partly also by a common couÌ„cell and consent of the spiritual and seculer persons Then shall iustice florish so that in those dayes men shall honestly apply themselues to the ancient customes and dicipline of auncient men and shall obserue them as the auncient men did The glose agreeth c. These things thus premised now will we come to the prophecâ—e or the foresaid Hildegard concerning the foresaid begging Friers aboue metioned reciting her words not only as they are printed in a book printed of late in Germany but also as my selfe haue seene and read agreeing to the same booke word for worde and yet haue the same to shew written in old partchment leaues in such sort as the thing it selfe most euidently declareth a great iniquitie of tyme. The wordes of her prophecie be these In those dayes shal rise a senceles people proud greedy without fayth subtile the which shall eare the sinnes or the people holding a certayne order of foolish deuotion vnder the tayned cloke of beggery preferring themselues aboue all other by their fayned deuotion arrogant in vnderstanding and pretending holines walking without shamefastnes or the feare of God in inuenting many new mischiefes strong and stout But this order shall be accursed of all wyse men and faythfull Christians they shall cease from all labour and geue themselues ouer vnto idlenes chusing rather to liue through flattery and begging Moreouer they shall together study how they may perâ—erâ—y resist the teachers of the truth stay them together to the noble men How to seduce and deceiue the noâ—ilitie for the necessitie of their liuing and plesures of this world for the deuill will graft in them foure principall vices that is to say flattery enuy hipocrisie and â—launder Flattery that they may haue large giftes geuen them Enuy when they see giftes geuen vnto other and not vnto them Hypocrisie that by false dissimulation they may please men Detraction that they may extoll and commend themselues and bacbite others for the prayse of men and seducing of the simple Also they shall instantly preache but without deuotion or example of the Martyrs and shall â—etracte the secular Princes taking awaye the Sacramentes of the Church from the true pastors receauing almes of the poore diseased and miserable and also associating themselues with the common people hauing familiaritie with women instructing them how they shall deceiue their husbandes and friendes by their flattery and deceitfull wordes and to robb their husbandes to geue it vnto them for they will take all these stolne and euill gotten goodes and say geue it vnto vs and we will pray for you so that they being curious to hide other mens faults do vtterly forget their owne And alas they will receaue all thinges of rouers pickers spoylers theeues and robbers of sacrilegious persons vsurers adulterers heretickes schismatickes apostataes whores and baudes of noble men periurers marchantes false iudges souldiors tyrauntes Princes of such as liue contrary to the lawe of many peruerse and wicked men following the perswasion of the deuill the sweetenes of sinne a delicate transitory life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation All these thinges shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people and they day by day shall waxe more wicked hard harted and wheÌ„ as their wickednes deceits shal be found out then shall their giftes cease then shal they goe about their houses hungry as mad dogges looking down vpoÌ„ the earth drawing in their neckes as doues that they might be satisfied with bread then shall the people cry out vpon them Wo be vnto you ye miserable children of sorrowe the world hath seduced you and the deuill hath bridled your mouthes your fleshe is frayle and your hartes without fauour your mindes haue bene vnstedfast and your eyes delited in much vanitie folly your dainty bellies desire dellicate meates your feet are swift to runne vnto mischiefe Remember when you were apparantly blessed yet enuious poore in sight but rich simple to see to but mighty flatterers vnfaythfull betrayers peruerse detracters holy hipocrites subuerters of the truth ouermuch vpright proud vnshamefast vnstedfast teachers delicate martyrs confessors for gayne meeke but slaunderers religious but couetous humble but proud pitifull but hard harted lyers pleasaunt flatterers peacemakers persecuters oppressors of the poore bringing in new sectes newly inuented of your selues mercifull thought but found wicked louers of the world sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices vnprofitable orators seditious conspirators dronkardes desirers of honours maintainers of mischiefe robbers of the worlde vnsatiable preachers men pleasers seducers of women and sowers of discord of whom Moyses the glorious prophet spake very wel in his song A people without counsell or vnderstanding would to God they did know and vnderstand and foresee the end You haue builded vp on high and wheÌ„ you could ascend no higher then did you fall euen as Simon Magus whome God ouerthrew and did strike with a cruell plague so you likewise through your false doctrin naughtines lyes detractions wickednes are come to ruine And the people shall say vnto them goe ye teachers of wickednes subuerters of truth brethreÌ„ of the Sunamite fathers of heresies false Apostles which haue fayned your selues to follow the lyfe of the Apostles and yet haue not fulfilled it in part ye sonnes of iniquity we will not folow the knowledge of your wayes for pride and presumption hath deceiued you and insatiable concupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hartes And when as you would ascend higher then was meete or comely for you by the iust iudgement of God you are fallen backe into perpetuall opprobry and shame This Hildegardis whose prophecie we haue mentioned lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 1146. as was read in Chronico Martini About the same tyme that these Franciscans and Dominicke Friars began which are aboue mentioned spraÌ„g vp also the crossebearers or crouched Friers taking their originall occasion or Innocent the third which Innocent raysed vp an army signed with a Crosse on their 〈◊〉 to fight agaynst the Albingenses whom the pope and his sect accompted for heretickes about the partes of Tholouse What these Albingenses were it cannot be well gathered by the olde popish historyes For if there were any that did hold teach or mayntayne agaynst the Pope or his papal pride or withstand gainsay his beggarly traditioÌ„s â—â—es and religions c. the historicians of that time for the most part in writing them do so repraue and misreporte them suppressing the truth of their articles that they make theÌ„ and paynt them forth to be worse then Turkes and Infidels And that as I suppose caused Mathew Parisiensis and other of that sort to write so of theÌ„ as they did Otherwise it is to be thought and so I finde in some recoâ—eâ—â— that the opinions of the said Albingenses were sound inough holding and professing nothing els but only agaynst the waÌ„ton wealth pride
the simple Also they shall instantly preache wythout deuotion or example of the Martyrs and shall detract the seculer princes taking away the sacraments of the church from the true pastors receiuing almes of the poore diseased and miserable and also associating them selues with the common people hauing familiaritie with women instructing them howe they shall deceiue their husbandes and friendes by their flatterye and deceitfull wordes and rob their husbandes to geue it vnto them for they will take all these stollen and euill gotten and say geue it vnto vs and we will pray for you so that they beyng curious to hide other mens faultes doe vtterly forget their owne and alas they will receiue all thinges of rouers pickers spoylers theeues and robbers of sacrilegious persons vserers adulterers Heretikes Schismatikes Apostataies whores and baudes of noble men periurers merchantes false iudges souldiours tyrantes princes of such as liue contrary to the law and of many peruers and wicked men following the persuasion of the deuil the sweetnes of sinne a delicate and transitory life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation All these things shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people and they day by day shal waxe more wicked and hard hearted whē as their wickednes and disceits shal be found out then shall theyr gifts cease and then shal they go about their houses hungry as mad dogs loking down vpon the earth drawing in their necks as doues that they might bee satisfied with bread then shall the people crye out vpon them Woe be vnto you ye miserable children of sorow the worlde hath seduced you the deuil hath brideled your mouthes your flesh is frayle and your heartes without sauour your mindes haue bene vnstedfast and your eyes delighted in much vanitie and folly your daintie bellies desire delicate meates Your feete swift to runne vnto mischief remember when you were apparantly blessed yet enuious poore but rich simple mightie deuout flatterers vnfaithfull betrayers peruerse detracters holy hipocrites subuerters of the truth ouermuch vpright proude vnshamefast vnstedfast teachers delicate marters confessours for gaine meeke slaunderers religious couetous humble proud pitifull hard harted liers pleasant flatterers peace makers persecutors oppressors of the poore bringing in new sects newly inuented of your selues mercifull wicked louers of the world sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices vnprofitable orators sedicious cōspirators dronkards desirers of honor maintainers of mischiefe robbers of the worlde vnsaciable preachers men pleasers seducers of women and sowers of discorde for Moyses the glorious prophet spake very well of you in his song A people without coūcel or vnderstanding would to God they did know vnderstand and foresee the end You haue builded vp an high and when you could ascend no hier then did you fall euen as Symon Magus whom God ouerthrew and did strike with a cruel plage so you likewise thorowe your false doctrine naughtines lies detractions and wickednes are come to ruine and the people shall say vnto them goe yee teachers of wickednesse subuerters of the truth brethren of the Sunamitie fathers of heresies false apostles which haue fained your selues to followe the life of the Apostles and yet haue not fulfilled it in no part sonnes of iniquitie we wil not follow the knowledge of your waies for pride presumption hath deceiued you and insaciable cōcupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hearts And whē as yet would ascēd hier thē was mete or comely for you by the iust iudgement of God you are fallen backe into perpetual opprobry and shame Thys blessed Hildegardis whose prophecy this is flourished about the yeare of our Lord a 1546. as it is wrytten in Martins chronicles Also Hugo in his second boke of sacraments in the 2. parte 3. chapter and 7. sayth the laity forsomuch as they entermedle wyth earthly matters necessary vnto an earthly life they are the least part of the body of Christ. And the clergy for so much as they doe dispose those things which pertaine vnto a spirituall life are as it were the right side of the body of Christ and afterward interpreting both these partes him selfe he sayeth A spirituall man ought to haue nothing but such as pertaineth vnto God vnto whom it is appoynted to be sustained by the tithes and oblations whych are offered vnto God But vnto the Christian and faithfull laietie the possession of the earth is graunted and vnto the cleargie the hole charge of spiritual matters is committed as it was in the old Testament And in his 7. chapter he declareth howe that certaine things are geuen vnto the Church of Christ by the deuotion of the faithfull the power and authority of the seculer power reserued least there might happen any confusion For so much as God him selfe cannot alow no disordered thing Wherupon oftētimes the worldly princes do graunt the bare vse of the church and oftentimes vse and power to exercise iustice which the clergy cannot exercise by any Ecclesiasticall minister or any one person of the clergy Notwithstāding they may haue certain lay persōs ministers vnto that office But in such sort sayeth he that they do acknowledge the power which they haue to come from the seculer prince or ruler and that they do vnderstand their possessions can neuer be alternate away from the kings power but if that necessity or reason doe require the same possessions in all such case of necessity do owe him obeisance and seruice For like as the kings power ought not to turne away the defence or sauegarde which he oweth vnto other so likewise the possessions obtained and possessed by the clergy according to the duty and homage which is due vnto the patronage of the kings power cannot by right be denied Thus much wryteth Hugo In the third acte the same yeare after the feast of S. Vitis as touching Tithes c. ¶ Tithes are pure almes VPon this article it is to be noted that for so much as almes is a worke of mercy as S. Augustine Chrysostome and others do ioyntly affirme and that mercy according to Lincolniensis minde for the present is a loue or desire to helpe the miserable out of his misery and for so much as the misery of mankinde is double that is to say spirituall and bodily the whiche is the want or taking away of the good and the goodes of man is eyther the goodes of the soule or of the body And the goods of the soule is double That is to say the lighting of the minde the vprightnes of affection the misery of the soule is also double as the darcknes of ignorance and a froward and wilfull sweruing from the truth And both the goodes of the soule are wont to be comprehended vnder one title of name that is to say wisdom and both the miseries of the soule vnder the name of follie Wherupon all the hole goodnes of the soule is wisdom and all the hole misery thereof is ignoraunce the miseries of the
Parris anno 1260. Petrus Ioannis a Minorite who was burned after hys death anno 1290. Robertus Gallas a Dominicke Frier anno 1291. Robert Grosthead Byshoppe of Lincolne which was called Malleus Romanorum anno 1250. Lord Peter de Cugnerijs anno 1329. To these we may adde more our Gulielmus Ockam Bongratius Bergomensis Luitpoldus Andraeas Laudensis Vlricus Hangenor Treasurer to the Emperour Ioannes de Ganduno anno 1330. mentioned in the Extrauagantes Andraeas de Castro Buridianus Euda Duke of Burgundy who counselled the french king not to receiue the new found constitutions and extrauagantes of the Pope into his realme Dante 's Alligerius an Italian who wrote agaynst the Pope Monkes and Fryers and agaynst the donation of Constantine anno 1330. Taulerus a Germayne preacher Conradus Hager imprisoned for preaching agaynst the Masse an 1339. The author of the booke called Poenitentiarius Asini compiled about the yeare 1343. Michael Cesenas a gray Fryer Petrus de Corbaria with Ioannes de Poliaco mentioned in the Extrauantes and condemned by the Pope Ioannes de Castilione with Franciscus de Arcatara who were burned about the yeare of our Lord. 1322. Ioannas Rochtaylada otherwise called Haybalus with an other Frier martyred about the yeare 1346. Franciscus Petrarcha who called Rome the whore of Babilon c. an 1350. Georgius Ariminensis an 1350 Ioannes de Rupe Scissa emprisoned for certayne prophesies against the Pope an 1340. Gerhardus Ridder who also wrote against Monks and Friers a book called Lacryma Ecclesiae an 1350. Godfridus de Fontanis Gulielmus de Landuno Ioannes Monachus Cardini Armachanus Nicholaus Orem preacher an 1364. Militzius a Bohemian which then preached that Antichrist was come and was excommunicate for the same an 1366. Iacobus Misnensis Mathias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne and a writer against the Pope an 1370. Ioannes Mountziger Rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme anno 1384. Nilus Arch. of Thessalonica Henricus de â—ota Henricus de Hassia c. I do but recite the principall writers and preachers in those dayes Howe many thousandes there were which neuer bowed their knees to Baall that is knowne to God alone Of whome wee finde in the writings of one Brushius that xxxvi Citizens of Maguntia were burned an 1390. Who following the doctrine of the Waldenses affirmed the Pope to be the great Antichrist Also Massaeus recordeth of one hundred and fourty which in the prouince of Narbon were put to the fire for not receiuing the decretalles of Rome besides them that suffered at Paris to the number of xxiiij at one time anno 1210. and the next yeare after were foure hundred brent vnder the names of Heretiques Besides also a certayne good Heremite an Englishman of whome mention is made in Iohn Bacon Dist. 2. Quest. 1. who was committed for disputing in Paules Church agaynst certaine Sacramentes of the Church of Rome an 1306. To discend now somewhat lower in drawing out the discent of the Churche What a multitude here commeth of faythfull witnesses in the time of Iohn Wickleffe as Ocliffe Wickliffe an 1376. W. Thorp White Puruey Patshall Payne Gower Chaucer Gascoyne WilliaÌ„ Swinderby Walter Brute Roger Dexter William Sautry about the yeare 1400. Iohn Badby an 1410. Nicholaus Tayler Rich. Wagstaffe Mich. Scriuener William Smith Iohn Henry W. Parchmenar Roger Goldsmith with an Ancresse called Mathilde in the Citie of Leicester Lord Cobham Syr Roger Acton knight Iohn Beuerley preacher Iohn Husse Hierome of Prage Scholemaister with a number of faithfull Bohemians and Thaborites not to be told with whoÌ„ I might also adioyne Laurentius Valla and Ioannes Picus the learned Earle of Mirandula But what do I stand vpon recitall of names which almost are infinite Wherfore if any be so farre beguiled in his opinion to thinke the doctrine of the church of Rome as it now standeth to be of such antiquitie that the same was neuer impugned before the time of Luther and Zuinglius now of late let him read these histories or if he thinke the sayd historie not to be of sufficient credite to alter his perswasion let him peruse the Actes and Statutes of Parliamentes passed in this realme of auncient time and therein consider and conferre the course of times where he may finde and read An. 5. Regis Richardi 2. in the yeare of our Lord. 1380. of a great nuÌ„ber which there be called euill persons goyng about from town to town in freese gownes preaching vnto the people c. which preachers although the wordes of the Statute do terme there to be dissembling persons preaching dyuers Sermons contayning heresies notorious errours to the emblemishment of Christen faith of holy Church c. as the words do there pretend yet notwithstanding euery true Christian reader may conceaue of those Preachers to teache no other doctrine then nowe they heare theyr owne Preachers in Pulpits Preache agaynst the Bishoppe of Rome and the corrupte heresies of his Churche Furthermore he shall finde likewise in Statut. An. 2. Henr. 4. Cap. 15. in the yeare of our Lord. 1402. another lyke company of good Preachers and faythful defenders of true doctrine agaynst blynd heresie and errour Whom albeit the wordes of the Statute there through corruption of that time do falsely terme to be false and peruerse Preachers vnder dissembled holines teaching in those dayes openly and priuely new doctrines and hereticall opinions contrary to the faythe and determination of holy Churche c. yet notwithstanding whosoeuer readeth histories and conferreth the order and discent of times shall vnderstand these to be no false teachers but saythfull witnesses of the truth not teaching any newe doctrines contrary to the determination of holy Church But rather shall finde that Churche to be vnholy which they Preached agaynst teaching rather it selfe hereticall opinions contrary both to antiquitie and veritie of Christes true Catholicke Churche Of the lyke number also or greater of lyke true faythfull fauourers and followers of Gods holy worde we find in the yeare of our Lord. 14â—2 specified in a letter sent from Henry Chichesley Archbishop of Canterbury to Pope Martin 5. in the fift yeare of his Popedome where mention is made of so many here in Engand infected as he sayde with the heresies of Wickleffe and Husse that without force of any army they could not be suppressed c. Whereupon the Pope sent two Cardinals to the Archbishop to cause a tenth to be gathered of all spirituall and Religious men and the money to be layde in the chamber Apostolicke and if that were not sufficient the residue to bee made vppe of Chalices Candlestickes and other implementes of the Churche c. What shall neede then any more witnes to proue this matter when you see so many yeares agoe whole armyes and multitudes thus standing agaynst the Pope who thoughe they bee termed here for heretickes and schismatickes yet in that which they call heresie serued they the
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
Into what city or town so euer ye shall enter enquire out those that be of good report in the same abide you with them so long as you tary in the same City or Towne Glose Your host with whom ye lodge ought to be chosen by the good report of neighbors least your preaching be euill spokē of by reason of his infamy Neither ought such men to runne frō house to house But whome shall we call worthy or of good report Glose Him who knoweth better to do other men good thē to receiue a good turne of an other and this is he which geueth willingly for Christes cause and not in respect of any commodity Also true Apostles receiue nothing of such mē as lie waltering in their sins but rather of those that are washed and clensed from their sinnes wherupon the 2. to the Cor. the 7. chap. They haue geuen themselues first to the Lord. Glose Because they now amēding their olde errors and vicious maners haue vowed themselues vnto the lord afterward gaue of that which they had to their brethren For otherwise they ought not to haue taken any thing of them because gifts do blinde the eies But those that geue where there is no cause of reproofe in their doing haue no iust cause to geue Therfore those preachers that seek how to come by dainty fare doe receiue bribes rewardes of naughty men that haue this world at will to the entent that those preachers may couer and hide their faultes and get of others what they can by subtlety which geue indeed rather to remoue the shamelesse importunity of the crauer or els for auoyding of present shame thē for any loue they haue to God are not true Apostles but false Prophets according to that in the 2◠to the Cor. the 9. chap. The Lord doth loue a willing geuer Glose He that geueth for presēt shame or els for that he may be free from the importunacy of him that asketh doth loose both his substaunce and merite wherefore he that hath respect to these thinges doth not seek the fruit and profit of the geuer but the gift it selfe as the Apostle to the Philip. the 4. chap. sayth Seeke not the gift but the fruit or benefit of the geuer The 27. signe is that true Apostles do not endeuoure themselues to seeke enioy the fruit of other mens labors that they may be fed thereby because that the belly is such mens God according to that in the 2. to the Thessa. the 3. cap. we haue heard of some amongst you which walk vnordinately not laboring at al but liuing delicately or idlely Glose of other mens labors and deserue they to be fed The discipline of the Lord cannot away with that doing for the belly is their God which prouide to haue more thē necessary dishes of meat Therefore those preachers which so do are no true Apostles but false The 28. signe is that true Apostles do not reioyce only of the miracles or other excellēt works which the Lord doth by them but they reioyce rather of the saluatiō which they looke for from the Lord then that by doing those miracles they desire any honor According to that which is written in Luke x. saying Reioyce ye not for that the spirits be subiect vnto you but because your names are registred in heauen They therfore that boast of their own miracles or of any that belong vnto them for this cause that they are saued by the doing of them as many do say seme not to be true Apostles but false The 29. signe is that the true Apostles do neuer seeke their owne glory in this life but the glory of Christ as in Iohn 7. He that speaketh of himself doth seek his own glory But he that seeketh the glory of him which sēt him that is of whom he is sent is a true Apostle Therefore those which seeke the thinges that pertayne to the glory of thys world of the which one is To be assistent to those that beare rule and authority according to that saying of Boetius De consolatione Those that do desire to be extolled either they raigne beare rule themselues or els do desire to be nere about thē that haue such dominiō Another is they desire to haue the fame and victory of that which they haue nothing at all deserued before God Whereupon is written that saying of the Apostle in the Gal. 5. Let not vs become desirous of vaine glory Glose To be desirous of vaynglory is to haue victory without any merite or desert those I say that doe such thinges seeme not to be true Apostles but false The 30. signe is That true Apostles care not for the solemnities of men neither their salutatiōs nor feastings nor any other benefite of theirs They therfore which loue seek the company and fellowship of men their feastings and other their commodities do not seeme to be true Apostles but false The 31. signe is that true Apostles do not commonly resort to other mens tables least that they should for a meals meat become flatterers as in the 2 Thessalon 3. That we should geue you an example to follow vs. Glose He that cōmeth oftētunes to an other mans table being geuē to idlenes cannot chuse but flatter him which fedeth him but Christes religion calleth men to liberty and to no such bōdage They therfore that resort oftentimes that of theyr owne mindes to other mens tables liuing idlely are not true Apostles but false The 32. signe is that true Apostles do not hate theyr enemies and such as hate them which doctrine the Lord taught Mathew 5. saying Loue your enemies do well to them which hate you But false Prophets doe both hurt defame their neighbors according as S. Ierome 14. saith The Prophets of Ierusalem haue defiled the whole earth Glossa They are not contented onely to hurt their neighbors but also whōe they before this time haue hated they defame and speak euill of in euery place they come Therfore those preachers which hate them whome they thinke are their enemies and do defame them are not true Apostles but false preachers The 33. signe is that false Prophets when they are examined proued whether they be true Apostles or liers take that very greeuously And persecute all those that can proue thē to be so And also do stirre vp and prouoke other to persecute the same men which also ioyne thēselues together by secular power euen as certain false prophets did in the primitiue Church agaynst the Bishop of Ephesus to whom the Lord sayd in the Apoc. 2. I know that is to say I do alow thy workes and thy labour that is thy tribulation because thou canst not away with those that be euill men Glossa But that thou hast a desire to amend thē or els to expell them and hast examined those which say that they are Apostles and are but lyers and also hast
