vp of your letter where ye bring in for your appellation against me a safegarde for you which rather in deede is an hinderance to you that we shoulde not proceede against the inuaders of the Churche goodes nor against the King in like censure as we haue done against the bishoppe of Salisburie as yee say and hys Deane To this I aunswere God forbidde that we haue or els shoulde heereafter proceede or do any thing against the king or his lande or against you or your Churches inordinately or otherwise then is conuenient But what if you shall exceede in the same or like transgression as the Byshoppe of Salesburie hath done thinke yee then your appellation shall helpe you from the discipline of our seueritie that ye shall not be suspended Marke yee diligently whether this be a lawful appeale and what is the forme thereof We knowe that euery one that appealeth eyther doeth it in his owne name or in the name of an other if in hys owne name either it is for some greeuance inferred alreadie or els for that he feareth after to be inferred against him Concerning the first I am sure there is no greuance that you can complaine of as yet God be thanked that you haue receiued at my hand for the which you should appeale frō me neither haue you I trust any cause speciall against me so to doe If ye doe it for feare that is to come least I shoulde trouble you and your Churches consider whether this be the appeale which ought to suspende or stay our power and authoritie that we haue vppon you and your Churches It is thought therefore of wise men and we also iudge no lesse your appeale to be of no force First for that it hath not the right forme of a perfect appellation and also because it is not consonante to reason and lacketh order and helpe of the lawe Furthermore if your appellation be in an other mans name either it is for the King as moste like it is or for some other If it be for the king than ye ought first to vnderstande that appellations are woont to be made to repell and not to inferre iniurie or to release such as be oppressed that they shoulde not be oppressed any more Wherefore if any man shall enter any appellation not trusting to the suretie of his cause but to delay the time that sentence be not geuen vpon him that appellation is not to be receaued For what state will there be of the Church if the libertie therof being taken away the goods of the Church spoyled the bishops driuen from their places or at least not receiued with full restitution of their goodes the inuaders and spoylers therof may defend themselues by appealing thereby to saue themselues from the penalty of their desert What a ruine of the Church will this be See what ye haue done and what ye say Be you no◠the vicares of Christ representing him in earth Is it not your office to correcte and bridle ill doers whereby they may cease to persecute the Church And is it not inough for them to be fierce to rage against the church but that you should take their part setting your selues against vs to the destruction of the church Who euer heard of so monstrous doings Thus it shall be heard and sayde of all nations and countries that the Suffraganes of the Church of Caunterburie which ought to stande with their Metropolitane vnto death in defence of the Churche nowe goe about by the kings commaundement so much as in them doth lie to suspend his autoritie least he shuld exercise his Discipline of correction vppon them that rebell against the Church This one thing I knowe that you cannot sustaine two sortes of persons at once both to be the appeale makers and to be appealed vp your selues You be they which haue made the appellation and you be they against whome the appellation is made Is there any more churches then one and the body of the same And howe meete were it than that you being the members of the Churche shoulde holde together with the heade therof I am afraide brethren least it may be sayde of vs These be the Priestes which haue sayde where is the Lorde and hauing the lawe doe not knowe the law Furthermore this I suppose you being discrete men are not ignoraunt of that such as enter any appellation there are not wont to be hearde vnlesse the matter of their appellation either belongeth to themselues or except speciall commaundement force them thereunto or else vnlesse they take an other mannes cause vpon them First that it belongeth nothing vnto you it is plaine for so muche as the contrary rather pertaineth to your duetie that is to punish and to correct all such as rebell against the Church And if he which subuerteth the libertie of the Churche and inuadeth the goodes therof conuerting them to his owne vse be not heard appealing for hys owne defence much lesse is an other to be heard appealing for him Wherefore as in this case neither he can appeale for himself not yet commaund you so to do so neither may you receiue the commaundement to appeale for him Thirdly as touching the taking of an other mannes cause or businesse vpon you to this I say and affirme that yee ought in no maner of wise so to doe specially seeing the matter pertaineth to the oppression of the Church and whereupon ensueth great damage to the same Wherefore seeing it neither appertaineth to you neither ought yee to receiue any such commaundement nor yet to take vppon you any such cause as that is your appeale is neither to be hard nor standeth with any lawe Is this the deuotion and consolation of brotherly loue which you exhibite to your Metropolitane being for you in exile God forgeue you this clemencie And how nowe will ye looke for your letters and messengers to be gently receiued heere of vs Neither doe I speake this as though there were any thing in hande betwixt your part and oures or that we haue done any thing inordinately against the person of the king or against his lande or against the persones of the Church or intende by Gods mercie so to doe And therefore we say briefly affirme constantly that our Lorde the king can not complaine of any wrong or iniurie to be done vnto him if he being often called vpon by letters and messengers to acknowledge his fault neither will confesse his trespasse nor yet come to any satisfaction for the same haue the censure of seueritie by the Pope and vs laide vpon him For no man can say that he vniustly is entreated whome the lawe doeth iustly punish And briefly to conclude knowe you this for certaine that extortioners inuaders detailners of the Church goodes and subuerters of the liberties therof neither haue any authoritie of the lawe to maintaine them neyther doth their appealing defend them c. ¶ A briefe Censure vpon the
the church of mertock annexed therunto worth by yeare lx.li. Item the Lord Cardinall of Agrifolio is archdeacon of Tawnton in the church of wels and is worth by yeare with the procurations and the Prebend of Mylinerton to the same annexed Lxxx li Like maiter is also found in the time of king Richard the 2. vpon what occasion it is vncertayne But as it seemeth by Recorde of that time A new Pope being come in place he would take no knowledge of anye matter done by his predecessors that might anye way abridge his commoditie And therefore this king was forced to beginne a new as may appeare by this following L. Cardinall of Agrifol is prebendary of the Prebend of Soringhame together with a portion of S. Marye of Stowe to the same annexed the fruits whereof by commoÌ„ estimat be worth by yeare Clxv li Maist. Iohn Uicar of Coringhame and mayster Robert person of Ketelthorpe and W. Thurly be Fermoures L. Cardinall Albanum is Prebendary of the Prebend of Sutton the fruites whereof be commonly esteemed worth by yeare CCCC markes Roger Skyret of Buckinhame and William Bedeford of Sutton do farme the same PrebeÌ„d The L. Cardinal Blandacen is Prebendary of the prebend of Nassington worth by estimacion CCC markes Robert of Nassington and Iohn sonne of Robert of Abbethorpe do occupy the same Prebend L. Cardinal NonmaceÌ„ is parson of Adderbury worth by estimacion C.li. Adam Robelyn clerke is his proctor and occupyeth the same L. Cardinall of S. Prebendary of Thame worth yearely by common estimacion CC. markes Iohn Heyward and Thomas a lay man doe occupye the same Prebend L. Peter de Yeuerino Cardinall is Prebendary of Aylesbury worth yearely by common estimacion lxxx marks Holy Duse of Alesbury doth occupy the same Prebend The Cardinall of S. Angeli hath the Archdeaconry of Suff. and is worth by yeare by common estimation a huÌ„dreth markes L Cardinall Neminacem Treasorer of the Church of Sar. hath the Archdeaconry of Sar. the Church of Figheldon to his dignity annexed which is let to farme to Grace late wife of Edmunde Sawyne deceased paying yearely 1. markes he hath also in the same Archdeaconry and couÌ„tye the sayde Churche of Alwardburye with the Chappels of Putton and Farle to the same annexed which is let to ferme to the L. Pryor of the house of Ederose for the yerly rent of xxiii li he hath also the Prebend of Calne in the said Archdeaconry and County worth by yeare C.ll. and fermour therof is Raymunde Pelegrini L. Cardinall of Agrifolio hath the Archdeaconrye of Berck worth by yeare 120. markes and remayneth in hys owne handes Item he hath the Prebende of worth worth by yeare a hundreth pound Raymund Peregrine is fermour there L. Cardinall Gebanen hath the Prebendes of Wodford and Willeford Countye of Wiltshyre lett to ferme to Iohn Bennet of Sar. worth by yeare xl markes Lord Andomar de Rupy is Archdeaconry of Caunterbury to the which Archdeacon belong the Church of Lymin within the same Dioces worth by yeare after the Taxation of the tenth xx.li. The Churche of Tenham worth by yeare after the sayd taxation Cxxx li.vi.s.viii.d â—he Churche of Hakington neere Caunterbury worth by yeare xx markes The Churche of S. Clement in Sandwitche worth by yeare after the taxation aforesayd viij markes The church of Saint Mary in Sandwich worth by yeare viiij pound of the whiche the sayd Archdeacon receaueth onely vi markes The profites of all which premisses S. William Latimer knight hath receaued together with the profites arising out of the Iurisdiction of the Archdeaconry worth by yeare xx.li. Anglicus of the Church of Rome priest and Cardinall hath the deanry of the Cathedrall Churche of Yorke worth by yeare CCClxxiij li.vi.s.viii.d And the Prebende of Southcane valued yearely at C.lx. markes L. Cardinall Gebauen doth hold the churche of Wermouth and Archdeaconry of Durhame worth by yeare CC. marks And Iohn of Chambre and Thomas of Harington of Newcastell bee the fermors and proctours of the sayd Cardinall Ex Bundello Breuium Regis de An. 2. Rich. 2. parte 1. King Richard the second AFfter king Edward the third succeeded hys sonnes sonne Richard the second beyng yet but yong of the age of eleuen yeares who in the same yeare of his fathers decease in great pompe and solemnitie was crowned at Westminster an 1377. who following his fathers steppes was no great disfauorer of the way doctrine of wickliffe albeit at the first beginning partly through the iniquitie of tyme partly through the popes letters he could not doe that he would NothwithstaÌ„ding something he did in that behalf more perhaps then in the end he had thanke for of the Papistes as more by the grace of Christ shall appeare But as times do chaunge so changeth commonly the cause and state of man The bishop nowe seeing the aged king to be taken away during the time of whose olde age all the gouernment of the realme depended vpon the Duke of Lancaster And now the sayd Byshops agayne seeing the said Duke with the Lord Percy the Lord marshall to geue ouer their offices and to remayne in their priuate houses without intermedling thought now the time to serue them to haue some vauntage against Iohn wickliffe who hetherto vnder the protectioÌ„ of the foresayd Duke and Lord Marshall had some rest and quiet Concerning the story of whiche Wickliffe I trust gentle reader it is not out of thy memory what went before pag. 427. how he being brought before the Byshops by the meanes of the Duke and Lord Henry Percy the councell was interrupted and brake before ix of the clocke By reason whereof Wickliffe at that tyme escaped without anye further trouble Who not withstanding being by the bishops forbid to deale in that doctrine any more continued yet with his fellowes going barefoot and in long frise gownes preaching dilligentlye vnto the people Out of whose sermons these articles most chiefelye at that time were collected That the holy Eucharist after the consecration is not the very body of Christ but figurally That the churche of Rome is not the head of all churches more then any other churche is Nor that Peter hath anye more power geuen of Christ then anye other Apostle hath Item that the Pope of Rome hath no more in the keyes of the Church then hath any other within the order of Priesthoode Item if God be the Lordes temporall may lawfullye and meretoriously take away theyr temporalties from the churchmen offending habitualiter Item if any temporall Lord doe know the Churche so offending he is bound vnder payne of damnation to take the temporalties from the same Item that the Gospell is a rule sufficient of it selfe to rule the life of euery christian man here without any other rule Item that all other rules vnder whose obseruances diuers religious persoÌ„s be gouerned do ad no more perfection to the gospell then
remit sinnes Wherupon they say that he is able fully wholy to absolue a man a poena culpa so that if a man at the time of his death had this remission he should straigtwaies flie vnto heauen without any paine of Purgatory The other Bishops as they say haue not so great authoritie The priests constituted vnder euery Byshop haue power say they to absolue the sinnes of thē that are confessed but not al kind of sinnes because there are some grieuous sinnes reserued to the absolutions of the Byshops and some againe to the absolution onely of the chiefe and high Byshop They say also that it behoueth the offēders for the necessitie of their soule health to call to remēbrance their offences and to manifest the same with al the circumstances therof vnto the priest in auricular cōfessiō supplying the place of God after the maner of a Iudge afterwarde humbly to fulfill the penaunce enioyned vnto him by the priest for his sinnes except the sayde penaunce so enioyned or any part thereof be released by the superior power All these things say they are manifestly determined as wel in the decrees as decretals And although these things haue not expressely their foundation in the playne and manifest doctrine of Christ nor any of the Apostles yet the authors of the decrees and decretals concerning thys matter haue groūded the same vpon diuers places of the scriptures as in the proces of Christ in the Gospell of Saynt Mathew the xvj chapter Wherupon they ground that popes power iudicial to surmount the powers of other priests as where Christ sayd vnto his disciples whō do men saye that I am And they aunswered some saye that thou art Iohn Baptist some Elias some Ieremy or one of the Prophets To whom he sayde but who saye you that I am Symon Peter makinge aunswere sayde Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus answered and said vnto him Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh bloud hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter vpon this rocke wil I buyld my church and hel gates shal not preuaile against it And I wil geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose vpon earth shall bee loosed also in heauen Out of this text of Christ diuers expositiōs haue drawen diuers errours For when Christ sayd And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke wil I build my Church Some therupon affirme that Christe meant he would builde his Church vpon Peter by authority of that text as it is writtē in the first part of the decrees Dist. 19. cap. Ita dominus noster The exposition hereof is ascribed to Pope Leo the errour wherof is manifestly known For the Church of Christ is not builded vpon Peter but vpon the rocke of Peters confession for that he sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and for that Christ sayd singularly vnto Peter I will geue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. By this saying they affirme that Christ gaue vnto Peter specially as chiefe of the rest of the Apostles a larger power to binde and to lose then he did vnto the rest of the apostles or disciples And because Peter answered for him self al the Apostles not only confessing the faith which he had chiefly aboue the rest but also the faith whiche the rest of the Apostles had euen as himselfe by the reuelation of the heauēly father It appeareth that as the fayth of al the Apostles was declared by the answere of one so by this that Christ sayd vnto Peter whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. is geuen vnto the rest of the Apostles the same power equallitie to binde to lose as vnto Peter Whiche Christ declareth in the Gospell of S. Mathew the 18. chapter in these words Verely I say vnto you what thinges so euer you shall binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauē whatsoeuer you shal lose vpon earth shal be also losed in heauē And further he addeth And agayne I say vnto you that if two of you shall consent vpon earth and request whatsoeuer it be it shall be graunted vnto you of my father which is in heauen For when two or three be gathered together in my name I am there in the midst of them And in Iohn the xx chapter he sayth generally vnto them Receaue ye my spirit Whose sins ye shall remit shal be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes you shall retayne shall be retained By this it appeareth that the power to bynde and to loose is not specially graunted to Peter as chiefe and head of the rest and that by him the rest had their power to bind and to loose for that the head of the body of the Churche is one which is Christ and the head of Christ is God Peter and the rest of the Apostles are the good members of the body of Christ receiuing power vertue of Christ wherby they do confirme and glew together the other mēbers as well the strong noble as the weake and vnable to a perfect composition and seemelines of the body of Christ that all honour from all partes and members may be geuē vnto Christ as head and chiefe by whome as head all the members are gouerned And therfore Paule 1. Corinthians chap. 3. When any man sayth I hold of Paule and an other sayth I hold of Apollo are ye not carnall men For what is Apollo what is Paule The minister of him in whom ye haue beleued and he as God geueth vnto euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath geuen the increase Therfore neither he that plāteth is any thing neither he that watereth but God that geueth the increase And Paul to the Gal. chap. 2. God hath no respecte of persons Those that seemed to be great and to do much auayled or profited me nothing at all But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the circumcision vnto Peter for he that wrought with Peter in the Apostleship of the circumcision wrought with me also amōg the Gentiles and when they knew the grace which was geuen me Peter Iames and Iohn straightwayes ioyned themselues with me and Barnabas wee among the Gentiles and they in circumcision onely might be mindefull of the poore the which to do I was very carefull Hereby it appeareth that Paule had not his authoritie of Peter to conuert the Gentiles to baptise them and to remit their sinnes but of him which said vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou mee It is hard for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke Heare is Paule the head of the
to the relation of these foresayd coÌ„stitutious of that clergy meÌ„ here coÌ„meth in more to be said and noted touching yâ— foresayd Statute ex Officio to proue the same not onely to be cruell and impious but also to be of it selfe of no force and validitie for the burning of anye person for cause of Religion for the disprofe of whiche statute we haue sufficient authoritie remayning as yet in the parliament Rolles to be seene in her maiesties Courte of Recordes which here were to be debated at large but that vpon speciall occasioÌ„ we haue differed the ampâ—e discourse therof to the cruell persecution of the Lord Cobhame hereafter ensuing as may appeare in the defence of the sayd lord Cobham agaynst Nicholas Happeffield vnder the title and name of Alanus Copus And thus referring them for the examination of this statute to the place aforesaid let vs now returne to Thomas Arundel and his bloudy constitutions aboue mentioned The stile and tenour wherof to the intent the rigour of the same may appeare to all men I thought hereunder to adioyne in wordes as followeth * The constitution of Thomas Arundell agaynst the followers of Gods truth Thomas by the permission of God Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all Englande and Legate of the see Apostolicke To all and singuler our reuerend brethren fellow Bishops and our Suffraganes And to Abbots Priours Deanes of Cathedrall Churches Archdeacons Prouostes and Canons also to all persons vicares chaplaynes Clerkes in Parish Churches and to all lay meÌ„ whome and where so euer dwelling win our prouince of Canterbury greeting grace to stand firmely in the doctrine of the holy mother Church It is a manifest playne case that he doth wrong and iniury to the most reuerend councell who so reuolteth from the thinges being in the sayd Councell once discussed and decided And whosoeuer dare presume to dispute of the supreme or principall iudgment here in earth in so doing incurreth the payne of sacrilege according to the authoritie of ciuill wisedome and and manifest tradition of humayne law Much more then they who trusting to theyr own wittes are so bold to violate and with contrary doctrine to resist and in word and deede to contemne the preceptes of lawes and Canons rightly made and proceeding from the kaybearer and porter of eternall life and death bearing the rowme and person not of pure man but of true God here in earth which also haue bene abserued hitherto and of yâ— holy father 's our predecessoures vnto the glorious effusion of theyr bloud voluntary sprinkling out of theyr braynes Are worthy of greater punishmeÌ„t deseruing quickly to be cut off as rotten members from the body of the Church militent For such ought to consider what is in the old testament written Moses and Aaron among hys Priestes that is were chiefe heads amongst them And in the new Testament among the Apostles there was a certayne difference And though they were all Apostles yet was it graunted of the Lord to Peter that he should beare preeminence aboue the other Apostles And also the Apostles themselues woulde the same that he shoulde be the chiefetayn ouer all the rest And being called Cephas that is head shold be as Prince ouer the Apostles Unto whome it was sayd Thou beyng once conuerted confirme thy brethren as though he wold say If there happen any doubt among them or if anye of them chaunce to erre and stray out of the way of fayth of iust liuing or right conuersation Doe thou confirme and reduce him in the right way againe Which thing no doubt the Lord would neuer haue sayd vnto him if he had not so minded that the rest should be obedient vnto him And yet al this notwithstanding we know and dayly proue that we are sory to speake howe the olde Sophister the enemy of mankinde foreseeing and fearing left that sound doctrine of the church determined from ancient times by the holy forefathers should withstand his malices if it might keep the people of god in vnitie of faith vnder one head of yâ— church doth therfore endeuour by al meanes possible to extirp the sayd doctrine feyning vices to be vertues And so vnder false pretences of veritie dissimuled soweth discorde in catholike people to the intent that some goyng one way some an other He in the meane time may gather to himselfe a Church of the malignant differing wickedly from the vniuersall mother holy church In the which Satan transforming hymselfe into an Angell of light bearing a lying and deceitfull ballaunce in hys haÌ„d pretendeth great righteousnes in contrarying the ancient doctrine of the holye mother church and refusing the traditions of the same determined and appoynted by holy fathers perswading meÌ„ by fayned forgeries the same to be nought and so inducing other new kindes of doctrine leading to more goodnes as he by his lying perswasions pretendeth although he in very truth neither willeth nor mindeth any goodnes but rather that he may sow schismes wherby diuers opinions contrary to themselues being raysed in that Church fayth thereby may be diminished and also the reuerend holy misteries through the same contention of words may be prophaned with Paganes Iewes and other infidels and wicked miscreantes And so that figure in the Apos 6. is well verified speaking of him that sate on the blacke horse bearing a payre of balaunce in hys hand by that which heretiques are vnderstand Who at the first appearaunce lyke to weightes or ballance make as though they would set forth right and iust thinges to allure the hartes of the hearers But afterward appeareth the blacke horse that is to say their intention full of cursed speaking For they vnder a diuers shew and colour of a iust ballance with the tayle of a blacke horse sprinkling abroad heresies and erroures do strike And beyng poysoned themselues vnder colour of good rayse vp infinite slaunders and by certayn persons fitte to doe mischiefe do publish abroad as it were the sugred tast of hony mixt with poyson therby the sooner to be taken working and causing through their slight and subtiltyes that errour shoulde be taken for veritye wickednes for holines and for the true will of Christ. Yea and moreouer the foresayd persons thus picked out do preach before they be sent and presume to sow the seede before the seede discreetely be seperate from the chaffe Who not pondering the constitutions and decrees of the Canons prouided for the same purpose agaynst suche pestilent sowers do preferre sacrifice Diabolicall so to terme it before obedience be geuen to the holy Church militant We therfore considering and weying that error which is not resisted seemeth to be allowed and hee that openeth hys bosome to wyde whiche resisteth not the viper thinking there to thrust out her venome And willing moreouer to shake off the dust from our feete and to see to the honor of our holy mother Church whereby one
and also many other that haue great trust that he will stand by the truth of the Gospel For I wote wel this Sermon is writen both in Latin and English and many men haue it they set great price thereby And sir If ye were present with y◠Archbishop at Lambeth when this Clarke appeared and was at his aunswere before the Archbishoppe ye wote wel that this Clerke denied not there his Sermon but two daies he maintained it before the Archbishop and his Clerkes And then the Archbishop or one of his Clerkes said I wote not which of them that harlot shal be met wyth for that Sermon For no man but he and thou and such other false harlots prayseth any such preaching ¶ And then the Arbhb. said Your cursed sect is busie and it ioyeth right greatly to contrary to destroy the priuilege and fredome of holy Church ☞ And I said Sir I know no men that trauell so busily as this sect doth which you reproue to make rest and peace in holy church For pride couetousnes and simony which distrouble most holy Church this sect hateth fleeth and trauayleth busilye to moue all other men in like maner vnto meekenes and wilfull pouerty and charitie and free ministring of the Sacraments this sect loueth vseth and is full busie to moue all other folkes thus to do For these vertues owe all mēbers of holy church to their head Christ. Then a Clerke said to the Archbishop Sir it is farre dayes and ye haue farre to ride to night therfore make an end with him for he wil none make But the more sir that ye busy you for to draw him toward you the more cōtumax he is made and the farther fro you ¶ And then Malueren said to me William kneele down and pray my Lord of grace leaue al thy phantasies and become a child of holy church ☞ And I said Sir I haue prayed the Archbishop oft and yet I pray him for the loue of Christ that he wil leaue hys indignation that he hath against me and that he wil suffer me after my cūning power for to do mine office of priesthode as I am charged of god to do it For I couet nought els but to serue my God to hys pleasing in the state that I stand in and haue taken me to ¶ And y◠Archbishop said to mee If of good hart thou wilt submit thee now here meekely to be ruled from this time forth by my counsel obeying mekely and wilfully to mine ordinance thou shalt finde it most profitable best to thee for to doe thus Therefore tary thou me no lenger graunt to do this that I haue sayd to thee now here shortly or denie it vtterly ☞ And I said to the Archbishop Sir owe we to beleeue that Iesu Christ was and is very God and very man ¶ And the Archbishop sayd Yea. ☞ And I said Sir owe we to beleue that al Christes lyuing and his teaching is true in euery point ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr owe we to beleue that the liuinge of the Apostles and the teaching of Christ and all the Prophetes are true whiche are written in the Bible for the health and saluation of good people ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr owe all Christen men women after their cunning and power for to conforme all their liuing to the teaching specially of Christ and also to the teaching and liuing of his Apostles and of Prophets in all thinges that are pleasaunt to God and edification of his Church ¶ And he sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr ought the doctrine the bidding or the counsell of any body to be accepted or obeyed vnto except this doctrine these biddings or this counsel may be graūted and affirmed by Christes liuing and his teaching specially or by the liuing and teaching of his Apostles Prophetes ¶ And y◠Archbishop said to me Other doctrine ought not to be accepted nor we owe not to obey to any mans bidding or counsell except we can perceiue that his bidding or counsell accordeth with the life and teaching of Christ and of his Apostles and Prophets ☞ And I sayd Syr is not all the learning and biddings and counsels of holy Church meanes and healefull remedies to know and to withstand the priuy suggestions and the aperte temptations ot the fiende and also wayes and healeful remedies to slea pride and all other deadly sinnes and the braunches of them and souereign meanes to purchase grace for to withstand and ouercome all the fleshlye lustes and mouinges ¶ And the Archbishop sayd yea ☞ And I sayd Syr whatsoeuer thing ye or any other body bid or counsel me to do accordingly to this forsayd learning after my cunning power through the helpe of god I will meekly with all my hart obey therto ¶ And the archbishop sayd to me Submit thee than now here meekly and wilfully to the ordinance of holy church which I shall shew to thee ☞ And I sayd sir accordingly as I haue here now before you rehearsed I will nowe be ready to obey full gladly to Christ the head of the holy Church to the learning and biddinges and counselles of euerye pleasing member of him ¶ Thē the archbishop striking with his hand fiercely vpō a cupborde spake to me with a great spirit saying By Iesu but if thou leaue such additions obliging thee now here without any exceptiō to mine ordinance or that I go out of this place I shall make thee as sure as any theefe that is in the prison of Lanterne Aduise thee now what thou wilt do And then as if he had bene angred he went fro the cupborde where he stood to a window ¶ And then Malueren and an other Clerke came nearer me and they spake to me many words full pleasantly and an othe while they manassed me and counselled full busily to submitte me or els they sayd I shoulde not escape punishing ouer measure For they sayd I should be degraded cursed and burned so then damned But now they sayd thou mayst eschew all these mischiefes if thou wilt submit thee wilfully meekely to this worthye prelate that hath cure of thy soule And for the pitty of Christ sayde they bethinke thee howe great Clerkes the Bishop of Lincolne Hereford and Purney were and yet are and also B. that is a well vnderstanding man Which also haue forsaken reuoked all the learning and opinions that thou and such other hold Wherfore since each of them is mikle wiser thē thou art we counsell thee for the best that by the example of these foure Clerkes thou follow them submitting thee as they did And one of the Bishops Clerkes sayd then there that he heard Nicoll Hereford say that since he forsook reuoked all the learning Lolards opiniōs he hath had mikle greater fauour and more delite to hold agaynst them then euer he had to
the king Wenselaus who thē fauored that pope gaue cōmaundement that no man should attēpt any thing against the sayd Popes indulgēces But Hus with his folowers not able to abide the impiety of those pardōs began manifestly to speake agaynst them of the which cōpany were 3. certayn artificers who hearing the priest preaching of these iudulgences did opēly speak against them called the pope Antichrist which would set vp the crosse to fight agaynst his euenchristened Wherefore they were brought before the Senate and committed to warde But the people ioyning thēselues together in armes came to the magistrates requiring thē to be let loose The magistrates with gētle wordes and fayre promises satisfied the people so that euery man returning home to his own house the tumult was asswaged But the captiues being in prison not withstanding were there beheaded whose names were Iohn Martin and Stascon The death and martirdome of these three being knowne vuto the people they took the bodies of them that were slaine and with great solemnitye brought them vnto the church of Bethlem At whose funerall diuers priestes fauoring that side did sing in this wise These be the Sayntes whiche for the testament of God gaue their bodies c. And so their bodyes were sumptuously interred in the church of Bethlem I. Hus preaching at the same funerall much commending them for theyr constancye and blessing God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ whyche had hidde the way of his verity so from the prudent of this world and had reuealed it to the simple lay people and inferior priestes which chose rather to please God then men Thus this City of Prage was deuided The prelates with the greatest part of the clergy most of the Barons which had any thing to lose did hold with the pope especially Steuen Paletz being the chiefest doer on that side On the contrary part the commons with part of the clergy studentes of the vniuersity went with Iohn Hus. Wenslaus the king fearing least this would grow to a tumult being moued by the doctors and prelates and councell of his barons thought best to remoue Iohn Husse out of the Citty who had bene excommunicated before by the Pope And further to cease this dissention risen in the church committed the matter to the disposition of the doctors and the clergy They cōsulting together among thēselues did set forth a decree ratified and confirmed by the sentēce of the king contayning the summe of 18. articles for the maynteynance of the Pope and the see of Rome agaynst the doctrine of Wickeliffe and Iohn Husse The names of the Doctors of Diuinity were these Steuen Paletz Stanislaus de Znoyma Petrus de Ikoyma Ioannes Heliae Andreas Broda Iohannes Hildesen Mattheus Monachus Hermannus Heremita Georgius Bota Simon Wenda c. Iohn Hus thus departing out of Prage went to his coūtry where he being protected by the Lord of the Soile continued there preaching to whom resorted a great concourse of people neither yet was he so expelled out of Prage but that sometimes he resorted to his church of Bethleem and there also preached vnto the people Moreouer agaynst the sayde decree of the doctours I. Hus with his companye replied agayne and aunswered to their articles with cōtrary articles agayn as foloweth The obiections of Iohn Hus and of his part agaynst the decree of the Doctors FIrst the foūdation of the Doctors wherupon they foūd all their writings and counsels is false which foūdatiō is this where as they say that part of the clergy in the kingdome of Boheme is pestilent and erroneous and holdeth falsely of the Sacramentes 2. The Doctors hereby do defame the kingdome of Boheme and do rayse vp new discordes 3. Let them shew therefore those persons of the Clergye whom they call pestilent so let them verify theyr report binding themselues to suffer the like paine if they be not able to proue it 4. False it is that they say the Pope the cardinals to be the true manifest successors of Peter of the Apostles neyther that any other successors of Peter or the Apostles can be foūd vpon earth besides thē Whē as no man knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or of fauour And all Byshops and priests be successors of Peter of the Apostles 5. Not the pope but Christ onely is the head and not the Cardinals but all Christes faythfull people be the body of the Catholick church as all holy Scripture and decrees of the holy fathers do testify and affirme 6. And as touching the pope if he be a reprobate it is plain that he is no head no nor member also of the holy Church of God but of the deuill and of his sinagogue 7. The clergy of the gospellers agreeing with the saying of S. Austen which they alledge and according to the sanctions of the fathers and determinations of the holy mother church do say and affirme laudably that the condēnation and prohibition of the 45. articles is vnlawful and vniust and rashly done for that not onely because the doctors but also all Bishops and Archbishops in suche great causes namely touching faith as these articles doe haue no authority at all as appeareth◠De baptismo et eius effectu cap. Maiores Et in Can. 17. dist cap. Hinc sedi c. 8. The second cause of the discord which they alledge also is most false seing the fayth of whole Christendome cōcerning the church of Rome is deuided in 3. parts by the reason of 3. popes which now together do raigne And the 4. part is newtrall Neither is it true that we ought to stand in all things to the determination of the pope of the cardinals but so farr forth as they do agree with the holy scripture of the old and new Testament from whence the sanctions of the fathers did first spring as is euident De accusationibus cap. qualiter c. 9. In the 4. Article they brast out into a certayne dotage are contrary to themselues By reason that they doitishly haue reprehēded the gospellers who in all their doings receiue the holy scripture whith is the law of God the way of trueth and life for their iudge and measure and afterward they themselues doe alleadge the scripture Deut. 17. where all iudges both popes and Cardinals are taught to iudge discern betwene leaper leaper in euery ecclesiasticall cause only after the rule of gods law And so are they cōtrary vnto their secōd article wherin they say that in euery catholicke matter we must runne to the pope which is cōtrary to the foolish condemnation of the Articles aforesaid 10 Consequently like idiots they doe most fasly alledge for their purpose the Canon vnder the name and authority of Ierome written 24. q. 1. Haec est fides papa c. where they do apply the wordes of Ierome most impertinentlye to the pope of Rome which he writeth to S.
