liuing Lord within the Arke of his true spirituall and visible Churche And where is then the friuolous bragge of the Papistes which make so muche of there paynted sheath would nedes beare vs downe that this gournment of the Church of Rome which nowis hath bene of such an old standing time out of minde euen from the primitiue Antiquitie that neuer was any other church demonstrable here in earth for men to follow besides the said only Catholick mother church of Rome whē as we haue sufficiently proued before by the continual descēt of the Church till this present tyme that the sayd Church after the doctrine which is now reformed is no new begunne matter but euen the olde continued Churche by the prouidence and promise of Christ still standing which albeit it hath bene of late yeares repressed by the tyranny of Romayne Byshops more then before yet notwithstanding it was neuer so oppressed but God hath euer maintayned in it the truth of his Gospell agaynst heresies and errours of the Church of Rome as in thys history more at full is to be seene Let vs now proceede farther as we began deducing this descent of the Churche vnto the 1501. yeare In which yeare the Lord began to shew in the partes of Germany wonderfull tokens and blody markes of his Passion as the bloudy Crosse hys nayles speare and Crowne of thornes which fell from heauen vpon the garments and cappes of men and rockes of woman as you may further read in this booke pag. 816. By the which tokens almighty God no doubt presignified what grieuous afflictions and bloudy persecutions shoulde then begin to ensue vppon his Churche for hys Gospels sake according as in this history is described wherein is to be seene what Christen bloud hathe bene spilt what persecutions raysed what tyranny exercised what tormentes deuised what trechery vsed agaynst the poore flocke and Church of Christ in such sort as since Christes tyme greater hath not bene seene And now by reuolution of yeares we are come from the time of .1501 to that yeare now present 1570. In which the full seuenty yeares of the Babilonicall captiuitie draweth now well to an ende if we count from the first appearing of these bloudy markes aboue mentioned Or if wee recken from the beginning of Luther and hys persecution then lacketh yet xvi yeres Now what the Lord wil do with this wicked world or what rest he will geue to hys Church after these long sorrowes he is our father in heauen his will be done in earth as seemeth best to his diuine maiestie In the meane time let vs for our partes with all patient obedience wayt vpon hys gracious leysure and glorifie his holy name and edifie one an other with all humilitie And if there cannot be an end of our disputing and contending one agaynst an other yet let there be a moderation in our affections And for asmuch as it is the good will of our God that Sathan thus should be let lose amongst vs for a short time yet let vs striue in the meane while what wee can to amende the malice of the tyme with mutuall humanitie They that be in errour let them not disdayne to learne They whiche haue greater talentes of knowledge committed instruct in simplicitie them that be simple No man liueth in that common wealth where nothing is amisse But yet because God hath so placed vs Englishmen here in one common wealth also in one Church as in one shippe together let vs not mangle or deuide the shippe which being deuided perisheth but euery man serue in his order with dilligence wherein he is called They that sitte at the helme keepe well the poynt of the needle to knowe how the ship goeth and whether it should Whatsoeuer weather betydeth the needle well touched with the stone of Gods word will neuer fayle Such as labour at the oares start for no tempest but doe what they can to keepe from the rockes Likewise they whiche be inferiour rowmes take heede they moue no sedition nor disturbance agaynst the rowers and mariners No storme so daungerous to a shippe on the sea as is discord and disorder in a weale publique What countryes and nations what kingdomes and Empyres what Cities townes and houses discord hath dissolued in storyes is manifest I neede not spend tyme in rehearsing examples The Lord of peace who hath power both of land and Sea reach forth hys mercifull hand to helpe them vp that sincke to keepe them vpp that stand to still these windes and sourging seas of discord and contention among vs that wee professing one Christ may in one vnitie of doctrine gather our selues into one Arke of the true Church together where we continuing stedfast in fayth may at the last luckely be conducted to the ioyfull porte of our desired landing place by hys heauenly grace To whome both in heauen and in earth be all power and glory with his father and the holy spirite for euer Amen The vtilitie of this Story SEyng the worlde is replenished with such an infinite multitude of bookes of all kinde of matters I may séeme perhaps to take a matter in hand superfluous and needles at this present to set out such Uolumes especially of histories considering now a dayes the world is so greatly pestered not only with superfluous plenty therof but of all other treatises so that books now seeme rather to lacke Readers then Readers to lacke bookes In which multitude of bookes I doubt not but many doe both perceiue and inwardly bewayle this insatiable boldnes of many now a dayes both in writing and printing which to say the truth for my part I do as much lament as any man els beside and would therefore no man should thinke that vnaduisedly or with rashnes I haue attempted this enterprise as one being not onely doubtful but also both bashfull and feareful within my self for setting the same abroad And why first I perceaued howe learned this age of ours is in reading of bookes neither could I tell what the secret iudgementes of readers woulde conceaue to see so weake a thing to set vpon such a weighty enterprise not sufficiently furnished with such ornamentes able to satisfie the perfection of so great a story or sufficient to serue the vtility of the studious and the delight of the learned Which abilitie the more I perceiued to be wanting in me the lesse I durst be bold to become a writer But agayne on the other side when I weyed with my selfe what memorable Actes and famous doynges this latter age of the Churche hath ministred vnto vs by the patient suffringes of the worthy martyrs I thought it not to be neglected that so precious Monumentes of so many matters meet to be recorded and regestred in books should lie buried by my default vnder darkenes of obliuion Me thought somewhat was to be sayd of them for their well deseruing and something agayne of our partes for benefites by
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
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
we may well argue his proceedings not to be of God and that he shal be brought low c. Luke 18. ¶ The third Question MY third question I take of the 13. chap. of the booke of Reuelation Which booke as it conteineth a Propheticall history of the Church so likewise it requireth by histories to be opened In this chapter mention is made first of a certayne beast comming out of the Sea hauing vij heads x. hornes with x. diademes of blasphemy Unto the which beast the dragon the deuill gaue his strength and great power to fight agaynst the Sayntes to ouercome them to make xlij monethes of the which beast one of his heades was wounded at length to death c. After this immediatly in the same chap. mentioÌ„ foloweth of an other beast rising out of the land hauing 2. hornes like a lambe spake like a dragon did all the power of the former beast before his face and caused all dwellers of the earth to worship the beast whose head was wounded and liued Who also had power to geue spirit life to the sayd former beast to make the Image of the beast to speak to cause al men froÌ„ the highest to the lowest to take the marke of the beast in theyr handes and foreheades whosoeuer worshipped not the Image of the beast should be killed c. Upon this description of these two beastes riseth my question wherin I desire all papistes from the highest to the lowest either to answere or to consider with theÌ„selues what the spirit of the prophesy meaneth by the sayd 2. beastes Neither is the mistery of this prophesy so obscure but being historicall by histories it may be explaned easely expouÌ„ded Writing therfore to the Papistes as men expert in histories my question is this that seing the prophesy of these 2. beastes must needes prefigure some people or dominioÌ„ in the world of some high estate power they will now declare vnto vs what people or domination this should be Which if they will do playnely and truely according to the markes propertyes of the sayd ij beastes here set forth they must needes be driuen of force ineuitable to graunt and confesse the same only to agree to the City Empyre of Rome to no other Which by these reasons folowing of necessity must needes be concluded First the beast wich came out of the sea hauing the strength the seat and power of the great Dragon the Deuill called the Prince of this world committed to him who also had power geueÌ„ ouer all tribes nations languages people and countryes in the earth must needes be an Empyre or Monarchy of great force passing all other Monarchies in the world besides and this must needes argue the Empyre of Rome and none other Secondly in that the best had vij heads x. hornes with x. diademes full of blasphemy vpoÌ„ theÌ„ those vij heades being expounded in the sayd booke cap. 17. for vii hilles notoriously importeth the Citie of Rome wherein were 7. hilles conteyned The like also may be thought of the x. hornes being there expounded for x. kinges signifying belike the x. Prouincies or Kingdomes of the worlde subdued to the Romayne Empyre with x. crownes of blasphemy vppon their heades all which conueniently agree to the Cittie of Rome Thirdly where the sayd beast had power to make 42. monthes and to fight against the Saintes and to ouercome them c. therby most manifestly is declared the Empyre of Rome with the heathen persecuting Emperours whiche had power geueÌ„ the space of so many monthes that is from Tiberius to Licinius 294. yeares to persecute Christs Church as in the Table of the primitiue Church hereafter following is discoursed more at large Fourthly where the prophet speaketh of the one of the heades of the beast to be wounded to the death the wouÌ„d afterward to be cured agayne by that ye haue to vnderstand the decay and subuersion of the Citie of Rome of Italy which being one of the heades of the Romayne Monarchie was subdued by the Gottes Uandals Lombards and the Cittie of Rome thrise sackt and taken betweene the reigne of Honorius Emperour of Rome and the tyme of Iustinian Emperor of Constantinople so remayned this head of Rome wounded a long time vnder the dominion of the Lombards till at length this wound was cured agayne as the sequele of this prophesie declareth For so it followeth in the foresayd chap. of the Reuelation And after this I saw sayth he an other beast rising out of the land hauing two hornes like the lamb and spake like the Dragon Who practiâ—ed all the power of the first beast before his face and caused all the inhabitantes of the earth to worship the first beast whose head was wounded and cured agayne c. And to him it was geuen to geue life to the Image of the beast and to make it speake and also to make all them that will not worship the image of the beast to bee slayne and caused all from the most to the least both rich and poore free men and bondmen to take the marke of the beast in their right hand and in their foreheades so that none should buy and sell vnles he had the beastes marke about him c. The description of this second beast being well viewed it cannot be auoided but needes must be applyed to the byshop of Rome and to none other as by the history and order of times is euident to be proued For who els representeth the hornes of the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world but only he who speaketh with the voyce of the Dragon so proudly as he The voice of the Dragon spake once to Christ That all the glory of the world was his to geue to whom he would that he would geue it c. And doth not thys falâ—e horned lambe speaking in the same voyce of the Dragon say by the mouth of Pope Gregory 7. that all the kingdomes of the earth were hys and that hee had power in earth to loose and take away Empyres Kingdomes Dukedomes and what els soeuer mortall menne may haue and to geue them where he would c. Ex platina in Vit. Gregorij 7. Furthermore at what time the declining state of Rome began to decay and Italy was brought vnder subiection of the Lombardes then the Pope stirred vp Pipinus and Carolâ—s Magnus to take his part agaynst the Lombardes and to restore agayne the old glory of the Monarchie to hys former state And therfore who cured the wounded head of this beast agayne but onely he who gaue life and speach to the Image of the beast but he who after that by helpe of the French kings had subdued those Lombardes with other aliens and had gotten the possession of Rome into hys own handes he so repared aduaunsed the fame and name of Rome
iurisdiction in which poynt this new Church of Rome hath swarued from the auncient Church of Rome which was as is sufficiently proued THe third point wherein the church of Rome hath broken and is departed from the Church of Rome is the forme of stile title annexed to the Bishop of that Sea As where he is called Pope most holy father vicare generall vicare of Christ successour of Peter vniuersall Byshop Prince of Priestes head of the Church vniuersall Summus orbis pontifex Stupor mundi head Byshop of the world the admiration of the world neither God nor mā but a thyng betwene both c. for all these termes be geuen him in Popish bookes Albeit the name Pope beyng a Greeke name deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which soūdeth as much as Father in the Syracusane speach may peraduenture seeme more tolerable as which hath bene vsed in the old time among Byshops for so Austen was called of the Coūcell of Aphrike Hierome of Boniface other Also Cyprian Byshop of Carthage was called Papa 24. q. 1. cap. loquitur dist 50. cap. De eo tamen Item Clodouaeus or as Rheanus calleth him Ludouicus first Christiā king of Fraūce calleth a certain simpler Byshop Papam Hierome also in his Epistle to Chromatius calleth Valerianus by the name of Pope likewise writyng to Eustachium and Fabiola he calleth Epiphanius beatum Papam In the Apologies of Athanasius we read oft tymes that he was called Papa and Archiepiscopus Ruffinus also Lib. 2. cap. 26. calleth him Pontificem maximum Also Aurelius President in the vi Councell of Carthage was called of the sayd Councell Papa ex cap. 4. vi Concil Carthag And before this Eleutherius Byshop of Rome writyng to kyng Lucius the first Christian kyng in this land calleth him in his Epistle the vicare of Christ. c. But that any of these termes were so peculiarly applied to the Bishop of Rome that other bishops were excluded from the same or that any one bishop aboue the rest had the name of Oecumenicall or vniuersall or head to the derogation of other Bishopps or with such glory as is now annexed to the same that is not to be found neither in histories of the old tyme nor in any example of the primitiue Church nor in the testimonies of auncient approued Doctours First before the Councell of Nice it is euident by Pope Pius the ij that there was no respect had to the church of Rome but euery church then was ruled by his owne gouernance til the yeare of our Lord 340. Then folowed the Councell of Nice wherin was decreed that throughout the whole vniuersitie of Christes Church which was now far spread ouer all the world certaine Prouinces or precincts to the number of foure were appointed euery one to haue his head church and chiefe bishop called then Metropolitane or Patriarch to haue the ouersight of such churches as did lie about him In the number of which Patriarches or Metropolitanes the Bishop of Rome had the first place The Bishop of Alexandria was the second The Bishop of Antioche the third The Bishop of Hierusalem was the fourth Patriarch Afterward in the number of these Patriarches came in also the Bishop of Constantinople in the roome of the bishop of Antioch So these foure or fiue Metropolitanes or Patriarches had their peculiar circuites and precincts to them peculiarly appointed in such sort as one of them should not deale within an others precinct also that there should be among them equalitie of honour wherupon we read so oft in the decrees of the olde Councels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is equall degree of thrones and of honour among priests and ministers Againe speaking of the said Patriarches or Primates we read in the 2. and 3. chap. of the Councel of Constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That bishops should not inuade the Dioces of other bishops without their borders nor confound togither churches c. Moreouer the old Doctours for the most and best part do accord in one sentēce that all bishops placed wheresoeuer in the church of God be eiusdem meriti honoris successores Apostolorum that is to be of one merite of like honour and all to be successors together of the Apostles Also he that is the Author of the booke called Dionysius Areopagita calleth all the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of equall order and of like honor c. All this while the Bishop of Rome was a Patriarch and a Metropolitane or bishop called of the first sea but no Oecumenicall Bishop nor head of the vniuersall Church nor any such matter In so much that he with all other Bishops was debarred from that by a playne decree of the Councell of Carthage Can. 39. in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That the bishop of the first seat shall not be called the Prince of priests or the high priest or any such thing And least any here should take occasion of cauilling to heare him called bishop of the first sea here is to be expounded what is ment by the first sea and wherfore he was so called not for any dignitie of the persō either of him which succedeth or of him whom he is said to succeede but onely of the place wherin he sitteth This is plainly proued by the councell of Calcedone cap. 28. Wherin is manifestly declared the cause why the sea of Rome among all other Patriarchall seas is numbred for the first sea by the auncient fathers For why saith the Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for that our forefathers did worthily attribute the chiefe degree of honour to the sea of old Rome because the principall raigne or Emperie was in that Citie c. The same also is confirmed by Eusebius Caesariensis declaring quòd excellentia Romani Imperij extulit papatum Rom. Pontificis supra alias Ecclesias That the excellencie of the Romaine Emperie did aduance the Popedome of the Romaine bishop aboue other churches c. Ex Gab. Biel. Moreouer saith the said Caesariensis Nicena synodus hoc contulit priuilegium Rom. pontifici vt sicut Romanorum rex Augustus prae caeteris appellatur ita Rom. pontifex prae caeteris Episcopis Papa vocaretur That is The Councell saith he of Nice gaue this Priuiledge to the Bishop of Rome that like as the king of the Romaines is named Emperour aboue all other kings so the bishop of the same citie of Rome should be called Pope aboue other bishops c. By these places hitherto alledged and such other many more then be here alleaged it appeareth that though these titles of superioritie had bene attributed to the Bishop of Rome yet it remaineth certaine that the said Bishop receiued that preferment Iure non diuino sed humano by mans law not by the law of God And so is the distinction of the Popes proued false where
they fulfilled that Scripture which is spoken of in Esay Let vs take away the iust man because he is not profitable for vs Wherfore let them eat the fruits of their workes Therfore they went vp to throwe doune the iust man and said among themselues let vs stone this iust man Iames they toke him to smite him with stones for he was not yet dead wheÌ„ he was cast doune but he turning fell doune vpon his knees saying O Lord God Father I beseech thee to forgeue them for they know not what they do But wheÌ„ they had smitten him with stones one of the priests of the children of Rechas the sonne of Charobim spake to them the testimonie which is in Ieremie the Prophet leaue off what do ye The iust man praieth for you And one of those which were present tooke a Fullers instrument wherwith they did vse to beat and purge cloth and smote the iust man on his head and so he finished his Martyrdome and they buried him in the same place his piller abideth yet by the temple He was a true testimonie to the Iewes and the Gentiles And shortly after Vespasianus the Emperour destroying the land of Iewrie brought them into captiuitie These thinges being thus written at large of Egesippus do well agree to those which Clement did write of him This Iames was so notable a man that for his iustice he was had in honour of all men in so much that the wise men of the Iewes shortly after his Martyrdome did impute the cause of the besieging of Ierusalem and other calamities which happened vnto theÌ„ to no other cause but vnto the violence and iniurie done to this man Also Iosephus hath not left this out of his historie where he speaketh of him after this maner These things so chanced vnto the Iewes for a vengeance because of that iust man Iames which was the brother of Iesu whoÌ„ they called Christ for the Iewes killed him although he was a righteous man The same Iosephus declareth his death in the same booke and chapter saying Caesar hearing of the death of Festus sent Albinus the Lieuetenant into Iewrie but Ananus the yonger being bishop and of the sect of the Saduces trusting that he had obtained a conuenient tyme seing that Festus was dead and Albinus entred on his iourney he called a Councell and calling many vnto him among whom was Iames by name the brother of Iesu which is called Christ he stoned them accusing them as breakers of the law Whereby it appeareth that many other besides Iames also the same tyme were Martyred and put to death amoÌ„g the Iewes for the faith of Christ. A description of the X. first persecutions in the Primitiue Church THese thinges being thus declared for the Martyrdome of the Apostles and the persecutioÌ„ of the Iewes Now let vs by the grace of Christ our Lord comprehend with like breuitie the persecutions raised by the Romaines against the Christians in the Primitiue age of the Church during the space of 300. yeares till the comming of godly Constantine which persecutions are reckoned of Eusebius and by the most part of writers to the number of x. most speciall Wherin meruailous it is to see and read the numbers incredible of Christian innocents that were slaine and tormented some one way some an other As Rabanus saith saith truly Alij ferro perempti Alij flammis exusti Alij flagris verberati Alij vectibus perforati Alij cruciati patibulo Alij demersi pelagi periculo Alij viui decoriati Alij vinculis mancipati Alij linguis priuati Alij lapidibus obruti Alij frigore afflicti Alij fame cruciati Alij truncatis manibus aliÃsue caesis membris spectaculum contumeliae nudi propter nomen Domini portantes c. That is Some slaine with sword Some burnt with fire Some with whips scourged Some stabbed in with forkes of iron Some fastned to the crosse or gibbet Some drowned in the sea Some their skinnes pluckt of Some their tongues cut off Some stoned to death Some killed with cold Some starued with hunger Some their hands cut off or otherwise dismembred haue bene so left naked to the open shame of the world c. Whereof Augustine also in his booke De Ciuit. 22. cap. 6. thus saith Ligabantur includebantur caedebantur torquebantur vrebantur laniabantur trucidabantur multiplicabantur non pugnantes pro salute sed salutem contemnentes pro seruatore Whose kindes of punishments although they were diuers yet the maner of constancie in all these Martyrs was one And yet notwithstaÌ„ding the sharpenes of these so many and sundry tormeÌ„ts and like cruelnes of the tormentors yet such was the nuÌ„ber of these constant Saintes that suffered or rather such was the power of the Lord in his Saints that as Hierome in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith Nullus esset dies qui non vltra quinque millium numerum Martyrum reperiri posset ascriptus excepto die Kalendarum Ianuarij That is There is no day in the whole yeare vnto which the nuÌ„ber of fine thousand Martyrs cannot be ascribed except onely the first day of Ianuary * The first Persecution THe first of these x. persecutions was stirred vp by Nero Domitius the vj. Emperour before mentioned about the yeare of our Lord 67. The tyrannous rage of which Emperour was so fierce against the Christians as Eusebius recordeth Vsque adeò vt videres repletas humanis corporibus ciuitates iacentes mortuos simul cum paruulis senes foemi narúmque absque vlla sexus reuerentia nudata in publico reiectáque starent cadauera That is In so much that a man might then see cities lye full of mens bodies the old there lying together with the yong and the dead bodies of women cast out naked without all reuerence of that sexe in the opeÌ„ streets c. Likewise Orosius writing of the said Nero saith that he was the first which in Rome did raise vp persecution against the Christians and not onely in Rome but also through all the prouinces therof thinking to abolish and to destroy the whole name of Christians in all places c. Whereunto accordeth moreouer the testimonie of Hierome vpon Daniel saying thà t many there were of the Christians in those dayes which seyng the filthy abominations and intollerable crueltie of Nero thought that he should be Antichrist c. In this persecution among many other Saintes the blessed Apostle Peter was condemned to death and crucified as some doe write at Rome albeit othersome and not without cause doe doubt thereof concerning whose lyfe and hystory because it is sufficiently described in the text of the Gospell and in the Actes of S. Luke chap. 4.5 12. I neede not heere to make any great repetytion therof As touching the cause and maner of hys death diuers ther be which make relation as Hierome Egesippus Eusebius