to passe according vnto Zisca his will and minde and that vpon him alone the whole state of Boheme did depend he sought priuie meanes to recōcile and get Zisca into his fauour promising him the gouernance of the whole kingdom the guiding of all his hostes armies and great yearely reuenues if he would proclaime him King and cause the Cities to be sworne vnto him Upō which cōditions whē as Zisca for the performance of the couenants went vnto the Emperour being on his iourney at the Castle of Priscouia he was stricken with sicknesse and died It is reported that when he was demaunded beyng sicke in what place he would be buried he commaunded the skinne to be pulled off from his dead carkase and the flesh to bee cast vnto the foules and beastes and that a drumme should be made of his skinne which they should vse in their battailes affirming that as soone as their enimies should heare the sound of that drumme they would not abide but take their flight The Thaborites despising all other Images yet set vp the Picture of Zisca ouer the gates of the Citie ¶ The Epitaphe of Iohn Zisca the valiant Captaine of the Bohemians I Iohn Zisca not inferiour to any Emperour or Captain in warlike policie a seueare punisher of the pride and auarice of the Clergy and a defender of my countrey do lie heere That which Appius Claudius by geuing good counsell and M. Furius Camillus by valiantnesse did for the Romaines the same I being blinde haue done for my Bohemians I neuer slacked oportunitie of battaile neither did fortune at any time faile me I being blinde did foresee all oportunitie of well ordering or doing my businesse Eleuen times in ioining battaile I went victour out of the field I seemed to haue worthely defended the cause of the miserable and hungry against the delicate fatte and glotonous Priests and for that cause to haue receiued help at the hande of God If their enuy had not let it without doubt I had deserued to be numbred amongst the most famous men Notwithstanding my bones lye heere in this halowed place euen in despite of the Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ Iohn Zisca a Bohemian enemy to all wicked and couetous Priestes but with a godly zeale And thus haue you the actes and doings of this worthy Zisca and other Bohemians which for the more credite we haue drawne out of Aeneas Syluius onely his rayling tearmes excepted which we haue heere suppressed All this while the Emperour with the whole power of the Germaines were not so busie on the one side but Martin the Pope was as much occupied on the other side who about the same time directed downe a terrible Bull full of all poison to all Byshops and Archbyshops agaynst all such as tooke any part or side with Wickleffe Iohn Hus Hierome or with their doctrine and opinions The copie of which Bull which I found in an olde written monument I wish the reader throughly to peruse wherein he shall see the Pope to poure out at once all his poison The Bull of Pope Martine directed foorth against the followers of Iohn Wickliffe of England of Iohn Husse of Boheme and Hierome of Prage MArtine Bishop the seruant of Gods seruants to our reuerend brethren the Archbishops of Salzeburgen Gueznen and Pragē to the Bishops of Dlumcen Luthomuslen Bambergen Misnen Patauiē Uratislauien Ratisponen Cra. ouien Poznamen and Nitrien also to our beloued children the Inquisitours appointed of the Prelates aboue recited or where else soeuer vnto whome these present letters shall come greeting and Apostolicall benediction Amongst all other pastorall cares where with we are oppressed this chefly and specially doth inforce vs that heretikes with their false doctrine and errours being vtterly expulsed from amōgst the cōpany of Christen mē and rooted out so farre forth as God will make vs able to do the right and Catholike faith may remaine sound and vndefiled and that all Christian people immoueable and iuiolate may stande and abide in the sinceritie of the same fayth the whole vayle of obscuritie being remoued But lately in diuers places of the world but especially in Bohemia and the Dukedome of Morauia and in the straights adioining thereunto certaine Archheretickes haue risen and sprong vp not against one only but against diuers sundry documēts of the Catholike faith being landlopers schismatikes and seditious persons fraught with diuelish pride Woluish madnes deceiued by the subtlety of Sathan and frō one euill vanity brought to a worse Who although they rose vp sprang in diuers parts of the world yet agreed they all in one hauing their tailes as it were knit together to wit Iohn Wickliffe of England I. Hus of Bohemia Hierome of Prage of dammable memorie who drew with thē no small nūber to miserable ruine and infidelitie For when as those such like pestiferous persons did in the beginning of their poisoned doctrine obstinately sow and spread abroad peruerse false opinions the prelates who had the regiment execution of the iudiciall power like dumme dogs not able to barke neither yet reuenging speedely with the Apostle all such disobediēce nor regarding corporally to cast out of the lords house as they were enioined by the canons those subtill and pestilēt Archheretickes and their Woluish fury and cruelty with all expedition but suffering their false and pernicious doctrine negligētly by their ouerlong delaies to growe and waxe strōg a great multitude of people in stead of true doctrine receiued those things which they did lōg falsly pernitiously and damnably sow among them and geuing credite vnto them fell from the right faith and are intangled the more pitie in the foule errors of Paganisme In so much that those Archheretickes and suche as spring of them haue infected the Catholicke flock of Christ in diuers climates of the world and parts bordering vpon the same and haue caused them to putrifie in the filthie dunghill of their lies Wherefore the generall Synode of Constance was compelled with Sainct Augustine to exclaime against so great and ruinous a plague of faythfull men and of the sound and true faith it selfe saieng what shall the Soueraigne medicine of the Church do wyth motherly loue seeking the health of hir sheepe chasing as it were amongst a companie of men franticke and hauing the disease of the Lethargie What shall she desist and leaue off hir good purpose No not so But rather let hir if there be no remedie be sharpe to both these sorts which are the greenous enemies of her wombe For the Phisition is sharpe vnto the man bestraught and raging in his frensie and yet is he a father to his owne rude and vnmanerly sonne in binding the one in beating the other by shewing therein his great loue vnto them both But if they be negligent and suffer them to perish sayth Augustine this mansuetude is rather to be supposed
declare as in a summary Table the misguidyng of that Church comparyng the former primitiue state of the forenamed Church of Rome with these later tymes of the same Which done then after in a more speciall tractation to prosecute more at large all the particulars therof so farforth as shall seeme not vnprofitable for the publike instruction of all other Christen Churches to behold and consider the maner dealyng of this one In the which one church of Rome foure things as most speciall points seeme to me chiefly to be considered To wit Title IurisdictioÌ„ Life and Doctrine wherin I haue here to declare first concernyng the title or primacie of the Church how it first began and vpon what occasion Secondly concernyng the iurisdiction and authoritie therof what it was and how farre it did extend Thirdly touchyng the misorder of lyfe and conuersation how inordinate it is And fourthly the forme of doctrine how superstitious Idolatrous of late it hath bene Of the which foure the first was preiudiciall to all Byshops the second derogatorie to Kings and Emperours The third detestable to all men The fourth iniurious agaynst Christ. For first the title and stile of that church was such that it ouerwent all other churches beyng called the holy vniuersall mother Church which could not erre and the Byshop therof holy father the Pope Byshop vniuersal prince of Priestes supreme head of the vniuersall Church and Uicare of Christ here in earth which must not be iudged hauyng all knowledge of Scripture and all lawes coÌ„tayned with in the chest of his brest Secondly the iurisdiction of that Byshop was such that chalenging to him selfe both the swordes that is both the keyes of the spiritualtie and the scepter of the Laytie not onely he subdued all Byshops vnder him but also extended him selfe aboue Kynges and Emperours causing some of them to lye vnder his feete some to hold his sturrup Kynges to leade his horse by the bridle some to kisse his feete placyng and displacyng Emperours Kynges Dukes and Earles whom and wheÌ„ he listed takyng vpon him to translate the Empire at his pleasure First from Grece to Fraunce from FrauÌ„ce to Germany preferryng and deposing whom he pleased confirmyng them which were elected Also beyng Emperour him selfe sede vacante pretendyng authoritie or power to inuest Byshops to geue benefices to spoyle Churches to geue authoritie to binde and lose to call generall Councels to iudge ouer the same to set vp religions to canonize Saintes to take appeales to binde consciences to make lawes to dispence with the law and word of God to deliuer from Purgatory to commaunde Aungels c. Thirdly what was the lyfe and conuersation of the court of Rome hereafter in the proces of this history followeth to be sene and obserued Fourthly such was his doctrine in like maner tedious to Students pernicious to mens consciences iniurious to Christ Iesus coÌ„trary to itselfe In lawes more diuers in volume more large in diligeÌ„ce study more applied in vauntage preferment more gaynfull then euer was the study and learning of the holy Scripture of God All which foure pointes well coÌ„sidered and aduised in this present history set forth I trust it may minister to the indifferent ChristiaÌ„ Reader sufficient instructioÌ„ to iudge what is of this sea and Church of Rome to be esteemed But here by the way is to be noted that all these deformities aboue touched of vayne title of pretensed iurisdiction of hereticall doctrine of schismaticall lyfe came not into the Church of Rome all at one tyme nor sprang with the begynnyng of the same Church but with long workyng and continuaunce of tyme by litle and litle crept vp through occasion came not to full perfectioÌ„ till the tyme partly of Pope Siluester partly of pope Gregory the vij an 1170. partly of Innocentius the thyrd and finally of Pope Boniface the viij an 1300. Of the which foure Popes the first brought in the title an 670. which was neuer in such ample wise before publickely exacted receiued publikely in the sayd Church of Rome The second brought in iurisdiction The thyrd which was Pope Innocent with his rable of Monkes and Friers as Thomas Aquine Petrus Lombardus Iohannes Scotus and with such other Bishops as succeeded in the same sea after hym corrupted and obscured the sinceritie of Christes doctrine and maners also And lastly Pope Bonifacius the viij and after him Pope Clement the fift ouer and besides the iurisdiction sufficieÌ„tly aduaunced before by Pope Hildebrand added moreouer the temporal sword to be caryed before them And that no Emperour were he neuer so well elected should bee sufficient and lawfull without the Popes admission an 1300. whereby the Popes power was brought now to his full pride and perfection And thus came vp the corruption of the Romish Church in continuaunce of yeares by degrees and not all together nor at one tyme as is declared and hereafter more particularly Christ willyng shal be expressed Wherfore whosoeuer shall haue hereafter to do with any aduersaries about the antiquitie or authoritie of the Church of Rome let him here well consider when how the title iurisdiction corruption of doctrine first begaÌ„ in the Popes sea And so shal he see that the church of Rome as it is now gouerned with this maner of title iurisdictioÌ„ institution of doctrine neuer descended froÌ„ the primitiue age of the Apostles or froÌ„ their succession nisi taÌ„tum aquinocè non vniuocè Like as Sancta Maria picta non est sancta Maria homo pictus est non homo as the scholes do say that is as the picture of the holy virgine is not the holy virgine and as a man painted on the wall is not a man so it is to be sayd of the Church of Rome the institution and doctrine of the Church of Rome I meane that although it haue the name of the Church Apostolicall doth bring forth a long Genealogie of outward succession from the Apostles as the Phariseis did in Christes tyme bryng their descent froÌ„ Abraham their father yet all this is as I sayd but onely aequiuocè that is in name onely and not in effect or matter which maketh the Apostolical Church in deede for as much as the definition of the Apostolicall Church neither agreeth now with this present Church of Rome nor yet the maner forme institution of the sayd Romish Church as it now standeth with this title iurisdictioÌ„ and doctrine had euer any succession or ofâ—pring from the primitiue Church of the Apostles But as Christ sayd by the Phariseis that they were the childreÌ„ not of Abraham but of the deuill in semblable wise may be auÌ„swered that this Church of Rome now present with this title iurisdictioÌ„ and doctrine now vsed can not be fathered vpon the Apostles neither Petrus nor Linus but of an other author whoÌ„ here I
will not name And here now commeth in the Argument of Pighius Hosius and Eccius to be aunswered vnto who arguyng for the antiquitie and authoritie of the Church of Rome reason on this maner Da That for somuch as an ordinary a knowen Church visible must here be knowen cōtinually on earth during frō the time of the Apostles to the which church all other Churches must haue recourse xi And seeyng then there is no other Church visible orderly known to haue indured from the Apostles time but onely the Church of Rome j. They conclude therfore that the Church of Rome is that Church wherunto all other Churches must haue their recourse c. To the which Paralogisme I aūswere thus that this word Durans Ecclesia the during Church in the Minor hath fallaciā aequiuoci For although the name of the Church and outward successiō of Byshops haue had their durance frō tyme of the Apostles yet the definition and matter which maketh a true Apostolicall church in deede and vniuocè neither is now in the church of Rome nor yet the forme institution of the church now vsed in Rome was euer frō the Apostles whiche Apostles were neuer Authors or fathers of this title iurisdictiō and doctrine now taught in Rome but rather were enemies euer to the same Agayne to the Maior which standeth vpon two partes I aunswere first although the necessitie of the churche duryng from the Apostles may and must be graūted yet the same necessitie was not boūd to any certaine place or persō but onely to fayth so that wheresoeuer that is to say in whatsoeuer congregation true fayth was there was the church of Christ And because the true fayth of Christ must needes euer remaine in earth therfore the Church also must needes remaine in earth And God forbid that the said true faith of Christ should only remaine in one citie in the world and not in other as well And therfore to the secōd part of the Maior is to be sayd that as this true and sincere fayth of Christ is not so geuen to remaine fixely in one place or citie alone so neither is there any one church in the world so ordained appointed of God that al other Churches should haue their recourse vnto it for determination of their causes and cōtrouersies incident c. And thus much to the Argument of Pighius and Hosius c. Now as touchyng the authorities allegations of the auncient Doctours and holy fathers in the commēdation of the Church of Rome here commeth in also to be noted that whosoeuer will vnderstand rightly their authorities and aūswere to the same must first learne to make a difference and distinction of the sayd Church of Rome frō that it was to that it is for as much as the Church of Rome is not the same Church now which it was then but onely aequiuocè otherwise as touching the very propertie and definition of a Church it is an other Church and nothing agreing to that was then saue onely in outward name and place therefore by this distinction made I aunswere the place of Irenaeus Cyprianus and other famous Doctours commendyng the Church of Rome as Catholicke and Apostolicall and say that these Doctours speakyng of the Church of Rome which then was sayd not vntrue calling it Catholicke Apostolicall for that the same Church tooke their ordinary succession of Byshops ioyned with the ordinary doctrine and institution frō the Apostles but speakyng of the Church of Rome whiche now is we say the sayd places of the Doctours are not true neither doe appertaine to the same all which Doctours neither knew the Churche of Rome that now is neither if they had would euer haue iudged any thyng therein worthy such commendation Ouer and besides our aduersaries yet more obiect agaynst vs who heauing and shouyng for the antiquitie of the Romish Churche for lacke of other sufficient reason to proue are driuen to fall in scannyng the tymes and yeares What say they where was this Church of yours before these fiftie yeares To whom briefly to aunswere first we demaund what they meane by this which they call our Church If they meane the ordinaunce and institution of doctrine and Sacramentes now receaued of vs and differing from the Church of Rome we affirme and say that our church was when this church of theirs was not yet hatched out of the shell nor did yet euer see any light that is in the time of the Apostles in the primitiue age in the tyme of Gregorie the first the old Romane church when as yet no vniuersall pope was receiued publikely but repelled in Rome nor this fulnesse of plenary power yet knowen nor this doctrine and abuse of Sacramentes yet heard of In witnes wherof we haue the old actes and histories of aūcient tyme to geue testimony with vs wherein sufficiēt matter we haue for vs to declare the same forme vsage and institution of this our church reformed now not to be the begynnyng of any new church of our owne but to be the renewyng of the old aūcient church of Christ nor to be any sweruyng from the church of Rome but rather a reducyng to the church of Rome Whereas contrary the churche of Rome whiche now is is nothyng but a sweruyng from the churche of Rome as partly is declared and more shall appeare Christ willyng hereafter And where the sayd our aduersaries doe moreouer charge vs with the fayth of our fathers and Godfathers wherein we were baptised accusing and cōdemnyng vs for that we are now reuolted frō them their fayth wherin we were first Christened To this we aūswere that we beyng first baptised by our fathers Godfathers in water in the name of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost the same fayth wherin we were Christened thē we do retaine because our Godfathers were thē selues also in the same fayth therfore they cā not say that we haue forsaken the fayth of our Godfathers c. As for other points of Ecclesiasticall vses circumstaunces cōsidered besides the principall substaunce of fayth and baptisme if they held any thyng whiche receaded from the doctrine and rule of Christ therein we now remoue our selues not because we would differ from them but because we would not with them remoue from the rule of Christes doctrine Neither doth the Sacramēt of our baptisme binde vs in all points to the opiniōs of them that baptised vs but to the fayth of him in whose name we were Baptised For as if a man were Christined of an heretique the Baptisme of him notwithstandyng were good although the Baptiser were nought so if our Godfathers or fathers which Christened vs were taught any thyng not consonant to Christiā doctrine in all pointes neither is our Baptisme worsse for that nor yet we boūd to folow thē in all thynges wherein they them selues did not
singular Apostles For he that said to Peter Feede my sheepe said also to all and singular his Apostles Go into all the world preach c. Math. vlt. Moreouer for as much as this man collecteth out of Chrysostome that the whole world was committed to Peter how shall we then ioyne this meaning of Chrysostome with S. Paule which sayth that the Gospel was committed to Peter euer the circumcision as was Paule ouer the vncircumcision And here an answer to this doughtie argument both to the forme to the matter thereof albeit concerning the matter here lacketh much to be said more of Peters successours in the text of Chrysostome By the which successours is not ment the bishop of Rome onely as the Papists would beare vs in hand but all such true and faithfull Pastors whom the Lordes calling sendeth and setteth ouer his flocke where so euer or whatsoeuer they be For as Peter beareth a representation of the church by the testimonie of August in Ioan. tract 124. Praefat. in Psal. 108. so the successours of Peter be all faithfull Pastors and ouerseers of Christes Church to whom Christ our Lord hath committed the charge of his flocke Wherefore they are not a little deceiued which looking vpō the rocke onely of the person and not the rock of confession contrary to the rule of Hilarie De trinit lib. 6. doe tie the Apostleship or rocke of Peter to one onely Bishop and the succession of Peter to one onely sea of Rome where as this being a spiritual office and not carnall hath no such carnall race or discent after any worldly or locall vnderstanding but hath a more mysticall meaning after a spirituall sense of succession such as Hierome speaketh of epist. ad Euagrium Omnes inquit Apostolorum successores sunt c. That is All saith he speaking of Bishops be successours of the Apostles c. Of like force and fashion and out of the same figure the same Author patcheth moreouer another argument proouing that the Bishop of Rome was tituled the head of Christes church in the primitiue time of the old aunciters before the age of Gregory His argument procedeth thus in the third figure S. Peter was called by the auncient fathers head of Christes church S. Peter was bishop of Rome Ergo the bishop of Rome was called head of the Church in the old auncient tyme. This argument expositorie beyng clouted vp in the third figure and concluding singularly hath rather a shew of an argumēt then maketh any necessarie conclusiō standing vpon no moode in the said figure if the Author thereof were put to his triall Albeit to leaue the forme and to come to the matter of the argument First how wel he wil dispatch himselfe of the Maior prooue vs that S. Peter although he were at Rome and taught at Rome and suffred at Rome yet that he was bishop and proper Ordinarie of that citie and speciall sea of Rome As touching the allegation of Abdias Orosius Ado Tertullian Cyprian Hierome Optatius and Augustine brought forth for his most aduantage to prooue his Maior thus I answer cōcerning Orosius Tertullian Cyprian Hierome and Augustine that where they speake of S. Peters chaire or planting the faith at Rome straightway this man argueth there upon that Peter was Bishop of Rome But that doth not clarkely follow For the office of the Apostles was to plant the faith in all places and in euery regiō yet were they not bishops in euery region And as for the chaire as it is no difference essentiall that maketh a bishop for so much as a Doctour may haue a chaire and yet be no bishop so cannot he conclude by the chaire of Peter that S. Peter was Bishop of Rome For all this proueth no farther but that Peter was at Rome and there taught the fayth of Christ as Paul did also and peraduenture in a chayre likewise yet we say not that Paule was therefore Bishop of Rome But that he was there as an Apostle of Christ whether he taught there standing on his feete or sittyng in a chayre In the Scripture commonly the Chaire signifieth doctrine or iudgement as sitting also declareth such as teach or iudge whether they sit in the chaire of Moyses or in the chaire of pestilence Planting likewise is a worde Apostolicall and signifieth not onely the office of a Bishop Wherefore it is no good consequent he sate he taught he planted at Rome his chaire and seate was at Rome Ergo he was Bishop of Rome And thus much touchyng Orosius Tertullian Cyprian Augustine As for Abdias Ado Optatus and such other although we should haue much wrong offered and neuer should make an ende if we should be prest with the authoritie of euery one that could or did mooue pen in all the whole first age of the church to be our iudges in euery ecclesiasticall matter and much more wrong should haue if the authors either corrupted or countersaited should be layd vnto vs speaking not in the same sense or in the same tongue or in the same time wherin they wrote yet to helpe and to faine the authorities of these authors so much as we may I answer to their allegations with this distinction of a bishop which is to be taken either generally or specially After the first a bishop is he to whom so euer the publike cure and charge of soules is committed without any limitation of place And so the name of Bishop is concident with the office of Apostle or any publique Pastour Doctour or Curator of the vniuersall flocke of Christ. And thus may Paule Peter or any other of the Apostles be called Bishops So also is Christ himselfe by expresse worde called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Bishop and Pastor 1. Peter 2. And thus may Peter wel be named a bishop of these foresaid authors after this maner of taking But this publike and generall charge vniuersally ouer the whole without limitation ceased after Christ and the Apostles For then were bishops by places and prouinces appointed to haue speciall ouersight of some perticular flock or prouince and so to be resident and attendant onely vpon the same The other diuersitie of this name bishop is to be taken after a more speciall sort which is when any person orderly called is assigned namely specially to some one certain place citie or prouince wherunto he is only bound to employ his office charge and no where els according to the old Canons of the Apostles and of the Councell of Nice And this Bishop differing from the other is called Episcopus intitulatus hauing his name of his citie or Dioces And thus we deny that Peter the Apostle was euer Bishop elected installed or intituled to the Citie of Rome neyther doth Optatus Abdias Ado or Hierome affirme the same And if Ado say that Peter was bishop of Rome 25. yeares vntill the last
cities which cause being outward carnall was neither then cause sufficient and now ceasing importeth not to vs the like effect according as they say Sublata causa tollitur effectus So that by the reason therof the foresaid principallitie of the church of Rome did not hold then iure diuino sed humano And as it holdeth by mans law so by mans law may be repealed againe Wherfore be it admitted that both the Pope sitteth and succedeth in the chaire of Peter and also that he is the Bishop of the greatest citie in the world yet it followeth not therby that he should haue rule and lordship ouer all other bishops and churches of the world For first touching the succession of Peter many things are to be considered First whether Peter sate and had his chaire in Rome or not Secondly whether he sate there as an Apostle or as a Bishop Thirdly whether the sitting in the outward seate of Peter maketh successour of Peter Fourthly whether he sitteth in the chaire seat of Peter which sitteth not in the doctrine of Peter Fiftly whether the succession of Peter maketh rather an Apostle then a Bishop so should we call the Pope the Apostle of Rome and not the bishop of Rome Sixtly whether Ecclesiasticall functions ought to be esteemed by ordinarie succession of place or by Gods secret calling or sending Seuenthly and lastly whether it stand by Scripture any succession at all to be pointed in Christes Church or why more from Peter then from other Apostles All which Interrogatories being wel discussed which would aske a long proces it should wel appeare what litle hold the Pope hath to take this state vpon him aboue all other Churches as he doth In the meane tyme this one argument by the way may suffice in stead of many for our aduersaries to answer to at their conuenient leisure Which argument thus I forme and frame in Camestres Ca All the true successors of Peter sit in the chaire of the doctrine of Peter and other Apostles vniformly me No Popes of this latter Church of Rome sitte in the chaire of Saint Peters and other Apostles doctrine vniformely stres Ergo no Popes of this latter church of Rome be the true successors of Peter And when they haue well perused the Minor of this argument and haue well conferred together the doctrine taught them of S. Peter with the doctrine taught now by the Popes of iustification of a Christen man of the office of the law of the strength and largenes of sinne of mens merites of free will of works of supererogation of setting vp images of vij Sacramentes of auricular confession of satisfaction of sacrifice of the Masse of communicating vnder one kinde of eleuating and adoring the Sacramentall elements of Latine seruice of inuocation of prohibitiō of meates and mariage of vowing chastitie of sectes rules of diuers religions of indulgences and pardōs also with their doctrine taught now of magistrates of the fulnes of power and regalitie of the sea of Rome with many other like to these c. then will I be glad to heare what they wil say to the premisses Secondly if they would proue by the allegation of the Doctours Irenaeus Ambrose Augustine Theodoritus aforesaid the Bishop of Rome to bee the chiefe of all Bishops therfore because the citie wherof he is bishop is the chiefe and principall aboue all other Churches that consequent is to be denied For it followeth not taking as I said the principallitie of that church to stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vpon the principal dominion of that citie no more then this consequent followeth London is the chiefe Citie in all England Ergo the bishop of London is the chiefest of all bishops in the Realme Which argument were derogatory to the bishop both of Canterbury and of Yorke Yea to graunt yet more to but aduersaries which is all they can require the minde of the foresaid Doctours Irenaeus Ambrose Augustine and Theodoritus in giuing principallitie vnto Rome to haue respect vnto the vertue of inscession from Peter and not vnto the greatnes of the Citie yet notwithstanding for all this their argument holdeth not if it be rightly considered to say The Apostolicall Sea of Rome hauing successiō from Peter with the bishops therof was chief then of all other churches in the primitiue tyme of these Doctours Ergo the Apostolicall sea of Rome with the Bishops therof hauing successiō from Peter ought now to be chiefe of all other churches in these our dayes This consequent might well follow if the tymes were like or if succession which gaue them the cause of principallitie were the same now which was then But now the time and succession is not correspondent for then succession in the time of these Doctours was as well in doctrine Apostolicall as in place Apostolicall Now the succession of doctrine Apostolicall hath not long ceased in the sea Apostolicall and nothing remaineth but onely place which is the lest matter of true spirituall and Apostolical succession And thus much to the authoritie and testimonie of these forenamed Doctors Besides these obiections heretofore recited out of Irenaeus Ambrose Augustine and Theodoritus our aduersaries yet obiect and heape vp against vs moreouer examples of the primitiue time of the church testimonies of generall Councels and opinions of auncient writers taken out of the booke of Councels Epistles decretall wherby their intent is to prooue the foresayd termes of the head of the church ruler of the church chiefe of all other Priestes to bee applied not onely to Peter but also to the Bishop of Rome within the compasse of the primitiue time And here commeth in the testimonie cited of Vincentius Lirinensis Of the Epistle of Paschasius and his fellowes writing to Leo from the Councel of Chalcedon The testimonie also of Iustinian the Emperour in his Codex where Ioannes then Pope was called caput omnium Ecclesiarum Epist. inter claras cap. De summa Trinit fide Cath. The testimonie also of Athanasius with his fellow bishops of Egypt of Thebaida and Libia in their Epistles to Pope Marcius Liberius Felix Likewise the testimonie of Hierome In praef in 4. Euang. Item Epist. 42. Tom. 1. Item Epist. 41. Tom. 2. Of S. Ambrose 1. Tim 3. Of S. Augustina to Boniface Ad Bonifac. contra duas Epist Pelagian Lib. 1. cap. 1. Item Lib. 2. De Baptism cap. 1. Of Theodoritus in his Epistle to Pope Leo. Epist Commentar in Pauli Epist. praefixa Of Chrysostome Epist ad Innocentium Tom. 5. c. By which testimonies our aduersaries would prooue S. Peter and after him the Bishop of Rome to be called and taken for head of the church chiefe bishop prince and ruler of the whole Clergy To all which obiections fully and exactly to aunswer in order would require a whole volume by it selfe In the meane time leauing the rest vnto them vnto whom it doth more
