Fasâ— TeÌ„p Pope Constantine the seconde whom the seditious tyrannical and superstitious Papistes did afterward violently depose cruelly thrust into a monastery as into a prison and most vnmercifully put out his eyes commaunded that all such should be depriued of their patrimony as reserue and kepe by theÌ„ the Reliques of any saintes In the yeare c. 769. Ioan. Laziard Celestinus Of Pilgrimages POpe Cletus allowed and greatlye praysed Pilgrimages vnto saints but speciallye vnto the Apostles Peter and Paule and sayd That it is more auayleable and profitable for soule health once to visite the aforesayd Apostles at Rome than to faste by the space of two whole yeares In the yere of our Lord. 81. Ranulphus Cestrensis Lib. 4. Fasciculus Temporum â–ª Pope Anacletus excoÌ„municated cursed and pronounced all such gilty of sacrilege as hinder any man to go on pilgrimage or to visite the Sepulchres of saintes In the yeare of our Lord. 101 Lib. Concil â–ª Folid Pope Calixte the seconde ordayned that whosoeuer spoyleth robbeth or hurteth any such as go on pilgrimage to Rome or to anye other holy places of saints the same should be excommunicated accursed Ipso facto In the yeare â—â— 1120. Quest. 24. cap. 3. Si quis Of Pardons WHo was the first Author and InueÌ„tour of the Popishe pardons I haue not hither to readde in any writer excepte Pope Gregory the firste be he whiche greatly corrupted the Church of Christ with his idle inuentions trifeling traditions childish ceremonies c. To allure the people of his time vnto y â— chief and principall temples of the City and vnto the often visitation of theÌ„ he promised them that repared thither at soleÌ„ne feastes cleane remission of sinnes by his pardon And he named the pompouse sacrifices â–ª Stations bicause they were celebrated on certain dayes limitted prescribed by statute This sede sowen by Gregory grew to a rype haruest in his successours afterwarde so y t where as in Gregoryes tyme they may seme to be inuented for allurementes vnto deuotion in theÌ„ that succeded him those pardons may right well be counted to be nothing els thaÌ„ very nets for mony and prouocations vnto al kinde of vice while all the worlde see howe innumerable sinnes be forgeuen of the Bishops of Rome for a slender portion of mony Pope Boniface the eyght appoynted the yeare of Iubile or grace to be kepte euery hundred yeare and graunted to all them that woulde come to Rome visite the temples of the Apostles Peter Paule in the yere of Iubile or grace cleane remissioÌ„ of al their sinnes A paena culpa In the yeare c. 1290. Ranulphus Cestrensis Polid. This Pope was arrogant proude Luciferlike that he shamed not to bost that he was Lord of all the world Tam in temporalibus quam spiritualibus and y â— all Emperours kynges princes owe obedience to him Of this monsture of pride Pope Celestinus hys predecessour prophecied on this maÌ„ner Thou camest in as a Foxe thou shalt reigne as a Lion and die as a Dog Fisciculus Temporum Bartho Carranza Alb. Krantzius Pope Clement the sixe bringing the yeare of Iubile from an hundred yeare which was tofore appoynted by pope Boniface theight vnto fifty graunted to all maner of persons that would come on Pilgrimage at y â— tyme vnto Rome and visite the Church of S. Peter plenariam indulgentiam that is to saye full remission of all their sinnes A paena culpa toties quoties In the yeare c. 1336. â—oan Laziard Polid. Chron. Pope Sixtus the fourth brought the yeare of grace from fifty to xxv yeare confirmyng the olde accustomed pardons In the yeare of our Lord. 1471. Polyd Carran Chron. Pope Alexander the sixt assigned the Iubile and Stations to be had in sundrye prouinces and countreis to the entent that lesse thronge of people and more thrift of money might come to Rome â–ª and so the people shoulde onelye loose theyr money and saue theyr laboure In the yeare of our Lorde 1492. Polyd. Virgil. Chron. Pope Gregory the first ordayned Stacions for euerye daye in Lent thorowe out all the Churches in the Citie of Rome yea and that for the remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes commaundynge the people to frequent and vse them with all harty deuotion and grauntyng to all theÌ„ that walke those stations greate indulgences and largâ— pardons A paena culpa toties quoties In the yeare of our Lord. 590. Ioan. Laeziard Chr. Massaeus Polid. Virgil. Chron. Diuerse Pardons graunted of diuerse Popes for diuers considerations gathered out of diuers bokes writtinges and papers POpe Innocent the eyght hath graunted to euery man woman that beareth the length vpon him of Christes nayles wherwith he was fastned to the crosse the iuste length of euery one of them was nyne inches and worshyppeth them daylye with fiue Pater nosters and fiue Aues and a Crede that he shall haue graunted hym these seuen greate giftes that folowe The firste is he shall neuer dye sodayne death nor euyll death The second is he shall neuer be slaine with sweard nor other weapon The thirde is hys ennemies shal neuer ouercome hym The fourth is poyson nor false witnesse shal neuer greue hym The fifte is he shall haue sufficient goods and honest liuing The sixte is â–ª he shal not dye without the sacramentes of the Church The seuenth is he shall be deliuered and defended from all wicked spirites pestilence feuers and all other maladies To all good christen people disposed to say our Ladyes psaulter within this Churche or churchyard on any of these beades the whiche bene pardoned at y e holy place of Shene shal haue ten thousand yeares of pardon Also for euerye worde in the Pater noster Aue and Credo xxiii dayes of pardon Totiens quotiens Also they are pardoned at SioÌ„ and by that ye shall haue for euery Pater noster Aue and Credo sayd on them three hundred dayes of pardoÌ„ Also vnto al those that the beades do string or cause to be stringed in time of necessitye there is graunted by .ii. Bishops .lxxx. dayes of pardon and gods blessing and theyrs Also ye must say first on the fiue beads fiue Pater nosters fiue Aue Maries and a Crede in the worship of the fyue woundes of our Sauiour Christ. And then after euery Crede say on the first white bead of the fyue Iesu for thy holy name and then on the red beade and for thy bitter passion then on the fyrst black beade saue vs from sinne and shame then on the second blacke beade and endlesse damnation and then on the laste white beade bryng vs to the blysse that neuer shall mysse sweete Iesu Amen The pardon wherof remembryng y e woundes great and smal of our Sauiour Christ is fyue M.iiii C.lxxv yeares of these fyue beades The whole sume of pardoÌ„ graunted of
for the reliefe of the sayde brethren hath licensed and graunted to choose vnto them any apte and meete priest to bee their Confessour or ghostly Father and to absolue them from all their synnes toties quoties and also bee buryed in Christen buriall of what so euer deathe hee deceased if he were not excoÌ„municate by name Pope Innocent the thyrde dispenseth w t the Brethren and Sisterne of the aforesayde order concernyng all vowes of abstinence and of pylgrimage going excepte onely the vowe of pilgrimage vnto Peter and Paule at Rome and S. Iames at Compostell so y t it shal be lawful for theÌ„ to chaunge those vowes of abstinence and pilgrimage vnto other workes of mercy charitie and thys hath he done of hys speciall grace and meere motion to all them y t geue somewhat to the sayd order of S. Trinitie Pope Gregorye the nynth hath graunted to al brethren and sisterne of the aforesayd order and to all their parentes and frendes whether they be aliue or dead al those Indulgences and pardons which are innumerable and may iustly be coÌ„pared with y e Starres of the Skie and the sandes of the Sea that they haue whiche goe on pilgrimage eyther vnto Rome or vnto the holy lande Pope Pius the seconde hath graunted and geuen to the aforesayde brethren and sisterne once in their life plenary remission and full forgiuenes of all their sinnes yea and that in all suche cases as are reserued to the Apostolique Sea Pope Innocent the eight hath confirmed all thaforesayd priuileges indulgences pardons c. and of his speciall grace hath doubled them al for the saluacion of the brethren and sisterne of the order of Saint Trinitie The absolution wherwith the Brethren and Sisterne of Saint Trinities order are absoluted from their sinnes â–ª AVtoritate dei patris omnipotentis beatorum Petri Pauli Apostolorum eius ac auctoritate apostolica mihi in hac parte coÌ„missa Ego absoluo te ab omnibus peccatis tuis mihi per te vere confessis coÌ„tritis de quibus confiteri velles si tuae occurrerent memoriae Plenariam absolutionem omnium peccatorum tuorum in quantum claues ecclesiae se extendunt in hac parte auctoritate istarum literarum Apostolicarum tibi do concedo ita vt sis absolutus ante tribunal domini nostri Iesu Christi habeasque vitam aeternam viuas in secula seculorum Amen Whiche is thus in English By the auctoritye of God the father almightye and of hys blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and by the Apostolike authoritye committed vnto me in this behalfe I absolue thee from all thy sinnes by thee to me truely confessed and contrite and of whiche thou wouldest haue bene coÌ„fessed if thei had come vnto thy remembraunce Moreouer I geue and graunt vnto thee full absolution and remission of all thy sinnes so farre as the keyes of the Churche doe extende in thys behalfe by the authoritye of these Apostolike letters so that thou â—e absolued before the iudgyng seate of our Lorde Iesus Christe and haue euerlastynge lyfe worldes without ende Amen Pope Iohn the xxiii graunted to so manye as be brothers and sisters and benefactoures of the friers heremites of Saint Austen that they shall be partakers of all the Prayers Sacrifices Preachynges Contemplacions Fastyngs Watchynges Pilgrimages Uowes Obedience Chastity Pouertye Patience Mercye Almosse and of all other spirituall Laboures Trauailes Paines Excercises c that be done eyther of the friers of the aforesayd order or of any other deuoute and religious people thorowe out the worlde with remissioÌ„ forgeuenesse of al their sinnes A paena culpa toties quoties The like pardon was graunted of diuers Popes to the fraternitye of Burton Lazare with dispeÌ„satioÌ„ of vowes and relaxation of some part of penaÌ„ce with plenary remissioÌ„ of al their sinnes The absolution of this fraternity AVtoritate dei patris omnipotentis Apostolorum Petri Pauli totius matris ecclesiae aâ— virtute huius bullae Papalis indulgenciae ego absoluo te ab omnibus peccatis tuis c. That is to say By the authoritye of God the Father almyghty â–ª of the Apostles Peter and Paule of all the mother Church by y e vertuâ— of this bulle and of the Popes pardon I absolue thee from al thy sinnes c. To theÌ„ that gaue any thing to the hospitall of Sainte Marye of Runciuall nigh vnto charing crosse without the walles of London Pope Clement the fourth graunted that they shoulde be partakers of all the Masses Prayers Fastinges Watchinges Pilgrimage goings vnto the holy lande consecrate with the bloud of Christ or vnto the city of Rome priuileged with the authoritie of the blessed martirs Apostles Peter and Paulâ— And if they be priestes or religious persons either men or women and haue failed to say their diuine seruice eyther thorow negligeÌ„ce or defaut of bokes or sicknes of body the aforesayd holy father doth mercifully absolue them from al such offences and release them from the payne punishement due vnto suche offendours Pope Clement the sixte also of his speciall grace hath geuen and graunted to all them that geue some parte of theyr substaunce beyng confessed and contrite release of the third part enioyned them by theyr ghostly father and three yeares of pardon w e an hundred dayes mo of pardon with free buriall in places although interdict and of whatsoeuer kinde of death they chaunce to dye with a thousand lentes lxv yeares of pardon c. The forme of the absolution appertainyng vnto this Fraternitie AVtoritate dei omnipoteÌ„tis beatorum Petri Pauli Apostolorum eius ac autoritate apostolica mihi in hac parte commissaEgo absoluo te ab omnibus peccatis tuis paenis tibi in Purgatorio debitis propter culpas offensas quas contra deum animaÌ„tuam commisisti Et in quantum mihi committitur restituo te illi innocentiae in qua eras quando baptizatus fuisti exceptis punctis hijs reseruatis Domino Papae vt animae tua viuat cum Christo in secula seculorum Amen Whiche is thus in Englishe By the authoritie of God almighty and of hys blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and by the Apostolique authorâ—tie committed vnto me in this behalfe I absolue thee from all thy sinnes and paines due vnto thee in Purgatory for the faultes and offences whiche thou hast committed against God and thine owne soule And asmuche as lyeth in my power I restore thee vnto that innocencye wherein thou were when thou waste baptised those poyntes only excepted whiche are reserued to the Lord Pope y t thy soule may liue with Christ worldes without ende Amen Pope Alexander the thyrde hathe graunted to all them that geue ought to the mayntenaunce of the Collegiat Churche of Saint Iohn of Beuerlaye an hundred dayes of pardon and relaxation from the seuenth parte of their
