Frenche kynge prouing them to be as in deede they were no other but temporall neuerthelesse not standinge muche about the name nor taking them all away from their iurisdiction he onely said he would reforme them Neuerthels for certeine daies there was muche disputing to and fro whether they belonged to the kinge to reforme or no till the king by his foresaide procuratour gaue them the kinges determinat aunswere declaring vnto them howe that they ought not to be troubled bicause the kinges intention was to keepe those rightes and customes of the Churche and Prelates which were good and reasonable but by reason of their faults the iudgement whiche were good and reasonable apperteined not vnto thē to determine but to the king Bicause the Decree Nouit c. saieth that the kinge of Fraunce in matters de Facto hath not his superiour c. VVhereuppon hee concluded that the kinge woulde heare all the informations And those Customes of the whiche he shoulde be fully enfourmed that they were good and reasonable he woulde make onely to bee obserued In cōclusion the Prelates made such importune labour that the forsaide attourney aunswered them for the kinge that if the Prelates themselues would amende those thinges that were to be amended and corrected the king would abide till the feaste of the Natiuitie next to come within whiche terme he woulde innouate nothing but if within the saide terme the Prelates had not amended those thinges that were to be amended and corrected that then the kinge would put to suche remedy as should be acceptable to God and the people Whiche in conclusion the king was faine to do by a sharpe seuere Lawe whan he sawe howe the Prelates dallied him of with faire wordes and therefore he him selfe Composuit rem sacerdotum did set in order the matters of the Priestes In England at this time many abuses about Ecclesiasticall causes were reformed although the Pope his Clergie did earnestly mainteine them by king Edwarde the. 3. who wrote his letters to y ◠Pope admonishing him to leue of his disordered doinges whan that woulde not serue he redressed them by act of parliament and as Nauclerus saith he commaunded that from thenceforth no body shoulde bring into the Realme any kinde of the Popes letters vnder the paine of drowning and expelled all persones out of his kingdom that weare by the Pope promoted to any benefice Next to Lewes was Charles the. 4. chosen Emperour who helde a councel at Mentze with y e Prelates Princes in the yere of the Lorde 1359. wherein he much reproued the Popes Legate for his disorders and commaunded the Archbishop of Mentze to reforme his Clergie and the disorders amongest them for otherwise he woulde see to it him selfe The Popes Legate seyng howe the Emperour tooke vpon him gate him to his shippe and saylled to Colayn as one that fledde awaye With whiche doynges the Emperour became very famouse for he was a man of great workes who dyd lyghten the kyngdome of Boheme bothe with the the settinge foorth of Religion and with the discipline of Lawes and good manners At this time wrote Nilus the Bishoppe of Thessalonica declaringe the onely cause of the diuision betwéene the Gréeke and the Latine Churche to be for that the Pope will not suffer frée and generall Councelles to be called by the Emperours accordinge to the auncient custome that his authoritie is not by the Lawe of God but by the positiue Lawes of Princes graunted onely because that than Rome was the greatest Citie in the worlde and hath no prerogatiue of Christ or Peter more than any other Bishoprike Kinge Richarde the. 2. called a Councell at VVestminster saith Polydore wherein it was thought good to the Kinge and the Princes for the weale of his realme of Englande if a parte of the Popes authoritie were bounded within the limites of the Occean sea he meaneth that it were driuen out of the Isle of Britaine wherfore it was decreed that hereafter it shoulde be lawfull to no man to trie any cause before the Bishop of Rome nor that any man be publikly pronounced wicked or enemy of Religion that is to wit as the common people terme it be excommunicate by his authoritie nor that if any man haue any suche commaundement from him they execute the same The penaltie ordeined to those that violate this lawe was that losinge all his goodes he shoulde be caste into perpetuall pryson The Churche of Rome at this time was maruailously torne in sunder with an horrible Schisme whiche continued about xl yéeres hauinge at ones thrée heades callinge them selues Popes euery one of them in moste despitefull wise calling the other Antichrist Schismatique Heretique tiraunt thiefe traytour the sonne of perditiō sower of Cockle the childe of Belial c. diuerse learned men of that time inueighed against them all thrée as Henricus de Hassia 10. Cerson Theodorych Nyem secretary before this to Pope Boniface who prooueth at lardge by good reasons by the woorde of God and by the Popes decrées that the refourmation of these horrible disorders in the Churche belonge to the Emperour and the secular Princes Sigismunde the noble Emperour vnderstandinge his duetie herein amongest other his notable actes called a Councell togeather at Constantia and brought againe to vnitie the Churche deuided in three partes whiche Councell saithe Nauclerus beganne by the Emperours commaundement and industry in the yeere 1414. To the whiche Councell came Pope Iohn before the Emperours comminge thinkinge to haue outfaced the Councell with his pretensed authoritie till the Emperour came who geuinge to all men in the Councell free libertie to speake their mindes a great companie of horrible vices were laide streight way to his chardge To the whiche when he was not hable to answeare he was deposed and the other twoo Popes also and an other chosen chiefly by the Emperours meanes called Martyn the. 5. After these thinges finished they entred into the communication of a reformation bothe of the Cleargie and the Layty to whiche purpose the Emperour had deuised a booke of Constitucions and also willed certaine learned Fathers there but specially the Bishoppe of Camera a Cardinall there presente to deuise what faultes they coulde finde and how they shoulde be redressed not sparinge any dégrée neither of the Prelates nor of the Princes them selues Whiche the Bishoppe did and compiled a litle booke or Libell entituled a Libell for reformation of the Churche gathered by Peter de Aliaco c. and offered to the Churche rulers gathered togeather in Constaunce Councell by the commaundement of the Emperour Sigismonde c. In this Libell of reformation after he hath touched the notable enormities in the Pope in the Courte of Rome in the Cardinalles in the Prelates in Religious personnes and in Priestes in exaction in Canons and Decretalles incollations of benefices in fastinges in the diuine seruice in Piaures in
Theodorus maketh relacion vnto the Synode hereof deliuereth the Billes of supplication to be considered on presenteth the parties to the Synode and sheweth that this is the Emperours pleasure that they shoulde dispatche and ende these matters Paulus the Bishoppe of Apamea in his bill of supplication offred to the most godly Emperour in the name of all his acknowlegeth him to be the highest Potentate in the worlde next vnto God who hath magnified his Empire and throwen his aduersaris vnder him bicause he mainteineth the onely and pure Faith offreth vnto god pure Leuen that is to saie true doctrine as incense and burneth the chaffe meaning false Religion with vnquencheable fier And after the Declaration of their Faith talkinge of the Eutychian or counterfaite catholique He desireth the Emperour to whom God hath reserued the full authoritie to directe to cut him from the Churche and to expulse him out of his Dominions In like sorte the Religious men and the Monasteries of Secunda Syrta doo offer vp a booke of supplication vnto the Emperour beséechinge him that he wil commaund the Archebishoppe Mennas president of the councel to receiue their booke to consider of it according to the Ecclesiastical Canons The Emperour maketh a lawe and constitution to ratifie confirme the iudgemēt of y e Sinode against Anthymus other heretiques wherein also he decreeth touchinge many other ecclesiastical matters or causes as No man to Rebaptize to prophane the holie Communion to call Conuenticles to dispute further in those matters concluded on to publishe or set foorth the Hereticall bookes to communicate with them And so knitteth vp all with this conclusion Wee haue decreed these thinges for the common peace of the moste holie Churches these thinges haue we determined by sentence All thinges beinge thus doone by the commaundement of the Emperour in the first Action so foorth in the seconde thyrde and fowrth after many acclamations the Presidente of the Councell Mennas concludeth saiynge to the Synode That they are not ignorant of the zeale and minde of the Godly Emperour towardes the right Faith and that nothinge of those that are moued in the Churche ought to be doone without his will and commaundement Suche is the aucthoritie of Princes in matters Ecclesiasticall that the Godly auncient Fathers did not onely confesse that nothinge moued in Church matters ought to be done without their aucthoritie but also did submitte them selues willingly with humble obedience to the direction of the Godly Emperours by their lawes in all matters or causes Ecclesiasticall whiche they woulde not haue doone if they hadde thoughte that Princes oughte not