of the supper the accidents be not without the subiect that is to say that the whitenesse and roundnesse of the breade be not without the bread to wit that contrary to transubstantion which the priests haue forged the breade abideth bread and the wine contynueth in the proper substance Moreouer the conclusions proposed by him at the towne of Lambeth be these If that any Princes or Lordes or any others haue made any donations vnto the mynisters of the Church there is therin a secreate condition to wit that God shoulde be honoured and that the faithfull should be edified And if this condition ceasse then they may take away from wicked pastours that which they had giuen them any excommunication or other whatsoeuer to the contrary notwithstanding That if these dealinges of men were let alone the cleargie which were of couetous persons will bring all the world into their hands Also that the Pope may lawfully be reproued by those whom he kéepeth in obedience vnder him and that for the vtilitie of the Church he may be accused both of the clearks and lay people That the Pope as great a Lord as he reporteth himselfe to be must thinke that he is a brother vnto others and that if he sinne he ought to be brotherly corrected and heare corrections brotherly And when as by the holy scripture his heresie or errour is shewed him he ought not to be obstinate And by many other conclusions he shewed euidently the abuse of the Pope and of the cleargy and how that their possessions of so great reuenewes be vniust To conclude he was assaulted by many and amongest others the begging monkes who rose against him by greate flockes But the Lorde gaue him for a protectour the Kinge Edwarde vnder whose raigne he had some lybertie to speake the truth Richarde the successour of the said Edwarde persecuted and banished him Within a while after he was called again from banishment and returned vnto the parrishe of whiche he was pastour and there like a lustie champion of the Lorde he aboade alwayes constant euen vntill the death he died in the yeare of our Lorde 1388. fortie and one yeares after his death he was digged vp againe by the commandement of the Pope and his bones were burned and the ashes thereof cast into the water but Iesus Christ dieth not in his faithful ones vse the tyrants what cruelty they can He composed many bookes the which were burned in the citie of Oxenford in the yere 1410. there be certaine notwithstanding reserued still for to declare that God hath alwayes some faithfull seruantes who doe resist the errours of the world Amongest his writinges there is an Epistle which he sent to Pope Vrbane He that woulde sée more at large of him and of his historie let him looke in the booke of Martyrs 134 In the persecution raysed vp against Wiclief and in the yere 1400. Sautree a priest imbraced with zeale of true pure religion craued and requested in the ful Parliament the audience might be granted him for the cōmon profit of all the Realme Then albeit that his request was honest and ciuill and that he gaue to vnderstande that he coulde bring great profite yet he was not hearde for the bishops perceiuing that he came caused him to be attached of heresie and for the seauen articles condemned disgraded and burned him Looke Fabius in his Chronicles and Iohn Crespin in the booke of martyrs William Thorpe an Englishman was also a valiant martyre of our Lorde Iesus Christ He sustayned great assaultes of many prelats of of the Church of Rome without forsaking his vocation which was to instruct the people according to the pure word of God And therefore he woulde not agrée to preach the superstitions and humaine inuentions which he declared to be contrarie to the institution of the holy scriptures he was condemned hauing yeelded a testimonie of his faith Nowe of many pointes well worth the noting vpon the interrogations propounded to him I will recite for to auoyde great prolixitie one onely that is that he being demaunded of the Archbishop of Canterburie primate of Englande and Chauncelour of the whole Realme what the Church did signifie he answered that it is Iesus Christe and the companie of saincts Which thing the said Archbishop confessed to be true in respect of heauen but he demaunded further what the Church was here below on earth It is deuided into two partes answered the said Williā Thorp the one of the two parts which is the better hath obtained victorie ouer the enemies and triumpheth nowe with Christe in great ioy the other part fighteth here still on earth by the sworde of faith against the continuall bulwarkes of Sathan of the fleshe and of the worlde There is no strength so violent no pompe so proud no fire of afflictions and persecutions so burning no tyrannie so cruel no reasons of Doctours so discording nor opinions so diuerse which can withdrawe them from the right rule of faith and of the holy scriptures For they be fortyfied by the worde of God in Christ and firmely stablished as vppon a sure rocke that can not be remoued Looke Iohn Crespin in his booke of martyrs Within a while after the death of Iohn Wiclief there arose greate persecution in Englande against the faithfull for the truth of the Gospell which then began to take déepe rooting The worthiest men in the Realme were not then spared the lord Cobham a knight of the order one of the peeres of England was there apprehended but he was executed after these that we nowe speake off And therefore according to the order of time we will hereafter speake of him more at large for he was an excellent martyr of our Lorde Iesus Christ King Henrie then by publike ordinaunce made an edicte and set foorth through the persuasions of the bishoppes and prelates terrible punishmentes for all them that should follow the doctrine of Wicliefe vsing so great seueritie against them that he helde them not onely for heretikes but also as guiltie of treason And for this cause it was ordeined that they should be punished with two sortes of punishmentes that is that they should be both hanged and burned and there was neither fréedome nor any priuiledge whereby they coulde enioye profite so maliciously were they bente againste the faithfull séeking all meanes againste them and in that time they called al them Wicleffians who read the scriptures in the vulgar tongue and which made their assemblies in secrete places in the darke preaching in woodes and bushes Then the Bishops being armed with this edicte of the king exercised great tyrannie against manie good people and many poore innocentes and amongest other against Roger Acton a knight of the order and a true nobleman adorned with great vertues he abhorred the wicked traditions of the Pope had his affections withdrawen from him and from all his assistants For that cause it is reported that he was hated amongest the
historie which is named Tripartite 100 In that time also was Eucherius bishop of Lyons who wrote many bookes and commentaries amongest others vppon Genesis and vpon the bookes of the Kinges which bookes are found extant vntill this present 101 In the yeare 440. or there aboutes after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus in the raigne of Valentinian the Emperour Victor bishop of a citie in Numidia which is in Affrica called in latine Cartena cōposed a booke against the Arrians presented the same vnto Gensericus king of the Vandales Arrian Polichronius Bishop of Ierusalem was at that time driuen away out of his countrie He sold in the time of famine all his substance and gaue the price thereof to the poore Archadius Probus Paschasius were also at that time in great price reputation with the forsaide Gensericus but hee seeing that he could not persuade thē vnto the sect of Arrianisme after that he had cruelly abused them caused them to be at the last martyred with others some bishops he displaced and the bookes of religion and christian faith were burned 102 In the yeare 476 Honoricus Kinge of Vandales stirred vp greate persecutiō in Affrica against the Christians and foure thowsand nine hundred seuentie and sixe were sent to exile without sparing eyther age or sexe afterwarde in diuers times and by sundry kindes of torture they were put to death Some had theire handes cutt off others theire tongues Within a while after vnder the shadowe of councel he caused all the bishops to be assembled the doctours and other catholikes who to the number of thée hundreds twéenty fower as P. Diaconus wrot or as others witnes foure hundreds fortie foure were sent to exile and caused the Catholickes to be shut in the Temples and gaue them to the Arrians One Bishop named Latus was burned that he might giue example vnto others Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage with moe thē fiue hundreds of the Cleargie after grieuous tormentinges were committed to exile but within two yeares after the saide Honoricus died miserably with vermine and Gonthamundus succéeded him This Gonthamundus sent for Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage againe at whose request all the residue were called home againe and then the Churches also were open 103 In the raigne of the Emperous Martian Leo Zeno about the yeare after the natiuitie of Christe 490. were these good personages to wit Proterius bishop of Alexandria Paschasius Peter de Rauenna Gennadius minister of the Church of Marseille all which did confute the errours of Eutiches Also Prosper Saluian Sidonius Germaine Bishop of Capua Vaast Bishoppe of Arras Fulgence Bishop of Raspe in Affrica Autius Bishop of Vienna Solenus who preached Christ and was bishop of Charters Boetius a lerned man who was put to death by the commaundement of the Empepour Theodorike an Arrian Also in the same time was Epiphanius Bishop of Pauie a verie auncient man who brought into cōcorde and good quietnes the people of Liguria he also brought with him frō Burgonie many captiues aswell for money as by his good and holy life by which he obtained the redeeming of sixe thousande captiues Paule the Deacon Nauclerus after him 104 In the time of the Emperour Anastasius in the 494. yeare Gelasius of Affrica gouerned the Church of Rome 5. yeares His father was bishop named Valericus Nauclere Some do attribute vnto him the distinction of the Authentike bookes and of the Apocrypha He made mention of many bookes of Apocripha as the booke called the assumption of the virgin Marie Also the Canons of the apostles c. Look the first volume of Councels He composed fiue bookes against Nestorius and Eutyches Also two against the Arrians and one treatise of excommunication He restored againe Messenus the bishoppe after that he had knowen his penitence He excommunicated the Emperour Anastasius because that he fauoured Acatius other heretikes He commanded the Ministers that they should minister the communion but vnder both kindes not vnder one alone He declared at Rome in the middest of the councell that in the Eucharistie neither the substance of the bread and wine nor yet the nature were changed but that therein as in an image the flesh and bloud of our Lorde was represented and that in the sacrament they both were exhibited vnto the faithful He declared there also that those ought to be excommunicated which did not giue take the sacrament of the Eucharistie whole Looke the fist volume of councels Gennadius was in the time bishop of Marseille 105 In the yere 518 Hornusda borne in Freselande in the citie of Campania gouerned the church of Rome nine yeares He ordeined that mariages should be celebrated publikely and solemnely Suppl Chron. At that time was holden a councell at Rome against the Eutychians in which also it was ordeined that he which had made an honorable amendes should not be admitted to the ecclesiasticall ministerie Suppl Chron. Many Munks corrupted with the Nestoriā heresie because they woulde not be persuaded by the exhortations of Hormisda but rather sowed noisome and slaunderous speaches against him were banyshed out of Rome against whose hypocrisie he wrot He sollicited by letters Messingers Iohn bishop of Constantinople the companion of Acatius and the Emperour himselfe for to leaue the sect of Eutiches but Athanase not only despised his admonitions butsent his Ambassadours backe saying that it belonged to the Emperour for to commaund and not to the bishop of Rome Paule the Deacon addeth of the Emperour besides all that that he made them goe homewarde againe by sea into Italie in a shippe that was light and vnbalassed forbidding them to take lande in Grece but that they shoulde passe straight on being light without any carriage Anastase supporting the errour of Eutyches when he was 80. yeares olde dyed being stricken with lightening in the 25. yeare of his Empire Hormisda is renoumed for hauing done greate almes déedes for the poore and for that he condemned the heresie of the Manichées which had begonne to hudde and for burning their bookes 106 In the time of the Emperour Iustinian about the yeare 530. after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ was Arator who composed the Actes of the Apostles in Hexameter verses and Gregory bishoppe of Langres who was married Fascicul Temp. The councel of Tours was holden at that time At the saide councel in the fift chapter it was ordeyned that euerie citie shoulde nourish the poore straungers as much as it was able so that the poore might not be constrayned to begge from place to place In the thirde chapter that euerie bishop shoulde kéepe his wife like as his sister and that he shoulde gouerne both his house and familie aswell as the Church so as there might be no suspicion of him 107 In the raigne of the Emperour Mauritius in the yeare 591. the Wisigots were conuerted vnto the catholike faith they left the heresie of the Arrians by the meanes
