and diuers other I credibly heare of certayne olde Irish Bibles translated long since into the Irish toung which if it be true it is not other like but to be the doing of this Armachanus And thus much of this learned prelate and Archbishop of Ireland a man worthy for his christian zeale of immortall cōmendation After the death of this Innocent next was poped in that sea of Rome pope Urbane the fift who by the fathers side was an englishman This Urbane had bene a long wayter in the court of Rome and when he saw no promotion would light vpon him complayning to a certayn frend of his made to him his mone saying That he thought veryly if all the Churches of the world should fall yet none would fall in his mouth The which frend after seing him to be Pope and inthronised in his threefold crowne commeth to him putting him in remembrance of his words to him before sayth that where his holynesse had moned his fortune to him that if all the Churches in the world would fall none would fall vpō his head Now sayth he god hath otherwise so disposed that all the churches in the world are fallen vpon your head c. This Pope mayntayned and kindled great wars in Italy sending Egidius his Cardinall and Legate and after him Arduinus a Burgundian his legate and Abbot with great puissaunce and much mony agaynst sundry cities in Italy By whose meanes the townes and Cittyes which before had broken frō the bishop of Rome were oppressed also Bernabes Baleaceus princes of Millam vanquished By whose example other being sore feared submitted themselues to the Church of Rome And thus came vp that wicked church to her great possessiōs which her patrons would needes father vpon Constantine the godly Emperor In the time of this Pope Urbane the 5. and in the second yeare of his raign about the beginning of the yere of our Lord. 1364. I finde a certayne Sermon of one Nicolas Drem made before the Pope and his Cardinalies on Christmas euen In the which Sermon the learned man doth worthely rebuke the prelates and priests of his time declaring their destruction not to be farre of by certayne signes taken of their wicked and corrupt life All the sayings of the Prophets spoken agaynst the wicked priestes of the Iewes he doth aptly apply against the clergy of his time comparing the Church then present to the spirituall strumpet spoken of in the 16. of the Prophet Ezechiel And proueth in conclusion the clergy of the church then to be so much worse then the old Synagoge of the Iewes by how much it is worse to sell that church Sacraments thē to suffer doues to be solde in the church with no lesse iugement also and learning he answereth to the old and false obiection of the papists who albeit they be neuer so wicked yet thinke themselues to be the church which the Lord cannot forsake All which thinges to that entent they may the better appeare in his owne words I haue thought here to translate and exhibite the Sermon as it was spoken before the Pope ¶ A copy of a Sermon made before Pope Vrbane 5. the fourth sonday in Aduent 1364. by Nicholas Orem IVxta est salus mea vt veniat iustitia c. That is My sauing health is neare at hand to come and my righteousnes to be reuealed c. Esay 56. After the sentence of S. Paule Rom. 2. and in diuers other places before the Natiuity of Christ the whole world was deuided into two sorts of men the Iewes and Gentils The Iewes who wayted for the opening of the dore of Paradise by the bloud of the Sauior to come The Gentiles who yet sitting in darckenesse were to be called to light and to be iustified by fayth as is written Rom. 5. This saluation perteining both to the Iew and Gentile God promised before time to the Fathers by the Prophets to stirre vp the desire thereof in their hartes the more and to encrease theyr firme hope and fayth in the same As first in Mich. 6. the voyce of the Lord cryeth Health and saluation shall be to all men which feare my name And Esay 46. I will geue in Sion saluation and in Ierusalem my glory c. with diuers such other places like And forsomuch as hope in many times which is deferred doth afflict the soule and conceiueth wearinesse of long deferring He therefore prophesying of the nearenesse of the commyng thereof sayeth moreouer Esay 14. his time is neare at hande to come Also Abacuc 2. He will come and will not tary with many such other places mo◠So then the holy Fathers being in Limbo looked hoped that he should bring out them that sate bound and which in the house of prison sat in darckenesse as is read Esay 41. Then the time drew on in which came the fulnesse of the Gentiles and in which the Lord would declare the riches of this mistery being hidden from the world and from generations Col. 1. Wherefore the Lord in this text doth both certifye our fathers of the comming of our Sauior and doth comfort them touching the nearenesse thereof and also teacheth the iustification of the Gentils by fayth approching now neare at hand according to the words of my text Iuxta est salus mea c. Which words were fulfilled thē what time the Lord did manifest his saluation and did reueale his righteousnes in the sight of all the Gentiles And is deuided in 3. partes Of which the first speaketh of the nearenesse of his comming where is sayd Iuxta est salus c. The second concerneth the mistery of the Aduent of Christ and his incarnation where he sayth Vt veniat c. Thirdly is considered the seuerity of God his terrible reuenging iudgement to be reuealed where he sayth Vt reueletur c. which is to be expounded of his primitiue iustice whereof speaketh Amos the 5. saying And iudgement shall be reuealed like a sloud and righteousnesse like a strong stream Wherfore for our contēplation let vs receiue with ioy the solemnities of his holy vigile the word I say of God the father that is Christ. To whom it is sayd Esay 49. I haue geuen thee to be a light to the Gentiles and to be my saluation through the ends of the world Agayne Esay 46. My saluation shall not slacke c. As touching the nearenes thereof it is in these dayes opened to vs by the gospell where we read in S. Math. When the virgine Mary was dispoused vnto Ioseph before they did come together she was found with childe by the holy Ghost By this it was euident to vnderstand that our sauior ought shortly to proceed out of the chaste wombe of the virgin according as the Prophet dyd foretell saying Behold a virgine shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne c. For like as
or sequester thyngs geuen by Charte or charter when any doth vniustly occupye the same And so if that stand confirmed and ratified by the fayth of the Churche great occasion thereby should be ministred to men so chartered to trust to their temporall chartes and so might grow thereby much libertie and licence to sinne For like as by what supposition euery truth is necessary so by the same supposition euery false thyng is possible as it is playne by the testimony of Scripture of holy Doctours speakyng of necessitie of thynges to come 4. Euery man beyng in grace iustifying finally hath not onely right vnto the thyng but also for his tyme hath right in deede ouer all the good thynges of God The veritie hereof is euidēt by holy Scripture Math. 24. Where veritie promiseth to euery mā entryng into his ioy verely sayth he I tell you he shall set place him ouer all the goodes he hath For the right and title belōgyng to the cōmunion of Saintes in their countrey he meaneth in the kingdome of heauen Fundatur obiectiuè super vniuersitatem bonorum Dei That is Hath his relation as vnto his obiect to all the goodes and possession of God 5. A man can but onely ministratoriously geue any temporall dominion or gift perpetuall as well to his owne naturall sonne as to his sonne by imitation It is euidēt For euery mā ought to recognise himselfe in all his workes and doyngs as an humble seruaunt and minister of God As the wordes of Scripture doth teach vs. Let a man so esteeme of vs as the ministers of Christ. Yea so Christ himselfe did teach his chief Apostles to minister but in their countrey the Saints shall geue vnto their felow brethren the dominion of their goodes vt pater de suis corporibus bonis eis inferioribus in natura accordyng to the wordes of Luke 6. They shall geue you and put into your bosomes a good measure and perfect well filled and heaped vp and runnyng ouer 6. If God be temporall Lordes may lawfully and meritoriously take away the goodes of fortune from the Church when they do offend habitualiter This conclusion is correlatiue with the first Article of our fayth I beleue in God the father almighty c. Where I vnderstand this word may in this conclusion after the maner of autentique Scripture which sayth graunteth that God is able of these stones to rayse vp children to Abraham for otherwise all Christian Princes were heretiques For this conclusiō thus stādeth the reason If God be he is omnipotēt if he be almighty he is able to commaunde the Lordes temporall so to do if he way so commaunde thē may they lawfully so take away such goods c. And so by the vertue of the same principle Christian Princes haue practised the sayd sentence vpon the Church mē heretofore as did William Rufus c. But God forbid that any should beleue hereby my intention to haue bene that secular Lords may lawfully take away what goodes soeuer and by what meanes soeuer by their owne naked authority at theyr pleasure but only by the authority of the church may so do in cases and forme limited by the law 7. We know that it is not possible that the vicare of Christ is able by his pure Bulles c. This is manifest by the Catholique faith for asmuch as the Church doth fully beleue that the abling of any mā ought first to procede and come of God wherfore no man being Christ his vicar hath any power in this matter but onely as vicar in the name of the Lord so far forth as he is enabled of the Lord to notify vnto the church whom God hath enabled Wherfore if any mā do any thing not as vicar in the name of the Lord whom he ought to forethinke to be his author and head It is a presumption of Lucifer for so much as Christ by his Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 3. all our hability or sufficiency cōmeth of God And so consequently it commeth not purely by the ministerie of hys Uicarship that he is inabled but the ablenesse or vnablenesse of him being the Uicar of Christ commeth to hym an other way from aboue 8. A man can not be excommunicate to his hurt or vndoing except he be excommunicate first and principally of himselfe It is euident forasmuch as all such excommunication ought to procede begin originally of his owne sin which is damnified wherupon Augustine sayth De verbis Domini Sermone 51. Doe not thou conculcate thy selfe and man ouercōmeth thee not And moreouer the faith of the church doth teach quòd nulla ei nocebit aduersitas si nulla dominetur iniquitas that is to say No aduersitie shall hurt if no miquitie haue the vpper hand And yet notwithstanding euery excommunication for many causes is also to be reared although that the excommunication of the Churche to the humble man being excommunicated be not damnable but wholesome 9. No man ought but in Gods cause alone to excommunicate suspende c It is cleare for asmuch as euery iust cause is the cause of God whose respect ought chiefly to be wayed and pondered Yea the loue of the person excommunicate ought to surmount the zeale of reuengement and the desire of all temporall goodes whatsoeuer for otherwise he that doeth excommunicate doth damnify himselfe To this 9. conclusion notwithstanding it is congruent that a Prelate may excommunicate in the cause also of man so that his principal respect in so doing be had to y◠iniury done to his God as appeareth 13. quaest 4 Inter querelas 10. No curse or excommunication can binde simply but in case it be geuen out against the aduersary of Christes lawe And it appeareth thus because that God doth bynde simply euery one that is bound who cannot excommunicate but onely for trāsgression of his law Whereunto it is consonant notwithstanding that the censure of the Church doth not binde simply but secondarely in that case and respect as it is denounced against the aduersary of the members of the Church 11. There is no example of Christ which geueth power to hys disciples to excommunicate any subiecte especially for denying of any temporalties but contrary Which is thus declared by the fayth whereby we beleue that God is to be beloued aboue all thynges and our neighbour and enemy are to be beloued aboue all tēporall goodes of this world necessaryly for the law of God cannot be contrary vnto it selfe 12. The disciples of Christ haue no power by any ciuill coaction to exact temporall things by their censures This appeareth by the fayth of the Scripture Luke 23. Where Christ did forbid hys Apostles ciuilly to raigne or to beare any lordship The kings sayth he of the Gentiles beare rule ouer them but you not so And after thys sense it is expounded of S. Bernarde of S. Chrysostome and other holy men which conclusion notwithstanding yet may they exact
subuerted and confounded in theyr owne policie for that they trusting to their owne deuise and not vnto the Lord which only can dissolue the operation of Satan the Lord so turneth their deuise into a trap thereby to take them whereby they thinke most surely to escape Examples whereof we see not onely in Astyages King of the Medes aforesaid and Cyrus but in infinite other like euents which the trade of the world doth dayly offer to our eies So Queene Margaret thought her then cockesure when Duke Humfrey was made away when nothing else was her confusion so much as the losse and lacke of that man So if King Richard the second had not exercised suche crueltie vpon his vncle Thomas Duke of Glocester he had not receiued such wrong by King Henry the fourth as he did pag. 594. Likewise this King Edwarde the fourth it he had suffered his brother Gorge Duke of Clarence to haue liued his house had not so gone to wracke by Richard his other brother as it did What befell vpon the Student of Astrology in the Uniuersitie of Basill ye heard before who if he had not mewed himselfe in hys chamber for feare of his diuination had escaped the stroke that fell Now in auoiding such Propheticall euentes which he should not haue searched he fell into that which he did feare These few examples for instruction sake I thought by occasion to inferre not as though these were alone but by these few to admonish the Reader of infinite other which dayly come in practise of life to the great daunger decay as well in priuate houses as in weales publicke Wherfore briefly to repete what before simply hath bin said touching this matter seeing that Sathan thorough such subtile Prophecies hath yet doth dayly practise so manifold mischiefes in the world setting brother against brother nephew against the vncle house against house and realme against realme gēdring hatred where loue was subuerting priuely y◠simplicity of our christian faith therfore y◠first thing best is for godly men not to busie there braines about such phātasies neither in delighting in thē nor in harkening to thē nor in searching for thē either by southsaier or by cōiuratiō or by familiar or by astrologer knowing and considering this that whosoeuer shal be desirous or ready to search for them the Deuill is as ready to aunswere his curiositie therein For as once in the old tyme of Gentilitie hee gaue his Oracles by Idols and Priestes of that tyme so the same deuill although he worketh not now by Idols yet he craftely can geue now aunswere by Astrologers and coniurers in these our dayes in so doyng both to say truth and yet to deceaue men whē he hath sayd Wherfore leauyng of such curiositie let euery Christen man walke simple in his present vocation referryng hid thynges not in the word expressed vnto him which sayth in his word Non est vestrum scire tēpora momenta temporum c. It is not for you to know the tymes and seasons of tymes which the Father hath kept in his owne power c. Secondly in this matter of Prophecies requisite it is as is sayd for euery Christen man to learne how to discerne and distinct the true Prophecies which proceede of God and the false Prophecies whiche come of Sathan The difference wherof as it is not hard to be discerned so necessary it is that euery good man do rightly vnderstand the same to the entent that he knowing flying the daunger of the one may be the more certaine and cōstant in adhering to the other Thirdly because it is not sufficient that the deceitfull Prophecies of the deuill be knowen but also that they be resisted I haue also declared by what meanes the operation of Sathans workes and Prophecies are to be ouercome that is not with strength and policie of mā for that there is nothyng in man able to counteruayle the power of that enemy Under heauen there is nothyng elles that can preuayle agaynst his workes but onely the name of the Lord Iesus the sonne of God not outwardly pronoūced onely with our lippes or signed in our foreheads with the outward crosse but inwardly apprehended and dwellyng in our hartes by a silent fayth firmely and earnestly trustyng vpon the promises of God geuen and sealed vnto vs in his name For so it hath pleased his fatherly wisedome to set him vp to be both our righteousnesse before himselfe and also to be our fortitude agaynst the enemy acceptyng our fayth in his sonne in no lesse price then he accepteth the workes worthynesse of the same his sonne in whom we do beleue Such is the strength and effect of faith both in heauen in earth also in hell In heauen to iustifie in earth to preserue in hell to cōquere And therfore when any such Prophecie or any other thing is to vs obiected which seemeth to tend agaynst vs let vs first consider whether it sauour of Sathan or not If it doe then let vs seeke our succour not in our selues where it doth not dwell neither let vs kill nor slay nor chaunge our vocation therfore folowing vnordinate wayes but let vs runne to our Castle of refuge whiche is to the power of the Lord Iesus remembring the true promise of the Psalme Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi in protectione Del coeli commorabitur That is who so putteth his trust in the succour of the Lord shall haue the God of heauen to his protector And then shall it afterward follow in the same Psalme Ipse liberabit te a laqueo venantium a verbo aspeto That is And he shall deliuer him from the snare of the hunter and from all euill wordes and Prophecies be they neuer so sharpe or bitter agaynst him c. And thus much by the occasion of kyng Edward of Prophecies Now hauing lōg taried at home in describyng the tumultes and troubles within our owne land we will let out our story more at large to consider the afflictions and perturbatiōs of other parties and places also of Christes Church as wel here in Europe vnder the Pope as in the East partes vnder the Turke first deducyng our story frō the tyme of Sigismund where before we left Which Sigismund as is aboue recorded was a great oder in the Councell of Constance agaynst Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage This Emperour had euer euill lucke fightyng agaynst the Turkes Twise he warred agaynst them and in both the battailes was discomfited and put to flight once about the Citie of Mysia fightyng agaynst Baiazetes the great Turke an 1395. the second tyme fightyng against Celebinus the sonne of Baiazetes about the towne called Columbacium But specially after the Councell of Constance wherein were condemned and burned those two godly Martyrs more vnprosperous successe did then folow him fightyng agaynst the Bohemians his owne subiectes an 1420. by whom
after they suffred tormēts yet after reuolted But other being as strong as blessed valiant pillers of the Lord fortified with constancie agreing to their fayth were made faithfull Martyrs of the kingdome of God Of whom the first was Iulianus a man diseased with the gout and not able to go being caried of two men of whō the one quickly denied the other Cronion surnamed Eunus with the foresayd Iulianus the old man confessing the Lord with a perfect fayth were layd vpon Camels and there scourged at length cast into the fire with great constancie were so consumed As these aforesaid were going to their Martyrdome there was a certaine souldiour who in their defence tooke part agaynst them that rayled vpon them For the which cause the people crying out agaynst hym he also was apprehended and beyng constant in his professiō was forthwith beheaded Likewise one Macar a man borne in Lybia beyng admonished and exhorted of the Iudge to deny his fayth and not agreyng to his persuasions was burned alyue After these suffred Epimachus and one Alexander who beyng long deteined in prison and in bandes after innumerable paynes torments with razers scourges were also cast into the burning fire with foure other women with them which all there ended their Martyrdome Also Ammonarion an holy virgine whō the cruel iudge had long and bitterly tormented for that she promising the Iudge before that for no punishment she would yelde to his request and constantly performyng the same suffred likewise Martyrdome with two other women of whom there was an aged Matrone named Mercuria the other was called Dionysia beyng a mother of many fayre childrē whom yet notwithstanding she loued not aboue the Lord. These after they could nothe ouercome by no tormēts of the cruell iudge but he rather ashamed and confounded to be ouercome of sely women at length they beyng past feeling of all torments were slayne with the sword first Ammonarion like a valiant Captaine suffryng before them Heron Ater and Isidorus Egyptians and with them Dioscorus also a child of xv yeres were crowned with the same crowne of Martyrdom And first the iudge began with the child thinking him more easie to be wonne with wordes to entise him then with torments to constrain him but he persisted immouable geuing neither place to persuasions nor punishments The rest after he had greuously tormēted being constant in their profession he committed to the fire At Dioscorus the iudge greatly meruailing for his wise answers graue constancie dismissed him sparing as he said his age to a longer respite which Dioscorus is yet also with vs at this present wayting for a longer triall Nemesion beyng also an Egyptian first was accused for a companion of thieues but beyng purged thereof before the Centurion was then accused of Christianitie and for that cause being in bands was brought to the President who most vnrighteously tormenting and scourging hym double to al other thieues and felons at length among the thieues burned him to death making him a blessed martir There were standing before the tribunall seate certaine of the warriors or knights whose names were Ammon Zenon Ptolomeus Ingenuus and with them a certayne aged man called Theophilus who standing by at what tyme a certaine christian man was before the iudge examined and there seyng him for feare redy to incline and fall away did burst almost for sorow within themselues making signes to him with their hands and all iestures of their body to be constant This beyng noted of all the standers by they were redy to lay hold vpon them but they preuenting the matter preased vp of their owne accord before to the bench of the iudge professing themselues to be Christians In so much that both the President with the benchers were all astonied the christians which were iudged more emboldned to suffer and the Iudges therby terrified This done they departed away from the place glad and reioycing for the testimony that they had geuen of their fayth Many other besides were in other cities and tounes rent and torne asunder by the Heathen among whom one I wil speake off for cause worthy of memory Ischirion one that was in seruice with a certaine noble man was commaunded of his maister to make sacrifice who for not obeying was therefore rebuked After persisting in the same was greuously threatned with sharp and manacing wordes At last his maister when he coulde not preuaile against him taking a stake or pike in his handes ran him through into the body and slue him What should I speake of the multitude of them which wandering in desertes and mountaines were consumed with hunger thirst cold sicknes thieues or wilde beasts of whose blessed victorie they which be aliue are yet witnesses In the number of whom one I will speake off among diuers other named Cheremon Bishop of the Citie called Nilus an aged man he with his wife flying to the mountain of Arabia neuer returned again nor euer could be seene after And though they were sought for diligently by their brethren yet neither they nor their bodies were found Many other there were which flying to these moūtains of Arabia were taken of the barbarous Arabians of whom some with much mony could scarse be ransomed some were neuer heard off yet to this present day Thus much out of the Epistle of Dionysius alledged in Euseb. Lib. 6 cap. 41 42. c. Moreouer the foresaid Dionysius in an other place writyng to Germanus of his owne daungers and of other sustained in this persecution before this persecution of Decius thus inferreth as followeth I sayth he behold before the sight of God I lye not and he knoweth I lie not how that I hauing no regard of myne owne life and notwithout the motion of God did flye and auoyde the daunger of this persecution Yea and also before that this persecution of Decius did rage against vs Sabinus the same houre sent a Farmer to seeke me at what tyme I remaining at home waited iij. dayes for his comming But he searching narowly for me by all wayes fields flouds corners where he thought I might best haue hid my self or to haue passed by was stroken with such a blindnesse that he could not find myne house thinking with himself nothing lesse then that I would abide at home in such so dangerous persecution Thus these iij. days beyng past vpon the fourth day the Lord God so willing and commanding me to flie and also maruelously opening to me the way I with my children and many other brethren went out together And this not to come of my selfe but to be the worke of Gods prouidence the sequel of those things declared wherein afterward I was not vnprofitable peraduenture to some c. Againe in another place shortly after the foresayd Dionysius proceedyng in the narration of himselfe thus inferreth Then I comming to Hierusalem with them which were with me was