the house together men of one accord c. And so by the occasion hereof he writeth vnto them in the foresayd Epistle and moueth them to prayer and mutuall agreement For sayth he if it be promised in the Gospell to be graunted whatsoeuer any two consenting together shall aske what shall then the whole Churche do agreeing together or what if this vnanimitie were among the whole fraternitie which vnanimitie sayeth Cyprian if it had bene then among the brethren non venissent fraetribus haec mala si in vnum fraternitas fuisset animata that is these euiles had not happened to the brethren if the brethren had ioyned together in brotherly vnanimitie c. After the causes thus declared of this or other persecutions the sayd S. Cyprian moreouer in the forenamed Epistle worthy to be read of al men describeth likewise a certayne vision wherin was shewed vnto them by the Lord before the persecutiō came what should happen The vision was this There was a certayne aged father sitting at whose right hand set a young man very sad and pensiue as one with an indignation sorrowfull holding hys hand vpon hys brest hys countenaunce heauy and vnchearefull On the left hand sate an other person hauing in hys hand a net whiche he threatned to lay to catch the people that stode about And as he was marueiling that saw the sight thereof it was sayd vnto him The young man whō thou seest sit on the tight hand is sad and sory that hys preceptes be not obserued But he on the left hand daunceth and is merry for that occasion is geuen him to haue power of the aged Father geuen him to afflict men And this vision was seene long before this tempest of persecution happened Wherein is declared the same that before is sayd the sinnes of the people to be the cause why Sathan in this persecution and all other hath had and hath still such power with hys net of destruction to rage agaynst the bloud of Christen men and all because sayth Cyprian we forslacke our praying or be not so vigilant therein as wee shoulde wherefore the Lord because he loueth vs correcteth vs correcteth vs to amend vs amendeth vs to saue vs. c. Cyprian Furthermore the same Cyprian and in the same Epistle wrtting of his own reuelation or message sent to him thus sayth And to hys least seruaunt both sinfull and vnworthy meaning by himselfe God of his tender goodnes hath vouched safe to direct this word Tell him sayth he that hee be quiet and of good comfort for peace will come Albeit a litle stay there is for a while for that some remain yet to be proued and tryed c. And sheweth also in the same place of an other reuelation of his wherein he was admonished to be spare in hys feeding and sober in hys drinke least hys minde geuen to heauenly meditation might be caryed away with worldly allurements or oppressed with to much surfet of meates and drinkes should be lesse apt or able to prayer and spirituall exercise Finally in the latter end of the foresayd Epistle mention also followeth of other reuelations or shewinges wherein the Lord sayth Cyprian doth vouchsafe in many of hys seruantes to foreshew to come the restauring of hys Church the stable quiet of our health and safegard after rayne fayre weather after darcknes light after stormy tempest peaceable calme the fatherly helpe of his loue the wont old glory of hys diuine maiesty whereby both the blasphemy of the persecutors shall be repressed and the repentance of such as haue fallen be reformed and the strong and stable confidence of them that stand shall reioyce and glory Thus much hath S. Cyprian writing of these thinges to the Clergy Lib. 4. Epist. 4. As touching now the crymes and accusations in this persecution layd to the charge of the Christians thys was the principall first because they refused to doe worship to their Idols and to the Emperours then for that they professed the name of Christ. Besides all the calamities and euils that happened in the world as warres famine and pestilence were onely imputed to the Christians Agaynst all which quarreling accusations Cyprian doth eloquently defend the Christians in his booke Contra Demetrianum Like as Tertulian had done before writing Contra Scapulam page 55. And first touching the obiection for not worshipping Idoles he cleareth the Christians both in his booke Contra Demeir also De vanitate idol prouing those Idols to be no true Gods but Images of certayne dead kinges which neyther could saue themselues from death nor such as worship them The true God to be but one and that by the testimony of Sosthenes Plato and Trismegistus the which God the Christians doe truely worship And as concerning that the Christians were thought to be causes of publique calamities because they worshipped not the Gentiles Idoles he purgeth the Christians thereof prouing that if there be any defect in increase of thinges it is not to be ascribed to them but rather to the decrease of nature languishing now toward her age and latter end Agayne for that it hath bene so foresayd and prophecied that toward the end of the worlde should come warres famine and pestilence Moreouer if there be anye cause therof more proper then other it is most like to be imputed to their vaine Idolatry and to the contempt of the true God Also that such euils be increased by the wickednes of the people so that to speake in his owne words famem maiorem facia◠rapacites quam siccitas i. famine cometh more by auarice of men then by drought of the aire but especially the cause therof to procede of the cruell shedding of the innocent bloud of the Christians c. Thus with many other mo probations doth Cyprian defend the Christians against the barbarous exclamatiōs of the heathē Gentiles Of which Cyprian forsomuch as he suffered in the time of his persecution I mynde Christ wylling to recapitulate here in ample discourse the ful summe first of his life and bringing vp then of his death Martyrdome as the worthines of that man deserueth to be remembred Of this Cyprian therfore otherwise named Statius thus writeth Nicephorus Nazianzenns Iacobus de Voragine Henricus de Erfordia Volateranus Hieronymus and other that he being an Aphrican and borne in Carthage first was an Idolater and Gentill altogether giuen to the study and practise of the Magicall Artes of whose parentage and education in letters from his youth no mention is made but that he was a worthy Rethorician in Aphrica Of whose conuersion and baptisme he himselfe in his first booke second Epistle writeth a florishing and eloquent Hystory Which his conuersion vnto the christian fayth as Hieronimus affirmeth in his commentary vpon Ionas was through the grace of God and the meanes of Cecilius a Priest whose name after he bare and through the occasion of
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
and copied out to remayne in bublique Churches to the vse of posteritie Whereupon writing to Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia in a speciall letter recorded in the 4. booke of Eusebius De vita Constant. he willeth him with all diligence to procure 50. volumes of parchment well bound and cōpacted wherein he shoulde cause to be written out of the scripture in a fayre legeable hād such things as he thought necessary and profitable for the instruction of the Church And alloweth him for that busines two bublique Ministers Also writeth concerning the same to the generall of hys army to support and further hym with such necessaries as thereunto should appertayne c. ¶ In vewing perusing and writing this story and in considering the Christian zeale of this Emperour I wish that eyther this our Printing and plēty of books had bene in his dayes or that this so heroycal hart toward Christes Religion as was in this so excellent Monarche might something appeare in inferiour Princes raigning in these our Printing dayes c. The liberal hand of this Emperor borne to do al men good was no lesse also open and ready towarde the needie pouertie of such which either by losse of parents or other occasions were not able to helpe them selues to whom he commaunded and prouided dew subuention both of corne and raiment to be ministred out of his owne coffers to the necessary reliefe of the poore men women children orphanes and widowes Euseb. de vita Constant. Lib 4. Finally among al the other monuments of his singular clemencie and munificence this is not to be pretermitted that through all the Empire of Rome and prouinces belonging to the same not only he diminished such taxes reuenewes and impostes as publickly were comming to him but also clearely remitted and released to the contributers the fourth part of the same This present place would require somthing to be sayd of the donation of Constantine whereuppon as vpon their chiefest anchor holde the Byshops of Rome doe grounde theyr supreame dominion and right ouer all the politicall gouernement of the West partes the spiritual gouernement of all the other Seas and partes of the world Which donation to be falsly fained and forged and not to procede from Constantine many arguments might heere be inferred if laisure from other matters would suffer me 1. First for that no ancient history nor yet Doctour maketh any mention thereof 2. Nauclerus reporteth it to be affirmed in the hystorie of Isidorus but in the olde copies of Isidorus no such thyng is to be founde 3. Gracianus the compiler of the decrees reciteth that decree not vpon any auncient authoritie but only vnder the title of Palea 4. Gelasius is sayd to geue some testimony therof in Dist. 15. Sancta Romana but that clause of the said distinction touching that matter in the olde ancient bookes is not extant 5 Otho Phrisingensis who was about the time of Gracian after hee hath declared the opinion of the fauourers of the Papacie affirming this donation to be geuen of Constantine to Siluester the Pope induceth consequently the opinion of them that fauour the Empire affirming the contrary 6. How doth thys agree that Constantine did yeelde vp to Siluester all the politicall dominion ouer the West when as the sayd Constantine at hys death deuiding the Empire to his three sonnes gaue the West part of the Empire to one the East part to the secōd the middle part to the third 7. How is it like that Theodosius after them being a iust and a religious Prince would or could haue occupyed the Citie of Rome if it had not bene his right but had belonged to the pope so did many other Emperors after him 8. The phrase of this decree being conferred with the phrase and stile of Constantine in his other Edictes and letters aboue specified doth nothing agree 9. Seeing the papists themselues confesse that the decree of this donation was writtē in Greeke how agreeth that with truth when as both it was written not to the Gretians but to the Romanes and also Constantine himselfe for lacke of the Greeke toung was faine to vse the Latine toung in the Councell of Nice 10. The contents of this donation who soeuer was the forger thereof doeth bewray it selfe For if it be true which there is confessed that he was Baptised at Rome of Siluester the iiij day after his baptisme this patrimonie was giuen which was before his battaile against Maximinus or Licinius An. 317. as Niceph. recordeth howe then accordeth this wyth that which followeth in the donation for him to haue iurisdiction geuen ouer the other iiij principall seas of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople and Hierusalem when as the Citie of Constantinople was not yet begun before the death of Maximinus or Licinius and was not finished before the xxviij yere of the raigne of Constantine an 339. or if it be true as Hierome counteth it was finished the xxiij yere of his raigne which was the yere of our Lorde 334. long after this donation by their owne accōpt 11. Furthermore where in the sayde constitution is sayd that Constantine was baptised at Rome of Siluester therby was purged of Leprosie the fable thereof agreeth not with the trueth of historie for so much as Eusebius lib. 4. De vita Constantini Hieronymus in Chron. Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 11. Socrates lib. 1. cap. 39. Theodor. lib. 1. cap. 31. Sozomenus lib 2. cap. 34. doe altogether consent that hee was Baptised not at Rome but at Nicomedia and that moreouer as by theyr testimonie doth appeare not of Siluester but of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia not before his battaile against Maximinus or Licinius but in the xxxj yeare of his raigne a litle before his death 12. Againe where as Constantine in this donation appoynted him to haue the principalitie ouer the other iiij Patriarchall Seas that maketh Constantine contrary to himselfe Who in the Councell of Nice afterwarde agreed with other bishops that al the iiij patriarchal seas should haue equall iurisdiction euery one ouer his owne territorie and precinct 13. In summe briefly to conclude who so desireth more aboundantly to be satisfied touching this matter let hym read the bookes of Marsilius Patauinus intituled defensor pacis An 1324. of Laurētius Valla An. 1440. of Antoninus archbishop of Florence who in hys hystorie plainely denieth the tenour of thys donation to be founde in the old bookes of the decrees Of Cusanus Cardinalis Lib. 3. Cap. 2. wryting to the Councell of Basil Anno 1460. Of Aeneas Syluius in Dialogo of Hier. Paulus Cattalanus An. 1496. of Raphael Volateranus An. 1500. of Lutherus An. 1537. c. all which by many and euident probations dispute and proue this donation taken out of a booke De gestis Syluestri and translated as they faine by one Bartholomeus Picernus out of Greke into Latine not to proceede from Constantinus but to be a thing vntruely
against them not onely here in Britayne but through all parts of Christendome by the Heathen infidels In so much that in the persecution onely of Dioclesian Maximinian raigning both together within one moneth xvij thousand martyrs are nūbred to haue suffered for the name of Christ as hath bene hetherto in the booke before sufficiently discoursed Thus therefore although the foresayd Lucius the Britaine king through the mercifull prouidence of God was then Christened and the gospel receaued generally almost in all the land yet the state thereof as wel of the Religion as of the common wealth coulde not be quiet for that the emperors nobles of Rome were yet infidels enemies to the same but especially for this cause the cause so happening that Lucius the Christen king died without issue for therby such trouble variance fel amōg the Britaines as it happeneth in al other Realmes namely in this our Realme of England when soeuer succession lacketh that not onely they brought vpon them the Idolatrous Romaines at length the Saxons but also in wrapped them selues in suche miserie and desolation as yet to thys day amongest them remayneth Such a thyng it is where a Prince or a King is in a kingdome there to lacke succession as especially in this case may appere For after the death of Lucius when the Barons and Nobles of the land could not accord wtin themselues vpon succession of the crowne stept in the Romaines got the crowne into their owne hands wherupon followed great misery and ruine to the realme for sometimes the Idolatrous Romaines sometimes the Britaynes raigned and ruled as violence and victorie would serue one king murderyng an other till at length the Saxones came and depriued them bothe as in processe hereafter followeth to be seene In the meane season touching the story of king Lucius here is to be reproued the fable of some wryters falsely faining of him that he shoulde after hys Baptisme receaued put of all his kingly honor and forsake the land be made a preacher who after long trauaile in preaching and teaching in Fraunce in Germany in Augusta in Sueuia at length was made Doctor and Rector of the Churche of Cureak where as this fable sayeth he suffered Martyrdome But this phātasie of whomsoeuer it first did spring disagreeeth from all our English stories Who with a full consent do for the most part cōcord in this that the said Lucius after he had foūded many Churches and geuen great riches and liberties to the same deceased with great tranquillitie in his owne lande and was buried at Glocester the 14. yeare after his Baptisme as the booke of Flores Historiarum doeth counte which was the yeare of our Lorde as he sayeth 201. and reckeneth his conuersion to be An. 87. In some I finde hys decease to be the fourth in some the tenth yeere after his Baptisme and holde that he raigned all the space of lxxvij yeares and thus much concerning king Lucius Now to proceede in order of the storie briefly to touch the state of the foresaid land of Britayne betwene the time of king Lucius and the entring of the Saxones who were the kings thereof and in what order they succeeded or rather inuaded one after an other this Catalogue heere vnder written will specifie Kinges of Britaine from the time of Lucius till the cōming of the Saxons Lucius a Britayne Seuerus a Romaine Bassianus a Romaine by the father Cerausius a Britayne Alectus a Romaine Asclepiodotus a Britayne Coilus a Britayne Constantius a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the Mother named Helena who being the daughter of Coel maryed to Constantius father of Cōstantinus is said to make the walles first of London also of Colchester muche about the yere of the Lorde 305. and borne in Britayne Octauius a Gewissian Maximinianus a Romaine borne but hys mother a Britaine Gratianus a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the mother Constans a Romaine by the father Votigerus a Gewissian or Bri. Vortimerus a Brit. Vortigernus againe By this table may appere a lamentable face of a common wealth so miserably rent and diuided into two sortes of people differing not so much in coūtrey as in religion For when the Romaines raigned so were they gouerned by the Infidels When the Britaynes ruled so they were gouerned by Christians Thus what quietnesse was or could be in the Church in so vnquiet and doubtful dayes it may easely be considered Albeit notwithstanding al these foresayd Heathen rulers of the Romaines which here gouerned yet God be praised we read of no persecution during all these x. persecutiōs aboue mentioned that touched the christian Britaynes before the last persecution onely of Dioclesian and Maximianus Herculius whych here then exercised much crueltie Thys persecution as it was the last among the Romane Christians so it was the first of many diuers that followed after in thys Churche and Realme of England wherof we will here after intreate Christ willing as order of the matter shall leade vs. In the meane tyme this rage of Dioclesian as it was vniuersally through all the churches in the world fierce vehement so in this realme of Britayne also it was so sore that as all our English Chronicles do testifie and recorde all Christianitie almost in the whole land was destroied Churches were subuerted all bookes of the Scripture burned many of the faythfull both men and women were slaine Among whom the first and chiefe was Albanus then Iulius Aaron and Amphibalus Of whome sufficiently hath bene sayde before What were the other or howe many they were that suffered beside stories make no rehearsall And thus much therof Nowe as concerning the gouernement of these aboue named kinges of Britayne although I haue little or nothing to note which greatly appertaineth to the matter of this Ecclesiasticall hystorie yet this is not to be past ouer first how in the order of these kings commeth Constantinus the great worthy Emperor not onely a Britayne borne by hys mother Helina being kyng Coilus daughter but also by the helpe of the Britaynes army vnder the power of God whych the sayde Constantine tooke wyth hym out of Britain to Rome obtained with great victory peace and tranquilitie to the whole vniuersall Church of Christ hauing iij. legions with him out of this realme of chosen able soldiors Wherby the strēgth of the lād was not a litle impaired indangered as afterward in this story foloweth After him likewise Maximian following his steppes tooke wyth him also as stories recorde all the power and strength whych was left and whatsoeuer he could make of able and fighting men to subdue Fraunce besides the garrisons whych he had out wyth him before sending for mo to the number of C.M. souldiors at once to be sent to hym out of Britayne into Fraunce At whych time also Conanus his partener being then in Fraunce sent ouer