the Sacramentall wyne after consecration the frute of the vyne what other thing is that to saye than to call it wine Nynthly The naturall corporall substantiall and reall body of Christ whiche he receaued of Marye the Uirgin is denyed to be in the Sacrament of the altare I aunswere The Sacrament is an holy signe of the body and bloud of Christ whiche whosoeuer receaueth worthely and accordyng to Christes institution receaueth the very bodye and bloude of Christe yea whole Christ thorow faith which is the mouth of y e soule so y t he is incorporate made one w t Christ fleshe of his flesh and bone of hys bones Tenthly The mariage of Pristes is admitted I answere It is in the word of God no where denyed Gods Priests in the olde lawe were al maryed men and had wyues The Apostles of Christ and the Byshops and Ministers of the Primatiue Church and many hundred yeares after til the Bishop of Rome playd the tyraunt and right Antichrist in forbydding and condemning the mariage of Priestes were all maryed men At this present also in all the congregations of God whersoeuer the pope is not admitted to be supreme head the Bishops and Ministers of the Churche do freely marye wiues Neither was the mariage of Priestes euer forbydden in any nation till the Byshop of Rome and hys adherentes brought in that deuilyshe decree of the single lyfe of Priestes that thys Prophecie of Saint Paule myght be fulfilled The spirite speaketh euidently that in the later tymes some shall departe from the fayth and shall geue hede vnto spirites of errour and deuelyshe doctrines of them whiche speake false through hypocrisye and haue their consciences marked with an hoate yron forbidding to marye and commaundyng to abstayne from meates whiche God hath created to be receaued with geuyng thankes of them whiche beleue and know the truth For all the creatures of God are good c. Are not these the wordes of the holy Apostle To auoyde fornication let euery man haue his owne wyse and euery woman her owne husband Agayne Wedlocke is honourable among all persons ▪ and the bed vndefiled That God hath made free ▪ no man ought to make bonde Eleuenthly The vowes of obedience pouertie and chastitie are broken and not obserued of the Cloisterers Monkes Friers Chanons Nunnes Anckers Anckeresses c. I aunswere with the Preacher A foolish and an vnfaithful vow displeaseth God Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne sayth the Apostle But these monasticall vowes are not of fayth for they haue no grounde in the worde of God therfore are they sinne What Godlynesse can there be in the vowe of pouertye seyng that the vowers thereof caste awaye all laboure contrarye to the commaundement of God and lyue idlely vnder the pretence of long prayer and are fedde lyke Epicures and belly-gods of the laboures of other mens handes and of the sweat of other mens browes And what poynte of holynesse is in their vowe of obedience seyng they vowe it to the Pope and to their Abbotes and Prioures and vtterlye denye to be obedience to the temporall Princes and Rulers to whome they owe obedience by the worde of God vnder payne of dānation As touching their vow of chastitie who knoweth not that it is both foolishe and presumptuous Can there be any greater folly or presumption in the worlde than to worshippe God with our own inuentions to vowe that vnto him whyche lyeth not in power to fulfill Oure Sauiour Christ sayth All can not awaye with this saying That is to liue vnmaryed but they to whom it is geuen The wise man also sayeth I knowe that I can not lyue chaste except God geue me the gyfte To striue againste God and nature is mere madnesse Twelfthly The fasting dayes are not so religiously with such abstinēce obserued ▪ as heretofore they haue bene I answere the people in times yast haue ben taught of their curates ▪ on those dayes whiche the Church that is to say the Pope and the Byshops hath commaunded to be fasted that they should faste vnder payne of deadly sinne abstayne from fleshe and eate but one meale that daye To make that sinne whiche is not contrary to the worde of God is the doctrine of Antichrist To thynke it more acceptable to God for to catelfishe than to eate flesh is mere madnesse and plaine superstition seyng that all the creatures of God are good nothynge is to be cast alwaye that is receaued with thankes geuing All thynges are pure to them that are pure And those thinges whiche God hath made cleane no man ought to iudge vncleane Notwithstāding such dayes of abstinence as are commaunded by the Prince and receaued by publique order are still with great reuerence and high deuotion religiously obserued and keept when notwithstanding we right well knowe that the true and Christen faste is to abstayne from sinne and to practise vertue to cease to do our owne will and to accomplishe the good pleasure of God and at all tymes to lyue temperatly and soberly as our Sauioure Christ sayth Take heede to your selues least any tyme your heartes be ouercome with surfetting and droncknesse and cares of this lyfe Thyrtenthly Iustification is taught by fayth alone without workes I aunswere The Prophet saith A ryghteous man shall lyue by hys owne fayth And the holye Apostle sayth We playnly affirme that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Agayne we haue beleued on Iesus Christ that we myght be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deedes of the lawe bicause by the deedes of the lawe no fleshe shall be iustified Faith bicause it alone apprehendeth and layeth hande on the mercifull promises of God is counted alone to iustifie when notwithstanding it is God alone that iustifieth as s. Paul sayth It is God that iustifieth This faith is no dead and idle worke of the holy Ghost in the hearts of the faithfull but liuely and mightie in operation as Sainct Paule sayth Faith whiche worketh mightely by loue And this loue whiche issueth out of a pure heart and out of a good conscience and out of a faith vnfayned is so feruent and stronge that it brasteth out into good workes and can no more cease to worke ▪ than fyre can cease to burne when mete matter is ministred vnto it or the Sunne cease to shyne when the tyme of the cleere daye requireth Therfore a faythfull man is compared to a tree planted by the riuer side whiche bringeth forth her frute in due tyme. For whensoeuer occasion is offered to a faythfull man to worke he worketh strayghtwayes yea and that freely and willingly with out any compulsion or feare And yet doth not he these good workes to be iustified by thē for he is already iustified by fayth but to shewe that his faith is true
children we must fast and folow the same rule that they vsed And therfore we fast foure times First in march The secōd at Whitsontyde The third betwene haruest seedetyme And the fourth before Christmasse Marche is a time that drieth vp the moysture that is in the earth Wherefore we fast that time to drie the earth of our body of the humours that be noyous to the bodye and to the soule For that tyme the humours of letchery tempteth a mā most of any time of the yeare Also we do fast at Whitsontyde to get grace of the holy Ghost that we may be in loue and charitie to God and to all the worlde ▪ Charitas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Also we must faste for to haue meekenesse in oure heartes and to put awaye all pride y t renueth within vs. Also we faste betwene haruest and sede time for to haue grace to gather frutes of good workes into the house of oure conscience and so by ensample of good liuing among the people that we bee common with both ryche and poore Also we faste in winter for to slea all stinckyng weedes of sinne and of foule earth and fleshly lustes y t maketh good Angells good people to withdrawe them from vs. For ryghte as a nettle brenneth roses and other flowers that growe nie him In the same wyse a vicious man or woman styrreth and setteth on fyre them y t bene in his companye And for these causes we faste foure times in the yeare euery tyme three dayes y e betokeneth three speciall vertues that helpeth a man to grace y t is fasting deuoute praying and almesse dede doing And by opiniō of much people these daies bene called Imber daies bicause y t our elder Fathers would on these dayes eate no breade but cakes made vnder ashes So y t by the eatyng of y t thei reduced into their minde that they were but ashes and so shoulde turne agayne and wiste not how sone and by that tourned away from all delicious meates and drinkes and tooke none heede but y t they had easye sustenaunce This caused them to thynke on death and y ◠wil cause a man to desire no more thā him nedeth and to abstayne hymselfe frō al manner of bodily lusts to encrease in vertues wherby we may come to euerlasting blesse And at a councell holden at Magonce it was decreed y t when those Imberdayes come they shoulde bee fasted of all people and that they shoulde on those daies come deuoutly vnto church and heare Masse and geue themselues to prayer and deuotion Libro Concil Pope Innocent the thyrde made a decree that all the Apostles euens should be fasted excepte the euens of Phillip and Iacob and of Iohn the Euangeliste In the yere c. 1195. Lib. 3. accretal Gregorij Cap. 2. de obseruatione ieiunij Chron. Germani The same pope also appoynted that the euen of Mathias shoulde also bee fasted as one of y e Apostles euens and y t if the daye of Mathias be on the monday y e euen shall be fasted on the saterday and not on the sonday Ibidem Pope Vrban the syxt commaunded y e the euens of these feasts of our Lady y t is to say the visitation y e assumption natiuitye should be fasted In the yere c. 1371. Lib. Concil Chron. Germ. Pope Boniface the fyrst ordayned y e saints euens shuld be solemnely fasted In the yeare c. 425. The same ordinaunce is also ascribed to pope Gregorye y e second Chron Germa Pope Honorius the thirde made a decree y t if y e feast of y e natiuitye of Christ chaunce to fall vpon the Friday yet it shall be lawful for al men to eate flesh on that day excepte it be suche as haue vowed to the contrary In the yere c. 1214. Lib 3. decret Gregorij de obseruatione ieiunij Pope Gregory the fyrst cōmaunded y t neyther fleshe nor any thyng y t hath affinitye with fleshe as Chese Milke Egges c shoulde bee eaten on suche dayes as are appoynted to bee fasted In the yeare c. 560. Grat. Pol. Pantale Pope Eusebius made a lawe y t all suche feastes as are commaunded of priests in the Church to be fasted shuld in no condition bee broken excepte necessitie compell any man to the contrarye In the yeare c. 309. Lib. Concil Chron. Germ. In the festiuall we reade that these sortes of people be priuileged and exempted from the lawe of fastyng that is to say Children y t bene within age Women y t bee with childe Olde people y t bene myghtlesse weake and impotente And finally labouryng people as pilgrimes and like people those that the lawe dispenseth with vppon theyre conscience Dominica prima in quadragesima In the Councell Gangrense it was decreed y t if any person of presumption woulde despyse to faste suche dayes as were cōmaunded of holy churche he shuld be excommunicate and be taken of the Christen congregation as an Ethnike and Publicane Libro Concil Barthol Carrantz The Popes decrees affirme playnly as Guilielmus Durandus testifyeth that whosoeuer eateth any thyng beefore Masse bee done on suche dayes as are appoynted by holy church to be fasted the same committeth deadly synne In Rat. di off Lib. Concil In the Councell Braccarense it was agreed y t al the Apostles euens shoulde be fasted excepte the euens of these Apostles Phillip and Iacob and Iohn the Euangeliste as we to fore heard oute of the decree of Pope Innocent y e thyrde For the feast of Phillip and Iacob is betwene Easter and Witsontide which is a tyme of ioye and gladnesse therfore is there no fastyng accordyng to thys old rule Inter Pen et Pa◠non est Dirige neque fasting day And y e feast of ◠Iohn the Euangelist is at Christmasse whē men muste make good cheere and bee frolyke and mery Guilielmus Durandus Lib. Concil The Councell Chalcedonense made a decree y t they should be counted by no meanes to faste which taste any meate or drinke before euenyng prayer bee done Lib. Concil Iacobus de Voragine in his boke entituled Historia Longobardica sheweth a reason whye the Imberdayes bee rather fasted on the Wednisday Friday and Saterdaye than on the Mondaye Tuesday and Thursday For saith he the Lorde Iesus was betrayde of Iudas on the Wednisday And on y e Fridaye he was crucified And on the Saterday following he lay in hys sepulchre and the Apostles were very sadde for the death of their Lorde Of Holy dayes and of Feastes of Sainctes with such like POpe Pius the fyrst ordayned y t Easter daye shoulde be celebrated and kept holy euer on the Sondaye In the yere of our Lorde 147. Libro Concil Polyd. D. Barns Pantal. Pope Gregory the fyrst approued and allowed the feast of the Trinitie which Pope Alexander woulde by
no meanes admit For sayth he as there ought to be no feast of y e Vnitie no more oughte there to be any feast of the Trinitie In the yeare c. 590. Guilielmus Durandus Pope Vrban the fourth ordained the feast of the Sacramente of the Altare otherwyse called The feaste of Corpus Christi with pardons and indulgences greate plentye to allure the foolyshe and simple people to commit spiritual whoredome with that Sacrament by adoryng and worshipping it as theyre God Maker and Sauioure and willed it to bee kepte holy the Thursdaye after Trinitie Sonday In the yeare c. 1254. Christianus Massaeus Ioan. Stella Polyd. Pantal. The beginning of thys feaste was thys In the countrey of the Leodicenses there was a certayne Recluse or Anckresse called Eua whiche of a vayne foolyshe and superstitious deuotion and loue towarde the Sacramente of the altare as they terme it procured thorowe earneste sute of Pope Vrban the fourthe that the Sacramente of the Altare commonly called Corpus Christi might also haue a feast and holy day being as wel worthye as the Gallowe tree or crosse y t Christ was haÌ„ged on which was alredy celebrated in the Church and y t the same feaste of Corpus Christi myghte with all solemnitye bee kepte holy thorowoute the whole worlde Pope Vrban being an holy and deuoute Father doubte ye not consideryng the greate deuotion earneste zeale and Godlye mynde of thys holy and religious woman accomplyshed foâ—le graciouslye her tender requeste and dyd not onely ordayne that thys feast of Corpus Christi shuld be kept holy but he also graunted plenarye Indulgence and large pardon to so many as eyther do say or heare the seruice belonging to y t feast which Thomas Aquinas the Blacke fryer made Arnoldus Bostius Guili Durand Chron. Before that time there was no such feaste knowen in the church of Christ. But thys is moste certayne that thorowe thys feaste greate Idolatrye and muche spirituall whoredome is daylye coÌ„mitted with the Masse bredde in all those places where the true doctryne of the sacrament is not knowen Pope Innocent y e thyrde sayth Theodorus Bibliander in the Councell Lateranense placed y e fond fansye of Monke Lanfranke concernyng Transubstantiation amonge the articles of the faith of the most high Trinitie In the yeare c. 1215. And bicause nothing should want to the worshippynge of the newe founde God of bread and wine and that the bishop of Rome myght haue his God Mazin as Aaron with the idolatrous Israelites had the goldeÌ„ Calfe in the wildernesse Pope Vrban the fourthe ordayned the feast of Corpus Chrâ—sti with large pardons Concil saâ— dom Of this feast we read in the English festiuall on this maner Good frendes ye shall vnderstand that this day is an highe and solemne feast in holy church and is the feast of Corpus Christi It is the feast of our Lordes owne body the whiche is offered to the highe father in heauen at the altare for the remission of our sinnes for all Christen people y t liue here in perfect loue and charitie for the great succour and helpe in releuing them that bene in paines of Purgatorye there abidyng the mercye of God Ye shall vnderstaÌ„d that this feast was founde by a Pope that was called Vrban the whiche had great grace and deuotion in the holy Sacrament of the altar considering the great nede helpe and succour to mans soule and to the â—urdering of liuing to all Christen people here in this present worlde Therfore he did establishe and ordayne thys present feast to be halowed in the next thursday after the feast of the holy Trinitie For all christen people that will be saued must haue sad beliefe in the holy Sacrament whiche is Gods own body in fourme of breade made by the vertue of Christes wordes that the priest sayth and by working of the holy Ghoste Then for this holye Pope thought to drawe people to more deuotion and better wil to this holy Sacrament and to do the seruice this day he graunteth to all that be worhy that is to say that be very contrit coÌ„fessed of their sinnes and be in the Church at both eueÌ„songs at Mattens at masse for eche an hundred dayes of pardon for eche houre of the daye xl dayes of pardon euery day of the Vtas an hundred dayes of pardon in remission of al their sinnes for euermore enduring c In serm de corpore christi Pope Gregorye the ninth appoynted y e feast of y e Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptiste whiche we commonly call Mydsommerday to kept holy In the yeare c. 1225. Chron. Germ. Pope Siluester the firste at the desire of the Emperour CoÌ„staÌ„tine instituted y e feast of LaÌ„masse called Ad vincula Sancti Petri. In the yeare c. 315. Grat. Polid. Pope Eusebius ordayned the feast of the InueÌ„tion of the crosse In the yeare c. 309. Crat. Guil. Durandus Pope Honorius deuised the feaste of the ExaltatioÌ„ of the crosse In the yere of our Lord. 622. Plat. Pant. Some attribute these feastes to Pope Vrban the fourth â–ª Pol. Virgil. Pope Calixte the thirde inuented the feaste of the Transfiguration of oure Lord and commaunded that it should be celebrated and kepte holye with as large indulgences and pardons as the feaste of Corpus Christi In the yeare of oure Lorde 1455. Matth. Palmer Ioan. Stella Pantaleon This feast as the festiual reporteth is greatly priuileged in holy Churche in so much that orders be geueÌ„ this day thorow out all Christendome great pardons be graunted to this day in diuerses places as in Syon plenare remission and all is to the weale and coÌ„forte of man and for a purueaunce to sanctifie his soule that in the last resurrection the said soule ioyned to the body may together be glorified and transfigured in clerenesse more brighter thaÌ„ is the Sunne and so euer to endure Pope Leo the fourthe instituted the Feast of the Assumption of the blessed Uirgine Mary and commaunded that it shoulde in all places be kept hye and holy by the space of right dayes In the yeare â–ª c. 858. Lib. Concil Sigebert Ioan. Functius Pope Innocent the fourth ordayned y e Feast of the Natiuitie of Mary the Uirgine with the Octaues thereof In the yeare c. 1242. Volat. Sabel Pant. Pope Felix the thyrd appoynted the Feast of the Archaungel Michaell to be kept holy In the yere of our Lord. 486. Lib. Concil Chron. Pope Felix the thirde ordayned also the Feaste of the Dedicacion of the Temple commonly called Church holy day and coÌ„maunded y t euery Citie Town or village should yerely kepe for euer y â— day wheron y e Churche was halowed Volat. Plat. Polid. Albertus Krantzius Pope Boniface the fourth ordayned the Feast of all Saintes called All Halowes In the yeare of oure Lorde 606. Plat. Volat Polid. Pope Gregory the
