The burnynge of Paules church in London in the yeare of oure Lord 1561. and the iiii day of Iune by lyghtnynge at three of the clocke at after noone which continued terrible and helplesse vnto nyght VVERE THESE GREATER SINners than the rest No I saye vnto you except ye repent ye shall all lykewyse peryshe Luc. 13. ¶ Imprinted at London by Willyam Seres dwellynge at the west ende of Powles at the Sygne of the Hedge-hog AN ADDICION VVITH AN APpologie to the causes of brinnynge of Paules Church the which causes were vttred at Paules Crosse by the reuerend Bysshop of Duresme the. viii of â—une 1561. ALthough almighty God be pacyente mercifull and longe sufferinge wyllinge all sinners to repent their wickednes to rise from sinne and come to his mercye yet if sinners wil not amend after monition and warninge hadde at the last God strikes sodainly and sore as appeares in the Scripture by Sodom and Gomorra vpon the whyche Cytyes God rayned fire and bremstone wherewith the fyue Cities were destroyed miserably Also Pharao and the Egiptians that wold not be moued by the wordes of Moises and Aaron nor wyth the tenne plages at last were sodainlye drowned in the Sea Also Chore Dathan and Abiron with a greate number of people that woulde not obey the ministration of Aaron and the Priestes appoynted by God but went from them seking a newe waye to serue God part of them were sodenlye swallowed vp of the earth and part brent sodainlye with fire from heauen in the tabernacle After when the people of Hierusalem would not heare the true Prophets of god but would beleue false liyng Prophetes so declined from the steps of Dauid Ezechias and Iosias which walked in the feare of god â–ª bicause they forsoke their fathers steps and fell to Idolatrye the Temple was brent the Citie destroyed and the people taken Captiues to Babilon Also our sauiour Christ for the tender â–ª loue he had to mankind came into this world by his doâ—trine he gathered xij Apostles Disciples a great multitude of people in one vnity of faith sanctified them his church by his precious bloud sheding committing the rule and gouernment of his Churche to the Byshops after his Ascencion he sende the holye Ghost in Hierusalem in lykenes of firie tongues amonge the Apostles and streight waye they preached as the holy Ghost taught them and there in Hierusalem Saint Peter conuerted a great multitude to the faith which faith at Hierusalem was first taught declared vpon by a counsel of the Apostles and Seniors there Saint Iames being Bishop and afterwarde the same faith was taught in all landes as the Prophet Dauid sayes In omnem terram exiuâ—t sonus eorum The faith of Christes Church hath bene from time to time establyshed by generall councels the whiche faith what Countrye so euer hath forsaken it hath bene miserably scourged and plaged as about fourtie yeares after the Assention of our Sauiour Christ bicause the Iues would not abide in that religion that was decreed by the Apostles and walke in their steps miserably Hierusalem was plaged with fire pestilence famine battell and murther Also in all other Countries as wel with the Grekes as other partes of the world when the people haue declyned from the feare of God forsakinge the steppes of blessed fathers miserably they haue bene plaged And in Englande where the faith of Christe and true religion was planted about the yeare of oure Lord. Cixxxij by Elutherius Pope sending Legates to Lucius then Kinge of Englande whiche conuerted this Realme to the fayth and establysshed true religion in Englande whiche continued CC. yeares but when the people dyd declyne from the feare of God and the steps of God and blessed fathers they came to greate calamitye and misery by the scourge of God Cadwaliader last kinge of the Britans did confesse by the hand of God with pestilence and famine they were dryuen out of this lande After that againe this land beinge inhabyted wyth Saxons beynge pamius Saint Gregorye Pope of Rome aboute the yeare of our Lorde God D. xcv sent Saint Augustine and other Monkes wyth hym into Englande Ethelbert being king and then Saint Augustine and his company by their doctrine and vertuous liuinge planted the faith and so establyshed a true religion in England the which faith and religion euer when the people haue declyned from it they haue felde great calamities as wel by the hande of God as by the conquest of the Danes and after by the Normans and sith the conquest from time to time God hath plaged this Realme for Synne and infidelitye And nowe whether the people of this Realme be declyned from the steps of Saint Augustine and other blessed fathers and Saintes which had Masse and seuen Sacramentes in the Church and God was honoured night and daye in the Church with deuine seruyce I thinke there is no man so simple but he may easely perceiue except malice haue blynded his heart As in Saint Paules Church in London by the decrees of blessed fathers euery night at midnight they had Mattines all the fore noone Masses in the Church with other deuine seruice and contynuall prayer and in the steple Antimes and prayers were hadde certayne tymes but consider howe farre nowe contrarye the Churche hais bene vsed and it is no maruaile yf God haue sende downe fire to brinne parte of the Churche as a signe of his wrath And where a reuerende Byshop at Paules crosse did exhort the people to to take the brinninge of Paules to be a warninge of a greater plage to folowe to the Citye of London if amendment of life be not had in all estates it was well said but we muste adde Accidentem ad deum opportet credere the Scripture sais he that will come to God muste first beleue Saint Paule sais without faith it is impossible to please God and the Prophet Hieremi saith by the sprite of God speakinge State super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis que sit bona