saluation contrary to the working of the holy spirite of God And thus the Church of Rome pretending onely the name of Christ and of his Religion is so farre altered from the truth of that which it pretendeth that vnder the name of Christ it persecuteth both Christ his Religion working more harme to the Church of Christ then euer did the open tirants and persecuting Emperours among the heathen not much vnlike herein to the olde Sinagoge of the Scribes and Phareseis who vnder the name of God crucified the sonne of God and vnder pretence of the law fought against the Gospell and vnder the title of Abrahams children persecuted the childrē of Abraham And as they bragging so highly of the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lorde did in deede destroye the true Temple of the Lord right so these pretensed Catholikes in these dayes after they haue raysed vppe a Catholike Churche of their owne and haue armed the same with lawes and haue gathered vnto them a power of Priestes Prelates Abbats Priors of religious men of Cardinals and also of secular Princes to take their part now vnder the name of the Catholicke Church they persecute the true Catholike church and coloring their procedings still with In nomine Domini most cruelly they put to death which die pro nomine Domini condemning them for heretikes schismatikes and rebles not which deny any part of the creede which they themselues professe nor such whome they can conuince by any Scripture but onely such which will not ioyne wyth their errours and heresies contrary to the honour of God and truth of his worde And lest any should thinke this that we here protest against the corrupt errours manifold deformities of this latter Church of Rome to proceede of any raucor or affection rather then grounded of necessary causes and demōstrations euident my purpose is by the Lordes leaue to take herein some litle paine that as I haue collected a litle before the summe cōtents of S. Paules doctrine where with the old Church of Rome was first seasoned and acquainted so now as in a like summary table to discrye the particular braunches and contents of the Popes doctrine now set foorth to the intent that all true Christian readers comparing the one with the other may discern what great alteration there is betwene the church of Rome that now is and the church of Rome that then was planted by the Apostles in the primitiue time And to the ende to open to the simple reader some waye whereby he may the better iudge in such matters of doctrine not be deceaued in discerning truth from errour first we wil propound certeine principles or general positions as infallible rules or truthes of the Scripture wherby al other doctrines opinions of men being tried and examined as in the touchstone may the more easely be iudged whether they be true or cōtrary whether they make agaynst the scripture or no. ¶ Certeine Principles or generall verities grounded vpon the truth of Gods word ¶ The first principle 1. AS sinne and death came originally by the disobedience of one to all men of his generation by nature so righteousnes and life come originally by the obedience of one to all men regenerated of him by faith Baptisme Rom. 5. ¶ The 2. Principle 2. The promise of God was freely giuen to our first parentes without their deseruing that the seede of a woman should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. ¶ The 3. Principles 3. Promise was giuen freely to Abraham before he deserued any thing that in his seede all nations should be blessed Gen. 12. ¶ The 4. Principle 4. To the worde of God neither must wee adde nor take from it Deut. 4. ¶ The 5. Principle 5. He that doth the workes of the law shall liue therein Leuit. 18. Gal. 3. ¶ The 6. Principle 6. Accursed is he which abideth not in euery thing that is written in the booke of the law Deut. 27. Gal. 3. ¶ The 7. Principle 7. God onely is to be worshipped Deut. 6. Luc. 4. ¶ The 8. Principle 8. All our righteousnes is like a defiled cloth of a woman Esay 64. ¶ The 9. Principle 9. In all my holy hill they shall not kill nor slay saith the Lord. Esay 11.65 ¶ The 10. Principle 10. God loueth mercy and obedience more then sacrifice Osee. 6.1 Reg. 15. ¶ The 11. Principle 11. The lawe worketh anger condemneth and openeth sinne Rom. 3. ¶ The 12. Principle 12. The end of the law is Christ to righteousnes to euery one that beleueth Rom. 10. ¶ The 13. Principle 13. Whosoeuer beleeueth and is Baptised shall be saued Mat. vlt. ¶ The 14. Principle 14. A man is iustified by faith without workes freely by grace not of our selues Gal. 2. Ephes. 2. ¶ The 15. Principle 15. There is no remission of sinnes without bloud Heb. 9 ¶ The 16. Principle 16. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. ¶ The 17. Principle 17. One Mediatour betweene God man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2. ¶ The 18. Principle 18. Who soeuer seeketh in the law to be iustified is fallen from grace ¶ The 19. Principle 19. In Christ be all the promises of God Est Amen 2. Cor. 1. ¶ The 20. Principle 20. Let euery soule be subiect to superiour powers gyuyng to Caesar that which is Cesars to God that which is Gods Rom. 13. These principles and infallible rules of the Scripture as no man can denie so if they be granted the doctrine thē of the Popes Church must needes be found not to be Catholike but rather full of errours and heresies as in the sequele folowing remaineth more expressely and particularly by the grace of Christ to be conuinced ¶ Here foloweth a Summary collection of the errours heresies and absurdities conteyned in the popes doctrine contrary to the rules of Gods vvord and the first institution of the Church of Rome Of Faith and Iustification FIrst as touching the onely meanes and instrumentall cause of our iustificatiō wherby the merits of Christes Passiō be applied to vs made ours ye heard before how S. Paule onely ascrybeth the same to faith as appeareth by all his letters especially to the Romanes Where he excluding al kind of works ascribeth al our saluation iustification righteousnes reconciliation and peace with god onely to faith in Christ. Contrary to which doctrine the Pope and his church hath set vp diuers and sondry other meanes of their owne deuising whereby the merites of Christes passion they saye are applyed to vs and made ours to the putting away of sinnes and for our iustification as hope charitie sacrifice of the Masse auricular confession satisfacion merits of Saintes and holy orders the
except he doe looke for the duetie of recompence by the law of conscience Item all temporall goods bestowed vppon the clergie by the lay people vnder condition as the goodes of the churche are the almes of them which geue it it is prooued thus for so much as all those goods are the goods of the poore as it appeareth by many sayings of holy men and by the lawes But they were not the goods of the pore after they were mere seculer goodes but onely by the meane of the woorke of mercie wherby they were bestowed vpon the pore Ergo they were pure almes The cōsequent dependeth vpō the definitiō of pure almes Item all things changed to the vse and power of an other either by ciuil exchange or Euangelical is changed But the church goods are so changed by one of these ministries But the Euangelical exchange is not to be fained because it is not done neyther by bying or selling or any other ciuill exchange Therefore there doth not remaine but only a pure gift for hope of a heauenly reward the which is mercy and so pure almes And it semeth to followe consequently that all the Clergie receiuing such almes are not onely in respect of God as all other menne But in respect of men beggers For they wold not so instantly require those almes except they had neede of them neither ought we to be ashamed therof or to be proud beggers for so much as Christ touching his humanitie became a begger for vs because hee declared his need vnto his Father saying c. Item when any Kyng Prince Knight Citizen or anye other man doth geue vnto the clergy or to anye priest for his stipend he geueth the same vnto the Churche of God and to the priuate party as a perpetuall almes that he should attend to his vocation preaching praying and studying But this kinde of geuing doth not suffice to ground any seculer dominion amongst the clergye it followeth that the bare vse remayneth in them or the seculer vse without any seculer power The maior appeareth hereby forsomuch as otherwise almes should not be a worke of mercy Whereby it may also appeare that tenths are pure alms geuen to the church to the vse of the pore And hereupon the holy men doe say that tenthes are the tributes of the needy soules Whereupon S. Augustine in a sermon made vpon the restoring of tithes sayth The geuing of Tithes most deare brethren are the tributes of the poore soules therefore pay your tribute vnto the poore And by and by after he sayth therefore who desireth eyther to get any rewarde or to haue anye remission of sinnes by geuing of his tenthes let him study to geue almes euen of the ninth part so that what soeuer shall remayne more then a competent liuing and decent clothing that it be not reserued for riot but that it be layd vp in the heauenly treasure by geuing it in almes to the poore For what so euer God doth geue vnto vs more then we haue neede of he doth not geue it vs specially for our selues but doth send it vs to be bestowed vpon others by our handes if wee doe not geue it we inuade an other mans possessions Thus much wryteth S. Augustine and is repeted in the xvi question 1. Decime Also S. Ierome in an Epistle and it is put in the 16. question and 2. chap Quicquid What soeuer the clergy hath it is the goods of the poore Also S. Augustine in his 33. Epistle vnto Boniface and it is aleaged in the 1. question and 12. Also in the 23. question 7. If we doe possesse any thinge priuately the which doth suffise vs they are not oures but the goods of the poore whose stewardes we are except we doe challenge to ourselues a property by some damnable vsurpatiō The glose vpon that part of the 23. question 7. sayth The Prelates are but onely the stewardes of the church goodes and not Lordes thereof S. Ambrose also vpon this saying of the Gospell Luke the 16. Geue accompt of your bailiship or stewardship Hereby then doe we learne that they are not Lordes but rather stewardes and baliffes of other mens substaunce And S. Ierome writing to Nepotianus saieth howe can they be of the clergye which are commaunded to contemne and dispise their owne substaunce and to take away from a frend it is theft to deceiue the Churche it is sacriledge and to take awaye that which should be geuen vnto the poore ¶ The order and maner of taking vp the body of Iohn Wickliffe and burning his bones 41. yeares after his death And S. Bernard in his sermon vppon these wordes Symon Peter sayd vnto Iesus chap. 17 sayd Truely the goodes of the Church are the patrimony of the poore And whatsoeuer thyng the ministers and stewardes of the same not Lordes or possessours do take vnto themselues more then sufficient for a competent liuing the same is taken away from the poore by a sacrilegious crueltie And Eusebius in his treatise vpon the pilgrimage of S. Ierom writeth thus if thou doest possesse a garment or anye other thing more then extreme necessitie doth require and dost not help the needy thou art a theef a robber Wherfore dearly beloued children let vs be stewards of our temporallities and not possessors And Isidore in his treatise De summo Bono chap. 42. sayth Let the byshop know that he is the seruaunt of the people and not Lord ouer them Also in the 5. booke of decretals extra de donationibus sub authoritate Alexandri tertij Episcopi paristensis He sayth we beleue that it is not vnknowne vnto your brotherhoode that a Byshop and euery other Prelate is but a steward of the Churche goodes and not Lord thereof By these sayinges of these holy men it is euidently declared that not only tithes but also al other substaunce which the clergy hath by gift of worke of mercy are pure almes which after the necessitie of the clergy once satisfied ought to be transported vnto the poore Secondly it is declared how that the Clergye are not Lordes and possessours of those goods but ministers stewardes therof Thirdly it is shewed that if the Clergye doe abuse the same they are theeues robbers and sacrilegious persons and except they doe repent by the iust iudgement of God they are to be condempned ANd thus hetherto I may peraduenture seeme to haue made sufficient long resitall out of Ihon Dus but so notwithstanding that the commoditie of those thinges maye aboundantly recompence the prolixitie thereof Wherfore if I shall seeme vnto any man in the rehearsall of this disputation to haue passed very farre the boundes of the history let him thinke thus of me that at what tyme I tooke in hand to wryte of these Ecclesiasticall matters I could not omit these thinges whiche were so straightly ioyned with the cause of the Church Neither that I did make more accompt of the historye which I
