persecutour in Rome fighting against Constantinus was drowned wyth his souldiours like as Pharao was drowned persecuting the children of Israel in the red sea Unto the which xlij moneths or Sabbothes of yeares if yee adde the other sixe yeares wherein Licinius persecuted in the East ye shal finde iust three hundred yeres as is specified before in the first booke of thys volume pag. 97. After the which fortie and two monethes being expired manyfest it is that the furie of Sathan that is hys violent malice and power ouer the Saints of Christ was diminished and restrained vniuersally through the whole world Thus then the matter standing euident that Sathan after 300. yeares counting from the passion of Christ began to be chayned vp at what time the persecution of the primitiue Church began to cease Nowe let vs see howe long thys binding vp of Sathan shoulde continue which was promised in the booke of the Reuelation to be a thousand yeares Which thousand yeares if yee adde to the xlij monethes of yeares that is to 294. yeares they make 1294. yeares after the passion of the Lord. To these moreouer adde the 30. yeares of the age of Christ and it commeth to the yeare of our Lord 1324. which was the yeare of the letting out of Sathan according to the prophesie of the Apocalips A Table containing the time of the persecution both of the primitiue and of the latter Church with the count of yeares from the first binding vp of Sathan to his loosing againe after the minde of the Apocalips The first persecution of the primitiue Churche beginning at the 30. yeares of Christ was prophecied to continue 42. monthes that is An. 294. The ceasing of the laste persecution of the primitiue Churche by the death of Licinius the last persecutour began An. 324. from the natiuitie of Christ which was from the 30. yeare of hys age 294. 294. The binding vp of Sathan after peace geuen to the church counting from the 30. yeares of Christ began An. 294. And lasted a thousand yeres that is counting from the thirtie yeare of Christe to the yeare 1294. About which yeare Pope Boniface the 8. was Pope and made the 6. booke of the decretals confirmed the orders of Friers and priuileged them with great fredomes as appeareth by his constitution Super cathedram An. 1294. Unto the which count of yeares doeth not much disagree that I founde in a certaine olde Chronicle prophesied and wrytten in the latter ende of a booke which booke was wrytten as it seemeth by a monke of Douer remayneth yet in the custodye of William Cary a Citizen of London alledging the Prophesie of one Hayncardus a gray Frier grounded vppon the authoritie of Ioachim the Abbot prophesying that Antichrist shoulde be borne the yeare from the Natiuitie of Christ. 1260. Which is counting after the Lordes passion the very same yere and time when the orders of Friers both Dominickes and Franciscans began first to be sette vp by Pope Honorius the 3. and by Pope Gregorius 9. which was the yere of our Lord counting after his passion 1226. And counting after the Natiuitye of the Lord was the yeare 1260. Wherof these verses in the author was wrytten Cum fuerint anni completi mille ducenti Et decies seni post partum virginis almae Tunc Antichristus nascetur daemone plenus And these verses were wrytten as appeareth by the sayd author An. 1285. These thyngs thus premised for the loosing out of Satan according to the prophesie of the Apocal. nowe let vs enter Christe willing to the declaration of these latter times which folowed after the letting out of Sathan into the worlde Describing the wondrous perturbations and cruell tiranny stirred vp by him against Christes Church Also the valiant resistance of the Church of Christ against him and Antichrist as in these our bookes heere vnder following may appeare The argument of which booke consisteth in 2. partes first to entreate of the raging furie of Satan nowe loosed and of Antichrist Against the saints of Christ fighting and traueiling for the maintenance of the truth reformation of the Church Secondly to declare the decay and ruine of the said Antichrist through the power of the word of God being at length eyther in a greate parte of the worlde ouerthrowen or at least vniuersally in the whole world detected Thus then to begin wyth the yeare of our Lord. 1360. wherin I haue a litle as is aforesayd transgressed the stint of the first loosing out of Sathan we are come now to the time wherin the Lord after long darknes beginneth some reformation of hys Churche by the diligent industrie of sondry hys faithful and learned seruauntes of whome diuers already we haue foretouched in the former booke before as namely Guliel de Sancto Amore Marsilius Patauinus Ockam Robertus Gallus Robertus Grosted Petrus de Cugnerijs Ioannes Rupescissanus Conradus Hager Ioannos de Poliaco Cesenas wyth other moe whych withstoode the corrupt errours and intollerable enormities of the Byshop of Rome Beside them which about these times were put to death by the saide bishop of Rome as Chastilion Franciscus de Arcatara in the booke before recorded also the two Franciscanes Martyrs which were burned at Auinion mentioned pag. 391. Now to these the Lord willing we will adde such other holy Martyrs and confessors who following after in the course of yeares with like zeale and strength of Gods worde and also with like daunger of their liues gaue the like resistance against the enemie of Christes religion and suffered at hys handes the like persecutions First begynning wyth that godly man whosoeuer he was the author of the Booke hys name I haue not intituled the prayer and complaint of the Ploughman wrytten as it appeareth about thys present time Which booke as it was faithfully set foorth by William Tindall so I haue truely distributed the same abroade to the Readers handes neyther chaunging any thyng of the matter neyther altering many woordes of the phrase thereof Although the oldnesse and age of hys speache and termes be almost growne nowe out of vse yet thought I it so best both for the vtilitie of the booke to reserue it from obliuion as also in his owne language to let it go abroad for the more credite and testimonie of the true antiquity of the same Adding withal in the margent for the better vnderstanding of the reader some interpretation of certaine difficult termes and speches as otherwise might perhaps hinder or stay the reader The matter of this complaining prayer of the ploughman thus proceedeth An olde auncient wryting intitled The prayer and complaint of the Ploughman IESV CHRIST that was ybore of the maid Marie haue on thy poore seruauntes mercie and pitie and helpe them in their great nede to fight against sinne and against the deuill that is author of sinne and more nede nes there neuer to cry to
working of some of whome Ioannes Auentinus shall tel vs in his own words shew vs who they be Quibus inquit audiendi quae fecerint pudor est nullus faciendi quae audire erubescunt Illic vbi opus nihil verentur hic vbi nihil opus est ibi verentur c. Who beyng ashamed belike to heare their worthy stratagemes lyke to come to light sought by what meanes they might the stopping of the same And because they could not worke it per brachium seculare by publike authoritie the Lord of heauen long preserue your noble Maiestie they renewed again an old wonted practise of theirs doyng in like sort herein as they did sometymes with the holy Bible in the dayes of your renowmed father of famous memory king Henry the viij who when they neither by manifest reason could gainstand the matter contained in the booke nor yet abide the comming out thereof then sought they by a subtile deuised traine to depraue the translation notes and Prologues thereof bearing the king in hand and all the people that there was in it a thousand lies and I cannot tell how many mo Not that there were such lies in it in very deede but because the comming of that booke should not bewray their lying falshood therefore they thought best to begin first to make exceptions themselues against it playing in their stage like as Phormio did in the old Comedie who beyng in all the fault himselfe began first to quarell with Demipho when Demipho rather had good right to lay Phormio by the heeles With like facing brags these Catholike Phormiones thinke now to dash out all good bookes and amongst others also these Monuments of Martyrs Which godly Martyrs as they could not abide beyng aliue so neither can they now suffer their memories to lyue after their death least the acts of them beyng knowne might bring perhaps their wicked acts and cruell murthers to detestation and therfore spurne they so vehemently against this booke of histories with all kind of contumelies and vprores railing and wondering vpon it much like as I haue heard of a company of thieues who in robbing a certaine true man by the high wayes side when they had found a piece of gold or two about him more then he would be acknown of they cried out of the falshood of the world meruailing and complaining what little truth was to be found in men Euen so these men deale also with me for when they themselues altogether delight in vntruths and haue replenished the whole Church of Christ with fained fables lying miracles false visions miserable errors contained in their Missals and Portuses Breuiars and Summaries and almost no true tale in all their Saintes lyues and Festiuals as now also no great truthes in our Louanian bookes c. Yet notwithstanding as though they were a people of much truth and that the world did not perceiue them they pretend a face and zeale of great veritie And as though there were no histories els in all the world corrupted but onely this history of Actes and Monumentes with tragicall voyces they exclaime and wonder vpon it sparing no cost of Hyperbolicall phrases to make it appeare as full of lies as lines c. much after the like sort of impudencie as Sophisters vse sometymes in their Sophismes to doe and sometimes is vsed also in Rhetorike that when an Argument commeth against them which they cannot well resolue in deed they haue a rule to shift of the matter with stoute wordes and tragicall admiration whereby to dash the Opponent out of countenance bearing the hearers in hand the same to be the weakest slenderest argument that euer was heard not worthy to be answered but vtterly to be hissed out of the Schooles With like sophistication these also fare with me who when they neither can abide to heare their owne doings declared nor yet deny the same which they heare to be true for three or foure escapes in the booke committed and yet some of them in the said Booke amended they neither reading the whole nor rightly vnderstanding that they read inueigh and maligne so peruersly the setting out therof as though neither any word in al that story were true nor any other story false in al the world besides And yet in accusing these my accusers I do not so excuse my self nor defeÌ„d my book as though nothing in it were to be sponged or amended Therfore I haue taken these paines reiterated my labours in trauailing out the story again doyng herein as Penelope did with her web vntwisting that she had done before Or as builders do sometimes which build and take down againe either to transpose the fashion or to make the foundation larger So in recognising this history I haue emploied a little more labour partly to enlarge the argument which I tooke in hand partly also to assay whether by any paynes taking I might pacifie the stomacks or satisfie the iudgments of these importune quarellers which neuerthelesse I feare I shall not do when I haue done all I can For well I know that all the heads of this hissing Hidra will neuer be cut of though I were as strong as Hercules And if Apelles the skilfull Painter when he had bestowed all his cunning vpon a piece of worke which no good artificer would or could greatly reprooue yet was not without some controlling Sutor which tooke vpon him Vltra crepidam much more may I looke for the like in these controlling dayes Neuerthelesse committing the successe thereof vnto the Lord I haue aduentured againe vpon this story of the Church and haue spent not onely my paines but also almost my health therein to bring it to this Which now beyng finished like as before I did so againe I exhibite and present the same vnto your Princely Maiestie blessing my Lord my God with all my heart first for this libertie of peace and tyme which through your peaceable gouernement he hath lent vnto vs for the gathering both of this and other like bookes tractations and monuments requisite to the behoofe of his Church which hitherto by iniquitie of tyme could not be contriued in any Kinges raigne since the Conquest before these Alcion dayes of yours Secondly as we are all bound with publicke voyces to magnify our God for this happy preseruation of your royall estate so priuately for mine owne part I also acknowledge my selfe bound to my God and to my Sauiour who so graciously in such weake health hath lent me time both to finish this worke and also to offer the second dedication thereof to your Maiesty desiring the same to accept in worth tâ—â— donation thereof if not for the worthinesse of the thing geuen yet as a testification of the bounden seruice and good will of one which by this he here presenteth declareth what he would if he had better to geue And though the story being written in the popular tongue serueth not so greatly for your own peculiar
in an other worke of free iustification by grace And extenuated merits saying that they are no causes efficient of our saluation but onely sine qua non that is to say that workes be no cause of our iustification but yet our iustificatiō goeth not without them For the which his doctrine most sound and Catholicke he was condemned by the Pope an 1324. by the Popes decree extrauagant cap. Licet intra doctrinam Concerning the which man and his doctrine I thought good thus much to commit to history to the entent men may see that they which charge this doctrine now taught in the Church with the note of noueltye or newnes how iguoraunt and vnskilfull they be in the historyes and order of times fore past In the same part of condemnation at the same tyme also was Ioannes de Gunduno an 1330. and contayned also in the foresayd Extrauagāt with Marsilius Patauinus Whiche Ioannes wrote much vpon Aristotle and Auerrois and are yet remayning And no doubt but he wrote also of diuinity but not vnlike that these workes haue bene abolished In the same number and cataloge commeth also Guillermus Ockam who was in the yeare of our Lord 1326. as is afore mentioned pag. 375. and wrote likewise in defence of Ludouicus the Emperour agaynst the Pope and also in defence of Michael Generall of Grayfriers whom the Pope had excommunicated cursed for an hereticke Diuers treatises were by the sayd Ockam set forth whereof some are extant and in print as his questions distinctions some are extinct and suppressed as Ascentius reporteth quoòd essent aliquando asperiora Some againe be published vnder no name of the author being of his doing as the dialogue betwene the souldiour and the clarke wherin it is to be coniected what bookes and workes this Ockam had collected agaynst the Pope Of this Ockā Iohn Sledane in his history inferreth mention to his great cōmendation whose wordes be these William Ockam in time of Ludouicus 4. Emperor did florish about the yere of our Lord 1326. Who among other thinges wrote of the authority of the Bishop of Rome In the which booke he handleth these 8. questions very copiously whether both the administrations of the Bishops office and of the Emperors may be in one man 2. Whether the Emperour taketh his power and authority onely of God or els of the Pope 3. Whether the Pope and Church of Rome haue power by Christ to set and place kinges and Emperors and to commit to them theyr iurisdiction to be exercised 4. Whether the Emperor being elected hath full authority vpon the sayd his election to administer his Empire 5. Whether other kinges besides the Emperor and King of Romaines in that they are consecrated of priestes receiue of thē any part of their power 6. Whether the sayd kings in any case be subiect to their cōsecrators 7. Whether if the sayd kings should admit any newe sacrifice or should take to themselues the Diadeine without any further consecration they shoulde thereby lose their kingly right and title 8. Whether the seuen princes electors geue as much to the election of the Emperour as succession rightfull geueth to other kings Upon these questions he disputeth and argueth with sundry arguments and sundry reasons on bothe sides at length decideth the matter on the parte of the ciuil magistrate and by occasion therof entreth into the mention of the Popes decrees Extrauagant declaring how litle force or regard is to be geuen therunto Trithemius maketh mention of one Gregorius Ariminensis a learned a famous and right godly man who not much differing from the age of this Ockam about the yeare of our Lorde 1350. Disputed in the same doctrine of grace and free will as we doe nowe and dissented therein from the Papistes and Sophisters counting them woorse then Pelagians Of the like iudgement and in the same time was also Andreas de Castro as apeareth super lit 1. Sentent dist 45. and Burdianus vppon the Ethiques of Aristotle which both maintained the grace of that gospel as is now in the church receiued aboue 200. yeres since And what should I speake of the Duke of Burgundy named Eudo who at the same time An. 1350. disswaded the French king not to receiue in hys land the new founde cōstitutions decretall Extrauagant within his realme whose sage counsail then geuen yet remaineth among the French kings records as witnesseth Charol Molinaeus Dante 's an Italian wryter a Florentine lyued in the time of Ludouicus themperour about the yere of our lord 1300. and tooke his parte with Marsilius Patauinus against three sortes of men which he sayd were enemyes to the truth That is the pope Secondly the order of religious men which count thēselues the children of the church whē they are that children of the deuil their father Thirdly the Doctors of decrees and decretals Certain of his wrytings be extant abroad wherein he prooueth the Pope not to be aboue the Emperour nor to baue any right or iurisdiction in the Empire He cōfuteth the Donation of Constantine to be a forged and a fained thing as which neither did stande with any lawe or right For the which he was taken of many for an hereticke He complaineth moreouer very much the preaching of Gods worde to be omitted and in stede thereof the vaine fables of monkes and friers to be preached and beleued of the people and so the flock of Christ to be fed not with the foode of the Gospell but wyth winde The Pope sayeth he of a pastor is made a wolfe to wast the church of Christ and to procure with his Clergie not the word of God to be preached but his own Decrees In his canticle of purgatory he declareth the Pope to be the whore of Babylon And to her ministers to some hee applieth 2. hornes to some 4. As to the Patriarches whō he noteth to be the tower of the sayd whore Babilonicall Ex libris Dante 's Italice Hereunto may be added the saying out of the booke of Iornandus unprinted with the foresaid Dante 's that forsomuch as Antichrist commeth not before the destruction of the Empire therefore such as go about to haue the Empire extinct are forrunners and messengers in so doing of Antichrist Therfore let the Romaines sayth he and their Byshops beware least their sinnes and wickednes so deseruing by the iust iudgement of God the priesthood be taken from them Furthermore let all the prelates and princes of Germany take hede c. And because our aduersaries which obiecte to vs the newnes of our doctrine shall see the course and fourme of this religion now receaued not to haue ben eyther such a newe thing nowe or a thing so straunge in times past I will adde to these aboue recited master Taulerus a preacher of Argentine in Germany An. 1350. Who contrary to the Popes proceedings taught openly against al mennes merites
quin in supremo illo iudicio tuo quum virtutes coelorum mouebuntur omnis eorum ad amussim excutietur causa ante tribunal tuum est tamen aliquid hîc quoque in ecclesia tua causam ipsorum facta vitaeque virtutes caeteras non ignorari Tunc autem ad illos vberior gloria ad nos interea maior redundabit fructus quando ex ipsorum rectè factis integritate innocentia fide ac patientia constarâ— poterit non quid ipsi solum fecerint sed quid nobis eorum sit exemplo faciendum Sed hic rursus dulcissime Iesu opus est benigno fauoris tui praesidio Nos enim qui filij Martyrum tuorum sumus quosque maximè maiores nostros imitari conueniebat nunc nihil serè parentum tenemus praeter vitae solam hanc quam suo partam sanguine reliquerunt libertatem qua etiam ipsa nimium abutimur intemperanter vtiam periculum sit ne non filij modò Martyrum sed ne fratres quidem ipsorum haberi mereamur Quantum enim intersit discriminis quamque prorsus disconuenit ordine toto nostra consuetudo ab illorum vestigijs disciplina pudet profectò referre Sed quid ego tibi referam cuius nihil non perspicit maiestas ac intuetur Quanto illis studio ac curae fuit amore tui caetera quaeque adeoque seipsos ad vitae etiam contemptum abdicare mundum cum omnibus desideriâ—s floccifacere voluptates tanquam nugas spernere Nec sinebant pericula vndique imminentia opibus congerendis multoque minus honoribus cumulandis vacare Contra verò nostra nunc vita studium omnisque adeò contentio quid nisi mundum spirat quid aliud quà m perpetuum quoddam fluxarum rerum opum ac honorum aucupium videtur ambitus At illi quam praeclarè secum actum putassent si vel viuere modò licuisset Ideoque multi fuere eoruÌ„ qui Mariae Reginae facultates possessiones omnes adusque extremum assem obtuleruÌ„t dummâ—do solam ipsis remitteret conscientiam Et quae nos tanta haec habendi intemperies exagitat quibus nec vnus nec mediocris victus possit esse satis Sine modo sine fine opibus sacerdotijs censuique dilatando inhiamus Quanto ambitu amicos fatigamus inimicos non vt viuamus solum verum vt sublimes viuamus honorati De fide de mansuetudine eorum tolerantia simplicitate ac patientia incredibili quid dici satis potest Quanta constantia qua animi alacritate perpessi sunt quicquid infligebatur vindictam omnem deo remittentes cui causam commendabant Nulla vis eos aduersariorum deijcere nec minae frangere non ludibria mouere non pericula non tormenta vlla consternere nec delinire blanditiae potuerunt Componamus nunc nostram cum his mollitiem Sed pudor prohibet Nam quae tam leuis nos tentationis aura afflare possit quae non illico praecipites ac transuersos rapiat in auaritiam in fastum voluptates turpitudinem vindictam in quid non malorum Quae tam leuis obijci poterit iniuriola pro qua non coelum terrae miscemus mariáque turbamus ab imo Ex quo in promptu est colligere quantum ab eo absumus vt mortem simus vnquam tua causa subituri siquando res Martyrium flagitet quum nec affectus quidem istos tuo amputare iussu velimus Quapropter vt Martyrum quidem illorum causa gratias agimus nomini tuo sancto ita nostra vicissim causa deprecamur vt qui largitus sis ipsis vincendi facultatem nobis itidem pia eorundem exempla imitandi foelicitatem aspires sicque ecclesiae tuae affulgeat tua gratia necubi seducti huius mundi illecebris secordiores ipsi in retinenda Euangelij tui victoria quà m illi in comparanda strenui videamur Postremo quoniam historiam hanc tuo nutu ac voluntate aggressi in ea re operam studiumque posuimus quo facta gestaque sanctorum tuorum sanctissime Iesu ad nominis tui gloriam in commodum ecclesiae publicum emergerent adde nunc labori fructum simulque historiae tutelam in te recipias magnopere petimus cui opus ipsum totumque meipsum quem tot modis tuae misericordiae debeo toto corpore anima totisque viribus commendo dedico consecroque cui omne cadat genu omnisque vox lingua confessionis gloriam per omnes ecclesias tribuat personétque Amen ¶ To the Right Vertuous most Excellent and Noble Princesse Queene ELIZABETH our dread Lady by the grace of God Queene of England Fraunce and Ireland Defender of Christes Faith and Gospell and principall Gouernour both of the Realme and also ouer the sayd Churche of England and Ireland vnder Christ the Supreme head of the same c. Iohn Foxe her humble subiect wisheth daily increase of Gods holy spirite and Grace with long raigne perfect health and ioyfull peace to gouerne hys flocke committed to her charge to the example of all good Princes the comforte of his Churche and glory of hys blessed name CHRIST the Prince of all Princes who hath placed you in your throne of Maiestie vnder him to gouerne the Church and Realme of England geue your royall highnesse long to sit and many yeares to raigne ouer vs in all flourishing felicitie to his gracious pleasure and long lasting ioy of all your subiects Amen When I first presented these ACTES and MONVMENTES vnto your Maiestie most deare Soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH our peaceable SALOME which your Maiesties rare clemencie receiued in such gentle part I well hoped that these my trauailes in this kynd of writing had bene well at an ende whereby I might haue returned my studies agayne to other purposes after myne owne desire more fitte then to write histories especially in the English tong But certaine euill disposed persons of intemperant tongues aduersaries to good procedings would not suffer me so to rest fuming and fretting and raising vp such miserable exclamations at the first appearing of the booke as was wonderfull to heare A man would haue thought Christ to haue bene new borne agayne and that Herode with all the Citie of Ierusalem had bene in an vprore Such blustring and stirring was then against that poore booke thorough all quarters of England euen to the gates of Louaine so that no English Papist almost in all the Realme thoght himselfe a perfect Catholike vnlesse he had cast out some word or other to geue that booke a blow Whereupon considering with my selfe what should mooue them thus to rage first I beganne with more circumspect diligence to ouerlooke agayne that I had done In searching whereof I found the fault both what it was and where it lay which was in deede not so much in the Booke it selfe to say the truth as in an other certayne priuy mysterie and
write or do any good but either by flattering a man must offend the Godly or by true speaking procure hatred with the wicked Of such stinging Waspes and buszing Drones I had sufficient triall in my former edition before who if they had found in my book any iust cause to carpe or vpon any true zeale of truth had proceded agaynst the vntruths of my story and had brought iust proofes for the same I could haue right well abide it For God forbid but that faultes wheresoeuer they be should be detected and accused And therfore Accusers in a Common wealth after my mind do serue to no small stead But then such Accusers must beware they play not the dog of whom Cicero in his Oration speaketh which being set in Capitolio to fray away Theeues by night left the Theeues and fell to barcke at true men walking in the day Where true faultes be there to bay barcke is not amisse But to carpe where no cause is to spye in other strawes and to leape ouer theyr owne blockes to swalow Camels and to strayne gnattes to oppresse truth with lyes and to set vp lyes for truth to blaspheme the deare Martyrs of Christ and to Canonize for Sayntes whom Scripture would scarce allow for good Subiectes that is intollerable Such barcking Curres if they were well serued would be made a whyle to stoope But with these brauling spirites I entend not at this time much to wrastle Wherefore to leaue them a while till further leasure serue me to attend vpon them thus much I thought in the meane season by way of Protestation or petition to write vnto you both in generall particular the true members and faythful Congregation of Christes Church wheresoeuer either coÌ„gregated together or dispersed through the whole Realme of England that forsomuch as all the seeking of these Aduersaryes is to do what they can by discrediting of this History with slaunders sinister surmises how to withdraw the Readers froÌ„ it This therfore shal be in few wordes to premonish and desire of all and singuler of you all well minded louers and partakers of Christes Gospell not to suffer your selues to be deceiued with the big brags and hyperbolicall speeches of those flaundering tongues whatsoeuer they haue or shall hereafter exclame agaynst the same But indifferently staying your iudgement till truth be tryed you will first peruse then refuse measuring the vntruthes of this Hystory not by the scoaring vp of theyr hundreds and thousandes of lyes which they geue out but wisely weying the purpose of theyr doinges according as you finde and so to iudge of the matter To read my bookes I allure neither one nor other Euery man as he seeth cause to like as he list If any shall thinke his labor to much in reading this history his choyce is free either to read this or any other which he more mindeth But if the fruite thereof shall recompence the Readers trauell then would I wish no man so light eared to be caryed away for any sinister clamour of Aduersaryes who many times depraue good doinges not for the faultes they finde but therefore finde faultes because they would depraue As for me and my history as my will was to profite all and displease none so if skill in any part wanted to will yet hath my purpose bene simple and certes the cause no lesse vrgent also which moued me to take this enterprise in hand For first to see the simple flocke of Christ especially the vnlearned sort so miserably abused and all for ignoraunce of history not knowing the course of times and true discent of the Church it pittyed me that part of diligence so long to haue bene vnsupplyed in this my countrey Church of Englande Agayne considering the multitude of Chronicles and story writers both in England and out of England of whome the most part haue bene either Monkes or Clientes to the sea of Rome it grieued me to behold how partially they handled theyr storyes Whose paynefull trauell albeit I cannot but coÌ„mend in committing diuers thinges to writing not vnfruitful to be knowne or vnpleasant to be read yet it lamented me to see in theyr Monumentes the principall poyntes which chiefly concerned the state of Christes Church and were most necessary of all christen people to be knowne either altogether pretermitted or if any mention thereof were inserted yet were all things drawn to the honor specially of the Church of Rome or els to the fauor of theyr owne sect of Religion Wherby the vulgare â—ort hearing and reading in theyr writinges no other church mentioned or magnified but onely that Church which here florished in this world in riches and iollity were drawne also to the same persuasion to thinke no other Church to haue stand in all the earth but onely the Church of Rome In the number of this sort of writers besides our Monkes of England for euery Monastery almost had his Chronicler I might also recite both Italian and other countrey authors as Platina Sabellicus Nauclerus Martinus Antoninus VinceÌ„tius Onuphrius Laziardus Georgius Lilius Pollid Virgilius with many more who taking vpon theÌ„ to intermeddle with matters of the church although in part they expresse some truth in matters concerning the Bishops and sea of Rome yet in suppressing an other part they play with vs as Ananias and Saphira did with their mony or as Apelles did in Pliny who painting the one halfe of Venus comming out of the sea left the other halfe vnperfect So these writers while they shew vs one half of the B. of Rome the other halfe of him they leaue vnperfect vtterly vntold For as they paynt him out on the one part glistering in welth and glorye in shewing what succession the Popes had from the chaire of S. Peter when they first began and how long they sate what Churches and what famous buildings they erected how farre theyr possessions reached what lawes they made what councels they called what honour they receiued of Kynges and Emperours what Princes and Countryes they brought vnder theyr authority with other like stratagemes of great pompe and royalty so on the other side what vices these Popes brought with them to theyr seat what abhominatioÌ„s they practised what superstition they mainteined what Idolatry they procured what wicked doctrine they defended contrary to the expresse word of God to what heresies they fell into what diuision of sectes they cut the vnity of christian Religion how some practised by Simony some by Necromancy and Sorcery some by poysoning some indenting with the Deuill to come by theyr Papacy what hypocrisy was in theyr liues what corruptioÌ„ in theyr doctrine what warres they raysed what bloudshed they caused what treachery they trauersed agaynst their Lordes and Emperours imprisoning some betraying some to the Templaryes and SaraceÌ„s in bringing other vnder theyr feet also in beheading some as they did with Fredericus and Conradinus the heires and ofspring of the house of Fredericus
no doubt is preferred aboue the Apostles and aboue Cephas also Moreouer as the dignitie of the wife is aboue the seruant so must needes the honour and worthines of the Churche being the spouse of Christ surmount the state of Peter or other Apostles which be but seruants to Christ and to the Churche yea and though they were Princes of the Church yet after the minde of Baldus Magis attenditur persona intellectualis quà m organica Otherwise if by this word charge he ment only the office and diligence of teaching to that I aunswere The same Lord that sayde to Peter feede my sheepe said also to the other go preach this Gospell to al nations And he that said to Peter what soeuer thou loosest said also to the other whatsoeuer ye remit in the earth Moreouer if the matter goe by preaching Paul the Apostle laboured more therin then euer did Peter by his owne confession Plus laboraui also suffered more for the same Plus sustinui neither was his doctrine lesse sound Yea and in one point he went before Peter was teacher and schoolmaister vnto Peter whereas Peter was by him iustly corrected Gal. 2. Furthermore teaching is not always nor in all things a point of maistership but sometime a point of seruice As if a Frenchman should be put to an Englishman to teach him French although he excelleth him in that kind of facultie yet it followeth not therefore that he hath fulnes of power vpō him to appoint his diet to rule his houshold to prescribe his lawes to stinte his lands and such other Wherfore seing in trauail in teaching in paines of preaching in gifts of tongs in largenes of commission in operation of miracles in grace of vocation in receauing the holy Ghost in vehemencie of tormentes and death for Christes name the other Apostles were nothing inferiour to Peter Why Peter then should claime any special prerogatiue aboue the rest I vnderstād no cause As in deed he neuer claimed any but the patrons of the Apostolicall sea do claime it for him which he neuer claimed himself neither if he were here would no lesse abhorre it with soule and conscience then we do now yet our abhorring now is not for any malice of person or any vantage to our selues but only the vehemencie of truth zeale to Christ and to his congregation Moreouer if these men would needes haue Peter to be the Curate and ouersear of the whole vniuersall Church which was too much for one man to take charge vpon and to be Prince of al other Apostles then would I faine learne of them what meaneth Dextrae societatis the right hand of societie betwene Peter Paul Barnabie mentioned Gal. 2. What taking of hands is there betwene subiects their Prince in way of fellowship Or where fellowship is what maistership is there Or againe what state of maistership is it like that Christ would geue to Peter who beyng in deede maister of all tooke such little maistership vpon himselfe and that not only in inward affection but also in outward fact Although I am not ignorant that Peter in places of the Gospell hath his commendation neither doe I denie Peter to bee worthy of the same But yet these wordes of commendation geue to him no state of superioritie or iurisdiction vpon all other to haue all vnder his subiection As if a Schoolemaister should haue more special charge to some one of his scholers for his riper towardnes yet this geueth him no fulnes of authoritie or power coactiue vpō the rest vnlesse by special admission he be deputed therunto Whereof nothing can be gathered of Peter for if it bee true that S. Augustine saith that such things as were spokē to Peter haue no lightsome vnderstanding except they be referred to the church wherof Peter did beare a figure thē hath the person of Peter nothing to claime by these woordes but all redoūdeth to the church which being ment by Peter hath power by this reason both ouer the person of Peter and all other persons in the Lord. But here stumbleth in an argument of our aduersarie againe which he in the margent of his book calleth an inuincible argument drawen out of the bowels of S. Iohn Chrisostome Lib. 2. De Sacerd. Wherby he supposeth to haue giuen a shrewd blow to the Protestants and to haue gotten Hectors victory vpon a certaine English prisoner taken in plain field and of all such as take his part The text onely of Chrysostome he reciteth but maketh no argument albeit he maketh mention of an inuincible argumēt in the margent But because he either wist not or list not to shew his cunning therein I wil forme that in argumēt for him which he would haue done but did not and so will forme it the Lord willing as he himselfe must of necessitie bee driuen to do if the matter euer come to the triall of act and not to the trifling of wordes First he taketh his text out of Chrysostome as followeth for what cause I pray you did Christ shed his bloud Truely to redeeme those sheep whose charge he committeth to Peter and to Peters successours Upon this place of Chrysostome this Clarke taketh his medium Christes suffring His conclusion is that all which Christ died for were committed to Peter Wherfore the forme of the argument must needes stand thus in the third figure Christ suffred for all men Christ suffered for them whome hee committed to Peter Ergo All that Christ dyed for were committed to Peter If this be the forme of his insoluble argument as it seemeth to be by the order of his reasoning also must needs be taking that medium and making that conclusion as he doth for els in the first figure and first moode the text of Chrisostome will not serue him then must the forme and violence of this inexpugnable argumēt be denied for that it breaketh the rules of Logike making his conclusiō vniuersall which in that figure must needes be perticular either affirmatiue or negatiue And so this argument inuincible falleth into one of these two straites either cōcluding thus the forme wil not serue him or cōcluding in another figure the wordes of Chrysostome will not aunswer to his purpose to proue that all the world was committed to Peter Which proposition as it is strange in scripture so neither is it the proposition of Chrysostome And though it were yet both without inconuenience might be graunted of vs and being graunted serueth his purpose nothing so long as the proposition is not exceptiue excluding other Apostles For the words of Chrysostom do not so sound that the whole world was committed to Peter onely and to none other Likewise then as it may be well affirmed of vs that the world was committed to Peter so can it not be denied of them that the world was also committed to Iohn Iames Bartholomew Paul Barnabe and other all and
as did Melito Quadratus and Aristides before mentioned About the same time also wrote Heraclitus who first began to write annotations enarrations vpon the newe Testament and Epistles of the Apostles Also Theophilus Byshop of Caesaria Dionysius Byshoppe of Corinthe a man famously learned which wrote diuers Epistles to diuers Churches among other writeth exhorting Penitus a certaine Byshop Ne graue seruandae castitatis onus necessario fratribus imponat sed multorum sese imbecilitati attemperet that is that he would lay no yoke of chastitie of any necessity vpon his brethren but that he would consider the infirmitie of other and beare with it Euseb. Lib. 4. cap. 23. Moreouer the sayd Dionisius in his Epistles writing of Dionisius Agiopagites declareth of him how that he was first coÌ„uerted to the Christian faith by S. Paule according as in the actes is recorded and afterwarde was made the first Byshop of Athens but maketh there no mention of his booke de Hierarchia Whereby it maye easely appeare what is to be iudged of that booke Furthermore by the Epistles of the saide Dionisius Corint this wee haue to vnderstande to be the vse at that time in Churches to reade the letters and Epistles such as were sent by learned Bishops and teachers vnto the Congregations as may appeare by these words of Dionisius who writing to the church of the Romanes and to Soter saith This day we celebrate the holy Dominical day In which we haue read your Epistle which alwaies we wil read for our exhortation like as we doe reade also the Epistle of Clement sent to vs before c. Euseb. ibid. where also mention is made of keepyng the Sonday holy Whereof wee finde no mention made in auntient authors before his time except onely in Iustinus Martyr who in his description declareth two tymes most especially vsed for Christen men to congregate together first when any conuert was to be Baptised The second was vpon the Sonday which was wont for ij causes then to be halowed First because saith he vpon that day God made the worde Secondlye because that Christ vpon that day first shewed himselfe after his resurrection to his Disciples c. Ouer and beside these aboue named about the daies of Commodus wrote also Clemens Alexandrinus a man of notable and singular learning whose bookes although for a great part be lost yet certaine of them yet remaine wherin is declared among other thinges the order and number of the bookes and Gospels of the new testament c. The same time moreouer liued Pantenus which was the first in Alexandria that professed in open schoole to reade of whom is thought first to proceede the order and maner among the Christians to read and professe in Uniuersities This Pantenus for his excellency of learning was sent by Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria to preach to the Indeans where he founde the Gospell of S. Mathewe written in Hebrew left there by S. Bartelinewe which booke afterward he brought with him from thence to the Library of Alexandria Duryng all the raigne of Commodus God graunted rest tranquility although not without some bloudshed of certaine holy Martyrs as is aboue declared vnto his Church In the which time of tranquillitie the Christians hauing now some laisure from the foraine enemy begaÌ„ to haue a little contention among themselues about the ceremonie of Easter which contention albeit of long time before had bene stirring in the church as is before mentioned of Polycarpus and Anicetus yet the variance and difference of that ceremonie brought no breach of Christian concorde and societie among them Neither as yet did the matter exceede so farre but that the band of loue and communion of brotherly life continued although they differed in the ceremonie of the day For they of the West Church pretending the tradition of Paule and Peter but in deede beyng the traditioÌ„ of Hermes and of Pius kept one day which was vpon the Sonday after the 14. day of the first moneth The Church of Asia following the ordinance of Iohn the Apostle obserued an other as more shal be declared the Lord willing when we come to the tyme of Victor Bishop of Rome In the meane tyme as concerning the fourth persecution let this hetherto suffise The fift Persecution AFter the death of Commodus raigned Pertinax but few monthes after whom succeeded Seuerus Under whom was raised the fift persecution against the christian saints who raigning the terme of 18. yeares the first x. yeares of the same was very fauourable and curteous to the Christians Afterward through sinister suggestions and malicioâ—s accusations of the malignaÌ„t was so incensed against them that by Proclamations he commaunded no Christians any more to be suffered Thus the rage of the Emperour beyng inflamed agaynst them great persecution was stirred vpon euery side wherby an infinite nuÌ„ber of Martyrs were slayne as Eusebius in his sixt booke recordeth which was about the yeare of our Lord 205. The crimes and false accusations obiected against the Christians are partly touched before pag. 37. as sedition and rebellion against the Emperour sacriledge murthering of Infants incestuous polution eating rawe flesh libidinous coÌ„mixture whereof certaine in deede called then Gnostici were infamed Item it was obiected against them for worshipping the head of an Asse which whereof it should rise I finde no certain cause except it were perhaps by the Iewes Also they were charged for worshipping the sunne for that peraduenture before the sunne rise they conuented together singing their morning Hymnes vnto the Lord or els because they prayed toward the East but especially for that they would not with them worship their idolatrous gods and were counted as enemies to all men c. The Capitaines and Presidentes of this persecution vnder the Emperour were Hilarianus Vigellius Claudius Hermianus Ruler of Cappadocia Cecilius Capella Vespronius also Demetrius mentioned of Cyprian And Aquila Iudge of Alexandria of whom Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 5. maketh relation The places where the force of this persecution most raged were Affrica Alexandria Cappadocia and Carthage The number of them that suffered in this persecution by the report of the Ecclesiasticall story was innumerable Of whoÌ„ the first was Leonides the father of Origene who was beheaded with whoÌ„ also Origene his sonne beyng of the age theÌ„ of xvij yeares should haue suffered such a seruent desire hee had to be Martired for Christ had not hys mother priuily in the night season conueied away his clothes his shirt WherupoÌ„ more for shame to be seen then for feare to die he was coÌ„strained to remaine at home and when he could do nothing els yet he writing to his father a letter with these words Caue tibi ne quid propter nos aliud quam martyrij constanter faciendi propostum cogites that is Take heede to your selfe that you tourne not your thought and purpose for our sake
among vs of this age of the Church but also among the Auncient fathers Whereof S. Austen speaking of his commendation sayth Ego inquit literas Cypriani non vt canonicas habeo sed eas ex canonisis considero quod in eis deuinarum Scripturarum autoritati congruit cum laude eius accipio quod autem non congruit cum pace eius respuo c. By which words it may appeare that Austen although he did not repute y◠bookes and writings of Cyprian to be equiualent with the holy Scripture yet notwithstanding next after the scriptures he had the same in great admiration Vincentius and Laziardus Celestinus recyting the names of dyuers bookes bearyng the tytle of Cyprian moe perchaunce then be truly his do collect out of them a certaine extract of his most pithy sentences al which here to repeat were to tedious To giue a tast of the speciall I thought it not impertinent As where he speaking of the treasures of a rich man exhorteth saying Ne dormiat in thesauris tuis quod pauperi prodesse potest◠i. Let it not sleepe in thy treasures that may profite the poore Duo nunquam veterascunt in homine cor semper nouas cogitationes machinando lingua cordis vanas conceptiones proferendo i. Two things neuer waxe old in man the hart euer in imagining new cogitations the toung euer in vttering the vaine conceptions of the hart Quod aliquando de necessitate amittendum est sponte prodiuina remuneratione distribuendum est .i. That which a man must needes forgo of necessitie wisedome it is a man to distribute so that God may euerlastingly reward him Disciplina est morum praesentium ordinata correctio malorum praeteritorum regularis obseruatio i. Discipline is an ordinate amendment of maners present and a regular obseruation of euils past Integritas ibi nulla esse potest vbi qui improbos damnent desunt soli qui damnentur occurrunt There can be no integrity wheras they which should condemne the wicked are euer wanting and they only which are to be condemned are euer present Auari ad hoc tantum possident quae habent vt ne alteri possidere liceat A couetous man onely possesseth his goodes for this because an other should not possesse them Sericum purpurum indutae Christum induere non possunt Wemen that aduaunce themselues in putting on silks and purple cannot lightly put on Christ. Foeminae crines suos inficiunt malo praesagio Capillos enim sibi flammeos auspicari non metuunt They which colour their lockes with red and yealow beginne betime to prognosticate of that colour theyr heades shall be in hell Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter quam creauit Deus metuant ne cum resurrectionis venerit dies artifex creaturam suam non recognoscat They which loue to paynt themselues in this world otherwise then God hath created thē let them feare least when the day commeth of resurrection the creator will not know them Qui pauperi eleemosinam dat Deo suauitatis odorem sacrificat He that gyueth an almes to the poore sacrificeth to God an odour of swete smell Contemnenda est omnis iniuria praesentium molorum fiducia futurorum bonorum All iniurie of euils presēt to be neglected for the good hope of good thinges to come Nihil prodest verbis proferre virtutem factis destruere To set out vertue in wordes and to destroy the same in factes is nothing worth Quo plures domi sint tibi liberi hoc plus tibi non recondendum sed erogandum est quia multorum iam delicta redimenda sunt multorum purgandae conscientiae The mo children and greater houshoulde thou hast at home the more cause thou hast not to horde vp but to disperse abroode for that many sinnes are to be redeemed many consciences are to be purged ¶ Moreouer least the Papists here should take an occasion by this text grounded vpon the text of Tobi cap. 4. Almose saith he deliuereth from al sinne and death to build vp the workes of satisfactiō the said Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist 2. more plainely expoundeth both himselfe and that place of Scripture writing in these wordes Quia scriptum est Eleemosina ab omni peccato morte liberat Yob 4. non vtique ab ea morte quam semel Christi sanguis extinxit a qua nos salutaris Baptismi tedemptoris nostri gratia liberauit sed ab illa quae per delicta postmodum serpit c. That is Almose doth deliuer from all sinne and from death Yob 4. not from that saith Cyprian which the bloude of Christ hath once extincted and from which the wholsome grace of our Baptisme and of our redeemer hath deliuered vs but frō that death which afterward creepeth in by sinne c. Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist. 2. by which words it is apparant that Cyprian meaneth this deliueraunce which commeth by almose gyuing from death and sinne not to be expounded nor to be taken for death euerlasting from which only the bloude of Christ doth saue vs but for temporall or transitory punishment which is wont to be inflicted in this body of sin For so it is nothing repugnaunt but that temporall vertues may haue their temporall rewards in this life likwise sinnes committed may haue temporal punishments both of vs and in our families our eternal saluation standing euermore firme in Christ yet notwithstanding The foresaide Vincentius moreouer speaking of an other booke of Cyprian although the said booke be not numbred in the Catalogue of his workes maketh mention of xij abuses or absurdities in the life of man which in order be these 1. Sapiens sine operibus A wise man without good workes 2. Senex sine religione An old man without religion 3. Adolescens sine obedientia A young man without obedience 4. Diues sine eleemosina A rich man without almose 5. Foemina sine pudicitia A woman shameles 6. Dominus sine virtute A guide without vertue 7. Christianus contentiosus A Christian man contentious 8. Pauper superbus A poore man proude 9. Rex iniquus A king vnrighteous 10. Episcopus negligens A byshop negligent 11. Plebs sine disciplina People without discipline 12. Populus sine lege Subiectes without law As I haue hetherto set forth the commendation of Cyprian this blessed Martyr so must we nowe take heede againe that we do not here incurre the old common daunger whiche the Papystes are commonlye accustomed to runne into whose fault is alwayes almost to be immoderate and excessiue in their procedings making to much almost of euery thing So in speaking of the holye Sacraments they make more of them then doth the nature of Sacraments require not vsing them but abusing thē not referring or applying them but adoring them not taking thē in their kind for thinges godly as they are but taking thē for God himselfe turning religion into
