposed by the aduise of his counsel of his owne authority somewhat to prosecute his godly purpose Whervpon he chose out certaine wise and learned men to bée his commissioners Commissioners in that behalfe and so diuiding them into seuerall dioces to bée visited appointing likewise vnto euery companie one or two godly learned preachers who all euery session should instruct the people in the true doctrine of the Gospell To those Commissioners were deliuered certaine Iniunctions and Ecclesiastical lawes the which they should both inquire of and also command in his maiesties name or behalfe all tending to the abolishing of popish superstition and establishing of the trueth of the Gospel besides which generall Iniunctions for the estate of the whole Realme there were also certaine others particularly appointed for the Bishops only whereby they were inioyned to sée the other put in due execution besides others which did more particularly confirme them During the time that those Commissioners were occupied abroad the king desiring a farther reformation appointed a parlament the 4. of Nouember in the first yéere of his reigne Ann. 1547. 1547. A Parlament which continued vnto the 24. day of December next following wherein al Acts made before that tended against the Professors of the Gospel were abrogated In the same parlament also it was decréed that the Sacrament should be ministred to all vnder both kindes then also were candles on Candlemas day forbidden ashes on Ashwednesday About the same time also al Images were vtterly taken away and anno 1548. one vniforme order of prayer was instituted in the second yere of his reigne at a Parlament holden the fourth of Nouember that lasted till the fourtéenth of March next ensuing At the same parlamēt was it lawfull also for priests to haue wiues To all these at the first Bonner séemed to yelde but at length bewraied himselfe by suffering dayly to be song the Apostles masse and our Ladies masse c. in diuers of his chappels in Pauls cloking them with the names of the apostles and our ladies communions whereof the Counsell being enfourmed caused him to reforme the abuse To al these good orders diuers priests and popish Iustices shewed themselues vntoward so that the cōmon praier booke was long after the publishing of it either not knowen at all or els very vnreuerently vsed throughout the realm for which the king with his Counsel prouided redresse Bonner yet séeming not to dislike openly of these godly procéedings yet his minde appeared by his negligent putting in execution of those Iniunctions in his owne Dioces Wherupon the xj day of August anno 1549. he was called for before the Counsel and rebuked according to his offence and enioyned to preach at Paules Crosse on the Sunday thrée wéekes ensuing There were deliuered also vnto him Articles whereon he should entreate as they thought most méete with priuate Iniunctions for himselfe to obserue as to preach once a quarter at the Crosse and to be present himselfe at all the Sermons made there to celebrate himselfe the Cōmunion and to administer the same c. About this time through the setting on of the popish Priestes diuers quarters of the Land rebelled as in Cornwall and Deuonshire Rebellion and Yorkshire for their popish religion which were all suppressed The Scots also and French king attempted against the land and were also ouerthrowen The Scots at Muskelborough field and the
Frenchmen at the Iles of Iersey and Garnesey Bishop Boner who the first yere of the kings reigne anno 1547. had submitted himselfe hearing of the death of the Lord Admirall the L. Protectors brother and after that the rising of the kings Subiects began to draw backer and to neglect his duetie Whereupon as hath béene sayde he was called before the Counsell and enioyned to preach that such as rebell against their Prince resist Gods ordinance and to set foorth in his Sermon that the authoritie of the king was no lesse in his young age than was of any of his Predecessors c. Boenr at his time appointed preached at Paules crosse Muskleborow field Scots Frēch ouerthrowen and in steade of declaring such things as were enioyned him he spent his Sermon in the maintenance of the papisticall Transubstantiation and altogether left out the article touching the lawfull authoritie of the K. during his nonage For which so doing I. Hooper afterward B of Worcester and Glocester and M. W. Latimer Bachelour of Diuinitie did exhibite vnto the kings highnes vnder both their names a bill of complaint against him Whereupon the king did immediatly direct foorth his Commission vnder his broad Seale vnto the Archb. of Canterburie the B. of Rochester and other Counsellors geuing them authoritie to call Boner before them and to deale with him according as they should finde cause The tenth day of september Bishoppe Boner was summoned to appeare at Lambeth before the Commissioners before whom he behaued himselfe most vndiscréetely and vnreuerently defacing the authoritie of the Commissioners and shifting of the poynt hee was accused of and in the ende pulled out a Protestation out of his bosome readie written and exhibited it vnto the Commissioners Vnder which protestation he requested to haue a copie both of the Commission and accusation with time to answere therūto Which was granted him he assigned to appeare againe before thē vpō friday at 8. of the clocke before noone the next following and then to answere Vpon Friday the xiij of September Boner appeareth againe at Lambeth before the Commissioners and because Secretarie Smith