regenerated by fayth in Christ before they begin to do any good worke of charitie or any other good deede 10. Item the doctrine of S. Paule perpending the high glory of a Christen mans state in Christ Iesus by faith first setteth him in a perfect peace with almightie God Rom. 5. Secondly exempteth him from all condemnatiō Rom. 8. Thirdly it matcheth him with aungels it equalleth him with Saints and felow citizens of heauen it nūbereth him with the housholde of God and inheriteth him with Iesus Christ himselfe Ephes. 2. Fourthly it adopteth him from the state of a seruaunt to the state of the sonne of God crying Abba father Gal. 4. Fiftly it openeth to him a bolde accesse and entraunce to the high maiestie and throne of grace Ephes. 2. Heb. 4. Sixtlye it subiecteth all thinges vnder him as ministers yea the Apostles themselues in their hiest office death life thinges present thinges to come with the whole worlde besides and assigneth him no spirituall head but onely Christ saying And you are Christes and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. Seuenthly it aduaunceth and setteth him in a spirituall liberty or freedome aboue all terrours of spirite rising either of Gods lawe or mans lawe aboue all dreadfull feares of sinne damnation malediction reiection death hell or purgatory aboue al seruile bondage of ceremonies mens precepts traditions superstitious vses yokes customes or what els soeuer oppresseth and intangleth the spirituall freedome of a conscience with Christ hath set at libertie And requireth moreouer that wee walke and stande stout in that liberty with the free sonne of Sara whereto we are brought and not suffer our selues any more to bee clogged with any such seruile bondage that is to meane although we must be content to subiect our bodies to all seruice to all men yet that we yeld not our spirituall consciences and soules as slaues and seruants to be subiect to the feare or bondage of any terrene thing in this world forasmuch as we are in that part made Lordes and Princes ouer all things whatsoeuer can harme or binde or terrifie vs. Ga. 4. Colloss 2. 11. Item the right vayne of S. Paules doctrine putteth no difference nor obseruation in dayes and tymes Gal. 4. Col. 2. 12. Item it leaueth all meates to be indifferent wyth thankes giuing to serue the necessitie of the body and not the body to serue them Col. 2. 1. Tim. 4. 13. Item it permitteth marriage without restraint or exception lawfull and also expedient for all men hauyng neede thereof 1. Cor. 7. 14. Item it admitteth no sacrifice for sinne but the sacrifice of Christ alone and that done once for all with bloude For without bloud there is no remission of sinne whiche onely is applied to vs by fayth by nothing els Heb. 9. 15. Item as touching the holy Communion by the letters of S. Paule to the Cor. 11. we vnderstande that the vse then amongst them was to haue the participation of the bread called the Lordes body and of the cup called the Lordes bloud administred not at an altar but at a plaine bord or table the congregation there meeting together after the time of their supper where not the minister alone did receaue and the other looked on but the whole congregation togither did cōmunicate with reuerence thankes giuyng not lifting ouer the Priestes head nor worshipyng nor kneeling nor knocking their brestes but eyther sittyng at the supper or standing after the supper According to which forme the Muscouites yet to this day followyng the old rite of the Country although being drowned otherwise in much superstition vse to receaue it after they be risen from their diner standing Experience wherof was seene here at London the first day of October 1569. 16. Item the sayde Apostle besides the sacramentall supper maketh mention of Baptisme or washing of regeneration although he himselfe Baptised but few 1. Cor. 1. of the other sacraments he maketh no mention 17. Item by the same doctrine of S. Paule no tongue is to be vsed in the congregation which is not knowen and doth not edifie 1. Cor 14. 18. Item the rule of S. Paules doctrine subiecteth euery creature vnder the obedience of Kinges and Princes and ordinary Magistrates ordeined of God to haue the sword and authoritie of publike regiment to order and dispose in all thinges not contrary to God whatsoeuer perteineth to the maintenance of the good or to the correction of the euil from whose iurisdiction there is no exemption of vocations of persons whether they be Ecclesiasticall or politicall And therfore to this office appertaineth to preserue peace to set things in lawfull order to conserue Christian discipline in the Church of Christ to remooue offences to bridle the disobedient to prouide and procure wholesome and faithfull teachers ouer the people to maintaine learning and set vp schooles to haue ouersight not onely of the people but also of all Ecclesiastical ministers to see to euery one to do his dutye to remooue or punish such as be negligent also to call Councels and Synodes to prouide the Church goodes to be faithfullye dispensed by the handes of true dealers to the sustentation of the Church of true teachers to the publike necessitie of the poore c. 19. Furthermore by S. Paules doctrine the Ministers and superintendentes of Christes Church haue their authoritie and armour likewise to them limited which armour is onely spiritual and not carnal wherby they fight not against flesh bloud but against the power of darkenes errour and sinne against the spirituall seduction and crastines in heauenly things against the works and proceedings of Sathan the Prince of this worlde in comforting weak consciences against the terrors of the deuil and desperation and finally against euery cogitation lifted vp against Christ to subdue euery celsitude to the subiection and power of Christ Iesu the sonne of God An other briefe recapitulation of the same BRiefly and in a compendious summe to reduce the whole doctrine of S. Paule in these fiue pointes chieflie it consisteth 1. First in setting foorth the grace great loue and good-will and free promises of God the Father in Christ Iesus his sonne to mankinde which so loued the worlde that he hath giuen his owne sonne for the redemption thereof Iohn 3. which gaue his sonne to die for vs being his enimies Rom. 5. which hath quickned vs being dead in sinne Ephes. 2. which so mercifully hath reconciled the world to himselfe by his sonne and also by his ambassadours desireth vs to be reconciled vnto him 2. Cor. 5. who hath giuē his owne sonne to be sinne for vs. 2. Cor. 5. to be accursed for vs. Gal. 3. which by firme promise hath assured vs of our inheritance Rom. 4. which not by the works of righteousnes that we haue done but of his owne mercy hath saued vs by the washing of regeneration Tit. 3. c. 2. The
of charity But this charity Lord hath thy vicar ybroke and says that we sinnen but gif we suen for our right And we se I wote that thou taughtest vs sometime to geue our mantell also euer that we shoulden suen for our coate And so Lord beleueÌ„ we that we ben ybounden to don by thy law that is all charitye officers duty is to defenden vs from thilke theuery though we coÌ„plainen not But lord thy law is turned vpsedown A Lord what dome is it to sleane a theefe that take a maÌ„s cattell away from hym and suffren a spousebreaker to liue and a lecherour that killeth a womans soule And yet thy lawe stoned the â—pousebreakers and leachours and let the theeues liuen and haue other punishment A Lord what dome is it to sleane a these for stealing of a hors and to let him liue vnpunished to maintaine him that robbeth thy poore people of their liuelod and the soule of his foodeâ— Lorde it was neuer thy dome to sayen that a man is an heretike and cursed for breaking of mans lawe and demen hym for a good man for breaking thine hestes Lord what dome is it to curse a lewd man if he smite a priest and not curse a priest that smiteth a lewed man and leeseth hys charitie Lord what dome is it to curse the lewd people for tythings and not curse the parson that robbeth the people of tythings and teacheth them not Gods lawe but feedeth them with painting of stone walles and songs of Latin that the people knowen not Lord what dome is it to punish the poore maÌ„ for his trespas and suffer the rich to continue in his sin for a quantity of mony Lord what dome is it to slaine an vncunning lewed man for his sinne and suffer a priest other a clerke that doth the same sin scape a liue Lord the sinne of the priest or of the cleark is greater trespasse then it is of a lewd vncunning man and greater ensample of wickednes to the common people Lord what maner people be we that neither keep thy domes and thy rightfulnes of the old testament that was a law of drede nor thy domes and thy rightfulnes of thy new testament that is a law of loue and of mercy but haue an other law and taken out of both thy lawes that is liking to vs and remnaunt of heathen mennes lawes and Lord this is a great mischiefe O Lord thou sayest in thy law deme ye not and ye should not be demed for the same mesure that ye meten to other men men shall meten to you againeward And Lord thou sayst that by their worke we should know them And by what we knowe that thou commaunded vs not to demen mens thoughts nor their workes that were not agaynst thy law expresly And yet Lord he that saith he is thy vicar will demen our thoughtes and aske vs what we thinke not of the Lord of thy hestes for they caren little for them but of him and of his whilke they sate aboue thine and maken vs accusen our selfe or els they willen accursen vs for our accusers mowen we not knowne And Lord thou sayest in thyne olde law that vnder two witnes at the least or three shoulde stand euery matter And that the witnes shoulden euer be the first that shoulden helpe to kill them And when the schribes and the Pharises some tymes brought before thee a woman that was itake in spouse breaking and exeden of the a dome thou didst write on the earth and then thou gaue this dom He that is without sinne throw first at her a stone and Lord they went forth away from thee and the woman thou forgaue the woman her trespasse and bad her go forth and sinne no more Sweete Lord if the priestes tooke keepe to thy dome they would be agast to demen men as they done O Lord if one of them breake a commaundement of thy law he will axe mercy of thee and not a peine that is due for the sinne for peyne of death were to little O Lord how daren they demen any man to the death for breaking of theyr lawes other assent to such law for breaking of thy law they will set penaunce or pardon them and mayntayne them as oft as they trespassen But Lorde if a man ones breake theyr lawes or speake agaynst them he may done penaunce but ones and after be burnt Trulych Lord thou sayst but if euery of vs forgeue other his trespasse thy father will not forgeuen vs our sinnes And Lord when thou honge on the crosse thou prayedâ—t to thy father to haue mercy on thine enemies And yet the sain Lord that they demen no man to the death for the sain they ne mowen by their law demen any man to the death A leeue Lord euen so saden theyr forefathers the phariseis that it ne was not lawfull for them to kill any man And yet they bidden Pilate to done thee to the death agaynst his owne conscience for he wold gladly haue iquitte thee but for that they threatened him with the Emperour and broughten agaynst thee false witnesse also And he was an heathen man ¶ O Lord how much truer dome was there in Pilate that was an heathen iustice then in our kinges and iustices that woulden demen to the death and berne in the fire him that the Priests deliueren vnto them withouten witnes or prefe For Pilate ne would not demen thee for that the Phariseis sayden that gif thou ne had dest not bene a misdoer we ne would not deliuer him vnto thee for to they broughten in theyr false witnesse agaynst thee But Lord as thou saydest sometime that it should ben lighter at domes day to Tyro and to Sydon and Gomorra than to the cities where thou wrought wonders and miracles so I dred it shall be more light to Pilate in the dome then to our kinges and domes men that so demen without witnesse and prefe For Lord to demen thy folke for heretickes is to holden thee an hereticke and to brenneÌ„ them is to brennen thee for thou saydest to Paule when he persecuted thy people Saule Saule wherefore persecutest thou me in the dome thou shalt say that ye haue done to the left of mine ye haue done to me Thus Lord is thy mercy iustice foredone by him that sayth he is thy vicar in earth for he neither keepeth it himselfe nor nill not suffer other to do it ¶ The third commaundement that is patience and sufferance is also ibroken by this vicar Lord thou biddest sufferen both wroÌ„ges and strokes withouten againstanding and so thou diddest thy selfe to geuen vs ensample to sufferen of our brethren For suffering nourisheth loue and agaynstandeth debate All thy lawes is loue or els the thing that draweth to loue ¶ But Lord men teachen that men shoulden pleten for their right and fighten also therefore and els they seyn men ben in perill
shall adde hereto seuen folde woundes for your sinnes I shall send amongest you beastes of the field that shall deuour you and your beastes I shall bring you into a field and wayes shuln be desart And if that ye will not receiue lore but wenden agaynst me I will also wenden agaynste you and I shall smite you seuen sithes for your sinnes I shall leade in vpon you sword venger of my couenaunt and vpon the fleen into Cities I shall send pestilence in the middest of you So that tenne women shall bake their bread in one furnace and yeld theÌ„ agayne by wayght and ye shall eat not be fillet If that ye heare me not by these thinges but wenden agaynst me I shall wend in agaynst you in a contrary woodnesse and blame you with seuen plagues for your sinnes so that they shoulen eat the flesh of your sonnes and of your daughters And in so much my soule shall loth you that I shal bring your Cities into wildernesse and your Sanctuaryes I shall make desart ne I shal not ouer that receiue sweet oder of your mouth And I shall disperkle your land and enemies shulen maruell thereon when they shulen inhabite it I shall disperpel you among Heathen and draw my sword after you These vengeaunces and many moe God sayde should fall on them that breake his bidding and dispiseth his lawes and his domes Than sithe Christ become man and bought vs with his hart bloud and has shewed vs so great loue and geuen vs an easy law of the best that euer might be made and to bring vs to the ioy of heauen and we despise it and louen it nought what vengeaunce will be taken here on so long as he has suffered vs and somercifully abidden when he shall come that righteous iudge in the cloudes to deme this worlde Therefore turne we vs to him and leaue sinne that he hates and ouer all thinges mayntayne his lawe that he confirmed with his death For other lawes that men had made shoulde be demed at that day by the iust law of Christ and the maker that them made and then we wonne that long life and that ioy that Paule speaketh of that eye ne see not ne eare heard not ne into mans hart ascended not the blisse and ioy that God hath ordeyned to them that louen him and his lawes Deare worshipfull sirs in this world I beseech you for Christes loue as ye that I trow louen Gods law trouth that in these dayes is greatly borne abacke that they wollen vouchsafe these thinges that I send you written to Gods worship to let them be shewed in the Parliament as your wittes can best conceiue to most worship to our God and to shewing of the trouth and ameÌ„ding of holy Church My conclusions and mine appeale other true matters of Gods law gif any man can finde therein errour falsenesse or default prouet by the law of Christ clearely to christen mens knowledge I shall reuoke my wrong conceit and by Gods law be amendet euer redy to hold with Gods law opeÌ„ly priuely with Gods grace and nothing to holde teach or maynetayne that is contrary to his law Of the proces answeres condemnation of this worthy priest and true seruaunt of Christ WilliaÌ„ Swinderby you haue heard what afterward became vpoÌ„ him I haue not certainly to say or affirme whether he in prisoÌ„ died or whether he escaped theyr handes or whether he was burned there is no certayne relation made This remayneth out of doubt that during the time of K. Richard 2. no great harme was done vnto him Which was to the yeare 1401. at what time K. Richard being wrongfully deposed HeÌ„ry the 4. inuaded the kingdome of England About the beginning of whose reigne we read of a certayn Parliament holden at LondoÌ„ mentioned also of Thomas Walden as is aboue specified in which parliameÌ„t it was decreed that whosoeuer shewed themselues to be fauorers of Wickliffe they should be apprehended who at that time were called Lollards and if so be they did obstinately perseuere in that doctrine they should be deliuered ouer vnto the bishop of the dioces from him should be coÌ„mitted to the correctioÌ„ of the secular magistrate This law sayth the story brought a certaine priest vnto punishmeÌ„t the same yeare who was burned in Smithfielde in the presence of a great number This we haue drawne out of a piece of an old story it is most certaine that there such a Priest was burned for the affirmation of the true faith but it doth not appeare by the story what the Priestes name was Notwithstanding by diuers coniectures it appeareth vnto me that his name was Swinderby that was forced to recant before by the Bishop of Lincolâ—2 Whereby what is to be conicetured by the premisses let other men iudge what they think I haue nothing here of expressely to affirme This is plain for al men to iudge which haue here sene and read his story that if he were burned then the bishops Friers priestes which were the causes thereof haue a great thing to answere to the Lord when he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead seculum perignem ¶ The story and processe agaynst Walter Brute AFter the story of William Swinderby I thought good and conuenient next to adioyne the actes and doinges of Gualter Brute his ioynte fellow and companion being a lay man and learned brought vpp as it seemeth in the Uniuersitie of Oxforde being there also graduate The tractation of whose discourse as it is something long so therein may appeare diuers thinges worthye to be read and considered First yâ— mighty operation of gods spirit in him his ripe knowledge modest simplicitie his valiant constancie hys learned reactations and manifolde conflictes susteyned aagaynst Gods enemies On the contrary part in hys aduersaryes may appeare might against right mans authoritie agaynst plaine veritie against which they hauing nothing directly to aunswere proceede in condemnation agaynst whom they are able to bring forth no confiâ—ation The chiefest occasion that seemed to stirre vp the heart and zeale of this Walter agaynst the pope was the inâ—pudent pardons and indulgenses of Pope 〈◊〉 graunted to Henry Spenser Bishop of Norwich 〈◊〉 against pope Clement mentioned before pag. 428. Secondly the â—oroÌ„gfull condemnation of the articles and conclusions of William Swinderby the whole order wherof in the processe here following more playnly may appeare The processe had by Bohn Byshop of Hereford agaynst Walter Brute lay man and learned of the dioces of Hereford touching the cause of heresie as they called it set forward by the way of the Byshops office c. at the instruction of certain faithful Christians as he termed them but in deed cruell and false promoters IN the name of God Amen To all maner of faithful christian people that shall see and heare this our preseÌ„t proces Iohn by the sufferance of God bishop of
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
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
in vs. If we confesse our sinnes God is faythfull and iust he will remit them and clense vs from all our iniquities If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not vs. My welbeloued children this I write vnto you that ye sinne not but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Therfore we ought to confesse our selues chiefly vnto God euen froÌ„ the hart for that he chieflye doth remit sinnes without whose absolution litle auaileth the absolutioÌ„ of man This kinde of confession is profitable and good The authors of the Canons say that although auricular confession made vnto the Priest be not expresly taught by Christ yet say they it is taught in that saying which Christ said vnto them diseased of the leprosy whom he coÌ„mauÌ„ded Go your wayes shewe yourselues vnto the Priestes because as they say the law of clensing lepers which was geuen by Moyses signified the confession of sinnes vnto the Priest And wheras Christ commauÌ„ded the lepers to shew themselues vnto the Priestes they say that Christ ment that those that were vncleane with the leper of sinne should shew theyr sinnes vnto the Priestes by auricular confession I maruell much at the authors of the Canons for euen from the beginning of their decres vnto the end they grounde theyr sayings vpoÌ„ the old law which was the law of sinne and death and not as witnesseth Paule vpon the words of Christ which are spirite life Christ sayth the wordâ—s which I speake vnto you are the spirit and life They grouÌ„â— theyr sayings in the shadow of the law and not in the light of Christ. For euery euill doer hateth the light commâ—th not into it that his deeds be not reproued but he that doth the truth commeth into the light that his workes may be openly sene because they are done in God Joh. 3. Now let vs passe to the words that Christ spake to the leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean And Iesus stretching forth his hand touched him saying I will be thou cleane and straight wayes he was cleansed of hys leper And Iesus sayd vnto him See thou tell no man but go and shew thy selfe to the Priest and offer the gyft that Moyses coÌ„maunded for a witnesse of these thinges This Gospell witnesseth playnely that the diseased of lepers were clensed onely by Christ and not by the Priests neither did Christ commaund the leper to shew himselfe vnto the priestes for any helpe of cleansing that he should receiue of the Priestes but to fulfill the law of Moyses in offering a sacrifice for his clensing for a testimony vnto the Priestes who alwayes of enuy accused Christ as a transgressour of the law For if Christ after he had clensed the leper had licensed him to communicate with others that were cleane before he had shewed himselfe clensed vnto the Priests theÌ„ might the Priestes haue accused Christ as a transgressour of the law Because it was a precept of the law that the leper after he was cleansed shoulde shewe himselfe vnto the Priestes And they had signes in the booke of law whereby they might iudge whether he were truely cleÌ„sed or no. And if he were clensed then would the Priestes offer a gift for his clensing And if he were not cleansed then would they segregate him froÌ„ the company of others that were cleane Seing euery figure ought to be assimuled vnto the thyng that is figured I pray you then what agreement is there betwene the clensing of lepers by the law the confession of sinnes By that law the Priest knew better whether he were leprouse then he himselfe that had the leper In coÌ„fession the priest knew not the sinnes of him that was confessed but by his owne confession In that law the Priest did not cleÌ„se the leprouse How now therfore ought the priests to clense sinners from their sinne that without theÌ„ they cannot be clensed In this law the Priest had certein signes by the which he could certaynly know whether a maÌ„ were clensed froÌ„ his leper or not In confession the Priest is not certaine of the clensing of sinnes because he is ignoraunt of his contrition He knoweth not also whether he will not sinne any more without the which contrition and graunting to sinne no more God hath not absolued any sinner And if God hath not absolued a man without doubt then is he not made cleane And how then is confession figured vnder that law Doubtlesse so it seemeth to me vnder the correction of them that can iudge better in the matter that this law beareth rather a figure of excommunication reconciliation of him that hath bene obstinate in his sinne is reconciled agayne For so it appeareth by the processe of the Gospell that when as the sinner doth not amend for the priuate correction of his brother nor for the correction of two or three neither yet for the publick correction of the whole Church Then is he to be counted as an Ethnike a Publicane as a certayn Leper to be auoyded out of the company of all men Which sinner notwithstanding if hee shall yet repent is then to be reconciled because he is then clensed from his obstinacy But he which pretendeth himselfe to be the chiefe vicar of Christ and the high Priest sayth that he hath power to absolue A poena culpa Which I doe not finde how it is founded in the scripture but that of his owne authority he enioyneth to sinners penance for their sinnes And grauÌ„t that froÌ„ their sinnes he may well absolue them yet froÌ„ the payn which they call a poena he doth not simply absolue as in his indulgences he promiseth But if he were in charitye and had such power as he preteÌ„deth he would suffer none to lie in Purgatory for sinne forsomuch as that payn doth farre exceed all other payne which here we suffer What maÌ„ is there being in charity but if he see his brother to be tormeÌ„ted in this world if he may he will helpe him and deliuer him Much more ought the Pope theÌ„ to deliuer out of paynes of Purgatorye indifferently as well rich as poore And if he sel to the rich his indulgeÌ„ces double wife yea triple wise he seduceth them First in promising to deliuer theÌ„ out of the payne from wheÌ„ce he doth not neither is able to deliuer theÌ„ And so maketh theÌ„ falsly to beleue that which they ought not to beleue SecoÌ„dly he deceiueth theÌ„ of their mony which he taketh for his indulgence Thirdly he seduceth them in this that he promising to deliuer them froÌ„ payne doth induce theÌ„ into greuous punishment in deed for the heresy of simony which both of theÌ„ do coÌ„mit therefore are worthy
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
no doubt is preferred aboue the Apostles and aboue Cephas also Moreouer as the dignitie of the wife is aboue the seruant so must needes the honour and worthines of the Churche being the spouse of Christ surmount the state of Peter or other Apostles which be but seruants to Christ and to the Churche yea and though they were Princes of the Church yet after the minde of Baldus Magis attenditur persona intellectualis quà m organica Otherwise if by this word charge he ment only the office and diligence of teaching to that I aunswere The same Lord that sayde to Peter feede my sheepe said also to the other go preach this Gospell to al nations And he that said to Peter what soeuer thou loosest said also to the other whatsoeuer ye remit in the earth Moreouer if the matter goe by preaching Paul the Apostle laboured more therin then euer did Peter by his owne confession Plus laboraui also suffered more for the same Plus sustinui neither was his doctrine lesse sound Yea and in one point he went before Peter was teacher and schoolmaister vnto Peter whereas Peter was by him iustly corrected Gal. 2. Furthermore teaching is not always nor in all things a point of maistership but sometime a point of seruice As if a Frenchman should be put to an Englishman to teach him French although he excelleth him in that kind of facultie yet it followeth not therefore that he hath fulnes of power vpō him to appoint his diet to rule his houshold to prescribe his lawes to stinte his lands and such other Wherfore seing in trauail in teaching in paines of preaching in gifts of tongs in largenes of commission in operation of miracles in grace of vocation in receauing the holy Ghost in vehemencie of tormentes and death for Christes name the other Apostles were nothing inferiour to Peter Why Peter then should claime any special prerogatiue aboue the rest I vnderstād no cause As in deed he neuer claimed any but the patrons of the Apostolicall sea do claime it for him which he neuer claimed himself neither if he were here would no lesse abhorre it with soule and conscience then we do now yet our abhorring now is not for any malice of person or any vantage to our selues but only the vehemencie of truth zeale to Christ and to his congregation Moreouer if these men would needes haue Peter to be the Curate and ouersear of the whole vniuersall Church which was too much for one man to take charge vpon and to be Prince of al other Apostles then would I faine learne of them what meaneth Dextrae societatis the right hand of societie betwene Peter Paul Barnabie mentioned Gal. 2. What taking of hands is there betwene subiects their Prince in way of fellowship Or where fellowship is what maistership is there Or againe what state of maistership is it like that Christ would geue to Peter who beyng in deede maister of all tooke such little maistership vpon himselfe and that not only in inward affection but also in outward fact Although I am not ignorant that Peter in places of the Gospell hath his commendation neither doe I denie Peter to bee worthy of the same But yet these wordes of commendation geue to him no state of superioritie or iurisdiction vpon all other to haue all vnder his subiection As if a Schoolemaister should haue more special charge to some one of his scholers for his riper towardnes yet this geueth him no fulnes of authoritie or power coactiue vpō the rest vnlesse by special admission he be deputed therunto Whereof nothing can be gathered of Peter for if it bee true that S. Augustine saith that such things as were spokē to Peter haue no lightsome vnderstanding except they be referred to the church wherof Peter did beare a figure thē hath the person of Peter nothing to claime by these woordes but all redoūdeth to the church which being ment by Peter hath power by this reason both ouer the person of Peter and all other persons in the Lord. But here stumbleth in an argument of our aduersarie againe which he in the margent of his book calleth an inuincible argument drawen out of the bowels of S. Iohn Chrisostome Lib. 2. De Sacerd. Wherby he supposeth to haue giuen a shrewd blow to the Protestants and to haue gotten Hectors victory vpon a certaine English prisoner taken in plain field and of all such as take his part The text onely of Chrysostome he reciteth but maketh no argument albeit he maketh mention of an inuincible argumēt in the margent But because he either wist not or list not to shew his cunning therein I wil forme that in argumēt for him which he would haue done but did not and so will forme it the Lord willing as he himselfe must of necessitie bee driuen to do if the matter euer come to the triall of act and not to the trifling of wordes First he taketh his text out of Chrysostome as followeth for what cause I pray you did Christ shed his bloud Truely to redeeme those sheep whose charge he committeth to Peter and to Peters successours Upon this place of Chrysostome this Clarke taketh his medium Christes suffring His conclusion is that all which Christ died for were committed to Peter Wherfore the forme of the argument must needes stand thus in the third figure Christ suffred for all men Christ suffered for them whome hee committed to Peter Ergo All that Christ dyed for were committed to Peter If this be the forme of his insoluble argument as it seemeth to be by the order of his reasoning also must needs be taking that medium and making that conclusion as he doth for els in the first figure and first moode the text of Chrisostome will not serue him then must the forme and violence of this inexpugnable argumēt be denied for that it breaketh the rules of Logike making his conclusiō vniuersall which in that figure must needes be perticular either affirmatiue or negatiue And so this argument inuincible falleth into one of these two straites either cōcluding thus the forme wil not serue him or cōcluding in another figure the wordes of Chrysostome will not aunswer to his purpose to proue that all the world was committed to Peter Which proposition as it is strange in scripture so neither is it the proposition of Chrysostome And though it were yet both without inconuenience might be graunted of vs and being graunted serueth his purpose nothing so long as the proposition is not exceptiue excluding other Apostles For the words of Chrysostom do not so sound that the whole world was committed to Peter onely and to none other Likewise then as it may be well affirmed of vs that the world was committed to Peter so can it not be denied of them that the world was also committed to Iohn Iames Bartholomew Paul Barnabe and other all and
with vij or viij heynous crimes as blasphemy Idolatry heresie superstition absurditie vanitie crueltie and contrarietie as which neither agreeth with the old learning of their forelders nor yet with thēselues in sundry points yet after a more temperate sort to passe this matter wyth them these ij things I will dare boldly affirme that in this doctrine of the Pope nowe taught in the Church of Rome is neither any consolation of conscience nor saluation of mans soule For seeing there is no life nor soule health but onely in Christ nor any promise of saluation or comfort made but only by faith in the sonne of God what assurance then can there be of perfect peace life or saluatiō where that which onely maketh all is least made of and other things which make least are most esteemed For to say the simple truth what els is the whole course and body of the popes law now set foorth but a doctrine of laws a heape of ceremonies a teaching of traditions a meditation of merites a foundation of new Religions al which conferre not one iote to the iustification of our soules before the terrible iudgement of God And therefore as it may be truely saide this doctrine of the Pope to be voyd of all true comfort and saluation so likewise it seemeth that these which addict themselues so deuoutly to the popes learning were neuer earnestly afflicted in conscience neuer humbled in spirite nor broken in hart neuer entred into any serious feeling of Gods iudgement nor euer felt the strength of the law of death For if they had they shoulde soone haue seene their owne weakenes and be driuen to Christ then should they haue seene what a horrible thing it is to appeare before GOD the father or once to thinke on him as Luther saith without christ And on the contrarye side then shoulde they know what a glory what a kingdome what liberty and life it were to be in Christ Iesus by faith holding their inheritance not with the bondsonne of Agar but with the free sonne of Sara by promise and not by the law by grace and not by works by gift and not by deseruing that god onely might be praysed and not man And thus were the olde Romaines first taughty by S. Paule writing to the Romanes The same did Cornelius the Romaine and first that was Baptised of all the Gentiles learne of S. Peter when he receaued the holy Ghost not by the deedes of the law but onely by hearing the faith of Iesus preached And in the same doctrine the sayd Church of the Romaines many yeares continued so long as they were in affliction And in the same doctrine the byshop of Rome with his Romanes now also should still remayne if they were such auncient Catholickes as they pretende and woulde follow the old mother Church of Rome and holde the first liquor wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor and sent of that liquor and pleasant must is nowe cleane put out through other vnsauery infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no tast nor peece remaineth of all that primitiue doctrine which S. Paule and other Apostles first planted among the Gentiles And what maruell if the Romanes now in so long tract of time haue lost their first sap seyng the Church of the Galathians then in the very time of S. Paule their Schoolemaister he being amongst them had not so soone turned his backe a little but they were all turned almost from the doctrine of fayth and had much a doo to be recouered againe Of this defection and falling from faith S. Paule expressely foretelleth vs in his letters both to the Thessalonians and also to Timothe where he sheweth that a defection shall come and that certaine shall depart from the faith attending to spirits of errour c. 1. Tim. 4. And to know what errours these shall be the circumstance plainly leadeth vs to vnderstande in the same place where the sayd Apostle speaketh of marked consciences forbidding men to marry and to eate meates ordeined of God to be taken with thankes giuing for mans sustenance most euidently as with his finger pointeth out vnto vs the church of Rome which not in these pointes onely but also in all other conditions almost is vtterly reuolted from the pure originall sincerity of that doctrine which Saint Paule planted in the Churche of the Romanes and of all other Gentiles ¶ The Summe of S. Paules doctrine deliuered to the Gentiles 1. FIrst the doctrine of S. Paule ascribeth all our iustification freely meerly to faith onely in Christ as to the onely meanes and cause immediate whereby the merites of Christes passion be applyed vnto vs without any other respect of worke or workes of the law whatsoeuer and in this doctrine the Church of the Romanes was first planted 2. Secondly the same doctrine of S. Paule cutting of and excluding all glory of mans deseruing stayeth onely vpon Gods promise and vpon grace not mans merites vpon mercy not mans labouring or running vpon election and calling not mans willing c. 3. Thirdly the same doctrine casting downe the strength of man and his integra naturalia as the scholes doe terme them concludeth all fleshe vnder sinne and maketh the same destitute of the glory of God 4. Item it maketh manifest difference betweene the law and the Gospell declaring the vse and ende of them to be diuers the one to kill the other to quicken the one to cōdemne the other to iustifie the one to haue an ende and a tyme the other to be perpetuall c. 5. Item the same doctrine of S. Paule as it sheweth a difference betweene the law and the Gospell so it maketh no lesse difference betweene Iusticia Dei and Iusticia propria that is the righteousnes of God and the righteousnes of man abhorryng the one that is man 's owne righteousnes comming by the law and works and embracing the other which God imputeth freely and graciously to vs for Christ his sonnes sake in whom we beleeue 6. Item it wipeth away al traditions and constitutions of men whatsoeuer especially from binding of conscience calling them beggerly elements of this world 7. Likewise it reiecteth and wipeth away al curious subtilities and superfluous speculations knoweth nothing els but Christ onely Crucified which is onely the obiect whereunto our faith looketh 8. Furthermore as the same doctrine of S. Paule defineth al men to be transgressours by disobedience of one Adam though they neuer touched the Aple comming of his stocke by nature so doth it prooue all men to be iustified by the obedience of one though they did not his obedience being likewise borne of him by spirituall regeneration and faith 9. And therfore as all men comming of Adam be condemned originally before they grow vp to commit anye sinne agaynst the law so all men be saued originally being