ambulate in ea inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris that is stand vppon the wayes of blessed fathers and consider and aske of the olde pathes and highe wayes which is the good way and walke therin and ye shal finde refreshing to youre soules First searche whether the faith and religion nowe vsed was taught with the blessed fathers in Chrystes Church in times past ye shal proue by no recorde of authoritie or Chronicle that this maner of seruice now vsed in the Churche was euer hard tell of afore Luthers time which is not xl yeares old Therefore it is to be reiected and put awaye as a newe fangled doctrine and scismaticall therefore come backe againe into the old fathers steppes as well in faith and religion as godlye conuersation and liuinge or a greater plage is at hande Also where the said Preacher did recite certain abuses of the said Church as talking biyng and
wife must be blessed of the Priest The writer of the rule of clerkes liues agreing wyth these and suche sentences of the scripture sais A clerke must be chast or els bounde with the bande of one mariage Of all whiche sayinges he gethers trulye that a Bishoppe and Diacon are to be blamed if they be deuyded into manye women but if eyther Bishoppe or Diacon forsake one woman for religion sake the canonicall sentence here condemnes theym without respecte of their degrees sayinge A Byshop vnder pretense of religion must not put awaye his owne wife if he put her away let him be excommunicat but if he continue let him be deposed postea There be some which take S. Gregory for a help of this opinion whose folyshnes I laughe at and am sorye for their ignoraunce they know not that the perillous decree of this heresy made by S. Gregory was purged afterward of him by worthy fruite of repentance For on a time when he sende to his pounde for fyshe and see mo than six thousand childrens heades brought he sight moued with inwarde sorowe and confessinge that decree whiche he made for forbearinge of mariage to haue bene the cause of so greate a slaughter did purge it with worthy frute of repentaunce and condemninge his owne decree praysed that counseel of the Apostle It is better to mary than to burne addinge for hys part this It is better to marye than giue occasion of murther Thus muche among many other reasons concerning this matter this Byshop wrote a. vii c. yeare sins Frere Mantuan says that Hilary the learned writer Byshop of Poiters in Fraunce was maried The counsell Gangrēse about a iii. C. yeare after Christ says If anye man thinke that it is not lawful for a maried priest to vse his ministery or abhorre him for that cause cursed be he The Priestes of Spane did earnestlye defend their mariage againste Pope Syricius beynge angrye wyth them Thus ferre ye see of howe late yeares and howe troublesome a beginninge this forbiddinge of priests mariage had in other countries now let vs see a little howe and whan it began here in Englande that this proude prycker and vnlearned papist may see his owne folyshnes If I should begin at Wales the reliques of the old Britans whiche haue at all times suffred their Priestes to marye in al poperye parauenture some would call them concubines for a shifte rather then wiues as they be in dede but surely if papistes will suffer fathers so to bestowe their daughters and their chaplains to keepe vnlawfull women rather than their lawfull wiues as Pigius their great patrone sais it is better for a priest to keepe a whore than haue a wife they declare whose children they be Mariage is of God whoredome is of the Deuill therfore I come to more certayn things In the time of Kinge Henrye the first Paschall beinge Pope and Ansel. Bisshoppe of Cantorb about iiii C. yeares sins this diuorcynge of Priestes began chefely here with vs. The Pope willed Ansel. to do it he attemted to do it and the kinge withstode it as appeares by sūdry Epistles of Ansel concerning the same matter Epi. lxxvii iii. c. lxxvi Ansel. to his brether sunnes the lord Prior Ernulph other seruing god vnder him in Christes church in Cantorb gretinge and his blessinge As concerning Priestes of whom the kinge gaue commaundement that they shoulde haue both their Churches and their wyues as they had in the tyme of his father and of Lanfranc late archebishop yet both because the kinge hais reuested and reseased me of the whole archbishopricke and also because so cursed a mariage was forbidden in a counsell in the time of his father and the same Archbishop boldly by that autoritye which I haue by tharchbishopricke I commaunde not onlye within tharchbishopricke but also through oute England that all Priestes which kepe their wiues shalbe depriued of their churches and ecclestasticall benefice Marke the thinges conteined in these few wordes the kinges commaundement for Priestes to kepe their benefices and wyues both contrarye to Pope Gregories decree afore and yet not contrarye to the custome in his fathers tyme and Bysshop Lanfranc And where Ansel. demaunded the Popes aduise what was best to doe seinge it was so harde to diuorse theim note the Popes aunswere Epist. iii. C. xxxi Paschal Byshop seruaunt of Gods seruauntes to his reuerende brother Anselme Byshop of Cantorb gretyng and Apostolicall blessing We beleue youre brotherhode is not ignorāt what is decreed in the Romish churche concerninge Priestes chyldren but because ther is so great a multitude of such within the Realm of England that almost the greater and better part of the clarkes are reckened to be on this side we commit the order here into your charge For we graunt those to be promoted to holye offices by reason of the nede at this time and for the profet of the church whom learning and life shal commende amonge you and yet notwithstandinge the preiudice of the Ecclesiastical decree be taken hede to hereafter Here I note the Popes