the people of the Iewes were grieuously formented with continuall warres 48 Whilest these great mischiefes continued these sectes were begonne and confusions bread when there were but a very fewe that kept still the heauenly doctrine loe then came Mathan the grandfather of the Virgine Marie who was borne about 100. yeares before Christ And after him Ioachim which is also named Elie the father of the Virgine Marie who was borne 60. yeares before the Lord Iesus which was the same yere that Pompei conquered Ierusalem and that Iewrie was made tributarie to the Romaines and brought into the maner of a Prouince to the end that men might knowe assuredly howe that the time of the Messias was at hand of whome the Patriarch Iacob had prophecied saying The scepter shall not be taken away from Iuda nor a Lawgiuer from his féete vntill that Silo come and to him shall the nations be gathered Gen. 49. 49 About this time were ayding to the conseruation and kéeping of the Church Simeon Anna the prophetisse Zacharie Elizabeth with others and the Virgine Marie the mother of the sonne of God our Lord. The gouernement in the Church of this fourth range or order of the high priestes and gouernours after their returne from captiuitie lasted about 500 yeares The fift and last order of the Doctours of the Church of God is that which we begin at Iohn Baptist and our Lord Iesus Christ 50 Iohn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie the priest beganne to preach in the 15. yeare of the Empire of Tiberius Cesar when as Pontius Pylate was gouernour in Iewrie and when Herode was Tetrarch in Galilée and he preached baptisme and repentance that is to say that euery one should repent and amend that they might receiue remission of sinnes through Iesus Christ which thing he confirmed by the signe of baptisme He taught the people of all estates howe they ought to liue He bare witnesse of the Lord Iesus And baptizing the people he baptized Iesus also vpon whome the holy Ghost descended in bodily shape God declared from heauen that he was his sonne Iohn hauing reproued Herode the Tetrarch bicause of Herodias his brother Phillips wife and for all the other euils that he had done was cast in prison and at length beheaded 51 In the 24. yeare of the reigne of Augustus the eternall sonne of God was borne hauing taken vpon him humane flesh of the Virgine Marie in Bethlehem a towne of Iewrie This is that séede which hath broken the head of the serpent and hath deliuered vs from his deadly sting This is the souereigne head of the Church without which the body can haue no due proportion and shape he hath a speciall care thereof and wil make it féele effectually of his presence and he will be in the middest thereof called vppon serued honoured and glorified Nowe as soone as Christ the true annoynted of God was borne and made knowne vnto the world Herode stirred vp great persecutions the occasion thereof beganne for bicause that the wise men came from the East who brought newes of the Messias vnto the people of Ierusalem He caused all the children within the precinct of Bethlehem to be slaine as many as were two yeares olde and vnder His execrable dealings abode not long time vnpunished And it shall be necessarie that we consider somewhat of the worthie end of this tyrant Ioseph in the eight booke of his Antiquities Cha. 17. writeth thus The sicknesse of the king did rage more and more and God shewed openly that he punished him for his vngodlynesse for he was burned with a pining heate and this heate could not be perceiued outwardly but he felt it wtin his body in as much as it gnawed and tormented his bowels He was so hungrie that he tooke no laysure to chawe his foode but swallowed vp gréedily that entred into his mouth and was at all times casting meate into his mouth His bowels were corrupted full of vlcers he was also tormented with the colica passio His féete were swelled with flegmatike humours his priuie partes were rotten full of wormes His breath was so stinking that no body durst come neare him And in the 21. chapter of the first booke of the Iewes warre the saide historiographer wrate this which followeth All his body was intangled with diseases and he was vexed with sundrie dolours he had a burning intollerable gnawing wtin him The colicke tormented him incessantly and the and his féete were swollen in the skinne and flesh He addeth moreouer that he assayed to shorten his life and calling for a knife he lifted vp his right hande for to haue killed him selfe which thing Archicab his cosin germaine perceiuing ranne and stayed his hand He dyed fiue yeares after that he had put Antipater his sonne to death when he had enioyed the kingdome by the space of 34. yeares after he had put Antigonus to death and 37. yeares after that he was declared king by the Romanes Iesus Christ the souereigne Bishop Doctour and Pastour of his Church was 30. yeares olde when he was baptised and then beganne he to preach vnto the people of the Iewes the word of the Gospell which he had brought from his father according to the promises that had bene made afore time and he wrought miracles After thrée yeares then following he was offered vp a sacrifice for to redéeme mākinde he suffered his death and passion in the eightéenth yeare of Tyberius the Emperour He rose againe from death the third day after his passion a vanquisher and triumphant and shewed himselfe vnto his Apostles and to many other men and women with great approbations being séene by them by the space of of 40. dayes speaking of the kingdome of God Actes 1. And after that he had giuen commandement to his Apostles that they should goe throughout all the world for to teach the doctrine to all nations and to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost instructing them to kéepe al what so euer he had commaunded them promising to continue with his Church vntill the end of the world He ascended vp into heauen sitting at the right hand of his father and hath sent downe his holy spirite vpon the Apostles the which went forth all abroad for to kindle and spread foorth the light of the Gospell Nowe we must set in this fift order the Apostles and Euangelistes the Bishops Pastors and Doctours whome the sonne of GOD hath raised from time to time in all ages for the conseruation and maintenance of the ministerie The Apostles be the first in the fift order Nowe here we must marke in what places and howe farre the word of the Gospell hath bene spread through al partes and countries of the whole earth and what Pastours and Doctours haue succéeded and in what places 52 Peter the Apostle declared the Gospell in many places as may be at large séene by the history of the
his eyes to wit the iust iudgementes that God had wrought-vpon the whole face of the earth washing men from their hortible and abhomible sinnes the which they had vnreasonably committed He also was able to shew foorth the great goodnesse and mercy of God in that he would not that all mankinde should be drowned and destroyed All the time that Sem liued was 600. yeares Gen. 11. 10 Arphaxad was borne the second yeare after the floud in the yeare of his father Sem 100 Gen. 11. He liued 438. yeares Sale was borne in the yeare of his father Arphaxad 35. He liued 433. yeares Gen. 11. Heber was borne in the yere of his father Sale 30. Gen. 11. He liued 464. yeares Phaleg was borne in the yere of his father Heber 34. He liued 239. yeares Reu was borne in the yeare of his father Phaleg 30. He liued 302. yeares Sarug was borne in the yeare of his father Reu 30. He liued 230. yeares Nachor was borne in the yeare of his father Sarug 30. He liued 148. yeares Thare was borne in the yeare of his father Nachor 29. And when he was seuentie yeares olde he begat Abraham He liued 205. yeares Gen. 11.32 Nowe these be here recited by Moses as being the chiefest of those that were in their time whereas we may vnderstand that although the world was filled with all impietie yet notwithstanding God still hath wonderfully conserued some the haue kept the instruction of the true heauenly doctrine to the end that the Church and the promise made thereto should not be wholy extinguished which doctrine was also immediately renued vnto Abraham their successour This is the first order of the Doctours of the Church of God that is to say of the Fathers whose gouernement endured about the space of 2023. yeres The second order of the gouernours of the Church of God is of the Patriarches 11 Abraham was borne in the yeare of his father Thare 70. Gen. 11. He went from his countrie and from his kinsfolke in the yeare after the floud 367. and in the yeare of the world 2023. He with his posteritie bare rule and gouerned the Church In his time was the promise of the séede of the woman renued which is the redéemer and deliuerer of mankinde and it was declared by manifest promises that this deliuerer or redéemer ought to be looked for of his posteritie Furthermore Abraham being of the age of 99. yeares Gen. 17. receiued Circumcision the signe of the aliance betwixt God and him which signe representeth to the Church two things to wit that al what so euer is of man is vicious and must be cut away and that saluation must procéede from the roote of Abraham He liued 175. yeares Gen. 25. Isaac was borne in the yeare of Abraham his father 100. Gen. 21. of whose séede is borne our Lord Iesus