to performe but also to do more and greater things then the law requireth Wherof riseth the works of supererogatiō contrary to the 6. and 8. principles aboue specified page 24. Also there be say they among other certaine workes of the lawe which pertayne not to all men but are consilia counsayles left for perfect men as matter for them to merite by and these they call opera perfectionis or opera indebita adding also to these newe deuises to serue God after their owne traditions besides the worde of God as Monasticall vowes wilfull pouerty difference of meates and garmentes pilgrimage to reliques and Saints worshipping of the dead superstitious ceremonies rosaries c. With such like and these they call workes of perfection which they preferre before the other commaunded in the lawe of God In so much that in comparison of these the other necessary duties commaunded and commended by the worde of God as to beare office in the common wealth to liue in the godlye state of matrimony to susteine the office of a seruant in a house is contemned and accounted as prophane in cōparison of these contrary to the 10. principle aboue mentioned pag. 24. * Of Sinne. OF Sinne likewise they teach not rightly nor after the institution of the Apostles and the auncient Church of Rome while the consider not the deepenes and largenes of sinne supposing still to be nothing els but inwarde actions with consent of will or outwarde such as are agaynst will whereas the strength of sinne extendeth not onely to these but also comprehendeth the blyndnes and ignorance of the minde lacke of knowledge and true feare of God the vntowardnes of mans minde to Godwarde the priuy rebellion of the hart against the lawe of God the vndeliting will of man to God and his worde The sense of flesh S. Paule also calleth an enimie against God and feeleth in himselfe that is in his fleshe nothing dwelling but sinne As touching also originall sinne wherin we are borne which is the destruction of original iustice and of gods Image in vs remayning in vs and bringing foorth in vs wicked cogitations affections and motions of naughtynes against the law of God and neuer ceaseth so long as man liueth this originall sinne the Popes doctrine doth not deny but yet doth much extenuate the same and holdeth that this inwarde concupiscence vicious affections not brasting out in vs with consent of will are no mortall nor damnable sinne but only fomes peccati And say moreouer that this concupiscentia in vs is no deprauation of the higher but onely of the lower partes of man beyng as a thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferent and no lesse naturall in vs then is the appetite to eate and drinke and that the same is left to remaine in the Saintes after Baptisme to be to them occasion of more meriting c. * Of Penaunce or Repentaunce OF Penaunce this latter Latterane Church of Rome of late hath made a Sacrament contrary to the fourth principle before pag. 24. which penaunce say they standeth of three partes Contrition Confession and Satisfaction canonicall Contrition as they teach may be had by strength of free will without the lawe and the holy Ghost per actus elicitos through mans owne action and endeuour Which contrition first must be sufficient and so it meriteth remission of sinne In confession they require a full rehearsall of all sinnes whereby the Priest knowing the crymes may minister satisfaction accordingly And this rehearsing of sinnes ex opero operato deserueth remission contrary y◠to 14. principle before pag. 24. Satisfactions they call opera indebita enioyned by the ghostly father And this satisfaction say they taketh away and chaungeth eternall punishment into temporall paynes which paines also it doth mittigate And againe these satisfactions may be taken away by the Popes indulgence c. This vnsauery and hethenish doctrine of penaunce farre differeth from the true teaching of holye Scripture By the which teaching repentaunce properly conteineth these three partes contrition fayth and new life Contrition is called in Scripture the sorrow of hart rysing vpō the consideration of sinne committed and of the anger of God prouoked which sorrowe dryueth a man to Christ for succour wherevpon ryseth fayth Fayth bringeth afterward amendement or newenes of life whiche wee call newe obedience working fruites worthye of repentaunce ¶ Difference betweene the law and the Gospell AS there is nothing more necessary and cōfortable for troubled consciences then to be well instructed in the difference betweene the lawe and the Gospell so is the Churche of Rome much to blame in thys behalfe because it confoundeth togyther those two beyng in nature so dyuers contrary one from another as threatninges and promises thynges temporall wyth thinges eternall sorrowfull thinges wyth glad tydinges death wyth lyfe bondage with freedome c. Teachyng the people that whatsoeuer the lawe sayth the Gospell confirmeth and whatsoeuer the Gospell sayth the same is agreeable to the lawe and so make they no difference betweene Moses and Christ saue onely that Moses they saye was the gyuer of the olde lawe Christ is the gyuer of the newe and a more perfect lawe And thus imagine they the gospell to be nothyng els but a newe lawe gyuen by Christ bynding to the promises thereof the condition of our dooynges and deseruinges no otherwise then to the olde lawe And so denyde they the whole lawe after this destinction into three partes to wytte the law of Nature the lawe of Moses and the lawe of Christ. And as for the Gospell they saye it is reueled for no other cause but to shew to the world more perfect preceptes and counsayles then were in the olde lawe to the fulfylling whereof they attribute iustification and so leaue the poore consciences of men in perpetuall doubt and induce other many folde errours bryngyng the people into a false opinion of Christ as though he were not a remedy against the law but came as an other Moses to gyue a newe lawe to the worlde Furthermore as they make no difference betweene the nature of the lawe and nature of the Gospell confoundyng Moses and Christ together so neyther doe they distinct or discerne the tyme of the lawe and the time of the Gospell a sonder For where S. Paule bryngeth in the law to be a schoolmaster limiteth him his tune vnto Christ saith that Christ is the end of the law that is wheras y◠law ceaseth there Christ beginneth where christ begineth there the law endeth they cōtrary make the law to haue no ende nor ceasing but gyue to it immortall life kingdome equall with Christ so that Christ and the lawe togither do reigne ouer the soule and conscience of man Which is vntrue For either Christ must giue place and the lawe stande Or els the law the condemnation and malediction of
they fulfilled that Scripture which is spoken of in Esay Let vs take away the iust man because he is not profitable for vs Wherfore let them eat the fruits of their workes Therfore they went vp to throwe doune the iust man and said among themselues let vs stone this iust man Iames they toke him to smite him with stones for he was not yet dead wheÌ„ he was cast doune but he turning fell doune vpon his knees saying O Lord God Father I beseech thee to forgeue them for they know not what they do But wheÌ„ they had smitten him with stones one of the priests of the children of Rechas the sonne of Charobim spake to them the testimonie which is in Ieremie the Prophet leaue off what do ye The iust man praieth for you And one of those which were present tooke a Fullers instrument wherwith they did vse to beat and purge cloth and smote the iust man on his head and so he finished his Martyrdome and they buried him in the same place his piller abideth yet by the temple He was a true testimonie to the Iewes and the Gentiles And shortly after Vespasianus the Emperour destroying the land of Iewrie brought them into captiuitie These thinges being thus written at large of Egesippus do well agree to those which Clement did write of him This Iames was so notable a man that for his iustice he was had in honour of all men in so much that the wise men of the Iewes shortly after his Martyrdome did impute the cause of the besieging of Ierusalem and other calamities which happened vnto theÌ„ to no other cause but vnto the violence and iniurie done to this man Also Iosephus hath not left this out of his historie where he speaketh of him after this maner These things so chanced vnto the Iewes for a vengeance because of that iust man Iames which was the brother of Iesu whoÌ„ they called Christ for the Iewes killed him although he was a righteous man The same Iosephus declareth his death in the same booke and chapter saying Caesar hearing of the death of Festus sent Albinus the Lieuetenant into Iewrie but Ananus the yonger being bishop and of the sect of the Saduces trusting that he had obtained a conuenient tyme seing that Festus was dead and Albinus entred on his iourney he called a Councell and calling many vnto him among whom was Iames by name the brother of Iesu which is called Christ he stoned them accusing them as breakers of the law Whereby it appeareth that many other besides Iames also the same tyme were Martyred and put to death amoÌ„g the Iewes for the faith of Christ. A description of the X. first persecutions in the Primitiue Church THese thinges being thus declared for the Martyrdome of the Apostles and the persecutioÌ„ of the Iewes Now let vs by the grace of Christ our Lord comprehend with like breuitie the persecutions raised by the Romaines against the Christians in the Primitiue age of the Church during the space of 300. yeares till the comming of godly Constantine which persecutions are reckoned of Eusebius and by the most part of writers to the number of x. most speciall Wherin meruailous it is to see and read the numbers incredible of Christian innocents that were slaine and tormented some one way some an other As Rabanus saith saith truly Alij ferro perempti Alij flammis exusti Alij flagris verberati Alij vectibus perforati Alij cruciati patibulo Alij demersi pelagi periculo Alij viui decoriati Alij vinculis mancipati Alij linguis priuati Alij lapidibus obruti Alij frigore afflicti Alij fame cruciati Alij truncatis manibus aliÃsue caesis membris spectaculum contumeliae nudi propter nomen Domini portantes c. That is Some slaine with sword Some burnt with fire Some with whips scourged Some stabbed in with forkes of iron Some fastned to the crosse or gibbet Some drowned in the sea Some their skinnes pluckt of Some their tongues cut off Some stoned to death Some killed with cold Some starued with hunger Some their hands cut off or otherwise dismembred haue bene so left naked to the open shame of the world c. Whereof Augustine also in his booke De Ciuit. 22. cap. 6. thus saith Ligabantur includebantur caedebantur torquebantur vrebantur laniabantur trucidabantur multiplicabantur non pugnantes pro salute sed salutem contemnentes pro seruatore Whose kindes of punishments although they were diuers yet the maner of constancie in all these Martyrs was one And yet notwithstaÌ„ding the sharpenes of these so many and sundry tormeÌ„ts and like cruelnes of the tormentors yet such was the nuÌ„ber of these constant Saintes that suffered or rather such was the power of the Lord in his Saints that as Hierome in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith Nullus esset dies qui non vltra quinque millium numerum Martyrum reperiri posset ascriptus excepto die Kalendarum Ianuarij That is There is no day in the whole yeare vnto which the nuÌ„ber of fine thousand Martyrs cannot be ascribed except onely the first day of Ianuary * The first Persecution THe first of these x. persecutions was stirred vp by Nero Domitius the vj. Emperour before mentioned about the yeare of our Lord 67. The tyrannous rage of which Emperour was so fierce against the Christians as Eusebius recordeth Vsque adeò vt videres repletas humanis corporibus ciuitates iacentes mortuos simul cum paruulis senes foemi narúmque absque vlla sexus reuerentia nudata in publico reiectáque starent cadauera That is In so much that a man might then see cities lye full of mens bodies the old there lying together with the yong and the dead bodies of women cast out naked without all reuerence of that sexe in the opeÌ„ streets c. Likewise Orosius writing of the said Nero saith that he was the first which in Rome did raise vp persecution against the Christians and not onely in Rome but also through all the prouinces therof thinking to abolish and to destroy the whole name of Christians in all places c. Whereunto accordeth moreouer the testimonie of Hierome vpon Daniel saying thà t many there were of the Christians in those dayes which seyng the filthy abominations and intollerable crueltie of Nero thought that he should be Antichrist c. In this persecution among many other Saintes the blessed Apostle Peter was condemned to death and crucified as some doe write at Rome albeit othersome and not without cause doe doubt thereof concerning whose lyfe and hystory because it is sufficiently described in the text of the Gospell and in the Actes of S. Luke chap. 4.5 12. I neede not heere to make any great repetytion therof As touching the cause and maner of hys death diuers ther be which make relation as Hierome Egesippus Eusebius
Abdias and other although they doe not all precisely agree in the tyme. The wordes of Hierome be these Simon Peter the sonne of Iona of the prouince of Galile and of the Towne of Bethsaida the brother of Andrew c. After hee had bene Byshop of the Church of Antioch and had preached to the dispersion of them that beleued of the Circumcision in Pontus Galacia Capadocia Asia and Bithinia in the second yeare of Claudius the Emperour whiche was about the yeare of our Lord. 44. came to Rome to withstand Simon Magus and there kept the priestly chayre the space of 25. yeares vntill the last yeare of the foresayd Nero which was the 14. yeare of hys raygne of whome he was crucified hys head being downe and his feete vpward himselfe so requiring because he was he sayd vnworthy to be crucified after the same forme and maner as the Lord was c. Egesippus prosecuting this matter something more at large and Abdias also if any authoritie is to be geuen to hys booke who following not onely the sense but also the very forme of wordes of Egesippus in this Hystory seemeth to be extracted out of him and of other authors sayth that Simon Magus being then a great man with Nero and his president and keeper of hys life was required vppon a tyme to be present at the raysing vp of a certayne noble young man in Rome of Neros kindred lately departed Wheras Peter also was desired to come to the reuiuing of the sayd personage But when Magus in the presence of Peter could not doe it Then Peter calling vpon the name of the Lord Iesus dyd rayse him vp and restored him to hys mother wherby the estimation of Simon Magus began greatly to decay and to be detested in Rome Not long after the sayd Magus threatned the Romaynes that he would leaue the Citie and in their light flye away from them into heauen So the day being appoynted Magus taking hys winges in the Mounte Capitolinus began to flye in the ayre But Peter by the power of the Lord Iesus brought him downe with his winges headlong to the ground by the whiche fall hys legges and ioyntes were broken and he thereupon dyed Then Nero sorrowing for the death of him sought matter agaynst Peter to put hym to death Which when the people perceiued they entreated Peter with much a doe that he would flye the Citie Peter through their importunitie at length perswaded prepared himselfe to auoyd But comming to the gate he sawe the Lord Christ come to meete him to whom he worshipping sayd Lord whether doest thou goe To whome he aunswered and sayd I come agayne to be crucified By this Peter perceauing hys suffering to be vnderstanded returned backe into the Citty agayne And so was he crucified in maner as is before declared And this out of Egesippus Eusebius moreouer writing of the death not onely of Peter but also of his wife affirmeth that Peter seeing his wife goyng to her Martyrdom belike as he was yet hanging vpon the crosse was greatly ioyous and glad thereof who crying vnto her with a loud voyce and calling her by her name bade her remember the Lord Iesus Such was then saith Eusebius the blessed bonde of Mariage among the Saintes of God And thus much of Peter Paule the Apostle which before was called Saule after his great trauail and vnspeakable labours in promooting the Gospell of Christ suffred also in this first persecution vnder Nero and was beheaded Of whom thus writeth Hierome in his Booke De viris illustr Paule otherwise called Saule one of the Apostles yet out of the number of xij was of the tribe of Beniamin and of a towne of Iewrie called Gisealis which towne beyng taken of the Romains he with his parents fled to Tharsus a town of Cilicia Afterward was sent vp by his parents to Hierusalē and there brought vp in the knowledge of the law at the feete of Gamaliel and was at the death of Stephen a doer And when he had receiued letters from the high Priest to persecute the Christians by the way going to Damascus was stroken downe of the Lordes glory and of a persecutor was made a professor an Apostle a Martyr a witnesse of the Gospell and a vessell of election Among his other manifold labors trauails in spreading the doctrine of Christ he wan Sergius Paulus the Proconsul of Cyprus to the faith of Christ whereupon he tooke his name as some suppose turned from Saulus to Paulus After he had passed through diuers places and countries in his laborious peregrinations he tooke to him Barnabas and went vp to Hierusalem to Peter Iames and Iohn where he was ordained and sent out with Barnabas to preach vnto the Gentils And because it is in the Actes of the Apostles sufficiently comprehended concerning the admirable conuersion conuersation of this most worthy Apostle that which remaineth of the rest of his history I will here adde how the sayd Apostle Paule the 25. yere after the passion of the lord in the second yeare of Nero what tyme Festus ruled in Iewrie was sent vp in bondes to Rome where he remaining in his free hosterie two yeares together disputed daily against the Iewes proouing Christ to be come And here is to be noted that after his first answer or purgation there made at Rome the Emperor Nero not yet fully confirmed in his Empire yet not bursting out into those mischiefs which histories report of him he was at that tyme by Nero discharged and dismissed to preach the Gospell in the West partes and about the coastes of Italy as he himselfe writing vnto Timothie afterward in his second apprehension in his second Epistle witnesseth saying In my first purgation no man stoode with me but did all forsake me the Lord lay it not to their charge But the Lord stood with me did comfort me that the preaching of his word might proceed by me that all the Gentiles might heare and be taught and I was deliuered out of the Lions mouth c. In which place by the Lion he plainly meaneth Nero. And afterward likewise saith I was deliuered from the mouth of the Lion c. And againe the Lord hath deliuered me out from all euill workes and hath saued me vnto his heauenly kingdom c. speaking this because he perceiued thē the tyme of his Martyrdome to be nere at hand For in the same Epistle before he saith I am now offred vp and the tyme of my dissolution draweth on Thus then this worthy preacher and messenger of the Lord in the 14. yeare of Nero and the same day in which Peter was crucified although not in the same yeare as some write but in the next yeare following was beheaded at Rome for the testimonie of Christ and was buried in the way of Ostia The yeare after the passion of the Lord 37. He wrote ix Epistles to seuen
was how and when it should appeare they aunswered that his kingdome was no worldly nor terren thing but an heauenly and Aungelicall kingdome that it should appeare in the consummation end of the world what tyme he comming in glory should iudge the quicke and the dead and render to euery one according to his deseruinges Domitian the Emperour hearing this as the saying is did not condemne them but despising them as vile persons let them go also staid the persecution then mooued against the Christians They being thus discharged and dismissed afterward had the gouernmeÌ„t of Churches beyng taken for Martyrs and as of the Lords stock and so consumed in good peace till the tyme of Traianus Haec Egesip Euseb Lib. 3. cap. 20. By this story here recited may appeare what were the causes why the Emperours of the Romaine Monarchie did so persecute the Christians which causes were chiefly these feare and hatred 1. feare for that the Emperors and Senate of blinde ignoraunce not knowing the maner of Christes kingdome feared and misdoubted least the same would subuert their Emperie Like as the Pope thinkeeh now that this Gospel wil ouerthrow his kingdom of maiestie And therfore sought they all means possible how by death and all kindes of torments vtterly to extinguish the name and memorie of the christians And therupon semeth to spring the old law of the Romaine Senate Non debere dimitti Christianos qui semel ad tribunal venissent nisi propositum mutent i. That the Christians should not bee let goe which were once brought to the iudgement seate except they chaunged their purpose c. Euseb. Lib. 5. cap. 21.2 Hatred partly for that this world of his owne naturall condition hath euer hated and maliced the people of god from the first beginning of the world Partly agayne for that the Christians beyng of a contrary nature and Religion seruing only the true liuing God despised their false gods spake against their idolatrous worshippings and many tymes stopped the power of Sathan working in their Idoles And therfore Sathan the Prince of this world stirred vp the Romaine Princes blynd Idolaters to beare the more hatred and spite against them Upon these causes and such like rose vp these malicious slaunders false surmises infamous lies slanderous accusations of the Heathen idolaters against the Christian seruaunts of God which incited the Princes of this world the more to persecute them for what crimes so euer malice could inuent or rash suspicion could minister that was imputed to the Christians as that they were a people incestuous that in the night in their concourses puttyng out their candles they ranne together in all filthy maner that they killed their owne children that they vsed to eate mans flesh that they were seditious and rebellious that they would not sweare by the fortune prosperitie of Caesar that they would not adore the Image of Caesar in the market place that they were pernitious to the Emperie of Rome Briefly whatsoeuer mishappened to the Citie or Prouinces of Rome either famine pestilence earthquake warres wonders vnseasonablenes of weather or what other euils soeuer hapned it was imputed to the Christians as Iustinus recordeth Ouer and beside al these a great occasion that stirred vp the Emperours against the Christians came by one Publius Tarquinius the chiefe Prelate of the idolatrous sacrifices and Mamertinus the chiefe gouernour of the Citie in the tyme of Traianus who partly with money partly with sinister and pestilent counsaâ—â—e partly with infamous accusations as witnesseth Nauclerus incensed the mynde of the Emperour so muche against Gods people Also among these other causes abouesaid crept in some piece of couetousnes withal as in all other things it doth in that the wicked promooters and accusers for sucre sake to haue the possessions of the christians were the more redy to accuse them to haue the spoyle of their goods Thus hast thou Christian reader first the causes declared of these persecutions 2. The cruell law of their condemnation 3. Now heare more what was the forme of inquisition which was as is witnessed in the second Apologie of Iustinus to this effect that they should sweare to declare the truth whether they were in very deed Christians or not and if they confessed then by the law the sentence of death proceeded Iust. Apol. 2. Neither yet were these tyrants and organes of SathaÌ„ thus contented with death onely to bereaue the life from the bodye The kindes of death were diuers and no lesse horrible then diuers Whatsoeuer the cruelnesse of mans inuention could deuise for the punishment of mans body was practised against the Christians as partly I haue mentioned before and more appeareth by the Epistle sent from the brethren of France hereafter following Craftie traynes outcries of enemies imprisonments stripes and scourgings drawings tearings stonings plates of iron layd to them burning hote deep dungeons racks strangling in prisons the teeth of wild beasts gridirons gibbets and gallowes tossing vpon the hornes of Buls Moreouer wheÌ„ they were thus killed their bodies laid in heaps and dogs there left to keep them that no man might come to bury them neither would any prayer obtayne them to be interred and buried Ex Epistola fratrum Viennensium ac Lugdunensium c. And yet notwithstanding for all these continual persecutions and horrible punishments the church of the christians daily increased deepely rooted in the doctrine of the Apostles and of men Apostolicall and watered plenteously with the bloud of Saintes as saith Nicephorus Tib. 3. Whereof let vs heare the worthy testimony of Iustinus Martyr in his Dialogue with Tripheus And that none saith he can terrifie or remoue vs which beleue in Iesus by this it daily appeareth for when we are slaine crucified cast to wild beastes into the fire or geuen to other torments yet we goe not from our confession but contrary the more crueltie and slaughter is wrought against vs the mo they be that come to pietie and faith by the name of Iesus no otherwise then if a man cut the vine tree the better the branches grow For the vine tree planted by God and Christ our Sauiour is his people Haec Iust. ¶ To comprehend the names and number of all the Martyrs that suffered in all these ten persecutions which are innumerable as it is vnpossible so it is hard in such varietie and diuersitie of matter to keepe such a perfect order and course of yeares and times that either some be not left out or that euery one bee reduced into his right place especially seeing the Authors themselues whome in this present worke we follow doe diuersly disagree both in the tymes in the names and also in the kynd of Martyrdome of them that suffered As for example where the common reading and opinion of the Church and the Epistles Decretall doe take Anacletus to succeed after
their hartes For they falling prostrate vpon the ground prayed not onely for me but for the host also which was with me beseeching their God for helpe in that our extremitie of vittels and fresh water For we had bene now v. dayes without water and were in our enemies land euen in the middest of Germany who thus falling vppon their faces made their prayer to a GOD vnknowne of me and there sell amongest vs from heauen a most pleasaunt and cold shower but amongest our enemies a great storme of hayle mixt with lightning so that immediately we perceiued the inuincible ayde of the most mighty God to be with vs. Therefore we geue those men leaue to professe Christianitie least perhap by their prayer we be punished with the lyke and thereby make my selfe the author of such hurt as shal be receiued by the Christian profession And if any shall apprehend one that is a Christian onely for that cause I will that he being apprended without punishment may haue leaue to confesse the same so that there be none other cause obiected agaynst hym more then that he is a Christian But let his accuser be burned aliue Neither will I that he confessing and being founde a Christian shal be enforced to alter the same his opinion by the gouernour of any of our prouinces but leâ—t to hys owne choyse And this decree of myne I will to be ratified in the Senate house and commaund the same publiquely to be proclaymed and read in the Court of Traianus and that farther from thence it may be sent into all our Prouinces by the diligence of Veratius gouernour of our Citie Polione And further we geue leaue to all men to vse and write out this our decree taking the same out of our coâ—â—e publiquely in the common Hall set forth Thus the tempestuous rage of persecution against the Christians began for a tyme to asswage partly by the occasion hereof partly also vpon other causes incident coÌ„pelling the enimies to surcease their persecutioÌ„ as great plagues pestilence lying vpon the countrie of Italy lykewise great warres as well in the East partes as also in Italy and Fraunce terrible earthquakes great flouds noâ—some swarmes of flies and vermine deuouring their corne fieldes c. And thus much of thinges done vnder Antoninus Verus which Antoninus in the beginning of his raygne ioyned with him in the gouernement of the Empire hys brother Marcus Aurelius Commodus who also was wyth hym at the miraculous victory gotten by the ChristiaÌ„s as Eusebius cap. 5. Lib. 5. recordeth contrary Platina in vita Soteris and the book intituled Flores historiaruÌ„ referre the same to the time of Antoninus verus and his sonne Lucius Antoninus Commodus and not of Marcus Aurelius Commodus hys brother But howsoeuer the truth of yeares doe stand certaine it is that after the death of Antoninus Verus and of Aurelius Commodus succeeded Lucius Antoninus Commodus the sonne of Verus who raigned 13. yeares In the time of this Commodus although he was an incoÌ„modious Prince to the Senatours of Rome yet notwtstanding there was some quietnes vniuersally through the whole Church of Christ from persecution by what occasion it is not certaine Some thinke of whom is Xiphilinus that it came through Marcia the Emperouâ—s concubine which fauoured the Christians but how soeuer it came saith Eusebius the furye of the raging enimies was then somwhat mittigated peace was giuen by the grace of Christ vnto the Church throughout the whole worlde At what time the wholesome doctrine of the Gospel allured and reduced the harts of all forces of people vnto the true Religion of God insomuch that many both rich and noble personages of Rome with their whole families and housholdes to their saluation adioyned theÌ„ to the Church of Christ. Among whom there was one Apollonius a noble man and a Senatour of Rome mentioned in Eusebius Lib. 5. ca. 21. who being maliciously accused vnto the Senate by one whom Hierome writeth to be the seruaunt of the said Apollonius and nameth him Seuerus but whose seruaunt soeuer he was the wretched man came soone inough before the iudge being condignely rewarded for that his malicious diligence For by a law which the Emperour made that no man vpon paine of death shoulde falsely accuse the Christians he was put to execution had his legs broken forthwith by the sentence of Perenninus the iudge which being an heathen man he pronounced against him but the beloued martyr of God when the iudge with much a doe had obtained of hym to render an accout before the honorable Senate of his faith vnder whose defence and warrant of lyfe he did the same deliuered vnto them an eloqueÌ„t Apologie of the christian beliefe but the former warrant notwithstanding he by the decree of the Senate was beheaded and so ended his life For that there was an auncient law among them decreed that none that professed Christ and therefore araigned should be released without recantation or altering his opinion This Commodus is said in stories to be so sure steddy handed in casting the dart that in the open Theatre before the people he would encounter with the wild beasts and be sure to hit them in place where he appointed Among diuers other his vicious and wild parts he was to farre surpressed in pride arrogancy that he would be called Hercules and many times would shewe himselfe to the people in the skinne of a Lion to bee counted thereby the king of men like as the Lion is of the beastes Upon a certaine time being his birth day this Commodus calling the people of Rome togither in a great roialtye hauing his lions skinne vpon him made sacrifice to Hercules Iupiter causing it to be cried through the Citty that Hercules was the patrone and defender of the Citye There were the same time at Rome Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus Potentianus learned men and instructors of the people who folowing the steps of the Apostles went about from place to place where the Gospell was not yet preached conuerting the Gentiles to the sayth of Christ These hearing the madnes of the Emperour of the people began to reproue their idolatrous blindnes teaching in villages townes al that heard them to beleue vpon the true and only God and to come away from such worshipping of deuils and to giue honor to God alone which only is to be worshipped willing them to repent and to bee Baptised least they perished with Commodus With thys their preaching they conuerted one Iulius a Senatour and other to the Religion of Christ. The Emperour hearyng thereof caused theÌ„ to be apprehended of Vitellus his Captaine and to be compelled to sacrifice vnto Hercules which when they stoutly refused after diuers greuous torments and great miracles by them done at last they were pressed with â—eaden waightes to death Vincentius Lib. 10. cap. 119. Chron. Henr. de Erfordia
although saith he Alexander beyng perswaded through the entreating of his mother MaÌ„mea did fauour the Christians yet notwithstanding there was no publike Edict or Proclamation prouided for their safegard By reasoÌ„ wherof diuers there were which suffered Martyrdome vnder Almachius other iudges In the number of whom after some stories was Calixtus Bishop of Rome who succeded next vnto Zephyrinus aboue mentioned And after him Vrbanus also which both beyng Bishops of Rome did both suffer by the opinioÌ„ of some writers vnder Alexander Seuerus This Calixtus in his two decretal Epistles written to Benedictus and to the Bishops of Fraunce geueth these ordinances that no actions or accusations agaynst the Prelates or teachers of the church should be receaued that no secret conspiracies should be made against bishops Item no man to communicate with persons excoÌ„municate Also no bishop to excommunicate or to deale in an other Dioces And here he expoundeth the Dioces or the Parish of any bishop or minister to be his wife The wife sayth the Apostle is bound to the law so long as the husbaÌ„d liueth when he is dead she is free from the law So saith Calixtus the wife of a bishop which is his Church so long as he liueth is bound duely to him neither ought to be iudged or disposed by any other man without his will and iudgement after his death she is free from the lawe to marrie to whoÌ„ she will so it be in the Lord that is regulariter regularly In the end of the sayd his epistle decretall he confuteth the error of them which hold that they which are fallen are not to be receiued agayne Which heresie after the tyme of Calixtus or Calistus came in first by Nouatus in the dayes of Cornelius Moreouer in his sayd first Epistle decretall is contayned the fast of the foure tymes commonly called the Imber fast whereof also Marianus Scotus maketh mention But Damasus speaking of the same fast sayth he ordayned the fast but of three tymes which was for the encrease of corne wyne and oyle By these hetherto premised it is not hard for a quicke Reader to smel out the crafty iugling of that person or persons whosoeuer they were the falsly haue ascribed these decretall institutions to those holy fathers For first what laysure had the Christians to lay in their accusations against their bishops when we neuer read nor finde in any story any kynde of variaunce in those dayes among them but all loue mutuall compassion and harty communion among the Saintes And as we read of no variaunce among the people in those dayes nor of any fault or backsliding among the Bishops who for the most part then died all constant Martirs so neither do we read of any tribunall seat or Consistorie vsed or frequented then about any such matters Agayne if a man examine well the dangers of those busie days he shall see the poore flocke of the christians so occupied and piteously oppressed by the cruell accusations of the Heathen Infidels that though the cause did yet the tyme would not serue them to commense any law against their bishops SecoÌ„dly as touching their conspiracie against bishops what conspiracie either would they then practise agaynst them which always gaue their liues for their defence Or how could they then conspire in any coÌ„panies together when neuer a true thristian man durst once put his head out of his dores neither was there in the church any Christian man in those perilous dayes except he were a true man in deed such as was farre from all false conspiracies And when as all the world almost in all places conspired agaynst them What tyme what cause or what hart trow ye could they haue to coÌ„spire against their instructors Thirdly concerning the confutation of that heresie how standeth the confutation with the tyme of Calistus wheÌ„ Nouatus the author of that heresie was after him in the tyme of Cornelius Fourthly if by the lawe of Calixtus euery Dioces be the proper wife of euery bishop or minister then how many bishops wiues and persons wiues hath the adulterous Pope of Rome defloured in these latter dayes of the Church which so proudly and impudently hath intermedled and taken his pleasure his owne profit in euery Dioces and Parish almost through all Christendome without all leaue and licence of the good man who hath bene in the meane tyme yet is compelled stil where so euer the Popes holines commeth Vigilante sternere naso and to giue him leaue vnasked to do what he list Wherefore if this Canon decretall be truly his why is it not obserued so as it doth stand without exceptioÌ„ If it bee not why is it then falsly forged vpon him and the Church of Christ deceaued And certes lamentable it is that this falsifiyng of such trifling traditions vnder the false preteÌ„ce of antiquitie either was begon in the Church to deceaue the people or that it hath remayned so long vndetected For as I thinke the church of Christ will neuer be perfectly reformed before these decretall constitutions Epistles which haue so long put on the visard of antiquitie shal be fully detected and appeare in their owne colour wherein they were first paynted And yet neither do I say this or thinke contrary but that it may be that bishops of Rome and of the same name haue bene the true authors of these traditions but here coÌ„meth in the error as I credibly suppose that when other later bishops of the like name haue deuised these ceremoniall inuentions the vulgar opinion of men hath transferred them to the first primitiue fathers although beyng of an other time yet bearing the same name with the true inuentors thereof But of Calixtus enough who as Damasus sayth in the dayes of this Alexander Seuerus died a Martyr Vincentius affirmeth that he was tied to a great stone and so out of a window was thrown into a ditch Eusebius speakyng of his death maketh no mention of his Martyrdom and sayth he sate v. yeares Platina sayth vj. yeres Sabellicus giueth him vij yeares and so doth Damasus After Calistus folowed Vrbanus about the yeare of our Lord 227. who in his epistle decretall comming out of the same forge which he wrote in common to all bishops making no mention of the heauy persecutions of the Church nor ministring any exhortation of comfort or constancie to the brethren onely geueth many straight precepts for not transporting or alienating the goods of the Church and to pay truly their offâ—â—â—ngs which they vow also to haue all common among the Clergie Moreouer about the ende of his epistle he instituteth the confirmation of children after Baptisme which the Papistes bee woont to take into the number of their vii Sacraments affirming and denouncing more then Scripture will beare that the imposition of the Bishops hand bringeth the holy ghost and thereby to be made full ChristiaÌ„s c. But of these
