of late to set forth hys pestilent malice the more Cardinal Poole traytor to England hath allured to his purpose a subiect of this Realme Reginald Poole comeÌ„ of a noble blood and therby the more errant traytor to go about froÌ„ Prince to Prince and from country to countrey to styrre them to warre agaynst this Realme and to destroy the same being his natiue countrey whose pestilent purpose the Princes that he breaketh it vnto haue in much abhomination both for that the Bishop of Rome who being a Bishop should procure peace is a styrrer of warre and because this most errant and vnkind traytour is his minister to so deuilish a purpose to destroy the couÌ„try that he was borne in which any heathen man would abhorre to do And so continuing in his discourse agaynst Cardinall Poole and the Bishop of Rome for styrring the people to warre and mischiefe he further sayth sayth truely The popes name and memory abolished that for these many yeares past little warre hath bene in these partes of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome eyther hath bene a styrrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any coÌ„pounder of it vnlesse it were for his ambition or profite Wherfore since as S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 14. that God is not the God of dissention but of peace who commaundeth by hys word peace alway to be kept we are sure that all those that go about to breake peace betwene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the childreÌ„ of the deuill what holy names soeuer they pretend to cloke their pestilent malice withall which cloking vnder hipocrisy is double deuilishnes and of Christ most detested because vnder his blessed name they do play the deuils part Ezech. 39. And in the latter end of his Sermon concluding wyth the 39. Chapiter of Ezechiell where the Prophet speaketh against Gog and Magog going about to destroy the people of God and prophecyeth agaynst them that the people of God shall vanquish and ouerthrow them on the mountaynes of Israell that none of them shall escape but theyr carcases shal there be deuoured of kytes and crowes and byrds of the ayre so likewise sayth he of these our enemies wishing that if they shall persist in theyr pestilent malice to make inuasion into this Realme then theyr great Captayne Gog the bishop of Rome he meaneth may come w t them to drinke with them of the same cup The Pope compared to Gog. which he maliciously goeth about to prepare for vs that y e people of God might after quietly liue in peace We haue heard hetherto the othes censures and iudgementes of certayne particulare Byshoppes of Yorke Testimonies out of the byshops booke against the Popes supremacye of Winchester of London of Duresme and also of Edmund Bonor Archdeacon then of Leycester agaynst the Popes vnlawfull vsurpatioÌ„ Now for the more fortification of the matter and satisfying of the Reader it shall not be much out of purpose besides the consent and approbatioÌ„ of these aforesayd to inferre also the publicke and generall agreement of the whole Clergy of EnglaÌ„d as in a totall summe together confirmed and ratified in theyr owne publicke booke made and set forth by them about the same tyme called then the Bishops booke In the which booke although many thinges were very slender vnperfect yet as touching this cause of the Bishop of Romes regalty we wyll heare God willing what theyr whole opinion prouinciall determinatioÌ„ did conclude according as by their own words in the same book is to be sene word for word as foloweth subscribed also with theyr owne names the Catologue of whom vnder theyr owne confession shall appere WE thinke it conuenient that all Bishops and Preachers shal instruct and teach the people coÌ„mitted vnto theyr spirituall charge y t where as certayne men doe imagine and affirme that Christ should geue vnto the Byshop of Rome power and authority not only to be head gouernor of all Priestes Bishops in Christes Church but also to haue and occupye the whole Monarchy of the world in his handes and that he may therby lawfully depose kinges and Princes from theyr realmes dominions and seignories and so transferre and geue the same to such persons as him liketh that is vtterly false and vntrue For Christ neuer gaue vnto S. Peter or vnto any of the Apostles or their successâ—rs any such authoritie And the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule do teach and commauÌ„d that all Christen people as well Priestes and Bishops as others should be obedieÌ„t and subiect vnto the Princes and Potentates of the world although they were infidels And as for the Bishop of Rome it was many huÌ„dreth yeares after Christ before he could acquire or get any primacy or gouernance aboue any other Bishops out of hys prouince in Italy sith the which time he hath euer vsurpeâ— more and more And though some part of his power was geuen vnto him by the consent of the Emperours Kinges and Princes and by the consent also of the Clergy in generall Counsels assembled yet surely he atteyned the most part therof by maruellous subtlety and craft and specially by colluding with great kings and princes sometime trayning them into his deuotion by pretence and colour of holynesse and sanctimony and sometime constraining them by force and tyranny Whereby the sayde Byshops of Rome aspired and roâ—e at length vnto such greatnes in strength and authority How the Bishop of Rome roâ—e by Ambition that they presumed and took vpon theÌ„ to be heads to put lawes by thyr own authority not onely vnto al other Bishops within ChristeÌ„dome but also vnto the Emperours Kings other the Princes and Lordes of the worlde and that vnder the pretence of the authority committed vnto them by the Gospell Wherin the sayd Bishops of Rome do not onely abuse and peruert the true sense and meaning of Christes word but they do also cleane contrarye to the vse and custome of the priprimitiue Church and so do manifestly violate as wel the holy Canons made in the Churche immediately after the time of the Apostles as also the degrees and constitutions made in that behalfe Fyrst the generall CouÌ„cell of Nice decreed that the Patriarkes of Alexandria Antiochia should haue like power ouer the countreis about those cities as the Byshops of Rome had ouer the countreis about Rome In the Councell of Mileuitane it was decreed that if a clerke of Aphrick would appeale out of Aphrick vnto any Byshop beyonde the sea he should be takeÌ„ as a person excommunicate In the generall Councel of Constantinople the firste it was likewise decreed that euery cause betwene any persons should be determined within the prouynces where the maâ—ters did 〈◊〉 And that no Bishop shoulde exercise any power out of his owne dioces or prouinc And this was also the minde of holy S. Cyprian of other holy men of â—phrica To conclude
doth confesse yet it was not read nor knowne that the Bishops of Rome vsed or challenged any soueraignty in Affrike vnto this time And yet then he did not challenge it by the right of Gods worde but by the pretence of a certayne Canon supposed to be in the counsel of Nice Which article coulde neuer be found though it were then very diligently sought for through all the principall Churches of the East and South but onely was alledged of Iulius Bishop of Rome out of his owne Library And you may be well assured Vide duas epistolas ad Bonifacium pap 1. to coÌ„cilioruÌ„ Fol. 307.308 that if the scriptures had made for it neyther the Byshop of Rome woulde haue left that certayne proofe by scriptures and trusted onely to the testimony of an Article of that Counsell being in doubt and vnlikely to be found nor yet S. Augustine with his holy and learned company would haue resisted this demauÌ„d if it had bene either grounded vpon scriptures or determined in that or other Councelles or yet had stand with equity good order or reason Howbeit the largenes and magnificence of buildinges of that city Dist. 16. Viginti and the auncient excellency and superiority of the same in teÌ„porall dominioÌ„s was the onely cause that in the couÌ„sels where the Patriarchall seas were set in order the Bishop of Rome was lotted to the first place and not by any such constitution made by Christ as appeareth well by that that CoÌ„stantinople being at the same time of this ordering of the Patriarchall seas most amplye enlarged by the Emperors being before a small town of no renowne by theÌ„ most magnificeÌ„tly builded aduauÌ„ced worldly with al titles prerogatiues priuiledges teÌ„poral like vnto Rome therfore called Noua Roma new Rome was therefore aduaunced also to the second sea and place Antiochia in the East where S. Peter first tooke the chayre before he came to Rome and where christen men had first theyr name geuen them yea and Ierusalem which was the first mother Citty of our fayth and where Christe himselfe first founded the faith also Alexandria being recited to the 3.4 and 5. places because at that time they were not in so hie estimation in the world though in the faith of Christ all they were auncientes and some of them mothers to Rome Truth it is that the Bishops of the Orient for debates in matters of the fayth amonges themselues made sutes to the Byshop of Rome but that was not for the superiority of iurisdiction ouer them but because they were greatly deuided and those couÌ„tries as well byshoppes as others much infected with the heresies of the Arrians whereof the West was in a manner cleare and among them of the Orient none were counted indifferent to decide those matters but were al suspected of affectioÌ„ for one cause or other Wherefore they desired the opinions of the Bishops of the West as indifferent and not tangled with affections of any of those partes neither corrupted with any of the Arrians as appeareth by the Epistles of S Basil written in all their names for the saide purpose In the which also it is especially to be noted that their suite was not to the Bishop of Rome singularly or by name but as the titles do shew to the whole congregation of the Bishops of Italie and Fraunce or of the whole West and sometime preferring the French and Italian Bishops saying Gallis Italis and neuer naming the Romanes The olde â—athers neuer â—new the Primacye of the church â—f Rome And for a cleare proofe that the auncient fathers knewe not this premacie of one aboue all we neede none other testimonie but their determination in the Councel of Nice that Alexandria and Antiochia and vniuersally all other primates should haue the whole gouernance of their confine countries like as the Bishop of Rome had of those that inhabited within his suburbes And this determination proueth also that your three Scriptures ment nothing lesse then this primacie ouer all For God forbid that we should suspect that Councel as ignorant of those plaine Scriptures to the which sith that time all Christendome hath leaned as the anker of our fayth And if you like to read the ancient Ecclesiasticall histories there you may see that Athanasius and other patriarches did execute that primacie as in making consecrating and ordering of Churches Bishops and Clerkes in their countries East and South as the Byshoppes of Rome in that time did in the West and North. And if you woulde yet any thing obiect against any of these witnesses then for to eschew contention and for a finall conclusion let the bishop of Rome stand to his owne confession made many yeres past by his predecessor Agatho to the Emperor Constantine Heraclius Tiberius in his Epistle written to them in his name and in the name of all the Synodes which he thought to be vnder the See apostolicke wherein soone after the beginning of the Epistle he comprehendeth them all vnder the name of the byshoppes dwelling in the North and West partes of their Empire So that there in his owne Epistle he confesseth all his subiectes and obedienciaries to be onely of the North and West and so it appeareth euidently by his owne confession that neyther by Gods lawe dor mans law he had to do with any person of the East or South And this his high souerainty ouer al chalenged as you and others say by Scripture as by his own confession doth appeare is brought into a litle and a straight angle And this Agatho was not a man vnlearned as appeareth by the actes of the vj. synode of Constantinople in the 4. act â—n the tyme of Pope Agatho the â—ea of Rome had no rule ouer â—he East and South churches Peters primacy hath no successours Apoc. 21. wherein is written at large and expressed the saide Epistle and confession And the primacie of Peter which auncient doctors speake of which was only in preaching and teaching the faith of Christ which he first among all the Apostles and first of all mortall men did expresse with his mouth did after so adhere to his owne person that it was neuer deriued either to any successor or to any other apostle but chiefly to himselfe for all other afterwardes professing the same spake it according vnto him who had professed it before Moreouer al the Apostles as S. Iohn saith be foundations in the heauenlie Ierusalem and not Peter only Also Cyprian affirmeth as is aforesaid that all the apostles were of equall dignitie and power whiche all ancient authors likewise doe affirme For Christ gaue the apostles like power in the Gospell saying Go and teach all nations baptizing them c. And S. Paul as is said before knew no other primacie giuen to Peter to preache in any place Math. 28. but among the Iewes as he himselfe had among the Gentiles as he writeth to Galat. Whervpon
and Alexander 2. through the intrigation of wicked Hildebrand were the authors of that constitution whereof Gracian speaketh it remaineth playne by the wordes of Uolusianus in the latter end of his Letter wherin he maketh mention both of discharging the priest from singyng Masse the people from hearing that the saide Epistle was written not to Pope Nicolas the first but to the secoÌ„d for because both these were decreed against maried priestes vnder Nicolas 2. and Alexander 2. as is afore declared And further least my iudgement herein should seeme to stand alone and singular without some to take my part I will here produce for me a Parisian Doctour 〈◊〉 testimoniâ— Ioan. Quintâ—â— De Clericorum moribus and a famous Lawyer Ioannes Quintius aboue mentioned who in his booke De Clericorum moribus plainely accordeth wâ—th mine opinion touching this Nicolas authour of the Decree aforesaide where he writeth in these wordes Nicolaus Papa Othoni Coloniensi Archiepisc. c. Quinque fuerunt hoc nomine pontifices Primum secundumúe oportuit esse qui haec rescripserit ille Romanus anno 860. hic Burgundus ann 1059. Reliquos Ninolaos antecessit Gratianus qui scripsit haec anno 1150 Posteriorem fuisse credo qui in Panomiae lib. 3. Tit. de lapsis nominatur Nicholaus iunior cuius est aliud Decretum sequens The author of this booke of 〈◊〉 was 〈…〉 in which booke he 〈…〉 of Popes and Bishops c. That is to say in English Pope Nicolas writing to Otho Archebishop of Colen Glos. There haue bene in all fiue Popes called by this name of Nicolas Of the whiche fiue this Nicolas the writer hereof muste bee eyther the first or seconde the one a Romane anno 860. the other a Burgundian ann 1059 or 1060. the other Nicolas liued after Gratian who wrote in the yeare 1150. In my iudgement I suppose this to be Nicholas the seconde which in the thirde booke of the Lawes called Pannomiae Tit. de lapsis is named Nicolas the younger Which Nicholas also is authour of the next Decree that followeth c. Wherfore if any man shal obiecte hereafter that because Gratian in the Distinction aforesayde nameth Pope Nicolas absolutely without any additioÌ„s Obiection aunswered it is therfore to be taken for Nicolas the first vnto this obiection I set here these two Lawiers to answeare Unto whose aunsweare this I adde also that the common manner of Gracian lightly in all his Distinctions is that when he speaketh of Popes as of Innocentius Gregorius Leo Lucius and suche other verye seldome he expresseth the difference of their names So in the Dist. 18. Praesbyteris where he bringeth in the Decree of Pope Calixtus in like maner against the Matrimonie of Priestes Deacons and Subdeacons he addeth therto no discrepance of his name and yet al the world knoweth that this was Calixtus the second not the first c. But whether he were or no the matter forceth not much The letters no doubt by their title appeare to be written by Uolusianus Most certaine this is by whoÌ„ so euer they were written fruitfull Epistles they are and effectual to the purpose But least wee shall seeme too muche to digresse from our purpose let vs returne to the story time of Nicolas y e second againe which was about the yeare as is said 1060. a litle before Hildebrand was Pope Which Hildebrande albeit he was then but a Cardinal yet was he the whole doer of all thinges Read afore pag. 174. and concluded what him listed in the Church of Rome and also made Popes whom he would as appeared both by this Nicolas also Pope Alexander which followed him pag. 174. So that this dissolution of priests mariage began somwhat to kindle vnder this pope Nicolas The time examined of this Voluâ—ianuâ— Epistle to Pope Nicholas through the pestilent meanes of Hildebrand and after him increased more vnder Pope AlexaÌ„der as appeareth by the Synode holden at Millane an 1067. but moste of al it burst out vnder the sayd Hildebrand himselfe being Pope the yeare as is sayd 1076. Although as touching this prohibition of priestes to be maried I am not ignoraunt that certaine of the contrary faction in searching out the reache and antiquitie of this tradition for priestes to abstaine from wiues doe referre the same to the time of the seconde Councell of Carthage which was about y e time of Pope Syritius a great enemy to Ministers wyues as appeareth Distinct. 84. Cum praeterito 〈◊〉 4. cap. 〈…〉 Yet notwithstanding to the same may be aunsweared that this was no vniuersall or generall Councel but some particular Synode and therfore of no such great forceable authoritie 2 Secondly the same Synode being about the time of Pope Syritius who was a capitall enemy against priests marryage may seeme to draw some corruption of the time then present 3 Thyrdly neither is it vnpossible but as diuers bastard Epistles haue bene falsely fathered vpon certaine auncient Bishoppes of the Primitiue Churche and diuers Canons also as of the Councell of Nice haue bene corrupted by Byshoppes of Rome so some falsehode likewise or forgery might be vsed in this seconde Councell of Carthage 4 Fourthly although no false conueyance had ben vsed therein yet for so much as the sayd Canon of this secoÌ„d Councell of Carthage doth misreport and falsifye the Canons of the Apostles in so doing it dooth iustly diminishe his owne credite 5 Fiftly seeing the foresayde Canon of this seconde Councel of Carthage tendeth cleane contrary to the Canons of the Apostles to the Councel of Gangra and other Councels moe and commaundeth that whiche they doe accurse the authoritie thereof ought to haue no great force but rather may be reiected 6 Finally though this constitution of the Councell of Carthage were perfectly sounde without all corruption Priestes and Byshops maried long after the 2 Councell of Carthage yet plaine and euident it is by this Uolusianus Byshop also of Carthage that the same constitution tooke no great holde in the Churche for so muche as we see that both this Uolusianus was married after that in Carthage him selfe and also besides him many hundreth yeares after Marriage was a common matter through moste Churches of Christendome amongest Bishoppes and priests as partly before hath beene declared And more maye be seene in hystories what great tumultes and busines was long after that in Hildebrandes time and after him also amongest the Clergy men both in Italie Spayne France and in al quarters of Christendome for seperating priestes from their libertie of marrying And againe if this tradition concerning the vnmarryed life of Priestes had stand vpon such an olde foundation from the second Councel of Carthage as they pretend what needed then in the time of Pope Nicolas 2. Pope Alexander 2. Pope Gregory 7. and other Popes after them so much labour to be taken so many Lawes and decrees to be deuised enacted
S. Ambrose writing as is aforesayde affirmeth the same And that the mother of all Churches is Ierusalem as afore is saide and not Rome the scripture is plaine bothe in the Prophette Esaye Out of Syon shall the law proceed Esa. 2. and the word of the Lord out of Ierusalem Vpon the which place S. Hierome sayth In Hierusalem primum fundata ecclesia totius orbis ecclesias seminauit Out of the Church being first founded in Hierusalem sprong all other churches of the whole worlde And also in the Gospell whiche Christ before his ascension commaunded his Apostles to preache throughout al the world beginning first at Ierusalem So that the byshop of Romes vniuersal power by him claymed ouer all can not by any scripture be iustified as if you haue read the auncient fathers expositions of the said scriptures as we suppose you haue sith your letters sent hyther concerning this matter and would giue more credence to their humble and plaine speaking then to the latter contentious and ambitious writers of that high and aboue the Ideas of Plato his subtilitie which passeth as you write the lawiers learning and capacitie we doubt not but that you perceiue and thinke the same A Prince may be â—â—ad of his churh and yet not preach nor minister Sacramentes And where you thinke that the king can not be taken as supreme head of the Church because he can not exercise the chiefe office of the Church in preaching and ministring of the sacramentes it is not requisite in euerie bodie naturall that the head should exercise eyther all maner of offices of the body or the chiefe office of the same For albeit the head is the highest chief member of the naturall body yet the distribution of life to al the members of the body as well to the head as to other members commeth from the heart and it is the minister of life to the whole body as the chiefe act of the body Neyther yet hath this similitude his full place in a mysticall body that a king shoulde haue the chiefe office of administration in the same And yet notwithstanding the scripture speaking of king Saule sayth I made thee head amongest the tribes of Israell Reg. 15. And if a king amongest the Iewes were the head in the tribes of Israell in the time of the lawe muche more is a Christian king head in the tribes of spirituall Israell that is of such as by true fayth see Christ who is the end of the law The office deputed to the byshops in the misticall body is to be as eyes to the whole body Ezech. 3. A bishop is a eye in the head but not the head of the mystical bodye as almighty God saith to the prophet Ezechiell I haue made thee an ouerseer ouer the house of Israell And what Byshops soeuer refuseth to vse the office of an eye in the misticall body to shew vnto the body the right way of beleeuing and liuing which appertayneth to the spirituall eye to doe shall shew himselfe to be a blinde eye and if hee shall take anye other office in hand then appertayneth to the right eye he shall make a confusion in the body taking vppon hym an other office then is geuen him of God Wherfore if the eye will not take vpon him the office of the whole head it may be aunswered it cannot so do for it lacketh brayne And examples shew likewise that it is not necessary alway that the head should haue the facultie or chiefe office of administration as you may see in a nauie by sea where the admirall who is captayne ouer all doth not meddle with stering or gouerning of euery ship but euery mayster particular must direct the shyp to passe the sea in breaking the waues by his steryng and gouernaunce The office of a head standeth not in doing but in coÌ„maunding whiche the admirall the head of all doth not hymselfe nor yet hath the facultie to doe but commaundeth the maysters of the ship to do it And likewise many a captayne of great armyes whiche is not able nor neuer coulde peraduenture shoote or breake a speare by hys own strength yet by his wisedome and commaundement onely atchieueth the warres and attayneth the victory And where you thinke that vnitie standeth not onely in the agreeing in one fayth and doctrine of the Church Vnity what it is and where in it consisteth but also in agreeing in one head if you meane the very onely head ouer all the churche our Sauiour Christ Whome the Father hath set ouer all the Churche which is his body wherein all good Christen men doe agree therin you say truth But if you meane of any one mortall man to be head ouer all the Church and that to be the bishop of Rome we do not agree with you For you doe there erre in the true vnderstanding of Scripture or els you must say that the sayd Councell of Nice and other most auncient did erre which deuided the administration of Churches the Orient from the Occident and the South from the North as is before expressed and that Christ the vniuersal head is present in euery church the Gospell sheweth Where two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 28. â— there am I in the middes of them And in an other place Behold I am wyth you vntill the end of the world Math. 28. By which it may appeare christ the vniuersall head euery where to be with hys misticall body the Church who by hys spirite worketh in all places how far so euer they be distaunt the vnitie and concorde of the same And as for any other vniuersall head to be euer all then christ himselfe Scripture prooueth not as it is shewed before And yet for a further proofe to take away the scruples that peraduenture doe to your appearaunce rise of certayne wordes in some auncient authors and especially in S. Cyprians epistles as that the vnitie of the church stood in the vnity with the bishop of Rome though they neuer call him supreme head Aunswere to S. Ciprian if you will wey and conferre all their sayinges together you shal perceiue that they neither spake nor ment otherwise but wheÌ„ the bishop of Rome was once lawfully elected and enthroned if then anye other woulde by faction might force or otherwise the other liuing and doing his office enterprise to put him downe and vsurpe the same Bishopricke or exercise the others office himselfe as Nouatianus did attempt in the tyme of Cornelius then the sayd fathers reckoned them Catholicks that did communicate with him that was so lawfully elected and the custome was one primacye to haue to doe with an other by congratulatorye letters soone after the certayntye of theyr election was knowne to keepe the vnity of the Church and that they that did take part or mayntayne the vsurper to be schismatickes because that vsurper was a schismaticke Quia non sit fas
the maried life of priestes is more auncient in the Church then is the single life then the law I meane commaunding the single life of Priests Which may soone be proued to be true by the true count of times and search of hystories For first at the Councell of Nice it is notorious that this diuelish law of mariage to be restrained was stopped by Paphâ—â—tius 2. Before this Councell of Nice in the yeare of our Lord 180. we reade of Polycrates B. of Ephesus who dissenting from Pope Uictor about a certaine controuersie of Easter day alledgeth for himselfe how his progenitoures before him 7. together one after another succeeded in that seate and he now the 8. after them was placed in the same vsing this his discent of his parents not only as a defence of his cause but also a glory to himselfe c. 3. Pope Syricius about the yeare of our Lord 390. wrote to the priests of Spaine about the same matter of putting their wiues from them if his Epistle be not counterfeyte These Spanish priestes had then with them a Byshop of Terragon Who aunswering to Syricius in this behalfe alledged the testimonies of S. Paule that Priestes might lawfully retaine their wiues c. To this Syricius replyed againe if his writing be not forged most arrogantly and no lesse ignorauntly reprouing the Priests that were maried and for the defence of his cause alledged this sentence of S. Paule Si secundum carnem vixeritis moriemini That is If ye shall liue after the flesh ye shall die c. Whereby may appeare not onely howe they in Spaine then had wiues 〈◊〉 8. but also how blinde these men were in the Scriptures which shewed themselues such aduersaries against Priests Mariage 4. To be short the further we go nearer to the auncient time of the church the lesse auncient we shall finde the depriuation of lawfull matrimony amongst christian ministers beginning if we will with the Apostles their examples and Canons who although were not all maried yet diuers of them were and the rest had power and libertie to haue and keepe their wiues witnessing S. Paule where he writeth of himselfe Non habemus potestatem sororem mulierem circumducendi sicut reliqui Apostoli That is to say haue not we power to leade about a sister to wife as also the other Apostles haue Whereby is to be seene both what he might do and what the other Apostles did Also Clemens Alexandrinus whiche was CC. yeares after Christe Lib. Strom 7. denieth not but that Paul was maried beyng an Apostle as well as Peter and Philp. And as the sayde Apostles in their doctrine admonishe all men to marrie that can not otherwise doe sayeng to euery one beeyng in daunger of temptation Vnusquisque suam vxorem habeat ne tentet vos Satanas c. That is Let euery man haue his owne wife least Sathan tempt you c. So likewise the same Apostles in their Canons as in the Popes Decrees cited do precisely charge that no Bishop nor priest shoulde sequester from him his wife for any matter or pretence of religion saieng If anye shall teach that a priest for religion sake ought to contemne his owne wife let him be accursed c. As for the Glose there in the margent whiche expoundeth this word contemning for exhibiting things necessarye for her sustenance all the worlde may see that to bee a Glose of meere Sophistry And because I haue here made mention of Clemens Alexandrinus it shal not be to our purpose impertinent to inferre the wordes of this worthy writer wherewith he doth defend Priests lawfull matrimonie against certayne vayne bosters of virginitie in his time Dicunt gloriosi isti iactatores se imitari dominum qui neque vxorem duxit neque in mundo aliquid possedit se magis quam alios Euangelium intellexisse gloriantes That is These glorious braggers doe vaunte themselues to bee the followers of the Lord who neither had wife nor yet possessed anye thing heere in the worlde c. And it followeth Eis autem dicit scriptura deus superbus resistit humilibus autem dat gratiam Deinde nesciunt causam cur dominus vxorem non duxerit primum quidem propriam sponsam habuit ecclesiam Deinde vero nec homo erat communis vt opus haberet etiam adiutore aliquo secundum carnem c. To these the Scripture maketh aunswere God withstandeth the proude and geueth grace to the humble Agayne they consider not the cause why the Lorde tooke no wife First he had his owne peculiar spouse which is y e Church Moreouer neither was he as a common man that hee shoulde stand in such neede of a helper after the fleshe c. And in the same booke a little after alleadging against them that abhorre matrimonie 1. Tim. 4. he inferreth the wordes of S. Paule how that in the latter dayes some shall fall from the faith attending to spirits of errour and to doctrine of deuils forbidding to marry and to absteyne from meates c. Which place of Saint Paule Clement heere applieth not against the Nouatians and them that condemne matrimony in generall in all men as naught but he applyeth it only against suche as forbid mariage in part and namely in Priests c. Câ—â—cilium 〈◊〉 This Clement wrote after Christ two hundreth yeres and yet if we come downeward to lower times we shall finde both by the Councell of Gangren CCC yeares and also by the Councel of Nice CCCC yeares after Christe the same libertie of priestes mariage established and enacted as a thing both good and godly The wordes of Gangren Councell be these Si quis discernit Praesbyterum coniugatum tanquam occasione nuptiarum quod offerre non debeat Distinct. 28. ab eius oblatione ideo abstinet anathema sit c. That is If any do iudge that a Priest for his mariage sake ought not to minister and therefore doth abstaine from the same let him be accursed Moreouer proceeding yet in times and Chronicles of the Church we shall come to the sixt Councell called Synodus Constantinopolitana Concilium ConstantinopolitanuÌ„ Distinct. â—5 ca. Quoâ—â—â— almost seauen C. yeares after Christ the wordes of the which Councell be alleadged in the Decrees and be these in Latine Quoniam in Romani ordine canonis esse cognouimus traditum eos qui ordinati sunt Diaconi vel Presbyteri confiteri quod non suis iam copulentur vxoribus antiquum sequentes canonem Apostolicae diligentiae constitutiones sacrorum virorum legales nuptias amodo valere volumus nullo modo cum vxoribus suis eorum connubia dissoluentes aut priuantes eos familiaritate adinuicem in tempore oportuno c. That is Because in the order of the Romaine Canon we know it so to be receaued that such as be Deacons and Priestes shall professe themselues to haue no more copulation with
