and Martyr Serapion Martyr The last punishment of God tuâ—ning the cruelty of aduersaries vpoÌ„ them selues Iulianus Martyr A certayne souldiour Martyr Macar a blessed Martyr Epimachus Alexander with foure woemen Martyrs Ammonarion Virgine martyr Mercuria Dyonisia Martyrs Heron Ater Isidorus Dioscorus Martyrs Nemesion Martyr Theâ—â—eâ—â— the olde tyme amongst the 〈◊〉 burned Ammon Zenon Ptolomeus Ingenuus Theophilus Martyr câ—â—fessours A notable example 〈◊〉 Christian courage in confessing Christ. Ischyrion Martyr Cheremon Martyr Cheremon a Byshop had a wife Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 40.41.42 The Epistle of Dionysius AlexaÌ„d to Germanus This Germanus was a Byshop in that tyme whiche charged Dionysius for hys flyeng persecution agaynst whoÌ„ he purgeth hymselfe God willed Dionysius to flee in persecution * Ergo Byshops then had wiues and Children The prouidence of God in preseruing hys The story of the deliueraunce of Dionysius and hys fellowes Dionysius Gaius Faustus Petrus Paulus deliuered froÌ„ the Centurion and the souldiours Ex Euseb. lib. 6. ca. 40. Lib. 7. cap. 11. Ex Niceph. Lib. 5. cap. 27. Christophorus Martyr The fable of great S. Christopher Meniatus Agatha Martyrs Ex Bergomens Lib. 8. Eâ— Martyrologio Adonis Martyrs wandring in mountaynes Fourty Virgines Martyrs Tryphon Martyr Maximianus Malchus Martinianus Dyonisius Ioannes Serapion Constantinus 7. Martyrs The fable of the awaking of these seuen martyrs Ex Vincent Nicepho Erfordiens A souldiour martyr Ex Hierony in vita Paulâ— Eremita A notable example of a chast souldiour byting of hys toung and spitting it in the face of an harlot A like example of chastitie betweene two Christians Ex Ambr. lib. 2. de virgin Theodora Didimus Martyrs Agathon Martyr Paulus Andreas Martyrs Iustinus Nicostratus Portius Martyrs Abdon SeÌ„nas Martyrs Secundianus Verâ—anus Marcellianus Martyrs Ex Vincent lib. 11. cap. 51. Ex libro Bedae de Temporibus citante Henrico de Erfordia A briefe Cataloge of diuers which suffered vnder Decius ex Beda Children Martyrs Ex vincent lib. 11. cap. 52. Such as reuolted and fell in this persecution Serapion Ex Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 44. * Note here the Sacrament to be called the Eucharist and not the body of Christ. The holy Eucharist in time of great neede and distresse committed to a boy The repentance and reconciliation of Serapion The goodnes of God shewed to Serapion Ex Henr. de Erford A terrible example of denying shewed vppon Nichomachus Dionysius ad Fabium Cyprianus Serm. de lapsis The weaknes of christians denying their fayth Examples of God hys punishment after denial The sacrament called bread of S. Cyprian De lapsis Cyprianus Lib. de mortalitate A notable voyce of God to a Priest of Carthage The occasion and rising vp of Nouatus heresie Cornelij Epist. ad Fabium ex Euse lib. 6. cap. 43. The meaning of Cyprian opened writing of one Bishop onely to gouerne in a Catholicke church falsely wrasted of the Papistes for the Papacy Ex Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 43. * Note here the Sacrament of the body to be called bread Euseb. lib. 6. Cap. 43. Nicepho lib. 6. ca. 3. The latine translatioÌ„ of Eusebius corrupted by ChristosersoÌ„ Lib. 6. ca. 43. Maximus Vrbanus Sidonius Celerinus confessors Ex Cypr. Lib. 3. Epist. 3. Moses Martyr A Synode at Rome An. 255. Cornelius Byshop of Rome and Martyr Byshops were chosen then not without the voice of the people A censure of the decretall Epistles of Cornelius The constancie of Cornelius in hys tryall Cyprian Lib. 1. Epist. 1. Cornelius accused for writing letters to Cyprian Plumbatis cadi Cornelius Martyred Aurelius Martyr Mappalicus Martyr The death and destruction of Decius Orosius Lib. 7. Cap. 14. The iust reuenge of God agaynst persecutours The iust punishment of God vpon the Heathen multitude for persecuting his people The plague and hand of God The brotherly loue and piety among the christians shewed in the time of plague A terrible pestilence raygning through all the Romaine Monarchy Cyprianus Lib. de mortalitate Gallus and Volusianus Emperours Anno. 255. The first banishment of Cyprian The Byshops and Priestes condemned to metals Nemesianus Felix Lucius Byshops condemned for the name of Christ. * That is iâ— the passion of hym that dyed on the tree S. syprian exhorteth and confirmeth the Christian Martyrs Cypr. lib. 3. Epist. vlt. The Christian mans sacrifice Cypr. lib. 4. Epist. 1. Seagrius Rogatianus Martyrs Sapien. 3. Cyprian Lib. 3. Epist 6. Lucius Byshop of Rome banished An. 256. The Epistle decretall of Lucius Bishop The ordinaunces of Lucius The poÌ„pous stile of the Church of Rome Dist. 81. Ministri Ministers restrayned from their own wiues Eusebius and Damasius vary in time Lucius Byshop of Rome martyr Stephanus Byshop of Rome martyr The censure of the decretall Epistles and ordinaunces of Stephanus No Byshop ought to be accused after he be expulsed before he be restored agayne The number of the poore found at Rome by the Church goodes Primates Metropolitanes Archbishops I awfull to appeale to Rome Vestiments and holy vessels seruing for the aultare Byshops banished in the time of Gallus Gallus and Volusianus Emperours slayne Emelianus Emperour three monethes Valerianus and Gallienus hys sonne Emperour Persecution ceased for a tymâ— The good beginning of Valerian Ex Dionysio citante Euseb. Lib. 7. cap. 10. Nicepho Lib. 6. cap. 10. Wicked counsell What euill it doth The eight persecution Anno. 259. The chiefe executours of this persecution The speciall causes of this persecution Cypria Lib. 4. Epist. 4. The sinnes of the Christians cause of persecution Discord and deuision among the brethren Psal. 67. A vision foreshewing persecutioÌ„ to come Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist. 4. Our sinnes geue SathaÌ„ power agaynst vs. An other reuelation shewed to S. Cyprian Spare dyet and sober drinke conuenient in Christian bishops The peace of the Church to come foreshewed by the Lord. Crimes and causes faâ—â—ely layd to the Christians The Apology of Cyprian for the Christians Cypria contra Demetriaenum Cypria de idolorum vanitate The countrey and education of Cyprian The conuersion of Cyprian Cyprian made first Priest then Byshop of Carthage The vertues of Cyprians lyfe described The care of Cyprian toward the afflicted brethren The modesty of Cyprian in conferring with hys fellow brethren Visions coÌ„cerning the troubles and peace of the church recited and expounded by Cyprian before pag. 67. Cyprian meeke and pacient Cyprian a great reader of Tertullian The second banishment of Cyprian The apprehension of Cyprian The martirdome of Cyprian Anno. 259. The books of Cyprian The iudgement of Austen vpon the bookes of Cyprian August contra Cresconium Lib. 12. cap. 32. Sentences of Cyprian collected Ex Vincent Lib. 12 ca. 63. The place of scripture expounded Eleemasina ab omni peccato morte liberat Yob 4. Ex Cypri Lib. 4. Epist. 2. Twelue 2. buses in the lyfe of man noted out of Cyprian The learning of Cyprian â—oyned with hys blemishes The faulte of Papistes to make to much of euery thing How farre
your letters or by any other indulgences to what persoÌ„ or persoÌ„s soeuer of what estate dignity or place soeuer vnder any maner or forme of words grauÌ„ted hereafter by the sea Apostolicke by the which indulgences the effect of the said prouision may be by any maner of waies hindered or deferred yet of our certayne knowledge we will that they shall want theyr strength in the prouision made or to be made for the sayd Frederick in the Church of Lincoln And if any vpon the premisses or any of them shall alleadge agaynst the foresayd Fredericke or his procurator That you will cause them to be cited on our behalfe so that they being cited peremtorily shal within the space of two monethes of your citation personally appere before vs there according to the law to make aunswere to the sayd Fredericke vpon the premisses Any priuiledges or indulgeÌ„ces what soeuer geuen and graunted either generally to the king dome of England or peculiarly to any other person of what state degree and place soeuer graunted by the foresaid sea vnder what soeuer maner forme of words for them not to be called vp beyond the sea or out of their owne City or Dioces by letters Apostolicall vnder whatsoeuer forme of wordes obtayned to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding All which priuiledges and indulgences we will in no case shall stand in any force or effect to the sayd partes Moreouer the day and forme of the citation we will that ye faythfully do intimate vnto vs by your letters containing the tenor therof And if both of you can not be present at the execution hereof yet we will notwithstaÌ„ding that one of you do execute the same without fayle Dated the 7. Kal. Febr. the 10. yeare of our Popedome As theâ—e is no maÌ„ which hath any eies to see but may â—asely vnderstand in reading this letter of the Pope how vnreasonable his request is how impudently he commauÌ„deth how proudly he threatneth how wickedly he oppresseth and racketh the Church of God in placing boyes and straungers in the ministery cure of soules also in making them his prouisors to rauen vp the Church goodes So is it no great maruell if this godly Bishoppe Robert Grosted was offended therwith who in my mind deserueth herein a double commendation not onely that he so wisely did discerne error from sincerity and truth but also that he was so hardy and constant to stand to the defence therof agaynst the Pope according as in this his answere to the Pope agayne may appeare as foloweth The aunswere of Robert Grosted SAlutem Pleaseth it your wisedome to vnderstand that I am not disobedient to any the Apostolicke precepts but both deuoutly reuerently with the natural affectioÌ„ of a sonne obey the same And also am an vtter enemy to al those that resist such Apostolick precepts as a childe zelous of his fathers honor And truly I am no lesse then bound therunto by the precept and coÌ„mauÌ„dement of God For the Apostolick preceptes are none other nor can be then consonant and vniforme to the doctrine of the Apostles and of our Sauiour Christ being the maister and Lorde of all the Apostles whose type and person specially in the consonant and vniforme hierarchie of the Church the Lord Pope semeth to beare the same our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe saying whosoeuer is not with me the same iâ— agaynst me Therefore agaynst him neither is nor can be the most diuine sanctitye of the sea Apostolicall The tenour then of â—our foresayd Apostolicall letter is not consonant to true sanctity but vtterly dissonaÌ„t and disagreeing to the same First for that vpon the clause of this your letter many such other letters like which clause alwayes ye so much do vrge Non obstante induced and brought in vpon no necessity of any naturall law to be obserued doth swarme and floweth with all inconstancy boldnes pertinacy impudency lying deceiuing and is also a sea of mistrust in geuing credit to no man Which as it swarmeth with these so in like maner with innumerable other vices which hang and depend vpon the same mouing and disturbing the purity of Christian religion and lyfe agreable to the same as also the publique tranquility of men Moreouer next after the sinne of Lucifer which shal be in the latter time to wit of Antichrist the childe of perdition whome the Lord shall destroy with the breath of his mouth there is not nor can be any kinde of sinne so repugnant and contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles â—nd holy scripture to our sauiour Christ himselfe more hatefull detestable and abhominable then to destroy and kill mens soules by defrauding them of the mistery of the pastorall office which by the ministery of the postorall cure ought to saue and quicken the same Which sinne by most euident places of the Scripture such men are discerned knowne to commit which being in the authority of the Pastorall dignity do serue their owne carnall desires and necessaries with the benefit of the milke and wooll of the sheep and flocke of Christ and do not minister the same Pastorall office and charge to the benefite and saluation of those theyr sheep The same therefore by the testimony of the Scripture is not the administration of the Pastorall ministery but the killing and destruction of the sheep And that these two kinde of vices be most vile and wicked although after a differryng sorte and farre exceeding all other kinde of wickednesse hereby it is manifest For that the same are directly contrary to two vertues most chiefely good although differring in themselues and vnlike together For that is called most wicked which is contrary to a thing most best So much then as lyeth in the offenders the one of their offences is directly agaynst the deity which of himselfe is alwayes essentially and supernaturally good The other is agaynst the deification and the Image of God in man which is not alwayes but by the participation of Gods lightsome grace essentially and naturally God And forasmuch as in thinges being good the cause of good is better then the effect like as againe in euill things the cause of euill is worse then the effect of euil proceeding therof hereby it is manifest That the inducers of such wicked destroyers of Gods Image and deification in the sheep of Christ that is the church of God are worse theÌ„ those chief destroiers to wit Lucifer Antichrist And as in these degrees of wickednes how much more excellent such be who hauing a great charge committed to them of God to edifâ—ication and not to destruction are more bound to keep away and exclude such wicked destroyers from the church of God So much is it also of that that this holy seat Apostolicall to whom the Lord Iesus Christ hath geuen all maner of power to edification as the Apostle sayth and not to destruction can commaund or will to goe about
22. Item whether he beleueth that an euill Priest with due maner and forme and with the intentiō of doing doth verily consecrate doth verily absolue doth verily baptise and doth verily dispose all other sacramentes euen as the Church doth 23. Item whether he beleeue that Saint Peter was the Uicar of Christ hauing power to bynde and to lose vppon the earth 24. Item whether he beleue that the Pope being canonically elect whiche for the tyme shall be by that name expresly be the successor of Peter or not hauing supreme authoritie in the Church of God 25. Item whether he beleue that the authoritie of iurisdiction of the Pope an archbishop or a Bishop in binding loosing be more then the authorititie of a simple priest or not although he haue charge of soules 26. Item whether he beleue that the pope may vpon a iust and good cause geue indulgēces and remission of sins to all Christian men being verily contrite and confessed especially to those that go on pilgrimage to holy places and good deedes 27 Item whether he beleue that by such graunt the pilgrimes that visite those Churches and geue thē any thing may obtayne remission of sinnes or not 28. Item whether he beleue that all Bishops may graūt vnto their subiectes according as the holy Canons doe limit such indulgences or not 29. Item whether he beleue and affirme that it is lawfull for faythfull Christians to worship Images and the reliques of sayntes or not 30. Item whether he beleue that those religions whiche the Churche hath allowed were lawfully and reasonably brought in of the holy fathers or not 31. Item whether he beleueth that the pope or any other Prelate for the time being or their vicars may excommunicate their subiect Ecclesiasticall or secular for disobediēce or contumacie so that such a one is to be holden and taken for excommunicate or not 32. Item whether ye beleue that for the disobediēce and contumacie of persons excommunicate increasing the prelates or their vicares in spirituall thinges haue power to agrauate and to reagrauate to put vpon men the interdict and to call for the secular arme and that the same secular arme or power ought to be obedient to the censures by their inferiors called for 33. Item whether he beleue that the pope and other prelates or els their vicares haue power in spirituall things to excommunicate priestes and lay men that are stubberne and disobedient from theyr office benefice or entrance into the church and from the administration of the sacraments of the Church also to suspend them 34. Item whether he beleue that it is lawfull for ecclesiasticall persons without committing sinne to haue anye possessions temporall goodes and whether he beleeue that it is not lawfull for lay men to take away the same from thē by their authoritie but rather that such takers away incrochers vpō ecclesiasticall goods are to be punished as committers of sacriledge yea although such Ecclesiasticall persons liue naughtely that haue such goodes 35. Item whether any such taking away or incrochyng vpō any priest rashly or violently made although the priest be an euill liuer be sacriledge or not 36. Item whether he beleue that it is lawfull for lay mē of whether sexe soeuer that is men and women to preache the word of God or not 37. Item whether he beleue that it is lawfull to al priestes freely to preach the word of God whersoeuer whensoeuer and to whom soeuer it shal please them althogh they be not sent at all 38. Item whether he beleue that all mortall sinnes and especiall such as be manifest and publike are to be corrected and to be extirpate or not Furthermore wee will commaunde and decree that if any by secrete information by you or any other to be receiued shall be founde either enfamed or suspected of anye kind of the pestiferous sect heresie doctrine of the most pestilence men I. Wickleffe I. Hus and Hierome of Prage the archheretickes aforesaid or of fauoring receiuing or defending the foresayd damned men whilest they liued on the earth their false followers and disciples or any that beleeueth their errours or any that after their death pray for thē or any of them or that nominateth them to be amongst the number of catholick men or that defendeth them to be placed amongst the number of y◠saintes either by their preaching worshipping or otherwaies wherin they deserue to be suspected y◠then they by you or some of you may be cited personally to appeare before you or some of you wtout either Proctor or Doctor to answere for them an oth being opēly taken by them as is aforesayd to speak the plain mere veritie of the articles aboue written and euery of them or other oportune as case and circumstance shall require according to your discretion as you or anye of you shall see expediēt to proceed against them or any of them according to these presentes or otherwise canonically as you shall thinke good Also that you do publish solemnly cause to be published these present letters omitting the articles interrogatories herein contayned in the citties other places of your dioces where conueniently you may vnder our authoritie there to denounce and cause to be denounced all singular such hereticks with their abbetters fauorers of their heresies erroures of what sexe or kinde soeuer that do hold defend the sayd erroures or doe participate any maner of way with heretickes priuely or apertly of what state dignitie or condition soeuer he or they be Patriarche Archbishop king Queene Duke or of what other dignitie either Ecclesiasticall or seculare he be also with their aduocates and procurators whosoeuer whiche are beleuers followers fauourers defenders or receiuers of such heretickes or suspected to be beleuers followers fautors defenders or receiuers of them to be excommunicate euery sonday and festiuall day in the presence of the people Furthermore that you dilligently do to be inquired by the sayd our authoritie vpon all and singular such persons both men and women that mayntayne approue defend teach such erroures or that be fauourers receauers and defenders of them whether exempt or not exempt of what dignitie state preeminence degree order or condition soeuer And such as you shal finde in the sayd your inquisition either by their own confession or by any other meane to be diffamed or otherwise infected with the spot of suche heresie or errour you through the sentence of excommunication suspension interdict and priuation of their dignities personages offices or other benefices of the Church and fees which they hold of any church monastery and other Ecclesiastical places also of honours and secular dignities and degrees of sciences or other faculties as also by other paynes and censures of the Church or by wayes and meanes whatsoeuer els shall seeme to you expedient by taking and imprisoning of their bodies and other corporall punishmentes
that since that time all persons from the hyest to the lowest both rich poore haue bene glad to send seek to Rome yea Kinges Emperors Queens Dukes haue bene glad to kisse the Bishops feete and to lead hys horse by the bridle So that the Maiesty of Rome in the old heatheÌ„ Emperors days was neuer more terrible nor glorious nor neuer had more power to persecute ouercome gods Saintes theÌ„ these lambelyke Byshops of Rome haue had and haue exercised these 500. yeares in Christendome And therefore who els in all the world hath so much power to do the workes of the first beast before hys face as he or who but he alone which forceth both high and low rich and poore free and bond to receaue the seale and to become loyall to the Citie and sea of Rome so that whoseuer hath not the marke whereby to be knowne to holde of the Churche of Rome shall haue no place to buy and sell nor to occupy in all Christendome Now if any Papist whatsoeuer in answering to this my questioÌ„ can apply this propheticall mistery of these 2. beasts otherwise then thus I would hartely desire him to take so much paynes to satisfie this doubt at his good pleasure laysure In the meane season let this stand for a Corolarium that the bishop of Rome by this description must be that second beast prophesied to come in the latter time of the Church vnder a false pretensed lambe to restore agayn the old persecutions of Rome and to disturbe the whole Church of Christ as this day to truely is come to passe ¶ The fourth Question AS touching my fourth question although I could vrge you with an other like propheticall place of scripture no lesse euident agaynst the bishop of Rome taken out of the second Epistle of S. Paule to the Theâ—la where mention is made of the sonne of perdition sitting in the Temple of God as god aduauÌ„cing himselfe aboue al that is called god c. which place ye can by no reasonable euasioÌ„ auoyd yet notwithstanding to let this passe I turne my questioÌ„ to aske this of you whether the religion of Christ be mere spiritual or els corporall If ye affirme it to be corporall as was the old religioÌ„ of the Iewes coÌ„sisting in outward rites sacrifices ceremonies of the law theÌ„ shew if ye can what any one outward actioÌ„ or obseruatioÌ„ is required in christian religioÌ„ by the scripture as necessary in a christen man for remissioÌ„ of sinnes saluation saue onely the two Sacramentall ceremonies of outward Baptisme of the Lordes Supper Howbeit neither these also as they are corporall that is to say neither the outward action of the one nor of the other coÌ„ferreth remissioÌ„ of sinnes nor saluation but onely are visible shewes of inuisible spirituall benefits And furthermore if our god whoÌ„ we serue be spirituall how can his religioÌ„ seruice be corporall as we are taught by the mouth of our sauior saying God is a spirit and therfore they that worship him must worship in spirit verity c. Ioan. 4. Now if ye graunt as ye must needes this our christen religion to be spirituall not a corporall religioÌ„ theÌ„ shew if ye can any one poynt of all these thinges which ye striue for so much with vs to be spirituall but altogether corporall externe matters ceremoniall obseruations nothing coÌ„ducing to any spirituall purpose as your outward successioÌ„ of bishops garmentes vestures gestures coâ—lors choise of meates differeÌ„ce of dayes times places hearing seing saying touching tasting numbring of beades gilding worshipping Images building monasteries rising at midnight silence in cloysters absteining from flesh white meat fasting in Lent keeping Imberdayes hearing masse diuine seruice seing adoring the body in forme of bread receiuing holy water holy bread creeping to the crosse carying palmes taking ashes bearing candles pilgrimage going sensing kneeling knocking aultars superaltars candlestickes pardons In orders crossing annoynting shauing forswering mariage In baptisme crossing salting spatling exorcising washing of handes At Easter earâ— confession penaunce doing satisfaction And in receiuing with beardes new shauen to imagine a body where they see no body though he were there present to be sene yet the outward seing touching of him of it selfe without fayth conduceth no more theÌ„ it did to the Iewes At RogatioÌ„ daies to cary banners to follow the crosse to walke about the fieldes After Pentecost to go about with Corpus Christi play At halowmas to watch in the church to say a dirige commendations to ring for all soules to pay tithes truely to geue to the high aultar And if a man will be a Priest to say Masse Mattens to serue the Saynt of that day and to lift well ouer his head c. In sicknes to be aneled to take his rites after his death to haue funerals obites sayd for him and to be rong for at his funerall moneth mind and yearemind c. Adde moreouer to these the outward sacrifiâ—â— of the Masse with opus operatum sine bono motu vtentis c. All which thinges aboue recited as they conteine the whole summary effect of all the popes catholicke religion so are they all corporall exercises consisting in the externe operation of man Which if they can make a perfect right catholicke christian then it may be said that men may be made perfect christians by flesh and bloud without any inward working of faith or of the holy ghost For what is in all these but the flesh bloud of his strength is able to accoÌ„plish though no inward strength or motion of the holy Ghost did worke But now the order of our religion way of saluation consisteth not in such corporall or outward things as these but in other more higher more spirituall gifts which farre exceed the capacity of flesh bloud of the which giftes the chiefest onely meane cause that saueth man remitteth sinnes is his fayth in Christ. Which fayth I thus define for a man to beleue by the bloudshedding of Iesus the sonne of god his sinnes to be forgeuen Gods wrath to be pacified himselfe to be iustified perfectly from all accusations that can be layd vnto him c. And though the Papistes make a light matter of this to beleue in Christ and when they heare vs say that fayth onely iustifieth they obiect to vs again and make it a small matter to be saued if fayth onely iustifie vs. Yet notwithstanding this fayth if it be well examined is such a thing that flesh and bloud is not able to attayne therto vnles Gods holy spirite froÌ„ aboue do draw him Moreouer besides this fayth many other thinges are incident also to the doctrine of our saluation Albeit as no causes therof but either as Sacramentes and seales of fayth or as declarations thereof or els as fruites effects
the lawe I meane must ende and Christ reigne For both these Christ and the lawe grace and malediction can not reigne and gouerne together But Christ the Sonne of God which once dyed can die no more but must reigne for euer Wherefore the lawe with his strēgth styng and curse must needes cease and haue an end And this is it that S. Paule speaking of the tryumph of Christ saieth that he ascendyng vp led away captiuitie captiue hath set man at lyberty not at libertie to liue as flesh listeth neither hath freed him from the vse exercyse of the law but from the dominion and power of the lawe so that there is nowe no condemnation to them that bee in Christ Iesu which walke not after the flesh c. Romaines 8 And in an other place Saint Paule speaking of the same power and dominion of the lawe sayth that Christ hath taken the oblygation written against vs in decrees and hath nayled it vpon the Crosse tryumphing ouer all c. so that as the kyngdome of Christ fyrst began vpon the Crosse euen so vpon the same Crosse and at the same time the kingdome of the lawe expired and the malediction of the lawe was so crucified vpon the Crosse that it shall neuer ryse agayne to haue any power agaynst them that be in Christ Iesu. For lyke as if a woman be discharged from her first husband being dead hath maryed an other man the first husbande hath no more power ouer her euen so we nowe beyng espoused vnto Christ our seconde husbande are discharged vtterly from our first husbād the law as S. Paule in an other place sayth are no more vnder the law that is vnder the dominion malediction of the lawe but vnder grace that is vnder perpetual remission of al sinnes cōmitted not only before our Baptisme but as well also after Baptisme and duryng all our lyfe long For therein properly consisteth the grace of God in not imputyng sinne vnto vs so often as the repenting sinner rising vp by fayth flyeth vnto Christ and apprehendeth Gods mercy and remission promised in him according to the testimonie both of the Psalme Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne c. also of all the Prophets which as Saint Peter saith giue recorde to him that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receaue remission of their sinnes c. Actes 10. Which being so as it can not be denied then what needeth these priuate and extraordinary remissions to be brought into the Church by eare confession by meritorious deedes and by the Popes pardons for if there be no condemnation but by the law and if this law it selfe be captiued crucified abolished and departed which was the first husbande what condēnation thē can there be to thē that be in Christ Iesu or by whome should it come If there be no condemnation but a free and generall deliueraunce for all men once gotten by the victorie of Christ from the penalty of the lawe what nedeth thē any particular remission of sinnes at sondry tymes to be sought at the Priestes handes or the Popes pardons He that hath a generall pardon needeth no particular If remedy for sinne be generall and perpetuall once gotten for euer to all them that be in Christ Iesu what needeth any other remedy by auricular confession If it be not generall and perpetuall howe then is it true that Saint Paule sayth the lawe is crucified and condemnation abolished or howe standeth redemption perpetuall and generall if remission be not generall For what is redemption els but remission of sinnes or sinnes bought out or what is els to kill the lawe but to discharge vs from condemnation for euer He that deliuereth his friende for a time out of his enimies hande doth him a pleasure but he that killeth the enimie once out of the way giueth perpetuall safety So if remission of sinnes by Christ were for some sinnes and not for all the lawe then must needes liue still But nowe the kylling and crucifying of the law importeth full remission to be absolute and our safety to be perpetuall But here percase will be obiected of some how standeth remission of sinnes certeine and perpetuall seeyng newe offences being daily committed doe daily require newe remission Hereto I aunswere albeit sinnes doe daily growe whereby wee haue neede dailie to desire God to forgiue vs our trespasses c. yet notwithstanding the cause of our remission standeth euer one and perpetuall neither is the same to be repeted any more nor any other cause to be sought besides that alone This cause is the sacrificed body of Christ once vpon the Crosse for all sinnes that either haue or shall be committed Beside this cause there is no other neither confession nor mens pardons that remitteth sinnes Furthermore as the cause is one and euer perpetuall which worketh remission of sinnes vnto vs so is the promise of God euer one once made and standeth perpetuall that offereth the same to the faith of the repenting sinner And because the sayde promise of God is alwayes sure and can not fayle which offereth remission to all them that beleeue in Christ being limited neyther to time nor number therefore we may boldely conclude that what time soeuer a repenting synner beleeueth and by fayth applyeth to him the sacrifice of Christ he hath by Gods owne promise remission of his sinnes whether they were done before or after Baptisme And moreouer for so much as the said promise of God offereth remission to the repentaunt synner by no other meanes nor condition but onely one that is by fayth in Christ therefore excluding all other meanes and conditions of mans working we say that what repenting sinner soeuer beleeueth in Christ hath already in him selfe and needeth not to seeke to any Priest perpetuall assuraunce of remission not for this time or that time onely but for euer and a day For the promise fayth not he that beleeueth in Christ shall be pardoned this tyme so he sinne no more neyther doth it say that the law is stayde or the sentence repriued but sayth playnely that the law with her condemnation and sentence her selfe is condemned and hanged vp and shall neuer ryse agayne to them that be in Christ Iesu and promiseth indeterminatelye without limitation remission of sinnes to all that beleeue in his name c Actes 10. and likewise in an other place the Scripture speaking absolutely saith Sinne shall not preuayle ouer you addeth the reason why saying Because ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace Rom. 6. Adding this lesson withall as it followeth in the same place not that sinners shoulde sinne more therefore because they are vnder grace but onely that weake infirmities myght be releeued broken consciences comforted and repenting sinners holpen from desperation to the prayse of Gods glory For as God forgiueth