with the rest of the multitude and perswading them what they should do and what had bene obteined for theÌ„ caused them to void the citie and not onlie them but also a great number of other mo who perswaded by him vnder that preâ—ence changing themselues in womens apparell or faming some impotencie so escapeh out of the citie At whose comming out Eusebius on the other side was readie to receiue them and refreshed their hungrye and pined bodies whereby not onelye they but the whole Citye of Alexandria was preserued from destruction Eusebius lib. 7. cap. 32. By this little historie of Eusebius and Anatholius described in the vij booke of Eusebius cap. 32. and briefly here set foorth to thee gentle Reader thou mayest partly vnderstande the practise of the Prelates what it was in those daies in the church which was then onlie imploied in sauing of life and succouring the common weales wherein they liued as by these two godly persons Eusebius and Anatholius may wel appeare Unto the which practise if we compare the practise of our latter prelates of the church of Rome I suppose no little difference will appeare The next Emperour to Florianus as is said was Marcus Aurelius Probus a Prince both wise and vertuous and no lesse valiant in martial affaires as fortunate in the successe of the same During his time we reade of no persecution greatly stiring in the church but much quietnes as well in matters of religion as also in the common wealth In so much that after his great and manye victories such peace ensued that his saying was there needed no more souldiers seing there were no moe enimies to the coÌ„mon wealth to fight against It was his saying also that hys souldiers nede not to spend corne and victuale except they laboured to serue the common wealth And for the same cause he caused his souldiers to be set a worke about certayne mountaynes in Syrinia in Messia to be planted with vines and not so much as in winter suffered them to be at rest therfore by them at length he was slayne after he had reigned the space of vj. yeres and 4. moneths an 284 Eutrop. Carus with his two sonnes Carinus and Numerianus succeeded next after Probus in the Empire the raygne of which Emperors continued in all but iij. yeares Of the which three first Carus warring agaynst the Persians was slayne with lightning Of Numerianus his sonne beyng with his father in his warres against the Persians we finde much commendation in Eutropius Vopiscus and other writers which testified to him to be a valiaunt warriour an eloquent orator as appeared by his declamatioÌ„s and writinges sent to the Senate Thirdly to be an excellent Poet. This Numerianus sorrowing lamentyng for the death of hys father through immoderate weeping fell into a great sorenes of his eyes by reason whereof he keping close was slaine not long after of his father in lawe named Aper who traiterously aspiring to the Empire dissnnuled his death with a false excuse to the people asking for him saying for the payne of his eyes he kept in from the wind and weather til at length by the stinch of his body being caried about his death was vttered In the life of this Emperor Carus aforesaide written by Eutropius in the later edition set forth by Frobenius I finde whiche in other editions of Eutropius doth not appeare that Numerianus the sonne of this Carus was he that slewe Babylas the holye Martyr whose history before wee haue comprehended But that seemeth not to be like both by the narration of Chrysostome and also for that Vrspergensis declaryng the same hystorie and in the same wordes as it is in Eutropius saith that it was Cyrillus whome Numerianus killed the story whereof is this what time Carus the Emperour in his iourney going toward the Persians remayned at Antioche Numerianus his sonne would enter into the church of the christians to view and behold their misteries But Cyrillus their bishop would in no wise suffer him to enter into the church saying that it was not lawfull for him to see the misteries of God who was polluted with sacrifices of Idoles Numerianus full of indignation at the hearing of these words not suffering that repulse at the hands of Cyrillus in his fury did slay the godlye Martyr And therefore iustly as it seemed was he himselfe slayne afterward by the hands of Aper Thus Carus with his sonne Numerianus being slaine in the East partes as is declared Carinus the other sonne raigned alone in Italye where he ouercame Sabinus striuyng for the Empire and raigned there with much wyckednes till they returning home of the army againe from the Persians who then set vp Dioclesian to be Emperor by whome the foresayde Carinus for the wickednes of hys life being forsaken of his host was ouercome at length slayne with the hande of the Tribune whose wyfe before he had defloured Thus Carus with his two sonnes Numerianus and Carinus ended their liues whose raigne continued not aboue three yeares All this meane space we reade of no great persecution stirring in the Church of Christ but was in meane quiete state and tranquilitie vnto the xix yeare of the raigne of Dioclesian So that in counting the time from the latter ende of Ualerian vnto this foresaid yeare of Dioclesian the peace of the church which God gaue to his people semeth to continue aboue 44. yeares During the which tyme of peace and tranquilitie the church of the Lord did mightely increase and florish so that the more bodies it lost by persecution the more honor and reuerence it wan daily among the Gentiles in al quarters both Grekes and barbarous in so much that as Eusebius in his vij booke describeth amongst the Emperours themselues diuers there were which not onely bare singular good will and fauor to them of our profession but also did commit vnto them offices regiments ouer countries and nations so well were they affected to our doctrine that they priuileged the same with liberty and indemnitie What needeth to speake of them which not only liued vnder the Emperors in libertie but also were familiar in the court with the Princes themselues entertained with great honour and speciall fauour beyond the other seruitures of the court as was Dorotheus with his wife children and whole family highly accepted aduaunced in the palace of the Emperour Also Gorgonius in like maner with diuers other mo who for theyr doctrine learning which they professed were with theyr Princes in great estimation In like reuerence also were the bishops of cities and Diocesse with the Presidentes and rulers where they liued who not onely suffered theÌ„ to liue in peace but also had them in great price and regarde so long as they kept themselues vpright and continued in God his fauour Who is able to number at that time the mighty
God and forthwith commaunded that they only should be banished the same But greatly he commended them which refused to doe sacrifice and confessed God affirmyng that they onely were worthy to be aboue â— prince forthwith 〈◊〉 theÌ„ that thenceforth they should be the 〈◊〉 counsellors and defeÌ„ders both of his person kingdom saying thus much more that they onely were worthy to be in office whome he might make account of as his assured friends and that he ment to haue them in more estimation then the substaÌ„ce he had in his treasurie Eusebius maketh mention hereof in his first booke of the life of Constantius and also Sozomenus in his 1. booke and â— chap. With this Constantius was ioyned as hath bene aforesayd Galerius Maximinus a man as Eutropius affirmeth very ciuill and a passing good souldior Furthermore a fauourer of wise and learned men of a quiet disposition not rigorous but in his dronkennesse wherof he would soone after repent him as Victor writeth whether he meaneth Maximinus the father or Maximinus his sonne it is vncertayne But Eusebius farre otherwise describeth the conditions of him in his viij booke and first chapter For he sayth he was of a tyrannicall disposition The feareinllest man that might be and curious in all magicall superstition in so much that without the diuinatioÌ„s and aunsweres of diuels he durst do nothing at al therefore he gaue great offices and dignityes to enchaunters Furthermore that he was an exactor and extortioner of the Citizens liberall to those that were flatterers geuen to surfeting and riote a great drinker of wine and in his furious drounkennesse most like a mad man a Ribaud an adulterer which came to no City but he rauished virgins defiled mens wiues To conclude he was so great an idolater that he built vp Temples in euery City and repayred those that were fallen in great decay and he chose out the most worthiest of his politicall Magistrates to be the idols priestes and deuised that they should execute that their office with great authority and dignity and also with warlike pompe But to Christian piety and religion he was most incensiue and in the East Churches exercised cruel persecution and vsed as executioners of the same Pencetius Quintianus and Theotechnus beside others Notwithstanding he was at length reuoked from his cruelty by the iust iudgemeÌ„t and punishment of God For he was sodenly vexed with a fatall disease most filthy and desperate which disease to describe was very straunge taking the first beginning in his flesh outwardly froÌ„ thence it proceeded more and more to the inward parts of his bodye For in the priuy members of his body ther happened vnto him a suddayne putrificatioÌ„ and after in the bottome of the same a botchy corrupt bile with a Fistula coÌ„suming eating vp his entrals out of the which came swarming forth an innumerable multitude of lice with such a pestiferous stinche that no man coulde abide him and so muche more for that all the grosenesse of his body by aboundance of meat before he fell sick was turned also into a fat which fat now putrified and stincking was so vgsome and horrible that none that came to him coulde abide the sight thereof By reason whereof the Phisitions which had him in cure some of theÌ„ notable to abide the intollerable stinch were commaunded to be slayne Other some because they could not heale him being so swollen and past hope of cure were also cruelly put to death At length being put in remembraunce that his disease was sent of God he began to forethinke the wickednesse that he had done agaynst the sayntes of God and so comming agayne to himselfe first confesseth vnto god all his offences then calling them vnto him which were about him forthwith commaunded all men to cease from the persecutions of the Christians Requiring moreouer that they should set vp his Imperiall proclamatioÌ„s for the restoring and reedyfiyng of their teÌ„ples and that they would obtayne this of the Christians in their assembles which without all feare and doubt they might be bolde to make that they would deuoutly pray to theyr God for the Emperour Then forthwith was the persecution stayed and the Imperiall proclamations in euery City were set vp contayning the retraction or countermaund of those thinges which agaynst the Christians were before decreed the copy whereof ensueth Amongst other thinges which for the benefite and coÌ„modity of the common weale we established we coÌ„maunded to reforme all thinges according to the auncient lawes and publicke discipline of the Romaines and also to vse this pollicy that the Christians which had forsaken the religion of those forefathers should be brought agayne to the right way For such phaÌ„tasticall singularity was amongst them that those thinges which their elders had receiued and allowed they reâ—ected and disallowed deuising euery man such lawes as they thought good and obserued the same assembling in diuers places great multitudes of people Therefore when our foresaid decree was proclaymed many there were that felt the penalty therof and many being troubled therefore suffered many kindes of death And because we see yet that there be many which perseuere in the same which neither geue due worship vnto the Celestiall Gods neither receiue the God of the Christians we hauing respect to our accustomed benignitie wherewith we are wont to shew fauour vnto all men thinke good in this cause also to extend our clemencye that the Christians may be agayne tollerated and appoynt them places where againe they may meet together so that they doe nothing contrary to publick order and discipline By an other Epistle we meane to prescribe vnto the iudges what shal be conuenient for them to do Wherefore according as this our bountifull clemencie deserueth let them make intercession to God for our health common weale and for themselus that in all places the state of of the common weale may be preserued and that they themselues may be able safely to liue within their bondes Euseb. lib. 8. cap. vltimo But one of his inferior officers whose name was also Maximinus was not well pleased when this countermauÌ„d was Published throughout all Asia and the Prouinces where he had to do Yet he being qualified by this example that it was not conuenient for him to repugn the pleasure of those Princes which had the chiefe authority as Constantius and Maximinus set forth of himselfe no edict touching the same but commaunded his officers in the presence of others that they should somewhat stay from the persecution of the Christians of which commaundement of the inferiour Maximinus each of them gaue intelligence vnto their fellowes by their letters But Sabinus which then amongst them all had the chiefest office and dignitie to the substitutes of euery countrey wrote by his letters the Emperours pleasure in this wise The maiestie of our most gracious and Soueraigne Lordes the Emperours hath lately decreed with speciall
wrath of her bloudy enemy wringing his handes crieth out saying I am vndone O that the executioner draw out thy sword and doe thyne office that the Emperour hath appoynted thee And when Agnes saw a sturdy and cruell fellow to behold stand behinde her or approaching neere vnto her with a naked sword in his hand I am now gladder sayth she reioyce that such a one as thou being a stout fierce strong and sturdy souldiour art come then one more feable weake faynt should come or els any other yong man sweetly enbalmed and wearing gaye apparell that might destroy me with funerall shame This euen this is he I now cōfesse that I do loue I wil make hast to meet him and will no longer protract my longing desire I wil willingly receaue into my papes the length of hys sword and into my brest will draw the force therof euē vnto the hilts That thus I being maryed vnto Christ my spouse may surmount and escape all the darckenes of this world that reacheth euen vnto the skyes O eternal gouernour vouchsafe to opē the gates of heauen once shut vp agaynst al the inhabitantes of the earth and receaue oh Christ my soule that seeketh thee Thus speaking and kneeling vpon her knees she prayeth vnto Christ aboue in heauen that her necke might be the redyer for the sword now hāging ouer the same The executioner then with his bloudy hand finished her hope at one stroke cutteth off her head by such short swift death doth he preuente her of the payne therof I haue oftentimes before complayned that the stories of Sayntes haue bene poudered and sawsed with diuers vntrue additions and fabulous inuentiōs of men who either of a superstitious deuotion or of a subtill practise haue so mingle mangled their stories and liues that almost nothing remayneth in them simple and vncorrupt as in the vsuall Portues wont to be read for dayly seruice is manifest and euident to be seene wherein few Legendes there be able to abide the touch of history if they were truely tried This I write vpon the occasiō specially of good Katherine whome now I haue in hand In whom although I nothing doubt but in her life was great holines in her knowledge excellency in her death constancy yet that all thinges be true that be storyed of her neyther dare I affirme neyther am I bound so to thinke So many strange fictions of her be fained diuersly of diuers writers wherof some seeme incredible some also impudent As where Petrus de Natalibus writing of her conuersion declareth how that Katherine sleeping before a certaine picture or table of the Crucifixe Christ with his mother Mary appeared vnto her And when Mary had offered her to Christ to be his wife he first refused her for her blackenes The next tyme she beyng baptised Mary appearing againe offered her to mary with Christ who then being liked was espoused to hym and maryed hauing a golden ring the same tyme put on her finger in her sleep c. Bergomensis writeth thus that because she in the sight of the people openly resisted the Emperour Maxentius to hys face and rebuked hym for hys crueltie therfore she was commaunded and committed vpon the same to prison which seemeth hetherto not much to digresse from trueth It followeth moreouer that the same night an angell came to her comforting and exhorting her to be strong and constant vnto the Martyrdome for that she was a mayd accepted in the sight of God and that the Lord would be with her for whose honor she did fight and that he would geue her a mouth and wisedome which her enemies should not withstand with many other thinges mo which I here omit As this also I omit concerning the 50. Philosophers whom she in disputation conuicted and conuerted vnto our religion and dyed martyrs for the same Item of the conuerting of Porphyrius kinsmā to Maxentius and Faustina the Emperours wife At length saith the story after she proued the racke and the foure sharpe cutting wheeles hauing at last her head cut off with the sword so she finished her martyrdome about the yeare of our Lord as Antoninus affirmeth 310 Symeon Metaphrastes writing of her discourseth the same more at large to whome they may resort which couet more therein to be satisfied Among the workes of Basill a certayne Oration is extant concerning Iulitta the martyr who came to her martyrdome as he witnesseth by this occasion A certayne auaricious and greedy person of great authoritie and as it may appeare the Emperour his deputy or other like officer who abused the decrees and lawes of the Emperour agaynst the Christians to hys own lucre and gayne violently tooke from this Iulitta all her goodes landes cattell and seruaunts contrary to all equity and right She made her pittifull cōplaint to the Iudges a day was appointed when the cause should be heard The spoyled woman and the spoiling extorcioner stode forth together the woman lamentably declareth her case the man frowningly beholdeth her face When she had proued that of good right the goods were her owne that wrongfully he had dealed with her the wicked bloudthirsty wretch preferring vile worldly substaunce before the precious substaunce of a Christen body affirmed her action to be of no force for that she was as an outlaw in not seruing the Emperors Gods since her christian faith hath bene first abiured His allegation was allowed as good and reasonable Whereupon incense fire were prepared for her to worship the Gods which vnles she would do neither the Emperors protectiō nor lawes nor iudgment nor life should she enioy in that cōmon weale When this handmaid of the Lorde heard these wordes she saide farwell life welcome death farwell ryches welcome pouerty All that I haue if it were a thousand times more would I rather loose then to speake one wicked blasphemous word against God my creator I yeeld thee thanks most harty O my God for this gift of grace that I can contemne despise this frayle and transitory world esteming Christian profession aboue all treasures Hence forth whē any question was demaunded her aunswere was I am the seruaunt of Iesus Christ. Her kindred acquaintaunce flocking to her aduertised her to chaunge her minde But that vehemently she refused with detestation of their Idolatry Forthwith the Iudge with the sharpe sworde of sentēce not only cutteth of al her goodes possessions but iudgeth her also to the fire most cruellye The ioyfull Martyr imbraceth the sentence as a thing most sweete and delectable She addresseth her selfe to the flames in countenaunce iesture and wordes declaring the ioy of her hart coupled with singular constancy To the women beholding her sententiouslye shee spake Sticke not O sisters to labour and trauell after true piety and godlines Cease to accuse the fragilitie of feminine nature What are
Images inuented of the Diuel the which all men that beleue on Christ ought of necessitie to forsake and detest least they should be an offence to those Iewes that were amongst the Gentiles For this cause dyd S. Paule Circumcise Timothie for this cause did hee sacrifice in the temple and did shaue his head with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth all which thinges were done to none other purpose then to eschue the offeÌ„ce of the Iewes Hereupon also said Iames to Paule thou seest brother howe many thousand Iewes do beleue all these be zealous notwithstanding of the law Yet seing the Gospell is so manyfestly preached in the worlde it is not lawfull for the faithfull to bee Circumcised neither to offer sacrifice oâ— carnall things to God Therefore Iohn according to the custome of the law the xiiij day of the first moneth at euening did begin the celebration of the feast of Easter nothing respecting whether it were relebrated in the Sabboth or in any other feriall day But Peter when hee preached at Rome remembring that the Lord did arise from death on the first day after the Sabboth giuing thereby an hope to the world of the resurrection thoughht good to institute Easter on the day not after the vse and precepts of the law that was the xiiij day of the first moneth Euen so Iohn looking for the Moone at night if it did arise the next day after were Sonday which was then called the Sabboth then did he celebrate the Easter of the Lord in the euening like as wee vse to do eueÌ„ at this day But if Sonday were not the next day after the xiiij day but fel on the xvi day or xvij or on any other day vnto the xxi he taried alwayes for it and did begin the holy solemnitie of Easter on the euening nexte before the sabboth And so came it to passe that Easter was alwaies kept on the Sonday and was not celebrated but from the xv day vnto the xxj Neither doth this tradition of the Apostle breake the law but fulfilled the same In the which it is to be noted that Easter was instituted froÌ„ the xiiij day of the first moneth at euening vnto the xxj day of the same moneth at euening the which manner all S. Iohns successours in Asia after his death did follow and the Catholike Church throughout the whole worlde And that this is the true Easter and onely of all Christians to be obserued it was not newly decred but confirmed by the Councell of Nice as appeareh by the Ecclesiasticall history Wherupon it is manifest that you Colman do neither folow the example of S. Iohn as ye thinke nor of S. Peter whose tradition you do willingly resist nor of the church nor yet of the gospel in the celebration of Easter For S. Iohn obseruing Easter according to the preceptes of the law kept it not on the first daye after the Sabboth But you precisely keepe it onely on the first day after the Sabboth Peter did celebrate Easter from the xv daye of the moone to the xxj day but you keepe Easter from the xiiij vnto the xx day so that you begin Easter oftentimes the xiij day at night of which maner neither the law nor the Gospell maketh any mention But the Lord in the xiiij day either did eate the olde passouer at night or els did celebrate the sacraments of the new Testament in the remeÌ„braunce of his death and passioÌ„ You doe also vtterly reiect from the celebration of Easter the xxj daye the whiche the law hath chiefly willed to be obserued And therfore as I saide in the keeping of Easter you neither agree wyth S. Iohn nor with Peter nor with the lawe nor yet with the Gospel Then Colman againe aunswered to these things saying Did then Anatholius a godly man and on much coÌ„mended in the foresaid Ecclesiasticall history agaynst the law the Gospell who writeth that the Easter was to be kept froÌ„ the xiiij day vnto the xx or shal we thinke that Columba our reuerend father and his successors being meÌ„ of God who obserued the Easter after this maner did against the holye Scripture where as some of them were men of such godlines and vertue as was declared by their wonderful miracles And I hereby nothing doubting of their holines do endenor to fallow their life order dyscipline Then saide Wilfride it is certaine that Anatholius was both a godly and a learned man and worthy of great commendation but what haue you to do with him seyng you obserue not his order For he following the true rule in keping his Easter obserueth the circle of xix yeares The which either you know not or if you do you coÌ„temne the common order obserued in the vniuersal church of Christ. And moreouer the saide Anatholius doth so count the xiiij day in the obseruation of Easter as he confesseth the same to â—e the xv day at night aâ—ter the maner of the EgiptiaÌ„s and likewise noteth the xx day to be in the feast of Easter the xxi in the euening the which distinctioÌ„ that you know not by this may appeare for that you keepe the Easter on the xiij daye before the full Moone Or otherwise I can aunswere you touching your father Columba and his successors whose order you say you follow moued therto by their miracles on this wise that the Lorde will aunswere to many that shall say in the day of iudgement that in his name they haue prophesied cast out deuils haue done many miracles c. that he neuer knew theÌ„ But God forbid that I should say so of your fathers bicause it is much beter to beleue wel of those we know not then ill WherevpoÌ„ I deny not but they were the seruaunts of God and holy men the which loued the Lord of a good inteÌ„t though of a rude simplicitie And I thinke that the order whiche they vsed in the Easter did not much hurt them so long as they had none amongst them that could shew theÌ„ the right obseruation of the same for them to follow For I thinke if the truth had beene declared vnto them they woulde as well haue receiued it in this mater as they did in others But you and your felowes if you refuse the order of the apostolicall sea or rather of the vniuersal Church which is confirmed by the holy scripture without al doubt you doe sinne and though your forefathers were holy meÌ„ * what is their fewnes being but a corner of an IlelaÌ„d to be preferred before the vniuersall Churche of Christ dyspersed throughout the whole world And if Columba your father ours also being of Christ were mighty in miracles is he therefore to bee preferred before the Prince of the holy Apostles to whom the Lord said thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuayle against it
reprehend the vicious enormities both of secular and of religious persons yet he him self is not without the same or rather greater repreheÌ„sion for that hee gaue the occasion thereof in maintaining such superstitious orders of such lasciuious Nunnes and other religions restraining the same from lawful mariage For so we finde of him in stories that hee was a great seâ—ter vp vpholder of such blinde superstition and of all Poperie Who being admitted by Pope Gregory the secoÌ„d Archbishop of Magunce and indued 〈◊〉 full authoritie legantine ouer the Germanes brought diuers countreys there vnder the Popes obedience held many great CouÌ„cels ordained Bishops builded Monasteries canonised Saints commaunded reliques to be worshipped permitted religious fathers to cary about Nunnes with them a preaching Amongst all other he founded the great monastery of Fulda in Germany of English monkes into the which no women might enter but only Lieba Tecla two English Nunnes Item by the authoritie of the said Archbishop Boniface which he receiued froÌ„ Pope Zacharie Childericus king of Fraunce was deposed from the right of his crowne and Pipinus betraier of his maister was coÌ„firmed or rather intruded in From this Boniface proceeded that detestable doctrine which now standeth registred in the Popes decrees Dist. 40. cap. Si Papa which in a certaine Epistle of his is this That in case the Pope were of most filthy liuing and forgetfull or negligent of himselfe and of the whole christianitie in such sort that he led innumerable soules with him to hell yet ought there no man to rebuke him in so doing For he hath saith he power to iudge all men and ought of no man to be iudged agayne In the tyme of this Archbishop Pope Gregory the second also Gregory the third and Pope Zachary and before these also Pope Constantine the first wrought great maisteries against the Greeke Emperours Philippicus Leo and others for the maintaining of Images to be set vp in Churches Of whom Philippicus lost both his Empire and also his eyes Leo for the same cause likewise was excommunicate of Gregory the third This Gregory the third so farre as I can coniecture was he that first wrote the foure bookes of Dialogues in Greeke falsely bearyng the name of Gregory the first which bookes afterward Zachary hys successour translated out of Greeke into Latin Item the same Gregory the third first brought into the Masse Land the clause for reliques beginning Quorum solemnitates hodie in conspectu c. Item brought into the sayd Canon the memoriall the offring and sacrifice for the dead Lyke as Zachary brought in the Priests vesture and ornaments as the foresaid Constantinus also was the first that gaue his feete to be kissed of the Emperours But turne agayne into the course of our English story In the tyme of this Egbert king of Northumberland Sigebert or Sigbert raigned in Westsaxony a man of so cruell tyranny to his subiectes turning the lawes customs of his forefathers after his owne will and pleasure that when he was somewhat sharpely aduertised by one of his nobles an Earle called Combranus to chauÌ„ge his maners and to behaue him more prudently toward his people he therfore maliciously caused him to be put to cruell death Whereupon the sayd king Sigebert continuing in his cruell conditions by his subiectes conspyring agaynst hym was put from his kingly dignity and brought into suche desolation that wandring alone in a wood without comfort was there slayne euen by the swineheard of the sayd Earle whom before he had so wrongfully murdered as partly is aboue touched whereby is to be seene the cruell tyranny of Princes neuer to prosper well without the iust reuenge both of God and man This Sigebert being slayne in his place succeeded Kenulphus in the yeare of our Lord 748. who with the agreemeÌ„t of the westsaxons was one of the chiefe doers against Sigebert his Maister This Kenulphus kept stronglye his Lordship agaynst Offa and agaynst the power of all hys enemies till at length after that he had raigned as Fabian sayth 31. yeares he resorting to a paramour which he kept at Merton was there beset likewise slayne by the trayn and meanes of a certayne kinsman of the foresayd Sigebert named Clito or Cliton in reuengement of king Sigebertes death Moreouer in the raigne of the foresayd Egbert kyng of Northumberland and in the viij yeare of Kenulphus king of Westsaxons Offa after he had slayne the tyraunt Beoruredus which before had slayne Ethelwald kyng of Mercia and Uncle to this foresayde Offa raigned King of that Prouince Of this Offa are told many notable deedes which because they concerne rather politicall affaires and doe not greatly appertayne to the purpose of this ecclesiastical history I omit here to recite As his warres and victories against Egbert the Northumbres as also against Etheldred king of East Angles Item against Egbert king of Kent otherwise called Wren whom Fabian saith he tooke prisoner led him bound with him to Mercia Malmesbury witnesseth otherwise this to be done not by Offa but by Kenulphus as Christ willing hereafter shall appeare After these victories Offa had such displeasure vnto the Citizens of Canterbury that he remooued the Archbishops sea and landes of Lambrith Archbishop of Caunterbury by the agreement of Pope Adrian vnto Lichfield He also chased the Britaines or Welchmen into Wales and made a famous dyke betwene Wales and the vtter bonds of Mercia or middle England which was called Ofditche And builded there a Church which long tyme aâ—ter was called Offekyrke This Offa also married one of his daughters to Brightricus that was king of Westsaxons And for that in his tyme was variance betwene him and the Frenchmen in so much that the passage of merchants was forbidden therfore he sent Alcuinus a learned man vnto Charles the great then king of France to common the meanes of peace which Charles had after that the said Alcuinus in great fauour and estimation and afterward made him Abbot of Turonia in Fraunce About the latter tyme of the raigne of Offa kyng of Mercia Ethelbert beyng then kyng of Eastangles a learned and a right godly Prince came to the Court of Offa prouoked by the counsell of his Nobles to sue for the mariage of his daughter wel accompanied like a prince with his men about him Wherupon the Queene conceiuyng a false suspicion and fearing that which was neuer minded that Ethelbert with his company vnder the pretence and made matter of mariage was come to worke some violence against her husband and the kingdom of Mercia so she perswaded with king Offa and cettrine of her counsel that night that the next day followyng Offa caused him to be trayned into his pallace alone from his company by one called Guymbertus who tooke him and bound him there stroke of his head which forthwith he thaÌ„
In the reigne of this Ethelred the Northumberlanders rebelling against the king thought to recouer again the former state of their kingdome out of the Westsaxons hand by reason of which discord as happeneth in al lāds where dissention is the strength of the Englishe nation was thereby not a litle weakned and the Danes the more thereby preuailed About the latter time of the reigne of this Etheldred which was about the yeare of our Lord. 870. certayne of the foresaide Danes being thus possessed of the north country after their cruel persecution and murther done there as partly is touched before tooke shipping frō thence intending to saile toward the Eastangles who by the way vpon the sea met with a flot of Danes whereof the Captaines or leaders were named Inguar Hubba Who ioyning altogether in one counsel made al one course lastly landed in East England or Northfolke in proces of time came to Thetior◠Thereof hearing Edmund then vnder king of that prouince assembled an host that gaue to them battall But Edmund and his company was forced to forsake the field the king with a few persons fled vnto the castle of Framingham whō the Danes pursued But he in short while after yelded himselfe to the persecution of the Danes aunswering in this maner to the messēger that told him in the name of Inguar Prince of the Danes which most victoriously saith he was come with innumerable legions subduing both by sea and land manye nations vnto him so now arriued in those parts requireth him likewise to submit himself yelding to him his hid treasures and such other goods of his auncetors and so to reign vnder him which thing if he would not do he shold said he be iudged vnworthy both of life reigne Edmūd hearing this proud message of the Pagane consulted wyth certayne of his fryends and amongest other with one of his bishops being thē his Secretary who seyng the present daunger of the king gaue him counsell to yeeld to the conditions Upon this the king pausing a little with him self at length rendred this aunswere Bidding the messenger go to tell his Lord in these words That Edmūd a christian king for the loue of temporall life will not submitte himselfe to Pagane Duke vnlesse he before woulde bee a Christian Incontinent vpon the same the wicked crafty Dane approching in most hasty speede vpon the King encountred with him in battell as some say at Thetford where the king being put to the worse pittieng the terrible slaunghter of his men thinking with himselfe rather to submit his owne person to daunger then his people should be slaine did flye as Fabian sayth to the Castle of Framingham or as my author writeth to Halesdō now called S. Edmundesbury where this blessed man being on euery side cōpassed of his cruel enimies yelded himself to their persecution And for that he would not reny or deny Christ and his lawes they therfore most cruelly bound him vnto a tree caused him to be shot to death and lastly caused his head to be smitten from his body cast into the thicke bushes Which head and body at the same time was by his frendes taken vp and solemnely buried at the sayd Halesdon otherwise now named S. Edmunds bury Whose brother named Edwoldus notwithstanding of ryght the kingdome fell next vnto him setting a part the lyking pleasure of the world became an Hermite at the Abbey of Cerum in the Countrey of Dorset After the Martirdome of this blessed Edmund when the cruell Danes had sufficiently robbed and spoyled that country they tooke agayne their shippes and landed in Southrey continued their iourney till they came to the towne of Reading there wan the towne with the castle where as Cambrensis saith within three dayes of their thether comming the foresayde Inguar and Hubba Captaines of the Danes as they went in purchasing of theyr prayes or booties were slaine at a place called Englefelde Which Princes of the Danes thus slaine the rest of them kept whole together in such wise that the Westsaxons might take of them none aduantage But yet within fewe dayes after the Danes were holden so short that they were forced to issue out of the castle to defend them in plain battaile In the whiche by the industry of king Ethelred and of Allured his brother the Danes were discomfited many of them slaine which discomfort made them flie againe into the castle and there kept them for a certain time The King then committing the charge of them to Ethelwolde Duke of Baroke or Barkshire so departed But whē the Danes knew of the kings departure they brake sodeinly out of their hold and tooke the Duke vnprouided slewe him and much of his people And so adioyning thēselues with other that were scattered in the countrey enbattelled them in such wise that of them was gathered a strōg host As the tidings hereof was brought to king Etheldred which put him in great heauines word also was brought the same time of the landing of Osrike king of Denmarke who with assistence of the other Danes had gathered a great host and were enbattelled vpō Ashdowne To this battaile king Ethelred with his brother Alured forced by great neede sped them selues to withstand the Danes At which time the king a litle staying behind being yet at his seruice Alured which was comen before had entred already into the whole fight with the Danes who strake together with huge violēce The king being required to make speede hee being then at seruice and meditations such was his deuotion that he would not stirre out one foote before the seruice was fully cōplete In this meane while the Danes so fearsly inuaded Alured and his mē that they wanne the hill and the Christen men were in the valley and in great daunger to loose the whole fielde Neuerthelesse through the grace of God and their godly manhoode the king comming from his seruice with his fresh souldiours recouered the hill of the infidels and so discōfited the Danes that day that in fleing away not only they lost the victory but most part also of them their liues In so much that their Duke or king Osride or Osege and fiue of their Dukes with much of their people were slain and the rest chased vnto Reding towne After this the Danes yet resembled their people and gathered a new host so that within xv dayes they mete at Basingstoke and there gaue battaile vnto the king had the better Then the king againe gathered his mē which at that field were disparkled and with fresh souldiours to them accompanied mete the Danes within two moneths after at the towne of Merton where hee gaue to them a sharpe battaile so that much people were slaine as well of the Christen as of the Danes but in the ende the Danes had the honour of the fielde