their wiues we following the auncient Canon of the diligent Apostles and constitutions of holy men enact that suche lawfull mariage from henceforth shall stande in force in no case dissoluing theyr coniunction with their wiues neither depriuing them of their mutuall societie and familiaritie together in suche time as they shall thinke conuenient c. Hetherto ye haue heard the decree heare now the penaltie in the same decree and distinction conteined Si quis igitur praesumpserit contra Apostolicos canones aliquos Praesbyterorum Diaconorum priuare à contactu communione legalis vxoris suae deponatur c. That is If any therefore shal presume against the Canons of the Apostles Ibidem 6. thinges in this Councell to be noted to depriue either priest or Deacon from the touching and companye of his lawfull wife let him be depriued And likewise this Priest and Deacon whosoeuer for religion sake shall put away his wife let him be excommunicate c. And the Councell of Gangren sayth let him be accursed By these wordes of the Councell recited sixe things are to be noted 1. First how this Councell calleth y e Mariage of priestes lawfull contrary to these vj. articles and to a certeyne late Englishe writer of our countrey entituling his booke against the vnlawfull mariage of Priests 2. In that this Councell so followeth the Canons of the Apostles and constitutions of holy men we haue to vnderstand what the censure both of the Apostles and determination of other holy men were therein 3. If the Iniunction of this Councell agreeyng thus with the Apostles and holy men stoode with truth the contrary Canon of the Romaines and also of these sixe English articles must needes be condemned of errour 4. By this Councell appeareth that so long time almost 700. yeares after Christ this prohibition of Priestes mariage was not yet entred into the Orient Churche but stoutely was holden out 5. By the Romane Canon heere mentioned which began with Gregorius 600. yeares after Christ a little before this Councell it can not be denied but the Churche of Rome began then to disceuer not onely from the veritie but also from the vnitie of all other Churches following the Apostolicke doctrine Albeit the said Romane Canon at that time stode not long but was shortly disanulled by the sayd Gregorius agayne by the occasion of infants heads found in his fish pond whereof Christ willing more shal be spoken heereafter The crafty packing of the Romanes in suppressing and counter 〈◊〉 the Canon◠of Councels 6. Sixtly heere is to be noted remēbred the craftie false packing and fraude of the Romaines which in the Latine booke of Councels in diuers new impressions haue suppressed this Canon because be like it maketh little w t their purpose plaieng much like with this as Pope Zosimus Bonifacius and Celestinus played with y e sixt councel of Carthage which for their supremacy would haue forged a false Canon of Nice had not the Councell sent to Cōstantinople for the true exemplar therof so proued them open lyers to their faces So likewise this Canō aboue mētioned although it be omitted in some bookes yet beyng found in the auncient true written copies beyng alledged of Nilus a Greeke Byshop of Thessalonica Dist. 31. CC. yeare tofore and moreouer beyng found alledged in the Popes own booke of Decrees Distin. 31. must needes conuince them of manifest theft falsehoode Thus it may stand sufficiently proued that y e deprauation of Priestes lawfull mariage all this space was not entred into the church neither Greeke nor Latin Hildebrand and Calixtus first extorters of Priestes lawfull mariage at least tooke no ful possession before Pope Hildebrandus tyme. Anno Domini 1070 and especially Pope Calixtus time Anno Domini 1120. which were the first open extortors of Priestes mariage Auentinus a faythfulll writer of his tyme writyng of the Councell of Hildebrand hath these wordes Auentinus in histor Bonorum Sacerdotes illa tempestate publicè vxores sicut caeteri Christiani habebant filios procreabant sicuti instrumentis donationū quae illi templis Mystis Monachis fecere vbi hae nominatim cum coniugibus testes citantur honesto vocabulo Praesbiterissae nūcupantur inuenio Caesar tum c. That is In those dayes Priestes commonly had wiues as other Christē men had and had children also as may appeare by auncient instrumentes deedes of gift which were then giuen to Churches to the Clergy and to religious houses in the whiche instrumentes both the Priestes and their wiues also with them which there be called Praesbyterissae I finde to be alledged for witnesses It happened moreouer y e same tyme sayth Auentine that the Emperour had the inuestyng of diuers Archbyshoprickes Byshoprickes Abbayes and Nunries within his dominions Pope Hildebrand disdaynyng agaynst both these sortes aforesayd that is both against them that were inuested by the Emperour and also agaynst all those Priestes that had wiues prouided so in his Coūcell at Rome that they which were promoted by the Emperour into liuyngs of the Church were counted to come in by Symony the other which were maryed Priestes were counted for Nicolaitanes Wherupon pope Hildebrād writyng his letters to y e Emperour to Dukes Princes and other great Prelates and Potētates namely to Bertholdus Zaringer to Rodolphus of Sueuia to Welphon of Bauaria to Adalberon and to their Ladyes and to diuers other to whom he thought good also to Byshops namely to Otto Byshop of Constance with other Priestes and lay people willeth them in his letters to refuse and to keepe no company with those Symoniake and those Nicolaitane Priestes for so were they termed then which had either any Ecclesiasticall liuyng by the Emperour or els which had wiues to auoyd their Masses Simoiacke Priestes Nicolaitan Priestes neither talke neither to eate nor drinke with them nor once to speake to them nor to salute them but vtterly to shunne them as men execrable and wicked no otherwise thē they would eschue the plague or pestilence By reason whereof ensued a mighty schisme and affliction among the flocke of Christ Ex Auentino Annal. Bonor◠lib. 5. such as lightly the lyke hath not bene seene For the Priestes went agaynst their Byshops the people agaynst the Priest the laytie agaynst the Clergy briefly all ranne together in heapes in confusion Men and women as euery one was set vpon mischief wickednesse contention and auarice tooke thereby occasion vpon euery light suspition to resiste their Minister to spoyle the goodes of the Church The vulgare people contemned the Priestes which had maryed wiues despised their Religion and all thynges that they dyd yea and in many places would purge the place where they had bene with holy water and brent their Tithes Also such was the mischief of them that they would take the holy mysteries whiche those maryed Priestes had consecrated and cast them in the dyrt
of the Articles whyche are these 1 First the said booke damneth all holy Canons calling them ceremonies and statutes of sinfull men and vncunning Newe articles coÌ„mensed against Hunne after his death and calleth the Pope Sathanas and Antichrist 2 Item it damneth the Popes Pardons saieng they be but leasings 3 Item the sayd booke of Hunne saith that Kings and Lords called Christen in name and heathen in conditions defoyle the Sanctuarie of God bringing clarkes full of couetise heresie and malice to stop Gods law that it can not be knowne kept and freely preached 4 Item the saide booke saith that Lordes and Prelates pursue full cruelly them that would teach truly and freely the lawe of God and cherish them that preach sinful mens traditions and statutes by the which he meaneth the holy Canons of Christes Church 5 Item that poore men and idiotes haue the truth of the holy Scriptures more then a thousand Prelates and religious men and clarkes of the schole 6 Item that Christen Kings and Lordes set Idols in Gods house and excite the people to Idolatrie 7 Item that Princes Lords and Prelates so doyng be worse then Herode that pursued Christ and worse then Iewes and heathen men that crucified Christ. 8 Item that euery man swearing by our Lady or any other Saint or creature geueth more honour to the saints then to the holy Trinitie and so he sayth they be idolaters 9. Item he sayth that Saintes ought not to be honored 10. Item he damnethe adoratioÌ„ prayer kneelyng offeryng to Images which he calleth stockes and stones 11. Item he sayth that the very body of the Lord is not conteyned in the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar but that men receiuing it shall thereby keepe in mynde that Christes flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. 12. Item he daÌ„neth the Uniuersitie of Oxford with all degrees and faculties in it as Art Ciuile CanoÌ„ and Diuinitie saying that they let the true way to come to the knowledge of the lawes of God and holy Scripture 13. Item he defendeth the translation of the Bible and holy Scripture into the English tongue An holy mother Church which cannot abide the worde of God to be translated which is prohibited by the lawes of our mother holy Church These Articles thus collected as also the others before specified they caused for a more shew of their preteÌ„ded iustice and innocencie to be opeÌ„ly read the next Sonday folowing by the Preacher at Paules Crosse with this Protestation made before ☞ Maisters and frendes for certaine causes and considerations I haue in commaundemeÌ„t to rehearse shew publish here vnto you the Articles of heresie vpoÌ„ which Richard Hunne was detected and examined The Bishops publication at Paules crosse against R. Hunne and also other great Articles and damnable poyntes and opinions of heresie conteined in some of his bookes be coÌ„men to light and knowledge here ready to be shewed And therewith he read the Articles openly vnto the people concludyng with these wordes And maisters if there be any man desirous to see the specialtie of these Articles or doubt whether they be coÌ„teined in this booke or not for satisfying of his minde let him come to my Lord of London and he shall see it with good will Moreouer here I counsaile and admonishe that if there be any persons that of their simplenes haue bene familiar and acquainted with the sayd Richard Hunne in these Articles or haue heard him read vpon this booke or any other souÌ„dyng to heresie or haue any like bookes their selues let them come vnto my Lord of London betwixt this and Candlemasse next and knowledge their fault they shal be charitably intreated and dealt withall so that both their goodes and honestie shal be saued if they will not come of their owne offer but abyde the processe of the law then at their owne perill be it if the rigour of the law be executed agaynst them After which open publication admonition the Byshop at sundry tymes examined diuers of his Priests and other lay persons vpon the contentes of both these Articles Among which examinates there was a man seruauÌ„t and a mayde of the sayd Hunnes who although they had of long dwelt with him were not able to charge him with any great thing worthy repreheÌ„sion no not in such points as the Byshop chiefly obiected agaynst him But yet the Priestes through whose procurement this mischief was first begon spared no whit stoutly and maliciously to accuse him some in the contentes of the first Articles some in the second Wherefore hauyng now as they thought sufficient matter agaynst him they purposed speedely to proceede to his condemnation Ex Registro Fiâ—ziames Lond. And because they would seeme to doe all thynges formally and by prescript order they first drew out certaine short and summary rules by the which the Byshop should be directed in this solemne Session which are these 1. First let the Byshop sit in his tribunall seate in our Ladyes Chappell 2. Secondly let him recite the cause of his comming Marke the manner of this proceeding and take Notaryes to him to enact that shal be there done 3. Thirdly let him declare how vppon Sonday last at Paules Crosse he caused to be published a generall monition or denunciation that all fautours and mainteyners of Richard Hunne should come in as by this day submit themselues and let him signifie withall how certaine haue come in and haue appeared already 4. Fourthly let him protest say that if there remayne any yet behynd which haue not appeared accordyng to the former monition and denunciation yet if they will come and appeare and submit themselues they shal be heard receiued with grace and fauour 5. Fiftly let the Byshop or some other at his appointmeÌ„t recite the Articles obiected agaynst Richard Hunne in the tyme of his life and theÌ„ the other Articles likewise which were out of his great booke of the Bible extracted 6. Sixtly let the aunsweres and confessions of the sayd Richard Hunne summarely be recited with the AttestatioÌ„s made to the same Articles Also let his bookes be exhibited and theÌ„ Thomas Brooke his seruaunt be called for 7. Seuently let it be openly cryed at the Quere doore that if there be any which will defend the articles opinions bookes or the memory of the said Richard Hunne let them come and appeare and they shall be heard as the lawe in that behalfe shall require 8 Eightly let it be openly cryed as in maner before for such as be receiuers fauourers defenders or beleeuers of the sayd Richard Hunne that all such do appear and submit themselues to the Bishop or else he intendeth to proceede to the excommunication of them in generall according to the exigence of the law in that behalfe 9 Ninthly then the Byshop speaking to the standers by and to them which sate with him vpon the bench of the Clergie demaunding of them what their iudgement
condemnation because they haue made voyd theyr first fayth These other such like reasons being opened layd before thē you shal thē in our name exhort y e foresaid princes prelats people to awake and employ their diligēce how to gainestand First the iniury of these Lutherians toward God toward his holy religiō Secōdly theyr villany toward the whole nation of the Germanes their princes especially the shamefull contumely toward theyr fathers elders whō in effect they condemne to hel In consideratiō wherof you shal cal vpō thē to remēber thēselues to proceed effectually to the executiō of y e apostolicall sentēce of the Emperors edict geuing pardon to thē that wil amend acknowledge their fault the other which obstinatly persist in their error punishing with the rod of district seuerity according to the decrees of the Canons and lawes of the Church that by theyr example such as stand may remaine in fayth and they which are fallen may be reduced And if any shall obiect again y e Luther was condēned by the apostolicke see before he was heard y t his cause ought first to haue bene heard iudged before he was cōuinced you shall aunswere that those * Here the Pope agreeth rightly with Mahomet for he will not haue his Religion reasoned vpon no more wil the Pope haue hys Graunt thys to the pope and he may play the Lord of misrule and do what he listeth thinges which perteine to faith are to be beleued for theyr owne authority not to be proued Take away sayth Ambrose argumentes where fayth is sought there the fishers not the Philosophers must bee trusted Truth it is we graunt no lesse but the lawfull defence hearing ought not to bee denyed in such cases where the question is of the fact whether it were done or not as whether he spake preached writ or not But where the matter is of Gods law or in cause of the sacramentes there must we alwayes stand to the authority of holy fathers of the Church Now all thinges almost wherein Luther dissenteth from other are reproued before by diuers Councels Neither ought those things to be called into questiō which haue bene defined before by general coūcels y e vniuersal-Church but ought to be receiued by fayth For els he doth iniury to the Synode of the church who so bringeth again into controuersy things once rightly discussed setled Otherwise what certaynty can there be amongst mē or what end shal there be of contēding disputing if it shal be lawfull for euery lewd presumtuous person to decline from the things which haue bene receiued and ratified by the cōsent not of one nor of fewe but of so many ages so many wise heades of the Catholicke church which God neuer permitteth to erre in matters vnto fayth apperteyning And how can it otherwise be chosen but that all muste bee ful of disturbance offences and confusion vnlesse the thinges which haue bene once yea many times by ripe iudgement cōstituted be obserued of al mē as inuiolable Wherfore seing Luther and his felowes do cōdemne the Councels of holy fathers do burne the holy canons do cōfound al things at their pleasure do disquiet the whole world what remaineth but that they are to be reiected exploded as enemies and perturbers of publike peace Further this you shal say vnto them y t we confesse our selues deny not but that God suffreth this persecutiō to be inflicted vpon his churche Esa. 59. for the sinnes of men especially of priests and prelates of the clergie For certain it is that the hand of the Lord is not shortned that he cannot saue but our sinnes haue diuided betwene God and vs and therfore he hideth his face from vs that he wil not heare vs. The scripture testifieth that the sinnes of the people doe issue out from the sinnes of the priests And therfore saith Chrysostom Christ going about to cure the sicke citie of Hierusalē first entred into the temple to correct the sinnes of the priestes like a good phisitiō which first beginneth to cure the disease from the very rote We know that in this * And howe then can this be called an holy Sea where so many abhominable impieties manifold excesses both in spirituall masters also in eternall life are seene practised such ambitiō in the prelats such pryde in the Pope such auarice in the Court finally where such corruption is of all things as you your selues doe here confesse can not denye holy see there haue bene many abhominable things of long time wrought practised as abuses in matters spirituall and also excesses in life and maners and all things turned cleane cōtrary And no maruell if the * True it is that the sicknes hath begunne in the head that is at the very triple crown and therfore the sicknes being great and hauing neede of a sharpe Phisition God hath sent Luther vnto the Pope as Erasmus writeth of him as a meete Phisition to cure his disease Yet he refuseth to be healed sicknesse first beginning at the heade that is at the high Bishops haue descended afterward to inferior prelates Al we that is prelates of the church haue declined euery one after his owne waye Neither hath there ben one that hath don good no not one Wherfore nede it is y t al we geue glory to God and that we humble our soules to him considering euery one of vs from whence hee hath fallen Cayphas himselfe could neuer prophesie more truely and that euery one doe iudge himself before he be iudged of God in the rod of his furie For the redresse wherof you shal insinuate vnto them and promise in our behalfe that in vs shall be lacking no diligence of a better reformation first beginning w t our owne court that like as this contagion first from thence descended into all the inferior partes The Pope promiseth reformation of his owne Court but when beginneth hee so reformation amendement of all that is amisse from the same place againe shall take his beginning Wherunto they shall finde vs so much the more ready for that we see y e whole worlde so desirous of the same Wee our selues as you knowe neuer sought this dignity but rather coueted if we otherwise might to lead a priuate life and in a quiete state to serue God And also would vtterly haue refused the same had not the feare of God and the maner of our election and misdoubting of some schisme to follow after haue vrged vs to take it And thus tooke we the burden vpon vs not for any ambition of dignity or to enrich our frends and kinsfolks but only to be obediēt to the will of God and for reformation of the catholique church and for reliefe of the pore and especially for the aduancement of learning learned men with such other things moe as
causes are pleaded in iudgement before an Ecclesiasticall iudge Lay matters brought into the spirituall court for money either for rauishyng of virgins or for children vnlawfully borne out of wedlocke or for seruants wages or any other matters touching widowes the Ecclesiasticall iudges being called vpon by the superiors of the laitie which do contend they will neyther deferre that iudgement or by any meanes wil be intreated to remit them to theyr ordinarie iurisdiction The gaine that riseth to the Clergie by false sclaunders and rumours Scoulding matters brought to the spiritual court for gayne and lucre IT happeneth oftentimes that men and women through sinister and false reports sclanders are brought before the Official or Ecclesiasticall iudge as men gilty and shall not be declared innocēt before they haue cleared thēselues by an othe Whych purgation so made they are restored again to their former estimation And albeit that the damages costes ought to be repaide againe vnto such as be so falsly accused yet notwithstāding the innocents thēselues are forced to pay two gildernes and a quarter for their letters of absolution And this is the cause why that the Officials other Ecclesiastical iudges do so greedely folowe the action of such vnlawful false slanderous accusatiōs chalenging the hearinge thereof onelye vnto them selues which thyng no doubt redoundeth to the great and most singular hurt and detriment of all men For oftentimes it happeneth that women falling together in cōtention thorowe anger hatred or some other affection do speake euill or slaunder one an other and outrage somuch that the one oftentimes accuseth the other either of adoultry or witchery Which thinge being brought before the Officiall shee which throughe her anger had so slaundered the other is forced by an othe to excuse and purge her selfe that whatsoeuer iniurious or slanderous word she had spoken came not of any deliberate purpose or intent but through wrath and displeasure In like maner the other whiche is accused either of adoultrie or sorcerie is commaunded by an othe to declare her innocencie that shee is not guiltie of those factes so that it is euident vnto all men that in such cases whether they be guiltie or not guiltie they must sweare if they will keepe theyr good name and fame Whereby not onely the vnlawfull luker of gaine and money is soughte but also wilful periurie forced and the seculare power and iudges letted from the punishment therof so that contrary to all reason offences do remaine vnpunished Complaint against spirituall iudges taking Seculare causes from the Ciuile Magistrate ALl be it there be many causes so indifferent to both iurisdictions The wrasting of temporall causes vnto the spirituall court for gayne of money that they may be pleaded and punished as wel by the ciuill Magistrate as ecclesiasticall iudge notw tstanding it happeneth oftentimes that when as the ciuill Magistrates would exercise their office and iurisdiction in this behalfe they are forbidden and letted by the Ecclesiastical iudges vnder paine of excōmunication Which thing if it should long continue and be suffred the Ecclesiasticall iudges would shortly take away all maner of causes from the ciuil Magistrate his iurisdiction which is vntolerable and derogatorie both vnto the Emperors maiesty and other states of the Empire And albeit that by the common lawes manifest periuries adulteries withcrafts and such other like may indifferently be punished by Ecclesiastical or ciuil iudges for the time being so that preuention in this behalfe taketh place notw tstanding the Ecclesiasticall iudges goe about to vsurpe vnto themselues and theyr iurisdiction all suche maner of causes which burthen and greuance the ciuill iurisdiction and power ought not to suffer A complaint against Ecclesiastical iudges intermedling with cases of the secular Court but will not suffer their cases once to be touched of the other MOreouer the Ecclesiasticall iudges saye The clergy may deale in ciuill causes but the ciuill magistrate must not deale in theirs that in suche case it is lawful for them to take prophane matters in to their hands if the ciuil magistrate be found negligent in executing of iustice but contrariwise they will not suffer y t the like order shoulde be kept with them neither will they permit that in Ecclesiasticall matters any man may complaine vnto the ciuil Magistrate for lack of iustice and require the administration of iustice at his hand Albeit they do define all lawes generally common determine howe the Canon lawes may help and assist the ciuil and contrariwise the ciuil lawes the Canon Complaint against certaine misorders of the Cathedral Churches for vsing double punishment for one offence against the lawe FOrsomuch as it is forbidden both by gods law mans Certaine orders of Cathedrall churches reproueable y t no man shuld be beaten with 2. rods that is to say be punished with 2. kinds of torments worthely therefore do all wise men detest abhorre the odious statutes of diuers cathedral churches wherby murtherers both men women other as wel light as greuous offenders haue ben hetherto vexed tormented for hetherto it hath bene accustomed y t such as wer gilty of murther such other crimes which they cal cases reserued vnto the bishops after they had made their auricular confession were cōpelled to their great ignominy shame to do penaunce in the sight of all the people which penāce were not so much to be disalowed hearing some semblance of the institution of the primatiue churche if so be it these busie officials being contente therew t wold not extort more and greater summes of money then were right and lawful and so punish those offenders with double punishment wherew tall it is to be marueiled how many be offended and greeued Howe wicked a thynge thys is and howe farre it differeth from Christes instititution we will referre it to euery good conscience to iudge Complaint of Officials for mainteining vnlawfull vsuries Officials taking pensions of priestes for keeping concubines FUrthermore the Officials being allured thoroughe the greedy and vnsatiable desire of money do not only not forbid vnlawful vsuries and gaines of mony but also suffer and maintaine the same Moreouer they taking a yerely stipend and pension do suffer the Clergy and other religious persons vnlawfully to dwel with their concubines and harlots and to beget children by them Bothe whych things howe great pearil offence and detriment they doe bring bothe vnto body and soule euery man may plainely see so that it neede not to be rehearsed except he wil make himselfe as blinde as a mole Complaint of Officials permitting vnlawfull cohabitation with other when the husband or wife are long absent FUurthermore where it so happeneth as it doeth oftentymes that either the good manne or the good wife by meanes of warre or some other vowe hath taken in hande some long iourney and so tarieth longer then serueth the appetite of the other the Officiall
taking a rewarde of the other geueth licence to the party to dwell wyth any other person not hauing first regard or making inquisitiō whether the husbād or wife being absent be in health or dead and because these their doings shoulde not be euill spoken of they name it a tolleration or sufferaunce not without greate offence vnto all men and to the great contempte of holy matrimonie Complaint of Canons in Cathedrall Churches which haue their B. sworne vnto them before he be chosen The practise in chapters of cathedral churchches to make the byshop sworne vnto them THis is also vnlawfull and plainly wicked that tho Canons of Cathedrall Churches in whose hand the principal part of Ecclesiastical iudgements Sinodes and censures do consist and the Canons of other collegiate churches which haue power and authoritie to chuse theyr Superiour and Bishop will chuse none to their Bishop except he binde himself first with an oth and plainly sweare yet and oftentimes is bound by bond and instrumēts sealed wyth their seales to them and their Ecclesiasticall iudges y t in no matter be it neuer so greuous intollerable or dishonest he shall not be against them and if it happen at any time that they doe offend they may do it also wythout punishment for him * Complaint against incorporations or improperations and other pilling of the people by Churchmen MAny parish churches are subiect vnto monasteries to the persons of other churches by meanes of incorporations as they call them or otherwise The incōueniēce of improperations whych they are bound also according to the canon lawes to foresee looke vnto by themselues when as they do put them foorth vnto others to be gouerned reseruing for the moste parte vnto themselues the whole stipende of the benefices and tithes and moreouer aggrauate charge the same wyth so great pensions that the hireling priestes and other ministers of the Church can not haue thereupon a decent or competent liuing whereby it commeth to passe that these hirelynge priestes for that they must needes haue wherupon to liue doe with vnlawfull exactions miserably spoil and deuour the poore sheepe committed vnto them consume all theyr substaunce For when as the Sacramentes of the aultare and of Baptisme are to be administred or when the firste the seuenth the thirtie and yeare day must be kept when auricular confession cōmeth to be heard Cruell exactiō of the people by churchmen the dead to be buried or any other ceremony whatsoeuer about the funerall is to be done they will not do it freely but extort and exact so much mony as the miserable communalty is scarse able to disbourse and daily they do encrease and augment these their exactions driuing the simple pouerty to the payment therof by threatning them with excommunication or by other waies cōpelling them to be at charge which otherwise through pouerty are not able to maintein obsequies yere mindes and suche other like ceremonies as to the funerals of the dead be appertaining * Bying and selling of burials complained of IT is ordained by the Popes Canons that buriall in the Church should be denied onely vnto them Gaine gotten by selling burials whych being known to be manifest notorious offenders haue departed this life w tout receiuing of the sacrament But the clergie not regarding those decrees will not suffer suche as by chaunce are drowned killed slaine with falles or fire or otherwise by chance haue ended their liues albeit it be not euident that they were in deadly sinne to be buryed in the churches vntill such time as the wiues children or frends of those men so dead do with great summes of money purchase and buy the burial of them in the Churchyard * Chaste and continent priestes compelled to pay tribute for concubines ALso in many places the bishops their Officials do not only suffer Priestes to haue concubines Concubine permitted for money and chast priestes cōpelled to pay tribute for concubines so that they paye certayne summes of money but also compell continent and chast Priestes which liue without concubines to paye tribute for concubines affirming that the B. hath neede of money which being payde it shal be lawfull for them either to liue chast or keepe concubines Howe wicked a thing this is euery man doeth well vnderstande and knowe These with many other burthens and greuances mo to the number of an hundreth the secular states of Germanie deliuered to the Popes legate hauing as they sayd many mo and more greuous greuances besides these which had likewise much nede of redresse but because they would not exceede the limites of reasonable breuity they wold cōtent themselues said they with these aforesaid hundreth reseruing the rest to a more apt and more conuenient oportunitye stedfastly trusting hoping that when those hundreth greuances already by them declared should be abolished the other would also decay fall with them Of the which foresaid greuances and complaints here is moreouer to be noted that a great part was offered vp before to y e Emperor at the coūcel of wormes but because no redresse therof did folowe therefore the seculare states of Germanie thought good to exhibiie the same now againe with diuers moe annexed therunto to Cheregatus the Popes Legate in this present assēble of Norenberge The diet of Norenberge began an 1522. and brake vp an 1523. The death of Pope Adrian Pope Clement 7. desiring him to present the same to Pope Adrian This was about the yere of our Lord 1523. Which being done the assemble of Norenberge brake vp for a time and was proroged to the nexte yeare following In this meane time Pope Adrian died After him succeded pope Clemēt 7. Who the next yere folowing whych was An. 1524. sent downe his Legate Cardinall Campeius vnto the Councel of the Germane Princes assembled againe at Norenberge about the moneth of March with letters also to duke Friderick full of many faire petitions and sharp complaints c. Cardinall Campeius the Popes Legate into Germanye The Pope onely seeketh his own dignitie but publicke reformation he neuer tendreth But as touching the greuances aboue mentioned no word nor message at al was sent neither by Campeius nor by any other Thus where anye thing was to be complained of againste Luther eyther for suppression of the liberty of the Gospel or for vpholding of the Popes dignity the Pope was euer ready with al diligence to cal vpō the Princes but where any redresse was to be required for the publicke wealth of Christen people or touching the necessary reformation of the church herein the Pope neither geueth eare nor answere And thus hauing discoursed such matters occurrēt betwene the Pope Princes of Germany at the Synode of Norenberge let vs now proceede returning againe to the story of Luther of whō ye heard before howe he was kept secret solitarie for a time by the aduise and conueiance of certain
