thinges shall come to passe and be brought by little and little in order of times dispensed of God for the same purpose And this God doth and will do for his owne goodnes and mercy and for the riches of his great longanimity and pacience geuing time and space of repētance to them that haue lōg line in theyr sins to amend and flye from the face of the Lordes fury whyle that in like manner the carnall people and carnal priestes successiuely and in time shall fall awaye and be consumed as with the moth c. ¶ An other letter of Iohn Husse MAister Martin my deare brother in Christ I exhorte you in the Lord that you feare God keepe hys commaundementes and flee the company of women and beware of hearing their confessions least by the hipocrisie of women Sathan deceiue you trust not their deuotion You know how I haue detested the auarice and the inordinate life of the Clergy wherefore through the grace of God I suffer now persecution which shortly shal be consummate in me neither doe I feare to haue my hart powred out for the name of Christ Iesus I desire you hartely be not greedy in seeking after benefices And yet if you shal be called to anye cure in the country let the honour of God the saluation of soules and the trauaile therof moue you therunto and not the hauing of the lining or the commodities thereof And if you shall be placed in any such benefice beware you haue no yong womā for your cook or seruant least you edifie and encrease more your house then your soule See that you be a builder of your spirituall house being gentle to the poore and humble of mind and waste not your goodes in great fare I feare also if you do not amend your life ceasing from your costly and superfluous apparell least you shal be greuously chastised as I also wretched mā shal be punished which haue vsed the like being seduced by custome of euill men and wordly glory wherby I haue bene wounded agaynst God wyth the spirite of pride And because you haue notably knowne both my preaching and outward conuersation euen from my youth I haue no neede to write many thinges vnto you but to desire you for the mercy of Iesus Christ that you do not followe me in anye such leuitie and lightnes whiche you haue in seene in me You knew how before my priesthoode whiche greueth me nowe I haue delighted to playe oftentimes at chesse and haue neglected my time and thereby haue vnhappily prouoked both my self and other to anger many times by that play Wherfore besides other my innumerable faultes for thys also I desire you to inuocate the mercy of the Lord that he will pardon me and so directe my life that hauing ouercome the wickednes of this present life the flesh the world and the deuill I may finde place in the heauenly country at the least in the day of iudgement Fare ye well in Christ Iesus with all them which keepe hys law My gray coate if you will keepe to your selfe for my remembraunce but I thinke you are ashamed to wear that gray colour therfore you may geue it to whō you shall thinke good My white coate you shall geue the minister N. my scholer To George or els to Zuzikon 60. groates or els my gray coate for he hath faythfully serued me ¶ The superscription I pray you that you doe not open this letter before you be sure and certayne of my death The consolation of Mayster Hierome to Mayster Hus. MY maister in those thinges which you haue both written hetherto and also preached after the law of God agaynst the pride auarice an other inordinate vices of the Priestes goe forward be constant and strong And if I shall know that you are oppressed in the cause and if neede shal so require of myne own accorde I will folow after to helpe you as much as I can BY the lyfe actes and letters of Iohn Hus hetherto rehearsed it is euident and playne that he was condemned not for any errour of doctrine which they coulde well proue in hym who neyther denyed their popishe transubstantiation neither spake against the authoritie of the church of Rome if it were well gouerned nor yet the 7. Sacraments also sayd masse himself and almost in al their popish opinions was a papist with them but onely of euil wil was accused of his malicious aduersaries because he spake agaynst the pompe pride and auarice other wicked enormities of the pope Cardinals Prelates of that Church and because he could not abide the high dignities liuings of the Churche and thought the doinges of the pope to be Antichristlike For this cause he procured so many enemies false witnesses agaynst him Who strayning and picking matter out of hys bookes and writinges hauing no one iust article of doctrine to lay vnto him yet they made hym an hereticke whether he would or no and brought him to hys condemnation This can hatred and malice do where the charitie of Christ hath no place Whiche being so as thy charitie good reader may easely vnderstand in perusing the whol course of hys story I beseech thee thē what cause had Iohn Cochleus to write his 12. bookes agaynst Iohn Hus and Hussites In which bookes how bitterly intēperately he misuseth hys penne by these few words in hys second booke thou mayst take a little tast which wordes I thought here briefly to place in English to the ende that all English men may iudge thereby with what spirite and truth these Catholickes he caryed Hys wordes be these Lib. 2. Hist. Dico igitur Ioan Huss neque sanctum neque beatum habendum esse sed impium potius c. That is I say therfore Iohn Husse is neither to be counted holy nor blessed but rather wicked and eternally wretched insomuche that in the day of iudgement it shal be more easie not onely with the infidell Pagans Turks Tartarians and Iewes but also with the most sinfull Sodomites the abhominable Persians which most filthily doe lye with their daughters sisters or mothers yea also with most impious Cain killer of hys owne brother with Thyestes killer of hys own mother and the Lestrygones other Andropophagi which deuour mans flesh yea more easie with those infamous murderers of infants Pharao Herode then with him c. These be the words of Cochleus Whose rayling books although they deserue neyther to be read nor aunswered yet if it pleased God it were to be wished that the Lord would stir vp some towardly yong man that hath so much leasure to defend the simplicitie of thys Iohn Hus whiche cannot now aunswere for himselfe In the meane tyme something to satisfie or stay the readers mynde agaynst thys immoderate hyperbole of Cochleus in like fewe wordes I wyll bryng out Iohn Hus to speake and to cleare hymselfe agaynst this slaunder whose wordes in
spoile his subiects defloure virgins dishonest matrones and do all things licentiously and temerariously do not the nobles of the kingdome assemble together deposing him from his kingdome set vp another in his place which shall sweare to rule and gouerne vprightly and be obedient vnto the lawes Verely as reason doth perswade euen so doth the vse thereof also teach vs. It seemeth also agreeable vnto reason that the same should be done in the Church that is to say in the Councell which is done in any kingdome And so is this sufficiently apparant which we haue before sayd that the Pope is subiect vnto the Councell But now to passe vnto the argumentes of Diuinitie the foundation of the matter which we do intreate vpon are the wordes of our Sauiour Iesu Christ in diuers places but specially where as he speaketh vnto Peter Tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam i. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Vpon whyche words it seemeth good to begin this disputatiō forsomuch as some were wont to alledge these words to extoll the authority of the Bishop of Rome But as it shall by and by appeare the words of Christ had another sense and meaning then diuers of them do thinke for he saith the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Verely this is a great promise and these wordes of the Lord are of great importance For what greater word could there haue bene spoken then that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the church These gates of hel as S. Hierome saith do signifie sins Wherfore if sinnes can not preuaile against the Church neither can any maligne spirites preuaile against the same which haue no power at all ouer mankinde but only through sinne And for that cause where as it is sayd in Iob that there is no power vpon the earth that may be cōpared vnto the power of the maligne spirite whereby it followeth that the power of the Church is aboue all other power We may also vpon the same saying reason after an other sort for somuch as the gates of hel that is to say sinnes can not preuaile agaynst the Church the Church thereby is declared to be without sinne the which cā not be spoke of the pope which is a mortall mā for somuch as it is written seuen tymes in the day the iust mā doth offend If the Church be without spot because it can not be defiled with sinne who is it that will preferre a sinnefull mā before an vndefiled Churche Neither let vs geue eare vnto those whiche will not referre these woordes of Christ vnto the Church where as he sayth Oraui pro te Petre vt non deficiat fides tua That is to say Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth should not fayle thee For as S. Augustine sayth in the exposition of the Psalmes certaine thyngs are spoken as though they seemed properly to pertaine vnto the Apostle Peter notwithstanding they haue no euident sense but when they are referred vnto the Churche the person wherof he is vnderstāded figuratiuely to represent Wherupō in an other place in the questiōs of the new old Testament vpon the wordes Rogaui pro te Petre I haue prayed for thee Peter What is doubted Did he pray for Peter did he not pray for Iames and Iohn beside the rest It is manifest that vnder the name of Peter all other are conteyned For in an other place of S. Iohn he sayth I pray for them whom thou hast geuen me I will that wheresoeuer I am they shall be also with me Wherupon we do oftentymes by the name of Peter vnderstand the Church which we do nothing at all doubt to be done in this place otherwise the truth could not consist for somuch as within a while after the fayth of Peter fayled for a tyme by the deniall of Christ but the fayth of the Church whose person Peter did represent did alwayes perseuere inuiolate As touching the Bishops of Rome if time would suffer vs we could rehearse many crāples how that they either haue ben heretickes or replenished with other vices Neither are we ignoraunt how that Marcellinus at the Emperours commaundement did sacrifice vnto Idols that an other whiche is more horrible did attaine vnto the Papacy by a deuilish fraude deceite Notwithstandyng the testimony of Paule vnto the Hebrues shall suffice vs at this tyme who sayth euery Bishop to be compassed in with infirmitie that is to say with wickednesse and sinne Also the testimonies of Christ him selfe do approue that the Church remaineth alwayes without sinne for in Mathew he saith I am with you euen vnto the end of the world The which wordes were not onely spoken vnto the Apostles for they continued not vnto the end of the world but also vnto their successours neither would Christ then signifie that he was God dispersed throughout all the world as he is also perceiued to be amongest sinners but would declare a certain gift of grace through his assistaūce whereby he would preserue the holy Churche consisting amongest his Apostles and their successours alwayes immaculate and vndefiled And agayne in an other place I sayth he will pray he shal geue you an other cōforter that he may remaine w e you for euer euē the spirite of truth whō the world cānot receaue because the world seeth him not neither knoweth him but you shall know him because he shall remayne with you The which wordes being spoken vnto the Disciples of Iesus are also vnderstāded to be spokē vnto their successours so cōsequently vnto the Church And if the spirite of truth be cōtinually in the Church no man cā deny but that the Church ought to continue vndefiled By the same authoritie also that Christ is called the spouse of the Church who seeth not but that the Church is vndefiled For the husband the wise as the Apostle sayth are two in one flesh as he doth also adde no mā hateth his own flesh thereby it commeth to passe that Christ can not hate the Church for somuch as she is his spouse and one flesh with him no mā cā hate himselfe Ergo the Church doth not sinne for if it did sinne it should be hated for sinners the Lord doth hate The which authorities being gathered together we ought with the Apostle to confesse that the Church of God hath neither spot nor wrincle Also he writyng vnto Timothe affirmeth the Churche to be the piller foundation of the truth whereupō in this song of the spouse it is sayd My frend thou art altogether fayre beawtifull neither is there any spot in thee These wordes peraduenture may abash some that I do go about to proue the Church to be without
olde writees it appeareth not that Philippus or any other of that name was Bishop of Alexandria during this time signified by Bergomensis Although in some other later writers as Equilinus Antoninus and Bergomensis I finde a certaine historye of one Philippus President of Alexandria about the same tyme of Valerian and Galienus elected by the Emperour and Senate of Rome to gouerne those quarters where he was at length conuerted to the christian faith and after made Priest or Bishop as they saye of Alexandria but that not to be so the testimony of auntient writers doth refell The history of this Philippus witnessed in our later Chronicles is this Philippus being promoted to the Presidentship of Alexandria came downe with his wife Claudia and his two sonnes Auitus and Sergius and with his daughter named Eugenia of the which Eugenia a long history full of straunge and prodigious miracles is written of Antoninus other wherof many things I will cut of and brieflye touche the effect of the storye leauing to the iudgement of the reader the credit of mine authors as he shall see cause Thys Eugenia daughter of Philippus being of singular beautie and diligently brought vp by her parentes in the studie of science and learnyng was by occasion of hearyng Christians reduced and brought vp to Christianitye with two other Eunuches her Schoolefellowes called Prothus and Hiacynthus wyth whome shee takyng counsaile vpon occasion whether to auoyde the daunger of persecucion or refusing to marry wyth a Pagane vnknowne to her parents and fryendes dyd flee awaye and because the more boldlye shee might resort to heare the readynges of Helenus then an aged Byshoppe and of others chaunged her selfe into mans apparell and named her selfe Eugenius vnder the whiche name she was at length admitted vnto a certayne Monastery or a societie of christians in the suburbes of Alexandria although I hardly beleeue that any Monasterye of Christians was then in the suburbes of Alexandria permitted where also at the last for the excellencye of learnyng and vertue shee was made head of the place Here by the waye I omit the myracles of the foresayde Helenus Byshoppe as the story saith of Hierapolis howe he caried burning coales in his lap how he adueÌ„tured himself to goe in the burning fyre to resell wicked Zereas a Pagane remaining in the same vnburned Here also I omit the careful search of her parents for her and of the answere of the Pythonisse againe vnto them that she was taken vp to the heauen among the Goddesses I omit moreouer the miracles done by the sayde Eugenia in healyng the diseases and sicknesses or such as came to her c. The story proceedeth thus Among other which were by this Eugenius cured restored there was a certaine Matrone of Alexandria named Melancia who after she had vsed the helpe and acquaintaunâ— of Eugenius supposing her to be a man fell into an inordiâ—ate loue sekyng by al meanes how to accomplish the lust of her concupiscence In so much that in her daily visiting of her at length she began secretly to breake her mind and to entise her to her ludenes Eugenius contrary exhorted her to vertue honesty shewing her the miseries of this life and the peryll of that folly Melancia seeing that by no meanes shee would be allured nor by force drawen to her desire fearyng moreouer that she in detecting of her would bringe her to shame beginneth first to make an outcry of Eugenius declaring howe that she went about corruptly to defloure her so presented her accusation before Philippus the President as well against Eugenius as also against the rest of that company This matter being heard and the woman well knowen the crime began to seeme suspitious and so much the more because it was obiected against the Chrystians By reason whereof Eugenius with her felow Chrystians was now not only in great hatred but also in dauÌ„ger of present death and destruction Then Eugenius purging herselfe her honesty although with sufficient probation yet notwithstanding perceiuing that it coulde take no place what so euer she said and seeing no time now to dissemble any longer for the daunger as well of her owne selfe as specially of her brethren which troubled her more desired of the Iudge place and time to make manifest to him the truth and so shewed her selfe what she was and how she was his daughter the other to be Prothus Hiacinthus the two Eunuches her schoolefelowes vtteryng moreouer to him and to her brethreÌ„ the cause of her departing from them At the narration whereof Philippus her father and her two brethren comming to the knowledge of her conceaued no litle ioy in receauing their Eugenia againe whom they thought had bene lost No lesse gladnes was among the people to see the euidence of the matter so plainely to try out the truth of the one the falsenes of the other Wherat the malignant accuser was to double shame coÌ„founded first for her dishonesty falsly cloked secondly for the vntruth of her accusation openly detected Bergomensis addeth moreouer that the said accuser was stricken presently with lightning Thus Eugenia trying her honestly to her parents friends not onely was receaued of them againe but also by the grace of the Lord working with her in the space of time did win theÌ„ to Christ. Wherby Philippus the father of her by nature now by grace was begotteÌ„ of his own daughter to a more perfect life whoÌ„ once he thought to haue bene lost not only he fouÌ„d againe but also with her found his own soule his own life which before he had lost indeede This Phillippus sayth the storye was made afterwarde Bishop of Alexandria and there suffered Martyrdome Concerning whose Martyrdome I denye not but it may be true but that he was byshop of Alexandria that cannot be admitted as is before sufficiently prooued out of Eusebius and other auncient historicians Lykewyse it is sayd that Eugenia after the Martyrdome of her father returning to Rome with Prothus and Hiacinthus by occasion of conuertyng Basilla who shoulde haue bene maried to a Pagane husband and was then beheaded to the Christian faith was assayled wyth sundrye kinds of death first being tied to a great stone cast into Tyber where she was caried vp from drowning theÌ„ put in the hoate bathes which were extincted and she preserued afterward by famishment in prison where they saye she was fed at the hande of our Sauior all which Legendary miracles I leaue to the Reader to iudge of them as shal seeme good vnto him At last the story sayeth she was with the sword beheaded Antonin Bergom Ado. And because in this prent history mention was made of Helenus whom Antoninus with his fellowes noteth to be the byshop of Hierapolis here is to be vnderstoode obserued by the way that as Philippus in the foresaide history is falsly