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
are vnprofitable seruants ye haue done but what your bound duety was to doe Luc. 17. Againe here also is to be vnderstand that where such rewardes be ascribed vnto mens deedes it is not for the worthines of the deede it selfe but for the faith of the dooer which faith maketh the worke to bee good in Gods sight for els if an infidell should do the same worke that the christian doth it were nothing but meere sinne before god In that therefore the christian mans worke is accepted be it neuer so small as to giue a cup of cold water the same is onely for his fayth sake that doth it and not for the worke which is done Whereby againe we may learne how faith onely doth iustifie a man and that three maner of wayes First it iustifieth the person in making him accepted and the child of God by regeneration before he begin to doe any good worke Secondly it iustifieth a man from sinne in procuring remission and forgiuenes of the same Thirdly it iustiâ—ieth the good deedes and workes of man not onely in bringing foorth good fruites but also in making the same workes to be good and acceptable in the sight of God which otherwise were impure and execrable in his sight The office therfore of faith and works is diners and must not be coÌ„founded Faith first goeth before and regenerateth a man to God iustifieth him in the sight of god both in couering his yll deedes and in making his good deedes acceptable to God clyming vp to heauen there wrastling with God and his iudgement for righteousnes for saluation and for euerlastins life Workes and charitie folow faith and are exercised here vpon the earth glorieth onely before man but not before God in shewing foorth obedience both to God to man Further then this our good works doe not reach nor haue any thing to doe in the iudgement of God touching saluation I speake of our good workes as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 7. as they be ours imperfect For els if our workes could be perfect according to the perfection of the lawe as Christ wrought them in the perfection of his flesh that is if we could perfect them as it is sayd Qui fecerit ea viuet in eis But now seeing the imbecilitie of our flesh cannot atteine thereto it foloweth thereof that all glory of iustifying is taken from workes and transferred onely to faith And thus much concerning the principall contents of S. Paules doctrine Wherein the Church of the auncient Romanes first was grounded planted and so continued in the same or at least did not much alter during the prymityue state of the Church Likewise the same forme of doctrine the latter Romanes also that followed shoulde haue mainteined and not haue fallen away for any mans preaching but hold him accursed yea if he were any Apostle or an Angell from heauen teaching any other doctrine besides that institution which they haue receaued Gal. 1 for so were they warned before by the Apostle S Paule to doe And yet notwithstanding all this forewarning diligent instruction of this blessed Apostle of the Gentiles what a defection of faith is fallen among the Gentiles especially among the Romanes whereof the sayde Apostle also foretold them so long before forepropheciyng That the day of the Lord shall not come except there come a defectioÌ„ before and that the man of sinne should be reuealed the proude aduersary of God c. Thei 2 meaning no doubt by this defection a departing and a falling from that faith which the holy ghost had then planted by his ministery among the Gentiles As we see it now come to passe in the Church of Rome Which Church is so gone from the faith that S. Paule taught that if he were now aliue and saw these decrees and decretals of the Bishop of Rome these heapes of ceremonies traditions these masse bokes these Portuses these Festiuals and Legendes these Processionals Dymmes and Sequences these Beades and Graduals the maner of their inuocation their Canons Censures latter Councels such swarmes of superstitious Monkes and Friers such sectes of so many dyuers religions the Testament of S. Fraunces the rule of S. Benedict of S Brigit of S. Anthony c. the intricate subtelâ—ies labyrynthes of the scholemen the infinite cases and distinctioÌ„s of the Canonistes the Sermons in Churches the assertions in schooles the glory of the Pope the pride of the clergie the cruelty of persecuting Prelates with their officials and promotors he woulde saye this were not a defection but rather a plaine destruccion and ruine of fayth neyther that this were any true Church of Christ but a newe found Religion or paganisme rather brought in vnder the shadow of Christianity wherin remaineth almost no thing els but the name onely of Christ and the outwarde forme of hys religion the true vayne and effect whereof is vtterly decayed as to them which list to examine all the parts of this new Romish religion may some appeare For saue onely that they pretend the solemne forme and wordes of the Crede and are Baptised confessing the name of the father the sonne holy ghost As touching all other points and true sincerity of the Christian faith which they outwardly professe they are vtterly degenerated from that which S. Paule the word of God first had taught them First they coÌ„fesse the father in word but his will in his word expresed they renounce his grace they acknowledg not his benefits and promisses giuen vnto vs in his sonne they receaue not the vigor of his law they feele not the terrour of his iudgements earnestly they feare not his commaundementes they obserue by the traditions and commaundements of their owne Likewise the name of Christ his sonne in worde they confesse but his office indede they deface and deminish his glory they seeke not but vnder his name they do seke their owne the power of his bloud and passion they know not or els dissemble it who neither they admit to be the head of his Church alone nor sauiour alone nor only to be our patrone aduocate but match with him our Lady and other patrons so that euery Parish almost in christendome hath his peculiar patrone besides Christ to hold by In like maner they confesse the name of the holy Ghost But God himselfe knoweth how farre they are from the comfort knowledge and tast of the holy ghost as wel may appeare by their councels by their expounding of Scripture by their superstitious ceremonies by their outward worshipping and Idolatrous inuocation to stockes and stones and dead creatures by their scrupulous obseruatioÌ„ of dayes tunes places numbers gestures And no lesse also by their doctrine which defraudeth the poore harts of simple Christians of their due consolation ioy and liberty in the holy Ghost kepeth them still in a seruile bondage and a doubtfull incertainty of their
saluation contrary to the working of the holy spirite of God And thus the Church of Rome pretending onely the name of Christ and of his Religion is so farre altered from the truth of that which it pretendeth that vnder the name of Christ it persecuteth both Christ his Religion working more harme to the Church of Christ then euer did the open tirants and persecuting Emperours among the heathen not much vnlike herein to the olde Sinagoge of the Scribes and Phareseis who vnder the name of God crucified the sonne of God and vnder pretence of the law fought against the Gospell and vnder the title of Abrahams children persecuted the childrē of Abraham And as they bragging so highly of the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lorde did in deede destroye the true Temple of the Lord right so these pretensed Catholikes in these dayes after they haue raysed vppe a Catholike Churche of their owne and haue armed the same with lawes and haue gathered vnto them a power of Priestes Prelates Abbats Priors of religious men of Cardinals and also of secular Princes to take their part now vnder the name of the Catholicke Church they persecute the true Catholike church and coloring their procedings still with In nomine Domini most cruelly they put to death which die pro nomine Domini condemning them for heretikes schismatikes and rebles not which deny any part of the creede which they themselues professe nor such whome they can conuince by any Scripture but onely such which will not ioyne wyth their errours and heresies contrary to the honour of God and truth of his worde And lest any should thinke this that we here protest against the corrupt errours manifold deformities of this latter Church of Rome to proceede of any raucor or affection rather then grounded of necessary causes and demōstrations euident my purpose is by the Lordes leaue to take herein some litle paine that as I haue collected a litle before the summe cōtents of S. Paules doctrine where with the old Church of Rome was first seasoned and acquainted so now as in a like summary table to discrye the particular braunches and contents of the Popes doctrine now set foorth to the intent that all true Christian readers comparing the one with the other may discern what great alteration there is betwene the church of Rome that now is and the church of Rome that then was planted by the Apostles in the primitiue time And to the ende to open to the simple reader some waye whereby he may the better iudge in such matters of doctrine not be deceaued in discerning truth from errour first we wil propound certeine principles or general positions as infallible rules or truthes of the Scripture wherby al other doctrines opinions of men being tried and examined as in the touchstone may the more easely be iudged whether they be true or cōtrary whether they make agaynst the scripture or no. ¶ Certeine Principles or generall verities grounded vpon the truth of Gods word ¶ The first principle 1. AS sinne and death came originally by the disobedience of one to all men of his generation by nature so righteousnes and life come originally by the obedience of one to all men regenerated of him by faith Baptisme Rom. 5. ¶ The 2. Principle 2. The promise of God was freely giuen to our first parentes without their deseruing that the seede of a woman should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. ¶ The 3. Principles 3. Promise was giuen freely to Abraham before he deserued any thing that in his seede all nations should be blessed Gen. 12. ¶ The 4. Principle 4. To the worde of God neither must wee adde nor take from it Deut. 4. ¶ The 5. Principle 5. He that doth the workes of the law shall liue therein Leuit. 18. Gal. 3. ¶ The 6. Principle 6. Accursed is he which abideth not in euery thing that is written in the booke of the law Deut. 27. Gal. 3. ¶ The 7. Principle 7. God onely is to be worshipped Deut. 6. Luc. 4. ¶ The 8. Principle 8. All our righteousnes is like a defiled cloth of a woman Esay 64. ¶ The 9. Principle 9. In all my holy hill they shall not kill nor slay saith the Lord. Esay 11.65 ¶ The 10. Principle 10. God loueth mercy and obedience more then sacrifice Osee. 6.1 Reg. 15. ¶ The 11. Principle 11. The lawe worketh anger condemneth and openeth sinne Rom. 3. ¶ The 12. Principle 12. The end of the law is Christ to righteousnes to euery one that beleueth Rom. 10. ¶ The 13. Principle 13. Whosoeuer beleeueth and is Baptised shall be saued Mat. vlt. ¶ The 14. Principle 14. A man is iustified by faith without workes freely by grace not of our selues Gal. 2. Ephes. 2. ¶ The 15. Principle 15. There is no remission of sinnes without bloud Heb. 9 ¶ The 16. Principle 16. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. ¶ The 17. Principle 17. One Mediatour betweene God man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2. ¶ The 18. Principle 18. Who soeuer seeketh in the law to be iustified is fallen from grace ¶ The 19. Principle 19. In Christ be all the promises of God Est Amen 2. Cor. 1. ¶ The 20. Principle 20. Let euery soule be subiect to superiour powers gyuyng to Caesar that which is Cesars to God that which is Gods Rom. 13. These principles and infallible rules of the Scripture as no man can denie so if they be granted the doctrine thē of the Popes Church must needes be found not to be Catholike but rather full of errours and heresies as in the sequele folowing remaineth more expressely and particularly by the grace of Christ to be conuinced ¶ Here foloweth a Summary collection of the errours heresies and absurdities conteyned in the popes doctrine contrary to the rules of Gods vvord and the first institution of the Church of Rome Of Faith and Iustification FIrst as touching the onely meanes and instrumentall cause of our iustificatiō wherby the merits of Christes Passiō be applied to vs made ours ye heard before how S. Paule onely ascrybeth the same to faith as appeareth by all his letters especially to the Romanes Where he excluding al kind of works ascribeth al our saluation iustification righteousnes reconciliation and peace with god onely to faith in Christ. Contrary to which doctrine the Pope and his church hath set vp diuers and sondry other meanes of their owne deuising whereby the merites of Christes passion they saye are applyed to vs and made ours to the putting away of sinnes and for our iustification as hope charitie sacrifice of the Masse auricular confession satisfacion merits of Saintes and holy orders the
his mynd molested his vnderstanding did not fayle him as it is the maner of men to do but out of the aboundance of his hart his mouth did speake And feruent charitie did appeare in his words as kindled sparcles He said O crosse most welcome and long looked for with a willing mynde ioyfully and desirously I come to thee beyng the Scholer of him which did hang on thee Because I haue bene alwayes thy louer and haue coueted to embrace thee So beyng crucified he yelded vp the Ghost and fell on sleepe the day before the Calendes of December Mathew otherwise named Leui first of a Publicane made an Apostle wrote his gospell to the Iewes in the Hebrue tongue as recordeth Eusebius lib. 3.24.39 lib 5. cap. 8. cap. 10. Also Iraeneus lib 3. cap. 1. Item Hieronymus in Catalogo script Ecclesiast concerning the doings and decreementes of this blessed Apostle and Euangelist diuers things bee recorded by Iulius Africanus vnder the pretensed name of Abdias Also of Vincentius Perionius and others but in such sort as by the contents may greatly be suspected the matter not to lacke some craftie forgerie for the more establishment of latter decretals and Romish doctrine as touching merites consecration of Nunnes the superstitious prescription of Lent fast not onely in abstainyng from all fleshmeates but also from all matrimoniall copulatiō betwene man and wife during the said tyme of holy Lent Item the straight prohibition not to taste any bodily sustenance before the receiuing of the Lordes supper In ordaining of Masse and that no Nunne must marry after the vowe of her profession with such other like Ioan de Monte Regali testifieth of Mathias that after he had preached to the Iewes at length he was stoned beheaded Some other record that he died in Ethiopia Philippus the holy Apostle after he had much laboured among the barbarous nations in preaching the worde of saluation to them at length he suffered as the other Apostles did in Hierapolis a citie of Phrygia being there crucified and stoned to death where also he was buried his daughters also with him Isido * Of Iames the brother of the Lord thus we read in the story of Clement and Egesippus AFter that Festus had sent the Apostle Paul vnto Rome after his appellatiō made at Caesaria that the Iewes by the meanes thereof had lost their hope of performing their malicious vow against him conceiued they fel vpon Iames the brother of our Lord who was bishop at Ierusalem against whom they being bent with like malice brought him forth before them and required him to denye before all the people the faith of Christ. But he otherwise then they all looked for freely and with a greater constancie before all the multitude confessed Iesus to be the sonne of God our Sauiour and our Lord. Wherupon they not being able to abide the testimonie of this man any longer because he was thought to be the iustest among all for the highnes of deuine wisedome and godlinesse which in liuing he declared they killed him finding the more opportunitie to accomplish their mischiefe because the kingdom the same tyme was vacant For Festus being dead in Iewrie the administration of that prouince was destitute of a ruler and a deputie But after what maner Iames was killed the words of Clement do declare which writeth that he was cast doune from the pinacle of the temple and being smitten with the instrument of a Fuller was slain but Egesippus which liued in the tyme next after the Apostles describeth this cause diligently in his fift Commentarie after this maner as followeth Iames the brother of our Lord tooke in hand to gouern the Church after the Apostles beyng counted of all men from the tyme of our Lord to be a iust and perfect man Many and diuers other Iameses there were beside him but this was borne holy from his mothers wombe he dronke no wine nor any strong drinke neither did he cate any liuing creature the rasor neuer came vpon his head he was not annointed with oyle neither did he vse bathe to him onely was it lawfull to enter into the holy place neyther was he clothed with woollen cloth but with silke and he onely entred into the temple falling vpon his knees asking remission for the people so that his knees by ofte kneling lost the sence of feeling being benumined hardened like the knees of a Camell He was for worshipping God and crauing forgiuenes for the people called iust for the exceliencie of his iust life named Oblias which if you do interprete it is the sauegard and iustice of the people as the Prophets declare of him therefore when as many of the heretikes which were among the people asked him what maner of dore Iesus should be he aunswered that he was the Sauiour Wherof some do beleue him to be Iesus Christ but the aforesaid heretikes neither beleue the resurrection neither that any shall come which shal render vnto euery man according to his workes but as many as beleue they beleued for Iames cause When as many therefore of the Princes did beleue there was a tumult made of the Scribes Iewes and Phariseis saying it is daungerous least that all the people do looke for this Iesus as for Christ therfore they gathered themselues togither sayd vnto Iames We beseech thee restrain the people for they beleue in Iesus as though he were Christ. We pray thee perswade them all which come vnto the feast of the Passeouer of Iesus for we are all obedient vnto thee and all the people do testifie of thee that thou art iust neither that thou doest accept the person of any man therefore perswade the people that they be not deceiued in Iesus and all the people and we will obey thee therfore stand vpon the piller of the temple that thou mayest be seene from aboue and that thy wordes may be perceiued of all the people for to this passeouer all the tribes do come with all the countrey And thus the forenamed Scribes and Phariseis did set Iames vpon the battlements of the Church and they cried vnto him and sayd thou iust man whom all we ought to obey because this people is led after Iesus which is crucified tell what is the dore of Iesus crucified and he aunswered with a great voyce what do you aske me of Iesus the sonne of man seeyng that he sitteth on the right hand of God in heauen and shall come in the cloudes of the skie But whō many were persuaded of this they glorified God vpon the witnes of Iames and sayd Osanna in the highest to the sonne of Dauid Then the Scribes and the Phariseis sayd among themselues we haue done euill that we haue caused such a testimony of Iesus But let vs go vp and let vs take him that they being compelled with feare may deny that faith And they cried out saying O O this iust man also is seduced and
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
Philadelphia suffered Martyrdome at Smyrna which Policarpus specially aboue the rest is had in memory so that hee in all places among the Gentiles is most famous And this was the ende of this worthy disciple of the Apostles Whose hystory the brethren of the congregation at Smyrna haue wrytten in this their Epistle as is aboue recited Iraeneus in his 3. booke against heresies the 3 chap. and Eusaebius in his 4. booke and 14. chap. of his Ecclesiasticall history reporteth this worthy saying of Poticarpus This Policarpus sayth hee meeting at a certeine time Martion the heretick who said vnto him doest thou not know me made answere I know that thou art the first begotten of Sathan So great feare what euil might ensue therof had the Disciples of the Apostles that they would not speake to them whom they knew to be the deprauers of the verytie euen as Paule saith The hereticke after the first and second admonition shonne and auoyd Knowing that he which is such one is peruerse or frowarde and damneth himselfe This most holy confessour and Martyr of Christ Policarpus suffered death in the fourth persecution after Nero when Marcus Antonius and Lucius Aurelius Commodus raigned an Dom. 167. as Vrsperg affirmeth an 170. as Eusebius witnesseth in his Chronicles the 7. before the Calendes of Februarie Of Germanicus mention is made aboue in the storye of Policarpus of whome writeth Eusebius Lib. 4. cap. 15. notyng him to be a younge man and most constantly to perseuere in the profession of Christes doctrine whom wheÌ„ the Proconsul went about to perswade to remember his age and to fauor him selfe being in the floure of his age he woulde nor be allured but constaÌ„tly and boldly and of his owne accorde incited and prouoked the wild beast to come vpon him and to deuour him to be deliuerd more spedely out of this wretched life Haec Eusebius an 170. Thus haue you heard out of the Epistle of the brethren of Smyrna the whole order and liâ—e of Policarpus wherby it may appeare that he was a very aged maÌ„ who had serued Christ lxxxvj yeares since the first knowledge of him and serued also in the ministery about the space of 70. yeares This Policarpus was the schooler and hearer of Iohn the Euangelist and was placed by the sayde Iohn in Smyrna Of him also Ignatius maketh mention in his Epistle which he wrote in his iourney to Rome going toward his martyrdome and commended to him the gouernement of hys Church at Antioch whereby it appeareth that Policarpus then was in yâ— ministery Likewise Iraeneus writeth of the sayd Policarpus after this maner He alwaies taught sayd he those things which he learned of the Apostles leauing them to the Church and are onely true Wherevnto also at the Churches that be in Asia and all they which succeeded after Policarpus to this day beareth witnes And the same Irenaeus witnesseth also that the sayd Policarpus wrote an Epistle to the Phillipians which whether it be the same that is now extant and read in the name of Policarpus it is doubted of some notwithstanding in the sayd Epistle diuers things are founde very holesome and Apostolicke as where he teacheth of Christ of iudgement and of the resurrection Also he writeth of faith very worthily thus declaryng that by grace we are saued and not by works but in the will of God by Iesus Christ. In Eusebius we reade in like maner a part of an Epistle written by Irenaeus to Florinus wherin is declared how that the said Irenaeus being yet yong was with Policarpus in Asia at what time he saw well remembred what Policarpus did and the place where he sat teaching his whoâ—e order of life and proportion of his body with the sermons wordes which he said to the people And furthermore he perfectly remembred howe that the saide Policarpus often times reported vnto him those thinges which hee learned and heard them speake of the Lord his dooinges power and doctrine who heard the worde of life with their owne eares all which were more consonant and agreable to the holy Scripture Thus with much more hath Irenaeus concerning Policarpus Hierome also writing of the same Policarpus hath howe he was in great estimation throughout all Asia for that he was scholer to the Apostles and to them which did see and were conuersant with Christ himselfe whereby it is to be coniectured his authority to be much not onely with them of his owne Church but wyth all other Churches about him Ouer and besides it is witnessed by the sayd Irenaeus that Policarpus came to Rome in the time of Anicetus Byshop of Rome about the yere of our Lord. 157. in yâ— raigne of Antoninus Pius whose cause of his comming thether appeareth to be about the controuersie of Easterday wherin the Asians and the Romanes somthing disagreed amonge theÌ„selues And therfore the said Policarpus in the behalfe of the brethren and Church of Asia tooke his long iourneye thether to come and conferre with Anicetus Wherof wryteth also Nicephorus Lib. 4. declaring that Policarpus and Anicetus something varied in opinions and iudgement about that mater And that notwithstanding yet both freÌ„dly communicated either with the other insomuch that Anicetus in his Church gaue place to Policarpus to minister the Communion and Sacrament of the Lordes Supper for honour sake which may be a notable testimony now to vs that the doctrine concerning the free vse and liberty of ceremonies was at that time retained in the church without any offence of stomacke or breach of Christian peace in the Church This Policarpus as is aboue mentioned suffered his Martyrdome euen in his owne Church at Smyrna where he had laboured so many yeares in planting of the Gospel of Christ which was about the yeare of our Lorde 170. as Eusebius rekoneth in his Chronicle and in the 7. yeare of Antoninus Verus his raigne wherby it appeareth that Socrates in Historia tripartita was much deceaued saying that Policarpus suffered in the time of Gordianus In this fourth persecution beside Policarpus and other mentioned before we read also in Eusebius of diuers other who at the same time likewise did suffer at Smyrna Ouer and besides in the said persecution suffered moreouer Metrodorus a ministrr who was giuen to the fier so consumed An other was worthy Pionius which after much boldnes of speeche with his Apologies exhibited his sermons made to the people in the defence of christian sayth and after much reheuyng and comforting of such as were in prisons and otherwise discoÌ„forted at last was put to cruell torments and afflictions then giuen likewise to the fire so finished his blessed martyrdome After these also suffered Carpus Papylus and Agathonyca a woman who after their most constaunt and worthye confessions were put to death at Pergamopolis in Asia witnessing Eusebius Lib. 4 cap 7.