not synners because they should sinne so neither doth infirmitie of falling diminish the grace of Christ but rather doth illustrate the same as it is written My strength is made perfect in infirmitie 2. Cor. 12. and againe Where sinne aboundeth there superaboundeth also grace In remission of synnes therefore these foure thinges must concurre together the cause that worketh which is the sacrifice of Christes body 2. the promise that offereth 3. fayth that apprehendeth 4. the repenting sinner that receaueth And although sinnes daily do grow which daily prouoke vs to craue remission yet as touching the cause that worketh remission of our daily sinnes the meanes which apprehendeth and applieth the sayd cause vnto vs they remayne alwaies one perpetuall besides which no other cause nor meanes is to be sought of man So that to them that be repenting sinners be in Christ Iesu there is no law to condemne them though they haue deserued condemnation but they are vnder a perpetual kingdome and a heauen full of grace and remission to couer their sins and not to impute their iniquities through the promise of God in Christ Iesu our Lord. And therefore wicked and impious is the doctrine of them fyrst which seeke any other cause of remission then onely the bloud of our Sauiour Secondly which assigne any other meanes to apply the bloudsheding of Christ vnto vs besides onely faith Thirdly and especially which so limite and restraine the eternall priuiledge of Christs passion as though it serued but only for sinnes done without and before faith and that the rest after Baptisme committed must be done away by confession pardons and satisfactory deedes And al this riseth because the true nature of the law of the Gospell is not knowen nor the difference rightly considered betwene the times of the one and of the other Neither againe doe they make any distinction betweene the malediction of the law and vse of the law And therfore whensoeuer they heare vs speake of the law meanyng the malediction of the law to be abolished therevpon they maliciously slaunder vs as though we speak against the good exercises of the lawe and giue liberty of fleshe to carnall men to liue as they list Whereof more shal be sayd by the Lordes grace as place and time shall hereafter require Of free will COncerning free will as it may peraduenture in some case be admitted that men without the grace may doe some outward functions of the law and keepe some outward obseruaunces or traditions so as touching thinges spirituall apperteining to saluation the strength of man being not regenerate by grace is so infirme and impotent that he can performe nothing neither in dooing well nor willing well Who after he be regenerated by grace may worke and doe wel but yet in such sort that still remaineth notwithstanding a great imperfection of flesh a perpetuall repugnaunce betwene the flesh and spirit And thus was the originall Church of the auncient Romanes first instructed From whome see now howe farre this latter Church of Rome hath degenerated which holdeth and affirmeth that men without grace may performe the obedience of the law prepare themselues to receaue grace by working so that those works may be meritorious and of congruitie obteine grace Which grace once obteined then men may say they perfectly performe the full obedience of the law and accomplish those spirituall actions and workes which God requireth and so those workes of cōdignitie deserue euerlasting life As for the infirmity which still remaineth in nature that they nothing regarde nor once speake of Of Inuocation and Adoration OUer and besides these vncatholike and almost vnchristian absurdities and defections from the Apostolicall faith aboue specified let vs consider the maner of theyr Inuocation not to God alone as they should but to dead men saying that saintes are to be called vpon tanquam mediatores intercessionis as Mediatours of intercession Christum vero tanquam mediatorem Salutis and Christ as the Mediator of Saluation And affirme moreouer that Christ was a Medyatour onely in time of his Passion Which is repugnaunt to the wordes of S. Paule writing to the old Romanes chap. 8. where he speaking of the intercession of Christ Which is saith he on the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs c. And if Christ be a Mediatour of saluation what needeth then any other intercession of the Saintes for other sutes for saluation being once had what can we require more or what lacketh he more to be obtained of the Saintes which is sure to be saued only by Christ And yet in their Catholicke deuotions why doe they teach vs thus to pray to the blessed virgine Salua omnes qui te glorificant i. Saue all them that glorifie thee c. if saluation onely belong to Christ vnles they study of purpose to seeme contrary to themselues Hetherto also perteineth the worshipping of reliques and the false adoration of Sacramentes that is the outward signes of the things signified cōtrary to the 7. principle before page 24. Adde to this also the prophanation of the Lordes Supper contrary to the vse for which it was ordeined in reseruing it after the Communion ministred in setting it to sale for money and falsely perswading both them selues and other that the Priest doth merite both to him selfe that saith and to him that heareth Ex opere operato sine bono motu vtentis c. That is Onely by the meere doing of the worke though the partie that vseth the same hath no good motion in him c. * Of Sacramentes Baptisme and the Lordes Supper AS touching Sacramentes their doctrine likewise is corrupt and erroneus 1. First they erre falsely in the number For where the institution of Christ ordeineth but two they contrary to the fourth principle aboue prefixed haue added to the prescription of the Lords worde fine other Sacraments 2. Secondly in the cause finall they erre For where the word hath ordeined those Sacraments to excite our faith and to giue vs admonitions of spiritual things they contrariwise doe teach that the Sacramentes doe not onely stirre vp faith but also that they auayle and are effectuall without faith Ex opere operato sine bono motu vtentis c. as is to be founde in Thom. Aquine Scotus Catharinus and other moe 3. Thirdly in the operation effect of the Sacramentes they faile where the contrary to the minde of the Scriptures doe say that they giue grace not onely do signifie but also conteine and exhibite that which they signifie to wytte grace and saluation 4. Fourthly they erre also in Application applying their Sacramentes both to the quicke and the dead to thē also that be absent to remission of sinnes and releasing of payne c. In the Sacrament of Baptisme they are to be reprooued not onely for adding to the simple wordes of Christs
the holy spirit of god whose writings and works yet to this day remaine Out of which the reader may receiue great profite knowledge of thinges as concerning the first creation of the worlde end of the same with al other things necessary to be knowne of euery true Philosopher which wil giue credite vnto them Neither in their teaching they do vse any demonstration as being more certaine o◠themselues then that they neede any such demonstration to be made For asmuch as the accomplyshing and the end of things both paste now present constraineth vs of necessitie to beleue the words and doctrine which they taught which men not only therefore are to be beleued but also for their miracles and wonders done are worthy of credite for that they both preached of God the maker and creator of all thinges And also did prophecye before of Christ his sonne to be sent of him The which the false Prophets being seduced with false and wicked spyrits neither haue done nor do but onely take vpon them to worke certaine prodigious wonders for men to gase at setting out thereby to the worlde false vncleane spirites But then afore all thinges make thy prayer that the gate of light may be opened vnto thee for otherwise these things cannot be attained vnto of euery man but onely of such to whom God and his Christ giueth vnderstanding These thinges with much more which now leasure serueth not to prosecute after the foresaid old father had declared vnto him he departed exhortyng him well to follow the things which he had spoken And after that Iustine as he himselfe witnesseth saw him no more Immediatly after thys Iustine being all inflamed as with fyre kindled in his breast began to conceiue a loue zeale toward the Prophets and all such as were fauoured of Christ. And thus he reuoluing in his mind more and more these wordes found only this Philosophie among all other professions both sure and profitable and so became he a Philosopher in time by these meanes afterwards he was made a Christian and Baptised But where he receiued this holy Sacrament of Baptisme it is not read of nor yet by what occasiō he left his country and came to Rome This only we read in Ierome that he was in Rome there vsed certaine exercises which he called Diatribas disputing there with Crescens a Cinycal philosopher as is before touched But this is certaine how that Iustine after he had receaued the professiō of Christian Religiō became an earnest defēder of the same traueiling and disputing against al the aduersaries thereof fearing neither peril of life nor daunger of death whereby he might maintaine the doctrine of Christ against the malicious blasphemers and also augment the number of Christian beleuers As may appeare by his vehement disputations against the heathen Philosophers Also moreouer aswell appeareth in that long disputatiō which he had with one Tripho at Ephesus as also in his confutations of heretikes Furthermore his conflictes and Apologies which with great courage security he exhibited against the persecutors of the Christians both the Emperour and the Magistrates yea and the whole Senate of Rome doe testifie the same Of the which Apologies the first he wrote to the Senate of Rome and after to Antoninus Pius the Emperour as is before mentioned where in the fyrst writing wyth great liberty to the Senate he declared that of necessitie he was compelled to write and vtter his minde and consciēce to them For that in persecuting of the Christians they did neglect their duety and highly offended God and therfore neede they had to be admonished And further writing to Vrbitius liefetenaunt of the Citie sayd that hee put men to death and tormentes for no offence committed but for the confession onely of the name of Christ which proceedinges and iudgementes neyther became the Emperour nor hys sonne nor the Senate defending moreouer in the sayd Apology and purgyng the Christiās of such crimes as falsely were layd and obiected agaynst them by the Ethnikes And likewise in hys second Apology writing to Antonius the Emperour and his successours with like grauity and free libertie declareth vnto them how they had the name cōmonly beyng reputed taken as vertuous Philosophers mayntayners of iustice louers of learning but whether they were so their actes declared As for him neither for flattery nor fauour at their hands he was cōstrayned thus to write vnto them but onely to sue vnto thē and desire a serious righteous kind of dealing in their iudgements and sentences For it becommeth Princes to folow vprightnes pietie in their iudgements not tiranny and violence also in playne wordes chargeth as wel the emperour as the Senate with manifest wrong For that they did not graunt the Christians that which is not denied to all other malefactors iudging men to death not conuicted but onely for the hatred of the name Other men which be appeached said he in iudgement are not condemned before they are cōuicted but on vs you take your name only for the crime when as indede you ought to see iustice done vpō our accusers And againe saith he if a Christian being accused onely denie that name him you release beyng not able to charge him with any other offence But if he stande to his name onely for his confession you may cast him where indeede it were your duety rather to examine their maner of life what thing they confesse or denye and according to their demerites to see iustice done And in the same further he saith you examine not the causes but incensed with rash affections as with the spur of fury ye slay murder them not conuicted without any respect of iustice And further he addeth Some peraduenture wil say certaine of them haue bene apprehended taken in euill doinges as though saith he you vsed to enquire vpō them being brought afore you not commonly to condemne thē before due examination of their offence for the cause aboue mentioned Where also in the ende of the said Apology after this maner he reprehendeth thē You do degenerate quoth he from the goodnes of your predecessours whose exāple you followe not for your father Adrian of famous memorye caused to bee proclaymed that Christians accused before the iudge should not be cōdemned vnles they were found gilty of some notorious crime I finde that all his vehement and graue Apologie stādeth vpon most strong firme probations denying that the christians ought by conscience at the will commaundement of the Emperour Senate to doe sacrifice to the Idols For the which they being condemned affirme that they suffer open wrong approuing moreouer that the true only Religion is the Religion of the Christians whose both doctrine and conuersation hath no fault Iustinus although with these and such like perswasions did not so preuayle with the Emperour to cause him to
Cyprian writing in his Epistles so much of one Byshop and of the vnity to be kept in Ecclesiasticall regimeÌ„t as appeareth Lib. 4. Epist. 2. De simplicit praelat item Lib. 3. Epist. 11. c. And in like sort writeth also Cornelius himselfe of one Byshop saying Itaque Vindex ille Euangelij ignorauit vnum esse debere EpiscopuÌ„ in Catholica Ecclesia c. That is He knew not that there ought to be one Byshoppe in a Catholicke Church c. This by the way not out of the way I trust I haue touched briefly to detect or refute the cauiling wrastling of the Papistes which falsely apply these places of Cyprian and Cornelius to mainetayne the Popes supreme maistershippe alone ouer the whole vniuersall Church of Christ in all places WheÌ„ their meaning is otherwise how that euery one Catholicke Church or dioces ought to haue one Byshop ouer it not that the whole world ought to be subiect to the dominion of him onely that is Byshop of Rome Now to the story againe Nouatus beyng thus Bishop tooke not a little vpon him goyng about by all meanes to defeat Cornelius and to allure the people from him Insomuch that as in the foresayd book of Eusebius appeareth wheÌ„ Nouatus came to the distributing of the offrings and should geue euery man his part he coÌ„pelled the simple persoÌ„s euery man to sweare before they should receiue of the benediction of the collectes or oblations holding both their handes in his holding them so long speaking these wordes vnto them Sweare to me by the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ that thou wilt not leaue me and goe to Cornelius till that they swearing vnto him instead of AmeÌ„ to be sayd at the receauing of the bread should aunswere I will not returne to Cornelius c. Where note by the way that the Latine booke of Christofersons tanâ—lation in this place craftely leaueth out the name of bread This story being written in Eusebius also contained in Nicephorus although not in the same order of wordes yet in effeâ—t drawne out of him doth declare in playne wordes in both the Authors who so will marke the same that the sacrament of the bodye of Christ is termed with the playne name of bread after the consecration It followeth more in the story that Maximus Vrbanus Sydonius and Celerinus before mentioned perceiuing at length the crafty dissimulation and arrogancy of Nouatus left him and with great repentance returned agayne to the Church were reconciled to Cornelius as they theÌ„selues writing to Cyprian and Cyprian likewise writing to them an Epistle gratulatory doth declare Lib. 3. Epist. 3. Cornelius also in his Epistle to Fabê° witnesseth the same In thiâ— Epistle the sayd Cornelius moreouer writeth of one Moses a worthy Martyr which once being a follower also of Nouatus after perceiuing his wickednesse forsooke him and did excommunicate him Of him Cyprian also maketh mention calleth him a blessed confessour Lib. 2. Epi. 4. Damasus in his pontificall sayth that he was apprehended with Maximus and Nicostratus aboue mentioned was put with them in prison where he ended his life And thus much of Nouatus agaynst whom as Eusebius testifieth a Synode was holdeÌ„ at Rome of lx sondry Byshops in the tyme of Cornelius and vnder the reigne of Decius an 255. whereby it may be supposed that the heat of the persecutioÌ„ at that tyme was somewhat calmed After Fabianus or as Zonaras calleth him Flauianus next succeeded into the bishoprick of Rome Cornelius whoÌ„ Cyprian noteth to be a worthy Byshop and for his great vertue maydenlye continency much commeÌ„dable chosen to that roome not so much of his owne consent as of the full greement both of the Clergy men and also of the people Hierome addeth also that he was a man of great eloqueÌ„ce wherby it may appeare those two Epistles decretal which go in his name not to be his both for the rudenes of the barbarous and grose stile and also for the matter therin conteined nothing tasting of that tyme nor of that age nor doings then of the Church Wherof in the first he writeth to all ministers brethren of the Church concerning the lifting vp of the bodyes bones of Peter Paule De cathecumbis and transposed to Vaticanum at the instance of a certayne deuoute woman named Lucina hauing no great argumeÌ„t or cause to write therof vnto the churches but onely that he in that letter doth desire theÌ„ to pray vnto the Lord that through the intercession of those Apostolicall Sayntes their sinnes might be forgeuen them c. In the second Epistle writing to Ruffus a Byshop of the East Church he decreeth and ordaineth that no oth ought to be required or exacted of any head or chiefe Byshop for any cause or by any power Also that no cause of Priestes or Ministers ought to be handled in any straunge or forreine Court without his precinct except onely in the Court of Rome by appellation wherby who seeth not the trayn of our latter Byshops going about craftely to aduaunce the dignity of the Court of Rome vnder and by the prtenced title of Cornelius and of such auncient Byshops If Cornelius did write any Epistles to any in deede in those so turbulent times of persecution no doubt but some signification thereof he would haue touched in the sayd his letters either in ministring consolation to his brethreÌ„ or in requiring consolation and prayers of others Neither is there any doubt but he would haue geueÌ„ some touch also of the matter of Nouatus with whom he had so much to do as in deed he did for so we finde it recorded both in Eusebius and in Hierome that he wrote vnto Fabius Byshop of Antioche of the decreementes of the counsell of Rome and an other letter of the maner of the Counsell the third also of the cause of Nouatus and agayne of the repentaunce of such as fell wherof there is no word touched at all in these foresayd Epistles decretall What trouble this Cornelius had with Nouatus sufficiently is before signified In this persecution of Decius he demeaned himselfe very constantly and faythfully whiche sustayned great conflictes with the aduersaries as S. Cyprian geueth winesse Lib. 1. Epist. 1. Hierome testifieth that he remayned Byshop after the death of Decius to the tyme of Gallus and so appeareth also by S. Cyprian which hath these wordes Et tyrannum armis bello postmodum victum prior sacerdotio suo vicit But Damasus and Sabellicus his folowers affirm that he was both exiled also martired vnder the tyrannous reigne of Decius Of whom Sabellicus writeth this story taken out as it seemeth of Damasus and sayth that Cornelius by the commauÌ„dement of Decius was banished a towne called Centumcellas bordering in Hetruria from whence he sent letters to Cyprian Byshop of Carthage and Cyprian agayne to him This comming to
among vs of this age of the Church but also among the Auncient fathers Whereof S. Austen speaking of his commendation sayth Ego inquit literas Cypriani non vt canonicas habeo sed eas ex canonisis considero quod in eis deuinarum Scripturarum autoritati congruit cum laude eius accipio quod autem non congruit cum pace eius respuo c. By which words it may appeare that Austen although he did not repute y◠bookes and writings of Cyprian to be equiualent with the holy Scripture yet notwithstanding next after the scriptures he had the same in great admiration Vincentius and Laziardus Celestinus recyting the names of dyuers bookes bearyng the tytle of Cyprian moe perchaunce then be truly his do collect out of them a certaine extract of his most pithy sentences al which here to repeat were to tedious To giue a tast of the speciall I thought it not impertinent As where he speaking of the treasures of a rich man exhorteth saying Ne dormiat in thesauris tuis quod pauperi prodesse potest◠i. Let it not sleepe in thy treasures that may profite the poore Duo nunquam veterascunt in homine cor semper nouas cogitationes machinando lingua cordis vanas conceptiones proferendo i. Two things neuer waxe old in man the hart euer in imagining new cogitations the toung euer in vttering the vaine conceptions of the hart Quod aliquando de necessitate amittendum est sponte prodiuina remuneratione distribuendum est .i. That which a man must needes forgo of necessitie wisedome it is a man to distribute so that God may euerlastingly reward him Disciplina est morum praesentium ordinata correctio malorum praeteritorum regularis obseruatio i. Discipline is an ordinate amendment of maners present and a regular obseruation of euils past Integritas ibi nulla esse potest vbi qui improbos damnent desunt soli qui damnentur occurrunt There can be no integrity wheras they which should condemne the wicked are euer wanting and they only which are to be condemned are euer present Auari ad hoc tantum possident quae habent vt ne alteri possidere liceat A couetous man onely possesseth his goodes for this because an other should not possesse them Sericum purpurum indutae Christum induere non possunt Wemen that aduaunce themselues in putting on silks and purple cannot lightly put on Christ. Foeminae crines suos inficiunt malo praesagio Capillos enim sibi flammeos auspicari non metuunt They which colour their lockes with red and yealow beginne betime to prognosticate of that colour theyr heades shall be in hell Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter quam creauit Deus metuant ne cum resurrectionis venerit dies artifex creaturam suam non recognoscat They which loue to paynt themselues in this world otherwise then God hath created thē let them feare least when the day commeth of resurrection the creator will not know them Qui pauperi eleemosinam dat Deo suauitatis odorem sacrificat He that gyueth an almes to the poore sacrificeth to God an odour of swete smell Contemnenda est omnis iniuria praesentium molorum fiducia futurorum bonorum All iniurie of euils presēt to be neglected for the good hope of good thinges to come Nihil prodest verbis proferre virtutem factis destruere To set out vertue in wordes and to destroy the same in factes is nothing worth Quo plures domi sint tibi liberi hoc plus tibi non recondendum sed erogandum est quia multorum iam delicta redimenda sunt multorum purgandae conscientiae The mo children and greater houshoulde thou hast at home the more cause thou hast not to horde vp but to disperse abroode for that many sinnes are to be redeemed many consciences are to be purged ¶ Moreouer least the Papists here should take an occasion by this text grounded vpon the text of Tobi cap. 4. Almose saith he deliuereth from al sinne and death to build vp the workes of satisfactiō the said Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist 2. more plainely expoundeth both himselfe and that place of Scripture writing in these wordes Quia scriptum est Eleemosina ab omni peccato morte liberat Yob 4. non vtique ab ea morte quam semel Christi sanguis extinxit a qua nos salutaris Baptismi tedemptoris nostri gratia liberauit sed ab illa quae per delicta postmodum serpit c. That is Almose doth deliuer from all sinne and from death Yob 4. not from that saith Cyprian which the bloude of Christ hath once extincted and from which the wholsome grace of our Baptisme and of our redeemer hath deliuered vs but frō that death which afterward creepeth in by sinne c. Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist. 2. by which words it is apparant that Cyprian meaneth this deliueraunce which commeth by almose gyuing from death and sinne not to be expounded nor to be taken for death euerlasting from which only the bloude of Christ doth saue vs but for temporall or transitory punishment which is wont to be inflicted in this body of sin For so it is nothing repugnaunt but that temporall vertues may haue their temporall rewards in this life likwise sinnes committed may haue temporal punishments both of vs and in our families our eternal saluation standing euermore firme in Christ yet notwithstanding The foresaide Vincentius moreouer speaking of an other booke of Cyprian although the said booke be not numbred in the Catalogue of his workes maketh mention of xij abuses or absurdities in the life of man which in order be these 1. Sapiens sine operibus A wise man without good workes 2. Senex sine religione An old man without religion 3. Adolescens sine obedientia A young man without obedience 4. Diues sine eleemosina A rich man without almose 5. Foemina sine pudicitia A woman shameles 6. Dominus sine virtute A guide without vertue 7. Christianus contentiosus A Christian man contentious 8. Pauper superbus A poore man proude 9. Rex iniquus A king vnrighteous 10. Episcopus negligens A byshop negligent 11. Plebs sine disciplina People without discipline 12. Populus sine lege Subiectes without law As I haue hetherto set forth the commendation of Cyprian this blessed Martyr so must we nowe take heede againe that we do not here incurre the old common daunger whiche the Papystes are commonlye accustomed to runne into whose fault is alwayes almost to be immoderate and excessiue in their procedings making to much almost of euery thing So in speaking of the holye Sacraments they make more of them then doth the nature of Sacraments require not vsing them but abusing thē not referring or applying them but adoring them not taking thē in their kind for thinges godly as they are but taking thē for God himselfe turning religion into
caused theyr bowels and flesh to be deuoured of the hungry swine This rage furye of the wicked Arethusians Zozomenus supposeth to come of this because that Constantinus before had broken them from their country maner of setting forth and exposing their virgins filthely to whom soeuer lusted and destroyed the temple of Venus in Heliopolis restrayning the people there from their filthines and vile whoredome Sozom Lib. 5 cap. 10. Of the lamentable story or rather Tragedy of Marcus Arethusius their Byshop thus writeth the said Sozomenus and also Theodoretus in his third booke in these words as followe This Tragedye saith hee of Marcus Arethusius doth require the eloquence and worthines of Aeschilus and Sophocles which may as the matter deserueth set forth and beautify his great afflictions This man at the commaundement of Constantinus pulled downe a certayn temple dedicated to Idols and in the stead thereof built vp a church where the Christians might congregate The Arthusians remembring the little good wil that Iulianus bare vnto him accused him as a traitour and enimie to him At the first according as the scripture teacheth he prepared him selfe to flee But when he perceiued that there were certaine of his kinsmen or frynds apprehēded in his steed returning agayne of his owne accord he offred himselfe to those that thirsted for his bloude whome when they had gotten as men neither pytiyng his old age worne yeares nor abashed at his vertuous conuersation being a man so adourned both with doctrine maners first strypt him naked pittifully beate him then within a while after they cast him into a foule filthy sinke from thence being brought they caused boyes to thrust him in with sharpned stickes made for the nonce to prouoke his paine the more Lastly they put him into a basket and being annointed with hony broth they hung him abroad in the heate of the sunne as meate for waspes and flies to feede vpon And all this extremity they shewed vnto him for that they woulde enforce him to do one of these things that is either to build vp-againe the temple which he had destroied or else to giue so much money as should pay for the building of the same but euen as hee purposed with him selfe to suffer abide theyr greuous torments so refused he to doe that they demaunded of him At the length they taking him to be but a poore man and not able to pay such a summe of mony promised to forgiue him the one halfe so that he would be contented to pay the other halfe But he hanging in the basket woūded pitifully with the sharpned sticks of boies children and all to be bitten with waspes flyes did not only conceale his paine griefe but also derided those wicked ones and called them base low and terrene people and he himselfe to be exalted and set on high At length they demaunding of him but a small some of money he answered thus it is a great wickednes to confer one halfe penye in case of impietie as if a man should bestow the whole Thus they beyng not able to preuayle against him let hym downe And leauyng him went their waye so that euery man might learne at his mouth the example of true pietie and faithfulnes Although the tractation of these foresayd stories persecutions of Persia aboue premised do stray somwhat out of the order course of time and place as which came neither in the time of Constantine nor be pertinent to the monarchy of Rome yet because in this present history we are in hand with the holy martirs and Saintes of Christ for as much as these also gaue such a faithfull testimony of the Lord Iesus with their bloud I thought therefore not to passe them ouer with some testimony in this our Catalogue of holy Martirs And here an end of these persecutions of the primitiue church ¶ It may peraduenture be marueiled of some reading the history of these so terrible persecutions aboue specified why God the almighty director of al things would suffer his owne people and faithfull seruaunts beleeuing in his owne and onely begotien sonne Iesus so cruellye to bee handled so wrongfully to be vexed so extreemly to be tormented and put to death that the space of so many yeres together as in these foresaid persecutiōs may appeare To the which admiration I haue nothing to aunswere but to say with the words of Hierome Non debemus super hac rerum iniquitate perturbare videntes c. We ought not to be mooued with this iniquitie of things to see the wicked to preuaile against the godly for so much as in the beginning of the worlde we see Abell the iuste to bee killed of wicked Cain And afterward Iacob being thrust out Esau to reigne in his fathers house In like case the Egyptians with bricke and tyle afflicted the sonnes of Israel Yea and the Lorde himselfe was hee not crucified of the Iewes Barrabas the thief being let go Time would not suffise me to recite recken vp how the godly in this world go to wracke the wicked flourishing and preuailing Hiero. Briefly howsoeuer the cause hereof proceedeth whetherfor our sins here in this life or how else soeuer yet this is to vs may be to all men a sufficient stay that we are sure these afflictions and persecutions of God his people in this worlde not to come by any chaunce or blinde fortune but by the prouydent appointment and forewarning of God For so in the old law by the affliction of the children of Israell he hath prefigured these persecutions of his Christians So by the words of Christes owne mouth in the Gospell he did forwarne his church of these troubles to come Again neither did he suffer these so great afflictions to fall vpon hys seruaunts before that he had premonished them sufficientlye by speciall Reuelation in the Apocalips of Iohn his seruaūt in the which Apocalips he declared vnto his church before not onely what troubles were comming at hande toward them where and by whome they shoulde come but also in playne number if the wordes of the prophecye be well vnderstoode assygneth the true tyme howe longe the sayde persecutions shoulde continue and when they shoulde cease For as there is no doubte but by the beast with seauen heades bearing the whoore of Babylon dronken wyth the bloude of Saintes is signified the Citie of Rome So in my iudgement the power of making fortie two moneths in the thirteene of the Apocalips is to bee expounded taking euery Moneth for a Sabboth of yeares that is reckonyng for seauen yeares a moneth so that forty and two such Sabbots of yeares being gathered togither make vppe the yeres iust betweene the time of Christes death to the last yeare of the persecution of Maxentius when Constantinus fyghting vnder the banner of Christ ouercame him and made an ende of all