Pomponius Letus Ignatius write of him And Aelius Lampridus saith writing vppon the life of Heliogabalus that Constantinus was woont to saye that an Empire was giuen by the determinate purpose of God that he to whom it was giuen should so imploy his diligēce as he might be thought worthy of the same at the hands of the gyuer Which same saiing also Augustine noteth in his 3. booke against Cresconius epist. 49. and 50. He first entred into the Empire by the mercifulnes of God minding after long waues of dolefull persecution to restore vnto his church peace and tranquilitie an 311. as Eusebius accompteth in his Chronicle His raigne cōtinued as Eutropius affirmeth 30. yeares Letus saith 32. yeares lacking 2. monethes Great peace and tranquilitie enioied the Churche vnder the raigne of this good Emperour which tooke great paine and trauell for the preseruation thereof First yea and that before he had subdued Licinius he set forth many edictes for the restitution of the goods of the church for the reuoking of the Christians out of exile for taking away the dissension of the Doctours out of the Church for the setting of them free from publike charges and such like euen as the copies of his constitutions here vnder declare which Eusebius in his 10. booke and 5. chapter repeateth in this wise The copy of an Epistle of Constantinus sent to his subiectes inhabiting in the East VIctor Constantinus Maximus Augustus to our louing subiectes inhabiting throughout the east parts sendeth greting The thing it selfe which in the sure and most firme law of nature is conteyned doth giue vnto all men euen as God hath ordeyned the same sufficient perseueraunce and vnderstanding both of such things as man ought to foresee as also what things presently he ought to meditate Neither is there any thing therein to be doubted of such as haue their mindes directed to the scope or marke of perfect vnderstanding so that the perfect comprehending of sound reason and the perseuerance thereof be compared with the knowledge of God being the true and perfect vertue Wherefore let no wise man be troubled although he see diuers men of diuers dispositions For wisdome which springeth of vertue cannot abide or acquaint her selfe with fonde ideotes vnles that on the other side the malice of peruerse lithernes prolong her daies and cause the same Ideocie to suruiue Wherfore assuredly the crowne and price of vertue lieth open vnto all men the moste mightie God ordereth the iudgement of the same I vndoubted as manyfestly as possible is will endeuour my selfe to testifie and confesse vnto you al the hope which is in me I think verily that the Emperours which before this time haue latelye bene euen for their tiranny had the Empire taken from them my father onelye exercising and vsing al meekenes and lenity in his affaires calling vpon God the father with great deuotion humility hath beene exalted to the same And all the rest as men wanting their wits and in comparison as sauage beastes rather did giue themselues to like cruelty then vnto any lenitie gentlenes towards their subiects in which tyranny euery one for his time being nooseled vtterly subuerted the true and vnfallible doctrine And so great malice was their kindled in their brestes that when all things were in peaceable tranquilitie they made and raysed most cruell and bloudy intestine or ciuill warres It is credibly informed vs that in those daies Apollo gaue aunsweres but not by any mans mouth but out of a certaine caue darke place saying that he was much disquieted by those that were the iust men and liuers vpon the earth so that he could or would not for them declare a truth of such things as others demaunded hereby it came to passe that such false deuinations were geuen from the golden tables in Apollos temple And this thing did his propheticall priest complayne of when he tooke vp againe the heare of his head that other had cōtemptuously cast down that the neglecting of his diuination was the cause of so many euils amongst men But let vs see what was the ende hereof we now boldly without all feare inuocate worship the omnipotent God when I was a childe I heard that he which then was chiefe Emperour of Rome vnhappy yea most vnhappy man being seduced and brought into errour by his souldiers curiously inquired who were those iust men vpō the earth that Apollo ment and one of his priests which was nere about him made answere that they were the christiās This answere hereupon vnto him beyng as delectable as hony vnto the mouth drew the sword giuen vnto him to be a reuenger vpon euill doers and malefactours against the professors of the irreprehensible sanctimony and relygion And straight way he gaue forth a commission to bloudy homicides as I may well cal them gaue commaundement to all the Iudges that they should endeuour themselues with all the cunning they had to the deuising of more greeuouser sharper punishments against the poore Christians Then then I say a man myght haue seene how greatly the honest professors of that religion were molested with cruelty and daily suffered no smal iniuries and contumelies and that also they suffered and sustained the same with such tēperancy as though they had had no iniuries done vnto them at all Which temperancie and patience of theirs was the cause why the furious citizens were the more madder raging against them What fires what tortures what kinde of torments were there but they without respecte either of age or sexe were enforced to feele Then did the earth without doubt herselfe bewayle her children and the round worlde which conteineth all things beyng sprinkled and imbrued with their bloud made dolefull lamentation for them and the daye it selfe prouoked for to mourne was made amased for them But what is this to purpose Now the very barbarous nations reioyce for their sakes which receaued and harboured them when they were afraid and fled from vs keping them as it were in most louing amiable captiuity And they saued not onely their liues but also were a defence for their religion And now also the Romaine nation remembreth and hath before there eies this blame and spotte which the Christians that were of that time worthely gaue vnto them when they by them were banished as vnfitte members of their common wealth amongst the barbarous people What needeth to make further rehearsall of the mourning lamentation which the heathen people themselues throughout all the world made for the pittifull murther and slaughter of them After this it came to passe that they which were authors of all these mischiefes died also and were cōmitted for there reward to the most filthy horrible dungeon of hel They being so intangled with intestine and ciuile warres left aliue neyther name nor kinsmen of their owne which thing vndoubtedly
that which our aduersaries take out of their owne treasurie And because I will not refuse the order of lawe in this behalfe let it be the ende of the strife that either I may be openly shamed before the people either els the victory falling on my side we may winne you to the obedience of our soueraigne Lord the Emperour Also take you hede to this saying If any man do preach otherwise then that which is preached let him be of you accursed This curse I say doeth not proceede from any newe prophane authoritie but is thundered downe from the third heauen And of them which knowe not the righteousnes of God but goe about to stablish their owne righteousnes and therfore be not subiect to the righteousnes of God I may boldly say let such be accursed So may you well say confounded be al they that proudly rise vp against the Lorde but thy seruant oh Lord shall reioyce for as thou hast wel saide without me you can doe nothing so in iudging of the wicked thou doest not condemne the iust Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant to his owne Lord whether he doth stand or fall The answere of the Earle Lewes to Bishop Waltram THe Earle Lewys to the Lord Waltram howsoeuer vnworthy or vnmeete he be for the name Like as a good man from the good treasure of the hart bringeth forth good fruit so doeth the euil man from the euil treasure of the heart bring forth euil fruit What arrogācie hath so possessed you to prouoke my displeasure with such iniurious contumelies for in dede those my good lords and spirituall fathers which strengthen me in the way of righteousnes you railingly call them bloudy men like vnto Sathan and the wholesome lessons which they teache you say they are but dreames of the common people amongest foolish women Hath God any nede of your iudgement that you should speake leasings for him Iniquity hath taught your mouth to folow blasphemous tonges so that wel may the Prophet say of you he would not vnderstand to do wel he hath deuised wickednesse vpon his bed Although therfore you being altogether froward haue only spoken frowarde things yet we haue determined to set a watche before your mouth like as if a shameles person shoulde stande vp before vs and the worde of GOD dothe prouoke vs saying Answere a foole according to his owne foolishnesse least hee shoulde seeme wise in his owne opinion Shall folly speake and wisedome holde his peace Shall lies be freely vttered and trueth compelled to kepe silence Shall darkenes couer the earth shall not the Lorde arise and shine yea rather the light hath lightened the darknes and darknes hath not comprehended it In consideration hereof our harts haue melted and our zealous meditation hath set vs on fire We therefore speake and crie and the little foxes which vndermine the Lords vineyards as much as in vs is we driue away fearing the threatning prophecie You haue not withstanded our aduersaries neither haue you made a bulwarke for the defence of the house of Israel that you might be able to stand in battaile in the day of the Lorde Let them heare I speake not to you which haue cares and heare not eyes see not which haue made darke the light that is in you but let them heare I say that be wel disposed and haue eares to heare withall As for you you haue no vnderstanding and if you haue you cloke it Neither haue you any thing to say or to proue by what reason we should be subiect to the Lord Henry whome you call Emperour And yet as it is giuen vs to vnderstand you goe about to perswade that of necessity we ought to be subiect to him that by the argumēt of S. Paule Let euery soule be subdued to the higher powers for there is no power but of God he therefore that doth withstande power doth resist Gods ordinance The which sentence of the Apostle we say that you do euil conceiue and therefore euil interprete for if euery power be of God as you vnderstande what is meant by that that the Lord doth speake of some by the Prophet They did raigne and were not made Princes by me and I knewe them not If euery power be of God as you take it what is to be thought of that that the Lorde doth say If thine eye offende thee pluck it out and cast it from thee For what is power but the eie Certainly Augustine in the exposition of this sentence of the Apostle let euery soule c. doth say that if the powers do commād any thing against God then haue them in contempt but yet neuertheles feare thē Is there any iniquitie with God Is Christ the minister of sinne God forbid What shal we therfore say doth the Apostle preach contrary to the truth Augustinus sayeth no one winde filleth many pipes of diuers tunes Therfore let vs hear the Apostle agreeing and expounding himselfe and destroying his enemie and auenger There is sayeth he no power but of God What followeth He therfore sayth he that doth resist the power c. God forbid doeth nothing followe But what doeth followe Those powers which be ordeined of god truely that is it we look for O craftie tongue O heart imagining mischiefe O consuming breath that shall not returne why hast thou lied to the holy ghost Thine owne conscience shall accuse thee Behold the wicked fleeth and no man doth pursue him Why woulde you suppresse the truth to the intēt to deceiue Why haue you stolne away the pith and effect of this sentence For if these wordes should be taken away from the midst of the sentence it shuld lie contrary to it selfe inconuenient and halfe dead The worde of the Lord is herein fulfilled He that diggeth a pit for his neighbour shal fall therein him selfe Verely you can neither excuse you of theft neither auoid the punishment due for the same What O vnhappy man what shall you answer to the iudge when he shall require an accompt of his seruaunts whome he putteth in trust seeing you shal be set before him in the midst and prooued a picker of your maisters treasure Wherefore did you not feare the iudgement executiō whē as the giltines of offence doth require condigne punishment The Apostle through the holy Ghost did foresee that you and such heretikes as you are should spring in the Church which should call good euil and euil good and that should put darknes in place of light and light in place of darknes which also should take occasion by the sentences of truth to bring in error When as he did set this before there is no power but of God to the intent that hee might take away the coniecture of false vnderstanding for sayeth he those powers that be are ordeined of God Geue therefore an ordinarie power and we doe not resist yea we will forthwith doe
therof should be displaced and the said Herrigetto perferred Yea also non obstante that the sayd Pope himselfe had before giuen his graunt to the king realme of England y◠one Italian should not succeede an other in any benefice there yet for all that the said Herrigetto vpon paine of excommunication to be placed therin Ex Paris fol. 240. And thus much hetherto of these matters through the occasion of the East churches and the Grecians to the entent all men that read these stories see the doings of this Westerne Bishop may consider what iust cause these Grecians had to seclude themselues from hys subiection and communion For what christian communion is to be ioyned with him which so contrary to Christ and his gospel seeketh for worldly dominion so cruelly persecuteth hys brethren so giuē to auarice so greedy in getting so iniurious in oppressing so insatiable in hys exactions so malitious in reuenging stirring vp warres depriuing kings deposing Emperours playing Rex in the Church of Christ so erronious in doctrine so abominably abusing excommunication so false of promise so corrupt in life so voyde of Gods feare and briefly so farre from all the parts of a true Euangelicall Bishop For what seemeth he to care for the soules of men which setteth in benefices boyes and outlādish Italians and further one Italian to succede an other which neither did know the language of the flocke nor once would abide to see their faces And who can blame y◠Grecians then for diffeuering themselues from such an oppressour and gyant against Christ. Whose wise example if this Realme had then folowed as they might certes our predecessours had bene rid of an infinite number of troubles iniuries oppressiōs warres commotions great trauails charges besides the sauing of innumerable thousand of poūds which the sayd bishop full falsely hath raked and transported out of thys Realme of ours But not to excede the bounds of my history because my purpose is not to stande vpon declamations nor to dilate common places I will passe ouer leauing the iudgement therof to the further examination of the reader For els if I lifted to prosecute this argument so far as mater would lead me truth peraduenture wold require me to say I durst not only say but could well proue the Pope court of Rome to be the only fountain principal cause I say not of muche misery heere in England but of all the publicke calamities and notorious mischiefes which haue happened these many yeres through all these West parts of christendome especially of all the lamentable ruine of the church which not only we but the Grecians also this day do suffer by the Turks and Saracens As whosoeuer wel considereth by reading of histories the course of times and vieweth with all the doings and acts passed by the said bishops of Rome together with the blinde leading of his doctrine shal see good cause not only to thinke but also to witnes the same Only one narratiō touching this argument and yet not transgressing the office of my historie I minde the Lorde willing to set before the Readers eyes which happened euen about this present time of thys king Henries reigne in the yere of our Lord. 1244. In the which yeare it chanced that Lewes the French king sonne to Quene Blanch fel very fore sicke lying in a swounde or in a traunce for certaine dayes in such sorte as few thought he would haue liued some said he was gon already Amongst other there was with him hys mother who sorowing bitterly for her sonne and giuen somewhat as cōmonly the maner of women is to superstitiō went brought foorth a peece of the holy crosse wyth the crowne and the speare which peece of the holy crosse Baldwynus Emperour of Constantinople whome the Grecians had deposed a litle before for holding with the bishop of Rome had sold to the French king for a great summe of mony and blessed him wyth the same also laid the crowne the spear to his body making a vow wtal in the person of her sonne that if the Lorde would visite him with health and release him of that infirmitie he should be croysed or marked with the crosse to visit his sepulchre and there solemnly to render thankes in the lande which he had sanctified wyth his bloud Thus as she with the B. of Parys and other there present were praying beholde the king which was supposed of some to be dead began with a sigh to pluck to his arms and legges and so stretching himselfe began to speake geuing thankes to God who from an high had visited him called him from the danger of death Which as the kings mother with others there toke to be a great miracle wrought by the vertue of the holy crosie so the king amending more and more as soone as he was well recouered receaued solemnely the badge of the crosse vowing for a freewil sacrifice vnto God that he if the counsaile of his realme would suffer him would in hys owne person visite the holy land forgettyng belyke the rule of true Christianitie where Christ teacheth vs otherwise in the gospel saying That neither in this mount nor in Samaria nor at Ierusalem the Lord will be worshipped but seeketh true worshippers which shall worship him in truth and veritie c. An. 1244. Pariens fol. 182. After thys was great preparaunce and muche a do in Fraunce toward the setting foorth to the holy land For after the K. first began to be croysed the most part of the nobles of Fraunce with diuers Archbishops and Byshops with Earles and Barons and Barons and gentlemen to a mighty number receaued also the crosse vppon their sleeues Amongst whom was the Earle Atrebacensis the kings brother the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Brabant the Countesse of Flaunders wyth her two sonnes the Earle of Britaine with his sonne the Earle of Barrēsis Earle of Swesson Earle of S. Paul Earle of Druis Earle Retel with many noble persons mo Neither lacked here whatsoeuer the Pope could do to set forward this holy busines in sending his Legates and Friers into Fraunce to stirre the people to folow the king to contribute to his iourny Wherupon was graunted to the King to gather of the vniuersall church of France by the popes authoritie the tenth part of all their goods for 3. yeares space together vpon thys condition that the king likewise wold graunt to the Pope the 20. part for so many yeares after to be gathered of the sayd Church of Fraunce Which was agreed An. 1246. Ex Mat Parisiens fol. 204 b. Shortly after thys in the yeare of our Lorde 1247. followed a Parliament in Fraunce where the king with his nobles being present there was declared how the king of Tartarians or Turkes hearing of the viage of the French king writeth a letter to him requiring that he wil become hys