the first telleth a tale concerning this matter In tymes past saith he when the seruice which Ambrose made was more frequented and vsed in Churches then was the seruice which Gregory had appointed the bishop of Rome then called Adrian gathered a Councell together in the which it was ordained that Gregories seruice should be obserued and kept vniuersally which determination of the Councell Charles the Emperor did diligeÌ„tly put in executioÌ„ while he ran about by diuers Prouinces inforced all the Clergy partly with threatnings and partly with punishments to receiue that order And as touching the bookes of Ambrose seruice he burnt them to ashes in all places and threw into prison many priests that would not consent and agree to the matter Blessed Eugenius the Bishop comming vnto the Councell found that it was dissolued iij. dayes before his comming Notwithstanding through his wisedome he so perswaded the Lord Pope that he called agayne all the Prelates that had bene present at the Councell and were now departed by the space of three dayes Therfore when the Councell was gathered agayne together in this all the fathers did consent and agree that both the Masse bookes of Ambrose and Gregory should be layd vpon the aulter of blessed Peter the Apostle and the church dores diligently shut and most warily sealed vp with the signets of many and diuers bishops Againe that they should all the whole night geue themselues to prayer that the Lord might reueale open shew vnto them by some euident signe or token which of these two seruices he would haue vsed in the Temples Thus they doing in all pointes as they had determined in the morning opened the church dores and founde both the Myssals or Masse bookes open vpon the aulter or rather as some say they found Gregories Masse booke vtterly plucked asunder one piece from an other and scattered ouer all the church As touching Ambrose booke they only found it open vpoÌ„ the aulter in the very same place where they before laid it This miracle Pope Adrian like a wyse expounder of dreames saith that as the leaues were torne and blown abroad all the church ouer so should Gregories booke be vsed throughout the world whereupoÌ„ they thought themselues sufficiently instructed and taught of God that the seruice which Gregory had made ought to be set abroad vsed throughout the world and that Ambrose his seruice should onely be obserued and kept in his owne church of Mediolanum where he sometyme was bishop Thus hast thou heard brother Reader the full and whole narration of this misticall miracle with the Popes exposition vpon the same which semeth to be as true as that which Daniell speaketh of how the Idoll Bell did eate vp all the meate that was set before him all the night Daniel 14. Concerning the which miracle I need not admonish thee to smell out the blind practises of these night-crowes to blind the world with forged inuentioÌ„s in stead of true stories Albeit to graunt the miracle to be most true vnfallible yet as touching the exposition therof another man beside the Pope percase might interprete this great miracle otherwise as thus That God was angry with Gregories booke and therfore rent it in pieces and scatered it abroad and the other as good lay sound vntouched and at the least so to be preferred Notwithstanding whatsoeuer is to bee thought of this miracle with the exposition therof thus the matter fell out that Gregories seruice had only the place and yet hath to this day in the greatest part of Europe the seruice of Ambrose beyng excluded And thus much touching the great act of Pope Adrian for the setting vp of the Masse By the relation wherof yet this knowledge may come to the Reader at least to vnderstand how that commonly in christen nations abroad as yet no vniforme order of any Missall or Masse booke was receiued as hath bene hetherto discoursed Now from the Popes to returne againe to the emperours from whence we digressed like as Pipinus the father of Charles as hath bene before sufficiently told had geuen to the sea Papall all the princedome of Rauenna with other donations and reuenewes landes in Italy so this Carolus following his fathers deuotion did confirme the same adding moreouer therunto the Citie and dominion of Venice Histria the Dukedome Foroiuliense the dukedom Spoletanum and Beneuentanum and other possessions moe to the patrimonie of S. Peter making him the Prince of Rome and of Italy The Pope agayne to recompence his so gentle kindnes made him to be intituled most Christen king and made him Patricium Romanum Moreouer ordeined him onely to bee taken for Emperour of Rome For these and other causes moe Carolus bare no little affection to the sayd Adrian aboue all other Popes as may well appeare by this letter of Carolus Magnus sent to king Offa what tyme the said Offa as is aboue prefixed sent to hym Alcuinus for entreatie of peace whereunto the foresayd Carolus aunswereth agayne to the message of Offa in a letter the contents whereof be these The tenour of a Letter sent by Carolus Magnus to king Offa answering to his request concerning the intreatie of peace betwene them CArolus Rex Francorum Longobardorum Patricius Romanorum viro venerando fratri charissimo Offae Regi Merciorum Salut Primò gratias agimus omnipotenti Deo de Catholicae fidei sinceritate quam in vestris laudabilibus paginis reperimus exaratam De peregrinis verò qui pro amore Dei salute animarum suarum beatorum Apostolorum limina desiderant adire cum pace sine omni perturbatione vadant Sed si aliqui religioni non seruientes sed lucra sectantes inueniantur inter eos locis opportunis statuta soluant telonia Negociatores quoque volumus vt ex mandato nostro patrocinum habeant in regno nostrolegitime Et si in aliquo loco iniusta affligantur oppressione reclament se ad nos vel nostros iudices plenam â—â—stitiam iubemus fieri Cognoscat quoque dilectio vestta quod aliquam benignitatem de Delmaticis nostris vel pallijs ad singulas sedes Episcopales regni vestri vel Ethelredi direximus in eleemosinam Domini Apostolici Adriani deprecantes vt pro eo intercedi iubeatis nullam habentes dubitationem beatam illius animam in requie esse sed vt fidem dilectionem ostendamus in amicum nobis charissimum Sed de thesauro humanarum rerum quum Dominus Iesus gratuita pietate concessit aliquid per Metropolitanas ciuitates Direximus vestrae quoque dilectioni vnum baltheum vnum gladium duo pallia serica c. The cause why this Carolus writeth so fauorablye of AdriaÌ„ partly is touched before partly also was for the Carolomane his elder brother being dead his wife called Bertha with her two Children came to Adrian to haue them confirmed in their fathers kingdome whereunto
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
Imperye But the bishop minding nothing lesse sendeth word againe not to be right to condemne any person his cause beyng not heard thus vnder the pretence of the law colouring his vnlawfull treatory Henricus thus disappointed and forsaken on euery side with his men about him attempteth battayle against Rodulphus In which battaile a meruailous great slaughter was on both sides but the victory on neither part certain So that both the Captaines yet chalenged the Empire After the battayle great murder on both sides they sent to Rome both to know of the Popes determination to whether of them two he iudged the right title of the empire to appertayne The Bishop commaundeth them both to break vp their armies and depart the field promising that he shortly will call a councell where this matter should be disputed In the meane time they should cease from warre But before the messengers returned agayne their armies beyng refreshed they had an other conflict together but no victory got on either part Thus both the Captaines beyng weried in warres the Romish beast the bishop which was the cause therof perceiuing whether these cruel wars would tend to the great calamitie not onely of the Germains but also of other nations trusting to find another way to helpe Rodulphus and his adherentes sendeth downe a commission by Ottho Archbishop of Treuers Bernardus Deacon and Bernardus Abbot of Massilia to whom he gaue in charge that they should call together a Councell or sitting in Almany and there to be defined to whether part the Empire should pertayne by most right and publicke consideration Promising that what they should therein determine he looking vpon the matter through the authoritie of God omnipotent and of S. Peter and Sainct Paule would ratifie the same Moreouer for that no let nor impeachment should happen to the Legates by the way he geueth with them letters to the princes and nations of Germany Whereof the contents be declared briefly in Platina if any list to read them But the Emperour would not so permit the Legates to haue any Councel within Germany except they would first depriue Rodulphus of his kingdome The Legates considering that to be against the drift and intention of the Pope returned agayne froÌ„ whence they came The Pope hearing this and seing his purpose so disappointed by the Emperour draweth out another excommunication against him and agayne bereaueth him of his kingdome sending about his letters excommunicatorie throughout all places thinkyng therby to further the part of Rodulphus the better Platina hath in his booke the whole effect of the writing which tendeth after this sort The copy of the second excommunication of Hildebrand against the Emperour BLessed S. Peter prince of the Apostles and thou Paule also the teacher of the Gentiles geue eare vnto me I beseech you a little and gently heare me for you are the disciples and louers of truth the things that I shall say are true This matter I take in hand for truth sake that my brethren whose saluation I seeke may the more obsequiously obey me and better vnderstand how that I trusting vpon your defence next to Christ and his mother the immaculate virgin resist the wicked and am ready to helpe the faythfull I did not enter this seate of myne owne accorde but much agaynst my will and with teares for that I accounted my selfe vnworthy to occupy so high a throne And this I say not that I haue chosen you but you haue chosen me and haue layed this great burthen vpon our shoulders And now where as by this your assignement I haue ascended vp this hill crying to the people and shewing them their faults to the children of the church their iniquities the members of Sathan haue risen vp agaynst me and haue layd hands together to seeke my bloud For the kings of the earth haue risen vp against me and the Princes of this world with whom also haue conspired certaine of the Clergy subiectes against the Lord and against vs his annointed saying let vs break a suÌ„der their bands cast off from vs their yoke This haue they done agaynst me to bring me either to death or to banishmeÌ„t In the number of whom is Henricus whome they call kyng the sonne of Henry the Emperour which hath lift vp so proudly hys hornes and heele against the church of God making conspiracie with diuers other bishops both Italians French Germains Against the pride of whom hetherto your authoritie hath resisted who rather being broken thâ—n amended comming to me in Cisalpina made humble sute to me for pardon absolution I thinking nothing els but true repentance in him receaued him again to fauour did restore him to the communion only from which he was excommunicate but to his kingdome from which in the Synode of Rome he was worthily expulsed I did not restore nor to the rentes and fruites therof that he might returne to the faith againe that I graunted not vnto him And that I did for this purpose that if he should deferre to fall to agreement with certaine of his neighbours whom he hath alwayes vexed and to restore agayn the goods both of the church and otherwise thaÌ„ he might be compelled by the censures of the Church and force of armes therunto Wherby diuers and sundry bishops and princes of Germany such as he had long troubled being helped by this opportunitie elected Rodolphus their Duke to be king in the place of Henricus whom they for his transgressions had remooued dispatched from his empire But Rodolphus first in this matter vsing a princely modestie and integritie sent vp his messengers to me declaring how he was constrained wild he nild he to take that regall gouernment vpon him albeit he was not so desirous therof but that he would rather shew himselfe obedient to vs then to the other that offied him the kingdom and whatsoeuer our arbitrement should be therin he would be vnder obedience both of God and of vs. And for more assurance of his obedience he hath sent his owne children hither for pledges Vpon this Henricus began to snuffe and first entreated with vs to restraine and inhibite Rodolphus through the paine of our curse from the vsurpation of his kingdom I aunswered againe I would see whether of them had more right and title thereunto so send our Legates thither vpon the same to know the whole state of the matter and thereupoÌ„ I would decide betwixt theÌ„ whither of them had truer part But Henricus would not suffer our Legates to come to take vp the matter and slew diuers both secular men and of the Clergy spoiling and prophaning churches and so by this meanes hath indangered himselfe in the bandes of excommunication I therefore trusting in the iudgement and mercy of God and in the supportation of the blessed virgin also vpon your authoritie do laye the sentence of curse vpon the said Henricus all his adherents
so returned they frustrate of their intent The purpose of the Soldan was if he might haue gotten Damiata to send the French king hyer vp in the East countries to Calipha the chiefe Pope of Damascus to encrease the tytles of Mahomet and to be a spectacle or gasing stocke to all those quarters of the worlde The maner of which Calipha was neuer left to any Christen prisoner come out whosoeuer came once in his handes But for somuch as the Soldan missed hys purpose he thought by aduise of counsell to vse the kinges lyfe for hys owne aduauntage in recouering the city of Damiata as in the end it came to passe For although the king at the first was greatly vnwilling and had rather die then surrender Damiata againe to the Saracens yet the conclusion so fel out that the king was put to hys raunsome and the Citty of Damiata was also resigned which citty being twise won and twise lost by the Christians the Soldan or Saladine afterward caused vtterly to be rased downe to the ground The raunsome of the king vppon condition that the Soldan should see himselfe conducted to Achon which I take to be Cesaria came to 60000. markes The number of Frenchmen and others which miscaryed in that warre by water and by land came to 80000 persons tHaec Mat. Parisi fol. 237.238 And thus haue ye the briefe narration of this lamentable peregrination of Lewes the French kyng In whiche when the French men beyng once or twise well offered by the Soldan to haue all the kingdome of Ierusalem and much more in free possession they not contented with that which was reasonable and sufficient for greedines to haue all lost all hauing at length no more then ther naked bodies could couer lying dead vpoÌ„ the ground al through the originall cause of the Pope and Ddo hys Legate By whole sinister meanes and pestilent pride not only the liues of so many Christians were then lost but also to the sayd Pope is to be imputed all the losse of other citties Christian regions bordering in the same quarters for aâ—muche as by the occasion hereof the hartes of the Saracens on yâ— one side were so encouraged the courage of the christias on the other side so much discomfited that in short space after both the dominion of Antioch and of Achon with all other possessions belonging to the Christians were lost to the great diminishing of Christes Church During the tyme of this good king lying at Achonâ—or Celaria almighty God sent such discorde betwene that Soldan of Halapia and the SoldaÌ„ of Babilon for letting the king so escape that the sayd Soldan or Salidin of Babilon to winne the king vnto hys syde entred league with him whome both hys brethren and all his nobles almost at home had forsaken and remitted hys raunsome and also restored vnto hym such prisoners as were in the sayde battayle fouÌ„d to be aliue Thus the Lord worketh where man commonly forsaketh Math Paris fol. 261. An other cause moreouer why the ruine of this French army may worthely be impured to the Pope is this for that wheÌ„ Lewes the French king perceauing what a necessary frend and helper Fredericke the Emperour might be to hym in these his affayres agaynst the Saracens and therfore was an earnest suter for him to the Pope to haue hym released yet neyther he nor the king of Englande by any meanes could obtayne it And although the Emperor himselfe offred to pope Innocent with all humble submission to make satisfaction in the Councell of Lyons promising also to expugne all the dominions of the Saracens and neuer to returne into Europe agayn and there to recouer whatsoeuer the Christians had lost so that the pope would onely grauÌ„t his sonne Henry to be Emperoure after him yet the proud pope woulde not be mollified but would needes proceede agaynst hym with both swordes that is first with the spirituall sword to accurse hym and then with the temporall sword to depose him froÌ„ his Emperial throne Through the occasion wherof not onely the French kinges power went to wracke but also such a fire of mischiefe was kindled agaynst all Christendome as yet to this day cannot be quenched For after this ouerthrowe of the French king and his army the Christians of Antioch and of other Christen regions theraboutes being vtterly discouraged gaue ouer there holdes and Citties Whereby the Saracens and after them the Turkes got such an hand ouer ChristeÌ„dome as to this day we al haue great cause to rue and lament Besides this where diuers Christians were crossed to go ouer and helpe the Frenche king the pope for mony dispensed with them to tary still at home But as I sayd the greatest cause was that the Emperour whiche coulde haue done most was deposed by the Popes tyranny whereby all those Churches in Asia were left desolate As touching the whiche Emperour Fredericke because we haue diuers and sundry tymes made meÌ„tion of him before and for that his story is straunge hys actes wonderous and his conflictes tragicall whiche he sustayned agaynst iiii or v. Popes one after an other I thought not out of story in a whole narration to set forth the same for the reader to consider what is to be iudged of this Cathedrall Sea of Rome which had wrought such abhominable mischiefe in the world as in the sequele of the story following faythfully translated out of Latiue into English is to be seene The whole tragicall history of Fredericke 2. Emperor translated out of the Latine booke of Nich. Cisnerus FRedericke the second came out of the auncient house of the Beblines or Gibillines which Gibillines came of the most famous stocke of the Frenche king and Emperours He had Fredericke Barbarossa to hys Graundfather whose sonne Henricus the 6. was Emperoure after hym who of ConstaÌ„tia the daughter or as some write the neece of Roger the first king of Sicile begate this Fredericke the second This Constantia was 50. yeares of age before she was conceaued with him whom the Emperour Henry 6. to auoyde all doubt and surmise that of her conception childing might be thought and to the peril of the Empeir ensue caused hys regall tent to be pitched abroade in place where euery man might resort And when the tyme of his Queenes trauaile approched Constantia in presence of diuers Ladyes and Matrons and other Gentle women of the Empire a great number was brought a bed and deliuered of this Fredericke the vii day before the Calendes of January in the yeare of Christes incarnation 1193. who by inheritaunce was king of Naples Apuha Calabria and Sicilia Henricus his father shortly after he was borne obtayned of the princes electors that by their oth to hun geuen they would chuse his sonne Fredericke for their Emperor after his discease and so did and immediately called hym Cesar being yet but in his cradle This Henry when he
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
the law and words which the Lord of hostes sent in his holy spirite by the Prophetes aforetime Also Esay witnessing after the same effect cap. 30. sayth For it is an obstinate people lying children and vnfaythfull children that will not heare the law of the Lord which say to the Prophetes meddle with nothing and tell vs nothing that is true and right but speake frendly wordes to vs. c. All this shall be verified when the Prelates begin to hate thē that tell them trueth and haue knowledge like vnto such of whō Amos speaketh chapter 5. They beare him euil wil that reproueth them openly and who so telleth them the playne trueth they abhorre him And therefore sayth the Lord to the Church of Ierusalem Ose 4. Seing thou hast refused vnderstanding I haue refused thee also that thou shalt no more be my priest And for so muche as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children and chaunge theyr honor into shame And so shall it be like priest like people c. And many other sayinges there be in the prophets speaking of the deiecting and casting downe of the priestly honor Besides these foresayde signes and tokens hitherto recited there be also diuers other As the backsliding from righteousnes the lacke of discreete and learned Priestes promoting of childrē into the Church with such other like But these being alreadye well noted and marked you may easely iudge and vnderstand whether these times now present of ours be safe and cleare from tribulation to be looked for and whether the word of the Lord be true according to my theame Iuxta est iustitia mea vt reueletur my righteousnes is neare at hande to bee reuealed c. And thus muche of the second part Now to the third part or member of my subdeuision which is concerning the false and perilous opinions of some vpon thys word of my theame vt veniat c. which opinions principally be 4. repugning all agaynst the truth of the canonicall Scripture The first opinion is of such men who hauing to much confifidence in thēselues do think and perswade with themselues that the Prelates be the Church which the Lord will alwayes keepe and neuer forsake as he hath promised in the persons of the Apostles Mathew 28. saying And I will be with you to the end of the world c But this is to be vnderstanced of fayth whereof Christ speaketh Luke 21. I haue prayd for thee that thy fayth shall not fayle Whereof we read Ecclesiast 40. fayth shall stand for euer c. And albeit Charity waxe neuer so colde yet fayth notwithstanding shall remayne in few and in all distresses of the world of the which distresses our Sauiour doth prophecy in many places to come And least peraduenture some shoulde thinke themselues to be safe from tribulation because they be of the church this opinion the Lord himselfe doth contrary in Ieremy the 7. Trust not sayth he in false lying wordes saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord and a litle after but you trust in wordes and lying counselles which deceiue you and doe you no good The second opinion is of them which deferre tyme for thys they well graunt that the Church shall abide trouble but not so shortly thinking thus with thēselues that these causes tokens afore recited haue bene before at other times as well in the churche For both by Gregory and Bernard holy doctors in time past the Prelates haue bene in like fort reprehended both for theyr bribinges for theyr Pompe and pride for the promoting of persons and children vnfitte vnto ecclesiasticall functions and other vyces moe which haue reigned before this in the Church of God more then now and yet by God his grace the Churche hath prospered and stand Doe ye not see that if an house haue stand and continued ruinous a long season it is neuer more neare the fall thereby but rather to be trusted the better Moreouer many times it commeth so to passe in Realmes and Kingdomes that the posterity is punished for the sinnes of the predecessors Whereof speaketh the booke of Lamentations the 5. chapter Our fathers haue sinned and are now gone and we must beare their wickednesse c. Agaynst this cogitation or opinion well doth the Lord aunswere by the Prophet Ezechiel chapter 12 saying Beholde thou sonne of man the house of Israel sayeth in this maner Tush as for the vision that he hath seene it will bee many a day or it come to passe It is farre of yet the thing that he prophecieth Therefore say vnto them thus sayth the Lord God The wordes that I haue spoken shall be deferred no longer looke what I haue sayd shall come to passe sayth the Lord. c. We haue seene in our dayes thinges to happen which seemed before incredible And the like hath bene seene in other times also as we read written in the booke of Lamentations chapter 4. The kinges of the earth nor all the inhabitaunce of the worlde would not haue beleeued that the enemy and aduersary shoulde haue come in at the gates of the Citty for the sinnes of her priestes and for the wickenesse of her Elders that haue shedde Innocentes bloud within her c. by Hierusalem as is sayd is ment thē Church The third opinion or error is very perilous and peruerse of all such as say veniat let come that will come Let vs conforme out selues to this world and take our time with those Temporifers which say in the booke of wisedome Sap. 2. Come let vs enioy our goodes and pleasures that be present and let vs vse the creature as in youth quickly c. Such as these be are in daungerous case and be greatly preiudicial to good men in the Church And if the heades and rulers of the Church were so vile to haue any such detestable cogitation in them there were no place in hell to deepe for them This Church founded by the Apostles in Christ consecrated with the bloud of so many Martyrs enlarged and increased with the vertues and merites of so many Sayntes and indued so richly with the deuosion of so many secular princes and so long prospered hetherto If it now should come into the hands of such persons it should fall in great daunger of ruine and they for theyr negligence and wickednes well deserued of God to be cursed yea here also in this present world to incurre temporall tribulation and destruction which they feare more by the sentence of the Lord saying to them in the booke of Prouerbes cap. 1. All my counsels ye haue despised and set my correctiō at nought Therefore shall I also laugh in your destruction when tribulation and anguish shall fall vpon you Fourthly an other opinion or errour is of such as being vnfaythfull beleue not any such thing to come And this errour
