also that the Church by their negligence shoulde become desolate and that iniquitie shoulde abound that is by reason of Mammon master of iniquitie Also he saide that there were in the Church of Christ Idols which shoulde destroy Ierusalem and make the Temple desolate but were cloaked by hypocrisie further that there bee many which denie Christ for that they kéepe silence neither doe they heare Christ whome all the worlde shoulde know and should confesse his veritie before men which also wittingly doe detaine the veritie and Iustice of God Hee taught openly that in the Pope Cardinals Bishops Prelates Priestes and other religious men was no trueth but that onely he and such as held with him taught the true way of saluation Mathias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne who about the yeare of our Lorde 1370. wrote a large booke of Antichrist and proueth him already come and noteth the Pope to be the same In this booke he doth greatly eniue againste the wickednesse of the cleargie and against the neglecting of their dutie in gouerning the Church The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalyps hee saith be the hypocrites raigning in the Church The workes of Antichrist he saith be these the fables and inuentions of men raigning in the Church the Images and fayned reliques that are worshipped euery where Item that men doe worship euery one his proper sainct and sauiour beside Christ so that euery man and citie almost hath his diuers and peculiar Christ He taught and affirmed moreouer that godlynesse and true worship of God are not bounde to place persons or times to bee hearde more in this place then in an other at this time more then at an other c. Hee was greatly and much offended with monks and friers for neglecting or rather burying the worde of Christ and in stéed thereof for celebrating and setting vp their owne rules and Canons affirming it to be much hurtfull to true Godlinesse for that Priestes Monkes and Nunnes do account themselues onely spirituall and all other to be lay and secular attributing onely to themselues the opinion of holynesse and contemning all other men with all their politicke administration and office as prophane in comparison of their owne He further writeth that Antichrist hath seduced al vniuersities and Colleges of learned men so that they teach no sincere doctrine neither giue any light to the Christians with their teaching Finally he forewarneth that it will come to passe that God yet once againe will raise vp godly teachers who being feruent in the spirite and zeale of Helias shall disclose and refute the errours of Antichrist alleadgeth the sayings and writings of the vniuersitie of Paris also the writings of Guliel de sanct Amour Henricus de Hassia an excellent learned and famous man He wrote an Epistle vnto Iacobus Carisiensis Bishop of Normacia inserted in his booke de erroribus Christianorum In the same Epistle the authour doth greatly accuse the spirituall men of euery order yea the most holiest of all other the Pope himselfe of many and great vices Hee saide that the Ecclesiasticall gouernours in the primatiue Church were compared to the Sunne shining in the day time and the politicall gouernours to the Moone shyning in the night But the spirituall men he said that nowe are doe neither shine in the day time nor yet in the night time but rather with their darkenesse doe obscure both day night that is with their filthy liuing ignoraunce impietie Hee citeth also out of the prophesie of Hildegardis these words Therefore doth the deuill in himselfe speake of you Priests daintie bankets and feasts wherein is all voluptuousnes doe I finde amongst these men In so much that mine eyes mine eares my belly my vaynes bee euen filled with the froth of them and my brestes stande astrout with the riches of them c. Lastly saith he they euery day more and more as lucyfer doe séeke to clymbe higher and higher till that euery day with him more and more they fall déeper and déeper Hee liued Anno. 1371. Nilus was Archbishop of Thessolonica and lyued 1380. He wrote a long worke against the Latins that is against such as tooke part helde with the Churche of Rome His booke first being written in Gréek was after translated into Latin and lately nowe into English in this our time In the first Chap. of his booke he layeth all the blame and fault of the discention and schisme betwene the East and the West Church vppon the Pope Hee affirmed that the Pope onely woulde commaunde what him lusted were it neuer so contrarie to all the olde and auncient Cannons That hee would heare and followe no mans aduise that hee would not permit any free Councels to be assembled c. In the second Chapt. of his booke hee purposedly maketh a verie learned disputation for first he declareth that he had no whit at all by Gods commaundement but onely by humaine Lawe any dignitie more then others Bishops which dignitie the Councels the fathers and Emperours haue graunted vnto him neither did they graunt the same for any other consideration more or greater ordinaunce then for that the same citie then had the Empery of all the whole world and not at al for that that Peter was there or not there c. 133 In the yeare 1383. Iohn wikliefe liued in England who hauing of long time made profession of diuinitie at Oxenforde a citte and vniuersitie in Englande and hee séeing that true diuinitie was vilely corrupted with much filthinesse of questions and inuentions set forth by the Pope he coulde not but lament in his hearte and determined to remedy such a disorder He sawe well that hee coulde not without great trouble remoue away abuses and that those that had so long time growen in the hearts of men could not easilie be rooted out on a sodaine And therefore he thought good to deale there with by little and little First he made this assaye against the aduersaries of the trueth that is he disputed against them of small matters that by that meane he might open an entrie to great things and amongest other hee had to deale with a certain monke named Iohn kenyngham Of these small beginnings they came to higher matters Hee at the last disputed concerninge the sacrament of the supper Therein this good man had great resistaunce affirming openlye in scholes that his principall intent was to take away idolatrie that raigned in the Church concerning this matter But marke what mischiefe happened a man coulde not so soone touth this wounde without causing great sorrowe to the worlde The monkes and especially the begging fort were in a furie the Bishops would haue knowledge of this matter He alleaged the authoritie of the auncient Doctours of the Church in those poyntes wherein they agréed with the holy scriptures declaring that there is no trueth but that which is contayned in them As for the decretistes he vtterly reiected them He stedfastly mainteined that in the sacrament
