obserued Christ hath fulfilled the lawes morall of the old testament because that the morals and iudicials were ordained that one person should not do iniury to an other that euery man should haue paid him that is hys Now they that are in charity wil do no iniury to others neither do they take other mens goodes away from them Nay it seeketh not her owne things For charitie seeketh not the things that be her owne Wherfore much lesse by a stronger reason it ought not to seke for other mens goods And wheÌ„ as the iudicials morals were ordained Christ did not by the workes of the law iustifie the beleuers in him but by grace iustified them froÌ„ their sins And so did Christ fulfill that by grace that the lawe could not by iustice Paule to the Romaines declareth in a godly discourse and to the Galath likewise that none shall be iustified by the workes of the lawe but by grace in the faith of Iesu Christ. As for the morals ceremonies of the lawe as circumcision sacrifices for offence and for sinnes first fruites tenthes 〈◊〉 diuers sortes of washings the sprinkling of bloud the sprinkling of ashes abstaining from vnclean meats whych are ordeined for the sanctifying and clensing of the people froÌ„ sinne no nor yet the praiers of the priests neither the preachings of the prophets could clense a man from his sin For death raigned euen from Adam to Moises and sinne from Moises to Christ as Paule declareth to the Romaines in the 5. chapter But Christ willing to haue mercy and not sacrifice being a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech an high Priest of good things to come did neither by the bloud of goats or calues but by his owne bloud enter in once vnto the holy places when as euerlasting redemption was founde neither did Iesus enter into the holy places that were made wyth handes which are the examples of true thynges but into the very heauen that now he may appeare before the countenaunce of God for vs. Nor yet he did so that he should offer vp himselfe oftentimes as the high Byshop entred into the holy place euery yeere with straunge bloud for otherwise he must nedes haue suffred oftentimes sithens the beginning of the world but now in the latter end of the world hath he once appeared by his owne sacrifice for the destruction of sinne And like as it is decreed for men once to die and after that commeth iudgement euen so was Christ once offred vp to coÌ„sume away the sinnes of many The second time shall hee appeare without sinne to the saluation of such as looke for him For the law hauing a shadow of good things to come and not the very image or substaunce it selfe of the things can neuer by those sacrifices which they offer of one selfe same sort continually yere by yere make them perfect that come vnto her Otherwise men would leaue of offring because that those worshyps being once clensed should haue no more prâ—â—â—e of conscience for sinne afterwardes But in them is their remembrance made of sinnes euery yere For it is impossible that by the bloud of goats bulles sinnes should be taken away Wherfore he entring into the world doth say as for sacrifice and offring thou woldst not haue but a body hast thou framed vnto mee And sacrifices for sinne haue not pleased thee then said I behold I come In the head or principall part of the booke it is wrytten of me that I should do thy wil O God Wherfore he said before that sacrifices oblations and burnt offerings and that for sinne thou wouldest not haue neyther were those thyngs pleasaÌ„t to thee whych are offred according to the law then sayd I behold I come that I may do thy wil O God He taketh away the first that he may stablish that that folowed In whych will we are sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Iesus Christ ones And verely euery Priest is ready euery day ministring oftentimes offring the self same sacrifices which neuer can take away sinnes But this man offering one sacrifice for sinnes doth for euer and euer sit at Gods right haÌ„d looking for the rest to come till that hys enemies be placed to be his footestoole For with one offering hath hee for euer made perfect those that be sanctified By which thinges it plainly appeareth that Christ by one offring hath clensed hys from their sinnes who could not be clensed from the same by all the ceremonies of the law and so did fulfill that which the priesthoode of the law could not Wherfore onely the morals and iudicials he fulfilled by the lawe of charitie and by grace and the ceremonials by one offering vp of hys body in the aultar of the crosse And so it is plaine that Christ fulfilled the whole lawe Wherfore sithens that the holy things of the law were a shadowe of those things that were to come in the time of grace it were meete that all those thynges should vtterly cease amongest Christians which should either be against charity or the grace of Christ. Although in the time of the lawe they were lawfull and not vtterly contrary to it but were figures of perfections in Christes faith yet it were meete that they should cease at the comming of the perfection whych they did prefigurate as circumcision the eating of the paschal lambe and other ceremonial points of the law Wherupon also Paul to the Hebrues the 7. chapter sayeth thus If therfore the making vp of the perfection of all was by the Leuiticall priesthode for the people receiued the law vnder hym why was it necessary besides that an other Priest should rise vp after the order of Melchisedech not be called after the order of Aaronâ— For wheÌ„ the Priesthode is remoued it must needes be that the lawe also be remoued For he in whom these things are spokeÌ„ is of an other tribe of which none stoode present at the aulter Because it is manifest that our Lorde had hys offspring of Iuda in which tribe Moises spake nothing of the Priests And besides this it is manifest if according to the order of Melchisedech there doe rise vp an other Priest which was not made according to the law of the carnal commaundement but according to the power of the life that cannot be losed For thus he beareth witnes that thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech so that the coÌ„mandement that went before is disalowed for the weakenes vnprofitablenesse thereof For the lawe hath brought no body to perfection By which things it appeareth that Christ making an end of the priesthode of Aaron doth also make vp a full end of the law belonging to that Priesthode Wherupon I maruell that your learned men doe say that Christen folkes are bound to this small ceremonie of the paiment of tithes and care nothing at all
the old lawe which be not obserued nowe Many thinges vnlawful in the old law which be lawful now How Christ did loose and not loose the lawe Free iustification by fayth onely Grace that is free fauour mercy goodnes of God Rom. 5. Hebrews 9. Christ entreth not into the temple made by man but to very heauen The sacrifice of Christ not many tymes offered but once for all Hebrew 10. All shadowes ought to cease among Christians Hebrewes 7. Where the priesthood is remoued there also the law is remoued * 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 but no 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 and not by the old law The 〈◊〉 ceasing the effect also ceaseth He meaâ—â—â—â— that neceâ—â—tie of tithe which â—â—â—deth by the neceâ—â—â—â— the old â—â—â— to cease If tithes be claymed by force of the ólde law by the same law priestes are boundâ— to haue â—â— temporalties He proueth not coÌ„tâ—â—â— but the 〈◊〉 thes be 〈◊〉 by the positiue law of man Although not by the ceremoniall law of Moses Circumciâ—â— ceaseth Ergo the ceremonies doe cease Galat. 4. Chrisâ—â— libertie from the bondage of the lawe Bounde in one thing hee meaneth bound in all Either beâ—â— to all or to none * Here hee expresseth his meaning plainly The one is disalowed the other is not commaunded Priestes wrest religion to theyr owne profit Tithes not expreslye commanded a newe by Christ in the Gospell Math. 6. 1. Tim. 6. Tythes not required in the primitiue church Tithes due to be payde by the positiue lawe of men The doctrine of Christ whether it be contrary to the traditions of the pope or not Math. 5. The doctrine of Christ and of the P. compared The glose of Gratianus vpon the cap. Paratus 23. q. 1. disproued Christ in aunswering to his striker did not breake his rule of patience outwardly The precept of Christ to turne the other cheek hath a priuy comparison as if ye would say rather be you content to suffer two blows then to reuenge one This article of Brute must haue a relation euer to the doctrine of the clergie The case here againe of Christ was priuate and his doctrine is to be vnderstanded in priuate cases Warre in case allowed of W. Brute He meaneth resistance for priuate cause or for worldly goods Pacience commanded in priuate causes among Christen brethren The inconuenience of priuate resistance amoÌ„g Christen brethren Paule being striken did not breake the rule of Christen patience neither made any bodely resistance The fact either of Paul or of any other doeth not derogate to the doctrine of our Sauiour Rom. 12. Rules of Christen patience 1. Cor. 5. He meaneth such warres of ChristiaÌ„s as the pope aloweth rising rather of priuate reuenge of princes for worldly glory or affection theÌ„ for any publike necessitie Ephe 6. Corporall wars in the old Testament be figures of the spirituall warres in the new Testament against sin and the deuill What be the wars most proper to Christians All this taketh not away the lawfulnes of warres in case of publike necessitie but onely in priuate case for temporall goods * Note this word without charitie Such kynde of wars that is suche kinde as be for priuate reuenge of temporall goods How Iohn Baptist alowed war They that be lesse in the kingdom of heauen greater then Iohn Baptist expounded He meaneth at those wars against 〈◊〉 sur 〈◊〉 and procured by â—â— pope vpâ—â— blind superstition to fight for the â—oâ—y lande 〈◊〉 taâ—â—â— by prinâ—â—â— in the â—â—essary â—â—â—sence of â—â—â—selues â—â— of their â—â—â—ntrey Obiection Answere â—egibus aâ—â—dum non exemplis True miracles here of holy men be â—â— disproued but speaâ—â—ng vniuersity the â—â—ple doctrine and worde of God is the â—â—â—e rule for men to followe â— Reg. 22. Acâ—s deâ—â—â—ed by â—â—â—se prophets Iere. 23. Prophets must be tryed by doctrine Marke 13. 1. Cor. 11. False prophets Apoc. 13. Myracles are to be tryed Math. 7. The seruauntes of Christ discerned by working not of miracles but of vertues Men or women are not rashly to be iudged Saintes This propositioÌ„ of Walter Bruit concerning the war of Christians not to be lawfull is not to bee taken vniuersally but in particular case as he meaneth which is this that such wars alowed of the pope not for the necessary defence of publike peace libertie and sauegard of our countries or against publike iniuries offered but onely to go kill the infidels because they beleeue not hauing no other cause those warres of the pope hee lyketh not Doctrine of Christian mercy declared Math. 5. Math. 6. Math. 7. Math. 18. Mercy and pitie commended among Christians Mercy and compassion necessary to all Christians The pope contrary to Christ in shewing mercy 23.9.5 The foundation of the foresayde 5. quest caus 23. in the popes decrees taken onely out of the old Testament and nothing out of the newe The makers of the popes law follow not the perfect rule Iohn 1. Iohn 8. Heere is mâ—t to be vnderstand not what publike nâ— gistrates may doe in cases of â—â—gh teousnes but what ecclesiastical persons according to the office of their profession should doe in not reuenging by death as they doe by offices Whether the iudiciall law of Moises fullye now after the coÌ„ming of Christ standeth in force or not The law of Moses of all lawes most iustest * His marcell is not so much why theeues are put to deth but why the Iudiciall lawe of Moses in this point is broken in other points is straightly kept Mark his meaning * Take his meaning wisely gentle reader his mind is not so that no magistrate being not without sin may punish a transgressioâ—s but he speaketh against such churchmeÌ„ whoÌ„ professing the rule of mercy shew no mercy at all but â—â— rigor by their law ex officâ—â— * 〈◊〉 meaâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 and of â—â—lergic â—â— speketh 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of reâ—â—â— not 〈◊〉 the â—â—cution â—â—cesiary 〈◊〉 done by â—â—â—â—trates â—â—e dreame â—â—â—â—uchoâ—â—our â—â—â—erning â—â—â—â—ge â—â—â—â—ded â— Damel The Iudaiâ—â—ll necessitie of those â—â—â—es hee â—eaneth to â—â—â—se notwithstanâ—â—g Chriâ—â—n princes â—â—â— borrow â—â—th out of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—es and out of al 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 thinke â—â—â—â— exâ—â—â—ent for 〈◊〉 comâ—â—â— weale His purpose is not thaâ— no euill doer should be punished in a common welth but his relation is to the 23. q. 5. asoresaid noting causes of religion which the Pope and his prelates are wont to punish with death taking many times for Tares that which in deed is pure wheate 1. Cor. 5. Hereby it appeareth that all his relation in this matter toucheth onely the cases of heresie and opinions in religion By this it appeareth againe that his respect is onely to the pope and his prelates of the church and not to ciuill magistrates The example of Peter slaying Ananias and Saphira falsly wrasted of the papists Peter not the cause of the death of Ananias and Saphyra The wedding garment what it is The death of Ananias and his wife what information
publike Churches Neither doe I see howe the Heathen in those daies would haue suffered these ornaments to be vnconsumed which would not suffer the Bishops themselues to liue amongst them Notwithstanding Isidorus and Polydorus iudge the contrary Betweene this Stephen and Cyprian Byshop of Carthage was a great contention about rebaptising of heretickes whereof more hereafter Christ willing shall be saide Besides these Byshops aboue specified diuers other there were also sent into banishmēt vnder the forenamed Emperours Gallus Volusianus as appeareth by Dionysius writing to Hermammon on this wise that Gallus not seeyng the euill of Decius nor foreseeing the occasion of his seductiō and ruine stumbled himselfe also at the same stone lying open before his eyes For at the first beginning when his Empire went prosperously foreward and all thinges went luckely with him afterward he draue out holy men which praied for his peace and safegarde and so with them reiected also the praiers which they made for him c. Eusebius Lib. 7. cap. 1. Otherwise of any bloudshed or any Martirs that in the time of this Emperour were put to death we doe not read After the raigne of which Emperour Gallus and of his sonne Volusianus being expired who reigned but ij yeares Emelianus which slewe them both by ciuill sedition succeeded in their place who reigned but three monethes was also slayne Next to whom Valerianus his sonne Gallienus were aduaunced to the Empire About the chaunging of these Emperours the persecution which first began at Decius afterwarde slacked in the time of Gallus was now extinguished for a time partly for the great plague raigning in all places partly by the change of the Emperors although it was not very long For Valerianus in the first entraunce of the Empire for the space of iij. or foure yeres was right courteous and gentle to the people of God well accepted to the Senate Neither was there any of all the Emperors before him no not of the which openly professed Christ that shewed himselfe so louing and familiar toward the Christians as he did in so much that as Dionysius writing to Herman doth testifie all hys whole courte was replenished with holy Saintes seruantes of Christ and godly persons so that his house might seeme to be made a Church of God But by the malice of Sathan through wicked counsell these quiet dayes endured not very long For in processe of tyme this Valerianus beyng charmed or incensed by a certayne Egiptian a chiefe ruler of the Heathen Synagoge of the Egiptians a mayster of the Charmers or inchaunters who in deede was troubled for that he could not do his Magicall feates for the Christians was so farre infatuated and bewitched that through the detestable prouocations of that deuilishe Egyptian he was wholly turned vnto abhominable Idols and to execrable impietie in sacrificing young infāts and quartering bodies and deuiding the entrals of childrē new borne and so proceeding in his fury moued the eight persecution agaynst the Christians whom the wicked Egyptian coulde not abide as being the hinderers and destroyars of hys Magicall enchauntinges about the yeare of our Lord. 259. The eight Persecution IN the which persecution the chiefe administers and executours were Emilianus President of Egipt Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls in Aphrica Bergomensis also maketh mention of Paternus Uicegerent of Rome and of Perennius Vincentius speaketh also of Nicerius and Claudius Presidentes c. What was the chiefe originall cause of this persecution partly is signified before where mention was made of the wicked Egiptian But as this was the outward and politicall cause so S Cyprian sheweth other causes more speciall and Ecclesiasticall in his iiii booke Epist. 4. whose wordes be these but we sayth he must vnderstand and confesse that thys turbulent oppression calamitie which hath wasted for the most part all our whole company and doth dayly consume riseth chiefly of our owne wickednes sinnes while we walke not in the way of the Lord nor obserue his preceptes left vnto vs for our institution The Lord obserued the will of his father in all poynts but we obserue not the will of the Lord hauing all our minde and study set vpon lucre possessions geuen to pryde full of emulation and dissention voyde of simplicitie and faythfull dealing renouncing thys world in word onely but nothing in deede euery man pleasing himselfe and displeasing all other And therefore are we thus scourged and worthely For what stripes and scourges doe wee not deserue when the confessors themselues such as haue byd the tryall of their confession and such as ought to be an example to the rest of well doyng doe keepe no discipline And therfore because some such there be proudly puft vp with this swelling and vnmannerly bragging of their confession these tormentes come such as doe not easely send vs to the crowne except by the mercy of God some being takē away by quicknes of death do preuēt the tediousnes of punishimēt These things do we suffer for our sinnes and desertes as by the Lordes censure we haue bene forewarned saying If they shall forsake my lawe and will not walke in my iudgementes If they shall prophane my institutions and will not obserue my preceptes I will visite their iniquities with the rod and their transgressions with scourges These rods and scourges sayth he we feele which neyther please God in our good deedes nor repent in our euill deedes Wherefore the sayd Cyprian adding this exhortation withall exhorted them to pray and intreate from the bottome of their hart and whole minde the mercy of God which promiseth saying but yet my mercy I will not scatter from them c. Let vs aske and wee shall obtayne and though sayth Cyprian it be with tariance yet for so much as we haue greeuously offended let vs continue knocking for to him that knocketh it shal be opened if our prayers sighinges and weepinges knocke still at the dore with continuance and if our prayers be ioyned together with brotherly agreement c. Moreouer what vices were then principally raygning among the Christians hee further specifieth in the sayd Epistle which chiefly were deuision and dissention among the brethren For when it was spoken to them in a vision by these wordes Petite impetrabitis that is Pray and ye shall obtayne afterward it was required of the congregation there present to direct their prayers for certayne persons assigned to them by name but they could not agree and cōdescend altogether of the names and persons of them which they should pray for but were dissonant in their consent and petition whiche thing sayth Cyprian did greatly displease hym that spake vnto them Pray and ye shal obtayne for that there was no vniforme equalitie of voyce and hart nor one simple and ioynt concorde among the brethren whereof it is written the Psalme 67. God which maketh to dwell in
among vs of this age of the Church but also among the Auncient fathers Whereof S. Austen speaking of his commendation sayth Ego inquit literas Cypriani non vt canonicas habeo sed eas ex canonisis considero quod in eis deuinarum Scripturarum autoritati congruit cum laude eius accipio quod autem non congruit cum pace eius respuo c. By which words it may appeare that Austen although he did not repute y◠bookes and writings of Cyprian to be equiualent with the holy Scripture yet notwithstanding next after the scriptures he had the same in great admiration Vincentius and Laziardus Celestinus recyting the names of dyuers bookes bearyng the tytle of Cyprian moe perchaunce then be truly his do collect out of them a certaine extract of his most pithy sentences al which here to repeat were to tedious To giue a tast of the speciall I thought it not impertinent As where he speaking of the treasures of a rich man exhorteth saying Ne dormiat in thesauris tuis quod pauperi prodesse potest◠i. Let it not sleepe in thy treasures that may profite the poore Duo nunquam veterascunt in homine cor semper nouas cogitationes machinando lingua cordis vanas conceptiones proferendo i. Two things neuer waxe old in man the hart euer in imagining new cogitations the toung euer in vttering the vaine conceptions of the hart Quod aliquando de necessitate amittendum est sponte prodiuina remuneratione distribuendum est .i. That which a man must needes forgo of necessitie wisedome it is a man to distribute so that God may euerlastingly reward him Disciplina est morum praesentium ordinata correctio malorum praeteritorum regularis obseruatio i. Discipline is an ordinate amendment of maners present and a regular obseruation of euils past Integritas ibi nulla esse potest vbi qui improbos damnent desunt soli qui damnentur occurrunt There can be no integrity wheras they which should condemne the wicked are euer wanting and they only which are to be condemned are euer present Auari ad hoc tantum possident quae habent vt ne alteri possidere liceat A couetous man onely possesseth his goodes for this because an other should not possesse them Sericum purpurum indutae Christum induere non possunt Wemen that aduaunce themselues in putting on silks and purple cannot lightly put on Christ. Foeminae crines suos inficiunt malo praesagio Capillos enim sibi flammeos auspicari non metuunt They which colour their lockes with red and yealow beginne betime to prognosticate of that colour theyr heades shall be in hell Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter quam creauit Deus metuant ne cum resurrectionis venerit dies artifex creaturam suam non recognoscat They which loue to paynt themselues in this world otherwise then God hath created thē let them feare least when the day commeth of resurrection the creator will not know them Qui pauperi eleemosinam dat Deo suauitatis odorem sacrificat He that gyueth an almes to the poore sacrificeth to God an odour of swete smell Contemnenda est omnis iniuria praesentium molorum fiducia futurorum bonorum All iniurie of euils presēt to be neglected for the good hope of good thinges to come Nihil prodest verbis proferre virtutem factis destruere To set out vertue in wordes and to destroy the same in factes is nothing worth Quo plures domi sint tibi liberi hoc plus tibi non recondendum sed erogandum est quia multorum iam delicta redimenda sunt multorum purgandae conscientiae The mo children and greater houshoulde thou hast at home the more cause thou hast not to horde vp but to disperse abroode for that many sinnes are to be redeemed many consciences are to be purged ¶ Moreouer least the Papists here should take an occasion by this text grounded vpon the text of Tobi cap. 4. Almose saith he deliuereth from al sinne and death to build vp the workes of satisfactiō the said Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist 2. more plainely expoundeth both himselfe and that place of Scripture writing in these wordes Quia scriptum est Eleemosina ab omni peccato morte liberat Yob 4. non vtique ab ea morte quam semel Christi sanguis extinxit a qua nos salutaris Baptismi tedemptoris nostri gratia liberauit sed ab illa quae per delicta postmodum serpit c. That is Almose doth deliuer from all sinne and from death Yob 4. not from that saith Cyprian which the bloude of Christ hath once extincted and from which the wholsome grace of our Baptisme and of our redeemer hath deliuered vs but frō that death which afterward creepeth in by sinne c. Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist. 2. by which words it is apparant that Cyprian meaneth this deliueraunce which commeth by almose gyuing from death and sinne not to be expounded nor to be taken for death euerlasting from which only the bloude of Christ doth saue vs but for temporall or transitory punishment which is wont to be inflicted in this body of sin For so it is nothing repugnaunt but that temporall vertues may haue their temporall rewards in this life likwise sinnes committed may haue temporal punishments both of vs and in our families our eternal saluation standing euermore firme in Christ yet notwithstanding The foresaide Vincentius moreouer speaking of an other booke of Cyprian although the said booke be not numbred in the Catalogue of his workes maketh mention of xij abuses or absurdities in the life of man which in order be these 1. Sapiens sine operibus A wise man without good workes 2. Senex sine religione An old man without religion 3. Adolescens sine obedientia A young man without obedience 4. Diues sine eleemosina A rich man without almose 5. Foemina sine pudicitia A woman shameles 6. Dominus sine virtute A guide without vertue 7. Christianus contentiosus A Christian man contentious 8. Pauper superbus A poore man proude 9. Rex iniquus A king vnrighteous 10. Episcopus negligens A byshop negligent 11. Plebs sine disciplina People without discipline 12. Populus sine lege Subiectes without law As I haue hetherto set forth the commendation of Cyprian this blessed Martyr so must we nowe take heede againe that we do not here incurre the old common daunger whiche the Papystes are commonlye accustomed to runne into whose fault is alwayes almost to be immoderate and excessiue in their procedings making to much almost of euery thing So in speaking of the holye Sacraments they make more of them then doth the nature of Sacraments require not vsing them but abusing thē not referring or applying them but adoring them not taking thē in their kind for thinges godly as they are but taking thē for God himselfe turning religion into
