other cause but onely for the true confession of Iesus Christ This good Pastour considering with him selfe the lawes and doctrine of the church of Rome to swarue from the truth of Christ especially in restraining mariage to the end that he would not defile himselfe wyth fornication he maryed a mayd of his such a one as feared God by whom afterward he had many fayre children About this time the people of the countrey had raysed a great commotion A commotion of the Boures who in theyr rage went vnto monasteries and priestes houses as if they had taken in hand some pilgrimage and spared nothing that they could find to eat That which they could not eat they eyther cast vnderfeet or caryed it away with them One company of this rustical sort lodged themselues in the house of this good Priest for they made no difference betwene the good the bad These roysters tooke from him all that they could finde leauyng nothing behinde them in so much as they tooke away the very hose from his legges for all that he could doe albeit that he gently entreated them shewing that it was theft a hanging matter that they did yet they continued styll in theyr madnes like beastes As they were departing out of the house the good priest could not refrain himselfe from weeping saying vnto thē I tell you before these your vnordinate dooynges will redound to some great mischiefe to your selfe For what madnes is this what meaneth this rage and tumult wherein you keepe no order or equity neither haue any respect betwene frend and foe Who thus styrreth you vp what coūsell do you folow or to what end do you this Like theues you spoyle what so euer you can lay handes vpon And thinke you not but these thinges which you now rob rauen and steale you shal be compelled hereafter to restore agayn to your great detrimēt What sedition did euer come to good end Crueltie sedition neuer commeth to good ende You pretend the Gospell and haue no peace of the Gospell either in your mouthes or in your hartes These excesses sayd he ye neuer learned of me which euer haue taught you the true word of God This your Gospel sayth he is rather the Gospell of the deuill then of God which vexeth al the world with violence and wrong spoyling and robbing without regard The Gospel teacheth no rebellion The true Gospel of Iesus Christ teacheth you to do good vnto all men to auoyde dissentiōs and periury This I say vnto you that in these your doinges you offend God and prouoke his iust vengeance to plague you which will neuer suffer these euilles to escape vnpunished You finde written in the Gospell That which thou wouldest not shoulde be done to thee do not to other You offend also all the nobilitye and your lawfull magistrates whom you are sworne and bound vnto It is no small matter I tel you to rayse vp sedition to styrre vp other and to disturbe the state of the common wealth and when this tumult shall be ceased what then shall your noble men do shal they not rifle you as fast of your goodes make themselues rich and then shall one of you betray an other These with such other words he stood preaching vnto them almost naked but al this would not preuayle with those men who after all these gentle admonitions and fayre wordes departed out of his house geuing him foule language and calling him olde Dotarde Amongest all other one more wicked then the residue sayde vnto hym in this maner O mayster Curate we haue bene long deceyued by your selling of masses by fearing vs with Purgatory by your Diriges and Trentals and so haue we bene spoyled wherfore we do nothing now but requyre agayn the mony which you robbed vs of and so mocking scorning him they departed After that this sedition of the Pesantes was partly appeased theyr armour being layd away and they taken vnto grace after that also diuers of the principals of that conspiracy were taken here and there in the villagyes and executed this good pastor fearing no such thing for the true and sincere preaching of the Gospell whereat many tooke great indignation was taken in the night by certayn souldiers which bound him hand and foote with a great rope before his wife and children and so set him vpon a horse Religion the cause onely why good men be troubled of the wicked and ledde him away to Friburge What grieuous sighes teares sorrowe and lamentation was there It would haue mooued any hart were it as hard as a Flynt to a dolefull compassion especially to see the barbarous and despightfull rebukes tauntes and extreme cruelty shewed by these proude Popishe Souldiours agaynst the innocent Priest Such beastly Tyrauntes the world is neuer without Such Godly ministers we haue had but a few The people hearing this pitifull noyse and lamentatiō in the night came runing out not the men but onely the women whom the souldiers willed to go home again and that theyr men should come forth and keepe the towne but theyr men durst not appear Then from Friburge shortly after they conueyed him to Ensissheim After they had long kept this man in prison and that he had endured most terrible tormēts as well by the priuy members as in other partes they iudged him to death If you will know y e cause what they had to lay to his charge it was onely this y t he had maryed a wife secretely in hys owne house with a few witnesses Crueltie without cause Other crimes they had none to obiect agaynst him neither that he was a seditious and wicked man or that he had cōmitted any other offence albeit they had gathered diuers wicked persons out of sūdry places to picke out of hys Sermons the order and maner of his behauiour When he was led vnto the place of execution he aunswered gentlye and quietly vnto all them that came to comfort hym But there were diuers Monkes and Priestes which troubled hym very sore with theyr foolish babling as he was striuing in hys spirite agaynst the horrour of death and making hys prayer vnto almightye GOD seeking nothing els but to turne him away from his harty and earnest contemplation But he desired them that they woulde holde theyr peace saying that he had already confessed his sinnes vnto the Lord Iesus nothing at all doubting but that he had receiued absolution and forgeuenesse of them all And I sayd he shall this day be an acceptable sacrifice vnto my Sauiour Iesus Christ for I haue done no suche thing wherefore I am now condemned whiche might displease my Lorde God who in this behalfe hath geuen me a good and quiet conscience Nowe therefore let them which thyrst for innocent bloud and shed the same diligently aduise themselues what they do and that they offend euen hym vnto whom it perteineth truely to iudge the hartes of men for it is
thus Steph. Winchester takyng his leane biddyng the Pope farewell endeth with a freÌ„dely exhortatioÌ„ Steph. Wint. taketh his vale of the Pope but not his ultimum vale willyng him to be wise circumspect not to striue stubburnely agaynst the truth The light of the Gospell sayth he so spreadeth his beames in all mens eyes y t the works of the Gospell be knowne the mysteries of Christes doctrine are opened both learned and vnlearned men women beyng Englishmen borne do see perceiue that they haue nothyng to doe with Rome nor with the Byshop of Rome but that euery Prince in his owne dominion is to be taken and accepted as a Uicare of God Uicegerent of Christ in his owne bouÌ„des And therfore seyng this order is taken of God The office of teaching The office of of Ruling that one in the Church should beare the office of teachyng an other should beare y e office of rulyng which office is onely limited to princes he exhorteth him to consider the truth and to folow the same wherein consisteth our true and speciall obedience c. To this booke of Stephen Winchester De obedientia we will adioyne for good felowshyp y e Preface also of Edmund Boner ArchdeacoÌ„ then of Leycester prefixed before the same to the enteÌ„t that the reader seyng the iudgemeÌ„tes of these men as they were then agayne the sodeine mutation afterward of the sayd parties to the coÌ„trary opinioÌ„ may learne thereby what vayne glory and pompe of this world caÌ„ worke in the frayle nature of man where Gods grace lacketh to susteine The Preface of Boner before the sayd booke of Winchester De obedientia proceedeth thus in effect as foloweth ¶ The Preface of Edmund Boner Archdeacon of Leycester prefixed before Stephen Gardiners booke De obedientia FOr asmuch as some there be no doubt as the iudgements of men be alwaies variable which thinke the controuersie which is betweene the Kings roiall Maiestie Boners preface beâ—ore Winchesters booke of obedience and the Bishop of Rome consisteth in this point for that his Maiestie hath taken the most excellent and most vertuous Lady Anne to wife which in very deede is farre otherwise and nothing so to the intente therefore that all true harty fauourers of the Gospell of Christ Queene Anne which hate not but loue the truth may the more fully vnderstand the chiefe point of the controuersie and because they shall not be ignoraunt what is the whole voice and resolute determination of the best and greatest learned Bishops with all the nobles and commons of England not only in that cause of Matrimony but also in defending the doctrine of the Gospell The doctrine of the Gospell heere shall be published the Oration of the Bishop of Winchester a man excellently learned in all kinde of learning entituled DE VERA OBEDIENTIA that is See how these clawbackes can clung togeather in truth and in false hood and al to fashioÌ„ theÌ„selues to the world and the time present concerning true obedience But as touching this Bishops worthy praises there shall be nothing spoken of me at this time not only because they are infinite but because they are farre better knowne to all Christendome then becommeth me heere to make rehearsall And as for the Oration it selfe which as it is most learned so it is most elegant to what purpose should I make any words of it seeing it praiseth it selfe inough and seeing good wine needeth no tauerne bushe to vtter it But yet in this Oration whosoeuer thou art most gentle Reader thou shalt beside other matters see it notably and learnedly handled of what importaunce and how inuincible the power and excellencie of Gods truth is which as it may now and then be pressed of the enemies so it can not possibly be oppressed and darkened after such sorte but it sheweth it selfe againe at length Mens traditons The contents of Winchesters booke De vera obedientia The kinges mariage with Queene Anne more glorious and more welcome Thou shalt see also touching obedience that it is subiect to truth and what is to be iudged true obedience Besides this of mens traditions which for the most parte be most repugnaunt against the truth of Gods law And there by the way he speaketh of the Kings said highnes mariage which by the ripe iudgemente authoritie and priuiledge of the most and principall Vniuersities of the world and then with the consent of the whole Church of England Supreme head he contracted with the most excellent and most noble Lady Queene Anne After that touching the Kings Maiesties title as perteining to the supreme head of the Church of England Lastly of all The Bishop of Roomes pretensed supremacy of the false pretenced supremacie of the Bishop of Rome in the Realme of England most iustly abrogated and how all other Byshops being felowlike to him in their function yea and in some points aboue him within their owne prouinces were before time bound to the King by their othe But be thou most surely perswaded of this good Reader that the Bishop of Rome if there were no cause else but onely this mariage Boâ—ner knewe well what morsell would best please his father of Rome that mony bribes would soone stoppe his mouthe would easely content himselfe specially hauing some good morsell or other geuen him to chaw vpon But when he seeth so mighty a King being a right vertuous and a great learned Prince so sincerely and so hartely fauour the Gospell of Christ and perceiueth the yearely and great pray ye so large a pray that it came to as much almost as all the Kings reuenues snapped out of hys hands and that he can no longer exercise his tyranny in the Kings Maiesâ—ies Realme * Seeing thou knewest the Pope to be such a cruell tirant why then wouldest thou against thy knowledge become his slaughter man alas heeretofore too cruell and bitter nor make lawes as he hath done many to the contumelie and reproch of the Maiestie of God which is euident that he hath done in time past vnder the title of the Catholicke Church and the authoritie of Peter and Paule when notwithstanding he was a very rauening Wolfe dressed in sheepes clothing calling himselfe the seruaunt of seruaunts to the great damage of the Christen common wealth heere heere began all the mischiefe thereof rose these discords these deadly malices and so great and terrible bustling For if it were not thus could any man beleeue that this Iuppiter of Olympus which falsely hath arrogated vnto himselfe an absolute power without controlment woulde haue wrought so diligently by all meanes possible to stirre vp all other Kings and Princes so traiterously against this so good and godly and so true a Gospellike Prince as he hath done Neyther let it moue thee gentle Reader that Winchester did not before now apply to this opinion for he himselfe in this Oration sheweth
S. Ambrose writing as is aforesayde affirmeth the same And that the mother of all Churches is Ierusalem as afore is saide and not Rome the scripture is plaine bothe in the Prophette Esaye Out of Syon shall the law proceed Esa. 2. and the word of the Lord out of Ierusalem Vpon the which place S. Hierome sayth In Hierusalem primum fundata ecclesia totius orbis ecclesias seminauit Out of the Church being first founded in Hierusalem sprong all other churches of the whole worlde And also in the Gospell whiche Christ before his ascension commaunded his Apostles to preache throughout al the world beginning first at Ierusalem So that the byshop of Romes vniuersal power by him claymed ouer all can not by any scripture be iustified as if you haue read the auncient fathers expositions of the said scriptures as we suppose you haue sith your letters sent hyther concerning this matter and would giue more credence to their humble and plaine speaking then to the latter contentious and ambitious writers of that high and aboue the Ideas of Plato his subtilitie which passeth as you write the lawiers learning and capacitie we doubt not but that you perceiue and thinke the same A Prince may be â—â—ad of his churh and yet not preach nor minister Sacramentes And where you thinke that the king can not be taken as supreme head of the Church because he can not exercise the chiefe office of the Church in preaching and ministring of the sacramentes it is not requisite in euerie bodie naturall that the head should exercise eyther all maner of offices of the body or the chiefe office of the same For albeit the head is the highest chief member of the naturall body yet the distribution of life to al the members of the body as well to the head as to other members commeth from the heart and it is the minister of life to the whole body as the chiefe act of the body Neyther yet hath this similitude his full place in a mysticall body that a king shoulde haue the chiefe office of administration in the same And yet notwithstanding the scripture speaking of king Saule sayth I made thee head amongest the tribes of Israell Reg. 15. And if a king amongest the Iewes were the head in the tribes of Israell in the time of the lawe muche more is a Christian king head in the tribes of spirituall Israell that is of such as by true fayth see Christ who is the end of the law The office deputed to the byshops in the misticall body is to be as eyes to the whole body Ezech. 3. A bishop is a eye in the head but not the head of the mystical bodye as almighty God saith to the prophet Ezechiell I haue made thee an ouerseer ouer the house of Israell And what Byshops soeuer refuseth to vse the office of an eye in the misticall body to shew vnto the body the right way of beleeuing and liuing which appertayneth to the spirituall eye to doe shall shew himselfe to be a blinde eye and if hee shall take anye other office in hand then appertayneth to the right eye he shall make a confusion in the body taking vppon hym an other office then is geuen him of God Wherfore if the eye will not take vpon him the office of the whole head it may be aunswered it cannot so do for it lacketh brayne And examples shew likewise that it is not necessary alway that the head should haue the facultie or chiefe office of administration as you may see in a nauie by sea where the admirall who is captayne ouer all doth not meddle with stering or gouerning of euery ship but euery mayster particular must direct the shyp to passe the sea in breaking the waues by his steryng and gouernaunce The office of a head standeth not in doing but in coÌ„maunding whiche the admirall the head of all doth not hymselfe nor yet hath the facultie to doe but commaundeth the maysters of the ship to do it And likewise many a captayne of great armyes whiche is not able nor neuer coulde peraduenture shoote or breake a speare by hys own strength yet by his wisedome and commaundement onely atchieueth the warres and attayneth the victory And where you thinke that vnitie standeth not onely in the agreeing in one fayth and doctrine of the Church Vnity what it is and where in it consisteth but also in agreeing in one head if you meane the very onely head ouer all the churche our Sauiour Christ Whome the Father hath set ouer all the Churche which is his body wherein all good Christen men doe agree therin you say truth But if you meane of any one mortall man to be head ouer all the Church and that to be the bishop of Rome we do not agree with you For you doe there erre in the true vnderstanding of Scripture or els you must say that the sayd Councell of Nice and other most auncient did erre which deuided the administration of Churches the Orient from the Occident and the South from the North as is before expressed and that Christ the vniuersal head is present in euery church the Gospell sheweth Where two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 28. â— there am I in the middes of them And in an other place Behold I am wyth you vntill the end of the world Math. 28. By which it may appeare christ the vniuersall head euery where to be with hys misticall body the Church who by hys spirite worketh in all places how far so euer they be distaunt the vnitie and concorde of the same And as for any other vniuersall head to be euer all then christ himselfe Scripture prooueth not as it is shewed before And yet for a further proofe to take away the scruples that peraduenture doe to your appearaunce rise of certayne wordes in some auncient authors and especially in S. Cyprians epistles as that the vnitie of the church stood in the vnity with the bishop of Rome though they neuer call him supreme head Aunswere to S. Ciprian if you will wey and conferre all their sayinges together you shal perceiue that they neither spake nor ment otherwise but wheÌ„ the bishop of Rome was once lawfully elected and enthroned if then anye other woulde by faction might force or otherwise the other liuing and doing his office enterprise to put him downe and vsurpe the same Bishopricke or exercise the others office himselfe as Nouatianus did attempt in the tyme of Cornelius then the sayd fathers reckoned them Catholicks that did communicate with him that was so lawfully elected and the custome was one primacye to haue to doe with an other by congratulatorye letters soone after the certayntye of theyr election was knowne to keepe the vnity of the Church and that they that did take part or mayntayne the vsurper to be schismatickes because that vsurper was a schismaticke Quia non sit fas
body of our Lord Iesu Christ in the Eucharist Christ is true which sayde the wordes The wordes are true whyche he spake yea truth it selfe that cannot faile Lette vs therefore pray vnto God to sende downe vnto vs his holye spirite which is the true interpreater of his woorde whiche maye purge away errours and geue light that veritye may appeare Let vs also aske leaue and libertie of the Churche to permit the truth receiued to be called this day in question wythout any preiudice to the same Your partes therefore shal be to implore the assistaunce of almighty God to pray for the prosperitie of the Queenes maiestie and to geue vs quiet and attentiue eares Now go to your questions Doct Smith This day right learned M. Doctor 3. questions are propounded whereof no controuersy among christians ought to be mooued to wit 1. Whether the naturall bodye of Christ our Sauiour conceiued of the Virgine Marie The quesâ—â—â—ons and offred for mans redemption vppon the crosse is verilye and really in the sacrament by vertue of Gods worde spoken by the Priest c. 2. Whether in the sacrament after the words of consecration be any other substance c. 3. Whether in the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie c. Touching the which questioÌ„s although you haue publikely and partly professed your iudgemeÌ„t and opinion on Saterday last yet being not satisfied with that your aunswere I wil assay againe to demaund your sentence in the first question Whether the true body of Christe after the woords pronounced be really in the Eucharist or els only the figure In which matter I stande heere nowe to heare your aunsweare The Preface or protestation of D. Ridley before his disputation I Receiued of you the other day right worshipful M. prolocutor and yee my reuerend Maisters The proteâ—station of B. Ridley Commissioners from the Queenes maiestie and her honorable Counsell three propositions whereunto ye commaunded me to prepare against this day what I thought good to aunsweare concerning the same Now whilest I weied w t my selfe how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompte to my Lord God and that howe soone he knoweth and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter I ought to be redy alway to geue a reason of the hope y t is in me with mekenes and reuerence vnto euery one that shall demaund the same besides this coÌ„sidering my duty to the Church of Christ What mâ—â—ued Doct. Ridley to alter his iudgemeâ—â— from the Church of Rome and to your worships being commissioners by publicke authority I determined with my selfe to obey your commaundement and so opeÌ„ly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresayd propositions And albeit plainely to confesse vnto you the trueth in these things which ye now demaund of me I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do yet God I call to record vnto my soule I lie not I haue not altered my iudgemeÌ„t as now it is either by constraint of any man or lawes either for the dread of any daungers of thys world either for any hope of commodity but onely for the loue of the truthe reuealed vnto me by the grace of God as I am vndoubtedly perswaded in his holy woorde and in the reading of the auncient Fathers These things I do the rather recite at this present because it may happen to some of you hereafter as in times past it hath done to me I meane if ye thinke otherwyse of the matters propouÌ„ded in these propositions then I now doe God may open vnto you in time to come But how so euer it shall be I will in fewe woordes do that which I thinke yee all looke I shoulde doe that is as plainely as I can I will declare my iudgement heerein Howbeit of this I would yee were not ignoraunt that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any poynt against Gods worde â— Ridley submitteth himselfe to the Church of Christ. or dissent in any one iote from the same or from the rules of faith and Christian religion which rules that same most sacred word of god prescribeth to the Churche of Christe whereunto I nowe and for euer submit my selfe and all my doinges And because the matter I haue now taken in hand is waightie and yee all wel know how vnready I am to handle it accordingly aswell for lacke of time as also lacke of bookes therefore heere I protest that I will publickly this daye require of you that it may be lawfull for me concerning all mine aunsweares explications and confirmations to adde or diminish what soeuer shall seeme hereafter more conuenient and mete for the purpose through more sound iudgement better deliberation and more exact triall of euery particular thing Hauing nowe by the way of Preface and protestation spoken these fewe woordes I will come to the answearinge of the propositions propounded vnto me and so to the most brief explication and confirmation of mine answeres West Reuerend maister Doctour concerning the lacke of bookes there is no cause why you should complaine What bookes soeuer you will name The promise was not â—ept ye shall haue them as concerning the iudgement of your answeres to be had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation it shall I say be lawfull for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto them what you shall thinke good your selfe My minde is that we shoulde vse short arguments least we shuld make an infinite processe of the thing Rid. There is an other thyng besides whyche I woulde gladly obtaine at your handes I perceiue that you haue wryters and Notaries here present By all likelihoode our disputations shal be published I beseech you for gods sake let me haue libertie to speake my minde freely wythout interruption not because I haue determined to protract y e time with a solemne Preface but least it maye appeare that some be not satisfied God wotte I am no Oratour nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter West Two Notaries permitted to Doct. Ridly These 2. Notaries were M. Iâ—ell sometime bishop of Salisbury 〈◊〉 M. Gilbert Mounson Among this whole company it shall be permitted you to take two for your part Rid. I would chuse two if there were any here w t whome I were acquainted West Here are two whych M. Cranmer had yesterdaye Take them if it please you Rid. I am contente wyth them I truste they are honest men The first proposition In the Sacrament of the aultare by the vertue of Gods word spoken of the Priest the naturall body of Christ borne of the virgine Marie The first proposition and his naturall bloude is really present vnder the formes of bread and wine The aunswere of N. Ridley In matters appertaining to God we may not speake according to the sence of man D. Ridleys aunswere