the apple After long refusing wheÌ„ the wofull father could not otherwise choose by force constreined but must leauill at the apple as God would he mist the child and stroke the marke This Tell being thus compelled by the tirant to shoote at his sonne had brought with him two shaftes thinking that if he had stroke the child with the one the other he would haue let driue at the tyraunt Which being vnderstand he was apprehended and led to the rulers house but by the way escaping out of the boate betweene Urania and Brun and passing thorough the mountaines with as much speede as he might Pride and tyrannye well rewarded he lay in the way secretly as the ruler should passe where he discharged his arow at the tyraunt and slue him And thus were these cruell gouernours vtterly expelled out of these three valleyes or pages aforesayd and after that such order was taken by the Emperour Henricus 7. and also by the Emperours Ludouicus duke of Bauaria that henceforth no iudge should be set ouer them but only of their owne companie Ex Sebast. MuÌ„st Cosmog lib. 3. and towne dwellers Ex Seb. Munst. Cosmog lib. 3. It folowed after this in the yeare of our Lord 1315. that great contention and war fell betweene Fridericke Duke of Austria and Ludouicke Duke of Bauaria striuing and fighting the space of eight yeares together about the Empire With Ludouicus held the three pages aforesayd who had diuers conflicts with Lupoldus brother to the forenamed Fridericke Duke of Austria fighting in his brothers quarell As Lupoldus had reared a mighty army of twenty thousand footemen and horsemen and was come to Egree so to passe ouer the mountaines to subdue the pages he began to take aduise of his counsaile by what way or passage best he might direct his iourney toward the Suitzers Whereupon as they were busy in consulting there stoode a foole by named Kune de Stocken which hearing their aduise A fooles bolt somtimes hits the marke thought also to shoote his bolt withall and told them that their counsaile did not like him For all you quoth he consult how we should enter into yonder countrey but none of you geueth any counsaile how to come out againe after we be entred And in conclusion as the foole said so they found it true For when Lupoldus with his hoste had entred into the straites and valleys betweene the rockes and mountaines the Suitzers wyth their neighbours of Urania and Siluania lieng in priuie waite had theÌ„ at such aduantage with tumbling downe stones from the rockes and sodeine comming vpon theyr backes in blinde lanes did so encomber them that neither they had conuenient standing to fight nor roome almost to flie away By reason whereof a great part of Lupoldus army there being enclosed about y e place called MorgarteÌ„ lost their liues many in the flight were slaine Lupoldus with theÌ„ that remained retired and escaped to Thurgoia This battaile was fought anno 1315. Nouember 16. After this the burgers of these three villages being continually vexed by Fridericke Duke of Austria The first league betweene the 3. Pages for that they would not knowledge him for Emperour assembled them selues in the towne of Urania an 1316. and there entred a mutuall league and bond of perpetuall societie and coniunction ioining and swearing themselues as in one bodie of a common wealth and publike administration together After that came to them Lucernates then Tugiani after them the Tigurines next to them folowed Bernates the last almost of all were the Basilians then followed after the other seauen pages aboue recited And thus haue ye the names the freedome and confederatioÌ„ of these Suitzâ—rs or Cantons or pages of Heluetia with the occasions circumstaÌ„ces therof briefly expressed Now to the purpose of our story intended which is to declare the successe of Christes Gospel and true Religion receaued amoÌ„g these Heluetians also touching the life doctrine of Zuinglius order of his death as heere insueth ¶ The actes and life of Zuinglius and of receauing the Gospell in Zuitzerland IN the tractation of Luthers story mention was made before of Uldricus Zuinglius Vldricus Zuinglius who first abiding at Glarona in a place called then our Lords Ermitage from thence remoued to Zuricke about the yeare of our Lorde 1519. and there began to teach dwelling in the Minster among the Canons or Priestes of that close vsing with them the same rites and ceremonies during the space of ij or iij. yeares where he continued reading and explaining the Scriptures vnto the people with great trauaile Zuinglius reading the scriptures at Zurike Zuinglius against the Popes pardons and no lesse dexteritie And because Pope Leo the same yeare had renued his pardons againe through all countreys as is aboue declared Zuinglius zelously withstood the same detecting the abuses thereof by the Scriptures and of other corruptions reigning then in the Church and so continued by the space of two yeares and more till at length Hugo Bishop of Constance to whose iurisdiction Zuricke then also did belong hearing thereof Anno. 1521. wrote his letters to the Senate of the said Citie of Zuricke The Bishop of ConstaÌ„ce complayneth against Zuinglius complayning greeuously of Zuinglius who also wrote another letter to the colledge of Canons where Zuinglius was the same time dwelling complaining likewise of such new teachers which troubled the Churche and exhorted them earnestly to beware and to take diligent heede to themselues And forsomuch as both the Pope and the Emperours Maiestie had condemned all such new doctrine by their decrees and Edicts he willed them therefore to admit no such new innouations of doctrine without the coÌ„mon consent of them to whome the same did appertayne Zuinglius hearing therof referreth his cause to the iudgemeÌ„t and hearing of the Senate not refusing to render vnto them accompt of his faith And forsomuch as the Byshops letter was read openly in the colledge Zuinglius directeth another letter to the Bishop againe declaring that the sayd letter proceeded not froÌ„ the Bishop nor that he was ignoraunt who were the authors thereof desiring him not to follow their sinister counsailes for that truth said he is a thing inuincible and can not be resisted After the same tenour certaine other of the Citie likewise wrote vnto the Bishop desiring him that he would attempt nothing that should be preiudiciall to the libertie and free course of the Gospell requiring moreouer that he would forbeare no longer the filthie and infamous life of priests but that he woulde permit them to haue theyr lawfull wiues c. This was in the yeare of our Lord 1522. Besides this Zuinglius writeth to the Heluetians Zuinglius wrote also another letter to the whose nation of the Heluetians monishing them in no case to hinder the passage of sincere doctrine nor to inferre any molestation to Priests that were maried For
all meanes do prouide how to stop the course of the word and because they see themselues too weake to bring theyr purpose about they flie to the ayde of Kings and Princes For the necessary remedie whereof if they shall thinke good to ioyne their consent there shall nothing be lacking in their behalfe what they are able eyther in counsayle or goodes to do in the matter declaring moreouer that this should haue bene seene too long before Which being so they praied and desired them to accept in good parte and diligently to expend this that they did write As for theyr owne parte they required nothing else more then peace both betweene them and all men Neither was it euer their intent to stirre any thing that should be preiudiciall against their league and bande agreed vpon betweene them But in this cause which concerneth their eternall saluation they can do no otherwise but as they haue done vnlesse their errour by learning might be proued and declared vnto them Wherefore as they did before so now they desire againe that if they thinke this their doctrine to be repugnant to the holy Scripture The Tygurines will be iudged by the scriptures they will gently shew and teach them their errour and that before the end of the moneth of May next ensuing for so long they will abide wayting for an aunswere as wel from them as from the Bishop of Constance and also from the Uniuersitie of Basill And thus much conteineth the aunswere of the Tigurines vnto the letter of their other colleagues of Heluetia In the meane time as this passed on and the moneth of May aboue mentioned was now come The B. of Constance aunswereth the Tygurines by wryting the Byshop of Constance with the aduise of his Councell about him did aunswere the Tigurines as he was requested of them to do in a certaine booke first written and afterward printed wherin he declareth what Images and pictures those were which the prophane Iewes and Gentiles in the old time did adore and what Images be these which the Churche hath from time to time receaued and admitted and what difference there is betweene those Idols of the Iewes Gentiles and these Images of the Christians A Popishe distinction betweene the Images of the Gentiles and Images of of the Christians Ex Ioan. Sled lib. 4. The conclusion hereof was this that where as the Scripture speaketh against Images and willeth them not to be suffered that is to be vnderstand of such Images and Idols as the Iewes and Idolatrous Gentiles did vse yet neuerthelesse such Images pictures which the Church hath receaued are to be vsed and reteined From this he entreth next into the discourse of the Masse where he proueth by diuers and sondry testimonies both of the Popes Canons and Councels the Masse to be a sacrifice and oblation This booke being thus compiled and wrytten hee sent it vnto the senate of Zuricke about the beginning of Iune willing and exhorting them by no manner of meanes The booke of the Byshop of Constance written to the Senate of Zuricke in defence of the Masse and Images The aunwere of the Tigurines to the Byshops booke to suffer their images or the masse to be abrogated and shortly after he published the said booke in Print sent it to the Priests and Canons of the Minster of Zuricke requiring them to folow the custome of the Church receaued and not to suffer themselues otherwise to be persuaded by any mā The Senate againe answering to the Bishops booke about the middle of August did write vnto him first declaring that they had read ouer ouer againe his booke with all diligence The which booke for somuch as the Byshop had diuulged abroad in printe they were therof right glad because the whole world thereby might iudge betwene thē the better After thys they explaned vnto hym the iudgement and doctrine of their ministers and preachers and finally by the authoritie testimonies of the Scripture conuinced his opinion and prooued the doctrine of his booke to be false But before they sent their answer to him about the 13. day of Iune they commanded al the images as wel within the Citie as throughe their dominion to be taken downe and burned quietly and without any tumult Images abolished within all the dominiō of Zuricke A few monethes after an order was taken in the sayde Citie of Zuricke betweene the Canons of the churche and citie for disposing the landes and possessions of the Colledge It would grow to a long discourse to comprehend all things by order of circumstance Certaine Pages or townes of the Suitzers complayne against the Tigurines that happened amōg the Heluetians vpō this new alteration of religion but briefly to contract and to runne ouer the chief specialties of the matter heere is first to be noted that of the Heluetians which were confederate together in 13. Pages chiefly sixe there were which most disdained and maligned thys religion of the Tigurines to witte Lucernates Urani Suitenses Unterualdij Tugiani Friburgenses These in no case could be recōciled False matter of accusation laide against the Tigurines by the other Pages The rest shewed thēselues more fauourable But the other which were their ennemies conceiued great grudge raised many sclaunderous reportes and false rumours against them and laide diuers thinges to their charge as first for refusing to ioyn theyr consent to the publique league of the other Pages with Frances the french king then for dissenting from them in religion and thirdly for refusing to stand to the Popish decree made the yeare before at Ratisborne by Ferdinandus and other bishops aboue mentioned pag. 838. They layd moreouer to their accusation for aiding the Uualsutenses theyr neyghbors against Ferdinandus their Prince which was false Also for ioyning league secretly with other Cities wythout their knowledge which was likewise false Item that they should intende some secrete conspiracie against them and inuade them with warre which was as vntrue as the rest What slaūnderous tongues can doe Many other quarels besides they pretended againste the Tigurines which were all false and cauilling sclaunders as that they should teach and preache that Mary the mother of Christ had mo sonnes that Iames the younger the Apostle did die for vs and not Christe hymselfe Against these and such other vntruthes being meere matters of cauillation and sclaunder The Tigurines aunswer againe to the complaint of the Pages the Tigurines did fully and amply purge and acquite themselues by wryting and did expostulate vehemently with them not onely for these false and wrongfull suspitions of theyr partes vndeserued but also for other manifolde iniuries receiued and borne at theyr handes among which other wrongs and iniuries thys was one that the Burghmaster of Turegia had apprehended a certaine preacher Iohn Oxlinus a preacher apprehended for religion named Ioannes Oxlinus and led him home as prisoner vnto his house
can not be receaued really and corporally by the testimony of the Scripture 6. That the vse of the masse wherein Christ is presented and offered vp to hys heauenly Father for the quicke and the dead is against the Scripture and coÌ„tumelious to the sacrifice which Christ made for vs. 7. That Christ onely is to be inuocated as the mediator and aduocate of mankinde to God the father 8. That there is no place to be found by the holy Scripture wherin soules are purged after thys life and therfore all those praiers ceremonies Yerely Diriges Obites which are bestowed vpon the dead also Lampes Tapers and such other things profite nothing at all 9. That to sette vp any picture or Image to be worshipped is repugnant to the holy scripture and therfore if any such be erected in Churches for that entent the same ought to be taken downe 10. That Matrimonies prohibited to no state or order of men but for eschewing of fornication generally is coÌ„manded and permitted to all men by the word of God And for as much as all fornicatours are excluded by the testimonie of Scripture from the Communion of the Church therefore this vnchaste and filthye single life of Priests is most of all vnconuenient for the order of priesthode When the Senate and people of Bern had sent abrode their letters with these theames and conclusions to al the Heluetians exhorting theÌ„ both to send their learned men and to suffer al other to passe safely through their couÌ„tries the Lucernates Uranites Suitzians Unternaldians Tugians The lettters and aunswere of the Suitzers to the Senate people of Berne Glareans Soloturnians and they of Friburg aunswered againe by contrary letters exhorting and requiring them in any case to desist from their purposed enterprise putting them in remembrance of theyr league and composition made and also of the disputation of Baden aboue mencioned of the which disputation they were them selues they sayd the first beginners and authors saying moreouer y t it was not lawfull for any nation or prouince to alter the state of religion but the same to belong to a general Councel wherfore they desired them that they wold not attempt any such wicked acte but continue in the Religion which theyr parents and elders had obserued and in fine Ex Comment Ioan. Sled lib. 6. thus in the end of their letters they concluded that they wold neither send nor suffer any of their learned men to come nor yet graunt safeconducte to any others to passe through their countrey To this and such like effect tended the letters of these Suitzers aboue named All which notwithstanding the Lordes of Berne proceding in their intended purpose vppon the day prescribed which was the 7. of Ianuarie began their disputation Of all the bishops before signified which were assigned to come there was not one present Neuertheles the Citie of Basil Zurike and Schafuse and Abbecelle Sangallium Mullusia w t the neighbors of Rhetia also they of Strausburgh Ulmes Ausburge Lindaue Constance and Isne sent thether theyr Ambassadors The Doctours aboue meÌ„tioned of the City of Berne began the disputation The disputation beginneth Where at the same time were present Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucerus Capito Blaurerus with other moe all which defended the affirmatiue of the conclusions propouÌ„ded The part defendent The part opponent The Popes doctrine cannot abide the triall of the Scripture On the contrary side of them whych were the opponentes the Chieftayne was Conradus Tregerus a frier Augustin who to prooue hys assertion when he was driuen to shift out of the scripture to seeke helpe of other Doctors and the moderatours of the disputation would not permit the same being contrary to the order before appoynted hee departed out of the place and would dispute no more The disputation endured 19. daies in the ende whereof it was agreed Reformation of religioÌ„ in Berne by the assent of the most parte that the conclusions there disputed were consonant to y e truth of gods word should be ratified not onely in the Citie of Berne but also proclaimed by the Magistrates in sundrie other Cities nere adioyning Masses Images put downe at Berne furthermore that masses aultares and Images in all places should be abolished At the Citie of Constance certaine things began to be altered a little before Where also among other things The Popes clergy caÌ„not abyde to be restrayned from fornication and adulterye Ambrose Blaurerus preacher at Constance lawes were made against fornication and adultery and all suspect or vnhonest company wherat the canons as they are called of the Church taking great griefe and displeasure departed the Citie In the sayde Citie was then teacher Ambrosius Blaurerus a learned man and borne of a noble stocke who had bene a Monke a litle before professed in the monastery of Alperspacke in the Duchie of Wittenberge belonging to the dominion of Ferdinandus Which Blaurerus by reading of Luthers workes hauing a good wit had chaunged a little before his Religion and also his coat returning againe home vnto his frends and when his Abbot would haue had him againe wrote earnestly to the Senate of Constance for him he declared the whole case of the matter in wryting propounding w tall certaine conditions wherupon he was content as he sayde to returne But the conditions were suche that the Abbot was rather willing and contented that hee shoulde remaine still at Constance and so he did After this disputation thus concluded at Berne as hath bene sayde the Images and aultares ReformatyoÌ„ of religion at CoÌ„staÌ„ce Reformatiâ— of relion at Geneua wyth ceremonies and Masses were abolished at Constance They of Geneua also for their parts were not behind folowing likewise the example of the Citie of Berne in extirping Images and ceremonies By reason whereof the Bishop and Clergie there left and departed the Citie in no small anger The Bernates after they had redressed wyth them the state of Religion The Lance-knightes of Berne and Zuricke forsake their league with the Erench king they renounced the league made before with the French king refusing and forsaking hys warlye stipend whereby they were bounde at his call to feede hys warres following therin the example of the Tygurines which before had done the like and were contented onely with theyr yearely pension that the King payeth to euery page of the Heluetians to keepe peace * Victory of the Gospell an 1528. The day and yere when thys reformation with them began from Poperie to true Christianitie they caused in a pillar to be engrauen wyth golden letters for a perpetual memorie to all posteritie to come This was An. 1528. After that the rumour of this disputation ReformatioÌ„ of religion in Strauâ—burgh and alteration of Berne was noised in other cities places abroad firste the Ministers of Strausburgh encouraged by thys occasion began likewise to affirm and teach that the masse
token of his death shortly to follow After y t he was examined with tormēts One of y e head presidents came to him shaking hym by the beard bad him tell what fellowes he had of his Religion To whō he answered saying that he had no other fellowes but suche as knew and did the will of God his father whether they were nobles marchantes husbandmen or of what degree so euer they were In these torments he endured ii or iij. houres beyng but of a weake body with these wordes comforting himselfe This body sayd hee once must dye but the spirit shal liue the kingdom of God abideth for euer Tormentes In the time of his tormenting he swoūded Afterward comming to himselfe agayne he sayd O Lord Lord why hast thou forsaken me To whome the president Nay wicked Lutheran said he Thou hast forsaken God Then sayd Aymondus Alas good maysters why do you thus miserably torment me O Lord I beseech thee forgeue them they know not what they do See sayd the President this Caytife how he prayeth for vs neuertheles so constant washe in his paynes y t they could not force hym to vtter one mans name saying vnto thē y t he thought to haue founde more mercy with men Wherefore he praied God that that he might find mercy with him On the next Saterday following sentence of condemnation was geuen agaynst hym Then certayne Fryers were appoynted to heare his confession Whō he refused chusing to him one of his owne order the parish priest of S. Christophers bidding the Friers depart from hym for he would confesse hys sinnes to y e Lord. Do you not see sayd he how I am troubled enough with men will ye yet trouble me more Other haue had my body will you also take from me my soule Away from me I pray you At last when he could not be suffered to haue the parish priest he then tooke a certayne Carmelite bidding y e rest to depart with whom he hauing long talke at last did conuert him vnto the truth Shortly after y t came vnto him the Iudges Cassagnes and Longa with other counsailers moe vnto whome the saide Aymondus began to preach and declare his minde touching the Lordes supper But Longa interrupting him demaunded of him thus The Iudge Purgrtory First declare vnto vs your minde what you thinke of Purgatory The Martyr In Scripture all these are one to purge to clense to wash Whereof wee reade in Esay in the Epistle of S. Paule Hebr. 9. 1. Pet. 1. and of S. Peter He hath washed you in hys bloud Ye are redeemed not with golde but with the bloud of Christ. c. And how often doe we read in the Epistles of S. Paule That we are clensed by the bloud of Christ from our sinnes c. The Iudge Those Epistles are knowne to euery child The Martyr To euery child Nay I feare you haue scarse read them your selfe A Fryer M. Aymond with one word you may satisfie them if you will say that there is place where the soules be purged after this life The Martyr That I leaue for you to saye if you please What would you haue me damne mine owne soule and to say that which I know not The Iudge Doest not thou think that when thou art dead thou shalt go to purgatory And he that dyeth in veniall sinne that he shall passe streight into Paradise The Martyr Such trust I haue in my God that the same daye when I shall dye I shall enter into Paradise An other Iudge Where is Paradise The Martyr There where the maiestie and glory of God is The Iudge The Canons doe make mention of Purgatory and you in your sermons haue vsed alwayes muche to pray for the poore This Fryer taketh praying for the poore which be aliue and those that be dead to be all one The Martyr I haue preached the word of God not the Canōs The Iudge Doest thou beleue in the Churche The Martyr I beleue as the Church regenerated by the bloud of Christ and founded in hys word hath appoynted The Church The Iudge What Church is that The Martyr The Church is a Greeke word signifiyng as muche as a congregation or assemble and so I say y t when so euer the faythfull doe congregate together to the honour of God and the amplifying of Christian religion the holy ghost is verily with them The Iudge By this it should follow that there be many Churches And where as any rusticall clownes do assemble together there must be a Church The Martyr It is no absurde thinge to say that there be manye Churches or congregations among the Christians And so speaketh S. Paule Galat. 1. To all the Churches whiche are in Gallatia c. And yet all these congregations make but one Churche The Iudge The Church wherein thou beleeuest is it not the same Churche whiche our Creede doth call the holy Church The Martyr I beleue the same The Iudge And who should be the head of that Churche The head of the Church The Martyr Iesus Christ. The Iudge And not the Pope The Martyr No. The Iudge And what is he then The Martyr A Minister if he be a good man as other Byshops be of whom S. Paule thus writeth 1. Cor. 4. Let a man so esteeme of vs as Ministers and dispensers of the secrets of God c. The Iudge What then doest not thou beleue the Pope The Martyr I know not what he is The Pope what he is The Iudge Doest thou not beleue that he is the successour of Peter The Martyr If he be like to Peter and be grounded with Peter vpon the true rocke Christ Iesus so I beleue his workes and ordinaunces to be good Then the Iudges leauing hym with y e Friers departed frō hym coūting as a daned creature Notw tstanding Aymundus putting his trust in God was full of comfort saying with Saint Paule Who shall separate me from the loue of God Shall the sword hunger or nakednes No nothing shall pluck me from hym But rather I haue pittie of you sayd he and so they departed Not lōg after he was brought to the place of execution singing by the waye the Psalme In exitu Israell de Aegipto c. Psalm 114. And as he passed by the place where he before had bene imprisoned he called to hys prison fellowes exhorting them to put theyr confidence in the Lorde and tolde them that he had spoken for them and declared theyr miseryes vnto the President He thanked moreouer the keeper Aymond speaketh for his pryson fellowes and desired hym to be good to hys pore prysoners And so taking his leaue of them and desiring them to praye for hym also geuyng thankes to the maistresse keeper for her gentlenes shewed to hym he proceeded forward toward hys execution As he came agaynst the Churche of Sainct Andrew they willed hym to aske mercy of God and of blessed S. Mary and
bread I am sure that if Christ had bene here himselfe in forme of his owne fleshe he would nothing haue stucke to receaue him being so conuerted at the first To be short if Bilney was so graciously reduced to y e holy mother the Catholicke Church repenting his errors and detesting his heresies now being in no Purgatory but being a very Saint in heauen as ye say he is why theÌ„ did ye burne him whom you knew your selues should be a Saint Thus ye burnt doth Gods enemies and Gods Saintes too The lawe of relapse Extrauag de haeret super co what cruel men are you But here you wil alledge perhaps your lawe of relaps by the whiche the first fall is pardonable but the second fall into heresie is in no case pardonable for so standeth your lawe I graunt But how this law standeth with y e true church of Christ with his word now let vs reason For this being a lawe not of politicke or ciuill gouernment where suche lawes be â—xpedient for publicke necessitie but onely being a law mere Ecclesiastical what a cruell mother Church is this which will not and cannot forgeue her children rising and repenting the second faulte or error committed Mores wordes in his preface but needes must burne theyr bodyes that theyr soules may be saued from y e paynfull Passion of Purgatory The popes lawe disagreeing from the condition of the true church of christ whom neuerthelesse they know forthwith shal be blessed in heauen If God do saue them why doe you burne them If God doe pardon them why do you condeÌ„ne them And if this be the law of your Churche according to your doctrine to burne them at the second time though they be amended how then doth this Church agree with the worde of Christ and nature of his true spouse which onely seeketh repentaunce amendment of sinners which once being had she gladly openeth her bosome and motherly receaueth them whensoeuer they returne Wherfore if Bilney did returne to your Church as ye say he did then was your Church a cruell mother and vnnaturall which would not opeÌ„ her bosome vnto hym but thrust him into the fire wheÌ„ he had repented Furthermore how will you defend this law by the word of God who in expresse wordes teaching all Bishops and Pastors by the example of Christ the great Bishop of our soules beyng compassed about with tentations that he might haue the more compassion of them which be infirme exhorted all other spirituall pastors by the lyke example saying Hebr. 5. Hebr. 5. For euery bishop whiche is taken from among men is ordayned for men in thinges pertayning to God to offer giftes and sacrifice for sinnes that he may be mercifull to the ignoraunt and to such as erre for somuch as he himselfe is compassed about with infirmitie c. Bilney needed not to be burned by the sentence of the Canon lawe Besides whiche Scripture adde also that some Doctors of the Canon law if they be well scande will not deny but that they which be fallen in relapse whither it be verè or fictè yet if they earnestly returne from theyr errors before the sentence be geuen they may be sent to perpetual prison in some monastery Ex tractatu cuinsdam Doct. Canonistae c. Wherefore if Bilney dyd so earnestly retract and detest his former opinions so manye dayes as More sayth before his suffering then needed not he to suffer that death as he dyd but might haue bene sent to perpetuall prison Thus I although I need not to stand longer vpon this matter being so playn and hauing sayd inough yet briefly to repeate that before hath bene sayd this I say again first if Thomas Bilney was assoyled from excommunication and after that heard his Masse so deuoutly and at the ende of the Masse was confessed and consequently after confession was housseled and lastly asked mercy for contemning of the Church as M. More doth beare vs in hand to see nowe howe this tale hangeth together why then dyd the Chauncellour sticke so greatly to geue hym the sacrament of the aultar whom he hymselfe had assoyled and receiued to the sacrament of penaunce before M. Mores tale full of absurdities whiche is playne agaynst the Canon lawes Agayne the sayd Thomas Bilney if hee were nowe receaued to the mother Church by the Sacraments of penaunce and of the aultar why then was he afterward disgraded and cut from the Church sith the Canon permitteth no degradation but to them which onely be incorrigible Furthermore the sayd Bilney if he being conuerted so many dayes before as More pretendeth to the Catholicke fayth was now no hereticke howe then did the sentence pronounce him for an hereticke or finally how would they or why could they burn him beyng a Catholicke especially sith the Canon law would beare in him to be iudged rather to perpetuall prison in some monastery as is afore touched if they had pleased Wherefore in three wordes to aunswere to M. More First all this tale of hys may be doubted because of y â— matter not hanging together Secondly it may also well be denyed for the insufficiencye of probation and testimonye Thirdly if al this were graunted yet neyther hath master More anye great aduauntage agaynst Bilney to reproue him to haue recanted nor yet M. Cope against me whiche by the authoritie of M. More seeketh to beare mee downe Mores consequent denyed and disproue my former story For be it graunted that Bilney at his death did holde with the Masse with confession and with the authority of theyr Romish Church being an humble spirited man and yet no further brought yet all this notwithstanding prooueth not that he recanted For so much as he neuer held nor taught any thing before agaynst the premisses therfore he could not recant that which he neuer did hold For the better demonstration whereof I will recite out of the Registers some part of his teaching and preaching as was obiected agaynst him by one Richard Nele Priest who among other witnesses Ex Registro London 〈◊〉 82. Bilney against offeringes to Images deposed agaynst hym for preaching in the Towne of Wylsedone these wordes folowing Put away your golden Gods your siluer Gods your stonye Gods and leaue your offeringes and lift vp your heartes to the sacrament of the aultar Also the sayd Maister Bilney sayde in hys Sermon I know certayne thinges haue bene offered in such places whiche haue bene afterward geuen to whores of the stewes and I call them whores of the stewes that be naught of their lyuing c. Ex Regist. Item by an other witnes named W. Cade it was deposed agaynst him thus to preache That Iewes and Saracens would haue become Christen men long agoe had not Idolatrye of Christen men beene by offring of Candels waxe or money to the stockes and the stones of Images set and standing in the Churches c.
