THE LIFE OR THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF S. THOMAS ARCHBISHOPE OF CANTERBVRY COLLONIAE M.DC.XXXIX TO THE MOST REVERENT FATHER IN GOD RICHARD SMYTH BISHOPE OF CHALCEDONE c. MOST Reuerent and my most honored good Lord I haue alwayes apprehended the life and Martirdome of that most excellent Prelate and vndaunted Champion S. Thomas Archbishope of Canterburie a most perfect Paterne of a good Pastor yea and of a good subiect too as one wisely discerning Gods part from Caesars and giuing to ether their owne without which there can be no Christian iustice Take his owne golden and last words for it written to King Henry his soueraigne Prepared I am not onely to die but also to suffer a thousand deathes and all torments whatsoeuer for Christ's sake Yet whether I die or liue Cod. Vat. l. 5. Epist 54. I am and shall euer be yours and what euer becomes of vs and ours God euer blesse you and your issue So that I haue iudged no tyme mispent in culling the peeces out of the most authenticall and best Authors which haue concurred to the making vp of this litle bulke or Epistolarie processe of his life and death which I hope will appeare most contentfull and satisfactorie to all and fittest to frame a right iudgment in any as not being crooked and fitted to selfe endes by artificall amplifications but furnished by knowne fact and made good by so many and so irâ—eprochable witnesses as it cannot indeed be suspected to be in any part disguised or forced by corruption or malice but to deliuer a naked truth Now amongst all those whom I duely reuerence and honor in earth I could find none to whose patronage this poore worke of myne might laye a more iust clayme then to your Lordship like as in my iudgment your Lordshipe can pretend no Patrone in Heauen to whom you may haue a more confident recourse or with whom you might haue more sympathie being considered such as he liued in this earthly habitation for Religiousnesse zeale contrie cause constancie None which comes more home to your vse in respect of your long delay in banishment and the opposition you haue found euen amongst some of your children and those domesticalls of faith In a word in reading it you will not fayle before your death to reade a great part of your owne renowned life May it I beseech almightie God be long contentfull prosperous in earth and followed out with an eternally blessed one in heauen These are and euer shall be the zealous wishes of all good men and in particular of Your Lords. most humble and deuoted seruant A. B. THE PREFACE TO THE Epistolarie and Ecclesiastical History of sainct Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury INTENDING to present vnto your viewe out of that reuerent an renowned author Cardinall Baronius the great controuersie beetweene the Church and kingdome of England wherein the cheife actors in this our disturbed nation were that mightie King Henry the second and our Metropolitane sainct Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and in forraine countryes that most holy wise Pope Alexander the 3. and Lewes the pious king of France with many Catholicke Princes and among the Scismatickes the potent Emperour Fredericke with his idoll Octauian seeking by all meanes to intrude themselues and put their sickles into this haruest where the Diuel the father of their execrable scysme like a deepe polititian taking aduantage of their hellish discord had in this vnfortunate Iland sowed the cockle of dissention I thought best in regard this canker soe spreade it selfe through the Christian world and this history was collected out of the Epistles written by the cheifest rulers in that age to lay open briefely the state of the westerne Church and kingdomes vnited therein whereby your mindes receauing light may better discouer thinges otherwise obscured First therefore to delineate the time I must somewhat touch the raigne of Pope Adrian Alexanders predecessour who being the only man of our English nation that euer steered saint Peeters ship and was not only for his singular vertues wisedome and learning preferred to the Apostolike Sea but also himselfe the Apostle who conuerted the Norwegyans to the Christian faith I thinke it no vnnecessary digression to treate of his origine progresse and most high preferment At Abbotts Langley in the County of Hertford neere kinges Langley Nicolas Breakespeare afterwards Pope AdriaÌ„ borne in England where Edmund of Langley receaued his first breath from whom all the kinges of England and Scotland haue these many yeeres descended was borne Nicolas Breakespeare who afterwarde exalted to the gouerment of the Church of Rome and called Adrian the fourth ruled in matters of faith and Religion the whole Christian world His father was Robert Breakespeare a yonger brother of the family of Breakespeare whose place concurring with the name is seated neere Vxbridge in Middelsex now in the possession of Ashby His father saith Iohn Stowe after the death of his wife and before the departure as I conceaue of his sonne out of the realme professed a Religious life in the Monastery of saint Abbans wherein Stowe ignorantly not maliciously ran into an errour for Pope Adrians mother as shall bee afterwards showed ouerliued him It appeareth