Adrian sent his letters in maner of a briefe A dyet of the Princes kept at Norenberge with an instruction also vnto his Legate Cheregatus to informe him how to procceede and what causes to alledge agaynst Luther before the Princes there assembled His letter with the instruction sent because they are so hypocritically shadowed ouer with a fayre shew and colour of paynted zeale and Religion Paynted pretences ought to be examined and beareth resemblaunce of great trueth and care of the Church able to deceaue the outward eares of them which are not inwardly in true Religion instructed I thought therefore to geue to the Reader a sight therof to the intent that by the experieÌ„ce of them he may learne hereafter in cases like to be prudent circumspect in not beleuing ouer rashly the smoth talke or pretensed persuasions of men especially in Church matters vnlesse they carry with them the simplicity of playne truth goyng not vpon termes but grouÌ„ded vpon y e word and reueled wil of God with particular demonstrations prouing that by the Scripture which they pretend to perswade First the letter of this Pope conceiued directed agaynst Luther proceedeth in this effect * Adrian Pope vi to the renowmed Princes of Germanye and to the Piers of the Romayne Empyre greeting and Apostolique benediction RIght honourable brethren and deare children The exaâ—ple of 〈◊〉 Adrians â—â—â—ter sent to the princes of Germany greeting and Apostolique benediction After that we were first promoted through Gods diuine prouidence to the office of the see Apostolick he which hath so aduanced vs is our witness how we both daye and night reuoluing in our mindes did cogitate nothinge more then how to satisfye the partes of a good Pastour in attending the health and cure of the flock both vniuersally singularlye committed vnto vs If these pastors caâ—â— any thing 〈◊〉 the sheepe it is onely for the wolle so that there is no one particular sheepe through the whole vniuersall flock so infected so sicke or so farre gone astray whome our desire is not to recouer to seeke out and to reduce into the Lordes folde agayne And chiefely from the first beginning of our pastorall function our care hath alwayes bene as well by our messengers as our dayly letters howe to reclayme the mindes of Christian Princes from the intestine wars and dissensions among themselues to peace and concorde or at least if they woulde needes fight that they woulde conuert theyr streÌ„gth and armour agaynst the coÌ„moÌ„ enemyes of our fayth And to declare this not onely in worde but rather in deede God doth knowe with what charges and expences wee haue burdened our selues to extend our subsidy and reliefe to the souldiers of Rhodes for defence of themselues and of the Christian fayth agaynst the Turkish tyranny by whom they were besieged And now to bend our care from these forreyne matters and to consider our inwarde troubles at home we heare to the great griefe of our hart Rather a new raseâ—â— of the olde doctrine of the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles that M. Luther a newe rayser vppe of olde and damnable heresyes first after the fatherly aduertisemeÌ„tes of the See Apostolique then after the sentence also of condemnation awarded agaynst him and that by the assent and consent of the best learned and of sundy Vniuersityes also and lastly after the Emperiall decree of our well beloued sonne Charles elect Emperour of the Romaynes and Catholique king of Spayne beyng diuulged through the whole nation of Germanye yet hath neyther bene by order restrayned Termes without truth nor of himselfe hath refrayned from hys madnesse begunne but daily more and more forgetting and contemning all Christian Charity and Godlynesse ceaseth not to disturbe and replenish the worlde with new bookes fraught full of errours heresyes contumelyes and sedition whether vppon hys owne head or by the healpe of other and to infect the country of Germany and other Regions about with this pestilence Euill called good and good euil and endeuoureth still to corrupt simple soules and maners of men with the poyson of his pestiferous tongue and which is worst of all hath for his fautours and supporters not of the vulgare sort onely but also diuers personages of the Nobility in so much that they haue begunne also to inuade the goodes of priestes whiche perhappes is the chiefe ground of this styrre begunne contrarye to theyr obedience which they owe to ecclesiasticall and temporall persons and nowe also at last haue growen vnto ciuill warre and dissention among themselues which thing how vnfortunately it falleth out now at this present season especially amongest vs Christians you may soone repute with your selues and consider For although the Apostle hath tolde vs before 1. Cor. 11. that heresyes must needes be that they which be tried may be made manifest c. yet was there neuer time either so vnconuenient to rayse vp heresyes or so necessary for the repressing thereof when any such are raysed as now For whereas the Deuill the perpetuall enemy of mankinde roaring in the shape of a Lyon by the power of the Turkes doth continually inuade the flocke of Christ how can we then resist the violent inuations of him oppressing vs without so long as we nourish at home the same Deuill Who soweth these heresies but he which will not let the Scriptures take place vnder the coulour of a wyly Dragon sowing such heresyes discordes and seditions among our selues And albeit it were in our power easily to vanquish these forreigne aduersaryes yet were that but labor lost seruing to no profite to subdue our enemyes without and at home with heresyes and schismes to be deuided We remember before the time of our Papacy when we were in Spayne many thinges we heard then of Luther and of his peruerse doctrine Which rumours and tydinges although of theÌ„ selues they were grieuous to be hearde yet more gireuous they were for this because they proceeded out of that countrey where we our selfe after the flesh tooke our first beginning but yet thys comfort we had supposing that either for the iniquity or els for the foolishnesse thereof being so manifest this doctrine woulde not long holde reputing thus with our selfe that such pestiferous * * He meaneth the doctrine of Iohn Hus translated into Germany plantes translated from other countryes into Germanye would neuer grow vppe to any proofe in that ground which was euer woont to be a weeder out of all heresyes and infidelity But now since this euill tree whether by Gods iudgement correcting the sinnes of the people or by the negligence of suche as first should haue resisted such beginninges hath so enlarged and spread his braunches so farre you therefore both Princes and people of Germanye must this consider and prouide leaste you which at the first springing vp of this euill might peraduenture be excused as no doers therof now through this your ouermuch
perceiuing that I would not be wel contented if he should not tel me The Popes clergy caÌ„not abiâ—e honest mariage to dye for it declared vnto me some part of the cause that is to say that there was certaine heretickes whyche spake against our holy mother the churche and amonge other errours they maintained yea to death that all Bishoppes Priests pastors ought to be maried or els to be gelded and hearing this I was maruellously offended and euer since I did hate them to the death And also it was enioyned vnto me by penaunce that I should endeuour with al my power to putte these heretickes to death After these friuolous talkes there was great trouble and debate amongst them and many threatnings which were too long here to describe Querebant Principes sacerdotum â—t scribae que modo interficerent Iesum Luke 22. Then the President Chassance and the CouÌ„cellers parted aside and the Gentlemen went on the other part The Archbishop of Arles the Bishop Aix and diuers Abbots Priors and others assembled them selues together to coÌ„sult how this Arrest might be executed with all speede entending to raise a newe persecution greater then that of Iohn the Iacobine Monke of Rome For otherwise sayd they our state and honour is like to decay We shall be reprooued contemned and derided of all menne And if none should thus vaunt and set themselues against vs but these pesantes and such lyke it were but a smal matter but many Doctours of Diuinitie and men of the religious order diuers Senatours and Aduocates many wise and well learned men also a great parte of the nobilitie if we may so say and that of great renoume Note how-the Popes church is led not with any conscieÌ„ce of truth but onely with loue of liuinges yea euen of the cheefest Peeres in all Europe begyn to contemne and despise vs counting vs to be no true pastours of the church so that except we see to this mischiefe and prouide for remedie betime it is greatly to be feared least not onely wee shall be compelled to forsake our dignities possessioÌ„s and liuings which we now wealthely enioy but also the church being spoiled of her pastors and guides shall hereafter come to a miserable ruine and vtter desolation Thys matter therefore now requireth great diligeÌ„ce and circumspection and that withall celeritie Then the Archbishop of Arles not forgetting his Spanish subtilties and pollicies gaue his aduise as foloweth Against the nobilitie we must sayde he take heede that we attempt nothing rashly but rather we must seeke all the meanes we caÌ„ how to please them for they are our shield our fortresse and defence And albeit we knowe that many of them doe both speake thinke euill of vs and that they are of these new gospellers yet may we not reprooue them to exasperate them in any case but seeing they are too much bent against vs already we must rather seeke how to win them and to make them our frendes againe by giftes and presents and by this pollicie we shall liue in safetie vnder their protection But if wee enterprise any thing againste them sure we are to gaine nothing thereby as we are by experience already sufficiently taught It is well sayd sayth the Byshop of Aix but I canne shew you a good remedy for this disease A butcherly religion which worketh all by bloud We must go about withall our endeuor power and policie and al the frends we canne make sparing no charges but spending goodes wealth and treasure to make suche a slaughter of the Merindolians and rusticall pesantes that none shal be so bold hereafter what soeuer they be yea although they be of the bloud royal once to open their mouthes against vs or the Ecclesiasticall state And to bring this matter to passe wee haue no better way then to withdrawe our selues to Auinion in the which Citie we shal finde many Bishops Abbots and other famous men which will with vs Cathedra Pestilentie employ their whole endeuor to maintaine and vphold the maiestie of our holy mother the Church This counsaile was well liked of them all Wherupon the sayd Archbishop of Arles and the Bishop of Aix went withall speede to Auinion there to assemble out of hand the Bishops and other men of authoritie and credite to entreate this matter In thys pestilent conspiracie the Bishop of Aix a stoute champion and a great defender of the traditions of men taking vppon hym to be the chiefe Oratour beganne in manner as followeth O Yee fathers and brethren An oration of Cateline that is the oration of the Bishop of Aix seditious bloudy Your oblations be against the Scripture Your pilgrimage is Idolatry Your charity is gone in deed wheÌ„ ye seeke so the bloud of your bretheren Your estimation is Pharisaicall Your iurisdictioÌ„ is tyrannicall Your ordinaÌ„ces serue not to Christes glory but your owne yee are not ignoraunt that a great tempest is raised vp against the little barke of Christe Iesus nowe in great danger and ready to pearish The storme commeth from the North whereof all these troubles proceede The seas rage the waters rushe in on euery side the windes blowe beate vpon our house and wee without speedy remedy are like to sustaine shippewracke and losse of alltogether For oblations cease pilgrimage and deuotion waxeth colde charitie is cleane gone our estimation and authoritie is abased our iurisdiction decaied and the ordinaunces of the churche despised And wherefore are we sette and ordained ouer nations and kingdomes but to roote out and destroy to subuert and ouerthrow whatsoeuer is against our holy mother the Churche Wherefore let vs now awake lette vs stande stoutly in the right of our owne possession that we may roote out from the memorie of men for euer the whole route of the wicked Lutheranes those Foxes I say whiche destroye the vineyard of the Lorde those great Whales which goe aboute to drowne the little barke of the sonne of God We haue already wel begonne and haue procured a terrible Arrest against these cursed heretickes of Merindoll nowe then resteth no more but onelye the same to be put in execution Let vs therefore employe oure whole endeuour that nothyng happen whych may lette or hinder that we haue so happely begon and lette vs take good heede that our gold and siluer do not witnesse agaynst vs at the day of iudgement if we refuse to bestowe the same The day shall come when men shal thinke they do a good sacryfice to God in putting you to death Iohn 16. that we may make so good a sacrifice vnto God And for my parte I offer to wage furnishe of mine owne costes and charges a 100. men well horsed with al other furniture to them belonging and that so long vntill the vtter destruction and subuersion of these wretched and curssed caitiffes be fully performed and finished This Oration pleased the whole multitude sauing one doctor of
supporte them that they might be able to maintaine their poore families whome they nourished as they were bound to do to the seruice of God and their said Lord and Prince and therfore they desired that it mighte please him that their poore brethren remaining in captiuitie and prisone and such as were sent to the galleis for the profession of their religion might spedely be deliuered and set at libertie As for their assembles and preachings they were contēted that they should be kept only amongst themselues in their accustomed places and in other Ualleys aforesayde where any assemble of the faithfull shoulde be which were desirous to heare the preaching of the Gospell Touching y e Fortresses for as much as by those which were already made they had suffered great molestations and troubles as well concerning their goods as also their religion they were assured that if he should build vp newe Fortes they shoulde neuer be able to abide the troubles miseries and calamities that would folow therupon and therfore they most humbly desired the sayde Duchesse to be so good and gracious vnto them as to obteine of the Duke that he would accept their persons in the steade of Fortes and that seeing those places were by nature and of themselues strong and wel fortified it mighte please theyr sayde lord the duke to receiue them into his protection and sauegarde and by the grace and assistance of God they would serue him them selues for suche Walles and Forts that he should not neede to builde any other And because many of those which dwelt neare about them had robbed spoiled them not onely of their housholde goodes and such other thinges but also driuen away their cattell that it myghte please him to geue them leaue to recouer the sayde goodes by the way of Iustice and to buy againe that whyche the souldiers had sold and that for the same price for the which it was solde Briefly they also besought their said Lorde y t it myght please him to be so gratious vnto them as to graunt them a confirmation of al their franchises immunities and priuileges as well generall as particular geuen vnto them as well by him as by his predecessours and likewise of those which as well they as their anciters had bought of their Lordes and to receiue them as hys most humble and obedient subiects into his protection and safegarde And because in time past in the stede of good and spedie Iustice all iniquitie was committed by those that had the administration of iustice in their Ualleis and for as much as their purses were emptied punished rather then the malefactours that it might please him to geue order that such iustice might be done amongst them wherby the wicked might be punished with all seueritie and the innocent defended and maintained in their right Finally forasmuch as diuers of this poore people being astonished at the comming of the army fearing least they should not onely be spoyled of all theyr goods but also they with their wiues and children be vtterly destroyed made promise against their consciences to liue accordynge to the traditions of the church of Rome Tormēt of conscience in sliding from the truth they were maruelously troubled and tormēted in spirit and did nothing but languish in that distresse Wherfore they humbly besought the sayde Duches to take pity vpon them to obtaine that they might not be compelled to do any thing against their conscience and moreouer that it might please the Duke to permit them to liue in libertie and freedome of conscience also that all theyr poore brethren banished for the cause of Religion might returne home to their houses and that al confiscations and penalties made against them myghte be abolished And for their part they promised to geue all due reuerence and honour to God and his holy worde and to be true and faithfull subiects to theyr Lorde Prince Yea more then any other Underneath the sayde supplication there was wrytten Your faithfull and humble subiects the poore afflicted of the Ualleys of Luserne Angrongne S. Martin and Perouse and generally all the people of the Waldois which inhabite the countrey of Primont After that this supplication was viewed read of the sayd Duchesse she so persuaded with the Duke that aunswer was made with these conditions declared in these articles following Conclusions and Articles lastly agreed vpon betweene the right honourable Lorde of Raconis on the part of the Dukes highnesse and them of the Valleys of Piemont called the Waldoys THat there shal shortly be made letters Patentes by the Dukes highnesse The compositiō and agreement vpon conditiōs betweene the Duke and the Waldoys by the which it may appeare that he hath forgeuen and pardoned them of the Ualleys of Angrongne Boby Uillers Ualquichard Rora Tailleret La Rua de Bonet bordering vppon Tour. S. Martine Perouse Roccapiata S. Bartlemew and al suche as haue aided them of all such faultes as they haue committed as well in bearing armour againste his highnesse as against the Lordes and certaine other gentlemen whom he reteined and kept in his protection and safegard Pardon promysed That it shal be lawful for them of Angrongne Boby Uillard Ualquichard Rora members of the Ualley of Luserne for them of Rodoret Marcele Maneillan and Salsa members of the Ualley of S. Martine to haue their congregations Sermons congregations permitted sermons other ministeries of theyr religion in places accustomed That it shal be lawfull for them of Uillars members of the Ualley of Luserne to haue the same The parishe of Villars but that onely vntill the time that his highnes doth builde a Forte in the same place But whilest the sayd fort is in building it shall not be lawful to haue their preaching and assemblies with in the said precinct of the place but it shal be lawful for them to build a place for that purpose neere at hand where they shall thinke good on that side towardes Boby Neuertheles it shall be permitted to their ministers to come wythin the precinct aforesayd to visite the sicke and exercise other things necessary to theyr Religion so that they preach not nor make any assemble there The parishe of Tailleret La Rua de Bonet It shal be also permitted to them of Tailleret La Rua de Bonet bordering vpon Tour to haue their Sermones and assembles in places accustomed so that they enter not for that purpose into the rest of the confines of Tour. The valleyes of Luserne and S. Martin That it shal not be lawful for the saide members of the Ualleys of Luserne and S. Martine to come to the rest of their borderers nor any other of his highnesse dominion nor to haue their preachinges assembles or disputations out of theyr owne borders hauing libertie to haue them therein And if they be examined of their faith it shall be lawfull for them to answer without danger of punishmēt
the church My grief most bitter is turned to peace c. But the malignant church sayth Peace peace and there is no peace but onely that wherof it is written When the mighty armed man kepeth his gates he possesseth all thinges in quiet But when he seeth that he shal be vanquished of a stronger then he him selfe is he spoyleth and destroyeth all thinges What now a dayes beginneth agayne to be attempted I dare not say God graunt vs grace that we doe not refuse and reiect if it bee Christ him that commeth vnto vs 2. Thess. 2. least that we doe feele that terrible iudgement agaynst vs because sayth he they haue not receiued the loue of trueth that they might be saued therefore God will send vpon them the blindnesse of errour that they shall geue credite vnto lyes O terrible sentence whiche God knoweth whether a great number haue not alreadye incurred that all they might bee iudged which haue not geuen credite vnto the trueth Notes and argumentes prouing that it is not the true word of God which hath bene preached in the Popes Church but consented vnto iniquity The tyme shall come sayth he when that they will not suffer the true doctrine to be preached And what shall we theÌ„ say of that learning which hath now so loÌ„g time raigned and triumphed so that no man hath once opened his mouth agaynst it Shall we think it sound doctrine Truely iniquity did neuer more abound nor charity was neuer so cold And what should we say to be the cause therof hath the cause bene for lacke of preaching agaynst the vices of men and exhorting to charity That cannot be for many learned and greate Clearkes sufficiently can witnesse to the contrary And yet all these notwithstanding we see the life and maners of meÌ„ do greatly degenerate from true Christianity and seme to cry out in deede that it is fulfilled in vs which God in times past threatned by his Prophet Amos Amos 8. saying Beholde the day shall come sayth the Lord that I will send hunger vpon the earth not hunger of bread neither thirst of water but of hearing the word of God and the people shall be moued from sea to sea and from the West vnto East and shall runne about seekinge for the word of God but shall not finde it In those dayes the fayre Virgines and young men shall perish for thirst c. But now to passe ouer many thinges This letter may well answere to the note of D. Saunders booke intituled The rocke of the Church fol. 14. nota 5. whereby I am mooued to feare that the word of God hath not bene purely preached thys is not the leaste argument that they whiche come and are sent and endeuour themselues to preach Christ truely are euyll spoken of for his name which is the rocke of offence and stumbling blocke vnto them which stumble vpon hys woorde and doe not beleue on hym on whome they are builded But you will aske who are those men what is theyr doctrine Truely I say whosoeuer entreth in by the doore Christ into the sheepfolde which thing all such shall do as seeke nothing els but the glory of God and saluation of soules Of all such it may be truely said that whom y e Lord sendâ—th he speaketh the woord of God And why so Because he representeth the Aungel of the church of Philadelphia vnto whom Saynt Iohn writeth saying This sayth he Apoc. 3. which is holy and true which hath the keyes of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth behold saith he speaking in the name of Christ which is the dore and dorekeper I haue set before thee an open dore that is to say of the Scriptures opening thy senses that thou shouldest vnderstand the Scriptures and that because thou hast entred in by me which am the dore Iohn 3â— For whosoeuer entreth in by me which am the dore shal be saued he shall goe in and come out and find pasture for the dorekeeper openeth the dore vnto him and the sheepe heare his voyce But contrariwise they whiche haue not entred in by the doore Who 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 but haue clymed in some other way by ambition auarice or desire of rule they shall euen in a moment goe downe into hell except they repent And of them is the saying of Ieremy verefied All beautye is gone away from the daughter of Syon because her princes are become lyke rammes Lameâ—â— 1. not finding pasture And why so Because like theeues robbers they haue clymed an other way not being called nor sent And what meruaile is it if they doe not preach when as they are not sent but runne for lucre seeking theyr owne glory and not the glory of God and saluation of soules Outward callyng by kynges and princes in Christes ministry auayleth nothing without the inward calling of God And this is y e roote of all mischeife in the Church that they are not sent inwardly of God For without this inward calling it helpeth nothing before God to be a hundreth times electe and consecrate by a thousande Bulles eyther by Pope King or Emperour God beholdeth the harte whose iudgementes are according to truth howsoeuer we deceyue the iudgement of men for a tyme which also at the last shall see theyr abhomination This I say is the originall of all mischiefe in the Church that we thrust in our selues into the charge of soules whose saluation and the glory of God which is to enter in by the doore we doe not thirst nor seeke for but altogether our owne lucre profit Hereupon it commeth that wee knowe not howe to preach Christ purely For how should they preach Christ saith the Apostle except they be sent for otherwise many theeues and robbers do preach him but with theyr lippes onely for theyr hart is farre from him The roote of all mischiefe in the Church Ex Prudentio Neither yet do we suffer those which do know how to preach but persecute them and go about to oppresse the Scriptures now springing vnder the pretence of godlinesse fearing as I suppose least the Romaines should come take our place Ah thou wicked enemy Herode why art thou afrayd that Christe shoulde come he taketh not away mortall and earthly kingdomes Lay thys letter against Doct. Saunders booke aforesayd Exod. 5. which geueth heauenly kingdomes O blindnesse O our great blindnesse yea more then that of Egypt of the which if there be any that would admonish the people by and by sayth Pharao Moyses and Aaron why do ye cause the people to cease from theyr labours and truely called theyr labours Get you to your burdens Lay more worke vpon them and cause them to do it that they harken not vnto lyes The persecuters of our time compared to Pharao Thus the people was dispersed throughout all y e land of Egypt to gather vp chaffe I say to gather