Christ Isaar liued 180. yeares 12 Iacob was borne when his father was 60. yeares of age Gen. 25. This man was a Prophete of the Church of GOO and he tooke that heauenly doctrine from his predecessors and of his father Isaac at whose handes also he obtained the blessing of God he was surnamed Israel Gen. 32. And for this cause they that descended of him were called the people of Israel Iacob being 130. yeares olde went downe into Egypt Gen. 47. whereas he might teach the true doctrine of God He liued 147. yeares After this the twelue Patriarches with their children and successors gouerned the church of God in Egypt by the space of 215. yeares Leui was borne but a few yeares before Ioseph He liued 137. yeares After his death the children of Israel were in Egypt 121. yeares And after the death of Leui vntill the natiuitie of Moses was 41. yeares In which time Cahat the sonne of Leui and Amram the sonne of Cahat and father of Moses did gouerne the Church 13 Vnder the guyding of Moses the sonne of Amram of the house of Leui the people was brought out of Egypt Exod. 12. Then was the Lawe giuen published diuinely great miracles wrought yea such as the like had not bene séene nor heard of before amongst the people The lawes also of cere monies were giuen them by God by the hand of Moses so were all sortes of oblations sacrifices and burnt offerings Whereby is to note that the Ceremonies appointed by God to the Fathers were as a preaching and secret kinde of doctrine for to instruct them into what condemnation they were fallen by reason of their sinne and howe that there was no hope of deliuerance and blessing except they had alwayes in their heartes a certaine regarde vnto the mercy of GOD declared in the promise of the séede of the woman promised aforetime to the first parentes and shortly after renued to the Fathers their successors that by the saide séede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed as it is written in the 12. chap. of Genesis And thus the mercy of God was more and more manifested vnto them by meane of the Messias whose office was figured and represented in the saide ceremonies with the whole mysterie of our redemption Moses then with his brother Aaron who was older then he gouerned the Church And God in many sortes and by diuers meanes declared howe greatly he liked the ministerie charge to them committed For as it is written in the 16. chapter of Numbers After that Corah Dathan Abiron and 250. men of the children of Israel had murmured against Moses refusing to be gouerned by him they were all swallowed vp quicke Likewise the people beginning to murmur against Moses and Aaron as though they had bene cause of the punishment sent vpon them GOO reuenged the outragious grudging of them by fire sent from heauen wherewith a great number were deuoured to wit aboue fouretéene thousand This is an example worthie to be remembred of the wrath of GOD against rebels and seditious persons which enuyed and grudged at not so much Gods seruants as against God him selfe Aaron liued 123. yeares and Moses 120. yeares he being inspired by the spirite of God composed fiue Bookes the which be called vntil this day The fiue Bookes of Moses 14 Iosue was borne in the yeare of Moses his age 42. He liued 110. yeares and after the death of Moses he was ordained guide of the people through whose conduct they entred into the land of Canaan the inhabitants whereof he vanquished and put to foyle and lastly he deuided the lande amongest the tribes of Israel He gouerned the people by the space hath heard neither could the vnderstanding of man at any time comprehend to wit the full possession and enioying of glory in the triumphant kingdome of our Lord Iesus the euerlasting Priest and King of whome may be séene in his Psalmes many good and excellent propheties Vnder this King and Prophet as well the ecclesiasticall gouernement as the ciuill was most worthily guided and ordered Loe those that were with him committed
the time of Traian the Emperour about the yeare of Iesus Christ 101. In that time were likewise other Bishops as Titus Bishop of Crete and others of whom mention is made in the Acts and in the Epistles of S. Paul that is to wit Apollo Aristarchus Gayus Derbée Iason Erastus Sosipater Tychicus Secundus Syluanus Tertius Quartus Sosthenes Epaphras Iesus the iust Demas Archippus Bishop of the Colossiās Eubulus Pudens Linus Artenas and Zenas and Dionifius Areepagita Bishop of the Athenians 64 In the yeare 65. Annianus was ordeyned Bishop of Alexandria and he gouerned the Church 22. yeares looke the historie Ecclesiasticus booke 2. chapter 23. In the yeare 66. beganne the first persecution which was in the 10. yeare of Nero and it abode vntill his death By the commaundement of this tyrant the citie of Rome was set on fire and for to shunne the report of such an act he laide the fault vpon the Christians and caused them to be executed with sundry kindes of death Those that named thē selues Christiās which name was thē so odious as if they had bene enimies to all mankinde and those that were accused hereof by the prisoners besides the other hurtes and abuses that they suffered abode this approbrie that being clad in beastes skinnes they were bayted torne in pieces with dogs some were attached and hanged on the crosse others burned in the fire so as of them were kindled fires for to giue light in the night Thus Cornelius Tacitus witnesseth 65 Ignatius a disciple of S. Iohn the Euangelist was ordeyned the second Bishop of Antioch he was caried prisoner vnto Rome for to be cast amongest the wilde beastes and to be made a spectacle vnto the people He going through Syria to Rome and passing through the countrey of Asia preached in all places where he went to the people and to the congregation the Christian faith and he exhorted the Christians to perseuere in the trueth and to beware of the infections of heretiques which then beganne to budde and that they should kéepe diligently the doctrine that they had receiued of the Apostles The cause of this persecution was for that hauing reproued in Antioch the idolatry of Traian he was apprehended as a seditious person and as being culpable lesae maiestatis and he was deliuered in charge to tenne souldiers or rather tormentors for to be caried to Rome and to be deliuered to the Lyons Whereof Ignatius him selfe saith I haue fought against beastes from Syria vnto Rome by sea and by land night and day among tenne Leopards c. Ireneus in his 5. booke speaking of Ignatius condemned to be cast vnto beastes affirmeth that he saide I am the wheate of Iesus Christ and I shall be ground with the téeth of beastes so as I may be made the bread of God 66 In the time of Domitian the Emperour who raised vp persecution against the Christians Clement Bishop of Rome which was martyred vnder Traianus instituted in his time Notaries for to write the actes of the martyrs their constancie and patience for an example and perpetuall memorie In the yeare of the Lord Iesus 88. Albilius was ordeyned Bishop of Alexandria and was Bishoppe there twelue yeares 67 Anacletus Bishop of Rome of the nation of Gréekes an Athenian gouerned the Church thrée yeares and two monethes He ordeyned that Ecclesiasticall persons should twise in the yeare haue a Synode or cōgregation for the affaires of the church He by his writings exhorted the people amongest other things that they should honor and reuerence their ministers Who so speaketh euill of the ministers saith he speaketh euill of Christ and he iudgeged him separated from Christ He was martyred in the reigne of Traianus Looke the first volume of Councels 68 Euaristus Bishop of Rome who was martyred in the last yeare of the Emperour Traian ordeyned that there should be elected seuen Deacons in euery citie the which should marke and watch the Bishop in preaching and teaching to the people and these he ordeyned for a testimonie of the worde of God and to the end that none should lay to his charge that he had preached euill and against the trueth He ordeyned that mariage should be openly celebrated in the Church That the Church should obey the Bishop and that the Bishop should neuer forsake his Church so long as he liued no more then the husband should forsake his wife or the wife her husband 69 Quadratus Bishop of Athens a disciple of the Apostles presented a booke of Apologie to Adrian the fiftéenth Emperour for the defence of the Christian faith Aristides an Athenian Philosopher being a faithfull man composed a like booke Wherevpon Adriā sent to Minutius Fondanus deputie in Asia that he should no more persecute the Christians but that if they did any thing contrarie to the lawes he would that iudgement should procéede according to the qualitie of the crime That if any body accused thē slaunderously he willed such a one should be punished for his maliciousnesse and that they shuld haue no harme 70 Polycarpus the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle was Bishop of Smyrna in Ionia which is in Asia the lesse beneath Ephesus he liued till he was very olde Ireneus saith that he was ordeyned Bishop there by the Apostles it is very likely in déede that he beganne his ministerie in the second or thirde yeare of Traian S. Hierome in his catalogue saith that he was sent by Saint Iohn the Euangelist he offended in the 68. yeare after the passion of Christ as it is reported Ireneus saith of him that one day as Marcion met him he saide vnto him Take counsel and knowledge with vs Polycarpus aunswered him againe I knowe that thou art the chiefest sonne of Sathan The remnant of the life of Polycarpus was in the time of Marcus Antonius and of Lucius Verus the Emperours The chiefest gouernours of the Empire did then stirre vp such persecution against the christians that it extended to them of the citie of Smyrna whereof Polycarpus had bene Bishop long time and there he was burned when he had serued the Church of God about 70. yeares this was in the seuenth yeare of this saide Emperour As some say he was 80. yeares olde The prayer of Polycarpus that he made before his death is in the fourth booke of the Ecclesiastical historyes 71 In the time of Antonius Pius in the 10. yere of his raigne Marke comming from the Gentlyles was elected byshop of the Church at Ierusalem the which citie after the sacking and spoyle made by Tytus vntill that of Adrian had succéeding by order fiue chiefe Bishops Eusebius maketh mention of them in his third booke and first chapter Then after the spoyle made by Adrian there was no more any Church and congregation gathered together there saue of the Gentyls and they appointed Bishops amongst themselues for the Iewes then bearing armes against the Romaines were at the last discomfited and there were killed
