consent of the nobles and Prelates to Rome after him to declare the matter and accuse him of disobeying the kinge troublinge the Realme and the Clergye and of periurye in not kepinge the lawes whiche he sware to first The Embassadours ware Roger Archebysshoppe of Yorke Gilbert Byshoppe of London Roger Byshoppe of Worceter Hilary Byshop of Chichester Baâ—tholmewe Byshoppe of Eretor the erle of Arundel with many other noble men and clerkes Their orations wherein they accuse this holye traitour be there in print seuerallye and somewhat long to recite but iudge indifferentlie whan so many Byshops and the Erle accuse Thom. Becket afore the Pope so earnestly whither we be to blame to accuse him nowe Theffect of the Byshop of Londons oration to the Pope and Cardinals was this and the other byshops â—rations are like Fathers the care of the Churche belonges to you that they whiche be wise might be cherished by you and they that be vnwise might be corrected that they might be wise but he is not thoughte wise to youre wisedomes that trustes in hys owne wysedome and goes about to trouble the peace of his brether the king Of late there fell a debate in England betwiâ—t the Kynge and the Clergye for a light cause whyche myght haue bene easelye buryed yf a gentyll medicyne had bene ministred but the Byshoppe of Eantorb vsynge hys owne will and not oures was to earnest not consyderinge what harme might come by suche headines And bicause he could not get our consent he wente aboute to cast the faute of his rashnes on oure Lorde the Kynge and the Realme and that he might deface oure brotherlye loue he flees awaye no man compellinge him as it is writen in the Psal. The wicked flees wheÌ„ no man persecutes him The other Byshoppe and Erle folowe with like or more vehement wordes Whan kinge Egfride had maried Etheldrede and shee had rather liue a virgin than do the dutie of a wyfe the kinge desyred Saint Wilfride to counsell his wife to do her duty the Byshoppe woulde not but rather encoraged her diuorced her made her a Nunne and the kinge maried another whiche counsell of Wilfride was plaine contrarye to S. Paule sayinge The woman hais not power of her owne bodye but the manne for she can not depart from her husbande without licens and but for a time God kepe vs from suche holy Byshops Polychro lib. v. ca. xxii declares a knot of these his holye fathers Aldelme firste Priest than abbot and lastly a Byshop whan he â–ª was tempted in the flesh toke a faire wenche into bed with him while he might saye the Psalter and yet wold not mary lib. vii ca. ii Walter Byshop of Ertford was slain by a woman whiche goored him in the coddes with her sheares because he woulde haue rauyshed her Ca. xi Walter Byshoppe of Durram made women to serue him the munks at the table with their hear hanginge downe where fewe scaped their handes ca. xii Giraldus Byshop of Yorke was sais he a lecherous man and a witche O holye fathers I trust who so euer considers these things wel wil iudge the holynes of these good bisshoppes on whom he glories so muche The rest of the Byshoppes whyche he names be such like and bicause he speakes not muche of them I will let theim passe for they be no better and oute of the same worshipful history ye shal read of them because no learned manne hais thought mete to loose his time in commendinge suche They lyued all sins the conquest not v. C. yeare sins all made Saintes and promoted by the Pope and he by theym therefore they must neede maintaine his doinges and he theirs I woulde not haue blotted so muche paper with so muche wickednes nor filled your eares and eyes with such filthines but that he prouoked me to it and cals that good which is euil and light darknes The rest be no better In euery Bishopricke ye shal finde some byshoppes that were ennemies to the Pope and his doinges in that blind age In Lincolne Robert grosshead appealed from the Pope to Iesus Christ and wrote diuers good bookes against manye his doinges Ranolde Pecocke of Chichester was condemned in the xxvi yeare of Henrye vi for this newe learninge and specially for saying that a generall counsell and the church may erre in religion In the late dayes of poperye were burned fiue byshops and fiue bannished let them shewe so many byshops that sufferd within this thousand yeare for their God the Pope and they might haue some shewe of honesty for theÌ„ It is a rare thing to see a byshop die for religion and specially a Papist Seynge they reforme religion so swell as they saye it were mete â–ª as they forsake the religion that their predecessours vsed as masse matins ministracion of sacraments tht they shuld also forsake houses parks lands and reuenewes that their predecessours hadde and go from place to place for gods sake and preach If nothinge els this one sayinge will proue him a dissembinge liynge Hipocrite All the worlde knowes that the greatest faute and readiest that they haue to lay against the Gospel time is that Churche landes and liuinges are taken from spirituall menne and bestowed on other and of this thing he complaines hymselfe in manifest woordes hereafter Therfore it is manifest that he woulde not haue the byshops to giue away their landes seing he complaines of the takynge it awaye but he woulde so faine finde a faute in the newe bysshoppes that rather than he find none