and such as be mad receiue their health agayne if they worship the tombe of this Elfleda c. The like fainings and monstrous miracles we reade also in chronicles of doting Dunstane drowned in all superstition if he were not also a wicked sorcerer First how he beyng yet a boy chased away the deuil set about with a great company of dogs and how the Angels did open the church dore for him to enter Then how the Lute or Harpe hanging vpon the wall did sing or play without any finger these wordes Gaudent in coelis animae sanctorum qui Christi vestigiâ— sunt sequuti qui pro eius amore sanguinem suum suderunt ideo cum Christo regnabunt in aeternum Item where a certayne great beame or maisterpost was â—â—â—ed out of the place he with making the signe of a Crosse set it in right frame agayne Moreouer how the sayd Dunstane being tempted vpon a tyme of the deuil with the cogitation of women caught the deuill by the nose with a whore paire of tongs and helde him fast Item how ofte heauenly spirits appeared to him and vsed to talke with him amiliarly Item how he prophesied of the birth of king Edgar of the death of king Egelred of the death of Editha and of Ethelwood bishop of Winchester Also how our Lady with her fellowes appeared visibly to hym singing this song Cantemus Domino sociae cantemus honorem Dulcis amor Christi personet ore pio Agayne how the Angels appeared to him singing the Hymne called Kyrâ—â— Rex splendens c And yet these prodigious fantasies with other mo are written of him in Chronicles and haue bene beleued in Churches Among many other false and lying miracles forged in this corrupt tyme of Monkery the fabulous or rather filthy legeÌ„d of Editha were not to be ouerpassed if for shame and honesty it might well be recited But to cast the dyrt of these Pope holy monkes in their owne face which so impudently haue abused the church of Christ and simplicitie of the people with their vngratious vanities let vs see what this miracle is how honestly it is told Certayne yeres after the death of Editha saith Will. of Malmes which yeres Capgraue in his new Legend reckoneth to be thirtene the said Editha also S. Denys holding her by the hand appeared to Dunstan in a vision willing and requiring him that the body of Editha in the church of Wilton should be taken vp shrined to the entent it might be honored here in earth of her seruants according as it is worshipped of her spouse in heauen Dunstan vpon this comming from Salisbury to Wilton where Editha was interred commaunded her body to be taken vp with much honor solemnitie Who there in opening her tombe as both Malmes and Capgraue with shame enough recorde found all the whole body of this Editha coÌ„sumed to earth saue only her thombe her belly the part vnder the belly Wherof the said Editha expounding the meaning declared that her thombe remained found for the much crossing she vsed with the same The other partes were incorrupted for a testimony of her abstinence and integritie c. Ex Malmes Capgrauo What Sathan hath so enuied the true sinceritie of christian faith and doctrine so to contaminate the same with such impudent tales such filthy vanities Idolatrous fantasies as this Such Monkes with theyr detestable houses where Christes people were so abhominably abused and seduced to worship dead carcases of men and women whether they deserued not to bee rased and pluckt downe to the ground let all chaste Readers iudge But of these matters enough and to much ¶ Here followeth the Epitaphe written by Henricus Archdeacon of Huntington vpoÌ„ the prayse and commendation of king Edgar Autor opum vindex scelerum largitor honorum Septiger Edgarus regna superna petit Hic alter Salomon legum pater orbita pacis Quod caruit bellis claruit inde magis Templa Deo templis monachos monachis dedit agros Nequitiae lapsum iustitiaeque locum Nouit enim regno verum perquirere falso Immensum modico perpetuumque breui Among his other lawes this king ordained that the Sonday should be solemnised from Saterday at ix of the clocke till Monday morning King Edward called the Martyr AFter the death of Edgar no smal trouble arose amoÌ„gst the Lordes and Bishops for succession of the crowne the principall cause wherof rose vpon this occasion as by the story of Symon of Durham and Roger Houeden is declared Immediately after the decease of the king Alferus Duke of Mercia and many other nobles which held with Egelrede or Ethelrede the onely right heyre and lawfull sonne of Edgar misliking the placing and intrudyng of Monkes into churches the thrusting out of the seculare Priestes with their wiues and children out of their auncient possessions expelled the Abbots and Monkes and brought in againe the foresayd priestes with theyr wyues Against whom certayne other there were on the contrary part that made resistance as Ethelwine Duke of Eastangles Elfwoldus his brother and the Erle Brithnothus saying in a councell togither assembled that they would neuer suffer the religious Monkes to be expulsed and driuen out of the Realme which held vp all Religion in the land and therupon eftsoones leuied an army whereby to defend by force the Monasteries such as were within the precinct of Eastanglia In this hurly burly amongst the Lordes about the placing of Monkes and putting out of Priests rose also the contention about the crowne who should be their king the bishops and such lordes as fauoured the Monkes seeking to aduance such a king as they knew would inclyne to their side so that the lordes thus deuided some of them would haue Edward and some consented vpon Egelred the lawfull sonne Then Dunstane Archb. of Cant. Oswold Archb. of Yorke with other their fellowbishops Abbots and diuers other Lordes and Dukes assembled in a councel together In the which councell Dunstan coÌ„myng in with his crosse in his hand bringyng Edward before the Lords so perswaded them that in the ende Edward by Dunstans meanes was elected consecrated and annointed for theyr kyng And thus hast thou good Reader the very truth of this story according to the writing of authors of most antiquitie which liued nerest to that age as Osberne and others which Osberne liuyng in the dayes of William Conquerour wrote this story of Dunstan through the motioÌ„ of Lanfranâ—us and alledgeth or rather translateth the same out of such Saxon stories as were writteÌ„ before his tyme. Besides which Osberne we haue also for witnesse hereof Nic Trinet in his English story written in French and also Ioannes Paris in his French story written in the Latine tong where he plainly calleth Edward non legitimum filium that is no lawfull sonne Whereunto adde moreouer the testimony of Vincentius
benediction The law of God as it promiseth to them that honour father and mother long life so it threatneth the sentence of death to them that curse father mother We are taught by the word of truth that euery one which exalteth himselfe shal be brought low Wherfore my welbeloued sonne in the Lord we meruaile not a little at your wisedome in that you seeme not to shew that reuerence to blessed S. Peter and to the holy church of Rome which you ought to shew For why in your letters sent to vs you preferre your owne name before ours wherin you incurre the note of insolencie yea and rather to speake it of arrogancie What should I here recite vnto you the othe of your fidelitie which you sware to blessed S. Peter and to vs and how you obserue and kepe the same Seyng you so require homage and allegeaunce of them that be Gods and all the sonnes of the high God and presume to ioyne their holy handes with yours working contrary to vs Seyng also you exclude not onely out of your churches but also out of your cities our Cardinals whom we direct as Legates from our side what shall I say then vnto you Amend therefore I aduise you amend for while you go about to obtayne of vs your consecration and crowne to get those things you haue not I feare much your honour will loose the things ye haue Thus fare ye well The aunswer of Frederike the Emperour to the Pope FRederike by the grace of God Romaine Emperour euer Augustus vnto Adrian bishop of the Romaine church and vnto all such that bee willing to cleaue vnto those things which Iesus began to worke and teach greeting The law of iustice geueth to euery person accordingly that which is his Neither do we derogate from our parents of whom according as we haue receiued this our dignitie of the Imperiall crowne and gouernance so in the same kyngdome of ours we doe render their due true honour to them againe And forasmuch as duety in all sortes of men is to be sought out let vs see first in the tyme of Constantine Siluester then being Bishop of Rome what patrimony or regalitie hee had of his owne due to him that he might claime Dyd not Constantine of his liberall benignitie geue liberty and restored peace vnto the church And whatsoeuer regalitie or patrimony the see of your papacy hath was it not by the donation of Princes geuen vnto them Reuolue and turne ouer the ancient chronicles if either you haue not red or neglected that we do affirm there it is to be found Of them which be Gods by adoption and hold our lord ships of vs why may wee not iustly require theyr homage their sworne allegeāce whē as he which is both your maister and ours taking nothing of any king or any man but geuing all goodnes to all men payd toll and tribute for hym Peter vnto Cesar Geuing you example to do the like And therfore salth to you and all men Learne of me for I am meeke and humble of hart c Wherfore eyther render againe your lordships patrimonies which ye hold of vs or els if ye finde them so sweete vnto you then geue that which is due to God to God and that which is due to Cesar vnto Cesar. As for your Cardinals we shut them out both of churches and cities For that we see them not preachers but proylers not repairers of peace but rakers for mony not pillers and vpholders of the church but polers insatiable of the world and moylers of mony and gold What tyme we shall see them to be other men such as the church requireth them to be members and makers of peace shining forth lyke lightes to the people assisting poore and weake mens causes in the way of equitie c. Then shall they finde vs prest and ready to relieue thē with stipends and all things necessary And where as you inferre such questions as these vnto secular men little conducing to religion you incurre therby no little note and blemish of your humilitie which is keeper of all vertues and of your mansuetude Therfore let your fatherhood beware and take heede least in mouing such matters as seme to vs vnseemely for you ye geue therby offence to such as depend of your word geuing eare to your mouth as it were to an euening shower For we cannot but tell you of that we heare seing now the detestable beast of pride doth creepe into the seat of Peter prouiding alwayes as much as we may by gods grace for the peace of the church Fare ye well Upon this Hadrianus the Pope directeth out a Bull against Friderike excommunicating him with publike solemne ceremonies Moreouer conspiring with William duke of Apulia sought all maner of ways to insest the emperour and to set all men agaynst him especially the clergy Amongst many other writing to Hilituns Byshop of Driuers to Arnulphus bishop of Mentz to Friderike bishop of Colen seeketh first to make them of his side His Epistle to them soundeth to this effect THe Empire of Rome was transferred from the Greekes to the Almains so that the king of Almains could not be called Emperour before he were crowned of the bishop Apostolicall Before his consecration he is a king afterward Emperour Whence hath he his Empire then but of vs By the election of his princes he hath the name of a king by our consecration he hath the name of the Emperour of Augustior of Caesar. Ergo by us he raygneth as Emperor Search ancient antiquities Zacharias P. promooted Carolus and made him a great name that he was made and called Emperour And after that euer the king of Almaines was named Emperour and aduocate to the see Apostolicall so that Apulia conquered by him was subdued to the bishop of Rome which Apulia with the citie of Rome is ours and not the Emperours Our seat is at Rome the seate of the Emperour is at Aquis in Arduenna which is a wood in Fraunce The Emperour whatsoeuer he hath he hath it of vs. As Zacharias did translate the Empire frō the Greekes to the Almaines so we may translate it againe from the Almains to the Greekes Behold it lyeth in our power to geue it to whom we will being therfore set vp of God aboue Gentiles and nations to destroy and plucke vp to build and to plant c. And yet further to vnderstand the ambitious presumption of this proud see of Rome it so chaunced this Emperour Fridericus at his first comming vp to Rome dyd behold there in the palace of Lateraue a certaine picture brought forth vnto him how Lotharius the ii Emperour was crowned of the Pope with the inscription of certaine verses in Latin declaryng how the foresayd Emperor cōming to Rome first did sweare to the city after was made the Popes man and so of him receiued the crowne Fridericus offended with this picture
Aquitania and afterward a Frier This Hadrianus walking with his cardinals abroad to a place called Anagnia or Arignanum as Volateran calleth it chaunced to be choked with a flie getting into his throte and so was strangled who in the latter tyme of his papacie was woont to say that there is no more miserable kynd of lyfe in the earth then to bee a Pope and to come to the papacie by bloud that is said he not to succeed Peter but rather Romulus who to raigne alone did slay his brother Although this Adrian was bad enough yet came the next much worse one Alexander the 3. of that name Who yet was not elected alone for beside him the Emperor with 9. Cardinals albeit Sabellicus saith but with 3. did set vp another Pope named Victor the 4. Betwene these two Popes rose a soule schisme and great discord and long cōtinued In so much that the Emperour being required to take vp the matter sent for them both to appeare before him that in hearing them both he might iudge theyr cause the better Victor came but Alexander disdaming that his matter should come in controuersie refused to appeare Whereupon the Emperour with a full consent of his Bishops and clergy about him assigned and ratified the election of Victor to stand and so brought him into the Citie there to be receiued placed Alexander flying into Frāce accused them both sending his letters to all christendom against them as men to be auoided and cast out of all christian company Also to get him frendes at Rome by flattery and mony got on his side the greatest part of the Citie both to the fauouring of him and to the setting vp of such Consuls as were for his purpose After this Alexander comming from France to Sicile and frō thence to Rome was there receiued with much fauour thorough the helpe of Phillip the French king The Emperour hearing this rebellion and conspiracie in Rome remooued with great power into Italy where he had destroyed diuers great cities Comming at length to Rome he required the Citizens that the cause betwixt the two Popes might bee decided and that he which had the best right might be takē If they would so do he would restore agayne that which he tooke from them before Alexander mistrusting his part and doubtyng the willes of the Citizens hauing shippes ready prepared for hym from William Duke of Apulia fetcht a course about to Venice To declare here the difference in histories betweene Blondus Sabellicus and the Venetian chronicles with other writers concerning the order of this matter I will ouerpasse In this most do agree that the Pope beyng at Venice and required to be sent of the Venetians to the Emperour they would not send him Wherupon Fridericus the Emperour sent thither his sonne Otho with men and ships well apointed charging him not to attēpt any thing before his comming The yong man more hardy then circumspect ioyning with the Venetians was ouercome so taken was brought into the city Hereby the Pope toke no small occasion to worke his feates The father to helpe the captiuitie and miserye of hys sonne was compelled to submit hymselfe to the Pope and to intreat for peace So the Emperour commyng to Venice at S. Markes Church where the bishop was there to take hys absolution was bidde to kneele downe at the Popes feete Pope Alexander treading on the necke of Fredericke the Emperour Here as I note in diuers writers a great diuersitie and varietie touching the order of this matter of whome some say that the Emperour campt in Palestina before he came to Venice some say after so I meruell to see in Volaterane so great a fauourer of the pope such a contradiction who in his 22. book saith the Otto the Emperours sonne was taken in this conflict which was the cause of the peace betweene his father and the pope And in his 23. booke agayne saith that the Emperour himselfe was taken prisoner in the same battayle so afterward peace concluded tooke his iorney to Alia Palestina This P. in the time of his papacie whiche continued 21. yeares kept sundry councels both at Turo at Lateran where he confirmed the wicked proceedings of Hildebrand and other his predecessors As to binde all orders of the clergy to the vowe of chastitie which were not greatly to be reprehended if they would define chastitie aright For who so liueth not a chaste lyfe sayth he is no fit person to be a minister But herein lyeth an error full of much blindnes and also peril to thinke that matrimony immaculate as S. Paul calleth it is not chastitie but onely a single life that they esteeme to be a chaste life Now forasmuch as our english pope holy martyr called Thomas Becket happened also in the same tyme of this pope Alexander let vs somewhat also story of him so far as the matter shall seeme worthy of knowledge and to stand with truth To the end that the truth thereof being sifted from all flattery and lyes of such popishe writers as paynt out his story men may the better iudge both of hym what he was and also of hys cause The life and history of Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury IF the cause make a Martyr as is sayd I see not why we should esteeme Tho. Becket to dye a martyr more then any other whome the Princes sword doth here temporally punish for their temporall desertes To dye for the Church I graunt is a glorious matter But the Church as it is a spirituall and not a temporal Church so it standeth vpon causes spirituall and vpon an heauenly foundation as vpon sayth religion true doctrine sincere discipline obedience to Gods cōmandements And not vpō things pertaining to this world as possessions liberties exemptions priuileges dignities patrimonies and superiorities If these be geuen to the Churche I pray God churchmen may vse them wel but if they be not geuen the church cannot clayme thē or if they be takē away that stadeth in the princes power To contend to Princes for the same it is no matter in my minde materiall to make a martyr but rather a rebellion agaynst them to whom we owe subiection Therfore as I suppose Tho. Becket to be far frō the cause and title of a Martyr neyther can he be excused from a playne rebell against his prince so yet would I haue wished agayne the lawe rather publikely to haue found out his fault then the swords of men not biddē not sent to haue smitten him hauing no speciall commandement neyther of the prince nor of the lawe so to doe For though the indignation of the Prince as the wise Prince sayth is death yet it is not for euery priuate persō straghtwayes to reuenge the secret indignation of his Prince except he be publikely authorised thereunto And thus had bene as I suppose the better way the lawes first to haue executed
both of faythful chastity and high prudeÌ„ce so tempering the matter that both she obtayned to her husband the kingdome and retayned to her selfe agayne her husband whom she so faythfully loued an 1186. Ex Historia manu scripta cui initium Rex Pictorum ex Bibliotheca Cariensi mutuata As I haue hetherto described the publick acts of king Henry so now I meane to touch something of his priuat conditions He was of meane stature eloquent and learned manly and bolde in chiualry Fearefull of the mutability and chaunce of warre more lamenting the death of his souldiars dead theÌ„ louing them aliue none more curteous liberall for the obtayning of his purpose in peace and tranquility none more roughter stubberne agaynst the stubberne sometimes mercifull to those whom he had vanquished straight to his householde seruauntes but liberall to strauÌ„gers publickly of publick thinges liberall sparing of his owne whom once he tooke a displeasure agaynst hardly or neuer would he receiue agayne to fauor somewhat lauash of his tongue a willing breaker of hys promise a louer of his ease but an oppressor of his nobility a seuere reuenger and furtherer of iustice variable of word and crafty in his talke an open adulterer a nourisher of discord amongst his children Moreouer the Papistes bearing him for Thomas Beckets quarell such like as may be gathered no good will terme him to be an aduersary of the sayth the maule and beetle of the church Also in the Chronicle intituled Scala mundi I finde of him that he followeth the steppes maners and conditioÌ„s of Henry the first his grauÌ„dfather in euery poynt He preserued firme peace executed straight iustice through all his dominions He loued marueilous well his forrest agayne those that were transgressors either to his crown or person he most seuerely punished Moreouer in a certayne history intituled De regibus Angliae I finde that this king was sondry times admonished to reforme and ameÌ„d his life And first by one that was an olde man at the castle of Cardâ—f in Wales at that time of the yeare called Dominica in albis the eight day after Easter Where also after that he had heard masse and was going to take his horse there stood a certayne man by him somewhat yelowish his heare being rounded leaue and illfauoured hauing on a white coat and being barefoote looked vpon the king and spake in this wise good olde king That done thus he proceedeth The king saluteth you and his blessed mother Iohn Baptist Peter straightly charging you that vpon the Sundayes throughout all your dominions there be no buying selling or other seruile businesse those onely except which appertayne to the preparation of meat and drinke which thing if thou shalt obserue whatsoeuer thou takest in haÌ„d thou shalt happely finish and bring to passe Then spake the king in French to the knight that held his horse by the bridle Aske of this chourle whether he dreamed this or not And in the meane while that the knight should haue interpreted the kinges wordes and message he spake before and said Whether this be a dreame or not mark wel what day this is for vnlesse that thou do these things and amend thy life such newes shalt thou heare within these 12. monethes that will make thee lament and mourne till thy dying day And when these wordes were spoken the man vanished out of his sight And within one yeare next after Henry Bawfride and Richard his sonnes for sooke him their father and took part with the French king The king of Scottes the Earle of Chester and Earle of Leciter made an insurrection agaynst the king Many other premonitions were geuen also to the king but all these did he little esteme The second which did admonish him was a certayne Irish man geuing him certayne secret signes And thirdly a certayne knight of Fyndesey named Phillip de Easterby sayling with him ouer into Fraunce declared vnto the king in Normandy seuen articles which he should amend Which thing if he wold do he should raigne seueÌ„ yeares most honorably and should take the holy crosse from his enemies or els he in the fourth yeare should dye in great ignominye The 3. first thinges were these which he at his coronation sware to obserue that is to defend the Church to mayntayne good lawes and to condemne no man to death without iudgement The fourth was for the restoring of inheritauÌ„ce wrongfully takeÌ„ The fift was in doing iustice without reward The sixt was of ministers officers wages and stipeÌ„des The seuenth was of expelling the Iewes leauing them some money to depart withal But the king not ameÌ„ding his life there rose vp agaynst him 3. strong enemies that is to say his three sonnes with the Frenchking But after that the king forsooth had gone a pilgrimage to the Martys tombe barfoote William the king of Scots the Earles of Chester and Lecester were taken at Alnewick In the 35. yeare of his raigne being in the Castle of Chiuen in Normandy he dyed at whose death those that were preseÌ„t were so greedy of the spoyle that they left the body of the king naked and not so much could be fouÌ„d as a cloth to couer it till that a Page comming in and seing the king so ignominiously to lye threw his cloke vpoÌ„ his nether partes wherein sayth the author was verified the surname which from his youth he bare being called HeÌ„ry court Mantill ¶ King Richard IN this yeare of the Lord aboue recited which was 1189. King Richard the eldest sonne of Henry 2. succeeding his Father entred his crowne at which time Pope Clement sate at Rome succeeding after Gregory which dyed a litle before with sorrow for the losse of the holy crosse During the time of whose coronatioÌ„ it befell that not withstanding the king the day before his coronation and by publicke edict commaunded both the Iewes and their wiues not to presume either to enter the church or els his pallace during the solemnization of his coronation amoÌ„gest his nobles and Barons yet whilest the king was at dinner the chiefetayne of the Iewes with diuers other of his Iewish affinity and supersticious sect agaynst the kings prohibition together with other prease entred the court gates Wherat a christian man being offeÌ„ded stroke one of them with his hand or fist bad him stand further from the court gate as the king had geuen in commaundement whose example others also following being displeased agaynst the Iewes offered them the like contuinely Other also supposing that the king had so coÌ„maunded in deed as vsing the authority of the king fel vpoÌ„ all the Iewes that stood by without the court gate And first they bet them with theyr fistes but afterward they tooke vp stones and such other thinges as they could get and threw at them and bet them therewith And thus driuing them from the court gates some of them they wounded
cōdemned by the Byshop of Paris and reproued by the maisters of diuinitie and burned openly by Boniface himself and in the full consistorie of Cardinals being likewise reprooued condemned and burned yet hee allowed it being wrytten againe and containing the same fault 6. Item that he might make the most damnable remembraunce of him perpetuall he caused his Images of siluer to be set in the Churche by this meanes bringing men to Idolatrie 7. Item he hath a priuate deuill whose counsell he vseth in all things and through all things 8. Item he said once that if all men were on one side and he on another they coulde not deceiue him neither in lawe nor in deede which thing could not be done except he vsed a deuilish ar◠and of this he is openly thus reported 9. Item he is a witch asking counsell at soothsayers both men and women and thus he is commonly iudged 10. Item he sayd openly that the Romish pope could not commit simonie which is hereticall to say This is a sinne reprooued aswell in the old Testament as in the new and generally in the holy Councels Also hee is wont to make marchaundise of prelates liuings dignities superiorities and benefices to the which holy orders be necessarely ioyned and of absolutions and dispensations like as vsurers and merchaunts vse to buy and sell common things in the market and of this the common bruit reportes him 11. Item hee letteth with all his might among Christian men the speciall Embassade of Christ made to hys owne sonnes saying Peace I leaue to you soweth discord and warres Wherefore ones it was sayde afore him that certaine parties would freindly agree after a good sort but he letted the peace and when the other parte did humbly beseech him that he would geue licence to agree he sayde he woulde not Yea if the sonne of God or Peter the Apostle would come downe into the earth and commaund him he would say I will not beleeue thee 12. Item because the French nation being manifestly a most Christian nation followeth not hys errours in the faith he reckeneth and openly calleth al and euery of them Paterniani 13. Item he is infect with sodomiticall sinne keping with him boyes for cōcubines and of this fault he is most commonly and openly reported 14. Item he hath caused many murthers of Clearkes to be done in his presence commending it reioysing at their death and if they were not deadly wounded at the first by his seruant◠as oft as he law them smiting he saide smite smite by which example many were slaine 15. Item when he had condemned a certaine noble man he forbad the Sacrament to be geuen him at the poynt of death desiring it and being penitent saying that the Sacrament of penaunce was not necessary to saluation 16. Item he cōpelled certaine Priestes to shew vnto him the confessions of men and hee published them openly afterwarde contrary to the will of them that were confessed to their shame confusion and compelled them to redeme their sinnes In so much that ones hee deposed a certaine bishop of Spayne for the faultes that he confessed to a certaine Cardinal confessing vnto him a certaine priuy horrible fault vnder Benedicite and compelled the Cardinall against his will to declare his confession and yet afterward he restored the same Bishop againe to his place for a little money Wherfore he is thought to play the hereticke in the Sacrament of penance 15. Item he fasteth not on the fasting dayes nor Lent but eateth flesh indifferently without cause suffreth his houshold and frends to eat saying it is no sinne Doing in this thing against the generall state of the holy church 16. Item he oppressed the order of the Cardinals and hath oppressed the order of blacke white monks of gray Friers preachers and said oft that the world was destroyed by them that they were false hypocrites and that neuer good could chance to any that would be confessed to them or would be familiar with them or would keepe them in their house and he neuer sayde good worde of any prelate religious man or clark but euer rebuketh and slaūdereth them taking away their good name and to compel them to redeeme their faultes he is glad of their accusations and this is the common voyce and report of him 17. Item of olde time he going about to destroy the faith conceiued a hate against the French king euen to the abhorring of the faith because of the light of faith which is there and because of the great witnes and example of christianitie is hath ben there And before he had this seat he is proued to haue sayd that if he were Pope he would rather ouerthrow all christendom but he would ouerthrow and destroy the nation which he calleth the pride of French 18. Also hee is reported that when the Embassadours of the king of England in the name of the sayde king did require and entreat for the tenth of the realme of England to be geuen him he aunswered that he would not geue them the tenth but on this cōdition that he would make warre with them against the French king And beside this he is reported to haue geuen great sommes of mony to certaine persons to hinder that peace shuld not be betwixt the sayd kings He himselfe also withall his might hath letted it by messengers letters and otherwaies that he coulde yea by geuing bribes 19. Item he is reported also to haue commaunded Fridericke which kepeth the I le of Cicil that if he would betray Charles the king and breake the peace which he made and sweare that he would keepe with him and would stirre against the king and kil the Frenchmen that then he would geue him aide helpe and counsaile for so doing he would geue and graunt him the said kingdoms 20. He confirmed also the king of Almaine to be Emperor and saide openly that he did it to destroy the nation which he calleth the pride of the French men which say that they are subiect to none in temporal things Wherein sayeth he they lied on their heds declaring moreouer that whosoeuer yea if it were an Angell from heauen would say that all kings of the world were not subiect to the same king of Almaine he were accursed 21. Further he brake the agreements of peace betwixt the king of Alamine and the French king in which eyther of them shuld haue their owne saued And what encrochings so euer had bene on either side should be brought to a due state and vnder an othe orderly geuen and taken he is reported to haue commanded the same king of Almaine that he should not kepe these conditions of peace but be an enemie and go about to sow debate among christen men 22. Itē he is openly reported that the holy land was betraied through his fault and came to the enemies of God and of faith and that he suffred this for the
maister but also the whole couÌ„try of Heynault And further for that to such an expedition as appertained he sayd the prouince of Reynault was but a small matter to make accoÌ„pt of he woulde procure for the king greater ayde friendship in the Empire as the Duke of Brabant his cousin Germaine and a puissant Prince the Duke of Guerles the Archbishop of Colayne the Marques of Iuliers c. which are all good men of warre and able to make 10. thousand fighting men sayth he Which aunswere well liked the king and made him ioyous therof But this counsaile of the king as secret as it was came to Phillip the French kinges cares wherupon he stayd the voiage of the Crosie whiche then he had in hand sending forth countermaundes to stay the same til he knew farther the purpose of the king of England The king hereupon himselfe taketh shipping accompanyed as to a king appertained and when he had consulted with all the foresayd Lords of the Empire in this matter and vnderstood theyr fidelitie he made hys repayre to the Emperour at whose handes he was well intertayned honorable receaued whoÌ„ the Emp. appointed to be his Lieâ—etenant generall hauing thereby more authoritie both to will commaund such as for this his expedition he trusted vnto and had made conuention with This hearing Phillip prepared his army and rigged hys nauy that so soone as the K should enter into the dominioÌ„ of Fraunce they also might enter into EnglaÌ„d requiting like for like The king of England after the feast of S. Iohn Baptist according to his purpose prepared all thinges ready to such an expeditioÌ„ coÌ„ducting his army gathering a greater strength in the Empire as before to him was promised vsing the Emperours authoritie therein as his lieftenant general howbeit at the charge altogether of the K. of England The French king as soone as king Edward had landed his army at Mackline in Flaunders and hearing of the defiance which the king and other Noble men of the Empire had sent vnto him Sent certaine ships lying ready therunto and wayting for such oportunitie vppon the cost of England did so much that vpon a Sonday whilest the townes men were at the Church little looking for any such matter entred the hauen of Southampton tooke the towne and spoyled the same defloured maydens enforced wiues brent kild tooke captiues and caryed away riche Ipoyles and great booties to theyr ships and so agayn departed into Fraunce Further as the king of EnglaÌ„d had allied himselfe with the noble men of the Empire and had the friendly fauour of the Emperour also therunto so the French king made the like league and aliance with Dauid the king of Scots whom the king had so hardly delt with all in Scotland as partly before you had and kept the most part of Scotland vnder hys subiection Binding the sayd Dauid is well by writing as oth pledge that without his consent he should make no peace nor conclude any truce with the king of England who agayne assured hym of ayd and rescue and helpe and to recouer his kingdome dominioÌ„ to his vse and forth with sent certain garisons bands into Scotland to keepe play with the Englishmen and there to fortifie diuers places till further oportunitie serued Hee also fortified with men money vitayle and munitioÌ„ the town of Cambrey which he suspected would be besieged lying so neare vpoÌ„ that Empire as in deed it came to passe For King Edward departing from Macheline set forward his host towardes Heynault and by the way asseÌ„bled such power as in the Empirie he looked for marching forward still till that they came to Cambrey it besieged with 40000. men while that with an other company the Fleminges Brabanters and Holenders went to S. Quentin But in effect neyther there nor at Cambrey nor els where any thing notorious was achieued but the summer being well spent and little preuailing in the siege of Cambrey being of situation strong wel defenced therwall with men munition brake vp the siege marched further into the hart of Fraunce towardes Mutterell Which thing the French king hauing vnderstanding of prepared himselfe to geue battaile to the king of England who with an other great army came to UiroÌ„fosse where daies were appoynted to meet in battaile but in the end nothing was done nor attempted betweene the princes And the king of EnglaÌ„d without any battaile either geuing or taking returned with his army from thence to Gaunt Concerning the cause of the sodaine remouing of the K. out of Fraunce seemeth most specially to rise of the pope which at the same time sent downe his Legates for the order of a peace to be taken betweene the kings At Gaunt was gathered by the kings appointment all the nobles as well of England as of the Empire in counsaile together what was best to be done Where playn answere was made to the king of England that vnlesse he would take vpon him the claime and title of Fraunce as his lawfull inheritaunce and as King thereof prosecute his warres It might not be lawfull for them any further to ayde the king of England or to fight with him agaynst the French king for that the Pope had bound them in two millions of Florences of gold and vnder payne of excommunication that they should not fight against the lawfull king of Fraunce Whereupon the king thought good therfore presently to make open challenge to the Realme and Crowne of Fraunce and further to quarter intermingle the armes of Fraunce with the armes of England in one Scootchen Wherupon eftsoones K. Edward made answere vnto the Pope agayne directing vnto him his letters wherein he declareth at large his right title vnto the Crowne of Fraunce purging thereby hymselfe and hys cause vnto the Byshop The copy and tenour of which letter because it is to long to expresse it is to be found in the story of Thom. Walsingham remaining in the Library of I. Stephenson Citizen of LondoÌ„ who so hath lift or leisure to peruse the same Besides this letter to the pope he directed an other to the Pieres and Prelates of France he remayning yet at Gaunt in tenure as followeth * The letter of king Edward to the Nobles and commons of Fraunce EDward by the grace of God king of Fraunce and of England Lord of Ireland Vnto all Prelates and the Ecclesiasticall persons to the Pieres Dukes Earles Barons and to the commons of Fraunce greeting The high Lord and king aboue to whome although his will be in his owne power yet woulde that power should be subiect vnto law commaunding euery thing to be geueÌ„ vnto him which is his declaring thereby that iustice and iudgement ought to be the preparation of the kinges seate Wherefore seing the kingdome of Fraunce through the prouidence of God by the death of Charles last king of Fraunce of famous
