hâ—d nothynge ado with theÌ„ whiche were anoynted and shauen they beynge therby the Romysh Popes creatures and not hys Radulphus Niger Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Rogerus Houeden Ricardus Croilande Nicolaus Treueth alij plerique An excedyng great thynge were it to declare the subtyle practyses deuâ—ses dysguysynges craftes colours conueyauÌ„ces other tryfelynges to brynge all hys matters to pâ—sse agaynâ—t the kynge and a werynesse to the reader to rehearce them wherfore I lete them ouer passe ☞ Artycles for whome Becket is admitted the Popes martyr DIuerse of our chronycle writers doth testyfye in their workes that these were the artycles wherfor he stroue with the kynge That no spirituall cause ought to be pleaded in the temporall court No clarke may be compelled to answere in matters before the kynges offycers Patrâ—nes maye lawfully and frely gyue benefyces without the kynges allowance A byshop or pastour maye frely go out of the realme without the kynges lycens for the ryght of his churche He that is ones excommunycated must haue hys discharge of the spirituall court and not of the kynge The clergye and layte must be clered of their offences by the ordynaryes and not by the kynges iustyces Appellacyons made from one degre to an other as from lowar oâ—dynary to the hyghar maye be ended without the kynges consent Landes and teneamentes maye lawfully be gyuen to the clergye in almes wythout the kynges commyssyon Spirytuall promocyons ought only to remayne in the handes of the superiour ordynaryes whaÌ„ theyr occupyers are dead till others succede in their roumes and not in the handes of teÌ„poral meÌ„ Religiouse men men ought not in the quarell of their kynges to go to the warres They that flee vnto sayntwaryes ought there to be socoured agaynst the temporall power their dedes made open to the iudge ecclesyastycall Clarkes curates and prestes are not bounde to come to the commen iudgementes at sessyons or assyses neyther yet to be at them though they be commaunded Se what good stuffe here is to make a martir All is to demynyshment of a kynges power and nothynge els ☞ Becket stayeth the Popes churche by confoundynge heretykes IN the same yeare of our lorde a M. a C and. lxiiij was Thomas Becket reckened Mathew Paris sayth suche a mightye stedefast and strong sure pyllour as the whole church both leaned vpon and was also staied by But ye must consydre that it was the Popes churche that he ment and not Christes for that hath a staye stronge ynough of him without mannys helpe Marke the forseyd artycles The church sayth he shaken was ready to haue fallen and the Pope which was set vp as a staffe to haue staied it was at that tyme so broken that the shyuers or peces wounded him Thomas lokyng for nothynge els but martyrdome for the churche In the same yeare were in England certen godly men whome some Popysh writers dysdaynously calleth Waldeanes some publycanes some false Apostles Thâ—se were at Oxforde straightly examyned of the byshoppes and so brought to iudgement by this Becket for holdynge these opynyons That the churche of Rome was that whore of Babylon whych had forsaken the fayth of Christe and that barren fygge tree without fruite whych he reproued and that no Christen man was bounde to obeye the Pope and hys byshoppes That monkerye was as the dead carreyne that stynketh and that their vowes were fryuolouse ydell and abhomynable beynge the vpspryngynge braunches of Sodome That their orders were the great beastes characters and their temples the wurse for their hallowynges That purgatory sayntes worshyppyng masses and prayenges for the dead with such lyke were most deuylysh inuencyons For maynteynynge these and other lyke opynyons agaynst the proude synagoge of Rome they were sealed in the faces at Oxforde wyth whote fyerye keyes and so bannyshed the realme for euer Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Guido Perpinianus de heresibus Thomas VValden ad Martinum quintum Bernardus Lutzenburgus ☞ Hys trayterouse ende and aduauncement aboue Christ. Whan Becket was returned again into Englande in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxi after vi yeares exyle he outragiously troubled certen of the byshoppes to the kynges great dyshonour Mathewe Parys sayth For the only cause why he so hatefullye persecuted them was for that they hadde fulfylled the kynges desyre in anoyntynge his sonne Henry the yongar to raygne after hym not hauynge hys consente beynge pope of Englande For thys he entered the pulpet more lyke a mad Bedlem thaÌ„ a sober preacher Not to teache Chryste in mekenesse but in hys wode furye to execrate those byshoppes to curse theÌ„ wyth boke belle and candell and by the popes autoryte to condempne them to helle Vpon thys the kynges seruauntes fell on hym in purpose as they toke it to reuenge their liege lordes great iniury and hys sonnes dyshonoure They pared his pylde crowne wyth theyr swerdes and cut of the popes marke to hys very braiue whyls he in ydolatry coÌ„mended himselfe and the cause of hys churche to hys patrone S. Deuyse beynge but a