he wil shew him self a foole in blaming them wherein they deserue it not and which be thinkes to be no faut in dede Why they forsake their masse and mattins is sufficiently declared afore For their houses parkes and landes why some few that haue any such do not forsake them that be left there is good reason but why other some haue them not that they might forsake theym if they shoulde I feare their popishe predecessours haue prouided to wel for them against reason They keepe house and such lands as they can get because they be not Anabaptistes nor heretyckes thinkynge it not to be lawfull for them so to doe for Goddes good creatures are ordeined to serue Gods good ministers and also because they bee not so supersticious as the obseruants freers which thought themselues so holye that they might not handle money They remember also that Godde commaundes them to kepe hospitalitie to their power bicause by this meanes it may the better be done they do not refuse it althoughe gredilye they doe not desire it The Prince also and commen welth desires a seruice of them whiche they can not so wel performe without these but chefely for the maintenance of learning which is so decayed almost remedilesse and so litle hope to recouer it if these helpes be cleane taken away that extreme blind ignoraunce is like to folow this age Looke into the
consâ—â—â— distinc ii We geue the people the â—uppe of Christes bloude as well as 〈◊〉 the Priestes as Ciprian teaches saiyngâ— how do we teach or prouoke them to sheâ—e their bloude in confessinge his name if we deny them that shalbe christes soudiers the bloud of christ or how doe we make them mete to the cuppe of In burials we do not assemble a number of Priestes to swepe purgatorye or bye forgiuenes of synnes of them whiche haue no autoritye to sell but accordinge to Saint Ieroms example we folowe At the death of Fabiola sais he the people of Ro. were gathered to the solemnite of the buriall Psalmes were songe and Alleluia soundinge oute on height did shake the gildet celinges of the Temple Here was one company of yonge menne and there another which did singe the prayses and worthy dedes of the woman And no meruaile if men reioyce of her saluation of whose conuersion Thangelles in heauen be glad thus Ierom vsed burialls likewise Gregory Nazanzene hais his funerall Sermons and Orations in the commendacion of the party departed so hais Ambrose for Theodosius and Ualentinian the Emperours for his brother Satirus c. Their Dirige grotes masses and trentalles tapers and ringinges haue no foundation on the Scripture nor good auncientye to maintaine theym Ierom sais that Alleluia was songe so loude that it made the Churche roofe to shake and our Papes wil not sing Alleluia at all neither at buriall in lent nor Aduent and saye they folowe auncientye Alleluia is as much in Englyshe as praise ye the lorde as thoughe they shoulde saye praise the lorde that hais called his seruaunt out of this miserie to himselfe in heauen But the desperat Papes saye wepe reioyse not for the dead but mistrust of their saluation thinke that they bee gone from one sorowe to another and therfore bie masses apase the Popes proctoures for money inoughe will sel that whiche God can not or will not geue freely as they thinke God is wearye as they saye of wel doing and turned ouer the matter to these the Popes Proctours But Salomon teaches that in death the bodie tournes to earth from whence it came and the soule to him that gaue it Loke how both bodye and soule is bestowed whatsoeuer gredy gaping Cormorauntes do say to get money withall Blessed be the dead that die in the lorde sais Saint Ihon. For they rest from their labours the Papes saye the dead be accursed and goe into purgatory from sorowes here to greater there chose whether ye beleue In mariage as in other thinges beside we are but to much like vnto them that is our fault generally that we differ not more from them in al our ministery We haue all in Englysh where they haue but I N. take thee M. c. And here I would aske Maister schismaticks commenlye and not Protestantes Fascic tempor a booke made by one Munke of their owne sect reherses xxiii schismes betwyr Popes and their partakers whan they fynde the thirde part of to manye amonge the Protestantes than they may haue some face of apparens to cal vs schismatikes At the counseil of Constance were iii. Popes in iii. diuerse Countryes Italy Fraunce and Spayne all claymynge to be chiefe and some Countryes folowed one some another but all were deposed and a iiii chosen litle more thâ— a C. l. yeare sins It were to longe to rehearse al the schismes spoken of who so lust there maye reade This schisme that I named last and the other whan there was one Pope at Rome and another at Auinion in Fraunce rl yeares together are the notablest and troubled the worlde most in striuing who should haue the most folowers and partakers the other I passe ouer for shortnes sake vnto these be considered better of them how they maye defend them selues that they be not proued schismatikes if that be schismaticall seruice whan one differs from another than be all orders of Freers Munkes Chanons Nunnes yorks vse Sarum Bangor c. schismatical for they differ euery one froÌ„ other Now for pullinge downe Altars and ministring the Communion on tables a fewe woordes