liuing Lord within the Arke of his true spirituall and visible Churche And where is then the friuolous bragge of the Papistes which make so muche of there paynted sheath would nedes beare vs downe that this gournment of the Church of Rome which nowis hath bene of such an old standing time out of minde euen from the primitiue Antiquitie that neuer was any other church demonstrable here in earth for men to follow besides the said only Catholick mother church of Rome whē as we haue sufficiently proued before by the continual descēt of the Church till this present tyme that the sayd Church after the doctrine which is now reformed is no new begunne matter but euen the olde continued Churche by the prouidence and promise of Christ still standing which albeit it hath bene of late yeares repressed by the tyranny of Romayne Byshops more then before yet notwithstanding it was neuer so oppressed but God hath euer maintayned in it the truth of his Gospell agaynst heresies and errours of the Church of Rome as in thys history more at full is to be seene Let vs now proceede farther as we began deducing this descent of the Churche vnto the 1501. yeare In which yeare the Lord began to shew in the partes of Germany wonderfull tokens and blody markes of his Passion as the bloudy Crosse hys nayles speare and Crowne of thornes which fell from heauen vpon the garments and cappes of men and rockes of woman as you may further read in this booke pag. 816. By the which tokens almighty God no doubt presignified what grieuous afflictions and bloudy persecutions shoulde then begin to ensue vppon his Churche for hys Gospels sake according as in this history is described wherein is to be seene what Christen bloud hathe bene spilt what persecutions raysed what tyranny exercised what tormentes deuised what trechery vsed agaynst the poore flocke and Church of Christ in such sort as since Christes tyme greater hath not bene seene And now by reuolution of yeares we are come from the time of .1501 to that yeare now present 1570. In which the full seuenty yeares of the Babilonicall captiuitie draweth now well to an ende if we count from the first appearing of these bloudy markes aboue mentioned Or if wee recken from the beginning of Luther and hys persecution then lacketh yet xvi yeres Now what the Lord wil do with this wicked world or what rest he will geue to hys Church after these long sorrowes he is our father in heauen his will be done in earth as seemeth best to his diuine maiestie In the meane time let vs for our partes with all patient obedience wayt vpon hys gracious leysure and glorifie his holy name and edifie one an other with all humilitie And if there cannot be an end of our disputing and contending one agaynst an other yet let there be a moderation in our affections And for asmuch as it is the good will of our God that Sathan thus should be let lose amongst vs for a short time yet let vs striue in the meane while what wee can to amende the malice of the tyme with mutuall humanitie They that be in errour let them not disdayne to learne They whiche haue greater talentes of knowledge committed instruct in simplicitie them that be simple No man liueth in that common wealth where nothing is amisse But yet because God hath so placed vs Englishmen here in one common wealth also in one Church as in one shippe together let vs not mangle or deuide the shippe which being deuided perisheth but euery man serue in his order with dilligence wherein he is called They that sitte at the helme keepe well the poynt of the needle to knowe how the ship goeth and whether it should Whatsoeuer weather betydeth the needle well touched with the stone of Gods word will neuer fayle Such as labour at the oares start for no tempest but doe what they can to keepe from the rockes Likewise they whiche be inferiour rowmes take heede they moue no sedition nor disturbance agaynst the rowers and mariners No storme so daungerous to a shippe on the sea as is discord and disorder in a weale publique What countryes and nations what kingdomes and Empyres what Cities townes and houses discord hath dissolued in storyes is manifest I neede not spend tyme in rehearsing examples The Lord of peace who hath power both of land and Sea reach forth hys mercifull hand to helpe them vp that sincke to keepe them vpp that stand to still these windes and sourging seas of discord and contention among vs that wee professing one Christ may in one vnitie of doctrine gather our selues into one Arke of the true Church together where we continuing stedfast in fayth may at the last luckely be conducted to the ioyfull porte of our desired landing place by hys heauenly grace To whome both in heauen and in earth be all power and glory with his father and the holy spirite for euer Amen The vtilitie of this Story SEyng the worlde is replenished with such an infinite multitude of bookes of all kinde of matters I may séeme perhaps to take a matter in hand superfluous and needles at this present to set out such Uolumes especially of histories considering now a dayes the world is so greatly pestered not only with superfluous plenty therof but of all other treatises so that books now seeme rather to lacke Readers then Readers to lacke bookes In which multitude of bookes I doubt not but many doe both perceiue and inwardly bewayle this insatiable boldnes of many now a dayes both in writing and printing which to say the truth for my part I do as much lament as any man els beside and would therefore no man should thinke that vnaduisedly or with rashnes I haue attempted this enterprise as one being not onely doubtful but also both bashfull and feareful within my self for setting the same abroad And why first I perceaued howe learned this age of ours is in reading of bookes neither could I tell what the secret iudgementes of readers woulde conceaue to see so weake a thing to set vpon such a weighty enterprise not sufficiently furnished with such ornamentes able to satisfie the perfection of so great a story or sufficient to serue the vtility of the studious and the delight of the learned Which abilitie the more I perceiued to be wanting in me the lesse I durst be bold to become a writer But agayne on the other side when I weyed with my selfe what memorable Actes and famous doynges this latter age of the Churche hath ministred vnto vs by the patient suffringes of the worthy martyrs I thought it not to be neglected that so precious Monumentes of so many matters meet to be recorded and regestred in books should lie buried by my default vnder darkenes of obliuion Me thought somewhat was to be sayd of them for their well deseruing and something agayne of our partes for benefites by
them that robbe them It belongs also to my care to prouide necessary things to the ministers of the Churches to the flockes of the Monkes to the company of virgins and to prouide for their peace and quiet The examining of all whose maners belongeth vnto vs whether they liue chastly if they behaue themselues honestly towarde them that be without whether they be diligent at Gods seruice if they be earnest to teache the people if they be sober in eating and drinking if they keepe measure in apparell and if they be discreete in iudgement If ye had regarded these thinges with a triall of them O reuerende fathers by your leaues I speake suche horrible and abhominable thinges of the Clearkes shoulde not haue come vnto our eares I omit to speake how their crowne is not broad nor their rounding conuenient the wantonnesse in your life your pryde in your gesture the filthinesse in your wordes doe declare the euill of the inward man Furthermore what negligence is in Gods seruice when scarce they will be present at the holy vigils And when they come to masse they seeme rather to be gathered to play and laugh then to sing I will tell that that good men be sory for and the euil laugh at I will speake with sorrow if so be I may expresse it how they be riotous in banquetings in chambering dronkennes and vnshamefastnes that now clerkes houses may be thought to be a stewes of harlots and a couent of players There be dice there is dancing and singing there is watching to midnight with crying and shouting Thus the goods of kinges the almes of princes yea and that more is the price of that precious bloud is not esteemed Haue our fathers thē spent their treasures for this purpose Hath the kinges cofers decayed by taking awaye many reuenues for this cause Hath the kinges liberalitie geuen landes and possessions to Christes Churches for this intent that Clarkes harlots shoulde be decked with the same that riotous feastes might be dressed that houndes and haukes and such other toyes might be gotten The souldiours crye out of these thinges the people grudge minstrels sing and daunce and yet ye regard it not ye spare it ye dissemble it Where is the sworde of Leuy and the zeale of Simeon whiche killed the Sichemites and the Circumcised which bare the figure of them that defile Christes Churche with filthy deedes because they abused Iacobes daughter as a harlot Where is Moyses spirite whiche spared not hys owne kinsfolke that worshipped the head of the Calfe Where is Phinies the priestes dagger which pacified Gods anger by his holy zeale when he killed him that plaied the harlote with the Madianite Where is Peters spirite by whose power couetousnes is destroied simonical heresie is condemned Be earnest ye Priests be earnest to followe the waies of the Lord the righteousnes of our God It is time to doe against them that haue broken the law of God I haue Constantines sword and yee haue Peters sworde in your hands let vs ioyne right hands let vs couple sword to sword that the lepers may be cast out of the tēples that the holy place of the Lord may be purged and the sonnes of Leuie may minister in the temple who said to his father and mother I know you not and to his brothers I know not you Goe to diligently I pray you least we repent to haue done that that we haue done to haue geuen that that we geue If we shall see that to be spent not in Gods seruice but on the riotousnes of wicked men through vile and corrupt liberty of life for lacke of chastisement let the reliques of holy saintes which they despise and the holy altars before which they play the madde men mooue you Let the great deuotion of our ancetours moue you whose almes the madnesse of the Clearkes doeth abuse My great graundfather as yee know gaue the tenth parte of all hys landes to Churches and Abbeys My greate greate graundfather Alfredus of holy memorie thoughte it not meete to spare hys Treasures his goodes no costes nor rentes that he might enriche the Church My grandfather the elder Edward your fatherhoode is not ignoraunt howe great things he gaue to the Churches It becommeth you to remember with what gifts my father his brothers did enrich Christes altars O father of fathers Dunstane beholde I pray thee the eyes of my father looking on thee from that bright place of heauen Harken his complaining words sounding in thine eares thus pitifully lamenting O father Dunstane thou thou I say geuest me counsell to builde Abbaies and Churches thou wast my helper and fellow worker in all things I chose thee as a shepheard and bishop of my soule and a keper of my maners Whē did I not obey thee what treasures did I preferre in respect of thy counsels What possessions did I not despise if thou badde me If thou thought meete to geue any thing to the poore I was ready If thou thought meete to geue any thing to Churches I deferred not If thou complained that Monkes or Clearkes wanted any thing I supplied Thou saidest that almes lasted for euer and that there was none more fruitfull then that which was geuen to Abbeis or Churches For with that both Gods seruaunts are sustained and that which remaineth is geuen to the poore O worthy almes O worthy price of the soule Oh wholesome remedie for our sinnes which nowe doeth stincke in the sweete furres of priests lemmans wherwith they adorne their eares decke their fingers apparelling their delicate bodies with silke and purple O father is this the fruite of mine almes is this the effect of my desire and of thy promise What wilt thou answer to this complaint of my fathers I know I know when thou didst see a thiefe thou runnest not with him neither hast thou put thy portion with adulterers Thou hast rebuked thou hast exhorted thou hast blamed them but wordes haue bene despised Nowe we must come to stripes of correction thou hast here with thee the worshipfull father Edward bishop of Winchester Thou hast the reuerend Prelate Oswold bishop of Worcester I commit this businesse to you that both by Bishoply correction and the kings authority the filthy liues may be cast out of the Churches and they that liue orderly may be brought in c. In this Oration of K. Edgar aboue prefixed 3. things are chiefly to be noted considered to them that haue iudgements to marke and vnderstand to witte The religious zeale and deuotion of kings both in geuing to the church also in correcting the maners of churchmen 2. Secondly the dissolute behauiour and wantonnesse of the clergie then abusing the great donatiōs and patrimonies of princes bestowed vpon them 3. Thirdly the blinde ignorance and superstition of that time in both states as well Ecclesiastical as temporal in esteeming Christes religion chiefly to consist in geuing to Churches and in
an example to the flocke and when the chiefe Pastor shall appeare you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of eternall glory c. And this is the doctrine of Peter as they shal se which do not obey it As for vs the other part of the sayd Epistle is sufficient Wherein he willeth thē to reioice which are in heauines through manifolde temptations that the triall of theyr sayth being much more precious thē gold that perisheth and is tryed in fire may be theyr laud honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Iesu. c. But beare with me I pray you O holy Father and of all your Predecessors most meekest and suffer my wordes though the seme something sharpe for they be sighings of a sorrowfull hart Wherefore gird about your loynes with fortitude and light vp the candle of your descretion and seeke the groat that is lost of the vnity I meane of sayth And we will also with like compassion ioyne with your holynesse and will not spare this weake body of mine in pretending any excuse either of age or lēgth of the way For the more laborous the trauell is the moe crownes it bringeth And S. Paule sayth Euery man shall receiue reward according to his trauell c. Neither are we ignoraunt if it please your holinesse that like as we Grecians for our partes do labour in all respectes to keepe and obserue the sincerity of true sayth and doctrine not to erre ne swerue in any part or poynt from the statutes of the blessed Apostles and auncient fathers so the Church likewise of old Rome doth for her part labour also we know well to follow the sincere verity of Christian doctrine and thinketh her selfe to erre in nothing nor to neede any remedye or reformation And this we know is the iudgement and saying of both the Churches aswell of the Greekes as of the Latines For no man can see any spot in his owne face without he stoope downe to the glasse or els be admonished by some other whether his face be blotted or no. Euen so haue we many great sayre glasses set before vs first the cleare Gospell of Christ the Epistles of the Apostles and diuinitie bookes of auncient writers Let vs therefore looke in them well They will shew euery mans minde and iudgement whether he go right or wrong The God of peace tread downe Sathan speedely vnder our feet The author of peace confound the sower of discord He that is the cause of all goodnes destroy the hater of that which is good and which geueth cause of offence and slaunder And he which is God of all ioy and peace send to vs whiche are the shepheardes of his sheepe reasonable the aungell of peace and messenger of great glad tidings as he did in the Natiuitye of Christ to the shepheardes of brute sheepe and vnreasonable and make vs worthy to sing that ioyfull song of Gods prayse Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas and to receiue one an other with an holy kisse The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the peace of God the Father and the communion of the holy spirit be with you alwayes Amen ¶ An other Epistle of the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople and Primate of the Greek Church to the Cardinals of Rome AN other letter the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople wrote also the same time to the Popes Cardinals wherin he first commending them for theyr wisedome and counsell and shewing what vtility commeth by good counsell geuing for so much as God sayth he many times that he hydeth from one inspireth to an other so that that good thing which by the almighty God is sonderly dispensed to diuers through common counsell and conference spreadeth to the publicke vtility of many c. After this eftsoones he beginneth to exhort them that they like charitable ministers and discrete counsellors will take in hand the spirituall armour of God to cast downe the stoppe partition walle of the olde discord betweene the Greekes and Latine Church that they will be a meanes to the Bishop of Rome that they which so long haue bene disseuered by dissention may now be conioyned in vnity of peace in brotherly charity and communion of fayth Concerning which matter I haue sayth he already written to his holynesse And now I beseech the king of heauen whiche tooke the shape of a seruaunt to helpe his miserable seruauntes and was exalted vpon the crosse to raise them vp which were fallen into the profundity of desolation that he will vouchsafe to put from your hartes all elation of minde extolling it selfe ouer and aboue the vnity of your brethren and fellow seruauntes and to lighten your consciences with the true light of vnderstanding that we may altogether agree in one that there be no schisme amongst vs. Let vs therefore as we are instructed so abide in one minde that it be not sayd of vs as it was of the Corinthians before vs I hold of Paule I of Apollo I of Coephas and I of Christ but that all we as we holde the name of Christ and are all called Christians so may also abide in that wherein we are instructed in one minde that is to follow loue and charity in Christ Iesus hauing alwayes in our hartes the wordes of the Apostle saying One Lord one Fayth one Baptisme And now to be playne with you in that I haue to say I shal desire you not to be offended with me in vttering the trueth as a frend vnto you The wordes sayth Salomon of a wise man telling trueth be like to nayles which be driuen in deepe And truth for the moste parte breedeth enemies And therefore though I am partly afrayd yet will I simply confesse the trueth vnto you Certes this diuision of Christian vnity amongst vs proceedeth of no other cause but onely of the tiranny oppression and exactiōs of the Church of Rome which of a mother is become a stepdame and hath put her children from her whome long time she nourished after the maner of a rauening bird which driueth her yong from her which children how much the more humble and obedient they are to her the lesse she esteemeth them and treadeth them vnder foot not regarding the saying of the Gospel Who so humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Let modesty therefore something temper you and let the auarice of the Court of Rome although it can not well out of the flesh which is bred in the bone yet surcease a while and let vs together condescend to the triall of the trueth which trueth being found out on both sides let vs constantly embrace the same For why we haue bene altogether some times both Italians and Grecians in one fayth and vnder the same Canons hauing peace each with other and defending one an other and confounding the enemies of the Church At what tyme many flying out of the west