them that immortally hate vs what coulde we wish them so euill but they haue deserued much worse We wish them this hurt alone that God send them a better minde God be thanked we haue made all their seditious ententes sooner to shew their great malice towardes vs then to do vs much hurt yet they haue well taught vs euermore to take good heede of our ennemyes Undoubtedly it were good going to Mantua and to leaue their whelpes amongst the lambes of our flocke When we be weary of our wealth wee will euen doe then as they would haue vs now do No no as long as we shal see his heart so good towardes vs we trust vppon hys warning we shall well prouide to withstand hys cruell malice No let him now spende his deceites when they can hurt none but such as would deceiue and are deceiued They haue by sundry waies made vs priuy howe much we be bound to them It went nigh their hearts to see the iudgement of Iulye of Clement the 7. of Paule the 3. nothing to be regarded w t vs. The Popes â—urâ—es not feared in England They be afraide if wee shoulde sustaine no hurt because wee iustly reiected their primacie that other Princes woulde begin to doe lykewyse and to shake of their shoulders the heauy burthens that they so long haue borne againste Scripture all right and reason They be sory to see the way stopped y t now their tiranny auarice and pride caÌ„ haue no passage into England which was wont to walk to triumph to tosse to trouble al men They can scarse suffer priuiledges that is to say licence to spoyle our Citizens geuen them by our forefathers and brought in by errorful custome to be taken froÌ„ them They thinke it vnlawful that we require things lawful of them that will be vnder no lawes They thinke wee doe them wrong The Popes trumpery dispatched out of England because we will not suffer them to do vs wrong any longer They see their marchandise to be banished to be forbidden They see that we will buy no longer chalke for cheese They see they haue lost a faire flese vengeable sorie that they can dispatch no more pardons dispensations tot quots with the rest of their baggage and tromperie England is no more a babe There is no man here but now he knoweth that they doe foolishly that giue golde for leade more weight of that then they receiue of this Golde geueÌ„ 〈◊〉 leade They passe not though Peter Paules faces be grauen in the lead to make fooles faine No we be sorie that they shoulde abuse holy Saints visages to the begiling of the world Surely except God take away our right wittes not only his authority shal be driueÌ„ out for euer God grauÌ„t but his name also shortly shall be forgotten in England Wee will from henceforth aske counsel of him and his when we lust to be deceiued when we couet to be in error when we desire to offend God trouth and honesty If a man may gesse the whole worke by the foundation The Popes 〈…〉 where deceits beginneth the worke can any other then deceits be builded vpoÌ„ thys foundation What can you looke for in thys Mantuan councel â—he Pope 〈◊〉 a fewe â—â—nges wel â—t many 〈◊〉 may 〈◊〉 better 〈◊〉 other then the oppression of truth true religion If there be any thing well done thinke as euery maÌ„ doth bishops of Rome to be accustomed to do a few things wel that many euill may the better be taken at theyr handes They when they lust can yeelde some part of theyr ryghte They are content that some of their decrees some of their errours abuses be reprehended but they are neuer more to be sâ—ared then when they shewe themselues most geÌ„tle For if they graunt a few they aske many if they leaue a litle they will be sure of a great deale Scarse a man he may know how to handle himself that he take no hurt at their hands yea when they blesse him which seldome doe good but for an intent to do euil Certainly come who so will to these shops of deceits to these taires of frauds we wil loose no parte of our right in comming at his call The pope ought to be called and not to call that ought to be called and not to fall We wil neither come at Mantua nor send thether for this matter c. And so the king proceeding in the sayde hys Protestation declareth moreouer how the Pope after he had summoned his Councell first to be kept at Mantua the 23. of May An. 1537. shortly after directed out an other Bull to prorogate the same Councell to the month of Nouember pretending for his excuse y t the Duke of Mantua woulde not suffer him to keepe any Councel there The Pope againe prorogeth his Councell vnles he maintained a number of warriors for defence of the town And therfore in his latter bull he prorogeth this assemble commaunding Patriarkes Archbishops Byshops Abbots and other of the spiritualtie by the vertue of obedience and vnder paine of cursing to be present but sheweth no place at all where he would be nor whether they shoulde come And in very deede no great matter though no place were named For as good couÌ„cel no where to be called as where it could not be And aswell no place serued him that intended no Councell as all places And to say truth much better no place to be named then to name suche as he purposed not to come too for so shoulde hee breake no promise which maketh none And so going forward in his oration toward the latter ende he thus inferreth by his wordes of Protestation saying No we will the Pope and his adherents to vnderstand that that we oft haue sayd and now say and euer will say Princes as theâ— gaue the Pope primacye 〈◊〉 they take 〈…〉 him agayne He nor his hath no authoritie no iurisdiction in England Wee giue him no more then hee hath that is neuer a deale That which he hath vsurped against Gods lawe extorted by violeÌ„ce we by good right take from him again But he his wil say we gaue them a primacie We heare them well We gaue it you in dede If you haue authority vpon vs as long as our coÌ„sent giueth it you and you euermore wil make your plee vpon our consent then let it haue euen an ende where it began we coÌ„sent no longer your authoritie must nedes be gone If we being deceiued by fals pretense of euil alledged scriptures gaue to you y t ye ought to haue refused why may we not our error nowe perceiued your deceite espied take it againe We princes wrote our selues to be inferours to popes As long as wee thought so we obeyed them as our superiors Now we write not as we did and therefore they haue no great cause to maruill if we hereafter doe not as we did both the lawes
who in hys 4. booke wryting of Transubstatiation in what time and by whose authority it was first establieshd hath these words which also are before mentioned pag. 257. These woordes of the Scripture might be expounded more easily and more plainly wythout transubstantiatioÌ„ but the Church did chuse thys sence whych is harder being thereto mooued as seemeth chiefly because men shoulde holde of the Sacraments the same whyche the Churche of Rome doth holde c. And further in the same place the sayde Duns expounding himselfe what hee meaneth by the churche of Rome maketh there expresse mention of the sayde Innocentius the 3. and of thys Councell of Laterane c. And furthermore to the entent that such as be indifferent seekers of the trueth may be more amplie satisfied in this behalfe that this transubstantion is of no antiquitie but of a late inuention I wil also adioyne to this testimonie of Iohan. Scotus Erasm. lib. Annot in 1. Cor. cap. 7. the iudgement and verdite of Erasm. lib. Annot. where he wryteth in these wordes In Synaxi transubstantiationeÌ„ serò definiuit Ecclesia Diu satis erat credere siue sub pane consecrato siue quocunque modo adesse verum corpus Christi Serò c. That is In the sacrament of the communion the church coÌ„cluded transubstantiatioÌ„ but of late dayes Long before that it was sufficient to beleue the true body of Christ to be present eyther vnder bread or els by some maner c. The second Article As touching the seconde Article which debarreth from the lay people the one halfe of the Sacramente The second article of both kindes vnderstanding that vnder one kind both partes are fully contained for so much as the world wel knoweth that thys Article is but young inuented decreed and coÌ„cluded no longer since then at the Councel of Constance not past 200. yeres agoe I shal not nede to make any long standing vpon that matter Read afore pag. 611. especially for that sufficient hath bene â—aid thâ—rof before in our long discourse of the Bohemians story pag. 611. First lette vs see the reasons and obiections of the aduersaries in restraining the Laitie from the one kynde of this Sacrament The reasons and obiections of the Papistes against both kindes The vse say they hath bene so of longe continuaunce in the Churche Whereunto we aunsweare that they haue no euident nor authentike example of anye auncient custome in the church which they can produce in that behalfe Item where they alledge the place of S. Luke where Christ was known in breaking of bread Luke 24. c. citing moreouer many other places of Scripture wherein mention is made of breaking of bread to aunswer therunto although wee doe not vtterly repugne but that some of those places may be vnderstanded of the Sacrament yet that beynge graunted it followeth not therefore that one parte of the Sacrament was only ministred to the people without the other when as by the common vse of speach vnder the naming of one part the whole action is meant Neither doth it followe because that breade was broken among the brethren therefore the cuppe was not distributed vnto them For so we finde by the words of S. Paule that y e vse of the Corrinthians was to communicate not onely in breaking of bread but in participating the cuppe also The cup sayeth he which we participate 1. Cor. 10. c. Also after the Apostles in the tyme of Cyprian of Hierome of Gelasius and other successiuely after them it is euident y t both the kindes were frequented in the Churche First Cyprian in diuers places declareth that the sacrameÌ„t of the bloud was also distributed Cypria lib. 1. Epist. 2. De laicis Martyribus Scriberis How do we sayth he prouoke them to stand in the confession of Christ to the sheding of their bloud if we deny vnto them the bloud of Christ when they prepare themselues to the conflict The wordes of Hierome are plaine Priestes sayth he whiche minister the Eucharist Hieronimus in Sophon cap. 3. and deuide the bloude vnro the people In historia tripartita it was sayde to y e Emperour Theodosius In Histor tripart lib. 9. how will you reciue the body of the Lord with such bloudy handes or the cup of hys precious bloud with that mouth which haue spilled so much innocent bloud In the Canon of Gelasius and in the Popes own decrees De consecrat these words we read We vnderstand that there be some whych receauing onely the portion of the Lordes bodye doe abstaine from the cuppe of hys sacrate bloud to whom we enioyne that either they receaue the whole Sacrament in both the kinds or els that they receaue neither The Councell of Constance a sacrilegious Councell for the diuiding of that whole one Sacrament cannot be done without great sacriledge c. So that thys decree of Pope Gelasius being contradictorie to the councell of Constance it must follow that either y e pope did erre or els the councell of Constance must needes be a sacrilegious Councel as no doubt it was The like testimonie also appeareth in the Councell of Toletane The forbidding of both kindes of the SacrameÌ„t hath no ground of auncient custome No custome may derogate from the Lordes expresse commauÌ„dement The Lordes testament ought not to be altered â—or any respecte that the laitie did then communicate in bothe kindes besides diuers other olde presideÌ„ts remaining yet in the churches both of Germanie and also of Fraunce declaring likewise the same And thus it standeth certain and demonstrable by manifolde probations how farre this newfound custome differeth from all antiquitie and prescription of vse and time Againe although the custome therof were neuer so auncient yet no custome may be of that strength to gainstand or countermaunde the open and expresse commaundement of God which sayeth to all men Bibite ex hoc omnes Drincke yee all of this c. Againe seeing the cup is called the bloude of the newe testament who is hee that dare or can alter the Testament of the Lorde when none may be so hardy to alter the Testament of a man being once approoued or ratified Further as concerning those places of Scripture before alledged De fractione panis that is of breaking of bread wherupon they thinke themselues so sure that the Sacrament was then ministred but in one kinde To aunswere thereunto first we say it may be doubted whether all those places in Scripture De fractione panis In fractione panis are to be referred to the Sacrament Secondly the same beyng geuen vnto them yet can they not inferre thereby because one parte is mentioned that the full Sacrament therefore was not ministred The common maner of the Hebrue phrase is vnder breaking of bread to signifye generally the whole feaste or supper as in the Prophete Esay these woordes Frange esurienti panem tuum doe signifie as
of the other Lordes what he had promised You shall commend me sayd he to the Kyng and tell hym By that he hath so well tryed and throughly prooued you as I haue done hee shall finde you as false a man as euer came about hym Syr Rafe Sadler the L. CroÌ„wels trusty frend Besides this he wrote also a letter from the Tower to the kyng whereof when none durst take the cariage vpon him sir Rafe Sadler whom he also had preferred to the kyng before beyng euer trusty faythfull vnto hym went to the king to vnderstand his pleasure whether he would permit him to bring the letter or not Which when y e kyng had graunted the sayd M. Sadler as he was required presented the letter vnto the king which he commaunded thrise to be red vnto him in so much the kyng seemed to be mooued therewith Notwithstanding by reason of the Acte of parliament afore passed the worthy and noble Lorde Cromwell oppressed by his enemies and condemned in the Tower and not comming to his answer the 28. day of Iuly an 1541. was brought to the scaffold on Tower hill where he sayd these words followyng I am come hither to die and not to purge my selfe The L. Cromwel brought 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 as some thinke peraduenture that I will For if I should so do I were a very wretch and a miser I am by the law coÌ„demned to die and thanke my lord God that hath appointed me this death for myne offence For sithens the tyme y t I haue had yeares of discretion I haue lyued a sinner and offended my Lord God for the which I aske him hartelie forgiuenes And it is not vnknowne to many of you that I haue bene a great traueller in this world being but of a base degree was called to high estate and sithens the tyme I came thereunto I haue offended my Prince for the which I aske him hartily forgiuenes and beseech you all to pray to God with me that he will forgiue me And now I pray you that be here to beare me record I dye in the catholike fayth not doubting in any Article of my faith no nor doubting in any sacrament of the church Manye haue slaundered me and reported that I haue bene a bearer of such as haue mainteined euill opinions which is vntrue But I confesse that like as God by his holy spirit doth instruct vs in the truth so the deuill is ready to seduce vs I haue bene seduced A true Christian confession 〈◊〉 the L. Cromâ—wel at his death but beare me witnes that I die in the catholike faith of the holy church And I hartily desire you to pray for the kings grace that he may long lyue with you in health and prosperitie and that after him his sonne prince Edward that goodly impe may long raigne ouer you And once again I desire you to pray for me that so long as life remaineth in this flesh I wauer nothing in my faith And so making his prayer kneling on his knees he spake these words the effect whereof here followeth A prayer that the Lord Cromwell sayd at the houre of his death O Lord Iesu which art the onely health of all men liuing The prayer of the L. Cromwel at his death and the euerlasting life of them which die in thee I wretched sinner do submit my selfe wholy vnto thy most blessed will and being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed vnto thy mercy willingly now I leaue this fraile and wicked fleshe in sure hope that thou wilt in better wise restore it to me agayne at the last day in the resurrection of the iust I beseech thee moste merciful lord Iesus Christ that thou wilt by thy grace make stroÌ„g my soule against all temptations and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against all the assaults of the deuill I see and knowledge that there is in my selfe no hope of saluation but all my coÌ„fidence hope and trust is in thy most mercifull goodnesse I haue no merites nor good works which I may alledge before thee Of sinnes and euill workes alas I see a great heape but yet thorough thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes but wilt take and accept me for righteous and iust and to be the inheritour of euerlasting lyfe Thou mercifull lord wast borne for my sake thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake thou didst teach pray and fast for my sake all thy holy actions and workes thou wroughtest for my sake thou suffredst most grieuous paines and tormentes for my sake finally thou gauest thy most precious body and thy bloud to be shed on the crosse for my sake Nowe most mercifull Sauior let al these things profit me that thou frely hast done for me which hast geuen thy selfe al so for me Let thy bloud cleanse and wash away the spots and foulenes of my sinnes Let thy righteousnes hide and couer my vnrighteousnes Let the merites of thy passion and bloudsheding be satisfaction for my sinnes Geue me Lord thy grace that the faith of my saluation in thy bloud wauer not in me but may euer be firme and constant That the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me that loue waxe not cold in me Finally that the weaknes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death Graunt me mercifull Sauiour that when death hath shut vp the eyes of my body yet the eyes of my soule may still behold and looke vpon thee and when death hath taken away the vse of my tongue yet my heart may cry and say vnto thee Lord into thy hands I commend my soule Lord Iesu receaue my spirit Amen And thus his prayer made after he had godly louingly exhorted them that were about him on the scaffold The death of the â— Cromwel he quietly committed his soule into the hands of God and so paciently suffred the stroke of the axe by a ragged and butcherly miser which very vngodly performed the office ¶ Of the Bible in English printed in the large volume and of Edmund Boner preferred to the Bishoprike of London by the meanes of the Lord Cromwell ABout the time and yere when Edmund Boner bishop of Hereford ambassadour resident in Fraunce begaÌ„ first to be nominate preferred by the meanes of the lord Cromwel to the bishoprike of London The Bibles of the 〈…〉 Paris which was anno 1540. it happened that the said Thomas Lord Cromwell and Erle of Essex procured of y e king of england his gracious letters to the French king to permitte and licence a subiect of his to imprint the Bible in English within the vniuersitie of Paris because paper was there more meete and apt to be had for the doing therof then in the realme of England also that there were more store of good workmen for the readie dispatch of
being asked why he kept not the holy day he aunswered that was no worke and that it was better to do that then to sitte at the Alehouse drinkyng dronke W. Fastendiche For speaking certayne wordes agaynst y e sacrament of the aulter and beleued not Of Woodborne that it was the very body of Christ. W. Galand W. Garland talking of extreme vnction sayd that those thinges were Godly signes but there were but two sacramentes c. W. Webbe Because hee set the Image of a headlesse Beare in the Tabernacle of S. Roke Of Westwycombe ¶ Thomas Bernard and Iames Morton Martyrs ABout the same time Iohn Longland Byshop of Lincolne burned two vpon one day Tho. Bernard Iames Morton Martyrs the one named Tho. Bernard and the other Iames Morton The one for teaching the Lordes prayer in English and the other for keeping the Epistle of S. Iames translated into English In Oxford also the same time or much thereabout recaÌ„ted one M. Barber maister of Arte of that Uniuersitie The recantation of M. Barber in Oxford a man excellently learned Who being called vp to Lambeth before the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was in his examination so stout in the cause of the sacrament so learnedly defended himselfe therein that as it is credible affirmed of them which yet be aliue and were present thereat neyther Cranmer himselfe nor all they could well answer to his allegations brought out of Austen Wherin he was so prompe and rype of himselfe that the Archbishop with the residue of his company were brought in great admiration of him Notwithstanding by compulsion of y e time and daunger of the vi articles at last hee relented and returning agayne to Oxford was there caused to recant After which the good man long prospered not but ware away Ex testimonio Rad. Moris A mery and pleasaunt narration touching a false fearfull imagination of fire raysed among the Doctors and Maisters of Oxford in S. Maries church at the recantation of M. Mallary M. of Arte of Cambridge THis recantatioÌ„ of M. Barbar aforesayd in the Uniuersitie of Oxford bringeth me in remembrance of an other recantation likewise happening not long before The recantation of M. Malary Graduate of Cambridge who recanted at Oxforde in y e sayd Uniuersity which I thought here not to ouerpasse and namely for that the same caryeth withall a mery rydiculous spectacle not vnworthy to be remembred here to be inserted somewhat to recreate refreshe by the way the wery mind of the reader after so many bloudy and lamentable storyes executions recantatioÌ„s and tragedyes aboue passed The story is this There was one M. Malary mayster of Arte of Cambridge scholer of Christes Colledge who for the like opinions to those aboue rehearsed holden contrary to the catholicke determination of holy mother church of Rome y t is for the right truth of Christes Gospell was conuented before the Bishops and in the end sent to Oxford there openly to recant Malary brought into S. Maryes Church with his fagotte and to beare his fagot to the terror of the Studentes of that Uniuersiâ—y The time and place was appointed that he should be brought solemly into S. Maryes church vpon a Sonday where a great number of the head Doctors and Diuines and other of the Uniuersity were together assembled beside a great multitude of Citizens and towne dwellers which came to behold the sight Furthermore D. Smith preached at the recaÌ„tatioÌ„ of Malary because that solemnity should not passe w t out some effectuall Sermon for the holding vp of the mother Church of Rome D. Smith reader then of the Diuinity lecture was appoynted to make the Sermon at this recantation Briefly at the preaching of this SermoÌ„ there was assembled a mighty audience of all sorts and degrees as well of Studentes as other Few almost were absent which loued to heare or see any newes In so much y t ther was no place almost in the whole Church which was not fully replenished with concourse and throng of people All thinges thus being prepared and set in a readines commeth forth poore Mallary with his fagotte vpon hys shoulder The SacrameÌ„t of the aultar brought into the Pulpit Not long after also procedeth the doctor into the pulpite to make his Sermon the purpose and argument wherof was wholy vpon the SacrameÌ„t The which Doctor for the more confirmation and credite to his wordes had prouided the holy catholick cake and the Sacrament of the aulter there to hang by a string before him in y e pulpit Thus the Doctor with his God almighty entring his godly Sermon had scarce proceded into the middest therof the people geuing great silence with all reuerence vnto his doctrine but soddenly was heard into the Church the voyce of one crying in the street fire fire The party which first cryed thus in the street was called Heuster The occasion was this for that he comming from Allhallowes Parish saw a Chimney on fire and so passing in the street by S. Maryes Church cryed fire fire as the fashion is meaning no hurt This sound of fire being heard into the Church fyrst of them which stoode outtermost next to the Church doore so encreased and went from one to an other Amaze among D. Smithes audieÌ„ce in Oxford that at length it came vnto the eares of the Doctors at last to the preacher himselfe Who as soone as they heard the matter being amazed with soddeine feare and maruelling what the matter should meane beganne to look vp into the toppe of the Church and to behold the walles The residue seeyng them look vp looked vp also Then began they in the middest of the audience to crye out with a loud voyce fire fire Where sayth one where sayth on other In the Churche sayth one The mention of the Church was scarsely pronouÌ„ced when as in one moment there was a common cry amongest theÌ„ the Church is on fire the Church is sette on fire by heretickes S. Maryes Church in Oxford falsly supposed to be set on â—â—re by heretickes c. And albeit no man did see any fire at all yet forsomuch as al meÌ„ cried out so euery man thought it true that they heard Then was there such feare coÌ„course and tumult of people through the whole church that it caÌ„ not be declared in wordes as it was in deed And as in a great fire where fire is indeed we see many times how one litle sparke geueth matter of a mighty flame setting whole stackes and piles on burning so here vpon a small occasion of one mans worde kindled first a general cry then a strong opinion running in euery mans head within the Church Deluders deluded thinking the Church to be on fire where no fire was at all Thus it pleased almightye God to delude these deluders that is that these great Doctors and wise men of the Scholes We see great Clarkes how they