to haue gouerned in Ecclesiastical causes The same zelous Emperour doth declare that the authoritie of the Princes lawes doth rightly dispose and kepe in good order both spirituall and temporal matters and driueth away all iniquitie wherefore he did not onely gather togeather as it were into one heape the lawes that he him selfe had made and other Emperours before him touchinge ciuill or temporall matters but also many of those lawes and constitutions whiche his auncestours had made in Ecclesiastical causes Yea there was nothinge perteininge to the Churche gouernmente whiche he did not prouide for order and diricte by his lawes and constitutions wherein maie euidently appeare the aucthoritie of Princes not onely ouer the persons but also in the causes Ecclesiasticall He made a common and generall lawe to all the Patriarches touchinge the orderinge of Bishoppes and all other of the clergie Church ministers prescribinge the number of them to be suche as the reuenues of the Churches may well susteine affirminge that the care ouer the Churches and other Religious houses perteine to his ouersight And dooth further inhibite that the ministers doo passe foorth of one Church to an other without the licence of the Emperour or the Byshoppe the whiche ordinaunce he gaue also to those that were in Monasteries He geueth authoritie to the Patriarche or Byshoppe to refuse and reiecte although greate suite by men of muche authoritie be made He prescribeth in what sorte to what ende the churche goodes shoulde be bestowed and threatneth the appointed paynes to the Byshop and the other ministers if they transgresse this his constitution He prescribeth in what sorte the Bishop shall dedicate a Monastery he giueth rules and fourmes of examination and trial of those that shalbe admitted into a Monastery before they be professed in what sort and order they shall liue together He prescribeth an order and rule wherby to choose and ordeyne the Abbot He requireth in a Monastical persone diuinorum eloquiorum eruditionem conuersationis integritatem Learning in Gods woorde and integritie of life And last of all he chargeth the Archebishoppes Bishops other Church ministers with the publishing and obseruing of this his constitution Yea his Temporall officers and Iudges also threatening to them both that if they do not see this his Lawe executed and take the effecte they shall not escape condigne punishement He protesteth that Emperours ought not to be careful for nothing so muche as to haue the mynistery faithfull towardes God and of honest behauiour towardes the worlde whiche he saith will easely be brought to passe if the holy rules whiche the Apostles gaue and the holy fathers kept and made plaine be obserued and put in vre Therefore saith he we folowing in al thinges the sacred rules meaning of the Apostles doo ordeine and decree c. and so maketh a constitution and Law touching the qualities and condicion that one to bee chosen and ordred a Bishop ought to haue and prescribeth a fourme of triall and examinacion of the party before be be ordered adding that if any be ordered a Bishop not qualified according to this constitution both he that ordereth and he that is ordered shall lose their Bishoprikes He addeth furthermore that if he come to his bishoprike by giftes or rewardes or if he be absent from his Bishoprike aboue a time limited without the commaundement of the Emperour that he shall incurre the same penalties The like orders and rules he prescribeth in the same constitucion for Deacons Diaconisses Subdeacons and Readers cōmaunding y e Patriarches Archbishops Bishops to promulgate this cōstitution to see it obserued vnder a pain He affirmeth that this hath been an auncient Lawe and doth by his authoritie renue and confirme the same that no man haue priuate chappels in their houses wherin to celebrate the diuine misteries whereunto he addeth this warning to Mennas the Archebishop that if he knewe any suche to be and doo not forbidde and refourme that abuse but suffer this constitution of the Emperour to be neglected add broken he him selfe shall forfait to the Emperour fifty poundes of golde Also that the mynisters keepe continuall residence on their benefices otherwise the Bishop to place others in their rowmes and they neuer to be restored Whan this Emperour vnderstode by the
man ought to be carefull to auoide Periury both in this al other matters euen so wise men may wel knowe what you meane by the conditional case ye put of the refusal by hir highnesse Successours of this Title whereto the Holy Ghost maketh you this plaine answere Spes Hypocritae peribit The Hypocrites hope shall perish You sprinkle this doubtful case with a powder of late experience which seasoneth your matter De facto non de Iure For it is not lawful for any christiā Prince to refuse this Supremacy which is the hest part of his princely Ministery seruice vnto God Neither may he more binde his subiectes by lawe to become sworne to the Pope and Popery than to the great Turke and Turkery For that the Pope is a more perillous ennemie vnto Christe than the Turke and Popery much more Idolatrous then Turkery And therfore there is no humaine authoritie that can dispēce with the violation of this lawful Othe made of duety vnto the Christian Prince This is a lamētable case I graunt that subiectes should lyue in cōtinual disobedience to the Lawes of the Prince whether it happen for that the Lawes be so vngodly that a Christian subiecte may not with good conscience obeye them experience whereof was of late made here in this Realme Or for that the stubbornesse of the subiect mainteyned with a wicked and yet a vaine hope be so stiffe that wilfully he lyueth in a continuall disobedience to the Godlye lawes of his soueraigne whereof experience is made nowe at this time in you and a fewe others of your conspiracy There is good cause why yee shoulde haue your very trust and hope as you say yee haue howe vngratiousely so euer yee thinke assured of the charitie of our Churche newly refourmed after the rule of Goddes woorde wherat yee Popishe swyne grunte groyne For you in your owne selfe haue perfecte experience that the Supreame gouernour vnder Christe of this Realme folowinge the example of hir heauenly Father dooth bountifully of hir goodnesse with muche more pacience and longe sufferinge allure you to dutifull repentance And hath further prouided sundry meanes and wayes whereby to remoue your wilfull ignorance and to endue you with sufficient knowledge of the trueth howe ye mighte with salfe conscience receiue this dutifull Othe of a true subiecte without all periury M. Fekenham HERE folovveth the Resolutions of the aforesaide Scruples made by my L. Bishop of VVinchester For a resolute ansvvere to all the saide Scruples expressed in the forenamed poinctes his L. saide that he did muche lamente that the right meaninge of the Othe had not beene in season opened and declared vnto me vvhan the onely lacke of the right vnderstandinge thereof hath beene the cause of such staies and distourbaunce of conscience VVhereas the Q. Maiesties meaninge in that Othe is farre othervvise than the expresse vvoordes are as they Lie Verbatim like as it doth vvell appeare by her Highnes interpretacion made thereof in her Iniunctions Thereunto my obiection vvas that vndoubtedly her Highnes did fully meane and minde to clayme and take all spirituall gouernement vppon her for besides the expresse vvoordes of the Othe vvherunto al men be bounde to svveare Verbatim ▪ as they Lie vvithout all chaunge and alteracion makinge of any vvoorde or sense thereof her highnes in the Interpretacion set foorth in her Iniunctions doth by very plaine vvoordes clayme the same spirituall gouernement here in this Realme of the Church of Englande that her Highnes Father Kinge Henry and her brother Kinge Edvvarde did enioye and clayme before her in the vvhiche Iniunctions and in the late Acte of Parliament also her Highnes dooth clayme no more spirituall gouernement nor no lesse but so muche in euery pointe as they had vvithout all exception For ansvveare his L. did still continue in the deniall thereof and that her highnes meaninge vvas not to take so muche of Spirituall authoritie and povver vppon her as they did vvith affirmacion that he did moste certainely and assuredly knovve her Highnes minde therein Then for some issue to be had of this matter seeynge that the meaninge of the Othe is not as the expresse vvoordes doo purport And seeynge that his L. did so vvell vnderstande her Highnes meaninge therein and thereby the very right sence thereof I besought him that his L. vvoulde take some paines for truethes sake to penne the same vvhereuppon his L. did penne and vvrite the interpretation of the saide Othe as hereafter follovveth I. A. B. do vtterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Q. Highnes is the onely Supreme gouernour of this Realme and of all other her Highnes dominions and countreis asvvell in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall thinges or causes as Temporall That is to haue the soueraignty and rule ouer all manner personnes borne vvithin her Realmes dominions and countreys of vvhat estate either Ecclesiastical or Tēporal so euer they be And to haue authority and povver to visit the Ecclesiasticall estate and personnes to refourme order and correct the same and al maner errours heresies schismes abuses offences contemptes and enormities Yet neuertheles in no vvise meaning that the kings and Queenes of