and bridle him withall that peace thereby and loue might dwell vppon the face of the earth But alas the B. of Rome sitting in the chaire of peruerse doctrine or pestilence that Pharisee anoynted wyth the oyle of iniquitie aboue the rest of his consortes in this our time which for his abhominable pride is fallen from heauen indeuoureth with his power to destroy and vndoe all and thinketh I beleeue to stellifie againe himselfe there from whence hee fell Hys purpose is to darken and to shadowe the light of our vnspotted life whilest that altering the veritie into lies his Papall letters stuft with all vntruthes are sent into sondry partes of the world of his owne corrupt humor and vpon no reasonable cause blemishing the sinceritie of our Religion The Lord Pope hath compared vs vnto the beast rising out of the sea full of names of blasphemy and spotted like a Lyberd But we say that he is that mōstrous beast of whom it is sayd and of whome we thus read And there shall come an other red horse out of the sea and hee that shall sit on him shall take peace away out of the earth let them therefore that dwell vpon the earth destroy him For since the tyme of hys promotiō he hath not ben the father of mercy but of discord A dilligent steward of desolation in stead of consolation and hath intised all the worlde to commit offence And to take the wordes in right sense and interpretation he is that great Dragon that dath deceiued the whole worlde hee is that Antichrist of whom he hath called vs the forerunner he is that other Balaam hired for money to curse vs the Prince of darcknes which hath abused the Prophetes This is the Aungel leaping out of the sea hauing his Phials fild with bitternes that he may both hurt the sea and the lande the counterfait Vicar of Christ that setteth forth hys owne imaginations He sayth that we doe not rightly beleue in the Christen fayth and that the world is deceiued with three maner of deceiuers which to name God forbid we should open our mouth seeing that openly we cōfesse onely Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour to be the euerlasting sonne of God coequall with hys father and the holy Ghost begotten before all worldes and in processe of tyme sent downe vpon the earth for the saluation of mankinde Conceaued not by the seede of man but by the holy Ghost which was borne of the glorious virgin Mary after that suffered and dyed as touching the flesh and by hys Godhead the third day he raysed from death that other nature which he assumpted in the wombe of his mother But we haue learned that the body of Machomet hangeth in the ayre and that his soule is buryed in hell whose works are damnable contrary to the law of the most highest We affirme also that Moyses was the faythfull seruant of God and a true teacher of the law and that he talked with God in mount Sinay vnto whō the Lord sayd Rubrum c. By whō also God wrought miracles in Egipt and deliuered the law written to the Israelites that afterwards with the elect he was called to glory In these and other thinges our enemy and enuier of our state causing our mother the church to accuse her sonne hath written agaynst vs venemous and lying sclaunder and sent the same to the whole worlde If hee had rightly vnderstoode the Apostles meaning he woulde not haue preferred his violent will before reason which beareth such sway with him neither would he haue sēt out his Mandates to the suggestion of those which call light darcknes and euill good whiche suspect hony to be gall for the great good opinion they haue cōceaued of that holy place which in deed is both weak infirm cōuerteth al truth into falshood affirmeth that to be that is not Truly my opinion so indifferent on euery side ought not in any case to be infringed and auerted from the fayth to such enemies of so corrupt a conscience Wherefore we greatly are inforced not a little to meruaile which thing also doth much disquyet vs to see that you which be the pillers and assistentes in office of righteous dealing the Senators of Peters Citie and the principal beames in Gods building haue not quallified the perturbation of so fierce a Iudge as doth the planets of heauē in their kynd which to mittigate the passing swift course of the great orbe or sphere of heauen draw a contrary way by theyr opposite mouinges In very deed our Imperial felicitie hath bene almost euen from the beginning spurned agaynst and enueied at of the papall see and dignitie As Simonides being demanded why he had no mo enemies and enuiers of hys state answered and sayd quia nibil falsciter gessi for because sayth he I haue had no good successe in any thing that euer I tooke in hand And so for that we haue had prosperous successe in all our enterprises the Lordes name be blessed therefore especially in the ouerthrow of late of our rebellious enemies the Lombardes to whom in their good quarrell he promised life and absolution and remission of their sinnes is the cause wherefore this Apostolicall bishop mourneth and lamenteth And now not by your councels I suppose he laboureth to impugne this our felicitie but of hys owne power of bynding losing wherof he glorieth so much he impugneth it But presently where power and habilitie wanteth to redresse there doth abuse take place We see in hym which was so mighty a king and the worthiest prince amongst all the Prophetes to desire craue the restitution of Gods holy spirit when he had polluted the dignitie of hys office But the prouerbe is Vti indissolubilia non solnuntur ita inligabilia non ligantur As thinges indissoluble are not to be losed so thinges that cannot be bound are not to be bound Which thing manifestly is proued in him For why the scriptures of God doe instruct men how to liue they mortifie our soules whiche are immortall and quicken the same whiche are dead for want of lyfe And doubtles he is able to humble and bring downe those that are vnworthy of dignitie as much as him pleaseth and when him pleaseth Doubtlesse if the Byshop of Rome were a true Byshop indeed innocent impolute and not associate with wicked liuers and euill men his life should declare him so to be He would not then be an offerer of dissentious sacrifice but a peaceable offerer of loue charity would cense not with the incense of griefe hatred but with the sweet smelling incense of concord and vnity neither yet would alter suum pontificium in maleficium That is make of a sanctified office an execrable abuse If he were such a Byshoppe as he ought to be he would not wrest or abuse the preaching of the word into the fruite and gayne of his owne dissention neither
it is manifest that he defiled by adultery her first husband yet liuing she beyng worthy to haue the promise of mariage kept vnto her Therefore because that whiche is done agaynst the Lord turneth to the wrong of all men and specially in so great a mischiefe by reason of the consequence by which she is iudged of the people both a woman adultres or defamed I like a bridle Asse by the power of the Lord and not by the voyce of a perfect mā being not able to bear so great a burdé take in hand to rebuke the madnes of the sayd false Prophet Balaam whiche at the instaunce of kyng Balaac 1. of the Prince of deuils whom he serueth and ready to cursie the people blessed of the Lord I beseeche you most excellent Prince and Lord Phillip by the grace of God king of Fraunce that like as the Aungell of God in tyme past mette in the way with a sword drawne the prophet Balaam goyng to curse Gods people so you whiche are vnwilling to execute iustice and therefore like the Aungell of the Lorde and minister of power and office woulde meete with a naked sworde this sayde wicked man whiche is farre worse then Balaam that he performe not that euill whiche he intendeth to the people First I propound that the foresayd man that nameth himselfe Boniface is no Pope but wrongfully keepeth the fear which he hath in deede to the great damage of all the soules of Gods holy Church I say also that his entring was many waies faulty and he entred not in at the doore but otherwaies and therfore is to be iudged a theefe a robber 2. I propound also that the sayde Boniface is a manifest hereticke and vtterly cut off from the body of the holy Church because of many kindes of heresies whiche are to be declared in conuenient tyme and place 3. I propound also that the sayde Boniface is an horrible simoniacall such a one as hath not bin sithens the beginning of the world and the mischiefe of this sinne in him is so notorious to all the world whiche thing is manifest to all that will playnly vnderstand in so much that he beyng openly slaūdered said openly that he could not commit simony 4. I propound also that the sayd Boniface being wrapt in infinite manifest haynous sinnes is so hardened in thē that he is vtterly not possible to be corrected and lying in doungeon of mischiefe so deepe that he may not be suffered any longer without the ouerthrow of the state of the church His mouth is full of cursing his feete and steps are swift to shed bloud He vtterly teareth in peeces the Churches which he ought to cherishe wasting wickedly the goodes of the poore making much of wicked men that geue hym rewardes persecuting the righteous and among the people not gathering but scattering bringing in new sectes of destruction that haue not bene heard of Blaspheming the way of truth and by robbery thinking himselfe equall to that Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for euer And he beyng most couetous thirsteth for gold couereth gold by some deuise getteth gold of euery people vtterly not regardig the worshipping of God with sayned wordes sometimes by flattering sometimes by threatning sometime by false teaching and all to get mony withall he maketh marchādise of vs all enuying all thinges but hys owne louing no man nourishing warre persecuting hating the peace of his subiectes He is rooted in all vnspeakeable sinnes contrarying and striuing against all the wayes doctrines of the Lord. He is truly the abhomination of the people which Daniel the Lordes Prophet described Therfore I answere that lawes weapons and all the elemēts ought to rise against him which thus ouerthroweth the state of the Church for whose sinnes God plagueth the whole world And finally nothing remaineth to hym being so vnsatiable to satisfie him wtall but onely the vnsatiable mouth of hell and the fire that cannot be quenched continuing for euer Therfore seing that in a generall coūcel it so becommeth and I see this wicked man to be damned which offendeth both God and al men I aske and require as instantly as I can and beseech you my Lord and King aforesaid that ye would declare to the prelates doctours people princes your brethren in Christ chiefly to the Cardinals and all Prelates and call a Councell In the which when this foresaid wicked man is condemned by the worshipfull Cardinals the church may be prouided of a shephearde for that Councell I offer my selfe ready lawfully to pursue the foresaide things And where as the saide man being in highest dignity in the meane time cannot be suspended of hys superiour therefore he ought to be taken suspended in deede for the things aforesaid seing his state is called into iudgement by the meanes aforesaid I beseech and require the said Cardinals by you and I presently require them the church of God that this wicked man being put in prison the Church of Rome may be prouided of a Vicar which may minister those things that shall appertaine vntil the Church of God be prouided of a bishop vtterly to take away all occasion of a schisme And least the saide wicked man should let and hinder the prosecuting therof I require these things of you my Lord king aforesaid affirming you to be bounde to doe this for many causes First for faithes sake Secondly for your kingly dignitie to whose office it belongeth to roote out such wicked men Thirdly for your oth sake which ye made for the defence of the Churches of your Realme which the foresaid rauener vtterly teareth in peeces Fourthly because ye be the patron of the Churches therfore ye are not bound onely to the defence of them but to the calling for againe of their goodes which the foresaide man hath wasted Fiftly ye following the footesteps of your auncetors ought to deliuer your mother the Romish church from so wicked a hand wherein by oppression shee is tied bound I require that a publike instrument may be made of these requestes by the notaries here present vnder the witnes of the worshipfull men that be here present These things were done and spoken as is aforesayd at Paris in the Kings hous◠of Lupara After this protestation of master Nagareta immediatly insued the appeale of the king pronoūced and published against the sayd Boniface in forme as foloweth The appeale made by the king and the louers of the Realme against Boniface IN the name of God Amen In the yeare of our Lorde 1303 Indictione prima 13. day of Iune and the 9 yeare of the Popedom of Boniface Pope the 8. By the tenour of this publique instrumēt be it vnto all men knowen that the most noble prince and Lorde Philip by the grace of God king of Fraunce the famous and reuerend fathers in Christ Archbishops Bishops religious men Abbots and Priors here vndernamed in
intellectus Therefore it is no good argument These formes be distincted ergo they be not compatible in one subiect And therfore that the iurisdictions temporal spiritual are so distincted that they are not coÌ„trary but coÌ„patible it is euident hereby because things contrary be so that the one cannot be ordeined to concurre with the other but rather confoundeth destroyeth the other but in this case iurisdiction temporall is ordeined for the spirituall contrary the spirituall for the temporall Or rather the one so depeÌ„deth of the other as the clearenes of the moon doth of the brightnes of the Sunne Also the one iurisdiction so helpeth tomforteth the other that there is no contrartety in them And therfore it is no good coÌ„sequeÌ„ce because they are distincted Ergo they are not compatible in one persoÌ„ This also is to be proued de facto For the earth is the Lordes and the plenty of the whole vniuersall world and all that dwell therin It is proued in likewise by this reason For if the iurisdictions were not compatible it should follow that no ecclesiastical person should haue any iot of teÌ„porall iurisdiction neither land tower castle Lordship or any thing els which is most absurd so by this meanes it should follow the no ecclesiasticall persoÌ„ should be in subiection vnto the king which were to the great derogation of the kings maiesties crown and dignity It must needs be therfore that these iurisdictions be coÌ„patible notwithstanding the distinction of them one from an other And thus for answere to all these reasons by the which Lord Peter proued the distinction of these iurisdictions These things premised this I proceed further to proue that a person Ecclesiasticall which hath iurisdiction spirituall may also haue temporall iurisdictioÌ„ and that the iurisdiction temporall may be in an Ecclesiasticall person I will proue it by the Scriptures and first out of the old testament to the euideÌ„t probation wherof it is to be vnderstand That God after the creation of the world maÌ„ eueÌ„ vnto Noes time would gouerne the world himself as K. by the ministery of angels By reason wherof he gaue and pronounced sentence himselfe agaynst Cain Gen. 4. Noe also which offered burnt offeringes vnto the Lord built an altar as teacheth the 8. of Gene. which thing appertayned onely vnto the priestes had the gouernement and rule of all thinges as well spirituall as temporall which were in the Arke of Noe. Melchisedech in likewise the which was the priest of the most high God and also king of Salem as appeareth in the 14. of Gene. had both the iurisdictions in his owne handes For Magister Historiarsi in the sayd 14. of Gene. declareth that all the first begot of Noe euen to Aarons tyme were priests which at meales and offringes blessed the people which onely had the Ius primogeniturae wherby the regimeÌ„t of others was due vnto them Moses in like maner of whom it is sayd in the Psalme Moses c Aaron in sácerdotibus eius coÌ„secrated Aaron and his childreÌ„ to be priests which Aaron did iudge the whole people in temporal matters yea in that causes of inheritaunce and mere reall as appeareth in the 27. chap. of Num. and many other places To whiche purpose serueth the 17. chap. of Deut. where it is sayd if a matter be to hard for thee in iudgemeÌ„t betwixt bloud and bloud betwixt plea and plea betwixt plague plague then shalt thou rise and goe vp to that place that the Lord thy God hath chosen And shalt come to the priests the Leuits and to the Iudge theÌ„ being and shalt aske who shall shew vnto vs the truth of the iudgemeÌ„t and follow their sentence And if any maÌ„ presumptuously shall refuse to obey the priestes commaundementes and decree of the iudge the same shal die Behold how manifestly it doth appeare how not onely the iudgemeÌ„t appertayneth to a priest betwene plage and plage concerning the circumstances and irregularity of the law but also betwixt bloud and bloud in matters criminall yea and betwixt plea and plea in ciuill matters which thing doth appeare to be in many iudges out of the book of Iudges For Samuel which was both a prophet priest was appoynted iudge of long time ouer the people in matters temporal And wheÌ„ the people desired a king the Lord was highly offended with them and sayd vnto Samuel they haue not refused thee but me that I should not be king ouer them Furthermore as long as kings amoÌ„gest the people of God vsed the aduise couÌ„sell of priests and bishops it was well with them and their kingdome But when they forsook and left the counsell of Byshoppes and priests then was their kingdome diuided and finally they brought into captiuity In which captiuity the people were altogether gouerned and ruled by the priests prophets as by Esdras and Neemias And last of all by the meanes of the Machabees the kingdome and gouernmeÌ„t was deuoluted and brought into the priestes hands who were the kinges and captaynes ouer the people had the gouernement as well of spirituall matters as of teÌ„porall as is read in the first booke of Machab. 2. cha Of Mathatia and his sonnes videlicet of Iuda Machaby Ionatha Simon and Iohn the sonne of Simon which in al spirituall and temporall matters were gouernors ouer the people of God Moreouer the 1. chap. of Ier. declareth which was one of the priests after this maner I haue set thee ouer the people and kingdomes that thou mayâ—â— roote out break destroy and make waste and that thou mayst build vp and plant Iere. capite primo Besides this in time of iudge Eliach a priest in lyke maner had the iudgement of temporal matters And so much concerning the poofe hereof out of the olde Testament Secondly I proue my former proposition by authorities taken out of the new Testament For Christ had not onely by diuine nature both the poweâ—â— wherby he created all things of nothing and by consequence was God of al but also by his humanity had both powers For he was the priest secundum ordinem Melchisedech as it is sayd in the Psalmes and also is alleged to the Hebr. which had both in his vesture and thigh written king of kings and Lord of Lords By this vestiment or thigh was meÌ„t his humanity which was ioyned to his diuinity as the garment is to him that weareth it He sayd of himselfe in the last of Mathew Geuen is vnto me all power both in heauen and earth As also to the Hebrues the first chap. whom he made and constitute heyre of al vniuersall things And likewise in the 2. chap. to the Hebr. He hath made him not much inferior to the Angels he hath crowned him with glory and honor and hath set him aboue the workes of his handes Thou hast put all thinges in subiection vnder hys feete sheep