Austen calling him a most blessed Pope 11. By the whiche place of Ierome it is manifest that the first article of those doctors is false Forasmuch as by these wordes appeareth that other besides the bishop of Rome and his Cardinals are called blessed Popes holding the fayth and seat of Peter and are successours of the Apostles as was Austen and other holy byshops moe 12. Wherof it followeth moreouer that the church of Rome is not that place where the Lord did appoint the principall sea of his whole Church For Christ which was the head priest of all did first sit in Ierusalem and Peter did sit first in Antioch and afterward in Rome Also other popes dyd sit some in Bonony some at Perusium some at Auinion 13. Item the foresayde Prelates are falsifiers of the holy Scriptures and Canons therfore are worthy to be punished Which affirme and say that we must obey the pope in all thinges For why it is knowne that many Popes haue erred and one Pope was also a woman To whome not onely it was not lawful to geue obedieÌ„ce but also vnlawfull to communicate with them As all Rubrices and infinite Canons do declare 14. Item their 6.7.8.9.10.11 Articles doe stand and are grounded vpon vntrue and false persuasions And therfore are to be reiected and detested like the other before Seyng they doe induce not to peace and veritye but to dissention and falsity 15. It is manifest also to the laitye that this dissention among the clergy riseth for no other cause but onely for the preaching of the Gospell which reprehendeth such Simoniacks and such hereticks in the church of God as namely haunt the court of Rome spreading out theyr braunches abroad into all the world Who deserue to be remoued extirpate not onely of the clergy gospellers but also of the secular power And so these three vices to witte Simonye Luxurity Auarice which is Idoll worship be the causes of all this dissention amonge the Clergye in the kingdome of Boheme and not the other which they falsely ascribe to the Gospellers of Prage These three vices beyng remoued peace and vnity woulde soone be reformed in the Clergy 16. Moreouer their last article is to much grosse and not onely is without all law but also wtout all coulour of law whereas they fondly and childishly doe argue thus that the processes made agaynst M. Iohn Hus ought to be obeyed because forsooth the common sort of the Clergye of Prage hath receiued them By the same reason they may argue also that we must obey the deuil for our first pareÌ„ts Adam and Eue obeyed him Also our fore auncetours before vs were Paganes wherfore we must obey them and also the Paganes 17. But let this friuolous opinioÌ„ go this is certain truth that the said processes made against maister Iohn Hus by law are none Forsomuch as they were obteyned drawne wrought and executed contrary to the commission of the Pope against the determinatioÌ„ of the holy mother church as appeareth Cap. Sacro de Sententia excom and a thousand other lawes besides 18. Finally whosoeuer wittingly obstinately do defend and execute the sayd processes made or consenteth vnto theÌ„ are all to be counted as blasphemers excommunicate and heretickes as hath bene afore written and exhibited to yâ— Lord generall bishop Olomucense And more shal be declared and proued if audience may be geuen openly before all the Doctors Ex Aenea Sylui. Chocleo ¶ Vnto these obiections of I. Hus his part the Catholique Doctors agayn did answer in a long tedious proces The scope wherof principally tended to defend the principallity of the Pope to mayntayne his obedience aboue all other potentates in the world affirming coÌ„teÌ„ding that although Christ is the head alone of the whole multitude of them that are sleeping in Purgatory and whiche are labouring in the Church militant and which are resting in heauen yet this letteth not but the Pope is heade of the church here militant that is of all the faithfull which here in this world liue vnder his office Like as Christ is kyng of all kings and yet Charles may be the king of Fraunce So say they Christ may be the vniuersall head and yet the Pope may be head vnder him of the whole Churche And thus concluded they that the pope is the head and that the Colledge of Cardinals is the body of the Romish church which church of Rome is placed in the ecclesiasticall office here ouer the earth to know and define vpoÌ„ euery ecclesiasticall and catholicke matter to correct errors and to purge them and to haue care vpon all such vniuersall matters cure vpon all vniuersall churches and vpon the vniuersal flocke of faythfull christians Forasmuch as in the regimeÌ„t of the church through the vniuersal world there must nedes remayne in such office alwayes some suche manifest true successors of Peter prince of the Apostles of the colledge of the other Apostles of Christ neither can there be found or geuen vpon earth any other successors but only the Pope which is the head and the colledge of Cardinals which is the body of the foresayd church of Rome And although the whole vniuersall multitude of the faythfull do make the body of Christ yet the same body of Christ is not placed here in office to exercise such authority vpon earth Because that vniuersal multitude was neuer yet nor euer can be coÌ„gregate together And therfore necessary it is that some such true and manifest successors iudges be appoynted to whom recourse must be had in all such catholick and ecclesiastical matters determinable For like as in earthly regiments euery case of discord is brought before his iudge hath his place assigned where to be decided So like reason would requyre that in principall matters and controuersies of fayth some such presidents places be limited for the purpose to haue such doubtes resolued And this being graunted then the doctors proceed here must needes coÌ„clude say they that there cannot be geuen in all the world any other place but onely the church of Rome the head wherof is the Pope the body is the colledge of Cardinals For like as Christ departing out of this world in his corporal preseÌ„ce leâ—t his body here with vs vnder the SacrameÌ„t in another forme whereby he remayneth with vs according to his promise Mat. vlt. vnto the consummation of the worlde Euen so while Christ walked here on earth in his bodily preseÌ„ce he was Pope himselfe chiefe bishop so head of the church here militant in earth corporally coÌ„ioyned with the same as the head is to his body But after that he departed out of yâ— world because his body which is the church militant vp on the earth should not be headlesse therfore he left Peter his successors to his church for an head in his place vnto the consummation of the world
make nothing for the purpose for albeit anyman be not a true Christian is he not therefore true Pope Byshop or Kyng when as these are names of office and to be a Christian is a name of merite and desert and so may any man be a true Pope Byshoppe or King although he be no true Christian. Then sayd Iohn Hus if Pope Iohn the xxiij were a true Pope wherefore haue ye depriued him of hys office The Emperour aunswered the Lordes of the Councell haue now lately agreed thereupon that he was true Pope but for his notorious and manifest euill doinges wherewithall he did offend and trouble the Church of God and dyd spoyle and bring to ruine the power thereof he is reiected and cast out of his office The second Article The grace of predestination is the bond whereby the body of the Church and euery parte and member thereof is firmely knitte and ioyned vnto the head The aunswere I acknowledge this Article to be mine and it is proued in the text out of the eight chapiter to the Romaynes who shall seperate vs from the charity and loue of Christ. c. And in the tenth chapter of Iohn My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they followe me and I geue them eternall life neyther shall they perish eternally neither is there any man which shal take them out of my handes This is the knotte of the body of the Church and of our spirituall head Christ vnderstanding the Church to be the congregation of the predestinate The third Article If the Pope be a wicked man and specially a reprobate then euen as Iudas the Apostle he is a Deuill a Theefe and the Sonne of perdition and not the head of the holy mylytant Churche for so muche as he is no parte or member thereof The aunswere My wordes are thus if the Pope be an euill or wicked man and specially if he be a Reprobate then euen as Iudas so is he a Deuill a Theefe and the Sonne of perditition How then is he the head of the holy militant Church where as he is not truely no member or part thereof for if he were a member of the holy Churche then shoulde he be also a member of Christ and if he were a member of Christ then shoulde he cleaue and sticke vnto Chryste by the grace of Predestination and present iustice and shoulde be one spirite with God as the Apostle sayth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the sixt Chapter knowe ye not that your bodyes are the members of Christ The 4. Article An euill Pope or Prelate or reprobate is no true pastour but a theefe and a robber The answere The text of my booke is thus If he be euill or wicked theÌ„ is he an hireling of whom Christ speaketh he is no sheepe heard neither are the sheepe his owne Therefore when he seeth the wolfe comming he runneth away and forsaketh the sheepe and so finally doth euery wicked and reprobate man Therefore euery such reprobate or wicked Pope or Prelate is no true Pastour But a very theefe and a robber as is more at large proued in my booke TheÌ„ sayd Iohn Hus I doe so limitte all thinges that such as touching theyr desert are not truely and worthely Popes and shepheardes before God but as touching their office and reputation of men they are Popes Pastors and Priestes Then a certayne man rising vp behinde Iohn Husse clothed all in silke sayd my Lordes take heede least that Iohn Hus deceiue both you and himselfe with these hys gloses and looke whether these thinges be in his booke or not for of late I had disputation with him vpon these Articles in the which I sayd that a wicked Pope c. was no Pope as touching merite and desert but as touchyng his office he was truely Pope Whereupon he vsed these gloses which he had heard of me and did not take them out of his booke Then Iohn Hus turning himselfe vnto him sayd did you not heare that it was so readde out of my booke and this did easily appeare in Iohn xxiij Whether he were true Pope or a very theefe and robber Then the Bishoppes and Cardinals looking one vpon another sayd that he was true Pope and laughed Iohn Hus to scorne The 5. The Pope is not neither ought to be called according vnto his office most holy For then the king ought also to be called most holy according to his office Also the tormentors lictors and deuilles ought also to bee called holy The aunswere My wordes are otherwise placed in this maner so ought a fayner say that if any man be a most holy Father then he doth most holyly obserue and keepe hys Fatherlynesse And if he be a naughty and wicked Father then doth he most wickedly keepe the same Likewise if the Byshoppe be most holyest then is he also most good and when as he sayth that he is Pope it is the name of his office Wherupon it foloweth that the man which is Pope being an euill and reprobate man is a most holy man And consequently by that hys office he is most good And for so much as no man can be good by hys office except he do exercise vse the same his office very well it followeth that if the Pope be an euill reprobate man he cannot exercise or vse his office wel Forsomuch as he cannot vse the office wel except he be morally good Mat. 12. How caÌ„ you speak good things when you your selues are euil immediatly afâ—er it foloweth If the Pope by reasoÌ„ of his office be called most holy wherefore should not the King of Romaynes be called most holy by reason of his office and dignity When as the Kyng according vnto Saynt Augustines minde representeth the Deitye and Godhead of Christ and the Priest representeth onely hys humanity Wherefore also should not iudges yea euen tormentours be called holy forsomnth as they haue theyr office by ministring vnto the Church of Christ. These thinges are more at large discoursed in my booke but I cannot finde or knowe sayth Iohn Husse any foundation whereby I shoulde call the Pope most holy when as thys is onely spoken of Christ. Thou onely art most holy Thou onely art the Lord. c. Shoulde I then truely call the Pope moste holy The 6. Article If the Pope liue contrary vnto Christ. Albeit he be lawfully and Canonically elect and chosen according to humayne election yet doth he ascende and come in another way then by Christ. The aunswere The text is thus if the Pope liue contrary vnto Christ in pride and auarice how then doth he not ascend and come another way into the sheepe folde then by the lowlye and meeke doore our Lord Iesus Christ But admitte as you say that he dyd ascend by lawfull election the which I call an election principally made of God and not according vnto the common and vulgare constitution and ordinaunce of men yet for all that it is
rule the Church the which shoulde be alwayes conuersant with the militant Church The aunswere I do graunt it For what consequent is this The king of Boheme is head of the kingdome of Boheme Ergo the Pope is head of the whole militant Church Christ is the head of the spiritualtye ruling and gouerning the militant Church by much more and greater necessity then Cesar ought to rule the tēporalty For so much as Christ which sitteth on the ryght hand of God the Father doth necessaryly rule the militant Church as head And there is no sparke of apparance that there should be one head in the spiritualty ruling the church that should alwaies be conuersant with the militant churche except some infidell would heretically affirme that the militant Church should haue here a permanent and continuall Citty or dwelling place and not to enquire and seeke after that which is to come It is also further euident in my booke how vnconsequent the proportion of the similitude is for a reprobate Pope to be the head of the militent church and a reprobate king to be the head of the kingdome of Boheme The 4. Article Christ would better rule his Churche by his true Apostles dispersed through out the whole world without such monstrous heades I aunswere that it is in my booke as here foloweth that albeit that the doctor doth say that the body of the militant Church is oftentimes without a head yet notwithstanding we do verelye beleue that Christ Iesus is the head ouer euery Churche ruling the same without lacke or default pouring vpō the same a continuall motion and sence euen vnto the latter day neither can the doctor geue a reason why the Churche in the time of Agnes by the space of 2. yeares and 5. monethes liuing according to many members of christ in grace and fauour but that by the same reason the Church might be without a head by the space of many yeares For so much as Christ should better rule his Church by his true disciples dispersed throughout the whole world without suche monstrous heads Then sayd they all together Beholde now he prophecieth and Iohn Hus prosecuting his former talke sayd but I say that the Church in the time of the Apostles was farre better ruled and gouerned then now is And what doth let or hinder that christ should not now also rule the same better by his true Disciples without such monstrous heades as haue bene now a late For beholde euen at this present we haue no such head And yet Christ ceaseth not to rule his Church when be had spoken these wordes he was derided and mocked The 5. Article Peter was no vniuersall Pastour or shepheard of the sheepe of Christ much lesse is the Byshop of Rome The answere These words are not in my book but those which do follow Secondly it appeareth by the wordes of Christ that he did not limit vnto Peter for his iurisdiction the whole world no not one onely prouince So likewise neither vnto any other of the Apostles Notwithstanding certayne of them walked through many regions and other some fewer preaching and teaching the kingdome of God as Paule which laboured trauelled more then all the rest did corporally visite and conuert most prouinces whereby it is lawfull for any Apostle or his vicar to conuert and confirme as much people or as many prouinces in the fayth of Christ as they are able neither is there any restraynt of their liberty or iurisdiction But only by disability or insufficiency The 6. Article The Apostles and other faythfull priestes of the Lord haue stoutly ruled the Church in al things necessary vnto saluation before the office of the Pope was brought in to the Church and so would they very possibly doe still if there were no Pope euen vnto the latter day Then they all cryed out agayne and sayd Behold the prophet but Iohn Hus sayde verely it is true that the Apostles did rule the Churche stoutly before the office of the Pope was brought into the Churche And certaynely a great deale better then it is now ruled And likewise may other faythfull men which doe follow their steppes doe the same for as now we haue no Pope and so peraduenture it may continue and endure a yeare or more Besides this were brought agaynst him other 19. articles obiected vnto him being in prison which with his answeres to the same here likewise follow Of the whiche Articles the first is thys The first Article Paule according vnto present iustice was a blasphemer and none of the Church and therwithall was in grace according vnto predestination of life euer lasting The aunswere This proposition is not in the booke but this which foloweth whereby it doth seme probable that as Paule was both a blasphemer accordyng to present iustice and therewithall also was a faythfull childe of our holy mother the Church and in grace accordyng to predestination of life euerlasting So Iscariot was both in grace according vnto present iustice and was neuer of our holy mother the Church according to the predestination of life euerlasting for so much as he lacked that predestination And so Iscariot albeit he was an Apostle and a Byshop of Christ which is the name of his office yet was he neuer no part of the vniuersall Church The 2. Article Christ doth more loue a predestinate man being sinnefull then any reprobate in what grace possible soeuer he be The aunswere My wordes are in the 4. chapter of my booke intituled of the Church and it is euident that God doth more loue any predestinate beynge sinnefull then any reprobate in what grace so euer he be for the time for so much as he will that the predestinate shall haue perpetuall blessednesse and the reprobate to haue eternall fire Wherefore God partly infinitely louing them both as his creatures yet he doth more loue the predestinate because he geueth him greater grace or a greater gift that is to say life euerlasting which is greater more excellent then onely grace according vnto present iustice And the third Article of those Articles before soundeth much neare vnto this that the predestinate cannot fall frō grace for they haue a certayne radicall grace rooted in thē although they be depriued of the aboundant grace for a time These thinges are true in the compound sence The 3. Article All the sinnefull according vnto present iniustice are not faythfull but doe swerue from the true Catholicke fayth for so much as it is impossible that any man can committee any deadly sinne but in that point that he doe swerue from the fayth The aunswere I acknowledge that sentence to be mine and it appeareth that if they did thinke vpon the punishment which is to be laid vpon sinners and did fully beleue and had the fayth of the diuine knowledge and vnderstanding c. then vndoubtedly they would not so offend and sinne This proposition is verified by the sayinge of
The tenour of those articles wherof we haue made mention in this our owne writing are in wordes as follow The articles of Iohn Hus to be inquired vpon 1 THere is one onely vniuersall Church whiche is the vniuersitie of the predestinate as shall after be declared 3. The vniuersall Church is onely one as there is one vniuersitie of those that are predestinate 3. Paule was neuer a member of the Deuill although he did certayne actes like vnto the actes of the Church malignant 4. The reprobate are not partes of the Churche for that no part of the same finally falleth from her because that the charitie of predestination which bindeth the same Church together neuer fayleth 5. The two natures that is the Diuinitie and the humanitie bee one Christ. 6. The reprobate although he be sometime in grace according to present iustice yet is he neuer a part of the holy Churche and the predestination is euer a member of the Churche although sometime he fall from grace aduentitia but not from grace of predestinatioÌ„ euer taking the church for the conuocation of the predestinate whether they be in grace or not according to present iustice And after this sort the church is an article of our beliefe 7. Peter is not nor neuer was the head of the holy catholicke Church 8. Priestes liuing viciously doe defile the authoritie of priesthood and so as vnfaythfull Children do vnfaythfully beleue of the seuen sacraments of the keyes of the Church of offices of Censures of ceremonies of the worshippyng of reliques indulgences orders and other holy things of the Church 9. The papill dignitie came and grew from the Emperor and hys gouernement and institution sprang from the emperours gouernment 10. No man can reasonably affirme eyther of himselfe or other that he is the head of any particular Churche or that the bishop of Rome is the head of the Church of Rome 11. A man ought not to beleue that he which is byshop of Rome is the head of euery particuler Churche vnles god haue predestinate hym 12. None is the vicare of Christ or els of Peter vnlesse he follow him in maners and conditions seing that there is no other following more pertinent nor otherwise apte to receiue of God this power procuratory For vnto the office of a vicegerent of Christ is required the conformitie of maners and the authoritie of the institutor 13. The pope is not the manifest and true successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles if he liue in maners contrary to Peter and if he hunt after auarice then is he the vicar of Iudas Iscarioth And likewise the Cardinalles be not the true and manifest successors of the Colledge of the other Apostles of Christ vnles they lyue according to the maner of the Apostles keeping the commaundementes counsels of our Lord Iesus Christ. 14. The Doctors alledging that if a man which will not be amended by the Ecclesiasticall censures is to be deliuered to the secular powers do follow in this poynt the byshops Scribes and Phariseis that deliuered Christ to the secular power saying it is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man because he would not obey them in all thinges and that such be greater homicides then Pilate 15. The ecclesiasticall obedience is such an obedience as the Priestes of the church haue found out besides the expresse authoritie of the scripture The immediate deuision of humaine works is that they be either vertuous or vicious if a man be vicious and doth any thyng then doth he it vitiously if he be vertuous and doth any thinge theÌ„ doth he it vertuously For like as vice which is called a great offere or mortall sin doth stayne all the doyngs of a vicious man so vertue doth quicken all the doinges of a vertuous man 16. A priest of God liuing after hys lawe and hauing the knowledge of the scripture and a desire to edify the people ought to preach notwithstanding any excommunication pretended of the pope And further if the pope or anye other magistrate doeth forbid a priest so disposed to preache he ought not to be obedient vnto hiâ— For euery one that taketh vpoÌ„ him the order of priesthood receiueth in charge the office of a preacher and of that burden ought he well to discharge himselfe any excommunication against him pretended in any wise notwithstanding 17. By the Censures ecclesiasticall as of excommunication suspending and interdicte the clergy to their owne aduauncement cause the lay people to ayd them they multiply their auarice they defend their malice and prepare the way to Antichrist And it is an euident signe that such censures proceede from Antichrist which in their process they call Fulminationes that is their thunderboltes where with the clergy principally proceedeth agaynst those that declare the wickednes of Antichrist who so greatly for hys owne commoditie hath abused them 18. If the pope be euill especially if he be a reprobâ—â—â— theÌ„ is he with Iudas a very deuill a theefe and the sonne of perdition and is not the head of the holy Church militant nor any member of the same 19. The grace of predestination is the band wherwith the body of the church and euery member of the same is indissolubly ioyned to their head Christ. 20. The pope or Prelate that is euill and a reprobate is a Pastor in name and not in deede yea he is a theefe and a robber in very deede 21. The P. ought not to be called the most holy one for his office sake for then ought a king to be called by hys office the most holy one and hangmen with other such officers also were to be called holye yea the deuill hymselfe ought to be called holy for asmuch as he is Gods officer 22. If the pope liue contrary vnto Christ although he clime vp by the right and lawfull election according to the common custome of men yet notwithstanding shoulde be otherwise clime then by Christ yea though wee admitte that he shoulde enter by the election principally made by God For Iudas Iscarioth was lawfully elect of GOD Christ Iesus to hys byshopricke and yet came not he the same way he ought to do vnto the shepefold 23 The condemnation of 45. articles of Iohn Wickleffe by the doctors made is vnreasonable wicked and naught the cause by them alledged is sayned that is that none of them are Catholicke but euery on of them hereticall erroneous or slaunderous 14. Not for that the electours or the most part of theÌ„ haue consented together with liuely voyce according to the custome of men vpon the person of any therfore that person is lawfully elect or therfore is the true and manifest successors vicar of Peter the Apostle or of any other the Apostles in yâ— ecclesiastical office Wherfore whether the electors haue either wel or euil made their election it behoueth vs to beleue the same by the workes of him that is elected
himselfe lacked pasture But we count these as things of no force or difficulty For S. Augustine in the Sermon of the natiuity of Peter and Paule sayeth in this wise Our Lorde Iesus Christe before hys Passion chose hys disciples as yet doe knowe whom he called brethren Amongest those Peter alone almost in euery place represented the person of the Church therefore it was sayde vnto him Tibi dabo claues regni coelorum That is to say Unto thee will I geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen These keies did he not receiue as one man but as one he receiued them for the Church And in an other place Where hee wryteth of the Christian agony he sayth the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen vnto the churche when as they were geuen vnto Peter And when as it was spoken vnto him Amas me Pasce oues meas That is to say Louest thou me feede my sheepe it was spoken vnto them all And S. Ambrose in the beginning of his pastorall sayth which sheepe and which flocke the blessed Apostle S. Peter tooke not charge of alone but together with vs and we alltogether with him By which wordes the foundation and principall arguments of those flatterers are vtterly subuerted and ouerthrowen For if Peter represented the person of the Church we ought not to ascribe the force of these words vnto Peter but vnto the Church Neither do I see how that can stand whych Boniface doth affirme for it is farre distant from the truth except it be vnderstand otherwise then it is spoken But it may peraduenture seeme a great thynge vnto some that it is sayd the Byshop of Rome to be the head of the Militant Churche For as in the body of man Philitions do neuer geue councell to cut of the head for any maner of sicknes disease although it be neuer coâ—ul of vicers or infected so in this mysticall body of the church the head ought alwayes to be kept and albeit it be neuer so wicked yet is it to be suffered and horne withall But now conuert this argument If it were possible in the body of man when one hed is taken away to find an other to put in his place as we see it may be done in the Church should not heade then be oftentimes chaunged for diuers diseases Moreouer if we wil thus reason that the head of the church shuld be in respecte of his body as the head of man in respecte of the body of man then doeth it necessarily followe that the head being dead the body must also die as is manifest in the body of man So should it grow into an absurditie to confesse that the Pope being dead the Church also shoulde bee dead the which how farre it dissenteth from the truth it is most manifest Therfore what soeuer other men say I am not of opinion wyth them whych affirme the Bishoppe of Rome to be head of the Church except peraduenture they doe make hym the ministeriall head for we doe reade that Christ is the heade of the Churche and not the Pope and that he is the true head immutable perpetuall and euerlasting and the Church is his body wherof the Pope hymselfe is also a member and the vicare of Christe not to the destruction but to the maintenaunce edifying of the same body of Christ. Wherefore if he be founde a damnable destroyer of the Churche he may be deposed and cast out because he doth not that he was ordeined to doe and we ought as Pope Leo sayeth to be mindeful of the commandement geuen vs in the Gospell that if our eye our foote or oure right hand do offend vs it should be cut of from the body For the Lorde sayeth in an other place Euery tree whych bringeth not foorth fruite shall be cut downe and caste into the fire And in an other place also it is sayde vnto vs take away all euill and wickednesse from among you It is very iust and true whiche is wrytten in the Epistle of Clement vnto Iames the brother of our Lorde that he whych will be saued ought to be separate from them whych will not be saued But for the more manifest declaration hereof we must haue recourse to that which is spoken by the Lorde in the Gospell of Iohn I am the true vine sayth the Lorde and my father is the husbandman and ye are the braunches euery braunch therfore that bryngeth not forth fruite in me my father wil cut off These wordes were spoken vnto the Apostles amongst whom also Peter was present whome the Lord wold haue cut off if he brought not foorth his fruit Also S. Hierome vpon these wordes of Mathewe Vnsauery salte is profitable for nothing but to be cast foorth and troden of swine Whereuppon in the persone of Peter and Paule he sayth thus It is no easie matter to stande in the place of Peter and Paule and to keepe the chaire of them which raigne with Christ. This vnsauery salte that is to say a foolish Prelate vnsauery in preaching and foolish in offending is good for nothing but to be cast foorthe that is to say deposed and to be troden of swine that is of wicked spirits which haue dominion ouer the wicked and naughty Prelates as their owne flocke and herde Beholde thys testimonie of Hierome is plaine and euident Let hym be cast out sayth he Hee expoundeth and speaketh it of the Prelate whych vsurpeth the place of Peter and so consequently of the byshop of Rome who being vnsauery in preaching and foolysh in offending oughte to be deposed as Hierome affirmeth from hys degree and dignitie Neyther as some doe dreame is he to be deposed for heresie only Isidorus in the booke of Councels rehearseth a certain epistle of Clement the successour of Peter wrytten vnto Iames the Apostle wheras the said Clement referring the words of Peter vnto himselfe sayeth thus If thou be occupied wyth worldly cares thou shalt both deceiue thyselfe those which shall geue eare vnto thee for thou canst not fully distribute vnto euery man those thinges which pertaine vnto saluation whereby it shall come to passe that thou as a man for not teaching those things which pertaine vnto saluation shalt be deposed thy disciples shall perish through ignorance Notwtstanding in an other place in stead of this word deposed it is found thou shalt be punished which 2. wordes if they be wel vnderstoode do not much differ for deposition is ofteÌ„times vsed in the place of punishment But peraduenture some wil here obiect that this Epistle is not to be iudged Clements because it is sayd to be wrytten vnto Iames who as the Ecclesiasticall hystory affirmeth was deade before that Peter was put to death But Clement might thinke that Iames was aliue when as hee wrote whych were farre distant a sunder and messengers of the christians came not often vnto Rome Moreouer there is meÌ„tion made of