whereof the occasion beyng taken onely of the Iewes the slaunder therof therfore he prooueth to be falsly and wroÌ„gfully laid to the charge of the Christians And likewise against all other lies and slaunders obiected of the Heathen against the Christians the sayd Tertullian purgeth the Christians declaring them falsly to be belied wrongfully persecuted not for any defect of theirs but only for the hatred of their name And yet notwithstaÌ„ding by the same persecutions he prooueth in the same Apologie the religion of the christians nothing to be empaired but rather encreased The more saith he we are mowen doune of you the moe rise vp The bloud of Christians is seede For what man sayth he in beholding the painfull torments and the perfect patience of them will not search and inquire what is in the cause And when he hath found it out who will not agree vnto it And when he agreeth to it who will not desire to suffer for it Thus faith he this sect will neuer die which the more it is cutdoune the more it groweth For euery man seing and wondring at the sufferance of the Saints is mooued the more therby to search the cause in searching he findeth it and in finding he followeth it Tertul in eodem Apolog. Thus Tertullian in this daungerous tyme of persecution being stirred vp of God defended the innoceÌ„cie of the Christians against the blasphemy of the aduersaries and moreouer for the instruction of the church compiled many fruitfull workes whereof some are extant some are not to be found Notwithstanding the great learning famous vertues of this worthy maÌ„ certaine errors and blemishes are noted in his doctrine as were before both of Origine Irenaeus and likewise of them were they neuer so excellent that followed them Which errors all here in order to note and comprehend were too long a matter for this story to prosecute This by the way shall be sufficient to admonish the Reader neuer to looke for any such perfection of any man in this world how singular so euer he be Christ onely excepted but some blemishe or other ioyneth himselfe withall whereof more perchaunce shall be sayd when we come to Cyprian And now to returne agayne to the order of bishops of Rome intermitted after Eleutherius afore mentioned next in the bishoprike of Rome succeded Victor who as Platina sayth died quietly in the dayes of Seuerus But Damasus Supplementum Lib. 8. and such as folow the common Chronicles affirme that he died a Martyr after he had sitten x. or as some say xij yeares This Victor was a great styrreâ— as partly before is signified in the controuersie and contention of Easterday For the which he would haue proceded in excommunication against the churches of Asia had not Irenaeus then bishop of Lions with the counsaile of other his brethren there asseÌ„bled repressed his intended violence As touching that coÌ„trouersie of Easter in those dais of the primitiue Church the originall thereof was this as Eusebius Socrates Platina and other record First certain it is that the Apostles onely being intentiue and attendaunt to the doctrine of saluation gaue no heed nor regard to the obseruation of dayes times neither bound the Church to any ceremoniâ—s and rites except those things necessary mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles as strangled and bloud which was ordayned then of the holy Ghost notwithout a most vrgent and necessary cause touched partly in the history before For when the murdering and bloud of Infants was commonly obiected by the Heathen perseâ—utors agaynst the Christians they had no other argumeÌ„t to help theÌ„selues nor to refell the aduersarie but only their own law by the which they were commauÌ„ded to abstaine not onely from all mens bloud but also from the bloud of all coÌ„mon beastes And therefore that law seemeth by the holy Ghost to be geuen also to the same end continued in the Church so long as the cause that is the persecutions of the Heathen Gentiles continued Beside these we read of no other ceremonies or rites which the Apostles greatly regarded but left such things free to the libertie of Christians euery man to vse therein his own discretion for the vsing or not vsing thereof Whereupon as concerning all the ceremoniall obseruations of dayes tymes places meates drinks vestures and such other of all these things neither was the diuersitie among men greatly noted nor any vniformitie greatly required In so much that Irenaeus writing to Victor of the tradition of dayes and of fastings and of the diuersitie of these things then vsed among the primitiue fathers saith Nihilo tamen minus omnes Illi pacem inter se retinuerunt retinemus etiamnuÌ„ leiunij dissonantia fidei concordiam commendat c. That is Notwithstanding all this varietie all they kept peace among themselues yet we keepe it still and this difference of fasting among vs commendeth more the concord of faith And so long did the doctrine of Christian libertie remaine whole sounde in the Church till the tyme of Victor which was about the yeare of our Lord 200. Although the diuersitie of these vsages began something before also in the dayes of Pius and Anicetus about the yere of our Lord 163. to be misliked yet restraint hereof was not so much vrged before as in the tune of Victor And yet neither did the violeÌ„ce of Victor take such place but that the doctrine of Christian libertie was defended and maintained by meanes of Irenaeus and other and so continued in the Church till after the Councell of Nice And thus much concerning the doctrine of Christian libertie of the differences of rites and ceremonies Now to returne to Victor agayne to shew what diuersitie there was in obseruing the day of Easter and how it came thus is the story First in the tyme of Pius and Anicetus an 163. the questioÌ„ of Easter day began first to be moued at what tyme Pius by the reuelation of Hermes decreed the obseruatioÌ„ of that day to be chaunged from the wonted maner of the 14. day of the moone in the first moneth vnto the next Sonday after After him came Anicetus Soter and Eleutherius Bishops of Rome which also determined the same Agaynst these stode Melito Bishop of Sardis Polycarpus and as some thinke Egesippus with other learned men of Asia which Polycarpus being sent by the brethren of Asia came to Rome as is aforesayd to coÌ„ferre with Anicetus in that matter wherin when they could not agree after long debating yet notwithstanding they did both coÌ„municate together with reuereÌ„ce departed in peace And so the celebration of Easterday remained Adiaphoron as a thing indifferent in the Church till the time of Victor Who folowing after Anicetus and hys fellowes and chiefly stirring in this matter endeuoured by all meanes and might to draw or rather subdue the Churches of Asia vnto hys opinion thinking moreouer to
of the first institutors and commenders of that superstition Chrysostomus Nazianzenus Euagrius Sozomenus Dionysius and diuers other In the number of these monkes which then were deuided into Herâ—mites or Anachorites and into Coenobites wexe Antonius Paulus Ioannes wyth diuers other recluses Among the which was Hierome Basile Macarius Isidorus Pambus Nilammon Simeon with infinite other both in Palestina Syria Thebaide Mesopotamia in Egypt in Africa and Scythia In so much that Cassianus Lib. 2. cap. 4. de Canon Noctur orat maketh mention of a certaine Monastery in Thebaide wherin were aboue 5000. monks vnder the gouernment of one Abbot And here also in England mention is made before of Bangor wherein were two thousand two hundred Monkes vnder one mans ruling in the yeare of our Lord 596. wherby it appeareth that Monkes were then and 2000. yeares before in the primitiue tyme of the Church But what monks these were is to be considered Such as either by tiranny of persecution were driuen into solitary and desert places or els such as not constrained of any but of their owne voluntary deuotion ioyned with some superstition among for the loue they had to spirituall contemplation and for hatred of the wicked world withdrewe themselues from all company either hauyng nothyng to themselues proper or els all things common with other And all these were then nothing els but lay men Of which lay men there were two sundry sortes one of the vulgare common people which onely were pertakers of the Sacraments the other in folowing a Monasticall kynde of lyfe were called Monkes beyng nothing but lay men leadyng a more seuere and straighter trade of lyfe then the other as may sufficiently appeare by August Lib. de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 13. Item Lib. de operibus Monachorum Item Epistola ad Aurelium Also by Hierome ad Heliodorum writing these wordes Alia Monachorum est causa alia clericorum Clerici pascunt oues ego pascor c. That is One thing pertaineth to Monkes an other thing to them of the Clergy They of the Clergy feede their flocke I am fed c. Et ex Dionysio Also the same appeareth likewise by the 4. Canon of the Councel of Chalcedone where it is prouided Ne Monachi se Ecclesiasticis negocijs immisceant That is That Monkes should not intermedle with matters of the Church c. Et Leo Epistola 62 vetat Monachos laicos etsi scientie nomine glorientur admitti ad officium docendi concionandi By these foresayd authors alledged it is euident that Monkes in the former age of the church albeit they lyued a solitary life yet they were then no other but only lay meÌ„ differing from priests differing from the other monkes which succeeded them afterward in the middle age of the Church and that in iij. pointes First they were tyed and bound to no prescript forme eyther of diet or apparel or any thing els as we may see testified by the wordes of S. Augustine which be these Neque inter haec nemo vrgetur in aspera quae ferre non potest Nulli quod recusat imponitur Nec ideo contemnitur à caeteris in quod eis imitandis se fatetur inualidum Meminerunt enim quantoperè commendata sit in Scripturis charitas Meminerunt omnia munda mundis c NoÌ„ quod intrat in os coinquinat hominem sed quod exit Itaque non reijciendis generibus ciborum quasi pollutis sed concupiscentiae perdomandae dilectioni fratrum retinendae inuigilat omnis industria And Sozomenus Lib 3. cap. 16. speaking of the Monkes of the same time which in cities had seuerall mansions froÌ„ other sayth Alij in turba ciuitatum conuersabantur sic seipsos gerentes vt nullius momenti viderentur à multis nihil differrent c. 1. Some liued in cities so behauing themselues as seeming nothing worth and they differed nothyng from the multitude c. The second point wherin they were discrepant from the latter Monkes was in that they remained no other but in the order of lay men onely beyng of a straighter lyfe then the rest and had nothing to do in matters charges Ecclesiasticall Which was afterward broken by Pope Bonifacius the 4. as followeth more the lord willing to be sene and sayd Thirdly the foresaid monkes of that age albeit the most part of them liued sole single from wiues yet some of them were maried certes none of them were forbidden or restrayned from mariage Of such as were maried speaketh Athanasius in Epistola ad Dracontium qui ait se nouisse Monachos Episcopos coniuges liberorum patres c. That is which sayth that he knew both Monkes and Bishops maried men and fathers of children c. And yet the said Monkes of the old tyme though they were better then the other which folowed them yet al that notwithstanding superstitioÌ„ with them and among them begaÌ„ then to creepe into the church through the crafty subtilty of Sachan and all for the ignorance of our free iustification by faith in Iesus Christ. Examples do declare the vaine and prodigious superstitioÌ„ of these Monasticall sort of men which examples do not lacke if 〈◊〉 rather did not lacke to bring them in But ij or iij. shal suffice for many which I purpose the Lord willing here to insert to the intent the mind of the godly reader may the better consider and vnderstand how shortly after the tyme of Christ and his Apostles the doctrine of christian iustification began to be forgotten true religion turned to superstition the price of Christes passion to bee obscured through the vayne opinion of mens merites c. A certaine Abbot named Moses thus testifieth of himselfe in the Collations of Cassianus that he so afflicted himselfe with much fastyng and watching that sometimes for ij or iij. dayes together not onely he felt no appetite to eate but also had no remeÌ„braunce of any meat at all and by reason thereof was driuen also froÌ„ sleepe In so much that he was caused to pray to God but for a little refreshing of sleepe to be geuen him some piece of the night In the same author mention is made of a certaine old man an Hermite who because hee had conceiued in himselfe such a purpose neuer to eat meat without he had some guest or straÌ„ger with him sometyme was constrained to abstaine v. daies together vntil Sonday while he came to the Church and there brought some stranger or other home with him Two other examples yet more will I adde out of the said Cassianus to declare how the subtiltie of Sathan thorough superstition and false colour of holynes blindeth the miserable eyes of such which rather attend mens traditions then the word of God In the xl chap. of the sayd author in his booke de Gastrimargia is told of a certain Abbot named Ioannes
desired the pope it might be abolished for that it should be no cause of any dissention hereafter The Pope vnderstanding the intent of the Emperor how loth he was to come vnder subiectiō to his see deuised by all crafty wayes to bring it to passe And first taking his occasion by the bishop of Laodicea beyng thē detained in custody I cannot tell by whom sent diuers and sharpe letters vnto him And yet not so sharpe as proud disdainfull Wherin the first saluration by his legates was this in Latine Salutat vos beatissimus pater noster Papa vniuersitas Cardinalium ille vt pater hij vt fratres That is our most blessed father the Pope greeteth you and the vniuersall company of the Cardinals he as your father they as your brethren Meaning therby that he should vnderstād himselfe to be subiect and vnderlyng to the Pope no lesse then the Cardinals were Moreouer in his letters obiecting diuers things against him reciteth how many and great benefites he had receiued of the church of Rome by the which church he had obteyned the fulnesse of his honor and dignity c. The Emperour with his princes perceiuing whereunto the Pope by his Legates did shoot beyng a prince of courage could not abide such intollerable presumption of a proud message whereupon much contention fell betwene the Legates and the Princes And of whom then say the Legates receyueth Cesar the Emperie if he take it not of the Pope with the which word the Germaine princes were so much offended that had not the Emperour stayed them with much ado they would haue vsed violence against the Legates But the Emperour not permitting that commaūded the Legates away straightly charging them to make no turne by the way to any person or persons but straight to depart home And he to certifie the whole state of the Empire of the truth of the matter direcreth forth these letters that follow The tenour of the Emperours letter sent through all his Empire FOrasmuch as the prouidence of God whereof dependeth all power both in heauen and earth hath committed to vs hys annointed this our regiment and Impery to be gouerned and the peace of his Churches by our Imperiall armes to bee protected we cannot but lament and complaine to you with great sorrow of heart seyng such causes of dissention the roote and fountaine of euils and the infection of pestiferous corruption thus to rise from the holy church imprinted with the seale of peace and loue of Christ. By reason wherof except God turne it away we feare the whole body of the church is like to be polluted the vnitie thereof to be broken and a schisme and deuision to be betwixt the spirituall and temporall regiment For we beyng a late at Bisunze there intreating busily of matters pertaining as well to the honor of our Empire as to the wealth of churches there came Embassadors of the see Apostolicall declaring they brought a legacie to our maiestie of great importaunce redounding to no small commoditie of our honour and Empire Who then the first day of their comming beyng brought to our presence and receyued of vs as the maner is with honour accordingly audience was geuen them to heare what they had to say They forthwith brusting out of the Mammon of iniquitie hautie pride stoutnesse and arrogancie out of the execrable presumption of their swelling hart did their message with letters Apostolicall whereof the tenor was this That we should alwayes haue before our eyes how that our soueraign lord the Pope gaue vs the Imperiall crowne and that it doth not repent him if so be it we haue receiued greater benefites at his hand And this was the effect of that so sweete and fatherly legation which should nourish peace both of the church and of the Empire to vnite thē fast together in the band of loue At the hearing of this so false vntrue and most vaine glorious presumption of so proud a message not only the Emperors maiestie conceiued indignation but also all the Princes there present were mooued with such anger and rage the reat that if our presence and request had not stayed them they could not haue held their hands from these wicked priests or els to haue proceeded with sentence of death against them Furthermore because a great number of other letters partly written already partly with seales ready signed for letters to be written according as they should thinke good to the Churches of Germany were found about them whereby to worke their conceiued intent of iniquitie here in our churches to spoile the aultars to cary away the iewels of the church and to fley the limmes and plates of golden crosses c. To the intent their auaricious meaning should haue no further power to raigne we gaue them commaundement to depart the same way they came And now seyng our raigne and Empery standeth vpon the election of Princes from God alone who in the passion of his sonne subdued the world to be gouerned with two swords necessary And againe seyng Peter the Apostle hath so informed the world with this doctrine Deum timete Regem honorificte that is Feare God honour your king Therfore who so sayth that we haue possesse our imperiall kingdom by the benefite of the Lord Pope is contrary both to the ordinance of God and to the doctrine of Peter and also shal be reproued for a lyer Therfore as our endeuour hath bene heretofore to helpe and to deliuer the seruile captiuitie of churches out of the hand and from the yoke of the Egyptians and to maintayne the right of their liberties and dignities we desire you all with your compassion to lament with vs this slaundrous and ignominie inferred to vs and our kingdome trusting that your faithfull good wil which hath bene euer trusty to the honour of this Empire neuer yet blemished from the first beginning of this citie and of religion will prouide that it shall haue no hurt through the strange noueltie and presumptuous pride of such Which thing rather than it should come to passe know you this for certaine I had rather incurre the danger of death then to suffer such confusion to happen in our dayes This letter of Cesar fretted the Pope not a little who wrote again to the bishops of Germany accusing the emperor and willing them to worke against him what they could they answer againe with all obedience to the Pope submitting themselues and yet excusing the emperor and blaming him rather And exhorted him henceforth to temper his letters and legacies with more gentlenes and modestie the which counsaile he also followed perceiuing otherwise that he could not preuayle Much trouble had good Fridericus with this Pope but much more with the other that followed For this Pope continued not very long the space only of 4. yeres odde months About whose tyme rose vp the order of the Hermites by one William once duke of
thus to come About the yeare of the Lord 1160. it chaunced that diuers of the best and chiefest heades of the Citty of Lyons talking and walking in a certayne place after their olde accustomed maner especially in the Sommer time conferred and consulted together vpon matters either to passe ouer time or to debate thinges to be done Amongst whom it chaunced one the rest looking vpon to fall downe by sodeine death In the number of whom this foresayd Waldus there being amongest them was one Who beholding the matter more earnestly then the other and terrified with so heauy an exaÌ„ple being as is sayd a rich man and Gods holy spirit working withall was stroken with a deepe inward repeÌ„tance wherevpon folowed a new alteratioÌ„ with a carefull study to reforme his former life In somuch that first he began to minister large almes of his goods to such as needed SecoÌ„dly to instruct himselfe and his familye with the true knowledge of Gods word Thirdly to admonish all that resorted to him by any occasion to repentaunce and vertuous amendment of life Wherby partly through his large geuing to the poore partly through his diligent teaching wholesome admonitions more resort of people daily frequeÌ„ted about him Whom when he did see ready and diligent to learne begaÌ„ to geue out to them certayne rudiâ—ents of the Scripture which he had translated himselfe into the French tongue For as he was a man welthy in riches so he was also not vnlearned Although Laziardus Volateranus with other note him vtterly vnlearned charge him with ignoraunce as who should procure other to write and translate for him By other that haue seene his doings yet remaining in old parchment monuments it appeareth he was both able to declare and translate the books of scripture also did collect the doctors mind vpon the same But whatsoeuer he was lettred or vnlettred the byshops and prelats seing him so to intermeddle with scriptures and to haue such resort about him albeit it was but in his own house vnder priuate confereÌ„ce could not abide either that the scriptures should be declared of any other neither would they take the paines to declare it theÌ„selues So being moued with great malice against the man threatned to excommunicate him if he did not leaue so to doe Ualdus seing his doing to be but godly and their malice stirred vp vpoÌ„ no iust nor godly cause neglecting yâ— threaminges frettinges of the wicked said that god must be obeied more then man to be brief the more diligeÌ„t he was in setting forth the true doctrine of Christ against the errors of Antichrist the more maliciously their fiercenes increased Insomuch that when they did see their excommunication to be despised would not serue they ceased not with prison with sword and banishment to persecute till at length they had driuen both Ualdus and all the fauourers of his true preaching out of the city Wherupon came first their name that they were called Ualdenses or pauperes de Lugduno not because the would haue all things coÌ„mon amongst them or that they professing any wilfull pouerty would imitate to liue as the Apostles did as Siluius did falsly belie them but because they being thrust out both of coutrey and goods were coÌ„pelled to liue poorly whether they would or no. And thus much touching the first occasion and beginning of these men and of the restoring and maintayning the true doctrine of Christs gospell agaynst the proud proceedings of popish errors Now concerning their articles whiche I finde in order and in number to be these SOlis sacris literis credendum esse in ijs quae ad salutem c. That is Onely the holy Scripture is to be beleued in matters pertayning to saluation and no mans writing or man besides 2. All things to be contayned in holy Scripture necessary to saluation and nothing to be admitted in religion but what onely is commaunded in the word of God 3. To be one alonely mediator Other saintes in no wise to be made mediators or to be inuocated 4. To be no purgatory but that all men either by Christ are iustified to life or without Christ to be condemned and besides these two neither any third or fourth place to be 5. That all masses namely such as be song for the dead to be wicked and to be abrogate 6. All mens traditions to be reiected at least not to be reputed as necessary to saluation and therefore this singing superfluous chaunting in the chauncell to be left constrained prefixed fasts bouÌ„d to dayes tunes difference of meates such variety of degrees and orders of Priestes friers monkes nunnes superfluous holidayes so mady sundry benedictions hallowing of creatures vowes peregrinations with all the rabblement of rites ceremonies brought in by man to be abolished 7. The supremacy of the Pope vsurping aboue all churches and especially aboue all politick realmes gouernments or for him to occupye or vsurpe the iurisdiction of both the swordes to be denied neither that any degree is to be receiued in the Church but onely Priests Deacons and Bishops 8. The communion vnder both kindes to be necessary to all people according to the institution of Christ. 9. Item the church of Rome to be the very Babilon spoken of in the Apocalips And the Pope to be the fountaine of all error and the very Antichrist 10 The popes pardons and indulgences they reiect 11. The mariage of Priestes and of ecclesiasticall persons to be godly and also necessary in the Church 12. Such as heare the word of God haue a right fayth to be the right Church of Christ. And to this Church the keyes of the church to be geuen to driue away wolues to institute true pastors to preach the word and to minister the Sacraments These be the most principall articles of the Uladenses albeit some there be that adde moe to them some agayne deuide the fame into moe partes But these be the principall to which the rest be reduced The same Ualdenses at length exiled were dispersed in diuers sundry places of whom many remayned long in Bohemia which writing to theyr king Uladislaus to purge themselues agaynst the slaundrous accusations of one D. Augustine gaue vp theyr confession with an Apology of theyr christian profession defending with strong learned argumeÌ„ts the saine which now is receiued in most reformed churches both concerning grace fayth charitye hope repentaunce and workes of mercy As for purgatory they say that Tho. Aquinas is the author thereof Concerning the Supper of the Lord their fayth was that it was ordayned to be eaten not to be shewed worshipped for a memoriall not for a sacrifice to serue for the preseÌ„t ministration not for reseruation to be receiued at the table not be caryed out of the dores according to the auncient vse of the primitiue church when they vsed to coÌ„municate sitting And this they proue