expedient and to set foorth as shal seeme best to your godly wisedomes our good entent for the suppressing of incommodities and furthering of the commodities of our subiectes that we may worthely commende your circumspect care herein Teste meipso apud Westm. 10 die Februa Anno regni nostri Angliae 15. Regni verò Franciae secundo By these foresayde obiections accusations of the king premised and layd against the Archbishop of Canterbury what is to be thought of the doinges of the sayd Archbishop I leaue it to thy iudgeuient gentle reader as I sayd before to be coniected For so much as our histories somewhat bearing with the sayd Archbishop seeme either to be vncertayne of the truth of the matter or els couertly to dissemble some part of that they knew And especially of Polâ—dor Virgil. I meruaile who hauing so good occasion to touch the matter doth so sleightly passe it ouer without any word of mention In whiche matter if probable coniecture beside history might here be heard it is not vnlikeâ— but that some olde practice of prelates hath herein bene put in vre through some crafty conspiracy betweene the Pope and the Archbishop And the rather to be gathered for that as the pope was enemy vnto the king in this his chalenge to the crowne of Fraunce So the Archbishop against his Prince as for the most part alwayes they haue bene was a trend as no man neede to doubt therof vnto the Pope Which thing also more probable may be supposed because of the comming downe of the it Cardinals the same time from the pope to the king of England about the matter of farther truce wherof Christ willing more hereafter shall follow Albeit the Archbishop this yet notwithstanding subtely and featly excuseth himselfe to the king of the foresayd obiections and cunningly handleth the matter in words by his letter directed to the king as followeth The letter of the Archbyshop of Caunterburie to the king REdoubted Syr may it please your maiestie to vnderstand that the most chiefest and speciall thing that keepeth kings and Princes in the fauoure of God and best preserueth them in theyr estate is sage wise and deliberate counsaile And therefore sayeth the wise man concerning counsell in this wise Good men haue thereby their safetie And it is wrytten in the booke of kinges howe Salomon which was the wisest Prince that euer was tooke vnto him the most auncient and sage men of his Realme to be his counsailours By whose aduisement and discretion hee alwayes Kept the lande of Israell in quiet and in peace and besides that had all other kinges and princes that bordered vppon him at his will and commaundement After whose death raigned Robohâ—m hys sonne who neglecting the good couÌ„sel of his father and good aduise of his sage discrete counsailours harkened to such counsel as lighter and younger men perswaded him vnto that sought rather howe to please and flatter him then the quiet state of hys Realme whereby he lost all the whole lande of Israel the 12. part only excepted In like maner haue many kings of Israel and other kingdomes beside by rash and euill counsell come to great ruine and mischiefe And Sir sauing your princely patience you may call to remembraunce your owne time for by the wicked and sinister counsell to our laâ—e soueraigne Lorde your father geuen whome God forgeue which he tooke and folowed both against the lawe of his lande and graund Charter of the peeres and other his people of the lande some he put to shamefull death from other some he tooke their goods and such as fled he put vnto their raunsome and what ennemies he purchased thereby your grace well vnderstandeth And after this Sir you knowe enen in your owne time howe by following and beleuing ouer light counsel you yourselfe lost the hartes of many of your subiectes from the which God deliuer you if it be his will And after that time again vntill nowe by the good aduisement of your Prelates Peeres and sage counsailours of your land your graces businesse and affaires haue bene so demained and ordered that you haue had the hearts againe of all your subiectes as well spirituall as temporall as muche or rather more then any of your graces predecessours kings of England haue had So that by meanes of the sayde good counsell the good will and aide of your people and special grace of God you haue had the victorie of all your ennemies as well in Scotlande as in Fraunce and all other places besides That vnto this day Gods name bee blessed therefore your grace hathe bene estemed as one of the most noblest Princes in all Christendome And nowe your grace by the euill and peruerse counsaile of some suche wythin the Realme whiche are not so wise as they might be and such also as consider and respect rather their owne priuate commoditie then your graces honour and safetie of your Realme beginneth to apprehende diuers Clerkes Pieres and other people of the land and to directe processe against them not beseeming but contrary to the Lawe of the land which to keepe and maintaine you are bounde by the othe you tooke at youre coronation and contrary to the graunde charter whereof all the realme are witnesses all the prelates of the same and coÌ„trary to the sentence confirmed by the Bul of our holy father to the pope which we haue to shew All which things as they are to the great pearill and daunger of your soule so are they also to the vtter debasing of your regall state and honour And Sir although such as be your graces gouernours and counsailers beyng a callynge aboue their agree doe geue your grace to vnderstande that their enterprises and yours doe please and content your subiectes and commons yet your grace shall knowe for certaine and prooue it your owne selfe to be farre otherwise then that they beare you in hand And that vnlesse God do remedy the same if you prosecute your purpose begon in this order you will leese the hearts of all your subiects as also your good and rightfull enterprise and shal see such discord about the same that you shall not be able to performe that you haue begon but rather enforce your ennemies to seeke your destruction to loose your noble and renowmed fame and in the ende your kingdom it selfe which God forbid Wherefore soueraigne Lorde and King I beseeche you that for the safegard of your honour and Realme and enterprise begon that you will take vnto you the most discrete and wisest men wythin your Realme and woorke by their aduise and counsell as before thys time you haue bene accustomed without the aide and counsell of whome you can neither maintaine your enterprise nor gouerne your realme And for that some such as are about your grace falsly deuise against vs treason and such like troubles and therefore are of vs excommunicate and as persons excommunicate doe so esteme of them
leue not his sinne amend him before witnes and gif he ne amendeth not men should tel to the church and gif he ne amendeth not than men shuld shone his company as a publicane or a man that is misbeleued and this lawe was yfigured in the law of lepre who that readeth it he may see the sooth But Lord God he that sitteth in thy stede hath vndo thy lawe of mercy and of loue Lord thou biddest loue enemies as our self as thou shewest in the gospell there as the Samaritane had mercy on the Iewe. And thou biddest vs also prayen for them that cursen vs and that defamen vs pursuen vs to death And so Lorde thou didst thine apostles also But he that clepeth himselfe thy vicar on earth and head of thy church he hath vndone thy lawe of loue and mercy For gif we speaken of louing our ennemies hâ— teacheth vs to fight with our enemies that Christ hath forboden He curseth and desireth vengeance to them that so doth to hym Gif any man pursueth him hee curseth him that it is a sorowe a Christen man to hearen the cursinges that they maken and blasphemies in such cursing Of what thing that I know I may beare true witnes But gif we speake of louing of our brethren this is vndone by him that sayth he is Godsvicar in earth For Christ in the gospell biddeth vs that we shoulden clepen vs no father vpon earth But clepen God our father to maken vs loue perfitlich together And he clepeth himself father of fathers maketh many religions to euerich a father But whether is loue and charity encreased by these fathers and by their religions or els ymade lesse For a Friar ne loueth not a monke ne a secular man neither nor yet one frier a nother that is not of the order and it is againward A Lord me thinketh that there is litle perfection in these religions For Lorde what charity hauen such men of religion that knowen how they mown against and sin and fleen away froÌ„ their brethren that ben more vncuÌ„ning then they ben suffren them to trauelen in the world withouten their couÌ„cell as beastes Trulich Lorde me thinketh that there is but litle charity and then is there litle perfection Lorde God when thou were on earth thou were among sinful men to drawen them from sin thy disciples also And Lord I trow thou ne grauÌ„test not one maÌ„ more kuÌ„ning then an other al for himself and I wote wel that lewd meÌ„ that ben laborers ne trauel not alonlich for himself Lord our belief is that thou ne wer not of the world ne thy teaching neither ne thy seruantes that liueden after thy teaching But all they forsaken the world and so euery christen man must But Lorde whether thou taughtest menne forsake their brethrens companie and trauell of the worlde to liuen in ease and in rest and out of trouble and anger of the worlde by their brethrens trauell and so forsaken the world A Lord thou ne taughtest not a maÌ„ to forsaken a pore estate and trauel to ben afterward a Lord of his brethren or ben a lords fellow and dwelling with Lords as doth men of these new religions Lord thou ne taughtest not men of thy religion thus to forsake the world to liuen in perfection by them selfe in ease and by other mens trauell But Lord they sayen they ben ybound to thy seruise and seruen thee both night and day in singing their prayers both for themselfe and for other men that done them good both quicke and dead and some of them gone about to teach thy people when they hauen leisure A Lord gif they ben thy seruauntes whose seruaunts ben we that cannot preyen as they done And when thou were heere on earth for our nede thou taughtest thy seruauntes to preyen thy father priuilich and shortlich And gif there had beene a better maner of praying I trowe thou wouldest haue taught it in helpe of thy peâ—ple And Lorde thou reprouest hypocrites that preyen in long preyer and in open places to ben yholden holy men And thou seyst in the gospel wo to you Pharisees hypocrits And lord thou ne chargedest not thy seruaunts with such maner seruice But thou seest in the gospel that the Pharises worshopeÌ„ thee with their lippes and their hart is farre from thee For they chargen more mens traditions than thy commaundements And Lord we lewed men han a beleefe that thy goodnesse is endles and gif we keepen thine hestes than ben we thy true seruauntes And though we preyen thee but a litle shortlich thou wilt thinken on vs and grauÌ„ten vs that vs nedeth for so thou behighted vs somtime And Lord I trowe that pray a man neuer so many quaint prayers gif he ne kepe not thine hests he is not thy good seruaunt But gif he keepe thine hestes than he is thy good seruaunt and so me thinketh Lorde that praying of long prayers ne is not the seruice that thou desirest but keping of thine heftes and than a lewd man may serue God as wel as a man of religion though that the Plowman ne may not haue so muche siluer for his prayer as men of religion For they kunnen not so wel preisen their prayers as these other chapmen But Lorde our hope is that our prayers be neuer the worse though it be not so wel solde as other mens prayers Lorde Ezechiel the Prophet sayth that whan he spake to the people thy words they turned thy words into songs into tales And so Lord men done now they singin merilich thy words and that singing they clepen thy seruice But Lord I trow that the best singers he herieth thee not most But he that fulfilleth thy wordes he herieth thee full well though he wepe more then sing And I trow that weping for breaking of thy commandements be more pleasing seruice to thee than the singing of thy words And wold God that men would serue him in sorow for their sinnes and that they shoulden afterward seruen thee in mirth For Christ sayth yblessed ben they that maken sorow for they shoulden ben yconforted And woe to them that ben merry and haue theyr comfort in this world And Christ sayd that the world should ioyen hys seruaÌ„ts shulden be sory but their sorow shuld be turned into ioy A Lord he that clepeth himselfe thy vicar vpon earth hath y ordained an order of priestes to doe thy seruice in church to fore thy lewd people in singing matens euensong masse And therfore hee chargeth lewde men in paine of cursing to bryng to hys priests tithyngs and offerings to finden his priests and he clepeth that Gods part due to priests that seruen him in church But Lord in the olde law the tithings of the lewde people ne were not due to priestes but to that other childer of Leuie that ferueden thee in the temple and the
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
if that you shall apprehend by personall citation the sayd Nicholas and Phillip or either of them or whither they shall be absent and hide themselues as of euery thing els which in this behalfe you shall thinke meete to be done that betweene this and the feast of S Laurence you clerely certifie vs by your letters patentes contayning the effect of these thinges Fare ye well At our Manour of Lambeth the 13. day of Iuly the yeare of our Lord. 1382. and first yeare of our translation * The names of the Doctours and Fryers assistentes at this sitting Seculars M. William Blankpayne M. Wil. Barton Friers Carmelits Robert Euery prior Iohn Reningham prior and Iohn Lunne Friors Minors William Barnwel Iohn Ryddin and William Brunscombe Friers Augustines Iohn Court Patrington Tomson and Reepes Against this blind excommunication of the said archb the parties excommunicate commēced and exhibited their appeale vnto the bishop of Rome Which appeale of theirs as insufficient or rather to him vnpleasaunt the said archbishop vtterly reiected as might oftētimes ouercommeth right proceeding in his preconceaued excommunication against thē and writing moreouer his letters to hym that should preach next at Paules crosse as is aforesaid to denounce and to publishe openly the said Nicholas Herford and Phillip Repington to be excommunicate for that not appearing and theyr terme assigned Which was in the 13. day of the month of Iuly Which archbishop moreouer the said yeare month and day aforesaid sent also an other letter to M. Rigge Commissary of Oxford straightly enioyning and charging him not onely to denounce the sayd sentence of excommunication and to geue out publique citation against them but also to make dilligent search and inquisition through all Oxford for them to haue them apprehended and sent vp to him personally before him to appeare at a certain day prescribed for the same Wherby may appeare howe busie this Bish. was in disquieting persecuting these poremē whō rather he should haue nourished and cherished vs his brethren But as his labour is past so his reward will follow at what day the great Archbishop of our soules shall iudicially appeare in his tribunall seat to iudge both the quick and the dead The archb yet not contented with this doth moreouer by all meanes possible sollicite the king to ioyne withall the power of his temporall sword for that he well perceaued that hitherto as yet the popishe Clergy had no authoritie sufficient by any publique law or Statute of thys land to proceede vnto death against anye person whatsoeuer in case of Religion but onely by the vsurped tyranny and example of the court of Rome Where note gentle reader for thy better vnderstanding the practise of the romish prelates in seeking the kinges help to further their bloudy purpose against the good saintes of God Which king being but young and vnder yeares of ripe iudgement partly enduced or rather seduced by importune suite of the foresayd Archbishop partly also eyther for feare of the Bishoppes for kings cannot alwayes doe in their realmes what they will or els perhaps entised by some hope of subsidie to be gathered by the Clergy was contented to adioyne his priuate assent such as it was to the setting downe of an ordinaunce which was in deede the very first lawe that is to be found made against Religion and the professors thereof bearing the name of an Acre made in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno. 5. Rich. 2. where among sundry other Statutes then published and yet remayning in the printed bookes of Statutes this supposed Statute is to be found Cap. 5. vltimo as followeth Item forasmuch as it is openly knowne that there be diuerse euill persons within the realme going from county to countie and from Towne to Towne in certayne habites vnder dissimulation of great holinesse and without the licence of the ordinaries of the places or other sufficient authoritie preaching dayly not onely in Churches churchyardes but also in markets fayres and other open places where a great congregation of people is diuers sermons contayning heresies and notorious errours to the great emblemishing of Christen fayth and destruction of the lawes and of the estate of holy Churche to the great perill of the soules of the people and of all the realme of England as more plainly is found and sufficiently proued before the reuerend father in God the Archbishop of Caunterbury and the bishops and other prelates maisters of Diuinitie and doctors of Canon of ciuil law and a great part of the clergy of the said Realme specially assembled for this great cause which persons do also preach diuers matters of slander to engender discorde and discention betwixt diuers estates of the said realme as well spirituall as temporall in exciting of the people to the great perill of all the Realme which preachers cited or summoned before the ordinaries of the places thereto aunswere of that whereof they be impeached they will not obey to their sommons commandementes nor care not for their monitions nor censures of the holy Church but expressely despise them And moreouer by their subtile and ingenious wordes doe drawe the people to heare theire Sermons and doe mayntayne them in their errours by strong hand and by great rowtes It is ordayned assented in this present parliament that the kinges commissions be made and directed to the Sheriffes and other ministers of our soueraigne Lord the king or other sufficiēt persons learned and according to the certifications of the prelates therof to be made in the Chauncery from time to time to arest all such preachers and also their fautours mayntaynours and abbertours and doe hold them in arrest and strong prison till they wil iustify to them according to the law and reason of holy Church And the king will and commaund that the Chauncellour make such commissions at all times that he by the Prelates or any of them shal bee certified and thereof required as is aforesaid An examination of the foresayd supposed Statute and of the inualiditie therof WHich supposed statute for as muche as it was the principall ground whereuppon proceeded all the persecution of that time it is therefore not impertinent to examine the same more perticularly wherby shall appeare that as the same was fraudulently and vnduly deuised by the Prelates onely so was it in like maner most iniuriously and vnorderly executed by them For immediately vpon the publishing of this lawe without further warrant eyther from the king or his councell commissions vnder the great seale of England were made in this forme Richard by the grace of God c. vt patet act pag. 541. Witnesse my self at Westminster the 26. day of Iune in the sixt yeare of our raigne Without more wordes of warrant vnder written such as in like cases are both vsuall and requisite Viz. per ipsum Regem per Regem Concilium or per breue de priuato
ought as neare as I can to chuse the best part Wherfore I surely trust that M. I. Wickliffe is one of the number of theÌ„ which are saued The words of Christ moneth me therunto saying Math. 7. Doe ye not iudge that ye be not iudged Luke the 6. Do not condemn ye shal not be condemned and the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4 Do ye not iudge before the Lord himselfe do come the which shall opeÌ„ those things that are hid in darknes to manifest the priuities of all hartes Secondly the loue and charity which I ought to bear vnto my neighbor louing him as my selfe doth moue me thereunto Luk. 10. Thirdly his good fame report moneth me the which he hath of the good Priests of the vniuersity of Oxford not of the wicked commoÌ„ly of the vulgar sort although not of the couetous proud and luxurious Prelates Fourthly his owne workes writings doe stirre me therunto by the which he goeth about with his whole indeuor to reduce all men vnto the law of Christ specially yâ— clergy that they shoulde forsake the pompe dominion of this world and with the Apostles lead the life of Christ. Fiftly his owne protestations which he doth oftentimes vse in his sentences often repeating the same doth not a litle moue me Sixtlye his earnest desire and affection which he had vnto the law of Christ doth not a litle allure me therunto disputing of the verity therof the which cannot fayle in any one iote or title Whereupon he made a booke of the verity of the holy Scripture approuing euen vnto the vtter most the trueth of Gods law Wherfore it were too foolish a consequeÌ„t to say that because the number of the Prelates and clergy in England Fraunce and Boheme do couÌ„t Iohn Wickeliffe for an hereticke that therfore he is an heretick c. Like as the reason for burning of the bookes for it is written in the first booke of Machabees first chapter that they did burne the books of the Lord tearing them in peeces and whosoeuer was founde to haue kept any bookes of the Testament or will of the Lord or the which obserued and kept the lawe of the Lord they were by the kinges commaundemen put to death If then the burning of these bookes by wicked men did argue or proue the euilnesse of the books theÌ„ was the law of God euill and nought So likewise the burning of S. Gregories bookes and diuers other sayntes and good men should argue proue that they were euill naughty men Wherupon as it doth not folow that because the Bishops Scribes and Phariseis with the elders of the people condemned Christ Iesus as an heretick that therfore he is an heretick So likewise doth it not follow of any other man The Byshops maisters of diuity monkes and prelates condemned thys man as an hereticke Ergo he is an hereticke For this consequeÌ„t is reproued by Iohn Chrisostom which was twise condemned as an hereticke by the Bishops and the whole clergy Likewise S. Gregory in his bookes was condemned by the Cardinals By like proofe also as they affirme M. Iohn Wickliffe to be an hereticke Iohn Duke of LaÌ„caster a man of worthy memory and progenitor of Henry king of Englande should also be an hereticke For the sayd Duke defeÌ„ded fauored and greatly loued M. Iohn Wickliffe Ergo the sayd Duke is or was an hereticke the consequent is good The Minor is well knowne vnto the Englishmen The Maior appeareth in the Canon where it is sayd he which defendeth an hereticke c. But these thinges set apart I demaund of the aduersary whether M. Iohn Wickliffe be damned for euer or no If he say that he is damned because he is an hereticke I propounde this vnto him whether M. Iohn Wickeliffe whiles he liued held any false doctrine coÌ„trary to the holy Scripture If he do affirme it let him then shew what doctrine it is and afterward declare that he held it obstinatly And he shall finde that in his bookes he alwayes wrote most commendable protestations agaynst obstinacye and stifneckednesse And by and by after M. Iohn Stokes in his intimation sayth that M. Iohn Wickliffe in EnglaÌ„d is counted for an hereticke This seemeth also false by the letter testimoniall of the Vniuersity of Oxforde vnto the which there is more credit to be geueÌ„ then vnto him And this shall suffise for this present Now as we haue declared the testimony of the Vniuersity of Oxford of Iohn Hus concerning the praise of Iohn Wickliffe It followeth likewise that we set forth and expresse the contrary censure and iudgementes of his enemies blinded with malicious hatred and corrupt affections against him especially of the Popes Councel gathered at Constance proceeding first in condemning hys bookes then of his articles and afterward burning of his bones The copy of which theyr senteÌ„ce geuen against him by that counsell here foloweth * The sentence geuen by the Councell of Constance in condemning the doctrine and 45. Articles of Iohn Wickliffe THe most holy and sacred councell of CoÌ„stance making and representing the catholick Church for the extirpation of this present schisme and of all other errors and heresies springing and growing vnder the shadow and pretence of the same and for the reformation and amendment of the Church being lawfully congregate and gathered together in the holy Ghost for the perpetuall memory of the time to come We are taught by the acts and historyes of the holy fathers that the catholicke fayth without the which as the holy Apostle S. Paule saith it is vnpossible to please God hath bene alwayes defeÌ„ded by the faythfull and spirituall souldiors of the Church by the shield of fayth agaynst the false worshippers of the same fayth or rather peruerse impugners which through their proud curiosity will seeme to know more and to be wiser then they ought to be for the desire of yâ— glory of the world haue gone about oft times to ouerthrow the same These kindes of warres and battelles haue bene prefigured to vs before in those carnall warres of the Israelites agaynst the Idolatrous people For in those spirituall warres the holy catholick Church through the vertue power of fayth being illustrateâ—â—â— the beames of the heauenly light by the prouideÌ„ce of God and being holpen by the helpe and defence of the Saints holy men hath alway continued immaculate the darcknes of errours as her most cruell enemyes being put to flight â—he hath most gloriously triumphed ouer all But in these our daies the old and vnclean enemy hath raysed vp new coÌ„teÌ„tions strifes that the elect of this world might be knowne whose Prince and captayne in time past was one Iohn Wickliffe a false Christian. Who during his life time taught and sowed very obstinatly many articles coÌ„trary and agaynst the Christian Religion and the Catholicke fayth And the same
and that all auriculer and outward confessioÌ„ is superfluous and not requisite of necessitie to saluation 11. Item inferior Curates haue not their power of hynding and losing immediately from the pope or Bishop but immediately from Christ. And therfore neither can the pope nor bishop reuoke to themselues such kind of power wheÌ„ they see time and place at their lust and pleasure 12 Item that the pope cannot graunt such kinde of annuall yerely pardons because there shall not be so many yeares to the day of iudgement as are in the Popes bulles or pardons contayned Wherby it followeth that the pardoÌ„s are not of such like value as they speake of praysed to be 13. Item it is not in the popes power to graunt vnto any person penitent forgeuenes of the punishment or of the faulte 14. Item that person that geueth his almes to any whiche in his iudgement is not in necessitie doth sinne in so geuing it 15. Item that it stands not in the power of any Prelate of what religion soeuer he be of priuately to geue letters for the benefite of his order neither doth suche benefite graunted profite them to the saluation of their soule to whom they be graunted 16. Item that the same William vnmindeful of his own saluation hath many and oftentimes come into a certayn desert wood called Derualdwood of your diocesse there in a certain chappell not hallowed or rather in a prophane cottage hath in contempt of the keyes presumed of hys own rashnes to celebrate nay rather to prophanate 17. Item the same William hath also presumed to doe such thinges in a certayne prophane Chappell being situate in the park of Newton nigh to the town of Leintwarbin of the same your dioces VPon Friday being the last of the month of Iune in the yeare abouesayd about 6 of the clocke in the sayd parishe Churche of Bodenhone hath the sayd William Swinderby personally appeared before vs. And he willing to satisfie the terme to him assigned as before specified hath read out word by word before all the multitude of faythfull christian people many answeres made and placed by the same William in a certayne paper booke of the sheete folded into foure partes to the sayd Articles and the same answers for sufficient hath he really to vs exhibited aduouching them to be agreable to the lawe of Christ. Whiche thing beeing done the same William without any moe with him dyd departe from our presence because that we at the instaunce of certayne noble personages had promised to the same William free accesse that is to wit on that day for the exhibiting of those aunsweres and also free departing without prefixing of anye terme or without citation or els anye other offence or harme in bodye or in goodes ¶ As for the tenour of the same answers exhibited vnto theÌ„ by the same William as is before specified we haue here vnder annexed word for worde and in the same olde language vsed at that time when it was exhibited And followeth in these wordes The protestation of William Swinderby with hys aunsweres to the articles by the promotors layd agaynst him to the bishop of Herford taken out of the Registers in the same olde Englishe wherein he wrote it IN the name of God amen I William Swinderby priest vnworthy couenting and purposing wholy with all my hart to be a true christian man with open confessioÌ„ knowledging mine owne defaultes and vnwise deedes making openly this protestation cleping god to record here before our worshipfull Bishop Iohn through the sufferaunce of God Bish. of Herford with witnesse of all this people that it is not mine intent any thing to say or affirme to mayntain or to defend that is contrary to holy writte agaynst the beliefe of holy church or that should offend the holy determination of Christes Church or the true sentences of holy doctors And if I haue here before through mine vncunning bene vnordered or by euill counsaile bene deceiued or any thing sayd preached holden mayntayned or taught contrary to the law of God wholly and fully for that tyme for now and euer with ful will I reuoke it and withdraw it as euerich christen man should Praying and beseeching â—che christen man to whom this writing shal come to that gif I ought erre as God forbid that I do or euer erred in any poynt contrary to holy writ that it be had and holden of them as for thing nought sayd And all the trothes that I haue sayd according with the law of God that they mayntayne them and stand by them for life or death to Gods worship as a true Christen man shoulde submitting me meekely to the correction of our Byshop that here is or of any other christen man after Christes lawes and holy writ in will euer ready to be amended and with this protestation I say and aunswere to these conclusions and articles that here followen after the which bene put to me to aunswere to The first is this that I William of Swinderby pretending he sayth my selfe a priest was iudicially conuented of certain articles conclusions of error false schismatick heresie by me in diuers places tymes preached he sayth before multitudes of the true christen men the sâ—â—e articles and coÌ„clusions by need of law reuoked for sworn some as heresies and some as erroures and false suche I affirmed and veleued them to be And that none of them from that time forth I should preach teach or affirme openly or priuily ne that I should make no sermon to the people ne preache but by lawfull leaue asked and gotten And if I would presume in doing or affirming the contrary then to the seueritie of the lawe I should be buxom as by nede of the law I swore To this I say witnessing God that is in heauen to my wit and vnderstanding that I neuer preached helde ne taught these conclusions and articles the whiche falsely of Friers were put vpon me and of lecherous priestes to the Bishop of Lincolne For I was ordayned by processe yet sayd of theyr law by the byshop and his commissaryes so as I graunted them to bring my purgation of 13. priestes of good same And so I did with a letter 12. scales therby from the Mayor of Leycester and from true Burgeses and 30. men to witnes with me as the Duke of Lancaster knew and heard the Erle of Darby and other many great men that were that tyme in the towne that I neuer sayd them taught them ne preached them But when I should haue made my purgation there stooden forth fiue friers or moe that some of them neuer sawe me before ue heard me and three lecherous priestes openly knowne some liuing in their lechery xx yeare men sayden or more as by their childer was openly known Some of these they clepinden denounciations and some weren cleped comprobations that weren there falsely forsworne they suing busily and
knowledge mee guiltie so as I knew no errour in theÌ„ of which I should be guilty therfore the Byshop sate in dome in mine abseÌ„ce and deemed me an heriticke a schismaticke and a teacher of errours and denounced me accursed that I come not to correction of the Church And therefore for this vnrightfull iugement I appeale to the kinges Iustices for many other causes One cause is for the kynges Court in such matter is aboue the Byshops court For after that the Byshop has accursed he may no feare by his law but theÌ„ mote he sech succour of the kinges law and by a writ of Significauit put a man in prison The second cause is for in cause of heresie there liggeth iudgement of death that dome may not be geuen without the kinges Iustices For the Byshop will say Nobis non licet interficere quenquam That is It is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man as they sayden to Pilate when Christ should be deemed And for I thinke that no Iustice wil geue sodenly vntrue dome as the Byshop did and therfore openly I appeale to hem and send my conclusioÌ„s to the Knightes of the Parliament to be shewed to the Lordes and to be taken to the Iustices to be wel auiset or that they geuen dome The thirde cause is for it was a false dome for no man is an hereticke but he that maisterfully defends his error or heresie and stifly maintaines it And mine auÌ„swere has ben alway coÌ„ditional as the people openly knows for euer I say yet say alway will that if they caâ—nen shew me by Gods law that I haue erret I wil gladly ben ameÌ„det and reuoke mine errours and so I am no hereticke ne neuer more in Gods grace will ben en no wise The fourth cause is For the Bishops lawe that they deme men by is full of errours and heresies contrary to the truth of Christes law of the Gospell For there as Christs law biddes vs loue our enemies the Popes law geues vs leaue to hate them to sley them and grauntes men pardon to werren againe heatheÌ„ men and sley hem And there as Christes lawe teache vs to be mercifull the Bishops lawe teaches to be wretchfull For death is the greatest wretch that meÌ„ mowen done on him that guilty is There as Christes law teaches vs to blessen him that diseazen vs and to pray for him the popes law teacheth to curse them and in theyr great sentence that they vsen they presume to damne hem to hell that they cursen And this is a foule heresy of blaspheme there as Christes law byddes vs be patient the Popes law iustifies two swords that wherwith he smiteth the sheepe of the Church And he has made Lordes and Kings to sweare to defend him and his Church There as Christes law forbiddeth vs lecheâ—y the popes law iustifies the abhominable whoredome of coÌ„mon women and the Bishops in some place haue a great tribute or rent of whoredome There as Christes lawe byddes to minister spirituall thynges freely to the people the Pope with his law selles for mony after the quaÌ„tity of the gift as pardons orders blessing and Sacraments prayers benefices preaching to the people as it is knowne amongest them There as Christes law teaches peace the Pope wyth his law assoyles meÌ„ for mony to gader the people priests and other to fight for his cause There as Christes law forbids swearing The popes law iustifieth swearing and compels men therto Wheras Christes law teacheth his Priests to be poore the Pope with his law iustifies and mayntaynes Priests to be Lordes And yet the 5 cause is for the Popes law that byshops demen men by is the same vnrightfull law that Christ was demet by of the Byshops with the Scribes and with the Pharises For right as at that time they gauen more credens to the 2. false witnesses that witnessed agaynst Christ then they deden to al the people that witnesseden to his true preaching and his miracles so the Bishops of the Popes law geuen more leuen by their law to two hereticks Apostats or two comen wymen that woulden witnesseden agaynes a man in the cause of heresy than to thousands of people that were trew and good And for the Pope is thys Antechrist and his law contrary to Christ his lawe fully I forsake this law and so I reed all Christen menne For thus by an other poynt of this law they mighten coÌ„quere much of this world For whan they can by this law preseÌ„t a man an hereticke his goods shulen be forfet from him froÌ„ his heyres and so might they lightly haue 2. or 3. false witnesses to recorde an heresye agayne what true man so hem liked Herefore me thinkes that whatsoeuer that I am a christen man I may lawfull appeale froÌ„ a false dome of the law to be righteouslye demet by the trouth of Gods law And if this appeale will not serue I appeale opeÌ„ly to my Lord Iesu Christ that shall deme all the world for he I wot well will not spare for no man to deeme a trouth And therfore I pray GOD almighty with Dauid in the Sauter booke Deus iudicium tuum regi da iustitiam tuam filio regis Iudicare populum tuum in iustitia pauperes tuos in iudicio That is O God geue they iudgement to the king and thy iustice to the kings sonne to iudge thy people in iustice and thy poore ones in iudgement c. ¶ A letter sent to the Nobles and Burgesies of the Parliament by M. William Swinderby IEsu that art both God and man help thy people that louen thy law and make knowne through thy grace thy teachinge to all christen men Deare sirs so as we seen by many tokens that this world drawes to an end all that euer haue bene forth brought of Adams kinde into this world shuleÌ„ come togeder at domesday riche and poore ichone to geue accompt and receiue after hys deedes ioy or paynen for euermore Therfore make we our werks good ye while that God of mercy abides and be yee stable and true to God and ye shulen see hys helpe about you Constantes estore videbitis auxilium Domini super vos This land is full of Ghostly cowardes in Ghostly battayle few dare stand But Christ the comforter of all that falleth to that his hart barst for our loue agaynst the fiend the doughty Duke comforteth vs thus Estote fortes in bello c. Be ye strong in battell he sayes and fight ye with the olde adder State in fide viriliter agite c. Wake ye pray ye stond ye in beleue do ye manly and be ye comfortet and let all your thinges be done with charity For Saynt Paule bidds thus in his Epistle that saw the preuetyes of God in heauen Euigilate iusti c. Awake ye that bene righteous men bee yee stable
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