both monasteries for euerye saulter saying on these beades is xxvi M.vi C. yeares and fyftye dayes totiens quotiens Therefore let no man nor woman presume to carye away or to conueye the aforesayd beades but hang them agayn where ye fynde theÌ„ For if they doe they are accursed foure tymes in the yeare in the generall sentence And at euery saulters and prayâ— for al Christen soules Pope Clement the seuenth 〈…〉 other holy fathers popes of Rome hys predecessoures of theyr paternall holynesse and abundaunt graces haue graunted to all the brethren sisterne of the sayde gylde that nowe bee and to all other y e will bee ful power and authoritie to chuse theÌ„ any able prieste to theyr confessoure seculare or religious whiche maye heare theyr confessions and geue vnto them once in their life and in the article of death plenary and full remission of al their synnes excesses offences and trespasses howe greuous and enorme so euer they bee A paena culpa c. Also euery Prieste chosen by the sayde brother or sister to be hys confessoure may release al maÌ„ner of othes so y t it be not preiudiciall to any other mans ryght may change all manner vowes in to other good vertuous deedes of mercy totiens quotiens the visiting of Sainte Peter and Saint Paule in the Church of Rome S. Iames in Compostell the vowe of religion and chastitye only excepte He maye also dispense with all spirituall men and women being brethren and sisterne of the sayde gylde totiens quotiens for y e forgetting of deuine seruices as houres canonicalls or penaunce enioyned whether it happen by debilitye or feblenesse of body negligence or obliuion or for defaute of bokes Agayn the brethren and sisterne of the aforesayd gylde may say or cause to be sayd masses and al other diuine seruices before daye light incontinent after three of the clocke after mydnight not only in halowed places but also in vnhalowed places though thei be suspensed or interdited by ordinarye authoritye Also euery brother and sister y t wil say any Wednisday Friday or Saterdayâ— one Pater Noster one Aue Maria and a Credo in any church or chappell where they do dwell and put to their helping hande to the sustentation and maintenaunce of the charges of the said gilde â–ª as ofte as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remission A paena culpa and the same remission as if they had visited the chappell of Scala caeli of Rome and y e church of S. Iohn Lateranense when the stations there be celebrated for quâ—ck and dead The aforesaid brethreÌ„ and sisterne also causing masse to be sayd either on the Wednisday Friday or Saterday in church or chappell for y e dead shal deliuer what soules thei wil and as ofte as they wil out of purgatorye prouided alway so y t thei geue somwhat to the aforesaid gilde Again they saying deuoutlye one Pater Noster and one Aue Maria at these feastes following y t is to saye Easterday Witsontyde Corpus Christi day Mihelmas day the fyrst sonday in cleane lent and eyght dayes folowing euery of y e sayde feastes as oft as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remissioÌ„ of al their sinnes They maye also lawfullye in tyme of Lent and other times of the yeare in y e whiche white meates be prohibite and forbidden eate Egges Cheese Milke Butter al other white meates freely and without scrupulositie or grudge of conscience and if they be sicke they also may eate flesh with councell of their gostly father and their Phisition And whosoeuer shall procure any man or woman to be brother or sister of the aforesayd gylde shal haue for hys Godly trauayle .v. C. yeares of pardon Also euery brother and sister with theyr fathers and mothers departed shall be made partakers of all Masses Mattenses Prayers Suffrages almesse dede holy liuinges pilgrimes and all other good dedes and workes of pitie charitie y t which be done and shal be done throughout y e whole vniuersal church Militant and all the members of the same for euer Agayne they may be buryed in time of interdiction in Christen buryall of whatsoeuer death it shal happen them to dye yea in places interdited by ordinarye authoritye also And furthermore our sayd holy father hath graunted to all Christen people being trulyâ— penitent confessed or hauing purposed to be confessed at such tymes as the lawe hath determined there deuoutly do visite the chappel of our ladye in Boston also do visite thre tymes .vii. altares there assigned in the paryshe church at the feastes of the glorious assumption Natiuitye al other feastes of y e same our blessed lady or w t in viii dayes following after euery of y e same feastes or any day of the said Vtas putting to their helping hands to y e maintenaunce of y e charges of the same gild shal haue and enioy al and singular indulgences remissions of their sinnes as if thei had personallye visited the churche of the holy Apostâ—es Peter and Paul at Rome and other the vii principall churches there in the yeare of Iubile and Grace and also shall haue all the same indulgences and remissions of their sinnes as thei shoulde haue if thei had personally visited the Church of S. Iames in Composâ—el in Spaine and had done or caused to be done â—here any other thing for the obtayning of the indulgences of the said yeare of Iubile at Rome and Compostell Also our holy father hath declared and decreed y t these said remissions faculties indulgences and dispensations shall neuer be reuoked suspended nor denulled but euer to stande in full strength and vertue from henceforth notwithstanding y e yeare of grace or Iubile at Rome or any other manner of cause whatsoeuer shal happen in tyme to come And euery man or woman may be made a brother and sister of Boston gilde and enioye all remissions priuileges liberties c if thei will paye euerye one of them at their entring vi shillings viii â—ens and euery yeare after during his or her life .viii. pens or elles .xiii. shillinges iiii pens for the whole for euery singulare person towardes y e mainteining sustentation of priests clerks poore beadmen which daily be fouÌ„d with the charges of the same gilde Pope Clement the fifte graunted to so many as geue ought to the sustentation of the order of Saint Trinitie of Houndeslowe his blessing for euer twelue yeares clx daies of pardoÌ„ with relaxations of the thyrde parte of their penaunce and of y e payne due for their sinnes Pope Alexander the fourthe to all the brethren sisterne of the aforesayd order that geueth some good portion of theyr goodes yerely to the brethren or Massengers of the said order or in their will and testament do geue and bequeth some honest portioÌ„ of substaunce
haste pacientlye suffered all thys I geue vnto thee for the satisfaction of thys penaunce that I haue enioyned thee and vnto the furtheraunce and helpe of the remission and forgeuenesse of al thy synnes and vnto the deliueraunce from the paines of hell and purgatorye whiche thou haste deserued for thy synnes and vnto y e obtayning of grace in this present world and euerlasting life in the world to come Amen An other fourme of Absolution OUr Lorde Iesus Christ whiche created redemed thee mought absolue thee And I by the authoritie which I haue of hym as muche as lyeth in my power accordyng to my dutye I doe absolue thee from all bondes of the lesser excommunication if thou bee bounde and I restore thee to the holy Sacramentes of the church if thou haue nede Agayn I absolue thee from all thy synnes confessed and forgotten mortall and veniall with al theyr circumstaunces The passion of oure Lorde Iesu Christ and all the good dedes that thou hast done or shalte doe and all the aduersityes and troubles whiche thou haste suffered or shalt suffer myght be vnto thee for penaunce and remission of thy sinnes and for the encrease of Goddes grace In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen Ex Speculo confessorum Fratris Bartholomaei de Chaimis An other fourme of Absolution BY the authoritye of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter Paule and by y e authoritye of the Churche of Rome cōmitted vnto me and graunted vnto thee I absolue thee from all sentence either of the greater or lesser curse and from all suspension and interdiction if thou be bounde with any of them And I restore thee to the vnitie of the faythful and to y e holy Sacraments of y e church and by the same authoritye committed vnto me I absolue the from all thy synnes confessed contrite and forgotten Item by the authority of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of y e Churche of Rome yea and also by the authoritie of oure Lorde the Popethe high Byshop committed vnto me in thys behalfe and so muche as I am bounde and able to doe if thou dye at thys tyme I absolue thee from all the paynes due vnto thee in purgatorye for y e faultes and offences which y u haste committed agaynst God and by all y e authoritye y t I haue I restore thee to the innocencie wherein thou were when thou were baptised But if y u doe not dye at thys tyme I reserue the full pardon graunted to thee of oure Lorde the Pope tyll thou dye In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost AMEN Ibidem An other fourme of Absolution ALmightye God haue mercye on thee forgeue thee al thy sinnes bring thee vnto euerlasting life AMEN The almighty merciful Lorde geue vnto thee indulgence and absolution of al thy sinnes AMEN The almightye father y e Godly and merciful Lord mought geue vnto thee indulgence absolution and remission of al thys synnes AMEN Most dere brother The greatest and hyghest penaunce is to be sorye for the sinnes committed and to repent and to beware and to take heede that thou sinne no more For the wholesome penaunce at thys present thou shalt say iii. Pater nosters .iii. Aues a Crede or thou shalt say the Psalme of mercy called Miserere meideus knelyng vppon thy knees before y e blessed sacramente of the altare or y u shalte cause y e Masse of the fiue woundes of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be song or sayde for thee or thou shalt go thys or y t pilgrimage gyld thys or y e Image c. This penaunce and the merite of the passion of Iesu Christ and al the good dedes y t thou hast done or here after shalte doe might profyte thee and stande thee instead for the remission of al thy synnes And our Lord Iesus Christ by his holy moste pitiefull mercy might absolue thee And I absolue thee frō y e sentence of the lesser excommunication or curse if thou be fallen into it and also from all thy sinnes In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye ghost Amen Ex instructione seu Alphabeto sacerdotum A speciall note of the Papistes concerning Absolution ABout Absolution is to be cōsidered the due or proper perfect forme In that note y t as euery Sacrament hath his proper forme so in like manner hath the Sacrament of penance which is this Ego te absoluo That is to say I geue thee and bestowe vpon thee the Sacrament or ministery of Absolutiō It doth not importe as some falsely reporte Ego te absoluo id est absolutum te ostēdo I absolue thee that is I declare vnto thee that thou art absolued For so should it followe that in the Sacramentes of the newe lawe there should be nothing but a shewyng or signification whiche is false bicause y t the Sacramentes of the new law do not only figure and signifie as the Sacraments of the the law but they also conferre geue truly and effectually the thynge whiche they figure and represente Ex speculo confes Bartholo de Caimis The forme or manner of byddyng the beades on the Sonday in the Popish parishe Churches taken out of the English Festiuall YE shal knele downe on your knees lift vp your hartes makyng your prayers vnto almightie god for the good state and peace of al holy church y t god maintayne saue and kepe it For our holy father the Pope with all his true college of Cardinals that God for his mercy them maintaine and kepe in the right beleue it holde and encrease al misbeleue and heresy he lesse and destroy Also ye shal pray for the holy lād for the holy crosse y t Iesu died on for the redemption of mās soule y t it come into the power of Christen men the more to be honored for our prayers Also ye shall pray for all Archbishops and Bishops in especiall for the Archebishop of Cauntorburye our Metropolitane for the Bishop of N. our Diocesan that God of his mercye giue thē grace so to gouerne and rule holye Church y t it may be to the honour and worship of him saluation of our soules Ye shall also praye for Abbotes Priors Monckes Chanons Friers for al men women of religiō in what order estate or degree y t they stand in from the highest estat vnto the lowest degree Ye shall also pray for all them that haue charge cure of Christē mēs soules as curates persons vicares priests clerkes and in especial for the person the Curate of this Churche for al y e Priests Ministers that seruen therein or haue serued therin And for all them that haue taken anye order that GOD gyue them grace well to keepe and