the house together men of one accord c. And so by the occasion hereof he writeth vnto them in the foresayd Epistle and moueth them to prayer and mutuall agreement For sayth he if it be promised in the Gospell to be graunted whatsoeuer any two consenting together shall aske what shall then the whole Churche do agreeing together or what if this vnanimitie were among the whole fraternitie which vnanimitie sayeth Cyprian if it had bene then among the brethren non venissent fraetribus haec mala si in vnum fraternitas fuisset animata that is these euiles had not happened to the brethren if the brethren had ioyned together in brotherly vnanimitie c. After the causes thus declared of this or other persecutions the sayd S. Cyprian moreouer in the forenamed Epistle worthy to be read of al men describeth likewise a certayne vision wherin was shewed vnto them by the Lord before the persecutiō came what should happen The vision was this There was a certayne aged father sitting at whose right hand set a young man very sad and pensiue as one with an indignation sorrowfull holding hys hand vpon hys brest hys countenaunce heauy and vnchearefull On the left hand sate an other person hauing in hys hand a net whiche he threatned to lay to catch the people that stode about And as he was marueiling that saw the sight thereof it was sayd vnto him The young man whō thou seest sit on the tight hand is sad and sory that hys preceptes be not obserued But he on the left hand daunceth and is merry for that occasion is geuen him to haue power of the aged Father geuen him to afflict men And this vision was seene long before this tempest of persecution happened Wherein is declared the same that before is sayd the sinnes of the people to be the cause why Sathan in this persecution and all other hath had and hath still such power with hys net of destruction to rage agaynst the bloud of Christen men and all because sayth Cyprian we forslacke our praying or be not so vigilant therein as wee shoulde wherefore the Lord because he loueth vs correcteth vs correcteth vs to amend vs amendeth vs to saue vs. c. Cyprian Furthermore the same Cyprian and in the same Epistle wrtting of his own reuelation or message sent to him thus sayth And to hys least seruaunt both sinfull and vnworthy meaning by himselfe God of his tender goodnes hath vouched safe to direct this word Tell him sayth he that hee be quiet and of good comfort for peace will come Albeit a litle stay there is for a while for that some remain yet to be proued and tryed c. And sheweth also in the same place of an other reuelation of his wherein he was admonished to be spare in hys feeding and sober in hys drinke least hys minde geuen to heauenly meditation might be caryed away with worldly allurements or oppressed with to much surfet of meates and drinkes should be lesse apt or able to prayer and spirituall exercise Finally in the latter end of the foresayd Epistle mention also followeth of other reuelations or shewinges wherein the Lord sayth Cyprian doth vouchsafe in many of hys seruantes to foreshew to come the restauring of hys Church the stable quiet of our health and safegard after rayne fayre weather after darcknes light after stormy tempest peaceable calme the fatherly helpe of his loue the wont old glory of hys diuine maiesty whereby both the blasphemy of the persecutors shall be repressed and the repentance of such as haue fallen be reformed and the strong and stable confidence of them that stand shall reioyce and glory Thus much hath S. Cyprian writing of these thinges to the Clergy Lib. 4. Epist. 4. As touching now the crymes and accusations in this persecution layd to the charge of the Christians thys was the principall first because they refused to doe worship to their Idols and to the Emperours then for that they professed the name of Christ. Besides all the calamities and euils that happened in the world as warres famine and pestilence were onely imputed to the Christians Agaynst all which quarreling accusations Cyprian doth eloquently defend the Christians in his booke Contra Demetrianum Like as Tertulian had done before writing Contra Scapulam page 55. And first touching the obiection for not worshipping Idoles he cleareth the Christians both in his booke Contra Demeir also De vanitate idol prouing those Idols to be no true Gods but Images of certayne dead kinges which neyther could saue themselues from death nor such as worship them The true God to be but one and that by the testimony of Sosthenes Plato and Trismegistus the which God the Christians doe truely worship And as concerning that the Christians were thought to be causes of publique calamities because they worshipped not the Gentiles Idoles he purgeth the Christians thereof prouing that if there be any defect in increase of thinges it is not to be ascribed to them but rather to the decrease of nature languishing now toward her age and latter end Agayne for that it hath bene so foresayd and prophecied that toward the end of the worlde should come warres famine and pestilence Moreouer if there be anye cause therof more proper then other it is most like to be imputed to their vaine Idolatry and to the contempt of the true God Also that such euils be increased by the wickednes of the people so that to speake in his owne words famem maiorem facia◠rapacites quam siccitas i. famine cometh more by auarice of men then by drought of the aire but especially the cause therof to procede of the cruell shedding of the innocent bloud of the Christians c. Thus with many other mo probations doth Cyprian defend the Christians against the barbarous exclamatiōs of the heathē Gentiles Of which Cyprian forsomuch as he suffered in the time of his persecution I mynde Christ wylling to recapitulate here in ample discourse the ful summe first of his life and bringing vp then of his death Martyrdome as the worthines of that man deserueth to be remembred Of this Cyprian therfore otherwise named Statius thus writeth Nicephorus Nazianzenns Iacobus de Voragine Henricus de Erfordia Volateranus Hieronymus and other that he being an Aphrican and borne in Carthage first was an Idolater and Gentill altogether giuen to the study and practise of the Magicall Artes of whose parentage and education in letters from his youth no mention is made but that he was a worthy Rethorician in Aphrica Of whose conuersion and baptisme he himselfe in his first booke second Epistle writeth a florishing and eloquent Hystory Which his conuersion vnto the christian fayth as Hieronimus affirmeth in his commentary vpon Ionas was through the grace of God and the meanes of Cecilius a Priest whose name after he bare and through the occasion of
and innumerable multitudes and congregations assembling together in euery citie and the notable coÌ„curses of such as dayly â—locked to the common Oratoures to pray For the which cause they beyng not able to be conteined in their old houses had large and great churches new builded from the foundation for them to frequent togither In such increasement saith Eusebius by processe of tyme did the church of christ grow and shout vp daily more and more profiting and spreading through all quarters which neithâ—r enuie of men coulde infringe nor any deuill could inchaunte neither the craftie policie of mans wit coulde supplant so long as the protection of God his Heauenlye arme went with his people keeping them in good order according to the rule of christian life But as commonly the nature of al men being of it selfe vnruly and vntowarde alwaies secketh desireth prosperity and yet can neuer wel vse prosperitie alwaies would haue peace and yet hauing peace alwaies abuseth the same so here likewise it happened with these meÌ„ which through this so great libertie prosperitie of life began to degenerate languishe vnto idlenes delycacy one to worke spite and coÌ„tumely against an other striuing and contending among theÌ„selues for euery occasioÌ„ with railing wordes after most despitefull maner bishops against bishops and people against people mouing hatred and seditioÌ„ one against an other besides also cursed hipocrisie and simulation with all extremity encreasing more and more by reason wherof the iudgemeÌ„t of god after his wonted maner whilist yet the congregatioÌ„ began to multiply began by a litle and litle to visite our men with persecution fallyng first vpon our brethreÌ„ which were abroad in warfare but wheÌ„ that toucht the other nothing or very litle neither did they seeke to appease gods wrath call for his mercy but wickedly thinking with ourselues that god neither regarded nor would visit our transgressions we heaped our iniquities daily more and more one vpon an other they which semed to be our pastors refusing the rule of piety were inflamed with mutual contentions on against an other and thus whilest they were giuen onely to the studye of contentions threatnings emulations mutual hatred dyscord euery man seeking his owne ambition and persecuting one another after the maner of tirany Then then I say the Lord according to the voice of Ieremy tooke awaye the beauty of the daughter of Sion the glory of Israell fell downe from heauen neither did he remember the footstoole of his feete in the day of his wrath And the Lorde ouerturned all the comely ornaments of Israell destroyed all her gorgeous buildings and according to the saying of the Psalme subuerted and extinguished the Testament of his seruaunt and prophaned his sanctuary in destruction of his churches and in laying wast the buildinges thereof so that all passingers spoiling the multitude of the people they were made an obloquie to al the dwellers about For he hath exalted the strength of his enimies and turned away the helpe of his sword from her nor ayded her in the battayle but ceased from the purging of her and her seate He stroke downe to the ground and deminished her daies and ouer all this poured vppon her confusion All these things were fulfilled vpon vs when we saw the temples rased from the top to the ground and the sacred scriptures to be burnt in the open market place and the Pastours of the church to hide themselues some here some there some other taken prisoners with great shame were mocked of their enimies wheÌ„ also according to the saying of the prophet in an other place Contempt was poured out vpon the Princes and they caused to goe out of the waye and not to keepe the straite pathe The x. Persecution BY reason whereof the wrath of God being kindled against his church ensued the tenth and last persecucion against the christians so horrible and greeuous that maketh the pen almost to tremble to writ vpon it so tedious that neuer was any persecution before or since comparable to it for the time it continued lasting the space of tenne yeares together This persecution although it passed thorow the handes of diuers tyrantes and workers moe then one or two yet principally it beareth the name of DioclesiaÌ„ who was Emperour as is aboue noted next after Carus Numerianus Thys Dioclesian euer hauyng an ambitious minde aspired greatly to be Emperour To whom Druas his Concubine sayd that first he should kill a wilde Boore before he should be Emperour Hee taking effect at these wordes vsed much with handes to kill wylde Boores but seeing no successe to come thereof vsed this prouerbe Ego Apros occido alius pulpamento fruitur that is I kill the Boores but other doe eate the fleshe At length the sayde Dioclesian beyng nominate to be Emperour and seeyng Aper who had killed Numerianus the Emperour standing thereby sware to the souldiers that Numerianus was wrongfully killed and forthwith runing vpon Aper with his sworde slew him Vopisc After this he being stablished in the Empire and seeing on euery side diuers and sundrie coÌ„motions rising vp against him which he was not well able himselfe to sustaine in the first beginning of his raign he chuseth for his Colleage Maximianus surnamed Herculius Father of Maxentius Which two Emperours because of diuers warres that rose in manye prouinces choose to theÌ„ two other noble men Galerius Constantinus whome they called Caesars Of whome Galerius was sent into the East partes against the Persians Constantinus was sent ouer to Britannie to this our country of England to recouer the tribute Where he toke to wife Helena the daughter of king Coil which was a maiden excelling in beautye and no lesse famously brought vp in the study of learning of whome was borne Constantinus the great All this while hitherto no persecution was yet stirred of these 4. princes against the church of Christ but quietlye and moderatly they gouerned the common wealth wherfore accordingly God prospered their doings and affaires and gaue them great victories Dioclesian in Egipt Maximinian in Aphricke and in Fraunce Galerius in Persia Constantinus in England and in Fraunce also By reason of which victories Dioclesian and Maximian puâ—te vppe in pride ordeyned a solemne triumph at Rome after which triumph Dioclesian gaue commaundement that he woulde be worshipped as God saying that he was brother to the Sunne and Moone and adourning his shooes with golde and precious stones commaunded the people to kysse hys feete And not long after by the iudgement of God for certaine enormities vsed in the church aboue touched began the great and greuous persecution of the Christians moued by the ragious cruelty of Dioclesian which was about the nyneteenth yeare of his rayne who in the Moneth of Marche when the feast of Easter was nye at hande commaunded all the churches
the hangman deceiued the sight of the people by some subtile sleight and craftie conueiance Not so quoth the hangman if ye suspect my dede open his mouth and diligently search the rootes of his tongue The Captaine at length being confounded with the fortitude and courage of the Martyr straightly commaundeth him to be brought backe into the prison and there to be strangled Where his sorowfull life and paines being ended hee nowe enioyeth quiet rest in the Lord with perpetuall hope of his miserable body to be restored againe with his soule into a better life where no tyrant shall haue any power Prudentius in hymnis de coronis Martyrum Gordius was a citizen of Caesaria a worthy souldiour and Captaine of an hundreth men Hee in the time of extreme persecution refusing any loÌ„ger to execute his charge did chuse of his owne accord willing exile and liued in the desert many yeares a religious and solitary life But vpon a certaine day when a solemne feast of Mars was celebrated in the citie of Caesarea and much people were assembled in the Theatre to beholde the games he left the desert and got him vp into the chiefe place of the Theatre and with a loude voyce vttered this saying of the Apostle Beholde I am fouÌ„d of them which sought me not and to those which asked not for mee haue I openly appeared By which wordes he let it to be vnderstood that of his owne accorde he came vnto those games At this noise the multitude litle regarding the sights looked about to see who it was that made such exclamation As soone as it was knowne to be Gordius and that the crier had commanded silence he was brought vnto the shiriâ—e which at that instant was present and ordeined the games WheÌ„ he was asked the question who he was from whence and for what occasion he came thether he telleth the truth of euery thing as it was I am come saith he to publish that I set nothing by your decrees against the Christian religion but that I professe Iesu Christ to be my hope and safety And when I vnderstood with what crueltie ye handle other men I tooke this as a fitte time to accomplish my desire The Shirife with these wordes was greatly mooued and reuengeth all his displeasure vpon poore Gordius commaunding the executioners to be brought out with scourges while gibbet whatsoeuer torments els might be deuised Whereunto Gordius answered saying that it shoulde be to him an hinderance and damage if hee coulde not suffer and endure diuers torments and punishments for Christ his cause The shirife being more offended with this his boldnesse commaunded him to feele as many kinde of torments as there were with all which Gordius notwithstanding coulde not be mastered or ouercome but lifting vp his eies vnto heauen singeth this saying out of the Psalmes The Lorde is my helper I will not feare the thing that man can doe to me and also this saying I will feare none euill because thou Lord art with me After this he against him selfe prouoketh the extremitie of the tormentours blameth them if they fauour him any thing at al. When the Shrife saw that hereby he could winne but little he goeth about by gentlenes and intising wordes to turne the stoute and valiant minde of Gordius He promiseth to him great and large offers if he wil denie Christ as to make him a Captaine of as many men as any other is to geue him richesse treasure what other thing so euer hee desireth But in vaine as the Prouerbe is pipeth the minstrell to him that hath no eares to heare for he deriding the foolish madnesse of the Magistrate sayth that it lieth not in him to place any in authority which he worthy to haue a place in heauen The Magistrate with these wordes throughly angred and vexed prepareth him selfe to his condemnation Whom after that he had coÌ„demned he caused to be had out of the Citie to be brent There runneth out of the Citie great multitudes by heaps to see him put to execution some take him in their armes louingly kisse him persuading him to take a better way and saue himself and that with weeping teares To whom Gordius answered weepe not I pray you for me but rather for the enemies of God which alwaies make warre against the Christians weepe I say for them which prepare for vs a fire purchasing hell fire for themselues in the day of vengeance And cease of further I pray you to molest and disquiet my setled minde Truly saith he I am ready for the name of Iesus Christ to suffer and indure a thousande deathes if neede were Some other came vnto him which persuaded him to deny Christ with his mouth to keepe his conscience to himselfe My toung sayeth hee which by the goodnes of God I haue cannot be brought to denie the author and geuer of the same for with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the toung we confesse vnto saluation Many moe such like wordes he spake but especially vttering to them such matter wherby he might perswade the beholders to death and to the desire of Martyrdome After all which with a mery and glad countenance neuer changing so much as his colour hee willingly gaue himselfe to be brent Basilius in Sermone in Gordium militem Caesariensem Not much vnlike to the story of Gordius is the story also of Menas an Egiptian who being likewise a souldiour by his profession in this persecution of Dioclesian forsooke al went into the desert where a long time he gaue hym selfe to abstinence watching and meditation of the Scriptures At length returning againe to the Citie Cotys there in the open threatre as the people were occupied vpon their spectacles or pastimes he with a loude voice openly proclaimed himselfe to be a christian and vpon the same was brought to Pyrrhus the President of whome he being demaunded of his faith made thys aunswere Conuenyent it is that I shoulde sayth he confesse God in whome is light and no darkenes for so much as Paule doth teache that with hart we beleue to righteousnes with mouth coÌ„fession is giuen to saluation After this the innocent Martyr was most painfully pinched and cruciate with sundrie punishments In all which notwithstanding he declared a constant heart and faith inuincible hauing these wordes in his mouth being in the middest of his torments There is nothing in my minde that can be compared to the kingdome of heauen Neither is al the world if it were wayed in balance able to be conferred with the price of one soule And sayd who is able to separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ our Lord shal afflictioÌ„ or anguish And moreouer said he I haue thus learned of my Lord my king not to feare them which kill the body and haue no power to kill the soule but to feare him rather who hath power
thinkest to possesse the gift of God by thy money therefore thy part nor lot is not in this worde Neither ought we to bee shauen on the crowne onely because Saint Peter was so shauen but because Peter was so shauen in the remebraunce of the Lords Passion therfore we that desire by the same Passion to be saued must weare the signe of the same passion with him vpon the top of our head which is the highest part of our body For as euery Church that is made a Church by the death of the Sauiour doth vse to beare the signe of the holy crosse in the front that it maye the better by the defence of that banner bee kept from the inuasions of euill spirits by the often admonition therof is taught to crucifie the flesh with the concupiscence of the same In like maner it behoueth such as haue the vowes of Monkes and degres of the Clergy to bind them selues with a straiter bit of continencie for the Lords sake And as the Lord bare a crowne of thorne on his head in his passion wherby he tooke caried away from vs the thornes and prickes of our sinnes so must euery one of vs by shauing our heads patiently beare and willinglye suffer the mockes and scorners of the worlde for his sake That wee may receaue the crowne of eternall life which God hath promised to all that loue him shall by shauing their corporal crownes beare the aduersity contemne the prosperity of this worlde But the shauing which Symon Magus vsed what faithful man doth not detest together with his magicall arte The which at the first apparance hath a shew of a shauen crowne but if you marke his necke you shal finde it curtailed in such wise as you will say it is rather meete to be vsed of the Symonistes then of the Christians And such of foolishe men be thought worthye of the glory of the eternall crowne whereas indede for their yll liuing they are worthy not only to be depriued of the same but also of eternall saluation I speak not this against thē that vse this kinde of shauing liue Catholikely in fayth and good workes but surely I beleeue there be diuers of them be very holy and godly men Amongst the which is Adamnan the Abbot and worthy Priest of the Columbians who when he came Embassadour from his country vnto king Alfride desired greatly to see our Monastery where be declared a wonderful wisedowe humilitie and Religiō both in his maners and wordes Amongest other talke I asked him why he that did beleue to come to the crown of life that should neuer haue end did vse contrary to his belief a definite Image of a crowne on his head And if you seke quoth I the felowship of S. Peter why doe you vse the fashion of his crowne whom S. Peter did accurse and not of his rather with whom you desire to liue eternally Adānā answered saying you know right well brother though I vse Symons maner of shauing after the custome of my country yet doe I detest with all my heart abhorre hys infidelitie I desire notwithstanding to imitate the footesteps of the holy Apostle as far forth as my power wil extend Then said I I beleeue it is so But then is it apparaunt you imitate those thinges which the Apostle Peter did frō the bottom of your hart if you vse the same vpon your face that you know he did For I suppose your wisedome vnderstandeth that it is right decent to differ in the triming your face or shauing frō his whom in your hart you abhorre And cōtrariwise as you desire to imitate the doings of him whom you desire to haue a mediator betweene God you so it is meete you imitate the maner of his apparell and shauing Thus much saide I to Adamnan who seemed then well to like our Churches in so much that he returning into Scotland reformed many of his churches there after our celebratiō albeit he could not do so amongst the Monks with whom he had special authority He endeuoured also to haue reformed their maner of shauing if he had bene able And nowe O King I exhort your maiestie to labor together with your people ouer whom the King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes hath made you gouernor to imitate likewise in all these points the Catholicke and Apostolical churches So shall it come to passe that in the end of this your temporall kingdome the most blessed prince of the Apostles shall opē you the gates of the heauenly kingdome together with the other elect of god The grace of the eternal king preserue you most derely beloued sonne in Christ long time to reigne ouer vs to the great tranquility of vs all When this letter was read before king Nayton wyth other of his learned men and diligentlye translated into his proper language he semed to reioyce very much at the exhortation therof insomuch as rising vp from among his noble men he kneled on the ground and gaue God thankes that he had deserued to receaue so worthye a presente out of England so caused it forthwith by publike proclamation to be writen out learned obserued throught out all the prouinces of the Pictes defacing the errours that had bene vsed there by the space of 700. and 4. yeares For all the ministers of the altar all Monkes were shauen on the crowne And al the people reioiced for the new dyscipline of the most blessed Prince of the Apostles S. Peter which they had receaued ¶ By this monkish letter aboue prefixed voide of all Scripture of all probation truth of history thou maiest note gentle Reader howe this vaine tradition of shauen crownes hath come vp vpon how light and trifling occasion which in very deede was none other but the dreaming phantasies of Monkes of that time falsely grounding vpon the example of Peter when by no olde monument of any aūtient record they can euer proue either Peter or Symon Magus to haue bene shauen Moreouer in the said leter also is to be noted how the Scottish Clergy at that season did weare no such Priestly crownes as our English Churchmen then did But to cut of this matter of shauing more worthy to be laught at thē to be storied let vs now againe returne where as we left at king Iue of whom W. Malmesbery and Fabian in his chronicle do record that whē the foresaide Iue had ruled the west saxons by the tearme of 37. yeares by the importunate perswasion and subtile policie of his wife Ethelburga was allured to go to Rome there to be made a Monke Which Ethelburga after she had a long tyme laboured him to leaue the world and could not bring about her purpose vpon a season when the king and she had rested them in a faire pallace richly behanged were vpon the morow thence departed she by her commaundement caused the pallace to