an example to the flocke and when the chiefe Pastor shall appeare you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of eternall glory c. And this is the doctrine of Peter as they shal se which do not obey it As for vs the other part of the sayd Epistle is sufficient Wherein he willeth thē to reioice which are in heauines through manifolde temptations that the triall of theyr sayth being much more precious thē gold that perisheth and is tryed in fire may be theyr laud honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Iesu. c. But beare with me I pray you O holy Father and of all your Predecessors most meekest and suffer my wordes though the seme something sharpe for they be sighings of a sorrowfull hart Wherefore gird about your loynes with fortitude and light vp the candle of your descretion and seeke the groat that is lost of the vnity I meane of sayth And we will also with like compassion ioyne with your holynesse and will not spare this weake body of mine in pretending any excuse either of age or lēgth of the way For the more laborous the trauell is the moe crownes it bringeth And S. Paule sayth Euery man shall receiue reward according to his trauell c. Neither are we ignoraunt if it please your holinesse that like as we Grecians for our partes do labour in all respectes to keepe and obserue the sincerity of true sayth and doctrine not to erre ne swerue in any part or poynt from the statutes of the blessed Apostles and auncient fathers so the Church likewise of old Rome doth for her part labour also we know well to follow the sincere verity of Christian doctrine and thinketh her selfe to erre in nothing nor to neede any remedye or reformation And this we know is the iudgement and saying of both the Churches aswell of the Greekes as of the Latines For no man can see any spot in his owne face without he stoope downe to the glasse or els be admonished by some other whether his face be blotted or no. Euen so haue we many great sayre glasses set before vs first the cleare Gospell of Christ the Epistles of the Apostles and diuinitie bookes of auncient writers Let vs therefore looke in them well They will shew euery mans minde and iudgement whether he go right or wrong The God of peace tread downe Sathan speedely vnder our feet The author of peace confound the sower of discord He that is the cause of all goodnes destroy the hater of that which is good and which geueth cause of offence and slaunder And he which is God of all ioy and peace send to vs whiche are the shepheardes of his sheepe reasonable the aungell of peace and messenger of great glad tidings as he did in the Natiuitye of Christ to the shepheardes of brute sheepe and vnreasonable and make vs worthy to sing that ioyfull song of Gods prayse Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas and to receiue one an other with an holy kisse The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the peace of God the Father and the communion of the holy spirit be with you alwayes Amen ¶ An other Epistle of the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople and Primate of the Greek Church to the Cardinals of Rome AN other letter the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople wrote also the same time to the Popes Cardinals wherin he first commending them for theyr wisedome and counsell and shewing what vtility commeth by good counsell geuing for so much as God sayth he many times that he hydeth from one inspireth to an other so that that good thing which by the almighty God is sonderly dispensed to diuers through common counsell and conference spreadeth to the publicke vtility of many c. After this eftsoones he beginneth to exhort them that they like charitable ministers and discrete counsellors will take in hand the spirituall armour of God to cast downe the stoppe partition walle of the olde discord betweene the Greekes and Latine Church that they will be a meanes to the Bishop of Rome that they which so long haue bene disseuered by dissention may now be conioyned in vnity of peace in brotherly charity and communion of fayth Concerning which matter I haue sayth he already written to his holynesse And now I beseech the king of heauen whiche tooke the shape of a seruaunt to helpe his miserable seruauntes and was exalted vpon the crosse to raise them vp which were fallen into the profundity of desolation that he will vouchsafe to put from your hartes all elation of minde extolling it selfe ouer and aboue the vnity of your brethren and fellow seruauntes and to lighten your consciences with the true light of vnderstanding that we may altogether agree in one that there be no schisme amongst vs. Let vs therefore as we are instructed so abide in one minde that it be not sayd of vs as it was of the Corinthians before vs I hold of Paule I of Apollo I of Coephas and I of Christ but that all we as we holde the name of Christ and are all called Christians so may also abide in that wherein we are instructed in one minde that is to follow loue and charity in Christ Iesus hauing alwayes in our hartes the wordes of the Apostle saying One Lord one Fayth one Baptisme And now to be playne with you in that I haue to say I shal desire you not to be offended with me in vttering the trueth as a frend vnto you The wordes sayth Salomon of a wise man telling trueth be like to nayles which be driuen in deepe And truth for the moste parte breedeth enemies And therefore though I am partly afrayd yet will I simply confesse the trueth vnto you Certes this diuision of Christian vnity amongst vs proceedeth of no other cause but onely of the tiranny oppression and exactiōs of the Church of Rome which of a mother is become a stepdame and hath put her children from her whome long time she nourished after the maner of a rauening bird which driueth her yong from her which children how much the more humble and obedient they are to her the lesse she esteemeth them and treadeth them vnder foot not regarding the saying of the Gospel Who so humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Let modesty therefore something temper you and let the auarice of the Court of Rome although it can not well out of the flesh which is bred in the bone yet surcease a while and let vs together condescend to the triall of the trueth which trueth being found out on both sides let vs constantly embrace the same For why we haue bene altogether some times both Italians and Grecians in one fayth and vnder the same Canons hauing peace each with other and defending one an other and confounding the enemies of the Church At what tyme many flying out of the west
superstition but that you may spoyle robbe the people as in Luke 20. Which deuour widowes houses by dissembling of your long prayer Glosse The which make ouer long prayers to the intent they may seeme more deuout that they may get both mony great coÌ„mendation of all such as be sicke and troubled with the burden of theyr sinnes Whose prayers be turned into sin which neither are profitable for themselues nor any other But rather shall haue for making those prayers greater damnatioÌ„ for as much as by the same they deceiue others For by this that they receiue and take both golde and siluer it appeareth that they preath not for soule healthes sake but onely for filthy lucre and gayne sake Math 10 Be ye possessours neither of gold nor siluer Glosse If they then haue these thinges they can not seeme or be thought to preach for the health of yâ— soule but for lucres sake And so sayth Hiâ—rome vpon the Prophet Malachy Because some Prophets tooke mony theyr Prophecy became diuinatioÌ„ that is to say theyr prophecy appeared not to be prophecie but diuination or inchauntment that is that such prophecy procedeth not froÌ„ God but from the deuill And this appeared in 1. q. 1. hauing this beginning NunquaÌ„ diuinatio c. Therfore these preachers which circumueÌ„t and beguile men to the inteÌ„t that they should geue them their goode either in their life time or after theyr death are not true Apostles but false Prophets The 14. signe is that false Prophets when any verity is preached which for the most part they are not acquainted with all or that touched them then begin they to chafe and barke against the same wherupoÌ„ the Apostle in the 3. chapter to the PhilippiaÌ„s saith behold the dogges Glossa Understand you that they are not dogs by nature but by their vsage conditioÌ„s barking agaynst the truth which they were neuer acquainted with And so he coÌ„pareth theÌ„ right well to dogges because dogs folow rather custome then reason So false Apostles do keepe the custome of the law do bite and barke against the truth as though they were without the gift of reason And also in the secoÌ„d epistle to Timothy the 4 chapter saying They get them instructors according to theyr owne desires Glossa Whiche may teach them what things they themselues are willing to heare because the truth seemeth nothing pleasant vnto them Therfore those preachers which barke agaynst the late reuealed truth which toucheth theÌ„ very neare therfore cause the same to be hidden kept vnder are not true Apostles but false prophets The 15. signe is that the true Apostles doe not enforce any to receiue or heare them which be vnwilling therunto but send them away rather least they should seeme to seek after some earthly and transitory thing Math 10 Who soeuer will not receiue you get you out of that Citty and shake the dust from off your feet c. Glossa That you may thereby shew that the desire of earthly thinges hath no power in you Therfore those preachers which wrastle striue as it were to that intent they would be receiued and heard are no true Apostles For as muche as the Apostle sayth Corint 11. If any man appeare among you to be ouer contentions or full strife such custome haue we none nor yet the congregation of Christ. The 16. signe is that the Apostles did not procure the indiâ—nation of those princes with whom they were esteemed and regarded against such persons as would not receiue them and heare theÌ„ according as we read in the life of Simon and Iude the Apostles The chiefe ruler being very angry commauÌ„ded a very great fire to be made that the bishops might be cast into the same all other which went about to deâ—ame the doctrine of the Apostles of Christ But the Apostles fell downe before the Emperor saying we beseech you syr let not vs be the authors or causers of this destruction or calamity Nor that we which are sent to be the preseruation of men and to reuiue those that are dead through sinne may seem to be killers of those that be aliue Therefore those preachers which seeke to stirre vp the displeasure of Princes agaynst them whose fauours now they enioy that will not receiue and heare them or rather whom they themselues hate are no true Apostles but false Prophets The 17. signe is that the Apostles of Christ haue not onely the knowledge of those things which God hath already done but also of those thinges which he will hereafter doe as in the Apoâ— 3. The beastes were full of eyes both behinde and before Glose Obtaining the knowledge of those thinges which God had done as also what he would do hereafter in the end of the world Therfore those that say they know not the perils of the church in the latter time which are prophecied afore or that they care not for them or els if they know theÌ„ not they haue not eyes be hinde and before be no true Apostles Therefore what time as they call themselues Apostles they are false prophets The 18. signe is that true Apostles do not desire the riches and goods of them to whom they preach wherby they are discerned from wolues that is to say from false Prophets Act. 20. I haue desired no mans golde nor siluer Glose By this are Wolues discerned for they desire suche thinges And agayne in the same place For those thinges which I had neede of and to those which were with me these handes haue ministred Glose This example also of labouring is a spectacle for Bishops wherby they are discerned from wolues For such as aske or beg of those to whom they preach or set any other to aske or beg in theyr names do seeme to commit simony Like Byezi of whom it is red in the third booke of kinges the fiâ—t chapt that craued certaine apparell of Naaman the Sirian to whome his maister Elizeus had restored the benefit of health Not withstanding he had gotten those garments vnwitting to his maister Whereupon Gregory Nazianzenus sayth 1. q. 1. Qui isti debetur But some man perhaps will say can not the preacher aske money or money woorth of those to whoÌ„ he preacheth Or at the least may not he beg To this may be answered If the preacher by authority preach and doth feed his flocke as a true pastor with the food of Gods word he may take money or money worth but then it is not begging or crauing but it is by authoritye as the second to Timothy the second chapter It is meete that the husband man that tilleth the ground should first and afore other receiue the commodity of his encrease Glose He putteth the vertuous preacher out of doubt not preaching for that intent to make marchaundise of the Gospell and geueth him to vnderstand that it is lawfull for him to take of them whom he feedeth as his flocke
was Dominicke the first author and founder of the preaching Fryers who laboured to the said Pope Innocent for the confirmation of his order but did not obteyne in his life tune The next yeare after this Laterane councell dyed pope Innocent an 1216. after whome came Honorius 3. who in the first yeare of his Popedome confirmed the order of the frier Dominicke and gaue to him and his fryers authority to preach and to beare confessions with diuers other priuilegies more And vnder this Pope whiche gouerned 10. yeares liued Dominick fiue yeares after y◠confirmatiō of his order and dyed an 1221. About which yeare the order of the Franciscane Friers began also to bread to spread in the world through preaching and hearing confessions After this Honorius next followed Pope Gregory the 9. about the yeare of our Lord 1228. who for the promoting of the forsayd order of Dominickes gaue out this Bull in tenour as followeth Gregorius bishop seruaunt of Gods seruauntes to his reuerende brethren Archbishops Bishoppes and to his welbeloued Children Abbots Priors and to All Prelates of churches to whom soeuer these presentes shall come greting and Apostolical blessing Because iniquitie hath abounded the charity of man hath waxt cold Behold the Lord hath raysed vp the order of our weibeloued children the preaching Friers who not seking things of their owne but pertayning to Iesus Christ to the extirping as wel of heresies as to the roting out also of other pernitious pestilenciés haue dedicate themselues to the preaching of the word of God We therfore minding to aduaunce their sacred purpose c. and followeth commaunding you to see the sayd persons gently to be receaued among you And that your flockes committed to your charge do receaue deuoutly the seede of Gods word out of their mouth and doe confesse their sinnes vnto them all suche as list whome wee haue authorised to the same to heare confessions and to enioyne penaunce c. Dat. Perusij an Pont. nostri 8. This pope Honorius dyed about the yeare of our Lord 1241. after whom came Celestinus the fourth and sat but 18. daies then came Innocentius the fourth and sat 11. yeares and 6. monethes who although he began first to fauour the friers yet afterward being altered by certayn Diuines of Uniuersities Prelates of Churches and Curates and debarred them of their liberties and priueledges gaue out agayne preceptes and excommunications as well agaynst the Friers as all other religious persons And not long after the same he was dispatched Innocentius being thus remoued out of the way about the yeare of our Lord 1353. Then succeeded Pope Alexander the fourth a great mayntainer of the Friers and sat 7. yeares He reuoked and repeated the Actes and writinges of Pope Innocent his predecessour geuen forth agaynst the Friers wherwith the Diuines and Students of Paris benig not wel contented stirred vp foure principall Doctours The first and chiefe captayne was Guliel de sancto Amore mentioned before pag. 322. against whom wrote Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquine And at last he was condemned by this foresayd Pope Alexander the 4. in the Extrau Non sine multa The second was Simon Iornalensis the third Godfridus de Fontibus the iiii Henricus de Gandauo These foure with other their complices compiled a certaiene booke against the begging order of Friers both Dominicans and Franciscās intituled Depericulis Ecclesiae cōreiningxim chapters wherof the 14. which is the last with 39. articles agaynst the Friers we haue already trāslated and expressed pag. 317. Beside these 39. articles be other vii articles moreouer to the said booke annexed vnder the name of the students of Paris against the Friers prouing why the sayd Friers ought not to be admitted into their societie which vii articles because they are but short I thought here better to place then to omit them Certaine articles geuen out by the Studentes of Paris agaynst the Fryers why they should not be admitted to theyr societie FIrst we say they are not to be admitted to the societie of our schole but vpon our will and licence For our company or fellowship ought not to be coactiue but voluntary and free Secondly we say they are not to be admitted for somuch as we oft proued their community manifold wayes to be hurtfull and incommodious Thirdly seeing they be of a diuers prosession from vs for they are called regular and not schollasticall we therfore ought not to bee ioyned and associate together in one scholasticall office For asmuch as the Councell of Spayne doth say thou shalt not plough with the Oxe and with the Asse together which is to say Men of diuers professions ought not together to be matched in one kinde of calling or standing for theyr studies and conditions be disagreeing and disseuered from ours and cannot frame or couple together in one communion Fourthly we affirme by the Apostle that they are not to be admitted because they worke dissensions and offēces For so sayth the Apostle Rom vlt. we desire you brethren that ye obserue and take heede of such as make dissentions and offēdicles about the doctrine which you haue learned by the Apostles and auoyd them For such serue not the Lord but their own belly Glose Some they flatter some they backbyte whereby they might feede their belly That through their sweete and pleasaunt wordes and by their benedictions they may deceaue the hartes of the simple Glose That is with their fine sugered and trimme couched wordes they set forth their own traditions wherewith they beguile the hartes of the simple innocentes Fiftly we say they are not to be admitted For that we feare least they be in the number of them which goe about and deuoure mens houses For they thrust in themselues into euery mans house searching and sacking the consciences and states of all persons And whom they finde easie to be seduced as women such they doe circumuent lead them away from the counsailes of their Prelates bynding them either in acte or oth from such we are warned by the Apostle to auoyd Sixtly wee say they are to bee auoyded because wee feare they are false Prophetes Whiche being neither Byshops ner parish priests nor yet their Uicares nor sent by them yet they preach not sent against the minde of the Apostle Rom. 10. saying How shall they preach except they be sent For els there appeareth in them no such great vertue for the whiche they ought to be admitted to preach vncalled Seing therefore that such are so daungerous to the Church they ought to be auoyded Seuenthly we say they are not to be admitted because they be a people so curious in searching inquiring of oother mens doings and spirituall demaynour And yet be they neyther Apostles nor yet successours of the Apostles as bishops nor of the number of the 72. Diciples of the Lord nor their successors that
statute of prouision and premunire made in the 25. yeare of thys kynges dayes And let hym read in the statutes made in the parliamentes holden the 27 yeare and 38. yeare of hys raigne And vnder the same title of prouision and premunire shall finde the popes primacie and iurisdiction wythin this Realme more nearely touched and much of hys papall power restrayned In so much that who soeuer for any cause or controuersy in law either spirituall or temporal the same being determinable in any of the kyngs courts as all matters were whether they were personall or reall citations or other or should eyther appeale or consent to any appellation to be made out of the realme to the pope or see of Rome should incurve the sayd penaltie and daunger of premunire Diuers other matters wherein the Pope is restrained of his vsurped power authoritie iurisdiction within this realme of England are in the sayd titles and statutes expressed at large set forth who euer list to peruse the same which for breuities sake I omitte hastening to other matters About this tyme being the yeare of our Lorde 1370. lyued holy Brigit whom the Church of Rome hath canonised not onely for a saint but also for a Prophetesse who notwithstanding in her booke of reuelations which hath bene oft times imprinted was a great rebuker of the pope and of the filth of his clergie callyng him a murtherer of soules a spiller and a pyller of the flocke of Christ more abhominable then Iewes more crueller thē Iudas more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer hymselfe The see of the Pope she prophesieth shal be throwne down into the deepe lyke a mylstone And that his assister shall burne with brimstone Affirmyng that the prelates byshops priests are the cause why the doctrine of Christ is neglected and almost extincted And that the clergie haue turned the ten commaundementes of God into two wordes to wyt Da pecuniam that is Geue money It were long and tedious to declare all that she against them writeth Among the rest which I omytte let this suffice for all where as the sayde Briget affirmeth in her reuelations that when the holy Uirgine should say to her sonne howe Rome was a fruitfull and fertile field yea sayd hee but of weedes onely and cockle c. To thys Briget I will ioyne also Catherina Senensis an holy virgin which lyued much about the same tyme ann 1379. Of whome writeth Antoninus part historiae 3. Thys Katherine hauyng the spirite of prophesie was wōt much to complaine of the corrupt state of the church namely of the prelates of the court of Rome of the pope prophesying before of the great schisme which then folowed in the Church of Rome and dured to the Councell of Constance the space of xxxix yeares Also of the great warres ano tribulation which ensued vpon the same And moreouer declared before and foretold of this so excellēt reformation of religion in the Church now present The words of Antoninus be these After this Uirgine in her going to Rome had tolde her brother of the warres and tumultes that should rise in the coūtries about Rome after y◠schisme of the two Popes I then curious to know of thinges to come knowing that she vnderstood by reuelation what should happen demaunded of her I pray you good mother sayd I and what shall befall after these troubles in the Church of God And she sayd By these tribulations and afflictions after a secret maner vnknowne vnto man God shall purge his holy Church and stirre vp the spirit of his elect And after these thinges shall follow suche a reformation of the holy Churche of God and suche a renouation of holye Pastors that the onelye cogitation and remembraunce thereof maketh my spirit to reioyce in the Lord And as I haue oftentimes tolde you heretofore the spouse which now is all deformed and ragged shall be adorned and deckt with most rich and precious ouches and brouches And all the faythfull shall be glad and reioyce to see themselues so beautified with so holy shepheards Yea and also the Infidels then allured by the sweet sauour of Christ shall returne to the catholicke folde and be conuerted to the true Bishop and shepheard of their soules Geue thankes therefore to God for after this storme he will geue to his a great calme And after she had thus spoken she stayd and sayd no more Beside these aforenamed the Lord which neuer ceaseth to worke in his Church styrred vp agaynst the malignant church of Rome the spirites of diuers other good godly teachers as Matthias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne who about the yeare of our Lord 1370. wrote a large book of Antechrist and proueth him already come and noteth the Pope to be the same Which booke one Illiricus a writer in these our dayes hath promiseth to put it in print In this booke he doth greatly inuey against the wickednesse and filthines of the Clergy and agaynst the neglecting of theyr duety in gouerning the church The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalips he sayth be the hypocrites raigning in the church The workes of Antechrist he sayth be these the fables and inuentions of men raigning in the Church the Images fained reliques that are worshipped euery where Itē that men do worship euery one his proper Saint and Sauior beside Christ so that euery mā and City almost hath his diuers and peculiar Christ. He taught and affirmed moreouer that godlines true worship of God are not boūd to place persons or times to be heard more in this place thē in an other at this time more thē at an other c. He argueth also agaynst the cloisterers which leauing the onely and true Sauior set vp to them selues theyr Franciscanes theyr Dominickes and suche other and haue them for theyr Sauiors glorying and triumphing in them and fayning many forged lyes vpon them He was greatly and much offended with Monks friers for neglecting or rather burying the word of Christ and in stead of him for celebrating setting vp theyr own rules and canons affirming it to be much hurtfull to true godlines for that Priestes Monkes and Nunnes do account themselues onely spirituall and all other to be lay secular attributing onely to themselues the opinion of holynes contemning other men with al theyr politick administration the office as prophane in cōparison of theyr owne He further writeth that Antechrist hath seduced all Uniuersities Colleges of learned men so that they teach no sincere doctrine neither geue any light to the Christiās with theyr teaching Finally he forewarneth that it will come to passe that God yet once againe will raise vp godly teachers who being feruent in the spirite and zeale of Helias shall disclose and refute the errors of Antechrist and Antechrist himselfe openly to the whole world This Mathias in the sayd booke of