confession that almost the greater and better part of the Clergye here in Englande were maried than and that he suffers theym to be promoted to benefices and afterwarde as time would suffer to execute the Popes deuorcing decre Whan the Bishops coulde not wel bring those diuorces to passe the Pope sende Ioan his Cardinall to doe it and he as Polychro writes lib. vii ca. xvi was taken the same night in bedde with a doore in the time of Henrye the first O holy single life that the Pope went about The same Polychro sais also lib. vii ca. xxxi that Fuico a Frenche Prieste came to kinge Richard the. i. and bad him mary his iii. daughters the kinge said he had none yes says he Pride couetous lecherye than the king said pryde I giue to Templers couetous to white munkes and lecherye to Prelates this mariage was so knytte than that it coulde not be broken sins and this was the kinges opinion of them But not onely this hardnesse was in beginning of this diuorce but after that they were seperated dyuerse came together again as appeares in the Epistle that Ansel. wrote to Willyam his Archdiacon in this behalfe Ansel. Archebyshoppe to the reuerende Gundulph Bish. and to Ernulph Prior and to Willyam Archdiacon of Cantorb and to all in his diocesse gretinge Epi. iii. C. lxxiii Willyam our Archdiacon hais writen to me that some Priestes whiche be vnder his custodye takinge againe their Wyues that were forbidden theym haue fallen into vncleanesse from whiche they were drawen by holsome Counsell and commaundement whan Tharchdiacon woulde amende thys thynge they vtterlye despised his warninge and worthye Commaundement with a wycked pryde Than he callyng together many religious menne and obedient Priests excommunicated worthelye the proude and dysobedient which beastlie despised his curse and defyled the holy ministery as much
anye Priest that paies not the subsidy In that doing they grauÌ„t the Parliament to be aboue them from it to receiue their power Yea further to let them se how they be contrary to theÌ„selfes they giue a lay man as most part of their Collecters were power to interdite suspende and absolue a Priest whiche both be contrarye to their owne doctrine I had not thought to haue said so muche on these his fewe woordes and yet muche more hanges on this their opinion of claming their vsurped power aboue Princes and other ministers For if thys their opinyon were true that god gaue them such autority ouer his Churche as they clame it might be sayde on theym as the Poete sais Ouem lupo comisisti that God had appointed wolues to kepe his shepe There Saint Iames beynge Byshoppe and there sayd Masse ALas poore Masse that hais no better a ground work to be bylte on than false lies and so vnlerned a Proctour to speake for it I pray you who helpt Saint Iames at Masse who halowed hys Corporas Superaltare Chalice vestimentes c. Who was deacon and Subdeacon to reade the Epistle and Gospel who rang to the sacring and serued the pax for I am as sure it was a solempne feast and that these thinges were done as he is that S. Iames saide masse He that tolde you the one could haue told you the other as well as this if he had lust and ye saye your Masse can not be saide without these trinkettes I praye you what Masse was it began it with a great R. of Requiem or Scala coeli or resurrexi For the plague or murrion of beastes part of a trentall or for all christen soules if ye wil haue vs to beleue it ye must tell vs some more I praye you also which Saint Iames was it for we reade of diuers of that name both in the Scripture and other histories liuyng at that time It is not inoughe to saye so it is but ye must proue it yf ye will be beleued I pray you whose masse as they terme it vsed he and of whose makynge was it Chrisostomes or Basils Gregories or Ambrose or that whiche beares hys owne name of Saynt Iames what language spake he Hebrewe Greke or Latin these thynges must be proued afore your Latin popish patched Masse by so many Popes in so manye yeares or it was broughte to his perfection canne be proued Doe they thynke that beccausâ— my Lord Bishop Maister Docter or such Scauingers and corner crepers as thiâ— Champion is say it is so and deceiue thâ— people with lies priuely in corners thaâ—â— none dare saye against it openly but alâ—â— their sayinges must be beleued I do noâ—â— take them to be of that autoritye or credit But I will not stand with him in al these narrow pointes although I could kepe him much play in so doing I agree that Iames brother of oure Lorde was Bisshop there at Ierusalem as the auncient writers testifye but that he said or did anye thing lyke the Popyshe â—louted Latin masse that I vtterly deny For that the church alter Superaltare vesstiments Chalyce c. should be halowed afore they could haue masse said in theÌ„ on theym or with theym it is playne written in their owne law de consecra distincto .i when they haue proued that S. Iames had these halowed howe and by whome they were halowed than I will beleue he said their folish masse and not afore for their masse canne not be done without them Also if they will be beleued they muste declare what order of masse he vsed was it Chrisostomes Basils Iustines â—ertulians Austins Dionisius Isidorus Gregories Rabanus the Romaines or whose els Surely all these were vnborne manye yeares after Saint Iames died that it coulde not be theirs whi I am sure some will say is there so many diuers sortes of so manye holy fathers to minister the Lordes supper and our holye Bishops of late haue burned so many innocentes that would not vse their only one disordert order of massing as though all other were hereticall and schismatical as they terme it but that onely one which they haue deuised disguised and misused yea surelye these diuersityes al be printed and to be had wyth manye moe godlye ones and therefore they can not