maintained any doctrine against the Churche of Rome but onely spake against their naughtie lyfe Hierome did put them to silence Hierome in prison 340. dayes The excellent memory in M. Hierome M. Hierome brought agayne before the couÌ„cell M. Hierom holdâ—th all the articles of the Catholicke Church The eloquence of M. Hierome The prophesie of M. Hierome A paper with redde deuilles put vpon the head of M. Hierome by deuelishe papistes M. Hierome committed to the secular power M. Hierome went singing vnto his martirdome M. Hierome praieth M. Hierome â—â—â— to an Image like to Iohn Hus. M. Hierome â—â—geth at â—â— burning The wordes of Hierome to the people M. Hierome geueth testimony of Iohn Hus. The last wordes of M. Hierome The crueltie of his death The ashes of M. Hierome cast into the riuer of Rheine The witnes of the writer The truth of this storie Math. 7. Rom. 13. The cause of I. Hus cleared by the testimony of the nobles of Bohemia All that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3. Defence of M. Hierome of Prage He meaneth the longe schisme spoken of before where three popes were striuing one against an other * A quadrant being foure square prouerbially signifieth a man that is constant and immutable Rom. 12. Iohn 8. Deut. 38. Psal. 30. These noble men offered their obedience to the Pope no further then was lawful honest and agreeable to reason and the lawe of God Marke this and learne you noble men Vid supra pag. 588. Henry Chichesley Archb. of Cant. The historie of I. ClaidoÌ„â—â—nner of London of Robert Turming Baker Ex regist Cant. I. Claidon â—â—amined I. Claydon â—â—st imprisoned by R. Braybroke Bishop of London 1. Claidon before abiuâ—ed Englishe bookes The iudgement of the Maior of London Claidon bestowed much money vpon Englishe bookes Iohn Claydon could not read Richard Turming Baker This Turming belike was then in prison William Lindewood doctor of both lawes An Englishe booke intituled The Lanterne of light The head taile of Antichrist This is true speaking of the inuisible Church Two causes of persecution noted Foure conditioÌ„s in geuing almes That bread remaineth in the Sacrament The bookes of I. Claidon burned The sentence condemnation of Iohn ClaidoÌ„ Iohn Claidon coÌ„mitted to the secular power The law de comburendo insufficient The death and martirdome of Iohn Claidon I. Claidon Richard Turming martus Anno 1416. Ex Regist. Chichesley 217. You should be better occupied to shake of the duste from your duâ—y pulpets Twise euery yeare to enquire for Lollardes Against priuie conuenticles To differ froÌ„ the common sort in life and maners against the popes lawe Against Englishe bookes The trouble of I. Barton and Robert Chapell in cause of religion This Philip seemeth to be Philippe Repington afore mentioned in the story of Wicklieffe R. Chapell â—â—â—ureth Articles obtruded to R. Chapel to confesse Marke well this catholicke doctrine of the Popes Church concerning remission of sinnes Marke how this doctrine ioyneth with Gods coÌ„maundement with his word Ergo by this doctrine the iust man liueth not by his faith but by his confession auricular How can these priestes be seruantes of Christ which be makers of Christ. Priuate religioÌ„s profitable if ye could tell wherfore Straight inquisition in EnglaÌ„d Christ had the hartes of men they had their bodies A briefe summe of such as abiured vnder Hen. Chichesley I. Tailour W. Iames. I. Dweiffe Iohn Iourdelay I. Iourdelay abiureth Rob. person of Heggeley examined W. Henry of Tenterdon examined A booke of the new laW I. Galle R. Monke Bart. Coâ—moÌ„ger N. Hoper Tho. Granter troubled for their doctrine A subsidie geâ—thered by the pope to fight against the faithfull of Bohemia Romishe sleightes to get the Englishe money Articles obiected against Rafe Mungin Trialogus The Gospells translated by Iohn Wickliffe Radulph Mungin condeÌ„ned to perpetual prisoÌ„ Tho. Granter Richard Monke The recantation of Tho. Granter Note the doctrine opinions in those daies where the Gospell tooke place One head that is the vnitie of the Church Men tied to the Church of Rome The affliction and trouble in Kent vnder Chichesley Persons persecuted in Keâ—t The seconde apprehensioÌ„ of the Lord Cobham The Lord Powes plaieth Iudas Treason falsly surmised Vide supra pag. 575. Iudas feeleth for his reward An. 5. Henr. 5 act 17. An. 5. HeÌ„nr 5. act 17. All the blame laide to the Lollardes Articles decreed in the Councell of Constance agoinst the Bohemians The fauores of I. Hus in Boheme This suffragane was a good man and helde with Iohn Hus. Wicklieffes bookes translated by I. Hus and Iacobellus into the BohemiaÌ„ speach Concilium malignantium Deposing of Pope Iohn 23. Ex hist Albani The election of Pope Martine The Emperour kisseth the popes feete Pope Martind The coronation of pope Martine Meretrix câ— quitans super bessiam Apocalip The pope 〈◊〉 horseâ—acke the Emperour â—â— foote Why then doth the â—apekâ—epe â—â—â—l the olde Iewes ceremonies if all thinges be made new Anno. 14â—7 A yearely memoriall of Iohn Hus Hierome â—â—pt among 〈◊〉 Bohemiaâ—ns K. Wenceslaus threatneth Nicholas The death of King Wenceslaus The maruelous worke of Gods iudgemeÌ„t to be noted in defending his people Out of Ene as Siluius Zischa getteth Pelzina The queene sendeth for Sigismund the Empeerour The Emperours Ambassadours agree with the citizeÌ„s of Prage The citie of Prage fell from the Emperour The complainte of the citie of Prage against Sigismund The policie of Zisca The citie of Thabor builded Siâ—â—smund get 〈◊〉 the castle â—â— Prage Zisca getteth the citie of Prage Prage besieged of Sigismund The Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmish Sigismund the Emperour rayseth his siege The Emperour fighting against Zisca had the ouerthrow The Abbeis of Pelsina subuerted Zisca putteth the Emperour to flight Zisca loseth hys other eye in battel Zisca albeit he lost his eyes yet would not forsake his army Zisca taketh diuers townes The Saxons retyre The Emperour with his power entreth againe into Boheme The Emperour afrayde of Zisca flyeth The powch of Antichrist A noble victory of Zisca Zisca destroyeth images and idols in Churches Ioanes Premostratensis The martirdome of certane godly Bohemians falsely circuÌ„uented and killed with sword Priuie murther at length commeth out Stench very â—â—rtfull for 〈◊〉 teeth An other warlike pollicy of Zischa Straetagema Procopius Magnus The valiant courage of Procopius The victorie of the protestantes The battaile betweene the citie of Prage Zisca The noble victory of Zisca Zisca besiegeth Prage A notable oration of Zisca to his souldiours The hartes of the souldiours altered by the oratioÌ„ of Zisca Peace betweene Zisca and Prage by the meanes of Iohn de Rochezana The Emperour glad to be recoÌ„ciled with Zisca The death of Zisca The wordes of Zisca at his death The Epitaphe of Zisca Zisca eleuen times victor in thâ—â—â—â—elde Pope Martins bloudy bull to all Byshops and Archbishops All these errours and heresies be for that they
properly appertain briefly with this one short distinction I answer these all such other like places where S. Peter with his successours are called head of the church chiefe of Bishops Prince of the Apostles c. In which places this worde head chiefe and Prince of the Apostles may be taken two maner of waies to note either dominiō or els commendation For so we read sometime Caput and princeps to be wordes not of authoritie but of excellencie wherby is declared the chiefest and worthiest part among many parts and not possessour and gouernour of the whole Like as in the person of mā the hed is the principal part of the whole body being endued with reason furnished with most excellēt senses by the which the whole body of mā is directed so thereof is deriued by a metaphor to what man or thing soeuer nature or condition hath giuen the greatest excellēcie of gifts and properties aboue other partes or mēbers the same societie to be called of the said parties Caput or Princeps head or Prince And yet the same head or Prince so called hath not alwayes dominion or iurisdictiō of the rest So we call in our vulgar speach the head or chiefe men of the parish who for their riches wisdom or place are most specially noted After like phrase of speach we call the head man of the Inquest him that hath the first place And yet neither they nor these haue any dominion or iurisdiction vpon the residue In a schoole the chiefest Scholer in learning is not therefore the maister or gouernour of his fellowes Neither hath M. Cicero any title thereby to claime subiection and seruice of all other Oratours because he is named Princeps eloquentiae and goeth before them in that kind of phrase The same Cicero Lib. 1. offic calleth Cratippū principem huius aetatis Philosophorum as Homerus also may be called Poetarum Princeps And yet neither Philosophers to Cratippus nor Poetes to Homere owe anye thing els but onely fame and praise And what if S. Peter the blessed Apostle be called and counted of the old auncient Doctours as head and Prince of the Apostles which is as much as Coryphaeus Apostolorum for his excellent faith for his deuine confession singular affection to the Lorde Iesus yet what Interest or charge either hath he to chalenge ouer the Apostles or the Pope after him ouer all other bishops the whole church of Christ although the Pope haue the like excellencie of Christes faith which Peter had as would God he had As concerning these allegations therfore out of the Doctors two thinges are to be obserued First that neither these names and titles though they be geuen to Peter doe geue him any state or dominion aboue other Apostles nor yet the succession of him doth further any whit this celsitude and regalitie of the Pope to aduance him aboue his fellow Archbishops as he now doth And if our aduersaries would needs prouoke vs to the numbring of testimonies deuiding the house speaking of the writers and Counsels of the Primitiue age for these aforesaid testimonies alleaged on their side I could on the contrary part recite out of the witnesse of Doctours out of the examples of Councels practises of Emperors no lesse then 60. voices much more repugnant against their assertion then there is for the Pope The tractation wherof for this present I do refer either to them that haue more laisure at this time to discourse them or els omit it to an other time if the good pleasure of the Lord shall be to graunt me further laisure in an other Booke to intreat thereof at large in such order as if the Lord so graunt shal appeare sufficient matter to proue by the Doctors general Councels examples and histories of time that the Bishops of Rome during the first 500. yeres after Christ although for the greatnes of the Empire were somewhat more magnified then the other and therfore were sought of many and were flattred of some and they themselues diuers did set forth themselues more then they should yet by the commō consent of churches were stopped of their purpose so that by the consension of the most part within the compasse of that age the Bishops of Rome had not this regall state of title iurisdiction and fulnes of power which now they vsurpe but were taken as Archbishops of equal honour of equal merite with other Archbishops rulers of the church And if any preferment was giuen vnto them some thing aboue the rest yet neither was it so giuen of all nor of the most part secondly neither was it so giuen of them for any such necessitie of Gods worde aut iure aliquo diuino as which did so bind them thereunto nor yet so much for the respect of Peter his succession as for certaine other causes and respects as may be gathered to the number of 13. Of which the first is the greatnesse of the citie and Monarchie of Rome The second is the authoritie of the Emperor Constantine the great first of the Emperors conuerted to the faith and ruling in the same citie by whom the vniuersal libertie of the church was first promooted and the causes of the bishops being then at variance were committed partly to the bishop of Rome partly to other bishops nere by to be decided as appeareth Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 5. The third was the Councel of Nice which confirmed the preeminence of that church to haue the ouersight of the churches bordering about it The fourth cause of aduauncing the church of Rome was the vnquiet state of the Greek church much troubled in those dayes with sects factions and dissentions wherof we may read Socrat. lib. 2. cap 15. Sozom. lib. 3. cap. 8. The fift when Synodes were called by other Metropolitanes then if it chanced the bishops of Rome to be absent and their sentence being absent to be required by the occasion therof they began at length to take their sentence for a Canon or rule Ecclesiasticall thereby to refuse other Synodes where their decree or sentēce was not required An other cause was that when any common matter was in hand in other places whatsoeuer was done commonly the maner was to write to the Romaine bishop for his approbatiō in the same for publike vnitie and consent to be had in Christes church as appeareth Lib. 10. Epist. 78. Ambrosij ad Theophilum Item for that the testimonie somtimes of the Romain bishop was woont in those dayes also to be desired for admitting teachers and bishops in other churches whereof we haue example in Socrat lib. 4. cap. 37. Moreouer this was a great setting vp of that church when as their sentence not only was required but also receiued diuers times of other bishops And when Bishops of other prouinces were at any dissention among thēselues they of their owne accord appealed to the bishop of Rome desiring him to
not the death of a sinner but is mercifull to the penitent came of their own accorde to the iudgement seate againe that they might bee examined of the Iudge And for that the Emperour had written backe againe to him that all the confessors should be punished and the other let go and that the Sessions or Sises were now begun which for the multitude that had repayre thether out of euery quarter was marueilous great he caused all the holy martirs to be brought thether that the multitude might beholde them once againe examined them and as many of them as he thought had the Romane fredome he beheaded the residue he gaue to the beastes to be deuoured And truely Christ was much glorified by those which a little before had denied him which againe contrary to the expectation of the Infidels confessed him euen to the death For they were examined a part froÌ„ the rest because of their deliuery which being found Confessours were ioined to the company of the martirs had with them their part But there were then abroade which had no saith at all neither yet so much as the feeling of the wedding garment nor any cogitation at all of the feare of God but blasphemed his waies by the lewd conuersatioÌ„ of their life euen such as were the children of damnation Al the residue ioined theÌ„selues to the congregation which wheÌ„ they were examined one Alexander a phrigian borne and a Phisition which had dwelt long in Fraunce and knowen almost of euery man for the loue he had to God boldnes of speaking neither was he voide of the Apostolicall loue this Alexander standing somewhat neare to the barre by signes and beckes perswaded such as were examined to confesse Christ so that by his countenaunce somtime reioising and some other while sorrowing he was descryed of the standers by The people not taking in good part to see those which now recanted by and by againe to sticke to their first confession they cried out against Alexander as one that was the cause of all this matter And when he was inforced by the Iudge and coÌ„maunded what Religion he was of he aunswered I am a Christian. He had no sooner spoken the worde but he was iudged to the beastes of them to be deuoured The next day following Attalus of whome I made mention a litle before and Alexander were brought foorth together for the gouernour graunting Attalus vnto the people was baited againe of the beasts When these men were brought to the scaffold and had taken a tast of all the instruments that there were prepared for their execution and had suffered the greatest agonie they could put theÌ„ to were also at the length slaine Of whome Alexander neuer gaue so much as a sigh nor held his peace but froÌ„ the bottome of his hart praised and praied to the Lorde But Attalus when he was set in the yron chaire and began to frye and the frying sauour of his burning body began to smell he spake to the multitude in the Romane language Behold sayth hee this is to eate mans flesh which you doe for we neither eate men nor yet coÌ„mit any other wickednes And being demaunded what was the name of their God our God saith he hath no such name as men haue Then said they now let vs see whether your God can helpe you and take you out of our handes or not After this being the last day of the spectacle Blandine againe one PoÌ„ticus a child of xv yeare old was brought forth and this was euery day to the intent they seing the punishment of their fellowes might be compelled thereby to sweare by their Idoles But because they constantly abode in their purpose defied their idols the whole multitude was in a rage with them neither sparing the age of the child nor fauoring the sexe of the woman but put them to all the punishment and paine they could deuise often times inforced them to sweare yet were not able to coÌ„pel them therevnto For Ponticus so being animated of his sister as the Heathâ—ikes standing by did see after he had suffered all torments and paynes gaue vp the ghost This blessed Blandina therefore being the last that suffered after she had like a worthy mother giuen exhortations vnto her children and had sent them before as conquerours to their heauenly kâ—ng and had called to her remembrance al their batels conflicts so much reioiced of her childrens death so hastened her owne as though she had bene bidden to a bridall not in case to be throwne to the wilde beastes After this her pittifull whipping her deliuery to the beasts her tormentes vpon the gridiron at the length she was put in a net and throwne to the wild Bull and when she had bene sufficiently gored wounded with the hornes of the same beast felt nothing of all that chaunced to her for the great hope and consolation she had in Christ heauenâ—y thinges was thus slaine insomuch that the verye Heathen men themselues confessed that there was neuer woman put to death of them that suffered so much as this woman did Neither yet was their furious crueltie thus asswaged against the Christians For the cruel barbarous people like wilde beastes when they be moued knew not when the time was to make an ende but inuented new sundry torments euery day against our bodies Neyther yet did it content theÌ„ when they had put the Christians to death for that they wanted the sense of men for which cause both the magistrate people were vexed at the very harts that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith he that is wicked let him be wicked stil and he that is iust let him be more iust For those which in their prisons they strangled they threw after to the dogs setting keepers both day and night to watch them that they shoulde not be buryed and bringing forth the remnaunt of their bones bodies some halfe burnt some left of the wilde beasts some al â—o be mangled also bringing forth heads of other which were cut of and like maner committed by them to the charge of the keepers to see them remaine vnburied The Gentiles grinded gnashed at the Christians with their teeth seeking which way they might amplifie their punishment some other flouted and mocked them extolling their idoles attributing vnto them the cause of thys crueltie and vengeaunce shewed to vs. Such which were of the meeker sort and seemed to be moued with some pyty did hit vs in the teeth saying where is your God that you so much boast of what helpeth this your religion for which you giue your liues These were the sundrye passions and affects of the Gentiles but the Christians in the meane while were in great heauines that they might not burye the bodies and reliques of the holy Martirs Neither could the dark night serue them to that purpose nor any
face of the harlot as she was kissing him and so got he the victorie by the constant grace of the Lord assisting him An other like example of singular chastitie is written of the virgin Theodora and an other souldiour by Ambrose Lib. 2. De virginibus At Antioche this Theodora refusing to do sacrifice to the Idols was condemned by the Iudge to the stewes which notwtstanding by the singular prouidence of god was wel deliuered For as there was a great company of wanton yong men ready at the doore to prease into the house where she was one of the brethren named Didimus as Ado sayth mooued with fayth and motioÌ„ of God putting on a souldioures habite made himselfe one of the first that came in who rounding her in the eare tolde her the cause and purpose of his commyng beyng a christiaÌ„ as she was his counsaile was that she should put on that souldiors habite and so slip away And he puttyng on her garmentes would there remaine to abide their force And so did whereby the virgine escaped vnknowen Didimus left vnto the rage and wondring of the people beyng a man in stead of a woman was presented vnto the President vnto whom without delay he vttered all the whole matter as it was done professing him so as he was to be a christiaÌ„ and therupon was condemned to suffer Theodora vnderstanding thereof and thinking to excuse him by accusing her selfe offred her selfe as the partie guiltie vnto the Iudge clayming and requiring the condemnation to light vpon her the other as innocent to be discharged But the cruell Iudge crueller then Dionysius which spared Damon Pithias neither considering the vertue of the persons nor the innoncency of the cause vniustly and inhumanely proceded in execution against theÌ„ both who first hauing their heads cut off after were cast in the fire Ambros. Ado. Although what tyme or in what persecution these did suffer in the authors of this narration it doth not appeare Agathon a man of armes in the Citie of Alexandria for rebuking certaine lewd persons scornefully deridyng the dead bodies of the Christians was cried out off and rayled on of the people Afterward accused to the iudge was condemned to loose his head Erfordiensis The sayd Erfordiensis also maketh mention of Paulus and Andraeas whome the Proconsul of Troada gaue to the people beyng scourged and after drawne out of the Citie they were troden to death with the feete of the people Hen. de Erford Among other that suffered vnder this wicked Decius Bergomensis also maketh mention of one Iustinus a Priest of Rome and of an other Nicostratus a Deacon To these Vincentius also addeth Portius a Priest of Rome whom he reporteth to be the conuerter of Phillip the Emperor afore mentioned Of Abdon and Sennas we read also in the foresayd Bergomensis and Vincentius two noble men who because they had buried the christians whom Decius had brought from Babylon to Corduba and there put them to death were therfore accused to Decius brought to Rome where they beyng commaunded to sacrifice to dead Idols would not obey and for the same were geuen to the wilde beastes to be deuoured but when the wild beastes more gentle then the men would not touch them they were at length with the sword beheaded Bergom Vincent Lib. 11. cap. 4 Albeit to me it seemeth not vnpossible nor vnlike this Abdon and Sennas to be the same whome in other storyes we finde and before haue mentioned to be Ammon and Zenon One Secundianus was accused to Valerian a Captayne of Decius to be a Christian which professioÌ„ when he stoutly did maynetayne was commaunded to prison By the way as the souldiours were leading him to the gaile Verianus and Marcellianus seing the matter cried to the souldiours asking them whether they drew the innocent At the which worde when they also confessed them selues to be Christians they were likewise apprehended and brought to a Citie named Centumcellas â— where being willed to sacrifice they did spit vpon the Idols and so after sentence and iudgement geuen first they were beaten with wasters or trunshons after that were hanged and tormented vpoÌ„ the gibbet hauing fire set to their sides Vincentius addeth moreouer that the tormentors some of them falleÌ„ sodainly dead other some being taken with wicked spirites the Martyrs with sword at length were beheaded Vinc. Lib. 11 cap. 31. To prosecute in length of history the liues and sufferings of all them which in this terrible persecution were Martyred it were to long almost infinite briefly therefore to rehearse the names of such as we finde alledged out of a certaine briefe treatise of Bede intituled De temporibus cited by Henricus De Erford it shal be at this time sufficient Under Decius suffered Hyppolitus and Concordia Hiereneus and Abnudus Victoria a virgine being noble personages of Antioche Bellias Byshoppe of the Citie of Apollonia Leacus Tyrsus and Gallinetus Nazanzo Tryphon in the Citie of Egypt called â—anais Phileas Bishop Philocomus with many other in Perside Philcronius byshop of Babylon Thesiphon Byshop of Pamphilia Nestor Byshop in Corduba Parmenius Priest with diuers moe In the Prouince called Colonia Circensis Marianus and Iacobus In Africa Nemesianus Felix Rogatianus priest â—elicissimus At Rome Iouinus Basileus also Ruffinâ— and Secunda Uirgines Tertullianus Valerianus Nemesius Sempronianus and Olympius In Spayne Teragone at Verona Zeno Byshop At Caesarea Marinus and Archemius In the towne of Miliane Priuatus Byshop Theodorus surnamed Gregorius Byshop of Pontus Haec Beda Vincentius in his xj booke maketh also mention citing Ex Hugone of certaine children suffering Martyrdome vnder the same persecution in a Citie of Tuscia called Aretium whose names I finde not except they be â—â—rgentius Laurentius mentioned in Equilinus Lib. 5. cap. 80. Nowe that I haue recorded of them sufficiently which vnder this tempest of Decius constantly gaue their liues to Martyrdome for the testimonie of Christ it remaineth that a fewe wordes also be spoken of such that for feare or frailtie in this persecution did shrinke backe slide from the truth of their confession In the number of whome first commeth in the remembraÌ„ce of Serapion an aged olde man Of whom writeth Dionysius Alexandrinus vnto Fabius declaring that this Serapion was an olde man which liued amongest them a sincere and vpright life of long time but at length fell This Serapion oft and many times desired to be receaued againe but no man listened to him for hee had sacrificed before After this not long after he fell into sickenesse where he remained three dayes dombe and benummed of all his seÌ„ses The fourth day following beginning a litle to recouer he called to him his sisters sonne saide how long how loÌ„g my sonne do ye hold me here Make hast I pray you that I were absolued Call hether some of the ministers to me and so saying no more