spirite and they that worship hym muste worship hym in spirite and in truth Whatsoeuer is song or said with the mouth so that it brasteth out from the affection of the mynde we affirme to be not only tollerable but also commendable yea pleasaunt and acceptable to God as Dauid sayth I will geue alwayes thankes vnto the Lorde hys prayse shall euer be in my mouth My soule shall make her boaste in the Lorde the humble shall heare therof and be glad O prayse the Lorde with me and let vs prayse hys name together c. O be ioyfull in God all ye landes synge prayses vnto the honoure of hys name make his prayse to be glorious And the Apostle sayeth I will synge with the breath I will sing with the minde I will pray with y e breath I will praye with the minde If the mouth the mynde if the breath the heart if the lippes the spirit go together either in singing or saying It is a most acceptable melody to God highly to be praysed of al good godly meÌ„ This kynde of prayer is greatly coÌ„mended of the people of God as coÌ„trary wise prayer without the affection of the hearte is rather to be reproued than approued refused than receaued condemned than commended Eyghrenthly The holye dayes and solemne feastes whiche of oure Elders were obserued and kepte with hye deuotion and greate reuerence are nowe a dayes neglected and set nought by I aunswere We are free from the obseruation of dayes The Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth Therfore is the Sonne of man Lord also of the Sabboth A Christen mans Sabboth is euery day and endureth the whole tyme of hys life which is to reste from euill to cease to do hys owne will and to obeye the holy lawe and commaundement of GOD. We are no more tyed and bounde to the obseruation and kepynge of the Iewyshe Sabbothes from the whiche we are made free by Christe the true lyghte whose comming in the flesh expelled all the darke shadowes of Moses lawe as the Apostle sayth Let no man trouble your conscience aboute meate and drinke or for a pece of an holy daye or of the newe Moone or of the Sabboth dayes whiche are shadowes of thynges to come but the body is in Christe Let no man make you shote at a wronge marke c. Suche as yet sticke and abyde in the outwarde obseruation of dayes tymes and meates the Apostle reproueth on thys manner and sayth Now after that ye haue knowen GOD yea rather are knowen of God howe is it that ye turne agayne vnto the weake and beggarlye ordinaunces whereunto agayne ye desyre a freshe to be in bondage Ye obserue monethes and dayes and tymes and yeares I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vayne Agayne If ye be dead with Christ from the ordinaunces of the worlde why as though ye yet liued in the worlde are ye led with traditions Touche not taste not handle not â–ª whiche all perish thorowe the very abuse after the commaundementes and doctrines of men We graunte and confesse that we haue put downe yea and that worthely certayne supersticious Idolatrous holy dayes as the feasts of Thomas Becket that trayterous Rebell of Dunstone that wicked Nichromancer of Austen that superstitious and Popish Monke with such like notwithstanding the SoÌ„dayes and all such feastes as be grounded in the word of God bringyng vnto our remembraunce the actes of Christ and of his Saintes we not supersticiously but freely and religiously obserue and kepe accordyng to the libertie whiche is geuen vs in the Gospell by Christ. Other matters there are wherin the Papystes finde great faulte with the Protestantes whiche may be answered as easely as we haue done these aforesaid For we haue rehearsed the chief principall of what force strength they be who seeth not But forasmuche as they make the simple and ignoraunt people beleue that if these thinges be taken away the whole Religion of Christ falleth downe and vtterlye perisheth the people being persuaded that they are not tryfling traditions of meÌ„ but the graue and weyghtie ordinaunces of God And that therfore as an other Atlas they with their shulders holde vp the olde and auncient Catholyke Religion whiche otherwise would fall to ruine and vtter decay I pitieng and much lamenting the miserable state of the simple blinde and ignoraunt Christians so wretchedly seduced thorowe the suttle and craftye persuasions of these most suttle and craftye hypocrites which being in deede greuous and rauenyng wolues clothe themselues with shepes apparell that they may the easelier make a rauine and spoyle of the Christen flocke I haue thought good to declare and shewe out of Chronicles and Hystories who were the Authors and inuentours of all these tryfling tradicions drowsie dreames and idle inuentions whiche heretofore haue bene counted for true Religion and Gods seruice Agayne at what tyme or yeare of our Lorde euery one of their beggarly ceremonyes were thruste into the Churche that by thys meanes suche as will open their eyes and no more be obstinatly blynde may easely perceaue and see how wickedly the wicked and Popish hypocrites haue in tymes past seduced and receaued the simple poore Christians while they haue made them beleue that whatsoeuer is done in their Churche is diuine seruice and God is hyghlye pleased therwith contrarye to thys saying of Christe They worship me in vayne teaching doctrines whiche are the commaundementes of men and that to leaue these thinges vndone is deadly sinne and worthye great punishement A Priest to rede the Gospell at Masse without candle lyght to receaue the Sacramentall wine without minglyng of water to say Masse abrode without a Superâ—ltare Againe the Lay man to come vnto the Lordes table without shrifte and absolution at the Priests hand not to beare a candle on Candlemasse daye not to take ashes in Lent not to beare Palmes on Palme Sonday not to crepe to the crosse on good Fridaye not to abstayne from fleshe on Fridayes other fasting dayes with a thousand such like was counted a greater offence among the Papistes than to transgresse and breake any of the commaundements of God It may worthily be sayd to them as Christe sayde to the Pharesees and Scribes Well Prophecied Esay of you hypocrites as it is written This people honoureth me with their lippes but their hearte is farre fro me Howbeit in vayne do they serue me teaching the doctrines and commaundementes of men For ye lay the coÌ„maundements of God a part and obserue the constitutions of men c. Ye cast aside the commaundement of God to maintaine your owne constitutions There is almost no constitutions no decree no ceremonye no Papisticall secte nor any other tradition appertaining to Churche ware and Romishe religion whiche I haue not both diligently and painefully sought out of Chronicle writers
the yere of oure Lorde 174. This Gregory the Seuenth in a ceretayne councell made a decree that from that tyme forwarde it should no more be lawfull for priestes to marrye and agayne that such as were married alreadye shoulde bee diuorced from their wyues and if they woulde not forsake theyr wyues they shoulde be depriued from their ministery and also from ecclesiasticall promotiōs so that it shuld not be lawful for a christen mā to take them for spirituall ministers or to bee present at their ministratiō by the rea son of their continuaunce in mariage◠when notwithstandyng our Sauiour-Christ sayeth That God hath coupled and ioyned together let no man separate and put a sunder And the holy Apostle sayeth To auoyde fornication let euery man haue his own wife and euery womā her own husband Again Wedlocke is honourable among all men the bed vndefiled But whoremongers adulterers God shal iudge Of thys decree followed many great inconueniences For y e priestes by this meanes abstayning from lawfull matrimonye abstayned not frō vnlawfull whoredome from other leude partes of most detestable vncleannesse but defiled themselues with al kinde of abhominable liuing vnto the vtter defacing both of themselues and of theyr ministery in so muche y t the aforesayd pope was compelled to make a decree that no man should heare the masse of any whoremōger priest supposyng by this meanes to fraye away the priestes frō their whoring which notwithstāding from that time vnto this houre again hath growen vp vnto such an hight in the kingdome of the pope that among the verye Turkes Iewes Sarazens and suche other miscreantes the lyke fornication whoredome adultery incest sodomitrye and all wicked kynde of most detestable dissolution of leude life not to be founde as is at this present proued to be exercised of y e vnchast generatiō of the popish wiuelesse priestes vnto the great infamye and slaunder of the christen profession Pope Innocent the second in y e councell Remense made a decree also y e Subdeacons shoulde liue continentlye and without wiues In the yeare c. 1131. Dist. 18. Cap. Decreuimus Ioan. Laziard He ordayned also that not only Subdeacons but also Deacons and priestes shoulde professe chastitye and liue wiuelesse vnder payne of depriuation of theyr benefyces and all other ecclesiasticall promotion Chron. Lib. Concil Ioan. Stella Pope Vrban the seconde lykewyse made a lawe that if any man after he was made Deacon dyd marrye the same shoulde be depriued of all hys benefices and all other spirituall dignityes In the yeare c. 186 Disti 32. Cap. Eos qui. Ioan. Phil. Bergom Pope Theodore bearyng rule in the tyme of the Emperoure Constantine the fourthe a councell was gathered in whiche it was decreed that the priestes of the Grece and of y e Easte church shoulde be at libertye to marrye and to haue theyr owne lawfull wiues bycause of the greate heate that is in the countrey but to the priests of y e West partes maryage was vtterlye denyed as vnto persons which dwel in a much colder countrey therfore lesse nedefull of maryage In the yeare c. 936. Chron. Ang. Pope Paschalis the seconde bearing rule Anselme Archbyshop of Cantorbury in the second yeare of the reygne of Kyng Henry the fyrst Kyng of Englande whiche was in the yeare of oure Lorde 106. gathered together at London a Satanicall swarme of shamelesse shauelynges and condemned the honest and Godly maryage of priestes forbidding al spiritual ministers from henceforth to kepe y e company of their lawfull wiues or after that tyme to haue any thing to do with matrimony but to liue a syngle and wiuelesse lyfe The diuelish decree of that Antichristian Archebishop made of many Godly maryed priests such a mōstruous multitude of vyle stinking and abhominable Sodomites y t the aforesaid Anselme was compelled to make a decree also against those Sodomites cōmaunding that al Sodomitical priestes should openly be accursed in the churches euery sonday throughout the yeare And afterward suche great inconueniences grewe of the publishyng of this moste detestable sinne of Sodomitrye for by this meanes it began to be knowen to be practised not only among y e clergye but also among the Laitie that he was compelled to reuoke cal backe agayne this his wicked decree of publication and from henceforth no more openly to accurse those Sodomiticall monstures Lib. Concil Pope Honorius the seconde willyng perfectly to stablysh that wicked decree of the single life of priestes begonne by that Antichrist Anselme in England sent a certayne carnall Cardinall called Ioannes Cremonensis into this realm whiche called together here at Londō also a great councel at the which were present two Archebyshops xxiiii Byshops and fortie Abbotes besydes an innumerable multitude of the clergie In thys councell besides other things he most greuously inueyed agaynst the maryage of priestes and among other his words he sayd that it was a shamfull matter and an excedyng great abhomination for a priest to rise from an whores syde for so he called the priests lawfull wiues and immediatly to goe and make Gods bodye But notwithstanding God willing to shewe what chaste and continent fathers these aduersaries and forbidders of priests matrimonye are the aforesayd Cardinall euen the very same day wherin he had not only condemned the moste Godly and lawfull mariage of priests but also deuoutlye song masse was taken w t an whore in his bed the next nyghte following and so with shame enough tooke hym to hys feete and with all haste fledde awaye to Rome vnto hys holy father not so muche as once byddyng hys frendes here in Englande farewel A frute worthy such a chastity It was not vnaptly answered of King Rychard the fyrst to a certayne prieste called Fulco which sayd to the King on thys wyse King to thee I saye in the name of god almighty that thou marrye sone thy three euyl doughters least some worse happe thee befal Thou lyest hipocrite quod the King for daughter haue I none Yes sayd the prieste Thou hast pryde couetousnesse and lecherye Thē aunswered the Kyng My pride I geue to the templares and hospitalers my couetousnesse to y e white monks and my lechery to the prelates of the church In the yeare of our Lord 1124. Ranulp Cestrensis Poly. in hist. Ang. Chroni Of the maryage of Priestes POpe Siluester the fyrst ordayned degrees in ecclesiastical orders and decreed that euery prieste shuld be the husband of one wife only according to the doctrine of the holy Apostle In the yere of oure Lord. 315. Sabel Plat Ioan. Phili. Bergom D. Barnes Polydor. Pope Gregory the fyrst restored maryage agayne to the priestes which he to fore had denyed vnto them when he sawe howe manye greuous inconueniences followed of that most wicked decree of the single life of priestes In the yere
of the Aungels hath God geuen that whiche he hath geuen to the priest I meane Whatsoeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde also in heauen Note there are two keyes that is to say of knowledge and of power geuen of the Lord to blessed Peter and to other men not to al meÌ„ but to Priestes alone and to their successoures For althoughe God alone forgeue synne yet neuer or verye seldome dothe he forgeue synne withoute his ministers that is to say Priestes Whiche thyng may be proued by the Lepers to whome when the Lorde had healed them he sald Go shewe your selues to the priestes and humbly obey them And whyle they were goyng they were made cleane It maye also bee proued by Lazarus whom when the Lorde had raysed vp he sayd to hys Disciples Loose hym and let hym go But wherfore dyd not the Lorde hymselfe loosen hym from y t knots of the byndings which had losoned hym froÌ„ y e bondes of death And wherfore dyd he not commaunde Mary and Martha hys systers to loose him or hys kynnesfolke the Iewes whiche were nerer vnto hym by the course of nature than the Disciples of y e Lord Verelye to declare manifestlye and to proue playnly that the power to loose and to bynde is geuen of the Lorde to priestes alone Beholde how great the goodnesse of God and the worthinesse of priestes is For the Lorde himselfe worketh good somtime euen by them y e are euell and that to thys ende bycause the keyes of the Churche should not be despised or set at nought of the faythfull For although priestes sometime haue not thys power ex merito yet haue they it ex officio dignitatis And if any priest â—e vnworthye which god forbid y t hurteth hymselfe it hyndreth thee nothyng at all Beholde what greate power is geuen to you priestes For your tounges are made the keyes of heauen O how great dignitie saith Bernard hath god geuen to you How great and excellent is y e prerogatiue of y e priestes order He hath preferred you aboue the Kynges of y e earth He hath exalted thys order of priestes aboue all men Yea as I may speake more highly he hath preferred you before Aungells thrones and powers For as he toke not Aungels but Abrahams sede to bryng to passe redemption so lykewyse hath he committed y e consecration of his body and bloude not to Aungells but to men that is to saye to priestes only Seing then y t a priest is of so greate dignitie y t he is the maker of hys maker him to destroy or to condemne it is not conuenient c. This is a very heauenly priuilege this is an exceding great glory this is a grace excelling all grace a priest to holde God in hys hands We