in a Counsell celebrated in Normandie by Pope Alexanders Legates with the Archbishop of Roane and Bishops of the same Prouince anno Dom. 1172. how before that time men might enter into religion leauing their wiues in the world for there was made a Canon afterwards prohibiting it And so might Robert Breakespeare in this precedent age as it is affirmed bee a Monke in saint Abbans and his wife as it is certaine ledd a retyred life vnder the Archbishop in Canterbury The name of Breakespeare beeing truly English and about the time of the Conquest inuincibly proueth they were of the Saxon not of the Norman race Breakespeare it selfe was in the raigne of king Iames the inheritable mansion of a knight and how great in forepassed dayes God knoweth But as sainct Thomas sayth in his Epistle to Gylbert Bishop of London what hath a priest a religious man to doe with these worldly flourishes I will descend to his humiliation which was his ascent first to honor then to heauen All that followeth is collected out of Card. Baronius Leauing as Abraham his countrey and kindred hee trauelled in his youth to pourchase learning and comming to Arnulate professed religion in the Monastery of saint Rufus where hee was called first to bee Prior then Abbot of the house whereupon it fortuned that for serious occasions of the Church commended to his charge hee went to the Apostolike Sea and hauing fully finished all his busines and now intending to returne Pope Eugenius of blessed memory retayned him there and by consent of his brethren Pope Eugenius Adrian Bishoppe of Alba. did consecrate him Bishop of Alba. A while after seeing his vertues and wisedome hee designed him Legate a Latere of the Apostolike Sea into
the planting of your sonne in your place with the accomplishment of his consecration why are you not carefull to exclude from the solemnity of soe greate a Sacrament those who are apparantly and namely excommunicated by the sentence of my Lord the Pope and vs Can a consecration bee perfected without a participation But if London and Salisbury had bin absolued beeing excommunicated beefore as well by the Pope as saint Thomas these obiections could neuer haue bin made by saint Thomas himselfe in that assembly where none stood excommunicate but only the sayde Bishoppes For answer moroeuer of the other flaunder concerning the Popes consent to the consecration of the king of England by the Archbishop of Yorke reade heere the Popes letters wrytten to saint Thomas in these wordes Considering deeply the constancy of your vertue and fayth Ibid. Ep. 34. with the resolution of mynde which you haue apparantly shewed for defence of your Churches liberty wee doe willingly giue you as our deerest brother the best counsell and assistance wee can for obtayning those thinges which wee knowe conuenient for the conseruation and augmētation of the same Church and will with diligent endeauor affoarde the defence of the Apostolicall power against all such as contend to diminish and disturbe the rightes and dignityes herof Wee heare of certaynty how the Archbishop of Yorke contrary to our prohibition and interdiction hath crowned in your Prouince Henry sonne to the famous king of England wherfore in regarde you affirme the same to bee an exceeding great derogation to the right and dignity of your Church beeing desyrous on this beehalfe to succour both your selfe and Church wee ordayne by our Apostolicall authority that the sayde Archbishoppes acte shall no way heereafter by any meanes preiudice you for diminishing your right in the Coronation and vnction of the kinges of England but that you may haue it in as ample manner as your Predecessors and Church haue bin knowne to haue enioyed the same forty yeeres now past Thus far in refutation of the scandall concerning the Archbishoppe of Yorke and heereto is agreable an other Epistle wrytten to the Bishoppes who were present at the Coronotion and that letter especially which the Pope sent to the same Roger Archbishop of Yorke and Hugh Bishoppe of Duresme indighted thus Alexander Bishoppe seruant of the seruantes of God to his reuerent brethren Roger Archbishoppe of Yorke and Hugh Bishoppe of Duresme sendeth greeting and Apostolicall benediction Allthough yee are many wayes commendable and gratefull to vs and wee on the other syde embrace yee with the armes of vnfayned charity neuertheles wee ought not therfore to ouerpasse but call yee to accompt and with the zeale of rightuousnes to correct such offences as beeing committed by yee and left vmpunished engender death Our Lord speaking by the Prophet thus If I saying to the wicked thou shalt dye the death thou dost not declare it vnto him nor tell him thereof hee shall dye in his sinne but I will require his blood at thy handes The oppression truly of the Church of England with the diminishing of her liberty which is knowne to bee caused by your king bee it either of his owne motion or else by the suggestion of others hath now long since very much afflicted our mynde and bred vs noe small care and greife for wheras it behoued him to deuyse how to correcte those abuses which were brought in wickedly by his Predecessors hee rather heaping sinnes vppon sinnes constituted and established with the coullor of à