this Realme possessours of this crovvne may challēge authoritie or povver of ministerie of diuine offices as to preache the vvord of God to minister Sacramentes or rytes of the Churche appointed by Christ to the office of Church ministers to excōmunicate or to binde or lose Of the vvhich fovver pointes three belong only to the Ecclesiastical ministers the fourth is commen to them vvith the congregation namely to excōmunicate And that no forain Prince Persone Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Povver Superioritie preheminence or authoritie Eclesiastical or Spiritual vvithin this Realme And therefore I doo vtterly renounce al forein iurisdictions povvers superiorities proheminences and authorities That is as no Secular or Laie Prince other than the kings or Queenes possessours of the crovvne of this Realme of vvhat title or dignitie so euer they be hath or ought to haue any authoritie soueraintie or povver ouer this realme ouer the Prince or subiectes thereof Euen so no maner of forein Prelate or persone Ecclesiastical of vvhat titlie name so euer they be neither the sea of Rome neither any other sea hath or ought to haue vse enioy or exercise any maner of povver iurisdiction authoritie superioritie preheminence or priuilege Spiritual or Ecclesiastical vvithin this Realme or vvithin any the Q. Highnes dominions or coūtreis And therfore al such forein povver vtterly is to be renounced and I doo promise c. Vt sequitur in forma iuramenti The B. of Wynchester These that ye terme Resolutions are none of mine they are lyke him that forged them false feigned malitious They be your owne either ye could not or yée were ashamed to adioine my answeres to your séely obiections and therfore ye feigned me to vtter for resolutions your
tender it vnto you without perill to my self you beinge committed vnto me by the moste Honourable Counsaile without whose order I coulde attempt no such mattier You haue already shewed in plaine matter although not in plainnesse of speach that as you thinke are persuaded in conscience y t her highnes is the supreme gouernour so well in causes Ecclesiastical as Temporal For hauinge supremacie ouer the Ecclesiasticall persone the same beinge not otherwise persone Ecclesiasticall but in respect of Ecclesiasticall functions thinges causes annexed and properly belonging to Ecclesiasticall persones she hath the Supremacie ouer the person in Ecclesiastical functions thinges causes these beinge the onely matter or obiect where about or wherein the rule ouer an Ecclesiasticall persone is occupied and doth consiste This seemeth to be your glory amongst your friendes y ◠you make me an offer to receiue this part of y ◠Othe whē I shalbe able to declare by what meanes you may sweare without cōmittinge plaine manifest periury Mine abilitie herein shall appeare in mine answeare to your foure points God make you as readie to perfourme for dueties sake as ye wil séeme ready to offer wherby to purchase to your self a glorious estimacion But wherfore did you not make this offer vnto me either by woorde or writing all y e time of your aboade with me You plaie now after your returne into your holde as you did after y e Parliamēt before you came out of y e Tower to me When you saw the ende of the Parliamēt vnderstoode right wel y t the Othe was not like to be tendered vnto you than sent you copies of y e booke deuised for your answeare touchyng y e Othe abroade to your friendes to declare your constancy aredines to refuse y e Othe wherby thei might be the rather enduced to cōtinue their good opiniō conceiued of you also pay your chardges weakely in the Tower sent vnto you euery Saturday by your seruaunt who wrote deliuered y e copies abroade as you tolde me your self Now you are returned againe in to the Tower perceiuing y ◠your friendes as you gaue thē iust cause haue some mistrust of your reuolt waueryng inconstācie wherby your estimacion fame with their seruice to your God y e belly is decaied you haue deuised to set abroade the selfe same booke againe y t you did before to the selfe same ende altering or chaunging nothing at al sauing that you haue geuen it a newe name Title séeme as in this place as though yée spake to me by these woords vvhen your L. c. When as in very deede there was neuer any such woorde spoken or writen to me and in the booke you deliuered to me your speache is directed to the commissioners and not to me in these woordes VVhen ye the Queenes highnes cōmissioners shalbe able c. M. Fekenham First is that I must by a booke Othe vtterly testifie that the Queenes highnes is the onely supreme gouernour of this realme and that asvvell in al Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall But to testifie any thinge vppon a booke Othe no man may possibly therein auoide periury except he doo first knovv the thinge vvhiche he doth testifie and vvherof he beareth vvitnes and geueth testimony And touchyng this knovvledge that the Queenes maiestie is the onely supreme gouernour asvvell in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes as in Temporall besides that I haue no suche knovvledge I knovve no vvay nor meane vvhereby I shoulde haue any knovvledge thereof And therfore of my parte to testifie the same vppon a booke Othe beinge vvithout as I am in deede all knovvledge I cannot vvithout committinge of plaine and manifest periury And herein I shal ioyne this issue vvith your L. that vvhen your L. shalbe able either by suche order of gouernement as our Sauiour Christe lefte behinde him in his Gospell and nevve Testament either by the vvritinge of suche learned Doctours both Olde and Nevve vvhiche haue from age to age vvitnessed the order of Ecclesiasticall gouernment in Christes Church either by the generall Councelles vvherin the right order of Ecclesiasticall gouernment in Christes Church hath beene most faithfully declared and shevved frō time to time or elles by the continuall practice of the like Ecclesiasticall gouernment in some one Churche or parte of all Christendome VVhan your L. shalbe able by any of these fovver meanes to make proufe vnto me that any Emperour or Empresse Kinge or Queene may clayme or take vpon them any suche gouernment in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes than I shall herein yelde and vvith most humble thankes reken my selfe vvell satisfied and shall take vpon me the knovvledge thereof and be ready to testifie the same vppon a booke Othe The B. of Wynchester The reason or argument y t mooueth you not to testifie vpon a booke Othe the Q. Supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall is this No man may testifie by Othe that thing whereof he is ignorant and knoweth nothinge without committinge periury But you neither knowe that the Q. highnes is the onely supreme gouernour aswel in causes Ecclesiasticall as Temporall neither yet know you any way or meane wherby to haue any knowledge therof Therfore to testisie the same vpon a booke Othe you cannot without committing of plaine and manifest periury For answeare to the Minor or seconde Proposition of this argument Although I might plainly denie that you are without all knowledge and vtterly ignoraunt bothe of the matter and of the way or meane howe to come by knowledge therof and so put you to your proufe wherein I know you must néedes faile yet will I not so answears by plaine negatiue but by distinction or diuision of ignorance And so for your better excuse declare in what sorte you are ignoraunt and without all knowledge There are thrée kindes of ignorantes the one of simplicitie the other of wilfulnes and the thirde of malice Of the first sort you cannot be for you haue had longe time good oportunitie muche occasion and many waies wherby to come to the knowledge hereof Yea you haue knowen profest opēly by déede and woorde the knowledge hereof many yéeres together For you did know acknowledge and confesse this supreme authority in causes Ecclesiasticall to be in Kinge Henry the eight and his heyres whan your Abbay of Euesham by common consent of you and the other Monkes there vnder your couēt seale was of your own good willes without compulsiō surrendred in to his handes and you by his authoritie refourmed forsooke your foolishe vowe many horrible errours and superstitions of Monkery and became a secular Priest and Chaplaine to D. Bell and afterwarde to D. Boner so duringe the life of King Henry the eight did agnise professe and teache openly in your sermons the kinges Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall This knowledge remained stedfastly in you all the time of king Edwarde also For