Iacob Vikyll Iuchell All which kings after they had geuen their fidelitie to Edgar the next day following for a pompe or royaltie he entred with these aforesaid kings into the riuer of Dee Where he sitting in a boate tooke the rule of the helme and caused these 8. kings euery person taking an ore in hys hand to row him vp and downe the riuer to and from the Church of S. Iohn vnto his palace agayne in token that he was maister and Lord of so many prouinces whereupō he is reported to haue sayd in this maner Tunc demum posse successores suos gloriari se Reges Angliae esse cum tanta praerogatiua honorum fruerētur But in my mynd this king had sayd much better if he had rather said with S. Paule Absit mihi gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi And thus ye haue heard hetherto touching the cōmendation of king Edgar such reportes as the old Monkish writers thought to bestow vpon him as vpon the great patron of their monkish religion who had builded so many monasteries for them as were Sondayes in the yeare as some say or as Edmer reporteth but 48. Now on the other side what vices in him were raigning let vs likewise consider according as we find in the sayd authors described which most write to his aduancement Wherof the first vice is noted to be crueltie as well vpon others as namely vpon a certaine Erle being of his secret counsaile called Ethelwold The story is this Ordgarus Duke of Deuonshire had a certaine daughter named Elfrida whose beautie beyng highly commended to the king he being inflamed therwith sent this foresaid Ethelwold whom he especially trusted to the partie to see and to bring him word againe if her beautie were such as was reported willing him also to make the match betwene them Ethelwold wel viewing the partie and seing her beautie nothing inferior to her fame and thinking first to serue his owne turne tolde all things contrary to the king Wherupon the king withdrawing his mynd otherwise in the ende it came to passe that Ethelwold hymselfe did marry her Not long after the king vnderstanding further by the complaints and rumors of certayne how he was preuented and beguiled set a faire face vpon the matter before Ethelwold and merily iesting with hym tolde hym how he would come and see his wyfe in deed appointed the day when he would be there Ethelwold the husband perceauing this matter to go hardly with hym made hast to hys wife declaring to her the comming of the king and also opening the whole order of the matter how he had done desired her of all loue as she would saue his life to disgrace deforme her selfe with garmentes and such attyre as the king might take no delighting in her Elfrida hearing this what did she but contrary to the request of her husband promise of a wife against the kings commyng trimmed her selfe at the glasse decked her in her best aray Whom when the king beheld he was not so much enamoured with her as in hatred with her husband who had so deceaued him Wherupon the king shortly after making as though he would goe to hunt in the forest of Harwood sent for Ethelwold to come to him vnder the pretence of huntyng there ran him thorow and slew him After this the bastard sonne of Ethelwold comming to him the king asked hym how he liked that hunting Who aunswered againe that which pleaseth the king ought not to displease him For the death of which Ethelwold Elfrida afterward builded a Monastery of Nunnes in remission of sinnes An other fault which Malmesbury noteth in hym was the comming in of strangers into this land as Saxones Flemmings Danes whome he with great familiaritie retained to the great detriment of this land as the forsaid story of Malmesbury recordeth whose wordes be these Vndè factum est vt fama eius per ora omnium volitante alienigenae Saxones Flandritae ipsi etiam Dani huc frequenter annauigarent Edgaro familiares effecti quo rum aduentus magnū prouincialibus detrimentum peperit Inde meritò iureque reprehendunt eum literae c. That is wherby it happened that diuers straungers out of foraine countreys allured by hys fame came into the land as Saxones Flemmings and Danes also all which he retained with great familiaritie The comming of which straungers wrought great dammage to the realme and therfore is Edgar iustly blamed in stories c. with the which reprehension all the Saxone stories also do agree The third vice to him obiected was his incontinent lasciuious lust in deflouring maides as first of a Dukes daughter being a Nūne and a virgin named Wilfrida or Wilftrude of which Wilfride was borne Editha a bastard daughter of Edgar Also of an other certaine virgin in the town of Audeuar who was priuily conueied into his bed by this meanes The lasciuious king commyng to Andeuar not farre from Winchester and thinking to haue his pleasure of a certayne Dukes daughter of whose beautie he heard much speaking commaunded the mayde to bee brought vnto him The mother of the virgine grieued to haue her daughter made a concubine secretly by night cōueyed to the kings bed in stead of her daughter an other mayden of beauty and fauour not vncomely who in the morning rising to her worke and so beyng known of the king what she was had graunted vnto her of the king such libertie and freedome that of a seruant she was made mistresse both to her maister and also to her mistresse Ex Mat. Paris lib. de Regib An other concubine he had also besides these aforesaid which was Egelfleda or Elfleda called Candida the white daughter of duke Ordinere as Guliel Malmesb. recordeth she beyng also a professed Nunne of whom he begot Edward in bastardy For the which he was enioined by Dūstane 7. yeares penance After which penance beyng complete then he tooke to him a lawfull wyfe as Malmesbury sayth Elfritha the mother of Edmund and Ethelred or otherwise called Egelred whereof more shall be sayd the Lord willing hereafter Ouer and besides all these vices noted and obiected to king Edgar in our monkish storywriters I also obserue another no lesse or rather greater vice then the other afore recited which was blynd superstition and idolatrous mōkery brought into the church of Christ with the wrongfull expulsing of lawful maried priests out of their houses Whereupon what inconueniences ensued after in this realm especially in the house of the Lord I leaue it to the consideration of them which haue heard of the detestable enormities of these religious votaries The occasiō wherof first and chiefly began in this Edgar through the instigation of Dunstane and his fellowes who after they had inueigled the kyng had brought him to their purpose they caused him to call a Councell of the Clergy where
ordeined that priests should haue a part of the sacrifices that were offred in the tabernacle and the first begotten beastes both of men and beastes and other things as the lawe telleth And the other children of Leuy that serued in the tabernacle should haue tythings of the people to their liueloode of the which tythings they should geuen the priestes the tenth partie in forme of offering The children of Leuy both priestes and other shoulde haue houses and croftes and lesewes for their beasts in the land of behest none other heritage so God gaue theÌ„ their land of behest and bade them that they ne shoulde worship no other God then him Also he bade that they should kepe his coÌ„mandâ—ments and gift they did so all their enemies about them shuld drede theÌ„ and be their seruaunts And giue they worshipped false gods and so forsaken his lawes he bihight them that he woulde bring them out of that land make them serue their enemies but yet he said he would not benemen his mercy away from them if they would cry mercy and amende their defautes and all thys was done on Gods side And heere is much loue showed of God to man And who so looketh the Bible hee shall finde that man showed him little loue againeward for when they were come into their heritage they forgetten their God and worshipped false gods And God sent to them the Prophetes and his seruaunts * fele times to bidde them withdrawen them from their sinnes and other they haue slowen them or they beaten them or they ledde them in prison and oft times God tooke vpon them great vengeance for their sinnes when they cried after helpen to God he sent them helpe and succour This is the generall processe of the old Testament that God gaue to his people by Moses his seruaunt And al this Testament and this doing ne was but a shadow and a figure of a newe Testament that was geuen by Christ. And it was byhoten by Ieremie the Prophet as S. Paul beareth witnes in the Epistle that he wryteth to the Iewes And Ieremy sayeth in this wise Loe dayes shall come God sayth and I will make a new band to the house of Israel and to the house of Iuda not like the forward that I made with their fathers in that day that I tooke their hand to leade them out of the lande of Egypt the which forward they maden veyne and I had Lordship ouer them But this shal be the forward that I wold make with them after those daies I wil geue my lawes with them in their inwardnes and I will wryten them in their hearts and I wil be their God and they should be my people and after that a man shall not teach his neighbour ne his brother For all God sayeth from the least to the most should knowe me for I will forgeuen them their sinnes and I wil no more thinke on their sinnes Thys is the newe Testament that Christe both God and man borne of the maid Marye he taught here in this worlde to bryng man our of sinne and out of the deuils thraldome and seruice to heauen that is land of blisse and heritage to all tho that beleeuen on him and kepen hys commaundements and for his teaching he was done to the death But the third day arose againe from death to life and fette Adam and Eue and many other folke out of hell and afterward he came to his disciples and comforted them After he stied vp to heauen to his father and tho hee sent the holy Ghost amonges his disciples and in time comming he wol come and demen all mankinde after their werkes and after the wordes he spake vpon earth some to blisse with in body and in soul euer withouten end and some to paine withouten end both in body and in soule This is our beloue and all christen mennes and this beleue is the first poynt of the newe Testament that yche Christen man is holde stedfastly to beleue and rather to suffe the death thair forsaken this beleue and so this beleue is the bread of spirituall life in forsaking sinne that Christ brought vs to life But for asmuch as mans liuing ne stondeth not all onlych by bread he hath ygilten vs a draught of water of life to drink And who that drinketh of that water he ne shall neuer afterward ben a thurst For this water is the cleare teaching of the gospel that encloseth seuen commaundements The first is this thou shalt loue thy GOD ouer all other things and thy brother as thy selfe both enemy and frend The second commaundement is of meekenes in the whych Christ chardgeth vs to forsake Lordship vppon our brethren and other wordly worships and so he did himselfe The third commandement is in stonding stedfastlich in truth and forsaking all falsenes The fourth commaundement is to suffer in this world diseases and wrongs withouten ageinstondings The fifth commandement is mercy to forgeuen our brethren their trespasse as often time as they gilteth without asking of vengeaunce The sixth commaundement is poorenes in spirite but not to ben a begger The seuenth commaundement is chastity that is a forsaking of fleshlich likings displeasing to God These commaundements enclosen the ten commaundements of the old law and somwhat more Thys water is a blessed drinke for christen mennes soule But more harme is much folke would drinke of thys water but they mowe not come thereto for God sayth by Ezechiel the prophet when iche geue to you the most cleane water to drinke ye troubled that water with your feete and that water so defouled yee geue my shepe to drink But the clene water is yhid fro the shepe and but gif God cleare this it is dread least the sheepe dyen for thurst And Christ that is the wisdome of the father of heauen well of thys wisdome that come from heauen to earth to teache man this wisdome thorow the which man should ouercome the sleights of the deuill that is principall enemy of mankinde haue mercy and pity of his people and shew if it be his will howe thys water is troubled and by whom and sith clere thys water that his sheepe mowne drinken hereof and kele the thurst of theyr soules Blessed more our Lord bene for he hath itaught vs in the Gospell that ere then hee woulde come to the vniuersall dome then should come many in his name and sayen that they weren Christ and they shoulden done many wonders and begilen many men And many false prophets shoulden arisen and begylen much folke A Lorde yblessed more thou ben of euerich creature which ben they that haue ysayd that they weren Christ haue thus begiled thus thy people Trulich Lord I trowe thilke that sayen that they ben in thy steede and binemen thy worship and maken thy people worshippen them as God haue hid thy lawes from the people Lorde who durst sit in thy
steede and benemen thee thy woorship and thy sacrifice and durst maken the people woorship them as gods The Sauter telles that God ne wole not in the day of dome demen men for bodiliche sacrifices Holocaustes But God sayth yeld to me sacrifice of herying and yeld to God thine auowes and clepe me in the day of tribulation and ych wole defend thee and thou shalt worship me The heryeng of God standeth in 3 things In louing God ouer al other things In dreading God ouer al other things In trusting in God ouer all other things These 3 poyntes Christ teacheth in the gospell But I trowe men louen him but a little For who so loueth Christ he wole kepen his wordes But men holden his wordes for heresie and folye and kepeth mennes wordes Also men dreden more men mens lawes and their cursings then Christ and his lawes and his cursings Also men hopen more in men and mens helpes than they doe in Christ and in his helpe And thus hath hee that setteth in Gods stede by no men God these three horâ—ings maketh men louen him and his lawes more then Christ and Christes law and dreden him also And there as the people shulden yeelde to God their vowes he sayth he hath power to assoylen them of theyr avowes and so this sacrifice he nemeth awayâ— from God And there as the people shoulde cry to God in the day of tribulation he letteth them of their cryeng to God and byne meth God that worship This day of tribulation is whan man is fallen thorowe sinne into the deuils seruice and than we shuldes cry to God after help and axen forgeuenes of our sinne and make great sorow for our sinne and ben in fâ—ll will to do so no more ne none other sinne and that our Lord God wole forgeuen vs our sinne maken our soule clene For his mercy is endlesse But Lord here men haue by nomen thee much worshyp For men seyn that thou ne might not cleane assoylen vs of our sinne But if we knowlegen our sinnes to priests taken of them a penance for our sinne gif we mowen speake with them A Lord thou forgaue somtime Peter his sinnes and also Mary Magdaleine and many other many sinfull men without shriuing to priests taking penance of priests for their sinnes And Lord thou art as mighty now as thou were that time but gif any man haue bynomen thee thy might And we lewed men beleuen that there nys no man of so great power and gif any man maketh him selfe of so great power he heigheth himselfe aboue God And S. Paul speaketh of one that sitteth in the temple of God highten him aboue God and gif any such be he is a false Christ. But hereto seyn priests that wheÌ„ Christ made cleane leprous men he bade them goe and shewe them to priests And therefore they seyn that it is a commandement of Christ that a man should shewen his sinne to priests For as they seyn lepre in the olde lawe betokeneth sinne in this new lawe A Lorde God whether thine Apostles knew not thy meaning as well as men done nowe And gif they hadden yknow that thou haddest coÌ„manded men to shriuen them to priests and they ne taught not that commandement to the people me thinketh they hadden ben to blame But I trow they knewen wel that it was none of thy commaundements ne nedeful to heale of mans soule And as me thinketh the law of lepre is nothing to the purpose of shriuing for priestes in the olde law hadden certain poynts and tokens to know whether a man were leprous or not and gif they were leprous they hadden power to putten them away from other cleane men for to that they weren cleane then they hadden power to receiuen him among his brethren and offeren for him a sacrifice to God This nis nothing to the purpose of shriuing For there nis but one priest that is Christ that may knowe in certaine the lepre of the soule Ne no priest may make the soul cleane of her sinne but Christ that is priest after Melchisedekes order ne no priest here beneath may ywit for certaine whether a man be cleane of hys sinne or cleane assoyled but gif God tell it him by reuelation Ne God ordeined not that his priestes should set men a penance for their sinne after the quantitie of the sinne but this is mannes ordinaunce and it may well be that there commeth good thereof But I wote well that God is much vnworshipped thereby For men trust more in his absolutions and in his yeres of grace than in Christes absolutions and therby is the people much appaired For now the sorow a man should make for his sinne is put away by this shrift and a man is more bold to do sinne for trust of thys shrift and of this bodilich penance An other mischiefe is that the people is ybrought into thys beleefe that one priest hath a greater power to assoylen a man of his sinne and clennere then an other priest hath An other mischiefe is this that some priest may assoylen them both of sinne and paine and in this they taken them a power that Christ granted no man in earth ne he ne vsed it nought on earth himselfe An other mischiefe is that these priestes sellen forgeuenes of mens sinnes and absolutions for money and this is an heresie accursed that is ycleped simonie and all thilke priestes that axeth price for graunting of spirituall grace beth by holy lawes depriued of their priesthode and thilke that assenteth to this heresy And be they ware for Helyse the prophet toke no mony of Naaman when he was made cleane of his lepre but Giesi his seruant and therefore * the lepree of Naaman abode with him and wyth his heires euermore after Here is much matter of sorow to see the people thus far ylad away from God and worshupen a fals god in earth that by might and by strength hath ydone away the great sacrifice of God out of his temple of which mischiefe and discomfort Daniel maketh mention and Christ beareth thereof witnes in the gospell Who that readeth it vnderstand it Thus we haue ytold apertie how he that saith he sitteth in Christs stede binemeth Christ his worship and his sacrifice of his people and maketh the people worshepen him as a God on earth Cry we to God and knowledge we our sinnes euerichone to other as S. Iames teacheth and pray we hartilich to God euerichone for other then we shulen hopen forgeuenes of our sinnes For God that is endles in mercy sayth that he ne wil not a sinful mans death but that he be turned from his sin liuen And therfore when he came downe to saue mankinde he gaue vs a lawe of loue and of mercy and bade gif a man do a trespas amend him priuilich and gif he