At Constantinople was assembled a councell by the aforenamed Emperour in the fourteneth yeare of his Empyre whereas were 300. and thirtie bishops there was commaundement giuen that all the images of sainctes shoulde be taken away and burned Also the Emperour made his subiects to sweare that they shoulde no more worshippe any image of God nor of sainctes but condemned to the death al those that shoulde call vppon the virgin Marie for helpe and those that should haue in their houses any reliques of sainctes He commaunded the Monkes to marry and the Nonnes to follow the estate of marriage Sig. Afterwards he sent to the Pope the conclusions of this councell commaunding him to cast the images out of Churches Sabin king of Bulgarie caused all the images in his kingdome to be beaten downe after the example of Constantine wherupon he gat fauour with the Emperour Naucl. 112 In the yeare 782. or thereaboutes after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ wās Alcuin otherwise called Albin the disciple of worthie Beda a monke and afterwardes Abbot of S. Martins in Tours maister to Charlemaigne he composed thrée bookes of the trinitie and many other bookes At that time raigned Constātine the sixte of that name the 76. Emperour of Constantinople the son of Leo the fourth who against the will of his mother Hierene caused the images of the temples to be beaten downe about the which not long before she had assēbled a councel at Nice at the request of Pope Adrian and of Therasius Archebishop of Constantinople as Sig. In this councel there were 325. bishops Naucl. And there it was decréed not onely that they should haue images but also that they shoulde of right be worshipped and that all the gainsayers shoulde be excomunicated But this decrée was shortly abolished by Constantine as is afore saide Chron. Euseb Moreouer within a while after that is to say in the yeare 792. was holden a Synode in Spaine in a citie called Elyberis or Granato whereas did assemble ninetene bishops thirtie and sixe priestes or ministers Felix Bishoppe of Aquitaine was there president There it was concluded especially amongst other poynts that that there should not be in Churches any images or payntings 113 During the raigne of Charlemaigne king of Fraunce who was Emperour though that hee had not gotten the imperiall crowne in the yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ 801. was Ansegisus the Abbot who made foure bookes of the decrées of Charlemaigne of Lewis his sonne Amongst all other things and aboue al things hee would that the Bishopps shoulde preache vnto the people the true doctrine gathered out of the holy scriptures and no otherwise alleaging therefore the saying of Gregorie That a minister who is without the sunne of preaching kindleth against himselfe the wrath of the hidden iudge He also ordeined that no person shoulde make profession of Monachisme without lycence of the king for to shunne many deceypts He would that there should be but a fewe feasts ordeyned he repressed the superfluitie of ministers ordeyning that they shoulde be nourished with the reuenewes of the Church with the poore Furthermore in the time of Charlemaigne and in the meane time whilest he passed his Winter at Francfort vpon the Meine a Councell was holden of a great multitude of Bishops in which the decrée of the councell of Nice concerning worshipping of images holden by Hierene as is aforesaide was pronounced false and condemned of all men c. Charlemaigne caused to be published a booke in his name against images the which agréed with the articles of the saide Councell Furthermore hée made aunswere to two bookes which were founde to haue bene written by Adrian the Pope to Therasius the Patriarch and to the Emperour of Constantinople By this writing Charlemaigne taxed and secreatly condemned Adrian without naming of idolatrie There was also one councell holden at Cauaillon vnder Charlemaigne in which amongst other superstitions that were there condemned the going of Pilgrimage for religions sake was sharpely repressed in the 45. Canon alleaging the saying of S. Hierome No man ought to be praysed for that hée hath séene Ierusalem but for that hee hath lyued well c. It is saide of Charlemaigne that he reproued the Archbishoppe of Mayence named Boniface because hée had a crosse all couered with golde beset with pretious stones for occasion so offering hee checked him and saide that it was rather the furniture of an Emperour then of a pastour 114 Haymo Byshop of Albastat scholler of Alcuinus did write vpon all the bookes aswell of the olde as of the newe Testament as is euident yet at this present He dyed in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the sonne of Charlemaigne in the yere of Christ 834. In his time was also Rabanus who was first a Monke of the order of S. Benit and Abbot of Fulden afterward he was archbishop of Mayence who was also a disciple of Alcuinus he also made commentaries vpon all the bookes of the Byble He dyed in the yeare of our Lorde 855. Strabus was his scholler of whom it is founde written that he was the first that collected the ordinary glose of the writings of the fathers and doctours the which glose was afterwarde augmented by many others who added sentences therto 115 Bertrand a Priest a learned man well instructed in the true Godlynesse flourished in the time of the Emperour Lotharie in the yeare 840. He wrote many good workes of which it is saide that they did not come all to our hands He wrote a very commendable worke to King Charles the brother of Lotharie that is one booke of predestination and one other of the bodie bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ The cause why he composed that booke wherein he writeth very learnedly of the supper of the Lorde was by the aduise and commaundement of King Charles le chauue that he might bring the people into one and the true opinion who were then deuided touching the said misterie So that one sort saide that Christ was therein taken and eaten in misterie and was figured vnder the Elements of breade and wine some saide on the contrarie that all that which was séene in the saide misterie was chaunged and conuerted and as many doe say vnto this day transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ Some said that it was figuratiuely or euidētly this was the proper bodie of Christ which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Mary with the which he is ascended into heauen others saide that it was the spirituall bodie that is the misterie representation figure vnderstanding and spirituall apprehension of the proper bodie and bloude of Christ deliuered to the death for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification All which opinions are founde remayning till this present for some holde still transubstantiation others impanatiō others a metaphore but somewhat reall Others there were who acknowledged nothing els but méere breade and wyne all which doubtes be
at one onely battaile 58. thousand men as Nicephorus saith Anselme speaketh of 50. thousand and of fifty fortresses that were taken and 985. Villages destroyed both by famine and fire and bloudsheade And all the rest of the Iewes were driuen away from Ierusalem and solde into all partes of the worlde So terrible a destruction as they had by Titus might sufficiently teach them that the kingdome was taken away from them like as the Prophets had foretolde them but it came so to passe that they felt almost as great a punishment at the seconde time as they had at the first Then many Christians of the Gentyles gathering themselues together elected as before I was telling Marke for their Bishop who was the 16. Cassianus the 17. Publius the 18. Maximius the 19. Gayan the 21. Symmache the 22. Caius the 23. Iulian secundus the 24. Capito the 25. This is recorded of Eusebius lib. 5. Chap. 12. For asmuch as the Church of the Gentyles had then their habitation there the Lorde woulde declare that the true Messias was alreadie come and that they ought to looke for none other 72 In the time of Marcus Aurelius Antonius about the yeare 160. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Melito borne in Asia was Bishop of Sardis he wrote to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Christian faith Theophilus bishoppe of Antioche wrote against Marcion Apollinaire Denis bishop of Corinth Iustus bishop of Vienna wer Martyrs for the faith There were also Philip bishoppe of Créete or Candie Egesippus Iustin the Philosopher Modestus Musan and certaine others of whose bookes we haue but fewe Eusebius doth partely and Hierome partely rehearse the bookes written by them 73 Eleutherius borne at Nicopolis in Gréece gouerned the Church of Rome 15. yeare and more in the time of Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour in the yeare of Christ 179. he gaue commaundement against the Seueriens herisie that then raigned Also that no Christian for any ceremong should forsake any kinde of meates accustomed to bee eaten 1. volume of councells 74 Ireneus the scholar of Polycarpus was ordeyned byshop of Lions after that Photin bishop of the said Church had suffered Martyrdome when he was 90. yeares old and with him a greate many moe Frenchmen Hee was in the time of Prince Commodus about 170. or a 180. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus It is saide that hée was put to death in the citie of Smyrna vnder the raigne of Maximine Hée lyued aboue fourescore yeares There was great persecution in the Church about that time and it lasted very long For the Paganes were offended because that the Christians reproued and sought to abolysh their olde accustomed manners of worshipping and the Religion of their auncestours And for this cause a great multitude of Christians were put to death all abroade in dyuers countryes and regions especially aboue all others the Doctours Bishops and Pastours of the Churches Nowe during these venemous rages and horible crueltie of the Deuil God preserued some faithfull Doctours and prolonged the liues of some others to the ende that by them the pure doctrine might be conserued and publyshed abroad amongst whiche were Polycarpus Ireneus and others 75 About this time or shortly after lyued Theodotion bishoppe of Ephesus of Alexandria Pautene Miltiades Appollonius Serapion and Policrates of whose liues Eusebius and S. Hierome make larger demonstration and of their bookes also All the which sustayned sundrie combattes against many heretykes to wit Marcion Montanus Valentinian and the Hermogenians and diuers others 76 Victor bishop of Rome gouerned the church 10. yeares in the time of Didius Iulianus Milancius Emperours Hée ordeyned that those which woulde not reconcile themselues shoulde be depriued of the table of the Lorde 77 About 200. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus in the raigne of Seuerus Pertinax Antonius Carcalla Emperours was Tertullian of Affrica of the citie of Carthage His bookes be nowe extant in which Cyprian tooke so great pleasure as saint Hierome wryteth that he woulde not passe ouer one day without reading some of his workes It is written of him that he lyued vntill the last age 78 Leonides the father of Origene was martyred for the faith he had his head cut off in the persecutions stirred vp against the Christians by the Emperour Seuerus in the tenth yeare of his Empyre Origene his sonne being then young of 17. yeares of age saide my father take héede that in no wise you change and swarue from the trueth you haue begon This Origene after that the goods of his Father were confiscate for the faith kept and mainteined his mother and brethren with teaching schole and being but eightéene yeares olde he was called by the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypte to the office of a Catechiser for to instructe children and straungers Out of his schoole came many Martyrs If any woulde sée what was his life his manners exercises writinges and bookes let him haue recourse to Eusebius in the ecclesiasticall historie in the sixt booke He lyued vntill the time of Gallus that is vntill the 70. yeare of his age Amonius the philosopher was his maister who perseuered in the Christian faith vntill he died Origene was 255. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Suidas saith that he was buried in the citie of Cyr. In that time was also Tryphon Minutius Felix that was a Romain Berillus Hippolitus Alexander bishop of Cappadocia Iulius Affricanus Gregorie bishop of Pontus in Nercesarea Dionise bishop of the citie of Alexandria all which for the most part had béene the scholers of Origene 79 Vrbane a Romaine Bishop of Rome gouerned the Church 8. or 9. yeares in the time of the Emperour Heliogabalus Damasus saith that he was of a holy life so as he drewe certeine Gentlemen as Tyburtius and Valerian the husbande of S. Cecil to the Christian faith Moreouer Damasus saith that he ordeined that the Churches shoulde possesse landes farmes and other possessions and that the saide goods should be common and distributed for the sustenance of the mynisters the poore and the notaries called the protonotaryes who wrote the actes of the martyrs 80 Cyprian of the country of Affrica bishop of Carthage suffered martyrdom vnder the empyre of Valerian and Galerien in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 260. Nowe in that time that is to say in the reigne of Dionisius the Emperour arose great persecution and thereof Nicephorus saith in his fifth booke and twenty Chapter that it is as easie to number the multitude of those that suffered in this persecution as it is to number the sande of the sea Alexander bishop of Ierusalem honourable because of his pietie and age was brought before the seat iudiciall in Cesarea and after that he had made confession of his faith he died in prison Babyle byshop of Nicomedie Asclepiades of Antioche Germane Theophilus Cesarius Vital Polichronius bishop of Babylon Serapion Apolline the
did contemne at these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and essentiall as being straunge and not vsed in the holy scriptures The fathers shewed that they of necessitie were constrayned to vse these wordes for to signifie that the sonne was begotten of the substance of the father according to the whiche the sonne was consubstantiall with the father that is of the same essence and substance Moreouer they woulde then haue forbidden the ministers and Deacons for to dwell with their wiues But Paphnutius whom Constantine had in such reuerence that he woulde cause him oftentimes to come into his pallaice and imbrace him yea he would euen kisse the place whence he had his eye plucked out he rysing vp pronounced mariage to be honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled and he said that the company of a man with his wife is chastitie he perswaded the councell that they shoulde set forth no such lawes which shoulde giue occasion of fornication both to the men and to their wiues The councell liked his opinion and they ordeyned nothing concerning this but left vnto euery one lybertie to choose whither hee woulde marry or not according as he shoulde feele to be expedient for him or holsome whereby it was lawfull as before for the ministers to kéepe still their wiues and to marry But afterwards Syricius and Gregory the seuenth forbad such mariages whiche thing neuerthelesse the ministers of the East receiued not 87 During the Empyre of Constantius the sonne of Constantine the great in the yere 350. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ there were also these greate personages Doctors in the Church Theodorus Bishop of Heraclia in Thrace Eusebius Bishop of Emesus Hillarie Bishop of Poitiers of Aquitaine in Fraunce who made a booke of the Trinytie against the Arrians many other bookes which are verie profitable 88 Liberius a Romaine borne was elected byshop in the yeare of Christ as S. Hierome writeth 352. and about the twelfe yeare of the Emperour Constance His confession was agréeable to the Catholike faith and hee wrote very Christianlike vnto Athanasius concerning God the father Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost as it may appeare by his Epistle which is ioyned with the workēs of Athanasius Athanase doth recorde in his Epistle made of them that leade a solitarie life that in the time of Constance the Emperour he sent to Rome one named Eusebius an Eunuke with letters by whiche he threatened him exile and on the other part offered him great giftes to allure him by that meanes to consent with Arrius and to subscribe vnto the condemnation of Athanasius but Liverius despysed both the threatnings and rewards as a sacrifice of blasphemie Whereupon the Emperour caused him to be brought out of Rome and comming towards him he menaced to put him to death But Liverius stoutly aunswered him I am readie to abide any thing rather then of Christians we should be called Arrians What art thou then saide the Emperour which with one naughtie fellowe troublest all the worlde Liberius saide vnto him The worde of faith dependeth not vpon a multitude Hée was then sent away againe by the Emperour Constance into Berchee which is a Citie of Thrace whereas when hee had béene two yeares hee was called for againe as witnesseth Theodoretus His restitution as some say was agréed vnto by the Emperour at the request of many of the citie of Rome and of the Bishops of the Weast The saide Athanasius saith in his Epistle aforenamed that Liberius after the two yeares of exile being brought in feare by threatnings feare of death yelded and subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius 89 Basile bishop of Cesarea was also in the time of Valentinian and Valens Emperours whilest Valentinian liued the East Church was in rest agréeing to the decrées of the Synode of Nice but Valens made bulwarkes for to aduaunce Arrianisme withall against those that were called Homousiastes that is the true Catholickes and he styrred vp great persecutions especially in Antioch and in Laodicea His brother Valentinian reproued him therefore admonished him by letters as Zonoras wryteth but he was the more angrie therefore and minded to driue out of the country Basile bishoppe of Cesarea because that he woulde not at his commaundement communicats with Eudorius bishop of Constantinople an Arrian but the Lorde sent a sicknesse to his onely sonne the which he knowing to be the vengance of God conuerted from his wicked purpose and gaue eare certaine dayes vnto the sermons of Basile 90 Damasus borne in Spaine a Bishop of Rome succéeded Liberius in the yeare 363. in the raigne of Valence the Emperour for the wryting of Damasus looke Suidas and Hierome in his Epistle to Custach tome 4. which maketh mention of Damasus Of virginitie he saith reade the books the Damasus composed both in verse and prose He held in reuerence the Synode of Nicée condemned Auxentius Bishop of Millain an Arrian Theodor. lib. 4. Chap. 30. saith that with saint Ambrose hee stroue valiantly against heretykes condemning openly Sabellius Arrius Eunomius the Macedonians Marcellus the heresie of Apollinaris Hierome in the apologie against Iouinian calleth Damasus a singuler man and well learned in the scriptures and doctours of the church Athanase in his Epistle vnto the Byshoppes of Affrica calleth Damasus his most deare companion praysing his diligence for that he had assema Synode at Rome against the Arrians In the same time also was Anthonie who being a hundreth and fiftie yeares olde dyed He sawe in a dreame as it were hogges which trode vnder their féete the altars and waking said that the Church shal be once againe spoyled and dispersed by whoremongers adulterers monstrous men Melanchthon noteth this prophecy to be against the leacherous and voluptuous life of Priests and Monches 91 Vulphilas Bishoppe of Gothes in Sarmatia hist tripar lib. 8. translated the Bible into the Gothes language for the vse of his countrimen the like Hierome did in the Dalmatian tongue for the profite of the people there And in Croatia whiche is the lower Pannonia the Churches then the bishops vsed the holy scriptures translated into their vulgar languages 92 In the raigne of Theodosius and Valentinian Emperours in the yeare 386. Ambrose was Bishop of Milain His election was such that Aurentius an Arrian Bishop being gone from Milain there arose a great sedition betwixt the Arrians the catholickes concerning the election of the Bishop And at that time Ambrose being a Citizen was proconsul who considering this vprore because of his office went hastily vnto the Church whereas the people were assembled and after that hee had vsed many perswasions for to reuoke the people to a concorde there rose vp sodainly a common voyce with one consent that Ambrose must be Baptized who was alreadie cathechised and that after they shoulde consecrate him Bishop wherunto he would not agrée but by the commaundement of the Emperour Valentinian who incyted him thereto hee tooke
the office vppon him and then the Emperour gaue thankes vnto God for that he had called this man from the gouernement of bodies vnto gouerning of soules Such was the election of the Bishoppes by the people Then within a while after Iustine hauing drawen his sonne Valentinian into his errour assayed to haue allured Ambrose also thereto but it was in vaine And albeit that one day a bande of soldiars did beset the temple for to make Ambrose come out he not withstanding was constant and made them a Bishoplike aunswere saying vnto thē that hee woulde not not so easily depart from that place neither that he would leaue the flocke vnto the power of Wolues nor yet the Temple vnto blasphemers That and if they were purposed to kill him they should doe it within the Temple and that hee woulde bee content to dye Looke Theodor. lib. 5. Chap. 3. 93 Vigilantius Bishop of Barcelon in Spaine was in the raigne of Theodosius the Emperour he stoode in defence against the idolatrie and worshipping of the bodies of Martyrs like as S. Hierome writing to Riparius maketh sufficient demonstration and saith that whilest we liue we should pray one for another but after that wee be deade our prayers cannot be hearde Moreouer he saide The commaundement of continencie or to abstaine from mariage is heresie and the séede of whooredome 94 In the yeare 380. was Appollinaire of Laodicia Bishop of Syria who wrote thirtie bookes against the madnesse of Porphirie and as Suidas saith hee translated into Heroick verses the most parte of the Hebrewe writings Some doe hold opinion that he did the like also with the Psalmes 95 In the yeare after the natinitie of our Lord Iesus Christ 390. was sainct Hierome the sonne of one named Eusebius of the citie of Stridon who made many bookes homilyes and commentaries vpon the holy Byble whose translation thereuppon we haue vntill this present time He dyed when he was 91. yeares olde The debate that was then betwixt Hierome and the aforenamed Vigilantius bishop of Barcelon in Spaine sheweth the superstition began long before Of which matter we may sée ynough how Vigilantius and other good Doctours of that time auouched that the adoration of the Saincts was drawne from the superstition of the Paganes In that time were also Seuerien who aboue all other things is praysed vnto the people because of his eloquence and worthie sermons made vnto the people also Theodorus a Moncke Lucian a Priest of Ierusalem Martin bishop of Tours and Seuerus Sulpitius 96 About the yeare 402. after the natiuity of our Lorde Iesus and in the reigne of Arcadus and Honorus Emperours was Chrisostome borne at Antioche the disciple of Libanus the Philosopher he was an Auditor of Andragatius the Philosopher who forsooke the estate of an aduocate and followed Euagrius with his other two companions Theodosius and Maximius who were afterwarde bishops after that they had profited well in the holy scriptures in the Monasteries For in those dayes the Monasteries were common schooles and the Abbots or Priours that were presidents there did teach publyckely the holy scriptures Chrisostome was bolde and free in rebuking sinnes especially in his publicke sermons and for that cause was he hated of the Cleargie He withstoode Gainas who requested of the Emperour that he might obtaine a Temple at Constantinople for his people Looke Hist tripar lib. 10. Chapt. 