and vsed in the same sort his princely authoritie in refourming all abuses in all maner causes ecclesiastical These godly kynges claymed and toke vpon theim the supreme gouernement ouer the ecclesiasticall persons of al degrees and did rule gouerne and direct them in all their functions and in all maner causes belonging to Religion and receyued this witnes of their doinges to wyt that they did acceptable seruice and nothing but that whiche was ryght in Gods sight Therfore it foloweth well by good consequent that Kynges or Queenes may clayme and take vpon them suche gouernement in thynges or causes ecclesiasticall For that is ryght sayth the holy ghost they should than do wrong if they did it not You suppose that ye haue escaped the force of all these and such lyke godly kynges which do marueilously shake your holde and that they may not bee alledged against you neither any testimony out of the olde testament for that ye haue restreignes the proufe for your cōtentation to suche order of gouernement as Christ hath assigned in the Ghospell to be in the tyme of the newe Testament wherin you haue sought a subtyle shift For whyles ye seeke to cloke your errour vnder the shadowe of Christes Ghospel you bewray your secrete heresies turnyng your selfe naked to be seen of all men and your cause notwithstandyng left in the state it was before nothyng holpen by this your poore shift of restreynt So that where your friendes toke you before but only for a Papist now haue you shewed your selfe to them playnly herein to be a Donatist also When the Donatistes troubled the peace of Christes catholique Churche and deuided them selues frō the vnitie thereof as now you do The godly fathers trauailed to confute their heresies by the Scriptures both of the olde and newe Testament and also craued ayde and assistaunce of the Magistrates and Rulers to refourme them to reduce them to the vnitie of the Churche to represse their heresies with their authoritie godly lawes made for that purpose to whome it belonged of dutie and whose especial seruice to Christe is to see care and prouyde that their subiectes be gouerned defended mainteined in the true and sincere Religion of Christ without all errours superstitions and heresies as S. Augustine proueth at large in his epistle against Vincentius a Rogatiste in his epistle to Bonifacins and in his bookes against Petilian and Gaudentius letters Against this catholique doctrine your auncestours the Donatistes aryse vp and desende them selues with this colour or pretence that they be of the catholique fayth and that their churche is the catholique church Which shifte for their defence against Gods truthe the Popishe sectaries do vse in this our tyme being no more of the one or of the other than were the Donatistes and suche lyke of whom they learned to couer their horrible heresies vnder the same fayre cloke that the seculer Princes haue not to medle in matters of Religion or causes ecclesiasticall That God committed not the teaching of his people to kynges but to Prophetes Christe sent not souldiours but fishers to bring in and further his Religion that there is no example of such ordre founde in the Gospel or new Testamēt wherby it may appeare that to secular Princes it belongeth to haue care in matters of Religion And that as it semeth by that S. Augustine by preuention obiecteth against them they subtilly refused all proufes or examples auouched out of the olde Testament as ye craftely do also in bynding me onely to the new Testament which S. Augustine calleth an odious and wicked guyle of the Donatistes Let your friendes nowe whom ye wil seeme to please so muche when you beguyle them moste of all weigh with aduisement what was the erronious opinion thouching the authoritie of Princes in causes ecclesiasticall of the Donatistes as it is here rightly gathered forth of S. Augustine and let them consider wysely these foule shiftes they make for their defence And then compare your opinion and guylefull defences thereof to theirs and they must needds clappe you on the backe say to you Patrisas ▪ if there be any vpright iudgement in them demyng you so lyke your great grandsier Donatus as though he had spit you out of his owne mouth But for that S. Augustines iudgement and myne in this controuesie is alone as your opinion herein differeth nothyng at all from the Donatistes I wyll vse no other confirmation of my proufes alledged forth of the olde Testament for the reproufe of your guylful restraint thē Christes catholique Church vttered by that catholique Doctour S. Augustin against al the sectes of Donatistes whether they be Gaudentians Petilians Rogatistes Papistes or any other petit sectes sprong out of his loynes what name so euer they haue S. Augustine against Gaudentius his second epistle affirmeth saiyng I haue saith he already heretofore made it manifest that it apperteined to the kinges charge that the Niniuites should pacifie Goddes wrath whiche the Prophet had denounced vnto them The kinges whiche are of Christes Churche doo iudge moste rightly that it apperteineth vnto their cure that you Donatistes rebell not without punishement against the same c. God dooth inspire into kinges that they shoulde procure the commaundement of their Lorde to be perfourmed or kept in their kingdome For they to whom it is said and now ye kinges vnderstande be ye learned ye Iudges of the earth ferue the Lorde in feare doo perceiue that their authoritie ought so to serue the Lorde that suche as will not obey his will shuld be punished of that authoritie c. Yea saith y e same S. Aug. Let the kings of the earth serue Christ euē in making lawes for Christ meaning for the furtherance of Christes religiō How then doth kinges saith S. Aug. to Bonifacius against y e Donatistes serue the lord with reuerēce but in forbidding and punishing with a religious seueritie such thinges as are done against the Lordes cōmaundemētes For a king serueth one way in that he is a man an other way in respect that he is a king Bicause in respect that he is but ◠man he serueth the Lorde in liuing faithfully but in that he is also a kinge he serueth in makinge Lawes of conuenient force to commaunde iust thinges and to forbidde the contrary c. In this therfore kinges serue the Lorde when they doo those thinges to serue him which they could not doo were they not kinges c. But after that this began to be fulfilled which is written and all the kinges of the earth shall worship him all the Nations shall serue him what man being in his right wittes may say to kinges Care not you in your kingdomes who defendeth or oppugneth the Churche of your Lorde Let it not apperteine or be any part of your care who is religious in your kingdome or a wicked deprauer of Religion This was the iudgement of S.
that dooth euill interpreting the mynd of the Apostle to bee that the authoritie and power of Prynces hath to deale in Ecclesiasticall causes so well as in Temporall And therefore sayth to Gaudentius and to you all Blotte out these saiynges of S. Paule 13. Rom. if you can or if you cannot then set naught by them as ye doo Reteyne a most wicked meaning of all these saiynges of the Apostle least you loose your freedome in iudging or elles truely for that as men yee are ashamed so to doo before men crie out if you dare Let murtherers be punished let adulteriers be punished let all other faultes be they neuer so heynous or full of mischiefe be punished by the Magistrate wee will that onely wicked faultes against Religion be exempt from punishment by the Lawes of Kinges or rulers c. Herken to the Apostle and thou shalte haue a great aduantage that the kingely power cannot hurt thee doo well and so shalt thou haue prayse of the same power c. That thinge that yee doo is not onely not good but it is a great euill to witte to cut in sundâ—e the vnity and peace of Christe to rebelle against the promises of the Ghospell and to beare the Christian armes or badges as in a ciuil warre against the true and highe Kinge of the Christianes Chrysostome sheweth this reason why S. Paule doth attribute this title of a minister woorthely vnto the Kinges or ciuill Magistrates bicause that thorough frayinge of the wicked men and commendinge the good he prepareth the mindes of many to be made more appliable to the doctrine of the woorde Eusebius alluding to the sentence of S. Paule where he calleth the ciuill Magistrate Goddes minister and vnderstanding that Ministery of the ciuill Magistrate to be about Religion Ecclesiasticall causes so well as Temporal doth call Constantine the Emperour The great light and moste shrill preacher or setter foorth of true godlines The one and onely God saith he hath appointed Constantine to be his mynister and the teacher of godlines to all countreis And this same ConstaÌ„tine like a faithfull and good mynister did thoroughly set forth this and he did confesse himselfe manifestly to be the seruauÌ„t and mynister of the high Kinge He preached with his imperiall decrees or proclamations his God euen to the boundes of the whole worlde Yea Constantine him selfe affirmeth as Eusebius reporteth That by his mynisterie he did put away and ouerthrowe al the euilles that pressed the worlde â–ª meaninge all superstition Idolatry false Religion In so muche saith this godly Emperour that there withal I bothe called againe mankinde taught by my mynisterie to the Religion of the most holy Lawe meanyng the woorde of God and also caused that the most blessed Faithe shoulde encrease and growe vnder a better gouernour meanyng than had beene before for saithe he I woulde not be vnthankefull to neglect namely the best mynistery whiche is the thankes Iowe vnto God of duety This most Christian Emperour did rightly consider as he had beene truely taught of the moste Christian Bishoppes of that time that as the Princes haue in chardge the mynistery and gouernment in all manner causes either Temporall or Spirituall Euen so the chiefest or best parte of their Seruice or Mynistery to consist in the well ordering of Churche matters and their diligent rule and care therein to be the most thankeful acceptable and duetifull Seruice that they can doo or owe vnto God For this cause also Nicephorus in his Preface before his Ecclesiasticall history doth compare Emanuel Paleologus the Emperour to Constantine for that he did so neerely imitate his duetifulnes in rulinge procuringe and refourminge