First that they which began to erect these monasteries and celles of Monkes and Nunnes to lyue soly and singlely by themselues out of the holy state of matrimony had forseene what daunger what absurd enormities might and also did thereof ensue both publikely to the Church of Christ priuately to their own soules Secondly that vnto this their zeale deuotion had bene ioyned like knowledge doctrine in Christes gospell especially in the article of our free iustification by the faith of Iesu Christ. Because of the lacke wherof as wel the builders founders therof as they that were professed in the same seeme both to haue run the wrong way to haue bene deceiued For albeit in them there was a deuotion zeale of mynd that thought well in this their doyng which I wil not here reprehend yet the end and cause of their deedes buildings cannot be excused beyng contrary to the rule of Christes Gospel for so much as they did these things seeking thereby merites with God and for remedy of theyr soules and remission of their sinnes as may appeare testified in their owne recordes wherof one here I thought to set forth for probation of the same Read this Charte if it please thee gentle Reader of king Ethelbald his donation charter giuen to churches and religious persons which Ethelbald was the builder as is sayd of Peterborough the wordes of his record and instrument be those * The donations and priuiledges granted and geuen by King Ethelbald to religious men of the Church PLerumque contingere soleâ—it pro incerta temporum vicissitudine vt ea quae multarum fidelium personarum testimonio consilioque roborata fuerint fraudulenter per contumaciaÌ„ plurimorum machinamenta simulationis sine vlla consideratione rationis periculose dissipentur nisi autoritate literarum testamento Chyrographorum aeternae memoriae comittantur Quapropter ego Ethelbaldus Rex Merciorum pro amore caelestis patriae remedio animae meae studendum esse praeuidi vt eam per bona opera liberam efficerem in omni vinculo delictorum Quoniam enim mihi omnipotens Deus per misericordiam clementiae suae absque vllo antecedente merito sceptra regiminis largitus est ideo libenter ei ex eo quod dedit retribuo Huius rei gratia hanc donationem me viuente concedo vt omnia monasteria Ecclesiae regni mei à publicis vectigalibus operibus oneribus absoluantur nisi instructionibus arcium vel pontium quae nulli vnquam prosunt Praeterea habeant famuli Dei propriam libertatem in fructibus siluarum agrorum in captura piscium ne munuscula praebeant vel regi vel principibus nisi voluntaria Sed liberi Deo seruiant c. By the contentes hereof may well be vnderstand as where he sayth pro amore caelestis patriae pro remedio animae pro liberatione animae absolutione delictorum c how great the ignoraunce and blindenesse of these men was who lacking no zeale onely lacked knowledge to rule it withall seeking their saluation not by Christ onely but by their owne deseruings and meritorious deedes Which I recite not here to any infamy or reprehensioÌ„ of them but rather to put vs in minde and memory how much we at this present are bound to God for the true sincerity of his truth hidden so long before to our foreauncetors and opened now to vs by the good will of our God in his sonne Christ Iesu. This onely lameÌ„ting by the way to see them to haue such works and to lacke our fayth and vs to haue the right fayth and to lacke their workes And this blinde ignorauÌ„ce of that age thus aboue prenoted was the cause not onely why these kinges builded so many Monasteries vpon zealous superstition but also why so many of them forsaking their orderly vocation of Princely regiment gaue themselues ouer to Monasticall profession or rather wilfull superstition Concerning the names and number of which kings that were professed Monkes is sufficiently in the storye before declared the names of whome wee shewed to be seuen or eight within the space of these two hundreth yeres Such was then the superstitious deuotioÌ„ of kings Princes in that age and no lesse also to bee noted in Queenes and kings daughters with other noble women of the same age and time The names of whom it were to long here to recite As Hilda daughter to the nephew of Edwine king of Northumberland Abbesse of the house of Ely Erchengoda with her sister Ermenilda daughters of Ercombertus king of Kent whiche Erchengoda was professed in Saint Brigets order in Fraunce Item Edelberga wyfe and Queene to Kyng Edwyne of Northumberland and daughter of kyng Anna which was also in the same house of S. Brigit made a Nunne Item Etheldreda whoÌ„ we terme S. Eldride wife to king Ekfride of Northumberland who beyng maried to two husbands could not be obtained to geue her consent to either of them during the space of 12. yeares but would needes liue a Uirgin and was professed Nunne at Helings Werburga was the daughter of Vlferus king of Mercians made Nunne at Ely Kinreda sister of king Vlferus and Kinswida her sister were both Nunnes professed Sexburga daughter of kyng Anna king of Mercians and wyfe of Ercombert kyng of Kent was Abbesse at Ely Elfrida daughter of Oswy kyng of Northumberland was Abbesse of Whitney Mildreda Milburga and Milguida all three daughters of Merwaldus king of West Mercians entred the profession and vow of NuÌ„nish virginitie Kineburga wife of Alfride king of Northumberland and sister to Ofricus king of Mercians and daughter of king Penda was professed Abbesse of the Monastery in Glocester Elfleda daughter of Oswy king and wyfe of Peda sonne of king Penda likewise inclosed her self in the same profession and vow of Romish chastitie Likewise Alfritha wyfe to king Edgar And Editha daughter to the sayd Edgar with Wolfrith her mother c. All which holy Nunnes with diuers mo the Romish catholikes haue canonised for Saintes and put the most part of theÌ„ in their Calender and onely because of the vowe of chastitie solemnly professed Concerning the which chastitie whether they kept or no little I haue to say against them and lesse to sweare for them But whether they so kept it or not if this gift of chastitie which they professed were geuen them of God small prayse worthy was it in them to keepe it If it were not geuen them I will not say here of them so much as hath bene sayd of some other which sufficiently haue painted out to the world the demeanour of these holy votaries But this will I say that although they kept it neuer so perfectly yet it is not that which maketh saints before God but only the bloud of Christ Iesus and a true fayth in him Likewise remayneth that as we haue declared the deuotion
cuppe vnto the king chanced in the middle of the floure to stumble with one foote helping and recouering himselfe with the other saying in these wordes Thus one brother as ye see helpeth an other These wordes being thus spokeÌ„ in the hearing of the king so moued his mind that forthwith he commaunded the false accuser of his brother to be had out to execution Whose iust recompence I would wish to be a warning to all men what it is to sowe discorde betwixt brother and brother King Ethelstane besides his vij yeares lamentation for this acte builded the two Monasteries of Midletone and of Michelenes for hys brothers sake or as the stories say for his soule Whereby it may appeare what was the cause most speciall in those daies of building monasteries to wit for releasing the sinnes both of them departed and them aliue which cause howe it standeth wyth the grace and veritie of Christes Gospell and of his passion let the Christen reader trie examine with himselfe This cruell fact of the king towarde Edwyne caused him afterwarde to be more tender and careful toward his other brethren and sisters left in his handes vnmarried Which sisters as is partly in the Chapter before declared he richly bestowed in great mariages As one to the king of NorthumberlaÌ„d Sithericus an other he gaue to Lewes King of Aquitania the thirde to Henricus Duke of Almaine for hys sonne Otho who was the first Emperour of the Germanes Whereby it is to be vnderstand that the Empire at this time began first to be translated from Fraunce where it remained about C. yeares and halfe vnto Germanie where it hath euer since continued The fourth of his sisters being a virgine of singulare benty Hugo the French king required to be geuen vnto him sending to King Ethelstane pretious and sumptuous presents such as were not before seene in England Among the which presents gifts besides the rare odours of sondry fauours fine spices and besides the precious costly gemmes namely of Smaradges of most redoleÌ„t grene besides also many and great coursers and palfries richly trapped especially of one iewell as wryters make inention which was a certaine vessell finely and subtilly made of the precious stone Onichinus so radiantly wrought that in it appeared the liuely corn growing and mens images walking c. Ouer and besides was sent also the sworde of Constantine the great with the name of the possessor wrytten in golden letters where in the hast of the same al beateÌ„ in gold was one of the yron nailes wherwith our Sauiour on the crosse was nailed Of the veritie whereof I am not disposed at thys present muche to say what I suspect but that this in the Ecclesiasticall storie of Eusebius is euideÌ„t That two of the foresaid nailes of Christ was speÌ„t on the bridle of Constantine the 3. he cast into the Sea in a raging tempest Wherfore if Christ were nailed with 4. nailes perhappes this naile might be one If he were nailed but with iij. I see not how this storie can stand with other stories neither howe this fourth naile can stand with truthe Among the rest moreouer was the speare as is reported wherwith the side of our Sauiour was opened which also the sayd ConstaÌ„tine was woÌ„t to cary in the field against his enemies with a portion likewise of the holy crosse inclosed in Cristall Also a part of the crowne of thorne in like maner inclosed c. Of the whych Reliques part was geuen to Winchester part to the Church of Malmesbury where king Ethelstane was buried As this King was indued and enlarged by the gift of God the serter vp disposer of all kings with great victories of worldly renowne hauing vnder hys subiection both the Scottes and Britons and the whole Monarchie of the land So he deuised diuers good and holesom lawes for the gouernment of the same as wel concerning the state of the orders Ecclesiasticall as also of the secular or lay people Whereby it is to be vnderstaÌ„d that the vsurped power of the bishop of Rome did not then extend it selfe so largely nor so proudly to derogate froÌ„ the authority of kings princes but that euery one in his owne dominion had vnder God and not vnder the Pope the doing of all matters within the same his dominion contained whether they were causes teÌ„poral or spiritual As by the decrees and constitutions of this king also of other as well before him as after him may euidently be testified as where hee among other lawes thus ordeineth â—ouching the bishop in wordes as folowe Episcopo iure pertinet omnem rectitudinem promouere Dei videlicet ac seculi In primis debet omnem ordinatum instruere quid ei â—it agendum iure quid hominibus secularibus iudicare debeant Debet etiam sedulò pacem concordiam operari cum seculi iudicibus qui rectum velle diligunt in compellationum allegationem edocere ne quis alij perperam agat in iureiurando vel ordalio Nec pati debet aliquam circumuentionem iniustae mensurae vel iniusti ponderis Sed conuenit vt per consilium testimoniuÌ„ eius omne legis rectum burgi mensura omne pondus sit secundum ditionem eius institutum valde rectuÌ„ ne quis proximum suum seducat pro quo decidat in peccatum Et semper debet Christianis prouidere contra omnia quae praedicta sunt ideo debet se de pluribus intromittere vt sciat quomodo grex agat quem ad Dei manum custodire suscepit ne diabolus cum dilaniet nec malum aliquod superseminet Nunquam enim erit populo benè consultum nec dignè Deo conuersabitur vbi lucrum impium magis falsum diligitur Ideo debent omnes amici Dei quod iniquum est eneruare quod iustum est eleuare nec pati vt propter falsum pecuniae questum homines se forisfaciant erga verè sapientem Deum cui displicet omnis iniustitia Christianis autem omnibus necessarium est vt rectum diligant iniqua condemnent faltem sacris ordinibus euecti iustum semper erigant praua deponant Hinc debent Episcopi cum iudicibus iudicia dictitare interesse ne permittant si possint vt illinc aliqua prauitatuÌ„ gramina pullulent Et sacerdotibus pertinet in suo Dioecesi vt ad rectum sedulò quemcumque muent nec patiantur si possint vt Christianus aliquis alij noceat non potens impotenti non summus infirmo non praelatis subditis non Dominus hominibus suis seruis aut liberis Et secundum ditionem per mensuram suam conuenit per rectum vt necessaria serui operentur super omnem scyram cui praeest Et rectum est vt non sit aliqua mensurabilis virga longioâ— quà m alia sed per
made before to Molde the Empresse had taken vpon hym the crowne as is abouesayd he sware before the Lordes at Oxford that he would not hold the benefices that were voyded and that he would remit the Danegelt with many other things which after he little performed Moreouer because he dread the comming of the Empresse he gaue lisence to his Lordes euery one to build vpon theyr owne ground strong castles or sorcresses as them liked All the tyme of his raigne he was vexed with warres but especially with Dauid King of the Scottes with whom he was at length accorded but yet the Scottish king did hym no homage because he was sworne to Mande the Empresse Notwithstanding yet Henry the eldest sonne to king Dauid did homage to king Stephen But he after repentyng therof entred into Northumberland with a great host burnt and New the people in most cruel wyse neither sparing man woman nor chylde Such as were with chylde they ript the children they tost vpon their speare pointes and laying the priests vpon the altars they mangled and cut them all to pieces after a most terrible maner But by the manhood of the English Lordes and souldiours and through the meanes of Thurstine Archbishop of Yorke they were met withall and slaine a great number of them and Dauid their king cōstrained to geue Henry his sonne hostage for suretie of peace In the meane tyme king Stephen was occupied in the South countreys besieging diuers castles of diuers Bishops other Lordes and tooke them by force and fortified them with his knights and seruants to the entent to withstand the Empresse whose cōming he euer feared About the vi yeare of his raigne Maud the Empresse came into England out of Normandy by the aid of Robert Earle of Gloucester and Ranulph of Chester made strong warre vpon kyng Stephen In the ende whereof the kings partie was chased and himselfe taken prisoner sent to Bristow there to be kept in sure hold The same day whē kyng Stephen should ioyne his battayle It is sayd in a certaine old Chronicle before inyuded that he beyng at the Masse which then the bishop of Lincolne sayd before the kyng as he went to offer vp his taper it brake in two pieces And when the masse was done at what time the kyng should haue bene houseled the Rope whereby the pyxe did hang did breake and the pixe fell down vpon the aultar After this field the Queene king Stephens wyfe lying then in Kent made great labour to the Empresse and her counsail to haue the kyng deliuered and put into some house of religion but could not obtayne Also the Londiners made great sure to the sayd Empresse to haue and to vse agayne S. Edwardes lawes and not the lawes of her father which were more straight and strange to them then the other which when they could not obtayne of her and her counsaile the citizens of London beyng therwith discontented would haue taken the Empresse But she hauing knowledge therof fled priuily from London to Oxford But then the Kentishmen and Londiners taking the kings part ioyned battaile against the Empresse there the foresayd Robert Erle of Glocester and base brother to the Empresse was taken And so by exchange both the King and Erle Robert were deliuered out of prison Then Stephen without delay gatheryng to hym a strong army straightly pursued the foresaid Matild or Mauld with her friendes besieging them in the Castell of Oxford In the siege wherof fell a great snow and frost so hard that a man well laden might passe ouer the water Upon the occasion wherof the Empresse bethinking herself appointed with her friends retinue clothed in white shectes so issuing out by a postern gate went vpō the I se ouer Thames and so escaped to Wallingford After this the king the castle beyng gotten when he found not the Empresse was much displeased and molested the countrey about diuer's wayes In conclusion he pursued the empresse her company so hard that he caused them to flee the realme which was the vi yeare of his raigne The second yeare after this which was the viii yeare of his raigne there was a parliament kept at Londō Unto the which all the Bishops of the Realise resorted and there denoūced the kyng accursed and all them with him that did any hurt to the Church or to any minister therof Wherupon the king began somwhat to amend his conditions for a certain space but afterward as my story sayth was as euil as he was before but what the causes were myne author maketh no relation therof c. To returne agayne to the story the Empresse compesled as is sayd to flee the realme returned againe into Normandy to Geffrey Plantagenet her husband Who after he had valiantly wonne and defended the Duchy of Normandy agaynst the puissance of king Steuen a long tyme ended his lyfe leauing Henry his sonne to succeed him in that dukedom In the meane while Robert Earle of Gloucester and the Earle of Chester who were strong of people had diuers conflictes with the king In so much that at a battayle at Wilton betwene them the king was well nere taken but yet escaped with much payne It was not long after but Eustace sonne to king Stephen who had maried the French kings sister made war vpon duke Henry of Normādy but preuailed not Soone after the sayd Henry Duke of Normandy in the quarell of his mother Maude with a great puissance entred into England and at the first wan the castle of Mahnesbury then the Tower of London and afterward the towne of Notingham with other holdes and castles as of Walynford and other mo Thus betwene him and the king were foughten many battayles to the great annoyaunce of the realme During which tyme Eustace the kings sonne departeth Upon the occasion wherof the king caused Theobald which succeeded next after W. above mentioned Archbishop of Canterbury to make meanes for the Duke for peace which vpon this condition betwene them was concluded that Steuen during his life tyme should holde the kingdome and Henry in the meane tyme to bee proclaimed heyre apparant in the chiefe cities throughout the Realme These things thus concluded Duke Henry taketh his iourney into Normandy king Steuen and hys sonne William bringing him on his way where William the kings sonne taking vp his horse before his father had a fall and brake his leg and so was had to Canterbury The same yere king Stephen about October as some say for sorow ended his life after he had raigned 19. yeres periuredly As Theobald succeeded after William Archbishop of Canterb. so in Yorke after Thurstine succeeded William which was called S. William of Yorke who was poysoned in his chalice by his chaplaines In the tyme of this kyng which was the xvi yeare of his raigne Theobaldus Archbishop of Cant. and Legate to
hys owne cause mortall warre to the destruction of many For suppose wrong had bene offred him of his Prince was it not inough for him to flie What cause had he for his owne priuate reueÌ„ge to set potentates in publike discord Now hauing no iust cause but rather offering iniurie in a false quarell so to complaine of his prince what is to be said of this let euery man iudge which seeth this letter ¶ An Epistle of Thomas Archbyshop of Canterburie to Pope Alexander A Mantissimo patri D. Alexandro Dei gratia summo pont Thomas Cant. Ecclesiae humilis minister debitam deuotam obedientiam In English thus To our most louing father and Lord Alexander by the grace of God bishop Thomas the humble minister and seruaunt of the Church of Canterburie due reuerend obedience Long inough and too long most louing father haue I forborne still loking after amendement of the king of England But no fruite haue I reaped of this my long patience Nay rather whilest that vnwisely I doe thus forbeare I augment and procure the detriment and diminishing of my authoritie as also of the Church of God For oftentimes haue I by deuout and religious messengers inuited him to make condigne satisfaction as also by my letters the Copies whereof I haue sent you intimate and pronounced Gods seueritie and vengeaunce against him vnlesse he repent and amende But he that notwithstanding groweth from euill to worse oppressing and conculcating the Church and sanctuarie of God persecuting both me those which take part with me In somuch that with fearefull threatning woordes his purpose is to terrifie such as for Gods cause and mine owne seeke any way to relieue and help me He wrote also his letters vnto the Abbot of the Cistercian order that as hee fauoured the Abbacie of that his order which was in his power sayde he he would not accept me into the fellowship thereof nor doe any thing els for me What should I vse many woordes So much hath the rigour and seueritie as well of the king as of his officers vnder our patience and sufferaunce shewed it selfe that if a great number of men yea and that of the most religious sort should shewe vnto you the matter as it is in deede and that vpon their othe taken I partly doubt whether your holinesse woulde geue credite vnto them or not With heauinesse of minde therefore I considering these things and beholding as well the pearill of the king as of our selfe haue publiquely condemned not onely those pernitious customes but all those peruersities and wicked doings wherby the church of England is disturbed and brought to confusion as also the wryting whereby they were confirmed Excommunicating generally as well the obseruers and exactours thereof as also the inuentours and patrones of the same with their fauourers counsailours and coadiutors whatsoeuer either of the clergie or laitie absoluing also our Bishops from their othe whereby they were so straightly inioyned to the obseruation of the same These are the Articles which in that wryting I haue principally condemned First that it is inhibited to appeale vnto the sea Apostolicall for any cause but by the kings licence That a bishop may not punish any man for periurie or for breaking of his troth That a bishop may not excommunicate any man that holdeth of the king in capite or els to interdicte either their land or offices without the kings licence That Clerkes and religious men may be taken from vs to secular iudgement That the king or any other iudge may heare and decide the causes of the church and tithes That it shal not be lawfull for any Archbishop or bishop to goe out of the realme and to come at the Popes call without the kings licence and diuers others such as these Namely also I haue excommunicated Iohn of Oxenforde who hath communicated with the schismaticke and excommunicate persone Reginalde Coloniensis the which also contrary to the commandement of the Lord Pope ours hath vsurped the Deanrie of the Church of Salisbâ—â—â— and hath to renew his schisme taken an oth in the Emperors court Also I haue denouÌ„ced excommunicate Richard of Worceter because he is falne into the same damnable heresie and coÌ„municated with that famous schismatike of Colen deuising forging al mischiefe possible with the schismatikes and Flemings to the destruction of the church of God especially of the Church of Rome by composition made betweene the king of England and them Also Richard de Lucy and Ioceline de Baliol which haue furthered the fauourers of the kings tiranny and workers of their heresies Also Ranulphe de Broe and Hugo de Sancto Glaro and Thomas the sonne of Bernard which haue vsurped the possessioÌ„s and goods of the Church of Canterbury without our licence consent We haue also excommunicated all those which without our licence do stretch out their haÌ„ds to the possessions goods of the church of Caunterburie The king himselfe we haue not yet excommunicated personally still waiting for his amendement whome notwithstanding we will not defer to excommunicate vnlesse he quickly amende and be warned by that he hath done And therefore that the authoritie of the sea Apostolike and the libertie of the Church of God which in these partes are almost vtterly lost may be by some meanes restored it is meete and very necessary that what we herein haue done the same be of your holinesse ratified and by your letters confirmed Thus I wish your holinesse long to prosper and flourish By this Epistle hee that listeth to vnderstande of the doings quarels of Becket may partly iudge what is to be thought thereof Which his doings although in some part may be imputed either to ignoraÌ„ce of mind or blindnes of zeale or humain fragilitie yet in this point so vilely to complaine of his naturall Prince for the zeale of the Pope hee can by no wise be defended But such was the blindnesse then of the prelates in those daies who measured and estemed the dignity and liberty of Christes church by no other thing then only by goods and possessions flowing and abounding in the clergy and thought no greater point of religion to be in the church then to maintaine the same For the which cause they did most abhominably abuse christian discipline excommunication of the church at that time as by this foresaid Epistle may appeare And what maruaile if the acts and doings of this Archb. seeme now to vs in these daies both fond and strange seeing the suffraganes of his owne church clergy wryting to him could not but reprehend him as in this their Epistle tranflated out of Latin into English may be seene An effectuall and pithie letter full of reason and perswasion sent from all the Suffraganes of the Church of Cant to T. Becket their Archb. QVa Vertro pater in longinquo discessu inopinata rei ipsias noâ—itate turbata sunt Vestra
did the Popes Legate and Cardinall Nicolaus Tusculanus much fauor his doings allow his procedings Wherfore they reported of him that he was exceding parcial regarded not their matters ecclesiastical as he shuld haue done for leauing the accompt of their restitioÌ„s He went with the kings officers as the kings pleasure was to the Cathedral minsters abbeys priories deanries and great Churches vacant And there for the next incumbent alwaies he appointed two one for that king an other for the parties But vpon him only whome the king nominated he compelled most commonly the election to passe whych vexed them wonderfully Upon this therefore they raised a new coÌ„spiracy against the kings person by helpe of their bishops seditious prelates such noble men as they had drawen to their parties We beheld sayth Houeden about the same time many noble houses and assemblies deuided in many places the fathers and the aged men stoode vpon that kings part but the yonger sort contrary And some there were that for loue of their kindred and in other sondry respects forsoke the king again yea and the same went that time sayth he that they were coÌ„federated with Alexander the Scottish king and Ieoline the Prince of Wales to woorke him an vtter mischiefe A councell at Oxforde the Archb. called where at some would not tary considering the confusion therof the other sort hauing very obstinate hearts reuiled the king most spitefully behind his backe and sayd that from thenceforth he ought to be taken for no gouernour of theirs Their outragious and franticke clamours so much preuailed in those daies that it grewe to a grieuous tumult and a most perillous commotion In the yeare of our Lorde 1215. as wytnesseth Paulus Aemilius other hystories Pope Innocent the third helde a general Synode at Rome called the councell Laterane The chiefe causes of that councell were these In the daies of this Innocent heresie as he calleth the truth of God or the doctrine that rebuketh sinne began to rise vp very high and to spread forth his braunches abroad By reason wherof many Princes were excommunicate as Otho the Emperour Iohn the king of England Peter king of Aragon Raimund the Earle of Tholouse Aquitania Sataloni and such other like as is said afore So that it could be no otherwise sayth Doueden but with the sharp axe of the gospel so called the pope his excommunications they ought of necessitie to haue bene cut off from the Churche Therfore was this couÌ„cell prouided proclaimed and prelates from al nations therunto called And to colour those mischiefes which he then went about hee caused it by hys Legates and Cardinals very craftie marchauntes to be noised abroad that his entent was therin only to haue the Church vniuersally reformed and the holy land from the Turkes handes recouered But all this was craft falsehode as that sequele therof hath manifestly declared For hys purpose thereby was to subdue all Princes and to make himselfe rich and wealthy for there he made this antichristian act and established it by publicke decree that that pope should haue from thenceforth the correction of all christian Princes and that no Emperor should be admitted except he were sworne before and were also crowned of him He ordained moreouer that whatsoeuer he were that should speake euil of the pope he shuld be punished in hel with eternall damnation Conradus Vrspergensis Hieronimus Marius He prouided confession to helpe these matters he alowed theyr bread a pixe to couer him and a bell when hee goeth abroad and made the masse equal with Christes Gospell In this Councell was first inuented and brought in TransubstantiatioÌ„ of which Ioannes Scotus whoÌ„ we call Dims maketh mention in his 4. Booke wryting in these wordes The words of the scripture might be expounded more easily more plainly without transubstantiatioÌ„ But the church did chuse this sense which is more hard being mooued thereto as it seemeth chiefly because that of the Sacraments men ought to holde as the holy Churche of Rome holdeth c. And in the same place maketh mention of Innocentius the third Moreouer in the said Councel was stablished and ratified the wretched and impious act compelling Priestes to abiure lawful Matrimonie Whereupon these meeters or verses were made the same time against hym whych here folow vnder wrytten Non est Innocentius imo nocens verè Qui quod facto docuit verbo vult delere Et quodolim inuenis voluit habere Modò vetus pontifex studet prohibâ—re Zacharias habuit prolem vzorem Per viruâ—n quem genuit adeptus honorem Baptizauit etenim mundi saluatorem Pereat qui teneat nouum hunc errorem Paulus coelos rapitur ad superiores Vbi multas didicit res secretiores Adnos tandem rediens instruensque mores Suas inquit habeant quilibet vxores Propter haec alia dogmata doctorum Reor esse melius magis decorum Quisque suam habeat non proximorum Ne incurrat odium vel iram eorum Proximorum foeminas filias neptes Violare nefas est quare nil doceptes Verè tuam habeas in hac delectes Diem vt sic vltimum tutiùs expectes Nocent not innocent he is that seeketh to deface By word the thing that he by deed hath taught men to embrace Which being now a Bishop old doth study to destroy The thing which he a young man once did couet to enioy Priest Zachary both had a wife and had a childe also By mean of whoÌ„ there did to him great praise and honour grow For he did baptise him which was the sauer of mankinde Ill him befall that holdeth this new error in his minde Into the higher heauens good Paul was lifted from below And many secrete hidden things he learned there to know Returnde at length from thence to vs and teaching rules of life He said let eche man haue his owne and onely wedded wife For this and other documents of them that learned be Much better and more comely eke it seemeth vnto me That eche should haue hys own alone not his neighbors wife Least with his neighbour he do fall in hate and wrathfull strife Thy neighbours daughters or their wiues or nieces to defile Vnlawfull is therefore beware do not thy selfe beguile Haue thou thine owne true wedded wife delite in her alway With safer minde that thou maiest looke to see the latter day Now let vs returne to K Iohn againe marke how the priests their adherents were plagued for their humble handlings of his maiesties wil. In yâ— forsaid councel of Laterane and the same yeare was Steuen Langton the Archb. of Cant. excommunicated of pope Innocent with all those bishops prelates priests barons coÌ„mons which had bene of counsail with him in the former rebellion And when the sayde Archb. had made instant sute of him to be absolued anone he made him this answer with great indignation Brother mine I sweare