conuicted of certayne articles and conclusions being erroneous schismaticall and hereticall preached by him at diuers places and times before a multitude of faythfull christian people And the same Articles and conclusions did he by force of lawe reuoke and abiure some as hereticall and some as erroneous and false Aduouching and beleuing them for such as that from thenceforth he would neuer preach teach or affirme openly or priuily any of the same conclusions And if by preching or aduouching he shoulde presume to doe the contrary that then he shoulde be subiect to the seuerity of the Canons accordingly as he did take a corporall oth iudicially vpon the holy Gospels 2. Also the conclusions which by the same William were first openly taught and preached and afterward abiured reuoked as is aforesaid are contained before in the processe of the B. of Lincolne euen as they be there written worde by worde And for the cases and articles they were consequently exhibited by the forenamed faithfull christian people against the said William Swinderby together with the conclusions before sayd hereafter written of which cases and articles the tenour hereof ensuâ—th 3. Item the sayd William contrary to the former reuocation abiuratioÌ„ not conuerting to repentance but peruerted from ill to worse and geuen vp to a reprobate sense came into your diocesse where he running about in sondry places hath presumed to preach or rather to peruert and to teach of his own rashneâ— many heretical erroneous blasphemous and other slaunderous things contrary and repugnant to the sacred Canons and the determination of the holy Catholike Church What those things were at what place and what time it shall hereafter more particularly be declared Item the same William notwithstanding your commaundementes and admonitions sealed with your seale to all the Curates of your diocesse directed contayning amongst other thinges that no person of what state degree or condition soeuer he were shold presume to preach or to teach or els expound the holy scripture to the people either in hallowed or prophane places within your diocesse with out sufficient authoritie by any maner of pretence that could be sought as in the same your letters monitorie of inhibition the tenor wherof hereafter ensueth is more largely conteined which letters the same William did receiue into his handes did read them word by word in the towne of Monemouth of your diocesse in the yeare of our Lord .1390 so that these your letters and the contentes thereof came to true and vndoubted knowledge of the same William yet notwithstanding hath the same William presumed in diuers places and times to preach within the same your diocesse after and agaynst your commaundement aforesayd The tenour of the same letters before mentioned followeth and is this IOhn by the sufferance of God Bishop of Hereford to the deane and Chapter of our Church of Hereford and to all and singuler Abbots Priors Prouostes Deanes rurall Parsons and Vicares of Monasteries Priores Churches Colledges and Parishes and to other hauing cure of soules within the Citty and diocesse of Herford and to all and euery other being within the same Citty and diocesse Greeting grace and blessing Forasmuch as the golden laurell of teaching doctorall is not from aboue indifferently euery mans gift neyther is the office of preaching graunted saue to such as are called and especially by the Church admitted therunto we doe admonishe and require you all and singuler Clerkes aforesayd and do straightly enioyne you all in the vertue of holy obedience that you nor any of you do admitte any man to preach or to teach the Catholique fayth sauing such as the same office of preaching shall by the authoritie Apostolicall or els your Byshop be specially committed vnto but that as much as in you shall lye you doe by worde and deede labour to let those that woulde attempte the contrary And you Lordes Ladyes Knightes Barons Esquires and all and singular persons of what estate degree preheminence or condition soeuer ye be remayning within the city and diocesse of Herford we doe beseech and exhort in our lord that following the wordes of our sauiour you beware of the leauen of the Phariseis Item according to the saying of the Apostle be not ye caryed away with diuers and straunge doctrines and that in the meane while as sayth the Apostle you be not remoued from the sense of the holy auncient fathers least that any man by any meanes shold seduce you but you agreeing together in one minde see that you honor God with one mouth But if any man to whom that thing is not specially as is aforesayd committed shall attempte to instructe or in this your life to directe you into the Catholicke faith do ye denye to geue them audience and refuse you to be present at their assembles and shun ye theyr teachinges because they be wicked and peruerse And as for vs we will not omitte to proceede according to the sacred Canons and preceptes of the holye fathers agaynst such as doe the contrary Dated at London in the house of our habitation vnder our seale the last day saue one of December in the yeare of our Lorde 1389. and of our consecration the first 5. Item the same William in his preaching to the people on Monday being the first of August in the yeare of our Lord 1390. in the parishe of Whitney of your diocesse dyd hold and affirme That no Prelate of the world of what estate preheminence or degree so euer he were of hauing cure charge of soule he being in deadly sinne hearing the confession of any vnder his hand in geuing him absolutioÌ„ doth nothing As who neither doth lose him froÌ„ his sinne nor in correcting or excoÌ„municating him for his demerites doth bind him by his sentence except yâ— prelate shall be free himself from deadly sinne as S. Peter was to whom our Lord gaue power to binde and lose 6. Item yâ— same William in many places said affirmed in the presence of many faythfull christen people that after the sacramentall wordes vttered by the priest hauing the purpose to consecrate there is not made the very bodye of Christ in the sacrament of the aulter 7. Item that accidencies cannot be in the sacrament of the aulter without a subiect and that there remayneth materiall bread there to such as be partakers communicant wyth the body of Christ in the same sacrament 8. Item that a priest being in deadly sin cannot be able by the strength of the sacramentall words to make the body of Christ or bring to perfection any other sacrament of the Church neither yet to minister it to the members of the Church 9. Item that all priestes are of like power in all things notwithstanding that some of them in this worldâ— are of higher and greater honour degree or preheminence 10. Item that onely contrition putteth away sinne if so be that a man shal be duely contrite
God deuysed ordayned for the best vnto the elect Christians The fourth Like as the mystical body of Christ is the congregation of al the Electiso Antichrist mistically is the church of the wicked of al the reprobates The fift The conclusions of Swinderby be agreable to the fayth in euery part ¶ This letter was thus subscribed By the spirite of God sometime visityng you ☞ Besides this epistle aboue prefixed there is also fouÌ„d annexed with the same a deuise of an other certayne letter couÌ„terfeited vnder the name of Lucifer prince of darknes writing to the Pope and al popishe Prelates persecuting the true and right Church with all might and mayne to maintayn their pride and domination in this earth vnder a coulourable pretence visor of the catholique church succession Apostolical Which letter although it seemeth in some authors to be ascribed to Dekam aboue mentioned yet because I find it in the same Register of the church of Herford coÌ„teyned inserted amoÌ„g yâ— tractations of Walter Brute and deuised as yâ— Register said by that Lollards I thought no meeter place then here to annexe the same the tenour wherof thus proceedeth in words as follow ¶ The deuise or counterfayt of a certayne letter fayned vnder the name of Lucifer Prince of darknesse wryting to the persecuting prelates of the popish clergy I Lucifer prince of darknes and profound heauinesse Emperour of the high mysteries of the Kyng of Acharont Captaine of the dungeon Erebus kyng of hell and comptroller of the infernall fire To all our children of pryde and companions of our kyngdome and especially to our Prynces of the Church of this latter age and tyme of which our aduersary Iesus Christ accordyng to the Prophet saieth I hate the church or congregation of the wicked send greeting wish prosperitie to all that obey our commaundementes as also to those that be obedient to the lawes of Sathan already enacted that are diligent obseruers of our behestes and the precepts of our decree Know ye that in times past certaine vicars or vicegerents of Christ following hys steppes in miracles and vertues liuing and continuyng in a beggerly lyfe conuerted in a maner the whole world from the yoke of our tiranny vnto their doctrine maner of lyfe To the great derision and contempte of our prison house and kyngdome and also to the no little preiudice and hurt of our iurisdiction and authorytie nor fearing to hurt our fortified power ond to offend the maiestie of our estate For then receiued we no tribute of the world neyther dyd the myserable sort of common people rushe at the gates of our deepe dungeon as they were wont to do with continuall pealyng and rappyng but then the easie pleasant broad way which leadeth to death lay still without great noyce of traÌ„pelyng trauaylers neyther yet was trode with the feete of myserable men And when all our courtes were without sutets Hell then began to houle And thus continuyng in great heauines anguish was robbed and spoyled Which thing considered the impacient rage of our stomacke coulde no longer suffer neyther the ougle retchelous neglygence of our great Captayne generall could any longer indure it But we seeking remedy for the time that should come after haue prouyded vs of a verye trimme shift For in stead of these Apostles and other their adherentes whyche draw by the same lyne of theirs as wel in maners as doctrine are odious enemis vnto vs We haue caused you to be their successors put you in their place which be Prelates of the church in these latter times by our great might and subtletie as Chryst hath sayd of you they haue raigned but not by me Once we promised vnto him al the kingdom of the world if he would fal down and worships vs but he would not saying my kingdome is not of this would and went his way when the multitude would haue made him a temporall kinge But to you truely which are fallen from the state of grace and that serue vs in the earth is that my promise fulfilled and all terrene thyngs be our meanes which we haue bestowed vpon you are vnder gouernment For he hath said of vs as ye know The prince of the world coÌ„meth c. and hath made vs to raigne ouer al children of vnbeliefe Therfore our aduersaryes before recited dyd pacientlye submit themselues vnto the Princes of the worlde and did teache that men shoulde do so saying Be ye subiect to euery creature for Gods cause whether it be to the Kyng as moste chiefest And agayne Obey ye them that are made rulers ouer you c. For so their maister commauÌ„ded them saying The kinges of the heathen haue dominion ouer them c. But I think it long til we haue powred our poyson vpoÌ„ the earth and therefore fill your selues full And now bee yee not onely vnlyke those fathers but also contrary vnto them in your lyfe and conditions and extoll your selues aboue all other men Neyther do ye geue to God that which belongeth to him nor yet to Caesar that which is his But exercise you the power of both the swordes according to our decrees makinge your selues doers in worldlye matters fighting in our quarell intangled with secular labours and busines And clyme ye by litle little from the myserable state of pouerty vnto the highest seates of all honours the most princely places of dignitie by your deuised practices false and deceitfull wyles and subtlety that is by hypocrisy flattery lying periurie treasons deceits simonye and other greater wickednes then which our infernal furies may deuise For after that ye haue by vs bene aduaunced thither where ye would be yet that doth not suffice you but as gready staruelings more huÌ„gry then ye were before ye suppresse the poore scratch and rack together all that comes to hand peruerting and turninge euerie thing topsie toruey so swollen that redy ye are to burst for pride liuing like Lechers in all corporal delicatenes and by fraude dyrecting all your doinges You challenge to your selues names of honour in the earth callyng your selues Lordes holye yea and most holy persons Thus eyther by violence ye rauen or els by ambition subtilly ye pilfer away and wrongfully wraft and by false title possesse those goodes whych for the sustentation of the poore members of Christ whom froÌ„ our first fall we haue hated were bestowed and geuen consuming them as ye your selues lyst therewith ye cherish and maintaine an innumerable sort of whoores strumpets and bawdes with whom ye ride pompously like mightie Prynces farre otherwise goinge then those poore beggerly priestes of the primatiue Church For I would ye shoulde buylde your selues ryche and gorgeous palacies yee fare lyke Prynces eating and drinking the most daintiest meates and pleasauntest wiâ—es that may be gotten ye hoord and heepe together an infynite deale of treasure not like to him
called vnto him the Archbishop of Yorke Richard London Henry Winchester Robert Chichester Alexander Norwich the noble prince Edmond the Duke of Yorke Rafe Earle of Westmerland Thomas Beaufort Knight Lord Chancellour of England and the Lord Beamond with other noble men as well spirituall as temporall that stood and sate by whome to name it would be long Before whome the said Iohn Badby was called personallie to answere vnto the Articles premised in the foresaid instrument Who when he came personallie before them the articles were read by the Officiall of the court of Cant. and by the Archb. in the vulgare tong expounded publikely and expresly and the same Articles as he before had spoken and deposed he still held and defended and said that whilest he liued he would neuer retract the same And furthermore he said specially to to be noted that the Lord duke of Yorke personallie there present as is aforesaid and euery man els for the time beeing is of more estimation and reputation then the Sacrament of the aulter by the priest in due forme consecrated And whilest they were thus in his examination the Archbishop considering and waying that he would in no wise be altered and seing moreouer his countenance stout and hart confirmed so that he began to persuade other as it appeared in the same These things considered the Archprelate whē he saw that by his allurements it was not in his power neither by exhortations reasons nor arguments to bring the said Iohn Badbye from his constant truth to his Catholique faith executing and doing the office of his great maister proceeded to confirme and ratifie the former sentence giuen before by the Bishop of Worcester against the said Iohn Badby pronouncing him for an open and publique hereticke And thus shifting their hands of him they deliuered him to the secular power and desired the sayd temporall Lords then and there present verie instantlie that they would not put the same Iohn Badby to death for that his offence nor deliuer him to be punished or put to death in y◠presence of all the Lordsabone recited These things thus done and concluded by the Bishops in the forenoone on the afternoone the Kings writte was not far behind By the force wherof I. Badby still perseuering in his constancie vnto the death was brought into Smithfield and there being put in an emptie barrell was bound with iron chaines fastened to a stake hauing drie wood put about him And as he was thus standing in the pipe or tonne for as yet Cherillus Bull was not in vre among the bishops it happened that the Prince the kings eldest sonne was there present Who shewing some part of the good Samaritane began to endeuour and assay how to saue the life of him whome the hypocriticall Leuites and Phariseis sought to put to death He admonished and counsailed him that hauing respect vnto himselfe he should spedelie withdraw himselfe out of these dangerous Laberinths of opinions adding oftentimes threatnings the which might haue daunted anie mans stomacke Also Courtney at that time Chancellor of Oxford preached vnto him and enformed him of the faith of holie Church In this meane season the Prior of S. Bartlemewes in Smithfield brought with all solemnitie the Sacrament of Gods body with twelue torches borne before and so shewed the Sacrament to the poore man being at the stake And then they demanded of him how he beleeued in it he answering that he knew well it was halowed bread and not gods body And then was the tunne put ouer him and fire put vnto him And when he felt fire he cried mercie calling belike vpon the Lord and so the Prince immediatelie commanded to take awaie the tunne and quench the fire The Prince his commandement being done asked him if he would forsake heresie to take him to the faith of holie Church which thing if he would doo he should haue goods inough promising also vnto him a yearelie stipend out of the kings treasurie so much as should suffice his contentation ¶ The description of the horrible burning of Iohn Badby and how he was vsed at hys death This godly Martyr Iohn Badby hauing thus consummate his testimony and martyrdome in fire the persecuting Bishops yet not herewith contented and thinking themselues as yet eyther not strong inough or els not sharpe enough agaynst tht poore innocent flock of Christ to make all thinges sure and substantiall on theyr side in such sorte as this doctrine of the Gospell nowe springing should be suppressed for euer layd theyr conspiring heads together hauing now a king for theyr own purpose ready to serue theyr turn in all poynts during the time of the same Parliamēt aboue recited yet cōtinuing the foresayd bishops and clergy of the realme exhibited a Bul vnto the kings maiestie subtily declaring what quietnes hath ben mayntayned within this realme by his most noble progenitours who alwayes defended the auncient rites and customes of the Church and enriched the same with large gifts to the honor of God and the realme and contrariwise what trouble and disquietnes was now risen by diuers as they termed them wicked and peruerse men teachinge and preachinge openlye and priuilye acertayne new wicked and hereticall kinde of doctrine contrary to the Catholicke fayth and determination of holye Church whervpon the king alwayes oppressed with blynd ignoraunce by the crafty meanes and subtile pretences of the clergie graunted in the sayd Parliament by consent of the nobilitie assembled a statute to be obserued called Ex officio as followeth The Statute Ex officio That is to say that no man within this Realme or other the kinges maiesties dominions presume or take vpon him to preach priuily or apertly without speciall licence first obteyned of the ordinary of the same place Curates in theyr owne parishe Churches and persons heretofore priuiledged and others admitted by the Canon law onely excepted Nor that any hereafter do preach mayntayne teach informe openly or in secret or make or write any booke contrary to the catholique fayth and determination of the holy Church Nor that any hereafter make anye conuenticles or assemblies or keepe and exercise anye maner of schooles touching this sect wicked doctrin and opinion And further that no man hereafter shall by any meanes fauour anye such preacher any such maker of vnlawfull assemblies or any such booke maker or writer and finally any such teacher informer or stirrer vp of the people And that all and singuler persons hauing anye the sayd bookes writinges or schedules contayning the sayd wicked doctrines and opinions shall within forty dayes after this present proclamation and statute really and effectually deliuer or cause to be deliuered all and singuler the sayd bookes and writinges vnto the ordinary of the same place And if it shall happen anye person or persons of what kinde state or condition soeuer he or they be to doe or attempt anye manner of thing contrarye to this