superstition the creature to the creator that things signifying to the things them selues signified c. To the Church likewise and ceremonies of the church to generall Councels to the blessed virgin Mary mother of Christ to the bishop of Rome and to all other in like case not contented to attribute that which is sufficient they exceede moreouer the bounds of iudgement and veritie iudging so of the Church general coūcels as though they could neuer or did neuer erre in any iote That the blessed mother of Christ amongest al women was blessed and a virgine ful of grace the Scripture truth doth giue but to say that she was borne without al original sinne or to make of her an aduocate or mother of mercy there they run further then truth wil beare The ceremonies were first ordained to serue but onely for order sake vnto the which they haue attributed so much at length that they haue set in them a great part of our Religion yea also saluation And what thing is there els almost wherein the Papistes haue not exceeded Wherfore to auoyd this common error of the papists we must beware in cōmending the Doctors writers of the Church so commend them that truth and consideratiō go with our cōmendation For though this cannot be denied but that holy Cyprian and other blessed Martyrs were holy men yet notwithstanding they were men that is such as might haue had their falles faultes men I say not aungels nor gods saued by God not sauiours of men nor patrons of grace and though they were also men of excellent learning worthy Doctors yet with theyr learning they had their errors also annexed And though their bookes be as they ought to be of great authority yet ought they not to be equall with the Scriptures And albeit the saide well in most things yet it is not therefore inough that what they said it must stande for a truth That preeminence of authority onely belongeth to the worde of God and not to the pen of man For of men and Doctors be they neuer so famous there is none that is voyde of his reprehension In Origene although in his time the admiratiō of his learning was singuler yet how many things be there which the Church nowe holdeth not but examining him by Scriptures where he sayd well they admit him where otherwise they leaue him In Polycarpus the church hath corrected and altered that which he did holde in celebrating the Easter day after the Iewes Neither cā holy and blessed Ignatius be defended in al his sayings as where he maketh the fasting vpon the Sonday or the Sabboth day as great an offence as to kil Christ him selfe Ignat Epist. ad Phillip contrary to this saying of Saint Paule Let no man iudge you in meate drinke Also where the said Ignatius speaketh De virginitate and of other thinges mo Irenaeus did hold that man was not made perfect in the beginning He seemeth also to defend free will in man in those thinges also that be spirituall He saye◠that Christ suffered after he was fifty yeares old abusing this place of the Gospell Quinquaginta annos nondum habes c. Tertulianus whom S. Cyprian neuer laide out of his handes almost is noted to be a Chiliaste also to haue bene of Mōtanus sect The same did hold also with Iustine Cyprian other that the Aungels fel first for the concupiscence of women Lib. de habitu mulierum He defendeth fre wil of man after the corruption of nature inclining also to the errour of them which defend the possibilitie of keeping God his law Cōcerning Mariage Vnum matrimonium inquit nouimus sicut vnum Deum i. We know sayth he one Mariage as we know one God condemning the second maryage Lib de Monogam Diuers other things of like absurditie in him be noted Iustinus also seemeth to haue inclined vnto the errour of the Chiliastes of the fall of certaine Aungels by wemen offree will or man of possibilitie of keeping the lawe and such other Neither was this our Cyprian the great schooler of Tertulian vtterly exempt from the blot of them who contrary to the doctrine of the Church did hold with rebaptising of such as were before Baptised of heretikes Whereof speaketh S. Austen myslyking the same errour of Cyprian in these words contained in his 2. booke Contra Cresconium Cypriani inquit laudem ego consequi non valeo eius multis literis mea scripta non comparo eius ingenium diligo eius ore delector eius charitatem miror eius Martyrium veneror Non accipio quod de baptisandis haereticis schismaticis sensit c. Uppon the whiche matter there was a great contention betwene the sayd Cyprian and Stephen Bishop of Rome as partly afore is note◠Of Austen himselfe likewise of Ambrose Hierome Chrisostome the same maye be said that none of them also clearely passed away but their peculiar faultes and errours went with them whereof it were to long and out of our purpose at this present to entreate And thus much concerning the story of Cyprian the holy learned Martyr of Christ. Albeit here is to be noted by the way touching the life and story of Cyprian that this Cyprian was not he whome the narration of Nazianzen speaketh of as is aboue mentioned who from Arte Magicke was conuerted to bee a Christian which Cyprian was a Citizen of Antioche and afterward Bishop of the same Citie and was Martyred vnder Diocletian Where as this Cyprian was Byshop of Carthage and died vnder Valerianus as is sayd c. By the decrees of Gratiā Dist. x. Quoniam it appeareth moreouer that there was also a third Cyprian in the time of Iulianus the Emperour Apostata long after both these aforenamed For so giueth the title prefixed before the saide Distinct Cyprianus Iuliano Imperatori the distinction beginning Quoniam idem mediator Dei hominum homo Christus Iesus he actibus proprijs dignitatibus distinctis officia potestatis vtriusque discernit c. Upon the which distinctiō the glose commeth in with these words saying that the popedome and the seate Imperial haue both one beginning of one that is Christ who was both Bishoppe and king of Kings And that the said dignities be distincted albeit the Pope notwithstanding hath both the swords in his hand and may exercise them both some time And therefore although they be distincted yet in exercise the one standeth lineally vnder the other so that the imperiall dignitie is subiect vnder the Papall dignitie as the inferiour is subiect vnder the superiour that as there is one ruler ouer the whole which is God so in the Church is one Monarche that is the Pope to whom the Lord hath committed the power and lawfull right both of the heauenly and terrene dominion Haec Glosa Thus much I thought here
of the Christians to bee spoyled and cast to the earth and the bookes of holy scripture to be burned Thus most violent edictes and proclamations were set foorth for the ouerthrowing as is saide of the Christians temples throughout all the Romane Empire Neyther did there want in the officers any cruell execution of the same proclamations For their temples were defaced euen when they celebrated the feast of Easter Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 2. And this was the first edicte giuen out by Dioclesian the next proclamation that came forth was for the burning of the bookes of the holy scripture which thyng was done in the open market place as before then next vnto that were edictes giuen forth for the displacing of such as were Magistrats and that with a great ignominie al other whatsoeuer bare anye office Imprisoning suche as were of the common sorte if they would not abiure Christianitie and subscribe to the heathen religion Euseb. lib. 8. cap 3. Nicephorus lib. 7. cap 4. Zonoras also in his seconde tome And these were the beginning of the Christians euils It was not long after but that new edictes were sent forth nothing for their cruelty inferiour to the first for the casting of the elders and bishops into prisō and then constraining them with sundry kindes of punishments to offer vnto their Idoles By reason whereof ensued a great persecutiō amongst the gouernors of the church amongst whom many stood manfully passing through many exceeding bitter torments neyther were ouercome therwyth being tormented and examined diuers of them diuerslye some scourged all their bodies ouer with whips scourges some with racks rasinges of the flesh intolerable were cruciated some one way some another way put to death Some againe violently were drawen to the vnpure sacrifice and as though they had sacrificed when indeede they did not were let go Other some neither comming at al to their aultars nor touching anye peece of their sacrifices yet were borne in hand of thē that stoode by that they had sacrificed so suffering that false infamation of their enymies quietly went away Other as dead men were caried and cast away being but halfe dead Some they cast down vpon the pauement and trailing them a great space by the legs made the people beleue that they had sacrificed Furthermore other there were which stoutly withstood them affirming with a loud voice that they had done no such sacrifice Of whom some saide they were Christians gloried in the profession of that name some cryed saying that neither they had nor would euer be pertakers of that idolatry And those being buffeted on the face mouth wyth the handes of the soldiers were made to hold their peace and so thrust out with violence And if the Saintes did seeme neuer so little to doe what the enimies would haue them they were made much of Albeit all this purpose of the aduersary did nothing preuayle against the holye and constaunt seruaunts of Christ. Notwithstanding of the weake sort innumerable there were which for feare infirmity fell and gaue ouer euen at the first brunt At the first comming downe of these edictes into Nicomedia there chanced a dede to be done much worthy of memory of a Christien being a noble man borne whiche moued by the zeale of God after the proclamation made at Nicomedia was set vp by and by ranne and tooke downe the same and openly tare and rent it in peeces not fearing the presence of the two Emperours then being in the citie For which acte he was put to a most bitter death whiche death he with great faith constancie endured euen to the last gaspe Euseb. lib. 8. lib. 3. 5. After this the furious rage of the malignaunt Emperours being let loose against the saintes of Christ proceeded more more making hauock of gods people through out all quarters of the worlde First Dioclesian which had purposed with himselfe to subuert the whole christian religion executed his tyranny in the east and Maximianus in the west But wily Dioclesian began very subtilye for hee put the matter first in practise in his owne campe among whom the marshall of the field as Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 4. affirmeth put the Christian Souldiers to this choise whether they would obey the Emperors commaundement in that maner of sacrifice he cōmaunded and so both to keepe their offices and leade their bands or els to lay away from thē their armor and weapons Whereunto the Christen men couragiously aunswered that they were not only ready to lay away their armour weapons but also to suffer death if it should with tiranny be enforced vnto them rather thē they would obey the wicked decrees and comaundements of the Emperour There might a man haue seene very manye whiche were desirous to liue a simple and poore life and whiche regarded no estimation and honour in comparison of true pietie godlines And this was no more but a subtile and wily flattery in the beginning to offer them to be at theyr owne liberty whether they would willingly abiure their profession or not as also this was an other that in the beginning of the persecution there were but a few tormented with punishment but afterwarde by little and little hee began more manifestlye to braste out into persecution It can hardly be expressed with wordes what number of Martirs and what bloud was shedde through all cities and regions for the name of Christ Eusebius in his 8 booke chap. 7. saith that he himselfe knew the worthy Martirs that were in Palestina But in Tire of Phenicia he declareth in the same a marueilous martyrdome made where certayne christians being geuen to most cruell wild beasts were preserued without hurt of them to the great admiration of the beholders and those Lions Beares and Lybardes kept hungry for that purpose had no desire to deuoure them which notwithstanding most vehementlye raged against those by whome they were brought into the stage and stoode as they thought without daunger of thē such were first deuoured But the Christian Martyrs because they could not be hurt of the beasts being slayne with the sworde were afterwarde throwen into the sea At that time was martyred the Bishop of Sydon But Syluanus the Byshop of Gazensis with 39. other were slayne in the mettall mynes of Phenitia Pamphilus the elder of Cesarea being the glory of that congregation died a most worthy Martyr whose both life and most commendable martyrdome Eusebius oftentimes declareth in his 8. booke and 13. chapter in so much that he hath written the same in a booke by it selfe In Syria all the chiefe teachers of the congregation were first committed to prison as a most heauye cruell spectacle to behold as also the bishops Elders and Deacons which all were esteemed as menquellers and perpetratours of most wicked facts Eusebius Lib. 8. cap. 6 After that we read of an
Phileas the byshop of the Thumitanes a man singularly well learned hath described in his epistle to the Thumitanes the copy wherof Eusebius hath in his 8. booke x. chapter out of the which we meane here briefly to recite somewhat Because sayth he euery man might torment the holy Martyrs as they listed themselues some beat them with cudgels some with rods some with whippes some with thongs and some with cordes and this example of beating was in sundry wise executed and with much crueltie For some of them hauyng their handes bound behynde their backes were lifted vp vpon tymber logs and with certaine instruments their members ioints were stretched forth whereon their whole bodies hanging were subiect to the will of the tormentors who were commaunded to afflict them with all maner of torments and not on their sides onely like as homicides were but vpon their bellies thighes and legges they scratched them with the talents and clawes of wylde beasts Some other were seene to hang by one hand vpon the engine wherby they might feele the more grieuous pullyng out of the rest of their ioyntes and members Some other were suche sort bound vnto pillers with their faces turned to the wall hauing no stay vnder their feete and were violently wayed downe with the payse of their bodies that by reason of their straight binding they beyng drawn out might be more greuously tormēted And this suffered they not onely during the tyme of their examination and while the Shiriffe had to do with them but also the whole day long And whilest the Iudge went thus from one to another he by his authoritie appointed certaine officers to attende vpon those he left and not to be let downe vntill either through the intollerablenes of the payne or by the extremitie of cold they being neare the point of death should be let downe and so were they haled vpon the ground And further they were commaunded that they should shew not so much as one sparke of mercy or compassion vpon vs but so extremely and furiously did deale with vs as though our soules and bodies should haue died together And therfore yet an other torment our aduersaries deuised to augmēt our former plagues After that they had most lamentably beaten them they deuised moreouer a new kinde of racke wherein they lying vpright were stretched by both the feete aboue the fourth stop or hole with sharpe shels or shares strowed vnder them after a strange kind of engine to vs here vnknowen Other some were cast downe vpon the pauement where they were oppressed so thicke and so grieuously with tormentes that it is not almost to be thought what afflictions they suffred Thus they lying in paines and torments some died therwith not a little shaming and confounding their enemies by their singular pacience Some halfe dead and halfe aliue were thrust into prison where shortly after by paynes and woundes of their bodies they ended their bitter life Some again beyng cured of their woundes by their indurance in prison were more confirmed who beyng put to the choise whether they would come to their cursed sacrifice and enioy their wicked libertie or els sustaine the sentence of death did willingly and without delay abide the extremitie remembring with themselues what is written in the Scriptures He that sacrificeth sayth he to straunge Gods shall be exterminate c. Item thou shalt not haue any strange Gods beside me c. Thus much wrote Phileas to the Congregation where he was Bishop before he receyued the sentence of death beyng yet in bandes and in the same exhorteth his brethren constantly to persist after his death in the truth of Christ professed Euseb Lib 8. cap. 10. Sabellicus in his vij Ennead and viij booke sayth that that christened man which tore and pulled down the wicked Edict of the Emperour in Nicomedia beyng stript and beaten that the bones appeared and after washed in salt and vineger was then slaine with this cruell kind of torment But Platina writeth that Dorotheus and Gorgonius exhorteth him to dye so constantly But as all their torments were for their horriblenesse meruailous and notable and therewithall so studiously deuised no lesse greuous and sharpe so notwithstāding therwith were these Martyrs neither dismayd nor ouercome but rather thereby confirmed and strengthened so merily and ioyfully sustained they what so euer was put vnto them Eusebius sayth that he himselfe beheld and sawe the huge and great persecution that was done in Thebaide in so much that the very swordes of the hangmen and persecutors beyng blunt with the great and often slaughter they themselues for wearines sate downe to rest them and other were fayne to take their places And yet all this notwithstanding the murthered christians shewed their meruailous readines willingnes and diuine fortitude which they were indued with with stout courage ioy and smiling receiuing the sentence of death pronounced vpon thē and song euen vnto the last gaspe Hymnes and Psalmes to God So did also the Martyrs of Alexandria as witnesseth Phileas aboue mentioned The holy martyrs saith he keping Christ in their myndes beyng led with the loue of better rewards sustained not onely at one tyme whatsoeuer labour and deuised punishments they had to lay vpon them but now also the second tyme haue done the same and haue borne all the manaces of the cruell souldiors not onely in wordes wherwith they threatned them but also whatsoeuer in deede and worke they could deuise to their destruction and that with most manly stomackes excluding all feare with the perfection of their inspeakable loue towards Christ whose great strength and fortitude cānot by wordes bee expressed And Sulpitius sayth in the second booke of his sacred history that then the Christians with more greedie desire preased and sought for Martyrdome then now they desire bishoprikes Although some there were also as I haue sayd that with feare and threatnings and by their owne infirmitie were ouercome and went backe Eusebius Lib. 8. cap. 3. Amongst whom Socrates nameth Miletius Lib. 1. cap. 6. and Athanasius in his second Apologie nameth the bishop of Licus a Citie in little Egypt whom Peter the Bishop of Alexandria excōmunicated for that in this persecution he sacrificed to the Gentiles Gods Of the fall of Marcellinus the Byshop of Rome I will speake afterwardes For he beyng perswaded by others and specially of the Emperour Dioclesian himselfe did sacrifice whereupon he was excōmunicated but afterwardes he repēting the same was agayne receaued into the congregation and made Martyr as Platina and the compiler of the booke of the general coūcels affirme The number of the Martyrs increased daily sometymes tenne sometymes twenty were slaine at once some whiles 30. and oftentymes 60. and otherwhiles a C. in one day men women and children by diuers kindes of death Eusebius Lib 8. cap. 9 also Damasus Beda Orosius Honorius and others do witnes that there were slayne
pretensed or rather a fable imagined or els to be the deede of Pipinus or Charles or some such other if it were euer the deede of any And thus hast thou beloued Reader briefly collected the narration of the noble actes and heauenly vertues of thys most famous Emperour Constantine the great a singulare spectacle for all Christian Princes to beholde and imitate and worthy of perpetuall memorie in all congregations of Christian Saintes Whose feruent zeale pietie in generall to all coÌ„gregations and to all the seruants of Christ was notable but especially the affection and reuerence of hys heart toward them was admirable whych had suffered any thyng for the confession of Christ in the persecutions before them had hee principally in price and veneration in so much that hee embraced and kissed theyr woundes and stripes and their eyes being put out And if any suche Byshops or any other Ministers brought to hym any coÌ„plaints one against an other as many times they did he would take theyr bils of complaint and burne them before theyr faces so studious and zealous was hys mind to haue them agree whose discord was to hym more griefe then it was to themselues All the vertuous actes and memorable doings of this diuine renowmed Emperour to comprehende or commit to hystorie it were the matter alone of a great volume wherfore contented with these aboue premised because nothing of him can be sayde inough I cease to discourse of him any further One thyng yet remaineth not to be omited wherein as by the way of a note I thought good to admonish the learned Reader suche as loue to be conuersant in reading of auncient authors that in the Ecclesiasticall hystorie of Eusebius where in the latter ende of the booke is added a certaine Oration Ad coÌ„uentum Sanctorum vnder the name of Eusebius Pamphilus here is to be vnderstaÌ„d that the sayd Oration is wrongly intituled vpon the name of Eusebius whych in very truth is the Oration of Constantinus hymselfe For the probation whereof beside the stile and matter therein contained and tractation heroycall liuely declaring the religious vaine of Constantine I alledge the very testimonie of Eusebius himselfe in his fourth booke De vita Constantini where he in expresse wordes not onely declareth that CoÌ„stantine wrote such an Oration intituled Ad Conuentum Sanctorum but also promiseth in the end of hys booke to annexe the same declaring moreouer what difficultie the interpretors had to translate the same from the Romaine speeche to theyr Grecian toung Eusebius de vita Constantini Lib. 4 pag. 211. And here an end of these lamentable doleful persecutions of the primitiue Church during the space of the 300. yeres froÌ„ the passion of our Sauiour Christ til the coÌ„ming of this Constantinus by whom as by the elect instrumeÌ„t of God it hath so pleased his almighty maiesty by his determinat purpose to giue rest after loÌ„g trouble to his church according to that S. Cyprian declareth before pag. 68. to be reueled of God vnto his Church that after darkenes and stormy tempest should come peaceable calme stable quietnes to his church meaning this time of Constantine now present At which time it so pleased the almightie that the murdering malice of Sathan should at length be restrained and he him selfe to be tied vp for a thousande yeares through his great mercie in Christ to whome therefore â—e thankes and praise now and for euer AMEN The ende of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE CONTAINING the next 300. yeares following with such things specially touched as haue happened in England from the time of king Lucius to Gregorius and so after to the time of king Egebert BY these persecutions hytherto in the Booke before precedent thou maiest vnderstand Christian reader how the furie of Sathan and rage of men haue done what they could to extinguish the name and religion of Christ. For what thing did lacke that eyther death coulde doe or torments coulde worke or the gates of hell coulde deuise all was to the vttermost attempted And yet all the furie and malice of Sathan al the wisedom of the world strength of men doing deuising practising what they could notwtstanding the religion of Christ as thou seest hath had the vpper hand Which thing I wish thee greatly gentle reader wisely to note and diligently to ponder in coÌ„sidering these former histories And because thou canst not consider them nor profit by them vnles thou do first read peruse them let me craue therfore thus much at thine handes to turne read ouer the said hystories of those persecutioÌ„s aboue described especially aboue all the other hystories of this present volume for thy especiall edification whych I trust thou shalt finde not vnworthy the reading Nowe because the tying vp of Sathan geueth to the Church some rest to me some leisure to addresse my selfe to the handling of other stories I minde therefore Christ willing in thys present booke leauing a while the tractation of these generall affaires pertaining to the vniuersal Church to prosecute such domesticall hystories as more neare concerne this our country of England Scotland done here at home beginning first with king Lucius with whome the faith first begaÌ„ here in this Realme as the sentence of some writers doth hold And for somuch as here may rise yea and doth rise a great coÌ„trouersie in these our Popish daies coÌ„cerning the first origine planting of the faith in this our Realme it shall not be greatly out of our purpose somewhat to stay say of this question whether the Church of England first receiued the faith from Rome or not The which although I graunt so to be yet being so graunted it little auaileth the purpose of them whiche woulde so haue it for be it so that England first receaued the Christian faith and Religion from Rome both in the time of Eleutherius theyr Byshop 180. yeares after Christ and also in the time of Austen whome Gregory sent hether 600. yeares after Christ yet their purpose followeth not thereby that we must therefore fetche our Religion from thence still as from the chiefe welhead and fountaine of all godlines And yet as they are not able to proue the second so neither haue I any cause to graunt the first that is that our Christian faith was first deriued from Rome which I may proue by vj. or vij good coÌ„iectural reasons Wherof the first I take of the testimony of Gildas our couÌ„treyman who in his history affirmeth plainly that Britaine receaued the Gospell in the time of Tiberius the Emperour vnder whome Christ suffered Lib. De victoria Aurelij Ambrosij And sayth moreouer that Ioseph of Arimathie after dispersion of the Iewes was sent of Philip the Apostle froÌ„ France to Britayne about the yeare of our Lord. 63. and heere remained in this land al his time and so with his fellowes
much more despissing this vniust decreement through the onerous and importable transgression of their Pastor should shew themselues disobedient With heauines I was troubled and with compassion for that I doubted how the members of the body should doe their head being so greatly out of frame For what can be more greuous or more to be lameÌ„ted touching the state of the church then for you being the Bishop of the principall seat to whom appertaineth the regiment of the whole church to swarue neuer so little out of the right way Certes in this you haue not a little erred in that you haue gone about to constraine your Clergy to singlenes of life through your imperious tiranny whom rather ye ought to stirre vp to the continency of mariage For is not this to be counted a violence and tiranny to the iudgement of all wise men when a man is compelled by your decrees to doe that which is against the institution of the Gospell and the proceeding of the holy Ghost Seyng then there be so many holy examples both of the olde and new Testament teachyng vs as you know due information I desire your patience not to thinke it greuous for me to bryng a few here out of many First in the olde law the Lord permitteth mariage vnto the Priestes which afterward in the new law we doe not read to bee restrayned but in the Gospel thus he sayth There bee some Eunuches which haue gelded themselues for the kingdome of heauen but all men do not take this word he that can take it let him take it Wherfore the Apostle sayth concerning virgins I haue no commaundement of the Lord but onely I geue counsell Which counsaile also all men do not take as in the commaundement of the Lord before but many there be false dissemblers and flatterers goyng about to please men and not God whome we see vnder a false pretence of continencie to fall into horrible wickednesse Some to lye with their fathers wiues some to bee Sodomites and not to abhorre to play the beastes with bruite beastes And therfore least through the infection of this wicked pestileÌ„ce the state of the Church should too much go to ruine therfore he sayd because of fornication let euery man haue his owne wyfe Touching which saying our false hypocrites falsly do lye faine as though onely it pertayned to the laitie and not to them And yet they themselues seming to be set in the most holy order are not afrayd to abuse other mens wiues and as we see with weeping eyes all they do outrage in the foresayd wickednes These men haue not rightly vnderstanded the Scripture whose brestes while they sucke so hard in stead of milke they suck out bloud For the saying of the Apostle let euery man haue his own wife doth except none in very deede but him onely which hath the gifte of continency prefixing with himselfe to keepe and to continue hys virgine in the Lord. Wherfore O reuerend father it shal be your part to cause ouersee that whosoeuer either with hand or mouth hath made a vowe of continencie and afterward would forsake either should be compelled to keepe his vowe or els by lawfull authoritie should be deposed from his order And to bring this to passe ye shall not onely haue me but also all other of my order to be helpers vnto you But that you may vnderstand that such which know not what a vowe doth meane are not to be violently compelled thereunto heare what the Apostle sayth vnto Timothie A Bishop sayth he must be irreprehensible the husband of one wife Which sentence least ye should turne and apply onely to the Church marke what he inferreth after he that knoweth not sayth he to rule his owne householde and familie how should he rule the Church of God And likewise the Deacons sayth he let them be the husbandes of one wyfe which haue knowledge to gouerne their owne house and children And this wyfe how she is woont to bee blest of the Priest you vnderstand sufficiently I suppose by the decrees of holy Siluester the Pope To these and such other holy sentences of the Scripture agreeth also he that is the writer of the rule of the Clergy writing after this maner A Clarke must be chaste and continent or els let him be coupled in the bandes of Matrimony hauing one wyfe Wherby it is to be gathered that the Bishop and Deacon are noted infamous and reprehensible if they be deuided in mo women then one otherwise if they do forsake one vnder the pretence of Religion both they together as well the Bishop as the Deacon bee here condemned by the Canonicall sentence which sayth Let no Bishop or Priest forsake his owne wife vnder the colour and pretence of Religion If he doe forsake her let hym bee excommunicate And if he so continue let hym bee disgraded Saint Augustine also a man of discrete holynesse sayth in these wordes There is no offence so great or grieuous but it is to auoyd a greater euill Furthermore we read in the second booke of the Tripartite history That when the Councell of Nice goyng about to establish the same decree would enact that Bishops Priests and Deacons after their consecration either should abstaine vtterly from their own wiues or els should be deposed Then Paphnutius one of those holy Martyrs whom the Emperor Maximus had put out the right eie hockt their left legs rising vp amongst the withstood their purposed decreement confessing Mariage to be honourable and calling the bed of matrimony to be chastitie and so perswaded the Councell from making that law declaring thereby what occasion might come to themselues their wiues of fornication And thus much did Paphnutius being vnmaried himself declare vnto theÌ„ And the whole Councell commending his sentence gaue place thereto left the matter freely without coÌ„pulsion to the will of euery man to do therein as he thought Notwithstanding there be some which take S. Gregory for their defence in this matter whose temeritie I laugh at ignorance I lament for they know not being ignorauntly deceiued how daungerously the decree of this heresie was being made of S. Gregory who afterward well reuoked the same with condign fruit of repentaunce For vpon a certaine day as he sent vnto his fishpond to haue fish and did see more then sixe thousand infants heades brought vnto him which were taken out of the same pond or mote did greatly repent in himselfe the decree made before touchyng the single lyfe of Priests which he confessed to be the cause of that so lamentable a murther And so purging the same with condigne fruite of repentaunce altered agayne the things which he had decreed before commending that counsaile of the Apostle which sayth It is better to marry then to â—urne Adding moreouer of himself thereunto and saying It is better to marry then to giue occasion of death Peraduenture if these men
Whereat the King with his nobles being much delighted laughed merely At the request of thys Charles surnamed Bawld the Frenche king this Scotus translated the booke of Dionysius intituled De Hierarchia from Greeke into Latin worde for worde quo fit as my author sayth vt vix intelligatur Latina litera quum nobilitate magis Graeca quam positione construitur Latina He wrote also a Booke De corpore sanguine Domini whych was afterward condemned by the Pope In Concilio Vercellensi The same Iohannes Scotus moreouer compiled a booke of his own geuing it a greeke title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is De naturae diuisione In which booke as sayeth my foresayd author is contained the resolution of many profitable questions but so that he is thought to followe the Greeke Churche rather then the Latine and for the same was counted of some to be an hereticke because in that booke some thinges there be which in all poyntes accorde not with the Romish Religion Wherfore the Pope wryting to the saide king Charles of thys Scotus complayneth as in his owne wordes here followeth RelatuÌ„ est Apstolatui nostro quòd opus Dionysij Areopagitae quod de diuinis nominibus de caelestibus ordinibus Graeco descripsit eloquio quidam vir Ioannes genere Scotus nuper transtulit in Latinum Quod iuxta morem Ecclesiae nobis mitti nostro iudicio debuit approbariâ— praesertim quum idem Ioannes licèt multae scientiae esse praedicitur olim non sane sapere in quibusdam frequenti rumore dicatur c. That is Relation hath bene made vnto our Apostleship that a certaine man called Iohannes a Scottish man hath translated the booke of Dionysius the Areopagite of the names of God and of the heauenly orders from Greeke into Latin Which Booke according to the custome of the Church ought first to haue bene approued by our iudgement namely seeing the sayde Iohn albeit he be sayde to be a man of great learning and science in time past hath bene noted by common rumour to haue bene a man not of vpright or sounde doctrine in certaine pointes c. For this cause the sayde Scotus being constrained to remoue from FrauÌ„ce came into England allured as some testifie by the letters of Alured or Alfrede of whom he was with great fauour entertained and conuersant a great space about the king til at length whether before or after the death of the king it is vncertaine he weÌ„t to Malmesbery where he taught certaine scholers a fewe yeares by the which Schollers at laste most impiously he was murthered and slaine with their penkniues and so died as stories say a Martyr buried at the sayd monastery of Malmesbury with this Epitaph Clauditur in tumulo sanctus sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus eratiam viuens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi condescendere regnum Qui meruit regnans secli per secula cuncta King Alfrede hauing these helpes of learned men about him no lesse learned also himself past ouer his time not onely to great vtilitie and profite of his subiectes but also to a rare profitable example of other Christen kings and Princes for them to follow This foresaid Alfrede had by his wife called Ethelwitha two sonnes Edwarde and Ethelward and three daughters Elflena Ethelgora and Ethelguida Quas omnes liberalibus fecit artibus erudiri That is Whome he set all to their bookes and study of liberall arts as my storie testifieth First Edward his eldest sonne succeeded him in the kingdome The second sonne Ethelward died before his father Ethelgora hys middle Daughter was made a Nunne The other two were married the one in Marceland the other to the earle of Flanders Thus king Alfrede the valiaunt vertuous and learned Prince after he had thus Christianly gouerned the realme the terme of 29. yeares 6. monethes departed this life v. Kal. Nou. and lyeth buried at Winchester An Dom. 901. Of whome thys I finde moreouer greatly noted and commended in historie and not here to be forgotten for the rare example therof touching this Alfrede that wheresoeuer he was or whethersoeuer he went he bare alwaies about him in his bosome or pocket a litle booke coÌ„taining the Psalmes of Dauid and certaine other Orasons of his owne collecting Wherupon he was continually reading or praying when soeuer he was otherwise vacant hauing leisure therunto Finally what were the vertues of this famous king thys litle table here vnder written which is left in ancient writing in the remembraunce of his worthy and memorable life doth sufficiently in fewe lines containe In Regem Alfredum virtutum illius claram memoriam FAmosus Bellicosus Victoriosus Viduarum pupillorum orphanorum pauperumque prouisor studiosus Poetarum Saxonicorum peritissimus Suae genti Chatissimus Affabilis omnibus Liberalissimus Prudentia fortitudine temperantia Iustitia praeditus in infirmitate qua continuè laborabat pacientissimus In exequendis iudicijs indagator discretissimus In seruicio Dei vigilantissimus deuotissimus Anglosaxonum Rex Alfredus piâ—ssimi Ethelulfi filius 29. annis sexque mensibus regni sui peractis mortem obijt Indict 4. Quinto Kalend. Nouemb. feria quarta Wintoniae in nouo monasterio sepultus immortalitatis stolam resurrectionis gloriam cum iustis expectat c. Moreouer in the Historie of Henricus Huntingtonensis these verses I finde wrytten in the commendation of the same Alfrede made as I suppose and as by his words appeareth by the sayd author whereof I thought not to defraude the reader the wordes whereof here follow Epitaphium Regis Alfredi Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem Armipotens Alfrede dedit probitasque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant Spes semper mixta timori Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pauebas Si modò victus eras ad crastina bella parabas Cui vestes sudore iugi cui sica cruore Tincta iugi quantum sit onus regnare probarunt Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi Cui tot in aduersis nil respirare liceret Nec tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse dolores Iam post transactos vitae regnique labores Christus ei sit vera quies sceptrumque perenne In the storie of this Alfred a little aboue mention was made of Pleimundus Scholemaster to the sayde Alfrede and also Byshop of Caunterbury succeeding Etheredus there Byshoppe before him Which Pleimundus gouerned that Sea the number of xxxiiij yeares After Pleimundus succeeded Athelmus and sate xij yeares After him came Ulfeâ—mus xiij yeares Then followed Odo a Dane borne in the sayd Sea of Caunterb and gouerned the same xx yeares being in great fauoure with King Athelstane king Edmund and Edwine as in processe hereafter Christ willing as place order doth require shall more at large
of the first institutors and commenders of that superstition Chrysostomus Nazianzenus Euagrius Sozomenus Dionysius and diuers other In the number of these monkes which then were deuided into Herâ—mites or Anachorites and into Coenobites wexe Antonius Paulus Ioannes wyth diuers other recluses Among the which was Hierome Basile Macarius Isidorus Pambus Nilammon Simeon with infinite other both in Palestina Syria Thebaide Mesopotamia in Egypt in Africa and Scythia In so much that Cassianus Lib. 2. cap. 4. de Canon Noctur orat maketh mention of a certaine Monastery in Thebaide wherin were aboue 5000. monks vnder the gouernment of one Abbot And here also in England mention is made before of Bangor wherein were two thousand two hundred Monkes vnder one mans ruling in the yeare of our Lord 596. wherby it appeareth that Monkes were then and 2000. yeares before in the primitiue tyme of the Church But what monks these were is to be considered Such as either by tiranny of persecution were driuen into solitary and desert places or els such as not constrained of any but of their owne voluntary deuotion ioyned with some superstition among for the loue they had to spirituall contemplation and for hatred of the wicked world withdrewe themselues from all company either hauyng nothyng to themselues proper or els all things common with other And all these were then nothing els but lay men Of which lay men there were two sundry sortes one of the vulgare common people which onely were pertakers of the Sacraments the other in folowing a Monasticall kynde of lyfe were called Monkes beyng nothing but lay men leadyng a more seuere and straighter trade of lyfe then the other as may sufficiently appeare by August Lib. de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 13. Item Lib. de operibus Monachorum Item Epistola ad Aurelium Also by Hierome ad Heliodorum writing these wordes Alia Monachorum est causa alia clericorum Clerici pascunt oues ego pascor c. That is One thing pertaineth to Monkes an other thing to them of the Clergy They of the Clergy feede their flocke I am fed c. Et ex Dionysio Also the same appeareth likewise by the 4. Canon of the Councel of Chalcedone where it is prouided Ne Monachi se Ecclesiasticis negocijs immisceant That is That Monkes should not intermedle with matters of the Church c. Et Leo Epistola 62 vetat Monachos laicos etsi scientie nomine glorientur admitti ad officium docendi concionandi By these foresayd authors alledged it is euident that Monkes in the former age of the church albeit they lyued a solitary life yet they were then no other but only lay meÌ„ differing from priests differing from the other monkes which succeeded them afterward in the middle age of the Church and that in iij. pointes First they were tyed and bound to no prescript forme eyther of diet or apparel or any thing els as we may see testified by the wordes of S. Augustine which be these Neque inter haec nemo vrgetur in aspera quae ferre non potest Nulli quod recusat imponitur Nec ideo contemnitur à caeteris in quod eis imitandis se fatetur inualidum Meminerunt enim quantoperè commendata sit in Scripturis charitas Meminerunt omnia munda mundis c NoÌ„ quod intrat in os coinquinat hominem sed quod exit Itaque non reijciendis generibus ciborum quasi pollutis sed concupiscentiae perdomandae dilectioni fratrum retinendae inuigilat omnis industria And Sozomenus Lib 3. cap. 16. speaking of the Monkes of the same time which in cities had seuerall mansions froÌ„ other sayth Alij in turba ciuitatum conuersabantur sic seipsos gerentes vt nullius momenti viderentur à multis nihil differrent c. 1. Some liued in cities so behauing themselues as seeming nothing worth and they differed nothyng from the multitude c. The second point wherin they were discrepant from the latter Monkes was in that they remained no other but in the order of lay men onely beyng of a straighter lyfe then the rest and had nothing to do in matters charges Ecclesiasticall Which was afterward broken by Pope Bonifacius the 4. as followeth more the lord willing to be sene and sayd Thirdly the foresaid monkes of that age albeit the most part of them liued sole single from wiues yet some of them were maried certes none of them were forbidden or restrayned from mariage Of such as were maried speaketh Athanasius in Epistola ad Dracontium qui ait se nouisse Monachos Episcopos coniuges liberorum patres c. That is which sayth that he knew both Monkes and Bishops maried men and fathers of children c. And yet the said Monkes of the old tyme though they were better then the other which folowed them yet al that notwithstanding superstitioÌ„ with them and among them begaÌ„ then to creepe into the church through the crafty subtilty of Sachan and all for the ignorance of our free iustification by faith in Iesus Christ. Examples do declare the vaine and prodigious superstitioÌ„ of these Monasticall sort of men which examples do not lacke if 〈◊〉 rather did not lacke to bring them in But ij or iij. shal suffice for many which I purpose the Lord willing here to insert to the intent the mind of the godly reader may the better consider and vnderstand how shortly after the tyme of Christ and his Apostles the doctrine of christian iustification began to be forgotten true religion turned to superstition the price of Christes passion to bee obscured through the vayne opinion of mens merites c. A certaine Abbot named Moses thus testifieth of himselfe in the Collations of Cassianus that he so afflicted himselfe with much fastyng and watching that sometimes for ij or iij. dayes together not onely he felt no appetite to eate but also had no remeÌ„braunce of any meat at all and by reason thereof was driuen also froÌ„ sleepe In so much that he was caused to pray to God but for a little refreshing of sleepe to be geuen him some piece of the night In the same author mention is made of a certaine old man an Hermite who because hee had conceiued in himselfe such a purpose neuer to eat meat without he had some guest or straÌ„ger with him sometyme was constrained to abstaine v. daies together vntil Sonday while he came to the Church and there brought some stranger or other home with him Two other examples yet more will I adde out of the said Cassianus to declare how the subtiltie of Sathan thorough superstition and false colour of holynes blindeth the miserable eyes of such which rather attend mens traditions then the word of God In the xl chap. of the sayd author in his booke de Gastrimargia is told of a certain Abbot named Ioannes
as both the Bishops are slacke in their charge doyng and also the prerogatiue of their order exempteth thē frō the secular iurisdictiō c. And thus much out of Nuburgensis To this matter also pertayne the words of Cesarius the monke in hys 8. booke of Dialogues cap. 69 about the 48. yeare after the death of Thomas Becket which was the yeare of the Lord. 1220. whose wordes in summe come to this effect Quaestio Parisijs inter magistros ventilata fuit vtrum damnatus an saluatus effet ille Thomas Dixerat Rhogerius tunc Normānus fuiffe illum morte ac damnatione dignum quòd contumax esset in dei ministrum regem Protulit econtra Petrus Cantor Parisiensis quòd signa saluationis magne sāctitatis essent eius miracula quòd martirium probasler Ecclesiae causa pro qua mortem subierat c. In English There was a question moued among the maisters of Paris whether Tho. Becket were saued or damned To this question answereth Roger a Norman that he was worthy death and damnation for that he was so obstinate agaynst Gods minister hys K. Contrary Peter Cantor a Persian disputed saying affirming that his miracles were great signes and tokens of saluatiō and also of great holines in that man affirming moreouer that the cause of the Church did allow and confirme hys martyrdome for the which Church he dyed And thus haue ye the iudgement and censure of the schole of Paris touching this question for the saincting of Thomas Becket In which iudgement for so much as the greatest argumēt resteth in the miracles wrought by him after hys death let vs therefore pause a little vpon y◠same to try and examine these his miracles In the tryall wherof we shall finde one of these two to be true that eyther if they were true they were wrought not by God but by a cōtrary spirit of whō Christ our Lord geueth vs warning in his gospell saying whose comming shal be with lying signes and wonders to deceiue if it were possible the elect Math 24. for els we shall finde that no suche were euer wrought at all but fayned and forged of idle Monkes and religious bellies for the exaltatiō of their churches profit of their powches whiche thing in deede seemeth rather to be true And no lesse may appeare by the miracles thēselues set forth by one of his own Monks of his owne time who in fine solemne books hath comprehended all the reuelation vertues and miracles of this archb the which bookes as yet remayning in the hands of William Stephenson Citizen of London I haue seen and perused wherein is contayned the whole summe of all his miracles to the number of 270 being so far of from all trueth reason some ridiculous some monstrous vayne absurd some also blasphemous some so impudēt that not onely they deserue no credit altogether sauoring of mere forgery but also for very shame will abash an honest penne to write vpō thē First if miracles serue for necessity for infidels what cause or necessity was there in a Christian realme hauing the word of God for God to worke such miracles after his death who neuer wrought any in all his life Thē to consider the end of these miracles whether do they tend but onely to bring men to Canterbury with their vowes and offeringes to enrich the couent Beside the nūber of the miracles which he sayd so many that they lose theyr owne credit what disease is there belonging to man or woman in the curing whereof some miracle hath not bene wrought by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as feuers fistula the gout toothache palsey consumption falling sicknesse leprosie headache broken armes maymed legs swelling throates the raysing vp of the dead which haue bene two dayes departed with infinite other And as all these haue healed for the most part by one kinde of salue as a certayne panacea which was with the water onely of Caunterbury like as a cunning Smith which should open with one key all maner of lockes so agayne in reading of the story of these miracles ye shall finde the matter so conueyed that the power of this dead Saynt was neuer twise shewed vpon any one disease but euery diuers disease to haue a diuers miracle To recite in order all these prodigious reuelatiōs and phātasticall miracles falsely imagined and ascribed to this archbishop were nothing els but to write a legend of lies to occupy the people with tristes Which because it pertaineth rather so the idle professiō of such dreaming monks and cloysterers that haue nothing els to maintain that religion withal I will not take their profession out of theyr hands Wherfore to omit all suche vayne lying apparitions and miracles as how this angry sainct 3. dayes after his death appeared by vision at the altar in his pontificalibus commaunding the quere not to sing but to say this office of his masse Exurge quare obdormis Domine c. Which vision the author himselfe of the book doth say he did see To omit also the blasphemous lye how in other vision the sayd Archbishop should say that hys bloud did cry out of the earth to God more then the bloud of iust Abell Itē in an other visiō it was shewed to a monk of Lewes how S. Thomas had hys place in heauen appoynted with the Apostles aboue Stephen Laurence Uincent and al the other Martyrs whereof of this cause is rendered for that ◠Stephen Laurence and such other suffered only for their own cause But this Th. suffered for the vniuersal church Item how it was shewed to a certayne young man Ormus by name xij yeares before the death of this Becket that among the Apostles martyrs in heauen there was a vacaunt place left for a certayne priest as he sayd of England which was credibly supposed to be this Tho. Becket Item how a certain knightes sonne being two dayes dead was reuiued agayne so soone as he had the water of Caunterbury put in his mouth had by his parentes 4. peeces of siluer bended to be offered in Caūterbury in the childes behalfe All these I say with such other like to omit the number wherof commeth to an infinite varietie onely this one story or an other that followeth shall suffice to expresse the vanitie and impudent forgery of all the rest In the fourth book of this fabulous author and in the 3. chap. a miracle is there contayned of a certayn countryman of Bedfordshire in kinges Weston whose name was Gilwardus which Gilwardus in his dronkēnes brusting into an other mans house which was his debter took out of his house a great whetstone a paire of hedging gloues The other party seyng this value not sufficient for hys cōdemnation by the councell of the towneclerk entred an action of felony agaynst him for other thinges besides as for stealing