sent to the sayde Leoline William Brues a noble man was caused there traitrously to be haÌ„ged c. These wyth other crimes whether true or false were suggested to the king against the sayd Hubert by his aduersaries Wherunto he was required to answere by order of law Hubert then seing himselfe in such a strait refused to answer presently but required respite thereunto for that the matters were weighty which the king obiected to him which was graunted to hym till the 14. day of September but in the meane time Hubert being in fear of the king fled from London to the priory of Merton And thus Hubert who before for the loue of the king and defence of the realme sayth mine author had got the hatred of all the nobles of England now being out of the kings fauor was destitute of comforte on euery side saue onely that Lucas Archbishop of Dubline wyth instant prayers and teares laboured to the king for him By this example many like is to be sene howe vnstable and variable a thing the fauor of mortall mutable princes is To teach all such as haue to doe about princes howe to repose and plant their trust not in man but in their Lord God by him to finde help in Christ the true Prince of all Princes which neuer faileth By like example was Clito serued of king Alexander Ioab of king Dauid Bellisarius of Iustiniane Harpagus of Astiages Cromwell of king Henry with innumerable moe which in histories are to be found When the day was come that this Hubert should answer keeping among the monks of Merton he durst not appeare Then was it signified to him from the King that hee should come vp and appeare in the court there to answer to his charge Wherunto he answered againe that he misdouted the kings anger therfore he did flie to the church as the vttermost refuge to all such as suffer wrong From whence he would not stirre till he heard the kings wrath to be mitigated towards him With this the king mooued sore displeased directed his letters in all hast to the maior of London commanding him at the sight therof to muster and take vp all the citizens that could beare harneis in the Citie and to bring to him by force of armes the foresaid Hubert either quicke or dead out of Merton Wherupon the Maior immediately causing the great bell to be ronge assembled together the people of LoÌ„don and opening before them the kings letters commaunded them to prepare and arme themselues in al readines to the executing of the kings will and message The Citizens hearing this were therewith right glad and ready for they were all in great hatred wyth Hubert because of the execution of Constantine their citizen aboue mentioned pag. 269. Notwithstanding certaine of the citizens namely Andrew Bukerel Iohn Trauers other mo men of more graue sage discretioÌ„ wisely pondcrying with themselues what inconuenience might rise heereof went in haste to the Byshop of Wintchester lying then in Southwarke and waking him out of hys sleepe desired him of his counsaile in that so sodeine and daungerous distresse Declaring to him what perill might thereby ensue as well to the church of Merton as also to the citie by the fury of the vnordinate fierce multitude which wil hardly be brideled from robbing and spoiling neither wil spare sheding of bloud c. Unto whoÌ„ againe the bloudy byshop gaue this bloudy counsaile sayth Pariensis Daungerous it is quod he both heere and there but yet see that you obey and execute the precept of the king I counsaile you plainely At the which counsail of the bishop they being amased went with an euill will about the businesse enioyned But the people inflamed with hatred gladly coueted to be reuenged and to shed the bloud of the sayd Hubert ¶ The cause why Peter Byshop of Wint. was so cruelly set against the Iustice was partly for the damages hee had done to the Romane Priestes as is before touched Partly also for the olde grudge because the king comming to his lawful age before through the counsail of this Hubert losed himselfe froÌ„ the gouernment of the sayd B. who had him then in custodie And thus rose vp the grudge and displeasure of this bishop him On the next morowe the Londiners issuing out of the citie to the number of xx M. setfoorth toward the Abbey of Merton where Hubert was lying prostrate before the altar commending himselfe to God In the meane season while the Citizens were in their iourney raging against the poore erle of Kent it was suggested to the king by Radulfe B. of Chichester and Lorde Chauncelor that it was daungerous to excite vp the vulgare and vnruly multitude for feare of sedition leâ—t peraduenture the rude and heady people being stirred vp will not so soone be brought downe againe when the K. would haue them Moreouer what shal be sayd quod he among the French men and other nations which of great things loue to make them greater of euill things to make them worse then they are but thus iestingly mockingly See what a kind bird is the yong king of England whych seeketh to deuour his old nurse vnder whose wings he had ben brought vp and nourished in his youth And thus the king by the perswasion hereof chauÌ„ging his councell seÌ„t in all hasty wise after the army againe willing them to retract theyr iourney and to retire And thus the Londiners although much agaynst their wils returned home missing of theyr purpose Wherein is to be obserued another notable example of Gods working prouidence For when yâ— king sayth the history had sent by 2. messeÌ„gers or purseuants to reuoke and call back again the army of the Londiners going with gredy mindes to shed the bloud of the innocent Iustice One of the messengers posting with all speed possible with the kinges letters ouertook the army and comming to the foreward where the Captains were by vertue of the kings letters staied their course and bloudy purpose wherby they could proceed no farther But the other messeÌ„ger crafty and malicious who bearing hatred to the sayd Hubert rather wishing him to be slayne then to be deliuered lingred by the way of purpose although being commaunded to make haste when he came went onely but to the middle sort More like a messeÌ„ger meet to serue a dead mans arrant then to serue the turne of them which be aliue And â—o in like maner by the iust hand of God it fell vpon him For the same messenger stombling with his horse riding but a soft or a foote pace and rather walking then riding fell down backward from his horse backe and there brake his necke and dyed This mercifull message of the king was as is said sent by the instigation of Radulph B. of Chichester Lord Chaunceller a vertuous and a faythfull man and one that coulde skill to
sonne and with hys host returneth agayne into Italy there to punish such as had with Henry his eldest sonne conspired agaynst him whose treasons were all detected at the condemnation of Henry Cesar hys sonne chiefly set on by the Pope When the Pope had vnderstanding that the Emperour with warlike furniture marched toward Italie although he fained himselfe recōciled and to be a frend to Fredericke yet was he notwithstanding to him a most secrete infestiue enemie And vnderstanding that he brought with him suche a power both of horsmen and footemen to do execution of such as he vnderstoode to haue bene conspirators against him in the late tumult and rebelliō Those which were faultie herein and gultie and all other that tooke their partes hee admonished to ioyne thēselues together and that they should furnish strongly their Cittyes with garrisons that they send for ayde to theyr friendes and that with all the force they were able they shold prepare them for the warre The rest of the Citties also in Italy whether they were the Emperours or his owne he indeuoureth to make them all hys and proper to himselfe Furthermore vnto the Emperor he sendeth his Embassadours to whom vnder the pretence of nourishing a peace he had geuen secret cōmandement that they should interdict him and his host so soone as he came within the borders of Italy To the preseruation of which peace saith he he had but late since promulgate a subsidie to be gathered amongst the Christians when he began the holy warre And also to say not by way of intreatie but cōmaundingly that what cause of controuersie he had with the Longobardes the same he should commit to him and stand to hys arbitrement Whereunto the Emperour repliyng maketh his Legate this aunswere Shortly after sayth he the peace was made betweene the Pope and me he called me for a chiefe defence both of y◠Church and himselfe agaynst the Romaynes which made warre with him and at his request with mine owne proper charge I mayntayned that his warre gaue his enemies the ouerthrow And further sayd that he should not do well through the pretence of peace to be a let to him frō that which both by lawe and right he might and ought to do But rather so he ought to dispose himselfe with force to restrayne and expell them which gathered thē together as rebels thinking to exclude themselues from the subiection both of him and the Empire And that such rebels as both had restrained the souldiours which the Emperor sent for when he was in Asia diuers others also which for necessary causes he had called to hym they had so wickedly delt with abused He as they had deserued should rather desire to see punished reformed then to mayntain them vnder colour of peace being so wicked and manifest euill doers And touching that he demandeth of hym that he should commit and deferre so great a cause wherein the wealth and safety of the Empire consisteth to his arbitrement by him to be determined without eyther assignemēt of any tyme when or adding thereunto any condition or exceptiō for not doing the same neither the diminishing impayring the dignitie and regaltie of his Empire considered he could not but maruell Seing that neither it apperteined to his calling and facultie nor to the benefite or cōmoditie of the Empire To this effect also writeth Fridericke in his last Epistle to the Pope the effect whereof amongst other Epistles you may read And in the same his letters he sheweth that when the Emperour at a certaine time had bene with the Pope At his going away he requested that when he came agayn he would come into Italy but with his houshold band and familie For that if he shoulde come as before he did accustome with his army he should terrifie thē ouermuch amongst whom sayth he you may assure your selfe to be in great safetye and finde all thinges in rest and quiet when quite contrary as the Emperor for a certainty had tryed he had there all things ready and prepared for his destruction So that when he pretended vnto him greatest frēdship he was busiest in conspiring his death The certayne time when the Pope had this exercise in hand agaynst the Emperor I cānot search out neither may it be in his epistles vndated easly foūd out But that of the certainty thereof no man need to doubt I haue assigned you to the Emperours Epistle where he maketh mention of the same The Emperour then as he had determined prosecuteth his purpose marcheth into Italy where he brought vnder his subiection those Cities that against him rebelled as Mantua Uerona Ternisium Patauium and others And then he afterward set vpō the great host of the Mediolanenses the Brixians the Placentines and other confederators vnto whom the Popes Legate Georgius Longomantanus had ioyned himselfe of whome he tooke 1000. prisoners and also their general being the chief Magistrate in the Citty of Mediolanum and Petrus Tenopolus the Dukes sonne of Uenice slue diuers captaines moe and tooke all their ensignes And in this battell specially at the recouering of Marchia and Ternissana he vsed the frendly ayd of Actiolinus The Pope now somewhat dismayd at this ouerthrow of his confederates mates though not much began yet somewhat to feare the Emperour whereas before that which he did he wrought secretly and by others nowe he goeth to worke with might and mayne to subdue and depriue the Emperour And although the Emperour saw perceaued what inward hate and mortall malice he bare wardes him not onely by that he so apertly stood with his conspiratours agaynst him but also that on euery side he heard and from all partes was brought him certain word how greatly he laboured agaynst him as with opprobrious wordes naughty reportes and slaunders to the intent to pull from him the hartes and fidelitie of his subiectes and make those that were his frends his enemies neither that he meant at any time to take vp and cease from such euill and wicked practises yet notwithstanding for that there shuld be no default in him foūd for the breach of the league and peace betweene them a little before concluded he sendeth foure Legates to the Byshop of Rome which should aunswere vnto and refute those criminous obiections whiche he layd vnto him as also make him priuy to hys purpose and what he ment to do thereby to declare hys innocencie towardes him in such causes and simplicitie The Bishop when he vnderstood these Embassadours to be not farre of from Rome knew the cause of their cōming he thought with himselfe that in hearing the excuse and reasonable answere of the Emperour perhaps might be prouoked to desist from hys purpose and so degenerate from other of his predecessours refuseth to speake with them and at the day appoynted pronounceth the sentence of proscriptiō against him depriuing him of all
Into what city or town so euer ye shall enter enquire out those that be of good report in the same abide you with them so long as you tary in the same City or Towne Glose Your host with whom ye lodge ought to be chosen by the good report of neighbors least your preaching be euill spokē of by reason of his infamy Neither ought such men to runne frō house to house But whome shall we call worthy or of good report Glose Him who knoweth better to do other men good thē to receiue a good turne of an other and this is he which geueth willingly for Christes cause and not in respect of any commodity Also true Apostles receiue nothing of such mē as lie waltering in their sins but rather of those that are washed and clensed from their sinnes wherupon the 2. to the Cor. the 7. chap. They haue geuen themselues first to the Lord. Glose Because they now amēding their olde errors and vicious maners haue vowed themselues vnto the lord afterward gaue of that which they had to their brethren For otherwise they ought not to haue taken any thing of them because gifts do blinde the eies But those that geue where there is no cause of reproofe in their doing haue no iust cause to geue Therfore those preachers that seek how to come by dainty fare doe receiue bribes rewardes of naughty men that haue this world at will to the entent that those preachers may couer and hide their faultes and get of others what they can by subtlety which geue indeed rather to remoue the shamelesse importunity of the crauer or els for auoyding of present shame thē for any loue they haue to God are not true Apostles but false Prophets according to that in the 2◠to the Cor. the 9. chap. The Lord doth loue a willing geuer Glose He that geueth for presēt shame or els for that he may be free from the importunacy of him that asketh doth loose both his substaunce and merite wherefore he that hath respect to these thinges doth not seek the fruit and profit of the geuer but the gift it selfe as the Apostle to the Philip. the 4. chap. sayth Seeke not the gift but the fruit or benefit of the geuer The 27. signe is that true Apostles do not endeuoure themselues to seeke enioy the fruit of other mens labors that they may be fed thereby because that the belly is such mens God according to that in the 2. to the Thessa. the 3. cap. we haue heard of some amongst you which walk vnordinately not laboring at al but liuing delicately or idlely Glose of other mens labors and deserue they to be fed The discipline of the Lord cannot away with that doing for the belly is their God which prouide to haue more thē necessary dishes of meat Therefore those preachers which so do are no true Apostles but false The 28. signe is that true Apostles do not reioyce only of the miracles or other excellēt works which the Lord doth by them but they reioyce rather of the saluatiō which they looke for from the Lord then that by doing those miracles they desire any honor According to that which is written in Luke x. saying Reioyce ye not for that the spirits be subiect vnto you but because your names are registred in heauen They therfore that boast of their own miracles or of any that belong vnto them for this cause that they are saued by the doing of them as many do say seme not to be true Apostles but false The 29. signe is that the true Apostles do neuer seeke their owne glory in this life but the glory of Christ as in Iohn 7. He that speaketh of himself doth seek his own glory But he that seeketh the glory of him which sēt him that is of whom he is sent is a true Apostle Therefore those which seeke the thinges that pertayne to the glory of thys world of the which one is To be assistent to those that beare rule and authority according to that saying of Boetius De consolatione Those that do desire to be extolled either they raigne beare rule themselues or els do desire to be nere about thē that haue such dominiō Another is they desire to haue the fame and victory of that which they haue nothing at all deserued before God Whereupon is written that saying of the Apostle in the Gal. 5. Let not vs become desirous of vaine glory Glose To be desirous of vaynglory is to haue victory without any merite or desert those I say that doe such thinges seeme not to be true Apostles but false The 30. signe is That true Apostles care not for the solemnities of men neither their salutatiōs nor feastings nor any other benefite of theirs They therfore which loue seek the company and fellowship of men their feastings and other their commodities do not seeme to be true Apostles but false The 31. signe is that true Apostles do not commonly resort to other mens tables least that they should for a meals meat become flatterers as in the 2 Thessalon 3. That we should geue you an example to follow vs. Glose He that cōmeth oftētunes to an other mans table being geuē to idlenes cannot chuse but flatter him which fedeth him but Christes religion calleth men to liberty and to no such bōdage They therfore that resort oftentimes that of theyr owne mindes to other mens tables liuing idlely are not true Apostles but false The 32. signe is that true Apostles do not hate theyr enemies and such as hate them which doctrine the Lord taught Mathew 5. saying Loue your enemies do well to them which hate you But false Prophets doe both hurt defame their neighbors according as S. Ierome 14. saith The Prophets of Ierusalem haue defiled the whole earth Glossa They are not contented onely to hurt their neighbors but also whōe they before this time haue hated they defame and speak euill of in euery place they come Therfore those preachers which hate them whome they thinke are their enemies and do defame them are not true Apostles but false preachers The 33. signe is that false Prophets when they are examined proued whether they be true Apostles or liers take that very greeuously And persecute all those that can proue thē to be so And also do stirre vp and prouoke other to persecute the same men which also ioyne thēselues together by secular power euen as certain false prophets did in the primitiue Church agaynst the Bishop of Ephesus to whom the Lord sayd in the Apoc. 2. I know that is to say I do alow thy workes and thy labour that is thy tribulation because thou canst not away with those that be euill men Glossa But that thou hast a desire to amend thē or els to expell them and hast examined those which say that they are Apostles and are but lyers and also hast
cōdemned by the Byshop of Paris and reproued by the maisters of diuinitie and burned openly by Boniface himself and in the full consistorie of Cardinals being likewise reprooued condemned and burned yet hee allowed it being wrytten againe and containing the same fault 6. Item that he might make the most damnable remembraunce of him perpetuall he caused his Images of siluer to be set in the Churche by this meanes bringing men to Idolatrie 7. Item he hath a priuate deuill whose counsell he vseth in all things and through all things 8. Item he said once that if all men were on one side and he on another they coulde not deceiue him neither in lawe nor in deede which thing could not be done except he vsed a deuilish ar◠and of this he is openly thus reported 9. Item he is a witch asking counsell at soothsayers both men and women and thus he is commonly iudged 10. Item he sayd openly that the Romish pope could not commit simonie which is hereticall to say This is a sinne reprooued aswell in the old Testament as in the new and generally in the holy Councels Also hee is wont to make marchaundise of prelates liuings dignities superiorities and benefices to the which holy orders be necessarely ioyned and of absolutions and dispensations like as vsurers and merchaunts vse to buy and sell common things in the market and of this the common bruit reportes him 11. Item hee letteth with all his might among Christian men the speciall Embassade of Christ made to hys owne sonnes saying Peace I leaue to you soweth discord and warres Wherefore ones it was sayde afore him that certaine parties would freindly agree after a good sort but he letted the peace and when the other parte did humbly beseech him that he would geue licence to agree he sayde he woulde not Yea if the sonne of God or Peter the Apostle would come downe into the earth and commaund him he would say I will not beleeue thee 12. Item because the French nation being manifestly a most Christian nation followeth not hys errours in the faith he reckeneth and openly calleth al and euery of them Paterniani 13. Item he is infect with sodomiticall sinne keping with him boyes for cōcubines and of this fault he is most commonly and openly reported 14. Item he hath caused many murthers of Clearkes to be done in his presence commending it reioysing at their death and if they were not deadly wounded at the first by his seruant◠as oft as he law them smiting he saide smite smite by which example many were slaine 15. Item when he had condemned a certaine noble man he forbad the Sacrament to be geuen him at the poynt of death desiring it and being penitent saying that the Sacrament of penaunce was not necessary to saluation 16. Item he cōpelled certaine Priestes to shew vnto him the confessions of men and hee published them openly afterwarde contrary to the will of them that were confessed to their shame confusion and compelled them to redeme their sinnes In so much that ones hee deposed a certaine bishop of Spayne for the faultes that he confessed to a certaine Cardinal confessing vnto him a certaine priuy horrible fault vnder Benedicite and compelled the Cardinall against his will to declare his confession and yet afterward he restored the same Bishop againe to his place for a little money Wherfore he is thought to play the hereticke in the Sacrament of penance 15. Item he fasteth not on the fasting dayes nor Lent but eateth flesh indifferently without cause suffreth his houshold and frends to eat saying it is no sinne Doing in this thing against the generall state of the holy church 16. Item he oppressed the order of the Cardinals and hath oppressed the order of blacke white monks of gray Friers preachers and said oft that the world was destroyed by them that they were false hypocrites and that neuer good could chance to any that would be confessed to them or would be familiar with them or would keepe them in their house and he neuer sayde good worde of any prelate religious man or clark but euer rebuketh and slaūdereth them taking away their good name and to compel them to redeeme their faultes he is glad of their accusations and this is the common voyce and report of him 17. Item of olde time he going about to destroy the faith conceiued a hate against the French king euen to the abhorring of the faith because of the light of faith which is there and because of the great witnes and example of christianitie is hath ben there And before he had this seat he is proued to haue sayd that if he were Pope he would rather ouerthrow all christendom but he would ouerthrow and destroy the nation which he calleth the pride of French 18. Also hee is reported that when the Embassadours of the king of England in the name of the sayde king did require and entreat for the tenth of the realme of England to be geuen him he aunswered that he would not geue them the tenth but on this cōdition that he would make warre with them against the French king And beside this he is reported to haue geuen great sommes of mony to certaine persons to hinder that peace shuld not be betwixt the sayd kings He himselfe also withall his might hath letted it by messengers letters and otherwaies that he coulde yea by geuing bribes 19. Item he is reported also to haue commaunded Fridericke which kepeth the I le of Cicil that if he would betray Charles the king and breake the peace which he made and sweare that he would keepe with him and would stirre against the king and kil the Frenchmen that then he would geue him aide helpe and counsaile for so doing he would geue and graunt him the said kingdoms 20. He confirmed also the king of Almaine to be Emperor and saide openly that he did it to destroy the nation which he calleth the pride of the French men which say that they are subiect to none in temporal things Wherein sayeth he they lied on their heds declaring moreouer that whosoeuer yea if it were an Angell from heauen would say that all kings of the world were not subiect to the same king of Almaine he were accursed 21. Further he brake the agreements of peace betwixt the king of Alamine and the French king in which eyther of them shuld haue their owne saued And what encrochings so euer had bene on either side should be brought to a due state and vnder an othe orderly geuen and taken he is reported to haue commanded the same king of Almaine that he should not kepe these conditions of peace but be an enemie and go about to sow debate among christen men 22. Itē he is openly reported that the holy land was betraied through his fault and came to the enemies of God and of faith and that he suffred this for the
realme Yet notwithkaÌ„ding through the mediation of the Archbishop and of the Erle of Gloucester the matter at length was so takeÌ„ vp that the Barons should restore to the king or his attourny of S. Albans all the treasure horses and iewels of the foresayd Gaueston taken at Newcastle and so there requestes should be graunted And so was the matter at time composed Shortly vpon the same Isabell the Queene was deliuered of a fayre child at Windsore whoÌ„ Lewes the French kings sonne the Queenes brother with other FrenchmeÌ„ there present would to be called by the name of the French king but the English Lordes were contrary willing him to be called by the name of Edward hys father At the birth of whiche Edward great reioysing was through all the land and especially the king his father so much ioyed therat that he begon dayly more and more to forget the sorowe and remembrance of Gauestons death and was after that more agreable to the will of his Nobles Thus peace and concord betwene them began to be in a good toward ones which more and more might haue ben confirmed in wearing out of time had not Sathan the author and sower of discord styrred vp hys instruments certain Frenchmen Titinyllars and makebates about the kyng which ceased not in carping and deprauing the Nobles to inflame the kinges hatred grudge agaynst them By the exciting of whom the old quarrels being renued a fresh the king in his Parliament called vpon the same began to charge the foresayd Barons and Nobles with sedion and rebellion for slaying Peter Gaueston Neither were the nobles lesse stout agayne in defending theyr cause declaring that they in so doing had deserued rather thanke and fauour with the king then any displeasure in vanquishing such a publique enemy of the Realme who not onely had spoyled and wasted the kinges substaunce but also raysed much disturbance in the realme And for asmuch as they had begon with the matter to theyr so great labours expenses they wold proceed further they sayd not ceasing til they saw an end therof To be short great threates there were on both parts and a fowle matter like to haue followed But agayne through the dilligent mediation of the Queene the Prelates and the foresayd Earle of Gloucester the matter was taken vp and brought to reconcilemeÌ„t vpon these conditions that the Lords and Barons openly in Westminster hall shold humble themselues before the king and aske pardon there of their doinges and euerye man there to receaue a letter of the kings pardon for their indemnitie and assuraunce And so passed ouer that yeare within the whiche yeare died Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury In whose roome Thomas Cobham was elected by the king and church of Canterbury to succeede but the Pope cassating that election placed Walter Reynald Bishop of Worceter In the meane tyme the Scots hearing this ciuill discord in the Realme began to be busie and to rebell of new through the meanes of Robert Brius who beyng chased out of ScotlaÌ„d by king Edward the first as is aboue premised into Norway was now returned again into ScotlaÌ„d where he demeaned him in such sort to that Lords there that in short processe he was agayne made kyng of the Realme And warred so strongly vppon them that tooke the kinges part that he wanne from them many Castels and strong holds and inuaded the borders of EnglaÌ„d The K. hearing this assembleth a great power and by water entreth the Realm of Scotland Agaynst whoÌ„ he encountred Robert de Bruys with hys Scots at Estriuallin where was fought a strong battayle in the end wherof the EnglishmeÌ„ were discomfited so egerly pursued by the Scots that many of the Noble men were slay ne as the Earle of Gloucester Syr Robert Clifford Syr Edmund Maule with other Lords to the number of 4.2 knights and Barons 227. besides men of name which were taken prisoners of common souldiours 10. thousaÌ„d or after the Scotish story 50. thousand slayne After which time sir Robert Bruis reigned as king of Scotland About which time and in which yeare dyed Pope Clement who keeping in the realme of Fraunce neuer came to the sea of Rome after whose death the Papacie stoode voyde two yeares The Scots after this exalted with pride and fiercenes inuaded the realme of EnglaÌ„d so â—ore killing destroying man and woman and child that they came wyning wasting the Northpartes as farre as to Yorke Besides thys such dearth of victuals and penury of all things so oppressed the whole land suche moraine of sheepe and Oxen as men were fayne to eat horseflesh dogges cattes myse and what els they coulde get Moreouer suche a price of corne followed withall that the king hardly had bread for the sustentation of his own houshold Moreouer some there were that stall children and did eate them and many for lacke of virtuall dyed And yet all this amended not the king of hys euill liuing The cause and origene of this great dearth was partly the warres and dissention betwene them and the Scottes wherby a great part of the land was wasted But the chiefest cause was the vntemperate season of the yeare which contrary to the common course was so moyst with aboundaunce of rayne that the graine layd in the earth could haue no ripyng by heate of the sunne nor grow to any nourishment Wherby they that had to eat could not be satisfied with saturitie but eftsoones were as hungry agayne They that had nothing weve driuen to steale and rob the riche were constrayned to auoyde and diminish theyr housholdes the poore for famine died And not so much the want of vitayle which could not be gotten as the vnwholesomnes of the same when it was taken so consumed the people that the quicke were not suficient to bury the dead For the corruption of the meates by reasoÌ„ of vnseasonablenes of the grouÌ„d was so infectious that many dyed of the fâ—ixe many of hote feuers diuers of the pestilence And not onely the bodyes of men thereby were infected but also the beaâ—es by the putrifaction of the hearbs and grasse fel in as great a morain so farforth as the eating of flesh was suspect thought coÌ„tagious A quarter of corne and salt from the moneth of Iune to September grew from 30. s. vnto 40. s. The flesh of horses was then precious to the poore Many were driuen to steale fat dogges and to eate them some were sayde in secret corners to eate their owne children Some would steale other mens children to kill them and eate them priuily The prisoners and theeues that were in bandes such as newly were brought in vnto them for hunger fell vpon them and tearing them in pecces did eate them halfe aliue Briefly this extreme pemiry had extincted and consumed as it was thought the greatest part of the people of the land ha d not the king
