be confyrmed establysshed euen of the sayntes that be departed out of this worlde But this example came from the deuyll as sure as god lyueth in heuen For so that vncleane spirite is wonte to worke and to do his busynesse by vysyons of deed folke Wysyons of deade men that he myghte make men madde and to make them affrayed This is vndoubted of a very suretye that patryarches and kynges in the olde testament dyd somtyme fyght and handle weapons but that was onely for the worde of god for his peoples cause by the testymony of scrypture But it pleaseth our lordes of Misnia the blynde see of Rome to call all that myracles what soeuer doth fortifye mayntayne temporall honoures and ryches / yea moreouer I do thiÌ„ke this thyng also in a maner to be but a forged fayned thynge lykewyse as al the myracles are well nere which are rehersed in all that bulle that the Pope with the Misnianes by suche maner leasynges erroure wolde put good Benno to martyrdome that not onelye they myght haue a confessour of Benno Benno a martyr but also a martyr For yf he was a good vertuous man it is vndoubted that they do put hym vnto greatter punisshemeÌ„t than euer was any martyr put vnto For with what contumely rebuke coulde he be more foule blotted stayned than this that he is sayde to haue lyued otherwyse than the gospell dothe teache / and that those vysyons are ascrybed vnto hym whiche euen the deuyll hym selfe is wonte to handle Howe moche more wysdome than shuld it haue ben for you O you worshypfull Misnianes to haue kepte you styll at home with your Benno suche maner myracles And I wolde couÌ„sayle you and aduertyse you to be more ware and more wyse hereafter and not to contynewe holde on with ouer many suche folysshe and peuysshe thynges to dyshonoure blaspheme god For here you do se that youre bostynge eyther is but forged and vntrue or els doubtles that Benno is dampned And yf it be so that you do holde on with obstynate myndes to ronne hedlonge and to mayntayne and defende your lyes or so open many feste vyces of Benno than am I innocent from your bloode and from the bloode of all those which do take parte with you It myghte seme that you haue hytherto mocked ynough more thaÌ„ ynough / and that it is tyme ones to take vp with suche thynges And the other miracles are so vayne and so nothing worthe and very tryfles that the thynge is worthye to be petyed because I wyll not speake here that blynde men are soone and easely begyled they whiche are redy to tell and here lyes For who I pray you wolde not laugh at this that the belles which were halowed of Benno do dryue away tempestes of wether as who shulde saye that other belles coulde not do the same or as thoughe the deuyll whiche coniured into a glasse doth suffre hym selfe to be sent awaye agayne coulde not brynge in chase awaye a tempest that so by the permissyon sufferaunce of god he may deceyue wretched men For yf euery thynge that is rare ought the same forthwith to be a myracle comen from heuen than shulde there neuer any false myracle be done any where Of whiche sorte is this also that BeÌ„no went beyonde Albi was sene in this place that place bothe at one tyme. Who knoweth I pray you whether this were BeÌ„no or els some deuyll For howe many tymes hathe the deuyll played suche prankes For howe harde a thynge or howe great a maystrye shall it be thynke you to the deuyll The prynce of this worlde whiche is prynce of this worlde to make feble or to bewytch any man that is his owne all redye throughe vnbelefe in Chryst and afterwarde to bydde and coÌ„maunde hym to be ledde vnto some saynte where he may be delyuered and rydde from his dysease or euyll And than this thynge streyght wayes shall be ascrybed god wotte vnto that saiÌ„t But O good lorde howe vncircumspectelye vnwysely do we al thinges Howe rasshely vnaduysedly do we ronne on forthe as it were certayne blynde men Howe pyteouslye dyd the deuyll deceyue saynte Gregorye in his dyaloges Saynte Gregory For there is in euery place so moche plentye of suche maner iuggelyng castes and deceytes whiche he hath exercysed yet doth exercyse that I coulde of them make tenne other suche sayntes as BeÌ„no is / who agayne can sufficyeÌ„tly proue that the holye fountayne was broughte forthe by Benno sauyng onely that the comon opynyon goeth so aboute of it For a man may fynde