statute of prouision and premunire made in the 25. yeare of thys kynges dayes And let hym read in the statutes made in the parliamentes holden the 27 yeare and 38. yeare of hys raigne And vnder the same title of prouision and premunire shall finde the popes primacie and iurisdiction wythin this Realme more nearely touched and much of hys papall power restrayned In so much that who soeuer for any cause or controuersy in law either spirituall or temporal the same being determinable in any of the kyngs courts as all matters were whether they were personall or reall citations or other or should eyther appeale or consent to any appellation to be made out of the realme to the pope or see of Rome should incurve the sayd penaltie and daunger of premunire Diuers other matters wherein the Pope is restrained of his vsurped power authoritie iurisdiction within this realme of England are in the sayd titles and statutes expressed at large set forth who euer list to peruse the same which for breuities sake I omitte hastening to other matters About this tyme being the yeare of our Lorde 1370. lyued holy Brigit whom the Church of Rome hath canonised not onely for a saint but also for a Prophetesse who notwithstanding in her booke of reuelations which hath bene oft times imprinted was a great rebuker of the pope and of the filth of his clergie callyng him a murtherer of soules a spiller and a pyller of the flocke of Christ more abhominable then Iewes more crueller thē Iudas more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer hymselfe The see of the Pope she prophesieth shal be throwne down into the deepe lyke a mylstone And that his assister shall burne with brimstone Affirmyng that the prelates byshops priests are the cause why the doctrine of Christ is neglected and almost extincted And that the clergie haue turned the ten commaundementes of God into two wordes to wyt Da pecuniam that is Geue money It were long and tedious to declare all that she against them writeth Among the rest which I omytte let this suffice for all where as the sayde Briget affirmeth in her reuelations that when the holy Uirgine should say to her sonne howe Rome was a fruitfull and fertile field yea sayd hee but of weedes onely and cockle c. To thys Briget I will ioyne also Catherina Senensis an holy virgin which lyued much about the same tyme ann 1379. Of whome writeth Antoninus part historiae 3. Thys Katherine hauyng the spirite of prophesie was wōt much to complaine of the corrupt state of the church namely of the prelates of the court of Rome of the pope prophesying before of the great schisme which then folowed in the Church of Rome and dured to the Councell of Constance the space of xxxix yeares Also of the great warres ano tribulation which ensued vpon the same And moreouer declared before and foretold of this so excellēt reformation of religion in the Church now present The words of Antoninus be these After this Uirgine in her going to Rome had tolde her brother of the warres and tumultes that should rise in the coūtries about Rome after y◠schisme of the two Popes I then curious to know of thinges to come knowing that she vnderstood by reuelation what should happen demaunded of her I pray you good mother sayd I and what shall befall after these troubles in the Church of God And she sayd By these tribulations and afflictions after a secret maner vnknowne vnto man God shall purge his holy Church and stirre vp the spirit of his elect And after these thinges shall follow suche a reformation of the holy Churche of God and suche a renouation of holye Pastors that the onelye cogitation and remembraunce thereof maketh my spirit to reioyce in the Lord And as I haue oftentimes tolde you heretofore the spouse which now is all deformed and ragged shall be adorned and deckt with most rich and precious ouches and brouches And all the faythfull shall be glad and reioyce to see themselues so beautified with so holy shepheards Yea and also the Infidels then allured by the sweet sauour of Christ shall returne to the catholicke folde and be conuerted to the true Bishop and shepheard of their soules Geue thankes therefore to God for after this storme he will geue to his a great calme And after she had thus spoken she stayd and sayd no more Beside these aforenamed the Lord which neuer ceaseth to worke in his Church styrred vp agaynst the malignant church of Rome the spirites of diuers other good godly teachers as Matthias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne who about the yeare of our Lord 1370. wrote a large book of Antechrist and proueth him already come and noteth the Pope to be the same Which booke one Illiricus a writer in these our dayes hath promiseth to put it in print In this booke he doth greatly inuey against the wickednesse and filthines of the Clergy and agaynst the neglecting of theyr duety in gouerning the church The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalips he sayth be the hypocrites raigning in the church The workes of Antechrist he sayth be these the fables and inuentions of men raigning in the Church the Images fained reliques that are worshipped euery where Itē that men do worship euery one his proper Saint and Sauior beside Christ so that euery mā and City almost hath his diuers and peculiar Christ. He taught and affirmed moreouer that godlines true worship of God are not boūd to place persons or times to be heard more in this place thē in an other at this time more thē at an other c. He argueth also agaynst the cloisterers which leauing the onely and true Sauior set vp to them selues theyr Franciscanes theyr Dominickes and suche other and haue them for theyr Sauiors glorying and triumphing in them and fayning many forged lyes vpon them He was greatly and much offended with Monks friers for neglecting or rather burying the word of Christ and in stead of him for celebrating setting vp theyr own rules and canons affirming it to be much hurtfull to true godlines for that Priestes Monkes and Nunnes do account themselues onely spirituall and all other to be lay secular attributing onely to themselues the opinion of holynes contemning other men with al theyr politick administration the office as prophane in cōparison of theyr owne He further writeth that Antechrist hath seduced all Uniuersities Colleges of learned men so that they teach no sincere doctrine neither geue any light to the Christiās with theyr teaching Finally he forewarneth that it will come to passe that God yet once againe will raise vp godly teachers who being feruent in the spirite and zeale of Helias shall disclose and refute the errors of Antechrist and Antechrist himselfe openly to the whole world This Mathias in the sayd booke of
Antechrist alledgeth the sayinges and writinges of the Uniuersity of Paris also the writings of Guilielmus de sacto amore and of Militzius afore noted About the same time or shortly after an 1384. we read also of Ioannes of Mountziger Rector of the Uniuersity of Ulme who opēly in the scholes in his Oratiō propoūded that the body of Christ was not God and therfore not to be worshipped as God with that kinde of worship called Latria as the Sophister termeth it meaning thereby the Sacrament not to be adored which afterward he also defended by writing affirming also that Christ in his resurrection tooke to him agayne all his bloud which in hys passion he had shed Meaning thereby to inferre that the bloud of Christ which in many places is worshipped neither can be called the bloud of Christ neither ought to be worshipped But by and by he was resisted and withstood by the Monks and friers who by this kinde of Idolatry were greatly enriched till at length the Senate councell of the city was fayne to take vp the matter betwene them Nilus was Archbishop of Thessalonica liued much about this time He wrote a long worke agaynst the Latins that is agaynst such as tooke part and held with the Church of Rome His first book being written in Greeke was after translated into latin lately now into english in this our time In the first chap. of his book he layeth all the blame and fault of the dissention schisme betwene the East and the West Church vpon the Pope He affirmed that the Pope onely would commaund what him listed were it neuer so contrary to all the olde auncient canōs That he would heare and folow no mans aduise that he would not permit any free coūcels to be assēbled c. And that therfore it was not possible that the cōtrouersies betwene the Greeke Church and Latine Church should be decided and determined In the second chap. of his book he purposedly maketh a very learned disputation For first he declareth that he no whit at all by Gods commaūdement but onely by humain law hath any dignity more thē hath other bishops which dignity the Councels the fathers the Emperors haue graunted vnto him Neither did they graūt the same for any other consideration more or greater ordinaunce then for that the same City then had the Impery of all the whole world and not at all for that that Peter euer was there or not there Secondarily he declareth that the same premacy or prerogatiue is not such and so great as he and his Sicophāts do vsurpe vnto thēselues Also he refuteth the chiefest propositions of the Papistes one after an other He declareth that the Pope hath no dominion more thē other Patriarches haue and that he himselfe may erre as well as other mortall men and that he is subiect both to lawes councels as well as other Bishops That it belonged not to him but to the Emperor to call generall councels that in Ecclesiasticall causes he could establish and ordeine no more then all other Bishops might And lastly that he getteth no more by Peters succession then that he is a Byshop as all other Bishops after the Apostles be c. I can not among other folowing here the occasion of this matter offered leaue out the memory of Iacobus Misnensis who also wrote of the comming of Antechrist In y◠same he maketh mentiō of a certayn learned man whose name was Militzius which Militzius sayth he was a famous and worthy preacher in Parga He liued about the yere 1366. long before Husse and before Wickliffe also In the same his writings he declareth how y◠same good man Militzius was by the holy spirit of God incited and vehemently moued to search out of the holy Scriptures the maner and comming of Antechrist and found that now in his time he was all ready come And the same Iacobus sayth that the sayd Militzius was constrayned by the spirite of God to go vp to Rome there publickely to preach And that afterward before the Inquisitour he affirmed the same That the same mighty and great Antechrist the which the Scriptures made mention of was already comen He affirmed also that the Church by the negligence of the Pastors should become desolate and that iniquitye should abound that is by reason of Mammon master of iniquitie Also he sayde that there were in the Church of Christ idols which shoulde destroy Ierusalem and make the tēple desolate but were cloked by hypocrisy Further that there be many whych deny Christ for that they keepe silence neither do they heare Christ whome all the world should know and cōfesse his verity before men which also wittingly do detaine the verity and iustice of God There is also a certaine Bull of Pope Gregory 11. to the Archbishop of Praga wherin he is commanded to excommunicate and persecute Militzius and his auditours The same Bull declareth that he was once a Chanon of Praga but afterward he renounced his Canonship began to preache who also for that he so manifestly preached of Antichrist to be already come was of Iohn Archbishop of Praga put in prison declaring what hys errour was To wit howe he had his company or cōgregation to whō he preached and that amongst the same were certain conuerted harlots which had forsaken their euill life and did liue godly and well whych harlots he accustomed in hys sermons to preferre before all the blessed virgins that neuer offended He taught also openly that in the Pope cardinals Bishops prelates priests other religious men was no truth neither that they taught the way of truth but that onely he such as held with him taught the true way of saluation His Postill in some places is yet to be sene They alledge vnto him certaine other inconuenient articles which notwtstanding I thinke the aduersaries to depraue him with all haue slanderously inuented against hym He had as appeared by the foresaid Bull very many of euery state and condition as wel rich as pore that cleaued vnto him About the yeare of our Lord. 1371. liued Henricus de Iota whom Gerson doth much commend and also his companiō Henricus de Hassia an excellent learned and famous man An Epistle of this Henricus de Hassia which he wrote to the Bishoppe of Normacia Iacobus Cartsiensis inserted in his booke De erroribus Christianorum In the same Epistle the author doth greatly accuse the spirituall men of euery order yea and the most holyest of all other the Pope himselfe of many and great vices He sayd that the Ecclesiasticall gouernors in the primitiue Church were compared to the sunne shining in the day time and the politicall gouernors to the Moone shyning in the night But the spirituall men he said that now are do neuer shine in the day time nor yet in the night time but rather with theyr darcknes do obscure both the day
Wherefore afterward he tasted and suffred much aduersity trouble And not long after in the yeare of our Lord sayth he 1372. he wrote vnto the Byshop of Rome that he should not by any meanes entermeddle any more wtin his kingdom as touching the reseruation or distribution of benefices and that all such by shops as were vnder hys dominion should enioy their former and ancieÌ„t liberty and be confirmed of theyr Metropolitanes as hath ben accustomed in tunes past c. Thus much wryteth CaxtoÌ„ But as touching the iust number of the yere and time we will not be very curious or carefull about at this present Thys is out of all doubt that at what time all the worlde was in most desperate and vile estate that the lamentable ignorance and darknes of God his truth had ouershadowed the whole earth this man stepped forth like a valiant champioÌ„ vnto whom it may iustly be applyed that is spoken in the boke called Ecclesiasticus of one Simon the sonne of Onias Euen as the morning star being in the middest of a cloud as the Moone being ful in her course and as the bryght beames of the Sunne so doeth he shine and glister in the temple and Church of God Thus doth almighty God continually succor helpe wheÌ„ all thinges are in dispaire being alwaies according to the Prophecye of the Psalme a helper in tyme of need The which thing neuer more playnely appeared then in these latter dayes and extreme age of the Church when as the whole state condition not onely of worldly things but also of Religion was depraued and corrupted That like as the disease named Lethargus among the Phisâ—uons euen so the state religion amongst the Diuines was past al mens helpe and remedy The onely name of Christ remayned amongest Christians but his true liuely doctrine was as farre vnknowne vnto the most part as his name was coÌ„mon vnto al men As touching fayth coÌ„solation the end vse of the law the office of Christ of our impotency and weaknes of the holy ghost of the greatnes strength of sinne of true works of grace and free iustification of liberty of a Christian man wherein consisteth and resteth the summe and matter of our profession there was no mention or any word almost spokeÌ„ of Scripture learning diuinity was knowne but vnto a few that in the scholes onely there also turned coÌ„uerted almost al into sophistry In stead of Peter Paule men occupyed theyr time in studying Aquinas and Scotus and the maister of senteÌ„ce The worlde leauing forsaking the liuely power of Gods spirituall word and doctrine was altogether led and blinded with outward ceremonies humaine traditions wherein the whole scope in a maner of all christian perfection did consist depend In these was all the hope of obteining saluation fully fixed hereunto all thynges were attributed In so much that scarcely any other thyng was sene in the temples or Churches taught or spoken of in sermoÌ„s or finally inteÌ„ded or gone about in theyr whole life but only heaping vp of certain shadowed ceremonies vpon ceremonies neither was there any end of theyr heaping The people were taught to worship no other thing but that which they did see and did see almost nothing whiche they did not worship The Church being degenerated from the true Apostolick institutioÌ„ aboue al measure reseruing onely the name of the Apostolick Church but farre from the truth thereof in very deede did fall into all kinde of extreme tyranny where as the pouerty and simplicity of Christ was chauÌ„ged into cruelty and abhomination of life In stead of the Apostolicke giftes and continuall labours and trauelles slouthfulnes ambitioÌ„ was crept in amongst the priests Besides all this there arose sprong vp a thousand sortes and fashions of straunge religions being the onely root well head of all superstitioÌ„ How great abuses and deprauations were crept into the Sacramentes at what tyme they were compelled to worship similitudes and signes of thinges for the very things themselues and to adore such things as were instituted and ordeined onely for memorials Finally what thing was there in the whole state of Christen religion so sincere so sound and pure which was not defiled and spotted with some kind of superstitioÌ„ Besides this with how many bondes snares of dayly new fangled ceremonies the sely consciences of men redeemed by Christ to liberty were snared and snarled In so much that there could be no great differeÌ„ce almost perceiued betwene Christianitie and Iuishnes saue onely the name of Christ so that the state and condition of the Iewes might seeme somwhat more tolerable then ours There was nothing sought for out of the true fountaines but out of the dirty pudles of the Philistians The christian people were wholy caried away as it were by the noses with mere decrees and constitutions of men euen whether as pleased the bishops to lead them and not as Christes will did direct them All the whole world was filled and ouerwhelmed with errours and darknesse And no great maruell for why the simple and vnlearned people being far from all knowledge of the holy Scripture thought it sufficient inough for them to know onely these things whych were deliuered them by their pastors and shepheards and they on the other part taught in a maner nothing els but such things as came foorth of the Court of Rome Whereof the most part tended to the profite of their order more then to the glory of Christ. The Christian faith was esteemed or counted none other thing then but that euery man should know that Christ once suffred that is to say that all men should know and vnderstand that thing which the deuils theÌ„selues also knew Hypocrisie was counted for wonderful holines All men were so addict vnto outward shewes that euen they theÌ„selues which professed that most absolute singular knowledge of the scriptures scarsly did vnderstaÌ„d or know any other thing And thys euideÌ„tly did appere not only in the common sort of doctâ—urs and teachers but also in the very heades and captaines of the Church whose whole religion and holines consisted in a maner in the obseruing of dayes meates and garments and such like rethorical circumstances as of place time person c. Hereof sprang so many sorts fashions of vestures and garments so many differences of colours meates with so many pilgrimages to seuerall places as though f. Iames at Compostella could do that which Christ could not do at Canterbury Or els that God were not of like power strength in euery place or could not be found but being sought for by running gadding hether and thether Thus the holines of the whole yere was traÌ„sported and put of vnto the Lent season No countrey or land was counted holy but onely Palestina where Christ had walked himselfe wyth his corporall feete Such was the blindnes of
knowledge mee guiltie so as I knew no errour in theÌ„ of which I should be guilty therfore the Byshop sate in dome in mine abseÌ„ce and deemed me an heriticke a schismaticke and a teacher of errours and denounced me accursed that I come not to correction of the Church And therefore for this vnrightfull iugement I appeale to the kinges Iustices for many other causes One cause is for the kynges Court in such matter is aboue the Byshops court For after that the Byshop has accursed he may no feare by his law but theÌ„ mote he sech succour of the kinges law and by a writ of Significauit put a man in prison The second cause is for in cause of heresie there liggeth iudgement of death that dome may not be geuen without the kinges Iustices For the Byshop will say Nobis non licet interficere quenquam That is It is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man as they sayden to Pilate when Christ should be deemed And for I thinke that no Iustice wil geue sodenly vntrue dome as the Byshop did and therfore openly I appeale to hem and send my conclusioÌ„s to the Knightes of the Parliament to be shewed to the Lordes and to be taken to the Iustices to be wel auiset or that they geuen dome The thirde cause is for it was a false dome for no man is an hereticke but he that maisterfully defends his error or heresie and stifly maintaines it And mine auÌ„swere has ben alway coÌ„ditional as the people openly knows for euer I say yet say alway will that if they caâ—nen shew me by Gods law that I haue erret I wil gladly ben ameÌ„det and reuoke mine errours and so I am no hereticke ne neuer more in Gods grace will ben en no wise The fourth cause is For the Bishops lawe that they deme men by is full of errours and heresies contrary to the truth of Christes law of the Gospell For there as Christs law biddes vs loue our enemies the Popes law geues vs leaue to hate them to sley them and grauntes men pardon to werren againe heatheÌ„ men and sley hem And there as Christes lawe teache vs to be mercifull the Bishops lawe teaches to be wretchfull For death is the greatest wretch that meÌ„ mowen done on him that guilty is There as Christes law teaches vs to blessen him that diseazen vs and to pray for him the popes law teacheth to curse them and in theyr great sentence that they vsen they presume to damne hem to hell that they cursen And this is a foule heresy of blaspheme there as Christes law byddes vs be patient the Popes law iustifies two swords that wherwith he smiteth the sheepe of the Church And he has made Lordes and Kings to sweare to defend him and his Church There as Christes law forbiddeth vs lecheâ—y the popes law iustifies the abhominable whoredome of coÌ„mon women and the Bishops in some place haue a great tribute or rent of whoredome There as Christes lawe byddes to minister spirituall thynges freely to the people the Pope with his law selles for mony after the quaÌ„tity of the gift as pardons orders blessing and Sacraments prayers benefices preaching to the people as it is knowne amongest them There as Christes law teaches peace the Pope wyth his law assoyles meÌ„ for mony to gader the people priests and other to fight for his cause There as Christes law forbids swearing The popes law iustifieth swearing and compels men therto Wheras Christes law teacheth his Priests to be poore the Pope with his law iustifies and mayntaynes Priests to be Lordes And yet the 5 cause is for the Popes law that byshops demen men by is the same vnrightfull law that Christ was demet by of the Byshops with the Scribes and with the Pharises For right as at that time they gauen more credens to the 2. false witnesses that witnessed agaynst Christ then they deden to al the people that witnesseden to his true preaching and his miracles so the Bishops of the Popes law geuen more leuen by their law to two hereticks Apostats or two comen wymen that woulden witnesseden agaynes a man in the cause of heresy than to thousands of people that were trew and good And for the Pope is thys Antechrist and his law contrary to Christ his lawe fully I forsake this law and so I reed all Christen menne For thus by an other poynt of this law they mighten coÌ„quere much of this world For whan they can by this law preseÌ„t a man an hereticke his goods shulen be forfet from him froÌ„ his heyres and so might they lightly haue 2. or 3. false witnesses to recorde an heresye agayne what true man so hem liked Herefore me thinkes that whatsoeuer that I am a christen man I may lawfull appeale froÌ„ a false dome of the law to be righteouslye demet by the trouth of Gods law And if this appeale will not serue I appeale opeÌ„ly to my Lord Iesu Christ that shall deme all the world for he I wot well will not spare for no man to deeme a trouth And therfore I pray GOD almighty with Dauid in the Sauter booke Deus iudicium tuum regi da iustitiam tuam filio regis Iudicare populum tuum in iustitia pauperes tuos in iudicio That is O God geue they iudgement to the king and thy iustice to the kings sonne to iudge thy people in iustice and thy poore ones in iudgement c. ¶ A letter sent to the Nobles and Burgesies of the Parliament by M. William Swinderby IEsu that art both God and man help thy people that louen thy law and make knowne through thy grace thy teachinge to all christen men Deare sirs so as we seen by many tokens that this world drawes to an end all that euer haue bene forth brought of Adams kinde into this world shuleÌ„ come togeder at domesday riche and poore ichone to geue accompt and receiue after hys deedes ioy or paynen for euermore Therfore make we our werks good ye while that God of mercy abides and be yee stable and true to God and ye shulen see hys helpe about you Constantes estore videbitis auxilium Domini super vos This land is full of Ghostly cowardes in Ghostly battayle few dare stand But Christ the comforter of all that falleth to that his hart barst for our loue agaynst the fiend the doughty Duke comforteth vs thus Estote fortes in bello c. Be ye strong in battell he sayes and fight ye with the olde adder State in fide viriliter agite c. Wake ye pray ye stond ye in beleue do ye manly and be ye comfortet and let all your thinges be done with charity For Saynt Paule bidds thus in his Epistle that saw the preuetyes of God in heauen Euigilate iusti c. Awake ye that bene righteous men bee yee stable