6 Whoso list to sée the life of Chrisostome Palladius hath composed it 97 S. Augustine was Bishoppe of Hippo and was raysed vp by the power of God for to refute the errours aswell of the Manichees as of the Pelagians who saide that Adam hurt onely but himselfe in sinning nothing his successours Then Sathan by this subtility made them thorow cloaking their disease to be incurable But heretikes being vanquished by manifest testimonies of the holy scripture that sinne was descended from the first man into all his posteritie they cauelled that it was descended by imitation and not by generation Wherefore the holy men of that time and amongst the rest S. Auguistine was forced to shewe howe that we are not corrupted by the wickednes which we drawe from others by example but that we bring our peruersitie euen from our mothers wombe Furthermore whereas they sayed that we are not iustified by the mercy of God thorough Iesus Christ without our owne merites and that by our owne workes and naturall vertues wee doe purchase true and entyre iustice before God It doeth appeare howe Saint Augustine shewed that by faith alone we bee iustified forasmuch as faith doth imbrace him that iustifieth to wit CHRIST our LORD with whome it vniteth and conioyneth vs in such sort that we be made partakers of him and of all the goods that hee hath and that all good workes ought to come thereof that is to say of Iesus dwelling in vs by the frée force and efficacie whereof we begin to will that which is good and to apply our selues thereto Nowe in what price and estimation we shoulde holde the bookes of Saint Augustine the reader may sufficiently discerne He dyed being 76. yeres of age in the time whē the citie of which he was bishop that is to say Hippo was besieged by the Vandales He gouerned the said Church 40 yeares Whoso will sée his life Possidonius hath written it 98 Vnder the Emperour Theodosius the yonger about the yeare 430. after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus there were gouernours in the Church these good men Possidonius of Affrica Bishoppe of Calme Celestine Bishop of Rome who sent Palladius a Grecian and Patricius into Scotland Ireland for to preach the faith He sent also into England Saint Germaine Bishoppe of Auxerre againste the heresie of the Pelagians He ordeined that no shoulde not medle in the parish of an other Also that no Bishop shoulde be elected contrarie to the will of the people but that the consent both of the cleargie and of the people should be required The Church in that time was gretly troubled specially in Affrica the chiefest men of the church were sent to exile martyred by Gensericus king of Vandales Moreouer in that time was holden the councell at Ephesus in the which was Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria chiefe Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople was condempned by two hundred Bishops who forged two persons in Iesus Christ the one of man and the other of God and he coulde not abyde that men should call the Virgin Marie the Mother of God by communication of properties This councell was holden in the tenth yeare of Theodosius the yonger and in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus 437. 99 Sedulius Possidonius Sozenus Socrates and Theodoritus were also in the time aboue named who set downe in writing the Churche matters Cassiodor us also made a briefe collection of their bookes and of the bookes of Theodorite the whiche haue bene chaunged by Epiphanius a schooler and he of these thrée hath made one
of the supper the accidents be not without the subiect that is to say that the whitenesse and roundnesse of the breade be not without the bread to wit that contrary to transubstantion which the priests haue forged the breade abideth bread and the wine contynueth in the proper substance Moreouer the conclusions proposed by him at the towne of Lambeth be these If that any Princes or Lordes or any others haue made any donations vnto the mynisters of the Church there is therin a secreate condition to wit that God shoulde be honoured and that the faithfull should be edified And if this condition ceasse then they may take away from wicked pastours that which they had giuen them any excommunication or other whatsoeuer to the contrary notwithstanding That if these dealinges of men were let alone the cleargie which were of couetous persons will bring all the world into their hands Also that the Pope may lawfully be reproued by those whom he kéepeth in obedience vnder him and that for the vtilitie of the Church he may be accused both of the clearks and lay people That the Pope as great a Lord as he reporteth himselfe to be must thinke that he is a brother vnto others and that if he sinne he ought to be brotherly corrected and heare corrections brotherly And when as by the holy scripture his heresie or errour is shewed him he ought not to be obstinate And by many other conclusions he shewed euidently the abuse of the Pope and of the cleargy and how that their possessions of so great reuenewes be vniust To conclude he was assaulted by many and amongest others the begging monkes who rose against him by greate flockes But the Lorde gaue him for a protectour the Kinge Edwarde vnder whose raigne he had some lybertie to speake the truth Richarde the successour of the said Edwarde persecuted and banished him Within a while after he was called again from banishment and returned vnto the parrishe of whiche he was pastour and there like a lustie champion of the Lorde he aboade alwayes constant euen vntill the death he died in the yeare of our Lorde 1388. fortie and one yeares after his death he was digged vp againe by the commandement of the Pope and his bones were burned and the ashes thereof cast into the water but Iesus Christ dieth not in his faithful ones vse the tyrants what cruelty they can He composed many bookes the which were burned in the citie of Oxenford in the yere 1410. there be certaine notwithstanding reserued still for to declare that God hath alwayes some faithfull seruantes who doe resist the errours of the world Amongest his writinges there is an Epistle which he sent to Pope Vrbane He that woulde sée more at large of him and of his historie let him looke in the booke of Martyrs 134 In the persecution raysed vp against Wiclief and in the yere 1400. Sautree a priest imbraced with zeale of true pure religion craued and requested in the ful Parliament the audience might be granted him for the cōmon profit of all the Realme Then albeit that his request was honest and ciuill and that he gaue to vnderstande that he coulde bring great profite yet he was not hearde for the bishops perceiuing that he came caused him to be attached of heresie and for the seauen articles condemned disgraded and burned him Looke