Metropolis Bulgaria Bulgaria was wonne of Baiazetes the Turk from the crowne of Hungarye through the vnprosperous warre of Sigismundus at the fielde of Nicopolis an 1395. This Sigismund was the burner of Iohn Hus and the persecutor of his doctrine Wallachia Tergouistus or Teruis Huniad where Ioannes Huniades was borne Transyluania or SepteÌ„ castra Hermenstat Cronestat Saltzburg Alba Iulia or Weissenburg Seruia Gyula Samandria Columbetz Rascia Walpo Vid. sup pag. 740 Nouigradum Varna Moldauia  Hungaria Buda or Osen Alba regalis Belgradum or Taurinum Strigonium Varadinum Neapolis Maior Minor Austria Pestum ¶ As I was writing hereof a certayne souÌ„d of lamentable newes was brought vnto vs howe the Turke whome wee had hoped before to haue bene repulsed by the Emperour Maximilian out of Christendome hath now of late this present yeare 1566. got the towne of Gyula about Transyluania after they had susteined 16 of his most forceable assaultes destroying in the same most cruelly many thousand of our chisten brethren men women and children but because we haue no full certaynty we will referre the story therof to further information ¶ The Prophecyes of the holy Scriptures considered touching the comming vp and finall ruine and destruction of this wicked kingdome of the Turkes with the Reuelations and foreshewinges also of other authours concerning the same FOr so muche as you haue hitherto sufficiently heard to what quantity largenes the dominon of the Turkes hath encreased doe vnderstand what cruell tyranny these wretched miscreants haue and do dayly practise most haynously wheresoeuer they come agaynst the seruaunts and professors of Christ it shall not be vnprofitable but rather necessary and to our great comfort to coÌ„sider and examine in the Scriptures with what prophesyes the holy spirit of the Lord hath premonished and forewarned vs before of these heauy persecutions to come vpon his people by thys horrible Antichrist For as the gouernment and constitution of times and states of monarchies pollicies fall not to vs by blind chauÌ„ce but be administred and alotted vnto vs from aboue so it is not to be supposed that such a great alteration and mutation of kingdomes such a terrible generall persecutioÌ„ of Gods people almost through all ChristeÌ„dome and such a terrour of the whole earth as is now moued and gendred by these Turkes coÌ„meth without the knowledge sufferauÌ„ce and determination of the Lord before for such endes and purposes as his deuine wisedome doth best know For the better euideÌ„ce testimony wherof he hath left in his Scriptures sufficieÌ„t instructioÌ„ declaration whereby we may plainly see to our great coÌ„fort how these greeuous afflictions troubles of the Church though they be sharpe heauy vnto vs yet they come not by chauÌ„ce or by maÌ„s working onely but euen as the Lord himselfe hath appointed it and doth permit the same And first to begin with the tyme of the old Testament let vs seriously aduise ponder not onely the Scriptures Prophecies therein conteined but also let vs coÌ„sider the whole state order and regimeÌ„t of that people the Church I meane of the Israelites For although the Scriptures and Prophetes of the old Testament were properly sent to that people haue their relatioÌ„ properly to things done or thaÌ„t should be done in that coÌ„moÌ„wealth of which prophetes Iohn Baptist was the last made an end as our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth saying The law and Prophets be vnto the tyme of Iohn c. Yet notwithstaÌ„ding the sayd people of that old TestameÌ„t beareth a liuely Image resemblaunce of the vniuersall Church which should folow plaÌ„ted by the sonne of God through the whole earth So that as the Prophetes of God speaking to them from the mouth word of God prophecied what should come to passe in that people so likewise the whole course Hystory of those Israelites exemplifieth beareth a Prophetical image to vs declaring what is to be looked for in the vniuersall Church of God dispersed through the world plaÌ„ted in Christ Iesus his sonne according as Phil. Melanâ—thon grauely gathering vpon the same testifieth in diuers places in his Commentary vpon the Prophete Daniell As first the History of godly Abell slayne by wicked Cain what doth it importe or Prophecie but the conditioÌ„ of the people and seruauntes of God which commonly go to wracke in this world and are oppressed by the contrary part which belongeth not to God The like may be said also of Isaac and Ismaell of Iacob and Esau. Of whoÌ„ those two which were the children of promise and belonged to the election of God were persecuted in this world of the other whiche were reiected Where moreouer is to be noted coÌ„cerning Ismaell that of his stocke after the fleshe came the Saracens whose sect the Turkes do now professe mainteine And as Ismaell had but xii sonnes so it were to be wished of God that this Solyman which is the twelfe of the Turkish generation may be the last But of this better occasion shall folow the Lord willyng hereafter Furthermore of the xii tribes of Israel the sacrate history so reporteth that after they had a long season coÌ„tinued together by the space of 8. or 9. C. yeares at length for their idolatrie transgression of their forefathers x. tribes of them were cut of and dispersed amoÌ„g the Gentiles 130. yeares before the captiuitie of Babilon so that but ij tribes onely remayned free and they also at last after a. 130. yeares were captiued vnder the Babylonians for a certaine time No otherwise hath it happened with the Church of Christ almost in the vniuersall world of which Church the greatest part both in Asia in Africa almost in Europe where the holy Apostles so laboured and trauailed we see now to be disparcled among the Turkes and their caÌ„dlestickes remoued the Lord of his great grace reduce them agayne Amen So that of xij partes of Christendome which was once planted in Christ scarse ij partes remayne cleare and they how long they shall so continue the Lord knoweth And albeit thorough the mercy of the Lord they escape the dauÌ„ger of the Turkes yet haue they bene so beaten with the Pope that they had bene better almost to haue bene in the Turkes handes Agayne after the sayd Israelites returned being restored of Cyrus let vs consider well their story the continuance of tyme the maner of their regimentes and what afflictions they susteined in the tyme of the Machabees and we shall see a liuely representation of these our dayes expressed in that Propheticall people accordyng as S. Paul writyng of them sheweth how all thynges happened to them in figures that is the actioÌ„s and doynges of that one nation be as figures and types of greater matters what shall happen in the latter times of the whole Church vniuersally in Christ collected So the transmigration deliueraunce agayne of those two tribes
folowyng the same So Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord be as testimonies and profes that by our fayth only in Christ we are iustified that as our bodyes are washed by water and our life nourished by bread and wine so by the bloud of Christ our sinnes be purged and the hunger of our soules releued by the death of his body Upon the same fayth riseth also outward profession by mouth as a declaration thereof Other thinges also as fruites and effectes do follow after fayth as peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost inuocation patience charitie mercy iudgement sanctification For God for our fayth in Christ his sonne therfore geueth into our hartes his holy spirite of comfort of peace and sanctification whereby mans hart is moued to a godly disposition to feare God to seek him to call vpon him to trust vnto him to stick to him in all aduersities and persecutions to loue him for hys sake also to loue our brethren to haue mercy and compassion vpon them to visite them if they be in prison to breake bread to them if they be hungry and if they be burdened to ease them to clothe them if they be naked and to harbour them if they be houseles Mat. 25. with such other spirituall exercises of pietie and sanctification as these which therefore I call spirituall because they proceede of the holy spirite and law of God which is spirituall And thus haue ye a Catholicke Christian defined first after the rules of Rome and also after the rule of the Gospell Now conferre these Antitheses together and see whether of these is the truer christian the ceremonial man after the Church of Rome or the spirituall man with his fayth and other spirituall fruites of pietie following after the same And if ye say that ye mixt them both together spirituall thinges with your corporall ceremonies to that I aunswere agayne that as touching the end of remission of sinnes and saluation they ought in no case to be ioyned together because the meane cause of all our saluation and remission is onely spirituall and consisteth in fayth and in no other And therefore vpon the same cause I come to my question agayne as I began to aske whether the Religion of Christ be a mere spirituall religion and whether in the Religion of Rome as it is now is any thing but onely mere corporall thinges required to make a catholicke man And thus I leaue you to your aunswere IN turning ouer the first leafe of this booke which is pag. 2. col 1. and in the latter end of the same colume thou shalt finde gentle Reader the argument of Pighius Hosius wherein thus they argue That forsomuch as Christ must needes haue a catholicke Church euer continuing here in earth which all men may see wherunto all men ought to resort and seeing no other church hath endured continually from the Apostles visible here in earth but only the church of Rome they conclude therefore the Church onely of Rome to be the right Catholicke Church of Christ. c. In aunswering whereunto this is to be sayd that forsomuch as the medius terminus of this argument both in the Maior and Minor consisteth onely in the word visible and vnknowne if they meane by this word visible in the Maior that Christes Church must be seene here to all the world that all men may resort to it it is false Likewise if they meane by the same word visible in the Minor that no other Church hath bene seene and known to any but onely the Church of Rome they are likewise deceiued For the true Church of Christ neyther is so visible that all the worlde can see it but onelye they whiche haue spirituall eyes and bee members thereof nor yet so inuisible agayne but suche as be Gods elect and members therof doe see it and haue seen it though the worldly eyes of the most multitude cannot so doe c. Wherof read more in the protestation aboue prefixed to the church of England Foure considerations geuen out to Christian Protestantes professours of the Gospell with a briefe exhortation inducing to reformation of life ¶ The first consideration AS in the page before foure questions were moued to the Catholick Papists to answere them at theyr leysure so haue I here to the Christian Gospellers foure considerations likewise for them to muse vpon with speede conuenient THe first consideration is this euery good man well to weigh with himselfe the long tranquillitie the great plenty the peaceable libertie which the Lord of his mercy hath bestowed vpon this land during all the reigne hetherto of this our Souereigne and most happy Queene ELIZABETH in such sort as the like example of Gods aboundant mercies are not to be seene in any nation about vs so as we may well sing with the Psalme in the Churche Non fecit taliter omni nationâ— opes gloria suae non manifestauit eis first in hauing the true light of Gods gospel so shining among vs so publickly receiued so freely preached with such libertie of conscience without daunger professed hauing withall a Prince so vertuous a Queene so gratious geuen vnto vs of our owne natiue country bred and borne amongst vs so quietly gouerning vs so long lent vnto vs in such peace defending vs agaynst such as would els diuoure vs briefly what could we haue more at Gods hand if wee woulde wish or what els could we wish in this world that we haue not if this one thing lacked not grace to vse that well which we haue ¶ The second consideration AS these thinges first are to be considered concerning our selues so secondly let vs consider likewise the state and tymes of other our countrymen and blessed Martyrs afore past what stormes of persecutions they susteined what little rest they had with what enemies they were matched with what crosses pressed vnder what Princes vnder what Prelates they liued or rather dyed in the dayes of King Henry the 4. king Henry 5. King Henry 7. King Henry 8. Queene Mary c. vnder Boâ—er Bishoppe of London Gardiner Bishoppe of Winchester Cholmley Story Bishoppe Arundell Stokesley Courtney Warham At what time children were caused to set fire to their fathers The father adiured to accuse the sonne the wife to accuse the husband the husband the wife brother the sister sister the brother examples whereof are plenty in this booke to be seene pag. 774. ¶ The third consideration THirdly let vs call to mynd considering thus with our selues These good men and worthy Martyrs in those dangerous daies tastyng as they did the heauy hand of Gods sharpe correction beginning commonly with his owne house first if they were aliue now in these Alcion daies vnder the protection of such a peaceable prince O what thanks would they geue to God how happy would they count themselues hauing but halfe of that we haue with freedome onely of conscience and safetie of lyfe Or if in