royal tytle those vnlawfull customes by which the Churches liberty perished and the decrees of Apostolicke men as far as hee could infringe them were depriued of their power neyther did hee thinke it enough if vnder his Dominion the Diuine lawes in his kingdome of England were put to silence and made voyd vnles hee should also cast à descent of sinne vpon his heires and make his kingdome for long tyme sit solitary without Ephod without Superhumerale without preistly dignity Thence came it to passe that hee procured those vsurpations to bee confirmed without any exception by the oathes of your selues your brethren and the Bishoppes your Associates and condemned him to bee punished as à Traytor who woulde not yeelde consent to these wicked customes This appeareth manifestly in the exile of our reuerent brother the Archbishoppe of Canterbury this is openly declared in the miserable banishment of his Clearkes and kindred and of those who sucking their mothers breasts cryed as yet in their cradles yea the terror of death is threatened to all such as dare resist the same and prefer the lawes of God beefore those synnefull Statutes Wee our selues by whose iudgment those offensiue lawes ought to bee corrected and amended were vnder coullor of this vnquiett tyme most earnestly sollicited to confirme the same and were not meanely labored and prouoked to strengthen with Apostolike power those vsurped customes before wee were fully informed of them and this in their very first beeginning and in processe of tyme the sayde Archbishoppe remayning in exile for executing the office of his Pastorall function and very often requiring from our authority the wonted assistance of the Romane Church wee sent to the same king the cheifest and worthyest of our brethren wee sent also other Ecclesiasticall persons supposing the hardnes of his harte would bee softened with our humility and meekenes and that as Salomon sayth The Prince will bee mollifyd with patience Prouerb 25. Ibid. 15. and a gentle tongue will asswage anger But hee deluding our sufferance with the seuerall deuises of sundry Embassadors seemeth soe far to obdurate his mynde against our admonitions as neither hee relenteth any whitt in his wrath against the forenamed Archbishop nor yet endureth that any one of his peruerse lawes should bee diminished yea damnifyeth the Church of Canterbury it selfe very much in her possessions and spoyleth her of her ancient dignity in her Ecclesiasticall administration for when hee was disposed of late to haue his sonne crowned contemning the Archbishop of Canterbury to whose office the same in tymes forepast is sayd of right to beelong hee caused him to bee inuested with the Crowne by you brother Archbishop and that in this Prouince noe whit appartayning to your iurisdiction Moreouer in his Coronation there was not according to the ancient custome any condicion made or as they say requyred of him for the preseruation of the Churches liberty but as the reporte goeth hee was rather bound by oath to obserue during his raigne inuiolably the royall customes as they call thē of his ancestors wherby the Churches dignity is endangered Wherin allthough the sayde kinges violence doth greatly trouble vs wee may neuertheles bee much more incensed with the imbecility of yee and your Associates the Bishoppes who not without greife wee speake it are made like Rammes without hornes Thren Ierem 1. and flye away without strength before the face of the Pursuer For allthough brother
finall conclusion made betwene them soe as the king very mâ—â—dely vnder went and performed whatsomeuer the Cardinalls on their partes proposed to him But in regarde the father would haue his sonne there present that whatsomeuer the father promised the sonne should also make good the determination of the busines was deferred vntill the next Sunday following beeing the Sunday beefore our Lordes Ascention Then in an open Audience The kinges oathe the King laying his hand vpon the Euangelists made oathe that neither by his commandement nor his will the Archbishoppe of Canterbury was killed and that hearing of his death hee rather sorrowed then reioyced Hee added moroeuer on his free will that hee neuer so much greeued for the death of his father or mother as for his and lastly sware that what pennance or satisfaction someuer the Cardinalles would enioyne him hee would amply fullfill Hee sayde beesides before that great assembly that hee was not ignorant hee was the cause of the Arch-Bishoppes death and that whatsoeuer was doâ—â—◠〈◊〉 donne for his sake not that hee commanded it but thâ—â— his freindes and familiars seeing the disturbance of his countenance and lookes vnderstanding likewise the greife of his harte and hearing often his words breaking into complayntes against the Archbishoppe prepared to reuenge his iniury without euer acquainting him therwith And therfore hee professed hee was most ready with all humility and deuotion to accomplishe whatsomeuer the Legates should command Then the Legates declared to him that hee should maintayne vpon his coste 200. knightes for a whole yeere The conditions of the kings absolution giuing euery knighte 300. crownes in the land of Ierusalem against the Paganes in such sorte as the Templars