maisters that they desiren more maistrie for their own worship than for profit of the people For when they be maisters they ne preachen not so oft as they did before And gif they preachen commonlich it is before riche men there as they mowen beare worship and also profite of their preaching But before poore men they preachen but seldem when they ben maisters and so by theyr woorkes wee may seene that they ben false glosers And Lord me thinketh that who so wole keepen thine hestes him needeth no gloses but thilke that clepen them selfe Christen men and lyuen agaynst thy teaching and thine hestes needelich they mote glose thine hestes after their liuing other els men shulden openlich yknow their hipocrisie and their falshod But Lord thou sayst that there ys nothing yhid that shall not be shewed some time And Lord yblessed more thou be For somewhat thou shewest vs now of our mischiefes that wee bene fallen in through the wisedomes of maysters that haue by sleightes ylad vs away from thee and thy teaching that thou that were thy maister of heauen taught vs for loue when thou were here some time to heale of our soules withouten error or heresie But maisters of worldes wisedome and their founder haue ydamned it for heresie and for errour O Lord me thinketh it is a great pride thus to reproue thy wisedome and thy teaching And Lord me thinketh that this Nabugodonosor king of Babilon that thus hath reproued thy teaching and thine hestes and commandeth on all wyse to kepen his hests maken thy people hearen him as a God on earth and maketh thē his thrales and his seruauntes But Lord we lewd men knowen no God but thee we with thine help and thy grace forsaken Nabugodonosor and his lawes For he is in his proud estate wole haue all men vnder him and he nele be vnder no man He ondoth thy lawes that thou ordeynest to ben kept and maketh his owne lawes as him liketh and so he maketh him king aboue all other kinges of the earth and maketh men to worshippen him as a God and thy great sacrifice he hath ydone away O Lord here is thy commaundement of meekenes mischiflich to broke And thy blessed commaundement of poorenes is also to broken and yhid from thy people Lord Zacharie thy prophet sayth that thou that shouldest be our king shouldest bene a poore man and so thou were for thou saydest thy selfe Foxes haue dens and birdes of heauen nestes and mans sonne hath not where to legge his head on And thou saydest yblessed ben poore men in spirite for thy kingdome of heauen is therein And woe to riche men for they han theyr comfort in this world And thou bad thy disciples to ben ware of all couetise for thou saydest in the aboūdance of a mans hauing ne is not his lyfelode And so thou teachest that thilke that han more then them needeth to theyr liuing lyuen in couetise Also thou sayst but gif a man forsake all things that he oweth he ne may not bene thy disciple Lord thou sayest also that thy worde that is sowne in riche mens hartes bringeth forth no fruite for riches and the busines of this world maken it withouten fruit O Lord here bene many blessed teachinges to teach men to bene poore and loue porenes But Lord harme is poore men and poorenes ben yhated and ryche men ben yloued and honoured And gif a man be a poore man men holden him a man without grace and if a man desireth poorenes men holden him but a foole And if a man be a rich man men clepen him a gratious man and thilke that ben busy in getting of riches ben yhold wyse men and ready but Lord these rich men sayen that it is both leful and needefull to them to gather riches together For they ne gathereth it for themselfe but for other men that ben needy and Lord their woorkes shewen the truth For if a poore needy man woulde borowen of theyr riches he nele leane him none of his good but gif he mow be seker to haue it againe by a certayne day But Lord thou bede that a man should send and not hoping yelding againe of him that he lendeth to and thy father of heauen wol quite him his mede And gif a pore aske a rich man any good the rich man will geue him but a little and yet it shall be little worth And Lord me thinketh that here is little loue and charitie both to God and to our brethren For Lord thou teachest in thy Gospell that what men doe to thy seruauntes they done to thee A Lord gif a poore man axe good for thy loue men geueth him a little of the wurst For these rich men ordeinen both bread and ale for Gods men of the wurst that they haue O Lord sith all good that men hath commeth of thee how dare any man geue thee of the wurst and kepe to himselfe the best How may suche men say that they gatheren riches for others need as well as himselfe sith their workes ben contratrary to their words And that is no great truth And be ye seker these goods that rich mē han they ben gods goods ytake to your keeping to loke how he wolen be setten them to the worshipping of God And Lord thou sayest in the Gospell that who so is true in litle he is true in that thing that is more And who that is false in a litle thing who wole taken him toward things of a greater value And therfore be ye ware that han gods goods to keep Spend ye thilke truelich to the worship of God least ye leesen the blysse of heauen for the vntrue despending of Gods goods in this world O Lord these rich men seggen that they done much for thy loue For many poore labourers ben yfound by them that shoulden fare febelich ne were not they and their readines Forsooth me thinketh that poore labourers geueth to these rich men more then they geuen them agaynward For the poore men mote gone to his labour in cold and in heate in wete and dry and spend hys flesh and his bloud in the richmens works vpon Gods gound to finde the rich man in ease and in liking and in good fare of meate of drink and of clothing Here is a great gift of the poore man for he geueth his owne body But what geueth the richman hym agayneward Certes feeble meat and feeble drinke and feeble clothing What euer they seggen suche be their workes and here is little loue And whosoeuer looketh well about all the worlde fareth as we seggē And all mē studieth on euery side how they may wexe rich men And euerich man almost is ashamed to ben holden a poore man And Lord I trow for thou were a poore man men token litle regarde to thee and to thy teaching But Lord thou came to geue vs a new testament of loue therefore
wherfore he was depriued were these That the Pope had no more power to excommunicate any man then hath an other That if it be geuē by any persō to the pope to excōmunicate yet to absolue the same is as much in the power of an other priest as in hys He affirmed moreouer that neyther the king nor any temporall Lord could geue any perpetuity to the church or to any ecclesiasticall person for that when such ecclesiasticall do sinne habitualiter continuing in the same still the temporal powers ought and may meritoriously take away from them that before hath bene bestowed vpon thē And that he proued to haue bene practised before here in England by Williā Rufus which thing sayd he if he did lawfully why may not the same also be practised now if he did it vnlawfully then both the church erre sayth he doth vnlawfully in praying for him But of his assertions more shall follow Christ willing hereafter The story which ascribeth to him these assertions being taken out as I take it of that monastery of S. Albons addeth withall that in his teaching and preaching he was very eloquent but a dissembler saith he and an hipocrite Why he surmiseth him to be an hypocrite the cause was this First because he resorted much to the orders of the begging Friers frequenting and extolling the perfection of their pouerty Secondly because he and his felowes vsually accustomed in their preaching to go baretoote and in simple russet gownes By this I suppose may sufficiently appeare to the indifferent the nature and condition of Wickliffe how far it was frō the ambitiō pride which in the slaundrous pen of Polydore Virgil reporting in his 19. book of him that because he was not preferred to higher honors and dignities of the church conceiuing therfore indignation agaynst the clergy became theyr mortall enemy How true this was he onely knoweth best that rightly shall iudge both y◠one and the other In the meane time by other circūstaunces partes of his life we may also partly cōiecture what is to be thoght of that mā But howsoeuer it was in him either true or false yet it had bene Polidors part either not so intemperatly to haue abused his pen or at least to haue shewed some greater authority and ground of that his report For to follow nothing els but flying fame so rashlye to defame a man whose life he knoweth not is not the part of a faythful story writer But to returne from whēce we digressed Beside these his opinions and assertions aboue recited with other mo which are hereafter to be brought in order He began also then something nearely to touch the matter of the Sacrament prouing that in the sayd Sacrament the accidences of bread remayned not without the subiect or substaunce both by the holy Scriptures and also by the authoritye of the doctors but specially by such as were most aunciēt As for the latter writers that is to say such as haue written vpon that argumēt vnder the thousand yeres since Christes time he vtterly refused saying that after these yeares Sathan was losed set at liberty And that since that time the life of man hath bene most subiect and in danger of errors the simple and playne truth to appeare and consist in the Scriptures wherunto all humam traditions whatsoeuer they be must be referred and specially such as are set forth published now of late yeares This was the cause why he refused the latter writers of decretals leaning only to the Scriptures auncient doctors most stoutly affirming out of them that in the Sacramēt of the body which is celebrate with bread the accidēce not to be present with out the substaunce That is to say that the body of Chryst is not present without the breade as the common sorte of Priestes in those daies did dreame As for his arguments what they were we wyll shortly at more oportunity by Gods grace declare them in an other place But herein the trueth as the Poet speaketh very truely had gotten Iohn Wickeliffe great displeasure and hatred at many mens handes and specially of the Monkes and richest sort of Priestes Albeit through the fauor and supportation of the duke of Lancaster and Lord Henry Percy he persisted hitherto in some meane quiet against their woluish violence eruelty Till at last about the yeare of our Lord. 1376. the Byshops still vrging and inciting their Archbishop Symon Sudberye who before had depriued him and afterward prohibited him also not to stirre any more in those sorts of matters had obteined by processe and order of citation to haue him brought before them Whereunto both place and time for him to appeare after theyr vsuall forme was to him assigned The Duke hauing intelligence that Wickliffe his client should come before the Bishops fearing that he being but one was to weake agaynst such a multitude calleth to him out of the orders of Friers foure Bachelers of Diuinity out of euery order one to ioyne them with Wickliffe also for more surety When the day was come assigned to the said Wickliffe to appeare whiche day was Thursday the 19. of February Iohn Wickliffe accompanied with the foure Friers aforesayd and with them also the Duke of Lancaster and Lord Henry Percy Lord Marshal of England the said Lord Percy also going before them to make rowme and way wherewith wickliffe should come Thus wickliffe through the prouidence of god being sufficiently garded was comming to the place where the Bishops sate whome by the way they animated and exhorted not to feare nor shrink a whit at the company of the bishops there present who were all vnlearned said they in respect of him For so proceede that wordes of my foresaid author whom I follow in this narration neither that he shold dread the concourse of the people whom they would themselues assiste and defend in such sort as he should take no harme With these wordes and with the assistaunce of the nobles wickliffe in hart encouraged approcheth to that church of S. Paule in London where a mayne prease of people was gathered to heare what shold be sayd done Such was there the frequencie and throng of the multitude that the Lordes for all the puissance of the high Marshall vnneth with great difficulty could get way through In so much that the bishop of London whose name was William Courtney seeing the stir that the Lord Marshal kept in the Church among the people speaking to that Lord Perry sayd that if he had knowne before what maistries he would haue kept in the church he would haue stopped hym out from comming there At which wordes of the Byshop the Duke disdayning not a little aunswered to the Byshop agayne and sayd that he woulde keepe such maisterie there though he sayd nay At last after much wrastling they pierced through and came to our Ladies chappell Where the Dukes and Barons were
charity into the snare of the deuill If thou shalt keepe pacience he shal be ashamed of his doing and thou maist bow bend hym to repentaunce and take him out from the snare of the deuil and cal him backe againe to charity If thou resist and perchaunce by resisting doest strike againe his fury shal be the more kindled hee being stirred vp to greater wrath peraduenture shal either slay thee or thou him Touching thy self thou art vncertaine if thou go about to make resistance whether thou shalt fall from charity and then shalt thou goe backwarde from the perfection of Christes commaundement Neither doest thou knowe but that it may happen thee so greatly to be moued as that by the heate violence of wrath thou shalt slay him Whereas if thou wouldest dispose thy selfe to pacience as Christ teacheth thou shouldest easily auoide all these mischieues aswel on the behalfe of thy brother as also of thyne owne parte Wherefore the obseruing of charitie as the precept of pacience is to be obserued Fifthly I do maruel why that for the alowing of thys corporall resistaunce he doth say in the same Chapter that Paule did not fulfill the precept of the pacience of Christ when as he being stroken in the place of iudgement by the cōmandement of the high Priest did say God strike thee O thou painted wal Doest thou sit to iudge me according to the law and doest thou cōmand me to be striken against the lawe It is manifest that Paule made resistance in nothing though he spake a word of instruction to the Priest who against the law commanded him to be striken And if Paul had ouerpassed the bounds of pacience through the grief of the stroke what of that Must the deede of Paules impaciencie for this cause be iustified and the commandement of paciēce taught by Christ be left vndone for Pauls deede and corporal resistance be allowed God forbid For both Paule and Peter might erre But in the doctrine of Christ there may be found no errour Wherefore we must geue more credence beliefe to Christes sayings then to any liuing mans doings Wherefore although Paule had resisted which I do not perceiue in that Scripture it followeth not therof that corporall resistance must be approued which is of Christ expresly forbidden I much maruel that alwayes they seeke corners and shadowes to iustifie their deedes Why doe they not marke what great thyngs Paule reciteth hymselfe to haue suffered for Christ And where I pray you haue they found that hee after his conuersion stroke any man that did hurt him Or where doe they finde that he in expresse word doth teach such a kinde of corporal resistance But as touching pacience he sayth in plaine words to the Romanes Be not wise in your owne conceits Render ill for ill to no body prouiding good things not onely before God but also before all men if it be possible Be at peace with all folkes as much as in you lieth not defending your selues my most dearely beloued but geue you place vnto anger For it is wrytten vengeance is mine I will recompence them sayth the Lorde But if thine enemie shal be an hungred geue hym meate If he be a thirst geue him drinke For thus doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head Be not ouercomen of euill but ouercome thou euill with good To the Corinthians the 5. as touching iudgement and contention whych are matters of lesse weyght then are fightings thus he wryteth Nowe verely there is great faulte in you that you be at lawe amongst yourselues Why rather take yee not wrong why rather suffer yee not deceit And generally in all his Epistles he teacheth that pacience shuld be kept and not corporall resistance by fighting because charitie is pacient it is curteous it suffereth all things I maruaile howe they iustifie and make good the warres by Christians sauing onely the warres against the deuill and sinne For seeing that it is plaine that those things whych were in the olde Testament were figures of things to be done in the new Testament Therfore we must needes say that the corporall warres being then done were figures of the Christian warres against sinne and the deuill for the heauenly countrey whych is our inheritance It is plain that it was wrytten thus of Christ. The mighty Lord and of great power in battaile hath girded himselfe in force and manlynesse to the warre and he came not to sende peace into the earth but warre In thys warre ought Christian people to be souldiours according to that manner whych Paule teacheth to the Ephesians the last Put vpon you the armour of God that you may be able to stande against the deceites of the deuill For wee haue not to wrastle against flesh and bloude but against princes potestates against the rulers of these darknes of the world against spirituall wickednesse in heauenly things whyche are the high places Wherefore take yee the armour of God that yee may be able to resist in the euil day and to stand perfectly in al things Stande you therefore girded about in truth vpon your loynes hauing put vppon you the brest plate of rightuousnesse and your feete shoed in a readinesse to the Gospel of peace in all things taking the shield of faith wherwith you may quēch all the firy darts of that wicked one And take vnto you the helmet of saluation and the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God By these thyngs it is plaine what are the warres of Christians and what are the weapons of theyr warfare And because it is manifest that this Testament is of greater perfectiō then the former we must now fight more perfectly then at that time For nowe spiritually then corporally nowe for an heauenly euerlasting inheritance then for an earthly and temporall now by pacience then by resistance For Christ sayeth blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse for theirs is the kingdome of heauen He saith not blessed are they that fight for righteousnes How can a man say that they may lawfully make warre kill theyr brethren for the temporall goodes whych peraduenture they vniustly occupy or vniustly intende to occupy For he that killeth an other to gette these goods whych an other body vniustly occupieth doeth loue more the very goodes then hys owne brother And then hee falling from charitie doth kill hymselfe spiritually If he goe forwarde without charitie to make warre then doeth he euill and to hys owne damnation Wherefore he doth not lawfully nor iustly in proceeding to the damnation of his own selfe his brother whome though he seeme vniustly to occupy his goods yet he doth intend to kil And what if such kinde of warres were lawfull to the Iewes thys argueth not that now they are lawfull to Christians because that theyr deedes were in a shadow of imperfection but the dedes of Christians in