the porte of Southhampton But as Polydorus sayeth and Fabian affirmeth the same that it was by Thames side at London When his flatterers comming about him began to exalt him vp with high wordes calling him a king of all kings most mighty who had vnder his subiection both the people the land and also the sea Canutus reuoluing this matter in his minde whether for pride of his heart exalted or whether to trâ—e and refell their flattering words coÌ„maunded his chaire of estate to be brought to the sea side at what time it should begin to flowe Polydore sayth that no seate was brought but sitting vpon his garments being folded together vnder him there charged and commaunded the floudes arising comming toward his feete that they shoulde not touch neither him nor his clothes But the water keeping his ordinary course came nearer and nerer First to his feete and so growing higher began to wash him welfauoredly Wherewith the king abashed partly also afeard starte backe and looking to his Lordes Loe sayth he ye call me such a mighty king yet can I not commaunde backe this litle water to stay at my worde but it is ready to drowne me Wherfore all earthly kings may know that all their powers be but vaine and that none is worthy to haue the name of a king but he alone which hath all things subiect to the power authoritie of his word which is the Lord of heauen earth the creatour aboue of all thinges the father of our Christ and Lorde who with him for euer is to be glorified him let vs worship and extoll for our king for euer After this as histories witnes he neuer suffred the crowne to come vpon his head but went to Winchester or as some say to Canterbury but both those may be true for his going to CaÌ„terbury was to acknowledge that there was a Lorde much higher of more power then he himselfe was and therewithal to render vp his crowne for euer With that Egelnothes Archbyshop of Canterbury informed him of the image of the Crucifix before meÌ„tioned which dissolued the matter betweene maried Priests and life of Monkes and did many other myracles moe being then at Winchester Wherewith the King prouoked to go to Winchester to the roode there resigned vp hys regall Crowne and made the roode king ouer all the land Here is also to be noted in this Canutus that although as is said he coÌ„descended in the beginning of his raigne vpon king Edgares lawes yet after in proces of time hee set forth peculiar lawes of his own Among which diuers there be that concerne as well causes Ecclesiasticall as also temporal Whereby it may appeare that the gouernmeÌ„t of spirituall matters not to depende then of the Bishop of Rome but to appertaine to the lawfull authoritie of the temporall Prince no lesse then of matters and causes temporall As for example by these ordinaunces of the foresayd Canutus may be well considered as here folowe Pecunia sepulturae iustum est vt aperta terra reddatur Si aliquod corpus a sua parochia deferatur in aliam pecunia sepulturae c. In English It is mete and right that in funerals money be geuen for opening the earth If anybody or corse be caried from his owne Parishe into an other the money of the buriall shal pertaine by the law to his owne Parish Church All ordinaunces and ceremonies of God let them be obserued as neede in all things requireth Uppon the Sonday we forbid all publique â—ayres or markets all Synodes or conuenticles huntinges or any such seculare actions to be exercised vnlesse vrgent necessitie compell therunto Let euery ChristeÌ„ man prepare himself thrise a yere to approche to the receauing of the Lords body so to eate the same as not to his iudgemeÌ„t but to his wholsome remedy If a minister of the altare doe kill any man or haue intangled himselfe in any notorious crime let him be depriued both from his order and dignitie If any maried woman her husband being aliue haue committed adultery be proued with the same to her opeÌ„ shame in the world let her haue her nose and eares cut of Let euery widow after the death of her husband so remaine sole xij monethes or if shee marrye let her loose her ioynter And heere an ende of the Danish kyngs Nowe to the English kings againe whose right line coÌ„meth in againe in Edward here following King Edward called the Confessor FOr so much as God of his mercye and prouidence who is onely the maker of heires thought it so good after the wofull captiuitie of this Englishe nation to graunt now some respite of deliuerance in taking away the Danish kings without any issue left behind them who reigning here in EnglaÌ„d kept the english people in miserable subiection about the space of xxviij yeares and that from their firste landing in the time of King Brightricus wasting and vexing this land the terme of cc. â—v yeres Now their tiranny here comming to an ende the next election right of the crowne fell as appertained to Edwarde the yonger sonne of king Egelred and Emma a meere Englishman who had bene now long banished in Normandy as is aboue declared A man of gentle and soft spirite more appliable to other mens couÌ„sailes then able to trust to his owne of nature condition so geuen from al warre and bloudshed that being in his banishment he wished rather so to continue all his life long in that priuate estate then by warre or bloudshed to aspire to any kingdome This Edward after the death of Canutus the seconde or Hardecanute being sent for of the Lordes into NormaÌ„die to take possession of the Realme although he something mistrusted the vnconstant and fickle heads of EnglishmeÌ„ yet hauing sufficient pledges laid for him in Normandie came ouer with a few Normands accompanied and not long after was crowned at Winchester an 1043. by Edsius then Archbishop of Cant. And not long after that he maried Goditha or Editha daughter of Earle Godwyne whome he entreated after such sort that he neither put her from his bed nor yet delt with her fleshly Whether it 〈◊〉 for hate of her kin as most like it was or for loue of chastitie it remaineth vncertaine But most writers agree that he continued his lyfe without offence with women â—or the which he is highly exalted among our story writers and called holy king Edwarde After he had thus taken vpon him the gouernement of the realme he guided the same with much wisedome and iustice the space of 24. yeres lacking two monethes from whome issued as out of a fountaine much godlinesse mercy pitie and liberalitie towarde the poore gentlenes and iustice toward all men and in all honest life he gaue a vertuous example to his people He discharged the Englishmen of the great tribute called Dane gelt which before
last through the operation of Sathan was exalted to the Papacy of Rome vpon this condition that after his death he should geue himselfe to the deuil by whose procuremeÌ„t he came to that promotion UpoÌ„ a certaine time he demanded an answer of the deuill how long he should enioy his Popedome to whom he answered againe vntill thou say Masse in Ierusalem thou shalt liue At length the iiij yeare of his Popedome saying Masse at Lent time in the temple of the holy crosse being called then Ierusalem there he knewe the time was come when hee should die Wherupon being stroke with repentance confessed his fault openly before the people desiring al men to cut his body al in peeces being so seduced by deceits of the deuil so being hewen in peeces they woulde lay it vpon a cart and bury it there where soeuer the horses wold cary it of their accorde And so the saying is to be that by the prouidence of God whereby the wicked may learne yet hope of remission with God so that they will repent them in their life the horses of their own accord staid at the church of Laterane and there he was buried wheras commonly by the ratling of his bones within the tomb is portended the death of Popes as the common reporte goeth Thus much out of Ioannes Stella concerning Siluester By whoÌ„ our sorcerers and inchanters or magicians may learne to beware of the deceitfull operation of Sathan who at the ende deceiueth and frustateth al them that haue to do with him as the ende of all such doth declare commonly which vse the like art or trade The Lorde and God of al mercye through the spirite of Iesus our redemer dissolue the works of Sathan and preserue the hartes of our nobles and of al other Englishmen from such infection Amen After Siluester succeeded Ioannes .xix. by whom was brought in as Volateran sayth the feast of all soules an 1004. through the meanes and instigation of one Odilo Abbot of Cluniake to be celebrate next after the feast of all Saintes This Monke Odilo thinking that Purgatory as he heard should be in the mount Aetna dreamed vpoÌ„ a time in the countrey of Sicile that he by his Masses had deliuered diuers soules from theÌ„ce saying moreouer that he did heare the voyces and lameÌ„tations of deuils crying out for that the soules were taken froÌ„ them by the Masses Dirges funerall Ex Bakenthorpo in prolo 4. Lib. Sentent And not loÌ„g after him came Iohn the xx and Sergius the iiij After whom succeeded Benedictus the viij then Iohn the 21. who being promoted by art magike of Theoyhilact his nephew Gratianus Brazutus and other Sorcerers brought in first the fast of the eueÌ„ of Iohn Baptist and S. LaureÌ„ce After him followed pope Benedictus the 9. likewise aspiring to his Papacy by like magike practising inchauntmentes and coniuration in woodes after horrible maner Who resisting the Emperor Henricus 3. sonne to Conradus and placing in his rowme Petrus the king of Hungarie wyth this verse Petra dedit Romam Petro tibi Papa coronam Afterward for feare of Henricus preuailing in battaile hee was faine to sell his seate to his successoure Gratianus called Gregorius vi for 1500. poundes At which time were 3. Popes together in Rome raigning raging one against an other Benedictus ix Siluester 3. Gregorius vi For the whych cause Henricus surnamed Niger the Emperour comming to Rome displaced these 3. monsters at one time placing for them Clemens 2. and thereupon inacting that there should no bishop of Rome henceforth be chosen but by the consent and confirmation of the Emperour Which constitution though it was both agreable also necessary for publike traÌ„quilitie of that citie yet the Cardinals would not suffer it long to stand but did impugne it afterward by subtile practise and open violence as in processe the Lord permitting shal appeare in the time of Henricus the 4. and 5. In the time of this Clement the Romanes made an othe to the Emperour concerning the election of the Byshops themselues to entermeddle no farther therein but as the assent of the Emperour should goe with all Howbeit the Emperour departing thence into Germanie againe by and by they forgote their othe and within 9. monethes after poysoned the Bishop Which fact some impute to Stephen his successour called Damasus 2. Some impute it to Brazutus who as histories record within 13. yeares poysoned 6. popes that is Clemens 2. Damasus 2. Leo. 9. Uictor 2. Stephanus 9. Nicolaus the 2. Thus Clement being poysoned after him succeeded Damasus 2. neither by consent of the people nor of the emperour elected but by force and inuasion who aâ—so within 23. daies being poisoned An. 1049. much contention and striuing began in Rome about the Papal seat Wherupon the Romans through the counsel of the Cardinals sent to the foresaid Emperor desiring to geue them a bishop and so he did whose name was Bruno an Almain and bishop of Colleâ— afterwarde called Leo 9. This Bruno being a simple man and easie to be led with euil counsel comming from the Emperour towards Rome in his pontificall apparell like a Pope meeteth him by the way the Abbot of Cluniake and Hildebrand a monke Who seing him so in his pontificalibus begaÌ„ to rate him laying to his charge that he would so take his authoritie of the Emperour and not rather of the Clergy of Rome the people thereof as other his predecessors were wont to doe and so counselled him to lay downe that apparel and to enter in with his own habite till he had hys election by them Bruno following their counsel and confessing his fault before the Clergie of Rome obtained their fauor and so was nominate Leo 9. wherby Hildebrand was made a Cardinall put in high rowme Under this Pope Leo were two Councels one kept at Uercellis where the doctrine of Berengarius against the reall substance in the Sacrament was first condemned although Berengarius yet recanted not whych neuerthelesse was done after in the Councel of Lateranâ— vnder Nicolas 2. An. M.lx. The other was kept at Moguntia where amongst many other decrees was enacted priests to be excluded and debarred vtterly from mariage Item that no lay men might geue benefice or bishoprick or any spirituall promotion c. This Leo being at Wormes with the Emperour vpon Christmas day did excommunicate the subdeacon because in reading the Epistle he did it not in the Romane tune he being there present The Archbishop moued therewith departed from the altare being then at Masse saying he woulde not proceede no farther in his seruice vnlesse hys subdeacon were restored Wherupon the Pope commaÌ„ded him to be released so they went forward in their seruice After the death of Leo whom Brazutus poysoned the first yere of his popedome Theophilactus did striue to be Pope but Hildebrand to defeat him went to the emperor partly