At Constantinople was assembled a councell by the aforenamed Emperour in the fourteneth yeare of his Empyre whereas were 300. and thirtie bishops there was commaundement giuen that all the images of sainctes shoulde be taken away and burned Also the Emperour made his subiects to sweare that they shoulde no more worshippe any image of God nor of sainctes but condemned to the death al those that shoulde call vppon the virgin Marie for helpe and those that should haue in their houses any reliques of sainctes He commaunded the Monkes to marry and the Nonnes to follow the estate of marriage Sig. Afterwards he sent to the Pope the conclusions of this councell commaunding him to cast the images out of Churches Sabin king of Bulgarie caused all the images in his kingdome to be beaten downe after the example of Constantine wherupon he gat fauour with the Emperour Naucl. 112 In the yeare 782. or thereaboutes after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ wās Alcuin otherwise called Albin the disciple of worthie Beda a monke and afterwardes Abbot of S. Martins in Tours maister to Charlemaigne he composed thrée bookes of the trinitie and many other bookes At that time raigned Constātine the sixte of that name the 76. Emperour of Constantinople the son of Leo the fourth who against the will of his mother Hierene caused the images of the temples to be beaten downe about the which not long before she had assēbled a councel at Nice at the request of Pope Adrian and of Therasius Archebishop of Constantinople as Sig. In this councel there were 325. bishops Naucl. And there it was decréed not onely that they should haue images but also that they shoulde of right be worshipped and that all the gainsayers shoulde be excomunicated But this decrée was shortly abolished by Constantine as is afore saide Chron. Euseb Moreouer within a while after that is to say in the yeare 792. was holden a Synode in Spaine in a citie called Elyberis or Granato whereas did assemble ninetene bishops thirtie and sixe priestes or ministers Felix Bishoppe of Aquitaine was there president There it was concluded especially amongst other poynts that that there should not be in Churches any images or payntings 113 During the raigne of Charlemaigne king of Fraunce who was Emperour though that hee had not gotten the imperiall crowne in the yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ 801. was Ansegisus the Abbot who made foure bookes of the decrées of Charlemaigne of Lewis his sonne Amongst all other things and aboue al things hee would that the Bishopps shoulde preache vnto the people the true doctrine gathered out of the holy scriptures and no otherwise alleaging therefore the saying of Gregorie That a minister who is without the sunne of preaching kindleth against himselfe the wrath of the hidden iudge He also ordeined that no person shoulde make profession of Monachisme without lycence of the king for to shunne many deceypts He would that there should be but a fewe feasts ordeyned he repressed the superfluitie of ministers ordeyning that they shoulde be nourished with the reuenewes of the Church with the poore Furthermore in the time of Charlemaigne and in the meane time whilest he passed his Winter at Francfort vpon the Meine a Councell was holden of a great multitude of Bishops in which the decrée of the councell of Nice concerning worshipping of images holden by Hierene as is aforesaide was pronounced false and condemned of all men c. Charlemaigne caused to be published a booke in his name against images the which agréed with the articles of the saide Councell Furthermore hée made aunswere to two bookes which were founde to haue bene written by Adrian the Pope to Therasius the Patriarch and to the Emperour of Constantinople By this writing Charlemaigne taxed and secreatly condemned Adrian without naming of idolatrie There was also one councell holden at Cauaillon vnder Charlemaigne in which amongst other superstitions that were there condemned the going of Pilgrimage for religions sake was sharpely repressed in the 45. Canon alleaging the saying of S. Hierome No man ought to be praysed for that hée hath séene Ierusalem but for that hee hath lyued well c. It is saide of Charlemaigne that he reproued the Archbishoppe of Mayence named Boniface because hée had a crosse all couered with golde beset with pretious stones for occasion so offering hee checked him and saide that it was rather the furniture of an Emperour then of a pastour 114 Haymo Byshop of Albastat scholler of Alcuinus did write vpon all the bookes aswell of the olde as of the newe Testament as is euident yet at this present He dyed in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the sonne of Charlemaigne in the yere of Christ 834. In his time was also Rabanus who was first a Monke of the order of S. Benit and Abbot of Fulden afterward he was archbishop of Mayence who was also a disciple of Alcuinus he also made commentaries vpon all the bookes of the Byble He dyed in the yeare of our Lorde 855. Strabus was his scholler of whom it is founde written that he was the first that collected the ordinary glose of the writings of the fathers and doctours the which glose was afterwarde augmented by many others who added sentences therto 115 Bertrand a Priest a learned man well instructed in the true Godlynesse flourished in the time of the Emperour Lotharie in the yeare 840. He wrote many good workes of which it is saide that they did not come all to our hands He wrote a very commendable worke to King Charles the brother of Lotharie that is one booke of predestination and one other of the bodie bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ The cause why he composed that booke wherein he writeth very learnedly of the supper of the Lorde was by the aduise and commaundement of King Charles le chauue that he might bring the people into one and the true opinion who were then deuided touching the said misterie So that one sort saide that Christ was therein taken and eaten in misterie and was figured vnder the Elements of breade and wine some saide on the contrarie that all that which was séene in the saide misterie was chaunged and conuerted and as many doe say vnto this day transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ Some said that it was figuratiuely or euidētly this was the proper bodie of Christ which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Mary with the which he is ascended into heauen others saide that it was the spirituall bodie that is the misterie representation figure vnderstanding and spirituall apprehension of the proper bodie and bloude of Christ deliuered to the death for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification All which opinions are founde remayning till this present for some holde still transubstantiation others impanatiō others a metaphore but somewhat reall Others there were who acknowledged nothing els but méere breade and wyne all which doubtes be
prelats and became odious so as they could in no wise abide him Finally this seignieur Acton was taken condēned by the saide edict of the kinge and hanged and burned There was executed also with him a gentleman one M. Browne And M. Iohn Beuerlai a minister and preacher of the word of God And that was in the yeare 1413. Iohn Maior witnesseth in his Scottish historie lib. 6. chap. 9. that about this time many others to the number of 36 and all of a noble stocke were condemned as heretikes by the bishop were burned according to that cruell edict This was in the very same yeare There were also two others of whome Fabius in his Chronicles speaketh to wit Iohn Claydon cordwayner and Richard Turmin Baker who also according to the seueritie of the ordinance were condemned and put to death To conclude we sée that there is neither estate neither order nor condition whereof God is not skilfull enough to drawe some for to stande in defence and to crie out against the superstitions false traditions of prelates 135 In the yeare 1405. or thereabout the Lord raised vp Iohn Hus of Bohemia who hauing studied in the vniuersitie of Oxeforde in England and hauing reade certeine bookes of Wicklief beganne to publishe that which hee had receiued concerning the trueth in a Temple of the Bohemians whereas he was chosen for the preacher and Preached both of festiuall dayes and holy dayes There he commended the doctrine of Wicklief vnto the people In the ende the Bohemians being instructed with this doctrine beganne to iudge of the Pope as he deserued not estéeming him the most excellent any longer nor of any higher degree then other bishops and therevpon they went about to reforme their doctrine by conclusions and articles following That the dignitie made not the minister or bishop the more honourable but the holines of life and good doctrine That the soules separated from the bodies goe streight way eyther to eternall blessednesse or else to euerlasting paines That there is no testimonie in all the holy scriptures by which it can be proued that there is any purgatorie after this life For to make oblations and sacrifices for trespasses is the inuention of couetous Priestes That the images of God or of sainctes the blessing of waters and other like thinges bee forged by men contrarie to the word of God That the order of begging friers were inuented by diuels That baptisme ought to bee administred with water without adding of oyle spittle or such filthi That the Temple of God is the worlde That those which build Temples Monasteries and oratories for to cloase him in doe goe about to locke vp his maiestie which is incomprehensible That the ornaments of Priestes as the chasubles corporals chalices platters c. are but vanity That in vaine do men séeke for helpe at the handes of sainctes and that it is but lost time to singe houres canonicall That fasting doeth merite nothing That the eucharistie ought to bee ministred vnder both kindes They reiected the Masse and kept only the communion of the supper the worde and the prayer and many other articles drawen out of the holye scripture Thus as the most parte of the schollers of the vniuersitie of Prague did followe Iohn Hus with many moe renoumed in knowledge and so did the most part of the nobilitie the Pope hauing assembled a councell at Constance caused the Emperour Sigismonde to fende for him who sent him his safe conducte And being there he was gretly sollicited to leaue off his opinion but he was constant vpholding his propositions and reasons to wit those which were grounded vppon the trueth of the holy scriptures Saying that the end principal scope of his doctrine was for to teache men repentance and remission of sinnes according to the trueth of the sonne of God the exposition of the holy doctours That if any were able to proue that he did the contrarie he was ready to acknowledge his faultes otherwise rather to suffer death then leane vnto mens traditions repugning to the doctrine of the Gospell After many disputations forasmuch as hee allowed not all that them liked he was at the laste condemned to be burned being beset with woode rounde aboute as the fire beganne he cryed thrise with a loude voyce O Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue pitie on me and thus he yelded vp the Ghost His ashes were caste by commaundement into Rhein to the intent that nothinge of him might be left vppon the earth neuerthelesse his memory can neuer be defaced in the hearts of the faithfull neyther by fire nor water nor anye manner of tormentes Whoso woulde se thereof more at large let him reade Iohn Crespin his booke of martyres 136 In the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1415. Hierom of Prague a Bohemiā beinge maruelously troubled for that he had heard that his countrie was oppressed by houshoulde enimies and neighboures by many false slaunders and that Iohn Hus was vilanously vsed by the said councell he went to Constance and there being ad uertised that the people went about to entrap him he retyred backe for certaine daies vnto a place not farre off for that he might not séeme to intrude him selfe wilfully into daungers He requested of the Emperour a safe conducte for to enter into the cittie and there to answere vnto such crimes and misdéedes as shoulde be brought against him and séeinge that he coulde get no safe conduit he was going home againe and was taken by the way by treason carried to Constance wheras in the presence of the Bishopes and prelates he made open confession of his faith True it is that he hauing béen altogeather pined away with longe kéepinge in prison and throughe many horrible threatnings he was vanquished by the weakenes of the flesh partly dreadinge the horrour of the torments and partly hoping to escape out of their vilanous and cruell handes he recited publikely before them all an abiuration which they had giuen him in writing Moreouer he was enioyned to say that Iohn Hus had ben worthily burned but for all this he escaped not but hee returned agayne to the same stincking and infectuous pryson where he was afore being there no better handled then before tyme. Then did the lord who neuer forsaketh his cause him to seale in his conscience his vile misdeed And therefore desiring to be brought agayne in to the whole assembly he first affirmed that he héeld with the Catholike and vniuersal Church al things the it holdeth which church abhorreth all errours an heresies Lastly he addeth this that of all the sinnes where with he euer had offended Gods diuine maiestie there was none that so much charged and gréeued his conscience as did this offence that hee had committed in the chaire of pestilence and execration whether he being fallen by infirmitie and by the horrour of death he was was constrained to goe back and