sate there who was not there the former day Boner shifteth and caueleth Boner cauils thereat and makes delaies of answere and in the end tooke exceptions against his accusers because said he they were heretickes and iustly excommunicated and especially he inueighed against them for the matter of the Sacrament of the Altar and withall denied their accusations to be true and coloured glosed forth his maner of handling the points inioyned him and accompted the iniunctions of the booke forged because they were not sealed nor signed with the kings owne hand And when he had finished reading of his answeres Latimer deliuered vp a writing vnto the cōmissioners containing Articles agaynst him whereof certaine were touching his owne fact as whether he wrote his sermon or not to which he answered that onely he penned certaine notes then what aduise and whose he had to which he answered his owne onely with helpe of his bookes And this he answered an oth being ministred vnto him Ex officio mero These wordes ended the Commissioners assigned him Munday the xvj of September then next to appeare before them and to make his full answeres to all the Articles ministred vnto him by them that day On Mundaie the sixtenth of September hée appeareth againe before the Commissioners and exhibiteth vnto them answeres vnto the laste Articles but before the same were read the Archbishop declared vnto him that his answere made against his accusers denunciation contained matter of slander against them and so signified that they desired there to purge themselues which they both did first Latimer and next Hooper And after much vnséemely behauiour of Boner the Commissioners willed him to make aunswere to the articles obiected the last day against him which he did reading it and answering to euery poynt verie slenderly as to the point of the kings authoritie that he had gathered a note out of Histories and Scriptures of diuerse yoong Kinges who notwithstanding their minoritie were faithfully obeied and reputed for very lawfull kings all which with many other hée had purposed to declare if they had come vnto his memorie which they did not partly for lacke of vse of preachyng and partly by reason of a bill which was deliuered him from the Kinges counsell to declare the victorie hée had agaynst the rebels which confounded his memorie and partely for that his booke fell in his Sermon time from him wherein were diuerse of his notes which hée had collected for that purpose Which answere pleased not the Commissioners who required him to make it more direct whether he had doone as hée was enioyned or not whereto when he would no otherwise answere the cōmissioners did admit presently for witnesses vpon articles against him M. Iohn Cheeke Henry Markham Iohn Ioseph Iohn Douglas and Richard Chambers vpon whom they laid a corporall oth truely to answere Boner against this vnder his former protestation protested of the nullitie of the receiuing and admitting and swearing of those witnesses with protestation also to obiect against the persons and sayings of these witnesses demaunding a lawfull and competent time to minister interrogatories against them Wherewith the Commissioners were contented so that day he obiected against M. Cheeke and the next day before noone he obiected against the rest After this the Commissioners assigned to the Bishop to appeare againe before them vpon Wednesday the next ensuyng betwéene the houres of seuen and eight before noone at Lambeth there to shewe the cause why hee should not be declared Pro confesso vpon all the Articles wherevnto hée had not then fully aunswered but Boner still protesting the nullitie and inualiditie of al their procéedings they did for that time depart In the meane while the Commissioners certified the K. and his counsel of the B. behauiour and cauillations Whervpon the king the 17. of September did send vnto the Commissioners a full declaration of his owne will giuing them full authoritie to procéede at their owne discretions The 8. of September Boner appeareth againe and offereth matter vnto the Commissioners why he ought not to bée iudged pro confesso full of cauillations and vaine quiddities of their law and inordinat contempt In the end they ministred vnto him new articles and receiued witnesses against him but Boner still stoode vpon the nullitie of their Commission and the whole processe desiring a copie of the Articles which was graunted and time til the next day at viij of the clocke Also the same time hee exhibited a cauillation against William Latimer Boner exhibiteth a cauillation against William Latimer So the Commissioners appointed him a new time to appeare on munday next betwéene 6. 9. in the morning then to shew a finall cause why he shoulde not be iudged pro confesso And they deliuered him a copy of the Articles At the time appointed the