thee and being sold was it not in thine own power why hast thou conceiued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto meÌ„ but vnto God And wheÌ„ Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost great feare came on all them that heard these things And the young meÌ„ rose vp and tooke him vp and caried him out and buried him And it came to passe about the space of iij. houres after that his wyfe came in being ignorant of that whych was done And Peter sayd vnto her Tel me womaÌ„ sold ye the land for so much And she sayd yea for so much But Peter saye vnto her why haue ye agreed together to teÌ„pt the spirit of the Lord Behold the feete of them which buried thy husbande are at the doore and shall cary thee out And straight way she fel downe before his feete and gaue vp the ghost and the yong men entring in found her dead and they caried her out and buried her by her husbaÌ„d And great feare came on all the church all those which heard these thinges It is meruaile that any man that is wise wyll say that by this processe Peter slue Ananias or hys wife For it was not his act but the act of God who made a wedding to his sonne sent his seruant to cal them that were bidden vnto the wedding and they would not come The king then sent forth his seruantes to the outcorners of the hie wayes to gather all that they could find both good and euill And so they did And the maryage was full furnished with gestes Then came in also the king to view and see them sitting Among whom he perceaued there one sitting hauing not a wedding garment and sayth vnto him frend how camest thou hither And he being dumme had not a worde to speake Then said the king to the seruitures take and binde him hand and foote and cast him into the outward darcknes there shall be weeping and gnashinge of teeth Many there be called but few chosen c. It is manifest that this wedding garment is charitie without which because Ananias entred into the maryage of Christ he was geuen to death that by one many might be informed to learne vnderstand that they which haue fayth not charitie although they appeare to men to haue yet it can not be priuy to the spirite of God that they doe fayne Such there is no doubt but they shal be excluded froÌ„ the mariage of christ as we see this here exemplified in the death of Ananias his wife by the hand of God not by the hand of Peter And how should Peter theÌ„ haue iudged Ananias albeit he had iudged him worthy of death by the rigour of the old law For why by the law he had not bene guilty of death for that part which they fraudulently dissemblingly did reserue to themselues Yea and if they had stolne as much from an other man which was greater neither yeâ— for hys lie committed he had not therfore by the law of iustice bene found gilty of death Wherefore if he did not condeÌ„ne hym by the law of iustice it appeared that he codeÌ„ned him by the law of grace and mercy whiche he learned of Christ. And so consequently it followeth much more apparent that Peter could not put him to death Furthermore to say that Peter put him to death by the meere motion of his own will and not by authoritie of the old law nor by the new it were derogatory and slaunderous to the good fame and name of Peter But if Peter did kill hym why then doth the Byshop of Rome which pretendeth to be successor of Peter excuse himselfe and his priestes from the iudgement of death agaynst heretiques and other offeÌ„ders although they themselues be conseÌ„ting to such iudgements done by lay men For that which was done of Peter without offence may reasonably excuse him and his felow Priestes from the spot of crime Actes 5. It is manyfest that there was another which did more greeuously offend theÌ„ Ananias and that Peter rebuked him with more sharpe words but yet he commanded him not so to he put to death For Simon Magus also remayning at Samaria after that he beleued and was baptised he ioyned himselfe with Phillip And when he sawe that the holye spirite was geuen by the Apostles laying theyr handes vpon meÌ„ he offred theÌ„ mony saying geue vnto me this power that vpon whome soeuer I shall lay my hand he shall receaue the holy Ghost To whom Peter answered Destroyed be thou and thy money together And for that thou supposest the gifte of GOD to be bought with money thou shalt haue neyther part nor fellowshippe in this doctrine Thy hart is not pure before god therefore repeÌ„t thee of thy wiâ—kednesse and pray vnto God that this wicked thought of thy hart may be forgeuen thee for I perceiue thou art eueÌ„ in the bitter gall of wickednes and bande of iniquitie Beholde here the greuous offence of Symon Peters hard sharp rebuking of him and yet therupon he was not put to death Whereby it appeareth that the death of Anamas aforesaid proceeded of God and not of Peter Of all these things it is to be gathered seing the iudgements of death are not grounded vpon the expresse and playn scriptures but onely vnder the shadow of the olde law that they are not to be obserued of Christians because they are coÌ„trarye to charity Ergo the bishop of Rome approuing such iudgements alloweth those that are contrary to the law doctrine of Christ as before is sayd of warres where hee approueth iustifieth that which is coÌ„trary to charity The order of Priesthood albeit it doth iustifie the iudgemeÌ„ts to death of the laity whereby offenders are condeÌ„ned to die yet are they themselues forbidden to put in execution the same iudgementes The priestes of the old law being vnperfect wheÌ„ Pylate said vnto theÌ„ concerning Christ whoÌ„ they had accused worthy death take him vnto you and according to your law iudge him answered that it was not lawful for them to put to death any man Wherby it appeareth that our priests being much more perfect may not lawfully geue iudgemeÌ„t of death against any offenders yet notwithstanding they claime vnto theÌ„ the power iudicial vpon offeÌ„ders Because say they it belongeth vnto them to know the offences by the auricular confession of the offenders and to iudge vpoÌ„ the same being knowne aud to ioyne diuers penances vnto the parties offending according to the quantitie of their offences coÌ„mitted to that the sinner may make satisfactioÌ„ say they vnto God for the offences which he neuer committed And to coÌ„firme vnto theÌ„ this iudicial power they alleage the scriptures in many places wrasting it to serue their purpose First they saye that the Bishop of Rome who is the chief priest and iudge among them hath ful power authority to
to the relation of these foresayd coÌ„stitutious of that clergy meÌ„ here coÌ„meth in more to be said and noted touching yâ— foresayd Statute ex Officio to proue the same not onely to be cruell and impious but also to be of it selfe of no force and validitie for the burning of anye person for cause of Religion for the disprofe of whiche statute we haue sufficient authoritie remayning as yet in the parliament Rolles to be seene in her maiesties Courte of Recordes which here were to be debated at large but that vpon speciall occasioÌ„ we haue differed the ampâ—e discourse therof to the cruell persecution of the Lord Cobhame hereafter ensuing as may appeare in the defence of the sayd lord Cobham agaynst Nicholas Happeffield vnder the title and name of Alanus Copus And thus referring them for the examination of this statute to the place aforesaid let vs now returne to Thomas Arundel and his bloudy constitutions aboue mentioned The stile and tenour wherof to the intent the rigour of the same may appeare to all men I thought hereunder to adioyne in wordes as followeth * The constitution of Thomas Arundell agaynst the followers of Gods truth Thomas by the permission of God Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all Englande and Legate of the see Apostolicke To all and singuler our reuerend brethren fellow Bishops and our Suffraganes And to Abbots Priours Deanes of Cathedrall Churches Archdeacons Prouostes and Canons also to all persons vicares chaplaynes Clerkes in Parish Churches and to all lay meÌ„ whome and where so euer dwelling win our prouince of Canterbury greeting grace to stand firmely in the doctrine of the holy mother Church It is a manifest playne case that he doth wrong and iniury to the most reuerend councell who so reuolteth from the thinges being in the sayd Councell once discussed and decided And whosoeuer dare presume to dispute of the supreme or principall iudgment here in earth in so doing incurreth the payne of sacrilege according to the authoritie of ciuill wisedome and and manifest tradition of humayne law Much more then they who trusting to theyr own wittes are so bold to violate and with contrary doctrine to resist and in word and deede to contemne the preceptes of lawes and Canons rightly made and proceeding from the kaybearer and porter of eternall life and death bearing the rowme and person not of pure man but of true God here in earth which also haue bene abserued hitherto and of yâ— holy father 's our predecessoures vnto the glorious effusion of theyr bloud voluntary sprinkling out of theyr braynes Are worthy of greater punishmeÌ„t deseruing quickly to be cut off as rotten members from the body of the Church militent For such ought to consider what is in the old testament written Moses and Aaron among hys Priestes that is were chiefe heads amongst them And in the new Testament among the Apostles there was a certayne difference And though they were all Apostles yet was it graunted of the Lord to Peter that he should beare preeminence aboue the other Apostles And also the Apostles themselues woulde the same that he shoulde be the chiefetayn ouer all the rest And being called Cephas that is head shold be as Prince ouer the Apostles Unto whome it was sayd Thou beyng once conuerted confirme thy brethren as though he wold say If there happen any doubt among them or if anye of them chaunce to erre and stray out of the way of fayth of iust liuing or right conuersation Doe thou confirme and reduce him in the right way againe Which thing no doubt the Lord would neuer haue sayd vnto him if he had not so minded that the rest should be obedient vnto him And yet al this notwithstanding we know and dayly proue that we are sory to speake howe the olde Sophister the enemy of mankinde foreseeing and fearing left that sound doctrine of the church determined from ancient times by the holy forefathers should withstand his malices if it might keep the people of god in vnitie of faith vnder one head of yâ— church doth therfore endeuour by al meanes possible to extirp the sayd doctrine feyning vices to be vertues And so vnder false pretences of veritie dissimuled soweth discorde in catholike people to the intent that some goyng one way some an other He in the meane time may gather to himselfe a Church of the malignant differing wickedly from the vniuersall mother holy church In the which Satan transforming hymselfe into an Angell of light bearing a lying and deceitfull ballaunce in hys haÌ„d pretendeth great righteousnes in contrarying the ancient doctrine of the holye mother church and refusing the traditions of the same determined and appoynted by holy fathers perswading meÌ„ by fayned forgeries the same to be nought and so inducing other new kindes of doctrine leading to more goodnes as he by his lying perswasions pretendeth although he in very truth neither willeth nor mindeth any goodnes but rather that he may sow schismes wherby diuers opinions contrary to themselues being raysed in that Church fayth thereby may be diminished and also the reuerend holy misteries through the same contention of words may be prophaned with Paganes Iewes and other infidels and wicked miscreantes And so that figure in the Apos 6. is well verified speaking of him that sate on the blacke horse bearing a payre of balaunce in hys hand by that which heretiques are vnderstand Who at the first appearaunce lyke to weightes or ballance make as though they would set forth right and iust thinges to allure the hartes of the hearers But afterward appeareth the blacke horse that is to say their intention full of cursed speaking For they vnder a diuers shew and colour of a iust ballance with the tayle of a blacke horse sprinkling abroad heresies and erroures do strike And beyng poysoned themselues vnder colour of good rayse vp infinite slaunders and by certayn persons fitte to doe mischiefe do publish abroad as it were the sugred tast of hony mixt with poyson therby the sooner to be taken working and causing through their slight and subtiltyes that errour shoulde be taken for veritye wickednes for holines and for the true will of Christ. Yea and moreouer the foresayd persons thus picked out do preach before they be sent and presume to sow the seede before the seede discreetely be seperate from the chaffe Who not pondering the constitutions and decrees of the Canons prouided for the same purpose agaynst suche pestilent sowers do preferre sacrifice Diabolicall so to terme it before obedience be geuen to the holy Church militant We therfore considering and weying that error which is not resisted seemeth to be allowed and hee that openeth hys bosome to wyde whiche resisteth not the viper thinking there to thrust out her venome And willing moreouer to shake off the dust from our feete and to see to the honor of our holy mother Church whereby one
interpreted ghostly For al those figures are called vertues and grace with which vertues men should please god praise hys name For S. Paul sayth al such things befell to them in figure Therfore sir I vnderstād that the letter of this psalme of Dauid and of such other Psalmes and sentences doth slay them that take thē now litterally This sentence as I vnderstand sir Christ approueth himself putting out y◠minstrels or that he would quicken the dead damsell ¶ And the Archb. said to me Lend losel is it not lefull to vs to haue Organes in the church for to worship there withall God And I sayd ye sir by mans ordinance But by the ordinance of God a good sermon to the peoples vnderstāding were mekil more pleasant to God ☞ And the Archb. said that Organes and good delectable songs quickned sharpened more mēs wits then should any sermon ¶ But I saide sir lusty men worldly louers delite and couet trauail to haue al their wittes quickned sharpened with diuers sensible solace But al the the faythful louers and followers of Christ haue al their delite to heare gods word and to vnderstand it truely and to worke therafter faithfully and continually For no doubt to dread to offēd God and to loue to please him in all things quickneth and sharpeneth all the wittes of Christs chosen people and ableth them so to grace that they ioy greatly to withdrawe their eares and al their wits and members frō al worldly delite and from all fleshly solace For S. Ierome as I thinke sayth No body may ioy with this world raigne with Christ. ☞ And the Archb. as if he had ben displeased with mine aunswer said to his clerks What gesse ye that this Idiot wyll speak there wher he hath no dread since he speaketh thus now here in my presence Wel wel by God thou shalt bee ordayned for And then he spake to me al angerly WHat saiest thou to this fourth point that is certified against thee preaching openly boldly in Shrewsbury that priests haue no title to tithes And I sayd Sir I named there no worde of tythes in my preaching But more then a month after that I was arested there in prison a man came to mee into the pryson asking me what I sayd of tythes And I sayd to him Sir in this towne are many clerkes and priests of which some are called religious mē though many of them be seculars Therefore aske ye of them this question And thys man sayd to me Syr our Prelates say that we also are obliged to pay our tithes of all thinges that renue to vs and that they are accursed that withdraw anye part wittingly fro them of their tythes And I sayd sir to that man as with my protestation I say now before you that I wonder that any priest dare say men to be accursed without the ground of Gods word And the man said Syr our priests say that they curse men thus by authoritie of Gods law And I said Sir I know not where this sentence of cursing is authorised now in the Bible And therefore syr I pray you that ye will aske the most cunning clerke of this town that yee may know wher this sentēce of cursing thē that tithe not is now writtē in gods law for if it were writtē there I wold right gladly be learned wher But shortly this mā would not go fro me to aske this questiō of an other body But required me there as I would aunswer before God if in this case that cursing of priests were lawfull approued of God And shortly herewith came to my mind the learning of S. Peter teaching priests specially to halowe the Lord Christ in their harts being euermore redy as farre as in them is to aunswer thorough faith and hope to thē that aske of them a reason And this lesson Peter teacheth men to vse with a meeke spirit with dread of the Lord. Wherefore sir I said to this man in this wise In the old law which ended not fully till the time that Christ rose vp againe from death to life God cōmanded tithes to be giuen to the Leuits for the great busines and daily trauaile that perteined to their office But priests because their trauel was mekil more easy light then was the office of the Leuits God ordeined y◠priests should take for their liuelode to do their office the tenth part of those tithes that were giuen to the Leuits But now I said in the new law neither Christ nor any of his apostles tooke tithes of the people nor cōmanded the people to pay tithes neither to Priests nor to deacons But Christ taught the people to do almes that is works of mercy to poore needie men of surplus that is superfluous of their temporall goods which they had more then them needed reasonably to their necessarie liueloode And thus I sayde not of tithes but of pure almes of the people Christ liued and his Apostles when they were so busy in preaching of the word of God to the people y◠they might not trauell otherwise for to get their liueloode But after Christes ascension and when the Apostles had receiued the holy Ghost they trauayled wyth their hands for to get their liuelode whē that they might thus do for busy preaching Therefore by example of himselfe S. Paule teacheth al the priestes of Chryst for to trauaile with their hand when for busy teaching of the people they might thus do And thus all these Priests whose priesthode God accepteth now or will accept or did in the Apostles time and after their discease wil do to the worlds end But as Cisterciensis telleth in the thousand yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ. 211. yeare one Pope the x. Gregory ordeined new tithes first to be geuen to priestes now in the new law But Saint Paule in his tyme whose trace or example all Priestes of God enforce them to follow seing the couetousnes that was among the people desiring to destroy the soule sinne through the grace of God true vertuous liuing and example of himselfe wrote taught all priestes for to follow him as he followed Christ pacyently willingly and gladly in hygh pouerty Wherefore Paule sayth thus The Lord hath ordeyned that they that preach the Gospell shall lyue of the Gospel But we saith Paul that couet and busye vs to be faythfull followers of Christ vse not this power For lo as Paul witnesseth afterward when he was full poore and needy preaching among the people he was not chargeous vnto them but wyth hys handes he trauayled not onely to get his owne lyuing but also the lyuing of other poore and needye creatures And since the people was neuer so couetous nor so auarous I gesse as they are nowe It were good counsell that al priests toke hede to this heauenly learning of Paul following him herein wilful pouerty nothyng chargyng the
people for their bodily liueloode But because that many Priests do contrary to Paule in this foresayde doctrine Paul biddeth the people take hede to those priests that folow him as he had geuē them example As if Paul would say thus to the people Accept ye none other Priests then they that liue after the forme that I haue taught you For certain in whatsoeuer dignity or order y◠any Priest is in if he conforme him not to follow Christ his Apostles in wilful pouerty in other heauenly vertues and specially in true preaching of Gods word though such a one be named a Priest yet he is no more but a priest in name for the worke of a very Priest in such a one wanteth This sentence approueth Augustine Gregory Chrisostom Limcolne plainly ¶ And the Archb. saide to me Thinkest thou this wholesome learning for to sow openly or yet priuily among the people Certein this doctrine contrarieth plainly the ordynance of holy fathers which haue ordeined graunted licenced priests to be in diuers degrees to liue by tithes offrings of the people and by other dueties ☞ And I said sir if priests were now in measurable measure number and liued vertuously taught busilye and truly the word of God by example of Christ of his apostles without tithes offrings other dueties that priests now chalenge take the people would geue them freely sufficient liuelode ¶ And a clerke said to me How wilt thou make this good that the people will geue freely to priestes their liuelode since that now by the law euery priest cā scarcely cōstraine the people to geue them their liuelode ☞ And I said Sir it is now no wonder though the people grudge to geue priests the liuelode that they aske Mekil people know now how that priests should liue howe that they liue contrarye to Christ to his Apostles And therfore the people is ful heauy to pay as they doe their temporal goods to parsons and to other vicares priests which should be faythfull dispensatours of the parishes goodes taking to thēselues no more but a scarce liuing of tithes nor of offrings by the ordinance of the cōmon law For whatsoeuer priests take of the people be it tithe or offering or any other duety or seruice the priests ought not to haue thereof no more but a bare liuing to depart the residue to the poore men womē specially of the parish of whom they take this temporal liuing But the most dele of priests nowe wasteth their parishes goodes and spendeth them at their owne wil after the world in ther vain lusts So that in few places poore mē haue duly as they should haue their own sustenāce nother of tithes nor of offrings nor of other large wages foundations that priests take of the people in diuers maners aboue that they nede for nede full sustenance of meat clothing But the poore nedy people are forsaken and left of Priests to be sustayned o◠the parishens as if the priests toke nothing of the parishers for to helpe the people with And thus sir into ouer great charges of the parishens they pay their tēporal goods twice where once myght suffice if priests were true dispensatours Also sir the parishners that pay their temporal goods be they tithes or offerings to priests that do not their office amōg them iustly are parteners of euery sinne of those Priests because that they sustaine those priestes folly in their sinne with their temporal goods If these things be well considered what wonder is it thē sir if the parishners grudge against these dispensators ¶ Then the Archb. said to me Thou that shouldst be iudged ruled by holy church presumptuously thou deemest holy church to haue erred in the ordinance of tithes other dueties to be paid to priests It shal be long or thou thriue Losel that thou despisest thy ghostly mother How darest thou speake this Losel among the people Are not tithes geuen to priests for to liue by ☞ And I said Sir S. Paule saith that tithes were geuen in the old law to Leuites and to Priests that came of the linage of Leuy But our priests he sayth came not of the linage of Leuy but of the linage of Iuda to whych Iuda no tithes were promised to be geuen And therfore Paule saith since the priesthode is chaūged from the generation of Leuy to the generation of Iuda It is necessary that chāging also be made of the law So that priests liue now with out tithes other duety that they now claime following Christ his Apostles in wilfull pouerty as they haue geuē thē example For since Christ liued all the tyme of hys preaching by pure almes of the people And by example of him his Apostles liued in the same wise or els by the trauaile of their hāds as it is sayd aboue Euery priest whose priesthode Christ approueth knoweth wel confesseth in worde and in worke that a disciple ought not to be aboue his maister but it sufficeth to a disciple to bee as hys maister simple and pure meke and pacient and by example specially of his maister Christ euerye Priest shoulde rule him in al his liuing so after his cūning power a priest should busy him to enforme and to rule whom so euer hee might charitably ¶ And the Archbish. said to me with a great spirite Gods curse haue thou mine for this teachinge for thou wouldest hereby make the olde law more free and perfect thē y◠new law For thou saiest that it is leful to Leuites and to priests to take tithes in the old law and so to enioy their priuilegies but to vs priests in the new law thou sayest it is not lawfull to take tithes And thus thou geuest Leuites of the old law more freedome than to priests of the new law ☞ And I said Sir I maruell that ye vnderstand thys plaine text of Paule thus Ye wot well that the Leuites and priests in the old lawe that tooke tithes were not so free nor so perfect as Christ and his Apostles that tooke no tithes And sir there is a Doctor I thinke that it is Saint Ierome that saith thus The priests that chalenge now in the new law tithes Say in effect that Christ is not become man nor that he hath yet suffered death for mans loue Wherefore this Doctor saith this sentence Since tythes were the hires and wages limitted to Leuites and to priests of the old law for bearing about of the tabernacle and for slayeng and fleing of beasts and for burning of sacrifice and for keeping of the temple and for tromping of battell before the hoste of Israell and other diuers obseruances that perteined to their office Those priests that will chalenge or take tithes deny that Christ is come in the flesh and do the priests office of the old law for whome tithes were granted
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
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
their subtile sophistry Neither will I in conscience obey any of you all till I see you with Peter follow Christ in conuersation Then reade the doctor againe The 4. point is this Holy Churche hath determined that it is meritorious to a Christen man and to go on pilgrimage to holy places And there specially to worship the holy reliques and images of saintes Apostles Martirs Confessours and all other saintes besides approued by that Church of Rome Sir what say ye to this Wherunto he 〈◊〉 I owe them no seruice by any commaundement of god and therefore I minde not to seeke them for your couetousnes It were best ye swepte them faire from copwebs and dust and so layde them vp for catching of scathe Or els to bury them fayre in that groūd as ye do other aged people which are Gods Images It is a wonderfull thing that sayntes now being dead shoulde become so couetous and needy and thereupon so bitterly beg which all the life time hated al couetousnesse and begging But this I say vnto you and I would all that world should mark it That with your shrines and Idols your fained absolutions and pardons ye draw vnto you the substaunce wealth and chiefe pleasures of all christen realmes Why sir said one of the clerkes will ye not worshippe good images What worship should I geue vnto them said the Lord Cobham Then said Frier Palmer vnto him Sir will ye worship the crosse of Christ that he died vpon Where is it sayd the Lord Cobham The Frier said I put you the case sir that it were here euen now before you The Lord Cobham aunswered This is a great wise man to put me an earnest question of a thinge and yet he himselfe knoweth not where the thing it selfe is Yet once againe I aske you what worship I should do vnto it A clerke said vnto him Such worship as Paule speaketh of and that is this God forbid that I should ioy but onely in the crosse of Iesu Christ. Then said the Lord Cobham and spread his armes abroad This is a very crosse yea and so muche better then your Crosse of wood in that it was created of God Yet will not I seeke to haue it worshipped Then sayd the bishop of London Sir ye wote well that he died on a materiall crosse The Lord Cobham said and I wote also that our saluation came not in by that materiall crosse but alone by him which died therupon And well I wote that holy S. Paule reioyced in none other crosse but in christes passion and death onely and in his owne sufferinges of like persecution with him for the same selfe veritie that he had suffered for afore An other clerk yet asked him Will ye then do none honour to the holy crosse He answered him Yes if he were mine own I would lay him vp honestly and see vnto him that he shoulde take no more scath abroad nor be robbed of his goodes as he is now a dayes Then sayd the Archbish. vnto him Sir Iohn ye haue spoken here many wonderfull wordes to the slaunderous rebuke of the whole spiritualtie geuing a great euil example vnto the common fort here to haue vs in the more disdaine Much time haue we spent here about you and al in vaine so far as I can see Well we must nowe be at this short point with you for the day passeth away Ye must otherwise submit your selfe to the ordinaunce of holy church or els throw your selfe no remedy into most deepe daunger See to it in time for anone it will be els to late The Lord Cobham sayd I know not to what purpose I should otherwise submit me Muche more haue you offended me then euer I offended you in thus troubling me before this multitude Then said the archbishop again vnto him we once agayne require to remember your selfe well to haue none other maner opinion in these matters then the vniuersall faith and beliefe of the holy church of Rome is And so like obedient childe returne agayne to the vnitie of your mother See to it I say in time for yet ye may haue remedy where as anone it will be to late The Lord Cobham sayd expresly before them all I wil none otherwise beleue in these poyntes then that I haue told ye here afore Do with me what ye will Finally then the archbishop sayd wel then I see none other but we must needes doe the lawe we must proceede forth to the sentence dissinitiue and both iudge you condemne you for an hereticke And with that the Archb. stood vp and read there a bill of his condemnation all the clergy and laity vayling theyr boners And this was the tenour therof * The diffinitiue sentence of hys condemnation IN the name of God So be it We Thomas by the sufferaunce of God Archbishop of Caunterbury Metropolitane and primate of al England and Legate from the apostolicke see of Rome willeth this to be knowne vnto all men In a certayne cause of heresy and vpon diuers articles wherupon sir Iohn Oldcastle knight and Lord Cobham after a diligent inquisition made for the same was detected accused and presented before vs in our last conuocation of all our prouince of Caunterbury holden in the Cathedrall Church of Paules at London At the lawfull denouncement and request of our vniuersal Clergy in the sayd conuocation we proceded agaynst him according to the law God to witnes with al the sauour possible And following Christes example in all that we might which willeth not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue we tooke vpon vs to correcte him and sought all other wayes possible to bring him againe to the churches vnitie declaring vnto him what the holy vniuersal church of Rome hath sayd holden determined and taught in that behalf And though we founde him in the Catholicke fayth farre wyde and so stifnecked that he would not confesse hys error nor purge himself nor yet repent him therof We yet pittieng him of fatherly compassion and intirely desiring the health of his soule appoynted hym a competent tyme of deliberation to see if he wold repent and seek to be reformed but since that time we haue foūd him worse and worse Considering therefore that he is not corrigible we are driuen to the very extremitie of the lawe and wyth great heauines of hart we nowe proceede to the publication of the sentence diffinitiue agaynst him Then brought he foorth an other bill conteyning the sayd sentence and that he read also in his beggerly Latine Christi nomine inuocato ipsumque solum prae oculis habentes Quia per acta inactitata and so forth Whiche I haue also translated into Englishe that men may vnderstand it Christ we take vnto witnesse that nothing els we seeke in this our whole enterprise but his onely glory For as
in person saith Cope but with his mind and with his counsell he was present and addeth this reason saying And therfore he being brought agayn after his escape was conuice both of treason and heresye therfore susteining a double punishmēt was both hanged and burnt for the same c. And how is al this proued By Robert Fabian he sayth whereunto briefly I aunswere that Rob. Fabian in that place maketh no such mention of the Lord Cobham assisting or consenting to them either in mind or in counsell His wordes be these That certaine adherentes of Sir Iohn Oldcastle assembled in the fielde neare to S. Biles in great number of whom was sir Roger Acton sir Iohn Browne and Iohn Beuerley The which with 36. mo in number were after conuict of heresy and treason and for the same were hanged and burnt wein the sayd field of S. Byles c. Thus much in Fabian touching the commotion condemnation of these mē but that the Lorde Cobham was there present with thē inany parte either of consent or counsell as Alanus Copus Anglus pretendeth that is not found in Fabian but is added of his liberall cornu copiae wherof he is so copious and plentifull that he may keep an open shop of such vnwrittē vntruethes whiche he maye aforde verye good cheape I thinke being such a plentifull artificer But here will bee obiected agaynst mee the wordes of the statute made the seconde yeare of king Henry the fifte wherupon this aduersary triumphing with no litle glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinketh himselfe to haue double vauntage against me first in prouinge these foresayd complices adherents of the Lord Cobham to haue made insurrection agaynst the king and so to be traytors Secondly in conuicting that to be vntrue where as in my former booke of Actes and Monumentes I doe reporte how that after the death of sir Roger Acton of Browne Beuerley a Parliament was holden at Leicester where a statute was made to this effect that all and singular suche as wer of Wickliffes learning if they would not geue ouer as in case of felony and other trespasses loosing all theyr goodes to the king shoulde suffer death in two manner of kinds that is they should first be hanged for treasō against the king and then be burned for heresy agaynst God c. Wherupon remaineth now in examining this obiectiō and aunswering to the same that I purge both them of treason and my selfe of vntruth so farre as truth and fidelity in Gods cause shal assist me herin Albeit in beginning first my history of Ecclesiastical matters wherin I hauing nothing to do with abatement of causes iudiciall but onely folowing the simple narration of things done and executed neuer suspected that euer any would be so captious with me or so nise nosed as to presse me with such narrow points of the law in trying and discussing euery cause and matter so exactly straining as ye woulde say the bowels of the statute lawe so rigorously agaynst me Yet for so much as I am therunto constrained now by this aduersary I wil first lay open all the whole statute made the second yeare of this foresayd Henry the fift after the death of the foresayd sir Roger Acton and his fellowes at the Parliament holden at Leycester an 1415. That done I will note vpon the words therof so as by the circumstaunces of the same may appeare what is to be cōcluded either for the defence of theyr innocencye or for the accusation of this aduersary The tenour and purport of the statute here vnder ensueth ¶ The wordes and contentes of the statute made an 2. Henrici 5. cap. 7. FOrasmuch as great rumors congregations and insurrections here in England by diuers of that king his maiesties seege people haue bene made here of late as well by those which were of the sect of heresy called Lolardy as by others of their cōfederatiō excitatiōs abetmēt to the intēt to adnulle subuert the christian fayth the law of God within the same Realme as also to destroy our soueraigne Lord the king himselfe and all maner of estates of the same his Realme as well spirituall as temporall and also all maner pollicy the lawes of the land Finally the same our Lord the king to the honor of God in conseruation and fortification of the Christian fayth also in saluation of his royall estate of the estate of all his realme willing to prouide a more open more due punishmēt agaynst the malice of such heretickes Lolardes then hath bene had or vsed in that case heretofore so that for the feare of the same lawes and punishment such heresyes and Lolardies may the rather cause in time to come By the aduise and assēt aforesayd at the prayer of the sayd commons hath ordeined established that especially the Chaūcellor the Treasurer the Iustices of the one bēch and of the other Iustices of Assise Iustices of peace Shiriffes Maiors and Bailiffes of Cityes and Townes and all other officers hauing the gouernement of people either now present or which for the time shal be do make an othe in taking of their charge and offices to extend their whole payne and diligence to put out to do to put out cease destroy all maner of heresyes and errors commonly called Lolardies within the places in which they exercise their charges and offices from time to time with all their power and that they assist fauor and maintaine the ordinaries and their commissaries so often as they or any of them shal be therunto required by the said ordinaries or their cōmissaryes So that the sayd officers and ministers when they trauell or ride to arest any Lolard or to make any assistēce at the instance and request of the ordinaries or their cōmissaryes by vertue of this statute that the same ordinaries commissaryes do pay for their costs reasonably And that the seruices of the king vnto whō the officers be first sworne be preferred before al other statutes for the liberty of holy Church the ministers of the same And especially for the correction and punishment of hereticks Lolards made before these dayes not repealed but being in theyr force And also that all persons conuict of heresy of whatsoeuer estate condition or degree they be by the sayd ordinaries or their cōmissaries left vnto the secular power according to the lawes of holy Church shall leese forfayte all theyr lands and tenements which they haue in fee simple in maner and forme as followeth That is to say that the king shall haue all the landes tenementes which the sayd conuictes haue in fee simple which be immediatlye holden of him as forfayted And that the other Lordes of whom the lands tenements of such conuictes be holden immediatly after that the king is therof seised answered of the yeare