cutting shels that his whole body semed to be all one continual wound howbeit by gods great goodnes afterward it was restored to the first integritie After this he was caried away to Sebastia where with his companion Orest he was burned At that tyme also suffred Eugenius Auxentius Mardarius Nicepho Lib. 7. cap. 14. And in no lesse wise raged this persecution throughout al Egypt where Eusebius in his 8. booke and 13. chapter maketh mention of Peleus and Nilus Martyrs and byshops in Egypt But at Alexandria especially were declared most notable conflictes of Christian and true constant Martyrs that suffred which Phileas the Bishop of Thumitane describeth as after God willing shal be declared In this persecution of Alexandria the principall that then suffred was Peter the bishop of Alexandria with the Elders of the same most worthy Martyrs as Faustus Didius and Ammonius also Phileas Hesichius Pachiminus and Theodorus which all were bishops of the congregations within Egypt and besides them many other both famous and singular mē The whole legion of Christian souldiours which lay at Thebes in Egypt vnder the christian captaine Mauritius when they would not obey the Emperours commaundement touching the worshippyng of Images were tythed to death once and then againe And at last through the exhortation of Mauritius dyed altogether like constant Martyrs Vincentius in speculo Lib 13. cap. 2. Likewise at Antino diuers Christian souldiours notwithstanding they were seriously dissuaded suffred death together amongst whome were Ascla Philemon and Apollonius ibidem cap. 50. and also in the other partes of Aphrica and Mauritania was great persecution as Euseb. Lib. 8. cap. 6. Also in Sammium of whiche place Chronicon maketh mention and Scilia where were 79. Martyrs slayne for the profession of Christ as writeth Henricus de Erfordia Now let vs come vnto Europe Nicephorus in his vij booke and xiiij chap. sayth that at Nicopolis in Thracia the Martyrs were in most miserable and pitifull wise handled where Lysia had the execution thereof In Chalcedon suffred Euphemia vnder Priscus the Proconsul Vincentius Lib. 12. cap. 77. Henricus de Erfordia sayth that at Rome Iohannes and Crispus beyng priests had the execution of Martyrs And at Boemia Agricola and Vitalis Vincentius Lib. 12. cap. 49. And at Aquileia the Emperour commaunded euery man to kill the Christians Vincentius Lib. eodem cap. 58. and amongest those Martyrs he maketh mention of Felices and Fortunatus Reginus also writeth that in other places of Italy the persecution became great as at Florentia Pergamus Neaples Campania Beneuentus at Venusa in Apulia and in Thussia and Henricus de Erfordia saith also at Verona In France doubtlesse Rectionarus appoynted to that office played the cruell helhound of whose great cruelty agaynst the Christiās many histories are full At Mediolanus suffered Victor And at Massilia Maximianus set forth his decree that either they should all do sacrifice to the Gods of the Gentils or els be all slayne with diuers kindes of torments Therfore many Martyrs there dyed for the glory of Christ. Antonius Vincent lib. 12. cap. 2. In Beluacus suffred Lucian Vincentius and Reginus write of many places in Spain where was great persecution as at Emerita where suffred Eulalia of whom more foloweth hereafter Adula where also suffred Vincentius Sabina and Christina At Toletum suffred Lencadia the virgin at Cesarea Augusta where were put to death 18. beside a great number of other Martirs which suffred vnder Decianus the gouernour which afflicted with persecution all the coast of Spayne as sayth Vincentius lib. 13. cap. 123.124.128.130.134 The foresayd Rictionarus made such persecution at Treuers neare the riuer of Mosella that the bloud of christian men that were slayne ran like small brookes and couloured great and mayne riuers Neyther yet did this suffise him but from thence sent certaine horsemen with his letters commaunding them to ride into euery place and charge all such as had taken and apprehēded any Christians that they should immediatly put them to death Vincent Lib. 13. cap. 136. Also Henricus de Erfordia and Reginus make mention of great persecution to bee at Colonia where Agrippina and Augusta were martyred as also in the Prouince of Rhetia Beda also sayth that this persecution reached euen vnto the Britains in his booke De ratione temporum And the Chronicle of Martinus and the Nosegay or tyme do declare that all the Christians in Britanny were vtterly destroyed Furthermore that the kindes of death punishment were so great and horrible as no mans tong is able to expresse In the beginning when the Emperour by his subtletie and wilines rather dallied then shewed his rigor he threatned them with bands and imprisonment but with in a while when he began to worke the matter in good earnest he deuised innumerable sortes of torments punishments as whippings and scourgings rackings horrible scrapings sword fire and ship boates wherin a great nūber beyng put were sunke drowned in the bottom of the sea Euseb. Lib 8. cap 6. 7. Also hanging them vpon crosses binding them to the bodies of dead trees with their heads donneward hanging them by the middles vpon gallowses til they dyed for hunger throwyng them aliue to such kind of wilde beastes as would deuour them as Lyons Beares Libardes and wild Buls Euseb. Lib. 8. cap. 8. Pricking and thrusting them in with bodkins and talants of beastes till they were almost dead liftyng them vp a high with their heads douneward euen as in Thebaide they did vnto the women beyng naked and vnclothed one of theyr feete tyed and lifted a high so hanging doune with theyr bodies which thing to see was very pitifull with other deuised sortes of punishments most tragicall or rather tirannicall and pitiful to describe as first the bindyng of thē to trees and to the boughes therof The pulling tearing asunder of their members and iointes beyng tyed to the boughes and armes of trees Euseb. Lib 8. cap. 9. The mangling of them with axes the choking them with smoke by small and soft fires the dismembring of their hands eares and feete with other ioyntes as the holy Martyrs of Alexandria suffred the scorching and broyling of them with coales not vnto death but euery day renued With such kynde of torments the Martyrs at Antioche were afflicted But in Pontus other horrible punishmentes and fearefull to bee heard did the Martyrs of Christ suffer of which some had their fingers endes vnder the nayles thrust in with sharpe bodkins some all to be sprinckled with boyling lead hauing their most necessary members cut from them some other suffryng most filthy intollerable and indurable tormentes and payne in theyr bowels and priuy members Eusebius eodem cap. 12. To conclude how great the outrage of the persecution which raigned in Alexandria was and with how many sundry kindes of new deuised punishments the Martyrs were afflicted
Georgius a younge man of Capadocia who stoutly inueighing against the impyous idolatry of the Emperours was apprehended and cast in prison then torne wyth hooked yrons burnt with hoate lyme stretched with cordes after that his hands and feete with other members of his body being cut of at last wyth a sworde had his head cut of Niceph. ibid. With these aforenamed adde also Sergius and Bacchius Panthaleon a phisition in Nicomedia mentioned in Supplem Lib. 8. Theodorus of the Citie Amasia in Hellesp mentioned of Vincentius Lib. 3. Faustus a martyr of Egypt mentioned of Niceph. Lib. 8. cap. 5. Gereon with 318. fellow martirs which suffered about Colour Petr. de nat Lib 9. cap. 49. Hermogenes the President of Athens who being conuerted by the constancie of one Menas and Eugraphus in their torments suffered also for the like faith Item Samonas Gurias and Abibus mentioned in Symeon Metaphrast Hieron also with certaine of his confessors vnder Maximinus mentioned in Metaphrastes Iudes and Domuas who suffred with many other Martirs aboue mentioned at Nicomedia as recordeth Metaphrastes Euelasius Maximinus the Emperors officers whom Fausta the virgin in her torments conuerted Also Thyrsus Lucius Callinicus Appollonius Philemon Asilas Leonides with Arrianus president of Thebaide Cyprianus likewise a Citizen of Antioche who after he had continued a long time a filthy Magitian or sorcerer at length was conuerted made a Deacon then a Priest and at last the Bishop of Antioche Vincent lib. 12. cap. 120. of whome partly we touched somwhat before Pag. 72. This Cyprian with Iustina a virgin suffered amōg the martirs Item Glycerius at Nicomedia Felix a minister Fortunatus Achilleus Deacons in the citie of Valent. Arthemius of Rome Cyriacus Deacon to Marcellus the bishop Carpophorus Priest at Thuscia with Abundus his deacō Item Claudius Syrinus Antonius which suffered with Marcellinus the Bishop Sabell Enead 7. Lib. 8. Cucusatus in the citie Barcinona Felix Byshop of Apulia with Adauctus Ianuarius his priests Fortunatus Septimus hys readers who suffered in the Citie Venusina vnder Dioclesian Bergom Lib. 8. It were to long a trauell or trouble to recite al and singular names of them particularly whom this persecutiō of Dioclesian did consume The number of whom being almost infinite is not to be collected or expressed One storye yet ramayneth not to be forgotten of Cassianus whose pitifull story being described of Prudentius we haue here inserted rendring metre for metre as followeth 1 THrough Forum as in Italy I passed once to Roome Into a Church by chaunce came I And stoode fast by a toome 2 Which church sometime a place had bene Where causes greate in lawe Were scand and tryed and iudgement giuen To keepe brute men in awe 3 Thys place Sylla Cornelius First built he raysed the frame And called the same Forum and thus That City tooke the name 4 In prayer feruent as I stoode casting mine eie aside A picture in full piteous moode Imbrude by chaunce I spied 5 A thousand wounded markes full bad All mangled rent and torne The skinne appeared as though it had Bene iagde and prickt with thorne 6 A scull of pictured boyes did bande About that lothsome sight That with their sharpned gads in hand His members thus had dight 7 These gads were but their pens wherewith Their Tables written were And such as scholers often sith Vnto the scholes doe beare 8 Whom thou seest heere thus picturde sitte And firmely dost behold No fable is I do thee witte Vnaskte a Prelate tolde 9 That walkt thereby but doth declare The history of one Which written would good recorde beare What faith was long agone 10 A skilfull scolemaister this was That here sometime did teach The Bishop once of Brixia as And Christ full plaine did preach 11 He knew well how to comprehende Long talke in few lynes And it at length how to amende By order and by times 12 His sharpe precepts and sterne lookes His beardles boyes did feare When hate in hart yet for their bookes Full deadly they did beare 13 The childe that learnes I doe yee weete Termes aye his tutor crule No discipline in youth seemes sweete Count this a common rule 14 Behold the raging time now here Oppressing sore the faith Doth persecute gods children dere And all that Christ bewraith 15 This trusly teacher of the swarme Profest the liuing God The chiefe good thing they compt their harme Perhaps he shakes his rod. 16 What rebels aske the president Is he Theare so loude Vnto our youth an instrument They say and low they bowde 17 Go bring the caytiffe foorth he bids And make no long delay Let him be set the boyes amids They doe as he doth say 18 Let him be giuen vnto them all And let them haue their will To doe to him what spite they shall So that they will him kill 19 Euen as they list let them him fray And him deride so long Till wearines prouokes their play No lenger to prolong 20 Let them I say then vncontrold Both pricke and scotch his skinne To bath their hands let them be bold In the hote bloud of him 21 The scholers hereat make great game It pleaseth them full well That they may kill and quench the flame They thought to them a hell 22 They binde his hands behind his back◠And naked they him stripe In bodkinne wise at him they nacke They laugh to see him skippe 23 The priuy hate that ech one hath In hart it now appeares They poure it foorth in gally wrath They wreake them of their teares 24 Some cast great stones some other breake Their tables on his face Lo here thy Latine and thy Greeke Oh barren boyes of grace 25 The bloud runnes downe his cheekes and doth Imbrue the boxen leames Where notes by them were made though loth And well proponed theames 26 Some whet some sharpe their penseles pointes That serude to write with all Some other gage his flesh and ioyntes As with a pointed nall 27 Sometimes they pricke sometime they rent This worthy martirs flesh And thus by turnes they do torment This confessour a fresh 28 Now all with on consent on him Their bloudy handes they lay To see the bloud from limme to limme Drop downe they make a play 29 More painefull was the pricking pange Of children oft and thicke Then of the bigger boyes that stange And neere the hart did sticke 30 For by the feeble strokes of the one Death was denied his will Of smart that made him wo begon He had the better skill 31 The deeper strokes the great ones gaue and neerer toucht the quicke The welcomer he thought the same Whom longing death made sicke 32 God make you strong he saith I pray God giue you might at will And what you want in yeares I say Let crueltie fulfill 33 But whilest the hangman breatheth still and me with you do match That weakely worke yet want no will my 〈…〉 to dispatch 34 My
much more despissing this vniust decreement through the onerous and importable transgression of their Pastor should shew themselues disobedient With heauines I was troubled and with compassion for that I doubted how the members of the body should doe their head being so greatly out of frame For what can be more greuous or more to be lameÌ„ted touching the state of the church then for you being the Bishop of the principall seat to whom appertaineth the regiment of the whole church to swarue neuer so little out of the right way Certes in this you haue not a little erred in that you haue gone about to constraine your Clergy to singlenes of life through your imperious tiranny whom rather ye ought to stirre vp to the continency of mariage For is not this to be counted a violence and tiranny to the iudgement of all wise men when a man is compelled by your decrees to doe that which is against the institution of the Gospell and the proceeding of the holy Ghost Seyng then there be so many holy examples both of the olde and new Testament teachyng vs as you know due information I desire your patience not to thinke it greuous for me to bryng a few here out of many First in the olde law the Lord permitteth mariage vnto the Priestes which afterward in the new law we doe not read to bee restrayned but in the Gospel thus he sayth There bee some Eunuches which haue gelded themselues for the kingdome of heauen but all men do not take this word he that can take it let him take it Wherfore the Apostle sayth concerning virgins I haue no commaundement of the Lord but onely I geue counsell Which counsaile also all men do not take as in the commaundement of the Lord before but many there be false dissemblers and flatterers goyng about to please men and not God whome we see vnder a false pretence of continencie to fall into horrible wickednesse Some to lye with their fathers wiues some to bee Sodomites and not to abhorre to play the beastes with bruite beastes And therfore least through the infection of this wicked pestileÌ„ce the state of the Church should too much go to ruine therfore he sayd because of fornication let euery man haue his owne wyfe Touching which saying our false hypocrites falsly do lye faine as though onely it pertayned to the laitie and not to them And yet they themselues seming to be set in the most holy order are not afrayd to abuse other mens wiues and as we see with weeping eyes all they do outrage in the foresayd wickednes These men haue not rightly vnderstanded the Scripture whose brestes while they sucke so hard in stead of milke they suck out bloud For the saying of the Apostle let euery man haue his own wife doth except none in very deede but him onely which hath the gifte of continency prefixing with himselfe to keepe and to continue hys virgine in the Lord. Wherfore O reuerend father it shal be your part to cause ouersee that whosoeuer either with hand or mouth hath made a vowe of continencie and afterward would forsake either should be compelled to keepe his vowe or els by lawfull authoritie should be deposed from his order And to bring this to passe ye shall not onely haue me but also all other of my order to be helpers vnto you But that you may vnderstand that such which know not what a vowe doth meane are not to be violently compelled thereunto heare what the Apostle sayth vnto Timothie A Bishop sayth he must be irreprehensible the husband of one wife Which sentence least ye should turne and apply onely to the Church marke what he inferreth after he that knoweth not sayth he to rule his owne householde and familie how should he rule the Church of God And likewise the Deacons sayth he let them be the husbandes of one wyfe which haue knowledge to gouerne their owne house and children And this wyfe how she is woont to bee blest of the Priest you vnderstand sufficiently I suppose by the decrees of holy Siluester the Pope To these and such other holy sentences of the Scripture agreeth also he that is the writer of the rule of the Clergy writing after this maner A Clarke must be chaste and continent or els let him be coupled in the bandes of Matrimony hauing one wyfe Wherby it is to be gathered that the Bishop and Deacon are noted infamous and reprehensible if they be deuided in mo women then one otherwise if they do forsake one vnder the pretence of Religion both they together as well the Bishop as the Deacon bee here condemned by the Canonicall sentence which sayth Let no Bishop or Priest forsake his owne wife vnder the colour and pretence of Religion If he doe forsake her let hym bee excommunicate And if he so continue let hym bee disgraded Saint Augustine also a man of discrete holynesse sayth in these wordes There is no offence so great or grieuous but it is to auoyd a greater euill Furthermore we read in the second booke of the Tripartite history That when the Councell of Nice goyng about to establish the same decree would enact that Bishops Priests and Deacons after their consecration either should abstaine vtterly from their own wiues or els should be deposed Then Paphnutius one of those holy Martyrs whom the Emperor Maximus had put out the right eie hockt their left legs rising vp amongst the withstood their purposed decreement confessing Mariage to be honourable and calling the bed of matrimony to be chastitie and so perswaded the Councell from making that law declaring thereby what occasion might come to themselues their wiues of fornication And thus much did Paphnutius being vnmaried himself declare vnto theÌ„ And the whole Councell commending his sentence gaue place thereto left the matter freely without coÌ„pulsion to the will of euery man to do therein as he thought Notwithstanding there be some which take S. Gregory for their defence in this matter whose temeritie I laugh at ignorance I lament for they know not being ignorauntly deceiued how daungerously the decree of this heresie was being made of S. Gregory who afterward well reuoked the same with condign fruit of repentaunce For vpon a certaine day as he sent vnto his fishpond to haue fish and did see more then sixe thousand infants heades brought vnto him which were taken out of the same pond or mote did greatly repent in himselfe the decree made before touchyng the single lyfe of Priests which he confessed to be the cause of that so lamentable a murther And so purging the same with condigne fruite of repentaunce altered agayne the things which he had decreed before commending that counsaile of the Apostle which sayth It is better to marry then to â—urne Adding moreouer of himself thereunto and saying It is better to marry then to giue occasion of death Peraduenture if these men
In the reigne of this Ethelred the Northumberlanders rebelling against the king thought to recouer again the former state of their kingdome out of the Westsaxons hand by reason of which discord as happeneth in al lāds where dissention is the strength of the Englishe nation was thereby not a litle weakned and the Danes the more thereby preuailed About the latter time of the reigne of this Etheldred which was about the yeare of our Lord. 870. certayne of the foresaide Danes being thus possessed of the north country after their cruel persecution and murther done there as partly is touched before tooke shipping frō thence intending to saile toward the Eastangles who by the way vpon the sea met with a flot of Danes whereof the Captaines or leaders were named Inguar Hubba Who ioyning altogether in one counsel made al one course lastly landed in East England or Northfolke in proces of time came to Thetior◠Thereof hearing Edmund then vnder king of that prouince assembled an host that gaue to them battall But Edmund and his company was forced to forsake the field the king with a few persons fled vnto the castle of Framingham whō the Danes pursued But he in short while after yelded himselfe to the persecution of the Danes aunswering in this maner to the messēger that told him in the name of Inguar Prince of the Danes which most victoriously saith he was come with innumerable legions subduing both by sea and land manye nations vnto him so now arriued in those parts requireth him likewise to submit himself yelding to him his hid treasures and such other goods of his auncetors and so to reign vnder him which thing if he would not do he shold said he be iudged vnworthy both of life reigne Edmūd hearing this proud message of the Pagane consulted wyth certayne of his fryends and amongest other with one of his bishops being thē his Secretary who seyng the present daunger of the king gaue him counsell to yeeld to the conditions Upon this the king pausing a little with him self at length rendred this aunswere Bidding the messenger go to tell his Lord in these words That Edmūd a christian king for the loue of temporall life will not submitte himselfe to Pagane Duke vnlesse he before woulde bee a Christian Incontinent vpon the same the wicked crafty Dane approching in most hasty speede vpon the King encountred with him in battell as some say at Thetford where the king being put to the worse pittieng the terrible slaunghter of his men thinking with himselfe rather to submit his owne person to daunger then his people should be slaine did flye as Fabian sayth to the Castle of Framingham or as my author writeth to Halesdō now called S. Edmundesbury where this blessed man being on euery side cōpassed of his cruel enimies yelded himself to their persecution And for that he would not reny or deny Christ and his lawes they therfore most cruelly bound him vnto a tree caused him to be shot to death and lastly caused his head to be smitten from his body cast into the thicke bushes Which head and body at the same time was by his frendes taken vp and solemnely buried at the sayd Halesdon otherwise now named S. Edmunds bury Whose brother named Edwoldus notwithstanding of ryght the kingdome fell next vnto him setting a part the lyking pleasure of the world became an Hermite at the Abbey of Cerum in the Countrey of Dorset After the Martirdome of this blessed Edmund when the cruell Danes had sufficiently robbed and spoyled that country they tooke agayne their shippes and landed in Southrey continued their iourney till they came to the towne of Reading there wan the towne with the castle where as Cambrensis saith within three dayes of their thether comming the foresayde Inguar and Hubba Captaines of the Danes as they went in purchasing of theyr prayes or booties were slaine at a place called Englefelde Which Princes of the Danes thus slaine the rest of them kept whole together in such wise that the Westsaxons might take of them none aduantage But yet within fewe dayes after the Danes were holden so short that they were forced to issue out of the castle to defend them in plain battaile In the whiche by the industry of king Ethelred and of Allured his brother the Danes were discomfited many of them slaine which discomfort made them flie againe into the castle and there kept them for a certain time The King then committing the charge of them to Ethelwolde Duke of Baroke or Barkshire so departed But whē the Danes knew of the kings departure they brake sodeinly out of their hold and tooke the Duke vnprouided slewe him and much of his people And so adioyning thēselues with other that were scattered in the countrey enbattelled them in such wise that of them was gathered a strōg host As the tidings hereof was brought to king Etheldred which put him in great heauines word also was brought the same time of the landing of Osrike king of Denmarke who with assistence of the other Danes had gathered a great host and were enbattelled vpō Ashdowne To this battaile king Ethelred with his brother Alured forced by great neede sped them selues to withstand the Danes At which time the king a litle staying behind being yet at his seruice Alured which was comen before had entred already into the whole fight with the Danes who strake together with huge violēce The king being required to make speede hee being then at seruice and meditations such was his deuotion that he would not stirre out one foote before the seruice was fully cōplete In this meane while the Danes so fearsly inuaded Alured and his mē that they wanne the hill and the Christen men were in the valley and in great daunger to loose the whole fielde Neuerthelesse through the grace of God and their godly manhoode the king comming from his seruice with his fresh souldiours recouered the hill of the infidels and so discōfited the Danes that day that in fleing away not only they lost the victory but most part also of them their liues In so much that their Duke or king Osride or Osege and fiue of their Dukes with much of their people were slain and the rest chased vnto Reding towne After this the Danes yet resembled their people and gathered a new host so that within xv dayes they mete at Basingstoke and there gaue battaile vnto the king had the better Then the king againe gathered his mē which at that field were disparkled and with fresh souldiours to them accompanied mete the Danes within two moneths after at the towne of Merton where hee gaue to them a sharpe battaile so that much people were slaine as well of the Christen as of the Danes but in the ende the Danes had the honour of the fielde
whom Leo the 5. was next Pope who with in 40. daies of his papacie was with strong hand taken cast in prison by one Christopher his own houshold chaplain whoÌ„ he had long norished before in his house Which thing sayeth Platina could not be done without great conspiracie and great slaughter of men Which Christofer being Pope about the space of seuen monthes was likewise himselfe hoisted from his Papall throne by Sergius like as he had done to hys maister before And thus within the space of 9. yeares had bene 9. Popes one after an other Then Sergius after he had thrust downe Pope Christofer and shorne him Monke into a Monasterie occupied the roume 7. yeares This Sergius a rude man and vnlearned very proude and cruell had before bene put backe from the Popedome by Formosus aboue mentioned By reason whereof to reuenge Formosus againe being nowe in his papacie caused the body of Formosus where it was buried to be taken vp and afterwarde set in the Papall sea as in his pontificalibus first disgraded him then commanded his head to be smitten off with the other thre fingers that were left as Sigebertus writeth which done he made his body to be throwne into Tiber deposing likewise all such as by the said Formosus before had bene consecrated and inuested This body of Formosus thus throwne into Tiber was afterward as our writers say found taken vp by certaine fishers and so brought into s. Peters temple At the presence whereof as they say certaine images there standing by bowed downe themselues and reuereÌ„ced the same with lie and all But such deceiueable miracles of stocks and images in monkish and frierly teÌ„ples be to vs no newes especially here in England where we haue bene so inured with the like so many that such wily practises cannot be to vs inuisible though this crown-shorn generation thinke themselues to daunce in a nette But the truthe is while they thinke to deceaue the simple these wily beguily most of all deceiue themselues as they will finde except they repent By this Pope Sergius first came vp to beare about candels on Candelmas day for the purifying of the blessed virgine As though the sacred conception of Iesus the sonne of God were to be purified as a thing vnpure and that with candell light After Sergius entred pope Anastasius in whose time the body of Formosus forenamed is thought to be fouÌ„d of fishermen in the riuer of Tiber so brought as is said into the temple to be saluted of the images which thing may quickly be tainted as a lie For how it is to be thought that the body of Formosus so long dead before and now lying 7. yeares in the riuer could remaine whole all that while that Fishers might take it vp discerne it to be the same After Anasius had sate two yeres folowed Pope Lando the father as some stories think of pope Iohn which Iohn is sayde to be the paramour of Theodora'a famous harlot of Rome set vp of the same harlot eyther against Lando or after Lando his father to succede in hys roume There is a storie writer called Liuthprandus who wryting de Imperatoribus Lib. 2 cap. 13. maketh there mention of this Theodora and Pope Iohn xj and sayeth moreouer that this Theodora had a daughter named Marozia which Marozia had by pope Sergius aboue mentioned a sonne which afterward was Pope Iohn the 12. The same Marozia afterward it chaÌ„ced to marry with Guido Marques of Tuscia through the meanes of which Guido and hys frends at Rome she brought to passe that this pope Iohn the 11. was smothered with a pillow laid to his mouth after he had reigned 13. yeares And so the foresayd Iohn the 12. her sonne to succede next after him But because the clergie and people of Rome did not agre to his election therfore was Pope Leo the 6. in his place set vp Thus Pope Iohn the sonne of Sergius and Marozia being deiected reigned Pope Leo 7. moneths After him Pope Stephen 2 yeares Who being poysoned then was Pope Iohn the 12. aboue rehearsed the sonne of Sergius and Marozia set vp againe in the Papacie where hee reigned neare the space of 5. yeres Of the wickednesse of this strompet Marozia howe she maried two brethren one after the death of the other And howe she gouerned all Rome the whole church at that time I let it passe Although the latin verses wherewith the sayd Liuthprandus doeth inuey against such women as marie two brethren were neither worthy here to be recited and perhappes might be further applied then to that Marozia of Rome but for shortnesse I let them also passe After Ioan. 12. followed Pope Stephen three yeares Pope Leo 3. yeares and 4. monethes Pope Stephen the eight 3. yeres and 4. moneths Pope Martine 3. yeres and 6. monthes After him Pope Agapetus 8. yeres and 6. â—nethes About whose time or a little before began first the order of monkes called Ordo Cluniacensis c. But nowe to leaue of these monstruous matters of Rome and to returne againe to our country of England where we last left before King Edward the elder AFter the reigne of the famous king Alfred hys sonne Edward succeeded surnamed the elder Where first is to be noted that before the Conquest of the Normandes there were in England 3. Edwardes first this Edwarde the elder 2. Edward the martyr 3. Edward the confessor Whereof hereafter by the grace of Christ shall followe in order as place shall geue to be declared This Edwarde began his reigne the yeare of our Lord. 901. and gouerned the land right valiantly and nobly 24. yeares In knowledge of good letters and learning he was not to be compared to his father Otherwise in princely renowne in ciuile gouernment and such like martiall prowesse he was nothing inferior but rather excelled him Through whose valiant actes first the princedome of Wales and kingdom of Scotland with Constantine king thereof were to hym subdued He adioyned moreouer to his dominion the couÌ„trey of Eastanglia that is of Norfolke Suffolke and Essex All Merceland also he recouered and NorthumberlaÌ„d out of the hands of the Danes In all his warres he neuer lightly weÌ„t without victory The subiects of his prouinces and dominions were so inured and hardened in continuall practise and feates of warre that when they hearde of any ennemies comming neuer tarying for any bidding from the king or from his dukes straight wayes they encountred wyth them both in number and in knowledge of the order of warre excelling alwayes their aduersaries Guliel de Regi Ita hostes militibus contemptui Regi risui erant To meane So was the comming and assaulting of theyr ennemyes to the people and common Souldiours but a trifle to the king but a ridicle Among other aduersaries which were busie rather then wise in assailing