many lyke thyngê / the nature and origynall cause wherof is straunge and vnknowen / of which sorte there are many thinges at Rome Brieffely who soeuer wyll descrybe and ymagine that good lyfe of an holy bysshop He ought of necessyte to brynge forthe the wordes and doctryne Sygnes of true holynesse wherin he was excelleÌ„t And also faythe charyte and the crosse of persecucyon whiche was layde vpoÌ„ his backe for his doctrynes sake These thynges onely are the true tokens of an holy man / But nowe this bulle saythe in dede that Benno dyd preache but what he dyd preache or what he dyd vtterly beleue it maketh no mencyon at all / neyther is there so moche as any mencyon at al made of charyte and of the crosse / onely it speketh of his ceremonyes howe that in great angre he ranne away afflycted and vexed certayne men for the goodes of the churche Besydes this there is caryed aboute tales of certayne spirites and phantasyes or ymagynacions of vncertayne and fayned myracles whiche shulde nede moche more probacion whether they dyd chauÌ„ce accordynglye and verely or not than this whether Benno be a saynte or not But this thynge myght easely be perswaded vnto me that Benno in dede was a good man but yet was in many thyngê seduced and deceyued of the Pope Benno sedused and begyled and yet neuerthelesse at the laste throughe the vnmesurable mercy of god was saued in lyke maner as it hathe chaunsed to Bernarde to very many other electe chosen persones But that he dyd suche myracles or wrought suche folysshe wonders as the bulle doth assygne ascrybe vnto hym I suppose no man shall proue / or at the leaste wyse yf he can proue it thaÌ„ they do make Benno the chylde of dampnacyon and heyre of helle / for asmoche as his lyfe is cleane repugnaunt and contrary to the gospell Wherfore as for my parte I wolde gyue counsayle that no man shulde be any whytte moued or styrred with this consecracyon or canonysacyon but rather that good Benno shulde be lefte quyete and in rest to the iudgement of god which aboue dothe knowe what is done with Benno and what condycyon state he is in / For these myracles do proue nothynge at all More ouer euen his
A boke made by a certayne great clerke agaynst the newe Idole and olde Deuyll / whiche of late tyme in Misnia shulde haue ben canonysed for a saynt ⧠⧠⧠☞ ☜ FIrste of all I do make protestacyon that in this boke myne intent is not that Benno the bysshope which is deed many yeres ago / shulde eyther be iudged or els condempned For he hath his iudge lyke as al other haue / whiche haue departed froÌ„ this lyfe of whome it is not laufull for any man to pronouÌ„ce or gyue sentence oneles it be so that god hathe peraueÌ„ture reueled it vnto hym Fyrst by wordes afterwardes by sygnes / for we do onely here touche rebuke that lyuynge Satan Satan which nowe in this tyme in which that gospell is agayne rysen vp by the grace of god shineth all abrode knoweth none other way howe to auenge hym selfe / than vnto the scornynge of god and to the rebuke and sclaunder of his worde to take vnto hymselfe suche maner disguysed apparayle / that vnder the name of Benno whiche forsothe wolde more gladlye haue rested in his graue he myght suffre hym selfe with great ordynaunce of golde and syluer and with solempne and royall pompe to be consecrated and worshypped for a saynt But the Ire and wrathe of god worketh this and bryngeth it to passe that those obstynate and blynde tyrauntes and pursuers suche as is the Pope with his adhereÌ„tes which do not receyue The Pope no nor yet can suffre the gospell vnto theyr owne saluacyon are compelled to beleue leasynges great errours and the disceytes of the deuyll 2 Thessa secundo As Paule saythe vnto theyr greater condempnacyon And I do this so moch the more gladly and with more redy mynde for that I do knowe of a suretie that it is nothyng pleasaunt nor acceptable to Benno yf it so be that he is a saynt in very dede to be canonised Lyke wyse as it was neuer pleasaunt to any of all the sayntes that they haue ben coÌ„secrated of the Pope / Howe be it this same thynge I meane to be canonysed hathe chaunsed to very fewe of them For these mere Papistical saintê haue ben for that most part of them no true chrystyans specyally for this cause that as we do se commenly to come to passe of this canonisacyon and consecracyon of