priest haddeÌ„ their part of sacrifices and the first bygeten beastes and other things as the lawe telleth And Lorde S. Paul thy seruant sayth that the order of the priesthode of Aaron ceased in Christes comming and the lawe of that priesthode For Christ was end of sacrifices yoffered vpoÌ„ the crosse to the father of heauen to bring man out of sinne and become himself a priest of Melchisedeks order For he was both king priest without beginning and end and both the priesthoode of Aaron and also the law of that priesthode ben ychaunged in the comming of Christ. And S. Paul sayth it is reproued for it broghâ— no man to perfection For bloude of gotes ne of other beastes ne might done away sinne for to that Christ shad his bloud A Lord Iesu wether thou ordenest an order of priests to offreÌ„ in the auter thy flesh and thy bloude to bringen men out of sinne and also out of peine And whether thou geue them alonelych a power to eat thy flesh and thy bloud and wether none other man may eate thy flesh and thy bloud with outen leue of priestes Lord we beleeuen that thy flesh is verey meate and thy bloude verey drinke and who eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy bloud dwelleth in thee and thou in him and who that eateth this bread shall liue without end But Lord thine disciples sayd this is an hard worde but thou answerest them and seidest When yee seeth mans soone stiuen vp there hee was rather the spirite is that maketh you liue the wordes that yche haue spoken to you ben spirite life Lord yblessed more thou be for in this worde thou teachest vs that hee that kepeth thy wordes and doth after them eateth thy fleshe and drinketh thy bloude and hath an euerlasting life in thee And for we shoulden haue minde of thys liuing thou gauest vs the sacrament of thy flesh and bloud in forme of bred and wine at thy supper before that thou shouldest suffer thy death and tooke bread in thine hand and saidest take ye this and eate it for it is my body and thou tookest wine and blessedest it and sayde thys is the bloud of a new and an euerlasting testament that shall be shed for many men in forgeuenes of sinnes as oft as ye haue done doo ye this in minde of me A Lord thou ne bede not thine disciples makeÌ„ this a sacrifice to bring men out of paines gif a priest offred thy body in the alter but thou bede them go and fullen all the folke in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost in forgeuenes of their sinnes and teache ye them to keepe those thynges that ych haue coÌ„manded you And Lord thine disciples ne ordeined not priests principallich to make thy body in sacrament but for to teach the people and good husbandmen that well gouern their housholds both wiues children their meiny they ordeind to be priests to teachen other men the law of Christ both in worde in dede they liuedein as true Christen men euery day they eaten Christes body and drinken his bloude to the sustenance of liuing of theyr soules and otherwhiles they tooken the sacrament of his body in forme of bread and wine in mind of our Lord Iesu Christ. But all this is turned vpse downe for now who so will liuen as thou taughtest he shal ben holden a foole And gif he speake thy teaching he shal ben holden an heretick accursed Lord yhaue no lâ—nger wonder hereof for so they seiden to thee wheÌ„ thou wer here some time And therefore wee moten take in pacience theyr wordes of blasphemy as thou didest thy selfe or els we weren to blame And truelych Lord I trowe that if thou were nowe in the world and taughtest as thou diddest some time thou shuldest ben done to death For thy teaching is damned for heresy of wise men of the world and then moten they nedes ben heretickes that teachen thy lore and all they also that trauelen to liue thereafter And therfore Lord gif it be thy wil helpe thine vnkunning lewde seruaunts that wolen by their power and their kunning helpe to destroy sinne Leue Lorde sithe thou madest woman in helpe of man in a more fraile degree then man is to be gouerned by mans reason What perfection of charity is in these priests and in men of religion that haue forsaken spoushod that thou ordeinedst in Paradise betwixt man and woman for perfection to forsaken traueile and liuen in ease by other mens traueile For they mow not do bodilich workes for defouling of their handes with whom they touchen thy precious body in the aulter Leue Lorde gif good men forsaken the company of woman nedes they moten haue the gouernaile of man then moteÌ„ they ben ycoupled with shrewes and therfore thy spoushode that thou madest in clennes from sinne it is nowe ychaunged into liking of the flesh And Lord this is a great mischiefe vnto thy people And young priestes and men of religion for defaulte of wiues maken many women horen and drawen through their euell ensample many other men to sinne and the ease that they liuen in and their welfare is a great cause of this mischiefe And Lord me thinketh that these ben quaint orders of religion and none of thy sect that wolen taken horen whilke God forfendes and forsaken wiues that God ne forfendeth not And forsaKen trauail that God commaunds and geuen their selfe to idlenes that is the mother of all noughtines And Lorde Mary thy blessed mother and Ioseph touched oftentimes thy body and wroughten with their honds and liueden in as much clennes of soule as our priestes done nowe and touched thy body and thou touchedest them in their soules And Lorde our hope is that thou goen not out of a poore mans soule that traueileth for his liuelode with his handes For Lord our beliefe is that thine house is mans soul that thou madest after thine owne likenes But Lord God men maketh nowe great stonen houses full of glasen windowes and clepeth thilke thine houses and Churches And they setten in these houses Mawmets of stockes and stones and to fore them they knelen priuilich apert and maken their prayers and all this they sayen is thy woorship and a great herieng to thee A Lorde thou forbiddest sometime to make suche Mawmetes and who that had yworshipped such had be woorthy to be deeade Lorde in the Gospell thou sayst that true heriers of God ne herieth him not in that hil beside Samarie ne in Hierusalem neyther but true heriers of God herieth him in spirite and in trueth And Lord God what herying is it to bilden thee a church of dead stones and robben thy quicke Churches of their body liche lyueloode Lord God what heryeng is it to cloth mawmets of stockes and of stones in siluer and in golde and
is a mannour of worshipping of false Gods to breake thy hestes For who that loueth thee ouer all thinges and dreadeth thee also he nole for nothing breake thyne hestes O Lord gif breaking of thine hestes be heryeng of false gods I trow that he maketh the people breake thyne hestes and commaundeth that his hestes ben kept of the people maketh himselfe a false GOD on earth as Nabuchodonosor did some tyme that was king of Babilon But Lord we forsaken such false Gods and beleuen that ther ne ben no mo Gods then thou And though thou suffer vs a while to bene in disease for knowledging of thee we thanken thee wyth our hart for it is a token that thou louest vs to â—â—uen vs in thys world some penaunce for our trespas Lord in the old law thy true seruauntes tooke the death for they would not eaten swynes fleshe that thou haddest forbid them to eat O Lord what truth is in vs to eaten vncleene mete of the soule that thou hast forbid Lord thou sayst he that doth sinne is seruaunt of sinne and then he that lyeth in forswearing hymselfe is seruaunt of lesing and then he is seruaunt to the deuill that is a lyer and father of lesinges And Lord thou sayst no man may serue two Lordes at ones O Lord then euery lyer for the tyme that he lyeth other forsweareth himselfe and forsaketh thy seruice for drede of hys bodyly death and becommeth the deuils seruaunte O Lord what truth is in him that clepeth himselfe seruaunt of thy seruantes in his doing he maketh him a Lord of thy seruauntes Lord thou were both Lord and maister and so thou sayd thy selfe but yet in thy warkes thou were as a seruaunt Lord this was a great truth and a great meeknes but Lord bid thou thy seruaunts that they should not haue Lordship ouer theyr brethren Lord thou saydst kings of the heatheÌ„ men han Lordship ouer their subiectes and they that vse their power be cleped well doers But Lord thou saydst it shoulde not be so amongest thy seruantes But he that were most should be as a seruaunt Thou Lorde thou taughtest thy disciples to be meeke Lord in the old law thy seruauntes durst haue no Lordship of theyr brethren but if that thou bid them And yet they should not doe to theyr brethren as they did to thrailes that serued them But they should doe to theyr brethren that were theyr seruauntes as to theyr owne brethren For all they were Abrahams Children And at a certaine tyme they should let theyr brethren passe from them in all freedome but if they would wilfullich abiden still in seruice O Lord thou gaue vs in thy comming a law of perfect loue is token of loue thou clepedst thy selfe our brother And to make vs perfect in loue thou bid that we shoulde clepe to vs no father vpon earth but thy father of heauen we should cleape our father Alas Lord how violently our brethren and thy childreÌ„ ben now put in bodily thraldome and in despite as beastes euermore in greeuous trauell to finde proude men in ease But Lord if we take this defoule and this disease in pacience and in meeknes and kepe thine hests we hope to be free And Lord geue our brethren grace to come out of thraldome of sinne that they fal in through the desiring and vsage of Lordship vpon theyr brethren And Lord thie priestes in the old law had no Lordships among theyr brethren but houses and pastures for theyr beastes but Lord our priestes nowe haue great Lordship and put theyr brethren in greater thraldome then lewed men that be Lordes Thus is meekenesse forsaken Lord thou biddest in the Gospell that when a man is bid to the feast he should sit in the lowest place and then he may be set hyer with worship when the Lord of the feast beholdeth how his gestes fitteth Lord it is drede that they that sit now in the hyest place should be bidd in tyme comming fit beneath And that will be shame and vileny for them And it is they saying those that hyeth himselfe shuld be lowed and those that loweth themselues should be an heyghed O Lord thou biddest in thy Gospell to beware of the Pharaseis for it is a poynt of pryde contrary to meekenesse And Lord thou sayst that they loue the first sittinges at supper and also the principall chaires in churches and greetings in cheeping and to be cleped maysters of men And Lord thou sayest be ye not cleped maisters for one is your maister and that is Christ and all ye be brethren And clepe ye to you no father vpon earth for one is your father that is in heauen O Lord this is a blessed lesson to teach men to be meke But Lord he that clepeth himself thy vicar on earth he clepeth himselfe father of fathers agaynst thy forbidding And all those worships thou hast forbad He approueth them and maketh them maisters to many that teach thy people their owne teaching and leaue thy teaching that is nedefull and hiden it by quainte gloses from thy lewd people and feede thy people with sweuens that they mete and tales that doth little profit but much harme to the people But Lorde these glosers obiecte that they desire not the state of mastry to be worshipped therby but to profit the more to thy people wheÌ„ they preach thy word For as they seggeÌ„ the people will beleue more the preaching of a maister that hath taken a state of schole then the preaching of an other man that hath not take the state of maistry ¶ Lorde whether it bee any neede that maysters beren witnes to thy teaching that it is true and good O Lord whether may any maister mowe by his estate of maisterie that thou hast forboden drawe any man from his sinne rather then an other man that is not a maister ne wole bee none for it is forboden him in thy Gospell Lord thou sendest to maysters to preach thy people and thou knowledgist in the Gospel to thy father that he hath hid his wisedome from wise men and redy men and shewed it to litle Children And Lord maisters of the law hylden thy teaching foly and seiden that thou wouldest destroy the people with thy teaching Trulich Lord so these maisters seggeth now for they haue written many bookes agaynst thy teaching that is truth so the prophecie of Ieremy is fulfilled when he sayth Truelich the false points maisters of the law hath wrought leasing And now is the time come that S. Paul speaketh of where he sayth time shal come when men shall not susteine wholesome teaching But they shullen gather to hepe maisters with hutching eares and from trueth they shullen turnen away their hearing and turnen them to tales that maisters haue maked to showne their maistry and their wisedome ¶ And Lord a man shall beleue more a mans workes then hys words the dede sheweth well of these
him maketh him a false Christ Antichrist For who may be more agens Christ than he that in his wordes maketh himselfe Christes vicar in earth And in hys werkes vndoth the ordinaunce of Christ and maketh men byleueÌ„ that it is needful to the heale of mens soules to byleuen that he is Christes vicar in earth And what euer he byndeth in earth is ybounden in heauen vnder this colour he vndoth Christes law and maketh men alwayes to kepen his law and hestes And thus men may yseene that he is agenst Christ and therefore he is Antichrist that maketh men worshupen him as a God on earth as the the proud K. Nabugodonosor did somtime that was K. of Babylon And therfore we lewed men that knowne not God but thee Iesu Christ beleuen in thee that art our God and our king and our Christ and thy lawes And forsaken Antichrist and Nabugodonosor that is false God and a false Christ and hys lawes that ben contrary to thy preaching And Lord strength thou vs agenst our enemies For they ben about to maken vs forsaken thee and thy lawe other elles to putten vs to death O Lord onlich in thee is our trust to helpe vs in this mischiefe for thy great goodnes that is withouten end Lord thou he taughtest not thy disciples to assoylen men of her sinne and setten them a penaunce for their sinne in fasting ne in prayeng ne other almous dede ne thy selfe ne thy disciples vseden no such power here on earth For Lord thou forgeue men their sinnes and bede him sinne no more And thy disciples fulleden men 〈◊〉 name in forgeuenesse of her sinnes Nor they toke no such power vpon them as our priestes dare now And Lord thou ne affoâ—tedest no man both of his sinne and of his peyne that was dew for his sinne ne thou grauntedst no man such power here on earth And Lord me thinketh that gif there were a purgatorye and any earthliche man had power to deliueren sinfull men from the peynes of Purgatory he shoulde and he were in charitie sauen euerich man that were in waye of saluation from thilke peynes sith they make them greater then anye bodeliche peynes of thys world Also gif the Bishop of Rome had such a power he himselfe should neuer comen in purgatory ne in hell And sith we see well that he ne hath no power to kepen himselfe ne other men nother out of these bodilych peynes of the world and he may goe to hell for his sinne as an other man may I ne by leue not that he hath so great power to assoylen men of their sinne as he taketh vpon hym abouen all other men And I trowe that in this he higheth hymself aboue God As touching the selling of Byshopricks personages I trow it be a poynt of falsehed For agenst Gods ordinaunce he robbeth poore men of a porcion of theyr sustenaunce and selleth it other geueth it to finde proud men in idâ—enes that done the lewd puplelitell profite but much harme as we told before Thus ben thy commaundementes of treweth of meekenes and of poore nesse vndone by him that clepeth himselfe thy vicar here vppon earth A Lord thou gaue vs a commaundement of chastice that is aforsaking of fleshlich lustes For thou broughtest vs to a liuing of soule that is ygouerned by the word For Lord thou ordeinedist woman more frele than man to ben ygouerned by mans rule his help to please thee kepe thine hests Ne thou ne ordeinedist that a man should desire the company of a woman and maken her his wife to lyuen with her in hys lustis as a swyne doth or a hors And his wife ne like him not to his lustes Lord thou ne gaue not a man leaue to departen hym from his wyfe and taken hym an other But Lord thy mariage is a common accord betwene man woman to lyuen together to theyr liues ende and in thy seruice eyther the better for others helpe and thilke that thus ben ycome together bene ioyned by thee and thilke that God ioyneth may no man depart But Lord thou sayest that gif a man see a woman to coueten her than he doth with the woman lecherye in his hart And so Lord gif a man desire his wife in couetise of such lustes and not to flye from whoredome his weddins is lechery ne thou ne ioynest them not together Thus was Raguels doughter ywedded to seuen husbandes that the deuill instrangled But Toby tooke her to lyue with her in clennes and brynging vp of her children in thy worship and on him the deuill ne had no power For the wedding was I maked in God for God and through God A Lord the people is farre ygo from this maner of wedding For now men weddeÌ„ theyr wyues for fairenes other for riches or some such other fleshlich lustes And Lord so it preueth by theÌ„ for the most part For a man shall not finde two wedded in a lande where the husband loues the wife and the wife is buxum to the man as they shoulden after thy law of maryage But other the maÌ„ loues not his wife or the wife is not buxum to her man And thus Lord is the rule of prefe that neuer fayleth no preue whether it be done by thee or no. And Lord all this mischiefe is common among thy people for that they knowe not thy worde but theyr shepheardes and hyred men sedden them with their * sweuens and leasinges And Lord where they shoulden gon before vs in the field they seggen theyr order is so holy for thy mariage And Lord he that calleth himselfe thy vicar vpon earth will not suffren priestes to taken them wiues for that is agaynst hys law But Lord he will dispensen with them to kepen horen for a certayne somme of mony And Lord all horedome is forfended in thy law And Lord thou neuer forfendest priestes their wiues ner thy Apostles neyther And well I wote in our land priestes hadden wiues vntill Anselmus dayes in the yeare of our Lord God a leueÌ„ hundred and twenty and nyne as Huntingdon writes And Lord this makes people for the most part beleuen that lechery is no sinne Therefore we lewd men prayen thee that thou wolt send vs shepheardes of thine owne that wolen feeden thy flocke in thy lesewe and gon before theÌ„selfe and so written thy law in our harts that from the least to the most all they mayen knowne thee And Lord geue our king and his Lordes hart to defenden thy true shepheardes and thy sheepe from out of the wolues mouthes and grace to know thee that art the true Christ the sonne of thy heauenly father from the Antichrist that is the sonne of pride And Lorde geue vs thy poore sheepe patience and strength to suffer for thy law the cruelnes of the mischieuous Wolues And Lord as thou hast promised shorten these dayes
they shall be declared after my maner and fashion it shal playnely appeare what my opinioÌ„ iudgement is concerning all matters that I am accused of But because I am ignoraunt unlearned I wil get me vnder the mighty defences of the Lord. O Lord I will remeÌ„ber thine onely righteousnes God the father almighty vncreate the maker of heaueÌ„ and earth hath sent his sonne that was euerlastingly begotten into this world that he should be incarnated for the saluation and redemption of mankind who was coÌ„ceiued by the holy ghost euerlastingly proceeding from the father and the sonne and was borne of Mary the virgin to the end that we might be borne a new He suffered Passion vnder PoÌ„tius Pilate for our sinnes laying down his life for vs that we should lay down our life for our brethreÌ„ He was crucified that we should be crucified to the world and the world to vs. He was dead that he might redeeme vs from death by purchasing for vs forgeuenes of sinnes He was buried that we being buried together with him into death by Baptisme and that we dead to sins should liue to righteousnes He desceÌ„ded into hell therby deliuering man froÌ„ thraldom and from the bondage of the Deuill restoring him to his inheritaunce which he lost by sinne The thyrd day he rose from the dead through the glory of his father that we also should walke in newnes of life He ascended vp to the heauens to which no body hath ascended sauing he that descended from heaueÌ„ eueÌ„ the sonne of man which is in heaueÌ„ He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty vntill his enemies be made his footstoole He being in very deed so muche better then the Aungelles as he hath obteyned by inheritaunce a more excellentname then they From thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead accordingly to theyr workes because the father hath geuen all iudgemeÌ„t to the sonne In whose terrible iudgement we shall rise agayne and shall all of vs stand before his iudgement seat and receiue ioy as well bodely as spiritually for euer to endure if we be of the sheepe placed at the right hand or els punishment both of bodye and soule if we shall be fouÌ„d amongst goates placed on the left hand c. Iesus Christ the sonne of God very God very man a king for euer by stablishing an euerlasting kingdome breaking to ponder all the kingdoms of the world Dan. 2. a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech wherby also he is able euermore to saue such as by him come vnto god alwayes liueth to intreat for vs. Hebr. 7. He offring one sacrifice for our sins hath made perfect for euer by one oblation those that be sanctified Heb. 10. Being that wisedome that cannot be deceiued the trueth that cannot be vttred he hath in this world taught the will of the godhead of his father which will he hath in worke fulfilled to the intent that he might faithfully instruct vs and hath geueÌ„ the law of charity to be of his faythfull people obserued whiche he hath written in the hartes and mindes of the faythful with the finger of God wher is the spirit of God searching the inward secrets of the Godhead Wherfore his doctrine must be obserued aboue all other doctrines whether they be of Angels or of men because that he could not nor would not erre in his teaching But in mens doctrins there chanceth oftentimes to be error and therfore we must forsake theyr doctrines if clokedly or expresly they be repuguaunt to the doctrine of Christ. Mens doctrins being made for the peoples profit must be allowed and obserued so that they be grounded vpon Christes doctrine or at least be not repuguant to his words If the high bishop of Rome calling himself the seruant of the seruauntes of God and the chiefe vicare of Christ in this world do make maintaine many lawes contrary to the Gospell of Iesu Christ then is he of those that haue come in Christes name saying I am Christ haue seduced many a one by the testimony of our sauiour in Math. cap. 24. and the idoll of desolation sitting in the Temple of God and taking away from him the coÌ„tinuall sacrifice for a time times and halfe a time Which idoll must be reueled to the christian people by the testimony of Daniel Wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell When you shall see the abhomination of desolation that was tolde of by Daniell the Prophet standing in the holy place let him that readeth vnderstand and he is the pestiferous mountayn infecting the whole vniuersall earth as witnesseth Ieremy chap. 51. not the head of Christes body For the auncient person in yeares honorable in reuerence he is the head the prophet teaching lies is the tayle as Esay alledgeth chap. 9. And he is that wicked and sinnefull Captayne of Israell whose foreappointed day of ininuity is come in time of iniquity who shall take away Cidarim and take awaye the crowne Ezech chap. 21. to whom it was sayd Forasmuch as thy hart was exalted and did it say I am a God sittest in the seat of god in the hart of the sea seing thou art a man and not God and hast geuen thine hart as if it were the hart of God therfore behold I will bring vpoÌ„ thee the most strong and mighty straungers of the nations they shall draw theyr swords vpoÌ„ the beauty of thy wisedom shall defile the commaundements kill thee and pul thee out thou shalt dye in the destruction of the slayne and it foloweth In the multitude of thine iniquities of the iniquities of thy marchandise thou hast defiled thy sanctification I will therfore bring forth a fire from the midst of the whole earth will make thee as ashes vpon earth Thou art become nothing neuer shalt thou be any more Eze. cha 28 Furthermore he is the idle shepheard forsaking his flock hauing a sworde on his arme an other sworde in his right eye Zach. 11. sitting in the temple of God doth aduaunce himselfe aboue all thing that is called God or whatsoeuer is worshipped by the testimony of Paule to Thes 2. epist. 2. chap. And in the defection or falling away shall the man of sinne be reueled whom the Lord Iesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth For euery kingdâ—â—e deuided in it selfe shall be brought to desolation He â—â—â—so besides the beast asceÌ„ding vp out of the earth hauing two hornes like vnto alambe but he speaketh like a dragon as the cruell beast ascending vp out of the sea whose power shall continue 42. monethes He worketh the things that he hath geuen to the image of the beast And he compelled small and great rich and poore freemen and bondslaues to worshyp the beast and to take his marke in theyr forehead or theyr hands Apo.