as your spirituall pastour we also desire you so to esteeme and thinke of them which also make like report of other that haue bene with your grace beyonde the seas that they haue naughtely falsely serued you wherby you haue lost the towne of Tourney much honor els which you might haue wonne gotten there May it please your grace to call before you the Prelates and Pieres of your Realme in some conuenient place where wee and other moe may safely come and resorte and there also to make search and enquirie in whose hands after the beginning of your warres the money and what thing els so euer which was graunted vnto you in aide of the same your warres vntill thys present day doeth remaine and is not laide out againe as also by whose default you were so enforced to leaue the sayde siege of Tourney and those which shal be founde in any poynt faultie and guiltie therin against you as a good Iusticer your grace wil cause to be punished according to the lawe and in so much as appertaineth vnto vs therein we aske iudgement of our Peeres the state alwayes of holy Church of vs of our order reserued inuiolate according as we haue wrytten vnto you heerein And for Gods sake Syr beleeue not either of vs or any other your true subiectes els more then that you shall vnderstand the veritie of for if men should be punished without making answere to that which is obiected against them there should be then no difference in iudgement betwixt the good doer and the bad And Syr may it please you well to consider of the great enterprise you haue in hande the great good will which you haue neede of for this cause and of your great ennemies the Scots and the great ieoperdie of your realme besides For if your Prelates your nobles al the wisemen of your realme were of one minde and will without any discorde or diuision amongst them to dispose and set in order those things which are needeful in so great affaires and businesse they shoulde haue all inough to beate their heads about for the maintenance of your great enterprise begon the honour of you and sauegarde of your Realme And Syr may it please your grace not to be displeased that so rudely and grosely we declare vnto you the veritie for why the great loue affection which we beare vnto you alwayes haue done the same the preseruation of your honour and sauegard of your realme as also for that we are although vnworthy the primat of the whole realme of England which thing appertaining vnto vs by our office being your spirituall father doth incite vs the rather both to say and coÌ„maund that which may turne to the benefite of your soule and profite of your realme and kingly estate Thus the holy spirite saue you both body and soule and giue your grace both to heare and beleeue good counsaile and further giue you victorie ouer all your enemies Written at Cant. the 1. day of Ianuary By your graces chaplen the Archbishop of the same And thus node the case betweene the king the Archbishop of Caunterbury who comming thus as is said in secret wise into Englande from the siege of Tourney hys army in the meane while by ships was conueyed to little Britaine Of whome a great number through vnseasonable and inconuenient meats and drinks was there consumed To whom also no lesse danger happened by the seas comming out of Britain into England by tempest thunder and lightening stirred vp as is thought by the Necromaucers of the French king About whych season approchyng to the yeare of oure Lorde 1341. were sent from the Pope two other Cardinals to entreat wyth Kyng Edwarde for thre yeres truce to be concluded more wyth the Frenche Kyng beside the former truce taken before for one yere and all by the popes meanes For heere is to be vnderstanded that as it was not for the Popes purpose to haue the Kyng of England to raigne ouer so many couÌ„treis so his priuy supportation lacked not by all meanes possible both by Archbyshops Cardinals and also by the Emperor to maintain the state of the French king and to stablish him in his possession Ex Tho. Walsing ex chron Albanens In the said histories where these things be mentioned it is also noted that the same yeare such plentye there was here in the realme of victuals that a quarter of wheat was solde for ii s a fat oxe for a noble and as some say a sheepe for iiii d. And thus farre endureth the hystorie of Ranulphus Cestrensis called Polychronicon The next yere following which was 1342 Ludouicus Bauarus the Emperor who before had shewed great curtesie to king Edward as in his first viage ouer in so much that he made him his Uicar or Uicegerent general and offered hym also aide against the French king Now â—yther turned by inconstancie or seduced by the pope wryteth to him contrary letters wherein hee reuoketh agayne the Uicegerentship graunted to hym and seeketh all meanes in the fauour of the French king against king Edwarde as by his letters heere vnder written may better appeare The letter of the Emperour vnto the king of England LVdouicus by the grace of God Emperor of the Romaines alwaies Augustus c. To Edward king of England his beloued brother greeting and vnfained loue Although great and vrgent busines of our owne do oppresse vs about the same our waighty affaires are daily incombred yet with the discord variaunce betwene your kingly dignity and the renowmed Phillip the king of Fraunce our cosine for your sake wee are not a little troubled And the rather the great charges which may heereafter growe both to you and to your kingdome thereby considered bothe of men and money vnlesse the same be taken vp doth more earnestly prouoke vs to geue our selfe to the carefull studie of your affaires Wherefore wee geue you to vnderstande that the foresayde Philip at our request hath geuen vnto vs by his letters authoritie and power to intreat and conclude a peace betwene you touching the variance begon which peace al the state diligently coÌ„sidered both of your selfe your kingdome and subiects wee take and beleeue to be right expedient for you moouing there withall your charity and earnestly desiring you that to this also you will geue your consent wherby we may bring you both to concord and vnitie and establish betweene you a firme peace to endure whereunto with willing minde we would apply our selfe and bestow our painfull labour in prosecuting of the same And heerein if you will condescend and agree vnto our counsaile as we trust you wil. It may please you by your letters to geue vnto vs the like autoritie as is aboue sayd to entreat peace or ordering of a truce for one yeare or two at least to continue Neither let it moue you that betwene vs and the sayde
Churches that should be next vacant beside Bishopricks and Abbotshyps to the extent of two thousand Marks Wherupon the procurators of the sayd Cardinals were sent down for the same But the kyng and nobility of the realme not suffring that vnder paine of imprisonment caused the sayd procurators foorthwith to depart the realm wherupon the nobles and commons shortly after writeth a fruitfull Epistle to the Pope for the liberties and the maintenance of yâ— English church Whereunto as saith the author the pope and the Cardinals were not able to answer The argument and tenor of which letter out of French wee haue caused to be translated into Englishe as insueth The letter of the king of England and nobles of the same to the Pope against the reseruations and prouisions which he had in England TO the most holy father in God Lord Clement by the grace of God of the holy church of Rome and of the vniuersal church chiefe and high Bishop His humble deuout children the Princes Dukes Earles Barons Knights Citizens Burgeses and al the comminaltie of the Realme of Englande assembled at the Parliament holden at Westminster the 15. day of May last past Deuoute kissings of his holy feete with all humble reuerence and humilitie Most holy father the holy discretion gouernment equitie which appeareth to be in you and ought of duety so to be beyng so high and holy a prelate and head of the holy church by whom the holy vniuersall churche and people of God ought to be as by the sunne beames inlightened Geueth vs good hope and likelyhode that the iust petitions to the honour of Iesus Christ holy Church and your holinesse also by vs declared shal be of you graciously heard and considered And that all errours and other iniquities quite taken away and remooued in stede thereof fruitfull exployts and necessary remedies by the grace of the holy spirite which you in so high an estate haue receiued may be by you likewise graciously ordained and disposed Wherfore most holy father all we vpon great deliberation and common assent come vnto your holines shewing and declaring that the noble kings of England our progenitours our auncitours and we according to the grace of the holy spirite to them and vs geuen euery one according to his deuotion haue established fouÌ„ded and endowed with in the realme of Englande Churches Cathedrals Colleges Abbeis Priories and other diuers houses of religion in the same ordained and to the Prelates and gouernours of the same places haue geuen landes possessions patrimonies franchesies aduowsons and patronages of dignities reuenues offices churches with many and diuers other benefices vnto them geuen whereby the seruice of God and faith of Christ might haue bene honoured and had in reuereÌ„ce that the hospitals almes houses that are made with all the churches edifices might be honestly kept maintained and that deuout praiers might in those places be made for the founders the poore parishioners aided and comforted And such only ought to haue the cure therof as are able to heare confessions and in their owne naturall toung otherwise meete to informe teach their parishioners And for so muche as most holy father that you caÌ„not well come to the notice of diuers such errours defaults neither yet vnderstand the condition of the places being so far of vnles your holines be enformed aduertised We hauing the perfect intelligence and vnderstanding of the sayd errours and defaultes of the places abouesayd within the sayd Realme haue thought meete to signifie the same vnto your holines That diuers reseruations prouisions and collations by your predecessours Apostolicke of Rome and by you most holy father in your time haue bene graunted and that more largely then they haue bene accustomed to be vnto diuers persons as well straungers and of sundry nations as vnto some such as are our enemies hauing no vnderstanding at all of the tongue and conditions of them of whom they haue the gouernment cure Whereby a great number of soules are in perill a great many of their parishners in daunger the seruice of GOD destroyed the almes and deuotion of all men diminished the hospitals perished the churches with their appurtenaunces decayed charitie withdrawne the good and honest persons of our realme vnaduaunced the charge and gouernement of soules not regarded the deuotion of the people restrayned many poore schollers vnpreferred and the treasure of the realme caryed out against the myndes and intentes of the founders All which errours defaultes and flaunders most holy father we neyther can nor ought to suffer nor indure We therefore most humbly require your holines that the slaunders errors and defaultes which we haue declared vnto you may be through your great discretion considered and that it may please you that such reseruations prouisions and collations may be vtterly repelled that from henceforth the same be no more amongst vs vsed But to take such order and remedy therein that the said benefices edifices rightes with their apertinentes may be to the honour of God by our owne countrymen cured defended and gouerned And that it may further please your holines by your letters to signifie vnto vs without delay and other detract of tyme what your plesure is touching this our lawful request demaund and that we may doe our indeuour with dilligence herein for the remedy correction and amendment of those enormities aboue specified In witnes wherof vnto these letters patentes we haue set our seales Geuen in the full Parliament at Westminster the 8. day of May an 1343. After these thinges thus passed ouer the King shortly after sent ouer his Procuratours Earle of Lancaster and Darby Hugh Spencer L. Rafe Stafforde wyth the Byshop of Exâ—tor and diuers other to the popes court to discusse and plead about the right of his title before the pope Unto whom the said Pope Clement the 6. not long after sent down thys message how that Ludouike duke of Bauarie the Emperour whom the pope had before deposed had submitted himselfe to hym in all things and therefore deserued at his hands the benefite of absolution And how the pope therfore had coÌ„ferred and restored vnto him iustly and gratiously the Empire which he before vniustly did holde c. Which message when the King did heare beyng therwith moued to anger answered againe saying That if he did agree and compound also with the Frenche king he was ready to fight with them both c. Ex chro Albanen Within the time of this yere pence halfepence and farthings began to be coyned in the tower And the next yere folowing which was an 1344. the castle of winsor where the king was borne began to be repared and in the same the house called the rounde table was situate the diameter wherof from the one side to the other contained 200. feete to the expeÌ„ces of which house weekly was allowed an C. li. for the mainteining
parable of Christ saying The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a man whiche sowed good seede in hys field but when men were on sleepe the enemy came and sowed Tares in the midst of the wheate went his way But when the herbe was growne and brought forth fruite then appeareth the Tares And the seruauntes came vnto the good man of the house and sayd vnto him Lorde didst not thou sowe good seede in thy field From whence then come these Tares And he sayd vnto them The enemy hath done this And the seruauntes sayd vnto him wilt thou that we goe and gather them vp And he sayd no least peraduenture gathering vp the Tares ye plucke vp the wheate by the rootes Suffer them both to grow vntill the haruest and in the time of the haruest I will saye vnto the haruest men gather first the Tares and binde them in the bundels that they may be burnt but gather the wheate into my barne Christ himselfe onely expoundeth this parable in the selfe same chapter saying He whiche soweth the good seede is the sonne of man but the field is the world and the good seede those are the children of the kingdome But the Tares are the naughty children And the enemy which soweth them is the Deuill And the haruest is the end of the world and the haruest men are the Aungels Euen as therfore the Tares are gathered and burnt with fire so shall it be in the end of the world The sonne of man shall send hys Aungels and they shal gather out of his kingdome al offendoures and those which commit iniquitie and shall put them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teethe By whiche playne doctrine it is manifest that Christ will haue mercy shewed vnto sinners euen vnto the ende of the world and will haue them to remayn mingled with the good Least peraduenture when a man thinketh that he doth right well to take away the tares he taketh away the wheat For how great a sinner soeuer a mā be we know not whether his end shal be good and whether in the end he shall obtayne mercy of God Neither are we certayn of the time wherein God will by grace iudge him whom we abhorre as a sinner And peraduenture suche a one shall more profit after his conuersion in the Church then he who we think to be iust as it came to passe in Paul And if god iustifieth a man by grace although at his ende why darest thou be so bold to be his iudge and to condemne him Yea rather although a man seeme to be obstinate and hardened in his euill so that he is not corrected by a secret correction correct him before one alone if he doe not receaue open correction being done before two or three witnesses neyther passeth vpon a manifest correction when his sinne is made known vnto the Church Christ doth not teach to punish such a one with the punishment of death Yea rather he sayth if he harken not vnto the churche let him be vnto thee as an Ethnicke and Publicane And Paule following this doctrin in the 1. Corin. 5. chapter saith There goeth a common saying that there is fornication among you such fornication as is not once named among the gentiles that one shold haue hys fathers wife And ye are pufted vp and haue not rather sorrowed that he whiche hath done this deed might be put from among you For I verily as absent in body but present in spirite haue already determined as though I were present that he whiche hath done this thing whē ye are gathered together and my spirit in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that such one by the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ be deliuered vnto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus Paule teacheth not to kill this man as some gather by this text but to separate him from the other faithfull and so frō Christ which is the head of the Church of the faithfull and so is he deliuered vnto Sathan which is separated from Christ that the flesh may be killed that is that that carnall concupyscence whereby he luxuriously lusted after the wife of his father may be destroyed in him by such a separation that the spirite may be saued not that his body should be killed as some say as it is most manifest in the selfe same chapiter where he sayth I wrote vnto you in an Epile that ye shoulde not keepe company with fornicatours and I ment not of all the fornicators of this world eyther of the couetous or extorcioners or Idolaters for then must yee nedes haue gone out of the world But now I haue written vnto you that ye keepe not company together if anye that is called a brother be a fonicatour or couetous persō or a worshipper of Images eyther a cursed speaker or dronkard or an extorcioner with him that is such see that ye care not By whych it is manyfest that Paule woulde haue the foresayd fornicatour separated from the fellowship of the faithful that his carnall concupiscence might be mortifyed for the health of the spirit and not that the body should be killed Wherefore they do ill vnderstand Paule which by this saying do cōfirme the killing of mē And forasmuch as heresie is one of the most greuous sinnes for an heretike leadeth men in errours wherby they are made to stray frō fayth without which they cannot bee saued it doth most great hurt in the Church Further as concerning such a wicked man Paul thus speaketh flye from the man that is an heretike after the first and second correction knowing that such a one is subuerted and sinneth forasmuch as he is by his owne iudgemēt condemned Behold Paule teacheth not to kill thys man but with Christ to separate him frō the fellowship of the faythfull But some say that Peter in the primitiue Church slewe Ananias and Saphyra for their sinnes wherefore they say it is lawful for them to condemne wicked men to death We wil declare in shewing the whole processe how falsly they speake in alleaging of Peter for to iustify their errour In the 4. chap. of the Actes it is written that as many as were possessours of landes or houses they solde them offred the prices of that whych they solde and layed it before the feete of the Apostles it was deuided vnto euery one as he had neede thereof But a certaine man Ananias with Saphira his wife solde a piece of land and kept back a part of the price of the field his wife being priuy vnto it and bringing a certaine part therof he laid it at the feete of the Apostles But Peter saide vnto Ananias Ananias why hath Satan tempted thy hart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost to keepe backe a part of the price of the land Did it not whilest it remayned remayne vnto
thee and being sold was it not in thine own power why hast thou conceiued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto meÌ„ but vnto God And wheÌ„ Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost great feare came on all them that heard these things And the young meÌ„ rose vp and tooke him vp and caried him out and buried him And it came to passe about the space of iij. houres after that his wyfe came in being ignorant of that whych was done And Peter sayd vnto her Tel me womaÌ„ sold ye the land for so much And she sayd yea for so much But Peter saye vnto her why haue ye agreed together to teÌ„pt the spirit of the Lord Behold the feete of them which buried thy husbande are at the doore and shall cary thee out And straight way she fel downe before his feete and gaue vp the ghost and the yong men entring in found her dead and they caried her out and buried her by her husbaÌ„d And great feare came on all the church all those which heard these thinges It is meruaile that any man that is wise wyll say that by this processe Peter slue Ananias or hys wife For it was not his act but the act of God who made a wedding to his sonne sent his seruant to cal them that were bidden vnto the wedding and they would not come The king then sent forth his seruantes to the outcorners of the hie wayes to gather all that they could find both good and euill And so they did And the maryage was full furnished with gestes Then came in also the king to view and see them sitting Among whom he perceaued there one sitting hauing not a wedding garment and sayth vnto him frend how camest thou hither And he being dumme had not a worde to speake Then said the king to the seruitures take and binde him hand and foote and cast him into the outward darcknes there shall be weeping and gnashinge of teeth Many there be called but few chosen c. It is manifest that this wedding garment is charitie without which because Ananias entred into the maryage of Christ he was geuen to death that by one many might be informed to learne vnderstand that they which haue fayth not charitie although they appeare to men to haue yet it can not be priuy to the spirite of God that they doe fayne Such there is no doubt but they shal be excluded froÌ„ the mariage of christ as we see this here exemplified in the death of Ananias his wife by the hand of God not by the hand of Peter And how should Peter theÌ„ haue iudged Ananias albeit he had iudged him worthy of death by the rigour of the old law For why by the law he had not bene guilty of death for that part which they fraudulently dissemblingly did reserue to themselues Yea and if they had stolne as much from an other man which was greater neither yeâ— for hys lie committed he had not therfore by the law of iustice bene found gilty of death Wherefore if he did not condeÌ„ne hym by the law of iustice it appeared that he codeÌ„ned him by the law of grace and mercy whiche he learned of Christ. And so consequently it followeth much more apparent that Peter could not put him to death Furthermore to say that Peter put him to death by the meere motion of his own will and not by authoritie of the old law nor by the new it were derogatory and slaunderous to the good fame and name of Peter But if Peter did kill hym why then doth the Byshop of Rome which pretendeth to be successor of Peter excuse himselfe and his priestes from the iudgement of death agaynst heretiques and other offeÌ„ders although they themselues be conseÌ„ting to such iudgements done by lay men For that which was done of Peter without offence may reasonably excuse him and his felow Priestes from the spot of crime Actes 5. It is manyfest that there was another which did more greeuously offend theÌ„ Ananias and that Peter rebuked him with more sharpe words but yet he commanded him not so to he put to death For Simon Magus also remayning at Samaria after that he beleued and was baptised he ioyned himselfe with Phillip And when he sawe that the holye spirite was geuen by the Apostles laying theyr handes vpon meÌ„ he offred theÌ„ mony saying geue vnto me this power that vpon whome soeuer I shall lay my hand he shall receaue the holy Ghost To whom Peter answered Destroyed be thou and thy money together And for that thou supposest the gifte of GOD to be bought with money thou shalt haue neyther part nor fellowshippe in this doctrine Thy hart is not pure before god therefore repeÌ„t thee of thy wiâ—kednesse and pray vnto God that this wicked thought of thy hart may be forgeuen thee for I perceiue thou art eueÌ„ in the bitter gall of wickednes and bande of iniquitie Beholde here the greuous offence of Symon Peters hard sharp rebuking of him and yet therupon he was not put to death Whereby it appeareth that the death of Anamas aforesaid proceeded of God and not of Peter Of all these things it is to be gathered seing the iudgements of death are not grounded vpon the expresse and playn scriptures but onely vnder the shadow of the olde law that they are not to be obserued of Christians because they are coÌ„trarye to charity Ergo the bishop of Rome approuing such iudgements alloweth those that are contrary to the law doctrine of Christ as before is sayd of warres where hee approueth iustifieth that which is coÌ„trary to charity The order of Priesthood albeit it doth iustifie the iudgemeÌ„ts to death of the laity whereby offenders are condeÌ„ned to die yet are they themselues forbidden to put in execution the same iudgementes The priestes of the old law being vnperfect wheÌ„ Pylate said vnto theÌ„ concerning Christ whoÌ„ they had accused worthy death take him vnto you and according to your law iudge him answered that it was not lawful for them to put to death any man Wherby it appeareth that our priests being much more perfect may not lawfully geue iudgemeÌ„t of death against any offenders yet notwithstanding they claime vnto theÌ„ the power iudicial vpon offeÌ„ders Because say they it belongeth vnto them to know the offences by the auricular confession of the offenders and to iudge vpoÌ„ the same being knowne aud to ioyne diuers penances vnto the parties offending according to the quantitie of their offences coÌ„mitted to that the sinner may make satisfactioÌ„ say they vnto God for the offences which he neuer committed And to coÌ„firme vnto theÌ„ this iudicial power they alleage the scriptures in many places wrasting it to serue their purpose First they saye that the Bishop of Rome who is the chief priest and iudge among them hath ful power authority to
