Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	king_n	winchester_n	2,881	5	10.8356	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26478	A testimony of antiquity shewing the ancient faith in the Church of England, touching the sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord here publickly preached, and also received in the Saxons time, above 600 years agoe.; Sermo de sacrificio in die Pascae. English	Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham.; Joscelyn, John, 1529-1603.; Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Lisle, William, 1579?-1637.	1675 (1675)	Wing A677; ESTC R38168	20,773	42

A TESTIMONY OF ANTIQUITY Shewing The Ancient Faith of the Church of England Touching the SACRAMENT Of the Body and Blood of the LORD Here Publickly Preached And also received in the Saxons time above Seven Hundred years agoe Jeremiah 6. Go into the streets and inquire for the old way and if it be the good and right way then go therein that ye may find rest for your souls But they say we will not walk therein OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the University Anno Dom. 1675. The Preface to the Christian Reader GREAT Contentions hath now been of long time about the most comfortable Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour In the Inquisition and determination whereof many be charged and condemned of Heresie and reproved as bringers up of new Doctrine not known of old in the Church before Berengarius time who taught in France in the daies when William the Norman was by Conquest King of England and Hildebrand otherwise called Gregorius the Seventh was Pope of Rome But that thou mayest know good Christian Reader how this is advouched more boldly then truly in especial of some certain men which be more ready to maintain their old judgment then of humilitie to submit themselves unto a truth here is set forth unto thee a Testimony of very Ancient time wherein is plainly shewed what was the judgment of the Learned men in this matter in the daies of the Saxons before the Conquest First thou hast here a Sermon or Homelie for the holy day of Easter written in the old English or Saxon speech which doth of set purpose and at large intreat of this Doctrine and i●●ound among many other Sermons in the same old speech made for other Festival daies and Sondaies of the year and used to be spoken orderly according to those daies unto the people as by the books themselves it doth well appear And of such Sermons be yet many books to be seen partly remaining in private mens hands and taken out from Monasteries at their dissolution partly yet reserved in the I ibraries of Cathedral Churches as of Worcester Hereford and Exeter From which places diverse of these books have been delivered into the hands of the most Reverend Father Matthew Arch-bishop of Canterbury by whose diligent search for such writings of History and other Monuments of Antiquitie as might reveal unto us what hath been the state of our Church in England from time to time these things that be here made known unto thee do come to light Howbeit the Sermons were not first written in the old Saxon tongue but were Translated into it as it should appear from the Latine For about the end of a Saxon book of LX Sermons which hath about the middest of it this Sermon against the bodily presence be added these words of the Translator writ in Saxon and thus Englished He let pass many good Gospels which he that list may Translate For we dare not enlarge this book much further least it be over great and so cause to men lothsomness through his bigness And in another book containing some of the Saxon Sermons it is also thus written in Latine In ho● codicillo continentur duodecim Sermones Anglicae quos accepimus de libris quos Aelfricus Abbas Anglicè transtulit In this book be comprised 12 Sermons which we have taken out of the books that Aelfrick Abbot Translated into English In which words truly there is also declared who was the Translator to wit one Aelfrick And so he doth confess of himself in the Preface of his Saxon Grammer where he doth moreover give us to understand the number of the Sermons that he Translated thus His words be in Saxon and thus in English I Aelfrick was desirous to turn into our English tongue from the art of Letters called Grammer this little book after that I had Translated the Two books in Fourscore Sermons But howsoever it be now manifest enough by this above declared how that these Sermons were Translated I think notwithstanding that there will hardly be found of them any Latine books being I fear me utterly perished and made out of the way since the Conquest by some which could not well brooke this Doctrine And that such hath been the dealing of some partial Readers may partly hereof appear There is yet a very Ancient book of Canons of Worcester Library and is for the most part all in Latine but yet intermingled in certain places even three or four leaves together with the old Saxon tongue and one place of this book handleth this matter of the Sacrament but a few lines wherein did consist the chief point of the Controversie be rased out by some Reader yet consider