deny it and bicause they be prynted I will not stande to rehearse them holly for it were infinite There is yet an other liturgie in Print which worde they cal and vnlearnedlyâ— translate euer a Masse bearing the name of Saint Iames but euen in their late raging time of madnes whan they had gotten certayne copies of these Greeke liturgies or ministring the Lordes supper thinking to haue printed them and that it woulde haue stablyshed their doinges whan in triall and translatynge them they see it fall oute otherwais and to make against them they let it alone and suppressed it like as the same holye father and Cardinall fyrste prynted hys booke that he wrote against king Henry the eyght to please the Pope wythall and to sturre Themperoure to warre against England for falling from Popery and after his conscience accusing him to haue done amysse he burned all the bookes he coulde come by and yet nowe they be commonly solde to his shame as these Liturgies be to theirs Al these orders of ministring the Communion differ from their Pope holye relique their Latin masse in the chiefest poyntes that is that the Priest prayes not alone nor in a straunge language eates not nor drinkes vp all alone nor receyues it for other sels it not for money nor swepes the Popes scalding house his purgatory with it but the people pray with him in theyr mother tounge receyue wyth him for the coumforte of their owne soules and not for pockye pigges scalled horse nor scabbed shepe neyther making trentals or marchandise of it but in remembraunce of Chrystes death who dyed for theim But that Sainct Iames neuer sayde the Popysh masse as they would father it on him the Pope himselfe grauntes Pope Gregorie the first called the great for his greate holynes and learninge in comparison of the rest sais that the Apostles consecrated the host onlye with the Lordes prayer whan they minystred Than Saint Iames if he ministred anâ—e thing at al there euen by the Popes confession neuer sayd their latin Masse nor any thing like it For that consecration in latin of theirs hais many longe other prayers crossinges and blessinges and supersticious Ceremonies as all manne see beside the Lordes prayer And in that same selfe Chapter of Gregorye ye shal see other diuersites of Ceromonies and prayers there rehearsed wherein the latin masse differs from the Greke and other Wherefore it was not thoughte of old time to so many holy fathers a wicked thing to haue diuers orders in ministring the communion though our bloudye butchers will not swarue an inche from their father of lyes but burne all that gainsay them Howe manye toyes
these iii. must nedes folowe â–ª eyther that one masse only is good thâ— rest noughte or the reste good and thaâ— nought or els as I am sure he will sayeâ—â—oth are good If bothe be good thaâ— there may be diuers sortes of theym I there may be two diuers sortes and botâ— good why may there not be a thirde or fourth as good Why than maye not thâ— order now apointed in English be gooâ— to On good friday there is neyther Epistle nor Gospel Gloria in exelsis nâ— Crede Sanctus nor Agnus Canon nâ— priuity crossing toying nor blowynge nor their woordes of consecration paâ— â—or Ite missa est not so much as Dominus vâ—bis cuna but streight after confiteor he leapes post haist ouer all to the Pater noster Surely if this be good one daye it maye be vsed oftner and this agrees best with that that Gregory sais Thapâ—stles consecrated onelye wyth the Lordes prayer and therefore it seemes that if anye of their masses shoulde be good that thys goes nexte to the best and simpliest sort without all curiositie If they may doe all perfectlye this daye without their canon than their canon priuitie is not of so great force as they make it to be For sure if this be well on this day it maye be well on other dayes to for God is no chaungelynge nor he commaundes not one sort of communicatinge his supper to daye and another to morow but alwaies suche a one which agrees with his word Their commen aunswere solution is knowen but it wil not serue they must prouide better stucte or els theyr doings be foolysh But to make an ende of this great controuersye for thauncientye of their masse ye shall heare it determined by a miracle from heauen Whan there were diuers sortes of masses as they be called vsed in latin in diuers places as at Millane and euery where almost generally there was vsed Saint Ambrose order of Communion which there continues to this daye and Gregories order was vsed also in other places the Pope to determine the matter woulde trie whether should be alowed through his Dominion For Gregories was not vsed at all in Fraunce and it was thought shame that Ambroses order being but a Bishop should be preferred to the Popes Therfore he tooke eyther of their masse bookes as they terme them in an Euening â—aid them on the Altar locked the Churche dodres and desired god to declare by some miracle whether boke should be vsed generally of all sortes In the morninge Gregories booke leaues were found scattred al y â— Church ouer and Ambroses lay stil the doores beâ—nge fast locked all night as he sais but wise men may doubt This miracle maister Pope like a wise expounder of dreames sais that as the leaues were forne and blowen abrode all the Churche ouer so should Gregories booke bâ— vsed through out the world For this was done by God as well their greate God Bell did eate vppe all the meatâ— that was set afore him al night as Daniell writes But that a man may noâ— be wiser than Mounser Pope I woulâ— intâ—rprete this greate miracle thus That God was angry with Gregories boke and therefore rent it in pieces and scattered it abrode the other as good lay sound vntouched and at the least so to be preferred This was done by pope Adrian the first more than vii C. lxxvii yeares after Christ and thus long their holy