remit sinnes Wherupon they say that he is able fully wholy to absolue a man a poena culpa so that if a man at the time of his death had this remission he should straigtwaies flie vnto heauen without any paine of Purgatory The other Bishops as they say haue not so great authoritie The priests constituted vnder euery Byshop haue power say they to absolue the sinnes of thē that are confessed but not al kind of sinnes because there are some grieuous sinnes reserued to the absolutions of the Byshops and some againe to the absolution onely of the chiefe and high Byshop They say also that it behoueth the offēders for the necessitie of their soule health to call to remēbrance their offences and to manifest the same with al the circumstances therof vnto the priest in auricular cōfessiō supplying the place of God after the maner of a Iudge afterwarde humbly to fulfill the penaunce enioyned vnto him by the priest for his sinnes except the sayde penaunce so enioyned or any part thereof be released by the superior power All these things say they are manifestly determined as wel in the decrees as decretals And although these things haue not expressely their foundation in the playne and manifest doctrine of Christ nor any of the Apostles yet the authors of the decrees and decretals concerning thys matter haue groūded the same vpon diuers places of the scriptures as in the proces of Christ in the Gospell of Saynt Mathew the xvj chapter Wherupon they ground that popes power iudicial to surmount the powers of other priests as where Christ sayd vnto his disciples whō do men saye that I am And they aunswered some saye that thou art Iohn Baptist some Elias some Ieremy or one of the Prophets To whom he sayde but who saye you that I am Symon Peter makinge aunswere sayde Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus answered and said vnto him Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh bloud hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter vpon this rocke wil I buyld my church and hel gates shal not preuaile against it And I wil geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose vpon earth shall bee loosed also in heauen Out of this text of Christ diuers expositiōs haue drawen diuers errours For when Christ sayd And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke wil I build my Church Some therupon affirme that Christe meant he would builde his Church vpon Peter by authority of that text as it is writtē in the first part of the decrees Dist. 19. cap. Ita dominus noster The exposition hereof is ascribed to Pope Leo the errour wherof is manifestly known For the Church of Christ is not builded vpon Peter but vpon the rocke of Peters confession for that he sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and for that Christ sayd singularly vnto Peter I will geue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. By this saying they affirme that Christ gaue vnto Peter specially as chiefe of the rest of the Apostles a larger power to binde and to lose then he did vnto the rest of the apostles or disciples And because Peter answered for him self al the Apostles not only confessing the faith which he had chiefly aboue the rest but also the faith whiche the rest of the Apostles had euen as himselfe by the reuelation of the heauēly father It appeareth that as the fayth of al the Apostles was declared by the answere of one so by this that Christ sayd vnto Peter whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. is geuen vnto the rest of the Apostles the same power equallitie to binde to lose as vnto Peter Whiche Christ declareth in the Gospell of S. Mathew the 18. chapter in these words Verely I say vnto you what thinges so euer you shall binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauē whatsoeuer you shal lose vpon earth shal be also losed in heauē And further he addeth And agayne I say vnto you that if two of you shall consent vpon earth and request whatsoeuer it be it shall be graunted vnto you of my father which is in heauen For when two or three be gathered together in my name I am there in the midst of them And in Iohn the xx chapter he sayth generally vnto them Receaue ye my spirit Whose sins ye shall remit shal be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes you shall retayne shall be retained By this it appeareth that the power to bynde and to loose is not specially graunted to Peter as chiefe and head of the rest and that by him the rest had their power to bind and to loose for that the head of the body of the Churche is one which is Christ and the head of Christ is God Peter and the rest of the Apostles are the good members of the body of Christ receiuing power vertue of Christ wherby they do confirme and glew together the other mēbers as well the strong noble as the weake and vnable to a perfect composition and seemelines of the body of Christ that all honour from all partes and members may be geuē vnto Christ as head and chiefe by whome as head all the members are gouerned And therfore Paule 1. Corinthians chap. 3. When any man sayth I hold of Paule and an other sayth I hold of Apollo are ye not carnall men For what is Apollo what is Paule The minister of him in whom ye haue beleued and he as God geueth vnto euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath geuen the increase Therfore neither he that plāteth is any thing neither he that watereth but God that geueth the increase And Paul to the Gal. chap. 2. God hath no respecte of persons Those that seemed to be great and to do much auayled or profited me nothing at all But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the circumcision vnto Peter for he that wrought with Peter in the Apostleship of the circumcision wrought with me also amōg the Gentiles and when they knew the grace which was geuen me Peter Iames and Iohn straightwayes ioyned themselues with me and Barnabas wee among the Gentiles and they in circumcision onely might be mindefull of the poore the which to do I was very carefull Hereby it appeareth that Paule had not his authoritie of Peter to conuert the Gentiles to baptise them and to remit their sinnes but of him which said vnto him Saule Saule why persecutest thou mee It is hard for thee to kicke agaynst the pricke Heare is Paule the head of the
and laye men whether in defect of the other they may exercise the action of praier and administration of Sacraments belonging to Priests wherein he declareth the vse receiued in the Popes Churche for women to Raptise which sayth he cannot be without remission of sinnes wherefore seeing that women haue power by the Pope to remit sinne and to baptise why may they not aswell be admitted to minister the Lordes Supper in like case of necessity Wherin also he maketh relation of Pope Iohn 8. a woman Pope mouing certayne Questions of her All whiche for breuitye I pretermitte proceeding to the ministration of prayer and blessing or sanctification appropriate to the office of Priestes as followeth Furthermore as touching the fūction office of praying and blessing whereunto Priestes seme to be ordeined to omitte here the question whether women may pray in Churches in lacke of other meete persons it remayneth now also to prosecute Christ being desired of his Disciples to teach them to pray gaue them the common prayer both to men and women to the which prayer in my estimation no other is to be compared For in that first the whole honor due vnto the deity is comprehended Secondly whatsoeuer is necessary for vs both for the time present or past or for time to come is there desired praid for He informeth vs besides to pray secretly and also briefly secretly to enter into our close chāber and there in secrecy he willeth vs to pray vnto his father And sayth moreouer when ye pray vse not much babling or many words as doth the heathen For they thinke in their long and prolixe praying to be heard Therfore be you not like to thē By the which doctrine he calleth vs away frō the errors of the healthē Gentils frō whom proceed these superstitious maner of actes or rather of ignoraunces as Necromancy the art of diuinatiō other spises of coniuratiō not vnknown to them that be learned for these Necromansers beleue one place to be of greater vertue then an other there to be heard sooner then in an other Like as Balaam being hyred to curse the people of God by his arte of southsaying or cherming when he could not accomplish his purpose in one place he remoued to an other but he in the end was deceiued of hys desire For he intending first to curse them was not able to accurse thē whom the Lord blessed so that his curse coulde not hurt any of all that people After like sort the Nicromancers turne theyr face to the East as to a place more apt for theyr prayers Also the Necromāsers beleue that the vertue of the words of the prayer the curiosity therof causeth thē to bring to the effect which they seek after which is also another poynt of infidelity vsed much of Charmers Sorcerers Inchaūters Southsayers such like Out of the same arte I feare proceedeth the practise of exorcising wherby deuils spirits be coniured to do that wherunto they are inforced by the Exorcist Also wherby other creatures likewise are exorcised or coniured so that by the vertue of their exorcisme they may haue theyr power and strength exceeding all naturall operation In the Church of Rome many such exorcismes coniurations be practised are called of them benedictions or halowings But here I aske of these Exorcisers whether they beleue the thinges and creatures so exorcised and halowed haue that operation and efficacy geuē them which they pretēd If they so beleue euery child may see that they are farre beguiled For holy water being of them exorcised or cōiured hath no such power in it neither cā haue which they in theyr exorcisme do cōmaund For there they inioyn and commaund that whersoeuer that water is sprinckled all vexatiō or infestatiō of the vnclean spirit should auoid and that no pestilēt spirit there should abide c. But most playn it is that no water be it neuer so holy can haue any such power so to do as it is commaunded to wit to be an vniuersall remedy to expell all diseases This I woulde aske of these Exorcistes whether in theyr commaunding they do coniure or adiure the thinges conuired to be of an higher vertue and operation thē their own nature doth geue Or els whether they in their prayers desire of God that he wil infude into them that vertue which they require If they in theyr commaunding doe so beleue thē do they beleue that they haue that power in thē to the which the inferior power of the thing exorcised must obey in receiuing that which is commaunded And so doing are much more deceiued forasmuch as they see themselues that they which are so authorised to the office of exorcising say to the deuill being coniured Go he goeth not And to an other come and he cōmeth not many thinges els they commaūd the inferior spirite their subiect to do he doth not So in like case when they pray to God to make the water to be of such vertue that it may be to them health of mind and body and that it may be able to expulse euery vncleane spirit to chase away all maner of distemperature and pestilence of the ayre being an vnreasonable petition asked sore displeasing to God it is to be feared least theyr benediction their halowing blessing is chaūged into cursing according to that saying that followeth And now O you priests I haue a message to say vnto you If you will not heare and beare well away in your mindes to geue the glory vnto my name sayth the Lord God of hostes I will send scarcety amongest you and I wyll curse your blessings What things and how many are blessed or halowed in the Churche that in halowing thereof displease God and are accursed And therfore according to the saying of S. Iames they aske are not heard because the aske not as they should that they in theyr owne dsires may perish Let a man beholde the blessing or halowing of their fire water incense waxe bread wine the church the aultar the Churchyard ashes belies copes pallmes oile candles salt the hallowing of the ring the bed the staffe of many such like things I beleue that a man shall find out many errors of the hethē Magicians Witches southsayers and charmers And notwithstanding the auncient and old Magicians in their bookes commaund those that be coniurers that they in any wise liue deuoutly for otherwise as they say the spirites will not obey their cōmaūdements and coniuratiōs yet the Romane cōiurers do impute it to the vertue of the holy wordes because they be they which worke and not the holynes of the coniurers How commeth it to passe that they say the thinges consecrated of a cursed and vicious Iauell should haue so great vertue in pronouncing as they say the holy and misticall words as if they were pronoūced of a Priest neuer so
wherwith heretickes are punished or are wont and are commaunded by canonical sanctions to be vsed and if they be clerkes by degradation doe correcte and punishe and cause them to be corrected and punyshed with all dilligence Furthermore that you do rise vp stoutly and couragiously agaynst such heretickes and the goodes as well of them as of the lay men according to the canonicall sanctioÌ„ made agaynst heretickes and their followers vnder the which we will and commaunde them and their partakers to be subiect And also such persons as shall be infamed of the heresies or errors aforesayd or any of the premisses shall be bounde to purge themselues at your arbitrement but the other which either be witnesses or by their owne confessions or other allegations or probations shal be conuicted of the foresaid heresies or articles or of any the premisses they shal be compelled to reuoke and abiure publikely and solemnly the sayd articles and erroures and to suffer condigne penaunce and punishment yea euen to perpetuall imprisonment if need be for the same And to the intent that they shall not nourish any kinde of heresies hereafter either in word deede or gesture or shall induce other either in worde or deede priuely or apertly directly or indirectly to beleeue the same they shal be forced to put in sufficient suretie Who if it so chaunce that they wil not publikely and solemnly renounce and abiure their articles and errors and take at your handes condigne penaunce though it be to perpetual or teÌ„poral punishment according to your discretion neither wil be coÌ„tented to put in sufficient suretie that they will not hereafter holde nor nourish those erroures and heresies neither wil induce other by word or deed priuily or apertly directly or indirecly or by any other maner of colour to beleue the same that then you shall proceede agaynst them according to the qualty of their erroures and demerites yea and if you see it so expedient as against heretickes as infected with heresie by our authoritie according to the canonical sanctions suâ—marily and simply and plainly sine strepitu figura iudicij of office all appellatioÌ„ or appellations whatsoeuer ceasing and that you punish the same according to the sanctions traditions canonicall yea if neede be in leauing and committing them to the secular power and agayinst such as be superiors or learned doctors laying the censures of ecclesiasticall excoÌ„munication al appellation set aside also innocating if neede shall require ayd of the secular arme The constitution as wel of our predecessor P. Boniface 8. of blessed memory wherein is decreed that no man without hys City or dioces except in certayne cases or in places being one daies iornye distant from thence where he inhabiteth shal be called into iudgement that no man do presume to depute iudges froÌ„ the sea Apostolicke wtout the city dioces where they are deputed to proceede agaynst any or do presume to coÌ„mit their authority to any other person or persoÌ„s or to fetch remoue any man beyond one dayes iorny froÌ„ out his Dioces where he dwelleth or at most two dayes iourny if it be in a generall councell as also all other constitutions of any byshop of Rome touching as well Iudges delegate as persons not to be called to iudgement beyond a certaine number or els any other edict indulce priuelege or exemption generall or special graunted from the Apostolike sea for anye person or persons not to be interdicted suspended or excommunicated or cited vp to iudgement without the compasse of certaine limites or els what soeuer thing otherwise may hinder stop or impeache your iurisdiction power and free proceeding herein by anye meanes to the contrary notwithstanding Dat Constant. the first yeare of our popedome ¶ This bloudy and abhominable commission of pope Martine which I haue copied out of a certaine olde monument remaining in the handes of Maister Hackluyt student in the Temple seemeth to be directed and geuen out to the publike destruction of all faithful Christen men about the latter end breaking vp of the councel of Constance an 1418. By the which the prudent reader hath this to note and consider what labour what pollicie what couÌ„saile what lawes haue bene set what wayes haue bene takeÌ„ what seueritie hath bene shewed how mens power wit and authoritie of the whole world haue conspired together from time to time coÌ„tinually by all maner meanes to subuert and supplant the worde and way of the Lorde And yet notwithstanding man hath not preuayled but all his force deuised pollicies haue bene ouerthrown dispatched and with the councell of Achitophell and Ammon haue bene brought to nought and contrary to the furye of the world the gospell of Christ hathe still increased Neither yet for all this will the Pope cease to spurne and rebell still against the kingdome of Christe and of hys Gospell agaynst which neyther he nor yet the gates of hell shall euer preuayle The Lord of hostes be mercifull to hys poore persecuted flocke Amen Agaynst this pestilent Bull and Inquisition of Pope Martine the great antechrist I thought good here to adioyne and annexe an other contrarye writing of the Bohemians bearing the name and subscription of Procopius Conradus and other Captaynes of the Bohemians which seemeth not long after the death of Zisca to be written agaynst the pestiferous sea of Rome the tenour whereof here followrth A fruitfull and Christian exhortation of the Bohemianes to kinges and princes to stir them vp to the zeale of the Gospell THe almighty God the father by hys welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ may in hys holy spirite open the vnderstanding both of you and of all Christians lighten your hartes with the light of hys doctrin of righteousnes and may make you to continue therin surely established to the end This we desire of you for your saluation all ye honourable wise honest noble men al the Comminaltie ye rich and poore heare and consider with dilligent heede the wordes of this present letter which is sent vnto you from the Country of the Bohemianes It is manifest and well knowne to you and many other citties Kynges princes and Lordes that now a certayne number of yeares there hath ben great discord betwixt vs and you and there haue bene some which haue moued you by letters and prouoked you to make warre against vs and to destroy vs. And as well on your part as on ours many men as wel noble as vnnoble haue foolishly lost their lyues Yet neuer hetherto haue ye in any parte vnderstoode our fayth by our owne confession neither whether we be able to proue the same out of the scriptures yea or no and yet in the meane time kinges Princes Lordes and Citties haue sustayned great dammage And hereof we greatly meruaile that ye do so much trust and beleue the pope and hys priestes which geue you drinke full of poyson and