his eyes to wit the iust iudgementes that God had wrought-vpon the whole face of the earth washing men from their hortible and abhomible sinnes the which they had vnreasonably committed He also was able to shew foorth the great goodnesse and mercy of God in that he would not that all mankinde should be drowned and destroyed All the time that Sem liued was 600. yeares Gen. 11. 10 Arphaxad was borne the second yeare after the floud in the yeare of his father Sem 100 Gen. 11. He liued 438. yeares Sale was borne in the yeare of his father Arphaxad 35. He liued 433. yeares Gen. 11. Heber was borne in the yere of his father Sale 30. Gen. 11. He liued 464. yeares Phaleg was borne in the yere of his father Heber 34. He liued 239. yeares Reu was borne in the yeare of his father Phaleg 30. He liued 302. yeares Sarug was borne in the yeare of his father Reu 30. He liued 230. yeares Nachor was borne in the yeare of his father Sarug 30. He liued 148. yeares Thare was borne in the yeare of his father Nachor 29. And when he was seuentie yeares olde he begat Abraham He liued 205. yeares Gen. 11.32 Nowe these be here recited by Moses as being the chiefest of those that were in their time whereas we may vnderstand that although the world was filled with all impietie yet notwithstanding God still hath wonderfully conserued some the haue kept the instruction of the true heauenly doctrine to the end that the Church and the promise made thereto should not be wholy extinguished which doctrine was also immediately renued vnto Abraham their successour This is the first order of the Doctours of the Church of God that is to say of the Fathers whose gouernement endured about the space of 2023. yeres The second order of the gouernours of the Church of God is of the Patriarches 11 Abraham was borne in the yeare of his father Thare 70. Gen. 11. He went from his countrie and from his kinsfolke in the yeare after the floud 367. and in the yeare of the world 2023. He with his posteritie bare rule and gouerned the Church In his time was the promise of the séede of the woman renued which is the redéemer and deliuerer of mankinde and it was declared by manifest promises that this deliuerer or redéemer ought to be looked for of his posteritie Furthermore Abraham being of the age of 99. yeares Gen. 17. receiued Circumcision the signe of the aliance betwixt God and him which signe representeth to the Church two things to wit that al what so euer is of man is vicious and must be cut away and that saluation must procéede from the roote of Abraham He liued 175. yeares Gen. 25. Isaac was borne in the yeare of Abraham his father 100. Gen. 21. of whose séede is borne our Lord Iesus Christ Isaar liued 180. yeares 12 Iacob was borne when his father was 60. yeares of age Gen. 25. This man was a Prophete of the Church of GOO and he tooke that heauenly doctrine from his predecessors and of his father Isaac at whose handes also he obtained the blessing of God he was surnamed Israel Gen. 32. And for this cause they that descended of him were called the people of Israel Iacob being 130. yeares olde went downe into Egypt Gen. 47. whereas he might teach the true doctrine of God He liued 147. yeares After this the twelue Patriarches with their children and successors gouerned the church of God in Egypt by the space of 215. yeares Leui was borne but a few yeares before Ioseph He liued 137. yeares After his death the children of Israel were in Egypt 121. yeares And after the death of Leui vntill the natiuitie of Moses was 41. yeares In which time Cahat the sonne of Leui and Amram the sonne of Cahat and father of Moses did gouerne the Church 13 Vnder the guyding of Moses the sonne of Amram of the house of Leui the people was brought out of Egypt Exod. 12. Then was the Lawe giuen published diuinely great miracles wrought yea such as the like had not bene séene nor heard of before amongst the people The lawes also of cere monies were giuen them by God by the hand of Moses so were all sortes of oblations sacrifices and burnt offerings Whereby is to note that the Ceremonies appointed by God to the Fathers were as a preaching and secret kinde of doctrine for to instruct them into what condemnation they were fallen by reason of their sinne and howe that there was no hope of deliuerance and blessing except they had alwayes in their heartes a certaine regarde vnto the mercy of GOD declared in the promise of the séede of the woman promised aforetime to the first parentes and shortly after renued to the Fathers their successors that by the saide séede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed as it is written in the 12. chap. of Genesis And thus the mercy of God was more and more manifested vnto them by meane of the Messias whose office was figured and represented in the saide ceremonies with the whole mysterie of our redemption Moses then with his brother Aaron who was older then he gouerned the Church And God in many sortes and by diuers meanes declared howe greatly he liked the ministerie charge to them committed For as it is written in the 16. chapter of Numbers After that Corah Dathan Abiron and 250. men of the children of Israel had murmured against Moses refusing to be gouerned by him they were all swallowed vp quicke Likewise the people beginning to murmur against Moses and Aaron as though they had bene cause of the punishment sent vpon them GOO reuenged the outragious grudging of them by fire sent from heauen wherewith a great number were deuoured to wit aboue fouretéene thousand This is an example worthie to be remembred of the wrath of GOD against rebels and seditious persons which enuyed and grudged at not so much Gods seruants as against God him selfe Aaron liued 123. yeares and Moses 120. yeares he being inspired by the spirite of God composed fiue Bookes the which be called vntil this day The fiue Bookes of Moses 14 Iosue was borne in the yeare of Moses his age 42. He liued 110. yeares and after the death of Moses he was ordained guide of the people through whose conduct they entred into the land of Canaan the inhabitants whereof he vanquished and put to foyle and lastly he deuided the lande amongest the tribes of Israel He gouerned the people by the space hath heard neither could the vnderstanding of man at any time comprehend to wit the full possession and enioying of glory in the triumphant kingdome of our Lord Iesus the euerlasting Priest and King of whome may be séene in his Psalmes many good and excellent propheties Vnder this King and Prophet as well the ecclesiasticall gouernement as the ciuill was most worthily guided and ordered Loe those that were with him committed
and deputed for the gouernance Ecclesiasticall were these to wit the Prophetes Nathan and Gad and the high Priest Sadoc and Abimelech with them a great companie of holy and wise personages of whome is witnessed in the bookes of the Psalmes as Asaph the sonne of Chore Haman Ethan and others 19 Salomon the sonne of Dauid succéeded his father by whome he had left him a great deale of costly stuffe wherewith he beganne to build in the fourth yeare of his reigne a Temple for the Lorde the which in seuen yeares after was finished He wrote the bookes of the Prouerbes of Ecclesiastes and the booke called Cantica canticorum he kept the gouernement by the space of 40. yeares lastly the kingdome was deuided and brought to confusion bicause of his adulteries and such other wickednes Then albeit that the true doctrine of God and his right seruice were darkened and polluted and that abhominable idolatries were brought in by Salomon being nowe olde and corrupted through the entisements of women which abhominations were afterward maintained also and augmented by the wicked and vnfaithfull Kinges of Israel as Ieroboam Nadab Baasa Ella Simri Amri and Achab and furthermore by the wicked Kinges of Iuda as Roboam and Abias yet notwithstanding the Lord did not suffer his Church to be vnprouided for for he raysed vp still some good men as in the kingdome of Roboam was the Prophet Semeia who instructed both him and the Princes of Iuda of the will of the Lord. The Prophet Ado was also in that time 1. Kings 12.2 Chron. 12. Ieroboam offering sacrifice vnto the golden Calues 1. Kings 13. Was reproued by the prophet Iadi of whome is made mention 2. Chron. 9. chap. vers 29. In the same time was also the prophet Ahias who speaking vnto the wife of Ieroboam told her that the king her husband did prouoke the Lord vnto anger with his idolatries he shewed also of the vengeance that would light vpon him for his sinnes 1. Kings 14. Azarias the prophet exhorted Asa the King of Iuda to put idolatrie away out of his realme which thing the King did in déede 2. Chron. 15. Hanani séeing this reproued the saide Asa for bicause he did put his trust in the king of Syria and not in God 2. Chron. 16. Iehu the prophet by the word of the Lord threatened Baasa the king of Israel bicause he walked in the way of Ieroboam causing the people to sinne 1. Kings 16. To conclude other good prophets were raised vp by GOD for to conserue and mainteine his true seruice for to rebuke also the Kings and people for their idolatries and abhominable misdoings as were Elie the Thesbite and Iosue the sonne of Nun of whom mention is made in the fift booke of Kings chap. 16. at the end of the chapter 20 Elie the Thesbite was in the time of Achab the King of Israel and was diuinely raised vp for to purge againe the doctrine and to kindle againe the light thereof This man sustained terrible combats and battels against king Achab a man full of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnesse and against the cruell Quéene Iezabel and against the priestes of Baal He wrought great myracles he through his prayers shut vp and opened againe the heauens he also raysed againe men from death and lastly after that he had gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and had sustained many and great dangers was diuinely caried vp into heauen with a whirlewinde This nowe was done in the middle age of the world for Elias was raised vp when the world had continued 3000. yeares after the creation By this God would haue vs to vnderstande that he hath reserued an other life for his faithfull seruants wherevnto they must be translated 21 Eliseus was substituted in the roome of Elias who sustained great and maruellous dangers wrought myracles discouered the ambushments of the king of Syria 2. Kings 6. Hauing gouerned the Church almost 70. yeares He dyed in the time of Ioas king of Israel The prophetes of his time were Micheas which was before him whose prophecie we haue amongst vs vntill this present time after him was Zacharie the sonne of Ioiada the priest in the time of king Ioas. 22 Isaias or Esay succéeded immediatly after who beganne to prophecie in the dayes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias teaching purely the trueth of God with admonitions reproofes threatnings consolations applying the doctrine as a soueraine medicine according as he sawe the people haue néede He set foorth faithfully many good prophecies and reuelations which he had receiued of God concerning the promise of Christ his office and kingdome the fauour of the Lord toward his Church the calling of the Gentiles and the felowship of them with the Iewes like as is sufficiently set foorth and declared in his booke the which is a collection extracted of the Sermons that he made vnto the people euen as be the bookes of the other prophets for the custome was amongest the prophets after that they had expounded and declared vnto the people the doctrine and will of God to compile a briefe summarie of their preachings and to set them vp on the gates which were afterward laide vp and reserued for a perpetuall memorie like as may be gathered out of the second chapter of Abacuc and out of the eight of his booke Thus the Lorde through his prouidence hath conserued in his Church by the meanes of his ministers of the Temple the doctrine that at appointed times was put in the mouthes of his prophetes to the intent that as he hath alwaies bene and is alwayes one and the very same God alwaies one and the same spirit constant and vnchangeable so one and the very same doctrine being pure and stedfast should continue in his Church for euer The prophetes which were in his time are Ionas Amos Micheas Osée Nowe Esay after that he had done great things he gouerned the Church about 80. yeres In his time the kingdom of Israell was destroyed bicause of the vngodlinesse they were caried away captiue by Salmanazar king of Assyria It is found by writings that the king Manasses caused Esay to be cut asunder in the middest 23 Ieremie endued with the spirite of God for to prophecie beginning by the commandement of the Lord in the 13. yeare of Iosias continued ten yeres vnder his reigne afterward he abode thrée monthes vnder Ioachaz 11. yeres vnder Eliacim surnamed Ioacim other thrée monethes vnder Ioacim and lastly vnder Zedekias 11. yeares euen vntill the carying away vnto Babylon and the deliuerance of him 70. yeares after He also foreshewed the destruction and ouerthrowe of many kingdomes and nations and howe they should be brought vnder the power and obedience of the Babylonians and finally he foretolde of the decay and bringing to confusion of proud Babylon with all the tyrannie there vsed and that this should by brought to passe by the handes of the Medes and of the Persians their