masse was in controuersy afore it was determined Than it lackes much of M. D. as they vntruly and proudlye crake These thinges are not writen by any new menne or heretikes as it pleases theym to terme theym but by their own catholicke fathers Durandus and Nauclerus Yea Polychronic lib. vii ca x. writes that the white obseruaÌ„t munkes vse by their profession Sainct Ambrose order and not Gregories euen at these dayes wherefore their masse is not generall I woulde they did make â—n enâ—â— of liynge that we myght â—ake an ende of reprouâ—nge theym and â—oth ioyne together in worshipping the â—uing God only and beleuing his holy â—ord afore al other Saint Austin in â— lyke controuersye of religion betwixt â—m y â— Maniches praies thus O great â—nd almighty god god of al goodnes â—hom we ought to thinke beleue that â—ou art inuiolable incorrâ—ptible and â—â—mutable O triple vnity which al the â—â—urch does worshippe I hauing expeâ—ence of thy mercye to warde me praye â—ee humblye that thou wâ—â—te not suffer theym to dyffer from mee in thy religion and worshippe of thee with whom syns I was a childe I haue had a most speciall agrement in felowship of menne Amen God graunte vs all this to pray and diligentlye endeuoure our selues to seke this vnity of religion in worshipping the liuinge God onelye as he hais taught vs in his holy word and no other waies for his sonnes sake our lord and christ So be it In Englande where the faith of Chryste and true religion was planted aboute the yeare of our lorde C. lxxxii Elutherius Pope sendinge Legates to Lucius than kinge of Englande which conuerted this Realme to the faith and establyshed true religion in Englande whiche continued â–ª CC yeares As the rest of al their doctrine is founded on the Pope so is this This is their subtility to make men belcue that England hais euer receyued y â— christian faitâ— religion froÌ„ Rome therfore we muâ— fetch it from thence still which are botâ— most vntrue If nothing els would this one saying proues him to be vnlearned that thus sais Gildas our country man in his history sayes that Britane receiued the Gospel in the tyme of Tiberius the Emperour vnder whom Christ suffred Does not Tertulian who lyued â— the same time of this Pope write in hâ— booke against the Iewes thus Thapostles are declared in Dauids Psal. to be the Preachers of Christ. Their sounde he sais went oute in all the earth and their woordes vnto the roastes of the earth In whom els haue all people beleued but in christ which is now comen Whom haue other people beleued the Parthians the Medes the Persians they that dwell in Mesopotania Iurie Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrigia Pamphilia Egipt and the parts of Libia about Cyrene the straungers of R â–ª y â— Iewes Proselites men of Crete Arabia and other people as now the diuerse sortes of the Getes and manye coastes of the Murrians al the bouÌ„ders of Spaine diuerse nations of Fraunce and the places of the Britanes whiche the Romaines coulde neuer attaine to nowe are subiect to Christ and the places of Sarmatia of the Danes the Germanes the Sâ—ithians and of many other hid people and prouinces manye Iles vnknowen to vs â–ª and whiche now we can not recken In all which places reanes the name of Christ which is now comen Thus ferre Tertullian Marke in how many countries he sais the name of Christe reaned it was so
commenly and well beleued and howe amonge theym he reckens the wildest places of the Britaines to be of the nuÌ„ber and these were chrystened in hys time who liued in the same Pope Elutherius time Than it was not Pope Elutherius that first sende the christian faith hither but they had receyued the Gospell afore he was borne does not some Chronicles tell that Ioseph of Arimathia came hither preached here no doubt eyther he or some Apostle or scholer of theirs hadde preached Christ here and he was receyued and beleued afore this Pope was borne Beda writes that in his time almost a thousand yeare after Christ here in Britaine Ester was kept in the full moone what daye in the weeke so euer it fell on and not on the sonday after as we do now Wherfore it appeares that these Preachers came from the Easte parte of the world where it was so vsed rather than from Ro. whiche condemned that vse Parauenture Elutherius helpt to encrease it and sende some Preachers hyther but that he was the firste can not be proued yet woulde to God the â— woulde folowe that Gospell religion Lawes and Counsell that Elutherius gaue kynge Lucius But letts it 〈◊〉 graunted theym that Elutherius establyshed relygion in Englande will 〈◊〉 make any thinge for their purpose redâ— the Popes Epystle to the Kynge and than iudge There is greate controuersye what time thys kynge lyued as appeares in Fabians table and therefore a frowarde manne myght doubt whether anye suche thinge were or not but I will not deale so preciselye wyth him In the yeare from Christes passion Clxix the Lorde Elutherius Pope wrote thus to Kynge Lucius Kinge of Britaine for the correction of the kinge and his nobles of the Realme of Britaine Ye requyred of vs the Romane lawes and the Emperours to be sent ouer to you the whiche ye woulde practyse and put in vre within your Realme The Romane lawes and the Emperoures we maye euer reproue but the lawe of God we maye not Ye haue receyued of late throughe Goddes mercye in the Realme of Brytaine the lawe and sayth of Chryste ye haue wyth you in the Realme bothe the partes of the Scryptures oute of theym by Goddes grace wyth the Counsell of youre Realme take ye a lawe and by that lawe throughe Goddes sufferance rule youre Kyngedome of Brytaine For ye â—ee Goddes Uycarre in youre kingdome accordinge to the sayinge of the Psalme c. O God geue thy iudgement to the king and thy righteousnes to the kinges sonne He saide not the iudgement and righteousnes of