stoupe and should tread vpon the necke of Emperors and make them to kisse his feet Moreouer where the Apostle sayth that he shall sit in the temple of God thereby is ment not the personall sitting of the Pope in the Citty onely of Rome but the authority and iurisdiction of his sea exalted in the whol vniuersall Church equall with God himselfe For let men geue to the Pope that which he in his lawes decrees and in his pontificall requireth and what difference is there betweene God and the Pope If God sette lawes and ordinaunces so doth he If God haue his creatures so hath he if God require obedience so doth he If the breach of Gods commaundementes be punished much more be his God hath his Religion the Pope also hath his yea for Gods one Religion he hath an hundreth God hath set vppe one Aduocate he hath an hundreth God hath instituted but a few holydayes for Gods one he hath instituted xl And if the holy day that God hath appoynted be simplex the feaste that the Pope appoynteth is duplex triplex Christ is the head of the Church so is the Pope Christ geueth influence to his body so doth the Pope Christ forgeueth sinne the Pope doth no lesse Christ expelleth euil spirites by his power so pretendeth the Pope by his holy water Furthermore where Christ went barefoote vpon the bare ground he with his golden shoes is caried on mennes shoulders And where Christ was called Sanctus Sanctorum he is called Sanctorum Sanctissimus Christ neuer practised but onely the spirituall sworde he claymeth both spirituall and temporal Christ bought the Church he both buieth and selleth the Church And if it be necessary to beleue Christ to be the Sauiour of the world so is it necessary to beleue the Pope to be the head of the Church Christ payd tribute to Cesar he maketh Cesar to pay tribute vnto him Finally the crowne of Christ was of sharp thorne the Pope hath three crownes of golde vpon his head so farre exceeding Christ the sonne of God in glory of this world as Christ excedeth him in the glory of heauen The Image and Paterne of whose intollerable pride and exaltation according as S. Paule doth describe him in his epistle aforesayde we haue here set forth not onely in these Tables to be seene and by hys owne factes to be noted but also his owne wordes and Registers Clementines Extrauagantes and Pontificals expressed as in order the Lord willing shall folow Byshops of Rome aduanced by Emperours Constantinus Theodosius c. ¶ The exaltation of popes aboue Kinges and Emperours out of historyes FIrst after that Italy and the Citty of Rome were ouerrunne by the Gothes and Vandales so that the seate of the Empire was remoued to Constantinople then began Ioannes Patriarch of Constantinople to put forth hymselfe and would needes be called vniuersall Bishop of the world but the Bishoppe of Rome in no case would suffer that and stopped it After this came the Emperours deputy and Exarch of Rauenna to rule Italy but the Byshop of Rome through ayde of the King of Lombardes soone quayled him Not long after about the yeare of our Lord 500. came Phocas the murderer who slue the Emperor of Constantinople his maister Mauritius and his children By which Phocas the bishops of old Rome aspired first to their preheminēce to be coūted the headbishops ouer the whole church and so together with the Lombardes began to rule the city of Rome Afterward when the Lombardes would not yeld vnto him in accomplishing his ambitious desire but would needs requyre of the Bishop the said city of Rome he styrred vppe Pipinus but first deposed Childiricus the king of Fraunce and so thrusting him into an Abbay sette vp in his place Pipinus and his sonne Carolus Magnus to put downe the sayde king of Lombardes called Aistulphus And so translated the Empyre from Constantinople into Fraunce deuiding the spoyle betwene him and them so that the kinges of Fraunce had all the possessions and landes which before belonged to the Empyre and he to receiue of them the quiet possession of the city of Rome with such donations and Lordships which now they challenge vnto thē vnder the name of S. Peters patrimony which they falsly ascribe to the donatiō of Constantinus the great It foloweth then in proces of tyme after the dayes of Pipinus Carolus and Ludouicus who had indued these Bishops of Rome called now Popes with large possessions when the kinges of Fraunce were not so applyable to theyr becke to aide and maynteine thē agaynst the Princes of Italy who began then to pynch the sayde Byshops for theyr wrongful vsurped goodes they practised with the Germanes to reduce the Empyre to Otho first of that name Duke of spayne referring the election thereof to 7. Princes Electours of Germany which was aboute ann 1002. notwithstanding reseruing still in his handes the negatiue voyce thinking thereby to enioy that they had in quietnes and security and so did for a good space At length when some of these Germane Emperours also after Otho began a litle to spurne agaynst the sayd bishops and Popes of Rome some of thē they accursed some they subdued and brought to the kissing of theyr feet some they deposed and placed other in theyr possessions So was Henricus 4. by these Byshoppes accursed the Emperour himselfe forced with his wife and child to wait attendaunce vppon the Popes pleasure three dayes and three nightes in winter at the gates of Canossus Reade before pag. 179. Besides all this the sayd Pope raysed vp Rodulphus to be Emperor against him who being slaine in warre then the sayde Pope Gregorye vij not restyng thus styrred vppe his owne sonne Henricus 5. to fight agaynst his owne naturall father and to depose him whiche Henricus the 5. was also himselfe afterwarde accursed and excommunicated and the Saxons at last set vp by the Byshops to fight agaynst him After this the Emperours began to be somewhat calmed and more quyet suffering the Byshops to reigne as they listed till Fridericke the first called Barbarossa came and began to styrre coales agaynst thē Howbeit they hampered both him and his sonne Henry in such sort that they brought first the necke of Fridericke in the Church of Venice vnder theyr feet to tread vpon and after that the sayde bishops crowning Henricus his sonne in the church of S. Peter set his crown on his head with theyr feet and with theyr feet spurned it of agayne to make him know that the Popes of Rome had power both to crowne Emperours and to depose them agayne Whereof read before pag. 784. Then folowed Philippus brother to Henry aforesaid whome also the Popes accursed aboute the yeare of our Lord. 1198. and set vp Otho Duke of Saxonye But when the sayd Otho beganne to be so laucy to dispossesse the Byshops of theyr Cittyes and landes whiche they had encroched into
cite vp both parties and to haue the hearing and deciding of the cause as did Macarius and Hesychius send to Iulius then bishop of Rome c. Item in that certaine of the Arrians returning from their Arrianisme offered vp and exhibited vnto the bishops of Rome their libels of repentance and were of them receiued againe as Vrsatius and Valens did to Iulius Socra lib. 2. cap 24. The x. cause was also for that Gratianus the Emperour made a law that all men should retaine that religiō which Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria did hold Sozom lib. 7. cap. 4. And also if it happened the bishop of Rome to disalow the ordering of any minister or ministers the Popes perceiuing how diligent and redy they were to seeke their fauour and to send vp their messengers to Rome for their purgation tooke therby no little maner of exaltation Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 23. Besides these aforesaid the bishops of Rome had also an other artificiall practise that in sending out their letters abroad as they did to many in all their Epistles if the Epistles be theirs and not forged euer they were harping of the greatnes of their name and of their Apostolike sea and of the primacie of S. Peter their predecessor and prince of all the Apostles c. And this they vsed in euerie letter when so euer they wrote to any as appeareth in all their letters decretall namely in the letters of Miltiades Marcellus and Marcus c. Againe if any of the East church directed any writing to them wherein any signification was conteined of neuer so little reuerence giuen vnto them as learned men commonly vse for modesties sake that was taken by by and construed for plaine subiection and due obediēce as declareth the letter of Damasus written to the bishops of the East Church beginning thus Quod debita reuerentia c. in English thus but that your charitie yeldeth due reuerēce to the Apostolicall sea you in so doing deare children do much for your selues c. Theodoret. Lib. 5. cap. 9. where as the Bishops of the East Church notwithstanding had shewed little or no reuerence in their Epistle to Pope Damasus before Thus haue ye the first and originall groundes by the meanes wherof the Archbishops of the Romish Sea haue atchieued to this their great kingdome and celsitude ouer Christes church first beginning the mysterie of their iniquitie by that which was modestly and voluntarily giuē them Afterward by vse and custome claiming it ambitiously vnto them of dutie seruice lastly holding fast as we see that which once they had gotten into their possessiō so that now in no case they can abide the birdes to cal home their fethers againe which they so long haue vsurped And thus much concerning the life iurisdiction title of the Romain bishops In all which as is declared they and not we haue fallen from the church of Rome To these I might also ioyne the maner of gouernment wherin the said Romish Bishops haue no lesse altered both from the rule of Scripture and from the steps of the true church of Rome which gouernment as it hath bene and ought to be only spirituall so hath the bishop of Rome vsed it of late yeres no otherwise thē hath an earthly king or prince gouerned his realme dominiōs with riches glory power terror outward strēgth force prisō death executiō lawes policies promooting his friends to dignities reuenging his affections punishing and correcting faults against his person more then other offences against God committed vsing and abusing in all these things the word of God for his pretext cloke to worke his worldly purpose withall whereas indeede the word of God ministreth no such power to spirituall persons but such as is spirituall according to the saying of the Apostle Arma militiae nostrae non sunt carnalia sed spiritualia c. The armour and artillery sayth S. Paule of our warfaire is not carnall but spirituall such as serue not against flesh and bloud nor against the weake person of man but against Sathan agaynst the gates of hell and the profundities of the wicked power c. Which armour as it is al spiritual so ought they which haue the dealing therof to be likewise spirituall well furnished with all such giftes and graces of the holye Ghost meere for the gouernance of his spiritual Church as with wisedome and knowledge in the Scripture to instructe the ignorant with inward intelligence foresight of the craftye cogitations and operations of Sathan with power of the spirit to resist the same with practise and experience of tentations to comfort such as be afflicted and oppressed of Sathan with heauenly discretion to discerne spirits and truth from vntruth with iudgment and knoledge of tounges and learning to conuict errour wyth zeale of Gods glory with feruencye of prayer with patience in persecution with a minde contented with all cases and states incident with teares and compassion on other mens greeues with stoutnes and courage against proud and stout oppressours with humilitie towarde the poore and miserable with the counsaile of the Lorde Iesus by his word and spirite to direct him in all things to be done with strength against sinne with hatred of this worlde with gift of fayth power of the keyes in spirituall causes as to minister the word the Sacraments and excommunication when the worde biddeth that the spirite may be saued and to reconcile againe as case requireth c. These and such like are the matters wherin consisteth the sinews and strength of the church and the true gouernance of the same But cōtrary to these aforesaid both the Bishop clergie of this latter Church of Rome proceeding in their administration and gouernaunce as who vnder the name and pretence of Christ and his word haue exercised of long time nothing els but a worldly dominion seeking indede their owne glory not the glory of Christ riches of the world not the lucre of soules not feeding the flocke but fillyng the purse reuenging their owne wronges but neglecting gods glory stryuing against man onely and killing him but not killing the vice nor confuting the errour of man strong against flesh and bloude but weake against the Deuill stout against the simple but meeke against the mightie briefly doing almost all thinges preposterously more like to secular Princes then spirituall Pastours of Christes flocke with outward forcement and feare of punishment wyth prysoning famishyng hanging racking drowning headyng slaying murdering and burning and warring also on the other side with his riches and treasures wyth his garde and gardiance with strength of men with Court and Cardinals with pomp and pride about them with their triple crowne with the naked sworde with theyr ordinary succession with their lawes and executions their promotions and prefermēts their biddings and commandings threatninges and reuenginges c. In fine to compare therfore the Images of a
Churches to the Romains one to the Corinthians two to the GalathiaÌ„s one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Colossians one to the Thessalonians two Moreouer he wrote to his Disciples to Timothie two to Titus one to Philemon one The Epistle which beareth the title to the Hebrues is not thought to be his for the difference of the stile phrase but either iudged to be written of Timothie as Tertullian supposeth or of S. Luke as other do thinke or els of Clement afterward Bishop of Rome who as they say was adioyned with Paul and compiling together his sayings and sentences did phrase them in his stile and maner Or els as some do iudge because S. Paul wrote vnto the Hebrues for the odiousnes of his name among that people therefore he dissimuled and confessed his name in the first entre of his salutation contrary to his accustomed condition And as he wrote to the Hebrues he being an Hebrue so he wrote in Hebrue that is in his own tongue more eloquently And that is thought to be the cause why it differeth from his other Epistles and is after a more eloquent maner translated into the Greeke then his other Epistles be Some also read the Epistle written to Laodicea but that is explosed of all men Thus much Hierome As touching the tyme and order of the death and Martyrdome of S. Paule as Eusebius Hierome Maximus and other authors doe but briefly passe ouer So Abdias if his booke be of any substaÌ„tial authoritie speaking more largely of the same doth say that after the crucifying of Peter the ruine of Simon Magus Paule yet remayning in free custody was dimissed and deliuered at that time from Martyrdome by Gods permission that all the Gentiles might be replenished with preaching of the Gospell by him And the same Abdias proceeding in his story declareth moreouer that as Paule was thus occupied at Rome he was accused to the Emperour not onely for teaching new doctrine but also for stirring vp sedition against the Empire For this he being called before Nero and demaunded to shew the order and maner of his doctrine there declared what his doctrine was to teach all men peace and charitie how to loue one an other how to preuent one an other in honor rich meÌ„ not to be puft in pride nor to put their trust in their treasures but in the liuing God Meane men to be contented with foode and rayment and with their present state Poore meÌ„ to reioyce in their pouertie with hope Fathers to bring vp their children in the feare of God Children to obey their parents Husbandes to loue their wiues Wiues to be subiect vnto their husbands Citizens and subiects to giue their tribute vnto Caesar and to be subiect to their magistrates Maisters to be curteous not currish to their seruaunts Seruants to deale faithfully with their maisters And this to be the summe of his teaching which his doctrine he receiued not of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and the father of glory which spake to him from heauen the Lord Iesus saying to him that he should goe and preach in his name and that he would be with him and would be the spirit of life to all that beleued in him and that whatsoeuer he did or said he would iustifie it c. After that Paule had thus declared vnto the Emperour shortly after sentence of death was pronounced against him that he should be headed Unto whose executâ—oÌ„ then Nero sent two of his Esquiers Ferega and Parthemius to bring him word of his death They comming to Paule instructing then the people desired him to pray for them that they might beleue Who told them that shortly after they should beleue and be baptised at his Sepulchre as Abdias writeth This done the souldiours came and led him out of the Citie to the place of execution where he after his prayers made gaue his necke to the sword Abdias reporteth that as his head was strokeÌ„ off in stead of blood issued out white milke and that at laying downe his head he signed himselfe with the signe of a crosse in his forehead but this being found in no other historie Abdias semeth either to adde of his own or els to borow out of the Legend as he doth many other things beside wherof more shal be sayd Christ willing hereafter Although the same miracle of milke flowing out of his necke is referred also vnto Ambrose who in his sermon 68. if it be not counterfaited seemeth to affirme the same Of the tyme and yeare when these blessed Apostles did suffer histories doe not all agree They that follow the commoÌ„ opinion and the Popes decrees say that both Peter and Paul suffred both in one day and in one yeare which opinion semeth to be taken out of Dionysius bishop of Corinth Hierome in his booke De viris illustr affirmeth that they suffred both in one day but he expresseth not the yeare So doth Isodorus and Eusebius Symon Metaphrastes bringeth in the opinion of some which thinke that Paul suffred not with Peter but after Peter Prudentius in his PeristephanoÌ„ noteth that they both were put to death vpon the same day but not in the same yere and saith that Paule followed Peter a yeare after Abdias aboue mentioned recordeth that Paule suffered two yeares after Peter Moreouer if it be true which Abdias saith that after the crucifiyng of Peter Paul remained in his fyare custody at Rome meÌ„tioned in the Actes of the Apostles which was as Hierom witnesseth the 3. or 4. yere of Nero then must it be x. yeare betwixt the Martyrdome of Peter and of Paule for as much as it is by all writers confessed that Paule suffered the 14. yeare which was the last yeare of Nero. And so Abdias seemeth neither to agree with other authors nor with himselfe And thus much of the first persecution The second Persecution THe first Romaine persecution beginning vnder Nero as is aforesaid ceased vnder Vespasianus who gaue some rest to the poore Christians After whose raigne was mooued not long after the second persecution by the Emperor Domitian brother of Titus Of whome Eusebius and Orosius so write that he first beginning mildly afterward did so farre outrage in pride intollerable that he commaunded himself to be worshipped as God and that images of gold and siluer in his honour should be set vp in Capitolio The chiefest nobles of the Senators either vpon enuy or for their goodes he caused to be put to death some openly and some he sent into banishment there causing them to be slaine priuilie And as his tiranny was vnmeasurable so the intemperancie of his life was no lesse He put to death all the nephewes of Iuda called the Lordes brother and caused to be sought out and to be slayne all that could be found of the stocke of Dauid as Vespasian also did
intreaty nor waging them with money whiche were appointed for watchmen but they so narowly loked vnto the matter as though they should haue gotten great benefite and profite thereby Thus were the bodies of the martirs made a wonderyng stocke and laye sixe dayes in the open streetes at the length they burned them threwe their ashes into the riuer of Rods so that there might appeare no remnaunt of theÌ„ vpoÌ„ the earth And this did they as though they had beene able to haue pulled god out of his seat to haue let the regeneration of the Saintes and taken from them the hope of the resurrection whereof they being perswaded sayd they bring in this newe and straunge Religion and set thus light by death and punishment Atque haec haec ex Epistola Viennensium c. Amongest other that suffered vnder Antoninus mention was made also of Iustinus who as it is said before exhibited two Apologies concerning the defence of christian doctrine the one to the Senate of Rome and the other to Antoninus Pius the Emperour coÌ„cerning whose suffering and the causes therof is partly before declared this Iustine was borne in Neapoli in the countrey of Palestine whose father was Priscus Bachius as he himselfe doth testifie By whom in his youth he was set to schole to learne wherin processe of time he became a famous and worthy Philosopher oâ— whose excellency many learned notable men doe record For first he being altogither inflamed and rauished with desire of knowledge would in no wise be satisfied in his mind before he had gotten instructors singularly seene in all kinde of Philosophy wherevpon he writeth of him selfe in the beginning of his Dialogue Cum Tripone thus declaring that in the beginning he being desirous of that sect and societie applied himselfe to be the scholer to a certaine Stoicke remaining with him a time when he nothing profited in diuine knowledge wherof the Stoicke had no skill and affirmed the knowledge therof not to be necessary he forsoke him and went to another of the sect of the Perepatetick a sharp witted man as he thought with whom after he had beene a while he demaunded of him a stipendâ— for his teaching for the better confirmatioÌ„ of their familiaritie Whereupon Iustine accoÌ„pting him as no Philosopher left him departed And yet not satisfied in mind but desirous to heare of further learning in Philosophye adioyned himselfe to one that professed the Pithagorian â—ect a man of great fame and one who made no small accompt of himselfe Who after he had followed a time his maister demaunded of him whether he had any sight in Musicke Astronomy and Geometry wythout the sight of whiche science he saide he coulde not be apte to receiue the knowledge of vertue and felicitie vnles before he had vsed to apply his minde from sensible matters to the contemplation of things intellible And speaking much in the commenâ—ation of these sciences how profitable and necessary they were after that Iustine had declared him selfe not to bee sene therin the Philosopher gaue him ouer which greued Iustine not a little so much themore because he thought his master to haue some knowledge in those sciences After this Iustine considering with himselfe what time was requisite to the learning of these sciences and thinking not to diâ—â—erte any longer thought best to resort to the secte of the Platonistes for the great fame that ran of them wherefore he chose vnto him a singuler learned man of that secte which lately was come to those parties so remaining with him seemed to profite not a litle in contemplation of supernall things inuisible formes insomuch that he thought shortly to aspire to such sharpnes of witte and wisedome that out of hand he might atchiue to the comprehension conteÌ„plation of god which is the end of Plato his Philosophie And in this maner he bestowed his youth but afterward he growing to a riper age howe by what meanes the said Iustine came to the knowledge profession of chritianitie it foloweth likewise in his saide first Apologie where he affirmeth of him selfe as witnesseth Eusebius in his fourth booke that when he did behold the christians in their torments and sufferinges to be so constaunt in theyr profession was therwith maruâ—ilously mooued after this maner reasoning with himselfe that it was impossible for that kinde of people to be subiect to any vice or carnalitie which vices of their owne nature are not able to sustayne any sharpe aduersitie much lesse the bytternesse of death The sight wherof helped him not a litle being of his own nature inclined to the searching of true knowledge vertue to begin thereby to loue and imbrace Christian Relygion for so he doth witnes of himselfe in the ende of the fyrst Apologie signifiyng there how it was his seking and indeuor to attaine to Christianitie Understanding how the Christians by malice of wicked persons were coÌ„pelled to suffer wrong and tormentes and to be euill spoken of By sight whereof as he saith himselfe he became a Christian through this occasion for being thus afflicted in his minde as is aforesaid it came in his head for his more quietnes to go aside to some desert and solitary place void of concourse of people vnto a village or grauÌ„ge neare to the seaside whither as he approched thinking there to be al alone there meeteth with him an old auntient father of a comly visage and gentle behauior who folowing him a litle of began to reason with him where after loÌ„g disputation when the old man had declared vnto him that there was no knowledge of truth amongst the Philosophers which neither knewe God neither were aided by the holy Ghost further had reasoned with him of the immortality of the soule of the reward of the godly punishment of the wicked then Iustine being confirmed with his reasons and arguments yelded to him of his owne accorde and demaunded of him by what meanes he might attaine to that true knowledge of God Wherof he had spoken Who then counsailed him to read searche the Prophetes adioyning therewith prayer but what master quoth Iustine should I vse for the instruction therof who shal be able to helpe vs if these philosophers as you say lacke the truth are voide of the same To whom the old father aunswering there haue bene saide he many yeres before these philosophers other more auÌ„tient then all these which beyng accompted for Philosophers were iust and beloued of God who spake by the spirite of God foreseing and prophesiyng these thinges which wee see now come to passe therfore they are called Prophets These only haue knowen the truth and reueled it to men neither fearing nor passyng for any who were seduced with no opinions of mans inuention but only spake taught those things which they themselues both heard and sawe being inspired with