declareth to extoll himselfe aboue measure and to oppresse yâ— few that be godly and to haue many falâ—e prophets about him which neglecting the word and the name of Christ do preach extoll him only obscuring the name of Christ. The church of Rome and the Pope he describeth in these words I was praying sayd he on my knees looking vpward to heauen nere to the aulter of S. Iames in Paris on the right side of the aultar saw in the ayre before me the body of a certain high bishop all clothed in white silke who turning his backe on the East lift vp his hand toward the west as the Priestes are wont in theyr Masse turning to the people but his head was not seene And as I was considering aduisedly whether he had any head or no I perceiued a certayne head in him all dry leane withered as though it had bene a head of wood And the spirit of the Lord sayd to me This signifieth the state of the Church of Rome Moreouer the same author in his visions well describing the maner of the schole sophisters and Sorbonists addeth in this wise An other day as I was in like conteÌ„plation as before I beheld in spirit and beholde I saw a man apparelled like to the other before which weÌ„t about hauing fine bread and excellent wine that hanged about him on both sides And the same hauing in his hand a loÌ„g and an hard flint stone was gnawing hungerly vpon the same as one being hungry is wont to bite vpon a loafe of bread Out of the which stone came two heads of two serpentes the spirit of the Lord instructing me and saying This stone purporteth the friuilous intricate curious questions wherein the hungry do trauaile and labor leauing the substauntiall foode of their soules And I asked what these two heads did meane And he sayd The name of the one is vaine glory the name of the other is the marring and dissipation of religion Also concerning reformation of the church this vision he declareth It happened as I was sayth he in the same City in the house of a certaine noble man a Britaine and was there speaking with certayne I saw a crosse of siluer very bright much like to the Crosse of the Earle of Tholouse But the 12. apples which did hang beside in the armes of the crosse were very vile like the apples which the sea is wont to cast vp And I sayd what is this Lord Iesu and the spirit answered me This crosse which thou seest is the church which shal be cleare and bright in purenes of life and shall be heard and known all ouer through the shrill voice of the preaching of sincere verity Then being troubled with the apples I asked what these apples so vile did signify and he said it is the humiliation of the Church c. This godly man did forewarne as in a certain chroâ—ticle is declared how God would punish the simony and auarice of the clergy with such a plague that riuers should runne with bloud c. It is sayd that there is remayning a great volume of his visions whiche are not yet abroad for these that be abroad are but a briefe extract out of hys visions and reuelations After yâ— we haue thus loÌ„g straid in these forrein stories of Fredericke and in the tractation of other matters pertayning to other countreys Now after this sufficient disgression it is time that we returne to our own country agayne where in folowing the continuatioÌ„ of time course of the Church we will now adioyne to these good fathers and writers the history of the learned Bishop of Lincolne named Robert Grosted a man famously learned as that time serued in the three toungs both Latin Greeke and Hebrue also in all liberall sciences whose works Sermons yet this day are extant which I haue seene in the Queenes Maiestyes Library at Westminster wherin is one speciall Sermon writteÌ„ and exhibited in foure sundry skrolles to the pope and to other foure Cardinals beginning Dominus noster Iesus Christus c. Nicolas Triuet in his chronicle writing of this bishop affirmeth that he was borne in Suffolke in the Dioces of Northfolke who geuing him the prayse to be a man of excellent wisedome of profound doctrine an example of all vertue witnesseth that he being maister of Arte wrote first a Commentary in librum posteriorum of Aristotle Also that he wrote Tractations de sphera de arte comput And that he set forth diuers books concerning Philosophy Afterward being Doctor in Diuinity and expertly seene in all the 3. tongues drew out sundry Treatises out of the Hebrue gloses also translated diuers works out of the Greeke as namely the Testamentes of the xij Patriarches the bookes of Dionisius commenting vpon the new translation with hys owne glose Haec ille Many other workes and volumes besides were written by the said Grosted as De oculo morali de Dotibus De cessatione legalium paruus Cato Annotationes in Suidam in Boetium De potestate pastorali expositiones in Genes in Lucam with a number moâ— besides diuers Epistles Sermons and Inuections sent to the Pope for his vnmeasurable exactions wherwith he ouercharged oppressed the Church of England This godly and learned Bishop after diuers conflicts and agonies sustayned agaynst the Bishop of Rome after the example of Fredericke of Guiliel de sancto amore of Nico Gallus and other after minded at length after great labors and trauells of life finished his course departed at Buckdone in the moneth of Octob. an 1253. Of his decease thus writeth Mat. Parisiens pag. 278. Out of the prison and banishmeÌ„t of this world which he neuer loued was takeÌ„ the holy bishop of Lincolne Robert at his manor of Buckâ—one in the euen of S. Dionise who was an open reprouer of the Pope and of the King a rebuker of the prelats a corrector of the Monkes director of the Priestes instructor of the clerkes fauâ—or of scholers a preacher to the people persecutor to the incontinent a diligent searcher of the Scriptures A malle to the Romaines and a contemner of theyr doings c. Haec Mat. what a malle hee was to the Romaines in the sequele hereof Christ willing shall better appeare The story is this It so befell among other dayly and intollerable exactions wherein Pope InnoceÌ„t was greuous and iniurious manifold wayes to the Realme of England he had a certaine cosin or nephew so Popes were wont to call theyr sonnes named Fredericke being yet youÌ„g vnder yeres whom the said Innocent the Pope would needs preferre to be a Canon or Prebendary in the church of Lincolne in this time of Robert Bishop of the sayd Church And vpoÌ„ the same directed down letters to certayn his factors here in England for the execution thereof The copy of which letter by chaunce yet not by chaunce
Simon hys sonnes power not knowing of the ouerthrow whiche he had before gaue small credite thereunto till that the said Nicholas the better to view and descrie them went vp to the Abbey steple of Eusham where he might plainly discerne them all and their standerds For by this tyme they were mounted the hill which they laboured to attayne thinking to haue that vauntage when they shold geue theyr charge as they had purposed and had also aduanced agayn his own standerdes and pulled down Simons wherby they were the more easâ—yer descried and knowne Then he cryed aloud to the Earle Simon and said we are all but dead men For it is not your sonne as you suppose that commeth but it is Edward the kinges sonne that commeth from one parte and the Earle of Gloucester from an other part and Roger Mortimer from the third part Then said the Earle The Lorde be mercifull vnto our soules forasmuch as our bodyes and liues are now in their handes commaunding that euery man should make hymselfe redy to God and to fight out the field for that it was their willes to dye for their lawes and in a iust quarrell And such as woulde depart he gaue leaue to goe their wayes that they shoulde be no discomfiture to the rest Then came vnto him his eldest sonne Henry comforted him desiring him to haue no dispaire nor yet mistrust in the good successe of this victory with other such cheerfull wordes No my sonne sayth he I dispayre not but yet it is thy presumption and the pride of the rest of thy brethreÌ„ that haue brought me to this end ye see Notwithstanding yet I trust I shall dye to God and in a righteous quarrel After wordes of comfort geuen to all his host and the oration made as is the maner they all armed themselues The king also whom the Earle alwaies kept with him he armed in an armour of his owne And then deuiding theyr battailes they marched toward theyr enemies but before they ioyned the welchmen ran theyr waies and thinking to scape ouer the riuer of Dee were there some drowned some slayne Then when the battayles ioyned and came to handy strokes within short space many of the Erles part fell and were slayne And the king himselfe being stroken at cryed with a loud voyce to them saying kill me not I am Henry your king And with these the kinges wordes the Lord Adam Monhaut knewe him and saued him At whose voyce and cry came also prince Edward hys sonne and deliuered him to the garde and custody of certayne knightes In the meane season the Earle Simon was hard bestead and beaten downe and also slayne before Edward the prince came at hym Howbeit before he fell when as ye fought for his life HeÌ„ry his sonne other noble men on his part were about hym he brake out in these words vnto hys enemies saying what is there no mercy compassion with you who agayne answered what compassion should there be shewed to traytors Then sayd he the Lord be mercifull to our soules our bodyes are in your hands And as soone as these wordes were spoken they mangled hys body and deuided his members and cut of his head which head Roger Mortimer sent vnto his wife And not farre of from him also was slayne Henry his eldest sonne the lord Hugh Spencer the L. Radulphe Basset the Lord Thomas de Hestele the Lord William Maundeuile the Lord Iohn Bewchampe the Lord Guido Baillofer the Lord Roger Rowley and many other noble men besides with a great multitude of people the Lord knoweth howe many This battail was fought in the moneth of August continued from one of the clocke till it was night in the which was not so much as one man on the Earles part of any estimation fortitude and courage but in that battell lost his life more then the Lord Iohn who by the great grace of God escaped death Neither is this to be forgotteÌ„ that the same day being Tuesday at that instant houre when the battell began whiche was at one of the clocke at after noone there was such a darcknes ouer all such thunder and such tempest that the like before that time was neuer seene being very calme and fayre weather both immemediately before and after which seemed sayth myne author to geue a playne demonstration of that whiche afterward chaunced and followed After this great slaughter and ouerthrow there was a Parliament suÌ„moned at Winchester by the Earle of Gloucester and other of hys part Here by the is to be considered that the king although he was in the camp of the Erle of Leceister being then in custody and his sonne Edward with the Earle of Gloucester yet the king was in that side agaynst his will and therefore in the sayd Parliament the king was restored to his kingly dignitie which was before that tyme vnder the custody of the Barons But after the battaile was ended and done certaine of them that loued the Earle vpon an old ladder gathered vp suche partes of his body as remayned and couering the same with an old gowne brought it to Eusham where they putting the same in a faire linnen cloth buried it in the church But not loÌ„g after by such as thought not themselues sufficiently reuenged with his death to wreke them of the dead corpes took vp the same and threw it in an other place saying that he which was both accursed and a traytor was not worthy of Christen buriall The same yeare also died Walter Cantilupus Byshop of Winchester after whom succeeded Nicholas of Ely the kinges Chauncellor The same yeare the king perceiuing that vnlesse that Castle of Kenilworth were recouered and the boldnes of theÌ„ restrayned that kept the same many euils and inconueniences might ensue therupon to the preiudice of his kingdom for that the number increased euery day more more wasting and spoyling the country all about Therfore he gathered an army and came downe to warwick where he a while taryed expecting the meeting and assembling of hys Marqueses and Lordes with engines and other munition sautable Who when theyr bondes were furnished and mustred and al thinges ready the morow after Midsomer day he displayed hys banner began his vyage marching towardes Kenilworth besieged the same During which siege by the aduise and counsaile of the king the Popes Legate and other noble men 12. persons were chose which should haue the disposing of those thinges that pertayned to the state of the Realme of those that had lost their landes and inheritaunces who amongest other thinges made and established this one prouiso that was commoÌ„ly called Kenelworth decree That all those whieh hast lost their laÌ„des by attaynder although yet not attainted should fyne therfore at the kinges pleasure and take their lands of him agayn paying some three yeares some foure yeares some two yeares reueneues of the same according to the quallitie
Oligarchia This may we playnely see and learne in the body of man to the which Plutarchus writing to Thracinius doth semblablye compare the common wealth In the which body if the sustināce receiued should all runne to one member so that that member should be to much exceedingly pampered and all the other parts to much pined that body could nor long continue So in the body of the wealth ecclesiastical if some who be the heads be so enormely ouergrown in riches and dignity that the weaker members of the body be scant able to beare them vp there is a great token of dissolution and ruine shortly Wherupon commeth well in place the saying of the Prophet Esay Euery head is sicke euery hart is full of sorrow of the which heads it is also spoken in the Prophet Amos. chap. 6. Wo be to the secure and proud wealthye in Sion and to such as thinke themselues so sure vpon the moūt of Samaria taking themselues as heads and rulers ouer other c. And moreouer in the sayd prophet Esay it followeth Frō the top of the head to the sole of the foot there is no whole part in all the body to witte In the inferiours because they are not able to liue for pouerty in the superiours because for theyr excessiue riches they are left from doing good And followeth in the same place But all are woundes and botches and strypes beholde here the daunger comming the woundes of discorde and deuision the botch or sore of rancor and enuy the swelling stripe of rebellion and mischiefe The 4. signe is the pride of Prelates Some there haue bene which fondly haue disputed of the pouerty of Christ and haue inueyed agaynst the Prelates because they liue not in pouertye of the saynts But this phantasy cōmeth of the ignoraunce of morrall Philosophy and diuinity and of the defect of naturall prudence for that in all nations and by common lawes priests haue had and ought to haue wherewith to sustayne themselues more honestly then the vulgare sort and Prelates more honestly then the subiectes But yet hereby is not permitted to them their great horses theyr troupes of horsemen their superfluous pompe of theyr wayting men and great famylyes whyche scarcely can bee maynteyned without pride neyther can be susteyned with safe iustice and many not without fighting and iniuries inconueniēt not much vnlike to that as Iustine the historician writeth of the Carthaginenses The family sayth he of so great Emperours was vntolerable to such a free Citty In semblable wise this great pride in the Church of God especially in these dayes doth moue not so few to due reuerence as many to indignation and yet mo to those thinges aforesayde which thinke no lesse but to doe sacrifice to God if they may robbe and spoile certayne fatte priests and parsons namely such as neither haue nobility of bloud and lesse learning to beare themselues vpon but are lyers seruile and fraudulent to whome the Lorde speaketh by his Prophet Amos fourth Heare you fatted kine of Samaria ye that doe poore men wrong and oppresse the needye the daye shall come vpon you c. The fift signe is the tyranny of the Prelates and Presidentes which as it is a violent thing so it cannot be long lasting For as Salomon sayth Sap. 16. For it was requisite that without any excuse destruction shoulde come vpon those whiche exercised tyranny The property of a tyraunt is to seeke the commodity not of his subiectes but onely his will and profite Such were the Pastours that fedde not the Lordes flocke but fed themselues of whom and to whom speaketh the Prophet Ezech. 34. Woe be vnto those Pastours of Israel that feede themselues Shoulde not the shepheardes feede the flockes With many other threatninges agaynst them in the sayd chapter Wo be vnto them which reioyce at the transgressions of such whom it lieth in theyr power to cōdemne neither do they seeke what he is able to pay to whom crieth Micheas the Prophet 3. chap. Ye hate the good and loue the euill ye pluck of mens skinnes and the flesh from the bones ye eat the flesh of my people and slay of their skin ye break their bones ye chop them in peeces as it were into a Caudron and as flesh into the pot c. And therefore the foresayd Ezechiel pronounceth Behold I will my selfe vpon the shepheardes and require my sheepe from theyr handes and make them cease from feeding my sheep yea the shepheards shall feed themselues no more for I will deliuer my sheep out of theyr mouthes so that they shall not deuour them any more The sixt signe is in promoting of the vnworthy and of neglecting them that be worthy This as Aristotle sayth is a greate cause many times of the dissolution of common weales And often times it so happeneth in the wars of princes that the contēpt and small regarding of the valiant and the exalting of others that be lesse worthy in gendereth diuers kindes kindlinges of sedition For by the reasō partly of the same partly of the other causes aboue recited We haue read not only in books but haue sene with our eies diuers florishing Cities welneare subuerted Wher as good men be not made of but are vexed with sorrow griefe by the euil the contentiō at length brasteth out vpon the prince as Haymo reciteth out of Origen This hath alwayes bene the per uers incredulitye of mans harde heart that not onely in hearing but also in seing yet will they not beleue that other haue perished vnlesse they also perish themselues The seuēth signe is the tribulation of outward policy commotions of the people which in a great part is now happened already And therefore forasmuch as Seneca sayth Men do complayne commonly that euils onely come so fast It is to be feared least also the ecclesiastical policy be afflicted not onely outwardly but also in it selfe And so be fulfilled in vs that in Ieremy is prophesied cap. 4. Murther is cryed vpon murther and the whole land shall perish and sodenly my tabernacles were destroyed and my tentes very quickly And Ezec. 7. Wherfore I will bring cruell tyraunts from among the heathen to take theyr houses in possession I will make the pompe of the proud to cease and their sāctuaryes shall be taken One mischiefe and sorow shall follow another and one rumor shall come after an other then shall they seek visions in vayne at theyr prophets the law shall be gone frō theyr Priests and wisedome from their Elders ◠The eight signe is the refusing of correction neither will they heare theyr faultes tolde them so that it is hapned to the princes and rulers of the Church as it is written in the prophet Zach. ca. 7. They stopped their eares that they would not heare yea they made their hartes as an Adamant stone least they shoulde heare
temporal things by ecclesistical ceÌ„sures incidently if case be that it appertaine to the reuengement of their God 13. It is not possible by the absolute power of God that if the Pope or any other Christian doe pretende to binde or loose at their pleasure by what meanes soeuer that thereby hee doeth so binde and loose The contrary of this coÌ„clusion will destroy the wholâ— Catholicke fayth importyng no lesse but him to be a blasphemer whiche so vsurpeth such absolute power of the Lord. And yet by this conclusion I entend not to derogate from the power of the Pope or of any other Prelate of the Churche but that he may by the vertue of the head so bynde and lose But doe vnderstand the conditionall of this negative to be impossible after this sense that it cannot bee that the Pope or any other Prelate of the Church can pretend by himselfe to bynde or lose how and after what maner he lyst himselfe except in such sorte that hee doe in deede so bynde and lose before God as he doth pretend to doe 14. We ought to beleue that the vicare of Christ doeth at suche times onely binde and loose when as hee worketh conformably by the lawe and ordinaunce of Christ. c The reason thereof is thys because otherwise it is vnlawfull for hym so to do except he should do it in the vertue of that law and so consequently vnlesse it be coÌ„formable to the law and ordinaunce of Christ. 15. To this conclusion this ought vniuersally to be beleeued that euery Priest rightly and duely ordered hath power according to hys vocation c. ¶ The reason heereof is this because that the order of priesthode in his owne nature and substance receaueth no such degrees either of more or of lesse And yet notwtstanding the power of inferiour Priests in these daies be vpon due consideration restrained and some times againe in time of extreme necessity released And thus according to the Doctours a Prelate hath a double power to wit the power of order the power of iurisdictioÌ„ or regimeÌ„t And according to this second power the Prelates are in an higher Maiestie and regiment 16. It is lawfull for Princes and Kynges in cases by the law limited to withdraw temporall commodities from Church men abusing the same habitualiter The reason therof is playne for that temporall Lordes ought rather to leaue to spirituall almes which bryngeth with it greater fruite then to corporall almes the case so standyng that some tyme it were a necessary work of spirituall almes to chastise such Clerkes by takyng from them their temporall liuinges which vse to abuse the same to the damnifyeng both of their soule and body The case which the law doth limite in this matter were the defect of correctyng his spirituall head or elles for lacke of correctyng the fayth of the Clerke which so offendeth as appeareth 16. q. 7. filijs Dist. 40. cap. Si Papa Whether they be temporall Lordes or any other men whatsoeuer which haue endued any Church with temporalities c The truth thereof is euidently sinne for that nothyng ought to stoppe a man froÌ„ the principall workes of charitie necessarily because in euery action and worke of man is to be vnderstand a priuy condition necessary of God his good will concurring with all as it is in the ciuill law de c. Conradi cap. 5. in fine collat x. And yet God forbid that by these wordes occasion should be geuen to the Lordes temporall to take away the goodes of fortune from the Church 18. An Ecclesiasticall minister yea the Byshop of Rome may lawfully be rebuked of his subiectes and for the profite of the Church be accused either of the Clergie or of the laytie The proufe of this is manifest hereby because the sayd Byshop of Rome is subiect to fall into the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost as may be supposed sauyng the sanctitude humilitie and reuerence due to such a Father For so long as our brother is subiect vnto the infirmitie of fallyng he lyeth vnder the law of brotherly correction And when the whole Colledge of Cardinals may be slouthfull in ministryng due correction for the necessary prosperitie of the Churche it is apparent that the residue of the body of the Churche which possibly may stand most of lay men may wholesomely correct the same accuse and bryng him to a better way The possibilitie of this case is touched Dist. 40. Si Papa If the Pope doe erre from the right fayth c. For like as such a great fall ought not to bee supposed in the Lord Pope without manifest euidence so agayne such an obstinacie ought not to be supposed in hym possibly beyng fallen but that bee will humbly receaue the wholesome medicine of his superiour correctyng him in the Lord. The practise of whiche conclusion also is testified in many Chronicles Farre be it from the Church of Christ that veritie should be condemned which soundeth euill to traÌ„sgressours and other slouthfull persons for then the whole â—ayth of the Scripture were in a damnable case Thus Iohn Wicklesse in geuyng his Exposition vnto his foresayd propositions and conclusions as is aboue prefixed through the fauour and diligence of the Londoners either shifted of the Byshops or elles satisfied them so that for that tyme he was dismissed and scaped clearely away onely beyng charged and commaunded by the sayd Byshops that he should not teach or preach any such doctrine any more for the offence of the lay people Thus this good man beyng escaped from the Bishops with this charge aforesayd yet notwithstandyng ceased not to proceede in his godly purpose labouryng and profityng still in the Church as he had begon Unto whom also as it happeneth by the prouidence of God this was a great helpe and stay for that in the same yeare or in the begynnyng of the next yeare folowyng the foresayd Pope Gregory xi whiche was the styrrer vp of all this trouble agaynst hym turned vp hys heeles and dyed After whom insued such a schisme in Rome betwene two Popes and other succeedyng after them one striuyng agaynst an other that the schisme thereof endured the space of xxxix yeares vntill the tyme of the Councell of Constaunce The occasioner of whiche schisme first was Pope Urbane the 6. who in the first begynnyng of hys Popedome was so proude and insolent to his Cardinals and other as to Dukes Princes and Queenes and so set to aduaunce his Nephew and kyndred with iniuries to other Princes that the greatest number of his Cardinalles and Courtyours by litle and litle shronke from him and set vp an other Frenche Pope agaynst hym named Clement who reigned xi yeares And after hym Benedictus the 13. who reigned yeares 26. Agayne of the contrary side after Urbanus the sixth succeeded Boniface the ninth Innocentius the viij Gregorius the xij Alexander the fift Iohn 13. ¶ Papae yeares month ¶ Antipapae yeares
declared as it hath bene in times past the which also is done by a maruelous dispensation that through one onely thing both Gods loue iustice should be fulfilled For a while the power of miracles being taken away the holy church appereth the more abiect and forsaken and the reward of good men doth cease which reuerēced the same for the hope of heauēly riches not for any present signes And that the minds of euill men agaynst the same might that sooner be knowne which neglect to folow the inuisible thinges which the church doth promise whiles they be led with visible signes Forsomuch then as the humility of the faithfull is as it were destitute of the multitude and appering of signes by the terrible working of Gods secret dispensation wherby mercy is geuē vnto the good and iust wrath heaped vpō the euill For so much then it is truely said that before this Liuiathan shall playnely and manifestly come pouerty shall go before his face for before that time the riches of miracles shal be taken away from the faythfull Then shall that auncient enemy shew himselfe agaynst them by open wonders That as he is extolled through signes wonders so shall he the more manly be vanquished of the faythfull without any signes or miracles Also in his 16. booke vpon this word which the blessed man Iob sayde who shall reprehend his way before him or who shall cast in his teeth what he hath done whilest he did speake of the body of all euill he sodenly connected his speach vnto the head of all the wicked for he did see that toward the end of the world Sathan should enter into man whom the scripture calleth Antechrist he shal be extolled with such pride he shall rule with such power he shal be exalted with such signes wonders vnder the pretence of holmes that his doing can not be cōtrolled of mē for somuch as his signes tokens are ioined with power terror with a certain shew of holynes Wherfore he saith who shall controll his wayes before him what man is he that dare once rebuke or check him whose looke or countenaunce is he afeard of But notwithstanding not onely Enoc Elias the which are brought as ample for his exprobation but also all the elect do argue reproue his way whiles that they do contemne and by the force and power of their minde resist his malice But for somuch as this thing is not done by their owne power or strength but by Gods helpe and grace therfore is it very well sayd who shall argue or reproue his waies before him who but onely God By whose help the elect are ayded and made able to resist And a little after vpon the same booke of Iob Gregory saith in so much as holy men do withstād his iniquity It is not they thēselues which do so rebuke his wayes but it is he thorowe whose helpe they are strengthened Also in his second booke he sayth now the holy Church doth not regarde but despise the signes and miracles of the heretikes if they do any for so much as the Church doth sufficiently vnderstand that it is no kind of holynes for why the prose of holines is not to make signes or wōders but to loue euery man as him selfe to thinke truely of the very true God to thinke better of thy neighbor then of thy selfe for trew vertue holynes cōsisteth in loue and not in shewing of miracles This the veretie declareth saying hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye loue one an other but he saith not that hereby mē shal know that ye are my disciples because ye worke miracles but contrary wise if ye loue one an other declaring plainly therby that it is not miracles but the mere charitie loue of God which maketh vs the seruants of God Wherefore the chiefe testimony of being Gods disciple is to haue the gift of brotherly loue This thorow out doth S. Gregory write and often times in other places he speaketh verye much of miracles howe that they shall cease amongst the iust and abound amongst the wicked Also Chrisostome in his lv Homily sayth thus it is a common an indifferent woorke betwene the ministers of God the ministers of the deuil to cast out deuils but to confesse the trueth and to worke righteousnes is the onely worke of the saints and holy men therefore whomsoeuer thou doest see casting out of deuils if he haue not the confessiō of the trueth in his mouth neyther righteousnes in his hands he is not a man of God but if thou doest see a man openly confessing declaring the truthe and doing iustice although he do not cast out no deuils yet he is the man of God And it followeth let vs know that like as at the cōming of Christ before him the Prophets and with him thapostles wrought miracles thorow the holy ghost for such as the thing is which is sturred such sent sauor wil proceede frō the same He writeth also vpon the beginning of Mathew The whole world did maruel wōder at three things that Christ rose againe after his deth that flesh ascendeth into heauē that he did conuert the whole world by his xi apostles There is iiii causes which wrought the same That is to say the contempt of riches or money The dispising of pomp and glory The seperation of thēselues from all worldly occupation and busines and the pacient suffering of tormentes Thus much writeth Chisostome also saint Isydore in his first booke and xxv cha De summo bono writeth thus like as in the apostles the maruelous effect power of works was much more cōmendable then the vertue of their signes euen so now in the Church is it much more better to liue wel thē to worke any signes or miracles And the cause why that the church of God doth not at this present worke miracles as it did in the time of the Apostles is this That it was necessary at that time that the worlde should beleue miracles and nowe at this present euery faithful beleuer ought to shine with good workes for to this end were signes miracles then outwardly wrought that their sayth thereby might be inwardly strengthned and stablished for what soeuer faithfull man he be that seketh to worke miracles he seeketh vaine glory to be praysed of mē for it is written miracles are signes and tokens vnto the infidels misbeleuers and not vnto the faythfull Thus muche wryteth Isidore Item Saint Augustine in his Booke of cōfession sayth thus there is no greater miracle amongst mē thē to loue our enemies By these wordes of these holy men a man may easely gather that both in our dayes and in the time to come the disciples of Antichrist both do shall more florish and shewe thēselues by strannge signes miracles thē the disciples of Christ according to