obserued Christ hath fulfilled the lawes morall of the old testament because that the morals and iudicials were ordained that one person should not do iniury to an other that euery man should haue paid him that is hys Now they that are in charity wil do no iniury to others neither do they take other mens goodes away from them Nay it seeketh not her owne things For charitie seeketh not the things that be her owne Wherfore much lesse by a stronger reason it ought not to seke for other mens goods And wheÌ„ as the iudicials morals were ordained Christ did not by the workes of the law iustifie the beleuers in him but by grace iustified them froÌ„ their sins And so did Christ fulfill that by grace that the lawe could not by iustice Paule to the Romaines declareth in a godly discourse and to the Galath likewise that none shall be iustified by the workes of the lawe but by grace in the faith of Iesu Christ. As for the morals ceremonies of the lawe as circumcision sacrifices for offence and for sinnes first fruites tenthes 〈◊〉 diuers sortes of washings the sprinkling of bloud the sprinkling of ashes abstaining from vnclean meats whych are ordeined for the sanctifying and clensing of the people froÌ„ sinne no nor yet the praiers of the priests neither the preachings of the prophets could clense a man from his sin For death raigned euen from Adam to Moises and sinne from Moises to Christ as Paule declareth to the Romaines in the 5. chapter But Christ willing to haue mercy and not sacrifice being a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech an high Priest of good things to come did neither by the bloud of goats or calues but by his owne bloud enter in once vnto the holy places when as euerlasting redemption was founde neither did Iesus enter into the holy places that were made wyth handes which are the examples of true thynges but into the very heauen that now he may appeare before the countenaunce of God for vs. Nor yet he did so that he should offer vp himselfe oftentimes as the high Byshop entred into the holy place euery yeere with straunge bloud for otherwise he must nedes haue suffred oftentimes sithens the beginning of the world but now in the latter end of the world hath he once appeared by his owne sacrifice for the destruction of sinne And like as it is decreed for men once to die and after that commeth iudgement euen so was Christ once offred vp to coÌ„sume away the sinnes of many The second time shall hee appeare without sinne to the saluation of such as looke for him For the law hauing a shadow of good things to come and not the very image or substaunce it selfe of the things can neuer by those sacrifices which they offer of one selfe same sort continually yere by yere make them perfect that come vnto her Otherwise men would leaue of offring because that those worshyps being once clensed should haue no more prâ—â—â—e of conscience for sinne afterwardes But in them is their remembrance made of sinnes euery yere For it is impossible that by the bloud of goats bulles sinnes should be taken away Wherfore he entring into the world doth say as for sacrifice and offring thou woldst not haue but a body hast thou framed vnto mee And sacrifices for sinne haue not pleased thee then said I behold I come In the head or principall part of the booke it is wrytten of me that I should do thy wil O God Wherfore he said before that sacrifices oblations and burnt offerings and that for sinne thou wouldest not haue neyther were those thyngs pleasaÌ„t to thee whych are offred according to the law then sayd I behold I come that I may do thy wil O God He taketh away the first that he may stablish that that folowed In whych will we are sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Iesus Christ ones And verely euery Priest is ready euery day ministring oftentimes offring the self same sacrifices which neuer can take away sinnes But this man offering one sacrifice for sinnes doth for euer and euer sit at Gods right haÌ„d looking for the rest to come till that hys enemies be placed to be his footestoole For with one offering hath hee for euer made perfect those that be sanctified By which thinges it plainly appeareth that Christ by one offring hath clensed hys from their sinnes who could not be clensed from the same by all the ceremonies of the law and so did fulfill that which the priesthoode of the law could not Wherfore onely the morals and iudicials he fulfilled by the lawe of charitie and by grace and the ceremonials by one offering vp of hys body in the aultar of the crosse And so it is plaine that Christ fulfilled the whole lawe Wherfore sithens that the holy things of the law were a shadowe of those things that were to come in the time of grace it were meete that all those thynges should vtterly cease amongest Christians which should either be against charity or the grace of Christ. Although in the time of the lawe they were lawfull and not vtterly contrary to it but were figures of perfections in Christes faith yet it were meete that they should cease at the comming of the perfection whych they did prefigurate as circumcision the eating of the paschal lambe and other ceremonial points of the law Wherupon also Paul to the Hebrues the 7. chapter sayeth thus If therfore the making vp of the perfection of all was by the Leuiticall priesthode for the people receiued the law vnder hym why was it necessary besides that an other Priest should rise vp after the order of Melchisedech not be called after the order of Aaronâ— For wheÌ„ the Priesthode is remoued it must needes be that the lawe also be remoued For he in whom these things are spokeÌ„ is of an other tribe of which none stoode present at the aulter Because it is manifest that our Lorde had hys offspring of Iuda in which tribe Moises spake nothing of the Priests And besides this it is manifest if according to the order of Melchisedech there doe rise vp an other Priest which was not made according to the law of the carnal commaundement but according to the power of the life that cannot be losed For thus he beareth witnes that thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech so that the coÌ„mandement that went before is disalowed for the weakenes vnprofitablenesse thereof For the lawe hath brought no body to perfection By which things it appeareth that Christ making an end of the priesthode of Aaron doth also make vp a full end of the law belonging to that Priesthode Wherupon I maruell that your learned men doe say that Christen folkes are bound to this small ceremonie of the paiment of tithes and care nothing at all
that looke for him to their saluation For the lawe hauing a shadowe of good thinges to come can neuer by the Image it selfe of thinges which euery yeare without ceasing they offer by such sacrifices make those perfect that come therunto for otherwise that offering should haue ceased Because that such worshippers being once cleansed from theyr sinnes should haue no more conscience of sinne But in these commemoratioÌ„ is made euery yere of sinne for it is impossible that by the bloud of Goates and Calues sinnes should be purged and taken away Therfore comming into the world he sayd Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not haue but a body hast thou geuen me peace offeringes for sinne haue not pleased thee Then sayd I behold I come In the volume of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O God Saying as aboue because thou wouldest haue no sacrifices nor burnt offeringes for sinne neyther doest thou take pleasure in those things that are offered according to the law Then sayd I behold I come that I may doe thy will O God He taketh away the first to stablishe that which followeth In which will we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once for all And euery priest is ready dayly ministring and oftentimes affering like sacrifices which can neuer take away sinnes But this Iesus offering one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euermore on the right hand of God expecting the time tyll his enemies be made his footstoole For by his owne onely oblation hath he consummated for euermore those that are sanctified All these places haue I recited which Paule writeth for the better vnderstanding and declaration of those thinges I meane to speak By all which it appeareth manifestly how the Priesthood of Christ differeth from the legall priesthood of Aaron and by the same also appeareth how the same differeth from all other priesthood Christian that immitateth Christ. For the properties of the priesthood of Christ aboue recited are founde in no other Priest but in Christ alone Of the third priesthood that is the Christian priesthood Christ by expresse wordes speaketh but litle to make any difference betwene the priests and the rest of the people neither yet doth vse this name of Sacerdos or praesbiter in the Gospell But some he calleth disciples some apostels whom he sent to baptise to preach in his name to do miracles He calleth them the salt of the earth in which the name of wisedome is ment and he calleth them the light of the world by which good liuing is signified For he sayth So let your light so shine before meÌ„ that they may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen And Paule speaking of the Priestes to Timothe and Titus seemeth not to mee to make any diuersity betwixt the Priestes and the other people but in that he woulde haue them to surmount other in knowledge and perfection of life But the fourth priesthood is the Romaine priesthood brought in by the Church of Rome which Churche maketh a distinction betwene the clergy and the lay people after that the clergy is deuided into sundry degrees as appeareth in the decretals This distinction of the clergy from the laitye with the consure of clerkes began in the time of * Anacletus as it doth appeare in the Chronicles The degrees of the clergy were afterward inuedted distincted by their offices and there was no ascentioÌ„ to the degree of the priesthood but by inferior orders and degrees But in the primitiue churche it was not so for immediately after tht conuersion of some of theÌ„ to the fayth baptisme receiued they were priests bishops made as appeareth by Ananias whom Marcus made of a taylor or shomaker to be a bishop And of many others it was in like case done according to the traditions of the church of Rome Priests are ordeined to offer sacrifices to make supplication and prayers and to blesse sanctify The oblation of the priesthood onely to Priestes as they say is congruent whose duties are vpon the aultar to offer for the sinnes of the people the Lords body which is coÌ„secrated of bread Of which saying I haue great maruell considering S. Paule his wordes to the Hebrues before recited If Christ offering for our sinnes one oblation for euermore sitteth on the right hand of God and wyth that one oblation hath coÌ„suÌ„mated for euermore those that are sanctified If Christ euermore sitteth on the right hand of God to make intercession for vs what neede he to leaue here any sacrifice for our sinnes of the Priestes to be dayly offered I do not finde in the scriptures of God nor of his Apostles that the body of Christ ought to be made a sacrifice for sinne but onely as a Sacrament and commemoration of the sacrifice passed whiche Christ offered vpon the aultar of the crosse for our sinnes For it is an absurditye to say that Christ is now euery day really offered as a sacrifice vpon the aultar by the Priestes for then the Priestes should really crucify him vpoÌ„ the aultar which is a thing of no Christian to be beleeued But euen as in his supper his body his bloud he deliuered to his Disciples in memorial of his body that should be crucified on the morrow for our sinnes So after his asceÌ„tion did his Apostles vse the same when they brake bread in euery house for a SacrameÌ„t and not for a sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. And by this meanes were they put in remembraunce of the great loue of Christ who so entirelye loued vs that willinglye he suffered the death for vs for the remission of our sinnes And thus did they offer theÌ„selues to God by loue being ready to suffer death for the confession of his name and for the sauing health of theyr brethren fulfilling the new commaundement of Christ which sayd vnto them A new coÌ„mauÌ„dement do I geue vnto you that you loue one another as I haue loued you But wheÌ„ loue began to waxe cold or rather to be frosen for cold thorow the anguish anxiety of persecution for the name of Christ then Priests did vse the flesh and bloud of Christ in â—â—tad of a sacrifice And because many of them feared death some of them fled into solitarye places not daring to geue themselues a sacrifice by death vnto God through the confession of his name sauing health of theyr brethreÌ„ Some other worshipped Idols fearing death as did also the chiefe Bishop of Rome and many other mo in diuers places of the world And thus it came to passe as that which was ordeined and instituted for a memoriall of the one onely sacrifice was altered for want of loue into the realitye of the sacrifice it selfe ¶ After these thinges thus discussed he inferreth consequently vpon the same an other briefe tractation of women
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
prists neither ruling the people mainteining ne defending fro enemies as it falleth to knights neither traueling on the earth in diuerse craftes as it falleth to labourers Whan the day of rokening commeth that is the end of this life right as he liued here withouten trauaile so he shall there lack the reward of the pense that is the endles ioie of heauen And as he was here liuing after none state ne order so he shall be put than in that place that no order is in but euerlasting horror and sorow that is in hell Herfore eueriche man se to what state God hath cleped him and dwell he therin by trauaile according to his degree Thou that art a laborer or a crafty man do this truelly If thou art a seruaunt or a bond man be suget and lowe in drede of displeasing of thy Lord If thou art a marchaunt disceiue nought thy brother in chaffering If thou art a knight or a Lord defend the poore man and needy fro handes that will harme them If thou art a Iustice or a Iudge go not on the right hand by fauour neyther on the left hand to punish any man for hate If thou art a priest vndernine praye and repreue in all maner patience and doctrine Vnderuime thilke that ben negligent pray for thilke that bene obedient reproue tho that ben vnobedient to God So euery man trauaile in his degree For whan the euen is come that is the end of this worlde than euerye man shall take reward good or euill after that he hath traualled here The wordes that I haue taken to make of my sermon be thus muche to say Yelde reconing of thy bayly Christ autour of pitye and louer of the saluation of his people in the proces of this gospell enfourmeth euery man what is his baylye by maner of a parable of a bayly that he speaketh of to aray him to answer of the goodes that God hath taken him when the day of straight reconing shall be come that is the day of dome And so I at this tyme throwe the helpe of God folowing him that is so great a maister of autoritie because that I know nothing that should more drawe away mans vnreasonable loue fro the passing ioy of thys world then the minde of the dreadfull reconing As much as suffice I shall shewe you how ye shall dispose you to auoide the vengeaunce of God when ther shal be time of so straight doome that we shall geue reconing of euery idle word that we haue ispoken For than it shal be said to vs and we shall not flee it Yelde reconing of thy bayly But for forther proces of this first party of this sermon yee shall wete that there shall be three bay lifes that shall be cleped to this straight reconing Twaine to answer for them selfe and for other that bene priests that haue cure of mens soules temporal mē that haue gouernayle of people and the thirde baylyf shall acount onely for himselfe and that is euerye Christen man of that he hath receiued of God And euery of these shall aunswer to three questions To the first question how hast thou entred The second how hast thou ruled And to the third how hast thou liued And if thou canst well assoile these three questions was there neuer none earthly Lord that euer so well rewarded his seruant without comparison as thy Lord God shal reward thee that is with blisse and ioye and life that euer shall last But on that other side and thou wilt now be recheles of thine owne welfare and take none heede of this reconing If that day take thee sodainly so that thou passe hence in deadly sinne as thou worst neuer what shall fall thee all the toungs that euer were or euer shall be mow not tell the sorrowe and wo that thou shalt euer be in and suffer Therefore the desire of so great ioy and the dread of so great paine thoughe loue ne dread of God were not in thine hart yet should that make thee afeard to sinne for to thinke that thou shalt giue reconing of thy bayly Therefore as I say to thee the first question that shall be proposed to the first bayly that is a prelat other a Curat of mens soules is this How hast thou entred Math. xxij Friend how entredst thou hether Who brought thee in to this office Truth or Symony God or the Deuill Grace or mony The flesh or the spirit Giue thou thy reconing if thou canst If thou canst not I rede that thou tary for to learne For vp hap ere night thou shalt be cleped And if thou stande dombe for vnkunning or els for confusion of thy conscience thou fall into the sentence that anon followeth Binde his handes and his feete and cast him in to the vtter warde of darknes there shall be weeping and grenning of teethe Therfore I rede thee that thou aduise thee how thou shalt answer to this question How hast thou entred whether by cleeping or by thine owne procuring for that thou wouldest trauaile in Gods gospell other for thou wouldest be richly arayed Answere now to thy owne conscience as thou shalt answer to God thou that hast take now the order of prieste whether thou be curate or none who stirred thee to take vpon thee so high an estate Whether for thou wouldest liue as a priest ought to do studying of Gods law to preach and most hartely to pray for the people or for to liue a delicious life vpon other mens trauayle and thy selfe trauaile nought Why also setten men theyr sonnes either their cousins to schole Whereto but for to get them great aduancements or to make them the better to knowe howe they shoulden serue God This men may see openly by the sciences that they set them to Why I pray you put men their sonnes to the law ciuill or to the kings court to write letters writs rather thā to Philosophy or Diuinity but for the hope that these occupations shoulde be euer means to make them great in the world I hope that ther wil no man say that they ne shoulde better learne the rule of good liuing in the booke of Gods law than in any bookes of mans worldly wisedome But certes now it is so the that Iohn Chrisostom saith Mothers be louing to the bodies of their children but the soule they despise they desire them to wel fare in this world but they take none hede what they shall suffer in the tother Some or deinen fees for their children but none ordeine them to godward The lust of their bodies they wol deere by but the health of their soule the reke nought of If they see them poore or sicke they sorrow and sigheth but though they see them sinne they sorrowe not And in this they shew that they brought forth the bodies but not the soules And if we take heede truly what abhominations be scattered and