to trie whether we doe this without reason or example First our sauiour Christ ministred it sittinge at a table Than it is not wicked but but best to folow his doinges for he did all thinges well Saint Luk. sais that the hand of the traitour was with him at the table Saint Paul for the vse of it in his time sais ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table and the table of Deuils where it appeares plain that both Idolaters at their Sacrifices and the Christyans also in their holye mysteries vsed tables Theodor. writes that after Ambrose had excommunicated Themperour Theodosius and receyued him againe to the Churche the Emperour â—ynge flat on the grounde wepinge and tearinge the heare of hys head for sorowe and shame of his offenses he rose vppe and offred at such time sais he as the giftes were offered at the holy table Sozo writes lib. viii ca. vii howe Eutropius fled to the Churche as a Sanctuary for succour because he had offended Themperoure and whan Ihon Byshoppe of Constantinople see him lye afore the holye Communion table he preached vnto him and rebuked him of his pryde whan he was in autoritye The Canon of the great Nicene counsel sais thus In the godly table wee muste not lowlye cleaue to the bread and cuppe set afore vs but lifting vppe oure minde on height by faith we must consider the lambe of God to be set afore vs in that holy table Wherein I note that they all call it a table and not an altar where they ministred the communion This was iiii C. yeare after Christ aboue a thousaunde yeare sins why than Alters were not contynued from the beginninge as they saye and we are not the first that vsed tables but we would gladly restore these olde cusstomes againe If Ambrose lawfullye and well vsed tables at the Communion at Millan and the Byshop at Constantinople in Grece and elles where I see no reason why wee shoulde be rebuked for folowinge them except they can proue that they did it against the Scripture I knowe that the Scripture and olde writers also make mention of altares but that is because Moises in the lawe commaunded theym to offer their sacryfices vppon Aultars because the sacrifices than commenlye vsed were heauye as Oxen calues sheepe c. and tables were not able to stand and beare suche weyghtes contynuallye These sacrifices were a figure and shadowe of that onlye pure sacrifice whiche Christe shoulde offer on the crosse for vs all for as those innocent beasts were killed for other mennes fautes so Christ without sinne shoulde die for the sinnes of the worlde For this cause the crosse wheron Christ our lorde died is called an altar also because the sacrifice for the sins of the whole worlde
surely if he be as bold asblind baierd to leade the wrong and thou be so madde to folowe hym thou shalt bee condemned as well as he If he alone might fall in the ditch thou might more boldlye folowe him but now thou art warned learn and take hede for ignoraunce will not excuse thee The Hospitalitye and almes of Abbayes is not altogether to be eyther allowed or dyspraysed The most of that which they did bestow was on the riche and not the poore in dede as halt lame blinde sicke or impotent but lither lubbers that might worke and would not In so much that it came into a commen prouerbe to call him an abbay lubber that was idle wel fed a long lewd lither loiterer that might worke and would not On these and the richer sorte was the most part of their liberalitie bestowed that I nede not to speake of any worse the smallest portion was on theim that neded most not according to their foundation Poly chro sais lib. v. ca. xxxii that Abbaies wasted their goodes in glotony and out rage lib. vii ca. vi that munks vsed haukinge buÌ„tinge disinge drinkinge and therfore vnder kinge Richard i. munks were put from Couentrye and clerkes brought in lib. vii ca. xxv Baldwin a munke and Byshoppe of Cantorb did the like with his munkes the same time ca. xxviii But whether y â— new munkes with their short coates almost wythoute all religion kepinge a shepeherde and a dog where all thys good cheare was afore be worse than the munkyshe Idolatrous Popish creatures which deuised a religion of their owne shewing their holynesse in their longe coates I leaue it to the disputacion of the learned Looke into London and see what hospitals be there founded in the Gospell time and the poore in dede releued youth godly brought vppe and the idls set to worke Poperye would some time fede the hungry but seldome correct the vnprofitable drones that sucked the honye from the labouring bees nor bring vp children in the feare of God but to fill the bellye and not to teache vertue is to encrease vice Wel worth Bridewell therfore for it is a good schole The rest of his railyng is not worthy aunsweringe for there is as muche and more vertue and kepinge Goddes commaundementes vsed nowe as was than and more though both sortes be bad ynough and the best may be amended Aske an olde Papist of the commen sort howe many commaundementes of god and what they be and he can not tell Aske a Protestauntes childe of vii yere olde that hais learned his Catechisme and he can tell his duety to God man how to liue and die what to loue and what to flee better then all their popish Priestes Is it like that he kepes gods commaundementes which knowes not what they be how manye