vse of the spirituall sword are aboue the persons of them which haue the temporall sworde Besides these letters of the Archbyshoppe sent to the king the Pope also in the same cause wryteth to the king beginning after this sort Alexander Papa ad Henricum regé Et naturali ratione forma iuris dictante prouidentiam tuam credimus edoctam fuisse quòd quanto quis ab aliquo maiora suscepisse dignoscitur tanto ei obnoxior magis obligatus tenetur c. The whole tenour of the letter as 〈◊〉 wrote it to the king I would heere expresse but for treating of the time straightnesse of rowme hauing so many things els in this storie by the grace of Christ to be comprehended But the letter tendeth to this effect to exhort and charge the king to shew fauour to Thomas Becket Where in the processe of the Epistle it followeth in these wordes Ea propter seueritatem tuam per Apostolica scripta rogamus monemus exhortamur in domino nec non in remessionem peccatorum ex parte dei omnipotentis beati Petri principis Apostolorum antoritate nostra iniungimus vt memoratum Archiepiscopum pro deo ecclesia sua honore tuo nec non totius regni tui in gratiam fauorem tuum recipias c. That is therfore we desire you monish and exhort your honor by these our Apostolical wrytings and also enioyne you vpoÌ„ the remission of your sinnes in the behalfe of almighty God and of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles by our authoritie that you will receiue againe the foresayde Archb. into your fauour and grace for the honour of God his Church and of your owne Realme c. Thus you heard the Popes intreating letter nowe here is an other letter sent vnto the foresaid king wherein he doth manace him as in the tenor thereof here followeth Bishop Alexander seruant of the seruants of God to king Henry king of England health and blessing Apostolicall HOw fatherly and gently we haue oft times entreated and exhorted both by Legates and letters your princely honour to be reconciled againe with our reuerend brother Thomas Archb. of Cant. so that he and his may be restored againe to their Churches and otheâ— possessions to them appertaining your wisdome is not ignorant seeing it is notified and spred almost throughout all Christendome For so much therefore as hetherto we coulde not preuaile with you neither moue nor stirre your minde with faire and gentle wordes it lamenteth vs not a little so to be frustrate and deceiued of the hope and expectation which we had conceiued of you Especially seing we loue you so dearely as our owne dearely beloued sonne in the Lorde and vnderstanding so great ieopardie to hang ouer you But forasmuch as it written Cry out and cease not lift vp thy voice like a trumpe and declare to my people their wickednesse and their sinnes to the house of Iacob Also for as much as it is in Salomon commaunded that the sluggish person should be stoned with the dung of Oxen we haue thought good therefore not to forbeare or supporte your stubburnes any longer against iustice and saluation Neither that the mouth of the foresaid Archbishop shoulde be stopped from hencefoorth any more but that he may freely prosecute the charge of his office and duetie to reuenge with the sworde of Ecclesiasticall discipline the iniuries both of himselfe and of his Church committed to his charge And here I haue sent vnto you two Legates Petrus de ponte dei and Bernardus de Corilio to admonish you of the same But if ye wil neither by vs be aduertised nor geue eare to them in obeying it is to be feared doubtles least such things as they shall declare to you from vs in our behalfe may happen fal vpon you Datch at Beneuent the 9. day before the kalends of Iune To aunswer these letters againe there was an other certain wryting drawne out directed to the Pope made by some of the Clergy as it seemeth but not without consent of the king as by the title may appeare inueying and disprouing the misbehauior of the Archbishop The tenor whereof here followeth and beginneth thus An answere to the Pope TIme nowe requireth more to seeke helpe then to make complaints For so it is nowe that the holy mother Churche our sinnes deseruing the same lieth in a dangerous case of great decay which is like to ensue except the present mercy of the Lord support her Such is the wickednes now of schismatikes that the father of fathers Pope Alexander for the defence of his faith and for the loue of righteousnes is banished out of his countrey not able to keepe free residence in his owne proper see by reason of the induratâ— heart of Fredericke the Pharao Farther and besides the Church also of Canterburie is miserably impaired and blemished as well in the spirituall as in the temporall estate much like vnto the ship in the Sea being destitute of their guide to fled in the floudes and wrasteling wiâ—h the windes while the pastor being absent from his prouince dâ—re not there remain through the power of the king Who being ouer wise to the ieoperdie both of himselfe his Churche and vs also hath brought and intangled vs likewise with himselfe in the same partaking of his punishments and labours not considering howe we ought to forbeare and not to resist superior powers And also sheweth himselfe to vs vnkinde which with al our affections bear the burden with him of his afflictions not ceasing yet to persecute vs which stand in the same condemnation with him For betwixt him and our soueraigne prince king of Englande arose a certaine matter of contention wherupon they were both agreed that a day shoulde be appoynted to haue the controuersie discussed by equitie and iustice The day being come the king commaunded all the Archbyshops Bishops and other prelates of the Church to be called in a great and solemne frequencie so that the greater and more generall this councell was the more manifest the detection of this stubburne malice should appeare and be espied At the day therefore aboue mentioned this troubler of the realme and of the Church presenteth himselfe in the sight of our Catholicke king who not trusting the qualitie and condition of his cause armeth him with the armour of the crosse as one which should be brought to the presence of a tyrant By reason whereof the kings maiestie being something agreeued yet because hee would be deliuered from all suspition committeth the matter to the hearing of the Bishops This done it rested in the bishops to decide and cease this contention and to set agreement betweene them remouing all occasion of dissention Which thing they going about commeth in this foresayd Archbishop forbidding and commaunding that no man proceede in any sentence of hym before the king This being signified to the kings hearing his minde was greuously prouoked
Phillip diuers friendly waies of peace to the entent we might better intend our purposed voyage against Christes enemies the Turkes Yet could nothing preuaile with him in obtaining any peaceable way of reformation driuing vs of by crafty dissimulatiō through false pretensed wordes but perfourming nothing with heart and dede Whereuppon wee not neglecting the grace and the gyft of God to defend the right of our inheritāce and to repulse the iniuries of our enemie haue not refused by force of armes cōming downe to Britanie to encounter with him in open fielde And so wee being occupied in our warres there repaired vnto vs the reuerend father bishop of Preuest and of Tusculane Cardinals and Legates from Pope Clement 6. to entreate some reformation of peace betweene vs. At whose request wee consented agreeing to such formes and cōditions of peace as then were taken betwene vs sending moreouer our Embassadours to the court of Rome specially to intreat of the same matter And thus while some hope of truce seemed betwene vs to appeare Newes sodenly came vnto vs which not a little astonied our minde of the death of certaine of our nobles and adherents whom the sayd Phillip vniustly and cruelly at Paris commaunded to be executed Beside the wasting and spoyling our lands and subiects in Britany Gascony and other places with innumerable wrongs and iniuries deceitfully intended against vs both by sea and land By reason wherof the truce on his part being notoriously broken it is most manifest to haue bene lawfull for vs forthwith to haue set vppon him with open warre Yet notwythstanding to auoid those incommodities that come by warre wee thought first to prooue if by any gentle meanes some reformation might be had touching the premisses And therfore sondry times haue sent Embassadours to the Popes presence for the Treatyse of peace and reformation to be had in those aforesaid excesses requiring also for the tractation therof certayne termes of times to be appoynted alwayes reseruing to our selues notwithstanding free liberty to resume warre at our pleasure according as the doinges of the sayd Philip shall constrayne vs therunto And now forasmuch as the foresayd termes be already expired and yet no reasonable offer of peace appeareth neither will the sayd Philip come to any conformity being required and monished notwithstanding by the Popes letters therunto as the Pope by his letters hath written vnto vs but alwayes hath multiplied his conspiracy and obligations vsing extremeties agaynst vs to omit here to speak of the excessiue enormity of the Popes Legate who being sent by the Bishop of Rome for the keeping of truce and whose part had bene rather to haue quenched and stayd the discord hath stirred vp our enemy more egerly agaynst vs. In the which doing neither hath the Bishop of Rome sauing his reuerēce as yet prouided any remedy albeit he hath bene diuers times required of vs so to do Which things being so we ought to be excused both before God and man if for the defect of other remedy to be had we shal be constrayned our selues to finde remedy agaynst such wrongs and iniuries the case of iustice and necessity constrayning vs to geue out these our letters of defiance agaynst the violator of the truce the vniust inuader of our kingdome Protesting that this we do not vpon any displeasure to the Bishop of Rome or to the Apostolicke sea but onely for the moderation of equity standing vpon the defence of our owne right lawfull inheritaunce intēding alwayes rather to haue peace if by any reasonable way it might be had And thus much for the stopping of slaunderous fame and the mouthes of backbiters We thought good to signify first to the high Bishop of Rome c the foresayd Cardinals that by them as persons indifferent and mediators the same may be insinuated to the contrarye part and also vnto your whole vniuersity in general recommending vnto you all the innocency of my cause and the community of iustice Dated at Westminster the 14. of Iune the 19. yeare of our reigne in England and of Fraunce the 6. And thus much for the kinges letter Now let vs agayne returne to his passage from whence a litle we haue degressed Concerning the which passage of the king with the order of his actes atchieued in the same from the winning of Cadane or Cordoyne vnto the towne of Pusiack is sufficiently described by one of the Kinges Chaplaynes and his confessour who being a Dominick Fryer and accompanying the King through all his iourney writeth thereof as followeth Benedicere debemus Deum Coeli c. Great cause we haue to prayse and laud the God of heauen and most worthely to cōfesse his holy name who hath wrought so his mercy to vs. For after the conflict had at Cadame in the which many were slayne and the City taken and sackt euen to the bare walles the Citty of Baia immediately yelded it selfe of his owne accord fearing least theyr coūselles had bene bewrayed After this the Lord our king directed his progresse toward Roane Who being at the towne of Lexon there came certayne Cardinals to him greatly exhorting him to peace Which Cardinals being curteously entertayned of the K. for the reuerence of the Popes sea it was thus answered to them agayne That the king being much desirous of peace had assayd by all wayes and meanes reasonable how to mayntayne the same And therfore hath offered conditions and manifolde wayes of peace to be had to the no small preiudice of his owne cause And yet is ready to admit any reasonable offer of peace if by any meanes it may be fought c. With this answere the Cardinalles going to the french king the kinges aduersary to perswade with him in like maner returned to King Edward agayne offering to hym in the French Kynges name the Dukedome of Aquitania in as full assurance as his father before him euer had it besides further hope also of obteining more if intreatye of peace might be obteined But for so much that cōtēted not enough the kings mind neither did the Cardinals finde the frēch king so tractable and propense to the studye of peace as they looked for the Cardinals returned leauing the matter as they founde it And so the king speeding forward by the way as his iourney did lye he subdued the country and the great townes without any resistāce of the inhabitans who did all flye and run away Such feare God stroke into them that it seemed they had lost their hartes In the same voiage as the king had gotten many townes and villages so also he subdued Castles and Munitiōs very strong and that with little stresse His enemy being at the same time at Roane had reared a great army who notwitstanding being well manned yet euer kept on the other side of the riuer Seane breaking downe all the bridges that we shoulde not come ouer to him And although the countrey roūd about