of warres among the Christiās in any case to be lawful for he himself before hath opēly protested the contrary But that his purpose is to proue the Pope in all his doings teachings more to be addicted to warre thē to peace yea in such cases wher is no necessity of war And therin proueth he the Pope to be contrary to Christ the is to be Antichrist Now he proceedeth further to the second part which is of mercy In the which part he sheweth how Christ teacheth vs to be merciful because mercye as he sayth proceedeth frō charity and nourisheth it In which doctrine of mercye he breaketh not the law of righteousnes for he himself by mercy hath clensed vs from our sinnes from which we coulde not by the righteousnes of the law be clensed But whom he hath made cleane by mercye vndoubtedly it behoueth those same to be also merciful For in the v. chapiter of Mathew he sayth Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtaine mercy And againe in the 6. of Mathew If ye forgeue vnto men their sinnes your father will forgeue vnto you your sinnes And againe in the vij chapter of Mathewe Iudge not ye shal not be iudged condemne not and ye shal not be condemned with what measure ye measure with the same shal it be measured vnto you againe In the xviij chap. of Mathew Peter asked the lord saying Lord how often shal my brother sinne agaynst me and I shall forgeue him seuen times Iesus sayd vnto him I say not vnto thee seuen times but seuentie times seuen tymes Therefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine king which would take accōpt of his seruants And when he had begun to reckē one was brought vnto hym which ought him tenne thousand talents And because he had nothing where withal to pay his maister commaūded him to be solde and his wife and his children and all that he had and the debt to be payd The seruaunt therefore fell downe and besought him saying haue pacience with me and I wil pay thee all And the Lord had pity on that seruant and loosed him and forgaue him the debt But when the seruant was departed he found one of his fellow seruaunts which ought him an hundred pence and he layed handes on him and tooke him by the throte saying pay me that thou owest and his fellowe fell downe and besought him saying Haue pacience with me and I will pay thee all But he would not but went and cast hym into prison till he shoulde pay the debt And when his other fellowes saw the things that were done they were very sorye and came declared vnto their maister all that was done Then his maister called him and said vnto him O thou vngratious seruant I forgaue thee al that debt when thou desiredst mee Oughtest thou nor then also to haue such pity on thy felow euē as I had pity on thee And his lord was wroth and deliuered him vnto the Iaylers till he should pay all that was due vnto him So likewise shall my heauēly father do vnto you except ye forgeue from your hartes eche one to his brother their trespasses By this doctrine it is most plaine and manifest that euery Christiā ought to be mercifull vnto his brother how often soeuer he offendeth against him Because we so often as we offend do aske mercy of God Wherfore for asmuch as our offence agaynst God is farre more grieuous then any offence of our brother agaynst vs it is playne that it behooueth vs to be merciful vnto our brethren if we wil haue mercy at Gods hand But contrary to this doctrine of mercy The Romish bishop maketh confirmeth many lawes which punishe offenders euen vnto the death As it is plaine by the processe of the decrees Distin 23. quest 5. It is declared and determined that to kill men ex officio that is hauing authority and power so to do is not sinne And againe the souldiour which is obediēt vnto the higher power and so killeth a man is not guilty of murther And againe he is the minister of the Lord which smiteth the euil in that they are euill and killeth thē And many other such like thinges are throughout the whole processe of the question determined That for certayne kinds of sinnes men ought by the rigour of the law to be punished euen vnto death But the foundation of their saying they tooke out of the olde law in which for diuers transgressions were appointed diuers punishments It is very much wōderful vnto me why that wyse men being the authors makers of lawes do alwayes for the foundation of their sayings looke vpon the shadow of the lawe and not the light of the gospel of Iesus Christ for they geue not heede vnto the fygure of perfection nor yet vnto the perfection figured Is it not written in that 3. of Iohn God sent not his sōne into the world to iudge the world but to saue the world by him In Iohn the 8. chap. The scribes and phariseis bring in a woman taken in adultery and let her in the middest and sayd vnto Christ Maister euen nowe this woman was taken in adultery But in the lawe Moises hath cōmaunded vs to stone such What sayest thou therfore This they sayd to tempt him that they might accuse him But Iesus stouped downe and with his finger wrote on the ground And while they continued asking him he lift himselfe vp and sayd vnto them let him that is among you without sinne cast the first stone at her And agayne he stouped and wrote on the ground And when they heard it the went out one by one beginning at the eldest so Iesus was lefte alone and the woman standing in the midst When Iesus had lift vp himselfe agayne he said vnto her where be they which accused thee hath no man condemned thee She sayd no man Lord. And Iesus sayd vnto her Neyther do I condemne thee Goe thy way and sinne now no more It is manifest by the scriptures the Christ was promised he should be king of the Iews vnto the kings pertained the iudgements of the law but because he came not to iudge sinners according to the rigor of the law but came according to grace to saue that which was lost in calling the sinner to repentaunce it is most playne that in the comming of the law of grace he would haue the iudgement of the lawe of righteousnes to cease for otherwise he had dealt vniustly with the foresayd woman forasmuch as the witnesses of her adultery bare witnes against her Wherfore seeing the same king Christ was a iudge if it had bene his will that the righteousnes of the law shoulde be obserued he ought to haue adiudged the woman to death according as the law commaunded whiche thing forasmuch as he did not it is most euident that the iudgementes of the righteousnes of
the law are finished in the coÌ„ming of the king being kyng of the lawe of grace euen as the sacrifices of the priesthoode of Aaron are finished in the comming of the priest according to the order of Melchisedech who hath offred himselfe vp for our sinnes Because as it is before sayd neyther the righteousnes of the law nor sacrifices for sinne brought any man to perfection Wherfore it was necessary that the same by reason of their imperfection And seeing amongst all the lawes of the world the law of Moses was most iustest forasmuch as the author thereof was God who is the most iust iudge and by that law alwaies looke what maner of iniury one had done vnto an other contrary to the coÌ„mandement of the law the like iniury he should receaue for his transgression according to the vpright iudgemeÌ„t of the law As death for death a blow for a blow burning for burning wound for wound eye for eye tooth for tooth and most iust punishmentes were ordayned according to the quantitie of the sinnes But if this lawe of righteousnes be cleane taken away in the comming of the lawe of grace how then shall the lawe of the Gentiles remayne among Christians which was neuer so iust Is not this true that in them whiche are conuerted vnto the sayth there is no distinction betweene the Iewe and the Grecian For both are vnder sinne are iustified by grace in the sayth of Christ being called vnto sayth and vnto the perfection of the Gospell If therefore the geÌ„tiles coÌ„uerted are not bouÌ„d to play the Iewes to follow the lawe of the Iewes why should the Iewes conuerted follow the lawes of the GeÌ„tiles which are not so good Wherfore it is to bee wondred at why theues are among christians for theft put to death where after the lawe of Moyses they were not put to death ChrystiaÌ„s suffer adulterers to liue Sodomits and they which curse father and mother many other horrible sinners And they which accordinge to the most iust lawe of God were condemned to death are not put to death So wee neyther keepe the law of righteousnes geuen of God nor the law of mercy taught by Christ. Wherefore the lawe makers and Iudges do not geue heede vnto the aforesayd senteÌ„ce of Christ vnto the Scribes and Phariscis who sayd He which amoÌ„gst you is with out sinne let him cast the first stone at her What is he that dareth be so bolde as to say he is without sinne Yea and without a grieuous sinne when as the transgression of the commaundement of God is a greeuous sinne And who can say that hee neuer transgressed this commaundement of God Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Or the other coÌ„mauÌ„dement which is of greater force Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with al thy hart c. Wherfore thou whatsoeuer thou art that iudgest thy brother vnto death thinkest thou that thou shalt escape the iudgemeÌ„t of God which peradueÌ„ture hast offended more greuously theÌ„ hath he whom thou iudgest How â—eeâ—â— thou a mote in thy brothers eye seest not a beame in thine owne eye Knowest than not that with what measure thou measurest the same shall be measured to you agayne Doth not the scripture say Unto me belongeth vengeance and I will render agayne sayth yâ— Lord How can any man say that these men can with charitie keepe these iudgementes of death Who is it that offendeth God and desireth of God iust iudgement for his offence He desireth nor iudgement but mercy If he desire mercy for him selfe why desireth he vengeance for his brother offending Howe therefore loueth he his brother as himselfe Or how doest thou shewe mercy vnto thy brother as thou art bound by the commaundement of Christ which seekest the greatest vengeance vpon him that thou canst inferr vnto him For death is the most terrible thing of all and a more grieuous vengeance then death can no man inferre Wherefore they which wil keep charitie ought to obserue the commaundements of Christ touching mercy and they which liue in the law of charitie ought to leaue the lawe of vengeance and iudgementes Ought we to beleue that Christ in his comming by grace abrogated the most iust law whiche he himselfe gaue vnto the Children of Israell by Moses his seruaunt and established the lawes of the Gentiles being not so iust to be obserued of his faythfull Doth not Daniell expounding the dreame of Nabuchodonozer the king coÌ„cerning the image whose head was of gold the brest and armes of siluer the belly thies of brasse the legges of iron one part of the feete was of iron and the other part of clay Nabuchodonozer saw that a stone was cut out of a mountaine wtout hands and strake the Image in his feete of iron and of clay brake them to peeces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the siluer and gold broken altogether and became like the chaffe of the sommer flower which is caryed away by the winde and there was no place found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountayne and filled the whole earth He applieth therfore 4. kingdomes vnto the 4. partes of the Image namely the kingdome of the Babilonians vnto the head of the gold The kingdome of the Medes and Persians vnto the brest and armes of siluer The kingdom of the Grecians vnto the belly and thighes or brasse But the fourth kingdome whiche is of the Romaynes he applyeth vnto the feet and legges of iron And Daniell addeth In the dayes of their kingdomes shall God rayse vp a kingdome which shall neuer be destroyed And hys kingdome shall not be deliuered vnto an other but it shal breake and destroy those kingdomes and it shal stand for euer according as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountayne without handes and brake in peeces the clay and iron brasse siluer and golde Seeing therfore it is certain that this stone signifieth Christ whose kingdome is for euer it is also a thing most assured that he ought to raygne euery where and to breake in peeces the other kingdoms of the world Wherfore it terrestrial kinges and the terrestriall kingdom of the Iewes and their laws and iudgementes haue ceased by Christ the king calling the Iewes vnto the perfection of his gospel namely vnto Fayth and Charitie It is not to be doubted but that the kingdome of the Gentiles which is more imperfect their lawes ought to ceasse among the Gentiles departing froÌ„ their Gentillitie vnto the perfection of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. For there is no distinction betwene the Iewes and Gentiles being conuerted vnto the faith of Christ but all of them abiding in that eternall kingdome ought to be vnder one lawe of Charitie and of vertue Therefore they ought to haue mercy and to leaue the iudgments of death and the desire of vengeance Wherfore they which do make lawes marke not the
remit sinnes Wherupon they say that he is able fully wholy to absolue a man a poena culpa so that if a man at the time of his death had this remission he should straigtwaies flie vnto heauen without any paine of Purgatory The other Bishops as they say haue not so great authoritie The priests constituted vnder euery Byshop haue power say they to absolue the sinnes of thē that are confessed but not al kind of sinnes because there are some grieuous sinnes reserued to the absolutions of the Byshops and some againe to the absolution onely of the chiefe and high Byshop They say also that it behoueth the offēders for the necessitie of their soule health to call to remēbrance their offences and to manifest the same with al the circumstances therof vnto the priest in auricular cōfessiō supplying the place of God after the maner of a Iudge afterwarde humbly to fulfill the penaunce enioyned vnto him by the priest for his sinnes except the sayde penaunce so enioyned or any part thereof be released by the superior power All these things say they are manifestly determined as wel in the decrees as decretals And although these things haue not expressely their foundation in the playne and manifest doctrine of Christ nor any of the Apostles yet the authors of the decrees and decretals concerning thys matter haue groūded the same vpon diuers places of the scriptures as in the proces of Christ in the Gospell of Saynt Mathew the xvj chapter Wherupon they ground that popes power iudicial to surmount the powers of other priests as where Christ sayd vnto his disciples whō do men saye that I am And they aunswered some saye that thou art Iohn Baptist some Elias some Ieremy or one of the Prophets To whom he sayde but who saye you that I am Symon Peter makinge aunswere sayde Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus answered and said vnto him Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh bloud hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter vpon this rocke wil I buyld my church and hel gates shal not preuaile against it And I wil geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose vpon earth shall bee loosed also in heauen Out of this text of Christ diuers expositiōs haue drawen diuers errours For when Christ sayd And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke wil I build my Church Some therupon affirme that Christe meant he would builde his Church vpon Peter by authority of that text as it is writtē in the first part of the decrees Dist. 19. cap. Ita dominus noster The exposition hereof is ascribed to Pope Leo the errour wherof is manifestly known For the Church of Christ is not builded vpon Peter but vpon the rocke of Peters confession for that he sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and for that Christ sayd singularly vnto Peter I will geue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. By this saying they affirme that Christ gaue vnto Peter specially as chiefe of the rest of the Apostles a larger power to binde and to lose then he did vnto the rest of the apostles or disciples And because Peter answered for him self al the Apostles not only confessing the faith which he had chiefly aboue the rest but also the faith whiche the rest of the Apostles had euen as himselfe by the reuelation of the heauēly father It appeareth that as the fayth of al the Apostles was declared by the answere of one so by this that Christ sayd vnto Peter whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. is geuen vnto the rest of the Apostles the same power equallitie to binde to lose as vnto Peter Whiche Christ declareth in the Gospell of S. Mathew the 18. chapter in these words Verely I say vnto you what thinges so euer you shall binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauē whatsoeuer you shal lose vpon earth shal be also losed in heauē And further he addeth And agayne I say vnto you that if two of you shall consent vpon earth and request whatsoeuer it be it shall be graunted vnto you of my father which is in heauen For when two or three be gathered together in my name I am there in the midst of them And in Iohn the xx chapter he sayth generally vnto them Receaue ye my spirit Whose sins ye shall remit shal be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes you shall retayne shall be retained By this it appeareth that the power to bynde and to loose is not specially graunted to Peter as chiefe and head of the rest and that by him the rest had their power to bind and to loose for that the head of the body of the Churche is one which is Christ and the head of Christ is God Peter and the rest of the Apostles are the good members of the body of Christ receiuing power vertue of Christ wherby they do confirme and glew together the other mēbers as well the strong noble as the weake and vnable to a perfect composition and seemelines of the body of Christ that all honour from all partes and members may be geuē vnto Christ as head and chiefe by whome as head all the members are gouerned And therfore Paule 1. Corinthians chap. 3. When any man sayth I hold of Paule and an other sayth I hold of Apollo are ye not carnall men For what is Apollo what is Paule The minister of him in whom ye haue beleued and he as God geueth vnto euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath geuen the increase Therfore neither he that plāteth is any thing neither he that watereth but God that geueth the increase And Paul to the Gal. chap. 2. God hath no respecte of persons Those that seemed to be great and to do much auayled or profited me nothing at all But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the circumcision vnto Peter for he that wrought with Peter in the Apostleship of the circumcision wrought with me also amōg the Gentiles and when they knew the grace which was geuen me Peter Iames and Iohn straightwayes ioyned themselues with me and Barnabas wee among the Gentiles and they in circumcision onely might be mindefull of the poore the which to do I was very carefull Hereby it appeareth that Paule had not his authoritie of Peter to conuert the Gentiles to baptise them and to remit their sinnes but of him which said vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou mee It is hard for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke Heare is Paule the head of the