geuen credible relation of yâ— sonne both to the printer to me Furthermore the sayd maister Tindall albeit he did somewhat alter amend the English therof and frame it after our manner yet not fully in al words but that something doth remain fauouring of the old speach of that time What the causes were why this good man seruaunt of Christ W. Thorp did write itâ— and pen it out himselfe it is sufficiently declared in hys owne preface set before his booke whiche here is prefixed in maner as followeth ¶ The preface of William Thorpe THe Lord God that knoweth all thinges woreth well that I am right sorrowful for to write to make known this sentence beneath written whereby of mine eueÌ„ christeÌ„ set in high state dignitie so great blindnes malice may be knowne that they which doe presume of themselues to destroy vices and to plant in men vertues neither dreade to offend God nor lust to please him as their workes doe shew For certes the bidding of God and hys law whiche in the praysing of his most holy name he commaundeth to be known kept of all men and women yong and old after the cunning power that he hath geuen to them The Prelates of this lande and their ministers with the couent of priests chiefly consenting to them enforce them most busily to withstand and destroy the holy ordinaunce of God And there through God is greatly wroth and moued to take hard vengeance not onely vpon them that do the euil but also on them that consent to these Antichristes limnes which know or might know their malice and falshoode dresse them not to withstand their mallice and theyr great pride Neuertheles 4. things moueth me to write this seÌ„tence beneath The first thing that moueth me hereto is this that where as it was knowne to certayn frendes that I came from that prison of Shrewsbury and as it befell in deed that I shold to the prison of Caunterbury theÌ„ diuers friends in diuers places spake to me full hartily and full tenderly and commaunded me then if it so were that I should be examined before the Archb. of Cant. that if I might in any wife I should write mine apposing and mine aunswering And I promised to my special frendes that if I might I wold gladly doe their bidding as I might The second thing that moueth me to write this senteÌ„ce is this diuers frendes which haue heard that I haue bene examined before the Archbyshop haue come to me in prison and counsayled mee busily and coueted greatly that I should doe the same thing And other brethren haue sent to me and required on Gods behalfe that I should write out and make knowne both mine apposing mine aunswering for the profite that as they say vppon my knowledging may come thereof But this they had me that I should be busie in all my wits to go as neare the sentence and the wordes as I could both that were spoken to me that I spake UpaueÌ„ture this writing may come an other time before the archbishop and hys counsaile And of thys counselling I was right glad for in my conscience I was moued to doe this thing to aske hitherto the speciall help of God And so then I considering the great desire of dyuers frendes of sondry places according all in one I occupyed all my minde my wits so busily that through gods grace I perceaued by theyr meaning and their charitable desire some profite might come there through For southfastnes and trueth hath these conditions where euer it is impugned it hath asweete smell and thereof commeth a sweet fauour And the more violently the enemies dresse themselues to oppresse and to withstand the trueth the greater and the sweeter smell commeth therof And therefore this heauenly find of Gods word wil not as a smoke passe away with the winde but it will descende and rest in some cleane soule that thirsteth thereafter And thus some deale by this writing may be perceaued thorough Gods grace how that the enemies of the trueth standing boldly in their malice inforce them to withstand the fredome of Christes Gospell for which freedome Christ became man shed his hart bloud And therefore it is great pitty sorrow that many men women do their own weyward will nor busy theÌ„ not to know nor to do that pleasant wil of God The men women that heare the truth and southfastnes and heare or know of this perceauing what is nowe in yâ— churche ought here through to be the more moued in all their wits to able them to grace to set lesser price by themselues that they without taâ—ieng forsake wilfully bodely all the wrethednes of this life since they know not how soon nor wheÌ„ nor where nor by whoÌ„ God wil teach them assay their pacience For no doubt who that euer will liue pittiously that is charitably in Christ Iesu shall suffer now here in this life persecution in one wife or an other That is if we shal be saued it behoueth vs to imagin ful busily the vility and soulnes of sinne and how yâ— Lord God is displeased therfore so of this vility of bidiousnes of sinne it behoueth vs to busy vs in al our wits for to abhorre and hold in our mind a great shame of sinne euer so then we owe to sorrow hartely therfore and euer fleing all occasion therof And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penaÌ„ce continuing therin for to obtayne of that Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes and grace to abstain vs hereafter from sinne And but if we enforce vs to do thys wilfully and in conuenieÌ„t time the Lord if he will not vtterly destroy and cast vs awaye will in diuers manners moue tyrantes agaynst vs for to constrayne vs violentlye to do penance which we would not do wilfully And trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord a great token of life mercy And no doubt who euer will not apply him selfe as is sayd before to punish himself wilfully neither wil suffer paciently meekely and gladly the rod of the Lord howsoeuer that he will punish him their wayward willes and their impacience are vnto them earnest of euelasting damnation But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faythfully to grace for to liue here so simply and purely and without gall of malice and of grudging herefore the louers of this worlde hate pursue them that they knowe patient meek chaste wilfully poore hating and fleing all worldly vanities fleshly lusts For surely their verteous conditions are euen coÌ„trary to the manners of this world The third thing that moueth me to wryte this senteÌ„ce is this I thought I shall busie me in my selfe to do faythfully that all men and women occupying all their busines in knowing and in keeping of Gods commaundements able them so
referuntur isti quòd inseruntur in Calendarium c. And declaring afterward how the sayde Calendare dothe stand but in stede of a table my words do folow thus Haud aliter Calendarium hoc institutum est nisi vt pro Indice duntaxat zuum cuiusque Martyris mensem annum designante Lectori ad vsum atque ad manum seruiat c. Againe neither did I receiue these men into that Kalendare that holy Anathollus Sother Dorothaea wyth other ancient holy Saintes shoulde be remoued out as you doe falsly vntruly affirme but because the course of that story reaching but 500. yeares did not comprehende those former times of suche auncient Martyres but onely of suche as suffered in these latter dayes therfore requisite it was that in the table such should be placed chiefly of whom y◠who le booke did then principally and onely entreat to demōstrate thereby the time and day of their Martyrdome Neither yet were the other excluded out of thys newe Kalendare whyche were neuer inserted in the same before but onely because both together coulde not there haue standing necessity so required these in no case to be omitted and yet no iniury meant to the other to be excluded out of theyr owne Kalēdars wherto properly they did perteine As for thys Kalendare or this table because they were not pertinent vnto it they could not therin nether was it necessary they should be included And yet neither did I M. Cope wtout due solemne protestation omit the same in my foresayde Catalogue to preuent and stop all cauilling mouthes As by speciall words in the sayd proeme of my booke vnto the Reader doth appeare folowing in this wise Interim nullius ego boni sanctique viri modo qui verè sanctus sit causam laedo nec memoriam extinguo nec gloriam minuo Et si cui hoc displiceat Calendarium meminerit non in templis à me collocari sed domesticae tantum lectioni praeparari c. And wher is now M. Cope thys your reiecting expelling remoouing expulsing exempting deturbating and thrusting out of Anatholius Sanct. Dorothae and other holye Saintes out of Catalogues fastes and Calenders Or what man is that or where dwelleth he Qui veros Christi Martyres è Coelo ad Tar tara deturbat That is Which tumbleth downe true Martyrs from heauen into hell Which if ye meane by me In one worde I aunswere ye falsely belie me maister Copus I had almost called you maister Capus so lyke a Capon ye speake Neyther haue you nor any other euer heard me so say Neither haue I euer heard of any so madde to play so the giants with their mountains to clime the heauens to tumble downe Gods true holy martyrs out of heauen downe into hell vnlesse it were your selfe as yet ye are ye may be better and such other of your gilde and popish fraternity which make of Gods true saintes stinking dunghils for so yee terme them in your bookes and not onely thrust into heauen your Pseudosanctos saintes of your own making whom God by his word doth not allow but also depulse downe from heauen and make dunghils of Gods welbeloued seruants his faithful people and blessed martyrs which haue died for the word of god And what maruel then if in your blasphemous bokes ye cast down from heauen to hell the poore Saintes of Christ when in effecte you deiecte also the bloude and crosse of the sonne of God Christ Iesus himselfe setting vp in his office and place ttu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit Say master Cope your conscience indifferently set al Popish parcialitie a part where as the Scripture teacheth vs simplely Quòd citra sanguinem nulla fit remissio .i. Wythout blud there is no remission whether ye thinke by this bloud of the new Testament is meant the bloud of Christ alone or the bloud of other moe besides If the bloud of one must stand alone why doe yee then with the giants build vp your mountains and make a ladder of Beckets popish bloud for men to scale the heauens Or in so doing howe can you but eyther wyth the Protestauntes wipe out of your Kalendare Thomae sanguinem or els demolish from heauen Sāguinem Christi with the papists And heere by the way I cannot but muse why you are so deuout in setting vp the crosse of Christ in your church which are such enemies to the true crosse of Christ to stand in heanen Looke vpon thys master Cope and tel me vtra pars verius veros Christi Martyres è coelo in tartara detrudat And therfore as you falsely belie me in thys for detruding and tombling out of heauen Anatholius Iulianus Clarus Lucianus Agatha Dorothea and other against whome I neuer yet spake any reproching woord but rather in this my volume haue set forth their commendatiō so is it vntrue like wise where you affirm that in thys my Kalendar I make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Canonisation of false Martyrs I tolde you before when yee were in Englande I tell you again being nowe in your transmigration in woordes as plaine as I coulde Hane ego Apotheosin mihi nunquam sumpsi quam sibi tam confidenter sumpsit Gregorius nonus Were not these woordes of my Protestation manifest ynough were they not sufficient to satisfie a reasonable Momus And to make the matter more playne dyd I not adde moreouer as followeth Porrò neque eò spectat hoc Calendarium vt nouam aliquam festorum dierum legem praescribam ecclesiae c. And not contented wyth thys foreseeyng before suche wrangling spirites to come as now I see in you I shewed also the cause why I needed not so to doe my woordes were these Festorum dierum iam plus satis erat in mundo c. And yet further because no cauiller should take holde here of any iniurie done to the holy Saintes eyther old or new in the Church therefore in expresse woordes I remoued away all suspition of any iniurie preuenting the obiection of the aduersary in these wordes Habeat Ecclesia suos sanctos tum recentes tum veteranos modo probatos modo interim ijdem ne adorentur modo quà m sint vetusti tam etiam verè sancti sint c. These places of my booke if ye did see why do you dissemble them If yee had not so much leisure to read them howe had you so much laisure to wryte against any mans booke not knowing what is in the booke contained And howe stands it then wyth trueth that so like a Mome yee cry out so in your booke against these new made martyrs qui non possunt nisi per aliorum iniuriam crescere c. And again where you exclaime against me and say that I thrust out the auncient Martyrs out from their seat and possession and place new in their rowmes
vnto him Adding this in the meane time and by the way that if mayster Cope had bene a Momus anye thing reasonable he had no great cause so to wrangle with me in this matter who as I did commend the Lord Cobham that worthyly for hys valiaūt standing by the truth of his doctrine before Thomas Arundell the Archbishop so touching the matter of this conspiracie I did not affirm or define any thing therof in my former historie so precisely that he could well take any vauntage of agaynst me who in writing of this conspiracy layd agaynst syr Roger Acton And syr Iohn Oldcastle do but disiūctiuely or doubtfully speake thereof not concluding certainly this conspiracie eyther to be true or not true but only prouing the same not to be true at that time as Polydore Virgill and Edward Hall in their histories doe affirme which say that this conspiracie began after the burning of Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage Which could not be And thereto tendeth my assertion My wordes are playne and are these pag. 174. col 2. line 13. Wherefore it is euident that there was eyther no conspiracie at all agaynst the king or els that it was at some other tyme or done by other Captaynes c. These be my wordes with other moe pag. col and line aboue noted In the which proposition disiunctiue if eyther part be true it is enough for me His part it was to refell both which he hath not done But onely standing fast vpon the one part dissimuleth the other And this is Alanus Copus Anglus who by that he shall come frō Rome whether he is nowe gone as I heare say I trust he will returne a better Logician home agayne in suam Angliam But to the truth of our matter as I sayde before so I say agayne whatsoeuer this worthy noble and vertuous knight syr Roger Acton was otherwise this is certaine that he was alwaies of contrary minde and opinion to the bishop of Rome to that kind of people for the which cause he had great enuy and hatred at their hands and could as litle beare it neither do I greatly dissent from them which do suspect or iudge that the Lord Cobham by his friendly helpe escaped out of the Tower and that peraduenture was the cause why he was apprehended and brought to trouble and in the end came to his death Other causes also theyr might be that these good men percase did frequent among themselues some cōuenticles which conuenticles was made treason by the statute aforesayd either in those Thickets or in some place els for the hearing of Gods word and for publique prayer and therefore had they thys Beuerly theyr preacher with them But to conclude whatsoeuer this sir Roger Acton was this is the truth which I may boldly record as one writing the Actes and thinges done in the Church that he was at length apprehended condemned and put to death or martirdome 3. yeares and more before the Lord Cobham died Likewise M. Iohn Browne and Iohn Beuerly the preacher suffered with him the same kinde of death as some say in the field of S. Giles with other moe to the number of 36. if the storyes be true Whiche was in the month of Ianuary an 1413. after the computation of our English stories counting the yeare from the annunciation but after the Latine writers counting from Christes natiuitie an 1414. according as this picture is specified These men as is said suffered before the Lord Cobham aboot 3. yeares of whose death diuers do write diuersly Some say they were hanged and burnt in S. Gyles field of whom is Fabian with such as follow him Other there be which say that some of them were hanged burnt Polydorus speaking onely of their burning maketh no mētiō of hanging An other certain english Chronicle I haue in my handes borowed of one M. Bowyer who somewhat differing frō the rest recordeth thus of sir Roger Acton that hys iudgement before the iustice was thus to be drawne through London to Tyborne and there to be hanged and so he was naked saue certayne partes of him couered with a clothe c. And when certayn dayes were past sayth the author a Trumpeter of the kinges called Thomas Cliffe gat graunt of the king to take hym downe and to burye hym and so he did c. And thus haue you the storye of syr Roger Acton and hys fellow brethren As touching theyr cause whether it were true or els by error mistaken of the king or by the fetch of the bishops surmised I referre it to the iudgement of him which shal iudge both the quick and dead seculum per ignem To whō also I commit you M. Cope God speed your iorny well to Rome whether I heare say you are going and make you a good man After the decease or martyrdome of these aboue mentioned who are executed in the month of Ianuary an 1414. in the next month following and in the same yere the 20. day of February God tooke away the great enemy of his word and rebell to his king Thom. Arundell Archb. of Cant. Whose death following after the execution of these good men aboue recited by the merueilous stroke of God so sodenly may seeme somewhat to declare their innocēcy and that he was also some great procurer of theyr death in that God woulde not suffer him longer to liue striking hym with death incontinently vppon the same But as I dyd the other before so this also I do refer to the secret iudgement of the Lord who once shal iudge all secrets openly ¶ The picture of the burning and hanging of diuers persons counted for Lollardes in the first yeare of the raigne of king Henry the fift In the death of this Archb. first Polydor Virgil is deceiued who in his 22. booke pag. 441. affirmed hys death to be an 1415. and in the second yeare of king Henr. 5. also after the beginning of the Councell of Constāce who in dede neuer reached the beginning therof nor euer saw the secōd yeare of that king vnles ye count the first day for a yeare but dyed before an 1414. Feb. 20. Ex hist. S. Albani multis Furthermore concerning the death of this Arundell and the maner therof who had not bene so heauy a troubler of Christes saints in his time because the thing semeth worthy of noting to behold the punishment of God vpon hys enemies this is to report as I haue found it alledged out of Thomas Gascoin in Dictionario Theologico Whose playne wordes be these Anno. 1414. Tho. Arundel Cant. Archiepiscop sic lingua percussus erat vt nec deglutire nec loqui per aliquot dies ante mortem suam potuerit diuitis epulonis exemplo sic tantum obijt Atque multi tunc fieri putabant quia verbum alligasset ne suo tempore praedicaretur c. That is Thomas Arundel archbishop of Cant.