and vnmoueable Awake ye quickely and sleepe nought and stond now strongly for Gods law For Saynt Iohn in the Apocalips sayes blesset be he that awakes for nought to sleepers but to wakers God has behite the crowne of life For the hower is nowe as Paule sayth to vs from sleepe for to arise for he that earelye awakes to me he shall finde me sayth Christ himseluen This waking gostly is good liuing out of sinne this sleepe betokens that which cowardeth a mans hart from gostlye comfort and to stand in the same through a deceaueable sleepe is this that lets a man of the blisse of heauen the fende makes men bold in sinne and ferd to do worship to God death is a likening to a theefe that preuely steales vpon a man that now is riche and full of we le an one he makes him a needy wrech therfore sayd God by S. Iohn in the Apocalips in this wise Be thou waking for if thou wake nought I shall come to thee as a theefe and thou shalt not wit what houre And if the husbandman sayes Christ wist what houre the theefe should come he shoulde wake and suffer him not to vndermine his house Saynt Peter therefore warneth and sayth wake and be ye ware suffer ye no man he sayes as a theefe but wilfullye for Gods loue for it is time as Peter saies that dome begin from the house of God Ye bene the body of Christ sayes Poule that needes must suffer with the head or els your bodyes bene but deade and departed from Christ that is the head And therefore curset be he sayes Poule that loues not Iesu Christ. And who it is that loues him Christe himselfe telles in the Gospell he that has my hestes and keepes them he it is that loues me Cursed he be therfore sayes Poule that doth Christes workes deceiueably Be ye not therefore sayes Poule ashamed of the true witnesse of Iesu Christ for Christ our God sayes in his Gospell he that shames me and my wordes him shall mans sonne ashame when he shal come for to set in the siege of hys Maiesty And each man he sayes that knowes me and my wordes before men in this sinnefull generation and whorish mans sonne shall knowledge him before my father sayes Christ himselfe when he shall come with hys Aungels in the glory of his Father Sithe ye therefore bene Christenmen that is to say Christes men shew in deede that ye bene suche as ye daren shew you the kings men for hit hâ—d bene as Peter saies better not to haue knowen the way of trueth then after the knowing thereof to be conuerted backeward there from We knowen Christ that is trought we sain all through our beliefe if we turne from him for dred truely wee deny the troth And therefore sith our time is short how short no man knowes but God do we the good that we may to Gods worship when we haue time Be true sayes God to the death and you shall haue the crowne of life And thinke on Iudas Machabeus that was Gods true knight that comforted hartelye Gods true people to be the folowers of his law And geue ye he sayd your liues for the Testament of your fathers And ye shulen winne he sayd great ioy and a name for euermore Was not Abraham he sayd in temptation founden true and was arectet vnto him euermore to righteousnesse Ioseph in time of his anguish he kept truely Gods hest he was made by Gods prouidence Lord of Egypt for his trouth Phinees our fadure louing he sayth the zeale of God tooke the testament of euerlasting Priesthoode Iosue for he fulfillet the worde of God was domes man in Israell Caleph that witnessed in the Church he tooke therefore the heretage he sayth Dauid in his mercy hee gat the siege of the kingdome in worldes Hely for that he loued the zeale of Gods lawe was taken vppe into heauen Ananie Azary and Misaell he sayes weren deliuerer thoore through true beliefe out of the hoat flame of fire True Daniel in his simplenes was deliueret from the Lyons mouthe Bethinke ye therfore he sayes by generation and generation and thou shalt neuer finde that he sayled that man that truely trusted in him And therefore dread you nought he sayes of the wordes of a sinnefull man hys glory is he sayes but wormes and tordes he is to day he sayth y made hye to morow he sayes he is not foundeÌ„ for he is turned he sayes into his earth agayn the minde of him is perisher Sonnes therefore he sayes be ye comforter and dye manly in the lawe for when ye han done that that Gods commaundes you to doe ye shulen be glorious in him And Dauid the king sayes also on this wise in the Psalter booke blesset be they Lord that keepen thy law in worldes of worldes they shall prayse thee And in Leuiticus sayes God thus gif that ye wenden in mine hestes keepen my commaundementes and done hem I shall I shall bring forth theyt fruit and trees shall be fulfilled with apples And ye shallen eat your bread in fulnes ye shoulen dwell in your lande without drede I shall geue peace in your costes ye shall sleep and no man shall feare you Euill beastes I shall done away from you and sword shall not passe your termes ye shuln pursue your enemies and they shall fall before you fifty of yours shulne pursue an hundreth of heren an hundret of yours a thousand of theyrs your enemies hee saieth shulen fal through sword and your sute I shall he sayes behold you and make you to waxe and ye shall be multiplier And I shall strength with you my couenaunt ye shall eat the aldest and the new shull come in theron And ye shuln cast forth the old I shall dwell in the midst of you And I shall wend amonges you and shal be your God and ye shulne be my people If that ye heare me not ne done nought all my hestes but dispiseÌ„ my law and my domes and that ye done not tho thinges that of me bene ordener and breken my commaundements and my couenant I shall do these thinges to you I shall visite you surely in nede and brenning which shall dimme your eghenen and shall wast your liues about nought Ye shulne sow your sede for hit shal be deuouret of enemies I shall put my face agaynst you and ye shall fall before your enemies And ye shulen be vnderlings to them that han hatet you ye shall flee no man pursuing And if ye will not be buxome to me I shall adde thereunto thornes and seuen folde blame And I shall all to brast the hardnes of you I shall geue the heauen aboue you as yron the earth as brasse About nought shall your labour be for the earth shall bring you forth no fruit ne tree shall geue none apples to you If that ye wenden agaynst me and will not heare me I
they shall be declared after my maner and fashion it shal playnely appeare what my opinioÌ„ iudgement is concerning all matters that I am accused of But because I am ignoraunt unlearned I wil get me vnder the mighty defences of the Lord. O Lord I will remeÌ„ber thine onely righteousnes God the father almighty vncreate the maker of heaueÌ„ and earth hath sent his sonne that was euerlastingly begotten into this world that he should be incarnated for the saluation and redemption of mankind who was coÌ„ceiued by the holy ghost euerlastingly proceeding from the father and the sonne and was borne of Mary the virgin to the end that we might be borne a new He suffered Passion vnder PoÌ„tius Pilate for our sinnes laying down his life for vs that we should lay down our life for our brethreÌ„ He was crucified that we should be crucified to the world and the world to vs. He was dead that he might redeeme vs from death by purchasing for vs forgeuenes of sinnes He was buried that we being buried together with him into death by Baptisme and that we dead to sins should liue to righteousnes He desceÌ„ded into hell therby deliuering man froÌ„ thraldom and from the bondage of the Deuill restoring him to his inheritaunce which he lost by sinne The thyrd day he rose from the dead through the glory of his father that we also should walke in newnes of life He ascended vp to the heauens to which no body hath ascended sauing he that descended from heaueÌ„ eueÌ„ the sonne of man which is in heaueÌ„ He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty vntill his enemies be made his footstoole He being in very deed so muche better then the Aungelles as he hath obteyned by inheritaunce a more excellentname then they From thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead accordingly to theyr workes because the father hath geuen all iudgemeÌ„t to the sonne In whose terrible iudgement we shall rise agayne and shall all of vs stand before his iudgement seat and receiue ioy as well bodely as spiritually for euer to endure if we be of the sheepe placed at the right hand or els punishment both of bodye and soule if we shall be fouÌ„d amongst goates placed on the left hand c. Iesus Christ the sonne of God very God very man a king for euer by stablishing an euerlasting kingdome breaking to ponder all the kingdoms of the world Dan. 2. a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech wherby also he is able euermore to saue such as by him come vnto god alwayes liueth to intreat for vs. Hebr. 7. He offring one sacrifice for our sins hath made perfect for euer by one oblation those that be sanctified Heb. 10. Being that wisedome that cannot be deceiued the trueth that cannot be vttred he hath in this world taught the will of the godhead of his father which will he hath in worke fulfilled to the intent that he might faithfully instruct vs and hath geueÌ„ the law of charity to be of his faythfull people obserued whiche he hath written in the hartes and mindes of the faythful with the finger of God wher is the spirit of God searching the inward secrets of the Godhead Wherfore his doctrine must be obserued aboue all other doctrines whether they be of Angels or of men because that he could not nor would not erre in his teaching But in mens doctrins there chanceth oftentimes to be error and therfore we must forsake theyr doctrines if clokedly or expresly they be repuguaunt to the doctrine of Christ. Mens doctrins being made for the peoples profit must be allowed and obserued so that they be grounded vpon Christes doctrine or at least be not repuguant to his words If the high bishop of Rome calling himself the seruant of the seruauntes of God and the chiefe vicare of Christ in this world do make maintaine many lawes contrary to the Gospell of Iesu Christ then is he of those that haue come in Christes name saying I am Christ haue seduced many a one by the testimony of our sauiour in Math. cap. 24. and the idoll of desolation sitting in the Temple of God and taking away from him the coÌ„tinuall sacrifice for a time times and halfe a time Which idoll must be reueled to the christian people by the testimony of Daniel Wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell When you shall see the abhomination of desolation that was tolde of by Daniell the Prophet standing in the holy place let him that readeth vnderstand and he is the pestiferous mountayn infecting the whole vniuersall earth as witnesseth Ieremy chap. 51. not the head of Christes body For the auncient person in yeares honorable in reuerence he is the head the prophet teaching lies is the tayle as Esay alledgeth chap. 9. And he is that wicked and sinnefull Captayne of Israell whose foreappointed day of ininuity is come in time of iniquity who shall take away Cidarim and take awaye the crowne Ezech chap. 21. to whom it was sayd Forasmuch as thy hart was exalted and did it say I am a God sittest in the seat of god in the hart of the sea seing thou art a man and not God and hast geuen thine hart as if it were the hart of God therfore behold I will bring vpoÌ„ thee the most strong and mighty straungers of the nations they shall draw theyr swords vpoÌ„ the beauty of thy wisedom shall defile the commaundements kill thee and pul thee out thou shalt dye in the destruction of the slayne and it foloweth In the multitude of thine iniquities of the iniquities of thy marchandise thou hast defiled thy sanctification I will therfore bring forth a fire from the midst of the whole earth will make thee as ashes vpon earth Thou art become nothing neuer shalt thou be any more Eze. cha 28 Furthermore he is the idle shepheard forsaking his flock hauing a sworde on his arme an other sworde in his right eye Zach. 11. sitting in the temple of God doth aduaunce himselfe aboue all thing that is called God or whatsoeuer is worshipped by the testimony of Paule to Thes 2. epist. 2. chap. And in the defection or falling away shall the man of sinne be reueled whom the Lord Iesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth For euery kingdâ—â—e deuided in it selfe shall be brought to desolation He â—â—â—so besides the beast asceÌ„ding vp out of the earth hauing two hornes like vnto alambe but he speaketh like a dragon as the cruell beast ascending vp out of the sea whose power shall continue 42. monethes He worketh the things that he hath geuen to the image of the beast And he compelled small and great rich and poore freemen and bondslaues to worshyp the beast and to take his marke in theyr forehead or theyr hands Apo.
obserued Christ hath fulfilled the lawes morall of the old testament because that the morals and iudicials were ordained that one person should not do iniury to an other that euery man should haue paid him that is hys Now they that are in charity wil do no iniury to others neither do they take other mens goodes away from them Nay it seeketh not her owne things For charitie seeketh not the things that be her owne Wherfore much lesse by a stronger reason it ought not to seke for other mens goods And wheÌ„ as the iudicials morals were ordained Christ did not by the workes of the law iustifie the beleuers in him but by grace iustified them froÌ„ their sins And so did Christ fulfill that by grace that the lawe could not by iustice Paule to the Romaines declareth in a godly discourse and to the Galath likewise that none shall be iustified by the workes of the lawe but by grace in the faith of Iesu Christ. As for the morals ceremonies of the lawe as circumcision sacrifices for offence and for sinnes first fruites tenthes 〈◊〉 diuers sortes of washings the sprinkling of bloud the sprinkling of ashes abstaining from vnclean meats whych are ordeined for the sanctifying and clensing of the people froÌ„ sinne no nor yet the praiers of the priests neither the preachings of the prophets could clense a man from his sin For death raigned euen from Adam to Moises and sinne from Moises to Christ as Paule declareth to the Romaines in the 5. chapter But Christ willing to haue mercy and not sacrifice being a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech an high Priest of good things to come did neither by the bloud of goats or calues but by his owne bloud enter in once vnto the holy places when as euerlasting redemption was founde neither did Iesus enter into the holy places that were made wyth handes which are the examples of true thynges but into the very heauen that now he may appeare before the countenaunce of God for vs. Nor yet he did so that he should offer vp himselfe oftentimes as the high Byshop entred into the holy place euery yeere with straunge bloud for otherwise he must nedes haue suffred oftentimes sithens the beginning of the world but now in the latter end of the world hath he once appeared by his owne sacrifice for the destruction of sinne And like as it is decreed for men once to die and after that commeth iudgement euen so was Christ once offred vp to coÌ„sume away the sinnes of many The second time shall hee appeare without sinne to the saluation of such as looke for him For the law hauing a shadow of good things to come and not the very image or substaunce it selfe of the things can neuer by those sacrifices which they offer of one selfe same sort continually yere by yere make them perfect that come vnto her Otherwise men would leaue of offring because that those worshyps being once clensed should haue no more prâ—â—â—e of conscience for sinne afterwardes But in them is their remembrance made of sinnes euery yere For it is impossible that by the bloud of goats bulles sinnes should be taken away Wherfore he entring into the world doth say as for sacrifice and offring thou woldst not haue but a body hast thou framed vnto mee And sacrifices for sinne haue not pleased thee then said I behold I come In the head or principall part of the booke it is wrytten of me that I should do thy wil O God Wherfore he said before that sacrifices oblations and burnt offerings and that for sinne thou wouldest not haue neyther were those thyngs pleasaÌ„t to thee whych are offred according to the law then sayd I behold I come that I may do thy wil O God He taketh away the first that he may stablish that that folowed In whych will we are sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Iesus Christ ones And verely euery Priest is ready euery day ministring oftentimes offring the self same sacrifices which neuer can take away sinnes But this man offering one sacrifice for sinnes doth for euer and euer sit at Gods right haÌ„d looking for the rest to come till that hys enemies be placed to be his footestoole For with one offering hath hee for euer made perfect those that be sanctified By which thinges it plainly appeareth that Christ by one offring hath clensed hys from their sinnes who could not be clensed from the same by all the ceremonies of the law and so did fulfill that which the priesthoode of the law could not Wherfore onely the morals and iudicials he fulfilled by the lawe of charitie and by grace and the ceremonials by one offering vp of hys body in the aultar of the crosse And so it is plaine that Christ fulfilled the whole lawe Wherfore sithens that the holy things of the law were a shadowe of those things that were to come in the time of grace it were meete that all those thynges should vtterly cease amongest Christians which should either be against charity or the grace of Christ. Although in the time of the lawe they were lawfull and not vtterly contrary to it but were figures of perfections in Christes faith yet it were meete that they should cease at the comming of the perfection whych they did prefigurate as circumcision the eating of the paschal lambe and other ceremonial points of the law Wherupon also Paul to the Hebrues the 7. chapter sayeth thus If therfore the making vp of the perfection of all was by the Leuiticall priesthode for the people receiued the law vnder hym why was it necessary besides that an other Priest should rise vp after the order of Melchisedech not be called after the order of Aaronâ— For wheÌ„ the Priesthode is remoued it must needes be that the lawe also be remoued For he in whom these things are spokeÌ„ is of an other tribe of which none stoode present at the aulter Because it is manifest that our Lorde had hys offspring of Iuda in which tribe Moises spake nothing of the Priests And besides this it is manifest if according to the order of Melchisedech there doe rise vp an other Priest which was not made according to the law of the carnal commaundement but according to the power of the life that cannot be losed For thus he beareth witnes that thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech so that the coÌ„mandement that went before is disalowed for the weakenes vnprofitablenesse thereof For the lawe hath brought no body to perfection By which things it appeareth that Christ making an end of the priesthode of Aaron doth also make vp a full end of the law belonging to that Priesthode Wherupon I maruell that your learned men doe say that Christen folkes are bound to this small ceremonie of the paiment of tithes and care nothing at all
not Clemente named or that I may more truely speake ordeined of S. Peter to the Apostolike dignitie and to be bishop resigne his right that his dede might be taken of his successours for an example Also Pope Siricius gaue ouer his Popedome to be a comfort of the 11000. Virgins Therfore much more ought you if neede require geue ouer your Popedome that you might gather together the children of God which be scattered abroade For as it is thought a gloryous thing to defend the common right euen to bludshed so is it somtimes necessary for a man to wincke at his owne cause and to forsake it for a greater profite and by that meanes better to procure peace Shoulde not he be thought a deuill and Christes enemie of all men that woulde agree to an election made of him for the Apostolicall dignitie and Popedome if it should be to the destruction of Christians diuision of the church the offence and losse of al faithfull people If such mischiefs should be known to al the world by Goddes reuelation to come to passe by such receiuing of the Popedome and Apostolicall dignitie then by the like reason why shall he not be iudged of all men an Apostata and forsaker of hys faith which chuseth dignitie or rather worldly honour then the vnitie of the Churche Christ died that he might gather together the children of God which are scattered abroad but such an enemie of God and the Church wisheth his subiectes bodily to die in battaile and the more part of the worlde to pearish in soule rather then forsaking to be Pope to liue in a lower state although it were honourable If the feare of God the desire of the heauenly kingdoÌ„ the earnest loue of the vnitie of the church do moue your hart shew in dede that your workes may beare recorde to the truth Clement and Siricius most holy Popes not only are not reprooued but rather are reuerenced of all men because they gaue ouer their right for profitable causes for the same cause all the church of holy men shewe forth their praise Likewise your name should liue for euer and euer if ye would do the like for a necessary cause that is to say for the vnitie of Gods Churche Geue no heede to vnmeasurable cryings of them that say that the ryghte chusing of Popes is lost except ye defend your part manfully but be afraid least such stirrers vp of mischiefe looke for theyr owne commoditie or honour that is to say that vnder your wing they might be promoted to richesse and honour After this sort Achithophel was ioyned and Absolon in persecuting his owne father and false vsurping of hys kingdome Furthermore there shoulde be no ieopardie to that election because both parties sticke stifly to the old fashion of election and either of them couer the preheminence of the Romish Churche counsailing all Christians to obey them And although throughe their geuing ouer the fashion of chusing the Pope should be chaÌ„ged for a time it were to be borne rather then to suffer any longer this diuision in Gods church For that fashion in chusing is not so necessary required to the state of a Pope but the successour of the Apostle as necessary cause required might come in at the doore by an other fashion of chusing and that Canonicall inough And this we are taught manifestly by examples of the fathers for Peter the Apostle appoynted after him Clement and that not by false vsurping of power as we suppose And it was thought that that fashion of apoynting of Popes was lawfull vnto the time of Pope Hillary Which decreed that no Pope shuld apoynt hys successor Afterward the election of the Pope went by the cleargy and people of Rome and the Emperors counsaile agreeing therto as it appeareth in the election of the blessed Gregory But Martinus Pope with the consent of the holy Synode graunted Charles the power to chuse the Pope But of late Nycholas the 2 was the first whome Martine makes mention of in his councels to be chosen by the Cardinals But all the Bishops of Lumbardie for the most part wythstode this election and chose Cadulus to be Pope saying that the Pope ought not to be chosen but of the precincte of Italie Wherefore we thinke it not a safe way so earnestly to stick to the traditions of men in the fashion of chusing the Pope so oft to chaunge least we be thought to breake Goddes traditions concerning the vnitie of the church Yea rather it were better yet to ordaine a newe fashion of his election and meeter for hym as it hath beene afore But all things concerning the same election myght be kept safe if Gods honour were looked for afore youre owne and the peace of the Church were vprightly soughte for such a dishonouring shoulde be most honour vnto you and that geuing place shall be the getting of a greater dignitie the willing deposing of your honour shoulde obtaine you the entrie of euerlasting honour and shoulde procure the loue of the whole worlde toward you and you shoulde deserue to be exalted continually as Dauid was in humbling himselfe O howe monstrous a sight and how foule a monster is a mannes body disfigured wyth two heades So if it were possible the spouse of Christ shoulde be made so monstrous if shee were ruled wyth two such heades but that is not possible she is euer altogether faire in whome no spot is found therfore we must cast away that rotten member thruster in of hys second head We cannot suffer any longer so great a wickednesse in Gods house that we shoulde suffer Gods cote that wantes a feame by any meanes to be torne by the handes of two that violently draw it in sonder For if these two should be suffred to raigne together they woulde so betwixte them teare in pieces that litle coate of the Lord that scarse one piece woulde hange to another They passe the wickednesse of the souldiours that cursed Christ. For they willing to haue the coate remaine whole said Let vs not cut it but let vs cast lots for it whose it shal be But these 2. Popes suffring their right and title to be tried by no lot nor way although not in wordes yet in deedes they pronounce this sentence It shall neither be thine nor mine but let it be deuided for they chose rather as it apeareth to be Lords though it be but in a litle part and that to the coÌ„fusion of vnitie of the Church then in leuing that lording to seke for the peace of the church We do not affirme this but we shew almost the whole iudgemeÌ„t of the world of them being moued so thinke by likely coniectures We looked for amendement of thys intollerable câ—â—fusion by the space that these two inuentours of this mischiâ—â—liued But wee looked for peace and beholde trouble for neither in their lyues nor in their deaths they
temporall and nobilitie of the Realme and cheifly those that studied for the preseruatioÌ„ of the commonweale not â—casing as yet to coÌ„tinue his mischeuous enterprise if by Gods prouideÌ„ce it be not preuented that with speed Amongst all other of the Nobilitie these first he put to death the Earle of Salisbury the Earle of Huntington the Earle of Gloucester the Lord Roger Clarendon the kyngs brother with diuers other knights and Esquiers and afterwards the Lord Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and the Lord Henry Percy sonne and heyre to the Earle of Northunberland the which Lord Henry he not onely slew but to the vttermost of his power againe and againe he caused hym to be slayne For after that he was once put to death and deliuered to the Lord of Furniuale to be buryed who committed his body to holy sepulture with as much honour as might be commending his soule to almighty God with the suffrages of the blessed masse other praiers the said Lord Henry most like a cruel beast still thirsting hys bloud caused his body to be exhumate brought forth againe and to be reposed betwene two milstones in the towne of Shreusbury there to be 〈◊〉 wyth armed men And afterwards to be beheaded anâ— quartered commanding his head and quarters to be caried vnto diuers cities of the kingdome Wherefore for so detestable a fact neuer heard of in any age before we pronounce him as in the former articles excommunicate 8. Eightly we depose c. agaynst the said Lord Henry for that after his atteining to the crowne he willingly ratified allowed and approued a most wicked statute set forth renued in yâ— parliament holden at Winchester The which statute is directly against yâ— Church of Rome the power principalitie therof giuen by our Lord Iesus Christ and vnto blessed S. Peter his successors Bishops of Rome vnto whom belongeth by full authoritie the free disposing of all spirituall promotions as wel superior as inferiour which wicked statute is the cause of many mischiefes vid. of simonie periurie adultery incest misorder disobedience for that many Bishops Abbots priors and prelats we will not say by vertue but rather by errour of this statute haue bestowed yâ— benefices vacant vpoÌ„ yong men rude and vnworthy persons which haue compacted with them for the same so that scarce no one prelate is found that hath not couenanted with the partie promoted for the halfe yearely or at the least the third part of the said benefice so bestowed And by this meanes the said statute is the destruction of the right of S. Peter the Church of Rome and England the Cleargie and vniuersities the mainteuance of wars and the whole common wealth c. 9. Ninthly we say and depose c. against the said Lord Henry that after he had tyrannously taken vpon him the gouernement of the Realme England neuer florished since nor prospered by reason of his continuall exactions of money and oppressions yearely of the cleargie and coÌ„minaltie neither is it knowen how this money so extorted is bestowed when as neither his souldiours nor his gentlemen are payed as yet their wages and fees for their charges and wonderfull toile and labour neither yet the poore countrey people are satisfied for the victuall taken of them And neuertheles the miserable clergie and more miserable comminaltie are forced still to pay by menaces and sharp threatnings Notwithstanding he sware when he first vsurped the crowne that hereafter there should be no such exactions nor vexations neither of the clergie nor lâ—â—tie Wherfore as afore we pronounce him periured c. 10. In the tenth and last article we depose say and openly protest by these presents for our selues all our assistents in the cause of the Church of Rome and England and in the cause of king Richard his heires the clergie and comminaltie of the whole Realme that neither our entention is was nor shall be in word nor deed to offend any state either of the prelats spirituall Lords temporall nor commons of the realme but rather foreseeing the perdition and destruction of this Realme to approch we haue here brought before you certeine articles concerning the destruction of the same to be circumspectlie considered of the whole assembly as well of the Lords spirituall as temporall and the faithfull commons of England beseeching you all in that bowels of Iesus Christ the righteous iudge and for the merits of our blessed Lady the mother of God and of S. George our defender vnder whose displayed banner we wish to liue and die and vnder paine of damnation that ye will be fauourable to vs and our causes which are three in number Wherof the first is that we exalt vnto the kingdome the true lawfull heire and him to crowne in kinglie throne with the diademe of England And secondly that we renoke the weshmen the Irishmen and all other our enimies vnto perpetuall peace and amitie Thirdly and finally that we deliuer and make free our natiue countrey from al exactions extortioÌ„s vniust paiments Beseeching our Lord Iesus Christ to graunt his blessing the remission of their sinnes life euerlasting to all that assist vs to their power in this godly and meritorious worke and vnto all those that are against vs we threaten the curse of almighty God by the authority committed vnto vs by Christ and his holy Church and by these presents we pronounce them excommunicate These Articles being seene and read much concourse of people daily resorted more and more to that archbishop The Earle of Westmerland being then not far off with Iohn the kings sonne hearing of this mustered his souldiours with all the power he was able to make bent toward the Archbishop but seeing his part too weake to encounter with him vseth practise of policie where strength would not serue And first comming to him vnder colour of frendship dissembled laboureth to seeke out the causes of that great stirre To whome the Archbyshop againe answering no hurt to be entended thereby but profit rather to the kyng and common wealth and maintenance of publicke peace but for so much as he stood in great scare and danger of the king he was therefore compelled so to doo And withall shewed vnto him the contents of the Articles aforesaid which when the Earle had read setting a faire face vpon it seemed highly to commend the purpose and doyngs of the Bishop promising moreouer that he would helpe also forward in that quarell to the vttermost of his power And required vpon the same a day to be set when they with equall number of men might meere together in some place appointed to haue farther talke of the matter The Archbishop easilie perswaded was content although much against the counsaile of the Earle Marshall and came Where the Articles being openly published and read the Earle of Westmerland with his companie pretended well to like vpon the same and to ioyne their