Fabius in his Chronicles and Iohn Crespin in the booke of martyrs William Thorpe an Englishman was also a valiant martyre of our Lorde Iesus Christ He sustayned great assaultes of many prelats of of the Church of Rome without forsaking his vocation which was to instruct the people according to the pure word of God And therefore he woulde not agrée to preach the superstitions and humaine inuentions which he declared to be contrarie to the institution of the holy scriptures he was condemned hauing yeelded a testimonie of his faith Nowe of many pointes well worth the noting vpon the interrogations propounded to him I will recite for to auoyde great prolixitie one onely that is that he being demaunded of the Archbishop of Canterburie primate of Englande and Chauncelour of the whole Realme what the Church did signifie he answered that it is Iesus Christe and the companie of saincts Which thing the said Archbishop confessed to be true in respect of heauen but he demaunded further what the Church was here below on earth It is deuided into two partes answered the said Williā Thorp the one of the two parts which is the better hath obtained victorie ouer the enemies and triumpheth nowe with Christe in great ioy the other part fighteth here still on earth by the sworde of faith against the continuall bulwarkes of Sathan of the fleshe and of the worlde There is no strength so violent no pompe so proud no fire of afflictions and persecutions so burning no tyrannie so cruel no reasons of Doctours so discording nor opinions so diuerse which can withdrawe them from the right rule of faith and of the holy scriptures For they be fortyfied by the worde of God in Christ and firmely stablished as vppon a sure rocke that can not be remoued Looke Iohn Crespin in his booke of martyrs Within a while after the death of Iohn Wiclief there arose greate persecution in Englande against the faithfull for the truth of the Gospell which then began to take déepe rooting The worthiest men in the Realme were not then spared the lord Cobham a knight of the order one of the peeres of England was there apprehended but he was executed after these that we nowe speake off And therefore according to the order of time we will hereafter speake of him more at large for he was an excellent martyr of our Lorde Iesus Christ King Henrie then by publike ordinaunce made an edicte and set foorth through the persuasions of the bishoppes and prelates terrible punishmentes for all them that should follow the doctrine of Wicliefe vsing so great seueritie against them that he helde them not onely for heretikes but also as guiltie of treason And for this cause it was ordeined that they should be punished with two sortes of punishmentes that is that they should be both hanged and burned and there was neither fréedome nor any priuiledge whereby they coulde enioye profite so maliciously were they bente againste the faithfull séeking all meanes againste them and in that time they called al them Wicleffians who read the scriptures in the vulgar tongue and which made their assemblies in secrete places in the darke preaching in woodes and bushes Then the Bishops being armed with this edicte of the king exercised great tyrannie against manie good people and many poore innocentes and amongest other against Roger Acton a knight of the order and a true nobleman adorned with great vertues he abhorred the wicked traditions of the Pope had his affections withdrawen from him and from all his assistants For that cause it is reported that he was hated amongest the
that he had subscribed to the condemnation of Iohn hus and had sayed many things against that good man and against Wiclief who hee saide had openly manifested by wordes the detestable liues of the Bishops and prelates had touched them to the quicke in their books hauing iustly writen and spoken of their misdéedes and peruerse traditions Wherfore he being now by the grace and goodnes of God brought to the same chaire againe he vtterly repented of that horrible sinne and declared that the subscription that he had made was voyde for they had verie wrongfully burned that holy man In the end he being willed to recant then immediately or else he shoulde be vsed as the other was he chose rather to dye And he was condemned to be burned hauing put on him a crown of paper like as Iohn Hus had wher on were painted diuels round about And he saide that Iesus Christe for the loue of him a poore sinner had borne a greater paine and that for the good will that he had shewed him he also woulde go willingly to execution and going he song with prayers himnes and calling vppon God And when the woode was set about him hee cryed with a loude voyce O Lorde into thy handes I cōmende my spirite if you would sée further of him looke Crespin in his booke of martyrs The Bohemians vnderstanding what was done at Constance against the doctours they sacked and spoyled the conuents and monasteries of that countrie and set them on fire and then they withdrewe them selues frō the subiection of the Pope of Rome Looke Naucl. 137 The Realme of Fraunce also at that time was not destitute of true doctours who faithfully executed their charge in declaring the light and the day of the Lord amongst whom Nicholas Clemangis a doctour of Paris and Archdeacon of Bayonna in the yeare 1417. hath left a certaine testimony in wryting touching the corrupt estate of the church shewing forth the fountaine of all mischiefes oppressions and calamities that the Church hath endured and that still it shall abide thorough the horrible violence crueltie tyrannie and insatiable rigour of him who calleth himselfe the heade on the the earth and of his members He saide that the sectes and seditions raysed vp against the Churches by the furies of hel do declare what peace fraternitie they haue amongst them And that the infernall and schismaticall hydra beginning at him that calleth himselfe heade of the Church and budding very abundantly and spreading the rootes by the furies hath infected al the colleges and assemblies thorough the séede of the Viper To conclude I knowe not how in so few words I shoulde comprehende in what a straunge sort hee speaketh of this fountaine and the horrible confusion of the Church of Rome He therefore that will sée more of the wrytings of the saide Nicholas Clemangis which are worthy to bee reade of all faithfull Christians let him looke in the last edition of Iohn Crespin his booke of martyrs fol. 60. Wherupon I say we must note that albeit God doth sufficiently declare vnto vs by his holy word the meane howe to beware of rauening Wolues clad in shéepes rayment and howe we may know them as well by their doctrine as by their works neuerthelesse he hath alwayes raysed vp some good men for to warne his shéepe the more to take héede of false pastours 138 There is no order nor condition of which god doth not know how to draw some to send them into the field to battaile to encounter with false pastours which would so stoutly earnestly maintein superstitions abhominable traditions repugning against his holy worde And amongst others of that time 1418. the history of one excellent Lord of Englande is worthy to bee recorded with the worthyest of the world to wit of Iohn Oldeastel Lorde Cobham knight of the order one of the péeres of England He was one of the chiefest doctours of his time who taught the courtiers that they shoulde serue Christ better then they did He was adorned with excellent vertues and for his noble and vertuous déedes he was promoted to great dignities and honours He had this gifte most excellent that hee cared not