able to helpe vs. In saying or singing the houres and Mattens of the day the time to be but lost A man ought to cease from his labour no day but onely vpon the Sonday The feastes and festiuals of saintes ought to be reiceted Item such fastes as be coacted and inioyned by the Church haue no merite in them These assertions of the Ualdenses being thus articled out by Enâ—as Siluius I thought to geue them abroad in English as they are in Latine to the intent that as they are the lesse to be doubted being set out of a popes pen so we may the better know both them hereby what they were and also vnderstand how this doctrine now preached and taught in the Church is no new doctrine which here we see both taught and persecuted almost 400 yeares agoe And as I haue spoken hetherto sufficiently concerning theyr doctrine So now we will briefly somewhat touch of the order of theyr life and conuersation as we finde it registred in a certayne olde written booke of Inquisition ¶ Ex Inquisitorio quodam libello MOdus autem Valdensium talis est c. The whole proces commeth to this effect in English The maner of the Ualdenses is this They kneeling vpon their knees leaning to some banke or stay doe continue in their prayers with silence so long as a maÌ„ may say 30. or 40. times Pater noster And this they doe euery day with great reuerence being amongest theÌ„selues such as be of their owne religion no straungers with theÌ„ both before dinner after likewise before supper and after also what time they go to bed and in the morning when they rise at certain other times also as well in the day as in the night IteÌ„ they vse no other prayer but the prayer of the Lord that without any Aue Maria and the Creed which they affirme not to be put in for any prayer by Christ but only by yâ— church of Rome Albeit they haue and vse yâ— seueÌ„ articles of fayth coÌ„cerning the diuinity and seuen articles concerning the humanity and the x. commaundements and seuen workes of mercy which they haue compiled together in a coÌ„pendious book glorying much in the same therby offer themselues ready to answere any man for theyr fayth Before they go to meate they haue this grace Benedicite Korieeleyson Christe eleyson Kyrieeleyson Pater noster Which being sayd then the elder amongest them beginneth thus in their owne tongue God which blessed the fiue barely loaues and two fishes in the desert before his disciples blesse this table that is set vpon it or shal be set vpon it In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen And likewise agayne when they rise from meat the seniour geueth thankes saying the words of the Apocalips Blessing and worship and wisedome thankesgeuing honor vertue and strength to God alone for euer and euer Amen And addeth moreouer God reward them in their bosoms and be beneficiall to all them that be beneficial to vs and blesse vs. And the God which hath geuen vs corporall feeding graunt vs his spirituall life and God be with vs and we alwayes with hâ—m To which they answere agayn AmeÌ„ And thus saying grace they hold their hands vpward looking vp to heaueÌ„ Alter their meat and grace sayd they teach and exhort amongest themselues conferring together vpon their doctrine c. In their doctrine and teaching they were so diligent painefull that Reinerius a writer about their time an extreme enemy agaynst them in a long proces wherin he describeth their doctrine and teaching testifieth that he heard of one which did know the party that a certayne heretick sayth he onely to turne a certaine person away from our faith and to bring him to his in the night and in yâ— winter time swamme ouer the riuer called Ibis to come to him and to teach him moreouer so perfect they were then in the Scriptures that the sayd Reinerius sayth he did heare and see a man of the couÌ„try vnlettered which could recite ouer the whole booke of Iob word by word without booke with diuers other which had the whole new testament perfectly by hart And although some of them rather merely then vnskilfully expounded the wordes of 1. Ioan. Sui non receperunt eum Swine did not receiue him yet were they not so ignoraunt and voyd of learning nor yet so few in number but that they did mightely preuayle In somuch that Reinerius hath these wordes Non erat qui eos impedire auderet propter potentiam multitudinem fautorum suorum Inquisitioni examinationi saepe interfui Et computatae sunt 40. Ecclesiae quae haeresi infectae fueruntâ—ac in yna parochia Cammach fueruut decem eorum scholae c. That is There was none durst stoppe them for the power and multitude of their fauourers I haue often bene at their inquisition examination And there were numbred 40. churches infected with their heresie insomuch that in one parish of caÌ„mach were x open scholes of them c. Haec ille And the sayde Reinerius when hee hath sayd all he can in deprauing and impugning them yet is driuen to confesse this of them where he doth distinct their sect froÌ„ other sectes and hath these wordes Haec verò Leonistarum secta magnam habet speciem pietatis eò quòd coram hominibus iustè viuant benè omnia de Deo credant omnes articulos qui in symbolo contineÌ„tur Solam Romanam Ecclesiam blasphemaÌ„t oderuÌ„t That is This sect of Leonistes hath a great shew of holynesse in that both they liue iustly before men and beleue all things well of God and holde all the articles conteined in the Creed Onely they blaspheme yâ— Romish church and hate it c. Now to touch somewhat their persecutioÌ„s After they were driuen out of Lions they were scattered into diuers sundry places the prouidence of God so disposing that the sound of their doctrine might be heard abroad in the world Some as I sayd went to Bohemia Many did fliâ— into their prouinces of Fraunce Some into Lombardy other into other places c. But as the crosse commonly foloweth the verity sincere preaching of Gods word so neither could these be suffered to liue in rest There are yet to be seen the consultations of Lawiers Archbishops and byshops of Fraunce as Narbonensis A relatensis AqueÌ„sis and Albanensis deuised amongst themselues and yet remayne in writing for the abolishing extirping of these Ualdenses written aboue 300. yeres agoe wherby it appeareth there was a great number in Fraunce Besides there was a whole councell kept in Theolouse about 355. yeares to fore and all agaynst these Ualdenses The which also were condemned in an other couÌ„cell at Rome before that What great persecutions were raysed vp agaynst theÌ„ in Fraunce by these 4. Archbishops before
partly also by a common couÌ„cell and consent of the spiritual and seculer persons Then shall iustice florish so that in those dayes men shall honestly apply themselues to the ancient customes and dicipline of auncient men and shall obserue them as the auncient men did The glose agreeth c. These things thus premised now will we come to the prophecâ—e or the foresaid Hildegard concerning the foresaid begging Friers aboue metioned reciting her words not only as they are printed in a book printed of late in Germany but also as my selfe haue seene and read agreeing to the same booke word for worde and yet haue the same to shew written in old partchment leaues in such sort as the thing it selfe most euidently declareth a great iniquitie of tyme. The wordes of her prophecie be these In those dayes shal rise a senceles people proud greedy without fayth subtile the which shall eare the sinnes or the people holding a certayne order of foolish deuotion vnder the tayned cloke of beggery preferring themselues aboue all other by their fayned deuotion arrogant in vnderstanding and pretending holines walking without shamefastnes or the feare of God in inuenting many new mischiefes strong and stout But this order shall be accursed of all wyse men and faythfull Christians they shall cease from all labour and geue themselues ouer vnto idlenes chusing rather to liue through flattery and begging Moreouer they shall together study how they may perâ—erâ—y resist the teachers of the truth stay them together to the noble men How to seduce and deceiue the noâ—ilitie for the necessitie of their liuing and plesures of this world for the deuill will graft in them foure principall vices that is to say flattery enuy hipocrisie and â—launder Flattery that they may haue large giftes geuen them Enuy when they see giftes geuen vnto other and not vnto them Hypocrisie that by false dissimulation they may please men Detraction that they may extoll and commend themselues and bacbite others for the prayse of men and seducing of the simple Also they shall instantly preache but without deuotion or example of the Martyrs and shall â—etracte the secular Princes taking awaye the Sacramentes of the Church from the true pastors receauing almes of the poore diseased and miserable and also associating themselues with the common people hauing familiaritie with women instructing them how they shall deceiue their husbandes and friendes by their flattery and deceitfull wordes and to robb their husbandes to geue it vnto them for they will take all these stolne and euill gotten goodes and say geue it vnto vs and we will pray for you so that they being curious to hide other mens faults do vtterly forget their owne And alas they will receaue all thinges of rouers pickers spoylers theeues and robbers of sacrilegious persons vsurers adulterers heretickes schismatickes apostataes whores and baudes of noble men periurers marchantes false iudges souldiors tyrauntes Princes of such as liue contrary to the lawe of many peruerse and wicked men following the perswasion of the deuill the sweetenes of sinne a delicate transitory life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation All these thinges shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people and they day by day shall waxe more wicked hard harted and wheÌ„ as their wickednes deceits shal be found out then shall their giftes cease then shal they goe about their houses hungry as mad dogges looking down vpoÌ„ the earth drawing in their neckes as doues that they might be satisfied with bread then shall the people cry out vpon them Wo be vnto you ye miserable children of sorrowe the world hath seduced you and the deuill hath bridled your mouthes your fleshe is frayle and your hartes without fauour your mindes haue bene vnstedfast and your eyes delited in much vanitie folly your dainty bellies desire dellicate meates your feet are swift to runne vnto mischiefe Remember when you were apparantly blessed yet enuious poore in sight but rich simple to see to but mighty flatterers vnfaythfull betrayers peruerse detracters holy hipocrites subuerters of the truth ouermuch vpright proud vnshamefast vnstedfast teachers delicate martyrs confessors for gayne meeke but slaunderers religious but couetous humble but proud pitifull but hard harted lyers pleasaunt flatterers peacemakers persecuters oppressors of the poore bringing in new sectes newly inuented of your selues mercifull thought but found wicked louers of the world sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices vnprofitable orators seditious conspirators dronkardes desirers of honours maintainers of mischiefe robbers of the worlde vnsatiable preachers men pleasers seducers of women and sowers of discord of whom Moyses the glorious prophet spake very wel in his song A people without counsell or vnderstanding would to God they did know and vnderstand and foresee the end You haue builded vp on high and wheÌ„ you could ascend no higher then did you fall euen as Simon Magus whome God ouerthrew and did strike with a cruell plague so you likewise through your false doctrin naughtines lyes detractions wickednes are come to ruine And the people shall say vnto them goe ye teachers of wickednes subuerters of truth brethreÌ„ of the Sunamite fathers of heresies false Apostles which haue fayned your selues to follow the lyfe of the Apostles and yet haue not fulfilled it in part ye sonnes of iniquity we will not folow the knowledge of your wayes for pride and presumption hath deceiued you and insatiable concupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hartes And when as you would ascend higher then was meete or comely for you by the iust iudgement of God you are fallen backe into perpetuall opprobry and shame This Hildegardis whose prophecie we haue mentioned lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 1146. as was read in Chronico Martini About the same tyme that these Franciscans and Dominicke Friars began which are aboue mentioned spraÌ„g vp also the crossebearers or crouched Friers taking their originall occasion or Innocent the third which Innocent raysed vp an army signed with a Crosse on their 〈◊〉 to fight agaynst the Albingenses whom the pope and his sect accompted for heretickes about the partes of Tholouse What these Albingenses were it cannot be well gathered by the olde popish historyes For if there were any that did hold teach or mayntayne agaynst the Pope or his papal pride or withstand gainsay his beggarly traditioÌ„s â—â—es and religions c. the historicians of that time for the most part in writing them do so repraue and misreporte them suppressing the truth of their articles that they make theÌ„ and paynt them forth to be worse then Turkes and Infidels And that as I suppose caused Mathew Parisiensis and other of that sort to write so of theÌ„ as they did Otherwise it is to be thought and so I finde in some recoâ—eâ—â— that the opinions of the said Albingenses were sound inough holding and professing nothing els but only agaynst the waÌ„ton wealth pride
and tyranny of the Prelates denying the Popes authoritie to haue groâ—â—d of the Scriptures neyther coulde they away with their ceremonies and traditions as Images Pardons Purgatory of the Romish church calling them as some say blasphemous occupyinges c. Of these Albingenses were slayne at times and burned a great multitude by the meanes of the Pope and Symon Ecclesiasticus with other moe It seemeth that these Albingenses were chiefly abhorred of the Pope because they set vp a contrary Pope against him about the coastes of Bugarorum For the which cause the Byshop called Portinensis beyng the popes Legate in those quarters writeth to the Archbishop of Roan and other Byshops in this wise VEnerabilibus patribus Dei gratia Rothomagensi Archiepiscopo eius suffraganeis Episcopis Sal. in Domino Iesu Christo. Dum pro spoÌ„sa veri crucifixi vestrum cogimur auxilium implorare potiùs compellimur lacerari singultibus plorare Ecce quòd vidimus loquimur quod scimus testificamur Ille homo perditus qui extollitur super omne quod colitur aut dicitur Deus iam habet persidiae suae praeambulum haeresiarcam queÌ„ haereteci Albingenses Papam suum nominant habitantem finibus Bugarorum Croaticae Dalmitiae iuxta Hungariorum nationem Ad eam confluunt haeretici Albingenses vt ad eoruÌ„ consulta respondeat Etenim de Carcasona oriundus vices illius Antipapae gerens Bartholomaeus haereticorum Episcopus funestam ei exhibendo reuerentiam sedem locum coÌ„cessit in villa que Porlos appellatur seipsum transtulit in partes Tholosanas Iste Bartholomaeus in literarum suarum vndique discurrenrentium tenore se in primo salutationis alloquio intitulat in huÌ„c modum Bartholomaeus seruus seruorum Mâ—sanctae fidei saluteÌ„ Ipse etiam inter alias enormitates creat Episcopos Ecclesias perfidè ordinare contendit Rogamus igitur attentiùs per aspertionem sanguinis Iesu Christi propensiùs obsecramus authoritate Domini Papae qua fungimur in hac parte districtè praecipientes quatenus veniatis Senonas in oct Apostorum Petri Pauli proximè futuris vbi alij praelati Franciae fauente Domino congregabuntur parati consilium dare in negotio praedicto cum alijs qui ibidem aderunt prouidere super negotio Albingensi Alioqui inobedientiam vestram D. Papae curabimus significari Datum Apud Plauuium 6. Nonas Iulij For somuch as mention is here made of these superstitious sectes of Fryers and such other beggerly religions it might seeme not much impartinent being moued by the occasion hereof as I haue done in Hildegardis before so now to annexe also to the same a certayne other auncient treatise compyled by Geoffray Chawcer by the way of a Dialogue or questions moued in the person of a certayne vplandish and simple ploughman of the country Whiche treatise for the same the author intituled Iacke vpland wherein is to be seene and noted to al the world the blind ignoraunce and variable discord of these irreligious religions how rude and vnskilfull they are in matters and principles of our Christian institution As by the contents of this present Dialogue appeareth the wordes wherof in the same old English wherein first it was set forth in this wise doe proceede Wherein also thou mayst see that it is no new thing that theyr blasphemous doyngs hath by diuers good men in old tyme bene detected as there are many and diuers other olde bookes to shew A treatise of Geoffrey Chawcer Intituled Iacke vpland I Iacke vpland make my mone to very God and to all true in Christ that Antechrist and his Disciples by colour of holines walking and deceauing Christes Church by many false figures where through by Antechrist and hys many vertues bene transposed to vices But the felliest folke that euer Antechrist found bene last brought into the church and in a wonder wise for they bene of diuers sectes of Antechrist sowne of diuers countreys and kindreds And all men knowne well that they be not obedient to Byshops ne liege men to kinges neyther they tyllen ne sowne weden ne repen woode corne ne grasse neither nothing that man should helpe but onely themselues their lyues to sustayne And these men han all maner power of God as they seyn in heuyn in yerth to sell heuyn and hell to whom that them liketh and these wretches were neuer where to bene themselfes And therfore Frere if thine order rules bene grounded on Goddys law tell thou me Iacke vpland that I aske of thee and if thou be or thinkest to be on Christes side keepe thy paciens SAint Paule teacheth that all our deedes should be do in charite and els it is nought worth but displeasing to God and harme to our owne soules And for that Freres challenge to be greatest Clerkes of the Churche and next following Christ in liuing men should for charite axe theÌ„ some questions and praye them to grounde theyr aunsweres in reason and in holy write for els their aunswere woulde nought bee worth be it florished neuer so fayre and as mehinke men might skilfully axe thus of a Frere 1. ¶ Frere how many orders be in erth and which is the perfitest order of what order art thou who made thyne order what is thy rule Is there any perfecter rule then Christ himselfe made If Christes rule be most perfite why rulest thou thee not therafter without more why shall a Frere be more punished if he breke the rule that hys patron made then if he breke the heestes that God hymsefe made 2. Approueth Christ any more religions then one that S. Iames speaketh of If he approueth no more why hast thou left his rule and takest an other why is a Frere apostata that leuyth his order taketh an other sect sith there is but one religion of Christ. 3. Why he ye wedded faster to your habites then a man is to hys wife For a man may leaue hys wife for a yeare or two as many men done and if you leue your abitea quarter of a yeare ye shuld beholden apostatase 4. Makith your habite you men of Religion or no If it do then euer as it wereth your religion wereth and after that that your habite is better your religion is better and when ye haue liggin it beside then lig ye your religion beside you and byn apostatase why bye ye you so precious clothes sith no man seekith such but for vayne glory as S. Gregory sayth What betokeneth your great hood your scaplery your knotted girdle and your wide cope 5. Why vse ye all one colour more then other Christen meÌ„ do what betokeneth that ye bene clothed all in one maner clothing If ye say it betokenith loue and charite certes then ye be oft hipocrites wheÌ„ any of you hateth other and in that that ye woole be sayd holy by your clothing Why may not
more then lx M. florences of mere contributiō besides hys other auayles common reuenues out of benefices prebendaries first fruites tributes Peter Pence collatiōs reseruatiōs relaxations such marchandise c. Mention was made a little before pag. 231. and 239. of Albingenses keeping about the City of Tholouse These Albingauses because they began to smell the pope and to controle the inordinate proceedinges and discipline of the sea of Rome the Pope therefore recounting thē as a people hereticall excited and stirred vp about this presēt time yeare an 1220. Ludouick the yong French king through the instance of Phillip his Father to lay siege agaynst the sayd City of Tholouse to expugne extinguishe these Albingenses hys enemies Wherupon Ludouicke according to his fathers commaundement reared a puissant and a mighty army to compasse about and beset the forenamed city and so did Here were the men of Tholouse in great daunger But see how the mighty protection of God fighteth for hys people agaynst the might of man For after that Ludouicke as Mathew Paris testifieth had long weryed himselfe and hys men in waste and could do no good with all their ingines and artilery agaynst the City there fell moreouer vpon the French hoste by the hand of God such famine and pestilence both of men and horses beside the other dayly slaughter of the souldiours that Ludouick was enforced to retyre and with suche as were left to returne agayne home to Fraunce from whence he came In the slaughters of whiche souldiours besides many other was Erle Simon de monti forte generall of the army to whō the landes of the Erle of Tholouse was geuē by the pope who was slayne before the gate of the Citty with a stone And so was also the brother of the sayd Symon the same time in besieging a castell neare to Tholouse slayne with a stone in like maner And so was the siege of the Frenchmen agaynst Tholouse broke vp Ex Mat. Par. As the siege of these French men could doe no good against the Citty of Tholouse so it happened the same time that the christiās marching toward the holy land had better luck by the way in laying their siege to a certaine tower or castle in Egipt neare to the city Damieta which seemed by nature for the situation and difficultie of the place inexpugnable as which being situate in the middest of the great floud Nilus hard by the citty called Damieta could neither be come to by land nor be vndermined for the water nor by famine subdued for the nearenes of the citty yet notwithstanding through the helpe of God and policy of man in erecting scaffoldes and Castles vppon tops of mastes the Christians at last conquered it and after that the Citty also Damieta albeit not without great losse of Christen people In the expugnation of this City or forte among other that there died was the Lantgraue of Thuring named Ludouicke the husband of Elizabeth whom we vse to call S. Elizabeth This Elizabeth as my story recordeth was the daughter of the kyng of Hungary and maryed in Almayne where she liued with the forenamed Ludouicke Lantgraue of Thuringe Whom she thorough her perswasions prouoked and incēsed to take that vyage to fight for the holy land where he in the same vyage was slayne After whose death Elizabeth remaynyng a widow entred the profefliō of cloysterly religion made her selfe a Nunne So growing and increasing from vertue to vertue that after her death all Almayne did sounde with the fame of her worthy doynges Mat. Paris addeth this more that she was the daughter of that Queene who being accused to be naught with a certayne Archbishop was therfore condemned with this sentence pronounced agaynst her Reginam interficere nolite temere bonum est etsi omnes consenserint non ego contradico That is although it be hard in English to be translated as it standeth in Latine To kill the Queene will ye not to feare that is good And if all men consent thereunto not I my selfe do stand agaynst it c. The which sentence beyng brought to Pope Innocent thus in poynting the sentence which otherwise seemeth to haue a double vnderstanding so saued the Queene thus interpreting and poynting the sentence Reginam interficere nolite timere bonum est si omnes consenserint non ego Contradico That is To kill the Queene will ye not to feare that is good And if all doe consent thereto yet not I I my selfe do stand agaynst it And so escaped she the daunger This Queene was the mother as is said of Elizabeth the Nunne who for her holy Nunny shenes was canonised of the popes church for a Sainct in Almanie about the yeare 1220. Ex Mat Parisiens And this by the way nowe to proceede farther in the yeares and life of this king Henry The next yeare following which was an 1221. the king went to Oxford where he had something to do with William Earle de Albemartia who had taken the Castle of Biham but at last for hys good seruice he had done in the realme before was released of the king with all his men by the intercession of Walter Archbishop of York and of Pandolphe the Legate About which present yeare entred first the Friers Minorites or gray friars into England and had their first house at Cāterbury whos 's first patron was Fraunciscus which dyed an 1127. and hys order was confirmed by the pope Honorius 3. an 1224. About the first comming of these Dominicke and gray Friers Franciscane into the Realme as is in Nic. Triuet testified many Englishmen y◠same time entred into their orders Among whome was Iohannes de sancto Egideo a man famously expert in the science of Phisicke and Astronomy And Alexander de Hales both Englishmen and great diuines This Iohannes making hys Sermon ad clerum in the house of the Dominick Fryers exhorted his auditory with great perswasiōs vnto wilful pouerty And to confirme his words the more by hys owne example in the middest of his sermon he came downe from the pulpite and put on hys Fryers habite and so returning into the pulpite agayne made an end of hys Sermon Likewise Alexander Hales entred the order of the Fraunciscanes of whom remayneth yet the booke intituled De. Summa Theologiae in old Libraries Moreouer not long after by William de longa spata which was the Bastard sonne of K. Henry 2. and Earle of Salisbury was first founded the house of the Carthusian monkes at Heytrope an 1222. After whose death his wife Ela was translated to the house of Hentone in Barkeshyre an 1227. which Ela also founded the house of Nunnes at Lacockes and there continued her self Abbes of the place The Byshop of London named William the same tyme gaue ouer his byshopricke after whom succeeded Eustace in that sea Flor. hist. In the towne of
the displeasure you doe to them as our owne and proper iniurie For why it were a great dishonour to our Realme and Kingly estate if we should wincke hereat and ouerpasse the same with silence Wherefore if you wil consider and respect the thing that we haue sayde we doubt not but that you will release the Bishoppe of Penestrum with the other Legates and Prelates of the Churche which you to our preiudice doe detaine In desiring of our aide doubtlesse we gaue vnto them a manifest nay neither could they obtain in our kingdom any thing at all which seemed to be against or preiudiciall to your maiestie Let therefore your imperiall prouideÌ„ce poÌ„der in the ballance of iustice those things which we wryte vnto you neither let our lawfull request vnto you be frustrate or made in vaine For our realme and kingdome of Fraunce is not so debilitate or empouerished that it will be spurned at or troden vnder your feete Fare ye well The rescript of the Emperour to the same letter of the king of Fraunce OVr Imperiall magnificence hath perused your kingly letters wherein if we had not founde manifest contradiction they might peraduenture haue obteined at our handes all that they required But euen as with a little leauen a whole lumpe of dowe is sowred so a manifest vntruth alleaged hath made the whole argument of your letter both faultie and vnsauerie It is apparaunt that you wanted the vertue of mediocritie in the conclusion of the same your graces letter For that they themselues bewray no lesse then we giue you manifestly to vnderstand many moe besides doth know It is notorious also and to al the world reuealed in what sort that Apostolical father hath impugned our innocencie as well with the one sworde as with the other And howe that whilest we at his commaundement tooke our iourney beyonde the seas the same our enemie and hostile aduersarie inuaded our kingdome of Sicilia and the same not in one place or two but in diuers sondry parts therof hath wasted spoiled and destroied After this when with great intreatie at our returne from Asia we had concluded a peace with him which with vs at his owne pleasure he made And had taken and receiued our deuotion for the same which in seruiceable maner we graunted him The sayde Apostolicall father that notwithstanding hath since that time rather aggrauated his displeasure towardes vs then any thing at all qualified the same and further hath to our depriuation and subuersion excogitate and deuised against vs all the mischiefe hee might or hath bene able no cause in all the worlde geuen of vs to prouoke the same And farther hath promulgated to our great defamation and shame as well by his letters as Legates the sentence of excommunication against vs vnto all nations Lastly hee aspiring to our imperiall state and conspiring our supplantation hath made warre against vs as against king Dauid Gods annointed and hath vnto a priuate Councell for that purpose called all the Prelates he caÌ„ get as one that meaneth to set the whole world together by the eares But such is the maruelous wisedom of God by whome we liue and raigne beholding the wicked purpose hee went about confounding the crafty in their craftinesse hath geuen into our hands as well your Prelates of the realme of France as also of other regions and prouinces al which we imprison and detaine as enemies and aduersaries to our Imperiall crowne and person For where there desisted not to be a persecutor there hath not wanted also a sufficient withstander defender Let not therfore your kingly highnesse maruell although Augustus detaineth in prison your French Prelates which haue indeuoured themselues to conspire and so to disturbe our imperiall estate and regiment Fare ye well When Fredericke nowe saw there was none other remedie and that in vaine hee laboured to haue peace wyth the Pope hee prosecuteth his warre to the vttermost and when he had gotten Ludertum and recoÌ„ciled the same he destroyed the towne of Geminum and Naruia and geueth the spoyle of them vnto his souldiors He gently receiued the yelding vp of Siburnum and wasteth all the countrey rounde about Rome The Pope heere with dismaied and troubled with such as otherwise dissuaded and counsailed him and that things not so well prospered with him and against the Emperour as he wished and desired being in dispaire of obtaining his purpose died for very anger and thought What opinion the Prelates of Germanie at that time had of this Gregory is extant and to be sene by the oration of Eberhardus Byshop of Iuuauence that he made to the nobilitie of Boioria in the Parliament at Reginoburgh written by Iohannes Auentinus in his 7. booke Doubtlesse he not onely brought great and ruinous calamities to the whole Christen coÌ„mon weale and also Empire whilest he sought thus to depresse bridle the Emperour aduance hiz papal sea and dignity but also brought into the church of God much horrible impiety blasphemy and wickednes wherof both Blondus Platina Baleus and others make mention And amongst others that most detestable Catilene Salue Regina in the which hee attributeth the honour and worship onely due to Iesus Christe vnto the virgine hys mother This is he in whose name the booke of the Decretals was set out which to omit the opinion of diuers other learned men Iohannes Baleus calleth it the sinke or puddle of foolishnesse and impietie Doubtlesse Charolus Molineus a man both of singular iudgement in that law which in tribunall courtes iudgements is vsed as also in this painteth foorth the decree of this Gregory in his booke of annotations vnto Platina whose woordes thereof are these Certum est multa capita in ijs mutila decurtata esse vt inuidiosum argumentum lateret c. That is Doubtlesse diuers Chapters in the same booke of decretals be mangled vnperfect that many contentious arguments therein myght lurke For when the ambitious desire of raigning lyke kings tooke them they studied nothing els but how to enlarge and aduance their See and dominion with the Empire it selfe and other kingdomes ofte shaken and weakened through coÌ„tention and this purpose and end had they and none other in al their constitutions The profe wherof Molineus declareth in his boke de regibê° Galliae Angliae But many moe examples by the Emperors Princes and Lords Electours of the Empire may be gathered wherof to speake more conuenient place shall serue hereafter In the steade of thys Gregorie was placed Coelestine horne in Mediolanum amongst the Castellians who as Blondus declareth by fained promises offred a league wyth Fredericus and the 18. day after he was created Pope he also died Thus when the author of al this conspiracy was gon Fridericus nowe thinking himselfe free and voyde of that feare which before he had and durst not be absent out of Italy with all
and daunger also by the sayd friers riseth to the Clergy for so much as lay men seeyng their childrē thus to be stollē frō thē in the vniuersities by the friers do refuse therfore to send thē to their studies Rather willing to keep them at home to their occupation or to folow the plough then so to be circumuēted and defeated of their sonnes at the vniuersity as by dayly experiēce sayth he doth manifestly appeare For where as in my time sayth Armachanus there were in the vniuersity of Oxford 30000. studentes now are there not to be founde 6000. The occasion of which so great decay is to be ascribed to no other cause but to this circumuention onely of the friers aboue mentioned Ouer and besides this an other incōuenience as great or greater the said Armachanus inferred to proceed by the friers through the decay of doctrine and knowledge in all maner faculties and liberall sciences which thus he declared For that these begging friers through their priuileges obteined of the Popes to preach to heare confessions and to bury and through theyr charters of improperatiōs did grow therby to such great riches and possessions by theyr begging crauing catching and intermedling with church matters that no booke could stirre of any science either of Diuinity law or Phisicke but they were both able and ready to buy it vp So that euery couent hauing a great library full stuffed and furnished with all sortes of bookes and being so many couents within the realme in euery couent so many friers increasing dayly more and more by reason therof it came to passe that very few books or none at all remayne for other students Which by his owne experiēce he thus testifieth saying that he himselfe sent forth to the vniuersity foure of his owne Priests or chaplaynes who sending him word agayne that they could neither finde the Bible nor any other good profitable booke of diuinitye meete for theyr studye therefore were minded to returne home to their country and one of them he was sure was returned by this time agayne Furthermore as he hath proued hetherto the Friers to be hurtful both to the laity and to the clergy so proceeding farther he proueth them to be hurtfull also to themselues And that in 3. poynts as incurring the vice of disobedience agaynst God against their owne rule The vice of auarice and the vice of pride The probatiō of all which poyntes he prosecuted in a long discourse First sayth he they are disobedient to the law of God Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house Oxe nor Asse nor any thing that is his In that they procure the Popes letters to preach in Churches and to take burials from churches with licence annexed withal to receiue the auailes which rise of the same which properly belōgeth to the right of parish priestes Item they are disobedient to this rule of the Gospell So do to other as thou would haue done to thee Itē they be disobediēt agaynst theyr owne rule which being foūded vpon straight pouerty and beggery this licence obteined for thē to require necessary for theyr labors of the people is repugning agaynst the same foundation Item they be disobedient to the rule of the Scripture which sayth let no man take honor vnto him except he be called as Aarō Also saith S. Paul how shall they preach vnlesse they be sēt And how obserue they this rule of obedience who professing to keepe the perfection of the Gospell yet contrary to the Gospell procure to thēselues priuiledges to runne before they be sent Itē to theyr own rule they are disobediēt For where theyr chapter sayth that if any wil take vpō them this order will come to our brethren let our brethren first send them to the prouincials to be examined of the Catholicke fayth and Sacraments of the Church c. Cōtrary wherevnto the friers haue procured a priuiledge that not onely the prouincials but other inferiors also may take vnto them indifferently whom they can catch so farre without al examination that almost at this day there is no notable house of friers wherin is not either a whole or halfe a couent of lads boyes vnder 10. yere old being circūuented which neither can skill of the Creed nor Sacraments Agayne the rule of Frauncise sayth that his brethren Obseruaunts must obserue not to preach in the Dioces of any bishop without the consent of the Bishop And moreouer the sayd Frauncise in his testament sayth that if he had as much wisedome as Salomon and found poore secular priests in the parishes where the dwel yet he would not presume to preach without theyr will and also would feare loue honor them all other as his maisters so they be Haecille Against which rule how the friers do disobey how litle they reuerence Bishops or secular priests what priuileges exemptions immunities they procure agaynst them the world may see and iudge Itē when none may be admitted to preach or to heare confessions vnles they be entred into orders and seing by the commō law of the Church none must be admitted into holy orders except he haue sufficient title of liuing and clothing The friers therefore hauing no such title being wilfull beggers do disobey in both respects that is both in entring into such orders without conuenient title and in exercising the office of preaching without such lawfull orders Moreouer the foresayd Frauncise in his testament cōmaundeth thus I commaund sayth he firmely by vertue of obedience to all and singular my brethren wheresoeuer they be that none of them presume to obtayne in the court of Rome any letter or writing either by himselfe or by any other meanes neither for the Church nor for any other place nor vnder any coulour of preaching nor yet for the persecuting of their owne bodyes c. Against which testamen of Francise the Franciscanes in procuring theyr priuiledges from the Bishop of Rome haue incurred manifest disobediēce as all the world may see Neither will this obiectiō serue them because the Pope hath dispensed with Francise rule For if the testament of Francise as he sayth came from GOD and so should God haue three testaments how then can the Pope repeale his precept or dispense with his rule when by the rule of the law Par in parem non habet imperium Secondly concerning the vice of auarice manifestly it may be proued vpon them sayth Armachanus for els seing so many charges belong to the office of a secular parish priest as to minister the Sacrament at Easter to visit the sicke with extreme vnction to baptise childrē to wed with such other wherein standeth as great deuotion how then happeneth that these friers making no labor for these onely procure to thēselues priuiledges to preach in churches to heare confessions and to receiue licence to bury frō parish churches but because there is
the Church with such ample possessions 39. It is not necessary to saluation to beleue the church of Rome to be supreme head ouer all Churches 40. It is but folly to beleue the Popes pardons 41. All othes which be made for any coÌ„tract or ciuill bargayne betwixt man and man be vnlawfull 43. Benedict Fraunces Dominicke Bern with all such as haue bene patrons of priuate religion except they haue repented with such also as haue entred into the same be in a damnable state and so from the Pope to the lowest Noues they be all together heretickes Besides these Articles to the number of 45. condemned as is sayd by the Counsell of Constance Other articles also I finde diuersly collected or rather wrasted out of the bookes and writinges of Wickliffe some by William Wodford some by Walden by Frier Tyssington other whom they in theyr bookes haue impugned rather theÌ„ coÌ„futed In the number of whom William Wodford especially findeth out these Articles and writeth agaynst the same to the number of 18. as here vnder follow 1. The bread remayneth in his owne substaunce after the consecration therof vpon the aultar and ceaseth not to be bread still 2. As Iohn was figuratiuely Helias and not personally so the bread figuratiuely is the body of Christ and not naturally And that without all doubt this is a figuratiue speach to say this is my body as to say This Iohn is â—elias 3. In the Decree Ergo Berengarius the Courte of Rome hath determined that the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist is naturaly true bread 4. They which do affirme that the infantes of the faythful departing without the Sacrament of baptisme are not to be saued be presumptuous and fooles in so affirming 5. The administration of the Sacrament of confirmatioÌ„ is not onely reserued to the Bishops 6. In the time of S. Paule onely two orders of Clerkes did suffice in the Church Priests and Deacons Neither was there in the time of the Apostles any destinction of Popes Patriarches and Archbishops and Bishops but these the Emperors pride did finde it out 7. Such as in times past either for couetousnes of temporall lucre or of hope of mutuall succour by kindred or for cause to excuse their lust although they dispayred of issue were maryed were coupled together not by true Matrimony 8. The causes of diuorcement either for spirituall consanguinity or for affinity be not fouÌ„ded in Scripture but are onely ordinaunces of men 9 These words I will take thee to wife are rather to be taken in conâ—ract of matrimony then these wordes I doe take thee to wife And the contract with any party by the words of the future tence ought not to be frustrate for the contract with any party afterward made by the words of the present time 10. There be 12. disciples of Antechrist Popes Cardinals Patriarches Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Officials Deanes Monkes Chanons Friers and Pardoners 11. In the booke of Numbers the 18. chapter in Ezechiell 44. chapter it is commaunded simply that neither the Priestes of Aaron nor the Leuites should haue any part of inheritance with other tribes but should liue meerly of tithes and oblations 12. There is no greater hereticke or Antechrist then that Clerke which teacheth that it is lawfull for Priestes and Leuites of the law of grace to be indued with temporall possessions And if there be any heretickes Apostates or blasphemers these Clerkes be such 13. It is not onely lawfull for the Lords temporal to take away goods of fortune from the Churchmen sinning vsually but also are bounde so to doe vnder payne of eternall damnation 14. He that is the more humble and more seruiceable to the Church and more enamoured with the loue of Christ he is in the church militant the greater and the more nearest Vicar of Christ. 15. If corporall vnction or aneling were a Sacrament as now it is fayned to be Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinaunce thereof vntouched 16. Vnto the true dominion secular is required vertuous life of him that ruleth 17. All thinges that happen doe come absolutely of necessity 18. Whatsoeuer the Pope or his Cardinalles can deduce clearely out of the Scripture that only is to be beleued or to be done at their monitioÌ„ whatsoeuer otherwise they do commaund is to be condemned as hereticall Besides this W. Woodford afore mentioued diuers other there were which wrote agaynst these articles of Wicliffe aforesay maynteyning the Popes part as seemeth for flatterye rather then following any iust cause so to doe or shewing forth any reason or learning in disprouing the same Notwithstanding on the contrary part some there were againe both learned and godly which taking the part of Wickliffe without all flattery defended the most of the sayd articles openly in scholes and other places as appereth by the works of Iohn Hus who in his publicke determinations in the vniuersity of Prage stoode in defence of the same agaynst all his aduersaryes As partly is here to be seene in these tractations vnder folowing ¶ THE PVBLICK DEFENCE of certayne Articles of Iohn Wickliffe in the first Act before the whole Vniuersity of Prage in Charles Colledge ¶ The determination of I. Hus vpon the xiiij Article of Wickliffe as touching the preaching and hearing of the word of God made in the yeare of our Lord. 1412. FOr so much as to condemne the trueth wittingly or without reasonable examination doth tende to greate daunger of saluation as the Lord sayth Luke the sixt doe ye not condemne and ye shall not be condemned Therefore to auoyd this great dauÌ„ger the Vniuersity of Prage and the whole communalty there of the Rector Masters Doctors Bachelers and Studentes in theyr generall assembly not agreeing to the condemnation pronounced by the Doctors in theyr councell house requireth of the sayde Doctors a reasonable proofe of theyr condemnation and that they should by scripture authority or infallible reasoÌ„ proue the falsehead of euery those fiue and forty Articles The which being once done the sayd Vniuersity will agree to the sayd condemnation as iust For the Vniuersity doth well know that as Augustine sayth in the end of his second booke of Christian doctrine That what so euer a man doth learne besides the holy scriptures if it be hurtfull there it is condemned If it be profitable there it is founde And when a man hath founde all thinges therein which he hath profitably learned els where he shall much more aboundantly finde those thinges which are found in no place els but are learned in the maruelous deapth and maruellous profoundnesse of those most sacred Scriptures onely Thus writeth Augustine And Gregory in his three twenty booke of Moralles sayth thus God in the holye scripture hath comprehended whatsoeuer thing may happen vnto any man and in the same hath by the examples of those which are gone afore taught them which are to come how to
art in daunger of Cesar. Wherefore if thou wilt owe nothing vnto any earthly king forsake all chose things and followe Christ If then all ecclesiasticall ministers hauing richesse ought to be vnder the subiection of kings and geue vnto them tribute It foloweth that kings may lawfully by the authoritye which is geuen them take away theyr temporallities from them Here vpon S. Paule acknowledging him selfe to be vnder the iurisdiction of the Emperour appealed vnto Cesar as it appeareth Actes 25. I stand sayth he at Cesars iudgement seat there I ought to be iudged Whereupon in the 8 distinction chapter quo iure S. Ambrose alleageth that all things are lawfull vnto the Emperour al things vnder his power For the confirmation wherof it is said Daniel second chapter the God of heauen hath geuen vnto thee a kingdome strength Empire and glory and all places wherein the children of men do dwell and hath geuen into thy power the beastes of the field and fowles of the aire and set all things vnder thy subiection Also in the 11. question and 1. He sayeth if the Emperour require tribute we do not denie that the landes of the Church shall pay tribute if the Emperour haue neede of our landes hee hath power to chalenge them let him take them if hee will I doe not geue them vnto the Emperour neither doe I denie them Thys wryteth S. Ambrose expresly declaring that the seculare Lorde hath power at hys pleasure to take away the lands of the Church and so consequently the seculer Lords haue power at their owne pleasures to take away the temporal goodes from the Ecclesiasticall ministers when they doe offend Item S. Augustine wryteth if thou sayest what haue we to do wyth the Emperour But nowe as I sayde wee speake of mannes lawe The Apostle would be obedient vnto the kings and honor them saying Reuerence your kings and doe not say what haue I to doe with the king What haste thou then to doe wyth possessions By the kings law the possessions are possessed thou hast said what haue I to doe with the king but doe not say what hath thy possessions to doe wyth the king For then haste thou renounced the lawes of menne whereby thou diddest possesse thy landes Thus wryteth S. Augustine in his 8. distinction by whose wordes it is manifest that the king hath power ouer the churche goodes consequently may take them away from the clergie transgressing or offending Item in his 33 Epistle vnto Boniface hee sayeth what sober man will say vnto our kings care not you in our kingdome by whome the church of the Lorde is maintained or by whome it is oppressed it partaineth not vnto you who will bee eyther a religious man or who will be a church robber Vnto whome it may be thus answered Doeth it not pertaine vnto vs in our kingdom who will either liue a chast life or who will be an vnchast whoremonger Beholde this holy man sheweth heere howe that it is the duety of kings to punish suche as are robbers of Churches and consequently the proud clergy when as they do offend Item hee wryteth in the 33. quest 7. si de rebus The seculare Lordes may lawfully take away the temporall goodes from heritickes and for so much that it is a case greatly possible that many of the cleargie are vsers of Simonie and thereby heretickes Therefore the seculare Lordes may very lawfully take away their temporallities from them For what vnworthy thyng is it sayeth Saint Augustine if the Catholickes doe possesse according vnto the will of the Lorde those thynges whych the heretickes helde For so muche as this is the worde of the Lorde vnto all wycked men Mathew 21. the kingdome of God shall be taken away from you and geuen vnto an nation whiche shall doe the righteousnesse thereof is it in vaine whych is wrytten in the 11. chapter of the booke of Wisedome The iust shall eat the labours of the wicked And whereas it may bee obiected as touching the desire of other mennes goodes Saynte Augustine aunsweareth that by that euidence the seuen nations whyche did abuse the lande of promesse and were driuen out from thence by the power of God may obiecte the same vnto the people of God whyche inhabite the same And the Iewes them selues from whome accordynge vnto the woorde of the Lorde the kingdome is taken away and geuen vnto a people whiche shall doe the woorkes of righteousnesse maye obiecte the same vnto the Churche of Christ as touching the desire of other mennes goodes but Sainte Augustines aunswere is thus Wee sayeth he doe not desire another mannes goodes for so much as they are oures by the commandement of him by whom all things were made By like euidence the clergie hauing offended their temporall goodes are made the goodes of others for the profite of the church to this purpose also according to S. Augustine serueth the 14. question 4. vnto a misbeleeuer it is not a halfepennie matter but vnto the faithfull is a whole worlde of richesse shal we not then conuince al such to possesse an other mans goodes which seemed to haue gathered great richesse together and know not howe to vse them for that truely is not an others whych is possessed by right and that is lawfully possessed whych is iustly possessed and that is iustly possessed which is well possessed Ergo all that is euell possessed is another mannes and he doth ill possesse it which doth euell vse it If then anye of the cleargie doe abuse the temporall goodes the temporall Lordes maye at theyr owne pleasure accordynge vnto the rule of charitie take away the sayde temporall goodes from the cleargie so transgressing For then according to the allegation aforesayde the cleargie doeth not iustly possesse those temporall goodes but the temporall Lordes proceadyng according to the rule of charitie Doe iustly possesse those temporallities for so muche as all things are the iust mannes 1. Corrinth 3. chapter All thynges sayeth the Apostle are youres Whether it be Paule or Apollo or Cephas eyther the worlde eyther life or death or thynges present or thynges to come for all thynges be youres you be Christes and Christe is Goddes Also 23. quest 7. Quicunque It is wrytten Iure diuino omnia sunt iustorum The woordes of Sainte Augustine in that place ad Vincentium be these Who so euer sayeth hee vppon the occasion of this law or ordinaunce of the Emperour doeth molest or persecute you not for loue of any charitable correction but onely for hatered and malyce to doe you displeasure I holde not wyth hym in so doyng And althoughe there is nothyng heere in thys earthe that any manne may possesse assuredly but eyther hee must holde it by Goddes lawe by whyche cuncta iustorum esse dicuntur that is all thynges be sayde to pertayne to the possession of the iuste or else by mannes lawe whych standeth in
body are lacke of meat that is to say hunger and lacke of drinke called thirst and briefly all misery is the want of something which is desired Also these are bodely miseries nakednes lacke of harbour sicknesse and imprisonment All the miseries therfore being nombred together are but one of the soule the which is folly and lacke of wisdom and 6. of the body the which the Lord in the 25. of Mathew doth plainly reherse There are also commonly appoynted 7. bodely almes that is to say to feede the hungry to geue drinke vnto the thirsty To clothe the naked to harber the stranger or haberles to visit the sick to bury the dead the which altogether are cōteyned in these verses Visito poto cibo redimo tego colligo condo The which verse is thus Englished word for word Visite the sicke the hungry feede Geue drinke to the thirsty cloth the naked Bury the dead the captiue redeme The harbourles receiue to thy lodging There be also 7. other spirituall almes appoynted whych are these to teache the ignoraunt to councell him that is in dout To comfort him which is in heauinesse To correct the offender To forgeue him which hath offended against thee To beare those which are greeuous And to pray for all men the which are also conteined in these verses following Consule castiga solare remitte fer ora The which verse is thus Englished word for word Instruct the ignorant the weake confirme Comfort the heauy hart and correct sinner Forgeue the offender beare with the rude Pray for all men both euel and good So that notwithstanding vnder the same counselles and doctrine be comprehended Thus writeth Thomas in the 2. part of the 2. quest 32 article 2. Secondly it is to be noted that in this present article our intent is only to intreat of bodely almes the which as Thomas writeth in his 2. part 2. questi 32. Arti. 1. according vnto some mens mindes is this defined Almes is a worke whereby any thing is giuen vnto the needy of compasiō for Gods sake And for so much as this definition serueth as well for the spirituall as for the corporall almes Therefore to the purpose almes is a worke whereby any thing is giuen vnto the needy in body for compassion for Gods sake Or that is giuen of compassion or pitie vnto the bodely needy for Gods sake Whereupon it is manifest that almes as S. Augustin other holy men say is a worke of mercy as also to geue almes As it appeareth by the name for in the Greeke it is deriued frō this word Misericordia which is mercy for as in the Latine this word Miseratio which signifieth pitie is deriued of Misericordia which is mercy so this word Eleemosyna which signifieth almes is deryued of the Greeke word Elemonia which is to say mercy and of the word Sina which is to say commandement as it were a commaundement of mercy or otherwise of this word Elemonia By this letter I which is to say God and this worde Sina which is commaundement As if it were said the commaundement of God as Ianuensis in his booke intituled Catholicō affirmeth For our Sauiour doth commaunde in the xj of Luke to geue almes saying geue almes and behold all thinges are cleane vnto you least that in this point there may be any equiuocation it is supposed presently that the almes giuē of mē is a corporal almes giuen simply vnder the name of almes Secondly it is to be noted that Tythes in this effect are the tenth part of goods of fortune giuen by a man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake These things being thus noted and supposed the article is thus proued Euery gift of fortune or temporal gift simply giuē vnder the name of almes is almes But some tiths are the gift of fortune or temporall gift vnder the name of almes Therfore some tithes are almes This consequent is manifest of his selfe The Maior appeareth by the first supposition And the Minor by the seconde Item euery gift geuen by a man euen of loue to relieue and helpe the miserable out of his misery is an almes The 10. part of the goodes of fortune geuen by a man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake is geuen by the same man euen of loue to helpe the miserable out of his misery Therefore the 10. part of the goods of fortune being geuē by any man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake is almes The consequent is manifest The Maior appeareth by this that euery such gift is either a spirituall or bodely almes The Minor seemeth hereby true for so much as many holy men haue geuen and do geue euen for loue to relieue the miserable out of his miserie Neither is it to be doubted but that such kinde of tithes are almes For S. Augustine vppon these words of the Lord in the Gospell wryteth thus Woe be vnto you Pharisies which do tithe minte and anise If they cannot be clēsed without they beleeue in him he which doth clense his heart thorow faith to what purpose is it that hee sayth geue almes and beholde all things are cleane vnto you Let vs geue care and peraduenture he doth expound it himselfe They did take out the 10. part of all their fruites and gaue it for almes the which any Christian mā doth not willingly Then they mocked him whē he spake these words to them as vnto men which wold do no almes Thys the Lord forknowing said Wo be vnto you Pharises which tithe mint and rue and al kind of herbs And passe ouer the iudgement charity of God for this it is to do almes if thou dost vnderstād it begin with thy selfe For howe canst thou be mercifull vnto an other which art vnmercifull vnto thy selfe This wryteth S. Augustine in plainly saying that tithes are almes Also in his Enchiridion 76. chap. vpon these wordes of Luke in the 11 chapter Notwithstanding that which is more then sufficient geue in almes and all things shall be cleane vnto you hee sayth thus when he had rebuked them that they washed thēselues outwardly and inwardly were full of iniquity abhomination admonishing them what and howe a man ought first to bestowe almes vpon him self and first to clense him self inwardly he sayth That which doth remaine geue in almes beholde all things are clean vnto you Afterward that he might the better declare what he had geuen them warning of what they neglected to do that they shuld not iudge him ignorant of their almes he sayth Wo be vnto you Pharisies as though hee shoulde say I verely gaue you warning that you shuld geue such almes wherby al things might be cleane vnto you but wo be vnto you which do tith mint rue and all kinde of herbes for I do know these your almes that you shuld not thinke with your selues that you had geuē me warning therof and neglect