neare neighbors Moreouer the saide prophet vsed very good exhortations and instructions amongest the people in setting before their eyes the threatenings of the Lorde and the execution of his iustice which drewe neare bicause of the obstinacie and stubbornesse in their iniquitie he ministred also cōsolation in shewing their deliuerance and comfort that the Lorde would send them after their afflictions and this did he for to strengthen the faith and confidence of the faithfull the which he sent principally vnto Christe as vnto the fountaine of all deliuerance and to the felicitie of his kingdome and comming of whom he also made mention in many places of his booke He gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and liued after the desolation of Ierusalem He then séeing this desolation and abiding many troubles and persecutions he had foretolde thereof and afterward sawe it with great anguish of heart when he was olde He was led away into Egypt wheras he rebuked boldly the people and their principal gouernours He was afterward stoned by Tahaphnes and died The prophets that were in his time were Sophonie Abacuc Abdias 24 Daniel being but young was in the time when Ieremie was olde and was instructed vnder him He was caried away to Babylon with the king Ioacim in the third yeare of his reigne and in the yeare since the creation of the world 33 44. The Lorde who had defended him from danger willing to haue him serue for the profit of his Church adorned him with many graces and excellent gifts and amongst other giftes with the spirit of prophecie as appeareth by that that is contained in his booke whereas he declareth the reuelations which he had receiued of GOD touching the estate of the world vnder the foure Monarchies vntill the end thereof He foreshewed also the time of Christes cōming the excellencie of his kingdome the power giuen vnto Antichrist for to annoy the faithfull children of GOD and the time howe long this power shall continue lastly the iudgement that shal be executed by Christ a King triumphant for the exaltation and glory of his faithfull seruants and for the ruine and destruction of the wicked Now after that this Daniel had wrought great things in Babylon as well concerning the order of the Church as the ciuill policie and gouernement and hauing giuen a great light to the true doctrine of God amongest his people He gouerned about 90. yeares 25 Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in the time of king Ioacim surnamed Iechonias shewing him the danger that he was in in declaring to him that which the Lorde had determined to doe concerning the destruction and ruine of Ierusalem bicause of the sinnes of the people that had prouoked the wrath and iudgement of GOD against the same citie the which Nabuchodonozor the king of Babylon did at that time besiege and forced the people afterwards to yelde them selues captiues He foretolde also and declared what was to come as well to the Iewes as to other nations thereaboutes 26 Osée the sonne of Beeri beganne to prophecie in the times of Ozias Ioas Achas kings of Iuda and in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel and as a true prophete he shewed vnto his people which was the kingdome of the ten tribes their sinnes and iniquities and he reproued them euery one of their execrable idolatrie wherby they heaped vp against them selues the wrath and vengeance of God shewing vnto them that the rod of his iustice was stretched out against them and exhorting them to repentance and a true conuersiō He foretolde them of their captiuitie into Assyria Afterward he added a consolation for the faithfull assuring them of their deliuerance by the meane of the deliuerer promised by the Lord vnto his Church 27 Of Ioel the Hebrues be vncertaine in what time he was a prophet Some iudge that he was in the time of Manasses But we néede not be so curious in séeking out that matter for if it had bene so necessarie it should not haue bene omitted by the holy Ghost which inspired this prophet to exhort the people vnto a conuersion and true repentance and incited them to haue recourse to the grace and mercy of God in contemplation of the only bountie and frée liberalitie grounded vpon the Messias and true annoynted of the Lorde of whose kingdome he made demonstratiō with the excellent riches thereof which bee the giftes and graces of the spirite of god the which he hath foreshewed that they must be bestowed and distributed vnto faithful seruants whom God shal haue appointed for the dispensation of the ministery of the saide kingdome as S. Peter expoundeth Actes 2. 28 Amos being a shepheard and a simple man was wonderfully instructed by the Lorde and moued by his spirit in the time of Ozias king of Iuda and of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel He declared and shewed vnto the Church of GOD the mysteries touching the displaying of sinnes and exhortation to repent and amend and a sure hope of saluation by the meane of the Messias whose comming and kingdome he spake of before He prophecied first against the vnfaithfull nations which dwelt neare to the people of Israel afterward against the kingdome of Israel to wit of the tenne tribes and then consequently against the kingdome of Iuda and the Temple of the Lorde foretelling of the afflictions that would happen vnto them bicause of their iniquities 29 Of Addias the prophet some do iudge that it was he who in the time of the persecution caused by Achab Iezabel did hide in a caue an hundred prophets 1. Kings 18.3 Others thinke that he was an Idumean and that he gaue wholy him self vnto the Lord in receiuing his lawe In this matter we néede not be greatly scrupulous but rather in the doctrine and prophecie that he had receiued of the holy Ghost the which in as much as he in his booke threateneth the Idumeans doth teach vs of the vengeance and iudgements of God against the aduersaries of his Church and of the deliuerance and conseruation therof of the which he prophecied and of the kingdome of Christ 30 In Ionas may be séene the doctrine set forth in the Church concerning the death and resurrection of Christe and the publishing of the Gospel the which must be wrought among the Gentiles after the saide resurrection euen as Ionas shewed and declared after that he came out of the whales belly publishing the word of the Lord in Niniuie the chiefe citie of the Monarchie of the Assyrians And like as Ionas profiting not amongest his owne people was sent vnto strangers and Infidels the people of Israel continuing blinde so the Lord hath transported his Gospell from his owne peculiar people who contemned it and hath giuen it to the Gentiles leauing that people in blindnesse and obstinacie bicause of their contempt It appeareth by that which is written in the first of the Kings 14.15 what Ionas was and in what time he
prophecied to wit in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel in whose time were Osée Amos Ioel in Israel and Isaie in Iuda So as he hath set foorth before other prophecies the which be not manifested and that which we haue in his booke amongst the prophecies is only kept still for the profite edifying of the Church 31 The propket Micheas beganne to prophecie in the time of Ioathan Achaz and Ezechias kings of Iuda The which prophete was an instrument of the spirit of God like as were also the other prophets for to reproue the people of their sinnes and to exhort them vnto repentance and for the consolation of the faithful that were astonied at the iudgment of God Micheas the prophet applyed his prophecie vnto the two kingdomes of his people foretelling the destructiō both of the one also of the other bicause of their iniquities and especially for their idolatrie He reproued the crueltie of the people the tyrannie of princes and of the great men and the abuses of false prophets He published before hand a very good and manifest prophecie touching the comming of Christe his kingdome and the happinesse of his Church This Micheas is not he of whome mention is made 2. Kings 22. which was in the time of Achab king of Israel and Iosaphat king of Iuda 32 Of the prophet Nahum there is no certaintie in what time he was some suppose that he was in the time of Manasses king of Iuda The doctrine that he published in his time by the inspiration of the holy Ghost containeth that the Lord did pardon the people of Niniuie when they by repentance cōuerted at the preaching of Ionas but they returned againe afterward to their vomit prouoking the wrath of God against them bicause of their sinnes Wherefore the Lord hath destroyed both that citie and all the whole Empire of the Assyrians whereof Niniuie was the chiefest citie and this was done by the handes of Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon Of which destruction and ruine was made the prophecie of Nahum instructing the Church thereby for as much as he shewed that the prouidence of the Lorde is extended ouer all realmes and seigniories and that he is a iust iudge bringing all men to the ballance of iustice 33 Abacuc being amazed at that which the most holy and faithfull seruants of God haue bene sometimes that is to say bicause they sawe the wicked and vngodly flourish in this world in all ioy and prosperitie And on the contrarie part the innocent to be abused by them and to endure all kinde of miserie as though God suffering it to be so had taken pleasure in iniquitie Nowe Habacuc being in this dismay receiued a reuelation by the secret iudgement of God through a vision in which was represented to him the exaltation and magnificence of the Monarchie of the Babylonians to come and the captiuitie of his people vnder their yoke but so that in the end the elect should be oppressed and all the vngodly destroyed On the contrarie part those which had bene iust and righteous should be deliuered comforted Which thing is intreated of in the prophecie of his booke of the destruction of Babylon and of their Monarchie in the deliuerance of the people out of captiuitie when they should returne againe into the lande of their rest It is vncertaine in what time this prophet was like as it is of Nahum 34 Sophonie before séeing the arme of the Lord stretched out his wrath ready bent against Iuda bicause of their sinnes declared vnto them their iudgement and condemnation the destruction of the citie and of the kingdome and of the transmigratiō of the people into Babylon Wherefore he exhorted them vnto repentance and amendment of life and comforted the faithfull by a certaine hope of their deliuerance declaring and setting foorth vnto them the great mercy and louing kindenesse which the Lord vsed toward his Church by frée remission of sinnes in Iesus Christ who he saide was sitting in the middest thereof for to be the protectour and defendour against ruine and destruction and against the persecutours and aduersaries thereof of which he prophecied especially against the Philistines the Moabites Ammonites Ethiopians and Assyrians He prophecied in the time of Iosias when Ieremie prophecied publiquely and in the synagogues and assemblies 35 In the second yeare of king Darius the prophet Agge moued by the spirite of the Lord rose vp and willed the people for to take in hand againe and go forward with the worke of the Temple rebuking them for their negligence and bicause that they had no more regard to the worke and seruice of God whereby they prouoked his anger and therefore were compelled to suffer great euills and mishappes of which mention is made in his first chapter He prophecied also of the comming of Christe vnder the person of Zorobabel and of the calling of the Gentiles 36 Zacharie was in the same time that Agge was as it is written in the first of Esdras and he vsed the very same argument in his booke that he did in exhorting and persuading the people being at that time returned from captiuitie for to reedifie and builde vp againe that that the enimies had destroyed but Agge incited them more to the building againe of the Temple and Zacharie of the citie whose prophecie may be séene more largely in his booke By which he teacheth vs vnder the name of earthly Ierusalem which was a figure of the Church of the Lord and his people what diligence the Pastours Ministers Masters and Architectes of this building ought to vse and bestowe to the edifying of this citie which is a permanent citie holy and peaceable scituated and founded vpon a sure rocke which no force can preuaile against He foreshewed also the restoring againe of this citie which should happen by the handes of the Apostles the aboundance of riches and the great spirituall and euerlasting treasures thereof the comming of Christ and the mysteries of his kingdome vnder the name of Zorobabel and of Iosue the high priest for that time Also of the comming of Antichrist the aduersarie of the Church and of the last iudgement which shall be executed by Christe against the enimies and persecutours of his Church to the ioy and perpetuall consolation of the faithfull 37 Of the prophets among the Iewes Malachie was the last of all before the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And as Aggée had persuaded the people to the building againe of the Temple and Zacharias to the building of the citie so did Malachie applye his doctrine to the restauration of the priestes office he reproued the faultes and iniquities of the high priestes and to set foorth an instruction for to leade the people vnto the pure true high priest only pleasing to the lord who alone is fit to make intercession for his people to wit Iesus Christe whose comming he foreshewed in his Church with aboundance of treasures