Themperour but thy iudgement and iustice that is to saye of God The kynges sonnes be the christian people and folke of the Reame which be vnder your gouernement and liue and contine we in peace within your kingdom as the gospell sais Like as the henne gathers her chickins vnder her winges so does the kyng his people The people and folke of the Realme of Britaine be youres whome if they be deuyded ye ought to gather to concord and peace to cal them to the fayth and lawe of christe and to the holye churche to cherish and maintaine them to rule and gouerne them and to defend them alwais from theym that wold doe them wrong from malicious men and enemies c. A king hais his name of ruling and not of hauinge a Realme Thou shalt be a kyng while thou rulest well but if thou do not the name of a king shall not remaine with thee and thou shalt loose it which god forbid Thalmighty God graunt you so to rule the Reaâ—me of Britaine that ye may raigne with him for euer whose vicar ye be in the Realme thus far the Epistle Marke I praye you what thys good Pope grauntes and whether he be of this peuishe Proctours opinion or of his holye Byshops that he crakes so much on First he wils him not to take the Romaines lawes to rule his realme by for they maye euer be reproued but to make lawes accordinge to the scripture which neuer can iustlye be gaine said and by them to rule Further he cals the kinge Gods vicar twise in this letter thirdlye he sais the kinge ought to call the people to the faith of christ How can Papistes than be disobedient to kings whan they see the Pope grauÌ„t so much to kinges the Pope calles the king gods vicar and our Papistes deny it and say the Pope is Gods vicar The Pope biddes rule by the Scripture and refuses his owne lawes but oure holye Byshoppes saye Scriptures make herretikes and will be subiect to no lawes but the Romaines Lastly he charges kinges to bring the people to the faith but oure spiritualitye saye kinges haue nothing adoe in Ecclesiastical matters nor religion They sticke much on auncientie and the Popes autority and yet those godly thinges which godly auncient Popes haue sayde and decreed they can not abyde because it takes a waye their autority and pride Platina and Polychronicon wryte that this Pope decreed that no manne shoulde refuse anye meate that manne eates yf thys Pope say true why haue we than commaunded vppon paine of deadlye sinne by Papists so many supersticious kinds of fastinges forbearing meates at certayn times If they be not supersticious because they wolde bind the conscience with them and make it sinne to breake theim let theym proue it by the Scripture to be godly If they be catholickes that beleue and folowe the Pope why are we called heretikes in beleuing and teachynge that whyche the Pope hais written yf they wil be called the Popes darlynges why doe they denye the Popes writynges If true religion was stablyshed here by this Pope why than does this scauinger sweepe the stretes wyth contrarye doctrine to this Pope and with false lyes If they would haue vs beleue and honoure the Pope they must first beginne theyw selfes Who will thinke that he geues good counsell would haue men to folow him which will be y e first y â— wil do teach contrary to his own sayings these holy Byshops of oures honoure their Pope in sufferinge for him that neuer will thanke theym and saye they woulde haue all to doe the same yet they themselfes are the firste that teache and dooe contrary to this Pope and many other of the eldest forte in all suche thinges as please them and so they wyll correct hym rather than folowe the auncienst and best of theym After that againe this lande beynge inhabited wyth Saxons beynge panims Saint Gregorye Pope of Rome aboute the yeare of oure Lorde God Dxcv. sent Saint Austin and his company who by their doctryne and vertuous liuing planted the fayth and so established a true religion in Englande the whych sayth and religion euer whan the people haue declined from it they haue felt great calamities as well by the hand of God as by the conquest of the Danes and after by the Normannes and sythe the conquest from time
as in them lay c. Here appeares how harde it was to diuorse the maried Priestes and howe some wolde not obey though they were excomunicate I marke also how the Bishop calles these mariages vncleanesse and sais they defile the ministerye but to an indifferent iudge the Priestes haue better reasons out of the Scriptures for theym selues than the Byshop had Let al them therfore that haue the feare of Godde afore theym consyder the great plages that God layd on thys Realme at that time The Realme was conquered by straungers Willyam Conquerour and his felowes the Popes Chaplains Lanfranc Bis. of Cantorb vnder kinge Willyam the. ii brought in transubstantiation Ansel. vnder Henry y e. i. next kinge folowinge brought in vnmaried priestes diuorced the maried the doctrine of trāsubstātiacion is so holy y ◠a maried priest may not handel it the one can not stand without the other the one necessarily bringes in y e other The late popes were better then they for in the time of pope Paule the. iii. kepynge hys Counsell at Trident a. xvii yeare synce came forth that woorthye booke Interim wherein is entreated the mariages of Priestes and concludet that those which be maried shoulde not be deuorced but whither any mo shoulde mary it should be referred and differred to a generall counsell These men were more reasonable modest and wise than oure late brutish Papistes for in the late daies of their raging madnes contrarye to this decree of the Pope made not xvi yere a fore they deuorsed here w t vs al Priests that afore were maried But whā these olde Popes see howe harde it was to driue Priestes from their wiues that Helbrande Gregorye vii decreed that none shoulde heare his masse that was maried and by