the people busied wyth such conditions wyt thou well that the firste sumnour warneth all the world that the day of reconing draweth towarde The second Sumnour that warneth all the world is elde or age of the world and hys feblenes and sheweth tokens fulfillyng But I know wel that we be nought suffisaunt to know the times other the whyles that the fader in trinitie hath put on hys owne power to shew certeinly the day yeere other houre of this dome sith this knowleche was hid fro the priuey Apostles of Christ and fro Christs manhode as to shew it to vs. Natheles we inough by authoritie of holy writ wyth reasons and expositions of Saints well and openly shew that thys day of wrath is nygh But yet least any man sey in hys hert as it is writen of solie baylies that they shall seien my Lord that is tarrieth to come to the dome and vppon hope hereof he taketh to smite seruauntes and hynen of God eate and drinke and make him dronk I shall shewe that this day is at the hond howe ny neuertheles can I not seie ne wole For if Poule sayd now for a thousand and three hundred yeer and passed moe we ben thilke into whome the endis of the worlde ben come much rather may we seie the same that been so much neere the end than he was Also S. Chrysostome sayth thou seest ouer all darkenesse and thou doutest that the day is go first on the valeyes is darknesse whan the day draweth downeward whan therefore thou seest the valeies I derked why doutest thou whether it be nigh euen but if thou see the sunne so lowe that derknesse is vpon the hilles thou wolt seie doutles that it is night Right so if thou see first in the seculers and the lewd christen men begynneth derknesses of sinnes and to haue the maistrie it is token that this world endeth But whan thou seest priests that ben put on the high toppe of spirituall dignities that shulden be as hilles abouen the commune people in perfit liuing that derknesse of sinnes hath taken them who douteth that the world nis at the end And also Abbot Ioochim in exposition of Ieremye seyeth Fro the yeare of our Lord 1200. all times beth suspect to me and we ben passed on thys suspecte time nigh 200. yeare Also mayden Hyldegare in the booke of her prophecie the third partie the xj vision the vij chapter meueth thys reason Ryght as on seauen dayes God made the world so in 7000. yeare the world shall passe And right as in the sixt day man was made and fourmed so in 6000. yeares he was brought ageine and reformed And as in the seauenth daye the world was full made and God left off hys working right so its the 7000. yeare the number of them that shullen be saued shall be fulfilled and rest shall be to Seintes full in bodye and soule If that it be so as it seemeth to followe of this maydens words that 7000. in passing of the world accordeth to seauen dayes in hys making it see what lacketh that these 7000. yeares ne beth fulfilled For if wee reken the number of yeeres fro the natiuitie of Christ to the yeares fro the beginning of the world to Christ and thou wolt folowe Austyne Bede and Orosie and most probable doctors treating of this matter are passed now almost sixe thousand and sixe hundred as it is open in a booke that is cleped Speculum iudiciale So it suweth that this last day is more than a halfe a go if we shulden geue credence to thys maydens reasun But if we shull lene to the Gospell than we shall finde in the Gospell of Mathew that the Disciples axiden of Christ three questions First what time the Citie of Ierusalem should be destroyed The second what token of hys comming to the doome And the third what signe of the endyng of the world And Christ gaue them no certayne tyme of these thinges when they shoulden fall but he gaue them tokens by which they myght know when they drew nighe and so as to the first question of the destruction of Ierusalem he sayd when the Romaines come to beseege that Citie then soone after she shall bee destroyed And as to the second and the thirde hee gaue manye tokens that is to say that Realme shall rise against Realme and people agaynst people and pestilences and earthquakinges the which we haue seene in our dayes But the last token that hee gaue was thys when yee seene the abhomination of elengnesse sayd of Daniel the Prophet standyng on the Sanctuary then who so readeth vnderstand Vpon which text thus argueth a Doctour in a booke that he maketh of the end of the world If the wordes of Daniel hauen autoritie as God sayth that they hauen it sufficeth of the number of the yeares of the ende of the world that Daniell hath written Now Daniell in the twelfth chapter speakyng of thys abhomination putteth betweene the ceasing of the busie sacrifice of the Iewes the whych fell when by Titus and Vespasianus Ierusalem was destroyed and the people of Iewes were disparkled into all the world And thys abhomination that Doctors sayne shall be in the great Antichristes dayes 1290. Nowe proueth thys Doctour that a daye must be taken for a yeare both by autoritie of holy writ in the same place and in other and also by reason So it seemeth to this clerke that the great Antichrist shoulde come in the 1400. yeare fro the birth of Christ the which nomber of yeares is now fulfilled not fully twelue yeares and a half lacking And this reason put not I as to shewe anie certayne tyme of hys commyng sithe I haue not that knowledge but to shewe that he is nye but how nygh I wot neuer But take we heede to the fourth part of the second vision of Saint Iohn put in the booke of Reuelations in the which vnder the opening of the seauen seales is declared the state of the Churche from the time of Christ into the end of the world The opening of the foure first seales shew the state of the Church fro the tyme of Christ to the tyme of Antichrist and his foregoers the whych is shewed in the opening of the other three seales The opening of the fyrst seale telleth the state of the Church in the tyme of the preaching of Christ and of hys Apostles For the first that is the Lyon gaue hys voyce that betokeneth the preachers of Christes resurrection and hys ascension For then yede out a whyte horse and he that sat vppon hym had a bow in hys hand and he yede out ouercomming to ouercome By thys whyte hors we vnderstand the cleane life and conuersation that these preachers haden and by the bowe their true teaching pricking sorow in mens hartes for their sinnes withouten flatteryng And they wenten out of Iewry that they comen of ouercommyng some of the Iewes
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
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
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
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
Christ. FOrsomuch as euery man both by the law of nature and also by Gods law is commaunded to doe that vnto an other man which he woulde haue done vnto himselfe and is forbidden to do that thing vnto an other which he would not haue done vnto himselfe as our Sauiour sayth all things whatsoeuer you wyll that men should do vnto you the same doe you vnto thē for this is the law and the Prophetes yea the lawe is fulfilled in this one poynt thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self We therfore God being our author hauing respect as much as in vs lieth vnto the said law of God the loue of our neighbor before did send our letters vnto Constaunce for our dearelye beloued frende of good memorye Mayster Iohn Husse Bacheler of Diuinitye and Preacher of the Gospell Whome of late in the Councell of Constaunce wee knowe not with what spirite beeing ledde you haue condemned as an obstinate hereticke neither hauing confessed any thing neither being lawfully conuict as were expediét hauing no errours or heresies declared or layde agaynst him but onely at the sinister false and importune accusations suggestiōs and instigations of his mortall enemies and the traytours of our kingdome and Marquesdome of Morauia And being thus vnmercifully condemned you haue slayne him with most shamefull and cruell death to the perpetuall shame and infamy of our most christian kingdome of Boheme and the famous Marquesdome of Morauia as we haue written vnto Constance vnto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary the Heyre and Successor of our kingdom the which was also read and published in your congregations whiche wee will here also haue enrolled and haue burned him as it is reported in the reproch and contempt of vs. Wherfore we haue thought good euen now to direct our letters patentes to your reuerences nowe present in the behalfe of Maister Iohn Hus openly professing and protesting both wyth hart and mouth that he the sayd Mayster Iohn Hus was a iust good and Catholicke man and a long season worthely commended and allowed in our kingdome for his life and conuersation He also preached and taught vs and our subiectes the law of the Gospell and of the holy Prophets and the bookes of the olde and new Testament according to the exposition of the holy Doctors approued by the church left many Monumēts in writing most constantly detesting and abhorring all errors and and heresy continually admonishing both vs and all faithfull christians to do the like diligently exhorting all men as muche as in him lay by hys words writings and trauel vnto quietnesse and concord so that vsing all the diligence that we might we neuer heard or coulde vnderstand that Mayster Iohn Hus had preached taught or by any meanes affirmed any error or heresy in his Sermons or that by any maner of meanes he had offended vs or our subiectes either by word of deed but that he alwayes led a quiet and a godly life in Christ exhorting all men diligently both by his word and workes as much as he might to obserue and keepe the law of the Gospel and the institutiōs of the holy fathers after the preaching of our holy mother the church to the edifying of mens soules Neither did these premisses which you had so perpetrated to the reproch both of vs and our kingdom and Marquesdom suffice content you but that also without all mercy and piety you haue apprehended imprisoned and condemned and euen now peraduenture like as you did Mayster Iohn Hus you haue most cruelly murdered the worshipfull man Mayster Ierome of Prage a man abounding in eloquence Mayster of the seuen liberall artes and a famous Philosopher not being seene heard examined neither conuict but onely at the sinister and false accusation of hys and our accusers and betrayers Furthermore it is come to our knowledge and vnderstanding which we do not without great griefe rehearse as we may also euidently gather by your writings how that certayne detractors odible both to God and men priuy enuyers and betrayers haue wickedly and greuously albeit falsly and trayterously accused vs our kingdome and Marquesdome aforsayde before you in your councell that in the sayde kingdome of Boheme and Marquescome of Morauia diuers errors are sprong vp which haue greuously and manifoldely infected both our hartes and also the hartes of many faythfull men in so much that without a speedy stop or stay of correction the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome together with the faythfull Christians therein should incurre an irrecuperable losse and ruine of theyr soules These cruell and pernitious iniuries which are layd vnto vs and to our sayd kingdome and Marquesdome albeit most falsly slaunderously howe may we suffer for so muche as through the grace of God when in a maner all other kingdomes of the world haue oftentimes wauered making Schismes and Antipapes our most Christian kingdome of Boheme and most noble Marquesdome of Morauia since the time they did receiue the Catholicke fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ as a most perfecte quadrant haue alwayes without reproofe stucke vnto the Church of Rome and haue sincerely done theyr true obedience Also with how greate costes and charges and great trauell with what worship and due reuerence they haue reuerenced the holy mother the church and her pastors by theyr princes and faythfully subiects it is more manifest then the day light vnto the whole world and your selues if you will confesse the truth can witnes the same also Wherfore that we according to the mind of the Apostle may procure honest and good thinges not onely before God but before men also and least by neglecting the famous renowne of the kingdom and Marquesdom we be foūd cruel towards our neighbours hauing a stedfast hope a pure and sincere conscience and intent and a certayne true fayth in Christ Iesu our Lord by the tenour of these we signify and declare vnto your fatherhoods to all faythfull Christians openly professing both with hart and mouth that whatsoeuer man of what estate preheminence dignity condition degree or religion so euer he be which hath sayd or affirmed eyther doth say or affirme that in the sayd kingdome of Boheme and Marquesdome of Morauia heresyes haue sprong vp which haue infected vs and other faythfull Christians as is aforesayd the onely person of our most noble prince and Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary c. our Lord and heire successor being set apart whom we trust and beleue not to be guilty in the premisses all and euery such man as is aforesaid doth lye fasly vpon his head as a wicked and naughty traytour betrayer of the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome and most traiterous vnto vs most pernitious hereticke the sonne of all malice and wickednesse yea and of the deuill himselfe who is a lyar and the father of all lyes Notwithstanding we for
sought to by pilgrimages neither is it lawfull for Christians to bow theyr knees to them neither to kisse them nor to geue them any maner of reuerence For the which Articles the Archbishoppe with other Bishops and diuers learned commoning together first condemned the bookes as hereticall and burned them in fire and then because they thought the said Iohn Claydon to be forsworne and fallen into heresy the Archbishop did proceed to his definitiue sentence against the said Iohn personally appearing before him in iudgement his coÌ„fessions being read and deposed against him after this maner IN the name of God Amen We Henry by the grace of GOD Archbishop of Caunterbury primate of all England and Legate of the Apostolicke sea in a certayne cause of hereticall prauity of relapse into the same wherupon I. Claidon lay man of the prouince of Caunterbury was detected accused and denounced in the sayd our prouince of Caunterbury publickely defamed as by publick fame and common report notoriously to vs hath bene known first sitting in iudgement seat obseruing all things lawfully required in this behalfe do proceed to the pronouncing of the sentence definitiue in forme as followeth The name of Christ being inuocated onely set before our eies forasmuch as by the actes and thinges enacted producted exhibited and confessed before vs also by diuers signes euidences we haue found the said Iohn Claydon to haue bene and to be publickly and notoriously relapsed agayne into his former heresye heretofore by him abiured according to the merites and desertes of the sayd cause being of vs diligently searched weyed and pondered before to the inteÌ„t that the sayd I. Claidon shall not infect other with his scab by the consent and assent of our reuerend brethreÌ„ Richard Bishop of LoÌ„don Iohn Bishop of Couentry and Liechfield Steuen Bishop of S. Dauids and of other Doctors as well of diuinity as of both lawes and also of other discreet and learned men assisting vs in this behalfe do iudge pronounce and declare the sayd I. Claydon to be relapsed agayne into his heresy which he before did abiure finally and definitiuely appoynting him to be left vnto the secular iudgement and so do leaue him by these presentes Thus Iohn Claidon receiuing his iudgement condemnation of the Archbishop was committed to the secular power and by them vniustly vnlawfully was coÌ„mitted to the fire for that the teÌ„porall magistrate had no such law sufficient for them to burne any suche man for religion condeÌ„ned of the prelats as is aboue sufficiently proued declared pag. 523. But to be short Quo iurè quaque iniuria Iohn Cleydon notwithstanding by the temporall magystrats not loÌ„g aâ—ter was had to smithfield where meekely he was made a burnt offering vnto the Lord. an 1415. The burning of Iohn Claydon and Richard Turming Robert Fabian and other Chronologers which folow him adde also that Richard Turming Baker of whome mention is made before in the examination of Iohn Claydon was likewise the same time burned with him in smithfield Albeit in the Register I finde no sentence of condemnation geuen against the sayd Turming neither yet in the story of S. Albons is there any such metioÌ„ of his burning made but only of the burning of Iohn Claydon aforesaid wherfore the iudgement hereof I leaue free to the reader Notwithstanding concerning the sayd Turming thys is certaine that he was accused vnto the bishops no doubt was in their handes bands What afterward was done with him I refer it vnto the authors The next yeare after the burning of these two aforesaid and also of Iohn Hus being burnt at Constaunce whiche was an 1416. the Prelates of England seing the dayly increase of the Gospell and fearing the ruine of theyr papall kingdome were busily occupied with all theyr counsel and diligence to mayntayne the same Wherefore to make their state and kingdome sure by statutes lawes constitutions and terrour of punishment as Thomas Arundell and other Prelates had done before so the forenamed Henrye Chichesley Archbishop of Canterbury in his conuocation holden at London maketh another constitutioÌ„ as though there had not enough bene made before agaynst the poore Lollardes the coppy and tenor wherof he sendeth abroad to the bishop of London and to other his Suffraganes by them to be put in straight execution conteyning in words as foloweth HEnry by the grace of God Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Legate of the chiefest seat to our reuereÌ„d brother in the Lord Richard by the grace of God bishop of London health brotherly loue with continuall increase Lately in our last conuocation in Sayncte Paules Church in London being kept by you and other our brethren and clergy of our prouince we do remember to haue made this order vnderwritten by your consentes When as among many other our cares this ought to be chiefe that by some meanes we take those heretickes whiche like foxes lurke hide theÌ„selues in the Lordes vineyard that the dust of negligeÌ„ce may be vtterly shakeÌ„ from our feete and from the feete of our fellow brethren In thys the sayd conuocation of the Prelats and clergy we haue ordeined and that our fellowe brethren our Suffraganes and Archdeacons of our prouince of Canterbury by theÌ„selues their Officials or Commissaryes in all their iurisdictioÌ„s euery of their charges in theyr country twise euery yere at the least do diligeÌ„tly enquire of such persons as are suspect of heresy And that in euery suche their Archdeaconries in euery parish wherin is reported any hereticks to inhabit they cause three or more of the honestest meÌ„ and best reported of to take their othe vpon the holy Euangelist that if they shall knowe or vnderstand any frequenting either in priuy conueÌ„ticles or els deferring in life or maners froÌ„ the common conuersation of other Catholick men or els that holde any either heresyes or errors or els that haue any suspected bookes in the English tong or that do receiue any such persons suspect of heresyes and errours into theyr houses or that be fauorers of them that are inhabitants in any such place or conuersant with them or els haue any recourse vnto them they make certificats of those persons in writing with all the circumstances wherewith they are suspect vnto the said our Suffraganes or Archdeacons or to theyr Commissaryes so soone with as much speede as possibly they can And that the sayd Archdeacon and euery of their Commissaryes aforesayd do declare the names of all such persons denounced together with all the circuÌ„staÌ„ces of theÌ„ the dioces places secretly vnder theyr seales do send ouer vnto vs the same And that the same diocessans effectually direct forth lawfull proces agaynst them as the quality of the cause requireth that with all diligence they discerne define and execute the same And if perhaps they leaue not such persons
in tymes past by ignoraunce had all vnder hys possession yet neyther must he thinke that violence will alwayes continue neyther must he hope for that now which he had then for so much as in those former dayes bookes then were scarse also of such excessiue price that few coulde attayne to the buying fewer to the reading studying therof which bookes now by the meanes of this arte are made easie vnto al men Ye heard before pag. 665 how Nicholas Belward bought a new testament in those dayes for foure markes and 40. pence where as now the same price will serue well 40. persons with so many bookes Moreouer in the pag. 411. col 1. it was noted and declared by the testimony of Armachanus how for defect of bookes and good authors both vniuersities were decaied and good wits kept in ignoraunce while begging Fryers scaping all the wealth from other priestes heaped vp all bookes that coulde be gotten into theyr owne Libraryes where eyther they dyd not diligently applye them or els did not rightly use them or at least kept them from such as more fruitfully would haue perused them In this then so great raritie and also dearth of good books when neither they which could haue books would well vse them nor they y◠woulde could haue them to vse what maruell if the greedines of a few prelates did abuse the blindnes of those daies to the aduauncement of themselues Wherefore almighty God of hys mercifull prouidence seeing both what lacked in the church and how also to remedy the same for that aduauncement of his glory gaue the vnderstanding of this excellent arte or science of printing whereby three singular cōmodities at one time came to the world First the price of all bookes diminished Secondly toe speedy helpe of reading more furthered And thirdly the plenty of all good authours enlarged according as Aprutinus doth truely report Imprimit ille die quantum non scribitur anno 1. The presse in one day will do in printing That none in one yeare can do in writing By reason whereof as printing of bookes ministred matter of readyng so readyng brought learning learning shewedlight by y◠brightnes wherof blind ignorance was suppressed errour detected finally Gods glory with trueth of hys worde aduaunced This facultie of Printing was after the inuention of Gunnes the space of 130. yeares which inuention was also found in Germany an 1380. And thus much for the worthy commendation of printing ¶ The lamentable losing of Constantinople ANno 1453. Constantinus Paloelogus beyng Emperour of Constatinople the 29. day of the month of May the great Cittye of Constantinople was taken by the Turke Mahometes after the siege of 54. dayes which siege began in the beginning of Aprill Within the city beside the Citizens were but onely 6000. rescuers of the Greekes And 3000. of the Uenetians Gennues Against these Mahometes brought an army of 400. thousand collected out of the countryes and places adioyning nere about as out of Grecia Illirico Wallachia Dardanis Triballis Bulganis out of Bithynia Galatia Lydia Cecilia and suche other which places had the name yet of Christians Thus one neighbour for lucre sake helped to destroy all other The Cittie was compassed of the Turkes both by the sea land Mahometes the Turke deuided his armye in 3. sondry partes which in 3. partes of the citty so bette the walles and brake them downe that they attempted by the breaches therof to enter the cittye But the valiauntnes of the Christians there in wanne much cōmendation whose Duke was called Iohn Iustinianus of Genua But for so much as the assaultes were great and the number of the Christian souldiours dayly decreased fighting both at the walles and at the Hauen agaynst such a multitude of the Turkes they were not able long to hold out Beside the armyes which lay battering at the walles the Turke had vpon the sea his nauy of 200. and 50. sayle lying vpon the hauen of the City reaching from the one side of the hauens mouth vnto the other as if a bridge should be made frō the one banke to the other Which hauen by the cittizens was barred with yron chaines whereby the Turks were kept out a certayne space Agaynst whiche nauy 7. ships there were of Genua within the hauen and 3. of Creta and certayne of Chio which stoode agaynst them Also the souldiours issuing out of the Cittie as occasion would serue did manfully gaynstand them and with wild fire set their ships on fire that a certayn space they could serue to no vse At length the cheynes being brast a way made the Turkes nauy entred the hauen and assaulted the Cittie whereby the Turke began to conceiue great hope and was in forwardnes to obtain the Citie The assault and skirmish thē waxing more hoate Mahometes the tyraunt stode by vppon an hill with hys warriours about him crying houling out vnto them to skale the walles and enter the towne otherwise if any reculed he threatned to kill them and so he did Wherefore a great number of his souldiours in theyr repulse and retire were slaine by the turkes men being sēt by his commandement to slay them and so they were iustly serued and well payd theyr hyer Although this was some comfort to the Christians to see and behold out of the Cittie the Turkes retinue so consumed yet that hope lasted not long Shortly after by rage of warre it happened Iustinian the Duke aboue named to be hurt who notwithstanding that he was earnestly desired by Paloelogus the Emperour not to leaue his Tower which he had to keepe seeing hys wound was not deadly daungerous yet could he not be intreated to tary but lefte his standing and his fort disfurnished setting none in his place to award the same And so this donghty Duke hurte more with hys false hart then with force of weapon gaue ouer and fled to Chius where shortly after for sorrow rather then for sorenes of wound he died Many of his souldiours seeing their captayne flee followed after leauing their fort vtterly destitute without defence The Turkes vnderstanding y◠vantage soone brast into the cittie The Emperour Paloelogus seeing no other way but to flee making toward the gate eyther was slayne or els troden down with the multitude In the which gate 800. dead mēs bodies were found and taken vp The Cittie of Constantinople thus being gotte the Turkes sacking and raunging about the streetes houses and corners did put to the sword most vnmercifully whō soeuer they found both aged and young matrones virgins children and infants sparing none the noble matrones and virgins were horriblye rauished the goods of the cittie the treasurers in houses the ornaments in churches were all sackt and spoyled the pictures of Christ approbriously handled in hatred of Christ. The spoyle and hauocke of the citie lasted three dayes together while the barbarous souldiours murdered and rifeled what them