and also many other that haue great trust that he will stand by the truth of the Gospel For I wote wel this Sermon is writen both in Latin and English and many men haue it they set great price thereby And sir If ye were present with y◠Archbishop at Lambeth when this Clarke appeared and was at his aunswere before the Archbishoppe ye wote wel that this Clerke denied not there his Sermon but two daies he maintained it before the Archbishop and his Clerkes And then the Archbishop or one of his Clerkes said I wote not which of them that harlot shal be met wyth for that Sermon For no man but he and thou and such other false harlots prayseth any such preaching ¶ And then the Arbhb. said Your cursed sect is busie and it ioyeth right greatly to contrary to destroy the priuilege and fredome of holy Church ☞ And I said Sir I know no men that trauell so busily as this sect doth which you reproue to make rest and peace in holy church For pride couetousnes and simony which distrouble most holy Church this sect hateth fleeth and trauayleth busilye to moue all other men in like maner vnto meekenes and wilfull pouerty and charitie and free ministring of the Sacraments this sect loueth vseth and is full busie to moue all other folkes thus to do For these vertues owe all mēbers of holy church to their head Christ. Then a Clerke said to the Archbishop Sir it is farre dayes and ye haue farre to ride to night therfore make an end with him for he wil none make But the more sir that ye busy you for to draw him toward you the more cōtumax he is made and the farther fro you ¶ And then Malueren said to me William kneele down and pray my Lord of grace leaue al thy phantasies and become a child of holy church ☞ And I said Sir I haue prayed the Archbishop oft and yet I pray him for the loue of Christ that he wil leaue hys indignation that he hath against me and that he wil suffer me after my cūning power for to do mine office of priesthode as I am charged of god to do it For I couet nought els but to serue my God to hys pleasing in the state that I stand in and haue taken me to ¶ And y◠Archbishop said to mee If of good hart thou wilt submit thee now here meekely to be ruled from this time forth by my counsel obeying mekely and wilfully to mine ordinance thou shalt finde it most profitable best to thee for to doe thus Therefore tary thou me no lenger graunt to do this that I haue sayd to thee now here shortly or denie it vtterly ☞ And I said to the Archbishop Sir owe we to beleeue that Iesu Christ was and is very God and very man ¶ And the Archbishop sayd Yea. ☞ And I said Sir owe we to beleue that al Christes lyuing and his teaching is true in euery point ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr owe we to beleue that the liuinge of the Apostles and the teaching of Christ and all the Prophetes are true whiche are written in the Bible for the health and saluation of good people ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr owe all Christen men women after their cunning and power for to conforme all their liuing to the teaching specially of Christ and also to the teaching and liuing of his Apostles and of Prophets in all thinges that are pleasaunt to God and edification of his Church ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr ought the doctrine the bidding or the counsell of any body to be accepted or obeyed vnto except this doctrine these biddings or this counsel may be graūted and affirmed by Christes liuing and his teaching specially or by the liuing and teaching of his Apostles Prophetes ¶ And y◠Archbishop said to me Other doctrine ought not to be accepted nor we owe not to obey to any mans bidding or counsell except we can perceiue that his bidding or counsell accordeth with the life and teaching of Christ and of his Apostles and Prophets ☞ And I sayd Syr is not all the learning and biddings and counsels of holy Church meanes and healefull remedies to know and to withstand the priuy suggestions and the aperte temptations ot the fiende and also wayes and healeful remedies to slea pride and all other deadly sinnes and the braunches of them and souereign meanes to purchase grace for to withstand and ouercome all the fleshlye lustes and mouinges ¶ And the Archbishop sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr whatsoeuer thing ye or any other body bid or counsel me to do accordingly to this forsayd learning after my cunning power through the helpe of god I will meekly with all my hart obey therto ¶ And the archbishop sayd to me Submit thee than now here meekly and wilfully to the ordinance of holy church which I shall shew to thee ☞ And I sayd sir accordingly as I haue here now before you rehearsed I will nowe be ready to obey full gladly to Christ the head of the holy Church to the learning and biddinges and counselles of euerye pleasing member of him ¶ Thē the archbishop striking with his hand fiercely vpō a cupborde spake to me with a great spirit saying By Iesu but if thou leaue such additions obliging thee now here without any exceptiō to mine ordinance or that I go out of this place I shall make thee as sure as any theefe that is in the prison of Lanterne Aduise thee now what thou wilt do And then as if he had bene angred he went fro the cupborde where he stood to a window ¶ And then Malueren and an other Clerke came nearer me and they spake to me many words full pleasantly and an othe while they manassed me and counselled full busily to submitte me or els they sayd I shoulde not escape punishing ouer measure For they sayd I should be degraded cursed and burned so then damned But now they sayd thou mayst eschew all these mischiefes if thou wilt submit thee wilfully meekely to this worthye prelate that hath cure of thy soule And for the pitty of Christ sayde they bethinke thee howe great Clerkes the Bishop of Lincolne Hereford and Purney were and yet are and also B. that is a well vnderstanding man Which also haue forsaken reuoked all the learning and opinions that thou and such other hold Wherfore since each of them is mikle wiser thē thou art we counsell thee for the best that by the example of these foure Clerkes thou follow them submitting thee as they did And one of the Bishops Clerkes sayd then there that he heard Nicoll Hereford say that since he forsook reuoked all the learning Lolards opiniōs he hath had mikle greater fauour and more delite to hold agaynst them then euer he had to
be it here to all the worlde that he neuer since varied in any poynt therefro but this is playnly his beliefe that all the sacramentes of the churche be profitable and expedient also to al them that shall be saued taking them after the intent that Christ and hys true church hath ordayned Furthermore he beleeueth that the blessed sacrament of the aulter is verily and truely Christes body in forme of bread After this the bishops and priests were in much great discredite both with the nobilitie and commons partly for that they had so cruelly handled the good Lorde Cobham partly agayn because hys opinion as they thought at that tyme was parfect concerning the sacrament The Prelates feared this to grow to further incōueniēce towards thē both wayes wherfore they drew theyr heads together at the last consented to vse an other practise somewhat cōtrary to that they had done afore They caused it by and by to be blowne abroad by theyr feed seruauntes frends and babling sir Iohns that the sayd Lord Cobham was becomen a good man and had lowly submitted himselfe in all thinges vnto holy Church vtterly 〈◊〉 his opinion concerning the sacrament And thereupon they counterfayted an abiuration in hys name that the people shoulde take no hold of that opinion by any thing they had hearde of him before and to stand so the more in awe of them Cōsidering hym so great a man and by them subdued This is the abiuration say they of sir Iohn Oldcastle knight sometime the Lord Cobham * An Abiuration counterfaited of the Byshoppes IN Deinomiue Amon. I Iohn Oldcastle denounced detected and conuinced of and vpon diuers articles sauoring both heresye and error before the reuerend father in Christ my good Lord Thomas by the permission of God Lord Archbishop of Caunterbury and my lawfull and rightfull iudge in that behalfe expresly graunt and confesse that as cōcerning the estate and power of the most holy father the Pope of Rome of his Archbishops his Bishops and hys other prelates the degrees of the church and the holy Sacramentes of the same specially of the Sacramentes of the aultar of penaunce and other obseruaunces besides of our mother holy Church as Pilgrimages and pardons I affirme I say before the sayd reuerend father Archbishop els where that I being euill seduced by diuers sedicious preachers haue grieuously erred and heretically persisted blasphemously aunswered and obstinately rebelled And therfore I am by the sayd reuerend father before the reuerend fathers in Christ also the bishops of London Winchester and Bangor lawfully condemned for an hereticke Neuertheles yet I now remembring my selfe and coueting by this meane to auoyd that temporall payn which I am worthy to suffer as an hereticke at the assigned 〈◊〉 of my most excellent Christen prince and siege Lord King Henry the 5. now by the grace of God most worthy Kyng both of England and of Fraunce Minding also to prefere the wholesome determination sentence and doctrine of the holy vniuersall Church of Rome before the vnwholesom opinions of my selfe my teachers and my followers I freely willingly deliberately and throughly cōfesse graūt and affirme that the most holy fathers in Christ S. Peter the Apostle and his successors byshops of Rome specially now at this time my most blessed Lord Pope Iohn by the permission of God the xxiii Pope of that name which now haldeth Peters seat and each of them in theyr succession hath full strength and power to be Christes Vicar in earth and the head of the church militant And that by the strēgth of his office what though he be a great sinner and afore knowne of God to be damned he hath full authority and power to rule and gouerne bynde and loose saue and destroy accurse and assoyle all other Christen men And agreeably still vnto this I confesse graunt and affirme all other Archbishops Byshops and Prelates in their prouinces Dioces and Parishes appoynted by the sayd Pope of Rome to assiste him in his doinges or busines by his Decrees Canons or vertue of his office to haue had in times past to haue now at this time and that they ought to haue in time to come authoritye and power to rule and to gouerne binde and loose accurse and assoyle the subiects or people of theyr aforesaid prouinces dioces parishes and that their said subiectes or people ought of right in all things to obey them Furthermore I confesse graunt and affirme that the sayd spirituall fathers as our most holy father the Pope Archbishops Bishops Prelates haue had haue now and ought to haue hereafter authority and power for the estate order and gouernaunce of their subiectes or people to make lawes decrees statutes and constitutions yea and to publishe commaund and compell their sayde subiectes and peoyle to the obseruation of them Moreouer I confesse graunt and affirme that all these foresayd lawes decrees statutes and constitutions made published and commaunded according to the forme of spirituall law all christen people and euery man in himself is straightly bound to obserue meekely to obey according to the diuersity of the foresayd powers As the lawes statuts canons and constitutions of our most holy father the Pope incorporated in his Decrees Decretals Clementines Codes Chartes Rescriptes Sextiles and Extrauagants ouer all the world and as the prouinciall statuts of Archbishopps in their prouinces the Sinodall actes of Bishops in their dioces and the commendable rules customes of prelates in their colledges and Curates in their parishes all Christen people are both bound to obserue also most meekly to obey Ouer besides all thys I Iohn Oldcastle vtterly forsaking and renouncing all the aforesayd errors and heresies and all other errors and heresies like vnto them lay my hand here vpon this booke or holye Euangely of God sweare that I shall neuer more from henceforth holde these aforesayd heresies nor yet any other like vnto them wittinglye Neither shall I geue counsell ayde helpe nor fauor at any time to them that shall holde teach affirme or maintayne the same as God shall helpe me and these holy Euangelies And that I shall from henceforth faythfully obey and inuiolably obserue all the holy lawes statutes Canons and constitutions of all the Popes of Rome Archbishops Bishops and Prelates as are conteyned and determined in their holy Decrees Decretalles Clementines Codes Chartes Rescriptes Sextiles Sumnies papall Extrauagantes statutes prouinciall actes synodall and other ordinary regules and customes cōstituted by them or that shall chaunce hereafter directly to be determined ormade To these and all such other will I my selfe with all power possibly apply Besides all this the penaunce whiche it shall please my sayd reuerend father the Lord Archbishop of Caunterbury hereafter to enioyne me for my sinnes I will meekely obey and faythfully fulfill Finally all my seducers and false teachers and all other besides
to be feared The answere It is not so in my treatise but contrariwise that the subiects are boūd willingly gladly to obey the vertuous and good rulers and also those which are wicked and euill But notwithstāding if the pope do abuse his power it is not thē to be feared as by bondage And so the Lordes the Cardinals as I suppose did not feare the power of Gregory the xij before his deposition whē as they resisted him saying that he did abuse his power contrary vnto his owne othe The 8. Article An euill and a wicked Pope is not the successor of Peter but of Iudas The aunswere I wrote thus in my treatise If the pope be humble and meek neglecting and despising the honors and lucre of the world if he be a shepheard taking his name by the feeding of the flock of God of the which feeding the Lord speaketh sayinge feede my sheepe if he feede the sheepe with the worde and with vertuous example and that he become euen lyke hys flocke with his whole hart and minde if he doe diligently and carefully labour and trauell for the Church then is he without doubt the true Uicare of Christ. But if he walke contrary vnto these vertues for so much as there is no society betwene Christ and Belial and Christ himselfe saith he that is not with me is agaynst me how is he then the true vicar of Christ or Peter and not rather the Uicare of Antichrist Christ called Peter himselfe Sathanas when he did cōtrary him but onely in one word and that wyth a good affection euen him whom he had chosen his Uicare and specially appoynted ouer his church Why should not any other then being more contrary vnto Christ be truely called Sathanas and consequently Antichrist or at lest the chiefe and principall minister or vicar of Antichrist There be infinite testimonyes of this matter in S. Augustine S. Ierome Ciprian Chrisostom Bernard Gregory Remigius and Ambrose c. The 9. Article The Pope is the same beast of whome it is spoken in the Apot. power is geuen vnto him to make warre vpon the sayntes The answere I deny this Article to be in my booke The 10. Article It is lawful to preach notwithstāding the Popes inhibition The answere The Article is euidēt forsomuch as the Apostles did preach contrary to the commaundement of the bishops at Ierusalem And S. Hillary did the like contrary to the cōmaūdement of the pope which was an Arrian It is also manifest by the example of Cardinals which contrary vnto the cōmaundement of Pope Gregory the xij sēt throughout all realmes such as should preach agaynst him It is also lawfull to preach vnder appeale contrary vnto the Popes commaundement And finally he may preach which hath the commaundement of God wherunto he ought chiefly to obey The 11. Article If the Popes commaundement be not concordant and agreeable with the doctrine of the Gospell or the Apostles it is not to be obeyed The answer I haue thus written in my booke The faythfull disciple of Christ ought to wey and consider whether the popes commaundement be expressely plainely the cōmaūdement of Christ or any of his Apostles or whether it haue any foundatiō or groūd in their doctrine or no and that being once knowne or vnderstand he ought reuerētly and humbly to obey the same But if he do certaynly know that the popes cōmaūdement is contrary and agaynst the holy Scripture and hurtful vnto the Church then he ought boldely to resist agaynst it that he be not partaker of the crime and offēce by cōsenting thereunto This I haue handled at large in my treatise and haue confirmed it by the authorityes of Saint Austine Hierome Gregory Chrisostome Bernard and Bede and with the holy Scripture and Canons the which for breuities cause I do here passe ouer I will onely reherse the saying of Saint Isydore who writeth thus He which doth rule and doth say or commaund any thing cōtrary and besides the will of God or that which is euidētly commaunded in the Scriptures he is honoured as a false witnesse of God and a Church robber Whereupon we are bounden to obey no Prelate but in such case as he do commaund or take counsell of the Councels and commaundements of Christ. Likewise S. Augustine vpon this saying vpon the chayre of Moyses c. sayth Secondly they teach in the chayre of Moyses the law of God Ergo God teacheth by them but if they will teach you any of theyr owne inuentions do not geue eare vnto them neither doe as they cōmaund you Also in the saying of Christ he that heareth you heareth me all lawfull and honest thinges be comprehended in the which we ought to be obedient according to Christes saying it is not you which doe speake but the spirite of my father whiche speaketh in you Let therfore my aduersaryes and slaunderers learne that there be not onely 12. Counsels in the Gospell in the which subiectes ought to obey Christ and his appoynted ministers but that there are so many Counsels and determinations of God as there be lawfull and honest thinges ioyned with preceptes and commaundementes of God bindinge vs thereunto vnder the payne of deadly sinne for euery such thing doth the Lord commaund vs to fulfill in tyme and place with other circumstaunces at the will and pleasure of their minister The 12. Article It is lawfull for the clergy and laytye by their power and iurisdiction to iudge and determine of all things pertayning vnto saluation and also of the workes of the Prelates The aunswere I haue thus written it in my booke that it is lawfull for the clergy and laity to iudge and determine of the works of their heades and rulers It appeareth by this that the iudgement of the secret counselles of God in the court of conscience is one thyng the iudgement of the authority and power in the church is an other Wherefore subiectes first ought principally to iudge and examine themselues 1. Corinthians 11. chapter Secondly they ought to examine all thinges whiche pertayneth vnto their saluation for a spirituall man iudgeth and examineth all thinges And this is alleadged as touching the first iudgement and not the second as the enemy doth impute it vnto me Whereupon in the same place I doe say that the lay man ought to iudge and examine the workes of his Prelate like as Paule doth iudge the doinges of Peter in blaming him Secondly to auoyd them according to this saying Beware of false Prophets c. Thirdly to rule ouer the ministery For the subiect ought by reason to iudge and examine the works of the Prelats And if they be good to prayse God therefore and reioyce But if they be euill they ought with patience to suffer them and to be sorry for them but not to do the like least they be damned with them according to this
Windeham Tho Plowman Iohn Fellis Tho. Loue of Rokeland Rich Knobbing of Beckles Rich. Grace of Beckles Iohn Eldon of Beckles William Hardy Wil. Bate Iohn Weston Katherine Hobs. Iohn Daw. Rob. Grigs of Martham Wil. Calis Priest Tho. Pert. Priest Katherine Dauy. Iacob Bodhome Margaret his wife Iohn Manning of Marton Iohn Culling of Beemster Rich Fletcher of Beckles and Matild his wife Iohn Eldon of Beckles Rob. Canel Priest Nich. Drey Wil. Hardy of Mundham Iohn Poleyne These forenamed persons and souldiors of Christ being much beatē with the cares and troubles of those dayes although they were constrayned to relent and abiure that is to protest otherwise with their tonges then theyr harts did thinke partly through correction and partly through infirmity being as yet but new trayned Souldiours in Gods field yet for theyr good will they bare vnto the trueth although with theyr tongues they durst not expresse it we haue thought good that theyr names should not be suppressed as well for other sondry causes as especially for this either to stop the mouthes of malignant aduersaryes or to aunswere to theyr ignorance Who folowing rather blinde affection thē the true knowledge of times and antiquities for lacke of knowledge blame that they know not accusing the true doctrine of the worde of God for newelty and carping the teachers therof for new broched brethrē Who if they did as well foresee times passed as they be vnwilling to follow times now present they should vnderstand as well by these storyes as other before how this doctrine of the grace of God lacking no antiquity hath from time to time continually sought to burst out and in some places hath preuayled although in most places through tyrāny and the malice of men Christes procedinges haue bene suppressed and kept vnder from rising so muche as mans power and strength ioyned with craft and subtlery coulde labor to keepe downe the same as here by these good men of Northfolke and Southfolke may well appeare For if the knowledge and the good towardnesse of those good mē had had the like liberty of time with the helpe of like authority as we haue nowe and had not ben restrayned thorough the iniquity of time and tyranny of Prelates it had well appeared how olde this doctrine woulde haue bene which now they contemne and reiect for the newnes therof neither needed Boner to haue asked of Tho. Hawkes and such other where their Church was for xl yeares ago in as much as for xl yeares ago and more within the coūtry of Norfolke and Suffolke was then soūd such plenty of the same professiō like doctrine which we now professe And thus much for the nūber of the names of thesepersōs Now touching theyr Articles whiche they did mayneteine and defend first this is to be considered as I finde it in the registers such society and agrement of doctrine to be amongst them that almost in theyr assertions and articles there was no difference The doctrine of the one was the doctrine of all the other what theyr articles were partly it is shewed in the lease before and partly here followeth to be declared more at large Although it is to be thought concerning these Articles that many of them either were falsly obiected agaynst thē or not truely reported of the notaryes according as the cōmon maner is of these aduersaryes where the matter is good there to make heresy and of a litle occasion to styre vp great matter of slaunder as they did before by the articles of Iohn Wickliffe and Iohn Hus and others mo So in like maner it semeth they did in the Articles of these mē either mistaking that which they said or misunderstanding that which they ment especially in these two articles concerning baptisme and paying of tithes For where as they speaking agaynst the ceremonicall and superfluous traditions then vsed in baptisme as salt oile spittle taper light crisomes exorcising of the water with such other accoūted them as no materiall thing in the holy institution of Baptisme the notaryes slaunderously deprauing this theyr assertion to make it more odious to the eares of the people so gaue out the article as though they should holde that the sacrament of Baptisme vsed in the church by water is but a light matter and of small effect Agayne in speaking agaynst the Christening the midwiues vse in priuate houses agaynst the opinion of suche as thinke suche children to be damned which depart before they come to theyr Baptisme they are falsely reported as though they shoulde say that Christen people be sustiently baptised in the bloud of Christ and nedeth no water and that infants be sufficiently baptised if their parents be baptised before them Whiche thing is so contrary to the manifest worde that it is not to bee thoughte anye to bee so ignoraunt of the gospell that euer would or did affirme the same Moreouer they thought or sayd peraduenture that in certayne cases tithes might be witholden from wicked priestes sometime and be conferred to better vses to the be hoofe of the poore Therfore they are falsly slaundered as saying and affirming that no tithes were to be geuē to the ministers and curates of the churches And likewise for matrimony wherin they are reported to hold and affirme as though it consisted onely in the mutuall consent betwixt the man woman neding no other solemnizing in the publicke church and all because as it is like they denyed it to be a Sacramēt Other articles were obiected agaynst them as these which hereafter folow That auricular confessiō is not to be made vnto a priest but vnto God onely because no priest hath any power to absolue a sinner from his sinne Item that no Priest hath power to make the body of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar but that after the sacramentall words there remayneth pure materiall breade as before Item that euery true christian man is a priest to God Item that no man is bound vnder paine of damnatiō vnto Lent or any other dayes prohibited by the Church of Rome Item that the Pope is Antichrist and his Prelats the Disciples of Antichrist and the Pope hath no power to binde and loose vpon earth Item that it is lawfull for euery Christian to doe any bodely worke sinne onely except vpon holy dayes Item that it is lawfull for priestes to haue wiues Item that the excommunications and ecclesiastical cēsures geuen out by the Prelates are not to be regarded Item it is not lawfull to sweare in priuate cases Item that men ought not to go on pilgrimage Item that there is no honor to be geuē to the Images of the crucifixe of our Lady or any other saynt Item that the holy water halowed in the church by the priest is not holyer or of more vertue then other running or well water because the Lord blessed all waters in theyr first creation Item that the death of Thomas Becket was