body are lacke of meat that is to say hunger and lacke of drinke called thirst and briefly all misery is the want of something which is desired Also these are bodely miseries nakednes lacke of harbour sicknesse and imprisonment All the miseries therfore being nombred together are but one of the soule the which is folly and lacke of wisdom and 6. of the body the which the Lord in the 25. of Mathew doth plainly reherse There are also commonly appoynted 7. bodely almes that is to say to feede the hungry to geue drinke vnto the thirsty To clothe the naked to harber the stranger or haberles to visit the sick to bury the dead the which altogether are cōteyned in these verses Visito poto cibo redimo tego colligo condo The which verse is thus Englished word for word Visite the sicke the hungry feede Geue drinke to the thirsty cloth the naked Bury the dead the captiue redeme The harbourles receiue to thy lodging There be also 7. other spirituall almes appoynted whych are these to teache the ignoraunt to councell him that is in dout To comfort him which is in heauinesse To correct the offender To forgeue him which hath offended against thee To beare those which are greeuous And to pray for all men the which are also conteined in these verses following Consule castiga solare remitte fer ora The which verse is thus Englished word for word Instruct the ignorant the weake confirme Comfort the heauy hart and correct sinner Forgeue the offender beare with the rude Pray for all men both euel and good So that notwithstanding vnder the same counselles and doctrine be comprehended Thus writeth Thomas in the 2. part of the 2. quest 32 article 2. Secondly it is to be noted that in this present article our intent is only to intreat of bodely almes the which as Thomas writeth in his 2. part 2. questi 32. Arti. 1. according vnto some mens mindes is this defined Almes is a worke whereby any thing is giuen vnto the needy of compasiō for Gods sake And for so much as this definition serueth as well for the spirituall as for the corporall almes Therefore to the purpose almes is a worke whereby any thing is giuen vnto the needy in body for compassion for Gods sake Or that is giuen of compassion or pitie vnto the bodely needy for Gods sake Whereupon it is manifest that almes as S. Augustin other holy men say is a worke of mercy as also to geue almes As it appeareth by the name for in the Greeke it is deriued frō this word Misericordia which is mercy for as in the Latine this word Miseratio which signifieth pitie is deriued of Misericordia which is mercy so this word Eleemosyna which signifieth almes is deryued of the Greeke word Elemonia which is to say mercy and of the word Sina which is to say commandement as it were a commaundement of mercy or otherwise of this word Elemonia By this letter I which is to say God and this worde Sina which is commaundement As if it were said the commaundement of God as Ianuensis in his booke intituled Catholicō affirmeth For our Sauiour doth commaunde in the xj of Luke to geue almes saying geue almes and behold all thinges are cleane vnto you least that in this point there may be any equiuocation it is supposed presently that the almes giuē of mē is a corporal almes giuen simply vnder the name of almes Secondly it is to be noted that Tythes in this effect are the tenth part of goods of fortune giuen by a man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake These things being thus noted and supposed the article is thus proued Euery gift of fortune or temporal gift simply giuē vnder the name of almes is almes But some tiths are the gift of fortune or temporall gift vnder the name of almes Therfore some tithes are almes This consequent is manifest of his selfe The Maior appeareth by the first supposition And the Minor by the seconde Item euery gift geuen by a man euen of loue to relieue and helpe the miserable out of his misery is an almes The 10. part of the goodes of fortune geuen by a man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake is geuen by the same man euen of loue to helpe the miserable out of his misery Therefore the 10. part of the goods of fortune being geuē by any man simply vnder the name of almes for Gods sake is almes The consequent is manifest The Maior appeareth by this that euery such gift is either a spirituall or bodely almes The Minor seemeth hereby true for so much as many holy men haue geuen and do geue euen for loue to relieue the miserable out of his miserie Neither is it to be doubted but that such kinde of tithes are almes For S. Augustine vppon these words of the Lord in the Gospell wryteth thus Woe be vnto you Pharisies which do tithe minte and anise If they cannot be clēsed without they beleeue in him he which doth clense his heart thorow faith to what purpose is it that hee sayth geue almes and beholde all things are cleane vnto you Let vs geue care and peraduenture he doth expound it himselfe They did take out the 10. part of all their fruites and gaue it for almes the which any Christian mā doth not willingly Then they mocked him whē he spake these words to them as vnto men which wold do no almes Thys the Lord forknowing said Wo be vnto you Pharises which tithe mint and rue and al kind of herbs And passe ouer the iudgement charity of God for this it is to do almes if thou dost vnderstād it begin with thy selfe For howe canst thou be mercifull vnto an other which art vnmercifull vnto thy selfe This wryteth S. Augustine in plainly saying that tithes are almes Also in his Enchiridion 76. chap. vpon these wordes of Luke in the 11 chapter Notwithstanding that which is more then sufficient geue in almes and all things shall be cleane vnto you hee sayth thus when he had rebuked them that they washed thēselues outwardly and inwardly were full of iniquity abhomination admonishing them what and howe a man ought first to bestowe almes vpon him self and first to clense him self inwardly he sayth That which doth remaine geue in almes beholde all things are clean vnto you Afterward that he might the better declare what he had geuen them warning of what they neglected to do that they shuld not iudge him ignorant of their almes he sayth Wo be vnto you Pharisies as though hee shoulde say I verely gaue you warning that you shuld geue such almes wherby al things might be cleane vnto you but wo be vnto you which do tith mint rue and all kinde of herbes for I do know these your almes that you shuld not thinke with your selues that you had geuē me warning therof and neglect
not knoweth not God for God is loue In thys thing hath the loue of God apeared in vs that God hath sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we shuld liue by him Herein is loue not that we haue loued God but that he hath first loued vs and hath sent hys sonne an attonement for oure sinnes Most dearly beloued if God haue loued us we so ought to loue together No mā hath sene God at any time if we loue together God abideth in vs hys loue is perfect in vs. And againe let vs loue God for he hath first loued vs. If a man shall say I loue God do hate hys brother he is a lyar For he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth how cā he loue God whom he seeth not And this commaundement haue we of God that who so loueth God should loue his brother also Paule the Apostle in his epistle to the Rom. 13. chapter O we ye nothing to no body sauing that ye should loue together for he that loueth hys brother hath fulfilled the lawe For thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not murther thou shalt not steal thou shalt not beare fall witnes thou shalt not couet thy neighbors good and if there be any other commaundement it is plētifully fulfilled in this word thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Wherfore the fulfilling of the law is loue Paule to the Corinthes 5. sayeth If I shoulde speake with the tonges of men and angels and yet haue not charitie I am become as it were a peece of sounding mettal or rinkling cimball And if I shall haue all prophecie know all misteries and all knowledge and shall haue all faith so that I might remooue mountaines and yet shall not haue charitie I am nothing And if I shall geue abroade all my goodes to feede the poore and shall geue vp my body to be burned and yet haue not charitie it profites mee nothing To the Galathians 5. sayeth Paule For you my brethren are called into liberty doe ye not geue your liberty for an occasion of the flesh but by charity of the spirit serue ye one an other For all the law is fulfilled in one saying thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thine owne self To the Eph. 4. chap. he saith I therfore that suffer bonds in the Lord do beseech you that you would walke worthy of the calling where with ye are called with all humblenes and mildnes with patience forbearing one another in loue being carefull to kepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace that you be one body and one spirite euen as you be called in one hope of your calling And againe in the 5. chap. Be ye followers of me as most deare children and walke ye in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath deliuered vp hymselfe for vs an offring and sacrifice to God of a sweete fauour To the Phil. thus hee speaketh in the 1. chap. Onely let your conuersation be worthy of the Gospell of Christ that eyther when I shall come and see you or els in mine absence I may heare of you that you stand stedfast in one spirit laboring together with one accorde for the faith of the Gospell And in nothing be ye afraide of the aduersaries whych is to them a cause of damnation but to you of saluation and that of God For to you it is geuen not onely that you should beleue in him but also that you shuld suffer wyth him you hauing the lyke fight and battaile that both you haue seene in me and also now do heare of me If therefore there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of charitie if any felowship of the spirite if any bowels of compassion fulfill you my ioy that you may be of one iudgement hauing one and the self same charitie being of one accord of one maner of iudgement doing nothing of contention nor of vaine glory but in humblenes accompting other amongst you euery one better then your selues not euery body looking vppon the things that be hys owne but those that belong vnto others And to the Coloss. 3. chapter thus he writeth You therefore as the electe of God holy and beloued put vpon you the bowels of mercy gentlenesse humblenesse lowlinesse modestie pacience bearing one wyth an other geuing place to your selues if any haue a quarel against any body euen as the Lord forgaue you so do you also Aboue all things haue ye charitie which is the bonde of perfection and let the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts in whych peace you also are called in one body And be yee kinde thankefull And to the Thessalonians thus Paule writeth in the 4. chapter As concerning brotherly charity we haue no neede to wryte vnto you for you yourselues haue learned of God that you shoulde loue one an other And the same thing ye do towards all the brethren throughout all Macedonia Out of all these many other places of the holy scripture it sufficiently appeareth that the law of Christ is charitie neither is there any vertues commaunded of Christ or any of hys Apostles to be obserued of the faithfull people but that it commeth out of charitie or els doeth nourish charitie The lawe is geuen by Moses and the truth by Christ. Christ came not to vnlose the lawe and the Prophetes but to fulfill them But yet many things were lawful might haue bene obserued in the time of the law whych in y◠tyme of grace must not be obserued And many things wer vnlawful to them that were vnder the law which in the time of grace are lawful inough After what sort then he did not loose the lawe but did fulfill it it is necessary to declare for those thyngs which hereafter must be sayd For amongest Christians many things are iudged to be lawfull because in the former testament in the law they were lawfull and yet they be expresly contrary to Christes Gospell But the authors of such thinges doe argue and reason thus Christ came not to loose the law of the prophets Now after what sort he did not vnlose them it is manifest by the holy scripture that the law geuen by Moses was written in tables of stone to declare the hardnes of y◠peoples hart towards the loue of God or of Christ. But Christ hath wrytten his law in the harts and in the minds of his that is to say the law of perfect loue of God of Christ. Which law whosoeuer obserueth he doth obserue the law of Moyses doth much greater works of perfection then were the works of y◠law Thus therefore were the morals of the old law fulfilled in the law of the charitie of Christ and not vnloosed because they are much more perfectly obserued then of the Iewes This I say if the Christians doe obserue the commandements of Christ in such sorte as he commanded the same to be