foorth his fruite so did it appeare by thys man Antichristians are those which are against Christ. For he daily seeing the glorye of God to be so blasphemed idolatrous religion so embraced and maintained that most false vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome so extolled was so greeued in conscience and troubled in his spirite that he could not be quiet till he did vtter his minde therein Wherefore dealing priuately with certaine of his frendes he did plainely open and disclose howe blasphemously and abhominably God was dishonoured his worde contemned and hys people whom he so dearely bought were by blinde guides caried headlong to euerlasting damnation and therefore hee coulde no longer endure but muste needes and would vtter theyr abhominations and for his owne parte for the testimonie of his conscience and for the defence of Gods true religion The godly zeale of Tho. Benet would yeelde hymself moste patiently as neare as God woulde geue him grace to die and to shedde hys bloude therein alleaging that his death shoulde be more profitable to the Churche of God and for the edifying of his people then his life shuld be To whose perswasions when hys friendes had yeelded they promysed to pray to God for hym that hee myght be strong in the cause and continue a faithfull souldiour to the ende Which done he gaue order for the bestowing of such bookes as he had and very shortlye after in the moneth of October hee wrote his minde in certaine scrolles of Paper whyche in secreate maner he set vp vpon the doores of the Cathedrall churche of the Citie in which was wrytten The Pope is Antichrist and we ought to worshippe God onely The Pope is Antichrist and no Saintes These bils being found there was no smal adde and no litle search made for the inquiry of the heretike that should set vp these bils Benet setteth vp billes against the Pope and the Maior his officers were not so busie to make searches to find this heretike but the bishop and all his doctors were as hote as coales enkindled as though they had bene stong w t a sort of waspes Wherefore to kepe y e people in their former blindnes order was taken that the doctors should in hast vp to the pulpit euery day and confute this heresie Neuerthelesse this Thom. Benet keping his own doings in secret went the sonday folowing to the cathedral church to the Sermon and by chaunce sate downe by 2. men which were the busiest in al the city in seking searching for this heretike and they beholding this Benet sayd the one to the other Surely thys fellowe by all likelyhoode is the heretike that hath set vp the billes and it is good to examine him Benet almost tak◠in the church Neuertheles whē they had wel behelde him and saw the quiet and sober behauiour of the man his attentiuenes to the preacher his godlinesse in the Church being alwayes occupied in hys Booke which was a Testament in the Latine tongue were astonied and had no power to speake vnto him The storyes a little vary touching the taking of Benet but departed left hym reading in his booke As touching this poynte of Benets behauior in the Church I finde the reportes of some other a litle to vary and yet not much contrary one to the other For in receiuing the letters and wrytings of a certain minister whych at the same time was present at the doynge hereof in Exeter thus I finde moreouer added concerning the behauiour of this Thomas Benet in the Church At that time sayth he as I remember doct Moreman Crispin Caseley wyth suche other bare the swinge there Beside these were there also preachers there Doctors friers in Exeter one Doctour Bascauild an vnlerned doctor God knoweth and one D. Dauid as wel learned as he both Gray friers and doctor I know not who a Blacke frier not much inferiour vnto them Gregory Bassed Fryer of Exeter Moreouer there was one Bacheler of Diuinitie a Gray frier named Gregory Bassed in deede learned more then they all but as blinde and superstitious as he whych was most Whych Gregorie not long before was reuolted from the way of righteousnes to the way of Beliall for in Bristowe sayth the author he lay in prison long almost famished for hauing a booke of M. Luther called his questions which he a long time priuily had studied for teaching of youth a certaine Cathechisme To be shorte the braines of the Canons and Priests the officers and commons of that Citie were very earnestly busied howe or by what meanes suche an enormious heretique whyche had pricked vp those billes might be espied and knowen but it was long first At last the Priestes founde out a toye to curse him what soeuer he were with booke bel and candle which curse at that day seemed most fearefull and terrible The maner of the curse was after this sort One of the Priestes apparelled all in white ascended vp into the pulpit The priestes curse they cannot tell whom The other rabblement wyth certaine of the two orders of Friers and certaine superstitious Monks of S. Nicholas house standing round about and the Crosse as the custome was being holdē vp with holy candles of waxe fixed to the same he began his sermon w t this Theame of Iosue Est blasphemia in Castris There is blasphemie in the armie and so made a long protestation but not so long as tedious and superstitious and so concluded that that foule and abominable heretike which had put vp such blasphemous billes was for that his blasphemie damnably accursed and besought God our Lady S. Peter Patrone of that church with all the holy companie of martyrs confessors and virgines that it might be knowen what hereticke had put vp such blasphemous billes that Gods people might auoide the vengeance The maner of the cursing of the sayd Benet was maruelous to beholde for as muche as at that time there was fewe or none The manner of the popes blacke curse with booke bell and candle vnlesse a Sherman or two whose houses I well remember were searched for billes at that time and for bookes that knew any thing of Gods matters or how God doeth blesse theyr curses in such cases Then sayde the Prelate by the authoritie of God the father almighty and of the blessed virgin Mary of S. Peter and Paule and of the holy Saints we excommunicate we vtterly curse and banne commit and deliuer to the deuill of hell him or her what soeuer he or shee be that haue in spite of God and of S. Peter whose church this is in spite of all holy saintes and in spite of our most holy father the Pope Gods vicare heere in earth Here is colde charitye and in spite of the reuerend father in God Iohn our Diocesane and the worshipfull Canons Maisters and Priestes and Clarkes which serue God daily in this Cathedrall Church
more able somewhat to help the poore as they did to the vttermost of their power Greg. Basset prisoned at Bristowe Amongst all other priestes and Friers Gregory Basset was most busie with him This Gregorie Basset as is partly touched before was learned and had a pleasant tongue Greg. Basset compelled by the Friers to recant and not long before was faln from the truth for the which hee was prisoned in Bristowe long time at whose examinatiō was ordeined a great pan of fire where his holy brethren as report went abroad menaced him to burne his hands of whereupon he there before them recāted and became afterward a mortall enemie to the truth al his life This Gregorie as it is sayde was feruent wyth the poore man to please the Canons o◠that Churche and marueilously tormented his braines howe to turne hym from his opinions yea and he was so diligent and feruent with him that he wold not depart the prison but lay there night and day Greg. Basset busie agaynst Tho. Benet who notwythstanding loste his labour for good Benet was at a poynt not to deny Christ before men So Gregory as wel as y e other holy fathers lost his spurres in so much that hee sayde in open audience that there was neuer so obstinate an heretike The principal poynt betweene Basset hym was touching the supremacie of the B. of Rome whom in his bils he named Antichriste The matter betweene Basset and Tho. Benet the thiefe the mercenary the murtherer of Christes flocke and these disputations lasted about 8. daies where at sundry times repaired to hym both the blacke and gray Friers with priestes and Monkes of that Citie They that had some learning perswaded hym to beleue the Church and shewed by what tokens shee is knowen The other vnlearned railed said that the deuil tēpted him and spit vpon him calling him hereticke who praied God to geue them a better mind to forgeue them For saide he I will rather die then worship such a beast the very whoore of Babylon Rayling agaynst Benet and a false vsurper as manifestly it doeth appeare by his doings They asked what he did that he had not power and authority to do being gods vicar He doth quoth he sell the sacraments of the Church for mony he selleth remissiō of sinnes daily for mony and so doe you likewise for there is no day but yee say diuers Masses for soules in fained Purgatorie The abuses of the pope noted yea and yee spare not to make lying sermons to y e people to maintaine your false traditions and foule gaines The whole worlde doth begin now to note your doings to your vtter confusion shame Selling of soules The shame saide they shal be to thee and to such as thou art thou foule heretike Wilt thou allowe nothyng done in holy Church What a peruerse heretike art thou I am sayde he no heretike but a Christian man I thanke Christ and with all my heart will allow all things done vsed in the church to the glory of God and edifying of my soule but I see nothing in your church but that maintaineth the deuil What is our church sayd they It is not my church quoth Benet God geue me grace to be of a better church The popes Churche paynted in her colours for verily your church is the plaine church of Antichrist the malignant church the second church a denne of theeues an awmry of poyson and as farre wide from the true vniuersall Apostolike churche as heauen is distant from the earth Dost not thou thinke sayde they that we pertaine to the vniuersal church Yes quoth he but as dead mēbers vnto whom the church is not beneficial for your workes are the deuises of man and your Church a weake foundation for ye say preach The keyes not onely geuen to Peter but to all the Apostles y t the popes word is equall with Gods word in euery degree Why sayd they did not Christ say to Peter To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen He said that quoth he to al as wel as to Peter and Peter had no more authority geuen him then they or els y e churches planted in euery kingdom by theyr preaching are no churches The church builded vpon man is the deuils Churche Doth not S. Paul say Vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets Therefore I say plainly that the church that is built vpon a mā is the deuils church or congregation not Gods And as euery Church this day is appoynted to be ruled by a bishop or pastor ordeined by y e word of God in preaching ministration of the sacramēts vnder the prince the supreme gouernor vnder God so to say y t all the churches with their princes gouernours be subiect to one bishop is detestable heresie the pope your God chalenging this power to him selfe is the greatest schismatike that euer was in the church most foul whore of whom Iohn in the Reuelation speaketh The Whore of Babilon O thou blinde vnlearned foole said they is not y e confession consent of all the world as we confesse consent Consent of the worlde y t the popes holines is the supreme head vicar of Christ That is saide Benet because they are blinded know not the scriptures but if God wold of his mercy open the eyes of princes to know their office his false supremacie would sone decay We thinke said they thou art so malitious that thou wilt cōfesse no church Loke saide he where they are that confesse the true name of Iesu Christe Where the true Church is where onely Christ is y e head vnder him the prince of the realm to order al bishops ministers preachers and to see them doe their dueties in setting forth the only glory of God by preaching the worde of God where it is preached that Christ is our only aduocate mediator patrone before God hys father making intercession for vs and where the true faith and confidence in Christes death and passion and his only merits and deseruings are extolled our owne depressed where the sacrament is duly w tout superstition or idolatry administred in remembrance of his blessed passion and only sacrifice vpon the crosse once for all and where no superstition raigneth of that Church wil I be Doth not the Pope sayd they confesse the true Gospel do not we all the same Yes sayde he but ye denie the frutes thereof in euery poynt Yee builde vpon the sands not vppon the rocke And wilt thou not beleeue in deede sayd they that the pope is Gods vicare No sayd he in deede The Pope not Gods Vicar and why And why sayde they Because quoth hee hee vsurpeth a power not geuen him of Christ no more then to other Apostles and also because he doeth by force of that vsurped supremacie blinde the
redresse reforme order correct restraine and amend all suche errours abuses offences contemptes enormities whatsoeuer they be which by any maner of spirituall authoritie or iurisdiction ought or may lawfully be reformed repressed ordered redressed corrected restrained or amended most to the pleasure of almighty God the encrease of vertue in Christes religiō and for the conseruation of y e peace vnitie and tranquility of this realme any vsage custome forreine lawes forreine authoritie prescription or any thing or things to the contrary heereof notwithstanding The Kings Proclamation for the abolishing of the vsurped power of the Pope The kinges proclamatiō against the Pope TRustie and welbeloued we greete you well and where as not onely vpon good and iust and vertuous groundes and respects edified vpon the lawes of holy Scripture by due consultation deliberation aduisement and consent as well of all other our nobles and commons temporall as also spirituall assembled in our high Court of Parliament and by authoritie of the same we haue by good and wholesome lawes and statutes made for thys purpose extirped abolished separated and secluded out of this our Realme the abuses of the Byshop of Rome his authoritie and iurisdiction of long time vsurped as well vpon vs and our Realme as vpon all other Kings and Princes and their Realmes lyke as they themselues haue confessed and affirmed but also for as much as our sayde Nobles and Commons both spirituall and temporall assembled in our high Court of Parliament The stile of supreame head annexed to the crowne of England haue vpon good lawfull and vertuous groundes and for the publicke weale of this our Realme by one whole assent graunted annexed knit and vnited to the Crowne Imperiall of the same the title dignitie and style of supreme head or gouernour in earth immediately vnder God of the Church of England as we be and vndoubtedly haue hetherto bene which title and style both the Byshops and Cleargie of this our Realme haue not only in conuocation assembled consented recognised and approoued lawfully and iustly to apperteyne vnto vs but also by word othe profession and writing vnder their signes and seales haue confessed ratified corroborated and confirmed the same vtterly renouncing all other othes and obedience to any other foreyne Potentates and all foreine iurisdictions and powers as well of the sayd Byshop of Rome as of all other whatsoeuer they be as by their sayd professions and writings corroborated with the subscription of their names and apension of their seales more playnely appeareth We let you witte that calling to our remembrance the power charge and commission geuen vnto vs of Almighty God and vpon a vehement loue and affection toward our louing and faithfull subiectes perceiuing right well what greate rest quietnes and tranquilitie of conscience and manyfold other commodities might insurge and arise vnto them if that the sayde Byshops and other of the Cleargy of this our Realme should set foorth declare and preach to them the true and sincere worde of God and without all maner colour dissimulation and hypocrisie manifest and publish the great and innumerable enormities and abuses which the sayde Byshop of Rome as well in the title and style as also in authoritie and iurisdiction of long time vnlawfully and vniustly hath vsurped vpon vs and our progenitours and also other Christen Princes haue therefore adressed our letters vnto the Byshop of the dioces straightly charging and commaunding him in the same that not onely he in his owne proper person shall declare teach and preach vnto the people forthwith vpon the receat of our sayd letters vnto him directed euery Sonday and other high feastes through the yeare the true meere and sincere word of God and that the same title stile and iurisdiction of supreme head apperteineth only to our Crowne and dignitie Royall likewise as the sayd Byshop and all other the Byshops of our Realme haue by othe affirmed and confirmed by subscription of their names and setting to their seales but also geue warning monition and charge to al maner Abbots Priours Deanes Archdeacons Prouosts Parsons Vicares Curates and all other Ecclesiasticall persons within his sayd diocesse as well to teache preach publish and declare in all maner Churches our foresayde iust title style and iurisdiction euery Sonday and high feast thorough the yeare and further to monish and commaund all other Scholemaysters within his sayd diocesse to instruct and teach the same vnto the children committed vnto them as also to cause all maner prayers orizons rubrickes Canons of Masse bookes and all other bookes in the Churches wherein the sayde Byshop of Rome is named or his presumptuous and proud pompe and authoritie preferred vtterly to be abolished eradicate and rased out and his name and memory to be neuer more except to hys contumely and reproch remembred but perpetually suppressed and obscured and finally to desist and leaue out all such Articles as be in the generall sentence The Popes name and memorye abolished which is vsually accustomed to be read four times in the yeare and do tende to the glory and aduancemēt of the Bishop of Rome his name title and iurisdiction Whereupon we esteeming and reputing you to be of such singular and vehement zeale and affection toward the glory of Almighty God and of so faythfull louing and obedient harte towards vs as ye will not only do and accomplish with all power wisedome diligence and labour whatsoeuer should or might be to the preferment and setting forwarde of Gods worde but also practise studie and endeuour your selfe with all your pollicie wit power and good will to amplifie defend and mayntayne all such interest right title stile iurisdiction and authoritie as is in any wise apertaining vnto vs our dignity prerogatiue crowne imperiall of this our Realme haue thought good expediēt not only to signifie vnto you by these our letters the particularities of the charge monition and commaundement geuen by vs vnto the sayd Byshop as before is specified but also to require and straightly charge and commaund you vpon payne of your allegeance and as ye shall auoyde our high indignation and displeasure at your vttermost perill laieng apart all vayne affections respects or other carnall considerations and setting onely before your eyes the mirror of truth the glory of God the dignitie of your soueraigne Lord and King and the great concord and vnitie and inestimable profite and vtilitie that shal by the due execution of the premisses insue to your selfe and all other faithfull and louing subiectes ye make or cause to be made diligent searche and waite and especially in euery place of youre shirewicke whether the said Bishop do truly sincerely and without all maner cloke colour or dissimulation execute and accomplishe our will and commaundement as is aforesaid And in case ye shall heare perceiue and approuably vnderstand and know that the said Bishop or any other ecclesiasticall person within his dioces do omit and
therefore the Pope hath no such primacy geuen him eyther by the wordes of Scripture or by any generall Councell nor by commoÌ„ conseÌ„t of the holy catholicke Church by the holy Fathers of the Catholique church asseÌ„bled in the first general councelles And finally they doe transgresse theyr own profession made in theyr creation For all the Bishops of Rome alwayes when they be consecrated and made Bishops of that See doe make a solemne profession and vowe that they shall inuiolably obserue and keepe al the ordinances made in the eight first generall Councels among the whiche it is specially prouided enacted that al causes shal be finished and determined with in the prouince where the same begun and that by the byshops of the same prouince and that no Byshop shall exercise any iurisdiction out of his owne dioces or prouince And diuers such other Canons were then made and confirmed by the sayd councels to represse and take away out of the Church all such primacy and iurisdiction ouer kinges and Byshops as the Byshops of Rome pretend nowe to haue ouer the same Concilium tertium Carthaginense cap. 26 Gregorius lib. 4. epistolarum indictione 13. epist 13. And we finde that diuers good fathers Byshops of Rome did greatly reproue yea and abhorre as a thing cleane contrary to the Gospel and the decrees of the church that anye Byshop of Rome or els where shoulde presume vsurpe or take vpon him the title and name of y e vniuersal byshop or of the head of all priestes or of y e highest priest or any such lyke title For confirmation whereof it is out of all doubt y t there is no mention made neyther in Scripture nor in the writinges of any Autenticall doctor or author of the Church being within the tyme of the apostles that Christ did euer make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preeminence of power order or iurisdiction betweene the Apostles theÌ„selues or betweene y e bishops themselues but y t they were all equall in power order authoritie iurisdiction And that there is now and sith y e time of the Apostles any such diuersitie or difference among the Bishops it was deuised by the ancient fathers of the primitiue Church for the conseruation of good order and vnitie of the Catholicke church and that eyther by the consent and authoritie or els at the least by the permission and sufferaunce of the princes and ciuill powers for the tyme ruling c. And shortly after followeth And for the better confirtion of this part we thinke it also conuenient that all Byshops and preachers shal instruct and teach the people coÌ„mitted vnto theyr spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of theyr successors should vnder the pretence of the authority geuen vnto them by Christ take vpon them y e authoritie of y e sword y t is to say the authoritie of kings or of any ciuill power in this world yea or any authoritie to make lawes or ordinances in cauâ—â—s appertayning vnto ciuil powers Truth it is the priestes and byshops may execute all suche temporall power iurisdiction as is coÌ„mitted vnto them by y e ordinance authoritie of kings or other ciuil powers by the consent of the people as officers and ministers vnder the sayd kinges and powers so long as it shall please the sayd kinges and people to permit and suffer them so to vse and execute the same Notwithstanding if anye bishop of what estate or dignitie so euer he be be he bish of Rome or of any other citie prouince or dioces do presume or take vppon him authoritie or iurisdiction in causes or matters which appertayne vnto kinges and the ciuill powers and their Courtes and will mayntayne or thinke that he may so do by y e authoritie of Christ and his Gospell although y e kings and princes would not permit and suffer hym so to doe No doubt that Byshop is not worthy to be called a Byshop The Bishop of Rome iudged to be a tyrant and vsurper but rather a tyranne an vsurper of other mens rightes contrary to the lawes of god and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise then hee that goeth about to subuert the kingdome of Christ. For the kingdome of Christ in his Church is a spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very kingdome that Christ by himself or by his Apostles and disciples sought here in this worlde was to bring all nations from the carnall kingdome of the prince of darkenes vnto the light of hys spirituall kingdome so to raygne himselfe in the harts of the people by grace fayth hope and charitie And therefore sith Christ did neuer seeke nor exercise anye worldly kyngdome or dominion in this worlde but rather refusing and fleeing from y e same did leaue the said worldly gouernance of kingdomes realmes and nations to be gouerned by Princes potentates in like maner as he did finde them commaunded also his Apostles and Disciples to doe the seÌ„blable as it was sayd before what soeuer priest or bishop will arrogate or presume vpoÌ„ him any such authoritie and will pretend e the authoritie of the Gospell for his defence therin he doth nothing els but in a maner as you would say crowneth Christ agayne with a crowne of thorne and traduceth bringeth him foorth agayne with his mantle of purpure vppon his backe to be mocked and scorned of the world as the Iewes did to their owne damnation This doctrine was subscribed and allowed by the witnes and testimony of these byshops and other learned meÌ„ whose names hereunder follow as appeareth in the Byshops booke aforenamed * Testes Thomas Cantarien Edouardus Ebor. Iohannes London Cuthbertus Dunel .. Stephanus Winton Robertus Carliolen Iohannes Exon. Iohannes Lincoln Iohannes Bathonien Rolandus Couen Lich. Thomas Elien Nicolaus Sarum Ioannes Bangor Edouardus Herefor Hugo Wigornien Ioannes Roffen Richardus Cicestren Guliel Norwicen Gulielmus Meneuen Robertus Asâ—auen Robertus Landauen Richardus Wolman Archdiaco Sudbur Gulielmus Knight Arch. Richmond Ioannes Bel. Arch. Gloucester Testimonies of Bishops of England against the Pope Edmundus Boner Archdia Leicester Gulielmus Skippe Archdiaco Doset Nicholaus Heth. Archdiaco Stafford Cuthbertus Mashall Arch. Notingham Ricardus Curten Archdia Oxon. Gulielmus Glife Galfridus Dovnes Robertus Oking Radulphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Mathew Ioannes Prin. Guliel Buckmaster Gulielmus May. Nicolaus Wotton Ricardus Coxe Ioannes Edmundes Thomas Robertson Ioannes Baker Thomas Barret Iohannes Hase Ioannes Tyson These were Doctours of Diuinitie and of both Lawes Iudge now thy selfe louing reader per confessata allegata that is by these thinges heretofore confessed alledged allowed prooued and confirmed by penne set forth by wordes defended and by othe subscribed by these Bishops and Doctours if eyther Martine Luther himselfe or anye Lutherane els could or did euer say more
the fast in Lent and other appoynted by the Canon lawe Lent fast and receiued in common vsage of Christian people vnlesse necessitye otherwise requireth are to be obserued 18. Whether it be laudable and profitable Worshipping of Images that worshipful images be set in churches for the remembraunce of Christ and his sayntes 19. Whether thou beleuest that prayers of men liuing doe profit soules departed and being in Purgatory Praying for soules departed Merites 20. Whether men may merite and deserue both by their fastinges and also by their other deedes of deuotion 21. Whether thou doest beleue that men prohibited of Bishops to preach as suspect of heresy Preaching with out lycence ought to cease from preaching and teaching vntill they haue purged thēselues of suspition before an higher iudge 23. Whether thou beleuest that it is lawfull for all Priestes freely to preach the word of God or no 23. Whether thou beleuest that it is lawfull for lay men of both kindes that is to wit Lay men to preach both men and women to sacrifice and preach the word of God 24. Whether excommunication denounced by the Pope agaynst all hereticks do oblige and bind them before God The Popes excommunication Saying of Mattens 25. Whether euery priest is bound to say dayly his mattins and euensong according as it is ordeined by the church or whether he may leaue them vnsaid without offēce or deadly sinne 26. Whether thou beleuest that y e heds or rulers by necessity of saluation are boūd to geue vnto the people Scripture in the mother tounge holy scripture in theyr mother language 27. Whether is it lawful for the rulers for some cause vpō theyr reasonable aduisement to ordeine that the scripture should not be deliuered vnto the people in the vulgar language 28. Whether thou beleuest that consecrations hallowings and blessings vsed in the Church are to be praysed 29. Whether thou beleuest that the pope may make lawes and statutes Making of lawes in the Churche to bind all christen men to the obseruaunce of the same vnder payne of deadly sinne so that such lawes statutes be not contrary to the law of God 30 Whether thou beleuest that the pope and other prelates theyr deputies in spirituall things haue power to excōmunicate Priestes and lay people that are inobedient and sturdy from entring into the church and to suspend or let them from ministration of the sacramentes of the same 31. Whether fayth only without good workes Iustification may suffice vnto a man fallen into sinne after his baptisme for his saluation and iustifying Difference betweene a Latine Priest and a Greeke Priest 32. Whether a Priest marying a wife and that without the dispensation of the Pope and begetting also childrē of her without slaunder geuing do sinne deadly 33. Item whether a latin priest after he hath taken the order of priesthood being sore troubled and styrred with pricking of lust and lechery and therefore marying a wife for remedy of the same do sinne deadly 34. Item whether thou didst euer pray for Iohn Wickliffe Praying for Wickliffe Hus and Hierome of Prage Iohn Hus or Hierome of Prage cōdemned of heresy in the Coūsell of Constance or for any of them sith they died or whether thou hast done opēly or secretly any deedes of charity for them affirming them to be in blesse saued 35. Item whether thou hast recounted them or any of thē to be saints and worshipped them as sayntes General Councels 36. Item whether thou doest beleeue holde and affirme that euery generall Coūsell and the Coūcell of Constance also do represent the vniuersall congregation or church 37. Item whether thou doest beleue that the same things which the Counsel of Constance representing the vniuersall church hath approued The Councell of Constance doth approue for the maintenance of fayth and soules health that the same is to be approued and holden of all christians 38. Whether the condēnations of Iohn Wickliffe I. Hus and Hierome of Prage done vpon theyr persons bookes and documents by the whole general coūsell of Constance were duely and rightly done and so for such of euery catholick person they are to be holden Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage 39. Whether thou beleuest that Ioh. Wickliffe of Englād Iohn Hus of Boheme and Hierome of Prage were hereticks and for hereticks to be named and theyr bookes and doctrines to haue bene and now be peruerse for the which books and pertinacy of theyr persons they are condemned by the holy counsell of Constance for heretickes 40. Item whether thou beleue or affirme that it is not lawfull in any case to sweare 41. Whether thou beleue that it is lawfull at the commaūdement of a iudge To sweare to make an othe to say the truth or any other othe in case cōuenient and that also for purgation of infamy 42 Item whether a christian person despising the receipte of the sacramentes of confirmation The number of Sacramentes extreme vnction or solemnising of matrimony do sinne deadly 43. Itē whether thou beleeue that S. Peter as Christes vicar The power of Peter haue power vpon earth to bind and lose 44. Item whether the Pope ordinarily chosen for a time his proper name being exprest be the successor of S. Peter 45. Item whether thou hast euer promised at any tyme by an othe The power of the Pope or made any confederacy or league with any person or persons that you woulde alwayes hold defēd certein conclusions or articles seming to you and your accōplices right and cōsonant vnto the fayth and that you certefye vs touching the order and tenor of the sayd opinions and conclusions and of the names and surnames of them that were your adherentes promised to be adherent vnto you in this behalfe ¶ The aunswere of Iohn Lambert to the first Article VNto your first demaund wherin you do aske whether I was suspect or infamed of heresy Aunswere to the first Artycle I answere that I am not certayne what all persons at all seasōs haue demed or suspected of me peraduenture some better some worse like as y e opiniō of the people was neuer one but thought diuersly of all the famous prophets The speach of people diuers inconstant Iohn 7. of the Apostles yea and of Christ himselfe as appereth in S. Iohn how whē he came into Ierusalem in the feast called Scenopegia anon there arose vpon him a great noyse some saying that he was a very good man other sayd nay called him a seducer because he led the people frō the right waies of Moses law into error Seing therfore that all men coulde not say wel by Christ which is the author of verity and truth yea the very truth it selfe and likewise of his best seruāts what should I need to regard if at some time some person for a like cause should