Lord Chauncelour of England The historie intreating of this matter reporteth thus that the king had this time vnder him euil substitutes and couetous officers who atteÌ„ding more to their owne gain then to the publike honour and commoditie of the realme left the king destitute and naked of money Wyth whyche crime also Iohn Stratford Archbishop then of Caunterbury was vehemeÌ„tly noted and suspected whether of hys true deserning or by the setting on of other hereafter shall more appeare In so much that the king ardently incensed against him charged him with great falshode vsed against his person as by these his letters wrytten and directed to the Deane and Chapter of Paules against the sayd Archbishop manifestly appeareth the tenor of which letter here followeth vnder written Edward by the grace of God king of England and Fraunce and Lord of Ireland To his welbeloued in Christ the Deane and Chapter of the Church of S. Paul in London greeting in the Lord. IT is manifest by ancient hystories but more plainely appeareth by those which daily are practised amongest vs that many men abusing through pride the fauour of Princes and honour bestowed vpon them haue maliciously gone about to depraue the laudable endeuour of kings And nowe that the woordes which we speake may be more manifest vnto our subiects we suppose that neither you nor they haue forgotten that we being established in our kingly throne in yonger yeres and coueting euen then to guide this our regal charge taken vpon vs with wholesome couÌ„sailes haue called vnto vs Iohn the Bishop of Winchester nowe Archb. of Cant. whom we supposed for his fidelity and discretion to excede others whose counsaile in matters appertaining vnto the health of our soule as in matters also respecting the augmenting and conseruation of our kingdome both spiritually temporally we vsed he was receiued of vs into all familiaritie Wee found in him also such humanity that he was saluted by the name of father and of all next vnto the king had in honour Now afterwards when by right of succession the kingdome of France shuld haue descended vnto vs and was by violent iniurie by the Lorde Philip of Valois holden from vs the said Archb. by his importune instancie perswaded vs to enter league of amity with the princes of Almanie against the sayde Phillip and to commit our selfe and ours vnto the hazard of warres promising and affirming that he woulde bring to passe that the reuenues of our landes and other helpes by him deuised shoulde suffice aboundantly for the maintenance of our said warres Adding moreouer that our only care should be for the furniture of strong and able souldiours such as were fit for the purpose and expert in warfare for the rest he himselfe would effectually procure for money conuenient to suffice our necessitie and the charges thereof Whereuppon entending great exployts we conueyed our army beyond the seas and with marueilous great charges as behoued we set forwarde we became also bound in great summes of mony making sure accompt of the aide aforesaid promised vnto vs. But alasse vnhappy is that man that reposeth confidence in mans deceitfull staffe of brittle reede wherunto as sayth the Prophet if a man leane it breaketh and pearceth the hand Thus being defrauded of our long looked for subsidie for very necessities sake we were constrained to take vpon vs importable charges of debts by grieuous vsurie And so our expedition being staied we were compelled to retyre into England desisting from our enterprises so valiantly begun Now when we were returned into England we laide before our Archbishop our manifold calamities and misfortunes before rehersed and thereuppon called a Parliament wherein the Prelates noble men and other the faithfull subiectes of our dominions graunted vnto vs a new subsidie of corne lambe wool c. besides the tenth graunted by the Cleargie which subsidie if it had bene faithfully collected and obtained in due time had greatly auailed for the expedition of our sayd warres the paiment of our debts and confusion of our enemies Our saide Archbishop promised diligently to do his endeuour as well in collecting the same as also in procuring other necessaries to serue to our purpose Wherupon trusting vnto these faire promises hauing all thinges in a readynesse both men and furnished ships we made saile towards Flaunders and by the way vpon the dangerous seas buckeled with our enemies sworne to the destruction of our English nation of whome we triumphed and were victors not by our merites their multitude farre exceeding ours but by the mercifull clemencie of him that ruleth both winde and sea Which being done we passed froÌ„ thence with a mighty power for the recouery of our right pitched our rentes neare vnto the puissant citie of Tornaye wheâ—e being deteined for a time in the siege therof wearied with continuall toyle our charges still encreasing awaiting with silence our promysed ayde day by day wee hooped from oure Archbyshoppe to receiue succoure in these our so great necessities At length being frustrate of all conceyued hope wee signified vnto our sayde Archbyshop and other his adherents by diuers messengers and sundry letters our great necessitie and perils which we were in for lacke of the sayd subsidie graunted vnto vs. We added also the vtilitie and honour which we sawe might be atchieued if we had receiued money in time All this notwithstanding we receiued from them no succour at all for that preferring their priuate businesse and proper commodities they cloked their slouth or rather as I may call it their fraude and malice with vaine excuses and painted glosing wordes like vnto the deceitful which as saith Esay vse to deride with these words Manda remaÌ„da c. By meanes whereof alasse for sorrowe it came to passe that whiles good hope of subduing our ennemies gratiously smiled vppon vs we were constrained penurie preuailing against vs to take truce to our shame the hinderance of our expedition and no smal reioysing of our euil willers and so we returned into Flaunders all voide of mony oppressed with infinite debts neither had we in our treasuries wherewith to discharge our necessities nor yet to pay our soldiours wages in so much that we were compelled to enter into the deuouring gulfe of vsurie and to sustaine on our shoulders great burdens of debts heape vppon heape This being done our faithfull frends companions in warres and partakers of our tribulations came vnto vs with whome we consulted diligently by what meanes wee might best deliuer our selues from this dangerous storme of euill fortune They all agreed affirming certainely that the protracting of our warres and cause of our manifolde necessity happened vnto vs through the fault and negligence or rather the malice of the sayd Archb. vpon whose discretion the disposition of the whole kingdome seemed to depend and other officers whom we had adioyned in counsail with him touching the affaires of our kingdome vehemently swearing and murmuring amongst themselues
consequently absolue any man confessing hys faulte being contrite and penitent for the same 16. It is lawfull for kinges in causes licenced by the lawe to take away the temporalties from the spiritualty sinning habitualiter that is which continue in the custome of sinne and will not amend 17. Whether they be temporall Lordes or any other men whatsoeuer they be which haue endowed any Churche with temporalties It is lawfull for them to take away the same temporalties as it were by way of medicine for to auoyd sinne notwithstanding any excommunication or other ecclesiasticall censure for so much as they are not geuen but vnder a condition 18. An ecclesiasticall minister and also the Byshop of Rome may lawfully be rebuked of his subiectes and for the profite of the Church be accused eyther of the Clergy or of the Laitie These letters with the articles inclosed being thus receiued from the pope the bishops tooke no litle hart thinking and fully determining with themselues and that in open profession before their prouinciall Councell that all maner respectes offeare or fauour set apart no person neither high nor low should let them neither woulde they be seduced by the intreaty of any mā nor by any threatnings or rewards but that in this cause they would execute most surely vpright iustice and equitie yea albeit presēt danger of life should follow therupon But these so fierce brags stout promise with the subtile practises of these Byshops which thought them so sure before the Lord against whō no determination of mans counsaile can prenayle by a small occasion did lightly confound ouerthrowe For the day of examination being come a certayn personage of the princes court yet of no great noble byrth named Lewes Clifford entring in among the Byshops commaunded them that they shold not proceed with any diffinitiue sentence against Iohn Wickliffe With which wordes all they were so amased and their combes so cut that as in the story is mentioned they became so mute and speachlesse as men hauing not one word in their month to answere And thus by the wonderous worke of God his prouidence escaped Iohn Wickliffe the second time out of the Byshops hands and was by them clearely dismissed vppon his declaration made of his articles as anone shall follow Moreouer here is not to be passed ouer how at the same tyme and in the sayd Chappell of the Archb. at Lamheth where the byshops were sitting vpon Iohn Wickliffe the story writing of the doing therof addeth these wordes saying Non dico ciues tantùm Londinenses sed viles ipsius ciuitatis se impudenter ingerere praesumpserunt in eandem capellam verba facere pro eodem istud negotium impedire confisi vt reor de ipsorum praemissa negligentia praelatorum c. That is I say not onely that the Citizens of London but also the vile abiectes of the Citty presumed to be so bold in that same Chappell at Lamheth where the Byshops were sitting vppon Iohn Wickliffe both to entreat for him and also to let and stoppe the same matter trusting as I suppose vpon the negligence which they sawe before in the Byshops c. Ouer and beside here is not to be forgotten how the sayd Iohn Wickliffe the same time of his examination offered and exhibited vnto the Bishops in writing a protestation with a declaration or exposition of his owne minde vpon the sayd his articles the effect whereof here followeth The protestation of Iohn Wickliffe FIrst I protest as I haue often before done that I doe minde and intend with my whole hart by the grace of God to be a true Christian and as long as breath shal remayne in me to professe and defend the law of Christ. And if it shall happen that through ignoraunce or otherwise I shall fayle therein I desire my Lord God of pardon forgeuenes And now againe as before also I do reuoke and make retractation most hūbly submitting my selfe vnder the correction of our holy mother the church And for somuch as the sentence of my fayth whiche I haue holden in the scholes and els where is reported euen by children more ouer it is caried by children euen vnto Rome Therefore left my deare beloued brethren should take any offence by me I wil set forth in writing the sentēce and Articles for the which I am nowe accused and impeached the whiche also euen vnto the death I will defend As I beleeue all Christians ought to doe and specially the Bysh. of Rome and all other priestes and ministers of the Church For I do vnderstand the conclusions after the sense and maner of speaking of the scriptures and holy doctours the whiche I am ready to expound And if they shall be found contrary vnto the faith I am ready to reuoke and speedily to call them backe agayne An exposition vpon the conclusions of Iohn Wickliffe exhibited by him to the Byshop ALl the race of mankinde here in earth beside Christ hath no power simply to ordayne that Peter c. This conclusion of it selfe is euident for as much as it is not in mans power to stop the cōming of Christ to hys finall iudgement but he must needes come according to the article of our Creede to iudge both the quick and the dead And then as the scripture teacheth shall surcease all ciuill and politicke rule here I vnderstand the temporall and secular dominion pertaining to men here dwelling in this mortall life For so doe the Philosophers speake of ciuill dominion And although the thing which is terminable hath an end is called sometimes perpetuall yet because in holy scripture and in vse of the Church and in the bookes of Philosophers most commonly that is takē to be perpetuall which hath no ende of tyme hereafter to come according to the which sense the Church singeth Gloria Patri c. nunc perpetuum I also after the same signification do take here this woorde perpetually and so is this conclusion consonant to the principles of the Scripture that it is not in mans power to ordayne the course and voyage of the Church here perpetually to last 2. God can not geue to any man c. ¶ To the second conclusion I aunswere vnderstanding ciuil dominion as in the conclusion before And so I hold that God first by his ordinate power cannot geue to any person ciuil dominion here for euer Secondly by his absolute power it is not probable for hym so to doe For so much as he cānot euer detaine his spouse in perpetual prison of thys life nor alwayes deferre the finall beatitude of hys Church 3. To the third conclusion Many wrytings or chartes inuented by men as touching perpetual hereditage ciuile be vnpossible The verity of this conclusion is incident For we must not canonize all maner of Charts what soeuer as Catholicke or vniuersal for then it were not lawful by any meanes to take away
the kinges power to sette and to ordaine c. Hereby the woordes of Augustine alledged Yee see all thinges belong to the possession of the iust by Goddes lawe Item for so muche as the cleargie by meanes of their possessions are in daunger of the Emperor and King It followeth that if they doe offend the Emperour or King may lawfully take away their possessions from them The consequent dependeth on thys poynte for so much as otherwise they were not in subiection vnder the Emperour or king and the antecedent is manifest by the 11. question and 1. Parag. His ita respondetur Where as it is specified in Latine thus His ita respondetur clerici ex officio Episcopo sunt suppositi ex possessionibus praediorum imperatori sunt obnoxij ab Episcopo vnctionem decimas primitias accipiunt ab imperatore vero praediorum possessiones nanciscuntur that is to say The cleargie by meanes of their office are vnder the Byshoppe but by reason of theyr possessions they be subiect vnto the Emperour Of the Byshoppe they receiue vnction tithes and first frutes of the Emperour they receiue possessions This then it is decreed by the Emperiall lawe that liuelyhoodes should be possessed whereby it appeareth that the cleargie by the possession of their liuelyhodes are in daunger of the Emperour for hym to take away from them or to correcte them accordyng to their deseruings and to haue the controllement of them as it shall seeme good vnto hym Item the temporall Lordes may take away the temporallities from such as vse Simonie because they are heretickes Ergo thys Article is true The antecedent is manifest for so much as the secular Lordes maye refuse suche as vse Simonye and punishe them except they doe repent For by the decree of Pope Paschasius in the first and laste question it appeareth that all suche as vsed Simonie were to be refused of all faythfull people as chiefe and principall heretickes and if they doe not repent after they be warned they are also to bee punyshed by the externe power For all other faultes and crimes in comparyson of Simonie be counted but light and seeme small offences Where vppon the glose expounding the same text sayth that by thys woorde externe is vnderstande the laietie whyche haue power ouer the cleargy besides the Church as in the 17 distinct Non licuit 23 quest 5. principes Whereby it is euident that the temporall Lordes may take away the temporall goodes from the cleargie when as they doe offende Item Saint Gregorie in the Register vppon hys 7. booke 9. Chapiter wryteth thus vnto the Frenche Queene For so much as it is wrytten that ryghteousnesse healpeth the people and sinne maketh them myserable then is that kingdome counted stable when as the offence whyche is knowen is soone amended Therefore for so muche as wicked priestes are the cause of the ruyne of the people for who shall take vppon hym to bee intercessour for the sinnes of the people if the priest which ought to intreate for the same haue committed greater offences and vnder youre dominions the priestes doe liue wickedly and vnchastly therfore that the offence of a few myght not tourne to the destruction of manye wee oughte earnestly to seeke the punyshment of the same And it followeth if wee doe commaunde any personne wee doe sende hym foorthe wyth the consent of your authoritie who together wyth other Priests shall diligently seeke out and according vnto Goddes worde correct and amende the same Neyther are these things to be dissimuled the whyche wee haue spoken of for hee that may correcte any thyng and doeth neglect the same wythout all doubte he maketh hym selfe paâ—taker of the sinne or offence Therefore foresee vnto your owne soule prouide for youre neuewes and for suche as you do desire to raigne after you prouide for your countrey and wyth diligence prouide for the correction and punishment of that sinne before our creatoure doe stretch out hys hand to strike And in hys next Chapter hee wryteth vnto the French king what so euer you doe vnderstande to pertaine eyther vnto the honoure and glorye of oure God to the reuerence of the church or to the honour of the priestes that doe you dilligently cause to bee decreed and in all poyntes to be obserued Wherfore once againe wee doe mooue you that you commaunde a Synode to be congregate and as wee wrote lately vnto you to cause all the carnall vices whyche raigneth amongest your Priests and all the wickednesse and Simonie of your Byshoppes whyche is moste harde to be condemned and reprooued vtterly to bee banished oute of your kyngdome and that you wil not suffer them to possesse anye more substaunce vnder your dominion then Goddes commaundement doeth allowe Beholde howe carefully blessed Gregorye doeth exhort the Queene and the Kyng to punishe the vices of the cleargie leaste through theyr negligence they shoulde be partakers of the same and howe they ought to correct their subiectes For as it is conuenient to be circumspect and carefull against the outward enemies euen so lykewyse ought they to bee agaynste the inwarde ennemyes of the soule And lyke as in iuste warre agaynste the outwarde ennemyes it is lawefull to take away theyr goodes so long as they contynue in theyr malyce so also is it lawefull to take away the goods of the cleargie being the inward ennemy The consequent is prooued thus for so much as the domesticall enemies are most hurtfull Item it is thus argued if God bee the temporall Lordes may meritoriously and lawfully take away the temporall goodes from the Cleargie if they doe offende For thys poynt lette vs suppose that we speake of power as the true autentike scripture doth speake Matt. 13. God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Whereupon it is thus argued for if God be he is omnipotent and if he so be he may geue like power vnto the seculer Lordes And so consequeÌ„tly they may meritoriously and lawfully vse the same power But least that any man may obiect that a profe made by a strange thing is not sufficient it is therefore declared howe that the temporal Lords haue power to take away their almes bestowed vpon the church The church abusing the same as ie shall be proued heereafter And first thus it is lawfull for kings in cases limitted by the lawe to take away the moueables from the clergie when they do offend it is thus proued For the temporall Lordes are most bound vnto the workes of greatest mercy most easie for them but in case possible it shuld be greater almes easier temporal dominion to take away their almes froÌ„ such as build therewithal vnto eternal damnation through the abuse therof then to geue the saide almes for any bodely reliefe Ergo the assumption is true Whereuppon first this sentence of the law of Christ in the 2. Thes. 3. is noted whereas the Apostle
wryteth thus When we were amongst you wee declared this vnto you that he that would not worke should not eate Wherefore the law of nature doth licence al such as haue the gouernance of kingdoms to correct the abuse of the temporalities which wold be the chief cause of the destruction of their kingdoms whether the tēporall Lords or any other had endowed the Church with those temporalities or not It is lawful for them in some case to take away the temporalities as it were by way of phisicke to withstand sinne notwithstanding any excommunication or other Ecclesiasticall censure For so much as they are not endowed but only with cōditiō therunto anexed Heereby it appeareth that the condition annexed to the endowing or enriching of any church is that God shuld be honoured the which condition if it once fail the contrary taking place the title of the gift is lost and consequently the Lord which gaue the almes ought to correct the offence Excommunication ought not to let the fulfilling of iustice Secondly according to the Canon lawe 16. quest 7. This sentence is noted where it is thus spoken as touching the children neuewes and the most honest of the kindred of him which hath builded or endowed any church That it is lawful for them to be thus circumspect that if they perceiue the priest doe defraude any part of that which is bestowed they should either gently admonish or warne him or els complaine on him to the bishop that he may be corrected But if the bishop him selfe attempt to do the like let them complaine of him to his Metropolitane and if the Metropolitane do the like let them not defer the time to report it in the eares of the king For so saith the canon Let them not deferre to report it in the eares of the king To what ende I pray you but that he shuld do correction neither is it to bee douted but that correction doeth more appertaine vnto he king in this poynt for their goods wherof he is chiefe Lord by a substraction proportional according to the fault or offence Item it is thus proued It is lawful for the seculer Lords by their power to do correction vpon the clergy by some kind of fearfull discipline appertaining to their seculer power Ergo by like reason it is lawful for them by their power to do such correction by all kind of fearful discipline pertaining vnto their seculer power For so much then as the taking of their temporalities is in kinde of fearful discipline pertaining vnto the seculer power It foloweth that it is lawfull for them therby to doe such correction And consequently it followeth that the truthe is thus to be prooued The consequent is euident and the antecedent is proued by Isidore 23 quest 5. Principes Where it is thus wrytten There shuld be no seculer powers within the church but onely for thys purpose that whatsoeuer thing the priests or ministers cannot bring to passe by preaching or teachings the seculer powers may command the same by the terror and feare of discipline For oftētimes the heauēly kingdom is profited and holpen by the earthly kingdom that they which are in the church and do any thing contrary vnto faith and discipline by the rigour of the princes may be troden downe And that the power of the rulers may lay that discipline vpon the neckes of the proude and stifnecked which the vtility and profit of the church can not exercise or vse Item all things that by power ought to worke or bring to any perfect ende by the reasonable measuring of the meane thereto it may lawfully vse by power the substraction or taking away of the excesse and the addition of the want of the meanes according as shall be conuenient or meete for the measure to be made For so much then as the seculer Lordes ought by their power to prouide for the necessary sustentation of the Christian clergie by the reasonable measuring of their temporalties whych they are bounden to bestow vpon the Christian cleargie it followeth that they may lawfully by their power vse the taking away or putting vnto of those temporallities according as shall be conuenient for the performance of that reasonable matter Item it is lawfull for the clergie by their power to take away the sacramentes of the Church from the laitie customably offending forsomuch as it doeth pertaine to the office of the Christian ministers by their power to minister the same vnto the lay people Wherefore for so much as it doeth pertaine vnto the office of the laitie according vnto their power to minister and geue temporallities to the clergie of Christ as the Apostle sayeth 1. Cor 9. It followeth that it is also lawfull for them by their power to take away the temporallities from the clergie when they do customably sinne and offend Item by like power may he which geueth a stipende or exhibition withdraw and take away the same from the vnworthy labourers as hee hath power to geue the same vnto the worthy labourers for so much then as temporallities of the clergie are the stipendes of the laitie it followeth that the lay people may by as good authority take away the same again from the clergy which will not worthely labour as they might by their power bestowe the same vpon those which would worthely labour according to the saying of the Gospel Mat. 21 The kingdome shal be taken away from you and geuen vnto a people which shall bring foorth the frutes thereof Item it is also lawfull for the secular Lordes by their power to chastice and punish the lay people when they do offend by taking away of their temporalties according to the exigēt of their offence forsomuch as the lay people are subiect vnder their dominion Wherefore the clergy being also subiect vnder the dominion of the seculer Lordes as appeareth Rom. 13. and many other places it is euident that it is lawfull by their power to punish the cleargie by taking away of their temporalities if their offence do so deserue Item the true and easie direction of the cleargie vnto the life of Christ and the Apostles and most profitable vnto the laity that the cleargie shuld not liue contrary vnto Christes institution semeth to be the taking away of their alms and those things which they had bestowed vppon them And it is thus proued that medicine is most apt to be laide vnto the sore whereby the infirmitie might soonest be holpen and were most agreeable vnto the pacient Such is the taking away of the temporallities Ergo this article is true The minor is thus proued for so much as by the aboūdance of temporallities the worme or serpent of pride is spronge vp where vppon vnsaciable desire and lust is inflamed and thereby proceedeth all kinde of gluttonie and lecherie It is euident in this poynt for so much as the Temporallities being once taken away euery one of those sinnes is either vtterly taken away or
charge of the realme because it was prooued in a certaine booke which the king hath that a hundreth houses of almes are sufficient for the whole realme And thereby might peraduenture greater increase and profite come vnto the temporalitie The 8. conclusion needefull to tel the people beguiled is that pilgrimages praiers and oblations made vnto blinde crosses or roodes or to deafe images made eyther of woode or stone are very neare of kinde vnto Idolatry and farre different frō almes And albeit that these thyngs which are forbidden and imagined are the booke of errour vnto the common people notwithstanding the vsual and common image of the Trinity is most especially abhominable This conclusion God himselfe doeth openly manyfest commaunding almes to be geuen to the poore needy man for he is the image of God in more perfite similitude and likenesse then any blocke or stone For God did not say let vs make a blocke or stone vnto our likenes and image but let vs make man for so muche as the supreme highest honor which the clergy calleth Latria pertaineth only to the Godhead the inferior honour which clergy call Dulia pertaineth vnto men and angels and to none other inferior creature The corolarie is the the seruice of the crosse celebrate twise euery yere in our church is ful of idolatry For if roode tree nailes and speare ought so profoundly to be honoured and worshipped then were Iudas lippes if any man could get them a marueilous goodly relique But thou Pilgrime we pray thee tell vs when thou doest offer to the bones of the Saintes and holy men whych are layd vp in any place whether dost thou relieue therby the holy man which is already in ioy or that almes house that is so well endowed whereas they are canonised the Lord knoweth howe and to speake more plaine euery faithfull Christian may well iudge and suppose that the strokes of that same man whom they calls Thomas were no came of Martyrdome nor yet be The 9. conclusion that keepeth the people low is that auricular confession which is said to be so necessary for saluation the fained power of absolution exalteth and setteth vp the pride of priests and geueth them oportunity of other secrete talkes which we will not at thys tune talke of for so much as both Lordes and Ladies doe witnes that for feare of their confessors they dare not speake the truth and in time of confession is good oportunitie ministred of wooing or to play the baudes or to make other secret conuentions to deadly sinne They affirme and say that they are commissaries sent of God to iudge discerne of al maner sinne to pardone and clense what so euer please them They say also that they haue the keyes of heauen and hell that they can excommunicate curse and blesse binde and loose at theyr owne will and pleasure in so muche that for a small rewarde or for 12. d. they will sell the blessyng of heauen by charter and clause of warrantes sealed by theyr commō seale This conclusion is so common in vse that it nedeth not any probation The corolarie hereof is that the Pope of Rome whych fained himselfe to be the profounde treasurer of the whole Church hauing that same woorthy iewell which is the treasure of the passion of Christ in hys owne keping and custody together with the merites of all the saintes in heauen wherby he geueth fained indulgences and pardons a poena culpa Hee is a treasurer almost banished out of chariti wherby he may deliuer al captiues being in purgatory at hys pleasure and make them not to come there But heere euery faithfull Christian may easily perceiue that there is much falshode hid in our church The 10. that manslaughter either by warre or by any pretensed law of iustice for any temporall cause or spirituall reuelation is expresly contrary vnto the newe Testamēt which is the law of grace full of mercy This conclusion is euidently proued by the examples of the preachyng of Christ heere in earth who chiefly teacheth euery man to loue his enemies and haue compassiō vpon them and not to kill and murther them The reason is this that for the most part when as men do fight after the first stroke charity is broken and whosoeuer dieth without charity goth the right way to hell And beside that we doe well vnderstand know that none of the clergy neither by any other lawfull reason can deliuer any man from the punishment of death for one deadly sinne and not for an other but the law of mercy which is the new Testament forbiddeth all maner of murther For in the Gospell it is spoken vnto our forefathers thou shalt not kil The corolary is It is a very robbing of the people when Lordes purchase indulgences and pardons a poena culpa vnto such as do helpe their armies to kil and murther the christian people in soreine countreys for temporal gaine as we do see certaine souldiors which do runne amongst the Heathen people to get themselues fame renowme by the murther slaughter of men Much more doe they deserue euil thanks at the hands of the king of peace for so much as by humility and peace our faith is multiplied increased for murtherers and manquellers Christ doeth hate and manaseth he that striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword The 11. conclusion is whyche is shame to tell that the vow of chastity made in our church by women whych are fraile and vnperfite in nature is the cause of brynging in many great and horrible offences and vices incident vnto the nature of man For albeit the murther of their children borne before their time and before they are christened and the destruction of their nature by medicine are filthy foule sinnes yet they accompanying amongest themselues or with vnreasonable beastes or with any creature not hauing life doe passe to such an vnseemelinesse that they are punished by infernal torments The corolarie is that widowes such as take the mantell and the ring delitiously fed we would that they were maried because that we can not excuse them from priuate offence of sinne The 12. that the multitude of artes not necessary vsed in this our Church causeth much sinne offence in waste curiosity and disguising in curious apparell experience reason partly doth shewe the same for so muche as nature with a few actes is sufficient for mans vse and necessity This is the whole tenor of our ambassade which Christ hath commanded vs to prosecute at this time most fit and conuenient for many causes And albeit that these matters be heere briefly noted and touched yet notwithstandyng they are more at large declared in another boke with many other more in our owne proper tounge which we would should be common to all Christian people Wherefore we earnestly desire and beseeche God for his great