of the people were taught than woulde learne or were moued to learne their commaundementes no fewe suche at these dayes are willinge to heare theym or learne them how much lesse to practise them What a wicked opinioÌ„ is this to think that ignorance is better than learning or that a manne shall better serue God without knowledge of god his duetye and his word rather than by knowing feling and vnderstandinge gods goodnes and mannes frailnes gods mercy and mans misery oure wretched worldlye state and Gods euerlasting blessed felicitye God giue vs grace to thinke and thanke The last reason that he lais for maintayning his supersticion declares what religion and opinion he is of Than was plenty he sais and nowe is scarsenes of all thinges whiche howe true it is let the worlde iudge Looke at the late dayes of poperye and see what dearth death and scarsenes was than and compare it with these dayes and the plentye of gods vndeserued blessing powred on so vnthankefull a people Then akecornes were good to make bread of and vnder Henry â—i they made breade offerne rootes as Polychro sais lib. viii ca. xxi now commenly the porer sort almost haue disdained with brown bread Then scholers of the vniuersitys brake by their houses went and liued abroade with their frendes being not able to continue at their study than was such dearth and scarsity as the like hais not oft bene red of than a Bishoppe of Mentz was so pursued with rattes in a time of derth that he was compelled to flee to his towre standinge in the mids of the riuer Rhene a myle from anye land yet the rats folowed him deuoured him there for his vnmercifulnes therfore is called the rats towre to thys daye this Byshop was no protestaunt UUhether the like be nowe the blinde maye see UUho feles it God giues his blessing plentifully if man coulde consider it thankfully and vse it liberally Who hais cause to complaine or where is it sene I think England had not the like plenteous time so commenlye these many yeres although this yeare corne be deare and somwhat â—ars But I put the case that there were scarsenes and dearth of all things plagues war c. UUere thys a suffycyent cause to condemne our religion No sure no worldlye thinge good or euill wil moue gods people to iudge gods truth by any other thinge than by gods holye booke Should we condemne Saint Austin because the city where he was Byshop was besieged and wun by gods enemies Austin himself beinge within it and died a littell before the wynnynge of it â–ª Shoulde Elias and Eliseus haue forsaken Gods lawe because there was so great dearth and scarsenes in their tymes Shoulde Daniel for the Lions denne or Paul for his chaines haue forsaken their God In the dayes of Elias it rained not the space of iii. yeare and a half vnder Eliseus in the sege of Samaria women eate their Children and Doues dung was good meate Onely the worldlynges iudge by their bellye their religyon The Godles people said to Ierâ— We will not heare the word of God of thee for while we worshipt the mone and sterres we had plentye of all thinges but sins we harde the worde of Godde of thee we haue hadde scarsenes of all thinges This is the reason that led the Iewes and by the same is this Iewishe Papist moued to iudge of gods trueth Therefore I can not iudge him to be of another religion than those whose belye is their God Let vs praise God for our health welth and libertye that he bestowes on vs vndeserued so plenteouslye lest in not thankfullye recetuing his word murmuring against his blessinges we prouoke him to plage vs worse than afore If wealth maye moue consider what great thinges the Lord hais wrought by the Quenes maiestie than iudge Whan the Realme was in daunger to be giuen into straungers handes and none coulde tell howe to deliuer them selfes god of his vndeserued goodnes set vp the Queene ours maistres who quietlye contrarye to all mennes expectacion auoyded theym all UUhat daunger was Scotlande in
communion and not for euery diuersitye of triflinge ceremonies as he defines it here Whether be Priests in schisme that haue subscribed to the religion nowe vsed in Englande IN subcribinge to this religion now vsed in Englande they haue both refused the power autority which was geuen to them by the Byshoppe when they were made Priestes that is to saye power and autoritye to consecrate and offer and to celebrate Masse for the quicke and the deade and also they haue refused their canonicall obedience solemplye promised to the Byshoppes with a kysse And where the Byshopprs of this Realme with the Clergye assembled at time of parliament would agree to no part of this religion in wytnesse whereof the Byshoppes be in prison and put from al their liuinges and a great number of the Clergie haue lost all their liuynges some be in prison some banished from their friendes both the Bishops al the clergy that hais lost their lyuynges are al readye to suffer death afore they will consent to anye part of this religion But all they whiche haue subscribed haue forsaken the Byshoppes their true Pastors and Capitaynes obeying and followinge wolues and Apostates in wytnesse whereof they haue subscribed their names so separatinge them selues from the Byshoppes and clergye they must nedes be in schisme The. iiii aunswere UUHere he lays to the priestes charge that in subscribynge to