horrible for the which we are all worthy to be burned alyue meanyng of the Sacrament of the body of Christ which Sacrament Hildebrand when he thereof inquired a diuine aunswer agaynst the Emperour and would not speake threw into the fire and burned it contrary to the perswasion of the Cardinals that were present and would haue resisted the same In the second holy day in the Easter weeke when the clergy the people were assembled at S. Peters Church to heare masse after the Gospell he went vp into the pulpit as he was in his pontificall attire and in the presence of diuers bishops Cardinals a great company both of the Senate and the people of Rome beyng gathered together openly preached among manye other wordes of diuination that the kyng whose name was Henry should die without all peraduenture before the feast of S. Peter next ensuyng or els at least wise that he should bee so deiected from his kingdome that he should not be able any more to gather together aboue the number of vj. knights This he preached to the bishops and cardinals and all that were present crying out of the pulpit in these wordes Neuer accept me for Pope any more but plucke me from the aulter if this prophesie be not fulfilled by the day appointed About the same tyme he went about by helpe of priuy murtherers to kill the Emperour but God preserued him And many there were eueÌ„ at that tyme which thoght Pope Hildebrand to be guiltie and to bee the deuiser of the treason because that then he before the deed put in execution presumed of the death of the kyng beyng by him falsly prophesied of before which wordes of his wounded many mens hartes And it came to passe that Hildebrand by his wordes was openly condemned in the congregation which as is sayd gaue iudgement of himselfe to be no Pope neither that he would be counted for Pope any longer but thought to be both a belyer and a traitour vnlesss that before the feast of S. Peter next comming the Emperour should dye or els should bee depriued of all kingly honour In so much he should not be able to make aboue 6. knights on his part And thus by the appoyntmeÌ„t of God it came to passe that by his owne mouth he was condemned for an heretike Thus sayth the Lord The prophet which of arrogancie will prophesie in my name those things I haue not commauÌ„ded him or els will prophesie in the name of other Gods let him be slaine And if thou shall say with thy selfe how shall I know what thyng it is that the Lord hath not commaunded to be spoken This token shalt thou haue to know it by Whatsoeuer thing the Prophet in the name of God shal prophesie the same come not to passe that mayest thou be sure the Lord hath not spoken but the Prophet hath imagined through the hautinesse of his owne mynde therfore thou shalt not be afrayd of him When the tyme was expired that Hildebrand in his diuination had set and that neither the king was dead neither the power of the Empire empayred and fearing least by the wordes of hys owne mouth he should be reprehended and condemned subtleâ—y turned his tale saying and perswading the ignorant people that he ment not of the body of the king but of his soule as though the soule of the king had lost all sauing 6. of his knights or souldiours or els had bene dead during that space and thus by these sleights he beguiled the ignorant people Against such Prophets S. Gregory vpon Ezechiel sayeth Betwene true Prophetes and false this difference there is that true Prophets if they speake any thing vpon their owne mynd they be soone rebuked but the false prophets both they tell lies and not hauyng the spirite of truth they perseuere in their falsitie Ouer and beside the sayd Hildebrand iudged to death 3. men before they were conuict or els confessed their crime wythout the sentence of any secular iudge and caused them to bee hanged vpon a paire of gallowes ouer against the Church of S. Peter in a place called Palatiolum without any delay or aduisement contrary to the lawes which commaund that euery publike offender should haue 30. dayes space before he be put to execution Which thing euen amongst the Paganes is in vre and obserued as teacheth the authoritie of S. Ambrose and the Martyrdome of holy Marcelianus and Marcus He cast Centius the sonne of Stephen the Alderman into prison beyng before his trusty friend and in a vessell being thick set with sharpe nayles he tormented him to the poynt of death who after that he was escaped apprehended the sayd Hildebrand Of this apprehension before he was let at liberty he openly forgaue all the conspiratours Which thing afterwardes contrary to his fidelitie he brake and reuenged caused Centius to whome he had forgeuen all offences to be taken and hanged him 9. of his men vpon the gallowes before S. Peters porch There was at the apprehension of Pope Hildebrand a certain widowes sonne to whom and others moe for their penaunce he enioyned a yeares banishment Which tyme beyng explete or run out the widow in tokeÌ„ of more ample satisfaction thinking therby to haue appeased the mynd of Hildebrand put a halter about her sonnes necke and drawyng her sonne by the rope to the foot of Hildebrand sayd My Lord Pope at your hands will I receaue agayne my sonne which one whole yeare hath endured banishment and other penaunce by your holynesse enioyned Then the sayd Hildebrand for that instant because of those which were with him in company dissembling his wrath deliuered her her sonne very churlishly saying get thee hence woman I bid thee and let me be in rest After this he sent his officers appreheÌ„ded the widowes sonne and gaue commaundement to the Iustices to put him to death who altogether makyng aunswer sayd that they could no more condemne or meddle with him for that hee had for his crime committed appealed once to the Pope abidden the banishment and done the penaunce by him enioyned Hereupon this glorious Hildebrand beyng displeased wyth the Iudges caused the foote of the widowes sonne to be cut off makyng neyther repentaunce nor the lawes and ordinaunces to be of any estimation with hym And thus his foote beyng cut off he dyed within three dayes after with the payne thereof Many other wicked deedes did this Hildebrand vpon whom the bloud of the church cryeth vengeance shed by the sworde that is the miserable trecherie of his tong For which things and that iustly the church refused to communicate with him Haec Benno An other Epistle of Benno to the Cardinals TO the reuerend fathers of the Church of Rome and to hys beloued in Christ and to his brethren that shall for euer be beloued Benno the Cardinall of the Churche of Rome wisheth faythfull seruice
Anselmus certain bishops to moue and prooue his mynd declaring what charges and paynes the kyng had bene at in his behalfe to procure the pall for hym from Rome which otherwyse would haue stood him in great expences and that all this the king hath done for his sake Wherfore it were good reason and conueniēt that he to gratifie the king should something condescend to his request againe But with all this Anselme the stoute Archbishop would not be moued wherefore the kyng seeyng none other remedy was compelled to graunt vnto him the full right of his Archbishoprike And so the day apointed when the palle should be brought to Canterbury being caried with all solemnitie in a thing of siluer the Archbishop with a great concourse of people came forth barefoot with his priestly vestiments after a most goodly maner to meete the same And so beyng brought in was layd vppon the aulter whilest Anselme spreading ouer hys shoulders his popish vestiments proceeded vnto his popish masse Thus agreement beyng made betwene the kyng and the bishop so long as it would hold It happened the yere following the kyng with his army entred into Wales to subdue such as there rebelled against him After the victory gotten the king returned home agayne with triumph To whom Anselme thought to haue come to congratulate his prosperous successe But the king preuented hym by messengers laying to the bishops charge both the smal number euil seruice of his souldiours sent to him at hys need At the hearing hereof all the hope of Anselme was dasht who at the same present had thought to haue obtayned done many great matters with the king touching the state of the Church But here all turned contrary to his expectation In so much that he was charged against the next court of parliament to make his aunswer But he auoided that by appealing to Rome Wherfore he made his sute and friendes to the king for lisence to go to the Pope Unto the which sute the king aunswered agayne that he should not go neither was there any cause for him so to do for that both he knew him to be of so sound a lyfe that he had done no such offence where of hee needed to craue absolution at Rome neither was there any such lacke of science knowledge that he neded to borrow any counsel there In so much sayth the kyng that I dare say Pope Urbane rather hath to geue place to the wysedome of Anselme then Anselme to haue neede of Urbane Wherefore as he hath no cause to goe so I charge hym to tary And if he continue in his stubburnnes still I wil assuredly season vpon his possessions and conuert his Archbishoprike vnto my cofers for that he transgresseth and breaketh hys fidelitie and obessaunce promising before to obserue all the customes of my kyngdome Neyther is it the fashion in this Realme that any of my Nobles should goe to Rome without my sending And therefore let him sweare vnto me that he shall neyther for any greuance appeale hereafter to the sea of Rome or els let him voyde my realme Against these wordes of the king Anselme thinkyng not best to reply agayne by any Message but by worde of mouth comming himselfe personally to the kyng placeth himselfe after his order on the right hand of the Prince where he made his reply vnto the message sent to hym by the kyng Where as ye say I ought not to goe to Rome either for lacke of any trespasse or for aboundance of counsaile and knowledge in me albeit I graunt to neither of them as true yet what the truth is therein I referre it to the iudgement of God And whereas ye say that I promised to kepe and obserue your customes that I graunt but with a condition so farre to keepe them and such of them to obserue as were consonant to the lawes of God ruled with right and equitie Moreouer whereas ye charge me with breach of my fidelity and allegeance for that contrary to your customes I appeale to the Sea Apostolicke my reuerence and dutie to your soueraigntie reserued if an other would say it that is vntrue For the fidelitie and obeisaunce that I owe to thee O King I haue it of the faith and fidelitie of God whose Vicare S. Peter is to whose seat I do appeale Farther whereas ye require me to sweare that I shal for no cause hereafter at any time appeale to Rome I pronoūce openly that a christian Prince requireth such an othe of his Archbishop vniustly For if I should forsweare S. Peter I should denye Christ. And when I shall at any time deny Christ then shall I be content and ready to stand to my satisfaction of my transgression to you for asking license to goe to Rome And peraduenture when I am gone the goodes of the Churche shall not so serue your temporal desires and commodities as ye wene for At these wordes of the Bishop the king and his nobles were not a little incensed defending againe that in obseruing the kinges customes there was neither condition nor any clause put in either of God or right No was sayde Anselme If so be that in your customes was neither mention made of God nor of right whereof was there mention then For God forbid that any Christian shoulde be bound to any customes which goe contrary to God and to right Thus on both sides passed much altercation betwene thē At length the king after many threatning wordes tolde him he should cary nothing out of the realme with him Well sayde the Bishop if I may neyther haue my horse nor garmentes with me then will I walke on foote And so addressed him toward his iourney all the other bishops forsaking him wherof none would take his part but if he came to them for their counsaile they sayd he was wise inough and needed not their counsaile as who for his prudence knewe best what was to be done as also for his holines was willing and able to prosecute the same that he did know As for them they neither durst nor wold stand against the king their Lord whose fauour they could not lacke for the peril that might happen both to thēselues and to their kinrede But for him because he was both a stranger and void of such wordly corruption in him they willed him to goe forwarde as he had begon their secrete consent he shoulde haue but their open voice they woulde not geue him Thus Anselmus remaining at Douer 15. daies tarying for winde at last sped him towarde his passage But his packing being secretly knowen in the court the kings officer William Warlwast preuented hys purpose searching by the kings commaundement al his trusses coffers satchels sleeues purse napkin and bosome for letters and for mony and so let him passe Who sailing into Fraunce first rested a while at Lions from thence came to Rome to complaine to Pope
that which our aduersaries take out of their owne treasurie And because I will not refuse the order of lawe in this behalfe let it be the ende of the strife that either I may be openly shamed before the people either els the victory falling on my side we may winne you to the obedience of our soueraigne Lord the Emperour Also take you hede to this saying If any man do preach otherwise then that which is preached let him be of you accursed This curse I say doeth not proceede from any newe prophane authoritie but is thundered downe from the third heauen And of them which knowe not the righteousnes of God but goe about to stablish their owne righteousnes and therfore be not subiect to the righteousnes of God I may boldly say let such be accursed So may you well say confounded be al they that proudly rise vp against the Lorde but thy seruant oh Lord shall reioyce for as thou hast wel saide without me you can doe nothing so in iudging of the wicked thou doest not condemne the iust Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant to his owne Lord whether he doth stand or fall The answere of the Earle Lewes to Bishop Waltram THe Earle Lewys to the Lord Waltram howsoeuer vnworthy or vnmeete he be for the name Like as a good man from the good treasure of the hart bringeth forth good fruit so doeth the euil man from the euil treasure of the heart bring forth euil fruit What arrogācie hath so possessed you to prouoke my displeasure with such iniurious contumelies for in dede those my good lords and spirituall fathers which strengthen me in the way of righteousnes you railingly call them bloudy men like vnto Sathan and the wholesome lessons which they teache you say they are but dreames of the common people amongest foolish women Hath God any nede of your iudgement that you should speake leasings for him Iniquity hath taught your mouth to folow blasphemous tonges so that wel may the Prophet say of you he would not vnderstand to do wel he hath deuised wickednesse vpon his bed Although therfore you being altogether froward haue only spoken frowarde things yet we haue determined to set a watche before your mouth like as if a shameles person shoulde stande vp before vs and the worde of GOD dothe prouoke vs saying Answere a foole according to his owne foolishnesse least hee shoulde seeme wise in his owne opinion Shall folly speake and wisedome holde his peace Shall lies be freely vttered and trueth compelled to kepe silence Shall darkenes couer the earth shall not the Lorde arise and shine yea rather the light hath lightened the darknes and darknes hath not comprehended it In consideration hereof our harts haue melted and our zealous meditation hath set vs on fire We therefore speake and crie and the little foxes which vndermine the Lords vineyards as much as in vs is we driue away fearing the threatning prophecie You haue not withstanded our aduersaries neither haue you made a bulwarke for the defence of the house of Israel that you might be able to stand in battaile in the day of the Lorde Let them heare I speake not to you which haue cares and heare not eyes see not which haue made darke the light that is in you but let them heare I say that be wel disposed and haue eares to heare withall As for you you haue no vnderstanding and if you haue you cloke it Neither haue you any thing to say or to proue by what reason we should be subiect to the Lord Henry whome you call Emperour And yet as it is giuen vs to vnderstand you goe about to perswade that of necessity we ought to be subiect to him that by the argumēt of S. Paule Let euery soule be subdued to the higher powers for there is no power but of God he therefore that doth withstande power doth resist Gods ordinance The which sentence of the Apostle we say that you do euil conceiue and therefore euil interprete for if euery power be of God as you vnderstande what is meant by that that the Lord doth speake of some by the Prophet They did raigne and were not made Princes by me and I knewe them not If euery power be of God as you take it what is to be thought of that that the Lorde doth say If thine eye offende thee pluck it out and cast it from thee For what is power but the eie Certainly Augustine in the exposition of this sentence of the Apostle let euery soule c. doth say that if the powers do commād any thing against God then haue them in contempt but yet neuertheles feare thē Is there any iniquitie with God Is Christ the minister of sinne God forbid What shal we therfore say doth the Apostle preach contrary to the truth Augustinus sayeth no one winde filleth many pipes of diuers tunes Therfore let vs hear the Apostle agreeing and expounding himselfe and destroying his enemie and auenger There is sayeth he no power but of God What followeth He therfore sayth he that doth resist the power c. God forbid doeth nothing followe But what doeth followe Those powers which be ordeined of god truely that is it we look for O craftie tongue O heart imagining mischiefe O consuming breath that shall not returne why hast thou lied to the holy ghost Thine owne conscience shall accuse thee Behold the wicked fleeth and no man doth pursue him Why woulde you suppresse the truth to the intēt to deceiue Why haue you stolne away the pith and effect of this sentence For if these wordes should be taken away from the midst of the sentence it shuld lie contrary to it selfe inconuenient and halfe dead The worde of the Lord is herein fulfilled He that diggeth a pit for his neighbour shal fall therein him selfe Verely you can neither excuse you of theft neither auoid the punishment due for the same What O vnhappy man what shall you answer to the iudge when he shall require an accompt of his seruaunts whome he putteth in trust seeing you shal be set before him in the midst and prooued a picker of your maisters treasure Wherefore did you not feare the iudgement executiō whē as the giltines of offence doth require condigne punishment The Apostle through the holy Ghost did foresee that you and such heretikes as you are should spring in the Church which should call good euil and euil good and that should put darknes in place of light and light in place of darknes which also should take occasion by the sentences of truth to bring in error When as he did set this before there is no power but of God to the intent that hee might take away the coniecture of false vnderstanding for sayeth he those powers that be are ordeined of God Geue therefore an ordinarie power and we doe not resist yea we will forthwith doe
sperabamus humilitate c. In English thus Suche trouble and perturbations as happened through the strangenesse of your departure out of the Realme we hoped by your humilitie and prudence shoulde haue bene reduced againe Gods grace working with al into a peaceable tranquillity And it was no litle ioy to vs to heare so of you in those partes where you are conuersant howe humbly you there behaued your selfe nothing vaunsing your selfe against your prince and king and to attempt no risings of wrastlings against his kingdome but that you bare with much patience the burden of pouertie and gaue your selfe to reading and praier and to redeme the losse of your time spent with fasting watchings and teares and so being occupied with spiritual studies to tend and rise vp to the perfection of vertue c. But now through the secrete relation of certaine wee heare that wee are sorie of that you haue sent vnto him a threatning letter wherein there is no salutation premised In the which also ye pretende no intreating nor prayers for the obtaining of fauour neither doe vse any friendly maner in declaring what you write but manasing with much austeritie threaten to interdict him to cut him frō the society of the churche Which thing if you shall accomplish with like seueritie as in wordes ye threaten to doe you shall not onely put vs out of all hope of any peace but also put vs in feare of hatred and discord without measure and without all redresse amongest vs. But wisedome will consider before the ende of things labouring and endeuouring to finish that which shee wisely beginneth Therfore your discretion shall doe wel diligently to forecast and consider whereto ye tend what end may ensue therof where about ye go Certes we for our parts hearing that we do heare are discouraged from that we hoped for which before hauing some good comfort of tranquilitie to come are cast from hope to dispaire so that while one is drawen thus against an other almost there is no hope not place left to make entreaty or supplication Wherfore writing to your fatherhoode we exhort and counsel you by way of charitie that you adde not trouble to trouble heape iniury vpon iniury But so to behaue your selfe that al manasses set aside ye rather geue your selfe to patience and humilitie to yeld your cause to the clemency of God to the mercy of your Prince which in so doing shall heap coales of charity vpon the heads of many Thus charity shal be kindled that which manasings can not doe by Gods help and good mens counsel pitie peraduenture godlines shall obtaine Better it were to sustaine pouertie with prayse then in great promotions to be a common note to all men It is right well knowen vnto all men howe beneficiall the king hath ben vnto you from what basenes to what dignity he hath aduanced you also into his owne familiaritie hath so much preferred you that from the North Ocean to the mount Perineus he hath subdued all things to your authoritie in so much that they were amongst all other accounted for men right fortunate whosoeuer coulde finde any fauour with you And furthermore least that your estimation should be ouermatched by any nobilitie he against the minde of his mother and of his realme hath placed and ratified you substantially in ecclesiasticall dignitie and aduaunced in this honour wherein ye stand trusting through your helpe and counsaile to reigne more safely and prosperously Now if he shall finde disquietnes wherin he trusted to haue quietnes what shall al men say or think of you What recompence or retribution shall this be thought to be for so many and great benefits taken Therefore if it shal please you ye shall do wel to fauor and spare your fame estimation and to ouercome your lord and soueraigne with humilitie and charitie Whereunto if our aduertisement cannot moue you yet the loue and fidelitie you beare to the bishop and holy churche of Rome ought to incline you therunto not to attempt any such thing wherby the troubles of the church our mother may encrease or wherby her dolor may be augmented in the losse of them whose disobedience nowe she doeth bewaile For what if it so happen through prouocatiō that the king whom all his subiects kingdoms obey should relinquish the Pope which God forbid and should deny all obedience to him as he denieth to the king helpe or aide against you what inconuenience would growe thereof And thinke you hee hath not great instigations supplications gifts and many faire promises so to do Yet he notwithstanding abideth firme hetherto in the rocke despising with a valiāt minde all that the worlde can offer This one thing feareth vs least his minde whome no wordly offers can assaile no glory riches nor treasure can ouerturne only through indignation of vnkindnes be subuerted Which thing if it chaunce to happen through you then may you sit downe and sing the song of lamentation of Ieremie and weepe your belly full Consider therefore if it shal please you and foresee well with your selfe this purpose of yours if it proceede how hurtfull and perillous it wil be not only to the Pope to the holy church of Rome but also to your selfe most especially But some peraduenture about you of hauty and high minded stoutnes more stoute percase thē wise wil not suffer you to take this way but wil giue you contrary counsaile to proue rather and declare what yee are able to do against your Lord and Prince and to practise agaynst him and al his the vttermost of your power and authority which power and authoritie of yours to him that offendeth is fearfull and to him that will not amende terrible Such counsell as this some peraduenture wil whisper in your eare But to these againe this we say and answer for our king whome notwithstanding to be without fault we doe not affirme But yet alwaies that hee is ready to amend and make satisfaction that we speake confidently and protest in his behalfe The king appoynted for the Lords annoynted prouideth for the peace of his subiectes all that he is able and therefore to the intent he may conserue this peace in his Churches and amongst his subiects committed to him he willeth and requireth such ordinances due to kings and exhibited to them before time also to be exhibited to him Wherein if there hath any contradiction sprong betwixt him and vs he being thereupon conuented and admonished from the Pope by the reuerende Bishops of London Herf brast not out in any defiance but meekely humbly answered that wherin soeuer the church or any ecclesiastical persō can shew himself grieued he wold therin stād to the iudgemēt of the church of his kingdom Which also he is ready no les to perform in dede thinking nothing more swete vnto him then to be admonished of his fault if he haue offended the