both by an old chronicle called Chronica gestorum as also by auncient Origen vpon the third booke of Moses bringing in his wordes which be these prouing that this sacramental bread ought not to be reserued Quicunque hunc panem coenae Christi secunda vel tertia die sumpserit non benedicitur anima eius sed inquinabitur Propterea Gabaonitae quia antiquos panes portaueruÌ„t ad filios Israel oportuit eos ligna ac aquam portare c. That is whosoeuer receiueth this bread of the Supper of Christ vpon the second or iii. day after his soule shall not be blessed but polluted Therfore the Babaonites because they brought olde bread to the children of Israel it was enioyned them to cary wood and water c. D. Austen of whom meÌ„tion is made before disputing agaynst them about this matter of the holy Eucharist vrgeth them with this interrogation whether it be the same Christ present in the Sacrament which is present at the right hand of the father If it be not the same Christ how is it true in the Scripture Vna fides vnus Dominus nostet Iesus Christus One fayth one Lord Iesus Christ If it be the same Christ theÌ„ how is he not to be honored and worshipped here as well as there To this the Ualdenses aunswere againe and graunt that Christ is one and the same with his naturall body in the sacrament which he is at the right hand of his Father but not after the same existence of his body For yâ— existence of his body in heauen is not personall and locall to be apprehended by the fayth and spirit of men In the sacrameÌ„t the existence of his body is not personall or locall to be appreheÌ„ded or receiued of our bodies after a personal or corporall maner but after a sacrameÌ„tal maner that is where our bodies receiue the signe our spirit the thing insignified Moreouer in heauen the existence of his body is dimensiue and complete with the full proportion and quaÌ„tity of the same body where with he asceÌ„ded here the existeÌ„ce of his complete body with the full proportion measure stature thereof doth not neither can stand in the sacrameÌ„t Briefly the existence of his body in heauen is naturall not sacramentall that is to be sene and not remembred here it is sacramentall not naturall that is to be remembred not to be sene That aunswere being made to the captious propositioÌ„ of D. Augustine The Ualdenses retorting the like interrogation to him againe demaund of him to answere them in the like obiection whether it be all on christ substaÌ„tially naturally which sitteth in heauen which is vnder the formes of bread and wine and in the receiuers of the Sacrament If he graunt to be Then they did him say seing Christ is as well in the sacrament as in heauen as well in the receiuer as in the sacrament all one Christ in substance nature why then is not the same Christ as well in the brest of the receiuer to be worshipped as vnder the formes of bread and wine in the sacrameÌ„t seing he is there after a more perfect maner in man then in the sacrament for in the sacrament he is but for a tâ—â—e and not for the sacraments sake but for the mans cause In man he is not for the sacraments cause but for his owne and that not for a season but for euer as it is written Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum that is he that eateth this breade shall liue for euer c. Moreouer and besides seing traÌ„substantiation is the going of one substance into an other they question againe with him whether the formes of bread and wine remayning the substauÌ„ce thereof be chauÌ„ged into the whole person of our Lord Christ Iesus that is both into his body soule and diuinitye or not into the whole Christ If he graunt the whole Then say they that is impossible concerning the diuinity both to nature and to our fayth that any creature can be chauÌ„ged into the creator If he say the bread is chaunged into the body and soule of Christ not to his diuinity then he seperateth the natures in Christ. If he say into the body alone and not the soule then he separateth the natures of the true manhood c. And so cannot be the same Christ that was betrayed for vs for that he had both body soule To conclude to what part soeuer he would aunswere this doctrine of transubstantiation cannot be defended without great incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce of al sides Ouer and besides Eneas Syluius writing of theyr doctrine and assertions perchaunce as he fouÌ„d them perchaunce making worse of them then they taught or ment reporteth them after this maner which I thought here to set out as it is in the Latin ROmanum praesulem reliquis episcopis parem esse Inter sacerdotes nullum discrimen Praes byterum non dignitatem fed vitae meritum efficere potiorem In English The byshop of Rome to be equall with other bishops Amongst priestes to be no difference of degree No Priest to be reputed for any dignity of his order but for the worthinesse of his life The soules of men departed either to enter into paine euerlasting or euerlasting ioy No fire of Purgatory to be found To pray for the dead to be vaynâ— and a thing onely found out for the lucre of Priestes The images of God as of the Trinity and of saintes to be abolished The halowing of water palmes to be a mere ridicle The religion of begging Fryars to be found out by the deuill That priestes should not incroch riches in this world but rather follow pouerty being content with their tythes and mens deuotion The preaching of the word to be free to all men called thereunto That no deadly sinne is to be tollerate for whatsoeuer respect of a greater commodity to insuâ— therupon The coÌ„firmation which bishops exercise with oyle and extreme vnction are not to be counted amongst the sacraments of the Churche Auriculare confession to be but a toy to suffice for euery man to confesse himselfe in his chamber to God Baptisme ought to be ministred ouely with pure water without any mixture of halowed oyle The temple of the Lord to be the wide world The maiesty of God not to be restrayned more within the walles of temples monastaries and chappelles so that his grace is rather to be found in one place then in an other Priestes apparell ornaments of the high aulter vestimentes corporaces chalices patines and other Churche plate to serue in no stead For the difference and respect of the very place to make no matter where the priest doth consecrate or doth minister to them which do require To be sufficient to vse onely the sacramentall words without all other superfluous ceremonies The suffrages of saintes reigning with Christ in heauen to be craued in vayne being not
his indeuour leuieth an army and prepareth his furniture and other necessaries for the deliuerie of the Christians so mightely oppressed as ye heard by the Turke or Tartarians Who hearing of the comming of the Emperour left the straight way thorough Hungarie whyche they came returned by the riuer of Danubium to Taurica and so through the fennes of Meotida and by the riuer Tanaum into Sarmatia Asiatica When the Cardinals had nowe a long time protracted the creation of the Pope and would not agree vpon the same The Emperor put them in remembrance of their duty and blameth them for their disagreeing and exhorteth them to be more carefull for the christian common wealth His 2. Epistles touching this matter are extant Wherby appeareth that only for the care and desire of peace he had to the christian vnitie and state he did the same and for that peraduenture the cardinals refused to make peace with him before they had created a newe Pope The one for more breuitie I haue omitted and here the other inserted An Epistle Inuectiue of the Emperour vnto the Cardinals for that they cannot agree vpon the creation of the Pope VNto you I write Oh you children of Ephraim which euill haue bent your bowes and worse haue shot your arrowes filthely turning your backes in the day of battaile Vnto you I speake O you children of Belial and disperpled flock You insensible people and assistents of the great iudge Vnto you I wryte O you diseÌ„tious Cardinals who the world for your deserts doth hate for whose causes the whole world being at variance is euill spoken of Doubtlesse I cannot speake vnto you but to your detractatioÌ„ because I am worldly and you spiritual I am vnperfect wherfore I must do as the vnperfect worlde doth neither can the parte be dissonant to the whole nor I contrary to my selfe that wryteth Attend ye therfore my rude Epistle wanting the dignity of Rhetoricall stile My prouoked tounge brasteth foorth into wordes before my conceiuing spirit hath deliuered the same and so not attending to the higher regiment hath hastened to expres my words not fully conceiued or premeditate Thus I say troubled minde oftentimes doth beget vnordered talke and vntimely vttereth the same This therfore is that our heart hath conceiued that we beleeue and all men confesse that Iesus Christ the mediatour betweene God and man which came from heauen to make peace vpon the earth is not deuided and at variaunce being also the maister and Lorde of the Apostles But Sathan being deuided in himselfe that blustering prince is amongest you as those to whome he ministreth He euen he the perswader of discorde and dissention that mankiller father of lies and spirite of darkenesse that hath deuided your tonges and set dissention amongst your selues Neither ye doe good one to another nor yet to the world being by you in so perillous a state brought And the little shippe of Peter which is tossed vppon the sea by vehement windes you nothing regarde which shippe though it neede not in deede vtterly to feare drowning yet suffereth it by your negligence many great stormes and perillous tempests Doubtlesse if yee woulde diligently consider howe the nations and people whome ye were wont to iudge in scorne shake their heades at you euery one of you would be ashamed of an other And to say the truth they can not doe too much to detect your so detestable opporobrie for whilest euery one of you aspireth to the chaire euery one is at variance with his fellowe and whilest one of you cannot agree with another none is promoted whilest none is promoted the Cathedrall dignitie vanisheth And thus by your discorde the peaceable state and concorde of the Churche is confounded and the perfection of the faith and Religion whereby yee should liue perisheth And surely through your default it perisheth so that where as nature hath placed the sense and vnderstanding to be that partly like a monster remaineth with you both senselesse and headlesse And no maruell for why your hearing is impaired and that sounde of the mouth that shrilly was heard throughout the whole earth is vtterly dombe and become a scoffing Eccho For why the toundâ—ings of Peter and Paule are now no more heard the Preachers are become dumme dogges and are commaunded to silence Perhappes you haue handes readie to receiue but there be no bribes For why those that were wont to come from Saba and bring golde with them nowe come no more seeing the Lord is not in the maunger and the celestiall shining starre refusing to be their guide Moreouer yee want feete to walke withal for seeing there is no man to geue you ought you will not remoue one foote for any mans pleasure Fie shamelesse people the least and simplest beast may learne you obedience for the birdes haue their Captaine and the sillie Bee their King but you will come vnder no gouernment c. The Emperour yet after thys at the request of Galdwinus the Emperour of Constantinople who came to Fredericus to Parma released the Cardinals out of pryson thinking thereby not onely to gratifie the Emperour Baldwinus but also thinking that therby things would haue the better growne to publique tranquillitie on euery side When the Cardinals were all assembled at Auignia they made Simbaldus a Genues Pope whome by a contrary name for that he had determined as I suppose to be hurtfull to the common wealth they called Innocentius the 4. Of which election when Fredericke vnderstoode be was well pleased therewith And for that he had in all this troublous time bene his friend he well hoped that the Christian common wealth should by him haue ben brought to much peace and coÌ„cord Wherfore he sent both his legates and letters gratulatorie vnto him letting him to vnderstand howe wel it contented and pleased him that he was made Pope what peace quietnes therby he promiseth as it were to himselfe he maketh full relation thereof offring againe vnto him obseruaunce helpe and aide in all things commeÌ„ding his dignitie to the publique state and quietnesse of the christian common weale and Empire c. Hee also wrote hys letters to Otho Duke of Boioria who a little before was reconciled to the Emperor that he which was elected pope was a good man a louer of peace and studious as well for the tranquilitie of the christian coÌ„mon wealth as of the Empire The Legates of Fredericke also with the furtherance of Baldwinus the Emperor of Constantinople laboured very diligently for the conclusion of the promised peace And to be briefe euery man was in good hope and looked for no lesse But farre otherwise fell the matter out and contrary to al their expectations For the Pope set on and incouraged by the Cardinals and other against Frederick secretly and amongst themselues wrought contrary to that they openly pretended and not a little disappoynted both Fredericke and others of
borow 100. Markes for a yeare in stead of 100. Poundes I am compelled to make my writing and to seale the same confessing that I haue receiued in borow an 100. pounds to be repaied againe at the yeares end to such a man c. And if it shall chaunce that your occupying be such that wythin a moneth you bring againe the principall to the Popes vsurer hee will receaue no lesse notwithstanding then his ful 100. poundes which condition of vsurie is much woorse then that of the Iewes For to the Iewe what principall you bring he wil require no more then proportionally for the commensuration of so much time wherein his money hath bene out of his hands 10. Moreouer we haue sene knowen the Pope to haue geuen in charge and commaundement to the Friers preachers and minorites to enquire diligently for such as lie sicke and like to die and so comming to them diligently to perswade them to make their wils and Testamentes faâ—orably to the profite and subsidie of the holy lande and to take the crosse vpon them that if they do amend they may wring them in the law And if they die they may wrast the money from their executors 11. We haue knowen likewise and seene men that haue taken the vowe and signe of the crosse vpon them to be solde to lay men as sheepe and oxen were wont in time past to be sold in the temple We haue seene with our eyes the Popes letter in which we haue fouÌ„d this to be written that they which bequeath any thing to the behoofe or subsidy of the holy land shal receiue so much indulgence as they haue disbursed money 12. Ouer and beside all this the Pope in diuers and sundry his letters hath willed and commaunded Prelates to receaue into Ecclesiasticall benefices and to prouide some such liuing in their Churches as shall be sufficient to such and such a straunger being both absent and also vnworthy which haue neither learning nor yet the language of the countrey whereby they are neither able to preach nor to heare confessions nor to kepe residence for to refresh the poore and waifarers 13. Item we knowe and haue seene our selues that the Pope hath wrytten to the Abbot of S. Albane to prouide for one called Iohn de Camezana whome hee neuer sawe in some competent benefice wherupon in fewe dayes after when prouision was made for him in a certaine Churche worth 40. markes by the yeare and more the partie being not therewith contented complained to the Pope who then wryting to the foresayde Abbot commaunded him to prouide for the foresaide M. Iohn in some better thing reseruing notwithstanding the gift of the former benefice to himselfe 14. Againe not long after came also to the house of the foresayd Abbot two other persons like begging vagabondes bringing with them the Popes letters in the tenor wherof the Abbot was commanded that incontinent vpon the sight thereof he should geue disburse to the sayd persons for the expedition and dispatch of his affaires 10. marks in hand without any delay or sticking The which persones vttering to the Abbot proude and threatning woordes he was faine to agree with them and send them away 15. Item of men which are both holy and well learned which haue left the world for the following of God in such order as they ought not to turne backe againe the Pope of them maketh hys Tolners and bankers to gette in his mony The which charge they are compelled against their willes to take vpon them least they should seme to be disobedient and so of spirituall men are made more secular then the most secular And so the basenesse of their chimmers and scapillers which they weare doth proue them to be liers whilest vnder the habite of pouerty and humiliation lurketh the spirite of pride and elation And because no Legate may be sent into England but being first required of the king the Pope sendeth sophisticall Legates and suche as be disguised in counterfet apparell and are garded with great might and power neither is it hard to bring foorth examples thereof For so many such daily do come into the realme that to heare the names of them recited it woulde be tedious for any man to heare 16. Furthermore as we haue seene our selues the Pope graunteth for secular fauor that a man may haue a Bishopricke and yet be no Bishop consecrated Sed electus sempiternus that is elect for euer which is as much to signify to haue the milke and the wolle of the sheepe and not to kepe the wolues away from the sheepe To retaine the rents of a Bishop and not discharge the function of a Bishop And when this godly Bishop had thus reproued these and such other detestable enormities of the court of Rome as all kinds of auarice their vsurie their simonie their extortion all kindes of filthinesse fleshly lust glottonie and their sumptuous apparell raigning in that Court then sayth he this old verse may be truely verified vpon it Eius auariciae totus non sufficit orbis Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis All the worlde cannot suffice their greedie auarous minde Nor all the drabs and naughty packes their filthy lusting kinde Afterwarde he went about more to prosecute how â—he foresaide court like a gulph neuer satisfied euer gaping so wide that the floude of Iordane might runne into hys mouth aspired howe to vsurpe the goodes of them that die vntested and of Legacies bequeathed wythout forme of law and whereby more licentiously to bring this to passe they vsed to ioyne the king to be felâ—ow and partaker with them in their spoyles extortions and robbings Neyther sayeth he shall the Church be deliuered from the seruitude of Egypt but by violence and force and wyth the bloudie sword And albeit sayeth he these be yet but sight matters yet shortly more great and greuous things then these shall be seene And in the end of this his propheciyng which he scarsly coulde vtter wyth sighing sobbing and weeping his tounge and breath began to raiâ—e and so the organe of hys voyce being stopped made an ende both of his speache and life Ex Math. Paris And for as much as mention hath bene made before of the insatiable aâ—arice of the Popes court by his inordinate prouisions and reseruations it is testified by the sayde author Math. Paris that the foresayd Robert Grosted being bishop of Lincolne caused to be vewed and considered diligently of his clearks what the reuenues of forreiners and strangers within England set in by the Pope came to by the yeare and it was founde and euidently tried that thys Pope now present to wit Innocentius 4. did empouerish the vniuersall Churche throughout Christendome more then all his predecessours from the time the Pope first began So that the reuenues of forreiners and clearkes placed by him heere in Englande mounted to the summe of 70000. markes