be put in practise beyng not directly against the Statutes and Lawes of the Realme 2. That no Bishop or Prelate doo vse the clause Regia authoritate fulcitus 3. That no sacramentarie be admitted to benefice 4. That all Bishoppes do labour especially in the Clergie to suppresse heresies 5. Against bookes writings 6. Against priests mariages and that such as would depart from their wiues should be vsed more fauourably and admitted to the same function But in another place and for want of priests that one priest should serue two places That processions be vsed that holy daies and fasting daies be frequented that the ceremonies be vsed confirmation of children be put in practise and the like prescript also with articles was sent from the Quéene to the Lord Maior of London About the same yéere and time when Doctour Boner set foorth this prescript there came from the Quéene a Proclamation against straungers such as professed the Gospel Vpon this Proclamation not onely the strangers in King Edwardes time receiued into the Realme for religion among whom Peter Martir Iohn Alasco vncle to the king of Poleland but many Englishmen fled some into Frizeland some to Cleueland some to high Germanie wel neare to the number of 800. persons Neare 800. persons flie beyond the seas In the same moneth of March the Lord Courtney whō the Quéene at her first entrie deliuered out of the Tower and Ladie Elizabeth also the Quéenes sister were both in suspition to haue béene of Wiats conspiracie Lady Elizabeth and Lord Courtney sent to the Tower and for the same this March were apprehended and committed to the Tower And although Wiat at his death cleared them both as vnacquainted with the matter yet Gardiner practised to bring them both within the compasse of the same and the Lord Shandoys ioyned therein with him Not long after this a parliament was holden at Westminster in Aprill where the Quéene propounded concerning her marriage to king Phillip and restoring the Popes supremacie Her marriage was agréed vppon but the supremacie would not be obtained as then The Popes supremacie wold not be obteyned The same time when this parliament was summoned the Quéene summoned a conuocation of Bishops writing vnto Boner whom she made Vicegerent in stead of Cranmer being in the Tower after the manner of a new stile leauing out supreme head Likewise Boner giuing her certificate vpon the same leaueth out Authoritate illustriss legitime suffultus which parcels both at the length were taken away at that Parlement In this Conuocation Boner extolling the office of priesthood breaketh out into such an hyperbolicall prayer Boners commendation of Priesthood that they were to be honoured before all kinges of the earth Princes and nobles for said he a Priest is higher then a king happier then an Angell maker of his creatour c. and in some sort like to the virgin Marie for as by speaking sixe wordes fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum shee did conceiue Christ so the Priest by the wordes of Consecration doeth chaunge the bread into the body of Christ Anno. 1554. The x. of March a letter was sent to the Léeftenant of the Tower to deliuer the bodies of Master Doctor Cranmer the Archbishop of Caunterburie Master Ridley and M. Latimer to Sir I. Williams to be conueied by them both to Oxford The xxvj of March there was a letter sent to sir Henrie Doel and one Foster to attach the bodies of D. Taylor parson of Hadley and of Henrie Askew and to sende them vp to the Counsell About the tenth of Aprill Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie Ridley Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer sometime B. of Worcester Cranmer Ridley and Latimer sent prisoners to Oxford were cōueied as prisoners from the Tower to Windsor and from thence to the Vniuersitie of Oxford there to dispute with the Diuines and learned men of both Vniuersities about the presence substance and sacrifice of the Sacrament Their names were these Disputers at Oxford Of Oxford D Weston Prolocutor D. Tresham Doctor Cole D. Oglethorpe D. Pie D. Harpsfielde M. Fecknam Of Cambridge Doctor Yong. Vicechauncellour D. Glinne D. Seaton D. Watson D. Sedgewick D. Atkinson The questions whereon they should dispute Questions to be disputed of were these 1. Whether the naturall bodie of Christ be really in the sacrament after the wordes of consecration be spoken by the Priest 2. Whether any substance doe remaine after the words sauing the bodie and bloud 3 Whether the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie On Saterday being the xiiij of April after dinner the Commissioners and Disputers went all to Saynt Maries church in Oxford and there after a short consultation in a Chappel they came all into the quire and sate all on seats before the Altar to the number of 33. persons 33. Commissioners Cranmer brought before the Commissioners Vnitie with Veritie And first they sent to the Mayor that he should bring in D. Cranmer whō he brought with a great number of rustie Bilmen And being come the Prolocutor exhorted him to vnitie To whom the Archb. modestly answered he would embrace it gladly so it were ioyned with veritie And after a discourse of the same in fewe words the Prolocutor caused the questions to be propounded vnto him and required him to subscribe thereunto Which the Archb. refusing the Prolocutor first willed him to write his minde of them that night and saide moreouer he should dispute on them and caused a copie of the Articles to be deliuered vnto him assigning him to answere thereunto on munday next and so charged the Maior with him againe to be had to Bocardo where he was kept before Then was D. Ridley Ridley appeareth brought who hearing the articles read vnto him answered without any delay and said they were all false and being asked whether he would dispute he answered that as long as God gaue him life they should not onely haue his heart but also his mouth and Penne to defende his trueth But hée required to haue time and bookes They sayde he coulde not And that he should dispute on Thursdaye and till that time he shoulde haue Bookes Then gaue they him the Articles and bad him write his minde of them that night and so he did Then they commanded the maior to haue him from whence he came M. Latimer appeareth Last of all came in Master Latimer who after his deniall of the Articles had Wednesday appoynted for disputation He alleadged age sicknesse disease and lack of bookes wherefore he refused to dispute but he sayd he would declare his minde in wryting or by woordes and woulde stande to all that they coulde laye vpon his back complayning that hee was permitted neither to haue penne nor Inke Neither the Masse nor maribones nor sinowes therof in the scripture nor any Booke sauing the new Testament in his hand which he said he had read ouer seuen times deliberatelie and yet