at one onely battaile 58. thousand men as Nicephorus saith Anselme speaketh of 50. thousand and of fifty fortresses that were taken and 985. Villages destroyed both by famine and fire and bloudsheade And all the rest of the Iewes were driuen away from Ierusalem and solde into all partes of the worlde So terrible a destruction as they had by Titus might sufficiently teach them that the kingdome was taken away from them like as the Prophets had foretolde them but it came so to passe that they felt almost as great a punishment at the seconde time as they had at the first Then many Christians of the Gentyles gathering themselues together elected as before I was telling Marke for their Bishop who was the 16. Cassianus the 17. Publius the 18. Maximius the 19. Gayan the 21. Symmache the 22. Caius the 23. Iulian secundus the 24. Capito the 25. This is recorded of Eusebius lib. 5. Chap. 12. For asmuch as the Church of the Gentyles had then their habitation there the Lorde woulde declare that the true Messias was alreadie come and that they ought to looke for none other 72 In the time of Marcus Aurelius Antonius about the yeare 160. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Melito borne in Asia was Bishop of Sardis he wrote to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Christian faith Theophilus bishoppe of Antioche wrote against Marcion Apollinaire Denis bishop of Corinth Iustus bishop of Vienna wer Martyrs for the faith There were also Philip bishoppe of Créete or Candie Egesippus Iustin the Philosopher Modestus Musan and certaine others of whose bookes we haue but fewe Eusebius doth partely and Hierome partely rehearse the bookes written by them 73 Eleutherius borne at Nicopolis in Gréece gouerned the Church of Rome 15. yeare and more in the time of Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour in the yeare of Christ 179. he gaue commaundement against the Seueriens herisie that then raigned Also that no Christian for any ceremong should forsake any kinde of meates accustomed to bee eaten 1. volume of councells 74 Ireneus the scholar of Polycarpus was ordeyned byshop of Lions after that Photin bishop of the said Church had suffered Martyrdome when he was 90. yeares old and with him a greate many moe Frenchmen Hee was in the time of Prince Commodus about 170. or a 180. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus It is saide that hée was put to death in the citie of Smyrna vnder the raigne of Maximine Hée lyued aboue fourescore yeares There was great persecution in the Church about that time and it lasted very long For the Paganes were offended because that the Christians reproued and sought to abolysh their olde accustomed manners of worshipping and the Religion of their auncestours And for this cause a great multitude of Christians were put to death all abroade in dyuers countryes and regions especially aboue all others the Doctours Bishops and Pastours of the Churches Nowe during these venemous rages and horible crueltie of the Deuil God preserued some faithfull Doctours and prolonged the liues of some others to the ende that by them the pure doctrine might be conserued and publyshed abroad amongst whiche were Polycarpus Ireneus and others 75 About this time or shortly after lyued Theodotion bishoppe of Ephesus of Alexandria Pautene Miltiades Appollonius Serapion and Policrates of whose liues Eusebius and S. Hierome make larger demonstration and of their bookes also All the which sustayned sundrie combattes against many heretykes to wit Marcion Montanus Valentinian and the Hermogenians and diuers others 76 Victor bishop of Rome gouerned the church 10. yeares in the time of Didius Iulianus Milancius Emperours Hée ordeyned that those which woulde not reconcile themselues shoulde be depriued of the table of the Lorde 77 About 200. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus in the raigne of Seuerus Pertinax Antonius Carcalla Emperours was Tertullian of Affrica of the citie of Carthage His bookes be nowe extant in which Cyprian tooke so great pleasure as saint Hierome wryteth that he woulde not passe ouer one day without reading some of his workes It is written of him that he lyued vntill the last age 78 Leonides the father of Origene was martyred for the faith he had his head cut off in the persecutions stirred vp against the Christians by the Emperour Seuerus in the tenth yeare of his Empyre Origene his sonne being then young of 17. yeares of age saide my father take héede that in no wise you change and swarue from the trueth you haue begon This Origene after that the goods of his Father were confiscate for the faith kept and mainteined his mother and brethren with teaching schole and being but eightéene yeares olde he was called by the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypte to the office of a Catechiser for to instructe children and straungers Out of his schoole came many Martyrs If any woulde sée what was his life his manners exercises writinges and bookes let him haue recourse to Eusebius in the ecclesiasticall historie in the sixt booke He lyued vntill the time of Gallus that is vntill the 70. yeare of his age Amonius the philosopher was his maister who perseuered in the Christian faith vntill he died Origene was 255. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Suidas saith that he was buried in the citie of Cyr. In that time was also Tryphon Minutius Felix that was a Romain Berillus Hippolitus Alexander bishop of Cappadocia Iulius Affricanus Gregorie bishop of Pontus in Nercesarea Dionise bishop of the citie of Alexandria all which for the most part had béene the scholers of Origene 79 Vrbane a Romaine Bishop of Rome gouerned the Church 8. or 9. yeares in the time of the Emperour Heliogabalus Damasus saith that he was of a holy life so as he drewe certeine Gentlemen as Tyburtius and Valerian the husbande of S. Cecil to the Christian faith Moreouer Damasus saith that he ordeined that the Churches shoulde possesse landes farmes and other possessions and that the saide goods should be common and distributed for the sustenance of the mynisters the poore and the notaries called the protonotaryes who wrote the actes of the martyrs 80 Cyprian of the country of Affrica bishop of Carthage suffered martyrdom vnder the empyre of Valerian and Galerien in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 260. Nowe in that time that is to say in the reigne of Dionisius the Emperour arose great persecution and thereof Nicephorus saith in his fifth booke and twenty Chapter that it is as easie to number the multitude of those that suffered in this persecution as it is to number the sande of the sea Alexander bishop of Ierusalem honourable because of his pietie and age was brought before the seat iudiciall in Cesarea and after that he had made confession of his faith he died in prison Babyle byshop of Nicomedie Asclepiades of Antioche Germane Theophilus Cesarius Vital Polichronius bishop of Babylon Serapion Apolline the