Religion to the purenesse thereof Whiche amonge all vertues belonginge to an Emperour is moste seemely for the imperiall dignitie and dothe expresse it moste truely as Nicephorus saithe who maketh protestacion that he saithe nothinge in the commendacion of this Emperour for fauour or to flatter but as it was true in deede in him And so reherseth his noble vertues exercised in dischardge of his imperiall duetie towardes God in Churche matters sayinge to the Emperour who hath glorified God more and shewed more feruente zele towardes him in pure Religion without feyninge than thou haste doone who hath with suche feruent zeale sought after the moste syncere faithe muche endaungered or clensed againe the holy Table VVhen thou sawest our true Religion broughte into perill with newe deuises brought in by conterfaict and naughty doctrines thou diddest defende it most painefully and wisely Thou diddest shewe thy selfe to be the mighty supreme and very holy anchour and staie in so horrible waueringe and errour in diuine matters beginninge to fainte ard to peris he as it were with shipwracke Thou arte the guide of the profession of our Faithe Thou hast restored the Catholique and Vniuersall Church beinge troubled with newe matters or opinions to the olde state Thou haste banished from the Churche all vnlawfull and impure doctrine Thou hast clensed againe with the woorde of trueth the Temple from choppers and chaungers of the diuine doctrine and from hereticall deprauers thereof Thou haste beene sette on fier with a Godly zeale for the diuine Table Thou haste established the doctrine thou haste made Constitutions for the same Thou haste entrenched the trewe Religion with myghtie defenses That whiche was pulled downe thou haste made vp agayne and haste made the same whole and sounde againe with a conuenient knittinge togeather of all the partes and members to be shorte thou haste saithe Nicephorus to the Emperour establissed true Religion and godlines with spirituall butiresses namely the doctrine and rules of the auncient Fathers These and suche like Christian Emperours are not thus muche commended of the Ecclesiasticall wryters for their notable dooinges in the maintenaunce and furtheraunce of Religion as for dooinges not necessarily appertayninge to their office or callynge But for that they were examples spectacles and glasses for others wherein to beholde what they are bounde vnto by the woorde of God and what their subiectes may looke for at their handes as matter of chardge and duetie both to God and his people Whiche S. Paule doth plainely expresse where he exhorteth the Christians to make earnest and continuall prayer for kynges and all that are in authoritie to this ende and purpose that by their rule mynistrie and seruice not onely peace and tranquilitie but also godlines and Religion should be furthered and continued amongst men attributing the furtherance and continuaunce of Religion and godlynes to the Magistrates as an especial fruite and effect of their dutie and seruice to God and his people Chrysostome expounding this place of the Apostle doth interprete his meaning to be vnderstanded not onely of the outward peace tranquilitie furthered mainteined defended by the Magistrates but chiefly of the inward peace of the mynde and conscience whiche can not be atteyned without pure Religion as
Catholique Churche notified in the order of this general Councell the supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes is in the Emperour and ciuill Magistrates your opinion condemned by the vniforme agreement of 318. of the most Catholique Bishoppes in the worlde commendinge and allowynge for moste godly what so euer the Emperour did in or about this councell The occasion of this famous and moste godly councell was the great dissention kindled partly about a necessary Article of our beliefe partly about a ceremony of the Churche Arius incensed with ambitious enuie againste Alexander his Bishop at Alexandria who disputed in one of his lessons or treatises more subtily of the diuinitie than aduisedly as the Emperour layeth to his chardge quarelled Sophistically against him and mainteined an horrible Heresie Besides this the Churches were also deuided amongest them selues aboute the order or ceremony of kéepinge the Easter daie The Emperour sente Hosius with his letters as I saide before into the Easte parties to appeace the furious dissention about bothe these matters and to reconcile the parties dissentynge But when this duetifull seruice of the Emperour tooke not that effect whiche he wisshed and hoped for then as Sozomenus writeth he summoned a councell to be holden at Nice in Bythinia and wrote to all the chiefe Mynisters of the Churches euery where commaundinge them that they shoulde not fayle to bée there at the day appoynted The selfe same also dothe Theodoretus affirme bothe touchynge the occasion and also the summons made by the Emperour Eusebius also writinge the life of Constantine sheweth with what carefulnes the godly Emperour endeuoured to quenche these fiers And when the Emperour saieth Eusebius sawe that he preuailed nothing by sending of Hosius with his letters Considering this matter with him selfe saide that this warre against the obscure enemy troubling the Churche must be vanquished by an other meaning hym selfe Therefore as the capitaines of Goddes armie towardes his voyage he gathered together a Synode oecumenical and he called the Byshoppes together by his honorable letters and that they should hasten themselues from euery place These thinges touching the occasion and calling of this generall counsaile by the Emperour are affirmed to be true also by Nicephorus the Ecclesiasticall historian Yea the whole counsayll in their letters to the Churches in Aegipt and the East partes doo testifie the same Synode to be called by the Emperour saiyng The great and holy Synode was gathered together at Nice by the grace of God and the moste religious Emperour Constantine c. The Bishoppes as I said before when they thought them selues or their Churche iniuried by others were wont to appeale and flie vnto the Emperour as the supreme gouernour in al matters and causes Temporall or Spirituall the whiche appeareth moste playne to be the practise of the Church by these Bishops called vnto the Nicene counsaill For when they came to Nice supposing them selues to haue nowe good oportunitie beyng nighe vnto the Emperour to reuenge their priuate quarelles and to haue redresse at the Emperours handes of suche iniuries as they thought them selues to susteyne at others byshops handes eche of them gaue vnto the Emperour a Libell of accūsatiōs signifiyng what wronges he had susteyned of his felowe Bishoppes and prayed ayde and redresse by his iudgement The Emperour forseyng that these pryuate quarelings if they were not by some policy and wyse deuise sequestred and layde aside would muche hynder the common cause tooke deliberation appointing a day against the which they shuld be in a readines and commaunded them to prepare and bring vnto him all their libelles and quarelling accusations one against an other Marke by the waie the craft and practise of Sathan to stay and ouerthrow good purposes that euen the godly fathers and Bishoppes wanted not their great infirmities preferring their own priuate trifles before the weighty causes of Gods Churche And the wisdome zeale and humblenes of this moste christiā Emperour who so litle estemed his own honour and authoritie that he wold rather seeme to be inferiour or for the time no more than equall with his subiectes to the ende he might by his humbling of him selfe aduance and exalt Gods glory to the edifiyng and quietnes of his Churche The day came whiche was the day before the first Session should be in the councell as Socrates saith the Bishoppes did not sleape their owne matters but had their billes in a readines and deliuered them vnto the Emperour This vigilant noursefather vnto Gods Churche had cared and deuised so diligently for the common cause as the Bishoppes had doon for their priuate quarelles and therefore when he had receiued their Libelles very politiquely saieth bicause he woulde irritate none of them for that tyme That the daie of generall iudgement should be a fitte time for these accusations and Christe the Iudge then woulde iudge all men As for me it is not leafull to take vpon me the iudgement of suche Priestes accused and accusing one an other Whereunto neuertheles he added this priuy nippe to pynche them withall For of all other thinges saith he this is least seemely that Bishoppes shoulde shewe them selues suche as ought to be iudged of others And so caused the Libelles to be cast into the fire giuing them an earnest exhortation to peace and quietnes The next daye after after they assembled at the Emperours palayce he commaunded them to go into the councell house to consult of the matter the councell house was within Themperours pallayce trimly furnished with seates aptly ordred for suche purpose as it were in rowes They entred in and wayted without any doinges till the comming of the Emperour whose seate was of gold placed at the first beginning of the rowes who being entred and placed in his feate maketh an oration vnto them declaring the contētions sprong vp amongest them selues to be the occasion wherfore he called them togither and the ende is saith he that this disease might be healed through my ministery After this he maketh an earnest exhortatiō mouing them to quietnes forgiuing one an other for Christ commaundeth saieth he that who will receiue pardon at his hande shall also forgiue his brethren After this moste graue exhortation to vnitie and concorde in truthe he giueth them leaue to consult of the matters in hande prescribeth vnto them a rule whereby they muste measure trie and discusse these and all other suche disputations and controuersies in matters of Religion to witte Sanctissimi spiritus doctrinam praescriptam The doctrine of the moste holy spirite before writen For saieth he the bookes of the Euangelistes and of the Apostles and also the prophecies of the olde Prophetes doo euidently teache vs of Goddes meaning VVherefore laiyng a syde al discorde of enemitie let vs take the explications of our questions out of the saiyngs of the holy Ghost When the parties waxed warme in the disputations and the contention somwhat sharp then