how the corruption of him whosoever he was is bewrayed This part of the Latine book was taken out of two Epistles of Alfricks before named and were written of him as well in the Saxon tongue as the Latine The Saxon Epistles be yet wholely to be had in the Librarie of the same Church in a book written all in Saxon and is Intituled A Book of Canons and Shrift book But in the Church of Exeter these Epistles be seen both in the Saxon tongue and also in the Latine By the which it shall be easie for any to restore again not only the sense of the place rased in Worcester book but also the very same Latine Words And the words of these two Epistles so much as concern the Sacramental bread and wine we here set immediately after the Sermon First in English then the words of the second in English and Latine delivering them most faithfully as they are to be seen in the books from whence they are taken And as touching the Saxon writings they be set out in such form of Letters and dark speech as was then used when they were written Translated also for our better understanding into our common and usual English speech 〈◊〉 now it remaineth we do make known who this Aelfrick was whom we here speak of in what age he lived and in what estimation He was truly brought up in the Schools of Aethelwolde Bishop of Winchester Aethelwolde I mean the Elder and great Saint of Winchester Church So Canonized because in the daies of Edgar King of England he conspired with Dunstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Oswalde Bishop of Worcester to expel out of the Cathedral Churches throughout all England the Married Priests which then were in those Churches the old dwellers as writeth Renulphus Cestren●is in his Polli●ronicon and to set up of new the Religion or rather Superstition Hipocrisie of Monks after that the same had been a long time by the just judgment of God utterly abolished the Danes spoyling them and cruelly burning them in their houses as is at large and plentifully confessed in the Historie of their own Churches For this new rearing up of Monkery is Aethelwolde called in most Histories Pater Monachorum the Father of Monks Under this

Aethelwolde was Aelfrick traded up in learning as he witnesseth of himself in the Latine Preface of his Saxon Grammer where speaking of his interpreting Latine words he writeth thus Scio multis modis verba posse interpretari sed ego simplicem interpretationem sequor fastidium vitandi causa Si alicui tamen displicuerit nostra interpretatio dicat quomodo vult Nos contenti sumus sicut didicimus in Scholis venerabilis praesulis Aethelwoldi qui multos ad bonum imbuit I know that words may be expounded diverss waies but for to avoid lothsomness I do follow the plain Interpretation Which if any shall mislike he may do as he thinketh best but we are content to speak as we have learned in the Schools of the most worthy Bishop Aethelwolde who hath been a good Instructor to many or who hath brought up many to good This he writeth of himself So upon this his education in the Schools of Aethelwolde he became afterward to be an earnest lover and a great setter forwards of Monkery and therefore no less busie writer and speaker against the Matrimony of Priests in his time For which respect he was afterward so regarded that he was made by Oswalde Bishop of Worcester as reporteth John Capgrave the First Abbot of St. Albons newly restored and replenished with Monks and also made Abbot of Malmesbury by King Edgar as reporteth William of Malmesbury in the life of Aldelmus And truly he calleth himself Abbot in diverse of his Epistles although he never named of what place as in that he writeth Egneshamensibus fratribus de consuetudine Monachorum To the Monks of Egnesham of the order and manner of Monks and in this he writeth to Wulfstane Arch-bishop of York and in another against Priests Matrimony sent to one Sigeferth with whom was an Anker abideing which defended the Marriage of Priests affirming it to be lawful The Epistle is in the Saxon tongue and in our English thus Aelfrick Abbot doth send friendly salutation to Sigeferth It is told me that I teach otherwise in my English writings then doth thy Anker teach which is at home with thee For he saith plainly that it is a lawful thing for a Priest to Marry and my writings doth speak against this c. Thus as well in his own Epistles as in all other books of Sermons in the Saxon tongue that I have seen I find him alwaies called Abbot and only so called Howbeit John Capgr●v● who 〈◊〉 together into one Volume the lives 〈…〉 the life of Oswalde that Aelfrick last of all advanced to the Arch-Bishops See of Canterbury In aliis inquit Angliae partibus insignes Ecclesias ob praefixam causam Clerieis evacuavit eas viris monastica institutionis sublimavit quorum haec nomina sunt Eeclesia S. Albani S. Aetheldredae Virginis in Eli ea quae apud Beamfledam constituta honorabilis habebatur Instituit enim in Ecclesia S. Albani Aelfricum Abbatem qui ad Archiepiscopatum Cantuariensem postea sublimatus fuit In other parts of England Oswald avoided out of the most notable Churches the Clarks and advanced the same places with men of the order of