should dispose Secundly hee should absolutely disannull the wicked statutes of Claringtonne beeing the place where they were enacted with all other ill customes which were in his raigne intruded on Gods Church and if there were any vnlawfull ordinances beefore his tyme hee should according to our Lord the Popes Mandate and by the Counsell of Religious men mitigate them Thirdly that hee should restore to the Church of Canterbury all her whole and entire right in landes and other thinges as fully as it was the yeere beefore the Archbishoppe incurred the kinges displeasure and hee should amply render his peace and loue with all their possessions to all those with whom hee was offended for the Archbishoppes sake Fourthly that if neede required and our Lord the Pope commanded him hee should goe into Spaine to deliuer that land from the Infidells They inioyned him also secretly fastes and almes and other thinges not publickly knowne To all these the king with singular meekenes gaue his assent soe as hee sayde in the hearing of all Beehoulde my Lordes and Legates my body is wholly in your handes and bee assured whatsomeuer yee command bee it either my going to Ierusalem or to Rome or to saint Iames or whatsoeuer it bee I am resolued to obey In soe much as scarce any there present seeing his humility and deuotion could abstayne from teares These thinges ended that nothing might bee wanting for the full accomplishment of his good the Legates did leade the king yeelding therunto of his owne accorde out of the dores of the Church where vpon his knees without laying asyde his garmentes and without any showe of disciplining roddes hee was absolued and soe againe brought into the Church And that some of the kingdome of FraÌ„ce might knowe their proceedinges heerin they appointed that the Archbishoppe of Towers with his Suffraganes should personally atteÌ„d on him at Cane on the nexte Wednesday after our Lordes Ascension What the king did sweare the king his sonne coÌ„firmed with his haÌ„d in the haÌ„d of my Lord Albert the Cardinall that hee for his owne parte would obserue aÌ„d if the king preueÌ„ted with death or other casuall meanes could not performe his pennance that hee himselfe would doe it Hetherto this relation Wherunto accordeth the Cardinalls letter concerning this matter and beeginning in these wordes That thinges now hanled may not bee called in question c. Heerunto was added That on the nexte feast of our Lordes Natiuity hee should vndertake the Crosse and for three yeeres make warre in the holy land vnles Pope Alexander or his lawfull successor thought it vnfitting Now for the Oathe it selfe made by the king and his sonne in the hands of the Legates it is reserued intirely among the actes of Pope Alexander in these very wordes I King Henry doe heere take myne oathe vpon these holy Euangelistes of our Lord God That I neither thought of nor knewe nor euer commanded the murder of Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury And when I vnderstood the same to bee committed I more greeued therefore then if I had heard of the slaughter of myne owne sonne But heerein I am not able to excuse my selfe that vpon occasion of my turbulency and wrath which I conceaued against that holy man hee was killed In regarde whereof for this offence beeing as it seemeth the cause of his death I will out of hand send to Ierusalem vpon myne owne charges 200. souldiers to serue there for one whole yeere in defence of Christianity or giue soe much money as may there maintaine soe many souldiers for a Twelue moneth I will alsoe vndertake till three yeeres bee expired the signe of our Lordes Crosse and in myne owne person goe thither vnlesse the Pope licence mee to stay I doe absolutely abrogate all those vnlawfull customes which I haue in my raigne ordayned thorough out my land and from this tyme forward decree that they bee neuer obserued I will likewise heereafter suffer all Appeales to bee freely made to the Apostolike Sea and heerein I will not prohibite any man These and other the like are rehearsed out of Roger saying all these matters Actes iterated in the Prouinciall Councell soe handled about our Lords Ascention were recyted in the Councell of the whole Prouince which was helde in the moneth of September where the Legates and both the kinges the father and sonne mett together with the Bishoppes For thus hee wryteth Henry king of England and king Henry his sonne Rotrude Archbishop of Roane with all the Bishoppes and Abbottes of Normandy assembled together at the Citty of Abryncke in the presence of the Cardinalles Theodine and Albert in whose hearing the king of England the father on the fifte Kalends of October beeing Wednesday and the feast of Saintes Cosmus and Damianus Martyrs in the Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle declared his innocency before the aboue named Cardinalls Clergy and people by taking his oathe on the Reliques of Saintes and only Euangelistes that hee neyther commanded nor wished the Archbishoppe of Canterburys death c. As before Adding thereunto the publicke instrument made then to that purpose beeginning with these wordes And that these may bee euer retayned in the memory of the Roman Church the king the father caused his seale