of the supper the accidents be not without the subiect that is to say that the whitenesse and roundnesse of the breade be not without the bread to wit that contrary to transubstantion which the priests haue forged the breade abideth bread and the wine contynueth in the proper substance Moreouer the conclusions proposed by him at the towne of Lambeth be these If that any Princes or Lordes or any others haue made any donations vnto the mynisters of the Church there is therin a secreate condition to wit that God shoulde be honoured and that the faithfull should be edified And if this condition ceasse then they may take away from wicked pastours that which they had giuen them any excommunication or other whatsoeuer to the contrary notwithstanding That if these dealinges of men were let alone the cleargie which were of couetous persons will bring all the world into their hands Also that the Pope may lawfully be reproued by those whom he kéepeth in obedience vnder him and that for the vtilitie of the Church he may be accused both of the clearks and lay people That the Pope as great a Lord as he reporteth himselfe to be must thinke that he is a brother vnto others and that if he sinne he ought to be brotherly corrected and heare corrections brotherly And when as by the holy scripture his heresie or errour is shewed him he ought not to be obstinate And by many other conclusions he shewed euidently the abuse of the Pope and of the cleargy and how that their possessions of so great reuenewes be vniust To conclude he was assaulted by many and amongest others the begging monkes who rose against him by greate flockes But the Lorde gaue him for a protectour the Kinge Edwarde vnder whose raigne he had some lybertie to speake the truth Richarde the successour of the said Edwarde persecuted and banished him Within a while after he was called again from banishment and returned vnto the parrishe of whiche he was pastour and there like a lustie champion of the Lorde he aboade alwayes constant euen vntill the death he died in the yeare of our Lorde 1388. fortie and one yeares after his death he was digged vp againe by the commandement of the Pope and his bones were burned and the ashes thereof cast into the water but Iesus Christ dieth not in his faithful ones vse the tyrants what cruelty they can He composed many bookes the which were burned in the citie of Oxenford in the yere 1410. there be certaine notwithstanding reserued still for to declare that God hath alwayes some faithfull seruantes who doe resist the errours of the world Amongest his writinges there is an Epistle which he sent to Pope Vrbane He that woulde sée more at large of him and of his historie let him looke in the booke of Martyrs 134 In the persecution raysed vp against Wiclief and in the yere 1400. Sautree a priest imbraced with zeale of true pure religion craued and requested in the ful Parliament the audience might be granted him for the cōmon profit of all the Realme Then albeit that his request was honest and ciuill and that he gaue to vnderstande that he coulde bring great profite yet he was not hearde for the bishops perceiuing that he came caused him to be attached of heresie and for the seauen articles condemned disgraded and burned him Looke Fabius in his Chronicles and Iohn Crespin in the booke of martyrs William Thorpe an Englishman was also a valiant martyre of our Lorde Iesus Christ He sustayned great assaultes of many prelats of of the Church of Rome without forsaking his vocation which was to instruct the people according to the pure word of God And therefore he woulde not agrée to preach the superstitions and humaine inuentions which he declared to be contrarie to the institution of the holy scriptures he was condemned hauing yeelded a testimonie of his faith Nowe of many pointes well worth the noting vpon the interrogations propounded to him I will recite for to auoyde great prolixitie one onely that is that he being demaunded of the Archbishop of Canterburie primate of Englande and Chauncelour of the whole Realme what the Church did signifie he answered that it is Iesus Christe and the companie of saincts Which thing the said Archbishop confessed to be true in respect of heauen but he demaunded further what the Church was here below on earth It is deuided into two partes answered the said Williā Thorp the one of the two parts which is the better hath obtained victorie ouer the enemies and triumpheth nowe with Christe in great ioy the other part fighteth here still on earth by the sworde of faith against the continuall bulwarkes of Sathan of the fleshe and of the worlde There is no strength so violent no pompe so proud no fire of afflictions and persecutions so burning no tyrannie so cruel no reasons of Doctours so discording nor opinions so diuerse which can withdrawe them from the right rule of faith and of the holy scriptures For they be fortyfied by the worde of God in Christ and firmely stablished as vppon a sure rocke that can not be remoued Looke Iohn Crespin in his booke of martyrs Within a while after the death of Iohn Wiclief there arose greate persecution in Englande against the faithfull for the truth of the Gospell which then began to take déepe rooting The worthiest men in the Realme were not then spared the lord Cobham a knight of the order one of the peeres of England was there apprehended but he was executed after these that we nowe speake off And therefore according to the order of time we will hereafter speake of him more at large for he was an excellent martyr of our Lorde Iesus Christ King Henrie then by publike ordinaunce made an edicte and set foorth through the persuasions of the bishoppes and prelates terrible punishmentes for all them that should follow the doctrine of Wicliefe vsing so great seueritie against them that he helde them not onely for heretikes but also as guiltie of treason And for this cause it was ordeined that they should be punished with two sortes of punishmentes that is that they should be both hanged and burned and there was neither fréedome nor any priuiledge whereby they coulde enioye profite so maliciously were they bente againste the faithfull séeking all meanes againste them and in that time they called al them Wicleffians who read the scriptures in the vulgar tongue and which made their assemblies in secrete places in the darke preaching in woodes and bushes Then the Bishops being armed with this edicte of the king exercised great tyrannie against manie good people and many poore innocentes and amongest other against Roger Acton a knight of the order and a true nobleman adorned with great vertues he abhorred the wicked traditions of the Pope had his affections withdrawen from him and from all his assistants For that cause it is reported that he was hated amongest the
and deputed for the gouernance Ecclesiasticall were these to wit the Prophetes Nathan and Gad and the high Priest Sadoc and Abimelech with them a great companie of holy and wise personages of whome is witnessed in the bookes of the Psalmes as Asaph the sonne of Chore Haman Ethan and others 19 Salomon the sonne of Dauid succéeded his father by whome he had left him a great deale of costly stuffe wherewith he beganne to build in the fourth yeare of his reigne a Temple for the Lorde the which in seuen yeares after was finished He wrote the bookes of the Prouerbes of Ecclesiastes and the booke called Cantica canticorum he kept the gouernement by the space of 40. yeares lastly the kingdome was deuided and brought to confusion bicause of his adulteries and such other wickednes Then albeit that the true doctrine of God and his right seruice were darkened and polluted and that abhominable idolatries were brought in by Salomon being nowe olde and corrupted through the entisements of women which abhominations were afterward maintained also and augmented by the wicked and vnfaithfull Kinges of Israel as Ieroboam Nadab Baasa Ella Simri Amri and Achab and furthermore by the wicked Kinges of Iuda as Roboam and Abias yet notwithstanding the Lord did not suffer his Church to be vnprouided for for he raysed vp still some good men as in the kingdome of Roboam was the Prophet Semeia who instructed both him and the Princes of Iuda of the will of the Lord. The Prophet Ado was also in that time 1. Kings 12.2 Chron. 12. Ieroboam offering sacrifice vnto the golden Calues 1. Kings 13. Was reproued by the prophet Iadi of whome is made mention 2. Chron. 9. chap. vers 29. In the same time was also the prophet Ahias who speaking vnto the wife of Ieroboam told her that the king her husband did prouoke the Lord vnto anger with his idolatries he shewed also of the vengeance that would light vpon him for his sinnes 1. Kings 14. Azarias the prophet exhorted Asa the King of Iuda to put idolatrie away out of his realme which thing the King did in déede 2. Chron. 15. Hanani séeing this reproued the saide Asa for bicause he did put his trust in the king of Syria and not in God 2. Chron. 