Monks whose names be these S. Albons The Church of the Virgin S. Aetheldrede in Ely and that which is at Beamfieot reputed very famous He did appoint Abbot in S. Albons Aelfrick who was afterwards promoted to the Arch-bishoprick of Canterbury Truly this Aelfrick we here speak of was equal in time to * Elfrick Arch-bishop of Canterbury as may certainly appear to him that will consider when Wulfstane Arch-bishop of York and Wulfsine Bishop of Scyrburn lived unto whom Aelfrick writeth the Saxon Epistles from which the words concerning the Sacrament hereafter following be taken And the certainty of this consideration may well be had out of William Malmesbury De Pontificibus and out of the Subscriptions of Bishops to the Grants Letters-Pattents and Charters of Aethelrede who raigned King of England at this time Howbeit whether this Aelfrick and Aelfrick Arch-bishop of Canterbury was but one and the same man I leave it to other mens judgment further to consider for that writing here to Wulfstane he nameth himselfe but Abbot and yet Aelfrick Arch-bishop of Canterbury was promoted to that his Arch-bishop Stoole six yeares before that Wulstane was wade Arch-bishop of York as is declared most manifestly in the Histories of Symeon of Durham Roger Hoveden The Histories of Rochester Flores Historiarum Thomas Stubbs in his History of the Arch-bishops of York and in all other most Ancient Histories as well written in the old Saxon tongue as in Latine Moreover in many Deeds and Writings of Gifts made by King Aethelrede when Aelfrick subscribeth as Arch-bishop of Canterbury then in them is one Aldulphus Wulfstanes predecessour named Arch-bishob of York and Wulfstane himself subscribeth but as an inferiour Bishop But be it that this Aelfrick was onely Abbot and not Arch-bishop of Canterbury yet this is also most true that beside the praise of great Learning and of being a most eloquent interpreter for which William of Malmesbury doth greatly commend him he was also of such credit and estimation to the liking of that age in which he lived that all his Writings and chiefly these his Epistles were then thought to contain sound doctrine and the Bishops themselves did judge them full of right good Counsel Preceptes and Rules to govern thereby their Clergy and therefore did most earnestly request to have these Epistles sent unto them as do well appear by Two short Latine Epistles set before the Saxon Epistles whereof the one is sent to Wulfsine Bishop of Scyrburne the other to Wulfstane Arch-bishop of York And after this also Bishops of other Churches among other Canons that they collected out of general and particular Councels out of the Books of Gildas out of the Penitentials of Theodorus Arch-bishop of Canterbury out of the Extracts of Egberhtus the Fourth Arch-bishop of York from Paulinus out of the Epistles of Alcuinus teacher to Charles the great and to conclude out of the Writings of the Fathers of the Primitive Church among other Canons I say they collected together for the better ordering of their Churches they do place among them also these Two Epistles of Aelfrick as is to be seen in Two books of Canons of Worcester Library whereof the one is all in the Old Saxon Tongue and there these Epistles of Aelfrick be in the same Tongue the other is for the most part all in Latine and is intituled Admonitio spiritualis doctrinae where these Epistles be in the Latine Tongue and be joyned together for an Exhortation to be made of the Bishop to his Clergy There is also a like book of Canons of Exeter Church where these two Epistles in Latine be appointed insteed of two Sermons to be Preached Ad Clericos Presbyteros to the Clerks and Priests and the Epistles be also in the same book in the Saxon Tongue And this book was given

to Saint Peters Church in Exeter by Leofrick the first and most famous Bishop of that Church as in his own Record and Grant of all such Lands Books and other Things he gave unto the Church expressed in the Saxon Tongue but in English thus Here is shewed in this Book or Charter what Leofrike Bishop hath given unto St. Peter's Minster at Exeter where his Bishops Seat is that is That he hath got in again through God's help whatsoever was taken out c. First shewing what Lands of such as was taken from the Church be recovered again partly by his earnest complaint and suit made for the same partly by his giving of rewards Next making also report what Lands with other Treasure of his own he gave of new to the place He cometh at last to the rehearsal of his Books whereof the last here named is a Canon book in Latine and a Shrift-book in English is the Book we speak of and hath in it the Latine and Saxon Epistles of Aelfrick Thus as this Book of Exeter Church hath this good evidence by which it is shewed that Leofrike was the giver thereof even so the Book of Canons of Worcester Church written all in Saxon hath in it most certain testimony that the Writer thereof was the publick Scribe of the Church whose name was Wulfgeat For thus is it recorded therein even with the same hand of the Scribe wherein all the Book is written In English thus Wulfgeat the Scribe of Worcester Church did write me