greatly for any glorie and honour of the world the which doth soone fade away but hee rather acrounted it all his diguity and felicitie that he might vndertake to doe seruice to the Prince of princes which is Iesus Christ the sonne of God The instructions of Wiclief stoode him in great steade He had such an vnderstanding of the true religion and Godlinesse that he made no difficultie to receiue vnder his protection al those the maintayned the good doctrine and were in daunger therefore Hee sustayned dyuers times great assaultes and daungerous and chiefely the Machinations and secreat practises of wicked Byshops King Henrie the fifte loued him greatly albeit that he knewe the most part of his dealing but at the last hee yelded to the Bishoppes thorough their false reportes and forsooke this noble knight as the furious appetite of the Archbishops and his complices required He was once or twice cyted by the Archbishop He of long time regarded not his curses and excomunications The king sent vnto him an Herault and immediately hee obeyed and went vnto the king He presented vnto him his confession written in which he reciteth by order the articles of the créede and vpon euery article a briese exposition The king wolde not receyue this confession other artycles be founde which he presented to the Archbishop contaning in somme foure poynts where of the one is that he beleueth that in the sacrament of the supper we receyue the body of Christ vnder the kindes forme of bread and wine the same body that was borne of the virgin Marie was crucified dead and buried and lastly rose againe the third day after his death and was exalted to the right hand of the father immortal and tryumpheth now for euer with him being partaker of his eternall glorie And as concernyng the sacrament that they call penitence or penaunce he hath written therof worde for worde his faith saying thus I beléeue that it is very necessarie for euery one that aspireth vnto saluation to wit that hee must repent of his life passed by a true confession and contrition vnsained that in such sort as is set forth in the holy scriptures otherwise there is no hope of saluation Concerning their thirde sacrament he saide touching images that it doth not appertaine to a true fayth true it is the since Christian faith was brought into the world they also were put in exercyse thorow permission to serue for a kalender as they call yt to the ignorant to the ende that by the view thereof they mighte the more easily see the passions holy examples as well of Christ as of his faythfull and holy seruantes but sythens that there is such abuse of that representation and that men do attrybute vnto the images of Saints that which is
whole worlde shoulde be thereat offended Christ in the scripture is named a stumbling stone which thing doth appertaine to all those that preach the gospell He saide that hee refused not to obey the lawes and the magistrate like as he protested that hee had alwayes taught the people to doe and as his kooks did witnesse howe greatly he estéemed the dignitie of lawes but that it was otherwise of decrées and statutes ecclesiasticall He aunswered also that he refused not to submit his bookes to the iudgement of the Emperour or to the estates of the Empire and to the iudgement of other men so that they woulde iudge by conduct of the worde of God the which hee saide was best that if they coulde not reproue him of errour hee coulde not chaunge his opinion For S. Paul commaundeth vs that we shall not beléeue an Angell comming from heauen if he bring any other Doctrine And to be shorte he was solicited menaced and assaulted on all sortes yea euen of all other Realmes countries and prouinces The kinge of Englande Henrie the eight wrot against him and chiefly reproued his iudgement concerning indulgences and other pointes Luther answered him Pope Leo thundered against him a long proces and condemned him as an heretike To conclude he suffered and abode with paine and trauaile the moste bitter and terrible assaults and combates that any man of his time did saying alwayes in the ende that he was readie rather to loose his life then to forsake the worde of GOD which is so manifest wherevppon he grounded his reasons which he vttered foorth That if any coulde shewe the contrarie all that he shoulde finde not conformable and agréeing to the trueth he woulde be readie to reuoke in any parte aswell of his writinges as Preachinges Therfore those do falsely accuse him that say he was led with ambition fantastical opinion wherby he might winne praise and please the princes of Germaine so as afterwarde he might chaunge also the estate politik But is this an ambition a presumption is this to séeke to be in great dignitie and exalted to honour and to liue more delicately then within a cloyster when a man knoweth that hee must willingly go into a most dangerous were into to terrible and cruel tormentes of death as this holy personage might well enough knowe by the people and others good and faithfull personages who had come thereto Others saide that he was possessed with a serpentine madnesse that he might inuenim the world with deadly poyson But I will not say any more to aunswere such sclaunderers and backbiters who doe gaine say them who they do manifestly perceiue haue sought the true doctrine of the word of GOD the which they haue preached and written which haue had the grace of GOD for to liue and die constantly for the mainteinance thereof But those men think in thēselues being inuenimed with the serpentine poyson of the deuilish spirite as by their fruites and workes stuffed with impietie vilanie and infection may easilie bee knowen and that which is contrarie to the honour of God and to the truth of his holy word to disgorge their stincking vomit yea all the mischief that they can deuise by any subtill meane like as the diuell putteth into their heades so that what is it that they dare not doe A prayer that Luther vsed to say dayly Confirme in vs O God that which thou haste wrought and finish the worke which thou hast begonne in vs to thy glorie Amen I wil not recite any more of this holy personage He departed out of this life in the yeare of our Lord 1546. hauing commended his soule into the handes of God and was buried honourably at Wittenberge Hee that wil see further of his life and deeds let him reade the booke of Martyrs also Sleidan and Melancthon haue described his life and gestes Huldrike Zuinglius was borne about the yere 1427. and when hee had trauailed a long time as well in the liberall artes as in the studie of Philosophie He imployed his studie to the schoole of dyuinitie he perceiued that that was but losse of time and that thorough worldly wisdome God and Philosophie were brued together so that of such pratling barbarousnes vaine glorie and other like thinges were risen and did grow and no hope of sound doctrine coulde be hoped for thereby He abode there notwithstanding as one that had espied the campe of his enimies vntill the people of Glaris chose him for their minister before that he entred orders which hee gat afterwarde for then he had not knowledg of the trueth Hauing entred into the ministerie he gaue himselfe wholly to studie especially of the holy scriptures for he then estéemed not humaine wrytings but so as they might stand with the holy scriptures and for preachings He was purposed for to learne Valerius Maximus without book because of memorable examples that be therein He sawe that these be thinges required of a minister that hee hath charge to teache the flocke of Christ that he be adorned with knowledge