from study of the law I haue perhaps forgotten what the law will do precisely in this point but admit the law were so as you say yet your selfe knoweth my Lord that thys is our certayne rule in law Quòd consuetudo est iuris interpres optimus and I am sure you will not nor can not deny but that the custome is commonly in this realme in all iudgements and Commissions vsed to the contrary and in very deede altogether at the Court hauing the Comâ—â—â—â—ion presented vnto vs take it vpon vs and therfore for you to sticke in such trifling matters you shall rather in my iudgement hurt your selfe and your matter then otherwise Truely Maister Secretary sayd the Byshop I haue also of long while bene disused in the study of the law but hauing occasion partly by reason of this matter to turne my bookes I finde the law to be as I say and yet as I sayd I tell you heereof by the way The answer of Boner to Secretarye Peter not minding to sticke much with you in that poynt At which wordes Maister Secretary Smyth sayd also vnto the Byshop well my Lord of London as cunning as you make your selfe in the law there be here that knoweth the law as well as you and for my part I haue studied the law to and I promise you these be but quiddites and quirkes inuented to delay matters but our Commission is to proceede summarily The wordes of Secretary Smyth to Boner The answer of Boner to Secretary Smyth The words of Secretary Peter de plano and to cut off such friuolous allegations Well sayd the Bishop againe looke well on your commission and you shall finde therein these wordes to proceede according to the law and Iustice and I aske both lawe and Iustice at your handes Then Maister Secretary Peter willed hym to stand no more thereupon but to proceede vnto his aunswere Wherupon he tooke foorth a writing wherin was conteined his aunswere to the denunciation exhibited the day before by Latimer and Hooper and deliuering it vnto the Archbishop sayde that it was of his owne hand writyng and for lacke of sufficient time written so hastily coursely that it could scarsly be read of any other and therfore he desired to read it himselfe and so taking it agayne read it openly the copy whereof here followeth * The aunswere of the sayd Bishop made to the denuntiation aforesayd I Edmond bishop of London concerning William Latimer Iohn Hooper the pretenced denunciators of thys matter here nowe before you and for aunswere vnto the vnlawfull vntrue and vncharitable pretenced denunciation of them lately in deede contrarye to iustice and good reason exhibited here and read before you vnder protestation heretofore made by me and red vnto you remayning in the actes of this court to which I referre me and haue the same here agayne for repeated and reheaâ—sed to all purposes agreeable to the law do for my necessary defence and helpe alleage and say as followeth First I do alledge and say that the sayd William Latimer and Iohn Hooper Allegations oâ— rather cauillations of Boner agaynst his denunciators or either of theÌ„ were not nor now are to be admitted in any wise by vertue of this or anye other commission as denunciators against me their Byshop specially for that they and either of them haue aswell before the time of this pretensed denunciation and also theÌ„ and since bene and be vile and infamed notorious criminous persons and also open and manifest notable heretickes especially concerning the sacramentes of the catholicke Churche and namely concerning the blessed Sacrament of the aulter How fayne would thiâ— man finde a fault if he could tell how by reason of whiche their heresies they were and be by the order of the sayde Catholicke Churche here in this realme of England iustly and duely excommunicated and accursed and haue deuided theÌ„selues therby from the vntie and integritie of Christes Catholick church and for such persons they haue bene and are named reputed and taken openly notoriously and commoÌ„ly amongst the catholicke people of this Realme of Englande and especially of this Citty of London familiarly haunting and conuersaunt with sacramentaries and openly knowne condemned heretickes and fauorers and Abbettors of the same and theyr detestable pestilent doctrine heresie 2. Item that the sayde Iohn Hooper amonges other hys poysoned and venemous doctrine and amonges other his erroneous detestable and abhominable errors and heresies taught and spread abroad here within this realme infecting and poysoning the kinges subiectes therewyth hath before the tyme of the sayde pretensed denunciation damnably and detestablie made diuers erroneous and hereticall bookes especially one intituled a declaration of Christ and of his offcie printed as hee falsly surmiseth in Zurick by Augustine Friers where hee in many places heretically and damnably denyeth the true presence of Christes body in the blessed sacrament of the aultar and also in effect denyeth the verity of Christes blessed bodye vpon the crosse calling it Mathematticall and excludyng thereby the true and very substaunce thereof 3. This terme Mathematicall is referred of Hooper not to the substance of the body vpon the crosse but to Papisticall accidence without substance vpon the aultar Item that the sayd Iohn Hooper doth perseuer and continueth still in his sayd poysoned and wicked venemous doctrine in al poyntes mayntayning and defending the same and euery part therof all the wayes he can especially agaynst y e presence of Christes blessed body in the sacrament of the altar and his sayde bookes especially the sayde declaration of Christ and of his office he doth yet allowe and mayntayn as good and Catholicke where in deede it is hereticall wicked and damnable the contentes of whiche doctrine and bookes so intituled the sayde Latimer especially touching the heresie agaynst the verity of Christes bodye and his true presence in the sacrament of the aultar hath heard taught read preached beleeued holden mayntayned and kept and so at this preseÌ„t doth yet beleue hold If al truth were away he had spoken morâ— truely maintayne and keepe contrary to the fayth of Christes Catholicke church and the vnitie of the same obserued amongest all true christen people incurring thereby heresie excommunication and Scisme to the losse both of their soules and of their beleuers 4. Item that the sayde Latimer and Hooper and eyther of them being of these vile and detestable quallities and consequently by the ordinaunce of the catholick Church of Christ aswell of this Realme as also throughout all Christendome being so excommunicate cast out thereby from the sayd Church are not to this pretensed denuntiation agaynst me theyr Bishop nor to any iudiciall act to be admitted ne yet to be accompanyed with all or aunswered vnto but are by scripture and the order of Christes Catholicke Church here in this Realme vtterly and clearely to be excluded auoyded detested eschewed and abhorred in all maner of wise
heard that worthy learned man speak and confesse at the houre of his death as touching the controuersies of religion wherwith the spouse of Christ is in these our dayes most miserably troubled and tormented This Doct. Redman being continually by the space of xx yeares or somewhat more exercised in the reading of the holy scripture wiâ—h such industry â—abor modesty magnanimitiâ— and prayers to almighâ—y God tryed and wayed y e controuersies of religioÌ„ that in al his doings as he would not seeme to approue that was either false or superstitious so he would neuer improue that he thought to stand wyth the true worship of God Commendation of D. Redman And albeit in certayne poyntes and articles of his fayth he seemed to diuers whiche were altogether ignoraunt of that his singular grauitie eyther for soâ—tnes â—eare or lacke of stomacke to chaunge his mind and beliefe yet they to whom his former life and conuersation by familiar acquayntaunce with him was throughlye knowne with them also which were present at his departure may easely perceaue and vnderstand how in graue weighty matters not rashly and vnaduisedly but wyth constant iudgement and vnfayned conscience he descended into that maner of beliefe which at that time of his goyng out of this world he openly professed I geue your wisedome to vnderstand that when death drew neare he casting away all hope of recouery minded talked of no other thing as we which were preseÌ„t heard but of heaueÌ„ and heauenly matters of the latter day of our Sauiour Iesus Christ with whom most feruently he desired to be whose incredible loue towardes vs miserable sinners Exhortation of Doct. Redman to them that were about him most worthely and not without teares hee often times vsed to extol and speake of and vs which wer there present he earnestly moued and exhorted to prepare oure selues to Christ to loue one an other and to beware of this most wretched corrupt world And besides that he promised calling God to witnes thereunto to whom he trusted shortly to come if any woulde demaund any question that he would answere him what he thought in his iudgement to be the truth M. Alexander Nowell now Deane of Paules At what time there were present M. Alexander Nowell a man earnestly bent to the true worshipping of God and one that had alway singularly well loued y e said M. Redman to whome he spake on this wise Your excellent learning and purity of life I haue euer both highly fauoured and had in admiration and for no other cause God be my iudge I do aske these things of you which I shall propound but that I might learne knowe of you what is your opinion and beliefe touchynge those troblous controuersies which are in these our dayes and I shall receaue and approue your wordes as oracles sent from heauen To whom when doct Redman had geuen leaue to demaund what he would and had promised that he woulde faythfully and sincerely aunswere all affection set aside what he thought to be the truth M. Nowel said I would quoth he right gladly but that I feare by my talke and communication I shal be vnto you so feeble and nowe almost spent a trouble and griefe Then sayd Doct. RedmaÌ„ replying what shall I spare my carcas quoth he whiche hath so short a time here to remaine Go to go to sayd he propound what you will TheÌ„ M. Nowell put forth certayne questions in order which I will here declare wherunto the sayd doct Redman seuerally answered as hereafter followeth The first question that he asked of him was what hee thought of the bishop of Rome Unto whoÌ„ Doct. RedmaÌ„ answered that the Sea of Rome in these our latter dayes had much swarued from the true religioÌ„ and worshipping of God is with horrible vices stayned polluted The Sea of Rome a sincke of all sinne which I therfore quoth he pronounce to be the sincke of all euill and shortly wil come to vtter ruine by scourge of God except it do fall the sooner to repentance wherewith he briefly complayned of the filthy abuse of our Englishe Church Beeing then asked what his opinion was concerning purgatory Purgatory and what the Scholemen iudged therof he answered that the subtill reasons of the Scholemen concerning purgatory seemed to him to be no lesse vayne and friuolous then disagreeing from the truth adding thereunto that when we be rapt vp to the cloudes to meete Christ comming to iudgemeÌ„t with a great number of Angels in all glory and maiesty then euery one shall be purged with fire as it is written The fire shall go before hym and shall flame round about his enemies and the fire shall burne in his sight Psal. 97. 50. and round about him shall be a great tempest saying that diuers of the old writers approued this his sentence concerning purgatory When he was asked whether wicked and vngodly people in the holy communion did eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud he aunswered that such kind of men dyd not eate Christes most blessed flesh but only tooke the SacrameÌ„t to their own damnation The wicked eat not the fleshe of Christ. saying that Christ would not gyue his most pure and holy flesh to be eaten of suche naughty and impure persons but would withdraw hymselfe from them And that quoth hee that is obiected by S. Augustine that Iudas receiued the selfesame thing whych Peter receiued that I thinke to be vnderstanded of the externall Sacrament And the like kynde of phrase of speaking sayde hee we may vse concerning the baptisme of Magus that Simon Magus receaued that which the Apostles did receaue In deede as concerning the Sacrament of the externall baptisme Simon Magus receaued that whiche the Apostles did but that internall grace wherewith the Apostles were endued and that holy spirit wherewith by baptisme they were enspired he lacked And so quoth he the wicked and forsaken people which rashly presume to come to the holy table of the Lorde do receiue the Sacrament and the selfesame which good and godly men receiue but the body of Christ they do not receiue for Christ doth not vouchsafe to deliuer it them And thus he sayd was his opinion and beliefe although he knewe others to be of a contrary iudgement Being then after this demaunded whether he thought Christes presence to be in the Sacrament or no he answered that Christ dyd geue offer to faythfull and Christian men How Christ is present in the Sacramedt his very reall body and bloud verely really vnder sacrameÌ„ts of bread wine in somuch that they which deuoutly come to bee partakers of that holy foode are by the benefite thereof vnited and made one with Christe in hys fleshe and body And therefore he sayde that Christ dyd distribute his body spiritually that he gaue it truly The Capernaites grosse errour of Christes bodyly presence in the SacrameÌ„t not so yet
with his relatiue must be applied of necessitie vnto his geuing of his body vpon the Crosse. Nor we do finde in the whole Scripture where Christ did fulfill his sayde promise made in y e 6. of Iohn but at those said two times Wherefore if we be deceiued in this matter of Transubstantiation we may well say O Lord thou hast deceaued vs. But God forbid that we should once thinke such wickednes of him He must also be vniust of his promise if it be not performed at any season as it is not indeede if it were not at both the said times Then if it were performed as the Catholique Churche of Christe dothe holde determine and beleeue then must it needes be graunted that he gaue at his last Supper his owne body and flesh indeede and verely which he gaue vpon the Crosse for the life of the world though not in so fleshly a manner and bloudie yet the very same flesh and â—loud really after an vnbloudy sort and spiritually He said not This bread is my body nor yet heere with the bread is my body but This is my body which shall be geuen for you Nor he said not this wine is my bloud nor with this wine is my bloud whiche circumstance of plaine speach he would haue vsed if the pure creatures should haue remained but he sayde This is my bloud which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes that is to say the substance hidden vnder these visible formes of bread and wine are my very proper fleshe and bloud I pray you where do you find in the whole body of the Scripture expressed or iustly vnderstanded that Christ gaue but only a bare and naked signe figure or sacrament Or where finde you that he gaue his body wyth bread Anno 1549. it remayning bread still And if you thinke to finde it I pray you shewe me here whether that bodye that hee gaue with materiall bread were his true body or not If not then it was phantasticall if it were his true body as you doe graunt then must there needes be two very true bodyes in one place together Now that it was his verye true body and bloud it is certayne by the playne wordes of the text saying thus Which is betrayed or geuen and which is shedde for you and for many But I will let all this passe ouer and I do requyre of you this one question whether that the sacramentes of the old law and of y e new law be all one Madew If you doe consider the thinges themselues they be all one but if you respecte the onely signes figures and sacramentes outwardly then they be diuers Glin. I doe perceiue your aunswere very well then further to our purpose was Christ then after the same maner in the bread that came from heauen In the paschall lamb and in Isaac as he is in this Sacrament Which if you do graunt me then these propositions were true for Christ to say this Manna is my body this Lambe is my body this Isaac is my bodye Moreouer if the Sacramentes of the olde law and of the law of grace be all one in very deede effect as you seeme to grauÌ„t theÌ„ what difference is betweene the shew bread in Moyses law and the bread that we doe breake that Saynt Paule speaketh of They then had that bread which signified Christ and so doth ours as you say that was bread so is ours and so by your reason there is no difference betweene them yea theyr Manna because it came from heauen was better then this earthly bread that commeth from beneath which is contrarye to the truth for Saynt Paule sayth that the law was geuen by Moyses but the verity was geueÌ„ by Iesus Christ. Wherefore that which Christ gaue was not onely a signe but also the veritye that is to saye the liuing breade that came from heauen the true Lambe that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world and Isaac himselfe which is Christ or els you must graunt me that we christians doe receiue lesse then the Iewes did For they receiued the breade called Manna from heauen and we onely a poore morsel of bread from the earth Theyrs was called Aungelles foode and ours is as you holde little better then common breade Me seemeth that you doe distrust the doctrine of the fayth of Christendome for these fiue hundreth yeares euen as though Christ had forsaken his Catholique Church after one thowsande yeares but that is not so for he promised his holy spirite to assist his spowse the Church and to lead her continually into all trueth from time to time as neede should require Adoration of the Sacrament mainteyned by Glyn. As I remember you sayd that adoration did followe vpon transubstaunciation but the fathers for one thowsand yeares past doe graunt adoration of the sacrament therefore transubstantiation also The minor I proue by the most cleare testimonies of S. Austen S. Ambrose S. Deuise S. Basile and S. Chrisostome Madew I denye mayster Doctour that I sayde any suche thing and therwith I say that the Fathers do vnderstand by adoration a certeine reuerent maner that we should receiue the Lordes supper with which may be called a certeÌ„ veneration but no adoration Glin. No may S. Austen de ciuitate Dei witnesseth that the Ethnikes and Paynims doe esteme the Christians to worship and adore the gods of wheat and barly called Caeres and the God of wyne called Bacchus And agayne S. Austen saith thus Lo no man eateth of that bread except he first adore and worship it Madew By your pacience S. Austen in that place speaketh of the honoring of Christes body now sitting in heauen Glin. Math 26. Marc. Yea mayster Doctor thinke you so And why not also of his blessed body in the sacrament Seing that he saith it is there this is my body which is geuen for you sayth he More playnely he needed not to speake for the reall preseÌ„ce of his blessed body being both able willing to verify his word For if a cunning Lapidary should say to you or me thys is a true right diamoÌ„d Real preâ—â—nce 〈◊〉 by the Papistes a perfecte carbuncle saphyre emrode or any such precious stone we would beleue him though we were ignorant of theyr natures Wherefore we ought much more to beleue our Sauiour Christ God and man in that he sayth this is my body And why then ought we not to honor it in the sacrament Or how many bodies hath Christ seeing you do graunt his body in heauen to be honored but not his body here in the sacrament Madew Forsooth he hath but one very body no moe but the same is sacramentally in the sacrament and substancially in heauen here by fayth and there in deed Glin. Well yet once agayne to you thus The very true body of Christ is to be honored Argument but the same very true body is in the Sacrament ergo the