permitted to speake That is as your owne doctour Nicol. de Lyra expoundeth it Women muste not teache and preache the doctrine in the Churche neyther dispute openly Therefore our Sauiour Christe did not committe to Kinges Quéenes and Princes the authoritie to haue and take vpon them any parte of gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes As though a younge Nouice of your Munkishe order shoulde haue argued Nunnes muste kéepe silence and maye not speake in the Cloysture nor yet at dinner time in the fraytry therefore your deceyuer the Pope did not committe authoritie to his Prouincialles Abbottes Priors and Prioresses to haue and take vppon them the gouernement vnder him selfe in Munkishe and Nunnishe causes and matters What man woulde haue thought Maister Feckenham to haue had so litle consideration although vnlearned as to vouche the silence of women in the Churche for a reason to improue the authority of Princes in Churche causes M. Fekenham The thirde chiefe pointe is that I must not onely svveare vppon the Euangelistes that no forayne personne state or potentate hath or ought to haue any povver or authority Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall vvithin this Realme but also by vertue of the same Othe I must renounce all forrayne povver and authorities vvhiche for a Christian man to doo is directly againste these tvvoo Articles of our Crede Credo sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam I doo beleeue the holy catholique Churche Credo Sanctorum Communionem I doo beleeue the Communion of Sainctes And that there is a participation and communion amongest all the beleeuers of Christes Churche vvhiche of the Apostle Paule are called Sainctes Adiuro vos per Dominum vt legatur haec Epistola omnibus sanctis fratribus And herin I doo ioyne this issue vvith your L. that vvhan your L. shalbe hable to proue by Scripture Doctour Generall councell or by the continuall practise of any one Churche or parte of all Christendome that by the firste article I beleeue the holy catholique Churche is meante onely that there is a Catholique Churche of Christe and not so that by the same Article euery Christian man is bounde to be subiect and obedient to the catholique Churche like as euery member ought to haue obedience vnto the vvhole mysticall Body of Christe And further vvhen you shalbe hable to proue by the seconde Article I doo beleeue the Communion of Sainctes is not so meante that a Christian man ought to beleeue suche attonement such a participation and communion to be amongest all beleeuers and members of Christes catholique Churche in doctrine in Faithe in Religion and Sacramentes but that it is lavvfull for vs of this Realme therein to dissent froÌ„ the catholique Church of Christe dispersed in all other Realmes and that by a corporall Othe it is lavvfull for vs to renounce and refuse to haue communion vvith the catholique Churche so dispersed bicause it is a forrayne authoritie and povver out of this Realme vvhen so euer your L. shalbe hable to proue this â–ª by Scripture Doctour Generall councell or yet by continuall practise of any one Churche or parte of all Christendome Than shall I in like manner yelde in this thirde pointe and vvith moste humble thankes shall thinke my seife very vvell satisfied therein The B. of Wynchester This thirde chiefe point is nothing els but a misshapened lumpe of woordes conteininge firste an argument grounded vpon a kinde of Opposition that no wise or learned man euer redde of but is newly forged and hammered out of your owne braine Then an issue to haue me prooue that thinge whiche beinge rightly vnderstanded no Christian doth doubt of or will denie And last of all an huge heape of flatte and manifest Lies against the whole Realme to set a good face vpon an euill fauoured cause whiche can finde no helpe or ease by plain and simple truth The weighty burden that you are loden with can not beare is that you must by othe renounce all forreine power and authoritie the cause that maketh you fainte and feble is that it is directly against two articles of our Creede So that your feble reason is grounded after your simple skill vpon the place ab apositis pugnantibus Before I aunswere to the argument I will put the Reader in remembraunce of the deuision whiche you make chopping chaunging one article into twaine to make some shewe of an heinous matter Surely it were ouermuche detestable if you were moued to sweare but against one article of our Crede as yee were neuer moued by me either to or fro to sweare any thing at all There be three symboles or Credes whiche haue been allowed and receiued of Christes catholique Churche The symbole of the Apostles of the Nicen councell and of Athanasius The Apostolicall is so called bicause it was collected as some saye by the twelue Apostles and therefore conteineth as the coÌ„monly receiued opinion is in Christê Churche according to the nomber of the. xtj. Apostles but twelue articles whiche are called in the vsuall speche of the catholique ChristiaÌ„s the twelue articles of our Crede or beliefe If this I beleue the communion of sainctes be a seuerall article from this I beleue the holy catholique Churche as you doo phantasie then there must needes be at the least thirtene articles of the Crede contrary to the vniuersally receiued opinion of the catholique Churche You were wont to staye your selfe much vpon the custome of the catholike Churche and woulde vrge stifly although not so truely the vniuersally receiued opinion of the catholique Churche as a matter that might not bee reiected or denied and howe chaunceth it nowe that you are become suche a chaungeling that cleane contrary to the vse of the catholique Churche whiche acknowledged but twelue you wil make thirtene articles of the Créede at the least Besides this the catholique Churche in the time of Cyprian and Augustine and before also did not reken or iudge these to be twoo seuerall articles but did coumpte them one article concludinge these woordes the communion of Sainctes in this sentence I beleue a catholique Churche of Christe recyting the Symbole without rehersall or mentioning the communion of Sainctes as it is plainely set foorth by S. Cyprian and Augustine in their exposicions of the Apostolicall Créede The mattier meant by the communion of Sainctes is vttered in these woordes I beleue an holy catholike Churche of Christ Whereunto hath been added sence these auncient fathers times as it may séeme by the way of explication a communion of Sainctes to expresse in plainesse of speche that Christes catholique Churche is nothing els but a felowshippe and communion of faithfull ones whiche are sainctes Nowe let vs see howe to sweare as this thirde chiefe point of the othe setteth foorth is directly against this article of our Créede I beleaue the holy catholique Churche the communion of Sainctes All true subiectes ought and must renounce and forsake all forraine iurisdictions powers superioritie preheminences and authorities
these woordes were spoken I spake them the Sunday at after diner when in your gallory I did reprooue you of your disorders and therefore restreigned you of suche libertie as before yee had enioyed The promise made vnto you not to vtter that whiche yee shoulde say by way of reasoninge in preiudize of the Q. Maisties Lawes I haue hitherto yet doo firmely kéepe to you as you can not iustly chardge me with the contrary in any particuler pointe and so you haue susteined no hurte or domage thereby M. Fekenham The perfourminge of his promise vvas as hereafter folovveth First there vvas a rumour sperced abroade very shortly after by his seruantes that I had subscribed to certaine Articles tâ—nne in number Seconde there vvas by his seruantes a further rumour raised of my recantation tyme and place appointed therof to be at the Parishe Churche of VValtham vvhere his L. did then manure and abide Thirdely his L. did at his open table and in the praesence of many chardge me vvith the change of my Religion nine times and beinge put in further remeÌ„brance by one M. Denny vvho vvas a Sogener vvith him his L. saide that I had altered and changed my Religion not onely nine times but nineteene times and that I vvas of no Religion Fourth his L. did permitte the saide M. Denny at his open table toto muche to abuse me VVhere the saide M. Denny did openly and before many chardge me vvith these three crimes follovvyng First vvith incontinency of life thus sayinge That if I had not as many children as he he did knovve that I had deserued to haue so many Seconde vvith Gluttony affirminge that I vvas an Epicure Third and laste