and that all auriculer and outward confessioÌ„ is superfluous and not requisite of necessitie to saluation 11. Item inferior Curates haue not their power of hynding and losing immediately from the pope or Bishop but immediately from Christ. And therfore neither can the pope nor bishop reuoke to themselues such kind of power wheÌ„ they see time and place at their lust and pleasure 12 Item that the pope cannot graunt such kinde of annuall yerely pardons because there shall not be so many yeares to the day of iudgement as are in the Popes bulles or pardons contayned Wherby it followeth that the pardoÌ„s are not of such like value as they speake of praysed to be 13. Item it is not in the popes power to graunt vnto any person penitent forgeuenes of the punishment or of the faulte 14. Item that person that geueth his almes to any whiche in his iudgement is not in necessitie doth sinne in so geuing it 15. Item that it stands not in the power of any Prelate of what religion soeuer he be of priuately to geue letters for the benefite of his order neither doth suche benefite graunted profite them to the saluation of their soule to whom they be graunted 16. Item that the same William vnmindeful of his own saluation hath many and oftentimes come into a certayn desert wood called Derualdwood of your diocesse there in a certain chappell not hallowed or rather in a prophane cottage hath in contempt of the keyes presumed of hys own rashnes to celebrate nay rather to prophanate 17. Item the same William hath also presumed to doe such thinges in a certayne prophane Chappell being situate in the park of Newton nigh to the town of Leintwarbin of the same your dioces VPon Friday being the last of the month of Iune in the yeare abouesayd about 6 of the clocke in the sayd parishe Churche of Bodenhone hath the sayd William Swinderby personally appeared before vs. And he willing to satisfie the terme to him assigned as before specified hath read out word by word before all the multitude of faythfull christian people many answeres made and placed by the same William in a certayne paper booke of the sheete folded into foure partes to the sayd Articles and the same answers for sufficient hath he really to vs exhibited aduouching them to be agreable to the lawe of Christ. Whiche thing beeing done the same William without any moe with him dyd departe from our presence because that we at the instaunce of certayne noble personages had promised to the same William free accesse that is to wit on that day for the exhibiting of those aunsweres and also free departing without prefixing of anye terme or without citation or els anye other offence or harme in bodye or in goodes ¶ As for the tenour of the same answers exhibited vnto theÌ„ by the same William as is before specified we haue here vnder annexed word for worde and in the same olde language vsed at that time when it was exhibited And followeth in these wordes The protestation of William Swinderby with hys aunsweres to the articles by the promotors layd agaynst him to the bishop of Herford taken out of the Registers in the same olde Englishe wherein he wrote it IN the name of God amen I William Swinderby priest vnworthy couenting and purposing wholy with all my hart to be a true christian man with open confessioÌ„ knowledging mine owne defaultes and vnwise deedes making openly this protestation cleping god to record here before our worshipfull Bishop Iohn through the sufferaunce of God Bish. of Herford with witnesse of all this people that it is not mine intent any thing to say or affirme to mayntain or to defend that is contrary to holy writte agaynst the beliefe of holy church or that should offend the holy determination of Christes Church or the true sentences of holy doctors And if I haue here before through mine vncunning bene vnordered or by euill counsaile bene deceiued or any thing sayd preached holden mayntayned or taught contrary to the law of God wholly and fully for that tyme for now and euer with ful will I reuoke it and withdraw it as euerich christen man should Praying and beseeching â—che christen man to whom this writing shal come to that gif I ought erre as God forbid that I do or euer erred in any poynt contrary to holy writ that it be had and holden of them as for thing nought sayd And all the trothes that I haue sayd according with the law of God that they mayntayne them and stand by them for life or death to Gods worship as a true Christen man shoulde submitting me meekely to the correction of our Byshop that here is or of any other christen man after Christes lawes and holy writ in will euer ready to be amended and with this protestation I say and aunswere to these conclusions and articles that here followen after the which bene put to me to aunswere to The first is this that I William of Swinderby pretending he sayth my selfe a priest was iudicially conuented of certain articles conclusions of error false schismatick heresie by me in diuers places tymes preached he sayth before multitudes of the true christen men the sâ—â—e articles and coÌ„clusions by need of law reuoked for sworn some as heresies and some as erroures and false suche I affirmed and veleued them to be And that none of them from that time forth I should preach teach or affirme openly or priuily ne that I should make no sermon to the people ne preache but by lawfull leaue asked and gotten And if I would presume in doing or affirming the contrary then to the seueritie of the lawe I should be buxom as by nede of the law I swore To this I say witnessing God that is in heauen to my wit and vnderstanding that I neuer preached helde ne taught these conclusions and articles the whiche falsely of Friers were put vpon me and of lecherous priestes to the Bishop of Lincolne For I was ordayned by processe yet sayd of theyr law by the byshop and his commissaryes so as I graunted them to bring my purgation of 13. priestes of good same And so I did with a letter 12. scales therby from the Mayor of Leycester and from true Burgeses and 30. men to witnes with me as the Duke of Lancaster knew and heard the Erle of Darby and other many great men that were that tyme in the towne that I neuer sayd them taught them ne preached them But when I should haue made my purgation there stooden forth fiue friers or moe that some of them neuer sawe me before ue heard me and three lecherous priestes openly knowne some liuing in their lechery xx yeare men sayden or more as by their childer was openly known Some of these they clepinden denounciations and some weren cleped comprobations that weren there falsely forsworne they suing busily and
Testament forsooke worldly Lordship and was here in fourme of a seruaunt and forbad his Priestes such Lordships and sayd Reges gentium dominantur eorum c. vos autem non sic That is The kinges of the heathen beare dominion and rule c. But you shall not do so And as Saynt Peter sayeth Neque dominantes in clero c. Not bearing rule and dominion ouer the Clergy c. So it seemeth me that it is agaynst both lawes of God that they haue such Lordships and that theyr title to such lordships is not ful good And so it seemeth me that zif they bene thereto of euill lining it is no great perill to take away from them suche Lordships but rather medefull if the taking away were in charity and not for singular couetousnesse ne wrath And I suppose that if friers that be bounden to theyr fouÌ„ders to liue in pouerty would break theyr rule and take worldly Lordships might not men lawfully take from theÌ„ suche Lordships and make them to liue in pouerty as theyr rule would And forsooth it seemeth me that Priestes oughten also well to keepe Christes rule as Friers owne to keepe the rule of theyr founder Ieremy witnesseth how God coÌ„mended Rachabs children for they would not break theyr faders bidding in drinking of wine And yet Ieremy profered theÌ„ wine to drinke And so I trow that God would commend his Priestes if they woulden forsake worldlye Lordships and holden them a payd with lifelot and with clothing and busy them fast about theyr heritage of heaueÌ„ And God sayth Numeri 18. In terra eorum nihil possidebitis nec tenebitis parteÌ„ inter eos Ego pars haereditas vestra in me dio filiorum Israel c. Et Deut. 18. Non habebitis sacerdotes Leuitae omnes qui de eadem tribu estis partem haereditatem cum reliquo Israel quia Sacrificia Domini oblationes eius coÌ„â—dent nihil accipient de possessione fratrum suorum Dominus enim â—ipse hereditas ipsorum sicut locutus est illis Et Lucae 14. Sic ergo omnis ex vobis qui non renunciauerit omnibus quae possidet non potest meus esse discipulus Et Ieronimus in Epistola 34. Et Bernardus libro 20. ad Eugeneum Papam Et Hugo de Sacramentis parte 2. libri Secundi cap. 7. Et 12. q. pri cap duo sunt Et ca. clericus Et Bernardus in Sermone de Apostolis super illud Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Et Chrisost super Math. vetus Testamentum That is You shall haue no inheritaunce in theyr laÌ„d nor haue no part amoÌ„gst them I wil be your part and inheritaunce amongest the children of Israell c. Deut. 18. The Priestes and Leuites and all that be of the same tribe shall haue no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israell because they shall eate the sacrifices of the Lord and his oblatioÌ„s and they shall take nothing of the possession of theyr brethren The Lord himselfe is their possessioÌ„ as he spake vnto them And the 14. chap. of Luke Euen so euery one of you which forsaketh not all that he possesseth cannot be my disciple And Ierome in his 14. Epistle hath the like wordes And Bernard in his 20 booke to Eugenius the Pope And also Hugo in his booke De Sacramentis the second part of his secoÌ„d booke the 7. chap. Also in the 12. q. first chap Duo sunt and in the chap. Clericus And agayn Bernard in his booke De sermone de Apostolis vpon thys place Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Behold we leaue all c. Chrisostome vpon the Gospell of S. Math. c. ☞ The third conclusion toucheth the matter of preaching of Priestes withouten leaue of Bishops and is this that such true Priestes may counsel sinnefull men that shewen to them their sinnes after the wit and cunning that God hath geuen to turne hem from sinne to vertuous life as touching preaching of the Gospell I say that no Bishop oweth to let a true Priest that God hath giffen grace wit and cunning to do that office For both Priestes and Deacons that God hath ordeyned Deacons or Priests bene holden by power geuen to them of God to preach to the people the Gospell and namely souereÌ„ly Popes Bishops Prelates and Curates for this is due to the people and the parishners to haue it and aske it And hereto seemeth me that Christ said generally to his Disciples Ite praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Goe and preach the Gospell to all creatures as well as he sayd Ite baptizate omnes gentes Goe and baptise all nations that also as well longeth preaching to Priestes without leaue of a Bishop as doth baptising and then why may he not preach Gods word withouten a Bishops leaue And sithen Christ bod his Priestes preach who should forbidden them preaching The Apostles were forbidden of a bishop at Ierusalem to speake more of the name of Iesus but Peter sayd Si iustum est in conspectu Dei vos potiùs audire quà m Dominum iudicate That is Whether it be iust in the sight of God to heare and obey you before the Lord be your selues Iudges A Bishop may not let a Priest of geuing bodily almes in his Dioces much more may he not let the doing of spiritual almes in his dioces by gods law A Priest may say his Mattines withouten the Byshops leaue for the Pope that is aboue the Bishop hath charged Priestes therewith And me thinketh that Christes bidding should be all so much of charge as the Popes Math. 10 Euntes autem praedicate Ite ecce ego mitto vos Et Mar. 16. Euntes in mundum vniuersum c. Lucae 10. Ft Anacletus pap dis 21 cap. In nouo TestameÌ„to Et Beda super illud Messis quidem multa Et Isydorus de summo bono ca. 44. Et Gregorius in canone dis 43. Preconis quippe officium suscipit c. Chrisostom distinct 43. Nolite timere Et Aug. dis 34. cap. quisquis Gregorius in suo pastorali ca. 38. qui enim est Et Chrisost. om 31. in Tollitano concilio Ignorantia Aug. in Prologo sermonum suorum Ieronimus dis 9. Ecce ego Et Aug. super id Homo quidam peregrinus That is Go you forth and preach And agayn Behold I send you c. Mar. 16. Go you into all the world c. and Luk. 10. cap. in nouo Testamento And Beda vpon this place Messis quidem multa the haruest is great Also Isidorus De summo bono cap. 44. And Gregorius in the Canon dist 43. Preconis quippe officium suscipit c. and Chrisostome in hys 34. distinction Nolite timere And Augustine in the 34. dystinction cap. quisquis And Gregorius in his Pastorall cap. 38. Qui enim est And Chrisostome in his 31. Homelye Et in Tollitano concilio ignorantia And Augustine
in the Prologue of his Sermons And Hiereme in the 95. distinct Ecce ego And Augustine vpon this place Homo quidam peregrinus A certayne traueller ☞ The fourth conclusion toucheth the Sacrament of the aultar and is this That wholy I beleue that the Sacramēt of the aultar made by vertue of heauenly words is bread and Christes body so as Christ himselfe sayth in the Gospell and as S. Paule sayth and as Doctors in the common law haue determined To this sentence Iohn 6. Moses hath not geuē you bread from heauen but my father will geue you bread from heauen He is the true bread that came downe from heauen and geueth life vnto the world My father geueth vnto you bread in deed the very true bread of God is that which came downe from heauen and geueth life vnto the world I am the bread of life The bread which I wil geue is my flesh And in the Canon of the Masse Panem sanctum vitae aeternae the holy bread of life And Corinth the 10. cap. and first Epistle The bread which we breake is it not the communicating of the body of the Lord Let a man proue himselfe and so eat of that bread c. And Canon De consecratione distinction 2. Under the authority of Hilarius the Pope Corpus Christi quod sumitur de altari c. And Augustine in the foresayd distinctiō That which is sene is bread c. That which fayth requireth is bread and is the body of Christ. And in the foresayd distinction cap. Omnia quaecunque c. By these two sentēces it is manifestly declared that that bread this bee not two but one bread and one flesh Note the woordes for that he sayth the breade and fleshe And the author De diuinis officijs and also Augustine in his booke De remedijs poenitentiae why preparest thou thy teeth c. And Ambrose De Sacramentis de consecratione distinct 2. Reuera mirabile est c. This meat which you receiue this bread of one which descended from heauen doth minister the substaunce of eternall life and whosoeuer shall eate the same shall not dye euerlastingly and is the body of Christ. Note how he sayth and is the body of Christ. ☞ The 5. article telleth of forgeuenesse of sinnes is this That very contrition withouten charity and grace do away all sinnes before done of that man that is verely contrite and all true confession made by mouth outward to a wise Priest and a good profiteth much to a man and it is needfull and helping that men shew theyr life to such trusting fully to Gods mercy that he forgeueth the sinne And herto I say that there bene 2. remissiōs of sinnes one that longeth onely to God And that remission is the clensing of the soule from sinne And the other remission a certifying that one man certifieth an other that his sinnes bene forgeuen of God if he be sory with all his hart for thē and is in full wil to leaue them for euer and this maner of forgeuenes longeth to Priests Of the first maner of forgiuenesse Dauid sayth And I sayd I will confesse my vnrighteousnes vnto the Lord thou forgauest me my misdeed And Zachary sayth And thou O childe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest c. To geue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of theyr sinnes by the bowels of Gods mercy And Iohn Baptist. Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And S. Iohn the Euangelist sayth in his Epistle If we confesse our sinnes he is faythfull iust to forgeue vs our sinnes and clense vs from al our iniquity And it foloweth If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christ and he it is that is the propitiatiō for our sinnes And of the other remissiō of sinnes Christ speaketh in the Gospell and sayth Whose sinnes ye forgeue they shal be forgeuen And mans forgeuenes auayleth litle but zif God forgeue our sinnes through his grace ☞ The 6. conclusion teacheth indulgences and pardons that the Pope graunteth in his Buls and men callen it an absolution A poena a culpa Of this maner of speach I cannot finde in the Gospel ne in no place of holy write ne I haue not read that Chryst vsed this maner of remission ne none of his Apostles But as me semeth if the pope had such a power sithē the paines after a mās death bene much greater thē any bodily paines of the world me thinketh he should of charity keep mē out of such paynes and then men needed not to finde so many vicious Priests after theyr life to bring theyr soules out of Purgatory An other thing me thinketh that sithe the popes power ne may not keep vs in this world fro bodely paynes as from cold from hunger from dread frō sorow and other such paynes how should his power help vs frō spirituall paynes when we bene dead But for that no mā commeth after his death to tell vs the sooth in what payne they bene men mow tell thereof what him lust S. Iohn sayth in his Apocalips that he sawe vnder the aultar the soules of them which were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they had And they did cry with a loud voice saying how long Lord holy and true doest not thou reuenge our bloud of them which dwel on the earth And white stoles were geuē to euery of thē to rest a while till the number of theyr felow seruaunts brethren should be fulfilled which also remayned to be slayne as they were c. Here semeth it that these soules were not assoiled a poena that is from payne for theyr desire is not fulfillen And they were bidden abide a while and that is a payne And if Martyrs were not assoyled from payne it is hard for any mā to to say that he assoyleth other mē a poena Also good mēs soules haue not but spirituall blisse and they want bodely blysse vntill their resurrection in the day of dome And after they desiren to haue that blysse and abiden it and that is paine to them And I cānot see that y◠Pope hath power to bring him from this paine But it any man can shew me that he hath such a power graunted in the troth of holy write I will gladly leefen it ☞ The vii point speaketh of the Pope and is this Sith it is onely due to God as I haue syd before to geue to graunt plener remissiō from paine and from blame that whatsoeuer he bee Pope or other that presūptuously mistaketh vpon him the power that onely is due to God in that in as much as in him is he maketh him selfe euen with Christ blasphemeth God as Lucifer did when he sayd Ascendam ero similis altissimo That is I will ascend
because it hath thus pleased thee And in an other place I am come to iudgement into this world that they which see not may see and that they which see may be made blinde And Paule saith that God hath chosen the weake things of the world to coÌ„found the mighty that no man shal boast in him selfe but that al meÌ„ should geue the honour to God It was commaunded to Esay bearinge the type of Christ Go and say to this people Heare ye with your hearing and do not vnderstand Beholde ye the vision and yet knowe ye not the thing that ye see Make blinde the hart of this people make dull their eares and shut their eyes least that perchaunce with their eyes they should see and with their eares they shoulde heare and with their harts they should vnderstand and bee conuerted and I should heale theÌ„ And I sayd how long Lord And he sayd vntill that the cities be made desolate without inhabitants and the house without any person within it Also in Esay thus it is written And the multitude of all nations which shall fight against Ariel and all persons that haue warred and besieged and preuailed agaynst it shall bee as a dreame that appeareth in the night as the hungry person dreameth that he eateth but wheÌ„ he shall awake out of sleepe hys soule is empty And lyke as the hungry person dreameth that hee eateth and yet after that hee shall awake he is still wearye and thirstye and hys soule voyde of nourishment euen so shall it bee wyth the multitude of all nations that haue fought agaynst the mount Sion Be you amased and haue great wonder reele ye to and fro and staggre ye be ye druncken and not with wyne staker but not through drunckennes for the Lorde hath myngled for you the spirite of drousines He shall shut your eyes he shall couer your Prophets and Prynces that see visions And a vision shal be to you all together lyke the wordes of a sealed booke which when hee shall geue to one that is learned he shall say Reade here and he shall aunswere I cannot for it is sealed And the booke shal be geuen to one that is vnlearned and knoweth not his letters and it shal be sayd vnto him Reade And he shall aunswere I knowe not the letters I am vnlearned Wherefore the lorde saith For asmuche as this people draweth nigh me with their mouthes and glorifyeth me with their lips but their hart is farre from me and they haue rather feared the commaundements of men and haue cleaued to their doctrines Beholde therefore I will ad besides and bring such a muse and maruell vpon this people which shal make men amased with marueling For wisedome shal perish from their wise men and the vnderstanding of their prudent persons shal be hidden And soone after it followeth in the same place yet a litle while and Libanus shal be turned into Charmell and Charmell counted for a cops or groaue and in the same day shall the deafe folkes heare the worde of this booke and the eyes of the blinde changed from darkenes and blindnes shall see Nabuchodouoser enquiring of Danyel said Thinkest thou that thou canst truely declare mee the dreame that I haue sene and the meaning thereof And Danyel sayd As for the mistery whereof the king doth aske neyther the wise men magitiens southsayers nor enchaunters can declare to the king But there is a God in heauen that discloseth misteries who will declare to thee O king Nabuchodonosor what things shal come to passe in the last times of all To me also is this sacrament or misterie disclosed not for any wisedome that is in mee more then in all men liuing but to that the interpretatioÌ„ might be made manyfest to the king that thou shouldest know the cogitagions of thy minde It was also sayd to Daniel And thou Daniel shut vp the wordes seale vp the booke vntill the time appointed Verely many people shall passe ouer and many folde knowledge shall there be And Daniel sayde to the man that was clothed with lynnen garments who stode vpon the waters of the floud How loÌ„g wil it be before the end shal come of these marueilous thinges And I heard the man that was clothed in linnen apparel who stode vpon the waters of the flouds when he had lift vp his right haÌ„d and his left hand into heauen and had sworne by him that liueth for euermore that for a time tymes and a halfe tyme. And when the scattering abroad of the hand of the holye people shal be accomplished then shal al these things be finished And I heard and vnderstoode not and I sayd O my Lorde what shall bee after these things and he sayd Go thy wayes Daniel for this talke is shut sealed vp vntil the time that is before appointed All these thinges haue I written to shew that he that hath the key of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth doth when and how loÌ„g it pleaseth him hide the mysteries and the hid secrets of the Scriptures from the wise prudent and righteous and other whiles at his plesure reuealeth the same to sinners and lay persons simple soules that he may haue the honor glory in all things Wherefore as I haue beforesaid if you shall finde any good thing in my wrytinges ascribe the same to God alone If you shal finde otherwise think ye the same to be written of ignorance and not of malice And if any doubt or errour be shewed me in all my wrytynges I wil humbly allow your information fatherly correction But why that such maner of matters are moued touching the disclosing of Antichrist in this kingdome more then in other kingdomes and in this time also more then in time past the aunswere as concerning the time of the motion is that it is the last coniunction of Saturne and Iupiter in the signe of the Twins which is the house of Mercury being the signifyer of the Christian people which coniunction seemeth to me to betoken the secoÌ„d comming of Christ to reforme his Church and to call men agayne by the disclosing of Antichrist to the perâ—ection of the Gospell from their Hethenish rytes and wayes of the Gentiles By whom the holy citie was trampled vnder foote for 42. monethes euen as the coniunction of the sayd two planets being inclosed in the signe of the Virgine which is also the house of Mercury dyd betoken the first commyng of Christ for the saluation of all people that were perished of the house of Israel wherby to call theÌ„ through the same comming to the full perfection of the Gospell As touching this calling of the Heathen speaketh Christ in the Gospell I haue also other sheepe that are not of this folde and those must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one shepefolde one shepeherd For although the Gentiles be conuerted from
the names of them that were murthered wyth the names also of their tormentours And named moreouer time and place where and when they were murthered and where they were buryed Hee affirmed further that they were Sodomites and traitours both to the kyng and the realme with many other crimes which mine authour for tediousnes leaueth of to recite And for the more confutation of the said friers the Londiners caused the sayd Bill to be openly set vp at S. Paules Churche doore in London Which was there red and copied out of very many Thys was doue in the yeare of our Lord 1387. and in the 10. yere of King Richarde seconde Ex Chron. Monachi Albanensis Cuius est exordium Anno gratiae millesimo c. Thus it may appeare by this and other aboue recited how the Gospel of Christ preached by Iohn Wickleffe and others began to spread fructifie abroad in London and other places of the realme and more would haue done no dont had not William Courtney the Archbishop other Prelates with the king set them so forceably with myght maine to gainstand the course therof Albeit as is sayde before I finde none which yet were put to death therfore during the raigne of this king Richard the second Wherby it is to be thought of this king that although he caÌ„not be vtterly excused for molesting the godly innocent preachers of that time as by his brieues letters afore mentioned may appeare yet neither was hee so cruell against them as other that came after him And that which he dyd seemed to procede by the instigation of the Pope and other Byshops rather then either by the consent of his Parliament or aduise of his couÌ„sail about him or els by his own nature For as the decrees of that parliament in all his time were constant in stopping out the Popes prouisions in bridling his authority as we shall see Christ willing anone so the nature of the king was not altogether so fiersly set if that he following the guiding thereof had not stand so much in feare of the Bishop of Rome and his Prelates by whose importune letters calling on he was coÌ„tinually urged to do contrary to that which both right required wil perhaps in him desired But howsoeuer the doings of this king are to be excused or not vndouted it is that Queene Anne hys wife most rightly deserueth singulare commendation who at the same time liuing with the kyng had the gospels of Christ in English with 4. doctours vpon the same This Anne was a Bohemian borne and sister to Wincelaus K. of Boheme before who was maryed to king Richarde about the 5. some say the 6. yeare of hys reigne and continued with hym the space of 11. yeres By the occasion whereof it may seeme not vnprobable that the Bohemians comming in wyth her or resorting into thys realme after her perused and receiued heere the bookes of Iohn Wickleffe which afterward they conueied into Bohemia wherof partly mention is made before pag. 464. The said vertuous Queene Anne after shee had liued with king Richarde about 11. yeares in the 17. yeare of hys reigne changed this mortall life and was buried at Westminster At whose funeral Thomas Arundel then Archb. of Yorke and Lorde Chauncelour made the Sermon In which Sermon as remaineth in the library of Worceter recorded he entreating of the commendation of her sayde these wordes that it was more ioy of her then of any woman that euer hee knewe For notwithstanding that shee was an alien borne she had in English all the 4. gospels with the Doctours vpon them affirming moreouer and testifying the she had sent the same vnto him to examine And he sayde they were good and true And further wyth many wordes of praise did greatly commend her in that she being so great a Lady also an alien would study so lowly so vertuous bookes And he blamed in that sermon sharply the negligence of the Prelates other men In so much that some sayd he would on the morow leaue vp the office of Chauncelour and forsake the world geue him to fulfil his pastoral office for that he had seene and read in those bookes And then it had bene the best Sermon that euer they heard Haec ex libro Wygo In the whiche Sermon of Thomas Arundell three poynts are to be considered first the laudable vse of those olde times receaued to haue the Scripture and Doctours in our vulgare English toung Secondly the vertuous exercise and also example of thys godly Lady who had these bookes not for a shew hanging at her girdle but also seemeth by this Sermon to be a studious occupier of the same The third thing to be noted is what fruit the sayde Thomas Archbyshoppe declared also himselfe to receiue at the hearing and reading of the same bookes of hers in the English toung Notwythstanding the â—ame Thomas Arundel after this Sermone and promise made became the most cruell enemy that might be against English bookes and the authors therof as foloweth after in his story to be seene For shortly after the death of Queene Anne the same yere the king being then in IrelaÌ„d this Thomas Arundel Archb. of Yorke and Byshop of London Rob. Braybrocke whether sent by the Archb. of Cant. and the clergy or whether going of their owne accorde crossed the seas to Ireland to desire the king in all spedy wise to returne and help the faith and church of Christ against such as holding of Wickleffes teaching went about as they sayde to subuect at their procedings and to destroy the canonical sanctions of their holy mother church At whose complaint the king hearing the one part speake and â—ot aduising the other was in such forte incensed that incontinent leauing all his affaires incomplete he spedde his returne towarde England Where he kept his Christians at Dublin in the which meane time in the beginning of the next yere following which was Anno. 1395. A Parliament was called at Westminster by the commaundement of the Kyng In which parliament certaine Articles or Conclusions were put vp by them of the Gospell side to the number of 12. Which Conclusions moreouer were fastened vp vpon the church doore of S. Paule in London and also at Westminster The copie of which Conclusions with the words and contents thereof here vnder ensueth ¶ The booke of Conclusions or Reformations exhibited to the Parliament holden at London and set vp at Paules doore and other places in the 18. yeare of the raigne of king Richard the 2. in the yere of our Lord. 1395. THe first conclusion when as the Church of Englande began first to dote in teÌ„poralities after her stepmother the great church of Rome the churches were authorised by appropriations faith hope and charitie began in diuers places to vanish and flie away from our Churche for so much as pride with her most
geuen credible relation of yâ— sonne both to the printer to me Furthermore the sayd maister Tindall albeit he did somewhat alter amend the English therof and frame it after our manner yet not fully in al words but that something doth remain fauouring of the old speach of that time What the causes were why this good man seruaunt of Christ W. Thorp did write itâ— and pen it out himselfe it is sufficiently declared in hys owne preface set before his booke whiche here is prefixed in maner as followeth ¶ The preface of William Thorpe THe Lord God that knoweth all thinges woreth well that I am right sorrowful for to write to make known this sentence beneath written whereby of mine eueÌ„ christeÌ„ set in high state dignitie so great blindnes malice may be knowne that they which doe presume of themselues to destroy vices and to plant in men vertues neither dreade to offend God nor lust to please him as their workes doe shew For certes the bidding of God and hys law whiche in the praysing of his most holy name he commaundeth to be known kept of all men and women yong and old after the cunning power that he hath geuen to them The Prelates of this lande and their ministers with the couent of priests chiefly consenting to them enforce them most busily to withstand and destroy the holy ordinaunce of God And there through God is greatly wroth and moued to take hard vengeance not onely vpon them that do the euil but also on them that consent to these Antichristes limnes which know or might know their malice and falshoode dresse them not to withstand their mallice and theyr great pride Neuertheles 4. things moueth me to write this seÌ„tence beneath The first thing that moueth me hereto is this that where as it was knowne to certayn frendes that I came from that prison of Shrewsbury and as it befell in deed that I shold to the prison of Caunterbury theÌ„ diuers friends in diuers places spake to me full hartily and full tenderly and commaunded me then if it so were that I should be examined before the Archb. of Cant. that if I might in any wife I should write mine apposing and mine aunswering And I promised to my special frendes that if I might I wold gladly doe their bidding as I might The second thing that moueth me to write this senteÌ„ce is this diuers frendes which haue heard that I haue bene examined before the Archbyshop haue come to me in prison and counsayled mee busily and coueted greatly that I should doe the same thing And other brethren haue sent to me and required on Gods behalfe that I should write out and make knowne both mine apposing mine aunswering for the profite that as they say vppon my knowledging may come thereof But this they had me that I should be busie in all my wits to go as neare the sentence and the wordes as I could both that were spoken to me that I spake UpaueÌ„ture this writing may come an other time before the archbishop and hys counsaile And of thys counselling I was right glad for in my conscience I was moued to doe this thing to aske hitherto the speciall help of God And so then I considering the great desire of dyuers frendes of sondry places according all in one I occupyed all my minde my wits so busily that through gods grace I perceaued by theyr meaning and their charitable desire some profite might come there through For southfastnes and trueth hath these conditions where euer it is impugned it hath asweete smell and thereof commeth a sweet fauour And the more violently the enemies dresse themselues to oppresse and to withstand the trueth the greater and the sweeter smell commeth therof And therefore this heauenly find of Gods word wil not as a smoke passe away with the winde but it will descende and rest in some cleane soule that thirsteth thereafter And thus some deale by this writing may be perceaued thorough Gods grace how that the enemies of the trueth standing boldly in their malice inforce them to withstand the fredome of Christes Gospell for which freedome Christ became man shed his hart bloud And therefore it is great pitty sorrow that many men women do their own weyward will nor busy theÌ„ not to know nor to do that pleasant wil of God The men women that heare the truth and southfastnes and heare or know of this perceauing what is nowe in yâ— churche ought here through to be the more moued in all their wits to able them to grace to set lesser price by themselues that they without taâ—ieng forsake wilfully bodely all the wrethednes of this life since they know not how soon nor wheÌ„ nor where nor by whoÌ„ God wil teach them assay their pacience For no doubt who that euer will liue pittiously that is charitably in Christ Iesu shall suffer now here in this life persecution in one wife or an other That is if we shal be saued it behoueth vs to imagin ful busily the vility and soulnes of sinne and how yâ— Lord God is displeased therfore so of this vility of bidiousnes of sinne it behoueth vs to busy vs in al our wits for to abhorre and hold in our mind a great shame of sinne euer so then we owe to sorrow hartely therfore and euer fleing all occasion therof And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penaÌ„ce continuing therin for to obtayne of that Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes and grace to abstain vs hereafter from sinne And but if we enforce vs to do thys wilfully and in conuenieÌ„t time the Lord if he will not vtterly destroy and cast vs awaye will in diuers manners moue tyrantes agaynst vs for to constrayne vs violentlye to do penance which we would not do wilfully And trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord a great token of life mercy And no doubt who euer will not apply him selfe as is sayd before to punish himself wilfully neither wil suffer paciently meekely and gladly the rod of the Lord howsoeuer that he will punish him their wayward willes and their impacience are vnto them earnest of euelasting damnation But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faythfully to grace for to liue here so simply and purely and without gall of malice and of grudging herefore the louers of this worlde hate pursue them that they knowe patient meek chaste wilfully poore hating and fleing all worldly vanities fleshly lusts For surely their verteous conditions are euen coÌ„trary to the manners of this world The third thing that moueth me to wryte this senteÌ„ce is this I thought I shall busie me in my selfe to do faythfully that all men and women occupying all their busines in knowing and in keeping of Gods commaundements able them so
name for to encrease my beliefe and to helpe my vnbeliefe And for because to the praysing of Gods name I desire aboue all things to be a faithfull meÌ„ber of holy church I make this protestaâ—oÌ„ before you all foure that are now here present couering that all men women that now be absent knew the same that is what thing so euer before this time I haue sayde or done or what thing here I shall doe or say at any time hereafter I beleeue that all the olde law and the new law geuen and ordeined by the couÌ„sell of the three persons of the Trinity were geuen and written to the saluatioÌ„ of mankind And I beleue that these lawes are sufficient for mans saluation And I beleue euery article of these lawes to the intent that these articles ordeined and commaunded of these 3 persons of the most blessed trinity are to be beleued And therfore to yâ— rule the ordinaunce of these Gods lawes meekely gladly and wilfully I submit me with all mine hart that whosoeuer can or wll by authority of gods lawe or by open reason tell me that I haue erred or nowe erre or any time hereafter shall erre in any article of beliefe from which inconuenience God keepe me for hys goodnesse I submit me to be reconciled and to be buxum obedient vnto those lawes of God and to euery article of theÌ„ For by authority specially of these lawes I will thorow the grace of God be vntied charitably vnto these lawes Yea sir ouer this I beleeue admit all the senteÌ„ces authorities and reasoÌ„s of the saynts doctors according vnto holy scripture and declaring it truely I submit me wilfully and meekely to be euer obedient after my cunning and power to all these saynts and Doctors as they are obedient in worke and in word to God to his law and further not to my knowledge not for any earthly power dignitye or state thorow the helpe of God But sir I pray you tell me if after your bidding I shal lay my hand vpon the booke to what entent to sweare thereby And the Archby sayd to me yea wherefore els And I said to him Syr a book is nothing els but a thing coupled together of diuers creatures and to swere by any creature both Gods law and mans law is agaynst it But Syr this thing I say here to you before these your clerkes with my foresayd protestation that how where when and to whom men are bouÌ„d to sweare or to obey in any wise after Gods law and saints and true Doctours according vnto Gods law I will thorow Gods grace be euer ready thereto with all my cunning and power But I pray you sir for the charitye of God that ye will before that I sweare as I haue here rehearsed to you tell me how or whereto that I shal submit me and shew me wherof that ye will correct me and what is the ordinaunce that ye will thus oblige me to fulfill ¶ And the Archbishop sayd vnto me I will shortly that now thou sweare here to me that thou shalt forsake al the opinions which the sect of Lollordes holde and is slaundered with so that after this time neither priuilye nor apertly thou hold any opinion which I shal after thou hast sworne rehearse to thee here Nor thou shalt fauor no maÌ„ nor woman young nor olde that holdeth any these foresayd opinions but after thy knowledge and power thou shalt force thee to wtstaÌ„d al such distroublers of holy church in euery dioces that thou commest in and them that wyll not leaue their false and damnable opinioÌ„s thou shalt put them vp publishing them and theyr names and make theÌ„ knowne to the bishop of the dioces that they are in or to that bishops ministers And ouer this I will that thou preach no more vnto the time that I know by good witnesse true that thy conuersation be such that thy hart and thy mouth accord truely in one contrarying all the seud learning that thou hast taught here before ☞ And I hearing these wordes thought in my hart that this was an vnlefull asking and demed my selfe cursed of God if I consented hereto I thought how Susan sayd Anguish is to me on euery side And in that I stoode still and spake not the Archbishop sayd to me Aunswere one wise or other And I sayd Syr if I consented to you thus as ye haue here before rehersed to me I should becom an appealer or euery bishops espy somoner of al EnglaÌ„d For and I should thus put vp and publish the names of men and women I should herein deceiue full many persons Yea sir as it is likely by the dome of my conscience I should herein be cause of the death both of men and womeÌ„ yea both bodely and ghostly For many men women that stand now in the way of saluation if I should for the learning and reading of theyr beleue publish them therfore vp to Bishops or to their vnpiteous ministers I know some deale by experience that they should be so distroubled diseased with persecution or otherwise that many of theÌ„ I thinke would rather chuse to forsake the way of truth theÌ„ to be trauailed scorned slauÌ„dered or punished as bishops and their ministers now vse for to constrayne men women to consent to them But I finde in no place in holy scripture that this office that ye would now enfeaffe me with accordeth to any Priest of Christes sect nor to any other christen man And therefore to do this were to me a full noyous bond to bee bouÌ„deÌ„ with ouer greuous charge For I suppose that if I thus did many men and women would yea Syr might iustly vnto my confusion say to me that I were a traytor to God and to them since as I thinke in mine hart many men women trust so mikle in this case that I would not for sauing of my life doe thus to them For if I thus should do full many men women would as they might full truely say that I had falsly and cowardly forsaken the truth and slaundered shamefully the word of God For if I consented to you to do here after your will for bonchefe or mischief that may befall to me in this life I deme in my coÌ„science that I were worthy herefore to be cursed of god and also of all his Saynts fro which inconuenience keep me and all christeÌ„ people almighty God now and euer for his holy name And then the Archbishop sayd vnto me Oh thine hart is ful hard indurate as was the hart of Pharao and the deuill hath ouercomen thee and peruerted thee he hath so blinded thee in all thy wittes that thou hast no grace to know the trueth nor the measure of mercye that I haue proferred to thee Therfore as I perceiue now by the foolish auÌ„swere thou hast no wil to leaue thine old errors But
hand vpon a booke and heare hys charge and if his charge to his vnderstanding were vnlefull he would hastely withdraw his hand vpō the booke taking there onely God to witnes that he would fulfil that lefull charge after his power And the maister of diuinitie sayde then to him thus Certaine he that layeth his hand vpō a booke in this wise and maketh there a promise to do that thing that he is commaunded Is obliged therby by boke othe then to fulfil his charge For no doubt hee that chargeth him to lay his hand thus vpon a booke touching the booke swearing by it and kissing it promisinge in this forme to do this thing or that wil say and witnes that he that toucheth thus a booke and kisseth it hath sworne vpon that booke And al other mē that see that man thus do and also all those that heare hereof in the same wise wyll say and witnes that this man hath sworne vpon a booke Wherefore the maister of diuinitie sayde it was not lefull neyther to geue nor to take any such charge vpon a booke for euery booke is nothing els but diuers creatures of which it is made of Therefore to sweare vpon a booke is to sweare by creatures and this swearinge is euer vnlefull This sentence witnesseth Chrisostome playnely blaming them greatly that bring forth a booke for to sweare vpon charging Clarkes that in no wise they constrayne any body to sweare whether they thinke a man to sweare true or false ¶ And the Archbishop and his Clarkes scorned mee and blamed me greatly for this saying And the Archb. manassed me with great punishment sharpe except I left thys opinion of swearing ☞ And I said Sir this is not myne opinion but it is the opinion of Christ our sauiour of S. Iames of Chrysostome other diuers saints and doctours ¶ Than the Archb. had a clarke read this homely of Chrisostom which homely this clerke held in his hand writtē in a roule which roule the Archb. caused to be taken from my fellow at Caūterbury And so then this clark read this role til he came to a clause where Chrisostome sayth that it is sinne to sweare well And then a clark Malueren as I gesse said to the Archb. Sir I pray you were of him how he vnderstādeth Chrysostome here saying it to be sin to sweare well And so the Archbish. asked me how I vnderstode here Chrisostome And certaine I was somwhat afraid to aunswer hereto For I had not busied me to study about the sense therof but lifting vp my minde to God I praied him of grace And as fast as I thought how Christ said to his apostles When for my name ye shall be brought before Iudges I shall geue into your mouth wisedome that your aduersaries shal not against say And trusting faithfully in the word of God I said Sir I know wel that many men women haue nowe swearing so in custome that they knowe not nor wil not know that they do euil for to sweare as they do But they thinke and say that they do wel for to sweare as they do though they know wel that they sweare vntruely For they say they may by their swearing though it be false voide blame or temporal harme which they shoulde haue if they sweare not thus And sir many men and women maintaine strongly that they sweare well when that thing is sooth that they sweare for Also full many men women say nowe that it is well done to sweare by creatures when they may not as the say otherwise be beleeued And also ful many men and women now say that it is wel done to sweare by God and by our Ladye and by other saints for to haue them in minde But since al these sayings are but excusatious and sinne mee thinketh sir that this sense of Chrisostom may be alleaged wel against all such swearers witnessing that al these sinne greuously though they thinke themselues for to sweare in thys foresayd wise well For it is euil done and great sinne for to sweare truth when in any maner a man may excuse himselfe without othe ¶ And the Archbishop sayd that Chrysostome might bee thus vnderstand And then a clerke sayd to me wilt thou tarye my Lorde no lenger but submit thee here mekely to the ordinance of holy Church and lay thy hand vpon a booke touching the holy Gospell of GOD promising not onelye wyth thy mouth but also with thine hart to stand to my Lords ordinaunce ☞ And I sayd Sir haue I not told you here how that I heard a maister of diuinity say that in such case it is al one to touch a booke and to sweare by a booke ¶ And the Archb. sayd There is no maister of diuinitie in England so great y◠if he hold this opinion before me but I shall punish him as I shal do thee except thou sweare as I shall charge thee ☞ And I sayd Sir is not Chrisostome an ententife Doctour ¶ And the Archb. sayd yea ☞ And I sayd if Chrisostome proueth him worthye great blame that bringeth forth a booke to sweare vpon it must nedes followe that he is more to blame that sweareth on that booke ¶ And the Archb. said if Chrisostome ment accordingly to the ordinance of holy church we wil accept him ☞ And then said a clerke to me Is not the word of God God himselfe equipolient that is of one authoritie ¶ And I sayd yea ☞ Then he said to me why wilt thou not sweare then by the Gospell of God that is gods word since it is al one to sweare by the word of God by God himselfe ¶ And I said Sir since I may not now otherwise be beleued but by swearing I perceiue as Austen saith that it is not spedeful that ye y◠should be my brethren should not beleue me therfore I am redy by the word of God as the lord commaunded me by his word to sweare ☞ Then the Clarke sayd to me Lay then thine hand vpon the booke touchinge the holy Gospell of God and take thy charge ¶ And I said Sir I vnderstand that the holy Gospell of God may not be touched with mans hand ☞ And the Clearke sayde I fonded and that I sayde not truth ¶ And I asked this clerk whether it were more to reade y◠Gospel to touch the Gospell ☞ And he said it was more to read the Gospell ¶ Then I said Sir by authority of S. Hierome the gospel is not the gospel for reading of the letter but for the belief that men haue in the word of God That it is the gospel that we beleue and not the letter that we read for because the letter that is touched with mans hand is not the Gospel but the sentence that is verily beleued in mās hart is the Gospel For so Hierome saith The Gospel that is the vertue of Gods word is not