of manie things and aboue all with diuine knowledge then with the grace of speaking wel for to expound all things fitlie according as may serue for the vtilitie and capacitie of euery bodie For discharge of his dutie he was dayly expounding the olde and newe Testament shewing the proprieties of the text applying them according as he sawe profitable for them of that countrie Hee applyed himselfe to the knowledge of languages and learning at Saint Peter that the holy scripture is not vnderstoode by one particuler interpretation he lifted vp his eyes on hygh crauing for the holy ghost to be his teacher and praying dayly that he might obtaine the grace that he might be able to haue true vnderstanding by sence of the holy spirite Hee iudged of the Catholike Doctours as they iudged of themselues that they must be reade with iudgment and be examined by the canonicall scriptures as by the touchstone that otherwise by mingling with them Philosophie and humaine reasons they were commonly so corrupted that there is no meane how to make them agrée with the authority of the holy scripture Then he put his knowledge in practise so that hee interprised the battle against the greatest wickednesse Thereof came hatred raylings clamors ambushmentes of the children of this worlde against the holy seruant of God Zuinglius Hee went thence and afterwarde was sent for from Zurich to Suissa to be the Pastour being placed hee immediately after vttered forth in the chapter of the Chanons that which he had determined to teach the people to wit the historie of our Lorde Iesus Christ after S. Matthew to the intent that the vertue of him whose title ought to bee aduanced shoulde not lye buried to the detriment of the glorie of God and to the saluation of soules He protested that he did not expounde it by humane sence nor yet being bounde to the methode of any interpretour but by
Firmicane the disciple of Arnobius 84 Eusebius Bishop of Cesaria in Palestine Reththius Bishop of Authun Methodius Athanasius Bishoppe of the citie of Alexandria 85 Eustache Bishop of Antioch Paphnutius of Egipt Maximus Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem Spiridion Bishop of Tremithe in Cyprus Nicholas Bishop of Mirrha in Lycia 86 Theodorike Bishoppe of Heraclia in Thrace Eusebius Bishop of Emesus Hillarie Bishop of Poityers in the Dukedome of Aquitaine in Fraunce 87 Liberius Bishop of Rome 88 Basile Bishoppe of Cesarea 89 Damasus borne in Spain Bishop of Rome succeeded after Liberius Anthon. 90 Vulphilas Bishop of Gothes in Sarmathia 91 Ambrose Bishop of Milaine 92 Vigilantius Bishoppe of Barcelon in Spaine 93 Apollinare of Laodicea Bishop of Syria 94 Hierome the sonne of one named Eusebius of the citie of Stridon 95 Chrisostome borne at Antioch and the disciple of Liberius Euagrius Theodolus Maximius were Bishops 96 Augustine Bishop of Hippo was diuinely raysed vp for to confute as well the errours of the Manichees as of the Pelagians and others 97 Possidonius of the countrie of Affrike bishoppe of Calme Celestin bishop of Rome Palades the grecian and Patricius were in Scotlād and in Ireland for to preach the faith Germaine Bishoppe of Auxerre Cirillus Bishop of Alexandrie 98 Sedulius Sozomenus Socrates Theodoritus Cassiodore 99 Eucherius Bishop of Lyons 100 Victor Bishop of a cytie in Numidia which is in Affricke called in latin Cartena Polichronius bishop of Ierusalem Archadius Probus Paschaius 101 Laetus bishop Eugenius bishop of Carthage 102 Proterius bishop of Alexandrie Peter of Rauenna Gennadius an elder of the church of Marseille Prosper Saluien Sidonius Germaine bishop of Capua Vaast bishop of Arras Fulgentius bishop of Ruspe in Affrike Autius bishop of Vienna Solemus bishop of Chartres Boetius a learned man Epiphanius Bishop of Phania 103 GElasius of Affrick bishop of Rome 104 Hormisda borne in Frese land in the citie of Campania gouerned the Church of Rome 105 Arator Gregorie bishop of Angres 106 Leander bishoppe of Seuille Serenus bishop of Marseillus 107 Isidorus the younger byshop of Hispalis Beda an English man 108 Theodorus Bishoppe of Rauenna Leger bishop of Authun 109 Willebroc bishop of Frisons 110 Boniface Archbishop of Mayence Burcardus Guntarius bishop 111 Alcuin Beda his scholar Felix bishop in Aquitain 112 Ansegisus who made 4. bookes of the decrees of Charlemaigne and of Lewis his sonne 113 Haymo the third Bishop of Albastat the disciple of Alcuinus Rabanus Strabus who collected out of the writings of the fathers and of the doctours the ordinarie glose 114 Bertrand a priest a learned man and well instructed in the true godlines 115 Vldriche bishop of Auspurge in Germanie which greatly resisted against the decrees of Pope Nicholas 116 Iohannes Scotus not Ihon the fiyer a learned man who wrote properly like as the foresaide Bertrande did concerning the bodie and bloud of Christ in the supper 117 Ratherius Bishop of Verone Aldeber of Bohemia Bishop of Prague 118 Burchardus bishoppe of Wormes who compyled the auncient canons 119 Berengarius borne at Toures Archdeacon of Anger 's mainteyned the opinion of the saide Bertrand and Iohannes Scotus 120 Sigebert who made a chronicle Hugo of the Saxon nation 121 Bernard of the countrey of Burgonia 122 Iohn of Saresburie Byshop of Charters stoode in defraunce against the wickednesse of the Popes and of the Cleargie 123 Arnolde bishop of Byxta 124 Waldo of Lyons of whō the Waldenses tooke their name like as of Luther came the Lutherians 125 Peter de vinca Chauncelor to the Emperour Fridericke the second did write many letters in the name of the Emperour complaining therein of the vnsatiable couetousnesse of the Pope 126 William de sainct Amour a Doctour of Paris a channon of Beauuais in his sermons cryed out against the hypocrisie of the prelates and other such like matters 128 Laurence an Englishman a doctour of Paris wrote a certaine booke against the monks the contents of which booke was that men should take heede of false prophets 129 Peter Cassiodorus an Italian well instructed in the worde of God 130 Dulcine of Nauarre who reproued the vices of the Churchmen 131 Arnoldus de villa nova who saide that in the sacrifice of the Altar the Priest did offer nothing vnto God 132 Wickliefe who seing true diuinitie to bee corrupted with a great many of rude questions and humaine inuentions was moued to remedie such a disorder 133 Sautree a priest inflamed with and pure religion 134 Iohn Hus of Bohemia 135 Hierome of Prague a Bohemian who was at the councel of Constance wheras was also Iohn Hus. 136 Clemangis a doctour of Paris Archdeacon of Baion wrote touching the corrupt estate of the church 137 Iohn Oldcastel knight of the order and one of the peeres of Englande who taught the courtiers a better manner of seruing Christ Iesus then they vsed 138 Grunelder of the order of priests Taylour an English man Radtgeber Drandorf Toraw All these were martyred for the maintenaunce of the trueth of the worde of God 139 Wyght an Englishman Richarde Houenden an Englishman martyred for the trueth of the gospell 140 Paul Crau of Bohemia Rhedon of the order Car melites in the kingdome of Fraunce Roger Dule Gentleman 141 Sauanarola al these were burned for mainteining the trueth 142 Luther necessarily raysed vp to reforme the church Zuinglius minister of the church of Zurich 143 Occolampadius minister of Basile 144 Bucer professour of diuinitie in England 145 Melancthon professour of Diuinitie at Wittenberge 146 Peter Martyr professour of diuinitie at Zurich Musculus at Berne Marlorate minister of the Church at Roan 147 Caluin minister of the Church at Geneua 148 FINIS