offering hath he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified 〈◊〉 10. These scriptures do perswade me to beleeue that there is no other oblation of Christ albeit I am not ignoraunt there are many sacrifices but that which was once made vpon the crosse 〈…〉 offered 〈◊〉 once 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 Epist. 〈◊〉 August 〈…〉 coÌ„â—tanstum 〈◊〉 â—1 The testimonies of the auncient Fathers which confirme the same are out of Augustine ad Bonifac. Epist. 23. Agayne in his booke of 43. Questions in the 61. Question Also in his 20. booke agaynst Faustus the Manichie cha 21. And in the same booke agaynst the sayd Faustus cap. 28. thus he writeth Now the Christians keepe a memoriall of the sacrifice past with a holy oblation and participation of the body and bloud of Christ. Fulgentius in hys booke De Fide calleth the same oblation a Commemoration And these thynges are sufficient for this tyme for a scholasticall detâ—rmination of these matters Disputations of Martin Bucer OUer and beside these disputations aboue mentioned other disputations also were holden at Cambridge shortly after by Martin Bucer vppon these conclusions followyng Conclusions to be disputed 1. The Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture alone Conclusions disputed at CaÌ„bridge by Martin Bucer do sufficiently teach the regenerated all thinges necessarily belongyng vnto saluation 2. There is no Church in earth which erreth not as well in faith as in maners 3. We are so iustified freely of God that before our iustification it is sinne and prouoketh Gods wrath agaynst vs what so euer good worke we seeme to doe Then beyng iustified we do good workes In these three Propositions agaynst Bucer disputed M. Segewike Yong and Perne Disputers agaynst M. Bucer at Cambridge Which disputations because they are long here to be recited I mynde the Lord willyng to reserue them to some other conuenient place In the meane season because great controuersie hath bene and is yet amongst the learned and much effusion of Christen bloud about the wordes and meanyng of the Sacrament to the intent that the veritie thereof more openly may be explained and all doubtfull scruples discussed it shall not be out of place to adioyne to the former discourses of Peter Martyr and of Doctour Ridley aboue mentioned an other certayne learned treatise in fourme of a Dialogue as appertaynyng to the same Argument compiled as it seemeth out of the tractations of Peter Martyr and other Authours A learned Dialogue betweene Custome and Truth by a certayne learned and reuerend person of this Realme who vnder the persones of Custome and Veritie manifestly layeth before our eyes and teacheth all men not to measure Religion by Custome but to try Custome by truth and the word of God for els custome may soone deceyue but the worde of God abydeth for euer A fruitfull Dialogue declaring these wordes of Christ This is my body CVSTOME VERITIE CVstome I maruell much what madnes is cropen into those mens harts A Dialogue betwene Custome and Veritye which now a days are not ashamed so violently to tread downe the liuely worde of God yea and impudently to deny God hymselfe Veritie God forbid there should be any such In deede I remember that the Romish bishop was wont to haue the Bible for his footestoole so to tread downe Gods worde euermore when he stood at his Masse But thankes be to God he is now detected and hys abhominations be opened and blown throughout all the world And I heare of no moe that oppresseth Gods word Cust. No mo say you Yes doubtles there are an hundreth thousand moe and your parte it is Veritie to withstande them Veri As touching my part you know it agreeth not with my nature to stand with falsehood But what are they disclose them if you will haue them reprooued Custome What are you so great a stranger in these quarters Heare you not how that meÌ„ do daily speake against the Sacrament of the aulter denying it to be the real body of Christ Veritie In good sooth I haue bene a great whyle abroade and returned but of late into this countrey Wherfore you must pardon me if my aunswere be to seeke in such questions But goe foorth in your tale You haue bene longer here and are better acquainted then I. What say they more then this Cust. Then this why what can they possible say more Veri Yes there are many things worse then this for this seemeth in some part to be tollerable Cust. What me thinketh you dally with me Semeth it tolerable to deny the sacrament Veritie They deny it not so much as I can gather by your wordes Custome Nay then fare you wel I perceyue you wil take their part Veri I am not parciall but indifferent to all parties For I neuer go further then the truth Cust. I can scarsly beleue you But what is more true then Christ which is truth it self or who euer was so hardy before this tyme to charge Christ with a lye for sayeng these wordes Math. 26. This is my body The words are euident playne there is in them not so much as one obscure or darke letter there is no cause for any man to cauill And yet that notwithstanding where as Christ himselfe affirmed it to be his body Christs wordes The Euangelistes The old writers The Catholicke Church meÌ„ now a days are not abashed to say Christ lyed it is not his body The Euangelists agree all in one the old writers stand of our side the vniuersall and catholike church hath bene in this mynd these xv hundred yeare and more And shall we thinke that Christ hymselfe hys Euangelists all the whole Catholike church hath bene so long deceyued and the truth nowe at length begotten and borne in these dayes Veri You haue mooued a matter of great force and waight and whereto without many words I can make no ful answer Notwithstanding because you prouoke me thereto if you will geue me licence I will take part with them of whome you haue made false report The doctrine of the Papistes coÌ„monly standeth vpon false reporters for none of them euer reproued Christ of any lye But contrarywise they say that many men of late days not vnderstanding Christs words haue builded and set vp many fonde lyes vpon hys name Wherfore first I will declare the meaning of these words This is my body The sense of Hoc est corpus meum expounded and next in what sense the Church and the old fathers haue euermore taken them First therefore you shall vnderstand that Scripture is not so to be taken always as the letter soundeth but as the intent and purpose of the holy ghost was by whom the scripture was vttred For if you follow the bare wordes you will soone shake downe ouerthrow the greatest part of the christiaÌ„ fayth What is plainer then these words Pater maior me est My father is greater then I am
triumph in the latter ende being both the actor the moderator and also Iudge himselfe And what maruell then if the courage of this victorious Conquerour hauyng the lawe in his owne handes to doe and say what him liâ—ted would say for himself Vicit veritas although he sayd neuer a true word nor made neuer a true conclusion almost in al that disputation It followed furthermore after disputation of these three dayes being ended that M. Harpsfield the next day after Aprill 19 which was the xix of Aprill should dispute for his forme to be made Doctor To the which disputation the Archb. of Cant. was brought forth and permitted among the rest to vtter an argument or two in defence of his cause As in sequele hereof may appeare * Disputation of Maister Harpesfield Bacheler of Diuinitie aunswering for his forme to be made Doctour Harpesfield I Am not ignoraunt what a weighty matter it is to entreat of the whole order and trade of the scriptures Aprill 1. The iudgement of M. Harpsfielâ— for the beâ—â— way to vâ—â—derstaÌ„d 〈◊〉 Scripture If Master Harpsfielâ— had wille vs to 〈◊〉 our sences to the holâ— ghost he had sayd much better and most hard it is to in the great contention of Religion to shew the ready way whereby the scriptures may be best vnderstanded For the ofteÌ„ reading of them doth not bring the true vnderstanding of them What other thing is there then Uerily this is the redy way not to folow our owne heads and senses but to geue ouer our iudgement vnto the holy catholike Church who hath had of olde yeres the truth and alwayes deliuered the same to their posteritie but if the often readyng of scriptures and neuer so paynefull comparing of places should bring the true vnderstandyng then diuers heretikes might preuaile euen agaynst whole generall Councels The * No but those Iewes sticking so much to thâ— old custoâ—â— and face of theyr Church not seeking for knowledge by ignorance the Scriptures werâ— deceiued 〈◊〉 so be you Iewes did greatly brag of the knowledge of the law and of the Sauiour that they waited for But what auailed it them Notwithstanding I know right well that diuers places of the scripture doe much warne vs of the often reading of the same and what fruit doth therby follow as Scrutamini c. Search the scriptures for they do beare witnesse of me c. Lex Domini c. The law of the Lord is pure able to turne soules And that saying of S. Paule Omnis Scriptura c. All Scripture inspired from aboue doth make that a man may bee instructed to all good workes Howbeit doth the lawe of the Iewes conuert their soules are they by reading instructed to euery good worke The letter of the old Testament is the same that we haue The heretikes also haue euer had the same scriptures which we haue that be Catholikes But they are serued as Tantalus that the Poetes do speake of who in the plentye of thynges to eate and drinke is sayd to bee oppressed with hunger and thirst The swifter that men do seeke the Scriptures without the Catholike church the deeper they fall and fynde hell for their labour Saint Cyprian neuer swaruing from the Catholike Church saith He that doth not acknowledge the Church to bee his mother shall not haue God to be his father Therefore it is true Diuinitie * Vnder thâ— formes thâ—â— is vnder thâ— properties of bread 〈◊〉 wine so all this is true In the maâ—teriall 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 body there is no varieâ—tye for to eate mans flesh eythâ—â— vnder acciâ—dences or not accideÌ„â—ces both is agaynst thâ— Scripture 〈◊〉 agaynst naâ—ture to bee wise with the Church where Christ sayeth Nisi manducaueritis c. Vnlesse ye eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud ye haue no lyfe in you If he had meant of onely eating bread and drinkyng wyne nothyng had bene more pleasaunt to the Capernaites neither would they haue forsaken hym The fleshe profiteth nothing to them that doe so take it For the Capernaites did imagine Christ to be geuen in such sorte as he lyued But Christ spake high thinges not that they should haue hym as fleshe in the market but to consider his presence with the spirite * vnder the formes whereby it is geuen As there is an alteration of bodies by courses and tymes of ages so there is no lesse * varietie in eatyng of bodies These things which I haue recited briefly M. Harpsfield did with many more wordes set out and hereupon D. Weston disputed against hym West Christes real body is not in the sacrament Ergo you are deceyued Harps I deny the antecedent West Iohn the 6. Dico veritatem vobis c. I speake the truth vnto you It behooueth me that I go away from you For vnlesse I do depart that comforter cannot come c. Upon this I will make this argument Christ is so gone away as he did send the holy Ghost But the holy Ghost did verily come into the world Ergo Christ is verily gone Harps He is verily gone and yet remaineth here West S. Augustine sayth that these wordes Ego ero c. I wyll be with you euen to the end of the world are accomplished secundum maiestatem According to his maiestie But secundum praesentiam carnis non est hic By the presence of hys flesh he is not here The Church hath hym not in flesh but by beliefe Harps We must diligently weigh that there are two natures in Christ the diuine nature humane nature The diuine nature is of such sort that it cannot chuse but bee in all places The humane nature is not such that of force it must be in all places althogh it be in diuers after a diuers maner So where that the doctors do entreat of hys presence by maiestie they do commend the maiestie of the Diuine nature not to hinder vs of the * natural presence here in the sacrament West He sayth further Me autem non semper habebitis Ye shall not haue me alwayes with you is to be vnderstanded in the fleshe Harpsfield The presence of the flesh is to bee considered that he is not here as he was woont to lyue in conuersation with them to be seene talked withall or in such sort as a man may geue hym * any thyng after that sort he is not present West But what say you to this of S. Augustine NoÌ„ est hic He is not here Harpesfield I do answer out of S. Augustine vpon Iohn Tractatu 25. vpon these woordes Non videbitis me Vado ad patrem c. I goe to the Father ye shall not see me That is Such as I now am Therefore I doe deny the maner of hys presence West I wil ouerthrow S. Augustine with S. Augustine who saith this also Quomodo quis possit tenere Christum fidem mitte tenuisti that is How may a man hold Christ send thy fayth and thou
he hath endued thy soule with the eie of knowledge and fayth God geue thee grace continually to pray vnto him that thou loose not that sight for then shouldest thou bee blynd both in body and soule After that another came to him whom he knew to be a very papist and a wicked man which appeared to be sory for M. Hoopers trouble saying Sir I am sory to see you thus To see me Why said he art thou sory To see you sayth the other in this case For I heare say ye are come hither to dye for the which I am sory Be sory for thy selfe man sayd M. Hooper and lament thine owne wickednes for I am well I thanke God and death to mee for Christes sake is welcome The same night he was committed by the Gard their Commission beyng then expired vnto the custodie of the Sheriffes of Gloucester The name of the one was Ienkins M. Hooper coÌ„mitted to the Shiriffes of Glocester the other Bond who with the Mayor Aldermen repaired to M. Hoopers lodgyng and at the first meetyng saluted hym and took hym by the hand Unto whom Hooper spake on this maner M. Mayor I geue most heartie thankes to you and to the rest of your brethren that you haue vouchsafed to take mee a prysoner and a condemned man by the hand wherby to my reioysing it is some deale apparant that your olde loue and friendshippe towardes me is not altogether extinguished and I trust also that all the thynges I haue taught you in tymes past The wordes of M. Hooper to the Mayor and the Shiriffes of Glocester are not vtterly forgotten when I was here by the godly K. that dead is appoynted to be your bishop and Pastor For the which most true and sincere doctrine because I wyll not now account it falsehood and heresie as many other men doe I am sent hither as I am sure you knowe by the Queenes commaundement to dye and am come where I taught it to confirme it with my bloude And now M. Shiriffes I vnderstand by these good men and my verye friends meanyng the Gard at whose handes I haue found so much fauour and gentlenesse by the way hitherward as a prisoner could resonably require for the which also I most hartily thanke them that I am committed to your custodie as vnto them that must see me brought to morrow to the place of execution My request therefore to you shall be onely that there may be a quicke fire shoâ—tlâ— to make an end and in the meane tyme I will be as obedient vnto you as your selues would wish If you thinke I do amisse in any thyng hold vp your finger and I haue done For I come not hether as one enforced or compelled to dye for it is well knowen I might haue had my lyfe w t worldly gayne but as one willing to offer and geue my lyfe for the truth rather then to consent to the wicked papisticall religion of the Bishop of Rome receiued and set forth by the maiestrates in England to Gods high displeasure and dishonor and I trust by Gods grace to morow to dye a faithfull seruaunt of God and a true obedient subiect to the Queene These and such lyke wordes in effect vsed M. Hooper to the Mayor Shiriffes and Aldermen whereat manye of them mourned and lamented Notwithstandyng the two Shiriffs went aside to consult and were determined to haue lodged him in the common gaole of the towne called Northgate if the Gard had not made earnest intercession for hym who declared at large how quietly mildlye and paciently he had behaued himselfe in the way addyng therto that any child might keepe him well enough that they themselues would rather take paines to watch with him then that he should be sent to the common prison So it was determined at the length he should still remaine in Rob. Ingrams house M. Hooâ—â—â— spendetâ— the nigâ—â— prayer and the shiriffes and the sergeants and other officers did appoynt to watch with him y t nyght themselues His desire was that he might goe to bed that night betimes saying that he had many things to remember and so did at fiue of the clocke and slepte one sleepe soundly and bestowed the rest of the night in prayer After he gate vp in the morning he desired that no man should be suffred to come into the chamber that he might be solitarie till the houre of execution About 8. of the clocke came sir Iohn Bridges L. ShaÌ„doys with a great band of men sir Anthony Kingston Syr Iohâ— Bridgeâ— Shandoâ— Syr 〈◊〉 Bridges Ant. Kiâ—â—â—ston Coâ—mission sir Edmund Bridges other Commissioners appoynted to see execution done At nine of the clocke M. Hooper was willed to prepare hymselfe to be in a readines for the time was at hand Immediately he was brought downe from his chamber by the shiriffes who were accompanied with bils glaues and weapons When he saw the multitude of weapons he spake to the Shiriffes on this wyse Maister Shiriffes sayd he I am no traytor neyther needed you to haue made such a businesse to bryng me to the place where I must suffer for if ye had wylled me I woulde haue gone alone to y e stake haue troubled none of you al. And afterward lookyng vppon the multitude of people which were assembled beyng by estimation to the number of seuen thousand for it was market day and manye also come to see his behauiour towards death hee spake vnto those that were about hym saying Alas why bee these people assembled and come together M. Hooâ—â—â— for Preaâ—ching 〈◊〉 doctrinâ—â— put to death Peraduenture they thinke to heare some thyng of me now as they haue in tymes past but alas speach is prohibited me Notwithstanding the cause of my death is well known vnto them When I was appointed here to bee their Pastor I preached vnto them true and sincere doctrine and that out of the worde of God Because I will not now accompt the same to be heresie and vntruth this kinde of death is prepared for me So he went forward led betwene the two Shiriffes as it were a Lambe to the place of slaughter in a gowne of his Hosts his hat vpon his hed a stasse in his hand to stay himself withall For the griefe of the Sciatica which he had taken in prison caused him something to halt M. Hooâ—â—â— forbiddâ—â— to speakâ— the peoâ—â—â— All the way being straitly charged not to speake he could not bee perceiued once to open his mouth but beholding the people all the way which mourned bitterly for him he would sometimes lift vp his eyes towards heauen His 〈…〉 to death looke very cherefully vpon such as he knew he was neuer known during the tyme of his beyng amongst them to looke with so chearefull and ruddish a countenaunce as he did at that present When he came to the place appoynted where hee should dye
peoples eyes but to go vpwardes that you can neuer do and this is the true tryall Brad. Anno 1555. â—â—ly Yee must and will I am assured geue me leaue to follow the scriptures and examples of good men Harps Yea. Brad. Well theÌ„ Stephen was accused and condemned as I am that he had taught new and false doctrine before the fathers of the Church then as they were taken Stephen for his purgation improoueth their accusation But how doth he it by going vpwardes no but by coÌ„ming downwardes beginning at AbrahaÌ„ and continuing still till Esayas tyme and the peoples captiuitie From whence he maketh a great leape vntill y t time he was in whiche was I thinke vpon a 400. yeares called them by their right names helhoundes rather then heauen hounds On this sort will I proue my fayth that can you neuer do yours Harpsfield Yea sir if we did knowe that you had the holye Ghost then could we beleue you Here Bradford woulde haue answered that Steuens enemies would not beleue he had the holy Ghost and therefore they did as they dyd but as he was in speaking M. Harps arose vp the keeper and others that stode by began to talk gently praying Bradford to take heede to that maister Archdeacon spake who still sayd that Bradford was out of the church Bradford Syr I am most certaine that I am in Christes Church and I can shew a demonstration of my Religion from time to time continually God our father for the name and bloud of his Christ be merciful vnto vs and vnto al his people and deliuer them from false teachers and blinde guydes through whome alas I feare mee much hurt will come to this realme of England God our Father blesse vs and keepe vs in hys truth and poore Churche for euer Amen Then the Archdeacon departed saying that he would come againe the next morning ¶ The next dayes talke betweene Doctour Harpsfield and Maister Bradford VPon the xvi of February in the morning the Archdeacon and the other two with him came again â—rchdeacon â—arpsfield â—â—meth 〈◊〉 to M. â—â—adford and after a few by wordes spoken they sate downe Harps Maister Archdeacon began a very long Oration first repeting what they had said and how farre they had gone ouer night and therw t did begin to proue vpwards succession of Bishops here in England for 800. yeares in Fraunce at Lyons for 1200. yeares M. Harpsâ—â—eld agayne 〈◊〉 his â—hurch by 〈…〉 in Spayne at Hispalen for 800. yeares In Italy at Milan for 1200. yeares labouring by this to proue his Church He vsed also succession of Bishops in the East Church for the more confirmation of his wordes and so concluded with an exhortation and an interrogation the exhortation that Bradford would obey this church the interrogatioÌ„ whether Brad-could shew any such succession for the demonstratioÌ„ of his Church for so he called it which followed â—radfordes 〈…〉 M. Harpsâ—â—â—â—des 〈◊〉 Bradford Unto this his long Oration Bradford made this short answere my memory is euill so that I cannot aunswere particularly your Oration Therfore I wil generally do it thinking because your Oration is rather to perswade then to proue that a small aunswere will serue If Christ or his Apostles being here on earth had bene required by the Prelates of the churche then to haue made a demonstration of that churche by succession of such high Priestes as had approued the doctrine which he taught I think that Christ would haue done as I do that is haue alledged y t which vpholdeth the church euen the veritie y e word of God taught beleeued not by the high Priests which of long time had persecuted it but by the Prophetes and other good simple men which perchaunce were counted for heretickes of the Church which Church was not tied to succession but to the word of god And this to thinke S. Peter geueth me occasion when he sayth that as it went in the Churche before Christes comming so shall it go in the Church after his comming but then the pillers of the church were persecutors of the true Church therfore the like we must looke for now Harps I can gather and proue succession in Ierusalem of the high Priestes from Aarons tyme. Bradford I graunt but not such succession as allowed the trueth Harps Why did they not allow Moses law Bradford Yes and keepe it as touchyng the bookes therof as you doe the Bible and holye Scriptures But the true interpretation and meaning of it they did corrupt as you haue done doe and therefore the persecution which they sturred vpp against the Prophetes and Christ was not for the lawe but for the interpretation of it For they taught as you do now The Iewes corrupt the law as the Papists doe the Scriptures A comparison betweene thâ— old Phariseys our new Papistes that we must fetch the interpretation of the scriptures at your handes But to make an end death I looke dayly for yea hourely and I think my time be but very short Therfore I had need to spend as much tyme with God as I can whilest I haue it for his helpe comfort and therfore I pray you beare with me that I do not now particularly and in moe wordes aunswere your loÌ„g talk If I saw death not so neare me as it is I would then weigh euerye peece of your Oration if you woulde geue me the summe of it and I would answere accordingly but because I dare not nor I will not leaue of looking preparing for that which is at hand I shal desire you to hold me excused because I do as I do and hartely thanke you for youre gentle good will I shall hartily praye God our father to geue you the same light and life I do wish to my selfe so Bradford began to arise vp Harps But then began Maister Archdeacon to tell hym that he was in very perilous case Bolde confideÌ„ce and hope of Gods word and promise semeth strange among them which are not exercised in mortification and that he was sory to see him so setled As for death whether it be nigh or farre of I know not neither forceth it so that you did die well Brad. I doubt not in this case but y t I shall dye well for as I hope and am certaine my death shall please the Lord so I trust I shall dye chearfully to y e comfort of his childreÌ„ Harps But what if you be deceiued Bradford What if you shoulde say the sunne did not shyne now and the Sunne did shine through the windowe where they sat Harps Well I am sory to see you so secure and carlesse Bradford In deed I am more carnally secure and carelesse then I shuld be God make me more vigilant But in this case I cannot be so secure for I am most assured I am in y e trueth Harpsfield That are ye not for you are out of the