and maken them to leaue the trust that they hadden in the olde law and to beleeue in Iesus Christe and shewen hys teachynge And they wenten out to ouercome the Paynemes shewyng to them that theyr Images were no Gods but mens woorkes vnmighty to saue them selfe or any other drawyng them to the beliefe of Iesus Chryst God and man In the opening of the second seale there cryed the second beast that is a calfe that was a beast wonted to be slayne and offered to God in the old law Thys sheweth the state of the Churche in the time of Martyrs that for their stedfast preachyng of Gods true law shed theyr bloud that is signifyed by the red hors that went out at thys seale opening and thys estate began at Nero the cursed Emperour and dured into the time of Constantine the great that endowed the Church For in thys tyme many of Christes seruaunts and namely the leaders of Gods flocke were slayne For of xxij Byshops of Rome that were betwene Peter and Siluester the first I reade but of foure but that they weren Martys for the lawe of Christ. And also in the tyme of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of the Christen men was so great that in xxx dayes weren slayne xxij thousand men and women in diuers counties for the law of God The opening of the third seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Heretikis that beth figured by the blacke hors for false vnder standing of holy write for than cryed the third beest that is a man for at that time was it neede to preache the mistery of Christes incarnation and his passion ayenst these erretikis that feliden mis of these pointis how Christ tooke verreyly mans kynde of our Lady hym beyng God as hee was bifore and hys moder beeyng mayden byfore and after The opening of the fourth scale telleth the state of the Church in tyme of ypocritis that beth signified by the pale hors that beth signes of penaunce with outfoorth to blinde the people And he that sate vpon thys hors his name was death for they shulle flee gostly them that they leden and teacheth to trust vpon other thing than God and helle foloweth him for helle receiueth thilke that these disteineth At that time shall it neede that the fourth beast that is the Egle make hys cry that flyeth highest of foules to reare vp Gods Gospell and to preise that law aboue other least mens wit and their traditions ouergone and treden downe the law of God by enforming of these ypocritis and this is the last state that is other shall be in the Church bifore the comming of the great Antichrist The opening of the fift seale telleth the state of the Church that than shall folow and the desire that louers of Goddis law shulleth haue after the end of this world to be deliuered of thys wo. The opening of the sixt seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Antichristis times the which state yee may know to be in the Church whan ye seth fulfilled that Saint Iohn Prophecieth to fall on the opening of thys where hee sayth thus After thys I saw foure Angels stonding vpon foure corners of the earth holdyng the foure windes of the earth that they blowen nought vpon the earth ne vpon the sea ne vpon eny tree These foure Angels beth the number of all the Deuils ministers that on that tyme shulleth in the pleasance of their Lord Antichrist stoppe the four windis that beth the foure Gospels to be preached and so let the breath of the grace of the holie Ghost to fall vpon men morning for sinne and calling them to amendement and to other that wolden encrease in vertues other vpon perfit men What is there after thys to fall but that the mystery of the seauenth seale be shewed that he come in hys owne person That Iesu Chrst shall slee with the spirite of hys mouth whan the fiend shall shew the vtmost persecution that he and hys seruauntis may doo to Christis limmes and that shall be the third warning that the world shall haue to come to thys dreadfull dome In all thys matter haue I nought seid of my selfe but of other Doctours that beth proued I seyd also in my second principall part that it were to wete tofore what Iudge we shull reken Wherefore we shulleth wite that God him selfe shall heere thys rekening he that seeth all our dedis and all our thoughtes fro the beginning of our lyfe to the end and he shall shew there the hid thingis of our hert opening to all the world the rightfulnes of hys dome So that with the myght of God euery mans dedis to all the world shall be shewed and so it semeth by the wordes of Seint Iohn in the booke of preuites there he seith thus I saw dede men litel and great stondyng in the sight of the throne and bookes weren opened and an other booke was opened that was of lyfe and dede men weren iudged after the thyngs that weren written in the bokes after their worchings These bokes beth mens consciences that now beth closed But than they shulleth be opened to all the world to reden therein both dedis and thoughtes But the booke of life is Christs liuing and doctrine that is now hid to men that shulleth be damned thrugh theyr owne malice that demeth men to serue the world rather than God In the first booke shall be writ all that we haueth doo in that other booke shall be write that we shulden haue doo and than shulle dede men be demyd of thilke thingis that ben written in the bokis For if the dedis that we hauen do the which ben written in the bookis of our conscience bee accordyng to the booke of Christes teachyng and hys liuing the whych is the booke of lyfe we shulle be saued and els we shulle be damned for the dome shall be geuen after our workis Looke therefore now what thing is written in the booke of thy conscience while thou art here and if thou findest ought contrary to Christis life other to hys teaching with the knite of penaunce and repentaunce scrape it awaie and write it better euermore hertly thynkyng that thou shalt yelde rekening of thy bayly Also I said principally that it were to witen what reward shal be geue on that doome to wise seruauntes and good and what to false seruauntes and wicked For the which it is to wite that our Lord Iesu Christ shall come to the dome here into this world in the same body that he tooke of our Lady hauyng thereon the wound is that he suffred for our agayne bieng And all that euer shullen be saued taking agayne their bodies clyuing to their head Christ shull be rauished metyng him in the ayre as Paul sayth They that shall be damned lyen vpon the earth as in a tonne of wyne the
number if thorough me it should come to passe that those things which they haue hetherto knowne to bee most certaine and sure should now be made vncertaine Should I by this my example astonish or trouble so manye soules so manye consciences endewed with the most firme and certaine knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospell of our Lord Iesu Christ and his most pure doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will neuer do it neither commit any such kinde of offence that I shoulde seeme more to esteeme this vile carcas appoynted vnto death then their health and saluation At this most godly worde he was forced againe to heare by the consent of the Bishops that hee did obstinately and maliciously perseuere in his pernicious and wicked errours Then he was commanded to come downe to the execution of his iudgement and in his comming downe one of the seauen Bishops afore rehearsed firste tooke awaye the chalice from him which he helde in his hand saieng O cursed Iudas why hast thou forsakeÌ„ the counsell waies of peace and hast counsailed with the Iewes we take away froÌ„ thee this chalice of thy saluation But Iohn Hus receiued this curse in this maner but I trust vnto God the father omnipotent and my Lorde Iesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that hee will not take away the chalice of his redemption but haue a stedfast and firme hope that this day I shall drinke thereof in his kingdome Then followed the other Bishops in order which euery one of them tooke away the vestiments from him which they had put on eche one of them geuing hym their curse Whereunto Iohn Hus answered that hee did willingly embrace and beare those blasphemies for the name of the Lord Iesus Christ. At the last they came to the rasing of his shauen crowne But before the Bishops would go in hand with it there was a great contention betweene them with what instrument it should be done with a rasour or with a paire of sheares In the meane season Iohn Hus turning himselfe toward the Emperour saide I maruell that forsomuch as they be all of like cruell minde and stomacke yet they can not agree vpon their kinde of crueltie Notwithstanding at the last they agreed to cut off the skinne of the crowne of his head with a paire of sheares And when they had done that they added these words now hath the Church taken away all her ornaments and priuilegies from hym Now there resteth nothing else but that he be deliuered ouer vnto the secular power But before they did that there yet remained another knacke of reproch For they caused to be made a certaine crowne of paper almost a cubite deepe in the which were painted three deuils of wonderfull ougly shape and this title set ouer their heads Heresiarcha The which when he saw he sayde My Lord Iesus Christ for my sake did weare a crowne of thorne why should not I then for his sake againe weare thys light crowne be it neuer so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set vpon his head the Bishops saide now we commit thy soule vnto the deuill But I sayde Iohn Husse lifting his eies vp towardes the heauens doo commit my spirite into thy handes O Lord Iesu Christ vnto thee I commend my spirit which thou hast redeemed These contumelious opprobries thus ended the Bishops turning themselues towards the Emperour said This most sacred Synode of Constance leaueth now Iohn Husse which hath no more any office or to do in the Church of God vnto the ciuill iudgement and power Then the Emperour commaunded Lodouicus Duke of Bauaria which stoode before him in his robes holding the golden apple with the crosse in his hande that he should receiue Iohn Husse of the Byshops and deliuer him vnto them which should do the execution By whome as hee was led to the place of execution before the Church doores hee sawe his bookes burning whereat hee smiled and laughed And all men that he passed by he exhorted not to thinke that he should dye for any errour or heresie but only for the hatred and ill will of his aduersaries which had charged him wyth most false and vniust crime All the whole Citie in a maner being in armour followed him The place appointed for the execution was before the gate Gorlebian betweene the gardens and the gates of the suburbs When as Iohn Husse was come thether kneeling downe vpon his knees and lifting his â—ies vp vnto heauen he praied and saide certaine Psalmes and specially the 50. and 31. Psalmes And they which stoode by heard him oftentimes in his praier with a merrie and chearefull countenance repeate this versâ— Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit c. Which thâ—â—g when the lay people beheld which stood next vnto him they said what he hath done afore wee knowe not but now wee see and heare that hee doth speake and pray very deuoutely and godly Othersome wished that he had a Confessor There was a certaine Priest by sitting on horsebacke in a greene gowne drawne about with red silke which said he ought not to be heard because he is an hereticke Yet notwithstanding whilest he was in prison he was both confessed and also absolued by a certaine Doctour a Monke as Hus himselfe doth witnes in a certaine Epistle which he wrote vnto his frendes out of prison Thus Christ raigneth vnknowne vnto the world euen in the middest of his enimies In the meane time whilest he praied as he bowed his necke backward to looke vpward vnto heauen the crowne of paper fell off from his head vpon the grounde Then one of the souldiours taking it vp againe said let vs put it againe vpon his head that he may bee burned with his maisters the diuels whome he hath serued ¶ The description of the burning of Iohn Hus contrary to the safeconduict graunted vnto hym Then was the fire kindled and Iohn Hus began to sing with a loud voice Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue mercy vpon me And when he began to say the same the third time the winde droue the flame so vpon his face that it choked him Yet notwithstanding he mooued a while after by the space that a man might almost say three times the Lordes prayer When all the wood was burned and consumed the vpper parte of the body was left hanging in the chaine the which they throwe downe stake and all and making a newe fire burned it the heade being first cut in small gobbets that it might the sooner be consumed vnto ashes The heart which was founde amongest the bowels being well beaten with staues and clubbes was at last pricked vppon a sharpe sticke and roasted at a fire a parte vntill it was consumed Then with great diligence gathering the ashes together they cast them into the riuer of Rhene that the least
thinges which he most eloquently profoundly Philosophically had spoken in the sayd audience neither can anye tongue sufficiently declare the same wheerfore I haue but onely touched here the superficiall matter of his talke partly not wholly noting the same Finaly when as by no meanes he might be perswaded to recant the premisses immediately euen in his presence the sentence iudgement of hys concondemnation was geuen against him read before him ¶ The burning of maister Hierome of Prage The which sentence so geuen before his face ended A great lōg miter of paper was brought vnto him painted about with red deuils the whiche when he beheld and saw throwing away his hood vpon the ground amongest the Prelates he tooke the miter and put it vpon his head saying Our Lorde Iesu Christ when as he shoulde suffer death for me most wretched sinner did weare a crowne of thorne vpon his head and I for his sake in stede of that crowne will willingly weare this miter and cappe Afterward he was layd hold of by the secular power After that he was ledde out of the sayde Church to the place of execution when he was going out of the Churche with a cherefull coūtenance a loud voyce lifting his eyes vp into heauen he began to sing Credo in vnum Deum as it is accustomed to be song in the church Afterward as he passed a long he did sing some Canticles of the Church The which being ended in the entring out of the gate of the city as men go vnto Gothlehem he did sing this himne faelix namque And that respond being ended after he came to the place of execution where as Maister Iohn Hus before had suffred death innocently kneeling downe before an image which was like vnto the picture of M. Iohn Hus which was there prepared to burne M. Hierom he made a certayne deuout prayer While he was thus praying the tormentors tooke him vp and lifting him vp from the ground spoyled him of all his garmentes and left him naked and afterward girded him about the loynes with a linnen cloth and bound him fast with cordes and chaynes of Iron to the sayde Image whiche was made fast vnto the earth and so standinge vpon the ground when as they beganne to lay the woode about him he songe Salue festa dies And when the himne was ended he songe agayne with a loude voyce Credo in vnum Deum vnto the end That being ended he sayde vnto the people in the Germaine toung in effect as foloweth Dearely beloued children euen as I haue now song so do I beleue and none otherwise And this Creede is my whole fayth notwithstanding nowe I dye for this cause because I would not consent and agree to the councel and with them affirme and hold that maister Iohn Hus was by thē holily and iustly condemned For I did know well enough that he was a true preacher of the Gospell of Iesu Christ. After that he was compassed in with the wood vp to the crowne of the head they cast all his garments vpō the wood also and with a firebrand they set it on fire The which being once fired he began to sing with a loud voyce In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum when that was ended and that he began vehemently to burne he sayd in the vulgar Bohemian tongue O Lord God father almighty haue mercy vpon me and be mercifull vnto mine offēces for thou knowest how the sincerely I haue loued thy trueth Then his voyce by the vehemency of the fire was choked stopped that it was no longer heard but he moued continually his mouth and lips as though he had still prayed or spoken within himselfe When as in a maner his whole body with his beard was burned round about and that there appeared through the great burning vpon his body certayne great bladders as big as an egge yet he continually very strongly stoutlye moued shaked his head mouth by the space almost of one quarter of an houre So burning in the fire he liued with great paine Martyrdome whiles one might easily haue gone from S. Clementes ouer the bridge vnto our Lady Church he was of suche a stout and strong nature After that he was thus deade in the fire by and by they brought his bedding his strawbed his bootes his hood all other thinges that he had in the prison and burned them all to ashes in the same fire The which ashes after that the fire was out they did diligently gather together and cary thē in a cart and cast them into the riuer of Rheine which ran hard by the City That man whiche was the true reporter hereof and which testified vnto vs the actes and doinges about the condemnation Maister Hierome and sent the same vnto vs to Prage in writinge doth thus conclude All these thinges sayth he I did beholde see and heare to be done in this forme maner And if any man do tell you the contrary do not credite him for al those things which happened vnto him when he came toward Constance and also at his first comming vnto Constance of his own free well and afterward when he was brought bounde vnto Constance as is aforesay I my selfe did see and perfectly beholde and for a perpetuall memory thereof to be had for euer I haue directed the same vnto you not lying or falsifying any poynte thereof as he which is the searcher of all mennes hartes can beare me witnesse willing rather to sustaine the note of ignoraunce rudenesse of stile to beare witnesse vnto the trueth then I would by any meanes bee compelled by tickling or flattring the cares of the hearers with fayned and cloked speach to swerue or goe aside from the truth Thus end the tragicall histories of M. Iohn Hus and M. Hierom of Prage faythfully gathered and collected by a certain Bohemian being a present witnes and beholder of the same written and compiled first in Latine so sene by the said Bohemian into his country of Boheme and agayne translated out of the Latine with like fidelitye into our English toung In the meane time while Maister Hierome was in this trouble and before the Councell the nobles and Lordes of Boheme and of Morauia but not a little agreeued thereat directed theyr letters vnto this barbarous Councell of popishe murderers in tenour and forme of wordes as followeth ¶ The letter of the 54. Nobles of Morauia written vnto the Councell of Constaunce in the defence of Mayster Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage ☞ To the right reuerend Fathers and Lordes in Christ the Lordes Cardinals Patriarkes Primates Archbishops Bishops Ambassadours Doctors Maysters and to the whole Councell Constaunce We the Nobles Lordes Knightes and Esquyres of the famous Marquesdome of Morauia wishe the desyre of al goodnes and the obseruation of the commaundementes of our Lord Iesu
but rude in processe of tyme was set forward by inuentiue wittes adding more and more to the perfection thereof In the number of whome Iohn Mentell Iohn Prus Adolphus Ruschius were great helpers Ulrirus â—anâ— in latine called Gallus first brought it to Rome Whereof the Epigram was made Anser Tarpeij custos vigilando quòd alis Constreperes Gallus decidit vltor adest Vlricus Gallus nequem poscantur in vsum Edocuit pennis nil opus esse tuis Notwithstanding what man soeuer was the instrument without all doubt God himselfe was the ordayner and disposer thereof no otherwise then be was of the gifte of congues and that for a singuler purpose And well may this gift oâ— printing be resembled to the gift of tongues for like as God then spake with many tongues and yet all that would not turne the Iewes so now when the holy ghost speaketh to the aduersaries in innumerable sorts of bookes yet they will not be conuerted nor turne to the Gospell Now to consider to what ende and purpose the Lorde hath geuen this gift of Printing to the earth and to what great vtility and necessity it serueth it is not hard to iudge who so wisely perpendeth both the time of the sending the sequele which therof ensueth And first touching the time of this faculty geuen to the vse of man this is to be marked that when as the Byshop of Rome with all the whole ful consent of the Cardinals Patriarches Archbishops byshops Abbots Priours Lawyers Doctors Prouostes Deanes Archdeacons assembled together in the councell of Constance had condemned poore Iohn Hus Hierom of Prage to death for heresie notwithstanding they were no heretickes and after they had subdued the Bohemians and all the whole world vnder the supreme authority of the Romish sea and had made all ChristeÌ„ people abedienciaries vassals vnto the same hauing as one would say all the worlde at theyr will so that the matter now was past not only the power of al men but the hope also of any man to be recouered In this very time so daungerous and desperate where mans power could do no more there the blessed wisedome omnipotent power of the Lord began to work for his church not with sword and tergate to subdue his exalted aduersary but with Printing writing and reading to conuince darkenes by light errour by truth ignorance by learning So that by this meanes of printing the secret operatioÌ„ of God hath heaped vpon that proud kingdome a double coÌ„fusion For where as the byshop of Rome had burned I. Hus before and Hierome of Prage who neither denyed his transubstantiation nor hys supremacie nor yet hys Popishe Masse but sayd Masse and heard masse themselues neither spake agaynst his purgatory nor anye other great matter of his popishe doctrine but onely exclaymed agaynst his excessiue and pompous pride hys vnchristian or rather Antichristian abhomination of life thus while he could not abide his wickednes onely of life to be touched but made it heresie or at least matter of death what soeuer was spoken agaynst hys detestable conuersation and maners God of hys secret iudgement seing tyme to helpe his Church hath found a way by this facultie of Printing not onely to confound his life and conuersation which before he could not abide to be touched but also to cast downe the foundatioÌ„ of his standing that is to examine confute and detect his doctrine laws and institutions most detestable in such sort that though his life were neuer so pure yet his doctrine standing as it doth no man is so blinde but may see that eyther the pope is Antichrist or els that Antichrist is neare cosine to the pope And al this doth and wil hereafter more and more appeare by Printing The reason whereof is this for that hereby tongues are knowne knowledge groweth iudgemeÌ„t increaseth books are dispersed the Scripture is seene the Doctours be read stories be opened times compared truth decerned falshod detected and with finger poynted and all as I sayd thorough the benefite of printing Wherfore I suppose that eyther the pope must abolish printing or he must seek a new world to raygne ouer for els as this world standeth printing doubtles will abolish hym But the pope and all hys Colledge of Cardinals must this vnderstaÌ„d that through the light of printing the worlde beginneth nowe to haue eyes to see and heades to iudge He cannot walke so inuisible in a net but he will be spyed And although thorough might he stopped the mouth of Iohn Hus before and of Hierome that they might not preache thinking to make his kingdome sure yet in stede of Iohn Hus other God hath opened the presse to preach whose voyce the Pope is neuer able to stop with all the puissance of his triple crown By this printing as by the gift of tongues and as by the singular organe of the holy Ghost the doctrine of the Gospell soundeth to all nations and countryes vnder heauen and what God reuealeth to one man is dispersed to many and what is knowne in one nation is opened to all The first and best were for the bishop of Rome by the benefite of printing to learne and know the trueth If he will not let him well vnderstand that printing is not set vp for naught To striue against the streame it auayleth not What the pope hath lost since printing and the presse began to preach let hym cast hys counters First when Erasmus wrote and Frobenius Printed what a blow ther by was geuen to all Fryers and monks in the world And who seeth not that the penne of Luther following after Erasmus and set forward by writing hath set the triple crown so awry on the popes head that it is like neuer to be set streight agayne Brieflye if there were no demonstration to leade yet by this one argument of printing the bishop of Rome might vnderstand the counsayl and purpose of the Lord to worke agaynst him hauing prouided such a way in earth that almost how many printing presses there be in the world so many blockhouses there be agaynst the high castle of S. Angell So that eyther the pope must abolishe knowledge and Printing or printing at length will roote him out For if a man wisely consider the holde and standing of the pope thus he may repute with himselfe that as nothing made the pope strong in time past but lacke of knowledge and ignoraunce of simple Christians so contrariwise now nothing doth debilitate and shake the high spire of his Papacie so much as reading preaching knowledge iudgement that is to say the fruit of printing Whereof some experience we see already and more is like the Lord before to follow For although through outward force and violeÌ„t cruelty tonges dare not spake yet the hartes of men dayly no doubt be instructed through this benefite of printing And though the pope both nowe by cruelty and