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
done in the premisses at the day and place aforesayd or that he which hath so executed our commaundement do so certifie vs by his letters Dated at our Manour of Lambeth the xxij day of October an 1457 and in the 4. yeare of our translation This citation being directed the Byshop vpon the sūmon thereof was brought or rather came before the iudges and Bishops vnto Lambeth where the foresaid Thomas the Archbishop with his doctors and Lawyers were gathered together in the Archbishops Court. In which conuention also the Duke of Buckingham was present accōpanyed with the Bishop of Rochester and of Lyncolne What were the opiniōs and articles agaynst him obiected after in his reuocatiou shall be specified In his answering for himselfe in such a company of the Popes frendes albeit he coulde not preuayle notwithstanding he stoutly defending himselfe declared many thinges worthye great commendation of learning if learning agaynste power coulde haue preuayled But they on the contrary part with all labor and trauel extended themselues either to reduce him or els to cōfound him As here lacked no blustring wordes of terrour and threatning so also many fayre flattering wordes and gentle persuasions were admixt with al. Briefely to make a short narration of a long and busy trauers here was no stone lefte vnturned no wayes vnprooued eyther by fayre meanes to entreat him or by terrible manasses to terrifye his mind till at the length he being vanquished and ouercome by the bishops began to faynt and gaue ouer Wherupon by by a recantation was put vnto him by the Byshops which he should declare before the people The copy of which his recantation here foloweth ¶ The forme and maner of the retractation of Reynold Pecocke IN the name of God Amen Before you the most reuered Father in Christ and Lorde the Lorde Thomas by the grace of God Archbishop of Canterbury priuate of England and Legate of the Apostolicke sea I Reynolde Pecock vnworthy Bishop of Chichester do purely willyngly simply and absolutely cōfesse and acknowledge that I in times past that is to say by the space of these 20. yeares last past and more haue otherwise conceiued holdē taught and written as touching the Sacramentes and the Articles of the fayth then the holy Church of Rome and vniuersall Church and also that I haue made written published and set forth many diuers pernitious doctrines bookes workes writings heresyes contrary and agaynst the true Catholicke and Apostolicke fayth contayning in them errours cōtrary to the Catholicke fayth especially these errours and heresies here vnder written 1. First of all that we are not bounde by the necessitye of fayth to beleue that our Lord Iesus Christ after his death descended into hell 2. Item that it is not necessarye to saluation to beleeue in the holy Catholicke Church 3. Item that it is not necessary to saluation to beleue the communion of Sayntes 4. Item that it is not necessary to saluation to affirme the body materially in the Sacrament 5. Item that the vniuersall Churche may erre in matters which perteyne vnto fayth 6. Item that it is not necessary vnto saluation to beleue that that which euery generall Councell doth vniuersally ordeine approue or determine should necessaryly for the helpe of our fayth and the saluation of soules be approued and holden of all faythfull Christians Wherfore I Reynold Pecocke wretched sinner which haue long walked in darckenesse and now by the merciful disposition and ordinaunce of God am reduced brought agayne vnto the light and way of truth and restored vnto the vnity of our holy mother the Church renoūce and forsake all errors and heresyes aforesayd Notwithstanding godly reader it is not to be beleued that Pecocke did so geue ouer these opinions howsoeuer the wordes of the recantation pretend For it is a pollicy play of the bishops that when they do subdue or ouercome any mā they cary him whither they list as it were a yoūg Stere by the nose and frame out his words for him before hand as it were for a Parate what he should speake vnto the people not according to his owne will but after theyr lust and fantasy Neither is it to be doubted but that thys Bishop repented him afterward of his recantation which may easely be iudged hereby because he was committed agayn into prison deteined captiue where as it is vncertaine whether he was oppressed with priuy and secret tyranny and there obteined the crown of Martyrdom or no. The Dictionary of Thomas Gascoigne I haue not in my handes present But if credite be to be geuen to such as haue to vs alledged the booke this we may finde in the 8. Century of Iohn Bale chapter 19. that the sayd Thomas Gascoigne in his third part of his sayd dictionary writing of Reinold Pecocke maketh declaration of his articles cōteining in them matter of sore heresy First saith he Reynold Pecock at Paules crosse preached openly that the office of a Christen Prelate chiefly aboue all other things is to preach the word of God That mans reason is not to be preferred before the Scriptures of the old and new Testament That the vse of Sacraments as they be now handled is worse then the vse of the lawe of nature That Byshops which buy theyr admissions of the Bishop of Rome do sinne That no man is bound to beleue and obey the determination of the Churche of Rome Also that the riches of Bishops by inheritage are the goods of the poore Item that the Apostles themselues personally were not the makers of the Creed that in the same Creede once was not the Article he went downe to hell Item that of the foure senses of the Scripture none is to be taken but the very first and proper sense Also that he gaue litle estimation in some poyntes to the authority of the olde Doctors Item that he condemned the wilfull begging of the Friers as a thing idle and needles This out of Thomas Gascoigne Leland also adding this moreouer sayth that he not contented to folow the Catholicke sentence of the Churche in interpreting of the Scripture did not thinke soundly as he iudged it of the holy Eucharist At length for these and suche other Articles the sayde Reynold Pecocke was condemned for an hereticke by the Archbishops and Bishops of Rosse Lyncolne and Winchester with other diuines moe Wherupon he being driuē to his recantation was notwithstanding deteyned still in prison Where some say that he was priuily made away by death Halle addeth that some say his opinions to bee that spirituall persons by Gods lawe ought to haue no temporall possessions Other write that he sayde that personall tithes were not due by Gods lawe But whatsoeuer the cause was he was caused at Paules Crosse to abiure and all his bookes brent and he himselfe kepte in his owne house during his naturall life I maruell that Polydore of this extremity of
to hassarde and proue the vttermost for theyr defence but in conclusiō in their desperate venture they were enclosed about by our men on euery side and there put to the sword and slayne a few only excepted who escaping out very hardly by secret passages shifted after the rest of their fellowes as well as they could Their carriage and other furniture lefte behind them in their tentes was distributed amongst the souldiers onely such thinges reserued as might serue for the publike vse and commoditie of the Cittie Thus through the mercifull protection and benefite of almighty God Austria was deliuered from the fierce and barbarous hostilitie of the cruell Turkes notwithstāding that neither Ferdinandus the king nor the Emperour his brother were there present but only the power of God thorough the valiauntnes of the worthy Germaines defēded that cittie in defence wherof consisted the safety deliuerāce no doubt of all these west partes of Christendome For the which immortall prayse and thankes be vnto our immortall God in Christ our Lord according as he hath of vs most graciously and worthely deserued Wherin by the way take this for a note gentle reader how after what maner Gods blessing goeth with the true reformers of his religion and so much the more is it to be noted for that the Turkes in so many battailes sieges heretofore were neuer so repulsed foyled as at this present time in incountring with the protestantes defenders of sincere Religion This citty of Uienna was besieged deliuered the yeare of our Lord. 1529. The assaultes of the Turke against y◠City are numbred to be 20. and his repulses as many The nūber of his army which he first brought was 25000. Wherof were reckened to be slayne 80. thousand and aboue During the time of his siege he led away out of the country about many captiues virgins and Matrones he quelled cast them out naked the children hee stucke vpon stakes Solymannus thus put from the hope of victorye of Uienna after he had breathed himselfe a while at home the second yere after which was an 1531. repayring his host returned agayne into Hungarye with no lesse multitude then before where first he got the towne called Gunza being but slenderly kept with a small garrison By reason whereof the townsmen and souldiours yelding thēselues vnto the Turke were constrayned to agree vpon vnreasonable conditions Ex Ioan. Ramo Melchior Soiterus in his second booke writing De bello Pannonico touching the foresaid Towne of Gunza or Gunzium differeth herein something from Ramus declaring how this Gunza being a small town in Hungary and hauing in it but onely a 100. souldiours or as Wolfegangus Drechslerus in his chronicle reporteth at the most but 200. souldiours vnder the valiaunt captayne Nicholas Iureschitz defended themselues so manfully and wonderfully through the notable power of God against the whole puissance of 200. thousand Turkes that they beyng notwithstanding distressed with lacke and penury of purueiance and sodenly of the Turkes inuaded yet with pure courage and promptnes of hart susteined the vttermost force and violence of xiij assaultes of that great multitude for the space of 25. dayes together Although the narration of the authour may seeme to some incredible yet thus he writeth that what tyme the great ordinance and battering peeces of the Turkes were planted vpon two mountaynes much higher then that town whereby they within the towne were oppressed both before and behinde in so much that 8 ensignes of the Turks were already within the towne yet by the reason of women and children and other impotent persons who in the middle of the towne were congregate in an house together such a noyse and clamour went vp to heauen praying and crying to God for helpe that the turkes within the walles supposing a new army of fresh souldiours to be sent into the towne for sodayn feare voyded the towne leaped down from the walles agayn which before they had got whom no man eyther pursued or resisted for neuer a souldiour almost was left on the walles which was not eyther slayne or els wounded with the Turks ordinance At what time through the Lordes prouidence it so happened that one Ibrahimus Bassa neare about the Turke seeing bothe the town to be small and the great destruction of the Turkes in the siege thereof and that the captayn in no case woulde yeld perswaded so the Turke declaring howe the Towne being so little was not worth the losse of so many men in the winning wherof there was no glory if he were repulsed great dishonour might follow wherby the Turke being perswaded did follow hys counsaile which was thys that Nicholaus the Christen captaine beyng called vnto him vnder pledges and safe conduict should receaue the town as of his hand and gift with condition that he shold do no violence to hys souldiours left behinde and wounded but should procure such meanes as he could for the recuring of them and so he raysing his siege departed An other cause might be also whiche moued him so sodaynly to rayse hys siege for that he heard the Palatine not to be far of in pursuing after him and therfore taking his flight by that mountaines of the Noricians he returned with muche spoyle of Christian mens goods into Constantinople Ex Melchiore Soit lib 2. de bello Panno For so it was prouided the same time in Germany after the counsaile or August and of Ratilboon at what time the controuersie of Religion betweene the Protestantes the papistes was differred and set of to the next generall Councel that Charles the 5. and Ferdinandus his brother hauing vnderstanding of the Turke thus raunging in Hungary should collect of the Germanynes Hungarians and Spanyards and others an able army of 80. thousand footmen and 30000. horsemen to repulse the inuasious of the Turke But Solymanus hauing intelligence of thys preparation of the Christian power comming toward him whether for feare or whether to espy further oportunitie of tyme for hys more aduauntage and our detriment refused at that time to tary theyr comming and so speeding hys returne vnto Constantinople retired with much spoyle and pray sent before him as is aboue premised Whiche was in the yeare of our Lord. 1532. Not long after being the yeare of our saluation 1534. Solymannus intending ij warres at once first sent Corradinus Barbarossa the admiral of his nauies into Afrike to war against the kyng of Tunece Whō the Barbarossa also dispossessed depriued of his kingdome but Charles the Emperour the next yeare following an 1535. restored the said king agayne into hys kingdome and deliuered in the same viage 20. thousand captiues out of seruitude The same tyme the Turke also sent an other captayne into Hungary to warre agaynst Uaiuoda while he hym selfe taking hys course to Persia planted his siege agaynst the Citty Taurus which he in short
pontif Lib. 4. Ex Roger. Ho 〈◊〉 Eabia c. Anno. 1116. Assemble of the nobles at Salisbury Thurstine refuseth to professe subiection to the Arch. of Cant. Thurstine promiseth to renounce hys archbishopricke Anno. 1118. Pope Calixtus breaketh promise with the king Thurstine sacred archbishop of Yorke by the Pope agaynst the kinges minde Concision Rhemense Actes of the councell of Rhemes The Actes sent to the Emperour The Emperour agreeth not to the popes inuesting The councell deuided Ex Rog. Houed Henry the Emperour excommunicated Agreed that England shoulde haue no other Legate from Rome but onely the Archb. of Cant. England spoyld by the popes legates All the custome of the Realme graunted of the pope Anno. 1120. The popes letter to the King The king compelled to receaue Thurstinus for feare of the popes curse Thurstinus restored Anno. 1122. Wil. Archb. of Cant. The gray Friers first came into England Anno. 1125. Priestes payd for their wiues Ex Roger. Houed El Guliel GisburneÌ„si Ex Henrie Hunting lib. 7. The Abbey of Gilburne bailded S. la ues hand Reading Abbey fouÌ„ded Matilde daughter of K. Henry heyre to the crowne Geffry PlaÌ„tagenet Henry 2. borne of Matilde the Empresse Anno. 1130. The priorie of Norton founded Three terrible visioÌ„s of the king Three vowes made of King Henry Anno. 1131. Danegelt released The Church relieued Iustice rightly administred Bishoprike of Carlile newly erected by king Henry The Citie and Paules Church of London burned Honorius the 2. Mathaeus Partsiensis A romishe statute concerning priestes wiues and Concubines Mariage forbid to the seuenth degree The Popes Legate geuing preceptes of chastitie was found with an harlot Lotharius Emperour Arnulphus Martyred at Rome The history of Arnulphus Arnulphus Martyr Ex Tretimio A booke called Tripartitum written 400. yeares agoe Number of holy dayes Curious singing in Cathedrall Churches The world ouercharged with begging Religions Promotion of euill prelates Supersluitie of apparell in Bishops families Byshops seales abused to get mony Non residentes in benefices Rash bestowing of benefices Wastefull spending of the Church goods Old bookes of Councels lost by the negligence of the clerkes The vnchaste lyfe of priestes condemned by the nature of the storkes Amendment of lyfe ought first to begin with the priestes The realme of Fraunce interdited King of Portingale deposed The Knights of the Rhodes and Templars Pope 〈◊〉 centius the second Hurly 〈◊〉 betweene Popes The pope curse proclaymed agaynst 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 any priest The death of K. Henry Anno. 1135. Periury iustly punished Ex Chris. Anglico in certi autâ—ris The Bishop of Sarum and of Lincolne takeâ— prisoners of the king and led with ropes about their neckes Roger. â—eued in 〈◊〉 Steph. Ex Fabian In vita Step. Anno. 1136. K. Stephen Building of Castles in England The cruelty of the Scots agaynst the Englishe man Anno. 1140. Maude the Empresse came into England agaynst Steuen King SteueÌ„â—ken prisoner What it is for princes to be hard and straite to their subjectes K. Stephen and Robert Erle of Glocester deliuered by exchaunge Ex incerti autoris chronise The decease of Geffry Plantagenet Henry Duke of Normandy Henry entereth into England Theobalde Archbishop of Cant. Peace betwene king Steuen and Duke Henry concluded The death of K. Steuen S. William of Yorke Gracianns the compiler of the popes decrees Petrus Lombardus maister of the sentence Petrus Comestet Hugo de sancto Victore Bernardus Clareualensis Hildegare Ioannes detemporibus The fewes crucified a christen body at Norwich The order of the Gilbertines The Lordes prayer and the Creede in Englishe Matthaeus Pariensis lib. Chron. 4. Steuen king of England Cursing with booke bell and candle Anno. 1138. Pope Lucius the ij warring agaynst the Senators Spirituall excommunication abused in temporall causes Hadrianus a Pope an Englishman Anno. 1154. King Henry the second Thomas Becket chauncellor of England Anno. 〈◊〉 Gerhardus Dulcinus Preaches agaynst Antichrist of Rome Ex 〈◊〉 Gisbaron si Anno. 11â—â— Fredericus Barbarosa Emperor The pope displeased that the Emperour did not held his right stirrup The Emperour holdeth the Popes stirrup The Popes old practice in setting Princes together by the eares War more gaynefull to the Pope then peace Warre stirred vp by the Pope The pope driuen to entreate for peace The godly proceedings of Frederick the Emperour agaynst the pope A letter of Pope Hadrian to the Emperour Fredericke The Emperours name before the Popes A seditious and proud letter of the pope to the Bishops of Germany Well bragged and like a Pope Scripture well wrasted Ex Radenuico in appendice Frisingensis See the ambitious presumption of a proude priest Note here a couragious hart in a valiaunt Emperour An example for all princes to follow Note The order of Erenuâ—â— Anno. 1159. The saying and iudgement of P. Adrianus of the papall sea The popes rather successors to Romulus then to Peter Pope Alexander the third Alexander curseth the Emperour Anno. 1164. Volateran â—ken with a â—tradiction Concilium 〈◊〉 The clergie â—ounde to â—he vowe of â—hastitie Papiâ—tes are not so much in pro 〈◊〉 chastitie as in desining chastitie Tho. Becket Archb. at Cant. Becket no martyr Herberturde busebam Ioan. Charnot A lanus Abbot of Tenchbury Gulselmus Cantuariensis Tho. Becked described What commeth of blinde zeale destitute of right knowledge The life of Tho. Becket Polydorus mistaketh the mother of Becket Ex Roberto Criâ—eladensi Ex Florilego 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 of vanâ—â— recited betweene 〈◊〉 king 〈◊〉 Archb. The kings custome Out of an Englishe Chronicâ—â— as it appearreth 〈◊〉 en cured Frenchâ—â— Erle â—â—lord 〈◊〉 The lawes of Claredoun Beckets additioÌ„ Saluo ordine suo The Bishop of Chichester The stubberne wilfulnes of T. Becket T. Becket relenteth to the king Becket yeldeth to the king Saluo ordine left out in the composition Becket repenteth of hys good deede A letter of pope Alexander to T. Becket Becket enterprising agaynst the king◠〈◊〉 to flye out of the realme Becket taunted of the king Ex Rogero Houed prâ— parte historia continuas a post Bedam The kinge to be the Pope Legate The ceâ—sty dissimulation of the Pope The popes secret letters to Becket More then an C. murthers done by the clergye Guliel Neuburg lib. 2. ca. 16. Becket cited to Northampton The Archbish. condemned in the Councell of NorthamtoÌ„ in the loâ—â—e of all hys moueables Becket required to geue an accompt The verdite of Winchester The counsell of the Bishop of London Canterbury Winchester Chichester Moderate counsell Lincolne Exceter Worcester Becket the Archbishop replyeth agaynst the Byshops A great â—â—ielle growen in the church because that Byshop may noâ—â—â— aboue 〈◊〉 and prince Becket destitute and forsaken Becket 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 nes when he should appeale A masse of S. Steuen 〈◊〉 saue hym from hys enemies Becket answere to the Bishops â—â—câ—â—t appealeth to Rome London appealeth from the Archbish. A masse to charme away persecutors Becket caryeth with hym the sacrament going