beleue are thorowly perswaded y t the celebration of so noble a mysterye is committed to none of the Aungels to none of the Archeaungels nor to any other heauenly spirites but to your order onely c. For on the altare thorowe the mouthe and the handes of y e priestes the bodye of Christ is made euen that very bodye whiche is on the right hand of God c. O ye priestes howe greate a thing is this that at the lifting vp of your handes Kynges bowe down their heades yea Kings and Queenes offer giftes to you All the Churche or congregation confesseth calleth you fathers and desireth you to praye for them c. O the worshipfull holynesse of priestes handes O blessed and happie exercise O the true ioye of the worlde where lowe things ar ioyned to y e most high thinges when Christ handleth Christ y e priest y e sonne of God Thou hast a delight to be with the sonnes of men Therefore sayth Peter speakyng of priests ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthoode an holy Nation a wonne people c. O ye priests consider the excellencye of your moste noble dignitye For the lord hath enriched beautified you before al other his creatures Verely priestes ar worthy to be honoured seing y e the Lord hath geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ passing al other so greate grace and honoure in the worlde Ex lib cui titulus est Stella Clericorum Of the ceremonies of the popyshe Churche Of holy water POpe Alexander the fyrst as y e papistes fayne ordayned water mingled with salte to bee halowed afterward sprinckled vpon the people to put away their sinnes and to make theÌ„ holy and pure He also commaunded y t it shoulde bee kept both in churches and in houses to chase and dryue away deuills and wicked spirites not onely oute of houses wher meÌ„dwel but also out of y e hearts of the faythfull as though fayth and y e deuel could dwel together in one heart In the yere c. 110. Grat. Plat. Sabel Lib. Concil D. Barns Pâ—antal The wordes of pope Alexanders canon ar these We blesse y e water mingled with salte for thys purpose that all that bee sprinckled therewith may bee made holy and pure whiche thyng we commaunde all Priestes lykewyse to doe For sayeth he if the ashes of an heyfer sprinckled made holy and clensed the people from veniall synnes Muche more water sprynckled wyth salte and halowed with holye prayers doth sanctifye make holye and clense the people from veniall synnes And if the salte being sprynckled by Helizeus the barennesse of theâ— water was healed Howe muche more salte being halowed with Godlye prayers taketh awaye the barennesse of such thynges as appertayne to man and sanctifyeth and pourgeth them y t are defiled and multiplyeth suche goodes as we haue nede of and turneth away y e disceates of the deuill and defendeth men from al naughty and wicked fansies c. De conse Dist. 3. Cap. Aquam sale conspersam Lib. Concil Is not this good stuffe is not this worthy to be called gods seruice Oughte not y e people to ryse vp make curtesy to the Popyshe shauelynge when he sprinckleth theÌ„ with water of so great vertue Are not the scriptures here wel applied Doth not this ceremony make Christ Iacke out of office with all hys workes and merites God haue mercy on vs and shortly confouÌ„d Antichrist Guilihelmus DuraÌ„dus sayth y t the holy water hath deserued to haue of God so great vertue that as outwardly it washeâ—h the body from filthynesse so inwardly cleÌ„seth the soules from sinnes O blasphemye intollerable This is y e goodly Godlye Catholyke doctrine wherwith the vngoodly vngodly Papistes infecte the mindes of such Christians as are simple and light of belief yea wherwith they caste the soules of all suche as put their confidence and trust in these pylde begarly and lousy ceremonyes into euerlastyng damnation And yet must they be called laudable ceremonies well worthy and God will to be frequented and vsed in the Churche of Christ. And the teachers of thys doctrine the ministers of these
ceremonies must alone be couÌ„ted worthy to beare office in the Church to be reputed and taken for the only pyllars of our mother holy Churche to be had in estimation aboue all men and to be reuerenced as Gods of all men and so many as be of contrarye opinion teaching that our whole saluation commeth only from God thorowe fayth in the bloude of Christ must be adiudged seditious persons sowers of discorde authors of new learning teachers of strauÌ„ge doctrine and heretikes But as I may by coniecture speake my minde coÌ„cerning this ceremonie I thinke verelye that as the ceremony of dealing holy bread on the Sondayes wherof we shal hereafter speake was ordained of y e fathers of Christs Church at that time to put the people in remembraunce of Christes body breakyng so lykewise at the same time was this ceremony of water sprinckling brought into the Churche to put the people in remembraunce of Christes bloud sheadyng on the altare of the Crosse for their sinnes But as the papistes in processe of time lost the signification of holy bread of al other ceremonies therfore ioyned vnto the certain doctrines of error false faith so likewise haue thei done in y e ceremonie of holy water They not knowing the cause of the first instititution haue fayned the holy water as they cal it to be of such and so greate vertue might and power that it is able to put away sinne to geue health both of minde body to make so many holy and pure as be sprinckled with it to geue abundaunce of thynges to dryue awaye deuils to chase awaye all the power of our ghostly enemye yea and to plucke him vp by the rootes and vtterly to destroy him with all his Apostatike aungels to put backe diseases to expell all corrupte and pestilente ayres to dispatche all y e guyles subtilties sleyghtes and disceates of the lurkyng enemye â—o banyshe al thynges that be contratye to the healthe prosperitye and quietnesse of all such as dwel in y e houses where it is sprinckled to geue securitie of hope corroboratioÌ„ strengthning of faith to bring the holy ghost at the laste what not Are not all these things read in their exorcismes coniuratioÌ„s of their bewitched salted water as we haue tofore hearde and in other Popishe treatyses Reade we not these wordes in their Popish primare which we are taught commauÌ„ded to say wheÌ„ we sprinckle our selues with y e water in the Church porche before we enter into y e Church Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus â— vita Praesta mihi domine per hanc creaturam aspertionis aquae sanitatem mentis integritatem corporis tutelam salutis securitatem spei corroborationem fidei nuÌ„c in futuro Whiche is thus Englished The blessed water mought be vnto me health and life Graunt me O Lord by thys creature of the sprincklyng of water health of mynde wholenesse of body defence of health safegarde of hope strengthnynge of faith now and in tyme to come And bicause this their dreame should be of the more credit they haue fathered those their lyes as they do many other of an auncient Byshop of Rome called Alexander the first whiche liued In y e yere c. 119. And here mayest thou see what a lying generatioÌ„ the Papists are as I maye speake nothyng of their pestilent and abhominable doctrine Of Holy Bread THe vse among the Christians was firste of all y t so many as came together into the church dayly for to pray and to heare the worde of God the same should also dayly receaue together the holye communion of the body bloud of Christ. But when the multitude that professed Christ began to encrease and waxed very great so that that order could not conueniently be obserued kepte the auncient fathers of Christes church made a decree y e all y e Christians shuld communicate on the Sondayes together and be no more bounde vnto the dayly communioÌ„ as they to fore were And here of commeth thys sentence of S. Austen Dayly to coÌ„municate I neyther coÌ„mende nor discommend but on the SoÌ„daies to receaue y e communion I would couÌ„cell all men WheÌ„ this receauyng of the communioÌ„ euery Sonday was not done with such deuotion sobernesse and grauitie as it ought to haue bene but thorowe that often coÌ„ming vnto it much dissolution lightnesse was shewed of diuerse people the Elders of Christes Church thought it mete for y t present tyme to take awaye the custome of receauing the communion euery Sonday to appoint that the Christians should receaue the communion together thrice in the yeare y t is to say at Easter at Witsontyde and at the feaste of Christes natiuitie But when this order also was not duly and reuerently obserued it was iudged and thought mete that the people shoulde commonly receaue the Lordes Supper but once in the yeare that is to say at Easter and that in the stead therof bicause the remembrauÌ„ce of Christs passion and death should not be forgotten nor his blessed body breaking and precious bloud sheadyng fall from the remembraunce of the people whiche is preached declared and set forth to the faythful at the Lordes supper by breaking and eating the bread and by pouring out by drinkyng the wine The Fathers of Christes Church instituted the ceremonies of holy bread and holy water to put the people in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of Christes body breakyng and bloude sheding y â— as they see the bread whiche is distributed euery Sonday of the minister broken on many peces so they should set before the eyes of their mind the breaking of Christs body on the altare of the Crosse for the remission of their sinnes again that as they see the water sprinckled abrode so they should remeÌ„ber that Christes bloud was shed for them on the Crosse by the effusion and sheading wherof they be purged clensed and purified from al filthinesse of sinne iniquitie by thys meanes addresse themselues to be thankefull to God the Father for so inestimable and excedyng greate benefites giuen vnto them in the death of his Sonne And these ceremonies of holy bread and holy water at that tyme were not onely ministred to y e people of the Godly Pastors but it was also euerye Sondaye preached and declared vnto theÌ„ what the ceremonies signified and wherefore they were instituted of the rulers of Christes church eueÌ„ to put theÌ„ in remeÌ„braunce of Christes body breakyng and bloud sheadyng on y e altare of the Crosse for the remission forgiuenesse of their sinnes And it is not to be doubted but the Godly Ministers in those dayes did with sorowfull hearts minister those ceremonies to the people seyng that they for their vnthankefulnesse dissolution of lyfe were depriued of the holy communion of Christs body and bloud and fedde with ceremonies of mans inuention and dyd lykewise diligently exhort the people so to frame
agreed y t if any noble maÌ„ do spoyle a priest or any poore man or religious person and y e Byshop shall commaund hym to come vnto hym y t the cause maye bee heard he refuse to come letters shall be seÌ„t thorow out al bishops one to another which shall declare to al y e countreyes round about y t that man is excommunicated and is so to bee reputed taken til he hath shewed hys obedience to the ordinary and made restitution Caus. 24 â–ª Quaest. 3. Capit. Si quis de polentibus In a councell holden at Paris it was ordayned y t no priest should excommunicate any man before y e cause be euidently proued and openly knowen Ibidem Cap. de illicita In the councell Rothomagense it was decreed y t all manner of tythes should bee payde to the Priestes both corne Haye Fruite Oxen Shepe Goates c. For all tythes are sanctifyed to the Lorde And forasmuche as many are stubborne and disobedient and wil not truely and faythfully pay their tithes as they ought to doe it was ordayned in that Councell that all suche as will not pay them shoulde be admonished once twice or thrice according to the coÌ„maundement of the Lord. If they will not then amende that they shall then be excommunicate and accursed till they haue made due satisfaction and sufficient recompence Caus. 16. q. 7. cap. Omnes decimae The manner and fourme of Excommunication TWelue Priestes must stand about the Byshop and holde burnyng candles in their handes whiche candles at the latter ende of the curse or excommunication they must throw downe vpon the grounde and treade them vnder their feete Afterward letters must be sent rouÌ„d about vnto Parishes contayning the names of them that are excommunicate and also the cause of their excommunication Caus. 11 â–ª quaest 3. cap. Debent In concilio Arausicano we reade these wordes we folowing the canonical ordinaunces and examples of the holy fathers do vtterly sequester and banish by the authority of God and the iudgement of the holy Ghost al violatours disturbers hinderers and destroyers of Gods churches froÌ„ the lap of holy mother Churche from the company and felowship of al christianitie vntil they repent amend and satisfie the Church of God Ibidem cap. Canonica The manner of reconciliation of them that were excommunicate WHen any man y t is accursed or excoÌ„municate is peniteÌ„t sory for his sinne desireth forgeuenesse promiseth to amende the Bishop y t did excoÌ„municate him shall come before the church dore and xii priestes with him shall stande round about him on euery side And if the person y t is excommunicate fal flat downe on the grounde and asketh forgeuenesse promising amendement theÌ„ shall the Byshoppe take hym by the ryght hande and leade hym into the Church and restore him to the christen congregation Afterward they shal sing the seuen penitentiall Psalmes with these prayers Kirie eleyson and Pater noster Saluum faâ— seruum c. With this collecte Praesta quesumus domine huic famulo tuo dignum paenitentiae fructum vt ecclesiae tuae sanctae a cuius integritate deniâ—â—erat peccando admissorum veniam consequendo reddatur innoxius Per Christum dominum nostrum Amen Whiche is thus Englished â–ª Graunt we beseche thee O Lord to this thy seruaunt the worthy frute of repentauÌ„ce that be obtaynyng forgeuenesse of his sinnes may be restored pure and faultlesse to thy holy Churche from the integritye and purenesse wherof thorow sinne â–ª he had wandred and gone astray By Christ our Lord. So be it Causa 11. Quest. 3. cap. Cum aliquis Of penaunce POpe Nicolas the firste appoynted that this shoulde be the penaunce of hym y t hath slayne his mother First by y e space of an whole yere he shall not be suffered to come into the Churche but he shal staÌ„d before the church dore praying beseching god coÌ„tinually to forgeue hym so haynous horrible a sinne Secondlye when the one yeare is ended he shal haue licence to come into the Churche and to stand among y e hearers but he by no meanes shalbe suffred to come vnto the communion or Sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ. Thirdly wheÌ„ the third yeare is once past he shall be admitted vnto the holy communion c. All this time he may eate no fleshe nor presume to drincke wine excepte it be on soleÌ„ne feastes and sondayes and from Easter vnto Whitsontyde And whensoeuer he will take any iourney he maye not ryde but go on foote He maye not go vnto the warres except it be to fyght agaynst the paganes He must also euerye weeke faste three dayes eate no meate till it be night c. In the yeare c. 8711. Caus. 33. tract de paenitentia cap. Latorem praesentium Pope Siricius made a decree that those which are penitents may not in the tyme of their penaunce mary nor excercise y e worke of mariage lest they shoulde be counted as dogs returnyng vnto their vomit or as sowes whiche beyng cleane washed walowe tomble them selues again in the miry puddels In the yeare of our Lorde 389. Caus. 23. quaest 2. Cap. De his vero Pope Leo the first notwithstandyng of his great fauour and singular goodnes graunteth to al such as are already maried that they euen in the time of their penance may lawfully enioy the libertie of matrimony lest peraduenture while they abstaine from y t which is lawfull they shal fall into the daunger of that which is vnlawfull In the yeare c. 444. Ibidem G. Audiuimus The same decree also Pope Leo the thirde made declaryng that it is more tollerable and may better be suffered that a yonge man euen in the time of his penance to auoyd the dauÌ„ger of incontinency do ioyne vnto him a wyfe than he should incurre and fal into the sinne of fornicatioÌ„ In doing this saith he it semeth that the matter whiche he hath done is venial and pardonable so that he knowe none other besides hys owne wife Notwithstanding saith he in speakyng thus we make no law but we shewe what is more tollerable In y e yere c. 817. Ibidem cap. In adolescentia Pope Gregorye the fyrste ordayned this to be the penaunce of the maryed man that he shall not enter into the Churche before he hath purified and washed himselfe with water if he haue had the knowledge of his wiues body and geuen her as the Apostle saith the due beneuolence In the yeare of oure Lord. 590. Caus. 33. Quaest. 4. cap. Vir cum propria vxore Pope Pius the fyrste made a decree that if thorowe the negligence of the priest any of the bloud he meaneth the Sacrament of Christes bloude as the expositour doth declare in the same place do droppe down vpon the grouÌ„d the Prieste shall lycke it vp wyth hys tounge c. and he shall do penaunce for