vppon the same and in the time also of the sayde Parliament holden at Winchester the Pope sent two English Friers into the realme whose names were Iohn and Alexander with full authoritie after the largest sorte for newe contributions Who first pretending lowly submission to the King while they had leaue graunted to range about the Realme afterwarde comming to the Bishops and rich Abbots shewed themselues foorth in theyr full authoritie in such sort as they became rather tyrants then extortioners Amongest other comming to Robert byshop of Lyncolne who of all other bare a speciall minde to the order of Obseruauntes these two Friers as proude as Lucifer bringing foorth the terrible Mandate wyth the Popes Bulles required and eke commaunded vnder the Popes mightie curse to haue the gathering in his Diocesse of vi thousand markes Likewise of the Abbot of s. Albons they required iiii hundred Markes vnder great penaltie and that in short time to be paide The Bishop although well liking before that order of those Friers yet seeing the impudent behauiour and more impudent request of those Marchauntes thus aunswered to them againe that thys exaction sauing sayde hee the Popes authoritie was neuer heard of before and neyther was honest nor yet possible to be performed and moreouer was such as did not only concerne him but the whole publicke state of the Clergie and of the whole Realme in general and therfore it should be absurdly and rashly done of him to geue them aunswere heerein before the king and the rest of the Counsell wyth other to whome the matter generally did appertaine were made priuie thereunto c. and so for that time he shoke them of Paris fol. 210. Furthermore as touching the Abbot of S. Albones when he also alleged the same causes he pretended moreouer that he would appeale and so did to the Pope and his Cardinals Whereupon immediatly was sent downe from Pope Innocent an other Legate called Ioannes Anglicus an English Frier and Cardinall who bringing downe a newe speciall precept to the foresayde Abbot cited him eyther to appere at London the morow after S. Giles day or to disbourse to the vse of the Pope the foresayde 4. hundreth markes By reason whereof the Abbot was driuen to send his Proctors againe with a newe supplication to the Pope at Lyons who in the ende through great instaunce of monyed friendes agreed with the Abbot for two hundreth markes besides hys other charges born◠so was that matter compounded little to the Abbots profite Parisiens fol. 213. To recite all damages and greuaunces receiued by the B. of Rome in this realme of England neither is any history sufficiently able to comprehend nor if it were vnueth is there any that would beleeue it Notwtstanding to those aboue declared thys one I thought to commit like wise to memorie to the intēt that they which liue in this age now may behold and wonder in themselues to see in what miserable slauery passing all measure not onely the subiects but kings also of this Realme were brought vnto vnder the intollerable yoke of the popes tyrannie which in those daies neither durst any man cast of nor yet was able to abide As by this example ensuing with infinite other like to the same may appeare In the yeare of our Lorde 1248. after that Pope Innocent the 4. had taken such order in the Realme that all Prelates of the Churche were suspended from collation of any benefice before the Popes kinsfolkes and Clearkes of Italy had ben first prouided for It happened vpō the same that the Abbot of Abingdon had a commaundement from the pope to bestow some benefice of his Church in all hast to a certaine Priest of Rome which the Abbot as an obedient childe to his father the Pope was prest and ready to accomplish accordingly But the Romane priest not contented with such as fell next hand would tarye his time to haue such as were principall and for hys owne appetite hauing a speciall eye to the benefice of the church of S. Helene in Abingdon which was then estemed woorth an C. marks by yere besides other vailes and commodities belonging to the same the collation whereof the priest required by the authoritie Apostolicall to be graunted to him As thys past on it chaunced at last the incumbent to die and the benefice to be emptie Which estsoones being knowen the same day commeth a commaundement with great charge from the King to the Abbot to giue the benefice to one Aethelmare the kings brother by the mother-side who at the same time was possessed wyth so many benefices as the number and value therof was vnknowen The Abbot heere being in great perplexitie and not knowing what to doe whether to gratifie his king or to obey the Pope tooke counsell with his friendes Who well aduising the matter gaue him counsell rather to preferre the brother of his Prince and patrone so that the king would vndertake to stande in his defence against the Pope rather then the Romish priest whom alwaies he shuld haue lying there as a spie and watcher of him and like a thorne euer in his eye and so the king assuring the Abbot of hys vndoubted protection and indemnitie against al harmes the benefice was conferred foorthwyth to the kings brother The Romane priest not a litle agreued therat speedeth himselfe in all hast to the Byshop of Rome certifying him what was done and partly also as the maner is of men making it worse then it was Uppon whose complaint the Pope estsoones in great anger cited vp the Abbot personally to appeare before him to answer to the crime of disobedience The abbot trusting vpon the kings promise and protection which neither could helpe him in that case neither durst oppose himselfe against the Pope being both aged and sickely was driuen to trauaile vp to the Court of Rome in great heauines and bitternesse of minde Where in conclusion after much vexation and bitter rebukes besides great expenses he was faine to satisfie the Pope after his owne will compounding to giue hym yearely 50. markes in part of making amends for his trespasse of disobedience Ex Mat. Parisiens fol 222. To this also may be added an other like fact of the pope as outragious as thys against the house of Binham For when the benefice of Westle in the Diocesse of Eley was voide by the death of the incumbent who was an Italian one of the popes chamber the donatiō of which benefice belōged to the priorie of Binham an other Italian which was a bastard and vnlearned borne in the City of Ianua called Herrigetto de Malachana de volta brought downe the popes letters to M. Berardo de Nympha the Popes agent here in England with strait charge and full authority commanding him to see the sayd benefice to be conferred in any case to Herrigetto Yea and though the benefice had bene geuen already yet notwythstanding the possessor
you wtin these fifteene dayes you shall shew your selfe abroad if God permit vpon your horse backe whole and well as euer you were And according to the promise her made the prince it came to passe to the no litle comfort and admiration of all his subiectes When the great Souldan heard of and that the Prince was yet aliue he woulde scarsly beleue the same and sending vnto hym three of hys nobles and princes excused himselfe by them calling hys gods to witnes that the same was done neither by hym nor his consent Whiche Princes and messengers standing a loofe of from the kinges sonne worshipping hym fell flat vpon the ground You sayth the prince doc reuerence me but yet you loue me not But they vnderstoode hym not because he spake in Englishe vnto them speaking by an interpreter Neuertheles he honourably intreated thē and sent them away in peace Thus when Prince Edward had bene 18. monethes in Acra he tooke shipping about the assumption of our lady as wee call it returning houseward after 7. weekes he arriued in Sicilia at Trapes and from thence trauelling through Palestina and Mermes and so through the middes of Apulia till he came to Rome where he was of the Pope honourably entertayned From thence he came into Fraunce whole same and noble prowes was there much bruted among the common people and enuied of y◠nobillitie especially of the Earle de Chafōs who sent vnto hym and required him that he might breake a staffe with him at the Tilte in hys countrey whiche thing to doc for that the prince would not diminishe his honour and fame although he might haue well alledged a sufficient cause and excuse by meanes of hys trauell yet he would not but willingly consented therunto Wherupon it was proclaymed that Prince Edward by suche a day with those that were with him had challenged all commers at the Tilt Barriers Whereupon great assemblies were made in the country all about and diuers as well horsemen as footemen had coniured amongst themselues and conspired agaynst the Englishmen selling their horses and armour a forehand drinking one to an other in bon voiage of the spoile of them whom they would take as theyr prisoners Prince Edward in the meane tyme sent into England for diuers Earles and Barons whiche came vnto hym Whē the day appoynted was come the Prince had with him more then 1000. horsemen whiche were knightes besides hys footemen But yet there was as many mo on the other side both in horsemen and footemen When the parties should meete The French footmen whiche had before conspired began both to spoyle rifle and kill The Englishmen resisted defended thēselues both with bowes slings many of thē they slue draue them to the gates of their Citty the other they chased ouer a riuer where manye of them were drowned In the meane season the Earle with fiftie of his knights which followed him came forth and ioined together so many for so many and a lōg time together they tryed it with theyr swordes laying one at an other At the last the Earle perceauing himselfe not able to match with him at the armes end enclosed with him and taking him about the necke held him with his armes very straite What meane you my Lord sayth the prince thinke you to haue my horse Yea marry quoth that Earle I meane to haue both thee and thy horse Hereat Prince Edwarde being ascourued lifted vp himself and gaue him such a blow that therwithall he forsaking his horse hong stil about the Princes necke till that he shooke him off to the ground Herewith the Prince beyng somewhat in a heate lefte the prease to take some ayre thereby to refreshe himselfe But when he sawe the iniury of the Frenchmen towardes hys men and how they had slayne many of them he then said vnto them that they vsed rather the exercise of battayle then of Torny Spare you not therefore sayth he from henceforth none of them all but geue them agayn as good as they bring Thē they assayed to kill eche other freely on eyther part and let theyr swordes walke And when by this tyme the English footmen were agayne returned and saw the conflicte of horsemen and many other Englishmen ouerthrowne they put themselues amiddes the prease some pāching the horses some cutting a sonder the girthes of y◠Frenchmens saddels ouerthrew◠the ryders and gaue them holibread Then when the foresayd Earle was horsed agayn by some of his men amongst the throng Prince Edward also rushed in amongst the thickest coped agayn with him to whō he often spake and cryed that he shoulde yelde hymselfe as vanquished but that he would not doc Notwithstanding when his strength began to fayle hym he was fayn to yeld himselfe vnto a simple knight according as Prince Edward him bad and all the rest of hys horsemen Knights fled and saued themselues Howbeit many of them in that place were slaine and our men returned hauing the victorye But when after this they thought themselues to be quiet and at rest they were killed by two by three at once as they went in the streetes of the Citizens Which thing when the prince heard he sent for the Maior and Burgeses commaunding them to see the same redressed and that immediately for otherwise of hys knighthoode he assured them that vpon the morow he would fire the city and make it leuell with the grounde Whereupon they went theyr wayes and set watchmen in diuers places of y◠same to keepe the peace by whiche meanes the Prince and hys mē were in safety and quiet Thus in this pastime of Torneing and Barriers much bloud was spilte whereupon the name of the place was chaunged so that it is not called Torniamentum de Chalons but paruum bellum de Chalons From thence the prince came to Paris and was of the french king honorably entertained after certain dayes went from thence into Vascouia where he taryed till that he heard of the death of the king his father In the yeare of our 1272. died pope Clement the 4. After whom succeeded Pope Gregory the 10. who in the next yeare following whiche was the yeare of our Lord. 1273. called a general Councell at Lyons about the controuersie betweene the Greeke Church and the Latine Churche and for the vacancy of the sea Apostolicall c. ¶ Certaine Notes of other occurrents chaunced in forreine Countryes abroad within the compasse of yeares and raygne of the foresayd King Henry the thyrd HAuing thus accomplished the life and history of King Henry the third with such accidents as happened wtin this realm I thought good to adioine vnto the same some other foreine matters not vnworthy the note incident in other Countries during the tyme of the sayd king Namely from the yeare of our Lord. 1217. vnto this yeare 1272. which I thought the rather not to be
it is manifest that he defiled by adultery her first husband yet liuing she beyng worthy to haue the promise of mariage kept vnto her Therefore because that whiche is done agaynst the Lord turneth to the wrong of all men and specially in so great a mischiefe by reason of the consequence by which she is iudged of the people both a woman adultres or defamed I like a bridle Asse by the power of the Lord and not by the voyce of a perfect mā being not able to bear so great a burdé take in hand to rebuke the madnes of the sayd false Prophet Balaam whiche at the instaunce of kyng Balaac 1. of the Prince of deuils whom he serueth and ready to cursie the people blessed of the Lord I beseeche you most excellent Prince and Lord Phillip by the grace of God king of Fraunce that like as the Aungell of God in tyme past mette in the way with a sword drawne the prophet Balaam goyng to curse Gods people so you whiche are vnwilling to execute iustice and therefore like the Aungell of the Lorde and minister of power and office woulde meete with a naked sworde this sayde wicked man whiche is farre worse then Balaam that he performe not that euill whiche he intendeth to the people First I propound that the foresayd man that nameth himselfe Boniface is no Pope but wrongfully keepeth the fear which he hath in deede to the great damage of all the soules of Gods holy Church I say also that his entring was many waies faulty and he entred not in at the doore but otherwaies and therfore is to be iudged a theefe a robber 2. I propound also that the sayde Boniface is a manifest hereticke and vtterly cut off from the body of the holy Church because of many kindes of heresies whiche are to be declared in conuenient tyme and place 3. I propound also that the sayde Boniface is an horrible simoniacall such a one as hath not bin sithens the beginning of the world and the mischiefe of this sinne in him is so notorious to all the world whiche thing is manifest to all that will playnly vnderstand in so much that he beyng openly slaūdered said openly that he could not commit simony 4. I propound also that the sayd Boniface being wrapt in infinite manifest haynous sinnes is so hardened in thē that he is vtterly not possible to be corrected and lying in doungeon of mischiefe so deepe that he may not be suffered any longer without the ouerthrow of the state of the church His mouth is full of cursing his feete and steps are swift to shed bloud He vtterly teareth in peeces the Churches which he ought to cherishe wasting wickedly the goodes of the poore making much of wicked men that geue hym rewardes persecuting the righteous and among the people not gathering but scattering bringing in new sectes of destruction that haue not bene heard of Blaspheming the way of truth and by robbery thinking himselfe equall to that Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for euer And he beyng most couetous thirsteth for gold couereth gold by some deuise getteth gold of euery people vtterly not regardig the worshipping of God with sayned wordes sometimes by flattering sometimes by threatning sometime by false teaching and all to get mony withall he maketh marchādise of vs all enuying all thinges but hys owne louing no man nourishing warre persecuting hating the peace of his subiectes He is rooted in all vnspeakeable sinnes contrarying and striuing against all the wayes doctrines of the Lord. He is truly the abhomination of the people which Daniel the Lordes Prophet described Therfore I answere that lawes weapons and all the elemēts ought to rise against him which thus ouerthroweth the state of the Church for whose sinnes God plagueth the whole world And finally nothing remaineth to hym being so vnsatiable to satisfie him wtall but onely the vnsatiable mouth of hell and the fire that cannot be quenched continuing for euer Therfore seing that in a generall coūcel it so becommeth and I see this wicked man to be damned which offendeth both God and al men I aske and require as instantly as I can and beseech you my Lord and King aforesaid that ye would declare to the prelates doctours people princes your brethren in Christ chiefly to the Cardinals and all Prelates and call a Councell In the which when this foresaid wicked man is condemned by the worshipfull Cardinals the church may be prouided of a shephearde for that Councell I offer my selfe ready lawfully to pursue the foresaide things And where as the saide man being in highest dignity in the meane time cannot be suspended of hys superiour therefore he ought to be taken suspended in deede for the things aforesaid seing his state is called into iudgement by the meanes aforesaid I beseech and require the said Cardinals by you and I presently require them the church of God that this wicked man being put in prison the Church of Rome may be prouided of a Vicar which may minister those things that shall appertaine vntil the Church of God be prouided of a bishop vtterly to take away all occasion of a schisme And least the saide wicked man should let and hinder the prosecuting therof I require these things of you my Lord king aforesaid affirming you to be bounde to doe this for many causes First for faithes sake Secondly for your kingly dignitie to whose office it belongeth to roote out such wicked men Thirdly for your oth sake which ye made for the defence of the Churches of your Realme which the foresaid rauener vtterly teareth in peeces Fourthly because ye be the patron of the Churches therfore ye are not bound onely to the defence of them but to the calling for againe of their goodes which the foresaide man hath wasted Fiftly ye following the footesteps of your auncetors ought to deliuer your mother the Romish church from so wicked a hand wherein by oppression shee is tied bound I require that a publike instrument may be made of these requestes by the notaries here present vnder the witnes of the worshipfull men that be here present These things were done and spoken as is aforesayd at Paris in the Kings hous◠of Lupara After this protestation of master Nagareta immediatly insued the appeale of the king pronoūced and published against the sayd Boniface in forme as foloweth The appeale made by the king and the louers of the Realme against Boniface IN the name of God Amen In the yeare of our Lorde 1303 Indictione prima 13. day of Iune and the 9 yeare of the Popedom of Boniface Pope the 8. By the tenour of this publique instrumēt be it vnto all men knowen that the most noble prince and Lorde Philip by the grace of God king of Fraunce the famous and reuerend fathers in Christ Archbishops Bishops religious men Abbots and Priors here vndernamed in
I suppose will and ought sooner runne and the word of Christ will sooner driue vs to our father then to the Priests Corban Marc. 7. So that this distinction here may haue place that as the one standeth vpon merite of vertue so the other standeth vpon mere duety of necessitie Pag. 362. col 1. These iurisdictions temporall and spiritual are compatible in one persone Aunswere I graunt pro ratione subiects That is in the subiect it selfe there is no cause to the contrary but these vocations may be exercised both of one persone as they haue beene of the Pope one after the other and so may contrary formes also and yet the Popes persone hath bene able to sustaine them both But now here is to be considered not what the nature of the subiecte is able to beare by Logicke but what order is taken heerein by the will of God whose order is thys That they which with Peter are called to the feeding of the flock shoulde leaue their fishing nettes and fishe for men and that they which labour in the warfare of the Lord should not intangle theÌ„selues with the busines of this life wherby they may be more free to please him whose souldiours they are Tit. 2 c. Pag. 362. col 1. The iurisdictions temporall and spirituall are so distincted that they are not contrary c. Aunswer And what let is there then but our Queene nowe and other kings heereafter may haue the gouernement of both states as well Ecclesiasticall as temporall Seeing both the formes being compatible may concurre both in one subiect why not as well in the persone of the King within the Realme as in the person of the Pope without the Realme Pag. 363 col 1. God after the creation of the world c. vnto Noes time c. Aunswere If God vnto Noes time gouerning the worlde as king gaue sentence himselfe against Caine as yee say howe then did he that by the ministerie of aungels If he did it by the aungels his ministers Whether is more like then that to make for the Pope or rather for kings and princes whom the Scripture thrise in one chapter calleth the ministers of God to execute punishment to him that doth euill Rom. 13. Pag. 363. Noe also which offered c. Aunswere If offering of burnt sacrifices to God doe make a priest then was Caine also Abell Abraham Isaac and all Patriarches priests If hee had both temporall and spirituall iurisdiction vppon them which were in his Arke I maruell why hee did not curse â—hen the disobedyent crowe that returned not to him againe Pag. 363. col 1 Melchisedech likewise c. Answere Melchisedech properly did beare a figure of Christ both king and priest and of none other Pag. 363. col 2. A. I haue geuen to me c. Aunswere That Christ hath all power geuen him no man doubteth but yet the same Christ sayth that his kingdome is not of this world Neither would he be made a king in this worlde c. Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat caelestia hym Pag. 363. col 1. B. Whom Christ made his vicar c. Answere Here in one line bee two lies For neither had Peter the very same power in heauen and earth as Christ had neyther was hee the vicar of Christ. Pag. 363. col 1. C. As the offence of Ananias and Saphira was not temporall but spirituall so did Peter kill them not iudicially that is as a temporall iudge but spiritually that is by the power of the spirite which spirite wrought by him not as by a iudge but as a minister And although this acte of Peter was extraordinarie for a singular example yet notwithstanding let any prelate with the like power of spirit so do none wil blame him Pag 363 col 1. D. And so likewise the condemnation of Paule against the Corinthian was onely spirituall and not temporall Pag. 363. 1. E. must be referred to the order c. Aunswere Christ woulde these causes to be referred to the hearing of the Churche for spirituall admonition but not for temporall iurisdiction of the prelates Pag 363. col 1. F. All things that the true Church doth truely binde are bound I graunt but first let the Pope proue his Church to be the true Church and himselfe to be the vniuersal head therof and then let him claime the keies Ibid. The two swords do as much signifie the two regiments as doe the two fishes wherewith Christ did feede foure thousande persones Ibid. Christ bad Peter put vp his sword and not to cast it away Ergo the Church may haue the temporall sworde Answere God geue you good morowe I haue brought you a capon Pag. 364. col 1. I. Know ye not the Saintes c. Aunswere S. Paule heere willing the Corinthians to pleade their matters not before the heathen but before the Saints meaneth the faithfull of the congregation not onely prelates K. In them was not the like reason c. Aunswere I graunt for Christ and true Christians is one thing Antechrist and hys Church is an other thing Ibid. As ye say the Apostles had no laisure to take lands and possessions for preaching but nowe for Lordly loytering you haue laisure inough Pag. 364. col 1. M. They are most fittest to beare temporal rule which followe neerest to God Prelates of the cleargie followe nearest to God Ergo Prelates of the Clergie are more meetest to beare temporall rule Resp. If God heere be taken for that God which is called the belly I graunt they seeme to followe nearer But if it be taken for the true God not I but their owne fruites life and doctrine and Esay also would denie their minor and say that this people draweth neare to me with their lips but their heart is farre from me Pag. 364. col 1. You are a chosen generation a royal Priesthode c. Aunswere This place of Peter was written not onely to persones Ecclesiasticall but to the whole congregation of the Saintes disparsed as the wordes following may declare Qui eratis quondam non populus c. And thus much concerning French matters which because they be Ecclesiasticall and beare wyth them some vtilitie to the diligeÌ„t reader such as list to search note and obserue the actes of men and course of religion I thought therfore here to place and adioyne next after the other contention before proceding betwene Philip the French king and Pope Boniface Albeit as touching the perfect keeping of yeres and time I am not ignorant that thys foresaid Parliament thus summoned and commenced against the French prelates falling in the yeare of our Lorde 1329. was to be referred rather to yâ— raigne of king Edward the iâ— Of whom now remaineth by the grace of Christ in order of historie to prosecute declaring first the instructions and informations of his father geuen to him in the time of his departing