Archb. of Canterbury y e third from Dunstane and fourth from Odo not onely the Priestes of England but also the Archbishop himself wer not yet brought to the beliefe of this transubstantiatioÌ„ but taught the very same doctrine of the sacrament theÌ„ whiche we doe nowe as most clearly appeareth both by the Epistles and Homelies of the foresayde Archbishop Elfricus whiche herunder for the more euidence Christ willing wee will annexe This Elfricus as sayth Capgraue in the life of Oswald bishop of Worceter was first Abbot of S. Alboâ—es and after made archbishop of Canterbury Aelfricus Archb. of Cant. ¶ Anno. 996. Capgraue in vita Oâ—waldi Episâ— Wigorn. about the yere of our Lord 996. in the time of king Etheldred of Wulfsinus B. of Scyrburne Elfricus also as witnesseth Wil. of Malmesbery in Vita Adelmi was Abbot of Malmesbery Furthermore the sayd Wil. of Malmesbery writing of Elfricus Archbishop of Caunterbury saith that he was before bishop of Welles and afterward archbishop of CaÌ„terbury So that Elfricus was Archbishop of Canterbury it is out of al ambiguitie W. Malmesberiens in vita Adelmi But whether Elfricus which was Abbot of whom we doe here intreate were the same Archbishop or not by this diuersitie of Capgraue Malmesbery it may be doubtful But whether he were or no to this our present purpose is not greatly materiall for so much as the said Elfricus Elfricus although they were diuers persons yet were they both in one age and liued in one time together Furthermore the same Elfricus of whome nowe we speake of what calling soeuer he was The writinges of Aelfricus authentike yet notwithstanding hee was of suche estimation and good liking in those dayes among the most learned that for his learnyng authoritie and eloquence hys writings were accepted and authorised among y e Chanons constitutions of y e Church in that time as hereby may appeare For where as the bishops and Priestes before the comming of William Conquerour had collected together a certayn booke of Canons and ordinaunces to gouerne the Clergie A booke of Canons in the Saxons tongue gathered out of generall and particular councels out of the bookes of Gildas out of the poenitentiall bookes of Theodorus Archbyshop of Canterbury out of the writings of Egbertus archbishop of Yorke out of the Epistles of Aleuinus as also out of the writynges of the olde Fathers of the primitiue Church c. among the same Canons Constitutions be placed these two Epistles of the sayd Elfricus here vnder folowing wherof the one was sent to Wulfsinus Bysh. of Scyrburne the other to Wulfstane Archb. of Yorke as yet are to be sene in ij bookes belongyng to the Library of the Church of Worceter Ex Archiuis Ecclesiae Wigo mensis the one written in the old Saxones tongue intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other for the most part in Latine with this title Admonitio spiritualis doctrinae Which booke of Saxon Canons Constitutions belongyng sometyme to Wulfstane Byshop of Worceter was geuen by him as for a great iewell to the Church oâ— Worceter as by the same booke appeareth Moreouer besides this booke of Worceter aboue touched Ex archiuis ecclesiae ExonieÌ„sis there is yet extant also another like booke of Canons beloÌ„gyng to the Church of Exeter wherein the same two Epistles of Elfricus be conteined in the old Saxon toÌ„gue and also in Latine and prescribed yearely to be read to the Clerkes and Priestes of that Church Which booke in like maner was geuen to the Church of Exeter by Leofricus the first and most famous Bishop of that sea Of this Elfricus further is to be vnderstanded The bookes of Sermons translated by Aelfricus out of Latine into the Saxons speach that hee translated two bookes of 80. sermons out of Latin into the Saxon speach vsed then orderly to be read in Churches on sondayes other festiual dayes of the yeare as by his own words may appeare in the end of one of y e said books of sermons whose woordes be these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We let passe many good Gospels whiche he that lyst may translate For we dare not enlarge this booke muche further left it be ouergreat and so be a cause of lothsomnes to men through the bignes therof c. Also in an other place he confesseth the same of himselfe whose wordes in the preface before his grammer be these Ic AElfric Æ¿olde þa listlan boc aÆ¿endan to engliscum gereorde of ðam staef craefte ðe is gehaten grammatica syððan ic tÆ¿a bec aÆ¿ende on hund eahtatigum spellum 80. Sermons translated by Aelfricus into the English or Saxon tongue I Elfrike was desirous to turne into our English tongue from the arte of letters called grammer this little booke after that I had translated the two bookes of fourescore sermons c. Of his Epistles especially we read of foure which he wrote One to the monkes of Egnesham De consuetudine monachorum An other to Wulfstane Arch. of Yorke wherin is touched the matter of the Sacrament The thirde he wrote against priestes marriage 4. Epistles written of Aelfricus in the Saxon or English tongue to one Sygeferth with whom there was a certaine Anker abiding which defended the marriage of priests affirming it to be lawfull The fourth he wrote to Wulfsinus B. of Scyrburne touching the matter of the sacrameÌ„t In the which epistle he taking occasion by a certaine abuse in his time which was that priests on Easter day filled their housel boxe and so kept it for the space of the whole yeare till Easter came againe for sicke persons writeth vppon that occasion in these words as follow in his owne Saxons tongue A writing of Aelfrike to wulfstne The wordes of Aelfricus writteÌ„ to Wulfstne Bishop of Scyrburne agaynst transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ Man sceal healden þaet halige husel mid mycelre gymene ne forhealdan hit ac halgian oþen edniÆ¿e to sceocum mannum a. embe VII niht oððe embe XIIII night ê§ hit huru fynig ne sy forðon ðe eal sÆ¿a ê§ Ã°e on easterdaeg Æ¿aes gehadgod Ãaet husel is Cristes lichama na lichamlice ac gastlice Na se lichama ðe he on ðroÆ¿ode ac se lichama ðe he embe spraec ða ða h bletsode hlaf Æ¿in to husel anre nihte aer his ðroÆ¿unge cÆ¿aeþ be þam gebletsode hlaf ðis is min lichama eft be ðam halgan Æ¿ine ðis is min blode þe bið for manegum agoten on synna forgifenesse Vnderstandaþ nu ê§ se drighten ðe mihte aÆ¿endon ðone hlaf aer his ðroÆ¿unge to his lichaman ê§ Æ¿in to his blode gastlice þaet se ylca daeghÆ¿amlice bletsah ðurh sacerda handa hlaf Æ¿in to his gastlican lichaman and to his gastlican blode The same in English Men shal reserue more carefully that holy housell not reserue it to long but halow other
quemquam cunctis prodesse fauorem Et populare lucrum pellere mente manu Cui vestis textura rudis cui non fuit vnquam Ante sitim potus nec cibus ante famem Quem pudor hospitium statuit sibi quamque libido Incestos superat tam superauit eam Quem natura parens cum mundo contulit inquit Degenerant alij nascitur iste mihi Quaeque vagabatur penè reliquerat orbem Inclusit sacro pectore iustitiam Vir sacer à puero qui quantum praeminet orbi Fama adeò famae praeminet ipse suae Fama minor meritis cùm totum peruo let orbem Cùm semper crescat non erit aequa tamen Vir pius atque grauis vir sic in vtroque modestus Vt liuor neutro rodere possit eum Liuor enim destet quem carpserat antea nec tam Carpsit odit eum quam modo laudat amat Quà m prius ex vita tam nunc ex morte gemiscit Et queritur celeres huius abisse dies Vir verè sapiens parte beatus ab omni Qui coelos anima corpore ditat humum Post obitum secum viâ—ram precor ac requiescam Nec fiat melior sors mea sorte sua Althoughe in this time of Berengarus whyche was about the yeare of oure Lorde 1060. as ye haue heard this errour of transubstantiation began to growe in force and strength by the supporting of certaine popishe monkes aboue rehearsed as Lancfrancus Guimundus Algerius Hugo Bishop of Lincolne Fulbertus of whom it is said in stories that our Ladie gaue him sucke being sicke wyth her owne brestes and such other yet notwythstanding all this while the sayd TransubstantiatioÌ„ was decreed for no publicke law Transubstantiation first decreed for a general law by pope Innocent 3. The general Councell of Laterane nor doctrine to be holden by any general coÌ„sent either of the Church of Rome or any other Councell before the Councel of Laterane vnder Pope Innocent the 3. who in the yeare of our Lorde 1215. celebrating in the church of Laterane a generall councel of 1300. bishops enacted there diuers constitutions as of yerely coÌ„fession and the communion to be vsed of the whole multitude once a yeare through euery parish church Item for the recouery of the holy land with a subsidie also to be leauied for the same Item for the abolishing of the bookes and wrytinges of Ioachim Abbas and also the opinions of Almaricus afore mentioned notwithstanding that y e said Ioachim did subscribe with his owne hand that he held the same doctrine Ex Antonin part 3. tit 19. c. 1. which was in the church of Rome and also submitted hys bookes to be presented to the Sea of Rome there to bee corrected or approoued And yet was he iudged though not an heretike yet to be erroneous especially in those bokes which he wrote against Peter Lombard calide afterward the master of Sentence In the sayde Counsel besides diuers other constitutions and the Articles of the Creede there in order repeated Extrau De Sum. trin cap. 1. sirmit credimus as appeareth Extr. De summa trinit fide Catholica cap. 1. firmiter there was also enacted decreed and establyshed the fayth and beliefe of Transubstantiation in these woordes following There is one vniuersall Church of the faithful without which none can be saued in the which Church the self same Iesus Christ is both Priest and also the sacrifice The wordes of the Councell whereby transubstantiation was first established whose body and bloude are truly contained in the Sacrament of the aulter vnder the formes of breade and wine the breade being transubstantiated into the body and the wine into the bloud by the power and workinge of God so that to the accomplishing of thys mysterie of vnitie wee might take of his the same which he hath taken of ours And thys sacrament none can make or consecrate but hee that is a prieste lawfully ordained according to the keyes of the Church whych Iesus Christ hath left to his Apostles and to their successours c. And thus was the foundation layd for the building of transubstantiatioÌ„ vpon the consent of these foresayd 1300. Byshops in the yeare of our Lorde aboue specified vnder pope Innocentius and the doctrine therof intruded for an article of fayth into the church necessarily to be beleeued of all men vnder payne of heresie But yet all this while notwithstanding that the substaunte of bread and wine was nowe banished out of the sacrament Eleuation and adoration brought in by Pope Honorius the 3. ¶ Anno. 1220. and vtterly transcorporated into the substaunce ot Christes very body and bloud yet was not this body eleuated ouer the priestes head nor adored of the people till the dayes af pope Honorius the 3. succeeding after Innocentius who by his counsaile likewise commaunded adoration and eleuation to be ioyned with transubstantiation as one idolatry commonly bringeth forth an other Agayne the sayd sacramedt of the Lordes supper being now consecrated transubstantiated eleuated and adored yet it was not offered vp for a sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead nor for a remedye of the soules in Purgatory nor for a merite operis operati sine bono motu vtentis c. before that other popes comming after added still new aditions to the former inuentions of theyr predecessours And thus haue you the whol order and origine of these Idolatrous partes of the masse described by theyr times ages Consecration Transubstantiation Eleuation Adoration Oblation whiche first began with consecration and the forme therof which were wordes of the Canon Then came traÌ„substantiation by Innocentius and after eleleuation adoration by Honorius and last of all came the oblation meretorious and propitiatory for the quicke and dead in remission of sinnes Ex opere operato Which thinges being thus constituted by the to muche vsurped authority of the church of Rome Persecution first beginning in these latter dayes shortly after followed persecution tyranny and burning among the christians first beginning with the Albingenses and the fayth full congregation of Tholouse neare about the tyme of the sayd Innocentius as is afore remembred pag. 271. And thus much for the first article of transubstantiatioÌ„ which as ye haue heard was not admitted into y e Church for any generall doctrine of fayth before the yeare and time aboue assigned of pope Innocent the third and therefore if any haue bene otherwise perswaded or yet doe remayne in the same perswasion still of this doctrine as though it had bene of a longer coÌ„tinuance then froÌ„ the time aboue expressed let him vnderstand that by ignoraunce of hystories he is deceiued and for the more satisfyinge of his mynde if he credite not me Read before pag 271. Read before pag 257. Ioh. Duns in Ii 4. lib. Sentent let him beleeue the wordes of one of hys owne catholike sort Iohn Duns I meane
in so doing they might peraduenture geue occasion of adultery and fornicatioÌ„ For those holy men did theÌ„ vse this cautele and moderation in religion that wheÌ„ they treated any thing concerning instructioÌ„ and edification of the people The spirite of lenitye requyred in Bishops and would haue them styrred vp to a better life by godly instructions they would rather perswade things to be obserued with patience and lenity then commaund with rigour and authority neither would they compell any man to theyr obedience agaynst his will Whose examples you also folowing which succeede in their rowme and name do you not lay vpoÌ„ vs infirme persons such importable burtheÌ„s lest you be partakers with the Pharisyes and lawyers of the Lords curse Who saith Luke 11. Woe to you lawyers which lay burthens vpon men which they can not beare Exod. 3. and you your selues touch not the burdens wyth one finger And least the cry of the children of Israel ascend vp to the Lord for the cruell dealing of them which are ouerseers of the workes Read the CanoÌ„s of the Apostles Can. 22. Neither do you make such Eunuches which are so borne from theyr mothers wombe or such Eunuches which are violently made by men but rather those Eunuches which of theyr owne accord haue gelded themselues for the kingdome of heaueÌ„ Math. 19. Neither do you bring vpon the holy order of Gods ministers for vs only such an offence and sclaunder that for our wicked life you make the ministery to be despised of others while you wil not suffer them either to heare vs or to receiue the sacramentes of vs infaming therby our lend life causing the sauor of vs to stinke before Pharao his seruants Wherin it semeth to vs that you deale not soundly vprightly if a man may so say I pray you take it in good worth Exod 5. that I speak also to be agaynst y e authority of Gods word the canonicall constitutions which you doe where as the Lord sayth by Moses the lawgeuer the shame of thy mother thou shalr not disclose her ignominy thou shalt not discouer Our mother is y e church y e sonnes of this mother be all the faythfull Leuit. 18. which name yet most fitly is appropriate vnto priestes for they do beget y e faythfull both by y e word of preaching sacrameÌ„t of baptisme Was not he to be couÌ„ted a right mother who sayd my litle children of whom I trauell in byrth agayne The shame ignominy of our mother what is it but the reproueable conuersation of the life of priests which shame ignominy is theÌ„ reueiled Gal. 4. wheÌ„ y e life of priests is publickly infamed Which thing you do y e discouer notify vnto men our fragility lying before as hyd couered because before it was not known for the same you bring y e holy ministery misteries of god into coÌ„teÌ„pt hatred as though the polluted life of other did any thing pâ—rtaine thereto to pullute the same as though our vncleannes did any thing blemish theÌ„ or diminish the purenes therof where as the Psalmist sayth Psal. 18. The law of the Lord is pure and immaculate Or as though they were any whitte polluted by our infection which do receiue the sayd misteries either by our mouth or by our ministery Which if you graunt to be so then the Lord would neuer haue spokeÌ„ so to his disciples the people touching the Phariseis saying Whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do And agayne if it were so the Lord would not haue seÌ„t forth Iudas whom he knew should betray him Math. 23. The wickednes of the Ministers make not the ministery worse with the other Disciples to preach neither would haue committed to him the power of working myracles of geuing health nor admitted him to the Communion of the Supper And if our impurity shuld infect our holy misteries or ministrations and make them worse that heare and receaue the same then the Lord would neuer haue touched the Leper whom he had healed neither woulde he haue kissed hym neyther would haue eaten with Symon an other Leper neyther would haue suffered his feet to be kissed and with the teares to be washed and with the heare to be dryed his head to be annoynted of Mary the sinner Therfore the holy Canons haue thus decreed that no man which rightly receiueth the Lordes Sacramentes of an heretique shoulde be therefore any thing corrupted by his hereticall pranity nor the sayd Sacramentes shoulde be any whitte distayned by the infection of him Whereupon the Church of Rome in a certayne Epistle directed vnto Anastasius the Emperour by Anastasius the Pope did so ordeine and write that none of all them whom Acatius did baptise or whom he ordeined Canonically to be priestes or Leuites shoulde be any thing hurt by the name of the sayd Acatius so that thereby the Sacramentes which by him were ministred should seme the lesse firme and effectuall For the sacrament of Baptisme also being ministred of an adulterer or a thiefe which God forefend to be in the Church doth come vnto the receiuer neuer a whit the worse What meant that voyce which sounded by the Doue but that it excluded all euill and impurity of the corruption of man Math. 3. in the which it is declared and sayde This is he which baptiseth c. For if the beames of this visible Sunne passing by the filthy places receiue no spot of filthinesse thereby much more the grace of him which made this visible Sunne is not tyed to any worthinesse of our workes What soeuer therfore any minister of the Church worketh in his functioÌ„ to the behoofe of the people all that taketh his effecte by the operation of God Thus witnesseth Paule by whom Christ speaketh I haue planted and Apollo hath watered but it is the Lord that hath geueÌ„ the encrease God regardeth not so much who or what maner of person doth preach but that he so preach that he may confirme theÌ„ that be nought and cause them to preache well of Christ. For such is the operation of Gods mighty grace Cor. 3. that by euill men he winneth good men and by reprobate and wicked persons he getteth and gathereth together those that be good By these and such other reasons and authorities aboue alledged you ought to be perswaded neyther to abandon vs that be marryed from the administration of diuine seruice nor yet to excommunicate such to whom the matter nothing perteineth from the communion thereof And if we be euill we are euill to our selues and hurt our selues more then others And such as you suppose peraduenture to be vitious yet may haue some good thing inwardly whiche you know not of For many there be whom you iudge to be incontinent which liue more chastly then they whom you so greatly extoll for their continency 1. Cor.
monkes weede According as in the stories of this Realme is to be seene howe in the tyme of Dunstane Archbishop of Canterbury Monke of lay in 〈◊〉 made Clergy men Pope Iohn 13. wrote to K. Edgar that one should be made Bishops but Monkes of Ethelwold Byshop of Worcester and of Oswald Bishop of Winchester Pope Iohn 13. writing to king Edgar willed him in hys letters to see in his Cathedrall Churches none to be promoted to be Bishops but such as were of the Monasticall religion and willed him moreouer to exclude the secular prebendaries at Winchester and to place in Monkes and that none of the secular Clerkes there should be chosen bishop but either taken out of the same Couent of that churche or of some other Abbey So was also king Henry the second commauÌ„ded to do in the house of Waltham Secular Priestes put out and Monkes intruded into Churches where the secular Canons were remoued out and regular Canons intruded The same did Oswald Bishop with the Church of Worcester likewise in their Sees did Dunstane Archbishop of Canterbury Osketellus Archbishop of York Ethelwold Bishop of Worcester who in storye is reported to be Multorum fundator Monasteriorum Leswinus also Bishop of Dorcester with other Bishops moe about the time and raign of king Edgar â—do Archbishop of Caunterbury before Dunstane an 934. after his election refused to take that dignity vpon him before he had receiued the habite of a monk in the Abbey of Florence in Fraunce because as the story telleth if it be true Nullus ad id tempus nisi monachali schemate indutus Ex Guliel Malmesh in vita Odonis Ex Neaburgens lib 4. cap 33. Archiepiscopus fuisset c. That is Because all the Archbishops of Caunterbury before him had bene Monkes c. In like maner Baldwinus also an 1114. after he was elected Archb. of Canterbury tooke vpon him the habite and profession of Mereton Abbey And so did Reginaldus his next successor after him c. Monkes first lay men theÌ„ made regulars and votaryes at length made Churchmen Pope Boniface As concerning therfore the origene of Monks ye haue heard how first they began of lay meÌ„ onely leading a straiter life from the society of other persons who then folowing the rule of S Benet were called regulars votaries and yet all this while had nothing to do with any Ecclesiasticall ministery til the time of Pope Bonifacius y e fourth an 606. who then made a decree that monkes might vse the office of preaching of the christening of hearing confessions and assoyling theÌ„ of their sinnes differing from priestes onely in this Difference betweene Mâ—nkes Priestes that they were called Regulares and priestes were called Seculares the monkes were votaries the priestes had free liberty to haue wiues til the time of Lanfranke and Anselme as is aforesayd Albeit Athanasius in his Epistle Ad Dracontium witnesseth also that he knewe Monkes in the olde time and Bishops which were marryed and had children Furthermore as ignorance superstition with time encreased so the number and swarme of monkes still more and more multiplied in such sort as not onely they thrust out secular Priestes froÌ„ their houses but also out of them were made Popes Cardinalles Archbishops and Bishops to gouerne Churches Of which nuÌ„ber began Austen the first Archbishop of the See of Cant. and the most part of all other Archbishops after him vntill the time of the Conquest and after All this while the Friers were not yet come neyther the discipline of S. Dominike The comming in of the â—ryers nor the Testament of S. Fraunces nor the order of the Austen brothers nor of the Carmelites was yet heard of Which last of all came in w t theyr pageans and played theyr part likewise an 1220. being much more full of hipocrisy blindnesse Idolatry and superstition then were the monkes So that what with monkes of y e one side w t the friers of the other side while all thinges were ruled by the Rules of S. Benet by y e Canons of the Pope by the doctrine of S. Dominike and by the Testament of S. Fraunces Christes Testament was trode vnder foote the rule of Gods word neglected true Christian religion defaced fayth forgotten the right way of saluation abolished sound doctrine oppressed Christes seruants persecuted and the peoples soules vncomforted yea and the true Church of Christ almost cleane extirped had not almighty God who can not forgette his promise prouided remedy in time in raysing vp this Cromwel his seruaunt and other like champions to cut vppe from the roote of the houses of them which otherwise would vtterly haue rooted vp the house of the Lord had subuerted a great part already Wherefore whosoeuer findeth himselfe agreeued with Cromwels doinges in suppressing these Monasteryes of Monkes and Fryers let him wisely consider with hymselfe first the doctrine lawes and traditions of these men which he shall find rebelling to the religion of Christ The lyfe of Monkes and Fryers considered pernitious to our saluation derogatory to Christes glory full of much blasphemy and damnable idolatry Secondly let him likewise wel aduise the horrible and execrable liues of these Cloysterers or at y e least search out the rolles and registers of matters found out by inquisition in king Henry the eight his dayes agaynst them which here is not to be spoken of vnles we will speake as Mathew Paris speaketh of the Court of Rome Cuius foetor vsque ad nubes fumum teterrimum exhalabat That is Whose filthy stinch saith he did breath vp a most pestiferous fume euen vnto the cloudes of heauen c. All which thinges well considered The Lord Cromwell defended in suppressing Abbayes what maruell is it then if God of his iust iudgement did set vp the foresayde Lord Cromwell to destroy these sinfull houses whoÌ„ theyr owne corruptions could suffer no longer to stand And as touching the dissipation of theyr landes and possessions to the handes of such as they were bestowed vpon if it so pleased the king in bestowing those Abbey landes vpon his Nobles and Gentlemen Dissipation of Abbay landes in England expedient either to restore them againe vnto them from whence they came or els to gratifie hys nobility by that meanes of pollicye not to mislike his doings what is that to Cromwel But they might say you haue bene much better employed to other more fruitfull vses Briefely to aunswere thereunto what may be done presently in a common wealth is not enough to say but what may also folow must be considered If thys throwing downe of Abbeys had happened in such free and reformed cities or countryes as are amongest the Germanes where the state gouerned directed by lawes rather then by rulers remayneth alwayes alike and vnmutable who doubteth but such houses there standing still y e possessions might well be transposed to such vses abouesayd without any
done their offring stand gasing about y e church went vnto them with al gentlenes began to exhort them to leaue such fals worshipping of dombe creatures and to learne to worship the true liuing God aright putting theÌ„ in remembrance what those things were which they worshipped how God many times had plagued his people for running a whoring to such stocks stones so would plage them and their posteritie if they would not leaue it After this sort he admonished them so long till at the last his words as God would tooke such place in some of them Testwood exhorteth the people from Idolatry that they said they would neuer goe a pilgrimage more Then he went further found another sort licking kissing a white Lady made of Alabaster which Image was mortrest in a wall behind the hie altar and bordred about with a prety border which was made like branches with hanging apples floures And when he sawe them so superstitiously vse the Image as to wipe their handes vpon it then to stroke them ouer their hands faces as though there had ben great vertue in touching y e picture he vp with his hand in the which he had a key and smote a peece of the border about the image downe and with the glaunce of the stroke chanced to breake of the images nose Idolatry to an image of a white Lady made of Alabaster in windsore Lo good people quoth he ye see what it is nothyng but earth dust and cannot helpe it selfe how will you then haue it to helpe you For Gods sake brethren be no more deceyued and so he gate him home to his house for the rumor was so great that many came to see the Image how it was defaced And among all other came one WilliaÌ„ Symons a Lawyer who seyng the image so berayed and to lacke her nose Testwood defaceth the Image W. Simons a persecuter O blinde Popeâ—y to seeke the neath of a liuing man for the nose of a dead stocke Magna Diâ—na Ephesiorum Act. 28. tooke the matter greuously looking down vpon the pauement he spied the images nose where it lay which he tooke vp and put in his purse saying it should be a deare nose to Testwood one day Now were many offended with Testwood the canons for speaking against their profit the waxe sellers for hyndring their market Symons for the Images nose And more then that there were of the canons men that threatned to kill him Whereupon Testwood kept his house and durst not come forth minding to haue sent the whole matter in writing by his wife to M. Cromwell the kings secretary who was his special frend The Canons hearyng that Testwood would send to Cromwel they send y e Uerger vnto him to will him to come to the church who sent them word agayne that he was in feare of his lyfe therfore would not come Then sent they two of y e eldest Peticanons to entreat him to assure him that no man should do him harme He made them a plaine answer that he had no such trust to their promises but would complain to his frendes The papistes of Windsore afraid of Cromwell Then wist they not what shift to make for of all men they feared Cromwel but sent in post hast for old M. Ward a iustice of peace dwelling 3. or 4. myles of who being come hearing the matter was very loth to meddle in it The Canons of Windsore glad to fall in agayne with Testwood But notwithstanding through their entreaty he weÌ„t to Testwood had much ado to perswade him but at the last he did so faithfully promise him by the oth he had made to God the king to defend him from all daungers and harmes that Testwood was content to go with him And when M. Ward and Testwood were come into the Church and were goyng toward the Chapter house where the Canons abode their commyng Testwood in daunger of hys lyfe one of the Canons men drew his dagger at Testwood and would haue bene vpon him but M. Ward with his men resisted and gat Testwood into the Chapter house causing the seruing men to be called in and sharply rebuked of their maisters who straitly commanded them vpon paine of loosing their seruice further displeasure not to touch him nor to geue him an euill worde Nowe Testwood being alone in the Chapter house with the Canons and M. Ward was geÌ„tly intreated the matter so pacified that Testwood might quietly come and go to the Church and do his duety as he had done before An other cause of Testwoods trouble An other cause of Testwoods trouble Tho Beckets Rachet made a Relique S. Georges dagger made a relique VPon a Relique sonday as they named it when euery Minister after their olde custome should haue borne a relique in his hand about a procession one was brought to Testwood Which relique as they said was a Ratchet of bishop Beckets And as the Sexten would haue put the Ratchet in Testwoods hands he pushed it from hym sayeng if he did geue it to him he would wipe his taile withall so the Ratchet was geuen to another Then came the Uerger down from the hie altar with S. Georges dagger in his hand demaÌ„ding who lacked a relique Mary quoth Testwood geue it to M. Hake who stood next him for hee is a prety man of his hands so the dagger was geueÌ„ vnto him Now Testwood perceiuing the dagger in maister Hakes hand and being merily disposed as he was a mery conceited man stepped forth out of his place to D. Clifton standing directly before him in the midst of the quire with a glorious golden Cope vpon his backe hauing the Pixe in his hand and said Sir M. Hake hath Saint Georges dagger Now if he had his horse and S. Martins cloke and maister Iohn Shornes bootes with king Henries spurres and his hat he might ride when he would and so stepped into his place againe Whereat the other chaunged colour and wist not what to say Another cause of Testwoods trouble IN the dayes of M. Franklen who succeeded D. Sampson in the Deanry of Windsore M. Frankâ—len 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 there was on a tyme set vp at the Quire dore a certaine foolishe printed paper in Meter all to the prayse and commendation of our Ladye ascribing vnto her our iustification our saluation Blasphemy and Idolatry to 〈◊〉 Lady our redemption the forgeuenes of sinnes c. to the great derogation of Christ. Which paper one of the Canons called M. Magnus as it was reported caused to be set vp in despite of Testwood and his sect When Testwood sawe this paper he pluckt it downe secretly The next day after was another set vp in the same place Then Testwood coÌ„ming into the Church and seyng another paper set vp and also the Deane commyng a little way of made haste to be in