bonde of sinne that thei being resuscitate or raised vp in y e glorie of the resurrection maye liue among y e saintes and chosen people Thorowe Christ our Lord. So be it A shorter forme or manner of bidding the beades MAsters and frendes as for holy dayes and fasting dayes ye shal haue none thys weke but y t ye maye doe all manner of good workes y t shall bee to the honoure of God and y e profyt of your own soules And therefore after a laudable consuetude and a lawfull custome of our mother holy Churche ye shal knele down mouyng your heartes vnto almightye God and makyng your speciall prayers for the .iii. estates concernyng all Christen people that is to saye for the Spiritualtye the Temporaltie and y e soules being in the paynes of purgatorye Fyrst for our holy father the Pope with all hys Cardinalls for all Archebyshops and Byshops and in especiall for my Lorde Archbishop of Cantorburye your Metropolitane and also my Lorde Bishop of this diocesse N. and in generall for all persons vicares parishe priests hauing cure of mannes soule with the ministers of Christes church as wel religious as not religious Secondly ye shal pray for y e vnitie and peace of al Christen Realmes and specially for the noble Realme of England for our soueraigne Lord y e King for the Prince for my Ladye y e Kinges Mother with all their progenye and for al y e Lords of y e councel and al other of the nobilitie whiche dwell in the countreyes hauing protection and gouernaunce of y e same y t almightie God may sende them grace so to gouerne rule the lande y t it maye bee pleasing vnto almightye God wealth and profyte to the lande and saluation to their soules Also ye shall praye for all those that haue honoured the church wyth light Lampe Uestmente or Bell or with any ornamentes by the whiche the seruice of almightye God is the better maintayned and kepte Furthermore ye shall praye for all true trauailers tillers of the earth y t trulye and duelye done their dutye to God holye church as they be bounde to do Also ye shal pray for al manner of frutes y t be done vppon the grounde or shal be y t almightye God of hys greate pitye and mercye maye sende suche wederynges y t they maye come to the sustenaunce of man Ye shall praye also for al those y t be in debt or deadly sinne y t almightye GOD maye geue them grace to come oute thereof and the soner by our prayer Also ye shall praye for all those y t bee sicke or diseased eyther in bodye or in soule y ◠almyghtye God maye sende them y e thing whiche is moste profitable aswel bodilye as ghostly Also ye shall praye for all pilgrimes and Palmers y t haue taken the waye to Rome to S. Iames or Ierusalem or to any other place y t almightye God maye geue them grace to go safe and come safe and geue vs grace to haue parte of their prayers and they parte of oures Also ye shal praye for y e holy Crosse y t is in the possession and hands of vnryghtful people y e almightye God may sende it into y e possession of Christen people when it pleaseth hym Furthermore I commit vnto your deuoute prayers all women y t be in our ladyes bondes y t almighty God may sende thē grace y e childe to receaue y e sacrament of baptisme and y e mother purification Also ye shall praye for the good man or woman y t thys daye geueth bread to make the holy lofe and for all those y t fyrste began it and them y e longest continue For these and for al true Christen people euery man and womā say a Pater noster an Aue. Deu◠misereatur nostri c cum Gloria patri c. Thirdly ye shal pray for your frends soules as your fathers soule your mothers soule your brethrens soule your sisters soule your Godfathers soule your Godmothers soule for all those soules whose bones rest in this church or Churchyarde or in any other holye place for al y e soules being in paines of purgatorye but specially and aboue al for those soules whose names be accustomed to be rehearsed in y e beadrolle as I shall rehearse them vnto you by y e grace of God c. For these in speciall and for all other in generall that it is needefull to praye for for euery man and woman saie a Pater Noster and an Aue. De profūdis c cum Oremus Absolue quesumus c. The general sentence taken out of the Englyshe Festiuall GOod men and women I doe you to vnderstande y t we that haue cure of your soules bee commaunded of oure ordinaryes and by the constitutions lawes of holy church to shewe to you foure tymes in the yeare in eche quarter of y e yeare once when the people is moste plenarye in the church the articles of the sentence So y t not for our default no man nor woman fal therein And if any be therin fallen he may through the helpe of God almightye and al holy church with shrifte and penaunce makyng good for his sinne vprise and hym amende ▪ Wherefore I doe you to vnderstande y t cursing is such a vengeaunce takyng that it departeth a man from the blysse of heauen from housel shrifte and all the Sacramentes of holye Churche and betaketh hym to the deuill and to the paynes of hell wythoute ende but if he haue grace of hym to amende But therefore see y t no man nor woman saye that I curse them For it longeth not to me but to shewe the pointes and y e articles of the sentence of cursyng For I doe you wel to wite who so doth agaynste any of y e pointes y t I shall shewe you he is accursed in the deede doing of the Pope Archebyshop Byshop and of al holy Church And y t god almighty geue you grace to kepe you out of cursing listen and heare and I shal thorowe y e helpe of God the father almighty to you thē tell and shewe By the authoritye of God y e Sonne and the holy Ghost and hys glorious Mother and mayden oure Lady Saint Marye and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and all Apostles Martyrs Confessours and virgines and the halowes of God I denounce and shewe for accursed all thoe that fraūches of holye Churche breake or distrouble or beene agaynst the state of holy church or thereto assente wyth deede or councell And also all thoe that depriue holy Churche of any ryghte or make of holy churche any Laye fee y t is halowed or sanctified And all thoe y t withholde the rites of holy church y t is for to say offringes tithes rents or fredome of holye Churche let or distrouble or breake that is to saye if any man flee to the Churche or Churchyarde Who so
him out draweth and al thoe y t therto procure or assente And all thoe y e purchasen letters of any Lordes court y e processe of righte maye not bee determined nor ended And all thoe y t the peace of y e land distrouble And al thoe y e bloude drawe of man or woman in violence or in vilonye or make to bee drawen in Churche or Churchyard wherefore the Church or Churchyarde is interdicted or suspended and thoe y t be against right of our Lord the King and al thoe that warre sustaine against the King wrongfullye And all thoe y t be common robbers rouers or man-slayers but it bee themselfe defendyng And thoe that beene agaynst the great Charter of the Kyng that is confyrmed of the Courte of Rome And all thoe y e false witnesse beare wronglye namely in cause of Matrimonye in what court so it be or out of court And all that false witnesse bring forth in righte of Matrimonye for to destroye man or woman or for to disherite any man of land or tenement or any other cattell And all false aduocates that for mede put forth any false exceptions or quarels through the which right of Matrimony is fordone or any other manner of right in steade of iudgement and al thoe y t for mede or fauour or for any other encheson maliciously mā or womā bryng out of their good fame into wicked or make them for to leese their worldly goods or honour or them put wrongfully to their purgation of the whiche was none before And al thoe y e maliciously distrouble or letten the right presentement of holy Churche there the very Patrone should present and all that therto procure with worde or deede or with false enquest or with other power And all that maliciously despisen the maūdement of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the time y t he hath lyen in cursyng lx dayes no remedie will seeke And all those y t their liueraunce purchase agaynst the right of holy Churche And that mede take for to distrouble peace there loue shuld be or charitie or strife maintaine with worde or dede and till they haue yelded again their mede that they toke of them they may neuer be assoiled And al those that hold houses māners gronges of parsons vicares or any other man of holye Churche against their wil or their attornies wil. And al thoe that any manner good moueable or vnmoueable awaye beare w t strength or wrongfully away draw or waste of the whiche cursing they may not be assoiled til they haue made satisfaction to whom the wronge is done And al thoe that any manner of goods with violēce or malice beare out of holy Churche stede or Abbeye or house of Religion whiche that therein is layde or done for warrandise or succoure or for to be kepte And all thoe that therto procure or assent and all thoe that them maintayne or sustayne and all thoe that haue layde hande on priest or clarke with malice but it be himselfe defendynge And all thoe that Sarrazens Coūce◠or helpe against Christendome And all thoe that their children wrongfully father wittingly or their children wittē any other mā with malice And al thoe y t wearry or slea their generations or their children destroye with drinkes or with any other crafte And al thoe that false money clippe or sheere them to aduauntage to disceaue any man with And all thoe that false the Popes Bull or counterfaite the Kings seale And al thoe that bye or sel with false measures or false waights that is to saye to bye with one sell w t an other And all thoe that false the kings standard themselfe witing And all thoe that any testament distrouble or therto procure with worde or with deede wherefore the deades will is not fulfilled And all thoe that forsweare them vpon the holydome willyng or witing for mede or for hate for to doe any man or womā to lose their worldly goods or honor And all robbers or rouers openly or priuily by daye or by night or any mans good steale wherefore they were worthye to haue iudgemēt And all thoe y t withhold any mās good that haue bene spered axed for thrice in holy church themself weting And all those that distrouble the peace of holy Churche or of the land and all fellons and thoe that them maintaine And all false conspiratoures al false forswearers in assises or in any other court And al those y t any false plaints put forth against the fraunchise of holy Church or of the king or of the realme And all those that offringes that bene offred in holy Churche or in any other sted within the prouince of Caūterbury witholden put away in any other place agaynst the wil of the parson or vicare or theyr attourney in the parishe y t it is offered in And al those that their goodes awaye geue for dread of death in fraude of holye Churche or to forbeare their debts paying al those that such giftes take or therto helpe or Councel And all those that let or hinder prelates or Ordinaries for to hold consistory Session or chapiters for to enquire of sinnes of excesse in good amendemente of mans soule And all witches and all that on them beleue al heretikes that beleue not in the Sacrament of the altare that it is gods owne body in flesh and bloud in forme of bread and al other Sacraments that touchen health of mans soule And all iuglars vsurars that is to say y t if any man or woman lend their cattell vnto man or woman for any auauntage to take by couenaūt more thā their own and if there be any such found in town or citie the citie or the towne should be enterdited by the old law and nouther done their Masse nor Sacrament vsed til he were out thereof And al thoe y t withhold tithes or withdraw theyr tithes witingly or maliciouslye to the harme of holy Church or tithes letten to be geuen of the goods which y t bene commaunded to be geuen by the lawe of holy Church y t is to say of al fruites of yardes cornes herbes that waxe fruites of trees of all manner beastes y t be newing of wolle lambe these in time of yeare of swannes gees dowes duckes of bees hony waxe of hay also as often as it neweth of flaxe hemp of windmils and of all manner mils of all manner of marchaundise of chaffaryng men and of men of craft And all those that maliciously or wittingly any other withhold the which ought to be giuen to holy church and thoe that therto procure in word or in dede Modus fulminandi sententiam PRaelatus Alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in ecclesia existentibus cruce erecta candelis accensis stans in pulpito pronuncient verba quae sequūtur Whiche is thus in Englishe The manner