sayntes men do tourne them selfes from the grace of god and from the fayth trust in Chryst do leane vnto the merytes suffrages of sayntes And so moche goodes and ryches is bestowed vpon theyr temples that the worke of charyte towardes our neyghbour is well nere extincte / that the sayntes are accompted taken in the stede of god / and stones stockes in the stede of our neyghbour / of the sayd goodê Images onely slowe belyes ydell swyne are fat fedde in the teÌ„ples churches and monasteryes Nowe to the laufull very sayntes there can be nothynge more pleasaunt and acceptable than that pure vncorrupte faythe and lyuely stronge charyte do indure contynue amoÌ„ge men And for this cause god wold that Moyses shuld be in suche wyse buryed The Butyaff of Moyses that no man shuld knowe his graue lest els he myght happely in that place be worshyhped called vpon and prayed vnto Yea moreouer he dyd not suffre so moche as any honoure or worshyp to be gyuen vnto god in any certayne place appoynted or by any spirytuall name oneles he had coÌ„maunded it before his owne selfe For whiche cause also Ezechias dyd breake the brasen serpent into peces Esechias albeit that god had coÌ„maunded it to be made because he dyd perceyue that the Iewes wolde there set vp honour vnto god though the false ê“phetes also dyd often tymes crye that it was done to the honour glorye of very god euen lykewyse as the Pope with his adherentes dothe nowe of this Benno Howe moche lesse thaÌ„ is it to be suffered now these dayes that in the newe testameÌ„t in the clere lyghte of the gospell any maner honourynge or worshyppynge of god shuld be sette vp of any mans owne wyttes deuocyon besyde that onely honoure and worshyppe whiche he hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded in faythe charytie The true honourrynge of god with the oblacyon offeryng vp of euery mans owne selfe so as Paule dothe teche in the .xii. Chapitre to the Romanes Fyrst to begyn at the hyghest the matter went gaylye forwarde that that Satan was in Misnia aduauÌ„syd set vp by Adryan Adryan the .vi. whyles he lyued his owne peculyer and specyall mynister and seruaunt / For albeit that he was accoÌ„pted taken to be of a certayne good coÌ„mendable lyfe as the fame goeth of hym Yet as all suche maner Hypocrytes are wonte to be he was the sorest enemy of all men vnto god and his worde / because I wyll not speke here that at Bruxelles he suffered that double murther to be done and two martyrs to be made vnto Chryst and to be taken for very sayntê all thoughe he was ygnoraunte therof Iohan Henry vetye marters and it was sore agaynst his wyll For murther was commytted and done as yf they had ben than heretykes which in very dede they were not For true christen men those in especyall whiche haue any admynistracyon in spirytual thynges do neyther torment nor slee any maÌ„ but they do onely as Christ Paule teacheth eschewe the companye of wycked men beware of theÌ„ And thoughe neyther I oughte nor yet can iudge what maner ende he had at his deth yet this doubtles I may iudge that excepte he dyd amende before that he dyd departe from this lyfe dyd reuoke or repeÌ„t hym of such murther And dyd with his hert vnfaynedly fauour our gospell it is vndoubted the he is not free from dampnacyon This mater no doubte of it is handeled in all poyntes after the papistycall maner IohnÌ„ hus and Hierome of prage For lykewyse as in the couÌ„sell of Constance IohnÌ„ Hus Hierome of Prage those verye sayntes martyrs of god were condempned and brente Thomas de aquino the fountayne of all heresy And on the other syde Thomas de Aquino the origynall fountayne and sprynge of all Heresye the pestylence and as his bokes do wytnesse the ouerthrower destroyer of the gospell was canonysed made a saynt Euen so nowe yf god be pleasyd our mayster Adrian doth at Bruxelles / he hath Adryan the .vi. brente those very sayntes IohnÌ„ and Henry nowe on the other syde maketh I wotte not what of Benno a saynt nay rather the very deuyl For this is the peculyare propre worke of the popes / they must nedes laboure aboute these thyngê that is to wytte to rydde the very sayntes out of the worlde and to auauÌ„ce lyfte vp on hyghe counterfayte sayntes / to condempne the worde of god to establysshe theyr owne doctryne /