to giue him entertainment in Duresme house and to furnish him with Bookes and necessaries méete for the busines who prouided for him accordingly So doctor Cranmer wrote his minde concerning the kinges question adding to the same besydes the authoritie of Scripture of general counsails and auncient fathers also his owne opinion that the Pope could not dispence with the word of God Wherupon the king sent certaine learned mē abroad to the most part of the Vniuersities in Christendome to dispute the question Embassage to Rome concerning the kings diuorce as also in Oxford Cambridge wher the vnlawfulnes of the matrimonie was concluded so that the K. prepared a solemne embassage sent to the B. of Rome then lying at Bononie whither went the Earle of Wiltshire Doctor Cranmer Doctor Stokesley Doctor Corne Doctor Bennet and diuers other learned men and gentlemen who when they came before the Pope hee sitting in the chaire of estate offered his foot but none would kisse it sauing a great spaniell of the Earle of Wiltshires who ran tooke the P. by the great toe None would kisse the Popes foot but a great spaniel of the Earle of Wiltshires ran to take the Pope by the toe Cranmer goeth to the Emperour Cranmer satisfyeth Cornelius Agryppa caused him to pul it in in hast In the end the Embassadours were dismissed without disputation D. Cranmer gratified with the office of a penitenciariship Wherupon the Earle and the other commissioners returned againe into England but D. Cranmer went to the Emperour being in his iourney towardes Vienna against the Turke there to answere such men of his court as could say any thing on the contrary part Where he fully satisfyed Cornelius Agrippa an high officer in the Emp. court for which cause Cornelius fel into such displeasure with the Emp his M. that he was committed to prison where for sorow he ended his life From the Emper. court he departed as he returned he satisfied diuers learned men in Germany in that question In the meane space while the matter thus prospered B. Warrham the Arcb. dieth and the Archbishopricke was bestowed immediatly on Cranmer Cranmer made Archb. by the kings gift In which place he behaued himselfe with great liking to the king who would heare no accusation against him and all good men After the death of king Henry in the raign of king Edw. his godsonne K. Edward godsonne to Cranmer his estate was more aduanced Before which time of King Edward it séemed that Cranmer was scarce throughly perswaded in the right knowledge of the Sacrament til being instructed by Ridley he grew so ripe that he tooke vpon him the whole defence of the cause against the popish deuises To whose booke concerning that matter Stephen Gardiner answereth and M. Cranmer replieth learnedly and copiously to him againe Of this Archb. doing was also the booke of the reformation Bookes of Cranmer the Catechisme with the booke of Homilies Also there was a confutation against 88. articles deuised by the Conuocation house of his doing but not receiued in the time of king Henry the 8. King Edward now not like to liue bequeathed the succession of the Realm to the Lady Iane niece to to king Henry the 8. by his sister with the consent of the Counsel Lawyers fearing least Mary should alter religion but Cranmer Cranmer not brought to it against his cōscience wald hardly be brought to assent til he was informed by the lawyers that he might subscribe therevnto King Edward being now dead and Quéene Mary in possession of the crowne she excepted Cranmer out of all pardon and would not so much as vouchsafe to sée him but committed him to the tower yet pardoned him of treason and caused him to be accused of heresie The papists had raised a slaunder that the Archbishoppe had promised to saye a Dyrge masse for King Edwardes funeral to curry fauour of the Quéene which he endeuouring to stay gaue forth in writing his purgation and was challenged of the Quéens cōmissioners for his bil To whō he said he was sory it passed him so as it did for he graunted a copie to Doctor Story who did disperse it for his meaning was to haue made it more at large and to haue set it on Paules Church doore and on the doores of all the Churches in London with his seale set thereto At which words they for the time dismissed him At length it was determined that Cranmer shoulde bée remoued from the Tower to Oxford there to be disputed with for colour sake although they had determined what to do with him before Forasmuch as the sentence giuen against Ridley and Latimer by D. Weston was voide because the authority of the Pope was not yet receiued into the land there was a new commission sent from Rome and a new processe framed for the conuiction of Ridley Latimer Cranmer In the which commission was D. Iames Brooks B. of Glocester the popes subdelegate with Doctor Martin and Doctor Story commissioners in the king and Quéenes behalfe These commissioners being set in place in the Church of S. Mary in Oxford one