First for that they should the rather dreade God and leaue their sinne As it is writ their sickenes hath bene multiplied and after they haue hyed to Godward For we see oft men in sicknes know their God that neuer would haue turned to him whyle they had beene whole Also God sendeth them sicknes oft to agast other men lest they follow their sin As the sickenes of kyng Antioche whome God smote with such a sickenes that wormes fell out of hys body whyle he lyued in so farforth that he stanke so foule that his frends were so wearye of it that they might not suffer it And at the last when he himselfe might not suffer his owne stinch then he began to know himselfe and sayd It is rightfull to be subiect to God and a deadly man not to hold himselfe onely euen with God and the story saith he asked mercie of God and made a vowe to God that he would make the Citie of Ierusalem free and the Iewes to make them as free as the men of Athens and that hee would honour Gods temple wyth pretious ary and multiply the holy vessels and finde of his owne rent and spenses perteining to the sacrifice And he would become a Iew and go ouer all the lond to preach Goddes might And yet God gafe him not such mercy as he desired And I trow certein that it was for good In as much as God knew he would not afterward hold his couenaunt or els for he axket it too late What mede was it for him to forsake his wickednes whan hee was vnmightie to doo good or euill Neuertheles I trow he was not dampned in as much as he had such repentaunce for repentaunce in this life come neuer too late if it be trew But by thys vengeaunce that God tooke on thys king should men see what it is to be vnobedient to God And also it is to take heede that whan euer sickenes commeth euer it sheweth that hee that suffreth this deadly shall nedes dye For though he may skape of his sicknes yet hee may not skape death And so thou must needs come giue rekening of thy bayly The second somnour that shall clepe thee to this particuler doome is elde or age And the condition of him is this though that he tarie with thee he will not leue thee till he bring thee to the thirde that is death But there be many that though they haue this somnour with them they take none hede though they see ther he are hore her back crook her breth stynke her teeth fayle her yen derk her visage riuely her crene wexit heuy to her What meneth all this but that age sunneth to the dome But what more madhead may be than a man to be cleped and drawe to so dreadfull a reckenyng there where but he aunswere well he forfeteth both body and soule to damnation for euer If seing a litle wordly merth on the way he thinketh so mekill theron that he forgetteth who draweth him or whether he draweth So doth he that is smiten with age and liketh so on the false world is wealth that he forgetteth whether he is away Herefore sayth an holy Doctour that among all abusions of the world most is of an old man that is obstinate for he thinketh not on his out going of this world ne of passing into the lyfe that is to come he heareth messengers of death and he leueth hem not and the cause is this for the threfold cord that such an old maÌ„ is bounden with is hard to breke This cord is custome that is of three plightes that is of idel thought vnhonest speach and wicked deede the whiche if they groweth in a man from the childhood into mans age they maketh a treble cord to bynde the old man on custome of sinne Herefore sayth Esay breake the bondes of sinne Thinke herefore whosoeuer that thou be that art thus sumned that thou might not scape that thou ne shalt yeld the rekenyng of thy baily The third somner to this reckenyng is death And the condition of him is that whan euer he come first other the secoÌ„d other the last houre he ne spareth neither power ne yougth ne he dreadeth no thretning ne he ne taketh hede of no prayer ne of no gift ne he graunteth no respit but withouten delay he bringeth forth to the dome Herefore seyth Sainct Austen Well ought euerie man drede the day of his death For in what state a mans last day findeth hym whan he dyeth out of this worlde in the same state he bringeth hym to hys dome Herfore seyth the wise man Sonne thinke on thy last day and thou shalt neuer sinne Therfore I rede that thou thinke that thou shalt geue reconing of thy bayly I sayd also that there shall be another doome to the which all men shall come together and this shall be vniuersall And right as to the other dome euery man shall be cleped with these three sumnours so to this dome all this world shall be cleped with three generall clepers And right as the other three messengers tell a mans end so these tell the end of the world The first cleper is the worldly sicknes the second cleper is feblenes and the third is the ende The sicknes of the world thou shalt know by charitie a cooling His elde and febles thou shalt knowe by tokens fulfilling and hys end thou shalt know by Antichristes pursuing First I sayd thou shalt knowe the worldes sicknes by charitie a cooling Clerkes that treate of kynde sayne that a bodie is sicke when his bodely heate is to lite or when his vnkindely heate is too muche Sythe then all mankynde is one bodye whose kindly heate is charity that is loue to God and to our neighbors vnkindly heate is lustfull loue to other creatures When therefore thou seest that the loue of men to Godwaâ—de and to their neigbour is litle and faynt and the loue of worldlye thynges and lustes of the flesh is great and feruent then wit thou well that vnkindly heate is too great and kindly heate is too little That this be acknowlich of this sicknes I may proue by autoritie of Christ. For he himselfe gaue them as a signe of the drawing to the ende of the world For that wickednes shall be in plente charitie shall acoole Therfore whan thou seest charitie this little in the worlde and wickednes encrease know well that this world passeth and hys welth and that this somner is come And thus seyth Seint Poule Wit ye well that in the laste dayes shall come perilous times and there shall be men louing them selfe that is to say their bodyes couetous by pride vnobedient to father and mother vnkynd fellons withouten affection withouten peace blamers incontinent vnmylde withonten benignitie traytours rebels swelling louers of lustes more then of God hauing a lykenes of pietie and denying the vertue thereof And these flee thou If thou seest
of sinnes the vprising of the flesh and euerlasting life Amen And for a more large declaration sayth he of thys my sayth in the Catholicke Churche I stedfastly beleue that there is but one God almighty in and of whose Godhead are these three persons the father the sonne and the holye Ghost and that those three persons are the selfe same God almighty I beleue also that the second person of this most blessed Trinitie in most conuenient tune appoynted therunto afore tooke flesh and bloud of the most blessed virgin Mary for the sauegarde and redemption of the vniuersall kind of man which was afore lost in Adams offence Moreouer I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ our Lord thus being both God and man is the onely head of the whole Christian Churche and that all those that hathe bene or shal be saued be members of this most holy church And this holy Churche I thinke to be deuided into three sortes or companyes Wherof the first sort be now in heauen and they are the sayntes from hence departed These as they were here coÌ„uersant conformed alwayes their liues to the most holye lawes and pure examples of Christ renouncing Sathan the world and the flesh with all their concupiscences and euils The second sort are in Purgatory if any suche place be in the scriptures abiding the mercy of God and a full deliueraunce of payne The third sort are here vpon the earth and be called the Church millitant For day and night they contend against crafty assaultes of the deuill the flattering prosperities of this world and the rebellious filthines of the flesh This latter congregation by the iust ordinance of God is also seuered into three diuers estates that is to say into priesthood knighthood and the commons Among whom the will of God is that the one should ayd the other but not destroy the other The priestes first of al secluded from all worldlines should conforme theyr liues vtterly to the examples of Christ and his Apostles Euermore shoulde they be occupyed in preaching and teaching the scriptures purely and in geuing wholesome examples of good liuing to the other two degrees of men More modest also more louing gentle and lowly in spirite should they be then ano other sortes of people In knighthood are all they which beare sword by law of office These should defend Gods lawes and see that the Gospell were purely taught conforming theyr liues to that same and secluding all false preachers yea these ought rather to hazard their liues theÌ„ to suffer such wicked decrees as either blemisheth the eternall Testament of God or yet letteth the free passage therof whereby heresies schismes might spring in the Churche For of none other arise they as I suppose then of erroneous constitutioÌ„s craftely first creeping in vnder hipocriticall lies for aduauntage They ought also to preserue Gods people from oppressours tyrauntes and theeues to see the clergie supported so long as they teach purely pray rightly and minister the Sacramentes freely And if they see them doe otherwise they are bound by the law of office to compell them to chaung their doinges to see all thinges performed according to gods prescript ordinaunce The latter fellowship of this Church are the common people whose duery is to beare their good mindes true obedience to the aforesayd ministers of God theyr kinges ciuill gouernours and Priestes The right office of these is iustly to occupy euery man his facultie be it marchaundise handicraft or the tilthe of the ground And so one of them to be as an helper to an other following alwayes in their sortes the iust commaundementes of the Lord God Ouer and besidés all this I most faythfully beleeue the the Sacramentes of Christes Churche are necessary to all Christen beleuers this alwayes seen to that they be truly ministred according to Christes first institution and ordinaunce And forasmuch as I am maliciously most falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the sacrament of the aulter to the hurtfull slaunder of many I signifie here vnto all men that this is my fayth concerning that I beleue in that Sacrament to be contayned very Christes body and bloud vnder the similitudes of bread and wyne yea the same body that was conceiued of the holy ghost borne of that virgine Mary done on the crosse dyed that was buryed arose the thyrd day from the death and is now glorified in heauen I also beleue the vniuersall law of God to be most true and perfect and they which doe not so follow it in theyr fayth and works at one time or an other can neuer be saned Where as he that seketh it in fayth accepteth it learneth it delighteth therin and performeth it in loue shall cast for it the felicitie of euerlasting Innocencie Finally this is my fayth also that God will aske no more of a Christen beleuer in this life but onely to obey that preceptes of that most blessed law If any Prelates of the Church require more or els any other kinde of obedience then this to be vsed he contemneth Christ exalting hymselfe aboue God and so becommeth an open Antichrist Al the premisses I beleue particularly and generally all that God hath left in his holy scripture that I should beleeue Instantly desiring you my siege Lord and most worthye king that this confession of mine may be iustly examined by the most godly wise and learned men of your Realme And if it be found in all pointes agreeing to the veritie theÌ„ let it be so allowed and I therupon holden for none other then a true Christian. If it be proued otherwise then let it be vtterly coÌ„demned prouided alwayes that I be taught a better beliefe by the word of God and I shall most reuerently at all times obey therunto This briefe confession of this fayth the Lorde Cobham wrote as is mentioned afore and so tooke it with him to the court offering it withall meekenes vnto the kyng to read it ouer The king would in no case receaue it but coÌ„manded it to be deliuered vnto theÌ„ that should be his iudges Then desired he in the kinges presence that an hundred knightes and Esquiers might be suffered to come in vpon hys purgation which he knew woulde cleare hym of all heresies Moreouer he offered himselâ—e after the lawe of armes to fight for life or death in any man liuing Christen or heathen in the quarrell of hys fayth the king and the Lordes of hys Councell excepted Finally with all geÌ„tlenes he protested before all that were present that he wold refuse no maner of correction that shold after the lawes of God he ministred vnto him but that he would at al times with all meekenes obey it Notwithstanding all this the king suffered him to be sommoned personally in his owne priuy chamber Then sayd the Lord Cobham to the king that he had appeled from the