Which being set on the boorde he said grace and washed so falling into other communication with the straungers the clerkes tooke their leaue and departed When D. London had ben in Windsore a while among his catholike brethren learned what Testwood was D. London a malicious persecuter also of Symons who shewed him our Ladies nose as he called it what a sort of heretikes were in the towne and about the same and how they increased daily by reason of a naughty priest called Anth. Person he was so maliciously bent against thē that he gaue himselfe wholy to the deuill to do mischief And to bring his wicked purpose about he conspired w t the foresaid Symōs a meet clerk to serue such a curate and other of like sore how they might cōpasse the matter first to haue all the Archheretikes as they termed thē in Windsore thereabout indicted of heresie D. London and W. Symons inflamed with malice agaynst the good men of Windsore and so to proceed further They had a good ground to worke vpon as they thought which was the sixe articles whereupon they began to build and practise thus First they drew out certaine notes of Antho. Persons sermons whiche he had preached against the sacrament of the altar their popish Masse Syr Phillip Hobby and hys wyfe Syr Thomas Cardine and his wife M. Edmund Harman M. Thomas Weldone Snowball and his wife Doct. Haynes Deane of Exeter That done they put in sir Phillip Hobby with the good Lady his wife sir Thomas Cardine M. Edmund Harman M. Tho. Weldon with Snowbal and his wife as chiefe aiders helpers mainteiners of Anth. Person Also they noted D. Haines Deane of Exceter and a Prebendary of Windsore to be a common receiuer of all suspected persons They wrote also the names of all such as cōmonly haunted Anthony Persons sermons of all such as had the Testament and fauoured the Gospell or dyd but smell thereof Then had they priuy spies to walke vp and down the Church to harken and heare what men said and to marke who did not reuerence the sacrament at the leuation tyme and to bring his name to D. London And of these spies some were Chantrie priests among the which there was one notable spie whose name was called sir Will. Bowes such a fleering priest as would be in euery corner of the Church pattering to himselfe with his Portuous in hys hand to heare and to note the gesture of men towards the sacrament Thus whē they had gathered as much as they could W. Bowes priest Doct. Londons spye and made a perfect booke thereof D. London with two of his catholike brethren moe gaue them vp to the B. of Winchester Steuen Gardiner with a great complaynt against the heretikes that were in Windsor declaring vnto him how the towne was sore disquieted through theyr doctrine and euill example Steuen Gardiner a persecuter Wherefore they besought hys lordships helpe in purging the towne and castle of suche wicked persons The B. hearing their complaynt and seyng their booke praised their doings and bade them make frends and go forward D. Londons complaynt to Steph. Gardiner and they should not lack his help Then they applied the matter with tooth and nayle sparing for no money nor paynes taking as Marbecke saith that he himselfe heard one of them say who was a great doer therin and afterward sory for that he had done that the sute therof cost him that yeare for his part only an hūdred markes What cost the Papistes can be at to trouble their euen Christen beside the death of iij. good geldings Now B. Gardiner which had conceiued a further fetch in his brayne then D. London had made Wrisley other of the Counsaile on his side and spieng a tyme conueniēt went to the king complainyng what a sort of heretiques his grace had in his Realme and how they were not only crept into euery corner of his court Winchester and Wrisley complayne to the king of the Gospellers but euen into his priuie chamber beseching therfore his maiesty that his laws might be prosecuted the king geuing credite to the counsails words was content his lawes should be executed on such as were offenders Then had the B. that he desired forthwith procured a commission for a priuy search to bee had in Windsore for bookes and letters that Anth. Person should send abroad Winchester procureth a priuy search in Windsore which commission the king granted to take place in the towne of Windsore but not in the castle At this time the canons of Excester specially Sutharn Treasurer of the church and D. Brurewood the Chancellor had accused D. Haynes their Deane to the counsell for preaching agaynst holy bread and holy water and that he should say in one of his Sermons hauing occasion to speake of Matrimony that mariage and hangyng were destinie D. Haynes Deane of Exceter accused to the Counsayle vpon the which they gathered treason agaynst hym because of the kings mariage The B. of Winchester at the same tyme had also enformed the counsaile of M. Hobby how he was a bearer of Anthony Person and a great mainteyner of heretikes Wherupon both he and D. Heynes were apprehended and sent to the fleete But it was not very long after ere that by mediation of frends they were both deliuered M. Hobby and Haynes sent to the Fleete The secret searche beginneth Bennet Filmer Testwood and Marbecke apprehēded for bookes agaynst the vi Articles Nowe as touching the Commission for searchyng of bookes M. Warde and Fachel of Reading were appointed commissioners who came to Windsore the Thursday before Palme sonday in the yeare of our Lord 1543. and began their search about xi of the clocke at night In the which search were apprehended Robert Bennet Henry Filmer Iohn Marbecke and Robert Testwood for certaine bookes and writings found in their houses agaynst the vj. articles and kept in ward til monday after and thē fet vp to the Counsaile all saue Testwood with whom the Bailifs of the towne were charged because he lay sore diseased on the Goute The other three being examined before the Counsaile were committed to prison Filmer and Bennet to the bishop of Londons Gaole and Marbecke to the Marshalsey whose examination is here set out to declare the great goodnes of the Counsaile and the crueltie of the bishop The first examination of Iohn Marbecke before the Counsaile on the Monday after Palme Sonday 1544. THis Marbecke had begun a great woorke in English called The Concordaunce of the Bible Which booke being not halfe finished was among his other bookes taken in the search and had vp to the Counsail And when he came before them to be examined the whole worke laye before the bishop of Winchester Steuen Gardiner at the vpper end of the boord Who beholding the poore man a whyle sayd Marbecke doest thou knowe wherefore
Christ refuseth the office of a ciuill iudge the which thing hee would not haue done if it had bene agreeable vnto his office or duety The like thyng also he did in the 8. chapter of Iohn When as he refused to geue iudgement vppon the woman taken in adulterye which was brought before hym Where as they doe alledge that Moyses did supply both offices at once An obiection made by the example of Moyses supplying both the offices aunswered vnto I aunswer that it was done by a rare miracle Furthermore that it continued but for a time vntill things were brought vnto a better state Besides that there was a certayne forme and rule prescribed him of the Lord then tooke he vpon hym the ciuill gouernaunce and the priesthood he was commaunded to resigne vnto hys brother that not w tout good cause for it is agaynst nature that one man should suffise both charges wherefore it was diligently foreseene and prouided for in all ages Neither was there any Bishop so long as any true face or shew of the Church did continue who once thought to vsurpe the right and title of the sword Whereupon in the tyme of Saint Ambrose this Prouerbe tooke his original that Emperours did rather wishe or desire the office of priesthood then Priests any Empire For it was all mens opinions at that tyme that sumptuous pallaces dyd pertayne vnto Emperoures and Churches vnto Priestes Saint Bernard also writeth many thyngs which are agreeable vnto this our opinion Palaces to Princes Churches perteyne to Priestes as is this his saying Peter could not geue that which he had not but he gaue vnto hys successours that which he had that is to say carefulnesse ouer the congregation for when as the Lord Maister sayth that he is not constitute or ordained Iudge betwene two the seruaunt or Disciple ought not to take it scornefully Peter could not geue that he had not Peter had no Lordly dominion Ergo Peter could not giue Lordly dominioÌ„ to his successors if that he may not iudge all men and lest that he might seme in that place to speake of the spiritual iudgement he straight way annexeth Therfore sayth he Your power and autoritie shall be in offence and transgression not in possessions For this purpose and not for the other haue you receyued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Why then do you inuade other mens bounds or borders The rest I will passe ouer for breuities cause The 7. Article Falsly and against the honour state and reuerence of the sacred maiestie of the kyng of Scottes The vii Article he hath said holden and affirmed that our most noble king of Scottes defender of the Christian fayth would appropriate vnto him selfe all the possessions landes and rentes of the Church geuen and graunted by his predecessors and also by himselfe and conuert them vnto hys owne priuate vse And for this ende and purpose as he hath many tymes written vnto him so hath he with his whole endeuour perswaded our sayd noble Lord and kyng therunto Borthwike It is no maruell though these mad dogges do so barke agaynst me whom they thinke to haue councelled y e kings Maiesty I would to God I had also throughly perswaded hym that he should take away from these vniust sacrilegious possessours the riches wherewithall they are fatted and engreased lyke Swyne For this is the nature of dogs that if any man go about to take away the boane out of their mouth by and by to snatche at hym and teare hym with theyr teeth It is out of all controuersie vnto such which haue any wit at all that such were very childish that is to say ignoraunt of all learnyng and iudgement which did so fat and feede with their possessioÌ„s these belly beastes For who would not iudge it more then childish A coÌ„parison betwene our belly Priestes and the Priestes of Baale to bestow the kyngs vitayles or meate vpon the bellies of the Prophets of Baal and Iesabell But all they which at this present do endue such filthy sinkes I wyll not call them deus of thieues with such reuenues they do follow the steps of Iesabell for what other thing do they when as daily they are bleating and bowyng before theyr Images burnyng of incense and fall flat downe before their altars but y t which in tymes past y e prophets of Baal dyd when as they transported the worship of God vnto an Idoll Wherefore if Daniel and Helias were spotted with heresie when they would haue destroyed the Priests of Baall I graunt that I also must be an hereticke But forsomuch as then he did nothyng but which was coÌ„maunded hym of the Lord that was able to kyll the Prophet which had allured the people to follow strange gods he could not truly and iustly be accused of heresie so neyther can my aduersaries spot me therewithall except peraduenture they will condemne in me that where as Elias delt more rigorously with the Prophetes of Baall for he cast them into the broke Kidron I required or desired no more but that the riches which was wickedly bestowed vpon them and theyr possessions might be taken froÌ„ them The 8. Article He willed and desired and oftentimes with his whole heart prayed that the church of Scotland might come and be brought to the same poynt and state and to lyke ruine as the church of England was already come vnto Borthwike If the church of Israel decayed when as in the tyme of Zorobabell Nâ—emias and other holy men it was released and set at libertie out of Babilon I graunt also that it was a ruine vnto the Englishmen to haue departed and gone away out of Babylon the mother of all whoredome vpon whose rotten and filthy paps and brests they haue a long tyme depended and hanged beyng made drunke with the wyne of her whoredome and vnshamefastnesse They had rather cause to geue me thankes which wyth so sincere and good a heart wished vnto them so happy a fall But these vnthankfull persones thought it not enough w t slaunder and reproch to teare me asunder but that now also as blynd rage and madnesse hath taken away all sinceritie and vprightnesse of mynde and iudgement to lye in wayte and lay snares for my lyfe The 9. Article He hath openly holden sayd and affirmed preached and taught that the lawes of the Church that is to say the sacred Canons approoued and allowed by the holy Catholike and Apostolike church to be of â—o force strength or effect alledging therfore and affirmyng that they are made and inuented contrary to the law of God Borthwike God forbid that I should say that those things which are approoued and allowed by the holy Catholike Church should be of no effect or valew For well I know that the holy Apostolicke church hath neuer allowed ordained or taught any thyng which she hath not learned of the Lord the apostles are witnesses
In the which hys assault he was so hotely saluted by the kinges shippes and the Island that by the confession of them that sawe it and by the report wrytten vnto the Lord Protector the French men at least lost a thousand men theyr ships and galleis so spoiled as being forced to return home they were not able then to set out againe Ex literis D. Protectoris Furthermore out of Fraunce creadible woorde was broughte to the Lorde Protectoure whyche yet in letters appeareth that into one towne in one vessel were brought at least three score Gentlemen to be buried and also an â—â—hibition special geuen out by the king not to speake of 〈◊〉 successe in that iourney Thys was about the beginning of August 1549. The like also might be noted of the losses of the sayde French king at Bullenburgh the eight day of August the same yeare as by the Lord Clintons letters may well appeare but for spending of time I passe it ouer What the meaning of the French king was in these voiages The 〈…〉 King Edward or how he intended further to procede I haue not herein to deale This is certain and euident that the mighty arme of God mercifully fought for king Edwarde his seruant to defend and deliuer him from so many harde dangers so daÌ„gerous and sundrye commotions stirred vp in so many quarters within this Realme and also without the Realme and all wythin the compasse of one yeare and yet the Lorde aboue fighting for his true seruant dispatched them all as in storie heere ye haue heard declared and is no lesse worthye of all posteritie to be noted Matter concerning Edmund Boner Bishop of London with declaration of the Actes and processe entred against him in king Edwardes time ANd thus muche hetherto hauing discoursed touching the manifolde troubles and tumults raised vp on euery side against king Edward by his vnkinde and vnnatural subiects and yet notwithstaÌ„ding the gratious goodnesse of the Lorde euer geuing him the victorie nowe lette vs returne againe to Boner Byshop of London where we leaft hym before that is in hys owne house where he was by the Counsaile commaunded to remaine as is aboue signified And nowe for so much as we haue to enter into the storie of the sayd Boner for the better vnderstandinge of the whole order therof it shal be requisite to rip vp the matter wyth the circumstaunces and occasions thereof from the first beginning of kinge Edwardes time Where is to be vnderstanded Sitting oâ— the kingâ— Commiâ—â—â—onerâ— in Paules Church that king Edwarde in the first yeare of hys raigne an 1547. the first day of September for the order of hys Uisitation directed out certaine Commissioners as sir Anthony Cooke sir Iohn Godsaule Knightes Maister Iohn Godsaule Christopher Neuinson Doctours of the Lawe and Iohn Madew Doctour of Diuinitie Who sitting in Paules church vpon their commission the day and yeare aforesaide there being presente at the same time Edmund Bishop of London Iohn Royston Polidore Uirgil Peter Uan and others of the saide cathedrall Churche An 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nystred tâ— Boner to 〈◊〉 â—he Popâ— after the sermone made and the Commission being reade ministred an othe vnto the said B. of London to renounce and deny the bishop of Rome with his vsurped authority and to sweare obedience vnto the king according to the effect and forme of the statute made in the 31. yeare of kinge Henry the eight also that he should present and redresse all and singular such things as were needeful within the sayd Church to be reformed Wherupon the said Bishop humbly and instantly desired them that he might see their commissioÌ„ only for this purpose intent as he sayd that he might the better fulfill put in execution the things wherein he was charged by them in their commission Unto whom the commissioners answearing said they wold deliberat more vpon the matter so they called the other ministers of the saide Church before them and ministred the like oth vnto them as they did to the bishop before Annâ— 1549 To whom moreouer there then certaine interrogatories and articles of inquisition were read by Peter Lillye the publike Notarie Which done after their othes taken the sayde Commissioners deliuered vnto the Bishop aforesaid certaine Iniunctions as wel in printe as wrytten and Homilies set foorth by the king All which things the sayde Bishop receiued vnder the wordes of thys protestation as followeth I Do receiue these Iniunctions and Homilies with this protestation that I will obserue them if they be not contrarye and repugnaunt to Gods lawe and the statutes and ordinaunce of the Church and immediately added with an othe that he neuer reade the sayde Homilies and Iniunctions The whyche Protestation being made in manner and fourme aforesaid the said Edmund Bishop of London instantly desired and required Peter Lilly the register aforesaide there and then to register and enact the same And so the sayd Commissioners deliuering the Iniunctions and Homilies to Maister Bellasiere Archdeacon of Colchester and to Gilberte Bourne Archedeacon of London Essex and Middlesexe and enioyning them in moste effectuous manner vnder paines therein contained to put the same in speedy execution and also reseruing other new iniunctions to be ministred afterward as wel to the bishop as to the Archdeacons aforesayd according as they should see cause c. did so continue the visitation til 3. of the clocke the same day in the afternoone At the whiche houre and place assigned the Commissioners being set and the Canons and Priestes of the sayd Church appearing before them and being examined vpon vertue of theyr othe for their doctrine and conuersation of life first one Iohn Painter one of the Canons of the said Cathedrall church there and then openly confessed that he viciously and carnally had often the company of a certaine married mans wyfe 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—rupt life of these 〈◊〉 Priestes Popish 〈◊〉 whose name he denied to declare In the which crime diuers other Canons and Priestes of the said church confessed in like maner could not deny them selues to be culpable And then after the Commissioners aforesayde had deliuered to Maister Royston Prebendary and to the proctour of the Deane and of the Chapter of the sayde Cathedrall Churche of Sainte Paule the kinges Iniunctions and the booke of Homelies enioyninge them to see the execution thereof vnder paine therein specified they proroged theyr sayde visitation vntill seuen of the clocke the next day following By this visitation aboue specified it appeareth gentle Reader first howe Boner made his Protestation after the receiuing of the kings Iniunctions and also how he after required the same to be put in publike recorde Thinges in this visitation to be noted Furthermore thou hast to note the vnchast life and conuersation of these popish votaries and priestes of Paules Nowe what followed after this protestation of the Bishop made remayneth further in
Somerset to surrender a colledge in Cambridge diuers letters were written betwene his grace me in it Wherin I might perceiue the Secretary in his pen tooke occasioÌ„ to pricke me more then I trusted my Lords grace himself would haue done And by this trouble was I deduced to an end Then shortly after I receiued letters to come to y e counsaile Winchester sent for to the CouÌ„saile Winchester sicke Winchester coÌ„meth at last in a horselitter by reason I alledged my disease I was respited by other letters three days before whitsontide receiued yet other letters to come by which it myght seeme vnto me that it was not of all beleued that I was diseased therfore with all expeditioÌ„ when I could not ride I came in an horselitter and according to my duetie presented my selfe to my Lordes of the counsaile who all then entertained me secretly among them before the matters were obiected vnto me as I had bene in the same place with them that I was in our late soueraigne lords days Afterwards my L. of Somersets Grace charged me with these matters followyng in this forme hauing the articles written in a paper First with disobedience that I came not at hys sending for Wherunto I answered that I had his letters of licence Winchester charged with disobedience to stay til I might come conueniently And vpoÌ„ the last letters I came incontinently in a horselitter Then it was obiected y t I bare Palmes crept to the crosse Wherunto I answered that they were misinformed and I trusted they would not thinke I durst deny it if I had done it because ceremonies had such circumstaunces as I might easily be reproued if it were otherwise Then it was obiected that at Easter I had a solemne sepulchre in the church and such other ceremonies I aunswered that I had euen as many as the kings Maiesties proclamations commanded me declaring plainly that I thought it not expedient to make any alteration wherein to offend the kings maiesties proclamation adding how he that followeth as he is commanded is very obedient It was then obiected vnto me y t I went about to deface two of the kings maiesties chaplens sent down to be Canons of the church of Winchester Wherunto I answered declaring the fact truly as it was Winchester charged to deface certaine of the kings chapleins which I am yet able to iustify After this matter thus oft obiected aunswered I was commanded to go apart and beyng called in againe my L. of Somersets grace looking vpon a bill of Articles sayd I had preached how the Apostles went from the presence of the counsaile of the counsail of the counsail which matter I denied addyng that it was not my fashion of preaching so to play in iâ—eration of words After that it was obiected vnto me for preaching of the Sacrament to say the bodye of Christ was really present being a faulte to vse the worde really not comprised in the Scripture Whereunto I aunswered that I did not vse the word really whiche needeth not Reall presence For as I once heard my Lord of Caunterbury reason agaynst one Lambert in the presence of the kinges Maiestie that dead is the words of scripture This is my body that shal be betrayed for you do playnely and liuely expresse the very presence and so did I set it forth to the people in my dioces And this is the effect of all that was sayd agaynst me at my being at the Counsayle as I can remember To whome I declared howe much I esteemed obedience and tolde them I had taught in my dioces how the whole life of a Christian man consisteth in suffring properly And therfore we may not do our own wil but y e will of God And among men we must eyther suffer the rulers will or their power their will to order vs their power to punish vs. After declaratioÌ„ wherof my Lorde of Somerset sayde ye must tary in the towne Whereunto I aunswered Wynchester commaunded to tarry at London I woulde be contented at theyr commaundement or pleasure to tary but seeing I was no offender I desired them I might not tary as an offender and for declaration thereof that I might haue some house in the country about London to remoue vnto for a shifte In deuising whereof I stack much to borrow Asshar My Lorde of Somerset saide if he had any in fayth he woulde lend me one Wynchester commaunded to write his mind of ceremonies And in the end my Lord of Somerset desired me to write what my minde was in ceremonies and to send it vnto him and with that departed Thus I haue truely opened after what sorte I haue bene complayned on y t hath certaynly come to my knowledge Truth it is that one Philpot in Winchester M. Philpot complayned vpon of Winchester whome I accompted altered in his wittes as I heard deuised tales of me the specialties whereof I neuer was called to aunswere vnto Players and minstrels also rayled on me other made ballades and rimes of me but neuer maÌ„ had iust cause to coÌ„plaine of any my sayings doinges or preachings or to my knowledge did otherwise then afore And if any man shall put me in remembraunce of any other coÌ„playnt that might in my absence be made of me If I haue heard it I wil grauÌ„t so But well assured I am I was neuer complayned on called to make answer to y e coÌ„plaint but this one time in all my whole lyfe by no man of anye degree Once y e Lord Cromwell Wynchester when and how oft he hath bene called to coram God pardon his soule forgeue him caused one day a half to be spent in a matter betwene sir Frances Brian me which was ended I declared an honest man which the kings maiesty that dead is God pardon hys soule set forth with his familiaritie to me incontinently And this is all the trouble y t I haue had in my life sauing y e sending to the Fleete beyng occasioned by my owne letter to the counsail vpon a zeale that I had which they allowed not and finally this sending of me to y e Tower which was without calling me before the counsaile to heare what I could say I am loth to be forsworn and therfore accompt all the complaints in my whole lyfe made against me wherunto I haue bene made priuy The 7. Article Item that after and vpon occasion of those and many other complaints and informations Wynchester admonished to conâ—forme him selfe you haue bene sundry tymes admonished commanded and enioyned to conforme your selfe as to your duetie appertained Winchester To this seuenth Article I answer I was neuer afore the counsaile called by way of outward complaint and information but onely once in all my whole life which was at my last comming to London Wherunto I aunswered as afore haue told the forme processe of speech
wherby I haue not onely incurred the kings maiesties indignation but also diuers of his highnes subiectes haue by mine example taken incouragement as his graces counsaile is certainly enformed to repine at his maiesties moste godly proceedings I am right sorie therefore and acknowledge my selfe condingly to haue ben punished and do most heartily thanke his maiestie that of his great clemencie it hath pleased his highnesse to deale with me not according to rigour but mercye And to the entent it may appeare to the world how little I do repine at his highnes doings whych be in religion moste godly and to the common wealth most profitable I doe affirm and say freely of mine owne will without any compulsion as ensueth The kinges supremacy 1 First that by the lawe of God and the authoritie of scriptures the kings maiestie and his successors are the supreme heades of the churches of England and also of Ireland 2 Item that the apoynting of holy daies or fasting daies as Lent imber daies or any suche like or to dispence therewith is in the kings maiesties authoritie and power and his highnes as supreme head of the sayde Churches of Englande and Irelande The kinges authoritye in dispensing with holydayes and fasting dayes or in appointing the same and gouernour thereof may appoynt the maner and time of the holy dayes and fasting dayes or dispence therewith as to his wisedome shall seeme most conuenient for the honour of God and the wealth of thys realme 3 Item that the kings maiestie hath moste Christianly and godly set foorth by and with the consent of the whole parliament a deuout and christian booke of seruice of the church to be frequented by the church The kings booke of proceedinges which booke is to be accepted and allowed of all bishops pastours curates and all ministers Ecclesiastical of the realme of England and so of him to be declared and commended in all places where he shal fortune to preach or speake to the people of it that it is a godly and christian booke and order and to be allowed accepted and obserued of all the kings maiesties true subiectes 4 I do acknowledge the kings maiestie that nowe is whose life God long preserue to be my soueraâ—gne Lord and supreme head vnder Christ to me as a Bishop of this realme The kinges full authoritye in his tender age and naturall subiect to his maiestie and nowe in this his yonge and tender age to be my full and entire kinge and that I and all other his highnesse subiectes are bounde to obey all his maiesties proclamations statutes lawes and commaundements made promulgate and sette foorth in this his highnesse yong age as well as thoughe his highnes were at this present 30 or 40. yeâ—es olde Abrogation of the 6. articles 5 Item I confesse and acknowledge that the statute commonlye called the statute of sixe articles for iust causes and grounds is by authoritie of parliament repealed and disanulled 6 Item that his maiestie and his successours haue authoritie in the said churches of England and also of Ireland to alter The kinges iurisdictioÌ„ to alter and correct abuses ecclesiasticall reforme correct and amend al errours abuses and all rites and ceremonies ecclesiastical as shall seeme froÌ„ time to time to his highnesse and his successors most conuenient for the edification of his people so that the same alteration be not contrary or repugnante to the scripture and lawe of God Subscription of Winchester to the articles afore sayd Subscribed by Steuen Winchester with the testimoniall handes of the counsaile to the same To these articles afore specified althoughe Winchester with his owne hand did subscribe graunting and consenting to the supremacie of the King as well then beyng as of hys successours to come Winchester denieth to subscribe to the first beginning of these Articles yet because hee stucke so muche in the first poynt touching his submission and would in no case subscribe to the same but onely made hys aunswere in the margent as is aboue noted it was therefore thoughte good to the king that the Maister of the horse and maister Secretarie Peter should repaire vnto him again with the same request of submission exhortinge hym to looke better vppon it and in case the woords seemed too sore then to referre it vnto him selfe in what sort and with what wordes he should deuise to submit hym that vpon y e acknowledge of his fault the kings highnes might exteÌ„d his mercy and liberality towards him as it was determined Which was the 11. day of Iune the yeare abouesaid When the maister of the horse and secretarie Peter had bene with him in the tower according to their Commission returning from him again they declared vnto the king and his Counsaile how precisely the sayd Bishop stoode in iustification of him selfe that hee hadde neuer offended the kings Maiestie wherefore he vtterly refused to make any submission at all For the more suretie of which deniall it was agreed that a newe booke of Articles should be deuised wherwith the said maister of the horse and master Secretarie Peter should repaire vnto him againe and for the more autentike proceeding w t him they to haue wyth theÌ„ a Diuine and a temporall Lawyer whiche were the Bishop of London and maister Goodricke The copie of the last ArticIes sent to the Bishop of Winchester WHere as I Steuen Bishop of Winchester haue bene suspected as one that did not approoue or allowe the kings Maiesties procedings in alteration of certaine rites in Religion Wynchesâ—â—â— againe reâ—quired 〈◊〉 submit himâ—selfe and was conuented before the kings highnes Counsaile and admonished thereof and hauing certayne things appoynted for me to doe and preach for my declaration haue not done therein as I ought to doe whereby I haue deserued hys maiesties displeasure I am righte soâ—e therfore And to the intent it may appear to the world how litle I doe repine at his highnes doings which be in religion most godly and to the common wealth most profitable I doe affirme as followeth 1 First that the late king of moste famous memorie kyng Henrie the eight our late soueraigne Lorde iustly and of good reason and ground hath taken away and caused to be suppressed and defaced Good 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 in supprâ—â—sing 〈◊〉 of religiâ—â— all monasteries and religious houses and all conuenticles and conuents of Monks Friers Nonnes Chanons Bonhoms other persons called religious and that the same being so dissolued the persones therein bound and professed to obedience to a person place habit and other superstitious rites and ceremonies vpon that dissolution and order appoynted by y e kings maiesties authority as supreme head of the church are clearely released and acquited of those vowes and professions at their full libertye as thoughe those vnwittye and superstitious vowes had neuer bene made Mariageâ— permitteâ— by Godâ— law 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Popes â—â—â—â—pensatioâ—