Actes of the Apostles Origine in his thirds tome vpon Genesis saith that Peter preached in Pontus Galatia Asia Bythinia and Cappadocia amongest the Iewes that were dispersed He had a Church in Babylon as he him selfe witnesseth in the fift Chapter of his first Epistle likewise in Phenicia and Syria in Lyre Sidon Selencia Cilicia Pamphilia Pisidia Attalia Lycaonia Also in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinia Mysia and Phrigia Saint Peter hath written vnto these The seuen Churches of Asia be named in the Apocalypse that is to say Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardus Philadelphia and Laodicea Aboue all others the Church of Antioch had the same whereas the disciples were first named Christians Hierome Nicephorus Euthalius the Deacon and others do say that Peter was crucified the 14. yeare of Nero which was the 37. yeare after the conuersion of Saint Paul How then can it be that Linus Bishop of Rome succéeded him in the seat Apostolike as some would mainteine euen vntil this present time séeing that Linus was martyred a yeare before Saint Peter For a simple restorer of the Papacie doth thus write who hath made two great bookes of Councels the which were composed in the citie of Colloine Hereby may be séene howe firme the foundation of the Papacie is If Linus were chiefe Byshop of Rome in the time of Nero it is most certaine that Peter was not 53 Andrewe the brother of Peter preached the Gospell vnto the Scythians and vnto the Sogdiens and Satians as Saint Hierome writeth 54 Iames the iust the brother of our Lord Iesus as S. Hierome writeth gouerned the Church at Hierusalem thrée yeares that is to wit vntill the 7. yeare of Nero and he was cast from the top of the Temple downe by the commandement of the sonne of Annas then high Priest after was stoned and lastly slaine with a fullers beame 55 Iames the sonne of Zebedée brother of Iohn the Guangelist as Saint Hierome writeth preached the Gospell vnto the tribes of the Iewes that were dispersed In this time great persecution arose by Herode Agrippa against the Christians in which Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded Actes 12. Peter was cast in prison but the Angel of the Lord wonderfully deliuered him thence 56 Matthewe who from a Publicane was called by Iesus Christ to the office of an Apostle He first wrote his Gospell in Iewrie in the Hebrue tongue for those that were of the Circumcision and afterward it was translated into Gréeke as appeareth at this present He preached the Gospell in Ethiopia Bartholomewe in India Matthias in the other Ethiopia whereas the riuer Asper doth enter into the port of Hisse Phillip preached in Samaria whereas was a Church gathered together againe after the death of Stephan In Azotus he assēbled a Church thence he went to the cities and townes by the sea coast 57 Thomas as it is found written preached the Gospell to the Parthians Medes Persians and in Germanie to the Hircanians and to the Bactrians and Magians Saint Hierome also writeth that Simon Cananeus surnamed Iudas brother to Iames the iust succéeded his brother Iames in the gouernement of the Church at Ierusalem and that he liued 120. yeares notwithstanding Eusebius according to Egesippus saith that Simon the sonne of Cleophas was substituted in the roome of Iames. He saith that he liued 120 yeares and that he was crucified in the dayes of Traiane the Emperour 58 Iohn the Apostle the sonne of Zebedée gouerned the Church at Ephesus of which thing Ireneus hath also made mention True it is that the Church at Ephesus was founded by Paul but it was edified by Iohn who abode in the gouernement thereof vntill the time of Traian S. Hierome saith that Iohn died 66. yeares after the passion of our Lorde Iesus in the citie of Ephesus and that he was buried there 59 Paul the Apostle being afore time a persecutour and blasphemer was conuerted to Iesus Christe the very same yeare that Iesus Christ ascended into heauen that is to say about the end of the 19. yeare of Tiberius in which yeare also he beganne to preach the Gospell in the citie of Damasco Afterward as he him selfe reciteth in his Epistle to the Galathians he went into Arabia from thence he returned to Damascus Consequently he sowed the Gospell through a great part of the world hauing passed through Iewrie Cilicia Cyprus Pamphilia Lycaonia Phrygia Galatia Mysia Ionia Macedonia Grecia and Achaia After this he was lead prisoner vnto Rome to the Emperour Nero where he was kept two yeares After wards as it is found in writing being let loose he preched the Gospell 10. yeares and lastly by the commandement of Nero he was put to death in the 13. yere of the saide Nero and in the 36. yeare after the resurrection of the sonne of God He preached the Gospell by the space 36. yeares The second of the fift order be the disciples of the Apostles 60 The Apostles then had great store of disciples especially Paul Iohn of whome is many times mention made as well in the Actes as in the Epipistles of S. Paul Amongest the saide disciples the chiefest were these Barnabas who was also called an apostle act 14.14 Epaphroditus was also named an Apostle of the Philippians Phil. 2.25 Andronicus and Iunia be also named notable amongest the Apostles in the 16. to the Romaines Simon that was called Niger Lucius Cyrenensis Manahem Iudas Barsabas and Silas Saint Luke in the Acts 13. 15. calleth them Prophets and Doctours amongest which it is saide that Lucius Cyrenensis preached first the Gospell along by Danau in the reigne of Liberius which they call Ratisbone and that Marke the disciple of Paul preached in the citie of Passeau which standeth ouer Danubius Crescence at Mayence and to the Gaules Clement at Mets Trophim at Arles 61 Luke was a familiar companion with Paul whole Gospell we haue the which Gospell he wrote according as he had receiued it of Paul and the other Apostles and one other booke wrote he which is named the Actes of the Apostles Saint Hierome maketh mention that he liued 84. yeares and that he was buried at Constantinople 62 Marke wrote his Gospell hauing receiued it as it were at the mouth of Peter and he gouerned the Church of Alexandria in Egypt where also be was burned for the Gospell sake in the 8. yeare of Nero and 33. yeares after the resurrection of our Lord Iesus The third of the fift order be the Bishops 63 Nowe we must vnderstand that the name of a Bishop in the auncient Church was attributed vnto one of the ministers in euery assembly onely for to obserue an order and not that he had any domination ouer others Furthermore the office both of the Bishops and also of other Priestes or Ministers was that they should apply them selues wholy to the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacramentes Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus was martyred in
the time of Traian the Emperour about the yeare of Iesus Christ 101. In that time were likewise other Bishops as Titus Bishop of Crete and others of whom mention is made in the Acts and in the Epistles of S. Paul that is to wit Apollo Aristarchus Gayus Derbée Iason Erastus Sosipater Tychicus Secundus Syluanus Tertius Quartus Sosthenes Epaphras Iesus the iust Demas Archippus Bishop of the Colossiās Eubulus Pudens Linus Artenas and Zenas and Dionifius Areepagita Bishop of the Athenians 64 In the yeare 65. Annianus was ordeyned Bishop of Alexandria and he gouerned the Church 22. yeares looke the historie Ecclesiasticus booke 2. chapter 23. In the yeare 66. beganne the first persecution which was in the 10. yeare of Nero and it abode vntill his death By the commaundement of this tyrant the citie of Rome was set on fire and for to shunne the report of such an act he laide the fault vpon the Christians and caused them to be executed with sundry kindes of death Those that named thē selues Christiās which name was thē so odious as if they had bene enimies to all mankinde and those that were accused hereof by the prisoners besides the other hurtes and abuses that they suffered abode this approbrie that being clad in beastes skinnes they were bayted torne in pieces with dogs some were attached and hanged on the crosse others burned in the fire so as of them were kindled fires for to giue light in the night Thus Cornelius Tacitus witnesseth 65 Ignatius a disciple of S. Iohn the Euangelist was ordeyned the second Bishop of Antioch he was caried prisoner vnto Rome for to be cast amongest the wilde beastes and to be made a spectacle vnto the people He going through Syria to Rome and passing through the countrey of Asia preached in all places where he went to the people and to the congregation the Christian faith and he exhorted the Christians to perseuere in the trueth and to beware of the infections of heretiques which then beganne to budde and that they should kéepe diligently the doctrine that they had receiued of the Apostles The cause of this persecution was for that hauing reproued in Antioch the idolatry of Traian he was apprehended as a seditious person and as being culpable lesae maiestatis and he was deliuered in charge to tenne souldiers or rather tormentors for to be caried to Rome and to be deliuered to the Lyons Whereof Ignatius him selfe saith I haue fought against beastes from Syria vnto Rome by sea and by land night and day among tenne Leopards c. Ireneus in his 5. booke speaking of Ignatius condemned to be cast vnto beastes affirmeth that he saide I am the wheate of Iesus Christ and I shall be ground with the téeth of beastes so as I may be made the bread of God 66 In the time of Domitian the Emperour who raised vp persecution against the Christians Clement Bishop of Rome which was martyred vnder Traianus instituted in his time Notaries for to write the actes of the martyrs their constancie and patience for an example and perpetuall memorie In the yeare of the Lord Iesus 88. Albilius was ordeyned Bishop of Alexandria and was Bishoppe there twelue yeares 67 Anacletus Bishop of Rome of the nation of Gréekes an Athenian gouerned the Church thrée yeares and two monethes He ordeyned that Ecclesiasticall persons should twise in the yeare haue a Synode or cōgregation for the affaires of the church He by his writings exhorted the people amongest other things that they should honor and reuerence their ministers Who so speaketh euill of the ministers saith he speaketh euill of Christ and he iudgeged him separated from Christ He was martyred in the reigne of Traianus Looke the first volume of Councels 68 Euaristus Bishop of Rome who was martyred in the last yeare of the Emperour Traian ordeyned that there should be elected seuen Deacons in euery citie the which should marke and watch the Bishop in preaching and teaching to the people and these he ordeyned for a testimonie of the worde of God and to the end that none should lay to his charge that he had preached euill and against the trueth He ordeyned that mariage should be openly celebrated in the Church That the Church should obey the Bishop and that the Bishop should neuer forsake his Church so long as he liued no more then the husband should forsake his wife or the wife her husband 69 Quadratus Bishop of Athens a disciple of the Apostles presented a booke of Apologie to Adrian the fiftéenth Emperour for the defence of the Christian faith Aristides an Athenian Philosopher being a faithfull man composed a like booke Wherevpon Adriā sent to Minutius Fondanus deputie in Asia that he should no more persecute the Christians but that if they did any thing contrarie to the lawes he would that iudgement should procéede according to the qualitie of the crime That if any body accused thē slaunderously he willed such a one should be punished for his maliciousnesse and that they shuld haue no harme 70 Polycarpus the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle was Bishop of Smyrna in Ionia which is in Asia the lesse beneath Ephesus he liued till he was very olde Ireneus saith that he was ordeyned Bishop there by the Apostles it is very likely in déede that he beganne his ministerie in the second or thirde yeare of Traian S. Hierome in his catalogue saith that he was sent by Saint Iohn the Euangelist he offended in the 68. yeare after the passion of Christ as it is reported Ireneus saith of him that one day as Marcion met him he saide vnto him Take counsel and knowledge with vs Polycarpus aunswered him againe I knowe that thou art the chiefest sonne of Sathan The remnant of the life of Polycarpus was in the time of Marcus Antonius and of Lucius Verus the Emperours The chiefest gouernours of the Empire did then stirre vp such persecution against the christians that it extended to them of the citie of Smyrna whereof Polycarpus had bene Bishop long time and there he was burned when he had serued the Church of God about 70. yeares this was in the seuenth yeare of this saide Emperour As some say he was 80. yeares olde The prayer of Polycarpus that he made before his death is in the fourth booke of the Ecclesiastical historyes 71 In the time of Antonius Pius in the 10. yere of his raigne Marke comming from the Gentlyles was elected byshop of the Church at Ierusalem the which citie after the sacking and spoyle made by Tytus vntill that of Adrian had succéeding by order fiue chiefe Bishops Eusebius maketh mention of them in his third booke and first chapter Then after the spoyle made by Adrian there was no more any Church and congregation gathered together there saue of the Gentyls and they appointed Bishops amongst themselues for the Iewes then bearing armes against the Romaines were at the last discomfited and there were killed