deade ymage there standyng vpon the aultre Stephanus Langton Richardus Croilande Rogerus Houeden Nicolaus Treueth Ioannes Capgraue Thus ended he his lyfe in most ranke treasoÌ„ was for his labour made a god of that papistes Yea they charged christ in the ende by coÌ„maundement to delyuer vs heauen frely by the shedynge of Thomas bloud as though that had bene a payment of satisfaction for our synnes And as therby apered they put Christ cleane out of office for him by this coÌ„iuracion Tu per Thome sanguinem queÌ„ pro te impeÌ„dit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascedit O thou Christ suffre vs to clyme vp to that place by the bloud of Thomas whych he shed for that to the which Thomas maÌ„fully asceÌ„ded Marke this hardely for suche a defeccyon froÌ„ Christ as Saynt Paul speaketh of and for the stronge delusyon that they shulde haue whyche beleued lyes that they myghte be dampned ij Thessalo ij For here Thomas redemeth Christe and ascendeth to hauen leauynge vs hys bloude to clyme thydre by Were there euer greater heretykes theues sowle murtherers than were our Papistes I can not thynke it ☞ The false miracles and canonisacyon of Becket OF Christe and of all hys Apostles and prophetes are not written so many great miracles as of this one Becket As that so many sycke so many blynde so many bleare eyed bedred croked broused mangled lamed drowned palseyd leprosed sorowful exyled wyth chylde enprysoned hauged and deade were by them as by him deliuered Neyther were there euer so many writers of any popyshe saintes lyfe or so manye great volumes made as of hys as is shewed afore And all thys was to blemyshe the kynge and to depresse the hygh power both in hym and in
but not in Christes dyuynyte Her made he there abbasse commyttynge vnto her gouernaunce hys systre Ethelburge and a great sort more of yonge maydes to be thaught and made nonnes there Suche rule was kept among them within a short space after that God sent vpon them a plage of pestilence whiche toke awaye all their chaplaynes the cruell Danes folowynge and burnynge vp that was lefte monasterye nonnes and all Saynt Osith was marryed to Sigher Kynge of the East Saxons But bycause she loued the spyrytualte muche better than hym whyls he was on a lyme in huntynge she sent by a preuye lettre for Accas and Bedewinus Bishoppes of the East Angels contaynynge Northfolke and Sothfolke causyng them to put vpoÌ„ her a nonnes aparell So made she hym to beleue in hys returne that she had professed the vowe of chastyte and gaue him therby a most wretched occasyon to lyue all the dayes of hys lyfe after in moste synnefull aduoutrie But a iust plage folowed For in the yeare of our Lorde DC liij was she slayne of the Danes and her whore howse nondrye I shuld saye vtterly destroyed Yet was she in the Popes churche allowed for a stynkynge martir for contemning marriage Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ The perfight age of the Beast THeodorus a Greke was of pope Vytelinaus constitute the sixt archebyshop of Caunterbury from Augustine or sens the Papacy began to make all sure here to Antichristes behoue in the syxty and sixe yeare of hys age and in the yeare from Christes in carnacyon six hondred syxtye and sixe which is in saynt Iohans Apocalyps the full age of the Beast and the full nombre of man Marke it good reader For nowe of a Beast becometh he a king yea as Daniele calleth him the vnshamefast Kyng of faces Daniel 8. Presuming to sitt aboue God in euery mannys conscyence 2. Thessa. 2. Named it is there the nombre of man and the nombre of the Beast for so much as it was the time wherin mannys learnyng most strongly withstode the learnyng of God to the prankyng vp of than odiouse aduersary the verye man of synne and sonne of perdycyon all blasphemyes therupon folowynge Euydent is it by all the Englysh Chronycles that than this Theodorus came hyther with the seale of that execrable Beast to marke vp all to that most blasphemouse kingdom For neuer afore wrought the sprete of Antichrist the mistery of iniquyte so strongely as at that tyme. For hyther than brought he all vayn and craftye scyences of comitynge calking measurynge syngynge rymynge reasonynge arguynge diffining shauing oylynge exorcising incanting coniuring Loke Iohan Bapgraue in uitis Adriani Theodori Besydes that Bedas writeth li. 4. Cap. 2. and Ranulphus li. 5. Cap. 18. ¶ For the variaunce had in supputacioÌ„s TO auoyd controuersies in the supputacyon of yeres for so much as some writeth him to haue comenly ther in the yeare afore rehersed and some ij years after Ye shal vnderstand that Theodatus which was his predecessour departed in the yeare of our Lord. DC lxv as witnesseth HermaÌ„nus CoÌ„tractus in Chronico desex etatibus mundi In the yeare folowynge was thys Theodorus admitted of Vitelianus and received hys full autoryte of bindyng and losynge sayth Platina to holde the Englyshe nacyon styll in that fayth Marke it But by reason of serten delayes it was more than a yeare after ere he entered into England One cause of hys tarryaunce Iohan Capgraue sayth was the