this politie he brought more to passe than by excommunication or anye other waye Suche practises the Popes prelates are ful of for whan the Priestes perceiued their ministerye was despised it made them some thing to relent and at length altogether to quale At the same tyme and streight after the conqueste were swarmes of munkes brought almost into all the Cathedrall churches of the Realme As at Duresme in the yere M. lxxxiii the Priests which than were maried were brought from Duresme and had the prebendes of Aucland Darnton and Norton and munkes were placed in their stedes at Durram in the xviii yeare of Willyam the conquerour and these prebendes were than first founded appointed for these secular maried priestes O gētil Papists of old time that wold not displace maried priests but prouide liuings for them where our Edomites persecute theym wythout mercye Mariage Gods holye ordinaunce in Paradise blessed is punished of poperye in the world suche is their wickednesse In other places as Winchester Worceter and els where this bringinge in of Munkes and dryuinge out maried Priestes beganne a litle afore the conquest vnder kyng Edgarus but no great differens in the yeares Dunstan and Oswalde Byshops of Worcetor first and after of Cantorband Yorke were greate helpers in thys matter Oswald thrast all the clarkes out of worceter Church whych woulde not be made munkes Ethelwoldus Byshop of Wynchester thrast oute hys maried priestes likewise if they woulde not forsake their Wyues and become Munkes and placed Munkes in their stede but they so hated the Munkish life that they were cōtent to leaue al rather than become munks euery one of them saue iii. But after y ◠death of Edgarus Aelfer kinge of Mercia whiche was the middle aud chefe part of England and many other nobles of the realme droue out the munkes and brought in the maried Priestes againe These and suche like are written in the recordes of these churches and were done many of them about the yeare of our lorde ix C. lxiii and after Polychroni also in his vi booke touches manye of these thinges These things I haue spoken more large lye because he charges vs with disobeying all lawes as though these were neuer done in Englande afore and good men shoulde not suffer theym and also that the worlde maye see howe lewde vnlearned a Proctour hays taken theyr case in hande If he were not to farre paste shame he woulde not denye the lawes of the Realme to suffer Priestes mariage seynge the. xxix Iniunction whiche the Queenes hignesse set forth entreates of their mariage onelye But thys is their obedyence that they shewe to their Prynces in deniynge their lawes and it is their olde opinion that Iuiunctions be not lawes nor Princes haue that autoritye ouer them to make suche lawes God gyue theym better myndes or graunte the Prynce better subiectes It were to long to write all that may be said in this behalfe and it is not my meaninge onelye I woulde let theym see whiche woulde learne how wrongfullye Priestes mariage is accused For the frowarde obstinate that wyll not learne but contemne and condemne all that gayne saye it afore they heare theym speake I saye wyth oure Sauioure Chryste in a lyke case lette theym alone they be blynde and guydes of the blynde They are not to be passed on doe as trueth Goddes worde and a good conscience teaches you nothyng regardinge their ralynge blasphemies Austin in his booke de bono coniug ali Ca. xxi comparyng the chastitie of mariage and slngle life together sais thus The vertue of continentie muste be alwayes in the power of the mynde but in dede if must be shewed as things and tymes chaunge For as there was not a dyuerse meryte of sufferynge Martyrdome in Peter that suffered cruell death and in Ioan that suffered not So there is not a dyuerse meryte of Chastytye in Ioan whych was not maryed and in Abraham whyche gate chyldren For bothe hys syngle lyfe and thys mannes maryage serued Chryste as the tyme chaunged but Ioan hadde Chastytye bothe in power and dede Abraham onely in power Again ca. xxii euill menne saye to him that is chaste Art thou better than Abraham but whan he heares it lette him not be afraide but saye I am not better but the chastitie of single men is better than the chastitie of mariage Again ca. xxiii If we compare the things them selues together it is sure that the chastitie of continentie is better than the chastitie of mariage and yet bothe good but whan we compare the men to gether he is the better that hais a greater goodnes and vertue in him than the other hais Thus ferre Austin Marke the difference that he puttes betwix the goodnes of thinges themselues and the goodnes of the menne that haue theim I am sure many wil iudge that I speak this to please my wyfe but we reade that Paphuntius vnmaried whan some in the counsell would haue determined that Priests shoulde leaue their wiues perswaded the contrarye Spiridion being maried as he writes also and hauinge children was neuer the worse or hindred to minister the sacramentes Chriso in his homily