his assistaunts here assembled alledging the first Epistle of Peter the 2. chapter where he sayth Feare God honour the king By which wordes the holy Apostle S. Peter teacheth vs 2. things First that loue feare obedience is due vnto God for the mightinesse and puissaunce of his Maiesty saying Feare God Secondly how speciall honor reuerence is due to the King for the excellency of his dignity saying Honor the King But note you by the way how the Apostle placeth his woordes First he sayth that feare is due vnto God because principally and in chiefe we ought to feare GOD For if the King or any other should commaund things contrary to God we ought to haue no regard ther of but to contemne the King feare God For it is written in the 5. of the Actes of the Apostles we ought rather to obey God then men and also in the 7. chap. of Machabes the 2. booke where it is sayd I will not obey the commaundements of the king but the law The reason whereof S. Augustine geueth both in the glose vpon the Romaines also in the 11. quaest 1. He that resisteth the superiour power resisteth the will and ordinaunce of God But put case thou art commaunded to do that which thou maist not do or to do not that which thou oughtest to do Doubtlesse thou must neglect the lesser power and feare the higher learning the degrees of worldly thinges As for example be it so that a Proctour commaundeth thee any thing which if the same be agaynst the Proconsull thou oughtest not to follow it Yea and further put case the Proconsull commaundeth one thing the Emperour an other and God willeth the third Thou must not care for thē but obey God for God is the greater power For they may threaten thee with prison but GOD may threaten thee with hell fire they may slay and kill thy body but God may send thee body and soule to perpetuall hell fire And therfore worthely it is put first Feare God And here the place in the last of Ecclesiasticus is to be adioyned where it is written Feare God and keep his commaundements And me thinketh that man is boūd to feare God chiefly in three sorts That is to say First in the bountifull bestowing of his giftes and benefites Secondly in the euident promoting of his seruauntes And lastly in the full rendring and restoring vnto man that is his First I say in the bountifull c. and for this cause the Emperour Iustinian writeth although there is nothing to be accompted good which doth exceede and is to great yet for a prince to be stow accordingly vpō the church it is very good For why the king and Emperour is bound to bestow so much the more substaunce how much the more God hath geuen to him to bestow the same both franckly and especially to famous Churches wherein the best greatest measure is of the Lordes giftes that is a great gift And to this end Gregory enacteth a law cap. i. extra de donationibus that nobility ought in maner to prescribe this law to himselfe to thinke himselfe bound to geue whē he geueth freely vnlesse he increase in geuing still to think that he hath geuen nothing Wherfore Abell as appeareth in the 4. chapter of Genesis who offered of the best to the Lord was blessed of God And therefore other Kinges the more they offred to God the more they were both spiritually and temporally blessed of him As we read of Iosua Dauid Salomon other in the booke of the Kings and therefore it is so written in the 18. of Numbers And ye shall separate vnto the Lordes treasury thinges that be chiefest and most principall As likewise Dauid sayth in the first of Paralipomenon last chapter I haue geuen all this with a glad hart euen with a good will and now haue I had ioy to see thy people which here are present offer with a free will vnto thee And no maruell for Dauid sayth in that place For of thy hand we haue receiued all and to thee we geue And therefore it seemeth to me that because the Kynges of Fraunce and Barons of the same more then anye other hath geuen to GOD and his Church therefore they were happy and blessed aboue all other kinges and the more they did geue to God the more they receiued at hys handes Examples wherof we haue of Clodoue Charles and S. Lewes the more one geueth to God the more he receiueth of him For he in the 6. of Luke hath promised geue and it shal be geuen vnto you wherfore a gift that a Prince bestoweth vpon the Church is rendered agayne with triple encrease and that no lesse in time of warr then in time of peace I say in warre time because victory proceedeth of no other but onely of God for it is writtē in the 1. Machabecs the 3. Chapter The victorye of the battayle standeth not in the multitude of the boast but the strength commeth from heauen And likewise in the 17. Chapter of Exodus it is declared that when Moyses held vp hys handes Israell had the victory but when he let down his handes Amalec had the victory To this end also serueth the last chapter Machabes 2. where Iudas being at the poynt to haue the victory thought he saw Amon and Ieremy which had bene high Priestes and very vertuous men holding vp their handes toward heauē and praying for theyr people and all the whole Citye c. Likewise in peace time now the long dayes of the king and of hys sonnes their peace prosperity obedience by the prayer of the Church is mayntayned supported in the realme For as long as Salomon was bent and geuē in building the house of God so long he had peace who thus in the 16. chap. of the Prouerbes teacheth vs. when a mans wayes pleaseth the Lord he maketh his very enemies to be hys frendes And also in 1. Esdras 6. chapter where it is read how the Priestes were commaunded to offer sweet fauors to the God of heauen and pray for the kinges life and hys children And well therefore may it be called a gift both fauorable irreuocable wherby victory is geuen life graūted and peace with security conserued To serue therefore God liberally to geue toward the worshipping of him is the chiefest signe and token of diuine feare loue Eccl. cap. 2. O ye that feare the Lord beleue him your reward shall not be empty Secondly cōcerning the feare of God I do you to vnderstand that among the precepts of the Lord the first and chiefest commaundement of the second table is To honor thy father which precept is very well expoūded to y◠Hebrues in the 12. chapter where it is not onely ment of the fathers of our bodies but also of the father of spirites For as spirituall
I suppose will and ought sooner runne and the word of Christ will sooner driue vs to our father then to the Priests Corban Marc. 7. So that this distinction here may haue place that as the one standeth vpon merite of vertue so the other standeth vpon mere duety of necessitie Pag. 362. col 1. These iurisdictions temporall and spiritual are compatible in one persone Aunswere I graunt pro ratione subiects That is in the subiect it selfe there is no cause to the contrary but these vocations may be exercised both of one persone as they haue beene of the Pope one after the other and so may contrary formes also and yet the Popes persone hath bene able to sustaine them both But now here is to be considered not what the nature of the subiecte is able to beare by Logicke but what order is taken heerein by the will of God whose order is thys That they which with Peter are called to the feeding of the flock shoulde leaue their fishing nettes and fishe for men and that they which labour in the warfare of the Lord should not intangle theÌ„selues with the busines of this life wherby they may be more free to please him whose souldiours they are Tit. 2 c. Pag. 362. col 1. The iurisdictions temporall and spirituall are so distincted that they are not contrary c. Aunswer And what let is there then but our Queene nowe and other kings heereafter may haue the gouernement of both states as well Ecclesiasticall as temporall Seeing both the formes being compatible may concurre both in one subiect why not as well in the persone of the King within the Realme as in the person of the Pope without the Realme Pag. 363 col 1. God after the creation of the world c. vnto Noes time c. Aunswere If God vnto Noes time gouerning the worlde as king gaue sentence himselfe against Caine as yee say howe then did he that by the ministerie of aungels If he did it by the aungels his ministers Whether is more like then that to make for the Pope or rather for kings and princes whom the Scripture thrise in one chapter calleth the ministers of God to execute punishment to him that doth euill Rom. 13. Pag. 363. Noe also which offered c. Aunswere If offering of burnt sacrifices to God doe make a priest then was Caine also Abell Abraham Isaac and all Patriarches priests If hee had both temporall and spirituall iurisdiction vppon them which were in his Arke I maruell why hee did not curse â—hen the disobedyent crowe that returned not to him againe Pag. 363. col 1 Melchisedech likewise c. Answere Melchisedech properly did beare a figure of Christ both king and priest and of none other Pag. 363. col 2. A. I haue geuen to me c. Aunswere That Christ hath all power geuen him no man doubteth but yet the same Christ sayth that his kingdome is not of this world Neither would he be made a king in this worlde c. Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat caelestia hym Pag. 363. col 1. B. Whom Christ made his vicar c. Answere Here in one line bee two lies For neither had Peter the very same power in heauen and earth as Christ had neyther was hee the vicar of Christ. Pag. 363. col 1. C. As the offence of Ananias and Saphira was not temporall but spirituall so did Peter kill them not iudicially that is as a temporall iudge but spiritually that is by the power of the spirite which spirite wrought by him not as by a iudge but as a minister And although this acte of Peter was extraordinarie for a singular example yet notwithstanding let any prelate with the like power of spirit so do none wil blame him Pag 363 col 1. D. And so likewise the condemnation of Paule against the Corinthian was onely spirituall and not temporall Pag. 363. 1. E. must be referred to the order c. Aunswere Christ woulde these causes to be referred to the hearing of the Churche for spirituall admonition but not for temporall iurisdiction of the prelates Pag 363. col 1. F. All things that the true Church doth truely binde are bound I graunt but first let the Pope proue his Church to be the true Church and himselfe to be the vniuersal head therof and then let him claime the keies Ibid. The two swords do as much signifie the two regiments as doe the two fishes wherewith Christ did feede foure thousande persones Ibid. Christ bad Peter put vp his sword and not to cast it away Ergo the Church may haue the temporall sworde Answere God geue you good morowe I haue brought you a capon Pag. 364. col 1. I. Know ye not the Saintes c. Aunswere S. Paule heere willing the Corinthians to pleade their matters not before the heathen but before the Saints meaneth the faithfull of the congregation not onely prelates K. In them was not the like reason c. Aunswere I graunt for Christ and true Christians is one thing Antechrist and hys Church is an other thing Ibid. As ye say the Apostles had no laisure to take lands and possessions for preaching but nowe for Lordly loytering you haue laisure inough Pag. 364. col 1. M. They are most fittest to beare temporal rule which followe neerest to God Prelates of the cleargie followe nearest to God Ergo Prelates of the Clergie are more meetest to beare temporall rule Resp. If God heere be taken for that God which is called the belly I graunt they seeme to followe nearer But if it be taken for the true God not I but their owne fruites life and doctrine and Esay also would denie their minor and say that this people draweth neare to me with their lips but their heart is farre from me Pag. 364. col 1. You are a chosen generation a royal Priesthode c. Aunswere This place of Peter was written not onely to persones Ecclesiasticall but to the whole congregation of the Saintes disparsed as the wordes following may declare Qui eratis quondam non populus c. And thus much concerning French matters which because they be Ecclesiasticall and beare wyth them some vtilitie to the diligeÌ„t reader such as list to search note and obserue the actes of men and course of religion I thought therfore here to place and adioyne next after the other contention before proceding betwene Philip the French king and Pope Boniface Albeit as touching the perfect keeping of yeres and time I am not ignorant that thys foresaid Parliament thus summoned and commenced against the French prelates falling in the yeare of our Lorde 1329. was to be referred rather to yâ— raigne of king Edward the iâ— Of whom now remaineth by the grace of Christ in order of historie to prosecute declaring first the instructions and informations of his father geuen to him in the time of his departing
and be lyke the highest c. For that I say if the Pope holde men of armes in maintayning of his temporal Lordship to venge him on them that gilten and offenden him geueth remission to fight and to slay them that contraricn him as men sayden he did by the Byshop of Norwich not putting his sword in his sheath as God commaunded to Peter he is Antichrist For he doth the contrary of the commaundement of Iesus Christ that had Peter forgeuen to his brother 70. sithe 7. sithe wel I finde in the Gospel that when Christ sent his Disciples to Samarye the Samaritanes would not receiuen them And some of them bidden Chryst that he should make a fire come down from heauen to destroy the City And he blamed them and said Nescitis cuius spiritus estis Filius hominis non venitanimas perdere sed saluare That is ye know not of what spirit ye are The sonne of man is not come downe to destroy but to saue the lyues and soules of mē c. If Christ then come to saue men and not to slea them who that doth the reuers hereof is against Christ and then he is Antichrist Christ bad Peter put his sworde in his sheath and sayd Omnes qui gladium acceperunt gladio peribunt That is All which take the sword shall perish with the sworde And I cannot fynde that Peter drew out his sword after that time but suffered as Christ sayd Cum senueris alius cinget te ducet quò tu non vis That is when thou shalt waxe old an other shall gird thee and lead thee whether thou wilt not And therefore sayd Peter Christ suffered for vs leauing vs example that we shoulde followe his steps And Paule sayth Not defending your selues but geue place to anger leaue reuenging to mee and I shall rewarde them c. And therfore it seemeth to me that it is much against Christes lore that his Uicar should bee a fighter sithen that hee mote be a shephearde that shoulde go before his sheepe and let them come after him and not with swordes to driue them away from him For as Christ sayth a good shepheard shall put his lyfe for his sheepe And zif al that Christ had two swordes when that hee was taken of the Iewes he sayd himselfe it was for that the Scriptures moten zit be fulfilled Quoniam cum iniquis deputatus est that is he was reputed among the wicked and not to figure two swordes that men sayen the Pope hath to gouerne with the church And when I see such doinges of the Pope many other that accorden not with Christs lore ne his liuing And when I reade diuers Scriptures of holye writte I am foule astenied whether they shoulder be vnderstanded of him or of any other And I pray you for Gods loue tell mee the sooth Chryst sayth Many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall seduce many c. Christ I wot well is as muche to say as he that is anointed two annointinges there weren in the lawe one of Kinges an other of Priestes And Christ was both King and Priest and so the Pope sayth that he is And if all that haue bene Emperours of Rome and other heathen kinges haue bene Antichrists they come not in Christes name But who so commeth in Christes name and fayneth him Christes frend and he be priuely his enemy he may lightly beguile many S. Paul saith before there commeth a defection first and the sonne of perditiō shal be reuealed which is the aduersary and is extolled aboue al that is named God or which is worshipped so y◠he shal sit in the temple of God shewing himself as God And it followeth in the same place And now ye knowe what holdeth till he be reuealed in his time for he worketh already the mistery of iniquitie Onely he y◠holdeth let him holde till he come abroad then that wicked one shall be reuealed whom the Lord Iesus shal slay with the spirite of his mouth c. And S. Iohn saith in the Apocalips I saw an other beast ascending out of the erth and two hornes like to the lambe He spake like the Dragō had the power of the first beast Many such authorities astonicth me oft sithes and therfore I pray you for the loue of God to tell me what they meane ¶ The sentence THe which schedule afore mencioned with the cōtentes thereof diligently of vs perused we considering y◠diseases which be not easely cured with gētle remedy must haue harder playsters Cōsidering moreouer these his articles with his aunswers to the same to other articles also lastly against him produced first mature deliberatiō had before vpon the whole matter with the foresaid masters Doctors as wel secular as regular to a great number obseruing in the same al thinges to be obserued in this behalfe haue geuē sentēce against the said w. in forme as foloweth The name of Christ being inuocated we Iohn by the permission of God Bishop of Hereford sitting in tribunal seate hauing God before our eyes weying cōsidering the articles by the foresaid faithfull Christians put vp against y◠said Swinderby pretēding himselfe to be priest with his aunswers vpō the same Actis Actitatis before vs in the cause of hereticall peruersitie with mature deliberation had before in this behalfe with masters doctours of diuinitie and also of other faculties with their counsel and cōsent Do pronounce decree and declare the sayd w. to haue bene and to be an hereticke scismaticke and a false informer of the people such as is to be auoided of faithfull Christians wherefore we admonish vnder y◠paine of the law all singular Christians of what sex state condition or preeminence soeuer that neither they nor any of thē wtin our dioces or any other do beleue receaue defend or fauor the said w. til he shal deserue fully to be reconciled to the bosome againe of holy Church ¶ The appeale of W. Swynderby from this sentence of the Bishop prefixed vnto the king and his counsaile IN nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti Amen I. W. Swynderby priest knowledge openly to al men that I was before the Bishop of Hereford the thirde day of October and before many other good clerkes to aunswer to certaine conclusions of the faith that I was accused of And mine aunswere was this that if the Bishop or any man couthe shew me by Gods law y◠my conclusions or mine aunsweres were errour or heresie I would be amended and openly reuoke them before al the people Knowes in any of my conclusions but sayden singly with word that there was errours in them and bidden me subiect me to the Bishop put me into his grace reuoke mine errour and shewed me nought by Gods law ne reasō ne proued which they weren And for I would not
they shall be declared after my maner and fashion it shal playnely appeare what my opinioÌ„ iudgement is concerning all matters that I am accused of But because I am ignoraunt unlearned I wil get me vnder the mighty defences of the Lord. O Lord I will remeÌ„ber thine onely righteousnes God the father almighty vncreate the maker of heaueÌ„ and earth hath sent his sonne that was euerlastingly begotten into this world that he should be incarnated for the saluation and redemption of mankind who was coÌ„ceiued by the holy ghost euerlastingly proceeding from the father and the sonne and was borne of Mary the virgin to the end that we might be borne a new He suffered Passion vnder PoÌ„tius Pilate for our sinnes laying down his life for vs that we should lay down our life for our brethreÌ„ He was crucified that we should be crucified to the world and the world to vs. He was dead that he might redeeme vs from death by purchasing for vs forgeuenes of sinnes He was buried that we being buried together with him into death by Baptisme and that we dead to sins should liue to righteousnes He desceÌ„ded into hell therby deliuering man froÌ„ thraldom and from the bondage of the Deuill restoring him to his inheritaunce which he lost by sinne The thyrd day he rose from the dead through the glory of his father that we also should walke in newnes of life He ascended vp to the heauens to which no body hath ascended sauing he that descended from heaueÌ„ eueÌ„ the sonne of man which is in heaueÌ„ He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty vntill his enemies be made his footstoole He being in very deed so muche better then the Aungelles as he hath obteyned by inheritaunce a more excellentname then they From thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead accordingly to theyr workes because the father hath geuen all iudgemeÌ„t to the sonne In whose terrible iudgement we shall rise agayne and shall all of vs stand before his iudgement seat and receiue ioy as well bodely as spiritually for euer to endure if we be of the sheepe placed at the right hand or els punishment both of bodye and soule if we shall be fouÌ„d amongst goates placed on the left hand c. Iesus Christ the sonne of God very God very man a king for euer by stablishing an euerlasting kingdome breaking to ponder all the kingdoms of the world Dan. 2. a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech wherby also he is able euermore to saue such as by him come vnto god alwayes liueth to intreat for vs. Hebr. 7. He offring one sacrifice for our sins hath made perfect for euer by one oblation those that be sanctified Heb. 10. Being that wisedome that cannot be deceiued the trueth that cannot be vttred he hath in this world taught the will of the godhead of his father which will he hath in worke fulfilled to the intent that he might faithfully instruct vs and hath geueÌ„ the law of charity to be of his faythfull people obserued whiche he hath written in the hartes and mindes of the faythful with the finger of God wher is the spirit of God searching the inward secrets of the Godhead Wherfore his doctrine must be obserued aboue all other doctrines whether they be of Angels or of men because that he could not nor would not erre in his teaching But in mens doctrins there chanceth oftentimes to be error and therfore we must forsake theyr doctrines if clokedly or expresly they be repuguaunt to the doctrine of Christ. Mens doctrins being made for the peoples profit must be allowed and obserued so that they be grounded vpon Christes doctrine or at least be not repuguant to his words If the high bishop of Rome calling himself the seruant of the seruauntes of God and the chiefe vicare of Christ in this world do make maintaine many lawes contrary to the Gospell of Iesu Christ then is he of those that haue come in Christes name saying I am Christ haue seduced many a one by the testimony of our sauiour in Math. cap. 24. and the idoll of desolation sitting in the Temple of God and taking away from him the coÌ„tinuall sacrifice for a time times and halfe a time Which idoll must be reueled to the christian people by the testimony of Daniel Wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell When you shall see the abhomination of desolation that was tolde of by Daniell the Prophet standing in the holy place let him that readeth vnderstand and he is the pestiferous mountayn infecting the whole vniuersall earth as witnesseth Ieremy chap. 51. not the head of Christes body For the auncient person in yeares honorable in reuerence he is the head the prophet teaching lies is the tayle as Esay alledgeth chap. 9. And he is that wicked and sinnefull Captayne of Israell whose foreappointed day of ininuity is come in time of iniquity who shall take away Cidarim and take awaye the crowne Ezech chap. 21. to whom it was sayd Forasmuch as thy hart was exalted and did it say I am a God sittest in the seat of god in the hart of the sea seing thou art a man and not God and hast geuen thine hart as if it were the hart of God therfore behold I will bring vpoÌ„ thee the most strong and mighty straungers of the nations they shall draw theyr swords vpoÌ„ the beauty of thy wisedom shall defile the commaundements kill thee and pul thee out thou shalt dye in the destruction of the slayne and it foloweth In the multitude of thine iniquities of the iniquities of thy marchandise thou hast defiled thy sanctification I will therfore bring forth a fire from the midst of the whole earth will make thee as ashes vpon earth Thou art become nothing neuer shalt thou be any more Eze. cha 28 Furthermore he is the idle shepheard forsaking his flock hauing a sworde on his arme an other sworde in his right eye Zach. 11. sitting in the temple of God doth aduaunce himselfe aboue all thing that is called God or whatsoeuer is worshipped by the testimony of Paule to Thes 2. epist. 2. chap. And in the defection or falling away shall the man of sinne be reueled whom the Lord Iesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth For euery kingdâ—â—e deuided in it selfe shall be brought to desolation He â—â—â—so besides the beast asceÌ„ding vp out of the earth hauing two hornes like vnto alambe but he speaketh like a dragon as the cruell beast ascending vp out of the sea whose power shall continue 42. monethes He worketh the things that he hath geuen to the image of the beast And he compelled small and great rich and poore freemen and bondslaues to worshyp the beast and to take his marke in theyr forehead or theyr hands Apo.