expedient and to set foorth as shal seeme best to your godly wisedomes our good entent for the suppressing of incommodities and furthering of the commodities of our subiectes that we may worthely commende your circumspect care herein Teste meipso apud Westm. 10 die Februa Anno regni nostri Angliae 15. Regni verò Franciae secundo By these foresayde obiections accusations of the king premised and layd against the Archbishop of Canterbury what is to be thought of the doinges of the sayd Archbishop I leaue it to thy iudgeuient gentle reader as I sayd before to be coniected For so much as our histories somewhat bearing with the sayd Archbishop seeme either to be vncertayne of the truth of the matter or els couertly to dissemble some part of that they knew And especially of Polâ—dor Virgil. I meruaile who hauing so good occasion to touch the matter doth so sleightly passe it ouer without any word of mention In whiche matter if probable coniecture beside history might here be heard it is not vnlikeâ— but that some olde practice of prelates hath herein bene put in vre through some crafty conspiracy betweene the Pope and the Archbishop And the rather to be gathered for that as the pope was enemy vnto the king in this his chalenge to the crowne of Fraunce So the Archbishop against his Prince as for the most part alwayes they haue bene was a trend as no man neede to doubt therof vnto the Pope Which thing also more probable may be supposed because of the comming downe of the it Cardinals the same time from the pope to the king of England about the matter of farther truce wherof Christ willing more hereafter shall follow Albeit the Archbishop this yet notwithstanding subtely and featly excuseth himselfe to the king of the foresayd obiections and cunningly handleth the matter in words by his letter directed to the king as followeth The letter of the Archbyshop of Caunterburie to the king REdoubted Syr may it please your maiestie to vnderstand that the most chiefest and speciall thing that keepeth kings and Princes in the fauoure of God and best preserueth them in theyr estate is sage wise and deliberate counsaile And therefore sayeth the wise man concerning counsell in this wise Good men haue thereby their safetie And it is wrytten in the booke of kinges howe Salomon which was the wisest Prince that euer was tooke vnto him the most auncient and sage men of his Realme to be his counsailours By whose aduisement and discretion hee alwayes Kept the lande of Israell in quiet and in peace and besides that had all other kinges and princes that bordered vppon him at his will and commaundement After whose death raigned Robohâ—m hys sonne who neglecting the good couÌ„sel of his father and good aduise of his sage discrete counsailours harkened to such counsel as lighter and younger men perswaded him vnto that sought rather howe to please and flatter him then the quiet state of hys Realme whereby he lost all the whole lande of Israel the 12. part only excepted In like maner haue many kings of Israel and other kingdomes beside by rash and euill counsell come to great ruine and mischiefe And Sir sauing your princely patience you may call to remembraunce your owne time for by the wicked and sinister counsell to our laâ—e soueraigne Lorde your father geuen whome God forgeue which he tooke and folowed both against the lawe of his lande and graund Charter of the peeres and other his people of the lande some he put to shamefull death from other some he tooke their goods and such as fled he put vnto their raunsome and what ennemies he purchased thereby your grace well vnderstandeth And after this Sir you knowe enen in your owne time howe by following and beleuing ouer light counsel you yourselfe lost the hartes of many of your subiectes from the which God deliuer you if it be his will And after that time again vntill nowe by the good aduisement of your Prelates Peeres and sage counsailours of your land your graces businesse and affaires haue bene so demained and ordered that you haue had the hearts againe of all your subiectes as well spirituall as temporall as muche or rather more then any of your graces predecessours kings of England haue had So that by meanes of the sayde good counsell the good will and aide of your people and special grace of God you haue had the victorie of all your ennemies as well in Scotlande as in Fraunce and all other places besides That vnto this day Gods name bee blessed therefore your grace hathe bene estemed as one of the most noblest Princes in all Christendome And nowe your grace by the euill and peruerse counsaile of some suche wythin the Realme whiche are not so wise as they might be and such also as consider and respect rather their owne priuate commoditie then your graces honour and safetie of your Realme beginneth to apprehende diuers Clerkes Pieres and other people of the land and to directe processe against them not beseeming but contrary to the Lawe of the land which to keepe and maintaine you are bounde by the othe you tooke at youre coronation and contrary to the graunde charter whereof all the realme are witnesses all the prelates of the same and coÌ„trary to the sentence confirmed by the Bul of our holy father to the pope which we haue to shew All which things as they are to the great pearill and daunger of your soule so are they also to the vtter debasing of your regall state and honour And Sir although such as be your graces gouernours and counsailers beyng a callynge aboue their agree doe geue your grace to vnderstande that their enterprises and yours doe please and content your subiectes and commons yet your grace shall knowe for certaine and prooue it your owne selfe to be farre otherwise then that they beare you in hand And that vnlesse God do remedy the same if you prosecute your purpose begon in this order you will leese the hearts of all your subiects as also your good and rightfull enterprise and shal see such discord about the same that you shall not be able to performe that you haue begon but rather enforce your ennemies to seeke your destruction to loose your noble and renowmed fame and in the ende your kingdom it selfe which God forbid Wherefore soueraigne Lorde and King I beseeche you that for the safegard of your honour and Realme and enterprise begon that you will take vnto you the most discrete and wisest men wythin your Realme and woorke by their aduise and counsell as before thys time you haue bene accustomed without the aide and counsell of whome you can neither maintaine your enterprise nor gouerne your realme And for that some such as are about your grace falsly deuise against vs treason and such like troubles and therefore are of vs excommunicate and as persons excommunicate doe so esteme of them
began that he with his Clergye may folow the Lorde Iesus Christ in life and maners and that they may teach the people effectually and that they likewise may faithfully folow them in the same And let vs specially pray that our Pope may bee preserued from all maligne and euill counsell as which do know that euill and enuious men of his householde would geue him And seing the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power much lesse then will he require of any creature to do that thing which they are not able forsomuch as that is the playne condition and maner of Antichrist Thus muche wrote Iohn Wickliffe vnto Pope Vrbane but this pope Vrbane otherwise termed â—urbanus was so hote in his warres against Clement the Frenche Pope his aduersary that he had no leasure and lesse lyst to attend vnto Wickliffes matters By the occasion of which schisme God so prouided for poore Wickliffe that he was in some more rest quietnes CoÌ„cerning which schismaticall wars of these popes for as much as we haue here entred into the mention therof it shall not be unpertinent froÌ„ the order of our story disgressyng a litle from the matter of Iohn Wickliffe to touch something of the tragical doings of these two holy popes striuing for the triple crowne to the intent that the Christian reader iudging by their fruits and proceedings may see and vnderstand what difference is betweene these popes and Christ and his Apostles For though in the story of the Gospel it is read that certaine of the disciples did striue which shuld be the greater yet neither do we read that one of them tooke euer weapoÌ„ against the other and moreouer in the sayd story of the Gospell it doeth appeare that they in so striuing as they did were therefore sharpely rebuked of our Sauiour Christ were taught by him an other lesson About the beginning of the next yeare folowing which was an 1383. Pope Vrbane settyng all his study howe to represse and coÌ„quere the contrary Pope his aduersary being then at Auinion seing al his other means to sayle and that his crosse keyes coulde doe no good tooke to hym the sword of Romulus set vpoÌ„ him with open warre And first deuising with himselfe whom he might best chuse for hys chief champion thought none meeter for such affaires theÌ„ Henry Spenser beyng then Bishop of Norwich a young and a stout Prelate more fitter for the camping cure then for the peaceable church of Christ as partly also might appeare before by his acts done at LeÌ„uam in striuing for the Mayres Mace meÌ„tioned before pag. 428. Vnto this byshop of Norwich the Pope had sent his bulles about this tune to Croâ—sy whosoeuer would go with him into FrauÌ„ce to destroy the Antipope which named himselfe ClemeÌ„t to make warre agaynst all those that took his part Which Bulles for that they gaue vnto him such great authority he caused to be published in the ParliameÌ„t house caused the copyes of the same to be sent all about to be set vp fastened vpon all the church dores monastery gates that al men might read theÌ„ In the which Buls these priuiledges were graunted the copy whereof here foloweth 1. In primis that the sayd Bishop of Norwich may vse his sword against the Antipope all his adherents fauorers and couâ—ellers and with violence put them to death 2. Item that he hath full power to inquire of all singular such schismatikes and to put them in prison to confiscate all their goods moueable and immoueable 3. Item that he hath power and authority to depriue all lay men that are such schismatikes of all maner secular offices whatsoeuer and to geue theyr offices to other fit and conuenient persons 4. Item that he may depriue all such clerks and declare them to be schismatickes and in this behalfe to geue bestow their benifices either with cure or without cure their dignities personages or offices to other persoÌ„s more meet for the same 5. Item he hath power authority ouer lay persoÌ„s that are exempt and Clerkes both secular and regular yea although they be Friers mendicantes or maisters professors or other houses or hospitals of S. Iohns of Ierusalem or S. Mary of Flaunders or professours of what orders soeuer els 6. Item he hath power to dispense with what secular Clerkes soeuer being beneficed either with cure or without cure and also with such as haue dignities personages or offices being regulars either exeÌ„pt or not exempt that euery one of them may be absent with him from their dignities benefices c. vnder the staÌ„derd of the crosse without licence of any of thier Prelats required and yet to receiue and take the intire coÌ„modities of their benefices as though they had bene personally resident vpon the same 7. IteÌ„ there is graunted to all that passe the seas in this quarel either at their own expenses or at the expeÌ„ses of any other full remission of their sins as large priuileges are grauÌ„ted to all those that go ouer the sea with him as to any that pay their mony or go to fight for the holy land 8. Also all such as with their proper goods substaunce shall geue sufficient sâ—ipend to able souldiors at the discretioÌ„ of the foresayd Lord Bishop mustered or by any other his deputy although he himselfe be not personally at this busines aforesaid yet shall he haue like remission indulgeÌ„ce as they which haue bene personally with him in this expedition 9. IteÌ„ all they are pertakers of this remissioÌ„ which shal geue any part of theyr goods to the sayd Bishop to fight agaynst the sayd schismatikes 10. Item if any shall chauÌ„ce to dye in the iourny that are souldiors vnder the sayd standard of yâ— crosse or els before the quarell by some meanes be finished shall fully wholy receiue the sayd grace and shal be partakers of the foresayd remission and indulgence 11. Item he hath power to excommunicate suspend and interdict what persons soeuer be rebellious or disturbers of him in the execution of his power authority committed vnto him of what dignity state degree prehemineÌ„ce order place or coÌ„ditioÌ„ soeuer they shal be whether they shall be either of regal queenly or imperial dignity or of what dignity els soeuer either ecclesiasticall or mundane 12. Item he hath power and authority to compell and inforce what religious persons soeuer to appoynt them and send them ouer Sea if it seeme good to him yea although they be professors of the Friers mendicants for the execution of the premisses ¶ The Popes absolution by the Bishop pronounced BY the authority Apostolicall to me in this behalfe committed we absolue the A.B. from all thy sinnes confessed with thy mouth and being contrite with thy hart and wherof thou wouldst be coÌ„fessed if they came vnto the memory we graunt vnto thee plenary remission of all
the kinges power to sette and to ordaine c. Hereby the woordes of Augustine alledged Yee see all thinges belong to the possession of the iust by Goddes lawe Item for so muche as the cleargie by meanes of their possessions are in daunger of the Emperor and King It followeth that if they doe offend the Emperour or King may lawfully take away their possessions from them The consequent dependeth on thys poynte for so much as otherwise they were not in subiection vnder the Emperour or king and the antecedent is manifest by the 11. question and 1. Parag. His ita respondetur Where as it is specified in Latine thus His ita respondetur clerici ex officio Episcopo sunt suppositi ex possessionibus praediorum imperatori sunt obnoxij ab Episcopo vnctionem decimas primitias accipiunt ab imperatore vero praediorum possessiones nanciscuntur that is to say The cleargie by meanes of their office are vnder the Byshoppe but by reason of theyr possessions they be subiect vnto the Emperour Of the Byshoppe they receiue vnction tithes and first frutes of the Emperour they receiue possessions This then it is decreed by the Emperiall lawe that liuelyhoodes should be possessed whereby it appeareth that the cleargie by the possession of their liuelyhodes are in daunger of the Emperour for hym to take away from them or to correcte them accordyng to their deseruings and to haue the controllement of them as it shall seeme good vnto hym Item the temporall Lordes may take away the temporallities from such as vse Simonie because they are heretickes Ergo thys Article is true The antecedent is manifest for so much as the secular Lordes maye refuse suche as vse Simonye and punishe them except they doe repent For by the decree of Pope Paschasius in the first and laste question it appeareth that all suche as vsed Simonie were to be refused of all faythfull people as chiefe and principall heretickes and if they doe not repent after they be warned they are also to bee punyshed by the externe power For all other faultes and crimes in comparyson of Simonie be counted but light and seeme small offences Where vppon the glose expounding the same text sayth that by thys woorde externe is vnderstande the laietie whyche haue power ouer the cleargy besides the Church as in the 17 distinct Non licuit 23 quest 5. principes Whereby it is euident that the temporall Lordes may take away the temporall goodes from the cleargie when as they doe offende Item Saint Gregorie in the Register vppon hys 7. booke 9. Chapiter wryteth thus vnto the Frenche Queene For so much as it is wrytten that ryghteousnesse healpeth the people and sinne maketh them myserable then is that kingdome counted stable when as the offence whyche is knowen is soone amended Therefore for so muche as wicked priestes are the cause of the ruyne of the people for who shall take vppon hym to bee intercessour for the sinnes of the people if the priest which ought to intreate for the same haue committed greater offences and vnder youre dominions the priestes doe liue wickedly and vnchastly therfore that the offence of a few myght not tourne to the destruction of manye wee oughte earnestly to seeke the punyshment of the same And it followeth if wee doe commaunde any personne wee doe sende hym foorthe wyth the consent of your authoritie who together wyth other Priests shall diligently seeke out and according vnto Goddes worde correct and amende the same Neyther are these things to be dissimuled the whyche wee haue spoken of for hee that may correcte any thyng and doeth neglect the same wythout all doubte he maketh hym selfe paâ—taker of the sinne or offence Therefore foresee vnto your owne soule prouide for youre neuewes and for suche as you do desire to raigne after you prouide for your countrey and wyth diligence prouide for the correction and punishment of that sinne before our creatoure doe stretch out hys hand to strike And in hys next Chapter hee wryteth vnto the French king what so euer you doe vnderstande to pertaine eyther vnto the honoure and glorye of oure God to the reuerence of the church or to the honour of the priestes that doe you dilligently cause to bee decreed and in all poyntes to be obserued Wherfore once againe wee doe mooue you that you commaunde a Synode to be congregate and as wee wrote lately vnto you to cause all the carnall vices whyche raigneth amongest your Priests and all the wickednesse and Simonie of your Byshoppes whyche is moste harde to be condemned and reprooued vtterly to bee banished oute of your kyngdome and that you wil not suffer them to possesse anye more substaunce vnder your dominion then Goddes commaundement doeth allowe Beholde howe carefully blessed Gregorye doeth exhort the Queene and the Kyng to punishe the vices of the cleargie leaste through theyr negligence they shoulde be partakers of the same and howe they ought to correct their subiectes For as it is conuenient to be circumspect and carefull against the outward enemies euen so lykewyse ought they to bee agaynste the inwarde ennemyes of the soule And lyke as in iuste warre agaynste the outwarde ennemyes it is lawefull to take away theyr goodes so long as they contynue in theyr malyce so also is it lawefull to take away the goods of the cleargie being the inward ennemy The consequent is prooued thus for so much as the domesticall enemies are most hurtfull Item it is thus argued if God bee the temporall Lordes may meritoriously and lawfully take away the temporall goodes from the Cleargie if they doe offende For thys poynt lette vs suppose that we speake of power as the true autentike scripture doth speake Matt. 13. God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Whereupon it is thus argued for if God be he is omnipotent and if he so be he may geue like power vnto the seculer Lordes And so consequeÌ„tly they may meritoriously and lawfully vse the same power But least that any man may obiect that a profe made by a strange thing is not sufficient it is therefore declared howe that the temporal Lords haue power to take away their almes bestowed vpon the church The church abusing the same as ie shall be proued heereafter And first thus it is lawfull for kings in cases limitted by the lawe to take away the moueables from the clergie when they do offend it is thus proued For the temporall Lordes are most bound vnto the workes of greatest mercy most easie for them but in case possible it shuld be greater almes easier temporal dominion to take away their almes froÌ„ such as build therewithal vnto eternal damnation through the abuse therof then to geue the saide almes for any bodely reliefe Ergo the assumption is true Whereuppon first this sentence of the law of Christ in the 2. Thes. 3. is noted whereas the Apostle