like that if these men had intended any forcible entrees or rebelliō against the king they would haue made any rumours therof before the deed done so is it more credibly to be supposed all these florishes of words to be but words of course or of office and to sauer rather of the rāknes of the inditers penne who disposed either per amplificationem rhetoricam to shew his copy or els per malitiam Papisticam to aggrauate the crime And to make mountains of mollhilles first of rumours maketh congregations from congregations riseth vp to insurrections where as in all these rumours congregations insurrections yet neuer a blow was geuen neuer a stroke was stroken no bloud spilt no furniture nor instruments of war no signe of battaile yea no expresse signification either of any rebellious word or malitious fact described neither in records nor yet in any Chronicle Againe if these rumours were words spoken against the king as calling him a tirant an vsurper of the crowne the Prince of Priestes c. why then be none of these words expressed in their inditements or left in records Doth M. Cope thinke for a man to be called a traitour to be enough to make him a traytour vnlesse some euident prose be brought for him to bee so in deed as he is called Rumours sayth he congregations and insurrections were made Rumours are vncertaine Congregations haue bene and may bee among Christen men in dangerous times for good purposes and no treason against their princes ment The terme of insurrections may be added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by practise or surmise of the Prelates and pen men who to bring them the more in hatred of the king might adde this rather of their owne gentlenes then of the others deseruing Certayne it is and vndoubted that the Prelates in those dayes being so mightely inflamed against these Lollards were not altogether behind for their parts nor vtterly idle in this matter but practised against them what they could first to bring them into hatred and then to death Examples of which kinde of practise among the Popish Cleargy haue not lacked neither before nor since Moreouer if these men had made such a rebellious insurrection against the king as is pretended in the preample before this statute which were a matter of high treason How chaunceth then that the whole body of the statute folowing after the said preface or preamble runneth in all the parts and braunches thereof both in maner of arrest of inditement information request alowance of officers cognisance of ordinaries of the forefact c. vpon cases of heresie and not of treason as by particular tractation shall be Christ willing declared And for so much as these men be so greuously accused of Alanus Copus for congregating rising against their K. the whole Realme if I had so much laysure to defend as he hath pleasure to diffame Here might be demaunded of him to keepe him some further pley touching this mighty insurrection where as they came in nūber of xx thousand against the king in what order of battaile ray they marched what Captaines vnder Captaines and pety Captaines they had to guide the wyngs and to lead the army whether they were horsemen or footemen If they were horsemen as is pretensed what ment they then to resort to the Thicketes neare to S. Gyles field which was no meet place for horses to stirre If they were footemen how standeth that with the author which reporteth them to be horsemē Moreouer is to be demanded what insignes or flagges what shot what pouder what armour weapōs and other furniture of war also what treasure of money to wage so many to the nūber of xx thousand what trumpets drommes other noise necessary for the purpose they had All these preparations for such an enterprise is requisite necessary to be had And peraduenture if truth were well sought it would be found at lēgth that in stead of armies and weapon they were comming onely with theyr bookes and with Beuerlay their preacher into those thickets But as I was not there present at the fact as is before said so haue I neither certeinely to define vpon theyr case nor yet M. Cope to exclame against them vnles peraduenture he taking an occasion of the time will thus argue against them That because it was the hoate moneth of Ianuary the 2. day after the Epiphany therefore it is like that Sir Iohn Oldcastle with xx thousand Lollards camped together in the fields in al the heate of the wether to destroy the king and all the nobles and to make hymselfe Regent of England And why not as well the King as regent of England seeing all the nobles should haue bene destroyed he onely left alone to reigne by himselfe ¶ It followeth more in the preamble of the foresaid statute to adnull destroy and subuert the Christen fayth and the law of God holy Church c. He that was the forger inuēter of this report as it appeareth to proceed frō the Prelates seemeth no cunning Daedalus nor halfe hys craftes maister in lying for the whetstone Better he might haue learned of Sinō in Uirgill more artificially to haue framed and conueied his narration Which although in no case could sound like any truth yet some colour of probabilitie should haue bene set vpon it to giue it some countenance of a like tale As if he had first declared the L. Cobham to haue bin before in secret cōfederacie with the great Turk or if he had made him some termagāt or Mahound out of Babylonia or some Herode of Iudea or some Antichrist out of Rome or some grandpanch Epicure of this world and had shewed that he had receiued letters from the great Souldan to fight against the faith of Christ and law of God then had it appeared somwhat more credible that the said Sir Iohn Oldcastle with his sect of heresie went about to adnull destroie and subuert the Christian faith and law of God within the Realme of England c. But now where will either he or M. Cope finde men so mad to beleeue or so ingenious that can imagine this to be true that the Lord Cobham being a Christian and so faithfull a Christiā would or did euer cogitate in his mind to destroy and adnull the faith of Christ in the Realme of England What soeuer the report of this pursuant or preface saith I report me vnto the indifferent Reader how standeth this with any face of truth That he which before through the reading of Wickliffes works had bene so earnestly cōuerted to the law of God who had also approued himselfe such a faithfull seruant of Christ that for the faith of Christ he being examined and tried before the Prelates page 553. not only ventred his life but stood constant vnto the sentence of death defined against him being a cōdemned and a dead man by law Et qui quantum ad
neare to the quantitie of three pages And least M. Cope you or any other should thinke me to speake beside my booke be it therefore knowen both to you and to all other by these presentes that the very selfe same first copy of Hall rased and crossed with his owne penne remaineth in my handes to be shewed seene as need shall require The matter which he cancelled out came to this effect Wherein he following the narratioÌ„ of Polidore began with like wordes to declare how the SacrameÌ„taries here in England after the death of Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage beyng pricked as he sayth with a demoniacall sting first conspired agaynst the Priestes and after against the king hauing to their Captaines sir Iohn Oldcastle the Lord Cobham and Syr Roger Acton Knight with many moe wordes to the like purpose and effect as Polydore other such like Chronicles doe write agaynst him All which matter notwithstandyng the sayd Hall with his penne at the sight of Iohn Bales booke did vtterly extinct and abolish Addyng in the place thereof the wordes of M. Bales booke touchyng the accusation and condemnation of the sayd Lord Cobham before Thomas Arundell Archbyshop of Canterbury taken out of the letter of the sayd Archbyshop as is in his owne story to be sene In vita Henr. 5. pag. 2. lin 30. And thus Edward Hall your author reuoking calling backe all that he had deuised before agaynst the Lord Cobham whereof I haue his owne hand to shew witnes substauÌ„ciall vpoÌ„ the same in his printed booke recordeth of him no more but onely sheweth the proces betwene the Archbyshop of CaÌ„terbury and him for matters of religion And so ending with Sir Iohn Oldcastle proceedeth further to the assemble of sir Roger ActoÌ„ whom he falsely calleth Robert ActoÌ„ Iohn Browne and Beuerley the narration wherof he handleth in such sort that he neither agreeth with the record of other writers nor yet with truth it selfe For where he excludeth the Lord Cobham out of that assemble he discordeth therein from Polidore and other And where he affirmeth the fact of that conspiracie to be wrought before or at the xij day of December that is manifestly false if the recordes before alledged be true And where he reporteth this assemble to be after the burnyng of Iohn Hus and of Hierome of Prage therein he accordeth with Polydore but not with truth Moreouer so doubtfull he is and ambiguous in declaration of this story that no great certaintie can be gathered of him First as touchyng the confession of them he confesseth himselfe that he saw it not therfore leaueth it at large And as coÌ„cernyng the causes of their death he leaueth the matter in doubt not daring as doth M. Cope to define or pronouÌ„ce any thing therof but onely reciteth the furmises and myndes of diuers men diuersly some thinkyng it was for coÌ„ueying the Lord CobhaÌ„ out of the tower some that it was for treason and heresie and here coÌ„meth in the meÌ„tioÌ„ onely of a record but what record it is neither doth he vtter it nor doth he examine it other some againe aâ—â—irming as he sayth that it was for fayned causes surmised by the spiritualtie more of displeasure then trueth And thus your autor Hall hauing recited yâ— varietie of mens opinions determineth himselfe no certaine thing thereof but as one indifferent neither bouÌ„d to the coniectures of al men nor to the wrytings of all men referreth the whole iudgement of the matter free vnto the reader And so concluding his narratioÌ„ forsomuch as he was neither a witnes of the fact nor present at the dede he ouerpasseth the story therof And what witnes then wil you or can you M. Cope take of Edwarde Halle which denieth himselfe to be a witnesse Will you compell him to say that he sawe not and to witnesse that he can not Wherfore like as Susanna in the storye of Daniel was quite by right iudgement in the case of adultry because her accusers and testes being examined a sonder were found to vary and halt in their tale and not to agree in the two trees So why may not in like case of treason sir Roger Acton sir Iohn Didcastle Browne with the rest claime the same priuiledge seeing among the testes and witnesse produced agaynst them such discorde is found and such halting among them that neyther do they agree in place person yeare day nor moneth For first where Fabian and his fellowes say that they were assembled together in a great company in the fielde neare to S. Gyles the forged inditement aboue alledged sayth they were but riding toward the fielde 2. Secondly where the foresaid inditement and Polydore geue the Lorde Cobham to be present personally in that assemble Halle and Alanus Copus Anglus doe exclude hys personal presence from thence and so doth Fabian also seme to agree speaking onely of the adherentes of Syr Iohn Oldcastle Thirdly where Halle and Polydorus report thys assemble to be after the burning of Iohn Hus and of Hierome at the councel of Constance which was An. 1415. that cannot be but if there were any suche conspiracie in the first yeare of Henry 5. it must needes be An. 1413. And heere-by the way why do certaine of your Epitome wryters speaking of the Lord Cobham committed first to the tower for heresie referre the sayd his imprisonment to the yere 1412. where as by their owne counte reckoning the yeare from the Annunciation it must nedes be an 1413. being done in haruest time Fourthly where Halle with his followers affirme that syr Roger Acton Brown and Beuerley were condemned the 12. day of December the recorde is euident against it which holdeth the fact to be in working the 10. day of Ian. Fiftly where as the foresayde record of the Inditement geueth the Wednesday next after the Epiphany whyche was the 10. day of Ian. that present yeare both the facte to be commytted the same day the Commission also to be graunted and deliuered to the CoÌ„missioners the same day The saide Commissioners to sit in Commission the same day The Shriffes of Midlesex to returne a iurie out of the body of Midlesex the same day and the Iurers to find the inditement the same day and yet no iurer in the inditemeÌ„t named the same day Item the L. Cobham the same day to be founde conspiring to make him selfe Regent when as the king that day and yeare was not yet passed into Fraunce howe all these can concurre and hang together and all in one day I suppose it wil cost you two dayes before you with al your learned counsel wil study it out And wheÌ„ you in your vnlawfull assembles haue conspired and conferred together all ye can yet wil ye make it as I thinke iij. dayes before you honestly dispatch your handes of the matter And where ye thinke that you haue impressed in me such a foul note of
sent yet to Boheme keepe it and send it not for hurt may come thereof c. Item if the king doe aske who ought to be my iudge since that the Councel neither did call me nor did cite me neither was I euer accused before the Councell and yet the Councell hath imprisoned me and hath appoynted their proctor against me Item I desire you right noble and gracious Lord Iohn if audience shall be geuen me that the king will be there present himselfe and that I may haue a place appoynted neare vnto him that he may heare me well and vnderstand what I say and that you also with the Lord Henry and with Lord Wenselaus and other mo if you may will be present and heare what the Lorde Iesus Christ my procuratour and aduocate and most gracious iudge will put in my mouth to speake that whether I liue or die you may be true and vpright witnesses with me least lying lips shall say heereafter that I swarued away from the truth which I haue preached Item know you that before witnesses and notaries in the prison I desired the commissioners that they would depute vnto me a proctor and an aduocate who promised so to do and afterward would not performe it Wherefore I haue committed my selfe to the Lorde Iesus Christ that he will be my procuratour and aduocate and iudge of my cause Item know you that they haue as I suppose no other quarell against mee but onely this that I stoode against the Popes Bull which Pope Iohn sent downe to Boheme to sanctifie warre wyth the signe of the crosse full remission of sinnes to all them which would take the holy crosse to fight for the patrimonie of the Romish church against Ladislaus king of Naples and they haue mine owne wryting which was read against me and I do acknowledge it to be mine Secondly they haue also against me that I haue cōtinued so long in excommunication and yet did take vppon mee to minister in the church and say Masse Thirdly they haue against me because I did appeale from the Pope to Christ. For they reade my appeale before me in the which with a willing minde smiling I confessed before them all to be mine Fourthly because I left a certaine letter behind me which was read in the church of Bethleem the which letter my aduersaries haue very euill fauouredly translated and sinisterly expounded in the which I did wryte that I went out without a safeconducte Whereunto you your selues can say and beare me recorde that I in my going out had no safe conducte of the Pope neither yet did knowe whether you should goe out with me when I wrote that letter Item if audience may be geuen to me and that after the same audience the king would suffer me not to be returned againe into prison but that I may haue your counsels others my frends and if it may please God that I may say some thing to my soueraigne Lord the king for the behalfe of Christianitie and for hys owne profite c. ¶ Another letter of Iohn Hus wherein he confirmeth the Bohemians and describeth the wickednesse of that Counsell IOhn Husse in hope the seruaunt of GOD to all faythfull in Boheme which loue the Lord greetyng thorough the grace of GOD. It commeth in my mynde wherein I must needes admonish you that be the faythfull and beloued of the Lord how that the Councell of Constance beyng full of pride auarice and all abhomination hath condemned my bookes written in the Boheme tounge for hereticall whiche bookes they neuer saw nor neuer heard them read And if they had heard them yet they could not vnderstād the same being some Italians some Frenchmen some Britaines some Spanyardes Germaines with other people of other nations moe vnlesse peraduenture Iohn Bishop of Litomishe vnderstoode them whiche was present in that Councell and certaine other Bohemians and Priestes whiche are agaynst me and labour all they may how to depraue both the veritie of God and the honesty of our countrey of Boheme Which I iudge in the hope of GOD to be a Godly land right well geuen to the true knowledge of the Fayth for that it doth so greatly desire the word of GOD and honest maners And if you were here at Constance ye should see the greeuous abhomination of this Councell which they call so holy and such as can not erre Of the which Councell I haue heard it by the Swechers reported that the Citie of Constaunce is not able in 30. yeares to be purged of those wicked abhominations in that Coūcell committed And all be offended almost with that Councell beyng sore greeued to behold such execrable thynges perpetrate in the same When I stoode first to aunswere before myne aduersaries seyng all thynges there done with no order and hearyng them also outragiously crying out I sayd playnely vnto them that I looked for more honest behauiour and better order and discipline in that Councell Then the chief Cardinall aunswered sayest thou so but in the tower thou spakest more modestly To whome sayd I in the Tower no man cryed out agaynst me where as now all doe rage agaynst me My faythfull and beloued in Christ be not afrayde with their sentence in condemnyng my bookes They shall bee scattered hether and thether abroad like light Butterfleis and their Statutes shall endure as Spiderwebbes They went about to shake my constancie from the veritie of Christ but they could not ouercome the vertue of God in me They would not reason with the scriptures against me as diuers honourable Lordes can witnesse with me which being ready to suffer contumely for the trueth of God tooke my part stoutly namely Lorde Wenceslaus de Duba and Lorde Iohn de Clum for they were let in by king Sigismund into the Councell And when I sayde that I was desirous to be instructed if I did in any thing erre then they heard the chiefe Cardinall aunswere againe because thou wouldest be informed there is no remedy but that thou must first reuoke thy doctrine according to the determination of 50. Bachelers of Diuinitie appoynted O high instruction After like maner S. Katherine also shoulde haue denied and reuoked the veritie of God and faith in Christ because the 50. maisters likewise did withstand her which notwithstanding that good virgine would neuer doe standing in her faith vnto death But shee did winne those her maisters vnto Christ when as I can not win these my maisters by any meanes These things I thought good to wryte vnto you that you might knowe howe they haue ouercome me with no grounded Scripture nor with any reason but onely did assay with terrours and disceits to perswade me to reuoke and to abiure But our mercifull God whose lawe I haue magnified was and is with me and I trust so will continue and will kepe me in his grace vnto death Wrytten at Constance after the feast of Iohn Baptist
of mony delayed the time in making of their truce Camillus cōming vpon them did most shamefully driue them out againe But what need I to rehearse old histories when as our own examples are sufficient for vs Ye know your selues how often these delayes haue bene hurtfull vnto you how oftē the delay of a few dayes hath growne to a long tracte of tyme. For now this is the 8. yeare that you haue spent in delayes you haue seene that alwayes of one delay an other hath sprong and risen Wherfore I do require that Panormitan shuld consider that the conclusion being this day disturbed we know not whether it will be brought to passe hereafter againe or no. Many impedimentes or lets may rise Neither doth Panormitan say that this delay being obtayned he wold afterward consent with his fellowes vnto the conclusiōs for he denyeth that he hath any commaundement therunto which is more to be considered he sayth that the Ambassadours at their returne from Mentz may bring such newes wherby these conclusions may be omitted as though any thyng were more excellent then the truth The which thing doth manifestly declare that they do not seeke delayes for the better examination of the matter but for to impugne the conclusions the more strongly Neither do I agree with Panormitan as touching the effects which he sayd should ryse eyther of the denyall or graunting of the requests For I see no cause why the Princes should so greatly require any delay There are no letters of anye Prince come vnto vs as touching such request neyther is there any man lately come from them neyther is it greatly materiall vnto them but that the matters of faith shoulde be determined But this is a most pernicious conclusion which Panormitane hath made and not to be looked for at the handes of those most godly princes wheras he saith if we do please them they will take our part If contrariwise they will decline vnto Eugenius and wholy resist rebell agaynst vs. This is a meruailous word a wonderfull conclusion altogether vnworthye to be spoken of such a man The decrees of the Councell of Constance are that all maner of men of what state or condition soeuer they be are bound to the ordinaunces and decrees of the generall Councels But Panormitanes wordes do not tend to that effect for he would not haue the Princes obedient vnto the Councel but that councell to be obedient vnto that princes Alas most reuerend Fathers alas what times daies what maners and conditiōs are these Into what misery are we now brought How shall we at anye time bring to passe that the Pope being Christes Uicare and as they say an other Christ in earth should be subiect vnto the coūcell of Christians if the Councell it selfe ought to obey wordly Princes But I pray you look for no such things at the Princes handes Do not beleeue that they will forsake theyr mother the Church Do not thinke them so farr alienate frō the truth that they would haue iustice suppressed The conclusions whereupon the controuersie is are most true most holy most allowable If the princes do refuse them they do not resist agaynst vs but against the holy Scriptures yea and agaynst Christ himselfe which you ought neither to beleue neither was it comely for Panormitane so to say Panormitan by your licēce be it spoken you haue vttered most cruell words neyther do you seeme to go about any other matter then to inculcate terrour and feare into the mindes of the Fathers for you haue rehearsed great perils and daungers except we submitt our selues vnto the princes But you most reuerend fathers shall not be afearde of them which kill the body the soule they cannot kill neyshal ye forsake the truth although you should shedde your bloud for the same Neither ought we to be any whit more slacke in the quarrell of our mother the church and the Catholicke fayth then those most holy Martyrs whiche haue established the Church with theyr bloud For why should it be anye greeuous matter vnto vs to suffer for Christ which for our sakes hath suffered so cruel greuous death Who when he was an immortall God voyd of all passiōs toke vpō him the shape of a mortal man feared not for our redemption to suffer tormentes vpon the crosse Set before your eyes the Prince of the Apostles Peter Paule Andrew Iames and Barthelmew and not to speake onely of Bishops Marke what Stephen Laurence Sebastian Fabian did Some were hanged some headed some stoned to death other some burned and others tormented with most cruell and grieuous tormentes suffered for Christes sake I pray you for Gods sake let vs follow the example of these men If we will be byshops and succeed in honour let vs not feare Martyrdome Alas what effeminate harts haue we Alas what faynt harted people are we They in tymes past by the contempt of death conuerted the whole world which was full of gentilitie and idolatrye and we through our sluggishnes desire of life do bring the Christian Religion out of the whole world into one corner I feare greatly least that little also which is left we shall lose through our cowardlines if that by following Panormitanes minde we do commit the whole gouernaunce defence of the Church vnto the princes But nowe play the stout and valiaunt men in this time of tribulation feare not to suffer death for the Churche whiche Curtius feared not to doe for the cittie of Rome which Menchotheus for Thebes Codrus for Athens willingly took vpon them Not onely the martyrs but also the Gentiles might moue and stirre vs to cast of all the feare of death What is to be sayd of Theremens the Athemen With how ioyfull hart and minde and pleasaunt countenaunce did he drink the poyson What say you vnto the Socrates that most excellent Philosopher did he eyther weepe or sigh when he supped vp the poyson They hoped for that whiche we are most certayne of Not by dying to dye but to chaunge this present life for a better Truly we ought to be ashamed being admonished by so many examples instructed with so great learning yea and redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ so greatly to feare death Cato writeth not of one or two men but of whole legions which haue chearfully couragiously gone vnto those places frō whence they knew they shuld not return Wyth like courage did the Lacedemoniās geue thēselues to death at Thermopilis of whom Simonides writeth thus Dic hospes Spartanos te hic vidisse iacentes Dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur Report thou straunger the Spartaines here to lye Whiles that their coūtry lawes they obeyed willingly Neither iudge the contrary but that the Lacedemonians went euen of purpose vnto death vnto whome theyr Captayne Leonidas sayd O ye Lacedemonians goe forward couragiously for this day we shal sup together
your fatherly reuerēces would vouchsafe to permit at the least the Gospels Epistles and Creede to be song read in the Church in our vulgare tong before the people to moue thē vnto deuotion for in our Slauon language it hath bene vsed of old in the Church and likewise in our kingdome Item we require you in the name of the saide kingdome and of the famous Vniuersitie of Prage that your fatherly reuerences would vouchsafe to shew such diligence and care towards the desired reformation of that Vniuersitie that according to the maner and forme of other Uniuersities reformed by the Church Prebends and collations of certaine benefices of Cathedrall and Parish Churches may be annexed and incorporate vnto the said Uniuersitie that thereby it may be increased and preferred Item we desire you as before as hartily as we may also sauing alwaies your fatherly reuerēce require you and by the former cōpositions we most instātly admonish you that with your whole minds and endeuours with all care study your reuerēces will watch seeke for that long desired most necessary reformation of the Church Christian Religion and effectually labour for the rooting out of all publike euils as well in the head as in the members as you haue often promised to do in our kingdome in the cōpositions as our fourth Article touching the auoiding of all publicke euils doth exact and require There were certaine answeres prouided by the Councel to these petitions of the Bohemiās which were not deliuered vnto thē but kept backe for what purpose or intent we knowe not Wherefore because we thought them not greatly necessary for this place also to auoid prolixitie we haue iudged it meet at this present to omit them Thus haue ye heard compendiously the chief principal matters intreated done in this famous Councell of Basill And here to cōclude withall we haue thought good to declare vnto you for the aid helpe of the ignorant people whych iudge many things to be of lōger time continuāce then in deed they be thereupon haue established a great parte of their opinions how that toward the latter end of thys Coūcell that is to say in the xxxvi Session of the same holdē the xvij day of September in the yeare of our Lord 1439. the feast of the Conception of our Lady was ordeined to be holden and celebrate yearely In like case also in the xliiij Session of the same Councell holden the first day of Iuly an 1441. was ordeined the feast of the Uisitation of our Lady to be celebrate and holden yearely in the moneth of Iuly We haue also thought it good before we do end this story to annexe hereunto certaine decrees profitably and wholesomely ordeined in the said Coūcell against the inordinate geuing of the Ecclesiasticall benefices and liuings by the Pope with certaine other constitutions also fruitfull for the behalfe and edification of the Church During the time that the generall Councell at Basill was so diligent and carefull about the reformation of the Church this one thing seemed good vnto them to be prosecuted folowed with an earnest care and diligence that through euery Church apt and meete ministers might be appointed which might shine in vertue knowledge to the glory of Christ and the healthfull edifieng of the Christian people whereunto the multitude of expectatiue graces hath bene a great impedimēt and let in that they haue bin foūd to haue brought greuous troubles diuers disorders and many dangers vpon the ecclesiasticall state For hereby oftentimes scarsely apt or meete ministers haue bene appointed for the churches which are neither known nor examined and this expectation of void benefices as the old lawes do witnesse doth geue occasion to desire another mans death which is greatly preiudiciall vnto saluation besides that innumerable quarels contentions are moued amongst the seruants of God rancour and malice nourished the ambition and gredy desire of pluralities of benefices mainteined and the riches and substance of kingdomes and prouinces marueilously consumed Poore men suffer innumerable vexations by running vnto the court of Rome They are oftentimes spoiled and robbed by the way troubled afflicted with diuers plages and hauing spent their patrimony and substance left them by their parents they are cōstrained to liue in extreme pouerty Many do chalenge benefices which without any iust title yea such in deed as ought not to haue thē obtaine and get the same such I say as haue most craft and subtiltie to deceiue their neighbour or haue greatest substance to contend in the law It happeneth oftentimes that vnder the intrication of these prerogatiues antelations and such other as do associate these expectatiue graces much craft and disceit is found Also oftentimes the ministery is taken away from yong men by their ordinary geuers whiles that by the trouble of those contentions diuers discourses running to fro by meanes of those graces they are vexed troubled the Ecclesiasticall order is cōfounded whiles that euery mans authority and iurisdiction is not preserued the Bishops of Rome also by chalenging and taking vpō them too much the office of the inferiours are wythdrawen from more waighty and fruteful matters neither doe they diligently attend to the guiding and correction of the inferiors as the publike vtility doth require Al which things do bring a great confusion vnto the clergy and Ecclesiasticall state to the great preiudice and hinderaunce of Gods true worship and publicke saluation In the same Councell also diuers other constitutions were made not vnprofitable for reformation for remouing of certaine abuses disorders brought in especially by the B. of Rome as touching causes not to be brought vp and trāslated to the court of Rome Wherin it was decreed that no actions nor controuersies shuld be brought from other countries to be pleaded at Rome which were beyonde 4. dayes iourney distant from the sayde Courte of Rome a few principall matters onely excepted Also that no friuolous appeales should be made to the pope hereafter It was moreouer in the same councell decreed for the number age and condition of the Cardinals the they shuld not excede the number of 24. besides them that were alredy and that they should be frely taken out of al countries and that they should not be of kin to the bishop of Rome or to the Cardinals nor yet be blemished wyth any spot or crime Also for Annates or first fruites or halfe fruites it was there prouided that no such Annates or confirmation of elections or collation of benefices should be paide or reserued any more to the pope for the first yeres voidance All which thinges there agreed and concluded by them were afterward cōfirmed and ratified by the French king Charles 7. with the full consent of all his Prelates in his high court of Parliament in Bitures there called Pragmatica Sanctio An. 1438. whereupon
of the clergy so constant to death which wil suffer Martirdom either for the one part or the other Al we lightly hold that faith which our princes hold which if they would worship Idols we would also do the same not onely deny the Pope but God also if the secular power strayn vs thereunto for charitye is waxed colde and all fayth is gone Howsoeuer it be let vs all desire and seeke for peace the whiche peace whether it come by a councell or by assemblye of Princes call it what you will I care not for we stand not vpon the terme but vpon the matter Call breade if you will a stone so you geue me to asswage my hunger Whether you call it a Councell or a conuenticle or an assembly or a congregation or a synagogue that is no matter so that schisme may be excluded and peace established Thus much out of the Epistle of Pius By this may it appeare of what sentence and minde this Pius was in the time of the Councell of Basill before he was made Pope But as our common prouerbe sayth honors chaungeth maners so it happeneth with this Pius who after he came once to be Pope was much altered from that he was before For where as before he preferred generall Councels before the Pope nowe being Pope he did decree that no man should appeale from the high Byshop of Rome to any generall Councell And likewise for priestes mariage where as before he thought it best to haue theyr wiues restored yet afterward he altered his mind otherwise In so much that in his book intreating of Germany and there speaking of the noble city of August by occasion he inueyed agaynst a certayne Epistle of Hulderike once bishop of the sayd City written agaynst the constitution of the single life of priests Wherby it appeareth how the minde of this Pius was altered frō that it was before This Epistle of Hulderick is before expressed at large in the pag. 137. Here also might I touch something concerning the discord betwixt this Aeneas Syluius and Diotherus Archbish. of Mentz and what discorde was styrred vp in Germany vpon the same betwene Frederick the Palatine and duke of Wittenberge with others by the occasion whereof besides the slaughter of many the City of Mentz which was free before lost theyr freedome and became seruile The causes of the discord betwixt Pope Pius and Diotherus were these First because that Diotherus would not consent vnto him in the imposition of certaine tallages and taxes within his country Secondly for that Diotherus would not be boūd vnto him requiring that the said Diotherus being prince Electour should not call the other Electors together wythout hys licence that is without the licence of the Bishop of Rome And thirdly because Diotherus would not permit to the Popes Legates to conuocate his Clergy together after theyr owne lust This Pope Pius began his lea about the yere of our Lord. 1458. After this Pius secundus succeded Paulus secūdus a pope wholy set vpon his belly and ambition and not so muche voyd of all learning as the hater of all learned men Thys Paulus had a daughter begotten in fornication which because he sawe her to be had in reproch for that she was got ten in fornication began as the storyes reporte to repent him of the law of the single life of priestes and went aboute to reforme the same had not death preuented him Ex Stanislao Rutheno After this Paulus came Sixtus the fourth whiche builded vp in Rome a stewes of both kindes getting therby no small reuenues and rents vnto the church of Rome This Pope amongest his other actes reduced the yeare of Iubely from the 50. vnto the 25. He also instituted the feast of the Conception and of the presentation of Mary of Anna her mother and Ioseph Also he canonised Bonauenture and S. Fraunces for Sayntes By this Sixtus also beades were brought in and instituted to make our Ladyes Psalter thorowe the occasion of one Alanus and his order whome Baptista maketh mention of in thys verse Hi filo insertis numerant sua murmura baccis That is these menne putting theyr beades vpon a string number theyr prayers This Sixtus the Pope made xxxij Cardinals in his time whom Petrus Ruerius was the first who for that time that he was Cardinall which was but two yeares spent in luxurious ryot wasted and consumed 2 hundred thousand Floreines and was left 60000. in debt Wesellus Groningensis in a certayne Treatise of his de In dulgentijs papalibus writing of thys Pope Sixtus reporteth this that at the requeste of the foresayde Peter Cardinall and of Ierome his brother the sayd Pope Sixtus permitted and graunted vnto the whole family of the Cardinall of S. Lucy in the iij. hoate monethes of sommer Iune Iuly and August a horrible thing to be spoken free leaue and liberty to vse Sodomitry with this clause Fiat vt petitur That is be it as it is asked Next after this Sixtus came Innocentius the eight as rude and as farre from all learning as his predecessor was before him Amongest the noble factes of this Pope this was one that in the towne of Polus apud Aequicolos he caused 8. men and 6. women with the Lord of the place to be apprehended and taken and iudged for hereticks because they sayd that none of them was the vicare of Christ which came after Peter but they which folowed onely the pouerty of Christ. Also he condemned of heresy George the king of Boheme and depriued him of his dignity and also of his kingdome and procured his whole stocke to be vtterly reiected and put downe geuing his kyngdome to Mathias king of Panonia Now from the Popes to descend to other estates it remayneth likewise somewhat to write of the Emperours incident to this time with matters and greuaunces of the Germaynes as also of other princes first beginning with our troubles mutations here at home perteining to the ouerthrow of this King Henry and of his seate nowe following to be shewed And briefly to cōtract long proces of much tumult and busines into a short narration here is it to be remēbred which partly before was signified how after the death of the Duke of Glocester mischiefes came in by heapes vpon the king and his realm For after the geuing away of Angeow and Mayne to the Frenchmen by the vnfortunate mariage of Queen Margaret aboue mentioned the sayd frenchmen perceiuing now by the death of the duke of Glocester the stay and piller of this common wealth to be decayed and seing moreouer the harts of the nobility amōg themselues to be deuided foreslacked no time hauing such an open way into Normandy that in short time they recouered the same also gate Gascoigne so that no more now remayned to Englād of al the parts beyond the sea but onely Calice Neither yet did all the calamity