and maken them to leaue the trust that they hadden in the olde law and to beleeue in Iesus Christe and shewen hys teachynge And they wenten out to ouercome the Paynemes shewyng to them that theyr Images were no Gods but mens woorkes vnmighty to saue them selfe or any other drawyng them to the beliefe of Iesus Chryst God and man In the opening of the second seale there cryed the second beast that is a calfe that was a beast wonted to be slayne and offered to God in the old law Thys sheweth the state of the Churche in the time of Martyrs that for their stedfast preachyng of Gods true law shed theyr bloud that is signifyed by the red hors that went out at thys seale opening and thys estate began at Nero the cursed Emperour and dured into the time of Constantine the great that endowed the Church For in thys tyme many of Christes seruaunts and namely the leaders of Gods flocke were slayne For of xxij Byshops of Rome that were betwene Peter and Siluester the first I reade but of foure but that they weren Martys for the lawe of Christ. And also in the tyme of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of the Christen men was so great that in xxx dayes weren slayne xxij thousand men and women in diuers counties for the law of God The opening of the third seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Heretikis that beth figured by the blacke hors for false vnder standing of holy write for than cryed the third beest that is a man for at that time was it neede to preache the mistery of Christes incarnation and his passion ayenst these erretikis that feliden mis of these pointis how Christ tooke verreyly mans kynde of our Lady hym beyng God as hee was bifore and hys moder beeyng mayden byfore and after The opening of the fourth scale telleth the state of the Church in tyme of ypocritis that beth signified by the pale hors that beth signes of penaunce with outfoorth to blinde the people And he that sate vpon thys hors his name was death for they shulle flee gostly them that they leden and teacheth to trust vpon other thing than God and helle foloweth him for helle receiueth thilke that these disteineth At that time shall it neede that the fourth beast that is the Egle make hys cry that flyeth highest of foules to reare vp Gods Gospell and to preise that law aboue other least mens wit and their traditions ouergone and treden downe the law of God by enforming of these ypocritis and this is the last state that is other shall be in the Church bifore the comming of the great Antichrist The opening of the fift seale telleth the state of the Church that than shall folow and the desire that louers of Goddis law shulleth haue after the end of this world to be deliuered of thys wo. The opening of the sixt seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Antichristis times the which state yee may know to be in the Church whan ye seth fulfilled that Saint Iohn Prophecieth to fall on the opening of thys where hee sayth thus After thys I saw foure Angels stonding vpon foure corners of the earth holdyng the foure windes of the earth that they blowen nought vpon the earth ne vpon the sea ne vpon eny tree These foure Angels beth the number of all the Deuils ministers that on that tyme shulleth in the pleasance of their Lord Antichrist stoppe the four windis that beth the foure Gospels to be preached and so let the breath of the grace of the holie Ghost to fall vpon men morning for sinne and calling them to amendement and to other that wolden encrease in vertues other vpon perfit men What is there after thys to fall but that the mystery of the seauenth seale be shewed that he come in hys owne person That Iesu Chrst shall slee with the spirite of hys mouth whan the fiend shall shew the vtmost persecution that he and hys seruauntis may doo to Christis limmes and that shall be the third warning that the world shall haue to come to thys dreadfull dome In all thys matter haue I nought seid of my selfe but of other Doctours that beth proued I seyd also in my second principall part that it were to wete tofore what Iudge we shull reken Wherefore we shulleth wite that God him selfe shall heere thys rekening he that seeth all our dedis and all our thoughtes fro the beginning of our lyfe to the end and he shall shew there the hid thingis of our hert opening to all the world the rightfulnes of hys dome So that with the myght of God euery mans dedis to all the world shall be shewed and so it semeth by the wordes of Seint Iohn in the booke of preuites there he seith thus I saw dede men litel and great stondyng in the sight of the throne and bookes weren opened and an other booke was opened that was of lyfe and dede men weren iudged after the thyngs that weren written in the bokes after their worchings These bokes beth mens consciences that now beth closed But than they shulleth be opened to all the world to reden therein both dedis and thoughtes But the booke of life is Christs liuing and doctrine that is now hid to men that shulleth be damned thrugh theyr owne malice that demeth men to serue the world rather than God In the first booke shall be writ all that we haueth doo in that other booke shall be write that we shulden haue doo and than shulle dede men be demyd of thilke thingis that ben written in the bokis For if the dedis that we hauen do the which ben written in the bookis of our conscience bee accordyng to the booke of Christes teachyng and hys liuing the whych is the booke of lyfe we shulle be saued and els we shulle be damned for the dome shall be geuen after our workis Looke therefore now what thing is written in the booke of thy conscience while thou art here and if thou findest ought contrary to Christis life other to hys teaching with the knite of penaunce and repentaunce scrape it awaie and write it better euermore hertly thynkyng that thou shalt yelde rekening of thy bayly Also I said principally that it were to witen what reward shal be geue on that doome to wise seruauntes and good and what to false seruauntes and wicked For the which it is to wite that our Lord Iesu Christ shall come to the dome here into this world in the same body that he tooke of our Lady hauyng thereon the wound is that he suffred for our agayne bieng And all that euer shullen be saued taking agayne their bodies clyuing to their head Christ shull be rauished metyng him in the ayre as Paul sayth They that shall be damned lyen vpon the earth as in a tonne of wyne the
neare to the quantitie of three pages And least M. Cope you or any other should thinke me to speake beside my booke be it therefore knowen both to you and to all other by these presentes that the very selfe same first copy of Hall rased and crossed with his owne penne remaineth in my handes to be shewed seene as need shall require The matter which he cancelled out came to this effect Wherein he following the narratioÌ„ of Polidore began with like wordes to declare how the SacrameÌ„taries here in England after the death of Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage beyng pricked as he sayth with a demoniacall sting first conspired agaynst the Priestes and after against the king hauing to their Captaines sir Iohn Oldcastle the Lord Cobham and Syr Roger Acton Knight with many moe wordes to the like purpose and effect as Polydore other such like Chronicles doe write agaynst him All which matter notwithstandyng the sayd Hall with his penne at the sight of Iohn Bales booke did vtterly extinct and abolish Addyng in the place thereof the wordes of M. Bales booke touchyng the accusation and condemnation of the sayd Lord Cobham before Thomas Arundell Archbyshop of Canterbury taken out of the letter of the sayd Archbyshop as is in his owne story to be sene In vita Henr. 5. pag. 2. lin 30. And thus Edward Hall your author reuoking calling backe all that he had deuised before agaynst the Lord Cobham whereof I haue his owne hand to shew witnes substauÌ„ciall vpoÌ„ the same in his printed booke recordeth of him no more but onely sheweth the proces betwene the Archbyshop of CaÌ„terbury and him for matters of religion And so ending with Sir Iohn Oldcastle proceedeth further to the assemble of sir Roger ActoÌ„ whom he falsely calleth Robert ActoÌ„ Iohn Browne and Beuerley the narration wherof he handleth in such sort that he neither agreeth with the record of other writers nor yet with truth it selfe For where he excludeth the Lord Cobham out of that assemble he discordeth therein from Polidore and other And where he affirmeth the fact of that conspiracie to be wrought before or at the xij day of December that is manifestly false if the recordes before alledged be true And where he reporteth this assemble to be after the burnyng of Iohn Hus and of Hierome of Prage therein he accordeth with Polydore but not with truth Moreouer so doubtfull he is and ambiguous in declaration of this story that no great certaintie can be gathered of him First as touchyng the confession of them he confesseth himselfe that he saw it not therfore leaueth it at large And as coÌ„cernyng the causes of their death he leaueth the matter in doubt not daring as doth M. Cope to define or pronouÌ„ce any thing therof but onely reciteth the furmises and myndes of diuers men diuersly some thinkyng it was for coÌ„ueying the Lord CobhaÌ„ out of the tower some that it was for treason and heresie and here coÌ„meth in the meÌ„tioÌ„ onely of a record but what record it is neither doth he vtter it nor doth he examine it other some againe aâ—â—irming as he sayth that it was for fayned causes surmised by the spiritualtie more of displeasure then trueth And thus your autor Hall hauing recited yâ— varietie of mens opinions determineth himselfe no certaine thing thereof but as one indifferent neither bouÌ„d to the coniectures of al men nor to the wrytings of all men referreth the whole iudgement of the matter free vnto the reader And so concluding his narratioÌ„ forsomuch as he was neither a witnes of the fact nor present at the dede he ouerpasseth the story therof And what witnes then wil you or can you M. Cope take of Edwarde Halle which denieth himselfe to be a witnesse Will you compell him to say that he sawe not and to witnesse that he can not Wherfore like as Susanna in the storye of Daniel was quite by right iudgement in the case of adultry because her accusers and testes being examined a sonder were found to vary and halt in their tale and not to agree in the two trees So why may not in like case of treason sir Roger Acton sir Iohn Didcastle Browne with the rest claime the same priuiledge seeing among the testes and witnesse produced agaynst them such discorde is found and such halting among them that neyther do they agree in place person yeare day nor moneth For first where Fabian and his fellowes say that they were assembled together in a great company in the fielde neare to S. Gyles the forged inditement aboue alledged sayth they were but riding toward the fielde 2. Secondly where the foresaid inditement and Polydore geue the Lorde Cobham to be present personally in that assemble Halle and Alanus Copus Anglus doe exclude hys personal presence from thence and so doth Fabian also seme to agree speaking onely of the adherentes of Syr Iohn Oldcastle Thirdly where Halle and Polydorus report thys assemble to be after the burning of Iohn Hus and of Hierome at the councel of Constance which was An. 1415. that cannot be but if there were any suche conspiracie in the first yeare of Henry 5. it must needes be An. 1413. And heere-by the way why do certaine of your Epitome wryters speaking of the Lord Cobham committed first to the tower for heresie referre the sayd his imprisonment to the yere 1412. where as by their owne counte reckoning the yeare from the Annunciation it must nedes be an 1413. being done in haruest time Fourthly where Halle with his followers affirme that syr Roger Acton Brown and Beuerley were condemned the 12. day of December the recorde is euident against it which holdeth the fact to be in working the 10. day of Ian. Fiftly where as the foresayde record of the Inditement geueth the Wednesday next after the Epiphany whyche was the 10. day of Ian. that present yeare both the facte to be commytted the same day the Commission also to be graunted and deliuered to the CoÌ„missioners the same day The saide Commissioners to sit in Commission the same day The Shriffes of Midlesex to returne a iurie out of the body of Midlesex the same day and the Iurers to find the inditement the same day and yet no iurer in the inditemeÌ„t named the same day Item the L. Cobham the same day to be founde conspiring to make him selfe Regent when as the king that day and yeare was not yet passed into Fraunce howe all these can concurre and hang together and all in one day I suppose it wil cost you two dayes before you with al your learned counsel wil study it out And wheÌ„ you in your vnlawfull assembles haue conspired and conferred together all ye can yet wil ye make it as I thinke iij. dayes before you honestly dispatch your handes of the matter And where ye thinke that you haue impressed in me such a foul note of
Emperour nor king nor any mortall man but against the Lord hymselfe euen against your God of your owne making being therein as you say no substance of bread but the very personall body flesh bloud and bone of Christ himself which body notwythstanding the foresayd Pope Gregory the 7. tooke and cast with his owne hands into the burning fire because he would not aunswere him to a certaine doubt or demaund Benn Card. pag. 172. Southly if sir Iohn Oldcastle had taken the body of king Henrye the 5. and throwne him into the fire the facte being so notoriously certaine as thys is I would neuer haue bestowed any worde in hys defence And could thys and so many other hainous treasons passe throughe your fingers M. Cope and no other to sticke in your pen but the Lord Cobham Finally and simply to conclude wyth you M. Cope and not to flatter you what is the whole working the procedings actions practises of your religion or hath bene almost these 500. yeares but a certaine perpetuall kinde of treason to thrust downe your princes and magistrates to derogate from their right and iurisdiction and to aduance your owne maiesties and dominations as hath bene sufficiently aboue proued and laid before your faces in a parliament holden in Fraunce by the Lord Peter de Cugnerijs vide pag. 383. Wherefore if the assemble of these forenamed persons either within or wythout S. Giles field be such a great mote of treason in your eies first loke vpō the great blocks and milstones of your owne traytors at home and whē you haue well discussed the same then after poure out your wallet of your trifeling Dialogues or Trialogues if ye lift against vs and spare vs not Not that I so thincke thys to be a sufficient excuse to purge the treason of these men if your popish Calenders and legeands be found ful of traytours Multitudo enim peccatorum non parit errori patrocinium But thys I thincke that the same cause whyche made them to suffer as traitors hath made you also to rail against them for traitors that is mere hatred only against their Relygion rather then any true affection you haue to your princes and gouernors Who if they had bene as feruent in your Popery and had suffred so much for the holy father of Rome or for the liberties of the holy mother church of Rome I doubt not but they as holy children of Rome had bene rong into your Romish Calendare with a festum duplex or at least with a festum simplex of 9. lessons also with a vigil peraduenture before them Nowe because they were on the contrary profession enemies to your Magna Diana Ephesiorum you playe wyth them as the Ephesian caruers dyd wyth Saint Paule and worse Ye thrust them out as seditious rebels not only out of life and body but also can not abide them to haue any poore harbour in theyr owne friendes houses among our Actes and Monuments to be remembred In the whyche Actes and Monuments and if gentle maister Ireneus with hys fellow Critobulus in your clerkely Dialogues will not suffer them to be numbred for martyrs yet speake a good word for them M. Cope they may stande for testes or witnesse bearers of the trueth And thus muche for defence of them Now to the other part of his accusation wherein this Alanus Copus Anglus in hys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sixfolde Dialogues contēdeth and chaseth against my former edition to proue me in my history to be a lier forger impudent a misreporter of trueth a deprauer of stories a seducer of the worlde and what els not Whose virulent words and contumelious termes howe wel they become his popish persone I knowe not Certes for my part I neuer deserued thys at his handes wittingly that I do know Maister Cope is a man whome yet I neuer sawe and lesse offended nor euer heard of him before And if hee had not in the fronte of hys booke intituled himself to be an English man by his wryting I would haue iudged hym rather some wilde Irishman lately crept out of S. Patrikes Purgatory so wildely he wryteth so fumishly he fareth But I cease here and temper my selfe considering not what M. Cope deserueth to be sayd vnto nor howe far the pen here could run if it had his scope but cōsidering what the tractatiō rather of suche a serious cause requireth And therfore seriously to say vnto you M. Cope in thys matter wher you charge my history of Acts and Monuments so cruelly to be full of vntruthes false lies impudent forgeries deprauations fraudulent corruptions and fayned tables briefly and in one woord to answere you not as the Lacones answered to the letters of their aduersary wyth si but with osi would God M. Cope that in al the whole booke of Actes and Monumentes from the beginning to the latter end of the same were neuer a true storie but that all were false all were lies all were fables Would God the cruelty of your Catholikes had suffred all them to liue of whose death ye say now that I doe lie Although I deny not but in that booke of actes and monumentes containing such diuersity of matter some thing might ouerscape me yet haue I bestowed my poore diligence My intent was to profit all men to hurt none If you maister Cope or any other can better my rude doings and finde things out more finely or truely with al my hart I shall reioyce with you and the commō wealth taking profit by you In perfectiō of wryting of wit cunning dexterity finenes or other induments required in a perfect writer I contend neither with you nor any other I graunt that in a laboured story such as you seeme to require conteyning suche infinite varietie of matter as thys doth much more time would be required but such time as I had that I did bestow if not so laboriously as other could yet as diligently as I might But here partly I heare what you will say I shoulde haue taken more leysure and done it better I graunt and confesse my fault such is my vice I can not sitte all the day M. Cope fining and minsing my letters and coming my head and smoothing my selfe all the day at the glasse of Cicero Yet notwythstanding doing what I can and doing my good will me thinkes I should not be reprehended at least not so much be railed on at maister Copes hand Who if he be so pregnant in finding faulte with other mens labours which is an easy thing to do it were to be wished that hee had enterprised himselfe vppon the matter and so should haue proued what faults might haue bene found in him Not that I herein doe vtterly excuse my selfe yea rather am ready to accuse my selfe but yet notwythstanding thynke my selfe vngently dealt with all at Maister Copes hande Who being mine owne countreyman an English man as he sayeth also of the same
vniuersitye yea colledge and schoole that I was of knowing that the first edition of these Acts and monuments was begon in the farre parts of Germany where few frendes no conference small information coulde be had And the same edition afterwarde translated out of Latin into English by others while I in the meane time was occupied about other Registers And now the sayde Cope hearing moreouer and knowing that I was about a new edition of the same Actes and Monuments at this present time to be set foorth for the ameÌ„ding of diuers things therein to be reformed if he had knowen any fault nedefull to be corrected he might gentlely by letters admonished me therof Gentlenes so would haue required it Time would well haue suffred it Neither was he so far off but might sooner haue wrytten a letter to me then a boke against me Neither was I so ingratefull and inhumane but wold haue thanked him for hys monition neither yet so obstinate but being admonished wold haue corrected willingly where any fault had bene committed But herein your nature M. Cope doth right wel appeare First in the sayde booke of Actes and Monuments where many other good things be conteyned not vnfrutefull nor vnprofitable peradueÌ„ture for the instruction of your coÌ„science and wherin my labors perhaps might haue deserued your thanks all that you dissemble and passe ouer only excerping those matters whych make for cauillation Thus the blacke spider out of pleasant flowres sucketh his poison And what booke is so pleasant or frutefull though it were the popes owne Portous yea hys own decretals yea hys owne very Masse booke to the reading whereof if I brought the like minde so disposed to cauil as you bring to the reading of my hystorie but I coulde finde out twise as many mendacia maculas impudentias dolos malos fabulas fucos as you haue done in these Actes and Monumentes And yet you haue done pretely well Besides al this yet better to marke the goodnes of your gentle nature Be it so I had bene in some piece of my story deceiued as I do not iustify my selfe in all poynts therin yet you vnderstanding that I was about the correction of my booke againe might eyther haue taken the best and left the worst or els gently take the paines to haue aduertised me of suche notes as you had wythout further exclamation or at least might haue deferred your dialogues for a time till the comming out of my booke to see first what would in the latter edition be altered But be like your gal was full your hast could not tary your venim must â—edes brust out Et si non alâ—qua nocuisses mortuus esses Seeing therfore the order of your doings to be such and disposition of your nature so farre from al humanity dealing with me so extremely if I thus prouoked wyth your extremity againe should now after thys your currish nature shape you a name accordingly and in steade of Cope godfather you to be a perpetual sycophaÌ„t could you much blame me and doth not your sycophanticall booke wel deserue it or thinke you I could not repay you againe wyth like extremitie as you bryng and dresse your drousie or rather â—ousie Dialogues in their right colours if I were so disposed But my purpose is wyth pacience to spare you and rather to pray for you God make you a good manne Peraduenture he may hereafter call you And rather had I to win you then to sting you Leauing therefore the consideratian of your ingrateful doings I will nowe consider onely the poyntes wherein you charge me in your booke answering briefly vnto the same Briefly I say because the greatnesse of thys volume and aboundance of other more frutefull matter geueth me little laisure at thys present to stand about brawling wordes First he seemeth highly to be greued with mee for my Calendare prefixed before the boke of monuments Wherin hee hath no cause eyther to be offended with me or to chafe with himself As touching which Calendare I haue sufficiently and expressely declared before so muche as myghte quickly satisfy this scruple of M. Cope if he eyther woulde haue taken the paines or els had had the laisure to reade the wordes contained in the Latine preface before the Booke prefixed whych are thus Quanquam a me quidem non aliter Calendarium hoc institutum est nisi vt pro Indice duntaxat suum cuiusque Martyris mensem annum designante ad priuatum lectoris seruiret vsum c. In whych woordes preuenting before the cauilling obiection of the aduersary I forewarned the Reader afore hand touching the Calendare wherfore it was ordained and prefixed for no other purpose but to serue the vse only of the reader in stead of a table shewing the yere and moneth of euery Martyr what time he suffered c. What hurt I pray you is in this Calendar prefixed before the booke of Monumentes more then in the Table of M. Copes booke set after his Dialogues But mayster Cope had no laisure to peruse thys place it made not for hys humour But this greeueth him in the Calendare and that very sore For that I place in this Calendar sir Iohn Oldcastle sir Roger Acton Browne Beuerley and other for Martyrs and displace for them other holy auncient Martyrs and Saints as Antholius Sother Dorothe Clarus Lucianus Seuerinus c. Answer If M. Cope can not abide the Lord Cobham sir Roger Acton Browne and Beuerley which were hanged as he sayeth for treason to haue the name of martyrs then let them beare the name of witnes bearers or testes of the truth because they were also burned for the testimony of their faith Seing there is no difference in the sayd names all is one to me by which they are called And where hee chargeth me for thrusting shouldring out the olde and auncient holy Saintes aforenamed out of this Calendare and placing other new come Sayntes in their rowmes this is not the first vntruth that M. Cope hath made in his dialogues nor yet the least vnto whome I might therefore fitly answere againe with his owne familiar phrase or rather the phrase of Cicero which he doth so muche affectate Quod nimirum hic ipse Alanus Copus Anglus vnde me mendacij coarguit inde sibi ipsi sempiternam ac ineluibilem turpissimi mendacij ac singularis impudentiae notam inurat For why haue not Ias iust cause to say this to him as he to me For somuch as in the first beginning and preface of the sayde booke of Actes and Monuments I so diligently and expressely do warne all men before first that I make here no Calendare purposely of any Saintes but a Table of good and godly men that suffered for the truth to shew the day and moneth of their suffering My words be extant and euident whych are these Neque vero ideo inter diuos a me
referuntur isti quòd inseruntur in Calendarium c. And declaring afterward how the sayde Calendare dothe stand but in stede of a table my words do folow thus Haud aliter Calendarium hoc institutum est nisi vt pro Indice duntaxat zuum cuiusque Martyris mensem annum designante Lectori ad vsum atque ad manum seruiat c. Againe neither did I receiue these men into that Kalendare that holy Anathollus Sother Dorothaea wyth other ancient holy Saintes shoulde be remoued out as you doe falsly vntruly affirme but because the course of that story reaching but 500. yeares did not comprehende those former times of suche auncient Martyres but onely of suche as suffered in these latter dayes therfore requisite it was that in the table such should be placed chiefly of whom y◠who le booke did then principally and onely entreat to demōstrate thereby the time and day of their Martyrdome Neither yet were the other excluded out of thys newe Kalendare whyche were neuer inserted in the same before but onely because both together coulde not there haue standing necessity so required these in no case to be omitted and yet no iniury meant to the other to be excluded out of theyr owne Kalēdars wherto properly they did perteine As for thys Kalendare or this table because they were not pertinent vnto it they could not therin nether was it necessary they should be included And yet neither did I M. Cope wtout due solemne protestation omit the same in my foresayde Catalogue to preuent and stop all cauilling mouthes As by speciall words in the sayd proeme of my booke vnto the Reader doth appeare folowing in this wise Interim nullius ego boni sanctique viri modo qui verè sanctus sit causam laedo nec memoriam extinguo nec gloriam minuo Et si cui hoc displiceat Calendarium meminerit non in templis à me collocari sed domesticae tantum lectioni praeparari c. And wher is now M. Cope thys your reiecting expelling remoouing expulsing exempting deturbating and thrusting out of Anatholius Sanct. Dorothae and other holye Saintes out of Catalogues fastes and Calenders Or what man is that or where dwelleth he Qui veros Christi Martyres è Coelo ad Tar tara deturbat That is Which tumbleth downe true Martyrs from heauen into hell Which if ye meane by me In one worde I aunswere ye falsely belie me maister Copus I had almost called you maister Capus so lyke a Capon ye speake Neyther haue you nor any other euer heard me so say Neither haue I euer heard of any so madde to play so the giants with their mountains to clime the heauens to tumble downe Gods true holy martyrs out of heauen downe into hell vnlesse it were your selfe as yet ye are ye may be better and such other of your gilde and popish fraternity which make of Gods true saintes stinking dunghils for so yee terme them in your bookes and not onely thrust into heauen your Pseudosanctos saintes of your own making whom God by his word doth not allow but also depulse downe from heauen and make dunghils of Gods welbeloued seruants his faithful people and blessed martyrs which haue died for the word of god And what maruel then if in your blasphemous bokes ye cast down from heauen to hell the poore Saintes of Christ when in effecte you deiecte also the bloude and crosse of the sonne of God Christ Iesus himselfe setting vp in his office and place ttu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit Say master Cope your conscience indifferently set al Popish parcialitie a part where as the Scripture teacheth vs simplely Quòd citra sanguinem nulla fit remissio .i. Wythout blud there is no remission whether ye thinke by this bloud of the new Testament is meant the bloud of Christ alone or the bloud of other moe besides If the bloud of one must stand alone why doe yee then with the giants build vp your mountains and make a ladder of Beckets popish bloud for men to scale the heauens Or in so doing howe can you but eyther wyth the Protestauntes wipe out of your Kalendare Thomae sanguinem or els demolish from heauen Sāguinem Christi with the papists And heere by the way I cannot but muse why you are so deuout in setting vp the crosse of Christ in your church which are such enemies to the true crosse of Christ to stand in heanen Looke vpon thys master Cope and tel me vtra pars verius veros Christi Martyres è coelo in tartara detrudat And therfore as you falsely belie me in thys for detruding and tombling out of heauen Anatholius Iulianus Clarus Lucianus Agatha Dorothea and other against whome I neuer yet spake any reproching woord but rather in this my volume haue set forth their commendatiō so is it vntrue like wise where you affirm that in thys my Kalendar I make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Canonisation of false Martyrs I tolde you before when yee were in Englande I tell you again being nowe in your transmigration in woordes as plaine as I coulde Hane ego Apotheosin mihi nunquam sumpsi quam sibi tam confidenter sumpsit Gregorius nonus Were not these woordes of my Protestation manifest ynough were they not sufficient to satisfie a reasonable Momus And to make the matter more playne dyd I not adde moreouer as followeth Porrò neque eò spectat hoc Calendarium vt nouam aliquam festorum dierum legem praescribam ecclesiae c. And not contented wyth thys foreseeyng before suche wrangling spirites to come as now I see in you I shewed also the cause why I needed not so to doe my woordes were these Festorum dierum iam plus satis erat in mundo c. And yet further because no cauiller should take holde here of any iniurie done to the holy Saintes eyther old or new in the Church therefore in expresse woordes I remoued away all suspition of any iniurie preuenting the obiection of the aduersary in these wordes Habeat Ecclesia suos sanctos tum recentes tum veteranos modo probatos modo interim ijdem ne adorentur modo quà m sint vetusti tam etiam verè sancti sint c. These places of my booke if ye did see why do you dissemble them If yee had not so much leisure to read them howe had you so much laisure to wryte against any mans booke not knowing what is in the booke contained And howe stands it then wyth trueth that so like a Mome yee cry out so in your booke against these new made martyrs qui non possunt nisi per aliorum iniuriam crescere c. And again where you exclaime against me and say that I thrust out the auncient Martyrs out from their seat and possession and place new in their rowmes
worse of all it is Debacchari in immerentes Because that Deus ipse vltionum Dominus Many times taketh theyr cause in hand according as it is written Opprobria opprobantium tibi cecidersit in me i. The rebukes of thy rebukers fell vpon me And seldome haue I seene any suche blasphemous raylers agaynst the ende or punishment of Gods saintes and seruauntes without great repentaunce to come to anye good â—nd themselues And admit this as graunted vnto you M. Cope that these meÌ„ had bene traitors which ye are not able to proue Well they had their punishment therefore the worlde can go no further what would you haue more Who and if they repented why may they not haue as good part in Christes kingdome as your selfe Now forsomuch as the sayd persons also suffering a double punishement were so constant in the way of trueth and most principally for the same were persecuted and chiefly therfore brought to them death that part of example because I sawe it pertayne to the profite of the church why might I not insert it with other church storyes in my booke Let the churche take that which belongeth to the churche Let the worlde take that which to the world pertaineth and go no further And if ye thinke it much that I would exemplifie these whome you call traytors in the booke of marty is first ye â—hust vnderstand that I wrote no suche booke bearing the title of the booke of Martyrs I wrote a booke called the Actes and Monumentes of thinges passed in the church c. Wherin many other matters be contayned beside the martyrs of Christ. But this peraduenture moueth your 〈◊〉 that in the Callendar I name them for martyrs And why may I not in my CaleÌ„dar cal them by the name of martyrs which were faythfull witnesses of Christes truth and Testament for the which they were also chiefly brought vnto that cud Or why may I not call them holy shyntes whome Christ hath sanctified with hys blessed bloud And what if I shold also call the theefe and murderer hanging on the right side of the Lord by the name of an holy sainct and confessour for hys witnessing of the Lord what can mayster Cope say agaynst it And as for colouring the names of certaine Martirs in the sayd Calendare in read or scarlet letters althoughe that pertayneth nothing to me whiche was as pleased the Painter or Printer yet if that be it that so muche breaketh pacience why rather doth he not expostulate in thys behalfe with the great saynt maker of rome who hath readed them much more then euer did I. For he did red and dyed them with theyr owne bloude where as I did but onely colour them with redde letters And thus for matter of my Calendar enough Proceeding now out of the Calendar vnto the booke where hee chargeth me with so many lyes impudencies vanities deprauations and vntruthes it remayneth likewise I cleare my self answering first to those lyes and vntruthes which to the story of sir Roger Acton sir Iohn Oldcastle do appertain And after to other particulars as in order of my booke doe follow And first where he layeth against me whole heapes and cartlodes I cannot tel how many of lyes and falsities I here briefly answere maister Cope agayne or what English Harpesseld els soeuer lieth couered vnder this English Cope that if a lye be after the definition of S. Augustine whatsoeuer thing is pronouÌ„ced with the intent to deceaue an other then I protest to you mayster Cope and to all the world there is neuer a lie in all my booke What the intent and custome is of the papistes to doe I cannot tell for mine owne I will say although many other vices I haue yet froÌ„ thys one I haue alwayes of nature abhorred wittingly to deceaue any maÌ„ or childe so neare as I could much lesse the church of God whom I with all my hart do reuerence and with feare obey And therefore among diuers causes that haue wythdrawne my minde from the Papistes faction almost there is none greater then thys because I see them so little geueÌ„ to truth so farre from all serious feeling and care of sincere religion so full of false pretenced hipocrisie and dissimulation so litle regarding the church of Christ in their inward hartes which they so much haue in theyr mouthes so as vnder the title thereof they may hold vp theyr own estate Otherwise so little reuerence they yeld to the true honorable church of Iesus the sonne of God that with vnworthy and rascall ministers they take into it they passe not what fictions what lyes and fables what false miracles and absurde forgeries they inuent to delude it they care not I speake not of all Some there be of that sect vnfayned in coÌ„sciences and more religious and better disposed natures onely of simple ignoraunce deceaued But such commonly haue bene be the chiefe guides and leaders of the Papistes Churche that little true care and small zeale hath appeared in them toward the churche of Christ not muche regarding what corruption encreased therein so that there commodities might not decrease Thus out of this fountayne haue gushed out so many prodigious lyes in Churche Legendes in Saintes liues in monkishe â—ictions in fabulous miracles in false and forged Reliques as in peeces of the holye crosse in the bloud of hales in our Ladies milke in the nails of Christ which they make to a great number Likewise in their false and blind errours corrupt doctrines absurd inuentions repugnant to the truth of the worde Item in their bastard bookes forged Epistles their Apocripha and Pseudopigrapha Here commeth in their forged Canons theyr foysting and cogging in ancient councels decrees as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Canons of the Apostles if those Canons were the Apostles Excepta Romana â—ede foysted into the decrees by Gratianus also the cogging in a false Canon to the councell of Nice for the mayntenaunce of the sea of Rome as appeareth in the 6. Synode of Carthage Here commeth in also the Epistles of Clement and other sondry epistles Decretall which as they are no doubt falsly inserted bâ— other so are they the welhead of many superstitious traditions oppressing this day the churche of Christ. To speake moreouer of the liturges of S. Iames of Chrisostome and other of the first masse sayde by sainct Peter at Rome and that S. Peter â—ate 25. yeares Byshop of Rome To speake also of the works of Augustine Ambrose â—ierome and Gregorye what doctour or famous writer hath there bene in the churche vnder whose name some counterfayted bookes haue not falsely bene fathered and yet stand still authorised vnder their patronage to the great detriment of the churche What shoulde I speake of Abdias Amphilochius Dionysius Areopagita The Dialoges of Gregory which falsely to this day haue ben ascribed to Gregory the first where in deede they were
first written in Greeke by Gregory the 3. and afterward translated out of Greeke into Latine by pope Zachary vide supra pag. 130. Likewise that worthy and Imperiall sermon iâ—â—tuâ—ed Eusebij pamphili Sermo ad Conuentum Sanctorum hath to thys day wrongfully borne the name of Eusebius Where as in very truth it was made by the good Emperour Constantinus himselfe in his owne heroicall stile in latine and afterward translated out of Latine into Greeke by Eusebius as he himselfe confesseth in hys worke De vita Constant. lib. 4. But as touching this sermon although the name be chaunged so godly and fruitful it is that it â—attereth not much vnder whose name it be read yet worthy to be read vnder the name of none so much as of the Emperor CoÌ„stantine himselfe who was the true author and owner therof Briefly except it be the bookes onely of the new Testament and of the olde what is almost in the popes church but either it is mingled or depraued or altered or corrupted either by some additions interlased or by some diminutioÌ„ mangled and gelded or by some glose adulterate or with manifest lies contaminate So that in theyr doctrine standeth little truth in theyr Legendes Portues masse-bookes lesse trueth in their miracles and Reliques least truth of all Neyther yet doe theyr sacramentes remayne cleare and voyd of manifest lyes and corruption And specially here commeth in the mayster bee whiche bringeth in much sweet hony into Popes hiues the maister lye I mean of all lyes where the P. leauing not one cromme of bread nor drop of wine in the reuerent communion vntruly and idolatrously taketh away all substaunce of bread from it turning the whole substaunce of bread into the substaunce of Christes owne body which substaunce of bread if the Pope take from the sacrament then muste he also take the breaking from it for breaking and the body of Christ can in no wise stand litterally together by the scripture Thus then as this is proued by the word of God to be a manifest lye so thinke not much good Reader hereat as though I passed the bondes of modestie in calling it the Archlye or maister lie of all lies Because vppon this one an infinite number of other lyes and erroures in the popes churche as handmaydes doe wayte and depend But forsomuch as I stand here not to charge other meÌ„ so muche as to defende my selfe ceasing therefore or rather differing for a time to stir this stinking pudle of these wilfull and intended lyes and vntruthes whiche in the Popes Religion and in papistes bookes be innumerable I will now returne to those vntruthes and impudent lies which M. Cope hath hunted out in my history of Actes Monuments first beginning with those vntruthes which he carpeth in the storye of the foresayde syr Iohn Oldcastle and syr Roger Acton Browne and the rest And first where he layeth to my charge that I cal them Martyrs whiche were traytors and seditious rebels agaynst the king and theyr Country to this I haue aunswered before sufficiently Now here then must the reader needes stay a little at M. Copes request to see my vanitie and impudencye yet more fully and amply repressed in refuting a certain place in my Latine story concerning the kinges statute made at Leiceister whiche place and wordes by him alledged be these pag. 1â—7 Quocirca Rex indicto Lecestriae concilio quòd fortâ—ssis Londini ob Cabhami fautores non erat tutum proposito edicto immanem denunciat poenam his quicunque deinceps hoc doctrinae genus sectarentur vsqueâ—deo in eos seuerus vt non modo haereticos sed perduelliones etiam haberi aâ— pâ—o inde gemino eos supplicio suspendio simul inceÌ„dio afficiendos statueriâ— c. Eâ— mox Adeo ille vires rationesque intendebat omnes aduersus Wicklenianos Wicleuiani ad temporis decebantur quicunque Scripturas Dei sua lingua lectirarent Vpon these wordes out of my foresayd Latine booke alledged maister Cope perswadeth himselfe to haue great aduauntage agaynst me to proue me a notorious lyer in three sondry pointes First in that whereas I say that the king did hold his parliament at Leicester adding thys by the way of Parenthesis quod fortassis Londini ob Cobhami fautores non erat tutum c. here he concludeth thereby simpliciter and precisely that the Lord Cobham and syr Roger Acton with his fellowes were traytors c. Whereby a man may soone shape a cauiller by the shadowe of mayster Cope For where as my Dialysis out of the texte speaketh doubtfully and vncertaynely by this word fortassis meaning in deede the king to be in feare of the Gospellers that he durst not hold his Parliament at London but went to Leiceister he argueth precisely therfore that the Lord Cobham sir Roger Acton and his fellowes went about to kil the king Secondly where I affirme that the king in that Parliament made a grieuous law agaynst al such did hold the doctrine of Wickliffe that they should be taken hereafter not for heretiques but also for fellons or rebels or traytors and therefore should sustayne a double punishement both to be hanged and also to be burned c. Here coÌ„meth in maister Momus with his Cope on his backe and prouing me to be a lyer denyeth playnly that the king made any suche statute vid. pag. 835. line 6. where hys wordes be these Atqui quod haeretici pro perduellionibus deinceps geminatas poenas suspeÌ„dij incendij luerent vt nugatur Foxus nullo modo illic traditur c. First here woulde bee asked of maister Cope what hee calleth patriae hostes et proditores if he call these traytours then let vs see whether they that followed the sect of wycliffe were made traytours heretiques by the kings law or not And first let vs heare what sayth Polydore Virgil his owne witnes in this behalfe whose words in his xxii booke pag. 441. be these Quare publice edixit vt si vspiam deinceps reperirentur qui eam sequerentur sectam patriae hostes haberentur quò sine omni lenitate seuerius ac ocyus de illis supplicium sumeretur c. That is wherefore it was by publique statute decreed that whosoeuer were founde hereafter to follow the sect of Wyckliffe should be accounted for traytors whereby without all lenitie they shoulde be punished more seuerely and quickly c. Thus haue you maister Cope the playne testimonie of Polydore with mee And because ye shall further see your selfe more impudent in carping then I am in deprauing of histories you shall vnderstand moreouer and heare what Thomas Walden one of your owne catholique brotherhode who was also himselfe aliue a doer in the same Parliament being the prouincial of the Carmelites saith in this matter writing to Pope Martin whose very wordes in Latine here follow written in
his Prologue to the sayd Martine in this wise Nec mora longa processit quin statutum publicum per omne regni concilium in publico emanauit edicto quod omnes Wicleuistae sicut dei proditores essent sic proditores regis proscriptis bonis censerentur et regni duplici poenae dandi incendio propter deum suspendio propter regem c. That is And it was not long after but a publicke law and statute came out by the common assent of the general parliameÌ„t of the whole Realme that al Wiclenistes as they were traytours to God so also should be counted traytors to the king and to the realme hauing their goods lost and confiscate vnto the king And therefore should suffer double punishment as to be burnt for God and to bee hanged for the king c. And thus haue you Maister Cope not onely my sentence but also the very wordes of my story confirmed by this author because ye shall not think me to speake so lightly or impudently without my booke And moreouer to confirme the said sentence of Tho. Walden it followeth also in an other place of the foresayde author Tomo 1. lib. 2. De doctrinali fidei Ecclesie Cathol Cap. 46. where he writeth in these wordes Et tamen iam cum regnare coepisset Illustris rex Henricus 5. qui adhuc agit in sceptris et de eoruÌ„ perfidia per catholicos bin doctos legem statui fecit vt vbique per regnum Wickliuista probatus vt reus puniretur de crimine lesae maiestatis c. That is And yet when the noble king Henry the v. who as yet doth liue and raigne began first to raigne began to set forth a law by his learned catholickes which were about him against the falsenes of these men so that whosoeuer was proued to be a Wickleuist through the whole Realme should be punished for a traytour c. What wordes can you haue M. Cope more playne then these or what authoritie can you require of more credite which liued in the same tyme and both did see and heare of the same thinges done who also writing to Pope Martine was by the sayd pope Martine allowed approued solemnly commended as appeareth by the popes Epistle to him wherin yâ— pope declareth how he caused his books Per solennes viros videri examinari That is by solemne persons to be seene and examined c. So that you must needes graunt either this to be true that Walden writeth or els that the Pope tanquam Papa in allowing his writings may erre and be deceaued Chuse ye mayster Cope of these two options whether you will take And if ye thinke this my assertion yet not sufficiently rescued with these authorities aboue sayd I will also here vnto adioyne the testimony of an other writer named Roger Walle who writing De Gestis Henric 5. and speaking of the sayd statute of this parliament some thing more plainly then the rest hath these wordes In hoc etiam Parliamento nobilitas regia hostes Christi sibi reputans proditores volens dare intelligere vniuersis quòd ipse absque cuiuscunque fluctuationis dubio quam diu auras hauriret vitales verus perfectus Christianae fidei aemulator existeret statuit decreuit vt quotquot Ipsius sectae quae dicitur Lollordorum inuenirentur aemuli fautores eo facto rei proditorij criminis in maiestatem regiam haberétur c. In English Also in this parliament the noble K. reputing Christes enemies to be traytors to himselfe to the intent that all men should know withall doubt that so loÌ„g as he liued he woulde be a true and perfect follower of Christen faith did enact decree that whosoeuer shoulde be found followers and mayntayners of this sect whiche is called the Lollards sect Ipso facto should be counted and reputed giltie of treason against the kings maistie c. By these hetherto alledged if M. Cope will not be satisfied yet let the reader indifferent iudge Vâ—rum in hac re magis nugatur Foxus an Copus calumniatur And yet moreouer to make the matter more certayne marke the clamation of the sayd Roger Walle added to the end of those words aboue recited whereby we haue to vnderstand more clearly both what were the proceedings of the king in the said Parliament also what was the blinde affection of moÌ„ks and Priestes at that time towarde their kinge and Prince which was then called princeps sacerdotum in condemning and destroying the poore Lollardes The wordes of the monke be these O verus amicus qui amico illa tam iniuriam sibi inferri coÌ„similiter arbitratur praeiudicium illi intentuÌ„ reputat esse suum ad eius onera conferenda auxiliationis humeros supponere non veretur c. That is O true frend who taketh and reckoneth that iniury no lesse done to him selfe which is done to his frend and that preiudice whiche is intended against him reputeth to bee as his owne And to beare together the burdens of his friend sticketh not to lay to his owne shoulders for the easing and helping of him c. How can it now be denied M. Cope in reading these authors and seeing theyr testimonies but that Lollardery in this Parliament was made both treason and heresie had therfore a double iudgement of punishment annexed to be hanged for for the one and to be burned for the other according as in my former Latin story I recorded and yet I trust I trifled not But you will say agayne as ye doe that there is no mention made for heresie to be made treason nor of anye double punishment to be inflicted for the same In the body of the statute I graunt there is no expresse mention in wordes of heresie to be made treason expresly signified in rigour of wordes but inclusiuely it is so inferred that it can not be denied For first where landes goodes and cattell of the sayd Lollardes were lost and forfeit to the kyng what doth this importe els but treason or felonie And where the Lorde Cobham for whose cause specially this statute seemed to be made did sustaine afterward both hanging and burning by the vigor of the same statute what is here contained but a double penalty Again wherin the beginning of the statute mention is made of rumors and congregations and after vpon the same followeth the seruices of the king whereunto the officers be first worne should first be preferred for libertie of holy Churche punishment of hereticks made before these dayes and not repealed vt supra pag. 000. what meaneth this but to make these congregations of the Lollardes to be forcible entres riotes great ridings vnlawful assembles affrayres of the people armour routes insurrections so sendeth them to the former statutes not repealed that is to the statute an 13. Henr. 4. chap. 7 Where the punishment is left to the discretion