by no tribulation could they be compelled to forsake the faith Wherfore of them this seemeth to me to be vnderstanded Thē I wil bring vpon thee some of the most strongest people they shal draw their naked swordes c. By these things it may plainly apeare why at this time rather then in time past thys matter is stirred vp and why in this kingdome rather then in other kingdomes the calling of the Gentiles is intreated of to the verifying of the Gospell through the disclosing of Antichrist But forasmuch as many tales and fables are tolde of Antichrist and his comming and many things whych doe rather seduce then instruct the hearers are applied to hym out of the scriptures of the prophets we will briefly wryte those things which are spoken of hym and we will shewe that the same fable sprang from the error of people imagining from no truth of the scriptures prophesying Now then they do say that Antichrist shall be borne in Babylon of the tribe of Dan conceiued of the mixture of man and woman in sinne because that Christe was borne of a virgin and conceiued of the holy ghost They say that he shall be an ill fauoured personage because that it is wrytten of Christ comely and beautifull is he beyonde the sonnes of men They say that he shall preach three yeres and an halfe where Christ preached that he shall circumcise himselfe and say that he is Christ and the Messias sent for the saluation of the Iewes And they say that he shal 3. maner of waies seduce the people by false miracles giftes and torments So that whom he shall not be able to ouercome with myracles nor with gifts those shall he goe about to ouercome with diuers kinds of tormēts And those that he shal seduce will he marke with hys tokens in their forehead or hands He shal sit in the temple of God and cause himselfe to be worshipped as God He shall fight as they say with the 2. witnesses of Christ Enoch Hely and shal kill thē and he himselfe shall finally be slaine with lightening To this imagined man of their own imagination but of none of the prophets foreshewed at least in no such wyse as this is do they apply the Prophets as this of Daniel When y◠cotinual sacrifice shal be taken away abhomination shall be placed to desolation That is say they when the worshipping of God shal be taken away desolation to wit Antichrist shall abhominably shewe foorth hymselfe to be worshipped then shall there be 1290. dayes that is to say 3. yeres and a halfe And this time doe they say is the time times and halfe a time And when it is sayde in Daniell Blessed is hee that looketh for and cōmeth to a 1335. dayes This do they say is thus to be vnderstanded 45. dayes of repentance to such as haue worshipped Antichrist whych 45. dayes added to the 1290. make 1335. daies Which dayes they that shall reach vnto shal be called blessed They apply also to thys Antichrist this saying of the Apocalips I saw a beast rising vp out of the Sea hauing 7. heads and 10. horns who had power geuē him to make 42. moneths Which moneths as they say do make 3. yere a halfe in which Antichrist shall raigne And many other things there are told and applied vnfitly to this imagined Antichrist that are not truly grounded vpon the scriptures Now let vs shew the errors of this fable First of al if there shall come such one saying expresly that he is Christ what Christian would be seduced by him though he shuld do neuer so many miracles neither shall he come after the maner of a seducer which shal shew himself an expresse aduersary Neither is it likely that the Iewes can be seduced by such a one seeing that Christ is not promised vnto them of the stocke of Dan by any of the Prophets but of the stocke of Iuda nor yet is he promised to thē to be a king warlike but peaceable taking warre away not making warre For of Christ sayeth Esay And in the last dayes shall there be prepared the mountaine of the house of the Lorde in the toppe of the mountaines and it shal bee exalted aboue the hilles and to it shall all the nations haue great recourse and manye people shal goe and say Come let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and hee shall teache vs his wayes and wee shall walke in his pathes For out of Sion shall there goe a lawe and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge the nations reproue much people And they shall turne their swordes into plowshares and their speares into sithes There shall not a nation lift vp it selfe against an other nation nor yet shall they bee any more exercised to warre And againe A litle babe is borne to vs and a sonne is geuen to vs and his Imperiall kingdome vpon his shoulder and his name shall bee called The great counsailour The mighty God The father of the world to come The Prince of peace His Empire shall be multiplied and there shal be no ende of his peace He shall sit vpon the seat of Dauid and vpon his kingdom that he may make it stedfast and strong in iudgement and in iustice from hencefoorth for euermore Zachary doeth say of Christ Reioyce thou greatly O thou daughter Sion be thou exceeding merye O daughter Ierusalem Beholde thy king shall come a righteous person and a Sauior vnto thee and yet he a poore man and getting vp vpon an asse euen vpon a yong colt of the she asse And I wil scatter abroad the chariot of Ephraim and the horse of Ierusalem And the bow of warre shal be dispersed and he shall speake peace to the nations and hys power shall be from the sea to the sea and from the floud vnto the borders of the earth By which thinges it is manifest that the wise Iewes knewe well inough Christ to be promised to them of the stocke of Iuda and not of the stocke of Dan that he was geuen all to peace not to warre Therfore it is not likely that they cā be seduced by such a one But if there should haue beene in time to come some such singular Antichrist then would Christ seing he loued his haue sayd somwhat vnto thē of him Now of one singularly doth he not speak but of many saying Many shall come in my name say I am Christ and they shal seduce many persons But now let vs see how the prophecies in Daniell the Apocalips aforesayd be falsly and erroneously applied to the same imagined Antichrist For in Daniel the ix chapter thus it is written And after 72. weekes shall Christ be slaine and they which will deny him shall not be his people And the Citie
and laye men whether in defect of the other they may exercise the action of praier and administration of Sacraments belonging to Priests wherein he declareth the vse receiued in the Popes Churche for women to Raptise which sayth he cannot be without remission of sinnes wherefore seeing that women haue power by the Pope to remit sinne and to baptise why may they not aswell be admitted to minister the Lordes Supper in like case of necessity Wherin also he maketh relation of Pope Iohn 8. a woman Pope mouing certayne Questions of her All whiche for breuitye I pretermitte proceeding to the ministration of prayer and blessing or sanctification appropriate to the office of Priestes as followeth Furthermore as touching the fūction office of praying and blessing whereunto Priestes seme to be ordeined to omitte here the question whether women may pray in Churches in lacke of other meete persons it remayneth now also to prosecute Christ being desired of his Disciples to teach them to pray gaue them the common prayer both to men and women to the which prayer in my estimation no other is to be compared For in that first the whole honor due vnto the deity is comprehended Secondly whatsoeuer is necessary for vs both for the time present or past or for time to come is there desired praid for He informeth vs besides to pray secretly and also briefly secretly to enter into our close chāber and there in secrecy he willeth vs to pray vnto his father And sayth moreouer when ye pray vse not much babling or many words as doth the heathen For they thinke in their long and prolixe praying to be heard Therfore be you not like to thē By the which doctrine he calleth vs away frō the errors of the healthē Gentils frō whom proceed these superstitious maner of actes or rather of ignoraunces as Necromancy the art of diuinatiō other spises of coniuratiō not vnknown to them that be learned for these Necromansers beleue one place to be of greater vertue then an other there to be heard sooner then in an other Like as Balaam being hyred to curse the people of God by his arte of southsaying or cherming when he could not accomplish his purpose in one place he remoued to an other but he in the end was deceiued of hys desire For he intending first to curse them was not able to accurse thē whom the Lord blessed so that his curse coulde not hurt any of all that people After like sort the Nicromancers turne theyr face to the East as to a place more apt for theyr prayers Also the Necromāsers beleue that the vertue of the words of the prayer the curiosity therof causeth thē to bring to the effect which they seek after which is also another poynt of infidelity vsed much of Charmers Sorcerers Inchaūters Southsayers such like Out of the same arte I feare proceedeth the practise of exorcising wherby deuils spirits be coniured to do that wherunto they are inforced by the Exorcist Also wherby other creatures likewise are exorcised or coniured so that by the vertue of their exorcisme they may haue theyr power and strength exceeding all naturall operation In the Church of Rome many such exorcismes coniurations be practised are called of them benedictions or halowings But here I aske of these Exorcisers whether they beleue the thinges and creatures so exorcised and halowed haue that operation and efficacy geuē them which they pretēd If they so beleue euery child may see that they are farre beguiled For holy water being of them exorcised or cōiured hath no such power in it neither cā haue which they in theyr exorcisme do cōmaund For there they inioyn and commaund that whersoeuer that water is sprinckled all vexatiō or infestatiō of the vnclean spirit should auoid and that no pestilēt spirit there should abide c. But most playn it is that no water be it neuer so holy can haue any such power so to do as it is commaunded to wit to be an vniuersall remedy to expell all diseases This I woulde aske of these Exorcistes whether in theyr commaunding they do coniure or adiure the thinges conuired to be of an higher vertue and operation thē their own nature doth geue Or els whether they in their prayers desire of God that he wil infude into them that vertue which they require If they in theyr commaunding doe so beleue thē do they beleue that they haue that power in thē to the which the inferior power of the thing exorcised must obey in receiuing that which is commaunded And so doing are much more deceiued forasmuch as they see themselues that they which are so authorised to the office of exorcising say to the deuill being coniured Go he goeth not And to an other come and he cōmeth not many thinges els they commaūd the inferior spirite their subiect to do he doth not So in like case when they pray to God to make the water to be of such vertue that it may be to them health of mind and body and that it may be able to expulse euery vncleane spirit to chase away all maner of distemperature and pestilence of the ayre being an vnreasonable petition asked sore displeasing to God it is to be feared least theyr benediction their halowing blessing is chaūged into cursing according to that saying that followeth And now O you priests I haue a message to say vnto you If you will not heare and beare well away in your mindes to geue the glory vnto my name sayth the Lord God of hostes I will send scarcety amongest you and I wyll curse your blessings What things and how many are blessed or halowed in the Churche that in halowing thereof displease God and are accursed And therfore according to the saying of S. Iames they aske are not heard because the aske not as they should that they in theyr owne dsires may perish Let a man beholde the blessing or halowing of their fire water incense waxe bread wine the church the aultar the Churchyard ashes belies copes pallmes oile candles salt the hallowing of the ring the bed the staffe of many such like things I beleue that a man shall find out many errors of the hethē Magicians Witches southsayers and charmers And notwithstanding the auncient and old Magicians in their bookes commaund those that be coniurers that they in any wise liue deuoutly for otherwise as they say the spirites will not obey their cōmaūdements and coniuratiōs yet the Romane cōiurers do impute it to the vertue of the holy wordes because they be they which worke and not the holynes of the coniurers How commeth it to passe that they say the thinges consecrated of a cursed and vicious Iauell should haue so great vertue in pronouncing as they say the holy and misticall words as if they were pronoūced of a Priest neuer so
touched In whome as some good vertues may be noted so also some vices may seeme to be mixed withall But especially this that he starting out of the steps of hys progenitors ceased to take part with them whiche tooke part with the gospell Wherupon it so fell not by the blind wheele of fortune but by the secret hand of him which directeth all estates that as he first began to forsake that mayntayning of the Gospell of God so the Lord began to forsake him And where the protection of God beginneth to fayle there can lack no causes to be charged withall whom God once giueth ouer to mans punishmeÌ„t So that to me considering the whole life and trade of this prince among all other causes alledged in storyes agaynst him none seemeth so much to be wayed of vs or more hurtfull to hym then this forsaking of the Lord and his word Although to such as list more to be certified in other causes concurring withall many and sondry defectes in that king may appeare in storyes to the number of 33. articles alledged or forced rather agaynst him In whiche as I cannot deny but that he was worthy of much blame so to be displaced therefore from his regall seate and rightfull state of the crowne it may be thought perhaps the causes not to be so rare so material in a prince which either could or els would haue serued had not he geuen ouer before to serue the Lord and hys word chusing rather to serue the humour of the Pope and bloudy Prelates theÌ„ to further the Lords proceedings in preaching of hys word And theÌ„ as I sayd how can enemies lack wher God standeth not to friend or what cause can be so little whiche is not able inough to cast downe where the Lords arme is shortned to sustayne Wherefore it is a poynt of principall wisedome in a Prince not to forget that as he standeth alwayes in neede of God hys helping hand so alwayes he haue the discipline and feare of him before hys eyes according to the counsayle of the godly King Dauid Psal. 2. And thus much touching the time and race of this K. Richard with the tragical story of his deposing The order and maner whereof purposely I pretermit onely contented briefly to lay together a fewe speciall thinges done before his fall suche as may be sufficient in a briefe somme both to satisfie the Reader inquisitiue of suche storyes and also to forwarne other Princes to beware the lyke daungers In suche as wryte the life and Actes of this Prince thus I read of him reported that he was much inclined to the fauouring and aduancing of certayne persons about him ruled all by theyr counsell whiche were theÌ„ greatly abhorred and hated in the realme The names of whome were Rob. Ueer Erle of Oxford whoÌ„ the king had made Duke of Ireland Alexander Neuile Archbishop of York Michiel Delapoole Earle of Suffolke Robert Trisiliam Lord chiefe Iustice Nicholas Brembre with other These men being hated and disdayned of diuers of the nobles and of the commons the king also by fauouring them was lesse fauoured hymselfe In so much that the Duke of Gloucester named Thomas Woodstock the kings Uncle with the Erle of Warwicke and Earle of Darby stoode vp in armes against those counsaylors and abusers as they named them of the king In so much that the king for feare was constrayned agaynst hys minde to remoue out of his court Alexander Neuile Archb. of Yorke Iohn Foorde Byshop of Duresme Fryer Thomas Rushoke Bishop of Chichester the kinges confessor with the Lord Haringworth Lord Burnell and Bemond Lord Ueer and diuers other And furthermore in the Parliament the same yeare following Robert Trisilian the Iustice was hanged and drawne Also Nicholas Brembre Knight Iames Salisbury also and Iames Barnese both Knights Ioh. Bewchampe the kinges Steward and Iohn Blake Esquire in like maner All these by the counsayle of the Lordes beyng cast in the parliament agaynst the kyngs mind did suffer which was in the 11 of his raign he being yet vnder gouernours but consequently after the same the king clayming his own liberty being come to the age of 20. began to take more vpon him And this was one thinge that stirred vp the kinges stomacke agaynst the Nobles Ex Chron. Alban 2. An other thing that styred hym vp as much against the Londiners was this for that he would haue borowed of them a M. pound and they denied him to their double triple disauantage as after ensued vpon it Ibidem An other occasion besides this betwene the king and the Londoners happened thus by reason of one of the Byshop of Salisburies seruauntes named Roman and a Bakers man who then carying a basket of horsebread in Fletstreet the foresayd Roman tooke a horselose out of the basket The Baker asking why he did so the Byshops lusty yeomcu turned backe agayne and brake his head whereupon the neighbors came out and would haue arested this Roman but he escaped away vnto the Byshops house Then the Constable would haue had him out but the Bishops men shut fast the gates that they shoulde not approche Thus much people gathered together threatning to brust open the gates and fire the house vnlesse they had the foresayd party to them brought out Wherby much adoe there was till at length the Mayor and Sheriffes came and quieted the rage of the commons sent euery man home to his house charging theÌ„ to keepe peace Here as yet was no great harme done but if the bishoppe for his part had beene quyet and had not styrred the coles of debate which were well slaked already all had bene ended without further perturbation But thâ— stomacke of the Byshop not yet digested although hys mâ—n had done the wrong hauing no great cause so to do whose name was Iohn Waltam being then Treasourer of England went to Thomas Arundell archbish the same time of Yorke and Lord Chauncellour of England to complayne of the Londoners Where is to be noted or rather reueled by the way a priuy mistery which although be not in this story touched of the writers yet it touched the hartes of the bishops not a little For the Londoners at that time were notoriously knowne to be fauourers of wickliffes side as partly before this is to be seene and in the story of S. Albones more playnly doth appeare where the author of the sayd history writing vpon the 15. yeare of King Richardes raygne reporteth in these wordes of the Londoners that they were Male creduli in deum traditiones auitas Lollardorum sustentatores religiosoruÌ„ detractores de cimaruÌ„ deteÌ„tores coÌ„munis vulgi depauperatores c. that is not right beleuers in God nor in the traditions of their forefathers susteyters of the Lollardes deprauers of religious men withholders of tythes and impouerishers of the common people c. Thus the Londoners being noted and
Richard againe in the raigne of this king that many yeares after he was rumored to be aliue of them which desired belike that to be true which they knew to be false for the which diuers were executed For the space of sixe or vij yeares together almost no yeare passed without some conspiracy against the king Long it were here to recite the bloud of all such Nobles and other which was spilt in the raigne of this king as the Earle of Kent Earle of Salisbury Earle of Huntington named Iohn Holland c. as writeth the story of S. Albans But the English writers differ something in their names and make mention of 4. Earles of Surrey of Excester of Salisbury and Lord Spenser Earle of Gloucester Ex Lib. cui tit Calendarium Bruti And the next yeare following Syr Ihon Clarendon knight with two of his seruauntes the Priour of Laund with 8. friers were hanged and quartered And after these Henry Percy the younger the Earle of Worcester named Thomas Percy his vncle Lord of Kinderton and L. Richard de Uernoua The Earle of Northumberland scarce escaped with his pardon an 1403. In the which yeare the prison in Cornhill called the tonne was turned into the conduit there now standing To let passe other moe hanged and quartered the same time as Blount knight Benet Kely knight and Thomas Wintersel Esquier Also the same yeare was taken and executed sir Bernard Brokes knight sir Iohn Shilley knight Syr Iohn Mandelyn and William Frierby After all these L. Henry Earle of Northumberland and L. Bardolfe conspiring the kings death were taken in the North and beheaded which was in the 8. yere of this king Henry This ciuil rebellion of so many nobles other against the king declared what grudging heartes the people then bare towarde this king Henry Among whome I cannot pretermit heere also the Archb. of Yorke named Richarde Scrope who with the L. Moubrey Marshal of England gathered a great company in the North countrey against the foresaid king to whom also was adioyned the helpe of L. Bardolfe Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland Ex Chron. D. Albani And to stirre vp the people more willingly to take their partes they collected certaine Articles against the said king to the number of 10. and fastned them vpon the doores of Churches and Monasteries to be read of all men in English Which articles if any be disposed to vnderstand for somuch as the same also containe a great part of the doings betweene king Henry king Richard aforesayde I thought for the better opening of the matter heere vnder to inserte the same in such forme as I founde them in the historie of Scala mundi expressed ¶ Articles set vp on Church doores against king Henry the fourth IN the name of God Amen Before the Lorde Iesus Christ iudge of the quicke and dead c. We A.B.C.D. c. not long sithens became bounde by othe vppon the sacred Euangelicall booke vnto our soueraigne Lorde Richarde late king of England and France in the presente of many prelates potentates and nobilitie of the realme that wee so long as we liued should beare true allegeance and fidelity towardes hym and his heires succeding hym in the kingdom by iust title right and line accordyng to the statutes and custome of this realme of England By vertue wherof we are bound to foresee that no vices or hainous offences arise in the common weale do take effect or wyshed ende but that we ought to geue our selues and our goodes to wtstand the same without feare of sword or death whatsoeuer vpon paine of periurie which paine is euerlasting damnation Wherfore we seing perceiuing diuers horrible crimes and great enormities daily without ceassing to be committed by the children of the deuill and sathans soldiours against the supremacie of the Church of Rome the libertie of the church of England and the lawes of the realme against the person of king Rich. and his heires against the prelates noble men religion and comminaltie and finally against the whole weale publike of the realme of England to the great offence of the maiesty of almighty God and to the prouocation of his iust wrath and veÌ„geance towards the realme and people of the same And fearing also the destruction both of the Churche of Rome and England the ruine of our couÌ„try to be at hand hauing before our eyes the iustice the kingdom of God calling alwaies on the name of Iesus hauing an assured confidence in his clemency mercy and power haue here taken vnto vs certain articles subscribed in forme folowing to be proponed tried and heard before the iust iudge Iesus Christ and the whole world to his honour the deliuery of the church the cleargy and comminalty and to the utility profite of the weale publick But if which God forbid by force feare of violence of wicked persons we shal be cast in prison or by violent death preuented so as in this worlde we shall not be able to proue the saide articles as we would wish then do we apeale to the high celestiall iudge that he may iudge discerne the same in the day of his supreme iudgement 1. ¶ First we depose say except and entend to proue against the Lord Henry Derby sonne of the Lord Iohn of Gaunt late Duke of Lancaster and commonly called king of England himselfe pretending the same although without all right and title thereunto and against his adherents fautours and complices that euer they haue bene are and will be traytors inuaders and destroyers of Gods Church in Rome England Wales and Ireland and of our soueraigne Lord Richard late King of England his heires his kingdom and common wealth as shall hereafter maniâ—estly appeare 2. Secondarely we depose c. against the said Lord HeÌ„ry for that he had conceaued deutied conspired certaine hainous crimes and traiterous offences against his sayd soueraigne Lord Richard his state and dignitie as manifestly did appeare in the contention betwene the said Lord Henry and yâ— Lord Thomas Duke of Northfolke begon at Couentry but not finished throughly Afterwards he was sent in exile by sentence of the said king Richard by the agreement of his father the Lord Iohn Duke of Lancaster by the voice of diuers of the Lords temporall nobilitie of the realme and also by his owne consent there to remaine for a certaine time appointed vnto him by the said Lords and withall he was bound by othe not to returne into EnglaÌ„d before he had obteined fauour grace of the kyng Not long after when the king was departed into Ireland for reformation of that countrey apperteining to the crowne of England but as then rebelling agaynst the same the sayd Lord Henry in the meane time contrary to his oth and fidelitie and long before the time limited vnto him was expired with all his fautours and inuaders secretly entred into the Realme swearing
