Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	time_n	year_n	19,963	5	5.0438	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07486	Luthers predecessours: or an ansvvere to the question of the Papists: Where was your church before Luther?	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1624 (1624)	STC 1787; ESTC S114052	16,219	32

and yet remaine members of the Church a taske that will neuer fadge well especially with them in their mutinous multitude and rabble of religious orders yea let them then call to minde how weakely Harding hath defended his answere of Bishop Iewels challenge or let them answere Perkins Problem and prooue where their Church was before the Trent Councell for it will asmuch trouble them to name a company of men in all points professing the Trent faith as vs to finde a company of men professing in all points the doctrine of the reformed religion But if they giue vs liberty to make challenge to them who in the most and greatest points haue agreed with vs which is but reasonable then in the next place we desire to grow to a point and agree vpon the maine points of difference betwixt vs and them All which in generall do concerne either the offices of Christ or the fruites of his office the which by their doctrine are ouerthrowne For first the kingly office of Christ is ouerthrowne by the supremacy of the Pope which draweth with it the pride of the Clergy and exaltation of them aboue the temporall power Secondly the Propheticall office is ouerthrowne by their silencing the Scripture and by giuing such liberty to the Church yea and to the Pope to frame articles of faith Thirdly the Priestly office is ouerthrowne in the worke of satisfaction by Merits Indulgences Purgatory c. In the worke of Application by their abuses thrust into the Sacraments especially Transubstantiation reall Presence Exorcismes c. by their false sacraments which were neuer appointed by Christ as meanes of application In the worke of Intercession by Angels Saints Images whom they haue made their mediators of intercession Lastly the fruites of Christs office redounding to vs by the mediation of Christ is our Iustification before God which doctrine they haue laboured to ouerthrow Now to the point this our taske wee are to shew forth the names of such men who haue consented with vs in the opposition of the Supremacy exemption of the Clergy from Ciuill iurisdiction in the authority of the Scriptures and in the communicating of them to the people in condemning Merits Indulgences Purgatory Transubstantiation reall presence intercession of Saints and Angels Image worship Pilgrimage in the doctrine of our free iustification by faith and such other points which are controuerted betwixt vs and the Church of Rome And this wee will doe first in the instance of our owne Countrimen and then proceed to others Know all men therefore by these presents that about the yeere of Grace 1370. in the time of Edward the third King of England at what time all the world was in most desperate and vile estate and that lamentable ignorance and darkenesse of Gods truth had ouer-shaddowed the Church most Iohn Wickliffe who almost 200. yeeres before Luther by the especiall prouidence of God was raised vp here in England to detect more fully and amply the poison of the Popes doctrine and to purge Religion from those dregs and filthinesse with which it was defiled a Professor of Diuinitie was he in Oxford a man of note in his time and of famous memory in the ages following For after hee had begunne to publish some conclusions touching the Doctrine of the Sacrament and other abuses of the Church which boyle and sore could not be touched without the great paine and griefe of the world hee was much infested with the Monkes and Friers who like Hornets did assaile the good man on euery side After them the Priests tooke the matter in hand and Symon Sudbery Archbishop depriued him of his Benefice in Oxford yet by the friendly and fauourable assistance of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster and Henry Percy Earle Marshal being also befriēded of the King who had heretofore made vse of him in an Ambassage he bore out the malice of the Friers and of the Archbishop all the dayes of Edward the third and of Pope Vrban who being busied in suppressing his aduersary Clement the seuenth could not spare any time to deale with Wickliffe and so it came to passe by Gods prouidence that the truth began to take some place and roote in mens hearts Afterward in the beginning of Richard the 2. and of Gregory the eleuenth his aduersaries espied their time and incensed the Pope against him who sendeth foorth his Bull to the Vniuersity of Oxford and an Epistle to the King with diuers Letters to the Bishops dated all 11. kal. of Iune in the seuenth yeere of his Pontificality 1378. By which it appeareth that Wicklife was a man of note and that these things were not done in a corner but that his preaching had taken effect So that the Bishops had neede of the Popes owne helpe to suppresse him and his abettors the which although they attempted yet could they not bring to passe his commendation testified by the Vniuersitie is this That hee behaued himselfe as a stout Champion of the Faith neither was hee conuict of any heresie and God forbid saith the Testimoniall that our Prelates should haue condemned a man of such honesty of heresie His bookes were many and spred abroade not only throughout England but also by occasion of Queene Anne wife to Richard the second sister to Wenceslaus King of Bohemia carried into Bohemia whence Iohn Husse learned the beginnings of his knowledge Thus was this man a most worthy instrument in the Church of God like a bright Starre shining farre and neere Now for his conclusions which are recorded for his they are many gathered by his aduersaries and therefore if in all points they sound not so well as we could desire yet certainely wee may beleeue that they were not so bad as some of them are deliuered Wee finde that in a Conuention at London 1382. May 17. they proceeded to the condemnation of his articles some as hereticall some as erroneous The which also were afterward presented to the Councell of Constance with diuers others to the number of 45. in all and by the same Councell condemned the which for breuitie sake I haue collected vnto their seuerall heads 1. Touching the supremacy hee held that it is not necessary to saluation to beleeue that the Church of Rome is supreme head of all Churches That the Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Satan Neither is the Pope immediately the Vicar of Christ nor his Apostles and that the Excommunication of the Pope and his Prelates is not to bee feared because it is the censure of Antichrist 2. Concerning religious orders which are the tayle of Antichrist he taught That those holy men as Francis Dominick Benedict c which haue instituted priuate religions whatsoeuer they be in so doing haue grieuously offended And such who do found Monasteries doe offend and sin so all such who enter into such religions are thereby vnable to keepe the commandements of God as also to attaine to the Kingdome of heauen except they