of the king or els to the statute an 15. Richard chap. 2. Where the penalty is made fine and raunsome Or els to the statute an 5. Richar. 2. chap. 6. where suche assemblies be made playne treason in fine statuti And as here is matter of treason sufficiently contained so for heresie likewise the same statute referreth them to y◠ordinaries and to the lawes properly to heresie appertayning and to the statute an 2. Henr. 4. chap. 15. where the penaltie is burning Also to the statute an 5. Richard 2. chap. 5. So that in this present statute here mention is conteined as ye see although not in expresse words yet inclusiuely by referring to other statutes not repealed bothe Lollardery which is punished with burning and forcible entrees which is punished at the kinges pleasure And thus much concerning the secōd vntruth which M. Cope vntruely noted in me 3. The third vntruth which he noteth in me concerning this matter is this wherein he reporteth mee that I say there was no other cause of deuising this sharp law punishment against these mē but onely for hauing the scripture bookes And therfore here is noted in the margent Foxi dolus malus but let M. Cope take heede hee deceiue not himself and other For my part I remember no such place in this my Latine story where I so say Onely my wordes be these added in the latter ende of the place aboue recited Wicleuiani verò dicebantur quicunque id temporis Scripturas Dei sua lingua lectitarent c. That is They were called Wicleuistes whosoeuer at that time read the Scripture in english or vulgare tongue c. I say not that for the scriptures being read in the english tongue therfore the law was enacted but so is M. Cope disposed to construe it What law statuts were made against writing or reading of any booke in English or in any other tonge cōtrary to the Catholick that is y◠Romish sayth or to the determinatiō of the holy Church that is of Rome read I beseech thee the bloudy statute made an 2. Hen. 4. chap. 15. aboue specifyed pag. 523 Also read the constitution prouinciall of Thomas Arundell aboue mentioned pag. 524. lin 9. Where it was decreed that the text of holy scripture should not be had or read in the vulgare tongue frō the time of M. Iohn Wickliffe for euer after vnlesse the sayd translation be approued first by the ordinary or by prouinciall councell vnder pain and punishment of heresy Now let the reader iudge whether y◠reading of scripture bookes in the english tongue by the making or translating of Wickliffe or from the tyme of Wicliffe downward be coūted heresy or not As for the approuing of the ordinary or of the prouincial councell added in the end of the sayd constitution maketh more for a shew or pretence then for any iust exception or any true intention For what man hauing those Scriptures translated in English would either present them to their ordinaries being so set against the reading of such bookes or what ordinarie would or did euer yet since Arundels tyme approoue any such translation presented vnto them Or els why did the good Martyrs of Amersam suffer death in the begynning of kyng Henry the viii for hauing and reading certaine bookes of Scripture which were as is saide onely foure Epistles of S. Paule with certaine other prayers And the other which heard them but onely reade did beare fagottes and the same tyme the children compelled to set fagots vnto their fathers at which time Longlande being then Byshop of Lincolne preaching to them at y◠stake sayde that whatsoeuer they were that did but moue hys lippes in reading those chapters were damned foreuer as when we come to that tyme by the grace of Christ shall hereafter more amply and notoriously appear And where thē is this Dolus malus Foxi margined against me for craftie dealing in my story Moreouer where M. Cope proceeding farther in this matter asketh me how was the Lorde Cobham obedient to the king whē as for the feare of him the king durst not then keepe his parliament at London To whom I aunswere agayne asking likewise of M. Cope howe was the king then afrayd to hold his parliament at London for the Lord Cobham when the Lord Cobham at that time was in Wales And here M. Cope thinking to haue me at a narow straight and to holde me fast biddeth me tell him howe it coulde be otherwise but the Lorde Cobham must needes haue fautours And who should these fautours be sayth he but syr Roger Acton Browne their fellowes The which mighty question of M. Cope I answer agayn howe can sir Roger Acton Browne and their fellowes be then fautors of the Lord Cobham for whome the King durst not hold his parliament at Londō when as the sayd Roger Acton Browne and the rest were put to death a whole yeare almost before the Parliament at Leycester began And now as I haue hitherto briefly and truely aunswered your askinges M. Cope let me be so bolde with you agayne to propounde to you likewise an other question For so much as you haue put me to the searching of the statutes in this matter wherewith before I was not muche acquainted now out of the same statutes riseth a doubtfull scruple or questiō worthy to be solued The cause is this that for asmuch as so many good martyrs and Saints of God hetherto in this realme of England haue bene burned frō the time of king Henry 4. Hen. 5. Hen. 6. Hen. 8. to the time and in the time of Queene Mary my question is that you with all your learned councell about you wil tel me by what law or statute of the realme were these men brent I know the auncient custome hath bene that heretickes conuicted by a prouinciall councell were wont to be left to the secular power But how wil ye proue me these hereticks were either conuict by such prouinciall councell or that these seculare men ought to be your butchers in burning them whō ye haue committed to them If ye alledge the vi Articles made in the reigne of king Henry the 8. those articles neither did serue before the time of king Hēry the viii neither yet were they reuiued after his time If ye alledge to y◠statute made an 5. Richar. 2. cap. 5. In that statute I aunswere is conteined no matter of burning but onely of arrest to be done at the certificatiōs of the prelates wtout any further punishmēt there mentioned To conclude if ye alledge the statute made an 2. Henr. 4. chap. 15. and reuiued in the reigne of Queene Mary mentioned before pag. 523 To that statute I answere that although that pretensed statute appeareth in forme of wordes in the Printed book to geue vnto the temporall officers authoritie to bring them to the stake and to burne them whom the Bishop deliuereth Yet is it
not to be proued either by you or any other that statute to be law or warrant sufficient to burne anye person or persons committed to the seculare power by the Clergy And that I proue thus for although the same statute of king Henry the fourth in the bookes printed appeare to baâ—e law and authority sufficient by the ful assent both of the king of the Lordes and of the coÌ„mons yet being occasioned by M. Cope to search further in the statutes I haue found that in the Rolles and first originals of that Parliament there is no such mention either of any petitioÌ„ or els of any assent of the commons annexed or contained in that statute according as in the printed bookes vsual in the Lawyers handes to craftely and falsely foysted in as by the playne wordes thereof may well appeare For where the said statute an 2. Henry 4. chap. 15. beyng thus intituled in the Rolles Petitio cleri contra haereticos and assented vnto in this forme hath these wordes Statut. an 2. Henri 4. cap. 15. Intituled in the Rolle thus Petitio Cleri contra heteticos and assented vnto in this forme QVas quidem petitiones praelatorum cleri superius expressatas do noster Rex de consensu magnatum aliorum procerum regni sui in praesenti Parliamento existentium concessit in omnibus singulis iuxta formam effectum eorundé ordinauit statuit de caerero firmiter obseruari and so forth according to the petition and moe wordes are there not in the statute Rolle Wherfore wher as the statute booke printed hath thus Super quibus quidem nouitatibus excessibus supereus recitatis videlicet in the petition of the Prelates clergy praelati clerus supradicti ac etiam communitates dicti Regni in eodem Parliamento existen dicto Domino Regi supplicarunt c. Qui quidem Dominus Rex c. ex assensu magnatum aliorum procerum eiusdem Regni c. concessit ordinauit c. These wordes Ac etiam communitates dicti Regni c. are put in further then the Rolle doth warrant and seemeth to be the practise of the clergie to make that as an Acte of Parliament and to seeme to haue the force of a law which was neuer assented vnto by the commons And thus you see howe this foresayd statute Printed both in English and in Latine among the Prouincial councels of Oxford by the vertue whereof so many good men haue bene burned so long in England doth vtterly ouerthrow it selfe for that it swerueth from the recorde bothe in forme and in matter and lacketh the assent of the commons Which doubt I thought at this present to propound vnto you mayster Cope for that you haue so vrged me to the searching out of the statutes by your declayming agaynst the Lord Cobham Moreouer vnto this statute aforesayd ioyne also with all an other Memorandum of like practise done an 5. Rich. 2. In the which yeare where as a statute was concluded yâ— parliament an 5. Rich. 2. chap. 5. agaynst certayne preachers specified in the same statute which going about in certaine habites from place to place did drawe the people to sermons And commissions were made and directed in the sayd parliament to the shrines to arrest all such preachers and to imprison the same at the certifications of the Prelates Here is then to be noted that the same statute an 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. was reuoked by the king in the parliament an 6. Rich. 2 vpon the wordes of the commons being these videl Forasmuch as the same statute was neuer assented ne graunted by the commons but that which therein was done was done without their assent and now ought to be vndone for that it was neuer their meaning to be iustified and to bind themselues and their successors to the prelates no more then their auncetours had done before them Ex Rotul And yet thys foresayd reuocation notwithstanding in Queene Maryes tyme they inquired vppon that statute In searching of these statutes as you haue accasioned me to find out these scruples so being fouÌ„d out I thought here not to dissemble them for so muche as I see and heare many now a dayes so boldly to beare themselues vpoÌ„ this statute and thinking so to excuse themselues do say that they haue done nothing but the law the law to the intent that these men seeing now how inexcusable they be both before God and man hauing no law to beare them out may the soner repent their bloudy and vnlawfull tyranny exercised so long agaynst Gods true seruauntes yet in time before that the iust law of God shall finde out their vniust dealinges which partly he beginneth already to do and more no doubt will doe hereafter In the meane tyme this my petition I put vp to the Commous and to all other which shall hereafter put vp any petition to the ParliameÌ„t that they being admonished by this abuse wil shew theÌ„selues heare after more wise circumspect both what they agree vnto in Parliamentes also what commeth out in their name And as these good Commons in this time of king Henry 4. would not consent nor agree to this bloudy statute nor to anye other like For so we read that the Commons in that bloudy time of king Henry 4. when an other like cruell byll was put vp by the Prelates in an 8. Hen. 4. against the Lollards they neither consented to this and also ouerthrow the other so in like maner it is to be wished that the commons in this our time or such other that shall haue to do in parliaments hereafter following the steppes of these former times will take vigilant heede to such cruell billes of the Popes prelacy being put vp that neither their consent do passe rashly nor that their names in any condition be so abused CoÌ„sidering with themselues that a thing once being passed in the parliament cannot afterward be called back And a litle inconuenience once admitted may grow afterward to mischiefes that cannot be stopped And sometime it may so happen that through rashe consent of voices the ende of thinges being not well aduised such a thing being graunted in one day that afterward many dayes may cause the whole realme to rue But I trust men are bitten enough with suche blacke parliamentes to beware of afterclaps The Lord Iesus onely protector of his church stop al crafty deuises of subtile enemies and with his wisedom direct our Parliamentes as may be most to the aduauntage of his word and comfort of hys people Amen Amen And thus much hauing sayd for the defence of the Lord CobbaÌ„ of syr Roger Acton knight maister Iohn Browne Esquier Iohn Beuerly preacher and of other their fellowes agaynst Alanus Copus Anglus here I make an ende with this preseÌ„t Interim till furthur leysure serue me here after Christ willing to pay him the whole Interest which I owe
saying to him Thou art Peter vpon this rocke I will build my church c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth feede my sheepe Ioan. vlt. That is to say be thou Peter the head ouer thy brethren Tedious it were to recite all the bibblebabble of these doctors in this their long responsall Who so lisâ—eth to see the bottome of their profounde writing knowledge may resort either to the history of Siluius or els to M. Cochleus in his first booke De hist Hussit Thus then M. Iohn Hus being driuen out of Prage as is afore touched by the motion of these Doctours and moreouer being so excoÌ„municate that no Masse nor other must be sayd there where he was present The people begaÌ„ mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates other popish priests which were the workers therof accusing theÌ„ to be Simoniacks couetous whoremaisters adulterers proud sparing not to lay opeÌ„ their vices to their great ignominy and shame And much crauing a reformation to be had of the clergy The king seing the inclination of the people being also not ignorant of the wickednes of the clergy vnder pretence to reforme the church began to require greater exactions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy as were knowne and accused to be wicked liuers Whereupon they on the other part that fauored Iohn Hus taking that occasion present complayned of all accused many and spared none Whomsoeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke faction or enemies to Iohn Hus. By reason wherof the priests of the popish Clergy were brought such as were faultye into great distresse and such as were not faulty into great feare In so much that they were glad to fall in at least not to fall out with the Protestantes being afrayd to displease them By this meanes maister Hus beganne to take some more liberty vnto him to preach in his church at Bethleem none to controll him by the same meanes the people also receiued some comfort and the king much gayne mony by the reason And thus the popish Clergy while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus were in wrapped theÌ„selues in great tribulation and afflicted on euery side as wel of lay meÌ„ as of learned men of the clergy In so much that womeÌ„ also children were agaynst theÌ„ And by that same reasoÌ„ wherwith they thought to entangle him they were ouerthrown theÌ„selues For the Doctors which before condemned this doctrine in Iohn Hus for an intollerable heresye cried out so much agaynst him for teaching the teÌ„porall Lords might take away teÌ„porall liuings froÌ„ the clergy sinning habitualiter that is lying and continuing still in the custome of iniquity now when the king and the Lords temporall began to mearse them and berieue them of their teÌ„poralties for their transgressions the sayd Doctors did keepe silence durst speake neuer a word Agayne where the foresayd doctors before could not abide in Iohn Hus that tithes wer to be couÌ„ted for pure almes now comming to the Guildhal were faine to entreat for theyr temporall goodes not to be taken from them pleading the same temporalties to be mere almose and deuotion of good men geuen vnto the church Ex Cochleo And thus now did they themselues graunt the thing which before they did condemne The more that the popes clergy was pinched the more grudge hatred redounded to Iohn Hus although he was in no cause therof but onely their owne wicked deseruinges for the which cause Stephen Paletz and Andraeas de Broda being the chiefe champions of that faction though they could not remedy the case yet to ease theyr mindes wrote sharpe and cruell letters to Maister Hus. And to helpe the matter forward the Pope also here must helpe at a pinche who likewise writeth hys letters to Wenceslaus king of Bohemia which was brother to Sigismund Emperor for the suppressing of Iohn Hus of his doctrine Which was in the fifth and last yere of his Popedome an 1414. The tenour of whose letters to king Wenceslaus in this wise proceedeth ¶ The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus IOhn Bishoppe seruaunt of Gods seruanntes to his welbeloued sonne in Christ Wenceslaus King of Romaines and of Boheme greeting and apostolicall benediction Among other desires and delightes of our hart who although vnworthy to represent the roome of Christ here in earth this doth chiefly redounde to our singular comfort fo often as we do heare of the brotherly entreaty of peace and of concord by which concord kingdoms do encrease as contrary by discorde they are deminished which is betweene your honour and our welbeloued in the Lord Sigismund your brother germane cosin for the noble king of the Romans c. And furthermore it foloweth in these words And as we haue cause to ioy at the premisses so likewise agayne the heauy rumors which are here do trouble and dampe our mindes For we heare that in diuers places vnder your dominioÌ„ there be certain which do folow and leane to the errors of that archhereticke Wickliffe whose bookes haue bene long since condemned in the generall Romain councell to bee erroneous hereticall and swaruing from the catholicke fayth And furthermore whiche is worst of all the sayd persons cleauing to the opinions of the heretickes least they should be corrected of their superior powers for their exces to couer theyr naughtines and stubbernesse in despising the commaundements of the Apostolicall seat do openly teach disobedience and contempt of the keies and ecclesiasticall censure to the subuersion of the Apostolicall dignity setting at nought the decrees of the holy fathers canons Wherefore we do exhort your The description of the Popes councell holden at Rome in which appeared a monstrous Owle to the vtter defacing of the Pope and all his Clergy worship for the mercy of our God as hartely as we may or caÌ„ that it would please you as we desire hope you will so effectuously to shew forth your regall power both for the glory of God defence of the catholicke fayth which you go about to defend and for the conseruation of your kingly name state and honor for the prosperous safe gouernement of your kingdome and dominions as it becommeth a catholicke prince whereby this blot of heresye which doth so lamentably and miserablye spring and creepe in those partes and doth so infect the mindes of mortall men to the destruction of their soules and doth sequester them from the congregation of the pure and catholick fayth and truth may be rooted out c. Geuen at Bononia in the Ides of Iune in the v. yeare of our popedome c. In this epistle of Pope Iohn aboue prefixed forsomuch as mention is made of a certaine councell before holden at Rome which was 4. yeares before agaynst the articles books of Iohn Wickliffe it shall not be impertineÌ„t nor out of purpose to repeat a certayn mery history worthy otherwise to
reuerences that you will decree most graciously consent that this our petition and supplication may be drawen out againe by your Notarie and reduced into a publicke forme and order After this supplication was read before the deputies of the 4. nations the Patriarche of Antioch answered in the name of them all vnto euery article of the sayd supplication but it was done in few wordes First as touching the protestation of Iohn Hus whether it be true or false it shal be made euident in the processe of his cause Moreouer wheras they say that the aduersaries of Iohn Hus hath peruersly drawen certaine thinges out of his bookes that also the matter it selfe shall declare in the end Where as if it shal be found decreed that Iohn Hus is vniustly vntruly accused that thē it shal come to passe that his aduersaries shall incurre perpetuall ignominy and slaunder But as touching sureties albeit there might be a thousand put in or boūd yet can it not by any meanes be that the deputies of the Councell with a safe conscience may receiue or take them in this mans cause vnto whome there is no faith or credite to be geuē Howbeit thus much they wil do vpon the 5. day of Iune next Iohn Hus shall be brought againe vnto Constance and there haue free libertie to speake his minde before the Councell that they wold louingly and gently heare him but the matter in the ende fell out farre contrary to thys promise The same day the saide Barons and Lordes presented a supplication of thys tenour vnto the Emperor Vnto the most highe and mighty Prince the Lorde Sigismund king of the Romaines alwaies Augustus king of Hungarie Croatia and Dalmatia our most gracious Lord faithful true seruice in al things and at all times Most noble Prince and gracious Lord we signifie vnto your worthinesse that we all together with one minde consent and accord haue deliuered vp vnto the reuerend fathers and Lordes the deputies of the 4 nations and to the whole sacred Councel of Constance this our supplication here vnder wrytten as reasonable iust and worthy of consideration the tenour wherof here followeth word by word and is this ¶ The copie of the supplication which was presented vnto the deputies of the councel is before written whereunto this which followeth was annexed WHerefore we most humbly require and desire your princely maiestie that both for the loue of iustice and also of the fame and renowme of that moste famous kingdome of Boheme whereof wee acknowledge you vndoubtedly the true Lorde and heire successour and also foreseeing vnto the liberty of your safe-conduct that you wil with your fauourable countenance beholding these most reasonable and iust supplications which we haue put vp to the Lordes aforesayd put to your helping hand toward the sayd most reuerend fathers and Lordes that they will effectually heare vs in this our most iust petition which we haue offered vp to them as is aforesaide least that the enemie of the renowme and honour of the famous kingdome of Boheme and such as oure slaunderers also hereafter may detracte and sclaunder vs that wee should make vnreasonable and vnlawfull requests vnto the sayde reuerend fathers and Lordes and therefore we required and desired of them that it would please them to decre by setting to their publicke hand seale to authorise our said supplication Likewise we do most hartily require your highnes that you would vouchsafe in like maner to geue vs your testimonie of the premises But what answere the Emperor made heereunto we could neuer vnderstand or know but by the processe of the matter a man may easily iudge that thys good Emperour was brought and lead euen vnto thys poynt through the obstinate mischiefe of the cardinals and bishops to breake and falsify his promise and faith whych hee had made and promised and this was their reason whereby he was driuenthereunto that no defence coulde or might be geuen either by safe conducte or by any other meane vnto hym whych was suspected or iudged to be an hereticke But by the Epistles and letters of Iohn Hus a man may easily iudge what the kings minde was Now we will procede in the historie The 5. day of Iune the Cardinals Byshops and the rest of the priests al that were almost in Constance assembled to a great number at the Couent of the Franciscanes in Constance and there it was commaunded that before Iohn Hus shoulde be brought foorth in hys absence they should rehearse the witnesses and articles which they had slaunderously gathered out of his bookes the whych articles with Iohn Husses answer we will hereafter repeate By chance there was then present a certaine Notary named Peter Mladoniewitz the whych bare great loue and amity vnto the said Hus who assoone as he perceiued that the Bishops and cardinals were already determined and appoynted to condemne the sayde articles in the absence of Iohn Hus hee went withall speede vnto maister Wencelate de Duba and Iohn of Clum tolde them al the matter who incontinent made report therof to the Emperour Who vnderstanding their intent sent Lewes the Countie Palantine of Heydelberge and the Lord Frederick Burgraue of Nuremberge to signify vnto them whych ruled the councel that nothing should be resolued or done in the case of Iohn Hus before that it wer first heard with equity and that they should send him all such articles as were said against the sayd Hus which were either false or hereticall he would do so much that the said articles shoulde be examined by good and learned men Then according to the Emperors will the iudgement of the principals of the Councell was suspended vntill suche time as Iohn Hus were present In the meane season these gentlemen master of Dube and of Clum did geue vnto the two Princes whych the Emperor had sent certaine smal treatises which the sayde Hus had made out of the which they had drawn certain articles to present vnto them which ruled the councel vnder this condition that they would render them againe when they should demand them The intent meaning of these Barons was that by thys meanes the aduersaries of Iohn Hus might the more easily be reproued the which of a naughty and corrupt conscience had picked out corrupt sentēces out of the said bookes of Iohn Hus. The bookes were deliuered vnto the Cardinals and Byshops and that done Iohn Hus was brought forth and the Princes whiche were sent by the Emperour departed backe agayne After they shewed the bookes vnto Iohn Hus and he cōfessed openly before the whole assembly that hee had made them that he was ready if there were any fault in thē to amend the same Now harken a litle to the holy proceedynges of these reuerēd fathers for here happened a straunge shamefull matter With much a do they had scarsly read one article brought forth a
few witnesses vpoÌ„ the same agaynst him but as hee was about to apen his mouth to aunswere all this mad heard or flocke begaÌ„ so to cry out vpon him that he had not leasure to speake one onely worde The noyse trouble was so great and so vehemeÌ„t that a man might well haue called it a brute or noyse of wild beasts and not of men much lesse was it to be iudged a coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of men gathered together to iudge and determine so graue and waightie matters And if it happened that the noyse and cry did neuer so litle cease that hee might aunswere anythyng at all out of the holy Scriptures or Ecclesiasticall Doctours by and by he shoulde here these goodly replyes vpon him That maketh nothyng to the purpose Beside all this some did outrage in wordes agaynst him other some spitefully mocked him so that he seing him selfe ouerwhelmed with this rude and barbarous noyses cryes that it profited nothing to speake he determined finally with himselfe to hold his peace keepe silence FroÌ„ that tyme forward all the whole route of his aduersaries thought that they had wonne the battaile of him and cryed out altogether now he is duÌ„me now he is dumme This is a certaine signe and token that he doth consent agree vnto these his errours Finally the matter came to this poynt that certaine of the most moderate honest among theÌ„ seing this disorder determined to proceede no further but that all should be deferred put of vntil an other time Through their aduise the Prelates others departed froÌ„ the Councell for that present appointed to meet there agayne the morrow after to proceede in iudgement The next day which was the vii of Iune on whiche day the sunne was almost wholy eclipsed somwhat after about vii of the clocke this same flocke assembled agayne in the cloister of the Friers Minors and by their appointment Iohn Hus was brought before them accompanyed with a great number of armed men Thether went also the Emperor whom the gentlemen master of Dube Clum and the Notarie named Peter which were great friendes of the sayd Hus did folow to see what the end woulde be When they were come thether they heard that in the accusation of Michael de Causis they reade these wordes folowing Iohn Hus hath taught the people diuers and many errours both in the chapell of Bethleem and also in many other places of the Citie of Prage of the which errours some of them he hath drawen out of Wickleffs bookes and the rest he hath forged and inuented of his owne head and doth maintaine the same very obstinately and stifly First that after the consecration and pronunciatioÌ„ of the words in the supper of the Lord there remaineth materiall bread and this is prooued by the witnesse of Iohn Protiwate parishe Priest of s. Clements in Prage Iohn Pecklow preacher at s. Giles in Prage Benise preacher in the castle of Prage Andrew Brod Chanon of Prage and diuers other Priestes Unto thys Iohn Hus takyng a solemne othe answered that he neuer spake any such worde but thus much he did graunt that at what time the Archbishop of Prage forbad hym to vse any more that terme or word bread he could not allow the bishops commaundement for so much as Christ in the 6. chapter of Iohn doth oftentimes name himselfe the bread of angels which came downe from heaueÌ„ to geue life vnto the whole world But as touching materiall bread hee neuer spake any thing at all Then the Cardinall of Cambray taking a certaine bill in hys hand which he sayd he receiued the day before sayd vnto Iohn Hus will you put any vniversalities a parte rei.i. as touching the thing When Iohn Hus aunswered that he wold because S. Anselme and diuers other had so done the Cardinall did proceed to gather his argument in this maner It followeth then sayde he that after the consecration is made there remaineth the substance of materiall bread that I do thus proue That the consecration being done whiles the bread is chaunged transubstanciated into the body of Christ as you say either there doeth remaine the common substaunce of materiall bread or contrariwise If the substance do remaine then is our purpose at an end If contrariwise then doth it folow that by the decision of the singularitie the vniversall ceaseth any more to be Iohn Hus answered truely it ceaseth to be in this singular materiall bread by meanes of this traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ wheÌ„ as it is changed transubstanciated into the body of Christ but notwithstanding in other singularities it is made subiect Then a certaine English man by that argument woulde proue out of the first positioÌ„ that there remained materiall bread Then sayd Iohn Hus that is a childish argument which euery boy in the schooles knoweth and thereuppon gaue a solution Then an other English man wold proue that there remained materiall bread in the sacrament because the breade after the consecration was not anihilate Unto whom Iohn Hus answered Although said he that the breade be not anihilate or consumed yet singularly it ceaseth there to be by meanes of the alteration of hys substance into the body of Christ. Here an other English maÌ„ stepping forth sayd Iohn Hus semeth vnto me to vse the same kinde of crafty speach which Wickleffe vsed for hee graunted all these things which this man hath done yet in very deede was fully perswaded that material bread remained in the sacrament after the coÌ„secration The whych when Iohn Hus had denied saying that he spake nothing but only sincerely vprightly according to his conscience the English man proceeded to demaunde of hym againe whether the body of Christe be totally and really in the sacrament of the altar Wherunto Iohn Hus answered verely I do thincke that the body of Christ is really and totally in the sacrament of the alter the which was borne of the virgine Mary suffered died rose againe and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty When they had disputed a good while to and froe as touching vniuersalities the English man whych before would proue that material bread remained in the sacrament because that the bread was not anihilate interrupting and breaking theyr talke sayd to what purpose is this disputation vpon vniuersalities the which maketh nothing to the purpose as touching faith for as farre as I can perceiue or here this man holdeth a good opinion as touching the Sacrament of the aultare Then an other English man named Stoâ—kes sayd I haue seene at Prage sayd he a certaine treatise the whych was ascribed vnto thys man Iohn Hus wherein it was plainely set foorth that after the consecration there remained materiall bread in in the SacrameÌ„t Uerely said Iohn Hus sauing your reuerence that is not true Then they returned againe vnto the witnesses of them
which were spoken of a litle before who euery mā for himselfe affirmed with an othe that which he had said Amongest whom Iohn Protyway parishe priest of S. Clemēts in Prage whē he should come to confirme his testimony added more that Iohn Hus should say that S. Gregory was but a rimer whē he did alleadge his athoritie against him Unto whō Iohn Hus answered that in this point they did him great iniury for somuch as he alwaies esteemed and reputed S. Gregory for a most holy doctor of the Church These contentions and disputations being somewhat appeased the Cardinall of Florence turned himselfe toward Iohn Hus said Maister you know well inough that it is written that in the mouth of two or three witnesses all witnes is firme and stable and heere you see nowe almost 20. witnesses against you men of authority worthy of credite amongst the whych some haue hearde you teach these things themselues the other by report common brute or voice do testify of your doctrine and altogether generally bring firme reasons proofes of theyr witnesse vnto the which wee are forced constrained to geue credite and for my part I see not howe you can maintaine defend your cause against so many notable wel learned men Unto whom Iohn Hus answered in this maner I take God and my conscience to witnes that I neuer taught any thing neither was it euer in my minde or fantasie to teach in such sort or maner as these men here haue not feared to witnesse against me that which they neuer hearde And albeit they were as many more in nūber as they are for all that I do much more esteme yea and wtout comparison regard the witnes of my Lord God before the wytnes and iudgement of al mine aduersaries vpon whom I do in no poynt stay my selfe Then sayde the Cardinall againe vnto him it is not lawfull for vs to iudge according to your conscience for we can not chuse but that wee must nedes stay our selues vpon the firme euident witnes of these men heere For it is not for any displeasure or hatred that these men do witnes thys against you as you doe alleadge for they alleadge and bring foorth suche reasons of their witnesse that there is no man that can perceyue any hatred in them or that we can in any case be in dout thereof And as touching M. Steuen Paletz whereas you say you do suspect him that he hath craftly deceitfully drawen out certaine poyntes or articles out of your books for to betray them afterward It semeth that in this point you do hym great wrong for in myne aduise he hath vsed and shewed a great fidelitie and amitie towarde you in that he hathe alleuiated and moderated many of your articles much more then they are in your owne bookes I vnderstand also that you haue like opinion of diuers other notable men and specially you haue sayd that you do suspect M. Chauncellour of Paris then whome there is no more excellent and Christian man in all the whole world Then was there read a certayne article of accusation in the which it was alledged that Iohn Hus had taught obstinately defended certayne erroneous Articles of Wicliffes in Boheme Whereunto Hus answered that he neuer taught any erroures of Iohn Wickliffes or of anye other mans Wherefore if it be so that Wickliffe haue sowed any errours in England let the English men look to the themselues But to confirme theyr article there was alleaged that Iohn Husse did withstande the condemnation of Wickliffes articles the which was first condemned at Rome afterward also whē the Archb. Swinco with other learned men held a conuocation at Prage for the same matter when as they should haue bene there condemned for this cause that none of them were agreeing to the Catholicke faith or doctrine but were either hereticall erroneous or offensiue he aunswered that he durst not agree thereunto for offending hys conscience and specially for these Articles that Siluester the pope and Cōstantine dyd erre in bestowing those gret gifts rewards vpō the church Also that the pope or Priest being in mortall sinne can not consecrate nor baptise This article said he I haue thus determined as if I should say that he doth vnworthely consecrate or Baptise when as he is in deadly sinne and that he is an vnworthy minister of the Sacramentes of God Here his accusers with their witnesses were earnest and instant that the article of Wickliffe was written by the very same wordes in the treatise which Iohn Husse made agaynst Stephen Paletz Uerely said Iohn Husse I feare not to submit my selfe euen vnder the daunger of death if you shall not find it so as I haue sayd When the book was brought forth they founde it written as Iohn Husse had sayd He added also moreouer that he durst not agree vnto them which had condemned Wickliffes articles for this Article the tenthes were pure almes Here the Cardinal of Florence obiected vnto him this argument as touching the almes it is required that it shold be geuē freely without bond or duety But tenthes are not geuen freely without bond or duety therefore are they no almes Iohn Hus denying the Maior of this Sillogismus brought this reason agaynst him For somuch as rich men are bounden vnder the payne of eternall damnation vnto the fulfilling of the 6. works of mercy which Christ repeteth in the 25. chap. of Mathew and these workes are pure almes Ergo almes is also geuen by bond duety Then an Archbishop of Englād stepping vp sayd if we all be boūd vnto those 6. workes of mercy it doth followe that poore men which haue nothing at al to geue should be damned I answere sayd Husse vnto your antecedent that I spake distinctly of rich men and of those which had where withall to doe those workes they I say were bound to geue almes vnder payne of damnation He answered moreouer vnto the Minor of the first argument that tenthes were at first geuen freely and afterward made a bond and duetie And when as he woulde haue declared it more at large he could not be suffered He declared also diuers other causes why he coulde not with safe conscience consent vnto the condemnatiō of Wickliffes articles But how soeuer the matter went he did affirme say that he did neuer obstinately confirme any Articles of Wickleffes but only that he did not alow and consent that Wickliffes Articles should be condemned before that sufficient reasons were alleadged out of the holy Scripture for theyr condemnation of the same minde saith Iohn Hus are a great many other Doctors and maysters of the Uniuersitie of Prage For when as Swinco the archbishop commanded all Wickliffes bookes to be gathered together in the whole City of Prage and to be brought vnto him I my self brought also certayn books of Wickliffes which I
gaue vnto that Archbishop desiring him that if he found any error or heresie in them that he would note and mark theÌ„ and I myselfe would publish them openly But the archbishop albeit that he shewed me no errour nor heresie in them burned my bookes together with those that were brought vnto him notwtstanding that he had no such commaundement from Pope Alexander the fifth of that name But notwithstanding by a certaine pollicie he obtayned a Bull from the sayd Pope by meanes of Iaroslaus Bishop of Sarepte of the order of Franciscanes that all Wickleffâ—s books for the manifold errours contayned in them wherof there was none named should be taken out of all mens handes The archb vsing the authoritie of this Bull thought he should bring to passe that the king of Boheme and the Nobles shold consent to the condemnation of Wickliffes bookes but therein he was deceiued Yet neuerthelesse he calling together certayn deuines gaue them in coÌ„missioÌ„ to sit vpon Wickliffes bookes and to proceede agaynst them by a diffinitiue sentence in the Canon law These men by a generall sentence iudged all those books worthy to be burned The which when the Doctors Maysters and Shollers of the vniuersitie heard report of they altogether with one consent accord none excepted but onely they which before were chosen by the Archbishop to sit in iudgement determined to make supplication vnto the king to stay the matter The king graunting their request sent by and by certain vnto the Archbishop to examine the matter There he denyed that he woulde decree anye thing as touchinge Wickleffes bookes contrary vnto the kinges will pleasure Wherupon albeit that he had determined to burn theÌ„ the next day after yet for feare of the king the matter was passed ouer In the meane tyme Pope Alexander the fifth beyng dead the Archbishop fearing least the Bull whiche he had receiued of the pope would be no longer of any force or effect priuily calling vnto him hys adherentes and shutting the gates of hys Court round about him being garded with a number of armed souldiors he consumed and burned all Wickliffes bookes Beside this great iniurie the Archbyshop by meanes of his Bull aforesayd committed an other lesse tollerable For he gaue out commaundement that no man after that time vnder payne of excoÌ„munication shold teach any more in Chappels Wherunto I did appeale vnto the Pope who being dead and the cause of my matter remayning vndetermined I appealed likewise vnto his successor Iohn 23. Before whom when as by the space of 2. yeres I could not be admitted by my aduocates to defend my cause I appealed vnto the high Iudge Christ. When I. Hus had spoken these wordes it was demaunded of hym whether he had receiued absolution of the pope or no he aunswered no. Then agayne whether it were lawfull for him to appeale vnto Christ or no. Whereunto Iohn Hus answered Uerely I doe affirme here afore you all that there is no more iust or effectuall appeale then that appeale which is made vnto Christ for asmuch as the law doth determine that to appeale is no other thinge then in a cause of griefe or wrong done by an inferior iudge to implore and require ayde and remedy at a higher Iudges hand Who is then an higher Iudge then Christ Who I say caÌ„ know or iudge the matter more iustly or with more equitie when as in him there is found no deceit neyther can he be deceiued or who can better helpe the miserable oppressed theÌ„ he While Iohn Hus with a deuout and sober countenaunce was speaking and pronouncing those words he was derided and mocked of all the whole councell Then was there rehearsed an other Article of his accusation in this maner that Iohn Hus for to confirme the heresie which he had taught the common and simple people out of Wickleffes bookes sayd openly these wordes that at what time a great number of Monkes and Friers and other learned men were gathered together in EnglaÌ„d in a certayne Church to dispute agaynst Iohn Wickliffe could by no meanes vanquishe him or geue him the foyle sodenly the church doore was broken open with lightning so that with much a doe Wickleffes enemies hardly scaped without hurt He added moreouer that he wished his soule to be in the same place where Iohn Wickleffes soule was Whereunto Iohn Hus answered that a douscine yeares before that any bookes of Diuinitie of Iohn Wickleffes were in Boheme he did see certayne workes of Philosophie of hys the which he sayd did merueilous delite and please hym And when he vnderstoode the good and godly life of the sayd Wickleffe he spake these wordes I trust sayde he that Wickleffe is saued and albeit that I doubt whether he be damned or no yet with a good hope I wish that my soule were in the same place where Iohn Wickleffes is Then agayne did all the company iest and laugh at hym It is also in hys accusation that Iohn Hus did counsaile the people according to the example of Moyses to resist with the sword agaynst all such as did gaynsay his doctrine And the next day after he had preached the same there were found openly in diuers places certaine intimations that euery man being armed with hys sword about him should stoutly proceede and that brother shoulde not spare brother neyther one neighbor an other Iohn Husse aunswered that all these thinges were falsly layd vnto hys charge by his aduersaries for he at all times when he preached did dilligently admonishe and warne the people that they should all arme themselues to defend the truth of the Gospell according to the saying of the Apostle with the helmet and sworde of saluation and that he neuer spake of any material sword but of that which is the word of God And as touching intimations or Moyses sword he neuer had nothing to doe withall It is moreouer affirmed in hys accusation and witnes that many offences are sprong vp by the doctrine of Hus. For first of all he sowed discord betweene the Ecclesiastical and the politick state whereupon folowed the persecution spoiling and robbery of the Clergie Bishops And more ouer that he through his dissention dissolued the vniuersitie of Prage Hereunto Iohn Hus briefly aunswered that these thinges had not happened by hys meanes or default For the first dissention that was betweene the Ecclesiasticall and politicke state sprang and grew vpon this cause that pope Gregory the 12. of that name promised at his election that at all times at the wil and pleasure of the Cardinals he would depart from and geue ouer hys seate agayne for vnder that condition he was electe and chosen This man contrary and against Winceslaus king of Boheme who was then also king of the Romaynes made Lewes Duke of Bauaria Emperour A few yeares after it happened that when as P. Gregory would not refuse and geue ouer
13. chapter of the first to the Corinthians and to the Romaynes the 8. chapter All thinges turne to good to them whiche loue God Also I am certayne that neyther death nor life can seperate vs from the charitie and loue of God as it is more at large in the booke The fourth Article The predestinate although he be not in the state of grace according to present iustice yet is he alwayes a member of the vniuersall Churche Thys is an errour if it be vnderstand of all such as be predestinate for thus it is in the booke about the beginning of the fift chapter where it is declared that there be diuers maners and fortes of being in the Church for there are some in the Church according to a misshappen fayth and other some according to predestination as Christians predestinate now in sinne but shall returne agayne vnto grace The fift article There is no degree of honor or dignitie neyther any humain election or any sensible signe that can make any man a member of the vniuersall Church I aunswere this article is after this maner in my book And such subtilties are vnderstanded knowne by considering what it is to be in the Churche and what it is to be a part or member of the Church that predestination doth make a man a member of the vniuersall Church the whiche is a preparation of grace for the present and of glory to come not degree of dignitie neyther election of man neyther any sensible signe For the acuser Iudas Iscarioth notwtstanding Christes election the temporall graces which were geuen him for his office of Apostleship and that he was reputed and counted of men a true Apostle of Iesus Christ yet was he no true Disciple but a wolf couered in a sheps skinne as sainet Augustine sayth The vi Article A reprobate man is neuer no member of the holy Church I answere it is in my booke with sufficient long probation out of the 26. Psalme and out of the v. chapter to the Ephesians also by S. Barnarde saying the Church of Iesus Christ is more playnly and euidently his body then the body which he deliuered for vnto death I haue also written in the v. chap. of my booke that the holy church is the barne of the Lord in the whiche are bothe good and euill predestinate and reprobate the good being as the good corne or grayne and the ciuill as the chaffe thereunto is added the exposition of S. Augustine The seuenth article Iudas was neuer no true Disciple of Iesus Christ. I answere and I do confesse the same This appeareth by the fift article which is passed afore by S. Augustine in his booke of penaunce where he doth expound the meaning of S. Iohn in hys first Epistle and second chapter where he sayd They come out frō amōgst vs but they were none of vs. He knewe from the beginning all them whiche should beleeue and him also whiche should betray him and sayd And therefore I say vnto you that none commeth vnto me except it be geuen hym of my father From that tune many of the Disciples parted from him and were not those also called Disciples accordyng the wordes of the Gospell And yet notwithstanding they were no true Disciples because they did not remayne and continue in the word of the sonne of God according as it is said If you remayne in my word you be my Disciples For so much then as they did not continue with Christ as hys true Disciples so likewise are they not the true sonns of God although they seeme so vnto him they are not so vnto whom it is known what they shall be That is to say of good euill Thus much writeth S. Augustine It is also euident that Iudas could not be the true Disciple of Christ by meanes of hys couetousnesse for Christ himselfe sayd in the presence of Iudas as I suppose except a man forsake all that he hath he can not be my Disciple For somuch then as Iudas did not forsake all thinges according to the Lordes will and follow him he was a theefe as it is sayd Iohn the 12. and a deuill Iohn the 6. whereby it is euident by the worde of the Lord that Iudas was not hys true but sayned Disciple Whereupon S. Augustine writing vpon Iohn declaring how the sheepe heare the voice of Christ sayth what maner of hearers thinke we hys sheepe were Truely Iudas heard him and was a wolfe yet followed he the shepherd but being clothed in a sheeps skinne he lay in wayt for the shepheard The eight article The congregatiō of the predestinate whether they be in the state of grace or no according vnto present iustice is the holy vniuersall Church and therefore it is an article of fayth and it is the same Churche whiche hath neither wrinckle neyther spot in it but is holy vndefiled the which the sonne of God doth cal his own The answere The wordes of the booke out of the which thys Article was drawne are these Thirdly the Church is vnderstand and taken for the congregation and assembly of the faythfull whether they be in the state of grace according to present iustice or not And in this sort it is an Article of our fayth of the whiche S. Paule maketh mention in the fifth chapter to the Ephesians Christ so loued his Church that he deliuered and offered himself for the same c. I pray you then is there any faythful man the which doth doubt that the Church doth not signifie all the elect and predestinate the which we ought to beleue to be the vniuersall Church the glorious spouse of Iesus christ holy and without spot wherfore this Article is an article of fayth the whiche we ought firmely to beleue according to our Creede I beleue the holy Catholicke Church and of this Churche doth S. Augustine S. Gregory S. Ierome and diuers other make mention The ix article Peter neuer was neither is the head of the holy vniuersall Church The aunswere This Article was drawne out of these wordes of my booke All men do agree in this poynt that Peter had receiued of the rocke of the church which is Christ humilitie pouertie stedfastnes of fayth and consequently blessednes Not as though the meaning of our Lord Iesus Christ was when he said vpon this rocke I will build my Churche that he woulde build euery Militant Church vppon the person of Peter for Christ should buyld hys Church vpon the rocke which is Christ himselfe from whence Peter receiued hys steadfastnes of fayth for somuche as Iesus Christ is the onely head and foundation of euery Church and not Peter The tenth Article If he that is called the vicar of Iesus Christ do followe Christ in his life then he is his true vicare But if so be it he do walke in contrary pathes and wayes then is he the messenger of Antichrist the enemy
and aduersary of S. Peter of our Lorde Iesus Christe and also the vicare of Iudas Iscarioth I aunswere the wordes of my book are these If he which is called the vicare of S. Peter walke in the wayes of Christian vertues aforesayd we do beleue verely that he is the true vicar and true Byshop of the Church whiche ruleth but if he walke in contrary pathes and wayes then is he the messenger of Antechrist cōtrary both to S. Peter and our Lord Iesus Christ. And therfore S. Bernard in hys 4. book did write in this sort vnto pope Eugenie Thou delitest walkest in great pride and arrogancie being gorgeously and sumptuously arayd what fruit or profite do thy flocke or sheepe receiue by thee If I durst say it these be rather the pastures and feedinges of deuils then of sheepe S. Peter S. Paul did not so wherfore thou seemest by these thy doings to succeede Constantine not S. Peter These be the very wordes of S. Bernard It followeth after in my booke that if the maner and fashion of his life and liuing be contrary to that which S. Peter vsed or that he be geuen to auarice and couetousnes then is he the vicar of Iudas Iscarioth which loued and chose the reward of iniquitie dyd set out to sale the Lord Iesus Christ. As soone as they had read the same those which ruled and gouerned the coūcell beheld one an other making mockes and moes they nodded theyr heades at hym The xi article Al such as doe vse Symmony priests liuing dissolutely and wantonly do hold an vntrue opinion of the 7. Sacramentes as vnbeleuing bastardes and not as Children not knowing what is the office duety of the keyes or censures rites and ceremonies neither of the diuine seruice of the Churche or of veneration or worshipping of reliques neither of y◠orders constituted and ordeined in the Church neither yet of indulgences or pardons I answere that it is placed in this maner in my book Thys abuse of authoritie or power is committed by such as doe sell make marchandise of holy orders and get and gather together riches by Symonie making fayres and markets of the holy Sacramentes and liuing in all kynd of voluptuousnes and dissolute maners or in any other filthy or vilanous kind of liuing They do polute and defile the holye ecclesiasticall state And albeit that they professe in wordes that they do know God yet doe they deny it again by their deeds and consequently beleue not in God But as vnbeleeuing bastardes they holde a contrarye and vntrue opinion of the 7. Sacramentes of the Church And this appeareth most euidently for somuch as all suche doe vtterly contemne and despise the name of God according to the saying of Malachy the first chapter Unto you O Priestes be it spoken which doe despise and contemne my name The xii Article The papall dignitie hath hys original from the Emperours of Rome I answere and mark wel what my wordes are The preeminence and institution of the Pope is sprong and come of the Emperours power authoritie And this is proued by the 96. distinction for Constantine graunted thys priuiledge vnto the Bishop of Rome and other after hym confirmed the same That like as Augustus for the outward and temporal goodes bestowed vpon the Churche is counted alwayes the most high king aboue al others so the bysh of Rome shold be called the principal father aboue all other bishops This notwithstanding the papall dignitie hath hys original immediately from Christ as touching hys spirituall administration and office to rule the Church Then the Cardinall of Cabray sayd in the tyme of Constantine there was a generall Councell holden at Nice in the whiche albeit the highest rowme and place in the Church was geuen to the Bishop of Rome for honours cause it is ascribed vnto the Emperour wherefore then do you not aswell affirme and saye that the Papall dignitie tooke hys originall rather from that councel then by the Emperours authoritie and power The 13. article No man would reasonably affirme weout reuelation neyther of hymselfe nor of any other that hee is the heade of any particular Churche I aunswere I confesse it to be written in my booke and it followeth straight after Albeit that through hys good liuing he oght to hope and trust that he is a member of the holy vniuersal Church the spouse of Iesus Christ according to the saying of the Preacher No man knoweth whether he be worthy and haue deserued grace and fauour or hatred And Luke the 17. when ye haue done all that ye can say that you are vnprofitable seruauntes The 14. Article It ought not to be beleeued that the pope whatsoeuer he be may be the head of any particular Churche vnles he be predestinate or ordayned of God I aunswere that I doe acknowledge thys preposition to be myne and thys is easie to proue forsomuche as it is necessary that the Christian faith shuld be depraued for somuch as the Churche was deceiued by N. as it appeareth by S. Augustine The 15. article The popes power as Uicare is but vayne and nothing worth if he do not confirme addresse hys lyfe accordyng to Iesus Christ and not followe the maners of S. Peter I answere that it is thus in my book that it is meet and expedient that he which is ordayned vicar should addresse and frame himselfe in maners and conditions to the authoritie of hym which did put him in place And Iohn Hus sayd Moreouer before the whole councell I vnderstand that the power and authoritie in such a pope as doth not represent the maners of Christ is frustrate and voyd as touching the merite and rewarde which he shold obtayne and get therby and doth not get the same but not as concerning hys office Then certayne others standing by asked of hym saying where is that glose in your book I. Hus answered you shall finde it in my treatise agaynst M. Palletz wherat all the assistaunce looking one vppon an other began for to smile and laugh The 16. Article The pope is most holy not because hee doth supply and hold the rowme and place of S. Peter but because he hath great reuenues I answere that my words are mutilate for thus it is written He is not most holy because he is called the vicar of S. Peter or because he hathe great and large possessions But if he be the follower of Iesus Christ in humilitie gentlenes paciēce labour and trauayle and in perfect loue and charitie The 17. Article The Cardinals are not the manifest and true successours of the other Apostles of Iesus Christ if they liue not according to the fashion of the Apostles keping the commaundementes and ordinaunces of the Lord Iesus I answere that it is thus written in my booke and it proueth it selfe sufficiently For if they enter in by an other way then by the dore whiche is the