of death and not able to require baptisme Christ sayth he that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued He sayth not he that is not baptised but he that beleueth not shall be damned Wherefore in the 12. chap. of Iohn Christ sayth I am the resurrection and lyfe he that beleeueth in me yea although he were dead shall lyne The faith therfore is necessary which the infāt hath in his faithfull parents although he be not washed with corporall water How then is the infant damned and tormēted with eternall fire Were not they that were before the comming of Christ and dead before his death by a thousande yeres saued also by his death and passion All that beleued in him were baptised in his bloud and so were saued and redemed from sinne and the bondage of the deuill and made partakers of the kingdome of heauen How then in the time of grace shall the infāt be damned that is borne of faythfull parents that do not despise but rather desire to haue theyr children baptised I dare not consent to so hard a sentēce of the decrees but rather beleue that he is saued by vertue of the passion of Christ in fayth of his faythfull parentes and the hope which they haue in Christ. Which fayth and hope are the keies of the heauenly kingdome God were not iust and mercifull if he would condemne a man that beleueth not in him except he shewed vnto him the fayth which hee ought to beleeue And therefore Christ sayth If I had not come and spokē vnto them sinne could not haue bene layd vnto theyr charge but nowe they haue no excuse of sinne Therfore seing the fayth of Christ is not manifest vnto the infāt departing before baptisme neither hath he denyed it how thē shal he be damned for the same But if God speaketh inwardly by way of illumination of the intelligēce of the infant as he speaketh vnto Aungels who then knoweth saue God alone whether the infant receiueth or not receiueth the fayth of Christ What is he therfore that so rashly dare take vpō him to iudge the infants begottē of faythfull parents dying with out baptisme to be tormēted with eternal fire Now let vs cōsider the 3. thinges which the canons of decrees affirme to be requisite for the remission of the sinnes of those that sinne after baptisme that is to say contrition of hart auricular confession and satisfaction of the deed through penance enioyned by the priest for the sinnes cōmitted I cannot finde in any place in the Gospel where Christ commaūded that this kind of confession should be done vnto that priest nor I cannot find that Christ assigned any penance vnto sinners for theyr sinnes but that he willed thē to sinne no more If a sinner confesse that he hath offended God through sinne soroweth hartely for his offēces minding no more hereafter to sinne then is he truely repentaunt for his sinne then is he conuerted vnto the Lord. If he shall then hūbly and with good hope crane mercy at God remission of his sinnes what is he that can let God to absolue that sinner from his sinne And as God absolueth a sinner from hys sinne so hath Christ absolued many although they confessed not theyr sinnes vnto the priests and although they receiued not due penance for their sinnes And if Christ could after that maner once absolue sinners how is he become now not able to absolue Except some man wil say that he is aboue Christ and that his power is minished by the ordinances of his own lawes How were sinners absolued of god in the time of the Apostles and alwayes heretofore vnto y◠time that these Canons were made I speake not these thinges as though confession to priestes were wicked but that it is not of necessity requisite vnto saluation I beleeue verily that the confession of sinnes vnto good priestes and likewise to other faythful Christiās is good as witnesseth S. Iames the Apostle Cōfesse ye your selues one to another pray ye one for another that ye may be saued for the continuall prayer of the iust auayleth much Helias was a man that suffered many things like vnto you and he praid that it should not rayne vpon the earth it rayned not in 3. yeares 6. monethes And agayne he prayed and it rayned from heauen and the earth yelded forth her fruit This kinde of confession is good profitable and expedient for if God peraduenture heareth not a mans own prayer he is helped with the intercession of others Yet neuerthelesse the prayers of the priests seemeth to much to be extolled in the decrees where it treateth of penitēce and that saying is ascribed vnto Pope Leo. Cap. multiplex misericordia Dei c. And it followeth So is it ordeyned by the prouidence of Gods diuine wil that the mercy of God cannot be obteined but by the praier of the priests c. The praier of a good priest doth much auayle a sinner confessing his faults vnto him The counsel of a discreet priest is very profitable for a sinner to geue the sinner counsell to beware herafter to sinne and to instruct him how he shal punish his body by fasting by watching and such like actes of repentance that herafter he may be better preserued from sinne After this maner I esteme confessiō to priests very expedient and profitable to a sinner But to cōfesse sinnes vnto the priest as vnto a iudge to receiue of him corporall penāce for a satisfaction vnto God for his sinnes committed I see not how this can be founded vpō the truth of the scripture For before the comming of Christ no man was sufficient or able to make satisfactiō vnto God for his sins although he suffred neuer so much penance for his sinnes And therefore it was needefull that he that was without sinne should be punished for sinnes as witnesseth Isayas chap. 53. where he sayth he took our griefes vpon him and our sorrowes he bare And again He was woūded for our iniquities and vexed for our wickednes And agayn The Lord put vpon him our iniquity And agayne for the wickednes of my people haue I strikē him It therfore Christ through his passion hath made satisfaction for our sinnes whereas we our selues were vnable to do it then through him haue we grace remission of sinnes How can we say now that we are sufficient to make satisfaction vnto God by any penance enioyned vnto vs by mans authority seing that our sinnes are more greuous after Baptisme thē they were before the comming of Christ. Therefore as in Baptisme the payne of Christ in his passion was a full satisfaction for our sinnes euen so after Baptisme if we confesse that we haue offended be harty sorry for our sinnes and minde not to sinne agayne ofterwardes Hereupon Iohn writeth in his first epistle ca. 1. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues the truth is not
the law was iustified for by the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified Galat. 2. And agayne in the same epistle cap. 3. that by the lawe no man is iustified before God it is manifest for the iust man shall liue by his fayth the law is not of fayth but whosoeuer hath the workes therof shal liue in them And agayn in the same chap. If the law had bene geuen which might haue iustified then our righteousnesse had come by the law But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise might be sure by the fayth of Iesu Christ to all beleuers Moreouer before that fayth came they were kept and concluded all vnder the law vntill the comming of that fayth whiche was to be reuealed For the law was our schoolemaister in Christ Iesu that we should be iustified by fayth Also the sayd Paul Rom. 5. sayth that the law entred in the meane time whereby that sinne might more abound Where then sinne hath more abounded there hath also grace superaboūded that like as sinne hath raigned vnto death so that grace might raigne also by righteousnes vnto eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Whereby it is manifest that by the fayth which we haue in Christ beleuing him to be the true sonne of God which came downe from heauen to redeme vs from sinne we are iustified from sinne and so do liue by him which is the true breade and meat of the soule And the bread which Christ gaue is his flesh geuen for the life of the world Iohn 6. For he being God came downe from heauen and being true carnall man did suffer in the flesh for our sinnes which in his diuinity he could not suffer Wherefore like as we beleue by our fayth that he is true God so must we also beleue that he is a true man And then do we eate the bread of heauen and the fleshe of Christ. And if we beleue that he did voluntarily shed hys bloud for our redemption then do we drinke his bloud And thus except we eate the flesh of the sonne of man and shall drinke his bloud we haue not eternall life in vs. Because the flesh of Christ verily is meate and hys bloud is drinke in deed and whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloud abideth in Christ Christ in him Ioh. ca. 6. And as in this world that soules of the faythfull liue and are refreshed spiritually with this heauenly bread and with the flesh and bloud of christ So in the world to come the same shall liue eternally in heauen refreshed with the deity of Iesus Christ as touching the most principall part therof that is to wit intellectū For as much as this bread of heauē in that it is God hath in it selfe all delectable pleasātnes And as touching the intelligible powers of the same as well exteriour as interior they are refreshed with the flesh that is to say with the humanitye of Iesus Christ which is as a queene standing on the right hand of God decked with a golden robe of diuers coulours for this queen of heauen alone by the word of God is exalted aboue the company of all the angels that by her all our corporal power intellectiue may fully be refreshed as is our spirituall intelligence with the beholding of the deity of Iesus Christ and euen as the Aungels shall we be fully satisfied And in the memory of this double refectiō present in this world and in the world to come hath Christ geuen vnto vs for eternal blessednes the Sacrament of his body and bloud in the substaunce of breade and wine as it appeareth in Mathew chapter 26. As the disciples sat at supper Iesus tooke bread and blessed it brake it gaue it vnto his disciples and sayd Take eate this is my bodye And he tooke the cup and thanked and gaue it them saying Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud of the new Testament which shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes And Luke in his Gospell chap. 22. or this matter thus writeth And after he had taken the bread he gaue thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them saying Thys is my body whyche shall be geuen for you doe you this in my remembraunce In like maner he tooke the cup after supper saying Thys is the cup of the new testament in my bloud which shall be shed for you That Christ said this is my body in shewing to them the bread I firmely beleue know that it is true That Christ for so much as he is God is the very trueth it selfe and by consequence all that he sayth is true And I beleue that the very same was his body in such wise as he willed it to be his body for in that he is almighty he hath done what so euer pleased him And as in Cane of Galile he chaunged the water into wine really so that after the transubstantiation it was wine and not water so when he sayd This is my body If he would haue had the breade really to be transubstātiated into his very body so that after this chaunging it should haue bene his naturall body not bread as it was before I know that it must needes haue beene so But I finde not in the Scripture that hys will was to haue any such reall transubstantiation or mutation And as the Lord God omnipotent in his perfectiō essential being the sonne of God doth exceed the most purest creature and yet when it pleased him he took vpō him our nature remaining really God as he was before was really made man so that after this assumpting of our substaūce he was really very God very man Euē so if he would when he sayd This is my body He could make this to be his body really the bread still really remayning as it was before For lesse is the difference of the essence betwene bread and the body of a man then betwene the deity humanity because that of the bread is naturally made the body of a man Of the bread is made bloud of the bloud naturall seede and of naturall seede the naturall substaunce of man is ingendred But in that that God became man This is an action supernatural Wherefore he that could make one man to be very God and very mā could if he would make one thing to be really very bread his very body But I do not finde it expresly in the Scripture that he would any such Identitye or coniunction to be made And as Christ sayd I am very bread not chaunging his essence or being into the essence or substaunce of bread but was the sayde Christ which he was before really and yet bread by a similitude or figuratiue speech So if he would it might be that when he sayd This is my body That this should really haue bene the bread as it was before and
that looke for him to their saluation For the lawe hauing a shadowe of good thinges to come can neuer by the Image it selfe of thinges which euery yeare without ceasing they offer by such sacrifices make those perfect that come therunto for otherwise that offering should haue ceased Because that such worshippers being once cleansed from theyr sinnes should haue no more conscience of sinne But in these commemoratioÌ„ is made euery yere of sinne for it is impossible that by the bloud of Goates and Calues sinnes should be purged and taken away Therfore comming into the world he sayd Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not haue but a body hast thou geuen me peace offeringes for sinne haue not pleased thee Then sayd I behold I come In the volume of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O God Saying as aboue because thou wouldest haue no sacrifices nor burnt offeringes for sinne neyther doest thou take pleasure in those things that are offered according to the law Then sayd I behold I come that I may doe thy will O God He taketh away the first to stablishe that which followeth In which will we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once for all And euery priest is ready dayly ministring and oftentimes affering like sacrifices which can neuer take away sinnes But this Iesus offering one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euermore on the right hand of God expecting the time tyll his enemies be made his footstoole For by his owne onely oblation hath he consummated for euermore those that are sanctified All these places haue I recited which Paule writeth for the better vnderstanding and declaration of those thinges I meane to speak By all which it appeareth manifestly how the Priesthood of Christ differeth from the legall priesthood of Aaron and by the same also appeareth how the same differeth from all other priesthood Christian that immitateth Christ. For the properties of the priesthood of Christ aboue recited are founde in no other Priest but in Christ alone Of the third priesthood that is the Christian priesthood Christ by expresse wordes speaketh but litle to make any difference betwene the priests and the rest of the people neither yet doth vse this name of Sacerdos or praesbiter in the Gospell But some he calleth disciples some apostels whom he sent to baptise to preach in his name to do miracles He calleth them the salt of the earth in which the name of wisedome is ment and he calleth them the light of the world by which good liuing is signified For he sayth So let your light so shine before meÌ„ that they may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen And Paule speaking of the Priestes to Timothe and Titus seemeth not to mee to make any diuersity betwixt the Priestes and the other people but in that he woulde haue them to surmount other in knowledge and perfection of life But the fourth priesthood is the Romaine priesthood brought in by the Church of Rome which Churche maketh a distinction betwene the clergy and the lay people after that the clergy is deuided into sundry degrees as appeareth in the decretals This distinction of the clergy from the laitye with the consure of clerkes began in the time of * Anacletus as it doth appeare in the Chronicles The degrees of the clergy were afterward inuedted distincted by their offices and there was no ascentioÌ„ to the degree of the priesthood but by inferior orders and degrees But in the primitiue churche it was not so for immediately after tht conuersion of some of theÌ„ to the fayth baptisme receiued they were priests bishops made as appeareth by Ananias whom Marcus made of a taylor or shomaker to be a bishop And of many others it was in like case done according to the traditions of the church of Rome Priests are ordeined to offer sacrifices to make supplication and prayers and to blesse sanctify The oblation of the priesthood onely to Priestes as they say is congruent whose duties are vpon the aultar to offer for the sinnes of the people the Lords body which is coÌ„secrated of bread Of which saying I haue great maruell considering S. Paule his wordes to the Hebrues before recited If Christ offering for our sinnes one oblation for euermore sitteth on the right hand of God and wyth that one oblation hath coÌ„suÌ„mated for euermore those that are sanctified If Christ euermore sitteth on the right hand of God to make intercession for vs what neede he to leaue here any sacrifice for our sinnes of the Priestes to be dayly offered I do not finde in the scriptures of God nor of his Apostles that the body of Christ ought to be made a sacrifice for sinne but onely as a Sacrament and commemoration of the sacrifice passed whiche Christ offered vpon the aultar of the crosse for our sinnes For it is an absurditye to say that Christ is now euery day really offered as a sacrifice vpon the aultar by the Priestes for then the Priestes should really crucify him vpoÌ„ the aultar which is a thing of no Christian to be beleeued But euen as in his supper his body his bloud he deliuered to his Disciples in memorial of his body that should be crucified on the morrow for our sinnes So after his asceÌ„tion did his Apostles vse the same when they brake bread in euery house for a SacrameÌ„t and not for a sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. And by this meanes were they put in remembraunce of the great loue of Christ who so entirelye loued vs that willinglye he suffered the death for vs for the remission of our sinnes And thus did they offer theÌ„selues to God by loue being ready to suffer death for the confession of his name and for the sauing health of theyr brethren fulfilling the new commaundement of Christ which sayd vnto them A new coÌ„mauÌ„dement do I geue vnto you that you loue one another as I haue loued you But wheÌ„ loue began to waxe cold or rather to be frosen for cold thorow the anguish anxiety of persecution for the name of Christ then Priests did vse the flesh and bloud of Christ in â—â—tad of a sacrifice And because many of them feared death some of them fled into solitarye places not daring to geue themselues a sacrifice by death vnto God through the confession of his name sauing health of theyr brethreÌ„ Some other worshipped Idols fearing death as did also the chiefe Bishop of Rome and many other mo in diuers places of the world And thus it came to passe as that which was ordeined and instituted for a memoriall of the one onely sacrifice was altered for want of loue into the realitye of the sacrifice it selfe ¶ After these thinges thus discussed he inferreth consequently vpon the same an other briefe tractation of women
holy But I maruell that they say so reading this saying in the Actes of the Apostles because the charmers pronouncing the name of Iesus that is aboue all names would haue healed those that were possessed with deuils and sayd In the name of Iesus whom Paul preacheth go ye out of the men And the possessed with deuils aunswered Iesus we know and Paule we know but what are ye and they all to be beat the coniurers And now considering this and many such like things I maruell wherfore the vicious Priests do sell theyr praiers and blessings dearer as also theyr Masses Trentals of Masses then those that be deuout lay mē and holy women which with all theyr hart desire do flee from vices take hold of vertue For as much as God in diuers places of the Scripture doth promise that he will not heare sinners wicked persons Neither should he seme to be iust if he should sooner heare the praiers of his enemies then of his faythfull frend How I pray you shall a sinneful priest deliuer an other man from sinne by his prayers or els frō the punishment of sinne whē he is not able to deliuer him selfe by his prayer frō sinne What then doth God so much accept in the Masse of a vicious Priest that for his masse his prayer or oblatiō he might deliuer any man either frō sinne or from the payne due for sinne No but for that that Christ hath once offered himselfe for our sinnes now sitteth on the right hand of God the father alwayes shewing vnto him what and how great things he hath suffered for vs. And euery priest alwayes maketh mētion in his masse of this oblation Neither do we this that we might bring the same oblation into the remembraunce of God because that he alwayes in his presence seeth the same But that we should haue in remēbraunce this so great loue of God that he would geue his own sonne to death for our sinnes that he might clense purify vs frō all our sinnes What doth it please God that the remembraunce of so great loue is made by a prest which more loueth sinne then God Or how can any prayer of such a priest please God in what holy place soeuer he be or what holy vestimēts soeuer he put on or what holy prayers soeuer he maketh And where as Christ and his Apostles do cōmaund the preaching of the word of God the Priests be now more bound to celebrate the Masse and more straitly bound to say the Canonicall houres whereat I cannot but greatly maruell For why to obey the precepts of men more then the cōmaūdements of God is in effect to honor mā as God and to bestow the sacrifice vpon man which is due vnto God and this is also spirituall fornication How therfore are Priests bound at the commaundement of man to leaue the preaching of the word of God at whose cōmaundemēt they are not bound to leaue the celebration of the Masse or singing of Matines Therefore as it seemeth Priestes ought not at the commaundement of any man to leaue the preaching of the word of God vnto the which they are boūd both by diuine and Apostolicall preceptes With whom agreeth the writing of Hierome vpon the Decretals saying in this wise Let none of the Bishops swell with the enuy of deuilishe temptation let none be angry if the Priestes do sometime exhort the people if they preach in theyr Church c. for to him that forbiddeth me these thinges I will say that he is vnwilling that Priestes should do those thinges which be commaunded of God What thing is there aboue Christ or what may be preferred before his body and his bloud c. Do Priestes therfore sinne or not which bargayne for mony to pray for the soule of any dead man It is well knowne that Iesus did whip those that were buyers and sellers out of the tēple saying My house shal be called the house of prayer but you haue made the same adenne of theenes Truely he cast not out such Marchaunts frō out of the Church but because of theyr sinnes Wherupon Hierome vpon this text sayth Let the Priests be diligent and take good heede in this Churche that they turne not the house of God into a den of theeues He doubtles is a theef which seeketh gayne by Religion by a shew of holynes studieth to finde occasion of marchaundise Hereupon the holy Canons do make accursed Symoniacal heresy doe commaund that those should be depriued of the priesthood which for the passing or maruelous spiritual grace do seek gayne or monye Peter the Apostle sayde to Symon Magus Let thy mony and thou go both to the deuill whiche thinkest that the giftes of God may be bought for money Therefore the spirituall gyftes of God ought not to bee solde Uerely prayer is the spirituall gift of God as is also the preaching of the word of God or the saying on of handes or the administration of other Sacramentes Christ sending forth his Disciples to preach sayd vnto them Heale ye the sicke cast out deuils rayse the dead freely haue ye receiued freely geue ye agayne If the Priestes haue power by theyr prayers to deliuer soules being in Purgatory from greeuous paynes without doubt he hath receiued that power freely from God How therefore can he sell his act vnlesse he resist the commaundementes of God of whom he hath receiued that authoritye This truly cannot be done without sinne which is agaynst the commaundement of God How playnly spake Christ to the Pharisies Priests saying wo be vnto you Scribes Pharisies hypocrites because ye haue eaten the whole houses of such as be wydowes by making long praiers and therfore haue you receiued greater dānation Wherin I pray you do our Pharisies and Priestes differ from them Do not our Priestes deuour widowes houses and possessions that by their lōg prayers they might deliuer the soules of their husbāds frō the greuous paynes of purgatory How many Lordships I pray you haue bene bestowed vpon the religious mē womē to pray for the dead that they by their prayer might deliuer those dead men from the payne as they sayd that they suffer in purgatory greuously tormented and vexed If theyr prayers and speaking of holy words shall not be able to deliuer themselues frō payn vnlesse they haue good works How shall other men be deliuered from payne by their praiers which whilest they liued here they gaue ouer themselues to sinne Yea peraduētUre those Lordships or landes which they gaue vnto the priestes to pray for them they themselues haue gotten by might from other faythful men vniust and violently And the Canous doe say that sinne is not forgeuē till the thing taken away wrōgfully be restored How thē shal they be able which do vniustly possesse such Lordshippes or landes to deliuer them by theyr prayers from payne which haue geuen