not their owne glory as false prophets doe Signe 30. is that true prophets doe not force vpon the solemne salutatioÌ„s of men as false prophets doe Signe 31. is that false prophets resort to other mens bordes and flatter them for a mâ—ales meate which true propâ—ets doe not Signe 32. is that true prophets doe not hate their enemies as false prophets doe Signe 33. is that true prophets do not persecute men as the false prophets doe Signe 34. is that true prophets preach to those which be not yet conuerted which the false prophets do not Signe 35. is that true prophets chiefly preach in their owne dioces and not in other mens Signe 36. is that faâ—â—â— prophâ—â—â— attributeâ—â— to themselues 〈◊〉 which tâ—â—y neuer die Signe 37. is that false prophets â—o cleaue and leane to logicall and philosopâ—â—call reasoâ— Signe 3â— is that false prophets do loue carrâ—â—lâ— and not spiâ—ituallâ— Signe 39. is that falâ—e 〈◊〉 prophets is hunt after the friendship of the world Whatsoeueâ— doth perishe in the church of God for waÌ„t of preachers shall be required A detestable booke of the Fryers called Euangelium â—â—ernum The eternall and spiritual Gospell of the Fryers condemned with much a do of the Pope â—aurentius Anglicus condemned of the pope Desensio Gulielmi Caâ—endum â— pseudo propheâ—â—s The Pope Antichrist The synagogue of Rome to be great Babylon Ex Nicolao Emerico in libro suaruÌ„ inquisitionum Petrus Ioannes burned after his death Robertus Gallus prophesieth against the Pope The Pope described The visions of Robertus Gallus The state of the church of Româ— described The scholemen and the friuolous questions described The reformation of the church presignified The simonie and auarice of the clergie to be punished The story of R. Grostede Byshop of Lincoln Ex Nic. Triuet Rob. Grostede a Southfolke man borne The commendation of Rob. Grostede The bookes and workes of Rob. Grostede Anno. 1253. The death of R. Grostede Malleus Romanorum Grosthedus The trouble of R. Grost with the Pope An vnreasonable letter of the Pope * Recte dictum fortassis filio * Confectis The Popeâ— vnreasonable letter Excomâ—â—nication â—bused A double â—ommendaâ—ion of B. Grosted The answer of R. Groâ—â—ed to the Pope Power giueÌ„â—o ministers to edificatioÌ„ only not to destruction Two principall princes of darknes Lucifer and Antichrist * He meaâ—ieth either Christ the Church or els Peter and Paule * Idest both to Christ and hiâ— Church Ex Maâ— Paris ad verbuâ— Well sworne maister pope Giles Cardinall defendeth Robâ—rt Grosted to the pope The godly talke of R. Grosted in time of his sicknes Heresis quid Definition of heresie The P. proued here an heretick The saying of Gregory The Pope accused of heresie Certain Aphorismes or articles layd of R. Grosted against the B. of Rome The Pope accused â—n his 〈◊〉 clause 〈…〉 The Pâ—â—â—sed for â—â—â—gating 〈◊〉 then is 〈◊〉 to him 〈◊〉 proued 〈◊〉 to be equal but 〈◊〉 to his preâ—â—cessours The Pâ—â—â— sed for râ—â—â—ing the 〈◊〉 and foundations of his predecessâ—â— Proued thaâ— the Pope â— liue is 〈◊〉 our to hiâ— predecessâ—â— before him And therfore to haâ— no authoritie to infringe the priuilegâ—es of other Popes Proued by example 〈◊〉 Benet thâ— men more auncienâ—â—â— time oughâ— to be prefâ—â—red in higher reuerâ—â—â— The Pope accused for maintainâ—â— of vsurâ— Against râ—â— reâ—s The 〈◊〉 practise of vsurers The Popes Vsurers worse then the Iewes Craftie subtilâ—ie of the Pope to get money Men signed to the holy land sold for money lyke sheepe by the Pope Remission of sinnes solde for money The Pope accused to be iniurious â—â— churches in his prouisions and seleruations The Pope accused to be iniurious to the Abbot of S. Albons The Pope accused for violent extortion The Pope accused for troubling corrupting learned men of the spiritualtie with his temporal aâ—â—ayres The Pope accused for vnlawfull dispensation Ex Mat. Paris The death of R. Grosted Byshop of Lincoln What the reuenues of the Popes Clarkes here in England came to by yeare Ex Cestrensis lib. 7. The Pope stroken with the staffe of Grost Bysh. of Lincoln Anno. 1254. Ex Mat. Paris Ex Flâ—r hist. Senibalde papâ— miserime The Popes new and true stile giuen by Grost Bish. of Lincoln The Pope disquieted in his minde The reuenge of God vpon pope Innocent The Popes army vanquished and confounded The death of Pope Innocent 4. Anno. 1255. A note to the reader concerning the appearing of dead men Dissention betwene the arch of Cant. and the Church of Lincolne Excommunication abused Appellation made to Rome Henry LexintoÌ„ B. of Lincolne A childe crucified of the Iews at Lincolne Ex Nic. Triuet Ex Cestrens l. 7 cap. 34. Ex Flor. hist. The Iewes expulsed out of Fraunce A childe â—â—cumcised â— the Iewes and kept a whole yeare to be crucâ—fied The Ieweâ— aske leaue to depart the realme of England Ex Eâ—loâ—â— Iewes burned at Nâ—â—thampton A Iewe faâ—len into a priuey wold not be takeâ— out for keeping his Sabboth day Superstitious falling noted in Walter arch of Yorke Ex Flo. hist. Superstition in seeking saluation by wronge meanes The Pope iniurious to the Church of England A prebendship of paâ—â—s giuen both of the Pope and of the king at one time to two seuerall persons The Popes donation preferred before the kinges Two Romain clarkes going to complaine were 〈…〉 the way The story of Mat. Paris here ceaseth Pope Alexander 3. maâ—er warre The Popes army slaine Lewlinus K. of Wales warâ—eth against the kyng Lewlinus the K. coÌ„corded Ex Polychro nico lib. 7. Ex autore Eulogij Anno. 1257. Pope Alexander to make shifte for money maâ—eth the king beleue his sonne should be kyng of Apulia Richaâ—de the kings brotâ—er made king of Almaine What câ—â—ill discorde worketh worketh Resignation of the Earledâ—me of Normandy and Angâ—ew Ex Gual Gisburn The conflict skirmish betweene the Northern Welth men and the Southern men in Oxford Variance betweene â—he studentes and the Friers in Paris Variance betweene the Vniuersitie of Oxforde and Cambridge Variance betweene the Archb. of Cant. and the chapter of Lincolne Variance betweene the Archb. of Cant. and the chapter of London Ex Flor. â—â—st Litle peace in the Popes Church Historiâ—s profitable for example The occasions of commotion betweene the kyng and the Nobles Anno. 1260. Straungers hauing all the wealth of the realme vnder the kyng Ex Gualt Gisburnensi The wordes of the Nobles to the kyng The K. gâ—â—â— teth to â—â— Lordes A sitting â—â— the king and Lordes at Oxford The prouiâ—â—ons or lawâ—â— maâ—e at Oxforde The King swearetâ— to the prouâ—â—ons maâ—â— aâ— Oxford The kinges brethren â—gainst the prouisions of Oxford The prouiâ—â—ons of Oâ—forde Ex historiâ— Gâ—alteâ—â— Gisburnensis God grauâ—â— this lawe might take place agaiâ—â— God graâ—â—â— the like 〈◊〉 againe foâ— the wealth of the realm Diuers in this counâ—â— impoisoâ—t The kynâ— repenteâ—â—â— his othe Anno. 1261. The K. sneth to the pope
pasture * A Welche leaper Wolfes in lambeskins described He complayneth against the valiant beggers the Friers * Homelich that is of his householde Wilfull pouertie abhorâ—ed The propertie of good shepeheards The pope is a chapman in Gods temple * Behoteth that is promiseth Note good reader if Christ be where iâ— or iij. be gathered in his name what neede is there of a lieuâ—tenant The place of giuing to Peter his keyes expounded The Pope proued a false Antichrist in Earth The pope abhomination described * Fulleden that is baptised Purgatorie 〈…〉 〈…〉 Selling of Byshopprickes and benefices Mariage A lesson how to marrye Swenens that is dreames Priestes had wyueâ— to the time of Anselmus A parable prophecying the destruction of the Pope The Pope compared to a birde fethered with other birdes fethers The first rysing of the pope The proude prosperitie of the pope The decay of the pope described The life and story of Armachanus Archb. and primate of Ireland The coÌ„mendation of Armachanus Armachanus cited by the Friers to appeare beâ—ee the P. The troâ—bles persecutions of Armachanus Armachanus preferred maniâ—old wayes â—â— the Lord. The prayer of Armachanus Caen. omnis vtri usque sexus Sex ex de â—â— re Note here he calleth not the sacrament of the altar Frier Dominike in the time of Pope Innocent the 2. obâ—ained not the confirmation of his order The order of Frier Dominike first confirmed by pope Innocent 3. The order of the Franciscans coÌ„firmed shortly after the Dominikes The bul of pope Gregory in the behalfeÌ„ of the Dominike Friers * Iniquitie hath abounded at Rome * Nay to the preaching rather of meÌ„s traditions against the word of God The Friers autorised to heare confessions to to enioyne penauâ—ce Pope Innocent the 4. against the Friers Pope Alexander the 4. vndoeth the actes of Pope Innocent the 4. his predecessour Extrau non sine multa Gul. de S. Amore Simon Iornalensis Godfridus de sontibus Hen. de Gandano foure champions against the Friers Articles of the students of Paris against the Friers Concilium Hispun The friers make dissentions Friers â—â—uou◠〈◊〉 houâ—eâ— Penetraâ—â—â— domâ—s Friers preâ—â—â— vncalled Friers haue no order of any calling in the church Certain coÌ„clusioÌ„s in the vniuersitie of Paris to be disputed of against the Friers Pope Alexander the 4 a great sauorer of the Friers Another pilgrimage giuen to the Friers by Pope Clement 4. Ex Clemâ—â—â— Quidam â—merè Pope Martin the 4. holdeth with cuâ—â—â— against the Friers Pope Bâ—â—â—face holder with the friers agaiâ—e Ex Clemeâ—â— consist Benif Super cathedraâ— Ex ClemeÌ„t inter cunctas Ioan Monach reuoketh his glose Pope Clement the 5. holdeth with the Fryers and repealeth the coÌ„stitution of Benedictus Ex Clement cap. dudum Fine diuers opinions of learned meÌ„ in this age holdyng against the Fryers The 2. opinion Bernardus super cap. â—mnis vtriusque The 3. opinion Isan de Poliaco Ex libro fratris Egelbertis Iohn de Poliaco caused to recant by P. Iohn the 22. The 3. assertions of Ioan de Poliaco against the Fryers 25. q. 1. Quae ad perpetuam Contra slatutae patrum condedere vel mu tare alâ—quid â—â—c huins quidem sedis potest entoritas The 4. opinion Guilielmus de monte LaÌ„duno Henricus de Gandauo The fift opiniÌ„on Ex libro cui â—itulus Defensorium curatorum Armachanus cited vp to the Pope by the Friers The protestatioÌ„ of Armachanus His theame Iohn 7. The first coÌ„clusion proponed Probation Certaintie Vtilitie Commoditie The first part of the first conclusion confirmed Deut. 12. Leuit. 4.5 The first part of the first conclusion confirmed by an other reason The second part of the first conclusion confirmed An other confirmatioÌ„ of the secoÌ„d part of the first article The third part of the first conclusion proued The 2. conclusion or Article 3. respectes or causes to be proued Ca. Religâ—si Clement de decimis In Clementino de priuilegijs cap. Religiosi The Friers proued to be excommunicate by the Popes lawe Cap. Cupientes de paeâ—â—â— Clement The Friers proued to be excommunicated or the popes lawe Another proofe that the parishner may more safely goe to his â—â—â—ate then to the Fryers The second part of the second conclusion proâ—â—â— Innocent â—ap Si animaruÌ„ The third part of the second conclusion argued Defensorium Curatorum Armachanus Cap. Duâ—â—â—â— The harmes that come to the world by the Friers declared Example of the Friers theft in Oxford Friers hinderers of Vniuersities 30. thousand students in Oxford in the time of Armachanus The Friers a great cause of decay of learning Bookes not to be gotten for the Friers Example what lacke of bookes commeth by the Friers The Friers giltie in 3. faultes 1. Disobedience 2. Auarice 3. Pride Armachanus chargeth the Friers with disobedience Friers disobedient to the rule of Scripture Friers disobedient to their own professioÌ„ Armachanus chargeth the Friers with auarice An other proofe An other proofe An other proofe Armachanus chargeth the friers with pride The 3. conclusion or article Arist E. theo lib. 1. The 4. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers Ex vita S. Clementis Clements example contrarie to the Friers 13. quasi cap. 1. The 5. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers The 6. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers The rule of Frier Fraunces The seuenth coÌ„clusion of Armachanus against the Fryers Wilful beggery not to be promised The 8. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers The 9. conclusion of Armachanus Touching this booke of the maisters of Paris condemned looke pag. 404. Ex Clement Quia quorundaÌ„ Pope Nicolas the 3. reuoketh the Bul of pope Alexander the fourth The ende and conclusion of this Oration of Armachanus before the pope Ex defensor to euratorum Notes to be obserued Contrarietie among the popes Whether the Fryers make vp the bodie of Antechrist or not The death of godly Armachanus The testimony of a Cardinall vpon Armachanus Ex Chron. reg Rich. 2. Fryers against the vniuersitie of Oxforde Englishe writers against the Friers Friers that write against Armachanus Testified by certayne Englishmen which are yet aliue haue scene it Pope Vibane 5. Anno. 1360. Vrbane coÌ„plaineth that no promotioÌ„ wold fall vpon him An answerd againe to Vrbane being made Pope Ex Sabel Enead 9. lib. 8. Howe the church of Rome came by their roiall possessions Nicholaus Orem A Sermon made before the Pope Esay 56. The worlde deuided into two sorts of men before the incarnation of Christ. Diuision 1 saxta est 2 Vt veniat 3 Vireueletat Amos. 5. The second part of his theame Aggeus 2. The third part of his sermon 1. Vt reueletur 2. Vt iuxta est 3. Vt Veniat 4. Salus The first part of the subdiuision Two rules to be noted The kingdome of Israel signifying the false Church The kingdome of Iuda signifieth the right church The 2. rule Esay 7. Osee. 9. Fiue
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
ought as neare as I can to chuse the best part Wherfore I surely trust that M. I. Wickliffe is one of the number of theÌ„ which are saued The words of Christ moneth me therunto saying Math. 7. Doe ye not iudge that ye be not iudged Luke the 6. Do not condemn ye shal not be condemned and the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4 Do ye not iudge before the Lord himselfe do come the which shall opeÌ„ those things that are hid in darknes to manifest the priuities of all hartes Secondly the loue and charity which I ought to bear vnto my neighbor louing him as my selfe doth moue me thereunto Luk. 10. Thirdly his good fame report moneth me the which he hath of the good Priests of the vniuersity of Oxford not of the wicked commoÌ„ly of the vulgar sort although not of the couetous proud and luxurious Prelates Fourthly his owne workes writings doe stirre me therunto by the which he goeth about with his whole indeuor to reduce all men vnto the law of Christ specially yâ— clergy that they shoulde forsake the pompe dominion of this world and with the Apostles lead the life of Christ. Fiftly his owne protestations which he doth oftentimes vse in his sentences often repeating the same doth not a litle moue me Sixtlye his earnest desire and affection which he had vnto the law of Christ doth not a litle allure me therunto disputing of the verity therof the which cannot fayle in any one iote or title Whereupon he made a booke of the verity of the holy Scripture approuing euen vnto the vtter most the trueth of Gods law Wherfore it were too foolish a consequeÌ„t to say that because the number of the Prelates and clergy in England Fraunce and Boheme do couÌ„t Iohn Wickeliffe for an hereticke that therfore he is an heretick c. Like as the reason for burning of the bookes for it is written in the first booke of Machabees first chapter that they did burne the books of the Lord tearing them in peeces and whosoeuer was founde to haue kept any bookes of the Testament or will of the Lord or the which obserued and kept the lawe of the Lord they were by the kinges commaundemen put to death If then the burning of these bookes by wicked men did argue or proue the euilnesse of the books theÌ„ was the law of God euill and nought So likewise the burning of S. Gregories bookes and diuers other sayntes and good men should argue proue that they were euill naughty men Wherupon as it doth not folow that because the Bishops Scribes and Phariseis with the elders of the people condemned Christ Iesus as an heretick that therfore he is an heretick So likewise doth it not follow of any other man The Byshops maisters of diuity monkes and prelates condemned thys man as an hereticke Ergo he is an hereticke For this consequeÌ„t is reproued by Iohn Chrisostom which was twise condemned as an hereticke by the Bishops and the whole clergy Likewise S. Gregory in his bookes was condemned by the Cardinals By like proofe also as they affirme M. Iohn Wickliffe to be an hereticke Iohn Duke of LaÌ„caster a man of worthy memory and progenitor of Henry king of Englande should also be an hereticke For the sayd Duke defeÌ„ded fauored and greatly loued M. Iohn Wickliffe Ergo the sayd Duke is or was an hereticke the consequent is good The Minor is well knowne vnto the Englishmen The Maior appeareth in the Canon where it is sayd he which defendeth an hereticke c. But these thinges set apart I demaund of the aduersary whether M. Iohn Wickliffe be damned for euer or no If he say that he is damned because he is an hereticke I propounde this vnto him whether M. Iohn Wickeliffe whiles he liued held any false doctrine coÌ„trary to the holy Scripture If he do affirme it let him then shew what doctrine it is and afterward declare that he held it obstinatly And he shall finde that in his bookes he alwayes wrote most commendable protestations agaynst obstinacye and stifneckednesse And by and by after M. Iohn Stokes in his intimation sayth that M. Iohn Wickliffe in EnglaÌ„d is counted for an hereticke This seemeth also false by the letter testimoniall of the Vniuersity of Oxforde vnto the which there is more credit to be geueÌ„ then vnto him And this shall suffise for this present Now as we haue declared the testimony of the Vniuersity of Oxford of Iohn Hus concerning the praise of Iohn Wickliffe It followeth likewise that we set forth and expresse the contrary censure and iudgementes of his enemies blinded with malicious hatred and corrupt affections against him especially of the Popes Councel gathered at Constance proceeding first in condemning hys bookes then of his articles and afterward burning of his bones The copy of which theyr senteÌ„ce geuen against him by that counsell here foloweth * The sentence geuen by the Councell of Constance in condemning the doctrine and 45. Articles of Iohn Wickliffe THe most holy and sacred councell of CoÌ„stance making and representing the catholick Church for the extirpation of this present schisme and of all other errors and heresies springing and growing vnder the shadow and pretence of the same and for the reformation and amendment of the Church being lawfully congregate and gathered together in the holy Ghost for the perpetuall memory of the time to come We are taught by the acts and historyes of the holy fathers that the catholicke fayth without the which as the holy Apostle S. Paule saith it is vnpossible to please God hath bene alwayes defeÌ„ded by the faythfull and spirituall souldiors of the Church by the shield of fayth agaynst the false worshippers of the same fayth or rather peruerse impugners which through their proud curiosity will seeme to know more and to be wiser then they ought to be for the desire of yâ— glory of the world haue gone about oft times to ouerthrow the same These kindes of warres and battelles haue bene prefigured to vs before in those carnall warres of the Israelites agaynst the Idolatrous people For in those spirituall warres the holy catholick Church through the vertue power of fayth being illustrateâ—â—â— the beames of the heauenly light by the prouideÌ„ce of God and being holpen by the helpe and defence of the Saints holy men hath alway continued immaculate the darcknes of errours as her most cruell enemyes being put to flight â—he hath most gloriously triumphed ouer all But in these our daies the old and vnclean enemy hath raysed vp new coÌ„teÌ„tions strifes that the elect of this world might be knowne whose Prince and captayne in time past was one Iohn Wickliffe a false Christian. Who during his life time taught and sowed very obstinatly many articles coÌ„trary and agaynst the Christian Religion and the Catholicke fayth And the same
Iohn Wickliffe wrote certayne bookes which he called a Dialogue a Trialogue besides many other treatises and works the which he both wrot and taught in the which he wrot the aforesayd and many other damnable execrable articles The which his books for the publication and aduauncement of his peruers doctrine he did set forth opeÌ„ly for euery man to read Wherby beside many offeÌ„ces great hurt damages of soules hath ensued in diuers regions countryes but specially in the kingdomes of England and Boheme Against whom the maisters and Doctors of the Vniuersities of Oxforde and Prage rising vp in the truth and verity of God according to the order of schooles within a while after did reprooue and condemne the sayd Arcicles Moreouer the most reuerent fathers the archbishops and bishops for that time present of CaÌ„terbury Yorke and Prage Legats of the Apostolick sea in the kingdome of England and Boheme did condemne the bookes of the sayd Wickliffe to be burnt And the sayd Archbishoppe of Prage commissarye of the Apostolicke sea did likewise in this behalf determin iudge And moreouer he did forbid that any of those bookes whiche did remayne vnburned should not be hereafter any more reade And agayne these things being brought to the knowledge vnderstanding of the Apostolicke sea aud the generall councell The Bishop of Rome in his last Councell condemned the sayde bookes treatises and volumes commaunding them to be openly burned Most straightly forbidding that any men which should beare the name of Christ should be so hardy either to keep read or expound any of the sayde bookes or treatises volumes or workes or by any meanes to vse or occupy them either els to alledge theÌ„ opeÌ„ly or priuely but to their reproofe infamy And to the intent that this most dauÌ„gerous and filthy doctrine should be vtterly wiped away out of the Church he gaue commaundemeÌ„t through out al places that the Ordinaries should diligeÌ„tly enquire and seeke out by the Apostolick authority and Ecclesiasticall censure for all such bookes treatises volumes workes And the same so being found to burne consume theÌ„ with fire prouiding withall that if there be any such fouÌ„d which will not obey the same processe to be made agaynst them as agaynst the fauourers and mayntayners of heresies And this most holy Synode hath caused the sayd 45. Articles to be examined and oft times perused by manye most reuerend fathers of the Church of Rome Cardinals Bishops Abbots maisters of diuinitye and Doctours of both lawes besides a great number of other learned men the which Articles being so examined it was found as in truth it was no lesse that many yea a great number of theÌ„ to be notoriously for heretical reproued and condemned by the holy fathers other some not to be Catholick but erroneous some full of offence and blasphemy Certayn of theÌ„ offensiue vnto godlye eares and many of theÌ„ to be rashfull and seditious It is found also that his bookes do contain many Articles of like effect and quality and that they doe induce and bring into the Church vnâ—ouÌ„d and vnwholesome doctrine contrary vnto the fayth and ordinance of the Church Wherefore in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ this sacred Synode ratefying and approuing the senteÌ„ces and iudgements of the Archbishops counsell of Rome do by this theyr decree and ordinance perpetually for euer more condemne and reproue the sayd Articles and euery one of them his bookes which he intituled his Dialogue and Trialogue all other bookes of the same author volumes treatises workes by what name so euer they bee entituled or called the which we wil here to be sufficiently expressed and named Also we forbid the reading learning exposition or alledging of any of the sayd bookes vnto all faythfull Christians but so farreforth as shall tend to the reproofe of the same forbidding all and singular Catholick persons vnder the payn of curse that from henceforth they be not so hardy openly to preach teach or holde or by any meanes to alledge the sayd Articles or any of them except as is aforesayd that it do tend vnto the reproofe of them commaunding all those bookes treatises works and volumes aforesayd to be openly burned as it was decreed in the Synode at Rome as is afore expressed For the execution wherof duely to be obserued and done the sayd sacred Synode doth straitly charge commaund the ordinaries of the places diligently to attend looke vnto the matter according as it appertayneth vnto euery maÌ„s duty by the Canonicall lawes and ordinaunces What were these articles here condemned by this couÌ„cell collected out of all his workes and exhibited to yâ— sayd CouÌ„cell to the number of 45. The copy of them foloweth vnder written * Certaine other Articles gathered out of Wickeliffes bookes by his aduersaries to the number of 45. exhibited vp to the Councell of Constance after his death and in the same councell condemned BEsides the 24. Articles aboue mentioned there were other also gathered out of his books to the number of 45. in all which his malicious aduersaryes peruersly collecting and maliciously expounding did exhibite vp to the CouÌ„cel of Constance which to repeat all though it be not here needfull yet to recite certayn of them as they stand in that Councell it shall not be superfluous 25. All such as be hyred for temporall liuing to pray for other offend and sinne of simony 26. The prayer of the reprobate preuayleth for no man 27. Halowing of Churches confirmation of children the Sacrament of orders be reserued to the Pope Bishops onely for the respect of temporall lucre 28. Graduations and Doctorships in Vniuersities and Colledges as they be vsed coÌ„duce nothing to the church 29. The excommunication of the Pope and his Prelates is not to be feared because it is the censure of Antechrist 30. Such as fouÌ„d build Monasteries do offend sinne and all such as enter into the same be meÌ„bers of the deuil 31. To enrich the Clergy is agaynst the rule of Christ. 32. Siluester the Pope Constantine the Emperor were deceiued in geuing taking possessions into the Church 33. A Deacon or Priest my preach the word of God with out the authority of the Apostolick sea 34. Such as enter into order or religion monasticall are therby vnable to keep Gods commaundements and also to atteine to the kingdome of heauen except they reurne from the same 35. The Pope with all his Clergye hauing those great possessions as they haue be heretiques in so hauing the secular powers in so suffering them do not well 36. The Church of Rome is the sinagoge of Sathan neither is the Pope immediately the vicare of Christ nor of yâ— Apostles 37. The Decretals of the Pope be Apochripha and seduce from the sayth of Christ and the Clergy that study them be fooles 38. The Emperor and secular Lordes be seduced which so enrich