at one onely battaile 58. thousand men as Nicephorus saith Anselme speaketh of 50. thousand and of fifty fortresses that were taken and 985. Villages destroyed both by famine and fire and bloudsheade And all the rest of the Iewes were driuen away from Ierusalem and solde into all partes of the worlde So terrible a destruction as they had by Titus might sufficiently teach them that the kingdome was taken away from them like as the Prophets had foretolde them but it came so to passe that they felt almost as great a punishment at the seconde time as they had at the first Then many Christians of the Gentyles gathering themselues together elected as before I was telling Marke for their Bishop who was the 16. Cassianus the 17. Publius the 18. Maximius the 19. Gayan the 21. Symmache the 22. Caius the 23. Iulian secundus the 24. Capito the 25. This is recorded of Eusebius lib. 5. Chap. 12. For asmuch as the Church of the Gentyles had then their habitation there the Lorde woulde declare that the true Messias was alreadie come and that they ought to looke for none other 72 In the time of Marcus Aurelius Antonius about the yeare 160. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Melito borne in Asia was Bishop of Sardis he wrote to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Christian faith Theophilus bishoppe of Antioche wrote against Marcion Apollinaire Denis bishop of Corinth Iustus bishop of Vienna wer Martyrs for the faith There were also Philip bishoppe of Créete or Candie Egesippus Iustin the Philosopher Modestus Musan and certaine others of whose bookes we haue but fewe Eusebius doth partely and Hierome partely rehearse the bookes written by them 73 Eleutherius borne at Nicopolis in Gréece gouerned the Church of Rome 15. yeare and more in the time of Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour in the yeare of Christ 179. he gaue commaundement against the Seueriens herisie that then raigned Also that no Christian for any ceremong should forsake any kinde of meates accustomed to bee eaten 1. volume of councells 74 Ireneus the scholar of Polycarpus was ordeyned byshop of Lions after that Photin bishop of the said Church had suffered Martyrdome when he was 90. yeares old and with him a greate many moe Frenchmen Hee was in the time of Prince Commodus about 170. or a 180. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus It is saide that hée was put to death in the citie of Smyrna vnder the raigne of Maximine Hée lyued aboue fourescore yeares There was great persecution in the Church about that time and it lasted very long For the Paganes were offended because that the Christians reproued and sought to abolysh their olde accustomed manners of worshipping and the Religion of their auncestours And for this cause a great multitude of Christians were put to death all abroade in dyuers countryes and regions especially aboue all others the Doctours Bishops and Pastours of the Churches Nowe during these venemous rages and horible crueltie of the Deuil God preserued some faithfull Doctours and prolonged the liues of some others to the ende that by them the pure doctrine might be conserued and publyshed abroad amongst whiche were Polycarpus Ireneus and others 75 About this time or shortly after lyued Theodotion bishoppe of Ephesus of Alexandria Pautene Miltiades Appollonius Serapion and Policrates of whose liues Eusebius and S. Hierome make larger demonstration and of their bookes also All the which sustayned sundrie combattes against many heretykes to wit Marcion Montanus Valentinian and the Hermogenians and diuers others 76 Victor bishop of Rome gouerned the church 10. yeares in the time of Didius Iulianus Milancius Emperours Hée ordeyned that those which woulde not reconcile themselues shoulde be depriued of the table of the Lorde 77 About 200. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus in the raigne of Seuerus Pertinax Antonius Carcalla Emperours was Tertullian of Affrica of the citie of Carthage His bookes be nowe extant in which Cyprian tooke so great pleasure as saint Hierome wryteth that he woulde not passe ouer one day without reading some of his workes It is written of him that he lyued vntill the last age 78 Leonides the father of Origene was martyred for the faith he had his head cut off in the persecutions stirred vp against the Christians by the Emperour Seuerus in the tenth yeare of his Empyre Origene his sonne being then young of 17. yeares of age saide my father take héede that in no wise you change and swarue from the trueth you haue begon This Origene after that the goods of his Father were confiscate for the faith kept and mainteined his mother and brethren with teaching schole and being but eightéene yeares olde he was called by the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypte to the office of a Catechiser for to instructe children and straungers Out of his schoole came many Martyrs If any woulde sée what was his life his manners exercises writinges and bookes let him haue recourse to Eusebius in the ecclesiasticall historie in the sixt booke He lyued vntill the time of Gallus that is vntill the 70. yeare of his age Amonius the philosopher was his maister who perseuered in the Christian faith vntill he died Origene was 255. yeares after the natiuitie of our Lorde Suidas saith that he was buried in the citie of Cyr. In that time was also Tryphon Minutius Felix that was a Romain Berillus Hippolitus Alexander bishop of Cappadocia Iulius Affricanus Gregorie bishop of Pontus in Nercesarea Dionise bishop of the citie of Alexandria all which for the most part had béene the scholers of Origene 79 Vrbane a Romaine Bishop of Rome gouerned the Church 8. or 9. yeares in the time of the Emperour Heliogabalus Damasus saith that he was of a holy life so as he drewe certeine Gentlemen as Tyburtius and Valerian the husbande of S. Cecil to the Christian faith Moreouer Damasus saith that he ordeined that the Churches shoulde possesse landes farmes and other possessions and that the saide goods should be common and distributed for the sustenance of the mynisters the poore and the notaries called the protonotaryes who wrote the actes of the martyrs 80 Cyprian of the country of Affrica bishop of Carthage suffered martyrdom vnder the empyre of Valerian and Galerien in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 260. Nowe in that time that is to say in the reigne of Dionisius the Emperour arose great persecution and thereof Nicephorus saith in his fifth booke and twenty Chapter that it is as easie to number the multitude of those that suffered in this persecution as it is to number the sande of the sea Alexander bishop of Ierusalem honourable because of his pietie and age was brought before the seat iudiciall in Cesarea and after that he had made confession of his faith he died in prison Babyle byshop of Nicomedie Asclepiades of Antioche Germane Theophilus Cesarius Vital Polichronius bishop of Babylon Serapion Apolline the
did contemne at these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and essentiall as being straunge and not vsed in the holy scriptures The fathers shewed that they of necessitie were constrayned to vse these wordes for to signifie that the sonne was begotten of the substance of the father according to the whiche the sonne was consubstantiall with the father that is of the same essence and substance Moreouer they woulde then haue forbidden the ministers and Deacons for to dwell with their wiues But Paphnutius whom Constantine had in such reuerence that he woulde cause him oftentimes to come into his pallaice and imbrace him yea he would euen kisse the place whence he had his eye plucked out he rysing vp pronounced mariage to be honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled and he said that the company of a man with his wife is chastitie he perswaded the councell that they shoulde set forth no such lawes which shoulde giue occasion of fornication both to the men and to their wiues The councell liked his opinion and they ordeyned nothing concerning this but left vnto euery one lybertie to choose whither hee woulde marry or not according as he shoulde feele to be expedient for him or holsome whereby it was lawfull as before for the ministers to kéepe still their wiues and to marry But afterwards Syricius and Gregory the seuenth forbad such mariages whiche thing neuerthelesse the ministers of the East receiued not 87 During the Empyre of Constantius the sonne of Constantine the great in the yere 350. after the natiuitie of Iesus Christ there were also these greate personages Doctors in the Church Theodorus Bishop of Heraclia in Thrace Eusebius Bishop of Emesus Hillarie Bishop of Poitiers of Aquitaine in Fraunce who made a booke of the Trinytie against the Arrians many other bookes which are verie profitable 88 Liberius a Romaine borne was elected byshop in the yeare of Christ as S. Hierome writeth 352. and about the twelfe yeare of the Emperour Constance His confession was agréeable to the Catholike faith and hee wrote very Christianlike vnto Athanasius concerning God the father Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost as it may appeare by his Epistle which is ioyned with the workēs of Athanasius Athanase doth recorde in his Epistle made of them that leade a solitarie life that in the time of Constance the Emperour he sent to Rome one named Eusebius an Eunuke with letters by whiche he threatened him exile and on the other part offered him great giftes to allure him by that meanes to consent with Arrius and to subscribe vnto the condemnation of Athanasius but Liverius despysed both the threatnings and rewards as a sacrifice of blasphemie Whereupon the Emperour caused him to be brought out of Rome and comming towards him he menaced to put him to death But Liverius stoutly aunswered him I am readie to abide any thing rather then of Christians we should be called Arrians What art thou then saide the Emperour which with one naughtie fellowe troublest all the worlde Liberius saide vnto him The worde of faith dependeth not vpon a multitude Hée was then sent away againe by the Emperour Constance into Berchee which is a Citie of Thrace whereas when hee had béene two yeares hee was called for againe as witnesseth Theodoretus His restitution as some say was agréed vnto by the Emperour at the request of many of the citie of Rome and of the Bishops of the Weast The saide Athanasius saith in his Epistle aforenamed that Liberius after the two yeares of exile being brought in feare by threatnings feare of death yelded and subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius 89 Basile bishop of Cesarea was also in the time of Valentinian and Valens Emperours whilest Valentinian liued the East Church was in rest agréeing to the decrées of the Synode of Nice but Valens made bulwarkes for to aduaunce Arrianisme withall against those that were called Homousiastes that is the true Catholickes and he styrred vp great persecutions especially in Antioch and in Laodicea His brother Valentinian reproued him therefore admonished him by letters as Zonoras wryteth but he was the more angrie therefore and minded to driue out of the country Basile bishoppe of Cesarea because that he woulde not at his commaundement communicats with Eudorius bishop of Constantinople an Arrian but the Lorde sent a sicknesse to his onely sonne the which he knowing to be the vengance of God conuerted from his wicked purpose and gaue eare certaine dayes vnto the sermons of Basile 90 Damasus borne in Spaine a Bishop of Rome succéeded Liberius in the yeare 363. in the raigne of Valence the Emperour for the wryting of Damasus looke Suidas and Hierome in his Epistle to Custach tome 4. which maketh mention of Damasus Of virginitie he saith reade the books the Damasus composed both in verse and prose He held in reuerence the Synode of Nicée condemned Auxentius Bishop of Millain an Arrian Theodor. lib. 4. Chap. 30. saith that with saint Ambrose hee stroue valiantly against heretykes condemning openly Sabellius Arrius Eunomius the Macedonians Marcellus the heresie of Apollinaris Hierome in the apologie against Iouinian calleth Damasus a singuler man and well learned in the scriptures and doctours of the church Athanase in his Epistle vnto the Byshoppes of Affrica calleth Damasus his most deare companion praysing his diligence for that he had assema Synode at Rome against the Arrians In the same time also was Anthonie who being a hundreth and fiftie yeares olde dyed He sawe in a dreame as it were hogges which trode vnder their féete the altars and waking said that the Church shal be once againe spoyled and dispersed by whoremongers adulterers monstrous men Melanchthon noteth this prophecy to be against the leacherous and voluptuous life of Priests and Monches 91 Vulphilas Bishoppe of Gothes in Sarmatia hist tripar lib. 8. translated the Bible into the Gothes language for the vse of his countrimen the like Hierome did in the Dalmatian tongue for the profite of the people there And in Croatia whiche is the lower Pannonia the Churches then the bishops vsed the holy scriptures translated into their vulgar languages 92 In the raigne of Theodosius and Valentinian Emperours in the yeare 386. Ambrose was Bishop of Milain His election was such that Aurentius an Arrian Bishop being gone from Milain there arose a great sedition betwixt the Arrians the catholickes concerning the election of the Bishop And at that time Ambrose being a Citizen was proconsul who considering this vprore because of his office went hastily vnto the Church whereas the people were assembled and after that hee had vsed many perswasions for to reuoke the people to a concorde there rose vp sodainly a common voyce with one consent that Ambrose must be Baptized who was alreadie cathechised and that after they shoulde consecrate him Bishop wherunto he would not agrée but by the commaundement of the Emperour Valentinian who incyted him thereto hee tooke