of the Popes Proctors or els his D. called saying Tho. archb of Canterbury appeare here make answere to that shal be laide to thy charge that is to say for blasphemy contumacie and heresie and make aunswere here to the B. of Glocester representing the Popes person He being brought néerer the scaffold where the Bishoppes sate Cranmer wold do no reuerēce to the Popes subdelegate gaue reuerence to the Quéenes proctors but would not to the Bishop who represented the Pope alleaging he had taken an oath neuer to consent to his authority again When after many meanes vsed the Archb. would do no reuerence the Bishop fell to declare vnto him the cause of their comming and their commission exhorting him with a long Oration to returne to the Popish church Who hauing finished his Oration D Martin beginneth and declareth vnto him as much Who hauing also finished doctor Cranmer after he had knéeled downe on both his knées towardes the West and saide the Lordes praier and rising vp had repeated the Articles of the beléefe began to make profession of his faith vnto them and protested against the popes authoritie and chalenged the B. of periurie for admitting the Pope contrarie to his oath After Glocester had done D. Story then entereth to vexe the seruant of God and laboureth to vphold the Popes Supremacie and required the Bishoppe to make a directe answere to the Articles After he had played his part Doctor Martin taketh him in hand and laboureth to prooue his oth made to the king against the Pope vnlawfull In the end the Iudges willed him to answere directly to certaine Articles Whereto after the Archbishop had answered the Bishop Brookes concludeth his examination with an Oration to satisfie the people geuing the Archbishop vp hee said as an abiect and outcast
escaped the bloudie hands of the tyraunts To those aforesayd are to be added Gertrude Crockhey of S. Catherines William Maulden in the tyme of the six articles Robert Hornebey groome of the chamber to the Ladie Elizabeth Mistris Sandes now wife to sir Morice Bartlet then Gentlewomen waiter to the Ladie Elizabeth while shée was in the Tower Father Rose borne in Exmouth in Deuonshire after much affliction in King Henries daies and more gréeuous in Quéene Maries after his constant witnessing of the gospel escaped and passedouer seas and there liued till the death of Quéene Mary and of late beyng aged of 76. yéeres was preacher in the towne of Luton in Bedfordshire Doctor Sandes likewise Vicechauncellor of the Vniuersity of Cambridge who for his Sermon at Cambridge preached against Quéene Marie was imprisoned in the Tower and afterward in the marshalsea by the meanes of Syr Thomas Holcroft Béeing set at libertye hardly escaped beyonde the seas where hee liued all Queene Maries time in Germanie Anno 1556. there was a complaint against such as fauoured the Gospel in Ipswich exhibited to Quéene Maries Counsel sitting in commission at Beckles in Suffolke the 18. of May An. 1556. by Phillip Williams aliâs Foteman Iohn Steward and Mathew Butler sworne for that purpose The names of such as fled out of the towne Such as fled out of Ipswich for persecution and lurked in secret places were these Of S. Mary tower Rober Partridge Rose Nothingam daughter of William Notingam the elder Of L. Laurence Anne Fenne seruant to Robert Notingam Andrew Ingforby his wife and daughter Ipswich a good towne Thomas Tomson Shoemaker supposed to haue receiued but twise those 17. yéeres Martine Locksmith his wife Of Saint Margarets William Pickesse Tanner Iohn Woodles Couerletweauer and his wife William Harset Bricklayer Thomas Fowler Shoemaker W. Wrightes wife at the Windmill Laurence Waterward late Curate borne in Chorley in Lancashire Of Saint Nicholas widow Swanne Mathew Birde and his wife Stephen Greenwich and his wife William Coleman seruaunt to the sayde Stephen Robert Coleman and his wife Roger Laurence aliâs Sparrow Iohn Carleton Sadler William Colemam Iames Hearst his wife Of Saint Peters Richard Houer apprentise with Nicholas Notingham Richard Hedley a seller of hereticall Bookes Of Saint Stephens Iames Booking Shoemaker his wife Iohn Rawe late seruaunt to Iames Ashley William Palmer Richard Richman Shoemaker his wife daughter to mother Fenkell midwife Of Saint Clements mistres Tooley who departed to Darsham in Suffolke Agnes Wardall the elder Widowe Robert Wardall her sonne Of Saint Mathewes Iohn Shoemaker and his wife The names of such as had not receiued the Sacrament Of saint Clements Robert Braye Iohn Notingham Agnes VVardall wife of Robert VVardal Nich. Notingham Richard Michell William Iordan his wife Rich. Butler Robert Browne Of Saint Peters Iohn Reede Thomas Spurdance Iohn seruaunt to Stephen Greenleefe Of Saynt Stephens Robert Scolding Of saint Margarets Iohn Greenwich and his wife Of saint Nicholas Thomas Sturgeon mariner Iohn Fenne his wife Of saint Marie Kye Robert Branstone brother and seruaunt to William Branstone Of saynt Marie tower Martine Iohnson who lyeth bedredde Agnes his kéeper Benet Alceed seruants to Robert Nottinghā Of saint Laurence Robert Silke his sonne Of saint Marie at Ellens Iohn Ramsey and his wife in prison The names of such as obserued not ceremonies Of saint Clements some refused the Paxe Robert Brage his wife refused to suffer anie childe to bee dipped in the Font Ioane Barber widowe Thomasin her daughter refused to beholde the eleuation of the sacrament Mistresse Ponder mother to Ioane Barber in the same fault Tye a mariner his wife Of saint Marie Ellines Richarde Hawarde refused the Paxe at Masse