16. Iehu the prophet by the word of the Lord threatened Baasa the king of Israel bicause he walked in the way of Ieroboam causing the people to sinne 1. Kings 16. To conclude other good prophets were raised vp by GOD for to conserue and mainteine his true seruice for to rebuke also the Kings and people for their idolatries and abhominable misdoings as were Elie the Thesbite and Iosue the sonne of Nun of whom mention is made in the fift booke of Kings chap. 16. at the end of the chapter 20 Elie the Thesbite was in the time of Achab the King of Israel and was diuinely raised vp for to purge againe the doctrine and to kindle againe the light thereof This man sustained terrible combats and battels against king Achab a man full of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnesse and against the cruell Quéene Iezabel and against the priestes of Baal He wrought great myracles he through his prayers shut vp and opened againe the heauens he also raysed againe men from death and lastly after that he had gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and had sustained many and great dangers was diuinely caried vp into heauen with a whirlewinde This nowe was done in the middle age of the world for Elias was raised vp when the world had continued 3000. yeares after the creation By this God would haue vs to vnderstande that he hath reserued an other life for his faithfull seruants wherevnto they must be translated 21 Eliseus was substituted in the roome of Elias who sustained great and maruellous dangers wrought myracles discouered the ambushments of the king of Syria 2. Kings 6. Hauing gouerned the Church almost 70. yeares He dyed in the time of Ioas king of Israel The prophetes of his time were Micheas which was before him whose prophecie we haue amongst vs vntill this present time after him was Zacharie the sonne of Ioiada the priest in the time of king Ioas. 22 Isaias or Esay succéeded immediatly after who beganne to prophecie in the dayes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias teaching purely the trueth of God with admonitions reproofes threatnings consolations applying the doctrine as a soueraine medicine according as he sawe the people haue néede He set foorth faithfully many good prophecies and reuelations which he had receiued of God concerning the promise of Christ his office and kingdome the fauour of the Lord toward his Church the calling of the Gentiles and the felowship of them with the Iewes like as is sufficiently set foorth and declared in his booke the which is a collection extracted of the Sermons that he made vnto the people euen as be the bookes of the other prophets for the custome was amongest the prophets after that they had expounded and declared vnto the people the doctrine and will of God to compile a briefe summarie of their preachings and to set them vp on the gates which were afterward laide vp and reserued for a perpetuall memorie like as may be gathered out of the second chapter of Abacuc and out of the eight of his booke Thus the Lorde through his prouidence hath conserued in his Church by the meanes of his ministers of the Temple the doctrine that at appointed times was put in the mouthes of his prophetes to the intent that as he hath alwaies bene and is alwayes one and the very same God alwaies one and the same spirit constant and vnchangeable so one and the very same doctrine being pure and stedfast should continue in his Church for euer The prophetes which were in his time are Ionas Amos Micheas Osée Nowe Esay after that he had done great things he gouerned the Church about 80. yeres In his time the kingdom of Israell was destroyed bicause of the vngodlinesse they were caried away captiue by Salmanazar king of Assyria It is found by writings that the king Manasses caused Esay to be cut asunder in the middest 23 Ieremie endued with the spirite of God for to prophecie beginning by the commandement of the Lord in the 13. yeare of Iosias continued ten yeres vnder his reigne afterward he abode thrée monthes vnder Ioachaz 11. yeres vnder Eliacim surnamed Ioacim other thrée monethes vnder Ioacim and lastly vnder Zedekias 11. yeares euen vntill the carying away vnto Babylon and the deliuerance of him 70. yeares after He also foreshewed the destruction and ouerthrowe of many kingdomes and nations and howe they should be brought vnder the power and obedience of the Babylonians and finally he foretolde of the decay and bringing to confusion of proud Babylon with all the tyrannie there vsed and that this should by brought to passe by the handes of the Medes and of the Persians their
Actes of the Apostles Origine in his thirds tome vpon Genesis saith that Peter preached in Pontus Galatia Asia Bythinia and Cappadocia amongest the Iewes that were dispersed He had a Church in Babylon as he him selfe witnesseth in the fift Chapter of his first Epistle likewise in Phenicia and Syria in Lyre Sidon Selencia Cilicia Pamphilia Pisidia Attalia Lycaonia Also in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinia Mysia and Phrigia Saint Peter hath written vnto these The seuen Churches of Asia be named in the Apocalypse that is to say Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardus Philadelphia and Laodicea Aboue all others the Church of Antioch had the same whereas the disciples were first named Christians Hierome Nicephorus Euthalius the Deacon and others do say that Peter was crucified the 14. yeare of Nero which was the 37. yeare after the conuersion of Saint Paul How then can it be that Linus Bishop of Rome succéeded him in the seat Apostolike as some would mainteine euen vntil this present time séeing that Linus was martyred a yeare before Saint Peter For a simple restorer of the Papacie doth thus write who hath made two great bookes of Councels the which were composed in the citie of Colloine Hereby may be séene howe firme the foundation of the Papacie is If Linus were chiefe Byshop of Rome in the time of Nero it is most certaine that Peter was not 53 Andrewe the brother of Peter preached the Gospell vnto the Scythians and vnto the Sogdiens and Satians as Saint Hierome writeth 54 Iames the iust the brother of our Lord Iesus as S. Hierome writeth gouerned the Church at Hierusalem thrée yeares that is to wit vntill the 7. yeare of Nero and he was cast from the top of the Temple downe by the commandement of the sonne of Annas then high Priest after was stoned and lastly slaine with a fullers beame 55 Iames the sonne of Zebedée brother of Iohn the Guangelist as Saint Hierome writeth preached the Gospell vnto the tribes of the Iewes that were dispersed In this time great persecution arose by Herode Agrippa against the Christians in which Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded Actes 12. Peter was cast in prison but the Angel of the Lord wonderfully deliuered him thence 56 Matthewe who from a Publicane was called by Iesus Christ to the office of an Apostle He first wrote his Gospell in Iewrie in the Hebrue tongue for those that were of the Circumcision and afterward it was translated into Gréeke as appeareth at this present He preached the Gospell in Ethiopia Bartholomewe in India Matthias in the other Ethiopia whereas the riuer Asper doth enter into the port of Hisse Phillip preached in Samaria whereas was a Church gathered together againe after the death of Stephan In Azotus he assēbled a Church thence he went to the cities and townes by the sea coast 57 Thomas as it is found written preached the Gospell to the Parthians Medes Persians and in Germanie to the Hircanians and to the Bactrians and Magians Saint Hierome also writeth that Simon Cananeus surnamed Iudas brother to Iames the iust succéeded his brother Iames in the gouernement of the Church at Ierusalem and that he liued 120. yeares notwithstanding Eusebius according to Egesippus saith that Simon the sonne of Cleophas was substituted in the roome of Iames. He saith that he liued 120 yeares and that he was crucified in the dayes of Traiane the Emperour 58 Iohn the Apostle the sonne of Zebedée gouerned the Church at Ephesus of which thing Ireneus hath also made mention True it is that the Church at Ephesus was founded by Paul but it was edified by Iohn who abode in the gouernement thereof vntill the time of Traian S. Hierome saith that Iohn died 66. yeares after the passion of our Lorde Iesus in the citie of Ephesus and that he was buried there 59 Paul the Apostle being afore time a persecutour and blasphemer was conuerted to Iesus Christe the very same yeare that Iesus Christ ascended into heauen that is to say about the end of the 19. yeare of Tiberius in which yeare also he beganne to preach the Gospell in the citie of Damasco Afterward as he him selfe reciteth in his Epistle to the Galathians he went into Arabia from thence he returned to Damascus Consequently he sowed the Gospell through a great part of the world hauing passed through Iewrie Cilicia Cyprus Pamphilia Lycaonia Phrygia Galatia Mysia Ionia Macedonia Grecia and Achaia After this he was lead prisoner vnto Rome to the Emperour Nero where he was kept two yeares After wards as it is found in writing being let loose he preched the Gospell 10. yeares and lastly by the commandement of Nero he was put to death in the 13. yere of the saide Nero and in the 36. yeare after the resurrection of the sonne of God He preached the Gospell by the space 36. yeares The second of the fift order be the disciples of the Apostles 60 The Apostles then had great store of disciples especially Paul Iohn of whome is many times mention made as well in the Actes as in the Epipistles of S. Paul Amongest the saide disciples the chiefest were these Barnabas who was also called an apostle act 14.14 Epaphroditus was also named an Apostle of the Philippians Phil. 2.25 Andronicus and Iunia be also named notable amongest the Apostles in the 16. to the Romaines Simon that was called Niger Lucius Cyrenensis Manahem Iudas Barsabas and Silas Saint Luke in the Acts 13. 15. calleth them Prophets and Doctours amongest which it is saide that Lucius Cyrenensis preached first the Gospell along by Danau in the reigne of Liberius which they call Ratisbone and that Marke the disciple of Paul preached in the citie of Passeau which standeth ouer Danubius Crescence at Mayence and to the Gaules Clement at Mets Trophim at Arles 61 Luke was a familiar companion with Paul whole Gospell we haue the which Gospell he wrote according as he had receiued it of Paul and the other Apostles and one other booke wrote he which is named the Actes of the Apostles Saint Hierome maketh mention that he liued 84. yeares and that he was buried at Constantinople 62 Marke wrote his Gospell hauing receiued it as it were at the mouth of Peter and he gouerned the Church of Alexandria in Egypt where also be was burned for the Gospell sake in the 8. yeare of Nero and 33. yeares after the resurrection of our Lord Iesus The third of the fift order be the Bishops 63 Nowe we must vnderstand that the name of a Bishop in the auncient Church was attributed vnto one of the ministers in euery assembly onely for to obserue an order and not that he had any domination ouer others Furthermore the office both of the Bishops and also of other Priestes or Ministers was that they should apply them selues wholy to the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacramentes Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus was martyred in