the office vppon him and then the Emperour gaue thankes vnto God for that he had called this man from the gouernement of bodies vnto gouerning of soules Such was the election of the Bishoppes by the people Then within a while after Iustine hauing drawen his sonne Valentinian into his errour assayed to haue allured Ambrose also thereto but it was in vaine And albeit that one day a bande of soldiars did beset the temple for to make Ambrose come out he not withstanding was constant and made them a Bishoplike aunswere saying vnto thē that hee woulde not not so easily depart from that place neither that he would leaue the flocke vnto the power of Wolues nor yet the Temple vnto blasphemers That and if they were purposed to kill him they should doe it within the Temple and that hee woulde bee content to dye Looke Theodor. lib. 5. Chap. 3. 93 Vigilantius Bishop of Barcelon in Spaine was in the raigne of Theodosius the Emperour he stoode in defence against the idolatrie and worshipping of the bodies of Martyrs like as S. Hierome writing to Riparius maketh sufficient demonstration and saith that whilest we liue we should pray one for another but after that wee be deade our prayers cannot be hearde Moreouer he saide The commaundement of continencie or to abstaine from mariage is heresie and the séede of whooredome 94 In the yeare 380. was Appollinaire of Laodicia Bishop of Syria who wrote thirtie bookes against the madnesse of Porphirie and as Suidas saith hee translated into Heroick verses the most parte of the Hebrewe writings Some doe hold opinion that he did the like also with the Psalmes 95 In the yeare after the natinitie of our Lord Iesus Christ 390. was sainct Hierome the sonne of one named Eusebius of the citie of Stridon who made many bookes homilyes and commentaries vpon the holy Byble whose translation thereuppon we haue vntill this present time He dyed when he was 91. yeares olde The debate that was then betwixt Hierome and the aforenamed Vigilantius bishop of Barcelon in Spaine sheweth the superstition began long before Of which matter we may sée ynough how Vigilantius and other good Doctours of that time auouched that the adoration of the Saincts was drawne from the superstition of the Paganes In that time were also Seuerien who aboue all other things is praysed vnto the people because of his eloquence and worthie sermons made vnto the people also Theodorus a Moncke Lucian a Priest of Ierusalem Martin bishop of Tours and Seuerus Sulpitius 96 About the yeare 402. after the natiuity of our Lorde Iesus and in the reigne of Arcadus and Honorus Emperours was Chrisostome borne at Antioche the disciple of Libanus the Philosopher he was an Auditor of Andragatius the Philosopher who forsooke the estate of an aduocate and followed Euagrius with his other two companions Theodosius and Maximius who were afterwarde bishops after that they had profited well in the holy scriptures in the Monasteries For in those dayes the Monasteries were common schooles and the Abbots or Priours that were presidents there did teach publyckely the holy scriptures Chrisostome was bolde and free in rebuking sinnes especially in his publicke sermons and for that cause was he hated of the Cleargie He withstoode Gainas who requested of the Emperour that he might obtaine a Temple at Constantinople for his people Looke Hist tripar lib. 10. Chapt. 6 Whoso list to sée the life of Chrisostome Palladius hath composed it 97 S. Augustine was Bishoppe of Hippo and was raysed vp by the power of God for to refute the errours aswell of the Manichees as of the Pelagians who saide that Adam hurt onely but himselfe in sinning nothing his successours Then Sathan by this subtility made them thorow cloaking their disease to be incurable But heretikes being vanquished by manifest testimonies of the holy scripture that sinne was descended from the first man into all his posteritie they cauelled that it was descended by imitation and not by generation Wherefore the holy men of that time and amongst the rest S. Auguistine was forced to shewe howe that we are not corrupted by the wickednes which we drawe from others by example but that we bring our peruersitie euen from our mothers wombe Furthermore whereas they sayed that we are not iustified by the mercy of God thorough Iesus Christ without our owne merites and that by our owne workes and naturall vertues wee doe purchase true and entyre iustice before God It doeth appeare howe Saint Augustine shewed that by faith alone we bee iustified forasmuch as faith doth imbrace him that iustifieth to wit CHRIST our LORD with whome it vniteth and conioyneth vs in such sort that we be made partakers of him and of all the goods that hee hath and that all good workes ought to come thereof that is to say of Iesus dwelling in vs by the frée force and efficacie whereof we begin to will that which is good and to apply our selues thereto Nowe in what price and estimation we shoulde holde the bookes of Saint Augustine the reader may sufficiently discerne He dyed being 76. yeres of age in the time whē the citie of which he was bishop that is to say Hippo was besieged by the Vandales He gouerned the said Church 40 yeares Whoso will sée his life Possidonius hath written it 98 Vnder the Emperour Theodosius the yonger about the yeare 430. after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus there were gouernours in the Church these good men Possidonius of Affrica Bishoppe of Calme Celestine Bishop of Rome who sent Palladius a Grecian and Patricius into Scotland Ireland for to preach the faith He sent also into England Saint Germaine Bishoppe of Auxerre againste the heresie of the Pelagians He ordeined that no shoulde not medle in the parish of an other Also that no Bishop shoulde be elected contrarie to the will of the people but that the consent both of the cleargie and of the people should be required The Church in that time was gretly troubled specially in Affrica the chiefest men of the church were sent to exile martyred by Gensericus king of Vandales Moreouer in that time was holden the councell at Ephesus in the which was Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria chiefe Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople was condempned by two hundred Bishops who forged two persons in Iesus Christ the one of man and the other of God and he coulde not abyde that men should call the Virgin Marie the Mother of God by communication of properties This councell was holden in the tenth yeare of Theodosius the yonger and in the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus 437. 99 Sedulius Possidonius Sozenus Socrates and Theodoritus were also in the time aboue named who set downe in writing the Churche matters Cassiodor us also made a briefe collection of their bookes and of the bookes of Theodorite the whiche haue bene chaunged by Epiphanius a schooler and he of these thrée hath made one
of of Recardus or Richarde their king and Leander bishop of Seuile The confession of their faith was sent vnto the councell of Tolete There happened in the time a great controuersie about the primacie of the church for Iohn Bishop of Constantinople was pronounced and declared in the whole Synode of the Grekes vniuersall Patriarch and Mauritius the Emperour commaunded Gregorie bishop of Rome to obey the saide Patriarche of Constantinople but Gregorie woulde not abide that any Bishop shoulde be vniuersall aboue all the rest whereof it came that they called themselues servauntes of the seruauntes of God Looke Gregorie in the 32. Epistle to Mauritius and 28. to Iohn the Patriarche Looke Iohn Caluin his Institution of Christian religion lib. 4. chapter 7. section 4. Some woulde name this Gregorie to be one of the foure Doctours of the Church with Augustine Hierome Ambrose but histories doe make sufficient demonstration what a Doctour he was séeing that he hath brought in a rablement of superstitiōs contrarie to the worde of God Concerning which matter I will not say that the others had such puritie of doctrine sucked and drawen out of the holy scriptures as they ought To conclude in the time of this Gregorie the ecclesiasticall doctrine had almost lost his puritie for it was imbrued and darkened with humaine traditions for monkerie did then take rote and beginne to flourishe and many and sundrie kindes of superstitions were dayly brought in And after the time of Gregorie the great there grewe on still more horible and bitter darkenesse notwithstanding the Lorde hath alwayes raysed vp some good persons that men might vnderstand that all ought to be cut away and forsaken that is contrary to the holy worde of God About this said time was Serenus Bishop of Marseille who caused the images of saints and of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be broken because hee sawe the people worshippe them Then Gregorie reproued him for breaking them but he praysed him for that he forbad the people to honour them Looke the register or booke of his Epistles 10. parte Epistle 4. and Polidore Virgill lib. 6. chap. 13. 108 During the raigne of the Emperour Phocas and in the yeare of our Lorde 604. the primacie of the Pope was established a little before that the abhominable secte of Mahomet beganne to spread the hornes abroad in Asia which being once published abroade farre ouer did corrupt obscure deface the true doctrine in manie places and regions Then albeit that after the time of Gregorie the great there arose vp great multitudes of Monkes some of them being more carefull of their bellyes then to labour for to vnderstande by the holy scriptures the puritie of that true seruice which GOD requireth of vs and although the wrytings of so great a multitude haue brought great plentie of darkenes rather then of light into the Church I will neuerthelesse in speaking of other good men in their order make mention of the most discréete amongst them who had some iudgement and doctrine with them in which notwithstanding were some errours by reason of the confusion of doctrines which had then great libertie Isidorus the younger Bishop of Hispalis composed many bookes Hée flourished in the yeare of our Lorde 630. Within certaine space after was Beda a priest and moncke who was an English man hee lefte behinde him a great multitude of bookes and made commentaries vppon the most part of the bookes of the holy scripture 109 In the yeare 684. and in the raigne of the Emperour Constantine the fourth was holden a generall councell at Constantinople of 289. bishops against the Monothelites who denyed two willes and natures in Christ George bishop of Constantinople forsooke his heresie But Macarius Bishop of Antioch did not leaue it wherefore hee was driuen from his bishoppricke In this councell the discension that was betwixt the East church and the West church was appeased There it was permitted vnto the ministers of Gréece for to haue wiues lawfully and to liue in mariage but not to the ministers of the west church The authour of the booke intituled Fasciculus temporum yeldeth a reason thereof saying that they had vowed chastitie of their owne accorde vnder Gregory but what shall they do then that haue not the gift of continencie And moreouer can they vowe for others that come after them Furthermore they vowed by constrainte and authoritie of the councels as it appeareth here before It was there also ordayned that none should carie any infant to bee baptized except he knewe the Lords prayer and the beliefe of the faithfull Looke the seconde volume of councels Also that they should make no vow against mariage and that the priestes who did separate themselues from their wiues because of their orders shoulde be excluded from the communion Looke Peter Viret in his Dialogue to them of Orbe In that time was Theodore Archbishop of Rauenna who was a great almes giuer and sought howe to kéepe the cleargie in good manners for which cause he was hated of them Naucl. Leger bishop of Authun was also at that time whom Chrion prince of the Pallaice of Fraunce in the time of Theodoricus caused his eyes to bee pulled out the soales of his féete to be cut his tongue and his lippes to be mangled after he caused his heade to be taken off Naucl. and Chron. Sig. This Chrion cast downe Lambert from the Bishopprick of Vtrech Aime byshop of Sens was banished by Chrion Chron. Sig. 110 In the yeare 694. after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ and in the raigne of Iustinian the second the Saxons being yet Paganes receiued the Christian Faith by the meane of Sergius Bishop of Rome according to the saying of Sup. Chron. The saide Sergius sent Vmbred vnto the Frysons for to conuert them to the faith Rabod their Duke woulde not thereto agrée alleaging that it was better to follow many then a fewe But afterwardes he being vanquished in war by Pepin great maister of Fraunce the Frisons receiued the faith being taught by one Willebroc a bishop or by Clement as some say 111 In the raigne of Constantine the fifte Emperour of that name and about the yeare 742. was holden a councell in Fraunce by Boniface archbishop of Mayence Burcardus Guntarius other bishops which had not bene fourescore yeares before insomuch that it was saide that religion in Fraunce was cast vnder féete and wasted so saith Naucl. There it was ordeyned that they shoulde euery yeare haue a Synode in Fraunce the church men shoulde carrye no armour They were forbidden hunting that they shoulde kéepe no manner of hounds or hawkes That euery Priest and bishoppe shoulde kéepe himselfe within his parish and there should labour to roote out olde heresies of Paganisme and the errours of sacrificing for the deade the deuinations sorceries and other immolations that were vsed after the manner of the Pagans about the churches vnder the names of Martyrs and confessours vide Naucl.