this life Rom â— are not to bee compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you You knowe the way to heauen is not the wide way of the worlde Math. â— whiche windeth to the deuill but it is a strayte waye which fewe walke in For fewe liue Godlye in Christ Iesu 2. Tim â— 2. Cor. â— Math. â— fewe regarde the lyfe to come fewe remember the daye of iudgement few remember howe Christ will denye them before his father that do deny him here few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day whiche are ashamed of his truth and true seruice few cast their accountes what wil be layed to theyr charge in the day of vengeance few regard the condemnation of theyr owne consciences in doing that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes But I trust yet you are of this fewe my dearely beloued I trust you be of that little flocke which shall enherite the kingdome of heaueÌ„ I trust you are the mourners and lamenters 〈◊〉 10. which shal be comforted with comfort whyche neuer shall be taken from you if you nowe repent your former euilles if nowe you striue agaynst the euilles that are in you if now you continue to call vpon God if nowe you defile not your bodyes with any Idolatrous seruice 〈◊〉 4. vsed in the Antichristian Churches if you molest not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternall redemption a counseller and Mayster to lead you into all trueth whiche good spirite I beseeche the Father of mercye to geue to vs all for his deare sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome I commend you all and to the worde of his grace Actes 10. which is able to helpe you all and saue you all that beleue it folow it and serue GOD therafter And of this I would ye were all certayne that all the heares of your heads are numbred Math. 10. Math. spanâ— 1. Psalm 1â—4 Psalm 31. Pet. 5. so that not one of them shall perishe neither shall any man or deuill be able to attempt any thing much lesse to do any thing to you or any of you before your heauenly father which loueth you most tenderly shall geue them leaue and when he hath geuen them leaue they shall go no further then he will nor keepe you in trouble any longer then he will Therefore cast on him all your care for he is carefull for you Onely study to please hym and to keepe your consciences cleane your bodyes pure from the Idolatrous seruice whiche nowe euery where is vsed and GOD will maruellouslye and mercifully defend and comfort you which thing he doe for his holy names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen * To his dearely beloued in Christ Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife GOd our deare and moste mercyfull Father thorough Christ be with you my good Brother and Sister as with his children for euer and in all thinges so guide you with his holy spirite the leader of his people as may bee to his glory and your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in him Amen Because I haue oftentimes receiued from either of you comfort corporall for the which I beseeche the Lorde as to make me thankefull so to recompence you both now eternally I can not but goe about Lord help hereto for thy mercyes sake to write some thing for your comfort spiritually My dearely beloued looke not vppon these dayes and the afflictions of the same here with vs 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉 ioyfull the 〈…〉 simplye as they seeme vnto you that is as dismall dayes and dayes of Gods vengeaunce but rather as lucky dayes and dayes of Gods fatherlye kindenesse towardes you and suche as you be that is toward such as repent theyr sinnes and euill life paste and earnestly purpose to amende walking not after the will of the world and most part of men for the preseruation of theyr pelfe whiche will they nill they they shall leaue sooner or later and to whome or howe it shall be vsed they know not In deede to suche as walke in theyr wickednesse and winde on with the worlde this tyme is a tyme of wrath and vengeaunce and theyr beginning of sorrowe is but nowe because they contemne the Phisicke of theyr father whiche by this purging time and cleansing dayes would worke theyr weale whiche they will nor Clensing dayes and because they will not haue Gods blessing which both wayes he hath offered vnto them by prosperity and aduersity Gods 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 refused therefore it shall be kepte farre enough from them As when the sicke man will no kinde of Phisicke at the handes of the Phisition he is lefte alone and so the malady encreaseth and destroyeth him at the length To such men in deed these dayes are and should be dolefull dayes dayes of woe and weeping because theyr damnation draweth nigh But vnto such as be penitent and are desirous to liue after the Lordes wil among whom I do not onely count you but as far as a man may iudge I know ye are vnto such I say 〈…〉 receaâ—ed with 〈◊〉 this time is and should be comfortable For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sinnes for the which if he would haue destroyed vs then woulde hee haue letten vs alone and left vs to our selues in nothyng to take to hart his fatherly visitation which here it pleaseth him to worke presently because else where he wyll not remember our transgressions as Paule writeth He chastiseth vs in this world least with the world we should perishe Therefore my deare hartes call to minde your sinnes to lament them God punisheth not twise for one thing and to aske mercye for them in hys sight and withall vndoubtedly beleue to obteyne pardon and assured forgeuenesse of the same for twise the Lord punisheth not for one thing So that I saye first wee haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because our father suffereth vs not to lye in Iesabels bed sleeping in our owne sinnes and security but as mindefull on vs doth correct vs as his children Whereby we may be certayne that we be no bastardes but children for he chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth Difference betweene bastards and children So that they which are not partakers of his chastising or that contemne it declare themselues to be bastardes and not children as I know ye are which as ye are chastised so do ye take it to hart accordingly And therefore be glad my deare hartes and folkes knowing certaynelye euen by these visitatioÌ„s of the Lord that ye are his deare elect children whose faultes your father doth visite with the rodde of correction but his mercy will he neuer take away from vs. Amen Secondly ye haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because they are dayes of triall wherein not onely ye your selues but also the worlde shall
Christ of the strength of the law of the horrour of sinne of difference betwene the lawe and the Gospel of the true liberty of conscience c. no mētion or very litle was heard Wherefore in this so blinde time of darknes it was muche needefull and requisite that the Lord of his mercy shoulde looke vpon his churche send downe hys gratious reformation which also he did For shortly vpon the same thorowe the gratious excitation of God came Martine Luther of whome the order of story nowe requireth that we should and will intreat Christ willingly after the storie of Richard Hunne and a fewe other things premised for the better opening of the storie to folowe Mention was made sufficiently before of the doings of Pope Iulius Anno. 1510. and of hys warlike affaires for the whych he was condemned and not vniustly in the coūcell of Turone in Fraunce Pope Iulius plaieth the warrior Anno 1510. and yet all thys coulde not asswage the furious affection of this pope but the same yere he inuaded the Citie of Mutina and Mirandula in Italie Anno. 1512. and tooke them by force of warre Which Pope Iulius not long after The Pope ouercome in Battaile in the yeare of our Lorde 1512. refusing peace offered by Maximilian the Emperour was encountered by Lewes the French king about Rauenna vpon Easter day where he was vanquished and had of his army slaine to the number of xvj thousande Ex Chron. Carion And the yere next folowing Anno 1513. this Apostolical warriour Anno. 1513. which had resigned his keyes vnto the riuer of Tybris before made an end together both of fighting and liuing The death of Pope Iulius after he had raigned and fought x. yeeres Atter whome succeded next in the sea of Rome Pope Leo the 10. About the compasse of which time Pope Leo x great mutatiōs and stirres began to worke as well in states temporall as especially in the state of the Church Pope Leo 10. in Rome An. 1513. reigned 9. The state succession of Princes Charles 5. Emperour in Germanie An. 1519. reigned 39. Fraunces K. of France An. 1515. reigned 32. Henry 8. K. of England An. 1509. reigned 38. Iames 5. K. of Scotland An. 1514. reigned  In the time of which Pope Emperour and kinges of England and of France great alterations troubles and turnes of religion were wrought into the Churche by the mighty operation of Gods hand in Italy Fraunce Germanie Englande and all Europe suche as haue not bene seene although muche groned for many hundreth yeares before as in further discourse of this historie Christe willing more manifestly shall appeare But before wee come to these alterations taking the time as it lieth before vs wee will first speake of Richarde Hunne and certaine other godly minded persons heere in Englande afflicted for the woorde of Christes Gospell in great multitude as they be found and taken out of the Registers of Fitziames Bishop of London by the faithfull helpe and industry of R. Carket citizen of London The historie of diuers good men and women persecuted for religion in the Citie and Dioces of the Bishop of London briefly extracted out of the Registers of Richard Fitziames AMongest and besides the great number of the faithful martyrs and professours of Christe that constantly in the strength of the holy Ghost gaue their liues for the testimonie of his truthe Ex Registro Fitziames I finde recorded in the Register of London betwene the yeares of our Lorde 1509. and 1527. the names of diuers other persons both men and women who in the fulnes of that darke and mystie times of ignoraunce had also some portion of Gods good spirite whiche induced them to the knowledge of his trueth and Gospel and were diuersly troubled persecuted and imprisoned for the same notwithstanding by the proud cruell and bloudy rage of the Catholique seat and through the weaknes and frailtie of their owne nature not then fully strengthned in God it was againe in them for the time The professiō of the Protestantes no new doctrine suppressed and kept vnder as appeareth by their seueral abiuratiōs made before Richard Fitziames then bishop of London in hys time a most cruell persecutor of Christes church or els before his vicar general deputed for y e same And for asmuch as many of the aduersaries of Gods trueth haue of late dayes disdainefully and braggingly cried out and made demaunds in their publique assemblies and yet do asking where this our church and religion was wythin these 50. or 60. yeares I haue thought it not altogether vaine somewhat to stop such lying crakers both by mentioning theyr names and likewyse opening some of the chiefe and principal matters for which they wer so vnmercifully afflicted and molested thereby to geue to vnderstand as wel the continuaunce and consent of the true church of Christe in that age touching the chiefe poynts of our faith though not in like perfection of knowledge and cōstancie in all as also by the way something to touch what fond and friuolous matters the ignoraunt Prelates shamed not in that time of blindnesse to obiect against the poore simple people accounting them as heynous and great offences yea such as deserued death both of body and soule But least I shauld seeme too prolixe and tedious heerein I will nowe briefly proceede wyth the storie and first begin wyth theyr names whych are these Anno. 1510. Ioanne Baker William Pottyer Iohn Forge Thomas Goodred Thomas Walker alias Talbot Thomas Forge Alyce Forge Iohn Forge theyr son William Couper Lewes Iohn Ioanne Iohn Ihon Webbe alias Baker Anno. 1512. Iohn Houshold Robert Rascal Anno. 1517. Elizabeth Stanford George Browne Anno. 1518. Iohn Wykes Richard Butler Anno. 1511. Iohn Caluerton Anno. 1521 Iohn Woodrofe Richard Woolman Roger Hyllyar Anno. 1521. Alyce Couper Anno. 1523. Thomas Austye Ioanne Austye Thomas Graunt Iohn Garter Anno. 1526. Christofer Rauins Dionise Rauins Anno. 1527. Thomas Vincent Richard Butler Iohn Samme William Kyng Robert Durdant Henry Woolman Edmond Spilman Iohn Higges aliâs Noke aliâs Iohnsonne Henry Chambers Iohn Hynggyns Thomas Egleston Here foloweth the particular examination of all these heere aboue named To these were diuers and sundry particular Articles besides the common and generall sort accustomably vsed in such cases priuately obiected euen such as they were then accused of either by their curate or other their neighbours And because I thinke it somewhat superfluous to make any large recitall of all and euery part of their seuerall processe I minde therefore briefly only to touch so many of their articles as may be sufficient to induce the Christian Reader to iudge the sooner of the rest being I assure you of no greater importance then these that folow Except that sometime they were charged most slanderously with horrible and blasphemous lies against the maiestie and truth of God which as they vtterly
of the Articles whyche are these 1 First the said booke damneth all holy Canons calling them ceremonies and statutes of sinfull men and vncunning Newe articles coÌ„mensed against Hunne after his death and calleth the Pope Sathanas and Antichrist 2 Item it damneth the Popes Pardons saieng they be but leasings 3 Item the sayd booke of Hunne saith that Kings and Lords called Christen in name and heathen in conditions defoyle the Sanctuarie of God bringing clarkes full of couetise heresie and malice to stop Gods law that it can not be knowne kept and freely preached 4 Item the saide booke saith that Lordes and Prelates pursue full cruelly them that would teach truly and freely the lawe of God and cherish them that preach sinful mens traditions and statutes by the which he meaneth the holy Canons of Christes Church 5 Item that poore men and idiotes haue the truth of the holy Scriptures more then a thousand Prelates and religious men and clarkes of the schole 6 Item that Christen Kings and Lordes set Idols in Gods house and excite the people to Idolatrie 7 Item that Princes Lords and Prelates so doyng be worse then Herode that pursued Christ and worse then Iewes and heathen men that crucified Christ. 8 Item that euery man swearing by our Lady or any other Saint or creature geueth more honour to the saints then to the holy Trinitie and so he sayth they be idolaters 9. Item he sayth that Saintes ought not to be honored 10. Item he damnethe adoratioÌ„ prayer kneelyng offeryng to Images which he calleth stockes and stones 11. Item he sayth that the very body of the Lord is not conteyned in the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar but that men receiuing it shall thereby keepe in mynde that Christes flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. 12. Item he daÌ„neth the Uniuersitie of Oxford with all degrees and faculties in it as Art Ciuile CanoÌ„ and Diuinitie saying that they let the true way to come to the knowledge of the lawes of God and holy Scripture 13. Item he defendeth the translation of the Bible and holy Scripture into the English tongue An holy mother Church which cannot abide the worde of God to be translated which is prohibited by the lawes of our mother holy Church These Articles thus collected as also the others before specified they caused for a more shew of their preteÌ„ded iustice and innocencie to be opeÌ„ly read the next Sonday folowing by the Preacher at Paules Crosse with this Protestation made before ☞ Maisters and frendes for certaine causes and considerations I haue in commaundemeÌ„t to rehearse shew publish here vnto you the Articles of heresie vpoÌ„ which Richard Hunne was detected and examined The Bishops publication at Paules crosse against R. Hunne and also other great Articles and damnable poyntes and opinions of heresie conteined in some of his bookes be coÌ„men to light and knowledge here ready to be shewed And therewith he read the Articles openly vnto the people concludyng with these wordes And maisters if there be any man desirous to see the specialtie of these Articles or doubt whether they be coÌ„teined in this booke or not for satisfying of his minde let him come to my Lord of London and he shall see it with good will Moreouer here I counsaile and admonishe that if there be any persons that of their simplenes haue bene familiar and acquainted with the sayd Richard Hunne in these Articles or haue heard him read vpon this booke or any other souÌ„dyng to heresie or haue any like bookes their selues let them come vnto my Lord of London betwixt this and Candlemasse next and knowledge their fault they shal be charitably intreated and dealt withall so that both their goodes and honestie shal be saued if they will not come of their owne offer but abyde the processe of the law then at their owne perill be it if the rigour of the law be executed agaynst them After which open publication admonition the Byshop at sundry tymes examined diuers of his Priests and other lay persons vpon the contentes of both these Articles Among which examinates there was a man seruauÌ„t and a mayde of the sayd Hunnes who although they had of long dwelt with him were not able to charge him with any great thing worthy repreheÌ„sion no not in such points as the Byshop chiefly obiected agaynst him But yet the Priestes through whose procurement this mischief was first begon spared no whit stoutly and maliciously to accuse him some in the contentes of the first Articles some in the second Wherefore hauyng now as they thought sufficient matter agaynst him they purposed speedely to proceede to his condemnation Ex Registro Fiâ—ziames Lond. And because they would seeme to doe all thynges formally and by prescript order they first drew out certaine short and summary rules by the which the Byshop should be directed in this solemne Session which are these 1. First let the Byshop sit in his tribunall seate in our Ladyes Chappell 2. Secondly let him recite the cause of his comming Marke the manner of this proceeding and take Notaryes to him to enact that shal be there done 3. Thirdly let him declare how vppon Sonday last at Paules Crosse he caused to be published a generall monition or denunciation that all fautours and mainteyners of Richard Hunne should come in as by this day submit themselues and let him signifie withall how certaine haue come in and haue appeared already 4. Fourthly let him protest say that if there remayne any yet behynd which haue not appeared accordyng to the former monition and denunciation yet if they will come and appeare and submit themselues they shal be heard receiued with grace and fauour 5. Fiftly let the Byshop or some other at his appointmeÌ„t recite the Articles obiected agaynst Richard Hunne in the tyme of his life and theÌ„ the other Articles likewise which were out of his great booke of the Bible extracted 6. Sixtly let the aunsweres and confessions of the sayd Richard Hunne summarely be recited with the AttestatioÌ„s made to the same Articles Also let his bookes be exhibited and theÌ„ Thomas Brooke his seruaunt be called for 7. Seuently let it be openly cryed at the Quere doore that if there be any which will defend the articles opinions bookes or the memory of the said Richard Hunne let them come and appeare and they shall be heard as the lawe in that behalfe shall require 8 Eightly let it be openly cryed as in maner before for such as be receiuers fauourers defenders or beleeuers of the sayd Richard Hunne that all such do appear and submit themselues to the Bishop or else he intendeth to proceede to the excommunication of them in generall according to the exigence of the law in that behalfe 9 Ninthly then the Byshop speaking to the standers by and to them which sate with him vpon the bench of the Clergie demaunding of them what their iudgement
so deuoutly the title of a martyr for withholding that from the king which by law of God and of the realme did belong vnto him and cannot suffer Hunne to be titled for a Marty Cope Dial. 6. Pag. 847. dying in his owne right by the handes of spirituall theeues and homicides as you your selfe do terme them But what do I strayne my trauell any further to proue Hunne a martyr wheÌ„ as Copes own confessioÌ„ doth import no lesse though I said nothing For if I should take no more but his owne very wordes say Cope Ibid. that he was knowne to be an heretique as Cope doth affirme what could I say more seing he dyed for theyr heresy to proue him to dye a Martyr For to dye an hereticke with the Papistes what is it els to say trueth but to dye with God a Martyr But howsoeuer it pleaseth either Syr Tho. Moore to iest or Alen Cope to skowlde out the matter to stile Richard Hunne for a knowne and desperate heretique yet to all true godly disposed meÌ„ Hunne may well be known to be a godly and vertuous person no heretique but faythful and sound saue that onely he semed rather half a papist at least no full Protestant for that he resorted dayly to masse and also had his Beades in prison with him Hunne no full Protestant after the Catholique maner albeit he was somwhat inclining as may appeare toward the Gospell And if the name of a martyr be thought to good for him yet I trust maister Cope wyll stand so good maister to him to let him at least to be a martirs felow But what now if I goe further with Mayster Cope name Richard Hunne not onely â—or a martyr but also commend him for a double martyr Certes as I suppose in so saying I should affirme nothing lesse theÌ„ trueth nor any thing more then truly may be sayd and iustly proued But to geue and graunt this confession vnto the aduersary which notwithstanding might be easily proued let vs see now the proofes of maister Cope how he argueth that Rich. Hunne is no martyr because saith he true men being killed in hie wayes by theeues murderers are not therfore to be counted martyrs c. And was there nothing els in the cause of Hunne but as is in true men killed by theeues murderers They that are killed by theeues and murderers are killed for some pray or money about them And what pray or profit was in the death of Hunne let vs see to redound to them whiche oppressed him If it were the mortuary or the bearing cloth that was a small thing and not worthye his death If it were the Premunire the daunger therof perteined to the Priest and not to them If they feared least the example thereof once begun should afterward redound to the preiudice of the whole church theÌ„ was the cause of his death not priuate but publick teÌ„ding to the whole Church and Clergy of Rome and so is hys death not altogether like to the death of theÌ„ which for priuate respectes are killed of theeues and murderers But he was an heretique sayth Cope By the same reason that Cope taketh him for an heretique I take hym the more to be accepted for a martyr For by that waye which they call heresy the liuing God is serued by no way better And if he were an heretique why then did they not proceed agaynst him as an heretique while he was alyue when they had him at Fulham before them if they had ben sure to entrappe him in that snare why did they not take theyr aduauntage The cause of Hunnes secret murther discussed when they might with least ieoperdye why did they not proceede and condemne hym for an heretique why made they suche haste to preuent his death before why did they not tary the sentence of the law hauing the law in theyr owne handes But belike they perceiued that he coulde not be prooued an heretique while he liued and therfore thought it best to make him away priuily and to stop the Premunire and afterward to stop the pursuite of his death by making him an heretique And therfore were articles deuised by the Chauncellour as is proued by witnesse of Charles Ioseph and other pag. 785. agaynst hym and he condemned for an heretique Craftie practise and all his fauourers also who so euer durst styrre to take his part and so therevpon was committed to the secular power and burned Wherin they did him double wrong first in that they burned him for an heretique hauing before submitted himselfe to theyr fauourable correction as it appeareth yet in the Bishops Registers by his owne hand as it is there preteÌ„ded whiche was agaynst theyr owne lawes Agayne if he had not submitted himselfe at that time yet did they hym wronge to burne him before they knewe and hearde hym speake as Tindall sayth whether he woulde recant or no. And yet admit that he was condemned and burned for an heretique Hunne had doble wroÌ„g yet to be killed and burned of them for an heretique that taketh not from him the name of a martyr but rather geueth him to be a double martir But Cope yet proceding in his hoat coler agaynst Rich. Hunne after he hath made him first no martyr and then an heretique thirdly he now maketh him also a murtherer of himselfe and sayeth that no other man was any part of his death Copes reasons why Hunne should hang him selfe but only his owne handes and that either for indignation and anger or for desperation or for some cause he knoweth not what And in his Epilogus to make it probable he allegeth the example of one but namelesse who in Queene Maries time in like sort went about to hang himself had he not bene taken in the maner and rescued Furthermore as touching the Chauncellour he argueth that there was no cause why he should attempt any such violence agaynst him both for his age and for his dignitye for his learning and for the greatnesse of his owne perill which might ensue thereof Who if he had maligned the man and had bene so disposed to worke his destruction had meanes otherwise without daunger to bring that about hauing him within his dauÌ„ger conuict and fast tyed for heresy Wherunto I aunswere that to all this matter Copes reasons aunswered sufficient hath bene aunswered by the story it selfe of his death aboue specified Whereby the maner of his death by circumstaunces of his handling and hanging Proufes that Hunne dyd not hange him selfe by his necke broke by his bodye loose by his skinne fretted by his wristes wroung by his gyrdle in such shortnesse double cast about the staple by his cap right vpon his head by his heare kemmed by his eyes closed by the cake of bloud founde in the floore by his Shyrt coller Doublet Iacket and other outwarde partes of his garmentes without drop of bloud vnspotted by the stoole so