true vnfayned this one thyng I may boldly saye and affyrme that Benno yf he dyed hauynge knowlege hereof and dyd not repente hym and be sorye for this synfull dede was vndoubtedlye cast downe hedlonge into helle For the gospell muste nedes be truely exactly perfectly kepte and fulfylled The gospel is to be obserued kepte For Chryst sayth who soeuer shall breake one of these leaste commaundementes he shal be called leaste in the kyngdome of heuyns Math. v. WHat maner thyng than do those Misnianes coÌ„secrate to vs for a saynt doubtles a stronge and an erraunte thefe a bloode sheder / the cause of all the calamyties and myseryes of all Germanie / the enemye of the gospel the felowe of Antichryst / to whome he dyd conueye hym selfe and was made parte taker of his impietie and wyckednes And this thynge may euydently be gathered of the hyghe and excedynge great boste whiche is made in the bulle of our mayster Adryan of that excellent vertue The bull of master Adryan and holynesse whiche dyd shyne in Benno / what other thynge I beseche you is meaned by these wordes / we do coÌ„secrate hym for a saynt which lyued contrary to the rule of that gospell what other thynge I saye is this than to saye We Misuianes are peuisshe and vtterlye madde whiche beynge distracte and besyde our selfes do not considre nor marke what is the very gospell selfe or what is repugnaunt to the gospell / and whiche do make that thyng holy which we do prayse / and which do boste hym for this cause that he dyd lyue demeane hym selfe contrary to the gospell But thus shall our woode prelates stumble and fall which do persecute the worde of god A lyke thyng and of the same forte is that noble and dely cate myracle whiche also is bosted in that excellent and goodly bulle not without the great wyckednesse shame of Benno / not of BeÌ„no alone but also of all them which do make hym a saynt For the bulle dothe boste howe boldly manfully Benno for worldly ryches sake The Marchion of Misnia dyd rydde the Marchion of Misnia out of the world whiche had gyuen hym a buffet / and that same day tweluemonth after that he was slayne lykewyse as he had also before manased thretened hym that he wolde do Here god wotte BeÌ„no dyd well interprete that place of the gospell and also expresse it in his lyuynge where Chryst dothe saye Mathe. v. do good vnto them that are noyous vnto you and pray for them whiche do defame pursue you BUt coÌ„trarywyse iÌ„ this bulle thou seest that Chryst dothe with myracles confyrme and fortifye cleane contrary thynges to this doctryne and with wordes dothe teache to suffre and afterwarde with myracles doth compell the contrary to be done O worshypfull bulle O goodly canonysers / whan wyll you ones be asshamed but the bulle not contented so The impietie Bsasphemye of the Busse nor thynkynge it ynough that it doth extolle such a blasphemye for a myracle procedeth further forthe also / maketh of Benno a god whan it sayth hereof it may easely be perceyued that diuyne power was coÌ„munycated to that godlye maÌ„ Almyghtye god ponysshe you forfende this you most vngracyous wretched blasphemours / For here by these wordes they wyll that the sayntes do worke myracles for them self ê and not Chryst alone so as it is redde in the .lxxi. psalme where it is sayd whiche onely dothe worke great wonders BUt go to nowe let vs grauÌ„t here agayne that this grose and excedyng great lye was forged ymagyned of good BeÌ„no to th entent to bowe and supple the mynde of the Pope to tendre his herte For the holy see of Rome is more moued and styrred and taketh more delectacyon pleasure of prynces be in any place euyll entreated sharpely handeled whan they haue ben bolde to laye hande vpon spirptuall goodes than of the hole worlde were made holye And therfore they haue also heaped togyther and repeted in so many legeÌ„des and examples and bokes those thinges whiche dyd appertayne vnto this matter to thentente doubtles that they myghte purchase and gette vnto them selfe plenty of goodes and pleasures in this worlde / that they shuld not be constrayned to obserue kepe or fulfyll the gospell And yf this thynge be true than I saye this agayne that Benno is none other wyse a saint than are Annas Cayphas Annas Cayphas oneles peraduenture he toke repentauÌ„ce afore his dethe for his lyfe afore ledde / And they do not a lytle dishonoure and shame to Benno whiche do