consent of the nobles and Prelates to Rome after him to declare the matter and accuse him of disobeying the kinge troublinge the Realme and the Clergye and of periurye in not kepinge the lawes whiche he sware to first The Embassadours ware Roger Archebysshoppe of Yorke Gilbert Byshoppe of London Roger Byshoppe of Worceter Hilary Byshop of Chichester Baâ—tholmewe Byshoppe of Eretor the erle of Arundel with many other noble men and clerkes Their orations wherein they accuse this holye traitour be there in print seuerallye and somewhat long to recite but iudge indifferentlie whan so many Byshops and the Erle accuse Thom. Becket afore the Pope so earnestly whither we be to blame to accuse him nowe Theffect of the Byshop of Londons oration to the Pope and Cardinals was this and the other byshops â—rations are like Fathers the care of the Churche belonges to you that they whiche be wise might be cherished by you and they that be vnwise might be corrected that they might be wise but he is not thoughte wise to youre wisedomes that trustes in hys owne wysedome and goes about to trouble the peace of his brether the king Of late there fell a debate in England betwiâ—t the Kynge and the Clergye for a light cause whyche myght haue bene easelye buryed yf a gentyll medicyne had bene ministred but the Byshoppe of Eantorb vsynge hys owne will and not oures was to earnest not consyderinge what harme might come by suche headines And bicause he could not get our consent he wente aboute to cast the faute of his rashnes on oure Lorde the Kynge and the Realme and that he might deface oure brotherlye loue he flees awaye no man compellinge him as it is writen in the Psal. The wicked flees wheÌ„ no man persecutes him The other Byshoppe and Erle folowe with like or more vehement wordes Whan kinge Egfride had maried Etheldrede and shee had rather liue a virgin than do the dutie of a wyfe the kinge desyred Saint Wilfride to counsell his wife to do her duty the Byshoppe woulde not but rather encoraged her diuorced her made her a Nunne and the kinge maried another whiche counsell of Wilfride was plaine contrarye to S. Paule sayinge The woman hais not power of her owne bodye but the manne for she can not depart from her husbande without licens and but for a time God kepe vs from suche holy Byshops Polychro lib. v. ca. xxii declares a knot of these his holye fathers Aldelme firste Priest than abbot and lastly a Byshop whan he â–ª was tempted in the flesh toke a faire wenche into bed with him while he might saye the Psalter and yet wold not mary lib. vii ca. ii Walter Byshop of Ertford was slain by a woman whiche goored him in the coddes with her sheares because he woulde haue rauyshed her Ca. xi Walter Byshoppe of Durram made women to serue him the munks at the table with their hear hanginge downe where fewe scaped their handes ca. xii Giraldus Byshop of Yorke was sais he a lecherous man and a witche O holye fathers I trust who so euer considers these things wel wil iudge the holynes of these good bisshoppes on whom he glories so muche The rest of the Byshoppes whyche he names be such like and bicause he speakes not muche of them I will let theim passe for they be no better and oute of the same worshipful history ye shal read of them because no learned manne hais thought mete to loose his time in commendinge suche They lyued all sins the conquest not v. C. yeare sins all made Saintes and promoted by the Pope and he by theym therefore they must neede maintaine his doinges and he theirs I woulde not haue blotted so muche paper with so muche wickednes nor filled your eares and eyes with such filthines but that he prouoked me to it and cals that good which is euil and light darknes The rest be no better In euery Bishopricke ye shal finde some byshoppes that were ennemies to the Pope and his doinges in that blind age In Lincolne Robert grosshead appealed from the Pope to Iesus Christ and wrote diuers good bookes against manye his doinges Ranolde Pecocke of Chichester was condemned in the xxvi yeare of Henrye vi for this newe learninge and specially for saying that a generall counsell and the church may erre in religion In the late dayes of poperye were burned fiue byshops and fiue bannished let them shewe so many byshops that sufferd within this thousand yeare for their God the Pope and they might haue some shewe of honesty for theÌ„ It is a rare thing to see a byshop die for religion and specially a Papist Seynge they reforme religion so swell as they saye it were mete â–ª as they forsake the religion that their predecessours vsed as masse matins ministracion of sacraments tht they shuld also forsake houses parks lands and reuenewes that their predecessours hadde and go from place to place for gods sake and preach If nothinge els this one sayinge will proue him a dissembinge liynge Hipocrite All the worlde knowes that the greatest faute and readiest that they haue to lay against the Gospel time is that Churche landes and liuinges are taken from spirituall menne and bestowed on other and of this thing he complaines hymselfe in manifest woordes hereafter Therfore it is manifest that he woulde not haue the byshops to giue away their landes seing he complaines of the takynge it awaye but he woulde so faine finde a faute in the newe bysshoppes that rather than he find none he wil shew him self a foole in blaming them wherein they deserue it not and which be thinkes to be no faut in dede Why they forsake their masse and mattins is sufficiently declared afore For their houses parkes and landes why some few that haue any such do not forsake them that be left there is good reason but why other some haue them not that they might forsake theym if they shoulde I feare their popishe predecessours haue prouided to wel for them against reason They keepe house and such lands as they can get because they be not Anabaptistes nor heretyckes thinkynge it not to be lawfull for them so to doe for Goddes good creatures are ordeined to serue Gods good ministers and also because they bee not so supersticious as the obseruants freers which thought themselues so holye that they might not handle money They remember also that Godde commaundes them to kepe hospitalitie to their power bicause by this meanes it may the better be done they do not refuse it althoughe gredilye they doe not desire it The Prince also and commen welth desires a seruice of them whiche they can not so wel performe without these but chefely for the maintenance of learning which is so decayed almost remedilesse and so litle hope to recouer it if these helpes be cleane taken away that extreme blind ignoraunce is like to folow this age Looke into the