vvith Hipocrysie and that I vvas a great dissembler and an Ipocrite The saide M. Denny beyng a man to me vvholly vnknovven His L. did shevve him selfe openly to be so vvell pleased vvith these his slaunderours vvoordes that he mynistred iuste occasion for me to thinke that his L. had procured the said M. Denny thereunto Fifth by so muche the more I had good cause to thinke so for that his L. did immediatly thereuppon viz. vvithin one hovver after in fortifiynge the saide talke commaunde me to close imprisonment Sixth and laste after that he had kepte me sixe vveekes in close imprisonment by his L. complainte I am novve at this present prysoner in the Tovver muche contrary to his promise before made The premisses beyng true like as they are all moste true beyng to openly committed and before to many vvitnesses to be denied Your honour may easily iudge vvith vvhat vvisdome discrecion and charity I haue beene vsed I being a poore man the Q. Maiesties prisonner and to his L. committed I dare boldely affirme to be vvell vsed It vvas very straunge to me to see suche behauiour openly shevved at the table of suche a man Surely for mine ovvne parte I vvas neuer so vsed neyther openly or priuately at any mans table before in my vvhole life My huÌ„ble sute therfore vnto your honour is that proufe and triall may be had of my trueth herein and vvhat my deseruinges hath beene for the vvhole time of my abode there In due search and examinacion hereof I doubt not but there shal fall out matter betvvixte vs either of muche simplicitie and trueth or els of great crafte and falsehoode either of honest vertuous and godly or els dishonest vicious and vngodly vsage and either of muche light learninge and knovvledge or els of very grosse ignoraunce and palpable darkenes let it fall and light on the vvhiche side it shall happe vppon the triall and examination made I doubt not by Goddes helpe but that your honour shall haue a full shevve and a sufficient proufe made of euery thinge that hath passed betvveene vs. There may be deniall made for a shifte and some shorte time but for any longe time it may not possible endure euery thinge being so openly committed and done so diuerse and many beinge of knovvledge and vvitnes thereof The B. of Wynchester To this challendge of promise breache in these sixe pointes Truely I know not of any rumour spredde of you by any of my seruauntes or otherwise that yée subscribed to any Articles ne yet euer herde any thing hereof before I sawe the same reporte in your booke published And if any suche rumour were spredde by any my seruauntes or other you shoulde haue named him that he might receiue condigne punishment therefore Seconde as to the further rumour of your Recantation I say likewise I vnderstoode nothinge but by your owne reporte in your booke and therefore referringe the Authour to be punished accordingly I thinke the punishment ought to light vppon your selfe Thirdly as to my chardge of your changynge in Religion ix times yée xix times I said so and that truely vppon proufe of your vnconstant affirminge and denying not so fewe times as I had good experience oft in you and can haue witnes in the same Fourthly touchinge your abusing by M. Denny yée misreporte the Gentleman as to any thinge that euer was spoken before me But if any suche were it was as I herde say at my retourne home for I was abroade in preachynge whan suche scoffinge talke was betwixte you by occasion of some talke mynistred on your parte to M. Denny partely by waie of merie talke betwixte you twaine partely sturred vp by your vnséemely woordâ— and yet none of all these in my hearinge But in the last date whan I restraigned your libertie you did so much before me at my table prouoke the saide gentleman by calling him Epicure for that he fasted not as ye saide that I fearing least M. Denny like a younge man should geue some euil woords againe willed him to say nothing for that I my selfe woulde answeare the matter for him Mine answeare was that I meruailed why you woulde call him Epicure for if you so thought because he did eate fleashe neuer fyshe I saide he might so well fast with fleashe as with fishe but if it were for that he vsed not abstinency I saide in that M. Denny did more then you for where you had euery daie in the wéeke your thrée meales frydaie and other the gentleman was contented thrée daies in a weeke with one meale a daie and neuer dyd eate aboue two And as it is vntrue y t either M. Denny was a man to you vtterly vnknowen beynge conuersant togeather in one house a quarter of a yeere before and in familiar company yea sought many times by you to play at the bowles to walke in the parke to be mery togeather so is it also vntrue that I hearde you so abused as I coulde or did like therein and so vntruely dooe you surmise that I shoulde procure M. Denny by any meanes to abuse you as yee malitiousely conceiue of me Fiftely as to the restrainte of your liberty whiche you cal close imprisoÌ„ment to haue ben for these talkes betwixte M. Denny
the Iudges and Senate had duely examined the causes they gaue sentence to depose Dioscorus and others So that this their iudgement seemed good to the Emperour to whome they referred the whole matter In the next action the Iudges and Senate after rehersal made what was done before do propounde vnto the Synode what matters were nowe to be consulted of and willeth them to make a pure exposition of the faith that without any sinister affectiō declaring that the Emperour and they did firmely kepe and beleue according to the faith receyued in the Nicen councell whereunto the Bishoppes also accorde and saieth that no man maketh or may attempt to make any other exposition Certeine of the Synode desired to heare the Symbol of the Nicen councell recited whiche the Senate and Iudges graunted vnto them After that it was agreed vpon by the whole Synode that Dioscorus should be deposed the Synode wryteth vnto the Emperous Valentinianus and Martianus saiynge in this fourme Greuous diseases neadeth both a stronge medicine and also a wise Physition For this cause therefore the Lorde oueral hath appointed your goodlines as the best and chiefe Physicion ouer the diseases of the whole worlde that you shoulde heale them with fitte medicines And you moste Christian Emperours receiuinge commaundement from God aboue other men haue geuen competent diligence for the Churches framing a medicine of concorde vnto the Byshoppes This thus in waie of Preface saide they declare what they haue done touchinge Dioscorus they shewe the cause and reasons that moued them therunto both that the Emperour shoulde consider his wickednes and also the sinceritie of their sentence In the fourth Action when the rehersal of all thinges passed before was done the Iudges and Senate asketh if all the Bishoppes agree whereunto they answered yea yea The Synode had requested the Iudges and the Senate to make suite to Themperour for fiue bishops which otherwise must be deposed as was Dioscorus whiche they did and made this relation vnto the Sinode That the Emperour perceiuinge the humble suite of the Synode dooth licence them to determine touchinge the fiue what they thought good admonisshinge them notwithstandinge to geue good heede what they did for that they must make an accompte to god of their dooinges In the fifth Action the Iudges willed the Synode to reade those thinges whiche were agreed vpon touchinge the Faith whereabout began a great contention one parte of them allowinge an other sorte disallowing that was redde amongst them The Iudges séeinge the exclamations and confusion that was amongst them appointeth a Committy choosinge foorth of sundry partes a certaine number to goe aside with the Iudges to make a resolution When they preuailed nothinge they threatened the whole Synode that they would signifie these disordered clamours vnto the Emperour whiche they did The Emperour immediatly of his Supreme authoritie appoincted the order of Committies whiche the Iudges had deuised before geuing them in commandement that goinge aside by them selues they should consult and conclude a trueth in Faith with suche plainnesse that there might no more doubtes arise thereof whereunto al shoulde agrée The Synode obeyed and folowed the Emperours directiō the Committies with the Iudges goeth aside into a secrete place maketh conference concludeth and commeth againe into the Synode reciteth their determination whereunto the whole Synode gaue their consent and so the Iudges commaundeth that this their definition should be shewed vnto Themperour The Emperour commeth into the Synode place in his owne persone with Pulcheria his nobles and Senatours and maketh vnto the Synode an Oration of this effect He careth for nothing so muche as to haue all men rightly perswaded in the true Christian faith He declareth the occasions why he sommoned the Synode He cōmaundeth that no man be so hardy hereafter to hold opinion or dispute of the Christian faithe otherwyse than was decreed in the first Nicen councell he chargeth them therefore that all partaking contention and couetousnes laide apart the onely truthe may appeare to al men He declareth his cōming into the Synode to be for none other cause then to confirme the fayth and to remoue from the people in tyme to come all dissention in Religion And last of all he protesteth this to be his whole care and study that all people may be brought into an vnitie and vnifourme agreement in pure Religion by true and holy doctrine The chiefe