so great a slaughter were bent and they wholy wearied so that the Christians with ioyfulnesse of heart singing psalmes offered themselues vnto the death Sulpitius in his diuine historie lib. 2. saith that the Christians did then earnely craue for martyrdome that the ambition of the Cleargie did not afterward craue for any Bishops Looke Beda de temp rat and Drosius lib. 7. Chap. 25. 84 In the same time that is to say in the time of Dioclesian and Maximian Emperours There were also these good and holy personages Arnobius Pierius a minister of the Church of Alexādria Melitius Lucian minister of the Church of Antioche Phigeas an Egyptian excellent men Doctours of the Church and this was about 302. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus amongest the which Phileas and Lucian were martyred during the persecutiō of Dioclesian At that time also flourished Lactantius Firmiauus the disciple of Arnobius Constantius the father of Constantin the great as Eutropius maketh description of him was verie excellent ciuill méeke gentle liberall and desirous to be good to those that had any priuate authoritie vnder him This man had not the desire of great and mightie dominion and therefore parted he the Empire with Galerius and woulde rule but in France Brittaine and Spaine refusing the other kingdomes for the troublesome and difficulte gouernment of the same He was a great supporter and mainteiner of the Christians He was the first that gaue thē licence to liue after their accustomed manner This wonderfull act of his following besides other doth shew that he was a sincere worshipper of GOD and of the Christian religion Those which bare the chiefe offices among the Ethnikes draue out of the Emperours courte all the godly Christians wherevpon this ensued that the Emperours them selues at the last were destitute of helpe when such were driuen away which dwelling in their courtes and liuing a godly life powred out their prayers vnto God for the prosperous health both of the Empire and Emperour Cōstantius therfore minding at a certaine time to trie what sincere and good christians he had in his court called together al his officers seruants in the same faining himselfe to choose out such as would doe sacrifice to Deuils and that those onely shoulde dwell there and kéepe their offices and that those which woulde refuse to doe the same shoulde be thrust out and banished the court At this appointment all the courtiers deuided them selues in companies The Emperour marked which were the cōstantest and godliest from the rest and when some of them saide that they would willingly doe sacrifice and other some openly and boldly denied to do the same Then the Emperour sharply rebuked those which were so readie to doe sacrifice and iudged them as falfe traytours to God accounting them vnworthie to be in his court which were such traytours to God and forthwith commaunded that they onely shoulde be banished for the same But greatly he commended them which refused to doe sacrifice and confessed God affirming that they onely were worthie to be about a prince foorth with commaunding them that thence foorth they should be faithfull coūsellours and defendours both of his person kingdome and that he ment to haue them in more estimation then all the substance he had in his treasurie Eusebius in vita Constant Constantinus was sonne of Constantius the Emperour a good and vertuous Childe of a good vertuous father borne in Britaine whose mother was named Helena Daughter to king Coilus He was a most bountifull and gratious prince hauing a desire to nourish learning and good artes did oftentimes vse to read write studie himselfe he had maruelous good successe and prosperous atcheiuing of all thinges he tooke in hand which then was as truely supposed to procéede of this for that hee was so great a fauourer of the Christian faith which faith when he had once imbraced he did euer after most deuoutly and religiously reuerence and commaunded by especiall commissions and proclamations that euery man shoulde professe the same religion throughout all the Romaine Monarchie He first entred into the Empire by the mercifulnesse of GOD minding after long waues of dolful persecution to restore his Church vnto tranquilitie and peace Au. 311. Eusebius accompteth in his Chronicle his raigne continued as Eutropius affirmeth 31. yeares and two monethes great peace tranquilitie enoiyed the Church vnder the reigne of this good Emperour which tooke payne and trauell for the preseruation thereof First yea and that before he had subdued Licinius he set foorth many edictes for the restitution of the goods of the Church for the reuoking of the Christians out of exile for taking away the discension of the doctors out of the church for the setting of them frée from publike charges and such like 85 In the time of Constantine the great about the yere 320. after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus there were excellent Doctours in the Church to wit Eusebius bishop of Cesarea in Palestine of whose doing we haue very worthy books Rhetius bishop of Austun Methodius disciple of Origene who afterwarde was a bishop Athanasius bishop of the citie of Alexandria the which did confute the errours of Arrius Athanasius after that he had procured the benefite of the Church 46. yeares and abidden sundry persecutions in greate constancie and patience dyed about the yeare 367. After his death persecution was raysed vp in Alexandria by Valentius Hist tripart lib 8. Chap. 7. 86 In the yeare 326. after the natiuitie of Iesus in the 14. yeare of Constantine there was holden a councell at Nice against Arrius whereunto were called 318. Bishops amongst the which these were the principal Eustache Bishop of Antioch Paphnutius of Egypt and Maximus these had their eyes boared out for the faith Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem and many other personages that suffered persecution vnder cruell tyrants There was also Spiridion bishop of Tremith in Cyprus Nicholas bishop of Mirrha in Lycia a very auncient mā Also Athanase then Deacon of the Church of Alexandria Theophilus bishop of Alexandria Spiridion was he that in Lent offered fleshmeat vnto a pilgrime going in his iourney whereof hée himselfe did eate and caused him to eate saying that vnto cleane Christians all thinges are cleane Hist tripart lib. 1. Chap. 10. In the said councel there was a very sharpe and earnest contention on two sides the which the Emperour Constantine gaue eare vnto with great patience but at the last the Arrians fearing that they shoulde bee banished they made a countenance as though they woulde renounce their errour and to subscribe to the determination of the fathers excepting some as Athanasius declareth in the decrées of the Synode of Nice but the bishops after that they had perceiued their fraude and how they disguysed and wrested the trueth by words began to vse the worde of Essence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say of the selfsame substance Then the Arrians
this vice was most daungerous of all others wherewithal the Church was wholly infected He stoode against the orders of monkes and especially the begging sort accusing and blaming them for because they troubled the Churches he alleaged testimonies out the scriptures which made mention of Antichrist and of his adherents and applying it vnto the time present he proued by thirtie nine tokens that the begging Fryers were false Apostles Hee expounded this place of the holy Gospell If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all that thou hast c. Matt. 19. Chap. vers 11. Whereupon the begging fryers doe founde their order and hee gaue to note that this place is not vnderstoode of actuall pouerty as the sophisters doe argue but in habituall that is to say that Iesus Christ demaundeth of vs not that we should cast away and rid off that we haue but that we shoulde be readie whensoeuer the confession of the name of God and the glorie of Iesus Christ shall require to abandon not onely that which we possesse but our owne soule and not onely as it is declared in S. Luke Chap. 14. vers 26. to forsake father and mother yea to hate both them and our owne liues in respect thereof To conclude Iesus Christ wolde that we should forsake all when the confession of the trueth do require Mathew Paris an english historiographer wryteth that in the same time there was greate contention in the vniuersitie of Paris againste the monkes who by multitudes woulde oppugne and beate downe all that they lusted hauing forged a new booke full of errours and blasphemies the which they had renued and intituled Euangelium Aeternum that is to say the