saying to him Thou art Peter vpon this rocke I will build my church c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth feede my sheepe Ioan. vlt. That is to say be thou Peter the head ouer thy brethren Tedious it were to recite all the bibblebabble of these doctors in this their long responsall Who so lisâ—eth to see the bottome of their profounde writing knowledge may resort either to the history of Siluius or els to M. Cochleus in his first booke De hist Hussit Thus then M. Iohn Hus being driuen out of Prage as is afore touched by the motion of these Doctours and moreouer being so excoÌ„municate that no Masse nor other must be sayd there where he was present The people begaÌ„ mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates other popish priests which were the workers therof accusing theÌ„ to be Simoniacks couetous whoremaisters adulterers proud sparing not to lay opeÌ„ their vices to their great ignominy and shame And much crauing a reformation to be had of the clergy The king seing the inclination of the people being also not ignorant of the wickednes of the clergy vnder pretence to reforme the church began to require greater exactions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy as were knowne and accused to be wicked liuers Whereupon they on the other part that fauored Iohn Hus taking that occasion present complayned of all accused many and spared none Whomsoeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke faction or enemies to Iohn Hus. By reason wherof the priests of the popish Clergy were brought such as were faultye into great distresse and such as were not faulty into great feare In so much that they were glad to fall in at least not to fall out with the Protestantes being afrayd to displease them By this meanes maister Hus beganne to take some more liberty vnto him to preach in his church at Bethleem none to controll him by the same meanes the people also receiued some comfort and the king much gayne mony by the reason And thus the popish Clergy while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus were in wrapped theÌ„selues in great tribulation and afflicted on euery side as wel of lay meÌ„ as of learned men of the clergy In so much that womeÌ„ also children were agaynst theÌ„ And by that same reasoÌ„ wherwith they thought to entangle him they were ouerthrown theÌ„selues For the Doctors which before condemned this doctrine in Iohn Hus for an intollerable heresye cried out so much agaynst him for teaching the teÌ„porall Lords might take away teÌ„porall liuings froÌ„ the clergy sinning habitualiter that is lying and continuing still in the custome of iniquity now when the king and the Lords temporall began to mearse them and berieue them of their teÌ„poralties for their transgressions the sayd Doctors did keepe silence durst speake neuer a word Agayne where the foresayd doctors before could not abide in Iohn Hus that tithes wer to be couÌ„ted for pure almes now comming to the Guildhal were faine to entreat for theyr temporall goodes not to be taken from them pleading the same temporalties to be mere almose and deuotion of good men geuen vnto the church Ex Cochleo And thus now did they themselues graunt the thing which before they did condemne The more that the popes clergy was pinched the more grudge hatred redounded to Iohn Hus although he was in no cause therof but onely their owne wicked deseruinges for the which cause Stephen Paletz and Andraeas de Broda being the chiefe champions of that faction though they could not remedy the case yet to ease theyr mindes wrote sharpe and cruell letters to Maister Hus. And to helpe the matter forward the Pope also here must helpe at a pinche who likewise writeth hys letters to Wenceslaus king of Bohemia which was brother to Sigismund Emperor for the suppressing of Iohn Hus of his doctrine Which was in the fifth and last yere of his Popedome an 1414. The tenour of whose letters to king Wenceslaus in this wise proceedeth ¶ The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus IOhn Bishoppe seruaunt of Gods seruanntes to his welbeloued sonne in Christ Wenceslaus King of Romaines and of Boheme greeting and apostolicall benediction Among other desires and delightes of our hart who although vnworthy to represent the roome of Christ here in earth this doth chiefly redounde to our singular comfort fo often as we do heare of the brotherly entreaty of peace and of concord by which concord kingdoms do encrease as contrary by discorde they are deminished which is betweene your honour and our welbeloued in the Lord Sigismund your brother germane cosin for the noble king of the Romans c. And furthermore it foloweth in these words And as we haue cause to ioy at the premisses so likewise agayne the heauy rumors which are here do trouble and dampe our mindes For we heare that in diuers places vnder your dominioÌ„ there be certain which do folow and leane to the errors of that archhereticke Wickliffe whose bookes haue bene long since condemned in the generall Romain councell to bee erroneous hereticall and swaruing from the catholicke fayth And furthermore whiche is worst of all the sayd persons cleauing to the opinions of the heretickes least they should be corrected of their superior powers for their exces to couer theyr naughtines and stubbernesse in despising the commaundements of the Apostolicall seat do openly teach disobedience and contempt of the keies and ecclesiasticall censure to the subuersion of the Apostolicall dignity setting at nought the decrees of the holy fathers canons Wherefore we do exhort your The description of the Popes councell holden at Rome in which appeared a monstrous Owle to the vtter defacing of the Pope and all his Clergy worship for the mercy of our God as hartely as we may or caÌ„ that it would please you as we desire hope you will so effectuously to shew forth your regall power both for the glory of God defence of the catholicke fayth which you go about to defend and for the conseruation of your kingly name state and honor for the prosperous safe gouernement of your kingdome and dominions as it becommeth a catholicke prince whereby this blot of heresye which doth so lamentably and miserablye spring and creepe in those partes and doth so infect the mindes of mortall men to the destruction of their soules and doth sequester them from the congregation of the pure and catholick fayth and truth may be rooted out c. Geuen at Bononia in the Ides of Iune in the v. yeare of our popedome c. In this epistle of Pope Iohn aboue prefixed forsomuch as mention is made of a certaine councell before holden at Rome which was 4. yeares before agaynst the articles books of Iohn Wickliffe it shall not be impertineÌ„t nor out of purpose to repeat a certayn mery history worthy otherwise to
Christ. FOrsomuch as euery man both by the law of nature and also by Gods law is commaunded to doe that vnto an other man which he woulde haue done vnto himselfe and is forbidden to do that thing vnto an other which he would not haue done vnto himselfe as our Sauiour sayth all things whatsoeuer you wyll that men should do vnto you the same doe you vnto thē for this is the law and the Prophetes yea the lawe is fulfilled in this one poynt thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self We therfore God being our author hauing respect as much as in vs lieth vnto the said law of God the loue of our neighbor before did send our letters vnto Constaunce for our dearelye beloued frende of good memorye Mayster Iohn Husse Bacheler of Diuinitye and Preacher of the Gospell Whome of late in the Councell of Constaunce wee knowe not with what spirite beeing ledde you haue condemned as an obstinate hereticke neither hauing confessed any thing neither being lawfully conuict as were expediét hauing no errours or heresies declared or layde agaynst him but onely at the sinister false and importune accusations suggestiōs and instigations of his mortall enemies and the traytours of our kingdome and Marquesdome of Morauia And being thus vnmercifully condemned you haue slayne him with most shamefull and cruell death to the perpetuall shame and infamy of our most christian kingdome of Boheme and the famous Marquesdome of Morauia as we haue written vnto Constance vnto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary the Heyre and Successor of our kingdom the which was also read and published in your congregations whiche wee will here also haue enrolled and haue burned him as it is reported in the reproch and contempt of vs. Wherfore we haue thought good euen now to direct our letters patentes to your reuerences nowe present in the behalfe of Maister Iohn Hus openly professing and protesting both wyth hart and mouth that he the sayd Mayster Iohn Hus was a iust good and Catholicke man and a long season worthely commended and allowed in our kingdome for his life and conuersation He also preached and taught vs and our subiectes the law of the Gospell and of the holy Prophets and the bookes of the olde and new Testament according to the exposition of the holy Doctors approued by the church left many Monumēts in writing most constantly detesting and abhorring all errors and and heresy continually admonishing both vs and all faithfull christians to do the like diligently exhorting all men as muche as in him lay by hys words writings and trauel vnto quietnesse and concord so that vsing all the diligence that we might we neuer heard or coulde vnderstand that Mayster Iohn Hus had preached taught or by any meanes affirmed any error or heresy in his Sermons or that by any maner of meanes he had offended vs or our subiectes either by word of deed but that he alwayes led a quiet and a godly life in Christ exhorting all men diligently both by his word and workes as much as he might to obserue and keepe the law of the Gospel and the institutiōs of the holy fathers after the preaching of our holy mother the church to the edifying of mens soules Neither did these premisses which you had so perpetrated to the reproch both of vs and our kingdom and Marquesdom suffice content you but that also without all mercy and piety you haue apprehended imprisoned and condemned and euen now peraduenture like as you did Mayster Iohn Hus you haue most cruelly murdered the worshipfull man Mayster Ierome of Prage a man abounding in eloquence Mayster of the seuen liberall artes and a famous Philosopher not being seene heard examined neither conuict but onely at the sinister and false accusation of hys and our accusers and betrayers Furthermore it is come to our knowledge and vnderstanding which we do not without great griefe rehearse as we may also euidently gather by your writings how that certayne detractors odible both to God and men priuy enuyers and betrayers haue wickedly and greuously albeit falsly and trayterously accused vs our kingdome and Marquesdome aforsayde before you in your councell that in the sayde kingdome of Boheme and Marquescome of Morauia diuers errors are sprong vp which haue greuously and manifoldely infected both our hartes and also the hartes of many faythfull men in so much that without a speedy stop or stay of correction the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome together with the faythfull Christians therein should incurre an irrecuperable losse and ruine of theyr soules These cruell and pernitious iniuries which are layd vnto vs and to our sayd kingdome and Marquesdome albeit most falsly slaunderously howe may we suffer for so muche as through the grace of God when in a maner all other kingdomes of the world haue oftentimes wauered making Schismes and Antipapes our most Christian kingdome of Boheme and most noble Marquesdome of Morauia since the time they did receiue the Catholicke fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ as a most perfecte quadrant haue alwayes without reproofe stucke vnto the Church of Rome and haue sincerely done theyr true obedience Also with how greate costes and charges and great trauell with what worship and due reuerence they haue reuerenced the holy mother the church and her pastors by theyr princes and faythfully subiects it is more manifest then the day light vnto the whole world and your selues if you will confesse the truth can witnes the same also Wherfore that we according to the mind of the Apostle may procure honest and good thinges not onely before God but before men also and least by neglecting the famous renowne of the kingdom and Marquesdom we be foūd cruel towards our neighbours hauing a stedfast hope a pure and sincere conscience and intent and a certayne true fayth in Christ Iesu our Lord by the tenour of these we signify and declare vnto your fatherhoods to all faythfull Christians openly professing both with hart and mouth that whatsoeuer man of what estate preheminence dignity condition degree or religion so euer he be which hath sayd or affirmed eyther doth say or affirme that in the sayd kingdome of Boheme and Marquesdome of Morauia heresyes haue sprong vp which haue infected vs and other faythfull Christians as is aforesayd the onely person of our most noble prince and Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary c. our Lord and heire successor being set apart whom we trust and beleue not to be guilty in the premisses all and euery such man as is aforesaid doth lye fasly vpon his head as a wicked and naughty traytour betrayer of the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome and most traiterous vnto vs most pernitious hereticke the sonne of all malice and wickednesse yea and of the deuill himselfe who is a lyar and the father of all lyes Notwithstanding we for