to haue had diuers prophetical reuelations shewed to him of God Certaine of which his letters and predictions I thought here vnderneath to insert in such sort as neither in reciting all I will ouercharge the volume too much nor yet in reciting of none I wil be so brief but that the reader may haue some taste and take some profit of the Christian wrytings and doings of this blessed man Firste beginning with the letter of the Lorde Clum concerning the safeconduct of Iohn Hus. A letter of the Lorde Iohn de Clum concerning the safeconduict of Iohn Hus. TO all and singulare that shall see and heare these presentes I Iohn de Clum doe it to vnderstande howe maister Iohn Hus Bacheler of diuinitie vnder the safeconduicte and protection of the renowned prince and Lorde Sigismund of Romaines semper Augustus and king of Hungarie c. My gracious Lorde and vnder the protection defence and safegarde of the holy Empire of Rome hauing the letters patent of the said my Lorde king of Romaines c. came vnto Constance to render a full counte of hys faith in publicke audience to al that would require the same This the saide M. Iohn Hus in this Imperiall Citie of Constance vnder the safeconduict of the said my Lord king of Romaines hath bene and yet is deteined And although the Pope with the Cardinalles haue bene seriously required by solemne Ambassadours of the sayd my Lord king of Romaines c. in the kings name behalfe that the said maister Iohn Hus should be set at libertye and be restored vnto me yet notwythstanding they haue and yet do refuse hitherto to set him at liberty to the great coÌ„tempt derogation of the safeconduct of the king of the safegard and protection of the Empire or Emperial maiestie Wherefore I Iohn aforesaide in the name of the king do here publish and make it known that the apprehending and deteining of the sayde M. Iohn Hus was done wholy against the wil of the fornamed king of Romains my Lord seeing it is done in the contempt of the safeconducte of hys subiects and of the protection of the Empire because that the sayde my Lord was then absent farre from Constance and if he had ben there present woulde neuer haue permitted the same And when hee shall come it is to be doubted of no man but that hee for this great iniury and contempt of this safeconducte done to him to the Empire wil greuously be molested for the same Geuen at CoÌ„stance in the day of the natiuitie of the Lord 1414. ¶ In this instrument aboue prefixed note gentle reader 3. things First the goodnes of this gentle Lord Iohn de Clum being so feruent and zelous in the cause of Iohn Husse or rather in the cause of Christ. Secondly the safeconduct graunted vnto the sayde I. Hus vnder the faith and protection of the Emperor and of the Empire Thirdly here is to be sene the contempt and rebellion of these proud prelates in disobeying the authority of their high Magistrate who contrary to his safeconduct geuen and the mind of the Emperor did arest and imprison this good man before the comming of the sayd Emperor before that Iohn Hus was heard Let vs nowe as we haue promised adioyne some of the epistles of this godly man An Epistle of Iohn Hus vnto the people of Prage in his owne vulgare speeche GRace and peace from our Lorde Iesus Christ that you being deliuered from sinne may walke in his grace and may growe in all modesty and vertue and after this may enioy eternall life Derely beloued I beseeche you which walke after the law of God that you cast not away the care of the saluatioÌ„ of your soules wheÌ„ as you hearing the word of God are premonished wisely to vnderstand that you be not deceiued by fals apostles which do not reprehend the sinnes of men but rather doe extenuate and diminish them which flatter the priests and doe not shewe to the people their offences which magnify themselues boast their own workes and maruelously extol their owne worthines but follow not Christ in his humility in pouerty in the crosse and other manifold afflictions Of whome our merciful sauiour did premonish vs before saying false Christes and fals Prophets shal rise and shall deceiue many And when he had forewarned his welbeloued disciples he said vnto them beware and take hede of false Prophets which come to you in shepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues ye shal know them by their fruits And truth it is that the faithful of Christ haue much neede diligently to beware and take hede vnto themselues For as our sauiour himselfe doth say the elect also if it were possible shal be brought into error Wherefore my welbeloued be circumspect and watchful that ye be not circumuented with the crafty trains of the deuil And the more circumspect ye ought to be for that antichrist laboureth the more to trouble you The last iudgement is nere at hande death shal swallow vp many but to the electe children of God the kingdome of God draweth nere because for them he gaue his own body Feare not death loue together one an other perseuere in vnderstanding the good wil of God without ceasing Let the terrible horrible day of iudgement be alwaies before your eies that you sinne not and also the ioy of eternal life wherunto you must endeuor Furthermore let the passion of our sauioure be neuer out of youre minds that you may bear with him for him gladly whatsoeuer shal be laid vpon you For if you shal consider well in your mindes his crosse afflictions nothing shal be greuous vnto you patiently you shal geue place to tribulations cursings rebukes stripes and prisonment and shal not dout to geue your liues moreouer for his holy truth if nede require Knowe ye welbeloued that antichrist being stirred vp against you deuiseth diuers persecutions And many he hath not hurte no not the least heire of their heads as by mine owne example I can testify although hee hathe ben vehemently incensed against me Wherefore I desire you all with your praiers to make intercessioÌ„ for me to the lord to geue me intelligence sufferance patâ—ence and constancie that I neuer swarue from his diuine verity He hath brought me now to Constance In all my iourney openly and manifestly I haue not feared to vtter my name as becommeth the seruant of God In no place I kept my selfe secrete nor vsed any dissimulation But neuer did I finde in any place more pestilent and manifest ennemies then at Constance Which enemies neither should I haue had there had it not ben for certain of our owne Bohemians hypocrites deceiuers who for benefits receiued and stirred vp with couetousnes with boasting and bragging haue perswaded the people that I weÌ„t about to seduce them out of the right way But I am in good hope that through the mercy of our God and
thy names sake Amen Written in prison and in bondes in the Vigill of holy S. Iohn the Baptist who beyng in prison and in bondes for the rebuking of wickednesse was beheaded ¶ Among diuers other letters of Iohn Hus which he wrote to the great consolation of others I thought also here to intermixt an other certaine godly letter writteÌ„ out of England by a faythfull Scholler of Wickleffe as appeareth vnto Iohn Hus and the Bohemians which for the zealous affectioÌ„ therein coÌ„teined seemeth not vnworthy to be read ¶ A letter to Iohn Hus and to the Bohemians from London GReetyng and whatsoeuer can be deuised more sweete in the bowels of Christ Iesu. My dearely beloued in the Lord whom I loue in the trueth and not I onely but also all they that haue the knowledge of the trueth whiche abydeth in you and shall be with you through the grace of GOD for euermore I reioysed aboue measure when our beloued brethren came and gaue testimony vnto vs of your trueth and how you walke in the trueth I haue heard brethren how sharpely Antichrist persecuteth you in vexyng the faithfull seruauntes of Christ with diuers and straunge kyndes of afflictions And surely no maruaile if amongest you since it is so almost all the world ouer the law of Christ be too too greuously impugned and that redde Dragon hauyng so many heades of whom it is spoken in the Apocalyps haue now vomited out of his mouth that great floud by whiche he goeth about to swallow vp the woman but the most gracious God will deliuer for euer his onely and most faythfull spouse Let vs therfore cofort our selues in the Lord our God and in his vnmeasurable goodnes hopyng strongly in him which will not suffer those that loue him to be vnmercifully defrauded of any their purpose if we according to our duety shall loue him with all our hart for aduersitie should by no meanes preuaile ouer vs if there were no iniquitie raignyng in vs. Let therefore no tribulation or sorrow for Christs cause discourage vs knowing this for a surety that whosoeuer the Lord vouchsafeth to receaue to be his childreÌ„ those he scourgeth For so the mercifull father will haue them tried in this miserable life by persecutions that afterwardes hee may spare them For the golde that this high artificer hathe chosen he purgeth and trieth in this fire that he may afterwardes lay it vp in his pure treasurie For we see that the time which we shall abide here is short and transitory the life which we hope for after this is blessed and euerlasting Therefore whilest we haue time let vs take paine that we may enter into that rest What other thyng do we see in this brickle life then sorow heauinesse and sadnesse and that which is most greuous of all to the faithfull too much abusing and contempt of the lawe of the Lord. Let vs therefore endeuoure our selues as much as we may to lay holde of the things that are eternall and abiding despising in our mindes all transitory and fraile things Let vs consider the holy fellowship of our fathers that haue gone before vs. Let vs consider the Saincts of the olde and newe Testament Did they not passe through this sea of tribulation and persecution were not some of them cut in peces other some stoned others of them killed with the sword Some others of them went about in pelts and goates skinnes as the Apostle to the Hebrues witnesseth Surely they all walked straight wayes following the steppes of Christ which sayde he that ministreth vnto me let him follow me whether so euer I go c. Therfore let vs also which haue so noble examples geuen vs of the Saintes that went before vs laying away as muche as in vs lyeth the heauy burden and the yoke of sinne which compasseth vs about runne forwarde through patience to the battaile that is set before vs fixing our eyes vppon the author of faith and Iesus the finisher of the same who seeing the ioy that was set before hym suffred the paines of the crosse despising death Let vs call vppon him which suffred suche reproche against himselfe of sinners that we be not wearied fainting in our hearts but that we may heartely pray for helpe of the Lorde and may fight against his aduersary Antichrist that we may loue his law and not be deceitfull labourers but that we may deale faithfully in all things according to that that God hath vouchsafed to geue vs and that wee may labour diligently in the Lordes cause vnder hope of an euerlasting reward Behold therefore brother Hus most deaâ—ly beloued in Christe although in face vnknowen to me yet not in faith and loue for distance of places cannot separate those whom the loue of Christ doth effectually knit together be comforted in the grace which is geuen vnto thee labour like a good souldiour of Christ Iesus preach be instant in word and in example and call as many as thou canst to the way of truth for the truth of the gospel is not to be kept in silence because of friuolous censures and thunderboltes of Antichrist And therefore to the vttermost of thy power strengthen thou and confirme the members of Christ whych are weakened by the deuil and if the Lord wil vouchsafe it Antichrist shall shortly come to an end And there is one thing wherein I do greatly reioyce that in your realm and in other places God hath stirred vp the harts of some men that they can gladly suffer for the word of God imprisonment banishment and death Further beloued I knowe not what to wryte vnto you but I confesse that I could wish to powre out my whole heart if thereby I might comfort you in the lawe of the Lorde Also I salute from the bottome of my heart all the faithfull louers of the law of the Lord and specially Iacobellus your coadiutor in the gospell requiring that he will pray vnto the Lorde for me in the Vniuersall churche of Iesus Christ. And the God of peace which hath raised from the dead the shepheard of the sheepe the mighty Lorde Iesus Christ make you apt in all goodnesse to doe his will working in you that which may be pleasant in his sight All your friendes salute you which haue heard of your constancie I would desire also to see your letters wrytten backe to vs for knowe yee that they shall greatly comfort vs. At London by your seruaunt desiring to be fellow with you in your labors Ricus Wiceewitze priest vnworthy ¶ An other letter of Iohn Hus to his friendes of Boheme THe Lord God be with you I loue the counsaile of the Lorde aboue gold and precious stone Wherfore I trust in the mercy of Iesus Christ that he wil geue me his spirit to stand in his truth Pray to the Lord for the spirit is ready and the flesh is weake The Lord almighty be the eternal reward vnto my Lords which constantly firmely and
neyther holy neither meritorious Item that reliques as dead mens bones ought not to be worshipped or digged out of theyr graues or set vp in Shrynes Item that prayers made in all places are acceptable vnto God Item that men ought not to pray to any saynt but only to God Item that the vels and ringing in the church was ordeyned for no other purpose then to fill the pristes purses Item that it is no sinne to withstand the ecclesiasticall preceptes Item that the catholick church is onely the congregation of the elect These were the Articles which were generally obiected agaynst them all wherin they did so agree in one vniforme sayth that whatsoeuer one did hold all the other did mayntayne hold the same By the which theyr consent doctrine it appeareth that they all receiued it of some one instructor who was William White which being a scholer and folower of I. Wickliffe resorted afterward into thys country of Norfolke and there instructed these men in the light of the gospell And now as we haue declared the names and Articles of these good men so it remayneth somewhat to speake of theyr troubles how they were handled beginning first with William White ¶ William White Priest THis William White being a folower of Iohn Wickliff and a priest not after the common sort of priests but rather to be reputed amongst the number of them of whom the wise man speaketh He was as the morning starre in the midst of a cloud c. This man was well learned vpright a well spoken priest He gaue ouer his priesthood benefice took vnto him a godly yong woman to his wife named Ioane notwithstanding he did not therefore cease or leaue frō his former office duty but continually labored to the glory and prayse of his spouse Christ by reading writing preaching The principal points of his doctrine were these which he was forced to recant at Canterbury That men should seeke for the forgeuenes of their sins onely at the handes of God That the wicked liuing of the Pope and his holynesse is nothing els but a deuilish estate and heauy yoke of Antichrist and therfore he is an enemy vnto Christes trueth That men ought not to worship Images or other Idolatrous payntings That mē ought not to worship the holy men which are dead That the Romish church is the fig tree which the Lord Christ hath accussed because it hath brought forth no fruit of the true beliefe That such as weare coules or be annointed or shorne are the lanceknightes and souldiors of Lucifer that they all because theyr lamps are not burning shall be shut out when as the Lord Christ shall come Upon which articles he being attached at Cant. vnder the Archb. Henry Chichesley in the yeare of our Lord 1424. there for a certayne space stoutly and manly witnessed the truth whiche he had preached but like as there he lost hys courage and strength so afterward he became again much more stouter and stronger in Iesu Christ and confessed his own error offence For after this he going into Norfolk with his said wife Ioane there occupying himself busily in teaching conuerting the people vnto the true doctrine of Christ at the last by meanes of the kings letters sēt down for that intent and purpose he was apprehended taken brought before Wil. bishop of Norwich by whom he was conuict condemned of 30. articles there was burned in Norwich in the moneth of September an 1424. ¶ The burning of William White This William White and his wife had his most abode with one Tho. Moone of Ludney This mā was of so deuout and holy life that all the people had him in great reuerence and desired him to pray for them in so much that one Margaret Wright confessed that if any sayntes were to be prayd to she would rather pray to him then to any other When he was come vnto the stake thinking to open hys mouth to speak vnto the people to exhort confirme them in the verity one of the bishops seruants stroke hym on the mouth therby to force him to keepe silence And thus thys good man receiuing the crowne of martyrdome ended this mortall life to the great dolor griefe of all the good men of Norfolke Whose sayd wife Ioane folowing her husbāds footsteps according to her power teaching and sowing abroad the same doctrine confirmed many men in Gods truth wherefore the suffered much trouble and punishmēt the same yeare at the handes of the sayd bishop About the same time also was burned father Abraham of Colchester and Iob. Waddō priest for the like articles Concerning them which abiured how by whom they were examined What depositions came in agaynst them and what was the order maner of the penance inioyned them here it might be set out at large but for auoyding of prolixity it shall be sufficient briefly to touch certaine of the principals wherby the better vnderstanding may be geuē to the Reader after what maner order al the other were intreated First amongst them which were arested and caused to abiure in this yeare afore specified 1428. was Thom. Pye and Iohn Mendham of Aldborough who being conuict vpon diuers of the Articles before mentioned were enioined penance to be done in theyr own parish Church as by the bishops letter directed to the Deane of Rhodenhall that parish priest of Aldborough doth more at large appeare the tenour wherof here ensueth The copy of the Bishop of Norwich his letter WIlliam by the sufferance of God Bishop of Norwich to our welbeloued sonnes in Christ the Deane of Rodéhal of our Dioces and to the parishe priest of the parish Churche of Aldborough of the same our dioces health grace and benediction For so much as we according to our office lawefully proceeding to the correction and amendment of the soules of Thomas Pye and Iohn Mendham of Aldborough of the dioces aforesayd because they haue holden beleued and affirmed diuers and many errours and heresyes contrary to the determination of the holy Churche of Rome and the vniuersall church and catholicke fayth haue enioyned the sayd Thomas and Iohn appearing before vs personally and confessing before vs iudicially that they haue holden beleued and affirmed diuers and many errors and heresyes this penaunce hereunder written for theyr offences to be done and fulfilled in maner forme and time hereunder written according as iustice doth require that is to say sixe fustigations or displinges about the parish church of Alborough aforesayd before a solemn procession sixe seuerall sondayes and three displinges about the market place of Herelston of our sayde Dioces three principall market dayes bare necked head legs and feet theyr bodyes being couered onely with theyr shyrtes and breeches either of them carying a taper in his hand of a pound waight as well rounde about the Church as about the market