hys part for here are many byshops proctors whō he doth not recken because they are not of his opinion Neither is the dignities of the fathers to be respected in the Councell as he sayth but onely reason nor anyethyng more to be looked for then the truth neyther will I for my part preferre a lye of any byshop be he neuer so rich before a veritie or truth of a poore priest Neither ought a byshop to disdayne if he be rude or vnlearned that the multitude doth not follow hym or that the voyce of a poore learned and eloquent priest should be preferred before his For wisedome dwelleth oftner vnder a bare and ragged cloke then in rich ornamentes and apparell Wherfore I pray you my Lord byshops do not so much contēne your inferiours for the first which dyed for Christ the which also opened vnto all other the way of Martyrdome was no byshop but onely a Leuite As for that whiche Ludouicus and Panormitane do allege touchyng the voyces of Bishops I know not where they haue it Wherfore I desire them that they would tell me where they haue foūd it But if we repeat the examples of old councels we shall finde that the inferiours were alwayes present with the Bishops And albeit that Ludouicus do forbid vs the examples of the apostles I stay my self most vpon their doings For what is more comely for vs to followe then the doctrine customes of the primitiue Church It is sayd therfore in the 15. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles it seemed good vnto the holy ghost and to vs. The whiche word to vs is referred vnto them which are before named the Apostles and the Elders Neither this word it semed good signifieth in this place consultation but decision and determination whereby it appeareth that other beside that byshops had determining voyces In an other place also of the sayd Actes when as the apostles shoulde intreate vppon anye wayghty matter they durst not determine by themselues but the xii called together the multitude Here Ludouicus sayth that it doeth not appeare y◠the Apostles called other of necessitie but I say vnto hym how knowest thou that they did not call thē of necessitie But for so much as both partes are vncertayne nothing doth prohibite vs to follow the Apostles For seeing that all thinges were written for our learning it appeareth that the Apostles wold geue vs exāple that in wayghty matters we shold admit our inferiours And therfore in all Councels which were celebrate holden afterwards we find that Priestes were also present as in the Councell of Nice whiche of all other was most famous Athanasius being then but onely a priest withstood the Arrians and infringed their argumentes Albeit there were also other priestes And albeit mention be made of 322. byshops yet is not denyed but that the inferiours were there whome I thinke to be omitted for this cause for that they were almost innumerable for as you know well enough the denomination for the most part is taken of the most worthy In the Synode of Calcedon which was counted one of the foure principall Synodes it is sayd that there were present 600. priestes the which name is common both vnto byshops and Priestes In other Councels the name both of Bishops and Priestes is omitted mention made onely of Fathers which hath the same signification the thys worde Elders had in the actes of the Apostles Wee haue also a testimony of the ecclesiasticall history how that ther was a Councell gathered of Rome of lx Byshops and as many Priestes Deacons agaynst the Nouations which called themselues Cathari Also when Paule the Byshop of Antioche in the tyme of Galiene the Emperoure preached that Christ was a man of common nature the Councell assembled agaynst hym in Antioche wherunto there came Byshops out of Cesaria Capadotia out of Pontus Asia and from Ierusalem and many other Byshops Priestes and Deacons and it is said that for that cause the Councel was often holden And at the last in the same place vnder Aurelius the Emperour Paule was condemned of al Christian Churches which were vnder heauē neyther was there any mā which did more confound the sayd Paul then Malchiona Priest of Antioche which taught Rhetorike in Antioche But to make no long digression from the matter we haue most euident testimonies for the defence of the inferiours For the chiefe and principall amongst all the Diuines S. Austen vpō the wordes of Mathew where as Christ saith vnto Peter I wil geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sayth that by those words the iudiciall power was geuen not only vnto Peter but also to the other Apostles and to the whole Churche the byshops and Priestes If then Priestes haue a iudiciall power in the churche what shold iet that they haue not also a determining voyce in the coūcels The famous Doctour S. Hierome doth also agree with S. Austen whose wordes are these vpon the Epistle of Paule vnto Titus Before that difference was made in Religion by the instigation of the deuill or that it was spoken amongest the people I holde of Paule I of Apollo I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common consent and Councell of the Priestes for a priest is the very same that a byshop is Wherefore all Byshops ought to vnderstand that they are of greater power then Priestes rather by custome then by the dispensation of the truth of God and that they ought to rule the church together And this we do also gather out of Paule vnto Titus which maketh so much concordaunce betweene bishops and priests that oftentimes he calleth priestes Byshops whereby it doth euidently appeare that priestes are not to be excluded from the conuentions of byshops and determinations of matters And albeit as S. Hierom writeth that byshops onely by custome are preferred before Priestes it may be that a contrary custome may take away that custome For if priestes ought to rule the church together with the byshops it is euident that it also pertayneth vnto them to decide and determine the doubtfull matters of the Church Wherfore the testimony of S. Paule is euident for as he writing vnto the Ephesians sayth If Christe instituted hys Apostles Prophetes Pastours and Teachers to the worke of the ministery for the edifying of hys Church vntill such tyme as we should meete hym for this purpose that there should be no doubt in the diuersitie of doctrine who doubteth then but that the gouernaunce of the Church is committed vnto others together with the Apostles Let these our champions now hold their peace and seeme to be no wiser then they ought to be The memoriall of the coūcell of Constance is yet fresh in memory wheras diuers of vs were present and I my selfe also whiche was neither Cardinall nor byshop but onely a Doctour where I dyd see without any maner of doubt of difficultie the inferiors
beginneth already praise to the Lord to come graciously and luckely forward in most places ¶ A Prayer against the Turkes O Eternall Lorde God father of our Lord Iesus Christ creator and disposer of all things iust gracious wise only in the name and reuerence of thy sonne Iesus wee prostrate our selues desiring thine omnipotent maiestie to looke downe vppon these afflicted times of thy poore creatures and seruaunts reliue thy Church increase our faith and confound our enemies and as thou hast geuen thine onely begotten sonne vnto vs promising with hym life to all that shall beleeue vpon his name so encline the obedience of our faith to thy promises in him that our hearts may be farre of from all other sinnefull additions and prophane inuentions which are besides him and not in him grounded vpon thy will and promise And graunt we beseeche thee to thy Church more and more to see how terrible a thing it is to set vp any other meanes or helpe of saluation but onely in him whome thou only hast sent and sealed Reforme thy Church with perfecte doctrine and faithfull teachers that we seeing our owne weakenesse may put off our selues and put on him without whom we can do nothing So shall we stand strong when nothing standeth in vs but thy sonne alone in whome thou art onely pleased Renew in this thy Church againe the decaied faith of thy sonne Iesus which may plentifully bring foorth in vs not leaues onely but frutes of Christian life And forgeue our wretched Idolatry and blinde phantasies past wherwith we haue prouoked manifold waies thy deserued indignation against vs For our hearts haue bene full of Idoles our temples full of Images our wayes full of hypocrisie thy Sacraments prophaned and thy religion turned to superstition because the lanterne of thy worde went not before vs therfore we haue stumbled Miserably we haue walked hetherto like sonnes not of Sara but of Agar and therefore these Turkish Agarens haue risen vp against vs. Many hard and straight wayes we haue passed but the wayes of the Lorde we haue not founde Much cost we haue bestowed on bread that swageth no hunger but that bread which onely feedeth and commeth freely we haue not tasted We haue sailed farre and nere in barkes of our owne building but haue not kept within the Arke onely of thy promise and therefore these floudes haue taken vs. We haue prayed much but not in thine appoynted temple and therefore haue not bene heard Wee haue plowed and tilled but without thy haiffer and therfore this vntidie ground of ours bringeth foorth so many weedes We do fish apace and that all night but because we fish not on the right side of the boate in our fishing we catche neuer a sinne Our buildings be full of good intentions great devotiōs but because the groud worke is not surely laid vpō the rocke of thy promise the East winde riseth and shaketh them all to shiuers We walke and haue walked long after the precepts and doctrines of men hauing a shew of wisedome but not as holding the heade where lieth all our strength and therefore these Philistian Turkes haue hetherto so preuailed against vs. Briefly all the partes and bones of the body be shaken out of place Wherefore we beseeche thee O Lorde put to thy holy hand and set them in the right ioynt againe And finally reduce this same thy mysticall body againe to his perfect and naturall head whych is thine onely sonne Iesus Christ and none other For him onely hast thou annoynted and appoynted Neither is there any other head that can minister strength and nutriment to this body but he alone for asmuch as all other heades be sinnefull and are not able to stande in thy sight but make thys body rather worse then better Onely this thy welbeloued and perfecte sonne is he in whome onely dwelleth all our strength and fulnesse him onely we confesse and knowledge For whome and with whome wee beseeche thee O Lorde God of hostes graunt to thy Church strength and victory against the malicious fury of these Turkes Saraeens Tartarians againste Gog and Magog and all the malignaunt rabble of Antichrist enemies to thy sonne Iesus our Lord and Sauior Preuent their deuises ouerthrow their power and dissolue their kingdome that the kingdome of thy sonne so long oppressed may recouer and flourish ouer all and that they which wretchedly be fallen from thee may happely be reduced againe into the folde of thy saluation throughe Iesus Christe our only mediatour and most mercifull aduocate Amen IN this long digression wherin sufficiently hath bene described the grieuous and tedious persecution of the Saracens Turkes against the Christians thou hast to vnderstand good reader and beholde the image of a terrible Antichrist euidently appearing both by his own doings also by the scriptures prophecied declared to vs before Now in comparing the Turke with the pope if a question be asked whether of them is the truer or greater Antichrist it were easy to see and iudge that the Turke is the more open and manifest enemye agaynst Christe and hys Church But if it be asked whether of them two hath bene the more bloudy and pernitious aduersary to Christe and his members or whether of them hath consumed and spilt more Christian bloud he with sword or this with fire and sword together neither is it a light matter to discerne neither is it my part here to discusse which do onely write the history and the Actes of them both wherfore after the story of the Turkes thus finished nowe to teenter agayne there whereas we left in describing the domesticall troubles and persecutions here at home vnder the Byshop of Rome after the burning of Babram in Northfolke aboue declared pag 737. I signified also of an other certaine aged man mētioned in an old written Chronicle borowed of one in that tower instituted Polychron although I finde not his name in the saide Chronicle expressed which suffered the paines of burning in Smithfield about the same time which was the yere of our Lord. 1500. Ex Polycron This aged father I suppose be hee of whome I finde mention made in certaine olde papers and recordes of W. Larye Citizen all be it the day of the moneth doth a little differ wherin is thus testified that on the 20. day of Iuly An. 100. vpon the day of S. Margaret there was an olde man burned in smithfield for an hereticke the same person vpon the 10. day before he was burned wold haue stolen out of the Lolardes tower and so falling out of the tower did fowly hurt him selfe wherupon he was caried in a car◠to his death as he went to his burning In the foresaid papers of auncient recorde is furthermore declared how in the yere aboue prefixed which was An. 1499. In the time of one Perseuell many were taken for heretickes in Kent and at Paules crosse they bare faggottes and
my Diocesse as my Canonistes do say and all men are bound to beleue 220. except they will imagine as the Manichies doe two beginninges which is false and hereticall For Moses faith In the beginning God made heauen and earth and not in the beginninges 221. Wherefore as I begon so I conclude commanding declaring and pronouncing to stand vpon necessitie of saluation for euery humaine creature to be subiect to mee ¶ The end of the first Volume of the Booke of Martyrs A liuely picture describing the weight and substaunce of Gods most blessed word agaynst the doctrines and vanities of mans traditions ¶ AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Sainct Martins Anno. 1583. Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis A Table of the X. first Persecutions of the Primitiue Church vnder the Heathen Tyrannes of Rome continuing the space almost of ccc yeares after Christ from the tyme of Tiberius vnto Constantinus Emperours of Rome with the sundrye kindes of Tormentes deuised agaynst the Christians as by the places here noted and quoted in the story is to be found more at large THese persecutioÌ„s of the primatiue Churche lasted ccxciiij yeares counting from the beheading of S. Iohn Baptist which was the xxxii yeare of the raigne of Tiberius till the end of Licinius the last persecuting Emperour of Rome CoÌ„cerning the which ccxciiiij yeares S Iohn in his Reuelation doth Prophesie before in sundrye places first Cap. ji where he sayth The Gentiles shall tread downe the holy Citie xiij monethes And agayne in the xiij Chapter And power was geuen to the Beast to make xlii monethes c. Which xlii monethes being counted by Sabbates of yeares after the common vse of Scripture of Daniell that is euery moneth for vii yeares doe rise to the number aforesayd of ccxciiij yeares Wherein is to be noted the errour of theÌ„ which taking these xlii monethes simply as the letter standeth for iij. yeares and a halfe do affirme thereby that Antichrist when he shall come being borne of the tribe of Dan shall reigne but onely iij. yeares and a halfe not vnderstaÌ„ding how these xlii monethes are mistically to be reckened by Sabbates of yeares that is vij yeares to euery moneth after the vse of Scripture and so they make ccxciiij yeares During the tyme of whiche yeares Antichrist then reigned in the Primitiue Churche till the comming of Constantine the Christian Emperour The lyke vnderstanding also hath the iij. dayes a half meÌ„tioned in the Reuelation Cap. xi where is sayd That after three dayes and a halfe the two Prophetes shall reuiue agayne c. For count euery houre of the day whiche bexii by Sabbates of yeares that is for vii yeares and it commeth to ccxciiij yeares And so whether ye count by monthes or by dayes both wayes it geueth a time tymes and halfe a tyme. For as one tweluemonth whiche is one yeare maketh one tyme ii tweluemonthes whiche is ii yeare make ii times vi monethes which is halfe a yeare make halfe a tyme making altogether xlii monethes so likewise in one day ij dayes and halfe a daye may be vnderstand a tyme tymes and halfe a tyme mentioned in the Reuelation cap. xii Furthermore where in the sayde Reuelation of S. Iohn cap. xii mention is made of a M. cclx dayes it commeth likewise to the same reckening For in geuing xxx dayes to a moneth so many dayes doe amounte in all to xlii monethes Which as is sayde being reduced to Sabbates of yeares make ccxciiii yeares and so long continued these Persecutions Note moreouer that after the tyme of these Persecutions expired S. Iohn in the sayd booke of his Reuelations Cap. xx prophesieth that Sathan shoulde be tyed vp for a thousande yeares and after that let lose agayne in the worlde for a little space that is that the rage and violence of Persecution shoulde then be styrred vp agaynst Gods people as before Which loosing of Sathan falleth vpon the yeare of our Lorde 1324. At what time the kingdome of the Turkes first beganne vnder Ottomannus wasting and destroying then the Churches of Asia and afterward of Europa Read the Actes and Monumentes Pag. 735.736.738 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auxilium Christs in concinnando hoc opere Felix ac gloriosum pro Christo mortem oppetere Papae nomen nunc probrosum Cardinalium Monachorum noÌ„narum nomina ad ignominiam nunc relicta Deploratio nostrorum morum et temporum Quanta degeneratio nostrorum nunc hominum ab exemplis superiorum Martyrum Necessaria precatio Ne sutor vltra crepidam Profite to be taken by examples of christian Martyrs Gods workes to be obserued in histories What vse commeth by reading of Histories The partiall deâ—liâ—g of storie writers Primum quodque veâ—â—â—mum est Tertul. Image of both Churches The descent of Christs Church from the Apostles time described How the truâ— Church of Christ is visible and not visible The antiquitye of the Churche here in England with the descent of the same Transubstantiation not yet receaued for a publicke doctrine The Church when it began to fall from 〈◊〉 Aeneas Silâ—uius â—ayth that Mathilâ—a made the Pope heyre of those landes which is called the Patrimonye of S. Pâ—ter Ex Auen lib. 6. Monkery when it beganne to â—â—ignem England The true Church when it began first to decay The true Church continueth in the middest of their enemies Extrauagant cap Non sine multa Ex Nicholao Emerico lib. Inquisitionum Ex Ioan. Auentins lib. 7. Extrauagant cap. Licet intâ—a doctrinâ—m Ex Bulliâ— quibâ—â—dam Othonis Epist. Herbipoâ—ensis Extrauagant Ioan. 22. Ex Ioan Frosiardo volum 1. Cap. 211. Ex Tritemio Ex Bulla Gregorij cap. 11. Ex Illirico Ex Brushio Ex Christiano Masseo Ex Ioan. Bacon Dist. 2. Quest. 1. Statut. in An. 5. Rich. 2. An. Domini 1390. Ex Statut. in An. 2. Henr. 4. cap. 15. An. Domini 1402. Ex Literis Archiepiscopi Cant. ad Martinum 5. Anno. Domini 1422. Bloudy markes of Christes passion seene on mens garmentes in Germany Anno. 1501. Seuentie yeares of captiuitie well neare expired Exhortation to the Church of England Multitude of bookes lamented Comparison betweene worldly soldiours and â—â— the soldiours of Christ. Esay 63. A comparison betweene the Martyrs of the Primitiue Church and of the latter Church Foure demaundes or questions put forth to the Papistes The 1. question Esay 11.65 Obiâ—ction Refutatâ—on Publicke execution of lawes not forbidden in Scripture The conditions and properties of the true Church of Christ. Rom. 15. Galath 6. The 2. question The deadly hatred of the Papistes agaynst the Protestantes grounded vpon no iust cause nor deseruing Malice and crueltie of Papistes against the countrey of Merindoll and Cabriers Malice of Papistes agaynst the Citizens of Tholouse in France Malice and crueltie of Papistes agaynst the Protestantes in the towne of Vassy Clemencie and mercy shewed to Papistes in the raigne of
popes diuinitie how the bloud of christ s. rueth to purchase their patrimonie This Schisme coÌ„tinued 40. yeares He stirreth vp the Emperour Sigismund LoripideÌ„ rectus deridcat aethiopus album Note the vile flattery of these papistes when they would haue any thing of the Emperor for their purpose The proctor of the councell calleth for the sentence The Cardinall of CaÌ„bray coÌ„maÌ„ded Iohn Hus. to keepe silence Iohn Hus could not be heard in the councell Iohn Hus committeth his cause to the Lord Christ. Marke the vnshame fast nes of theÌ„ to faine what they list Iohn Hus againe slaundered The councel doth call it hereticall to appeale to Christ. Contempt of the popes excoÌ„munication laide to Iohn Pus The seÌ„tence read against Iohn Hus. They shall bring you before their councells they shall persecute you and cast you in prisoÌ„ and bring you before kings presidents for my naÌ„e c. Luke 21. * The sayde concelium malignantium Many shall come in my name and shal deceiue many Marke 13. To appeale to Christ is deragatory to the popes holynes Veritie condemned for heresie I. Hus cleareth himself of obstinacy They condemne the bokes written in the Bohemian tongue which they neuer read Hus prayeth for his enemies I. Hus commanded to put on the priestes garmentes I. Hus his oration vnto the people The disgrading of Iohn Hus. The wordes of I. Hus vnto the Emperour The crowne of Iohn Hus pared away with sheares The marueilous constancie and courage of the blessed martyr The paper with the inscription set vpon Husses head The protestation of Iohn Hus as he was ledde to the place of execution The prayers of I. Hus well liked of the people Ex epist. Ioan. Hus. 31. The paper with deuils fell from his head At the praier of Hus the paper with deuils fell downe The martyrdome of bâ—essed Iohn Hus. Precious in the sight of God is the death of hys saintes The hart of Iohn Hus beaten with sâ—aues and consumed with fire The ashes of Iohn Hus cast into the riuer of Rhâ—ine The author and witnes â—â— this story â— Iohn Pizibram is thought to be his name Ex Cochleo lib 2. de Hist. Hâ—ssit Ex Cocbleo dehist Huss lib. 4. The Empeâ—â—ur excuseth him self of the death of I. Hus. Ex epist. Iohn Hus. 33. The Emperour vncurteous to Iohn Hus. Pilate more moderate to Christ then this Emperour to Iohn Hus. A letter of Iohn Hus to the people of Prage An other letter of I. Hus. An other letter of I. Hus. The tormeÌ„ts of the martirs vnder the olde and new Testament He meaneth be like that he should moue the king in these matters contayned in this Epistle Vide supra pag. 553. Another letter of Iohn Hus. The Councell condâ—ne bookes which they vnderstand not Prayse of Bohemia The abhomination of the CouÌ„cell of CoÌ„stancâ— described I. Hus seemeth here to prophesiâ— of the Councell as it came to passe The Councell afraide to be tâ—ied by the scriptures This cardinall was Cardinall Cambrensis S. Katherine disputed with 50. doctors coÌ„uerted them but I. Hus could not conuert his 59. Doctors Good bookes of good men haue bene burnâ—d of olde time Good men with their bookes to be burned no newes I. Hus seemeth to prophesie of the Councell of Câ—nsâ—â—nce The blasphemous opinion of Lawiers and papistes touching the soueraintie of the Pope One Symonist condemneth an other The bishops of the Councell noted of Symonie Pope Ioh. made a pope being knowen to be a murderer Antichrist now first beginneth to be reuealed in the Pope A prophesie of Iohn Hus. A note for all noble meÌ„ to marke to folow A worthie lesson for all ministers prelates S. Augustin meaneth not here of all but of the common sort of light persons This Palletz was the chiefest enemy of I. Hus procurer of his death Michael de Causis another bitter enemy of Iohn Hus. Iohn Hus prayeth for his enemies A prophecy of Iohn Hus The example of Christ. The prayer of I. Hus to Christ. A zealous letter to I. Hus from London â—â—amples of the olde martirs Wicked Palletz The visions of I. Hus by dreames A Prophesie of Maister Hierome of Prage This taylers name was Andrew a Polonian Prophetia Prophetia Prophetia Note that then priestes were not maried and therfore he willeth him to auoide all company of women Hâ— repenteth his gay garmentes He repenteth his playing at the chesse Iohn Hus from his gay garments coÌ„mth to his white coate Iohn Hus condemned for no erroneous doctrine wherein he was culpable Cochleus ralleth against Iohn Hus without cause Ex Chocleo Lib. 2. Hist. Hussitarum pag. 88. The story of Hierome of Prage Hierome commeth to Constance The safe coÌ„duct was required but in vaine of the Emperour The intimations of Hierome of Prage set vp in diuers places of the towne of Constance Safe conduct â—â—nied to Hierome Hierome returneth toward Boheme with the testimonies of the Lordes of Boheme Hierom appreheÌ„ded in the way by Duke Iohn Michaell de Causis and Palletz enemies to Hierome Hierome of Prage cited by the councell wheÌ„ he was taken This Duke Iohn in histories is comoÌ„ly called the sonne of Clement Hierome is brought bound vnto Constance by Duke Iohn The couÌ„cell neither would geue him libertie safely to come nor freely to go M. Hierome was accused by M. GersoÌ„ with coÌ„mendation of his eloquence Gerson renueth olde matters The maister of the vniuersitie of Coleine This man would accuse but he lacked matter The maister of the vniuersitie of Heidelberg Crucifige Crucifige cum Hierome is coÌ„forted by the Notarie Et tu de illis es Luc. 22. Vitus the companion of Iohn de Clum Hierom straightly bound hande and foote Vitus had to the Archbishop of Rigen Vitus bound by othe Hierome hanging in the stockâ— was fedde with bread water Peter bringeth meate to Hierome Hierome in greatsicknes calleth for a confessor M. Hieâ—ome was kept in irons in prisoÌ„ the space of one yeare The forced abiuration of Hierome Hierom is made here to say not his own minde but what pleased them Hierome after his abiuration returned into prison Hierom accused a new by Causis Palletz and the Carmelites The Cardinal of Cambray with certaine other Cardinalles labour for the deliuery of Hierome Si dimittio hunc non es amicus Caesaris The Patriarke of CoÌ„stantinople gaue senteÌ„ce of death both against M. Hus and M. Hierome of Prage Ann. 1416. Hierome brought againe before the councell False witnesse against Hierome The dexteritie of Hierom in confuting his aduersaries False witnesses Audience hardly geueÌ„ to Hierome to speake for himselfe The oration of Hierome had before the councel Socrates Plato Anaxagoras Zeno Rupilius Boâ—tius Moses Ioseph Esayas Daniell The Prophetes Susanna Iohn Baptist Christ. The Apostles The false witnesse of Hierome â—â—felled Hierome commendeth the life and bewayleth the death of Iohn Hus. Hierome repenteth his speaking against Iohn Hus. Hus neuer
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