set downe in the processe of the Archbishop directed forth against the same persons whereof some whole housholds both men and women were driuen to forsake their houses townes for danger of persecution yea so cruelly was the Romish Clergy bent against them and so grieued to see the poore flocke of Christ to multiply that Henry Chichely stirred vp the Pope against them alledging that there were so many infected with the doctrine of Wickliffe and Husse here in England that without force of an army they could not be suppressed 1422. Henry 5. being dead his Sonne Henry 6. a child of nine moneths old succeeded In the first yeere of whose raigne was W. Taylor accused conuicted condemned afterward in Smithfield with Christian constancy after long imprisonment did consummate his martyrdome Others there were that professed the same truth but for feare durst not be so bold so that it appeareth by the Registers of Norwich in that Diocesse within the space of 3. yeeres viz. from 1428. to 1431. about the number of 120. men and women were examined and much vexed for the profession of the Christian faith of whom three suffered death viz. Father Abraham of Colchester W. White and I. Waddon Priests the rest sustained such cruell penance as pleased the Bishop his Chancellor to lay vpon them which howsoeuer through the hard dealing of the times they were constrained to recant and many of them to abiure their opinions yet their good will to the truth is manifest and it is fit to preserue the memory of their names if it be but to stop the mouth of such malignant aduersaries who following blind affection rather then true knowledge of times and antiquities through ignorance blame they know not what accusing the true doctrine of the Gospell to be nouelty and the Preachers thereof to bee Nouelists whereas this doctrine lacking none antiquity hath from time to time burst forth and preuailed in many places though in the most through tyranny it hath beene suppressed as by these good men of Norfolk Suffolk may appeare who if they had had the liberty which we haue and authority to back them it would haue well appeared how old this doctrine is so that all men would haue acknowledged that this our Church was long before Luther 1430. Shortly after the solemne Coronation of Hen. 6. which was in the 8. yeere of his raigne was Richard Houedon a Londoner crowned with martyrdome The next yeere Th. Bagly a Priest and Paul Craw a Bohemian both valiant defenders of Wickliffes doctrine were condemned and burned Not long after about the yeere 1439. which was the 18. of Henry 6. was Ri. Wiche burned for heresie as then they counted it So much the more famous was his martyrdome because the fame was that before his death he spake as prophesying that the Posterne of the Tower should sinke which came to passe vpon which hee was counted an holy man Many came to the place where he was burnt and there made their oblations till by the commandement of the King they were forbid and some punished After Chichely in the See of Canterbury succeeded Stafford Kempe and then Burscher in whose time fell out the trouble of Reynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester who after the death of Humfrey Duke of Gloucester his Patron was molested by the Archbishop in the yeere 1457. because he taught against the reall presence the infallibility of the Councels the locall dissention into hell That the Church may erre in matter of faith That the literall sence of the Scripture is onely to be held He was at length inforced to giue way for what with blustering threats to terrifie him as also with faire promises to allure him they left no stone vnrolled till they brought him to recantation at Pauls crosse where also his bookes were burnt yet for all this himselfe belike he was suspected was kept in his own house during his naturall life 1473. King Henry 6. being deposed Edward 4. got the Crowne In the time of whose raigne a godly and constant seruant of Christ named Iohn Goose alias Husse was vniustly condemned and burnt at the Tower hill 1485. Henry 7. comming to the Crowne mention is made in the Registers of Couentry and Lichfield of 9. persons persecuted in that Diocesse whose names are set downe to be I. Blomston Rich. Hegham Robert Crowther I. Smith Rob. Browne Th. Butler I. Falkes R. Hilman The heresies of which they were accused were for opposing Pilgrimages Images Merits Purgatory Shrift Transubstantiation and the like After these in the ninth yeere of Henry 7. was burned an old woman of 80. yeeres loane Boughton by name who held eight of Wickliffes opinions so stiffely that all the Doctours in London could not turne her she was burned in Smithfield shortly after in Anno 1497. Some for feare recanted at Pauls Crosse and in the next yeere an old man and a Priest and one Babram were burned 1506. William Tilsworth was burned for his Religion in Amersham at which time Ioane Clarke the said Tilsworths daughter was constrained to put fire to her Father at whose burning about 60. other were enioyned to beare fagots of whom diuers were commanded to beare and weare fagots at Lincolne the space of 7. yeeres after some at one time some at another A little after was Father Roberts a Miller of Missenden burned at Buckingham and 20. other bare fagots and did penance About 2. or 3. yeres after at Amersham was burned Th. Barnard la. Mordon in one fire and Father Rogers and Father Reeue was burned in the cheeke So also was W. Littlepage and 30. more were burned in the right cheeke and bare fagots at the same time The manner of their burning in the cheeke was this Their neckes being tyed fast to a poste with towels and their hands holden that they might not stirre they were marked with a hot iron The cause of those mens trouble was because they talked against superstition and idolatry and were desirous to heare and reade the holy Scriptures Thomas Chase condemned by the Bishop of Lincolne William Smith and cast into prison was there murthered and after slandered to haue made away himselfe Thomas Norrice for the profession of Christs Gospel was burned at Norwich 1507. Elizabeth Samson accused to speake against Pilgrimages adoration of Images and against the Sacrament of the Altar was compelled to abiure before William Horsey Chancellor at London 1508. Laurence Ghest two yeeres in prison at Salisbury was afterward put to death for his religion so also was there martyred another poore woman whose death so greedily sought by the Chancellor Whittington was presently reuenged by the enraged Bul which running through the prease of people came to the Chancellor and gored him thorow with his hornes carrying his guts along the streets to the great admiration and wonder of all them that saw it 1509. H. 7. hauing finished his course after him followed H. 8. in whose dayes hapned much stir