charge of the realme because it was prooued in a certaine booke which the king hath that a hundreth houses of almes are sufficient for the whole realme And thereby might peraduenture greater increase and profite come vnto the temporalitie The 8. conclusion needefull to tel the people beguiled is that pilgrimages praiers and oblations made vnto blinde crosses or roodes or to deafe images made eyther of woode or stone are very neare of kinde vnto Idolatry and farre different frō almes And albeit that these thyngs which are forbidden and imagined are the booke of errour vnto the common people notwithstanding the vsual and common image of the Trinity is most especially abhominable This conclusion God himselfe doeth openly manyfest commaunding almes to be geuen to the poore needy man for he is the image of God in more perfite similitude and likenesse then any blocke or stone For God did not say let vs make a blocke or stone vnto our likenes and image but let vs make man for so muche as the supreme highest honor which the clergy calleth Latria pertaineth only to the Godhead the inferior honour which clergy call Dulia pertaineth vnto men and angels and to none other inferior creature The corolarie is the the seruice of the crosse celebrate twise euery yere in our church is ful of idolatry For if roode tree nailes and speare ought so profoundly to be honoured and worshipped then were Iudas lippes if any man could get them a marueilous goodly relique But thou Pilgrime we pray thee tell vs when thou doest offer to the bones of the Saintes and holy men whych are layd vp in any place whether dost thou relieue therby the holy man which is already in ioy or that almes house that is so well endowed whereas they are canonised the Lord knoweth howe and to speake more plaine euery faithfull Christian may well iudge and suppose that the strokes of that same man whom they calls Thomas were no came of Martyrdome nor yet be The 9. conclusion that keepeth the people low is that auricular confession which is said to be so necessary for saluation the fained power of absolution exalteth and setteth vp the pride of priests and geueth them oportunity of other secrete talkes which we will not at thys tune talke of for so much as both Lordes and Ladies doe witnes that for feare of their confessors they dare not speake the truth and in time of confession is good oportunitie ministred of wooing or to play the baudes or to make other secret conuentions to deadly sinne They affirme and say that they are commissaries sent of God to iudge discerne of al maner sinne to pardone and clense what so euer please them They say also that they haue the keyes of heauen and hell that they can excommunicate curse and blesse binde and loose at theyr owne will and pleasure in so muche that for a small rewarde or for 12. d. they will sell the blessyng of heauen by charter and clause of warrantes sealed by theyr commō seale This conclusion is so common in vse that it nedeth not any probation The corolarie hereof is that the Pope of Rome whych fained himselfe to be the profounde treasurer of the whole Church hauing that same woorthy iewell which is the treasure of the passion of Christ in hys owne keping and custody together with the merites of all the saintes in heauen wherby he geueth fained indulgences and pardons a poena culpa Hee is a treasurer almost banished out of chariti wherby he may deliuer al captiues being in purgatory at hys pleasure and make them not to come there But heere euery faithfull Christian may easily perceiue that there is much falshode hid in our church The 10. that manslaughter either by warre or by any pretensed law of iustice for any temporall cause or spirituall reuelation is expresly contrary vnto the newe Testamēt which is the law of grace full of mercy This conclusion is euidently proued by the examples of the preachyng of Christ heere in earth who chiefly teacheth euery man to loue his enemies and haue compassiō vpon them and not to kill and murther them The reason is this that for the most part when as men do fight after the first stroke charity is broken and whosoeuer dieth without charity goth the right way to hell And beside that we doe well vnderstand know that none of the clergy neither by any other lawfull reason can deliuer any man from the punishment of death for one deadly sinne and not for an other but the law of mercy which is the new Testament forbiddeth all maner of murther For in the Gospell it is spoken vnto our forefathers thou shalt not kil The corolary is It is a very robbing of the people when Lordes purchase indulgences and pardons a poena culpa vnto such as do helpe their armies to kil and murther the christian people in soreine countreys for temporal gaine as we do see certaine souldiors which do runne amongst the Heathen people to get themselues fame renowme by the murther slaughter of men Much more doe they deserue euil thanks at the hands of the king of peace for so much as by humility and peace our faith is multiplied increased for murtherers and manquellers Christ doeth hate and manaseth he that striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword The 11. conclusion is whyche is shame to tell that the vow of chastity made in our church by women whych are fraile and vnperfite in nature is the cause of brynging in many great and horrible offences and vices incident vnto the nature of man For albeit the murther of their children borne before their time and before they are christened and the destruction of their nature by medicine are filthy foule sinnes yet they accompanying amongest themselues or with vnreasonable beastes or with any creature not hauing life doe passe to such an vnseemelinesse that they are punished by infernal torments The corolarie is that widowes such as take the mantell and the ring delitiously fed we would that they were maried because that we can not excuse them from priuate offence of sinne The 12. that the multitude of artes not necessary vsed in this our Church causeth much sinne offence in waste curiosity and disguising in curious apparell experience reason partly doth shewe the same for so muche as nature with a few actes is sufficient for mans vse and necessity This is the whole tenor of our ambassade which Christ hath commanded vs to prosecute at this time most fit and conuenient for many causes And albeit that these matters be heere briefly noted and touched yet notwithstandyng they are more at large declared in another boke with many other more in our owne proper tounge which we would should be common to all Christian people Wherefore we earnestly desire and beseeche God for his great
Archbishop to the Pope of Rome therefore he ought he sayd in no cause to be hys iudge And hauing his appeale there at hand ready writtē he shewed it with al reuerence to the king Wherewith the king was then much more displeased then afore and sayde angerly vnto him that he should not pursue hys appeale but rather he should tary in hold till suche time as it were of the Pope allowed And thē would he or nild he that archbishop should be his iudge Thus was there nothing allowed that the good Lord Cobham had lawfully afore required But for so much as he woulde not be sworne in all things to submit himselfe to the Church and so take what penaunce the archbishop would enioyne him He was arested agayne at the kinges commaundement and so ledde forth to the Tower of London to keepe hys day so was it then spoken that the archbishop had appoynted him afore in the kinges chamber Then caused he the foresayd confession of his fayth to be copyed agayne and the aunswere also which he had made to the foure articles proponed agaynst him to be written in maner of an Indenture in two sheetes of paper That when he should come to hys aunswere he might geue the one copy vnto the archbishop and reserue the other to him selfe As the day of examination was come which was the 23. day of September the Saterday before the feast of saint Mathewe Thomas Arundell the Archbishop sitting in Cayphas rowme in the Chapter house of Paules wyth Richard Clifford Byshop of London and Henry Bolnig broke Byshop of Winchester sir Robert Morley knight and Liefetenant of the Tower brought personally before hym the sayd Lord Cobham and there left him for the time vnto whom the archbishop sayd these wordes * The first examination of the Lorde Cobham SIr Iohn in the last generall conuocation of the clergie of this our Prouince ye were detected of certayne heresies and by sufficient witnesses found culpable Whereupon ye were by forme of spirituall law cited and woulde in no case appeare In conclusion vpon your rebellious cōtumacie ye were both priuately and openly excommunicated Notwithstanding we neyther yet shewed our selues vnready to haue geuen your absolution nor yet doe not to this houre would ye haue meekely asked it Vnto this the Lord Cobham shewed as though he had geuen no eare hauing hys minde otherwise occupyed and so desired no absolution But sayd he would gladly before him and hys brethren make rehearsal of that fayth which he held and en tended alwayes to stand to if it woulde please them to licence him thereunto And then he tooke out of his vosome a certayn writing endented concerning the articles wherof he was accused and so opēly read it before them geuing it vnto the Archbishop as he had made thereof an ende Whereof this is the copy I IOhn Didcastle Knight Lord of Cobham will that all Christen men weet and vnderstād that I clepe almighty God into witnesse that it hath bene nowe is and euer with the helpe of God shall be mine entent and my will to beleue faythfully and fully all the sacramentes that euer God ordayned to be do in holy Church and moreouer to declare me in these foure poynts I beleue that the most worshipfull Sacrament of the aulter is Christes body in forme of bread the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our Lady sayne Mary done on the crosse dead and buryed the thyrd day rose from death to life the which body is now glorified in heauen Also as for the sacrament of penaunce I beleue that it is needefull to euery man that shal be saued to forsake sinne and do due penaunce for sinne before done with true confession very contrition and due satisfaction as Gods lawe limitteth and teacheth and els may he not be saued which penaunce I desire all men to doe And as of Images I vnderstand that they be not of beleue but that they were ordayned sith the beleue was zewe of Christ by sufferaunce of the Church to be Calenders to lewd men to represent and bryng to minde the passion of our Lord Iohn Christ and martyrdome and good liuing of other sayntes And that who so it be that doth the worship to dead Images that is due to God or putteth suche hope or trust in helpe of them as he should doe to God or hath affection in one more then in an other he doth in that the greatest sinne of maumerry Also I suppose this fully that euery man in this earth is a pilgrime toward blisse or toward payne and that he that knoweth not ne will not know ne keepe the holy comaundementes of God in his liuing here albeit that he be go on Pilgrimages to all the world and he dye so he shal be damned and he that knoweth the holy commaundementes of God and keepeth them to hys ende he shal be saued though he neuer in hys lyfe goe on pilgrimage as men now vse to Caunterbury or to Rome or to any other place This aunswere to hys articles thus ended and read he deliuered it to the Bishops as is sayd afore Than counceled the Archbishop with the other two Bishops and with diuers of the Doctours what was to be done in this matter commaunding hym for the tyme to stand aside In cōclusion by their assent information he said thus vnto him Come hether Syr Iohn In this your wryting are many good thinges contayned and right Catholicke also we deny it not but ye must consider that thys day was appoynted you to aunswere to other pointes concerning those articles wherof as yet no mention is made in this your Bil. And therefore ye must yet declare vs your minde more playnly And thus whether that ye holde affirme and beleeue that in the sacrament of the aulter after the consecration rightly done by a priest remayneth materiall bread or not Moreouer whether ye do hold affirme and beleue that as concerning the sacrament of penaunce where as a competent nomber of priestes are euery Christen man is necessarely bound to be confessed of hys sinnes to a priest ordained by the Church or not After certayn other communication this was the answere of the good Lord Cobham That none otherwise would he declare his minde nor yet aunswere vnto hys articles then was expressely in his writing there contayned Then sayd the Archbishop agayne vnto hym Syr Iohn beware what ye do For if ye aunswere not clearely to those thinges that are here obiected agaynst you especially at the time appointed you onely for that purpose the law of holy Church is that compelled once by a iudge we may openly proclayme ye an hereticke Unto whome he gaue this aunswere Do as ye shall thinke best for I am at a poynt Whatsoeuer he or the other Byshops did aske him after that he had them resorte to hys Bill for thereby would he
body The Lord Cobham asked how they could make good that sentence of theirs They aunswered him thus For it is agaynst the determination of holy Church Then sayd the archbishop vnto him Syr Iohn we sēt you a writing concerning the fayth of this blessed Sacrament clearely determined by the church of Rome our mother and by the holy Doctors Then he sayd agayne vnto him I know none holyer then is Christ and his Apostles And as for that determination I wore it is none of theyrs for it standeth not with the scriptures but manifestly against them If it be the Churches as ye say it is it hath bene hers onely since she receaued the great poyson of worldly possessions and not afore Then asked they him to stop his mouth therwith If he beleued not in the determination of the Church And he sayd vnto them No forsooth for it is no God In all our Creede this word in is but thrise mentioned concerning beleue In God the father in God the sonne in in God the holy Ghost three persons and one God The byrth the death the buriall the resurrection and ascension of Christ hath none in for beleue but in him Neyther yet hath the Church the sacramentes the forgeuenes of sinne the latter resurrection nor yet the life euerlasting nor anye other in then in the holy ghost Then sayd one of the Lawyers Such that was but a word of office But what is your beliefe concerning holy Church The Lord Cobham aunswered My beliefe is as I sayd afore that all the scriptures of the sacred Bible are true All y◠is grounded vppon them I beleue throughly For I know it is Gods pleasure that I shuld so do But in your Lordly lawes and idle determinations haue I no beliefe For ye be no part of Christes holy churche as your open deedes doth shew But ye are very Antichristes obstinately set agaynst his holy law and wil. The lawes that ye haue made are nothing to his glory but onely for your vayne glory and abhominable couetousnes This they sayd was an exceeding heresie and that in a great fume not to beleeue the determination of holye Church Then the Archbishop asked hym what he thought of holy Church He sayd vnto him my beliefe is that the holye Churche is the number of them which shal be saued of whō Christ is the head Of this churche one part is in heauen wyth Christ an other in purgatorye you say and the thyrd is here in earth This latter part standeth in three degrees in knighthoode priesthoode and the communaltie as I sayd afore playnely in the confession of my beliefe Then sayd the Archbishop vnto hym Can you tell me who is of this church The Lord Cobham answered Yea truely can I. Then sayd Doctor walden the Prior of the Carmelits It is no doubt vnto you who is thereof For Christ sayeth in Mathewe Nolite iudicare presume to iudge no man If ye be here forbidden the iudgement of your neighboure or brother much more the iudgement of your superiour The Lorde Cobham made him this aunswere Christ sayth also in the selfe same chapter of Mathew that like as the euill tree is knowne by hys fruit so is a false Prophet by his works appeare they neuer so glorious But that ye left behind ye And in Iohn he hath this text Operibus credite belecue you the outwarde doinges And in an other place of Iohn Iustum iudicium iudicate when wee knowe the thing to be true we may so iudge it and not offend For Dauid sayd also Rectè iudicate filij hominum Iudge rightly alwayes ye children of men And as for your superiority were ye of Christ ye shoulde be meeke ministers and no proud superiours Then said Doctor walden vnto him ye make here no difference of iudgementes Ye put no diuersitie betwene y◠euill iudgementes whiche Christ had forbidden and the good iudgementes which he hath cōmaunded vs to haue Rash iudgment and right iudgement al is one with you So swift iudges alwayes are the learned schollers of Wicklisse Vnto whom the Lord Cobham thus aunswered It is wel sophistred of you forsooth Preposterous are your iudgementes euermore For as the Prophet Esay sayth ye iudge euill good and good euill And therefore the same prophet concludeth that your wayes are not Gods waies nor Gods wayes your wayes And as for that vertuous man wicklisse whose iudgementes ye so highly disdayne I shall say here of my part both before God and man that before I knew that despised doctrine of his I neuer abstayned from sinne But since I learned therin to feare my Lorde GOD it hath otherwise I trust bene with me so muche grace coulde I neuer finde in all your glorious instructions Then said Doctor Walden agayne yet vnto him It were not well with me so many vertuous men liuing so many learned men teaching the scripture being also so open and the examples of fathers so plenteous If I thē had no grace to amend my life till I heard the deuil preach S. Hierome sayth that he whiche seeketh suche suspected Maysters shall not finde the midday light but the mid-day deuill The Lord Cobham sayd Your father 's the old Phariseis ascribed Christes miracles to Belzebub and his doctrine to the deuil And you as their natural children haue still the selfe same iudgement concerning his faythfull followers They that rebuke your vicious liuing must needs be heretickes and that must your doctors proue whē you haue no scripture to do it Then sayde he to them all To iudge you as you be we neede no further go then to your owne proper actes Where do ye find in all Gods law that ye shold thus sit in iudgement of any Christen men or yet geue sentence vppon any other man vnto death as ye doe here dayly No grounde haue ye in all the Scriptures so Lordly to take it vppon you but in Annas and Cayphas which sat thus vpon Christ and vppon his Apostles after hys ascension Of them onely haue ye taken it to iudge Christes members as ye doe and neither of Peter nor Iohn Then sayd some of the Lawyers yes forsooth syr for Christ iudged Iudas The Lord Cobham sayd No Christ iudged him not but he iudged himselfe and thereupon went forth so did hange himselfe But in deede Christ sayde woe vnto him for that couerous act of hys as he doth yet still vnto many of you For since the venune of him was shed into the church ye neuer followed Christ neither yet haue ye stande in the perfection of Gods law Then the Archbishop asked him what he ment by that venune The Lord Cobham sayd your possessions and Lordeships For then cried an aungell in the ayre as your owne Chronicles mentioneth wo wo woe this day is veuime shed into the church of God Before that time all the Byshops of Rome were martyrs in a manner And