ordeined the paxe to be geuen to the people 〈◊〉 decretis Inâ—â—â—entij PP 〈◊〉 â— Pacis ait osculum dandum post confecta mysteria vt constet populum ad omnia quae in mysterijs aguntur praebuisse consensum c. ☞ Peter Martyr in his commeÌ„taryes in Iud. saith that it it was brought in by Pope Leo .2 as it is said and yet supposeth the same not to be so saying that this was an auncient custome in the Apostles time for Christians to salute one an other with the kisse of peace c. To this of Peter Martyr agreeth also Gabriell Biel. writing in these wordes 〈◊〉 Biel. 〈◊〉 â—ect 81. Porrexit in primitiua ecclesia sacerdos osculum pacis ministro caeteris impartiednum vt per hoc significaret c. i. In the primitiue Church the priest gaue a kisse of peace to the minister to be geuen by him to the people The distribution and communion After this foloweth the comunion where in our popish Masse and Ministers therof do much alter and degenerate from auncient antiquity two maner of wayes First in that they make no communion thereof receyuing onely to theÌ„selues coÌ„trary both to theyr own words where they say after theyr receiuing Sacramenta que sumpsimus c. and also to the auncient examples and decrees of the Apostles and others And where it is decreed in the Epistle of Anacletus Paracta auteÌ„ consecratione omnes communicent qui noluerint Ecclesiasticis carere liminibus Sic enim Apostoli statuerunt S. Romana tenet ecclesia c. i. The consecration being done let all communicate together vnles they will be thrust out of the church dores c. ☞ Here note by the way gentle Reader how Gratianus the writer of the Popes decrees is ouersene Anacletâ—â— Epist 1. De consâ—â—crat 〈…〉 Cocleuâ— coÌ„tra Mâ—â—â—culum 〈◊〉 officio misse Gratianâ—â— Cochlâ—â— taken in vntruth Cano. 〈◊〉 Cap. 9. Cano. 〈◊〉 Cap. 8. Microloâ—â—â— de ecclesiâ—astica obseruat which in hys booke De consecrat dist 2. referreth this saying of Anacletus to Pope Calixtus And likewise also Chocleus writing agaynst Musculus followeth Gracianus in the same error Likewise in the Canons of the Apostles if the CanoÌ„s were theyrs we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. All the faithfull which resort to the Church and tary not out the end of the seruice and receiue not the holy communion suche as bringing in disorder to the Church ought to be disseuered c. And agayne Si quis episcopus praesbiter aut diaconus aut quicunue ex sacerdotali consortio oblatione factaâ— non coÌ„municauerint causam dicito c. For how can that be a communion called which is not common but priuate to one As Micrologus writeth Nec enim proprie communio dici potest nisi plures de eodem sacrificio participent i. It can not be called a communion except mo then one do participate of one sacrifice c. And Durandus In primitiua ecclesia omnes qui celebrationi Missarum intererant singulis diebus communicare solebaÌ„t Guliel Durand Ration 〈◊〉 4 cap. 53. eo uod Apostoli omnes de calice biberunt c. i. In the primitiue time all that were present at the ministration were wont euery day to communicate because that the apostles did altogether drinke of the cup. c. Secondly they alter and degenerate therein from auÌ„cient antiquity in that when they communicate also wyth the people yet they depriue them of the holy cup which deprauation was not in the church before the counsel oâ— CoÌ„stance about the yere of our Lord .1414 For before it was so autentikly receiued that it was counted a sacriledge to receiue the one without the other Gelasius Ioan. 〈◊〉 Maioricoâ— episc as appeareth by the wordes of Pope Gelasius CoÌ„perimus quod quidam sumpta tantum modo corporis sacri portione c. the whole in english is thus we vnderstand that there be some which receiuing the one part onely of the holy body De consâ—crat Dist. 1. 〈◊〉 coÌ„perimuâ— absteine from the cup of the sacrate bloud who because they be taught so to do by what superstition I cannot tell eyther let theÌ„ receiue the sacrament whole together or let them absteine from the whole sacrament altogether because the diuision of that one and whole sacrament cannot be without great sacriledge c. Hytherto also perteineth the testimony of S. Austen in these wordes Et ibi vos estis in mensa August sermone ferie 2. pasche in calice nobiscum vos estis Simul enim hoc sumimus simul bibimus quia simul viuimus c. i. There be you at the table and at the cup there also be you with vs for together we receiue and together we drinke because we liue together As also out of the booke of Gregory it is manifest that not onely the people receiued then in both kindes Ex libro sacramentorum Grâ—â—gorij but also the words were prescribed to the minister what he should say in geuing the cup Item sacerdos calicem dando dicat Sanguis Domini nostri Iesu Christi custodiat te ad vitam aeternam i. Let the priest say in geuing the cup The bloud of our lord Iesus Christ keepe thee to euerlasting life Amen Further in reÌ„dering the cause why it should so be done Thomas Aquine writeth Thomas parte que 76. Aâ—t Nam hoc valet ad repraesentandâ—m passionem Christi in qua seorsum fuit sanguis a corpore separatus c. Secundo hoc est conueniens vsui huius sacramenti vt seorsum exhibeatur corpus Christi fidelibus in cibum sanguis in potum i. For that serueth to represent the passion of Christ wherein his bloud was parted seuerally from the body c Secondly for that is conuenient to the vse of the sacrameÌ„t that the body shoulde seuerally be geuen to the faythfull to meat and the bloud to drinke And therfore serued the office of the deacoÌ„s as we read vt oblata a populo super altare consecranda disponant Amb. 〈◊〉 de omni Diuiniâ— officijs perfectis mysterijs calicem sacrosancti sanguinis Domini fidelibus propinent i. To lay the offeringes of the people vpon the altar to be halowed and when the misteries be consecrated to distribute the cup of the sacrate bloud of the Lord to the faythfull c. But among all other testimonies to proue that the sacrament ought to be common to all people in both kinds there is none more euident then the place of Hierome Hieronimus in epist 1. 〈◊〉 cap. 11. Conuenâ—â—entibus Caeterum dominica caena omnibus debet esse communis quia ille omnibus discipulis suis qui aderant aequaliter tradidit sacramenta i. The supper of the Lord ought to be indifferently commen to all his disciples there present c. And thus haue ye heard the Canon
the deuill and defendeth meÌ„ from deceptions of phantasy c. Thus ye haue heard the author and father of holly water which some also ascribe to Pope Sixtus which succeeded Alexander But as y e Papists do not agree in the fyrst authour or institutor of this hallowing of Elementes so I thinke the same vntruely to be ascribed to either but leauing the probation of this to farther leasure let vs nowe heare in our owne tongue theyr owne words which y e vse in this theyr coniuration The forme and wordes vsed of the Priest in coniuring Salt I coniure thee thou creature of Salte by the ✚ liuyng God Salt coniured by the ✚ true God by the holy God c. That thou mayest be made a coniured Salte to the saluation of them that beleue And that vnto all suche as receiue thee thou mayest be health of soule and body and that from out of y e place wherein thou shalt be sprinckled may flie away and depart all phantasy wickednes or craftines of the deuils subtlety and euery foule spirit c. The forme of coniuring water Water coniured I coniure thee thou creature of water in the name of ✚ God the father almighty and in the name of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue ✚ of the holy Ghost that thou become a coniured water to expell all power of the enemy c. Who seeth not in these wordes blasphemye intollerable how that which only is due to the bloud of Christ and promised to fayth onely in him the same is transferred to earthly and insensate creatures to be saluation both to bodye and spirite inwardlye to geue remission of sinnes to geue health and remedy agaynst euils and deuils against all phantasies wickednesse and all foule spirites and to expell the power of the enemy c. If this be true whereto serueth the bloud of Christ and the vertue of Christian fayth Therfore iudge thy selfe gentle Reader whether thou thinke this trompery rightly to be fathered vpon those ancient fathers aforenamed or els whether it may seme more like trueth that Iohn Sleydan writeth whose woordes in his second booke de Monarchijs are these Ioan 〈◊〉 danu◠〈◊〉 de 4. â—â—â—narch Horum decreta sunt in libris inserta conciliorum sed ex his plaeraque tam sunt leuicula tam nugatoria tam aliena prorsus a sacris literis vt credibile sit ab alijs longo post teÌ„pore fuisse conficta c. That is The decrees of these foresaid Bishops and Martyrs be inserted in the booke of Counsels but of these decrees many therof be so childish so trifling and so farre disagreeing from the holy scripture Many 〈…〉 imputeâ— the oldâ— theâ—â— which 〈◊〉 none oâ— theirs that it is very like that the same were fayned and counterfayted of others long after theyr time c. Thus muche sayth Sleydane with moe woordes in that place Unto whose testimony if I might be so bolde also to adde my coniecture I would suppose the coniuration of this foresayd water and Salte to spring out of the same fountayne from whence proceeded the coniuring of flowers and braunches because I see the order and manner of them both to be so like and vniforme as may appeare The maner of halowing flowers and braunches I coniure thee thou creature of flowers and brauÌ„ches in the name of ✚ God the father almighty Floures braunch hallowâ— and in the name ✚ of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue of the holy ✚ Ghost Therfore be thou rooted out and displaÌ„ted from this creature of flowers and braunches all thou strength of the aduersary all thou host of the deuill and all the power of the enemy eueÌ„ euery assault of the deuils c. And thus much concerning the antiquity of holy bread and holy water wherby thou mayst partly coniecture the same not to be so olde as Steuen Gardiner in hys Letter agaynst mayster Ridley aboue mentioned woulde haue Pag. 753. being both deceiued himselfe and also goyng about to seduce other Furthermore as touching the reseruing of reliques the memoriall of sayntes brought into the masse Ex Actiâ— Rom. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Gregoriâ—â— Gregory the thyrd is the author therof who also added to the canon therof this clause Quorum solennitates hodie in coÌ„spectu diuinae maiestatis tuae celebrantur c. Finally it were to long to recite euery thing in order deuised and brought in particularly to the masse and to y e Church For after that mans brayne was once set on deuising it neuer coulde make an end of heaping rite vppon rite and ceremony vpon ceremonye till all religion was turned well nighe to superstition Thereof commeth oyle and creame brought in by Pope Siluester not wont to be hallowed but by a byshop Oyle 〈◊〉 creame The 〈◊〉 onelâ— linnen That the corporas shuld not be of silcke but onely of fine linnen cloth That the Psalmes should be song on sides the one side of the quier singing one verse the other an other with gloria patri c. That baptisme should be ministred at no other time in the yere but onely at Easter and at whitsontide saue onely to infantes and such as were in extreame infirmity and that it should be requyred 40. dayes before Autor 〈◊〉 Conciliâ—â— Tomo 〈◊〉 Hallow of the 〈◊〉 at Easteâ—â— Whitsoâ—â—tide Christ iâ— of bellâ— Ex ponâ— cali 〈…〉 No beaâ—â— so determined by Pope Siricius and therfore was it that fontes were halowed onely at these two seasons the which hallowing they keep yet still but the ordinaunce they haue reiecte Item that belles also were Christened Item no Prieste shoulde weare a beard or haue long hayre so appoynted by Pope Martine the first Item that auriculare confession shoulde be made that the booke of decrees and decretals should be stablished and transubstauntiation confirmed in whiche three Actes Pope Innocentius the thyrd was the chiefest doer Transuâ—â—stantiatâ—â— about the yeare of our Lord. 1215. And thus haue ye in sum the gatheringes of the masse with the Chanon and all the appurtenaunce of the same which not much vnlike to the Crow of Esope being patched with the feathers of so manye byrdes was so long a gethering that the temple of Salomon was not so long in building as the Popes Masse was in making Whereby iudge now thy selfe good Reader whether this Masse did proceede from Iames and other Apostles or no. And yet this was one of the principall causes for which so much turmoyle was made in the Church with the bloudshed of so many Godly men suffering in so many quarters of this realme some consumed by fire some pined away with huÌ„ger some hanged some slayne some racked some tormented one way some another and that onely or chiefelye for the cause of this aforesayd popish Masse as by the reading of this story folowing by the grace of Christ our Lord shall appeare more
O Lord against this thine element which as to my sight is most irkesome and terrible so to my minde it may at thy commaundement as on obedient seruaunt be sweete and pleasaunt that through the strength of thy holy spirite I may passe through the rage of thys fire into thy bosome according to thy promise and for thys mortall receiue an immortal and for this corruptible put on incorruption Accept this burnt sacrifice and offeryng O Lorde not for the sacrifice but for thy deare sonnes sake my sauiour for whose testimonye I offer this free will offering with all my hart Marke the spirit of the payer and compare iâ— with the prayer of the Papistâ— at the sacriâ—fice of the Masse and with all my soule O heauenly father forgeue me my sinnes as I forgeue all the worlde O sweete sonne of God my Sauioure spread thy winges ouer me O blessed and holy Ghost through whose mercifull inspiration I am come hither conduct mee into euerlasting life Lorde into thy handes I commend my spirite Amen The death and martyrdome of Iohn Laurence Priest THe next day being the 29. day of this moneth the sayd Iohn Laurence was brought to Colchester Iohn Laurence Martyr March 29. Iohn LaureÌ„ce lamed with yrons in prison and there being not able to go for that as wel his legges were sore worne with heauie irons in the prison as also hys bodye weakened with euill keeping was borne to the fire in a chayre and so sitting was in hys constant faith consumed with fire The cruell burning of Iohn Laurence Martir At the burning of this Laurence hee sitting in the fire the young children came about the fire and cryed Ex 〈…〉 as wel as young children could speake saying Lorde strengthen thy seruaunt and keepe thy promise Lord strengthen thy seruaunt and keepe thy promise which thing as it is rare so it is no small manifestation of the glory of God whiche wrought thys in the harts of these little ones nor yet a litle commendation to their parentes whiche from theyr youth brought them vp in the knowledge of God and his trueth The history of Doctor Robert Farrar Bishop of S. Dauids in Wales who most constantly gaue his life for the testimonye of the truth March 30. an 1555. THe next day after whiche was the xxx day of the sayde moneth of march The 〈◊〉 of D. â—obert â—â—rrar Byâ—â—op of S. 〈◊〉 â—artyr followed the worthy constaÌ„t martirdome of the bishop of S. Dauids in Wales called Robert Farrar who was the next bishop in this Catalogue of Christian Martirs that suffered after mayster Hooper This foresayd Farrar by the fauour and good will of the Lord protectour was first called and promoted to that dignitie This man I may well call twise a martyr not onely for the cruell death of the fire which he suffered most constantly in the dayes of Queene Mary vnto the shedding of his bloud 〈◊〉 articles â—gaynst B. 〈◊〉 in K. Edwardes â—yme deâ—yâ—d 〈◊〉 Tho. Yong CoÌ„â—â—antine and â—ther his aduersaryes Tho. Yong â—onne in â—awe to Constantine but also for diuers other iniuries molestations in king Edwardes time which he no lesse firmly then vnworthily susteined at the hands of his enemies after the fall of the Duke of Somerset Of these his vexatioÌ„s and troubles with the wrangling articles and informations layd against him to the number of fifty and sixe of the malice conceiued agaynst him by certayn couetous Canons of the Churche of Carmarthen what were the proceedinges of both partes as well of the innocent as of the crafty aduersaries what were their names in theyr articles agaynst him in order here followeth The principall articles agaynst Bishop Farrar GEorge Constantine Dauid Walter his seruant Thomas Young chanter of the Cathedrall Churche who was afterward Archbishop of Yorke Rowland Merick doct of law who was afterward Bish. of Bangor Thomas Lee and Hugh Rawlins c. THrough the procurement and instance of these his aduersaries ioyning and confederating together one Hugh Rawlins priest and Thomas Lee brother in lawe to the sayd George Constantine did exhibite to the kinges most honourable counsell certaine articles and informations conceiued and deuised by the persons before named to the intent to blemish the bishops credit and vtterly as they thought and made their boast to pull him from hys bishopricke and to bring him in a premunire The copye of whiche articles we thought here good to expresse and so after them to set his answeres to the same Articles and informations to the kings honorable counsell put vp and exhibited by Hugh Raulins and Tho. Lee agaynst the blessed man of God Mayster Farrar byshop of sainct Dauids ¶ Abuse of the authoritie to him committed IN primis when the sayde bishop first came to his dyocesse he appoynted his chauncellour by his letters of commission omitting the kings maiesties stile and authoritie and grounded his sayd commission vppon forrein vsurped lawes and authoritie by force of whiche authoritie his sayd Chauncellour did visite certayne deanryes of hys sayd diocesse and monished the Chauntor and chaptre of the cathedrall Churche of S. Dauids aforesayd agaynst a certaine day and place for like intent and purpose contrary to the kinges highnes lawes and statutes and in derogation of his highnes supremacy Item that the sayde Chauntour and chaptre perceyuing the faultes of the sayd commission tooke the same froÌ„ the Registre into their custodye refusing to appeare by vertue thereof and by secrete and charitable wayes and meanes did admonishe the sayde Byshop of the vnlawfulnesse and faultes of the sayde commission and of the daunger that he had incurred for graunting and executyng the same opening also vnto hym the effecte of the statute made in the xxviii yeare of oure late Soueraigne Lorde Henry the eight Whiche monitions notwithstanding the sayd Bishop neglecting the same and continuing in hys malicious doyng or inexcusable ignoraunce about the xx daye of Auguste in the fourthe yeare of the reigne of our Soueraigne Lorde that nowe is dyd conferre vnto one Iohn Euans the Uicarage of Pembrin instituting him by authoritie of the old forreigne vsurped lawe making no mention of the kinges highnes authoritie in contempt and derogation of the same Item wheras the Chauncellour and Uicar generall to the sayde Byshop did vppon a lawfull title and by the kinges hignes supreme authoritie admit and institute one Iohn Gough into the rectory of Haskard with thappurtenaunces and gaue out in y e kings name vnder his highnes seale ecclesiasticall appoynted for that office with the teste of the said bishop and subscription of the said chauncellour a maÌ„date to inducte accordingly by vertue wherof the said Iohn Gough was inducted by the official there into reall possession of the same rectory with the rightes and appurtenaunces to the same belonging whereupon the register of the sayd dioces at the request of the foresayd chauncellour did signifie the premisses with all
eight of them for lacke of stuffe the pithe of his matter was matrimonie of priestes Item the thirteene day of September last he ordained certaine Deacons and making hys exhortation he taught that a man was not bounden to forgeue but hym that asketh forgeuenesse and being admonished frendly by a letter to better declare the same because that diuers were offended wyth that doctrine hee hath hetherto deferred so to doe to the maintenaunce of malitious hearts in these parties Item since the first day of August Anno 1549. vnto the feast of Candlemasse last he hath preached but two or three Sermons of which one was preached at Aberguilly vpon S. Stephens day last to a great audience that vnderstode no English being but a mile from Carmarthen an English towne and the chiefe of his Diocesse Item since his ordinary visitation which was finished in Iulie An. 1548. hee hath neither preached nor caused to be preached in the townes of Tinby Pembroche nor Hanerforde being English townes nor muche distante from the place of his most continuaunce Item the Churches appropriate to the Bishop haue no Paraphrases in English and fewe of them Bibles Item the Churches of the diocesse for the moste parte and the cleargie almost euery one lacke Paraphrases notwythstanding there hath bene these two yeares and yet be a great nomber of them to be solde in the Diocesse Follie. ITem to declare his follie in riding he vseth bridle wyth white studs snaffle white Scottish stirrops white spurres a Scottish padde wyth a little staffe of three quarters long which he hath not only vsed superstitiously these foure or fiue yeares in communication ofttimes boasting what Countreys hee hath compassed and measured wyth the same staffe Item he hath made a vowe that hee will neuer weare a cappe for hee sayeth it is comely wearing of a hatte and so commeth in his long gowne and hat bothe into the Cathedrall churche and to the best Towne of his diocesse sitting in that sorte in the kings greate Sessions and in hys consistorie making himselfe a mocke to the people Item he sayde that he would go to the Parliament on foote And to his frendes that dissuaded him alleaging that it is not meete for a man in his place he answeared I care not for that it is no sinne Item hauing a sonne hee went before the midwife to the Church presenting the childe to the Priest and geuyng hys name Samuel wyth a solemne interpretation of the name appoynting also two Godfathers and two Godmothers contrary to the ordinaunce making hys sonne a monster and hymselfe a laughing stocke throughout al the countrey Item he daily vseth whisteling of hys childe and sayththat hee vnderstoode his whistle when hee was but three dayes olde And being aduertised of hys frendes that men laughed at his follie he answeared they whistle their horses and dogges and I am contented they myghte also be contented that I whistle my childe and so whistleth hym daily all frendly admonition neglected Item in hys Ordinarie visitation among other hys surueys hee surueyed Milforde hauen where hee espyed a Seale fish tombling And he crept down to the water side and continued there whistling by the space of an houre perswading the companie that laughed fast at him that by his whistling he made the fish to tarie there Item speaking of scarcitie of herrings hee layeth the fault to the couetousnesse of fishers who in time of plentie tooke so many that they destroyed the breeders Item speaking of the alteration of the coyn he wished that what metall so euer it were of the penie shoulde be in weight worthe a penie of the same metall For a conclusion the sayde Byshoppe in all his doings since he came to his Diocesse hath behaued hymselfe moste vnmeete for a man of hys vocation being for a minister of Iustice an abuser of the authoritie to him committed for a teacher of the truthe and reformer of superstition a mainteiner of superstition wythoute any doctrine of reformation for a liberal and hospital an vnsatiable couetous man for a diligent ouerseer wilfull and negligent for an example of godly wisedome geuen wholely to follie for a mercifull a cruell reuenger And further for a peace maker a sower of discorde And so in all his behauiour a discreditor and slaunderer of hys vocation and a deceiuer of all men that had hope that he should do any reformatioÌ„ For he yet hath neither brought into his diocesse nor hath belonging vnto hym any learned preacher But such lerned preachers as he founde in the diocesse at his entrie hee so vexeth and disquieteth that they cannot attende to applye theyr preaching for the defence of their liuings againste hys quarellous inuentions and vniust certificates After these wrangling Articles and informations were geuen vppe then was the Byshop called for to aunswere D. Wotton and Syr Iohn Mason Commissioners for the hearing of the Bishops matter the hearing whereof was committed vnto D. Wotton and Sir Iohn Mason knight who likewise receiued the Byshops aunsweares to the foresayde articles the copie and effect of which answeares hereafter followe The answere of Robert Bishop of S. Dauids to the Articles ministred vnto hym TO the first Article he sayeth that after lawful monition in the kings Maiesties name autoritie from the sayd B. being then at London geuen to the Chanter chapter of S. Dauids for visitation at a certaine daye there to be entred the sayd Byshop himselfe for such purpose comming into the Diocesse knowing also that the Chaunter and one of the Canons of that Churche late before commissaries in that Diocesse had not onely by their owne euill example and winking at the faultes of other or neglecting to correct the same left there among priestes and others much detestable whoredome but hadde also spoyled the Cathedrall churche of Crosses Chalices and Censers wyth other plate iewels and ornaments of the Church to the value of 5. C. markes or more for their owne priuate lucre the Church remaining euen yet very vile in great decay and hadde also made further vnder theyr Chapiter seale many blankes to the number of twelue or moe Sede vacante wythout the kings licence or knowledge Therefore he brought wyth him one Edmunde Farlee Bachelor of lawe by D. Tong and D. Neuinson to hym commended as a man sufficient in faithfull truthe and learning to be hys Chauncellour To whome hee graunted and Sealed a Commission for that purpose geuing credite to hym in hys facultie concerning the draught and fourme therof But the kinges Maiesties stile of Supremacie was â—ullye sette foorth in the same commission Whether there were anye defaulte of formall woordes in setting foorthe of the kings authoritie therein hee is not certaine For hee committed the doing thereof to hys Chauncelloure who was commended to hym for a learned manne And the Byshop sayeth that he did neuer grounde the Commission vppon any forraine vsurped lawes or authoritie Neither did hys sayde Chauncellour by
force of suche authoritie visite anye Deanrie of the sayde Diocesse nor gaue anye monition to the Chauntour and Chapiter there by force of that Commission for any like intent or purpose but onely offered in y e kings Maiesties name and authoritie to the said Bysh. committed for to enter visitation of the Chaunter and Chapter of the Cathedrall Churche at an other daye to be executed by the Byshoppe himselfe for reformation of the Chapiter Churche and Ministers there accordinge to the kings gracious ordinaunces and Iniunctions in that behalfe But the aforesayd Chanter and Canon of the church before the sight of any Commission stubbornely answeared the sayde Chauncellour that they woulde not receyue him nor any other to visit them except he were one of their Chapter And further desiring to see his Commission deâ—â—uered the same into their handes and would not deliuer it him again And so it may appeare that he did nothing by force of that Commission To the seconde Article hee sayeth that they opened not vnto hym the danger of any statute to hys knowledge and remembraunce Neuerthelesse hee not knowing anye defaulte in the sayde Commission and certainely minedynge wyth all diligence the faithfull execution of hys Office of preachinge and visitinge the whole Diocesse in hys owne persone by the kings Maiesties authoritie for the conseruation of Gods peace and the kings in that daungerous time of rebellion then beginning to arise in other places did neglect and lay apart the stubborne behauiour and vngodly doings of the sayde Chaunter and Canon and agreed wyth them omitting all contemptes and reproches towardes him and his sayde Chauncellor and all manner of contention by them done fearing els that through theyr vnquietnesse some tumult mighte haue risen amonges the people there and did also make the sayd Chanter his ChaÌ„cellour and Canon hys Commissarie according to theyr ambitious desires to appease their malice in that daungerous time And further he sayeth that he made a Collation to syr Ioh. Euans of the Uicarage of Pembrin what day or time he remembreth not not by any olde forraine vsurped authoritie but by the kinges authoritie onely making full mention of the kinges stile and authoritie in the same Collation To the thirde and fourth hee sayeth that whereas hee hadde graunted to George Constantine the office of a Register who brought vnto hym a Commission for the ChaÌ„cellourshippe to be sealed and deliuered to the foresayde Chaunter of Saint Dauids desiring the sayde Byshoppe to Seale it hee vtterlye refused so to doe because the sayde George hadde put therein a clause of admitting Clearkes into benefices the which authority the said Bishop would not in any wise graunte reseruing the examination and admission of Clearkes onely to hymselfe for the auoiding of wicked briberie and parcialitie Whereuppon the sayde George and the Chaunter promised the said Byshoppe by their faith and trouthe afore three or foure honest witnesses not to execute that clause of Institution into benefices but onely to those Clearkes whome the Bishop did firste examine and admitte and send vnto them for to be instituted and inducted vppon whych promise the Byshop sealed the sayde Commission And after that time the parsonage of Haskarde being voyde and by the reason of laps deuolued to the Byshoppes gifte for that time hee conferred it to one Sir Henrie Godherd wyth a Collation or Institution by the kings authoritie not extolling any forreine vsurped authoritie In the which collation or institution is fully mentioned the renuntiation of the Byshop of Rome and all forreine powers and authoritie wyth the full stile of hys Maiesties supremacie And this collation of the Churche of Haskarde he gaue before he vnderstoode or knewe that hys Chauncellour had geuen oute the lyke and hee surely thinketh his Collation was the firste That notwythstanding the sayde George Constantine and the sayde Chaunter hauing a vowson determined by reason of laps admitted and instituted one Iohn Gough to the sayde personnage of Haskarde by vertue of their expired vowson and sealed hys institution wyth a wronge Seale because they hadde not the right seale of office to that purpose contrary to theyr former earnest promesse and the Bishoppes ryghte and wythout any manner of warning or foreknowledge thereof to hym geuen whych thynge by them vntruely done the sayd George Constantine neuerthelesse came to the Byshoppes house and there did wryte wyth hys owne hand the letters of Induction for the said Sir Henrye Godherd Prieste comprising in the same the whole summe of the Institution or Collation whyche the sayde Byshoppe hadde made and the same George did seale the sayde letters of induction wyth his owne hande fineding no maner of fault therein nor making any worde or mention of hys and the Chauntours former wrong doings but so departed for that time And afterward he came againe and shewed the Byshoppe what they hadde done before concerning the Parsonage aforesayde And further the sayde Defendant sayeth that he did not molest the sayd Iohn Gough but lawfully did call him in the kings Maiesties name not for any title of Patronage but to knowe whether he were Parson of Haskarde and howe hee was thereto admitted and instituted and inducted and by what authoritie he presumed to preach there wythout the kings Maiesties licence wyth other like lawfull demaundes whereunto he sturdely refused to geue answere and sayeth that the Article contained in hys accusation sayinge thus Item interrogetur quo titulo tenet rectoriam de Haskarde was not ministred vnto the partie in that sorte so farre as hee knoweth but in these woordes or lyke Quomodo intrauit in Rectoriam c. To the fifth he sayth that all be it George Constantine Register did wilfully wythdrawe hys bounden seruice due to the Kings highnesse and to the sayde defendaunt in the Kings name refusing to attende either by hymselfe or hys sufficient Deputie for wryting of Recordes and other Instruments yet the sayd Defendant made his CollatioÌ„s and Institutions in hys owne name not by his owne authoritie nor by any others saue onely the Kings authoritie according as hee hath declared in hys aunsweare to the first Article expressing in them the kings supremacie with the Byshops owne name and seale of office as hee oughte to doe according to the prouision of the kinges Statute in suche a case To the sixth he sayeth that the Uicarie of Pembrin being voyde he as righte patrone thereof to his knowledge conferred it to Iohn Euans Clearke wyth letters of institution and induction and after when the kings presentation came to him for one Dauid Ieinkin clearke he desired fourtene daies respite at that time either to shew auncient recorde for hys right and then the matter to stande to the determination of the lawe or elles if hee shewed not bothe he and hys clarke to geue place to the kings Clarke Whych condition was by Syr Thomas Ioanes Knight Doctour M. and the sayde Dauid Ieinkin receyued and an Institution wyth an Induction