in Saynt Laurence Of saint Peters Maister Lions at masse at saint Marie Stoke refused the Paxe mother Fentell Ioane Warde aliâs Bentley wife refused to haue their children dypped in the Font. At Saynt Stephens mother Beriefe refuseth to haue children dipped in fontes At S. Nicholas George Bush his wife reiected the host after receit of it Names of priests wiues that had accesse to their husbands RAfe Carletons wife Curate of S. Mathewes and S. Marie at Ellins Elizabeth Cantrell wife to Rafe Cantrell Iane Barker wife to Robert Barker priest late of Burie Latimers wife Curate of S. Laurence S. Stephens William Clarkes wife late curate of Barkham and S. Marie at Ellines The names of the mainteiners against this complaint RObert Stirrop Customer to Quéene Marie Gilbert Stirrop Deputie to Edward Grimstone for his butlerage Maister Butler the elder searcher mistresse Tooly Margaret Bray Ioane Barker widowe mistresse Birde Bastian Man his wife and himselfe Their requests to punish and conuent certaine for example TO conuent Richarde Byrde Iayler who by euil counsell doeth animate his Prisoners of his Secte Thomas Sadler for speaking certaine wordes to Iohn Bate the Crier of the towne that it might please the Bishop to wish his Commissarie and Officiall to be vpright and diligent in their office and to appoint a Curate of abilitie to féede his Cure with Gods worde That none might be suffered to be Midwiues but such as were knowen to be Catholikes That Rafe Carleton Curate might be conuented whether by corruption of mony he hath ingrossed his booke of any that are there named and hath not receiued in déed as it is reported The miraculous preseruation of Lady Elizabeth now our most gratious Queene of England QVéene Mary before she was crowned shewed great fauour to the Lady Elizabeth and would go no whether but would haue her by the hand and send for her to dinner and supper but after shée was crowned shée neuer shewed her any such kindnesse The affliction of Lady Elizabeth our most gratious Queene but kept her selfe aloofe from her After this it happened immediatly vpon the rising of Sir Thomas Wiat that the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney were charged with false suspition of Syr Thomas Wyats rising Wherevpon the next day after the rising of Wyat the Quéene sent for her from her house at Ashridge by thrée of her Counsellers Syr Richard Southwell Sir Edward Hastings then maister of the horse and Syr Thomas Cornwallis with their retinue and troupe of horsemen to the number of 250 who at the same time found her sore sicke in her bedde It was ten of the clocke at night before they came and they were so boisterous that being desired to stay and come in the morning to speake with her they came hastelie rushing into her Graces chamber as soone as the Gentlewoman that was to doe the message frō them to her And comming in vnto her they declared the Quéenes pleasure which was that she shoulde be at London the seuenth day of that present Moneth Adding moreouer vnto her that their Commission was such that they must néedes bring her with them either quick or dead And thereupon called for Phisitions Doctor Owen and Doctor Wendie
staires in the Cardinals chamber at Gréenewich after hée had receiued the Cardinals blessing One Grundwood of Hitcham who was procured by William Fenning to witnes salsly against a godly man one Cooper of Watsame that he should wish if God would not that the Diuell would take away Quéene Mary as hée was in his labour staking vp a gulphe of corne suddainly his bowels fell out and so he died The Parson of Crondall in Kent hauing receiued the Popes blessing from Cardinall Poole shrunke downe in the pulpet and was found dead D. Geffery Chancellor of Salisbury hauing appoynted the day before his death to call 90. persons before him to examination was preuented by Gods hand and so died Master Woodroof who was cruell against M. Rogers was stricken the one halfe of his body that he lay benummed and so continued seuen or eight yéeres till he died and scarse escaped any of them but the hand of God strangely was vpon them all before their death Popish prelates die thicke together about the death of Queene Mary that had defiled themselues with the blood of Gods children Especially it is to be noted how many of the popish prelates died not long before Quéene Mary or not longer after Before her died Coates B. of Winchester Parfew B. of Harford Glinne B. of Bangor Brookes B. of Glocester King B. of Thame Peto elect of Salsbury Day B. of Chichester Holyman B. of Bristow After her Cardinall Poole the next day of some Italian Phisicke as some did suspect then I. Christophorsen B. of Chichester White B. of Winchester Hopton B. of Norwich Morgan B. of S. Dauids Rafe Bayne B. of Liechfield and Couentrie Owine Oglethorpe B. of Carlill Cutbert Tonstall who was no bloudy persecutor B. of Durham Thomas Raynolds elect of Hereford after his depriuation died in pryson Doctor Weston Deane of Westminster after Deane of Windsore chiefe disputer against Cranmer Ridley and Latimer Maister Slythurst maister of trinitie Colledge in Oxford who died in the Tower Seth Holland Deane of Worcester and Warden of Alsoule colledge in Oxforde William Copinger monke of Westminster fell mad and died in the Tower Doct. Steward Deane of Winchester Such of the Popish Cleargie as escaped death and were committed to prison were these In the Tower Nicholas Heath Archb. of Yorke and Lord Chancellor Th. Thurleby B. of Ely Th. Watson B. of Lincolne Gilbert Bourne B. of Bath Welles