thys religion they haue refused hoth the power that was giuen to them to offer sacrifice and celebrate masse for the quicke and dead also their canonicall obedience promised to the Byshops by a Iudas kisse bycause the olde Bisshoppes in parliament did not agree to it he does the Priests more honour than he knowes of or thinkes wel bestowed If he would cal to remembrance thaunswere that the piller of their Church stout Steuen makes in his booke de vera obedientia to the like reason where he was charged with fallynge from the Pope and breaking that othe and vow of subiection which he made vnto him when he was first made Byshoppe he might better defende the priestes of oure time than accuse them In oure baptis we all make a solemne vow to God our Lord that him onely we will serue and beleue his worde all vowes folowinge which are contrarye to that not onelye maye and ought to be broken but it is wicked to kepe theim for we must serue god onelye as he hais taught vs in his holye word But the scripture condemnes all suche sacrificing now for sinne saue onelye that sacrifice whiche Iesus Christ offered ones for the sinnes of the hole world and biddes vs also obey our kinge as chiefe and highest gouernour therefore the Priestes forsakinge these later wicked vowes and powers which are contrarye to Gods worde and their solemne profession made in baptis as Steuen did wel than though he flatterd afterward and turned to his old vomit are more worthyto be praised thā these obstinate prelates which now misusing the gentilnes of the Prince deny with mouth that which they know in consciens to be true yet charge the Priestes with it although they subscribed to the same things themselfes vnder that good king Edw. because both they knew it to be true see the rod than more sharplie shaken than it is now And thoughe he crake in their name that thei wil rather die than agre to any part of this religion which they them selues vsed ministred taught receyued afore I doubt not but yf they were apposed as they opposed other they would as sone eate the fagot as fele it burne them Thapostle sais by one offeringe he hais made perfecte all theym that be sanctified If one offeringe ones made haue made all perfect than cursed be they that wil correct or amend Christes death as though it were not perfect to saue all without their often sacrificinge We must obey God rather than man as S. Luke teaches therfore that vnlawfull obedience promised to the Pope and his Prelates contrary to their due allegians to their Prince commaunded in the Scripture not only may but ought with safe conscience to be broken At the preaching of christ oure Lorde and hys Apostles manye forsaked the tradycyons of the elders and Pharises receiuyng and beleuinge the Gospell of christ Iesus and forsakyng the Iewishe ceremonies and were not counted forsakers of God and his worde no more are they surely to be reckened Apostates that forsake the popes draffe the clogge of all good consciences and cleaue to the simplicitye of Gods trueth taught in the scripture And where he crakes muche that they haue lost their lyuinges and be in pryson or bannyshed let the worlde iudge whether they euer liued more merilye quietlye fared better laye easelier had had more plenty of al thinges then they haue nowe They are farre short from such handlyng as they delt wyth other Some they hongerd to death some they beat in prison some they cast on dunghils being so murthered at their hands some they burned after they had bene long bursed but euery one was so miserablye handled that christian eares and hartes abhorre to thinke or heare of it and yet like shameles beasts they blush not nor repente but wishe and looke to be murthering again They are as pale in prison as a butchers bolle they are as leane as a fat hogge they lye at ease vnto their bones ach with rising early they fare of y e best they take no thought but looke for a day and thinke long vnto they maye embrue their handes in bloude againe and make all officers to be their hangmen and the stoutest to be afraide of a priestes cappe as they did afore They prouided so well for theymselues in their somer that they nede not to sterue in this gentill winter the world is so much their frende that they can lacke nothinge they woulde fayne be counted to suffer for religion if anye manne would beleue it The poore protestaunt which hais his libertye lyues in more miserye nede det reproche and contempt than these the Popes prisoners who he sais haue lost al. It is better in the world to be the Popes prysoner than Christs Preacher God amend all Whether be Priestes in schisme that minister the Communion and other sacramentes accordinge to the booke of commen prayer now set forth THis maner of ministration of sacraments set forth in the booke of commen prayers was neuer allowed nor agreed vppon by the vniuersall churche of Christe in anye generall counsell or sacrate synod no riot by the clergye of Englande at the laste Perliament but onelye it was agreed vppon by the laitie whiche haue nothynge adoe wyth spirituall matters or causes of religion but ought to stande to the decrees iudgement and determinacion of the clergye in causes of fayth and religion For so it was vsed in Thapostles time as appeares in the actes of the Apostles As when the Apostles toke then order to make