growynge of hys heare concernyng hys crowne which was shauen afore after a farre other sort he beynge a Greke Hys abydyng there for that only cause was more than iiij Monthes besydes other nedy matters So that it was the yeare of our Lord. DC lxviij the. xxvi daye of Maye and the seconde yeare of hys consecracyon ere he came into Kent as witnesseth both Bedas and Ranulphus With him sent Vitelianus a monke borne in Aphrica called AdriaÌ„ to loke to his doctrine leaste he thaught any thing in the Englishe church that were not agreable to the Romyshe faythe as the marriage of prestes and the howselynge wyth leuened breade for he ded not in all poyntes trust hym bycause he was a Greke borne Anon after he sett vp a great scole at Caunterburye of all maner scyences as Rhetoryck Logyck Philosophy Mathesy Astrologye Geometrye Arithmetyck and Musyck and taught them there openly both in latine and Greke besides the art Magyck Sortilege Physnomye Palmestrye Alcumye Necromancye Chiromancy Geomancy and witchery that was thaught there also Bedas Ranulphus IohaÌ„ Cap ¶ Sealinges to the Beastes obedience THan constitute he the seyd Adriane both abbot and generall reader there whyls he compassed about all the whole region for the Eastre celebracion other To mysh rytes Thys is the first Archebishop sayth Iohan Capgraue that all the Englysh churche was sworne to Marke here the Seale of the Beast Apo. 13. In the yeare of our Lorde DC lxxij he helde a Synode at Thetforde in Northfolke where as he enquired of euery mannis faythe towardes the Churche of Rome Than constitute he bishoppes for euery quarter and deposed all them that were not confirmed by the popes auctoryte of whose nombre Ceddas the byshop of yorke was one More ouer he published there a boke of the churches ordynaunces made by the forsayd Vitelianus with permission of organes to make them mirye commaundinge it onlye to be obserued Christes ordre sett a part If thys were not the departynge that Paule prophecyed to come 2. The. 2. where shall we loke for any A sayinge hath Ioannes de Molinis in speculo carmel Ca. 6. which though he were a papyst I fynde here most true From the dayes of Heraclius the Emproure fayth he vnto our tymes the day drawynge towardes nyght the churche sufferynge a sore eclippes is come to a downe goynge Yea she is almost at the case of a full departynge c. I thynke a â—ruer sentence coulde not than be vttered all circumstaunces therupon considered Great pytye was it that the churches posterite than perceyued not so manifest a defeccion ¶ More sealinges yet to Antichristes kingedome IN the yeare of our Lord. DC and lxxv helde thys Theodorus an other counsell at Hatfeld in the west partyes Whare as he demaunded a reckening of the byshoppes and other curates what fayth and fauer their peoples had than to the churche of Rome as pope Agathon had commaunded hym to do by hys wrytynges whych wrote than vnto hym to do all thynges wisely Ye knowe what that meaneth I thynke Here was non enquyre made what beleue they had than there in the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. No it was an other maner of matter that they sought Oh wonderfull was the workynge of that Serpentes generacyon Polidorus sayth li. 4. Anglice historie that false religion
Praefati autores cum Polydoro Fabiano ☞ The kyng derydeth the byshoppes procedynges NOt all forgetfull of their wycked fathers affayres the prelates of Englande in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and. xxix gathered themselues togyther at London yet ones agayne in the first daye of August to put the prestes clerely from their wyues At this great counsell sayth Ricardus Premonstratensis were all the bishoppes of England except iiij whych dyed as it chaunced the same yeare that is to saye of Wynchester Durham Chestre and Herforde Their processe was all agaynst the cocasses or she cookes of the curates that they shuld not dwell in house with them For after the prestes had bene compelled to renounce the tytles of their wyues they kept them in most places vndre the name of their cocasses lawnders and seruyng women The kyng perceyuyng the malyce of the bishoppes and seynge aduauntage to growe therupon by thys propre polycye deceyued them He toke vpon hym the correction of them and promysed to execute true iustyce But in the ende Mathew Paris sayth he laughed them all to scorne and takyng a pensyon of the prestes he permytted them styl peaceably to holde their wyues Polydorus reporteth that the kynge gote of the clergye thys autoryte ouer the prestes by a fyne craft of conueyaunce And whan he had so done mysused it A very fyne iudgement of a man learned so to dyffyne of a prynces power The kyng deceyued them Roger Houeden sayth by the symplycyte of Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury For whan they had ones vncircumspectly graunted hym to execute iustyce vpon the prestes wyues it turned in the ende to their rebuke and shame the prestes for moneye set agayne at lyberte for them Praedicti autores cum Ranulpho Matthaeo VVestmonasteriensi Rogero Cestrensi ☞ A myddle swarmynge