Rich. Pates B. of Worcester Troublefield B. of Exceter Iohn Fecknam Abbot of Westminster Iohn Baxall Deane of Windsor Peterborow Godwel B. of S. Asse and Maurice elect of Bangor ran away In the Marshalsea Edmond Boner Tho. Wood B. elect In the Fléete Cuthbert Scot Bishop of Chester whence he escaped to Louain and there died Henrie Cole Deane of Paules Iohn Harpesfield Archdeacon of London and Deane of Norwich Nicholas Harpesfield Archd. of Canterbury Anthonie Dracot Archd. of Huntington William Chadsey Archdeacon of Middlesex Anno 1572. Iohn Whiteman Iohn Whiteman a notable martyr Shoemaker of Rye in Sussex a married man of 23. yéeres It being seruice time at Ostend in Flanders went to the Church and at the time of the heaue offering stept to the sacrificer and tooke from ouer his head his Idoll saying these wordes in the Duitch tongue Is this your God And so breaking it cast it down vnder his féete and trode thereon Forthwith he was taken and on Tuesday after had sentence giuen against him first to haue his hand cut off and his body scorched to death and after to be hanged vp Which sentence he tooke so patiently and the execution thereof with such willingnes that so soon as he was out of the prison to be carried to execution he made such haste and as it were a ranne to the place of execution that he drew the hangman after him There was prepared for his execution a post with spars from the top therof aslope down to the ground in maner of a tent to the end that he should be scorched to death and not burned When he was come to the place the hangman commanded him to lay down his right hand vpon a block which he immediatly with an hatchet smote of the goodman stil cōtinuing patient constant Then the hangman stept behind him bids him put out his tongue which he forthwith did as far as he could out of his head through the which he thrust a long instrument like a packnéedle and so let it sticke So being stript into his shirt he was put into the tent made fast with two chaines and fire put round about him which broiled him scorched him al black and when he was dead he was carried to be hanged vpon a Gibbet besides the towne Anno 1558. the last day of March was appointed a day of conference betwixt 9. priests and 9. protestants concerning matters of religion A conference for matters of religion The names of the Papistes were these Winchester Lichfield Chester Carlile Lincoln Cole Harpesfield Longdale Chadsey The names of the Protestants Story B. of Chichester Cox Whitehead Grindall Horne Sands Best Elmer Iewell Three propositions to dispute of The matter they should dispute of was comprehended in these propositions 1 It is against the word of God the custome of the ancient Church to vse a tongue vnknown to the people in common praier administratiō of the sacramēts 2 Euery Church hath authority to appoint take away and change ceremonies and Ecclesiastical rites so the same be to edification 3 It cannot be proued by the word of God that there is in the masse offered vp a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead It was decréed according to the desire of the papists that it should be in writing on both partes for auoiding of much altercation of words and each of them should deliuer their writings to other to consider what were improued therein and to declare the same againe in writing some other conuenient day This was agréed on of both parts The Lords also of the parlement made means to her maiesty that the parties of this conference might reade their assertions in the English tongue and that in the presence of the nobility and others of the parlement house for the better satisfaction and the better enabling of their owne iudgements to treate and conclude of such lawes as might depend therevpon This was thought very reasonable and agréed vpon the day being appointed the last of March the place Westminster church Notwithstanding this former order appointed cōsented vnto on both parts The assēbly being now made the B. of Winchester his collegues alleadging that they had mistaken that their assertions and reasons should be writtē so only recited out of a booke said that their booke was not then ready written but they were ready to argue dispute The Papists flee from the agreement and therefore they would for that time repeate in spéech that which they had
to say to the first probation This varying of theirs from the first order was permitted without any great refusing because they excused themselues with mistaking the order and agréed again that they would not faile but put it in writing according to the former order and deliuer it to the other part So the B. of Winchester his Colleagues appointed D. Cole Deane of Paules to be the vtterer of their mindes Who partly by spéech only and partly by reading authorities written at certaine times informed by his colleagues what to say made a declaration of their meanings and their reasons to their first propositions Which being ended they were asked by the priuy Counsaile if any of them had any more to say and they saide no. So the other were licensed to shew their mindes which they did according to their first order exhibiting all that which they ment to propound in a booke written which after prayer made most humbly to God for the endewing of them with his holy spirit a protestation also to stand to the doctrine of the Catholike church builded vpon the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles was distinctly read by one Robert Horne batcheler of Diuinitie after B. of Winchester Which whē he had