father and to the sonne Ouer this I beleue that through counsell of this most blessed Trinity in most cōuenient time before ordeined for the saluation of mankinde the second person of this Trinity was ordeined to take the forme of mā that is the kinde of mā And I beleue that this secōd person our Lord Iesu Christ was conceiued through the holy ghost in the wombe of the most blessed virgin Mary without mans seed And I beleue that after 9. monethes Christ was borne of this most blessed virgine without any payne or breaking of the closser of her wombe and without filth of her virginity And I beleue that Christ our Sauiour was Circumcise◠in the eight day after his birth in fulfilling of the law and his name was called Iesus which was so called of the Angel before that he was conceiued in the wombe of Mary his mother And I beleue that Christ as he was about xxx yeare olde was Baptised in the floud of Iordane of Iohn Baptist and in the likenes of a Doue the holy Ghost descēded there vpon him a voyce was heard from heauen saying Thou are my welbeloued sonne in thee I am full pleased And I beleue that Christ was moued then by the holy ghost for to go into desert and there he fasted 40 dayes 40. nightes without bodely meat and drink And I beleue that by and by after his fasting when the manhood of christ hūgred the fiend came to him and tempted him in glottony in vayne glory and in courtise but in all those temptations Christ concluded the fiend and withstood him And then without tarying Iesu began to preach and to say vnto the people do ye penaunce for the Realme of heauen is now at hand I beleue that Christ in all his time here liued most holity and taught the will of his father most truly and I beleue that he suffered therfore most wrongfully greatest repriests and despisinges And after this when Christ woulde make an end here of this rēporal life I beleue that in the day next before that he would suffer passiō in the morne In forme of bread and of wine he ordeined the Sacrament of his flesh and hys bloud that is his owne precious body gaue it to his Apostles for to eat cōmaunding them and by them all their after commers that they should do it in this forme that he shewed to them vse themselues and teach and comō forth to other men and womē this most worshipfull holyest sacrament in mindfulnes of his holyest liuing of his most true preaching of his wilfull and patient suffering of the most paynefull passion And I beleue that thys Christ our Sauiour after that he had ordeined this most worthy Sacrament of his own precious body he wēt forth wilfully agaynst his enemies and he suffered them most paciently to lay their hands most violently vpō him and to binde him and to lead him forth as a theefe to scorne him and buffet him and all to blow or file him with their spittinges Ouer this I beleue that Christ suffered most meekly and paciently his enemies for to ding out with sharp scourges the bloud that was betwene his skinne and his flesh yea without grudging Christ suffered the cruell Iewes to crowne him with most sharpe thornes and to strike him with a reede And after Christ suffered wicked Iewes to draw him out vpon the crosse for to nayle him thereupon hand and foote And so through his pitifull nayling Christ shed out wilfully for mans life the bloud that was in his vaynes And then Christ gaue wilfully his spirit into the hāds or power of his father so as he would whē he would christ died wilfully for mās sake vpon the crosse And notwithstāding that Christ was wilfully paynefully most shamefully put to death as to the world there was left bloud and water in his hart as before ordeined that he would shedd out this bloud this water for mās saluation And therefore he suffred the Iewes to make a blinde knight to thrust him into the hart with a speare and this the bloud and water that was in his hart Christ would shed out formans loue And after this I beleue that Christ was taken downe from the crosse and buried And I beleue that on the third day by power of hys Godhead Christ rose againe from death to life And the xl day therafter I beleue that Christ ascēded vp into heauen and that he there sitteth on the right hand of the father almighty And the fifty day after this vp going he sēt to hys Apostles the holy ghost that he had promised them before And I beleue that Christ shall come iudge all mankind some to euerlasting peace and some to euerlasting paines And as I beleue in the father in the sonne that they are one God almighty so I beleue in the holy Ghost that he is also with them the same God almighty And I beleue an holy church that is all they that haue bene and that now are alwayes to the end of the worlde shal be a people the which shall endeuour them to know to keepe the commaundements of God dreading ouer all thing to offed God and louing and seeking most to please him And I beleeue that all they that haue had yet haue and all they that yet shall haue the foresayd vertues surely standing in the belief of God hoping stedfastly in his mercyfull doinges continuing to theyr end in perfect charitye wilfully paciently and gladly suffering persecutiōs by the example of Christ chieflye and his Apostles all these haue theyr names written in the booke of life Therfore I beleue that the gathering together of this people liuing now here in this life is the holy Church of God fighting here on earth agaynst the fiend the prosperity of the world and theyr fleshly lusts Wherfore seing that all the gathering together of this Church before sayd and euery part therof neither coueteth nor willeth nor loueth nor seketh any thing but to eschew y◠offēce of God to do his pleasing will meekly gladly and wilfully with all mine hart I submit my selfe vnto this holy Church of Christ to be euer buxome obedient to that ordinaūce of it of euery member therof after my knowledge and power by the help of God Therfore I knowledge now and euermore shal if God will that with all my hart and with all my might I wil submit me onely to the rule and gouernaunce of them whō after my knowledge I may perceiue by the hauing and vsing of the before sayd vertues to be members of the holy Church Wherfore these articles of belief and al other both of the olde law and of the new which after the commaundement of God any man ought to beleue I beleeue verely in my soule as a sinful deadly wretch of my cunning and power ought to beleue praying the Lord God for his holy
and all them that are of thy sect for all priests of holy church all images that moue men to deuotion thou such other go about to destroy Losel were iâ— a faire thing to come into the church and see therin none Image ☞ And I sayd sir they that come to yâ— church for to praye deuoutly to the lord God may in their inward wittes be the more feruent that al their outwarde wits be closed froÌ„ al outward seing hearing and froÌ„ all disturbance lettings And since Christ blessed theÌ„ that saw him not bodely and haue beleued faithfully in him it suffiseth then to al meÌ„ through hearing and knowing of gods word and to do thereafter for to beleue in God though they see neuer images made with mans hand after any person of yâ— Trinitie or of any other saint ¶ And the Archb. said to me with a feruent spirit I say to thee Iosell that it is right wel done to make and to haue an image of the Trinitie Yea what saist thou is it not a stirring thing to behold such an image ☞ And I said Sir ye said right now that in the old lawe or Christ toke maÌ„kind no likenes of any person of the Trinity was shewed to men wherefore sir ye said it was not theÌ„ leful to haue images but nowe ye saye since Christ is becomen maÌ„ it is leful to make to haue an image of the Trinitie also of other saints But sir this thing would I learne of you since the father of heauen yea euery persoÌ„ of the Trinitie was without beginning God almightye many holy prophets that were deadly meÌ„ were martired violeÌ„tly in the old law and also many men women theÌ„ died Confessors Why was it not then as leful necessary as nowe to haue made an Image of the father of heauen and to haue made and had other images of Martirs prophets and holy Confessors to haue ben Kalenders to aduise men and moue theÌ„ to deuotion as ye say that images now do ¶ And the Archb. sayd The sinagogue of the Iewes had not authoritie to approue those thinges as the Church of Christ hath now ☞ And I sayd Sir S. Gregory was a great man in the new lawe of great dignity and as the coÌ„mon law witnesseth he commended greatly a Bishop in that he forbad vtterly the Images made with maÌ„s hand should be worshipped ¶ And the Archb. sayd Ungracious Iosell thou sauourest no more truth then an hound Since at the roode at the North-dore at LondoÌ„ at our Lady at Walsingam many other diuers places in EnglaÌ„d are many great praysable miracles done should not the images of such holy saynts and places at the reuerence of God our lady other saintes be more worshipped then other places and images wher no miracles are done ☞ And I said Sir there is no such vertue in any imagery that any images should herefore be worshipped wher fore I am certaine that there is no miracle done of god in any place in earth because that any images made with mans haÌ„d should be worshipped And herfore sir as I preached openly at Shrewsbury other places I say now here before you That no body should trust that there were anye vertue in imagery made with mans hand and therfore no body should vow to theÌ„ nor secke them nor kneele to theÌ„ nor bow to them nor pray to them nor offer any thing to them nor kisse them nor ensence theÌ„ For lo the most worthy of such images the brasen Serpent by Moises made at Gods bidding the good K. Ezechie destroied worthely thankfully al because it was ensenced Therfore sir if men take good heede to the writing and to the learning of S. Augustine of S. Gregory and of Saint Iohn Chrisostome and of other Saints and doctors howe they spake write of miracles that shal be done now in the last ende of the world It is to dreyd that for the vnfaythfulnesse of men women the Fiende hath great power for to work many of the miracles that nowe are done in such places For both men and women delight now more for to heare and know miracles then they do know Gods worde or to heare it effectuously Wherefore to the great coÌ„fusion of all them that thus do Christ sayth The generation of adulterers requireth tokens miracles and wonders Neuertheles as diuers saints say now when the faith of god is published in Christendome the word of God suffyseth to mans saluation without such miracles and thus also the worde of God suffiseth to all faythfull men women without any such images But good sir since the father of heauen that is God in his godhead is the most vnknowen thing that may be and the most wonderful spirit hauing in it no shape or likenesse and members of anye deadlye creature in what likenes or what image may God the father be shewed or painted ¶ And the Archb. said as holy church hath suffered the Images of the Trinitie al other images to be paynted shewed it sufficeth to them that are meÌ„bers of holye church But since thou art a rotten member cut away from holye church thou fauorest not the ordinaunce therof But since the day passeth leaue we this matter ANd then he sayd to me What sayest thou to the third point that is â—â—â—â—â—fied against thee preaching opeÌ„ly in Shreusbury that pilgrimage is not lefull and ouer this thou saidest that those men and women that go on pilgrimages to Canterbury to Beuerley to Karlington to Walsingam and to any such other places are accursed and made foolish spending their goods in waste ☞ And I said Sir by this certification I am accused to you that I should teach that no pilgrimage is lefull But I said neuer thus For I know that there be true pilgrimages and lefull and full pleasant to God and therfore sir howsoeuer mine enimies haue certified you of me I told at Shrewsbury of two maner of pilgrimages ¶ And the Archbishop said to me whom callest thou true pilgrimes ☞ And I said Sir with my protestation I call them true pilgrimes traueling toward yâ— blisse of heauen which in the state degree or order that God calleth them to do busie them faithfullie for to occupie all their wits bodelie and ghostlie to knowe truelie and to keepe faithfullie the biddings of God hating and fleeing all the seauen deadlie sins and euerie branch of them Ruling them vertuouslie as it is said before with all their wits doing discretlie wilfully and gladly all the workes of mercy bodelie and ghostly after their cunning and power abling them to the gifts of the holy ghost disposing them to receiue them in their soules and to hold therein the right blessings of Christ Busieng them to knowe and to keepe the seauen principall vertues and so then they shall obteine heere through grace for
number if thorough me it should come to passe that those things which they haue hetherto knowne to bee most certaine and sure should now be made vncertaine Should I by this my example astonish or trouble so manye soules so manye consciences endewed with the most firme and certaine knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospell of our Lord Iesu Christ and his most pure doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will neuer do it neither commit any such kinde of offence that I shoulde seeme more to esteeme this vile carcas appoynted vnto death then their health and saluation At this most godly worde he was forced againe to heare by the consent of the Bishops that hee did obstinately and maliciously perseuere in his pernicious and wicked errours Then he was commanded to come downe to the execution of his iudgement and in his comming downe one of the seauen Bishops afore rehearsed firste tooke awaye the chalice from him which he helde in his hand saieng O cursed Iudas why hast thou forsakeÌ„ the counsell waies of peace and hast counsailed with the Iewes we take away froÌ„ thee this chalice of thy saluation But Iohn Hus receiued this curse in this maner but I trust vnto God the father omnipotent and my Lorde Iesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that hee will not take away the chalice of his redemption but haue a stedfast and firme hope that this day I shall drinke thereof in his kingdome Then followed the other Bishops in order which euery one of them tooke away the vestiments from him which they had put on eche one of them geuing hym their curse Whereunto Iohn Hus answered that hee did willingly embrace and beare those blasphemies for the name of the Lord Iesus Christ. At the last they came to the rasing of his shauen crowne But before the Bishops would go in hand with it there was a great contention betweene them with what instrument it should be done with a rasour or with a paire of sheares In the meane season Iohn Hus turning himselfe toward the Emperour saide I maruell that forsomuch as they be all of like cruell minde and stomacke yet they can not agree vpon their kinde of crueltie Notwithstanding at the last they agreed to cut off the skinne of the crowne of his head with a paire of sheares And when they had done that they added these words now hath the Church taken away all her ornaments and priuilegies from hym Now there resteth nothing else but that he be deliuered ouer vnto the secular power But before they did that there yet remained another knacke of reproch For they caused to be made a certaine crowne of paper almost a cubite deepe in the which were painted three deuils of wonderfull ougly shape and this title set ouer their heads Heresiarcha The which when he saw he sayde My Lord Iesus Christ for my sake did weare a crowne of thorne why should not I then for his sake againe weare thys light crowne be it neuer so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set vpon his head the Bishops saide now we commit thy soule vnto the deuill But I sayde Iohn Husse lifting his eies vp towardes the heauens doo commit my spirite into thy handes O Lord Iesu Christ vnto thee I commend my spirit which thou hast redeemed These contumelious opprobries thus ended the Bishops turning themselues towards the Emperour said This most sacred Synode of Constance leaueth now Iohn Husse which hath no more any office or to do in the Church of God vnto the ciuill iudgement and power Then the Emperour commaunded Lodouicus Duke of Bauaria which stoode before him in his robes holding the golden apple with the crosse in his hande that he should receiue Iohn Husse of the Byshops and deliuer him vnto them which should do the execution By whome as hee was led to the place of execution before the Church doores hee sawe his bookes burning whereat hee smiled and laughed And all men that he passed by he exhorted not to thinke that he should dye for any errour or heresie but only for the hatred and ill will of his aduersaries which had charged him wyth most false and vniust crime All the whole Citie in a maner being in armour followed him The place appointed for the execution was before the gate Gorlebian betweene the gardens and the gates of the suburbs When as Iohn Husse was come thether kneeling downe vpon his knees and lifting his â—ies vp vnto heauen he praied and saide certaine Psalmes and specially the 50. and 31. Psalmes And they which stoode by heard him oftentimes in his praier with a merrie and chearefull countenance repeate this versâ— Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit c. Which thâ—â—g when the lay people beheld which stood next vnto him they said what he hath done afore wee knowe not but now wee see and heare that hee doth speake and pray very deuoutely and godly Othersome wished that he had a Confessor There was a certaine Priest by sitting on horsebacke in a greene gowne drawne about with red silke which said he ought not to be heard because he is an hereticke Yet notwithstanding whilest he was in prison he was both confessed and also absolued by a certaine Doctour a Monke as Hus himselfe doth witnes in a certaine Epistle which he wrote vnto his frendes out of prison Thus Christ raigneth vnknowne vnto the world euen in the middest of his enimies In the meane time whilest he praied as he bowed his necke backward to looke vpward vnto heauen the crowne of paper fell off from his head vpon the grounde Then one of the souldiours taking it vp againe said let vs put it againe vpon his head that he may bee burned with his maisters the diuels whome he hath serued ¶ The description of the burning of Iohn Hus contrary to the safeconduict graunted vnto hym Then was the fire kindled and Iohn Hus began to sing with a loud voice Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue mercy vpon me And when he began to say the same the third time the winde droue the flame so vpon his face that it choked him Yet notwithstanding he mooued a while after by the space that a man might almost say three times the Lordes prayer When all the wood was burned and consumed the vpper parte of the body was left hanging in the chaine the which they throwe downe stake and all and making a newe fire burned it the heade being first cut in small gobbets that it might the sooner be consumed vnto ashes The heart which was founde amongest the bowels being well beaten with staues and clubbes was at last pricked vppon a sharpe sticke and roasted at a fire a parte vntill it was consumed Then with great diligence gathering the ashes together they cast them into the riuer of Rhene that the least
spoile his subiects defloure virgins dishonest matrones and do all things licentiously and temerariously do not the nobles of the kingdome assemble together deposing him from his kingdome set vp another in his place which shall sweare to rule and gouerne vprightly and be obedient vnto the lawes Verely as reason doth perswade euen so doth the vse thereof also teach vs. It seemeth also agreeable vnto reason that the same should be done in the Church that is to say in the Councell which is done in any kingdome And so is this sufficiently apparant which we haue before sayd that the Pope is subiect vnto the Councell But now to passe vnto the argumentes of Diuinitie the foundation of the matter which we do intreate vpon are the wordes of our Sauiour Iesu Christ in diuers places but specially where as he speaketh vnto Peter Tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam i. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Vpon whyche words it seemeth good to begin this disputatiō forsomuch as some were wont to alledge these words to extoll the authority of the Bishop of Rome But as it shall by and by appeare the words of Christ had another sense and meaning then diuers of them do thinke for he saith the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Verely this is a great promise and these wordes of the Lord are of great importance For what greater word could there haue bene spoken then that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the church These gates of hel as S. Hierome saith do signifie sins Wherfore if sinnes can not preuaile against the Church neither can any maligne spirites preuaile against the same which haue no power at all ouer mankinde but only through sinne And for that cause where as it is sayd in Iob that there is no power vpon the earth that may be cōpared vnto the power of the maligne spirite whereby it followeth that the power of the Church is aboue all other power We may also vpon the same saying reason after an other sort for somuch as the gates of hel that is to say sinnes can not preuaile agaynst the Church the Church thereby is declared to be without sinne the which cā not be spoke of the pope which is a mortall mā for somuch as it is written seuen tymes in the day the iust mā doth offend If the Church be without spot because it can not be defiled with sinne who is it that will preferre a sinnefull mā before an vndefiled Churche Neither let vs geue eare vnto those whiche will not referre these woordes of Christ vnto the Church where as he sayth Oraui pro te Petre vt non deficiat fides tua That is to say Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth should not fayle thee For as S. Augustine sayth in the exposition of the Psalmes certaine thyngs are spoken as though they seemed properly to pertaine vnto the Apostle Peter notwithstanding they haue no euident sense but when they are referred vnto the Churche the person wherof he is vnderstāded figuratiuely to represent Wherupō in an other place in the questiōs of the new old Testament vpon the wordes Rogaui pro te Petre I haue prayed for thee Peter What is doubted Did he pray for Peter did he not pray for Iames and Iohn beside the rest It is manifest that vnder the name of Peter all other are conteyned For in an other place of S. Iohn he sayth I pray for them whom thou hast geuen me I will that wheresoeuer I am they shall be also with me Wherupon we do oftentymes by the name of Peter vnderstand the Church which we do nothing at all doubt to be done in this place otherwise the truth could not consist for somuch as within a while after the fayth of Peter fayled for a tyme by the deniall of Christ but the fayth of the Church whose person Peter did represent did alwayes perseuere inuiolate As touching the Bishops of Rome if time would suffer vs we could rehearse many crāples how that they either haue ben heretickes or replenished with other vices Neither are we ignoraunt how that Marcellinus at the Emperours commaundement did sacrifice vnto Idols that an other whiche is more horrible did attaine vnto the Papacy by a deuilish fraude deceite Notwithstandyng the testimony of Paule vnto the Hebrues shall suffice vs at this tyme who sayth euery Bishop to be compassed in with infirmitie that is to say with wickednesse and sinne Also the testimonies of Christ him selfe do approue that the Church remaineth alwayes without sinne for in Mathew he saith I am with you euen vnto the end of the world The which wordes were not onely spoken vnto the Apostles for they continued not vnto the end of the world but also vnto their successours neither would Christ then signifie that he was God dispersed throughout all the world as he is also perceiued to be amongest sinners but would declare a certain gift of grace through his assistaūce whereby he would preserue the holy Churche consisting amongest his Apostles and their successours alwayes immaculate and vndefiled And agayne in an other place I sayth he will pray he shal geue you an other cōforter that he may remaine w e you for euer euē the spirite of truth whō the world cānot receaue because the world seeth him not neither knoweth him but you shall know him because he shall remayne with you The which wordes being spoken vnto the Disciples of Iesus are also vnderstāded to be spokē vnto their successours so cōsequently vnto the Church And if the spirite of truth be cōtinually in the Church no man cā deny but that the Church ought to continue vndefiled By the same authoritie also that Christ is called the spouse of the Church who seeth not but that the Church is vndefiled For the husband the wise as the Apostle sayth are two in one flesh as he doth also adde no mā hateth his own flesh thereby it commeth to passe that Christ can not hate the Church for somuch as she is his spouse and one flesh with him no mā cā hate himselfe Ergo the Church doth not sinne for if it did sinne it should be hated for sinners the Lord doth hate The which authorities being gathered together we ought with the Apostle to confesse that the Church of God hath neither spot nor wrincle Also he writyng vnto Timothe affirmeth the Churche to be the piller foundation of the truth whereupō in this song of the spouse it is sayd My frend thou art altogether fayre beawtifull neither is there any spot in thee These wordes peraduenture may abash some that I do go about to proue the Church to be without