by your prayers I shall persiste strongly in the immutable veritie of God vnto the last breath Finally I wold not haue you ignoraÌ„t that wheras euery one here is put in his office I only as an outcast am neglected c. I coÌ„mend you to the merciful Lord Iesu Christ our true God and the sonne of the immaculate virgin Mary which hath redeemed vs by his moste bitter death without all our merites from eternall paines from the thraldome of the Deuill and from sinne From Constance the yere of our Lord. 1415. ¶ An other letter of Iohn Hus to his benefactours MY gracious benefactours and defendours of the truthe I exhort you by the bowels of Iesus Christ that now ye setting aside the vanities of this present world will giue your seruice to the eternall king Christ the Lord. Trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men in whome there is no health For the sonnes of men are dissemblers and disceitfull To day they erre to morrowe they pearish but God remaineth for euer Who hath his seruants not for any neede he hath of them but for their owne profite vnto whoÌ„ he performeth that which he promiseth fulfilleth that which he purposeth to geue He casteth of no faithful seruant from him for he sayth where I am there also shal my seruaÌ„t be And that Lorde maketh euery seruaunt of his to be the Lorde of all his possession geuing himselfe vnto him and with himselfe all thinges that without all tediousnesse feare and without al defect he may possesse all thinges reioycing with all Saintes in ioy infinite O happie is that seruaunt whome when the Lorde shall come hee shall finde watching Happy is the seruaunt which shall receiue that king of glory with ioy Wherefore well beloued Lordes and benefactours serue you that king in feare which shall bring you as I trust nowe to Boheme at this present by his grace in health and hereafter to eternal life of glory Fare ye wel For I think that this is the last letter that I shall write to you who to morrowe as I suppose shall be purged in hope of Iesu Christ throughe bitter death from my sinnes The things that happened to me this night I am not able to wryte Sigismund hath done all things wyth mee disceitfully God forgeue him and onely for your sakes You also heard the sentence which he awarded against me I pray you haue no suspition of faithfull Vitus An other letter to the Lord Iohn de Clum MOste gracious benefactour in Christe Iesu dearely beloued yet I reioyce not a little that by the grace of God I maye wryte vnto your honour By your letter which I receaued yesterday I vnderstand first how the iniquitie of the great strompet that is of the malignaunt congregation whereof mention is made in the Apocalips is detected and shall be more detected Wyth the which strumpet the kinges of the earth doe commit fornication fornicating spiritually from Christe and as is there sayde sliding back from the truth and consenting to the lies of antichrist thoroughe his seduction and thoroughe feare or thoroughe hope of confederacie for getting of worldly honour Secondly I perceaued by your letter how the enemies of the truth begin nowe to be troubled Thirdly I perceiued the feruent constancie of your charitie wherewith you professe the truth boldly Fourthly with ioy I perceiued that you minde now to geue ouer the vanity and the painefull seruice of this present world and to serue the Lorde Iesus Christ quietly at home Whome to serue is to raign as Gregory sayeth Whome he that serueth faithfully hath Christe Iesus himselfe in the kingdome of heauen to minister vnto him as hee himselfe sayeth Blessed is that seruaunt whome when the Lorde shall come he shall finde waking and so doing Verely I say vnto you that hee rising shall girde himselfe and shall minister to him This do not â—he kings of this worlde to their seruauntes whome onely they doe loue so long as they are profitable and necessary for their commodities c. Another Epistle of Iohn Hus wherein he declareth why God suffreth not his to perish bringing diuers examples wherwith he doth comfort and confirme both himselfe and other THe Lord God be with you Many causes there were welbeloued in God my deare frends which moued me to thinke that those letters were the last which before I sent vnto you lookinge that same time for instaÌ„t death But now vnderstanding the same to be deferred I take it for great coÌ„fort vnto me that I haue some leâ— ser more to talke with you by letters therfore I write again to you to declare testify at least my gratitude mindfull duty toward you And as touching death God doth know why he doeth defer it both to me and to my welbeloued brother M. Hier. who I trust will die holily and without blame and do know also that he doth and suffereth nowe more valiauntly then I my selfe a wretched sinner God hath geuen vs a long time that we myghte call to memorie our sinnes the better and repent for the same more feruently Hee hath graunted vs time that our longe and greate temptation shuld put away our greuous sinnes bring the more consolation He hath geuen vs time wherin we should remember the horrible rebukes of our mercifull king and Lorde Iesus and shoulde ponder his cruell death and so more paciently myght learne to beare our afflictions And moreouer that we might kepe in remembraunce how that the ioyes of the life to come are not geuen after the ioyes of this world immediatly but through many tribulaâ—ions the Saints haue entred into the kingdoÌ„ of heauen For some of them haue bene cutte and chopt all to peeces some their eies bored through some sodde some rosted some slaine aliue some buried quicke stoned crucified grineded betwixt mill stones drawne hailed hither and thither vnto execution drowned in waters strangled and hanged torne in pieces vexed wyth rebukes before their death pined in prisons afflicted in bands And who is able to recite all the tormentes and suffringes of the holy Saintes which they suffered vnder the olde and newe Testament for the verity of God namely those which haue at any time rebuked the malice of the priestes or haue preached against their wickednesse And it will be a meruaile if any man nowe also shall escape vnpunished who so euer dare boldly resist the wickednesse and peruersity especially of those priests which can abide no correction And I am glad that they are compelled now to reade my bookes in the which their malice is somewhat described and I know they haue reade the same more exactly and diligently then the holy Gospell seeking therein to finde out errours Geuen at Constance vppon Thursday the 28. day of Iune An. 1415. ¶ Another letter of Iohn Hus wherein he rehearseth what iniuries he receiued of the Councel and of the deputies IF my letter be not
that hee had almost perswaded them So liuely and likely their hatred was detected that almost no trust was geuen to their testimonies saue onely for the cause and quarrell wherein they stood touching the popes doctrine All mens mindes here were moued and bending to mercye towardes hym For he told them how that he of hys owne accord came vp to the Councell and to purge hymselfe he did open vnto them all hys life and doinges being full of vertue godlines This was sayth he the old maner of auncient and learned meÌ„ and most holy Elders that in matters of fayth they did differ many times in argumentes not to destroy the fayth but to finde out the veritie So did Augustine and Hierome dissent not onely being diuers but also contrary one from the other yet wtout al suspition of heresy All this while the popes holy Councell did wayt still when he would beginne to excuse himselfe and to retracte those thinges whiche were obiected agaynst him and to craue pardon of the Councell But he persisting still in hys constant oration did acknowledge no errour nor gaue any signification of retractation At last entring into the prayse commendation of M. Iohn Hus he affirmed that he was a good iust and holy man and much vnworthy that death whiche he did suffer Whom he did know from his youth vpward to be neither fornicator drunkard neither anye euill or vicious person but a chast sober man a iust and true preacher of the holy Gospell and whatsoeuer things mayster Iohn Hus and Wicklyff had holden or written specially agaynst the abuse and pompe of the clergie he would affirme euen vnto the death that they were holy and blessed men and that in all pointes of the Catholicke fayth he doth beleue as the holy Catholicke Church doth hold or beleue And finally he did conclude that al such articles as Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus had written put forth agaynst the enormities pompe and disorder of the Prelates he would firmely steadfastly without recantation hold defend eueÌ„ vnto the death And last of all he added that al the sinnes that euer he had coÌ„mitted did not so much gnaw and trouble his conscience as did that onely sinne whiche he had committed in that most pestiferous fact when as in his recantation he had vniustly spoken against that good and holy man his doctrine specially in coÌ„senting vnto his wicked coÌ„deÌ„nation concluding that he did vtterly reuoke deny that wicked recantatioÌ„ which he had made in that most cursed place that he dyd it through weakenes of hart and feare of death And moreuer that whatsoeuer thing he hath spokeÌ„ against that blessed man he hath altogether lyed vpoÌ„ him and that he doth repent him with his whole hart that euer he did it And at the hearing hereof the hartes of the hearers were not a little sory For they wished and desired greatly that such a singular man shold be saued if otherwise their blind superstition would haue suffered it But he continued still in his prefixed sentence seeming to desire rather death then lyfe And persisting in the prayse of Iohn Husse he added moreouer that he neuer mayntayned anye doctrine agaynst the state of the Church but onely spake agaynst the abuses of the clergye against the pride pompe and excesse of the Prelates For somuch as the patrimonies of the churches were first geuen for the poore then for hospitality and thirdly to the reparations of the Churches it was a griefe to that good man sayd he to see the same misspent and cast away vpon harlots great feastings and keping of horses and dogges vpoÌ„ gorgeous apparell and such other things vnseming Christian Religion And herein he sheweth him selfe marueilous eloquent yea neuer more And when his oration was interrupted many tymes by diuers of them carping his sentences as he was in speaking yet was there none of all those that interrupted hym which scaped vnblanckt but he brought them all to confusion and put them to silence When any noise began he ceased to speake after began againe proceeding in his Oration and desiring them to geue him leaue a while to speak whoÌ„ they hereafter should heare no more neither yet was his mind euer dashed at all these noyses and tumults And thys was marueilous in him to behold notwithstanding he continued in strait prison 340. dayes hauing neither booke nor almost light to read by yet how admirably his memory serued him Declaring howe all those paynes of his strait handling did not somuch greeue him as he did wonder rather to see their vnkind humanitie towardes him When he had spoken these and many other thinges as touching the prayse of Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus they which sat in the Councell whispered together saying by these his wordes it appeareth that he is at a poynt with hym selfe Then was he agayne caried into prison greeuously settered by the hands armes and feete with great chaines and fetters of yron The Saterday next before the Ascension day early in the morning he was brought with a great number of armed men vnto the Cathedral Church before the open congregation to haue his iudgement geuen hym There they exhorted him that those thinges which he had before spokeÌ„ in the open audience as is aforesayde touching he prayse and commendation of M. Iohn Wickleffe and M. Iohn Hus confirming and establishing their doctrine he would yâ—t recant the same but he merueilous stoutly without all feare spake agaynst them amoÌ„gst other things said vnto them I take God to my witnes and I protest here before you all that I do beleeue and holde the articles of the fayth as the holy Catholicke Church doth hold and beleue the same but for this cause shall I now be condemned for that I will not consent with you vnto the condemnation of those most holy and blessed men aforesayd whome you haue most wickedly condemned for certaine articles detetesting and abhorring your wicked and abhominable life Then he confessed there before them all his beliefe and vttered many thinges very profoundly and eloquently in so much that all men there present could not sufficiently coÌ„mend prayse hys great eloqueÌ„ce excellent learning and by no means could they induce or perswade him to recant Then a certayne bishop named the Bishop of Landy made a certayne sermon exhortatiue agaynst M. Hierome perswading to his condemnation After the Byshop had ended the sayd sermon M. Hierome sayd agayn vnto them You shall condemne me wickedly and vniustly But I after my death will leaue a remorse in your conscience and a nayle in your hartes ET CITO VOS OMNES VT RESPONDEATIS MIHI CORAM ALTISSIMO ET IVSTISSIMO IVDICE POST CENTVM ANNOS that is And here I cite you to aunswere vnto me before the most high and iust Iudge within a C. yeares No penne can sufficiently write or note those
thou sayest so thou geuest offence Luke 11. The 16. Article is that they in many places lende money or goodes to haue treasure or vsurie and they haue in cities and townes yearely paiments and perpetual reuenues as great Princes and Lordes Wherein they doe against the Gospel which sayth do not ye possesse gold nor siluer And wheras they lend for gaine and vsury againste that speaketh the Lord Deu. 24. Lend not to vsury to thy brother c. Ye honest discrete and well beloued Lords all the foresaide Articles we wil prooue against the Pope and all his priests with many testimonies of the holy Scripture which for breuities sake we haue not here mētioned But note ye chiefly these 4. Articles for which wee striue and desire to defend them to the death The first Article is that all publicke and customably mortall sinnes ought to be forbidden and prohibited to all Priests and lay men according to the commaundement of the holy Scripture The seconde Article is that richesse ought to be taken from the Pope and all hys Priestes from the hyghest to the lowest and they ought to bee made poore as the Disciples of our Lord Iesus Christ were who had nothyng of their own neither possessiōs in this world neither worldly power The third Article is that the word of God ought to be free for euery mā appointed and ordained therto to preach and read in al places whether they shal come without resistance of any man or without any inhibitiō of either spirituall or earthly power openly or manifestly The fourth article is that the body of our Lord Iesus Christ ought to be deliuered to euery christian as our lord hath ordained it and as the holy Euangelists haue wrytten We haue also vnderstood that there shal be a Councell in Basile Wherfore let no mā be exalted but let them diligētly kepe their wiues their daughters and their virgins from Byshops Priests and Monkes And do not thinke that there is made any holy assembly of Bishops and Priests for the common commodity and profit of Christendom but onely to thys end that they may hide their secret vices and heresies with the cloke of hypocrisye and let and hinder the righteousnesse of God which is muche contrary to them and for this cause consider ye diligently that they will not make an holy assembly but the congregation of Sathan And take ye heede that it be not done as some did at Constance who tooke money of Bishops and Prelates suffered them to sleepe with their wiues Ye welbeloued and honest Lordes if ye finde any thing in these aforesaide Articles or wordes wrytten somewhat sharply we did it not to offend or contemne you but to the ende that ye shoulde diligently consider and deuise howe Christendome is so ill kept and led by the Priests of this present age Our Lorde Iesu Christ keepe you both in body and soule Amen In the yeare of our Lord. 1430. Preropus Smahors Conradus Samssmolich Capitaines of Bohemia Nowe to prosecute the warres of the Bohemians againe after Zisca was dead wherof we did intreat before there was great feare sorrow and lamentation in the army the soldiers accusing fortune which gaue ouer such an inuincible captaine to be ouercome with death Immediatly there was a diuision in the host the one parte chusing Procopius Magnus to be their captaine the other parte saying that there was none could be found worthy to succede Zisca whereuppon they chusing out certaine to serue the warres named themselues Orphanes Thus the Thaborites being deuided into two armies the one part retained their olde and accustomed name and the other by meanes of the death of their captayne named themselues Orphanes And all be it that oftentimes there was dissension betwene them yet when soeuer any forein power came towards them they ioyned their powers together in one campe and defended themselues They seldome went vnto any fensed townes except it were to buy necessaries but liued with their wiues and childrē in theyr campe tents They had amongst them many cartes the which they vsed as a Bulwarke For when so euer they went vnto battell they made two wings of them whyche closed in the footemen The winges of the horse men were on the out side and when as they sawe their time for to ioyne battell the wagon men which led the wings going forth vnto the Emperors standerd and compassing in such part of their enemies as they woulde did close themselues in together whereby the ennemies being inclosed so that they could not be rescued they were partly by the footemē partly by the men that were in the carres with their dartes slaine The horsemen fought without the fortification and if it happened that they were oppressed or put to flight by and by the carres opening themselues receiued them as it were into a fensed Citie and by this meanes they got many victories for so much as their enemies were ignorant of their pollicies These 2. armies went foorth the one into Slesia and the other into Morauia and returned againe wyth great pray before their enemies knewe of their comming After this they besieged the towne of Swetley in Austrich where as the Thaborites and the Orphanes two nightes continually assaulted the walles wythout ceasing but Albert Duke of Austrich comming with his hoste to aide the Citizens they fought by the space almost of foure houres the valiauntest warriers being slaine on both partes At the length the battaile was broken of and the Thaborits lost their carres and Albert was put out of his camp tents Within a while after Procopius Magnus came agayne and inclosed the citie of Rhetium in Austria with a notable siege They of Prage were in his army and Boslaus Cygneus of whome we spake before was slaine there with a dart the city of Rhetium was taken by force sacked and burnt The Burgraue of Malderburge Lord of the towne was also taken and caried vnto Prage where also hee dyed in prison These thinges thus done the Emperour sent for the nobles of Boheme which went vnto him vnto a town of Hungary called Posonium in the borders of Austria vpō the bāks of the riuer of Danubius but they wold not enter into the towne but remained wtout the towne in their tents whether as the Emperoure going out vnto them communing muche with them as touching his right title and the recouering of his fathers kingdome promising if there were any cause which did alienate the Bohemians minds from him that he would take away al the occasion therof They made answer that he had made warre vpon them without cause and that he had suffred their countrey men cōtrary to his promise to be burnt at Constance not being heard and the kingdom to be contumeliously interdited and the Nobles of Boheme to be condemned by the church of Rome as heretickes and that he should thincke the force
Lady of Tower is foolishnesse for it is but a stocke or a stone IOhn Smith was accused to be a very hereticke because he did hold that euery man is bonnde to know the Lordes Prayer and the Creede in English if he might for these false Priestes Item that who so beleeued as the Church then did beleeue beleeued ill and that a man had neede to frequent the schooles a good while ece that he can attaine to the knowledge of the true and right faith Item that no Priest hath power to assoile a man in the market of penance from his sinnes ROger Browne of the same Citie was also accused to be an hereticke bicause he did hold that no man ought to worship the Image of our Lady of Walsingham nor the bloud of Christ at Hailes but rather God almighty who would geue him whatsoeuer he would aske Item that he held not vp his hands nor looked vp at the eleuation of the Eucharist Item that he promised one to shew him certaine bookes of heresie if he woulde sweare that he woulde not vtter them and if he would credite them Item that he did eate flesh in Lent and was taken with the maner Item if any man were not shriuen his whole life long and in the point of death would be confessed and could not if he had no more but coÌ„trition only he should passe to ioy without Purgatory And if he were confessed of any sinne were enioined only to say for penance one Pater noster if he thought he should haue any punishmeÌ„t in Purgatory for that sinne he would neuer be confessed for any sinne Item because he said all is lost that is geuen to Priests Item that there was no Purgatory that God woulde pardon all sinnes without confession and satisfaction THomas Butler of the same Citie was likewise opeÌ„ly accused to be a very hereticke because he did hold that there were but two wayes that is to say to heauen and to hell Item that no faithfull man should abide any paine after the death of Christ for any sinne because Christ died for our sinnes Item that there was no Purgatory for euery man immediatly after death passeth either to heauen or hell Item that whosoeuer departeth in the faith of Christ and the Church howsoeuer he hath liued shall be saued Item that praiers pilgrimages are nothing worth and auaâ—â—â— not to purchase heauen IOhn Falkes was accused to be a very hereticke because he did 〈◊〉 that it was a foolish thing to offer to the Image of our Lady sayeng her dead shall be hoare or I offer to her what is it but a blocke If it could speake to me I would noue it an halsepeny worth of ale Item that when the Priest carieth to the sicke the body of Christ who carieth he not also the bloud of Christ Item that he did eate cowe milke vpon the first Sonday of Lent Item that as concerning the Sacrament of penaunce absolution no Priest hath power to assoile any man froÌ„ his sinnes wheÌ„ as he can not make one heare of his head Item that the Image of our Lady was but a stone or a blocke RIchard Hilmin was accused that he was a very hereticke because he did say and mainteine that it was better to depart with money to the poore then to giue tithes to Priests or to offer to the Images of our Lady and that it were better to offer to Images made by God then to the Images of God painted Item that he had the Lords Prayer and the Salutation of the Angell and the Creede in English and another booke did he see and had which conteined the Epistles and Gospels in English and according to them woulde hee liue and thereby beleeued to be saued Item that no Priest speaketh better in the Pulpit then that booke Item that the Sacrament of the aultare is but bread and that the Priests make it to blinde the people Item that a Priest whiles he is at Masse is a Priest and after one Masse done till the beginning of another Masse he is no more then a lay man and hath no more power then a meere lay man ¶ After they were enforced to recant they were assoyled and put to penaunce IN the yeare of our Lord 1488. the iij. of Aprill Margery Goyt wife of Iames Goyt of Asburne was brought before the foresayde Iohn Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield who was there accused that she said that that which the Priests lift ouer their heads at Masse was not the true and very body of Christ For if it were so the Priestes could not breake it so lightly into four parts and swalow it as they do for the Lordes body hath flesh and bones so hath not that which the Priests receiue Item that Priests buieng xl cakes for a halfepeny and shewing them to the people and saieng that of euery of them they make the body of Christ do nothing but deceiue the people and enrich themselues Item seeing God in the beginning did create and make man how can it be that man should be able to make God ¶ This woman also was constreined to recant and so was she assoyled and did penance Thus much I thought heere good to inserte touchyng these foresaid men of Couentry especially for this purpose because our cauilling aduersaries be wont to obiect against vs the newnes of Christes old and auntient Religion To the intent therefore they may see this doctrine not to be so new as they report I wish they woulde consider both the time and Articles heere obiected agaynste these foresayd persons as is aboue premised I should also in the same reigne of King HeÌ„ry vij haue induced that history of Ioannes Picus Earle of Mirandula the mention of whose naine partly is touched before page 704. This Picus Earle of Mirandula being but a yong man was so excellently witted so singularly learned in all sciences and in all toungs both Latine Greeke Hebrew Chaldey and Araby that coÌ„ming to Rome booted and spurred he set vp 90. conclusions to dispute in the same with any in al ChristeÌ„dome whosoeuer would come against him Of which conclusions diuers were touching the matter of the SacrameÌ„t c. And when none was found in all Rome nor in Europe that openly would dispute with him priuely and in corners certaine of the Popes Clergy Prelates Lawyers Friers by the Pope appointed coÌ„sulted together to inquire vpon his coÌ„clusions wherupon they did articulate against him for suspicion of heresie And thus the vnlearned Clergy of Rome priuely circumueÌ„ted and intangled this learned Earle in their snares of heresy against whome they neuer durst openly dispute He dyed being of the age of 32. of such witte and towardnes as is hard to say whether euer Italy bredde vp a better In his sickenes Charles viij the French King moued with the fame of his