written in his boke intituled Rapularium where as hee wryteth that in the Councell of Basill An. 1536. the Archbyshop of Lions did declare that in the time of Pope Martine there came out of France to the court of Rome 9. millions of golde which was gathered of the Byshops and Prelates besides those whych could not be counted of the poore clergy which daily without number runne vnto the court of Rome carying with them all their whole substance The archbishop of Turonne sayde also at Basil in the yeare of our Lord 1439. that three millions of gold came vnto Rome in his time within the space of 14. yeres from the prelates prelacies wherof no accompt could be made beside the poore cleargy which daily run to that court Let the man which feareth God iudge what a deuouring gulf this is A million containeth x. C.M. And what made Pope Pius the 2. to labor so earnestly to Lewes the 11. the French Kinge who as is aforesayde was a great enemy to the house of Burgoin that he wold according to his former promise abolishe vtterly extinct the constitution established before at the Counsell of Bitures by king Charles the 7. his predecessour called Pragmatica Sanctio but onely the ambition of that sea which had no measure and their auarice which had no ende the storie is this King Charles 7. the French king willing to obey and folow the councel of Basil did sommon a Parliament at Bitures Where by the full consent of all the states in Fraunce both spiritual and temporal a certain constitution was decreed and published called Pragmatica Sanctio wherein was comprehended briefly the pith and effect of all the Canons and decrees cōcluded in the councel of Basil The which constitution the saide king Charles willed and commaunded through all his realme inuiolably to be obserued and ratified for the honor and increase of Christian religion for euer This was An. 1438. It followed that after the decease of thys foresayde Charles the 7. succeded king Lewys 11. who had promised before being Dolphine to Pope Pius that if he euer came to the crowne the foresayd Sanctio Pragmatica should be abolished Wherupon Pope Pius hearing him to be crowned did send vnto him Iohn Balueus a Cardinall wyth hys great letterg patent willing him to be mindful of hys promise made The king eyther willing or els pretending a will to performe and accomplish what he had promised directed the Popes letters patēt wyth the sayd Cardinal to the counsaile of Paris requiring them to consult vpon the cause Thus the matter beyng brought and proposed in the Parliament house the kings Atturney named Ioannes Romanus a man wel spoken singularly witted and wel reasoned stepping foorth with great eloquence and no les boldnes prooued the sayd Sanction to be profitable holy and necessary for the wealth of the realme and in no case to be abolished Unto whose sentence the Uniuersity of Paris adioyning their consent did appeal from the attempts of the Pope to the next generall Councell The Cardinall vnderstanding this toke no litle indignation thereat fretting and fuming and threatning many terrible things against them but al his minatory words notwithstanding he returned againe to the king hys purpose not obtained An. 1438. Ex Ioan. Mario Thus the Popes purpose in France was disappoynted which also in Germanie had come to the like effect if Fredericke the Emperor had there done his part lykewise toward the Germaines Who at the same time bewailing their miserable estate wēt about wyth humble sute to perswade the Emperor that he should no longer be vnder the subiection of the Popes of Rome except they had first obtained certaine things of them as touching the Charter of Appeales declaring their estate to be far worse although vndeserued then the Frenchmen or Italians whose seruants and especially of the Italians they are worthely to be called except that their estate were altered The nobles comminalty of Germanie did instantly intreate with most waighty reasons examples both for the vtilitie and profite of the Empire to haue the Emperours aide and helpe therin for that which he was bound vnto them by an oth alledging also the great dishonor ignominie in that they alone had not the vse of their owne lawes declaring how the French natiō had not made their sute vnto their king in vaine against the exactions of Popes by whom they were defended whych also prouided decrees and ordinances for the liberty of his people caused the same to be obserued the which thing the Emperor ought to foresee within hys Empire to prouide for hys people and states of his empire as well as other Kings doe For what shall come to passe therby if that forreine nations hauing recourse vnto their kings being relieued and defended by them from the said exactions and the Germains states of the Empyre flying vnto theyr Emperour be by him forsaken or rather betraied depriued of their owne lawes and decrees The Emperor being mooued partly ouercome by theyr perswasions promised that he wold prouide no lesse for them then the king of Fraunce had done for the Frenchmen and to make decrees in that behalfe but the graue authoritie of Aeneas Syluius as Platina wryteth in the history of Pius the second brake of the matter who by his subtile and pestiserous perswasions did so bewitche the Emperour that hee contemning the equall iust and necessary requestes of hys subiects chose the sayd Aeneas to be hys Ambassadour vnto Calixtus then newly chosen Pope to sweare vnto hym in his name to promise the absolute obedience of al Germany as the only coūtry as they call it of obedience neglecting the ordinances decrees of their country as before he had done vnto Eugenius the 4. being Ambassadour for the sayd Fredcrike promising that he all the Germaines would be obedient vnto him from hēceforth in al matters as well spirituall as temporall Thus twise Friderike of Austrich contemned and derided the Germaines frustrating them of their natiue decrees and ordinances brought them vnder subiection and bondage of the Pope whych partly was the cause that 7. yeres before his death he caused his sonne Maximiliā not only to be chosen but also crowned king of Romains and did associate hym to the ministration of the Empire least after hys death as it came to passe the Empire shoulde bee transported into an other family suspecting the Germains whom he had twise cōtrary to his lawes made subiect and in bondage vnto the Popes exactions first be fore he was crowned in the time of Eugenius the 4. and again the second time after hys coronation and death of Pope Nicholas the 5. denying their requests Wherupon Germany being in this miserable pouerty and greuous subiection vnder the Popes tiranny and polling with teares and sighs lamenting their estate continued so almost vnto Luthers time as the hystories
the Romayn Empyre so lesse he passed vpon the proud obedience of the Pope What Saynt Paule ment by this defection the reading of these Turkishe storyes and the miserable falling away of these Churches by him before planted will soone declare Another mistery there is in the Reâ—elations Apoc. 13. where the number of the beast is counted 666. Whereby may seeme by all euidences to be signified the first origene and springing of these beastly Saracens as by sequele hereof may appeare by the first rising of this deuilish sect of Mahumet Moreouer an other place there is cap. 16. Apoca. where we read that by powring out of the Phial of Gods wrath of the sixt Aungell the great floud Euphrates was dryed vp to let in the kinges of the East the openyng of which Prophecy may also more euidently appeare in coÌ„sidering the order and maner of the comming in of these Turks into Europe Some also apply to the Turkes certayne Prophecyes of Daniell Ezechiell and other places of the old TestameÌ„t moe which here I omit for so much as the Prophecyes of the old Testament if they be taken in their proper natiue sence after my iudgement do extend no further then to the death of our Sauior and the end of the Iewes kingdome Albeit herein I do not preiudicate to any mans opinioÌ„ but that euery man may abound in his owne sense As touching the yeare and time when this pestiferous sect of Mahumet first began histories do not fully consent Some affirming that it began an 621. and in the 10. yeare of Heraclius Emperour of Constantinople in whyche minde is Ioannes Lucidus As Munsterus counteth it was in the yeare of our Lord 622. Martin Luther Iohn Carion referreth it to the 18. yeare of the raigne of Heraclius which is the yere of our Lord 630. Unto the which nuÌ„ber the computation of the Beast signified in the Apocali doth not farre disagree whiche numbreth the name of the Beast with three Greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche Greeke letters after the supputation of the GreciaÌ„s make the number of 666. In this all writers agree that this damnable Mahumet was borne in the country of Arabia bordering on the East part of Iewry His father was a Syrian or a Persian his Mother was an Ismalite which Ismalites being a people of Arabia were called then Agarens which term Mahumet afterward turned to the name of Saracens Of this wretched Mahumete mention was made before pag. 124. where we shewed how he making himselfe the highest Prophet of all other yet denyeth not Christ to be an holy Prophet and next to him and Moses also to be an other Moreouer he denieth not Mary the mother of Christ to be a uirgin and to haue conceiued Christ by the holy ghost affirming further that Christ in his owne person was not crucified but another called Iudas for him He greatly coÌ„mendeth also Iohn the sonne of Zachary for a virgin wheÌ„ he himselfe permitteth a man to haue 4. wiues and as many concubines as he is able to finde sayth that where as Christ other Prophets had the gift geuen them to worke myracles he was sent by force of sword to compell men to his religioÌ„ The prodigious vanityes lyes blasphemies conteyned in his lawe called Alchoran are rather to be laught at then recited It is thought that Sergius a Nestorian was a great doer with MaÌ„humet in coÌ„triuing of this lying AlchoraÌ„ so it doth well appeare by the scope and pretence thereof which especially teÌ„deth to this end to take the diuinity froÌ„ the person of Christ whom he graunteth notwithstanding to be a most holy man also that he is receiued vp to God and shall come agayne to kill Antichrist c. Moreouer this ridiculous Alchoran is so blaunched poudered with so diuers mixtures of the Christians Iewes and the Gentiles lawes geuing suche liberty to all wantonnesse of flesh setting vp circumcision absteyning from swines flesh and Iudaicall lotions and so much standeth vpon Father Abraham that it is supposed of some this filthy AlchoraÌ„ not to be set out in the dayes of Mahumet but that certayne Iewes had some handling also in this matter and put it out after his death and so semeth first to take his force about the number of yeres limited in the Apocal. as is aforesayd where thus it is written He that hath intelligence let him count the number of the beast For it is the number of a man and his number is sixe hundred sixe score and sixe After this deuilish Mahumet had thus seduced the people teaching theÌ„ that he came not by miracles but by force of sword to geue his law that they which wil not obey it must either be put to death or els pay tribute for so be the wordes of the Alchoran and after that hee had gathered strength about him of the Arabians which Arabians theÌ„ had occasion to rebell agaynst the Emperor because theyr stipendes were not paid them of Heraclius the Emperors officers he began to raunge with force and violence in the partes of Syria bordering nere vnto him and first subdued Mecha then Damascus and further encreasing in power entred into Egypt and subdued the same From thence he turned his power agaynste the Persians with whome Cosroes the king of Parsia encountring with a puissaunt army ouerthrew the Saracens put Mahumet to fight Of these Persians came the Turkes which afterward ioining with the Saracens maynteyned them agaynst the Christians Ex Munster After the death of this beast which as some say was poisoned in his house succeeded Ebocara or Ebubecer his father in law or as Bibliander affirmeth his sonne in law who tooke vpon him the gouernmeÌ„t of the Saracens and gotte the Cittye Gaza and besieged also Hierusalem two yeares He raigned two yeares hauing for his chiefe City Damaicus After him folowed Omar or Ahumar who conquered a great part of Syria and got Egypt The 4. king of the Saracens after Mahumet was OdmeÌ„ then folowed Haly after him Muhanias which after the siege of 7. yeares obteined got the christian Citty of Cesaria also ouercame the Persians with theyr king Orunasda and subdued that country to his law Thus the wicked Saracens in the space of 30. yeares subdued Arabia got Palestina Phenicia Syria Egypt and Persia whiche came directly to the 666. yeares prophecied of in the Reuelations of S. Iohn as is aforesayd And not long after they proceded further and got Affrike and then Asia as in the processe of theyr story shal appeare the Lord willing Not long after Heraclius Emperor of Constantinople succeeded Constans his nephew who in the 13. yere of his Empyre fighting vnluckely agaynst the Saraceus in Licia was ouerthrown of Muhamas aforesayd in the yeare of our Lord 655. Which Constans if he were not prospered by the Lord in his warres it was no great
the yeare abouesaid 1375. Although touching the precise points of yeares and times it is not for vs greatly to be exquisite therein but yet where diligence and studious meditation may helpe to knowledge I would not wish negligence to be a pretence to ignorāce And thus much for the times of Antiochus and his felowes Now what cruelty this Antiochus exercised against the people of God it is manifest in the history of the Machabees where we reade that this Antiochus in the eight yeare of his reigne in his second comming to Hierusalem first gaue forth in commaundement that all the Iewes should relinquish the law of Moses and worship the Idole of Iupiter Olimpius which he set vp in the temple of Hierusalem The bookes of Moses and of the Prophetes he burned He set garrisons of souldiours to warde the Idole In the Citie of Hierusalem he caused the feastes and reuels of Bacchus to be kept full of all filthe and wickednes Olde men women and virgines such as woulde not leaue the lawe of Moses with cruell tormentes he murthered The mothers that would not circumcise theyr children he slue The children that were circumcised hee hanged vp by the neckes The temple he spoiled wasted The aultar of God and candlesticke of gold with the other ornaments and furniture of the temple partly he cast out partly be caried away Contrary to the lawe of God he caused them to offer and to eate Swines fleshe Great murther and slaughter he made of the people causing thē either to leaue their lawe or to lose their liues Among whome besides many other with cruell tormentes he put to death a godly mother with her vij sonnes sending hys cruell proclamations through all the land that whosoeuer kept the obseruauncies of the Sabboth and other rites of the lawe and refused to cōdescend to his abhominations should be executed By reason whereof the Citie of Hierusalem was left voide and desolate of all good mē but there was a great nūber that were contented to follow obey his Idolatrous proceedings and to flatter with the king became enemies vnto ther brethren Briefly no kind of calamity nor face of miserie could be shewed in any place which was not there sene Of the tiranny of this Antiochus it is historied at large in the book of Machabees And Daniell prophesieng before of the same declareth that the people of the Iewes deserued no lesse for their sins and transgressions By consent of all writers this Antiochus beareth a figure of the great Antichrist which was to folow in the latter end of the world and is already come worketh what he can agaynst vs Although as S. Iohn sayth there haue bene and be many Antichristes as parts and members of the body of Antichrist which are forerūners yet to speake of the head principall Antichrist great enemy of Christs Church he is to come in the latter end of the world at what tyme shall be such tribulation as neuer was sene before Whereby is ment no doubt the Turke prefigured by this Antiochus By this Antichrist I do also meane all such which followyng the same doctrine of the Turkes thinke to be saued by their workes and demerites not by their fayth onely in the sonne of God of what title and professiō els soeuer they be especially if they vse the like force violence for the same as he doth c. Of the tyranny of this Antiochus aforesayd and of the tribulations of the Church in the latter tymes both of the Iewes Church and also of the Christian Church to come let vs beare consider the words of Daniell in xj chap. also in his vij chap. Prophecying of y◠same as foloweth He shall returne and freat agaynst the holy couenaunt so shall he do he shall euen returne and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy couenaunt And armes shall stand on his part and they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength and shall take away the dayly sacrifice and they shall set vp the abhominable desolation And such as wickedly breake the couenaunt shall flatter with him deceitfully but the people that doe know their God shall preuayle and prosper And they that vnderstand among the people shall instruct many yet they shall fall by sword and by flame by captiuitie and by spoyle many dayes Now when they shall fall they shal be holpen with a little helpe but many shall cleane vnto them faynedly And some of them of vnderstandyng shall fall to be tryed and to be purged and to make them white till the tyme be out for there is a tyme appointed And the kyng shall doe what him lyst he shall exalte himselfe and magnifie himselfe agaynst all that is God and shall speake marueilous thynges agaynst the God of Gods and shall prospere till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Neither shall he regard the God of his Fathers nor the desires of womē nor care for any God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all But in his place shall he honour the God Mauzzim and the God whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold and with siluer and with precious stones and pleasaunt thynges Thus shall he doe in the holdes of Mauzzim with a straunge God whom he shall acknowledge he shall increase his glory and shall cause them to rule ouer many and shall diuide the land for gayne And at the end of tyme shall the kyng of the South push at him and the kyng of the North shall come agaynst hym lyke a whirle wynde with charets and with horsemen and with many shyppes and he shall enter into the countreys and shall ouerflow and passe thorough He shall enter also into the pleasaunt land and many countreys shal be ouerthrowen but these shall escape out of his hand euen Edom and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon He shall stretch for his handes also vppon the countreys and the land of Egypt shall not escape But he shal haue power ouer the treasures of gold and of siluer ouer al the precious thynges of Egypt and of the Libians and of the blacke Mores where he shall passe But the tydynges out of the East and the North shall trouble him therfore he shall go forth with great wrath to destroy and roote out many And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace betweene the Seas in the glorious holy mountaine yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him To this place of Daniell aboue prefixed might also be added the Prophesie of the said Daniell written in the vij chapter and much tending to the like effect where he intreating of his vision of foure beastes whiche signifie the foure Monarchies and speaking now of the fourth Monarchie hath these words After this I saw in the visions by night and behold the fourth beast was grimme and horrible and maruelous strong It had great yron
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
Mon. defended Ex proaemio adlestorem Obiection for Martyrs in the Calendare Aunswere Vntruth noted in Ala Copus Copus pag. 130. lin 18. 〈◊〉 dict 〈…〉 li. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Copus pag 861. lin penultimâ— Copus almost called Capus The papistes would thrust downe Gods true saints out of heueÌ„ to hel Beckets bloud set vp to the iniury of Christes bloud Papistes deuout to set vp Christâ— crosse in earthâ— but enemies to Christes crosse in heauen A double vntruth in Copus Copus Momus Copus pag. 820. Vntruth in Cope Copus pag. 810. lin 25. Copus pag. 819. lin 7. Dâ—uble abhomination in the popes Calendare The great Saint maker of Rome and who be his Saintes The great God-maker of Rome No cause why the popes newe saints shuld be put in the Calendare Tho. Becket Aldelmus Anselmus Dunstanus S. Elizabeth The canonisation of S. Gilbert of Sempringham Ex lib. de â—ita S. Gilberti Confessorâ—s The Popes letter the Archb. for the canonisinâ— of saint Gilbert Iâ— this good doctrine M. Cope in the Popes canonisation The blasphemous collect of the Popes making for S. Gilbert Copus pag. 119. lin 7. Cope counsailed to cease hys rayling No good commeth of rayling The zeale of M. Cope â—â—pended The name of Martyrs in the Calendare defended What is a Martyr Holy saintes of Christ. Martyrs in the CaleÌ„dar colou red with red The painter coloureth with redde The pope coloureth with bloud The authour cleareth himselfe of lyes and vntruthes laid against him The lies and fâ—ctions innumerable in the Popes Church Vntruthe in the popishe epistle decretall Wntruth in the popishe Lyturgies Vntruth in bookes counterâ—aite Gregories Dialogues Sermo ad ConuentuÌ„ SaÌ„ctoruÌ„ in fine Eusebii made by ConstaÌ„tine the Emperour Vntruth in the Popes doctrine Vntruth in the popes Legendes and Masâ—e bookes Vntruth in the popes miracles and reliques Vntruth in the popes SacrameÌ„ts A maister lie 3. Pointes 1. Obiection Cope cauilleth without cause Stat. an 1. Hen. 5. cap. 7 2. Obiection Copuâ— pag. 835. lin 6 Obiection The secte of Wickliffe made hereâ—ie and treason by K. HeÌ„ry 5 Polyd. Virg. lib. 22. Tho. Waldâ— in tomo primo Doctrinali ad Mart. papâ— in prologo WaldeÌ„ tomo 1. De doctriâ—ali ecclesia cap. 46. lib. 2 Either Walden writeth true or els the pope erâ—eth Rog. Wallus lib. de gestis HeÌ„ 5 fol. 10. Kâ—llen the 5 called Princeps Sacerdotum Reg. Walllâ—â— ibid. Copus pag. â—35 lin 8. Obiection Aunswere Stat. an 2. HeÌ„ 5. cap. 7 Vid. stat an 13. Iden 4. cap. 7. Vid. stat an 15. Rich. 2. cap. 2. Vid. stat an 5. Rich. 2. cap. Vip stat an 2. Hen. 4. cap 1â—â— Vid. stat an 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. 3. Obiection Aunswere Reading of Scripture bookâ— contrary to the Romishe faith made heresie Statut an 2. Hen. 4. cap. 14. Vide supta pag. 507. The text of Scripture not to be translated to the vulgare tounge vnder paine of heresie Const. prouinc Tho. Arund Vide supra pag. 506. Children of EmershaÌ„ caused to set fagots to their fathers Copus pag. 833. lin 20. Copus pag. 83â— lin 13. Statutè of the 6. articles in the time of K. Henry 8. Statut. an 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. Statut. de comburendo an 2. Hen. 4. ca. 15. Vide supra pag. 507. Statut. an 2. Henr. 4. de comburendo proued not sufficient to burne any man The printed statutâ— an 2. Hen. 4. cap. 15. falsely corrupted Ex constitutionibus prouincialibus oxonia celebratis Ioan. Antho. Vid Stat. an 5. Ric. 2. cap. 5 Ex Rotul Parliam The persecutors in burning Gods people haue done against the lawe A necessary admonition to the Commons of England Proposition disiuncâ—iue Lib. Act. Monu 174. Sir Roger Acton contrary to the Bish. of Rome Causes coniecturall why Sir Roger Acton with the rest were put to death for traytours Lollardes Anno. 1414. Diuersitie in aâ—thors An english story beginning thus A table of all the kinges M. Cope gone to Rome The death of Thomas ArunArchb of Cant. Ex hist. S. Alba. Gods workes punishmentes to be noted Tho. Gascohius in Dictionario theologico An example of Gods working hand against the enemies of his word The maruelous hand of God vp on Tho. AruÌ„dell Archb of Cant. It is in vaine to gainstand Gods word Hen. Chichesly Archb. of Cant. Sion BethleeÌ„ builded Vide supra pag. 557. FabiaÌ„ with other A crafty practise of the prelates The king stirred vp to warres by the bishops Vide supra pag. 507 The Bohemians receiuing the Gospell The pope against the BohemiaÌ„s Iohn Hus cited of the Pope Iohn Husse appealeth from the pope to the Pope Pope Iohn 23. Iohn Hus accused to pope Iohn Iohn Hus excoÌ„municate by Cardinall de Collumna â— The Boheâ—â—â—ns aâ—â—â—â—st the Pope his â—â—ings Ex Cochleo 〈…〉 â—usâ—â— lib. 1 Doubtes â—ohn Hus â—â—â—pounded â—â—â—dere in â—â—â—n â—â—edere â—â—o â—â—â—dere 〈◊〉 â—â— Lomb. 〈◊〉 dist â— cap. 11. Against Aâ—â—rice confeâ—sion Councell of the prelates of Prage against the Gospellers Purum bonum Purum malum Medium The Pope maketh warre Iohn Maâ—tine Staâ—con Martyrs Steuen Paletz a great enemy to Iohn Hus. I. Husse banished out of Prage 26. q. 1. Hâ—â— est fides Austen called Pope Pope Ioane aâ— woman Simonie Luxurie Aâ—â—â—ice three causes of dissention in â—he clergie As Charles may be king of Fraunce So also we graunt the pope may be Bish. of Italy and so it is a good consequent He may so be if God had so appointed him but where doth he so appoint Ex Cochleo in hâ—st Husâ—â—t Catholique that is vniuersal If ye go to humaine policie who euer â—awe any priuate case of Englande brought to the Emperours court to be decided If ye goe to Gods policy then shew gods word for it The promise of Christ doctourly applyed O deepe diuinitie of these doctours Vide Eneam Siluâ— Cocleum De Hist. Hussit lib. 1. The priestes of Boheme desplayed and taxed for their yll life The popish doctours and priests ouerthrowen in their owne reason Steuen Paletz Andr. Broda write against Iohn Hus. The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus The story of an Owle appearing at the councell of pope Iohn Ex Nich. Clemangis The councell of CoÌ„â—tance Three popes â—â—â—ether â—â—â—ing for â—â—e Pope-â—ome The prelats assembled in â—â—is councel were numbâ—ed together with their deputies 1940. Philip and Cheyney c. Gregorius in Episâ—olae â—â—aâ—am Duke Fredericke of Austrich proclamed traytor Pope Iohn taken and cast iâ— prison Marke the good qualities of pope Iohn A writing set vp how the holy Ghost had no leysure to come to the councell of Constance The woâ—thy answere of the Emperour touching the order of reformation Note by this example the authoritie of councels preferred before the Pope Anno. 1415. Commissioners appointed to heare I. Hus. Citation grauÌ„ted against Ierome of Prage Sentence geuen for the burning of Wickliffe bones 11. 12. The people of Christ excommunicated from the communion
maintained any doctrine against the Churche of Rome but onely spake against their naughtie lyfe Hierome did put them to silence Hierome in prison 340. dayes The excellent memory in M. Hierome M. Hierome brought agayne before the couÌ„cell M. Hierom holdâ—th all the articles of the Catholicke Church The eloquence of M. Hierome The prophesie of M. Hierome A paper with redde deuilles put vpon the head of M. Hierome by deuelishe papistes M. Hierome committed to the secular power M. Hierome went singing vnto his martirdome M. Hierome praieth M. Hierome â—â—â— to an Image like to Iohn Hus. M. Hierome â—â—geth at â—â— burning The wordes of Hierome to the people M. Hierome geueth testimony of Iohn Hus. The last wordes of M. Hierome The crueltie of his death The ashes of M. Hierome cast into the riuer of Rheine The witnes of the writer The truth of this storie Math. 7. Rom. 13. The cause of I. Hus cleared by the testimony of the nobles of Bohemia All that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3. Defence of M. Hierome of Prage He meaneth the longe schisme spoken of before where three popes were striuing one against an other * A quadrant being foure square prouerbially signifieth a man that is constant and immutable Rom. 12. Iohn 8. Deut. 38. Psal. 30. These noble men offered their obedience to the Pope no further then was lawful honest and agreeable to reason and the lawe of God Marke this and learne you noble men Vid supra pag. 588. Henry Chichesley Archb. of Cant. The historie of I. ClaidoÌ„â—â—nner of London of Robert Turming Baker Ex regist Cant. I. Claidon â—â—amined I. Claydon â—â—st imprisoned by R. Braybroke Bishop of London 1. Claidon before abiuâ—ed Englishe bookes The iudgement of the Maior of London Claidon bestowed much money vpon Englishe bookes Iohn Claydon could not read Richard Turming Baker This Turming belike was then in prison William Lindewood doctor of both lawes An Englishe booke intituled The Lanterne of light The head taile of Antichrist This is true speaking of the inuisible Church Two causes of persecution noted Foure conditioÌ„s in geuing almes That bread remaineth in the Sacrament The bookes of I. Claidon burned The sentence condemnation of Iohn ClaidoÌ„ Iohn Claidon coÌ„mitted to the secular power The law de comburendo insufficient The death and martirdome of Iohn Claidon I. Claidon Richard Turming martus Anno 1416. Ex Regist. Chichesley 217. You should be better occupied to shake of the duste from your duâ—y pulpets Twise euery yeare to enquire for Lollardes Against priuie conuenticles To differ froÌ„ the common sort in life and maners against the popes lawe Against Englishe bookes The trouble of I. Barton and Robert Chapell in cause of religion This Philip seemeth to be Philippe Repington afore mentioned in the story of Wicklieffe R. Chapell â—â—â—ureth Articles obtruded to R. Chapel to confesse Marke well this catholicke doctrine of the Popes Church concerning remission of sinnes Marke how this doctrine ioyneth with Gods coÌ„maundement with his word Ergo by this doctrine the iust man liueth not by his faith but by his confession auricular How can these priestes be seruantes of Christ which be makers of Christ. Priuate religioÌ„s profitable if ye could tell wherfore Straight inquisition in EnglaÌ„d Christ had the hartes of men they had their bodies A briefe summe of such as abiured vnder Hen. Chichesley I. Tailour W. Iames. I. Dweiffe Iohn Iourdelay I. Iourdelay abiureth Rob. person of Heggeley examined W. Henry of Tenterdon examined A booke of the new laW I. Galle R. Monke Bart. Coâ—moÌ„ger N. Hoper Tho. Granter troubled for their doctrine A subsidie geâ—thered by the pope to fight against the faithfull of Bohemia Romishe sleightes to get the Englishe money Articles obiected against Rafe Mungin Trialogus The Gospells translated by Iohn Wickliffe Radulph Mungin condeÌ„ned to perpetual prisoÌ„ Tho. Granter Richard Monke The recantation of Tho. Granter Note the doctrine opinions in those daies where the Gospell tooke place One head that is the vnitie of the Church Men tied to the Church of Rome The affliction and trouble in Kent vnder Chichesley Persons persecuted in Keâ—t The seconde apprehensioÌ„ of the Lord Cobham The Lord Powes plaieth Iudas Treason falsly surmised Vide supra pag. 575. Iudas feeleth for his reward An. 5. Henr. 5 act 17. An. 5. HeÌ„nr 5. act 17. All the blame laide to the Lollardes Articles decreed in the Councell of Constance agoinst the Bohemians The fauores of I. Hus in Boheme This suffragane was a good man and helde with Iohn Hus. Wicklieffes bookes translated by I. Hus and Iacobellus into the BohemiaÌ„ speach Concilium malignantium Deposing of Pope Iohn 23. Ex hist Albani The election of Pope Martine The Emperour kisseth the popes feete Pope Martind The coronation of pope Martine Meretrix câ— quitans super bessiam Apocalip The pope 〈◊〉 horseâ—acke the Emperour â—â— foote Why then doth the â—apekâ—epe â—â—â—l the olde Iewes ceremonies if all thinges be made new Anno. 14â—7 A yearely memoriall of Iohn Hus Hierome â—â—pt among 〈◊〉 Bohemiaâ—ns K. Wenceslaus threatneth Nicholas The death of King Wenceslaus The maruelous worke of Gods iudgemeÌ„t to be noted in defending his people Out of Ene as Siluius Zischa getteth Pelzina The queene sendeth for Sigismund the Empeerour The Emperours Ambassadours agree with the citizeÌ„s of Prage The citie of Prage fell from the Emperour The complainte of the citie of Prage against Sigismund The policie of Zisca The citie of Thabor builded Siâ—â—smund get 〈◊〉 the castle â—â— Prage Zisca getteth the citie of Prage Prage besieged of Sigismund The Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmish Sigismund the Emperour rayseth his siege The Emperour fighting against Zisca had the ouerthrow The Abbeis of Pelsina subuerted Zisca putteth the Emperour to flight Zisca loseth hys other eye in battel Zisca albeit he lost his eyes yet would not forsake his army Zisca taketh diuers townes The Saxons retyre The Emperour with his power entreth againe into Boheme The Emperour afrayde of Zisca flyeth The powch of Antichrist A noble victory of Zisca Zisca destroyeth images and idols in Churches Ioanes Premostratensis The martirdome of certane godly Bohemians falsely circuÌ„uented and killed with sword Priuie murther at length commeth out Stench very â—â—rtfull for 〈◊〉 teeth An other warlike pollicy of Zischa Straetagema Procopius Magnus The valiant courage of Procopius The victorie of the protestantes The battaile betweene the citie of Prage Zisca The noble victory of Zisca Zisca besiegeth Prage A notable oration of Zisca to his souldiours The hartes of the souldiours altered by the oratioÌ„ of Zisca Peace betweene Zisca and Prage by the meanes of Iohn de Rochezana The Emperour glad to be recoÌ„ciled with Zisca The death of Zisca The wordes of Zisca at his death The Epitaphe of Zisca Zisca eleuen times victor in thâ—â—â—â—elde Pope Martins bloudy bull to all Byshops and Archbishops All these errours and heresies be for that they
their iustice vpon him Certes it had bene the safest way for the king as it proued after who had iust matter inough if he had prosecuted his cause agaynst him And also thereby hys death had bene without all suspicion of martirdome neyther had their followed this shrining and fainting of him as there did Albeit the secret prouidence of God whiche gouerneth all thinges did see this way percase to be best and most necessary for those dayes And doubtles to say here what I thinke and yet to speak nothing agayne charitie if the Emperours had done the like to the Popes contending agaynst them what tyme they had cooke them prisoners that is if they had vsed the lawe of the sword against them and chopped off the heads of one or two according to their trayterous rebellion they had broken the necke of much disturbaunce whiche long tyme after did trouble the Churche But for lacke of that because Emperours hauing the sword and the trueth on their side woulde not vse their sworde but standing in awe of the Popes vayne curse and reuerencing his seat for Saint Peters sake durst not lay hand vppon hym though he were neuer so abhominable and trayterous a maletactour The Popes perceauing that tooke so much vpon them not as the scripture would geue but as much as the superstitious feare of Emperors and kings woulde suffer them to take which was so much that it past all order rule and measure And all because the superior powers eyther would not or durst not practise the authoritie geuen to them of the Lord vpon those inferiours but suffered them to be their maisters But as touching Thomas Becket what soeuer is to be thought of them that did the acte the example therof yet bringeth this profite with it to teach all Romish Prelates not to be so stubborne in such matters not peâ—tayning to them against their Prince vnto whom God hath subiected them Now to the story which if it be true that is set forth in Quadrilogo by those source who tooke vpon theÌ„ to expresse the life and processe of Thomas Becket it appeareth by al coniectures that he was a man of a stout nature seuere inflexible What perswasion or opinion he had once coÌ„ceaued from that he would in no wise be remoued or very hardly Threatnings flatterings were to him both one In this poynt singuler following no mans counsayle so much as hys own Great helpes of nature were in him if he could haue vsed them well rather then of learning Albe it somewhat skilful he was of the ciuile law which he studied at Bonomie In memory excellent good and also wel broken in courtly and worldly matters Besides this he was of a chaste and straite lyfe if the historyes be true Although in the first part of hys life being yet Archdeacon of Canterbury and after Lord Chauncellor he was very euill courtlike pleasaunt geuen much both to hunting hauking according to the guise of the court And highly fauored he was of his prince who not only had thus promoted him but also had committed hys sonne heyre to hys institution and gouernaunce But in this his first beginning he was not so wel beloued but afterwarde hee was again as much hated deseruedly both of the king and also of the most part of his subiects saue onely of certayne Monkeâ—â— and priestes and suche other as were perswaded by theÌ„ who magnified him not a little for vpholding the liberties of the church that is the licentious life and excesse of Churchmen Amongest all other these vices he had most notable to be rebuked Full of deuotion but wythout all true Religion Zelous but cleane without knowledge And therfore as he was stiffe and stubborn of nature so a blinde conscience being ioyned wtall it turned to playne rebellion So superstitious he was to the obedience of the pope that he forgot his obedience to hys naturall and most beneficiall king And in mayntayning so coÌ„tentiously the vayne constitutions and decrees of men be neglected the commandementes of God But herein most of all to be reprehended that not onely contrary the kings knowledge he sought to conuey himselfe out of the realme being in that place and calling but also being out of the realme set matter of discord betweene the Pope hys K. and also betwene the French king and him contrary to al honesty good order naturall subiection and true christianitie Wherupon folowed no little disquietnesse after both to the king and damage of the realme as here in processe and in order following by the grace of Christ we will declare First beginning with the first rising vp of hym so consequently to prosocute in order hys storye as followeth And first here to omitte the progenie of him and of his mother named Rose whom Polyd. Virgilius fasly nameth to be a Saracen when in deede she came out of the partes bordering neer to Normandy To omit also the fabulous vision of his mother mentioned in Rob. Crikeladensis of a burning torche issuing out of her body and reaching vp to heauen his first preferment was to the Church of Branfield which he had by the gift of S. Albous After that he cutred in the seruice of the Archb. of Cant. by whoÌ„ he was then preferred to be his Archdeacon And after by the sayd Theobald was put as a maÌ„ most metest for his purpose to K. Hen. to bridle the young K. the he should not be fierce agaynst the clergy whom in processe of time the K. made lord Chauncellor and then he left playing the archdeacon and began to play the Chauncellor He facioned his conditions like to the kinges both in waighty matters trifles He would hunt with him and watch the tyme when the Kyng dyned and and slept Furthermore hee began to loue the mery gessinges of the court to delight himselfe in the great land of meÌ„ prayse of the people And the I may passe ouer hys houshold stuffe he had his bridle of siluer the bosses of his bridle were worth a great treasure At his table and other expences he passed any earle That on the one side men would iudge him little to consider the office of an Archdeacon and on the other side would iudge hym to vse wicked doyngs He played also the good souldiour vnder the K. in Gascon and both wan and kept townes When the K. sent Thomas being Chancellor home into EnglaÌ„d ambassador with other nobles after the death of the Archb. he willed Rich. Luci one of the chiefest to commend in his name this Thomas to the couent of CaÌ„terbury that they might chose him archbish Which thing he did diligeÌ„tly The monks sayd it was not meet to chuse a courtier and a souldior to be head of so holy a company for he would spend sayd they all that they had Other had this surmise also because he was in so great fauour with the prince the kinges sonne