was compelled to abiure All these aboue named in one key of doctrine religion did hold concord together agaynst whō were obiected 5. or 6. especiall matters to witte Consent of doctrine for speaking agaynst worshipping of saynts agaynst pilgrimage agaynst inuocatiō of the blessed virgin agaynst the sacramēt of the Lords body for hauing scripture bookes in English which bookes especially I finde to be named as these the booke of the 4. Euangelistes a booke of the Epistles of Paule and Peter the Epistle of S. Iames a booke of the Apocalips and of Antichrist of the 10. Commaundementes and Wickeliffes wicker with such other like ¶ Iohn Stilman Martyr IT would aske a long tractation tedious to recite in order the greate multitude and number of good men women Anno. 1518. beside these aboue rehearsed which in those dayes recanted and abiured about the beginning of king Henryes raigne and before Iohn Stilman Martyr Wickliffes Wicket among whō yet notwithstanding some there were whom the Lord reduced againe made strong in the profession of his truth and constant vnto death of which number one was Iohn Stilman by name who about the xxiiij day of Sept in the yeare of our Lord. 1518. was apprehended and brought before Richard Fitziames then B. of Lond. at his manor of Fulham and by him was there examined and charged that notwithstanding his former recantation oth and abiuration made about xi yeres then past before Edmund Byshop of Salisbury as well for speaking against y e worshipping praying and offering vnto Images as also for denying the carnal and corporal presence in y e sacrament of Christes memoriall yet sithens that time he had fallen into the same opinions againe and so into the daunger of relapse and further he had highly commended and praysed Iohn Wickliffe affirming that he was a saint in heauen and that hys booke called y e Wicket Ex Regist. Fitziames Lond. was good and holy Soone after hys examination he was sent from thence vnto the Lollardes tower at London and the xxij day of October then next ensuing was brought openly into the consistory at Paules and was there iudicially examined by Thom. Hed the byshops vicare generall vpon the contentes of these articles followyng 1. First I obiect vnto you that you haue confessed before my Lord of London and me D. Hed his vicar generall that about xx yeares past one Steuen Moone of the Dioces of Winchest Articles laid agaynst Ioh. Stilman With whom you abode 6. or 7. yeares after did teach you to beleeue that the going on pilgrimage and worshipping of images as the Lady of Walsingham and others were not to be vsed * Yeares of Antiquitie to be noted A godly Martyr Richarde Smart burned at Salisbury ann 1503. Wickliffes Wicket And also that afterwards one Richard Smart who was burned at Salisbury about 14. or 15. yeares past did read vnto you Wickliffes Wicket and likewise instructed you to beleeue that the sacrament of the altar was not the body of Christ all whiche thinges you haue erroneously beleued 2. Item you haue diuers times read the said book called Wickleffes Wicket and one other booke of the x. Commaundementes which the sayd Richard Smart did geue you and at the tyme of your first apprehensiō you did hide thē in an old oke and did not reuele them vnto the bishop of Salisbury before whom you were abiured of heresie about xi yeares since where you promised by oth vpon the Euangelistes euer after to beleue and hold as the Christē fayth taught and preached and neuer to offend agayne in the sayd heresies or any other vpon payne of relapse And further you there promised to performe all such penaunce as the sayd Bishop of Salisbury did enioyne you who thē enioyned you vpon the like payne not to depart his Dioces without hys speciall licence 3. Item it is euident that you be relapsed aswel by your own confession as also by your deedes in that about two yeares after your abiuration you went into the sayd place where you had hidden your books and then taking them away with you you departed the foresayd dioces without the licence of the Bishop and brought them with you to London where nowe being tached and taken with them vpon great suspicion of heresie you are brought vnto the Bishop of London By reason of whiche your demeanor you haue shewed by your impenitent and dissembled conuersation from your errours and also your vnfaithful abiuration and disobedience vnto the authoritie of our mother holy Church in that you performed not the penance in whiche behalfe you be voluntarily periured and also relapsed in that you departed the sayd dioces wythout licence 4. Item you be not onely as afore is sayd impenitent disobedient voluntarily periured relapsed by this your foresayd hereticall demeanor but also sithens your last attachment vpon suspicion of heresie you haue maliciously spoken erroneous and damnable wordes affirming before my Lord of London your Ordinary and me iudicially sitting at Fulham that you were sorye y t euer you did abiure your said opinions and had not suffered then manfully for them for they were and be good and true and therfore you will now abide by them to die for it And furthermore you haue spoken against our holy father the pope and hys authoritie damnably saying that he is Antichrist and not the true successor of Peter or Christes vicar on earth and that his pardons and indulgences which he graunteth in y e sacrament of penaunce are nought and that you will none of thē And likewise y t the colledge of Cardinals be limmes of the sayd Antichrist and that all other inferiour prelates and Priestes are the sinagogue of Sathan Wickliffes Wicket And moreouer you sayd that the doctors of the Churche haue subuerted the truth of holy Scripture expounding it after their own mindes and therfore theyr workes be nought and they in hell but that wickleffe is a Sainct in heauen and that the booke called his Wicket is good for therein he sheweth the truth Also you did wish that there were xx thousand of your opinion against vs Scribes and Pharisies to see what you would doe for the defēce of your fayth Al which heresies you did afterwardes erroneously affirme before y e Archbishop of Caunterbury and then said that you would abide by thē to dye for it notwithstanding his earnest perswasions to the contrary and therefore for these premisses you be euidently relapsed and ought to be committed vnto the secular power ¶ The burning of Iohn Stilman ¶ Thomas Man Martyr NExt to Iohn Stilman aboue mentioned followeth in this blessed order of Martyrs the persecution and cōdemnation of Thomas Man Tho. Man Martyr Who the 29. day of Marche in the yeare of our Lord. 1518. was burned in Smithfield This Tho. Man had likewise bene apprehended for y e profession of Christes Gospell about 6. yeares before the 14. day
were Picus and Franciscus Mirandula Laur. Valla Franc. Perarcha Doct. Wesalianus Reuelinus Grocinus Coletus Rhenamus Erasmus c. And here began the first pushe and assault to be geuen against the ignoraunt barbarous faction of the popes pretensed Churche Who after that by their learned writinges and laborious trauaile they had opened a window of light vnto the worlde and had made as it were a way more ready for other to come after Immediately according to Gods gracious appointment folowed Martine Luther with other after him by whose ministery it pleased the Lorde to worke a more full reformation of his churche as by their actes and proceedinges hereafter shall followe Christ willing more amply to be declared And now comming to the tyme and storye of Martine Luther whom the Lord did ordayne and appoint to be the principall organe and minister vnder him to reforme religion and to subuert the sea of the pope first before we enter into the tractation hereof it shall not be impertinent to y e purpose to inferre such prophecies and forewarninges as were sent before of God by diuers and sundry good men long before the time of Luther which foretold and prophecied of this reformation of the Church to come * Prophecies going before Martine Luther The prophesie of Iohn Hus touching the reformation of the church And first to begin with the prophecie of Iohn Husse and Hierom it is both notable and also before mentioned what the sayd Iohn Husse at the time of his burning prophecied vnto his enemies saying that after an hundreth yeares come and gone they should geue accounte to God and to to him ¶ Where is to be noted that counting from the yeare 1415. in the which yeare Iohn Hus was burned or from the yeare 2416. when Hierome did suffer vnto the yeare 1516 when Martine Luther began first to write we shal finde the number of an hundereth yeares expyred Likewise to this may be adioyned the propheticall vision or dreame An other prophesie of I. Hus touching the reformation of the church Vid. supra 630. which chaunced to the sayd Iohn Hus lying in the dungeon of the friers in Constance a litle before he was burned His dreame as he himselfe reporteth it in his Epistles writing to M. Iohn Chlum and as I haue also before recorded the same pag. 630. so will I nowe repeate the same agayne in like effect of wordes as he wrote it himselfe in Latine the effect of which latine is this I pray you expounde to me the dreame whiche I had this night I sawe y t in my church at Betheleme whereof I was person they desired and laboured to abolish all the images of Christ and did abolish them I the next day following rose vp saw many other paynters which painted both the same and manye more images and more fayrer which I was glad to behold wherupon the painters with the great multitude of people said Now let the Byshops and priestes come and put vs out these images if they cā Which thing done much people reioyced in Bethlem and I with them rising vp I felt my selfe to laugh This dreame maister I. of Chlume first expounded Ex Epist. 45. I. Hus. Then he in the next Epistle after expounded it himselfe to this effect Stante mandato Dei c. That is the Commaundemēt of God standing that we must obserue no dreames yet notwithstanding I trust that the life of Christ was painted in Bethlehem by me through his word in y e harts of men the which preaching they went about in Bethlehē to destroy first in commaunding that no preaching should be neyther in the church of Bethlehem nor in the chappels therby Secondly that the Church of Bethlehem shoulde be throwne downe to the ground The same life of Christ shall be paynted vp agayne by mo preachers muche better then I and after muche more better sorte so that a greate number of people shall reioyce thereat all such as loue the life of Christ and also I shall reioyce my selfe at what tyme I shall awake that is when I shal ryse agayn from the dead Also in hys 48. Epistle An other prophesie by Ioh. Hus. he seemeth to haue a like propheticall meaning where he sayth That he trusted that those thinges which he spake then within the house should afterward be preached aboue the house top c. And because we are here in hand w t the prophecies of I. Hus it is not to be omitted what he writeth in a certayne treatise Vid. supra pag. 630. An other prophesie by Iohn Hus. De sacerdotum monachorum carnalium abominatione thus prophesying of the reformation of the church The Church he sayth cannot be reduced to hys former dignitie and reformed before all thinges first be made new the trueth wherof appeareth by the temple of Salomon as well the clergye and Priestes as also the people and laitye Or els except all suche as now be addicted to auarice from the least to the most be first cōuerted and renued as well the people as the clerkes and priestes thynges cannot be reformed Albeit Ioh. Hus De Sacerd. monachorum carnalium abominatione ca. 73 as my mynde nowe geueth me I beleue rather the first that is that then shal ryse a newe people formed after the new man whiche is created after God Of the whiche people new clerkes and priestes shall come forth and be taken which al shal hate couetousnes and glory of thys lyfe labouring to an heauēly conuersation Notwithstanding al these thynges shal be done and wrought in continuance and order of tyme dispensed of God for the same purpose And thys God doth and wil doe of hys owne goodnes and mercy and for the riches of hys pacience and sufferaunce geuing tyme and space of repentaunce to them that haue long layne in their sinnes to amend flye from the face of the Lordes fury vntill at length all shall suffer together and vntill both the carnall people and priestes and Clerkes in processe and order of tyme shall fall away and be consumed as is cloth consumed and eaten of the moth c. A prophesie of reformation by Hierom. Pragensis Vide supra pag. 636. With this prophesie of Iohn Hus aboue mentioned speaking of the hundreth yeares accordeth also the testimony of Hierome his fellow Martyr in these words And I recite you all sayd he to answere before the most high and iust iudge after an hundreth yeares Iohn Hus. Centum reuolutis annis Deo respondebitis Hieronymus Post centum annos vos omnes cito An other prophesie of reformation by Ioh. Hilton Monke of Thuringe This Hierome was burnt an 1416. and Luther began to write an 1516. which was the iust hundreth yeare after according to the right accompt of Hieromes Prophecy Phillip Melancthon in his Apologie cap. De votis Monast testifieth of one Iohn Hilton a Monke in Thuring who for speaking against certayne
might also haue one of the precious cheynes about his necke in honor of his Lord. The which being graūted so were these three blessed martirs committed to the fire where they with meek pacience yelded vp theyr liues to the hands of the lord in testimony of his Gospell Ex Crisp. Pantal. Matth. Dimoner martyr The Lieutenant of Lyons Primacius Officiall Buatherius Officiall Orus Inquisitor Matthaeus Dymonetus marchaunt At Lyons An. 1553. This Marchaunt first liued a vicious detestable life full of muche corruption and fylthynesse He was also a secret enemy and a Searcher out of good men when and where they conuented togeather Who being called notwithstanding by y e grace of God to the knowledge and sauor of his word shortly after was taken by the Lieutenant and Buatherius the Official in his owne house at Lions and so after a litle examination was sent to prison Being examined by the Inquisitor and the Officials he refused to yeelde any aunswere to them knowing no authority they had vpon him but onely to the Lieutenant His aunsweres were that he beleued all that the holy vniuersall Church of Christ did truely beleue all the articles of the Creed To the article of the holy Catholicke Churche being bid to adde also Romanam that is the Church of Rome that he refused Aduocates he knew none but Christ alone Purgatory he knew none but the crosse and passion of the lamb which purgeth the sinnes of all the world The true confession he sayd ought to be made not to the priest once a yeare but euery day to God and to such whō we haue offended The eating of the flesh bloud of Christ he tooke to be spirituall and the Sacrament of the flesh and bloud of Christ to be eaten with the mouth and that sacrament to be bread and wine vnder the name and signification of the body and bloud of Christ the masse not to be instituted of Christ being a thing contrary to his word and will For the head of the Church he knew none but onely Christ. Being in prison he had great conflictes with the infirmity of his owne flesh but especially with the tēptation of his parentes brethren and kinsfolkes and the sorow of his mother neuerthelesse the Lord so assisted him that he endured to the end At his burning he spake much to the people was heard with great attention He suffered the 15. of Iuly an 1553. Ex Cris. Legoux the Deane Ilierensis M. Simon Vigor the Penetentiary of Eureux William Neel an Austen Fryer At Eureaux in Fraunce An. 1553. Hen. Pantal. lib. 9. Crisp. Adrian maketh mention also of one William Neel a Fryer Augustine who suffered in muche like sorte the same yeare was burned at Eureux in Fraunce The occasion of his trouble rose first William Neel martyr for the rebuking of the vitious demeanour of the Priestes there and of the Deane named Legoux for the which the Deane caused hym to be sent to Eureux to the prison of the Byshoppe The storye of thys William Neel with his aunsweres to theyr Articles obiected is to be read more at large in the 9. booke of Pantalion and others The Bailiffe or steward of the Citye Dyion Symon Laloe At Dyion An. 1553. Symon Laloe a spectacle maker comming from Geneua in to Fraunce for certayn busines was laid hand of by the Bayliffe of Dyion Three thinges were demaunded of him 1 Where he dwelt 2. What was his faith 3. What fellowes hee knew of his Religion His dwelling he sayd was at Geneua Hys Religion was such as was then vsed at Geneua As for his fellowes he sayd he knew none but onely them of the same City of Geneua where his dwelling was When they could gette of him no other aunsweare but thys with all theyr racking and tormēts they proceeded to hys sentence and pursued the execution of the same which was the 21. of Nouember an 1553. The executioner who was named Iames Siluester Simon Laloe martyr seeing the great fayth and constancye of that heuenlye Martyr was so compuncted with repentaunce fell in such despayre of himselfe that they had much adoe with all the promises of the Gospell to recouer any cōfort in him The executioner conuerted At last through the mercy of christ he was comforted and conuerted and so he with all his family remoued to the Church of Geneua Ex Ioan Crisp.  Nicholas Nayle Torments At Paris An. 1553. This Nicolas shoomaker commynge to Paris with certayne ferdles of bookes Nicholas Naile martyr was there apprehēded Who stoutly in persisting in confessing the trueth was tried with sundry tormentes to vtter what fellowes he had besides of his profession so cruelly that his body was dissolued almost one ioint from an other but so constant he was in his silence that he would expresse none As they brought him to the stake fyrste they put a gag or peece of wood in his mouth which they boūd with cords to the hinder part of his head so hard y t his mouth on both sides gushed out wyth bloud and disfigured his face monstrously By the way they passed by an Hospitall where they willed him to worship the picture of S. Mary standing at the gate But he turned his back as well as he could and would not For the which the blind people were so grieued that they would haue fallē vpon him After he was brought to the fire they so smered his body with fatte and brimstone that at the first taking of the fire all his skin was parched the inward parts not touched With that the cords brast which were about his mouth wherby his voyce was heard in the middest of the flame praysing the Lord and so y e blessed Martyr departed Ex Ioan Chrisp A woman of Tolouse The Officiall of the Bishop of Tolouse The Inquisitour and Chauncelour of the Bishop of Cozeran Peter Serre About Tolouse An. 1553. Peter Serre martyr Peter Serre fyrst was a Prieste then chaunging his religiō he went to Geneua learned the shomakers craft and so liued Afterward vpon a singuler loue he came to hys brother at Tolouse to the intent to doe hym good His brother had a wife which was not well pleased with hys religiō and comming She in secret Counsell tolde an other woman one of her neighbors of this What doth she but goeth to the Officiall and maketh hym priuy of all The Officiall thinking to fore-slacke no time taking counsell with his fellowes laid hands vppon this Peter and brought him before the Inquisitor To whom he made such declaration of his fayth that he seemed to reduce the Inquisitor to some feling of conscience and began to instruct him in y e principals of true religion Notwithstāding all this helped not but that he was condemned by the said Chauncellor to be degraded cōmitted to the seculer iudge The Iudge inquiringe of what occupation hee was he sayde that
contrary according as Christ doth tell vs of the scribes phariseis admonishing vs to followe theyr doctrine not their liues Mat. 23. but there is great difference Math. 23. whether they y t take the gouernance of the church do sit in Moses chayre which is the seate of truth or els doe sit in the chayre of abhomination spoken of by Daniell also by S. Paule where he sayth 2. Thes. 2. That the man of perdition shal sit in the temple of God vaunting hymselfe insolently aboue all that is called God 2. Thes. 2. And as touching the keyes of binding loosing geuen to Peter Christ therein assigned to Peter The keyes of binding loosing other apostles the office of preaching the word of the gospell whiche they did also well obserue in preaching nothing els but onely the word in the whiche word is al the power conteyned of binding loosing Neither is it to be granted the Church to haue two heades one in heauen an other in earth The head whereof is but one whiche is Iesus Christ whome the father hath appoynted to be head alone both in heauen and earth Ephes. 1. Colos. 1. as S. Paul in many places of his Epistles doth teach Ephes. 1. Colos. 1 c. The Fryer You haue no vnderstanding how to expound the Scriptures But the olde doctors haue expounded the scriptures holy Councels Auricular confession whose iudgements are to be followed But what say you to auricular confession The Martyr I know no other confession but that which is to be made to God and reconciliation towardes our neighbour which Christ and his Apostles haue commended to vs. The Fryer Haue you not read in the Gospell howe Christ doth bid vs to confesse to the priest where hee commaunded the leper being made whole to shew hym selfe to the priest The Martyr The true church of the Lord Iesus Christ neuer obserued this straunge kinde of confession to carrye our sinnes to the priestes eare And though the churche of Rome haue intruded this maner of confessing it followeth not thereby that is to be receiued And as touching the leper whome the Lorde sent to the priest he was not sent therefore to whisper his sins in the Priestes care but onely for a testimony of hys health receiued according to the law Of the other confession whiche is to be made to God we haue both the examples and testimonyes of the prophet Dauid full in the psalmes 32.51.106 where he sayth Psal. 32.51.106 That he confessed his sinnes vnto the Lord and receiued forgeuenes of the same The Fryer After this the fryer proceeding further to make comparison betweene the churche of Rome The Church of Rome and of Geneua compared and the churche of Geneua would proue that the pope hath power to set lawes in the Church without anye expresse worde of God For so it is written sayd hee That there were many other thinges besides which are not written in this booke Ioan. 21. Also where Christ promiseth to his Disciples to send vnto them the holye ghost which shuld induce them into al truth Moreouer such decres ordinances which are in y e church were decided sayd he and appoynted by the doctors of y e church by al the Councels directed no doubt by the holy Ghost Furthermore he inferred that y e church also of Geneua had theyr ordinaunces and constitutions made without any word of God And for example he brought forth the order of the psalms and seruice publiquely obserued and appoynted vpon wednesday in the churche of Geneua as though that day were holyer then an other The Martyr To this the martyr answered agayne declaring that the ordinaunce of those publicke prayers and psalmes vppon wednesday in the churche of Geneua was not to bynde conscience or for anye superstitious obseruation or for any necessitie whiche eythere should bind conscience or could not be altered at their arbitrement but onely for an order or commoditie for publike resort to heare the word of god according as ancient kings temporall Magistrates haue vsed in old time to doe in congregating the people together not to put any holines in the daye or to bind conscience to any obseruation as the pope maketh his lawes but onely for orders sake seruing vnto commoditie And as touching that any thing should be left for doctors and counsels to be decided without the expresse word of God that is not so for that al things be expressed and prescribed by the word whatsoeuer is necessary eyther for gouernment of the Church or for the saluation of men so that there is no neede for doctours of the Church or Councels to decide anye thing more then is decided already Rom. 15. 2. Iohn Paule sayth that he durst vtter nothing but that the Lord had wrought by him Rom. 15. S. Iohn speaking of the doctrine of Christ Iesu willeth vs to receaue no man vnles he bring with him the same doctrine 2. Ioan. S. Paule warneth the Gallat not to beleeue an angell from heauen The Church ought to be gouerned only by the voyce of the Lords word 1. Pet. 5. bringing an other doctrine thē that which they had already receiued Gal. 2. Christ callyng himselfe the good shepheard noteth them to be his sheep which heare his voyce and not the voyce of others Ioh. 11 And S. Peter admonishing the pastors of y e churche forewarneth them to teache onely the woorde of God without any seeking of Lordship or dominion ouer the flocke From the which moderation how far y e forme of the popes church doth differ the tyranny whiche they vse doth well declare The Fryer In the old churche priestes and ministers of the church were wont to assemble together for deciding of such thinges as pertained to the gouernment and direction of the church whereas in Geneua no such thing is vsed as I can proue by this your owne testament here in my handes that you the better may vnderstand what was then the true vse and manner of the Churche The Martyr Churches may be instituted without the Pope What was the true order and manner that the Apostles did institute the church of Christ I would gladly heare and also would desire you to consider the same and when you haue well considered it yet shall you finde the institution and regiment of the Church of Geneua not to be without the publicke counsell and aduisement of the magistrates elders ministrs of that church with such care and diligence as Paule and Silas took in ordering the church of Thessalonica Birrhea c. wherin nothing was don without the authoritie of Gods word as appeareth Act. 17. As likewise also in stablishing the Church of Antioch when the Apostles were together in counsell for y e same there was no other law nor doctrine folowed but onely the word of God as may appere by the wordes of the Councell Quid tentatis Deum