doone with some likelihood it séemed that the same was much allowable to the audience certayne of the B. began contrary to their former answere to say that they now had much to say to this matter So it was ordered agréed vpon on both parts in full audience that vpon munday following the Bishops should bring their minds and reasons in writing to the second assertion and the last also if they could and first reade the same And that done the other part should bring likewise theirs to the same being read each of them should deliuer to other the same writings and in the meane time the Bishoppes should put in writing not onely that which Doctor Cole had that day vttered but all such other matters as they any otherwise coulde thinke of for the same And assoone as they might possible to send the same booke touching that first assertion to the other part and they should receiue of thē the writing which Master Horne had read there that day And vpon Munday it should be agréed what day they should exhibite their answers touching the first proposition This both parties assented vnto and so the assemblie was quietly dismissed On Munday the assemblie being mette by the Lordes of the Counsell and other of the Nobilitie c. the Popish Bishops brake againe their order agréed vpon Papists break order againe and refused to deale in the second Question according as it was agréed vpon but would néedes reade that which they had written of the first proposition Moreouer they refused to beginne but would haue the other part to beginne first and beyng glad to auoyd altogether the cause for which they were assembled began to cauill with Maister Horne of what Church hée was of his fellowes my Lord Kéeper perceiuing their digressiō from the purpose admonished them thereof In the end they would not be brought to begin So the assembly was faine to breake vp nothing being doone for which their wilfulnesse and contempt Wilfulnes contempt in the popish bishops the Bishops of Winchester Lincolne were committed to the Tower the rest sauing the Abbot of Westminster who was willing to begin stood bound to make dayly their appearance before the Counsaile and not to depart the citie of London Westminster vntil further order were taken with them for their disobedience contempt About the time that the B. aforesaid were committed to the Tower Boner was committed to the Marshalsea In this Parlement Doctor Storie vaunted himselfe opēlie of his crueltie in Quéene Maries daies as indéed he was one of the cruellest lamenting that he had not laide to the roote as his intent was but rather shrubbed off the twigs Storie vaunteth of his crueltie saying he was once at the burning of an heretike for so hée tearmed the Martirs at Vxbridge where he tost a fagot at his face as he was singing Psalmes and set a whinbush of thornes vnder his féete a little to prick him With many other wordes to like effect In this Parlement the Pope lost his supremacie Popes Supremacie repealed The Gospell aduaunced and the bloudie Actes of Q. Marie were repealed the Gospel aduāced and the olde Bishops deposed for refusing to subscribe to the Quéenes lawfull Title In whose roomes and places succéeded first to Cardinall Poole D. Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterburie In the place of Heath succéeded Doctor Yong In the stead of Boner Edmund Grindall was Bishoppe of London Popish Bishops displaced and Protestāts placed For Hopton Thurlebie Tonstall Pates Christopherson Peto Coates Morgan Feasie White Oglethorpe c. were placed D. Parkhurst in Norwich D. Cox in Ely Iewel in Salisburie Pilkenton in Duresme D. Sandes in Worcester M. Downam in Westchester Bentame in Couētrée Lichfield Dauid in Saint Dauids Allie in Exceter Horne in Winchester Scorie in Hereford Best in Carlil Bullingham in Lincolne Scambler in Peterborow Bartlette in Bath Ghest in Rochester Bailie in Chichester c. About the moneth of Iune anno 1581. one Richard Atkins and englishmā borne in Hartfordshire came to Rome and hauing found the English Colledge knocked at the dore and after other spéech declareth vnto his Countreimen that he came louingly to rebuke the great disorder of their liues and to let the proud Pope vnderstande that he offendeth the heauenlie Maiestie committing Idolatrie c. When they heard these wordes one Hugh Gryffon a welchman caused him to be put into the Inquisition From whence vpon what condition it is not knowen within few dayes he was set at libertie againe And one day going in the stréete he met a Priest carrying the Sacrament which offending his conscience to sée the people so worship it hée caught at it to haue throwen it downe but missing of his purpose being iudged by the people to haue caught at the holinesse which they say commeth from the Sacrament of méere deuotion he was let passe R. Atkins ouerthroweth the Chalice at Rome Within fewe dayes after he came to S. Peters Church where the Priest was at the Eleuation and shewing no reuerence stepped among the people to the Altar and threwe downe the Chalice with the wine striuing also to haue pulled the Cake out of the Priestes handes For this fact he was caried to prison and being condemned within a while after was set vpon an Asse without any Saddle he being from the middle vpwarde naked and all the way as he went to execution foure did nothing els but thrust at his naked bodie with burning Torches Whereat he neuer moued nor shrunke any iote but with a chéerefull countenance laboured to perswade the people oft bending his bodie to méete the Torches as they were thrust at