Richard king of Almaine dyeth A great variaÌ„ce betweene the Monkes and citizens of Norwich Excution done at Norwich by the commaundement of kyng Henry the 3. Adam Prior of Cant. refuseth to be Archb. of Cant. Rob. Kilwerby Archb. of Cant. The death of K. Henry the 3. K. Edward 1. Pâ—â—ti◠〈◊〉 PareÌ„ts rewarded of God Ex Chron. Tho. Walsinghami A miracle of God in preseruing king Edward False was â— ip reprehended God geueâ—s the beâ—â—â—te a dumâ—â—e stocke hath the thaâ—â—â— Example of princeâ—â— â—â—mency 〈◊〉 learned 〈◊〉 kinges and princes Ex Chron. Nic. 〈◊〉 c Tho. Wales sub dued The Kings sonne first prince of Wales Vayne prophesies not to be sought to Punishment for Baker S Milners The statute for Mortmaine first enacted Anno. 1279. Blacke Fryers by Ludgate builded Bosten blemished with fire The great Conduit in Cheape Westminster Church finished The Iewes banished the Realme A place in Fabian corrected Ex Thoma â—alsingâ—aâ— â—ualtero inburnensi Lack of successioÌ„ what disturbance it worketh in a Realme The klag of Englande proued by old records chiefe head foueraign Ann. 1291. Sir Iohn Bayloll male king of Scotland by King Edward K. of Scots doth homage to the King of Englande The falsenes of the Scottish king The towne and castle of Barwicke wonne of Englishmen Falsenes iustly punished The Scots rebell again The second â—iage of king Edward into Scotland Anno. 1298. Ex Fabiano A notable victory against the Scoâ—e Anno. 1299. The Scottes sworne to the kings alleageaÌ„ce Ex Chron. Tho Walsinghami Auesburiensis The Popes message vnto the kyng The Kinges aunswere to the Pope The Pope chalengeth the Realme of Scotland to be free from the dominion of England Anno. 1301. The K. replyech to the Pope Scotland alone with England Brutus Lokrinus Albanactus Camber Alias 907. A letter of the Lordes temporall to the Pope Anno. 1303. The P. letteth â—log against king Ex R. Auesb. Another Scottish rebellion supprest The P. dispenseth with due true obedience of subiects toward their prince The Popes inhibition neglected in England Another rebellion of the Scots repressed The Scots againe subdued A greeuous variance betwene Philip the frech king pope Boniface Pope Nicolas 4. Popedome vacant two yeares Pope Celestinus 5. Crastie ingling among Popes and Cardinals Ex Massao The eight Nero. P. Boniface 8. The mischiefe of Pope Boniface described Guelphes and Gibelines 2. factions in Rome Iubilei first be gonne in Rome The P. claimeth and practiseith power of both swordes Pope Boniface 8. Author of the booke of decretals Romish pardoÌ„s first begunne by P. Boniface 8. Ex hist. Nie Triuet Philip the French king excommunicated Ex lib. Stephant Ausrery A letter of king Philip of FrauÌ„ce to pope Boniface A Parliament summoned by K. Philip at Paris The appeale of Nagareta made against pope Boniface the 8. Ex Registre An inuectib against the placing of Boniface 8. in the papall sea The pope well compared to Balaam which was wont curse Gods people for reward of money Articles propounded against pope Boniface The nature of this pope and al popes by his image painted out The pope thinkes himselfe equall with Christ. Abhominatio desolationis Papa The appellation of the French king and Nobles against pope Boniface 8. Pope Boniface had rather be a dogge then a French man Pope Boniface eneâ—y to the FreÌ„ch men Pope Boniface an enemy to peace Pope Boniface a murderer of his predecessour The proteâ—â—ation of W. Plesiano Pope Boniâ—â—ce proued iâ— heretick The Kinges answere The appeale of Philip the French king from the Pope The protestation of Prelates The bishops of Fraunce appeale from P. Boniface to a generall councell The letter of the French prelates to Pope Boniface Anno. 1304. Pope Boniface besieged Pope Boniface brought to a straight Three conditions put to the Pope Here may all kinges by the French kyng learne how to handle the pope Boniface chuseth rather to die then to giue ouer his popedome Ex R. Aaesb The excessiue treasures of the Popes house noted A pretie handling of the pope The Pope deliuered oâ—t of prison What pouertie and affliction can do in plucking downe the pride of man Pope Benedictus 11. The kinges election in his owne realme frustrated Iohn Peckham Archb. of Cant. A point of practise in the court of Rome Ecclesiasticall persons exempted by the pope for not paying tribute to the kyng The Pope proceedeth against the manifest word in setting the Clergie free from the kinges tributes Ex Chron. Rob. Gisburnensis * Apostolica autoritaâ— frustra obtenditâ—â—â— bi Aposâ—â—â— ca scriptura contemâ—â—â— * Quiaâ—â—â— quisquss barbarismus Apostolicuâ— * Flores Attics eâ— ipso helicone desumpts * 〈◊〉 rhetorica * Taurscernu Ware the bulles home The Clergy denyeth to geue tribute to the king The Clergy secluded froÌ„ the kinges protection The Archb. of Cant. for his stubbernes had his goods confiscate to the kyng The variance betweene K. Edward and his Barons commons Petitions of the Barons and commoÌ„s to the king Magna Charta Charta de foresta Custome for Wolle The kynges answere to the petitioÌ„s of the BaroÌ„s the commons Humfrey Bonne Roger Bigot The articles conteined in Magna Charta Agreement concluded and sealed betwene the K. and his Barons The moderate and good nature of K. Edward noted Rob. Winchelsey Archb. of Cant. K. Edward was troubled with two Archb. of Cant. The church of Rome and Romish prelates set against kings and rulers Kings of England commonly troubled with Archb. of Cant. Priestes to haue but one benefice Varlaunâ—e betweene the Archb. of Yorke and the clergie of Duresme InquisitioÌ„ made against yl rulers and false officers Traibastoun Ex Chron. Tho. Walsinghams A false miracle well spied out of the kyng Ex codem ChroÌ„ A true miracle Victorie against the Saracens MertoÌ„ colledge builded in Oxforde I. Scotâ—â— duns Pope ClemeÌ„t 5 The Popes court translated to Fraunce A slaughter of nobles at the pompe of the popes coronation A CarbuÌ„cle in the popes myter valued at 6000. Florence Emperour no Emperour except he were coÌ„firmed by the pope The Templaries put downe The feast of Corpus Christi Septimus decretalium called the ClemeÌ„tines Henricus â— Emperour poysoned in the host Paleologeâ— Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople excommunicated with all his adherents by pope ClemeÌ„t for not suffering the Grecians to appeale to Rome Anno. 1327. Note the practise of the Romish prelates Platina in vit Innocentâ—â— When and how loÌ„g the Greeke church was subiect to Rome Ex Baptist. Egnat Rom. prime li. 7. The Greeke church demeth subiection to the Church of Rome Ex Chron. Nic. Triâ—â—l The popes exactioÌ„s coÌ„plained of in the parliament Ex hist. qus incipis aâ— Henrico seâ—â—â—â— The Popes getting in one yeare W. Testa the popes Legat sent into England First fruites first brought in by the Pope King Edw. with staÌ„deth the Pope his Legate First fruites of Abbeyes denyed to the Pope First
accepted and thereupon the Archbyshop thomas Arundell wyth hys other bishops and a great part of the clergye went straight waies vnto the king then remaining at Keningston And there laid forth most greuous complaints against the sayd Lorde Cobham to his great infamy and blemish being a man right godly The king gently heard those bloud thirsty Prelates and farre otherwise then became his princely dignitie notwythstanding requiring and instantly desiring them that in respect of hys noble stocke and knighthode they should yet fauourably deale with him And that they would if it were possible without all rigor or extreme handling reduce him againe to the Churches vnitie Hee promised them also that in case they were contented to take some deliberation hys selfe would seriously common the matter wyth him Anone after the king sent for the saide Lorde Cobham And as he was come he called him secretely admonishing him betwixt him and him to submit himself to his mother the holy church and as an obedient child to acknowledge himselfe culpable Unto whome the Christen knight made this aunswer You most worthy Prince saith he I am alwaies prompt willing to obey for somuch as I knowe you a christen king the appoynted minister of God bearing the sworde to the punishment of euil doers for safegard of them that be vertuous Unto you next my eternal God owe I my whole obedience submit thereunto as I haue done euer all that I haue eyther of fortune or nature ready at all times to fulfil whatsoeuer ye shall in the Lord commaund inc But as touching the Pope and hys spiritually I owe them neither sure nor seruice forsomuch as I knowe him by the Scriptures to be the great Antichrist the sonne of perdition the open aduersary of God the abhomination standing in the holy place When the king had heard thys with such like sentences more he would talke no longer with hym but left him so vtterly And as the Archbyshop resorted againe vnto hym for an answere he gaue him his full authority to cite him examin him punish him according to their deuilish decrees which they called the lawes of holy church Then the sayde Archb. by the counsaile of his other Byshops and Clergy appoynted to cal before him Sir Iohn Didcastle the Lord Cobham and to cause hym personally to appeare to aunswere to such suspect Articles as they shoulde lay agaynst hym So he sent forth hys chiefe Sommoner wyth a very sharpe citation vnto the castle of Cowling where as he at that time dwelt for his solace And as the sayd Sommoner was come thether hee durst in no case enter the gates of so noble a man wythout his licence and therfore he returned home againe hys message not done Then called the Archbish. one Iohn Butler vnto him which was then the doore keper of the kings priuy chamber and wyth him he couenaunted through promyses and rewards to haue this matter craftly brought to passe vnder the kings name Whereuppon the sayde Iohn Butler tooke the Archbyshops Somner with him and went vnto the saide Lord Cobham shewing him that it was the kings pleasure that he should obey that citation and so cited him fraudulently Then saide he to them in few words that he in no case would consent to those most deuilish practises of the Priestes As they had informed the Archbyshop of that aunswere and that it was for no man priuately to cite him after that without pearil of life he decreed by by to haue him cited by publique processe or open cōmandement And in all the hast possible vpon the Wednesday before the Natiuity of our Lady in September he commaunded letters citatorir to be set vppon the great gates of the Cathedrall church of Rochester whych was but 3. English miles frō thence charging hym to appeare personally before him at Ledis the 11. day of the same moneth and yeare all excuses to the contrary set apart Those letters were taken down anone after by such as bare fauor vnto the Lord Cobham and so conueyed aside After that caused the Archbish. new letters to be set vp on the natiuity day of our Lady whych also were rent downe and vtterly consumed Then for somuch as he dyd not appeare at the day appoynted at Ledys where her sate in Consistorie as cruell as euer was Cayphas with his court of hypocrites about him he iudged him denounced him and condemned him of most depe contumacy After that whē he had bene falsly informed by his hired spies and other glosing glauerers that the sayd Lord Cobh. had laughed him to scorn disdained al his doings maintained his old opinions contemned the churches power the dignity of a Bishop the order of priesthood for all these was he than accused of in his mody madnes wtout iust profe did he openly excommunicate him Yet was not withal this his fierce tiranny satisfied but commanded him to be cited a fresh to appeare afore him the Saterday before the feast of S. Mathewe the Apostle with these cruel threatnings added thereunto that if he did not obey at the day he wold more extremely handle him And to make himselfe more strong towardes the performāce thereof he compelled the lay power by most terrible manasings of curses and interdictions to assist hym against that seditious apostata schismaticke and hereticke the troubler of the publike peace that enemy of the realme and great aduersary of all holy Church for al these hateful names did he geue him Thys most constant seruant of the Lorde and worthy Knight sir Iohn Didcastle the Lorde Cobham beholding the vnpeaceable furie of Antichrist thus kindled agaynst him perceiuing himself also compassed on euery side wyth deadly daungers He tooke paper and pen in hand and so wrote a Christen cōfession or rekening of his faith whych followeth heereafter both signing and sealing it wyth his owne hand Wherein he also answered to the 4. chiefest articles that the Archbyshop laid against him That done he tooke the copie with him and went therewith to the king trusting to finde mercy fauour at his hande None other was that confession of his then the common beleue or summe of the Churches faith called the Apostles Creede of all Christen men than vsed with a brief declaration vpon the same as here vnder ensueth ¶ The Christen beliefe of the Lorde Cobham I Beleue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth And in Iesu Christ hys onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy ghost borne of the virgin Mary suffred vnder Ponce Pilate crucified dead and buried went downe to hell the thirde day rose agayne from death ascended vp to heauen sitteth on the ryght hande of God the father almighty and from thence shal come again to iudge the quicke the dead I beleeue in the holy ghost the vniuersal holy Church the communion of Saints the forgeuenesse
of sinnes the vprising of the flesh and euerlasting life Amen And for a more large declaration sayth he of thys my sayth in the Catholicke Churche I stedfastly beleue that there is but one God almighty in and of whose Godhead are these three persons the father the sonne and the holye Ghost and that those three persons are the selfe same God almighty I beleue also that the second person of this most blessed Trinitie in most conuenient tune appoynted therunto afore tooke flesh and bloud of the most blessed virgin Mary for the sauegarde and redemption of the vniuersall kind of man which was afore lost in Adams offence Moreouer I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ our Lord thus being both God and man is the onely head of the whole Christian Churche and that all those that hathe bene or shal be saued be members of this most holy church And this holy Churche I thinke to be deuided into three sortes or companyes Wherof the first sort be now in heauen and they are the sayntes from hence departed These as they were here coÌ„uersant conformed alwayes their liues to the most holye lawes and pure examples of Christ renouncing Sathan the world and the flesh with all their concupiscences and euils The second sort are in Purgatory if any suche place be in the scriptures abiding the mercy of God and a full deliueraunce of payne The third sort are here vpon the earth and be called the Church millitant For day and night they contend against crafty assaultes of the deuill the flattering prosperities of this world and the rebellious filthines of the flesh This latter congregation by the iust ordinance of God is also seuered into three diuers estates that is to say into priesthood knighthood and the commons Among whom the will of God is that the one should ayd the other but not destroy the other The priestes first of al secluded from all worldlines should conforme theyr liues vtterly to the examples of Christ and his Apostles Euermore shoulde they be occupyed in preaching and teaching the scriptures purely and in geuing wholesome examples of good liuing to the other two degrees of men More modest also more louing gentle and lowly in spirite should they be then ano other sortes of people In knighthood are all they which beare sword by law of office These should defend Gods lawes and see that the Gospell were purely taught conforming theyr liues to that same and secluding all false preachers yea these ought rather to hazard their liues theÌ„ to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemisheth the eternall Testament of God or yet letteth the free passage therof whereby heresies schismes might spring in the Churche For of none other arise they as I suppose then of erroneous constitutioÌ„s craftely first creeping in vnder hipocriticall lies for aduauntage They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressours tyrauntes and theeues to see the clergie supported so long as they teach purely pray rightly and minister the Sacramentes freely And if they see them doe otherwise they are bound by the law of office to compell them to chaung their doinges to see all thinges performed according to gods prescript ordinaunce The latter fellowship of this Church are the common people whose duery is to beare their good mindes true obedience to the aforesayd ministers of God theyr kinges ciuill gouernours and Priestes The right office of these is iustly to occupy euery man his facultie be it marchaundise handicraft or the tilthe of the ground And so one of them to be as an helper to an other following alwayes in their sortes the iust commaundementes of the Lord God Ouer and besidés all this I most faythfully beleeue the the Sacramentes of Christes Churche are necessary to all Christen beleuers this alwayes seen to that they be truly ministred according to Christes first institution and ordinaunce And forasmuch as I am maliciously most falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the sacrament of the aulter to the hurtfull slaunder of many I signifie here vnto all men that this is my fayth concerning that I beleue in that Sacrament to be contayned very Christes body and bloud vnder the similitudes of bread and wyne yea the same body that was conceiued of the holy ghost borne of that virgine Mary done on the crosse dyed that was buryed arose the thyrd day from the death and is now glorified in heauen I also beleue the vniuersall law of God to be most true and perfect and they which doe not so follow it in theyr fayth and works at one time or an other can neuer be saned Where as he that seketh it in fayth accepteth it learneth it delighteth therin and performeth it in loue shall cast for it the felicitie of euerlasting Innocencie Finally this is my fayth also that God will aske no more of a Christen beleuer in this life but onely to obey that preceptes of that most blessed law If any Prelates of the Church require more or els any other kinde of obedience then this to be vsed he contemneth Christ exalting hymselfe aboue God and so becommeth an open Antichrist Al the premisses I beleue particularly and generally all that God hath left in his holy scripture that I should beleeue Instantly desiring you my siege Lord and most worthye king that this confession of mine may be iustly examined by the most godly wise and learned men of your Realme And if it be found in all pointes agreeing to the veritie theÌ„ let it be so allowed and I therupon holden for none other then a true Christian. If it be proued otherwise then let it be vtterly coÌ„demned prouided alwayes that I be taught a better beliefe by the word of God and I shall most reuerently at all times obey therunto This briefe confession of this fayth the Lorde Cobham wrote as is mentioned afore and so tooke it with him to the court offering it withall meekenes vnto the kyng to read it ouer The king would in no case receaue it but coÌ„manded it to be deliuered vnto theÌ„ that should be his iudges Then desired he in the kinges presence that an hundred knightes and Esquiers might be suffered to come in vpon hys purgation which he knew woulde cleare hym of all heresies Moreouer he offered himselâ—e after the lawe of armes to fight for life or death in any man liuing Christen or heathen in the quarrell of hys fayth the king and the Lordes of hys Councell excepted Finally with all geÌ„tlenes he protested before all that were present that he wold refuse no maner of correction that shold after the lawes of God he ministred vnto him but that he would at al times with all meekenes obey it Notwithstanding all this the king suffered him to be sommoned personally in his owne priuy chamber Then sayd the Lord Cobham to the king that he had appeled from the