that he dyd not personally appeare they say they haue heard both himselfe and diuers other credible persones say yea euen the most famous Prince Wenceslaus king of Boheme and almost all the whole nobilitie is witnes that he would willingly haue appeared at Rome or els where if he myghte safely haue commen thether and that deadly enmitie had not letted and moreouer his procurers which he sent vnto the court of Rome alleaging reasonable causes for hys non apparance some of them were cast into pryson and others very euill intreated As for the excommunication which he hath so long sustained they haue heard him often say that he hath not resisted against the same by contumacye or stubbernesse but vnder euident appellation and therupon reterreth himself vnto the Actes of his causes whyche were pleaded in the court of Rome wherm all this is more largely contained the which your reuerences may euidently perceiue and see in this our present publike transumpt which wee haue offred vnto you vpon certaine poynts aforesayd As cōcerning his preaching wherwithal his enemies do report and charge that M. Iohn Hus did preach openly in the Citie of Constaunce The Lordes aforesaide and specially the Lord Iohn de Clum here present do answere that hee hath continually lodged wyth the sayde M. Iohn Hus here in Constaunce and that whosoeuer they be that haue bene so bolde or dare be so bolde to say affirme that M. Iohn Hus had preached as is premised or that whyche lesse is since the time of his comming vnto thys citie euen vnto the very day time of hys captiuitie and imprysonment that he went but one step out of the house of his lodging that the said Lord Iohn de Clum will and is contēt to binde himselfe with any suche as shall affirme the same vnder what penalty so euer it be of money or otherwyse that which hee hath falsly reported vnto your reuerences he shal neuer be able iustly truely to affirme and prooue Thirdly whereas your reuerences do say that you do not vnderstād or know what the Lords do meane by the heretickes condemned at the councel holden at Pisa whether the mocking or deriding the Pope whose ambassadors came thither for vnitie or concorde the which were suffered and gently entreated as theyr Lordes were most enclined vnto vnitie and peace or els that they did vnderstande or meane the perticuler heretickes which were there condemned adioyning therunto that the heretickes also comming vnto the councell vnder the pretence of that vnitie should be gently handled and entreated c. Reuerēd fathers and Lordes whether they be counted the firste or that they be thought the second or last the Lordes aforesaid require none other thing but that the said M. Iohn Hus may vse suche liberty as they vsed forsomuch as he came willingly vnto this most sacred coūcel not for any other purpose but onely publikely to recognise his faith And in what poynt soeuer he shall seeme to vary from the worde of God and the vnion of the holy mother the church that in that poynte he will willingly be vnited and reconciled againe thereunto and not only himself but also his fauorers and adherents he would moue and prouoke therunto of whom the greater number are in the kingdō of Boheme Also he is come hether that he might purge and cleare the noble kingdome of Boheme from the sinister and euil slaunder which was raised vpon it Last of all most reuerend fathers Lordes for so much as your reuerences haue most fauourably answered vnto the principal request made by the Lords aforesayd that the processe of M. Iohn Hus through Gods helpe shoulde be determined and ended wtal expedition and gentlenes The Lordes aforesayd do render most harty thanks vnto your reuerences and when soeuer theyr desire by Gods helpe shall come to the ende or effecte long wished or looked for they wil not onely here but also before the whole kingdom of Boheme and in all other places wheresoeuer they come render most immortall thankes vnto your reuerences for euer ¶ Thys declaration of the nobles of Boheme aboue prefixed may serue not only to the cōfutation of the bishop Luthonius thys Bohemian but also against the cauillacious of Alanus Copus Anglus Dial. 6. pag. 929. touching the safe conduct of Iohn Hus wherof sufficiently before hath ben sayd vide supra pag. 596. When as the noble men of Boheme by lōg time could receiue no answer of those supplications whych they had alredy put vp they determined the last day of May following by an other supplication being put vp vnto the principals of the councell to entreat that Iohn Hus myght be deliuered out of prison and defend his owne cause openly they also put the testimonial of the bishop of Nazareth as touching Iohn Hus. The copy wherof is expressed in the beginning of this hystorie word by word ¶ Another supplication of the nobles of Boheme MOst reuerend fathers and Lordes in Christ of late there was a supplication put vp vnto your reuerences on the behalfe of the Lordes nobles of Boheme and the nation of Pole wherin they most humbly desired your reuerences to consider how the informations which were put vp vnto your reuerences by the enemies of M. Iohn Hus were insufficient And with reuerence be it spoken in many poynts vntrue as in the safeconduict graunted by the kings maiestie and also in other articles as more plainely appeareth in the Scedule which was then offred vnto you vppon the whych sayde Scedule and other things at that presence being put vppe they coulde not as yet receiue no aunswere Wherefore the Lordes aforesayde moste humbly require your fatherly reuerences that it would please you to consider the said supplication and to geue some answere to the Lordes aforesayd therupon and specially hauing respect vnto the great iniuries and griefs which are done vnto the sayd M. Iohn Hus the which may be vnderstād and knowen by the Scedule aforesayde that you will mercifully consider and foresee that all those griefes and euils so farre different from all brotherly loue and charitie are done vnto hym by his enemies euen for very malice and hatred To the intent therefore that the rancour and malice may be confounded and ouerthrowne and the plaine and euident truth appeare it may please your fatherly reuerēces to vnderstand that it is notified and knowen vnto the Barones Nobles Citizens Clergie and Laitie of the kingdome of Boheme that M. Iohn Hus in all his actes and doings as well Scholasticall as Ecclesiasticall and specially in all his publike and open sermons he hathe made and hathe accustomed to make these maner of protestations the which without any thing to the contrary hee hath alwaies endeuoured to haue them strong and firme as by this his protestation here folowing which he made about the determination of a certaine question it may most euidently and plainely appeare vnto
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
by your prayers I shall persiste strongly in the immutable veritie of God vnto the last breath Finally I wold not haue you ignoraÌ„t that wheras euery one here is put in his office I only as an outcast am neglected c. I coÌ„mend you to the merciful Lord Iesu Christ our true God and the sonne of the immaculate virgin Mary which hath redeemed vs by his moste bitter death without all our merites from eternall paines from the thraldome of the Deuill and from sinne From Constance the yere of our Lord. 1415. ¶ An other letter of Iohn Hus to his benefactours MY gracious benefactours and defendours of the truthe I exhort you by the bowels of Iesus Christ that now ye setting aside the vanities of this present world will giue your seruice to the eternall king Christ the Lord. Trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men in whome there is no health For the sonnes of men are dissemblers and disceitfull To day they erre to morrowe they pearish but God remaineth for euer Who hath his seruants not for any neede he hath of them but for their owne profite vnto whoÌ„ he performeth that which he promiseth fulfilleth that which he purposeth to geue He casteth of no faithful seruant from him for he sayth where I am there also shal my seruaÌ„t be And that Lorde maketh euery seruaunt of his to be the Lorde of all his possession geuing himselfe vnto him and with himselfe all thinges that without all tediousnesse feare and without al defect he may possesse all thinges reioycing with all Saintes in ioy infinite O happie is that seruaunt whome when the Lorde shall come hee shall finde watching Happy is the seruaunt which shall receiue that king of glory with ioy Wherefore well beloued Lordes and benefactours serue you that king in feare which shall bring you as I trust nowe to Boheme at this present by his grace in health and hereafter to eternal life of glory Fare ye wel For I think that this is the last letter that I shall write to you who to morrowe as I suppose shall be purged in hope of Iesu Christ throughe bitter death from my sinnes The things that happened to me this night I am not able to wryte Sigismund hath done all things wyth mee disceitfully God forgeue him and onely for your sakes You also heard the sentence which he awarded against me I pray you haue no suspition of faithfull Vitus An other letter to the Lord Iohn de Clum MOste gracious benefactour in Christe Iesu dearely beloued yet I reioyce not a little that by the grace of God I maye wryte vnto your honour By your letter which I receaued yesterday I vnderstand first how the iniquitie of the great strompet that is of the malignaunt congregation whereof mention is made in the Apocalips is detected and shall be more detected Wyth the which strumpet the kinges of the earth doe commit fornication fornicating spiritually from Christe and as is there sayde sliding back from the truth and consenting to the lies of antichrist thoroughe his seduction and thoroughe feare or thoroughe hope of confederacie for getting of worldly honour Secondly I perceaued by your letter how the enemies of the truth begin nowe to be troubled Thirdly I perceiued the feruent constancie of your charitie wherewith you professe the truth boldly Fourthly with ioy I perceiued that you minde now to geue ouer the vanity and the painefull seruice of this present world and to serue the Lorde Iesus Christ quietly at home Whome to serue is to raign as Gregory sayeth Whome he that serueth faithfully hath Christe Iesus himselfe in the kingdome of heauen to minister vnto him as hee himselfe sayeth Blessed is that seruaunt whome when the Lorde shall come he shall finde waking and so doing Verely I say vnto you that hee rising shall girde himselfe and shall minister to him This do not â—he kings of this worlde to their seruauntes whome onely they doe loue so long as they are profitable and necessary for their commodities c. Another Epistle of Iohn Hus wherein he declareth why God suffreth not his to perish bringing diuers examples wherwith he doth comfort and confirme both himselfe and other THe Lord God be with you Many causes there were welbeloued in God my deare frends which moued me to thinke that those letters were the last which before I sent vnto you lookinge that same time for instaÌ„t death But now vnderstanding the same to be deferred I take it for great coÌ„fort vnto me that I haue some leâ— ser more to talke with you by letters therfore I write again to you to declare testify at least my gratitude mindfull duty toward you And as touching death God doth know why he doeth defer it both to me and to my welbeloued brother M. Hier. who I trust will die holily and without blame and do know also that he doth and suffereth nowe more valiauntly then I my selfe a wretched sinner God hath geuen vs a long time that we myghte call to memorie our sinnes the better and repent for the same more feruently Hee hath graunted vs time that our longe and greate temptation shuld put away our greuous sinnes bring the more consolation He hath geuen vs time wherin we should remember the horrible rebukes of our mercifull king and Lorde Iesus and shoulde ponder his cruell death and so more paciently myght learne to beare our afflictions And moreouer that we might kepe in remembraunce how that the ioyes of the life to come are not geuen after the ioyes of this world immediatly but through many tribulaâ—ions the Saints haue entred into the kingdoÌ„ of heauen For some of them haue bene cutte and chopt all to peeces some their eies bored through some sodde some rosted some slaine aliue some buried quicke stoned crucified grineded betwixt mill stones drawne hailed hither and thither vnto execution drowned in waters strangled and hanged torne in pieces vexed wyth rebukes before their death pined in prisons afflicted in bands And who is able to recite all the tormentes and suffringes of the holy Saintes which they suffered vnder the olde and newe Testament for the verity of God namely those which haue at any time rebuked the malice of the priestes or haue preached against their wickednesse And it will be a meruaile if any man nowe also shall escape vnpunished who so euer dare boldly resist the wickednesse and peruersity especially of those priests which can abide no correction And I am glad that they are compelled now to reade my bookes in the which their malice is somewhat described and I know they haue reade the same more exactly and diligently then the holy Gospell seeking therein to finde out errours Geuen at Constance vppon Thursday the 28. day of Iune An. 1415. ¶ Another letter of Iohn Hus wherein he rehearseth what iniuries he receiued of the Councel and of the deputies IF my letter be not
to passe according vnto Zisca his will and minde and that vpon him alone the whole state of Boheme did depend he sought priuie meanes to recōcile and get Zisca into his fauour promising him the gouernance of the whole kingdom the guiding of all his hostes armies and great yearely reuenues if he would proclaime him King and cause the Cities to be sworne vnto him Upō which cōditions whē as Zisca for the performance of the couenants went vnto the Emperour being on his iourney at the Castle of Priscouia he was stricken with sicknesse and died It is reported that when he was demaunded beyng sicke in what place he would be buried he commaunded the skinne to be pulled off from his dead carkase and the flesh to bee cast vnto the foules and beastes and that a drumme should be made of his skinne which they should vse in their battailes affirming that as soone as their enimies should heare the sound of that drumme they would not abide but take their flight The Thaborites despising all other Images yet set vp the Picture of Zisca ouer the gates of the Citie ¶ The Epitaphe of Iohn Zisca the valiant Captaine of the Bohemians I Iohn Zisca not inferiour to any Emperour or Captain in warlike policie a seueare punisher of the pride and auarice of the Clergy and a defender of my countrey do lie heere That which Appius Claudius by geuing good counsell and M. Furius Camillus by valiantnesse did for the Romaines the same I being blinde haue done for my Bohemians I neuer slacked oportunitie of battaile neither did fortune at any time faile me I being blinde did foresee all oportunitie of well ordering or doing my businesse Eleuen times in ioining battaile I went victour out of the field I seemed to haue worthely defended the cause of the miserable and hungry against the delicate fatte and glotonous Priests and for that cause to haue receiued help at the hande of God If their enuy had not let it without doubt I had deserued to be numbred amongst the most famous men Notwithstanding my bones lye heere in this halowed place euen in despite of the Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ Iohn Zisca a Bohemian enemy to all wicked and couetous Priestes but with a godly zeale And thus haue you the actes and doings of this worthy Zisca and other Bohemians which for the more credite we haue drawne out of Aeneas Syluius onely his rayling tearmes excepted which we haue heere suppressed All this while the Emperour with the whole power of the Germaines were not so busie on the one side but Martin the Pope was as much occupied on the other side who about the same time directed downe a terrible Bull full of all poison to all Byshops and Archbyshops agaynst all such as tooke any part or side with Wickleffe Iohn Hus Hierome or with their doctrine and opinions The copie of which Bull which I found in an olde written monument I wish the reader throughly to peruse wherein he shall see the Pope to poure out at once all his poison The Bull of Pope Martine directed foorth against the followers of Iohn Wickliffe of England of Iohn Husse of Boheme and Hierome of Prage MArtine Bishop the seruant of Gods seruants to our reuerend brethren the Archbishops of Salzeburgen Gueznen and Pragē to the Bishops of Dlumcen Luthomuslen Bambergen Misnen Patauiē Uratislauien Ratisponen Cra. ouien Poznamen and Nitrien also to our beloued children the Inquisitours appointed of the Prelates aboue recited or where else soeuer vnto whome these present letters shall come greeting and Apostolicall benediction Amongst all other pastorall cares where with we are oppressed this chefly and specially doth inforce vs that heretikes with their false doctrine and errours being vtterly expulsed from amōgst the cōpany of Christen mē and rooted out so farre forth as God will make vs able to do the right and Catholike faith may remaine sound and vndefiled and that all Christian people immoueable and iuiolate may stande and abide in the sinceritie of the same fayth the whole vayle of obscuritie being remoued But lately in diuers places of the world but especially in Bohemia and the Dukedome of Morauia and in the straights adioining thereunto certaine Archheretickes haue risen and sprong vp not against one only but against diuers sundry documēts of the Catholike faith being landlopers schismatikes and seditious persons fraught with diuelish pride Woluish madnes deceiued by the subtlety of Sathan and frō one euill vanity brought to a worse Who although they rose vp sprang in diuers parts of the world yet agreed they all in one hauing their tailes as it were knit together to wit Iohn Wickliffe of England I. Hus of Bohemia Hierome of Prage of dammable memorie who drew with thē no small nūber to miserable ruine and infidelitie For when as those such like pestiferous persons did in the beginning of their poisoned doctrine obstinately sow and spread abroad peruerse false opinions the prelates who had the regiment execution of the iudiciall power like dumme dogs not able to barke neither yet reuenging speedely with the Apostle all such disobediēce nor regarding corporally to cast out of the lords house as they were enioined by the canons those subtill and pestilēt Archheretickes and their Woluish fury and cruelty with all expedition but suffering their false and pernicious doctrine negligētly by their ouerlong delaies to growe and waxe strōg a great multitude of people in stead of true doctrine receiued those things which they did lōg falsly pernitiously and damnably sow among them and geuing credite vnto them fell from the right faith and are intangled the more pitie in the foule errors of Paganisme In so much that those Archheretickes and suche as spring of them haue infected the Catholicke flock of Christ in diuers climates of the world and parts bordering vpon the same and haue caused them to putrifie in the filthie dunghill of their lies Wherefore the generall Synode of Constance was compelled with Sainct Augustine to exclaime against so great and ruinous a plague of faythfull men and of the sound and true faith it selfe saieng what shall the Soueraigne medicine of the Church do wyth motherly loue seeking the health of hir sheepe chasing as it were amongst a companie of men franticke and hauing the disease of the Lethargie What shall she desist and leaue off hir good purpose No not so But rather let hir if there be no remedie be sharpe to both these sorts which are the greenous enemies of her wombe For the Phisition is sharpe vnto the man bestraught and raging in his frensie and yet is he a father to his owne rude and vnmanerly sonne in binding the one in beating the other by shewing therein his great loue vnto them both But if they be negligent and suffer them to perish sayth Augustine this mansuetude is rather to be supposed
wherwith heretickes are punished or are wont and are commaunded by canonical sanctions to be vsed and if they be clerkes by degradation doe correcte and punishe and cause them to be corrected and punyshed with all dilligence Furthermore that you do rise vp stoutly and couragiously agaynst such heretickes and the goodes as well of them as of the lay men according to the canonicall sanctioÌ„ made agaynst heretickes and their followers vnder the which we will and commaunde them and their partakers to be subiect And also such persons as shall be infamed of the heresies or errors aforesayd or any of the premisses shall be bounde to purge themselues at your arbitrement but the other which either be witnesses or by their owne confessions or other allegations or probations shal be conuicted of the foresaid heresies or articles or of any the premisses they shal be compelled to reuoke and abiure publikely and solemnly the sayd articles and erroures and to suffer condigne penaunce and punishment yea euen to perpetuall imprisonment if need be for the same And to the intent that they shall not nourish any kinde of heresies hereafter either in word deede or gesture or shall induce other either in worde or deede priuely or apertly directly or indirectly to beleeue the same they shal be forced to put in sufficient suretie Who if it so chaunce that they wil not publikely and solemnly renounce and abiure their articles and errors and take at your handes condigne penaunce though it be to perpetual or teÌ„poral punishment according to your discretion neither wil be coÌ„tented to put in sufficient suretie that they will not hereafter holde nor nourish those erroures and heresies neither wil induce other by word or deed priuily or apertly directly or indirecly or by any other maner of colour to beleue the same that then you shall proceede agaynst them according to the qualty of their erroures and demerites yea and if you see it so expedient as against heretickes as infected with heresie by our authoritie according to the canonical sanctions suâ—marily and simply and plainly sine strepitu figura iudicij of office all appellatioÌ„ or appellations whatsoeuer ceasing and that you punish the same according to the sanctions traditions canonicall yea if neede be in leauing and committing them to the secular power and agayinst such as be superiors or learned doctors laying the censures of ecclesiasticall excoÌ„munication al appellation set aside also innocating if neede shall require ayd of the secular arme The constitution as wel of our predecessor P. Boniface 8. of blessed memory wherein is decreed that no man without hys City or dioces except in certayne cases or in places being one daies iornye distant from thence where he inhabiteth shal be called into iudgement that no man do presume to depute iudges froÌ„ the sea Apostolicke wtout the city dioces where they are deputed to proceede agaynst any or do presume to coÌ„mit their authority to any other person or persoÌ„s or to fetch remoue any man beyond one dayes iorny froÌ„ out his Dioces where he dwelleth or at most two dayes iourny if it be in a generall councell as also all other constitutions of any byshop of Rome touching as well Iudges delegate as persons not to be called to iudgement beyond a certaine number or els any other edict indulce priuelege or exemption generall or special graunted from the Apostolike sea for anye person or persons not to be interdicted suspended or excommunicated or cited vp to iudgement without the compasse of certaine limites or els what soeuer thing otherwise may hinder stop or impeache your iurisdiction power and free proceeding herein by anye meanes to the contrary notwithstanding Dat Constant. the first yeare of our popedome ¶ This bloudy and abhominable commission of pope Martine which I haue copied out of a certaine olde monument remaining in the handes of Maister Hackluyt student in the Temple seemeth to be directed and geuen out to the publike destruction of all faithful Christen men about the latter end breaking vp of the councel of Constance an 1418. By the which the prudent reader hath this to note and consider what labour what pollicie what couÌ„saile what lawes haue bene set what wayes haue bene takeÌ„ what seueritie hath bene shewed how mens power wit and authoritie of the whole world haue conspired together from time to time coÌ„tinually by all maner meanes to subuert and supplant the worde and way of the Lorde And yet notwithstanding man hath not preuayled but all his force deuised pollicies haue bene ouerthrown dispatched and with the councell of Achitophell and Ammon haue bene brought to nought and contrary to the furye of the world the gospell of Christ hathe still increased Neither yet for all this will the Pope cease to spurne and rebell still against the kingdome of Christe and of hys Gospell agaynst which neyther he nor yet the gates of hell shall euer preuayle The Lord of hostes be mercifull to hys poore persecuted flocke Amen Agaynst this pestilent Bull and Inquisition of Pope Martine the great antechrist I thought good here to adioyne and annexe an other contrarye writing of the Bohemians bearing the name and subscription of Procopius Conradus and other Captaynes of the Bohemians which seemeth not long after the death of Zisca to be written agaynst the pestiferous sea of Rome the tenour whereof here followrth A fruitfull and Christian exhortation of the Bohemianes to kinges and princes to stir them vp to the zeale of the Gospell THe almighty God the father by hys welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ may in hys holy spirite open the vnderstanding both of you and of all Christians lighten your hartes with the light of hys doctrin of righteousnes and may make you to continue therin surely established to the end This we desire of you for your saluation all ye honourable wise honest noble men al the Comminaltie ye rich and poore heare and consider with dilligent heede the wordes of this present letter which is sent vnto you from the Country of the Bohemianes It is manifest and well knowne to you and many other citties Kynges princes and Lordes that now a certayne number of yeares there hath ben great discord betwixt vs and you and there haue bene some which haue moued you by letters and prouoked you to make warre against vs and to destroy vs. And as well on your part as on ours many men as wel noble as vnnoble haue foolishly lost their lyues Yet neuer hetherto haue ye in any parte vnderstoode our fayth by our owne confession neither whether we be able to proue the same out of the scriptures yea or no and yet in the meane time kinges Princes Lordes and Citties haue sustayned great dammage And hereof we greatly meruaile that ye do so much trust and beleue the pope and hys priestes which geue you drinke full of poyson and
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