of the circumstance therof and sometime is cleane omitted and differeth much from the substance of the same For as statutes in ciuile policie most commonly do tend to a publike end are generall so prefaces before statutes which most commonly declare the cause or beginning therof are priuate and do stand only but vpoÌ„ particular facts which either of ill will displeasure may be suggested or by colour may be exaggerated or forfeare may be beleeued at least suspected as many suspitious do oftimes rise in princes heads through false surmises malicious coÌ„plaints of certaine euill disposed about them wherby many cruell lawes rising vpon a false ground are promulgate to the ruine of much innoceÌ„t bloud Example wherof we haue not onely in this present statute an 2. Reg. Hen. 5 but also in the like statute commonly called the statute Ex officio vel de comburendo made by this kings father and predecessour an 2. Henr. 4. cap. 5. In the preface of which bloudy statute is conteined an other like coÌ„plaint of the Prelates clergie not so hainous as also most shamefully false vntrue against the poore Lollards as by the wordes of the complaint may appeare beginning Excellentissimo Gratiosis principi c. Wherin most falsely they slaunder and misreport the true seruaunts of Christ to be Lollardes heretiques subuerters of the common wealth destroiers of the Christian faith enemies to all good lawes and to the Church of Christ. The words of which statute proceeding much after the like course as doth this present statute may easely bewray the vntruth and false surmise therof if thou please gentle reader to marke and conferre the wordes according as they are there to be read and seene as followeth Conuenticulas confederationes faciunt scholas tenent exercent libros conficiunt atque scribunt populum nequiter instruunt informant ad seditionem seu insurrectionem excitant quantum possunt magnas dissentiones in populo faciunt alia diuersa enormia auditui horrenda in dies perpetrant in fidei cathol ecclesiae subuersionem diuinique cultus diminutionem ac etiam destructionem status iurium libertatum dictae ecclesiae Anglic. And after a few words Ad omnem iuris rationis ordinem atque regimen penitus destruendum c. He that is or shall be acquainted with old hytories and with the vsuall practises of Sathan the oldenemie of Chrst from the first beginning of the primitiue Church vnto this present time shall see this to be no newes but a common and as ye would say a quotidian feuer among Christes children to be vexed with false accusations and cruell slaunders Nemesion the Egyptian and true Martyr of Christ was he not first accused to be a felon And when that could not be proued he was condeÌ„ned at the same iudgemeÌ„t for a ChristiaÌ„ and therfore being cast into bands was scourged by the commandement of the President double to the other felons at length was burned with the theeues although he neuer was found theef nor felon vide page 62. Against Cyprian in like sort it was slaunderously obiected by Galenus Maximus proconsull Quòd diu sacrilega mente vixerit nephariae sibi conspirationis homines adiunxerit That he had long continued with a minde full of sacrilege and that he had gathered vnto him men of wicked conspiracie page 69. So Iustinus martyr what false and criminous accusations suffered he by Crescens Cornelius Byshop of Rome and Martyr was accused of Decius quòd ad Cyprianum literas daret contra remp i. That he wrote letters vnto Cyprian against the common wealth vide page 65. To consider the lawes and statutes made by tyrauntes and Emperours in the first persecutions of the primatiue Church against the innocent seruaunts of Christ and to compare the same with the lawes and statutes in this latter persecution vnder Antichrist A man shall find that as they agreed all in like crueltie so was there no great difference in false forging of pretensed causes and crimes deuised For as then the Christians were wrongfully accused of the Gentiles for insurrections rebellions against the Emperours and Empire for beeing enemies to all mankind for murdering of infaÌ„ts for worshipping the sinne because they praied toward the East for worshipping also the head of an Asse divide pag. 54. 36. vpon the rumors wherof diuers and sundry lawes and statutes were enacted some engrauen in brasse some otherwise wrote against them So in this foresaid statute an 2. Henr. cap. 5 also an 2. Henr. 4. cap. 15. and in such other statutes or inditements made and conceiued against the Lolards the case is not so strange but it may ceedibly be supposed that the making therof did rise rather vpoÌ„ malice hatred against their religion conceaued then vpon any iust cause ministred of their partes whome they did wrongfully charge accuse Like as in time of Domitianus for feare of Dauids stocke all the nephewes of Iude the Lords brother in flesh were accused to the Emperour page 48. And also the like feare hatred stirred vp other Emperours and the Senate of Rome to proceed with persecuting lawes against the Christian flocke of Christ. Euseb. Lib. 5. cap. 21. Whereupon rose vp those malitious slaunders false surmises infamous lies and wrongfull accusations against the Christians so that what crimes soeuer either malice could inuent or rash suspition could minister that was imputed against them vide page 48. Not vnlike also it may seeme that the Pope with hys Prelates fearing and misdoubting least the proceding of the Gospell preached by these persons should ouerthrowe the state of their maiestie Did therfore by sinister accusatious inflame the harts of Princes against them and vnder some colour couert to shadow their cloked hatred deuised these and other like crimes which were not true but which might cleanely serue their purpose This hetherto haue I said as in a generall summe answering to the preamble of the foresayd statute for the defence of Sir Iohn Oldcastle and Sir Roger Acton and other not as deâ—ining precisely what was or was not for here I may say with Haule that as I was not present at the deed doing so with him I may also leaue the same at large But as one by trasing the footesteps of the truth as by all coniectures hunting out in this matter what is most like would but onely say my mynde sine strepitu as Lawyers say sine figura iudicij Now consequently it followeth that we descend to the speciall points and particulars of the foresaid preamble to consider what thereof may be collected or necessarily is to be iudged either for prose or disprose of this foresaide Sir Iohn Oldcastle and his felowes ¶ And first where the proheme of this statute beginneth with rumours congregatioÌ„s and insurrections c. As it is not
sent yet to Boheme keepe it and send it not for hurt may come thereof c. Item if the king doe aske who ought to be my iudge since that the Councel neither did call me nor did cite me neither was I euer accused before the Councell and yet the Councell hath imprisoned me and hath appoynted their proctor against me Item I desire you right noble and gracious Lord Iohn if audience shall be geuen me that the king will be there present himselfe and that I may haue a place appoynted neare vnto him that he may heare me well and vnderstand what I say and that you also with the Lord Henry and with Lord Wenselaus and other mo if you may will be present and heare what the Lorde Iesus Christ my procuratour and aduocate and most gracious iudge will put in my mouth to speake that whether I liue or die you may be true and vpright witnesses with me least lying lips shall say heereafter that I swarued away from the truth which I haue preached Item know you that before witnesses and notaries in the prison I desired the commissioners that they would depute vnto me a proctor and an aduocate who promised so to do and afterward would not performe it Wherefore I haue committed my selfe to the Lorde Iesus Christ that he will be my procuratour and aduocate and iudge of my cause Item know you that they haue as I suppose no other quarell against mee but onely this that I stoode against the Popes Bull which Pope Iohn sent downe to Boheme to sanctifie warre wyth the signe of the crosse full remission of sinnes to all them which would take the holy crosse to fight for the patrimonie of the Romish church against Ladislaus king of Naples and they haue mine owne wryting which was read against me and I do acknowledge it to be mine Secondly they haue also against me that I haue cōtinued so long in excommunication and yet did take vppon mee to minister in the church and say Masse Thirdly they haue against me because I did appeale from the Pope to Christ. For they reade my appeale before me in the which with a willing minde smiling I confessed before them all to be mine Fourthly because I left a certaine letter behind me which was read in the church of Bethleem the which letter my aduersaries haue very euill fauouredly translated and sinisterly expounded in the which I did wryte that I went out without a safeconducte Whereunto you your selues can say and beare me recorde that I in my going out had no safe conducte of the Pope neither yet did knowe whether you should goe out with me when I wrote that letter Item if audience may be geuen to me and that after the same audience the king would suffer me not to be returned againe into prison but that I may haue your counsels others my frends and if it may please God that I may say some thing to my soueraigne Lord the king for the behalfe of Christianitie and for hys owne profite c. ¶ Another letter of Iohn Hus wherein he confirmeth the Bohemians and describeth the wickednesse of that Counsell IOhn Husse in hope the seruaunt of GOD to all faythfull in Boheme which loue the Lord greetyng thorough the grace of GOD. It commeth in my mynde wherein I must needes admonish you that be the faythfull and beloued of the Lord how that the Councell of Constance beyng full of pride auarice and all abhomination hath condemned my bookes written in the Boheme tounge for hereticall whiche bookes they neuer saw nor neuer heard them read And if they had heard them yet they could not vnderstād the same being some Italians some Frenchmen some Britaines some Spanyardes Germaines with other people of other nations moe vnlesse peraduenture Iohn Bishop of Litomishe vnderstoode them whiche was present in that Councell and certaine other Bohemians and Priestes whiche are agaynst me and labour all they may how to depraue both the veritie of God and the honesty of our countrey of Boheme Which I iudge in the hope of GOD to be a Godly land right well geuen to the true knowledge of the Fayth for that it doth so greatly desire the word of GOD and honest maners And if you were here at Constance ye should see the greeuous abhomination of this Councell which they call so holy and such as can not erre Of the which Councell I haue heard it by the Swechers reported that the Citie of Constaunce is not able in 30. yeares to be purged of those wicked abhominations in that Coūcell committed And all be offended almost with that Councell beyng sore greeued to behold such execrable thynges perpetrate in the same When I stoode first to aunswere before myne aduersaries seyng all thynges there done with no order and hearyng them also outragiously crying out I sayd playnely vnto them that I looked for more honest behauiour and better order and discipline in that Councell Then the chief Cardinall aunswered sayest thou so but in the tower thou spakest more modestly To whome sayd I in the Tower no man cryed out agaynst me where as now all doe rage agaynst me My faythfull and beloued in Christ be not afrayde with their sentence in condemnyng my bookes They shall bee scattered hether and thether abroad like light Butterfleis and their Statutes shall endure as Spiderwebbes They went about to shake my constancie from the veritie of Christ but they could not ouercome the vertue of God in me They would not reason with the scriptures against me as diuers honourable Lordes can witnesse with me which being ready to suffer contumely for the trueth of God tooke my part stoutly namely Lorde Wenceslaus de Duba and Lorde Iohn de Clum for they were let in by king Sigismund into the Councell And when I sayde that I was desirous to be instructed if I did in any thing erre then they heard the chiefe Cardinall aunswere againe because thou wouldest be informed there is no remedy but that thou must first reuoke thy doctrine according to the determination of 50. Bachelers of Diuinitie appoynted O high instruction After like maner S. Katherine also shoulde haue denied and reuoked the veritie of God and faith in Christ because the 50. maisters likewise did withstand her which notwithstanding that good virgine would neuer doe standing in her faith vnto death But shee did winne those her maisters vnto Christ when as I can not win these my maisters by any meanes These things I thought good to wryte vnto you that you might knowe howe they haue ouercome me with no grounded Scripture nor with any reason but onely did assay with terrours and disceits to perswade me to reuoke and to abiure But our mercifull God whose lawe I haue magnified was and is with me and I trust so will continue and will kepe me in his grace vnto death Wrytten at Constance after the feast of Iohn Baptist
hys booke De sacerdotum Monachorum abhominatione desolationis pag. 84. c. I beseech the reader to note Nam ista scribens fateor ê™ nihil aliud me in illis perurget nisi dilectio Dom. Nostri Iesu crusifixi c. That is For in writing these things I confesse nothinge els to haue moued me hereunto but onely the loue of our Lorde Iesus crucified whose printes and stripes according to the measure of my weakenes and vilenes I couet to beare in my selfe beseeching hym so to geue me grace that I neuer seek to glory in my selfe or in any thing els but onely in his crosse and in the inestimable ignominy of his passion which he suffered for me And therefore I write and speake these thinges which I do not doubt will like all such as vnsaynedly do loue the Lord Christ crucified and contrary will mislike not a little all suche as be of Antichrist Also agayne I confesse before the most merciful Lord Iesus Christ crucified that these thinges which I do now write and those that I haue written before neither I could haue writteÌ„ nor knew how nor durst so haue written vnlesse he by hys inward vnction had so commaunded me Neither yet do I write these thinges as of authority to get me fame and name For as S. Augustine Hierome do say that is onely to be geuen to the scriptures and writinges of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes and to the Canonicall Scriptures which doe abounde in the fulnes of the spirite of Iesus And whatsoeuer is there sayd is full of veritie and wholesome vtilitie c. And here place also would require something to say to Aeneas Siluius to Antoninus and to Laziardus which falsly impute articles to him whiche he neuer mayntayned But because tyme suffereth not I wil proceed to the story of maister Hierom of Prage The Tragicall and lamentable history of the famous learned man and godly Martyr of Christ maister Hierome of Prage burned at Constance for like cause and quarrell as Maister Iohn Hus was 1416. THese thinges hetherto being discoursed touching the lyfe Actes and Constant martyrdom of M. Iohn Hus with part also of his letters adioyned to the same whose death was on the 6. of Iuly an 1416. now remayneth coÌ„sequently to describe the like Tragedy and cruell handeling of his Christian companion and fellow in bandes M. Hierome of Prage Who grieuously sorrowing the slaunderous reproch and diffamation of his couÌ„try of Boheme and also hearing tell of the manifest iniuries done vnto that man of worthy memory M. Iohn Hus freely and of hys own accord came vnto Constance the 4. day of Iprill an 1415. Who there perceiuing that Iohn Hus was denyed to be heard and that watche and wayte was layd for hym on euery side he departed to Iberling a Citty of the Empire vntill the next day the which Citty was a myle of froÌ„ Constance and from thence he wrote hys letters by me vnto Sigismund kyng of Hungry and hys Barons and also vnto the Councell most earnestly requiring that the kyng and the Councell would geue him a safe conduct frely to come and go and that he woulde then come in open audience to aunswere vnto euery man if there were any of the Councell that would lay any cryme vnto hym as by the tenour of his intimation shall more at large appeare When as the sayd king of Hungary was required therunto as is aforesayd being in the house of the Lord Cardinall of Cambray he denyed to geue M. Hierome anye safe conducte excusing himselfe for the euil speede he had with the safe conduct of Iohn Hus before and alleadging also certayne other causes The deputies also of the foure nations of the Councell being moued thereunto by the Lords of the kingdome of Boheme aunswered wee say they will geue hym a safeconduct to come but not to depart Whose aunsweres when they were reported vnto maister Hierome he the next day after wrote certaine intimations according to the tenour here vnder written which he sent vnto Constance to be set vpon the gates of the Citty and vpon the gates of the Churches and Monasteries and of the houses of the Cardinals and other nobles and prelates The tenour wherof here followeth word for word in thys maner Unto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund by the grace of God king of the Romanes alwaies Augustus and of Hungary c. I Hierome of Prage maister of Arte of the generall vniuersities of Paris Colleyn Heldeberg Prage by these my present letters do notifie vnto the king together with the whole reuerend Councell and as much as in me lyeth do all men to vnderstand and know that because of the crafty slaunderers backbiters accusers I am ready freely of myne owne will to come vnto CoÌ„stance there to declare openly before the Councell the puritie and sinceritie of my true fayth and myne innocencie and not secretly in corners before any priuate or particulate person Wherfore if there be any of my slauÌ„derers of what natioÌ„ or estate soeuer they be which will obiect agaynst me anye crime of errour or heresie let them come forth openly before me in the presence of the whole Councell and in theyr owne names obiect agaynst me and I will be ready as I haue written to aunswere openly and publikely before the whole Councell of myne innocencie and to declare the puretie and sinceritie of my true fayth And if so be that I shal be fouÌ„d culpable in errour or heresie then I will not refuse openly to suffer such punishment as shall be meete and worthy for an erroneous person or an hereticke Wherefore I most humbly beseech my Lord the King and the whole sacred CouÌ„cell that I may haue to this end and purpose aforesayd safe and sure accesse And if it happeÌ„ that I offering suche equitie and right as I do before any fault be proued agaynst me be arested imprisoned or haue any violence done vnto me that theÌ„ it may be manifest vnto the whole worlde that this generall Councell doth not proceede according to equitie and iustice if they woulde by any meanes put me backe from this profouÌ„d and straight iustice being come hether freely and of myne owne minde and accorde The whiche thing I suppose to be farre from so sacred and holy Councell of wise men WHen as yet he through such intimations copied out in the Bohemian Latine and Germayne tongue being set vp as is aforesayd could not get any safeconduct theÌ„ the Nobles Lords and Knightes specially of the Bohemian nation present in Constance gaue vnto maister Hiâ—rome their letters patentes coÌ„firmed with their seales for a testimony and witnesse of the premisses With the which letters the sayd M. Hierome returned agayne vnto Boheme but by the treason and conspiracy of his enemies was taken in Hirsaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and in Zultzbach was brought backe agayne to
For in that that euery one that worketh more meritoriously to the profite of the Church he hath so much the more greater authoritie from God 25. There is not so muche as one sparke of appearaunce that there ought to be one head ruling and gouerning the church in spirituall causes which should alwayes be conuersaunt in the church millitaâ—â— For Christ without anye such monstrous heds by his â—â—ue disciples sparsed through the whole world could better a great deale rule his church 26. The Apostles and faythfull priests of God haue right worthily in al thinges necessary to saluation gouerned the church before the popes office tooke place and so might they doe agayne by like possibilitie vntill Christ came to iudgement if the popes office should fayle Let euery one that is suspected in the foresayd articles or els otherwise found with assertion of them Be examined in maner and forme as followeth IN primis whether he knew Iohn Wicleffe of Englande Iohn Hus of Bohemia and Hierome of Prage or anye of them and how he came by the knowledge of them whither that during the liues of them or any of them they had eyther bene conuersant with them or found any frendship at their handes 2. Item whether he knowing them or any of them to be excommunicate did willingly participate with them esteming affirming the same their participacioÌ„ to be no sin 3. Item whither that after their deathes he euer prayed for them or any of them openly or priuily doing any work of mercy for them affirming them to be either saintes or els to be saued 4. Item whether he thought them or anye of them to be Saintes or whether that euer he spake such wordes and whether euer he did exhibite any worshippe vnto them as vnto saintes 5. Item whether he beleue hold and affirme that euery generall councell as also the Councell of Constance doth represent the vniuersall Church 6. Item whether he doth beleue that that which the holy Councell of Constance representing the vniuersall church hath and doth alow in the fauour of the fayth and saluatioÌ„ of soules is to be approued and allowed of all the faythfull Christians and that whatsoeuer the same Councell hath condemned and doth condemne to be contrary both to the fayth and to all good men is to beleued holden and affirmed for condemned or not 7. Item whether he beleueth that the condemnations of Iohn Hus Iohn Wickleffe and Hierome of Prage made as well vpon their persons as their bookes and doctrine by the holy generall Councelll of Constance be rightly iustly made and of euery good Catholicke man are so to be holden and affirmed or not 8. Item whether he beleue hold and affirme that Iohn Wickleffe of England Iohn Hus of Bohemia and Hierome of Prage were heretickes or not and for heretickes to be nominated preached yea or not and whether theyr bookes and doctrines were and be peruerse or not for the which together with their pertinacie they wre condemned by the holye sacred Councell of Constaunce for heretiques 9. IteÌ„ whether he haue in his custody any treatises smal workes Epistles or other writinges in what language or tongue soeuer set forth and translated by any of these heretickes Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus and Hierome or any other of their false Disciples and followers that he may deliuer them to the ordinaries of that place or his commissary or to the inquisitours vpon hys othe And if he say that he hath no such writing about him but that they are in some other place that then you sweare him to bring the same before his Ordinary or other aforenamed within a certayne time to him prefixed 10. Item whether he knoweth any that hath the treatises works Epistles or anye other writinges of the aforesayd Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus and Hierome in whatsouer tong they are made or translated and that he detect manifest the same for the purgation of their fayth and execution of iustice 11. Item especially let the learned be examined whether he beleueth that the sentence of the holy Councell of Constance vpon the 45. articles of Iohn Wickleffe and the 30. Articles of Iohn Hus be not Catholicke which sayth that some of them are notorious hereticall some erroneous other some blasphemous some slaunderous some rash and seditious some offensiue to godly eares 12. Item whether he beleeueth and affirmeth that in no case it is lawfull for a man to sweare 13. Item whether he beleueth that at the commaundement of a iudge or any other it is lawfull to take an oth to tell the truth in anye conuenient cause although it be but purging of an infamy or not 14. Item whether he beleueth that periury wittingly coÌ„mitted vppon what cause soeuer whether it be for yâ— safegard of hys owne life or of any other mans lyfe yea although it be in the cause and defence of the fayth be a sinne or not 14. Item whether a man contemning purposedly the rites of the Churche and the ceremonies of exorcisme of Cathechisme and the consecration of the water of Baptisme be deadly sinne or not 16 Item whether he beleue that after the consecration of the priest in the sacrament of the aultar vnder the figure of bread and wyne be no materiall bread and wyne but in al poyntes the same very Christ which was crucified vppon the Crosse and sitteth vpon the right hand of the father 17. Item whether he beleeue that after the consecration made by the priest vnder the onely forme of bread and besides the forme of wyne be the very flesh of Christ and hys bloud hys soule and hys deitie and so whole Christ as he is and in likewise vnder the forme of wine without the forme of bread bee the very fleshe of Christ and hys very bloud his soule and deitie and so whole Christ the same body absolutely vnder euery one of those kinds singularly 18. Item whether he doth beleue that the custome of houseling of the lay people vnder the forme of bread only obserued of the vniuersall Church and allowed by the onely Councell of Constance be to be vsed and not without the authoritie of the Churche at mens pleasures to be altered and that they that obstinately affirme the contrary to this are to be punished as heretickes or not 19. Item whether he beleue that those whiche contemne the receiuing of the sacramentes of confirmation or extreme vnction or els the solemnisation of matrimony coÌ„mit deadly sinne or not 20. Item whether he beleeue that a Christian man ouer and besides the contrition of hart being licensed of a conuenient priest is bound to confesse himselfe only to a priest and not to any lay man be he neuer so deuout or good vpon the necessitie of saluation 21. Item whether he beleue that in the cases before put a priest may absolue a sinner confessing himself and being contrite from all sinnes and enioyne him penaunce for the same
in S. Paules Epistle ad Chessall and also in the reuelation of S. Iohn Which Scriptures otherwise without the opening of these historyes can not so perfectly bee vnderstand of the whiche Scriptures we mynde hereafter Christ graunting orderly as the course of matter shall lead vs to make rehearsall An other cause is that we may learne thereby eyther with the publique Churche to lament with our brethren such a great defection and decay of christian fayth through these wicked Turkes or els may feare thereby our owne daunger The thyrd cause that we may pōder more deeply with our selues the scourge of God for our sinnes and corrupte doctrine which in the sequele hereof more euidently may appeare to our eyes for our better admonition Fourthly the consideration of this horrible persecution of the Turkes rising chiefely by our discord and dissention among our selues may reduce vs agayn from our domesticall wars in killing and burning one of an other to ioyne together in Christian patience and concorde U. but chiefely these great victoryes of the Turkes and vnprosperous speed of our men fighting agaynst thē may admonish teach vs folowing the example of the olde Israelites how to seek for greater strēgth to encounter with these enemyes of Christ then hitherto we haue done First we must cōsider that the whole power of Sathan the prince of this world goeth with the Turkes Whiche to resist no strēgth of mans arme is sufficient but onely the name spirite and power of our Lord Iesus the sonne of god going with vs in our battels as among the olde Israelites the Arcke of Gods couenaunt and promise wente with them also fighting agaynst the enemies of God For so are wee taught in Scripture that we christen mē haue no strength but in Christ onely Whether we warre agaynst the deuilt or agaynst the Turke it is true that the Scripture sayeth Sine me nihil potestis facere i. without me you ea do nothing Otherwise there is no puissaunce to stand agaynst the deuill or to conquere the world Nisi fides nostra that is our fayth onely all the promises of God touching saluation be annexed beyonde which promises we muste not goe for the worde must be our rule He that presumeth beyond the promises in the word expressed goeth not but wandereth hee can not tell whether Neither must we appoynt God how to saue the worlde but must take that way whiche he hath appointed Let vs not set our God to schoole nor cōprehēd his holy spirite within our sculles He that made vs wtout our counsell did also redeeme vs as pleased hym If he be mercifull let vs be thankefull And if his mercyes surmoūt our capacity let vs therfore not resist but search his word and thereunto apply our will which if we will doe all but contentious wil soone be at a poynt Let vs therfore search the will of our God in his word and if he will his saluation to stand free to all nations why do we make marchandise thereof If he haue graciously offred his waters to vs without mony or mony worth let vs not hedge in the plētuous springes of his grace geuen vs. And finally if God haue determined his owne sonne onely to stand alone let not vs presume to admixt with his maiesty any of our trumpery He that bringeth S. George or S. Deuise as patrons to the field to fight against the turk leaueth Christ no doubt at home Now how we haue fought these many yeres agaynst the Turke though storyes keep silence yet the successe declareth We fight agaynst a persecutour being no lesse persecutours our selues We wrastle against a bloudy tyraunt and our handes be as full of bloud as his He killeth Christes people with the sword and we burne them with fire He obseruing the works of the law seeketh his iustice by the same the like also do we But neither hee nor we seeke our iustification as we shoulde that is by fayth onely in the sonne of God And what maruell then if our doctrine being as corrupt almost as his and our conuersation worse if Christe fight not with vs fighting agaynst the Turke The Turke hath preuayled so mightely not because Christ is weake but because that Christians be wicked and theyr doctryne impure Our temples with Images our hartes with idolatry are poluted Our priestes stinck before God for adultry being restrayned from lawfull matrimony The name of god is in our mouthes but his fear is not in our harts We warre agaynst the Turke with our workes Masses traditions and ceremonies but we fight not agaynst hym with Christ and with the power of his glory whith if we did the field were wonne Wherfore briefely to conclude saying my iudgement in this behalfe what I suppose this hope I haue do beleue that when the Churche of Christ with the Sacramentes therof shal be so reformed that Christ alone shall be receaued to be our iustifier all other religions merites tradition images patrons and aduocates set a part the sword of the Christians with the strength of Christ shall soone vanquish the Turkes pride and fury But of this more largely in the processe of this story The sixte and last cause why I thinke the knowledge of the Turkes history requisite to be considered is this be cause that many there be which for the they be farther frō the Turkes and thinke therfore themselues to be out of daūger take little care and studye what happeneth to theyr other brethren Wherefore to the intent to excite theyr zeale and prayer to almighty God in this so lamentable ruin of Christes church I thought it requisite by order of history to geue this our natiō also something to vnderstand what hath bene done in other nations by these cruell Turkes and what detriment hath bene and is like more to happen by them to the Church of Christ except we make our earnest inuocatiō to almighty God in the name of hys sonne to stop the course of the deuill by these Turkes and to stay this defection of Christians falling daylye vnto them and to reduce them agayn to his fayth which are fallen frō him Which the Lorde Iesus of his grace graunt wyth speede Amen Before we enter into this story of the Turks and Saracens first let vs call to remembraunce the Prophecy and forewarning of S. Paule writing to the Thess. in his 2. Epistle in these words Be not moued nor troubled in your myndes eyther by preaching or by writing or by letter frō vs as though the day of the Lorde were at hande for the Lord will not come except there come a defection first and the wicked person be reuealed c. Of this defection sundry mindes there be of sundry expositours some thinking this defection to meane a falling away from the Empyre of Rome some from the obedience of the Pope But as S. Paul little passed vpon the outward glory of