manifestly iniucious vniust and contrary to all right and reason yea to all sense of humanitie also contrary to the solemne othe which all such as are receiued to office in Courtes of Parliament are accustomed to make that is to say to iudge iustly vprightly according to the law of God and the iust ordinances lawes of the realm so that God therby might be honoured and euery mannes right regarded without respect of persons Some of the aduocates or lawyers defending the said Arrest to be iust and right sayd that in case of Lutheranisme the iudges are not bouÌ„d to obserue either right or reason Euen so the Phariseis procâ—â—ded against Chrâ—st the soÌ„ne of God law either ordinance and that the iudges can not faile or do amisse whatsoeuer iudgement they do geue so that it tend to the ruine and extirpation of all suche as are suspected to be Lutheranes To this the other lawyers and learned men answered that vppon theyr sayings it woulde insue that the Iudges should now altogether folowe the same maner and forme in proceeding against the Christians accused to be Lutheranes which the gospell witnesseth that the Priests Scribes and Pharises followed in pursuing and persecutyng and finally condemning our Lord Iesus Christ. By these such other like talkes y e said arrest was published throughout the country and there was no assemble or banket where it was not disputed or talked of namely within 12. dayes after the Arrest was geuen oute there was a great banket in the towne of Aix The Bishops bancket at the whych banket was present M. Barthelmew Chassanee President many other Councellers and other noble personages and men of authority There was also the Archb. of Aries and the bishop of Aix with diuers ladies and gentlewomen amongst whom was one which was commonly reported to be the bishop of Aix his concubine They wer scarse wel set at the table but she began thus to talke My Lord President There is no cruelty to the cruelty of an harlot will you not execute the arrest which is geuen out of late against the Lutheranes of Merindoll The President aunswered nothing faining that hee hearde her not Then a certaine gentleman asked of her what Arrest that was Shee recited it in maner and forme as it was geuen out forgetting nothing as if she had a long time studied to commit the same vnto memorye Whereunto they whyche were at the banket gaue diligent eare without any woorde speaking vntill she had ended her tale Then the lord of Alenc a man fearing God and of great vnderstanding The Lord of Alenc a good man said vnto her gentlewomaÌ„ you haue learned this tale either of some that wold haue it so or els it is geuen out by some parliament of women Then the lord of Senas an ancient counsailor said vnto him no no my L. of Alenc it is no tale which you haue hard this gentlewoman tell for it is an arrest geuen out by a whole Senate you ought not thus to speake except you woulde call the court of Prouince a parliament of women Then the L. of Alenc began to excuse hymselfe wyth protestation that hee wold not speake any thing to blemish the authority of that soueraigne court notwithstanding he could not beleue all that which the sayd gentlewoman had tolde that is to say that all the inhabitants of Merindoll were condemned to die by y e Arrest of the said court of parliament of Prouince and specially the women little children and infants and the town to be rased for the fault of 10. or 12. persons which did not appere before the saide court at the day appoynted And the Lord Beauieu also answered that he beleued not the sayde courte to haue geuen out any such Arrest The L. Beauieu for that said he were a thing most vnreasonable and suche as the very Turkes and the most tyrannes of the worlde would iudge to be a thing most detestable and sayde further that he had knowen a long time many of Merindol which seemed vnto him to be men of great honesty and my L. President said he can certify vs wel what is done in this mater for we oughte not to geue credite vnto womens tales Then the gentlewoman which had rehersed y e arrest staied not to heare the Presidents answer but sodenly loking vpon the B. of Aix said I should greatly haue marueiled if there had bene none in all this company whyche woulde defend these wicked men and lifting her eyes to heauen in a great womanly chafe and fume sayd would to God that all the Lutheranes which are in Prouince yea and in all Fraunce A Catholicke wishe of a Priestes harlot had hornes growing on theyr forheads then we should see a goodly many of hornes To whome the Lorde Beauieu sodenly answered saying would to God that all priests harlots should chatter like Pies Then said the geÌ„tlewoman ha my L. Beauieu you ought not so to speake against our holy mother the church for that there was neuer dogge y t barked against the crucifixe but that he waxed madde Whereat the Bishop of Aix laughed and clapping the gentlewoman on the shoulder sayd by my holy orders my minion wel said I conne you thanke She hath talked wel vnto you my Lord Beauieu remember wel the lesson that shee hath geuen you Heere the Lorde Beauieu being wholy moued w t anger sayde I care neyther for her schole nor yours for it would be long before a man should learne of either of you both any honesty or honour For if I shuld say that the most part of the bishops and priests are abhominable adulterers blind idolaters deceiuers theeues seducers I should not speake against the holy church but against a heape and flocke of wolues dogs and filthy swine in speaking these thinges I would thinke a man not to be mad at all except he be mad for speaking of the truth Then the Archbishop in a great iurie answered my L. Beauieu you speake very euil and you must geue account when time and place serueth of this your talke which you haue here vttered against the Church men I would sayde the Lord Beauieu that it were to do euen this present day and I wold binde my selfe to prooue more abuses naughtinesse in Priestes then I haue yet spoken Then sayde the President Chassinee my Lorde Beauieu lette vs leaue of this talke and liue as our fathers haue done and maintain theyr honour Then sayde hee in a greate anger I am no Priestes sonne to maintaine their wickednesâ—e and abuse And afterward he sayde I am well content to honour all true pastors of the church and will not blame them which shew good example in their doctrine and liuing but I demaund of you my Lord of Arles and you my Lord of Aix when as our Lord Iesus Christ called the Priestes deceiuing hypocrites blind seducers robbers and theeues did he them any outrage
ought to vanishe the sayde Waldoys which mainteined not the Popes religion alleging that he could not suffer such a people to dwell within his dominion without preiudice and dishonour to the Apostolique Sec. Also that they were a rebellious people against the holy ordinaunces and decrees of their holy mother the Churche And briefly that he might no longer suffer the said people being so disobedient stubbern against the holy father if he would in dede shew him selfe a louing and obedient sonne Such deuilishe instigations were the cause of these horrible and furious persecutions wherewith this poore people of the valleys and the Countrey of Piemont was so long vexed And because they foresawe the great calamities which they were like to suffer to find some remedy for the same if it were possible al the saide Churches of Piemont with one common consent wrote to the duke declaring in effect that the onely cause why they were so hated and for the which he was by their enemies so sore incensed against them was their religion which was no newe or light opinion but that wherein they and their auncitours had long cōtinued being wholy grounded vpon the infallible worde of God conteined in the olde and new Testament Notwithstanding if it might be prooued by the same worde that they held any false or erroneous doctrine they would submit them selues to be reformed with all obedience But it is not certaine whether thys aduertisemente was deliuered vnto the Duke or no for it was sayde that he woulde not heare of that Religion But howe so euer it was in the moneth of March following there was great persecution raised against the poore Christians which wer at Carignan Amongest whom there were certaine godly persones taken burnt within foure daies after that is to saye one named Mathurine and his wife Mathurin his wife Iohn de Carquignan Martyrs and Iohn de Carquignan dwelling in the valley of Luserne taken prisoner as he went to the market at Pignerol The woman died with great constancie The good man Iohn de Carquignan had ben in prison diuers times before for religion and was alwaies deliuered by Gods singulare grace and prouidence But seeing him selfe taken this last time incōtinēt he said he knew that God had now called him Both by the way as he went and in prison and also at his death he shewed an inuincible cōstancie and maruelous vertue aswel by the pure confession which hee made touching the doctrine of saluation as also in suffering with patience the horrible torments which he endured both in prison also at his death Many at that time fled away others being afraid of that great crueltie and fearing man also more then God looking rather to the earth then vnto heauē consented to returne to the obedience of the Church of Rome Within fewe daies after Persecution beginnerh in the Valleys these Churches of the sayde Waldoys that is to say Le Larch Meronne Meane and Suse were woonderfully assaulted To recite all the outrage crueltie and villany that was there cōmitted it were too long for breuities sake we will recite onely certaine of the principal and best knowen The Churches of Meane Suse suffered great afflictions Their minister was taken amongst other Many fled away and their houses and goodes were ransackt and spoiled The Minister of Meane Martyr The Minister was a good a faithfull seruaunt of God and endued with excellent giftes and graces who in the ende was put to moste shamefull and cruell death The great pacience which hee shewed in the middes of the fire greatly astonished the aduersaries Likewise the Churches of Larche and Meronne were marueilouslye tormented and afflicted For some were taken and sent to the galleis other some consented yelded to the aduersaries and a great number of them fled away It is certainly knowen Gods secret iudgements vpō them that shrinke from his truthe that those which yeelded to the aduersaries were more cruelly hādled then the others which cōtinued constant in the truth Wherby God declareth howe greatly he detesteth all such as play the Apostataes and shrinke from the truth But for the better vnderstanding of the beginning of this horrible persecution against the Waldoys heere note that first of all proclamations were made in euery place that none should resort to the Sermons of the Lutherans but should liue after the custome of the Churche of Rome vpon paine of forfaiture of their goods and to be condemned to the Galleyes for euer or loose their liues Three of the most cruel persons that could be founde Cruell persecutors Thomas Iacomell a cruell Apostata were appoynted to execute this cōmission The first was one Thomas Iacomel a Monke and Inquisitour of the Romish faith a man worthy for suche an office for hee was an Apostata and had renounced the knowen truth and persecuted mortally and malitiouslye the poore Christians againste his owne conscience and of set purpose as his bookes do sufficiently witnesse He was also a whoremonger and geuen ouer to al other villanies and filthy liuing and in the horrible sinne of Sodomitrie which he cōmonly vsed he passed all his fellowes Briefly The rigorous handling of the Waldoys he was nothing els but a mis-shapen monster both against God and nature Moreouer he so afflicted and tormented the poore captiues of the sayd Waldoys by spoiling robbery and extortion that he deserued not only to be hanged but to be broken vpon y e whele a hundred times and to suffer so many cruell deathes if it were possible so great so many and so horrible were the crimes that he had committed The seconde was the Collaterall Corbis who in the examination of the prisoners was very rigorous cruell for he only demaunded of them whether they would go to the masse or be burnt within three dayes and in very dede executed his sayings But it is certainly reported Martyrs that hee seeing the constancie and hearing the confession of the pore Martyrs feeling a remorse and tormented in conscience protested that he would neuer meddle any more The thirde was the Prouost de la Iustice a cruell and crafty wretch accustomed to apprehende the poore Christians either by night or early in the morning or in the high way going to the market and was commonly lodged in the valley of Luserne or there aboutes Thus the poore people were alwayes as the seely sheepe in the Woolues iawes or as the shepe which are ledde vnto the slaughter house At that season one named Charles de Comptes of the valley of Luserne and one of the Lordes of Angrongne wrote to the sayde Commissioners to vse some leuitie towardes them of the valley of Lusern By reason whereof they were a while more gently entreated then the rest At that season the monks of Pignerol theyr associates tormented greeuously the churches neare about them The cruell Monkes of Pigneroll They tooke the poore Christians as
first commyng out of his countrey with 3. companiōs to seek godly learnyng The story of M. Patricke Hamelton in Scotland went to the Uniuersitie of Marpurge in Germany which vniuersitie was thē newly erected by Phillip Lātgraue of Hesse Of this Phillip Lantgraue of Hesse read before where he vsing conference and familiaritie w t learned men namely with Franciscus Lambertus so profited in knowledge and mature iudgement in matters of Religion Of the vniuersitye of Mapurge reade pefore that he through the incitation of the sayde Lambert was the first in all y e Uniuersitie of Marpurge which publickely did set vp cōclusions there to be disputed of concerning fayth and workes arguing also no lesse learnedly then feruently vpon the same What these propositions and conclusions were partly in his treatise heereafter following called Patrike places may appeare Thus the ingenious witte of this learned Patricke increasing daylye more and more in knowledge and inflamed wyth godlinesse at length began to reuolue with himselfe touching his returne into his countrey being desirous to import vnto hys countreymen some fruite of the vnderstāding which he had receaued abroade Whereupon persisting in his godly purpose he tooke one of the three whome he brought out of Scotland so returned home without anye longer delaye Where he not susteyning the miserable ignoraunce and blindnes of that people after he had valiantly taught and preached the truth and refelled their abuses was first accused of heresie and afterwarde constantly and stoutly susteyning y e quarel of Gods Gospell against the hygh Priest and Archbishop of Saint Andrewe named Iames Beton was cited to appeare before him and his Colledge of Priestes the firste daye of March 1527. But he beeing not onely forwarde in knowledge but also ardente in spirit not tarieng for the houre appoynted preuented the time and came very early in the morning before he was looked for and there mightely disputing against them when he could not by the Scriptures be conuicted The Martyrdom and suffering of M. Patricke Hamelton by force he was oppressed and so the sentence of cōdemnation being geuen against him the same daye after dinner in all the hoate haste he was had away to the fire and there burned the King being yet but a childe whych thing made the Byshops more bold And thus was thys noble Hamelton the blessed seruaunt of God without all iust cause made away by cruell aduersaries yet not without great fruite to the Church of Christ for the graue testimonie of his bloud left the veritie and truth of God more fixed and confirmed in the harts of many then euer could after be pluckt away in so much that diuers afterwarde standing in his quarell susteined also the lyke Martyrdome as hereafter Christ willing shall appeare as place and time shall require In the meane season we thinke good to expresse here his Articles and order of his processe as we receaued them from Scotland out of the registers ¶ The Articles and opinions obiected against Maister Patrike Hamelton by Iames Beton Archbyshop of S. Andrewes THat man hath no free will That there is no Purgatory That the holy Patriarkes were in heauen Articles out of the Registers before Christes passion That the Pope hath no power to loose and binde neyther any Pope had that power after S. Peter That the Pope is Antichrist and that euery Priest hath the power that the Pope hath That Mayster Patrike Hamelton was a Byshop That it is not necessary to obteyne any Bulles from any Byshop That the vow of the Popes religion is a vow of wickednes That the Popes lawes be of no strength That all Christians worthy to be called Christians doo know that they be in the state of grace That none be saued but they are before predestinate Whosoeuer is in deadly sinne is vnfaithfull That God is the cause of sinne in this sence that is that he withdraweth hys grace from men whereby they sinne That it is diuelish doctrine to enioyne to any sinner actuall penaunce for sinne That the sayde M. Patrike himselfe doubteth whether all children departing incontinent after their Baptisme are saued or condemned That auricular confession is not necessary to saluation These Articles aboue written were geuen in and laid agaynst M. Hamelton and inserted in their registers for the which also he was cōdemned by thē whiche hated him to death But other learned men which commoned reasoned with him do testifie that these Articles followyng were the very Articles for the which he suffered 1. Man hath no free will 2. A man is onely iustified by fayth in Christ. His articles otherwise more truely collected 3. A man so long as he liueth is not without sinne 4. He is not worthy to be called a Christian which beleeueth not that he is in grace 5. A good man doth good workes good workes doo not make a good man 6. An euill man bringeth forth euill works euill works being faithfully repented do not make an euill man 7. Faith hope and charitie be so linked together that one of thē can not be without an other in one mā in this life ¶ And as touching the other Articles whereupon the Doctours gaue their iudgements as diuers do report he was not accused of them before the Byshop Albeit in priuate disputation he affirmed and defended the most of thē Heere followeth the sentence pronounced agaynst hym CHristi nomine Inuocato We Iames by the mercy of God Archbyshop of Saint Andrew primate of Scotland The sentēce against M. Patricke Hamelton with the counsayle decree and authoritie of the most reuerend fathers in God and Lordes Abbots Doctours of Theologie professors of the holy Scripture and maysters of the Vniuersitie assisting vs for the time sitting in iudgement within oure Metropolitane Church of S. Andrew in the cause of hereticall prauitie agaynste Mayster Patrike Hamelton Abbot or pensionarie of Ferme being summoned to appeare before vs to aunswere to certeine Articles affirmed taught and preached by him and so appearing before vs and accused the merites of the cause being ripely weyed discussed and vnderstanded by faithfull inquisition made in Lent last passed we haue found the same M. Patrike many wayes infamed with heresie disputing holding and mayntayning diuers heresies of Martin Luther and his followers repugnant to our faith and which is already * Condemned by coūcells and Vniuersities but here is no mentyon of the Scripture condemned by generall Councels and most famous Vniuersities And he being vnder the same infamie wee decerning before him to be summoned and accused vpon the premisses he of euill mind as may be presumed passed to other partes foorth of the Realme suspected and noted of heresie And being lately returned not being admitted but of his owne head without licence or priuiledge hath presumed to preache wicked heresie Note here that these articles agree not with the articles in the Register before mentioned We haue found also
Lorde 1515. of all such penaunce as was enioyned him and his wife at their abiuration except these three Articles following and were discharged of their badges or signes of their fagots c. Only this penaunce folowing the Byshop continued Sub poena relapsus First that neyther of them during their life should dwell out of the parish of Amersham It was happy that they were not put to taste bread and water Item that eyther of them during their life shoulde fast bread and ale euery Corpus Christi euen Item that eyther of them should during theyr liues vppon Corpus Christi day euery yeare go in pilgrimage to Asherige and there make theyr offerings as other people did but not to do open penaunce Also they were licenced by the sayd Byshop to do theyr pilgrimage at Asherige vpon Corpus Christi euen or Corpus Christi day or some other vpon any cause reasonable This penance being to them enioyned ann 1515. they obserued to the yeare 1522. saue only in the last yere the foresayd Alice his wife omitted her pilgrimage going to Asherige vpon Corpus Christi daye Also the sayd Tho. Harding being put to his othe to detect other because he contrary to his othe dissembled and did not disclose them was therefore enioyned in penaunce for his periury to beare vpō his right sleue both before and behinde a badge or patch of greene cloth or silke embrodered like a fagot during his whole life vnlesse he shoulde otherwise be dispensed withall And thus continued he from the yeare 1522. till the yeare 1532. At last the said Harding in the yeare abouesayd 1532. about Easter holydayes when the other people wēt to the church to commit their wonted idolatry toke his way into the woods there solitarily to worship the true liuing God in spirit and truth Where as he was occupied in a booke of English prayers The taking of Thomas Harding leaning or sitting vppon a style by the woods side it chanced that one did espie hym where he was and came in great haste to the officers of the towne declaryng that he had sene Harding in the woodes lookyng on a booke Wherupō immediatly a rude rable of them like mad mē ranne desperatly to his house to search for bookes in searching went so nigh that vnder the bordes of his flore they foūd certain English bookes of holy Scripture Whereupō this godly father with his bookes was brought before Iohn Longlād Bish. of Lincolne thē lying at Wooburne Who with his Chapleins calling father Harding to examination begā to reason with him proceedyng rather with checkes rebukes then with any sound arguments Thom. Hardyng seyng their folly and rude behauiour gaue thē but few wordes but fixing his trust and care in the Lord did let them say what they would Thus at last they sent him to the Bysh. prison called litle ease Tho. Harding put in little ease the Bishops prison where he did lye with hūger payne enough for a certaine space till at lēgth the Bish. sitting in his tribunall seat like a potestate cōdēned him for relapse to be burned to ashes cōmittyng the charge ouersight of his Martyrdome to Roulād Messenger vicare of great Wickhā Tho. Harding condemned Which Roulād the day appointed with a rable of other like to himselfe brought father Hardyng to Chesham agayne Where the next day after his returne the sayd Roulād made a Sermō in Cheshā Church causing Tho. Hardyng to stād before him all the preachyng tyme which Sermō was nothing els but the mainteinyng of y e iurisdiction of the Bysh. of Rome the state of his Apostolicall sea w t the idolatry fantasies traditions belōgyng to the same Whē the Sermō was ended Roulād tooke him vp to the high aulter asked whether he beleued that in y e bread after the consecratiō there remained any other substaūce then the substaunce of Christes naturall body borne of the virgin Mary To this Tho. Harding aūswered The faith and confession of Tho. Harding the Articles of our belief do teach vs that our Sauiour Christ was borne of the virgin Mary that he suffred death vnder Pilate and rose frō death the thyrd day that he then ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God in the glory of his father Then was he brought into a mans house in the towne where he remained all night in prayer and godly meditations So the next mornyng came the foresayd Roulād agayne about x. of the clocke with a company of bils and staues to lead this godly father to his burnyng Whom a great number both of men and womē did folow Of whom many bewayled his death cōtrary the wicked reioyced thereat He was brought forth hauyng thrust in his handes a little crosse of wood but no idoll vpon it Then he was cheyned to the stake The pacient death and martirdome of Tho. Harding desiring the people to pray for him and forgiuyng all his enemyes and persecuters he commended his spirite to God and tooke his death most paciently quietly liftyng vp his hands to heauen saying Iesus receaue my spirite Whē they had set fire on him there was one that threw a byllet at him dashed out his braynes Of what purpose he so did it is not knowen but as it was supposed that he might haue xl dayes of pardō as the proclamatiō was made at y e burnyng of Williā Tilseworth aboue mentioned pag. 774. whereas proclamation was made the same tyme 40. dayes of pardon for bringing fagots to burne good men that whosoeuer did bring a fagot or a stake to the burnyng of an hereticke should haue xl dayes of pardon Whereby many ignoraūt people caused their children to beare byllets and fagottes to their burnyng In fine when the sacrifice and burnt offeryng of this godly Martyr was finished and he brent to ashes in the Dell goyng to Botley at the North end of the Towne of Chesham Rouland their Ruler of the rost commaundyng silence and thinking to send the people away with an Ite missa est with aloude voyce sayd to the people these wordes not aduising belyke what his tongue dyd speake Good people whē ye come home do not say that you haue bene at the burnyng of an hereticke but of a good true Christian man and so they departed to dyner Rouland with y e rable of other Priestes much reioysing at the burnyng of this good man After dyner they went to Church to Euensong because it was Corpus Christi euen where they fell to singyng chauntyng with ryngyng and pypyng of the Organes Well was he that could reache the hyest note So much dyd they reioyce at this good mans burnyng He should haue bene burned on the Ascention euen but the matter was referred vnto the euen of Corpus Christi because they would honour their bready Messias with a bloudy sacrifice Thus Thomas Harding was consumed to ashes he being