boste and openly reaporte suche dedes of hym For yf those thyngs be true which they do carye about and boste in the bulle than is Benno one of the deuylles sayntes And yf they be but fayned thinges than are they with theyr consecracyon canonisacyon all togyther moued and styrred and ruled by the deuyll For where it may be proued that any maÌ„ hath not lyued accordynge to the rule and doctryne of the scrypture without doubt that man can not be holy neyther oughte he of ryght to be consecrated and canonysed for a saynt / no thoughe he dyd rayse vp all deed men and dyd worke all maner myracles The gospell The gospel is more mighty of more streÌ„gth to condempne a man than any maner sygnes and myracles are to make hym a saynt For the gospell can neyther erre ne lye but myracles do often tymes deceyue Suspecte myracles as Paule hathe shewed vnto vs wytnessynge that Antichryst shulde worke with false couÌ„trefayte myracles that he myghte also begyle euen the verye electe persones / and as Moyses also doth wryte in the .xiii. chapitre of Deuteronomium that no credence shuld be gyuen to miracles whaÌ„ the thynge semeth to be agaynst the worde of god For myracles ought to serue the worde and to folowe it not to go before it to do preiudyce vnto it / wherfore it is necessary and must nedes be that eyther the doctrine of BeÌ„no be approued or els that his myracles be of no wayght nor value Myracles to be proued as it is wrytten in the laste chapytre of Mathewe Confyrmyng the worde the they preached with sygnes myracles folowynge / he saythe not with myracles goynge before or els myracles apperyng weout any worde And moche lyke vnto these thinges is that also where it is said that BeÌ„no many yeres ago euen after his dethe dyd for temporall goodes sake ponisshe Wyllyam Marchion / that is to wytte beynge moued at the peticyon and prayer of a certayne mayster or prouost Wyllyam the Marchion of Misnia dyd stryke out the Marchions iye as for the most parte holye are wonte to be gouernours of churches collegyate For these noble prelates do all that euer maye be done for moneys sake and for cause of ambicyon This theyr ambicyon they wyll to
very doctryne also semeth to haue ben cleane repugnaunt contrary to faythe charytie and the crosse / what neded than this so great canonisacyon of hym syth it forceth lytle whether he be made a saynte or not For euery maÌ„ may be a chrysten maÌ„ saued all thoughe neyther BeÌ„no neyther yet any other maÌ„ were made a saynt to passe ouer and speake no worde here that it can not be but that lucre is soughte here in this thynge I aste of all yf it be so that for all these thynges whiche we haue hytherto recyted yet thou arte not perswaded good louynge reader at the least wyse the very bulle it selfe yf I be not begyled wyll perswade the in whiche the Pope hym selfe doth confesse grauÌ„te that he hym selfe with his adherentes dyd make theyr prayers vnto god that he wolde not suffre them to erre in this busynesse Here I beseche se and consydre thyne owne selfe howe the pope dothe lye vnto vs The false lye of the Pope and howe throughe ouermoche desyre and study to begyle other meÌ„ he doth begyle his owne selfe For yf he do pray that god wyll not suffre hym to erre in declarynge publysshing of BeÌ„no to be a saynt Howe can he I beseche you be assured and out of doubt Howe can he ê“ue that his prayer was herde and his peticyon graunted What aungell dyd appere to hym shewe hym this thyng that he myghte be assured of it But some suche thynge it muste nedes haue ben seynge that he dothe here prescrybe a newe artycle of the fayth which thynge to do is as laufull to hym as moche auctoryte he hathe to do it as I haue to coÌ„mauÌ„de heuen and the sonne On the other syde agayne whan he reporteth and recyteth so ofte that by the myracles he was certyfyed and assured of his holynes wherfore I praye you dothe he aske counsayle of god concernynge that thynge whereof he was all redye assured doste thou not thynke that this is to tempte god and to scorne hym whan thou doste aske desyre to knowe a thynge which thou haste perfyte knowlege of all redy But after this fasshyon and maner the deuyll is wonte to shame hym selfe / for lyes can not agre nor stande togyther but they muste nedes alwayes impugne theym selfes Lykewyse as this our pope The incoÌ„stancye