euerlasting Gospell which booke they woulde haue published abroade Then for to appease this tumult there were sixe appoynted out of the schole who were at that time the most famous in al the vniuersity amongst whom was Guil. de sanct Amour for to sende vnto Rome to the Pope and to shewe the insolencie and blasphemy of the monkes The monks sent also on their partes and after great contention their errours touching their eternall Gospell was condemned But the Pope with certaine Cardinals and Monkes did not represse the tyranny of these begging monks writing that it was greatly néedefull that such souldiars shoulde become most mightie all abroade These bee the very wordes of Matthew Paris who was in the same time There is also a booke founde to haue bene written in the same time intituled de periculis mundi that is to say of the daungers of the world which the papists attributed to Guillame de sainct Amour making him onely of this opinion but it appeareth to haue béene written by many and conteineth the complaints against this new vermin of monks with an aduertisement to the Church that great euils will come thereby The saide sainct Amour was condemned for an heretike wherevpon rose great adoe betwéene the scholars of Paris but for fulfilling of the Popes commaundement M. William was banished out of Fraunce Some holde opinion that certaine of his bookes are vntill this present day in the lybrarie of Sorbona and many other Doctours haue written the like To conclude we sée that albeit the trueth is dayly reiected and banished yet notwithstanding it groweth vp euery day more and more in time and place For what though it be reiected and banished neuerthelesse for al the great bulwarks that can be deuised against it they can in no wise hinder but that the trueth will shine yea in the middest of the most profounde and thicke darkenesse in the tempests and outrages of our time Wherevppon wee must acknowledge that it is no humaine worke for that it seemeth feble but that it is of God who in his time will bestowe on vs so singular a grace benefite 129 Laurence an Englishe man a doctour of Paris in the yeare 1275. mainteined the opinion of M. Guillam de saint Amour and wrote agaist the Monks one booke containing an admonition to beware of false prophetes and one other booke by which he defendeth the foresaide saint Amour The booke that these Monkes had set foorth afore of the eternall and spirituall Gospell was burned openly and for to couer their filthines and impudencie they made the people beléeue that a certaine monke who was deade long afore had composed the same Petrus Iohannes was about the yeare of our Lorde 1290. which taught and maintained manie thinges against the Pope prouing that he was Antichrist and that the sinagogue of Rome was great Babylon He wrote vppon Mathew vppon the Epistles and vpon the Apocalyps Mention of this Petrus Iohannes is made in Nicho. Emericus in lib. Inquisitionum c. And because the Pope coulde not burne him aliue afore his death he caused his bones to be taken vp and burned Robertus Gillus who being borne of a right noble parentage for deuotion sake was made a Dominicke frier about the same yeare of our Lorde 1290. This man as appeareth by his visions and the prophetie of Hildegardis his visiōs all tend against the spiritualtie of Rome Where in the fift chapter he calleth plainly the Pope an Idole which hauing eyes seeth not neither lusteth to sée the abhominations of his people nor the excessiue enormitie of their voluptuosnes But onely to sée to heaping vp of his treasure and hauing a mouth speaketh not but saith I haue set good men ouer them whiche is sufficient for me to doe them good either by my selfe or by some other And it followeth in the same Chapter woe be to that Idole woe be to the mightie and proude who shall be equall in earth to that Idole He hath exalted vp his name in earth saying who shall bring me vnder Is not my house compared with mightie potentates of the land I am higher then Emperours kings or princes knightes on their horse backe do seruice vnto me That which my fathers had not before me that haue I done to me c. This godly man did forewarne as in a certaine chronicle is declared how God would punish the simonie and auarice of the cleargie with such plague that riuers shoulde runne with bloud c. It is said that there is remaining a gret volume of his visions which are not yet abroade for those which are extant are but a briefe extract out of his visions and reuelations Dante 's an Italian writer a Florentin liued in the time of Lodouicus the Emperour in the yeare 1300. and tooke parte with Marsilius Patauinus against thrée sortes of men which he said were enemies to the trueth That is the Pope Secondly the order of religious men which count themselues the children of the Church when they are children of the diuell their father Thirdly the doctors of decrées and decretals Certaine of his writinges be extant abroade wherein hee proueth the Pope not to be aboue the Emperor nor to haue any right or iurisdiction in the empire He refused the donation of Constantine to be
prelats and became odious so as they could in no wise abide him Finally this seignieur Acton was taken condēned by the saide edict of the kinge and hanged and burned There was executed also with him a gentleman one M. Browne And M. Iohn Beuerlai a minister and preacher of the word of God And that was in the yeare 1413. Iohn Maior witnesseth in his Scottish historie lib. 6. chap. 9. that about this time many others to the number of 36 and all of a noble stocke were condemned as heretikes by the bishop were burned according to that cruell edict This was in the very same yeare There were also two others of whome Fabius in his Chronicles speaketh to wit Iohn Claydon cordwayner and Richard Turmin Baker who also according to the seueritie of the ordinance were condemned and put to death To conclude we sée that there is neither estate neither order nor condition whereof God is not skilfull enough to drawe some for to stande in defence and to crie out against the superstitions false traditions of prelates 135 In the yeare 1405. or thereabout the Lord raised vp Iohn Hus of Bohemia who hauing studied in the vniuersitie of Oxeforde in England and hauing reade certeine bookes of Wicklief beganne to publishe that which hee had receiued concerning the trueth in a Temple of the Bohemians whereas he was chosen for the preacher and Preached both of festiuall dayes and holy dayes There he commended the doctrine of Wicklief vnto the people In the ende the Bohemians being instructed with this doctrine beganne to iudge of the Pope as he deserued not estéeming him the most excellent any longer nor of any higher degree then other bishops and therevpon they went about to reforme their doctrine by conclusions and articles following That the dignitie made not the minister or bishop the more honourable but the holines of life and good doctrine That the soules separated from the bodies goe streight way eyther to eternall blessednesse or else to euerlasting paines That there is no testimonie in all the holy scriptures by which it can be proued that there is any purgatorie after this life For to make oblations and sacrifices for trespasses is the inuention of couetous Priestes That the images of God or of sainctes the blessing of waters and other like thinges bee forged by men contrarie to the word of God That the order of begging friers were inuented by diuels That baptisme ought to bee administred with water without adding of oyle spittle or such filthi That the Temple of God is the worlde That those which build Temples Monasteries and oratories for to cloase him in doe goe about to locke vp his maiestie which is incomprehensible That the ornaments of Priestes as the chasubles corporals chalices platters c. are but vanity That in vaine do men séeke for helpe at the handes of sainctes and that it is but lost time to singe houres canonicall That fasting doeth merite nothing That the eucharistie ought to bee ministred vnder both kindes They reiected the Masse and kept only the communion of the supper the worde and the prayer and many other articles drawen out of the holye scripture Thus as the most parte of the schollers of the vniuersitie of Prague did followe Iohn Hus with many moe renoumed in knowledge and so did the most part of the nobilitie the Pope hauing assembled a councell at Constance caused the Emperour Sigismonde to fende for him who sent him his safe conducte And being there he was gretly sollicited to leaue off his opinion but he was constant vpholding his propositions and reasons to wit those which were grounded vppon the trueth of the holy scriptures Saying that the end principal scope of his doctrine was for to teache men repentance and remission of sinnes according to the trueth of the sonne of God the exposition of the holy doctours That if any were able to proue that he did the contrarie he was ready to acknowledge his faultes otherwise rather to suffer death then leane vnto mens traditions repugning to the doctrine of the Gospell After many disputations forasmuch as hee allowed not all that them liked he was at the laste condemned to be burned being beset with woode rounde aboute as the fire beganne he cryed thrise with a loude voyce O Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue pitie on me and