also that the Church by their negligence shoulde become desolate and that iniquitie shoulde abound that is by reason of Mammon master of iniquitie Also he saide that there were in the Church of Christ Idols which shoulde destroy Ierusalem and make the Temple desolate but were cloaked by hypocrisie further that there bee many which denie Christ for that they kéepe silence neither doe they heare Christ whome all the worlde shoulde know and should confesse his veritie before men which also wittingly doe detaine the veritie and Iustice of God Hee taught openly that in the Pope Cardinals Bishops Prelates Priestes and other religious men was no trueth but that onely he and such as held with him taught the true way of saluation Mathias Parisiensis a Bohemian borne who about the yeare of our Lorde 1370. wrote a large booke of Antichrist and proueth him already come and noteth the Pope to be the same In this booke he doth greatly eniue againste the wickednesse of the cleargie and against the neglecting of their dutie in gouerning the Church The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalyps hee saith be the hypocrites raigning in the Church The workes of Antichrist he saith be these the fables and inuentions of men raigning in the Church the Images and fayned reliques that are worshipped euery where Item that men doe worship euery one his proper sainct and sauiour beside Christ so that euery man and citie almost hath his diuers and peculiar Christ He taught and affirmed moreouer that godlynesse and true worship of God are not bounde to place persons or times to bee hearde more in this place then in an other at this time more then at an other c. Hee was greatly and much offended with monks and friers for neglecting or rather burying the worde of Christ and in stéed thereof for celebrating and setting vp their owne rules and Canons affirming it to be much hurtfull to true Godlinesse for that Priestes Monkes and Nunnes do account themselues onely spirituall and all other to be lay and secular attributing onely to themselues the opinion of holynesse and contemning all other men with all their politicke administration and office as prophane in comparison of their owne He further writeth that Antichrist hath seduced al vniuersities and Colleges of learned men so that they teach no sincere doctrine neither giue any light to the Christians with their teaching Finally he forewarneth that it will come to passe that God yet once againe will raise vp godly teachers who being feruent in the spirite and zeale of Helias shall disclose and refute the errours of Antichrist alleadgeth the sayings and writings of the vniuersitie of Paris also the writings of Guliel de sanct Amour Henricus de Hassia an excellent learned and famous man He wrote an Epistle vnto Iacobus Carisiensis Bishop of Normacia inserted in his booke de erroribus Christianorum In the same Epistle the authour doth greatly accuse the spirituall men of euery order yea the most holiest of all other the Pope himselfe of many and great vices Hee saide that the Ecclesiasticall gouernours in the primatiue Church were compared to the Sunne shining in the day time and the politicall gouernours to the Moone shyning in the night But the spirituall men he said that nowe are doe neither shine in the day time nor yet in the night time but rather with their darkenesse doe obscure both day night that is with their filthy liuing ignoraunce impietie Hee citeth also out of the prophesie of Hildegardis these words Therefore doth the deuill in himselfe speake of you Priests daintie bankets and feasts wherein is all voluptuousnes doe I finde amongst these men In so much that mine eyes mine eares my belly my vaynes bee euen filled with the froth of them and my brestes stande astrout with the riches of them c. Lastly saith he they euery day more and more as lucyfer doe séeke to clymbe higher and higher till that euery day with him more and more they fall déeper and déeper Hee liued Anno. 1371. Nilus was Archbishop of Thessolonica and lyued 1380. He wrote a long worke against the Latins that is against such as tooke part helde with the Churche of Rome His booke first being written in Gréek was after translated into Latin and lately nowe into English in this our time In the first Chap. of his booke he layeth all the blame and fault of the discention and schisme betwene the East and the West Church vppon the Pope Hee affirmed that the Pope onely woulde commaunde what him lusted were it neuer so contrarie to all the olde and auncient Cannons That hee would heare and followe no mans aduise that hee would not permit any free Councels to be assembled c. In the second Chapt. of his booke hee purposedly maketh a verie learned disputation for first he declareth that he had no whit at all by Gods commaundement but onely by humaine Lawe any dignitie more then others Bishops which dignitie the Councels the fathers and Emperours haue graunted vnto him neither did they graunt the same for any other consideration more or greater ordinaunce then for that the same citie then had the Empery of all the whole world and not at al for that that Peter was there or not there c. 133 In the yeare 1383. Iohn wikliefe liued in England who hauing of long time made profession of diuinitie at Oxenforde a citte and vniuersitie in Englande and hee séeing that true diuinitie was vilely corrupted with much filthinesse of questions and inuentions set forth by the Pope he coulde not but lament in his hearte and determined to remedy such a disorder He sawe well that hee coulde not without great trouble remoue away abuses and that those that had so long time growen in the hearts of men could not easilie be rooted out on a sodaine And therefore he thought good to deale there with by little and little First he made this assaye against the aduersaries of the trueth that is he disputed against them of small matters that by that meane he might open an entrie to great things and amongest other hee had to deale with a certain monke named Iohn kenyngham Of these small beginnings they came to higher matters Hee at the last disputed concerninge the sacrament of the supper Therein this good man had great resistaunce affirming openlye in scholes that his principall intent was to take away idolatrie that raigned in the Church concerning this matter But marke what mischiefe happened a man coulde not so soone touth this wounde without causing great sorrowe to the worlde The monkes and especially the begging fort were in a furie the Bishops would haue knowledge of this matter He alleaged the authoritie of the auncient Doctours of the Church in those poyntes wherein they agréed with the holy scriptures declaring that there is no trueth but that which is contayned in them As for the decretistes he vtterly reiected them He stedfastly mainteined that in the sacrament
due alone vnto him whom al the saintes must honour and reuerence and do put their trust in them which ought to be transserred to God onely and more ouer séeing they are so affectioned towards those images that they like better of and be more deuoute to one them then to another mine opinion is said he the of such do commit Idolatry and a deadly sinne against God vnto whom doth belong all honour glorie and praise Lastly hee saide that hee was thus perswaded that there dwelled none here below vpon earth but was in a pilgrimage either to goe vnto life or els to tende vnto torments That whoso doth so order his life that hee transgresseth the commaundements ordinances of God whither that he knoweth them not or will not knowe them hee must not hope for saluation albeit that hee raunge abroade to all the corners of ths worlde Contrariwise hee that shall kéepe the holy ordinances of God cannot perishe although hee neuer make voyage nor pilgrimage in his life vnto any place whither disordered men haue vsed to goe on pilgrimage There be also founde of his other principall articles as of the two natures in Christ diuine humaine and that like as his diuinitie was here béelowe on earth hidden and couered vnder humanity so in the sacrament of the Eucharistie there is bread and the bodie giuen vs to wit the breade which we sée and the bodie of Christ which wee sée not thus expressed hee his Faith touching the Sacrament c. Also that it is not necessarie for the obtayning of saluation to confesse his sinnes to his owne Curate or any other priest whilest he liueth Also hee denyed not onely the worshipping of Images but also that which we call the holy Crosse Furthermore he saide concerning the power of the keyes and touching the Pope Archbishoppes Bishops and other Prelates that the Pope is very Antichrist and that these Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates be his members and the fryers the tayle of Antichrist like as the Pope is the heade to whome no man ought to obey that is to say to the Pope Archbishops Bishoppes and other Prelats except they be followers of Christ and Peter in life and manners and in conuersation and that hee which is the best lyuer most pure in conuersation is the successour of Peter not otherwise It is reported moreouer that the saide Lorde Oldcastel saide with a loude voyce stretching his handes abroade and perswading those that were present These who iudge and woulde condemneme will beguile you all and leade both you themselues into hell and therefore beware of them To make short sentence of death was pronounced against him not withstanding he forbode a while after as it were banished and was sent away by a wile And at the last hee being taken againe and remayning constant without denying the trueth which he saw conteined in the holy scriptures was condemned to be burned And thus this valiant Doctour and Martyr fynished the course of his life and recommending his soule vnto God and praying for his ennimies after that hee had exhorted the people to applie themselues vnto the true faith and pure religion yelded vp his spirite vnto the Lord. He that woulde sée of him more at large let him read the booke of Martyrs 139 In the same time also that is 1418. 19. 20. and so consequently the Lord shewed sufficiently that the bloude of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague and of other good doctours and Martyrs of the Church fell not to the grounde for to be swallowed vp and come to nothing as some pretended but it did greatly fructifie with an incredible commoditie not onely in Englande and in Bohemia but also in Germanie and Fraunce and generally in other realmes countries and prouinces For God hath much more since that time shewed a clearer chaunge of thinges causing tongue to be renewed as messengers and arts to bee as forerunners to Dame veritie who immediately came forth with the brightnesse of the most cleare sunne that is the preaching of the Gospell wherein many times they haue excelled being fortified with all necessaries against darknesse Many haue dealt verie valiantly and haue not onely brought againe diuinitie to his naturall and first puritie but haue also endured martyrdome for a more ample witnessing thereof Amongst others one named Grunfelder a priest called to the order of Iesus Christ was burned in the citie of Rinsbourg in the yeare of our Lorde 1420. William Tayler an Englishe man a master in artes was also martyred The princial cause of the furie raysed vp against him was because hee had composed a booke against calling vpon or praying to saincts For that cause hee was burned in the citie of London in the yeare 1422. hee abode the fire verie constantly Henry Radtgeber of the order of Popish priests first did valyantly fight and endured a cruell death for the profession of the Gospel in the foresaide citie of Rinsbourg this was in the yeare 1423. Iohn Drandorfe of a noble house in the countrey of Misne was executed at Wormes in the yere following 1424. Peter Toraw was afterwarde martyred in the Citie of Spira anno 1426. Iohn Bale an English writer speaketh hereof in his booke of the famous men of England 140 In the yeare 1425. there was a Priest called William Wight an English man who hauing vsed to reade the sermons of Wicliefe chaunged his life wholly and acknowledging the filthinesse of his former life he forsooke his benefice whereby he had receiued large reuenewes After that hee following the holy ordinaunce of God tooke a wife Being maryed he applied himselfe to studie and teaching either publikely or priuately labouring to profite all men At the laste hee was taken in the citie of Norwich and there they layed against him thirtie articles for the which hee was cruelly burned by the procuring of the Bishop and this was in the yeare 1428. His wife following the example of her husband ceassed not according to her facultie for to instructe euery bodie and for this cause she was very hardly intreated by the saide Bishop Also in the yeare 1430. Richarde Houenden an English man and a Citizen of London could by no meanes bee withdrawen from the trueth for any perswasions that coulde bée alleaged and therefore he was condemned to be burned néere vnto the tower of London 141 Many good personages of dyuers Realmes haue greatly beene afflicted and persecuted in the yeares following because they spake and mainteined the pure trueth and haue spilte euen the vttermost drop of their bloude God notwithstanding assisted them the they might make the aduersaries of the puritie of his holy and diuine seruice the more ashamed In the Realme of Bohemia Paul Crau in the yeare 1431. was deliuered to the seculer power by a Bishoppe for to bee burned and that because hee blodly withstoode the wicked opinions of the people touching the Eucharistie inuocation of sainctes auricular confession and