Pray I beseech you for his transgressions the Creator of the world And God grant that he be alwaies happy that writ me The other Book of Canons of Worcester Library which I have said is for the more part in Latine and is intituled Admonitio spiritualis doctrinae is written in so old an hand as is that of Exeter Church and seemes to be possessed of Wulfstane who was Bishop of Worcester in the daies of William the Conqueror And that he should be the possessor of this ●ook I do thus affirm when in his daies Lanfrank made first this Law of Priests in the Councel he held at Winchester in the year of our Lord 1076. Decretum est ut nullus Canonicus llxorem habeat Sacerdotum vero in Castellis vel in vicis habitantium habentes llxores non cogantur ut dimittant non habentes interdicantur ut habeant Et deinceps caveant Episcopi ut Sacerdotes vel Diaco●●● non praesumant ordinare nisi prius profite●●tur ut 〈◊〉 non habeant That is It is decreed that no Canon have a Wife But of Prie●●s such as have Wives dwelling in Castles and Villages let them not be compelled to put away their Wives but such Priests as have no Wives forbid them to have And let bishops take heed that they presume not to ordain Priests or Deacons unless they do first profess to have no Wives Now albeit this and many other Councels held from time to time by the space more then of an hundred years after this did little avail but that the Priests did both marry and still kept their Wives because as writeth Gerardus Arch-bishop of York to Anselm Cum ad ordines aliquos invito dura cervice re●●tuntur re in ordinando castitatem profiteantur When I call any to Orders they resist with a stiff neck that they do not in taking Order profess Chastity Or as is reported in the Saxon story of Peterborow Church speaking of the Councels of Anselm of John of Cremona and of William Arch-bishop of Canterbury All these Decrees availed nothing they all kept their Wives still by the Kings leave as they did before Yet it came to pass upon this Decree of Lanfrank that the form of words wherein the Priests should vow Chastity was now first put into some Bishops Pontifical Ego frater N. promitto Deo omnibusque Sanctis ejus castitatem corporis mei secundum Canonum decreta secundum ordinem mihi imponendum servare domino praesule N. praesente And as the words were thus put into some Pontifical in a general speaking as the manner is so in the beginning of this Book we here speak of wherein be Aelfrick's Epistles are the self-same words of profession written in the same old hand as is the rest of the Book and addeth also there the special name of Wulfstane Bishop who was present at this Councel of Lanfrank and unto whom it did first appertain to exact of Priests in the Diocess of Worcester this profession The words be these Ego frater N. promitto Deo omnibusque Sanctis ejus castitatem corporis mei secundum Canonum decreta secundum ordinem mihi imponendum domino praesule Wulfstano praesente I brother N. do promise to God and all his Saints chastity of my body according to the Decrees of Canons and according to the order to be put upon me before Wulfstane Bishop By this I do affirm that this Book did belong to Wulfstane Bishop of Worcester and so by him was afterward given to the Library of that Church where it now remaineth Wherefore of this now declared First touching the Sermon spoken of in the begining whereof as of many other contained in two Books Aelfrick was but the Translator and therefore were Books of Sermons before his time N●●● touching the publick receiving of the Epistles of Aelfrick wherein I say is denied the Bodily Presence and also by the infarcing afterward of these Epistles by Bishops into their Books of Canons in stead of Exhortations to be used unto their Clergy it is not hard to know not only so much what Aelfrick's judgment was in this controversie but also that more is what was the common received Doctrine herein of the Church of England as well when Aelfrick himself lived as before his time and also after his time even from him to the Conquest But what was the condition and state of the Church when Aelfrick himself lived In deed to confess the truth it was in divers points of Religion full of blindness and ignorance full of childish servitude to Ceremonies as it was long before and after and too much given to the love of Monkery which now at this time unmeasurably took root and grew excessively But yet to speak what the Adversaries of the Truth have judged of this time it is most certain that there is no Age of the Church of England which they have more reverenced and thought more holy than this For of what Age have they Canonized unto us more Saints and to their liking more notable First Odo Arch-bishop of Canterbury who died in the beginning of King Edgar's Reign Then King Edgar himself by whom Aelfrick was made Abbot of Malmsbury Then Edward called the Martyr King Edgar's Bastard-Son Then Editha King Edgar's Bastard-Daughter Also Dunstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury of whom Aelfrick was greatly esteemed Aethelwold Bishop of Winchester under whom Aelfrick had his first bringing up Oswald Bishop of Worcester