hys harte when al his bloud was agone shed for our sakes And so by sacrament of Christening he is ful made Christes childe and he receaueth there parte of the passion of Christ and part of all the Sacraments and prayers that beene done in holye churche Also he receaueth parte of all good deedes y t beene done among all Christen people And if he holde mekely the couenaunt y t he maketh there to god he may be sure for to haue a dwelling place for euer in y e blysse of heauē But what tyme y t he trespasseth so agaynst the law of God y t he falleth into curse by sinne or y t he is worthye to be cursed of holy church then he is departed from God and al good works till he come to amendment And he is than deliuered againe to y e fende of hel for to put him for his sinne into the payne of hell withouten ende but he hym amend therof be assoyled or he hence passe And therefore there is nothing in al this world y t a Christen mā or woman ought so griselich to dread as for to fall into sinne y t bringeth him into the sentence of curse the which departeth him from God y t is his father from holy church that is his mother Also as holy scripture or the lawe beareth witnesse Cursing is cleped the sweard of holy church For right as we seen y t the stroke of the sweard it sleaeth and departeth the life fro the body right so y e stroke of this ghostly sweard Cursing departeth and doth away our Lord God from man woman which is accursed the which Lord God is life of her soules withouten him all her workes bene dead euermore after but thei haue special grace of God for to amende hem here ere they passe oute of this world For as many Clerkes preuen at y e day of dumme would our lady S. Marye and S. Iohn Baptiste al saints y t bene in heauen knele down at once before y e blessed face of almightye God they shoullen not in y t time thorowe the prayer of them all deliuer the soule of man or woman y t dyeth in deadly sinne For trulich it were expresselich agaynste the holy Gospell where Christ sayth thus that he shall trulich geue to euery man and womā their ryghte there as he hath deserued here And if the day of dumme shall bee so harde to all thoe y t dyen in any deadly sinne by al reason ful myche harder shall it bee at y e tyme with all these y t be founden openly cursed of God and of holye Churche In thys perillous waye of dampnation beene all thylke men and women that I shall speake of And therefore I beseeche you and charge you for the loue of god almighty and for the saluation of your soules that ye vnderstand wel al these points And if any of you fele hym giltye in any of all y t he amende hym by sorow of hearte shrifte and penaunce and that betimes Fyrst and formest we denouncen accursed all that holy Churche falsely depriuen of any ryghte or profyt that it falleth to haue eyther by law written or elles by good custome whiche that hath bene holden and vsed of old time And in thys poynte fallen three manner of folke Fyrst all thoe y t stelen any Churchegoodes in what place so that they bee done to kepe or ells that stelen vnhalowed thyng oute of holye place or thynges that beene halowed oute of place vnhalowed And all thoe y t wittingly breaken or destroyen anye poynt of freedome that longeth to holy Churche And thys is not alonely vnderstande of the fredomes y t longen generally to all holy Churche but also of other speciall freedomes which y t some church hath more thā an other temporal or spiritual whether so it be The thyrd poynte is y t al thoe bene accursed that purchasen writtes or letters of any leude courte for to let the processe of the lawe of holy churche of causes y t longen skilfully vnto Christē courte the which shoulde not be demed by none other lawe All thoe also that breaken or distroublen the fraunches and the fredome of holy church And al y t bene agaynst the peace and y e ryghte state of holy church or therto assenten with worde dede or counsayle And al y t maliciouslye biriuen holy churche of her right or maken holy churche Lay-fee y t is halowed and blessed And all thoe that letten Archebyshop or Byshop or any other y t hath iurisdiction and power by the lawe of holy Church that they may not visite her sugettes or dare not vse her lawe for to amende the soules of hem y t they haue to kepe And all thoe that falsely fleen awaye from one place to an other that holye church may not chastyse them ne rule thē as she shuld Also god holy church accursen al thoe y t laye hand in malice on priest or clerke on man or woman learned or leude w tin church or churchyarde or man or woman of Religion but it be hemself defendaunt so y t they may not els saue hemself or els that it be in certaine pointes that the lawe geueth licence and all that therto procuren or mainteinen such dedes by coūsayle or strength Also all yilke bene accursed that drawen out any mā or woman in violence out of holy Church to haue succour and helpe or els out of any holy place that is halowed but and it be in certaine poyntes as the lawe geueth leaue or letten them to haue sustenaunce the while they bene there And also all thoe that for malice or wrath of person vicare or priest or of any other or for wrongfull couetise of himselfe withholden rightfull tythes offerings rentes or mortuaries frō her owne parishe Churche and by waye of couetyse falselyche agayne takynge to God the worsse and to himself the better or els turne him into an other vse than him oweth or done him in other place after their owne will so y t they be not done to the same place that they shoulde be or let by worde or by deede any man or woman for to do her good will and her deuotion to god and to holy church For all Christen mē womē ben hard bound vpō pain of deadly sin not onlich by the ordinaūce of mā but both in the olde lawe and also in the newe lawe for to paye truliche to God and holy church the tithe part of al maner encrease that they winnē trulich by the grace of god both with her trauel and also with her craftes what so they be truliche gotten Also the tith part of al manner fishes and foules beasts both wild tame And al maner of frutes that growen out of the earth Also all that wittingly or wilfully tithen falsly that is to say that geuē not to god and to holy church the tēth part
longeth to And all secular iustices or iudges y t bene in offices and han the lawe to kepe when they be proued and required to doe her office in helping of the people y t han suffered wronges and harme but if they do rightfulnesse and truth by her coÌ„ming be they learned meÌ„ or leude els they ben accursed And al thoe y t ben wedded together against the lawe of God and of holy churche in degrees that bene forbidden as in consanguinitie or in affinity or gossibred And all that bene professed in any religion and broken out of her order and become wedded men or women Also priestes y t beene within holy orders forsaken her order and be comen wedded and al y t procuren helpen or assenten therto And al that knowen in matrimonye when it shall be made anye great defaulte or letting but if they by some way doe holy church to know it And when any churche or chappell is suspended or interdited by lawe they bene accursed openly that constreynen any priest for to sing therin or by ringing of bells or by any other waye maken hem to heare masse that beene openliche accursed by name And also when any man of holy church by commission doeth oute of holy Churche or curseth any man or woman and nameth hym by name on holy church behalfe that he goe oute of the Churche while masse gods seruice is in doing but if he do his bidding he is accursed And also al y t maynteynen hem or bidden hem holde them stil in the church and none of them may be assoyled but by y e court of Rome And al y t her goods geuen in drede of death in fraude of holy church or to forbarre her dettes and al thoe also y â— such giftes taken or couÌ„celen or helpen thereto bene accursed Also al thoe y t letten Prelates or Ordinaries or Chapiter for to enquire of synne there nede is for helpe or health of mans soule And al thoe y t against y e lawe of holy church byen or sellen any benefice of holy church And all y t byen or sellen holy orders or falsely stelen 〈◊〉 thoe bene accursed y t maken any â—ate or plee in y e patronage wherethorowe the very patrone is let of hys ryght And al y t breken any point of the Kings great Charter or els any point of the Charter of the forest in whiche bene writteÌ„ the fredomes of this land y e diuerse Kings han graunted both to learned to leude In the great Charter bene contayned .xxxv. poyntes and y e Charter of the forest comprehendeth xv points vt in tractatu vocato Pars oculi in prima parte et in tract vocat Regimen animarum in prima sui parte plenius continetur Also al men and women y t which in perill of death bene assoyled or in any other perils of hym y t hath not power by lawe oute of peril of death to assoyle hem assone as they be recouered but they take absolution of hym that hath power to assoyle hem they turneÌ„ agayn bene in the same curse as thei wer before worse forâ— vnbuxumnesse Al y t bene open lechouris open aduouteris coÌ„mon wemen all thoe y t wittingly and quietly defend them y t they be not punished by the law after monishing vpon paine of cursing y t no man let them house to hire ne receaue hem into her house after the time that they be knowen Also al that comynen with hem that bene accursed in eating drinking in receauing in helping in fauouring but only in hope to bring hem to amendment And all Okereris and vsureris that is to say if man or woman lende good or cattell to her neighbour for to take aduauÌ„tage for her lending and thoe y t it maintaine assenten to such geuing or taking or filling y e derer therfore And if there wer such one in a city y e citye should be interdited and no masse ne sacramente done therein till he were out of the citie And all thoe y e maken when vsurye is taken that it bee not restored agayne And al that beleuen on witchecraftes or vsen it And all that wilfully sleen hemselfe or ells any man woman or childe and all witches and all y t on witchecrafte beleuen maynteinen or vsen Also al that heresye maynteinen or sustaynen and all heretikes that beleuen not in the sacrament of the alter the whiche is Christes owne bodye hys fleshe and bloud in forme of bread and in other Sacramentes of holye Churche y t touchen health of soule And all thoe women that distroyen her owne children or any other womans children wyth drinkes or with any other witchcraft eyther wercke vnleefull And all y e fadren her children wrongfulliche on any man for malice or couetesie And all y t her children wilfulliche sleen or casteÌ„ awaye or leyen at churches or Church doores or at hospitalls or in fieldes or in high wayes or leauen her children christened or vnchristened and goen away from hem and forsaken hem And all thor that offeringes that bene offered in holy Church or in chappels or in oratories or in any other stead within a paryshe with holden or putten away into other places agaynst the will of y e person vicarye or curate but if thei be priuileged Also Iohn Stratford sometime Archbyshop of Cantorburye hauing regarde to muche harme of mans soule and default of deuotion thorowe vilanye and synne y t weren vsed done about dead bodyes ligging vp yet is vsed about in many places or the body be borne to church there y t sometyme weren vsed and ordained about a corse for holy prayers for the soule now it is forbidden by constitution vpoÌ„ paine of y e great curse that no maÌ„ vndirsong or take any folke into his house where the dead bodies bene watched to make any maÌ„ner plaies but pray for y e soule And al y t there ought ells done or thither comen than to bidde for the soule thei mowen drede of y e same curse And al y e vsen simonye or geuen or vndersongen in way of simonie Al sacrilegiers y t is to say al y e wrongfulliche doen away any thing halowed or geuen to holy church ligging to be kept where 〈◊〉 it be or that any thing w t violence beare out of holy church al y t this procuren or assenteÌ„ Also al thoe y â— doen in holy church or in holy place any foule sinne wherfore it hath nede to be newly halowed or reconciled Also all thoe y t withholden any mans good vniustly wetingly that hath bene axed openly in holy church three times And al that in violence lien hand or drawen bloud on father or mother and y t is to vnderstand both of bodilich ghostlich but it be himself defendaÌ„t And al y t helpeÌ„ the Sarazens against ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ in warre of armes or in
any other thing Also al thoe that letters purchaseÌ„ in any lords courte that no processe of right may be determined ne iudged in holy churche courte Also al thoe y e bloud drawen of any man or woman in violence or in any other vilonye in churche or in the churchyarde where thorowe y e churche or churchyarde is interdited polluted or suspended And all robbers rouers by day or by night that any maÌ„s good stelen for the whiche goodes a maÌ„ or woman were worthye to heare iudgement And al those that out of houses of holy church graunges personages or vicaries or any maneries of mens of holy church agaynst her will or her kepers wil any maÌ„ner of goodes with violence beren out of holy place church or abbey or any house of religioÌ„ which weren lefte there for sikernesse or succour for to kepe all that therto assenten Also al thoe that withholdeÌ„ a wydow her right or her dowry after her husbandes death or taken her good wrongfully All that procuren or geueÌ„ leue or commaundement any other to flea or to maime or to beate or by any other waye a greue any Ordinarye or iudge of y e lawe in body or in goods Al these aforesayd bene accursed with the greater curse Et cetera Many other pointes also longen vnto this greate sentence but I trowe to God it be no neede to rehearse here no mo Et sic finitur BUt thorowe authoritie of oure Lord God almightye our Lady S. Marye and all Saintes of heauen of all Aungells or Archeaungells Patriarches and Prophetes Euangelists Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgines also by y e power of all holy church y t oure Lord Iesu Christ gaue to S. Peter We denounce all thoe accursed y t we haue thus reckned to you And all thoe y e mayntayne hem in her sinnes or geuen hem thereto eyther helpe or councell so that thei bee departed from God and all holye churche and that they haue no parte of the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ ne of no Sacramentes that beene in holye Church ne no parte of the prayers among Christen folke but y e they bee accursed of God and of holy church fro the sole of theyr foote vnto the crowne of her heade sleapyng and wakyng sitting and standing and in all her wordes and in all her workes and but if they haue grace of GOD for to amende hem here in this life for to dwel in the payne of hel for euer withouten ende Fiat Fiat Do to the boke Quenche the candle Ring the bell AMEN AMEN Here folowe certayne Fragmentes of papistrye WE haue tofore heard where we entreated of the Lordes supper howe y e Pope Innocent the thyrde ordayned that the mysterye of Christes bodye otherwise called the sacramental bread should be kepte in churches continuallye vnder locke and keye to the entent to bee in a redinesse at all tymes leaste sayeth he they that are sicke shoulde wante y e spirituall comforte in the troublesome tyme of death Some curious fellowe peraduenture will here demaund why the sacramental wine is not also reserued and hanged vp as well as y â— bread seing Christ gaue thys generall commaundemente and sayde Drinke ye all of thys To thys question aunswereth Guilielmus Durandus saying The bloud of Christ is not reserued and kept for diuerse causes The fyrst is bycause wine which is liquide may easely thorowe negligence be spilt The seconde is bycause y t by the chalice whiche is on Maundye thursdaye receaued the ende of the olde lawe is vnderstanded The third is bicause y e body y t is reserued is not without bloude The fourth is that in y e the bloud is not reserued it is declared y e the olde sacrifice ought to cease For the bread signifyeth the newe testament but the wine signifyeth y e old testament To make euident prâ—se of this matter the Lord when he haâ— dronke sayde Consumatum est It is finished Therfore the chalice is receaued and the bread is reserued bycause the lawe hath now his ende the Gospel hath his beginning The fift cause is bycause Christ at the Lordes supper sayd Uerely I say vnto you