thus he yelded vp the Ghost His ashes were caste by commaundement into Rhein to the intent that nothinge of him might be left vppon the earth neuerthelesse his memory can neuer be defaced in the hearts of the faithfull neyther by fire nor water nor anye manner of tormentes Whoso woulde se thereof more at large let him reade Iohn Crespin his booke of martyres 136 In the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1415. Hierom of Prague a Bohemiā beinge maruelously troubled for that he had heard that his countrie was oppressed by houshoulde enimies and neighboures by many false slaunders and that Iohn Hus was vilanously vsed by the said councell he went to Constance and there being ad uertised that the people went about to entrap him he retyred backe for certaine daies vnto a place not farre off for that he might not séeme to intrude him selfe wilfully into daungers He requested of the Emperour a safe conducte for to enter into the cittie and there to answere vnto such crimes and misdéedes as shoulde be brought against him and séeinge that he coulde get no safe conduit he was going home againe and was taken by the way by treason carried to Constance wheras in the presence of the Bishopes and prelates he made open confession of his faith True it is that he hauing béen altogeather pined away with longe kéepinge in prison and throughe many horrible threatnings he was vanquished by the weakenes of the flesh partly dreadinge the horrour of the torments and partly hoping to escape out of their vilanous and cruell handes he recited publikely before them all an abiuration which they had giuen him in writing Moreouer he was enioyned to say that Iohn Hus had ben worthily burned but for all this he escaped not but hee returned agayne to the same stincking and infectuous pryson where he was afore being there no better handled then before tyme. Then did the lord who neuer forsaketh his cause him to seale in his conscience his vile misdeed And therefore desiring to be brought agayne in to the whole assembly he first affirmed that he héeld with the Catholike and vniuersal Church al things the it holdeth which church abhorreth all errours an heresies Lastly he addeth this that of all the sinnes where with he euer had offended Gods diuine maiestie there was none that so much charged and gréeued his conscience as did this offence that hee had committed in the chaire of pestilence and execration whether he being fallen by infirmitie and by the horrour of death he was was constrained to goe back and
due alone vnto him whom al the saintes must honour and reuerence and do put their trust in them which ought to be transserred to God onely and more ouer séeing they are so affectioned towards those images that they like better of and be more deuoute to one them then to another mine opinion is said he the of such do commit Idolatry and a deadly sinne against God vnto whom doth belong all honour glorie and praise Lastly hee saide that hee was thus perswaded that there dwelled none here below vpon earth but was in a pilgrimage either to goe vnto life or els to tende vnto torments That whoso doth so order his life that hee transgresseth the commaundements ordinances of God whither that he knoweth them not or will not knowe them hee must not hope for saluation albeit that hee raunge abroade to all the corners of ths worlde Contrariwise hee that shall kéepe the holy ordinances of God cannot perishe although hee neuer make voyage nor pilgrimage in his life vnto any place whither disordered men haue vsed to goe on pilgrimage There be also founde of his other principall articles as of the two natures in Christ diuine humaine and that like as his diuinitie was here béelowe on earth hidden and couered vnder humanity so in the sacrament of the Eucharistie there is bread and the bodie giuen vs to wit the breade which we sée and the bodie of Christ which wee sée not thus expressed hee his Faith touching the Sacrament c. Also that it is not necessarie for the obtayning of saluation to confesse his sinnes to his owne Curate or any other priest whilest he liueth Also hee denyed not onely the worshipping of Images but also that which we call the holy Crosse Furthermore he saide concerning the power of the keyes and touching the Pope Archbishoppes Bishops and other Prelates that the Pope is very Antichrist and that these Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates be his members and the fryers the tayle of Antichrist like as the Pope is the heade to whome no man ought to obey that is to say to the Pope Archbishops Bishoppes and other Prelats except they be followers of Christ and Peter in life and manners and in conuersation and that hee which is the best lyuer most pure in conuersation is the successour of Peter not otherwise It is reported moreouer that the saide Lorde Oldcastel saide with a loude voyce stretching his handes abroade and perswading those that were present These who iudge and woulde condemneme will beguile you all and leade both you themselues into hell and therefore beware of them To make short sentence of death was pronounced against him not withstanding he forbode a while after as it were banished and was sent away by a wile And at the last hee being taken againe and remayning constant without denying the trueth which he saw conteined in the holy scriptures was condemned to be burned And thus this valiant Doctour and Martyr fynished the course of his life and recommending his soule vnto God and praying for his ennimies after that hee had exhorted the people to applie themselues vnto the true faith and pure religion yelded vp his spirite vnto the Lord. He that woulde sée of him more at large let him read the booke of Martyrs 139 In the same time also that is 1418. 19. 20. and so consequently the Lord shewed sufficiently that the bloude of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague and of other good doctours and Martyrs of the Church fell not to the grounde for to be swallowed vp and come to nothing as some pretended but it did greatly fructifie with an incredible commoditie not onely in Englande and in Bohemia but also in Germanie and Fraunce and generally in other realmes countries and prouinces For God hath much more since that time shewed a clearer chaunge of thinges causing tongue to be renewed as messengers and arts to bee as forerunners to Dame veritie who immediately came forth with the brightnesse of the most cleare sunne that is the preaching of the Gospell wherein many times they haue excelled being fortified with all necessaries against darknesse Many haue dealt verie valiantly and haue not onely brought againe diuinitie to his naturall and first puritie but haue also endured martyrdome for a more ample witnessing thereof Amongst others one named Grunfelder a priest called to the order of Iesus Christ was burned in the citie of Rinsbourg in the yeare of our Lorde 1420. William Tayler an Englishe man a master in artes was also martyred The princial cause of the furie raysed vp against him was because hee had composed a booke against calling vpon or praying to saincts For that cause hee was burned in the citie of London in the yeare 1422. hee abode the fire verie constantly Henry Radtgeber of the order of Popish priests first did valyantly fight and endured a cruell death for the profession of the Gospel in the foresaide citie of Rinsbourg this was in the yeare 1423. Iohn Drandorfe of a noble house in the countrey of Misne was executed at Wormes in the yere following 1424. Peter Toraw was afterwarde martyred in the Citie of Spira anno 1426. Iohn Bale an English writer speaketh hereof in his booke of the famous men of England 140 In the yeare 1425. there was a Priest called William Wight an English man who hauing vsed to reade the sermons of Wicliefe chaunged his life wholly and acknowledging the filthinesse of his former life he forsooke his benefice whereby he had receiued large reuenewes After that hee following the holy ordinaunce of God tooke a wife Being maryed he applied himselfe to studie and teaching either publikely or priuately labouring to profite all men At the laste hee was taken in the citie of Norwich and there they layed against him thirtie articles for the which hee was cruelly burned by the procuring of the Bishop and this was in the yeare 1428. His wife following the example of her husband ceassed not according to her facultie for to instructe euery bodie and for this cause she was very hardly intreated by the saide Bishop Also in the yeare 1430. Richarde Houenden an English man and a Citizen of London could by no meanes bee withdrawen from the trueth for any perswasions that coulde bée alleaged and therefore he was condemned to be burned néere vnto the tower of London 141 Many good personages of dyuers Realmes haue greatly beene afflicted and persecuted in the yeares following because they spake and mainteined the pure trueth and haue spilte euen the vttermost drop of their bloude God notwithstanding assisted them the they might make the aduersaries of the puritie of his holy and diuine seruice the more ashamed In the Realme of Bohemia Paul Crau in the yeare 1431. was deliuered to the seculer power by a Bishoppe for to bee burned and that because hee blodly withstoode the wicked opinions of the people touching the Eucharistie inuocation of sainctes auricular confession and