proceding in his Prophesies shall the K. of Romanes after he hath reigned in IerusaleÌ„ a sabbate of times a half that is saith Mer. x. yeres a halfe take the crown froÌ„ his hed and yeld it vp to the Crosse in Golgotha where Christ was crucified and shall die And the Crosse with the crowne shal be taken into heauen which shal not appeare againe before the comming of the Lord. Fourthly it foloweth then moreouer in the Prophesies of Method Whych declareth that when the weeke or sabbate half weke of times shal end and wheÌ„ the K. of Romanes shall geue vp his crowne in Ierusalem die Then immediatly shal Antichrist the son of perdition begin to appeare be borne in Iewry of the tribe of Dan wherof also came Iudas Iscarioth he shal be borne saith Methodius in Chorosaim shal be bred in Bethsaida shal raign in CapernauÌ„ to the which 3. cities Christ the Lord gaue his 3. Vae And wheÌ„ great tribulatioÌ„ shal increase multiply in the daies of this Antichrist al lordship dominion shal be destroied the Lord shall sende his 2. faithful deare seruants Enoch and Hely to reproue and detect the false seducing lying forgeries of this Antichrist openly before all meÌ„ so that the people seing theÌ„selues falsly beguiled seduced by this son of perditioÌ„ coÌ„ming out of the teÌ„ple diseÌ„blingly to the destructioÌ„ of many shal leaue flie froÌ„ him ioyn theÌ„ selues to the said 2. holy prophets Which son of perdition Antichrist seing his procedings so to be reproued brought into coÌ„teÌ„pt in his fury anger shal kil the 2. Prophets of God And then shal appeare saith Methodius the signe of the comming of the sonne of man and he shall come in the clouds of heauenly glory and shall destroy the enemie with the spirite of his mouth c. Interpretation TO these prophesies testimonies of Methodius what credite it is to be geuen I leaue it to the Reader But if the meaning of his Prophesies goe by such order of times as is set disposed in his booke he semeth to describe vnto vs 4. principall states and alterations of times to come The first state and alteration is by Mahumete and the Saracens which be the ofsprings and sonnes of Ismael comming out of Arabie in the time of Heraclius Emperour of Constantinople An. 630. which rebelling against Heraclius increased preuailed still more more against the Christians both in Asia and Africa and also in many places in Europe especially in Spayne and Italy The seconde state alteration he Prophesieth to come by the Turke which first comming out of the farre partes of Seythia the is out of the North first ouercame the Saracenes subdued the Persians and afterward ioyning together w e the Saracens conquered the kingdome of Hierusalem about the yeare of our Lorde 1187 then subdued Syria and moste part of Asia c. And these be they whych Methodius seemeth to meane of speaking of the vile and miserable people closed vp of the Lord God at the intercession of Alexander the great captaine in the North betwene 2. mountaines the deepâ—â—nosse of 12. cubites wast that filthy corrupt nation shuld pollute the early with their wickednes Wherby are ment those Turkes which comming out froÌ„ the vttermost partes of the North that is out of Scythia and the mountaines of Caucasus or els Ismaels were withholden kept backe of Almighty God for Christes cause that they myght not harme his Church alongspace during the time of xii C. yeares yea and then the sinnes of the Christians so deseruing they were permitted of almighty God to breake out and to inuade the church who nowe ioyning together with the Saracens haue wrought and daily do woorke all these greuances against our Christian brethren as we se this day is come to passe and more is like to folow except the haÌ„d of the Lord which let them out do plucke them in againe Moreouer in the meane space betwene the reigne of the Saracens and the Turks where Methodius speaketh of the R. of Romaines which should restore quietnes to the church should raigne in Hierusalem a sabbate of tunes and halfe a sabbate thereby seemeth to be vnderstand the viage of Christian Princes out of the west partes of Europe vnder Gotfridus Duke of Lotharing his 2. brethren and many other christen Princes with 300. M. footmen and 100. M. horsemen who fighting against the Saracens recouered againe from them the Citie of Hierusalem in the yeare of our Lorde 1099. Which citie before had bene in their possession the terme of 490. yeres After which victory got first Gotfridus then Baldwinus his brother and other after them to the number of 9. Christen kings reigned in Hierusalem the space of 88. yeres and after that through the discord of the Christians not agreeing amoÌ„gst themselues both Hierusalem and Syria with other parts of Asia besides were subdued and wonne of the Turkes whych to this day they keepe yet still And this was in the yeare of our Lord. 1187. About which yeare and time as foloweth in Methodius when the Citie of Hierusalem shall be wonne of the Turkes then shall Antichrist begin to be borne of the tribe of Dan of whom came Iudas Iscarioth and shal be borne in Chorosaim and bredde in Bethsaida and reigne in Capernaum Meaning that this Antichrist or sonne of perdition shal be full of Gods malediction noted by Iudas Iscariothe and these 3. Cities against whome were spoken thrise Vae of the Lord. And heere is moreouer to be noted that Methodius sayth not that Antichrist shall be borne among the Saracens or Turkes but among the people of God and of the tribe of Israel Whereby is to be collected that Antichriste shal not come of the SaraceÌ„s nor Turks but shall spring vs among the Christians and sayeth Methodius shall seeme to come out of the Temple to deceiue many c. whereby the Pope may seeme rather then the Saracene or the Turk to be described for so much as the Pope being elected norished and raigning in the middest of Gods people at Rome sitteth in the temple and very place of Christ and no doubt deceiueth many c. And nowe to come to the time assigned of Methodius here is to be added also that which we read in Antoninus Par. 3. that about this said present time a certaine Bishop of Florence preached that Antichriste was then comming But the pope commanded him to keepe silence to speake no more therof Now why the pope so did why he could not abide the preaching of Antichriste I referre it to them which list to muse more vpon the matter This is certain that about this time heere assigned by Methodius came Petrus Lombardus Gratianus and Pope Innocent the thirde the first authors patrons of traÌ„substantiation At which time also began
hys owne promises Saluation standeth sure and certayne by Gods promise The place of S. Paule Rom. 4. expounded The 4. inconuenience The 4. principle aboue recited broken Ex Lindano in Epitome doctrinae Euangelicae The first errour of the Papistes touching good workes Hosius in 2. tom confessionis Cap. 1. The second errour of the Papistes in the doctrine of good workes Fayth the roote and cause of good workes Workes are not to be called good but by reason of fayth The office of fayth to iustifie The effect of fayth to bring forth good workes Fides per dilectioneÌ„ operans Gal. 5. The 3. errour of the Papistes touching the end of the law good works The end of the law and good workes peruerted Thom. Aquinas Hosius in 2. tom conses Cap. 1. The diuers opinions of their Catholicke Papistes how faith iustifieth The Popes doctrine agaynst the principles of Scripture The 4. errour of the Papistes touching the imperfection of man in satisfiyng the perfection of the law Agaynst the pâ—inciples of Scripture Precepteâ— and Counsayles Workes of supererogation Mens traditions preferred before the workes of Gods law Agaynst the principle of Scripture Erroneous doctrine of the latter Church of Rome concerning 〈◊〉 Original sinne 〈◊〉 it is Fomes peccati Concupiscentia Original sinne â—â—â—nuated False doctrine of the latter Church of Rome touching penaunce Contrition Confession Satisfaction True doctrine of repentaunce by the scripture Partes of repentance 1. Contrition 2. Fayth 3. New obedience The blinde ignoraunce of the popes Church in not distincting the law from the Gospel A Babilonicall confusion in the Popes doctrine What difference the Papistes put betwene Moses and Christ. Papistes make the Gospell a new law Papistes deuide the law into the law of nature the law of Moses and the lawe of Christ. The Popes Churche blinde in the office of Christ. The time of the law and time of the Gospell distincted Malediction of the law ceaseth in Christ. The vse of the law remayneth Christ and the law can not raygne together Ephes. 4. The power of the law is for a time The power of Christ is eternall Rom. 8. Colos. 2. The malediction of the law geueth place to Christ. The curse of the law is crucified and shall neuer rise agayne Rom. 7. Rom. 6. To be vnder the law and vnder grace expounded What is to be vnder grace Psal. 31. Act. 10. One remedy for remission of sins and no more Auriculer confession no remedy for remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes standeth vpon a generall cause and not particular The law crucifieâ— by Christ. 〈◊〉 meaneth Obiection Aunsâ—â—â— The cause of remission eueâ— one and perpetuall The promise of remission euer perpetuall Remission of sinnes freely promised without limitation of time or number The meanes whereby remission is promised is onely fayth The wordes of promise free and absolute Act. 10. Mans infirmitie impayreth not the grace of Christ but augmenteth it 2. Cor. 12. Rom. 5. Foure thinges concurre in remissioÌ„ of sinnes The Popes errours touching remission of sinnes detected What inconuenience riseth for Jacke of distinction betweene the law and the Gospell Erroneous doctrine of the papistes concerning free will Meritum de congruo Meritum de incongruo False doctrine concerning inuocation Mediator of intercession Mediator of saluation Christ a continuall Mediator by the doctrine of S. Paule Rom. 8. Christ onely being our Mediator of saluation what needeth any other Mediation of Sainctes Saluation falsely attributed to the blessed Virgine Idolatrous adoration of Reliques and Sacramentes Prophanation of the Lordes Supper False mâ—lting by Masses False doctrine touching Sacramentes The number Caâ—â—e finall The operation The application of Sacramentâ— Errours and abuses in Baptisme Baptising of Belles False doctrine of the Popes Churche concerning the Lordes Supper Idolatry coÌ„mitted to the Sacrament The Sacrament turned to an Idole ChauÌ„ging Worshiping Offering Eating Burning the body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar Absurdities and errours of the popes Churche touching Matrimony 1. Cor. 7. 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 4. Leuit. 18. Single life be it neuer so impure preferred before Matrimony The third part of christendome stopt by the Popes law to marry the Popes doctrine agaynst Priestes maryage and their Children The third part of the yeare exempted froÌ„ the mariage Mariage within the fift or sixt degree by the Popes law Gossippes inhibited to marry by the Popes law What inconueniences come by restrayning of mariage The corrupt doctrine of the Popes Churche concerning ciuile rulers and magistrates Rom. 13. The Phantasies and Antiques of the popes Churche concerning Purgatory Ex Thom. Mono alijs Manifest defection of the Popes Church from the olde fayth of Rome Contrarietie betweene the Religion of Christ and of the Pope briefly noted Christes doctrine is wholly spirituall No outward thing is required in Christes doctrine to make a Christen man but onely Baptisme and the Lordes Supper All doctrine of the Pope standeth onely in outward things A Christen man defined after the Popes doctrine Corporall exercise serueth to small profite Two thinges in this history chiefly to be noted The world The kingdome of Christ in this world The visible Church The Church of Christ deuided in two sortes of people Euseb. Lib. 1. cap. 1. Gods punishment for refusing the Gospel Tiberius Casar moueth the Senate to haue Christ receaued Christ refused of the Senate of Rome The vayne cause why the Senate of Rome refused Christ. Tertul. Apol. cap. 5. Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 3. The Senate and Citie of Rome plagued for refusing of Christ. Ex Suet. in vitae Tiberij Christ suffereth and riseth agayne An. 34. Sainct Paul conuerted An. 35. An. 39. Caesar. Caligula Caligula commaunded hys image to be set vp in the Temple of Hierusalem The abhomination of desolation standing in the holye place Herode miserably dyed in banishment Gayphas deposed An. 43. Ex Gotfrido Viterbiensi part 25 Claudius Nero. An. 56. Domitius Nero. The horrible wickednes and crueltie of Nero. Peter and Paule suffered for Christ. An. 69. Vespasian Emperour and Titus his sonne The destruction of the Iewes A note for all Realmes to marke The Romanes in contemning Christ punished by their owne Emperours Examples of the 〈◊〉 plague of God vpon the Romaine Emperours persecuting and resisting Christ till the time of Constantine Tiberius 〈…〉 Neâ—â— Galbe Ottho Vitelius Titus Domitian Commedus Pertinax Iulianas Seueras Gera. Bassianus Macrinus Deadâ—nerus Helagabâ—lus Alexande Seuerus Maximinus Maximus Barbinus Gordianus Philippus Decius Gallus Volusianus Aemilianus Varelianus Galienus Aurelianus Tacitus Florinus Probus Carus Dioclesianus Maximianus Galerius Maximinus Maxentius Licinius Brittaines Gildas Wickliefe and hys bookes condemned and brent for an heriticke after hys death Gods benefites toward England A caueat for England S. Steuen the first ring leader of all Christes Martyrs S Iames the Apostle brother of Iohn Martyred Act. 12. Hist. Eccle. lib. 2. cap. 9. Ex clemente Septimae Hypolyposeon A notable conuersion of a
the old lawe which be not obserued nowe Many thinges vnlawful in the old law which be lawful now How Christ did loose and not loose the lawe Free iustification by fayth onely Grace that is free fauour mercy goodnes of God Rom. 5. Hebrews 9. Christ entreth not into the temple made by man but to very heauen The sacrifice of Christ not many tymes offered but once for all Hebrew 10. All shadowes ought to cease among Christians Hebrewes 7. Where the priesthood is remoued there also the law is remoued * 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 but no 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 and not by the old law The 〈◊〉 ceasing the effect also ceaseth He meaâ—â—â—â— that neceâ—â—tie of tithe which â—â—â—deth by the neceâ—â—â—â— the old â—â—â— to cease If tithes be claymed by force of the ólde law by the same law priestes are boundâ— to haue â—â— temporalties He proueth not coÌ„tâ—â—â— but the 〈◊〉 thes be 〈◊〉 by the positiue law of man Although not by the ceremoniall law of Moses Circumciâ—â— ceaseth Ergo the ceremonies doe cease Galat. 4. Chrisâ—â— libertie from the bondage of the lawe Bounde in one thing hee meaneth bound in all Either beâ—â— to all or to none * Here hee expresseth his meaning plainly The one is disalowed the other is not commaunded Priestes wrest religion to theyr owne profit Tithes not expreslye commanded a newe by Christ in the Gospell Math. 6. 1. Tim. 6. Tythes not required in the primitiue church Tithes due to be payde by the positiue lawe of men The doctrine of Christ whether it be contrary to the traditions of the pope or not Math. 5. The doctrine of Christ and of the P. compared The glose of Gratianus vpon the cap. Paratus 23. q. 1. disproued Christ in aunswering to his striker did not breake his rule of patience outwardly The precept of Christ to turne the other cheek hath a priuy comparison as if ye would say rather be you content to suffer two blows then to reuenge one This article of Brute must haue a relation euer to the doctrine of the clergie The case here againe of Christ was priuate and his doctrine is to be vnderstanded in priuate cases Warre in case allowed of W. Brute He meaneth resistance for priuate cause or for worldly goods Pacience commanded in priuate causes among Christen brethren The inconuenience of priuate resistance amoÌ„g Christen brethren Paule being striken did not breake the rule of Christen patience neither made any bodely resistance The fact either of Paul or of any other doeth not derogate to the doctrine of our Sauiour Rom. 12. Rules of Christen patience 1. Cor. 5. He meaneth such warres of ChristiaÌ„s as the pope aloweth rising rather of priuate reuenge of princes for worldly glory or affection theÌ„ for any publike necessitie Ephe 6. Corporall wars in the old Testament be figures of the spirituall warres in the new Testament against sin and the deuill What be the wars most proper to Christians All this taketh not away the lawfulnes of warres in case of publike necessitie but onely in priuate case for temporall goods * Note this word without charitie Such kynde of wars that is suche kinde as be for priuate reuenge of temporall goods How Iohn Baptist alowed war They that be lesse in the kingdom of heauen greater then Iohn Baptist expounded He meaneth at those wars against 〈◊〉 sur 〈◊〉 and procured by â—â— pope vpâ—â— blind superstition to fight for the â—oâ—y lande 〈◊〉 taâ—â—â— by prinâ—â—â— in the â—â—essary â—â—â—sence of â—â—â—selues â—â— of their â—â—â—ntrey Obiection Answere â—egibus aâ—â—dum non exemplis True miracles here of holy men be â—â— disproued but speaâ—â—ng vniuersity the â—â—ple doctrine and worde of God is the â—â—â—e rule for men to followe â— Reg. 22. Acâ—s deâ—â—â—ed by â—â—â—se prophets Iere. 23. Prophets must be tryed by doctrine Marke 13. 1. Cor. 11. False prophets Apoc. 13. Myracles are to be tryed Math. 7. The seruauntes of Christ discerned by working not of miracles but of vertues Men or women are not rashly to be iudged Saintes This propositioÌ„ of Walter Bruit concerning the war of Christians not to be lawfull is not to bee taken vniuersally but in particular case as he meaneth which is this that such wars alowed of the pope not for the necessary defence of publike peace libertie and sauegard of our countries or against publike iniuries offered but onely to go kill the infidels because they beleeue not hauing no other cause those warres of the pope hee lyketh not Doctrine of Christian mercy declared Math. 5. Math. 6. Math. 7. Math. 18. Mercy and pitie commended among Christians Mercy and compassion necessary to all Christians The pope contrary to Christ in shewing mercy 23.9.5 The foundation of the foresayde 5. quest caus 23. in the popes decrees taken onely out of the old Testament and nothing out of the newe The makers of the popes law follow not the perfect rule Iohn 1. Iohn 8. Heere is mâ—t to be vnderstand not what publike nâ— gistrates may doe in cases of â—â—gh teousnes but what ecclesiastical persons according to the office of their profession should doe in not reuenging by death as they doe by offices Whether the iudiciall law of Moises fullye now after the coÌ„ming of Christ standeth in force or not The law of Moses of all lawes most iustest * His marcell is not so much why theeues are put to deth but why the Iudiciall lawe of Moses in this point is broken in other points is straightly kept Mark his meaning * Take his meaning wisely gentle reader his mind is not so that no magistrate being not without sin may punish a transgressioâ—s but he speaketh against such churchmeÌ„ whoÌ„ professing the rule of mercy shew no mercy at all but â—â— rigor by their law ex officâ—â— * 〈◊〉 meaâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 and of â—â—lergic â—â— speketh 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of reâ—â—â— not 〈◊〉 the â—â—cution â—â—cesiary 〈◊〉 done by â—â—â—â—trates â—â—e dreame â—â—â—â—uchoâ—â—our â—â—â—erning â—â—â—â—ge â—â—â—â—ded â— Damel The Iudaiâ—â—ll necessitie of those â—â—â—es hee â—eaneth to â—â—â—se notwithstanâ—â—g Chriâ—â—n princes â—â—â— borrow â—â—th out of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—es and out of al 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 thinke â—â—â—â— exâ—â—â—ent for 〈◊〉 comâ—â—â— weale His purpose is not thaâ— no euill doer should be punished in a common welth but his relation is to the 23. q. 5. asoresaid noting causes of religion which the Pope and his prelates are wont to punish with death taking many times for Tares that which in deed is pure wheate 1. Cor. 5. Hereby it appeareth that all his relation in this matter toucheth onely the cases of heresie and opinions in religion By this it appeareth againe that his respect is onely to the pope and his prelates of the church and not to ciuill magistrates The example of Peter slaying Ananias and Saphira falsly wrasted of the papists Peter not the cause of the death of Ananias and Saphyra The wedding garment what it is The death of Ananias and his wife what information
34. Ex titu 9. Ex an 14. Regis Richardi secundâ— tit 6. Tit. 24. Against vsury Ex. tit 29. Vide articulum Tit. 29. Ex An. 17. Reg. Richâ— Titul 33. Ex an 20. Reg. Rich. 2. tit 22. Here the Archb. of Cant. goeth contrary to himselfe Titul 32. Tit. 36. Ex 21. an Reg. Rich. titul 15. Ex tit 16. Tho. Arundell Archb. of Cant. proued a traitour by parliament Ex tit 17. Anno. 1399. The depo 〈◊〉 of kyng Archb. the 2. The Story 〈◊〉 â—â—ge â—â—entable â—lâ—es and vertues mixt â—â— K. Rich. What it is â—â— the sixe in mainteâ—â—nce of the Gospell Aâ—â—icles 33. â—â—l against K. Richard Gods special lauour necessary for princes â—al â— The king ledde with lewde counsayle The nobles vp in armes against certaine of the kings counsailours Ex. Chron. D. Albani The second preparatine to the kings deposing I. Waltam B. of Salisb. makebate Tho. Arundell Archb. of York Londiners sauourers of Wickliffes doctrine Ex histor D. Albani cuius sic habet initium An. gratia c. Londiners complayned of to the king by the Byshops Beati pacifici The court remoued froÌ„ London to Yorke The 3. preparatiue to the kings deposing The king aresting his owne Vncle caused him to be put wrongfully to death The king aresting his owne Vncle caused him to be put wrongfully to death Erle of Notingham made duke of Northfolke The duke of Northfolke and duke of Hereford banished Tho. Arundell banished as a traytor by parliament Ann. 1399. What euil company doth about a kyng K. Richard returneth from Irelande to Milford hauen K. Richard forsake of his suâ—ieâ—s What it is for a prince to be beloued of his subiectes K. Richard agreed to resigned â— crowne The kyng committed to the Tower The wordes of Henry Duke clayming the crowne K. Henry 4. inthroned and crowned Anno. 1400. W. Sautre Martyr W. Sautre brought before the byshops in the conuocation The articles 〈◊〉 Sautre The answer of W. Sautre giuen vp in writing The crosse materially not to bee worshipped A man predestinate rather to be worshipped than an Angell that is to say neither can be worshipped without idolatrie How bread remaineth in the Sacrament The conuocation continued W. Sautre agayn examined Determination of the Church so to be folowed as it is ioyned to the will of God The sentence against W. Sautre A certaine processe against W. Sautre presented by the Bish. of Norwiche Proces against W. Sautre Ex Regist. Cantuar. Sentence of relapse Sentence of degradation The patteÌ„t and chalice takeÌ„ froÌ„ him The booke of a new TestameÌ„t taken froÌ„ him The Albe taken from him The candlesticke taper taken from hym The holy water bucke coniâ—â—ed from him He meaneth the legend booke as saith the Register The Surplice taken from him The church dore keyes taken from him Priuilege of the clergie taken from him The priestes cap taken from his head maketh vp all in all The cruell decree of the king agaynst Sawtre Preposterous zeale without knowledge Admonition to Princes K Henry the first of English kinges that tormented the Christians with fire Much murder beheading in K. Henryes time the 4. * It is to be doubted Ex calendario 〈◊〉 Anno 1403. Archb. of Yorke and L. Moubray against King Henry 4. L. Bardolfe Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland agaynst the king Ex histor Scala muÌ„di Articles set vpon church dores against K. Hen. 4. Ann. 1405. A bill of articles sâ—typ against king Henry 4. K. Henry periured K. Henry changed with vnluthe K. Henry charged with treason agaynst his soueraigne K. Henry charged with aâ—â—â—dâ—ring of his prince K. Henry charged with the orders of the church K. Henry charged with tyranny The K charged with euill gouernement K. Hen. charged with oppression and periury Three causes declared Earle of Westmerland against the Archb. Falsehood in 〈◊〉 The Archb. of Yorke craftely circumuented The Archb. of Yorke L. Tho'Moubray with many Yorke shire â—â—n executed The Earle of Northâ—berland L. Tho. Bar. dolfe slaine Anno. 1408. Abbot of 〈◊〉 Anno. 1409. Iohn Badby martyr Ex Regist. Tho. Arundel The articles read The Sacrament of Christes body I can not blame ye that ye are so angry for it was not for your profite The senteÌ„ce oâ— the B. of Worcester against Iohn Badby A table of monkes and friers about the condemnation of Iohn Badby Quare fremuerunt gâ—ntes Psal. 2. Scribes with Pharises The aunswere of Iohn Badby to the articles The substance of bread not chaunged in the Sacrament The coÌ„stancy of Iohn Badby before the Archb. The Bishops make sure work The Archb. 〈◊〉 and Iaylor A stiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus c. Psal. 2. Note here murdring wolues in sheepes cloathing The priâ—â— labourcâ—â— to turne Badby The sacrament solemnely brought to Smithfield at the burning of Badbye All the power of man set against the Gospel The Gospel of Christ counted as wicked and hereticall The cruell statute ex officio A bloudie law of king Henry 4. A bloudy statute The lawe of Maximinus and the statute ex officio compared A cruell constitution by the Archb. agaynst the Gospellers with 13. articles Blasphemy not of pure man but of true God Hee meaneth here of Thomas Becket his predecessour who had â—is braynes beat out in the time of K. Hen. 2 Scripture clarkly applyed This geare hangeth togea ther lyke germaâ—es lyppes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke this you Grammarians Marke well the popes diuinitie An argument far fet that true doctrine conssisteth in making one head of the Church How aptly he painteth the proceedinges of his owne popish Church Apos 6. The figure of the black horse in the Apoc. doctorly expoâ—ded Behold the true image of Wolues vnder sheepes clothing The first coÌ„stitution No priestes to preach but by limitation of the prealates A ioly mene to bring the world into such darknes Constit. 2. Constit. 3. what tyraÌ„ny is this to bynde the preachers mouth what to say Constit. 4. A barre for the preachers Const. 5. A caueat for schoolemasters Const. 4. Books of Iohn Wickliffe forbidden Constit. 7. He confesseth that S. Ierome erred in his translation And yet the said Archb. coÌ„meÌ„ded Queene Anne for hauing the scripture in Englishe Constit. 8. Termes and propositions in disputing to be obserued Constit. 6. Authoritie of the popes decretals not to be doubted d vnder painâ— of heresie Adoration of the crosse * With all abhomination Constit 10. No priest to celebrate without their letters of orders Constit. 11. Oxford famous for sincere religion Inquisition to bemade through Colledges and halles of Oxforde I would 〈◊〉 like were vsed nowe for the banishing of papistry Constit. 12. Constit. 13. Easier to oâ—fend against the princes law then against the byshops Iohn Puruey Iohn Edward Iohn Becket Iohn Seynons abiured The articles 1 Their arcle coÌ„monly was thus that who so taketh vpon him the office of a
the tithes geuen to the Leuites Christ comâ—â—undeth â—â—es not â— his exâ—pt tithes â—â—almes Tithes by â—hâ—m and when they were first commauÌ„ded â—a the new â—â—w Paule haâ—â—ng power to take yet â—â—ed it not Paule wold not be chargeous 〈◊〉 priestes were coueâ—â—us than what be they now This rule with the rule of begging Frices can not stand togeather Holesome â—â—ough my Lord if your â—it were to â—â—uour it But it conâ—â—rieth not the ordinaÌ„ce â—eyther of God nor of his worde If priestes would not â—â—acke in their duetie they should not lacke in hauing sufficient Fallax argumentum secundum non causam â—vt causam The euill demeanor of the priestes is the cause why the people be so slacke in their tithes Priestes being content with sufficiency and a bare liuing ought to part the residue to the poore Priestes did so than but our priestes doe not to now Whether tithes are to be paid to priestes doing not their duetie Gostly mother nay an vngostly stepdam to all Gods children By the law none could chaleng tithes but onely the seed of Leuy Our priestes be not of the seede of Leuy Ergo by the law our priestes cannot chalenge tithes As the priestbood is chaÌ„ged so is the law chaunged Blesse but curse not saith S. Paule He goeth neare you my Lord when he toucheth your tithes The difference of the freedoms betwene the old and new lawes For what cause tithes were geueÌ„ in the olde law If you take a way tithes you vndoe the church Thorpe preach agaynst whom thou wilt so thou touch not this scabbe The viciousnes and pride of priestes infecteth â—ll the world A spitefull meeknes that is in skarlet gownes The signes and markes of proud priestes Paule saith god shall iudge all fornicators what say you my Lord Priestes ought to be examples of good lining Clarkly spoken and like a Parasite Forget nothing I pray you my Lord. Not lawfvll to sweare by any creature Men ought not to sweare when without an othe he may excuse himselfe that is compelled to sweare Well said Sir Iohn of you your holy mother stroke your head These prelates would be thou be to be good be they neuer so bad A communication betwixt a lawier and a diuine To sweare by a booke is to sweare by creatures Chrisostom blameth booke oath Here now lacked Boner to scratch hym by the face Fither Malueren or els Syr Bryan Blowcole Christ promiseth geueth mouth vtterance The place of Chrisostome expounded how it is sin to sweare well What it is to sweare well Pope holy Church To touch a booke is to sweare by a booke It is happy that he calâ—ed not for a candle and made a Sceâ—ola of him as â—oner did 〈◊〉 Tomkins It is happy that Chrisostome was not here or els he would haue had him by the backe But that word cannot be touched Thorpe refseth not sweare Whether the booke be the Gospell â—â—om saith the Gospel is not the Gospel for â—rading but for beleuing The Gospel is not the leaues of the booke but the roote of reason S. Paule Dauid This clarke was well â—eene in the Masse booke The Gospel is not the letter but hid in the letter Misty matters for your blind eyes The kingdome of God taken for the vnderstanding of Gods word This salte was somewhat two sharpe for their rotten fleshe to abide Helpe downe with him sir Iohn Note here the crafty practise of this holy church A false brother A crafty trayne of a popishe dissembler Auricular confession God onely forgeueth sinne man onely can couÌ„sell to leaue sinne Shrife coÌ„fessioÌ„ to priestes A good secular man may be counseller where a priest faileth by S. Augustine Morden Monke of Feuersam preaching of coÌ„fession Harty repeÌ„taÌ„ce to God needeth no confession to a priest No nor nothing els that is good Christ geueth freedome the pope geueth thraldome The true freedome of holy church not destroyed but increased by true preachers Take my Lords blassing stand vp My Lord hath hast for being benighted And why compel you this man to the contrary Thorpe coÌ„tent to submit himself to the ordiâ—â—unce of councels â—f Boner 〈◊〉 bene 〈◊〉 hee would not 〈◊〉 strokeÌ„ 〈◊〉 cupbord 〈◊〉 multiâ—â—e is not 〈◊〉 foloâ—ed in euil 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 is God â—â—ing him â—â—to himâ—â—fe â— cleane 〈◊〉 thrift 〈◊〉 sin Other mens examples are so to be folowed as they be the followers of Christ Promotions commonly and great liuinges choke truth Men folowing the wayes of Balaam Thorpes felow refuseth to sweare to the prelates Vide supra pag. 497. Arundell the Archb. going out of England The gentlenes of the B. of LoÌ„don to Thorpe So promised Winchester in Queene Maries time but that passed his power to performe A notable aunswer of Thorpe to the Byshop promising to destroy all the Gospellers Such pearles would better beseeme my Lord your golden shooes At illi clamabaÌ„t dicentes tolle tolle crucifige eum Luke 23. Obedience to God and to hys lawe woulde not serue In patience and silence possesse your soules Thorp cast in prison Thorpe comforted strengthened of the Lord after his conflict with the bishop Christ dwelleth in a faythfull soule Christ is the stone wheron we must buildâ— Howe we are made the temple of God Marke what we haue by Christ. The propertie of a square stone Christ is an example of all perfect meekenes Priests seeâ— the pleasure of this world Great oddâ— betwixt the life of 〈◊〉 and Châ—â— and hys Apostles WheÌ„ prieâ—â— forget God truth 〈◊〉 whether they runne headlong The greâ—â— infect the small Fleshlye priests cannot 〈◊〉 with thâ— thinges They hunt after this with tooth and nayle An exhortation to all degrees to see priesthood amended Prelates priestes negligent in their duties Cirp 1. q. 1. cap. Si quis inquit The ende of W. Thorpe vncertayne Iohn Puruey Iohn Puruey prisoned after his recantation Articles of Iohn Puruey recaÌ„ted He speaketh of priestes here not of publique ministers appointed in the Church Vowes The charge of priests Against transubstantiation Articles out of Purueys bookes collected by R. Lauingham The Sacrament of the popish aultar Pope Innocentius head of Antichrist The sacrament in substaÌ„ce bread in signification the body of Christ TransubstaÌ„tiation not openlye taught 1000 yeares after Christ. The Sacrament both bread and the body in diuers respectes Auricular confession and penance The order of Priesthood He meaneth of priuate preaching to theyr neighbours True ministers may be made without shauing Priests here haue a priâ—â—ne not a publique vnderstanding What if there were â—o Pope knowen yet the Church could stand Iâ—nsure â—â—th not â—Priest The Popes â—esures like the blast of Lucifer Popishe priests haue not the keâ—eâ— of heauen but rather of hell The popes curse hurteth not but profiteth Gossopry not sufficient cause to restraine matrimony The first mariage lawfully before witnes made standeth Keeping making vowes Possessions of the Church 1. q. 3.24 q. 1. Cap