good Fortune irriding and mocking the mindes and iudgemeÌ„ts of men which beleue that God by his prouidence gouerneth and regardeth the state of humaine things on earth After that this Mahumete heard of the victories and conquests of other his predecessours and had vnderstanding how Baiazetes lay eight yeares about Constantinople and could not winne it he dispraising Baiazetes and disdaining that so long time should be spent aboute the siege thereof and yet no victory gotten bent all hys studie and deuice how to subdue the same But first hauing a priuie hatred against the Citie of Athens and hauing his hands lately embrued with the bloud of his brethren this murthering Mahumete first of all taketh his vâ—age to subuert and destroy the Citie aforesaid being a famous Schoole of all good learning and discipline Against the which Citie he did so furiously rage for the hatred of good letters that he thought he ought not to suffer the foundation thereof to stand because that Citie was a good nursse and fosterer of good Artes and Sciences wherefore he commaunded the Citie to be rased and vtterly subuerted and wheresoeuer any monuments or bookes could be found he caused them to be cast into durty sinkes and the filthiest places of the Citie or put to the most vile vses that could be deuised for extirping and abolishing of all good literature and if he vnderstood any to lament the case and ruine of that noble place those he greeuously punished and put to death Thus the famous and auncient Schoole of Athens being destroied and ouerthrowne he returned his army power into Thracia where in all haste he gathering hys power together both by sea by laÌ„d with a mighty multitude compassed the Citie of Constantinople about and began to lay his siege against it in the yeare of our Lord 1453. and in the 54. day of the said siege it was taken sacked and the Emperour CoÌ„stantinus slaine As touching the cruelty and fearcenes of the Turkes in getting of this City and what slaughter there was of men women and children what calamitie and misery was there to be sene for somuch as sufficient relation with a full description thereof hath bene made before pag. 708. it shall be superfluous now to repeate the same This only is not to be omitted touching three principall causes of the ouerthrow of this City whereof was the first the filthy auarice of those Citizens which hiding their treasures in the grouÌ„d would not imploy the same to the necessary defence of their City For so I finde it in story expressed that when the Turke after the taking of the City had found not so much treasure as he looked for suspecting with himselfe as the truth was the treasures and riches to be hidden vnder the ground commaunded the earth to be digged vp and the foundations of the houses to be searched where when he had found treasures incredible what quoth he how could it be that this place could euer lacke inunition and fortification which did flow and abound with such great riches as heere is and plenty of all things The second cause was the absence of the Nauy of the UenetiaÌ„s which if they had bene ready in time might haue bene a safegard against the inuasion of the enemies A third cause also may be gathered vpon occasion incident in stories either for that the City of Constantinople fifteene yeares before did yeeld to the Bishop of Rome as is before to be seene pag. 76. or else because as in some writers it is euident that Images were there receaued mainteined in their Churches and by the Turkes the same time destroyed Ioannes Ramus writing of the destructioÌ„ of this Citie amongst other matters maketh relation of the Image of the Crucifixe being there in the high temple of Sophia which Image the Turke tooke and writing this superscription vpon the head of it Hic est Christianorum Deus 1. This is the God of the Christians gaue it to his souldiours to be scorned and commaunding the sayde Image with a trumpet to be carried through all his army made euery man to spit at it most contumeliously Wherein thou hast good Reader by the way to note what occasion of selaunder and offence we Christians geue vnto the barbarous Infidels by this our vngodly superstition in hauing Images in our temples contrary vnto the expresse commandement of God in his word For if Saint Paule writing to the Corinthians faith we knowe Christ now no more after the flesh how much lesse then is Christ to be knowne of vs in blind stockes and Images set vp in our Temples seruing for none other purpose but for the Infidels to laugh both vs our God to scorne and to prouoke Gods vengeance which by the like example I feare may also fall vpon other Cities where such Images and Idolatrous superstition is mainteined whereof God graunt Uienna to take heede betime which hath bene so long and yet is in such great danger of the Turke and polluted with so many Images and plaine Idolatric In summa to make the story short such was the cruelty of these Turkes in winning the Citie that when Mahumete had geuen licence to the souldiours three dayes together to spoile to kill and to do whatsoeuer they listed there was no corner in all Constantinople which did not either flow with Christian bloud or else was polluted with abhominable abusing of maids wiues matrones without al reuereÌ„ce of nature Of the which CitizeÌ„s some they murthered some they rosted vpon spits of some they fleyed off their skin hanging theÌ„ vp to consume with famine of othersome they put salt into their wouÌ„ds the more terribly to torment them insomuch that one of them contended with another who could deuise most strange kinds of new torments and punishments exercising such crueltie vpon them that the place where the Citie was before seemed now to be no citie but a slaughter house or shambles of Christian mens bodies AmoÌ„g the dead bodies the body also of Constantine the Emperour was found whose head being brought to Mahun 〈◊〉 he commaunded to be caried vpon a speare through the whole City for a publike spectacle decision to all the Turkish army And because he would diminish the number of the captiues which seemed to him to be very great he neuer rose from his table but he put euery day some of the nobles to death no lesse to fill his cruell minde with bloud then his body was filled with wine which he vsed so long to do as any of the nobles of that Citie was left aliue And of the other sorte also as the stories do credibly report there passed no day in the which he did not orderly slay more then three hundreth persons the residue he gaue to his rascal souldiours to kill and to do with them what they would Where is to be noted that as
the yeare abouesaid 1375. Although touching the precise points of yeares and times it is not for vs greatly to be exquisite therein but yet where diligence and studious meditation may helpe to knowledge I would not wish negligence to be a pretence to ignorāce And thus much for the times of Antiochus and his felowes Now what cruelty this Antiochus exercised against the people of God it is manifest in the history of the Machabees where we reade that this Antiochus in the eight yeare of his reigne in his second comming to Hierusalem first gaue forth in commaundement that all the Iewes should relinquish the law of Moses and worship the Idole of Iupiter Olimpius which he set vp in the temple of Hierusalem The bookes of Moses and of the Prophetes he burned He set garrisons of souldiours to warde the Idole In the Citie of Hierusalem he caused the feastes and reuels of Bacchus to be kept full of all filthe and wickednes Olde men women and virgines such as woulde not leaue the lawe of Moses with cruell tormentes he murthered The mothers that would not circumcise theyr children he slue The children that were circumcised hee hanged vp by the neckes The temple he spoiled wasted The aultar of God and candlesticke of gold with the other ornaments and furniture of the temple partly he cast out partly be caried away Contrary to the lawe of God he caused them to offer and to eate Swines fleshe Great murther and slaughter he made of the people causing thē either to leaue their lawe or to lose their liues Among whome besides many other with cruell tormentes he put to death a godly mother with her vij sonnes sending hys cruell proclamations through all the land that whosoeuer kept the obseruauncies of the Sabboth and other rites of the lawe and refused to cōdescend to his abhominations should be executed By reason whereof the Citie of Hierusalem was left voide and desolate of all good mē but there was a great nūber that were contented to follow obey his Idolatrous proceedings and to flatter with the king became enemies vnto ther brethren Briefly no kind of calamity nor face of miserie could be shewed in any place which was not there sene Of the tiranny of this Antiochus it is historied at large in the book of Machabees And Daniell prophesieng before of the same declareth that the people of the Iewes deserued no lesse for their sins and transgressions By consent of all writers this Antiochus beareth a figure of the great Antichrist which was to folow in the latter end of the world and is already come worketh what he can agaynst vs Although as S. Iohn sayth there haue bene and be many Antichristes as parts and members of the body of Antichrist which are forerūners yet to speake of the head principall Antichrist great enemy of Christs Church he is to come in the latter end of the world at what tyme shall be such tribulation as neuer was sene before Whereby is ment no doubt the Turke prefigured by this Antiochus By this Antichrist I do also meane all such which followyng the same doctrine of the Turkes thinke to be saued by their workes and demerites not by their fayth onely in the sonne of God of what title and professiō els soeuer they be especially if they vse the like force violence for the same as he doth c. Of the tyranny of this Antiochus aforesayd and of the tribulations of the Church in the latter tymes both of the Iewes Church and also of the Christian Church to come let vs beare consider the words of Daniell in xj chap. also in his vij chap. Prophecying of y◠same as foloweth He shall returne and freat agaynst the holy couenaunt so shall he do he shall euen returne and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy couenaunt And armes shall stand on his part and they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength and shall take away the dayly sacrifice and they shall set vp the abhominable desolation And such as wickedly breake the couenaunt shall flatter with him deceitfully but the people that doe know their God shall preuayle and prosper And they that vnderstand among the people shall instruct many yet they shall fall by sword and by flame by captiuitie and by spoyle many dayes Now when they shall fall they shal be holpen with a little helpe but many shall cleane vnto them faynedly And some of them of vnderstandyng shall fall to be tryed and to be purged and to make them white till the tyme be out for there is a tyme appointed And the kyng shall doe what him lyst he shall exalte himselfe and magnifie himselfe agaynst all that is God and shall speake marueilous thynges agaynst the God of Gods and shall prospere till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Neither shall he regard the God of his Fathers nor the desires of womē nor care for any God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all But in his place shall he honour the God Mauzzim and the God whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold and with siluer and with precious stones and pleasaunt thynges Thus shall he doe in the holdes of Mauzzim with a straunge God whom he shall acknowledge he shall increase his glory and shall cause them to rule ouer many and shall diuide the land for gayne And at the end of tyme shall the kyng of the South push at him and the kyng of the North shall come agaynst hym lyke a whirle wynde with charets and with horsemen and with many shyppes and he shall enter into the countreys and shall ouerflow and passe thorough He shall enter also into the pleasaunt land and many countreys shal be ouerthrowen but these shall escape out of his hand euen Edom and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon He shall stretch for his handes also vppon the countreys and the land of Egypt shall not escape But he shal haue power ouer the treasures of gold and of siluer ouer al the precious thynges of Egypt and of the Libians and of the blacke Mores where he shall passe But the tydynges out of the East and the North shall trouble him therfore he shall go forth with great wrath to destroy and roote out many And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace betweene the Seas in the glorious holy mountaine yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him To this place of Daniell aboue prefixed might also be added the Prophesie of the said Daniell written in the vij chapter and much tending to the like effect where he intreating of his vision of foure beastes whiche signifie the foure Monarchies and speaking now of the fourth Monarchie hath these words After this I saw in the visions by night and behold the fourth beast was grimme and horrible and maruelous strong It had great yron
beginneth already praise to the Lord to come graciously and luckely forward in most places ¶ A Prayer against the Turkes O Eternall Lorde God father of our Lord Iesus Christ creator and disposer of all things iust gracious wise only in the name and reuerence of thy sonne Iesus wee prostrate our selues desiring thine omnipotent maiestie to looke downe vppon these afflicted times of thy poore creatures and seruaunts reliue thy Church increase our faith and confound our enemies and as thou hast geuen thine onely begotten sonne vnto vs promising with hym life to all that shall beleeue vpon his name so encline the obedience of our faith to thy promises in him that our hearts may be farre of from all other sinnefull additions and prophane inuentions which are besides him and not in him grounded vpon thy will and promise And graunt we beseeche thee to thy Church more and more to see how terrible a thing it is to set vp any other meanes or helpe of saluation but onely in him whome thou only hast sent and sealed Reforme thy Church with perfecte doctrine and faithfull teachers that we seeing our owne weakenesse may put off our selues and put on him without whom we can do nothing So shall we stand strong when nothing standeth in vs but thy sonne alone in whome thou art onely pleased Renew in this thy Church againe the decaied faith of thy sonne Iesus which may plentifully bring foorth in vs not leaues onely but frutes of Christian life And forgeue our wretched Idolatry and blinde phantasies past wherwith we haue prouoked manifold waies thy deserued indignation against vs For our hearts haue bene full of Idoles our temples full of Images our wayes full of hypocrisie thy Sacraments prophaned and thy religion turned to superstition because the lanterne of thy worde went not before vs therfore we haue stumbled Miserably we haue walked hetherto like sonnes not of Sara but of Agar and therefore these Turkish Agarens haue risen vp against vs. Many hard and straight wayes we haue passed but the wayes of the Lorde we haue not founde Much cost we haue bestowed on bread that swageth no hunger but that bread which onely feedeth and commeth freely we haue not tasted We haue sailed farre and nere in barkes of our owne building but haue not kept within the Arke onely of thy promise and therefore these floudes haue taken vs. We haue prayed much but not in thine appoynted temple and therefore haue not bene heard Wee haue plowed and tilled but without thy haiffer and therfore this vntidie ground of ours bringeth foorth so many weedes We do fish apace and that all night but because we fish not on the right side of the boate in our fishing we catche neuer a sinne Our buildings be full of good intentions great devotiōs but because the groud worke is not surely laid vpō the rocke of thy promise the East winde riseth and shaketh them all to shiuers We walke and haue walked long after the precepts and doctrines of men hauing a shew of wisedome but not as holding the heade where lieth all our strength and therefore these Philistian Turkes haue hetherto so preuailed against vs. Briefly all the partes and bones of the body be shaken out of place Wherefore we beseeche thee O Lorde put to thy holy hand and set them in the right ioynt againe And finally reduce this same thy mysticall body againe to his perfect and naturall head whych is thine onely sonne Iesus Christ and none other For him onely hast thou annoynted and appoynted Neither is there any other head that can minister strength and nutriment to this body but he alone for asmuch as all other heades be sinnefull and are not able to stande in thy sight but make thys body rather worse then better Onely this thy welbeloued and perfecte sonne is he in whome onely dwelleth all our strength and fulnesse him onely we confesse and knowledge For whome and with whome wee beseeche thee O Lorde God of hostes graunt to thy Church strength and victory against the malicious fury of these Turkes Saraeens Tartarians againste Gog and Magog and all the malignaunt rabble of Antichrist enemies to thy sonne Iesus our Lord and Sauior Preuent their deuises ouerthrow their power and dissolue their kingdome that the kingdome of thy sonne so long oppressed may recouer and flourish ouer all and that they which wretchedly be fallen from thee may happely be reduced againe into the folde of thy saluation throughe Iesus Christe our only mediatour and most mercifull aduocate Amen IN this long digression wherin sufficiently hath bene described the grieuous and tedious persecution of the Saracens Turkes against the Christians thou hast to vnderstand good reader and beholde the image of a terrible Antichrist euidently appearing both by his own doings also by the scriptures prophecied declared to vs before Now in comparing the Turke with the pope if a question be asked whether of them is the truer or greater Antichrist it were easy to see and iudge that the Turke is the more open and manifest enemye agaynst Christe and hys Church But if it be asked whether of them two hath bene the more bloudy and pernitious aduersary to Christe and his members or whether of them hath consumed and spilt more Christian bloud he with sword or this with fire and sword together neither is it a light matter to discerne neither is it my part here to discusse which do onely write the history and the Actes of them both wherfore after the story of the Turkes thus finished nowe to teenter agayne there whereas we left in describing the domesticall troubles and persecutions here at home vnder the Byshop of Rome after the burning of Babram in Northfolke aboue declared pag 737. I signified also of an other certaine aged man mētioned in an old written Chronicle borowed of one in that tower instituted Polychron although I finde not his name in the saide Chronicle expressed which suffered the paines of burning in Smithfield about the same time which was the yere of our Lord. 1500. Ex Polycron This aged father I suppose be hee of whome I finde mention made in certaine olde papers and recordes of W. Larye Citizen all be it the day of the moneth doth a little differ wherin is thus testified that on the 20. day of Iuly An. 100. vpon the day of S. Margaret there was an olde man burned in smithfield for an hereticke the same person vpon the 10. day before he was burned wold haue stolen out of the Lolardes tower and so falling out of the tower did fowly hurt him selfe wherupon he was caried in a car◠to his death as he went to his burning In the foresaid papers of auncient recorde is furthermore declared how in the yere aboue prefixed which was An. 1499. In the time of one Perseuell many were taken for heretickes in Kent and at Paules crosse they bare faggottes and
pope Straight handling of the kings L. Cobham would not obey the beast The confession answer of the L. Cobham newly copyed Cayphas sitteth in consistory Antichrist was here in full power A signe of gods true 〈◊〉 The Sacrament of the Lords â—ody Penaunce Images Pilgrimage The aunswer examined Quarel picked where 〈◊〉 was geuen The Christen aunswere of the Lord Cobham vnto their quarellinges The wolfe was hungry he must needes be fed with bloud A tyrannous whore is that mother His auÌ„swer not to their mindes Antichrist setteth men aboue God The L. CobhaÌ„ resorteth vnto Christ. What could be more reasonably had if they had reasoÌ„ to receaue it A doctrine of deuils to blinde the simple Ex magna professu Thom 4 Arundel The first Article The second Article The third Article The seede of the Serpent The fourth Article He seeth their ignoraunce and malice He putteth his life in Gods hand Ex â—troque exemplari The couÌ„sell of Cayphas The phariseis and Scribes A rable of Antichristes ConciliuÌ„ ma lignansiuÌ„ For a false coulor sweare they All done to deceiue the ignoraunt Lord Cobham commeth againe before them Ex â—etusto exemplari LondineÌ„siuÌ„ The curse of Antichrist Malachi 2. A woluishe after of gentlenesse L. Cobham confesseth himselfe into God Mans law before Gods law preferred â—liere 51. The Christen beliefe of the Lord Cobham Math. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Antichrist alloweth not this faith The sacrament of the aultar Iohn Whithead gone from his opinion All this would not helpe A blasphemous bloode Quarell pickers The sacrameÌ„t of Christes body is both the body and bread Neither will scripture nor reason serue This opinioÌ„ hath S. Augustine Gelasius contra Eutichen The popes diuâ—nitic Materiall Iohn 6. An heresie after the papistes making 1. Cor. 10 The sacrament is called bread The determination of the church must stand whatsoeuer Paule saith A most christen aunswere The iudgement of L. Cobham concerning the determinatioÌ„ of the Church The Doctours consounded in their owne question The L. CobhaÌ„ beleueth not in the Pope An heresie after the papistes Holy church defined Consider him to be then in shrewde handlinge Walden contra Wieleuistas li. ar 2. Cap. 67 How we may iudge or not iudge by the scriptures Math. 7. Iohn 1. Iohn 7. Deut. 16. Psal. 56. Diuersitie of iudgementes A persite aunswere Esay 5. Esay 55. Walden in prafasione doctrina 7. A great aduersary Hieroni. in breniâ—ri im minori Luke 11. Iohn 10. Doctours when the scripture faile they begin to raise The clergie to sit on life or death hath no ground in scriptures Followers of Cayphas 26. Bishops of Rome togeather mat tirs saue one ly 4. A coÌ„parison betwene the martirs and the Popes tyme. A coÌ„parison betwene Christ and the Pope Rome is Antichristes neast Esay 9. Friers proued seditious and yet fouÌ„d no traytors Math. 23. The religió of Bishops Note I pray you how those are counted traitors and sedious that teach or cause Gods truth to be taught Luke 23. Iohn 19. Math. 24. Prophecy Prophecy Priestes Deacons Market this working of Sathan Act. 6. The first article Transubstantiation of bread into the body The L. Cob his beliefe in the sacrament Theâ— Article Confessió of sinne to God onely Malachi 20 The 3. Article Who is next into Peter Succession not of place but of conditioÌ„s maketh Peters heire Antichristes head body taile The 4. Article Pilgrimage What is to be dóe with Images Saintes are becoÌ„e now couetous beggers A whelpe of the same heare Images not to be worshipped The crosse whether it is to be worshipped Galat. 6. The materiall crosse is not materiall to our faith What it is to reioyce in the crosse of Christ. SlauÌ„dered with the truth These meÌ„ seeme to stand onely vpon their estemation amoÌ„gest the people A woluishe offer of gentleness Bloudy muâ— therâ—n Suffered of god as a plague An hereticke foâ— confessing of Christ. Ezec 18. Ezec 35. The wolfe would appeare charitable See if they shew not themselues Ex magno processu Thomae Arund eli That church is an whore A true shepe heareth the voice of a true pastor A colour of deceite As Caiphas did Christ. Christ is condeÌ„ned in his faithful members How spirituall these fathers are Keepe the sepul chre neuer so much yet Christ will rise None office left vndone pertaining to Antichrist What care is here to hold vp their popery Tho. Waldi in susesculo ZizanioruÌ„ Wseleus Richarde Clifford Rob. Mascall Ex â—eroque exemplari Math. 10. Iob. 1. Math. 10. He prayeth for his enemyes Ex â—etusto exemplari LoÌ„dinensiuÌ„ A testimoni all made by his frendes To stop lying lippes A rehersall of his belief In forme of bread but not without bread he meaneth The clergie in hate of the people A practise of false priests These are their coÌ„mon feates Walden in sasesculo zi zansorum Wielens Make from whence this geate commeth Fine worâ—â—â—hip I 〈◊〉 Alas good can thou 〈◊〉 slaundeâ—◠〈◊〉 proue 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 No scripâ—â— haue they to 〈◊〉 Intollera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 made 〈◊〉 such an 〈◊〉 And this maintaine they still The pope holy bible of papists Marke this haÌ„dling This charge geue they commonly For confirmation of this historie Ex archiuis et Regist. Tho. Arund Archiep. Cant. Polydorus and Edw. Haull deceiued A thing thought right necessary that the L. Cobham should be made out of the way or els not possible for papistry to florish Sir I. Oldecastel in fauour with the kyng The keyes of the church falsely wrasted The L. Cobham excommunicated The L. Cobham cast into the Tower The teres of the Crocadile Popish absolution neglected The Sacrament of the aultar Of penance Of Images Of pilgrimages See whether these men picke quarelles where they neede now Here is no mention made of the worde of God Wolues clothed in 〈◊〉 skins The summe in the poâ—â—â— beliefe Confession The Popes â—â—premacy Pilgrimage Conueneâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christum 〈◊〉 Psal. 2. The sacrament both body and bread in diuers respectes How confession is to be alowed What honour is to be done to the crosse The pope is Antichrist the Byshops are his members and fryers his tayle The bolde talke of the L. Cobham They cal them selues humble which rule ouer kinges and exercise the tyranny of the world Folowing christes footsteppes cleane contrary The vniuersall church meaning by a figure the part for the whole They call light darknes and darknes light Like will to like So did the Pharisies deliuer Christ vnto Pilate Syr Rob. Morley The L. Cobham returned againe to the Tower Alanus Copus Anglus with his fixe Dialogues Erostratus to get him a fame set Dianas temple on fire Alanus Copus Anglus intemperately abuseth hys penne Copus a barker agaynst dead me ... Answere to Alanus Copus Indifferency of the reader craued Whether the L. Cobham be to be iudged a traytor or a martyr The L. Cobham true and obedient to
saying to him Thou art Peter vpon this rocke I will build my church c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth feede my sheepe Ioan. vlt. That is to say be thou Peter the head ouer thy brethren Tedious it were to recite all the bibblebabble of these doctors in this their long responsall Who so lisâ—eth to see the bottome of their profounde writing knowledge may resort either to the history of Siluius or els to M. Cochleus in his first booke De hist Hussit Thus then M. Iohn Hus being driuen out of Prage as is afore touched by the motion of these Doctours and moreouer being so excoÌ„municate that no Masse nor other must be sayd there where he was present The people begaÌ„ mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates other popish priests which were the workers therof accusing theÌ„ to be Simoniacks couetous whoremaisters adulterers proud sparing not to lay opeÌ„ their vices to their great ignominy and shame And much crauing a reformation to be had of the clergy The king seing the inclination of the people being also not ignorant of the wickednes of the clergy vnder pretence to reforme the church began to require greater exactions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy as were knowne and accused to be wicked liuers Whereupon they on the other part that fauored Iohn Hus taking that occasion present complayned of all accused many and spared none Whomsoeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke faction or enemies to Iohn Hus. By reason wherof the priests of the popish Clergy were brought such as were faultye into great distresse and such as were not faulty into great feare In so much that they were glad to fall in at least not to fall out with the Protestantes being afrayd to displease them By this meanes maister Hus beganne to take some more liberty vnto him to preach in his church at Bethleem none to controll him by the same meanes the people also receiued some comfort and the king much gayne mony by the reason And thus the popish Clergy while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus were in wrapped theÌ„selues in great tribulation and afflicted on euery side as wel of lay meÌ„ as of learned men of the clergy In so much that womeÌ„ also children were agaynst theÌ„ And by that same reasoÌ„ wherwith they thought to entangle him they were ouerthrown theÌ„selues For the Doctors which before condemned this doctrine in Iohn Hus for an intollerable heresye cried out so much agaynst him for teaching the teÌ„porall Lords might take away teÌ„porall liuings froÌ„ the clergy sinning habitualiter that is lying and continuing still in the custome of iniquity now when the king and the Lords temporall began to mearse them and berieue them of their teÌ„poralties for their transgressions the sayd Doctors did keepe silence durst speake neuer a word Agayne where the foresayd doctors before could not abide in Iohn Hus that tithes wer to be couÌ„ted for pure almes now comming to the Guildhal were faine to entreat for theyr temporall goodes not to be taken from them pleading the same temporalties to be mere almose and deuotion of good men geuen vnto the church Ex Cochleo And thus now did they themselues graunt the thing which before they did condemne The more that the popes clergy was pinched the more grudge hatred redounded to Iohn Hus although he was in no cause therof but onely their owne wicked deseruinges for the which cause Stephen Paletz and Andraeas de Broda being the chiefe champions of that faction though they could not remedy the case yet to ease theyr mindes wrote sharpe and cruell letters to Maister Hus. And to helpe the matter forward the Pope also here must helpe at a pinche who likewise writeth hys letters to Wenceslaus king of Bohemia which was brother to Sigismund Emperor for the suppressing of Iohn Hus of his doctrine Which was in the fifth and last yere of his Popedome an 1414. The tenour of whose letters to king Wenceslaus in this wise proceedeth ¶ The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus IOhn Bishoppe seruaunt of Gods seruanntes to his welbeloued sonne in Christ Wenceslaus King of Romaines and of Boheme greeting and apostolicall benediction Among other desires and delightes of our hart who although vnworthy to represent the roome of Christ here in earth this doth chiefly redounde to our singular comfort fo often as we do heare of the brotherly entreaty of peace and of concord by which concord kingdoms do encrease as contrary by discorde they are deminished which is betweene your honour and our welbeloued in the Lord Sigismund your brother germane cosin for the noble king of the Romans c. And furthermore it foloweth in these words And as we haue cause to ioy at the premisses so likewise agayne the heauy rumors which are here do trouble and dampe our mindes For we heare that in diuers places vnder your dominioÌ„ there be certain which do folow and leane to the errors of that archhereticke Wickliffe whose bookes haue bene long since condemned in the generall Romain councell to bee erroneous hereticall and swaruing from the catholicke fayth And furthermore whiche is worst of all the sayd persons cleauing to the opinions of the heretickes least they should be corrected of their superior powers for their exces to couer theyr naughtines and stubbernesse in despising the commaundements of the Apostolicall seat do openly teach disobedience and contempt of the keies and ecclesiasticall censure to the subuersion of the Apostolicall dignity setting at nought the decrees of the holy fathers canons Wherefore we do exhort your The description of the Popes councell holden at Rome in which appeared a monstrous Owle to the vtter defacing of the Pope and all his Clergy worship for the mercy of our God as hartely as we may or caÌ„ that it would please you as we desire hope you will so effectuously to shew forth your regall power both for the glory of God defence of the catholicke fayth which you go about to defend and for the conseruation of your kingly name state and honor for the prosperous safe gouernement of your kingdome and dominions as it becommeth a catholicke prince whereby this blot of heresye which doth so lamentably and miserablye spring and creepe in those partes and doth so infect the mindes of mortall men to the destruction of their soules and doth sequester them from the congregation of the pure and catholick fayth and truth may be rooted out c. Geuen at Bononia in the Ides of Iune in the v. yeare of our popedome c. In this epistle of Pope Iohn aboue prefixed forsomuch as mention is made of a certaine councell before holden at Rome which was 4. yeares before agaynst the articles books of Iohn Wickliffe it shall not be impertineÌ„t nor out of purpose to repeat a certayn mery history worthy otherwise to