not to kneele nor knocke to the visible shew or externall shewe of the Sacrament And the queres of Carmarthen and other places there are not close at the sides so that the people may come in and forth at theyr pleasure Moreouer the Kinges ordinaunces doth not authorise him to rebuke the people for knocking on theyr brests in token of repentaunce of theyr sinnes nor for kneeling in token of submission to God for mercye in Christ. To the 22. he sayth that in time of rebellion in Deuon and Cornewall threatening to come into Wales he teaching the people the true fourme of prayer accordinge to Gods holy word and declaring the prayer vpon beades to be vayne and superstitious yet durste not for feare of tumulte forceably take from any man his beades without authority And touching the not reproouing of suche as hee shoulde meete wearing beades hee remembreth not that he hath so done vnlesse it were in the rebellion tyme at whiche time he durste not rebuke suche Offenders To the 23. he sayth that he beyng in the Pulpitte hys face towardes the people did not see the lightes if anye were set vp about the corpes behinde his backe till after that he came downe from the Pulpitte But he with George Constantine and the aforesayde Chauntour sittyng in the Church in Carmarthen to heare causes and seeing the Uicare with other Priestes with song and lights bringyng a corpes vppe to the Church called forthwyth the Uicare and Priestes and rebuked them in open court as cormorantes and Rauens flying about the dead carcase for lucre sake To the 24. he sayeth that he caused the one childe beyng borne with great perill of death to the Mother and it selfe lying for dead a certayne space after to be christened on the workyng day the other childe was Christened on the working day because both Father and Mother and al other people there were in perill of death by reason of the sodayne sweat which all men feared at that time And touching the rest of the accusatiō which is that by that example it is vsed after the olde accustomed fashion he knoweth no such thing ¶ To the tytle of Couetousnesse he sayth that hys doynges prooue the contrarye as his neighbours knoweth And to the 25. Article he vtterly denyeth To the 26. he sayth that his Hall at Aberguilly being ruinous he vseth for his Hall a greate Chamber adioyning for his selfe and his seruauntes and all manner of straungers and besides twenty persons in house daylye What other hospitality he keepeth honest neighbours can testify To the 27. he sayth that his talke is accordyng to his hearers that is to say reuerently and truely of fayth loue and honest lyfe according to the Scriptures to like Auditours and to other vnreuerent and rash Turmoylers of Scriptures and holye doctrine he doeth talke of honest worldly thinges with Godly intent and that he doeth not moste commonlye talke of suche thinges as are expressed in this Article but when hee hath honest occation so to doe The 28. he sayth is vntrue and that hee hath warned no manne out of theyr landes but where he is destitute of necessary prouision and woulde haue part of his owne demayne from certayne free holdes hauing it onelye from yeare to yeare of pleasure hee cannot obteyne it without brawlyng Wherefore he suffereth them to keepe it euen yet still agaynst right reason And touching the rest that he had rather the Crowes should eat it c. he neuer spake any such word To the 29. he sayth that whereas hys Predecessour Byshop Barloe did let to farme the Isle of Ramsay to one William Browne after whose handes this Defendaunt receiued it into his owne possession the Uicars of Saynt Dauids being dispossessed of it long before he letted it ouer to Stephen Greene for 40. shillings the groūd as it was before and three poundes more for seales connies and foules there he knoweth of no right y e Uicars Chorall had therein who did refuse when this defendant did diligently vpon reasonable conditions offer the same vnto them and this defendant made no promise vnto thē as is conteined in the Article To the 30. he sayth he knoweth not but that he aduertised his Bayliffe to warne the freeholdes and other hauing his demayne to rent during pleasure to leaue it at a lawfull day to this Defendantes necessary vse and dyd not cause the Curate to do as is conteined in the Article to his remembraunce To the 31. he sayth that he knoweth not what y e priest bad in the Churche nor howe many plowes there came vndesired of this Defendaunt But he knoweth certeinly that he desired no mans labour but for his mony To the 32. he sayth that he knoweth not any such appoyntment of Schooles and reuenewes there but he foūd there after the departyng of Byshop Barloe a Schoolemayster an Ussher being a Priest and 20. Scholers which he hath hitherto maynteined better then he founde it to his knowledge he did neuer conuert anye pennye therof to his owne vse albeit he might lawfully haue done the same The 33. he sayeth is all vntrue so farre as hee knoweth To the 34. Article he sayth he neuer purchased more then three percels whereof one was 2. shillinges 8. pence by yeare the second three shillinges foure pence and the third 26. shillinges 8. pence or there about by yeare the rest he denyeth To the 35. he sayeth that he neuer bought of Lewes Iohn Thomas his land good cheape but after forty yeres purchase not knowing at that time any suche thinge as is contayned in the article agaynst the sayd Lewes Iohn Neither badde he the Somner to lette him alone but as soone as he hearde any thing of it commaunded the Somner to cyte him and so he was cyted in this Defendantes house occasionyng him to breake his bargayne to the which Lewes this Defendaunt sayde these wordes If you would geue me your land with an house full of golde I cannot nor will not suffer you to keepe a Lemman Then the sayde Lewes affirming the latter woman to bee his wife and the firste vnknowne to this Defendaunt hee caused the sayde Lewes to bee called to the consistorye for tryall where it hangeth yet And also by lawfull processe excommunicated the firste Woman for that shee would not by any meanes appeare in the Court to claime or to confesse marryage with the sayde Lewes and so she standeth this day at the poynt of significauit To the 56. he sayth that whereas the Chauntour and R. M. with other Chanons there would not obey the Kynges Godlye Iniunctions concerning the fyndyng a Schoole for poore mennes Chyldren a Lectur of Diuinitye Sermons on the Sondayes repayring of their Church and Mansion houses decent order and ministration there but stubbornely counted themselues with the Chauntour to be a bodye politicke without regarde of the Byshoppe and his lawefull monitions beyng hymselfe named in theyr Shyre Statutes Decanus quasi Decanus
of Christes insâ—â—tution is abominable naught and full of idolatry and is of the ordinance of the Pope not of the institution of Christ and hath no goodnes in it sauyng the Gloria in excelsis the Epistle and Gospell and therfore thou hast not nor wilt not come and be present at masse nor receiue the sacrament of the altar nor any other sacrameÌ„t of the church as they are now vsed in this realm of England c. 7. Item that thou hast in tymes past beleued yet doest now beleeue Against auricular confession Church seruice that auricular confession is not necessary to be made vnto the priest but is a thing superfluous voyd and naught only to be made to God to none other person And likewyse thou hast condemned as superfluous vayne and vnprofitable all the ceremonies of the church and the seruice of the same and hast sayd that no seruice in the church ought to be sayd but in the English tong and if it be otherwise it is vnlawfull and naught 8. Item that thou beyng notoriously and openly suspected for an heretike and a person culpable in the premisses was of late called and coÌ„uented before the Erle of Oxford and M. Phillip Paris The Earle of Oxford M. Phillip Paris and there was charged with the said heresies especially against the sacrament of the altar And because thou didst maintaine and stand to thy said heresies and wouldst not come to the church and be confessed and receiue the said sacrament as other christian people did but vtterly didst refuse to doe the same thou wast by the said Earle of Oxford and M. Phillip Paris seÌ„t vp by a Constable vnto me Bishoppe of London and was by them denounced detected and put vp to me as an heretike and misbeleuyng person 9. Item that thou hast knowen and beleeued thou doest know and beleeue or at the least thou hast credibly heard reported spoken and said that all and all maner persons which do teach preach or hold any thing concernyng the sacraments of thr Church or any the articles of the fayth otherwise then is found already discussed and determined by the mother the holy church or doth call into doubte or question that thyng which is already decided or determined by the Church or that willingly and wittingly do vtter openly or priuily any slaunderous or blasphemous wordes concernyng the sayd Sacraments or any of them or that do preach teach or keepe any sect or kynd of heresie agaynst the wholesome doctrine of the church doe wittingly willingly or obstinately defend the said sect or kind of heresie are by the Canons of the whole and vniuersall Catholike Church and also by the Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Church of England by their so doing accursed with that curse which doth separate them from the entry into the Church from the receiuing of the Sacramentes and from the company of faythfull people and are in continuyng in this sayd sect and heresie to be pronounced declared and taken for heretikes and to be deliuered to the secular power and by the lawes temporall of this realme of England and the custome of the same to be by the sayde secular power put to death and burnt for this sayd sect and heresie 10 Item that thou by reason of the premisses wast art to be pronounced takeÌ„ had reputed and iudged for a manifest and open wilfull and obstinate heretike for a wycked and cursed person and to bee punished accordingly for the same accordyng to the said Canon lawes vsages and customes * The aunsweres whiche the sayd Thomas Osmund William Bamford and Nicholas Chamberlaine seuerally made vnto these Articles TO the first they aunswered and confessed the same to be true The aunsweres of the three prisoners to the articles agreeing all in one except that they do beleue y t there is here in earth one Catholicke whole Church and that the same church doth hold and beleue as is conteined in this Article To the second they aunswere beleue the sayd Article not to be true for they say that they haue doe beleue that they are necessarily bounden vnder payne of damnatioÌ„ of their soule to geue full fayth and credeÌ„ce vnto the said Catholicke Church to the fayth and religion of the same in all necessary points of the same fayth and religioÌ„ without waueryng or doubtyng in any part therof To the third they auÌ„swere that the Church of Rome The Church of Rome not to be beleeued other Churches mentioned in this Article bee not true meÌ„bers partes as they be vsed in fayth religion of the Catholicke Church of Christ that the fayth and religion vsed in the sayd Churches is not agreable with y e Church of Christ but are false and erroneous To the fourth they aunswere and say that how so euer the sayd Churches of Rome and others of Christendome haue and do beleue touchyng the SacrameÌ„t of the aulter yet they do beleue that in the SacrameÌ„t vnder the formes of bread wine there is not the very substauÌ„ce of Christes body bloud but that there is onely the substauÌ„ce of materiall bread and wine that the same materiall bread wyne be onely the signes and tokeÌ„s of Christes body and bloud and are to be receiued onely for a remembraunce of Christes passion and death without any substaunce of Christes body and bloud at all To the fiâ—t Article they aunswere that the true receiuyng and eatyng of Christes body The â—rue eating of Christs body accordyng to Christes institution is to take distribute and eate materiall bread and thereby to remember the passion and death of Christ and so receiue by fayth as they beleue Christes body and bloud and not otherwise To the sixt they aunswere the same to bee true in euery part therof except that ouer and besides the Gloria in excelsis the Epistle and Gospell which they beleue to bee good they beleue the Pater noster and Creâ—de vse in the Masse be also good Auricular confession not necessary Ceremonyes idle in the Chusch To the seueÌ„th they aunswere and confesse that auricular confession is not necessary to be made to the Priest neuerthelesse they thâ—ncke that it is necessary to goe to such a Priest as is able to geue good counsell And that for counsell only and not otherwise And as concerning the ceremonies of the church they answer the same to be vayne vnprofitable No seruice in the Church ought to be sayde but onely in the English tong To the eight they answer and beleeue the same to bee true in euery part thereof except that they doe not beleeue that they be heretikes or suspected of heresie To the ninth Osmund and Bamford aunswered that they referred themselues to the sayd lawes mentioned in that article but Chamberlaine made no aunswer at all to this article To the tenth the sayd Osmond and Bamford answered and sayd that by reason of
Catholicke Church Bradford No though you haue excommunicate me out of your Church yet am I in the Catholicke Churche of christ and am and by Gods grace shal be a childe an obedient childe of it for euer I hope Christ will haue no lesse care for me Transubstantiation to beleeue or not to beleue many hundreth yeares after Christ. then he had for the blinde man excommunicated of the Synagoge and further I am sure that the necessary Articles of the fayth I meane the twelue Articles of the Creede I confesse and beleue with that which you call the holy church so that euen your church hath taken somthing to much vpon her to excommunicate me for that which by the testimonye of my Lorde of Duresme in the booke of the sacrament lately put forth was free many an hundred yeare after Christ to beleue or not beleue Harps What is that Brad. Transubstantiation Harps Why ye are not condemned therfore onely Brad. For that and because I deny that wicked men do receiue Christes body Harpsfield You agree not with vs in the presence nor in any thing els Bradford How you beleue you know for my part I coÌ„fesse a presence of whole Christ God and man to the fayth of the receauer Harpsfield Nay you must beleue a reall presence in the sacrament Brad. In the Sacrament Nay I will not shut him in nor tyâ— him to it otherwise then faith seeth and perceiueth Christ not included really in the Sacrament If I should include Christ really present in the sacrament or tye hym to it otherwise then to the faith of the receiuer then the wicked men should receiue him which I doe not nor will by Gods grace beleue Harpsfield More pitty But a man may easely perceaue you make no presence at all and therefore you agree not therein with vs. Brad. I confesse a presence and a true presence but to the fayth of the receauer Christes body present to the fayth of the receauer What quoth one that stoode by of Christes very bodye which dyed for vs. Brad. Yea euen of whole Christ God man to feed the fayth of hym that receiueth it Harps Why this is nothing els but to exclude y e omnipotency of God and all kinde of miracle in the sacrament Brad. I do not exclude his omnipotencie but you doe it rather for I beleue that Christ can accoÌ„plish hys promise None denyeth omipotencye more then the Papistes which say that Christes body cannot be in the sacrament vnlesse the substance of bread be away the substaunce of bread and wyne being there as well as the accidents which you beleue not When we come to the Sacrament we come not to feede our bodies and therfore we haue but a little peece of bread but we come to feed our soules with Christ by fayth whiche the wicked doe want and therefore they receiue nothing but Panem domini as Iudas did not Panem Dominum as y e other Apostles did Harps The wicked do receaue the very body of Christ but not the grace of his body Brad. They receiue not the body For Christes bodye is no dead carcase he that receaueth it receaueth the spirite which is not without grace I trow Argument who so receaue the body of Christ do receiue the fruite and grace of lyfe no wicked do receiue fruite and grace of lyfe Ergo no wicked men receiue the bâ—dy of Christ. Masse in S. Ambrose tyme. That is false for Scolasticus was not before S. Ambrose tyme. The chiefe parts of the Popish Masse Harps Well you haue many erroures You count the Masse for abhomination and yet S. Ambrose sayd Masse and so he read out of a book written a sentence of S. Ambrose to proue it Brad. Why sir the masse as it is nowe was nothing so in S. Ambrose time Was not y e most part of the Canon made sithen by Gregory and Scolasticus Harps In deede a great peece of it was made as ye say by Gregory but Scolasticus was before Saint Ambrose tyme. Brad. I weene not howbeit I will not contend S. Gregory sayth that the Apostles sayd Masse without the Canon onely with the Lordes prayer Harps You say true for the Canon is not the greatest part of the Masse the greatest part is the sacrifice eleuation transubstantiation and adoration Brad. I can away with none of those Harps No I thinke the same but yet Hoc facite telleth plainely the sacrifice of the Church Brad. You confound Sacrifices not discerning betwixt the sacrifice of the Church Sacrifice of the Church Sacrifice for the Church and for the Church The sacrifice of the Church is no propiciatory sacrifice but a gratulatory sacrifice And as for Hoc facite is not referred to any sacrifising but to the whole action of takyng eatyng c. Harps You speake not learnedly now for Christ made his supper onely to the twelue Apostles Note this doctrine good reader not admittyng his mother or any of the seuenty Disciples to it Nowe the Apostles do signifie the Priestes Brad. I thinke that you speake as you would men should vnderstand it for els you would not keepe the cup away from the Laitie Wee haue great cause to thanke you that you will geue vs of your bread For I perceiue you order the matter so as though Christ had not commanded it to his whole Church Harps Then Harpsfield would haue proued Eleuation by a place of Basilius Brad. Eleuation was not brought in indeede before the time of pope Honorius 3. I haue read y e place which seemeth to make nothing for eleuation but be it as it is this is no tyme for me to scan the doubtfull places of the doctors with you I haue bene in prison long without bookes and al necessaries for study and now death draweth nye and I by your leaue must now leaue of to prepare for him Harps If I could do you good I would be right glad eyther in soule or body For you are in a perillous case both wayes Brad. Syr I thanke you for your good will My case is as it is I thanke God it was neuer so well w t me for deathe to me shal be life Creswel It were best for you to desire maister Archedeacon that he woulde make sute for you that you might haue a time to conferre Harps I will do the best I can for I pittie his case Bradford Sir I will not desire anye body to sue for tyme for me I am not wauering neither woulde I that anye body should thinke I were so But if you haue the charity and loue you pretend towardes me and thereto do thinke that I am in an errour I thinke the same shuld moue you to do as ye would be done to As ye thinke of me so doe I of you that you are farre out of the way and I do not only thinke it but also am thereof most assured And in thys and such like gentle
world The causes whâ— they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute theâ— before indifferent Iudges The matter of the disputation is against Gods word The second cause that the determinations of both the Uniuersities in matters of Religion especially wherin we should dispute are directly against Gods word yea against their own determinations in the time of our late soueraigne Lord and most godly Prince King Edward and further it is knowen they be our open enemies and haue already condemned our causes before any disputation had of the same Secondly because the Prelates and clergie do not seeke either vs or the verity but our destruction and their glory For if they had sought vs as charity requireth theÌ„ would they haue called vs forth hereaboutes before theyr lawes were so made that franckly and without perill we might haue spoken our consciences Againe if they had sought for the veritie they woulde not haue concluded of controuersies In the disputation neither charitie nor veritie sought for tofore they had bene disputed so that it easely appeareth that they seeke their owne glory and our destruction and not vs and the veritie and therefore we haue good cause to refuse disputation as a thing which shall not further preuaile then to the setting forth of their glory and the suppression of the veritie Thirdly because the Censors and Iudges as we heare who they be are manifest enemies to the truth and that which worse is obstinate enemies before whome pearles are not to be cast The third cause The Iudges of the disputation professed enemies against the truth The 4. cause by the commaundements of our Sauior Iesus Christ and by his owne example That they be such their doings of late at Oxford and in the Conuocation house in October last past do most euidently declare Fourthly because some of vs haue bene in prison these 8. or 9. monethes where we haue had no bookes no paper no penne no inke or conuenient place for study we thinke we should do euill thus sodainly to descend into disputation with them which may alledge as they list the fathers and their testimonies Want of booâ—es necessaâ—â— for disputation bicause our memories haue not that which we haue read so readily as to reproue when they shall report and wrest the authors to their purpose or to bring forth that we may haue there for our aduantage Fiftly because in disputation we shall not be permitted to prosecute our Argumentes The 5. cause but be stopped when we would speake one saying thus another that the third his mind Example of 〈◊〉 disputation at Oxford c. As was done to the godly learned fathers especially D. Ridley at Oxford who could not be permitted to declare his minde and meaning of the propositions had oftentimes halfe a dosen at once speaking against hym alwayes letting him to prosecute his argument and to aunswere accordingly we will not speake of the hissing scoffing and taunting which wonderfully then was vsed If on this sorte and much worse they handled these fathers much more will they be shameles bold with vs if we shuld enter into disputation with them Sixtly because the Notaries that shall receiue write the disputations shal be of their appointment and such as either do not or dare not fauour y e truth and therefore must write eyther to please them or else they themselues the Censours and Iudges we meane at their pleasure wyll put to and take from The 6. cause that which is writteÌ„ by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffeâ—â—nt nor must not haue in their custody that which they write longer then the disputation indureth as their doings at Oxford declareth No copy nor scroule could anye man haue by their good will For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their hands Yea if any man was sene there to write as the report is the same man was sent for and his writings taken from him so must the disputation serue only for the glory not of God but of the enemies of his truth For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with them as if we did dispute we shuld do that whiche they desire purposely seek to promote the kingdome of Antichrist and to suppresse as much as may be y e truth We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly wheÌ„ they shuld heare by the report of our enemies our aunsweres and arguments framed you may be sure for their fantasies to the sclaundering of the veritie Therfore we publish and by this writing notifie vnto the whole congregation and church of England Exceptions taken agaâ—nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with theÌ„ otherwise then with the penne vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Councell or before the houses of the parliament as is aboue sayd If they will write Conditions assigned how they would dispute we will aunswere by writing confirm and proue out of the infallible veritie euen the very word of God and by the testimonye of y e good and most auncient fathers in Christes Churche this our fayth and euery peece thereof which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely that oure good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may knowe it and to seale vp y e same Exhortation to obedience we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our liues to y e halter of fire or otherwise as God shall appoynt humbly requiring in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ beseeching all that feare God to behaue themselues as obedient subiects to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers which are ordeyned of god vnder her rather after our exaÌ„ple to geue their heads to the blocke then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary into whose hart we beseech the Lord of mercye plentifully to doure the wisedome and grace of his holy spirite now and for euer Amen First we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament The confession and fayth of the prisoned Preachers and al the bookes of the new Testament to be the very true word of God and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and are therfore to be heard accordingly as the Iudge in all controuersies and matters of religion Secondly The Catholicke Church we confesse and beleue the Catholick church whiche is the spouse of Christ as a most obedient and louing wife to embrace and follow the doctrin of these books in all matters of religion and therefore is shee to be heard accordingly so that those which will not heare this church thus following and obeying the word of her husband we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes accordyng to this saying If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen Thirdly we
beleue and confesse all the Articles of faith doctrine set forth in the Simbole of the Apostles The Creede whiche we commonly cal the Creede and in the Symboles of the Councels of Nice kept An. dom 324. of Constantinople An. dom 384. of Ephesus kept An. dom 432. of Calcedon kept An. dom 454. of Toletum the first and fourth Also the Symboles of Athanasius Irenaeus Tertullian of Damasus which was about the yeare of our Lorde 376. we confesse and beleue we saye the Doctrine of the Symboles generally and particularly so that who soeuer doth otherwise we hold the same to erre from the truth Fourthly we beleue and confesse concerning iustification Iustification by fayth onely in Christ. that as it commeth onely from Gods mercy through Christ so it is perceaued and had of none whiche be of yeares of discretion otherwise then by fayth onely which fayth is not an opinion but a certaine perswasiō wrought by the holy Ghost in the minde and hart of man What fayth is where through as y e minde is illumined so the hart is soupled to submitte it selfe to the will of God vnfaynedly so sheweth forth an inherēt righteousnes Righteousnes in man righteousnes without man The doctrine of free iustification defended for no curiositie but for quiet of conscience which is to be discerned in the Article of iustification from the righteousnes which God endueth vs withall iustifying vs although inseperably they goe together And this we do not for curiositie or contention sake but for conscience sake that it might be quyet whiche it can neuer be if we confounde without distinction forgeuenes of sinnes and Christes Iustice imputed to vs with regeneratiō and inherent righteousnes By this wee disalowe Papisticall doctrine of free will of woorkes of supererogation of merites of the necessitie of auricular confession and satisfaction to Godwardes Seruice in the vulgar tongue Fiftly we confesse and beleue concerning the exteriour seruice of God that it ought to be according to the word of God and therfore in the congregation al thinges publike ought to be done in such a tongue as may be most to edifie not in Latin where the people vnderstād not the same Sixtly we confesse and beleue that God onely by christ Iesus is to be prayed vnto and called vpon Inuocation to God alone Purgatory and Masses suffragatory denied therfore we disalow inuocation or prayer to Saints departed this life Seuenthly we confesse and beleeue that as a man departeth this life so shall he be iudged in the last day generally in the meane season is entred either into the state of the blessed for euer An. no 1554. May. or damned for euer and therefore is either past all helpe or else needes no helpe of any in this life By reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala coeli Trentals and suche Suffrages as the Popishe Church doth obtrude as necessary Two sacramentes to be the doctrine of Antichrist Eightly we confesse and beleeue the Sacramentes of Christ which be Baptisme and the Lordes Supper that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ concerning the substantiall partes of them and that they be no longer Sacraments then they be had in vse and vsed to the end for the which they were instituted The supper to be ministred in both kindes Against transubstantiation Agaynst Adoration of the sacrament The masse to be no propitiatory sacrifice Inhibition of Priestes mariage Antichristian And heere we playnly confesse that the mutilation of the Lords Supper and the subtraction of the one kinde from the lay people is Antichristian And so is the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Sacramentall bread and wyne after the words of consecration as they be called Item the adoration of the Sacrament with honor due vnto God the reseruation and carying about of the same Item the Masse to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead or a worke that pleaseth God All these we confesse and beleeue to be Antichristes doctrine as is the inhibition in Mariage as vnlawfull to any state And we doubt not by Gods grace but we shal be able to prooue all our confessions heere to be most true by the veritie of Gods word and consente of the Catholicke Churche which followeth and hath followed the gouernaunce of Gods spirit and the iudgement of his word And this thorough the Lordes helpe we will do eyther in disputation by word before the Queenes hyghnesse and her Counsayle eyther before the Parliament houses of whome we doubt not but to be indifferently heard eyther with our pennes whensoeuer we shall be thereto by them that haue authoritie required and commaunded In the meane season as obedient Subiectes wee shall behaue our selues towardes all that be in authoritie and not cease to pray to God for them that he woulde gouerne them all generally and particularly with the spirite of wisedome grace And so we hartily desire humbly pray all men to do Exhortation agaynst rebelliō in no point consenting to any kinde of rebellion or sedition against our soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnes but where they can not obey but they must disobey God there to submit themselues with all patience and humilitie to suffer as the will and pleasures of the higher powers shall adiudge as we are ready thorough the goodnes of the Lord to suffer whatsoeuer they shall adiudge vs vnto rather then we will cōsent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse vnlesse we shall be iustly conuinced therof either by writing or by word before such Iudges as the Queenes hyghnes and her Counsell The bigger part agaynst the better Appeale from the Vniuersitie Doctors as not indifferent iudges or the Parlamēt houses shall appoint For the Uniuersities and Clergy haue condemned our causes already by the bigger but not by the better part without all disputation of the same and therefore most iustly we may do appeale from them to be our Iudges in this behalfe except it may be in writing that to al men the matter may appeare The Lord of mercy endue vs all with the spirit of his truth and grace of perseuerance therein vnto the end Amen The 8. of May Anno Dom. 1554. Robert Menauen aliâs Robert Ferrar. Rowland Taylor The names of the prisoned preachers subscribing to this declaration Iohn Philpot. Iohn Bradford Iohn Wigorne and Glouc. Episcopus aliâs Iohn Hooper Edward Crome Iohn Rogers Laurence Saunders Edmund Laurence I. P. T. M. ☞ To these things abouesayd do I Myles Couerdale late of Exon consent and agree with these my afflicted breethren being prisoners with mine owne hand And thus much concerning this present declaration subscribed by these preachers which was on the viij day of May. Furthermore the xix day of the sayd moneth the Lady Elizabeth May. 19. Lady Elizabeth Sir Iohn Williams Sister to the Queene was