Eugenius as an hereticke that is an euident signe that the Councell hath not thought him to haue swarued from the faith neither to haue any occasion that he should be called hereticke for his errours reuoked that he himselfe hath read the whole text that the Pope did not reuoke the dissolutiō as cōtrary vnto the faith but as breding offence Also that the last dissolutiō hath no such cause in it for somuch as likewise he had done it by the coūsell of the Cardinals and for the vniting of the Greekes that he might not be compelled in a criminall cause to aūswere by his procuratour whē as he being letted by sicknes could not come personally So for as much as in the first dissolutiō Eugenius hath fallē into no errour of faith he cannot be perswaded that he cā be called a relapse for so much as he neither in the first neither yet in the seconde dissolution did violate his faith This Oration of Panormitane was more praised then allowed of all men Notwitstanding this effect it wrought that afterward this word relapse was taken out of the cōclusions in stead therof this word prolapse put in Neither durst Panormitane himselfe altogether excuse Eugenius of heresie but defended more the first dissolution then the second yet departed he not without answere for Iohn Segouius an expert Diuine rising vp answered him reueretly as was comely for such a Prelate He said he granted that which Panormitane had spoken touching the diuision of the Articles of the faith into three points for because it made for his purpose For if those things are to be holden for Articles of faith sayd he which may be gathered of the determinations of the Church it were manifest that the conclusions whereupon we now cōtend redound and come of the determinations of the Church that is to say of the Councell of Constance for if therein the Pope be made subiect vnto the generall Councell who is it that will say that the Pope hath power ouer the Councell which is aboue him or that Eugenius ought to remaine Pope because he could not dissolue the Councell which is aboue him without the consent thereof The which Article vndoubtedly he hath violate and broken And if any mā will say that in the first dissolution this Article was not violate because there was no declaration made therof let him which so thinketh thus vnderstand that the Byshop of Rome ought not only to knowe the plaine and manifest but also the secret and hidden things of the fayth for he being the vicare of Christ and the head of all other ought to instruct and teach all men But if so be he wil not then hee shall be conuicted for being head because he cōtinued long in the dissolutiō after the declaratiō of the councell neither did cōsent vnto the determination of the church therfore if peraduēture he did not erre in the faith as it manifestly appeareth by the saieng of Clemēt oftētimes alledged by Panormitan wherin it is said the he which liueth rebelliously neglecteth to do good is rather a mēber of the deuill thē of Christ and rather an infidell then a true beleuer so that Eugenius by disobeieng the Church may worthely be called an infidell Neither is it true that the Pope hath not offended in the fayth For somuch as well in that aunswere which beginneth Cogitanti as also in the aunswere which beginneth Sperant made vnto the Popes Ambassadours these words are manifest this Article cōcerneth faith and we had rather die then through cowardlines to giue place By the which saieng it is euident the Synode to haue sufficiently admonished the Pope that he did against the faith and therfore it seemed that afterward when as Eugenius reuoked the dissolution he also reuoked the errour of faith cōteined in the same There are also diuers offences sprōg and risen through the errour of faith for some say that the Pope is vnder the Councell othersome denie it and this diuersitie of doctrine bringeth offence Also it is expressely against the authority of the Councell that the Pope did reuoke the assertions made in their name And albeit in such reuocations the stile order of iudgements is not obserued notwithstanding it doth suffice in such case when as the Councell doth proceed against the Pope in which case onely the truth is to be obserued neither is the Councell subiect vnto any positiue law that it ought to obserue any tearmes or iudiciall orders Also he said that he vtterly cōtemned that singular glose which did prefer the Pope before all the world so that it might well be called singular which decreed so foolish and fonde things and vnworthy to be followed of any man and that he did much maruaile of Panormitane and other Doctours of those daies which whilest they went about to extoll the authoritie of the gloses do abase the same by adding a singularitie therto for that glose is singular whiche is alone But who would not more esteme a glose constantly writtē and agreeable in all places then that which in any one place teacheth any thing which may seeme to be an errour and that as touching the veritie truth S. Hierome a graue and auncient Doctour is cōtrary to this glose who doubteth nothing at all but that the world as touching authoritie is aboue the Citie it selfe that is to say Rome Segonius could fearsely finish this his Oration without interruption for Panormitane oftentimes enterrupting him went about to confute now this and now that reason Wherupon the Bishop of Argen rising vp a man not onely eloquent but also of a stoute courage troubled Panormitane in his reasons and argumēts and put him from his purpose yet they proceeded so farre that they passed the maner of disputation and did not absteine from opprobrious tauntes When the Bishop of Argen chaunced to say that the Bishop of Rome ought to be the minister of the Church Panormitane could not suffer that in so much that he so forgot himselfe that day and his knowledge which otherwise was great did so faile him that he was not ashamed to say and affirme that the Pope was Lorde ouer the Church Whom Segouius answered Marke sayth he O Panormitane what thou sayest for this is the most honourable title of the Bishop of Rome wherin he calleth himselfe the seruaunt of the seruaunts of God Which is gathered vpon this point when as Christ sayd vnto hys disciples when they demanded of him which of them was the greatest you know he aunswered them The Princes of the people haue rule and dominion ouer them but amongst you it is not so c. Wherein he doth vtterly prohibit Lordship and dominion And Peter which was the first vicar of Christ saith feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto you prouiding for them not by compulsion but willingly And immediatly alter he sayd not as Lords ouer the Cleargie For it
by his interpreter the they all should be of good cheare For the Emperours safe conduict should be obserued and kept eueÌ„ to the vttermost neither should the Patriarck nor any other once violate the libertie or take away the assurance granted by the Emperour Notwithstanding he desired the patriarche that he would call backe hys wordes agayne not to speake any more in such sort But that famous father being nothing at all moued or troubled coÌ„mitted his whole minde vnto Iohn de Bacheistein auditor of the chamber a man both graue and eloquent to be declared Who affirmed that the patriarches minde was not to threaten anye man or disturbe the libertie of the councell but to moue the fathers vnto Constancie that they should be mindefull of the reformation which they had promised vnto the whole world and not so say one thing to day an other to morrow for if they would so do it were to be feared least the lay tie seeing themselues deluded and dispayring of reformacion should rise agaynst the Clergy Therfore he monisheth the fathers to foresee and prouide for the perill that they shoulde not depart from the Councell nothing being determined or done and finally he desired pardon if in his wordes he had offended eyther agaynst the Councel PanormitaÌ„ or any other maÌ„ Wherby he declared it to be true which is commonly sayd that Humilitie is the sister of nobilitie both which did very excellently appeare in this man Yet for al this could not the humilitie of the patriark stop or staye their noyse or cryes For as often as mention was made of reading the Concor datum great noyse and rumours were stil made for to stop the same Then Amodeus archbishop of Lyons and primate of al Fraunce a man of great reuerence and authoritie being touched with the zeale of fayth whiche he sawe there to be stopped and suppressed sayd Most reuerend fathers I haue nowe a great occasion for to speake for it is now 7. yeares or more that I haue bene amongst you yet haue I neuer seene the matter at that poynt whiche it is now at most like vnto a miracle for euen presently I doe behold most woÌ„derfull signes of miracles for it is no smal matter that the lame do walke the dumme do speake and that poore men preach the Gospel Wherupon I pray you commeth this sodayne chaunge Howe happeneth it that those which lie lurking at home are now sodenly start vp Who hath geuen hearing to the deafe and speache to the dumme Who hath taught the poore men to preach the gospell I do see here a new sorte of prelates come in whiche vnto this preseÌ„t haue kept silence and now begin to speak Is not this like to a miracle I would to God they came to defend the truth and not to impugne iustice But this is more to be marueiled at then any miracle that I doe see the best learned men of all impugne our coÌ„clusions which are most certayn and true And they which now reproue them in times past allowed them You are not ignoraunt howe that Lodouicus the Prothonotarye preached these verities at Louain and at ColleÌ„ brought them from thence confirmed with the authoritie of the Uniuersities Wherfore albeit that he be now changed yet is the truth in no poynt altered And therefore I desire you beseech you all that ye will not geue eare vnto these men which albeit they are most excelleÌ„tly learned yet haue they no constancy in them which doth adorn all other vertues When he had ended his Oration Lodouicus the Prothonotary rising vp sayde It is most true that I brought those verities but you do cal them verities of fayth which addition semeth very doubtful vnto me When he had spoken these wordes Cardinall Arelatensis requred that the Concordatum of the twelue men should be read and many whispered him in the care that he should go forward and not aulter his purpose Then Panormitan as soone as the Concordatum began to be read rising vp with his companions and other Arragons cryed out with a loud voyce saying You fathers do contemne our requestes you contemne kinges Princes and despise Prelates but take heede least whilest that ye despise all men you be not despised of all men You would conclude but it is not your part for to conclude We are the greater part of Prelates we make the Councell it is our part to conclude and I in the name of all other prelates do conclude that it is to be deferred delayed With this worde there sprang suche a noyse and rumour in the Councell as is accustomed to be in battaile with the sound of Trumpets and noyse of horsemeÌ„ when as two armies ioyne Some cursing that which Panormitan went about other some alowing the same So that diuersitie of minds made diuers contentions Then Nicholas Amici a Diuine of Paris according vnto his office sayd Panormitan I appeale froÌ„ this your conclusion to the iudgement of the councell here present neither do I affirme any thinge to be ratified whiche you haue done as I am ready to proue if it shall seeme good The contrary part seemed nowe to bee in the better place for they had already concluded The other part had neither coÌ„cluded neither was it seene how they could conclude amongest so great cryes and vprores Notwithstanding amongest al this troublous noyse Iohn Segouius a singular Diuine of the vniuersitie of Salamantine lacked not audieÌ„ce for the whol couÌ„cel was desirous for to hear him wherfore al meÌ„ as soon as he rose vp kept silence he perceiuing that they were desirous to heare him speak begaÌ„ in this sort Most reuerend fathers the zeale and loue of the house of God forceth me nowe to speake and I woulde to God that I had ben either blind this day not to haue sene those thinges whiche haue happened or that I had bene deafe that I should not haue heard those words which haue bene spoken Who is it that is so stony or hard harted which caÌ„ abstayne from teares when as the authoritie of the church is so spoyled libertie taken away both from vs and the councell that there is no place geue vnto the veritie O sweet Iesu why hast thou forsaken thy spouse Behold and look vpon thy people and helpe vs if our requestes are iust We come hether to prouide for the necessitie of the Church we require nothing for our selues â—our desire is only that truth might appeare We trusted now to haue concluded vpon the verities which were sometimes alowed in the sacred deputations The Oratours of the Princes are present require the conclusions to be deferred But we be not vnmindful of those thinges which Ambrose wrote vnto Ualentinian the Emperour in this maner if we shall intreate vpon the order of the holy Scripture and auncient times past who is it that will deny but that in case of faith I
Embassadors they would only haue the first conclusion decreed and therupon sent agayne vnto Arelatensis vnto whō answere was made that the chief force did consist in the two other conclusions and that the Coūcel would specially determine vpon them If the Ambassadors would not be present they should vnderstand that the concord was broken by them which would not obserue that which they had offered With which auswere they departed the Sessiō begā to be celebrate There was no Prelate of the Aragons present at it neither out of Spayn and our of Italy onely the bishop of Grosserane and the Abbot of Dona whiche for theyr constancy steadfast good will toward the vniuersall church could not be chaūged from their purpose but of doctors and other inferiors there were a great number of Aragons and almost all the inferiors of Spayne and Italy for the inferiors feared not the princes as the Bishoppes did and then the worthy stoutnes of the Aragones Cathelanes appeared in the inferiour sort which woulde not shrinke away in the necessity of the church Of the two other nations there were only present 20. bishops The residue lurked in theyr lodginges professing the fayth in theyr hartes but not in theyr mouthes Arelatensis considering afore what would come to passe caused praiers to be made after their praiers made vnto almighty god with teares and lamētation that he would send them his holy spirit to ayde and assist them they were greatlye comforted and encouraged This congregatiō was famous and albeit that there were not many bishops present yet al the seats were filled with the Bishoppes Proctors Archdeacons Presidents Priors Priestes and Doctors of both lawes which I iudged to be about the number of 400. or more amongst whō there was no noyce no chiding no opprobrious wordes or contētion but one exhorted another to the profession of the fayth and there appeared a full and whole consent of them all to defend the church The bishop of Massilia a noble mau read the decree which was attentiuely harkened vnto and not one word interrupted When it was ended Te Deum laudamus was song with great ioy and gladnes so the Session dissolued whiche was in number the xxxiii Session and amongest all the rest the most quiet and peaceable The day following being the xxii of May the Princes Embassadors without all mens expectation came vnto the general congregatiō by that theyr doing at the least geuing theyr assent vnto the Session before passed In celebrating wherof if the fathers had erred it had not bene lawfull for the Princes and Embassadours to haue holden the councell with those fathers But it was thought that they were touched with remorse of conscience and euen now to detest and abhorre that which they had done as it was not hidden to the Embassadours of the Empyre and Fraūce For the bishop of Lubecke sayde that the cause of his absence was for that he was appointed by the Emperors cōmaūdement to intreat a peace Wherfore it was not comely for him to be present at any businesse whereby he should be vexed or troubled with whome the peace should be intreated Notwithstanding he did much commend the session before holdē and beleued the decree therein promulgate to be most good and holy and the verities therin contemed to be vndoubted sayd that he would sticke therunto both now and euen vnto the death But the bishop of Turnō a man both learned and eloquent speaking for him and hys felowes sayd that he heard how that they were euill spokē of amongst some in that they had not honored theyr king in that most sacred Sessiō whom it becommed specially to exalt and defend the fayth which also for that cause aboue all other kings was named most christen notwithstāding he sayd that they had a lawfull excuse in that it was cōuenient that they which were sēt to intreat peace should doe nothing whereby theyr Ambassade shold be stopped or letted Also there are two kindes of iniustice sayd he wherby either thinges are done that should not be done or thinges that should be done are not done The first doth not alwayes bind because it is conuenient to haue respect of time place and persō But the last doth alwayes bind wherin he sayd they were not culpable But as touching the first poynt they might seme vnto some to haue erred because they wer not present at the Session but yet in this poynt they had sufficient to answere forsomuch as if they had bene present at that Session they should haue bene vnmeete to haue intreated any peace with Eugenius And therfore albeit they were wanting at so holy a businesse in that point they followed the example of Paule which albeit he desired to be dissolued to be which Christ yet for the further profit and aduauncement of the church it was deferred So likewise he sayd that they had now done for that they were not absent because they doubted of the conclusions whiche they iudged to be most true and holy whereunto they would sticke euen vnto the death but because they woulde not be vnmeet for the treaty of peace for which they came and yet that which they had not done in theyr owne persō they had fulfilled sayd he by theyr seruaunts and household whom altogether they commaunded to reuerence that Session I would that I had bene then in the place of some great prelate surely they should not haue gone vnpunished whiche thought to haue playd bo peepe For what doth the declaration of the trueth hinder the treatye of peace Or if it doe hurt why is he not counted as great an offender which cōsenteth to him that declareth the truth as he which doth declare it What shal we need any further testimony for now the Embassadors of the Princes haue declared Eugenius to be an enemy vnto the truth But to passe ouer these thinges it is sufficient that Eugenius wrote afterward vnto the king of Fraunce that he did vnderstand the Bishop of Tournon to be become his enemy After that the Bishop of Tournon had made an ende Cardinall Arelatensis gaue thanks vnto God which had so defended his Church after great stormes and cloudes had sent fayre cleare weather cōmending the good wyll of the Emperour and the King of Fraunce towarde the Church he also praysed the bishop of Lubecke and Tournon for that oftentimes in the Councell and also of late at Mentz they had defended the authority of the coūcell But specially he commēded this theyr present doings that they had opēly confessed the trueth and had not sequestred them selues from the fayth of the Church Afterward he entring into the declaration of the matter sayd that he was at Pysis and at Constance and neuer saw a more quiet or deuout Session then this affirming y◠this decree was most necessary to represse the ambition of the Bishops of Rome whiche exalting