false crueltie And therefore the foresaide Synode to the glory of almighty God and preseruation of his catholicke faith and augmenting of Christian religion and for the saluation of mens soules hath corporally reiected and cast forth of the houshold of God the foresaid I. Wicklieffe I. Hus and Ierome who amongst other things did beleeue preach teach and maintaine of the Sacrament of the aultar and other sacrameÌ„ts of the church articles of the faith coÌ„trary to that the holy Church of Rome beleueth holdeth preacheth and teacheth haue presumed obstinately to preach teach hold and beleue many other moe to the damnation of themselues and of others and the sayde Synode hath separated the same as obstinate and malipert heretickes from the Communion of the faithfull people and haue declared them to be spiritually throwne forth and many other things both wholesome profitable hath the same Councell as touching the premisses stablished and decreed whereby they which by the meanes of those Arch-heretikes and by their false doctrine haue spiritually departed from the Lords house may by the canonicall rules be reduced to the straight path of truth and veritie And moreouer as we to our great griefe do heare not only in the kingdome of Bohemia and Dukedome of Morauia and other places aboue recited but also in certaine parts and prouinces neere adioining and bordering vpon the same there be many other of the secretaries and followers of the foresayd Archheritickes and hereticall opinions casting behind their backes as well the feare of God as the shame of the world neither receiuing fruit of conuersion repentaunce by the miserable destruction of the foresayde Iohn Hus and Hierome but as men drowned in the dungeon of their sinnes cease not to blaspheme the Lord God taking his name in vayne whose minds the father of lies hath damnably blinded and do read and study the foresaid bookes or workes contayning heresies erroures being lately by the foresayd Synode condeÌ„ned to be burned also to the perill of themselues and many other simple men against the statutes decrees and ordinaunces in the Synode aforesayd and the Canonicall sanctions do presume to preach teach the same to the great perill of soules the derogation of the Catholicke fayth and sclaunder of many other besides We therfore considering that errour when it is not relisted seemeth to be allowed and liked and hauing a desire to resist such euill and pernicious errours and vtterly roote them out from amongst the companie of faythfull christians especially froÌ„ the afore recited places of Bohemia Morauia and other straights and Ilands ioyning and bordering vpon the same least they shold stretch out enlarge their â—â—â—ites we will and commaund your discretions by our letters Apostolicall the holy Councell of CoÌ„stance approuing and allowing the same that you that are Archbishops Bishops and other of the clergy and euery one of you by himself or by an other or others being graue and fit persons to haue spirituall iurisdiction do see that al and singuler persons of what dignitie office preeminence state or conditioÌ„ so euer they be and by what name soeuer they are knowne which shall presume otherwise to teache preach or obserue touching the most high and excelent the most wholesome and superadmirable Sacrament of the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christe or els of the Sacrament of Baptisme confession of sinnes penaunce for sins and extreme vnction or els of any other Sacramentes of the Church articles of the faith then that which the right holy vniuersall church of Rome doth hold teach preach obserue or els that shall presume obstinately by any wayes or meanes priuily or apertly to hold beleue and teach the Articles bookes or doctrine of the foresayd Archhereticks Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Hus Hieronimus of Prage being by the foresayd Synode of Constaunce with theyr authours as is sayd damned and condemned or dare presume publikly or priuily to allow or commend in any wise the death and end of the said archheretiks or of any other their receiuers ayders and fauourers in the fauour or supportation of the foresayd errors as also their beleuers and adherentes that then as before you see and cause them and euery of them to be most seuerly punished that you iudge and geue sentence vpon them as hereticks and that as arrant hereticks you leaue them to the secular court or power Let the receiuers also and fauourers and defenders of such most pestiferous persons notwtstanding they neyther beleue fauour nor haue deuotion towardes their errors but happely shal receaue or entertain such pestiferous persons because of carnall affection or friendly loue besides the punishmene due vnto theÌ„ by both lawes ouer and aboue the same punishment by competent iudges be so afflicted for so haynous actes of theirs with so seuere payn punishment excruciated that the same may be to other in like case offending an example of terrour that at the least those whome the feare of God by no meanes may reuoke from such euill doing yet the seueritie of this our discipline may force and constrayne As touching the third sort which shal be any maner of wayes infected with this damnable sect and shall after coÌ„petent admonition repeÌ„t and amend themselues of such errours and sectes aforesayd and will returne agayn into the lap and vnitie of our holy mother the Churche fully acknowledge and confesse the Catholike fayth towardes them let the seueritie of iustice as the quallitie of the facte shall require be somewhat tempered with a tast of mercy And furthermore we will and command that by thys our authoritie Apostolicall ye exhort and admonish al the professours of the catholicke fayth as Emperours kings Dukes Princes Marquesses Earles Barons Knights and other Magistrates Rectors Consuls Proconsuls Shires Countries and Uniuersities of the kingdomes Prouinces Cities otwnes Castles villages their lands other places al other executing teÌ„poral iurisdiction according to the form exigence of the law that they expell out of their kingdoms prouincies Cities towns castles villages lands other places al all maner of suche heretickes according to the effect and tenour of the Councell of Laterane beginning Sicut ait ecclesia c. that those whom publikely and manifestly by the euidence of their deedes shall be knowne to be such as like sicke and scabed sheepe infect the Lords flock they expell and banish till such tyme as from vs or you or els other ecclesiasticall iudges or Inquisitours holding the fayth and communion of the holye church of Rome they shall receiue other order and countermaund and that they suffer no such within theyr shyres and circuites to preach or to keepe either house or familye either yet to vse any handicrafte or occupations or other trades of merchaundise or els to solace themselues anye wayes or frequent the company of Christen men And furthermore if suche publike and knowne heretiques shall
in S. Paules Epistle ad Chessall and also in the reuelation of S. Iohn Which Scriptures otherwise without the opening of these historyes can not so perfectly bee vnderstand of the whiche Scriptures we mynde hereafter Christ graunting orderly as the course of matter shall lead vs to make rehearsall An other cause is that we may learne thereby eyther with the publique Churche to lament with our brethren such a great defection and decay of christian fayth through these wicked Turkes or els may feare thereby our owne daunger The thyrd cause that we may pōder more deeply with our selues the scourge of God for our sinnes and corrupte doctrine which in the sequele hereof more euidently may appeare to our eyes for our better admonition Fourthly the consideration of this horrible persecution of the Turkes rising chiefely by our discord and dissention among our selues may reduce vs agayn from our domesticall wars in killing and burning one of an other to ioyne together in Christian patience and concorde U. but chiefely these great victoryes of the Turkes and vnprosperous speed of our men fighting agaynst thē may admonish teach vs folowing the example of the olde Israelites how to seek for greater strēgth to encounter with these enemyes of Christ then hitherto we haue done First we must cōsider that the whole power of Sathan the prince of this world goeth with the Turkes Whiche to resist no strēgth of mans arme is sufficient but onely the name spirite and power of our Lord Iesus the sonne of god going with vs in our battels as among the olde Israelites the Arcke of Gods couenaunt and promise wente with them also fighting agaynst the enemies of God For so are wee taught in Scripture that we christen mē haue no strength but in Christ onely Whether we warre agaynst the deuilt or agaynst the Turke it is true that the Scripture sayeth Sine me nihil potestis facere i. without me you ea do nothing Otherwise there is no puissaunce to stand agaynst the deuill or to conquere the world Nisi fides nostra that is our fayth onely all the promises of God touching saluation be annexed beyonde which promises we muste not goe for the worde must be our rule He that presumeth beyond the promises in the word expressed goeth not but wandereth hee can not tell whether Neither must we appoynt God how to saue the worlde but must take that way whiche he hath appointed Let vs not set our God to schoole nor cōprehēd his holy spirite within our sculles He that made vs wtout our counsell did also redeeme vs as pleased hym If he be mercifull let vs be thankefull And if his mercyes surmoūt our capacity let vs therfore not resist but search his word and thereunto apply our will which if we will doe all but contentious wil soone be at a poynt Let vs therfore search the will of our God in his word and if he will his saluation to stand free to all nations why do we make marchandise thereof If he haue graciously offred his waters to vs without mony or mony worth let vs not hedge in the plētuous springes of his grace geuen vs. And finally if God haue determined his owne sonne onely to stand alone let not vs presume to admixt with his maiesty any of our trumpery He that bringeth S. George or S. Deuise as patrons to the field to fight against the turk leaueth Christ no doubt at home Now how we haue fought these many yeres agaynst the Turke though storyes keep silence yet the successe declareth We fight agaynst a persecutour being no lesse persecutours our selues We wrastle against a bloudy tyraunt and our handes be as full of bloud as his He killeth Christes people with the sword and we burne them with fire He obseruing the works of the law seeketh his iustice by the same the like also do we But neither hee nor we seeke our iustification as we shoulde that is by fayth onely in the sonne of God And what maruell then if our doctrine being as corrupt almost as his and our conuersation worse if Christe fight not with vs fighting agaynst the Turke The Turke hath preuayled so mightely not because Christ is weake but because that Christians be wicked and theyr doctryne impure Our temples with Images our hartes with idolatry are poluted Our priestes stinck before God for adultry being restrayned from lawfull matrimony The name of god is in our mouthes but his fear is not in our harts We warre agaynst the Turke with our workes Masses traditions and ceremonies but we fight not agaynst hym with Christ and with the power of his glory whith if we did the field were wonne Wherfore briefely to conclude saying my iudgement in this behalfe what I suppose this hope I haue do beleue that when the Churche of Christ with the Sacramentes therof shal be so reformed that Christ alone shall be receaued to be our iustifier all other religions merites tradition images patrons and aduocates set a part the sword of the Christians with the strength of Christ shall soone vanquish the Turkes pride and fury But of this more largely in the processe of this story The sixte and last cause why I thinke the knowledge of the Turkes history requisite to be considered is this be cause that many there be which for the they be farther frō the Turkes and thinke therfore themselues to be out of daūger take little care and studye what happeneth to theyr other brethren Wherefore to the intent to excite theyr zeale and prayer to almighty God in this so lamentable ruin of Christes church I thought it requisite by order of history to geue this our natiō also something to vnderstand what hath bene done in other nations by these cruell Turkes and what detriment hath bene and is like more to happen by them to the Church of Christ except we make our earnest inuocatiō to almighty God in the name of hys sonne to stop the course of the deuill by these Turkes and to stay this defection of Christians falling daylye vnto them and to reduce them agayn to his fayth which are fallen frō him Which the Lorde Iesus of his grace graunt wyth speede Amen Before we enter into this story of the Turks and Saracens first let vs call to remembraunce the Prophecy and forewarning of S. Paule writing to the Thess. in his 2. Epistle in these words Be not moued nor troubled in your myndes eyther by preaching or by writing or by letter frō vs as though the day of the Lorde were at hande for the Lord will not come except there come a defection first and the wicked person be reuealed c. Of this defection sundry mindes there be of sundry expositours some thinking this defection to meane a falling away from the Empyre of Rome some from the obedience of the Pope But as S. Paul little passed vpon the outward glory of