Notarie humbly asketh of the Emperour if it will please him to heare their definition redde The Emperour willeth that it should be recited openly he enquireth of them all if euery man consented thereunto they answere that it is agreed vpon by all their consentes Whereunto they adde many acclamations commending the worthines of his Emperiall gouernement concluding By thee O woorthy Emperour the right faith is confirmed haeresies banished peace restored and the Churche refourmed After these acclamations the Emperour doth openly declare vnto the Synode a statute whiche he maketh to cut of and put away from thencefoorth al maner occasion of contention about the true faithe and holy Religion The whole Synode desireth the Emperour to dissolue the councell and to giue them leaue to departe whereunto the Emperour woulde not consent but commaundeth that none of them depart Bassianus of late the Bishop at Ephesus complaineth vnto the Emperour to directe his letters to the Synode to haue his cause hearde The Emperour commaundeth the Synode to heare the matter The Iudges commaundeth Stephanus Byshop of Ephesus to make aunswere vnto Bassianus his complaint After due examination had by the Iudges openly in the Synode in this controuersie the Iudges asked of the Synode what they iudged to be doone The Bishops adiudged Bassianus to be restored But the Iudges appointed by the Emperour woulde not alowe that sentence but deemed neither of them bothe worthy to occupy that Byshoprike and that there should be a thirde chosen and admitted to that sea to the whiche iudgement the whole Synode did accorde After the ende of this councell the Emperour doth confirme the determination thereof by his publique Decree This Synode being finished the Emperour banished Dioscorus into the Cytie of Gangren Whiche thyng doon The Nobles of the Cytie sayth Liberatus assembled together to chose one bothe for life and learning worthy of the Byshoprike for this was commaunded by the Emperours Decrees At the length Proterus was made Bishop against whom the sedicious people raysed one Timotheus Hellurus or Aelurus who in conclusion murthered Proterius The catholique Bishoppes whiche mainteined the Chalcedon councell made humble supplication vnto Leo the Emperour both to reuenge the death of Proterius and also to depose Timotheus Hellurus as one not Lawfully instituted in the Bishoprike on the cōtrary parte other Bishoppes make supplication vnto him in the defence of Timotheus and against the Chalcedon councell When Leo the Emperour had considered the matter of both their supplications for good
godly considerations he wrote his letters to the Bishops of euery city declaring both these causes willing them to sende him their aduise what was best to be doon from whome he receiued answere that the Chalcedon councel is to bee mainteined euen vnto death whereupon the Emperour writeth to Stila his Lieutenant of Alexandrea that he shuld mainteine the Chalcedon councell Stila did as the Emperour commaunded he expelled Timotheus Hellurus and placed another in his roume named Timotheus Sale facialius or Albus who liued quietly all the reigne of Leo and Zeno the Emperous till Basilicus gat the Empire who restored Timotheus the Heretique But when Zeno recouered the Empire this Timotheus poysoned him selfe in whose place the Heretiques chose one Peter Mogge After that Zeno the Emperour knew of the crafty dealing of y e heretiques he wrote to his Lieutenaunt Anthemius that he should depriue Peter Mogge and restore Timotheus to the Byshoprike and further that he should punishe those that were the authors to enstall Peter Mogge Anthemius receyuinge the Emperours mandate did depose Peter Mogge as one that was but a counterfayte made Bishop contrary to the Lawes of the catholique Churche and restored Timotheus Salefacialius who beinge restored sent certayne of his Clergie to the Emperour to render him thankes After this Timotheus Ioannes de Talaida was chosen wherof when Acatius Bishop of Constantinople hearde he being offended with Iohn for that he had not sent vnto him synodical letters to signifie of his electiō as y e maner was he ioyned him selfe with the fautours of Peter Mogge accused Iohn vnto the Emperour as one not sounde in Religion nor fit for the Byshoprike Peter Mogge espying this oportuniti edissembleth an vnitie and reconciliation and by his friendes wynneth Acatius who breaketh the matter to the Emperour and perswadeth him to depose Ioannes de Talaida and to restore Peter Mogge so that the same Peter would first receiue and professe the Henoticon that is the confession of the vnitie in faith whiche the Prince had set foorth wherof this is the effect Zeno the Emperour to al Bishops and people throughout Alexandry and Aegipt Lybia and Pentepolis For so much as we knowe that the right and true faith alone is the beginning cōtinuance strength and inuincible shylde of oure Empyre vve labour night and day in praier study and with Lawes to encrease the Catholique and Apostolique Churche by that faith All people next after God shall bowe downe their neckes vnder our power Seing therfore that the pure faith doth on this wise preserue vs and the Romain cōmon wealth many godly fathers haue hūbly beseched vs to cause an vnitie to be had in the holy Churche that the members displaced and seperated through the malice of the enemy may be coupled and knit together And after this declaringe his faith to agree with the Nicen councel and those that condemned Nestorius and Eutyches he saith vve curse those that thinke the contrary After whiche curse declaring al the articles of his faith he concludeth with an earnest exhortatiō vnto the vnitie of faith The Emperour saith Liberatus supposing that Ioannes de Talaida had not ment rightly of y e Chalcedun coūcel but had doon al things fainedly wrote his letters by the perswasion of Acatius to Pergamius Appolonius his Lieutenantes to depose Iohn and enstall Peter Mogge Iohn being thus thrust out repaired to the B. of Antioche with whose letters of cōmendacion he went to Simplicius Bishop of Rome and desired him to write in his behalfe vnto Acatius Bishoppe of Constantinople who did so and with in a while after died This Pope Simplicius consideringe the great contentions that were accustomably about the election of Popes did prouide by decrée that no Pope shoulde hereafter be chosen without the authoritie of the Prince which decrée although it be not extant yet it is manifest inough by the Epistle of kinge Odoacer put into the Actes of the thirde Synode that Simmachus the Pope did kéepe at Rome wherin the Kinge doth not onely auouche the decree of Simplicius but also addeth Wee maruaile that without vs any thinge was attempted seynge that whiles our Prieste meaninge the Bishop of Rome Simplicius was on liue nothinge ought to haue beene taken in hande without vs Nexte after Simplicius was Foelix 3. chosen who after his confirmacion sent many letters aswell to the Emperour as to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople aboute the matter betwixt Iohn and Peter but when he coulde not preuaile in his suite he made Iohn Bishop of Nola in Campania One of the letters that Pope Foelix wrote vnto Zenon the Emperour about this matter is put into the fifth Synode of Constantinople wherin the Pope after the salutation doth most humbly beseche the Emperour to take his hūble suite in good parte He sheweth that the holy Churche maketh this suite that he will vouchesaulfe to mainteine the vnitie of the Churche that he will destroy Heresies that breaketh the bonde of vnitie that he will expell Peter Mogge bothe out of the Citie and also from Churche regiment that he would not suffer Peter being deposed to be admitted to the Cōmunion of the Churche but that by his honorable letters he would banishe him out of the boundes of Antioche And saith this Bishoppe of Rome Foelix vnto the Emperour In his place appoint you one that shall bewtifie the Priesthood by his woorkes Anastasius the Emperour deposed Macedoniue Bishoppe of Constantinople as one that falsified the Ghospels as Liberatus saithe About the election of Symachus Platina mentioneth what great diuision and sedition arose in so much y t the parties were faine to agrée to haue a councell holden for the determination of the matter And there was a councell appointed at Rauenna saith Sabellicus to the ende that the controuersie might be decided accordinge to righte before the Kinge Theodoriche before whome the matter was so discussed that at the last this Pope Symachus was cōfirmed Neuerthelesse this fyre was not thus so quite quenched but that fower yéeres after it blased out sorer againe VVhereat the Kinge saith Platina beinge displeased sent Peter the Bishop of Altine to Rome to enioy the sea and both the other to be deposed Whereupon an other Synode was called of 120. Bishoppes wherein saith Sabellicus the Pope him selfe defended his owne cause so stoutely and cunningly and confuted saith Platina all the obiections laide against him that by the verdict of them all he was acquited and all the faulte laide to Laurence and Peter But to the intent it may the better appeare what was the Kinges authoritie about these matters marke the fourth Romaine Synode holden in the time of this Symachus about the same matter of his whiche although it be mangled and confusedly set foorth in the Booke of generall Councelles bicause as it may séeme that they woulde not haue the whole trueth of this dissention appeare yet will it