Lord Iesus they be murtheres and theeues Then sayde the Cardinall of Cambray beholde both this and all other articles before rehearsed he hath written much more detestable thinges in his booke then is presented in hys articles Truely Iohn Hus thou hast kept no order in thy sermons and writings Had it not ben your part to haue applyed your sermons according to your audieÌ„ce For to what purpose was it or what did it profite you before the people to preach agaynst the Cardinals when as none of them were present It had bene meeter for you to haue told them theyr faults before them all then before the laity Then aunswered Iohn Hus reuerend father for so much as I did see many prieste other learned men present at my sermons for their sakes I spake those wordes Then sayd the Cardinal thou hast done very ill for by such kinde of talke thou hast disturbed and troubled the whole state of the Church The 18. Article An hereticke ought not to be committed to the secular powers to be put to death for it is sufficient onely that he abide and suffer the ecclesiasticall censure These are my wordes That they might be ashamed of their cruel sentence and iudgement specially for somuch as Iesus Christ byshop both of the old and newe Testament would not iudge such as were disobedient by ciuill iudgement neither condemne them to bodily death As touching the first poynt It may be euidently seene in the 12. Chapiter of S. Luke And for the second it appeareth also by the woman which was taken in adultery of who it is spoken in the 8. chapter of Sainct Iohn And it is sayde in the 18. Chapter of Sainct Mathew If thy brother haue offended thee c. Marke therfore what I do say That an hereticke whatsoeuer he be ought first to be instructed and taught with Christian loue and gentlenes by the holy scriptures and by the reasons draâ—ne and taken out of the same as S. Augustine and others haue done disputing agaynst the heretickes But if there were any which after al these gentle and louing admonitions and instructions woulde not cease from or leaue of their stiffnes of opinions but obstinately resist agaynst the truth suche I say ought to suffer corporall or bodily punishment As soone as Iohn Hus had spoken those thinges the iudges red in hys booke a certayne clause wherein he seeined greeuously to enuey agaynst them which deliuered an hereticke vnto the secular power not being confuted or contricted of heresie and compared theÌ„ vnto the high priestes Scribes and Phariseis which sayd vnto Pilate it is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death and deliuered Christ vnto him And yet notwithstanding according vnto Christes owne witnesse they were greater murtherers then Pilate for he said Christ which hath deliuered me vnto thee hath committed the greatest offence Then the Cardinals and Bishops made a great noyse and demaunded of I. Hus saying who are they that thou dost compare or assimule vnto the Phariseis Then he sayd all those whiche deliuered vp anye innocent vnto the ciuill sworde as the Scribes and Phariseis deliuered Iesus Christ vnto Pilate No no sayd they agayne for all that you spake here of doctors And the Cardinall of Cambray according to his accustomed maner sayd Truly they which haue made and gathered these articles haue vsed great lenitie and getlenes for his writings are much more detestable horible The 19. article The Nobles of the world ought to coÌ„strayne and compel the ministers of the Church to obserue and keepe the law of Iesus Christ. I answere that it standeth thus word for word in my booke Those which be on our part do preach and affirme that the church militant according to the partes which the Lord hath ordayned is deuided and consisteth in these partes That is to say Ministers of the Church which should keepe purely and sincely the ordinaunces and commaundementes of the sonne of God and the Nobles of the world that should compel and driue them to keepe the commaundementes of Iesus Christ and of the common people seruing to both these partes and endes according to the institution and ordinaunce of Iesus Christ. The 20. Article The ecclesiasticall obedience is a kynd of obedience which the priestes and monks haue inuented wtout any expresse authority of the holy scriptures I answer and confes that those words are thus written in my book I say that there be three kindes of obedience spirituall secular and ecclesiasticall The spirituall obedience is that which is onely due according to the lawe and ordinance of God vnder the whiche the Apostles of Iesus Christ dyd lyue and all Christians ought for to liue The secular obedience is that which is due according to the Ciuill lawes and ordinances The ecclesiastical obedience is such as the Priestes haue inuented without any expresse authoritie of Scripture The first kinde of obedience doth vtterly exclude from it all euill as well on his part which geueth the commandement as on his also which doth obey the same And of this obedience it is spoken in the 24. chap. of Deut. Thou shalt do all that which the priestes of the kindred of Leuy shall teach and instruct thee according as I haue coÌ„maunded them The 21. Article He that is excoÌ„municated by the pope if he refuse and forsake the iudgement of the Pope and the generall Councell and appealeth vnto Iesus Christ after he hath made hys appellation all the excommunications and curses of the Pope cannot annoy or hurt hym I aunswere that I do not acknowledge this proposition but in deede I did make my complaynt in my booke that they had both done me and such as fauoured me great wrong that they refuse to heare me in the popes court For alter the death of one pope I dyd appeale to hys successor and all that did profite me nothing And to appeale from the P. to the Councell it were to long that were euen as much as if a man in trouble should seeke an vncertayne remedy And therfore last of all I haue appealed to the head of the Church my Lord Iesus Christ for he is much more excellent and better then any pope to discusse and determine matters and causes for somuch as he cannot erre neyther yet deny iustice to him that doth aske or require it in a iust cause neither can he condemne the innocent Then spake the Cardinall of Cambray vnto hym and sayd wilt thou presume aboue S. Paule who appealed vnto the Emperour and not vnto Iesus Christ Iohn Hus answered for somuch then as I am the first the do it am I therfore to be reputed counted an hereticke And yet notwithstanding S. Paule did not appeale vnto the Emperoure of hys owne motion or will but by the will of Christ which spake vnto hym by reuelation and sayd be firme and constant for thou must go
rule the Church the which shoulde be alwayes conuersant with the militant Church The aunswere I do graunt it For what consequent is this The king of Boheme is head of the kingdome of Boheme Ergo the Pope is head of the whole militant Church Christ is the head of the spiritualtye ruling and gouerning the militant Church by much more and greater necessity then Cesar ought to rule the tēporalty For so much as Christ which sitteth on the ryght hand of God the Father doth necessaryly rule the militant Church as head And there is no sparke of apparance that there should be one head in the spiritualty ruling the church that should alwaies be conuersant with the militant churche except some infidell would heretically affirme that the militant Church should haue here a permanent and continuall Citty or dwelling place and not to enquire and seeke after that which is to come It is also further euident in my booke how vnconsequent the proportion of the similitude is for a reprobate Pope to be the head of the militent church and a reprobate king to be the head of the kingdome of Boheme The 4. Article Christ would better rule his Churche by his true Apostles dispersed through out the whole world without such monstrous heades I aunswere that it is in my booke as here foloweth that albeit that the doctor doth say that the body of the militant Church is oftentimes without a head yet notwithstanding we do verelye beleue that Christ Iesus is the head ouer euery Churche ruling the same without lacke or default pouring vpō the same a continuall motion and sence euen vnto the latter day neither can the doctor geue a reason why the Churche in the time of Agnes by the space of 2. yeares and 5. monethes liuing according to many members of christ in grace and fauour but that by the same reason the Church might be without a head by the space of many yeares For so much as Christ should better rule his Church by his true disciples dispersed throughout the whole world without suche monstrous heads Then sayd they all together Beholde now he prophecieth and Iohn Hus prosecuting his former talke sayd but I say that the Church in the time of the Apostles was farre better ruled and gouerned then now is And what doth let or hinder that christ should not now also rule the same better by his true Disciples without such monstrous heades as haue bene now a late For beholde euen at this present we haue no such head And yet Christ ceaseth not to rule his Church when be had spoken these wordes he was derided and mocked The 5. Article Peter was no vniuersall Pastour or shepheard of the sheepe of Christ much lesse is the Byshop of Rome The answere These words are not in my book but those which do follow Secondly it appeareth by the wordes of Christ that he did not limit vnto Peter for his iurisdiction the whole world no not one onely prouince So likewise neither vnto any other of the Apostles Notwithstanding certayne of them walked through many regions and other some fewer preaching and teaching the kingdome of God as Paule which laboured trauelled more then all the rest did corporally visite and conuert most prouinces whereby it is lawfull for any Apostle or his vicar to conuert and confirme as much people or as many prouinces in the fayth of Christ as they are able neither is there any restraynt of their liberty or iurisdiction But only by disability or insufficiency The 6. Article The Apostles and other faythfull priestes of the Lord haue stoutly ruled the Church in al things necessary vnto saluation before the office of the Pope was brought in to the Church and so would they very possibly doe still if there were no Pope euen vnto the latter day Then they all cryed out agayne and sayd Behold the prophet but Iohn Hus sayde verely it is true that the Apostles did rule the Churche stoutly before the office of the Pope was brought into the Churche And certaynely a great deale better then it is now ruled And likewise may other faythfull men which doe follow their steppes doe the same for as now we haue no Pope and so peraduenture it may continue and endure a yeare or more Besides this were brought agaynst him other 19. articles obiected vnto him being in prison which with his answeres to the same here likewise follow Of the whiche Articles the first is thys The first Article Paule according vnto present iustice was a blasphemer and none of the Church and therwithall was in grace according vnto predestination of life euer lasting The aunswere This proposition is not in the booke but this which foloweth whereby it doth seme probable that as Paule was both a blasphemer accordyng to present iustice and therewithall also was a faythfull childe of our holy mother the Church and in grace accordyng to predestination of life euerlasting So Iscariot was both in grace according vnto present iustice and was neuer of our holy mother the Church according to the predestination of life euerlasting for so much as he lacked that predestination And so Iscariot albeit he was an Apostle and a Byshop of Christ which is the name of his office yet was he neuer no part of the vniuersall Church The 2. Article Christ doth more loue a predestinate man being sinnefull then any reprobate in what grace possible soeuer he be The aunswere My wordes are in the 4. chapter of my booke intituled of the Church and it is euident that God doth more loue any predestinate beynge sinnefull then any reprobate in what grace so euer he be for the time for so much as he will that the predestinate shall haue perpetuall blessednesse and the reprobate to haue eternall fire Wherefore God partly infinitely louing them both as his creatures yet he doth more loue the predestinate because he geueth him greater grace or a greater gift that is to say life euerlasting which is greater more excellent then onely grace according vnto present iustice And the third Article of those Articles before soundeth much neare vnto this that the predestinate cannot fall frō grace for they haue a certayne radicall grace rooted in thē although they be depriued of the aboundant grace for a time These thinges are true in the compound sence The 3. Article All the sinnefull according vnto present iniustice are not faythfull but doe swerue from the true Catholicke fayth for so much as it is impossible that any man can committee any deadly sinne but in that point that he doe swerue from the fayth The aunswere I acknowledge that sentence to be mine and it appeareth that if they did thinke vpon the punishment which is to be laid vpon sinners and did fully beleue and had the fayth of the diuine knowledge and vnderstanding c. then vndoubtedly they would not so offend and sinne This proposition is verified by the sayinge of
them are erroneous some of them to be wicked othersome to be offensiue vnto godly eares many of thē to be temerarious and seditious and the greater part of them to be notoriously hereticall and euē now of late by the holy fathers and generall Councels reproued condēned And for so much as the said Articles are expresly conteined in the bookes of the said Iohn Hus therefore this said sacred Councell doth cōdemne reproue all those bookes which he wrote in what forme or phrase soeuer they be or whether they be trāslated by others doth determine and decree that they all shall be solemnely openly burned in the presence of the clergy people of the city of Constance elsewhere adding moreouer for the premisses that all his doctrine is worthy to be despised eschewed of all faithfull Christians And to the intent this most pernicious wicked doctrine may be vtterly excluded shut out of the Church this sacred Synode doth straightly cōmand that diligent inquisition be made by the ordinaries of the places by the Ecclesiasticall censure for such treatises and works and that such as are found be consumed burned with fire And if there be any found which shall contemne or depise this sentence or decree this sacred Synode ordeineth and decreeth that the ordinaries of the places and the inquisitours of heresies shal proceed against euery such person as suspect of heresy Wherefore after due inquisition made against the sayd Iohn Husse and full information had by the Commissaries and Doctours of both lawes and also by the saiengs of the witnesses which were worthy of credite and many other things opēly read before the said Iohn Hus and before the fathers and prelates of this sacred Councell by the which allegatiōs of the witnesses it appeareth that the sayd Iohn Hus hath taught many euill offensiue seditious and perilous heresies and hath preached the same by a long time this most sacred holy Synode lawfully congregate and gathered together in the holy Ghost the name of Christ being inuocate called vpon by this their sentence which here is set forth in writing determineth pronounceth declareth decreeth that Iohn Hus was and is a true and manifest hereticke and that he hath preached openly errours heresies lately condemned by the church of God and many other seditious temerarious offensiue things to no small offence of the Diuine maiestie and of the vniuersall Church and detriment of the Catholicke faith Church neglecting and despising the keyes of the Church Ecclesiasticall censures In the which his errours he continued with a minde altogether indurate and hardned by the space of many yeares much offending the faithfull Christians by his obstinacie stubburnes when as he made his appeale vnto the Lord Iesu Christ as the most high iudge omitting and leauing all Ecclesiasticall meanes In the which his appeale he alledged many false iniurious and offensiue matters in contempt of the Apostolicke sea and the Ecclesiasticall censures and keyes Wherupon both for the premisses many other things the said Synode pronounceth I. Hus to be an hereticke iudgeth him by these presents to be condemned iudged as an heretike reproueth the said appeal as iniurious offensiue done in derisiō vnto the ecclesiastical iurisdictiō iudgeth the said Hus not only to haue seduced the christian people by his writings preachings and specially in the kingdome of Boheme neither to haue bene a true preacher of the Gospell of Christ vnto the said people according to the exposition of the holy Doctours but also to haue bene a seducer of them also an obstinate and stifnecked person yea and such a one as doth not desire to returne againe to the lappe of our holy mother the Church neither to abiure the errours and heresies which he hath openly preached and defended Wherefore this most sacred Councell decreeth and declareth that the said Iohn Husse shall be famously deposed and disgraded from his Priestly orders and dignitie c. Whilest these things were thus read Iohn Husse albeit he were forbidden to speake notwithstāding he did often interrupt them and specially whē he was reproued of obstinacie he said with a loude voice I was neuer obstinate but as alwaies heretofore euē so now againe I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures and I do professe my selfe to be so desirous of that truth that if I might by one only word subuert the errours of all heretickes I would not refuse to enter into what peril or bāger soeuer it were When his bookes were condēned he said wherefore haue you cōdemned those books when as you haue not proued by any one Article that they are cōtrary to the scriptures or Articles of faith And moreouer what iniury is this that you do to me that you haue cōdēned these bookes written in the Bohemian toung which you neuer saw neither yet read And oftētimes looking vp vnto heauē he prayed Whē the sentence and iudgement was ended kneeling downe vpon his knees he said Lord Iesu Christ forgeue mine enimies by whome thou knowest that I am falsely accused and that they haue vsed false witnes and slanders against me forgeue them I say for thy great mercies sake This his praier and oration the greater part and specially the chiefe of the Priests did deride and mocke At the last the seuen Bishops which were chosen out to disgrade him of his priesthood commanded him to put on the garments pertaining vnto priesthood which thyng when he had done vntill he came to the putting on of the Albe he called to his remembraunce the white vesture which Herode put vpon Iesus Christ to mock him withall So likewise in al other things he did comfort himselfe by the example of Christ. When he had now put on all his priestly vestures the Bishops exhorted him that he should yet alter and change his minde and purpose and prouide for his honour and safegard Then he according as the maner of the ceremony is going vp to the top of the scaffold being full of teares hee spake vnto the people in this sort These Lords and Bishops do exhort and councell mee that I should heere confesse before you all that I haue erred the which thing to do if it were such as might be done with the infamy and reproch of anye man they might peraduenture easily perswade me therunto but now truly I am in the sight of the lord my God without whose great ignominy and grudge of mine owne conscience I can by no meanes do that which they require of mee For I doo well knowe that I neuer taught any of those thinges which they haue falsly alledged against mee but I haue alwayes preached taught written and thought contrary thereunto With what countenance then should I behold the heauens with what face should I looke vpon them whome I haue taught where of there is a great
thinges shall come to passe and be brought by little and little in order of times dispensed of God for the same purpose And this God doth and will do for his owne goodnes and mercy and for the riches of his great longanimity and pacience geuing time and space of repētance to them that haue lōg line in theyr sins to amend and flye from the face of the Lordes fury whyle that in like manner the carnall people and carnal priestes successiuely and in time shall fall awaye and be consumed as with the moth c. ¶ An other letter of Iohn Husse MAister Martin my deare brother in Christ I exhorte you in the Lord that you feare God keepe hys commaundementes and flee the company of women and beware of hearing their confessions least by the hipocrisie of women Sathan deceiue you trust not their deuotion You know how I haue detested the auarice and the inordinate life of the Clergy wherefore through the grace of God I suffer now persecution which shortly shal be consummate in me neither doe I feare to haue my hart powred out for the name of Christ Iesus I desire you hartely be not greedy in seeking after benefices And yet if you shal be called to anye cure in the country let the honour of God the saluation of soules and the trauaile therof moue you therunto and not the hauing of the lining or the commodities thereof And if you shall be placed in any such benefice beware you haue no yong womā for your cook or seruant least you edifie and encrease more your house then your soule See that you be a builder of your spirituall house being gentle to the poore and humble of mind and waste not your goodes in great fare I feare also if you do not amend your life ceasing from your costly and superfluous apparell least you shal be greuously chastised as I also wretched mā shal be punished which haue vsed the like being seduced by custome of euill men and wordly glory wherby I haue bene wounded agaynst God wyth the spirite of pride And because you haue notably knowne both my preaching and outward conuersation euen from my youth I haue no neede to write many thinges vnto you but to desire you for the mercy of Iesus Christ that you do not followe me in anye such leuitie and lightnes whiche you haue in seene in me You knew how before my priesthoode whiche greueth me nowe I haue delighted to playe oftentimes at chesse and haue neglected my time and thereby haue vnhappily prouoked both my self and other to anger many times by that play Wherfore besides other my innumerable faultes for thys also I desire you to inuocate the mercy of the Lord that he will pardon me and so directe my life that hauing ouercome the wickednes of this present life the flesh the world and the deuill I may finde place in the heauenly country at the least in the day of iudgement Fare ye well in Christ Iesus with all them which keepe hys law My gray coate if you will keepe to your selfe for my remembraunce but I thinke you are ashamed to wear that gray colour therfore you may geue it to whō you shall thinke good My white coate you shall geue the minister N. my scholer To George or els to Zuzikon 60. groates or els my gray coate for he hath faythfully serued me ¶ The superscription I pray you that you doe not open this letter before you be sure and certayne of my death The consolation of Mayster Hierome to Mayster Hus. MY maister in those thinges which you haue both written hetherto and also preached after the law of God agaynst the pride auarice an other inordinate vices of the Priestes goe forward be constant and strong And if I shall know that you are oppressed in the cause and if neede shal so require of myne own accorde I will folow after to helpe you as much as I can BY the lyfe actes and letters of Iohn Hus hetherto rehearsed it is euident and playne that he was condemned not for any errour of doctrine which they coulde well proue in hym who neyther denyed their popishe transubstantiation neither spake against the authoritie of the church of Rome if it were well gouerned nor yet the 7. Sacraments also sayd masse himself and almost in al their popish opinions was a papist with them but onely of euil wil was accused of his malicious aduersaries because he spake agaynst the pompe pride and auarice other wicked enormities of the pope Cardinals Prelates of that Church and because he could not abide the high dignities liuings of the Churche and thought the doinges of the pope to be Antichristlike For this cause he procured so many enemies false witnesses agaynst him Who strayning and picking matter out of hys bookes and writinges hauing no one iust article of doctrine to lay vnto him yet they made hym an hereticke whether he would or no and brought him to hys condemnation This can hatred and malice do where the charitie of Christ hath no place Whiche being so as thy charitie good reader may easely vnderstand in perusing the whol course of hys story I beseech thee thē what cause had Iohn Cochleus to write his 12. bookes agaynst Iohn Hus and Hussites In which bookes how bitterly intēperately he misuseth hys penne by these few words in hys second booke thou mayst take a little tast which wordes I thought here briefly to place in English to the ende that all English men may iudge thereby with what spirite and truth these Catholickes he caryed Hys wordes be these Lib. 2. Hist. Dico igitur Ioan Huss neque sanctum neque beatum habendum esse sed impium potius c. That is I say therfore Iohn Husse is neither to be counted holy nor blessed but rather wicked and eternally wretched insomuche that in the day of iudgement it shal be more easie not onely with the infidell Pagans Turks Tartarians and Iewes but also with the most sinfull Sodomites the abhominable Persians which most filthily doe lye with their daughters sisters or mothers yea also with most impious Cain killer of hys owne brother with Thyestes killer of hys own mother and the Lestrygones other Andropophagi which deuour mans flesh yea more easie with those infamous murderers of infants Pharao Herode then with him c. These be the words of Cochleus Whose rayling books although they deserue neyther to be read nor aunswered yet if it pleased God it were to be wished that the Lord would stir vp some towardly yong man that hath so much leasure to defend the simplicitie of thys Iohn Hus whiche cannot now aunswere for himselfe In the meane tyme something to satisfie or stay the readers mynde agaynst thys immoderate hyperbole of Cochleus in like fewe wordes I wyll bryng out Iohn Hus to speake and to cleare hymselfe agaynst this slaunder whose wordes in
no further but to Fabian and Hall lacketh no good wil in him but only a little matter to make a perfect sycophant And admit the sayde name of Onley could not be founde in those wryters yet it were not vnpossible for a man to haue two names especially if he were a religious man to beare the name of the towne where he was born beside his own proper surname But nowe what if I M. Cope can auouch and bring foorth to you the name of Roger Onley out of sufficient recorde which you seeme not to haue yet read Haue yee not then done well and properly thinke you so bitterly to flee in my face and to barke so egerly all this while at moneshine in the water hauing no more cause almoste against me theÌ„ against the man in the Moone And now least you shoulde thinke me so much vnprouided of iust authority for my defence as I see you vnprouided of modestie and patience wryte you to your prompter or suborner where so euer he lurketh here in England to sende you ouer vnto Louane the booke of Iohn Harding a Chronicler more auncient then either Fabian or Hall printed in the house of Richard Grafton Anno 1543. where turne to the fol. 223. fac b. lin 19. and there shall you finde and reade these wordes Againe the Church and the king cursedly By helpe of one maister Roger Onley c. By the whyche woordes yee must necessarily confesse Roger Onley to be the name of the man either els must ye needes deny the author For otherwise that master Roger Bolingbroke was the onely helper to the Duchesse in that fact by no wise it can stande with the story of these authors which say that 4. other besides hym were coÌ„demned for the same erune c. And moreouer thought the sayd Sir R. Onley was no knight as I haue saide in my former edition yet this yee cannot deny by the testimonie of them that haue sene his workes but that he was a Priest which you wil graunt to be a knights fellow And thus much for the name and condition of M. Roger Onley Fourthly as concerning Margaret Iourdeman whoÌ„ ye call the witch of Eye ye offer me herein great wrong to say that I make her a martyr which was a wytche when as I here professe confesse and ascertaine both you and all English men both present al posterity hereafter to come that this Margaret Iourdeman I neuer spake of neuer thought of neuer dreamed of nor did euer heare of before you named her in your booke your selfe So farre is it of that I eyther with my will or against my will made any martyr of her Furthermore I professe and denounce in like manner the neither haue you any iust or congrue occasion in my boke so to iudge much lesse to raile of me For where in expresse words I do speake of the moÌ„ther of the Lady Yong what occasion haue you therby to slander me and my boke with Margarete Iourdeman which Margarete whether shee was a witche or not I leaue her to the Lorde As for me neither did I knowe of her then nor did I meane of her nowe But because I couple her in the same story you say To this I say because shee was the mother of a Ladie I thought to ioyne her w e an other Lady in the same story as in one pue together although in one cause I will not say And yet notwtstanding I doe so couple the saide mother w e the Duchesse in such distinet difference of yeares that you M. Cope might casily haue vnderstande or beside you no man els would haue thought the contrary but that Margaret Iouedeman was neither heere in my booke nor yet many memento For the wooordes of my storie are playne whereas the condemnation of the Lady Eleanor of the mother of Lady Young being referred to the yeare of our Lord 1441. I doe also in the same story through the occasion of that Ladie inforte mention of the mother of the Ladie Yong declaring in expresse woordes that shee folowed certayne yeares after in the end of that chapter do name also the yeare of her burning to be 1490. whiche was 50. yeares after the death of Onely and Margaret Iourdeman by the computatioÌ„ of which yeares it is playne that no other woman could be noted in that place but only the Lady Younges mother But M Cope continuing still in his wrangling mood obiecteth agayne for that in my Callendar the sayd Ladye Younges mother hath the next day in the Catalogue next after the death of Roger Onley whiche day pertayneth properly to Margaret Iourdeman which was burned the same day in Smithfield not to the Ladyes mother c. What order was taken in placing the names dayes what is that to me If he whiche had the disposing of the Catalogue did place them so in monthes as he sawe them ioyned in chapiters not perusing peraduenture nor abuising the chapters that doth nothing preiudice the truth of my story which sufficiently doth clare it selfe in distincting theÌ„ rightly in names also in yeares as is afore declared Fiftly and lastly hauing thus sufficiently aunswered to your circumstanunces of persons names and times M. Cope I will nowe enter to encounter with you concerning the fact and crime obiected to the Lady Duches and to the rest with this protestation before premised vnto the reader that if the fact be true and so done is reported in the histories of Fabian Halle and harding I desire the reader then so to take me as though I do not here deale withall nor speake of the matter but vtterly to haue pretermitted and dispuncted the same But for somuch as the deed and offence layd and geuen forth agaynst these parties may be a matter made of euil wil compacted rather then true in deede therefore I doe but onely moue a question by way of history not as defending nor commending nor commemorating the thing if it be true but onely mouing the question whether it is to be iudged true or suspected rather to be false and forged and so hauing briefly propounded certayne coniectural suspicious or supposals concerning that matter to passe it ouer neither medling on the one side nor on the other The first coÌ„iecture why it may be possible that this act of treason layd to the charge of the Duches Roger Oneley agaynst the king may be vntrue is this that the sayde Oneley otherwise named Bolingbroke tooke it vppon hys death that they neuer intended any such thing as they were condemned for The second coniecture for that the Lady Eleanor and Onely seemed then to fauour and fauour of that religion set forth by wicklesse and therefore like enough that they were haâ—d of the clergy Furthermore what hatred practise of Papistes can do it is not vnknowne The third coniecture for that the sayd mayster Roger Onely falsly
listed These thinges thus being done and the tumult ceased after three dayes Mahometes the Turke entreth into the Citie and first calling for the heades and auncientes of theÌ„ Citie such as he found to be left aliue he commaunded the to be mangled and â—ut in peeces It is also sayth my author reported that in the feastes of the Turks honest matrones and virgins and such as were of the kinges stocke after other coâ—umeties were he 〈◊〉 and cut in peeces for their disport And this was the end of that princely and famous 〈◊〉 of Constantinople beginning first by Constantinus and ending also with ConstaÌ„tinus which for the princely royalty therof was named and euer honoured from the time of the first Constantine equally with the City of Rome called also by the name thereof new Rome so continued the space of 1120. yeares I pray God that olde Rome may learne of new Rome to take heed and beware by tyme. This terrible destruction of the Citty of Constantinople the Queene of Cittyes I thought here to describe not so much to set forth the barbarous cruelty of these filthy rake hels and mercilesse murtherers as specially for this that we being admonished by the dolefull ruine and misery of these our euen christened may call to minde the plagues miseryes deserued whiche seeme to hang no lesse ouer our owne heades and thereby may learne betime to inuocate and call more earnestly vpon the name of our terrible and mercifull God that he for his sonnes sake will keepe vs preserue his church among vs and mitigate those plagues and sorrowes whiche we no lesse haue deserued then these aboue minded before vs. Christ graunt it Amen Ex hist. Wittenbergica Peucer The history of Reynold Peeocke Byshop of Chichester afflicted and imprisoned for the Gospell of Christ. AFter the death of Henry Chichisley before mentioned pag. 657. next succeeded Iohn Stafford an 1445. who continued 8. yeares After hym came Iohn Kempe ann 1453. who sate but three yeares Then succeeded Thomas Burschere In the time of which Archbishop fell the trouble of Reynold Pecocke Bishop of Chichester afflicted by the Popes Prelates for hys fayth and profession of the Gospell Of this Byshoppe Halle also in his Chronology toucheth a little mention declaring that an ouerthwart iudgement as he termeth it was geuen by the Fathers of the spiritualty agaynst him Thys man sayth he beganne to moue questions not priuatly but openly in the Uniuersityes concerning the Annates Peter pence and other iurisdictions and authorities perteyning to the sea of Rome and not onely put forth the questioÌ„s but declared his mind and opinion in the same wherefore he was for thys cause absured at Paules Crosse. Thus muche of hym wryteth Hall Of whom also recordeth Polychronycon but in few wordes This bishop first of S. Assaphe then of Chichester so long as Duke Humfrey lyued by whome he was promoted and much made of was quiet and safe and also bolde to dispute and to write hys mynde and wrote as Leland recordeth diuers bookes and treatises But after that good Duke was thus as ye haue heard made away this good man lacking his backstay was open to his enemies and matter soone found agaynst hym Wherupon he being complayned of and accused by priuy and malignant promoters vnto the Archbishop letters first were directed downe from the Archbishop to cite al men to appeare that could say any thing agaynst hym The forme of which citation here ensueth The copy of the Citation sent by the Archbyshoppe THomas by the permission of God Archb. of Canterbury primate of all England and Legate of the Apostolicke Sea to all and singuler Parsons Vicares Chaplaynes Curates not Curates Clerkes and learned men whatsoeuer they be constitute ordeined in any place throughout our prouince of Caunterbury health grace and benediction We haue receiued a greeuous complaint of our reuerend felow brother Reynold Pecocke Byshop of Chichester conteyning in it that albeit our sayd reuerend felow brother the Byshop deliuered vnto vs certayne bookes written by him in the English tongue by vs and our authority to be examined corrected reformed and allowed notwithstanding many the examination and reformation of the sayde bookes depending and remayning before vs vndiscussed haue openly preached and taught at Paules crosse in London and in diuers other places of our prouince of Canterbury that our sayd felow brother the Byshop hath propouÌ„ded made and written or caused to be writen in the sayde bookes certayne conclusions repugnaunt to the true fayth and that he doth obstynately hold and defend the same By the pretence of which preaching and teaching the state good name and fame of the sayd Lord Reynolde the Byshoppe are greeuously offended and hurt and he and his opinion maruellously burdened Wherefore we charge you all together and seuerally apart do commaund you firmely enioyning you that openly and generally you doe warne or cause to bee warned all and singular such persons whiche will obiect any thing contrary and agaynst the conclusions of our sayd reuereÌ„d felow brother the Bishop had or conteined in his bookes or writings that the 20. day after such monition or warning had they do freely of theyr own accord appeare before vs and our Commissaryes in this behalfe appoynted wheresoeuer we shall then be in our Citty Dioces or prouince of Canterbury to speake propound alledge and affirme fully sufficiently in writinge whatsoeuer hereticall or erroneous matter they wil speak propound or obiect agaynst the sayde conclusions conteyned in his sayde bookes and both to satisfye and receiue whatsoeuer shall seeme meete and right in this behalfe by the holy institutions and ordinaunces And for so muche as this matter depending yet vndetermined and vndiscussed nothing ought to be attempted or renewed we charge you that by this our authority you inhibite and forbid all and euery one so to preach and teach hereafter Vnto whom also we by the the tenour of these presents do likewise forbid that during the examination of the conclusions and bookes aforesayde depending before vs and our Commissaryes vndiscussed they do not presume by any meanes without good aduise and iudgemeÌ„t to preach iudge and affirme any thing to the preiudice or offeÌ„ce of the sayd Lord Reynold the Byshop and if so be you do finde any in this behalfe gayne saying or not obeying this our inhibitioÌ„ that you do cite or cause theÌ„ peremptorily to be cited to appeare before vs or our Commissaryes in this behalfe appoynted the 10 day after theyr citation if it be a courte day or els the next courte day following wheresoeuer we shall then be in our City Dioces or prouince of Canterbury to make further declaration by form of law of the cause of their disobedieÌ„ce to receiue such punishment as iustice and equity shall determine in that behalfe that by your leters you do duely certify vs or our Commissaries what you haue
the Tower where he beyng adiudged for a traytor was priuely drowned in a but of Malmesey What the true cause was of his death it can not certainely be affirmed Diuers coniectures and imaginations there be diuersly put forth Some partly impute it to the Queenes displeasure Other suppose it came for taking part in the cause of his seruaunt which was accused and cōdemned for poysonyng sorcery or inchantmēt An other fame there is which surmiseth the cause hereof to rise vpō the vayne feare of a foolish Prophecie commyng no doubt if it were true by the craftie operation of Sathan as it doth many tymes elles happen among infidels and gentiles where Christ is not knowen where among high Princes and in noble houses much mischief groweth first murther and parricide thereby ruine of auncient families and alteration of kingdomes The effect of this Prophecie as the fame goeth was this that after kyng Edward should one reigne whose name should begyn with G. And because the name of the Duke of Clarence beyng George began with a G. therfore he began to be feared and afterward priuely as is aforesayd was made away ¶ By these experimentes and mischieuous endes of such Prophecies and also by the nature of them it is soone to be seene from what fountaine or author they proceede that is no doubt from Sathā the auncient enemy of mākynd and Prince of this world agaynst whose deceitfull delusions Christen men must be well instructed neither to maruell greatly at them though they seeme straunge nor yet to beleue them though they happen true For Sathā being the Prince of this world in such thyngs worldly can foresee what will follow and cā say truth for a mischieuous end and yet for all that is but a Sathan So the dreame of Astiages seeing a vine to growe out of his daughter which should couer all Asia and fearing thereby that by his nephew he should lose his kingdome proued true in the sequeale thereof and yet notwithstanding of Sathan it came and caused cruell murther to folow first of the shepheards child then of the sonne of Harpagus whome he set before his owne father to eate Ex Iust. lib. 1. Likewise Cyrus was Prophetically admonished by his dreame to take him for his guide whome he first met the next morow In that also his dreame fell true and yet was not of God In the same number are to be put all the blind Oracles of the Idolatrous Gentiles which although they proceede of a lieng spirit yet sometime they hit the truth to a mischieuous purpose The like iudgement also is to be giuen of Merlynes Prophecies The Sorceresse mentioned 1. Reg. 28. raising up Samuell told Saule the truth yet was it not of God In the 16. chap. of the Actes there was a Damosell hauing the spirit of Pytho who said truth of Paule and Sylas calling them the messengers of the high God and yet it was a wrong spirit The vncleane spirits in geuing testimonie of Christ saide the truth yet because their testimony came not of God Christ did not allow it Panlus Diaconus recordeth of Ualence the Emperour that he also had a blinde Prophecie not much vnlike to this of king Edward which was that one should succeed him in the Empire whose name should begin with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon one Theodorus trusting vpon the prophecie began rebelliously to hope for the crowne for his labour felt the paines of a traitour Notwithstanding the effect of the prophecy folowed For after Ualence succeded Theodosius Wherfore Christen Princes and noble men all Christes faithfull people must beware learne 1. First that no man be inquisitiue or curious in searching to knowe what things be to come or what shall happen beside those things only which are promised and expressed in the word 2. Secondly to vnderstand what differēce there is and how to discerne the voice of God frō the voice of Sathan 3. Thirdly how to resist and auoide the daunger of false and diuelish prophecies Many there be which being not cōtented with things present curiously occupy their wittes to search what is to come and not geuing thanks to God for their life whiche they haue will also know what shall be chance them how when their end wil come how lōg Princes shal reigne and who after shall succeede them and for y◠same get vnto thē southsaiers astrologers sorcerers coniurers or familiars And these are not so much inquisitiue to search or aske but the deuill is as ready to aunswere them who either falsly doubleth with thē to delude thē or else telleth them truth to worke them perpetuall care sorow Thus was Pope Siluester the sorcerer circumuented by the diuell who told him that he should be at Hierusalem before he died and so it fell For as he was saieng his Masse at a chappell in Rome called Hierusalem there he fell sicke and within three daies after died vide sup pag. 167. To King Henry the fourth also it seemeth it was prophecied that he should not die before he went to Hierusalem who being brought to the Abbots chamber of Westminster and hearing the name of the chamber to be called Hierusalem knew his time to be come and dyed pag. 557. By such deceitfull prophecies it can not be lamented inough to see what inconuenience both publikely and priuately groweth to the life of men either causing thē falsly to trust where they should not or else wickedly to perpetrate that they woulde not as may appeare both by this king and also diuers moe So was Pompeius Crassus and Caesar as writeth Cicero deceiued by the false Chaldeis in declaring to them that they should not but die in their beds and with worship and in their olde age Of such false trust rising vpon false prophecies S. Ambrose in his booke of Exameron writeth speaking of rayne which being in those parties greatly desired was promised and prophecied of one certainely to fall vpō such a day which was at the changing of the new Moone but sayth S. Ambrose there fell no such raine at all till at the praiers of the Church the same was obteined geuing vs to vnderstand that raine commeth not by the word of man nor by the beginnings of the Moone but by the prouidēce and mercie of our creatour Ex Ambros. in Examer Ioan. Picus Earle of Mirandula in his excellent bookes written against these vaine startellers and Astrologers Lib. 2. writeth of one Ordelaphus a prince to whom it was prognosticate by a famous cunning man in that science called Hieronimus Manfredus that he should enioy long continuance of health and prosperous life who notwithstanding the selfesame yeare and in the first yeare of his mariage deceassed and after diuers other examples added moreouer vpon the same he inferreth also mention and the name of a certaine rich
Wherupō by the helpe of certeine learned men he begā to seek reformatiō in hys own order Which thyng the pope perceauing and fearing that the sayde Hierome which was now in great reputation amōgst al men shold diminish or ouerthrow his authoritie he ordained his vicar or prouinciall to see reformatiō of these matters which vicare with great superstition began to reforme thinges but the sayd Hierome did alwayes withstand hym wherupon he was complayned of to the Pope and because that contrary vnto the popes commaundement he did wtstand hys vicare he was accursed But for all that Hieronimus lefte not of preaching but threatned Italy with the wrath and in dignation of God and prophecied before vnto them that the land should be ouerthrowne for the pride and wickednes of the people and for the vntruth hipocrisie and falshood of that clergy which God would not leaue vncenēged as ofterward it came to passe when as king Charles came into Italy and to Rome and so straitly beset the pope Alexander that he was forced to make composition with the king Now for somuch as the said Hierom would not leaue of preaching he was commaunded to appeare before the pope to geue accompt of his new learning for so thē they called the truth of the Gospell but by meanes of the manifold perilles he made his excuse that he could not come Then was he againe forbidden by the pope to preach and his learning pronounced and condemned as pernicious false and sedicious This Hieronimus as a man wordly wise foreseeing the great perils and daungers that might come vnto him for feare left of preaching But when as the people which fore hungred and longed for Gods word were instant vpon him that he would preach agayne he began agayne to preach in the yeare of our Lord. 1496. in the Cittie of Florence and albeit that many counsailed him that he should not so do without the Popes commaundement yet did he not regard it but went forward freely of his owne good will When as the Pope and his shauelinges heard newes of this they were greuously incensed and inflamed agaynst him and now againe cursed him as an obstinate and stifnecked hereticke But for all that Hieronimus proceeded in teaching and instructing the people saying that men ought not to regard such curses whiche are agaynst the true doctrine and the cōmon profite whereby the people shold be learned and amended Christ kingdome enlarged and the kindome of the deuill vtterly ouerthrowne In all his preaching he desired to teach no other thing then the onely pure and simple word of God making often protestation that al men should certifie him if they had heard him teach or preach anye thing contrary thereunto for vpon his owne conscience he knew not that he had taught anye thing but the pure word of God What his doctrine was all mē may easely iudge by his books that he had writtē After this in the yeare of our Lord. 1498. he was takē and brought out of S. Markes cloyster two other Fryers with hym named Dominicke and Siluester whiche fauoured hys learning and was caried into prison wheras he wrote a godly meditation vpon that most comfortable 31. psalme In te Domine speraui non confundar in aeternūsed in iusticia tua libera me Wherein he doth excellently describe and set forth the continuall strife betweene the flesh and the spirite After this the Popes Legates came to Florence called forth these three good men threatning thē marueilously but they continued still constant Then came the chief coūsailers of the citty with the popes commissioners whiche had gathered out certain Articles against these men wherupon they were condemned to death the tenour of which Articles hereafter ensue 1. The first article was as touching our free iustification through fayth in Christ. 2. That the communion ought to be ministred vnder both kyndes 3. That the indulgences and pardons of the pope were of no effect 4. For preaching against the filthy and wicked liuing of the Cardinals and spiritualtie 5. For denying the popes supremacie 6. Also that he had affirmed that the keyes were not geuen vnto Peter alone but vnto the vniuersal Church 7. Also that the pope did neither follow the life nor doctrine of Christ for that he did attribute more to his owne pardons and traditions then to Christes merits and therfor he was Antichrist 8. Also that the popes excommunications are not to be feared and that he which doth feare or flye them is excommunicate of God 9. Item that auriculer confession is not necessary 10. Item that he had moued the Cittizens to vprore and sedition 11. Item that he had neglected and contemned the popes Citation 12. Item that he had shamefully spoken agaynst slandered the pope 13. Itē that he had taken Christ to witnes of his naughtines and heresie 14. Also that Italy must be clensed through Gods scourge for the manifold wickednes of the princes and clergy The Martyrdome of Hierome and his two companions Thus was the worthy witnesse of Christ with the other two aforesaid first hanged vp openly in the market place and afterward burnt to ashes and the ashes gathered vp cast into the Riuer of Arum the 24. day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1499. Ex Catal. testium Illyrici This man foreshewed many thinges to come as the destruction of Florence and Rome and the renuing of the Church which three things haue happened in these times within our remembraunce Also he foreshewed that the Turkes and Mores in the latter dayes should be conuerted vnto Christ. He also declared that one should passe the Alpes into Italy like vnto Cirus which should subuert and destroy all Italy Whereupon Iohannes Franciscus Picus Erle of Mirandula called him a holy prophet and defended him by his writings against the pope Many other learned men also defend the innocencie of the saide Sauonarola Marsilius Ficinus also in a certayne Epistle doth attribute vnto him the spirit of prophecie greatly commending and praysing him In the like maner Philippus Comineas a French historiographer which had conference with him witnesseth that he was a holy man and full of the spirit of prophecie for so muche as he had foreshewed vnto hym so many thinges which in euent had proued true There were besides these many other not to be passed ouer or forgotten as Phillip Norice an Irishman professour at Oxford who albeit he was not burned yet as it is sayd he was long time vexed and troubled by the religious route But would to God that such as haue occupied themselues in writing of histories and haue so dilligently committed vnto memory all other thinges done in foreign common wealthes had bestowed the lyke dilligence labour in noting and writing those thinges which pertayn vnto the affayres of the Churche whereby the posteritie might haue had fuller and more perfecte vnderstanding knowledge of