of the Pope whiche whaÌ„ he goeth about to worke most holylye and wyttely calleth vpon god and desyreth to be certifyed and in so doynge sheweth hym selfe to be in doubt and vnassured where as yet before he hath concluded it to be certayne and vndoubted also wylleth it to be taken for vndoubted / nothynge pceyuyng nor markyng that whyles he prayeth desyreth to be certyfyed he dothe acknowlege and confesse hym selfe to be vnassured and in doubt It is therfore certayne vndoubted that he dothe lye eyther whaÌ„ he doth praye or els at the leaste whan he dothe make his saynt And he lyeth loude and with full mouthe as the comen sayeng is / For he dothe but onelye make a countenauÌ„ce and semblaunce of prayer and in verye dede dothe mocke and scorne god Howe be it in that he doth praye as vncertayne he prayeth truthe But agayne on the other syde he lyeth whan he saythe that he is certyfyed assured by myracles For asmoche than as this matter is handeled and done by mere deceytes and lyes / by blyndyng of mennes iyes and subtylte it remayneth that thou who soeuer thou art do beware of this newe Idole whiche vsurpeth taketh vpon hym the name of Benno / whome yf thou wylte not coÌ„fesse and acknowlege for a saynte at the leaste wyse let it greue the that we do comenlye so folysshe and so chyldysshely abuse deed men We abuse deed men that by them we do caste downe hedlonge the wretched kynde of men into myschiefe / what shall BeÌ„no do yf we do vse his bones and his relyques to Idolatrye for cause to wrast out money froÌ„ men to the destruccyon of so many soules wherfore as concernyng these thyngê let this suffyce that hathe ben spoken hereto of vs. Nowe let vs speke of the verye ryght and true canonysacyon whiche is the sure vndoubted holsome consecracyon and makynge of a saynte Fyrst of all it is to be consydered and marked that the scripture doth make but small mencyon or els none at all any where of sayntes that are in heuen Sayntes in the scrypture but onely of those sayntes holy men that are conuersaunt abydynge here in erthe as saynt Paule doth wryte to the Romanes in the .xii. chapytre Gyue pte of your goodes to releue the necessytie nede of sayntes And in the .v. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe yf she shall haue wasshed the fete of sayntes ANd to make an ende iÌ„ fewe wordes Paule in all his epystles calleth them sayntes vnto whome he wryteth / shewynge that euery chrysten man in his lyfe is a saynt But the Papistes do knowe no saynte sauynge onely those whiche are in heuen and whome they do dayly sette in heuen and for this cause doubtles they do not vnderstaÌ„de the scryptures and do depyse and haue in contempte all the verye sayntes of god yf than we wyll make our lyfe to agree with the rule of the scrypture we ought to bryng awaye our selfes from the sayntes whiche are in heuen to tourne our selfes vnto them that are in erthe / we oughte to extolle these sayntes and these we oughte to honoure This thynge no doubt of it is pleasaunte and acceptable vnto god whiche hathe also coÌ„maunded the same For as coÌ„cernynge them that are departed out of this worlde he hathe gyuen vs no commaundement at all wherfore it is not acceptable nor pleasaunte vnto hym what soeuer it be Idolatry that we do bestowe vpon them / For this maner Idolatrye hathe ben inuented of men because this thynge dothe brynge in some lucre / as other men before me haue sufficyently declared and haue largely treated of all this matter For hytherto I haue wrytten no specyall thynge as yet of the veneracyon of sayntes which thyng also certayne of my bokê do wytnesse all thoughe it be imputed to me and layed to my charge as though I had ben the authour and fyrst begynner And who soeuer hath ben the authour by the pleasure wyll of god of a suretye he dothe not mystyke nor displease me neyther dothe it greue me to beare ê‘te of another mans dishonoure and rebuke / to passe ouer in the meane season that I do not coueyte to chalenge another mans wrytynges for myne but I do acknowledge as ryghte is that god dothe also worke some thynge by other men because I wyll not seme to do the busynes of the gospel all my selfe alone It is euydente therfore howe many thynges and howe great coste labour is necessarely required to the makynge of sayntes as touchynge theyr bodyes The