pope Straight handling of the kings L. Cobham would not obey the beast The confession answer of the L. Cobham newly copyed Cayphas sitteth in consistory Antichrist was here in full power A signe of gods true 〈◊〉 The Sacrament of the Lords â—ody Penaunce Images Pilgrimage The aunswer examined Quarel picked where 〈◊〉 was geuen The Christen aunswere of the Lord Cobham vnto their quarellinges The wolfe was hungry he must needes be fed with bloud A tyrannous whore is that mother His auÌ„swer not to their mindes Antichrist setteth men aboue God The L. CobhaÌ„ resorteth vnto Christ. What could be more reasonably had if they had reasoÌ„ to receaue it A doctrine of deuils to blinde the simple Ex magna professu Thom 4 Arundel The first Article The second Article The third Article The seede of the Serpent The fourth Article He seeth their ignoraunce and malice He putteth his life in Gods hand Ex â—troque exemplari The couÌ„sell of Cayphas The phariseis and Scribes A rable of Antichristes ConciliuÌ„ ma lignansiuÌ„ For a false coulor sweare they All done to deceiue the ignoraunt Lord Cobham commeth againe before them Ex â—etusto exemplari LondineÌ„siuÌ„ The curse of Antichrist Malachi 2. A woluishe after of gentlenesse L. Cobham confesseth himselfe into God Mans law before Gods law preferred â—liere 51. The Christen beliefe of the Lord Cobham Math. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Antichrist alloweth not this faith The sacrament of the aultar Iohn Whithead gone from his opinion All this would not helpe A blasphemous bloode Quarell pickers The sacrameÌ„t of Christes body is both the body and bread Neither will scripture nor reason serue This opinioÌ„ hath S. Augustine Gelasius contra Eutichen The popes diuâ—nitic Materiall Iohn 6. An heresie after the papistes making 1. Cor. 10 The sacrament is called bread The determination of the church must stand whatsoeuer Paule saith A most christen aunswere The iudgement of L. Cobham concerning the determinatioÌ„ of the Church The Doctours consounded in their owne question The L. CobhaÌ„ beleueth not in the Pope An heresie after the papistes Holy church defined Consider him to be then in shrewde handlinge Walden contra Wieleuistas li. ar 2. Cap. 67 How we may iudge or not iudge by the scriptures Math. 7. Iohn 1. Iohn 7. Deut. 16. Psal. 56. Diuersitie of iudgementes A persite aunswere Esay 5. Esay 55. Walden in prafasione doctrina 7. A great aduersary Hieroni. in breniâ—ri im minori Luke 11. Iohn 10. Doctours when the scripture faile they begin to raise The clergie to sit on life or death hath no ground in scriptures Followers of Cayphas 26. Bishops of Rome togeather mat tirs saue one ly 4. A coÌ„parison betwene the martirs and the Popes tyme. A coÌ„parison betwene Christ and the Pope Rome is Antichristes neast Esay 9. Friers proued seditious and yet fouÌ„d no traytors Math. 23. The religió of Bishops Note I pray you how those are counted traitors and sedious that teach or cause Gods truth to be taught Luke 23. Iohn 19. Math. 24. Prophecy Prophecy Priestes Deacons Market this working of Sathan Act. 6. The first article Transubstantiation of bread into the body The L. Cob his beliefe in the sacrament Theâ— Article Confessió of sinne to God onely Malachi 20 The 3. Article Who is next into Peter Succession not of place but of conditioÌ„s maketh Peters heire Antichristes head body taile The 4. Article Pilgrimage What is to be dóe with Images Saintes are becoÌ„e now couetous beggers A whelpe of the same heare Images not to be worshipped The crosse whether it is to be worshipped Galat. 6. The materiall crosse is not materiall to our faith What it is to reioyce in the crosse of Christ. SlauÌ„dered with the truth These meÌ„ seeme to stand onely vpon their estemation amoÌ„gest the people A woluishe offer of gentleness Bloudy muâ— therâ—n Suffered of god as a plague An hereticke foâ— confessing of Christ. Ezec 18. Ezec 35. The wolfe would appeare charitable See if they shew not themselues Ex magno processu Thomae Arund eli That church is an whore A true shepe heareth the voice of a true pastor A colour of deceite As Caiphas did Christ. Christ is condeÌ„ned in his faithful members How spirituall these fathers are Keepe the sepul chre neuer so much yet Christ will rise None office left vndone pertaining to Antichrist What care is here to hold vp their popery Tho. Waldi in susesculo ZizanioruÌ„ Wseleus Richarde Clifford Rob. Mascall Ex â—eroque exemplari Math. 10. Iob. 1. Math. 10. He prayeth for his enemyes Ex â—etusto exemplari LoÌ„dinensiuÌ„ A testimoni all made by his frendes To stop lying lippes A rehersall of his belief In forme of bread but not without bread he meaneth The clergie in hate of the people A practise of false priests These are their coÌ„mon feates Walden in sasesculo zi zansorum Wielens Make from whence this geate commeth Fine worâ—â—â—hip I 〈◊〉 Alas good can thou 〈◊〉 slaundeâ—◠〈◊〉 proue 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 No scripâ—â— haue they to 〈◊〉 Intollera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 made 〈◊〉 such an 〈◊〉 And this maintaine they still The pope holy bible of papists Marke this haÌ„dling This charge geue they commonly For confirmation of this historie Ex archiuis et Regist. Tho. Arund Archiep. Cant. Polydorus and Edw. Haull deceiued A thing thought right necessary that the L. Cobham should be made out of the way or els not possible for papistry to florish Sir I. Oldecastel in fauour with the kyng The keyes of the church falsely wrasted The L. Cobham excommunicated The L. Cobham cast into the Tower The teres of the Crocadile Popish absolution neglected The Sacrament of the aultar Of penance Of Images Of pilgrimages See whether these men picke quarelles where they neede now Here is no mention made of the worde of God Wolues clothed in 〈◊〉 skins The summe in the poâ—â—â— beliefe Confession The Popes â—â—premacy Pilgrimage Conueneâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christum 〈◊〉 Psal. 2. The sacrament both body and bread in diuers respectes How confession is to be alowed What honour is to be done to the crosse The pope is Antichrist the Byshops are his members and fryers his tayle The bolde talke of the L. Cobham They cal them selues humble which rule ouer kinges and exercise the tyranny of the world Folowing christes footsteppes cleane contrary The vniuersall church meaning by a figure the part for the whole They call light darknes and darknes light Like will to like So did the Pharisies deliuer Christ vnto Pilate Syr Rob. Morley The L. Cobham returned againe to the Tower Alanus Copus Anglus with his fixe Dialogues Erostratus to get him a fame set Dianas temple on fire Alanus Copus Anglus intemperately abuseth hys penne Copus a barker agaynst dead me ... Answere to Alanus Copus Indifferency of the reader craued Whether the L. Cobham be to be iudged a traytor or a martyr The L. Cobham true and obedient to
maintained any doctrine against the Churche of Rome but onely spake against their naughtie lyfe Hierome did put them to silence Hierome in prison 340. dayes The excellent memory in M. Hierome M. Hierome brought agayne before the couÌ„cell M. Hierom holdâ—th all the articles of the Catholicke Church The eloquence of M. Hierome The prophesie of M. Hierome A paper with redde deuilles put vpon the head of M. Hierome by deuelishe papistes M. Hierome committed to the secular power M. Hierome went singing vnto his martirdome M. Hierome praieth M. Hierome â—â—â— to an Image like to Iohn Hus. M. Hierome â—â—geth at â—â— burning The wordes of Hierome to the people M. Hierome geueth testimony of Iohn Hus. The last wordes of M. Hierome The crueltie of his death The ashes of M. Hierome cast into the riuer of Rheine The witnes of the writer The truth of this storie Math. 7. Rom. 13. The cause of I. Hus cleared by the testimony of the nobles of Bohemia All that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3. Defence of M. Hierome of Prage He meaneth the longe schisme spoken of before where three popes were striuing one against an other * A quadrant being foure square prouerbially signifieth a man that is constant and immutable Rom. 12. Iohn 8. Deut. 38. Psal. 30. These noble men offered their obedience to the Pope no further then was lawful honest and agreeable to reason and the lawe of God Marke this and learne you noble men Vid supra pag. 588. Henry Chichesley Archb. of Cant. The historie of I. ClaidoÌ„â—â—nner of London of Robert Turming Baker Ex regist Cant. I. Claidon â—â—amined I. Claydon â—â—st imprisoned by R. Braybroke Bishop of London 1. Claidon before abiuâ—ed Englishe bookes The iudgement of the Maior of London Claidon bestowed much money vpon Englishe bookes Iohn Claydon could not read Richard Turming Baker This Turming belike was then in prison William Lindewood doctor of both lawes An Englishe booke intituled The Lanterne of light The head taile of Antichrist This is true speaking of the inuisible Church Two causes of persecution noted Foure conditioÌ„s in geuing almes That bread remaineth in the Sacrament The bookes of I. Claidon burned The sentence condemnation of Iohn ClaidoÌ„ Iohn Claidon coÌ„mitted to the secular power The law de comburendo insufficient The death and martirdome of Iohn Claidon I. Claidon Richard Turming martus Anno 1416. Ex Regist. Chichesley 217. You should be better occupied to shake of the duste from your duâ—y pulpets Twise euery yeare to enquire for Lollardes Against priuie conuenticles To differ froÌ„ the common sort in life and maners against the popes lawe Against Englishe bookes The trouble of I. Barton and Robert Chapell in cause of religion This Philip seemeth to be Philippe Repington afore mentioned in the story of Wicklieffe R. Chapell â—â—â—ureth Articles obtruded to R. Chapel to confesse Marke well this catholicke doctrine of the Popes Church concerning remission of sinnes Marke how this doctrine ioyneth with Gods coÌ„maundement with his word Ergo by this doctrine the iust man liueth not by his faith but by his confession auricular How can these priestes be seruantes of Christ which be makers of Christ. Priuate religioÌ„s profitable if ye could tell wherfore Straight inquisition in EnglaÌ„d Christ had the hartes of men they had their bodies A briefe summe of such as abiured vnder Hen. Chichesley I. Tailour W. Iames. I. Dweiffe Iohn Iourdelay I. Iourdelay abiureth Rob. person of Heggeley examined W. Henry of Tenterdon examined A booke of the new laW I. Galle R. Monke Bart. Coâ—moÌ„ger N. Hoper Tho. Granter troubled for their doctrine A subsidie geâ—thered by the pope to fight against the faithfull of Bohemia Romishe sleightes to get the Englishe money Articles obiected against Rafe Mungin Trialogus The Gospells translated by Iohn Wickliffe Radulph Mungin condeÌ„ned to perpetual prisoÌ„ Tho. Granter Richard Monke The recantation of Tho. Granter Note the doctrine opinions in those daies where the Gospell tooke place One head that is the vnitie of the Church Men tied to the Church of Rome The affliction and trouble in Kent vnder Chichesley Persons persecuted in Keâ—t The seconde apprehensioÌ„ of the Lord Cobham The Lord Powes plaieth Iudas Treason falsly surmised Vide supra pag. 575. Iudas feeleth for his reward An. 5. Henr. 5 act 17. An. 5. HeÌ„nr 5. act 17. All the blame laide to the Lollardes Articles decreed in the Councell of Constance agoinst the Bohemians The fauores of I. Hus in Boheme This suffragane was a good man and helde with Iohn Hus. Wicklieffes bookes translated by I. Hus and Iacobellus into the BohemiaÌ„ speach Concilium malignantium Deposing of Pope Iohn 23. Ex hist Albani The election of Pope Martine The Emperour kisseth the popes feete Pope Martind The coronation of pope Martine Meretrix câ— quitans super bessiam Apocalip The pope 〈◊〉 horseâ—acke the Emperour â—â— foote Why then doth the â—apekâ—epe â—â—â—l the olde Iewes ceremonies if all thinges be made new Anno. 14â—7 A yearely memoriall of Iohn Hus Hierome â—â—pt among 〈◊〉 Bohemiaâ—ns K. Wenceslaus threatneth Nicholas The death of King Wenceslaus The maruelous worke of Gods iudgemeÌ„t to be noted in defending his people Out of Ene as Siluius Zischa getteth Pelzina The queene sendeth for Sigismund the Empeerour The Emperours Ambassadours agree with the citizeÌ„s of Prage The citie of Prage fell from the Emperour The complainte of the citie of Prage against Sigismund The policie of Zisca The citie of Thabor builded Siâ—â—smund get 〈◊〉 the castle â—â— Prage Zisca getteth the citie of Prage Prage besieged of Sigismund The Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmish Sigismund the Emperour rayseth his siege The Emperour fighting against Zisca had the ouerthrow The Abbeis of Pelsina subuerted Zisca putteth the Emperour to flight Zisca loseth hys other eye in battel Zisca albeit he lost his eyes yet would not forsake his army Zisca taketh diuers townes The Saxons retyre The Emperour with his power entreth againe into Boheme The Emperour afrayde of Zisca flyeth The powch of Antichrist A noble victory of Zisca Zisca destroyeth images and idols in Churches Ioanes Premostratensis The martirdome of certane godly Bohemians falsely circuÌ„uented and killed with sword Priuie murther at length commeth out Stench very â—â—rtfull for 〈◊〉 teeth An other warlike pollicy of Zischa Straetagema Procopius Magnus The valiant courage of Procopius The victorie of the protestantes The battaile betweene the citie of Prage Zisca The noble victory of Zisca Zisca besiegeth Prage A notable oration of Zisca to his souldiours The hartes of the souldiours altered by the oratioÌ„ of Zisca Peace betweene Zisca and Prage by the meanes of Iohn de Rochezana The Emperour glad to be recoÌ„ciled with Zisca The death of Zisca The wordes of Zisca at his death The Epitaphe of Zisca Zisca eleuen times victor in thâ—â—â—â—elde Pope Martins bloudy bull to all Byshops and Archbishops All these errours and heresies be for that they
DispensatioÌ„ from Pope Alexander to forsake his first wife and to marry an other Ludouicus Vladislaus sonne king of Hungary Boheme Warre betwene Charles Duke of Burgoyne Fredericke the Emperour Anno. 1475. Charles Duke of Burgoyne slaine in warre Anno. 1477. Mary daughter of Charles of Burgoyne maried to MaximiliaÌ„ Warre dissention among Christen princeâ— The discord of Christians scourged by the Turkes Discord and dissention in the Church noted Ambition auarice of the church of Rome Ex Rapulario Henrici Token The sea of Rome is turned into an Oceane that haâ—â— no bottome What a million is Concilium Bituriense Pragmatica Sanctio Ex loan Maria Belga de Schismat Conciliis cap. 24. Pope pius laboreth that Pragmatica Sanctio should be abolished The counsaile of Paris appealeth from the pope to the generall Councell Vid. supra pag. 670. The complaint of the Germaines to the Emperour for helpe and ayde against the oppression of the Pope Fredericke made the Germaines twise subiect vnto the Pope Frid. Albertus his brother and Sigismundus striue for the dukedome of Austria Warre betwene Franciscus Sfortia and the Venetians about Millaine Warre betwene Lewes the French king and the citie of Millaine Iohn a Notherde of Franconia Martyr Anno. 1476. Iohn de Wesailia persecuted Anno. 1479. The articles and opinioÌ„s of Iohn de Wesalia Free will nothing Prelates haue no more power ouer scriptures then other men Extreme vnction reproued Against the primacy of the Pope Iohn de Wesalia brought before the prelates The Inquisitour speaketh The answer of Wesalianus reasonable The cruell proceeding of the Inquisitour The greater cause of the Pope described Scio. Credo His opinion of the sacrament His opinion of Monkes and Nunnes The vowe of chastitie Mortall sinne founnd by the Pope beside that which is expressed to be mortall in the scripture What is this article but to make the Pope a god Christ left no vicar in earthe Pardons and indulgences be of no effect The treasure of saintes merites is not in earth This saying waâ— taken out of one Cantor Pariensis which was went to say thaâ— pardoÌ„s were holy decertes because that laye men there were prouoked by naughtie decerteâ— to geue good almes Degrees â—nscripture forbidden to marry Nothing to be beleued but which is in scripture conteyned The Church geueth witnes who were the writers of the scripture but hath no authoritie aboue that which is writteÌ„ By this inquisition Christ himselfe might be condemned Ex Orth. Grat. Ex Paralip Abat Vrsper Discorde betwixt Reals Nominals Ex Orth. Grat. Doct. Iohn de Wesalia reuoketh his opinioÌ„s Albert duke of Saxonie called Dextra manus imperis Albert Marques of Brandenburg called Achilles Germanicus Anno. 1484. The abhomination of Pope Sixtus Ex Declamatione Agrippa ad Lonanienses The warres of Pope Sixtus Ex Ioan. Laziardo lib. Historia Vniuersalii cap. 284. A large gift of the Pope to the begging Friers Alanus author of our Ladies Psalter Then had the blessed virgine Mary two husbandes An olde knaue to sucke his wiues brest The detestable impietie and blasphemie of the popishe lying religion Mendacem memorem esse oportet Ex Latinâ— Codice impresso cui tituluit Rosasea Maria Corona The death of Pope Sixtus 4. Here endeth Platina The death of king Edward 4. Anno. 1483. Burdet Tyranny in miscoÌ„string a mans wordes The lawes of the realme misconstred for the princes pleasure K. Edward 5 Eccle. 10. Vaepuero regi in suo regno Richard Duke of Glocester made protectour The young king committed to Duke of Gloucester The Duke of Buckingham a great doer for the protectour Both king Edwardes children in the possessioÌ„ of the protectour The deuelisliâ— protectour picketh quarelles The Queene Shores wife falsely accused of the protector to bewitch his arme Adultery punished of God Murder iustly punished of god L. Hastings arrested for a traytour L. Stanley wounded B. Morton The tyranny of the protectour The L. Hastings beheaded The beastly protectour accuseth his owne mother Doct. Shawes impudent sermoÌ„ at Paules crosse Sap. 4. Example for all flattering preachers to bâ—ware The Duke of Buckingham an other minister for the protectours furie The Duke of Buckingham speaketh for the protectour in the Guildhall An hard thing to make the tongue speake against the hart A stolne consent in the Guild-hall Fye of hipocrisie The hypocrisie of the protector denying the crowne thrise before he would take it King Richard 3. vsurper King Richard crowned The truth of Robert Brabenbury to his prince Iames Tyrel I. Dighton Miles Iorest cruell traytors and murtherers of their Prince YouÌ„g princes The 2. children of king Edward murdered The iust punishmeÌ„t of God vpoÌ„ the minderers of them two The punishment of God vpon K. Richard The punishmeÌ„t of God vpon the Duke of BuckinghaÌ„ Doct. Shaw and Doct. Pinkie two flattering preachers Gods iudgement vpon flattering preachers The first motion of ioyning the two houses Yorke and Lancaster togeather Earle Henry maketh preparation toward his iourney The arriuing of Henry Earle of RichmoÌ„d in Wales K. Richad gathered his power to encounter with Earle Henry K. Richard taketh the field of Bolworth This Lord Stanley was he which was hurt at the Tower when the L. Hastings was arested vide pag. 727. Bosworth field The history of Sir Tho. More word â—or word taken out of Polid. Virg. W. Brandon Charles Brandon The death of king Richard Duke of Northfolke slaine Lord Tho. Haward Earle of Surrey aduaunced by K. Henry 7. K. Richards sonne punished for the wickednes of his father K. Richard proposed to marry Elizabeth his brothers daughter L. Stanley husband to K. Henries mother forsooke k. Richard The L. Strange meruelously preserued The shamefull tossing of king Richardes dead Corpes Anno. 1485. King Henry 9. K. Henry marieth with Elizabeth The two houses of Yorke and Lancaster ioyned together Anno. 1486. Maximilianus Emperour The reigne and death of Fridericus Emperour Anno. 1494. Maximilian marieth the Duches of Burgoyne This Mary was neece to king Edward 4. The learning of Maximilian coÌ„mended Maximilian writer of his owne stories Ex leaÌ„ Carione Maximilian first ordeiner of the vnyuersitie of Wittenberg Learned meÌ„ begin to grow in Christendome Doct. Weselus Groningensis Weselus called Lux Mundi The doctrine of Weselus Groningensis Ex lib. D. Weseli De sacrameÌ„to peniteÌ„tia The Popes supremacie written against Ex Epist. cuinsilam in opere Weseli Christes aunswere to Tho. de Corselis touching this place Quicquid ligaueris Not what so euer is said to be loosed in earth is loosed in heauen but whatsoeuer is loosed in very deede in earth that is also loosed in deede in heauen Against tiches in the Church The preceptes of the Pope prelates how they binde The Popes keyes Vowes Doctrine not to be receaued without examinatioÌ„ Excommunication Ex Nouiomago A prophesie of Weselus This Oftendorpius was a man well learned and Canon of the minster of Lubecke Here it appeareth that
bee damned with her We haue erred fro the waye of trouth and rightwisnes light haue not shined to vs and the sonne of vnderstonding haue not resen to vs we haue be made weery in euerich way of wickednes and of lust and haue gone hard wayes but the wayes of God we knew nought what hath pride profited to vs or the boast of riches what hath it brought to vs All this is as a shadow of death and we mow now shew no token of holynes in our wickednes we be wasted away Thinke therefore I read that thou shalt yelde rekening of thy bayly Here endeth the first part of this Sermon and beginneth the second part IN which secoÌ„d part with the helpe of God I will shew first who shall clepe vs to this recKenyng Afterward to fore what iudge we shall reckyn and last what punishyng shall be do to them that ben found false seruauntes and wicked and what reward shall be gyue to them that be founde good and true For the first ye shall wetoen that there shall be twey domes The first doome anone after the departyng of body and of soule an this shall be speciall And of this rekenyng or doome speaketh the Gospell of Luke The second reckenyng or doome shal be anone after the generall resurrection shal be vniuersal And of this is to spekeÌ„ in the Gospel To the first euery man shal be cleped after other as the wolrde passeth To the secunde shall comeo togedre in the stroke of an eye all mankynde To the first men shal be cleped with three sumners other Sergeauntes the firstlis sicknesse the second is age and the third is death the first warneth the second thretneth and the third taketh This is a kyndly order but otherwise it fayleth for sume we seeth dyeth that neuer wist what was sicknes ne age as children that ben sodenly slayne And sume ye the most part that deyeth now a dayes deyeth byfore her kynde agee of deeth therefore I say that the first that clepeth to this speciall reckning is sicknes that followeth all mankind so that euery man hath it and sum is sicknesse that sume men haueth but nought all Yet the first sickenesse is double for sume is withinne in the mightes of the soule and sume is without in feblenes of the bodie that needis mo be stroyed whan time by hem selfe is cause of corruption as Philosophie sayth that thereby feblenes and sicknes And so may we see hereby though that a man shut out of the house of hys hart all maner of worldlie and fleshlie thoughtes yet vnneth shall a man for ought that he can doo thinke on God onelie the space of o Pater noster but that some other thing that is passing entreth into the soule and draweth her from contemplation But O Lorde God what seekenes is this an heuie burden on the sonnes of Adam that on fowle moock and fen of the world we may thinke long ynow But on that the soule should most delectation haue by kinde mow we nought thinke so little a space but if the cokle enter among the whete Of this seekenes speaketh Poule where he sayth I see a lawe in my limmes fighting agenes the lawe of my sprite and taking me into the law of sinne So that it fares by vs as by a man that would looke ageyns the sun and may nought do it long for nothing And forsoth that is for no default that is in the sunne for she is most cleere in her selfe and so by reason best should be seyn but it is for feblenes of mans eye Ryght so syth Adam our first fader was put out of Paradyse all hys offpring haue ben thus sicke as the Prophet seyth Our fadres haue eat a bitter grape and the teeth of the children be wexe an edge The second sicknes that is commune to all mankind commyth of feblenes of the body as hunger and thorst cold and heate sorow werines and many other as Iob. 18. sayth A man that is ibore of a woman liuing a little whyle is fulfilled with many miseases Yet there is other sicknes that commeth to some men but not to all as Lepvr Palsey Feuer Dropsie Blindnes and many other as it was seyden to the people of Israell in holy writ But thou keepe the commaundements that be writ in this booke God shal echen the sicknes of thee and of thy seede great sickenes and long abiding Yet yee shall vnderstond that God sendeth other while such sicknes to good men and other while to shrewes To good men God doth it for two causes and that is sooth Of sicknes I wol to be vnderstond also of all maner of tribulations The first cause for they shold alway euer know that they haue none perfection of them selfe but of God onely and to echen theyr meekenes And thus sayth Poule least the greatnes of reuelations rere me vp into pride is giuen a pricke of my fleshe the Aungell of Sathanas to smite me on the necke wherefore I haue thrise prayed God that he shuld go fro me and he answered me My grace is suffisant to thee for vertue is fulfilled in sicknes where on thus sayn the glose The fend axing Iob to be tempted was herd of God and nought the Apostle axing his temptation to be remoued God herd him that shuld be damned and he herd nought him that he shuld saue For oft the sick maÌ„ axit many things of the leche that he wol not geue him that is for to make him whole of sicknes Also God sendeth Saincts oft sicknes poâ—â—ution to giue vs sinfull wretches example of patience For if he suffer his Saincts to haue such tribulation in this world and they thankin him thereof much more wretchis that God sendeth not the hundred aparty of their sorowe shulden beare it meekely sith we haue diserued a thousand so much as they haueth Whereof Tobie that one day whan he was wery of byrying of poore men the which shulden haue ley vnburyed and haue be etene of houndis and foules as caraynes of other vnreasonable bestes whan for werynesse he had leide him to reste through Goddis sufferaunce the swallowes that bredden aboue on his hous maden ordure into his eyen and he wexet blind Thus it is writ of this temptation for soth Therefore God suffered to come to him that to them that comen after shuld be geuen ensample of pacience as by the temptation of holie Iob. For sith from his childhod euermore he drede God and euer kept his hestes He was not agreeued ayenst God that the misthiefe of blindnesse fell to him but vnmoueable dwelled in the dread of God thanking him all the dayes of his life Lo that holy writ sayth expresly that God suffered this holie man to haue that sicknes to geue them that should come after him ensample of pacience Also other whyle God sendeth syckenes and tribulation to wicked men and for two causes
First for that they should the rather dreade God and leaue their sinne As it is writ their sickenes hath bene multiplied and after they haue hyed to Godward For we see oft men in sicknes know their God that neuer would haue turned to him whyle they had beene whole Also God sendeth them sicknes oft to agast other men lest they follow their sin As the sickenes of kyng Antioche whome God smote with such a sickenes that wormes fell out of hys body whyle he lyued in so farforth that he stanke so foule that his frends were so wearye of it that they might not suffer it And at the last when he himselfe might not suffer his owne stinch then he began to know himselfe and sayd It is rightfull to be subiect to God and a deadly man not to hold himselfe onely euen with God and the story saith he asked mercie of God and made a vowe to God that he would make the Citie of Ierusalem free and the Iewes to make them as free as the men of Athens and that hee would honour Gods temple wyth pretious ary and multiply the holy vessels and finde of his owne rent and spenses perteining to the sacrifice And he would become a Iew and go ouer all the lond to preach Goddes might And yet God gafe him not such mercy as he desired And I trow certein that it was for good In as much as God knew he would not afterward hold his couenaunt or els for he axket it too late What mede was it for him to forsake his wickednes whan hee was vnmightie to doo good or euill Neuertheles I trow he was not dampned in as much as he had such repentaunce for repentaunce in this life come neuer too late if it be trew But by thys vengeaunce that God tooke on thys king should men see what it is to be vnobedient to God And also it is to take heede that whan euer sickenes commeth euer it sheweth that hee that suffreth this deadly shall nedes dye For though he may skape of his sicknes yet hee may not skape death And so thou must needs come giue rekening of thy bayly The second somnour that shall clepe thee to this particuler doome is elde or age And the condition of him is this though that he tarie with thee he will not leue thee till he bring thee to the thirde that is death But there be many that though they haue this somnour with them they take none hede though they see ther he are hore her back crook her breth stynke her teeth fayle her yen derk her visage riuely her crene wexit heuy to her What meneth all this but that age sunneth to the dome But what more madhead may be than a man to be cleped and drawe to so dreadfull a reckenyng there where but he aunswere well he forfeteth both body and soule to damnation for euer If seing a litle wordly merth on the way he thinketh so mekill theron that he forgetteth who draweth him or whether he draweth So doth he that is smiten with age and liketh so on the false world is wealth that he forgetteth whether he is away Herefore sayth an holy Doctour that among all abusions of the world most is of an old man that is obstinate for he thinketh not on his out going of this world ne of passing into the lyfe that is to come he heareth messengers of death and he leueth hem not and the cause is this for the threfold cord that such an old maÌ„ is bounden with is hard to breke This cord is custome that is of three plightes that is of idel thought vnhonest speach and wicked deede the whiche if they groweth in a man from the childhood into mans age they maketh a treble cord to bynde the old man on custome of sinne Herefore sayth Esay breake the bondes of sinne Thinke herefore whosoeuer that thou be that art thus sumned that thou might not scape that thou ne shalt yeld the rekenyng of thy baily The third somner to this reckenyng is death And the condition of him is that whan euer he come first other the secoÌ„d other the last houre he ne spareth neither power ne yougth ne he dreadeth no thretning ne he ne taketh hede of no prayer ne of no gift ne he graunteth no respit but withouten delay he bringeth forth to the dome Herefore seyth Sainct Austen Well ought euerie man drede the day of his death For in what state a mans last day findeth hym whan he dyeth out of this worlde in the same state he bringeth hym to hys dome Herfore seyth the wise man Sonne thinke on thy last day and thou shalt neuer sinne Therfore I rede that thou thinke that thou shalt geue reconing of thy bayly I sayd also that there shall be another doome to the which all men shall come together and this shall be vniuersall And right as to the other dome euery man shall be cleped with these three sumnours so to this dome all this world shall be cleped with three generall clepers And right as the other three messengers tell a mans end so these tell the end of the world The first cleper is the worldly sicknes the second cleper is feblenes and the third is the ende The sicknes of the world thou shalt know by charitie a cooling His elde and febles thou shalt knowe by tokens fulfilling and hys end thou shalt know by Antichristes pursuing First I sayd thou shalt knowe the worldes sicknes by charitie a cooling Clerkes that treate of kynde sayne that a bodie is sicke when his bodely heate is to lite or when his vnkindely heate is too muche Sythe then all mankynde is one bodye whose kindly heate is charity that is loue to God and to our neighbors vnkindly heate is lustfull loue to other creatures When therefore thou seest that the loue of men to Godwaâ—de and to their neigbour is litle and faynt and the loue of worldlye thynges and lustes of the flesh is great and feruent then wit thou well that vnkindly heate is too great and kindly heate is too little That this be acknowlich of this sicknes I may proue by autoritie of Christ. For he himselfe gaue them as a signe of the drawing to the ende of the world For that wickednes shall be in plente charitie shall acoole Therfore whan thou seest charitie this little in the worlde and wickednes encrease know well that this world passeth and hys welth and that this somner is come And thus seyth Seint Poule Wit ye well that in the laste dayes shall come perilous times and there shall be men louing them selfe that is to say their bodyes couetous by pride vnobedient to father and mother vnkynd fellons withouten affection withouten peace blamers incontinent vnmylde withonten benignitie traytours rebels swelling louers of lustes more then of God hauing a lykenes of pietie and denying the vertue thereof And these flee thou If thou seest