great vtility ensued afterward to the kingdome of Fraunce All beit in processe of time diuers Friers there were whych wrote agaynste the same Ex lib. Pragin Sanctionis Amongst many decrees of the saide Councell of Basil in the 19. Session there was also a decree made touchyng the conuerting of Iewes and yong nouesses in Religion vnto the Christian faith Also that all Ordinaries should yearely at appoynted times prouide certaine men wel learned in the holy scriptures in such places where Iewes and other infidels did dwell to declare to them the truth of the Catholicke faith that they acknowledging their errour might forsake the same vnto the which preaching the said ministers should compell them to resort and to heare vnder paine of excluding them from occupying any more in that place prouided that the said Diocesanes and preachers should behaue thēselues towardes thē mercifully with all charitie wherby they might winne them to Christ not onely by the declaring of the veritie but also in exhibiting their offices of humanitie And to the intēt their preaching might be that more fruitfull that the preachers might be the better instructed in the tongues it was also in the same Councell prouided commaūded that the constitutiō made before in the councell of Uienna for learning the Hebrew Chaldey Araby Greeke tongue should by all meanes be obserued kept and ordinary stipendes prouided for thē that should teache the same tongues An other decree morouer in the 20. Session was enacted that whosoeuer was knowē or publiquely noted to be a keper of Concubines should be sequestred from all fruites of his benefices for the space of 3. monethes which fruites should be conuerted by the ordinary to the reparations or some other vtilitie of the Church if he did not so amend it was by the Sinode decreed that he should be clearely deposed from all his benefices Furthermore the said Sinode did greatly inuey against them which hauing the iurisdiction of the Church did not shame to suffer such whore maisters for bribes and money still to continue in their filthines c. By these decrees of the Councell aboue specified it is to be seene what corruptiō had bene thē frequented in the Church of God through the Byshop and courte of Rome For the more expresse declaration whereof we thought it not much impertinent here to inferre the wordes of one Martin Meyre writing to Aeneas Syluius touching and noting the saide corruptions the tenour of whose epistle here ensueth Vnto the reuerend father the Lord Aeneas Cardinal of Sene Martin Meyr Chancellor to the bishop of Mentz wisheth health I Haue vnderstand by certaine of my frends letters that you are created Cardinall I am glad for your part that you haue receiued so worthy rewardes for your vertues I reioyce also for my owne part that my frend hath attained vnto such a dignity wherin he may in time to come both helpe me and my frends But this is a griefe vnto me that you haue hapned vpon those dayes which seme to be troublesom vnto the Apostolike sea For there are many complaintes made vnto my Lorde the Archb vpon the Pope that he wil neither kepe the decrees of the councel of Constance neither of Basil neither yet thinketh himselfe bounde to the couenants of his predecessours and seemeth vtterly to contemne our nation and to seeke the vtter ruine thereof For it is euident that the election of Prelates is euery where reiected benefices dignities of what sorte soeuer they be are reserued for the Cardinals and chiefe notaries and you your self haue obtained the reseruation of 3. Prouinces of Germany vnder suche a forme as hath not ben accustomed or heard of Vowsons or giftes of benefices are graunted without number yerely stipends and half the reuenues are exacted without delay and it is euident that there is more extorted then is due The regiment of churches are not committed vnto such as best deserue them but vnto such as offer most mony for them and new pardons are graunted out daily to scrape and gather together monye Tithes are commaunded to be exacted without the consent of our Prelates for the Turkish warre and those matters which were accustomed to be debated and determined at home are now caried vnto the Apostolike sea of Rome A thousand waies are inuented and deuised how the sea of Rome may by subtlety and by craft extort and gette golde and treasure from vs euen as it were of the Turkes or Barbarians whereby our nation which was sometime famous and valiant which by their power and bloud conquered the Romaine Empire and was once the Lady and Queene of all the world nowe being brought vnto pouerty is made a handmaid become tributary being nowe in extreme misery hath of long time bewailed her cruell fortune and pouerty But now our nobles being as it were wakened out of their slepe haue begon to consider and deuise with themselues by what meanes they might withstand this calamity and vtterly shake of this yoke and bondage and haue determined with themselues to chalenge againe their former liberty This wil be no smal losse vnto the court of Rome if the Princes of Germany bring to passe that which they haue deuised Wherfore as much as I do reioyce of your late obtained dignity so much also am I mooued greued that these things happen in your daies But peraduenture Gods determination is otherwise his wil shal surely take place You in the meane time be of good chere and deuise according to your wisedome by what meanes the vehemencie of these floudes may be staied Thus fare ye well From Hasthaffenberge the last day of August Concerning the authoritie of this generall councell of Basill what is to be esteemed by the Actes fruites therof may be vnderstand of all good men Neither was it of any man doubted in the first beginning so long as the Pope agreed and consented vnto it But after the Pope began to draw backe many other followed especially of the richer sort of Prelates which had any thing to lose whereof sufficiently hath bene sayde by Arelatensis the Cardinall before In the number of those vnconstant Prelates besides many other was firste Cardinall Iulian the firste collector of this councell and Uicegerent of the Pope as by hys feruent and vehement letter written to pope Eugenius in defence of this councel may well appeare Wherin he most earnestly doth expostulate with the foresaide Pope Eugenius for seeking to dissolue the Councell and declareth in the same many causes why he shoulde rather reioyce and geue God thankes for the godly proceedings and ioyfull agrement betwene the councell and the Bohemians and so exhorteth him with manifolde persuasions to resort to the councel him selfe not to seeke the dissolution of the same The copie tenor of whose Epistle to the Pope if any be disposed to peruse the same we thought heere good to
mischiefe For vpon the necke of this matter as witnesseth Fabian Polychronicon and Hall whiche followeth Polych first ensued the condemnation of L. Elianour the Duches and her Chapleynes as ye haue heard before Whereby it may appeare the sayd Duches more of malice then any iust cause this to haue bene troubled Also within vi yeares after followed the lamentable destruction of the Duke himselfe as hereafter more is to be declared About which time or not long after an 1443. the steeple of Paules was set on fire by lightening and at last by dilligent labour of helpers the fire was quenched And after the condemnation of lady Elianour the Duches aforesayd within few yeares an 1445. followed the death of Henry Chichesley Archbishop of Cant. by whom she was condemned in S. Stephens chappell at Westin for penaunce to beare a taper through cheapside three sondry times and afterward outlawed to the I le of Manne vnder the custody of syr Iohn Standly knight This Hēry Chichesley builded in hys time 2. Colledges in the vniuersitie of Oxford the one called Alsolne Colledge the other named Barnard Colledge Proceeding now to the yeare wherein suffered Humfrey that good Duke of Gloucester which was the yeare of that Lord. 1447. first we will begin in few words to intreat of his life conuersation then of the maner and cause of hys death As touching the ofspring and dissent of this Duke first he was the sonne of Henry the fourth brother to kyng Henry the fift and vncle to kyng Henry the sixt assigned to be the gouernour and protector of his person Of manners he seemed meeke and gentle louing the common wealth a supporter of the poore commons of wit wisdome discreet and studious well affected to religion and a frend to veritie no les enemy to pride ambitiō especially in hauty prelates which was his vndoing in this presēt euil world And which is seldome rare in such princes of that calling he was both learned himselfe no lesse geuen to study as also a singular fauourer patron to them which were studious learned And that my commendation of him may haue the more credite I wil produce the testimony of learned writers who liuing in hys time not only do cōmend his famous knowledge and ripenes of learning in him but also commit submit their works to his iudgement to be examined Of whiche writers one is Petrus de Monte writing De virtutū vitiorum differentia who in his Epistle dedicatory beginning with the singuler commendation of this Duke and afterward speaking De optimarum artium liberaliumque scientiarum peritia sayeth thus Cui tu quidem omni conatu omni ingenio atque studio incumbis adeo vt nihil tibi sine librorum lectione iocundum gratum aut certe delectabile videatur c. And in further processe of his worke thus he further declareth saying Delectaris autem non vna tantum arte aut scientia quanquam id quidem esset satis verum fere omnibus earumque codices magna quadam auiditate legisti c. Besides this Petrus de Mōte let vs heare also the iudgement of an other writer of the same age named Lapiscastellius who likewise dedicating to the sayd Duke Humfry his booke intituled Comparatio studiorum rei militaris amongst diuers other words cōmēdatory hath these as follow Ad te potissimum mitto quod horum te optimum sapientissimum iudicem fore existimo qui vt ex integerrimo pat domino Zenone Baiocensi episcopo homine tuae laudis cupidissimo accepi ita in his humanitatis studiis inuigilares vt nullus toto terrarū orbe princeps nec doctrina nec eloquentia nec humanitate tecum comparandus sit c. Many other argumentes and places may be brought to declare what is to be esteemed of the learning and studious wit of this noble Prince Furthermore as the learning of this Prince was rare and memorable so was the discreete wisedome and singular prudence in him no lesse to be considered as for the more manifest proofe thereof I thought here good amongst many other his godly doings to recite one example reported as well by the penne of syr Thomas More as also by M. William Tindall the true Apostle of these our latter dayes to the intent to see and note not only the craftye working of false miracles in the clergye but also that the prudent discretion of this high and mighty prince the fore sayd Duke Humfrey may geue vs better to vnderstand what man he was The story lyeth thus In the yong dayes of this king Henry the sixt beyng yet vnder the gouernance of this Duke Humfrey his protector there came to S. Albones a certayne begger wyth his wife and there was walking about y◠towne begging fiue or sixe dayes before the kinges comming thether saying that he was borne blind and neuer saw in his lyfe was warned in hys dreame that he shuld come out of Barwik where he sayd he had euer dwelled to seek S. Albon and that he had bene at his shrine and had not bene holpē and therefore he would go and seek him at some other place for he had heard some say since he came that S. Albones body shoulde be at Colon and in deede suche a contention hath there bene But of truth as I am surely informed he lyeth here at S. Albones sauing some Reliques of him whiche they there shew shryned But to tell you foorth when the king was comen and the towne full sodainly this blynde man at S. Albones shrine had hys sight agayne and a miracle solemnly ronge and Te Deum song so that nothing was talked of in al the towne but this miracle So happened it thē that Duke Humfrey of Glocester a man no les wife then also well learned hauing great ioye to see suche a miracle called the poore man vnto him and first shewing himselfe ioyous of Gods glory so shewed in the getting of his sight and exhorting him to meekenes and to no ascribing of any part of that worship to himself nor to be proud of the peoples prayse which would call him a good godly man therby at last he looked well vpon his eyne and asked whether he could see nothing at al in al his life before And when as well his wife as himselfe affirmed fastly no then hee looked aduisedly vpon his eyen againe and sayd I beleue you very well for me thinketh ye cannot see well yet Yes syr quod he I thanke God and hys holy martyr I can see now as well as any mā Yea can quod the duke what colour is my gowne Then anon the begger tolde him What colour quoth he is this mans gowne He told him also and so forth without any sticking he told him the names of all that colours that could be shewed him And when the Duke saw that he
the Tartarians who breaking into Asia by the portes of Caspius subdued diuers partes of Asia namely about Comana Colchis Iberia Albania c. These Tartarians as they had got many captiues in their warres so for gaine vsed to shippe them ouer customably to Alexandria in Egypt to be solde whych seruantes and captiues Melechsala the great Sultane was gladde to buy to serue him in his warres Which captiues seruaunts after they had continued a certaine space in Egypte and through their valiant seruice grew in fauour and estimation with the sayd Melechsala and began more to increase in number and strength at lengthe they slue him and tooke to themselues the name and kingdome of the Sultane And thus ceased the stocke of Saracon Saladinus afore mentioned which continued in Egypt about the space as is sayd of 100 yeres An. 1240. After the death of Melechsala the army of these foresaide rascals and captiues set vp to themselues a king of theyr owne coÌ„pany whome they called Turquemenius Who to fill vp the nomber of theyr company that it should not diminish deuised this order to get or to buy christeÌ„ mens children taken yong froÌ„ their parents and the mothers lap whom they vsed so to bryng vp to make them to denye Christ and to be circumcised and instructed in Mahumetes law afterward to be trained in the feates of warre and these were called Malaluchi Among whome this was their order that none might be aduaunced to be king but out of their own number or els chosen by them neither that any shoulde be made knights or horsemen but only the children of christians which should deny Christ before called Mamaluchi Also it was among them prouided that to thys dignity neither Saracens nor Iewes should be admitted Item that the succession therof shoulde not descend to the children and offpring of these Mamaluchi Also that the succession of the crowne should not descend to the childreÌ„ of the foresayd Sultanes but shoulde goe by voyce and election The Tartarians wyth Turquemenius their king aboute thys time obtained Turquia that is Asia minor from the Turkes and wythin 2. yeres after preuailing againste the Turkes expelled them from theyr kingdome and so continued these Mamaluchi reigning ouer Egypt a great part of Asia till the time of Tomumbeius theyr last Kyng whych was destroyed and hanged at the gates of Memphis by Zelymus the Turke father to this Solymannus as in hys historye is declared Those Mamaluchi continued the space of An. 1245. These Tartarians raÌ„ging thorough the countreis of the Georgians and all Armenia came as far as IconiuÌ„ which was then the imperiall city of the Turkes An. 1289. The Soldane of Egypt Babilon got from the christiaÌ„s Tripolis Tyrus Sydon and Gerithus in Syria An. 1291. Lastly Ptoloâ—â—ais which also is called Akers was surprised by the sayd Soldan rased and cast downe to the ground all the Christians therein whych were not many left were slaine And this was the last citye which the Christians had in Asia So that nowe the Christians haue not one foot as is sayd before left in al Asia Thus the Egyptian Soldanes and the Tartarians reigned and ranged ouer the most part of Asia aboue the Turkes till the raigne of Ottomannus the great Turke aboute the space of 80 yeres ¶ And thus haue ye the whole discourse of the Turkish story with theyr names countryes townes dominions also with theyr times continuance interruptions and alterations in order described and in yeares distincted which otherwise in most authors and writers be so confused that it is heard to know distinctly what difference is betwene the Saracens Turkes Tartarians the Sultans or Soldans Mamuluches or Ianizarites What is theyr Calipha their Seriphes their Sultan or Bassa in what times they began and how long and in what order of yeres they reigned Al which in thys present table manifestly to thine eye may appeare ¶ Wherein this thou hast moreouer gentle Reader to coÌ„sider which is worthy the noting how the B. of Rome all this season froÌ„ the first beginning of the Turks reigne hath not ceased from time to time continually calling vpon Christen princes and subiectes to take the crosse and to warre against the Turkes wherupon so many great viages haue bene made to the holy lande so many battailes sought against the Turke and Soldan for winning the holy crosse and yet no luckie successe hath followed thereof hetherto nor euer came it prosperously forward whatsoeuer through the exciting of that Bishop hath beene attempted against that great enemy of the Lorde In somuch that the Christians haue lost not onely all that they had in Asia but also vnneth are able to defende that little they haue in Europe against his violence What the cause is of thys harde lucke of the Byshops doings it is hard for man to define Let men muse as their minde leadeth and as the Gospell sayth he that hath eyes to see let him see This is certaine that as there hath lacked no care nor diligence in the B. of Rome to stirre men vp to that business so on the Princes behalfe there hath lacked no courage nor strength of men no contribution of expenses no supportation of charges no furniture or abilement of warre onely the blessyng of God semeth to haue lacked The reason and cause whereof I would were to easy to be reformed as it may be quickly construed For what man beholding the life of vs Christians wil greatly maruell why the Lord goeth not with our army to fight against the Turks And if my verdit might here haue place for me to adde my censure there appeareth to me an other cause in this matter yet greater then thys aforesaid which to make plaine and cuidet in ful discourse of wordes laisure no we doth not permit Briefly to touch what I conceiue my opinioÌ„ is thys that if the sincere doctrine of Christen faith deliuered left vnto vs in the word of God had not hen so corrupted in the church of Rome or if the B. of Rome would yet reclame his impure idolatry and prophanations and admit Christe the Lambe of God to stande alone without our unpure additions to be our onely Iustification according to the free promise of Gods grace I nothing doubt but the power of this faith grounding onely vpon Christ the sonne of God had both framed our liues into a better disposition and also soone would or yet wil bring downe the pride of that proude Dolofernes But otherwise if the Bish. of Rome will not gently geue place to the milde voyce of Gods word I thinke not contrary but he shal be compelled at last to giue place roume to the Turke whether he will or not And yet notwythstanding when both the Turk the Pope shal do against it what they can the trueth and grace of Gods Testament shall fructify increase by such meanes as the Lorde shall worke which