the first persecution by the church of Rome againste the Albingenses or waldenses about Tolous Bitures and Auinion Of whome 17. M. the same time were slaine by the Popes crossed souldiors Among whom frier Dominicke was then the chiefest doer About whyche time also was Frier Frances of which two came the two orders of begging Friers al which began much about one time together An. 1215. which were nere within 20. yeres after the kingdome of the Christians was taken of the Turkes according to the Prophesie aboue sayd It followeth moreouer in Methodius That in hys time al Lordship domination shal cease and geue ouer c. The verity whereof we see noâ—e accomplished in the Pope For where the Pope with his double sword and triple crown doeth come there all seculare power must geue place both Emperors Kings and Princes must stoupe So king Iohn yeelded vp his crowne to Pandulsus the popes Legate and was in his hand 5. daies An. 12â—7 Childerike the French K. had hys crowne taken from him and geuen to Pipine An. 747. Henricus 4. Emperor was forced to submit hymselfe and his scepter to Pope Hildebrand An. 1077. Fridoricus Barbarossa Emperour in Saint Markes Church in Uenice was faine to lay downe hys necke vnder the Pope Alexanders feete Anno 1277. Which Fridericke also before was faine to holde the stirroppe to Pope Adrian c. What should I speake of the Ambassadour of Uenice named Franciscus Dandulus who being sent to Pope Clement the 5. was made to lie vnder the Popes cable like a dog gather vp the croms meÌ„cioned in Sabel Enn. 9. li. 7. Henry the 3. being Emperor had hys diademe first set on with the feete of the Pope and afterwarde strocken off from his head with the Popes foote againe And what shall I speake more hereof when as Carolus Magnus submitted himselfe so lowe to kisse the feete of Pope Leo. An. 800. It foloweth then in the prophesie of Methodius That in the tribulation of those dayes shall be sent from God two speciall Prophettes Enoch and Hely to reprooue and disclose the fraudulent falsehode of Antichrist and that many seeing his delusion shall forsake him and followe them Wherat Antichrist being greeued shall kill them c. We neuer read yet in any story of any suche two Prophets to be sent either to the Saracens or to the Turkes Wheras against the Pope we read Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage two learned Martyrs Prophets of God to haue bene sent to haue reproued and described the Anatomie of Antichrist and at last to haue bene burned for their labor And what Prophet can speake more plainely either Enoch or Hely then did Hierom of Prage prophesying of the comming of Martin Luther an C. yeres after him when the Pope and his fellowes should answere to God and to him The time we see came iust Nowe let the Pope see with his fellowes what answer they can make The true plate of Hus and Hierome among the Bohemians It followeth further in Methodius concludyng hys prophecie And then sayth he shall appeare the comming of the sonne of man in the clouds of heauen with celestial glory c. Wherefore after the burning of these two notable Prophets with many other thousands burned also since their time by the B. of Rome it is to be thought that the comming of Christes iudgement in the clouds is not farre of Veni cito Domine Amen And thus muche touching Methodius of whose prophecies how much or how little is to be estemed I leaue it indifferent vnto the reader For me it shal suffice simply to haue recited his wordes as I finde them in his booke contained noting this by that way that of this booke of Methodius De nouissimis temporibus neither Hierome in his Cataloge nor Suidas nor yet Auentinus in the place where hee entreateth purposely of such prophecies maketh any mention As touching Hildegardus Brigit other whome the French cal Bardi for their songs prophetical verses sufficient hath ben alleaged before out of Anentinus who in his 3. booke of Chronicles wryting of the testimonies of Hildegard Brigit and Bardi seemeth to grounde vppon them that the Turkes whether we wil or not shal haue their Imperiall seate at Colen And I pray God that it come not to passe that the Turke do geue some attempt against England by the seas before that he come to Colen by land c. Greuity causeth me to cut of many testimonies and reuelations of these abouesaide or els I could here rehearse the propheticall wordes of Brigit lib. 4. cap. 57. concerning the City and Church of Rome which as she sayth must be purged and scoured with 3. things to wit with sharpe sword with fire and with the plough and that God wil doe with that Citie as one that remoueth plants out of one place vnto an other and finally that the Citie of Rome shall susteine the sentence as if a Iudge should commaund the skin to be flaine off the bloude to be drawne from the flesh and the flesh to be cut in small peces the bones therof to be broken so that all the mary may be quised out from the same c. But for breuitie I let Brigit passe something wil declare out of Erythrea Sybilla in her booke of prophecies found in S. Georges church in Uenice where she prophesying many things of the birth of Christ vnder Augustus and of the birth of Iohn Baptist of baptisme of the Apostles of the conuersion of the Gentiles and of Constantinus c. hath these words After that the peaceable Bull shall conclude all the climes of the world vnder tribute in those daies a heauenly lambe shal come and the dayes shal come wheÌ„ the power of the flowing streame shal be magnified in water the Lyon the Monarche shal be conuerted to the Lambe which shall shine to all men and subuert kingdomes Moreouer sayeth Sybilla In the latter age God shall bee huÌ„bled and the diuine ofspring shal be abased Deitie shal be ioyned with humanity the Lambe shal lie in hay and God maÌ„ shall be bred vp vnder a maidens attendance signes and woÌ„dershal go before amoÌ„gest the circumcised c. Also an aged womaÌ„ shal coÌ„ceiue a childe hauing knowledge of things to come The Worlde shall maruell at Bowtes the starre which shall be a leader to his birth He hauing 32. feete and 6. thumbes shal chuse to himself out of â—â—sners and abiectes the number of 12. and one deuill not wyth â—â—orde nor with battel c. And afterwarde thus followeth moreouer in Sybilia saying The health of the lambe lying shal be clothed with a fewe spoiles of the Lyon Blacke shal be turned into red He shall subdue the citie of Aeneas and kings but in the booke of the fisher In deiectioÌ„ and pouertie he shall coÌ„quere
they handes they could not beare that but incoÌ„tinent they put him besides the cushin The like also fell vp on Otho the 4. that folowed after Philip who was suffered no longer then foure yeares to raigne about the yeare of our Lord. 1209. Emperours kissing the Popes feete K. Iohns supplication to the Pope After this Friderick folowed his sonne CoÌ„radus whoÌ„ the foresayd Bishops for his disobedience soone dispatched exciting agaynst him in mortall warre the Lantgraue of Thuring wherby he was at length driuen into his kingdome of Naples and there deceased This Conradus had a sonne called Conradinus duke and prince of Suenia When this Conradinus after the decease of his father came to enioy his kingdome of Naples the sayd Bishops styrred vp against him Charles the french kings brother in such sort that through crafty conueyance both Couradinus which descended of the bloud of so many Emperours also Fridericke Duke of Austria were both takeÌ„ and after much wretched handling in theyr miserable induraunce vnseeming to theyr state at length were both brought vnder the axe by the Popes procurement and so both beheaded And thus ended the imperiall stock of Fridericke the first surnamed Barbarossa The like as happened to Fridericke the Emperor had almost also fallen vpon Philip the French king by Pope Boniface the 8. who because he could not haue his commodityes and reuenewes out of Fraunce after his will sent out his Bulles and letters patents to displace king Philip aforesayd and to possesse Albertus king of Romanes in his rowme And thus hitherto of forreigne storyes Now touching our countrey Princes here in Englande to speake somewhat likewise of them did not Pope Alexander the 3. presumptuously taking vpoÌ„ him where he had nothing to do to intermeddle with the kinges subiectes for the death of Becket the rebell albeit the king sufficiently cleared hym selfe thereof yet notwithstanding did he not wrongfullye bring the sayd king Henry 2. to such penaunce as it pleased him to enioyne also violently constrayne him to sweare obedience to the Sea of Rome pag. 227. The lyke also was shewed before in this story to happen to K. Iohn hys sonne For when the sayd king like a valiaunt Prince had held out the tyranny of those Bishops 7. yeares together were not all the Churches in England barred vp and hys inheritaunce with all his dominions geuen away by pope Innocent 3. to Ludouicus the French king and he afterward compelled to submitt both himselfe and to make hys whole Realme sedotary to the Byshops of Rome moreouer the king himselfe driuen also to surreÌ„der his crowne to Pandulphus the Popes Legate and so continued as a priuate person 5. dayes standing at the popes curtesy whether to receiue it agayne at his handes or no And when the nobles of the realme rose afterwarde agaynst the king for the same was not he then fayne to seeke and sue to the foresayd Pope for succour as by this his owne letter takeÌ„ out of the publicke roles may appeare Kyng Iohns Supplication to Pope Innocent the third REuerendis Domino suo Patri sanctis Innocentio Dei gratia Ioan. eadem gratia R. Angliae c. Cum Comites Barones Angliae nobis deuoti essent antequam nos nostram terram Domino vestro subia cere curassemus ex tunc in nos specialiter ob hoc sicut publice dicunt violenter insurguÌ„t Nos verò praeter Deum vos specialem dominum patronum habentes defensioneÌ„ nostram totius Regni quod vestrum esse credimus vestrae paternitati commissam nos quantum in nobis est curam solicitudinem istam vestrae resignamus dominationi deuotius supplicaÌ„tes quatenus in negotijs nostris quae vestra sunt coÌ„silium auxilium efficax apponatis prout melius videritis expedire latores praesentium c. Teste meipso apud Dour 18. Septemb. 6. Pope Coelestinus 4. crowning the Emperour Henricus 6. with his feete Besides this king Henry 2. and king Iohn his sonne what kinges haue here reigned in Englande since theyr time vntill the raign of king Henry 8. who although they were prudent princes did what they could in prouiding agaynst the proude domination of these Bishoppes were forced at length sore agaynst theyr wils for feare to subiect themselues together with theyr subiects vnder theyr vsurped authority in so much as some of them as Math. Paris writeth by king Henry ye. 3. were sayne to stoupe and kisse their Legates knee ¶ The Image of Antichrist exalting himselfe in the Temple of God aboue all that is named God out of his owne Decrees Decretals Extrauagantes Pontificals c. word for worde as it is out of the sayde bookes here alleaged and quoted Henricus 4. Emperour Waiting 3. dayes vpon Pope Gregory 7. Image of Antichrist Henricus 4. Emperour surrendering his crowne to the Pope Image of Antichrist King Iohn offering his Crowne to Pandulphus Legate K. Henry 2. kissing the knee of the PopÌ„es Legat comming into England Fridericus i. Emperour shent for holding Pope Adrians styrrup on the wrong side The order of the Popes riding the Emperour holding his bridle and kinges going before him Ex Lib. Sacrar Ceremon lib. 1. The P. caried on mens shoulders the Emp. K. going before him Ex li. Sacrar Cer. lib. 1. And to the intent I would all men to see and vnderstaÌ„d that I lacke not witnesses moe besides these if I list to bring them out you shal heare the whole queare of my diuine clergy brought out with a full voyce testifying in my behalfe in their bookes tractations distinctions Titles Gloses and Summaryes as by their owne wordes here followeth Doctors agree in Purgatory A. Antoninus in Summulis Augustinus de Ancho in Decret A stefanus Midorita B. Baptista de Salum sua Baptistiniana Bonauentura C. Campensis lib. Controuersiarum Coclaeus D. Durandus in Speculo Dreido de eccles Scripturis Dogmat. E. Eduardus Peuellus Anglus contra Luthe Ecchius in Enchirid. F. Franciscus Fulgo G. Gabriel Biel. Spica Gaspar Gratianus in Decretis Gerson doctor Illuminatistimus ecclesiastica potestate H. Hugo Cardinalis in postilla Hostiensis Holkot Hosius I. Ioannes Andrea Innocentius Ioan. de Turie Cremata de ecclesia summa L. Lanfrancus contra Wiclef Lilius Historicum Anglus Lapus Laurentius M. Magister Sententiarum N. Nicolaus O. Ockam in Dialogo parte 1. lib. 5. Oytanus P. Petrus de Palude Petrus de Tuaram Petrus de Aliaco Panoâ—â—â—taâ—â—s Alexander de Alec R. Raymundus in SuÌ„ma de Calibus Richardus Rabanus super Math. cap. 16. Rupertus Tuitiensis S. Scotus Doctor Subtilis T. Thomas Aquin. V. Vlricus W. Waldenss … De Sacramentis The Pope say they being the vicare of Iesu Christ throughout the whole worlde in the stead of the liuing God hath that dominion and Lordship which christ here in earth would not haue although he had it in habitu but
to the king Houeden referreth not this saiâ—ing to the Bishop of London but to the Archbishop of Yorke Becket called traytor of the king and of all hys nobles A blinde zeale for the proud liberties of the Church Who so taketh Beckets part is counted a rebells Becket cited to Rome vpon periury by the Byshops Becket condemned of periurie Becket cited to Rome Becket called to a full accompt Ex Rogero Houedeno Becket iudged to be layd in prison Ex quadripartita historia lib. 1 cap. 38. Becket appealeth to the Pope Becket thinketh not sufficient the protection of God without the pope Becket flyeth out of the court Becket chaungeth his name and is called Derman Histories differ something in the order of hys flight The Frâ—â—â— king supporteth Becket agaynst the king of England Ambassadour 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 Theories of the earl of Aâ—â—â— to the 〈◊〉 The Pope râ—â—â—dereth Beckets cause against the â—ing Becket coÌ„playneth of the king to the pope Repentance for his well doyng Beckets argument the Pope brought him not in but the K. Ergo God brought him not in And why might ye not M. Becket resigne it as well to his handes of whome ye tooke it A consultation betweene the Pope and the Cardinals about Beckets matter Becket in banishment 〈◊〉 yeares The kinges decrees Anno. 1166. Beckets kindred banished These monkes were of the Cisteâ—â—an order Becket complayneth of his prince to the Pope To keepe vnder the pride of prelates is no cause sufficient to vnking a Prince If ye meane by spiritual things such as pertaine to the spirituall part of man I graunt but your liberties be not such as which pertayne to the inward or spirituall man but râ—ther are thinges more corporall Peâ—â—â—â—yeth 〈…〉 bu◠〈◊〉 cause maketh 〈◊〉 true persecution 5. 6. 7. 9. * Note the Iudgement of God against this Becket who was slaine at his masse making the bodie of Christ. Answers the Popes letter Fredeâ—ike falsly compared to Pharao but this was 〈◊〉 clawe the pope withâ—â— Becket a stubburne trespasser Ergo no martyr A letter of Becket to the byshop of Norwych The Bishop of London excommunicated This Bishop was excommunicated because he set in the Deane of Salesbury without the licence of him being then beyoÌ„de the seas A sâ—ditious complaint of Becket to the pope against his king Godly articles condemned by Becket Becket repreheÌ„ded for complayning of his king Excommunication abused in priuate reuenge about lands and possessions The letters of the Byshops to Becket The coÌ„mendation of K. Henry 2. 〈◊〉 his meekenes and moderation Scripture in wordes rightly aledged but falsly applyed I deny your Minor M. Becket The church of Christ caÌ„not be ouerthrowen Ergo Bec. ought not to be resisted Seruitude and libertie of the Church wrongfully defined The wordes of holy scripture clarkely applyed Turne to thee Nay turne thou to the Lord and thou shalt be saued The soule of the Church is the libertie of the Church Faith Becket Vnbeseeming wordes of high presumption Christ is not iudged in the persons of any traytor CoÌ„science made where is none But he leaueth out here the maâ—â—r of his comming to the court and the sturdines of his behauiour Becket seemeth here more skilfull of his masse booke then of the booke of holy scripture either els hee might see it no new thing in the old law for kings to depriue priestes and to place whom they would Kings in the old law did not intermedle with the Priestes office in some thinges that were forbidden But yet kinges were officers ouer priestes to correct them when they did amisse If ye meane of Achaâ— and Oze in the old testament then we denie your Minor They be the successours and sonnes of â—aints not that holde the places of sainctes but that doe the workes of saints Hierom. If the king had bene an adulterer or tyrant against the true doctrine or preaching of Christ then might this reason serue and God more to be obeyed then maÌ„ Now where did Bec. learne that the king in his temporall right was not to be obeyed Take heede ye marre all and ye open that dore This Iohn was called â— schismaâ—â—â—â— because he tooke paâ—â— with Reginald Aâ—â—â— of Colen the Emperour against Alexander the Pope Clemenâ—â— decree Diuers 〈◊〉 of excommunication The councel speaâ—â— of such which be worthely excommunicated This Gregory otherâ—â—â— called Hiâ—debraÌ„d 〈◊〉 he that 〈◊〉 tooke away priestes mariage condemning 〈◊〉 priestes for fornicators which had wiues Discussing of a true appellation The forme of a true appellation One person can not both be the appeale maker and the partie appealed Though the Popes lawe will not defend them yet the lawe of the scripture will and doth The letter of the Empresse to Becket Anno. 1169. Becket stirring vp the French king against the king of England A communication betweene Becket and the Cardinalles Beckets addition Becket would neither stand to iudgement nor triall Becket lâ—ueth benâ— his bisâ—opricke thâ—â— the peace â— the churchd for all his gaye talice Becket coÌ„meth in with his 〈◊〉 addition Saluo honore Die Becket â—â—â—ged with vnkindenâ— The kings offer to Becket both charitable and reasonable The words of the FreÌ„câ— king This maior if it had bin ioyned with a good Minor had made a good argument Exquaâ—ilogo Anno. 1170. The Bishop of London excommunicated with foure other Byshops suspeÌ„ded The cause of the kinges wrath against Becket Becket returneth out of banishment Ex Rogerio Houedono The wordes of the king which were the cause of Beckets death If the Papistes will needes measure the successe of things by seasons and wether then must they by that reason condemne the cause of Becket his aduersaries hauing such forwardnes of wether in doing their feate The talke betwene the foure souldiers and Tho. Becket The stout heart of Becket Anno. 1171. The death of Tho. Becket What is to be thought or iudged of Thomas Becket What is to be thought whether Thomas Becket dyed a sainct or not The puâ—â—tion of â—â—â—ket iudâ—â— not cauâ—â— call Becket â—â—â—ged with presumpâ—â— and laâ—â—â— diserâ—tion Ambiâ—â—â— noted in Becket â—â— not resâ—â—â— but taâ—ing his promotion Byshopâ— against 〈◊〉 wils thâ—â—â— into their byshopâ—â—â— Ex chroâ—â—co Nenâ—â—â—gensit Acta Beckets improbatâ— Ex Caesario Monacho lib. 8. dialo cap. 69. Whether Tho. Becket be saued or damned If God in these latter dayes geueth no mirâ—cles to glorifie the glory of his own sonne much lesse wil he giue myracles to glorifie Thomas Becket Liber de miraculis b. thomae autore monacho quodam Cantuar Miracles of Beâ— considered Aqua Cantuariensis Singing at the masse forbidden by Tho. Becket after his death A blasphemous lye Beck aboue the Martirs in heauen A place prepared in heauen for Becket xii yeares before his death An impudent and a lying myracle Ex historia monachs Cantiâ—a de miraculiib Thomae A blasphemous vision A false and impudent myracle The blasphemous antheme 〈◊〉 Becket Tu per
34. Ex titu 9. Ex an 14. Regis Richardi secundâ— tit 6. Tit. 24. Against vsury Ex. tit 29. Vide articulum Tit. 29. Ex An. 17. Reg. Richâ— Titul 33. Ex an 20. Reg. Rich. 2. tit 22. Here the Archb. of Cant. goeth contrary to himselfe Titul 32. Tit. 36. Ex 21. an Reg. Rich. titul 15. Ex tit 16. Tho. Arundell Archb. of Cant. proued a traitour by parliament Ex tit 17. Anno. 1399. The depo 〈◊〉 of kyng Archb. the 2. The Story 〈◊〉 â—â—ge â—â—entable â—lâ—es and vertues mixt â—â— K. Rich. What it is â—â— the sixe in mainteâ—â—nce of the Gospell Aâ—â—icles 33. â—â—l against K. Richard Gods special lauour necessary for princes â—al â— The king ledde with lewde counsayle The nobles vp in armes against certaine of the kings counsailours Ex. Chron. D. Albani The second preparatine to the kings deposing I. Waltam B. of Salisb. makebate Tho. Arundell Archb. of York Londiners sauourers of Wickliffes doctrine Ex histor D. Albani cuius sic habet initium An. gratia c. Londiners complayned of to the king by the Byshops Beati pacifici The court remoued froÌ„ London to Yorke The 3. preparatiue to the kings deposing The king aresting his owne Vncle caused him to be put wrongfully to death The king aresting his owne Vncle caused him to be put wrongfully to death Erle of Notingham made duke of Northfolke The duke of Northfolke and duke of Hereford banished Tho. Arundell banished as a traytor by parliament Ann. 1399. What euil company doth about a kyng K. Richard returneth from Irelande to Milford hauen K. Richard forsake of his suâ—ieâ—s What it is for a prince to be beloued of his subiectes K. Richard agreed to resigned â— crowne The kyng committed to the Tower The wordes of Henry Duke clayming the crowne K. Henry 4. inthroned and crowned Anno. 1400. W. Sautre Martyr W. Sautre brought before the byshops in the conuocation The articles 〈◊〉 Sautre The answer of W. Sautre giuen vp in writing The crosse materially not to bee worshipped A man predestinate rather to be worshipped than an Angell that is to say neither can be worshipped without idolatrie How bread remaineth in the Sacrament The conuocation continued W. Sautre agayn examined Determination of the Church so to be folowed as it is ioyned to the will of God The sentence against W. Sautre A certaine processe against W. Sautre presented by the Bish. of Norwiche Proces against W. Sautre Ex Regist. Cantuar. Sentence of relapse Sentence of degradation The patteÌ„t and chalice takeÌ„ froÌ„ him The booke of a new TestameÌ„t taken froÌ„ him The Albe taken from him The candlesticke taper taken from hym The holy water bucke coniâ—â—ed from him He meaneth the legend booke as saith the Register The Surplice taken from him The church dore keyes taken from him Priuilege of the clergie taken from him The priestes cap taken from his head maketh vp all in all The cruell decree of the king agaynst Sawtre Preposterous zeale without knowledge Admonition to Princes K Henry the first of English kinges that tormented the Christians with fire Much murder beheading in K. Henryes time the 4. * It is to be doubted Ex calendario 〈◊〉 Anno 1403. Archb. of Yorke and L. Moubray against King Henry 4. L. Bardolfe Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland agaynst the king Ex histor Scala muÌ„di Articles set vpon church dores against K. Hen. 4. Ann. 1405. A bill of articles sâ—typ against king Henry 4. K. Henry periured K. Henry changed with vnluthe K. Henry charged with treason agaynst his soueraigne K. Henry charged with aâ—â—â—dâ—ring of his prince K. Henry charged with the orders of the church K. Henry charged with tyranny The K charged with euill gouernement K. Hen. charged with oppression and periury Three causes declared Earle of Westmerland against the Archb. Falsehood in 〈◊〉 The Archb. of Yorke craftely circumuented The Archb. of Yorke L. Tho'Moubray with many Yorke shire â—â—n executed The Earle of Northâ—berland L. Tho. Bar. dolfe slaine Anno. 1408. Abbot of 〈◊〉 Anno. 1409. Iohn Badby martyr Ex Regist. Tho. Arundel The articles read The Sacrament of Christes body I can not blame ye that ye are so angry for it was not for your profite The senteÌ„ce oâ— the B. of Worcester against Iohn Badby A table of monkes and friers about the condemnation of Iohn Badby Quare fremuerunt gâ—ntes Psal. 2. Scribes with Pharises The aunswere of Iohn Badby to the articles The substance of bread not chaunged in the Sacrament The coÌ„stancy of Iohn Badby before the Archb. The Bishops make sure work The Archb. 〈◊〉 and Iaylor A stiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus c. Psal. 2. Note here murdring wolues in sheepes cloathing The priâ—â— labourcâ—â— to turne Badby The sacrament solemnely brought to Smithfield at the burning of Badbye All the power of man set against the Gospel The Gospel of Christ counted as wicked and hereticall The cruell statute ex officio A bloudie law of king Henry 4. A bloudy statute The lawe of Maximinus and the statute ex officio compared A cruell constitution by the Archb. agaynst the Gospellers with 13. articles Blasphemy not of pure man but of true God Hee meaneth here of Thomas Becket his predecessour who had â—is braynes beat out in the time of K. Hen. 2 Scripture clarkly applyed This geare hangeth togea ther lyke germaâ—es lyppes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke this you Grammarians Marke well the popes diuinitie An argument far fet that true doctrine conssisteth in making one head of the Church How aptly he painteth the proceedinges of his owne popish Church Apos 6. The figure of the black horse in the Apoc. doctorly expoâ—ded Behold the true image of Wolues vnder sheepes clothing The first coÌ„stitution No priestes to preach but by limitation of the prealates A ioly mene to bring the world into such darknes Constit. 2. Constit. 3. what tyraÌ„ny is this to bynde the preachers mouth what to say Constit. 4. A barre for the preachers Const. 5. A caueat for schoolemasters Const. 4. Books of Iohn Wickliffe forbidden Constit. 7. He confesseth that S. Ierome erred in his translation And yet the said Archb. coÌ„meÌ„ded Queene Anne for hauing the scripture in Englishe Constit. 8. Termes and propositions in disputing to be obserued Constit. 6. Authoritie of the popes decretals not to be doubted d vnder painâ— of heresie Adoration of the crosse * With all abhomination Constit 10. No priest to celebrate without their letters of orders Constit. 11. Oxford famous for sincere religion Inquisition to bemade through Colledges and halles of Oxforde I would 〈◊〉 like were vsed nowe for the banishing of papistry Constit. 12. Constit. 13. Easier to oâ—fend against the princes law then against the byshops Iohn Puruey Iohn Edward Iohn Becket Iohn Seynons abiured The articles 1 Their arcle coÌ„monly was thus that who so taketh vpon him the office of a
Prieste though he haue no cure of soules nor licence of his ordinary is bounde to preach the Gospel The examination of the constant seruaunt of God WilliaÌ„ Thorpe This history 〈◊〉 set forth corrected by M. W. Tyndall The preface Gods lawes must be knoweâ— and folowed Foure caused â—â— setting forth â— 13 examination The 2. 〈◊〉 Truth leaueth alwayes a sweet â—mel behinde it Godly counsell geuen if it may be followed Persecution followeth the true Church The cause why persecution is suffered to come The third cause Edification of other necessary to be considered The 4. cause The assistance of God neuer fayleth the that are persecuted Examinatió of William Thorpe before Tho. Arundell Archb. Loyteryng prelates cánot abyde trauellyng preachers The grace of God and of my Lord of Cant. be 2. thinges Your ordinaunce and why not to Gods ordinance if it please your grace 〈…〉 creaâ—â— of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 â—hat is the holy church The true notes of the true church What heresie in this beliefe I pray you my Lord The old Testament and new Doctors so to be folowed as they folow the word To sweare by a booke whether it be lawfull How where and when to sweare Behold the popish procedings whereto they tende No maruell why for Christ and Antichrist how can they agree It is prety when Pharao iudgeth Moses harde hearted Where learned you my Lord to call your brother Racha He meaneth Gods Martyr WilliaÌ„ Sautrey The order and 〈◊〉 of his bringing vp Phillip Repington made bish and a persecutor Happy be 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worth 〈◊〉 coueâ—â—◠〈◊〉 pitie 〈◊〉 preâ—â—â— cannot 〈…〉 popish 〈◊〉 A worthy 〈◊〉 saâ—â—â— of M. Iohn Wickliffe M. Iohn 〈…〉 Ramington 〈◊〉 Herâ—â—â— Dauy 〈◊〉 I. 〈◊〉 The testimony for Wickliffe out of the mouth of his own aduersary Many such 〈…〉 our 〈◊〉 Repington became a persâ—cutâ—r after he was made byshop The sacrament after consecration materiall bread Articles obiected against William Thorpe Holesome enough for mans soule though not for your kitchyn O Shreuesbury thouhast a cause to repeÌ„t thâ—e in that thou wouldest not recâ—iue the truth wheÌ„ it was offered thee The Romish church must be stablished by persecuting of true preachers A sure trust in Gods truth coÌ„fouÌ„deth the malice of tyranâ—es If the touchstone might try truth should be knowne The description of the right Christians in Shreuesbury The Catholikes of Shreuesbury Shreusbury except thou turne froÌ„ thy wicked wayes thou canstnot receiue the trueth Ierusalem troubled by the pâ—eaching of Christ. The worde of God ought truly to be preached If this lesson had bene well folowed the world had not bene brought to such darknes by blind dumme priestes An effectuous prayer God graunt in all ministers Why 〈◊〉 prâ—â—ched without 〈◊〉 byshops lâ—cence He answereth to 〈◊〉 question â—â—â—cerning 〈◊〉 letter of â—â—cence The incoÌ„uenienceâ— of seeking of the biâ—â—ops letter or lycence The witnes of the preachers iâ— the good life of the folowers Two mine of soueraignes He meaneth prelates that be vnuertuous Two maner â—â—â—beâ—ing 〈◊〉 folowing their doâ—â—ges and examples 2. â—â— suffering their â—ranges Wicked 〈◊〉 are not 〈◊〉 folowed in euill Well reasoâ—â— my lord 〈◊〉 lyke a 〈◊〉 Obedience 〈◊〉 be geâ—â— but in 〈◊〉 leful 〈◊〉 lawfull 〈◊〉 preâ—mption 〈◊〉 staÌ„deth 〈◊〉 your â—â—â—derfull â—â—bition 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 priestâ—ood they resent to 〈◊〉 Math. 10. 〈◊〉 vlt. 〈◊〉 10. The office 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—â—ching Priests that 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 people 〈◊〉 Doctrine of 〈◊〉 Discipline of workes Priests not 〈◊〉 sent â—â— preach 〈◊〉 coÌ„manded to preach Gregorius Lincolniensu Whatsoeuer a man doth leauing that â—alone which hee is â—â—â—chieflye â—â—und to do is sinne Yet this byshop plucketh him not by the 〈◊〉 nor burneth not of his hand aâ— Boneâ— did Holychurch 2. Partes of the Church Well helpt forward M. Clark The foresayd articles renued against Thorpe The vertue of the sacrament standeth in the beliefe more then in the outward signe Material bread The papistes haue none other defence for theÌ„ but onely the Church Euery ordinance of Churchmen byndeth not our fayth The greatest Doctors of the church be Apostles S. Paule calleth it bread The CanoÌ„ of the masse calleth it bread S. AusteÌ„ calleth it bread The secreat of the masse on Christmas day nameth it a terrene substaunce My Lord can reuile apace he can declare but a little Choke him vp my Lord. To graunt the reall being of the body without bread is as much as to grauÌ„t the aâ—cident to be without the subiect Against proud Sophisters Templum domini Templum domini The church stood 〈◊〉 till the 〈◊〉 broke 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation brought in by â—â—yer Tho. Aquin. It is happy he did not flye in his face as â—â—nner did The 2. point touching Images Thorpe charged with an vntruâ—th Man a worshipfull image of God Though mâ— accept the painting of or caruing of images yet is it not the right way to learn to serue God The image of the Trinitie A similitude of the kings seale or letters to proue the worship of images No similitude to be made betwene erthly thinges spirituall namely when Gods word doth expresse to the contrary So you say my Lorde but God saith coÌ„trary in his commandemâ—ts Painters deuotion the Popes diuinitie do well agree Preparation of the painters to make a faire and a deuout Image The true â—ookes and â—alenders to â—on God â—etter â—ot my 〈◊〉 than â—â— see blind 〈◊〉 there â—â— be worâ—â—ipped The â—ight â—â—â—ice of a Câ—â—â—stian My Lord â—â—â—ryea â—â—il not â—â—â—were Gods nay Note this â—â—worshipâ—â—â—s and â—â—â—nteiners â—â— Images The Synaâ—â—â—â—e of Antichrist will haue authoritie Great miracles done by â—mages but my Lorde doth not tel by whose power Myracles importing worship to be done to Images may well be suspected not to come of Gâ—d A Christian man ought not to vow seeke nor how nor pray nor offer nor kille an Image For the vnfaithfulnes of men the deuill may worke myracles The worde of God suffiseth vs to saluation without myracles That which is of nature vnknowne cannot be resembled by any visible creature knowne Holy church of your owne building The 3. article Pilgrimage Two maner of Pilgrimages The true pilgrimage is to trauell in heauenly thinges Euery good worke is a good steppe to heauen The maner and examples of saintes Pilgrimage displeasaunt to God Goods euill bestowed in pilgrimage The incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce that commeth by pilgrimage Well spoken my Lord for Lincolnshire bagpipes And why then blamed Boner Philpot for singing in the stockes A new found way to grace of the bishops making InstrumeÌ„tes musike of the old testament how they are to be applyed and vsed in the new testament Orgaynes in the Church A fitt comparison my Lord like your selfe The saying of Ierome You sweare my Lord. The 4. article concerning priestes tithes A paradox without Gods word A difference to be put betwixt the old law and the new Priestes had the x. part of
the tithes geuen to the Leuites Christ comâ—â—undeth â—â—es not â— his exâ—pt tithes â—â—almes Tithes by â—hâ—m and when they were first commauÌ„ded â—a the new â—â—w Paule haâ—â—ng power to take yet â—â—ed it not Paule wold not be chargeous 〈◊〉 priestes were coueâ—â—us than what be they now This rule with the rule of begging Frices can not stand togeather Holesome â—â—ough my Lord if your â—it were to â—â—uour it But it conâ—â—rieth not the ordinaÌ„ce â—eyther of God nor of his worde If priestes would not â—â—acke in their duetie they should not lacke in hauing sufficient Fallax argumentum secundum non causam â—vt causam The euill demeanor of the priestes is the cause why the people be so slacke in their tithes Priestes being content with sufficiency and a bare liuing ought to part the residue to the poore Priestes did so than but our priestes doe not to now Whether tithes are to be paid to priestes doing not their duetie Gostly mother nay an vngostly stepdam to all Gods children By the law none could chaleng tithes but onely the seed of Leuy Our priestes be not of the seede of Leuy Ergo by the law our priestes cannot chalenge tithes As the priestbood is chaÌ„ged so is the law chaunged Blesse but curse not saith S. Paule He goeth neare you my Lord when he toucheth your tithes The difference of the freedoms betwene the old and new lawes For what cause tithes were geueÌ„ in the olde law If you take a way tithes you vndoe the church Thorpe preach agaynst whom thou wilt so thou touch not this scabbe The viciousnes and pride of priestes infecteth â—ll the world A spitefull meeknes that is in skarlet gownes The signes and markes of proud priestes Paule saith god shall iudge all fornicators what say you my Lord Priestes ought to be examples of good lining Clarkly spoken and like a Parasite Forget nothing I pray you my Lord. Not lawfvll to sweare by any creature Men ought not to sweare when without an othe he may excuse himselfe that is compelled to sweare Well said Sir Iohn of you your holy mother stroke your head These prelates would be thou be to be good be they neuer so bad A communication betwixt a lawier and a diuine To sweare by a booke is to sweare by creatures Chrisostom blameth booke oath Here now lacked Boner to scratch hym by the face Fither Malueren or els Syr Bryan Blowcole Christ promiseth geueth mouth vtterance The place of Chrisostome expounded how it is sin to sweare well What it is to sweare well Pope holy Church To touch a booke is to sweare by a booke It is happy that he calâ—ed not for a candle and made a Sceâ—ola of him as â—oner did 〈◊〉 Tomkins It is happy that Chrisostome was not here or els he would haue had him by the backe But that word cannot be touched Thorpe refseth not sweare Whether the booke be the Gospell â—â—om saith the Gospel is not the Gospel for â—rading but for beleuing The Gospel is not the leaues of the booke but the roote of reason S. Paule Dauid This clarke was well â—eene in the Masse booke The Gospel is not the letter but hid in the letter Misty matters for your blind eyes The kingdome of God taken for the vnderstanding of Gods word This salte was somewhat two sharpe for their rotten fleshe to abide Helpe downe with him sir Iohn Note here the crafty practise of this holy church A false brother A crafty trayne of a popishe dissembler Auricular confession God onely forgeueth sinne man onely can couÌ„sell to leaue sinne Shrife coÌ„fessioÌ„ to priestes A good secular man may be counseller where a priest faileth by S. Augustine Morden Monke of Feuersam preaching of coÌ„fession Harty repeÌ„taÌ„ce to God needeth no confession to a priest No nor nothing els that is good Christ geueth freedome the pope geueth thraldome The true freedome of holy church not destroyed but increased by true preachers Take my Lords blassing stand vp My Lord hath hast for being benighted And why compel you this man to the contrary Thorpe coÌ„tent to submit himself to the ordiâ—â—unce of councels â—f Boner 〈◊〉 bene 〈◊〉 hee would not 〈◊〉 strokeÌ„ 〈◊〉 cupbord 〈◊〉 multiâ—â—e is not 〈◊〉 foloâ—ed in euil 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 is God â—â—ing him â—â—to himâ—â—fe â— cleane 〈◊〉 thrift 〈◊〉 sin Other mens examples are so to be folowed as they be the followers of Christ Promotions commonly and great liuinges choke truth Men folowing the wayes of Balaam Thorpes felow refuseth to sweare to the prelates Vide supra pag. 497. Arundell the Archb. going out of England The gentlenes of the B. of LoÌ„don to Thorpe So promised Winchester in Queene Maries time but that passed his power to performe A notable aunswer of Thorpe to the Byshop promising to destroy all the Gospellers Such pearles would better beseeme my Lord your golden shooes At illi clamabaÌ„t dicentes tolle tolle crucifige eum Luke 23. Obedience to God and to hys lawe woulde not serue In patience and silence possesse your soules Thorp cast in prison Thorpe comforted strengthened of the Lord after his conflict with the bishop Christ dwelleth in a faythfull soule Christ is the stone wheron we must buildâ— Howe we are made the temple of God Marke what we haue by Christ. The propertie of a square stone Christ is an example of all perfect meekenes Priests seeâ— the pleasure of this world Great oddâ— betwixt the life of 〈◊〉 and Châ—â— and hys Apostles WheÌ„ prieâ—â— forget God truth 〈◊〉 whether they runne headlong The greâ—â— infect the small Fleshlye priests cannot 〈◊〉 with thâ— thinges They hunt after this with tooth and nayle An exhortation to all degrees to see priesthood amended Prelates priestes negligent in their duties Cirp 1. q. 1. cap. Si quis inquit The ende of W. Thorpe vncertayne Iohn Puruey Iohn Puruey prisoned after his recantation Articles of Iohn Puruey recaÌ„ted He speaketh of priestes here not of publique ministers appointed in the Church Vowes The charge of priests Against transubstantiation Articles out of Purueys bookes collected by R. Lauingham The Sacrament of the popish aultar Pope Innocentius head of Antichrist The sacrament in substaÌ„ce bread in signification the body of Christ TransubstaÌ„tiation not openlye taught 1000 yeares after Christ. The Sacrament both bread and the body in diuers respectes Auricular confession and penance The order of Priesthood He meaneth of priuate preaching to theyr neighbours True ministers may be made without shauing Priests here haue a priâ—â—ne not a publique vnderstanding What if there were â—o Pope knowen yet the Church could stand Iâ—nsure â—â—th not â—Priest The Popes â—esures like the blast of Lucifer Popishe priests haue not the keâ—eâ— of heauen but rather of hell The popes curse hurteth not but profiteth Gossopry not sufficient cause to restraine matrimony The first mariage lawfully before witnes made standeth Keeping making vowes Possessions of the Church 1. q. 3.24 q. 1. Cap
in that leaues of the boke but it is in the roote of reason Neyther the Gospel he sayeth is in the writing aboue of the letters but the Gospell is in the marking of the sentence of scriptures This sentence approueth S. Paule saying thus The kingdome of God is not in word but in vertue And Dauid saith The voice of the Lord that is his word is in vertue And after Dauid sayth Through the word of God the heaueÌ„s were formed and in the spirite of his mouth is all the vertue of theÌ„ And I pray you sir vnderstand ye wel how Dauid sayth then in the spirit of the mouth of yâ— Lord is all the vertue of angels and of men And the clarke sayd to me Thou wouldest make vs to fond with thee Say we not that the Gospels are written in the Masse booke ☞ And I sayd Sir though men vse to saye thus yet it is vnperfect speech For the principal part of a thinge is properly the whole thing For lo mans soule that may not now be sene here nor touched with any sensible thing is properly man And al the vertue of a tree is in the roote thereof that may not be sene for do away the roote the tree is destroied And sir as ye sayd to me right now God hys word are of one authoritie And sir S. Hierome witnesseth yâ— Christ very God very maÌ„ is hid in the letter of the law thus also sir yâ— gospel is hid in the letter For sir as it is ful likely many diuers men and womeÌ„ here in the earth touched Christ saw him knew his bodely persoÌ„ which neither touched nor saw nor knewe ghostly his godhead Right thus sir many men now touch see write read the scriptures of gods law which neither see touch nor read effectually the gospel For as the godhead of Christ that is the vertue of God is knowen by the vertue of beliefe so is the Gospel that is Christes word ¶ And a clerke said to me These be full misty matters and vnsauery that thou shewest here to vs. ☞ And I said Sir if ye that are maisters know not plainly this sentence â—e may sore dread that the kingdome of heauen be taken from you as it was froÌ„ the princes of priests and from the elders of the â—owes ¶ And then a Clerke as I gesse Malueren sayde to me Thou knowest not thine equiuocations for the kingdom of heauen hath diuers vnderstandings What callest thou the kingdom of heauen in thys sentence that thou shewest here ☞ And I said Sir by good reason and sentence of doctors the Realme of heauen is called here the vnderstanding of Gods word ¶ And a clerke said to me From whom thinkest thou that this vnderstanding is taken away ☞ And I sayde Sir by authoritie of Christ himselfe the effectuall vnderstanding of Christes word is taken away from al them chiefly which are great lettered men presum to vnderstand high things wil be holden wise men desire maistership high state dignitie but they wyll not conforme them to the liuing and teaching of Christ of his Apostles ¶ Then the Archb. said Wel wel thou wilt iudge thy soueraignes By God the king doth not his duety but he suffer thee to be condemned ☞ And then an other Clerke sayd to me Why on Fryday that last was counsailedst thou a man of my Lordes that he should not shriue him to no man but onely to god ¶ And with this asking I was abashed And then by and by I knew that I was subtilly betraied of a maÌ„ that came to me in prison on the Friday before coÌ„moning with mee in this matter of confession And certaine by his words I thought that this man came then to me of ful feruent and charitable will But now I know he came to tempt me to accuse me God forgeue him if it be his wil. And withal mine hart when I had thought thus I said to this clerk Sir I pray you that ye would fetch this man hether and all the wordes as nere as I caÌ„ repete them which that I spake to him on Friday in the prison I wil rehearse now here before you all and before him ☞ And as I gesse the Archbishop said then to me They that are now here suffice to repete them How saidst thou to hym ¶ And I sayd Syr that man came and asked me in diuers thinges and after hys asking I aunswered him as I vnderstoode that good was And as he shewed to me by his wordes he was sory of hys liuing in court and right heauy for his owne vicious liuing and also for the viciousnes of other men and specially of priests euil liuing herefore he sayd to me with a sorrowfull hart as I gessed that he purposed fully within short time for to leaue the court and to busie him to know Gods lawe and to confirme all hys life thereafter And when he had sayd to me these wordes moe other whiche I would rehearse and he were present he prayed me to heare hys confession And I sayd to him sir wherefore come ye to me to be confessed of me ye wote wel yâ— the Archb. putteth holdeth me here as one vnworthy either to geue or to take any sacrament of holy Church ☞ And he sayd to me Brother I wote well and so wote many other moe that you and such other are wrongfully vexed and therefore I common with you the more gladly And I sayd to him Certayne I wote well that many men of this court and specially the priestes of this housholde would be full euill apayd both you with me if they wist that ye were confessed of me And he sayd that he cared not therfore for he had full little affection in them And as me thought he spake these wordes and many other of so good will and of so high desire for to haue knowne and done the pleasant will of God And I sayd to hym as with my foresayd protestation I say to you now here Syr I counsayle you for to absent you from all euill company and to draw you to them that loue and busie them to knowe and to keepe the preceptes of God And then the good spirite of God will moue you for to occupy busily all your wittes in gathering together of all your sinnes as farre as ye can bethinke you shaming greatly of them and sorrowing hartely for them Yea syr the holy Ghost will theÌ„ put in your hart a good will and a seruent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose to hate euer and to flie after your cuÌ„ning and power al occason of sinne and so then wisedome shal come to you from aboue lightening with diuers beames of grace and of heauenly desire all your wittes enforming you how ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercy of the Lorde knowledging to him onely
hys booke De sacerdotum Monachorum abhominatione desolationis pag. 84. c. I beseech the reader to note Nam ista scribens fateor ê™ nihil aliud me in illis perurget nisi dilectio Dom. Nostri Iesu crusifixi c. That is For in writing these things I confesse nothinge els to haue moued me hereunto but onely the loue of our Lorde Iesus crucified whose printes and stripes according to the measure of my weakenes and vilenes I couet to beare in my selfe beseeching hym so to geue me grace that I neuer seek to glory in my selfe or in any thing els but onely in his crosse and in the inestimable ignominy of his passion which he suffered for me And therefore I write and speake these thinges which I do not doubt will like all such as vnsaynedly do loue the Lord Christ crucified and contrary will mislike not a little all suche as be of Antichrist Also agayne I confesse before the most merciful Lord Iesus Christ crucified that these thinges which I do now write and those that I haue written before neither I could haue writteÌ„ nor knew how nor durst so haue written vnlesse he by hys inward vnction had so commaunded me Neither yet do I write these thinges as of authority to get me fame and name For as S. Augustine Hierome do say that is onely to be geuen to the scriptures and writinges of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes and to the Canonicall Scriptures which doe abounde in the fulnes of the spirite of Iesus And whatsoeuer is there sayd is full of veritie and wholesome vtilitie c. And here place also would require something to say to Aeneas Siluius to Antoninus and to Laziardus which falsly impute articles to him whiche he neuer mayntayned But because tyme suffereth not I wil proceed to the story of maister Hierom of Prage The Tragicall and lamentable history of the famous learned man and godly Martyr of Christ maister Hierome of Prage burned at Constance for like cause and quarrell as Maister Iohn Hus was 1416. THese thinges hetherto being discoursed touching the lyfe Actes and Constant martyrdom of M. Iohn Hus with part also of his letters adioyned to the same whose death was on the 6. of Iuly an 1416. now remayneth coÌ„sequently to describe the like Tragedy and cruell handeling of his Christian companion and fellow in bandes M. Hierome of Prage Who grieuously sorrowing the slaunderous reproch and diffamation of his couÌ„try of Boheme and also hearing tell of the manifest iniuries done vnto that man of worthy memory M. Iohn Hus freely and of hys own accord came vnto Constance the 4. day of Iprill an 1415. Who there perceiuing that Iohn Hus was denyed to be heard and that watche and wayte was layd for hym on euery side he departed to Iberling a Citty of the Empire vntill the next day the which Citty was a myle of froÌ„ Constance and from thence he wrote hys letters by me vnto Sigismund kyng of Hungry and hys Barons and also vnto the Councell most earnestly requiring that the kyng and the Councell would geue him a safe conduct frely to come and go and that he woulde then come in open audience to aunswere vnto euery man if there were any of the Councell that would lay any cryme vnto hym as by the tenour of his intimation shall more at large appeare When as the sayd king of Hungary was required therunto as is aforesayd being in the house of the Lord Cardinall of Cambray he denyed to geue M. Hierome anye safe conducte excusing himselfe for the euil speede he had with the safe conduct of Iohn Hus before and alleadging also certayne other causes The deputies also of the foure nations of the Councell being moued thereunto by the Lords of the kingdome of Boheme aunswered wee say they will geue hym a safeconduct to come but not to depart Whose aunsweres when they were reported vnto maister Hierome he the next day after wrote certaine intimations according to the tenour here vnder written which he sent vnto Constance to be set vpon the gates of the Citty and vpon the gates of the Churches and Monasteries and of the houses of the Cardinals and other nobles and prelates The tenour wherof here followeth word for word in thys maner Unto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund by the grace of God king of the Romanes alwaies Augustus and of Hungary c. I Hierome of Prage maister of Arte of the generall vniuersities of Paris Colleyn Heldeberg Prage by these my present letters do notifie vnto the king together with the whole reuerend Councell and as much as in me lyeth do all men to vnderstand and know that because of the crafty slaunderers backbiters accusers I am ready freely of myne owne will to come vnto CoÌ„stance there to declare openly before the Councell the puritie and sinceritie of my true fayth and myne innocencie and not secretly in corners before any priuate or particulate person Wherfore if there be any of my slauÌ„derers of what natioÌ„ or estate soeuer they be which will obiect agaynst me anye crime of errour or heresie let them come forth openly before me in the presence of the whole Councell and in theyr owne names obiect agaynst me and I will be ready as I haue written to aunswere openly and publikely before the whole Councell of myne innocencie and to declare the puretie and sinceritie of my true fayth And if so be that I shal be fouÌ„d culpable in errour or heresie then I will not refuse openly to suffer such punishment as shall be meete and worthy for an erroneous person or an hereticke Wherefore I most humbly beseech my Lord the King and the whole sacred CouÌ„cell that I may haue to this end and purpose aforesayd safe and sure accesse And if it happeÌ„ that I offering suche equitie and right as I do before any fault be proued agaynst me be arested imprisoned or haue any violence done vnto me that theÌ„ it may be manifest vnto the whole worlde that this generall Councell doth not proceede according to equitie and iustice if they woulde by any meanes put me backe from this profouÌ„d and straight iustice being come hether freely and of myne owne minde and accorde The whiche thing I suppose to be farre from so sacred and holy Councell of wise men WHen as yet he through such intimations copied out in the Bohemian Latine and Germayne tongue being set vp as is aforesayd could not get any safeconduct theÌ„ the Nobles Lords and Knightes specially of the Bohemian nation present in Constance gaue vnto maister Hiâ—rome their letters patentes coÌ„firmed with their seales for a testimony and witnesse of the premisses With the which letters the sayd M. Hierome returned agayne vnto Boheme but by the treason and conspiracy of his enemies was taken in Hirsaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and in Zultzbach was brought backe agayne to