shoulde not exclude sinne but so to grant it that by the authoritie of our Lord Iesus Christ and of his true spouse the Church it may be lawfull profitable healthfull vnto those which worthely receiue the same Also as touching that which was spoken by the said Bohemians of the punishing of offences that it is in Scriptures how that God oftētimes stirreth vp the harts of priuate persons to the correction punishing of sinnes and so it should seeme lawfull vnto the inferiours to correct and punish their superiours they answered alledging the text of S. Augustin in the xxiij decree He that striketh wicked men in that they are wicked hath cause of death against them is the minister of God but he which without any publike administratiō or office murdereth or maimeth any wicked theefe sacrilegious adulterous or periured person or any other offender shall be iudged as an homicide and so much the more sharply in that he feared not to abuse vsurpe the power not graunted him of God and truly this City woulde take it much more greuously if any priuate man should attempt to punish an offēder set vp a gallowes in the streate and there hang him then if one man should kill another in brawle or quarell They alledged also other textes of S. Ambrose S. Hierome agreeable to y◠same They said that no mā doubteth that the law of God is duly holily appointed and therein is simply writtē thou shalt not steale And notwtstanding by the commandement of God the childrē of Israell caried away the goods of the Egyptians which they had borowed of thē Also in the same law it is plainely writtē thou shalt do no murther Wherupon S. Austen in his first booke De Ciuitate Dei proueth that it is not lawful for any mā to kill himselfe and whē as he maketh example of Sampson he answereth with these words when as God commandeth doth affirme himselfe to command wythout any doubt who is he that will call obedience sinne or who will accuse the obedience to God Here in this proposition you haue the words of S. Austen for an answer But let euery man well foresee if God do commaund or that he do intimate the commandemēt without any circumstances and let him proue the spirites whether they be of God But in suche cases there are no lawes to be geuen neither are they much to be talked of for therby there should easely occasiō rise to make seditiō for the inferiours to rise against the superiours For whē any man had stollen any thing or killed any mā he would say that he was moued thereunto by the spirite of God but without manifest proofe therof he should be punished Againe they sayd that there were certaine cases wherein the Laity had power ouer the Clergy It was answered that there were certaine cases in the law wherein the Laity hath power ouer the Cleargy and oftentimes ouer Cardinals For if the Pope being dead the Cardinals would not enter that Cōclaue to elect a new Pope the king prince or other Lord or secular power may compel them but in these cases he is now no priuate person but vseth his iurisdiction by the authority of the law The like is to be vnderstand of all other cases expressed in the law They said further that no common law hath any right or iustice except Gods law do allow the same It was answered that no common law hath right or iustice if it be against the law of God for because the law of God is the rule of all other lawes But there is great cūning and knowledge in applieng the rule to that which is made by the rule for oftentimes it seemeth that there is diuersitie in the thing made by the rule when there is none in deede but the default is in the applieng because the rule is not duely applied to the thing made by it As touching the Article of preaching the word of God it was moued that oftentimes some Prelates thorough their owne enuie and malice without any reasonable cause do inhibite a good and meete Preacher that preacheth Catholickely and well Aunswer was made how that they vnderstood well inough that the abuse of certaine Prelates which did inordinately behaue themselues gaue a great occasion of those troubles Also that they neuer heard of any such cōplaints in those parties but that the Prelates do fauour good preachers and stirre them vp to preach by intreaty fauour promotiō In al such cases there are remedies already prouided by the law for when any mā is so prohibited to vse his right he hath remedy to appeale and if he do trust his appeale to be iust he may vse his right all violēce both of the spirituall and secular power set apart for the end of the matter shall declare if he had iust cause to appeale Then shal be declared that the superiour hath done euill in prohibiting the pleantiue iustly in doyng and the superiour for his vniust prohibition shal be punished But if he be iustly prohibited and that through his temeritie he do cōtemne the iust cōmaundement of his superiour he is worthy to be punished with condigne punishment Where it was moued cōcerning the third Article whether it were lawfull for the Ecclesiasticall Prelates to exercise in their proper person the actes of secular dominiō hereunto it was aunswered that if by this word actes of secular dominion are vnderstand actes whiche a secular Lord may do or exercise then is it to be sayd that a Prelate may lawfully exercise some such actes in his proper person as to sell to paune or pledge to infeofe by maner and forme ordeined by law but there are some actes which it is not lawfull for them to exercise in their proper person but ought to haue afterward a Uicegerent or Proctor to doe the same whereupon there is prohition made in the law in the Rubrike Ne clerus vel Monachus secularibus negotijs se immisceat in alijs rebus It was also moued whether that coactiue power whiche ought to be exercised by a Steward c. be in the handes of an Ecclesiasticall Prelate Whereunto Iohn Polomair aūswered that this question presupposeth an other wherof there are diuers opinions amōgest the Doctours in whose power the dominion of the Church should be and furthermore whether the actiōs be in the person of the tutor or proctor or if they be not in their person notwithstandyng by the constitutiō of any actor or proctor whose exercising of those actions do geue authoritie vnto the actor or proctor they be with other difficulties whereof it is not needefull to speake at this present But for somuch as he was vrged to say his opinion he sayd that to such as had either leysure or pleasure in disputation would argue agaynst him he would be cōtēted to geue the choise to
in S. Paules Epistle ad Chessall and also in the reuelation of S. Iohn Which Scriptures otherwise without the opening of these historyes can not so perfectly bee vnderstand of the whiche Scriptures we mynde hereafter Christ graunting orderly as the course of matter shall lead vs to make rehearsall An other cause is that we may learne thereby eyther with the publique Churche to lament with our brethren such a great defection and decay of christian fayth through these wicked Turkes or els may feare thereby our owne daunger The thyrd cause that we may pōder more deeply with our selues the scourge of God for our sinnes and corrupte doctrine which in the sequele hereof more euidently may appeare to our eyes for our better admonition Fourthly the consideration of this horrible persecution of the Turkes rising chiefely by our discord and dissention among our selues may reduce vs agayn from our domesticall wars in killing and burning one of an other to ioyne together in Christian patience and concorde U. but chiefely these great victoryes of the Turkes and vnprosperous speed of our men fighting agaynst thē may admonish teach vs folowing the example of the olde Israelites how to seek for greater strēgth to encounter with these enemyes of Christ then hitherto we haue done First we must cōsider that the whole power of Sathan the prince of this world goeth with the Turkes Whiche to resist no strēgth of mans arme is sufficient but onely the name spirite and power of our Lord Iesus the sonne of god going with vs in our battels as among the olde Israelites the Arcke of Gods couenaunt and promise wente with them also fighting agaynst the enemies of God For so are wee taught in Scripture that we christen mē haue no strength but in Christ onely Whether we warre agaynst the deuilt or agaynst the Turke it is true that the Scripture sayeth Sine me nihil potestis facere i. without me you ea do nothing Otherwise there is no puissaunce to stand agaynst the deuill or to conquere the world Nisi fides nostra that is our fayth onely all the promises of God touching saluation be annexed beyonde which promises we muste not goe for the worde must be our rule He that presumeth beyond the promises in the word expressed goeth not but wandereth hee can not tell whether Neither must we appoynt God how to saue the worlde but must take that way whiche he hath appointed Let vs not set our God to schoole nor cōprehēd his holy spirite within our sculles He that made vs wtout our counsell did also redeeme vs as pleased hym If he be mercifull let vs be thankefull And if his mercyes surmoūt our capacity let vs therfore not resist but search his word and thereunto apply our will which if we will doe all but contentious wil soone be at a poynt Let vs therfore search the will of our God in his word and if he will his saluation to stand free to all nations why do we make marchandise thereof If he haue graciously offred his waters to vs without mony or mony worth let vs not hedge in the plētuous springes of his grace geuen vs. And finally if God haue determined his owne sonne onely to stand alone let not vs presume to admixt with his maiesty any of our trumpery He that bringeth S. George or S. Deuise as patrons to the field to fight against the turk leaueth Christ no doubt at home Now how we haue fought these many yeres agaynst the Turke though storyes keep silence yet the successe declareth We fight agaynst a persecutour being no lesse persecutours our selues We wrastle against a bloudy tyraunt and our handes be as full of bloud as his He killeth Christes people with the sword and we burne them with fire He obseruing the works of the law seeketh his iustice by the same the like also do we But neither hee nor we seeke our iustification as we shoulde that is by fayth onely in the sonne of God And what maruell then if our doctrine being as corrupt almost as his and our conuersation worse if Christe fight not with vs fighting agaynst the Turke The Turke hath preuayled so mightely not because Christ is weake but because that Christians be wicked and theyr doctryne impure Our temples with Images our hartes with idolatry are poluted Our priestes stinck before God for adultry being restrayned from lawfull matrimony The name of god is in our mouthes but his fear is not in our harts We warre agaynst the Turke with our workes Masses traditions and ceremonies but we fight not agaynst hym with Christ and with the power of his glory whith if we did the field were wonne Wherfore briefely to conclude saying my iudgement in this behalfe what I suppose this hope I haue do beleue that when the Churche of Christ with the Sacramentes therof shal be so reformed that Christ alone shall be receaued to be our iustifier all other religions merites tradition images patrons and aduocates set a part the sword of the Christians with the strength of Christ shall soone vanquish the Turkes pride and fury But of this more largely in the processe of this story The sixte and last cause why I thinke the knowledge of the Turkes history requisite to be considered is this be cause that many there be which for the they be farther frō the Turkes and thinke therfore themselues to be out of daūger take little care and studye what happeneth to theyr other brethren Wherefore to the intent to excite theyr zeale and prayer to almighty God in this so lamentable ruin of Christes church I thought it requisite by order of history to geue this our natiō also something to vnderstand what hath bene done in other nations by these cruell Turkes and what detriment hath bene and is like more to happen by them to the Church of Christ except we make our earnest inuocatiō to almighty God in the name of hys sonne to stop the course of the deuill by these Turkes and to stay this defection of Christians falling daylye vnto them and to reduce them agayn to his fayth which are fallen frō him Which the Lorde Iesus of his grace graunt wyth speede Amen Before we enter into this story of the Turks and Saracens first let vs call to remembraunce the Prophecy and forewarning of S. Paule writing to the Thess. in his 2. Epistle in these words Be not moued nor troubled in your myndes eyther by preaching or by writing or by letter frō vs as though the day of the Lorde were at hande for the Lord will not come except there come a defection first and the wicked person be reuealed c. Of this defection sundry mindes there be of sundry expositours some thinking this defection to meane a falling away from the Empyre of Rome some from the obedience of the Pope But as S. Paul little passed vpon the outward glory of
miracles what straunge sightes this Berthwalde or Drithelm did see after hys death read the ix booke of Henr. Huntington King Etheldred made Abbot of Bardney Adelmus Gu. Malmesâ— lib. 5. de pontifiâ— Lying miracles Malmesbery commended for hys stile Lying miracles reproued Aldelme Byshop Swithune Bishop of Wine Bedo lib. 5. cap. 23. Ex historia Iornalensi do regib us Northumb S. Iohn of Beuerlay Anno. 717. Annother lying fable of Sainct Eguyne Ranulphus in Polychro lib. 5. cap. 23. Beda lib. 5. de gestes Angl. Polycron lib. 5. cap. 17. A generall rule seruing for the obseruation of Easter day This rule of Easter seemeth to be taken out of the booke of Numer And they going out of Ramesse the 15. day of the first moneth the next day after held their Easter c. Why priestes crownes were shauen Bede de gest lib. 5. The copy of a Monkish letter of Colfride to King Naiton for the shauing of Priestes crownes How proueth he that the Apostles Iob and Ioseph were shauen Much sayd nothing proued Diuersitie of rites hurteth not the Church See how these shauelinges would father their shauing vpon Peter which is neyther found in Scripture nor in any approued story but onely in paynted clothes Why Priestes and Monkes be shauen in the crowne The shauing of the crowne what it representeth How doth the signe of the crosse defend Churches from euill spirites when it cannot keepe them from euill Priestes If shauing of the crown doth each men patience in suffering how commeth it that we see none more washpish and irefull then these shorne generations of Monkish vipers Simon Magus 〈◊〉 as he sayâ— The difference betweene the shauing of Peter and Simon Magus In outward habite christians ought not to reliâ—â—ble wicked doers * There is but one mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The Scottish monke and the Englishe monkes differed in their shauing If Peter shall let in the elect of God into heauen Christ theâ— serueth in little stede A note to admonish the reader Fabia cap. 141. Guliel Malmesb de Reg. An. 724. Ethelburge the Queene perswadeth her husbaÌ„d to be a monke The crafty head of a woman King Iue resigning hys kingdome went to Rome and became a Monke Ethelburga the Queene made NuÌ„ne of Barking Peter pence first graunted and payd to Rome The lawes made by King Iue to his people Celulphus King of Northumberland Bede An. 729. The life of Bede briefly described This Benedict maister to Bede was the first that brought in the vse of glasse windowes into England Also the sayd Benet 〈…〉 An Epistle of Pope Sergius The famous learning of Bede Bede commended for integritie of lyfe Anno. 735. S. Iohns Gospell translated into English by Bede Celulfus of a King made a Monke Egbert Kyng of Northumberland Anno. 747. Ex Malmesb. lib. de gestis pontifi Anglo Cutbert Archbishop of Caunterbury The rogation dayes had not then that superstition in them as they had afterward Boniface an English man Archb. of Mentz Ethelwold kyng of Merceland Edelhim a strong 〈◊〉 valiant warriour Pride ouerâ—throwne A letter of Boniface otherwise called Winfridâ— sent to kyng Ethelbald Nihil factum quod non factum prius The corrupt lyfe of Nunnes noted The popish actes and doynges of Boniface Archbishop of Magunce The Monastery of Fulda in Germany builded by Boniface Childericus The French king deposed and Pipinus intruded Dist. xl cap Si Papa Images in Churches subuerted by Emperours mayntained by Popes Philippicus for holding agaynst Images lost hys Empyre his eyes The author of the book called the dialogues of Gregory Memoriall of reliques offring and sacrifice for the dead brought into the masse Canon The Popes feete first kissed of the Emperours Segebert king of Westsaxons Sigebert slayne Cruell tyranny with like cruelty reuenged Kenulphus king of Westsaxons Anno. 748. Murder reuenged with murder Offa King of Mercia An vntruth noted in the story of Fabianus The primacy of Canterbury remoued to Lichfield Lambrith Archbishop of Cant. This Alcuinus is commended for hys learning nex to Adelmus and Bede aboue all Saxons Ethelbert king of Eastangles wrongfully murdered by Offa. The vayne suspicion and wicked counsell of a woeman Ex historia Iornalensi Malmesocriensi Cruell murder reuenged Offa and Kenredus of Kinges made monkes at Româ— Egfretus King of Mercia Alcuinus Osbâ—â— to patritio The fathers fault punished in the childe Egbert King of Kent taken prisoner A princely example of clemency in a noble king The Church of Winchcombe builded by K. Kenulphus Egbert King of Kent released out of prison A place of Fabian doubted Pope Steuen the second The donation of Pipinus falsely taken to be the donation of Constantine Ex polyer lib. 5. cap. 25. Pope Paule the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope agaynst the Emperour A lay man pope who was deposed and had hys eyes put out Pope Steuen the third The counsell of Constantinople the 7. condemned of the Pope for condemning Images The pope also ordayned Gloria in Excelsis to be song in the masse at S. Peters altar by the Cardinals Pope Hadrian the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope to be mens Kalenders The body of S. Peter clothed iâ— siluer The order of the Romish masse book when it came in Ex Duraâ—do Nauâ—â—ro Iacobâ—â— Voragine in vita Greg. Et tameâ— ipsis commentum placet Terent Note well the practise of Prelates in planting their popish masse Gregories masse taketh place in Europe Carolus Magnus beneficiall to the sea of Rome Rex Christianissimus intituled to Fraunce A letter of Charles the great sent to king Offa. How the Pope heareth the cry of poore widowes and Orphanes The Empire translated from Greece to Fraunce Images written agaynst as contrary to the true fayth This Albinus was Alcuinus aboue mentioned The Bishops and Princes of England against Images King Egbert made a monke Anno. 757. Osulphus Mollo otherwise called Adelwold Alcredus or Aluredus Ethelbert otherwise named Adelred or Eardulphe Alfweld Osredus Adelred agayn kinges of Northumberland Anno. 764. Northumberland kingdome ceaseth Alcuinus otherwise called Albinus The troubles of the kingdome of Northumberland and described by Alcuinus Ex Historia MalmesberieÌ„si How it rayned bloud in Yorke Anno. 780. Brigthricus K. of Westsaxons Edelburga daughter to Offa poysoned her husband Wickednes reuenged Irene Anno. 784. Images restored agayne by Irene at Constantinople The second councell at Nicea The wickednes of Irene condingly rewarded Kenelmus king of Mercia innocently slayne Celulphus Ceolulphus Bernulphus kings of Mercia The kingdome of Mercia ceaceth Vniust dealinges of men iustly rewarded Paules Church The first aultar and crosse set vp in England The church of Winchester The church of Lincolne The church of Westminster The scholes at Cambridge Abbey of Knouisburgh Malmesb. Abbey of Glocester Mailrose Heorenton Hetesey The monastery of S. Martin at Douer Lestingey Whitbie This Hilda was first conuerted to the fayth by Paulinus a godly and learned