I wil not from henceforth drinke any more of this frute of the Uine til I drinke that newe in the kingdome of my father He spake not of the body or of eatyng Yea we fynde that afterwarde he dyd eate part of the broyled fyshe and also of the hony combe but we do not finde that he euer dronke after Durandus in Rat. di off Lib. 6. Cap. 79. No bodye or Corps ought to be buried in the Churche or nigh vnto the place where the body and bloud of the Lorde is made but the bodyes of holye fathers whiche are called Patroni that is to saye defenders whiche thorowe theyr worthye and noble actes defende all the countreye Agayne Byshops and Abbottes and worthye Priestes and laye men whiche be of most highe holynesse As for all other they oughte to be buryed aboute the churche as in the yarde or in the porch or in y e voltes and suche lyke places as are nigh vnto the Churche Durandus in Ratio di off Lib. 1. When any Churche is to be halowed thys order muste be obserued Fyrst all the people muste departe out of the Church and the Deacon must remaine there onely hauyng all the doores shut faste vnto hym The Byshop with the Clergye shall stande withoute before the Churche doore and make holy water mingled with salt In the meane season within the churche there muste be set vp .xii. candles brennyng before xii crosses that are appoynted vppon the churche walles Afterwarde the bishop accompanied with the Clergye people shall goe thrice aboute the church without and the bishop hauing in hys hande a staffe with a bunche of Ysope on the ende shall with the same cast holy water vpon y e church walles and at euery time the bishop shal come vnto y e church dore strike y e threshold therof with his Crossierstaffe and say Tollite portas Principes vestras et eleuamiâ—i portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae That is Lifte vp your gates O ye Princes and be ye lyfte vp O ye euerlasting gates the King of glorye shal enter in Then shal the Deacon or minister that is within saye Quis est iste Rex gloriae That is Who is thys king of glorye To whom the Byshop shall aunswere and saye Dominus fortis et potens Dominus potens in praelio That is It is the Lord strong and mightie eueÌ„ y e Lord mightye in battayle At y e third time the Deacon shall open the church doore and the Byshop shall enter into the churche accompanied with a fewe ministers the clergye and the people abiding still without Entring into the church the Byshop shall saye Pax huiâ— domui That is Peace be vnto thys house And afterward the Bishop with
sinnes or ells y t their damnation may be the more tollerable Ibidem The dead which are in purgatorye knowe the suffrages that are done for them .iiii. manner of wayes Fyrst by diuine reuelations that is to say wheÌ„ God doth shewe it vnto them Secondly by the manifestation or shewing of the good Aungells For the Aungells which are here alway with vs consider all our actes and deedes maye as a man would say in a trise go downe vnto them tel them out of hand Thirdly by y e declaration of the soules which depart hence Fourthly by experience as when thei seale y t they are deliuered from their paynes Moreouer we must knowe that the dead whiche are maruelously euill know not what is done of them y t liue but euen so much as is permitted and suffred vnto them for to know Likewise they that are meanely good remaining yet in the fyre of purgatorye which haue not yet the fruition and sight of God knowe not but euen so much as is permitted vnto them to know by any of the aforesaid wayes But the deade that are maruelouslye good which already enioy the sight of Goddes Maiestye knowe cetaynely what is here done according to this saying of S. Gregory Quid est quod nesciant qui videntem omnia vident â–ª That is to say What is it y t thei know not which set him that seeth al thinges Ibidem Geue the glorye to God alone ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath saint Martins September 30. ¶ Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium 1. Cor. 1. Ioan. 7. Iac. 2. Iere. 44. Nume 21. Numer 11. Exod. 16. 3. Reg. 17 Iac. 5. 3. Re. 18 â–ª ☜ Luc. 23. Ioan. 18. Ioan. 11. Ioan. 12. Mathe. 10. Act. 16. Act. 21. Psal. 1â—4 The holye Scripture Ioan. 10. Ioan. 8. Ioan. 18. Ephe. 2. ☜ Rom. 10. Custome Ioan. 14. ☜ Ioan. 15. Mathe. 17. Esay 29. Math. 25. Leuit. 18. Exod. 23. Leuit. 18 ☞ Doctors of the church Psal. 115 Rom. 13. Tract dâ— viâ—gini Homil. i. in Ierem. In com ad Titum In Epist. ad Rom. Note Fathers Rom. 14. ☜ 1. Timo. 1. Ioan. 9. Ioan. 3. Math. 13. Math. 16. Mathe. 7 â–ª Math. 21. ☜ Math. 17 Ioan. 10. zachar 1 â–ª Ezech. 20 Note ☞ Ad caecil Lib. 2. Epist. 3. Councels Math. 18. Math. 28. ☜ Psal. 26. Esay 30. Esay 10. In serm de lapsis Psal. 119. In cap. ad Gal. cap. 5. ☞ Dâ— elect cap. Significasti In Gal. cap. 5. The multitude Math. 7. Math. 20 Rom. 10 Exod. 12. 3. Reg. 18 3. Re. 22. Math. 2. Luc. 2. â— Cor. 1. Ioan. 7. Math. 13. Leuit. 14 Math. 2â— Act. 4. Congregatio regentium nâ— Act. 7. Psal. 44 Ex tripart Hist. Lib. 2. cap. 13. Dist. 13. cap Nicena Heb. 13. ☞ Luc. 12. The difference of orders and doctrines Christ alone is head of hys Churche Mathe. 26. 1. Cor. 11. Publique prayer in the motheâ— tounge 1. Cor. â—4 Ceremonies Math. 25. Ioan. 4. Purgatory â— â–ª Ioan. 1 â–ª The sacrifice of the Masse no sacrifice for sinne but the death of Christe alone Rom. 6. Heb. 9. InuocatioÌ„ and Intercession of Sainctes Psal. 50. 1. Timo. 2. 1. Ioan. 1. Rom. 8. Ioan. 16 â–ª Transsubstantiation 1. Cor. â— â–ª Mathe. 26. The sacrament ☞ Ephe. 5. Leuit. 21. Ezech. 44 â—The mariage of Priestes ☞ â— Timo. 4. 1. Cor. 7. Heb. 13. Uowes Eccle. 5. Rom. 14 The vowe of pouertie Gene. 3. The vowe of obedieÌ„ce Rom. 13 The vowe of chastitie Math. 19. Sap. 8. Fastynge dayes ☞ â— Timo. 4. Titus 1 Act. 10. ☞ Luc. 21. Iustification â—bac 2. Rom. 3. Gala. 2. ☜ Rom. 8. Fayth Gala. 5. Loue. 1. Timo. 1 â–ª Psal. 1. ☜ Psal. 52. Gala. 2. Math. 12 â–ª Auriculare confession Malach. 2 Satisfaction 1. Ioan. 2. 2. Cor. 5 â–ª ☜ Act. 13. Satisfacâ—â—on to our neyghbour Luc. 19. Free will Rom. 4 Ephe. 2. Gene. 6. Gene. 8. Iere. 17. 2. Cor. 3 Ioan. 15. Note 1. Cor. 4 Iac. 1. ☜ Phil. 3. Ioan. 8. 1. Cor. 2. Ioan. â— 2. Cor. 3. Prayer Math. 1â— Ioan. 14. Note Psal. 34. 1. Cor. 14 ☞ Holy days Mark 2. ☞ Colos. 2. Gala. 14. Colos. 2 Math. 7. Act. 3. Math. 15. Esay 29. Math. 17. Mark 7. Deut. 12 Deut. 4. The causes of the dedicatioÌ„ of this booke knowledge Zeale Math. 5. Titus 1 Doctrine Math. 25. Life Iac. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Titus 1 1. Timo. 3. Hospitality Esay 58. 1. Timo. 4. Titus 1 Malach. 3 Gala. 6. Ioan. 21. Benefites Luc. 1. Ioan. 14 The beginning of the Popes primacie Epist. lib. 4. Epist. 32.33.34 capi 76.77.78 Pope 〈◊〉 head of the Emperors making Phocas the Emperor The tiraÌ„ny of Phocas The death of Phocas Pope Christes vicare and Peters successour The bishop of Rome only Pope The church of Rome heade of all churches A famous notable lye The Pope is become a playne Lucifer S. Peters patrimony O terrificuÌ„ fulmen The Papistes are impudent liars ☜ Note wel y e propertie of the papists Richesse poysoned y e church of Rome ☜ An other lie of the Papistes concerning the councâ—â—l of Nice Note In the couÌ„cell of Carthage no Scripture coulde bee founde to proue the Popes primacie The falsehoode of the Papistes The Godly auncient councells attribute no more authoritie to the bishop of Rome than to any other Byshop Traâ—â— de simplicitate Prelat Epi. lib. 4. cap. 76.78 â–ª What wil the papists saye here to S. Gregorye Note well The primacye of the Bishop of Rome is but a newe inueÌ„tion The see of Rome iudge of all but may be iudged of none Appellations to Rome The popes statutes ar of necessitie to be obserued The Popes lawes equal with the word of God No man may dissent from the church of Rome A substantiall reaâ—on and a wise Generall councels obedient to the Pope No man may loue whome the Pope hateth Note this reason All temporall rulers subiect to the Pope AppellatioÌ„ to Rome All mens iudgemeÌ„ts muste geue place to the decrees of the Pope Note well â–ª Note thys aunswere The Lucifer like prid of Pope Boniface Scripture wel applied Popes fete kâ—ssed and honoured O Lucifer The Pope may set vp and pâ—ucke downe princes at hys pleasure A charitable act of so holy a father Kings lackies slaues to the Pope An holy father charitable acts A pointe of knauerye No othe may be required of the Pope The Pope a sower of sedition The Luciferlik pride of the pope Rom. xiii Pope Lord of y e world Pope caried on mens shoulders ☞ Austen the Monk corruptoure of the ChristeÌ„ fayth in England Note thys This decre was not euil Austen a bloudy Monke ☜ This decre agreeth not with the order of the auncient Churche of Christ. Here â—aâ—â—men are admitted to the election of the pope No Pope 〈◊〉 â— full without the admission of the Emperour The Emperour barred froÌ„ the election or admissioÌ„ of the
penauÌ„ce And Pope Innocent the fourth hath graunted to all the brethreÌ„ of the same Faternitie pardon of all sinnes forgotten of all vowes brokeÌ„ except the vowe vnto the holy land at their latter â—nd remission forgeuenesse of all their sinnes A paena culpa so that to euery brother sister of that Fraternitie being coÌ„fessed absolued their coÌ„fessour may well say on thys manner as it is specified in the printed pardon â–ª Iohn or Ioan â–ª as free I make thee As heart may thinke or eye may see Of this pardon it is also thus written Omnibus in annis qui turbaÌ„t iura Ioannis Ter execrantur damnati iure probantur THe pardoÌ„ grauÌ„ted to the Fraternity of s. Cornelis at Westminster for such as geue any thynge vnto it coÌ„meth in y e yere to MM vii C. ix dayes for euer to endure grauÌ„ted by the holy father in god Thomas of the title of S Cecily Cardinall priest of Rome and Legate Archebyshop of Yorke and Chauncelour of England c. and of diuerse other Cardinalles and Bishops Certayne Popes of Rome haue committed and geuen authoritie power to Priestes hauyng cure and charge of soules to absolue their ghostly childreÌ„ and parishioners the whiche be brethreÌ„ or sistern to y e holy Fraternitie of the sepulchre of our Lord Iesu Christ of all sinnes and crimes either confessed or forgotten of penance not well done Also of vsurye rapine pollynge and pyllyng extortion or other good euell gotten excepte they knowe to whom they ought to make restitution they are absolued And of all manner of offences done to father and mother if they were not done w e laying handes on theÌ„ with violence Also the sentence of cursyng done vnknowingly also of of vowes broken the vowe of Ierusalem signed with the crosse in the body and the vow of Religion with solemnitye professed onely excepted Also priestes and Clarkes that haue made any offence in saying their seruice Also the aforesayd holy Fathers haue graunted to the brethren and sistern of the sayd place the Stations of Rome and the indulgences of the pilgrimages of the holy lande whiche suÌ„me of indulgence is lxxx M. yeres of pardoÌ„ Also our holy father Vrban the fourth of that name hath giuen graunted to all brethern and sisterne of the sayd Fraternitie at the traÌ„slation of Saint Swithein and at the Octaues of the same and at the Natiuitye of our Lorde the Octaues of the same and vpon good Fryday vpon Easter day with the Octaues of the same to be released of the seuenth part of their penaunce foure yeares and foure Lentes of pardon Our sayd holy father willeth also that they that be brethern and sisterne of the said Fraternitie haue ecclesiasticall sepulture without deniall of whatsoeuer death they chauÌ„ce to die except they be opeÌ„ly and by name excommunicate To the Fraternitie or brothehoode of S. Erasmus beside y e deliueraunce of many soules out of y e bitter paynes of purgatorye with innumerable indulgences pardons for them y t be alyue are graunted fiue special gifts singulare benefites Fyrst he shal haue reasonable goodes to his liues ende Secondly his enemies shal haue no power on him Thirdly what lawfull peticion he asketh of God shal be graunted him Fourthly he shall be vnbounde of his tribulation and disease Fyftly at his laste end he shal receaue the blessed body of oure Sauioure Christ Iesu in fourme of bread to his saluation by the gracious prayer peticion of this blessed Martyr S. Erasmus Al these pardoÌ„s indulgences priuileges giftes benefites shal al they haue y t geue any part or porcion of their goodes to y e vpholding and maintaining of the holy place of S. Erasmus Many other raggemans roules could I here haue placed which contayne also innumerable pardons infinite indulgences great giftes singulare priuileges wonderfull liberties maruelous deliuerances spedy remedies of soules out of purgatorye c but these may seme to suffice at thys preseÌ„t For hereof mayest y u euidentlye perceaue what reliques we haue receaued from Rome what good stuffe the popyshe pardoners haue broughte vs in tymes paste froÌ„ y e moste holy father or rather froÌ„ y e romish Antichrist al for money Do what thou wilte liue as y u wilte if money come y u art out of hande made cleane and absolued froÌ„ all thy synnes A paena culpa toties quoties art made as pure faultlesse as y u were in time of thy baptisme so y t now by the vertue of these pardons thou mayest boldelye stand before y â— iudging place of Christ and be free from y e sentence of damnation and in fine be made fellow heyre with Christ of euerlasting saluation But if thou wilte haue the true pardon and remission of thy synnes and be deliuered A paena culpa toties quoties take thys order Fyrst repent thee of thy former lyfe Secondly flee vnto God the Father in the name of hys derely beloued Sonne Christ Iesu our alone Sauioure and Redemer crauyng at his handes with stronge faith mercy and forgeuenesse of thy synnes Thyrdelye take a newe life vnto thee euer desyring strengthe from aboue to walke dayly more and more in the holy wayes of Goddes moste holy lawe If thou do thys doubt thou not but y t thou shalt haue abundauntly vnto the great consolation and comforte of thy soule remission of all thy synnes quietnesse of conscience the gift of the holy Ghost Goddes fauoure grace and mercye and after thys transitorye life euerlastyng lyfe with al heauenly ioye and vnoutspeakeable felicitie yea and that without these Antichristians pardons whiche are nothyng ells than nets for mony deceauings of y e people defacyng of Christes death obscuryngs of Gods free grace very spurres vnto all leudnesse of lyfe and a ryght patheway vnto euerlasting daÌ„nation Heare what god sayth by y e prophet Come to the waters al ye y t be thirstye and ye y t haue no money Come bye y t ye maye haue to eate Come bye wine milke without any money or money worth Wherfore do you lay out your money for the thing y e fedeth you not spende your labour about the thyng y e satisfyeth you not But harken harkeÌ„ rather vnto me and ye shal eate of the beste your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse Enclyne your eares come vnto me take hede I say your soules shal liue c. Are not these the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Come vnto me al ye that laboure and are laden and I shall ease you Agayne Let him that is a thyrst come And let who soeuer will take of the water of lyfe freely and without any money Of theÌ„ that wil seke remission of their synnes and pardon of their wicked life or any other spirituall and heauenly gift but only at hys hande