of Antichristes sectes in England FOr causes dyuerse whych some of my readers shall fynde necessary to be knowne I haue added here the tymes wheâ—in the seconde swarme of locustes or synnefull sectes of Antichrist hath entered into this realme of England The first swarme was of the Benedictynes and chanons of S. Augustyne called the blacke monkes and blacke chanons of whose fattynge vp I haue reasonably treated both in the first part of this wurke and also in thys seconde The first of this lattre swarme â–ª were the Cisteanes otherwyse called yâ— whyght moÌ„kes which came into this lande in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and. xxxij settynge their first foundacion in the deserte of Blachoumor by the water of Rhie wherupon their monastery was called Rhieuallis Saint Robertes fryres began at Gnaresborough in Yorke shyre in the yearr of our lorde a M.a. C. and xxxvij And the ordre of Gilbertines at SempynghaÌ„ in Lincolne shire in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. xlviij The Premonstratensers or white chanoÌ„s came in to the realme buylded at Newhowse in Lyncolne dyocese in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and xlv The Chartrehowse monkes came into the lande were placed at Wytham in the dyocese of Bathe in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. lxxx I recken not the hospytelers Templars with such lyke Ioannes Hagustaldensis Ricardus Praemonstratensis Ioannes Capgraue Thomas Scrope Polydorus Vergilius All these at their first enteraunce were very leane locustes as they are in S. Iohans reuelacyon described barren poore and in outwarde aperaunce very symple But in processe of tyme through symulate holynesse they grewe fat lyke their fellowes They gote them lyons faces and were able to buckle with kynges Their lecherouse actes I shall hereafter declare ☞ Kynge Steuen professeth a slauery to Antichrist HOw kyng Steuen bicame an instrument to their wycked vse in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xxxv it is easely knowne by the othe which they compelled hym to make at hys coronacyoÌ„ what though he ded not in all poyntes obserue it Thys is the othe as Ricardus prior Hagustaldensis hath written it in hys small treatyse de gestis regis Stephani Marke it I Steuen by the grace of God good wyll of the clergye and consent of the commens elected kynge of England and by Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury and legate of the holye Rome church vndre Pope Innocent the seconde confirmed make faithful promyse to do nothing here in Englande in the ecclesyastycall affayres after the rules of symonye but to leaue admyt and confirme the power ordre and distrybucyon of all ecclesyastycal persones and their possessyons in the handes of the byshoppes and prelates of the same The auncyent dignitees of the church confirmed by olde priuyleges and their customes of longe tyme vsed I promyse appoynt and determyne inuiolably to contynue All the churches possessyoÌ„s holdes and tenementes which they hytherto haue had I graunt them from hens forwarde without interrupcyon peaceably to possesse etc. Beholde here what popettes these lecherouse luskes made of their kynges se I praye yow if they sought any other commen welthe than of their ydell bellyes in that proude kingdome of Antichrist Was thys a folowynge of Christ after the Gospell thus to illude their Christen gouernours Naye it was rather a ronnyng after Sathan in the blasphemouse imytacyon of the byshop of Romes decrees The last plage of God lyghte vpon thys vnfaythfull generacyon if they wyll not yet beholde these euyls of their wycked fathers and abhorre them from the harte ☞ The rebellyon and cantels of byshoppes agaynst the kynge IN the next yeare folowynge notwithstandyng thys othe kyng Steuen reserued to hymselfe the inuestynge of prelates Mathew Paris sayth and shewed vnto the clergye many other displeasurs Wherfore in processe they caused Maude the empresse contrary to their othes of allegeaunce to come into the realme and to make clayme to the crowne and strongely to warre vpon hym For the whych he enprysoned and bannyshed certayne of the byshoppes chefely Alexandre of Lyncolne Nigellus of Helye and Roger of Salisbury He feared not to go vnto Oxforde and to sytt there in open parlyament whyche no kynge myght do they sayde wythoute a shamefull confusyon From Roger the byshoppe of Salisbury he toke the. ij Castels of Vyses and Sherburne fyndynge in them more than xl thousande markes in moneye wherwith he perfourmed the greate marryage betwene Constaunce the Frenche kynges sistre and Eustace hys sonne and heyre Thys byshoppes sonne by lyke he hadde a wyfe whyche had bene the other kinges chauncellour this kinge handeled harde to come to hys purpose He kepte hym fastenynge threttened him hangynge and at the lattre bannyshed hym the realme whyche cost the byshoppe his lyfe A naturall father Anon after the byshoppe of Wynchestre beyng the popes great legate and perceyuynge the clergye not to be regarded the realme beynge than in diuysyon betwixt them bothe that is to saye