holy But I maruell that they say so reading this saying in the Actes of the Apostles because the charmers pronouncing the name of Iesus that is aboue all names would haue healed those that were possessed with deuils and sayd In the name of Iesus whom Paul preacheth go ye out of the men And the possessed with deuils aunswered Iesus we know and Paule we know but what are ye and they all to be beat the coniurers And now considering this and many such like things I maruell wherfore the vicious Priests do sell theyr praiers and blessings dearer as also theyr Masses Trentals of Masses then those that be deuout lay mē and holy women which with all theyr hart desire do flee from vices take hold of vertue For as much as God in diuers places of the Scripture doth promise that he will not heare sinners wicked persons Neither should he seme to be iust if he should sooner heare the praiers of his enemies then of his faythfull frend How I pray you shall a sinneful priest deliuer an other man from sinne by his prayers or els frō the punishment of sinne whē he is not able to deliuer him selfe by his prayer frō sinne What then doth God so much accept in the Masse of a vicious Priest that for his masse his prayer or oblatiō he might deliuer any man either frō sinne or from the payne due for sinne No but for that that Christ hath once offered himselfe for our sinnes now sitteth on the right hand of God the father alwayes shewing vnto him what and how great things he hath suffered for vs. And euery priest alwayes maketh mētion in his masse of this oblation Neither do we this that we might bring the same oblation into the remembraunce of God because that he alwayes in his presence seeth the same But that we should haue in remēbraunce this so great loue of God that he would geue his own sonne to death for our sinnes that he might clense purify vs frō all our sinnes What doth it please God that the remembraunce of so great loue is made by a prest which more loueth sinne then God Or how can any prayer of such a priest please God in what holy place soeuer he be or what holy vestimēts soeuer he put on or what holy prayers soeuer he maketh And where as Christ and his Apostles do cōmaund the preaching of the word of God the Priests be now more bound to celebrate the Masse and more straitly bound to say the Canonicall houres whereat I cannot but greatly maruell For why to obey the precepts of men more then the cōmaūdements of God is in effect to honor mā as God and to bestow the sacrifice vpon man which is due vnto God and this is also spirituall fornication How therfore are Priests bound at the commaundement of man to leaue the preaching of the word of God at whose cōmaundemēt they are not bound to leaue the celebration of the Masse or singing of Matines Therefore as it seemeth Priestes ought not at the commaundement of any man to leaue the preaching of the word of God vnto the which they are boūd both by diuine and Apostolicall preceptes With whom agreeth the writing of Hierome vpon the Decretals saying in this wise Let none of the Bishops swell with the enuy of deuilishe temptation let none be angry if the Priestes do sometime exhort the people if they preach in theyr Church c. for to him that forbiddeth me these thinges I will say that he is vnwilling that Priestes should do those thinges which be commaunded of God What thing is there aboue Christ or what may be preferred before his body and his bloud c. Do Priestes therfore sinne or not which bargayne for mony to pray for the soule of any dead man It is well knowne that Iesus did whip those that were buyers and sellers out of the tēple saying My house shal be called the house of prayer but you haue made the same adenne of theenes Truely he cast not out such Marchaunts frō out of the Church but because of theyr sinnes Wherupon Hierome vpon this text sayth Let the Priests be diligent and take good heede in this Churche that they turne not the house of God into a den of theeues He doubtles is a theef which seeketh gayne by Religion by a shew of holynes studieth to finde occasion of marchaundise Hereupon the holy Canons do make accursed Symoniacal heresy doe commaund that those should be depriued of the priesthood which for the passing or maruelous spiritual grace do seek gayne or monye Peter the Apostle sayde to Symon Magus Let thy mony and thou go both to the deuill whiche thinkest that the giftes of God may be bought for money Therefore the spirituall gyftes of God ought not to bee solde Uerely prayer is the spirituall gift of God as is also the preaching of the word of God or the saying on of handes or the administration of other Sacramentes Christ sending forth his Disciples to preach sayd vnto them Heale ye the sicke cast out deuils rayse the dead freely haue ye receiued freely geue ye agayne If the Priestes haue power by theyr prayers to deliuer soules being in Purgatory from greeuous paynes without doubt he hath receiued that power freely from God How therefore can he sell his act vnlesse he resist the commaundementes of God of whom he hath receiued that authoritye This truly cannot be done without sinne which is agaynst the commaundement of God How playnly spake Christ to the Pharisies Priests saying wo be vnto you Scribes Pharisies hypocrites because ye haue eaten the whole houses of such as be wydowes by making long praiers and therfore haue you receiued greater dānation Wherin I pray you do our Pharisies and Priestes differ from them Do not our Priestes deuour widowes houses and possessions that by their lōg prayers they might deliuer the soules of their husbāds frō the greuous paynes of purgatory How many Lordships I pray you haue bene bestowed vpon the religious mē womē to pray for the dead that they by their prayer might deliuer those dead men from the payne as they sayd that they suffer in purgatory greuously tormented and vexed If theyr prayers and speaking of holy words shall not be able to deliuer themselues frō payn vnlesse they haue good works How shall other men be deliuered from payne by their praiers which whilest they liued here they gaue ouer themselues to sinne Yea peraduētUre those Lordships or landes which they gaue vnto the priestes to pray for them they themselues haue gotten by might from other faythful men vniust and violently And the Canous doe say that sinne is not forgeuē till the thing taken away wrōgfully be restored How thē shal they be able which do vniustly possesse such Lordshippes or landes to deliuer them by theyr prayers from payne which haue geuen
to them these lordships or landes seing God from the beginning hath hated all extortion in his burnt sacrifices Not euerye one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he which doth the will of my father which is in heauē And agayne not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law shall be iustified If therefore the words of him that prayth do not deliuer himselfe from sinne nor frō the payne of sinne how do they deliuer other men from sinne or frō the payne of sinne when no man prayth more earnestly for an other man thē for himselfe Therfore many are deceiued in buying or selling of prayers as in the buying of pardons that they might be deliuered from payne whē as commonly they pay dearer for the prayers of the proud vicious prelates thēfor the prayers of deuout women and deuout men of the laye people But out of doubt God doth not regard the person of him that prayth neither the place in which he praith nor his apparell nor the curiousnes of his prayer but the humility and godlye affection of him that prayeth Did not the Pharisy and the Publican goe vp into the temple to pray The Publicans prayer for his humility and godly affection is heard But the Pharisies prayer for his pride arrogancy is contempned Cōsider that neither the person nor the place nor the state nor the curiousnes of his prayer doth helpe the Pharisye Because the Publicane not thinking himselfe worthy to lift vp his eies vnto heauen for the multitude of his sinnes saying O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner is iustified dy his humility and his praier is heart But the Pharisy boasting in his righteousnes is despised because God thrusteth downe the proud and exalteth the humble and those that be meek The rich glotton also that was clothed with purple and silke fared euery day daintely prayd vnto Abraham and is not heard but is buryed in paynes and torments of hell fire But Lazarus whiche lay begging at his gate being full of sores is placed in the bosome of Abraham Behold that neither the riches of his apparell nor the deliciousnesse of his banquets or the gorgiousnes of his estate neither the aboundance of his riches doth helpe any thing to prefer the prayers or petitiōs of the rich glotten nor yet diminishe his tormentes because that mighty men in their mightines shal suffer torments mightely How dare any man by cōposition demaund or receiue any thing of an other man for his prayers If he beleue that he can by his praier deliuer his brother frō greuous paine he is boūd by charity to relieue his brother with his prayers although he be not hired thereunto but and if he will not pray vnles he be hyred thē hath he no loue at al. What therfore helpeth his prayer which abideth not in charitie Therfore let him first take compassion of himselfe by praier that he may come into charitie and then he shal bee the better able to helpe others If he beleeue not or that he standeth in doubt to be able to deliuer his brother by his praier wherfore doth he make with him an assured bargayn taketh his mony and yet knoweth not whether he shall relieue him euer a whit the more or not from his paine I feare least the words of the Prophet are fulfilled saying From the least to the most al mē applye themselues to couetousnes and from the Prophet to the Priest all woorke deceitfully For the poore priests excuse themselues of such bargaining and selling of their praiers saying The yong cock learneth to crow of the olde cocke For sayeth he thou maist see that the Pope himselfe in stalling of Bishops Abbots taketh the first frutes In the placing or bestowing of benefices he alwaies taketh somwhat specially if the benefices be great Also he selleth pardōs or bulles and to speake more plaine he taketh mony for them Bishops in geuing orders in hallowing churches churchyards do take mony In ecclesiastical correction they take mony for the mitigation of penance In the greuous offences of cōuict persons mony is required caused to be payed Abbots Monkes other religious men that haue possessiō wil receiue no mā into their fraternitie or make thē partakers of their spiritual suffrages vnles he bestow somewhat vpon them or promise them somewhat Curates vicars hauing sufficient liuings by the tithes of their paryshioners yet in dirges and yeares myndes in hearing confessions in weddinges buryings do require haue money The Fryers also of the fower orders of beggers which think thēselues to be the most perfitest men of the Church do take mony for their praiers confessions buryings of the dead and when they preach they beleue that they shal haue eyther money or some other thyng worthy money Wherfore then be the poore priests blamed ought not they to bee held excused although they take money for their praiers by cōpositiō Truly me thinketh that this excuse by other mens sins doth not excuse thē forasmuch as to heap one mischief vpon anothers head is no sufficiēt discharge I would to God that al the buyers sellers of spiritual suffrages would with the eyes of their harte beholde the ruine of the great Citie and the fall of Babylon and that which they shall saye after that fall Doth not the Prophet say And the merchaunts of the earth shall weepe and mourne for her because no man shall buy anye more their marchandise that is their marchandise of gold and siluer and of precious stone and of pearle and of silke and purple And again he sayth And the marchaunts which were made riche by her shall stand alouse for feare of her tormentes weeping mourning and saying Alas Alas that Citie Babylon that great Citie whych was woont to weare purple whitesilke crim sin gold pearle and precious stone because that in one hour al those ryches are come to nought And agayne And they cast dust vppon their heads and cryed out weping and mourning and saying Alas Alas that great and mightie Citie Babilon by whom al such as had shippes vpon the sea were made riche by her rewards Because that in one houre she is become desolate This Babilon this great Citie is the Citie of Rome as it appeareth by the processe of the Apostle Because the aungel which shewed vnto Saint Iohn the destructiō of the mightie harlot sitting vpon many waters with whō the kinges of the earth haue committed fornication and al they which dwell vpon the earth are made dronke with the wyne of her whoredome sayd vnto him And the woman which thou sawest is the great citie which hath dominion aboue kings c. And in dede in the daies of Saint Iohn the whole world was subiect to the temporall Empire of the Citie of Rome and afterwardes it was subiect to the spiritual Empire or dominion of the same
geuen credible relation of yâ— sonne both to the printer to me Furthermore the sayd maister Tindall albeit he did somewhat alter amend the English therof and frame it after our manner yet not fully in al words but that something doth remain fauouring of the old speach of that time What the causes were why this good man seruaunt of Christ W. Thorp did write itâ— and pen it out himselfe it is sufficiently declared in hys owne preface set before his booke whiche here is prefixed in maner as followeth ¶ The preface of William Thorpe THe Lord God that knoweth all thinges woreth well that I am right sorrowful for to write to make known this sentence beneath written whereby of mine eueÌ„ christeÌ„ set in high state dignitie so great blindnes malice may be knowne that they which doe presume of themselues to destroy vices and to plant in men vertues neither dreade to offend God nor lust to please him as their workes doe shew For certes the bidding of God and hys law whiche in the praysing of his most holy name he commaundeth to be known kept of all men and women yong and old after the cunning power that he hath geuen to them The Prelates of this lande and their ministers with the couent of priests chiefly consenting to them enforce them most busily to withstand and destroy the holy ordinaunce of God And there through God is greatly wroth and moued to take hard vengeance not onely vpon them that do the euil but also on them that consent to these Antichristes limnes which know or might know their malice and falshoode dresse them not to withstand their mallice and theyr great pride Neuertheles 4. things moueth me to write this seÌ„tence beneath The first thing that moueth me hereto is this that where as it was knowne to certayn frendes that I came from that prison of Shrewsbury and as it befell in deed that I shold to the prison of Caunterbury theÌ„ diuers friends in diuers places spake to me full hartily and full tenderly and commaunded me then if it so were that I should be examined before the Archb. of Cant. that if I might in any wife I should write mine apposing and mine aunswering And I promised to my special frendes that if I might I wold gladly doe their bidding as I might The second thing that moueth me to write this senteÌ„ce is this diuers frendes which haue heard that I haue bene examined before the Archbyshop haue come to me in prison and counsayled mee busily and coueted greatly that I should doe the same thing And other brethren haue sent to me and required on Gods behalfe that I should write out and make knowne both mine apposing mine aunswering for the profite that as they say vppon my knowledging may come thereof But this they had me that I should be busie in all my wits to go as neare the sentence and the wordes as I could both that were spoken to me that I spake UpaueÌ„ture this writing may come an other time before the archbishop and hys counsaile And of thys counselling I was right glad for in my conscience I was moued to doe this thing to aske hitherto the speciall help of God And so then I considering the great desire of dyuers frendes of sondry places according all in one I occupyed all my minde my wits so busily that through gods grace I perceaued by theyr meaning and their charitable desire some profite might come there through For southfastnes and trueth hath these conditions where euer it is impugned it hath asweete smell and thereof commeth a sweet fauour And the more violently the enemies dresse themselues to oppresse and to withstand the trueth the greater and the sweeter smell commeth therof And therefore this heauenly find of Gods word wil not as a smoke passe away with the winde but it will descende and rest in some cleane soule that thirsteth thereafter And thus some deale by this writing may be perceaued thorough Gods grace how that the enemies of the trueth standing boldly in their malice inforce them to withstand the fredome of Christes Gospell for which freedome Christ became man shed his hart bloud And therefore it is great pitty sorrow that many men women do their own weyward will nor busy theÌ„ not to know nor to do that pleasant wil of God The men women that heare the truth and southfastnes and heare or know of this perceauing what is nowe in yâ— churche ought here through to be the more moued in all their wits to able them to grace to set lesser price by themselues that they without taâ—ieng forsake wilfully bodely all the wrethednes of this life since they know not how soon nor wheÌ„ nor where nor by whoÌ„ God wil teach them assay their pacience For no doubt who that euer will liue pittiously that is charitably in Christ Iesu shall suffer now here in this life persecution in one wife or an other That is if we shal be saued it behoueth vs to imagin ful busily the vility and soulnes of sinne and how yâ— Lord God is displeased therfore so of this vility of bidiousnes of sinne it behoueth vs to busy vs in al our wits for to abhorre and hold in our mind a great shame of sinne euer so then we owe to sorrow hartely therfore and euer fleing all occasion therof And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penaÌ„ce continuing therin for to obtayne of that Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes and grace to abstain vs hereafter from sinne And but if we enforce vs to do thys wilfully and in conuenieÌ„t time the Lord if he will not vtterly destroy and cast vs awaye will in diuers manners moue tyrantes agaynst vs for to constrayne vs violentlye to do penance which we would not do wilfully And trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord a great token of life mercy And no doubt who euer will not apply him selfe as is sayd before to punish himself wilfully neither wil suffer paciently meekely and gladly the rod of the Lord howsoeuer that he will punish him their wayward willes and their impacience are vnto them earnest of euelasting damnation But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faythfully to grace for to liue here so simply and purely and without gall of malice and of grudging herefore the louers of this worlde hate pursue them that they knowe patient meek chaste wilfully poore hating and fleing all worldly vanities fleshly lusts For surely their verteous conditions are euen coÌ„trary to the manners of this world The third thing that moueth me to wryte this senteÌ„ce is this I thought I shall busie me in my selfe to do faythfully that all men and women occupying all their busines in knowing and in keeping of Gods commaundements able them so
to grace that they might vnderstaÌ„d truely the truth and haue and vse vertue and prudeÌ„ce and so deserue to be lightned from aboue with heauenly wisedom so that all their words their workes may be hereby made pleasant sacrifice vnto the Lord God and not onely for helpe of their own soules but also for edification of holy Church For I doubt not but all they that will apply them to haue this foresayd busines shall profite ful me kill both to freds foes For some enemies of the truth through the grace of God shall through charitable folkes be made astonied in their conscience and peraduenture conuerted from vices to vertues and also they that labour to know and to keep faythfully the biddinges of God and to suffer paciently all aduersities shall hereby comfort many frendes And the fourth thing that moueth me to write this seÌ„teÌ„ce is this I knowe by my sodein vnwarned apposing and aunswering that all they that will of good hart wtout faining able themselues wilfully gladly after theyr cunning and their power to follow christ paciently traueling busily priuily and apertly in worke and in word to withdraw whom soeuer that they may from vices planting in them if the may vertues comforting them furtheryng them that stand in grace so that therwith they be not born vp in vaine glory through presumption of theyr wisdome nor inflamed with any worldly prosperitie but euer meek and pacient purposing to abide stedfastly in that wil of God suffering wilfully and gladly without any grutching what soeuer rod the Lord wil chastise them with that then thys good Lord will not forget to comfort al such men and women in all their tribulations at euery poynt of temptation that any enemy purposed for to doe agaynst them To such faithfull louers specially pacient followers of christ the Lord sendeth by his wisedome froÌ„ aboue them which the aduersaries of the truth may not know nor vnderstand But through their old and new vnshamefast sinnes those tyrantes and enemies of southfastnes shal be so blinded obstinate in eâ—ill that they shall weene themselues to doe pleasant sacrifices vnto the Lorde God in their malicious and wrongfull pursuing and destroying of innocent mens and womens bodyes which men women for theyr vertuous liuing and for their true knowledging of the trueth and theyr pacient wilfull and glad suffering of persecution for righteousnes deserue through the grace of God to be heyres of the endlesse blesse of heauen And for the feruent desire and the great loue that these men haue as to stand in southfastnes and witnes of it though they be sodeinly vnwarnedly brought foorth to be aposed of their aduersaries the holy Ghost yet that moueth and ruleth them thorough his charitie will in that houre of theyr aunswering speake in them and shewe hys wisedome that all theyr enemies shall not agayn say nor agaynst stand lawfully And therfore al they that are stedfast in yâ— fayth of God yea which through diligent keeping of his commaundementes for theyr pacient suffering of whatsoeuer aduersitie that commeth to them hope surely in his mercy purposing to stand coÌ„tinually in perfect charitie For those meÌ„ and womeÌ„ dred not so the aduersities of this life that they wil feare after their cunning and their power to knoweledge prudently the truth of gods word when where and to whom they thinke their knowledging may profite Yea and though therfore persecution come to them in one wise or an other certes they paciently take it knowing theyr conuersation to be in heauen It is an high rewarde and a speciall grace of God for to haue and enioy the euerlasting inheritance of heauen for the suffering of one persecution in so short time as is the terme of this life For loe this heuenly heritage endles reward is the Lord God hymselfe which is the best thing that may be This seÌ„tence witnesseth the Lord God himselfe where as he sayd to AbrahaÌ„ I am thy meede And as the Lord sayd he was and is the meede of Abraham so he is of all his other saynts This most blessed and best meede he graunt to vs all for his holy name that made vs of naught and sent his onely most deare worthy sonne our Lorde Iesu Christ for to redeeme vs with his most precious hart bloud Amen The examination of William Thorpe penned with hys owne hand KNowne be it to al men that read or heare this writing that on the sonday next after the feast of S. Peter that we call Lammesse in the yeare of our Lord. 1407. I william Thorpe being in prison in the Castle of Saltwoode was brought before Tho. Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury and Chauncellor then of Englande And when that I came to him he stode in a great chamber and much people about him and when that he saw me he went fast into a closit bidding all seculer men that followed hym to go foorth from him soone so that no man was left than in that closet but the Archbishop himselfe and a Phisitian that was called Malueren person of S. Dunstanes in London other two persons vnknowne to me which were ministers of yâ— law And I standing before them by and by the Archbish. sayd to me William I know well that thou hast this xx winters more trauelled about busily in the north couÌ„try and in other diuers countryes of England sowing about false doctrine hauing great businesse if thou might with thine vntrue teaching and shrewd will for to infect poysoÌ„ all this land But through the grace of God thou art now withstanded brought into my ward so that I shall now sequester thee from thine euill purpose and let thee to enuenime the sheep of my prouince Neuertheles S. Paul sayth If it may be as much as in vs is we ought to haue peace with all men Therfore William if yâ— wilt now meckly and of good hart without any feyning kneele downe and lay thy hand vpoÌ„ a booke and kisse it promising faythfully as I shall here charge thee that thou wilt submit thee to my correction staÌ„d to myne ordinaunce fulfill it duely by all thy cuÌ„ning and power thou shalt yet find me gracious vnto thee Then sayd I to the archbishop Syr since ye deme me an hereticke out of beleue will ye geue me here audience to tell my beleue And he sayd yea tell on And I sayde I beleue that there is not but one God almighty and in this Godhead and of this Godhead are three persons that is the father the sonne and the sothfast holye Ghost And I beleue that all these three persons are euen in power and in cunning and in might full of grace and of all goodnes For what soeuer that the father doth or can or will that thing also the sonne doth and can and will and in all theyr power cunning and will the holy Ghost is equall to the